Morning gang.
From the "Talks too much" studios, seeing is believing.
College football rankings
The college football playoff committee's rankings remained unchanged among the top four.
Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame are the four best as of this moment, according to the committee last night. That means next to nothing in the grand scheme. But there's value in the information.
The committee values Notre Dame's 'best' loss more than Oklahoma's 'best' win among the one-loss fringe teams.
The committee also values the eye-test - Alabama and Ohio State are the ultimate eye-test teams, and each would be favored over any other team in the country on a neutral site - a great deal.
The committee hates Houston, which drew some cruddy cards when it comes to scheduling. A non-power five team with wins over Vandy and Louisville, the Cougars have done everything they could possibly do, but they are barely even on the radar. (Side note: If you are Houston, do you not petition the Big 12 right now for admittance, since that league needs another two teams for a football title game sooner rather than later. Close proximity, a nice resume in football. Heck maybe even call BYU to see if they are interested, too, and easy, peasy, lemon-squeezy, the Big 12 has divisions and a title game.)
With that in mind and three weeks left in the season for everyone other than Army and Navy, these are the following teams that in our view completely control their own destiny:
Clemson. Easy for the Tigers, since they have been the most accomplished team to this point. Win out and pack your bags for a New Year's Eve date with the No. 4 seed.
Alabama defensive backs Kendall Sheffield (11), Marlon Humphrey (26), Jabriel Washington (23) and Shawn Burgess-Becker (27) work through a drill during football practice, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Vasha Hunt/AL.com via AP) MAGS OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT Alabama. Win out and the Tide are locks. (And Jeff Long even hinted that the committee debated about whether Alabama is the No. 1 team in the country.)
Ohio State. See above.
Iowa. It's next to impossible to see an unbeaten Big Ten champ - who would have a conference title game win over Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State as the lasting image before the field is set - not making the dance. It's crazy to think this is the same team for all intents and purposes that Tennessee boatraced last January, right? (Side question: Since Butch Jones has coached against four of the top-10 teams in the committee's ranking in the last 10-plus months, his opinion on the rankings would be interesting. It also would be nrealy impossible to get from the accomplished question deflector and catch-phrase pharaoh.)
Oklahoma State. If the Cowboys run the table, you can be T. Boone Pickens' bank account they get to the playoff. First, an unbeaten power five conference champ left out for a one-loss non-conference champ (Notre Dame included) would create such turmoil in the system, we'd be talking about six or even eight teams as soon as next year. Second, the Big 12 being left on the curb last year would mean there's next to no chance the committee - which has routinely said it greatly values a conference title - would leave out a clear champ such as the unbeaten Cowboys.
As for the next cusp (teams that need to handle their BID-ness and get a little help), that's where the intrigue comes in. What about these teams that still have a chance:
Notre Dame: Win out and it could be enough. But any number of variables - an Ohio State loss or an Alabama loss or especially an Oklahoma State or Oklahoma loss - strengthen the Irish's effort.
Oklahoma. Similar situation as Notre Dame. Job one is win out. Job two may be starting the campaigning, which Bob Stoops has already done. More than any other fan base, the Sooners need the Irish to stumble since Notre Dame housed Texas early in the season and OU lost to the underachieving Longhorns last month.
Florida. Even winning out - which would mean a rivalry win at FSU and an SEC title win over Alabama - may not be enough. Style points may be as important for Florida - with severe questions about the Gators offense with Treon Harris behind center - as any team left in the hunt.
Michigan State. The Spartans are the only team in the top nine that could have dates with two of the teams in front of them, and that could mean a lot in the eyes of the committee.
The rest of the teams in the hunt - including an unbeaten Houston - need a ton of help.
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Braves tanking
Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella is tired of hearing about the Braves fire sale and rebuilding efforts.
He's clamoring for more time as the Braves sell off a big chunk of their roster for prospects and financial flexibility. He has a point, but to expect there to be not angst, especially among fans, as Atlanta tried to overhaul a minor league system is silly.
Of course fans want to keep recognizable names, especially when those names are as valuable and as much fun to watch as shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who was dealt to the Angels earlier this month.
Atlanta Braves' A.J. Pierzynski rounds their base to congratulations by coach Bo Porter, left, during a home run against the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015, in Atlanta.Coppolella did say he'd rather give his "right arm" than trade Freddie Freeman, so there is that.
Specifically, we sit here bemoaning the roster with the realization that the current Braves are terrible and will be lucky to win 75 games next year.
In general theory, though, we have to wonder whether tanking is the way to rebuild in the days of modern team sports? The Braves are going into this next draft with a bevy of high picks and one or two good drafts, and then, bang you are restocked.
If you think it only applies to the NBA, ask an Astros, Royals or Cubs fan. Or even a Pirates fan. All of those franchise spent five-plus years being terrible and loading up on young talent.
And Coppolella better hope he and his staff make the most of those draft picks in the next 18 months.
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America vs. Cam Newton
Man the backlash from Cam Newton's touchdown dance against the Titans after scoring a TD has come in waves.
The most recent was a letter to the editor of the Charlotte newspaper from a mom outside of Nashville who said that Newton's dance was offensive to her 9-year-old daughter.
Wow. OK, we are in the age of everyone gets offended and overreacts at everything, but this is at best ridiculous and at worst, well, you connect the dots.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton slaps hands with fans after the Panthers beat the Tennessee Titans 27-10 in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) In the letter, the mom even suggests that her 9-year-old daughter should watch the cheerleaders rather than Cam celebrating a touchdown. Really? You want your daughter to watch a routine designed to objectify women rather than a world-class athlete enjoy the merits of his hard work and amazing talent? OK, that's your choice as a parent, no matter how crazy it may seem.
But this is beyond one over-reactive parent - side question: Wonder how this mom tells her daughter about the other real problems of say a Greg Hardy or an Aldon Smith or an Adrian Peterson - and asks a bigger question.
Why does Cam generate such hate? Is it simply because Cam is a successful black quarterback?
If Cam's dance or celebrations are so bad, how come no one bags on Tom Brady's exuberance when he scores or Aaron Rodgers' discount-double check move? And let's not forget that Cam also is the guy that gives every touchdown ball to a child in the front rows of the end zone.
Sure, if you take the "act like you've been there before" approach, we get that. But does that only apply to Cam? What about other sports or other positions? And what about J.J. Watt, a guy that has become famous for mocking people in his sack celebration?
Cam is flamboyant, and in truth, that helps his leadership skills - and say what you want about Cam, but to deny his leadership skills is silly - and his place within the locker room.
It's one thing to celebrate a first down when you are trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter - and yes, Cam's dance went about five seconds too long - but the hand-wringing over this raises a singular question about the backlash directed firmly at Cam Newton.
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This and that
- UK didn't disappoint last night in an impressive win over Duke. Here's a well-reasoned piece from TFP ace Mark Wiedmer. (Side note: We have said this before but on the dawn of another college hoops season, we are blessed in this area to have Weeds' hoops analysis. Dude knows his stuff.) That said, we were overwhelmingly impressed with the Wildcats for two reasons: One, they guard on the perimeter like few other teams in recent memory, and that means two sub-set things. One-A, defense never slumps and two-A, if the Cats guarded the perimeter like they did Tuesday night against Wisconsin in the Final Four, they would have won it all. Number two, Tyler Ulis is a special point guard. Special, and very fun to watch. UK may not talk about 40-0 and that's fine, but the talent and depth is there to make a push.
FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2103, file photo, St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford looks to pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C. Two people familiar with the trade say the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams have agreed to swap quarterbacks Nick Foles and Sam Bradford. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday, March 10, 2015, because the teams are still working on the draft picks involved in the deal. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone, File) - The Rams have benched Nick Foles. That's understandable. But according to this story the Rams have already guaranteed all $7.75 million of Foles' deal for next year. This feels like a great time to remind folks that NFL contracts are a mixed bag of fool's gold and solid gold. Take Colin Kaepernick's deal, with very limited guaranteed money, which means if the 49ers cut him - and they very well may - the nine-figure number on that deal is more Loch Ness monster than locked in his bank account. Foles' deal, however, appears to be Warren Buffett approved.
- LeBron James scored 30 last night. No that is not news. It's noteworthy because James moved into 19th place on the NBA scoring list, passing Jerry West.
- Don't know whether to be frightened or hopeful now that we know there's a "Top Gun 2" coming out and Val Kilmer will be involved. Oh boy. No word whether the working title of the sequel to the popular - and at times sexually confused - late-1980s megabit is "Top Gun 2: Ice and Mav sittin' in a tree"
Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James dunks the ball against the New York Knicks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak) - Don't know we missed this earlier this week, but the Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year is not a word. Yep, it's an emoji, and it's officially the one that is called "Face with tears of joy." Wow. On a side note, since we can't decide on a single word - and if we had to guess that indecision is in a lot of ways in reaction to the overreactive PC police - have we not considered the feelings of the other emojis? I mean how is "Horns" emoji going to react or how about rolling on the floor laughing emoji. Oh the humanity.
- Ronda Rosuey is being forced to take a 60-day medical leave from fighting in the aftermaths of concussion worries form the whipping she took over the weekend. This is smart and if other sports - pssstttt, NFL, we're talking about you - are serious about safety, that approach makes a lot of sense.
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Today's question
David Ortiz is retiring at the end of the 2016 season.
The man known as "Big Papi" is in a word, clutch. He also was affable and enjoyable and a pleasure to be around. He was a great leader on a team that ended the Red Sox curse and has won multiple titles in Boston.
He has 503 homers, a magical number, even for a guy that played very little in the field.
That said, Ortiz has been mentioned in a number of different PED reports.
His Hall of Fame candidacy will be a great litmus test in the modern era.
So we'll ask this: Is David Ortiz a Hall of Famer, and in a lot of ways if you say yes, then you are saying yes on Bonds, Clemens and the rest of a generation of all-time greats under the cloud of the PED era?