Football Predictions Week Two

Arkansas  44   Samford  7 -- Did Arkansas have that much trouble filling out a 12-game schedule?

Kentucky  20  Miami (Ohio)  16 ==Let's face it; Kentucky's not too good this year.  The Hilltoppers almost handed them their asses last week.

Florida  35    Miami  24 -- Florida plays the real Miami.

Tennessee  35   Western Kentucky  20  -- When does Tennessee's football season begin?  The Hilltoppers may have something to say, like they did against the Cats.

Missouri  48    Toledo  7 -- Holy Toledo!

South Carolina  26  Georgia  21  -- The Cocks prevail over Georgia.

Mississippi State  35   Alcorn State  7 -- Rather pissed off Bulldogs take it out on outmatched opponent.

LSU  48   UAB  0 -- No holding those Tigers on this one.

Texas A & M  50  Sam Houston State  0  -- No stopping Manziel

Auburn  38    Arkansas State  28 -- A wild game with the P.C.-named Red Wolves

Vanderbilt  40  Austin Peay  6 -- Vandy in an easy one.

Football Predictions: Week One

So, let's look at Week One:

Alabama  22  Virginia Tech 14 -- An interesting match.

Arkansas 35  UL Lafayette 24 -- The Hogs are too much for the Ragin Cajuns.

Auburn  28   Washington State 20 -- Tigers in a close one.

Florida   40  Toledo 6 -- Shouldn't Florida be ashamed for scheduling this one?  This is a joke.

Georgia  35   Clemson 30 -- This is the headliner game of the week, with the Dawgs prevailing in the long run.

Kentucky 28  Western Kentucky 14 -- Kentucky, though the rock bottom team of the SEC, should win this one.

LSU  35   TCU 20 -- TCU is no longer a patsy; but LSU should win.

Ole Miss 21   Vanderbilt 14

Mississippi State 27   Oklahoma State 21

Missouri  35  Murray State 10 -- A rebuilding year for MO

South Carolina 40   North Carolina 24 -- An ACC headliner, with South Carolina coming out as Best Carolina.

Tennessee 35   Austin Peay 14 -- One of those ridiculous games to schedule that I'm refraining from using caps. 

Texas A & M 40  Rice 7 -- A & M is strong this year; might give Bama competition for the championship

Realism or Honesty in Ticket Pricing

Recently the University of Tennessee announced that they will offer for sale 6,700 seats in the upper deck of the south end zone of Neyland Stadium based on market demand.  In other words, dpending on the attraction of the game, the cheap seats (relatively speaking!) will be sold for less.

These seats would otherwise be likely to go empty.

Here are the seat prices for the seven home games of the Tennessee Volunteers:

Austin Peay: $20

Western Kentucky  $20

South Alabama  $20

Georgia:  $80

South Carolina:  $80

Auburn:  $70

Vanderbilt:  $55

These ticket prices can be adjusted throughout the season to squeeze some more money out of the 'cheap' seats.

I have a few observations:

1.  The relative pricing is kind of a testimony of respect, or lack of it, for the different opponents.  Might Vanderbilt be pissed enough  that their tickets go for less than Auburn or Georgia ones, and be motivated further to thrash the Vols?

2.  By pricing some games at a mere $20, UT is tacitly admitting that these are breathers, not real games in which there is true competition.  They're no longer even pretending.

Maybe Alabama ought to do the same for the Chattanooga Mocs game!  Seriously, scheduling that one is an embarassment!

Sometimes I wish one of these D-1AA teams should teach the Godalmighty SEC a lesson! 

Hubris is often followed by Nemesis in classical Greek drama.  It ought to be in football also.

SEC Predictions --- 2013

Since football season will begin in a little over two weeks, it's time for me to give my strictly non-expert predictions as to the outcome.

 

First the SEC EAST: 

1.  Georgia --Should eke it out over SC and Florida                        
2.  South Carolina -- Close               
3.  Florida -- Close, but no cigar                     
4.  Vanderbilt -- Should pull some surprises
5.  Missouri                       
6.  Tennessee
7.  Kentucky -- Not likely                      

Now for the  SEC WEST: 

1.  Alabama -- Clearly the favorite
2.  Texas A&M -- A contender 
3.  LSU -- Also a contender
4.  Auburn
5.  Mississippi State
6.  Arkansas
7.  Mississippi

But I could be wrong. 

Misty Fiord

Misty Fjord is a National Monument near Ketchikan, Alaska.  It's accessable by boat of floatplane.  I think that it is one of the most scenic places in the United States.

 

It is misty there usually; it lives up to its name.

 

 

 

 

Ketchikan is probably the rainiest town in the United States, but a nice place to live.

Crows on the Massachuetts Turnpike

Researchers for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (or MTA) recently found over 200 dead crows near greater Boston, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu. A bird pathologist was called in to examine the remains of all the crows and, to everyone's relief, confirmed the problem was definitely not Avian Flu. The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impacts.

However, during the detailed analysis it was noted that varying colors of paints appeared on the bird's beaks and claws. Analysis of these paint residues determined that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with trucks, while only 2% were killed by an impact with a car.

MTA then hired an Ornithological Behaviorist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentages of crows killed by trucks versus cars.

The Ornithological Behaviorist very quickly established the cause: When crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow in a nearby tree to warn of impending danger.

The conclusion was that while all the lookout crows could say "Cah!", none could say "Truck!".

Let Us Alone Flag

When Florida first became a state, it adopted a flag with the then-current United States flag in the corner, and five different-colored stripes.  In one of the stripes was the motto, "Let Us Alone."  It was unveiled at the inaugaration of the first Governor, William D. Moseley.  Ultimately, it was approved through resolutions by the House and Senate in the following year.
 
It was replaced by another one in 1861.  The present flag of Florida was adopted in  1900.  It was ultimately approved by both the House and Senate.