HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY RUTH!!!!!!!!!

Happy 6th Birthday to my Princess Mary Ruth! It seems like it was just yesterday that she was born. Now she’s a big sister with a little sister and a little brother. She has her own music tastes and is her own person. Sometimes I think I’m harder on her than I should be… but I’m not as hard on her as The Wife is. True story: The Wife has been on Mary Ruth for over a month now because Mary Ruth couldn’t find her Leapster. I mean, she’d go on and on about how can we get stuff for Mary Ruth if she couldn’t take care of it and on and on and on. Well, last Friday night The Wife found the Leapster… up in the area where she puts all of Mary Ruth’s toys when MR is being punished. That’s right… The Wife was the reason the toy was lost. This, friends, is how my life is now. I can’t wait for MR to turn 13. Anyway, Happy Birthday Mary Ruth!!!! I love you very much.

So, now that Christmas has passed I can tell you the story about The Wife’s battle to get our family pictures printed at Wal-Mart. About a month ago The Wife had a friend take family pictures for us. This is something that the friend does to make a little money on the side (though, to my knowledge, she doesn’t charge people). At least, she didn’t charge us (but we gave her some money anyway). If you got a Christmas card from us… that was one of the pictures she took. So The Wife uploaded the pictures to Wal-Mart and checked the little box that said we weren’t going to get into any copyright problems. She then goes last Tuesday to pick up the pictures… only to have the old guy working behind the counter tell her that he couldn’t sell them to her because they looked too good. They looked like professional pictures so unless she had a copyright release form, she couldn’t have the pictures. The Wife took this news well, and by “took this news well” I mean she went all white-trash (her words, not mine) on them and started showing out (again, her words). She started demanding to see the manager and started yelling at the employees. Yep, that’s my girl. Haha… To be fair, she asked them if she could just sign something saying we own the copyright to the pictures and they said no… she either had to bring a signed statement from the company we got the pictures from or (and this really happened) she could get the photographer to come in and tell them it was ok to sell the pics. I think that might have been what set The Wife off (because it was so stupid). Anyway, before storming out of Wal-Mart (which isn’t easy since the photo area is at the back of the store) The Wife told them to throw away the pictures because she would never spend any more money at Wal-Mart. Like you, my first question to The Wife was “Did you watch them destroy the pictures?” That’s what I would have done. So then I couldn’t stop wondering if our pictures were still there. After all of this, she comes on Tuesday night and has to order our pictures from Costco. Wednesday, she sends me to Wal-Mart to see if our pictures are still there or if they were destroyed like she told them to do. I go in there and after waiting at the photo center counter for about 10 minutes, I go find someone to help me (some guy working in the electronics area). I tell him that my wife sent me to pick up pictures. He asks me what kind of pictures. I say I’m not sure… my wife just told me to pick up our pictures from Wal-Mart and I’m not even sure I’m at the right Wal-Mart. I gave him my last name and then watched as he started looking around. I see that he’s found some pictures, but he doesn’t look like he wants to tell me he’s found them. Sure enough, he comes over and says he’s got them but it looks like someone has written on the envelope that there is a copyright question. I don’t say anything, I just look at him. He goes on to say that whenever pictures look professional, they have to have the customer fill out the little form (that he then gives to me). He points out that there are two options… If you check the box for the first option, you are saying that you own the copyright for the pictures (then you have to fill out your name and address (I think… or maybe you just need to print your name and then sign the form). Anyway, the other option is to say that you don’t own the copyright. If you do this, then you have to bring in a signed form from the photographer/company saying you have permission to buy the pictures there. So I checked the box that said I owned the pictures and printed and signed my name “Jackson Horres” and went to the front to pay for the pictures. Ok, I signed my real name… but honestly, I could have put any name down. The guy I was dealing with didn’t care. I’m sure the jerk The Wife had to deal with would have wanted to see two forms of picture ID, but my guy didn’t care. So I got the pictures and The Wife got mad at me for not yelling at anyone. Again… this is my life.

Oh, I also went by Costco on Thursday to pick up our pictures there. They didn’t have me sign anything… they just gave me the pictures (after I paid, of course). So if you would like to purchase a picture of the Horres family, just let me know.

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Captain Dayton P. Clarke (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 12, 1864 at Spotsylvania, Virginia. His citation reads:

Distinguished conduct in a desperate hand-to-hand fight while commanding the regiment.

Second Lieutenant Powhatan Clarke (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 3, 1886 at Pinito Mountains, Sonora, Mexico. His citation reads:

Rushed forward to the rescue of a soldier who was severely wounded and lay, disabled, exposed to the enemy's fire, and carried him to a place of safety.

Watertender Edward Alvin Clary (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on February 14, 1910 on board the USS Hopkins. His citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Hopkins for extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession on the occasion of the accident to one of the boilers of that vessel, 14 February 1910.

Merry Christmas!!!!

I know today is Christmas Eve, but since I’m not sure I’ll have a chance to post anything tomorrow I’d like to take a minute to wish all of you out there a very Merry Christmas from all of us here at I’m just sayin….

Before we get to my favorite part of my Christmas Eve post, I’d like to take a minute to tell everyone how thankful I am. I know we think of Thanksgiving as being the “thankful” holiday, but I think it works at Christmas too. So let’s get to it…

I think when we look at the world we tend to think that everyone else has had the same experiences as us. At least until we meet people and find out their life is different. Times like this can help show us how lucky we are. I, perhaps, am the luckiest of all. Why? Because I’ve got a great family that I love. It’s something that I’ve always taken for granted, but the older I get the more I realize everyone doesn’t love their family. I realize how lucky I am that I love and enjoy being with my wife, daughters, son, Godson, parents, siblings, nieces and nephew, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, out-laws and so on and so forth. I was also lucky enough to know and love my grandparents, great-aunts and great-uncles and a good many “distant” cousins. I’ve come to find that a lot of people struggle to find one person in their family that they like… my cup runneth over. I have parents who raised me in a loving Christian home. They taught me right and wrong and then let me make my own mistakes. I’m close enough with them that I talk to them almost every day. I’ve got an older brother who I can talk to just about whenever I want… sometimes just a quick 5 minute call… sometimes an hour long call (that Sonny can talk your ears off once he gets going). Better yet, there are times he’ll call me… for no reason except to talk about one thing or another. I’ve got a sister who at least feels bad for seldom answering my calls and hardly ever calling me back, and never just calling me out of the blue… but when we do talk she tells me I’m funny and that she loves my blog (even though she knows The Wife hates it when people say things like that to me). There was a time when my favorite part of Christmas was opening gifts (mainly my gifts). Now, the thing I look forward to the most is seeing my family. And we haven’t even gotten to my friends. I’ve got the greatest in the world. They laugh with me (or at me… the point is the laugh), they pray for me, they share their joys with me, they play along with me when I act like a big shot… sure, they like me a little more after our trip to the lake house, but that’s understandable.

So thank you to all of my friends and family. I love you, one and all.

I will now leave you with something I love...



I know that some of you are not able to view the videos I post on here, so I’ll type what was in that video. It had a letter to the editor of the New York Sun from a little 8 year old girl named Virginia that was written in the late 1890s. One of the paper’s editors, Francis P. Church, answered with what would become one of (if not THE) most famous editorials. First, here is the letter to the editor:

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O'HANLON
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET

Here’s the response from Mr. Church:

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

The I’m just sayin... Football Predictions Results

NFL
Pittsburgh vs. St. Louis – 1:00pm (FOX) – The Steelers are looking to bounce back from a loss this past Monday at San Francisco. The good news is this is a day game so I don’t think we’ll have to worry about the sun going out like the lights in San Francisco kept doing. My boss will be at this game and I told him in no uncertain terms not to bother coming back to work if St. Louis wins. Ok, I haven’t been working for him long enough to actually say that out loud… but that’s what I was thinking when I told him to have fun. Now that I think about it, I did say “Have fun at the game… and by ‘have fun’ I mean ‘I hope the Steelers win’”. He understood. With Big Ben hurt, I’m not sure if he’ll play. Still, I’m picking Pittsburgh to win this game.

Miami at New England – 1:00pm (CBS) – I’m picking New England to win this game.

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

First Lieutenant/Regimental Quartermaster John W. Clark (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on July 28, 1863 near Warrenton, Virginia. His citation reads:

Defended the division train against a vastly superior force of the enemy; he was severely wounded, but remained in the saddle for 20 hours afterward until he had brought his train through in safety.

Private Wilfred Clark (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on August 9, 1877 at Big Hole, Montana and on August 20, 1877 at Camas Meadows, Idaho. His citation reads:

Conspicuous gallantry, especial skill as sharpshooter.

Corporal William A. Clark (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on February 15, 1863 at Nolensville, Tennessee. His citation reads:

Was one of a detachment of 16 men who heroically defended a wagon train against the attack of 125 cavalry, repulsed the attack and saved the train.

Congrats to OutBehindTheWoodshed

As you know, our motto at I'm just sayin... is to always be the first to report something (unless our friends at Our Life report it first... then we will gladly give them credit. Actually, that isn’t entirely true… our motto is really Oderint, dum metuant [Translation: Let them hate, so long as they fear]). Anyway, if you've been over to Our Life the past couple of days you know that my very good friend Adrian and her still dead to me husband Michael are expecting... twins. I, of course, have known this ever since Michael sent me a mass email saying (without saying) he was having twins. Here's the thing, I was in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot waiting for Jeremy when I got the email. I couldn't view the attachments on my phone, so I didn't want to assume anything. At no point in the email did I see the words "babies" or "twins" or "Adrian is pregnant". For all I knew, one of the dogs was about to have puppies. I know what you're thinking, "Greg, why would they have ultrasound pictures of puppies? And why would there only be two puppies?" Well, first, they really love dogs. Second, I'm not a damn vet, how should I know how many puppies are usually born together? So anyway, I called Michael to get some answers (and by "called Michael", I mean I sent him an email telling him to call me). Less than 5 minutes later (yes, I timed it), I was on the phone with him trying to get answers without asking the questions. He, of course, knew what I wanted to know but was determined not to tell me. Really, it was like he had some sort of military POW type training. At one point, I fully expected him to just give me his rank and serial number. Anyway, we at I'm just sayin... are very happy for our friends. A two babies for one hospital visit is really the way to go. The good news here is that Michael isn't the kind of person to get stressed over anything, so he should have nothing to worry about. Haha... see, that's what we in the industry (and by the industry I mean the business) call sarcasm. In all honesty, the good news is he's already lost all of his hair so the stress of having a pregnant (with twins!) wife can't really do anymore damage. I can't wait until this time next year when we get to talk about them having another set of twins... How great will THAT be!?!

Now, an offer for Michael and Adrian: To help you guys get ready, I'm willing to send you Mary Ruth, Susie and Daniel (to go along with the kids from Our Life). The way I see it, if you keep all 5 kids at your house every weekend (or at least everyother weekend) from now until your two are born... then when you come home with "just" two (who can't crawl) it will seem like a piece of cake. Trust me, you'll thank us later (and we'll thank you now). It's really a win-win if you think about it.

By the way... when the time comes for you to get a babysitter, Mary Ruth will be here for you (just make sure you pay her well... baby girl needs to start saving up for college). ;)

Now for the I’m just sayin… Top Christmas Movies of All-Time as voted on by the I’m just sayin… staff.

20. Home Alone

19. The Muppet Christmas Carol

18. White Christmas (1954)

17. Four Christmases

16. Die Hard 2

15. Holiday Inn (1942)

14. The Santa Claus

13. Mickey’s Christmas Carol

12. Jack Frost (1998)

11. Elf

10. A Christmas Story

9. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

8. Fred Claus

7. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

6. Trading Places

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas

4. Frosty the Snowman

3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

2. Die Hard

1. Christmas Vacation


The I’m just sayin… College Football Playoffs (Playoffs!?) Second Round Predictions:

1 LSU (SEC Champion) vs. 8 Wisconsin (Big 10 winner) – I think LSU will win this game.

2 Oklahoma St. (Big 12 Champion) vs. 10 Clemson (ACC winner) – It won’t be easy, but I think the Tigers can pull off another upset.

3 Alabama (At Large) vs. 6 Arkansas (At Large) – I’m picking Arkansas to win this game.

4 Stanford (At Large) vs. 12 Michigan State (Sun Belt Champion)– I’m picking Stanford to win this game.


***Note: It seems there was a typo in my previous bracket posts showing Stanford as a 5 seed. They should have been listed as a 4 seed with Oregon as the 5 seed.***


Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Technical Sergeant Francis J. Clark (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 12, 1944 near Kalborn, Luxembourg and September 17, 1944 near Sevenig, Germany. His citation reads:

He fought gallantly in Luxembourg and Germany. On 12 September 1944, Company K began fording the Our River near Kalborn, Luxembourg, to take high ground on the opposite bank. Covered by early morning fog, the 3d Platoon, in which T/Sgt. Clark was squad leader, successfully negotiated the crossing; but when the 2d Platoon reached the shore, withering automatic and small-arms fire ripped into it, eliminating the platoon leader and platoon sergeant and pinning down the troops in the open. From his comparatively safe position, T/Sgt. Clark crawled alone across a field through a hail of bullets to the stricken troops. He led the platoon to safety and then unhesitatingly returned into the fire-swept area to rescue a wounded soldier, carrying him to the American line while hostile gunners tried to cut him down. Later, he led his squad and men of the 2d Platoon in dangerous sorties against strong enemy positions to weaken them by lightning-like jabs. He assaulted an enemy machinegun with hand grenades, killing 2 Germans. He roamed the front and flanks, dashing toward hostile weapons, killing and wounding an undetermined number of the enemy, scattering German patrols and, eventually, forcing the withdrawal of a full company of Germans heavily armed with automatic weapons. On 17 September, near Sevenig, Germany, he advanced alone against an enemy machinegun, killed the gunner and forced the assistant to flee. The Germans counterattacked, and heavy casualties were suffered by Company K. Seeing that 2 platoons lacked leadership, T/Sgt. Clark took over their command and moved among the men to give encouragement. Although wounded on the morning of 18 September, he refused to be evacuated and took up a position in a pillbox when night came. Emerging at daybreak, he killed a German soldier setting up a machinegun not more than 5 yards away. When he located another enemy gun, he moved up unobserved and killed 2 Germans with rifle fire. Later that day he voluntarily braved small-arms fire to take food and water to members of an isolated platoon. T/Sgt. Clark's actions in assuming command when leadership was desperately needed, in launching attacks and beating off counterattacks, in aiding his stranded comrades, and in fearlessly facing powerful enemy fire, were strikingly heroic examples and put fighting heart into the hard-pressed men of Company K.

Corporal Harrison Clark (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His citation reads:

Seized the colors and advanced with them after the color bearer had been shot.

Private James G. Clark (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on June 18, 1864 at Petersburg, Virginia. His citation reads:

Distinguished bravery in action; was severely wounded.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!

Today we would like to wish my Dad a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! The old man turned 69 today… he’s one of the few people I know who’s older than my friend KC. Haha. Anyway, I won’t do a 69 things about Dad… I’ll save that for next year. I will say that he’s a great Dad and that I love him very much. Dad has three children (that we know about)… one daughter and two sons. One son once majored in Computer Science at a highly respected University and is currently on Facebook, LinkedIn, has a widely successful blog, two twitter accounts and helps run a well respected message board. The other son is the one who gets called whenever Dad has any technology questions.

Anyway, Happy Birthday Dad! I love you!

Now for the I’m just sayin… Top Christmas Songs of All-Time as voted on by the I’m just sayin… staff.

25. My Only Wish (This Year) - Britney Spears

24. White Christmas - Bing Crosby

23. Oh Come, All Ye Faithful - Any Church Congregation

22. O, Holy Night - Any Church Congregation

21. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

20. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole

19. Winter Wonderland - Darius Rucker

18. Silent Night - Any Church Congregation

17. Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys

16. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra

15. The Little Drummer Boy - Peggy Lee

14. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

13. Christmas Baby, Please Come Home - Jon Bon Jovi

12. Santa Baby - Kylie Minogue

11. Christmas In Dixie - Alabama

10. I’ll Be Home For Christmas - Bing Crosby

9. Baby, It’s Cold Outside - Dean Martin

8. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer - Elmo and Patsy

7. Run Run Rudolph - Chuck Berry

6. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Bruce Springsteen

5. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) - The Chipmunks

4. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano

3. All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

2. Go Tell It On The Mountain - Any Church Congregation

1. Joy To The World - Any Church Congregation

As always, feel free to post a comment letting me know how much you agree with me. Oh… Any Church Congregation is just that... any church congregation. It’s not the name of some new group.

The I’m just sayin… College Football Playoffs (Playoffs!?) First Round Prediction Results:

1 LSU (SEC Champion) vs. 16 Northern Illinois (MAC Champion) – I picked LSU to win this game and I was RIGHT! LSU won, 34-0.

2 Oklahoma St. (Big 12 Champion) vs. 15 Southern Mississippi (C-USA Champion) – I picked OSU to win this game and I was RIGHT! Oklahoma St. won, 26-7.

3 Alabama (At Large) vs. 14 TCU (MWC Champion) - I picked TCU to win this game and I was WRONG! Alabama won, 35-10.

5 Stanford (At Large) vs. 13 West Virginia (Big East Champion) – I picked Stanford to win this game and I was RIGHT! Stanford won, 16-13 on a last second FG.

4 Oregon (Pac 12 Champion) vs. 12 Michigan State (Sun Belt Champion) – I picked Oregon to win this game and I was WRONG! Michigan State pulled off the upset, winning 28-24.

6 Arkansas (At Large) vs. 11 Kansas State (WAC Champion) – I picked Arkansas to win this game and I was RIGHT! Arkansas won, 35-17.

7 Boise State (At Large) vs. 10 Clemson (ACC winner) – I picked Clemson to win this game and I was RIGHT! The Tigers won, 33-13.

8 Wisconsin (Big 10 winner) vs. 9 South Carolina (At Large) – I picked the Revolutionary War Heroes pull off the win and I was WRONG! USC made a great comeback in the 4th Quarter, but came up just short losing 20-22.

First… I’m not counting these games in my final record… but I will keep count of them for the playoffs (playoffs!?).

Second… It looks like I somehow forgot to pick the NFL games for this past weekend. Guess I was too focused on picking the bowl games.

C… I’m not going to post the results of my bowl picks until the end of the “bowl season”. That is, if we remember that long from now that we even picked those games.

Fifthly… These games are played by the CPU on my PS3. I have no control over the outcome.

I’m just sayin… College Football Playoffs (Playoffs!?) Prediction Record

5 - 3


Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Chief Boatswain’s Mate Joseph Clancy (US Navy) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on June 13 and 20-22, 1900 in China. His citation reads:

In action with the relief expedition of the Allied forces in China, 13, 20, 21 and 22 June 1900. During this period and in the presence of the enemy, Clancy distinguished himself by his conduct.

First Sergeant Albert A. Clapp (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on April 6, 1865 at Sailors Creek, Virginia. His citation reads:

Capture of battle flag of the 8th Florida Infantry (C.S.A.).

Lieutenant/Adjutant Charles A. Clark (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 4, 1863 at Brooks Ford, Virginia. His citation reads:

Having voluntarily taken command of his regiment in the absence of its commander, at great personal risk and with remarkable presence of mind and fertility of resource led the command down an exceedingly precipitous embankment to the Rappahannock River and by his gallantry, coolness, and good judgment in the face of the enemy saved the command from capture or destruction.

Predictions...

The I’m just sayin... Football Predictions Results

College
Navy vs. Army – I picked Navy to win this game and I was RIGHT! Navy won, 27-21. GO NAVY! BEAT ARMY!

NFL
Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland – I picked the Steelers to win this game and I was RIGHT! The Steelers won, 14-3.

Miami vs. Philadelphia – I picked Miami to win this game and I was WRONG! Miami lost, 10-26.

I’m just sayin… Football Prediction Record

High School: 35-12

College: 53-16

NFL: 15-10

Overall: 101-37


The I’m just sayin… College Football Tournament First Round Predictions:

1 LSU (SEC Champion) vs. 16 Northern Illinois (MAC Champion) – LSU was the clear cut #1 seed heading into the tournament and while I have a soft spot in my heart for the underdog, LSU is just too good. I’m picking LSU to win this game.

2 Oklahoma St. (Big 12 Champion) vs. 15 Southern Mississippi (C-USA Champion) – OSU will just be too much for Southern Miss. I’m picking OSU to win this game.

3 Alabama (At Large) vs. 14 TCU (MWC Champion) - Here’s our first upset pick of the tournament. Honestly, I think TCU might have been a little underrated. I’m picking TCU to win this game.

5 Stanford (At Large) vs. 13 West Virginia (Big East Champion) – I think Stanford wins this close game over West Virginia.

4 Oregon (Pac 12 Champion) vs. 12 Michigan State (Sun Belt Champion) – I’m picking Oregon to win this game.

6 Arkansas (At Large) vs. 11 Kansas State (WAC Champion) – I’m picking Arkansas to win this game.

7 Boise State (At Large) vs. 10 Clemson (ACC winner) – Another upset pick… If the Clemson team that played in the ACC Championship Game shows up, then the Tigers win this game. I think that’ll happen, so I’m picking Clemson to win this game.

8 Wisconsin (Big 10 winner) vs. 9 South Carolina (At Large) – I think this will be another close game, but I think the Revolutionary War Heroes pull off the win.

Remember, all games will be played at the higher seed’s field. So the Revolutionary War Heroes will be making the trip to Wisconsin while the Tigers will head to the blue field of Boise State.

The I’m just sayin… Bowl Predictions

*Note: Bowl name is listed under the teams playing…

Saturday, December 17  Pick
Temple vs. Wyoming   Wyoming
GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL

Ohio vs. Utah State     Utah State
FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL

San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette    San Diego St.
R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL

Tuesday, December 20
Florida International vs. Marshall   Marshall
BEEF 'O' BRADY'S BOWL ST. PETERSBURG

Wednesday, December 21
No. 18 TCU vs. Louisiana Tech    TCU
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL

Thursday, December 22
Arizona State vs. No. 7 Boise State   Boise State
MAACO BOWL LAS VEGAS

Saturday, December 24
Nevada vs. No. 21 Southern Miss    Nevada
SHERATON HAWAII BOWL

Monday, December 26
Missouri vs. North Carolina        UNC
AdvoCare V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL

Tuesday, December 27
Western Michigan vs. Purdue    Purdue
LITTLE CAESARS BOWL

Louisville vs. North Carolina State    Louisville
BELK BOWL

Wednesday, December 28
Toledo vs. Air Force     Air Force
MILITARY BOWL - PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN

California vs. No. 24 Texas        Texas
BRIDGEPOINT EDUCATION HOLIDAY BOWL

Thursday, December 29
Florida State vs. Notre Dame   FSU
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL

Washington vs. No. 12 Baylor     Baylor
VALERO ALAMO BOWL

Friday, December 30
Brigham Young vs. Tulsa      BYU
BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL

Rutgers vs. Iowa State      Iowa State
NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL

Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest     Wake Forest
FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL

Iowa vs. No. 14 Oklahoma      Oklahoma
INSIGHT BOWL

Saturday, December 31
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern    Texas A&M
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS

Georgia Tech vs. Utah    Utah
HYUNDAI SUN BOWL

Illinois vs. UCLA       UCLA
KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL

Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt    Cincinnati
AutoZone LIBERTY BOWL

Virginia vs. No. 25 Auburn   Virginia
Chick-fil-A BOWL

Monday, January 2
No. 19 Houston vs. No. 22 Penn State    Houston
TICKETCITY BOWL

No. 20 Nebraska vs. No. 9 South Carolina     USC
CAPITAL ONE BOWL

No. 17 Michigan State vs. No. 16 Georgia     UGA
OUTBACK BOWL

Ohio State vs. Florida     Ohio State
TAXSLAYER.com GATOR BOWL

No. 10 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Oregon     Oregon
ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO

No. 4 Stanford vs. No. 3 Oklahoma State    Stanford
TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL

Tuesday, January 3
No. 13 Michigan vs. No. 11 Virginia Tech      Virginia Tech
ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL

Wednesday, January 4
No. 23 West Virginia vs. No. 15 Clemson    Clemson
DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL

Friday, January 6
No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 6 Arkansas     Arkansas
AT&T COTTON BOWL

Saturday, January 7
Southern Methodist vs. Pittsburgh     Pittsburgh
BBVA COMPASS BOWL

Sunday, January 8
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois     N. Illinois
GODADDY.com BOWL

Monday, January 9
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 1 LSU       LSU
ALLSTATE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

That's all for today. 

Happy 40th Birthday Brent!!!!!

As you know, I started my new job today (it was great, thanks) so I've got a lot on my mind right now.  Therefore, I'm not going to give you one of my usual posts today.  Still, I wanted to stop by the I'm just sayin... offices to wish my brother-in-law Brent a very Happy 40th Birthday!  That's right friends... Now Brent can walk around yelling that great Mike Gundy quote, "I'm a man!  I'm 40!"

So Happy Birthday, Brent!  No-Name Teri could have done a lot worse... trust me, I remember the guys she dated before you.   :)

Pearl Harbor and Why I like the BCS…

I’ll be honest, this was just going to be about the BCS but then I remembered what today is and figured I couldn’t let it go by without saying something about Pearl Harbor. I think there is an important lesson to be learned from Pearl Harbor and that’s to always be ready. There are some in this country who hate war and who think we should cut the military way back. Well, I don’t like war either… but we need a strong military because of events like Pearl Harbor (and later 9/11). You can only not want to fight for so long before someone comes and punches you in the face. At that point, it’s time to fight. The mistake Japan made is not that they threw the first punch… the mistake is that they didn’t finish the job. They thought, America does not want war… so America won’t fight. Nope. America didn’t want war… but America also wasn’t going to take that without a fight. So hats off to all of the men and women who were there and to all the men and women who joined the fight after Pearl Harbor.

How would the BCS system had worked with WWII? Would Germany be rewarded for their early success or would some late season losses keep them out of the championship? Would Brittan get credit for playing a tough schedule or would they get penalized for playing mainly at home? How about the US with an early loss at home but then winning big on the road later in the season? Would Japan get credit for their early road win or would the voters just assume their opponent wasn’t ready? Would France get a pass based on name and conference affiliation? All valid questions, I think.

Anyway… Do you know why I like the BCS? Because I know that no matter how bad I screw something up, I’ll never screw it up as bad as the BCS has the post season for college football.

My initial thought when I started writing this is that I would go point by point through the arguments for the BCS and tell you why they were wrong or stupid. I decided I will not do that because reading that crap made my blood pressure shoot through the roof. Honestly, I’m all for a good debate and I pride myself on being able to see (and sometimes argue) both sides of an issue. But never before in my life have I seen such s*** said when arguing for something. As the saying goes, you can’t spell BCS without BS. You can read them for yourself (here and here).

I will highlight this one: “Also, the average size of players in Divisions I-AA, II and III are far less than those in Division I-A. Their recovery time is far quicker than the size and strength of players in the largest class”.

The only thought that came to my mind was the scene from Billy Madison when the Principal says, “Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul”.

Anyway, I guess it’s a good thing the NFL has such small players… I mean, how else could they play all of those games?

Honestly, some of these reasons for having the BCS are actually dumb enough to anger me. I’m sure there are some intelligent people out there who favor the BCS. You might be one of those people. If so, please tell me the reasons you like it. And spare me the “It’s better than what we had” because, A: That doesn’t mean it’s better than a Playoff System and B: I’m at the point now where I’m not 100% sure it is better than what we had. At least the old system didn’t try to shovel BS down your throat with this “Every Game Matters” lie. I’ll also point out that the old system at least had tradition on its side. And while I understand the BCS is just a select few bowls… it is hurt by the fact that the current bowl system “rewards” 6-6 teams for their great season.

Also, please do not tell me that a playoff system would be bad because then just one team would be the winner (while multiple teams can be winners in the bowl system). Let me tell you a little something about life… everyone isn’t a winner. You have winners and you have losers. How this is ok for kids in the Little League World Series, but not ok for guys in college (who want to think of themselves as grown men) is beyond me. If everyone is a winner then why do they keep score? I played football for two years of my life… 1988 and 1989. I do not remember exactly how many games we won, but I do remember the exact number of games we lost: Zero, Nada, Zip, Zilch, None, 0. We had playoffs, and we won. Every team wasn’t a winner those two years. Do you know why? Because they had to play us. Just so you don’t think I have this belief in winning because I’ve never lost… I played Church basketball from 7th grade – 11th grade and we seldom won a game. I think there were a couple of years in there when we didn’t win any games. We never made the playoffs in any of those years, but life went on for us. So to the people who want everyone to be a winner, I say suck it up. Everyone isn’t a winner in life. To quote the classic scene from Glengarry Glen Ross: “As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired”.

Just so you don’t think I’m all about complaining and not about giving a good alternative… Here’s how I would have it:

I would have a 16 team playoff that would include all 11 conference champions plus 5 at-large teams. I include all conference champions because, while I don’t believe everyone is a winner, I do believe teams that have won their conference deserve the chance to play for a national championship. You might say, “But they aren’t good enough!” Yes, and they showed that by not getting the chance? To say they’re not good enough because they play in a weak conference is like saying USC in ’98-’99 (or Vandy/Kentucky in most years) was great because they were in the SEC. That’s stupid. Being in the ACC doesn’t mean Clemson has a great basketball program. I could go on with examples, but I think you get the point. So then the debate would be how to pick the 5 at-large teams. To be honest, I don’t care how this is done… as long as “how their fans travel” isn’t part of the equation. Anyway, here’s an example of how the first round of the I’m just sayin… College Football Tournament would look:

1 LSU (SEC Champion) vs. 16 Northern Illinois (MAC Champion)

2 Oklahoma St. (Big 12 Champion) vs. 15 Southern Mississippi (C-USA Champion)

3 Alabama (At Large) vs. 14 Arkansas State (Sun Belt Champion)

5 Stanford (At Large) vs. 13 Louisiana Tech (WAC Champion)

4 Oregon (Pac 12 Champion) vs. 12 West Virginia (Big East Champion)

6 Arkansas (At Large) vs. 11 TCU (MWC Champion)

7 Boise State (At Large) vs. 10 Clemson (ACC winner)

8 Wisconsin (Big 10 winner) vs. 9 South Carolina (At Large)

All games will be played at the higher seed’s field. So the Revolutionary War Heroes will be making the trip to Wisconsin while the Tigers will head to the blue field of Boise State. The first round starts next Saturday (December 17).

The I’m just sayin... Football Predictions Results

College
#21Clemson vs. #5Virginia Tech – I picked Clemson to win this game and I was RIGHT! The Tigers won, 38-10. You know what this means… Clemson reclaimed The Belt! You will remember, I’m sure, that back in January I congratulated Clemson on their decision to hire my friend and former teammate Tony Elliott as an assistant coach. I told Tiger fans that things were about to get better. Well, as my friend Michael would say, “BOOM”! And as I would say… I WAS RIGHT! I WAS RIGHT! I WAS RIGHT! Listen, that Morris guy they brought onto the staff as the OC has done a good job as well. I don’t want you to think I’m taking anything away from him. But winners win and Tony Elliott is a winner. It’s hard to explain, but just being around winners can sometimes be enough to help you win. You want to see the defense improve next season? Make Tony a coach on that side of the ball (or better yet, hire Levon Kirkland… but that’s another post for another day). Anyway, Congrats to Clemson! Good luck in the Orange Bowl!

#1LSU vs. #12Georgia – The only thing I hate more than picking Georgia to win a game is picking them and then having them lose. I picked the Dawgs to win and I was WRONG! UGA lost, 10-42.

NFL
Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati – I picked Pittsburgh to win this game and I was RIGHT! The Steelers won, 35-7.

Miami vs. Oakland – I picked Miami to win this game and I was RIGHT! The Dolphins won, 34-14.

I’m just sayin… Football Prediction Record

High School: 35-12

College: 52-16

NFL: 14-9

Overall: 101-37

Since this will probably be my only post of the week, I’ll go ahead and post my predictions for this upcoming week.

The I’m just sayin... Football Predictions

College
Navy vs. Army – 2:30pm (CBS) – One of, if not THE, best games of the season each year. Navy is down this season, but not that far down… I am picking Navy to win this game. GO NAVY! BEAT ARMY!

NFL
Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland – 8:20pm (NFL Network) *Thursday – I’m picking the Steelers to win this game.

Miami vs. Philadelphia – 1:00pm (FOX) – I’m picking Miami to win this game.

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Captain Clinton A. Cilley (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 20, 1863 at Chickamauga, Georgia. His citation reads:

Seized the colors of a retreating regiment and led it into the thick of the attack.

Sergeant James T. Clancy (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on October 1, 1864 at Vaughn Road, Virginia. His citation reads:

Shot the Confederate Gen. Dunovant dead during a charge, thus confusing the enemy and greatly aiding in his repulse.

Musician John E. Clancy (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on December 29, 1890 at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. His citation reads:

Twice voluntarily rescued wounded comrades under fire of the enemy.

Now it’s a party…

So I’m sitting around last night looking at twitter and I start seeing stuff about Dabo’s interview. Twitter was a tweeting all over the place about Dabo responding to what Spurrier said about Clemson. Now there is talk that maybe Spurrier didn’t say what they said he said. To me, that would be too bad… because I thought it was funny. I think trash talk like this is good for a rivalry. I loved Dabo’s response. You can hear it for yourself below. When I first listened to it, I didn’t see what the big deal was with what Dabo said… then I got about halfway… maybe ¾ of the way through it and… as my friend Michael would say… BOOM! Next thing I know, the gloves are off and the trash talk is flying. I must say I’m impressed that Dabo didn’t end up saying “F--- you Steve!”



It reminds me a little of an article my cousin Louis wrote a long time ago in The Tiger. I won’t repost it on here… because I don’t have it. And out of respect for my friends who cheer for the Revolutionary War Heroes… something tells me you wouldn’t appreciate it the way my Clemson friends would. Anyway, after all of this talking I sure hope Clemson wins this Saturday or things could get ugly in this state.

One word to the USC fans out there (not my friends… I’m talking to the people I’ve been hearing on the radio). You can’t go all season talking about how Shaw is so much better than Garcia and then turn around and talk about how your team won with a “back-up” QB. I think we all know USC was a lot better off with Shaw at QB this season… and had the change come sooner, the Revolutionary War Heroes might be playing LSU this Saturday.

The I’m just sayin... Football Predictions

College
#21Clemson vs. #5Virginia Tech – ACC Championship Game - 8:00pm (ESPN) – Maybe it’s a “heart” pick… I don’t know. I was all set to pick Virginia Tech, but then I listened to what Dabo had to say. I know it had nothing to do with Virginia Tech, but still… I now find myself leaning towards Clemson. Call me crazy, but I’m picking the Tigers to win this game.

#1LSU vs. #12Georgia – SEC Championship Game – 4:00pm (CBS) – Hey, remember when the “experts” at ESPN said Boise State didn’t have any good wins because they beat a bad Georgia team? This is why I think that deep down, all experts are morons. I’m looking at you Craig James. Anywho, let me tell you why I hate the BCS. Because I now find myself in a situation where I’d kind of like them to put a one loss LSU in the championship game against a one loss Alabama team… because if that won’t show people how flawed this system is then I don’t know what will. For this to happen, Georgia will have to win this Saturday. Seeing as how this is practically a home game for them, I think they might be able to pull it off. But it’s hard for me to want Georgia to win. It just doesn’t feel natural. But, I can’t let that get in my way. I’m a professional and I have a job to do… LSU is a very good team, but I think UGA will pull off the upset. I’m picking Georgia to win this game.

NFL
Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati – 1:00pm (CBS) - The Steelers won in Cincinnati and I think they’ll win again in Pittsburgh.

Miami vs. Oakland – 1:00pm (CBS) – I’m picking Miami to win this game.

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Assistant Surgeon James Robb Church (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on June 24, 1898 at Las Guasimas, Cuba. His citation reads:

In addition to performing gallantly the duties pertaining to his position, voluntarily and unaided carried several seriously wounded men from the firing line to a secure position in the rear, m each instance being subjected to a very heavy fire and great exposure and danger.

Corporal Samuel J. Churchill (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on December 15, 1864 at Nashville, Tennessee. His citation reads:

When the fire of the enemy's batteries compelled the men of his detachment for a short time to seek shelter, he stood manfully at his post and for some minutes worked his gun alone.

Private First Class Joseph J. Cicchetti (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on February 9, 1945 in South Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands. His citation reads:

He was with troops assaulting the first important line of enemy defenses. The Japanese had converted the partially destroyed Manila Gas Works and adjacent buildings into a formidable system of mutually supporting strongpoints from which they were concentrating machinegun, mortar, and heavy artillery fire on the American forces. Casualties rapidly mounted, and the medical aid men, finding it increasingly difficult to evacuate the wounded, called for volunteer litter bearers. Pfc. Cicchetti immediately responded, organized a litter team and skillfully led it for more than 4 hours in rescuing 14 wounded men, constantly passing back and forth over a 400-yard route which was the impact area for a tremendous volume of the most intense enemy fire. On 1 return trip the path was blocked by machinegun fire, but Pfc. Cicchetti deliberately exposed himself to draw the automatic fire which he neutralized with his own rifle while ordering the rest of the team to rush past to safety with the wounded. While gallantly continuing his work, he noticed a group of wounded and helpless soldiers some distance away and ran to their rescue although the enemy fire had increased to new fury. As he approached the casualties, he was struck in the head by a shell fragment, but with complete disregard for his gaping wound he continued to his comrades, lifted 1 and carried him on his shoulders 50 yards to safety. He then collapsed and died. By his skilled leadership, indomitable will, and dauntless courage, Pfc. Cicchetti saved the lives of many of his fellow soldiers at the cost of his own.

Here’s to you, Chester McGlockton…

I didn’t know Chester McGlockton. I did meet him one time when I was little and got his autograph… but now my youth, that autograph and big Chester are gone. I will be honest when I tell you that I have good thoughts of him. For all I know, he was a jerk. I’m old enough that I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he wasn’t a saint (he played for the Raiders for crying out loud!). But deep down I would like to believe he was a great guy. Why? Because he was a hero from my childhood. You will remember, of course, that McGlockton was a unanimous selection to the I’m just sayin… All-Time Clemson Football Team a year ago. From what I have been told by people who knew him (or at least saw him around campus), it seems he really was a good guy. I can tell you one thing without a doubt… he was a great football player. He played for Clemson back when the school had men on defense. He was huge, but quick… like he was a long lost Perry brother. He was a big part of some of the greatest defenses in Clemson history. This isn’t just memories from my youth… this is the truth. How great was the defense back then? Chester tied for the regular season ACC lead in sacks as a freshman… as a back-up! He was on the last Clemson team to win 10 games… and the last Clemson team to win the ACC. Just as good, he never lost to USC. He went on to play in the NFL and did a fine job there, but in my mind he’ll always be wearing orange… crushing Major Harris in the Gator Bowl and recovering a fumble in the end zone.

He passed away yesterday at 42. There was a day when 42 was old to me… but that day has long since passed. Now 42 is way too young to go. In honor of McGlockton, we will be viewing some of his greatest games at my house tonight.

RIP Big Fella


Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

Private Herbert F. Christian (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on June 2-3, 1944 near Valmontone, Italy. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. On 2-3 June 1944, at 1 a.m., Pvt. Christian elected to sacrifice his life in order that his comrades might extricate themselves from an ambush. Braving massed fire of about 60 riflemen, 3 machineguns, and 3 tanks from positions only 30 yards distant, he stood erect and signaled to the patrol to withdraw. The whole area was brightly illuminated by enemy flares. Although his right leg was severed above the knee by cannon fire, Pvt. Christian advanced on his left knee and the bloody stump of his right thigh, firing his submachinegun. Despite excruciating pain, Pvt. Christian continued on his self-assigned mission. He succeeded in distracting the enemy and enabled his 12 comrades to escape. He killed 3 enemy soldiers almost at once. Leaving a trail of blood behind him, he made his way forward 20 yards, halted at a point within 10 yards of the enemy, and despite intense fire killed a machine-pistol man. Reloading his weapon, he fired directly into the enemy position. The enemy appeared enraged at the success of his ruse, concentrated 20-mm. machinegun, machine-pistol and rifle fire on him, yet he refused to seek cover. Maintaining his erect position, Pvt. Christian fired his weapon to the very last. Just as he emptied his submachinegun, the enemy bullets found their mark and Pvt. Christian slumped forward dead. The courage and spirit of self-sacrifice displayed by this soldier were an inspiration to his comrades and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces.

First Lieutenant James I. Christiancy (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 28, 1864 at Hawes Shops, Virginia. His citation reads:

While acting as aide, voluntarily led a part of the line into the fight, and was twice wounded.

Private First Class Stanley R. Christianson (US Marine Corps) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 29, 1950 in Seoul, Korea. His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company E, in action against enemy aggressor forces at Hill 132, in the early morning hours. Manning 1 of the several listening posts covering approaches to the platoon area when the enemy commenced the attack, Pfc. Christianson quickly sent another marine to alert the rest of the platoon. Without orders, he remained in his position and, with full knowledge that he would have slight chance of escape, fired relentlessly at oncoming hostile troops attacking furiously with rifles, automatic weapons, and incendiary grenades. Accounting for 7 enemy dead in the immediate vicinity before his position was overrun and he himself fatally struck down, Pfc. Christianson, by his superb courage, valiant fighting spirit, and devotion to duty, was responsible for allowing the rest of the platoon time to man positions, build up a stronger defense on that flank, and repel the attack with 41 of the enemy destroyed, many more wounded, and 3 taken prisoner. His self-sacrificing actions in the face of overwhelming odds sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. Pfc. Christianson gallantly gave his life for his country.