More college movement and Father Time wins some and loses some
From the "Talk too much Studios" here we go...
Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel (3) scrambles as he is pressured by Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o (5) during the first half of the Champs Sports Bowl NCAA college football game, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)College movement
Last year, Texas A&M was the straw that stirred the drink that was college sports realignment.
This year, it appears FSU is the instigator. The Seminoles made their availability known when they said they would be open to listening to an offer from the Big 12. (To be clear, in the matter of college athletics, that statement is as covert and hush-hush as posting a "free ice cream" sign at a Weight Watchers meeting. Oh yes, there will be suitors.)
So buckle up for another round of conference musical chairs, where the school athletic directors and presidents are looking for the best deals and the conferences are looking for new TV markets. Oh yeah, what about competition, rivalry and fans? You think anyone cares about that? That's so 1993.
And if FSU is this year's Texas A&M, then the ACC could very well be this year's Big East. Which means if FSU leaves, there could be a series of dominoes fall that rips the guts out of the ACC.
It's coming.
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Los Angeles LakersFather Times dominates
Dang thing about getting old, it changes all you have and all your ever going to have.
And the Lakers and the Celtics looked old Monday night in playoff losses to the Thunder and the 76ers, respectively.
The Thunder hammered Los Angeles, doling out an overpowering 119-90 beatdown that spoke loudly to three innate edges the Thunder have right now:
- Their homecourt edge is stout. The joint is loud, basketball-savvy and into the action. We'd say the Thunder crowd is worth six points a night.
- Russell Westbrook is going to be tough for the Lakers to handle. The Thunder point guard was nasty Monday, and if he protects the ball that well for the rest of the series - OKC had a franchise-low four (yes 4) turnovers - the Lakers have no shot.
- Not only are the Lakers much older than the Thunder, but the shortened season and the first-round results - Lakers needed seven games; Thunder swept Dallas and rested - compound the fatigue. Here's two stats to watch in the series: After Game 1 the Thunder have a 13-0 edge in fast-break points and a 13-1 edge in steals. We'll keep this throughout the series.
As for the Celtics, well, color us more than a little surprised that the series heads back to Philly tied 1-1. And, if you think this series is not that close, remember the total points are even 173-173. We feel this one going seven. Thoughts?
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New York Yankees' Derek Jeter. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)Jeter still jamming
Derek Jeter has never won an MVP. He's averaged a sound 16 homers and 22 steals per season.
But dude is speeding toward some rarified air on one of baseball's most pristine lists.
Jeter passed Robin Yount and moved into 17th place on baseball hit list. Jeter, who is 37 and in his 18th season, has 3,143 hits.
Considering Jeter is signed through next year and has a player option for 2014, it's very conceivable that he'll play two more years after this summer. He's averaged more than 200 hits per year for his career, and while he's leading the American League with 55 hits so far this year, that pace seems too high.
Let's conservatively say he averages 175 hits - a number he has been under all of twice in his career - through his remaining contract. That's 470 more hits.
If Jeter gets to 3,613 career hits - his current total plus the 470 - that would be fifth all-time. Fifth.
Wow, is it time to put Derek Jeter on the Tim Duncan All-Stars - the team reserved for all-time greats who for some reason or another rarely get mentioned among the all-time greats? And if Derek Jeter is a Tim Duncan All-Star, he has to be the first one every from New York City, right?
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This and that
- Shoutout to our cousin Scott Cole, who celebrates a birthday today. He's a man, he's 41!
- As someone noted last week, Usain Bolt reportedly had decided to abstain from "wink-wink" activities with his girlfriend in an effort to stay focused on the upcoming Olympics. That should be a great deal easier now after Bolt and his chick-a-dee have split. Heck fire, with you guys collect the material, we could be like No. 4 on the celebrity news sites. It could be Us.com then People.com, then Yahoo and then the 5-at-10 with a bullet.
- Bryce Harper hit his first big-league homer Monday. The 19-year-old Harper is the youngest to homer in the majors since Sept. 25, 1998 when Adrian Beltre did it. (Beltre was 40 days younger than Harper.
- Braves dropped a 3-1 decision to the Reds on Monday. Hey, it's baseball and it happens. Two quick things: Is anyone starting to get a little concerned about Everyday Jonny Venters? He things happen, but relief pitchers are like cornerbacks - they are supremely well served by having no short-term memory and believing they are untouchable. If Venters starts to believe he's not bulletproof, there could be trouble. The second thing is Holy Smoking Baseballs and Whistling Sliders, Aroldis Chapman throws hard. He hit 101 on a fastball to Chipper last night. Wow.
- Apparently the Cabral family really celebrates a Mother's Day party. Apparently in La Puente early Sunday morning, Modesto Cabral drove his 2006 Lexus into a family's swimming pool http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_20617133/officials-drunken-driver-ends-up-backyard-swimming-pool. He was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence. Yeah, that's a pretty safe suspicion. How would you even try to explain that one. "Well, see what had happened was... needed to change the radio... and foot slipped... and BANG the pool jumped out in front of the car. It was scary."
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Today's question(s)
We have long said that the goal of conference expansion should be getting to 16 teams and sub-dividing.
Do you think FSU on the move, even though the University of Texas AD said that FSU is not in play right now? If so, what will become of the ACC? And if that happens, what does the SEC do - stand pat, add two more, look at adding Cuba, China and Costa Rica and taking over the whole planet. (Cut to Mike Slive pulling on his long mustache - if he had one - and laughing sinisterly... Moo-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha.)
What's next?