This year’s matchup better live up to expectations. A rematch of the Super Bowl XLII madness that involved David Tyree’s immaculate catch followed by Eli Manning hitting Plaxico Burress in the back of the endzone to knock off the undefeated Pats and claim the league title.

Now here’s what scares me with a “rematch.” Everyone remember the National Championship Game this year? A rematch of “epic proportions” between Alabama and LSU? A rematch that flat out sucked?

Let’s hope this rematch is better than the first meeting in 2008.

There are so many reasons to be excited about the game, even if you aren’t a true Patriots or Giants fan. And if you’re a Jets fan, this must be the worst matchup possible, and I’m not sorry.

Fans will have the opportunity to watch the greatest quarterback to play the game chase his fourth Super Bowl ring. Yes, I think that Tom Brady is the best quarterback ever. Argue with me about it. Joe Montana has four rings. So does Bradshaw. I never saw either of them play, but I also believe that this is the most pass-happy the NFL has ever been and Brady benefits from that.

I think it’s only right that when we look back at this era of football years down the road, Brady should have four rings (possibly more). Peyton Manning couldn’t do it, nor could anyone else.

On that note, this Super Bowl is exciting because little brother Eli has a chance to possess more rings than his big bro Peyton. Who would have ever thunk?

Eli has always been “not Peyton.” Well, in a society where we judge quarterbacks on how many rings they have (I’m looking at you, Dan Marino), Eli would be the “better” quarterback if he earns his second ring on Sunday.

Being younger and healthier than Peyton, who might not even be with the Colts next year due to contract obligations and injury questions, Eli could find himself quarterbacking one, possibly two, more Giants teams to Super Bowls, especially how Tom Coughlin has them built for the playoffs.

But besides the quarterback battle, there is so much to love about this game.

And I love nothing more than Gronk. Gronk, Gronk, Gronk. He WILL play. ¡Él es fiesta! Have we ever seen a specimen quite like Rob Gronkowski? Seriously, have we? I would argue Cam Newton, but he’s a Heisman-winning quarterback. Gronk is a TIGHT END! The meathead sprained his ankle horribly in the AFC Championship Game and kept playing. Unreal.

I’ll be interested to see which New England defense shows up: the one who shut down Tim Tebow and the Broncos or the one that needed an unbelievable play from Sterling Moore (random, right?) to win their game against Baltimore. They’ll need to come strong if they want to stop the rushing attack of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Not to mention Eli is hot (in the sense that he’s playing good football.)

I don’t think I’m going to make a prediction, because I get to just sit back and enjoy a football game. That doesn’t happen too often as a journalist. It should be a good one.

Who knows, maybe I’ll LOL at some commershes.

At least afterwards, the Steelers won’t be reigning Super Bowl runners-up anymore!

Enjoy Super Bowl Sunday everybody!

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The Bobcats returned home for a one-game stint against the Chippewas and didn’t disappoint on parents’ weekend. Although they played a first half they would surely like to forget, the Bobcats managed to hold it together and come away with a big blowout victory. In the current six game win streak for Ohio, they’ve only won two games by more than ten points — the last was against Kent State on January 18^th.

D.J. Cooper pushes through Central Michigan's defense towards the basket during the Bobcats' game on Saturday, February 4, 2011. (Photo by Lydia S. Deakin)

“I thought we played pretty close to a forty-minute game,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “I’ll have to look at the film and take a look at it but I felt really good about our effort and attitude over the course of forty minutes. I thought it was more consistent then it’s been in a while. I really appreciated our guys staying mentally tough in the first half when some shots weren’t falling. I thought we got some really good looks.”

In the opening five minutes of the game, the Bobcats were 3-6 from three-point range and rolling to an 11-5. However, both teams went on to struggle shooting in the first half. Ohio shot 4-20 from beyond the arc while Central Michigan shot 1-12.

“It’s a mindset,” sophomore guard Nick Kellogg said. “It shows how mature we’ve become as a team. It’s real easy to do, miss a couple shots, get down on yourself and get down on your teammates. I think that ties in to your effort and I think we showed some positive signs in that area by continuing to play hard and competing together on the defensive end and eventually the shots did fall.”

Despite the dismal shooting performance, Ohio managed to sink 9-11 free throws in the first half and went in to the locker room with a 33-20 lead. Coming out of the half was a completely different Bobcat team. After only shooting 20 percent from beyond the arc in the first half, Ohio would make 7-10 three’s and shoot 50 percent from the field in the second en route to the comfortable victory.

Bobcat Walter Offult reaches out to grab a rebounding ball during Ohio's game against Central Michigan on Saturday, Feburary 4, 2011. (Photo by Lydia S. Deakin)

Ohio guard Walter Offutt shot the ball very well throughout the game, going 4-6 from three-point range, 3-4 from the free throw line and leading all scorers with 17 points. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists. As it always seems to be the case, Offutt’s real impact came on hustle and defensive plays of which do not show up in the stat sheet.

“I think we’re getting better defending, every game Coach emphasis defense and rebounding. I think defense is the key to each and every game,” said Offutt.

While the initial reports seem positive, starting point guard D.J. Cooper was injured in the second half of the game. It appeared to be Cooper’s wrist, and while Groce said the staff believed the injury to be a strain, he will get X-Rays regardless.

Ohio returns to action Wednesday when the team travels to Toledo to take on the Rockets. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

—

Last week I looked at the AFC and why every other team but the Patriots didn’t make the Super Bowl. Should we be surprised New England made it? I’m not, even if they did luck out thanks to Billy Cundiff’s missed field goal in the final seconds. In the last nine super bowls, the AFC has been represented by Pittsburgh, Indianapolis or New England. However if we look at the NFC and how the Giants got to the Super Bowl, you could say that I’m surprised.

The G-men were 8-7 going into the final game of the season, playing a win-or-go-home game against Dallas. The Giants ended up winning that game and have never looked back. Although they aren’t a wildcard like they were in 2007, this year’s playoff run is eerily similar. Either underdogs or on the road for most of their playoff games, the Giants ignored all of it and get to play New England in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII.

If this is the case, and we know it is, how do the other 15 NFC squads feel about not making it? What was the factor (or factors) that cost them a spot on Super Bowl Sunday?

NFC North

Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers and the Packers had the spotlight for most, if not the entire season. They had every reason to be in the spotlight: Rodgers was putting up MVP numbers, the defending Super Bowl champs were going for a perfect season and everyone had them going back for a second one. After their perfect season was ruined by Kansas City, they still clinched the number 1 seed the next week. That was the bad part. Sure, Matt Flynn threw a franchise-record six TDs against the Lions and locked up the 15-1 season., Add that to the first round and it meant Aaron Rodgers was going up against the Giants D-line after not playing in 3 weeks. Like the 1998 Vikings and the 2004 Steelers before them, the 15-1 Packers fell short of the Super Bowl, and the spotlight was gone.

Detroit: There were three 5,000-yard passers this year. Drew Brees, Tom Brady and, who was that third guy? Aaron Rodgers? No. Cam Newton? No. It was Matt Stafford. Stafford was one of the big reasons the Lions went to the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons. Unfortunately Detroit ran into one of the other two 5,000-yard passers, Drew Brees, and let him and the Saints score 45 points in their playoff meeting.

Chicago: Nothing more than bad luck here. Cutler had season-ending surgery on his thumb, and along with some other injuries, the Bears lost 5 of their last 6, and a playoff spot. Don’t blame Caleb Hanie though, not everyone can do what TJ Yates did.

Minnesota: Remember when Donovan McNabb was considered a good quarterback? More importantly, remember when he used to do those Campbell’s soup commercials? I loved those ads.

NFC South

New Orleans: Just ran into the fairy tale story that was the San Francisco 49ers. Brees broke records and overall had a great season, but I think it’s better that the Saints didn’t make it. Brady going for his 4^th ring and Eli and the Giants trying to do what they did in 2007 both make better stories in my opinion.

Atlanta: You can’t score two points in a football game. I would’ve rather seen them score zero or three, but definitely not two.

Carolina: Cam Newton in the Super Bowl is going to happen soon, but not this year. Remember the last and only time Carolina and New England met in the Super Bowl? Janet Jackson and her wardrobe malfunction became the biggest story that night. If Carolina played New England this year, it wouldn’t be Janet Jackson but rather Madonna. No one wants to see that. No one.

Tampa Bay: A huge disappointment this season. Tampa Bay was a team that went from winning 10 games in 2010-11 to losing their last 10 games in 2011-12. The problem with that franchise is that they’re focused on playing in London too much. Roger Goodell is talking about even having a Super Bowl in London in the future. If that’s the case then Tampa Bay will go for sure.

NFC West

San Francisco: Really a great story out west. The only thing keeping the 49ers out of the big game is a couple of costly fumbles from Kyle Williams. That, and perhaps the fact that a 49er wide receiver didn’t catch a pass until the fourth quarter.  Still, for a team to go that far and come out of the NFC West, which is usually an awful division, was very impressive. Look for them to be back and go further in the near future.

Arizona: This is where the bad part of the division gets. Finishing 8-8 after starting 1-6 is pretty good, but a team like this couldn’t handle the Patriots in the Super Bowl. We saw it with Tebow and the Broncos. Bilichick, Brady and the rest of the Patriots are usually the ones to end a team’s miracle run. Well, unless it’s the Giants.

Seattle: I’m not saying the Patriots defense is great, because it’s not. But if you can only put up three points against Cleveland, do you really even want to try against New England?

St. Louis: The Rams scored 13 or fewer points in 12 of their 16 games this season. Bradford only threw 6 touchdowns, and AJ Feely added one of his own. Yeah, that’s intimidating. That’s far from what their offense used to be back in the day. Don’t put it all on the current roster, though. The Rams are a combined 12-52 in their last four seasons. If they ever do want to get back to the Super Bowl, they need to beg Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt  to come and bring back the greatest show on turf. It would be interesting to see the team Tom Brady beat for his first ring play the even better Tom Brady, who is going for his 4^th ring.

NFC East

Philadelphia: Like the Miami Heat in basketball, all of their pre-season acquisitions made the Eagles one of the favorites to make a deep run. Everything seemed right after a week 1 win over the Rams. Then Philly lost four in a row. Okay, not the way people pictured it, but the season was still early and it seemed possible for a comeback. Two straight wins. Things are looking up again, right? Wrong. The Eagles would lose four of their next five, and put themselves in a hole they wouldn’t get out of. They also lost Michael Vick, which to some Eagles fans I know, wasn’t a bad thing. Unfortunately for Eagles fans, Vince Young couldn’t pull any magic out of him near the end of the season like he did in Tennessee.

Dallas: Tony Romo’s probably thinking if the Cowboys beat the Giants in the last game they not only would’ve made the playoffs, they would make the same run New York did. Keep dreaming buddy.

Washington: The Redskins actually beat the Giants to open up their season and even started 3-1. Then reality set in, and the Redskins would end the year on a 2-10 stretch. Rex Grossman had his one moment in Chicago. He lost to Peyton Manning. If Rex did have another great season this year, he would be going against Tom Brady. Washington won’t go far with this guy.

There are the 15 in the NFC that didn’t reach the Super Bowl. So, why did the Giants make it? Well, let’s look at Eli Manning first. Not the greatest quarterback, but when it comes to fourth quarter touchdowns, he’s one of the greatest. He set a record with 15 4^th quarter touchdowns this season. And newsflash: If Eli wins Sunday night he’ll have more rings than his older brother. That’s saying something. Then there’s the defense. A scary d-line led by Jason Pierre-Paul, who had 16.5 sacks this season, will definitely cross Tom Brady’s mind in the Super Bowl. Looking at the Giants as a team, they got hot at the right time. They held the Falcons to two points. They went into Lambeau and stunned the 1-seeded Packers. Then they went into Candlestick, and with a couple of good bounces, punched their ticket to Indianapolis.

This will be a fun Super Bowl. Not so much for the 30 teams that didn’t make it, obviously. The Patriots and Giants are both great teams that have weapons on both sides of the ball. If Super Bowl XLII was any indication of how this game will be, or heck, even week nine when the Giants won in the final seconds, Super Bowl XLVI will be a great one, whether you’re playing in it or not.

—

Michael Garr is still going strong with our Opinion Column and his Milwaukee Bucks fandom. You can follow him on Twitter at @Garr_

As Steve Ulhmann put it in last week’s Pulse of the Bobcats, Act II is well underway and in the middle of it all lies Ohio’s 3-0 record against the MAC West. However, while the Bobcats played two of those three games at home, they will spend two of their last three games against the MAC West on the road.

Sophomore forward Jon Smith believes the key to winning the MAC will be dependent upon finishing strong against the MAC West despite the road trip.

“It’s very important for everybody to see that we’re taking this season very serious, that we want to be a great team even though we haven’t had much success in the past against the MAC West. So just show everybody that we’re coming into another leg of the MAC East, we’re serious, we’re undefeated, we handled business against the MAC West and now we’re ready,” said Smith.

Players like Smith have been key for the Bobcats this season. Smith registered 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 points against the Huskies Wednesday night and has been a dominant presence in the post for Ohio all season long.

Freshman Stevie Taylor will look to follow up on his recent 3-3 performance from the field as the Bobcats take on CMU on Saturday. (Photo by Devin Rhodes)

“I’m always trying to make my play better. My role is basically a rebounder, energy guy, blocking shots, being active on the court. I’m just always trying to fulfill that role, use the IQ plays, screen guys in and get us second chance shots with offensive rebounds.”

Another key player for the Bobcats this season has been Stevie Taylor, who shot 3-3 from the field against the Huskies and has provided depth at the point guard position for Ohio.

“I’ve had confidence all year, my role in the team is to come off the bench and be a spark for the team. I just try to do whatever it is defensively or offensively to give us a spark whenever this team needs it. I’d say last game I came in and just had fun. That’d be the biggest reason why I made shots,” said Taylor.

With Central Michigan coming to Athens, the Bobcats will have to be prepared for guard Trey Zeigler, who is averaging 16.1 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Chippewas. However, with the whirlwind week that was the ESPN BracketBuster selection, Ohio is more focused than ever to prove to the nation that they are the real deal.

“We’re taking it at one game, but at the same time we’re going to play with a chip on our shoulder, that’s one thing coach tells us to do each and every game so yeah it hurt a little bit but we’re just going to come out swinging like we do every week,” said Taylor.

The Bobcats return to action this Saturday when they face the Central Michigan Chippewas. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.

—

Patrick Stewart is a wondrous man with a voice that could melt pure gold, if he so chose.

Patrick Stewart is one classy, badass dude, and has been the subject of my affections for years and years ever since I first laid eyes on him as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

Not only that,  but Stewart’s been a Shakespearean actor for most of his life, eventually eking out a name for himself in the world of drama despite coming from an impoverished background as a child.

Sure, he’s a swarthy British man who’s been bald since he was 20, and yes, he is quite old now. The awesome thing is that you can barely tell how old he is (71) because of how gracefully he’s aged. Like a fine wine… actually, you know what? More than that. He’s made of pure crystallized awesome—a wondrous stalactite that’s only grown larger and more impressive over the years on the ceiling of the world’s collective metaphorical cave of beautiful human beings.

Seriously, though, aside from how much I respect the man for what he’s done and where he’s come from, he just oozes cool and likability. Not only that, but his voice is probably the most satisfying sound in the world, being rich and full of character that can only be obtained from years of professionalism and experience. I could listen to him talk for days, if possible.

Also, yeah, I’ll say it: I think he’s handsome in a badass older guy way. Don’t judge. He’s more of a man than you or I will ever be, and so for that I will always have a mancrush on Patrick Stewart.

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Ryan Gosling is such a sweet, beautiful guy. One can never have enough Gosling in their life.

Ryan Gosling | Christian Law

Listen up fellas! I know you’ve been on a lot of dates. I’ve been on my fair share of romance adventures with the ladies, just like you have. You take her to White Castle, hang out at your local gas station and buy her some Necco candies to seal the deal. Sounds like a typical win, right?

Let me tell you about a certain night in my life. At 8 o’ clock, just as he promised, Ryan Gosling picked me up at my house. He waited patiently, spoke kindly to my parents and then took me to a carnival. After winning me a stuffed bear and a turkey leg, he drives me to the hills to watch the sunset. Then, the honorable Mr. Gosling offered me his scorpion jacket as we sat arm in arm and whispered sweet nothings. And you know what? He called me back!

The point of this story is to say that Ryan Gosling is just perfect. The man is the definition of a southern gentleman without the slightly racist accent. After his romance with Rachel McAdams, he told the media, “She was one of the great loves of my life.”

No one else says that. What makes Gosling the best mancrush ever is that he can easily be imagined in any memorable romantic coupling in Hollywood history. For example, place him in the bar in “Casablanca,” and the image works. Replace Cary Elwes with Gosling in “The Princess Bride” and BAM! A perfect movie is made doubly perfect.

Part Bogart, part Clooney and part awesome musician (check out his band Dead Man’s Bones), Ryan Gosling is the perfect man for all of us. He stopped calling me, but he will always be the greatest love of my life.

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Nathan Fillion is a geeky, badass dream. Captain Hammer, anyone?

Nathan Fillion | Blake Tan

When it comes to manly man-gods, there are very few things that top cowboys. A cowboy is a man’s man – rough-shaven, grizzled paragons of masculinity roaming the badlands with nothing but their six-shooter and trusty steed. What could be better?

I’ll tell you: a space cowboy. His six-shooter is a fusion of futuristic and old-school tech and his steed is a faithful, old starship. The first time I ever saw Nathan Fillion as Malcolm Reynolds in Joss Whedon’s ill-fated yet still remarkable sci-fi TV series, “Firefly,” and the follow-up movie, “Serenity,” I knew that this man was my captain.

He’s one-part Wyatt Earp, one-part Han Solo, and all-parts awesome. He doesn’t bother with the illusions of sophistication or society; he’s a simple man, just trying to get by. But if you cross him or his crew, he’s not afraid to shoot first. If he asked me to, I would follow him into the jaws of hell – and gladly.

“Firefly” is done and (despite the clamoring of its fans) unlikely to be revived, and Nathan Fillion has moved on to greener pastures, like “Castle,” but I will always remember him as the bold, daring man “who aims to misbehave.”

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt can totally do better than Zooey Deschanel.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt | Isaac Noland

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a beautiful, tender man. But he will kick your ass.

In “(500) Days of Summer” we see his soft side, wooing the hipster-goddess Zooey Deschanel. We watch him fall in love and grow as an individual. We watch him break into dance. We cheer for him when and we feel his pain as he cracks under the pressure of a relationship going under.

As Arthur in “Inception” he is cool, calm and calculating as he dispatches goons in shifting or zero gravity. Not to mention his obvious intelligence as one of Leo’s gang of mind-freakers.

JGL also suffered through cancer in “50/50”, earning his second Golden Globe nomination for the emotional tale of friendship, love and mortality. He can dance, he can romance, he can kill… he can be in absurd classic NBC comedies opposite John Lithgow. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the perfect man. If I were Zooey Deschanel, I never would have dumped him.

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Tom Hardy is a handsome beast of a man with tons of acting chops. Check out "Bronson" to see just how ripped he can get.

Tom Hardy | Sam Flynn

I am openly heterosexual. I came out to my parents at a very young age but, though they struggled with my identity, they came to love and accept me for who I am: a female-loving male. However, suddenly my entire worldview was thrown for a loop when I saw Tom Hardy’s minor role in “Black Hawk Down.”

Immediately, I knew I (hypothetically) wanted to spend the rest of my life with those luscious lips. Even in that small role, he stood out to me as an actor to watch. So it was with great “pleasure” that I watched his star rise over the years culminating with a role in “Inception,” which opened the flood gates for my Tom Hardy mancrush.

Now we are in a Tom Hardy Renaissance, with co-romantic lead with Chris Pine in “This Means War” coming out on Valentine’s Day and the primary villain role of Bane in the final Batman trilogy capper “The Dark Knight Rises,” reuniting him with his “Inception” director Christopher Nolan. His ability to morph physically and mentally in roles is clear by his repeated weight loss and gains for films such as “Bronson” and “Warrior.”

His acting follows in the footsteps of Marlon Brando and James Dean as a tortured rebel. One day, I will sweep him off his feet, even if my girlfriend/wife has a problem with it. Until then, I will content myself with his masterful performances. And those luscious lips.

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Oh hey, do you also have some ridiculous mancrushes that you can’t let anybody else know about?  Tweet at us!

"Invicta" is so good that fans will forgive HTL's four years of being MIA. Photo from Alt Press.

When the “Defend Pop-Punk” movement is losing some of the greatest bands backing the genre (Valencia, The Graduate, etc.), bands such as Hit the Lights are sorely missed. With the exception of one ho-hum EP, Hit the Lights has been AWOL since their album “Skip School, Start Fights” lit up the summer of 2008. Their sophomore album perfectly blended Nick Thompson’s sugar-sweet vocals with hooks that are still stuck in fans’ heads, making them a band to watch.

And just like that, Hit the Lights disappeared.

Then, completely out of nowhere, they released the “Invicta EP” last November, featuring three songs off their new album “Invicta.” Not only was it great to hear new music from these Ohio born-and-raised boys, but the music was drastically different. Featuring a more ephemeral sound that built upon their pop-punk base, “Invicta” is a risky move that pays off for Hit the Lights in establishing them as leaders of their scene.

Even in the opening seconds of “Invincible” the changes are present. Nate Van Damme’s pounding drums command the track while the rest of the band shouts “woah-oh!” over an infectious chorus. Nick’s vocals have improved greatly, and his true potential shines on the next two tracks. “Gravity” and “Earthquake,” although both being featured on the “Invicta EP,” are two of the strongest songs on the album. The use of synth in “Gravity” helps to accent the heavy-hitting verses before heading into a chorus that soars.

“Earthquake” is undoubtedly one of the best tracks the band has ever written. The lyrics as delivered by Nick exude confidence that makes for an earnest effort. It wouldn’t be surprising if this was the song that finally got them a fair share of mainstream attention.

Slowing the album down, “So Guilty” just can’t follow up the first trio as well as other songs could have. It’s one of the more boring songs on the record, and the repetitive ending doesn’t help it at all.

Easing into the middle of the album, “Get To You” is slightly more interesting, but still a track that doesn’t feel like it has any energy in it. “Float Through Me” makes up for that, however, as the epic stadium-ready drums pound throughout the verses. The song charges forward at a blazing pace, and the chorus is one of the best that can be found on “Invicta.”

Attempt number two at a slower paced song, “Should’ve Known” is much more successful than “So Guilty,” as Nick really throws his heart onto the track. The backing guitars, courtesy of Omar Zehery and Kevin Mahoney, float delicately through the song before blowing up at the climax, making “Should’ve Known” yet another memorable track.

The final song from the “Invicta EP”, “All The Weight” is another example of potential and execution merging perfectly. One of the heavier songs on the album, “All The Weight” leads perfectly into “Faster Now,” co-written with Yellowcard frontman Ryan Key. The inclusion of more synth turns just a boring old ballad into a pop gem, as Hit the Lights really knows how to use synth without sounding corny. The Yellowcard influence permeates the entire song, and there’s really no such thing as too much Yellowcard.

HTL's latest album has its fair share of Yellowcard influences, but that's not a bad thing. Photo from AbsolutePunk.

Leading into the grand finale, “Take Control” is a surprisingly deep cut with music reminiscent of The Dangerous Summer or Thieves and Villains. As well-constructed as “Take Control” is, it still can’t compare to closer “Oh My God,” which can best be described by the title. The first two minutes are hauntingly beautiful, but even those are blown out of the water by the explosive finale, with Nick’s voice ripping through the clashing drums and furious guitars. “Oh My God” is comparable to Yellowcard’s “Paper Walls,” and that is a finale that’s hard to match.

“Invicta” is a truly surprising album, as the direction that Hit the Lights takes is surprising to say the least. Nevertheless, Nick’s drastically improved vocal performance and the rest of the band’s dedication to their craft makes for one of the better pop-punk releases of the past year. Although the wait felt like it lasted forever, every second of the past four years can be felt on “Invicta,” and it’s that much better for it.

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Speakeasy Rating: A-

Hit the Lights

“Invicta”

Recommended Tracks: “Earthquake,” “Take Control,” “Oh My God”

The two also had recurring roles in “Reno 911!” and “Childrens Hospital,” respectively. Nick Kroll from “The League” was originally included as part of the main cast in the first announcement for the show back in the summer of 2011, but Key and Peele handle the starring positions just fine by themselves.

The half-hour sketch show is the first TV outing for both comics. Photo from Comedy Central.

“Key & Peele” is a fresh attempt, but it’s hard to say if it will “catch” and avoid being buried in the vast sketch-comedy graveyard.

“Key & Peele” opens with the two actors as strangers on a street, having separate phone conversations. Each one attempts to act “blacker” when they are around the other, using stereotypical phrases and voices. Stereotypes can only be so funny and always skirt controversy and the pedestrian. But Key and Peele are each mixed-race half-black half-white, and utilize this identity (or lack thereof) in comedy and commentary that is reflective as opposed to exploitative.

Parody can also be a dangerous game to play. Taking on the cooking-show reality trend, Key does his best Gordon Ramsay, chaining absurd contradictory compliment/criticisms that hilariously parallel the melodrama of reality cooking shows. The musical accents could be ripped straight from any top-iron-master-chef program out there and are applied perfectly. The camera angles follow suit, dramatically shifting and making the viewer realize just how ridiculous these shows really are. That is what parody is all about, and “Key & Peele” does it well.

And yes, there’s racially charged historical humor — in an “SNL”-style fake-commercial for an ancestry tracing website, Key and Peele comment on Thormas Jefferson’s penchant for affairs with his slaves. Again, it is anything but exploitative, proving to be amusing and clever.

In terms of the political, “Key & Peele” know what the everyman feels and how he acts, as opposed to the calm collected-ness of politicians. Peele does an extremely good Barack Obama, who hires a man named Luther (Key) to act out his emotions during an address. This is how everyone wishes politicians would act — human and honest. The concept is solid and the delivery markedly amusing.

Unfortunately, “Key & Peele” fails in some details. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the show is new and also the first leading role for the two actors. Some things, such as the momentum of sketches, will be ironed out. But the jokes can be too obvious at times, specifically regarding the short skit where Obama is arrested. The commentary is still there, but the scenario lacks subtlety. Then again, for sketch shows, subtlety is a rare creature.

The simplest way to analyze humor is obvious. How many times does it make an audience laugh out loud? The debut of “Key & Peele” had many LOL-worthy moments, certainly more than some “SNL” episodes of recent years. But apart from straight laughs, there is an underlying commentary element to the humor.

The recurring major theme of “Key & Peele” is the balance of “whiteness” and “blackness” in our culture and how we perceive race. The show creates a valid discussion, humor with a base in a genuine issues of cultural and racial identity. It’s honest and in many ways endearing. One can only hope that it is also enduring.

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Speakeasy rating: B

“Key & Peele”

Comedy Central

Tuesdays, 10:30 p.m.

The class includes 15 freshmen and four junior college transfers hailing from Ohio, Georgia, Florida, Nebraska, Texas, Mississippi, New York and Iowa.

Ohio Bobcats Head Coach Frank Solich (left) and Recruiting Coordinator Brian Haines announced that the Bobcats will welcome 19 recruits to the program. (Photo by Seth Austin)

“I really feel good about this year’s class, again. I think we’ve put together two really good classes,” Ohio head coach Frank Solich said. “I think it speaks volumes of what is happening here at our program.”

“We target the student-athlete,” recruiting coordinator Brian Haines said. “We want good character. We want tough kids and kids that can make it academically here at Ohio University.”

Headlining the class is Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio) defensive lineman Trae Clark. Clark is a six-three, 350 pound lineman who Coach Solich and the Bobcat coaching staff are extremely excited about. Clark chose Ohio over Arkansas, West Virginia, Syracuse, Michigan State and rival Marshall, amongst others.

Other big recruits include three-star players Sebastian Smith (ATH, Columbus, Ohio), Mike Roberts (ATH, Cleveland, Ohio) and Chris Murray (WR, Tampa, Fla.).

Murray will be coming to Athens along with his high school quarterback, Gregory Windham. Also coming from the Sunshine State will be running back Daz’mond Patterson (Plant City, Fla.).

Coach Solich turned to his Nebraska roots to help replace Noah Keller (Kerney, Neb.) at linebacker, signing Jake Schany out of Blair, Neb., as well as Iowa Western JUCO transfer Ty Branz (DE, York, Neb.).

Other JUCO transfers include Matt Waters (WR, Iowa Western), Tim Edmond (LB, Hutchinson CC) and Wade Wells (DE, Mississippi Gulf Coast CC).

Rounding out the days commits include Toran Davis (S, Lithonia, Ga.), Nick Gibbons (OL, Stone Mountain Ga.), Davon Henry (ATH, Round Rock, Texas), Kurt Laseak (DE, Mentor, Ohio), Jordan Reid (WR, Stone Mountain, Ga.), Malik Rodriguez (WR, Brooklyn, N.Y.), John Tanner (TE, Cincinnati, Ohio), and Troy Watson (OL, Aurora, Ohio).

You can check out all of Ohio’s recruits at OhioBobcatTV’s YouTube page.

According to Scouts, Inc., Ohio pulled in the nations 104^th best recruit class, finding themselves behind every Mid-American Conference school except Akron and conference newcomer, Massachusetts.

Elsewhere in the conference, Temple and Toledo had impressive classes, ranking them at 55^th and 61^st, respectively, in the nation.

The Bobcats will look to have some of their new additions disprove the less-than-stellar ratings this incoming class has received thus far. (Photo by Speakeasy Magazine)

The Owls pulled in a stunning 35 recruits, including four-star running back Montrel Dobbs, who can have an immediate impact replacing Bernard Pierce.

Dobbs is only one of two four-star recruits to find themselves a home in the MAC; the other is wide receiver Corey Jones, who is one of 27 recruits to select Toledo. The Rockets also got richer with the transfers that are able to play next year. These transfers include Cleveland Brown Joe Haden’s younger brothers Jordan (Florida-transfer) and Josh (Boston College-transfer) as well as Michigan-transfer Vlad Emilien.

Coming in at third in the MAC, even after a down season, are the Miami RedHawk,s who bulked up along their offensive and defensive line taking advantage of recruits in the southwestern corner of Ohio.

Interestingly enough, last season’s MAC Champions, Northern Illinois, came in at 98^th in the country, just six spots ahead of Ohio. The Huskies have brought in four quarterbacks looking to find their replacement for Conference MVP Chandler Harnish.

Ohio will start spring practices March 27 and their spring game will be held on April 21.

Ohio kicks off their 2012 season on Sept. 1 when they travel to Happy Valley to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions, in new head coach Bill O’Brien’s debut.

*All recruiting information from across the MAC was gathered from Scouts, Inc.

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@Seth_Austin & @DannyMedlock

“We fought hard, but not hard enough,” said head coach Semeka Randall. “We just did not seize the day.”

A strong game by Tenishia Benson for the Bobcats failed to spur a victory over Eastern Michigan. (Photo by Devin Rhodes)

Eastern Michigan (15-7, 7-2 MAC) flew out of the gate, jumping out to an early 14-4 lead. Then, Ohio (10-13, 3-6 MAC) went on a 19-10 run to cut the lead to one, 24-23, with 5:16 left in the first half. Then the Eagles went on a 9-3 run to end the first half thanks to some consistent offensive rebounding and second-chance points. The Eagles led 33-26 at halftime.

Tenishia Benson, the team’s lone senior, led the team with 15 points, on 6-10 shooting, and she also added one rebound and one assist. She spoke about how much of a difference the second-chance points made in the game: “The second chance points hurt us tonight,” said Benson. “They were a huge factor.”

In the second half, both teams were trading blows, and Ohio kept it close. They were down 46-41 with 7:17 left in the game. Ohio was still down five, 53-48, with 3:41 left, but the Eagles star player, Tavelyn James, scored six of her game-high 29 points in the final 3:41 to seal the game for the visitors.

Sophomore Shavon Robinson scored 14 points, all of which were in the second half, on 5-12 shooting, and she also added two rebounds and two assists. Robinson spoke about how Ohio just could not make that final push to take down the Eagles: “We were so close tonight,” said Robinson. “We were doing some great things, but these types of games are rough.”

Shavon Robinson put up another double-figure point effort in the Bobcats' loss on Wednesday night. (Photo by Devin Rhodes)

Coach Randall spoke after the game about Shavon Robinson: “Shavon Robinson has to show up every night,” said Randall. “We need her to bring that punch.”

The Lady Bobcats also got good contributions from freshman Mariah Byard, who had 11 points on 4-11 shooting, and sophomore Erin Bailes, who added five points on 2-7 shooting.

The Lady Bobcats will hit the road again when they travel to DeKalb, Ill., to face the Northern Illinois Huskies on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Lady Bobcats next home game will be on Saturday, Feb. 11, when the Ball State Cardinals will come to the Convocation Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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Ohio University has traditions and reputations in countless arenas, but there’s one reputation that most students may not be familiar with—Ohio was the first school in the world to offer a master’s program in Sports Management when it introduced the program in 1966. It remains a highly regarded institution in the area of sports administration.

While the graduate program may be the one with history and backing, Ohio does offer an undergraduate program, which benefits from the clout the graduate program carries in the industry.

“The brand is clearly from our grad program. I mean, that really is the flagship, so to speak, but it doesn’t hurt our undergrads to have Ohio University on their resume,” says Dr. David Ridpath, the undergraduate coordinator for the program.

More focus has been placed on the undergraduate program in the recent years, giving it better standing to prepare students for the competitive sports industry.

“It’s our goal to develop the undergrad program to the same standard as the graduate program,” says Dr. Ming Li, the department chair.” Right now, if you look at the department, we call it the department of sports administration—that is the brand. Our brand is sports administration. That’s what the industry knows. People in the industry, they know sports administration for Ohio University is the best program. We have a mission. We have a vision. We want to become one of the best undergraduate programs, as well, in the country.”

One action the undergraduate program has taken recently was moving it from the College of Health and Human Services to the College of Business.

“Becoming part of the College of Business has given our undergrad program some momentum, I would say,” says Dr. Li. “To me, it’s long overdue. A program of such (a focus) should be part of the College of Business.”

Many sport administration programs in the country operate as part of a business program, which fits with the trend of most recent graduates finding jobs in sales and marketing.

Another step the program is taking to better the undergraduate program is the move toward a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, which is to be introduced in the fall of 2012. Currently, the program offers a Bachelor of Science degree.

The program will have different tracks for students in the future, starting with a sales track in the program’s first year. Potential future tracks include a finance track, a marketing track, an operations track, and a management track.

“A Bachelor of Business Administration looks very good. It’s one of your more prominent degrees,” says Dr. Ridpath.

The success of the program and its students can be attributed to the experienced faculty within the program.

“One thing that we focus on at Ohio University is faculty that have practical, professional experience in the field,” says Professor Packy Moran.

Adds Ridpath: “Between our faculty here, we have close to two hundred years of experience in the sports industry, actually working in the industry.”

One major benefit of a long-standing graduate program, along with faculty who have strong ties to professionals in the field, is the amount of speakers that come to campus to speak to students aspiring to fill their shoes in the future.

Recently, Mark Shapiro, President of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians, made the drive down to Athens through a connection with Dr. Michael Pfahl. On a recent Friday morning, he addressed students about the state of baseball and how he reached his current position atop the Indians organization.

His speech was laden with advice to the youth in the room, cautioning them that his path to the big leagues may not be as applicable today as it was for him twenty years ago.

In Shapiro’s case, landing with the Indians was not at all the plan. Reflecting back, he said, “My first thought was, ‘the Cleveland Indians?’”

At the time, the team had only been known for the movie, Major League, which chronicled the woes of a struggling, fictional version of the early 90’s Indians.

“If you want to work in sports, you can’t be afraid to go anywhere. You can’t be afraid to do anything,” he said, drawing wisdom from his experience as a young man, just starting his successful career.

His advice centered on leadership, explaining that when accepting a job in the future, students must find leadership that they can buy into. That’s how he came to work in Cleveland.

Looking back on his interview twenty years prior, he said, “I walked out saying, ‘I want to work with those guys.’”

Shapiro went on to talk about how the organization evaluates how they approach employment with the team: “Someone that can make us better is someone I want to talk to.”

He explained that applicants must know how they are going to add value to the organization they are applying for.

His speech was followed by a presentation from Mailynh Vu, the Human Resource Manager with the Indians, who spoke to the students about hiring practices and how to conduct themselves during interviews.

“It’s great when speakers, especially who are on a really high level, come so that people can realize, ‘Hey, that person’s not different from me. They don’t have three heads, you know, something I don’t have,’” says Moran. “But at the same time, they’ve worked hard for, in Shapiro’s case, twenty-some-odd years and with a break though his father to meet those people — the baseball execs — to make that happen. So, realize, that it is a long, arduous process. It’s not overnight.”

Mark Shapiro’s visit to campus was through the undergraduate program, but gave the graduate students the chance to hear and learn from him as well.

“There’s some movement in the last couple of years to really help integrate the programs,” says Moran. “I think they’re complementary.”

The reputation and history may lie with the graduate program in Sports Administration at Ohio University, but the undergraduate program has a strong curriculum and continues to grow and develop to fit the standards of the shadow cast by the grad program. A new history is currently being written.

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@KatieHendershot