Our weekly to-do list is up at the Sporting News for your perusal. In writing this, we were reminded that UCLA turned over the ball against Notre Dame nine times. That both coaches are still breathing after such a fiasco is an affront to ancient samurai everywhere, who would have happily spilled their chitlins with a katana rather than face life after such shame.

The Boise State/Hawaii game will likely be the lone wormhole into the land of big-shouldered major teams in bowl season, per The Wiz, a fascinating scenario that has the at-large bid currently landing in the Sugar Bowl to face Georgia. If Mark Richt comes out in a red windbreaker and politely murmurs into his headset, throw the college fund at Hawaii/Boise; if they run out to Back In Black, attempt an onside on the opening kickoff, and start cranking dat on the sidelines while drawing unsportsmanlike penalties for excesssive fun, team David needs to start panicking.

Joel’s animated blogpoll is up, and features horrible, horrible singing.

Sports betting helps the third world dance. Congress’ recent efforts to crack down on offshore sports betting–an American birthright if we’ve ever seen one–are not just cramping your style and keeping you in possession of pesky things like homes, cars, and other things theoretically convertible to “v-chips.” They’re hurting Costa Rica. And when someone hurts Costa Rica, you hurt the world, or at the very least innocent yuppie turistas who frequent the place.

Former BetonSports employee Leah Palasis, who immigrated from neighboring Nicaragua, returned from vacation last year to find herself without a job. After a lengthy search, she was hired by a call center but now earns less than half the $1,500 she used to make monthly.

The extra income is not all Palasis misses: BetonSports also offered employees private insurance, a game room, gym and tae kwon do lessons, among other perks.

”I mean, Jesus, we had free day care,” she said.

No, they’re not accepting resumes.

It’s still sod off, thank you very much. Mike Leach still stands by his remarks about Big 12 officiating. A pirate never apologizes, but he does sometimes nod sympathetically as he sails away from your burning, bereft village.

Don’t make them touch! And stop with the eye contact! Not football-related in the least, but awesome nonetheless.