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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