Weekend winners
Navy football. It was a very subpar year for the Midshipmen, finishing 4-8, but after Saturday, did you know that Navy played 11 bowl teams? And let’s be very frank: Any year – regardless of record – in which the regular season ends with a win is a success for Army and Navy. In that regard, it’s got a stake in the greatest rivalry in college football. Sure, the stakes are not the same for Army-Navy as the Iron Bowl in most years or Michigan-THE OSU. But any fan who says they would be happy with 1-11 as long as that one is a win over their rival is being disingenuous. Well, any fan other than those wanting Army/Navy to beat Navy/Army.
The whole Army-Navy experience. Yes, they get two and they deserve it. That was very enjoyable as a fan without a rooting interest. Sure, I played the under – in addition to my pick from Thursday, which lost – because it has now hit an incredible 15 years in a row. Side question: After 15 straight years, don’t you ride that buck till it throws you?
Speaking of that, NFL bettors won the weekend. Hugely. OK, here’s four basic trends that can detail public success when it comes to NFL wagers. The public loves to bet on the favorites. Favorites were 12-2 Sunday. The public loves overs. Overs were 10-3-1 Sunday. The public loves the Cowboys. Dallas won and covered. The public loves the Packers. Green Bay won and covered in prime time. (Side note: The various ‘fun’ parlays offered on various sites included a blend of Packers and Davante Adams bets. Cash. Also, if you were wondering what a money line parlay of all the teams favored by more than a TD on Sunday – Chiefs, Saints, Titans, Seahawks, Broncos, Chargers and Packers – paid, it was +355. More cash. Let’s just call it an eight-unit Sunday, can we?)
Tom Brady. I’m pretty sure he’s winning almost every weekend. He’s plus a rushing TD – in an OT win over Buffalo that kept the Bucs in the hunt for the top seed in the NFC. Brady made two first-half throws to Mike Evans that were a hair short of perfect only in the sense that we have been forever taught that nothing is truly perfect. Then you have to remind yourself that dude leads the league in TD throws. And he’s 44 bleepin’ years old.
Aaron Rodgers. Dude is hardly a spring chicken in pro sports years, but because Brady’s still playing on Sundays and staying at Alexian during the week, we forget Rodgers is 38. And Sunday night, he was his typical maestro self with a football. And he got to live the “walking the walk” after “talking the talk.” The last time Rodgers faced the Bears, he won and left a lasting imager at Soldier Field when his now-infamous “I still own you” quote was caught on camera. Well, he can complain about Rodgers’ tact in that regard but not his accuracy – at least when it comes to the Bears. Last night vs. Chicago, Rodgers had four TDs and zero picks as the Packers overcame a litany of big plays to beat Chicago 45-30. As for Rodgers vs. the Bears, well, it’s the seventh time he’s had four-or-more TDs and no picks against the division rival, and that’s the most for any player vs. any opponent in NFL history.
Johnny Vols Fans everywhere. With the news that Hendon Hooker is returning for another year in K-Town, it’s impossible not to be excited for what year 2 of the Josh Heupel experience will bring. You know the rules. Here’s Paschall on the big news for the Big Orange faithful.
Jamal Shead. In a crazy and full day of college hoops on Saturday, Shead’s Houston bunch lost a nail-biter at Alabama on Saturday night that featured an emotional and controversial ending. A large majority of the team and staff stormed off the floor and some even trashed their bench and sideline. When he saw the mess his teammates created, Shead calmly turned around and started to pick up the trash from an overturned can. The social media ripples are quite cool, if you ask me.
Weekend losers
Urban Meyer. Man, hard to imagine a worse week that culminated with a Sunday shutout. First comes reports that his rookie QB had to tell Coach Liar that the Jags need James Robinson. Then came news that Urban made his staff defend their resumés, reminding them how he’s always won and telling them they were losers. Then came Sunday’s overwhelming 20-0 noogie from a Titans bunch that looked like they started the “run out the clock” part of their offense with 3 minutes left in the second quarter. And the shots of Urban on the sideline staring at the ground spoke volumes. Loud volumes. I’d be surprised if Urban coached an NFL game in 2022. And that includes the final week of this season, too. (Side note: Not to get too betting heavy, but there may also have been a prop offered of every team in the 1 or 4 p.m. windows Sunday to score a TD. It may have paid at plus-500. It may have turned a great day into a record day for some folks you may know. It was assuredly dashed by the floater Urban’s Unit left in Nashville.)
Speaking of Rodgers and his mouth, someone apparently forgot to mention his less-than-truthful COVID conversations through the fall to NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, who right before halftime was effusive in his praise of Rodgers’ honesty. Uh, Chris, may want to check some of the game notes before broadcast, pal. Here, from USA Today, is Collinsworth’s second-quarter quote: “”He doesn’t care. Have you seen a guy, and in particular this year, be more honest about everything? You may not agree with everything he says, but we have heard from the beginning of this entire season exactly what he thinks about everything.” Maybe he should have stopped a “He doesn’t care.”
Time. We offered last week that SI missed a chance for their sportsperson of the year, picking Brady over “The Fan.” But at least Brady was defensible. Time’s Person of the Year? That’s Elon Musk, and that’s a rotten call, I musk say. (Whaddya think Spy?)
Steve Harvey. Gang, can we just find someone else to host the Miss Universe pageant? No offense, Steve, and I think you are funny on Family Feud – he’s no Richard Dawson, because no one ever will be, but he’s likely No. 2 behind Dawson and ahead of all the other folks who have hosted one of the all-time great game shows through the years – but c’mon man. It was not that long ago (2015, maybe) that he announced Miss Colombia as the winner when Miss Phillippines won, and last night Harvey said “Congratulations Portugal” when the final two were from Paraguay and India. He said the producers were trying to rick, and if that’s the case, then they just need to shut the whole thing down and move along.
Mike Leach. Hypocrite much, Mike? Leach, who is refreshingly honest – a value that I treasure and try like the dickens not to discourage or even shade – in an industry that is predictably guarded and clichéd, swung his sword as only the pirate can. But being honest is not a free pass from being wrong, either. Leach blasted players who decide to opt out of bowl games. Yes, it can be a tough decision. Yes, it puts player above team. But we have to remember that this is a business decision, first and foremost.,And while we’re here Mike, how many teams did you leave for a new business opportunity in your coaching career that started at Cal Poly and weaved through Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta, Lexington, Norman, Lubbock, Pullman and now Starkville?
Baltimore. Man, if I was a Ravens player, I’d seal myself in bubble wrap. Almost every meaningful Ravens player is dealing with some sort of injury now that Lamar Jackson hurt his ankle in Sunday’s loss to the Browns. If Jackson’s injury is serious, the Ravens are cooked, because Jackson on bad wheels is like making Steph Curry be a post player.
Bonus pick: Nolan 4/5 girls basketball coach. Dude blew a game his team should have won going away because he made poor calls – forcing a round predetermined offense into a square hole is dumb coaching – and his motivational skills were dreck. Good thing it’s a voluntary spot or he may be on the hot seat.
Bowling frame