The Sports Socialite

Arrive alive… you get the picture!  Happy New Year to you!  I have been so glad to put this year to bed, and welcome the new year with the optimism, excitement, and confidence that I really should have every morning.

The end of any year is a great time to remember… so here we go -

10 years ago…

• I was in Tampa for the Outback Bowl… Purdue vs. Georgia.  Drew Brees was our QB, Tim Stratton & Vinny Sutherland were part of the receiving corps (TE & WR, respectively).  Because we had a long day ahead of us, the cheer squad & band had a NYE party on the beach and then at 12:30a was curfew.
• my mom was very concerned about Y2K and if I’d be able to fly home Jan. 2 or if LA would be in riot mode.
• I was a junior in college, and dating a football player at the time.
• My best friends were on my Golduster Pom Squad, and my sorority’s chapter was on the verge of being shut down.
• I loved being in college…

So here is to being as excited for the next 364 days, as we are for tonight!  Cheers!

Try to follow this timeline. 

On Monday (Dec. 28) Mike Leach was suspended from coaching Texas Tech in their upcoming bowl game while the university investigates allegations of improper treatment of an injured player. 

Yesterday (Dec. 29) Leach had his attorney seek a temporary restraining order which would prevent the suspension by his employer, and he would be able to coach this Saturday.

Today, before the scheduled court appearance regarding the TRO, a Texas Tech official handed  Leach’s attorney, Ted Liggett, the coach’s pink slip…advising that the coach had been “terminated with cause effective immediately.”

Tomorrow (Dec. 31) Leach would have received a large bonus for making it that far as head coach of Tech, a bonus to the tune of $800,000. 

It seems that either Texas Tech found evidence of the coach’s misconduct regarding the injured player, Adam James, who suffered a concussion, or the brass at Tech found a loophole in Leach’s contract regarding mediation being used to resolve conflicts, not a court of law, inorder to warrent the firing. 

Alamo Bowl : Texas Tech vs. Michigan State – Saturday, 9pm ET on ESPM from San Antonio, TX

34 years-old today.  I wonder what he will wish for if he blows out any candles.

Some of these men may be attached already, but their advice still proves relevant.  See what these 10 NFL hotties think.

Hopefully you had a good Christmas, and yesterday you were able to spot some good deals while shopping.  I did venture outdoors yesterday and ran errands, but I really didn’t notice it to be crowded or as busy as people had hoped.

I took a great hiatus from the computer, twitter, facebook, etc.  Hence, that is why there was no prediction for San Diego @ Tennessee (also, I was more concerned with the NBA & a new MVPuppets ad).  It was actually great!  I highly suggest it.

Buffalo @ Atlanta – Falcons

Kansas City @ Cincinnati – Bengals

Oakland @ Cleveland – Raiders

Seattle @ Green Bay – Packers

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh – Steelers

Houston @ Miami – Dolphins

Jacksonville @ New England – Patriots

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans – Saints

Carolina @ NY Giants – Giants

Detroit @ San Francisco – 49er’s

St. Louis @ Arizona – Cardinals

NY Jets @ Indianapolis – Colts

Denver @ Philadelphia – Eagles

Dallas @ Washington – Cowboys

MNF -

Minnesota @ Chicago – Vikings

Yes, bowl games began last week.  Did I watch those 2 bowl games? No. 

Come tonight, bowling will be more of a focus.  There are bowl games everyday for the next 17 days, with the exception of Christmas (a day reserved for the NBA) and Jan. 3 (a Sunday = NFL).  That is more than 1 fortnight of football, and that makes me happy.

I remember when it was very important to play in a New Year’s Day bowl game… That’s how you knew you had a great season.  Now it seems that TV has drawn bowl season out even longer, putting fewer games against eachother so that each bowl gets its time to shine.  I actually enjoyed being able to flip around, and that has been taken away with the TV deals. 

I remember the Alamo Bowl being played on Dec. 29, now it is pushed back to January…
12/22/09 – Maaco Bowl – Oregon State vs. BYU
12/23/09 – San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl – Utah vs. Cal
12/24/09 – Sheraton Hawaii Bowl – Nevada vs. Southern Methodist
12/26/09 – Little Caesars Bowl – Marshall vs. Ohio
                        Meineke Car Care Bowl – Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina
                        Emerald Bowl – Boston College vs. USC
12/27/09 – Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl – Kentucky vs. Clemson
12/28/09 – AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl – Texas A&M vs. Georgia
12/29/09 – EagleBank Bowl – UCLA vs. Temple
                        Champs Sports Bowl – Miami vs. Wisconsin
12/30/09 – Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl – Bowling Green vs. Idaho
                        Pacific Life Holiday Bowl – Arizona vs. Nebraska
12/31/09 – Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl – Houston vs. Air Force
                        Brut Sun Bowl – Oklahoma vs. Stanford
                        Texas Bowl – Navy vs. Missouri
                        Insight Bowl – Minnesota vs. Iowa State
                        Chick-fil-A Bowl – Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
1/1/2010 – Outback Bowl – Northwestern vs. Auburn
                        Capital One Bowl – Penn State vs. LSU
                        Konica Minolta Gator Bowl – West Virginia vs. Florida State
                        Rose Bowl Game Presented by Citi – Ohio State vs. Oregon
                        Allstate Sugar Bowl – Cincinnati vs. Florida
1/2/2010 – International Bowl – South Florida vs. Northern Illinois
                        AT&T Cotton Bowl – Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi
                        Papajohns.com Bowl – South Carolina vs. Connecticut
                        AutoZone Liberty Bowl – Arkansas vs. East Carolina
                        Valero Alamo Bowl – Michigan State vs. Texas Tech
1/4/2010 – Tostitos Fiesta Bowl – Boise State vs. TCU
1/5/2010 – FedEx Orange Bowl – Iowa vs. Georgia Tech
1/6/2010 – GMAC Bowl – Central Michigan vs. Troy
1/7/2010 – Citi BCS National Championship Game – Texas vs. Alabama

Apparently Richard Gasquet had to kiss and tell… the tennis player blamed making out with a woman in a Miami area nightclub for the “minute” traces that popped him positive for cocaine.

It was determinted by a CAS panel that Richard was “clearly not a cocaine user.”  But Francescp Ricci Bitti, ITF president, used the word “dissappointed” when describing the federation’s feelings regarding the court’s ruling.

I think this is one more reason not to make out with strangers.

Seems like the controlling interests at TAG Heuer have changed their minds about Tiger Woods, his confessed infidelity, and his hiatus from golf…

The watch company continues to keep Tiger on the payroll and on the home page of their website.

It seems as if the population is fixated on the Colts, the Saints, and how they will handle being undefeated.  Little attention is being given to Minnesota who is sitting nicely at 11-2, and the Chargers at 10-3.  All of the other conference leaders are at about 8 wins.

Saturday -

Dallas @ New Orleans – Saints

Sunday -

New England @ Buffalo – Patriots

Arizona @ Detroit – Cardinals
Miami @ Tennessee – Titans

Cleveland @ Kansas City – Cheifs

Houston @ St. Louis – Texans

Atlanta @ NY Jets – Falcons

Oakland @ Denver – Broncos

Cincinnati @ San Diego – Bengals

San Francisco @ Philadelphia – 49er’s

Tampa Bay @ Seattle – Buccaneers

Chicago @ Baltimore – Ravens

Green Bay @ Pittsburgh – Packers

Minnestoa @ Carolina – Vikings

MNF -

NY Giants @ Washington – Giants

I am still not a fan of Thursday night NFL football. I remember being in high school and frosh/soph & JV was played Thursday afternoon right after school… we didn’t have lights on our field at Peninsula High School. I’m not a fan of Indy playing at Jacksonville tonight regardless of Indy playing players or resting.

I am not into the rest your players we won 12, 13, or 14 games attitude. Play to win, that’s what everyone gets paid for. Take a break and get rusty is the risk.