He’s Back

He’s coming off back-to-back seasons that were more successful than most dared dream.

His combined 17-9 record has catapulted him from relative obscurity to the national spotlight.

He’s one of the hottest names in college football.

And in his third season, expectations have been ratcheted up considerably.

Jake, we’ve read all about Air Force coach Troy Calhoun and the higher expectations facing him this season. Can we move on? It’s game week.

Calhoun? I’m talking about the BlogDog.

That’s right, my dog Norm is back to predict the outcome of each Air Force game for the third season. And because he has a higher profile now than during his first two campaigns, I thought I’d take this opportunity to clear up some misconceptions.

-Rumor: Norm picks Air Force every time.
-Fact: While his two-season mark (17-9) is the same as Air Force’s during that time, that’s just coincidence. He’s picked against the Falcons a bunch – last year alone he picked Wyoming, Navy, Army, BYU and TCU to topple the Falcons.

-Rumor: I “tell” Norm which team to choose.
-Fact: If I tell Norm “sit” or “come,” he looks at me for a minute and then decides if he’s feeling like humoring me. Besides, he’s way better at picking games than me. Just ask my ex-bookie from college who still sends me Thank You notes.

-Rumor: Norm now has a Mohawk.
-Fact: No comment.

-Rumor: I use a treat to influence his decision.
-Fact: I do not. Though that brings me to Norm’s pick this week.

As longtime BlogDog fans know, Norm makes his pick by choosing between a mini-replica Air Force helmet and a mini-replica helmet of Air Force’s opponent (best three out of five). But I have only Mountain West Conference helmets. So when the Falcons go out of conference, I’ve got to get creative.

For Army, I bought a toy tank. For Navy, a toy ship. For Saturday’s opponent, the Nicholls State Colonels? I tried … a kernel. Of popcorn.

I thought this idea would work at first, as Norm went to the Air Force helmet for his first two picks. On the third, however, he went to the kernel. And ate it. This threw him off, and he stopped going through our normal routine, instead following me around and trying to get the popcorn kernel out of my hand before I had a chance to set it and the Air Force helmet on the floor.

I felt like Han Solo in Return of the Jedi after Chewbacca went after that piece of meat and got the Rebel strike force tangled in that net on Endor.

“Great, Normie, great. Always thinkin’ with your stomach.”

It was my fault – I shouldn’t have used real food. So I constructed a fake kernel of corn (in the BlogDog Laboratory). I set that down, and as you’ll see in the video on The Gazette’s Air Force Page (http://www.gazette.com/sections/sports/afa/), Norm studied it for a moment and then picked the Air Force helmet to cement his pick that the Falcons will win Saturday.

So it all worked out – I think. We’ll see if crucial season three will live up to the outrageous expectations that his genius heretofore has created.

(But if anyone has a mini-replica Minnesota helmet, I need it!)

Norm’s Pick: Air Force 39, Nicholls State 10

Norm’s 2009 Season Record: 0-0

Norm’s Overall Record: 17-9

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