PETE CARROL DOESN'T HAVE A LOVE GODDESS...

My nerves last night were more frayed than the pom-poms in the palms of the lovely UT Cheerleaders. Copious quantities of Grolsch, then Tecate and then Labatt Blue dulled the nerves not one bit. (Talk about being international). And given the amount of cerveza imbibed, I probably am now the same size as Mark Mangino, especially given the fact that I was so glued to my Mitsubishi that I didn't even pee during the second half. So I waddle today instead of walk; and a liver transplant may be on the horizon. But I honestly don't care because when all (well, almost) all was said and done I had been witness to the undeniable, nothing can ever top this, holy mother of pearl GREATEST GAME OF THE CENTURY!

I know what you are thinking...

There's been at least a dozen, possibly more, GAMES OF THE CENTURY, including my previous favorite -- the 1969 Longhorn victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks when President Nixon declared UT the National Champions. There's also no doubt that there will be many more GAMES OF THE CENTURY in the years ahead, so I am sure you are wanting to suggest that I not get overly carried away with this year's Rose Bowl game. But carried away I will be...even if it is by an 18-wheeler.

Dallas-based screenwriter Chad Draper, in his brilliant script FALSE RIVER, has a line or two of dialogue that comes to mind. After a chance meeting, followed by a nice romp in the sack, a character named Tina says:

"Let me be your Love Goddess. I know you have plenty of other Love Goddesses where you come from -- but let me be your Love Goddess here for now and forever more."

The 2006 edition of the Rose Bowl has become for me here, now and forever more my GAME OF THE CENTURY. Life's good. I am at total peace with myself. There's nothing else that can top this. Nothing. Zip. Nada.

By the way, when does baseball season start?