The Drive:
        TCU to the Big East…er…uh…um…I mean..the Big 12!  The landscape is changing faster than you can shuffle a deck of cards. Promises don’t count in this high stakes NCAA poker game, which could leave some schools out of the big game—for good.  The SEC swiped Texas A & M because the Aggies were tired of being pushed around the state by the Longhorns—and the political power they wielded—including the “Longhorn Network.”  Good for them. They’ll cash in with the big boys in the South.  That brings TCU back to the ole’ Southwest Conference stomping grounds….and adds some new destinations. Probably where this school belongs..but it took quite a while to get back there. What of the Big East? With Sryacuse and Pitt gone, they are already courting Central Florida, and I’m guessing East Carolina will get a look as well.

  The Fairway:
      The NFL season is a bit of a mystery at this point, with some teams expecting to be better..that aren’t—Eagles? Steelers?....Cowboys?....I could go on..but I’ll check it up there. And some..that appear to be better than expected—Bills….Redskins….Lions….49ers…... I actually enjoy the parity to a point, but then I begin to wonder if the league isn’t turned upside down because of the late arrivals of the players to camp..etc. That said it should all settle out in a few more weeks, but injuries are playing what I think is even a larger role than usual. I have no raw numbers to back that up, but it sure feels like it. Anway…what other explanation is there for the Redskins to be 1 point underdogs to a 1-4 Eagles team? And trust me gang..Vegas isn’t wrong very often.

  The Green:
          The issue of character vs reputation has been brought up lately, and I think the refined mind—the educated one—knows the difference. Character is something you build throughout a lifetime, and it is based on actions over time. It can’t be taken away or tarnished by the irresponsible ramblings of the angry, jealous or desperate. It is WHO you are, based on how you have treated people, what you have sacrificed, what you have accomplished, and what you have displayed from childhood on up. Reputation is what others think of you—and usually refers to what people who really don’t know you think about you. Usually this opinion is formulated with an agenda attached. Those type of opinions have never mattered to me, and never will. I stand on my record, and so should you.

  The Jar:
          Vito Corleone: [in Italian] Do me this favor. I won’t forget it. Ask your friends in the neighborhood about me. They’ll tell you I know how to return a favor.