Hardwood and Popcorn. I think I like that title. For what, I don’t know. I mean, I won’t write a song about it. I have never written a song about playing football so I probably won’t write a song about hardwood and popcorn.
Each November and into December, a great phenomena happens in schools all over the State of Indiana. When the smell of popcorn and the hardwood of a basketball court find each other again, this is a time honored tradition, something magical happens. Just walk into a high gym in Indiana and take a whiff. There is a smell that is unmistakable. I enjoy it very much.
As a child the high school gym I watched basketball games in also had ancient wooden bleachers, they were replaced only this year, I am speaking “The Pit” at Brownstown Central High School. The gym smell there was thick as sweet spring rain. We also bought soft drinks in paper cups for a 25 cents. I got 50 cents a game to spend. That meant two Sprites or a popcorn and a Sprite. The fountain drink in a paper cup, after the game, was a weapon of mass sound. When stepped on quickly and properly on a silk smooth concrete floor, a paper cup can make quite a “pop”…as in “poppin’ cups”….as in my Dad yelling at me to “stop poppin’ cups”.
The Indiana High School gym is an institution and is at its best when the popcorn is flying around the popper for us all…whether we eat it or not.
On to the College Football Picks.
So far the picks stand at 92 winners and 40 losers. I have done better this year. Speaking of a year. Last year this weekend, my Dad and I were at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena watching the crosstown rival UCLA Bruins host the USC Trojans. It was a dream come true. Those things are few. It was everything I had hoped for and more. It is the greatest football venue on the planet. I believe that. I have seen a few.
I was nervous walking up to the place the Friday before the game.
On to the picks…
Auburn beats La. Monroe….it is cupcake week in the SEC and I am going to pad my record for them.
Alabama beats Mercer…if Mercer shows up. Jalen Hurts should win the Heisman Trophy.
Michigan beats Wisconsin…My pick cos I can’t stand the Badgers or their frozen brain fans….at least most of them….don’t ya know.
Minnesota beats Northwestern….Might be a Wildcat W at Ryan Field.
Arkansas beats Mississippi State…No, not just cos I don’t like State. They outplayed Bama last week and lost. The Hogs need a W if they want to keep their coach.
Indiana beats Rutgers….I am in Bloomington as I type. The weather is supposed to be atrocious tomorrow here. Wet, windy, and getting colder. Should be great. Rutgers is the only Big Ten team I have never seen play…and we are up to 14 Big Ten teams. Money can do strange things to college football leagues…see Mizzou in the SEC. I have been to Piscataway, NJ…looks like Big Ten country like I belong on a cricket team.
Ohio State beats Illinois…The Buckeyes get letter everyone in this one.
Georgia beats Kentucky….Silver Britches ruined what we hoped to be the defacto National Championship in the SEC Championship with what we should have had with undefeated Bama and Georgia teams going at it. Auburn indeed.
Michigan State beats Maryland….Sparty is up and down and needs this one.
LSU beats Tennessee…The Tigers will have a good day of it against the Vols. How can a team with many seats in its stadium be so bad so long. The Great Pumpkin aka Coach Fulmer looks smarter by the season.
USC beats UCLA….Classic match-up any season.
Marshall beats UTSA…The Herd has not fared well travelling to Texas over the years. This might be tricky for the boys from Huntington.
That is that. I hope all of you have a great weekend and that you get a chance to…speak the rights.
Danny Johnson