by Clay A. Smith

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The Utes turn the Tide on Bama, stealing the show  as Johnson helps Utes get the last laugh. Now it appears that the 13-0 performance was no fluke. But unfortunately Non- B.C.S. teams will still face an uphill battle.

- After his near-record breaking season, Brees gets zero votes for M.V.P. Most likely because the Saints still failed to finish in the post-season. Even though the rookie class gave Saints high hopes, New Orleans must proceed with caution because defensive help will likely be available for the Saints this offseason, but it won’t come cheaply.

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The NBA suspended Tyson Chandler for hitting Portland’s Joel Przybillia. Przybillia was fined but the suspension kept Chandler out of the game against the Nuggets. The Nuggets Beat the Hornets even though the Hornets charged, but couldn’t hold on.

Daniel Esses, pictured, had his last night as chef at Marigny Brasserie yesterday. He left citing differences with the owners over the direction of the menu. Esses says he’s now looking for new opportunities in the city.

The New York native cooked his way through New Orleans kitchens over the course of eight years, and he had a hand in forming the Savvy Gourmet back in the days when it was an itinerant cooking school.

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Last month, a pair of researchers from the School of Risk and Safety Sciences at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, published findings indicating that headbanging might actually cause mild traumatic brain damage. (CNN’s report above. I like the medical reporter’s incredulous, “Silly me, I thought it was all the drugs they were doing,” and also her demonstration of the technique.) The study noted that “Young people at heavy metal concerts often report being dazed and confused,” but that “little formal injury research has been conducted into the worldwide phenomenon of headbanging.” (Gee… really? And also… gee, really?) Considering the popularity of metal in the South, health-conscious New Orleanians planning to attend gigs like this week’s Outlaw Order show or February’s upcoming Motley Crue performance (dang it… why doesn’t this blog software have an umlaut?) may wish, as the study advises, to practice restricting their headbanging to a less-than-75-degree range of motion. We’re just saying.   

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Yet another reason why Nick Saban’s 2009 is off to a bad start: Les Miles. Sure, LSU went 7–5 during the regular season (including a dismal 3–5 SEC record), but just look at how the Tigers finished their season compared to Alabama. First, a dominating win in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl (as compared to Alabama’s embarrassment in the Sugar Bowl) and now it’s looking like LSU is poised for a great 2009, leading the college football recruiting rankings.

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Now whether or not ESPN really needs Les Miles in order to recruit talent is still up for debate.