Of dead birds, the pope tweeting and football

What I learned in 2011:

When it comes to accurately assessing the BCS pecking order, the coaches poll is as trustworthy as an unsolicited email from Nigeria.

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan is a terrible salesman. Only he and his son - and possibly John Beck - ever bought the idea that Beck was a starting quarterback.

Football players don't fumble anymore. They "put the ball on the ground."

August's East Coast earthquake wasn't San Andreas' fault.

We should have known we were in for a bad year when 5,000 blackbirds fell dead from the sky on Jan. 1.

Coaches and players always say, "I don't want to throw anybody under the bus," just before throwing somebody under the bus.

Tim Tebow is neither a fancy passer nor a passing fancy.

Once again, the Virginia Tech football rivalry with Virginia was like the rivalry between the hammer and the nail.

If the pope can do it, I can, too: tweet, I mean.

We're better off having Bob Costas around, not just for his smooth handling of game-day duties, but because he's the best in sports broadcasting at tackling a weighty subject such as the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal.

When mid-majors Virginia Commonwealth and Butler met in the NCAA basketball semifinals, the name of the Final Four should have been changed to "Occupy Houston."

The phrase "too much too soon" didn't apply to Old Dominion true freshman quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

College football in Norfolk has never been more relevant because of the success of Norfolk State and ODU.

Sellouts for ODU football games are taken for granted, though they shouldn't be.

Pete Adrian squeezed out every drop of potential from Norfolk State.

Bobby Wilder's career really will take off when he gets over his shyness.

By winning the UFL championship, the Virginia Destroyers paid back their patient fans, even as the league had trouble paying off its expenses.

A semi-retired Marty Schottenheimer is a better coach than some of the guys on the sidelines Sunday afternoon.

The only thing worse than the Red Sox falling apart in September is every other problem in the world.

You couldn't talk about the Red Sox without mentioning beer and chicken. Does the team dress in a clubhouse or at Hooters?

As an NFL rookie, Cam Newton is nearly as good as he said he was and a lot better than most people thought.

The difference between a Super Bowl winning quarterback and an aging, slugging first baseman coming off a World Series victory: One goes to DisneyWorld for the weekend; the other goes to Disneyland to stay.

It's never been easier for an NFL quarterback to complete a pass.

The backroom dealings associated with college conference realignments would make Tony Soprano blush.

Amazingly, after ESPN sacked Hank Williams Jr., America didn't stop getting ready for some football.

By announcing a move to NASCAR, Danica Patrick found another way to increase her visibility without actually winning a race.

Amy Poehler continues to be sneaky funny.

Lance Armstrong once again survived drug allegations from cyclists recycling cyclical material.

Like a lot of out-of-work Americans, Allen Iverson and Tiki Barber discovered that they were not valued for their experience.

Sixteen-year-old Lexi Thompson is what Michelle Wie was supposed to have been in a previous life.

After losing a heartbreaker to Japan in the women's World Cup of soccer, Swedish players didn't just cry - they Saab-ed.

Televised poker is still growing on me... like fungus.

With America's obesity rate up to 34 percent, Jack LaLanne died too soon.

The NBA lockout could only have lasted longer had Barack Obama and John Boehner been invited to the negotiating table.

You rarely go wrong accusing the NFC East of being overrated.

When Maryland began its football season dressed like the Insurance Institute's crash test dummies, it served as an omen that first-year coach Randy Edsall would total the program.

Ex-Tiger Woods caddie Steve Williams can be very catty.

Derek Jeter reached magic number 3,000 - hits, not women.

And finally... it's always about the money.

Bob Molinaro, 757 446-2372, bob.molinaro@pilotonline.com