Year in Review

With but a couple weeks remaining in 2008, I thought it was a good time to reflect on the year that was...eh, mostly so I don't forget...

• Bill Stewarts leads WVU to Fiesta Bowl win and is promptly hired as the next coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers. It was an emotional choice and is still somewhat questionable.
• Went up to Shred Rodriguez night in Wheeling and attended my first hockey game. It was a good experience. Went to another one this year and will probably attend a couple next year. Good entertainment for a low, low price. Can't beat that in today's economy.
• February is a long, long month despite its shortness. If things could go wrong, they more than likely did.
• Eli Manning wins a Super Bowl, Brett Favre becomes a queen when he retires and then conceded the throne by returning to the NFL, leaving Green Bay in a mess.
• We begin rolling out Vista to end users. The event will haunt us throughout the rest of 2008 and continues in 2009. Bring on Windows 7!
• WVU, under the direction of that Pimp Bob Huggins, once again, and surprisingly, visits the Sweet 16.
• Took a cruise down Bahamas way. Very interesting...want to take another.
• Attended a Pirates game to watch them continue their streak of futility. How 'bout them Pirates? Eh, don't ask.
• Mike Garrison was chased from West Virginia University following the Bresch degree scandal. Hey, if he didnt' go then, he'd be chased out now over the disappointing football season.
• I went to the Strawberry Festival in Buckhannon. More entertaining then one would think.
• Went to Ocean City for about 5-days. Felt like a lifetime. The stop at Barbara Fritchie's was, unfortunately, the highlight. Ah, I kid...kinda.
• Attended the Steve Miller Band and Joe Cocker concert at Post-Gazette. An amazing performance by both entertainers.
• Left for a few days and came back to find my desk had been given the Jonas Brothers business. Ah, those darn Jonas Brothers.
• The economy continues a downward spiral. Too many articles to even begin linking.
• I satirically predicted WVU would lose to Villanova. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought WVU would lose 4-games (ECU, Colorado, Cincinnati and PITT and nearly more) over the course of the season. My satire was closer to reality than preseason polls...that's for sure. (And my Bill Stewart quotes are spot-on.)
• America elected a new president. Only time will tell....
• Headed down to Louisville to watch WVU actually win a football game. Unfortunately, I went up to Pittsburgh and had a much different experience (in multiple ways...?)

So, that seems to about cover my 2008. I don't anticipate anything exciting over the next 2 weeks. I am almost certainly not going to the Car Bowl in Charlotte (notice the almost, though). The Year 2009 should be interesting...a new president and a struggling economy should be weighing the heaviest on the minds of citizens. There will be a lot of eyes turning to Mountaineer basketball soon and then growing dissatisfaction with Bill Stewart could turn ugly if 2009 is worse than 2008. Sports...always entertaining...just like politics.

Anyway, that's all for now. Now back to trying to figure out this Vista mess. Some things never seem to end.

Blagojevich Probe

The story of Rod Blagojevich is amazing in its stupidity. Here is a governor that not only was corrupt but relished in his corruption. The guy essentially knew he was under investigation for his "pay to play" schemes and enjoyed the game, daring federal agents to come get him. This is but one in the myriad of corruption charges being levied against Democrats and their alleged integrity.

You have William Jefferson down in Louisiana and his freezer full of money. There's good ol' Charlie Rangel and his tax loopholes to avoid paying taxes (while he wants to raise taxes on you). How about Cynthia McKinney trying to beat up security? What about Edward Mezvinsky, Jim Traficant and Robert Torricelli? How about the fact that Jesse Jackson, Jr., is Senate Candidate #5? Maybe he didn't offer Blagojevich $1 million for the vacant Senate seat...but would it surprise you if he did? And don't forget Obama and Rezko...is there something there? I guess time will tell...

The point is that Republicans hardly have a monopoly on corruption in government over the past 8 years. Democrats are just as guilty. The fact is that many politicians play "the game" in order to advance their careers. Nancy Pelosi's move to rid Washington of the "culture of corruption" is nothing but insincere rhetoric. If it were any more than that, she would have moved for the removal of Jefferson and Rangel from office long ago. But, in Washington, things remain "politics as usual" regardless of who is in control.

Snow = Lost Minds

I always love the first snow of the year that sticks to the roads because it means everyone loses their freakin' minds. They forget how to drive. Some forget that snow = slick roads. Others believe that snow = unmitigated disaster. There's very few in the middle.



So on Saturday the area experienced the first real snow of the year that created hazardous roads. And I needed to run to Wal-Mart (yes, I hate it too) to buy a few provisions (Hot Hands and a white pullover) for the Mountaineer game. I just happened to time my exodus with when the snow began to stick to I-79. Oh, the horror.



I was in no real rush to get to Wal-Mart so I was cruising in the slow lane, getting passed by all these indestructible SUVs. Around the Pleasant Valley exit, I got to see my first accident of the trip. A truck had somehow managed to do a 180 and was now sitting next to the guard rail facing the wrong direction. Apparently I wasn't the only person to see this as everyone decided that moment was a good time to slam on their brakes. No, they don't slow down...they slam on their brakes. A few slammed on their brakes and had a little fishtail action...smart.



So, now that these people decided they were going to go 15MPH, I had to go over in the passing lane. Mind you, I'm traveling between 55-60 at this point...not slow but not up to the speed limit. That obviously is no where near fast enough for some. Some Escalade decided he wanted me moved and pulled up on the bumper. That really doesn't phase me a bit but I noticed. And, of course, slowed down more. Flashing lights doesn't phase me either. But I eventually let him pass...just in time for him to get stuck in the traffic from the accident on the bridge past the Kingmont exit. By timing my merge into the right lane, I was able to get off at Kingmont and by-pass the accident. Score one for me.


Of course, on my way through Benton's Ferry, I ran into another accident on the bridge. Someone stopped at the stop sign despite the sign that says they don't have to stop when making a right turn. The person behind them was sleeping or speeding or something and slid into their rearend. Not good.

I'm sure there are a dozen more horror stories from the snowfall and ice on Saturday. But it remains evident that people absolutely lose their mind when the snow starts flying. If people would just slow down and pay attention, these issues would go away. Why slam on your brakes? And why tailgate someone or continue to go 80 MPH when you see accidents? Use a little common sense out there...it's snow, not the apocolypse.

4th Hour of Today Show

I woke up late today and after calling work, they decided I could stay home until close to noon so I could bring in lunch. Works for me. So, I decided to watch the Today Show, which still remains my favorite morning show...despite some serious reservations about some of the people on there. At the 10:00 a.m. hour the usual crew I was watching disappeared and Kathie Lee Gifford and this person Hoda appeared. Wow.

First, do we really need a 4th hour of the Today Show? Four hours? It's not that good. Yes, I was going to watch that 4th hour because it's better than Rachel Ray but I'm still not sure a 4th hour of any show is justified. Unless it's Law & Order. Then 4 hours is acceptable.

Second, what is Kathie Lee and someone named Hoda doing on the Today Show? When did this happen and who allowed it to occur? Someone was obviously asleep when this happened. Where's Katie Couric when you need her?

Anyway, this 4th hour lasted about 10 minutes for me. This was horrible. Kathie Lee and this human named Hoda were so busy trying to talk over each other that I could barely understand what either were saying. Hoda apparently went and saw Michael Buble over the weekend. I'm not sure what Kathie Lee did because her voice sent me into seizures. To make matters worse, this woman named Hoda decided to play her IPod in some pig and chose a Kathie Lee song to demonstrate how the IPig worked. At this point my ears began bleeding and I turned off the TV and came to work as quickly as possible.

Maybe the final 50 minutes of the 4th hour of the Today Show goes smoothly. The first 10 minutes that I saw was an absolute train wreck. I can't imagine real people are actually watching this on a daily basis. I can't say it's horrible because I didn't really give it a chance. But, honestly, I don't see any possible way that it could be good. But I'll never know because I'm never watching the 4th hour of the Today Show again.

The Great Pitt Debacle

It's taken me a week to prepare statements about the recent WVU / Pitt matchup at Heinz Field. Well, and I'm still not quite prepared to discuss it I guess. With a Big East title possibly still in play, the Mountaineers folded and rolled over for the Panthers. A repeat of the 2007 matchup comes to mind. Identical plays and identical disappointment.

There is something wrong with the 2008 Mountaineer football team. It has been obvious since the first game of the season against Villanova. Losing to ECU and only scoring 3-points showed that there was something seriously wrong with the offense. In 2007, WVU scored over 35 points against 8 opponents. This year they've accomplished that feat once against Villanova. In a year where Bill Stewart promised an expansion of the playbook, we've watched the play calling contract faster than the economy. Pat White threw 5 touchdowns against Villanova but that hardly makes him a passing quarterback.

Anyway, back to the Pitt game. The 2 interceptions that White threw were killers. Both were very poor decisions. But I go back to the playcalling. Pat White had a 54-yard touchdown run and ran the ball 12 times but it felt like he was stifled by his unwillingness to tuck the ball towards the end of the game. Noel Devine was ineffective because he wouldn't run north/south but instead wanted to cut back across the field on every play. The defense played well but the offense was inept.

Bill Stewart has the greatest quarterback running threat in the nation in the backfield and has misused him all season long. This doesn't bode well for 2009 when Pat White is long gone. If we can't win with Patrick White, what can we do without him? Some things need to change, and in a hurry. 2008 has been a wasted year. The question now is how many more years must we watch the same?

Harry Reid is an Idiot

The Capitol Visitor's Center reopened this morning and Harry Reid is happy that he won't have to smell the visitors anymore. "My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

Harry Reid is absolutely the worst type of person. He doesn't represent the people and believes he is superior to the "common folk" who, obviously, stink to him. Does he not realize that those smelly tourists are the people for which he works? Those smelly tourists pay the tax dollars that pay his salary.

Harry Reid is an idiot from way back though. Reid has repeatedly shown his hypocrisy by blasting Republicans during the Jack Abramoff scandal while accepting money from those Abramoff represented. His land deals have long been under scrunity and his misappropriation of campaign funds have snuck under the radar thanks to his position as Senate Majority Leader. Of course, those stinky people in Nevada keep re-electing him...what a shame that is.

The Bailout's Cost in Perspective

Rush Limbaugh's site has a great piece putting the cost of the bailout against other great government expenditures over the years. It's definitely worth a look.

The point of the article is that today's bailout has been calculated only up to $4.6 trillion and has already cost more than all of the following government expenditures combined: The Marshall Plan. The Louisiana Purchase. The race to the moon. The S&L crisis. The Korean War. The New Deal. The invasion of Iraq. The Vietnam War. And NASA.

The new debt the government is taking on is eventually going to be crushing. We don't even have the funds to pay interest on the debt. The Russians are predicting a breakup of the union. The Chinese keep buying the debt to hold as leverage. Obama better be the miracle worker because things can't continue to spiral the way they are now. Everyone running to Washington with their hands out and there's not money to go around. Businesses need to go under and it will be a rough go. But by continuing to try to save everyone, the government is going to extend the pain for generations to come. Do you really trust the government to save the economy? I wouldn't...only free enterprise can right this ship.

Goodbye Fiscal Responsibility

Seven hundred billion dollars here, five hundred billion dollars there...what makes the difference? It's all just numbers, right? Well, sure...until someone has to pay for all those numbers.

The Obama economic team has already pledged to pick up where the Bush economic team left off and continue to throw more and more federal money at the current financial crisis. Obama today spoke of an economic rescue in the $500 billion range. Of course, this bailout would be offset by his promise "to scour our federal budget, line-by-line, and make meaningful cuts and sacrifices as well." Where do you think those cuts will be? Entitlement programs? Ha! More like national security cuts...right? Sure.

Nancy Pelosi said Bush should agree to a stimulus plan to "provide a down payment on new job-creating infrastructure investments, help states avoid deep cuts to health care and other essential services, and provide nutrition assistance to struggling families." So with Obama promising to make meaningful cuts, Pelosi is wanting to fund state programs that are in danger and create new federal assistance programs with "stimulus" money.

One of my favorite aspects of the Obama plan is the creation of jobs. Obama has embraced calls for a "green jobs" program that invests as much as $100 billion in projects to slash harmful emissions. This could include projects such as retrofitting buildings to make them more energy-efficient, upgrading the electrical grid and improving mass transit. Sure, the cut of emissions is far more important than maintaining the current transportation infrastructure, like bridges and roads.

This all sounds pretty troubling to me. Only time will tell but I don't look for an economic turnaround any time soon with this type of plan in place.

Random Nonsense

• Before John Veasey can say it, I paid $1.69 per gallon for gas in Lexington. It was kinda cool to fill up the vehicle for like $20.00. I don't anticipate it lasting too long.
• ESPN radio is difficult to find when you want it. I just wanted to hear the OU / TTU game coming back from Louisville. I found an ESPN station out of Chicago but they weren't airing the game but at least they gave updates. After hearing a few updates, I was glad I couldn't find the game.
• Notre Dame is horrible. I can't believe they won't fire Jabba the Weis this season. They lost to Syracuse. And yet bowls are still going to be fighting it out to take them with their bowl eligible 6-6 record. It's really sad.
• For all Mountaineer fans: Michigan's season is over. It's time to move on from the Rich Rodriguez hatred. One full year is enough time to hold the grudge. They went 3-9 and suffered a lot. He'll probably turn it around within 2 more years and start winning and everyone should just ignore it. Instead, focus on the 7-3 WVU team that started the season #8 but blew games to Colorado and Cincinnati and barely beat some other teams that we should have stomped.
• The United States government continues to throw money at the current economic downturn. Let's see, the government throws money to fix education...not so good. The government throws money to fix the poor...not so good. The government throws money at health care...not so good. Do you see a trend? How could this bailout go wrong when it's run by these geniuses?

I think that's about it for the moment. I'm sure there's more but I gotta get back to work...there's a government relying on my tax dollars.

To Louisville and Back

Good ol' Louisville. Last time I was there in 2006, it was a night game and Louisville was on their way to winning the Big East and the Orange Bowl. Two years later, they are barely hanging onto hopes for 6-6 and would be happy to make any bowl. Two years ago, fans flocked to and filled Papa Johns Stadium in an impressive blackout. Now, they were lucky to have over half the fans show up by kickoff and those fans left by 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Here's my Louisville story for 2008:

Left for Louisville on Friday afternoon and it's a pretty long haul really. Following the speed limits, which I tend to do, led to about 6-hours on the road. The GPS took us right to the hotel which was thankfully placed less than a half-mile from Papa Johns Stadium. After getting checked in, we tracked down a local Wal-Mart to get a few things and decided to grab some dinner. Since it was after midnight, the pickings were slim. Unfortunately there was a White Castle nearby and how do you pass that up? Seriously, I wish I knew how because White Castle is disgusting. Took it back to the hotel and ate 2 sliders...by the time I took a bite of the third, I was sure I was going to throw up. That was the end of dinner.

The night went by pretty quick and headed over to the stadium about 10:30. Since the hotel was close, they said we could leave the vehicle there and walk. It wasn't too bad but it was cold out. I'd say around 22-degrees at 10:30, so it was brisk walk. There were very few tailgaters out and about on this particular Saturday morning. And those few that dared to tailgate for Louisville were somewhat questionable. From one bonfire we could hear great tailgating music, such as "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis. Not usually considered a tailgating song...but, hey, whatever gets a Louisville fan fired up.

Since there was an hour to kill before kickoff, we decided to take a brief sojourn around Papa Johns Stadium to look for other activities that had to exist. Other than an old, retired train that was turned into a sports bar and two blow-up games, there was nothing. We attempted to enter the Trager Center, only to be rebuffed by security. A similar fate befell us at the Johnny Unitas Football Museum. We did enter the upper area of the Johnny Unitas area and viewed the warmup facilities before being asked to vacate the premises. Apparently only recruits were allowed in the Johnny Unitas complex and the West Virginia apparel didn't quite mesh with the recruiting requirements.

Since it appeared we had exhausted all pre-game activities at Papa Johns Stadium (NOTE: none), we decided to venture into the stadium. Imagine the surprise when we saw that they sell Papa Johns pizza. We arrived to our seats just in time to watch a little scuffle between Louisville players and WVU players on the Louisville Cardinal at midfield. Apparently Louisville players don't take too kindly to people stomping on the cardinal. According to post-game scuttle, no team has (or had) ever beaten Louisville after taking out any agression on the cardinal. Despite having his face stomped by the Mountaineer football team, the Louisville mascot still went to the fifty and got his groove on.

Since it was Louisville's final home game, they introduced the seniors and the Louisville band performed their pre-game show. I'm not saying it was bad...but they're definitely no "Pride of West Virginia." Louisville entered to a few fireworks and stuff and was applauded heartily by the half-full stadium. Fans eventually showed up but it never approached full. To fire up the Mountaineer fans, none other than the governor was on hand. Somehow watching Joe Manchin attempt to lead the Mountaineers onto the field had the opposite effect on me. Regardless, he was there and Bill Stewart was there too.

The first half went by relatively quickly. We made friends with the ladies sitting in front of us. One got to meet Pat White's father before kickoff and was thrilled. She was also on TV...she received multiple phone calls informing her of this. It was her first football game of the season and it appeared she was enjoying it. The only true excitement of the first half was when WVU was stuffed on third and fourth down at the one. It appeared to me they scored on third down and they were short on fourth...but I was on the opposite side and had to rely on replay, just like the officials. Let me get this out of the way now: Louisville's scoreboard is superior to WVU's. So, we head into the lockerroom with a 7-7 tie and a lot of disgruntled Mountaineer fans.

Let me take this halftime to say that Louisville's PA people love rap music. Young Nitt, Code Red and B Simms, among others. I could go the rest of my life without hearing "Clic Clac, here come the red and black." Don't believe me, check it out for yourself. Clic clac, here come the red and black...clic clac, here come the red and black, repeat ad nauseum. Trust me, the Cardinals repeat this song nonstop throughout every break. R U READY???

Second half goes much better than the first. After a nice scoring drive and a couple turnovers by Louisville, it becomes obvious that WVU probably has the game well in hand. Bill Stewart tries his best to keep Louisville in the game with as many odd calls as possible but Pat White is determined to win and Hunter Cantwell can't seem to get the ball over the defensive line. By the end of the third quarter, the Cardinal fans have given up and leave Papa Johns Stadium and head back to listen to more Randy Travis. Not sure if they're leaving the game because they're losing or because they can't handle anymore B Simms.

At this point, my entertainment is coming from the group sitting in front of us, which includes Newman from Seinfeld:

And this guy who does enjoy Young Nitt and the crew:

35-21, the game drew to a close. The Louisville fans were cordial as we made our way back to the Ramada to retrieve the vehicle. Traffic patterns to depart the stadium area were poor and we sat in traffic for a brief time. Listening to local coverage of the game, fans were more upset with Kragthorpe than with Louisville's play. The commentators and fans agreed that it was a shame that Louisville didn't play with more intensity considering WVU stomped the cardinal. They also agreed that Pat White is classless with his taunting. And there was plenty of taunting going on. They're happy to see him move on. I'm not.

All in all, a successful venture down into the heart of Kentucky. A win is a win...still not sure about some of the coaching decision but you can't argue against a victory. Unfortunately Pittsburgh couldn't do anything with Cincinnati last night so it appears Cincy is probably going to win the Big East and get the BCS bowl. WVU will probably end up in the Car Care Bowl in Charlotte. I'm just debating on whether I'm going to end up there as well. That pretty much covers the trip...it was fun and, if Coach Stewart doesn't drive us into the ground before, I may go back in 2010.

Down, down, down

The stock market has fallen to a 5-year low and everyone is tightening their belts, just as I predicted. This has led to a major contraction of available money in the system for businesses and consumers. Credit is shrinking and the economy is joining in the contraction. As a result, deflation has taken hold. Wholesale consumer prices fell for the first time since 1982 and the contraction could continue into next year.

Only now, 2-3 months after the Fed should have seen the risks of deflation, do they acknowledge that deflation should be a concern. The obvious risks of deflation could have been anticipated months ago despite the passing of the government bailout. I'm not sure why Bernake and company didn't begin to develop a plan to stave off deflationary pressures at that point. It may be too late to stop deflation at this point.

Deflation tends to feed upon itself. A credit provider does not want to give a consumer credit for a product that is going to be worth less a month from now than it is now. And a consumer doesn't want to buy a product that is going to be less a month from now than it is now. Therefore, consumers stop spending and credit begins to dry up. As credit dries up and consumers stop spending, the economy continues to contract. And a contracting economy leads to increased deflation.

The next two months will set the trend. If the Fed doesn't immediately cut interest rates again and start spending the bailout money and encourage additional lending, deflation will take hold and it will be a long 2009. January 20, 2009 is too far away. The matters are pressing now and won't wait that long. If Congress and the Fed sit on the sideline much longer, the damage will be irreversible. And long lasting.

The Great American Bailout

As General Motors sits back and waits for the government to bail them out from years and years of mismanagement, I'm wondering what it must be like for other companies around the country that have worked hard and effectively managed to maintain profitability, even during difficult times. Companies that are going under are being aided by the federal government and are being given extraordinary breaks while successful companies have been guaranteed additional taxes and fees by the incoming administration.

Where's the incentive to be successful in today's business climate? A successful company is still having problems securing loans and the government won't encourage additional investment in companies that aren't billions upon billions of dollars in debt. And why should a company continue to excel when the government has promised to steal more of its money? It's really a remarkable series of events to watch unfold. Fidel Castro must be proud.

The Perfect Storm

I wasn't feeling well at all yesterday and ended up staying home taking a very rare sick day. Over the course of that day off, I watched a program called "Black Blizzard," which recounted the days of the Dust Bowl in the prairie lands of America during the 1930's. Since the pain of the Dust Bowl occurred in the middle of the Great Depression, the farmers of the Great Plains were largely ignored as the country instead focused on the economic woes it faced.

Two things struck me about the Dust Bowl. The first was that environmentalists don't give our planet nearly the credit it deserves. Farmers in the midwest had long abused the earth and the earth took it's revenge and fixed the problem. We live on a very resilient planet. The second was that the Dust Bowl occurred at perhaps the worst possible time for America. Had the earth struck it's revenge a decade earlier, the burgeoning American economy could have helped these poor farmers. Perhaps later, say in the middle of WWII would have been just as devastating but there would have been more efforts to save these people stuck in the middle of a natural disaster.

Despite the pain and suffering for nearly a decade, the Dust Bowl eventually subsided and the American farmer learned from the mistakes it had made previous to 1930 and has never experienced a problem on a similar scale since. Much the same can be said about the economy in a broad sense. While faltering at times, the United States has secured that the economy would not collapse since these dark days of the 1930s. That is until now.

Perhaps the perfect storm is brewing around the United States again. A collapse in the housing market, a serious contraction of available dollars, a crushing debt and a diminishing job sector are swirling around the United States. And with an incoming president promising additional regulation and increased taxes, you wonder whether the storm will claim more victims. Only time will tell how history will look at this time in the United States. I hope the new president can find a way to fix this broken system. FDR is given credit for fixing the Dust Bowl but it truly wasn't fixed until the rains returned. I just don't have faith that Obama can make it rain.

The Gosh Darn Mountaineers

West Virginia certainly showd their offensive skills...in the last 71-seconds of a game that was as important as any they have played this season. The total lack of offense for the first 58 minutes was totally inexcusable. Every play was predictable and, once again, the offense relied solely on the ability of Pat White to make plays. Unfortunately for WVU, White made as many poor decisions as good ones in a game that could cost WVU a shot at another Big East title. Just a few observations, that are obvious:

• The special teams at West Virginia is ridiculous. The opening kickoff lost the Mountaineers the game. We are 9 games into the season and the kickoff coverage has not improved one iota. No team in their right mind would ever kneel a ball in the endzone against this team. And McAfee's leg can't get it through the endzone any longer. We're getting close to the point where it might be better just to kick out of bounds and give them the ball at the 40 considering:
• The defense is playing amazing. The big question at the beginning of the season was whether the offense would be able to score enough points to overcome the poor defense. Well, guess what, it's the other way around. No matter how well the defense plays, it can't overcome the ineptitude of the offense. The defense gave up 260 total yards but were killed by a special teams touchdown and two offensive turnovers.
• We're 9 games into the season and WVU still cannot figure out a way to pick up yards in short yardage situations. Third-and-one? Might as well just punt and get it over with. And despite numerous failures, the coaches continue to call the same plays to try to pick up the yard. Here's an idea: try something else. Play-action pass? Bootleg? Try something else.
• The crowd booed again. They are booing the coaches, not the players. And I don't blame them. Fans say Don Nehlen was predictable. Well, guess what, Dandy Don might as well be back. There is no creativity on offense at all. At least Cincinnati tried a few different things.
• For some reason the crowd cheered the decision of the Mountaineer Marching Band to play Brooks & Dunn's "Boot Scootin' Boogie". Oh, the humanity. And why is it that people like "Cotton Eye Joe"? It's horrible.

A week off and then it's down to Louisville. I think I'll go down and see the Cardinals live and in person on the 22nd. Should be an easy win...but when you don't score any points, nothing is easy. With a loss in conference play, there's nothing for this team to lose now so they should come out and play looser. This is the most uptight team ever. And will eventually go down with the 1998 team as most underachieving if things don't change in a hurry. A big hurry.

Anthrax Scare at Michigan

Michigan football practice was delayed nearly two hours late this morning after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Head coach Rich Rodriguez immediately suspended practice while police and federal agents were called to investigate. After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance, unknown to the players, was the goal line. Practice was resumed this afternoon after special agents decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.

A New President

This morning we wake up after having democratically elected the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. In a campaign that seems to have been dragging on forever, it was a relief for this showdown to finally be over. And while I don't necessarily like the choice that was made, it was a choice by the American voters. Now we must move on. But, first, just a few observations:

1. This wasn't the complete landslide that had been predicted. Considering the internal strife in the Republican party, Democrats should have rolled over the GOP nationwide. Instead, Obama wins the national vote by 6-points and Democrats will fall short of the 60-seats they wished for in the Senate.
2. There is a major divide between "rural" areas and "urban" areas in the same state. Look at the country breakdown of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc., and you will see that a majority of the state goes red but the few urban counties, which obviously hold more people, go blue. Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland flipped Ohio. Richmond, Arlington and Norfolk flipped Virginia. It's amazing to look at the state maps and see how red they are by land mass but blue by population.
3. How can Obama possibly meet the lofty expectations that are on his shoulders? He is expected to unite the country and the world. World leaders from every sector of this planet are looking towards him to end strife. It is not possible. So, will his agenda or his popularity decide his future actions?
4. Despite the full court press applied to Shelly Capito in District 2, she easily defeated her opponent. You have to think Capito could provide quite a race for the Senate when Byrd if no longer available to run.

There's a lot more I could say about this election but I'm sure it will be hashed over for months and I'll leave it to those people. My closing words on it are that I hope Obama does unite the country and succeeds in opening the American dream to everyone. That doesn't mean the distribution of wealth or more government assistance, that means removing the shackles of a government that punishes success and entrepreneurship. If Obama wants this country to prosper, he will encourage others to follow his lead and work hard and prosper and not wait for someone else to show you the way. His rhetoric doesn't show he will do this...but there's always the audacity of hope.

North Marion Wins!!

I predicted it on Thursday and the long nightmare of North Marion has finally drawn to a close as they defeat the Elkins Tigers 36-35. Some people thought I might have been making fun of North Marion's misery but that is not the case at all. This is a high school that had been known for producing good football teams. They had won a state championship in football as recently as 1997. And to see them in the midst of a 28-game losing streak was somewhat painful.

The victory gives Coach Garry White his 99th career win. And maybe it elevates the program back to where it once stood, as kings of Marion County football. Of course, that may be a stretch. It was one win. Over Elkins. But it's a start and everyone must start somewhere. Their next game is against, cough, Bridgeport...so it's kinda unlikely they'll get a winning streak going this year. But at least they reset the losing streak counter back to zero for this week. Congratulations Huskies. Good win.

Football Predictions

Since there's nothing important going on, like presidential elections, I will give my predictions for this week's football contests:

Morgantown 28 - University 27 - Isn't that just the way it goes? Would be a game I would like to attend...but I don't think I'm going to.

North Marion 17 - Elkins 13 - Yep. I'm finally going to give North Marion a win and end the 28 game losing streak. Gary White can finally have his 100th victory. This is it, folks. North Marion's nightmare finally ends.

Florida 38 - Georgia 28 - Tim Tebow is just that good. Florida woke up after their loss and I'm not sure they'll lose again.

Fairmont Senior 35 - Bridgeport 27 - If I attend a football game Friday, this is the most likely. I just think West is probably better than Bridgeport...that's all.

East Fairmont 20 - Parkersburg South 17 - East must win to stay in the playoff hunt. They'll pull this one off in an upset to setup a huge East/West game. At least that's what I'm hoping for.

WVU 45 - UConn 20 - If WVU has truly found their stride, they'll whip up on the Huskies. The Auburn win was pretty but this game counts for a whole lot more since it is in-conference and on the road. A must-win for Stewart's boys.

Obama's Infomercial

At 8:00 p.m. tonight you'll likely not be able to avoid the infomercial being aired by the Obama campaign. Barack and his excess of campaign money have bought 30 minutes of airtime on CBS, NBC, Fox, Univision, MSNBC (his official campaign channel), BET and TV One. Obama is going to use the 30 minutes to have "average" Americans air their problems and Obama's plans to help.

With the election just 6 days away, this may seal the deal for Obama. Or it could backfire and tick off would-be voters by forcing them to miss their scheduled program for a political commercial. Personally, I'm wondering if this is just a sample of things to come. Will Obama use the Oval Office as his own personal platform to air to the American public his socialist agenda? Obama has already stated his favorable opinions for the redistribution of wealth by using a liberal judicial system that will favor the "downtrodden." He has stated himself that the courts have failed in establishing "redistributive change." The Warren court, he said, failed to "break free from the essential constraints" in the U.S. Constitution and launch a major redistribution of wealth. Be sure to read that entire link...that's scary stuff. This guy is going to appoint Supreme Court justices that will favor the redistribution of wealth.

Equally scary, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D. Toledo) whipped the crowd up before Mr. Obama took the stage yesterday telling them that America needed a Second Bill of Rights guaranteeing all Americans a job, health care, homes, an education, and a fair playing field for business and farmers.

Perhaps Obama can create his new bill of rights using this language:

Article 40. Citizens have the right to work (that is, to guaranteed employment and pay in accordance wit the quantity and quality of their work, and not below the state-established minimum), including the right to choose their trade or profession, type of job and work in accordance with their inclinations, abilities, training and education, with due account of the needs of society...
Article 41. Citizens have the right to rest and leisure...
The length of collective farmers' working and leisure time is established by their collective farms. Article 42. Citizens have the right to health protection.

Of course, if that's his new Bill of Rights, he should give credit the original writers who wrote the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Scary stuff, indeed.

It's Over?

Read the paper, watch the news, surf the Internet and you would assume the election was yesterday and Barack Obama is the new President of the United States. It's actually been that way for the past 6 months. Since Hilary fell into decline, the media has pushed relentlessly for the election of Obama.

I'm not going to sit here and whine about the harsh treatment of John McCain or Sarah Palin. Fact is that the media should be digging into Palin's past and her influence as governor. McCain's past mistakes are fair game, like his dealings in the Keating 5 scandal. Cindy McCain's past drug addiction was fair game. Why, then, has the media systematically refused to dig deeper into Obama's past? Where are the interviews with past friends about Obama's history? Why are there pieces missing from his biography? Where is the in-depth study about Obama's past drug interactions?

Perhaps even an in-depth study of Obama's past wouldn't change the outcome of the election but at least it would give the semblance of fair reporting and the electorate would have some greater understanding of the man they are about to elect as president. Only now are we beginning to hear a little about Obama's past comments, like his call for the redistribution of wealth. These are things that should have been investigated months ago. The press has failed the American public. Hopefully the incoming president doesn't do the same.

The Wide Open Big East

Rutgers beats Pittsburgh and Louisville defeats South Florida. Welcome to the Big East where West Virginia now leads by default. Obviously the bulk of WVU's Big East schedule lies ahead but the Mountaineers now have the inside track to another Big East title and BCS bowl. No team other that WVU is undefeated in conference play and South Florida, the conference favorite since WVU's fall from grace, already has two losses. There's little doubt now that most will see WVU as the conference favorite following their win over Auburn. It will be interesting to see how Stewart and the gang handle the pressure.

On the other end of the spectrum is a team that will not make a bowl game this year and that is Michigan. Following the win over the then #9 Wisconsin Badgers, the wheels fell off for Michigan. The embarrassing loss to Toledo followed by the shellacking by Penn State and Michigan State all but ended Michigan's 33-year post season appearance streak. Obviously Rodriguez doesn't have the players to run his offense but you have to wonder what happened to Michigan. The defense should have been good enough to at least remain competitive. This team is done. It looks very likely that Rodriguez won't even be able to match the 3-wins he had in his first season at WVU.

Turning the Corner?

Say what you will about Auburn's disappointing season but you can't help but feel a little optimism following WVU's second half shellacking of the Tigers. I expected the Tigers to be as quick as WVU to the corner but it appeared WVU had far more speed. WVU put up 445 yards and 34 points against a tough SEC defense. And Auburn only lost to LSU by 5 points.

After some early sputters, the WVU offense found a groove with the running game and decimated the Auburn defensive line. On the other side of the ball, the WVU defense tightened up after 17 first half points and held the Tigers scoreless in the second half. Auburn's offensive woes were known before the game but no one expected the Mountaineer defense to give up a mere 260 yards.

Auburn came out with a good gameplan, which was to run the ball and chew up as much clock as possible to keep Pat White off the field and the WVU offense sputtering. But too many 3rd and longs killed that strategy by late second quarter and the Tigers were on the rope. Noel Devine found his stride and the rest, as they say, is history. A great win for the Mountaineers.

So, where does it go from here? The loss probably sealed Tuberville's fate at Auburn. I would be very surprised if he comes back for this 11th year. More interesting is what WVU can do from here. Sitting at 5-2 with 5 games remaining, this WVU team looks like a legitimate contender for another Big East crown. The offensive line finally played like a cohesive unit and the defense remained stout against a tough competitor. If WVU continues to play with the urgency and emotion they showed Thursday night, there's not a better team in the Big East. With South Florida playing in Morgantown and Pittsburgh always being de facto home game, there's not much in the way.

I'm not going to go overboard yet. Five games remain. None are easy but there are three that should be in the win column. The other two are substantial tests. Another 10-2 season is not out of the question and, if WVU can do that, another shot at a big time game. If we can bring the team that played the second half last night, that's a game I would look forward to.

Moment of Truth?

Sure, West Virginia could lose to Auburn and still win the Big East, go to a BCS bowl and finish ranked. Sure, WVU could lose to Auburn and Bill Stewart could still navigate the waters through Pittsburgh and South Florida. Sure, the Mountaineers could lose to Auburn and fans would forget by the end of the season if things turn around. But there's still a growing sentiment that if WVU loses this game to Auburn the season could be lost. Fair or not, Auburn is a moment of truth for this Mountaineer team and for head coach Bill Stewart.

At the beginning of the season, this game between WVU and Auburn was supposed to be a battle between the team expected to the win the Big East and the team fighting for an SEC championship. But WVU blew two games early and, beginning with a 3-2 victory over Mississippi State, the wheels fell off the Auburn offense. Since that narrow victory, Auburn has lost 3 of 4 and fired their offensive coordinator. WVU can't score, posting more than 30 points only against FCS Villanova. Auburn can't score, posting more than 30 points only against FCS Louisiana-Monroe.

Auburn is only averaging 292.6 yards per game compared to WVU's 347.0. But WVU hasn't played LSU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt (who is decent) and Arkansas. So to say that WVU holds a distinct offensive advantage is disingenuous. On paper, this appears to be a defensive struggle but it definitely shouldn't be. WVU should have one of the most explosive offenses in the country. And Auburn's offense should be fine. The fact that neither has shown any life at all is a real puzzle.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring but I do know that many more Mountaineer fans will be calling for Bill Stewart's head if the Mountaineers lose to the underachieving Auburn Tigers. It's a sad state of affairs for both teams tomorrow night. Both expected to achieve great things. Both failing miserably.

BCS Standings

The BCS standings are finally here...I didn't know if I could wait any longer. Actually, that's a lie...I really didn't care. But as I was looking down through the Top 10, I was trying to figure out who I would like to see in the national championship game this year since WVU and Mizzou have both been eliminated. So, here's the Top 10 and whether I want to see them play in the big game and why (or why not):

Texas - Eh, not really. Texas won a national championship a few years ago and, well, I just don't care for them that much. Colt McCoy is definitely a great quarterback but something tells me they'll falter down the line.

Alabama - Why not? What a great story if Nick Saban can turn around a team that fast. Plus, it's good to see a program like Alabama rise from the ashes. Of course, it's Alabama and they're fans...well, they're pretty obnoxious. Kinda like West Virginia fans...only with something to back it up. Killer schedule remaining...doubt they can navigate it.

Penn State - JoPa is coaching in his 114th season at Penn State. Who wouldn't like to see him go out on top. Big 10 is down...if they can beat Ohio State, they're in. I like it.

Oklahoma - No, no, no. How do they remain No. 4 despite losing to Texas? Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and and the Big 12 championship game remain in their way...but, knowing Oklahoma, they'll win out and get there...then get crushed.

USC - Bleh, talk about boring. USC should be the best team in the country but they get embarrassed by Oregon State. That should disqualify them immediately but they're USC so, obviously, they get a second chance.

Oklahoma State - Talk to me after they play Texas on Saturday. If they win that, I will consider them a contender.

Georgia - Talk about underrated. USC, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Florida all lose games and they're still talked about in the hunt. Georgia loses to Alabama and theyr'e season is over. Killer schedule left but they should be playing with a chip on their shoulder. Wouldn't mind seeing them get there...

Texas Tech - Lots of offense. Questionable defense. Needed OT to beat Nebraska. The schedule gets tough now with Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma (all in 5 weeks). If they navigate that successfully, I will kneel at the alter of Graham Harrell. (not before)

Ohio State - Please, please, please don't allow them there again. The worst possible matchup? Ohio State - USC. NOOOOO!!!

Florida - Other than Georgia, this team is poised for the SEC championship game. The Mississippi loss appears to be a fluke after the beatdown they laid on LSU. Another underrated team.

So, who would I most like to see in the championship game? Penn State/Florida would be very interesting. Or Penn State / Alabama. I don't want OSU or USC in that game this year...almost any other team would be fine. If Texas Tech wins out and can put that offense on the field against Florida or Georgia, that would be a compelling matchup too. Penn State has the easiest road ahead...everyone else, good luck. By the time it's really over, we might be talking about that Utah / Boise State championship game.

The other shoe...

Following one of the worst weeks in stock market history, the Dow posted a 4.75% gain this week which was the best performance since 2003. And since a lot of people use the stock market as a major indicator of the direction of the economy, it looks like recent moves by the Fed may be working in staving off a major recession. But you have to believe there's a lot more here than just a good week...and you have to wonder when the other shoe will drop?

The Fed has already spent $1.5 trillion dollars in attempting to prop up the faltering economy. The Treasury Department has already borrowed $500 billion from pension plans, foreign governments and other investors to replenish the coffers of the Federal Reserve. This borrowing has pushed the defecit from $9.6 trillion to $10.3 trillion in just a matter of two months. The annual budget deficit is looking to nearly triple this year, from $162 billion to $455 billion. With additional proposals not included, including another $250 billion in bailout requests, there is a scenario where the annual budge deficit starting October 1st could reach $1 trillion dollars.

Both presidential candidates have projects to spend even more money. McCain is proposing a $52 billion dollar stimulus package while Obama's plan tops $175 billion. Nancy Pelosi is calling for another $150 billion - $200 billion for stimulus and mortgage relief. And then you throw in Obama's additional investment in education and expanded health care coverage.

This is one of the reasons I didn't like the bailout. It has essentially opened the floodgates and turned the federal government into a huge bank. Only the bank just gives handouts to everyone. We're overdoing the stimulus work out of fear. And eventually that will come back to haunt us. The pain the bailouts are saving us now could come back and cause real damage later. It may take a little time, but there's always another shoe to drop.