PLEASED AS PUNCH by ST

To me a perfect football weekend is about the Ducks, Notre Dame, the Jets and Giants. Oregon wins, the Giants won, Notre Dame loses in heartbreaking fashion, at home and the J.E.T.S play tonight. I was watching the Tennessee win at home with my wife. I take notes in pen and use a highlighter to make special notations I'd like to use on the post game or our weekday radio shows. For the 1st quarter, through the weather delay and into the 2nd quarter it was an orange highlighter. After a Duck punt, Kathy gets up, heads into the office and replaces it with a green highlighter. Oregon kicked a field goal and was off to the races. Karma?
I've defended Nick Aliotti for years, especially recently because no defensive coordinator in America has to defend against more plays than N.A. He and his guys designed a brilliant game plan. Sure, it developed slowly due to some missed tackles and assignments, but eventually they dominated. The interception return for a TD by Cliff Harris was a direct result of their committment to get in the face of the young Vol QB. UT did counter some of the pocket pressure with screens and quick popping runs, but on that play the blitz caused Matt Simms into a fatal error. Well done coach Aliotti!
I'm thinking Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow at UCLA are not quite the brilliant duet most have chirped about. Let's face it. Chow's best years were under a great, great coach like Lavelle Edwards at BYU and with those Pete Carrol constructed machines at USC. On his own? Not so much! They got humiliated at home by Stanford 35-nothing. It was a beautiful thing.
NFL fans and commentators have gone nuts. They're already talking about overrated and undervalued. It's one game. Let's not start printing Seahawk playoff tickets or buring the Bengals or Colts just yet.
Kim Clijsters won the US Open tennis title for the 2nd consecutive year. She originally retired to have a child. That's a comeback! She becomes just the 2nd mom ever to win this prestigious title joining Evonne Goolagong. She's an amazing athlete!