Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I know most of you hate all this talk about college football, but it has one huge advantage for any school you care about: Advertising. How much free national air time has the initials "TCU" received over the last couple of months? Tens of millions of dollars? More?
• I can't imagine having to drive on 114 into Dallas every morning but this morning the "freeway" was shut down both directions at FM 156. Beating.
• I don't know anything about the National Finals Rodeo going on in Las Vegas but after Round 3 (they tell me), these were the current standings: 1). Trevor Brazile, $137,339. 2). Clint Robinson, $129,698. 3). Tuf Cooper, $101,368. Aren't #1 and #3 from Decatur?
• News you may not have heard about: 2 men and 43 horses died in a barn fire in Ohio over the weekend.
• News you may have heard about: Three girls (16, 14 and 12) in Terrell were hit by a car and killed while crossing a newly constructed road.
• I tried to watch the UT/Nebraska game at Pappa G's (is that a Vegas Vacation joke?) off Rufe Snow since I had never been there. Verdict: Fail. No parking. No seats. Smoky as a California wildfire. I'm out after two minutes.
• Ended up at a dive sports bar/billiards place on down the road. Very wheels off crowd (was that a drunk Carlos Santana?) and a great place to watch a great game.
• I've always liked those dancing Gap ads. Glad they're back.
• Yesterday I saw about a 7 year old walking around Academy Sports with a big tablet and pencil making his Christmas list.
• Tiger Woods needs to book an appearance on Oprah. Fast.
• I now watch all NFL games with limited interest.
• 50 Best Protest Signs of 2009 (Language warning.)
• I was at Uncle Julio's in Grapevine on Friday and, as I was walking in, I noticed the driver of a new big extended cab pickup (dealer tags) decide to back into a parking space. A Mercedes was behind it. Scooch. Brake. Scooch. Brake. Scooch . . . . (Crushing sound.) Oh, my.
• And that's kind of a high tone Uncle Julio's