Scattershot Thoughts for November 12th

• My friend, Todd Roland, a former sportscaster and current good guy, was the officer shot in the hand Wednesday night. Get well soon, Todd. We're thinking of you.
• I love Christmas, but I'm not ready in early November. Christmas Carol will have to wait.
• Speaking of Christmas and waiting, not to mention my own hypocrisy from the above sentence, I took the kids to Bass Pro Shops Sunday to see Santa. The wait was four hours! No, we didn't wait. I can't shop for the outdoors that long.
• It's long been believed teenagers can't keep secrets. Meet Harrison Barnes. Mr. Barnes can keep a secret.
• I really like James Vandenberg. He looks like the high school kid who comes by and offers to mow the yard for $20, and his voice breaks like he's too young to be in his second year of college, but he's genuinely engaging without trying too hard. I think he'll play better Saturday than many people expect. Don't underestimate what a game plan designed with his inexperience in mind can do.
• The aforementioned game plan should include Tony Moeaki.
• Our Lincoln (high school) insider, B-Ross, says Adam Robinson is going to do everything he can to take the field in Columbus.
• How does a heavy underdog team with less talent and a back-up quarterback making his first start find a way to win on the road? Watch the Iowa State at Nebraska game.
• The Iowa State football seniors have played for three different head coaches. They deserve a nice send-off Saturday. Bowl eligible would be nice too.
• Best line on the Cyclones this season goes to Ryan in Clive: " Iowa State is a 6-6 team with 2-10 talent."
• I was listening to Jon Miller and Jim Zabel host WHO's radio Sound-Off (and they're a good team), and this one caller said, "and that's all I have to say". She then talked another 10 minutes before another, "and that's all I have to say". Five more minutes. Rinse and repeat.
• It's hard for me to see Bobby Bowden go out this way. He deserves better.
• I hate instant replay. I know once in a great while, video helps get a call right that impacts a game, but I can't stand what it does to the natural rhythms of a game. Now when a player catches a TD pass in the end zone, you don't fully celebrate, you wait for the inevitable replay, the painstaking delay, and the endless speculation about which way the call will go.
• Never trust a receiver who says he caught the ball. How many times does a receiver (or d-back) talk a coach into a challenge when he clearly trapped the ball?
• Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin hosting the Oscars?! I'm in.
• I'm not ready for basketball. Trying, but not ready.
• Killers Live at Royal Albert Hall is a great concert CD (and DVD).
• Did anyone rehabilitate his image more in recent months than A-Rod? Amazing what a little clutch hitting will. Penny Lane didn't hurt either.
• When did Sammy Sosa turn into Powder?
• Can't wait for Colts-Patriots.
• Power to the people! Nice job by Des Moines' Dan Cataldi. He and two friends started an online petition for the Chiefs to cut Larry Johnson before LJ became the Chiefs career rushing leader. 35,000 signatures later, it worked (or at least it didn't hurt).
• Demi Moore is 47? Favorite Demi movies: A Few Good Men, About Last Night, One Crazy Summer, St. Elmo's Fire.
• If Tom Brands is talking, I'm listening.
• My new favorite SoundOFF segment, "Ask Gary Dolphin". Funny.
• James Vandenberg says he's anti-Facebook. Interesting.
• You know what does suck about Facebook... when you request to be someone's friend, and you know that person, and you're not accepted. That sucks! Or at least that's what Andy told me.