Players always enjoy bowl games, because you get presents and the coaches back off all that insane screaming and yelling at practice. Seriously, man. Practice is a lot more fun. You still get your work in, but none of that in-your-face coaching is going on. Not sure what all that screaming is about anyway. Maybe the linemen just enjoy it.
   The bowl gifts have come a long way. Back in '78, we played out in Houston, in the Bluebonnet Bowl against Stanford. After practice one day, we jumped on the bus and ended up at one of those Boot Barns. We all got to pick out a pair of cowboy boots. Wish I had captured some of the expressions of most of the players...the bowl official blew this up like it was a huge surprise. And then, this? I don't remember ever wearing the ones I picked out. Come on, man...cowboy boots? 
   That ended up being an exciting game though. HOF Coach Bill Walsh was the Stanford coach.I bumped into him years later, when he was coaching the 49ers and he spent a good 15-20 minutes reflecting back on the game. We were up big early and let them comeback to win. I played only a couple of series, one resulted in a couple of TD pass, but didn't play much after that. Coach Walsh asked me why, but I still don't have an answer. 
   I'm at my in-laws home in Orlando, where UCF is busy getting ready to beat Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. Sure hope the 'Dogs are ready to go. The Knights are motivated to knock off an SEC school. The 'Dogs are probably overconfident and more concerned about the bowl gifts, than sending these seniors and A.J. out winners. One of the juniors should step up at a meeting out in Memphis and read this team the riot act. Enough of this 6-6 stuff. Let's start 2011 with a big win.