Back in the 1980s, it was not uncommon for Super Bowls not to be super. I was at parties when the Raiders clobbered the Redskins and the 49ers destroyed the Dolphins.
If every game was a classic, there would be no such thing as a classic.
It’s the biggest sporting event. I didn’t much care who won. I mildly hoped Kansas City won because I admire the Chiefs, but I don’t dislike the Eagles. Years ago the Eagles were playing the Patriots in Jacksonville when I was at the Daytona 500.
I’m not a typical Super Bowl watcher. I’m more likely to check on basketball games than watch the commercials during the pregame show, which has little to do with the game. The highlight of my weekend is probably going to be Clemson’s upset of Duke, anyway.

I have never been interested in recruiting, and I am well aware that most sports fans are wild about it. It was my observation, 40 years ago, that that there are many lousy players but no such thing as a bad recruit.
The origin of this view was when a favorite team of mine signed a quarterback touted as the best in the nation. He was never heard from again. Maybe he got hurt. Maybe he and the coaches never got along. Maybe he was a lousy student.
Nowadays everything has changed. A few more years and keeping up with recruiting will require a trip to ancestry.com.

Isn’t it interesting that Southern Methodist University is a football power again? In 1987, the NCAA shut down SMU’s program because it cheated more than any program ever had. Little of what the Mustangs did back then is illegal now.
Let the good times roll.
One aspect of modern life that disturbs me, across all disciplines, is the decline of idealism. People have given up on making things better. The general attitude is “that’s the way it is.”
I’m not against a college athlete getting a fair share of the wealth. I’m not against him or her having the right to transfer elsewhere to seek greater opportunity. The current state of affairs disturbs me, though. It’s gotten out of hand.

A generation ago, an athlete skipping a bowl or playoff game would have been unthinkable. It’s not something one would have done within the context of a team. Risk of injury? There’s a risk of injury at every practice.
It’s not healthy for one player on a team to make 100 times more than another, such as, say, a quarterback and a punter. It undermines a team. It encourages corruption.

May River of Bluffton won the final five matches on the mat Saturday afternoon in the Class 4A state finals at Columbia’s Dreher High School, denying Laurens its first state wrestling championship by a score of 36-35.
The Raiders built a 35-11 advantage prior to the Sharks’ late surge, winning six straight matches with three pins and two major decisions between 138 and 175 pounds for a 30-6 lead.
Laurens’ Michael Brown picked up a pinfall victory at 215 pounds for the final points of the match.
Other Laurens winners were Dakota McCall, Micheal Aiken, Leyden Gentry, Jonathan Pagoada, Gage Kemph and Zaine Kellett.

Clinton conquered Eau Claire on back-to-back nights, wrapping up Region 3-2A for the Red Devil girls’ basketball team and second place for the boys. The games, on Thursday night in Clinton and Friday in Columbia, were quite similar.
Bryanna Belton led the Clinton girls with 13 points in Friday night’s 34-31 victory as the Devils put the Shamrocks away with a 10-5 edge in the fourth quarter. McKenzie Clark added 10 points and Nah’shia Wright 8.

The night before, Mylayja Thompson led Clinton past Eau Claire, 36-28, Clark and Belton each scored 7.
The Red Devils are 18-5 overall, 8-0 in region.
Tushawan Richardson put up 22 points in Clinton’s 53-48 victory on Thursday at home, and Nyterian Smith added 13. The Red Devils are second in Region 3 to Fairfield Central after a 52-44 victory over the Shamrocks on Friday. Cristian Jones led the way with 16 points. Richardson added 10.
The Clinton boys are 13-7 and 7-1.
Mid-Carolina visits Clinton on Tuesday night.

The Laurens boys completed a fine regular season with an 81-51 victory over Emerald, giving the Raiders a 19-7 record, 7-3 in Region 1-4A play.
The girls dominated the Vikiings, 54-35, behind three double-figure scorers: Zoe Young with 20 points, Nyri Allen with 11 and Keyorick Yeargin with 10. Laurens is 12-13 and 5-5.
Support the advertisers. They are all fine people who want their businesses associated with honest coverage of local sports. I appreciate them sticking with me as I get back up to speed.

I’m getting a little stronger, but I tire easily, Energy remains a problem.
In the off chance you’d like to read my novels and other books, they’re available on Amazon and many prominent bookseller sites.
You can read them on your phones and other devices for a modest cost. I make a bit more if you purchase the actual books, but what I mainly want is for folks to read them.
Illness has left me with some additional expenses. I hope to sell off some memorabilia I’ve accumulated over the years.

First I’ve got to get well.
Cowboys Come Home is a novel about a couple of young Texans home from World War II. Texas has changed in their absence.
Thanks for putting up with me.