Super Bowl Sunday 2017

BOOM!

I don't really pay much attention
to college basketball during football season because the exciting NCAA Tournament in March is really the only part of the season that matters, but there are moments here and there during the regular season that warrant a shout-out, too.

One of them took place yesterday, as the Iowa State Cyclones defeated the hated Kansas Jayhawks 92-89 in overtime, snapping the nation's longest home-court winning streak at 51 games.


The Cyclones aren't going to win the Big XII Championship, and they'll be a long-shot
to win the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid, but they certainly made a big stride toward being selected as an at-large entry to the field.

Aside from ISU, I'm mostly interested in the Catholic institutions, and so far they're having a good season. Gonzaga is currently 24-0 and holds the No. 1 ranking, while defending national champion Villanova is No. 4. The other Catholic schools ranked
in the Top 25 right now are St. Mary's, Notre Dame, and Creighton.

"How is MY favorite team doing?"

Struggling, at the moment...they've lost three straight and have fallen out of first place
in their conference...

Football Finale

Football season officially ends today with the NFL Championship Game, also known as the Super Bowl, being played at NRG Stadium in Houston.

I'm not emotionally invested in the game this year, but it is worth noting that my beloved Kansas City Chiefs beat one of today's participants, the Atlanta Falcons, on their home field this year. Last season the Chiefs beat eventual Super Bowl Champion Denver on their home field, and
in 2014 the Chiefs beat both of that season's Super Bowl participants (Seattle and New England) during the regular season.

It's that sort of thing that makes Kansas City's annual playoff flops so frustrating.

"Still a little bitter about this year's playoffs, are we?"

It is possible that I am, yes...so what?

It's Only Going To Get Worse, Kid

From the wry comic strip Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, which you should read every day, as I do.

Until Next Time...

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday I decided to devote this section of the blog to music from bands representing this year's two contending cities, Atlanta and Boston. As I was poking around in my music collection for ideas, I stumbled upon a couple of my favorite relatively obscure bands. Turns out each of them had their biggest hit single the same year, 1986. I found that coincidence irresistible.

The 1986 Super Bowl was interesting, too, as both teams were making their first appearance in the championship game (the last time that has occurred). The legendary 1985 Chicago Bears represented the NFC. They were 15-1 in the regular season, and had won their two playoff games 21-0 and 24-0. The New England Patriots, by contrast, began the playoffs as the AFC's No. 6 seed, but won three straight road games to get to New Orleans (that year's Super Bowl was played in the Louisiana Superdome).

Anyway...

The Del Fuegos in 1986

Representing Boston (and the AFC Champion New England Patriots) we have The Del Fuegos, a garage rock act based in Boston that labored in obscurity for around
a decade in the '80s.

Only three of the band's five studio albums ever made the Billboard 200, with 1985's Boston, Mass. doing the best, peaking at No. 134.


Today's first send-off is "I Still Want You," the band's lone Billboard Hot 100 hit
(it peaked at No. 87 in 1986), from their YouTube channel. Enjoy...

The Georgia Satellites in 1986

Representing Atlanta (and the
NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons)
we have The Georgia Satellites, an Atlanta-based southern rock band that has been kicking around off and on since 1982.

Georgia Satellites, their 1986 debut album, peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, which was also their commercial peak. Their recording career was basically over a couple
of years later.

Today's second send-off is "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," the group's only Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit (it peaked at No. 2 in 1986), from their YouTube channel. Enjoy...