Tennessee handles the moment
As we discussed a little on Wednesday, the Tennessee Vols are a worthy title pick.
They acquit themselves well, be it home or away. They have the diversity to beat you 64-58 or 102-94. They can rely on a true All-American or ride the hot hand.
It’s a balanced, confident bunch that needed a little bit of all of those – and a smidge of luck late – to survive Wednesday’s drive to Nashville as the newly christened No. 1 team in the country.
Grant Williams tipped his visor and pushed his P-O-Y chips to the middle with a monster 43-point night in a dramatic overtime win over Vandy.
It was a lot of things – good and bad for Johnny Vols Fans – but we’ll give the floor to one of the nation’s top college basketball voices, our very own TFP ace sport columnist Mark Wiedmer, who accurately penned this start to morning’s column
“These are the moments from which No. 1 seeds are made. These are the moments from which national championship seasons are made.”
Exactly.
It was a win that means more – way more – in broad strokes than the difference between 17-1 and 16-2.
These Vols are destined for a lofty spot in the NCAA tournament. Even the most ardent Johnny Vols Hater must admit that.
Sure, there’s real value between the line between 1 and 2, but there’s more long-term weight in this bunch in Orange knowing that no matter the hurdle or the deficit or the scenario, these Vols believe.
And they achieve.
In this Nov. 20, 2018, photo a customer watches video screens at the sports betting facility at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Professional sports leagues that once vehemently fought sports betting are now partnering with gambling companies to get in on it now that it’s legal. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)It’s here
OK, we have discussed this before. And written about it a few times. We even had a mailbag question in directly about it.
It’s fair to say that we like to make the occasional pick and the occasional invest in football ‘entertainment’ every now and then.
And it’s clear to everyone that more gambling options are coming everywhere as legalized sports wagering is opening up to citizens of various states on a weekly basis. (Side note: When gambling becomes legal in Tennessee, should we stop the ‘entertainment’ verbiage in reference to picks and betting? Discuss.)
Anyhoo, according to this story, the NFL has a “Sports Betting Committee” and they have met every Friday throughout the season. The league has already partnered with Caesar’s and is looking at ways to maximize its profits and craft its policies in before the 2019 season.
This advancement also magnifies the need to eliminate potential after-the-fact controversies (like the Saints P.I. non-call fall out).
The other part of that story that is greatly intriguing is the NFL’s intent to use its partnership with the Alliance of American Football as a gambling guinea pig.
That could be cool. And way beneficial to the final NFL gambling product.
Tiger Woods reacts to his tee shot on No. 17 during his match against Phil Mickelson on Friday at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas.Is this the year?
OK, we have been more pro-Tiger than most.
Whether that is desperation or dedication to the Dude, well, you can be the judge of that.
We can all agree that golf is more fun when Eldrick Tont ‘Tiger’ Woods is prominently involved.
We can all agree that major championship golf is fun regardless, but it’s must-see when Woods is in the mix.
That’s a given, not only in golf, but across all sports. We want to watch all-time greatness in real time. We want to say THE player of our era is THE player of every era.
It’s the reason that most folks my age will latch onto Jordan over everyone else. Or try to say, “Tyson in his prime was better than” You get the idea.
But Tiger – more than Jordan or Brady or Tyson or Federer or any other modern contender for GOAT status – creates more waves and interest in his sport than anyone else. Ever. In any other sport, comparatively. Sure the NFL is a monolith, but it would be that with or without Brady. Golf without Tiger is a cavalcade of dudes with interchangeable names and interchangeable games.
With his season debut today at Torrey Pines, Tiger remains the biggest needle mover in all of sports. LeBron is second, but it’s not really that close.
So will Tiger be that needle-mover because of the Tiger we remember or Tiger the player playing like the Tiger we remember?
The finish to 2018 and the surreal scene of Tiger emerging through the mass of humanity at East Lake was one of the most amazing golf images of my lifetime. (Quick Rushmore of golf images of my lifetime: Nicklaus walking down the putt on 17 in ’86 at Augusta in the moment that Verne famously dropped, “Yes SIR!” is far left, Mickelson jumping about 3 inches in the air when his birdie dropped on the 72nd hole for his first major at Augusta; Tiger’s sheer joy after the ‘Nike Commercial Chip’ on 16 at Augusta the year he beat Chris DiMarco; and Jean van de Velde standing, pants rolled up, in the Barry Burn. What did I miss?)
So, as we prepare for Tiger’s start to the season after his game returned to a place that predicting major championship success is more than just wishful thinking, let’s explore the possibilities.
We know that Tiger enters Augusta as a projected favorite – both in the fan’s eyes and Vegas’ eyes – so we think that is possible.
The PGA Championship – which has been moved to May this year in a great schedule adjustment – is at Bethpage Black. Tiger won the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, so we have to think that is possible.
The British Open returns for the second time to Royal Portrush. The last one was in 1951, so no one in the field has won there, so on an empty canvas Tiger can be as artistic as anyone, so we have to think that is possible.
The U.S. Open is at Pebble Beach. Tiger won the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, so we have to think that is possible.
We are no longer in the place that we’d pick Tiger over the field. And no we do not think Tiger Woods is back to being Tiger Woods.
Not because of Woods’ game but rather because no one ever will reach the height of Tiger’s early 2000 powers.
So here’s our best guess, and maybe this pick is with the heart as much as the head:
We think Tiger wins this year. Multiple times in fact.
And one will be a major.
This and that
– Speaking of Tiger, here’s a Golf Digest survey of some of the biggest names in golf making predictions for Woods’ success this season.
– Here’s a look at the 32 5-star prospects of the 2019 class according to 247sports. And for those wondering, 16 of those 32 are signed, enrolled or committed to SEC schools, including each of the top 5 players in the country. Seven SEC schools – Alabama (4), Georgia (4), LSU (3), Texas A&M (2), Auburn (1), Mississippi State (1) and South Carolina (1) – have an incoming 5-star.
– Oh my This is Buckets of Bad Browning for sure. Let’s just say that this story will not make the scrap book at Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Hallam’s domicile. The layers and details of mismanagement of Haslam and Co. is staggering and make you wonder even with all this young talent, if the Browns front office will find a way to mess it up.
– Wow, would the last offensive player in Blacksburg turn the lights off please? Here’s the story about quarterback Josh Jackson entering the transfer portal. He’s the fourth skill position Virginia Tech player to announce transferring plans. Wow.
– ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay had some interesting words from the Senior Bowl. We love the draft. You know this. First McShay said that South Carolina receiver Debo Samuel was the best player in Mobile. Second, and this is not a real good look for Gus Malzahn and Co., McShay said that former Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham took a very big step to being the No. 3 quarterback in this class (behind Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray). That’s surprising, no?
Today’s questions
Have your say:
Will Tiger win a major this year? Yeah or nay? (And feel free to pick which one if you are feeling sassy.)
Today is National Compliment Day. You are smart enough, talented enough and dog-gone it, people like you.
It’s National Eskimo Pie Day. Underrated pie, that Eskimo Pie.
It’s also National Peanut Butter Day.
Thirty five years ago today, January 24, the Macintosh personal computer is unveiled. That gave birth to Apple, which kind of makes today the day our current society was born.
On this day a year ago, Larry Nassar was found guilty.
Neil Diamond is 78 today. Churchill died on this day in 1965.
On this day in 1962, Jackie Robinson was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame. On this day in 1982, Joe Cool led the 49ers to a comeback win over Cincinnati in the Super Bowl and uttered the infamous “Hey, that’s John Candy” phrase in the huddle before the game-winning drive.
In honor of peanut butter, let’s do a Rushmore of meatless sandwiches. Go, and remember the mailbag.