This Week's Picks- Week Nine

 

 

Jawja vs Reptiles:    Yes, it is that time of year again when Georgia and Florida gather to see who can drink the most booze in a day. Florida would love to beat Georgia because Georgia loves to beat Florida. I don't think Georgia will win all of their games this season. But this is a game they will win. UGA wins.

 

 

 

Bumbles vs. Heels Of Tar:  You remember at the beginning of the season when we all thought that Georgia Tech would almost be pretty good, sort of? Yeah, good times. Tech lost last week, at home, to a meh Boston College team. They play North Carolina this week, which lost their first game last week. Knowing Tech, they will either beat North Carolina like a rug or lose to them because they are Georgia Tech, and that's what they do. North Carolina wins

 
Quacks vs The Utes Yutes.  I keep forgetting that there was a time when Bo Nix wasn't playing college football.  Oh well, I tend to think Oregon is better than Utah.  Oregon wins.

Ahia State vs The Dairy State.   The battle of the beefy midwesterners.  Ohio State is, again, one of the better teams in college football despite having to live and play in Ohio. Wisconsin has a 5-2 record but only one conference loss.  Maybe Wisconsin challenge Ohio State  to a Chicken Dance-off.  They could win that. The football game?  Nah. Ohio State wins. 

 

Prime vs The Another One Of Those LA teams:  The great Neon Deion Prime Time experiment has a 4-3 record. While Coach Prime is a personality-plus kind of guy (just watch his Aflac commercials where he out-acts Nick Saban) we need to remember he's still kind of new to the head coaching game.  In any event, Colorado is better than last year and they should beat UCLA.  Colorado wins.

My Beloved Owls vs Lincoln University.  Lincoln University is a college in California that "has placed its focus on practical down-to-earth education with strong international character." Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall are alumni.  Owls win.

 

Nashville

 

 

We took a little trip last week.

Our niece got married in Nashville, Tennessee, of all places.

Long story short, she went to Nashville to dance ballet and eventually got a degree from Belmont University and a job with the Nashville Predators hockey team. She met a fine young man from the Cincinnati area. They decided to get married in Nashville.

This meant we had to travel to Nashville from Marietta, which used to be a three-hour drive.

However, you must go through Chattanooga on Interstate 24, which has been in a perpetual state of highway construction since the Nixon administration.

When you leave the Metro Chattanooga area, you go up a hill for about 400 miles.  There was a wreck on I-24 this trip, which turned our three-hour drive into a six-hour drive. 

Add to this, I drank an extra large cup of coffee from Dunkin Donuts before we left, which meant I had to go to the bathroom every thirty minutes.

On top of that, Nashville has apparently ordered some Metro Atlanta drivers because cars swerve in and out of lanes without using a device known as a turn signal, which I understand is standard equipment on all cars. Why would I want to know that you are changing lanes?

Driving on the Nashville surface streets was no picnic either. Like Atlanta, there are some Nashville drivers that see STOP signs as a suggestions.

Before you go, be aware streets in and around downtown Nashville have some of the longest names ever in the history of streets. ( I took History of Streets when I was in college. I made a B.) You would see a street name like "Dr. Rev. Horace B Hawgwollop, Jr. Blvd."  Back home in Atlanta,  it would be known as "Hawgwollop Blvd" or "Peachtree Street".

We had some time before the wedding, so we went to The Johnny Cash Museum, across the street from The Florida-Georgia Line Bar, next to the Kid Rock Bar. Both bars were open at 11:00 in the morning, blasting out that good old fashioned genre of country music known as "Hard Rock".

As far as the museum goes, if you like Johnny Cash, you will love the museum.  You see his guitars, awards, an honorary doctorate from Gardner-Webb College, and album covers, including "Hey Look At Them Beans." (This was during the time of his career when he recorded anything that was put in front of him. But on the plus side, the song "Hey Look At Them Beans" was written by Joe Tex. You can't get that information in any other blog)

I never had the pleasure of meeting Johnny Cash, but I know a guy who did-at J.C. Penny's in Cumberland Mall. Back in the old days, Malls were a happening place in Cobb County and Cumberland was our only one. J.C.Penny had a home and garden department and this guy worked there. John R. (His real name) came in and bought a plant. Honest. And no, he didn't say, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash and I want to buy this plant". I wish he had.

The wedding was held at a church that meets in a concert venue.  It was a great wedding: short and sweet.  The food was good.  The groom didn't want a groom's cake, so he had ice cream. I like that kid.

We came home the next day. The trip from Nashville took less time than the trip to Nashville. However, we had to make a stop.

At Buc-ee's.

I've written about Buc-ee's before, but it is a fantastic store.  First of all, the bathrooms are clean.

We had to stop at this gas station for relief during our many stops going to Nashville.  There was a sign in the bathroom room that read, "Let us know if this bathroom does not meet your expectations."  The problem was the bathroom was about what I expected.

A word of advice: never go to Buc-ee's on a Sunday afternoon. The place was an absolute zoo. A zoo that sells BBQ, but a zoo still the same.

Buc-ee's sells Coke Icees.  Not a Slurpee. An Icee. (What's the difference? Shut up.)

I'm almost Medicare age, but I love a Coke Icee. The problem is a Coke Icee machine in most stores is like a McDonald's ice cream machine: it rarely works. 

Buc-ee's had two working Coke Icee machines.

Armed with my Icee, I bought our supper: two BBQ brisket sandwiches.  The sandwiches were marvelous, and I don't use that word lightly.

We got home and I prayed a prayer of thanks to The Lord for giving us traveling mercies and for providing the bathrooms at Buc-ee's

This Week's Picks Week Eight

 

 

Jawja Is Off :   Georgia is off, but they did suffer a loss when Brock Bowers was injured last week against Vandy, of all people. Bowers had surgery Monday and will be out for the rest of the season or maybe until next week.  Next week is when Georgia plays Florida, which is always is always a big deal around these parts.

Bumbles vs. The College Of Boston:  I can't figure out this Bee team. They get stomped by Bowling Green, but they beat Miami (which was mainly the fault of Miami, but a win is a win). Tech has a 71 per-cent chance to beat a so-so Boston College team. That sounds good. Tech Wins.

 

Lions Of Nittany vs Ahia State.  Two teams that hate each other. Ohio State seems to translate that hate into wins.  Ohio State Wins.

 

Only Tenn I See vs Bamy.  Last year, Tennessee beat Alabama in Knoxville and it was the biggest thing to happen in Knoxville since the 1982 World's Fair.  (Fun fact: Mrs. Picks clogged at The 1982 Knoxville World's Fair.)  This year, Tennessee plays Alabama at Tuscaloosa and there will be fans there that hate Tennessee because they are a bunch of low down snitches. After last week's close call to the Bacon Bits of Arkansas, I'm pretty sure Saban will pull out the stops against Tennessee. Bama wins

 

 

 

Ole Mess vs War Tigers. Ole Miss is playing their old coach who is the new coach at Auburn. Ole Miss is better. Ole Miss wins

 

 

This Week's Picks Week Six

 

 

 

 

 Jawja vs. Kenyucky :  Georgia had another "struggle win" against Auburn. Hey, a win is a win. Georgia has another tough game against Kentucky. Kentucky beat Florida last week. Yes, I'm worried. Dawgs win. 

 

Bumbles vs. The U:  Tech was beat by Bowling Green last week. ESPN.com says, "While Bowling Green players celebrated a memorable win for their program, Georgia Tech coach Brent Key was left to seek answers for a loss — or explain why the game wasn't even close." Yup, it was that bad. Just when you thought The Wreck had turned a corner. Oh well, Tech has graduated more astronauts than Bowling Green. But the late great Tim Conway went to Bowling Green. This week doesn't look any better with Miami. Miami wins.

 

 Okie vs Texsass.  This game used to be a big deal. I think Texas is better. Longhorns win.

Swine vs Ole Mess.  Ole Miss beat LSU last week and now they play their other neighbor, Arkansas. The Future Bacons are a good team, but this isn't their week. Ole Miss wins.

 

 

 Not Ready For Prime Time.  Colorado didn't play that bad against USC.  I'm not a Deion does everything right guy, but he has a good team.   Colorado wins.

 

 

Beloved Owls vs Tenny State. Well, Kennesaw State lost, again, last week and dropped to a 1-3 record. They are playing Tennessee State.  They are coached by football great Eddie George. Oprah Winfrey is an alumnus, too. Their record is 2-2. Good luck, Owls.   Tennessee State wins

 

 

The Cardinal

 

 

 It was one year ago today, my buddy, Bill Wade, left us after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

"Battle" is a misnomer.  Nobody can really battle pancreatic cancer and win.

Bill learned he had cancer in late June. The doctor gave him three to six months.  Maybe a year, if he did chemotherapy and if the chemotherapy worked.

He did a month's worth of chemotherapy. It didn't work.  He told me it took him to "a dark place" and Bill went into hospice care. 

He died three months after his diagnosis.

My wife and I visited him three weeks before his death.

Of course, he was frail. The man who once rode his bicycle across Missouri couldn't walk across the room without losing his breath.

He was in pain. It was hard for him to stay seated.

But in typical Bill Wade fashion, he took chicken feed and made chicken salad.

He said he had enough time to get affairs in order and to plan his Celebration of Life service. His Celebration of Life service featured five of the ministers he mentored or worked with, the chief of police of Bowling Green, Kentucky (Bill was a Chaplain for the police force), and his goofy little friend from Georgia.

He also said he had time to say goodbye. A lot of people don't get that chance.

He told Lori and I that he loved us. We knew.

There's an old wives tale about cardinals. If you think about a departed loved one, you will soon see a cardinal. 

In something called "Wiki-How", it explains about cardinals

 

"With their brilliant red wings and hopeful song, cardinals are believed to be spiritual messengers between the physical world and the great beyond. They might be a sign from your loved one to remind you that they’re near, they love you, and they will always be by your side.

• A cardinal can also be your loved one’s way of comforting you through your grief and reminding you that you are not alone.
• Your loved one might send you a cardinal to give you hope and encouragement to keep moving forward.
• A cardinal doesn’t have to land on you to deliver its message from your loved ones. Simply seeing one in your yard is a reminder that they’re with you."

I can't tell you how many times I've gone out to get the mail or work in the yard, and I'll think of one of Bill's jokes or his parody songs (I remembered one today: he made up a song to Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again" called "On The Commode Again") and a cardinal will fly by.

But I don't need a cardinal to remind me of Bill.  I think about him when I see a train (he was a train fanatic) or a bag of M&Ms, or hear the Jimmy Buffett song "Life Is Just A Tire Swing". I am thankful he was a big part of my life and, now, a big part of my memory.

 

This Week's Picks Five

 

Jawja vs. The WarTigers.   This game used to be at the end of the SEC schedule, but now, it is in the old Tennessee slot. Auburn is having a better season, so far, than last year. The key words are "so far". They lost to Texas A&M last week. But, hey, they beat UMass. War Dang TigerEagle. UGA wins.

 

Bumbles vs. The Other Falcons: The Bees beat the Baptists last week, and all the world rejoiced! This week brings the Bowling Green school in Ohio (not Kentucky) to the Flats. Looky here: second week in a row Tech wins.

 

 llesyou vs Ole Mess.   The one time I pick Ole Miss to beat Alabama, they lost big time.  No more. LSU is a much better team that Ole Miss. LSU wins.

 

Trojan Men! vs. Not Ready For Prime Time.  Like I said before, I've always respected Deion Sanders's athletic ability because it is four hundred times more than mine. Additionally, his skill for self-promotion is unequaled, particularly among late middle-aged football coaches.  Still, it was kind of nice seeing Coach Sanders humbled by a team called "The Ducks".  Colorado is going to have another rough day. USC wins

 

Beloved Owls vs Charleston Southern.  Another Saturday, another loss for the Owls in the last year in FCS.  This week the Owls take on Charleston Southern which promises students "will learn to think broadly and deeply about ideas." Like the idea of them losing to Western Carolina University 77-21.  For you political junkies, Sen Tim Scott is an alumnus.  Owls win.

 

This Week's Picks-Week Four

 

There's a radio show on "The Georgia Bulldog Network" called "The Bulldog Brunch".   It broadcasts on the Sunday after the game and features  Jeff Dantzler and Kevin Butler. Butler was a kicker for Georgia in the early 80's and played for The Chicago Bears.

Mainly, the show is about the game the day before and what Jeff and Kevin are eating. They take phone calls in which Bulldog fans make statements (or "takes"  as they are called now) and then the Bulldog fans hang up so they can listen to Jeff and Kevin's comments.

Last week, one guy called. He was that guy. He's the Fan above all Fans and he eats, drinks, and sleeps Bulldogs. He's going to give his opinion to you if you want it our not.

I wish I could find a transcript of it because: A) The man never took a breath B) Didn't seem the least bit concerned if Jeff and Kevin was even listening.

I heard something about Coach Dooley, Coach Smart, and three-peat World Champions. Jeff had to tell him, "We gotta go" because the show was up against a hard break.  

The guy finished with a "go Dawgs", which I think is how he finishes his prayers.

 

This Week's Picks!

 

Jawja vs. The Drags:  Georgia started slow, as is their custom this year, before going ahead and beating South Carolina. The Dawgs are playing the University of Alabama at Birmingham (School Motto: "Just say you went to Alabama") Dragons, so yeah, the Dawgs should get another win. They will. Dawgs win.

 

Bumbles vs. Demonic Church Leaders.   The Bees were not that bad against Ole Miss, but they still lost. Wake Forest is 3-0, but they barley beat Old Dominion last week. Fun Fact: It is Family Weekend at Wake Forest ("Hey Mom and Dad-See What $75K Buys You!"). Oh what the heck:  Tech Wins.

 

Prime vs. The Quacks  People really take this Coach Neon Deion Prime Time All I Do Is Shine stuff seriously. I saw another funny college football guy calling the love Sanders is getting as "transactional": meaning they only like Deion because he wins. DUH. I thought it was understood from the get-go with college coaches. Nick Saban doesn't get statues built for him because of his sparkling personality. Anyway, I like what Sanders has done in Boulder, I just want to see him beat a ranked team before I jump on the Deion train.  Ducks win

 

 

The State of Florida vs. The Sons of Clem. FSU in this one. I just think they are better.  FSU wins

 

 

Ahia State vs Our Lady. Ohio State is always one of those teams that are ranked, just like Notre Dame, except Ohio State deserves it most of the time. This is only the third time in history that Ohio State has played Notre Dame under the eyes of Touchdown Jesus. Forgive me father, but I don't buy Notre Dame this year.  Ohio State wins.

 

 

 

 

 

Bamy vs Ole Mess.  The computers say Alabama has a 65 percent chance to win this game even though they can barely block or cover anybody. Generally, over the past 15 or so years I have deferred to Alabama because they have been such monsters. They aren't anymore. I'm not so sure about Ole Miss, either, but if there is one year they should win, this is it.   Ole Miss wins.

 

Beloved Owls vs. Tenn Tech:   Well, Kennesaw State is 1-2, losing a heart breaker to Furman. This week, they play Tennessee Tech. Another fun fact: a famous Tennessee Tech alumnus is Dottie West. Owls wins.