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Well, as it's old news by now, there's no need for me to recap the super bowl. What a game, though. A bit too entertaining. At least now we're the only team to win 6 super bowls. I heard they're calling this ring "one for the beer hand." Nice. I'm just happy for all the polydactyl steeler fans who can finally say they've got all 6 fingers covered.

Went back to the home country for a cousin's wedding this weekend. Very nice on all counts. Here is a random sampling of conversations, anecdotes, what-have-you.

Tourist comes to town, looking for some seafood, asks a cabbie: "Do you know where I can get scrod?"

Cabbie says, "Bub, I've heard that question asked lots of different ways, but that's the first time I've ever heard it in the pluperfect subjunctive."

Oh, God, please don't tell me that this Michigan team is going to make this Notre Dame team look good.

This isn't the exact variant we heard from my uncle, but it's basically the same:
"Do you herd sheep?", my Gramma sighed
My Grampa leaped in fright.
"'Your Grammer's wrong!", he loudly cried.
"'Have you heard sheep?' is right!"

Well, if Beanie had been healthy, we would've had those thirty-five points, and more, easy. [said by anonymous uncle in excellent imitation of a specific Ohio State fan]

Why couldn't I have a clown car at my wedding? [said by an anonymous family member as a tiny car disgorged an almost unbelievable amount of passengers]

So, who do you want to lose more, Notre Dame or Michigan?

Couldn't we just have the earth swallow up both teams?

Damn. I love beer. [said by anonymous aunt on her 3rd or 5th beer]

Hey, WVU doesn't play this week, do they? Sweet! We might move up!

Um... aluminum isn't a good conductor of electricity, is it? Oh, it is? Well, then thank God we're not sitting right beneath the highest aluminum tent poles I've ever seen with a massive lightning storm approaching. Hey, you want to trade seats? [said by an anonymous family member when staring at 20-25' aluminum pole supporting tent, as spectacular massive lightning storm approaches]

...really ouch. East Carolina controls West Virginia from start to finish.

...yep.

You can say that it wasn't a conference game, you can say that it's better to lose early in the season than late, you can say any damn thing you want, but we still were dominated by a C-USA team, which we had hitherto dominated, and-- let's face it-- which we were expecting to dominate this year. At least Virginia Tech was in the game with these guys!

I'd been holding my breath since seeing our defense allow Villanova to move the ball on us effectively and consistently in the opener last week; and now, I'm exhaling in one huge, extended sigh. Even if this year is another topsy-turvy upset-fest, it's going to take a lot better playcalling, execution, and esprit de corps than the Mountaineers showed yesterday. I had hoped we were fortuitously going to be able to bypass the new-coach blues with our promotion of an insider. So much for that.

I'd also been on tenterhooks about a potentially more fundamental issue with the program since the Rodriguez Diaspora, and that's the departure of Mike Barwis and his insane in the membrane conditioning regimen. I don't think our prior style of play, our offense, our defense, our anything is going to work without the no-quit, always-on, train-for-explosiveness conditioning that was his hallmark. And I sincerely hope that this is not the case, but the flaccid, hopeless gameplay I saw from us against ECU is the nightmare world that flashed in the back of my mind when I learned that Barwis was leaving too. I guess we'll see.

Oh, well. Life ain't easy for any college football fan. Way to go East Carolina, Pinckney, Holtz, and alla those guys. To my Mountaineers... guys, we love ya. Getcher war faces back-- the rest will follow.

Back, synopsis of football weekend to appear tomorrow-night-ish. Meanwhile, check out hiking the law school hill.

Here we go... I'm calling Giants by 5.

[post-game ed]
well, hell. I was off by 2. Way to go Giants!

For those who didn't watch the game, you missed an edge-of-the-seat finish. It was a defensive battle until midway into the 4th, when suddenly it looked as if the wheels were coming off the giants' wagon. But on one unbelievable play (Manning stays on his feet, shaking off a swarm of Patriots, and throws to Tyree, who's covered, but somehow pulls the ball down for the catch) they are put solidly back into the game, with strong momentum now on their side. Best superbowl in many years.

Well, today the Patriots handled the Chargers, and the Packers lost in overtime to the Giants in what we shall refer to in future as the Witch's Tit Bowl. It was just that cold.

And so all that remains is for New York to upset New England in the superbowl, two weeks hence.

Exactly as I have foreseen.

Well, we're down to 4 in the NFL playoffs and something like 12 in the presidential playoffs. Time to make some calls.

In the NFL: New York is going to beat Green Bay in the NFC, and New England is going to beat San Diego in the AFC. New York will go on to upset New England in the Super Bowl.

In the Prez race, the Republicans will be erratic: Giuliani will continue his downward spiral, Mitt Romney will steadily run out of money and supporters, John McCain will peak in New Hanpshire, Mike Huckabee will run strong in the bible belt but will be taken down by a strong resurgence from Fred Thompson. All but the top 2 Democrats will fall rapidly by the wayside, except for John Edwards, who will persist like a rash, but never command a lead. Hillary and Barack will take turns at the lead until the last minute, when Barack will come out on top. In the presidential run, Obama v Thompson, Fred Thompson will win by a hair.

You heard it here first.

I'm sicker than a dog, postgame blogging with a steady stream of nasal drip hanging from my nose. Yum. Salty.

Here's the recap on ESPN. Strong performances from Pat White, Owen Schmitt, Noel Devine, Johnny Dingle, Eric Wicks, Pat McAfee, and featuring one helluva catch by Tito Gonzales, and one helluva run by Schmitt. Steve Slaton was sidelined with a leg injury in the first quarter, and didn't return, so his stats were basically inconsequential.