My long day is finally winding down. I’m done with Buffalo Wild Wings, and I’m back in my room at the Fairfield Inn near the Kansas City Airport. 

I’m watching Hallmark Channel yet again. Fitting I am, because Hallmark’s headquarters are in Kansas City. I’ve got most of my work for tomorrow already done, so I can get a good night’s sleep and not have to rush it. I want to get to Buffalo Wild Wings by 1:30 tomorrow. It’s half-price wing day, and Robb and Dawn said they would try to make it. 

The Redskins are stinking it up right now. They trail the Panthers 20-9 just over a minute into the third quarter. Carolina cannot make the playoffs, but if Washington loses, its hopes will be hanging by a thread. Then again, all of the left-wing politicians and their sympathizers want nothing more than for the Redskins to be out of the playoffs, simply because they hate the name Redskins. 

The NFL is sick these days. Really sick. I’ve now heard about people throwing tampons at Sarah Thomas, the NFL’s only female official. Disgusting. And the message boards have bashed Thomas with all sorts of sexist comments. No need to repeat them. You can figure out what they are. 

Today’s Miami Beach Bowl was a shining example of why there are way, way, WAY too many bowls. 

Tulsa 55, Central Michigan 10. 

First, Central Michigan didn’t belong in a bowl in the first place, because it was 6-6 to start with–no 6-6 team should be in a bowl anyway–and one of those six wins was illegitimate, since the Chippewas received an extra play it should not have against Oklahoma State, scoring the winning touchdown on that play. 

Second, the American Athletic Conference is nauseating. I’ve had it up to here with commissioner Mike Aresco claiming the AAC belongs with the Power Five conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC). No, Aresco, the AAC doesn’t. Let’s not forget on Saturday, Houston led San Diego State 10-0 and lost 34-10, and Central Florida lost AT HOME to a mediocre Arkansas State team. 

Third, does Central Michigan really belong playing at the top level of college football? NO. I’m sorry, but the NCAA needs to weed out the Central Michigans of the world and leave the big time to the programs which can actually afford it without $3 million in red ink every year. There are only two programs in Michigan which can ever dream of competing at the highest level. Sorry, Western Michigan, it isn’t you, despite your 13-0 record so far. Last I checked, one of those programs was in Ann Arbor, the other in East Lansing. 

As for Tulsa, let’s be real. The Golden Hurricane will NEVER, EVER be on the same plane as the Sooners and Cowboys. Tulsa is a private school with very selective admission, and that hamstrings them. Oklahoma doesn’t have a large population to begin with, and you know the top prospects are going to be heading to Norman or Stillwater unless (a) their ties to Tulsa are so strong they don’t want to leave or (b) they leave the state for Texas schools. 

Tulsa could probably be an elite team year in and year out at the lower level. The Golden Hurricane will have a fine season every now and then at the top level, but never consistently. 

Tomorrow is another bowl game I could care less about. Memphis vs. Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl. It’s in the same stadium where Lane Kiffin will lead the Florida Atlantic Owls beginning in September. Yawn. I am rooting big time for the Hilltoppers because (a) the prep editor at The Advocate, Robin Fambrough, is a WKU alum and (b) I cannot stand Memphis or anyone else in the AAC, Tulane and Navy excepted. 

My Christmas cards to Peggy, Clark and Caitlyn arrived in Norton today. The others are making their way to other parts of the country. I’m most worried about a few going to Louisiana and another to Connecticut.