Pyramid of mediocrity

Well, thanks to Nihar, I have identified the peak in my pyramid of mediocrity. If the summit of my hierachy of superlatives (a sort of Richter scale of badassesness if you will - refer to yesterday's post) is Vincesane, then it is only fitting that its polar opposite be Simmsane (named after former Texas QB Chris Simms now of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Simms relationship with the UT faithful was a love/hate one, that effectively bottomed out during the 2001 Big XII championship game loss to Colorado. Head Coach Mack Brown hauled off a forlorn Simms who was literally booed off the field after a typically Simmsane performance (I have always maintained that Tennesee had the last laugh in the whole Chris Simms fiasco after the latter backed out of an agreement to attend college there).

At this point I would like to add that Manchester United's 3-1 derby loss to City last night also slots neatly into the Simmsane category. Unfortunately it looks like Chelsea will be runaway winners again this season. United have simply drawn far too many games against the minnows like Bolton and Everton. I miss the days when Manchester United played with heart. At times this season they have looked like a bunch of headless chickens running around a farmyard.

In contrast, the Texas bball team managed to overcome # 3 Villanova after a pulsating finish in the final minutes. The good thing about college basketball though is that you can have less than a perfect season and still go all the way in the playoffs. Lets face it - the BCS system in college football sucks. Sure it worked in Texas's favour this year, but I am still championing a playoff system. Alas as with many things in life, there is just too much money vested in the bowl system for such a radical overhaul.

Today was a fairly sombre day in Kuwait after news broke that the Amir had indeed passed away. Times have indeed changed. When we first moved to Kuwait in 1982, he was in power and Kuwait was still a conservative society both economically and socially. Alas he has departed Kuwait where in 2006 conservatism means you opt for the full option Porsche Cayanne Turbo instead of a Ferrari 360 Modena. A fair number of people awoke this morning thankful for not having to go into work (most offices are shut for 2-3 days). However this quickly turned to boredom when they realized that just about every form of entertainment, including cinemas, malls, and restaurants, would to remain shut during the same period. Whomever said the sun would never set on Marina mall?

Till next time...