Randoms is a Wide Right column housing the whimsical tidbits that consume my day. Most are football related but as with all my columns, a small dose of the arbitrary is thrown in.

First things first folks, you will all be happy to know that �Bluto� and I have enrolled in a World War II history course to correct our misguided understanding of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It has become painfully obvious to me that many people need to watch the 1978 classic, Animal House - immediately.

With that out of the way, here is a list of eleven movies that should be in everyone�s DVD collection, a.k.a. the Gut Check column answer key: 1) Old School 2) Blues Brothers 3) Rocky II 4) Vacation 5) Ferris Bueller�s Day Off 6) Jerry Maguire 7) Swingers 8) Blues Brothers 9) Happy Gilmore 10) Caddyshack 11) Airplane 12) Animal House . . .

• In watching the Ga. Tech v. Maryland game I noticed something that will help us out in the future, but which also greatly detracts from the entire football experience. Their fans made zero noise. Let�s just say that if Seinfeld and the low talker were at that game instead of in a semi-noisy NY restaurant, he wouldn�t have worn a "puffy shirt" on the Today show. They just don�t have the spirit that we do.

• Everyone has that guy in his or her office � the one no one really dislikes but no one really likes either. The guy who is obviously more knowledgeable about football than Paul Tagliabue, and makes every effort to let you know this. Why do we still invite him to join our football pool? Yeah . . . he�s still in and I�m out.

• Every morning I make a solemn promise to myself that I will get more sleep that night. Every night I break my vow. One day I won�t believe me anymore.

• Have faith in Beamer. The guy is Scrumtrulescent. He�ll turn it around and we�ll be "born anew in [his] genius." Nobody compliments quite like James Lipton.

• Why is the word Punk�d suddenly a dictionary entry? It is only a matter of time before we hear Terry Bowden use it to describe how "Dad really punk�d the Blue Devils." What is the world coming to when Ashton Kutcher is writing our language?

• Obviously Bryan Randall was missing in action against WVU. Can he find his game in time for Miami or will he be hanging out with Bobby Fisher? Bryan Randall, where is he? I don�t know. I don�t know.

• I have been walking around today telling everyone that I lowered my cholesterol . . . no one seems to care.

• If Jessica the cheerleader doesn�t win, I fear I might take it personally.

• Look folks, after that catch in the WVU game, there is no doubt that Kellen Winslow Jr. is the real deal, but let�s not get overly worried here. Remember, he puts his "pants on just like the rest of [us] � one leg at a time. Except once [his] pants are on, [he] makes gold records." (Let�s see how long I can keep this up.)

• Alright, we all hope that Stiney has been saving something special for the game against Miami. I can�t wait until he lets the offense loose � you know, to really explore the space. (You can never get enough Gene Frenkle.)

• Has anyone ever tried to build those things they make on New Yankee Workshop? I mean, this guy just built a 5,000 sq. foot airplane hanger, complete with a Wright Brothers first-flight replica . . . in an hour. Who has these tools?

• Ever push a button and wait for the elevator to arrive, only to be joined by that guy who feels that you didn�t do a thorough enough job pushing the button the first time? Even though it is already lit, his pushing the button repeatedly will obviously entice the elevator to arrive more quickly. Yeah, we�ve all been that guy.

• I have given commentators a hard time in the past. It is no secret that I think most of them are a waste. Well, I was validated last Wednesday � enter Rod Gilmore. I think Jake Grove needs to pay him a visit.

• On the flip side, where did Sam Ryan come from? Nice.

• I need a kicker for my fantasy league this weekend and damned if Shayne Graham isn�t available. Hopefully he�ll treat me better than Suggs has this year. If he�s a Hokie, he�s on my team . . . which might explain my record.

• Speaking of fantasy it looks like Mike Vick might be held out all year since there is no chance of the Falcons making the playoffs. So I tried to waive him today but for some reason he is on Yahoo�s un-waivable players list. What kind of crap is this?

• I will be in enemy territory for the Miami game this weekend (heading to Florida) and the trash has been flying back and forth already. Screw Miami � what, with their perfect weather and their beautiful women . . . I�m not exactly sure where I was going with this.

• This has nothing to do with football, but Josh Beckett needs to be a Red Sox pitcher next year. It�s always good to see David beat Goliath. A little Saturday premonition perhaps?

• Oh my god, Jillian Barberie on Fox Football Sunday. Have I ever been more interested in the weather?

• What a great week this is going to be . . . not only do we get to see what our Hokies are made of - witness the heart and passion that we know they�ll display on the field against Miami - but it�s also the season premiere of The O.C.!

• Dr. Peter Venkman: The Hurricanes are headed for a disaster of biblical proportion.
  Mayor: What do you mean, "biblical?"
  Dr. Raymond Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God type stuff. Fires and brimstone coming down from the sky, rivers and seas boiling--
  Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes--
  Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the graves!
  Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria, essentially a normal - behind the woodshed � welcome to the �Terror Dome� � Hokie butt kickin�!

• If this isn�t what we are all about . . .
  If this doesn�t sum us up . . .
  If this isn�t inspirational . . .
  http://espn.go.com/premium/ncf/columns/harig_bob/
  . . . then I don�t know what is. We need to get back to our roots, back to what got us here. Game on! Get it done!

• I don�t know how many people caught this, but during Game 6 of the World Series the commentator inadvertently gave the answer to a trivia question that he asked just moments before. When his mistake was realized he calmly stated "I know you guys don�t listen to us anyway." It was classic. I don�t remember who said it but he�s now my favorite.

• There are a few things I would change if I could do it all over again. I would have trained and played more football in high school so that I could have at least had a chance to walk-on the practice team at Tech. The opportunity that you athletes have to play football for the greatest school around is something pretty special. This is a turning point in Hokie football. Which way will we turn? Play like it is your last game - your last snap of the ball. Play like we would if we had the opportunity to be on that field wearing maroon and orange.

• In thinking about Saturday�s game one movie keeps playing through my mind:
  "Where are you going?"
  "I�m going to pick a fight."
  "Well, we didn�t get dressed up for nothing."

TechSideline Pass Home