Seminoles Badger Wisconsin

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images North America)

A great day of fun was had at The Champs Bowl as Florida State overwhelmed Wisconsin 42-13.

The offense did well but it was the defense behind junior DE Everette Brown and the stout kicking expedition put on by Lou Groza Award winner Graham Gano, the 2008 Champs Bowl MVP, that spearheaded the victory. Hopefully, this can springboard FSU in an effort to return to the nations elite in 2009.

Although this catch by Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina is of historic brilliance, Seminole wideout Greg Carr has an eye catching grab of his own.



It was a great day for the Seminoles. Certainly, all us 'Noles appreciate the senior class and especially the leadership and sportsmanship of Drew Weatherford. Go Noles!

2008 Champs Bowl

As painful as it is that The Florida State Seminoles have fallen to levels of mid tier bowl games, what a wonderful turn of events to have the 'Noles right here in the back yard here in beautiful downtown Orlando for some grid iron frolic as Florida State takes on Wisconsin in the 2008 Champs Bowl at The Florida Citrus Bowl. I'll be in line for several cold ones during all the festivities. Go 'Noles!!!!

The Radio City Rockettes

Christmas in New York is wonderful. Folks come in from all over the world to experience it. To appropriately kick off the trip, you must take in a show of The Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall starring the world famous Radio City Rockettes.


The Rockettes kick the season off by performing in front of Macy's in Herald Square during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Enjoy the performance from this years parade and Merry Christmas!

No Doubt

Over the years, I have seen about a dozen Broadway plays. Far and away, the one that had our group buzzing the most was the performance of Doubt at The Walter Kerr Theater. The cast was phenomenal, with Cherry Jones capturing a Tony Award and Brian F. O'Byrne shining in a stellar performance. A totally compelling drama. Just tremendous!

Charlie Rose discusses the play with playwright John Patrick Shanley and the entire cast. Have a listen.


The play has been developed for the big screen and is out this December, starring Meryl Streep. If the movie is half as good as the play, it would be well worth your time. Here is the trailer:

BS on the BCS

Apparently, we have a financial crisis of the ages gripping our country, but in the midst of voting themselves a pay raise for the horrendous job they have cumulatively done, our congress may soon debate the merits of dismantling the Bowl Championship Series, or BCS.

Perhaps this was spearheaded by the messiah, Barack Obama, proclaiming he would like to see a college football playoff. I like it just the way it is, where although it may well be settled on the field, the national championship is mythical, where a team could argue their position as champs. The Texas Longhorns may well be in that position this year should Oklahoma defeat Florida.

This is great as it keeps people discussing the game from all different allegiances and perspectives.

Perhaps congress could contain their incompetence to governance and leave the color anbd pageantry of college football alone.

Neil Cavuto gets to the bottom of it. Take a listen.

Buy American

By now, you have probably seen this very entertaining "advertisement" about the Big 3 bailout. Certainly, rewarding bad management and non profitable companies is not prudent, and I have outlined the problems the automakers face in a previous post. The top of the add proclaims that Americans will not "buy our shitty cars" is not true as GM outsells all carmakers, but the perception of the Big 3 making shitty cars is a reality in the minds of most Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Now that the Bush Administration has given the Big 3 a life line with lost interest loans, it is time for Americans who are considering a purchase of a new vehicle to closely examine products from Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. I have done some homework for you, and will list a a dozen plus one that have my recommendations.

In terms of trucks, each of the Big 3 automakers grade strongly in this regard. The Dodge RAM trucks, the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado are all outstanding products. Pictured above is the Cheverolet Silverado.


Looking for a sporty classic? Well, you can find it in the Ford Mustang. Ford was visionary in becoming the first automaker to "retro" the look of some of their models, and the Mustang is a huge hit and an outstanding option for a two door fun experience. You cannot go wrong here.










Buick is rebounding strongly, particularly overseas. Here in the US the Buick Enclave is representative of a top notch crossover vehicle fit for fun and/or family. A sporty alternative to the sedan is the Pontiac Solstice. A fast and fun to drive two seater is a head turner on the highway and superior to any foreign competitor in its price range.









Your Chevrolet dealership has a top rated family sedan in the award winning Chevorlet Malibu while car entusiasts can grab the Chevrolet Corvette, which continues to add to the legacy of the two door speedster.









Are you kidding me? Talk about a couple of blasts from the past. Chrysler Corporations Dodge division jumped out a few years back with the redevelopment of the Dodge Charger and now has brought back the Dodge Challenger. Both retro looks are very cool. The Charger is a big seller.

I pilot around in a Chevy Trailblazer which I really like but the real SUV leader is the Chevrolet Tahoe, pictured at left. The media attempts to tell you that you do not want these types of vehicles because they are not "green friendly". You do want these vehicles and they have a hybrid Tahoe that is fantastic.

I test drove the GM Cadillac CTS and fell in love with it. This luxury vehicle is wonderful and rivals any luxury sedan out there. The performance is breathtaking as well. I dare you to test drive it.

And finally, the sleek 4 door sedan that is the best bang for your your buck going, The Pontiac G8 GXP, which is a high performance Grand Prix which will lay waste to any competitor in its class. Don't take my word for it, hear it straight from Motor Trend.



I disclose that I am an owner of products from General Motors Chevrolet and Pontiac divisions. Keep the shiny side up and stand on it!

BAHL's 2008 All America Team

OFFENSE
Micahel Crabtree of Texas Tech had a tremendous season, grabbing the game winning score against undefeated Texas in prime time on ABC. He is a unamimous All America player, and is only a sophomore. He is likely headed to the NFL.

WR: Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
WR: Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
WR: Jarrett Dillard, Rice
TE: Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
OL: Andre Smith, Alabama
OL: Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
OL: Antoine Caldwell, Alabama
OL: Alex Mack, California
OL: Michael Oher, Ole Miss
QB: Colt McCoy, Texas
RB: Shonn Green, Iowa
RB: Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
RB: Javon Ringer, Michigan State

DEFENSE

Mark Herzlich of Boston College was making big plays all over the place this season, lifting Boston College to the ACC title game. It seemed he single handily took over games for the Eagles with several game changing plays in conference battles.

DE: Brian Arakpo, Texas
DT: Peria Jerry, Ole Miss
DT: Terrence Cody, Alabama
DT: Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
DE: Jerry Hughes, Texas Christian
OLB: Everette Brown, Florida State
ILB: James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
ILB: Rey Malalugua, Southern Cal
ILB: Brandon Spikes, Florida
OLB: Mark Herzlich, Boston College
DB: Eric Berry, Tennessee
DB: Malcom Jenkins, Ohio State
DB: Victor Harris, Virgina Tech
DB: Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest
DB: D. J. Moore, Vanderbilt

K: Graham Gano, Florida State
P: Kevin Huber, Cincinnati
KR: Brandon James, Florida
NC: Robert Griffith, Baylor

The Heisman

Sam Bradford, quarterback of the top ranked Oklahoma Sooners, won the Heisman Memorial Trophy Saturday night in Manhattan. The three finalists were all very deserving as they all had brilliant seasons and possess top notch leadership skills.

My ballot, if I had one, would have been as follows:

1. Colt McCoy, Texas
2. Tim Tebow, Florida
3. Sam Bradford,Oklahoma

I landed on McCoy primarily distancing himself based on his completion percentage, which was mind boggling. And before my Gator fans cry foul, I would have voted Tebow in '07 simply on his astounding numbers.

All three of these young competitors are superior representatives for their respective universities, college football and life in general. We could learn a lot from these outstanding young men, each of whom has remaining eligibility. This is not good for those who compete against Florida, and that just happens to be my boys. Congratulations Sam! Boomer Sooner!

Gore Creates Another Snowstorm

Along with Vice Presidential elect Joe Biden, President elect Barack Obama met with former Vice President Al Gore to discuss global warming, or climate change.

"All three of us are in agreement that the time for delay is over. The time for denial is over." said Obama, “We all believe what the scientists have been telling us for years now, that this is a matter of urgency and national security, and it has to be dealt with in a serious way. That is what I intend my administration to do.”

I continue to be told the debate is over, but that may be a hard sell to the grounds crew at Tiger Stadium. You did read that right, this photo is of Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, taken on Thursday, December 11, 2008. And yes, that is snow.

Investors Business Daily editorialized in s strong piece titled Economic Chill where they again prove the debate is far from over, although the media proclaims such. In the editorial, IBD cites a study from Florida State University.

A series of articles and evidence have been presented on Capm's Blog. I took a couple of meteorology classes at FSU which makes me hardly dangerous in the global climate change (warming) debate. I do know we had two record lows temps in Orlando over the last two weeks and I saw the snow in Houston and New Orleans (see Getty Images photo on left of Canal Street in The Big Easy.

Therefore, I can conclude global climate change is likely, may or may not be contributed to by man, that we should not even dream of spending countless billions to combat something we know so little about (particularly the CAFE standards recently placed on the auto industry, who as you may have heard about, is practically bankrupt) and that you should never pollute. And you got that info for free!

NASCAR's Hendrick on Big 3 Bailout

Championship NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick joins the gang at The Bull's and Bear's for some frank talk on the Big 3 bailout before Congress. This is obviously a major issue, but NASCAR is in real trouble if the Big 3 go out of business.



Hendrick owns the GM Chevrolets driven by Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin. Like everywhere else, layoffs have hit the garage area hard, as reported by Jayski.

The Unofficial NASCAR related Layoff Count since end of season:(exceptions noted)

Dale Earnhardt Inc -- 120
Ganassi -- 76 (71 + 5 more on Tues)
Petty Enterprises -- 65
Bill Davis Racing -- 60
Richard Petty Driving Experience -- approx 45
Roush Fenway Racing -- 35
Furniture Row -- 25 [approx]
Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies -- 25 [approx]
Wood Brothers -- 22
Hendrick Motorsports -- 19
Stewart-Haas -- 16
Richard Childress Racing -- 15
Red Bull Racing -- approx 15
JTG Daugherty Racing -- 12
Michael Waltrip Racing -- 12
Ernie Elliott Inc [Ganassi engines] -- 9
Joe Gibbs Engines -- approx 5

Worse yet, the famed Petty Enterprises 43 Dodge may be forced to cease operations. Petty has fielded the car since 1969, and that would be quite a shame. Keep the beer cold at the BAHLDORF!

The Orlando Slantinel Obama Bias

I think, in part due to a mindset that I require it to keep a pulse on local events, I remain a daily subscriber to The Orlando Sentinel. Like most other papers, it has it's issues, and most of my issues with it are when a player finds trouble at my alma mater FSU, it finds the front page while issues with Gator players are buried in the sports page on D-6.

The parent company that owns The Orlando Sentinel, along several other dailies including The Chicago Tribune, filed for bankruptcy protection on December 8. Newspapers are dying, but is something else at play? Could a deliberate bias be causing the questioning of the legitimacy of the reporting?

I have never really spotted such activity in The Orlando Sentinel until today, and it is as glaring as a nightime space shuttle launch.

On Tuesday, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D:IL) was arrested for an alarming and extensive list of federal charges of corruption. US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald quipped Blagojevich's "conduct would make Abraham Lincoln turn over in his grave". You might think this bombshell, particularly considering the shameful political history of Chicago and since our President-elect, Barack Obama, is from Chicago, would be front page material. If so, you are not in concert with the Sentinel, as a column picked up from the Chicago Tribune fell on A-6.

By itself, that might be a debate for editorial scholars. However, since a story from the Associated Press hammering the GOP for "playing up" possible links to Obama found itself on A-3, we can find little doubt in the bias of this paper.

From what I know, I suspect Obama had nothing to do with the activities of the Governor, and I hope this is the case, partly because I think it would presently be quite harmful to the country if he did given the nasty bear market gripping the country, not to mention the terrorists licking their chops.

However, it is no doubt legitimate to inquire deeper into this historic development. Chicago has a dubious history of corruption in politics, including jail time for several former governors. Although the country spoke loudly on election day, Obama was and continues to be quite elusive in detailing the relationships he has or had with a cast of characters your mother would slap you upside the head if you hung around with, including terrorist William Ayers and indicted real estate developer Tony Rezko, whose name is littered throughout the criminal complaint.

This story is far from over, and I suspect Blagojevich may just sing like a songbird. What cockroaches come crawling out will be the best thing going since All My Children.

The media never pressed the issue of the associations of Obama during the campaign, leaving it to the likes of bloggers, conservative radio talk show hosts and right winged pundits. I hammered it home to all 7 of my readers (1, 2) repeatedly. Now, it appears the media is doing damage control attacking those who now question these alliances. These actions would make Edward R. Murrow turn over in his grave. In Chicago, as the Gravedancer's company files for bankruptcy, there is much grave turning going on.

Watching The Wheels

Beatle John Lennon was murdered by a complete moron outside his upper west side Dakota apartment building in New York City 28 years ago today. On the 25th anniversary of Lennon's death in 2005, I joined tens of thousands of fans in a tribute held in Strawberry Field in Central Park.

The news of Lennon's death, which obviously occurred before the current 24 hour news cycle, was brought to the attention of most Americans by Howard Cosell on an ABC Broadcast of Monday Night Football between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins. A very sad day for us all.

Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Oklahoma 12-1, 2
2. Florida 12-1, 4
3. Texas 11-1, 3
4. Alabama 12-1, 1
5. Southern Cal 11-1, 5
6. Utah 12-0, 6
7. Texas Tech 11-1, 7
8. Penn State 11-1, 8
9. Boise State 12-0, 9
10. Ohio State 10-2, 11
11. Oklahoma State 9-3, 11
12. Texas Christian 10-2, 13
13. Cincinnati 11-2, 14
14. Georgia Tech 9-3, 15
15. Georgia 9-3, 16
16. Brigham Young 10-2, 18
17. Virginia Tech 8-4, 20
18. Mississippi 8-4, 21
19. Missouri 9-4, 19
20. Oregon 9-3, 22
21. Pittsburgh 9-3, 23
22. Nebraska 8-4, 24
23. Florida State 8-4, 25
24. Boston College 9-4, 17
25. Ball State 12-1, 12

VOTES: Michigan State, California,Northwestern, Iowa, West Virginia, Clemson, South Carolina, Oregon State, Kansas, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Louisiana State and North Carolina State.

Alabama hung tough and delivered some early second half blows taking the lead, but behind Tim Tebow (photo from Al.com), the Gators proved much too strong and took out the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game in Atlanta. At times, Bama seemed to be winning the battle in the trenches, but Florida was able to make the big plays when they needed to, and now they get to face OU for the national Title.

Oklahoma scored 60 for the fifth consecutive game, an NCAA record, in completely dismantling Missouri in the Big XII title game at Arrowhead in Kansas City. OU has suffered some injuries on defense, but if you are scoring 60, who cares. Sooner tailback Demarco Murray got injured, so we will see how that plays out, but it should be a great game.

Virginia Tech played Beamer Ball and took it to Boston College in the ACC game in front of light crowd in Tampa. If only FSU could have made it.....West Virginia survived a snow game at home to dump South Florida, who has had a very disappointing season....USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will take over at Washington, who got blasted by Cal 48-7 and needs a lot of help....Mike Stoops got a big win as Arizona strong armed Arizona State, who really underachieved.

The Coaching Carousel

Last fall, in the aftermath of Rich Rodriguez's rather puzzling bolt from West Virginia to Michigan, Florida State fans had a weekend of uneasiness as offensive coordinator and "coach in waiting" Jimbo Fisher was strongly considered for the job at Morgantown, which is close to where his mother resides.

Now, with an opening at Auburn (it is like a soap opera out on the plains), where Fisher spent time as an assistant under Terry Bowden, rumors persist that FSU is in yet another battle to keep Fisher, even though agreements were made after last year to prohibit this type of flirting.

Who knows what is going on behind the scenes? If Jimbo is a Nole, than great. If not, he should be on his way. What I do know is I have grown tired of these developments.

At any rate, it looks as though Florida State is heading to the Champs (Tangerine) Bowl here in beautiful downtown Orlando. Back in 1958, FSU was scheduled to take on Buffalo in the Tangerine Bowl, but the The Orlando High School Athletic Association, leaseholder of the stadium, would only allow Buffalo to participate if it left the two African American players on the team home. The Elks Lodge, sponsors of the game, protested this ruling to no avail. Buffalo's coach let the team vote, and they unanimously rejected the bid, for they were a team and would not be the team if they did not have all their players. ESPN recently did an outstanding lengthy story on this.

Buffalo had since endured decades of losing and had never been to another bowl game, until 2008. Former Nebraska all star quarterback and later assistant coach Turner Gill was hired two years ago. Since joining the MAC conference in 1999, the Bulls were 9-56 in conference play prior to last season where the Bulls, even with a 5-7 record, shared the divisional title.

The outstanding coaching job Gill has done has not gone unnoticed. On Friday night, Buffalo defeated previously undefeated Ball State, who has two first round NFL draft picks on their offense in quarterback Nate Davis and tight end Darrius Hill, to capture the MAC Championship. Buffalo will finally be bowling, led by an African American coach, who as gifted as an athlete he was, is even a better person. What goes around comes around.

Should Jimbo Fisher take the money and run to Auburn, it would be a serious blow to Florida State as the 'Noles would have to start from scratch searching for a replacement for the legendary Bobby Bowden and the recruiting implications could be staggering. Hopefully Fisher stays put, but if he does leave, I know how to do some quick damage control, and that would be to hire Turner Gill as the new coach in waiting. Someone is fixin to, and for darn good reason.

The Christmas Sweater

Sick, twisted freaks that we are, the family and I caught up with Glenn Beck on his tour of The Christmas Sweater in Orlando this evening. Beck will be performing the stage show of The Christmas Sweater Friday night in The Villages, a community development just north of Orlando.

Beck is a quite a storyteller, interjecting raw emotion with a sharp wit, and the story of The Christmas Sweater is one of redemption the whole family can enjoy. If you cannot make the stage show this weekend, plan to hit the show as it is played on over 1000 theaters nationwide on December 17, 2008. It will be time well spent!!

Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Alabama 12-0, 1
2. Oklahoma 11-1, 2
3. Texas 11-1, 3
4. Florida 11-1, 4
5. Southern Cal 10-1, 5
6. Utah 12-0, 6
7. Texas Tech 11-1, 7
8. Penn State 11-1, 8
9. Boise State 12-0, 9
10. Ohio State 10-2, 13
11. Oklahoma State 9-3, 10
12. Ball State 12-0, 14
13. Texas Christian 10-2, 15
14. Cincinnati 10-2, 16
15. Georgia Tech 9-3, 17
16. Georgia 9-3, 12
17. Boston College 9-3, 18
18. Brigham Young 10-2, 20
19. Missouri 9-3, 11
20. Virginia Tech 8-4, 21
21. Mississippi 8-4, 23
22. Oregon 9-3, NR
23. Pittsburgh 8-3, NR
24. Nebraska 8-4, 24
25. Florida State 8-4 19

OUT: Northwestern and Oregon State.
VOTES: Northwestern, Oregon State, LSU, West Virginia, Michigan State, Iowa, Western Michigan, North Carolina, North Carolina State, California and Kansas.

At Neyland Staduim last night, Tennessee defeated Kentucky in "The All Cheerleader Bowl" while a grand celebration took place honoring Coach Phil Fulmer's last game as the Volunteers coach. Of course, it was the Tennessee brass that ousted Fulmer in the first place, so it seemed less than heartfelt. They did this to Johnny Majors to usher in Fulmer, and now it appears Lane Kiffin is the new Vol coach fresh from being fired by the Oakland Raiders. Kiffin may be great but it is indeed a gamble, as was the last Raiders castoff diving into a top program as Nebraska found out with Bill Callahan. Things are rough all around at Rocky Top these days, as evidenced by the following story via The Wiz of Odds and GoVolsXtra.

Sylvester Croom is out at Mississippi State, fresh of a 0-45 pounding at the hands of rival Ole Miss. Perhaps this move needed to take place, but certainly Croom deserves credit for running his program the right way, and his devotion to his players was admirably noticeable. Could this be the place Terry Bowden re-emerges?.....Bill Snyder has returned to the helm at Kansas State, and although Snyder is a great coach who turned the Mildcats into the Wildcats, it will be real interesting so see if he can do it again.
FSU WIDEOUT BERT REED SLIPS TO THE TURF/PHOTO TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Obviously, the Florida Gators are a championship calibur team and it appeared equally as obvious they had too much for Florida State to contend with. But, FSU continued to display a lack of ability to execute offensively and adjust to gaps defensively. Worse yet, wide open receivers were dropping the ball while Florida receivers were wide open. This can only lead to a whippin, and that is what us in the Garnet and Gold got. Everyone is quick to suggest the game has passed Bowden by, but he is not coordinating the offense or defense. Both Ponder and Richardson tossed interceptions to the same position defender on the same play that they did back against Wake Forest in week 3, another loss. I would have hoped we could at a minimum correct these particular plays, but apparently not. There has been improvement scoring in the red zone over the season, but unfortunately we have also improved in jumping offsides at critical times, and it will and can get you beat. I don't know if ole Mickey Andrews or the Seminole defenders ever even saw the Gator tight end, who walked open for two touchdowns. Plenty visible through the rain drops from section 29. Not to impressive.

Kansas, behind a great effort by signal caller Todd Reesing, upended Missouri in Columbia. Tiger Coach Gary Pinkel just signed a contract extension, but I do not know who underachieved more this year, Missouri or Georgia, who took it on the chin in Athens as the Ramblin Wreck unleashed a rushing arsenal rarely seen of late....Speaking of underachieving, we cannot leave out Auburn, who got shoutout 36-0 in the Iron Bowl by powerful Alabama and LSU, who dropped one to a weak Arkansas team....Gator fans were chanting SEC, SEC in the stands versus FSU but they should just focus on their fine team because the ACC went 3-1 against the SEC over the weekend, with Clemson, Wake Forest and Ga. Tech winning while FSU lost....Oklahoma continued to put up 60 points per game against quality opponents, this week smashing a very sound Oklahoma State team in Stillwater....Boise State hung 61 on Fresno State, flexing some muscle....Could there be an opening in South Bend? The Irish got manhandled by Southern Cal barely posting a handful of first downs. It was quite a spectacle....Oregon scored at will and ruined Oregon State's dream of playing in the Rose Bowl, who no doubt were thrilled....All eyes will be on Florida vs. Alabama next week. I would be surprised if the Gators don't win easily. Alabama has met Florida every single time the Tide has played in the SEC title game....Baylor scared Texas Tech behind frosh signal caller Robert Griffith III. Baylor may be a problem for some teams in 2009, so take any points you can get with the Bears behind Griffith....Very early to look at 2009 but if Tebow stays, it will be Florida at preseason number 1....Congratulations to Turner Gill, who has done the unthinkable and put Buffalo in the MAC title game and a bowl game. Gill could claim coach of the year honors, but one would have to strongly consider Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech.

The spread offense is really intriguing. Scores of games are way up as defenses are having a great deal of trouble stopping these offenses. If you don't dominate the line of scrimmage with your defensive line or have a lock down corner or two on defense, you better have a standout offense, cause you cannot win otherwise. The dropback Dan Marino quarterbacks are gone, replaced by hybrid signal callers with equal running and passing skills, like Tim Tebow, for example. The Big XII is full of them, and it seems to be the fad at least for now. The defensive mind who figures out how to stop this will write his own ticket.

Henerey Hit It!

'HUSKER KICKER ALEX HENERY HITS 57 YARD FG TO OVERTAKE COLORADO/AP PHOTO

Nebraska's Alex Henery hit a school record 57 yard field goal on 4th & 25 to grab a late lead the 'Huskers never surrendered from a very inspired Colorado team. This was a big win for the Cornhuskers as they take a big step toward restoring the order by finishing the regular season with an 8-4 record. GBR!

The End of Prosperity?

I had a chance to visit with Wall Street Journal Editorial Board member and senior economics writer Stephen Moore at a local forum on Friday.

Moore, a frequent guest on CNBC's Kudlow & Company and The Glenn Beck Program, is the author, along with Dr. Arthur Laffer and Peter J. Tanous, of the new book The End of Prosperity: How Higher Taxes Will Doom The Economy If We Let It Happen.

Moore left no stone unturned in his economic commentary, complete with charts and graphs, detailing how a high tax and anti-growth environment will lead this country to unnecessary economic hardship. Unfortunately, this is the rhetoric put forth by President-elect Barack Obama. We can all only hope that the incoming administration, given the turmoil our economy is in, will at a minimum pause on some of the tax policies they campaigned on.

The conference was over before news of the selection of New York Federal Reserve President Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary became public. Geithner is a free trade guy, with international experience who has been working closely with the FED in the recent rescue efforts that have taken place during the current economic cirsis. At the end of the day I think this is a good decision by The Obama transition team, one that could provide stability and perhaps curtail much of the uncertainty gripping the markets.

In his comments in Orlando, Moore indicated that he thought the Treasury Secretary would be the most important figure going forward for the next two years or so. Moore was back from the forum in time to join Larry Kudlow on CNBC Reports Kudlow & Company for a round table with Jared Bernstein, Robert Reich and Jimmy Pethokoukis on the markets, the potential implosion of Citigroup and the nomination of Geithner.

Rolle's Rhode Traveled A Great Success

Florida State University junior strong safety Myron Rolle on Saturday became one of 32 students across the country to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, perhaps the most prestigious award a student can achieve. Rolle, who missed most of the first half of the game at Maryland due to the interviewing process held in Birmingham, Alabama, arrived at Byrd Stadium and after hugs from his parents, received a standing ovation from the FSU faithful when he emerged late in the second quarter. An official congratulates Rolle during the game at Maryland Saturday.(AP Photo)
"I feel very fortunate to have been selected as a Rhodes Scholar," Rolle said. "I've learned so much just by going through the process of application and interviews, and I am a better person for it. The interview process requires candidates to evaluate their long-term goals and plans, and it has made me think about how I can make the most impact in terms of service to society. The whole experience has been inspiring, and I appreciate the assistance of so many faculty and staff at Florida State as well as the encouragement and support of my football coaches."

"Florida State University's most treasured values of strength, skill and character live in Myron Rolle," said FSU President T.K. Wetherell. "He is a remarkable young man and a tremendous example for all of our students. The entire Florida State community joins me in congratulating him on this wonderful accomplishment."

Basketballers Tom McMillen of Maryland and Senator Bill Bradley of Princeton join quarterback Pat Haden of USC, Heisman Trophy winner and General Pete Dawkins of Army and Byron "Whizzer" White of Colorado as notable atheltic winners. Other winners include US Supreme Court justice David Souter, Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana and former President Bill Clinton.

Rolle is the fourth Florida State student to receive this honor. Everyone associated with Florida State University is very proud of Myron and celebrate this honor with him and his family. Congratulations Myron, job well done!

Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Alabama 11-0, 1
2. Oklahoma 10-1, 4
3. Texas 10-1, 3
4. Florida 10-1, 5
5. Southern Cal 9-1, 6
6. Utah 12-0, 7
7. Texas Tech 10-1, 2
8. Penn State 11-1, 8
9. Boise State 11-0, 9
10. Oklahoma State 9-2, 10
11. Missouri 9-2, 11
12. Georgia 9-2, 12
13. Ohio State 10-2, 13
14. Ball State 11-0, 14
15. Texas Christian 10-2, 15
16. Cincinnati 9-2, 19
17. Georgia Tech 8-3, 24
18. Boston College 8-3, 25
19. Florida State 8-3, NR
20. Brigham Young 10-2, 16
21. Virginia Tech 7-4, NR
22. Oregon State 8-3, NR
23. Mississippi 7-4, NR
24. Nebraska 7-4, NR
25. Northwestern 9-3, NR

OUT: Pittsburgh, Miami, Michigan State, No. Carolina, Louisiana State and Maryland
VOTES: Western Michigan, Michigan State, No. Carolina, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Miami, California, Oregon, Louisiana State, Iowa and West Virginia.

Previously unbeaten Texas Tech ran into a buzzsaw at Norman, Oklahoma as the OU Sooners took the Red Raiders to the woodshed. The level of domination by OU indicates they are the class of the Big XII South, even though they did fall to Texas in the Red River Shootout. Should the Sooners get by Okie State this Saturday, the BCS will determine whether Texas or OU face Missouri (provided the 'Horns beat the hapless Aggies of A&M). Texas Tech ain't going after giving up 65, and it could have been much worse. It looks like OU may play the Florida-Alabama winner for the championship, and that should be be fun.

I have to conclude that up in South Bend there is some real head scratching going on. Unless something happens real soon, and I see no visible evidence, the Charlie Weis era is going to end as a complete failure. Notre Dame was supposed to be decent this season, but after a humiliating home loss to a we posted the flag at rock bottom Syracuse team, a potential Gator Bowl trip now looks like bowl watching on HD from the couch. The Florida Times Union and the Florida Today has already made mention of it, but could feelers to Urban Meyer be emerging soon?

Louisiana State has fallen off considerably since their title a year ago, and much of the problem is at quarterback. The Tigers were clocked at home by upstart Ole Miss, where the strong hiring of Houston Nutt could well settle the Rebels in a good spot for a couple of decades....What is up is down and down is up in a very entertaining ACC Conference in 2008. An emerging North Carolina, who has looked very strong on occasion this season, got clobbered at home by N. C. State, and I am not sure anyone saw that coming while Florida State smothered Maryland at College Park. The Terps have beaten five ranked teams in a row but have gone 500 against unranked teams. This week, FSU was not ranked....Utah dusted BYU and laid claim to a spot in the BCS, which I think they deserve.....Things went far from well at Michigan this year, and one has to wonder if RichRod is the right guy.....Ohio State and Penn State are head and shoulders above the other Big 10 teams......Georgia Tech ran roughshod over Miami, resembling Nebraska over Duke in'75 as The Wizard proclaimed (Nebraska is 0-1 versus Duke, having got spanked 34-7 in 1954 Orange Bowl). The 'Canes got blown over and it was not pretty......Speaking of Duke, David Cutcliffe has done a great job over there as the Blue Devils are very much improved.....Wisconsin barely, and I mean barely, got by Cal-Poly (who?), 36-35 in 2OT, avoiding untold embarrassment, the likes not seen since Montana State took out Colorado....Nobody wants any part of Florida about now, but unfortunately, they come to Tallahassee this weekend.

BAHL's Babes: Rena Sofer

This stunning actress is one of those actors where you may not know them by name, but you have seen them many times in various projects. Rena Sofer is one of those individuals.

She first became known for her work on ABC's Loving and later on ABC's General Hospital. She is a Daytime Emmy Award winner, capturing that honor in 1995.

Sofer has since starred in many programs, including Seinfeld, Blind Justice, The Chronicle, Melrose Place and Heroes.

She has been in many movies, but may be best known for her work with Ben Stiller in Keeping The Faith.












Rena Sofer was spotlighted at this particular time because you may have an opportunity to catch her over the Thanksgiving Holiday on ABC's Dirty Sexy Money and perhaps on Fox's 24 as she portrays Marilyn Bauer, (pictured above right).

NASCAR 2009 Recap

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson for recording his third consecutive Sprint Cup Championship in his Rick Hendrick owned Lowes Chevrolet Impala SS. This is a very impressive feat, for sure.

It was not such a good year for my favorite driver, 2000 Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte, pilot of King Richard Petty's famed #43 Cherrios Dodge Charger. Labonte scored only 1 top ten finish in '08, which is performance they cannot be proud of. Petty Enterprises is underfunded when compared with the mega NASCAR teams from Richard Childress, Jack Roush, Joe Gibbs and Roger Penske. Even so, I had hoped to see some improvement in 2008, but it never materialized. For 2009, Petty has lost Cheerios as it's sponsor and as of now there has been no news of potential new sponsors, and given the current economic climate, the prognosis for one is not good.

In fact, the current economic conditions cast doubt about what the automobile industry, let alone NASCAR, may look like in 2009. At this time (see previous blog entry), the Big 3 automakers are fighting for survival begging for cash assistance on Capitol Hill. One or more of the Big 3 may not survive, and from a NASCAR perspective, this would not be good.

Currently, Dodge, Toyota (TM:NYSE), Ford (F:NYSE) and Chevrolet (division of GM:NYSE) are the manufacturers competing on the circuit. I cannot contemplate NASCAR without Ford and Chevy competing out there on the high banks. Can you? In addition, suppliers to the Big 3 and NASCAR, like Goodyear (GT:NYSE), could be severely impacted to the negative.

NASCAR is doing what it can to lobby for assistance for the Big 3 by seeking public commentary from owners and drivers alike. NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., commented
“All I ever raced is Chevrolet. They’ve been with me throughout my entire career and have supported everything I have done. Now I want to do everything I can to support them. I have awesome fans and I hope they will reach out to our leaders in Washington to help Chevy and our other domestic car makers. There is nothing more American than Chevrolet and we need to make sure it stays that way.” Contrary to public opinion, many of the drivers are politically astute and have a handle on current events taking place in America. Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson were recently guests on CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer.

Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick, all Chevrolet drivers, have all issued public commentary on the subject, and many of the drivers and owners own car dealerships.

As the economic conditions in the country began to deteriorate, one could easily notice empty seats at tracks all along the circuit and television ratings were down significantly as well. International Speedway Corp., (ISCA:NASDAQ), owners of NASCAR, have seen their stock price cut in half over the last year, although they are in good company on the street. Thankfully, for once, I got out before the drop when I noticed the empty seats.

With the economic storm we are facing, there could be big changes in the NASCAR world by the time Speedweeks comes calling in February. I hear a meeting of NASCAR movers and shakers took place in Charlotte this week to discuss what may be on the horizon and how to deal with the changes. I am a stock market investor and I am astonished at the carnage we all are witnessing on Wall Street. This damage is one for the ages, and the unfortunate negative impact on things we all love, like NASCAR, may be lasting. Then again, I have no idea what I am having for lunch tomorrow, so things could turn around by next week.

Conditional Bailout Presents Rare Chance

The economic events of the last several quarters have been exhausting and have inflicted immense pain on many Americans, yours truly included. Obviously, although I am sure well intended, much of the governmental action, particularly in the form of orchestrating bailouts, has not been successful as Wall Street remains in freefall. Today's action suggest a very serious test of the recent lows and a break of those lows with any sort of conviction could send the DOW into the 6000's. Not pretty.

The issues facing the treasury and The FED are massive, and I recognize the simplicity of arm chair quarterbacking without keen insight to the information these agencies are dealing with. However, I would like to comment on the potential bailout the Big 3 automakers, GM (GM:NYSE), Ford (F:NYSE) and Chrysler. I will attempt to be brief, but it is an extremely complex problem.

First, almost daily on CNBC and FOX Business, I repeatedly hear a host or a guest fire the comment out that these firms do not make quality vehicles the public would want. This is total bullshit! I personally own a Chevrolet SUV and a Pontiac sedan and both are superb, particularly the Pontiac GXP. Both have over 60K miles and not withstanding the Goodyear (GT:NYSE) Racing Eagles I have had to replace, I have not spent over $1000 combined on these vehicles. Good God, I hope I did not just curse myself.
GENERAL MOTORS 2009 PONTIAC G8 SEDAN, MOTOR TREND CAR OF THE YEAR FINALIST

The problems the automakers face has nothing to do with a lack of product quality or vision for design and appeal of the current or future vehicles. In fact, outside of Chrysler's Bob Nardelli, who ran Home Depot (HD:NYSE) into the ground, the management is not all that bad in my view. The automaker CEO's do have a pink elephant in the room; the unions.


The automakers were running on the tightest of margins, hampered by governmental regulation, taxes, tariffs, global climate change initiatives (no, I am not kidding) CAFE and emission standards and union demands that are completely illogical and lack any sort of flexibility. They maintain the margins by relying on the consumer to continue turning over inventory every five years or so as outlined by analyst modeling based on long term data. BOOM, the housing market fell off a cliff and consumers got caught up in, with ironic apologies to The Motor City Madman Ted Nugent, a stranglehold.

With consumer expendable income squeezed dry, big ticket purchases are the first thing to be placed on the sideline. Demand for these items has not gone away, but quantity demanded has fallen off a cliff due to skyrocketing gas prices (which have since subsided but the consumer has zero confidence they won't soon return), uncertainty about the economic near term future and the extreme difficulty in obtaining credit, which is the lifeblood to our consumer driven economy. No consumers mean no revenue and with that comes the instant inability to reach those already razor thin margins, and it is not even close.

So, should they be left to wilt under fire and cease to exist, crushing thousands of jobs and creating a untold tiered ripple effect. Without some serious revisions to business as usual, yes.

However, we are presented with an opportunity at this time, and our representatives on the hill should take full advantage of it.

Organized labor under The United Auto Workers is the main culprit hampering the industry in the effort to be competitive with foreign automakers, particularly those with plants in the United States. Legacy costs create a burden that is estimated to represent over $2000 per vehicle in additional costs which in this extremely competitive environment is just a killer. Union contracts force the automakers to pay inflated wages which creates inefficient market conditions which are unsustainable. Blogger Mark Perry, Economics professor at The University of Michigan (Flint campus), provides a chart of the breakdown on his Carpe Diem blog.

Recent negotiations between the Big 3 and the UAW have planted mustard seeds as incoming workers are paid competitive wages while the legacy costs are estimated to fall off dramatically over the next decade. I did recognize that at the table before the congress along with the CEO's of the Big 3 was the UAW representative. It is not the Big 4, or is it? Against the backdrop of bankruptcy, the UAW rep really does not have dog in this hunt. Part of the existing UAW contracts indicate a certain level of paid hours of workers, regardless of fluctuations in quantity demanded and production levels. Would you run your bakery or hardware store like that? Should a bailout, or workout as former Mass Gov. Mitt Romney (R) puts it, move forward, major concessions should come from the UAW. In fact, they promote inefficiency, are unnecessary and should cease to exist in my view.

The government also places tariffs on intercontinental automobile trading, giving foreign competitors a significant competitive advantage. Since trade agreements must be adhered to until the time period of the agreement is exhausted, perhaps Uncle Sam should issue tax incentives to consumers who purchase US autos? This could work, but the issue of consumer credit must be solved or there will be no buyers to grab that incentive.

The government has already signed off to give the automakers 25 million to predominantly deal with the emission standards the government has placed upon the automakers. I know I will be labeled on par with a holocaust denier to speak out that global climate change is a farce, but in light of limited evidence to the contrary (record low in Orlando this morning), perhaps the government could suspend, or I may recommend, eliminate, these cumbersome regulatory restraints and directives? At any rate, with bankruptcy looming, they could use that money to stay alive.

All three US automakers are making impressive progress in fuel efficient vehicles, and most of the GM fleet gets over 30 MPG. The Chevrolet Volt, shown below, should be a huge seller.

GM INNOVATION IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES COMES TO THE CONSUMER IN 2010 WITH THE CHEVY VOLT

I had to laugh watching Chris Dodd and Barney Frank presiding over the hearings with the Big 3 CEO's. If the housing crisis did not unfold, the automakers would not be in the position the currently find themselves in, and Frank and Dodd were asleep at the wheel as that problem emerged (would the fine folks of Connecticut and Massachusetts please toss these corrupt idiots out of office?). Governmental regulatory intervention and organized labor eliminate any fighting chance the Big 3 have to competitively emerge from this debacle. These barriers to competitiveness should be eliminated yesterday.

Since the government contributed to the cause of the problems that saddle the Big 3, government should assist them in the way out, and then get the hell out of the way! The auto industry is not a normal business, and it's importance to America is quite significant. I think some sort of workout, either a bankruptcy with a partial governmental backstop or a bailout/workout with a conservator (Romney?) is necessary as I fear the aftermath and costs of complete failure significantly surpasses that of a workout.

But if the Big 3 are going to take the taxpayers money, they must adhere to conditions, and those would include but not be limited to elimination of the UAW, the restructuring and rewriting of current union contracts, elimination of duplicate models (Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice, for example) and the reduction in the amount of dealerships (which does not necessarily include the elimination of product lines). If bankruptcy is the option taken, the government should be cognizant of the effect on warranties (would require some sort of backstop) and the potential impact of the tiered suppliers which could be severely damaged or lost in the ripple effect, including companies like Johnson Controls (JCI:NYSE) and Lear Corporation (LEA:NYSE). Evaluating the landscape on this issue, I find a workout of some sort is critical to our economy at this time.

I find it poetic that during green week, partly because government has forced the industry to spend unnecessarily on green initiatives, we need to pass out armored cars full of greenbacks. A vicious circle indeed. It makes you want to pull the hair out of your head and set yourself on fire.

After that depressing commentary, for our listening pleasure I present Ford truck owner and Detroit native, The Motor City Madman Ted Nugent, with Stranglehold.

Media Malfeasance

Anymore, I get up in the morning wondering when Mr. Scott beamed me to a somewhat synchronized planet because my America is damn near unrecognizable these days.

Among the many items of note is the jumping of the shark, scratch that, the metamorphosis, of the news media and the extreme bias they demonstrated during this election. Regardless of which side you party on, you would agree the media has somewhat of a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens of this country not to blatantly attempt to direct the flow of news related information in a biased manner. They continue to fail miserably.

This video by John Zeigler on his site How Obama Got Elected, posted everywhere, is shocking to some but exactly what I suspected:



On the 30th anniversary of the tragic mass suicide among followers of Peoples Temple religious cult leader Jim Jones, we recognize, or so I think, how powerful voices can strongly influence trusting folks whom they empower with false or misleading information. It just happened again, and thankfully there has been no loss of life because of it. Yet.

The news media should be held accountable, for this is not about advertising dollars! This is about our country, and the lives of our children. They do not care, which I guess is why I was on the side of Country First and they were not.

A Raucous Radio Factor

Last week, while Bill O'Reilly was absent from "The Radio Factor", FOX News ladies Lis Wiehl and E.D. Hill sat in and held a discussion on the uproar surrounding the unsourced reports about the academic prowess and readiness for higher office of GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin. As followers of the blog recognize, I am a fan of Sarah Palin and was before and after John McCain named her his running mate.

E. D. Hill, former co-host of Fox and Friends, supported Palin, accurately recognizing that Palin raises a family and faces issues most
normal American citizens face. Hill notes that Palin is anti-establishment, uses a barometer of common sense and does not subscribe to the normal politicking we see in the high levels of government. Palin is a graduate of The University of Idaho, not Harvard or Amherst. An intelligent, normal person. Sign me up!

Lis Wiehl, who although no doubt intelligent as she is a quite accomplished attorney and I am sure a very nice individual, is perhaps the most naive radio and television personality I can think of. Wiehl represents elitism in my view. Lis stated felt she could have tea with Palin, although I am quite sure Palin does not meet elitist for tea. She commented that due to Palin being an outsider not possessing the Ivy League degree she could not intelligently handle the extreme decision making that accompanies the office of the president, all the while discounting the lack of experience Obama has since he is the chosen one. Wiehl has no clue about fly over America.

The interaction was just incredible, and it was quite easy to pick your side in this discussion. Give me E. D. Hill and Sarah Palin any day over naive chicks like Wiehl.

Unfortunately, I may be in the minority as TV Newser reports that E. D. Hill will not be retained by Fox News at the conclusion of her contract. She recently made what some considered to be a distasteful remark about the fist pumping by Barack and Michelle Obama. Hill calling it like she sees it is one of the things I appreciate about her most.

I think FOX dropped the wrong contributor in this case. Keep those elbows flying E.D. and good luck!

Run Like Hell

Investors Business Daily, editorializing about potential cabinet members of President-elect Barack Obama, has put forth an alarming scenario which every American citizen should read in Another Brick In "The Wall".

Among those being considered by the Obama transition team for the post of Attorney General (a post likely to have gone to Rudolph Giuliani had McCain won) is former Clinton administration member Jamie Gorelick. As IBD accurately points out, this woman has the distinction of being negatively involved in the conditions that allowed 9-11 to take place and how the housing crisis to unfolded. Gorelick, as a member of the 9-11 commission, displayed a level of arrogance not commonly witnessed given her actions in placing the "wall" between governmental agencies prohibiting the "connecting of the dots".

Adding to idiocy, she spent several years, pocketing millions, as a board member of Fannie Mae, along with Jim Johnson and under CEO Franklin Raines, both of whom are former Clinton administration players and Obama advisors. Can you imagine?

For the love of Pete, could we please keep this woman away from things that negatively affect our children's future?

Anyhow, IBD slams her finger in the door, as well they should, particularly since the conductors of the Obama train, or the mainstream media, won't.

If she wins this position, Run Like Hell!

Top 25

College Football

Top 25

1. Alabama 11-0, 1
2. Texas Tech 10-0, 2
3. Texas 10-1, 3
4. Oklahoma 9-1, 4
5. Florida 9-1, 5
6. Southern Cal 9-1. 6
7. Utah 11-0, 7
8. Penn State 10-1, 8
9. Boise State 10-0, 9
10. Oklahoma State 9-2, 10
11. Missouri 9-2, 11
12. Georgia 9-2, 12
13. Ohio State 9-2, 13
14. Ball State 10-0, 14
15. Texas Christian 9-2, 16
16. Brigham Young 10-1, 17
17. Michigan State 9-2, 20
18. Louisiana State 7-3, 19
19. Cincinnati 8-2, 22
20. Pittsburgh 7-2, 21
21. Miami, FL 7-3, NR
22. Maryland 7-3, NR
23. North Carolina 7-3, 15
24. Georgia Tech 7-3, 23
25. Boston College 7-3, NR

OUT: Florida State, Wake Forest, South Carolina.
VOTES: Florida State, Oregon, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Western Michigan, California.

Florida bomb blasted South Carolina 56-6, handing former Gator and current Gamecock Coach Steve Spurrier his worst loss ever. And South Carolina is generally thought to be a strong defensive team. Who knows, but what is clear that when this team wants to get after it offensively, they are impossible to defend. Florida is on a collision course with top ranked Alabama in a hide the women and children SEC Championship Game.

Michigan, with Ohio State looming this weekend, has lost 8 games in a season for the first time in their storied history....Troy led LSU 31-3 but could not hold it as LSU stormed back in the final quarter to win 40-31....Miami FL has taken command in the ACC Coastal playing very limited offense all year.....Meanwhile, Florida State continues to excel on either one side of the ball only or neither side, as was the case last evening as a rather pedestrian Boston College resembled a vintage San Francisco 49er team in confusing our talented? defense. This lack of cohesion is really getting difficult to absorb, particularly when considering the veteran coaching staff and player talent on hand. Somehow, I managed to avoid the police in all my goings on cruising chicks at The Musical Moon and have not thrown any chairs either.....Vanderbilt is bowl eligible after dumping Kentucky, so congrats to the 'Dores....Although they got by an average Auburn team, Georgia is not playing very well. In fact, outside of Florida and Alabama, the SEC seems rather weak....Mercifully, Greg Robinson has been axed at Syracuse. His tenure there has been nothing short of a disaster, and what Syracuse was thinking dumping Paul Pasqualoni some years back remains puzzling as the program has hit rock bottom.....President elect Barack Obama has thrown his two cents into the college football playoff debate commenting that he would be in favor of an eight team playoff. I am hoping we limit the items he is going to screw up and keep this beloved game away from his influence.....We await two big games this week as Texas Tech visits Norman to take on OU while BYU and Utah tangle out west....Texas A&M got slapped by Baylor behind the standout frosh signal caller leading the Bears and A&M is really struggling....Nebraska threw up over 600 yards of O in crushing K-State, where it does appear a coaching change is a sound move. Mr. Mouth Josh Freeman left the game after being battered all afternoon....Texas, behind Colt McCoy and a stellar no name defense, does look very good this year and has now won 10 games in 8 consecutive seasons, the longest current streak and ties for the second longest in modern history....Tulsa, ranked for much of the season, gave up 70 to conference foe Houston, which perhaps indicates why they are no longer ranked.