end of football season 2012-13 (also, Brent Musberger)

I watched the BCS Championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame, and - as you may have heard - Alabama destroyed Notre Dame, 42-14 (you can argue that last ND touchdown was someone from Alabama being nice).

I don't have feelings one way or another about either team.  It's cool to see Nick Saban earn his 3rd National title in 4 years, and I was glad Notre Dame was back as a serious contender in NCAA football.  But I think this absolute rout of The Fighting Irish will be putting some questions around Notre Dame's unique position as a team without a country/ conference, and that their schedule may be a wee bit lopsided as they milk their TV contract.

It was a fun year for football, and I wish I'd had a less hectic schedule and could have enjoyed more of it.  Even when UT is doing poorly (and we ended up with 9 wins, so as bad as it felt, it's still a decent season), it's something to do.  I still like watching Big 12 teams and a few, random other teams when I can.

Between you and me, I can't stand commentator Brent Musberger.  He certainly knows the sport, but he's still wishing it were 1975.  I like a little fake impartiality in my hosts, and Musberger chucked all that years ago.  Sometimes he's right, sometimes he's wrong.  But having had listened to his nonsense as he's called (and constantly dogged on) UT games over the years, I just sigh when I realize he and Herb are on commenting duties.


Like most of you who are not UT alums, Musberger has a chip on his shoulder about UT for no particular reason than that they were good for a couple of years there in the mid-00's.  And in the 2010 game, he seemed positively put out that UT had even showed up and he had to do this thing.*

He doesn't single out UT.  On many of the games he calls, he seems less than objective or even open-minded, right up until the last whistle blows and he's proven wrong, and then he either goes quiet or back-pedals for the wrap-up.  I find it unseemly for someone in his position to not give the same players he insists on referring to as "youngsters" the benefit of the doubt until the game gets away from them completely.  And even then, it's not his job to pile on.

If I ever found Musberger smarmy, tonight sealed the deal as he leered at Alabama Quarterback AJ McCarron's girlfriend repeatedly throughout the game and post-game.  Apparently, Musberger just don't give a damn no more.  The Twitters, however, seemed to take notice.  Can't wait for Brent to find out what "Twitter" is tomorrow when he gets the reprimand from Mickey Mouse.

Alas, another football season has come and gone.  In 8 months we'll start all over again, but for now we wait until the recruiting reports and spring training reports fill our heads with false promises and the local news crews begin all but fizzing like pop rocks predicting This Year.

Until then, I guess we'll have some baseball.  Maybe a little hockey and basketball.




*nothing like Berman's high school ranting that UT shouldn't show up for the game during the 2006 championship game, as they would just embarrass themselves.