NFL power poll
The NFL is in a wild place. An interesting place in which the questions of plateauing and whether the ceiling has been reached or if the bubble could burst have merit.
We've discussed a lot of the tangential things that have greatly dropped TV ratings, and when you a re league that has risen to the top of sports and pop culture in this country on the wings of TV ratings, a double-digit dip in those numbers is a real issue.
A lot of those things are beyond the NFL's control, be it a presidential year with debates or the cord-cutting phenomenon that is a threat to all TV programming be it sports or soaps. Let's look at two issues facing the league, one in its control and the other part of the cyclical way the game has evolved.
First, the No Fun League has again taken a hard and fast stance on the "no bow-and-arrow" celebration.
Dean Blandino says the bow-and-arrow routine "mimics a violent act." OK, maybe it did, like 200 years ago. Or you know when a bunch of Redskins would be hunting buffalos (or Bills). So in truth, shouldn't all Washington players be grandfathered into being able to use the bow-and-arrow celebration. And what about the tomahawk chop. That was a violent act back when John Dunbar was "Dancing with Wolves."
Well, good thing we got that settled, you know since this whole football thing is not mimicking a violent act. It is a 100 consecutive violent snaps every Sunday afternoon for three hours of violent acts. But the bow-and-arrow thing - not the pregame protests or the halftime painkillers or the fill-in-the-blank other issues - is where the NFL powers that be will draw the line.
The other one is the effects of pass interference has on the passing game. It is a real part of the game plan, as tangible a change in recent years as the back-shoulder throw and the checkdown. (The checkdown is about as much fun as a check-up for what it's worth. Throwing 15 swing passes a game for a grand total of 43 yards is the Sunday version of "Turn your head and cough" in our view.)
But as of the pass interference, teams are counting on it about as often as they are counting on completions in the deep passing game. And that's not a good thing. It's not good because it's not fun. It's not good because it's banking on the unknown.
And it's especially not good because we are now putting the onus on the refs to make calls rather for players to make plays.
That then leads to missed calls or bad calls or what have you, and plain and simply, being in a place where refs decide the outcome of games - rightly or wrongly - is not a good place for any sport. To the power poll.
1. Minnesota (5-0). Last we were right chastised for noting heaping enough praise on the Vikings defense. OK, how's this: The Vikings are first in pointers allowed per game (12.6) and have allowed more than 14 points exactly one time this season - in a season-opening 25-16 win over Tennessee.
2. New England (5-1). The Patriots' +58 is second-best in point differential this year. Of course the Pats are +38 in Tom Brady's two games since returning from suspension. (Amazingly the Buffalo Bills lead in point differential at +59.)
3. Dallas (5-1). Can we please stop all the "When Romo gets back" chatter now that Dak Prescott has firmly grabbed the quarterback gig. Yes, we believe history has been too harsh on Tony Romo, who has been a good, to very good QB for most of his career in Dallas. But gang, if the Colts were ready to turn the page with an aging Peyton Manning when the chance to get the QB of the future presented itself, the Cowboys have to be ready to turn the page with Romo, who has won two more playoff games as an NFL quarterback as Stewwie has.
4. Seattle (4-1). Want to know a real shame of the missed pass interference call Sunday evening that cost the Falcons a chance at a game-winning field goal in Seattle? There'a avery real chance that that one call could have a huge hand in NFC home-field advantage, and in turn, if that edge goes through Seattle, a big hand in who gets to the Super Bowl. One missed call. That's the fine line of winning and losing in this league.
5. Atlanta (4-2). The offense is as good as any in the league, and if tight end Jacob Tamme can stay healthy, it will only get more diverse. The offensive line is also a lot better, and showed that against a very good Seattle front seven.
FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016, file photo, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) leaves the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. The Panthers are hoping Newton can get back on the field in preparation for Sunday's game against New Orleans, but right now he remains in the concussion protocol.( (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt, File) Powerless
28. Carolina (1-5). Want to know the difference, other than Cam Newton 2015 was the MVP and Cam Newton 2016 looks broken and battered and acting like a petulant child? In 2015 Carolina led the league in turnover margin. Through six weeks this season, the Panthers are 30th in the league at minus-8.
29. New York Jets (1-5). Gross, what was that on Monday night? No not the confusion that comes from Gruden when he gets distracted by puzzling quarterback decisions. The Jets. They smell.
30. Chicago (1-5). Bad roster. Bad team. Great town. Who doesn't love Chicago. Side note: There are a lot of really bad NFL teams playing a lot of really bad NFL football right now.
31. San Francisco (1-5). Colin Kaepernick or Colin Farrell could be starting at quarterback and it really wouldn't matter.
32. Cleveland (bagel-and-whatever, does it really matter). The Browns lost by two at a mediocre Tennessee team when some cat named Cody Kessler threw for three bills. Rest easy Cleveland, because the Indians are about to be in the World Series and the Cavs are the defending NBA champs. (Here's betting most of the Dawg Pound would trade both of those for a Super Bowl.)
Alabama head coach Nick Saban, right, confers with offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. The top-ranked University of Alabama Crimson Tide visited the University of Tennessee Volunteers in SEC football action on Oct. 15, 2016.College football polls
It's a Tuesday, so we're going to breakdown a handful of college football things into rankings, because, well a) it's fun; b) college football and exotic dancers are a lot alike - they can be highly entertaining to watch, very expense to be a loyal follower and do some of their best work when it comes to polls; and c) did we mention it's fun.
With that, we'll take a crack at a couple of top 5s, in 10 words or less. You know the drill.
Best five in the country
1. Alabama. And the Tide second team could be top 20.
2. Ohio State. JT Barrett has look of big-game difference-maker.
3. Clemson. Yes narrow escapes problematic; but wins all that matter.
4. Michigan. Coach Khaki has Wolverines believing.
5. Washington. Chris Peterson is DJ Khaled - all he does is win.
Best non-Power Five teams
1. Boise State. Peterson's former program has an NFL QB in Brett Rypien.
2. Houston. Navy' loss hurt, but Cougars still have date with Louisville.
3. Western Michigan. Broncos have lost one turnover all season.
4. Navy. Here's hoping coach Ken Niumatalolo runs the option there forever.
5. BYU. Three losses by a total of seven points this year.
Best five games left
1. Michigan-Ohio State. Monster rivalry, yes, but also a CFP play-in game.
2. Texas A&M-Alabama. How good is Bama? A 17-point favorite over unbeaten Aggies.
3. Houston-Louisville. Matchup of best current one-loss teams.
4. Washington-Utah. Huskies win here, they should be unbeaten conference champ.
5. Clemson-FSU. Likely last chance for someone to beat the Tigers.
Sports and commentary
Sadly, the salad days of sports being sports are gone.
Long gone.
The days of Michael Jordan saying "Republicans buy shoes too" have gone the way of the T-Rex, the 8-track tape and the VCR.
It's the progression of things. It's the transformation of power and platform and perspective, and it certainly is every individual's right. Yes, freedom of speech is fair and universal whether you are an athlete or an a-hole or potentially both or somewhere in between.
Athletes are running the risk of putting themselves out there with unpopular stances that could very well hurt their brand. That was part of the famous Jordan quote in his early days as a Nike shoe endorser.
Granted, that risk is no where near as great today considering the money generated and paid to the athletes. And in a lot of ways, the 'no-such-thing-as-bad-publicity' adage certainly applies, even when it comes to controversy.
You know about Colin Kaepernick. Everyone does, way more now than you know, when he was actually a good NFL quarterback.
Agree or disagree, he is among the most well-known quarterbacks on the planet. In fact, because of the news his protests have generated and his polarizing popularity/hatred- remember he's got the best-selling jersey in the NFL and was voted the most disliked player in the league in an USA Today poll - here's betting he's right there behind Brady as far as world-wide notoriety among NFL players.
Of course the base of notoriety is note, and being a footnote is far from being right.
This is not about the protest, per se. We get it. Kaepernick doesn't think black people are treated equally in this country in general and by police officers in particular. That's his right. But what's not his right is to call out the "U-S-A! U-S-A!" chants he heard during the national anthem Sunday at Buffalo.
Here's his postage quote after Kaepernick made his first start of the season Sunday against the Bills after continuing to take a knee during the presume ceremonies to honor our country and those who have fought and died protecting it:
"I don't understand what's un-American about fighting for liberty and justice for everybody, for the equality this country says it stands for," Kaepernick said. "To me, I see it as very patriotic and American to uphold the United States to the standards that it says it lives by."
Say what?
This little rant is not about the fact that a guy making more money this year than 99 percent of the country will see in their lifetime being exceedingly mediocre at best at his job feels 'discriminated against.' This is not Kaepernick's right to insult those military members who have every right to be insulted by what they perceive to be a disrespectful gesture. And this is certainly not about Kaepernick's right to do that gesture.
But what Kaepernick can't have is the ability to play both sides of the intentions game. He says repeatedly that he's not trying to disrespect the military, rather it's about social protests in this country.
OK, well, how does he know the intentions of the chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" from a relatively small-market, blue-collar NFL town. Maybe those folks were trying to show their personal patriotism and pride in the country in a time when you, Mr. Kaepernick have started this discourse.
And that's the funny thing about a national discussion folks. You say your peace, whether it's words or socks that make funny of the police or a Fidel Castro shirt or even in silence as you take a knee.
But the other side gets its say too. Sometimes the other side's response comes in boos - wow, it's shocking, right that the quarterback of the opposing team is booed at opposing NFL stadiums, right? Oh the humanity.
And sometimes it comes in a response that is clear and direct and universal and as much as anything else - appropriate - during the national anthem. Take your knee Colin Kaepernick, it is your right as a person, a player, and an American.
But do not take offense sir when fans choose to honor the flag with as much volume as they can muster.
This and that
- Man, we love what we do and are proud to be what we hope comes across as a responsible member of the media. But we are embarrassed for our profession when you see cockamamie stories and irresponsible conclusions like this one on how Donald Trump is hurting the NFL. Yes, that's from Yahoo! Finance and the first of three ideas - that the presidential debates and coverage - makes complete sense and is even the league's first response to the ratings that are down double digits. But the other two claims that the league's TV numbers are dwindling because Trump is friends with Tom Brady and sent out a tweet three years ago about Tony Romo and Trump criticized the NFL concussion protocol. Buckets that's at best a reach and at worst the type of shoddy and hollow and flawed reporting that adds another log to fire that drives the steamship called The S.S. Liberal Media.
- Speaking of Trump, Mexican-born baseball player Adrian Gonzalez refused to stay at a Trump hotel when the Dodgers visited Chicago earlier this year. Here's the story.
- For the folks around these parts who follow such matters, the name Dale McDowell is known to dirt-track races around the country. The Chickamauga, Ga.-resident was part of the latest National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame.This is a story from 'Dirt on Dirt' magazine and I bet if you mistype one letter or more it could likely lead you to an adult website. Dirt on Dirt. Go figure.
- Some more interesting TV numbers: Sunday's NLCS baseball game as the Dodgers beat the Cubs 1-0 was the most-watched program in Fox Sports 1 history with an average audience between 7.2-7.3 million viewers according to Neilsen. Those numbers are up 67 percent from NLCS Game 2 numbers last year.
Today's question
You know the drill. True or false Tuesday.
This week, you guys offer some up and we'll check them around 1 p.m. Deal? Deal.
Jean-Claude Van Damme is 56 today. If there was a tournament of martial arts movie stars, who would be the final four left standing.
Go.