Weekend winners
Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry and everyone involved in the Army-Navy game. Forget the picks, it’s been a long time since I gave that much time to a non-SEC game that was decided by three scores. What a cool game, and what a performance by Perry, who ran for 3 billion yards.
Tiger Woods in particular and U.S. Golf in general. OK, we talked a little last week about how much time we’d give the Presidents Cup. Well, I gave it way, Way, WAY more than any event not named the Masters in the last year. Even the Ryder Cup. Yes, prime time Saturday night helped, but with the drama and the U.S. comeback and the Patrick Reed intrigue and all of it, well, I was hooked. And the U.S. won with a historic comeback and the first guy out of the gate – who hammered the International team’s hottest player – was none other than playing-captain Tiger Woods. It was pretty cool.
Dan Quinn. Yes, I think Quinn should be fired. But the fact that the Falcons are still playing supremely hard for him despite having nothing at stake in terms of the playoffs is a testament to his relationship with the team.
This parlay bettor (and every bettor who had the Falcons-49ers over 47.5 and Philly minus-4.5). OK, it’s obviously cool to win a nine-team parlay and turn $200 in $75K – especially before Christmas – but this cat had both the Eagles and the over in the Falcons 49ers game, along with Pats minus-9.5, Houston +2.5, Seattle-Carolina over 48.5, K.C. -9.5, Falcons +10.5, minnesota -2.5 and Minnesota-Chargers over 44.5. And it worked because of crazy last-second defensive or special-teams TDs by the Eagles and the Falcons on the final play of each game. It also made a winner out of this bettor who had $50K on the Eagles. Imagine if you are the guy who tears up that ticket in frustration, considering the Eagles scored 13 points in the last 11 seconds to cover.)
Auburn basketball. There were a lot of college hoops options here, and if you think this is a homer pick, well, the evidence supports your assertion. But Auburn remained unbeaten by topping a pretty good St. Louis team at a neutral site as the Tigers’ two best players combined to go 3-of-17 from the floor. When the new poll is released, Auburn almost assuredly will be in the top 10, no?
Bonus pick of a former Alabama player: Jalen Hurts. It’s hard to imagine any player on any level handling the cards dealt Hurts in a more classy manner. To finish as the Heisman runner-up behind Joe Burrow (we celebrated Burrow’s record-setting Heisman win last week because it was a foregone conclusion after his dazzling SEC title game) and his historic season felt like a truly fitting end to his college career. (I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, considering the skill set, if I am the Baltimore Ravens and I need a back-up for Lamar Jackson, who is in a slew of dangerous contact plays on QB runs, I overspend – like third or fourth round – on Jalen Hurts in spring 2020.)
Bonus pick of a former Alabama player, part II: Kenyan Drake. As for Drake, two pretty awesome stats for the former Alabama running back who has become the go-to dude for the Cardinals now. First, he had 137 yards and four TDs in Arizona’s upset over the reeling Browns. Second, it was Drake’s first win of the season. Seriously. After being part of Miami’s winless 0-6 start to the season, he was dealt to Arizona, which had lost its last five before Sunday.
Bonus pick of a former Alabama player, part II: Julio Jones. The former Tide All-American was an absolute dude on the field – and in fantasy leagues – Sunday as the Falcons beat the 49ers. I said this on Twitter and believe it even more this morning: Julio Jones is the greatest player in Atlanta Falcons history. Better than Nobis, who should be in the Hall. Better than Bartkowski, who was better than folks remember, and better than William Andrews, who was my favorite growing up. And better than Matt Ryan, who will be a Hall of Famer on volume alone, because I’ll gladly wait for an answer on this: Who would be worse off career-numbers wise without the other? I stand by the fact that Julio would have Hall of Fame numbers anywhere; Would Ryan have an MVP if his leading WR was Mohamed Sanu?
Weekend losers
Tennessee basketball. Wavered on whether to put Memphis in the winners or UT and Rick Barnes in the losers and decided on the latter for the following reasons: Watching chunks of that game around the Army-Navy game, there were several clear factors. 1) Tennessee was more experienced; 2) Tennessee was at home; 3) Memphis started VERY nervous out of the gate and UT could not pull away; 4) Memphis’ best player was in street clothes. And in a lot of ways, Barnes got worked by Penny Hardaway – before and after the game. Here’s more after the game from TFP UT beat ace Gene of Many Hats Henley and TFP college hoops master Mark Wiedmer, who asked if the Vols’ reign atop the state’s basketball power index could be short-lived considering the strides made by Penny and the Tigers.
Oakland Raiders. In the last game ever in front of The Black Hole, the Raiders got booed off the field after blowing a 16-3 lead Sunday. I understand the need for facilities and the BID-ness side of sports as well as the next guy, but there’s something inherently sad about the Las Vegas Raiders. (The facility is going to be awesome, the draft and especially the Super Bowl there will all-time epics, free agents will flock there and the home-field edge of visiting players staying all night beforehand will be real. Still, for some us, it just always feels like it should be the Oakland Raiders, you know?) Here are the final scenes of Derek Carr and the Raiders leaving the field Sunday in Oakland.
Mike Vrabel. Uh, Mike, if you want to be the news conference bully of Bill Belichick or the interview arse that is Greg Popovich, you may actually want to, you know, at least get the résumé of a Brian Billick. Hey, Vrabel, you were the goof that called the fake punt and you’re the one who had your hands around firm control of a playoff spot and let it get away with a series of special-teams gaffes. Don’t be biting the head off some reporter who is doing their job in the news conference. You looked like a petulant child. (And if we’re going to throw around the word “idiot,” well, let’s wonder which idiot took so long to go from Mariota to Tannehill?)