Week 12 NFL Play of the Day: New Orleans

Even though they have lost a few games, I still like the Saints and how thay can score at will on offense.

They take on a slumping N.Y. Giants team tonight in New Orleans and are only giving the G-Men 7 points.

The Saints are rested and coming off a bye week.  They will score a lot of poimts and take down the Giants. Give the 7, and take the Saints.

Black Friday Sales Up, Up and Up

The holiday shopping season got off to a strong start on Black Friday, with retail sales up 7 percent over last year, according to the most recent survey. Now, can stores keep buyers coming back without the promise of door-buster savings.  I have to bet we haven't heard the term "doorbuster" for the last time in 2011.

Buyers spent $11.4 billion at retail stores and malls, up nearly $1 billion from last year, according to a Saturday report from ShopperTrak. It was the largest amount ever spent on the day that marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and the biggest year-over-year increase since 2007. Chicago-based ShopperTrak gathers data from 25,000 outlets across the U.S., including individual stores and shopping centers.

The reason for the increase in sales.  My theory is the stores were open earlier and longer.  In 2010, stores opened at 4, 5, and 6am.  This Black Friday, stores opened at the stroke of midnight.

Bill Martin, who founded ShopperTrak, said he was surprised by the strong showing. He had expected the weak economy to dent consumer confidence and keep more shoppers out of the stores, or at least from spending much. Instead, he said, they responded to a blanket of promotions, from 60- and 70-percent off deals to door-buster savings on electronics.

More good news, sales were also up 4 percent each in the two weeks leading up to Black Friday, as retailers started their promotions earlier than usual or extended their hours.

My experience at Black Friday around Atlanta was full parking lots and 2-hour waits in some checkout lines.

At Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C., Mary Aker was forced to use valet parking Friday because she couldn't find a parking spot. But on Saturday, the pace had let up a little, so she and her husband came back to do some more shopping.

Over the past six years, Black Friday was the biggest sales day of the year, and it is expected to keep that crown this year, though shoppers seem to be procrastinating more every year and the fate of the holiday season is increasingly coming down to the last few days before Christmas.

Last year, the Thanksgiving shopping weekend accounted for 12.1 percent of overall holiday sales. Black Friday made up about half of that.

Kristi Malzahn, Coach Gus Malzahn's wife talks too much

It would be football in Alabama without some controversy.  For one minute forget about Harvey Updike, forget about Alabama thrashing Auburn today and watch this video.  Also look at the guy talking with her, is it just me or does he look like cross between Georgia Coach Mark Richt and former Family Fued host Ray Combs or what?

This is Kristi Malzahn and she spoke at a Church luncheon and provided internet fodder that shows why many coach's wives undergo training about knowing what to say and what not to say publicly.

Gus Malzahn is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn University. Malzahn started his career coaching high school before becoming offensive coordinator at University of Arkansas when he brought aboard prize recruits Mitch Mustain, Ben Cleveland, Andrew Norman, and Damian Williams.

I know it's a long video clip, but if you have a few minutes and don't really care for Auburn, give it a look.

NBA Season Might be Saved

NBA players and owners reached a hand-shake deal to end the lockout around 3 a.m. on Saturday. If the National Basketball Players Association votes to ratify the deal — a formality at this point — the season will begin on Christmas Day. The Heat is expected to begin the season against the Mavericks in Dallas’ American Airlines Center, site of Miami’s epic collapse in last season’s NBA Finals.

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement will give the players no less than 49 percent of the league’s Basketball Related Income and no more than 51 percent. Owners will be remembered for winning the lockout battle but the players did receive a small victory on one system issue. Owners must spend 85 percent of the salary cap on team payroll in the first two years of the deal and 90 percent the three years after that.

Bleary eyed after the marathon meeting in New York, Stern indicated on Saturday morning that the tentative agreement between players and owners to end the lockout will hold.
“We’re optimistic that will all come to pass and the NBA season will begin Dec.25 Christmas Day with a tripleheader,” Stern said.

Saturday's College Football Play of the Day: Baylor

Texas Tech comes into Baylor the losers of four straight games.  Look for it to be five Saturday night.

The only question is whether Baylor and Robert Griffin III will cover the 13 points.

Baylor is 7-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record and will cover the 13 and then some.  Baylor goes to 8-3 and Griffin III has another big game.

Take Baylor.