John Cochran, Humor Guru

Cheers:

HHS mandate revisions – Is that the shining light of bipartisanship and a kept promise from the Obama administration? Perhaps, say the least cynical among those combing over the new revisions to the HHS mandate. Some revisions over the more objectionable provisions in the mandate (especially those that affect Notre Dame) may be done away with, but many believe rescinding the mandate is the only way to fully preserve religious liberty. A rather tentative cheer to be sure, but this is politics, after all.

Kevin Ford – Orbiting the earth from 230 miles up, Notre Dame Alumnus (’82) and astronaut Kevin Ford is midway through his mission command on the international space station. In true Domer fashion, he adorned the inside of the vessel with a yellow “Explore Like a Champion Today.”

Jeers:

Deer antler spray – I was surprised when I saw ESPN running a hunting story and even more surprised when I learned what the article was actually about. A few U of Alabama football players, as well as all-world Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, used the performance-enhancing substance derived from deer antlers, alleges a deer antler spray salesman. A Johns Hopkins professor claims the substance in question—IGF-1 (a potent anabolic hormone)—is basically ineffectual if applied orally, as the spray would be. However, the weirdest part of the story is that Ray Lewis’ very tenuous relationship to this PED is the thrust of greater scrutiny than certain, uh, conspicuous events a few years back during another Super Bowl…

Super Bowl commercials – Admittedly, I am not the commercial-watching aficionado that many of my friends are, and thus my expectations were characteristically low. It seemed advertisers sought the lowest common denominator through (mostly sexual) shock value. There were a few gems though: For example, Leon Sandcastle and the Budweiser Clydesdale (queue the obligatory, teary-eyed awww from my readers of the fairer sex).

The halftime show – hearing Beyoncé during the halftime show only made me long for the halcyon, less-musically-bereft days of my (Destiny’s) Child-hood.  A bad pun, but you know what I mean…right?