Early June is usually a slow time for news, but this season seems to have a lot of "interesting" things going on...good and bad.
BLACKHAWKS WIN!! In a city starved for championships, save for a flurry of Bulls' titles in
the 90s, this winning of The Cup was as enjoyable as it was rare. I wasn't alive the last time the Hawks triumphed (in a 6-team league back then), and the Bears and the Sox have only nailed down a single title apiece in the last half century. And that other Chicago baseball team? I can't even imagine this city if that spectacularly unlikely event should ever occur.It was great to see the people of Chicago bond for the playoff run, and then celebrate wildly for days. Who knew they even played hockey in June ?!
Uncontrolled Gusher: I am amazed there haven't been more similar problems with underwater drilling, given the complexity of operating miles beneath the surface. I guess everyone else just follows safety procedures better, which is much appreciated. This makes the Valdez spill look like a literal drop in the bucket.
I hate to harp on the media's bias to sensationalize (not really), but have you noticed that everything oil related is always reported in barrels...except this oil spill. At 42 gallons per barrel, it sounds better to say "2 million gallons of oil have leaked" rather than "more than 47 thousand barrels...."
One Game Changes Everything. I do enjoy the quadrennial display of the "beautiful game," but it is certainly no Olympic Games. As usual, the buzz in the US is somewhat muted, while the rest of the world lives and dies on every play. The US seems to be a little over-rated again this year and low scoring games are the general rule in the first round. I vow to use the word nil to describe anything nothing or zero in daily life until this tournament is over.
I am picking Portugal to defeat Spain in the Championship game. (My sentimental pick would be a US-Italy PK shootout, but I don't think I will ever see that day.)
College Conference Realignment: Seldom has there been so much bustle and angst about college sports in June. Conferences do change their affiliations occasionally, but the Big Ten has only made two additions in 98 years. Until this month. Nebraska's jump from the Big 12 to the Big Ten appears to be a better fit for them academically, and they won't have to live under the perceived control of U of Texas in all things athletically related.
There continue to be hourly rumors about other schools moving besides the already announced shifts by Nebraska, Colorado, and Boise St., but I won't be shocked if the waters calm for a few years. I do expect the Pac-10 will add at least one more to get to the 12 needed to split divisions and have championship games. This could be U of Utah (UU?) if a bigger shift fails to materialize. Assuming the Big Ten changes are done for now, I forsee a West Division of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, and Wisconsin. The East Division would be Indiana, Michigan, Mich St., The Ohio State, Penn State, and Purdue. Everyone thinks of Nebraska football, but the school is actually more powerful in gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling (and possibly others I'm forgetting). I think it is a good fit.
I find it amusing that these academic/athletic conferences are a little mathematically challenged at the moment:
- The Big Ten has 12 schools (no more inaccurate than the 11 it has carried for two decades).
- The Big 12 sits with 10 schools (I just don't see a name trade happening here ;).
- And the Pac-10 consists of 11 institutions of higher learning (but this # will change).
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1 comment:
Dave...love the addition of Nebraska to the Big 10. Agree with your proposed division alignment, you have strong football programs in each division: the East would have Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State and the West would have Northwestern, Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Go Wildcats and remember that "NU" is for Northwestern, not Nebraska.
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