This is the episode that many have been waiting for. We are halfway through the College Football Season, so it was time to chat.
Before the chat started, your host had a lot to say. The bariatric surgery is now 100% a go for late November. I discuss the emotions I felt when I received the letter in the mail from my insurance company approving my procedure. I discuss the emotions I’ve been feeling since late July when I set out to get this surgery.
Next up is the journey of obtaining Italian citizenship. I rant about the recent “circolare” that came out of the courts in Italy regarding individuals attempting to apply for their citizenship by bloodline. I even speak “un po' di italiano“ and discuss my feelings about this recent ruling from the Italian courts. There’s a family story I briefly touched on regarding my great-grandparents naturalizing in the US. I also discuss my never-ending aggravation with the Italian Consulate in Philadelphia when it comes to obtaining an appointment for my “jure sanguinis” citizenship.
We brought back Ron Payne from Episode 3 (“You Bet”) and Brad Cooper from Episodes 3 (“Talkin Baseball”) and 4 (“WVU Football Season Preview”).
The conversation? What’s going on at the halfway point of the season? Ron proposed the idea for this episode. Brad accepted; the calls were made, connected via Bluetooth, the “Record” button was turned on, and away we went.
We open up the discussion with something very close to home: the WVU Mountaineers season, which has many in the fanbase scratching their heads and, getting downright impatient. What happened in the game against that school north of Morgantown, where no intelligent life can be found anywhere on that campus? Does WVU have the funds, or even the gumption, to terminate Head Football Coach Neal Brown? Does Neal Brown try to save his bacon by sacrificing Defensive Coordinator Jordan Lesley to the mob? Can WVU turn the season around, or are we in for more of the “same ole same ole” that the fanbase has dealt with for 6+ years?
Moving into the Big12 conference, we discuss the biggest surprises vs. the biggest busts of the season. Where do we classify WVU? Colorado? BYU? Utah? Oklahoma State? Iowa State? Kansas State? Gotta listen to find out. Who will ultimately make it to Arlington?
Then, we move into the bigger world of College Football. Again, biggest surprises vs. the biggest busts (and there’s a Dolly Parton pun mixed in there somewhere.) Miami? Florida State? Ohio State? Oregon? Penn State? Alabama? Michigan? Georgia? Gotta listen to see where we place these teams (although one of them on this list is glaringly obvious.) We discuss the “mid-season Heisman” and who will most likely be in New York for the presentation.
There’s also a brief (statistical?) discussion about the happenings in none other than Blacksburg, VA.
Finally, the discussion moves forward regarding the rest of the season, how things will play out in Morgantown, the Big 12 Conference, and beyond. And, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include a “few good bets” from Ron and Brad.
Yes, this podcast is 2 hours. But, it’s packed full of information. Enjoy every minute.
