We will miss you, Scott.

Read it, don’t read it, I don’t care…just needed to get some things off my chest.

In no particular order of chronology or importance…

On the clock.  Not an airplane cast.  Friday evening rant.  Semi-speed version.  Let’s turn and burn.

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1. Greetings and salutations, people.  Thanks for coming aboard (the boat).  Semi-speed version, as in I don’t feel like spending more than 45 minutes on this thing, but not limiting myself to a sentence per hook.  Let’s move.
2. If you are like what I consider a normal person (person who watches lots of basketball games for enjoyment and March bracket research), then you probably should check out the Vandy-Baylor and Arizona-Gonzaga games this weekend. Vandy will be a lower seed who will take out someone that is a 1 or 2 seed, like Oklahoma, Kentucky, or Villanova.  Baylor will LOSE early most likely to a mid-major, and Arizona will be overseeded in a region.  We continue to watch the backcourt growth of Gonzaga, as their front line is NBA like.
3. Good for Tom Herman. Some guys don’t jump for the bigger jobs.  He got a contract extension today…because he is HAPPY.  
4. The media can report Eddie Lacy’s lesser role is because of curfew rules. I continue to think he is aging at the rate of a guinea pig and getting slower daily.
5. Sad about the story of Pitt RB James Connor getting cancer at his age. Read about this.  His initial response is moving, strong, and more mature than I was or am even now.  http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/14289872/james-conner-pittsburgh-panthers-announces-cancer
6. Kobe evidently told Byron Scott DURING a game he would be announcing his retirement. That doesn’t surprise me.  You look at his stats and it could have been any frustrating performance ALL season.
7. Are we going to get Kobe updates all season? This is going to be BRUTAL.  
8. Lackey to the Cubs. Wow, that is going to be a dangerous squad when winter meetings are done.  Theo is rocking that joint.  
9. UVA got BYU’s Bronco Mendenhall for their new head coach. Yes, I kind of wanted something splashier like Mark Richt, but I am happy with this hire.  Bronco is 12^th of all head coaches in the FBS in winning percentage since he took over out there.  So, UVA gets a coach who has overachieved and who already understands higher standards of a school getting athletes and will thrive at that school.  
10. Yes, I have seen the Game of Thrones teaser and yes, I am excited. Although I am a big fan of Jon Snow, I hope for realism sake they keep him dead.  He lost a LOT of blood, and to get me believing he lived, I need a GREAT explanation.  http://www.bustle.com/articles/127557-new-game-of-thrones-season-6-teaser-reveals-jon-snow-might-really-be-coming-back
11. Kind of lying.  Love that guy.  
12. Rumor has the Browns offering Urban Meyer $10 mil to come to coach them. He won’t bite, he is at a primo spot and loaded for bear, and if he DID, he would need full control.  Coaching is not that team’s problem.  Personnel IS.   
13. By the way, I would be pissed if I am Pettine.
14. What makes college coaches go to the pros? I don’t get it.  If I am at Kentucky or Kansas or UNC in basketball, or Bama or Ohio State or Oklahoma in football, I already have everything I have ever wanted.  Unless the deal is you are tired of “teaching” kids and want to coach spoiled, greedy men, why go?
15. In the big games, give me Bama in a comfortable victory, Stanford in a close one, and Michigan State by two touchdowns. I don’t have enough guts to call it and go on record, but I smell a heart attack for the Tigers against North Carolina.  Would make all of those weird football scandals at UNC worth it I guess.  
16. Now that the case has been dropped, anyone notice Patrick Kane is on a 21 game point streak?  
17. It might sound stubborn, but I FULLY support not retiring Steph’s jersey until he graduates.
18. The kid is the real deal, but not totally understanding why anyone thinks we care what Porzingis thinks of Knicks vs. Nets fans.
19. My two cents are this. There are not really Nets fans.  They are fictitious.  If you go far enough south in Jersey, you are a Philly fan.  If you go far enough north, you are a Knicks fan.  Nets and Devils fans don’t exist besides Puddy.  
20. I am so checked out on being a fan of Tiger Woods that I STILL haven’t read that “opening up” article.
21. I won’t try to outdo the professionals talking about the Hail Mary of the Packers. What I WILL say is this.  The coolest thing about that play was that the father of Richard Rodgers was on the sidelines for the game.  Why is this important?  He threw TWO of the five laterals in the most legendary play like ever.  Stanford-Cal band play.  
22. I am not surprised Kentucky lost. I AM surprised WHO they lost to.  They didn’t even get BARELY beat.  They got handled.  UCLA is down on top recruits.  That 41-7 halftime score last year must have REALLY pissed them off.  Coach Steve Alford is SO the man.  
23. I went to society last night for a friend’s birthday. I was excited about human foosball.  Not to be.  Upstairs was closed.   
24. Michigan State basketball is very, very good.
25. I feel like it was yesterday when Pistorius was one of the most feel good stories in sports.
26. I have talked about it before, and it DOES exist. I have a pizza stomach.  Took me years to perfect.  Once again yesterday, I had a full lunch, there was client pizza leftover, and I killed five pieces without a thought.  Pizza is so good.
27. Can we just throw Kaepernick or Manziel on the Eagles next year and have some serious FUN? Chip Kelly is a treat anyway, but putting one of those two in the fold would be epic.
28. Okafor is now on the Rant Squad by the way. First Dukie EVER on the squad.  As is customary, Janikowski will give you the final interview, Marcus Vick will give you a ride to the captain, where you can meet Johnny Football for any further questions.  
29. Got talking with my buddy John about this song, and he hadn’t heard it. One of my favorite songs like ever.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qF_qbaWt3Q
30. Although Lindsey is teasing me and rolling her eyes on my newest fashion statement, I am all in. Polo shirt over a thermal.  Perfect for winter weather and I also saw another immature guy at work wearing the same outfit today.
31. Yes, it is sad I can name all of the finalists off the top of my head of The Voice.  
32. You can come and tease me about it to my face.  I am open this week.
33. Trust me. I have a feeling that Peyton Manning’s health will continue to be bad as long as Brock keeps winning.
34. By the way, I am officially on record for saying I picked San Diego in a trap game for the Broncos this weekend.
35. Both my fantasy teams are winning. On one, I can’t even fit plus 10 scorers in my starting lineup, and in the other, I don’t have one wide receiver who is projected to score more than ten points.  Bad sign.
36. This is the good one.  
37. My neighbors don’t read this blog, but a shout out anyway. Lindsey and I need blinds that probably are very expensive.  Our neighbors across the hall had custom blinds delivered to them by Hunter Douglas and they got a duplicate set…and their condo is exactly like ours.  Thanks, Richard and Elizabeth.  You came through on one of our biggest needs at the exact time we needed them.  You will get a Christmas present.
38. I like the Orioles-Trumbo pickup. And more evidence Seattle can’t figure out whether to rebuild or win now.
39. Finally, happy trails, Scott Weiland. During the 90’s during the alternative phase, Alice and Chains and STP were my favorites hands down.  Scott had the talent, but had the off stage issues…drugs.  It would take a whole separate blog to itemize events of his letdowns and fallouts.  So, let’s keep it simple.  He was a musical genius with a unique voice with a problem.  Plush might be one of my favorite songs of all time of any genre.  Two of the band members wrote the song hanging in a hot tub one night.  It would be in my top ten if asked what ONE song I would take on a deserted island (that happened to have a CD player).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXhmwMdUKfA
40. And to go deeper, the ACOUSTIC version might even be better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWGJoPvQ5U
41. Evidently, when he joined Velvet Revolver and wrote this song, things were as you said and you weren’t talking to a person.  We knew and we knew this was in the cards unfortunately.  
42. That’s it for today. I am going to go listen to Plush a couple times.  Maybe Interstate Love Song.  Hope you enjoyed or are at least more informed.  Will I blog tomorrow?  That is a CLOWN question, bro.