Well, we made it. Friday. Whether you’re trying to figure out what to do without football, looking forward to some college basketball or having to finally do all the projects you’d been putting off now that your wife knows football season is over–we’re here to help. Actually, that’s not true. You can’t borrow my truck, my back’s acting up and I can’t help you clean your garage and I honestly have no desire to do much of anything this weekend except destroy some good BBQ and perhaps liberate a few bottles of Shiner Bock. If that’s in your plans, give me a holler. Now, on to 5 Things.

If you agree, disagree or anything in between, let us know. We love comments. The best make it on the air. The worst certainly make it on the air.

1.  I want the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to make the NCAA Tournament. I make no apologies for my bias and anyone that knows much about me knows why. That said, right now they are on the outside looking in. In fact, they’re kinda out in the street just wandering around wondering where the window is and what that orange square on it is for…

This team still has time to make it happen. There are signature wins out there for them if they can just put the ball in the hoop and make a few free throws. A senior post player shooting better than 27% in Big 12 play would help too. (Ya, Mallard, that’s you) This team has the experience, the talent and I’d like to think the scoring ability to be better than this. You look at the shots they take and miss and they’re good shots. Not crazy, wild prayers but the end result of running solid offense. They should be performing better.

Those that think Kristy Curry and staff will be gone if Tech doesn’t make the NCAA Tournament can think again. First and foremost her extension last year makes it unlikely. Second, Texas Tech A.D. Kirby Hocutt is smart enough to see that the coach is putting this team in a position to be successful. It just isn’t working. Third, Tech’s attendance is still way ahead of most in the NCAA. It may not be what it was 10 years ago, but that might never happen again at Tech no matter how good the team is. Times, they are a changing. Curry isn’t the problem right now, no matter how loud some may bang that pot…

2.  If I’m forced to switch to that new Time-Line thing on Facebook I’ll probably leave Facebook. (Might still buy the IPO) It is hard to read, hard to find what you’re looking for and doesn’t work. Linear works better for most of these things. While trying to be linear, it is far too jumbled. Plus, I really don’t want to know what I was thinking on April 12, 2009. I might have had a few cock-tails and it might not be pretty. Facebook seems to be trying real hard to be the next MySpace. Good luck with that.

3.  At the end of Texas Tech Football spring drills Seth Doege and Michael Brewer will be listed as C0-#1 QB’s. I’m not in either camp. Not rooting for either one. Tea Leaves right now though are telling me this job is up for grabs. Stay tuned til August to see who wins the delegates from the Neal Brown Caucus.

4.  The day Whataburger starts delivery service is the day I buy a Whataburger franchise. Talk about printing money. Even if you only delivered from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. you’d make a killing.

5.  I know some will hate this, but I still don’t like the idea of women on the front lines of combat in our Armed Services. Old-fashioned? Sure. Out of touch? Guilty. To me, when it comes to the military and war, the goal is to break things and kill people without getting your stuff broken or killed. It is not a social program and should not bow to the whims of society nor should it even be fair. If a person can meet all the physical standard that are in place to keep soldiers from being in harms way, sure, let women into those roles. If there are any “gender norming” standards in place or they have to meet any physical criteria that is less than that of a male to be in a combat role or to serve Special Forces roles, than that is wrong-headed thinking. The objective of the military is to get the job done, not to make sure everyone has a fair shot at career advancement, gaining rank or having a chance. That’s just not the goal.

Now, flame away. I expect it…

Hyatt

Day 2 of Spring Football Previews for Red Raider fans. Today we’ll focus on the WR corp with Don Williams of the A-J. He’s got a good write-up that you can sink your teeth into today before show time hits.

It’s Thursday so that means Cultural Index Time. Today we ask you for your All-Time Favorite Paul Newman movie. Good luck trying to narrow it down folks. Hud? Cool Hand Luke? Cars? Let us know starting today at 3p.m. on SportsRadio 1340 The Fan. You can listen live online free everyday so there’s no need to ever miss out.

Aside from news of the day and Texas Tech we’ll feature your thoughts on our running topic of the day. Today we want you to give us those athletes that gave away promising careers due to bad choices. We look for the ultimate screw-ups. From Steve Howe to one-hit wonder Timmy Smith. You could even say some stars gave away a lot of their talent like Mickey Mantle. Had Josh Hamilton not missed those seasons to drug use and suspension, where would he be today? Looking forward to your thoughts on this one.

Of course you’re welcome to post your thoughts on all of our topics right here each day, pose any questions you have for the show or otherwise. We’ll use some of the best stuff on the air each day. Thanks for being a part of the show, you guys make going to work fun!

Hyatt

Another Big 12 game and another loss for Billy Gillispie’s Texas Tech Red Raiders. More and more it becomes painfully obvious that Tech has little to no Big 12 level scoring punch outside of Jordan Tolbert. The thing that still impresses me is how hard this team is playing compared to the squads of the last few years. The defense has been very good, even when resorting to “junk” defenses like they did quit a bit last night in the back-alley brawl with Kansas State. I still think the Red Raiders pick up a conference win before it’s over. One night Tech will be hot, the opponent won’t be and the Red Raiders will capitalize.

There is a lot of cool stuff off the court for this team including the rising fan-favorite Luke Adams. Nick Kosmider from the A-J tells the story today of how he continues to inspire kids with hearing problems that he’s shown they can overcome. Good read.

A couple of days ago Chicago Now Blogger Gregg Fort told you about Gummers. He was talking about those folks that mess things up when you’re flying. Bad news. They’re also on the roads driving. . . sorta.

Yesterday was a day filled with me just trying to dodge the Road Gummers. You know them. If they’re in the right lane, they must cross all the way across four lanes of traffic to get in the left lane. They drive 30 mph down the “turn lane” using it as a merge lane causing everyone actually trying to turn to dodge and weave as they motor down the road on their cell phone.

Road Gummers are also the ones that go through the drive-thru at Whataburger and site there for 10 minutes trying to decide between Whatasized or not. When they get up to pay they take another ten minutes trying to find exact change in the cup holders.

Road Gummers are also a joy to get behind when you’re getting onto Loop 289 or any other major freeway. They inch their way along the access road, slowly make their way on the merge ramp, get to the end and … stop. And Wait. And Look. Then after 274 cars have gone by they inch onto the freeway and immediately go over to the far left lane and drive 49 mph and gum that up. It’s what they do. They’re Road Gummers.

Meanwhile back in the Big 12, Interim Commissioner For Life Chuck Neinas  proved he’s not the man to go buy a car with yesterday. Neinas boldly told the West Virginia Mercury News

“They will be with us come July 1, 2012,” Neinas said of the Mountaineers, “and we’ll play the football schedule in the Big 12 Conference.”

Neinas also said that if WVU needs help paying the exit fees to the Big East the Big 12 might just hand over some cash to make life easier.

Nice call Chuck. The price of poker just went up if I’m the Big East. Five million dollars? Naw, let make it 7 just because we now know the Big 12 is willing to pay to make sure they have a football schedule before July 4th.

Can you imagine buying a truck with this guy?

“Hey, dealer! I need a truck by lunch and I’m willing to pay. What ya got?”

Now that’s some hard-line bargaining.

UPDATED AT 11:44 A.M.

We also want you to weigh in on our Fan Feedback Poll of the Day Question. If you could spend an entire year inside any pro sports organization, with all-access, go to all meetings, see all operations; which organization would you choose and why? You can attack it merely from the sports side, you can look at it from the business side and maybe translate it to whatever you do in life. Looking forward to your responses here and on the show tonight. We’ll read some of the best one’s on the air!

We’ll hit all of this stuff today on The Show, visit with National Football Post guru and Next Mayor of Las Vegas, Joe Fortenbaugh, preview the Lady Raiders trip to Stillwater and get your feedback on the Domino’s Fan Line. Get ready. We’ll see ya at 3p.m. on The Fan. Don’t forget you can listen online every day. FREE even.

Hyatt

Hyatt

Breaking up is hard to do. Just ask anybody. There’s hurt feelings, you fight over wagon wheel coffee tables and usually some one throws out a box of t-shirts that you’ve collected since high school. It can get ugly.

Just ask Texas Tech and Texas A&M officials.

One of the big things we’ll be talking about today is the cannon shot fired by Texas Tech A.D. Kirby Hocutt towards College Station yesterday in the A-J. Hocutt says, and that he’s backed by his coaches, that either A&M plays Texas Tech in all sports or it’s none.

“We discussed it with all our head coaches,” Hocutt said, “and that’s something we as an athletic department and we as a group of coaches feel strongly about at this time.”

As the Aggies exit to the SEC looms we’ll see more comments like this from A.D.s around what’s left of the Big 12. You’ve got the specter of the Border War between Kansas and Missouri coming to an end after 150 years of pure, awesome William Quantrill fueled hate. You’ve got Texas and A&M trying to figure out if it’s ok to date again on Thanksgiving or whether they should wait a while til it feels right.

Now, you’ve got the Red Raiders saying either you play all of us or none of us. Does it have to be that way?

We ask you today, should it be all or nothing? Do you want Texas Tech to play Texas A&M in any sports, let alone football? If not, why?

It reeks of punitive action by Hocutt and Texas Tech over something that I don’t think Tech needs to be upset about. A&M only did what so many Texas Tech fans wanted to see the Red Raiders do: leave the dying Big 12. A&M had a stable place to go in the SEC, one that doesn’t have to work around The Longhorn Network, an interim-commissioner for life and the Fake Dan Beebe on Twitter making more sense than the actual “leaders”. Had Texas Tech gone to the Pac-12 like so many wanted, it would be Tech fans saying teams like Baylor and Kansas don’t need to have hard feelings towards them, Tech’s just taking care of Tech. Well, same goes for the Aggies.

Personally, if it works for some Tech sports to play A&M and the coaches agree, let ‘em play. If it doesn’t work or if the coaches don’t want it, then don’t play them. But to issue an edict of all or nothing implies that it is a punishment to A&M for doing what Tech couldn’t do but wanted to. That seems silly to me.

I still that that the future of “leagues” will actually be schools playing some sports against certain school and then playing other schools in other sports. What works for football, might not work for basketball. What’s good for a basketball league – not so good for tennis. In the coming years because of budget constraints and other factors, don’t be shocked to see it happen.

So, what are your thoughts? Keep playing the Aggies? Drop ‘em. All or Nothing? Let us know.

We’ll hit the air at 3p.m. today on The Fan. Be sure and tune in where ever you on with our free, live online streaming via www.1340thefan.com . Looking forward to your comments and input today.

Hyatt

1. If Eli Manning never played another NFL game, would you put him in the Hall of Fame? Two rings, one of the best passing yardage seasons we’ve seen this past year and the ability to be “clutch” in the post-season as well as any QB we’ve seen in the Super Bowl era. What do you think and who do you most compare him to from past NFL greats?

2. Same question for Wes Welker right now. No rings but has put up some monster numbers. Four of last five years with over 100 catches while working in a rehab from knee injury. 650 career regular season catches. Maybe the Ultimate Chain-Mover in the NFL. Great mustache. Marrying a Miss Hooters International. With the total package has he done enough or is there more work to do for the man that most likely gets the franchise tag for New England?

3.  For Dallas Cowboys fans, what’s the biggest difference between the Cowboys and the Giants over the past five years? Do you think there’s a talent gap? Is it coaching? Is it culture? Other than Eli Manning, and that may be enough, what does New York have that Dallas doesn’t?

We’ll kick these questions around today on the show as well as take your calls on The Domino’s Fanline on your Good, Bad and Ugly winners of the weekend. Don’t forget you can listen to all of SportsRadio 1340 The Fan’s Shows live online everyday for free. We’ll see ya at three.

Hyatt.

Finally. It is here. Super Bowl Sunday. Not so much because I can’t wait to watch the New York Giants play the New England Patriots, but rather because the hype is over and we can get on with our lives.

That said, we’ve got to add a little spice to things so let’s have some fun with it beyond trying to figure out a creative way to get out of work on Monday. ( post your best excuses-ideas here by the way )

We want y’all to give us your score picks today. If anyone gets it exactly right, including the winning team of course, we’ll get you set-up with some great Rudy’s BBQ! For tie-break purposes we need to know how many receiving yards former Red Raider Wes Welker has tonight. Closest to that actual number will be the winner. We’ll also throw in some other random prizes for great picks, predictions and analysis.

So, have at it. Give it a shot and give us your pick today!

If you heard the show Friday, you know I went with New York 31-24. It’s crazy to pick against Tom Brady, but I think the Giants offense can put a number up on the Patriots defense that I just don’t see New England being able to match today. So, with that in mind, obviously you should pick the other way.

Be sure and let us know what you’re cooking today and where you’re taking the game in. Don’t forget our pre-game coverage starts at 1 on The Fan, so listen online or if you’re out driving around the Hubbaplex today you know where to find The Super Bowl on your radio dial! Time for me to get the queso going.

Hyatt

1. Josh Hamilton is human. Josh Hamilton may or may not have had a “relapse” as reported Thursday night by many media sources. It doesn’t change who he is or who he wants to be in the future or how people should look at him. He’s flawed. Just like you. Just like me. If you liked him before, like him even more now. Why? Like him because whatever it is in your life that you can’t quite master, he’s going through the same battle-just in front of the cameras, in the papers and on the internet. When that happens, it really doesn’t matter how much money you make or who you are. Think about it and get back to me…

2.  Les Miles has more to be ashamed of today than Josh Hamilton. Miles most likely was sober when he publicly ripped a kid whose greatest crime was not wanting to be mis-coached by Miles at LSU and have to be defended by Bobby Hebert. Maybe there is a reason why Miles never got his dream job. . .

3.The most impressive thing to me about Texas Tech’s signing class is that no one bailed. A brutal finish to the season, a tumultuous off-season that saw a contentious departure of your defensive coordinator and other position coaches yet they still didn’t lose and in fact added. Impressive. Texas Tech fans should feel good that recruits seem to be looking at the school, the program and the experience in total.

4.  If Texas Tech ever wears silver or red helmets under Tommy Tuberville I will lead any effort necessary to make sure he has to watch the Tech-OSU game tape for 24 hours straight.

5.  I have been told by two folks outside the Big 12 footprint that The Longhorn Network is going to undergo significant changes and restructuring and that it will no longer be a barrier to Texas joining the Pac-12 or other conferences in the future. Seems the House Of The Mouse has realized the Network is an albatross costing them not just money, but the ability to control college sports by using it as a bargaining chip. The Mouse hates that. Will it lead to a new round of realignment talk? Of course. Will anything happen? Ask @DanBeebe on Twitter…

I welcome your comments, thoughts and anything else you’ve got today. Post ‘em here and share with your friends.

Hyatt