A Little Of This ‘n That – The Hometown View 12/5/11

A little of this and a little of that following the first weekend of December.

COLD = CHRISTMAS?

I don’t get people like my wife who insist that in order for it to feel like Christmas the weather has to get colder. As we just completed our fifth straight marvelous weekend I fall into that category that these unseasonably warm days are bonuses and will help shorten the winter. Of course that all goes out the window if we get a snowstorm or two, especially if one comes early like the last two years. Here’s hoping in this case that bad things don’t come in threes.

I guess I will never understand the reason for playing state sectional football championship games at neutral sights but I have come to accept that it’s not what I think but rather the participants. I was at Rutgers on Saturday, working and watching four games in which the largest crowd might have been around 10,000 or so. The result is little atmosphere in terms of crowd noise as you look around and see 40,000 empty seats.

I can only imagine the feeling you would have had if those games were played on home fields but if you survey the players they will tell you by a large majority that performing at High Point Solutions Stadium or one of the other neutral locations is like a dream come true.

All you have to know about how good the Green Bay Packers are is the fact the Giants played a very good game yesterday and still lost. Aaron Rodgers is playing quarterback at a level that is almost unimaginable and it seems like the Pack are destined for perfection. However it is worth nothing that the Giants lost to them 38-35 yesterday which was the same score when they lost to the undefeated Patriots at the end of the 2007 season. We know what happened weeks later when they played in the Super Bowl. Maybe the Giants will find a way to get into the playoffs and earn a second shot against Green Bay.

Reason #36 not to expect anything from the New York Mets next season. Jose Reyes has agreed on a six-year contract with the Miami Marlins and the Mets admit they never made a formal offer to their free agent shortstop. They are expected to try and lure Bud Harrelson out of retirement to replace Reyes.

It’s a Wonderful Life was on Saturday which I guess is the only time it will be shown during the holiday season. Actually it should be on every day from Thanksgiving to Christmas. 65 years old and still a classic.