File this away for next Thanksgiving...

Black Friday: Helpful or Hoax?

Computer and stat geeks are thriving in the NBA

I can't defend the pick and roll, but I can build you a computer.

Accessing the bowl picks so far...

The holiday tradition is shared by many. There are the multitude of Christmas cards, of course, that flood the mailbox every December. But there is also that special envelope. The one that contains the annual college football bowl game card. In 11 years, we have won twice (winning loot always goes deep into three figures), finished near the bottom a few times, and finished tantalizingly close many times.

This year? So far, not that great. A whopping 4-4-1.

Boise State -6 vs. East Carolina (ECU 41 BSU 38) Not sweating this one, as the entire free world picked BSU -- no doubt due to last year's ultra-lucky bowl win against Oklahoma.

Purdue -8 vs. Central Michigan (Purdue 51 CM 48) We took the mediocre team from the mediocre conference. Instead the solid team from the underrated MAC easily covered.

Texas -2 vs. Arizona State (Texas 52 ASU 34) We gleefully accepted this holiday gift. Dennis Erickson coaching in a big game? Ha-Ha...easy $$$ every time.

Boston College -3 vs. Michigan State (BC 24 MSU 21) The Eagles and Coach Jags had a 10 point lead with six minutes to go. What do they do? Pass the ball, of course. The Spartans get a quick pick and eventually score, moving this game from a sure W to the dreaded push. We know Mark Whipple. And he would run the ball...and, of course, cover the spread.

Houston +3 vs. TCU (TCU 20 Houston 13) Wow, two teams from Texas playing a bowl game in...wait for it...TEXAS. They should have named this one The Who Cares Bowl. It would be funny, if only the Cougars had covered for us.

Oregon State -5 vs. Maryland (OSU 21 MD 14) It is amazing that a school like Maryland is content to let coaches Fridge and Williams lead the football and basketball teams into mediocrity season after season.

UConn +3 vs. Wake Forest (Wake 24 UConn 10) UMassers watch with joy as UCan't loses a bowl game. And yet UCan't is everything the Minutemen strive to be.

Mississippi St. +4 vs. Central Florida (MSU 10 CF 3) We love Sylvester Croom. Great guy. Good coach. Nice story.

Penn State -5 vs. Texas A&M (PSU 24 A&M 17) The Aggie tough guys weren't making out with their dates much after the first quarter. Want him to retire or not, it's fun watching JoePa coach.

Five things to check out before the Pats go 16-oh...

BC players get bowl win and $750 in gift cards. (7-5-oh!)

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Kyle Korver is a nice player, but not for the $$$ Billy King gave him. Now, the 76ers have another #1 pick and more cap space to go summer shopping.

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Eight smart money moves for the New Year.

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Warren Buffett is really good with money. Want to be just like him?!?

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Joe Conklin is funny. Really funny. Click here to laugh.

Ice Ice Baby

Another classic. He's easy to laugh at now, but you bought his first CD, didn't you? Don't worry. Everyone else did, too.

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Three & out...

Got a problem? Here's the solution (maybe...)!

Karl Rove rapping and dancing.

And who didn't love this M.C. Hammer song?

Bowl Game Goodies

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We admit we are addicted to reading what the players get from the college football bowls they play in. As if being a big time player wasn't enough. As if getting to play in a bowl wasn't enough. On top of that, you get free gifts! How great is that? This year's best? A $400 gift card to Best Buy.
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Not all gifts are equal.

What each bowl is giving.

Wow -- a Nintendo Wii?!?

"It's a special part of being in a bowl."

You got a mountain bike?

Christmas Present #1

Another Year of Health & Happiness

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Present #2

A Blank Journal

Simple, yet so useful. Jot down to-do-lists, finances, quotations, recipes, books to read, your exercise schedule, shows to DVR. You name it, it can go in here. The best part is reading through the book at the end of the year -- it becomes a diary of your past 12 months. To order, click here.

Christmas Present #3

America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Great recipes made simple. Click here to buy.

Grilling in Last Week's Snow Storm!

Christmas Present #4

Fiesta Bowl Tickets to Watch Oklahoma Roll West Virginia

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For more info, click here.

Crockett needs a new car

Miami Vice = Good Tunes

Christmas Present #5

Miami Vice: The Complete Series

It started off as one of the best shows of all time. When Crockett thought he was Burnett and went to the dark side, it was stellar TV. After that, it went down hill (as all good shows inevitably do). Still, it's a great series to pop in the DVD player and kill 12 hours on a snowy weekend. To buy, click here.

Christmas Present #6

A King Kong Sized DVR

No pictures yet, but This Thing holds over 2,000 hours of HD programing. (A typical DVR holds about 20 hours.) The cost? Over 15k!!!

What does an NBA star have on his Christmas list?

Christmas Present #7

The BlackBerry Pearl

This is one of the few things on the list we don't already have. (Hopefully, that will change!) When in front of a computer, we check e-mail every five minutes. With this sucker, we can check every five minutes from the store, the field, the car, the bathroom. The possibilities are endless. Click here to buy.

Christmas Present #8

An American Christmas Carol

The Fonz is Bededict Slade in this remake of Charles Dickens' Christmas story. Every year, the week before Christmas we kick everyone out of the house for the day and sack out on the couch and watch it. One more classic to add to your list. To buy, click here.

Christmas Present #9

Listen to Tony Bruno

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The funniest man on sports talk radio can be found here weekdays from 10-1.

Christmas Present #10

A Very Brady Christmas

Yet another classic to add to your holiday collection. If the sight (and sound) of the Bradys singing Christmas carols to help Mr. Brady find the strength to get out of a collapsed building doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, nothing will. To order, click here.

Sunday Links

Been a while...

The D.A. on off-court issues now confronting NBA players.

Shocker -- the Eagles' 2007 draft helped others, but not themselves!

Split National Title despite BCS?

Peter Vecsey tells fans to boycot Knicks' games.

Mike Lupica on Andy Pettitte.

Hoops Weiss on UNC's Tyler Hansbrough.

Hoops Weiss on Bobby Petrino.

Christmas Present #11

Neil Diamond Christmas CDs

We love Christmas music. And we love The Diamond. Get these two great CDs for only $20.96. Order here.

Christmas Present #12

Craftsman Snow Blower

Seven years ago, my father and wife got a Craftsman for me for Christmas. To this day, it is the best present I have ever received. During yesterday's storm, I went out and got rid of six inches of snow in about 20 minutes. This morning, I got rid of another four inches in less than 15 minutes. I also did the driveways of two neighbors, as well as the sidewalk so the kids did not have to walk in the street. All of which earned me the honor of Mr. Mayor in the neighborhood. Get one of these bad boys and each time you use it, you will find yourself pulling a Mike Gundy and screaming, "I'm a man!"

Christmas Present #13

Subs from Sack O' Subs

Have the best subs on the Jersey Shore FedEx'd overnight to you from their Ocean City, NJ location. A great idea for New Year's Eve. To order, click here.

Christmas Present #14

The Gathering

Hard to find this Christmas movie on DVD. Easy to get on ancient VHS. Edward Asner is brilliant as Adam Thornton.

Christmas Present #15

Planet of the Apes: The Complete TV Series DVD

Burke. Verdon. Urko. Great stuff. Truly great. We are hoping Santa brings it and we can kill many hours in 2008 reliving the favorite series of our youth. A literal steal at $19! To buy, click here.

Christmas Present #16

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

About 20 years ago, my good friend Rich and I were home on Christmas break from college. He told one of his Christmas traditions was to read A Christmas Carol every December leading up to Christmas. I stole his idea and have been using it ever since. A true Christmas classic.

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To order, click here.

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Want to read it (or print it) on-line for free? Click here.

Christmas Present #17

Sony HD Camcorder

This is not your father's camcorder. This sucker will give you 1080i high def video. Don't ask -- just know that when shown on your HD television, the picture will crackle and pop off the screen.

The price? Over 3K! Order here.

Christmas Present #18

Can't Buy Me Love DVD

Before Patrick Dempsey became Dr. McWhat'sHisFace, he was Ronald McDonald Miller. This is the single greatest high school movie of all-time. To buy, click here.

Christmas Present #19

Merry Christmas, by Johnny Mathis

Simply put, it's the greatest Christmas CD of all-time.

To buy, click here.

Christmas Present #20

The Ultimate Carving Knife (for only $14.95)!

Last summer, we ordered a top notch knife sharpener to keep our Viking kitchen knives sharper than sharp. This 8-inch carving knife from Chicago Cutlery was thrown in as a freebie. Little did we know how great the knife would turn out to be. We actually prefer it to the (much) more expensive Viking carving knife we have. A great gift for the family chef.

Click here to order.

The D.A. weighs in on the task of rebuilding the 76ers

David Aldridge writes on the tough job facing new G.M. Ed Stefanski.

Christmas Present #21

A Gift Card to Best Buy

Memo to all women: We don't want clothes for Christmas!!! We want electronic toys! And since you have no clue what kind to get us, GIVE US A GIFT CARD TO BEST BUY!!! (It's the equivalent of us giving you one to Ann Taylor.)

Click here. (Puh-lease!!!)

Christmas Present #22

Instead of buying yet another gift for your kids (or yourself!), buy some toys for kids who can really use them. You will make their Christmas. (And in the process, make yourself feel good, too.)

For more information, click here.

Christmas Present #23

PlayStation 3

The price? It just dropped to $399. The reason you need it? Good gosh, man, have you seen the graphics? Hooked up to an HD television, the graphics are insane. If your wife complains, tell her she can sit and watch you play. Better yet, you can dominate her in Madden '08. It will be some quality time for the two of you. How can she argue with that?!? Failing that, she will up and leave the room. Either way, you win.

Christmas Present #24

Yes, it's a bit sappy. But Christmas makes us feel sappy, right? My nine year old and I are reading it this month. For kids who have more than they need, the stories attempt to teach about helping those who truly need it. A good lesson for kids (and adults, too).

It costs $14.95. To order, click here.

Does OU belong in BCS title game?

Yes.

Of course.

Definitely.

This person (a Communist, no doubt) actually says no.

My name is Curtis Lofton and I am the best LB in the country...

Christmas Present #25

The Coach Bill Hoodie

It's so unattractive, it's actually hip. It reeks of, "I am so much better than any of you, I can get away with wearing anything." Your husband or boyfriend will wear it with ego thumping pride.

It costs $74.95. To order, click here.

Happy Friday!

College Football Coaching Rumors

Les Miles to Michigan? (Duh!)

Steve Spurrier (back) to Duke? (Huh?!?)

Steve Spurrier to LSU? (Look out, SEC!)

Tommy Tuberville to LSU? Or is it Arkansas?

Mike Leach (above) to Arkansas?

UConn's Randy Edsall to Georgia Tech?

Terry Bowden to SMWho?

"The Black KKK"

Read Jason Whitlock's scathing commentary on the Sean Taylor situation!

Bam! Emeril gets canned!

Food Network cancels his show.

How stupid can you be?!?

Oh, my!

Oh, my, part II.

One of the greats in NFL history?!?!?!?!?

Yup. That's what Mr. Reid said about quarterback Donovan McNabb yesterday.

And no, it wasn't Britt Reid who made the comment. It was his dad, Andy Reid.

To read more of Andy's delusional commentary, click here.

Oh, by the way -- if your team is foolish enough to covet McNabb, the asking price is ***three first round draft picks***. When you are done laughing, click here to read about it.

Was UL coach Walter McCarty drinking alcohol with UL players?

Hello?!? How stupid are you, Walt?!?

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Louisville senior Juan Palacios

In A.J. We Trust...

After last night's 31-28 loss to the Patriots, Eagles' Fans are clamoring for backup quarterback A.J. Feeley to continue playing -- even if starter Donovan McNabb is healthy (ankle/thumb). An on-line poll at philly.com is asking fans which player should take the snaps next Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Over 80 percent are siding with Feeley!

The take here? I am of the opinion that last night's strong showing was an "Eff U" from the team to McNabb. I think players are tired of his fragile psyche. They loathe how his parents fight his battles in the press and on the web. He has not been good for over a year and is a constant lightning rod for controversy.

What if Andy Reid puts McNabb back in this week and he lays an egg? Then the coach is really in a bind and he, most likely, will have lost his team for the season. If he sticks with Feeley and the Eagles lose Sunday, he can sell people on McNabb's return.

Feeley played well enough last night to inspire his team's confidence. He deserves to start on Sunday.

Quick Hitters

Who should start on Sunday?

Let A.J. play.

No, let D-McNabb play.

Feeley accepts the blame for loss.

Please don't hurt me!

Prediction: Patriots 56 Eagles 7

Your haircut's bad and your team is worse...

Oklahoma 49

Oklahoma State 17

Lester's coaching cost LSU?!?

Les Miles loses to Arkansas.

Will he bail for Michigan?

Chris Folwer on Mizzu and Kansas.

Coach Fran = Total Failure.

Will LSU's loss open door for Little East's WVA?

Even the Pit Master needs a little help...

Mashed Potatoes -- made by Mrs. Pit Master.

Chocolate Chip Bars -- made by the Pit Master's 8-year old daughter.

Homemade mac & cheese -- made by the Pit Master's mom.

Rolls -- made by the Pit Master's mom.

Turkey -- carved by the Pit Master's dad.

The Finished Product...

Did the Pilgrims eat shrimp?

(And was the cocktail sauce served in ESPN Football bowls?!?)

Update: Sage butter, 500 degrees, waiting for 161!

One stick of butter, mixed with Sage, is applied under the skin of the turkey. Then the butter, along with some oil, is rubbed all over the outside of the bird.

The bird after 30 minutes in the oven at 500 degrees.

After 30 minutes, the turkey gets a foil jacket for the breast

and the oven gets reduced to 350 degrees.

After the 30 minute dose of high heat, the bird is at 87 degrees, moving its way toward the target temp of 161 (taking an estimated 2 1/2 hours).