Truth Be Told . . .

Featured each week will be this column - Truth Be Told . . . Designed to offer a different take on a topic for you to weigh in on, question, call idiotic if you want. Someplace you can look for news, tips, different takes on the world of sports. Its the roundtable that develops every time you get together with a few friends and talk sports or a centralized location for all those e-mails back and forth that start when you are at work midafternoon bored out of your mind and a buddy sends an e-mail claiming Kyle Orton is the next coming of Jim McMahon. You hit reply while shaking your head wondering what this guy is on and debating whether to respond simply "Donkey - nice passer rating" or actually taking the time to educate him as to why Orton will be on the bench as soon as Grossman is healthy. Call it the written form of "sports talkradio" except its your show, you control the content. Part insight, part opinion, part debate, no limits. It is unfiltered, unfettered. And now it has a place, a name.

There's only one rule: If you're in, make it count. Nothing's worse than going half-assed, being the guy who listens to the debate on who will win the big game and says, "I think both teams have a chance . . ." While your friends may nod their heads silently so as not to hurt your feelings, we won't. Don't comment just to see your name. Pick a side, take a point of view, make it count that you were here. I guarantee if you don't, you will be mocked. Now, you know the rule, you know the consequences, no excuses. Truth Be Told . . . we've needed a forum like this for a long time. Are you in?

New Year's Day Bowl games?

Most would argue that the USC-Texas match up is the game we have hoped for all season. I too look forward to this game, but I fear this game won’t match the hype as this “NFL ready” team in USC is too much for the Texas Longhorns. USC has won 34 games in a row, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. Their defense seems to give up more points than desired, but their offense has a second (and third and fourth) gear ready and willing to show off when needed. I don’t think Texas will be able to stop an offensive team like this, and I see a 3 touchdown victory by USC.

But we will have to wait for this, and other, “New Year's” day bowl games. The Rose Bowl will be played on January 4th. What are the good New Year's day bowl games? There aren’t any.

What?!?

The NFL rules the world. January 1st falls on a Sunday this year, NFL Sunday. But there still is a buzz in the Bay Area about a bowl game on January 1st. It is being dubbed the “Reggie Bush” bowl being played at Monster Park (Candlestick Park) with the Houston Texans taking on the San Francisco 49ers. At stake is the right to draft Reggie Bush. The Houston Texans have the edge right now with one victory to their name. They have shown an uncanny ability to lose games in all possible ways. They lost a 17 point lead to the Rams with a rookie quarterback from Harvard, and just yesterday, had a chance to tie the game at the end of regulation, but their kicker hooked (I am being kind. It was an awful kick) it.

The 49ers are no better, well actually they are, by one game. They play hard, but they are simply a very bad team with a lot of holes. Reggie Bush will fill one hole, as he would on any team. While Reggie Bush would not make the offensive line any better, he sure would look good in a 49ers uniform. Not since Michael Vick, have we seen a player with such game changing ability. Guys like this don’t come around often. They in turn, are usually not capable of carrying a team to the Superbowl, but they are fun to watch.

Check back with us later this week as we will begin to dissect the first of the 28 college football bowl games.