Time for Hilary to sigh heavily.

It's a sports! post.

1. There's a reason Lloyd Carr captains the Maize and Blue and not yours truly. First, I'd be in prison for murdering a few alumni by now, and second--he knows what he's doing and I don't.

Approximately 20 minutes after telling Bryan that it was incomprehensible that Carr was going to continue to forcefeed sophomore slumper Chad Henne into the meat grinder (my precise quote was "Henne simply does not have what it takes to get the job done at crunch time"), the QB wins the game with no time remaining, ruining JoePa's perfect season in one shattering instant. Heather said the look on my face was "Did it happen, or am I still wishing it?"

It's become clear that Carr is not just thinking of saving this season, he's thinking 1-2 years ahead, when he will be able to field an absolute monster, a genuine mythical national championship contender. A confident Henne is essential to making it happen. And he just got a lot more confident Saturday.

Also, not much has been mentioned about his best call--demanding that time be put on the clock after he took the last timeout. It worked: he managed to get two seconds, and he needed both. Good attention to detail on that one, and for some reason local media hasn't glommed on to that.

2. My speech-capable children can do "dammit!" with a distressing clarity. Daddy apologizes--again. Saturday afternoons in fall do not find me at my best.

3. The Lions leave me with a poker face and an English gentlemen's disdain--"The chaps fell short again, what what?" The fan equivalent of acedia long ago set in: Hope peaks at the draft and dies sometime around the bye week. The good news is, the kids only learn how to roll their eyes on Sunday.

4. Sorry--genuinely--to MSU and ND fans. I despise both of your opponents with all I have. Special kudos to the ND ground crew, who are apparently trying to grow winter wheat in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus. My lawn looked better, and I hadn't mowed it in two weeks (until yesterday).

5. Not sports--exactly--but close: Grilling season is fast coming to a close in the northern temperate zone. I got some marinated salmon out Sunday. Anyone else? The two packs of frozen brats may have to wait until 2006.

6. Bryan has an interesting discussion about the Sox (and Tigers, in the comment box), as well as good health news about coffee. Check it out. James has been reticent about the Irish--all year, as a matter of fact. Bluejacket fever has apparently taken hold....