There’s a lot going on and a lot to talk about. Hopefully everyone’s holidays were enjoyable and the loot haul was plentiful. What did Santa bring all you?

Are you ready for some football?! – We’ve got a ton of sports going on this weekend. the Non-New Year’s Day Bowls are in full-force now, with the Big Ten’s first appearance as Wisconsin represents the hopes of Big Ten fans at the Champs Sports Bowl. Can Wisconsin out-muscle and run over the Seminoles? I’m not hopeful, but who knows. It’d be a great way to start the Bowl Season. (I know it started last week, but I don’t recognize any bowl with a name like “magicJACK St. Petersburg Bowl.”

Movin’ on Up – “… just cause it’s a theme song don’t make it not true.” We haven’t talked much about the Basketball Buckeyes here, but that’s not for lack of things to talk about. They’re off to a 9-0 start and are talking on a West Virginia team lead by Bob Huggins this after noon. The Buckeyes miss David Lighty, but this should still be a great game.

Witness – Speaking of basketball, how about those Cavaliers? I wasn’t blown away by the Mo Williams trade earlier this year, but now I’m a believer. This is the best Cavs team I can remember, and they’re just getting better. Two games upcoming with the rejuvenated Miami Heat should tell us a lot about this team.

Dumb and Dumberer – Whether you’re a Browns or a Bengals fan, have you given up yet? Did you give up eight weeks ago? Will you watch the final game? I’ll be on the road tomorrow during the Browns game, but I’ll be smiling if they beat the hated Steelers.

Monkey and me – We aren’t totally slacking off. We’re working on a handful of posts for next week, leading up to the Fiesta Bowl. I’m not feeling the excitement of bowl seasons past, so I’m hoping the next week or so will get the juices flowing once again. Go Bucks!

“I just can’t wait for two years from now when SC comes to the ‘Shoe and hopefully we’ll have a home game that weekend and I can go up there and watch us pound on them in their own turf… I’m really getting sick of it and I just can’t wait for this game to get here so they can come out to the Coliseum and experience LA and get an old-fashioned Pac-10 butt-whoopin’ and go back to the Big Ten.”

Fair enough… you’re an SC grad, makes sense that you’d root for your alma mater. Classless? Yes. But then:

“I cannot stand the Buckeyes… It’s amazing to hear what those guys think about that university and what they think about that football program and Tressel and all the crap I gotta put up with being back there.”

Uh, Carson? C’mere. I know you’ve been here in Ohio for a few years now, but maybe you don’t understand something. You’ve gotta be out of your mind to quarterback an Ohio football team and then complain about Ohio State. Your team shares the exact same fans.

There are certain realities about Ohio, and one of them is that Buckeye football resides at the top of the heap. I’m sure that’s a shock from LA, where the spotlight is split between the Lakers, Dodgers, Angels, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Bruins, and Trojans; not counting the teams from the rest of the state.

But here in Ohio, it’s all about the Bucks. Even Braylon Edwards, who’s opinion on Ohio was forged into his DNA in Ann Arbor, is classy enough to love and respect the football fans here.

So there are three options:

1. If you have a radical opinion, at least be good enough of a player to have it respected. Being the QB of Ohio’s third best football team doesn’t count, especially when OSU pulls in more attendance for its spring game than you do when you play your cross-state rival.
2. Shut.
3. Up.

Thank you.

H/T: Fanhouse

— UPDATE —
Palmer is backpedaling faster than a cornerback covering Ted Ginn, Jr.

“I really do respect the Buckeyes, and I know their fans are passionate, too. I hope they all understand I’m just looking forward to a big game for my school against a very tough opponent, and that it’s all in the good fun of a rivalry. You don’t have a real rivalry unless both sides are great teams.”

Carson, you’re not talking your way out of this. It’s over. Your legacy is set. This isn’t LeBron wearing a NY hat, pulling for his favorite team. This is you making fun of your own fans, and badmouthing another team’s coach. Go on, win the Super Bowl, it won’t matter. Beat Favre’s passing yardage mark, it won’t matter.

Oh, and by the way: “Rivalry?” Kinda strong, don’t you think? OSU and USC haven’t had anything resembling a rivalry for over 30 years.

Maybe Chad Johnson is the one who’s been right all along, eh?