Good news, bad news …
For lovers of college football (or the closest thing we have to college football now), the bad news:
Bowl Season is over.
All the teams gave it the good ol’ college try and the ones who advanced the farthest in the new-fangled College Football Playoff gave it the good ol’ professional try.
The old-fangled programs, the ones with thigh pads and football fields but not nearly as much folding money, were all playing for second at best when practice started back in August.
Ohio State started with the most money (a $20 million-plus roster) and ended with the trophy and a 34-23 win over Notre Dame, a private school with a fun team (I’ve become a fan) and money to burn as well. But who knows how much is enough these days?
Are cornerbacks on special this week? Two-for-one defensive tackles? Can you trade me a safety for a punter and a split end to be named later?
Regardless, it was fun to watch. BowlFest 2024 began with Jackson State and South Carolina State waaaaay back on Saturday, Dec. 14, more than a month ago. Was a fun run of 47 games from then until Monday night’s finale.
I didn’t miss many.
If you were a stupid person and joined a “pool” like, let’s say, ESPN Bowl Mania (just raised my hand), then suddenly you were very interested in who was quarterbacking East Carolina and how many starters Colorado State returned on defense.
BowlFest has a way of luring in the unsuspecting and giving them hope. And the rest of us are stupid enough to forget that just when we think we’ve seen it all, we ain’t seen nothing yet.
I got hot and was ripping off mid-December wins like Grant took Richmond. Then came an 0-7 slump and I hated everyone who ever even went to Coastal Carolina or Fresno State or Toledo, much less played football for them this season.
BowlNuts will understand, completely.
Finished an unenthusiastic 27-20 and in 42,503 place. Remarkably, 68.2 percent of those playing finished worse than I did. I hope they get help.
But now it’s over, and we will have to think of something else to worry about. March Madness and the ESPN Tournament Challenge is a cold and protracted two months away. What to do? …
Which brings us to the good news.
The Daytona 500 is Sunday, Feb. 16. Yes! The start of NASCAR season looms. Just three weeks and change away. Shoot, you can fight a bear for three weeks.
Glorious, dirty, mind numbingly loud NASCAR. And you don’t even have to pay the cars. Just give ’em some oil and gas, maybe grease down the ol’ suspension and she’ll purr just fine, ’round and ’round the oval.
I know more about NASCAR than you could fit in your glove compartment but less than what you could fit inside your trunk. We’ll explore as the season approaches.
But this I do know: NASCAR folk are tougher than the Ball Crowd. We get the jits if a batted ball flies into the stands or a whiskey bottle or beer cup flies out of them. NASCAR fans are dodging wayward wheels and line-drive lug nuts.
Tough as a boot’s bottom.
So get loose, NASCAR fans, and get ready for your 2025 mid-February season opener. Change the oil and kick them tires. Be talkin’ to you shortly.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu