Happy New Year to all from the Sherman Report.

After a two-week break for the holiday, I’m refreshed and ready to go for 2014. Well, sort of.

The temperature says it is 54 degrees at Sherman Report. That’s inside my office, where I have some heat issues.

Outside in Chicago, the nasty thermometer says -15. This is stupid cold. Then again, I’m the stupid one for choosing to live here.

I could be in Los Angeles, where I spent New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl with my brother, Steve (left), and two boys, Matt and Sam. It truly was a bucket-list experience for this longtime sportswriter. Of all the events I have covered through the years, I never did the big game in Pasadena.

For a child of the Midwest, the Rose Bowl always represented the pinnacle for the Big Ten, even if their teams got hammered in most years. So to finally be there in person and witness the spectacle made for a highly memorable day. And Michigan State actually won, meaning the Big Ten is 1-0 when I attend Rose Bowls.

As you can see I wore a short-sleeve shirt for the big game. Now I’m wearing long underwear while working inside in my office. I’ve lost nearly 90 degrees since Wednesday.

School has been cancelled for the kids today, but Sherman Report marches on in all weather conditions. Please check back shortly for the first posts of 2014.

Happy New Year to all.