The Overrated Conference

I was raised in Southeastern Conference country but must admit that in the men's money sports the SEC has fallen. In no way is it the dominant league in football or men's basketball. The Big Ten is the football powerhouse and may be about to prove that it is number one in B-ball as well. The world has turned and landed on our Southern gladiators. 

For the Ages

The University of Connecticut men's basketball team staged a comeback that culminated in a miracle victory over the Duke Blue Devils. I believe the first and only time UConn led was with four tenths of a second remaining in the contest on a thirty-five foot three pointer by a freshman. I do not know if there is such a thing as a team of destiny, but if there is, it seems to be the Connecticut squad this season. 

The Useful Idiots

There were orchestrated "No Kings" protests across America and a few abroad yesterday. These were obviously a coordinated effort aimed against not only Trump but against our capitalist way of life. The demonstrators may have thought they had their own reasons for being there but whatever those were, they were actually serving the interests of the enemies of the United States. Some characterize the demonstrators as "useful idiots", but I would question just how useful they are. They are instigators and agitators and disaffected losers. They really abhor our President but more than that our free enterprise system and much of our Constitution itself. 

The Last Hope

On the minor plane of sport, not the life and death contention of war, only one team remains from my home state and from the athletic conference I have rooted for all my life, the Southeastern Conference. That would be the Tennessee Volunteers, who are a pronounced underdog entering the contest against the mighty Michigan Wolverines. The cagers from the north have a large and imposing front line, but the Vols are not exactly small, and I believe are more athletic. I think our Big Orange have a decent chance, so long as they are not awed by the moment and continue to be the aggressors. If they perform as the hunter rather than the hunted, an SEC team may just find its way into the Final Four. 

An Inescapable Quagmire

It is not America or Israel that has leapt into quicksand with an unnecessary adventure. The Islamic Republic has. The Mad Mullahs have killed themselves but do not know it yet. 

Social Media Trial

Major social media companies just sustained a huge loss in court. In this instance, I find little fault with the giant corporations, who have plenty of problems in other areas, because the plaintiff apparently said her "addiction" started at six years old. This was not a Meta or Google issue, but negligent parenting. Kindergarten students and first graders do not have agency of their own, and it is parents who must supervise their screen time, if they grant them any time on computers, tablets, or cell phones at all. Whatever alleged malady this young woman suffers, it has NOT been brought forth by Facebook or YouTube. 

Win Other Tournament

The victor in the National Invitational Tournament can likely proclaim with little question that they are the sixty-ninth best team in college basketball. Realistically, they are actually probably a top thirty-five team, but in this day, who really cares about the now secondary post-season tourney?

The Black Boxes

You really do not need a black box or extensive forensic examination to understand the collision at LaGuardia. A fire truck, which is somewhat maneuverable, pulled onto a runway in front of a jet airplane that is not capable of quick turns on the ground. Whoever in the control tower cleared the truck to drive on that particular runway at that time caused the impact. 

An Iranian Victory

No matter how much the United States and Israel have degraded Iran's offensive capabilities, the war must be considered a victory for the Islamic Republic if the Mullah regime remains in place. At the end of the conflict, if an Ayatollah is still leading an Islamic Republic, America, the Jewish State, and most of all,  the Iranian People will have lost.  Not that it was up to Trump to affect regime change, but if religious fanatics remain in power to rebuild and continue to be the world's leading sponsor of terrorism, it does not matter what particular zealot is in charge or if the Islamic Bomb (nuclear weapons that is) does not immediately obliterate Tel Aviv, it is still a win for the forces of evil because the mentality will be in control of Tehran that eventually will destroy the West. 

A Generational Talent

Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. is the best collegiate point guard in decades. I would rate him better than his coach John Calipari's last great point guard Derrick Rose who managed to become an NBA MVP for a season. If he remains healthy, Acuff may duplicate that feat or even exceed it with multiple MVP awards. Acuff has been unstoppable with any single defender he has faced, despite a nagging injury throughout much of the season. He will be a very early pick in the NBA draft, if he goes pro after the NCAA Tournament as is expected. Any general manager who does not select Acuff will regret their choice. 

Dreaded Shaker Phobia

Let us say the Shaker faith suddenly enjoyed a revival, but a heretofore unknown brand of Shakers decided that they must use any means including violence to bring folks to their flock. Pretend for the sake of argument that this portion of believers even made human bombs of themselves in populated spaces to enforce conversion by every means. Would it then be a "phobia" to want to avoid Shakers? Thank goodness no religious practice on earth today does anything involving force to increase its number of adherents. 

Georgia Let Down

Bulldog basketball showed the SEC is not quite perfect, playing so badly against St. Louis that they would have had a hard time beating a rec league team. They could not defend plays that teams were running in the fifties, and their offense was virtually no hits but plenty of misses. The sad thing is that most of the Georgia team seemed to give up, and when that happens, the head coach is squarely to blame. Either the "leader" did not have his "troops" prepared, or he has lost their confidence, and they are not listening to him. Either way, he should be on a mighty short leash with the sports administration at UGA next season, as a head coach can't be allowed to bring shame on a great university that should have championship caliber sports programs. There is no reason the basketball Bulldogs should not be just as competitive as the football one, except that the coach falls well short of the abilities of Kirby Smart. 

Miami for Real

Miami of Ohio is a competitive basketball team. They shoot the three pointer well and run hard backdoor cuts. Their defense is underrated. They will not be an easy team for Tennessee or anyone else to knock out. The Vols know how to defend such opponents, and unlike Alabama, Miami does not have a Labaron Philon, who breaks down defenses off the dribble, generating his own offense, and must do more with spacing, quick passes, screens, and sharp cuts to create scoring. Oddly enough, the coach who put Tennessee men's basketball on the map, Ray Mears, attended Miami of Ohio, so there is some unusual connection between the programs. 

South Eastern Dominance

Does anyone remember that the defending men's national champion in basketball is Florida from the SEC? This former "football conference" has started with two victories in the postseason tournaments. The league may well clinch another title this year. 

Saint Patrick's Lament

Hugh went down to the river, a bit downrange from town, saw the typically blue water a vibrant shade of green, and wondering if it was food dye or a green beer dump on this famous day, could not resist scooping up a swig. Only after he placed his parched lips in his palm did he detect the slimy texture. That night the local news noted that it was a very inopportune day for the sewage treatment plant to break down and be forced offline. 

Need Regime Change

It is not up to the United States to determine the destiny of the Iranian People, but if the Ayatollah regime survives this war in place, then the conflict must ultimately be viewed as a defeat for America. The mad mullahs will continue their oppression of the freedom seeking people, and the country will continue to menace its neighbors and threaten Israel. Only if the theocratic fanatics are overthrown and replaced with a more representative form of government will victory be achieved, even though shaping the internal operation of Iran is beyond the reach of air power, and nobody in the Trump administration wants to introduce US boots on the ground.  

Single Bid Conference

Why would the Mid-American Conference deserve more than one bid to the Men's NCAA Tournament this season? They had one victory against Quad 1 versus thirty losses. Against the second quadrant, they lost more than two to one (31-75). Major conferences with hard competition have earned the invitation that Miami of Ohio with three NAIA teams on its pitiful schedule certainly did not. 

No More Excuses

A not insignificant portion of Muslims want to kill Jews. They are not distorting their scripture either. A reversed Islamic text instructs believers,"The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say:'O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him'."So, when someone becomes a "martyr" in Michigan, there is no need to rationalize that he was avenging his Hezbollah terrorist brothers (two of whom were reputed to have been killed recently in an IDF strike in Lebanon). He drove an explosive-laden vehicle into a synagogue where dozens of innocent American schoolchildren, who happen to be Jewish, were studying. The assailant did NOT attack the Israeli military or even Israelis, but the first Jews he could aim for, who happened to be defenseless US kids. May he and his "shahid" brothers not find paradise with seventy-two virgins but burn for eternity.  

No Miami O

My former wife attended Miami of Ohio for her undergraduate classes, but that is not why I think their men's basketball team is a paper tiger. The MAC just happens to suck this season, with no marquee wins against any substantial non-conference opponent. Auburn would have gone undefeated against this weak league. It reminds me of the year in football that Brigham Young won a national title. They went undefeated but without playing a team with a winning record outside of the WAC the entire season, including their bowl game. Don't sully your own brand NCAA by rewarding a team for wallowing in mediocrity just so they can be assured a lot of wins against the softest of competition. 

The Mayor's Wife

The recently elected mayor of New York has a "Jew Problem", or more precisely thinks Zionists are the root of evil. His bride "liked" the October 7 massacre on social media, and there seems to be peace and bliss in their household. What is it like New York after you sustained the worst sneak attack in American history on September 11, 2001 to have a terrorist sympathizer as the leader of your city? 

No Disrespect Intended

What does an exceptional scoring night mean in the National Basketball Association? I have watched Bam Adebayo since he was playing at the University of Kentucky and will attest he is a good four-five swing player who is a capable post defender with enough athleticism to guard many perimeter players as well, just like another former Wildcat star Julius Randle. Neither of these players, unless they enjoy mid-career surges will be a Hall of Famer. To my mind, Kobe Bryant is the second best scoring guard ever and a top ten in basketball history standout. Bam Adebayo, despite one massive scoring outburst, has not reached anywhere near that level of consistency that demonstrates greatness. 

War Ending Soon?

I would say the battle against the mad mullahs has just been joined. While much of their offensive capabilities have been diminished, it is the poisonous mindset of religious fanaticism that has enslaved the vast majority of the people that must still be fought. Neither American nor Israeli boots on the ground must be deployed but some armed force must be present to institute the denazification of the country. Be they Kurdish troops or some sort of Persian militia combined with the willing and trained Kurds, an armed force ultimately has to do it. It should not be drawn from the ranks of those conducting the bombing campaign right now, whose job it is to lessen the grip of the Shia zealots on the people until they can successfully eradicate the Ayatollah tyranny. 

A Cornyn Snake

The corn snake reputedly benefits mankind by eating rodents who would lay waste to crops. John Cornyn does nothing to benefit MAGA, taking the side of the "Rats" all too often, the DemocRATS that is. Cornyn is the Mitch McConnell of Texas, except unlike the Kentucky turncoat dotard, almost as old and enfeebled John has never been particularly instrumental in advancing the nominations of conservative Justices to the Supreme Court. Some might say Cornyn is a mere empty suit, but I would say the tailor fit the snake perfectly.  

Power to Destroy

The government of my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee is determined to destroy business through taxation. An ongoing concern will not remain so if its property tax is raised higher than its net profit. You can't remain in operation with a formula like that. 

More Branches Falling

Just as the recovery from the Ice Storm of 2026 seemed to be kicking in across my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, severe thunderstorms started to strike. The bad news is the good news for me in this case, as a dangling tree limb that was supposed to cost over a thousand dollars to remove fell on its own with the force of the newly kindled high winds. I just thank the Lord I and nobody I care about was under it when the five hundred plus pounds of wood crashed to the ground. I cut it in three more manageable pieces with my handsaw. A chainsaw would have helped, but I do not happen to own one. Stay safe out there neighbors. A lot of weakened branches, limbs, and even whole trees are falling with the strong gusts. 

Second Biggest Star

The talent with whom I have enjoyed regular interaction is obviously Dennis Quaid, who moved in next to us several years back when he purchased a Nashville home. The celebrity with the second most exposure, who has literally sprinted across to greet me, is Quaid's wonderful and well-trained English bulldog "Peaches". Dennis brings that glorious old girl on many national media appearances, but I am fortunate enough to have known her before she enjoyed so much fame. 

An Ongoing Campaign

The majority of Iranians want to live a free, Westernized lifestyle. They are NOT religious fanatics. What the government that ultimately replaces the mullahs and Ayatollah regime will have to overcome is millions of religious zealots who believe exactly as the Twelvers do and think they have a religious duty to kill you if you do not follow the same tenets they do. These are folks who gladly sent their ten year old sons across Iraqi minefields on bicycles to clear them by blowing themselves up, so experienced adult soldiers could attack Saddam Hussein's forces without the concern of setting off a mine. They are contemptuous of the value of life including their own and their children's. They will require a denazification program on steroids as they do not simply follow an evil man (Hitler) but hold as an article of religious faith their obligation to convert by the sword. 

The Wrong Leadership

Incompetent leaders take the path they should not. In the case of my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee's municipally-owned electric utility, the service had only one hundred sixty linemen for two hundred thirty thousand customers; however, they devoted copious resources to diversity, equity, and inclusion. You might say these DEI programs are well-intentioned, but they cause real and substantial harm because with finite resources, you can't hire more workers to restore power or ideally, keep the electricity on when you are spending the limited money you are allocated on diversity trainers and officers, who do not know a positive wire from a negative one or a ground wire. 

Bringers of Peace

If we have to burn the village to save it, by all means, set it ablaze. The world could not live with atavistic madmen with Seventh Century mindsets controlling the most destructive weapons. Iran left unchecked as the "Islamic Republic" would have erased Israel with nuclear bombs and extorted the Sunni states and Europe. Everyone should praise and thank President Trump for thwarting these terror-sponsoring tyrants from starting World War III while in possession of an atomic arsenal and the means to deliver it. 

War of Choice?

The war against the Islamic Republic was started by them when they captured our embassy and its staff in 1979. It was waged and perpetuated by the mad mullahs who have enslaved the Persian people since then. Only now is President Trump answering their aggression against America in the way it should have been dealt with all along. If it had been addressed properly as our nation is doing now, Iran would never have risen to menace the globe. 

Evil Embracing Wickedness

The dictator of Russia expressed sincere condolences for the liquidated tyrant of Tehran. Yardbirds flock together all the way to Hades.