Category: Uncategorized

So the Mountaineers played pretty well against Cincinnati.  That’s good.  Bill Stewart is such a fine, likable fellow that I just hate to see him taking heat.  Unlike Rich Rod you know in your heart that Bill Stewart is 100% devoted to the Mountaineers.  So what’s the take away on this year’s season?

To me what this year shows is how small the difference between a number one team and a team ranked 25 really is.  A play here, a fumble there.  In the great scheme of things there are probably only two kinds of college football teams – those that win more games than they lose and those that lose more than they win.

Really now, college football is about entertainment and playing a game.  It is not about life and death.  Nobody likes to lose but without losers there would be no winners.  Does that make any sense?

There is a lot of noise concerning the will of the people and how they desparately want to vote on everything.  What a bunch of horse hockey.  If people really wanted to vote, voter turnout would not be so pathetic year after year.  So the noise is really about political insiders wanting to advance their own specific and usually personal political fortunes. 

Now the question is whether we should have an election for governor or should Earl Ray finish out Joe’s term and then everyone can vote in 2012.  Considering the fact that a special election for governor would cost somewhere between six and ten million dollars, there is good reason to say no.  We just can’t afford all that money (not to mention the time and energy devoted to running as opposed to governing). 

 

Sara Lee just announced the sale of its baking business to Mexican food giant Grupo Bimbo.  That’s right.  Grupo Bimbo.  You can’t make this stuff up.

1.  With the election of Joe Manchin to the U.S. Senate, the political “kabuki dance” to succeed him will now begin.  It should be fun to watch.  There is a veritable phone book of interested candidates:  John Perdue, Rick Thompson, Jeff Kessler, Brooks McCabe along with “unannounced” possibilities such as Natalie Tenant and Betty Ireland.  And the race hasn’t yet begun.

2.  On a national front, are we witnessing the agonizing death throes of the two party system?  It appears that registered independents now equal registered Democrats or Republicans.  The Republican gains appear to be because of dissatisfaction with some Democrats not enchantment or necessarily support for Republicans.  I anticipate a third party or independent candidate for the White House in 2012 or 2016 and the appearance of a third yet small national party garnering around 10 or 15 percent of the vote.

3.  Why does no one bemoan the low interest rates in terms of how that affects those on fixed incomes primarily the elderly?  For the retired person who relies on earnings from his or her savings, the last two years have been basically a “no return” environment on bank CD’s, savings account and similar no risk investments that folks usually make. 

Answers at bottom (don’t peek)

1.  Name a sport where the better you are the more you play and the less your opponent plays?

2.  Name two sports where the better you are the less you play and the more your opponent plays?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.  Pool/billiards

2.  Golf and bowling

In the old days, we suffered through the commercials on TV, but what the heck TV was free so watching ads was a small price to pay for that.  Now, we pay $50 to $100 per month for our TV and guess what, we are still watching commercials but now we pay for the torment!

In the old days, we pulled into the gas station, they filled up the tank, washed the windshield, checked the oil and when we paid about twenty cents per gallon we got Green Stamps or actual gifties.  Now we pull into the gas station, we pump the gas, we clean the windshield and check the oil, pay $2.50 per gallon and get no freebies!

In the old days, you could buy a plane ticket at the counter in the airport and you could have a reservation in case your plans changed.  Now you pay separately to check your luggage, you can’t make a reservation and good luck walking into an airport and buying a ticket.  The planes also had pillows, blankets and magazines.  I won’t even mention security.

 

 

What do you say about a team that couldn’t have played worse for 52 minutes and couldn’t have played better for 8 minutes plus overtime?  What you say is this team has a chance to do big things.

The big question is whether the players felt lucky after the Marshall win or felt proud?  My guess is they felt proud.  That means that even though the Mountaineer Nation  is still shell shocked, the truth is that what happened last night on nationwide TV could be the start of something really big.

OK, I’ll go ahead and say it.  Boise State wins all its games.  So does WVU.  All the top 10 teams rack up at least one loss.  What happens? The followers of college football have an absolute fit but the national championship game is WVU vs. Boise State.

Oh yeah.

Number Five:  The scene from “Indiana Jones” where the sword weilding Arab screams at Indy who in turn looks bemused, takes out his pistol and shoots the guy.

Number Four:  The shootout between Doc Holiday (Val Kilmer) and Johnny Ringo in “Wyatt Earp.”

Number Three:  The football sequence in “Remember the Titans” where bad penalties are called, the defensive coach calls for total blitz all night then tells Boone (the coach) to run up the score and “leave no doubt.”

Number Two:  The final dance sequence in “Flashdance” where Alex gets into the Pittsburgh dance company.

Number One:  The “getting in shape” sequence from “Rocky” which ends with Stallone dancing with his arms up on the top of the steps.

Let’s see if I have this right.  Manchin at first could have appointed Bryd’s successor but then the “rumble” was heard (I didn’t hear it but those with better hearing than I presumably did) that the “people” by heck wanted to VOTE on Bryd’s successor because by heck this is West Virginia, and by heck two years is way TOO LONG for an appointed person to serve and by heck the will of PEOPLE has to be followed.  So out comes McGraw’s opinion that yes we must have an election.  So the Legislature says OK.  How much will this cost.  Not much.  Only about two to three million per special election.

Now, ten or was it twelve percent of the registered voters even showed up to vote !!

The PEOPLE has spoken.  Well, NINETY PERCENT of them didn’t but what the heck, it only cost a couple of million.

Save us from ourselves and other things that go bump in the night!

 

My theory is that, assuming one has a decent defense, the offense needs three potent weapons to be in the Top 10 and challenge for a national championship.  Two weapons puts you in the Top 20.  One weapon leaves you on the back of the bus. 

Right now we have Noel Devine.  End of sentence.  When we had Pat White, Steve Slaton and Owen Schmidt…well, we all saw what happened.

So for now we are in the 20 to 30 area.  If another star or two comes forth, well, see above.

Good luck, ‘eers.