2016

So it's way way way way way too early to begin speculating about the 2016 Presidential race. But I'm going to speculate anyway. I've have been way off in the past (see my prediction that the 2012 GOP primary would be a two man race between Mitt and Rick Perry). But just in case I stand one little chance of being able to point back to this blog and say "I told you so" here goes. You can also point back to this post and mock me if things go completely a different direction. I'm sure there will be all kinds of mystery or semi-mystery players who pop up in the next four years and make a serious run.

But as of now, here are my thoughts...

In the 2016 GOP primary race it will come down to Marco Rubio and Chris Christie. Christie will win and graciously ask Rubio to be his running mate thus producing the Christie/Rubio 2016 ticket.

The Democratic primary will come down to one person and one person only...Hillary Clinton. Hillary will name Cory Booker as running mate. Clinton/Booker 2016 for the Dems.

Of course this is all contingent all millions of unforseen variables. Some of these guys may win or lose state elections before then. Hillary may just retire to a life of lucrative speech-making. Someone might make a surprising comeback (i.e. Rick Santorum). Bobby Jindal might jump in. You never know. But here's my early prediction.

Christie/Rubio vs. Clinton/Booker 2016.

That would be an awesome campaign.

photo: Christie and Booker getting along before they go at it in 2016. Wouldn't it be awesome if these dudes put party affliation aside and ran as Modern Whigs?

Take Five

In 1994 me and the three other members of the Earl Enterline Quartet piled into a 1969 Cadillac and headed to Tulsa to the Greenwood Jazz Festival to have our minds blown by Dave Brubeck. We were not disappointed. We finagled our way to the front of the crowd. OU basketball legend and jazz bassist Wayman Tisdale (now deceased due to cancer) opened up the evening with a very impressive set. Then came the mad professor and his quartet.

Even in their seventies Brubeck and crew were stunning. One of the most memorable musical nights of my life.

Dave Brubeck died this morning one day shy of his 92nd birthday. He was one of the towering greats of jazz. A humanist, intellectual and game changer who played in African-American clubs in the south when that just wasn't done.

Rest in peace and Take Five, Mr. Brubeck.

Guns, Football and Domestic Abuse

 

As a longtime Kansas City Chiefs fan I was stunned by last week's murder/suicide. Belcher was a murderer who selfishly orphaned his three month old baby daughter. I have really nothing to add to the discussion.

The best piece I've seen on this tragedy is Jason Whitlock's column. Whitlock was once a columnist at the KC Star who I read every week even when I disagreed with him. This article is right on the mark and should be required reading by every American regarding our gun culture and our idolization of football. Bob Costas referred to it repeatedly in his halftime remarks at last Sunday night's game. Please take a look at it...

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/jovan-belcher-kansas-city-chiefs-murder-suicide-tragedy-girlfriend-self-leave-orphan-daughter-why-still-playing-sunday-120112

Bowling

Wow. Except for the National Title game and the Fiesta Bowl, this year's slate of BCS games are terrible.

The National Title game is a dream match-up for the network execs. Two blueblood programs like Notre Dame and Alabama will bring plenty of eyeballs to the television sets. The fact that the Fighting Irish have been out of the picture for two decades brings even more drama to the proceedings.

The Fiesta Bowl pairs two teams, Kansas State and Oregon, that were tantalizingly close to playing in the title game themselves. Both teams feature high octane offenses that will light up the scoreboard. The Wildcats have Collin Klein, a Heisman candidate, that will put up the points.

The rest of the BCS games are duds.

The Orange Bowl has the worst of the lot. Due to short-sighted rules to appease the small schools, Northern Illinois will be playing Florida State. Of course the Seminoles will pack the place due to the in-state proximity and their tradition of being a good traveling fanbase. But NIU? A tiny little school in DeKalb? How many fans do they have in the first place and how many of those will trek down to Miami? Plus FSU can't win. If they lose they look like chokers. If they win it was an expected victory. And they'll have to win big to appease the critics. And who will watch this game? Who cares?

The Sugar Bowl features Florida and Louisville. The Gators should be playing OU in a title rematch from a few years ago. But the Sooners lost out because of the new rule that vaulted NIU to the BCS. Louisville is a small school that doesn't travel well. Plus, they were in a four way tie for their league title...a league which they just announced they're ditching for the ACC. Again, this is not a match made for TV. Makes for a better basketball game.

The Rose Bowl has Stanford and Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a league champion at 7-5 because Ohio State is on probation and somehow the Badgers hung 70 points on Nebraska. Stanford deserves a better opponent in the Granddaddy of the bowls.

The biggest non-BCS bowl? Definitely the Cotton Bowl. They get two 10-2 teams in Oklahoma and Texas A&M. OU is the Co-Big 12 Champion. A&M beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. A&M has Johnny Football (possibly Johnny Heisman) in Manziel. The Sooners have the all time OU leader in wins and passing yards in Landry Jones. A&M is coached by former Stoops assistant Kevin Sumlin. You got two old Big 12 rivals playing in Dallas which is in close proximity to both schools. This game has to be one of the best match-ups of the bowl season.

Finally, SMU is going bowling in Hawai. Doesn't matter who you play in the Hawaii Bowl. You're in Hawaii. Go Ponies!