(1). A massive snowstorm has hit the DC area and will be churning up the coast to blanket the Middle Atlantic States and New England, bringing a halt to travel and retail activity on the last weekend before Christmas.
The rumor is tomorrow (Saturday December 19th) Republican House leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor will call a press conference to blame the Obama Administration for not knowing about the storm a week ago.
(2) Obviously I'm here, in soon to be buried New Jersey, instead in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida where 8,000+ of my fellow Rutgers fans traveled to watch our beloved Scarlet Knights take on the University of Central Florida in St. Petersburg Bowl. While going to five straight bowl games is an accomplishment and it shows vast improvement from the way things used to be- little fan support, losing seasons and year upon year of bad football, it is unfortunate with the scheduling of the game right in the middle of the the Christmas frenzy with less than two weeks notice. Its hard to drop everything and go when there have been prior commitments, and in the students case bowl week is right in the middle of finals.
And even worse....ESPN and the bowl organizers should know better than to violate Rules One and Two- "Thou Shalt Not Schedule a Sports Event Opposite an NFL Game" and "Thou Shalt Not EVER Schedule a Sports Event Opposite an NFL Game Featuring the Dallas Cowboys". Organizers of the bowl were crowing the other day about scheduling the game in the evening against no other college football bowl game competition on ESPN at 8:00PM Saturday- and that's a good thing.
Now the bad stuff- the St. Petersburg Bowl will be on opposite the undefeated New Orleans Saints vs the Dallas Cowboys on the NFL Network. True, many cable systems don't have the NFL Network as part of their basic package, and some don't carry them at all. But still, in a situation where there is one team with a national following and another trying to make history by going undefeated, the TV schedule makers did neither the fans of Rutgers or UCF, or for those nationally who love bowl games any favors. Moving the game from an afternoon start to opposite the Cowboys and Saints was a colossal blunder....and you can't spin it any possible way.
(3). The other day I wrote about the inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and touched on Genesis for a bit. I came upon this amazing video of the classic five piece GENESIS lineup from 1971, featuring charter members Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, and Tony Banks and introducing the two new kids, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins. Hackett replace original guitarist Anthony Phillips and drummer Collins took over for John Mayhew (who replaced John Silver, who replaced Chris Stewart). This stabilized lineup recorded the band's third album Nursery Cryme, released in November, 1971. This lineup went on to record Foxtrot (1972), Selling England By The Pound (1973), and the ambitious double album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974), after which Peter Gabriel left to embark on his very successful solo career. The group then auditioned 400 singers to take over the lead vocalist chores....but Phil Collins came out from behind his drum kit, and sounded (according to several British critics) more "like Peter Gabriel than Gabriel did".
This early video, from a Belgian TV show, is the then new lineup of Genesis performing THE MUSICAL BOX, from Nursery Cryme. And check out the hair on the now very bald Phil Collins!
BE SURE TO TURN OF THE PLAYLIST IN THE LEFT HAND MARGIN BEFORE CLICKING ON THE VIDEO!
(4). This is another abbreviated version of QUICK HITS. In the past three days I must have driven 300 miles and never left a two county area of New Jersey, just Christmas shopping and getting stuff together for the holidays. To be blunt....I'm beat! Time for a beer or two, and then start counting the snow flakes, because they're a-comin'!
I'll be back with my final "12 Hours Later" segment about the 2009 Rutgers Football season on Sunday or Monday. Stay well, stay warm....just STAY! And avoid those treacherous and icy roads.
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