Cotton Bowl, Phil Bennett, NFL playoffs, busy week ahead...

Paul Catalina and I enjoyed our trip to broadcast "You Make The Call" from Cowboys Stadium and the Cotton Bowl.

It is still very strange for me to say we're at the Cotton Bowl, knowing it's at Jerry's World. Like, when I opened one segment with, "We're live from the Cotton Bowl."

Well, were we?

Yes and no. There's still this 75,000+ stadium in south Dallas that calls itself the Cotton Bowl, but it's becoming more and more irrelevant each year.

I wonder how long before the Texas-OU game is moved to Arlington.

I spent a lot of time with family again this weekend, this time a ton of relatives celebrating a "late" Christmas in Plano with Cindy's parents and family. They put on a show, but as we all get older, it's so much fun to watch the grand kids enjoying "Santa Claus."

I've been nursing a little nagging cough and it's made me a little nervous coming off the double-pneumonia from back in early-October. I can't take anything for granted so I might go and get a checkup on Monday or Tuesday.

I'll just suck down a dose of NyQuil tonight to get some decent sleep and avoid the ticklish cough that drove me crazy last night.

I went 3-1 during the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs, missed the 7-9 Seahawks thumping the defending champion Saints. I never felt like the 2010 Saints got their Mojo going and so another year goes by and another defending champion bites the dust without the opportunity to defend their title.

Round 2 is loaded with intriguing games including a GREAT Final Four in the AFC, how can it get much better than NY Jets-Patriots, Ravens-Steelers...NFC not bad, interesting, last time Chicago went to the Super Bowl, they had to beat Seattle on their way---they'll host the Seahawks this weekend. I look forward to the Green Bay @ Atlanta game.

Will be interesting to monitor the positive feedback from the Phil Bennett hiring and his arrival to Waco this week. I'm looking forward to talking with him on our show this week. The response from all angles has been very positive.

And, busy week for us at 1660ESPN Radio, we'll be at the Phil Bennett announcement on campus whenever that happens---although that might happen up in Dallas where we'll be at the American Football Coaches Convention. Tuesday night it's OU vs. Baylor Bears, who opened Big 12 play with a nice win in Lubbock.

I've been invited to speak at the Kiwani's Club meeting on Tuesday, first invite to speak at one of those local groups since my arrival in late-June and I hope there's more to come. I enjoyed my trip to speak to students at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor back during the fall.

We have the Lady Bears at home on Saturday night, and an appearance at Automax Hyundai on Friday, Click's on Thursday and working on launching our Academic All-Stars program.


David Smoak