Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End:
*So, what's harder to predict: Weather or sports? Coulda sworn Ron Jackson, Pete Delkus and the boys said there was a 30-percent chance of 1-2 inches of snow on Friday. But I drove home last night from the Terence Newman/Newy Scruggs-hosted Stars 'n Strikes Super Bowl party in a driving snowstorm and woke up this morning in McKinney to a healthy 6 inches of the white stuff piled up on the ledge of the hot tub. "We didn't expect the gulf moisture" is the weatherman company line. And what's this: Another inch or two this morning?
*Congrats to Dirk Nowitzki on making yet another NBA All-Star team. Of course he deserves it, but didn't think he'd make it. There's hope for this cold, cruel world after all.
*As expected, radio row at the Sheraton Hotel has been a hoot this week. The highlight lowlight was when the posse of Jersey Shore's Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino steamrolled the posse of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. Sometimes it's better to be famous than fantastic. Sad.
*Last night in Boston the Stars and Bruins apparently picked three fights in the first four seconds of the game. Never understood the allure of the hockey fight or - even more confounding - why refs just stand there and watch them.
*And I'm not just saying this because she's local, Nastia Liukin is hotter than Brooklyn Decker. Swear.
*Hot.
*Not.
*Tonight we're off to FIG (Fashion Industry Gallery) downtown for Dallas Super Bash, starring Pamela Anderson. There was a time, right around Baywatch, when she was the hottest human on the planet.
*Love me some Michael Irvin. I don't believe all his born-again schtick, but the dude is nothing if not energetic and entertaining. Yesterday he told Greggo and I that he wanted three women in his life: 1. A cook. 2. A maid. 3 And a Harry Hines. Funny. And ... true?
*This might not be the best Friday before a Super Bowl, but it's going to be one of the most picturesque. Maybe it's because we don't get treated to it very often, but there's a lot of awesomeness in the pristine powder on a cold, wind-less day. Screw a white Christmas, we've got ourselves a white Super Bowl.
*The AFC and NFC Championship Games and even the pathetic Pro Bowl each set TV viewership ratings. If Sunday's XLV isn't the most-watched event in the history of the NFL I'll be shocked.
*The fact that the Packers moved their practice indoors this week to Highland Park High School must irk SMU head coach June Jones, who for years has wanted a similar facility for his Mustangs. And, let's face it, that's kinda embarrassing. Highland Park football > SMU football?
*The Madden video game says Steelers 24, Packers 20 and that receiver Mike Wallace will be the MVP. Maurkice Pouncey's possible return to the lineup is huge for Pittsburgh, which I think is the better team with the better focus. All week the Packers have been playful and loose while the Steelers -- other than Ben Roethlisberger's late night at a piano bar in Fort Worth -- have been focused and no-nonsense. Give me Steelers 20, Packers 17 with the game-winning field goal by former Cowboy kicker Shaun Suisham. But don't trust me, I figured the Cowboys would be playing on Sunday. Prognosticating is hard. Right, Delkus?
*Hope the weather doesn't cancel this neat event, but it's postponed already and now the snow is probably putting another damper on it. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his Starter brand are supposed to unveil a refurbished football field over in Pleasant Grove today at noon. Also scheduled to attend were Mayor Tom Leppert and rapper Ludacris. The plan called for a new field, scoreboard, bleachers, uniforms, balls. The works. I know the weather is stalling a lot of Super Bowl partying, but the cancellation of this event would actually suck.
*Wonder why a bigger deal hasn't been made this week about Packers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers dating Erin Andrews? And, speaking of Romo and celebrity quarterbacks, how lambasted would the Cowboy be if he pulled a Roethlisberger during Super Bowl week?
*I don't have to pull for Deion Sanders, because he's a no-brainer Hall of Famer in tomorrow night's announcement. But, personally, I'm pulling against Charles Haley. As a player, hell yes, he deserves it. But as a person, he was a total dick, treating me, the media and anyone he damn well pleased like dog shit at Valley Ranch in the '90s. I saw him routinely bump into writers who were interviewing other players. He sometimes announced my entrance into the locker room with "Richie Shit!" (Which, I gotta admit, was/is pretty funny.) He once fired rolls of athletic tape at me until Troy Aikman persuaded him to stop. And one day I asked for a one-minute interview only to be told "No, white boy. Never for you. Ever!!" My transgression? I wrote how Haley was an asshole in San Francisco. He did nothing to prove me wrong.
*This weekend? Super Bowl. Sleep. Then, come Monday, a cool announcement Monday at 4 on 105.3 The Fan that will particularly excite those of you who like your sports run a little faster than football. Don't be a stranger.