Wow. Just…wow.

Yesterday’s game between Mississippi State and LSU was one of the best games I have ever attended, despite the fact that LSU won 30-26.  It had everything.  Exciting defensive plays, long TD passes, a punt return for touchdown, a running back who single-handedly put his team on his back in the second half…  I could go on and on.

Just when it seemed that LSU had put the game away and completely deflated the crowd with a punt return for TD on the first play of the 4th quarter, MSU’s Anthony Dixon had other plans.  He was the workhorse for MSU in the 3rd and 4th quarters, not only picking up most of his yardage in the second half, but allowing the passing game to make a few big plays.

If only he had gotten the chance to finish off the upset win over the #7 ranked Tigers.  Down 30-24,  and after carrying the ball twice to get the Bulldogs inside the 1 yard line, QB Tyson Lee tried a jump pass on 3rd down that was batted away at the last second by LSU’s Chad Jones.  Then, Lee tried a QB sneak on 4th down,  but was stopped short.  However, Dixon was so close to making those 3rd and 4th down plays unnecessary.

So Close, yet so far (courtesy Clarion Ledger)

As a Mississippi State fan, I have experienced my fair share of disappointments.  This one has to rank right up there in the top 3.  Also up there would be the FG that was blown-back against Ole Miss in 1983 and the 15-14 loss to Ole Miss in 1997 after a late TD and 2-pt conversion by the Rebels.

This was definitely a memorable game.  I just wish it had a happier ending.

Tupelo will allow alcohol sales on Sunday

Last night, the Tupelo City Council approved the sale of beer and light wine on Sundays by a margin of 4-3.  I’m OK with it.  Here is what I feel about alcohol in general:

1.  Alcohol can be enjoyed occasionally and moderately;

2.  If alcohol consumption changes a person’s behavior to the point of violence, adultery, or crime, that person needs help and should not drink;

3.  I do not drink, and I will neither  judge nor condemn those who choose to drink, especially those who do so responsibly.

As far as this issue for the City of Tupelo goes, it comes down to economics.  The powers-that-be feel that more revenue will flow into the city’s coffers with this new amendment.  They are probably correct, but I will be interested to see if the amount gained turns out to be substantial.

One of the arguments that I heard against the amendment was that people don’t want to take their children to restaurants that sell alcohol on Sunday.  I don’t see this as a valid argument.  It would be similar to not taking your children to football or basketball games because the cheerleaders are dressed too provocatively.  Enjoy the time with your family.  Don’t allow something that is in the periphery of the experience prevent you from spending quality time with family and friends.

Whether you support or oppose this new ordinance, please use this as a teaching moment for your children.  If you believe that alcohol consumption is totally wrong, tell them why you believe that.  If you believe that alcohol is OK and can be enjoyed responsibly, let them know why you believe that.

Wow, Brett Favre is un-retiring. I’m Speechless.

To the surprise of no one, Brett Favre decided un-retire yet again and suit up for the Minnesota Vikings.

Why?

1.  With his timing, he was able to  avoid most of training camp.  Which to me shows that he still wants to play, but doesn’t want to put in the work required.

2.  He really wanted to get back at the Packers organization for giving him an ultimatum last off-season, then sending him to the Jets.

Part of me really thought that he had actually decided to give up football a couple of weeks ago.  But I also thought, “hey, until the Vikings are in week 8 of their season without Brett Favre on their roster, he just might change is mind again.

My prediction:  He’ll do  fine for the first 10-11 games, then fall off sharply.  You think the fans in Green Bay will welcome him warmly?  Probably not.

Really Fast Restaurant Review: Kyoto

Kyoto Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

In less time than it takes for a waitress trainee to get your drink order, here is a quick restaurant review.  This time: Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse in Tupelo. 

Good:  prompt, friendly service;  very clean;  nice atmosphere;  and, most importantly, food has always been good.

Not-so-good:  Price of drinks (2.79 sweet tea); Automatic 18% tip when sitting at a hibachi table, but we usually go to a side table.

Bad:  Not much.  One time, the service was slow.

If you don’t think you would like sushi, I suggest going at lunch time, sitting at a side table, and ordering a Bento Box Special.  That includes a more regular type meal such as teriyaki chicken, salad, plus 4 pieces of a California Roll.  That’s what I started with, and now I’ve started branching out on sushi orders.  I still don’t have the courage to order raw sushi.

I hope to make this a regular feature, and my reviews will not be based simply on one visit, but rather reflect my overall feelings after a few trips to the restaurant.

My prediction for MSU Football 2009

Here is what I think Mississippi State will do during the 2009 season.  (subject to change, based on numerous things that can happen over the course of the season with MSU and our opponents.)

Jackson State – Win – If we lose, Dan Mullen should be fired on the spot.  Seriously. 

At Auburn – Loss - Might turn out to be a winnable game, but probably a loss.

At Vandy – Win – Not sure why, but I think we’ll beat the Commodores. 

LSU – Loss – Same story, different season.

Georgia Tech - Loss - Too much of the triple-option offense from the Yellow Jackets. 

Houston – Loss – Could be a shoot-out.

at Middle TN State – Win – Actually, I could see us losing this one, but I’m gonna take a chance.

Florida – Loss – Would be nice, but I don’t see the Gators losing in Starkville for the fifth consecutive time (‘86, ‘92, ‘00, ‘04).

at Kentucky – Win – Not sure why, but I think we have a better chance to steal one on the road here in Lexington than later in Little Rock.

Alabama – Loss – The only question about the Tide this year is at QB, and that should be worked out by the time they visit Scott Field.

at Arkansas – Loss – Always tough to win over there. 

Mississippi – Loss – No comment.

That’s got MSU at 4-8 for the season, with 2 SEC wins.  I could see us possibly getting to 6-6 by stealing a win against Arkansas and going 2-0 against MTSU and Houston (good grief, that really should be automatic).  However, 2-10 could also be in the cards if our first season of spread offense plays out similar to Auburn’s experiment last year. 

Anyway, I’m looking forward to the 2009 season.  New Coach, New Offense, New Uniforms.  Heck, it’s already better than last year.

Brett Favre is staying Retired (for now)!!

So long, Brett

World-renowned media hog and over-the-hill prima-donna Brett Favre has decided not to make another comeback, this time with the Minnesota Vikings.  Thank goodness.

While thinking about his drawn-out and overdue retirement, I started wondering about what player I might like to see come out of retirement (or back from the grave) and play for one season at his prime.  Any player, from any sport, from any era.

Willie Mays, Barry Sanders, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Bill Russell… the list goes on and on. 

For me, it would have to Ted Williams.  One of the greatest pure hitters of all time had a few of his prime years taken away, due to military service.  Plus, he never got to take home a World Series championship. 

Who would you choose?

Here we go aGAIN…

Well, I quit blogging about 9 months ago.  After giving it some thought, I figured it was time to start this puppy back up.

Why?

Good question, thanks for asking.  The reason I started posting here in the first place was to share things that I found interesting, irritating, and even inspirational.  I always thought I had a good mix of sports, politics, religion, general news, odd news, and personal pet-peeves. 

The reason I quit posting here was because I didn’t feel like I was giving enough attention to the blog.  At times, I felt like I HAD to post something, just to keep things going, and we all know that’s no fun.  Other times, I felt like the traffic wasn’t enough to bother with anyway, so nobody would really miss it if I quit.  Also, the fact that I did some posting while at work bothered me.

OK, whatever, get to the point. 

Sorry for rambling.  I decided to start back up because, basically, I enjoy blogging.  This time around, I’m gonna be OK with things if I go 2 weeks between blog posts.  I’m also going to only post in my spare time from the comfort of my own home, starting after today.

I hope you enjoy what I have to post here.  Your time is valuable, and hopefully, this will rank as one of my longer posts.  There’s an RSS feed, so just add my blog to your newsreader (I like Google), and your golden.

Bird has left the building

This does it for my blog.  Thanks to those of you who stopped by and contributed. 

Fade to black, roll the names, etc…