New Year's Peeved

I hope everyone had a successful 2007 and here is an early toast to 2008. In general I am not a big fan of New Year's resolutions that will be quickly ingnored. I guess I just wish for continued good health, wisdom, and happiness for my friends and me.

1. Why must J.K. Rowling tease us about wizard books: http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=5&id=46830

2. While watching SportsCenter the other day, I heard some people mention the Boston Celtics' head coach, Doc Rivers, as a possible coach of the year. This just reminded me that head coaches/managers in most professional teams are not the most important position and really don't have that much influence. The most important position is the General Manager, or President who puts the team together. Last year, Doc Rivers coached the Celtics to the second worst record in the league. Now, the Celtics are 24-4 and have the best record. Is it because Rivers went to a lot of coaching clinics and is now a tactical genius or is it because there is a lot more talent on the team when the General Manager added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen? Phil Jackson has been coaching an average Lakers team the past few years. Has he lost his touch or was it because there is not as much talent on the team without Shaq? College coaches are a little different since they kind of run the show, decide the assistant coaches, recruit, et cetera. But pro-coaches are not even close to being the deciding factors between the best and the worst teams.

3. I wish there was some rule that bowls cannot happen in the same state as one of the two teams playing. I think it is really unfair that Hawaii played the Sugar Bowl against Georgia at Georgia. Michigan played Florida in Florida. USC played Illinois in LA. Penn State played Texas A&M in San Antonio. Ohio State is playing LSU in Louisiana. The list goes on. Basically, the system favors southern teams.

4. In case anybody didn't notice, the Iowa Caucus is tomorrow. I'm cheering for Obama and he might even win Iowa or New Hampshire but I still would be shocked if Hillary doesn't easily win the nomination.

5. According to the Star Tribune, Minneapolis will reach forty degrees this weekend. It is about time. The weather has been terrible recently and it was -2 degress driving to work this morning. That is unbearably cold.