The Fox affiliate in Hartford CT WTIC-TV FOX 61 lost the game feed for the Cotton Bowl between Missouri and Arkansas. It appears that the feed was gone for quite a while maybe nearly as long as 45 minutes to one hour. In the down time they were showing reruns of “Roseanne” and showed at least one full episode and part of another before they regained their feed.

I was able to call the FOX 61 news desk and they got the feed back just as I got through to them. The woman who answered the phone said they had lost the entire feed but wouldn’t say for how long it was down, if it was on the networks end or if the problem originated in Hartford.

The feed reappeared with about 10 minutes to play in the second quarter (around 12:50 P.M. ET) and it is unclear if they lost the feed during the game which started at 11:30 A.M. ET or if they never had the feed from the start of the game.

While most people were out enjoying their favorite New Years Eve beverages, Robbie Maddison was attempting to make history. All he wanted to do was break the world record for the longest motorcycle jump in history.

The record stood at 310 feet and 4 inches. Maddison’s goal was to go about 360 feet. He fell short of his goal but was still able to break the record as he went an amazing 322 feet and 7 1/2 inches.

After the first jump, he wasn’t satisfied and announced to the crowd he was going to try again. Unfortunately, he only went 320 feet the second time. Still an amazing feat nonetheless.

Here are Maddison’s jumps:

As a father with a son approaching his teenage years I am well aware that the hygiene of a pre-teen boy leaves shall we say much to be desired. From the shortcut showers to uncombed hair to clothes being worn for a second day there’s alot that a young man this age needs to change, and soon, if he expects girls to wanna come over and play Guitar Hero and trade Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

But wearing the same jersey for four years? Who allows their 11 year old son to wear the same football jersey for all that time. Well apparently the parents of one David Whithoft of Ridgefield CT that’s who. I will say that his mom does wash the Brett Favre #4 Green Bay Packers jersey every two days and has even mended it so he can continue wearing it so it isn’t like child neglect or anything but still.

Every day for four years. My son grew a lot from age 7 to age 11 this kids jersey must look like David Banner’s shirt when he freaks out to become the Hulk. Every day for four years that means he wears it everyday to school where I am sure he has come under ridicule and scorn from his classmates and probably needs to bring proof from his parents that the shirt is disinfected a few times a week. Does this kid wear his Favre jersey to church? Now I know Packers fan will say that Brett is God but unless the man was born to a virgin who his father artificially inseminated using the straw from his McDonald’s milkshake he is not my God. Tom Brady is because he nails supermodels.

The kid does concede he is going to have to stop wearing it at somepoint and after having finally gone to Green Bay this past weekend to see his hero in person he may even donate it to Packers Hall of Fame where it will hang proudly next to Vince Lombardi’s sweat stained hat and Bart Starr’s sanitary socks he wore in the Ice Bowl. The good thing is the shirt can probably walk there on its own.

Just one year after being given a contract extension through 2010 the Baltimore Ravens have fired head coach Brian Billick after 9 seasons and 1 Super Bowl Championship. The Ravens went from 13-3 in 2006 to 5-11 this year as they lost 9 games in a row at one point including one to the winless Miami Dolphins.

Now Baltimore begins its coaching search and you’re going to hear Bill Cowher’s name but I think he is going to stay in TV for another season just as he said last week.

Elsewhere:

Bill Parcells fired Dolphins GM Randy Mueller and will begin a search for a new GM. There has been no word on coach Cam Cameron but he can’t feel to good right now.

Buffalo GM Marv Levy is leaving after reaching a mutual agreement with Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson that hi run was over.

We also know that the Atlanta Falcons need at least a coach if not a GM as well after the Bobby Petrino debacle. So who else is on the NFL coaching hot seat?

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Mel Thomas’ hot shooting in the first half led the #1 UConn Huskies to an 82-33 win over the Army Black Knights in front of 10,168 at the XL Center on Monday.

Thomas led 4 Huskies in double figures with 19 points, all of those came in the first half. She was 5-of-8 from 3-point range in the game. Renee Montgomery added 12 points and 3 assists while Maya Moore added 11 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocked shots. Charde Houston had arguably her best game of the year as she rounded out the Huskies in double figures with 10 points.

Cara Enright led the Black Knights (6-6) with 7 points. Alex McGuire had 6 points and Erin Anthony scored 4 points and pulled down a game-high 9 rebounds.

UConn (11-0) started off the game with a 17-3 run. The Black Knights did get back into the game though as they were able to score the next 8 points. However that would be as close as they would get in the game as the Huskies went on a 14-2 run. Army was held scoreless the last 6:13 of the first half as the Huskies went into the locker room with a 47-15 halftime lead.

It was more of the same in the second half for the Huskies. Most of the starting five for the Huskies spent the last 12-15 minutes of the half on the bench as the reserves came in and did their thing. Kaili McLaren and Lorin Dixon led the bench brigade with 6 points each.

UConn will begin Big East play on Thursday when they head down to visit Geno Auriemma’s old pal Harry Perretta and his Villanova Wildcats squad. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 PM and the game can be seen on CPTV.

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After a topsy-turvy day in the NFL which saw the Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans become the last two teams in, the playoff matchups are set for the first round of the playoffs.

In the AFC:

• 1. New England Patriots – First Round Bye
• 2. Indianapolis Colts – First Round Bye

Wildcard Round

Saturday, Jan. 5

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (11-5) at 4. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6), 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

Sunday, Jan. 6

6. Tennessee Titans (10-6) at 3. San Diego Chargers (11-5), 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Divisional Round

Jan. 12-13

San Diego, Pittsburgh or Jacksonville at Indianapolis

Pittsburgh, Jacksonville or Tennessee at New England

In the NFC:

• 1. Dallas Cowboys – First Round Bye
• 2. Green Bay Packers – First Round Bye

Wildcard Round

Saturday, Jan. 5

6. Washington Redskins (9-7) at 3. Seattle Seahawks (10-6), 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Sunday, Jan. 6

5. New York Giants (10-6) at 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7), 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

DIVISIONAL ROUND

Jan. 12-13

Tampa Bay or New York or Washington at Dallas

Seattle, Tampa Bay or New York at Green Bay

AFC & NFC Conference Championships

Will be held on January 20th at the site of the highest remaining team in each conference.

Super Bowl XLII:

Sunday, Feb. 3, 6 p.m., University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)

Even wearing vintage 1970’s short shorts couldn’t get the Los Angeles Lakers past the surging Boston Celtics as the Green improved to an incredible 26-3 with a 110-91 whipping of the Lakers in front of 18,997 at the Staples Center.

Both teams wore vintage throwback uni’s on Sunday night but the Lakers took it to the extreme before changing into baggy shorts at halftime. Neither style of short though was the answer for the Celtics as Paul Pierce scored 33 points and Kevin Garnett had 22 points, 12 boards and 6 assists. Even the Brothers Allen chipped in with Ray knocking in 19 and Tony adding 16 in leading the Bostonians to their 6th straight win. The win also kept Lakers coach Phil Jackson from passing Boston legend Red Auerbach on the all-time win list. Both are tied for seventh with 938 victories.

The Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant who had 22 points, Lamar Odom had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Derek Fisher tallied 11 points as they had their four game win streak snapped and dropped to 19-11 on the year.

The game had an old-time rivalry feel to it even beyond the throwbacks as the game got physical with several confrontations including 1 flagrant foul on Lamar Odom who practically tackled Ray Allen and 6 technical fouls – 3 on each squad – for the chippy play.

The Celtics swept the four game western road trip that was played in five days with two sets of back-to-back games in Sacramento, Seattle, Utah and Los Angeles. Granted it wasn’t Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio but this was an amazing trip.

Celtics guard Rajon Rondo did not play due to tightness in his hamstring. It is unknown if he will be able to play on Wednesday at home against the Houston Rockets.

With the Patriots achieving the first undefeated season in the NFL in 35 years I got to thinking about a few things. First who are the Top Five Patriot players of the Bill Belichick era (2000-present) and second who are the top players at each position in this era.

The Top Five isn’t as easy as you think it is. When you think you have five all of a sudden you have ten. I think the Top Five obviously need to have had a major impact on the Belichick era and the franchise in general just based on the perfect season and three championships. The top players of the era are a bit different in that they are the top guys in this run but in Patriots history there maybe someone else who deserves the spot over them.

So after the jump I give you my choices.

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Carl Everett’s Crazy Hall of Fame has some new inductee’s for 2008. Without further audieu here is the Class of ’08:

The Oregon Duck who beat the crap out of the Houston Cougar on the sideline after the Cougar decided to do pushups after a Houston touchdown is the only member of the regular membership category as he garnered 71% of the vote.

The Veteran’s Wing of the Hall has four new members they are:

Don Zimmer, (71%) the senior citizen, is nominated for charging at Pedro Martinez in a bench clearing brawl between the Red Sox and Yankees and being grabbed by his gerbil ears and hurled to the ground by possibly the best pitcher in Red Sox history.

Jim Calhoun (57%) for his overall achievements in the way he deals with the officials and how he treats his players on the sideline after an error. Plus there will always be his “I fucked up” tirade at media regarding the recruitment of Ryan Gomes, a true classic.

Bobby Knight (57%) for his overall achievements of media and player berating. Some of the greatest Knight moments are post game press conferences especially come tournament time. He was Latrell Spreewell before Latrell was and of course the defining moment may possibly the throwing of the chair at the free throw shooter.

Robin Ventura (57%) for charging Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan after the “Express” drilled him with a pitch. The fight wasn’t very fair as Ryan, also a cattle rancher, put Ventura in a headlock and kicked his ever loving ass right on the mound as the benches emptied.