November 05, 2025
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NOTE: Today is “sports-only”. My incredibly insightful comments on yesterday’s elections et al can be found on my Facebook page – BobLee Says (space between BobLee and Says) … for anyone curious.
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Yes, College Football is indeed INSANE … and will continue to be so for the forseeable future and beyond as coaches, players, admins, media and fans struggle to accept that “Old Man USTA Is Dead”.
The way it used to be is GONE … Never to return despite desperation pleas that it do so … and interminable mutterings that “it’s all about the money … yadda yadda blah blah.”
There will be tweaks to “the portal” and some vain attempts to limit NIL amounts but 3 – 5 – 10 years from now “what you grew up with” will be unrecognizable … like hearing your parents and grandparents discuss “black & white TV with rabbit ears” … “playing football with leather helmets and no facemasks” … “playing cowboys & indians and drinking water out of a garden hose” … “Philip Rivers and Tyler Hansbrough staying four years and graduating ….” etc.
Amid the doom and gloom, I find one factor still available …
The Games are still Fun … Exciting to watch … IF … you can (1) block out the total demise of the “student-athlete” concept … (2) accept that “your team’s” roster flips every year … you ARE simply “Cheering for Laundry” … (3) Ticket prices, if you insist on “going to the game”, WILL increase every year as “your school’s” Athletics Dept struggles to meet ever-increasing player payrolls.
My solution for dealing with the tsunamic changes in college football is impractical for many of you. I simply have no “my team”. I will forever have “graduated from UNCCH” multi-decades ago but I no longer have any emotional ties to either the school nor its sports teams. I do follow the local teams for the “drama” that their Ws and Ls generate among those of you (most of you) which likely will continue despite “Old Man Usta having died”.
I watch 5-6 games every Saturday just for the dramatic plays … with zero concern “who wins”.
Those insufferable TV TimeOuts – every five minutes – do tend to get a tad annoying! Thats what those billion $$$ broadcast rights deals get you. AND those 11:00 AM kick-offs. Don’t forget those.
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I spent this past weekend with a TERRIFIC bunch of guys … in the Redfish Capital of The World – The Mississippi Delta south of New Orleans. The fishing was awesome … over two days I caught a dozen “bull reds” (over 25 lbs) – 30+ trout – dozens of sheepshead … but the real fun was the stimulating conversations back at the “camp”.
Five of the guys were “Carolina Junction Boys” from the late 60s – the Hickey / Dooley Era. The others were a collection of retired surgeons … retired attorneys … a retired United senior captain … etc … all IQs were well in triple digits and all senses of humor well-developed.
Yes, before you ask, by sheer coincidence, we were ALL certified members of “the MAGA cult” … with the secret handshake and, of course, our tattoos of DJT, Putin and Satan plotting the demise of humanity. That allowed for a full spectrum of unlimited conversational topics.
OK BobLee … how does all that relate to college football being INSANE? Several of our bunch were from Alabama and maintain DEEP emotional ties to their SEC teams. One “War Eagle” in particular.
Auburn Football is currently in extended “sleeping giant mode” to be kind. That “they” only scored 3 POINTS in a 10-3 home loss to “not very good” Kentucky did not go down well with our “War Eagle” friend. A full cup of whiskey plus a tall Budweiser did not mitigate his dispair. Pointing out that the Dodgers scored more runs in Game 7 than Auburn scored points did not help any.
He fell asleep screaming for the firing of Auburn’s HFC …. his screams were heard … and we woke him up Sunday AM with the “good news” his plea was answered.
Our retired UAL senior pilot noted that United, as well as other major airlines, have increasing numbers of DEI hires in “the left seat”. He limits his personal flying as a result and advised the rest of us to do likewise. If his “instruments” go down, a DEI pilot – and his/her 100s of passengers – could likely “go down” too.
An in-depth discussion of Hootcie Coochie Shows was a CLASSIC … but one had to be there to fully appreciate.
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My 4-5 hours waiting for connections in airports allowed for “people watching”. Noting that 98% of people still wearing “Fauci masks” are of the “black community”. No clue why that is the case … simply reporting what I observed.
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The proliferation of Juggernaut programs FIRING their HFCs mid-season portends the hectic and insane future of Big Time College Football. My analysis of Why is a combination of factors …
(1) The “board monkey factions” within every program are as knee-jerk predictable as ever. They are not anteing up the mega-bucks to “rent a roster” but act like they are. Demanding “Fire The Stoopid Coach” in ALLCAPS on their fan boards is all they know to somehow protect their self-worth which is directly tied to their team’s Ws and Ls. ADs and Trustees still pay attention to these whackjobs.
(2) The deep-pocketed Fat Cat Boosters ARE anteing up the mega-$$$ to “rent a roster” and expect an immediate return on their “investment”. Simple math guarantees that 50% of muli-million dollar “rent a rosters” will end up under .500 and not even qualify for a Weedeater Mayonnaise Bowl !!! Their vocal complaints ARE significant since their mega-$$$ will be required EVERY year to rent a new roster. If enough of them say “ENOUGH” … ADs will be blamed and fired … and rapid descent into competitive irrelevance is the result.
Rough going for UpState SC teams and their HFCs. I’ve always been a Dabo fan but the number of “Bring Back Danny Ford” signs are proliferating VERY fast. No clue how that will end. …. Over in Columbia, looks like Beamer’s Boy Shane has worn out his welcome … sigh.
Once Lane Kiffin decides what he will do – I bet he stays at Ol’ Miss – the dominos will begin falling at the 2nd and 3rd level of Power4 HFCs. … and then “rinse and repeat” next year and the next year and … ad infinitum.
If “your school” finds “a good one” you better guarantee him a “generational wealth” contract or your Hated Rival will grab him.
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Congrats to Coach Belichick (and JordOn) for their first ACC win and first Power4 win. Hated Rival opponents loom on the horizon … assuming someone will so advise Bill of their significance.
“Dour Dave” grabbed his signature W of the season, thereby giving “Boo” justification for maintaining status quo for now. The Dump Dave faction had to have mixed feelings leaving Carter-Finley Saturday night.
Is Manny doing well enough in West Derm to attract attention from the 10-12+ schools looking for a messiah? Probably …
If a HFC is doing well at a Not-a-Juggernaut program making $4-5,000,000 and winning 7-8-9 games and his family likes the situation … why risk it all for a few more $$$$ and the unrealistic expectations that come with a higher-profile situation?
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Random Thoughts …
- Kudos to two former ECU Pirate baseballers – Trey Yesavage and Jeff Hoffman … members of Toronto Blue Jay pitching rotation.
- Two guys I “like a lot” for simply being “really good guys” are Tim Tebow and Garner’s Scottie MCreery who has become a for-real Country Music Star.
- Speaking of “good guys” … Drake Maye is rapidly becoming a top-flite NFL QB … I admit I am pleasantly surprised. And Duke’s David Jones has emerged from the horrors of the Meadowlands to stardom with the Indy Colts. Who saw that coming?
- My 5th year of Not watching the NBA has begun. Both me and the NBA seem to be OK with that.
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That’s All Folks … ’til next time.
