Blog Jambalaya – Quick thoughts on Paterno, Gingrich, the Super Bowl, and more

This weekend was amazingly busy in terms of news and events, and I wanted to at least get some thoughts on all of them, but I didn’t really want to dedicate an entire post to any one of them. Thus, Blog Jambalaya!(basically just an extended version of “Thoughts at the Closing Bell”)

• On the news of Joe Paterno’s death yesterday, my wife turned to me and said, “I feel bad for him.” She was somewhat taken aback by my response of “I’m not.” I realize how callous that may sound, but let me explain. He spent forty-some years as the face of Penn St. football. He won two national championships, and built the school into a powerhouse. Through a combination of  own donations and the giving he was able to attract to the campus, he turned Penn St. into a research powerhouse. He built a program up that churned out hundred of men who became leaders of business and politics in the country. Joe, it should also be noted, was a devout Catholic, a member of the Knights of Columbus even. Unfortunately, like the church he loved, he decided to turn blind eye when allegations were brought to him that someone in his midst was abusing children. It’s not surprising, many men of his generation and background found issues like that “too uncomfortable” to deal with head on, and his own recent interview revealed as much. Joe Paterno died a mere two months after quitting and then revealing his cancer battle. He knew when he turned his eye blind towards those allegations that the chickens might eventually come home to roost; lucky for him, he only had to deal with it a short time. He built an amazing legacy, and while this scandal will taint it, it cannot erase or remove it. So no, I do not feel sorry for him particularly. He was blessed with an amazing life that, like so many of us, had both its moments of pride and it’s moments of shame. His family, though? I do feel sorrow for them, because they will have the dual remorse of their father’s death and their father’s moment of moral faltering thrown in their faces while they deal with their grief. To them, I give me thoughts and prayers.
• Newt Gingrich pulled off the surprise win of the election cycle so far, roaring back from disappointing finishes in both Iowa and New Hampshire to finish first in South Carolina with a whopping 40% of the vote. That’s even slightly better than Mitt did in NH, a state he claimed as a second home! What does this tell us? 1) The evangelical/hardline conservative vote in the South does not trust Mitt, bottom-line. Today, Joe Scarborough mentioned on “Morning Joe” that he grew up in the evangelical South and that it’s a false narrative that evangelicals distrust Mormons. Umm, Joe, I was the son of an evangelical preacher and grew up in an Assemblies of God church in Alabama – evangelicals DEFINITELY don’t trust Mormons, and do consider them a cult. 2) The twin desire to beat Obama, but also give the finger to the “establishment” of the party may in fact propel Newt the whole way, despite his shortcomings. I present for example – Newt’s ex-wife (his 2nd wife overall) gave an interview that Newt asked for an open marriage after revealing that he’d been having an affair with Calista for six years, and the evangelicals still overwhelmingly supported Newt. Seriously, if he gets the nom, Republican’s forfeit the right to EVER talk about Bill Clinton’s cheating ways again. 2a) Added to point two: Given what I just said, Santorum was sitting right there as an alternative for the hard-right, a guy who would literally go to war against abortion and who has a happy marriage free of divorce: conservatives still passed and voted for Newt. If Santorum can’t win in S.C., his campaign is dead going forward, simple as that.
• So with all of that said, am I watching the debate tonight after skipping last weeks? You bet your ass I am.
• We’ve got a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl with the Patriots and the Giants bringing their talents to Indiana Beach. Both teams had to slug their ways into the game, with the Patriots benefiting from a shaky Billy Cundiff kick that lost it for the Ravens, and the Giants reaping the rewards of Ted Ginn Jr. being on the DL with a knee injury by abusing the hell out of kick return replacement Kyle Williams. I think it will be a great game, actually, and I like the Giants odds. They have just as impressive a defense as the Ravens, and a much better offense. Indianapolis fans are talking themselves into this as well, as they get to root for a Manning, and they’ll need something after putting up with gloating Patriot’s fans in the two-weeks leading up to the game. So I’m taking the Giants, 31-28.
• It’s Chinease New Year, and this year is the Year of the Dragon. It’s supposedly the luckiest of all the years, so that’s good news for everyone! However, if you are a Dragon, that’s bad news for our relationship, as I am a Dog: “Animosities and strong conflicts. Cannot trust or comprehend one another. Unable to resolve their differences. Highly incompatible.” As a side note, I just mentioned I am a Dog, and even more specifically, my sign is a Dog born in the Yang Water element time frame. Here’s a description of people born of the element Yang Water: “Water people are good communicators, writers, and intermediaries. They are pretty much always in learning mode, and love to travel. They tend to move with a fluid motion and are likely very good dancers. The Yang Water type is likely to be self-directed, expressive, and travel extensively. They are likely to be smooth talkers.” What do we think, people? Does this describe your humble author?
• Next week is our first baby shower, being thrown by Holly’s sorority sisters in Indianapolis. I’m driving Holly there, and will make an appearance to say hello and chat with the many whom I also count as friends. However, do not expect to hear me come back with stories about playing games involving toilet-paper squares. I’ll be out reading and drinking coffee by then (and yes, by coffee, I may or may not have meant a beer). *Side note – this game sounds like a HORRIBLE idea for women. “Congratulations, your belly is almost the size of a women 34-weeks pregnant!”
• This week begins my return to running and, specifically, marathon training. I’ve taken the last two-and-a-half months off to allow my legs to rest and my foot to heal (I’d developed a mild strain/hairline fracture in my right foot). My target race is the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon in Louisville, KY on April 28th, 2012.
• If we can’t believe in Heidi Klum and Seal, who can we believe in?!?!?! The Daily Beast gives us some options here.

Ok, that’s all for now, kids. One love to you all.