Quick PPCS: December 30 & December 31

The Quick PPCS is 8-0 heads up, so I may stick with this format all the way through to the point where on January 8 I may just say "Chris Leak vs. Jim Tressel, what do you think?"

Hope you watched or were in a bar that was showing last night's Insight Bowl between Texas Tech vs. Minnesota, fun game to watch even if I had no idea Minnesota would even be close to winning this game. Dick Vermeil proved my point as to why college games have no business on NFL Network. When Tech tied the game, Vermeil said that it might be a good idea "to elect to kick if they win the coin toss, the way their defense had played swinging the momentum in their favor", while this is a ridiculous notion in any event, its made even more ridiculous by the fact that THERE ARE NO KICKOFFS IN COLLEGE OVERTIME. Stuff like that makes me incredulous. Okay I'm out tonight popping my UFC cherry with SCZA and there's only one Sunday bowl game so I will include that score at the end.

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Boston College 28, Navy 24. Navy is a fun team to watch if you like option football and BC is Head Coachless but their Defensive Coordinator who is staying on next year is leading them to Charlotte. BC is too talented and Navy's defense is too undersized to expect the Midshipmen to win. But Navy is a tough team to prepare for and could punch the Eagles in the mouth early. I like BC to win in the end but not to cover.

Alamo Bowl: Texas 44, Iowa 17. If Colt McCoy plays the whole game Iowa has just about no chance. The Alamodome should be all Burnt Orange for this game and Iowa is another team with only 5 wins against Division IA opponents, losing six of its last 8 and being able to protect quarterback Drew Tate. If backup QB Matt McCoy (no relation) has to play for Texas it could be intereting but not interesting enough.

Chick Fil-A Bowl: Virginia Tech 28, Georgia 7. This was the Peach Bowl, then the Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl, apparently Southerners were either getting lost trying to find a Chick Fil-A Peach or ordering Peaches at Chick Fil-A because they have dropped the word Peach from the bowl name even though it takes place in Atlanta, Georgia. Yes it takes place in Georgia but Virginia Tech is known to "travel well" to bowl games so the crowd could be as close to 50-50 and playing in Atlanta didn't help the Bulldogs much last year against West Virginia. While this is usually a good game, Georgia's anemic offense won't be able to keep up with the Hokies.

and for tomorrow...

MPC Computers Bowl: Miami 24, Nevada 0. I love this bowl as the "Anti-Bowl" or almost a punishment for mediocre ACC teams to have to take their team and fans to beautiful Boise, Idaho to play in below freezing weather on blue turf while the rest of the country goes to "ACC Country" to play bowl games. Miami has endured a lot of adversity this season, some of it self-induced some of it not. The firing of Larry Coker has topped off a season that has left the Hurricanes with nothing to lose. I expect them to play like so and shut down Nevada's rushing attack.

Best and Worst of 2006

My Life
Best: Bob and Judi's baby boy finally left the nest in 2006 getting a one bedroom apartment in Framingham, MA among many immigrants legal and not so legal. Also, being able to put 2006 TIME Person of the Year on my resume.
Worst: This Coco Crisp-esque slump I'm currently in which has caused the apartment to YET be christened.

Personal Sports Moment
Best: Syracuse's Big East Tournament run was magic just short of its 2003 National Championship run. Of course it was so unexpected because of an entire regular season of disappointment to that point, but the manner in which those games were won, me following the Syracuse-UConn game through e-mail, and yes, Gerry McNamara "meeting the moment" made for a very fun week of sports for me.
Worst: The AFC Championship Game easily beats out Syracuse's loss to Texas A&M half of which I couldn't see, the Red Sox getting swept in a five game series to the Yankees and SU's entire football season.

Television (Scripted)
Best: HBO's The Wire. The best written show on television by far, so good that when I attempted to write about it for this blog, I realized that I watched a show with no hot girls, no dramatic score, uplifting moments or any other hook that would attract my friends to watch and wondered why I did. Yet no week will ever go by without me watching a first run episode of this show.
Worst: Three-way tie between 24's "Season of Death", The Sopranos' "Season of Dreams" and Entourage's "Season of Nothing". As bad as these shows were in 2006 I am still giddy for the new seasons to start in 2007.

Television (Reality)
Best: Real World Road Rules Challenge (Fresh Meat and
The Duel). Hot cancer patients, 35 year old catty bitches, token Massholes, this show has everything including people getting "sports hernias" when not even playing real sports. Diem, Beth, CT, Danny, Wes, Brad, Evan, Casey, Robin, Derrick, Aneesa, Kina, Jodi how can I live without you?
Worst: Flavor of Love 2. Good Worst though. Even with a cast so dull they had to bring "New York" from Season 1 to shake things up, this is 60 minutes of non-stop laughter every week. "New York" made it all the way to the final 2 only to lose to someone nicknamed "Deelishus" with a gigantic ass. I can only hope "Deelishus" and Flav don't find true love and we get a Flavor of Love 3.

Politics
Best: What do you do when you're a longshot Republican challenging a longtime incumbent in democratic Southwest Wisconsin? Run the most outrageous political ad ever. This ad had some readers almost wanting to move to Wisconsin to vote for Ron Kind.
Worst: Tie between Mark Foley's IMs hitting on a congressional page who jerks off upside down or John Kerry saying that U.S. Troops in Iraq are stupid then trying to pass it off as a bad joke. Actually the way the election turned out maybe we have to give the Worst of 2006 label to Foley.

Scandalous Trend
Best: Pageant girls making out. Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss Nevada all were seen swatting tongues for attention in 2006. And every single consequence that has is a good one for us. The more publicity these pageant princesses get for making out in downtown nightclubs, the less slutty other girls are going to feel doing it at a bar or club near you.
Worst: "Ooopsie" shots. There were times when I wanted nothing more than to see Lindsey Lohan's nipple or Britney Spears' cooch but to see them because these girls have become coked up trainwrecks is disturbing enough to take the enjoyment away.

Year
Best: Josh Hughes had the Best Year in 2006 of anyone I know, being named Pizza Parlor Man of the Year would make it TOO GOOD of a year so I'm not naming him that. He welcomed a daughter, Isabelle in October, will win his FIRST Fantasy Sports league after this Sunday, padded his Sportsbook account by following my College Football coverage, and took me around Washington, DC for a week in July where he showed me the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Congratulations Josh!
Worst: The rest of you and mainly myself for slacking off on The Pizza Parlor in 2006, making keeping up with this blog my stated New Year's Resolution which will hope to make the NEW Pizza Parlor a much better reading experience in 2007!

Happy New Year!

Getting a Makeover!

The NEW Pizza Parlor Opens January 2007!

"Angry Reader" Resurfaces!

While the trail on Brian Beers has gone cold and he is no longer believed to be the "Angry Reader", the real "Angry Reader" has reached beyond this blog onto Scott's SCZA Nation.

He has left commentson SCZA's Erin Andrews post. Praising her and Scott and attack myself.

One would think this would rule out Scott as the "Angry Reader" but I don't put it past SCZA to post on his own blog to divert suspicion.

"Angry Reader" may be even angrier to learn that issues with Blogger COULD delay the opening of the NEW Pizza Parlor, tentatively scheduled for January 1, 2007.

Less College Football...

The New Pizza Parlor Opens January 2007!

Quick PPCS: December 29

The Quick PPCS was 3-0 both heads up and against the spread last night, so I'm going ahead with the format I should've always done...

Music City Bowl: Kentucky 31, Clemson 28- Every bowl year a better team loses to a lesser team because they're sent to a bowl that's far less prestigious than their season long goal and is blindsided by an upstart program that travels well and turns the game into a home game for them. This feels like that game. Plus Clemson is without their best Cornerback Duane Clemons.

Sun Bowl: Oregon State 41, Missouri 21- Just a horrible matchup for Missouri, a running attack to take advantage of their porous run defense. Plus Oregon State is hot, Missouri has lost 3 out of 4. Pretty comfortable taking the Beavers and laying down the 4. By the way, the Sun Bowl is one of my favorite bowls because it seems like both teams are playing on a post card when the suns out and it's always Sunny in El Paso in the Sun Bowl. Plus it bumps soap operas during vacation week which throws my mother into a rant.

Liberty Bowl: South Carolina 41, Houston 35- Both teams should pass so much to make this game look like a game of NCAA Football '07 on Playstation (review coming soon) and should be fun to watch. Houston has one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Kevin Kolb. Steve Spurrier is looking for his first bowl win after last year's collapse against Missouri in the Independence Bowl, I think his pass defense makes a play late to preserve the win

Insight Bowl: Texas Tech 44, Minnesota 21- I saw this Minnesota team in person and to think they're in a bowl game baffles me, they barely beat North Dakota State (won on a blocked field goal). This game is also on NFL Network. Shouldn't every player in this game lose their college eligibility if their game is on NFL Network? Was there there a ruling on this? And who will be the announcing team for this game, I hope it isn't the same as last night's Texas Bowl.

Champs Sports Bowl: Maryland 21, Purdue 10- This...zzz... sounds like...zzz...an exciting...zzz...bowl. Sound running games and sound run defenses. Maryland, except for a game against BC, never turns the ball over.

Quick PPCS

Three games today, and blogger's been a bitch today (its a new blogger-old blogger thing, you wouldn't understand) so have to be quick. Predictions only...

Independence Bowl: Oklahoma State 27, Alabama 20- Alabama has no coach and was reportedly at the casinos all week.

Holiday Bowl: California 34, Texas ATM 13- Cal suffered a letdown two years ago against Texas Tech when they were left out of the BCS and sent to this bowl, I don't expect history to repeat itself.

Texas Bowl: Rutgers 44, Kansas State 10- One dropped pass in the end zone took Rutgers from the Orange Bowl to this bowl that had to bailed out so it could pay its teams last year. Its also on NFL Network which makes no sense.

More Posts!

The NEW Pizza Parlor debuts January 1, 2007!

President Gerald Ford 1913-2006

As you've already heard, Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States died on Tuesday. While closer to the Zachary Taylor, Milliard Fillmore, and Franklin Pierce end of the Presidential significance spectrum, he was the Presidential equivalent to an interim coach, Ford was given the responsibility of healing a country after the tumultuous early 70's.

He was also the only President to play big time College Football, and I have to like him for that, even if it was for Michigan.

Ford's legacy is tainted by two unforgivable offenses, the Pardon of Richard Nixon, which was believed to be a condition for Nixon's resignation in the first place and his hand in launching the career of Chevy Chase. Here are the plans for his State Funeral which will probably annoy some liberals but is the proper way to respect the office of the Presidency and those noble enough to assume the responsibility, elected or not.

Keeping it "Short and Sweet"!

The NEW Pizza Parlor debuts January 1, 2007

PPCS: Emerald Bowl

Bowl: Emerald Bowl
Has also been known as: San Francisco Bowl
Location: PNC Park, San Francisco, California
Television: ESPN
Time: 8:00pm EST
Would this Bowl survive Pizza Parlor Derek's Bowl Contraction?: San Francisco is an adequate destination but it would have to move to Monster Field as football games in baseball stadiums just doesn't work visually for me.

UCLA
Nickname: Bruins
Location: Los Angeles, California
Famous Alumni: Too many!
NFL Alumni: 2007 Fantasy Bust Maurice Jones-Drew, Drew Bennett, Ricky Manning Jr.
Record: 7-5
Head Coach: Karl Dorrell
Fun Fact: Among others, Higher Learning, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Felicity, Alias, The Nutty Professor, Van Wilder, Scream, First Daughter, Old School, Peaceful Warrior, How High, Tomcats, Legally Blonde, and Erin Brockovich all filmed scenes at UCLA

Florida State
Nickname: Seminoles
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Famous Alumni: Burt Reynolds
NFL Alumni: Anquan Boldin, Michael Boulware, Derrick Brooks, Laveranues Coles, Warrick Dunn, Sebastian Janikowski, Javon Walker
Record: 6-6
Head Coach: Bobby Bowden
Fun Fact: The chemical Taxol, which is used in ovarian and breast cancer medicine has earned Florida State more than three times than what the popular beverage Gatorade earned the University of Florida.

Thoughts: One team's coming off the biggest upset of the year, the other is just playing the string to end a horribly disappointing season. It shouldn't be as simple as just picking UCLA here as surely this game isn't close to as significant as UCLA's upset of USC here. Expect them to come out flat in the first half leading to a scoreless first quarter. Florida State couldn't even score with Jenn Sterger this year, that's how anemic they are on offense, the defense is more talented than the statistics show.

Prediction: UCLA 21, Florida State 10

Jealous

Carrie Underwood was watching Monday's Cowboys-Eagles game from Tony Romo’s box, which lead to the announcers speculating as to whether or not Tony Romo had spent some time in hers.

If it is true (and according to the pregame footage they showed of them together they looked like ‘just friends’) it would be the second time a Cowboy (Roy Williams) had publicly expressed his fascination with one singer (Ashanti) and ended up dating another singer slightly less famous (Kelly Rowland).

PPCS: Motor City Bowl

Bowl: Motor City Bowl
Has also been known as: Just the Motor City Bowl
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Television: ESPN
Time: 8:00pm EST
Would this Bowl survive Pizza Parlor Derek's Bowl Contraction?: Detroit in December? I'll pass.

Central Michigan
Nickname: Chippewas
Location: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
Famous Alumni: Dick Enberg, Jeff Daniels, Dan Majerle
NFL Alumni: Three players, none well known
Record: 8-4
Head Coach: Brian Kelly
Fun Fact: While the NCAA found the Chippewa nickname "hostile and abusive", Central Michigan's use of the name is supported by the Saginaw Chippewa tribe.

Middle Tennessee
Nickname: Blue Raiders
Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Famous Alumni: Al Gore Sr., Amy Lee from the rock group Evanescense
NFL Alumni: Tyrone Calico, Kelly Holcomb
Record: 7-5
Head Coach: Rick Stockstill
No Fun Fact: Middle Tennessee State University is a "dry campus", meaning alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all times. If a student is discovered to have alcohol on campus, he/she is put on academic probation, suspended, or expelled.

Thoughts: This is a battle of two teams who are well tested out of conference. Every one of each team's out of conference opponents (MTSU-Louisville, Oklahoma, Maryland; CMU-Michigan, Boston College, and Kentucky) are playing in bowls. Matchup wise this is a contrast of styles. While the Blue Raiders like to run the ball and control the clock, the Chippewas have a big play offense led by Freshman QB Dan Lefevour. On defense Middle Tennessee likes to blitz and in Lefevour's first bowl game he may crack under the pressure and intense blitz schemes. If so, the Raiders can pull the upset. I'm not underestimating the Sun Belt again.

Prediction: Middle Tennessee 21, Central Michigan 17

The Pizza Parlor's Take: Rocky Balboa

(SPOILER ALERT: If you don't want any of "Rocky Balboa" spoiled for you do NOT scroll past the picture of...well...Rocky Balboa)


I went to see "Rocky Balboa" last night. I had always planned to see it and the mixed reviews it has gotten only added to my curiosity. All in all, as much as I tried to get into this Rocky, I was left disappointed and underwhelmed.

There are two types of Rocky fans, those that are captured by the gritty underdog story showcased in movies I and II, and those who love Rocky as good overcoming evil in movies III and IV. Assuming no one liked V, which had a few quality moments but is unforgivable for pulling the soap opera trick and having Rocky come back from Russia and find his son grown seven years. That is my only real problem with Rocky V but it is a huge one.

Well, this movie is for fans of I and II. In fact there are so many references to the first two movies, and while I've seen them I haven't seen them nearly as much as III and IV, that most of the movie is lost on me. I was left wondering, what happened to Mr. T's cameo, where were any Russians (they could've made Drago's wife a Philly prostitute or something), and what irreconcilable differences couldn't be set aside for Survivor get back together and come up with one more song for this series?

Supposedly Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago had roles in the original writing of the film. Lang as a guest commentator and Drago stricken of AIDS as a result of his steroid use. Apparently, Mr. T was replaced by Mike Tyson as the obnoxious Mason Dixon hater and by Max Kellerman on commentary (who did a great job). I have to assume more sound minds wrote off Drago's storyline. For this movie was depressing enough.

So what we get is almost a remake of Rocky I. Except with Rocky finding companionship with a homely bartender and his son (played by Milo Ventimiglia, who is believe it or not NO RELATION to Artie Bucco-John Ventimiglia) who is trying to make a career but finds himself constantly in the shadow of his father. We get three impassioned dialogues from Sylvester Stallone, one to Paulie about "the beast within", one to the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission about "rights", and one to his son about "getting hit by life". All of them while not Oscar worthy won't remind you of the comical "I'm afraid!" dialogue from Rocky III. Speaking of which, the decision to kill of Adrian was a smart one in that 1) It pretty much is the plot of this movie and 2) You can only hear her try to convince Rocky not to fight so many times.

Antonio Tarver is convincing enough as he is not necessarily a heel. He himself is searching for self-respect and the movie is very accurate to the climate of boxing today like no other Rocky movie had been. I enjoyed that he had a ten person entourage with four people holding belts behind him at all times. I assume this movie will be on HBO next year, either that or Showtime or Starz! will have to do a lot of editing.

Anyway, if you replaced Jim Lampley with Barry Tompkins, added a Survivor song and at least referenced Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago, I would've been a lot happier and "Rocky Balboa" is still a good sick day movie, but I was hoping for more of a "season finale" type of feel with a wrap up of every character we come to either love or hate but I guess "You Can't Win" them all.

PPCS: Hawai'i Bowl

Bowl: Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl
Has also been known as: Just the Hawai'i Bowl, there is no lineage to the now defunct Aloha and Oahu Bowls
Location: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawai'i
Television: ESPN
Time: 8:00pm EST

Hawai'i
Nickname: Warriors
Location: Manoa, Hawai'i
Famous Alumni: Bette Midler, Richard Parsons
NFL Alumni: Jason Elam, Ashley Lelie
Record: 10-3
Head Coach: June Jones
Fun Fact: As you may suspect, the University of Hawai'i changed its nickname from Rainbows to Warriors because the rainbow's connection to homosexuality was causing their players to be teased on the road.

Arizona State
Nickname: Sun Devils
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Famous Alumni: Barry Bonds, Jimmy Kimmel, Al Michaels, Phil Mickelson, David Spade, Wes from Real World/Road Rules Challenge
NFL Alumni: Jake Plummer, Todd Heap, Terrell Suggs
Record: 7-5
Head Coach: Dirk Koettner
Fun Fact: In 1999 RB J.R. Redmond used the cell phone of a part time athletic department employee who informed him that the use would be an NCAA violation unless he married her. He did but after investigations uncovered the ruse, Redmond was forced to pay for the not only the cell phone use but for the cost of their honeymoon in Las Vegas. Redmond and the employee divorced.

Thoughts: This is the last game for Arizona State under Coach Dirk Koettner until Dennis Erickson takes over and they start blatantly cheating their way to perennial Rose Bowl births. Why you'd have to cheat to get teenage boys to come to Arizona State is another discussion for another time. Both teams play offense, neither plays defense, but Hawai'i and record-setting Quarterback Colt Brennan, who will break David Klinger's season touchdown pass record in this game, do both a little better. This is another glorified home game for the Rain...Warriors as it is in the bowl's clause with the WAC that Hawai'i can be selected to play here anytime it is bowl eligible.

Prediction: Hawai'i 48, Arizona State 35