DJ<p>I hope you folks reading this are having a good start to the new year. Me...I'm having a sluggish and clumsy one. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep. My sinuses are acting up due to weather as it's warmer than expected for this time of year. The sluggishness seems to have left me clumsy as I dropped some gravy after heating it up. That was fun trying to clean up...not!!! I'm just trying to stay as still as possible so I don't go tripping around all over the place today.</p><p>Since it's New Year's Day today, I thought I'd talk about football. Usually it's a college bowl day, but since NYD is on a Sunday this year, that's been pushed back a day as Sunday is NFL day during the NFL regular season. Given the expansion of the NFL schedule over the past few years (adding a bye week a few years ago then adding a 17th regular season game last season) with possibly more to come, along with an expansion of the college football playoffs starting next year, I believe, January is gonna start being a mess for football scheduling. It's gonna be tough to keep up with.</p><p>Anyway, let me get to football action from the last day. The Cleveland Browns beat the Washington Commanders a few hours ago. I'm happy about it but I'm not gonna comment on it because I missed most of it due to me trying to catch up on sleep. One more week with the Browns & Steelers playing next week and then I'm done with the NFL until the draft as the Browns are out of playoff contention. In the college football playoff game last night, the Ohio State Buckeyes lost at not just the last minute of the game but literally the last minute of 2022. Weird end to a season but, after the last couple of games OSU has played, an appropriate one.</p><p>Now, why do I say that? Yes, OSU backed their way into the playoffs. And yes, they put out a heroic effort in the game, especially QB C.J. Stroud who without many weapons on offense almost single-handedly won the the game only for the defense to let the team down. Honestly, I don't think they should've been in the game in the first place. A bowl game, yes, but not the playoffs. My feelings on this go back to the Michigan game. During that game, I noticed a major disinterest from the players not just for the game but seemingly the rivalry itself. Some of them came off like they were into having their own fun instead of being into the game or even despite the game. That has not gone unnoticed. The team was being booed by its own fans as it was a home game. The Buckeyes committed some really stupid penalties due to a lack of urgency or caring...penalties such as unsportsmanlike conduct or delay of game fouls that cost the team. After the game, at least four high-end recruits ended their commitments to playing for the Buckeyes and chose other schools to play their college careers. I had never felt embarrassed to be an Ohio State fan or an alum...at least not until the Michigan debacle. I imagine I'm not the only OSU alumnus or fan who felt like that when they saw how those players represented themselves and the university during and after the game. I thought fans might riot over it. I hadn't seen that kind of disinterest in the Michigan game by players since the John Cooper years in the 90s. I had hoped to never see that again, but here we had it back in November. All I have left to say about this is that players who pulled this crap and plan to return next season better get their collective act together and start taking the game and the rivalry more seriously because I don't want a return to the Cooper era kind of disheartened humiliation that ruined the team back in the day.</p><p>Before I go, I have a small teaser I want to tease regarding something I talked about in the last post. This is about the USFL. Next season, they are playing in multiple hubs. Two of them have been announced, Birmingham and Memphis. I heard a little tidbit about two other potential hubs, including one possible one that might change some things & some activities for me personally next season...in a very good way, I mean. I don't want to spoil what that is yet because it's unverified at this time but sufficed to say 2023 is already spoiling to be an interesting year and this could make it moreso for yours truly.</p><p>On that note, I bid you all adieu. Thank you for reading. I hope to see you again real soon. Until next time, folks, this is ya boy DJ sayin' take care, God bless, and I...am...outta here. Goodbye, everybody.</p><p>DJ</p><p><a href="https://c.im/tags/DJinRealLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>DJinRealLife</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/myreallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>myreallife</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/reallife" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>reallife</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/newyearsday" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>newyearsday</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/football" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>football</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/ohiostate" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>ohiostate</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/michigangame" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>michigangame</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/humiliation" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>humiliation</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/usfl" class="mention hashtag" rel="tag">#<span>usfl</span></a></p>