Starting Anew

My apologies to those of you out there for abandoning Frank's Forecast for the last month of the NFL season. But judging by my results in the Smack Talk, you weren't missing out on much wisdom.

I had an enjoyable Christmas (got down to Pennsylvania to see the parents) and was able to catch a few bowl games over the New Year's weekend.

I didn't really make any resolutions (easier to avoid breaking them that way). But I will do more to widen my scope in this little corner of the Internet.

Away we go:

POLITICS The 112th Congress gets started Wednesday, with things having taken a big 'ol shift to the right in the House. The GOP picked up 63 seats and now has 242 with John Boehner, from the great state of Ohio taking the gavel as Speaker out of the shriveled little hands of "Little Red" Nancy Pelosi.

Let me just add that the spectacle of the Democrats shoveling through every bit of legislation they could during the Christmas week was ridiculous. The biggest joke was the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" which wouldn't have had a snowball's chance in the Sahara Desert in the new Congress.

There is a solution, however. Do ask, do tell, and then kick 'em out anyway. I haven't ever served in the military, and welcome comments from those who have, but that's where I stand.

SPORTS The Sugar Bowl between my Ohio State Buckeyes and Arkansas takes place tonight. The big storyline has been the fact that Terrelle Pryor (starting QB), Dan Herron (starting RB), Devier Posey (starting WR), and a couple others were busted for having sold Big Ten championship rings in exchange for tattoos. Yes, it was stupid. No, I don't think it was Jim Tressel's fault. I've been going back and forth on the fact that the players are being allowed to take part in the bowl game because they "didn't have enough education" about the rules. I think after watching ESPN's documentary on SMU, hearing about Reggie Bush and Cam Newton for the past few months, and now this, things would a whole sight simpler if they let the athletes hold jobs like any other college student. OSU has said the players will be coming back next year to serve the five-game suspensions. I'd cut it to two or three, but make them conference games. For all the hype that Pryor brought with him, he has a Rose Bowl (last year) and wins over Michigan. But from what I've read, he's not really considered the "leader" of the team, which is kind of strange for a junior.

As for the Big Ten's performance on New Year's, NOT GOOD, to put it very mildly. Michigan didn't belong in a bowl. Northwestern hasn't won a bowl since 1949, but made a decent comeback. The three I was disappointed in were PSU (could have beaten a weak Florida team), Michigan State (so much for "we belong in the BCS), and Wisconsin getting away from its bread and butter (RUN RUN RUN), which did work when they stuck with it.

TELEVISION My Christmas gift from my parents this year was Dish Network. It's been a couple years since I've had TV. I've spent the past few weeks surveying the landscape. A few thoughts:

Shows I liked before and am catching up on: Chuck, Smallville, NCIS, Criminal Minds, CSI (original recipe), and CSI: NY.

New shows that have my seal of appproval so far: The Los Angeles versions of NCIS and Law & Order, Detroit 1-8-7, The Defenders.

I'm still searching for a few sitcoms. I like Big Bang Theory. How I Met Your Mother is OK, but there's gotta be a couple more out there.

I know this makes me sound old, but I remember when shows started in September, ran until May, and kept the same time slot. Thank God for the DVR, cause things are going to start hopping around here in the next month.

More later this week. Remember to keep SPEAKING FRANKLY. Aloha.