Thursday, December 30, 2004

 

Bowl Tour

The abbreviated bowl tour for me (Maureen will get in three; I will only get in two) begins today as I drive to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl which pits Cal vs. Texas Tech. TT belongs in the Holiday Bowl; Cal belongs in the Rose Bowl.

As for the Rose Bowl, this could prove to be another down year similar to the Washington State fiasco of a few years ago when they not only got thumped by Oklahoma, but also failed to sell most of their tickets for the game. Although I do not expect an empty section like I saw in that game to repeat itself in 2005, I have noticed, or should I say not noticed many fans from either school mulling around the Pasadena-Glendale area as in years past.

Now I realize that the tourist destinations are not located in the P-G area for the most part, but normally one would see folks meandering around at night looking for food or going to movies. The amount of school color seen this year is minimal.

I can only wonder if it is as bad for the Miami area with the Trojans. SC does not usually travel well to distant places other than Notre Dame. The sponsorship and TV money will keep the system going, but are the fans and the teams served best by this BCS process? I would suggest that they are not, and that the best way to keep the best interests of all of college football in tact is to return to the old system of bowl games. As I have said countless times before, very few people care about NCAA basketball about a week after the national championship game; however, the old system of bowls kept college football on the minds of fans year round due to the positive controversy it created. That is the type of marketing idea that we need to return to since it promotes the sport and the bowl system year round.

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

 

Liturgical Abuse

My wife and I seem to be adrift in the sea of rampant anti-Roman Catholicism at this time when we go to Mass almost anywhere in the United States. I can understand why the Vatican views much, but not all, of the Church in the United States as being a bit "off" (and I am being nice). The constant stream of liturgical abuses that we have to suffer through at the various churches we have attended in our area alone has become something that we can no longer be silent about. However, at this time, we shall not name names so as to afford our wayward priests and their congregations to get back in line and follow the teachings and laws of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

A) The Abuse of unauthorized persons on the altar during the Consecration (during the Eucharistic Prayer)

So often the trendy priests ask for children to wander on up to stand around the altar during the Consecration. My wife and I attended a parish (not our own) for Christmas this year where this happened. The priest was so distracted that he didn't notice that the entire Congregation stood for the entire Consecration. When I politely asked him about it after Mass, he replied," Oh, Pastor xxxx hasn't gotten in to that here... I didn't even notice that they were standing... but you can go to other parishes nearby where they do that" signalling his approval of the practice.

Previous norms do not proscribe that children should not be on the altar. However, they also do not proscribe that dancing elephants be eliminated either (as one priest told me last summer). Instruction Redemtionis Sacramentum is clear on this topic:

The proclamation of the Eucharistic Prayer, which by its very nature is the climax of the whole celebration, is proper to the Priest by virtue of his Ordination. It is therefore an abuse to proffer it in such a way that some parts of the Eucharistic Prayer are recited by a Deacon, a lay minister, or by an individual member of the faithful, or by all members of the faithful together. The Eucharistic Prayer, then, is to be recited by the Priest alone in full.[131] (emphasis added) Hello! ALONE!

He, as many others priests are, was also oblivious to the use of the orans posture by some in the pews (other parishes actively promote it!).

As can be seen On Certain Questions of Collaboration:

2. ... Neither may deacons or non-ordained members of the faithful use gestures or actions which are proper to the same priest celebrant. It is a grave abuse for any member of the non-ordained faithful to "quasi preside" at the Mass while leaving only that minimal participation to the priest which is necessary to secure validity.

The relatively conservative EWTN is nicer, but still in line with Rome.

B) The use of girls as altar servers is permitted, but it is obvious that it is not the preferred practice of Rome for reasons obvoius in the latest document (March 2004):

[47.] It is altogether laudable to maintain the noble custom by which boys or youths, customarily termed servers, provide service of the altar after the manner of acolytes, and receive catechesis regarding their function in accordance with their power of comprehension.[119] Nor should it be forgotten that a great number of sacred ministers over the course of the centuries have come from among boys such as these.[120] Associations for them, including also the participation and assistance of their parents, should be established or promoted, and in such a way greater pastoral care will be provided for the ministers. Whenever such associations are international in nature, it pertains to the competence of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to establish them or to approve and revise their statutes.[121] Girls or women may also be admitted to this service of the altar, at the discretion of the diocesan Bishop and in observance of the established norms.[122]

C) Then there are priests who like to ramble on and on and then forget to say required prayers, or just skip over them (and, no I do not mean certain prayers like the Gloria or the Nicene Creed that may eliminated on certain days). The Vatican states in Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:

58.] All of Christ’s faithful likewise have the right to a celebration of the Eucharist that has been so carefully prepared in all its parts that the word of God is properly and efficaciously proclaimed and explained in it; that the faculty for selecting the liturgical texts and rites is carried out with care according to the norms; and that their faith is duly safeguarded and nourished by the words that are sung in the celebration of the Liturgy.

D) Reverence at Holy Communion

If you are in a parish that stands, do you show reverence prior to receiving Holy Communion? Do your priests even mention it (hats off to Holy Family Parish in Glendale on this one as well as reminding its flock to bow during the correct time during the Nicene Creed... we did not even have a chance to kneel at the church we went to for Christmas). From Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum:

[90.] “The faithful should receive Communion kneeling or standing, as the Conference of Bishops will have determined”, with its acts having received the recognitio of the Apostolic See. “However, if they receive Communion standing, it is recommended that they give due reverence before the reception of the Sacrament, as set forth in the same norms”.[176]

And when was the last time you saw a communion plate? I have been "whining" about this one for years!

[93.] The Communion-plate for the Communion of the faithful should be retained, so as to avoid the danger of the sacred host or some fragment of it falling.[180]

E) Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

This is an issue that Americans love to pretend that they know more about being Catholic than the Vatican does. However, the Americans are wrong according to the latest (see other links above):

[88.] The faithful should normally receive sacramental Communion of the Eucharist during Mass itself, at the moment laid down by the rite of celebration, that is to say, just after the Priest celebrant’s Communion.[172] It is the Priest celebrant’s responsibility to minister Communion, perhaps assisted by other Priests or Deacons; and he should not resume the Mass until after the Communion of the faithful is concluded. Only when there is a necessity may extraordinary ministers assist the Priest celebrant in accordance with the norm of law.[173]

Of course the liberals will argue that "necessity" means incorporating the faithful and making sure the reception of Holy Communion does not make Mass go past an hour. BLECH! Change the Mass schedule and follow the rules!

They should read On Certain Questions on Collaboration, Article 8:

2. Extraordinary ministers may distribute Holy Communion at eucharistic celebrations only when there are no ordained ministers present or when those ordained ministers present at a liturgical celebration are truly unable to distribute Holy Communion.(99) They may also exercise this function at eucharistic celebrations where there are particularly large numbers of the faithful and which would be excessively prolonged because of an insufficient number of ordained ministers to distribute Holy Communion. (100) This function is supplementary and extraordinary (101) and must be exercised in accordance with the norm of law...

The same article defines said persons as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and not Eucharistic Ministers or any other title. It is VERY specific about the terminology that MUST be used.

F) Conclusion

I could write a book, but I'll just keep bloggin'...

My wife and I will continue to try our best. Hopefylly, Cardinal Mahoney will see the light and let the F.S.S.P. in to the Archdiocese, or, he will copy the actions of the great Cardinal Pell of Sydney, Australia.

 

How to Help Update

Click Here.

Scroll down to the donations section for several links.

Monday, December 27, 2004

 

Pray and Help

The devastation due to the recent earthquake and resulting tsunami in Southeast Asia is mind-boggling. Those of us in America tend to be clueless or uninformed about such problems in other parts of the world. If you would like to do something to help, you may donate to the general fund of the Red Cross. The Red Cross is not taking disaster specific donations, but any contribution you make will help the organization help those affected by this tragedy as well as others around the world similarly affected by such nasty events.

And, of course, your prayers are encouraged.

Saturday, December 25, 2004

 

Christmas 2004

"Celebrate the feast of Christmas every day, even every moment in the interior temple of your spirit, remaining like a baby in the bosom of the heavenly Father, where you will be reborn each moment in the Divine Word, Jesus Christ."

-St. Paul of the Cross

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

 

USCulture of Death

Well......................

I would hope that not everyone who is at the school or has graduated from it are in favor of this stem-cell state-funded abortion nonsense.

I type this while wearing by W04 t-shirt.

But there is at least one idiot at the USC alumni office that thinks stem cell research is a fund-raising winner.

Whoops!

II guess I will have to specify the football team for all future contributions... or maybe I will just send them here.

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

 

Angel Tree

I realize that there are many fine organizations that compete for your attention and extra dollars during the Holiday season. However, there is one that you can be a part of as an member of a group or that you may support simply by donating: Angel Tree.

Angel Tree is an organization that helps the children of prisoners. Regardless of what their parents may have done, these innocents are some of the most overlooked children at this time of year due to the stigma attached to them unfairly by society. Although it may be too late for your church organization to get actively involved this year, you can still donate online and begin preparing for next year or get involved with their other activities.

Monday, December 20, 2004

 

That's Right! You're not from Texas!

No, I am not from Texas, although I moved to and lived in CenTex briefly in 1998. I would have stayed there longer had certain business opportunities had panned out (and the fact that they did not is not the fault of CenTex).

But I was well aware of the Texas "attitude" back in the early 1990's when I first visited the DFW area for a few days. An old college buddy of mine was whacking out columns for one of the major local papers as a sports writer, and I had the privelege of hanging out at the old Arlington ballpark with him.

It was NOT Texas... well, hanging out with him, an Ohio man, was not hanging out in Texas. Well, sort of it was (great grammar, huh?!)

Even though we "did" Dallas and even hung out at one of the Rangers players' spots (with acutal Rangers and their female groupies), it seemed like I was hanging out in a town that was trying to be Los Angeles.

However, after living there, I now realize that DFW is trying very hard to be Texas-cosmopolitan.

I think that is exactly what George W. Bush is trying to be. And even though I am not from Texas, I like to think that I kind of "get it."

For those of you who are still challenged, listen to Lyle Lovett's song about his, and our, great state of Texas

Friday, December 17, 2004

 

Anti-Hewitt (whiner)

Okay, I have identified myself as generally anti-Hugh Hewiit due to his deep-rooted anti-Roman Catholic personal issues.

But since I do have one or two optimistic bones in my body, I occasionally check outhis webiste.

The questions that should have been asked are: Why did the National Cancer Institute suspend the study? I could give you Hewitt's answer, but then that would go against his early stated idea that he does not know what he is talking about:



My point is that the talking heads of cable land know as much about the drug approval process as I do about monster trucks.  And I don't know anything about monster trucks...



The full blog is linked above, so if you think I am out of line, just click and read. I understand that he is defending the 980 million to 1 billion dollars spent on each drug by U.S. companies prior to the drug being inserted into the market.

At least that is what it appears it is he is doing (oh, how Hewitt of me!).


 

Anti-Wilsonian Whiners

Those of us who have bothered to read General Franks (ret.) book know what the current Bush Administration and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld were trying to create with the modern army. Nowhere in that book, nor nowhere else of that I am aware, did it appear that the current administration ever assumed that war would be perfect or done in a matter of a few short months. In fact President Bush stated that it might take years beyond his administration (assuming an eight year term) to win the war.

Now the bitter people, people of the same moral core as those who could not see Reconstruction through and, thus, brought us years of racist segregation, are looking for a cut-and-run strategy that will make themselves look like heroes in the short term, but will be shown to be just as evil as those who sought a political solution in the late 19th century presidential election that saw a Republican win the presidency in an exchange for the end of Reconstruction. However, the lack of courage of the modern day senatorial cowards will hurt those abroad immediatel and those of us here in the United States soon as well (or so I predict).

Rumsfeld's tactics are not the problem, nor is the man.

The problem is the idea that Iraq can be a democracy, in the U.S. sense of a state, in January of 2005 without us stationing a large amount of troops there for decades. Although I will support this position as it is better than pulling out, the United States would be better off insstalling a federalist system that included three states: Kurdish, Sunni-Baathist, and Shia. This is nowhere near a perfect solution; but the regionalism that the forces are trying to deal with is one that ignores the the historic lines of the area. A constitutional monarchy based on this idea might be an acceptable idea as well.

The U.N. cannot handle this. If they could, Lebanon would not be a toy-state of Syria (where it appears that many tons of "materials" and money from Iraq flowed to prior to the latest Coalition invasion). Heck, the U.N. cannot fix Haiti!

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

 

Terrorists Never Lie

From the Sydney Morning Herald...

Have you read it yet?

Aren't you glad that this esteemed paper of our allied country did such a wonderful follow-up? Oh.. you are right! They presented the story as true without spending any real effort to check on the facts of the story.

Yep! Those terrorists NEVER lie!

I am going to bed (no lie, unless I am a terrorists or I can find more about this guy in the next two minutes!).

 

Gratitude

(please excuse any typos! this blog was longer and more detailed before BLOGGER ate it throught the preview function!)

President Ronald Reagan in his remarks at the presentation ceremony for the Presidential Sholars Awards on June 16, 1988 said, "Gratitude is a way to deeper wisdom. Look for that deeper wisdom; believe me, there's a hunger for it. And your in luck. As Americans, you have a special claim on it."

That idea was probably true for most Americans in 1988. But in the last 16 years, the concept of gratitude for America has come under attack more and more. It really started in the 1960s, but the promotion of the Balkanization of the country through marxist multi-culturalism has caused the idea of gratitude to be one on its death bed in many parts of the country. Unfortunately, those parts of the country seem to have voted "blue" in the last election. Given the Gramscian leanings of these people, a swap of red and blue should happen immediately.

But I digress.

The "tomato soup" concept of America (which is more fitting than the melting pot) is one that should be promoted as it also promotes gratitude. Those who willingly come to this country to live, work and generally benefit from our system should be grateful. The positive aspects of their person and culture might add flavor and character to the "soup," but the stock or core should remain tomato soup.

The least grateful groups (and, it seems, most of the loudest) are ones that hate this idea. In their view, the United States is either entirely morally corrupt and/or can only make moral decisions if those decisions pass the "global test." The Founding Fathers are not folks who created a system of government that can promote the individual and society over time; they are racists, homophobes, and misogynists.

Can't you just hear Howard Dean's scream as a self-enforced segregation begins in this country (and one not started by the "whites")?

Monday, December 13, 2004

 

Keeping Christ in my Chinese Christmas

Somewhere in China there must be a bunch of folks who are laughing about Christmas and all the goofy Americans who are buying the products for that celebration that are made in China (the products, not the Americans).

I am one of the Americans on which they have played their annual communist-softened-by-Starbucks-capitalism prank.

First, we have the lovely illuminated snowflakes for your pathway. These little treats are imported and sold by Costco. The very first box I opened had a string of five snowflakes that were attached together in a circle (they are supposed to be in a line). My wife, who has no faith in my ability to untangle anything or follow directions (let alone find them) properly, triumphantly set off to fix the problem. She returned defeated, and the laughter from China became louder.

Of course, the reason why I don't pay much attention to the directions that come with the these products anymore is that they have things missing in them like verbs: key words that might help you understand how to put an item together. Here is an example of the type of direction I no longer "follow": Stakes, as on diagram. Usually, if I have untangled the product to the point that the mounting stakes are even in play, my frustration level is sent over the top when I look at the directions that have no diagram of stakes nor where they might best be placed on the product. At this point, I normally drive the stakes into the directions creating a directions and front lawn shish kebab (perhaps that should be pot sticker).

The loudest laugh from China must have come this year when, while assembling the illuminated train for the first time, I discovered that the mounting cords were missing. The mirthful Chinese had placed metal rods and attachment pieces for my use in case I was going to place the train on the roof (perhaps this helps them target us capitalists with some sort of hidden GPS system). I attached these to the back of the train, and then used the j-stakes to loosely mount the train on the lawn (the roof stakes were not long enough to reach the ground by about six inches). A gentle breeze would cause the stakes to clank against the mounting braces which reminded one of an old steam engine clanking down the track. However, the sprinklers would be able to hit the train with sufficient force to knock the whole thing over.

"Ha, ha, ha," go the Chinese.

As for me? I had to go to the hardware store to buy parts.

I also put out the illuminated deer from last year. One of the buck's antlers goes on and off intermittently much like a cheap hotel sign in a film-noir. What the Chinese don't seem to remember is that the history of the United States is built on expansion and land aquistion. If the products they send us keep falling apart, we will run out of landfill space and will need to expand... into China!

Okay, not China... they have nukes (and it appears they may have stolen the directions for some of these from Los Alamos. I assume they have more faith in our ability to write clear instructions, but wouldn't it be a hoot if we leaked poorly written missilie and warhead instructions to them? "Oops!" we would say. "You mean you meant to radiate and illuminate Washington D.C. and not Bejing? Our bad!") My suggestion is that we go after Canada and greatly irritate all the non-church going Red State liberals who have fled us Jesusland freaks who are trying to keep Christ in Christmas (okay, I know I live in the barren dessert of atheism and enlightenment... Hey! Maybe I can be classified as a "minority!")

On second thought, let's not leak those bad nuke instructions to the Chinese. Let's send them copies of the New Testament. If they follow those instructions, we would all be better off.

 

Get out the polish

Notre Dame has started to rebuild its tarnished reputation by hiring one of its own and, from what I hear, a generally good guy and a darn good football coach, Charlie Weis. Best of luck to him, except when he is playing the Trojans.

Another program got out the polish as well this weekend as the University of Washington hired recently deposed Irish head man, Tyrone Willingham. I'll wish him only a little luck since he landed in the same conference as the Trojans! He's another good man who, fortunately, has landed on his feet. Unfortunately, that is not always true in this business.

I would not be justified in slamming Stanford for hiring Walt Harris, but it seems like Norm Chow just cannot bet a break (and Kentucky is not a break).

Thursday, December 09, 2004

 

Art Gabriel - One of the Greatest Generation

Art Gabriel had surgery yesterday for cancer that was located in his abdomen and pelvis area. Although only about 1/3 of the cancer was removed, it did relieve the blockage from which he was suffering.

Why should you care?

Because Art is one of the sweetest and generous men you could ever hope to meet.

Because Art has been loyal to his family and wife for decades.

Because art is a faithful Catholic and long-time member of the Knights of Columbus.

Because Art fought in World War II...

with Audie Murphy...

and he was, at "worst," the fourth most decorated U.S. soldier in World War II.

Churchill's famous comment about "owing" never applied more so than to Art especially when Art's entire life is taken into consideration: "Never in the face of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few."

If you "Google" or "Dogpile" his name, nothing that is relevant seems to match except for the reference to the Angel Gabriel and the related art work.

Art's life has truly been a work of art that we hope will continue for many more years. I hope that you pray to the Angel Gabriel to intercede on his behalf.

Vivat Jesus!

 

Uh... Kerry lost!

How else do you respond to this "unbiased" news report in the Sydney Morning Herald (yes, I know that it is not an American paper, but, please, they are on the other side of the international date line!):


"None of the funds made available in this act ... may be used to provide assistance to the government of a country that is a party to the International Criminal Court and has not entered into an agreement with the United States," a portion of the text reads.


The author is worried about Jordan:


Jordan, which has helped train Iraqi police and hosted conferences on the reconstruction of Iraq, is set to lose approximately $US250 million ($330.82 million) in aid. Peru is expected to lose $US8 million ($10.59 million) for democratic reforms and agricultural programs, drug-trafficking, and terrorism.


Didn't Jordan expel most of the Palestinians from its borders many years ago? The King of Jordan NEEDS us.

Of course, this silly court passes Kerry's "Global Test." However, it does not pass the "United States Constitutional Test."

 

Damon's Saved?

On January 1, 2005, the Campbell restaurant group will take over the ownership and operation of the venerable Damon's Restaurant in Glendale. I have it on good authority that Chris Campbell (Prep '85) will manage the facility on the behalf of the family.

If Chris screws it up, he will have to answer to Brett, Dave, Scott, Ed, and myself.

Now that is the real Motley Crew (Larry King-Campbell joke).

 

Confusing Canada

Canada.

One generally thiks of maple syrup, toothless hockey players, and snow.

One does not think about a country that condones gay marriages, but after today's Canadian Supreme Court decision that might change.

Or, maybe it won't.

The decision by the court says that the government, by not acting earlier, has already accepted the outcome... in a non-binding way.

Although the NHL is headquartered in New York, fans of the league can only hope that it does not look to its Canadian roots to find examples of logic in its attempt to fix its labor problems. Actually, I am amazed that the Canadian legal system has not forced the few remaining Canadian based teams to start the season (at least in Canada). Of course, the results, like each goal scored, would be non-binding.

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

 

Born Republican

This from the Washington Times on December 8:

What explains the divide between Republican-voting "red" states and Democratic-voting "blue" states? It's the "baby gap," Steve Sailer explains in the American Conservative.

"The white people in Republican-voting regions consistently have more children than the white people in Democratic-voting regions. The more kids whites have, the more pro-Bush they get," Mr. Sailer writes, adding, "Whites remain the 800-pound gorilla of ethnic electoral groups, accounting for over three out of every four votes."

Focusing on total fertility rates — average lifetime births per woman — Mr. Sailer observes: "The most fecund whites are in heavily Mormon Utah, which, not coincidentally, was the only state where Bush received over 70 percent. White women average 2.45 babies in Utah, compared to merely 1.11 babies in Washington, D.C., where Bush earned but 9 percent. The three New England states where Bush won less than 40 percent — Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island — are three of the four states with the lowest white birth rates. ...

"Bush carried the 19 states with the highest white fertility (just as he did in 2000), and 25 out of the top 26, with highly unionized Michigan being the one blue exception to the rule. ...

"In sharp contrast, Kerry won the 16 states at the bottom of the list, with the Democrats' anchor states of California (1.65) and New York (1.72) having quite infertile whites."


What can I possibly add to that (besides more children)?

Monday, December 06, 2004

 

Petty Latham - Petty Libs

Allow me to put this in the term of sport:

Question: If you are the Head Coach of a team that should have won, but did not, what do you do?

Answer: If you are Mark Latham, you whine, blame the players, shun responsibility, and threaten to fire those who do not support you.

Thankfully, those of us in the United States of America have not been subjected to the same type of whining as those in Australia. The difference is that the Australians still have a pseudo-parlimantary system, subject to the whims of the Queens Representative, and a very small population concentrated in the the South East portion of the country.

Regionalism is alive in Australia; but I am not sure it is "well." This is due to population concentration and immigration patterns.

Sheesh!

I think the BCS might be in charge of the Australian elections!

Go Trojans!

Sunday, December 05, 2004

 

Boycotting Hewitt

I cannot take it anymore. I pray that someone with more patience than I can eventually listen to, analyze, and persuade Hugh Hewitt to come back to the Church and stop being such a condescending and pompous heretic. Perhaps his family in Ohio can help hims see the light.

As a Roman Catholic in good conscience who has not turned his back on the Mother Church for the sake of politics or to create a personal superiority complex found in many who have (both in the right and left of politics), I shall no longer listen to Hugh Hewitt.

Although I agree with him that the sex-abuse scandal is a problem in the Church, he continuously implies that the problem is much larger than it really is (much like the liberal press). If he spent half the time researching the issue as he has whining about the Salvation Army not being able to place its buckets in front of select stores, he might come to realize that his Reformation-like smugness places him in the league whose ideas, while seeming conservative by many standards, have led to the rampant disease of modern liberalism.

Thank God, literally, for classical radio and my CD player.

 

BCS Madness

(forgive the typos, I have not proof read this one!)

Many people are whining about the lack of "fairness" in the Bowl Championship Series.

Oh, really.

These people want a communist system of college football: the elites (politburo) share everything somewhat equally, and to heck with the rest (everyone else).

The bowl system was originally designed to reward teams for a season well-competed in addition to trying to generate a little tourism and stature for the host cities and their related events.

It has grown into a greedy and ugly mess.

It is time to go back to the traditional system of major bowl games and major conference tie-ins. Let the fans argue all off-season about who was the real national champion (heck, doesn't that create more interest in the sport long after the season than anything else the NCAA has to offer? From a marketing perspective, a playoff makes little or no sense for a sport that has such a large number of student-athletes per team. Folks who compare NCAA Division I football to the same level of basketball are really clueless about the amount of lives affected. The real greed is located at the top and suppoted by the college version of Pravda, otherwise known as the sports writers who get to cover these events.

The following might be the dumbest, if not the strangest, statement of the day from the BCS mouthpiece, Keven Weiberg of the Big 12/BCS:

BCS TELECONFERENCE

BCS Coordinator and Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg's statements during the BCS teleconference

Comments regarding Texas going to the Rose Bowl:

"As you know, the rules that govern the BCS selection process are very much prescribed, and we followed the rules right down the patch. The way it works is that once the teams are identified that are in the pool from which the selection can be made, we then begin with the actual selection process. Since Southern Cal was the No. 1 team in the country and was the Rose Bowl's host team, the Rose Bowl then had the first selection to replace that departed host. The Rose Bowl did indicate, understanding that California was not available to be selected, that they preferred to select Texas. At that point, we did have to pause and make sure the Fiesta Bowl was prepared to pass on Texas since Texas comes from its host conference. It also was losing a champion in Oklahoma. The Fiesta Bowl did indicate their willingness for Texas to move over and play in the Rose Bowl. I think that was a very gracious gesture on their part and showed their support for the system."

What are you talking about, good sir, on TWO points?

1) The Rose Bowl gets first choice for a replacement since its team (Pac-10 USC) was #1.

2) The Rose Bowl should never be in a position for any other bowl game to affect who it wants to pick assuming it loses team(s) to another BCS game. It is the GRANDADDY of them all. Since traditional match-ups are shot for the time being, I think that the Rose Bowl should have been allowed to match Auburn vs. Texas or Cal or Utah. Weiberg's comments are just another reason why the Rose Bowl needs to get out of the BCS.

Texas

I am not one who normally looks at a team's past seasons to determine whether or not they deserve to be in a BCS game or whether they are a good fit for a bowl game as a general rule. But, Texas is the exception to the rule. The folks who run/ran FireMackBrown.com may be hiding for the time being, but my guess is that they will be back soon.... very soon.

It seems like Texas has been in the last 10 Holiday Bowls... well, three of the last four in reality, but it seems like they have been out here forever. From a fan standpoint, how many Texas fans will be willing to make the trip slightly north to Pasadena to see sights they have already seen once, if not three times, recently? My guess is that the answer is not very many, but, for the sake of the local economy, I hope I am wrong (and Texas fans do like to party in an upscale fashion, so who knows?). As for Michigan fans, they have had an off year, and this game means little to them.

An Auburn v. Texas matchup would have drawn a tremendous amount of people from both schools for sure. Auburn is undefeated, and Texas would be looking to make a statment that might actually fire up recruits and alums.

Cal

Cal should have lost at home to Oregon. Cal should have blown out directional Mississippi yesterday. Cal is better than Texas, but Cal lost to its own lack of tradition more than the east coast bias.

A Cal v. Texas matchup would have been better than what I will have to suffer through on Jan. 1 this year in Pasadena, but Cal needed to do more, and the Golden Bears did not.

Last shouldabeen match-up list

Based on yesterday and some sleep (and forgive me if it sounds contradictory):

Rose Bowl: Utah v. Auburn
Fiesta Bowl: Texas v. Michigan
Sugar Bowl: Va Tech v. Pittsburgh (game could/should be transferred to the Carrier Dome)
Orange Bowl: USC v. Oklahoma

Good night!

Saturday, December 04, 2004

 

Football Part I

I am exhausted and need to go to bed but this is what I think should happen:

Orange: Oklahoma v. USC
Sugar: Auburn v. Va Tech
Fiesta: Texas v. Pitt
Rose: Utah v. Michigan

Cal needed to do more.... they should go to the Holiday Bowl.

SC did BARELY enough.

More after the results come in tomorrow afternoon.

Friday, December 03, 2004

 

Another change on the horizon

Well, my wife and I have finally decided to make the switch in the beginning of the new year to Lutheranism. Nah, just kidding!

We will be registering at Holy Redeemer parish in the Montrose section of Glendale. Holy Redeemer has an excellent school, a newly remodled church, and is closer to us than A.B.V.M. in Pasadena. Although everyone at A.B.V.M. has always treated us well, we really view ourselves, now, as Glendalians. As such, we want to be involved in a parish that is in the immediate community in which we live.

With this switch will come an eventual shift to a new council in the Knights of Columbus. As to when in 2005 this will happen, well, I just don't know. It really depends on whether or not my current council wants to replace me as Grand Knight for the remainder of the Columbian year which ends at the end of June of 2005.

Please pray for us as we make this transition and, once again, become the new kids/strangers. Hopefully, we will not feel like strangers for long!

Thursday, December 02, 2004

 

To Fake or not to Fake?

After further review, I hereby apologize to all ND fans everywhere for the fake punt.

As I told my compatriot at the game before the play, I would go for it in an attempt to keep control. Had we made the first down, I would have put in the second team as well, but I would have let them try to score. We all know Cassel (sp.?) needs the work.

I am curious as to why Coach Willingham wasn't bothered by it and his reaction to it initially shaped mine, but it shouldn't have.

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

 

Notre Dame: Dumb, not Racist

Notre Dame (the one in South Bend, IN) has chosen to fire its head coach of football, Tyrone Willingham, after his third season on the job. The primary reason for doing so was that he had made progress, but not enough progress to meet Notre Dame standards. But then, the idea of standards at Notre Dame wandered off in to the "relative" years ago in the core areas of Catholicism, so nobody should be amazed at the firing since popular opinion seems to rule the decision making process at this French-missionary founded school.

One can point to many problems at the university, but one need only single out Fr. McBrien who has constantly attacked the Pope and the teachings of the Church and wondered aloud about the Holy Father resigning. Standards of accountability seem to differ at this institution where they should not.

I have heard that Notre Dame alums were not happy with the coach. I am not sure what that means since the complaints have been vague. The best one that I have read was sent to me via email (and there were several) and indicated that things would have been better if he had won.

Huh?

Fans wanted an immediate return to success, although I remember many "Domers"' applauding the hire of Willingahm since he supposedly knew how to be successful at a school with academics like Notre Dame; but, that idea assumed the fact that Notre Dame was going to try and compete at the same level as Stanford in football. The obvious conclusion was that a boquet of bowl games was okay so long as one of them was a sweet smelling BCS game every once in a decade.

The alums and the administration seem to have changed the rules on Coach Ty in mid-contract. The A.D. has stated that the firing was not his idea (how long will he last?).

(and, yes I edited this since it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay over the top and harsh in the original - edited at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday).

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