I stream a lot of murder mysteries.
British. Scandinavian. Mostly.
For my taste, they are a bit more sophisticated. Generally speaking more cerebral, less gore.
But, hey, everybody’s taste is different. If you prefer grizzly, have at it.
All are full of MacGuffins. This guy did it. No, it was her. What a sec, what about . . .?
So, I always look for the character who is in a scene or two early on. Of no consequence . . . we think.
Until the final episode, when we learn he or she or them is/ are the perp(s).
Usually out of nowhere. In the better series, it makes sense. In many, the plot maneuvers are so convoluted, you’re left with mixed feelings.
Which brings me to this past week in college pigskin.
Dead Man Walking List Culled. Pop Quiz. The first one who can name where Mike Locksley coaches — er, coached — wins a tip of the hat.
Point is he’s the first coach canned this in season.*
Like those mystery perps, we didn’t see it coming, that he’d be first. Maybe after the team’s last game.
He was the first of three.
Joing him in the stands not along the sideline: After thirteen and a half seasons of mediocrity, NC State finally pinkslipped Dave Doeren.
Why now, and not after the Worst Ever Last Play L to Vandy?
Baylor’s Dave Aranda became the next one to bite the dust.
While Mike Norvell, the consensus top pick, the guy all clues pointed to, the guy we all have been expecting to put up a For Sale sign, still wears the headset.
*Locksley coached at Maryland, as inconsequential as you can get.
Hollywood Busts. You know how every so often you see a young actor in a movie in a minor role and they just about steal the whole movie.
They become The Next Big Thing in Tinseltown.
Like, oh, Mickey Rourke, after his breakout as the very philosophical arsonist Teddy Lewis In “Body Heat”.* Then Boogie in “Diner.”
*We also met young Ted Danson in that one as the DA.
Well, Rourke has had a long career, but Not Quite What Was Expected after that early charismatic promise.
So, Lincoln Riley, is that you?
41-20 in the Land of Troy, after escaping Oklahoma in the middle of the night. But pretty forgettable after Caleb Williams’ and your first season at Southern Cal.
He’s 6-2 this year, but the celsius of his seat is on the increase after getting waxed at Camp Randall.
Mormons Book It. Central Florida’s victory over Brigham Young was so absurd, so full of what happened there moments, I won’t even try to explain. Points given back. Weird calls. Big plays. Big miscues. By players, coaches and refs.
Bottom line. The Cougars had to travel cross country. Between that and that big W last weekend, they weren’t all there in the Bounce House.
Big 12 football this campaign is a gift that keeps on giving.
Boldly Going Nowhere. That’s what a bumper sticker read last week on the car in front of me at an interminable red light.
I thought of it while watching Indiana’s toilsome escape in the Big House.
This year’s Hoosiers are not last year’s Hoosiers.
But Game Day will be back this Saturday.
Enlarge the Trophy Case. It’s Ski-U-Mah x 3. The Minnesota Golden Gophers currently possess three of the most iconic trophies in the hallowed tradition of the game. They carried home Floyd of Rosedale, that 100 lb. bronze pig on Saturday after besting Iowa. It now sits next to the Little Brown Jug for the recent W over the reeling, QB in flux Wolverines. Aside Paul Bunyan’s Axe, for besting rival Wisconsin last season.
Cody Campbell Quote #1. This, said last summer by the owner of Texas Tech football about Cincinnati during the height of the Brendan Sorsby weltschmerz: “I don’t think they’ll forget about it either when we’re up by 40 and still throwing the ball in the fourth quarter.”
Cody Campbell Quote #2. After Saturday’s 24-37 beatdown to Cincy, he sounded just like fellow Texas football club owner Jerry Jones: “There is no excuse or reason to lose a game like this.”
— c d kaplan