Getslow

Lol. She's Icelandic, I'm pretty sure. They're pretty much the last ones to still use the old Nordic "-son" and "-dottir" naming conventions. And that "dth" in there is only because I couldn't figure out how to make an eth with my keyboard. But now I've found it. Guðnadóttir.

Saw it over the weekend. It was pretty good. Joaquin Phoenix was outstanding but was working with what I thought was a pretty limited script. But it was the music I remember. Definitely the best combination of selected popular music with original composition I've heard in a while. Maybe the two best scores I've heard this year were somehow done by the same woman: Hildur Gudthnadottir. She also did the music for HBO's Chernobyl series.

I was blown away by Louisville going 7-5 this season. A lot of their wins were very close and their losses were not. For me, that's not a recipe for gaining many more wins next year. I guess the hope is that the teams responsible for for the close wins take a big step back, which might actually be the case with both Virginia and Wake Forest losing their best players. No telling what BC will be up to (a game that was just a two-point home win for the Cardinals). Four of the five losses are back on the schedule: Florida State, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Kentucky. Let's imagine Louisville wins all the games they won this year but flip either the crossover game (Virginia Tech at home in 2020 instead of Miami on the road) or the Kentucky game (in Louisville in 2020). Does an 8-4 Louisville team hit the Top 25 given the national reputation of the ACC?

That Dayton team was going to be great. Significant injury problems kept them out of the tournament, then they got healthy going into the NIT and absolutely ran through that thing. My least favorite season of Dayton basketball.

I don't normally hate seeing UNC lose, but not like this. What's that now, three players out for the season?

He took the Baylor program from dead in the water to a conference title contender really quickly, but that says more about his skill as a program-builder than anything else. I'm curious to know if that skill set translates.

Probably pushed off, but they didn't call the DB for grabbing Rudolph's arm before that either. I'll grant that I'm a Vikings guy, but that's a pretty solid no-call for me.

I gave up on the notion that they'd ever can the bowls. I used to advocate for ridding ourselves of them all together but no one at the NCAA seemed interested in what I had to say. I know, I couldn't believe it either.

Was talking about this at work this morning. The American should do something to improve their bowl tie-ins. As a Louisville fan, some of the best bowl appearances I can remember were during that brief period when the C-USA champion met the Mountain West champion in the Liberty Bowl. For the rest of my life I'll never forget the 44-40 win over Boise State in 2004. The AAC and Mountain West should get something together where the best teams from those leagues not selected for the Group of Five spot in the New Year's Six meet in a bowl game. That could well have given us Boise State vs. Cincinnati this year, something more entertaining (to me as a neutral at least) than the matchups we got.

Just one page and three short steps. 1) Open book. 2) Remember that federal estate tax exemption is still over $11MM. 3) Close book.

Oh and this just came in at the office. Who else is excited?

And the non-fiction to accompany it.

The holidays means Tolkien, just as it has for over two decades for me. When I was younger and had more time, I used to read the entirety of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy over the Christmas season. Just this one to begin 2020.

Amazing drive by the Gophers, capped by one of the more unlikely TD receptions I’ve ever seen to take a 24-17 lead with 30 seconds left in the half.

Went out with my girlfriend to the Red Feather, one of our favorite restaurants in Cincinnati, then headed over a friend’s house with a small group to watch the ridiculous assemblage of people that host the TV network New Year’s Eve shows. Back home and headed to sleep. Big day of football and a Twilight Zone marathon ahead of me tomorrow. Have a great 2020, BGP.

I get it. Crying in the cupboard or laying around like a slug can take a lot out of a kid.

I know he got $150k just for playing in the game. Haven’t seen anything about a win bonus.

Offense was really solid tonight when it needed to be. Definitely looking forward to another year of Cunningham/Hawkins/Atwell and company. As with this year, the development and improvement of the offensive line will be the big question as to how good this offense can be.

It was crazy how much effort and maneuvering went into that final play then that kick would’ve been good from anywhere. Heck of a boot by that kicker.

First bowl win since the 2015 Music City against A&M in Lamar’s first year. Feels good to get a late-December win again. Can’t wait to be back in the stadium in September.

The thing I most want to see change next year (apart from defensive depth) is some measure of improvement in the number of run plays that result in negative yardage. Completely destroyed that drive just now. Not even the first time this game.

That TD drive for Miss St looked like a lot of 4th quarter defensive series for Louisville this year. Offense HAS to keep scoring.

I'm in and out of this one as I'm watching on my computer at work, but in the bits I've seen, Louisville has continually shot themselves right in the foot. Offensive line can't seem to get right. The Fitzpatrick fumble in the first drive and the Hassan Hall drop on the final possession of the half took two almost-certain touchdowns off the board.

My dad has made corned beef reuben sandwiches on New Year's Day for as long as I can remember. I've fallen into the unfortunate pattern of going out for dinner on New Year's Eve, which is all fun and games until the bill arrives.

Got four (FOUR!) new ties. For me, it's basically like getting new suits. A couple colors I'd likely never buy for myself but they look really sharp. A couple new dress shirts. (See a pattern here?) New pair of oxfords. Subscription to Cook's Illustrated magazine. Dad's been a subscriber for a long time. So many good ideas from that over the years. No better cooking resource out there, IMO. New set of bourbon glasses. Bottle of Old Grand Dad 114 from my brother. He knows what I want for Christmas.