So late last night, there was this. I'm hoping it served as temporary catharsis -- or a BCS enema! -- that will allow me to enjoy the run-up to Saturday's SEC title game with some inner peace.
Meanwhile, today's SN column leads with Twitter -- first there was Shaq's takeover; yesterday, Lance Armstrong broke his own news by scooping the AP that he would ride the TdF in '09.
(If you're on Twitter, you can follow me @danshanoff. And if you know of other athletes or sports bloggers on Twitter, let me know so I can follow them.)
Otherwise:
*The Texans are better off with Steve Slaton than if they had drafted Reggie Bush. Slaton is much better -- gee: he can actually run the ball, too. Seriously: If you were a GM and were offered Steve Slaton for Reggie Bush, you would absolutely make that trade.
*The Celtics are not going to be challenged by the Magic -- at least this year, as I had predicted in my season picks.
*Purdue is going to beat Duke tonight in the headliner of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
*Florida is favored over Alabama by 10, and I think that is wildly aggressive. Can you think of a No. 1 team that was that much of an underdog? That said: The Gators will either win by 20+ or lose; unlike the 2006 title team, I'm not sure this team can win late and/or close. Good thing they are built to blow teams out.
Complete SN column here. More later, including a noontime tribute to Dr. Z that I wrote late last night and a 3 p.m. analysis of the new United Football League, which I also wrote late last night.
(Wow, was I prolific last night or what? Must have been because I watched the series finale of "The Shield," then couldn't fall asleep for like 2 hours afterward. Probably the best TV series finale I have ever seen.)
-- D.S.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
More BCS Crazy Talk -- Or Not
This sums up a pretty valid point -- whether you are a Florida fan or not.
I spent a lot of tonight considering where my head has been at the last 48 hours. Part of the complicating factor is that my team is one of the contenders in the conversation.
Good problem to have, you might say. But I wonder how I would gauge things if I didn't have a dog in the fight. Take Oklahoma vs. Texas: I really don't have a personal stake in it; I simply fall on the side of Texas, for a lot of reasons highlighted over the past two days.
I also think that I'm not particularly biased in arguing that few outside of Austin or Norman want to see Oklahoma-Texas II. We didn't want to see Ohio St-Michigan II two years ago, and we don't want or need to see OU-UT II this season. The argument they are 1-2 in the country is sketchy, at best -- consider that they aren't 1-2 in any poll right now, nor have they been.
I am plenty biased in laying out scenarios as they relate to Florida. I don't think it's crazy for me to (a) root for Florida to beat Alabama; (b) honestly think that Florida will beat Alabama; or (c) prepare for the various scenarios in the event that Florida does beat Alabama, but somehow doesn't finish in the Top 2 -- an idea that the more I consider it, the more scary-likely it seems.
That said: There is arguing about the BCS that is fun, and then there is the arguing that is debilitating. I think we're quickly reaching that point -- at least for Texas fans, in part for Florida fans and most certainly for fans without a dog in the fight. It is wearying, and it's not even next weekend yet.
By the way, a 4-team playoff wouldn't solve anything this year. An 8-team playoff -- if you insist on including all 6 "BCS conference" champs -- wouldn't solve anything either. A 16-team playoff would get us closest to where we need to go, but that's a pipe dream.
Between the suspicion of voter fraud -- or, at the very least, benign negligence by voters -- and an apalling lack of transparency (and even more apalling lack of respect for fans) by the people running the BCS, the system is truly broken this year. The funny thing is that it isn't even as egregious as 2004 -- but even 4 years later, it's such a moment of hyper-intensity that we're living in, it feels worse. It's still pretty tough to top the crappy feeling of Auburn '04 fans; they enjoy a lifetime free pass of saying, to any other fan base: "Oh, STFU. You know NOTHING of BCS misery."
I'm going to really enjoy the hell out of the SEC title game this Saturday -- I have kind of had it in my head that if Florida loses that game, at least they had their shot... they controlled their own destiny. What frustrates me is that perhaps that isn't really the case.
"What if they lose?" isn't nearly as distressing as "What if they win, but don't make the Top 2?"
I'm sure I will work myself into a frenzy by Saturday night. And yet I can't even imagine what it must feel like to be a Texas fan. That's why I keep throwing out this "AP half of the title" scenario for the Longhorns; maybe I'm holding out for that consolation prize if it is Florida, and not Texas, that is iced out of the BCS title game.
So, in short, forgive me for the frenetic, frazzled posting on the subject. Not only do I root for the best for Florida, but I root for the best for college football -- this isn't one of the sport's finest moments. I hope we can all find ways to enjoy the next 5 weeks. At the very least, Alabama-Florida should be a great game worthy of "Game of the Year" status and national attention.
-- D.S.
I spent a lot of tonight considering where my head has been at the last 48 hours. Part of the complicating factor is that my team is one of the contenders in the conversation.
Good problem to have, you might say. But I wonder how I would gauge things if I didn't have a dog in the fight. Take Oklahoma vs. Texas: I really don't have a personal stake in it; I simply fall on the side of Texas, for a lot of reasons highlighted over the past two days.
I also think that I'm not particularly biased in arguing that few outside of Austin or Norman want to see Oklahoma-Texas II. We didn't want to see Ohio St-Michigan II two years ago, and we don't want or need to see OU-UT II this season. The argument they are 1-2 in the country is sketchy, at best -- consider that they aren't 1-2 in any poll right now, nor have they been.
I am plenty biased in laying out scenarios as they relate to Florida. I don't think it's crazy for me to (a) root for Florida to beat Alabama; (b) honestly think that Florida will beat Alabama; or (c) prepare for the various scenarios in the event that Florida does beat Alabama, but somehow doesn't finish in the Top 2 -- an idea that the more I consider it, the more scary-likely it seems.
That said: There is arguing about the BCS that is fun, and then there is the arguing that is debilitating. I think we're quickly reaching that point -- at least for Texas fans, in part for Florida fans and most certainly for fans without a dog in the fight. It is wearying, and it's not even next weekend yet.
By the way, a 4-team playoff wouldn't solve anything this year. An 8-team playoff -- if you insist on including all 6 "BCS conference" champs -- wouldn't solve anything either. A 16-team playoff would get us closest to where we need to go, but that's a pipe dream.
Between the suspicion of voter fraud -- or, at the very least, benign negligence by voters -- and an apalling lack of transparency (and even more apalling lack of respect for fans) by the people running the BCS, the system is truly broken this year. The funny thing is that it isn't even as egregious as 2004 -- but even 4 years later, it's such a moment of hyper-intensity that we're living in, it feels worse. It's still pretty tough to top the crappy feeling of Auburn '04 fans; they enjoy a lifetime free pass of saying, to any other fan base: "Oh, STFU. You know NOTHING of BCS misery."
I'm going to really enjoy the hell out of the SEC title game this Saturday -- I have kind of had it in my head that if Florida loses that game, at least they had their shot... they controlled their own destiny. What frustrates me is that perhaps that isn't really the case.
"What if they lose?" isn't nearly as distressing as "What if they win, but don't make the Top 2?"
I'm sure I will work myself into a frenzy by Saturday night. And yet I can't even imagine what it must feel like to be a Texas fan. That's why I keep throwing out this "AP half of the title" scenario for the Longhorns; maybe I'm holding out for that consolation prize if it is Florida, and not Texas, that is iced out of the BCS title game.
So, in short, forgive me for the frenetic, frazzled posting on the subject. Not only do I root for the best for Florida, but I root for the best for college football -- this isn't one of the sport's finest moments. I hope we can all find ways to enjoy the next 5 weeks. At the very least, Alabama-Florida should be a great game worthy of "Game of the Year" status and national attention.
-- D.S.
BCS Ignores Transparency, Insults Fans
By the way, are we going to see which coaches voted which way on yesterday's penultimate ballot? Guess not. Way to be with the journalistic integrity, USA Today.
Meanwhile, no computer formula should be allowed to be part of the BCS process if they won't open their methodology to public scrutiny. Perhaps they remain "black box" because the poll operators are charlatans -- why else would everyone but Colley Matrix be afraid to show their work? Worse: The BCS enables them by allowing them to be part of the process, opacity and all.
Seriously: How hard is it to insist on some transparency in the BCS process?
Ballots for all voters -- Coaches and Harris -- available every week. Complete computer formulas available for scrutiny. And anyone who doesn't want to be transparent doesn't have to participate.
It's the least the BCS can do. But this "black box" stuff is offensive.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile, no computer formula should be allowed to be part of the BCS process if they won't open their methodology to public scrutiny. Perhaps they remain "black box" because the poll operators are charlatans -- why else would everyone but Colley Matrix be afraid to show their work? Worse: The BCS enables them by allowing them to be part of the process, opacity and all.
Seriously: How hard is it to insist on some transparency in the BCS process?
Ballots for all voters -- Coaches and Harris -- available every week. Complete computer formulas available for scrutiny. And anyone who doesn't want to be transparent doesn't have to participate.
It's the least the BCS can do. But this "black box" stuff is offensive.
-- D.S.
Ultimate Schadenfreude: What If Florida Wins But Doesn't Crack the BCS Top 2?
In the event that Florida beats Alabama, if human pollsters want to ensure that we don't see an Oklahoma-Texas result from the BCS formula, they MUST rank Florida No. 1, even if they think Oklahoma is the better team.
Human pollsters should simply put Florida at No. 1 and Oklahoma at No. 2. That's because the BCS computer polls hate Florida, and a No. 2 ranking in the human polls combined with a sub-1/2 ranking by the computers puts Florida in a precarious position. (Saurian Sagacity runs the numbers - via Doc Saturday - and it is scarier than you think.)
To avoid the Rematch No One Wants, fans will need a manual override of the computers, or I suspect folks will be freaking come Monday. This has been absurdly underreported -- see all the "playoff"/winner of the SEC Championship Game is in the BCS title game talk.
This is sizing up eerily like 2004, when an unbeaten Auburn was shut out of the BCS title game -- or even a split title -- because a Big 12 "contender" faked its way into the national title game, where they promptly got drilled.
-- D.S.
Human pollsters should simply put Florida at No. 1 and Oklahoma at No. 2. That's because the BCS computer polls hate Florida, and a No. 2 ranking in the human polls combined with a sub-1/2 ranking by the computers puts Florida in a precarious position. (Saurian Sagacity runs the numbers - via Doc Saturday - and it is scarier than you think.)
To avoid the Rematch No One Wants, fans will need a manual override of the computers, or I suspect folks will be freaking come Monday. This has been absurdly underreported -- see all the "playoff"/winner of the SEC Championship Game is in the BCS title game talk.
This is sizing up eerily like 2004, when an unbeaten Auburn was shut out of the BCS title game -- or even a split title -- because a Big 12 "contender" faked its way into the national title game, where they promptly got drilled.
-- D.S.
Monday 12/01 A.M. Quickie:
BCS, Texas, Plaxico, Steelers D, More
Texas got screwed. That's the lead of today's SN column and you can follow my posts from yesterday about the situation below.
By the way, I appreciate all of the arguments in favor of Oklahoma -- particularly the one about OU's season=ending quality road win, which Texas lacks. But I can't get around "45-35."
Let's be clear: This isn't a BCS mess; it's a Big 12 mess. Why they relied on BCS ranking as a tie-breaker, rather than doing what other conferences do -- use BCS to winnow 3 tied teams down to 2, then use head-to-head -- is beyond me.
Anyway, most glaringly, you'll see my latest BlogPoll ballot below is kind of a mess at the top: I dropped Oklahoma from No. 1 a week ago to No. 4 -- and that is AFTER they beat Oklahoma State on the road. It makes NO sense, from a "resume" standpoint.
But this penultimate rankings week, I had to go with a mish-mash of resume, eyewitness account, synthesis of a season (that Alabama and Florida are both better than either Texas or Oklahoma) and -- mostly -- my need to rank Texas ahead of Oklahoma. Thus: OU at No. 4.
My rankings, in a vacuum, aren't crazy -- that's what the AP came up with. But in the context of last week's rankings, the OU drop looks and feels ludicrous in light of their result on Saturday.
Anyway, at this point, I'm mainly concerned that Florida will beat Alabama yet somehow find themselves outside the BCS Top 2. There may need to be a campaign where human pollsters -- if they think the Bama-Florida winner should be in the title game -- need to rank that winner at No. 1, if only to ensure that the computers don't screw things up by giving us a UT-OU rematch.
Oh, there was NFL this week? I couldn't tell behind the haze of crazy related to the Plaxico Burress story.
I know that the Giants are the best team in the league. I know that the Pats are on the ropes, and that the Steelers put them there by force. I know that Peyton Hillis confirms that this is the best class of rookie RBs in the history of the league. And I know that I am far enough out of playoff contention in all four of my fantasy leagues that I barely noticed how my rosters did yesterday.
NBA: The Blazers are on fire.
CBB: I think that Xavier, Gonzaga and Oklahoma are 3 of the Top 5 teams in the country - and Louisville (my preseason pick to be champs) is not, at least based on their loss to Western Kentucky.
Complete SN column here. More later, although I'm sure that BCS talk will dominate the airwaves and blog universe today.
-- D.S.
By the way, I appreciate all of the arguments in favor of Oklahoma -- particularly the one about OU's season=ending quality road win, which Texas lacks. But I can't get around "45-35."
Let's be clear: This isn't a BCS mess; it's a Big 12 mess. Why they relied on BCS ranking as a tie-breaker, rather than doing what other conferences do -- use BCS to winnow 3 tied teams down to 2, then use head-to-head -- is beyond me.
Anyway, most glaringly, you'll see my latest BlogPoll ballot below is kind of a mess at the top: I dropped Oklahoma from No. 1 a week ago to No. 4 -- and that is AFTER they beat Oklahoma State on the road. It makes NO sense, from a "resume" standpoint.
But this penultimate rankings week, I had to go with a mish-mash of resume, eyewitness account, synthesis of a season (that Alabama and Florida are both better than either Texas or Oklahoma) and -- mostly -- my need to rank Texas ahead of Oklahoma. Thus: OU at No. 4.
My rankings, in a vacuum, aren't crazy -- that's what the AP came up with. But in the context of last week's rankings, the OU drop looks and feels ludicrous in light of their result on Saturday.
Anyway, at this point, I'm mainly concerned that Florida will beat Alabama yet somehow find themselves outside the BCS Top 2. There may need to be a campaign where human pollsters -- if they think the Bama-Florida winner should be in the title game -- need to rank that winner at No. 1, if only to ensure that the computers don't screw things up by giving us a UT-OU rematch.
Oh, there was NFL this week? I couldn't tell behind the haze of crazy related to the Plaxico Burress story.
I know that the Giants are the best team in the league. I know that the Pats are on the ropes, and that the Steelers put them there by force. I know that Peyton Hillis confirms that this is the best class of rookie RBs in the history of the league. And I know that I am far enough out of playoff contention in all four of my fantasy leagues that I barely noticed how my rosters did yesterday.
NBA: The Blazers are on fire.
CBB: I think that Xavier, Gonzaga and Oklahoma are 3 of the Top 5 teams in the country - and Louisville (my preseason pick to be champs) is not, at least based on their loss to Western Kentucky.
Complete SN column here. More later, although I'm sure that BCS talk will dominate the airwaves and blog universe today.
-- D.S.
This Week's CFB BlogPoll Ballot, First Take:
Texas Over Oklahoma, SEC Big 2 Over Both
But, yes, I can understand why SEC-haters would be doubting Alabama and Florida right now; the conference, as a whole, is down this year -- esp. compared to last year. That said: I think either Bama or Florida crush Oklahoma. (Consider how much of a favorite Ohio State was over Florida two years ago -- and Oklahoma doesn't have nearly the defense that OSU team had.)
 | ||
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama |  1 |
| 2 | Florida | 1 |
| 3 | Texas | 1 |
| 4 | Oklahoma |  3 |
| 5 | Southern Cal | 1 |
| 6 | Utah | 1 |
| 7 | Boise State | 1 |
| 8 | Penn State | 1 |
| 9 | Texas Tech | 2 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | 4 |
| 11 | Ohio State | 1 |
| 12 | TCU | 1 |
| 13 | Oklahoma State | 1 |
| 14 | Georgia Tech | 4 |
| 15 | Ball State | 2 |
| 16 | Oregon | 10 |
| 17 | Georgia | 1 |
| 18 | Mississippi | 2 |
| 19 | Missouri | 6 |
| 20 | Boston College | 1 |
| 21 | Brigham Young | -- |
| 22 | Michigan State | 2 |
| 23 | Northwestern | 2 |
| 24 | Pittsburgh | 2 |
| 25 | Oregon State | 10 |
Dropped Out: LSU (#22), Florida State (#23).
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Oklahoma "Wins" The Big 12 South, I Guess
Oklahoma is No. 2 in the latest BCS poll; Texas is No. 3. Therefore, Oklahoma "wins" the Big 12 South, even though Texas beat Oklahoma head-to-head.
Distressingly to me, the computers continue to punish Florida -- 4th in the BCS; 6th in the computers. Alabama is 1st in the BCS and 3rd in the computers.
Is it possible that Florida could beat Alabama next week yet stay behind both Oklahoma and Texas in the BCS standings? I'm no BCS number-cruncher, but I wouldn't count it out as a possibility.
(There is the insane scenario where Florida beats Alabama yet remains behind both Oklahoma and Texas for the BCS title-game. In that case, it is all but assured that as long as Florida wins the Sugar Bowl, the AP will name them its national champ.)
Speaking of not counting things out, don't count out Texas in the BCS title game -- it will take Oklahoma losing to Missouri. (Yes, that goes against the "must win your conference" thing, but I never bought into that -- hell, Georgia was MY national champ last season.)
And, as posted earlier, there is a scenario where Texas earns a split national title via the AP poll: If Oklahoma beats either Alabama or Florida in the national title game, it could happen, given that as of today, the AP thinks Texas is better than Oklahoma, in opposition to the BCS cabal.
The dynamic already seems set: The AP voters are setting themselves up as the contrarian BCS-busters, ready for any excuse to illustrate the system's vagaries, including a split champ. That could be Texas. That could be (gulp) Florida. Hell, why not the USC-Penn St winner?
(That said, I think that either Alabama or Florida would smash Oklahoma -- and perhaps the myth of the Big 12's dominance this season. Oklahoma fans remember the ending to the 2007 and 2006 seasons, right? Not to mention 2003.)
-- D.S.
Distressingly to me, the computers continue to punish Florida -- 4th in the BCS; 6th in the computers. Alabama is 1st in the BCS and 3rd in the computers.
Is it possible that Florida could beat Alabama next week yet stay behind both Oklahoma and Texas in the BCS standings? I'm no BCS number-cruncher, but I wouldn't count it out as a possibility.
(There is the insane scenario where Florida beats Alabama yet remains behind both Oklahoma and Texas for the BCS title-game. In that case, it is all but assured that as long as Florida wins the Sugar Bowl, the AP will name them its national champ.)
Speaking of not counting things out, don't count out Texas in the BCS title game -- it will take Oklahoma losing to Missouri. (Yes, that goes against the "must win your conference" thing, but I never bought into that -- hell, Georgia was MY national champ last season.)
And, as posted earlier, there is a scenario where Texas earns a split national title via the AP poll: If Oklahoma beats either Alabama or Florida in the national title game, it could happen, given that as of today, the AP thinks Texas is better than Oklahoma, in opposition to the BCS cabal.
The dynamic already seems set: The AP voters are setting themselves up as the contrarian BCS-busters, ready for any excuse to illustrate the system's vagaries, including a split champ. That could be Texas. That could be (gulp) Florida. Hell, why not the USC-Penn St winner?
(That said, I think that either Alabama or Florida would smash Oklahoma -- and perhaps the myth of the Big 12's dominance this season. Oklahoma fans remember the ending to the 2007 and 2006 seasons, right? Not to mention 2003.)
-- D.S.
Coaches Poll: Oklahoma Ahead of Texas
The Coaches pick Oklahoma ahead of Texas. There you have it: "Momentum" trumps the clarity of a head-to-head decision, at least as it relates to who the Big 12 South champ should be, which is the only thing the pollsters should have been thinking about when ranking them.
But knowing that 1/3 of the formula is going to Oklahoma is enough to "call it" -- Oklahoma will be proclaimed the winner of the Big 12 South via the BCS ranking and play Missouri for a chance to win and earn a spot in the national title game.
(Hinton, as usual, is must-read and his verdict is, though more well-thought-out than mine, the same.)
The AP puts Texas ahead of Oklahoma, 3rd vs. 4th, with both behind Alabama and Florida. That 1-2 situation sets up the SEC title-game winner being No. 1 in the AP going into the national-title game.
Why is that important? Because of the AP's role in splitting the national title: If the Florida-Alabama winner wins the NCG, it will be hard for the AP to suddenly decide Texas is the champ, vaulting a sitting AP No. 1 who wins. However: If the Florida-Alabama winner loses the NCG to a team ranked behind Texas in the AP poll (say, Oklahoma), the AP is in a position to move No. 2 Texas into the No. 1 spot -- and crown them the AP national champs.
But it's pretty clear right now: Your national-title game will be between the winner of Alabama-Florida and Oklahoma, if the Sooners beat Missouri, or Texas, if the Sooners don't beat Missouri. (Bama fans shouldn't hold their breath that they hold the No. 2 BCS spot even if they lose to Florida, although it is mathematically possible for them to stay ahead of Texas.)
Meanwhile: Still no word on whether Coaches' poll sponsor USA Today is going to pressure the AFCA to reveal this week's ballots, even though it has as much impact on who is in the BCS title game as next week's "season-ending" ballots. Don't hold your breath.
-- D.S.
But knowing that 1/3 of the formula is going to Oklahoma is enough to "call it" -- Oklahoma will be proclaimed the winner of the Big 12 South via the BCS ranking and play Missouri for a chance to win and earn a spot in the national title game.
(Hinton, as usual, is must-read and his verdict is, though more well-thought-out than mine, the same.)
The AP puts Texas ahead of Oklahoma, 3rd vs. 4th, with both behind Alabama and Florida. That 1-2 situation sets up the SEC title-game winner being No. 1 in the AP going into the national-title game.
Why is that important? Because of the AP's role in splitting the national title: If the Florida-Alabama winner wins the NCG, it will be hard for the AP to suddenly decide Texas is the champ, vaulting a sitting AP No. 1 who wins. However: If the Florida-Alabama winner loses the NCG to a team ranked behind Texas in the AP poll (say, Oklahoma), the AP is in a position to move No. 2 Texas into the No. 1 spot -- and crown them the AP national champs.
But it's pretty clear right now: Your national-title game will be between the winner of Alabama-Florida and Oklahoma, if the Sooners beat Missouri, or Texas, if the Sooners don't beat Missouri. (Bama fans shouldn't hold their breath that they hold the No. 2 BCS spot even if they lose to Florida, although it is mathematically possible for them to stay ahead of Texas.)
Meanwhile: Still no word on whether Coaches' poll sponsor USA Today is going to pressure the AFCA to reveal this week's ballots, even though it has as much impact on who is in the BCS title game as next week's "season-ending" ballots. Don't hold your breath.
-- D.S.
Sunday 11/30 Quickie: Texas over Oklahoma
Texas should be the BCS poll voters' pick ahead of Oklahoma.
Let's be clear: Deciding the 3-way tie in the Big 12 South by BCS ranking is NOT the BCS's fault. It is the Big 12's fault for putting their conference decision-making in the hands of (a) random Harris poll voters; (b) agenda-driven coaches from around the country; and (c) the computers.
No matter what the result, we should all demand transparency of the coaches' poll individual ballots, because you KNOW that without any accountability, there will be some shenanigans. (Wonder where Mack Brown is going to vote Oklahoma?)
So: Do you pick Texas or Oklahoma? (Sorry, Texas Tech.)
If you insist on eliminating Texas Tech from your reasonable consideration (as most people seem quick to do) and focusing only on UT and OU, that makes the choice clear: Texas.
This should weight most: Texas beat Oklahoma head-to-head on a neutral field, the closest thing we have to an actual playoff game between the two.
(If you want to give Oklahoma credit for hanging 61 on OK St, please assign a bit of a discount because they allowed 41. Let's not confuse Big 12 defenses for being stout.)
There's one factor that no one is talking about, and I'm not sure it should count, except that folks were more than willing to bring it up as a knock against Ohio State's inclusion in the BCS title game...
Look at Oklahoma's record in BCS bowl games the last two seasons: Arguably, worse than Ohio State -- the Buckeyes got pasted, but at least they got walloped by the national champs. Oklahoma got beaten by the non-BCS charity case and a West Virginia team that couldn't win at home against Pitt to secure its place in the national-title game. OU has been a BCS bowl embarrassment, the poster child for BCS unworthiness the past two seasons. (Let's not even count 2003, when they backed in and, naturally, got beat by LSU in the BCS title game.)
And in the biggest game of its season in 2008, against Texas, Oklahoma choked again. Let's not talk about these teams not having a chance to control their own destiny -- OU could have made this a non-issue by beating Texas head-to-head; they didn't. They were beaten solidly. Texas' only loss was on the road, after a brutal 4-game stretch, at a sizzling hot Texas Tech on a last-second TD.
As long as we're leaving it up to the human pollsters across the country to make the decision on behalf of the Big 12 (again: blame the Big 12 for setting up this ludicrousness!), Texas is the right pick as Big 12 South champs, and -- if they beat Mizzou in the Big 12 title game -- one-half of the national-title game.
(If OU is the pick, there is still a positive scenario for Texas: If Mizzou beats Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, I could see the BCS rankings shaking out that Texas is vaulted into the BCS Top 2 to play the Bama-Florida winner, even though they didn't even win their own conference division. I don't think anyone would complain about that, except USC -- and no one is arguing they should be in the conversation.)
Anyway, huge statement results from Alabama and Florida against their in-state rivals, setting up the best game of the season next week in the SEC title game -- a true, never-before-seen-in-the-BCS-era* "playoff" where the winner of the game goes to the national title and the loser merely gets a BCS at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl. (Not a bad consolation prize, but not the same as the NCG.)
* - Kudos to commenter Cannon for pointing out that, in fact, not only have we seen this before, but it happened a mere 2 years ago, when Ohio State played Michigan. Agreed. Of course, neither team really deserved to make the national title game that year -- see the bowl obliteration of both -- but that's another argument for another day.
You've got to feel sorry for Oregon State: With the Rose Bowl in its sights, the Beavers got blown out and now suddenly USC is going to the Rose Bowl to play Penn State and a BCS "at-large" spot opens for Ohio State -- oh, Boise State fans, did you really think it would go to you?
The At-Large Bids: (1) Utah (automatic); (2) Alabama-Florida loser (no way the Sugar doesn't take a team with regional appeal as its replacement for the team they lose to the BCS title game); (3) Oklahoma or Texas (whoever doesn't win the Big 12 South); and (4) Ohio State (even though Boise State would be the more deserving pick).
I feel no similar sympathy for Notre Dame, which got what it deserved for hiring Charlie Weis in the first place. (This is all a big fat karmic payback for tossing Tyrone Willingham, you know that right?) Weis keeps finding ways to set a new low for Notre Dame performance in an individual game. What are we at, like the 10th new low in the last 3 years? More?
Congrats to Cincinnati for winning the Big East's BCS bid -- they are a very very good team that gets little national credit because they aren't a "traditional" program. Brian Kelly is probably one of the Top 1-3 coaches in the country available to move to a new program. He would be a good fit at Notre Dame, because he's a -- y'know -- college football coach, not an NFL assistant coach pretending to be a college football head coach.
Speaking of coaches, it's too bad that Sylvester Croom is out at Mississippi State. His 2007 season was incredible, particularly in the most competitive conference in recent college football memory. (Compare the SEC from '07 to '08...yeesh, what a difference.) There is zero diversity in college football coaching, and it's not like there aren't great minority candidates out there. I cannot believe that this is the state of things heading into 2009.
Anyway, all eyes on the BCS rankings later today.
My initial BlogPoll ballot looks like this: (1) Alabama; (2) Florida; (3) Texas; (4) Oklahoma; (5) USC; (6) Penn St; (7) Utah; (8) Boise St; (9) Texas Tech; (10) Ohio St. That 1-2-3 follows logically that I think the winner of Bama-Florida should play Texas (presuming UT beats Mizzou in the Big 12 title game) in the NCG.
Meanwhile, how about that Plaxico Burress? He shot himself in the leg? The guy has just defined his career as the guy who shot himself in the leg.
NBA: Yeah, the Warriors' D is terrible, but Chris Duhon had 22 assists and David Lee had a fantasy-crazy 37 points and 21 rebounds (both career highs) and the Knicks rolled... meanwhile, Kevin Durant had 30 in a very very very rare Thunder win...
Let's be clear: Deciding the 3-way tie in the Big 12 South by BCS ranking is NOT the BCS's fault. It is the Big 12's fault for putting their conference decision-making in the hands of (a) random Harris poll voters; (b) agenda-driven coaches from around the country; and (c) the computers.
No matter what the result, we should all demand transparency of the coaches' poll individual ballots, because you KNOW that without any accountability, there will be some shenanigans. (Wonder where Mack Brown is going to vote Oklahoma?)
So: Do you pick Texas or Oklahoma? (Sorry, Texas Tech.)
If you insist on eliminating Texas Tech from your reasonable consideration (as most people seem quick to do) and focusing only on UT and OU, that makes the choice clear: Texas.
This should weight most: Texas beat Oklahoma head-to-head on a neutral field, the closest thing we have to an actual playoff game between the two.
(If you want to give Oklahoma credit for hanging 61 on OK St, please assign a bit of a discount because they allowed 41. Let's not confuse Big 12 defenses for being stout.)
There's one factor that no one is talking about, and I'm not sure it should count, except that folks were more than willing to bring it up as a knock against Ohio State's inclusion in the BCS title game...
Look at Oklahoma's record in BCS bowl games the last two seasons: Arguably, worse than Ohio State -- the Buckeyes got pasted, but at least they got walloped by the national champs. Oklahoma got beaten by the non-BCS charity case and a West Virginia team that couldn't win at home against Pitt to secure its place in the national-title game. OU has been a BCS bowl embarrassment, the poster child for BCS unworthiness the past two seasons. (Let's not even count 2003, when they backed in and, naturally, got beat by LSU in the BCS title game.)
And in the biggest game of its season in 2008, against Texas, Oklahoma choked again. Let's not talk about these teams not having a chance to control their own destiny -- OU could have made this a non-issue by beating Texas head-to-head; they didn't. They were beaten solidly. Texas' only loss was on the road, after a brutal 4-game stretch, at a sizzling hot Texas Tech on a last-second TD.
As long as we're leaving it up to the human pollsters across the country to make the decision on behalf of the Big 12 (again: blame the Big 12 for setting up this ludicrousness!), Texas is the right pick as Big 12 South champs, and -- if they beat Mizzou in the Big 12 title game -- one-half of the national-title game.
(If OU is the pick, there is still a positive scenario for Texas: If Mizzou beats Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, I could see the BCS rankings shaking out that Texas is vaulted into the BCS Top 2 to play the Bama-Florida winner, even though they didn't even win their own conference division. I don't think anyone would complain about that, except USC -- and no one is arguing they should be in the conversation.)
Anyway, huge statement results from Alabama and Florida against their in-state rivals, setting up the best game of the season next week in the SEC title game -- a true, never-before-seen-in-the-BCS-era* "playoff" where the winner of the game goes to the national title and the loser merely gets a BCS at-large bid to the Sugar Bowl. (Not a bad consolation prize, but not the same as the NCG.)
* - Kudos to commenter Cannon for pointing out that, in fact, not only have we seen this before, but it happened a mere 2 years ago, when Ohio State played Michigan. Agreed. Of course, neither team really deserved to make the national title game that year -- see the bowl obliteration of both -- but that's another argument for another day.
You've got to feel sorry for Oregon State: With the Rose Bowl in its sights, the Beavers got blown out and now suddenly USC is going to the Rose Bowl to play Penn State and a BCS "at-large" spot opens for Ohio State -- oh, Boise State fans, did you really think it would go to you?
The At-Large Bids: (1) Utah (automatic); (2) Alabama-Florida loser (no way the Sugar doesn't take a team with regional appeal as its replacement for the team they lose to the BCS title game); (3) Oklahoma or Texas (whoever doesn't win the Big 12 South); and (4) Ohio State (even though Boise State would be the more deserving pick).
I feel no similar sympathy for Notre Dame, which got what it deserved for hiring Charlie Weis in the first place. (This is all a big fat karmic payback for tossing Tyrone Willingham, you know that right?) Weis keeps finding ways to set a new low for Notre Dame performance in an individual game. What are we at, like the 10th new low in the last 3 years? More?
Congrats to Cincinnati for winning the Big East's BCS bid -- they are a very very good team that gets little national credit because they aren't a "traditional" program. Brian Kelly is probably one of the Top 1-3 coaches in the country available to move to a new program. He would be a good fit at Notre Dame, because he's a -- y'know -- college football coach, not an NFL assistant coach pretending to be a college football head coach.
Speaking of coaches, it's too bad that Sylvester Croom is out at Mississippi State. His 2007 season was incredible, particularly in the most competitive conference in recent college football memory. (Compare the SEC from '07 to '08...yeesh, what a difference.) There is zero diversity in college football coaching, and it's not like there aren't great minority candidates out there. I cannot believe that this is the state of things heading into 2009.
Anyway, all eyes on the BCS rankings later today.
My initial BlogPoll ballot looks like this: (1) Alabama; (2) Florida; (3) Texas; (4) Oklahoma; (5) USC; (6) Penn St; (7) Utah; (8) Boise St; (9) Texas Tech; (10) Ohio St. That 1-2-3 follows logically that I think the winner of Bama-Florida should play Texas (presuming UT beats Mizzou in the Big 12 title game) in the NCG.
Meanwhile, how about that Plaxico Burress? He shot himself in the leg? The guy has just defined his career as the guy who shot himself in the leg.
NBA: Yeah, the Warriors' D is terrible, but Chris Duhon had 22 assists and David Lee had a fantasy-crazy 37 points and 21 rebounds (both career highs) and the Knicks rolled... meanwhile, Kevin Durant had 30 in a very very very rare Thunder win...
Saturday, November 29, 2008
CFB Saturday 11/29 (Very) Quickie
It is the final regular-season college football game for many teams -- certainly the ones not playing in conference title games next week. Most notably, it could be the final game of the regular season for Oklahoma, if they lose at Oklahoma State.
But if Oklahoma wins, we set up a clusterfrack to end all clusterfracks. (h/t: BSG) The expectation is that the strength of that kind of win would vault OU over Texas and to the Big 12 title game repping the South. The 8 p.m. game means that the politicking will be condensed -- but no less brutal. Again, if Oklahoma loses at OSU, the entire debate is moot and both Oklahoma and Texas go home miserable.
Meanwhile, at 3:30, Alabama and Florida have to take care of business against their in-state rivals, to set up next week's playoff/play-in showdown in the SEC CG. If either loses, all bets are off. This is the under-the-radar BCS-obliterating scenario.
Finally, at 7 tonight, Oregon and Oregon State play their most meaningful Civil War game ever. If Oregon State wins, they go to the Rose Bowl -- relegating USC to a BCS at-large bid (not necessarily a bad thing, if you like great match-ups in your BCS bowls, although the Rose takes a massive hit... imagine USC in the Sugar against the Bama-Florida runner-up). Also, it removes any remaining BCS title-game legitimacy from USC; if they can't win their own conference title, how can they deserve the national-title game? If Oregon State loses, USC goes to the Rose Bowl for a (cliche-alert) "classic" match-up with Penn State. It also gives USC that "we're a conference champ" legitimacy.
Meanwhile, tip your cap to Boise State, which finished an unbeaten 12-0 season by destroying WAC rival Fresno State. This ain't Ball State: Boise State is a BCS Top 10 team and, as such, have earned a BCS at-large bid. I'm not holding my breath that they will be selected ahead of USC (if Oregon beats Oregon St); the Alabama-Florida runner-up or the Texas-Oklahoma runner-up. (Utah is already a lock and Ohio State is next in line.)
This is going to be a travesty: Any team that finishes in the BCS Top 10 should get an automatic at-large bid, even if another non-BCS team is ahead of it, as is the case this season. Personally, I think that if an ACC or Big East champ (or both) isn't in the Top 12, they should forfeit their spot -- if not their BCS payout. Think Boise State would play in a BCS bowl for free, giving its money to the ACC champ? Absolutely.
Lane Kiffin is going to Tennessee, ramping up the coaching star power in the SEC even more. I think he will find that the recruiting is more brutally competitive than anywhere he has ever been; this is no gift-wrapped USC recruiting situation. Also, it's not like Phil Fulmer is leaving the cupboard stocked.
Blake Griffin is the best player in college basketball -- no offense to my preseason POY Stephen Curry. Griffin had 18 and 21 under a very bright spotlight -- the NIT championship game against a very very good Purdue team (probably the best team in the Big Ten.)
Meanwhile, Tennessee over Georgetown in a Sweet 16-quality match-up of teams. (Meanwhile, Gonzaga totally routed tournaments spoiler Maryland, as you kind of expected would happen as soon as the Terps knocked off tourney favorite Michigan St.)
NBA Last Night: 43 for Dwyane Wade in a Heat win over the Suns. Wade is SO back this season... Kobe scored a season-high 35 and the Lakers romped... again. At 13-1, is it too early to be talking about 72 wins? At this pace, they would finish with 76... AI: Team-high 17 off the bench in a Pistons W.
LeBron on Barkley: "He's stupid" to criticize LeBron for stringing along Cleveland fans by talking about 2010. Of the things that Sir Charles is, stupid isn't one of them. To the LeBron-slurpers out there, note the overly defensive reaction to even the slightest bit of public criticism.
-- D.S.
But if Oklahoma wins, we set up a clusterfrack to end all clusterfracks. (h/t: BSG) The expectation is that the strength of that kind of win would vault OU over Texas and to the Big 12 title game repping the South. The 8 p.m. game means that the politicking will be condensed -- but no less brutal. Again, if Oklahoma loses at OSU, the entire debate is moot and both Oklahoma and Texas go home miserable.
Meanwhile, at 3:30, Alabama and Florida have to take care of business against their in-state rivals, to set up next week's playoff/play-in showdown in the SEC CG. If either loses, all bets are off. This is the under-the-radar BCS-obliterating scenario.
Finally, at 7 tonight, Oregon and Oregon State play their most meaningful Civil War game ever. If Oregon State wins, they go to the Rose Bowl -- relegating USC to a BCS at-large bid (not necessarily a bad thing, if you like great match-ups in your BCS bowls, although the Rose takes a massive hit... imagine USC in the Sugar against the Bama-Florida runner-up). Also, it removes any remaining BCS title-game legitimacy from USC; if they can't win their own conference title, how can they deserve the national-title game? If Oregon State loses, USC goes to the Rose Bowl for a (cliche-alert) "classic" match-up with Penn State. It also gives USC that "we're a conference champ" legitimacy.
Meanwhile, tip your cap to Boise State, which finished an unbeaten 12-0 season by destroying WAC rival Fresno State. This ain't Ball State: Boise State is a BCS Top 10 team and, as such, have earned a BCS at-large bid. I'm not holding my breath that they will be selected ahead of USC (if Oregon beats Oregon St); the Alabama-Florida runner-up or the Texas-Oklahoma runner-up. (Utah is already a lock and Ohio State is next in line.)
This is going to be a travesty: Any team that finishes in the BCS Top 10 should get an automatic at-large bid, even if another non-BCS team is ahead of it, as is the case this season. Personally, I think that if an ACC or Big East champ (or both) isn't in the Top 12, they should forfeit their spot -- if not their BCS payout. Think Boise State would play in a BCS bowl for free, giving its money to the ACC champ? Absolutely.
Lane Kiffin is going to Tennessee, ramping up the coaching star power in the SEC even more. I think he will find that the recruiting is more brutally competitive than anywhere he has ever been; this is no gift-wrapped USC recruiting situation. Also, it's not like Phil Fulmer is leaving the cupboard stocked.
Blake Griffin is the best player in college basketball -- no offense to my preseason POY Stephen Curry. Griffin had 18 and 21 under a very bright spotlight -- the NIT championship game against a very very good Purdue team (probably the best team in the Big Ten.)
Meanwhile, Tennessee over Georgetown in a Sweet 16-quality match-up of teams. (Meanwhile, Gonzaga totally routed tournaments spoiler Maryland, as you kind of expected would happen as soon as the Terps knocked off tourney favorite Michigan St.)
NBA Last Night: 43 for Dwyane Wade in a Heat win over the Suns. Wade is SO back this season... Kobe scored a season-high 35 and the Lakers romped... again. At 13-1, is it too early to be talking about 72 wins? At this pace, they would finish with 76... AI: Team-high 17 off the bench in a Pistons W.
LeBron on Barkley: "He's stupid" to criticize LeBron for stringing along Cleveland fans by talking about 2010. Of the things that Sir Charles is, stupid isn't one of them. To the LeBron-slurpers out there, note the overly defensive reaction to even the slightest bit of public criticism.
-- D.S.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Friday 11/28 (Very) Quickie
Alas, those poor Lions -- can't even catch a break on Thanksgiving. (Did Chris Johnson just wrap up NFL Rookie of the Year with yesterday's performance?)
What a comeback week for Donovan McNabb on "short rest" -- it's like all will be forgotten about that whole "benching" stuff, right, Philly fans? 27/39 for 260 yards with 4 TDs and 0 INTs, a 121.7 QB Rating.
The Cowboys needed a game like that. (Although watch those injury reports about DeMarcus Ware and Marion Barber.)
Texas crushes Texas A&M: Despite the dominant "45-35" campaign theme in the stands, it won't help their BCS chances, particularly when Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State. (Computer formulas don't watch TV.) But I think that yesterday's 4-TD, 300-yard, command performance by Colt McCoy should put him back in front of the Heisman race. (Notice how in addition to all but KO'ing Texas Tech's BCS chances, the loss to Oklahama buried Graham Harrell on Heisman watch lists.)
Independent of my Florida biases, I remain torn about how to resolve a 3-way tie in the Big 12 South beyond insisting that coaches reveal their ballots. If you believe in a playoff system, you cannot pick Oklahoma ahead of Texas, no matter what each did against the common opponent, Texas Tech. You must believe in the integrity of head-to-head.
(Now, by that logic, you should put Texas Tech ahead of Texas and Oklahoma ahead of Texas Tech, but I'm going under the assumption that because Texas Tech lost so badly to Oklahoma, they are no longer in the discussion and it is simply between Oklahoma and Texas. OU fans need to keep Texas Tech top-of-mind for voters; Texas fans are hammering head-to-head. It's a fascinating political campaign that they all say they aren't willing to be engaged in, yet both sides are. Wild stuff. Someone's going home unhappy. Wouldn't it be wild if OK St beat Oklahoma and Texas lost the head-to-head tiebreaker with Texas Tech, making the Big 12 South a relatively clean finish? Texas is going all-in on the "head-to-head" thing. If OU loses to OK St, Texas is finished anyway; I guess that's why they are hammering their case in the event of a 3-way tie. They should be, by the way; it's good strategy -- and it works.)
Today in CFB: Boise State hosts rival Fresno and is trying to clinch that 12-0 record. This ain't Ball State. The Broncos are in the BCS Top 10 -- the fact that they will not be included in one of the 4 BCS at-large spots because there happens to be a higher-ranked non-BCS team (Utah) is a joke.
Meanwhile, even with virtually nothing on the line, think West Virginia wants a little payback at Pitt for the way the Panthers obliterated WVU's all-but-assured BCS title-game chances a year ago?
CBB: Maryland upsets Michigan State, and it's fun to be in D.C. to enjoy the vibe on this one. It reminds me of when I was a kid. Meanwhile, so much for that "big" UNC-MSU game. And maybe folks were sleeping on the Terps a little bit.
Fantastic triple-header this afternoon, if all you want to do is sit on the couch recovering from last night: Georgetown-Tennessee at 1:30... Oklahoma-Purdue at 3:30... Maryland-Gonzaga at 5:30 (replacing Michigan St-Gonzaga). Here's your chance to get a look at some great teams and some great players, including Blake Griffin against arguably the best team in the Big Ten. And I have Gonzaga in my Final Four (as long as they're not in the same region as Louisville); it would probably help for me to watch them live.
I love that Allen Iverson skipped practice on Thanksgiving -- like the Pistons didn't know THAT was inevitably going to happen.
I'm glad I didn't cut into my Thanksgiving dinner to go to the Verizon Center to watch the "new-look" Wizards get pasted by the Magic. That said: Dwight Howard is one of those player I would like to see play in person, and his 26-and-14 night leading Orlando backs that up.
-- D.S.
What a comeback week for Donovan McNabb on "short rest" -- it's like all will be forgotten about that whole "benching" stuff, right, Philly fans? 27/39 for 260 yards with 4 TDs and 0 INTs, a 121.7 QB Rating.
The Cowboys needed a game like that. (Although watch those injury reports about DeMarcus Ware and Marion Barber.)
Texas crushes Texas A&M: Despite the dominant "45-35" campaign theme in the stands, it won't help their BCS chances, particularly when Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State. (Computer formulas don't watch TV.) But I think that yesterday's 4-TD, 300-yard, command performance by Colt McCoy should put him back in front of the Heisman race. (Notice how in addition to all but KO'ing Texas Tech's BCS chances, the loss to Oklahama buried Graham Harrell on Heisman watch lists.)
Independent of my Florida biases, I remain torn about how to resolve a 3-way tie in the Big 12 South beyond insisting that coaches reveal their ballots. If you believe in a playoff system, you cannot pick Oklahoma ahead of Texas, no matter what each did against the common opponent, Texas Tech. You must believe in the integrity of head-to-head.
(Now, by that logic, you should put Texas Tech ahead of Texas and Oklahoma ahead of Texas Tech, but I'm going under the assumption that because Texas Tech lost so badly to Oklahoma, they are no longer in the discussion and it is simply between Oklahoma and Texas. OU fans need to keep Texas Tech top-of-mind for voters; Texas fans are hammering head-to-head. It's a fascinating political campaign that they all say they aren't willing to be engaged in, yet both sides are. Wild stuff. Someone's going home unhappy. Wouldn't it be wild if OK St beat Oklahoma and Texas lost the head-to-head tiebreaker with Texas Tech, making the Big 12 South a relatively clean finish? Texas is going all-in on the "head-to-head" thing. If OU loses to OK St, Texas is finished anyway; I guess that's why they are hammering their case in the event of a 3-way tie. They should be, by the way; it's good strategy -- and it works.)
Today in CFB: Boise State hosts rival Fresno and is trying to clinch that 12-0 record. This ain't Ball State. The Broncos are in the BCS Top 10 -- the fact that they will not be included in one of the 4 BCS at-large spots because there happens to be a higher-ranked non-BCS team (Utah) is a joke.
Meanwhile, even with virtually nothing on the line, think West Virginia wants a little payback at Pitt for the way the Panthers obliterated WVU's all-but-assured BCS title-game chances a year ago?
CBB: Maryland upsets Michigan State, and it's fun to be in D.C. to enjoy the vibe on this one. It reminds me of when I was a kid. Meanwhile, so much for that "big" UNC-MSU game. And maybe folks were sleeping on the Terps a little bit.
Fantastic triple-header this afternoon, if all you want to do is sit on the couch recovering from last night: Georgetown-Tennessee at 1:30... Oklahoma-Purdue at 3:30... Maryland-Gonzaga at 5:30 (replacing Michigan St-Gonzaga). Here's your chance to get a look at some great teams and some great players, including Blake Griffin against arguably the best team in the Big Ten. And I have Gonzaga in my Final Four (as long as they're not in the same region as Louisville); it would probably help for me to watch them live.
I love that Allen Iverson skipped practice on Thanksgiving -- like the Pistons didn't know THAT was inevitably going to happen.
I'm glad I didn't cut into my Thanksgiving dinner to go to the Verizon Center to watch the "new-look" Wizards get pasted by the Magic. That said: Dwight Howard is one of those player I would like to see play in person, and his 26-and-14 night leading Orlando backs that up.
-- D.S.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thursday 11/27 (Very) Quickie Thanksgiving
There seems to be this debate whether the Lions "deserve" a Thanksgiving game, which is as stupid of an argument as arguing that November doesn't "deserve" Thanksgiving.
Traditions are sort of like that. And, for my money, if one time a year, everyone focuses on the Lions and Detroit, it's a very cool thing -- whether the team is good or not.
I love the NBA Christmas Day games idea. And every year, they cherry pick the very best match-ups to entice people to watch. And while that is great in its own right, that is simply its own tradition.
I root for the Lions today -- even under seemingly the worst conditions in the history of the Lions on Thanksgiving -- winless and playing the once-beaten, playoff-bound Titans.
Of all of my "fairweather" tendencies, this is one of my favorites -- and probably the most accepted. On Thanksgiving, we're all Lions fans -- no matter how well or badly the team is doing.
Meanwhile...
OK, UNC will get my vote this week as the No. 1 team in the country, after they dismantled a very good (perhaps not Top 10 good...but very good nonetheless) Notre Dame team.
What will the unsealed BALCO testimony say?
Big win for the Magic last night heading into a game vs. the revived (?!) Wizards tonight in D.C. I won't be at the game -- pesky T'giving family dinner! -- but we'll find a way to have it on in the background. After being a draft-night doubter, I've got JaVale McGee Mania!
CFB Top 25 Today: All eyes on Texas. They wanted to play this rivalry game on Thanksgiving night for maximum exposure, and now they'll get it. Texas needs a very convincing win to hold off Oklahoma, although the Longhorns are in a rough spot:
If Oklahoma loses, Texas loses the Big 12 South outright to TX Tech; if OU wins, they likely carry the momentum into the BCS-ranking tie-breaker ahead of the Longhorns, who will then be passed by the Alabama-Florida winner from their extra 13th game (provided Bama and UF both win their rivalry games this weekend).
Must-See Ad: And you won't be able to miss it on TV. I'm not the biggest LeBron fan, but the "chalk" part of his schtick I kind of like -- though it's a bit "self-messianic," don't you think? Anyway: Watch this ad.
This year, I'm especially thankful for the healthy birth of my second kid, the health and happiness of my first kid and the saintly patience of my wife.
And, more than ever, I am thankful to you for continuing to offer me your time, attention and conversation through this blog. Here's to another great year ahead.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.
-- D.S.
Traditions are sort of like that. And, for my money, if one time a year, everyone focuses on the Lions and Detroit, it's a very cool thing -- whether the team is good or not.
I love the NBA Christmas Day games idea. And every year, they cherry pick the very best match-ups to entice people to watch. And while that is great in its own right, that is simply its own tradition.
I root for the Lions today -- even under seemingly the worst conditions in the history of the Lions on Thanksgiving -- winless and playing the once-beaten, playoff-bound Titans.
Of all of my "fairweather" tendencies, this is one of my favorites -- and probably the most accepted. On Thanksgiving, we're all Lions fans -- no matter how well or badly the team is doing.
Meanwhile...
OK, UNC will get my vote this week as the No. 1 team in the country, after they dismantled a very good (perhaps not Top 10 good...but very good nonetheless) Notre Dame team.
What will the unsealed BALCO testimony say?
Big win for the Magic last night heading into a game vs. the revived (?!) Wizards tonight in D.C. I won't be at the game -- pesky T'giving family dinner! -- but we'll find a way to have it on in the background. After being a draft-night doubter, I've got JaVale McGee Mania!
CFB Top 25 Today: All eyes on Texas. They wanted to play this rivalry game on Thanksgiving night for maximum exposure, and now they'll get it. Texas needs a very convincing win to hold off Oklahoma, although the Longhorns are in a rough spot:
If Oklahoma loses, Texas loses the Big 12 South outright to TX Tech; if OU wins, they likely carry the momentum into the BCS-ranking tie-breaker ahead of the Longhorns, who will then be passed by the Alabama-Florida winner from their extra 13th game (provided Bama and UF both win their rivalry games this weekend).
Must-See Ad: And you won't be able to miss it on TV. I'm not the biggest LeBron fan, but the "chalk" part of his schtick I kind of like -- though it's a bit "self-messianic," don't you think? Anyway: Watch this ad.
This year, I'm especially thankful for the healthy birth of my second kid, the health and happiness of my first kid and the saintly patience of my wife.
And, more than ever, I am thankful to you for continuing to offer me your time, attention and conversation through this blog. Here's to another great year ahead.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday 11/26 A.M. Quickie:
Thanks, BCS, Lions, Quinn, ND, Curry, More
Although I will be blogging all (long) weekend long, today is my last SN column of the week. So it is a mash-up of the usual mid-week CBB/NBA/obligatory Ball St football game on ESPN and a weekend preview. For those of you not planning to check in on the blog tomorrow through Sunday, this covers everything.
LeBron in NYC as NY-tastic as expected: What I don't get is why Cavs fans haven't revolted that he keeps offering up quotes that stoke the discussion of him leaving. I guess they're all so petrified he WILL leave (got news for you...) that they are afraid to say anything.
Ball State goes 12-0: One win away from the perfect season that earns them a Motor City Bowl bid. No controversy there!
Is Lane Kiffin headed to Tennessee?
Will we get clarity in the BCS this weekend? Not likely. (Although I'm finally no longer worried about Florida winning out but missing out on a BCS title-game bid. The secret is the BCS points that come with winning a 13th game that Texas -- and possibly Oklahoma -- likely won't be playing.)
I love Thanksgiving NFL. It is, by far, my favorite NFL tradition of the season -- my favorite NFL game of the season -- and, at least for one day, I become a big Lions fan. They could use it.
CBB Last Night: Yeah, ND over Texas was the Game of the Night, but I think that Stephen Curry-held-to-zero-points storyline is the most interesting. Of course, by double-teaming Curry -- seemingly even when he sat on the bench -- Loyola earned itself a 30-point loss. Great strategy! You might as well let Curry get his 35 or 40 or 60 and play D on the REST of the team.
Wiz win! Wiz win! (And win big!) I'm starting the season from scratch. 2-10? No: 1-0! (My Thanksgiving weekend will be spent in D.C., and I'm looking forward to Wiz immersion... and maybe even hitting up a Caps game, which I haven't done since I was a teenager.)
Finally: I lead today's SN column with what I'm thankful for in sports this year (by month, even!) What are you thankful for from the sports year? Leave 'em in the Comments. Good way to end the week.
-- D.S.
LeBron in NYC as NY-tastic as expected: What I don't get is why Cavs fans haven't revolted that he keeps offering up quotes that stoke the discussion of him leaving. I guess they're all so petrified he WILL leave (got news for you...) that they are afraid to say anything.
Ball State goes 12-0: One win away from the perfect season that earns them a Motor City Bowl bid. No controversy there!
Is Lane Kiffin headed to Tennessee?
Will we get clarity in the BCS this weekend? Not likely. (Although I'm finally no longer worried about Florida winning out but missing out on a BCS title-game bid. The secret is the BCS points that come with winning a 13th game that Texas -- and possibly Oklahoma -- likely won't be playing.)
I love Thanksgiving NFL. It is, by far, my favorite NFL tradition of the season -- my favorite NFL game of the season -- and, at least for one day, I become a big Lions fan. They could use it.
CBB Last Night: Yeah, ND over Texas was the Game of the Night, but I think that Stephen Curry-held-to-zero-points storyline is the most interesting. Of course, by double-teaming Curry -- seemingly even when he sat on the bench -- Loyola earned itself a 30-point loss. Great strategy! You might as well let Curry get his 35 or 40 or 60 and play D on the REST of the team.
Wiz win! Wiz win! (And win big!) I'm starting the season from scratch. 2-10? No: 1-0! (My Thanksgiving weekend will be spent in D.C., and I'm looking forward to Wiz immersion... and maybe even hitting up a Caps game, which I haven't done since I was a teenager.)
Finally: I lead today's SN column with what I'm thankful for in sports this year (by month, even!) What are you thankful for from the sports year? Leave 'em in the Comments. Good way to end the week.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday 11/25 A.M. Quickie:
LeBron, McNabb, Rockets, Cuse, Tiger, More
You know what I'm sick of? All the whining about all the LeBron-to-the-Knicks talk. Yes, two more years of it might seem endless, but at least now the discussion has some substance:
The Knicks cleared the 2010 cap room last week; tonight, LeBron plays at the Garden. I mean: If you're not going to talk about it NOW, when ARE you going to talk about it?
Today's SN column lays out the case: If your team isn't a contender, basically all you have to fall back on is the future -- what your team MIGHT do or COULD do.
"Wait 'til next year" is a tried-and-true component of the sports-fan ideal. In this case, "Wait 'til TWO years from now!" is simply an extension of that.
Meanwhile, Andy Reid starting Donovan McNabb on Thursday simply means that Kevin Kolb sucks too much to take the job from hi. It doesn't mean that McNabb won't be ejected from Philly this offseason.
Last night, I watched Florida get worked over by Syracuse. The Gators play zero defense, and their offense -- basically limited to tons of 3s and subsequent attempts after those 3s miss the mark -- is missing both size and athletes. We're such a long way from 2 years ago.
(Meanwhile, given that UConn obliterated Wisconsin by the Badgers' ranking -- 19 -- why are they not given more consideration for No. 1? I'm still waiting for the on-court result from UNC that would justify a No. 1 ranking, let alone a unanimous No. 1 ranking. There appears to be no analoge to college football's "resume ranking" -- what you did on the field/court this season is what matters. UNC has proven nothing; let me see what happens after the Maui tournament is over.)
I'm a sucker for college football awards season -- not just the Heisman, but the other awards, like the ones for positional excellence, and even the Maxwell, which is sort of the "poor man's Heisman." If you're asking me if I think Tim Tebow is a better all-around player than both Graham Harrell and Colt McCoy -- his fellow Maxwell finalists -- I'd say yes. Not sure how Sam Bradford and/or Michael Crabtree and/or Percy Harvin didn't make the Maxwell finalist list.
Meanwhile, some of the positional awards are very compelling: Andre Smith or Michael Oher for the Outland? Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin for the Biletnikoff? (I'm stunned that Percy Harvin didn't make the Biletnikoff finalist list -- he might be the most talented player in the country, regardless of position. Did the Biletnikoff folks not like he can run the ball, too?)
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
The Knicks cleared the 2010 cap room last week; tonight, LeBron plays at the Garden. I mean: If you're not going to talk about it NOW, when ARE you going to talk about it?
Today's SN column lays out the case: If your team isn't a contender, basically all you have to fall back on is the future -- what your team MIGHT do or COULD do.
"Wait 'til next year" is a tried-and-true component of the sports-fan ideal. In this case, "Wait 'til TWO years from now!" is simply an extension of that.
Meanwhile, Andy Reid starting Donovan McNabb on Thursday simply means that Kevin Kolb sucks too much to take the job from hi. It doesn't mean that McNabb won't be ejected from Philly this offseason.
Last night, I watched Florida get worked over by Syracuse. The Gators play zero defense, and their offense -- basically limited to tons of 3s and subsequent attempts after those 3s miss the mark -- is missing both size and athletes. We're such a long way from 2 years ago.
(Meanwhile, given that UConn obliterated Wisconsin by the Badgers' ranking -- 19 -- why are they not given more consideration for No. 1? I'm still waiting for the on-court result from UNC that would justify a No. 1 ranking, let alone a unanimous No. 1 ranking. There appears to be no analoge to college football's "resume ranking" -- what you did on the field/court this season is what matters. UNC has proven nothing; let me see what happens after the Maui tournament is over.)
I'm a sucker for college football awards season -- not just the Heisman, but the other awards, like the ones for positional excellence, and even the Maxwell, which is sort of the "poor man's Heisman." If you're asking me if I think Tim Tebow is a better all-around player than both Graham Harrell and Colt McCoy -- his fellow Maxwell finalists -- I'd say yes. Not sure how Sam Bradford and/or Michael Crabtree and/or Percy Harvin didn't make the Maxwell finalist list.
Meanwhile, some of the positional awards are very compelling: Andre Smith or Michael Oher for the Outland? Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin for the Biletnikoff? (I'm stunned that Percy Harvin didn't make the Biletnikoff finalist list -- he might be the most talented player in the country, regardless of position. Did the Biletnikoff folks not like he can run the ball, too?)
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Obamaball: Sunday Hoops Over Church?
Can you blame him? I know a lot of folks who had a near-spiritual connection to their weekly Sunday morning run.
Coaches Poll Must Reveal Individual Ballots One Week Early To Avoid BCS Shenanigans
Demand the AFCA release all coaches' individual Top 25 ballots for next week's poll, when it will matter just as much as in the final week of the season.
The Coaches' Top 25 poll has always been a little sketchy.
Coaches have agendas and vendettas. They are hopelessly conflicted. Some coaches don't even fill out the ballot themselves. No reasonable fan thinks that the coaches actually watch enough games on a Saturday to know who to rank and where to rank them.
Most appallingly, there is almost no transparency: The coaches who vote insist that only their final ballot of the season -- the one that impacts the direct selection of the BCS Top 2 -- be revealed to the public. In other years, that is offensively opaque, but we as fans deal with it.
This season, that is a problem. A huge problem. A Big 12-sized problem.
Because provided that the Big 12's Big 3 -- Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech -- all win out, there will be a 3-way tie for the Big 12 South, triggering a tiebreaking process that ends with the winner of the Big 12 South being determined by BCS ranking -- one-third of that from the Coaches' poll.
Effectively (and not to diminish Missouri's role in the Big 12 title game): One-half of the national championship pairing could very well be determined by next weekend's vote.
Unfortunately, under current Coaches' Poll guidelines, we will never know whether some coaches tank one team or another to help a buddy -- or hurt a rival.
The point is: There is no transparency, and it will taint whatever the result might be. (We can all disagree on a playoff system, but the point of last week's post about an Obamafied playoff is that, at the very least, we get more transparency in the system.)
That's why -- in the event the 3-way-tie scenario is engaged -- the American Football Coaches Association (which administers the Coaches' Poll) must reveal how coaches voted in next week's poll, and not merely the season-ending poll a week later.
Now, that's a little like asking the banking industry to write its own bailout plan -- the AFCA's interest is in placating its coaching fraternity, not in a fair process. It is a trade association, not an independent polling group. (Where-oh-where is the Nate Silver-538.com of college football?)
That's why it wasn't able to insist on weekly transparency of coaches' ballots (the coaches scuttled that idea quickly), and that's why it shouldn't be part of the BCS process.
But it is, and fans and the media should insist -- demand -- that coaches' full ballots be revealed next week. If coaches wanted to be a part of this BCS process -- and all voting coaches opted into it -- they should be prepared to back up their ballot every week, and especially next week.
Given thatboth ESPN and USA Today are sponsors of the Coaches' Poll, it is their journalistic obligation to pressure the poll to reveal individual coaching ballots next week. (Let's set aside, for now, that their sponsorship enables this opaque ridiculousness to continue every season.)
We all suspect that shenanigans go on when it comes to the coaches poll -- a coach's first priority is to his program, not poll integrity. (See Jim Tressell's ludicrous 2006 abdication of his responsibility to the integrity of the sport, by not picking between Florida and Michigan.)
The only way we know for sure that some buddy of Mack Brown's -- as Pete Thamel suggested in today's NY Times -- doesn't rank Oklahoma, say, 20th in order to assure that Texas finishes ahead of OU (or vice versa in the case of Oklahoma) is to open the ballots up NEXT WEEK.
There are CFB sports-media voices with a hell of a lot more power than mine -- Wetzel, Thamel, Forde, Herbstreit, Mandel, Posnanski, Barnhart -- that can put the pressure on the AFCA to commit to releasing the ballots next week.
Any coach who doesn't like that is free to resign from the poll; that's as tell-tale of a sign as any that they were never going to take it as seriously as the fans, media and players do.
(In fact, the ideal would be that we pressure the AFCA to release the ballots AFTER the poll comes out next Sunday, so we can see just how tainted some ballots were. But I'd sooner push the transparency argument now, before it's too late, to get the most accurate and responsible result possible.)
By the way, if Oklahoma loses at OK St next week and makes this debate moot, the coaches are free to keep their ballots hidden from view, as usual. I'm only talking about this in the event that the 3-way-tie/BCS-tiebreaker situation is triggered.
(And, of course, a Missouri win in the Big 12 title game or an SEC implosion of one form or another changes things drastically. But we can only deal with the issue at hand.)
I'm not arguing for this to expose coaches who vote in the poll as unworthy of the responsibility -- even though I suspect many are. That's for another day.
But if this is the system we've got to deal withh, all I want is a little accountability -- a little transparency -- within the current structure to ensure the integrity of a process with little of it to begin with.
Demand the AFCA release all coaches' individual ballots for next week's poll, when it will matter just as much as --- perhaps more than -- the final week of the season.
It's a sketchy enough system as it is. Don't let the coaches get away with robbing fans and the sport of understanding how and why one team is advancing while another is staying home.
-- D.S.
The Coaches' Top 25 poll has always been a little sketchy.
Coaches have agendas and vendettas. They are hopelessly conflicted. Some coaches don't even fill out the ballot themselves. No reasonable fan thinks that the coaches actually watch enough games on a Saturday to know who to rank and where to rank them.
Most appallingly, there is almost no transparency: The coaches who vote insist that only their final ballot of the season -- the one that impacts the direct selection of the BCS Top 2 -- be revealed to the public. In other years, that is offensively opaque, but we as fans deal with it.
This season, that is a problem. A huge problem. A Big 12-sized problem.
Because provided that the Big 12's Big 3 -- Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech -- all win out, there will be a 3-way tie for the Big 12 South, triggering a tiebreaking process that ends with the winner of the Big 12 South being determined by BCS ranking -- one-third of that from the Coaches' poll.
Effectively (and not to diminish Missouri's role in the Big 12 title game): One-half of the national championship pairing could very well be determined by next weekend's vote.
Unfortunately, under current Coaches' Poll guidelines, we will never know whether some coaches tank one team or another to help a buddy -- or hurt a rival.
The point is: There is no transparency, and it will taint whatever the result might be. (We can all disagree on a playoff system, but the point of last week's post about an Obamafied playoff is that, at the very least, we get more transparency in the system.)
That's why -- in the event the 3-way-tie scenario is engaged -- the American Football Coaches Association (which administers the Coaches' Poll) must reveal how coaches voted in next week's poll, and not merely the season-ending poll a week later.
Now, that's a little like asking the banking industry to write its own bailout plan -- the AFCA's interest is in placating its coaching fraternity, not in a fair process. It is a trade association, not an independent polling group. (Where-oh-where is the Nate Silver-538.com of college football?)
That's why it wasn't able to insist on weekly transparency of coaches' ballots (the coaches scuttled that idea quickly), and that's why it shouldn't be part of the BCS process.
But it is, and fans and the media should insist -- demand -- that coaches' full ballots be revealed next week. If coaches wanted to be a part of this BCS process -- and all voting coaches opted into it -- they should be prepared to back up their ballot every week, and especially next week.
Given that
We all suspect that shenanigans go on when it comes to the coaches poll -- a coach's first priority is to his program, not poll integrity. (See Jim Tressell's ludicrous 2006 abdication of his responsibility to the integrity of the sport, by not picking between Florida and Michigan.)
The only way we know for sure that some buddy of Mack Brown's -- as Pete Thamel suggested in today's NY Times -- doesn't rank Oklahoma, say, 20th in order to assure that Texas finishes ahead of OU (or vice versa in the case of Oklahoma) is to open the ballots up NEXT WEEK.
There are CFB sports-media voices with a hell of a lot more power than mine -- Wetzel, Thamel, Forde, Herbstreit, Mandel, Posnanski, Barnhart -- that can put the pressure on the AFCA to commit to releasing the ballots next week.
Any coach who doesn't like that is free to resign from the poll; that's as tell-tale of a sign as any that they were never going to take it as seriously as the fans, media and players do.
(In fact, the ideal would be that we pressure the AFCA to release the ballots AFTER the poll comes out next Sunday, so we can see just how tainted some ballots were. But I'd sooner push the transparency argument now, before it's too late, to get the most accurate and responsible result possible.)
By the way, if Oklahoma loses at OK St next week and makes this debate moot, the coaches are free to keep their ballots hidden from view, as usual. I'm only talking about this in the event that the 3-way-tie/BCS-tiebreaker situation is triggered.
(And, of course, a Missouri win in the Big 12 title game or an SEC implosion of one form or another changes things drastically. But we can only deal with the issue at hand.)
I'm not arguing for this to expose coaches who vote in the poll as unworthy of the responsibility -- even though I suspect many are. That's for another day.
But if this is the system we've got to deal withh, all I want is a little accountability -- a little transparency -- within the current structure to ensure the integrity of a process with little of it to begin with.
Demand the AFCA release all coaches' individual ballots for next week's poll, when it will matter just as much as --- perhaps more than -- the final week of the season.
It's a sketchy enough system as it is. Don't let the coaches get away with robbing fans and the sport of understanding how and why one team is advancing while another is staying home.
-- D.S.
Monday 11/24 A.M. Quickie:
BCS, Favre, McNabb, T.O., Turner, More
You think picking the BCS 1-2 is a problem? Try picking the champ of the Big 12 South.
It's a mess, and it could totally screw up not just the Big 12 title picture, but the entire BCS title picture -- given that Texas and Oklahoma both still have substantial BCS ranking leads over Florida. That's the lead of today's SN column.
(And, yes, as a Florida fan I am freaked: I am NOT taking it for granted that beating FSU next week and Alabama a week later will ensure Florida is one of the Top 2 in the BCS. The computers absolutely hate Florida, and it is crushing their BCS hopes right now.)
Meanwhile, I compliment Brett Favre in the column. Yes, without even retching. The Jets are the NFL's hottest team, arguably the best team in the AFC (now that they have beaten the previous best-in-the-AFC and last season's best-in-the-AFC in back-to-back weeks, both on the road). I even surprise myself by linking "Favre" and "MVP" in the same sentence. Ugh. I hate myself.
Otherwise, is Donovan McNabb done in Philadelphia? Sure feels like it... T.O. is hitting his stride just in time for the annual Thanksgiving game... Michael Turner may be the Fantasy Player of the Year... Matt Forte is the latest Greatest Rookie RB Ever (Have we ever had a rookie RB class this good or this deep? I can't remember one.)... Matt Cassel isn't better than Tom Brady, but he certainly deserves to be a starter in the NFL, which he won't be when Brady comes back.
Fire Charlie Weis. Today. Do you need to wait for USC to hang 60 on Notre Dame to do it? Why? I guess it makes it that much easier. This guy is one of the worst big-school college football coaches of the last 20 years. When JoshMcRoberts - d'oh McDaniels leaves the Pats to go be a head coach for another NFL team, that O.C. job in New England will be a nice soft landing spot for Weis.
CBB Weekend: Memphis ain't what they were last year, but let's not forget that Xavier is arguably the best "mid-major" program in the country over the last decade. (Yes, that includes Gonzaga.) And what the hell is wrong with USC? Oh, right: Tim Floyd is still the coach... Meanwhile, Blake Griffin jumps ahead of Stephen Curry on my POY ballot.
NBA: Who saw T'wolves over Pistons in Detroit coming?... Look at Shaq's rookie numbers and then revisit your expectations for Greg Oden, who Shaq ate up on Saturday... The Lakers put 8 players in double-figures last night and are the best team in the league, unquestionably.
Myron Rolle was down to Florida State and Florida, and picked FSU, which disappointed me. Then he said it was because of FSU's academics, which shocked me (as it would shock anyone, certainly in comparison to UF). But he has made the most of the experience and parlayed it into a Rhodes Scholarship -- he has taken a football-first school and single-handedly said "No way," and I would argue that if you combine on-field and off-field, Rolle is the greatest player in the history of FSU's football program, including Charlie Ward, Deion Sanders and Derrick Brooks. Any of 'em. Rolle is as good of a player as anyone who has ever suited up for FSU, and he is certainly the finest student to ever compete in athletics for the school, too.
Is it too late to put Rolle on your Heisman ballot? Wouldn't it be amazing if he swooped in and won the award? Hmm... that might be my new campaign....
Complete SN column here. More later. I wrote a post last night about the Big 12's BCS mess, and it's coming at noon ET.
-- D.S.
It's a mess, and it could totally screw up not just the Big 12 title picture, but the entire BCS title picture -- given that Texas and Oklahoma both still have substantial BCS ranking leads over Florida. That's the lead of today's SN column.
(And, yes, as a Florida fan I am freaked: I am NOT taking it for granted that beating FSU next week and Alabama a week later will ensure Florida is one of the Top 2 in the BCS. The computers absolutely hate Florida, and it is crushing their BCS hopes right now.)
Meanwhile, I compliment Brett Favre in the column. Yes, without even retching. The Jets are the NFL's hottest team, arguably the best team in the AFC (now that they have beaten the previous best-in-the-AFC and last season's best-in-the-AFC in back-to-back weeks, both on the road). I even surprise myself by linking "Favre" and "MVP" in the same sentence. Ugh. I hate myself.
Otherwise, is Donovan McNabb done in Philadelphia? Sure feels like it... T.O. is hitting his stride just in time for the annual Thanksgiving game... Michael Turner may be the Fantasy Player of the Year... Matt Forte is the latest Greatest Rookie RB Ever (Have we ever had a rookie RB class this good or this deep? I can't remember one.)... Matt Cassel isn't better than Tom Brady, but he certainly deserves to be a starter in the NFL, which he won't be when Brady comes back.
Fire Charlie Weis. Today. Do you need to wait for USC to hang 60 on Notre Dame to do it? Why? I guess it makes it that much easier. This guy is one of the worst big-school college football coaches of the last 20 years. When Josh
CBB Weekend: Memphis ain't what they were last year, but let's not forget that Xavier is arguably the best "mid-major" program in the country over the last decade. (Yes, that includes Gonzaga.) And what the hell is wrong with USC? Oh, right: Tim Floyd is still the coach... Meanwhile, Blake Griffin jumps ahead of Stephen Curry on my POY ballot.
NBA: Who saw T'wolves over Pistons in Detroit coming?... Look at Shaq's rookie numbers and then revisit your expectations for Greg Oden, who Shaq ate up on Saturday... The Lakers put 8 players in double-figures last night and are the best team in the league, unquestionably.
Myron Rolle was down to Florida State and Florida, and picked FSU, which disappointed me. Then he said it was because of FSU's academics, which shocked me (as it would shock anyone, certainly in comparison to UF). But he has made the most of the experience and parlayed it into a Rhodes Scholarship -- he has taken a football-first school and single-handedly said "No way," and I would argue that if you combine on-field and off-field, Rolle is the greatest player in the history of FSU's football program, including Charlie Ward, Deion Sanders and Derrick Brooks. Any of 'em. Rolle is as good of a player as anyone who has ever suited up for FSU, and he is certainly the finest student to ever compete in athletics for the school, too.
Is it too late to put Rolle on your Heisman ballot? Wouldn't it be amazing if he swooped in and won the award? Hmm... that might be my new campaign....
Complete SN column here. More later. I wrote a post last night about the Big 12's BCS mess, and it's coming at noon ET.
-- D.S.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday 11/23 (Not-So-Very) Quickie:
Big 12 Gahhh!, BCS Jockeying, Rhodes Rolle
Well, what the hell do we do about the Big 12 now?
Granted, Oklahoma could lose to Oklahoma State. That would put Texas Tech -- the team Oklahoma just beat by 100 -- back in the Big 12 South driver's seat.
Or, if Oklahoma beats OK St, they could lose to Missouri in the Big 12 title game. That might actually put Texas back in the BCS driver's seat -- despite not winning its own conference division.
(I would imagine that Mack Brown is in full spin mode this morning.)
The thing we can all agree on is that the Big 12's Nth-stage tiebreaker system -- the three teams' BCS rankings -- is the most absurd thing ever.
Yes: Coaches from non-Big 12 conferences should be voting on the Big 12 South -- by far, the heavyweight of college football -- to determine its champ. Or the Harris Poll. Frankly, I trust the computers on this one WAY more than the humans.
At the very least, it would be nice if the Big 12 convened the coaches from the 3 teams to hammer out a more reasonable way to pick between them -- maybe let the Big 12 Coaches decide, or a combination of Big 12 coaches and computer polls.
The fact is: It is an intractable problem, even if Oklahoma loses next week -- and especially if the Big 12 South champ loses to Missouri in 2 weeks.
Here's one thought: What if we've all been wrong about the Big 12 -- that they are all great teams, but none of them are a Top 2 team? What if the NCG should be the Alabama-Florida winner versus... Utah?
I pride myself on clever ideas for solving weird sports problems; I'm willing to admit I'm at a loss here. Make your own suggestions through the Comments.
(Sort of makes you glad for the situation in the SEC, where -- as long as Bama and Florida win their rivalry games next week -- the winner of the SEC CG goes to the national title game. My nightmare is that for some reason, the BCS title game does not include this game's winner. And, as Bama has a lock on the NCG if they win the SEC CG, you know what I'm talking about here.)
Sneak-peek of my BlogPoll ballot: (1) Oklahoma; (2) Alabama; (3) Florida; (4) Texas; (5) Utah; (6) USC; (7) Texas Tech; (8) Boise St.; (9) Penn St.; (10) Ohio St.
(This is a little unfair to Texas; if the Longhorns got to play Texas Tech in Austin instead of Lubbock, they might have beaten them -- although not nearly the way Oklahoma beat them. And I'm sure Texas fans are frustrated into rage right now, saying: "BUT WE BEAT OKLAHOMA!!!")
Myron Rolle won that Rhodes Scholarship: Let's take a minute from the CFB craziness to celebrate that. What a wonderful story.
In all the Big 12 mayhem, one BCS thing we know for sure: Utah will be a part of it. This isn't just a non-BCS team riding a soft schedule to an unbeaten season (Ball St, even Boise St to a lesser extent); this is one of the best teams in the country, just like they were in 2004.
I feel bad for Boise St -- they are one of the Top 10 teams in the country, but have virtually no shot at a BCS bowl that they deserve. Right now, the 4 at-large teams look like:
(1) Utah;
(2) a 2nd team from the Big 12 (presuming one Big 12 team is in the BCS title game);
(3) the Alabama-Florida loser (presuming the winner is automatically included in the BCS title game, there is no way the Sugar Bowl doesn't take the SEC runner-up, presuming that a 1-loss Bama or 2-loss Florida are both still in the Top 10);
(4) USC (presuming Oregon St wins the Pac-10 next week). If Oregon St loses and USC sneaks into the Rose Bowl, Ohio State would be the 4th at-large BCS bid.
NBA Match-Up of the Day: Shaq destroyed Greg Oden. O'Neal had 19 and 17 -- you have to believe he was motivated to school the young kid -- and Oden had 5 points and 5 fouls and 1 rebound in 14 minutes.
CBB Star of the Day: Blake Griffin -- 35 pts, 21 reb... and Oklahoma had way more trouble with Gardner-Webb than they did with Texas Tech.
The BCS standings later today will be so intriguing.
-- D.S.
Granted, Oklahoma could lose to Oklahoma State. That would put Texas Tech -- the team Oklahoma just beat by 100 -- back in the Big 12 South driver's seat.
Or, if Oklahoma beats OK St, they could lose to Missouri in the Big 12 title game. That might actually put Texas back in the BCS driver's seat -- despite not winning its own conference division.
(I would imagine that Mack Brown is in full spin mode this morning.)
The thing we can all agree on is that the Big 12's Nth-stage tiebreaker system -- the three teams' BCS rankings -- is the most absurd thing ever.
Yes: Coaches from non-Big 12 conferences should be voting on the Big 12 South -- by far, the heavyweight of college football -- to determine its champ. Or the Harris Poll. Frankly, I trust the computers on this one WAY more than the humans.
At the very least, it would be nice if the Big 12 convened the coaches from the 3 teams to hammer out a more reasonable way to pick between them -- maybe let the Big 12 Coaches decide, or a combination of Big 12 coaches and computer polls.
The fact is: It is an intractable problem, even if Oklahoma loses next week -- and especially if the Big 12 South champ loses to Missouri in 2 weeks.
Here's one thought: What if we've all been wrong about the Big 12 -- that they are all great teams, but none of them are a Top 2 team? What if the NCG should be the Alabama-Florida winner versus... Utah?
I pride myself on clever ideas for solving weird sports problems; I'm willing to admit I'm at a loss here. Make your own suggestions through the Comments.
(Sort of makes you glad for the situation in the SEC, where -- as long as Bama and Florida win their rivalry games next week -- the winner of the SEC CG goes to the national title game. My nightmare is that for some reason, the BCS title game does not include this game's winner. And, as Bama has a lock on the NCG if they win the SEC CG, you know what I'm talking about here.)
Sneak-peek of my BlogPoll ballot: (1) Oklahoma; (2) Alabama; (3) Florida; (4) Texas; (5) Utah; (6) USC; (7) Texas Tech; (8) Boise St.; (9) Penn St.; (10) Ohio St.
(This is a little unfair to Texas; if the Longhorns got to play Texas Tech in Austin instead of Lubbock, they might have beaten them -- although not nearly the way Oklahoma beat them. And I'm sure Texas fans are frustrated into rage right now, saying: "BUT WE BEAT OKLAHOMA!!!")
Myron Rolle won that Rhodes Scholarship: Let's take a minute from the CFB craziness to celebrate that. What a wonderful story.
In all the Big 12 mayhem, one BCS thing we know for sure: Utah will be a part of it. This isn't just a non-BCS team riding a soft schedule to an unbeaten season (Ball St, even Boise St to a lesser extent); this is one of the best teams in the country, just like they were in 2004.
I feel bad for Boise St -- they are one of the Top 10 teams in the country, but have virtually no shot at a BCS bowl that they deserve. Right now, the 4 at-large teams look like:
(1) Utah;
(2) a 2nd team from the Big 12 (presuming one Big 12 team is in the BCS title game);
(3) the Alabama-Florida loser (presuming the winner is automatically included in the BCS title game, there is no way the Sugar Bowl doesn't take the SEC runner-up, presuming that a 1-loss Bama or 2-loss Florida are both still in the Top 10);
(4) USC (presuming Oregon St wins the Pac-10 next week). If Oregon St loses and USC sneaks into the Rose Bowl, Ohio State would be the 4th at-large BCS bid.
NBA Match-Up of the Day: Shaq destroyed Greg Oden. O'Neal had 19 and 17 -- you have to believe he was motivated to school the young kid -- and Oden had 5 points and 5 fouls and 1 rebound in 14 minutes.
CBB Star of the Day: Blake Griffin -- 35 pts, 21 reb... and Oklahoma had way more trouble with Gardner-Webb than they did with Texas Tech.
The BCS standings later today will be so intriguing.
-- D.S.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
College Football Saturday Live-Blog
What Oklahoma is doing to Texas Tech right now is absurd. It will be very hard for me to not rank Oklahoma as my No. 1 team on my BlogPoll ballot tomorrow. (BTW: Charlie Weis should be fired tomorrow.)
Florida takes care of business. Ohio State takes care of business. If Ole Miss beats LSU at LSU, does that make Florida's 1-point loss to them less of a nasty mark -- or does it make Florida's blowout win over LSU less of an impressive feat? Man, remember when UNC was supposed to be good this season? Poor Vandy: In Tennessee's worst season ever, the Dores still can't win.
Currently watching Florida work over The Citadel. Unfortunately, anything but a blowout will negatively affect Florida's perception among voters. So: Blowout away! 35 points in the first 16 minutes is a good start. They need to probably go 60+ while shutting Citadel out.
Florida takes care of business. Ohio State takes care of business. If Ole Miss beats LSU at LSU, does that make Florida's 1-point loss to them less of a nasty mark -- or does it make Florida's blowout win over LSU less of an impressive feat? Man, remember when UNC was supposed to be good this season? Poor Vandy: In Tennessee's worst season ever, the Dores still can't win.
Currently watching Florida work over The Citadel. Unfortunately, anything but a blowout will negatively affect Florida's perception among voters. So: Blowout away! 35 points in the first 16 minutes is a good start. They need to probably go 60+ while shutting Citadel out.
Obama's CFB Playoff? Curtis: No We Can't
Well, as long as the New York Times was going to reject my Obama-CFB Playoff op-ed, I'm glad they published one by my friend Bryan Curtis, one of the very best sports columnists in America.
(We have two distinct takes: Curtis dislikes the playoff idea generally; I want to borrow Obama's "open-source" campaign tactics to implement one.)
-- D.S.
(We have two distinct takes: Curtis dislikes the playoff idea generally; I want to borrow Obama's "open-source" campaign tactics to implement one.)
-- D.S.
Saturday CFB Picks and Viewing Guide
Viewing Guide:
1:30 Florida-Citadel (Game Plan)
8:00 TexasTech-Oklahoma (ABC)
Wasn't able to post predictions for today's games yesterday. Here you go:
(2) Texas Tech over @(5) Oklahoma
(4) Florida over Citadel
(7) Utah over (14) BYU
(8) Penn State over (15) Michigan St.
(9) Boise St over Nevada
(10) Ohio St over Michigan
(16) TCU over Air Force
(17) Ball St over C. Michigan -- Locked Wednesday
Ole Miss over @(18) LSU
(19) Cincinnati over (20) Pitt
(21) Oregon St over @Arizona
(22) UNC over NC St
Georgia Tech over (23) Miami -- Locked Thursday
(25) Maryland over Florida St
1:30 Florida-Citadel (Game Plan)
8:00 TexasTech-Oklahoma (ABC)
Wasn't able to post predictions for today's games yesterday. Here you go:
(2) Texas Tech over @(5) Oklahoma
(4) Florida over Citadel
(7) Utah over (14) BYU
(8) Penn State over (15) Michigan St.
(9) Boise St over Nevada
(10) Ohio St over Michigan
(16) TCU over Air Force
(17) Ball St over C. Michigan -- Locked Wednesday
Ole Miss over @(18) LSU
(19) Cincinnati over (20) Pitt
(21) Oregon St over @Arizona
(22) UNC over NC St
Georgia Tech over (23) Miami -- Locked Thursday
(25) Maryland over Florida St
Saturday 11/22 (Very) Quickie
As first pronounced yesterday, the Knicks are SO getting LeBron in 2010. There couldn't be a bigger done-deal in the NBA. Cleveland fans are going to HATE the next 2 days -- and 2 years.
Otherwise, it's all lead-up to Oklahoma-Texas Tech.
More later
-- D.S.
Otherwise, it's all lead-up to Oklahoma-Texas Tech.
More later
-- D.S.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Gilbert Arenas: Losing "For The Better"
"I don't want to see them struggle, but if this is one of those years where we don't make the playoffs or we finish in last place... that's what happened to San Antonio and that's how they got Tim Duncan and look at them now... and that's for the better." -- Gilbert Arenas
You all know how I feel about this, and I'd react even if it wasn't from my favorite NBA player about my favorite NBA team:
I am a vocal proponent of the idea of tanking for draft position, under two conditions: (1) You weren't going to make the playoffs anyway, and (2) there is a transcendent talent available to you.
Unfortunately, the Wizards only qualify for (1), and Arenas' argument is undercut by his ignorance that there isn't a Tim Duncan or LeBron James in the 2009 draft pool. There isn't even a Derrick Rose, who -- for now -- seems pretty tank-worthy.
On the contrary, the draft class doesn't look quite as bad as the last time the Wizards drafted No. 1 overall (2001 -- Kwame Brown...ugh), but it is pretty unspectacular. A quick glance at DraftExpress tells the story: Ricky Rubio? Blake Griffin? DeMar DeRozan? BJ Mullens?
Not a single player in the draft class is transcendent in the way that Duncan or LeBron were -- maybe DeRozan, but shoot-first NBA swingmen aren't exactly hard to acquire. (Um, and the Wiz happen to have Caron Butler at the position.) Rubio plays Arenas' position; Griffin is undersized -- at best, the next Carlos Boozer. Maybe that's worth it.
If there was a game-changing center like Greg Oden or Tim Duncan available, then yes. The Wizards are desperate for a super-center, or at least a rebound-maniac power forward. But BJ Mullens? Yeah: Whoopee.
There is also the perfectly reasonable chance that the Wizards could end up with the league's worst record (OKC will have a say about that) and still not get the No. 1 pick. (And if OKC gets the first pick, there goes Griffin off the board.)
Arenas wasn't wrong on the theory; he was simply very wrong on the reality of the 2009 draft pool.
But does it matter? The Wizards are in for a terrible season, a Lottery season.
Is it really so wrong to look ahead to next year after watching 10 percent of the season fly by with just 1 win, to try to look for the silver lining in a disappointing Lottery year?
It might offend you that he did it 3 weeks into the season, but he's not wrong. Just ask Cavs fans if they regret tanking the season to be in a position to draft LeBron. Who could?
-- D.S.
You all know how I feel about this, and I'd react even if it wasn't from my favorite NBA player about my favorite NBA team:
I am a vocal proponent of the idea of tanking for draft position, under two conditions: (1) You weren't going to make the playoffs anyway, and (2) there is a transcendent talent available to you.
Unfortunately, the Wizards only qualify for (1), and Arenas' argument is undercut by his ignorance that there isn't a Tim Duncan or LeBron James in the 2009 draft pool. There isn't even a Derrick Rose, who -- for now -- seems pretty tank-worthy.
On the contrary, the draft class doesn't look quite as bad as the last time the Wizards drafted No. 1 overall (2001 -- Kwame Brown...ugh), but it is pretty unspectacular. A quick glance at DraftExpress tells the story: Ricky Rubio? Blake Griffin? DeMar DeRozan? BJ Mullens?
Not a single player in the draft class is transcendent in the way that Duncan or LeBron were -- maybe DeRozan, but shoot-first NBA swingmen aren't exactly hard to acquire. (Um, and the Wiz happen to have Caron Butler at the position.) Rubio plays Arenas' position; Griffin is undersized -- at best, the next Carlos Boozer. Maybe that's worth it.
If there was a game-changing center like Greg Oden or Tim Duncan available, then yes. The Wizards are desperate for a super-center, or at least a rebound-maniac power forward. But BJ Mullens? Yeah: Whoopee.
There is also the perfectly reasonable chance that the Wizards could end up with the league's worst record (OKC will have a say about that) and still not get the No. 1 pick. (And if OKC gets the first pick, there goes Griffin off the board.)
Arenas wasn't wrong on the theory; he was simply very wrong on the reality of the 2009 draft pool.
But does it matter? The Wizards are in for a terrible season, a Lottery season.
Is it really so wrong to look ahead to next year after watching 10 percent of the season fly by with just 1 win, to try to look for the silver lining in a disappointing Lottery year?
It might offend you that he did it 3 weeks into the season, but he's not wrong. Just ask Cavs fans if they regret tanking the season to be in a position to draft LeBron. Who could?
-- D.S.
LeBron to the New York Knicks a Done Deal
LeBron James to the New York Knicks is a done deal. They got rid of Jamal Crawford. They got rid of Zach Randolph. All they needed to land LeBron was the cap room, and now they've got it. Damn, he's going to look good in a Knicks uni. (And I say that as a hater of both LeBron and the Knicks.) It's a "when" not an "if" - and the "when" is Summer 2010. -- D.S.
Total Rumor: Chiefs and Vikings Like Vick?
So I get a lot of tips from readers -- most of the time it's a link to something interesting, but sometimes someone sends me a first-hand (or Nth-hand) story. One I got today was from a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy (etc... the chain of evidence seemed plausible to me) who claims Michael Vick told him directly that:
The Chiefs and Vikings have contacted Vick's agent about playing for them when he gets out of prison.
Now, this isn't much of a stretch: Despite Tyler Thigpen's fairly remarkable play recently, both teams could use a solution at QB. (Perhaps KC reached out to Vick's team before Thigpen heated up.) There are a couple other teams that could use Vick, too (especially if they want to have a "Wildcat specialist" QB!) Just felt obligated to pass along this totally unfounded, Nth-hand story.
Take it with your own brand of skepticism, but a team's interest in Vick is worth debating among that team's fans, whether or not it's true now -- for QB-weak teams you have to believe it'll be true eventually. So: Would you want YOUR QB-depleted team to pursue Michael Vick?
-- D.S.
The Chiefs and Vikings have contacted Vick's agent about playing for them when he gets out of prison.
Now, this isn't much of a stretch: Despite Tyler Thigpen's fairly remarkable play recently, both teams could use a solution at QB. (Perhaps KC reached out to Vick's team before Thigpen heated up.) There are a couple other teams that could use Vick, too (especially if they want to have a "Wildcat specialist" QB!) Just felt obligated to pass along this totally unfounded, Nth-hand story.
Take it with your own brand of skepticism, but a team's interest in Vick is worth debating among that team's fans, whether or not it's true now -- for QB-weak teams you have to believe it'll be true eventually. So: Would you want YOUR QB-depleted team to pursue Michael Vick?
-- D.S.
New BCS Deal Stifles College Football Playoff Hopes; BCS Can Still Be Improved
Consider this a follow-up to yesterday's blueprint for change. Stipulating to the realities that the BCS system is in place for at least another half-decade, here are a few positive changes we can make to the current system.
Despite Barack Obama throwing his weight around, don't expect a college football playoff before the end of the BCS contract in 2013, if then. (Yes, really: If then. Make no assumptions.)
There is, however, the opportunity to remedy two significant issues with the BCS system: Who gets included and who picks them.
(1) Implode the "Big Six + Notre Dame" cabal and include any school that cracks the Top 10, regardless of conference affiliation. That both Utah and Boise State could both run the table and both end up in the Top 8, let alone the Top 12 (BCS cut-off ranking), yet one be excluded from a BCS bowl seems the height of ridiculousness.
Allow any team in the Top 10 automatic inclusion in a BCS bowl, regardless of conference affiliation -- even if that means the Big 12 gets 4 spots. (You can already hear the ACC and Big East crying foul -- buy them off by guaranteeing them BCS-sized payouts, even if neither league places a team in the Top 10. As for Notre Dame, shut them out and dare them to gripe.)
(2) Implode the current ranking system: The coaches have a hopeless conflict-of-interest. No one can still say who, exactly, the Harris poll voters are -- and what their qualifications are. The computers are a mish-mash of formulas. There is absurdly little transparency across all of them. Meanwhile, the activist AP poll -- which pulled itself out of the BCS because it didn't want to "make news" -- continues to... make news, by naming its own champ.
The solution: Create one, big, open-to-anyone national poll, and put the selection of the Top 10/BCS teams in the hands of the fans -- and anyone else who wants to participate. (At the very minimum, put the selection of the Top 2 -- the two teams playing for the title -- in the hands of the fans.)
The Obama campaign and the realities of social media have finally illuminated the pathway to having a national Fan Poll to determine the Top 10. This is something that I have been publicly promoting since at least 1997 -- it is entirely feasible, and the sheer scale ensures that no single constituency can impact the overall outcome. Trust the fans -- they know better than the self-proclaimed experts. (As a microcosm, just look at the BlogPoll -- when fans take Top 25 ballotting seriously, you get a very efficient outcome.)
You can sense that much of the current fan frustration about the BCS comes from a lack of a playoff, yes, but also from this lack of transparency, this lack of openness, this lack of control. My two minor suggestions to the current system help to remedy those concerns.
Sorry, Mr. President. Sorry, critics. Sorry, fans. You will not see a college football playoff for at least half-a-decade. But however naive you find my suggestions, it can't possibly be more naive than bellowing about a playoff when the nearest playoff will come halfway through the next decade.
What you can demand is a new openness in your current and flawed BCS system. And that's as good of a place to start as any.
-- D.S.
Despite Barack Obama throwing his weight around, don't expect a college football playoff before the end of the BCS contract in 2013, if then. (Yes, really: If then. Make no assumptions.)
There is, however, the opportunity to remedy two significant issues with the BCS system: Who gets included and who picks them.
(1) Implode the "Big Six + Notre Dame" cabal and include any school that cracks the Top 10, regardless of conference affiliation. That both Utah and Boise State could both run the table and both end up in the Top 8, let alone the Top 12 (BCS cut-off ranking), yet one be excluded from a BCS bowl seems the height of ridiculousness.
Allow any team in the Top 10 automatic inclusion in a BCS bowl, regardless of conference affiliation -- even if that means the Big 12 gets 4 spots. (You can already hear the ACC and Big East crying foul -- buy them off by guaranteeing them BCS-sized payouts, even if neither league places a team in the Top 10. As for Notre Dame, shut them out and dare them to gripe.)
(2) Implode the current ranking system: The coaches have a hopeless conflict-of-interest. No one can still say who, exactly, the Harris poll voters are -- and what their qualifications are. The computers are a mish-mash of formulas. There is absurdly little transparency across all of them. Meanwhile, the activist AP poll -- which pulled itself out of the BCS because it didn't want to "make news" -- continues to... make news, by naming its own champ.
The solution: Create one, big, open-to-anyone national poll, and put the selection of the Top 10/BCS teams in the hands of the fans -- and anyone else who wants to participate. (At the very minimum, put the selection of the Top 2 -- the two teams playing for the title -- in the hands of the fans.)
The Obama campaign and the realities of social media have finally illuminated the pathway to having a national Fan Poll to determine the Top 10. This is something that I have been publicly promoting since at least 1997 -- it is entirely feasible, and the sheer scale ensures that no single constituency can impact the overall outcome. Trust the fans -- they know better than the self-proclaimed experts. (As a microcosm, just look at the BlogPoll -- when fans take Top 25 ballotting seriously, you get a very efficient outcome.)
You can sense that much of the current fan frustration about the BCS comes from a lack of a playoff, yes, but also from this lack of transparency, this lack of openness, this lack of control. My two minor suggestions to the current system help to remedy those concerns.
Sorry, Mr. President. Sorry, critics. Sorry, fans. You will not see a college football playoff for at least half-a-decade. But however naive you find my suggestions, it can't possibly be more naive than bellowing about a playoff when the nearest playoff will come halfway through the next decade.
What you can demand is a new openness in your current and flawed BCS system. And that's as good of a place to start as any.
-- D.S.
Friday 11/21 A.M. Quickie:
Texas Tech, Michigan, Giants, Lakers, More
"Playoff-ish": You all know that's my catch-all description for any college football game where both teams have national-title aspirations. I'd say Texas Tech-Oklahoma qualifies, and it leads today's SN column.
Picks come out later today, but I'm inclined to pick Texas Tech, even with the game in Norman. Tech's offense is playing at a higher level than anyone else -- even Oklahoma. And its defense might be the best in the Big 12 -- which is sort of relative, given how porous those defenses are.
(That said: It IS college football, which has an Occam's Razor of sorts: Whatever the biggest clusterf--k situation can be, usually happens. So even if Texas Tech beats Oklahoma, watch them lose to Missouri in the Big 12 title game.)
Meanwhile, Texas Tech's hoops team put up 167 on a college named "East Central." While it's fun to see such a pinball score, Pat Knight's team won by 50+, meaning that the 90-point second half was probably the worst exhibition of sportsmanship of 2008. What a d'bag.
That eye-popping total might just eclipse UCLA's choke-job in NYC against Michigan. I love Ben Howland and I'm almost always bullish on UCLA (see last year's November-to-March prediction they would win the national title), but their greatest strength -- defense -- means that their games will almost always be close, and close means the opponent has a puncher's chance.
The Lakers are unstoppable. The Pistons with AI aren't as much of a threat to the Celtics as the Nuggets with Billups (or, by extension) the Pistons with Billups.
I'm unmoved by Hank Steinbrenner's deadline for CC Sabathia to accept the Yankees' absurd offer. I'm a little more intrigued by the Nationals' interest in Mark Teixeira -- and the Maryland native's interest in the Nats.
(Speaking of DC baseball, I grew up on Thomas Boswell -- the guy is a baseball-columnist institution. But his support of Ryan Howard over Albert Pujols for NL MVP -- his argument -- was his tipping-point moment of his irrelevancy. Posnanski gave him what I would label a sympathetic evisceration.)
Looking ahead to Sunday: I am most intrigued by the Pats-Fins game, for a few reasons: (1) it has playoff implications; (2) they have one of the best rivalries in the NFL; (3) Miami revealed the "Wildcat" in their early-season clobbering of the Pats; will they go back to it again?
That said: I recognize that Giants-Cards is, on paper, the best match-up of the weekend. But since both teams are playoff locks, is it really bigger than Pats-Fins? Or even Titans-Jets, where the Titans look to continue their unbeaten season and the Jets are trying to stay one step ahead of the Pats-Fins winner?
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Picks come out later today, but I'm inclined to pick Texas Tech, even with the game in Norman. Tech's offense is playing at a higher level than anyone else -- even Oklahoma. And its defense might be the best in the Big 12 -- which is sort of relative, given how porous those defenses are.
(That said: It IS college football, which has an Occam's Razor of sorts: Whatever the biggest clusterf--k situation can be, usually happens. So even if Texas Tech beats Oklahoma, watch them lose to Missouri in the Big 12 title game.)
Meanwhile, Texas Tech's hoops team put up 167 on a college named "East Central." While it's fun to see such a pinball score, Pat Knight's team won by 50+, meaning that the 90-point second half was probably the worst exhibition of sportsmanship of 2008. What a d'bag.
That eye-popping total might just eclipse UCLA's choke-job in NYC against Michigan. I love Ben Howland and I'm almost always bullish on UCLA (see last year's November-to-March prediction they would win the national title), but their greatest strength -- defense -- means that their games will almost always be close, and close means the opponent has a puncher's chance.
The Lakers are unstoppable. The Pistons with AI aren't as much of a threat to the Celtics as the Nuggets with Billups (or, by extension) the Pistons with Billups.
I'm unmoved by Hank Steinbrenner's deadline for CC Sabathia to accept the Yankees' absurd offer. I'm a little more intrigued by the Nationals' interest in Mark Teixeira -- and the Maryland native's interest in the Nats.
(Speaking of DC baseball, I grew up on Thomas Boswell -- the guy is a baseball-columnist institution. But his support of Ryan Howard over Albert Pujols for NL MVP -- his argument -- was his tipping-point moment of his irrelevancy. Posnanski gave him what I would label a sympathetic evisceration.)
Looking ahead to Sunday: I am most intrigued by the Pats-Fins game, for a few reasons: (1) it has playoff implications; (2) they have one of the best rivalries in the NFL; (3) Miami revealed the "Wildcat" in their early-season clobbering of the Pats; will they go back to it again?
That said: I recognize that Giants-Cards is, on paper, the best match-up of the weekend. But since both teams are playoff locks, is it really bigger than Pats-Fins? Or even Titans-Jets, where the Titans look to continue their unbeaten season and the Jets are trying to stay one step ahead of the Pats-Fins winner?
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Carl Joseph and Myron Rolle
Have you ever heard of Carl Joseph? This might be some of the most dramatic sports footage I have ever seen. Meanwhile: you can hate FSU, but how can you hate Myron Rolle? Rhodes him!
(Speaking of wildly successful outliers, here's a very interesting Q&A Malcolm Gladwell did with ESPN the Mag. Hmm: Gladwell's next NYer piece is about college QBs?)
(Speaking of wildly successful outliers, here's a very interesting Q&A Malcolm Gladwell did with ESPN the Mag. Hmm: Gladwell's next NYer piece is about college QBs?)
College Football Playoff? Yes We Can
The following was submitted -- and summarily rejected! -- as an Op-Ed piece off of Obama's interview on "60 Minutes" this past Sunday. It was meant for a wider, non-avid-sports-fan audience. On Monday, there were several clever reactions to Obama's interview (this one I particularly liked), but they were more along the lines of "I want to be your Playoff Czar!"; none really offered a new direction for discussion. That's what I was hoping to do here. I openly recognize that there are lots of holes to shoot in this, but consider the larger point of populism.
College Football Playoff? Yes We Can.
"We should be creating a [college football] playoff system. So I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit." -- President-elect Barack Obama on "60 Minutes," November 16
To: President-elect Obama
From: The Head of College Football Playoff Transition Team
Nothing needs more of the "change" you talk about than college football's system for determining a national champion.
Your support for a long-desired 8-team playoff system is achievable. However, the existing institutional inertia -- even resistance -- is substantial. To create a college football playoff, you will have to answer two key questions: Which schools are included? And who gets to
decide which teams make the playoff?
The answers lie in the same populist, "bottom-up" solutions you used so effectively on the campaign trail.
Let's review the existing system: The two top-ranked teams in the Bowl Championship Series ("BCS") play for the national title.
The BCS comprises the teams represented by the six "power" conferences who negotiated the original BCS deal: The SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10, Big East and ACC, plus Notre Dame. Upon annual review, a lone representative of non-"power" teams may be allowed into the group,
with an unbeaten season (and some luck).
The system is, by its very definition, exclusionary. This season, two non-"power" teams -- Utah and Boise State -- are both undefeated and ranked in the Top 10 nationally. Only one will break through the class ceiling, and even then, there is no talk that either would be one of two teams selected to actually compete for the national title.
An even larger source of contention is the process to select the two teams that play for the national title. The top two teams are derived from a combination of two "human" polls (conducted among college football coaches and select outside experts) and the average of a
batch of rankings determined by computer algorithm. (Google, it ain't.)
The polling is opaque. Coaches are inherently biased. Experts can only watch so many games at once. Numbers baked into a computer program can never tell the whole story. Ultimately, sorting among half-a-dozen -- or more -- worthy contenders is perennially maddening to fans. The Associated Press thought so little of the BCS process that it removed its own poll of college football writers from the formula.
So how to bring the country together and deliver the playoff everyone wants? The solution is to "open-source" it.
It starts by curbing the current BCS cabal. Mandate a one-time opt-out of the current system for any school or conference interested in a playoff.
From there, create a pool of willing playoff participants. But it can't be based on the same old power-conference politics.
Open the playoff system to any team that wants to be a part of it. That allows any conscientious objectors to a playoff -- university presidents or conference commissioners -- to opt out, for any reason. Their teams will simply not be eligible to participate in the playoff. Left intact are the schools with a commitment to a playoff.
Next, we need a more structurally sound and sustainable system to determine the 8 playoff teams. For starters, eliminate the current bloated bureaucracy of ranking teams through a hazy mix of conflicted coaches, so-called experts and soulless computers.
Instead, tap into the renewable energy of the fans themselves. Replace the current convoluted ranking system with a nationalized "Fan Poll," open to any registered fan to submit their own Top 8 ballot. Give fans themselves the biggest stake in this new process and its outcome; trust their interest in taking it seriously. These results would create a self-fulfilling mandate -- what outraged coach or pundit could seriously disagree with a nation of fans weighing in?
If your campaign proved anything, Mr. President-elect, it was that the power of the Web to efficiently enable the actions of a massive collection of motivated, individual people. Harness that again: The sheer volume of participants will ensure that no single constituency will dominate; a free market of fans -- with limited, helpful regulation from your National Office of College Football Playoff -- will deliver the wisest, fairest, most transparent group of 8 playoff teams each season.
A college football playoff powered by populism inclusively puts the process in the hands of whoever wants to create the change they want: Whether you are a university trustee or a fan on the couch, only participate if you care to -- but, in the end, everyone choosing to take part is motivated by a vested interest in the best outcome possible for the sport.
After that, it's easy: Three rounds, three weeks, one champion: In a way you and the country might recognize, a "Champ We Can Believe In."
-- D.S.
(Update: Smart overview of the landscape from Josh Levin at Slate. Wilbon weighed in Tuesday.)
College Football Playoff? Yes We Can.
"We should be creating a [college football] playoff system. So I'm going to throw my weight around a little bit." -- President-elect Barack Obama on "60 Minutes," November 16
To: President-elect Obama
From: The Head of College Football Playoff Transition Team
Nothing needs more of the "change" you talk about than college football's system for determining a national champion.
Your support for a long-desired 8-team playoff system is achievable. However, the existing institutional inertia -- even resistance -- is substantial. To create a college football playoff, you will have to answer two key questions: Which schools are included? And who gets to
decide which teams make the playoff?
The answers lie in the same populist, "bottom-up" solutions you used so effectively on the campaign trail.
Let's review the existing system: The two top-ranked teams in the Bowl Championship Series ("BCS") play for the national title.
The BCS comprises the teams represented by the six "power" conferences who negotiated the original BCS deal: The SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-10, Big East and ACC, plus Notre Dame. Upon annual review, a lone representative of non-"power" teams may be allowed into the group,
with an unbeaten season (and some luck).
The system is, by its very definition, exclusionary. This season, two non-"power" teams -- Utah and Boise State -- are both undefeated and ranked in the Top 10 nationally. Only one will break through the class ceiling, and even then, there is no talk that either would be one of two teams selected to actually compete for the national title.
An even larger source of contention is the process to select the two teams that play for the national title. The top two teams are derived from a combination of two "human" polls (conducted among college football coaches and select outside experts) and the average of a
batch of rankings determined by computer algorithm. (Google, it ain't.)
The polling is opaque. Coaches are inherently biased. Experts can only watch so many games at once. Numbers baked into a computer program can never tell the whole story. Ultimately, sorting among half-a-dozen -- or more -- worthy contenders is perennially maddening to fans. The Associated Press thought so little of the BCS process that it removed its own poll of college football writers from the formula.
So how to bring the country together and deliver the playoff everyone wants? The solution is to "open-source" it.
It starts by curbing the current BCS cabal. Mandate a one-time opt-out of the current system for any school or conference interested in a playoff.
From there, create a pool of willing playoff participants. But it can't be based on the same old power-conference politics.
Open the playoff system to any team that wants to be a part of it. That allows any conscientious objectors to a playoff -- university presidents or conference commissioners -- to opt out, for any reason. Their teams will simply not be eligible to participate in the playoff. Left intact are the schools with a commitment to a playoff.
Next, we need a more structurally sound and sustainable system to determine the 8 playoff teams. For starters, eliminate the current bloated bureaucracy of ranking teams through a hazy mix of conflicted coaches, so-called experts and soulless computers.
Instead, tap into the renewable energy of the fans themselves. Replace the current convoluted ranking system with a nationalized "Fan Poll," open to any registered fan to submit their own Top 8 ballot. Give fans themselves the biggest stake in this new process and its outcome; trust their interest in taking it seriously. These results would create a self-fulfilling mandate -- what outraged coach or pundit could seriously disagree with a nation of fans weighing in?
If your campaign proved anything, Mr. President-elect, it was that the power of the Web to efficiently enable the actions of a massive collection of motivated, individual people. Harness that again: The sheer volume of participants will ensure that no single constituency will dominate; a free market of fans -- with limited, helpful regulation from your National Office of College Football Playoff -- will deliver the wisest, fairest, most transparent group of 8 playoff teams each season.
A college football playoff powered by populism inclusively puts the process in the hands of whoever wants to create the change they want: Whether you are a university trustee or a fan on the couch, only participate if you care to -- but, in the end, everyone choosing to take part is motivated by a vested interest in the best outcome possible for the sport.
After that, it's easy: Three rounds, three weeks, one champion: In a way you and the country might recognize, a "Champ We Can Believe In."
-- D.S.
(Update: Smart overview of the landscape from Josh Levin at Slate. Wilbon weighed in Tuesday.)
Thursday 11/20 A.M. Quickie:
Ball St, Moose, AI, Oden, Twitter, More
So Shaq is on Twitter. What do you think it would take to get him to follow me? (If you're on Twitter, you can follow me @danshanoff)
OK, I love that Ball State is having an undefeated season. I'm sure Whitlock is beside himself. But there's a huge difference between appreciating their unbeaten season and finding them BCS-worthy, which they are not. That's near the top of today's SN column.
If all it takes to be BCS-worthy is being undefeated, then any/every BCS-conference team -- particularly the ones who can't crack the BCS -- would be smart to drop out of their conference, join the MAC or Sun Belt or Whatever and go unbeaten.
Now, compare Ball State's unbeaten season -- on the back of a terrible strength of schedule (see Hawaii a year ago) -- to Utah. Utah has arguably played a tougher schedule than USC. The computers have Utah ranked at No. 4.
Would Utah be unbeaten if they played in the Big 12? Doubt it. Would they be unbeaten if they played in the Pac-10? The Mountain West's success againt the Pac-10 this season would suggest that they very well might. I'd love to see Utah vs. USC in a BCS bowl, just to prove it.
This is a big weekend for the Utes: If they beat rival BYU in SLC, they should be BCS-bowl-bound. And they are worthy. Unlike Ball State, which is a great story, but not a BCS story.
(Hell: Ball State still has to beat Western Michigan next week, though the MAC title game should be a breeze.)
Meanwhile, I'm partial to Mike Mussina -- I saw him pitch in person a ton when I was growing up going to Orioles games and I saw his final game at Yankee Stadium. But I think that anyone who can get to 270 wins in this era -- in this era -- deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I think he'll get there.
I put what could be my lamentation of the year in the column today: With the Dec. 1 deadline for Cubs bids, it is the shame of our generation that we couldn't harness the power of the Web to put together a million people putting up $1,000 each to make a billion-dollar play for the team. It would have been very hard for MLB to dismiss a massive fan-ownership effort. It's a missed opportunity.
Kudos to mega-Blazers fan Henry Abbott for pointing his readers to this yesterday: Greg Oden's plus-minus is not very good. In fact, it's kind of terrible. So I checked out last night's game stats: Sure, 11 pts, 10 reb, 4 blocks in 17 minutes seems good. But he had a +9 +/- in a 42-point Blazers win. That's not good. (FWIW, +/- is probably the most accurate broad-stroke single way to gauge a player's impact.)
I just can't buy Michigan State as a Final Four team, and I was thinking that long before last night's ugly win over IPFW.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
OK, I love that Ball State is having an undefeated season. I'm sure Whitlock is beside himself. But there's a huge difference between appreciating their unbeaten season and finding them BCS-worthy, which they are not. That's near the top of today's SN column.
If all it takes to be BCS-worthy is being undefeated, then any/every BCS-conference team -- particularly the ones who can't crack the BCS -- would be smart to drop out of their conference, join the MAC or Sun Belt or Whatever and go unbeaten.
Now, compare Ball State's unbeaten season -- on the back of a terrible strength of schedule (see Hawaii a year ago) -- to Utah. Utah has arguably played a tougher schedule than USC. The computers have Utah ranked at No. 4.
Would Utah be unbeaten if they played in the Big 12? Doubt it. Would they be unbeaten if they played in the Pac-10? The Mountain West's success againt the Pac-10 this season would suggest that they very well might. I'd love to see Utah vs. USC in a BCS bowl, just to prove it.
This is a big weekend for the Utes: If they beat rival BYU in SLC, they should be BCS-bowl-bound. And they are worthy. Unlike Ball State, which is a great story, but not a BCS story.
(Hell: Ball State still has to beat Western Michigan next week, though the MAC title game should be a breeze.)
Meanwhile, I'm partial to Mike Mussina -- I saw him pitch in person a ton when I was growing up going to Orioles games and I saw his final game at Yankee Stadium. But I think that anyone who can get to 270 wins in this era -- in this era -- deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. I think he'll get there.
I put what could be my lamentation of the year in the column today: With the Dec. 1 deadline for Cubs bids, it is the shame of our generation that we couldn't harness the power of the Web to put together a million people putting up $1,000 each to make a billion-dollar play for the team. It would have been very hard for MLB to dismiss a massive fan-ownership effort. It's a missed opportunity.
Kudos to mega-Blazers fan Henry Abbott for pointing his readers to this yesterday: Greg Oden's plus-minus is not very good. In fact, it's kind of terrible. So I checked out last night's game stats: Sure, 11 pts, 10 reb, 4 blocks in 17 minutes seems good. But he had a +9 +/- in a 42-point Blazers win. That's not good. (FWIW, +/- is probably the most accurate broad-stroke single way to gauge a player's impact.)
I just can't buy Michigan State as a Final Four team, and I was thinking that long before last night's ugly win over IPFW.
Complete SN column here. More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Obamaball: "Throw Long and Deep"
Continuing coverage of the intersection of Barack Obama and sports...
In a meeting with business leaders yesterday, Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told the group the administration would "throw long and deep" to tackle big issues like health care and energy. That's a strong metaphor, in an industry (politics) that deploys sports language regularly.
Emanuel is a Chicago guy, so naturally the first thing you think of when you hear "throw long and deep" is Rex Grossman flinging it out there. Let's hope Obama's "throw long and deep" is less Grossman-esque (or even Favrian) and more Elway-ish.
-- D.S.
In a meeting with business leaders yesterday, Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told the group the administration would "throw long and deep" to tackle big issues like health care and energy. That's a strong metaphor, in an industry (politics) that deploys sports language regularly.
Emanuel is a Chicago guy, so naturally the first thing you think of when you hear "throw long and deep" is Rex Grossman flinging it out there. Let's hope Obama's "throw long and deep" is less Grossman-esque (or even Favrian) and more Elway-ish.
-- D.S.
Debate: Geek-as-Jock vs. Jock-as-Geek
So this highlighted the "geek-as-jock" thing, but aren't we already at "jock-as-geek" -- look at Gilbert Arenas, Rod Benson, Greg Oden, Chris Bosh, any pro athlete who talks about playing fantasy football, any athlete who blogs or acknowledges Facebook, etc.
-- D.S.
-- D.S.
Wednesday 11/19 A.M. Quickie:
Erin Andrews, Curry, Muschamp, More
I lead today's SN column with Erin Andrews. (God: Do I hate the link-baiting that goes on with posts about EA... and, yet, here I am. I'd like to think I make a fairly intelligent point about her.)
Meanwhile: Blake Griffin vs. Stephen Curry may very well turn out to be the single-best individual matchup of the college basketball season. How did this end up as an NIT game OUTSIDE of NYC?
I give a big thumbs-up to Texas locking in Will Muschamp as Mack Brown's successor, but there's that little nag in the back of my head: You're going to put a coach with zero head-coaching experience at the helm of Texas? It's not without risk. (In the column, I labeled this the "Bob Stoops vs. Urban Meyer" debate, which I think is accurate.)
OK, so LeBron is not coming to Brooklyn because the NETS are not coming to Brooklyn. I still think he's a lock for New York.
Ball St vs. Central Michigan -- as far as MAC regular-season games go, this is about as big as it gets.
I cannot believe the Yankees are so desperate that they're going to overpay for AJ Burnett, whose inevitability for the DL is so obvious that even I can see it.
More later.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile: Blake Griffin vs. Stephen Curry may very well turn out to be the single-best individual matchup of the college basketball season. How did this end up as an NIT game OUTSIDE of NYC?
I give a big thumbs-up to Texas locking in Will Muschamp as Mack Brown's successor, but there's that little nag in the back of my head: You're going to put a coach with zero head-coaching experience at the helm of Texas? It's not without risk. (In the column, I labeled this the "Bob Stoops vs. Urban Meyer" debate, which I think is accurate.)
OK, so LeBron is not coming to Brooklyn because the NETS are not coming to Brooklyn. I still think he's a lock for New York.
Ball St vs. Central Michigan -- as far as MAC regular-season games go, this is about as big as it gets.
I cannot believe the Yankees are so desperate that they're going to overpay for AJ Burnett, whose inevitability for the DL is so obvious that even I can see it.
More later.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Google Rules: Life Magazine Photo Archives
There is some amazing stuff in here. Try searching phrases like "Muhammad Ali" or "basketball." Wild.
Tuesday 11/18 A.M. Quickie:
Cuban, AL MVP, T-Mac, NFL Refs, More
I think the consensus is that while Mark Cuban's outrage at the SEC is entertaining, taking on the government isn't usually a winning strategy, as outlined in today's SN column.
Quickie scandal management is predicated on a few simple steps: Admit to something. Fix it. Move on. Whether it is allegations of insider trading or confirmation of NFL reffing screw-ups, the playbook is simple.
(It's particularly questionable in Cuban's case: It's not like he's facing jail time. What's a couple million in fines? Hell, David Stern pings Cubes for that every season.)
Meanwhile, the AL MVP race is by far the most up-in-the-air of any in this fairly straightforward MLB awards season. Split ballots may yield a very interesting winner.
NBA: T-Mac's knee is pretty messed up, as is my preseason pick of the Rockets winning the NBA title. So I'd rather concentrate on the breakout season being had by the Spurs' Roger Mason.
CBB: Stephen Curry -- so on fire, it's ridiculous. 14/19 FG, 9 assists, 4 steals (on top of 10 steals in the season-opener). Blake Griffin is pretty good, too. I can't stand that the Establishment has already determined that Tyler Hansbrough is going to win Player of the Year.
Finally, can we all agree that the Steelers-Chargers outcome wasn't fixed -- Occam's Razor would suggest that, as usual, it was inept officiating, pure and simple. At this rate, the NFL won't have any officiating crews left for the Super Bowl.
Tons more in today's SN column. More later.
-- D.S.
Quickie scandal management is predicated on a few simple steps: Admit to something. Fix it. Move on. Whether it is allegations of insider trading or confirmation of NFL reffing screw-ups, the playbook is simple.
(It's particularly questionable in Cuban's case: It's not like he's facing jail time. What's a couple million in fines? Hell, David Stern pings Cubes for that every season.)
Meanwhile, the AL MVP race is by far the most up-in-the-air of any in this fairly straightforward MLB awards season. Split ballots may yield a very interesting winner.
NBA: T-Mac's knee is pretty messed up, as is my preseason pick of the Rockets winning the NBA title. So I'd rather concentrate on the breakout season being had by the Spurs' Roger Mason.
CBB: Stephen Curry -- so on fire, it's ridiculous. 14/19 FG, 9 assists, 4 steals (on top of 10 steals in the season-opener). Blake Griffin is pretty good, too. I can't stand that the Establishment has already determined that Tyler Hansbrough is going to win Player of the Year.
Finally, can we all agree that the Steelers-Chargers outcome wasn't fixed -- Occam's Razor would suggest that, as usual, it was inept officiating, pure and simple. At this rate, the NFL won't have any officiating crews left for the Super Bowl.
Tons more in today's SN column. More later.
-- D.S.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Nate Silver: $700,000 Book Deal
My man-crush continues: Though if he was really good, wouldn't PECOTA have predicted it?
New York Times Shutters Play Magazine
Here are the details. That's really too bad. I had enjoyed contributing (you can find the archive on the right). I'm particularly grateful for the chance to have published this.
-- D.S.
-- D.S.
Mark Cuban Insider Trading Allegation Reax
From a sports standpoint, the question is whether the allegations turn out to be conviction-worthy, does David Stern suspend Mark Cuban's ownership of the Mavs, a la MLB and Steinbrenner?
(Different circumstances between Cubes and the Boss, but same principle: In the event an owner is convicted of a crime, does the sport commissioner have the authority to exile the owner?)
-- D.S.
(Different circumstances between Cubes and the Boss, but same principle: In the event an owner is convicted of a crime, does the sport commissioner have the authority to exile the owner?)
-- D.S.
Obamaball: President Obama vs. World Leaders PLUS Obama on "60 Minutes" Talking College Football Playoff
The NYT's Christopher Clarey has a fantastic piece today about the sporting passions of world leaders that Barack Obama might want to know about, given his own love of playing hoops.
Meanwhile, did you catch Obama on "60 Minutes" last night, promoting his 8-team playoff? He's still light on details -- who's included, how to do rankings, how to implode the BCS cabal -- but I love that this is his signature issue in sports. He's a fan just like you and me.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile, did you catch Obama on "60 Minutes" last night, promoting his 8-team playoff? He's still light on details -- who's included, how to do rankings, how to implode the BCS cabal -- but I love that this is his signature issue in sports. He's a fan just like you and me.
-- D.S.
Monday 11/17 A.M. Quickie:
Romo, Titans, Ties, BCS, Dirk, Obama, More
Yeah, yeah: The Cowboys snagged a win in D.C. behind Tony Four-Fingers. And the Titans are still undefeated. But can we all agree that the most surreal storyline of the NFL weekend was...
Donovan McNabb didn't understand/know/realize that NFL games can end in ties? Now, he may have a point, buried under the ignorance: The idea that NFL games end in ties is ludicrous.
Yeah, those fans who paid through the nose to see a result would really be offended if they had to stick around for a bonus extra quarter or two until there is a win/loss result.
Meanwhile, among other things you'll find in today's SN column:
NFL: The Giants are No. 1, Albert Haynesworth edges Kurt Warner as my up-til-today MVP, Steve Slaton may be the best of an insanely good crop of rookie RBs, Williams and Stewart are the new White and Johnson and it's hard not to enjoy what the Dolphins are doing right now.
CFB: OK, OK...I changed my BlogPoll ballot to this: TX Tech, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Okla. Again, I'm happy to hide my obvious impulse to rank Florida as high as No. 2, because they have their fate in their own hands. Teams like Texas and Oklahoma need the propping up.
NBA: Dirk went crazy last night in NYC, though for performance of the night, I think Amare may give him a run for his money.
CBB: So Duke escaped with a win over Rhode Island, but remember the name Jimmy Baron. He could be the best pure 3-point shooter in college hoops.
As usual on Mondays, there's a ton more in the column. Check it out here. More later.
-- D.S.
Donovan McNabb didn't understand/know/realize that NFL games can end in ties? Now, he may have a point, buried under the ignorance: The idea that NFL games end in ties is ludicrous.
Yeah, those fans who paid through the nose to see a result would really be offended if they had to stick around for a bonus extra quarter or two until there is a win/loss result.
Meanwhile, among other things you'll find in today's SN column:
NFL: The Giants are No. 1, Albert Haynesworth edges Kurt Warner as my up-til-today MVP, Steve Slaton may be the best of an insanely good crop of rookie RBs, Williams and Stewart are the new White and Johnson and it's hard not to enjoy what the Dolphins are doing right now.
CFB: OK, OK...I changed my BlogPoll ballot to this: TX Tech, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Okla. Again, I'm happy to hide my obvious impulse to rank Florida as high as No. 2, because they have their fate in their own hands. Teams like Texas and Oklahoma need the propping up.
NBA: Dirk went crazy last night in NYC, though for performance of the night, I think Amare may give him a run for his money.
CBB: So Duke escaped with a win over Rhode Island, but remember the name Jimmy Baron. He could be the best pure 3-point shooter in college hoops.
As usual on Mondays, there's a ton more in the column. Check it out here. More later.
-- D.S.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
CFB BlogPoll Top 25 Ballot, Version 1
The BlogPoll ballot uploader is on the blink right now, so I'll post it when I can. I'll put my list below by hand. Meanwhile, the new AP and Coaches' polls are out.
Two observations: (1) I cannot believe that the coaches continue to put Bama over Texas Tech (although in the instant-history world of pollsters, Bama's win last night trump's TT's bye.), and (2) thank god the Coaches flipped Texas ahead of Oklahoma -- the reverse made no sense, given that OU, um, LOST TO TEXAS HEAD TO HEAD. Just needed to shout that...again...
BTW, two AP voters ranked Florida first. Eh... no. Only legit if they have done their ballots the entire season based on the lone criteria "Who is playing the best right now?" If you involve any season-long "resume" rationale in your balloting (which you have to in the case of Florida), you simply can't put the Gators at No. 1 ahead of Texas Tech. Over Bama? Well... um, yes:
(1) TX Tech; (2) Florida; (3) Texas; (4) Alabama; (5) Oklahoma; (6) USC; (7) Utah; (8) Boise St; (9) Penn State; (10) Ohio State; (11) OK St; (12) Mizzou; (13) Georgia; (14) TCU; (15) Ball St; (16) Cincy; (17) Oregon St; (18) LSU; (19) Michigan St; (20) BYU; (21) Pitt; (22) Maryland; (23) Central Michigan; (24) Miami; (25) Northwestern. Yeesh: It gets grim after the top 12.
- D.S.
Two observations: (1) I cannot believe that the coaches continue to put Bama over Texas Tech (although in the instant-history world of pollsters, Bama's win last night trump's TT's bye.), and (2) thank god the Coaches flipped Texas ahead of Oklahoma -- the reverse made no sense, given that OU, um, LOST TO TEXAS HEAD TO HEAD. Just needed to shout that...again...
BTW, two AP voters ranked Florida first. Eh... no. Only legit if they have done their ballots the entire season based on the lone criteria "Who is playing the best right now?" If you involve any season-long "resume" rationale in your balloting (which you have to in the case of Florida), you simply can't put the Gators at No. 1 ahead of Texas Tech. Over Bama? Well... um, yes:
(1) TX Tech; (2) Florida; (3) Texas; (4) Alabama; (5) Oklahoma; (6) USC; (7) Utah; (8) Boise St; (9) Penn State; (10) Ohio State; (11) OK St; (12) Mizzou; (13) Georgia; (14) TCU; (15) Ball St; (16) Cincy; (17) Oregon St; (18) LSU; (19) Michigan St; (20) BYU; (21) Pitt; (22) Maryland; (23) Central Michigan; (24) Miami; (25) Northwestern. Yeesh: It gets grim after the top 12.
- D.S.
Quickie Vocab: USChadenfreude -- Whoops
UPDATE: Yeah, yeah... I totally blew the number of at-large teams. I look forward to USC's inclusion in the BCS as an at-large team. That's a big fat "D'oh!" to me, and thanks to the many of you who emailed and Commented to correct me.
USChadenfreude: Not only will USC not play in the Rose Bowl when they lose the Pac-10 title tiebreaker to Oregon State, but they won't even play in a BCS bowl.
(Of the 2 at-large spots, one will go to the Alabama-Florida loser, from the Sugar Bowl, which will lose the SEC title-game winner to the BCS title game; the other at-large spot will go to Utah or Boise State. That puts USC in the "Pac-10 No. 2" spot for the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30. Hey, at least it will be a good game -- it's against the No. 3 team in the Big 12.)
USChadenfreude: Not only will USC not play in the Rose Bowl when they lose the Pac-10 title tiebreaker to Oregon State, but they won't even play in a BCS bowl.
(Of the 2 at-large spots, one will go to the Alabama-Florida loser, from the Sugar Bowl, which will lose the SEC title-game winner to the BCS title game; the other at-large spot will go to Utah or Boise State. That puts USC in the "Pac-10 No. 2" spot for the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30. Hey, at least it will be a good game -- it's against the No. 3 team in the Big 12.)
Sunday 11/16 (Very) Quickie
Barack Obama loves a CFB playoff and isn't afraid to tell the world on "60 Minutes." See post below...
Florida may have a loss, but no team in the country -- including Texas Tech -- is playing better right now. That doesn't mean anything in terms of rankings or national titles, but it sure will be interesting to see if anyone can stop them: Offense, defense, special teams...all clicking at a best-in-the-nation pace right now.
That said, my first-glance BlogPoll ballot this week looks much like last week: Texas Tech, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma. I can afford to be magnanimous about Florida's placement, because they'll have their chance to vault the field in 4 weeks.
(Florida is not in the same boat as the other 1-loss teams: UF controls its own destiny. If UF wins the next 2 games, then beats Alabama in the SEC CG, there is no question they will make the national title game. Meanwhile, Texas needs Texas Tech to lose. And Oklahoma needs to beat Texas Tech, then hope voters don't realize that OU lost head-to-head to Texas. USC has virtually no hope. Hell, they need Oregon State to lose before they even enter the discussion. Their case comes least close to "controlling own destiny." See my post later this morning.
CFB Late Night: So much for "revenge." Bama and USC took care of business more than anything. (But USC remains so screwed -- check back later today for a new vocabulary word.)
College Hoops: UNC wins without Hansbrough... Gonzaga (my "tier 2" pick to win the national title, behind "tier 1" pick, Louisville) rolls... Freshman Watch: Tyreke Evans (19 pts), Demar DeRozan (14 pts)...
NBA: Who is Anthony Morrow? He just set the record for points scored by an undrafted rookie in his first season. 37, to go with 11 rebounds. He just got made. Meanwhile, Devin Harris is on fire.
MMA: Brock Lesnar is your new UFC champ, and his wide crossover appeal could usher the sport to new heights.
-- D.S.
Florida may have a loss, but no team in the country -- including Texas Tech -- is playing better right now. That doesn't mean anything in terms of rankings or national titles, but it sure will be interesting to see if anyone can stop them: Offense, defense, special teams...all clicking at a best-in-the-nation pace right now.
That said, my first-glance BlogPoll ballot this week looks much like last week: Texas Tech, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma. I can afford to be magnanimous about Florida's placement, because they'll have their chance to vault the field in 4 weeks.
(Florida is not in the same boat as the other 1-loss teams: UF controls its own destiny. If UF wins the next 2 games, then beats Alabama in the SEC CG, there is no question they will make the national title game. Meanwhile, Texas needs Texas Tech to lose. And Oklahoma needs to beat Texas Tech, then hope voters don't realize that OU lost head-to-head to Texas. USC has virtually no hope. Hell, they need Oregon State to lose before they even enter the discussion. Their case comes least close to "controlling own destiny." See my post later this morning.
CFB Late Night: So much for "revenge." Bama and USC took care of business more than anything. (But USC remains so screwed -- check back later today for a new vocabulary word.)
College Hoops: UNC wins without Hansbrough... Gonzaga (my "tier 2" pick to win the national title, behind "tier 1" pick, Louisville) rolls... Freshman Watch: Tyreke Evans (19 pts), Demar DeRozan (14 pts)...
NBA: Who is Anthony Morrow? He just set the record for points scored by an undrafted rookie in his first season. 37, to go with 11 rebounds. He just got made. Meanwhile, Devin Harris is on fire.
MMA: Brock Lesnar is your new UFC champ, and his wide crossover appeal could usher the sport to new heights.
-- D.S.
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