DURHAM Road Trip

Durham: It was a football kind of weekend. Crestview steam rolled Fort Walton Beach 56-14. I didn’t watch the entire game, but a good bit of it on Facebook while sitting in my brother’s living room. On Saturday AM, we drove over to Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh and watched the Firebirds play the Raiders. Christian played a lot and played very well, from his outside linebacker spot – kind of a hybrid DE/OLB. Several good open field tackles! Terrific facility and it was a cloudy cool morning.

As soon as the game was over, Marty, Christian and I headed to Duke to catch the Florida State game. By the start of the 2nd quarter the fog had burned off and it was beautiful warm day. Duke is now 0-20 against the Noles in football, but this one was close to being that first W…Blue Devils are very well coached, but FSU is for some reason, not FSU. They held on to win 17-10 in front of a good, but ~65% capacity stadium, many of which were leaving long before the game was really decided. Guess they really are basketball kind of folks. Nole host Louisville this weekend. Hope they play a little better than they did last year, when Lamar Jackons won the trophy that night!

As we walked back to the car, I watched the end of the Tennessee v South Carolina game on my phone. Vols, as they are accustomed to doing, squandered a wonderful chance to win an SEC conference game. The freshman QB was pedestrian and the Vols Defense finally wore down. Horrible clock management at the end and the most puzzling part, was no RPO for this highly mobile QB, OR no touch for John Kelly (AGAIN) at the end. He is a ferocious runner, and not many guys tackle him one on one. Butch just can’t do what the folks in Knoxville need him to do. Great recruiter and probably a strong coach back at the Group of 5 level. After dinner, we loaded up and drove to Bunn, NC for the Firebirds SECOND game. It was over an hour drive and the Gator – Texas A&M game kicked off about the time we got there. Phone was recharged, so I watched the Firebirds live and the college game on my phone. Gators have a “pedestrian at best” QB in Franks and I am keenly aware of all the players that are suspended and injured, but would of could of should won that game, but didn’t. Bye week before the Cocktail party in Jacksonville. Georgia will be a huge favorite… The Titans kept me up late Monday night, but go the W over Indy. Up and down is the only way to describe them. With Clemson, Washington State and Washington getting upset this weekend, a lot of radio talk now about Notre Dame. What a free pass they get every year. Lost to Georgia by one at home and only good win is against Michigan State. Reckon I need some cheese with my whine. Also think Va Tech is over rated, but that guy is apparently a really good young coach. Their game with Miami will be for a place in the ACC title game. The New York Yankees have always been my LEAST fav baseball team. Their mercenary approach to buying championships is lame. However, a former co worker and friend of mine, KEVIN MORAN, loved his Yankees with so much passion. Kevin dies suddenly last week and so, in his memory, I'm OK if the Yankees win it all this season...

Dabo is my fav coach now. what a class act.

Notre Dame vs USC on Sat night. Can't stand Notre Dame (although that was Kevin's TEAM in football). They get some much free pass every season! Go Trojans!