Finally, a day off from The Dirty Gig, because we are “snowed out.” … This time the PingWi-Fi tour stops in “The Cities” — Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. … time to shoot photos, test Wi-Fi, blog, listen to music…

I am reeling at just how well Apple iTunes Radio knows me (or have they have somehow “roboted” through my computer data?) — the other night I selected Sparkle Horse and iTunes radio, a station I for new and eclectic sounds. Listening to it, I was reminded of how The Flaming Lips dedicated a song to the leader singer of Sparkle Horse, in a concert soon after Mark Linkous killed himself. When I saw The Lips in concert the first time, they dedicated “Waiting for Superman” to Linkous and mentioned they also played the song in memory of Elliot Smith a few years earlier, “when he allegedly killed himself.” I guess “Waiting For Superman” is their designated suicide song … I digress … Any way … the point – I was impressed that iTunes played Sparkle Horse, Flaming Lips and Elliot Smith in a row, just for me.

Linkous of Sparkle Horse

Love it when things come together. Here’s another one … This time it is the work worlds colliding … careers, past, present and alternative … kind of cool. Let me set this up …

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I am stubborn. But I like to call it self-sufficiency. Having recently moved the foosball table to the hall closet without an assist, I was feeling pretty invincible … until my little run in with the monster TV. I tried to manhandle it by my own self.

You see, finally I have succumbed to the need for a flat screen in the man cave portion of the second floor overlooking the balcony, which leads me to the pressing philosophical questions of the twenty-teens. What do you do with the old set? It works great, and with a now-required digital antenna the picture is about as good as the new ones. But, we all know the issue is girth. My old 40-inch Toshiba is one big, bad mamma-jamma of plastic that will last thousands of years.

But, hey, I can handle it. I got it up there didn’t I? Trouble is, that set is about 10 years older now … and yes this old boy has seen a few more reruns too, since the time I snatched it up and toted it ascending the stairs. I looked at the Toshiba beast on top of a five-foot armoire … and I started to have my doubts.

Doubts are the devil. I probably would have been fine, if I hadn’t thought it to death.

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Brandin Byrd

What a great return to bowlsville for the Mean Green of The University of North Texas as they took ESPN’s Heart of Dallas Bowl 36-14 over the University of Nevada – Las Vegas! As proclaimed at the post-game trophy presentation, the Eagles say this is “just the beginning.”

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Although perfectly sportsmanlike, polite and extremely complimentary of his opponent, UNT mentor Dan McCarney had set the tone for the game, the day before at the press conference. Seeing his enthusiasm — a colorful quote machine of a coach — led at least one blogger to expect the UNT win.

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Oh no you dint! The Heart of Dallas Bowl has placed “The Wi-Fi Guy” in the press box where there is no Wi-Fi.  AWK-WARD.  So, we are hardwired.  Ha! I could barely remember how to get on an ethernet network … I mean it has only been about 10 years since I went totally wireless.

Regardless … we are working it, with the Mean Green of The University of North Texas facing The Running Rebels of UNLV.

Anywho … we are up and blogging.  The teams were warming up as we started this post.  Right after kickoff, we’ll head to the sidelines searching for any and all photo opps …

Meanwhile … test, test … are our tweets working?  If you are on twitter and wish to follow the game, this bowl game, unlike a few others I have seen, did their due diligence and put out a functional hashtag … follow #HODBowl.  And of course you can always follow @PingWiFi in a pinch.

Our thoughts from the twitter feed?:

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For the PingWi-Fi team, The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl has always been a show of firepower, no military pun intended. Our first BHAFB featured progressive coach Kevin Sumlin, his quarterbacks whisperer Kliff Kingsbury and a young Case Keenum (24 of 41 that day … and a quick kick, we might add). That games is well represented in the records for this bowl.

First Bowl Tweeted

The Dec. 30, 2013 edition of the classic turned back the clock, with the running game showcased as The Midshipmen of Navy defeated the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, 24-6 in a game where the winning quarterback completed only three passes. Ha! Some teams do that in one trick play. To emphasize the running in this game … the score at the end of three quarters: 10-6.

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10-6, Navy, at the half from Fort Worth in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl.

On the eve of Mack Brown’s parting ways with The University of Texas Longhorns — at least in the role of football czar for the burnt orange horde, I am compelled to say a little something.

First … the odds makers think The Oregon Ducks will turn Brown’s Horns upside down to frowns. Either way, how fitting that Mack’s final stand is The (Valero) Alamo Bowl.

So, despite those prophecies, for the record, I suspect Mack Brown will go out smiling, with a Texas win, at which point many probably expect the coach to ascend on up to heaven and sitteth at the right guard of the Lord of all Longhorns.

Not me.

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Merry

Christmas!

∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆

 Superstitions in sports can get a little cray-cray. I don’t believe in them … much … but when I heard the Washington State Band started dancing to “Back In Black” near the end of the game … I just had a feeling. The band’s moves were good and the dance team looked particularly in sync. But B-I-B is not even real AC/DC. It was recorded after Bon Scott died. It is a cheap imitation. It is evil. Shun it. Do not flirt with it.

The Cougars did. And lo and behold, after having a 15-point lead with about two and half minutes left to play, and after leading the entire game, Washington State went down by three points. If it wasn’t wasn’t a case of sampling bad pseudo/DC … then I ask you. Just what in the name of all things holy happened?

Scratching our collective heads on this one. 48-45. Final.

Weird thing is, we harped on the importance of the “line” in Vegas before and during the game. Remember … how we mentioned both teams have a history of playing well enough to cover the spread. What was the line? Four points, favoring Colorado State University, the last we heard. Well, Washington State didn’t get the win, but I bet a lot of people did … they lost by three.

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