As the heads of the 11 conferences plus Notre Dame are meeting today and 3 more time scheduled over the next few months, it looks like a plus one format is on the agenda for discussion.  Speculative format would be that after the top four teams are announced after the division championships, 1 would play 4, 2 would play 3.  The loser would go into the general bowl pool (the thirty something bowls we had this year) and the winners would play a national championship.  So everyone would be trying to get into the top 4 team playoff.  Rumors are that the BCS would get out of the bowl business all together and just concentrate on the four team playoff. 

For people like me who have long championed a playoff system in Division I college football this is a very important first step.  To be sure a lot has changed over the years to get to this point we are now.  The bowl system is completed watered down and to a degree has become ridiculous.  Growing up and watching bowl games on New Year’s Day was special.  I played football at Missouri in the 90’s and bowl games were special, although we never played in one while I was there, we sure wanted to get to one.  I volunteer every year for the Armed Services Bell Helicopter Bowl here in Fort Worth and it is a top notch, gratifying experience even though it’s not the Sugar Bowl it special to folks in Fort Worth.   But when the conversation turns to a mythical national championship there is not much to say other than the current system is garbage. 

You can’t have a computer ranking and voting to determine champions.  We play for a championship based on conference record, that leads to a playoff system in jr. high, high school, Div II College and the NFL.  For some reason that won’t work for Division I college football?!?  I believe verything can be worked out.  I believe the money based around a 32 team tournament would be huge and could keep the bowl games intact as playoff venues.  Imagine everyone filling out a bracket come December for NCAA football?   Also, people say that the games will not mean as much during the regular season.  Maybe but I doubt it.  Teams that lose the 1^st game of the year will still have a chance for sure.  It’s ridiculous to call a team that runs the table the best team just because they run the table.  The most dominant teams of all time in the NFL, for instance the 85 Bears lost at least 1 game.  Nobody would say 72 Dolphins were the most dominant NFL team of all time just because they ran the table.  Why do we put that burden on amateur athletes? 

This is all rumor right now but it looks like the plus one or four team playoff is on its way.  It won’t stop there though; hopefully we will see a full fledged playoff tournament in the future and soon!

Such a shame we lost Hubert Sumlin earlier this month. The main guitarist for Howlin Wolf's band who inspired generations of guitar players with his passionate playing. "Going Down Slow" is classic Sumlin playing. I was first introduced to this song as a Led Zeppelin cover. Howlin Wolf's original version with Sumlin on lead guitar never leaves my rotation!

"Mention Hubert Sumlin, as well, because Hubert's a great man, and again, you know, I don't play the guitar very good, but when I'm playing this kind of music, I always have him in my mind. I wish I could play like Hubert.". --Elvis Costello

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/arts/music/hubert-sumlin-master-of-blues-gu...

Looks like he is in the mood for music.

This is a must see video if you are interested in the roots and origins of country music and the impact that the banjo had on it.  I watch it back in November.  Just greatness!  Steve Martin narrates.

 

http://www.pbs.org/arts/exhibit/give-me-the-banjo/

Can you find Jingle Bell? He is sitting on a roll of toilet paper! Lol

This is one of my favorite pics.  When visiting Manhatten for my sister's engagement party in July of 2007 I finally took the time to get over to this address.  This building is famous for two reasons.  The first it is the building used for the album cover for my favorite Led Zeppelin album, Physical Graffiti released in 1975. Favorite band, favorite album so this was on my list for must visit.  The second reason it is famous is for the Rolling Stone video "Waiting on a friend".  If you remember Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are hanging out on the steps.  At any rate, it's just pretty cool and glad to have gone and snapped some pics.   The address is between 1st Ave and Tomkins Square Park in East Village.

It puts him to sleep sitting up!

This is a mixture of several recipes.  It is not a traditional seafood gumbo that you might get on the coast but more of a gumbo stew the way I think of it.  This recipe lends itself to alot of experimentation.  I have added shrimp, catfish, smoked turkey, just about anything you think sounds good but for the most part I just use chicken and sausage.  I like to use thighs, usually just get the boneless ones it's easier.  I try to use the best sausage I can find.  Central Market has some great Andouille sausage.  There are good smoked sausage's but Smokey Denmark's out of Austin are fantastic and not greasy at all unlike most. 

TK's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
2 lbs. chicken thighs (my wife prefers all white meat and breasts works just as well)
1 lbs. sausage (use a good quality Andouille or smoked sausage, don't get cheap on this!)
3 stalks celery
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 large or 2 small Bell peppers
28 oz. Italian Diced Tomatoes (you can use more no problem)
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. dried Basil
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. file powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
16 oz. Okra

This is a really simple straightforward recipe.  The first thing is that you will need to boil the chicken in a pot of water.  Place the chicken in the boiling water and boil for about 25 minutes or so until the chicken is done.  Remove the chicken and let cool.  Pour about 4 cups of the water you boiled the chicken in a separate container for using later. The next step is to make the roux.  Making a roux is kinda a pain and as many times as I have done I still worry about burning it.  There many, many websites about making a roux and I would suggest reading about some of them if you have not.  This is a very simple roux.  Use the pot you will make the gumbo in and pour in 1/2 cup of the oil and 1/2 cup of the flour and begin to heat.  Gradually heat up to near high heat continually stirring.  At first the mixture is kind of milky brown color. As it cooks, it will turn a deep brown or golden color.  You can use wheat flour if you like, some people like the taste and color of it in their gumbo.  If you keep stirring, it will not burn.  Also, I use a wooden spatula to stir the roux.  I think it just works better to keep the roux from sticking or burning.  There is no definite timetable for making the roux but about 15 minutes is what it usually takes.  Feel free to ask me any questions about this! 

A good time to cook the okra is while you are stirring the roux. I prefer to use fresh okra but if you don't have any frozen will work just as well.  If cooking fresh okra cook whole in handfuls in the microwave for about 5 minutes.  If the okra splits it has been in there too long.  Take out, cool and slice to go into the pot.  If using frozen, simply heat two tablespoons of oil in a skillet and dump in the frozen okra.  Just stir it every so often and in about 15 or 20 minutes it will be ready to put in the pot.

Once you are satisfied with the color of the roux go ahead and add the rest of the ingredients.  It all goes in except for the chicken and the file powder. A couple of things here, these are just estimates with the spices. I usually add a little more cayenne.  Also, to give it a little more pop I add a teaspoon of ground jalapeno and a tablespoon of Tony Chachere's.  Simmer for an hour and a half with lid partially covered.  I uncover just enough to let a little steam escape.  After and hour and a half shred the chicken and add to the pot as well as the file powder. Also, before you add the chicken and powder that is a good time to spoon off any grease that has collected.   Serve with white rice. 

My family loves eating this.  Especially good when it get's cold but we eat it year round.  Bake catfish and crumble in the gumbo for a good alternative (when I do this I don't add any other sausage, shrimp, etc.  keep it just catfish).  Enjoy!

Every several years about this time I reread a book that is my favorite book of all time. I sometimes watch the movie. This book is James A. Michener’s Centennial. It has been called the great American novel. It is arguably Michener's greatest book. The book is about a lot of things centering on the westward expansion of the United States. It’s more than that though as the book begins with a pre-history of the land, animals and general conditions of a particular area in Northeast Colorado. This kind of sets the stage and gives you a detailed geographic reference of the places in the book. This particular area in Colorado sees French trappers come and trade with Indians, settlers come from as far away as Pennsylvania to settle in Colorado, Indian wars, Cattle Drives, Farming, Migrant workers (Russian, Chinese, Mexican, etc, all escaping harsh social or political environments to come to America to follow their dream) , Cattle wars, Blizzards all leading up to the dust bowl. Michener was a stickler for details and the first 100 pages or so can take a little getting into but once past that the book really takes off. Memorable characters like Pasqinel, Lame Beaver, Potato Brumbaugh, RJ Poteet, Paul Garrett and more bring big stories within a story in the book.

The themes in the book are really central to the land. It’s an overlying theme of environmentalism that snakes its way through this book…..our time is short, we are the custodians for future generations. Also, long before Dances with Wolves Michener gave us a viewpoint of the Indians not to be found in John Wayne movies. That Indians were the masters of their domain. “No one can teach the Indian, what he does not know already”.

The book is simply an epic with adventure, mystery, suspense and many lessons to be learned and remembered about who we are and how America and the land was settled. The book is fiction but laced with historical events. You will know them when you read them. I first read this book when I was a teenager and continue to revisit this book every few years or so. Also, there is a 12 part mini-series that was televised in 1977. Huge cast and scale for the time of TV movies. Yes, it is kinda dated but the movie really does a good job of going along with the book. If you are looking for a great book historical fiction book to read this is the “Great American Novel”.

http://www.amazon.com/Centennial-James-Michener/dp/0449214192

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This has been coming for a while.  Not sure when the right time to do so I guess now is as good as any!  Redbone BBQ is now TK's Bar-B-Que.  I'm TK and feel free to address me as such.  Actually I'm Tim Keith but most people call me TK.   Redbone had kinda been a catch all handle for a while and I just got kinda tired explaining it to people when they would ask "Why Redbone?" and I would say my dog Fred, he is a Redbone coonhound.  And they would say, "and what does that have to do with BBQ?".   So I have been thinking about rebranding for a while and just wasn't quite sure what to do so I am keeping it simple.

TK's Bar-B-Que. It's simple and to the point. I like it.  Also have a new logo in the works and should have it finalized soon.  The goal of this blog and TK's Bar-B-Que is for me to talk about the finer points of slow smoking great BBQ as well as the things past, present and future events in my life....or whatever else for that matter.  This is purely a hobby, something that I am having fun with!! 

Over Thanksgiving I had hoped to work on this a little more but I am afraid eating too much and watching football took center stage!  That is okay though that is what the holidays are for!  Everyone save travels whever you are going or returning to!