Tuesday, January 31, 2012

And Now, A Word From Out Sponsor

Here's a 1955 commercial for Chef Boy-Ar-Dee Spaghetti Sauce.


With MEAT!


How 'Bout A Trip To Stockholm?

From 1936, here's a short-subject travelogue, entitled "Venice of the North," part of the Van Beuren Corporation's World On Parade series.


This film, distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, was photographed by Captain Warwick M. Tompkins, written by Harold McCracken, and narrated by Alois Havrilla.


Enjoy!


Monday, January 30, 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Grizzlies Hold Off Game Vikings

At Portland, Oregon:


Will Cherry scored 20 points and Mathias Ward added 18 while Kareem Jamar contributed 11 as the Montana Grizzlies (15-6 overall, 8-1 in Big Sky play) moved into a tie for first place atop the Big Sky Conference standings following their 69-67 Sunday road win over the Portland State Vikings (10-11, 4-5), the Grizzlies 10th win in their last 11 starts.

Beavers Knock Off Error-Prone Ducks In Civil War Clash In Eugene

At Eugene, Oregon:


Jared Cunningham scored 24 of his 27 points in the second half, while Ahmad Clark added 15, Devon Collier 13, and Joe Burton 10 as the Oregon State Beavers (14-7 overall, 4-5 in Pac-12 play) defeated the Oregon Ducks (15-6, 6-3) 76-71 in the latest edition of the Civil War basketball series.  The win marked only the Beavers' second triumph in their last 19 trips to Eugene.  Devoe Joseph scored 26 points for the Ducks, who committed a season-high 23 turnovers.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Late Three-Pointer Shoots Down Pilots

At Los Angeles:


Jarred DuBois, who came off the bench and scored a team-high 18 points, connected on a three-point shot with 17 seconds remaining as Loyola Marymount (13-9 overall, 6-3 in WCC play) defeated the visiting Portland Pilots (5-17, 2-7) 62-59 on Saturday.  Kevin Bailey scored a career high-equaling 22 points to pace the Pilots.

You Don't Mean...........

These guys WON?!

More Peril For Jack

"The Stolen Signal" is the title of Chapter Twelve of Holt of the Secret Service, our 1941 Columbia Pictures serial


Thursday, January 26, 2012

18 In A Row: Zags Beat Pilots Again

At Portland, Oregon:



Gary Bell, Jr. scored 18 points while Elias Harris added 17 (while grabbing 10 rebounds) as the Gonzaga Bulldogs (17-3 overall, 7-1 in WCC play) defeated the Portland Pilots (5-26, 2-6) 74-62 on the road on Thursday night.  It was the Zags' 18th straight win over the Pilots.



Vikings Blow 15-Point Second-Half Lead And Fall To Bobcats At Home

At Portland, Oregon:


Shawn Reid (who connected on the go-ahead three-point basket with 28 seconds remaining) and Xavier Blount each scored 15 points as the Montana State Bobcats (11-8 overall, 6-2 in Big Sky play) overcame a 15-point mid-second half deficit on Thursday and defeated the Portland State Vikings (10-10, 4-4) 70-65 on the road, outscoring the Vikings 27-7 in the process.

No More Excuse Notes To Mr. Kotter From Epstein's Mother (Rest In Peace, Juan)

Robert Hagyes, the actor best remembered for his portrayal of the Puerto Rican-Jewish Sweathog Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein on the 1970s television sitcom series Welcome Back Kotter, passed away on Thursday at an Edison, New Jersey hospital after having suffered a heart attack at age 60.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

HARBAUGH BROTHERS GO ZERO FOR TWO: PATRIOTS VS. GIANTS IN SUPER BOWL XLVI

The National Football League's two conference championship games took place on Sunday.


American Football Conference:


At Foxborough, Massachusetts:


Quarterback Tom Brady ran one yard for what proved to be the winning touchdown with 11:29 remaining in the fourth quarter as the New England Patriots won their seventh AFC title, their first in four years, 23-20 over the visiting Baltimore Ravens.  Billy Cundiff's 32-yard field goal attempt, which would have tied the contest for the Ravens and sent the game into overtime with eleven seconds left, went wide left.


National Football Conference:


At San Francisco:


Quarterback Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes (six yards to Bear Pascoe and 17 to Mario Manningham) and Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals, including the game winner 7:54 into overtime, as the New York Giants knocked off the home-standing San Francisco 49ers 20-17 to reach their fifth Super Bowl, their first since knocking off unbeaten New England four years ago.


It's a rematch of Super Bowl XLII from four years ago when the Giants and Patriots get together for Super Bowl XLVI, on Sunday February 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Joe Paterno, Winningest Coach In Major College Football History, R. I. P.

Joe Paterno, the legendary former head football coach at Penn State, the all-time winningest head coach in major college football history, passed away on Sunday at a State College, Pennsylvania hospital at age 85.


Coach Paterno had been in the hospital since January 13 for what his family had called "minor complications" from treatment of lung cancer, with which he was diagnosed with back in November, just days after he was ousted as the Nittany Lions' head coach in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal that involved former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.


During his 46 seasons as Penn State head coach, "JoePa" won a Football Bowl Subdivision-recored 409 games and two national championships.


Before becoming the Nittany Lions' head coach, he had served as an assistant at the school from 1950, following his graduation from Brown University (where he was quarterback and defensive back) until he became the head coach in 1966.


More than 250 of the players that JoePa coached eventually went to the National Football League.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Beavers Too Much For Struggling Trojans

At Corvallis, Oregon:


Jared Cunningham scored 18 points (to go with five assists) while Devon Collier and Joe Burton added 12 and 11 respectively as the Oregon State Beavers (13-7 overall, 3-5 in Pac-12 play) dominated the visiting Southern California Trojans (5-15, 0-7) 78-59 on Saturday.

Charles Odum Pulls Through In OT For The Vikings

At Cheney, Washington:


Charles Odum, who scored 20 points in the game, connected on a contested jumper with two seconds remaining in overtime to carry Portland State (10-9 overall, 4-3 in Big Sky play) to a 78-76 road win over Eastern Washington (9-11, 3-4) on Saturday.  Chehalis Tapscott added 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the visiting Vikings. Collin Chiverton scored 22 points and Tremayne Johnson added 20 for the Eagles.

Dons Edge Out Pilots In Close One

At Portland, Oregon:


Cody Doolin scored 15 points, making two free throws with 17 seconds remaining as the San Francisco Dons (13-9 overall, 3-5 in WCC play) squeaked past the home-standing Portland Pilots (5-15, 2-5) 72-71 on Saturday.  Cole Dickerson added 13 points, Angelo Caloiaro 12, and Rashad Green 11 for USF.

E. J. Helps Ducks Overcome 13-Point Halftime Deficit And Rotten-Shooting First Half And Upend UCLA

At Eugene, Oregon:


E. J. Singler scored 20 of his career-high 26 points (hitting 16 of 17 free throws) as the Oregon Ducks (15-5 overall, 6-2 in Pac-12 play) came back from a 37-24 halftime deficit to overtake the visiting UCLA Bruins (10-9, 3-4) 75-68 on Saturday.  The Ducks shot only 23% from the field in the first half but outscored the Bruins 15-2 to start the second half.  Garrett Sim added 16 points for Oregon, who won four straight conference games for the first time since 2007.

Time For Chapter Eleven, Kiddies! And We Don't Mean Bankruptcy!

Time for "Ominous Warnings" the eleventh chapter of our 1941 Columbia Pictures serial, Holt of the Secret Service.





Friday, January 20, 2012

Etta James, Groundbreaking R&B Singer, R. I. P.

Etta James, a Grammy Award-winning singer whose forceful renditions of "At Last," I'd Rather Go Blind," "Tell Mama," and "Something's Got A Hold On Me" made her a widely admired interpreter of love and pain and one of the first rhythm-and-blues singers to gain mainstream popularity, passed away on Friday at a Riverside, California hospital at age 73.


Miss James had been diagnosed with dementia and leukemia.


For followers of mid-1950s R&B music, here's Etta's 1955 recording of "The Wallflower,"  which was her answer to Hank Ballard and the Midnighters' "Work With Me Annie."  Etta's record scored very well on the R&B charts, only to see Georgia Gibbs come up with a cover recording that wound up a big hit on the pop charts.  Etta's record became known as either "Roll With Me, Henry" or "Dance With Me Henry," the latter was the name of Georgia's cover.






Thursday, January 19, 2012

Toreros Too Much For Grounded Pilots

At Portland, Oregon:


Ken Rancifer scored 15 points, Johnny Dee and Darian Norris each added 14 as the San Diego Toreros (7-11 overall, 2-4 in WCC play) defeated the Portland Pilots (5-14, 2-4) 82-63 on Thursday night in spite of 22 points from Kevin Bailey.  The Toreros converted 14 of 19 three-point shots.

Beavers End 13-Game Losing Streak Against Bruins

At Corvallis, Oregon:


Jared Cunningham scored 21 points and Devon Collier added 20 as the Oregon State Beavers (12-7 overall, 2-5 in Pac-12) defeated the visiting UCLA Bruins (10-8, 3-3) 87-84 on Thursday, ending a 13-game losing streak against the visitors.

Ducks Edge Trojans In Eugene

At Eugene, Oregon:


Garrett Sim scored 20 points while Devoe Joseph added 15 and Olu Ashaolo 11 as the Oregon Ducks (14-5 overall, 5-2 in Pac-12 play), off to their best start in five years, racked up their third straight win on Thursday, 65-62 over visiting Southern California (5-14, 0-6), despite 22 points from the Trojans' Maurice Jones.



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Johnny Otis, Rhythm and Blues Pioneer, R. I. P.

Johnny Otis, a pioneering rhythm-and-blues singer, songwriter, drummer, bandleader and disc jockey best remembered for his 1958 hit, "Willie and the Hand Jive," passed away on Tuesday in the Los Angeles area at the age of 90.


Here's a Capitol 45RPM record of Johnny's 1958 hit.


Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Monday, January 16, 2012

Vikes By A Dozen

At Portland, Oregon:


Charles Odum scored 29 points while Chehales Tapscott added 15 as the Portland State Vikings (9-9 overall, 3-3 in Big Sky Conference play) defeated the visiting Idaho State Bengals (4-14, 2-4) 80-68 on Monday.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

NFL Playoffs: Packers Dethroned; Ravens Hold Off Texans

The National Football League playoffs continued on Sunday with two divisional playoff games.


American Football Conference:


At Baltimore:


Quarterback Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes (one yard to Kris Wilson and 10 yards to Anquan Boldin) while defensive backs Lardarius Webb and Ed Reed came up with interceptions in the last 7 1/2 to help preserve the Baltimore Ravens' 20-13 home win over the Houston Texans, spoiling a solid performance from Texans running back Arian Foster who ran for 132 yards (the first running back to gain 100 or more yards in a playoff game against the Ravens) and a touchdown.


National Football Conference:


At Green Bay, Wisconsin:


Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns, two to Hakeem Nicks (66 yards in the first quarter, then 37 yards on a Hail Mary play at the end of the first half--two of his seven catches for 165 yards) and one to Mario Manningham (four yards) as the New York Giants upended the Green Bay Packers 37-20 on the road, handing the Packers their only home loss of the season and ending their one-year reign as Super Bowl Champions.  The Giants' defense forced four Green Bay turnovers.


Next Sunday, the Giants will travel to San Francisco to face the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game (3:30 PM Pacific Time, Fox).


The Ravens will travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts for next Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots (12:00 Noon Pacific Time, CBS).

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Gaels Hold Off Visiting Pilots

At Moraga, California:


Steven Holt scored a career-high-tying 21 points to go with his seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals on Saturday as the St. Mary's Gaels (17-2 overall, 6-0 in WCC play) defeated the visiting Portland Pilots (5-13, 2-3) 69-61.  Rob Jones added 10 points and 11 rebounds to the Gaels' coffers.

NFL: Niners Top Saints In Wild Contest With Error-Prone Saints; Magic Leaves Tim Tebow As Pats Crush Broncos

The divisional phase of the National Football League playoffs got underway on Saturday with two games.


National Football Conference:


Quarterback Alex Smith threw three touchdown passes (and ran for another score), two of the tosses to tight end Vernon Davis (seven catches for 180 yards), including the game winner with 14 seconds remaining as the San Francisco 49ers blew a seventeen-point lead, then came back from behind a second time in the last 4:02 of regulation to defeat the visiting New Orleans Saints (who suffered five turnovers) 36-32.  The Niners will face the winner of Sunday's New York Giants-Green Bay Packers contest in next Sunday's NFC Championship Game, their first such contest in fourteen years.


American Football Conference:


At Foxborough, Massachusetts:


Quarterback Tom Brady threw for six touchdowns, three to tight end Rob Gronkowski (10, 12, 19 yards, all in the first half) as the New England Patriots manhandled the visiting Denver Broncos 45-10, sacking Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow five times.


The Patriots will host next Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the winner of this coming Sunday's Houston-Baltimore clash.



Sun Devils Bounce Back From Halftime Deficit To Topple Beavers

At Tempe, Arizona:


Chanse Creekmur connected on six three-point shots enroute to scoring a career-high 24 points as the Arizona State Sun Devils (6-11 overall, 2-3 in Pac-12 play) came back from a three-point halftime deficit to overtake the visiting Oregon State Beavers (11-7, 1-5) 76-66 on Saturday.

Time For Chapter Ten, Boys And Girls

Our 1941 Columbia Pictures chapter play, Holt of the Secret Service, continues with our tenth installment, "Named to Die."


Ducks Top Cats In Thriller In Tucson

At Tucson, Arizona:


Garrett Sim scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half, scoring the go-head three-pointer with 1:46 remaining as the Oregon Ducks (13-5 overall, 4-2) defeated the Arizona Wildcats (12-6, 3-2) 59-57 on the road on Saturday.  This win completed only the second road sweep of the Arizona schools for the Ducks since the Wildcats and Arizona State joined the then-Pac-10 conference in 1978.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Balanced Offense Carries Ducks

At Tempe, Arizona:


With four players (Devoe Joseph with 15 points, Tony Woods 12, E. J. Singler 11, and Garret Sim 10) in double figures, the Oregon Ducks (12-5 overall, 3-2 in Pac-12 play) defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils (5-11, 1-3) 67-58 on the road on Thursday night, offsetting a season-high 23 points from the Sun Devils' Trent Lockett.

Dons Ground Pilots

At San Francisco:


Rashad Green scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half (during which he made all seven shots from the field) as the San Francisco Dons (11-8 overall, 1-4 in WCC play), shooting 67.2% from the field, dominated the visiting Portland Pilots (5-12, 2-2) 104-70 on Thursday.

At Last, A Road Win For The Vikings

At Greeley, Colorado:


Charles Odum scored 22 points while Lateef McMullan added 20 as the Portland State Vikings (8-9 overall, 2-3 in Big Sky play) picked up their first road win of the season on Thursday night, 86-75 over the Northern Colorado Bears (5-10, 2-2).

Wildcats Win Tough One Over Sagging Beavers

At Tucson, Arizona:


Kyle Fogg scored 23 points as the Arizona Wildcats (12-5 overall, 3-1 in Pac-12 play) defeated the visiting Oregon State Beavers (11-6, 1-4) 81-73 in overtime on Thursday.  The Beavers have dropped four of their last five games.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Another Season..........

Another Oakland Raiders head coach gets the boot.



I know how it feels, Hue.

Associated Press photo

Monday, January 09, 2012

ROLL TIDE! 'BAMA DEFENSE SUFFOCATES LSU OFFENSE AS CRIMSON TIDE BLANKS TIGERS FOR SECOND BCS TITLE IN THREE YEARS

At New Orleans:


Jeremy Shelley kicked five field goals (23, 34, 41, 35, 44 yards) and Trent Richardson rumbled 34 yards for the game's lone touchdown as the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide (12-1), in avenging their only defeat of the regular season,  smothered the top-ranked Louisiana State Tigers (13-1) 15-0 on Monday night to win their second BCS National Championship Game in three years.


The Crimson Tide defense held the Bayou Bengals to a grand total of 92 yards and five first downs in the contest while the Alabama offense gained 384 yards.


Quarterback A. J. McCarron, named the game's Offensive MVP, completed 23 of 34 passes for 234 yards.


Linebacker Courtney Upshaw, with his seven tackle, one sack performance, was named Defensive MVP.


This was the first shutout ever in a BCS bowl and the Crimson Tide became the first team to win a national title without a conference championship since Minnesota in 1936.  The national title is Alabama's ninth since the start of the media/coaches poll era in 1936.

Gee Ollie, Maybe You Should Have Asked Your Wife, First

From the Hal Roach Studios in 1932 (released theatrically by Metro Goldwyn Mayer), here are Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in "Their First Mistake."

In this one, Mrs. Hardy is irate that her husband Oliver is spending more time with his buddy, Stan.  Ollie tries to adopt a baby, so that the Missus would be occupied while he continues carousing with Stanley.  Thing don't turn out too well for Ollie, as it turns out.

Co-starring Mae Busch and Billy Gilbert, this short, with James Greene as recording engineer, was photographed by Art Lloyd, edited by Richard Currier, and directed by George Stevens (who makes an on-camera cameo as the boys' neighbor).

Enjoy!

Congrats, Barry!

No, not THAT Barry.

The only player elected this year by the Baseball Writers, he joins the late Ron Santo in this year's class.

Sunday, January 08, 2012

GoDaddy.Com Bowl: Huskies Too Much For Red Wolves

At Mobile, Alabama:


Quarterback Chandler Harnish threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns in his final collegiate start as the Northern Illinois Huskies (11-3) defeated the Arkansas Red Wolves (10-3) 38-20 in Sunday night's GoDaddy.Com Bowl.  The Huskies' ninth straight win ended the Red Wolves' own nine-game winning streak.

Cal Bears Pluck Ducks

At Eugene, Oregon:


With Allen Crabtree scoring a career-high 26 points (helped along by six three-point baskets), Jorge Gutierrez adding 18 and Justin Cobbs contributing 15, the California Golden Bears (13-4 overall, 3-1 in Pac-12 play) defeated the Oregon Ducks (11-5, 2-2) for the eighth consecutive time on Sunday, this time 77-60 on the road.

NFL Playoffs: Giants Dominate Sleepy Falcons; Tebow Magic Springs Back To Life As Tim's OT TD Pass Sinks Steelers

The opening round of the National Football League playoffs concluded with two "Wild Card" games played on Sunday.


National Football Conference:


At East Rutherford, New Jersey:


Quarterback Eli Manning threw for three touchdowns (two to Hakeem Nicks [four and 72 yards] and one to Mario Manningham (27 yards) as the New York Giants stifled the visiting Atlanta Falcons 24-2.  The Giants will face the Green Bay Packers on the road next Sunday afternoon.


American Football Conference:


At Denver:


Quarterback Tim Tebow, who had thrown a second-quarter touchdown pass to Eddie Royal and ran for a score in the same period, threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play from scrimmage in overtime as the Denver Broncos knocked out the visiting defending AFC champions Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23 to advanced to the divisional playoff round, and a Saturday night encounter in Foxborough, Massachusetts with the New England Patriots.

Saturday, January 07, 2012

Beavers Drop Quadruple-Overtime Thriller

At Corvallis, Oregon:


Chasson Randle scored 24 points, two of them with what turned out to be the game-winning bucket with 37 minutes remaining in the fourth overtime period as the Stanford Cardinal (13-3 overall, 3-1 in Pac-12 play) defeated the Oregon State Beavers (11-5, 1-3) 103-101 on the road in the longest game in Cardinal men's basketball history. Roberto Nelson (whose last-ditch 3-pointer which would have won the game for Oregon State was off-target) and Jared Cunningham each scored 19 points for the Beavers.

Damian Lillard Too Much For Vikings

At Portland, Oregon:


Damien Lillard, the nation's leading scorer, converted on 8 of 14 three-point shots and scored 38 points to lead the Weber State Wildcats (12-3 overall, 4-0 in Big Sky play) to an 88-81 road win over the Portland State Vikings (7-9, 1-3) on Saturday.

Pilots Subdue Visiting Waves

At Portland, Oregon:


Kevin Bailey scored 15 points while Ryan Nicholas added 11 as the Portland Pilots (5-11, 2-1 in WCC play) defeated the visiting Pepperdine Waves (7-8, 1-3) 53-43 on Saturday.

NFL Playoffs: Texans, Saints Break Open Tight Games To Advance

The National Football League playoffs commenced with two "Wild Card" games on Saturday.


American Football Conference:


At Houston:


Rookie defensive lineman J. J. Watt ran back an interception 29 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter while fellow rookie, quarterback T. J. Yates, threw 40 yards to Andre Johnson for another score, and Arian Foster ran 42 yards for another TD as the Houston Texans won their playoff debut, 31-10 over the Cincinnati Bengals, who haven't won a playoff game in 21 years, and who have never won one on the road.


The Texan will pay a visit on the Baltimore Ravens for a divisional playoff game next Sunday.


National Football Conference:


At New Orleans:


Quarterback Drew Brees completed 33 of 43 passes for 466 yards and three touchdowns (41 yards to Devery Henderson, three yards to Jimmy Graham, and 56 yards to Robert Meachem) while Darren Sproles ran for two more scores (2 and 17 yards) as the New Orleans Saints rolled up a playoff record 626 yards of total offense in their 45-28 home win over the Detroit Lions, who played their first playoff game in 12 years.


The Saints head to San Francisco for a Saturday afternoon divisional playoff battle next weekend against the 49ers.



BISON WIN FCS TITLE

At Frisco, Texas:


Quarterback Brock Jensen threw for 39 yards to D. J. McNorton and ran for a yard for another score as the North Dakota State Bison (14-1) knocked off previously unbeaten Sam Houston State (14-1) 17-6 on Saturday to win their first NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title, their first national title since winning their last Division II title in 1990.

BBVA Compass Bowl: SMU Mustangs Too Much For Pitt Panthers

At Birmingham, Alabama:


J. J. MeDermott threw for a touchdown (50 yards to Darius Johnson) and ran one yard for another score, both taking part during a 21-point first quarter as the Southern Methodist University Mustangs (8-5) dominated the Pittsburgh Panthers (6-7) 28-6 in Saturday's BBVA Compass Bowl.  The win marked Mustangs' head coach June Jones III's 100th win as a college coach.

More Adventure Time, Boys and Girls

Time now for "Sealed In Silence," the ninth chapter of Holt of the Secret Service, our 1941 Columbia Pictures serial.


Friday, January 06, 2012

Cotton Bowl Classic: Hogs Top K-State

At Arlington, Texas:


Joe Adams ran back a punt 51 yards for a touchdown (his fourth such return for a score this season) while quarterback Tyler Wilson threw for two more scores as the #6 Arkansas Razorbacks (11-2) matched a single-season school record for wins with a 29-16 win over the #8 Kansas State Wildcats (10-3) in Friday's Cotton Bowl Classic.


Rankings used are from the Bowl Championship Series.

Bowling Great Don Carter, R. I. P.

Bowling great Don Carter, who was voted Bowler of the Year six times, was instrumental in the formation in 1958 of the Professional Bowlers Association, and became a charter member of the PBA Hall of Fame in 1975, passed away on Thursday night at his Miami home. 

He was recently hospitalized with pneumonia complicated by emphysema.

Maybe If It Weren't For What They'd Call In Hockey A Power Play...

Maybe this guy might still be coaching the Western Kentucky University men's basketball team today.

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Solid Shooting Carries Pilots To First Conference Win

At Portland, Oregon:


Ryan Nicholas scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Portland Pilots (4-11 overall, 1-1 in WCC play) ended a seven-game losing skid with their first conference win of the season, 84-74 over visiting Santa Clara (8-6, 0-1).  The Pilots shot 51% from the field compared to the visiting Broncos' 39%.

Vikings Too Sturdy For Lumberjacks

At Portland, Oregon:


Charles Odum scored 18 points while Chehales Tapscott added 13 Michael Harthun and Lateef McMullan 12 apiece as the Portland State Vikings (7-8 overall, 1-2 in Big Sky play) picked up their first conference win of the season with a 82-62 home win over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (5-10, 1-2).

Devoe's The Guy As Ducks Top Cardinal

At Eugene, Oregon:


Devoe Joseph scored a career-high 30 points on Thursday night as the Oregon Ducks (11-4 overall, 2-1 in Pac-12 play) defeated the visiting Stanford Cardinal (12-3, 2-1)  78-67.

Beavers Hold Off Bears For First Conference Win

At Corvallis, Oregon:


Jared Cunningham and Ahmad Starks each scored 24 points on Thursday night as the Oregon State Beavers (11-4 overall, 1-2 in Pac-12 play) held off the visiting California Golden Bears (12-4. 2-1) 92-85 for their first conference win of the season, offsetting the 26-point performance from Cal's Jorge Gutierrez.



Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Orange Bowl: Mountaineers Blast Tigers In Offensive Barrage

At Miami:


Quarterback Geno Smith threw for a bowl-game-record six touchdowns, four of them (also tying a bowl game record) to Tavon Austin, as the #23  West Virginia Mountaineers (10-3) demolished the #15 Clemson Tigers (10-4) 70-33 in Wednesday's Orange Bowl game.  The 70 points scored by the Mountaineers broke the regulation record for most points scored in a bowl game that was set only six days ago by the Baylor Bears in their Alamo Bowl win over Washington.


Rankings are from the most recent BCS standings.

Time For A Visit With Molly!

From the Van Beuren Corporation in 1935 (and originally distributed by RKO Radio Pictures), we present "Molly Moo-Cow and the Butterflies," part of the studio's Rainbow Parade series.  In this one, Molly befriends some butterflies and rescues them of a zany butterfly collector.  With music by Winston Sharples, this cartoon was directed by Burt Gillett and Tom Palmer.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Sugar Bowl: Wolverines Edge Hokies In OT Thriller

At New Orleans:


Quarterback Denard Robinson threw two touchdown passes to Junior Hemingway (45 and 18 yards) and Brendan Gibbons kicked three field goals, including the game winner from 37 yards in overtime as the Michigan Wolverines (11-2; BCS #13) defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies (11-3; BCS #11) 23-20 in Tuesday's Sugar Bowl game.

Hell, Instead Of Firing The Coach....

Let's can the general manager instead.

Monday, January 02, 2012

Fiesta Bowl: Cowboys Ruin Andrew Luck's Stanford Finale

At Glendale, Arizona:


Brandon Weeden threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns to Justin Blackmon and Quinn Sharp connected on a 22-yard field goal in overtime as the Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-1; #3 in BCS rankings) defeated the Stanford Cardinal (11-2; #4 in BCS rankings) 41-38 in Monday's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, offsetting the 27 completions in 31 pass attempts for 347 yards and two touchdowns from the Cardinal's outgoing quarterback Andrew Luck.

Black Monday In The NFL....

Not just for coaches.

Rose Bowl: Ducks Outgun Badgers For First RB Triumph In 95 Years

At Pasadena, California:


Darron Thomas has a huge hand in the Ducks' first Rose Bowl win in 95 years, throwing for 268 yards and three scores. (Getty Images)


Darron Thomas (that's him here) threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns (two to Lavasier Tuinei and one of 54 yards to Kenjon Barner), De'Anthony Thomas (named Offensive MVP) scored on runs of 91 and 64 yards and Kiki Alonso (Defensive MVP) came up with a key fourth-quarter interception that set up a 30-yard Alejandro Maldonado field goal as the BCS-rated #5 Oregon Ducks (12-2)  came back and held off the #10 Wisconsin Badgers (11-3) 45-38 in Monday's 98th Rose Bowl game---the highest scoring game in series history--- for their first Rose Bowl triumph since 1917.


Getty Images photo

Outback Bowl: Spartans Overcome 16-Point Deficit To Top Dawgs In 3OT Thriller

At Tampa, Florida:


Le'Veon Bell scored the tying touchdown in the final seconds of regulation time and Dan Conroy kick a game-winning 28-yard field goal in the third overtime period as the Michigan State Spartans (11-3; BCS #17) defeated the Georgia Bulldogs (10-4; BCS #16) 33-30 in the Outback Bowl game played on Monday.  This marked the first time in the Spartans' program's 115-year history that they won ten or more games in back-to-back seasons and they came back from a 16-point halftime deficit to do so.

Capital One Bowl: Gamecocks Win School Record 11th Game

At Orlando, Florida:


Alshon Jeffery, the game MVP despite his ejection, goes up to grab a Hail Mary TD pass just before halftime.  (US Presswire)


Game MVP Alshon Jeffrey (before being ejected in the third quarter for fighting) caught four passes for 148 yards and a touchdown on a Hail Mary pass from quarterback Connor Shaw from 51 yards out as time expired in the first half (pictured here) as the South Carolina Gamecocks (11-2; BCS #9) won a school-record eleventh game with their 30-13 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-4; BCS #20) in Monday's edition of the Capital One Bowl.


US Presswire photo

Gator Bowl: Urban's Old Team (One Of Them, Anyway) Beats His New One

At Jacksonville, Florida:


Defense and special teams proved important to the Florida Gators (7-6) as they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes (6-7) 24-17 in Monday's Gator Bowl game.  The Gators' Andre Debose returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, the longest scoring play in bowl history, Chris Rainey blocked a punt that was returned for another touchdown.  The win enabled Florida to avoid their first losing season since 1979.

TicketCity Bowl: Case Keenum Takes Care Of Business For Houston As Cougars Top Scandal-Plagued Penn State

At Dallas:


Quarterback Case Keenum completed 45 of 69 passes for 532 yards and three touchdowns as the Houston Cougars (13-1; BCS #19) defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-4; BCS #22) 30-14 in Monday's TicketCity Bowl.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

NFL Playoffs All Set

Here are the matchups for the next weekend's opening round of the National Football League playoffs.


All times Pacific.


American Football Conference:


Next Saturday:


Cincinnati at Houston @ 1:30 PM (NBC)


Next Sunday:


Pittsburgh at Denver @ 1:30 PM (CBS)


Divisional Playoffs:


Saturday January 14:


Lowest remaining seed at New England @ 5:00 PM (CBS)


Sunday, January 15:


Highest remaining seed at Baltimore @ 10:00 AM (CBS)


National Football Conference:


Next Saturday:


Detroit at New Orleans @ 5:00 PM (NBC)


Next Sunday:


Atlanta at New York Giants @ 10:00 AM (Fox)


Divisional Playoffs:


Saturday, January 14:


Highest remaining seed at San Francisco @ 1:30 PM (Fox)


Sunday, January 15:


Lowest remaining seed at Green Bay @ 1:30 PM (Fox)



Niners Foil Late Rams Rally, Clinch Number Two Seed In NFC Playoffs And First-Round Bye

At St. Louis:


Michael Crabtree caught two touchdown passes (one for 28 yards from Alex Smith and one for 14 yards from placekicker David Akers on a fake field goal attempt) and Anthony Dixon ran a yard in the fourth quarter for what proved to be the game winning score as the San Francisco 49ers (13-3) held off the home-standing St. Louis Rams (2-14) 34-27 on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams.  The win locked up a first-round bye and the #2 seed in the NFC playoffs for the Niners.  San Francisco will host a divisional playoff game in two weeks.

Happy New Year!

From all of us at Bob's House, please permit me to wish you and yours a Happy and Prosperous 2012!