DAILY DIRT: ‘(Matthew Perry) won’t rest in peace … he’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there’

Perry was one of the catalysts behind the mega-success of the “Friends” sitcom … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 768 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Rest in peace, Chandler Bing.

The weekend news than actor Matthew Perry, who played the entertaining Chandler Bing on the legendary “Friends” sitcom, had died left many stunned, including myself. 

Perry, 54, died of an apparent drowning at his Pacific Palisades home, a representative for the actor and a law enforcement source said. Perry also had a long history of battling substance abuse.

The Bing character worked as a statistical analyst, and dominated most scenes with his sarcasm and one-liners. “Friends” was part of the old “must-see TV” lineup in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s on Thursday nights on NBC.

Bing was always my favorite character on the program, which also featured the likes of Ross Geller (David Schwimmer), Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), Racehl Green (Jennifer Aniston), Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay-Hannigan).

Here are some of best remembrances of Perry over the past couple of days:

“He won’t rest in peace … He’s already too busy making everyone laugh up there.” — actress Paget Brewster, a longtime staple on “Criminal Minds” who also was a one time love interest of Perry/Bing on the NBC show.

“All of us loved Matthew Perry, and I did especially. Every day. I loved him unconditionally. And he me. And I’m broken. Broken hearted. Sweet dreams, Matty. Sweet dreams.” — actress/author Selma Blair, known most for her roles in “Legally Blonde” and “Cruel Intentions”.

“Even in his darkest moments, his comedic timing was impeccable. Mathew suffered so terribly … I hope he is at peace beyond that suffering. He died way too soon and he will be missed by all who loved and knew him in life and as the beloved Chandler Bing.” — actress Maggie Wheeler, the actress who portrayed Perry’s on-again off-again girlfriend Janice Goralnik. 

Althea Lagaspi of Rolling Stone magazine penned the following:

“‘Friends’ was a bona fide hit, and one of the most popular shows of all time. The series was nominated for 62 primetime Emmy awards, and won the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002 for its eighth season, when it also hit No. 1 in the (Nielsen) ratings. The series finale was watched by nearly 53 million viewers.”

2. The best of “Found on Facebook” from over the weekend:

Customer: My car is making a terrible noise.”

Mechanic: “Try taking out the Taylor Swift CD.”

“Bacon is more important than pumpkin spice. There, I said it!”

“Two truths about the 1980s: 1. Malls were awesome. 2. Record stores were the heartbeat.”

“Behind every angry woman is a man who has no idea what he has done wrong.”

“Being a trophy husband is exhausting.”” (Boy, don’t I know it …)

3. Here’s our new college football rankings:

1. Georgia (8-0): Saturday’s unofficial game of the week pits the Bulldogs against Missouri. Georgia is ripe for an upset, and a Missouri win in this game would elevate Eli Drinkwitz to the No. 1 candidate for coach of the year. This week’s prediction: Georgia 23, Missouri 21.

2. Michigan (8-0): Wolverines have yet to surrender more than one touchdown in a game. This week’s prediction: Michigan 63, Purdue 3.

3. Ohio State (8-0): The return of running back TreVeyon Henderson is huge. This week’s prediction: Ohio State 45, Rutgers 7.

4. Florida State (8-0): Seminoles are absolute only ACC hope to make the playoffs. This week’s prediction: Florida State 36, Pitt 10.

5. Texas (7-1): And if the Longhorns lose again, the Big 12 can wait until next year, too. This week’s prediction: Texas 35, Kansas State 28.

6. Washington (8-0): A few weeks ago, the Washington-USC game looked like a potential classic. Now, the only question is whether or not Washington will more than 50 against the sieve-like USC defense. This week’s prediction: Washington 51, USC 38.

7. Oregon (7-1): This year’s Civil War game with Oregon State (Nov. 24) may be the first to feature both teams in the top 10 since … well, the Civil War. This week’s prediction: Oregon 38, Cal 10.

8. Ole Miss (7-1): Rebels deserving of some additional rankings love. This week’s prediction: Ole Miss 31, Texas A&M 21.

9. Alabama (7-1): This week’s game with LSU game is always a war. Always. This week’s prediction: Alabama 17, LSU 16.

10. Missouri (7-1): This week’s game with Georgia is the biggest for Mizzou since the days of Chase Daniel. This week’s prediction: Georgia 23, Missouri 21.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Missouri has played in two SEC Championship games since the days when Heisman finalist Daniel played quarterback for the Tigers (Missouri played in the Big XII during his tenure). It is certainly the biggest game to date for Drink. JRG, MIZ-

On the outside looking in: Notre Dame (7-2), Kansas (6-2), Oklahoma (7-1), Tennessee (6-2), Penn State (7-1), Utah (6-2), Louisville (7-1).

Steve Thought O’ The Day — A memorable quote from Edgar Allen Poe: “I don’t suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.”

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He’ll be there for you.