ESPN Zone - Times Square

Yesterday was cool. I stood in the rain in Times Square for almost an hour, to buy discount tickets to Phantom of the Opera. It worked. My wife and daughter shopped in the afternoon for FOUR HOURS, and I did not. Classic "win - win". I watched FSU lay yet another egg, the Georgia Bulldogs GIVE a game to LSU, and Notre Dame beat a Washington team that did not win a single game last season, in Overtime. Notre Dame has edged Mich State, Purdue and Washington, all teams with poor records, but the media is ready to put them in the BCS and give Jimmy Clauson the Heisman! Good Grief!

I don't know what to say about Florida State. I have enjoyed watching their football games since I was a teenager and like most Noles, have been very spoiled. Now that they have talented players, but are NOT a good TEAM, it is painful to watch. I keep watching however, and keep hoping. FSU COULD beat about any team in the nation, and obviously could lose to about any team.

After going 0-3 in the afternoon session, it was time for the Phantom. I walked my girls to the Majestic Theater by Times Square, and squeezed myself into a bar seat in the overly crowded ESPN Zone. Auburn and Tennessee were on monitor #1, Oklahoma & Miami on #2, and USC and Cal on #3. Life was good. I never have liked Auburn very much, but with Kiffin taking over at Tennessee, it was easy to pull for the War Beagles. I have hated Miami over the last 20 years as they have broken my garnet and gold heart some many times. That said, I am trying not to be a hater, and I wanted the Canes to beat OU. I was wearing Gator gear, so had several conversations with SEC fans, including an Auburn man from Luverne, Al. He didn't think I would know where Luverne is, but I have road up and down Hwwy 331 many, many times and I told him it was a suburb of Brantley!

Special thanks to my old Pal Duane for the updates on the Byrnes @!St Thomas Aquinas game on Friday night. I was on a very cold double decker bus, touring NY and Brooklyn, wondering how the big game was going. Texting is a worth while application in times like that. The Florida team prevailed over the South Carolina bunch. I have it recorded and will watch it this week.

It is going to be another great week of football, starting with Nebraska and Mizzu on Thursday night and with FLORIDA @ LSU being the 5 star game. I think Florida wins convincingly. Alabama will also handle Ole Miss, maybe even more convincingly, but I'll pull for the Rebs.

While I am not a NFL guy, a couple of observations: Denver is 4-0 and that is illogical. The Saints ARE that good. Jerry Jones will melt down soon, as the Cowboys slipped to 2-2. I'll be pulling for the Packers tomorrow night, and I hope the Bears, Bengals and 49ers have great season, since my buds at work live and die with them every weekend (like I do the Noles and the Gators).