Since Last We Spoke

Welcome to Theory in Practice - 2007 Edition. I've spent the holidays relaxing and hope you have as well. But so much has happened during my repose that we need to keep it light and fresh this evening. Here's the rundown:

Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42

For those of you who did not take in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (presented by Tostitos), you should immediately stop reading this message, go into iTunes, download the game and watch it in full. I'll wait.

::waiting::

There. Wasn't that amazing? But seriously, Boise State, a team that plays in a joke of a conference (the wickety-wickety-WAC), on a field dubbed "Smurf Turf" (it's blue...and no one's incredibly sure why), and in Idaho (America's unknown wasteland) ran, passed and kicked ass against the Sooners, one of college football's oldest and most storied programs. And they did it the old-fashioned way: With a statue of liberty play capped off by the running back proposing to his girlfriend on the sideline. I mean, you can't make this stuff up. In any case, it was a hell of a game. Watching it down on the farm, I had the sense by the second quarter that I was watching something special. Games like that one don't come along, but when they do, they exemplify the essence of sport. That on any given day, any team can summon the strength of will and desire to reign victorious, riding off into the sunset, new wives in hand, sponsored by Tostitos.

Pat Robertson: "The Lord is Coming and Boy is He Pissed!"

I had the great good fortune to catch this little chestnut on the 700 Club, one of my favorite television debacles...I mean, programs...meant to be the marching orders each day for the evangelical Christian community in America. The show's fuhrer...I mean, host...Pat Robertson, in his New Year show decided to let us viewers in on his prayer meeting with God. The meeting took place in Virginia Beach (apparently, God likes to dine at Shoney's) just in the last week and Robertson was advised the Lord that great devastation lies ahead for America in 2007. Robertson actually said, "I won't say it's nuclear in nature, I'm not quite sure I understood, but watch out after about September." Thanks Pat, also, next time you have a fearmongering tete-a-tete with the Almighty, could you make sure you get your hearing aid turned up? That'd be great.

The NFL Playoff Picture

Last weekend provided us with some of those great days in the football year, the day when Chris Berman and those of his ilk bust out the Excel spreadsheet their production assistants spent all last night poring over while downing Chinese food by the quart in order to explain to us just how, at 7-9, the Atlanta Falcons still had an outside shot of making the playoffs. I swear there were playoff scenarios that read like this:
The Kansas City Chiefs can clinch a playoff spot with a win AND losses by the Jets, Broncos, Bengals, Jaguars and Colts OR a Bills win or tie OR a Falcons loss by more than 17 points AND Jim Mora, Jr. makes less than 4 comments about wanting to coach the Redskins BUT ONLY IF those comments are broadcast on ESPN Radio in Omaha between 6-9am on Sunday.
By the way, the Chiefs take on the Colts this Saturday night, so I guess that all happened.

Nick Saban: "Remember When I Said I'd Never Coach in Alabama? I Misspoke."

The erstwhile Miami Dolphins coach spent most of the last two months reigning in speculation about his taking the job in Tuscaloosa and becoming the coach of the Crimson Tide. Last week, he went so far as to say, "I am not going to be the coach at Alabama." These comments are now in stark contrast to his news conference held today when he was welcomed as the new coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Apparently what happened is that he turned down the job a couple weeks ago, then Alabama said they'd pay him almost $4mln per year. To which he replied, "Ah, crafty move, Alabama" and quickly signed on the dotted line. I mean, he's a terrible NFL coach, he's just better suited to the college game, but the entire city of Miami must feel like they got screwed with their pants on. It takes real balls to be Nick Saban. He's a halfway decent coach who goes city to city every three years, extorts a stupid amount of money, pledges he will never leave and then pulls up stakes to move to another high-profile job where he makes more money and amasses a team that wins about 9 games.

I, Deval L. Patrick, Do Solemnly Swear...

For the first time in sixteen years, the sun came out in January, and with pride and purpose a Democrat stepped into the Corner Office as Governor of Massachusetts. Thousands gathered along Beacon Street this morning as Deval Patrick, born on the mean streets of Chicago, educated at Milton and Harvard and whose personal convictions have been built by the fires of race in America, took the Oath of Office as the Commonwealth's 71st Governor. In the middle of a city that has been a flashpoint for racial tensions throughout nearly its entire history, a Black man and an outsider spoke to the gathered crowd of a new hope for Massachusetts as its governor. And so, as 2007 takes shape, both in the Bay State and, as now Speaker Pelosi takes over in Washington, hope reigns in politics in America. One hopes it will last.