10. TYPHOID SUDIKOFF

I got a chance to work with Scott Sudikoff on Saturday night, and he was strug-a-ling with some sort of fever/head cold/”make you wish you were dead” illness. I can describe it as such because I promptly came down with it Sunday night, into Monday, and here on Tuesday. Good times! You can blame Sudikoff for the Top 10 being late.

9. JEN CHICK-RUTH’S PITTSFIELD PANTHERS ARE ON FIRE

Avenging their only defeat of the year (even if a broken water main made them finish the game a day later), the Panthers are feeling it, with a 10-1 record, and calling people out on twitter. There’s another large one with Newmarket and a “Rivalry Renewed” game at Farmington, but other than that the schedule sets up Cam Darrah and Pittsfield pretty nicely for a potential Top 4 seed. We see you, Pittsfield!

8. MY CHRISTMAS TREE IS STILL UP, AND I’M OK WITH THAT

Listen, I’m #TeamFakeTree all the way, because I’m a logical human being with a brain in head. You people that keep a tree alive juuuuuuuust long enough to dress it up and let you cat scratch the hell out of it confuse me. Anyway, our fake tree is still fully decorated and up, here on January 31. I want to see f we can leave this bad boy up all year, because decorating a Christmas tree is just a giant pain in the butt. It can be a Valentine’s Tree, a St Patrick’s day tree, a baseball opening day tree, etc. I’m all in on this, let’s roll.

7. CAL CONNELLY WILL RIP YOUR HEART OUT

Thursday night Dover and Spaulding were in a battle in the first half – even though Spaulding’s program has had more success lately, these games always seem to go down to the wire. It looked to be the case on Thursday as well, with Spaulding clinging to a 1 point lead with a minute to go in the first half – 3 straight Cal Connelly bombs changed that, as the Red Raiders took a 10 point lead into the half, then extended it to 20 in the 2nd half. The game was essentially over though when Cal’s 2rd 25 footer went through the twine.

6. THE LEBRON V CHARLES BARKELY FEUD

Didn’t see this one coming. Normally this would be a no brainer to get behind Sir Charles, but Bron Bron has come out swinging –

“I’m not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, ‘I’m not a role model.’ I never showed up to All-Star Weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying. “All I’ve done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that.”

I don’t even know how this got started,  but I know a posterizing when I see one. Chuck got posterized.

5. IS IT JUST ME OR IS THIS SUPER BOWL SERIOUSLY LACKING ANY HYPE?

One of the few things that’s disappointing about being a Patriots fan (other than the owner, the coach, and the QB evidently being huge fans of Dorito Stalin) is that rarely is there any trash talk from the Pats during big games (Wes Welker’s clever foot press conference jabbing at Rex Ryan being the exception – oh and Wes had to sit out a series for that ).

Who will be our Ray Buchanan to call Shanon Sharpe “Mr. Ed”?

Where is our Freddie Mitchell to call out the Pats secondary?

Why can’t we have a “Hollywood” Henderson who said of Terry Bradshaw “He couldn’t spell ‘cat’ if you spotted him the c and the a.”  

I don’t think I’m asking too much here

4. LITTLETON WINS THE BATTLE OF D4 TITANS

Our Fearless Leader Dave took Groveton in the battle of top D4 teams Friday night, which took some chutzpah since he was going into Littleton to cover the game, and the Littleton fans, well… (looks for a way to say this without getting angry letters from the North Country) … They’re very passionate (nailed it!).

The Crusaders stayed unbeaten with a balanced attack, and Dave made it home in one piece, albeit a bit late.

3. WHEN YOUR BOY GETS YELLED AT BY IVY LEAGUERS

I was on sideline duty for Havard Women’s hoop v Columbia on the Ivy League Network last Satruday – first time doing something like that, and as it turns out there’s a bit more to sideline reporting than getting yelled at by Gregg Popovich – during time outs an stoppages, you need to stick your head in the huddle to see if you can find anything good to report.

That becomes an issue when you’re wearing an earpiece and carrying around a microphone with “H” on it, and a Columbia assistant coach takes umbrage. And don’t think the Lions fans didn’t notice – that’s probably the smartest collective group of people to ever call me four letter names.

2. WINNACUNNET’S BACK

A 3 game losing skid, including a “Wait they lost HOW?” L to Bedford had the Warriors reeling – but in the best game of the year, Winnacunnet jumped on Exeter early and juuuuuuuuuust managed to hold on in a packed Exeter HS that sounded like Lundholm. Is there an all Seacoast Final 4 in the future? If you think I’m obnoxious now….

1. CODY MORRISETTE MAKES HIS CASE FOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Look, you’re never going to get me to waver from my support of fellow Fighting McIsaac Cal Connelly for D1 POTY – Cal could score negative 13 in each of his last games and I’d still be beating that drum. But for those not blinded by their Alma Mater, the Exeter Junior is sure looking like a decent pick. Cody played all 32 minutes and chucked in 38 (“It felt like 50”- Jay McKenna) in Exeter’s loss to rival Winnacunnet. If we could only get Cody and Cal on the same time OH THAT’S RIGHT THEY’RE BOTH FIGHTING MCISAACS DAVE.

Also Receiving Votes: I took about 7 tylenol while typing this, Cameron McIsaac took 2nd at the NH State Bowling Tourney in Singles and All Events, Yes I will be making Zebra jokes in Exeter for the rest of the year, Trainspotting 2 isn’t out in the US until March?!?!