Those who abide my tomfoolery at Card Chronicle will get the snarky reference in the header. A poke at Glorious Editor’s periodic updates on all matters Cardinals, along with whatever else he’s thinking about at the moment to add as filler.

I hope he is, as usual, not paying attention.

Otherwise my office, currently a cardboard box that once contained GE’s new bassinet, might be downgraded. To, probably the discarded desk with only two legs behind the dumpster, next to the discarded Steve Kragthorpe voodoo doll.

Or maybe, just maybe, perhaps likely, he’s hungover from celebrating the only other thing we have in common besides our allegiance to U of L . . .

. . . the Detroit Lions.

Which 12-1 NFL power — whodathunk I could ever write those words — sealed a playoff berth last night with a walk off FG against the Packers.

(Condolences to my Cheesehead pal, Bookstore Billy. Oh, ya know, not really, the guy’s primary character trait is schadenfreude.)

Not sure who amongst ya might have watched, but it was a back and forth doozy.

And, Dan Campbell, that dude is one of a kind.

Needing just three to win with the battle tied, the Lions had a 4th & 1 at the Green Bay 21 with :43 on the clock. After calling timeout, Detroit went for it on 4th for the fifth time in the game. And got it on a David Montgomery off tackle right, after Jared Goff slipped before handing it off.

It was the Lions fourth such last chance conversion in five attempts at Ford Field. Two of which were TDs.

They held on despite their injury-decimated defense. DC Aaron Glenn put his band of mercenaries together with Elmer’s Glue and twine, and they survived. Some who had considerable PT haven’t been in the Lions camp but a week or two.

So, maybe just maybe, Glorious Editor will forgive my snark this one time, given the thrill of our shared joy and all.

Fingers crossed.

As for Bookstore Billy, can’t wait to give him a call.

 * * * * *

The travails of my Cardinal hoopsters are well documented.

Yet Naismithius has more in store.

Next up is Duke. Whose youngsters obviously have started figuring it out. Committing only four turnovers when upending powerful Auburn.

There’s a lot of pushback about all the hoopla surrounding Cooper Flagg. Understandable. But hear me now and believe me later, the still 17 year old can play. Not flashy. But oh so solid and fundamental. He’s not alone. Some newcomer came off the bench and drained six treys in the first half.

Oh this Cardinal schedule is a gift that keeps on giving. One lump of coal in the stocking after another.

 * * * * *

With all this patter about the improbable joining of Bill Belichick and the University of North Carolina, I keep going back to this conjured image, which tells me it ain’t ever going to happen.

The new coach is getting ready to walk out of the endzone for the Tar Heel’s opener. He’s wearing his usual attire of a gray sweatshirt with the arms cut off. At which point, the school’s head of enforcement advises BB, “This is Kenan Memorial Stadium, this is the hallowed University of North Carolina, our coaches don’t wear cut off sweatshirts.”

Which is to say, I’ll be gobsmacked if this union comes about. Chapel Hill is a Ben Silver kind of place.

 * * * * *

The kid hasn’t graduated HS yet but is set for life.

Bryce Underwood, #1 QB in the land, #1 recruit in the land, flipped from LSU to Michigan.

Now, he does reside in a town between Ann Arbor and Detroit, so it’s not an out of the Go Blue development.

But Underwood and family were honest when discussing his change to admit money was part of it.

Apparently the bride of Oracle’s Larry Ellison — one of the world’s richest dudes — is a Michigan alum, and came with the Benjamins.

To the tune of $10-$15 million over the course of his stay in Ann Arbor.

Money talks, very few walk.

— c d kaplan