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Vols vs. Aggies
For the third time in the past four years, the College World Series title series is SEC vs. SEC.
Tennessee, the No. 1 overall seed, rolled FSU Wednesday afternoon, and Texas A&M advanced with a one-sided win over Florida.
Game 1 of the best-of-three series is Saturday night.
Tennessee has won 58 games this year — man, that feels like a lot, right? — and done it in all sorts of ways.
Here’s more on Wednesday’s win from Paschall.
Question for the group: How much stock would you/do you put in your favorite team winning a natty in non-football or hoops?
I mean, it’s naturally cooler to win it all than not, and different sports can catch your eye at different times.
Like a few years ago when Auburn made a softball run to the WCWS, that was fun.
I know a lot of UT fans are living and dying with this crew, and you always want your team to win.
Just curious.
QB1 followed by a lot of zeroes
The QB market in the NFL is crazy.
Truly.
When Trevor Lawrence is getting $55 million per season — on average — then the entire system is hard to fathom.
I get paying Joe Burrow roughly 25% of your salary cap or giving Patrick Mahomes half a billion over the next decade.
I even understand Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and a couple other truly elite QB1s getting these oversized deals.
But the decisions to pay guys like Kirk Cousins $40-plus million or Lawrence market-matching dollars is puzzling.
It’s also based in cowardice by the front office folks.
Yes, you have to have a quarterback. In fact, you have to have a good quarterback, but the only thing worse than having a bad quarterback room is having an overpriced one where you are paying Lexus prices for a Hyundai at QB.
But GMs would rather secure above average — which means job security — than roll the dice with the unknown.
Ask yourself this: What good QB has not gotten his extension yet? It’s Dak Prescott, and I think a big part of that reason is Dallas owner Jerry Jones is his own GM and he dang well knows no one his firing him.
Whether they should pay Prescott the close to $60 million per he will ask is a whole other kettle of fish.
Because of the hard NFL cap, Dak at 60 mil would be the same thing as Dallas paying Christian McCaffrey, Travis Kelce, Roquan Smith and Justin Tucker, who are the highest paid RBs, TEs, LBs and kickers in the NFL.
In fact, I would much prefer having the Steelers’ QB situation with Russell Wilson on a minimum deal and Justin Fields playing out his rookie deal than have what the Jags have with Lawrence or the Ravens have with Lamar Jackson.
I actually believe a turn is coming for the middle-of-the-road QBs on one-year deals or rookie contracts.
In truth, I would have been completely OK with the Falcons rolling with a new QB1 in Michael Penix if they had not ponied up the Brinks truck for Cousins.
Thoughts?
Expanded madness
So NCAA officials are looking at going to 72 or even 76 teams for the men’s basketball tournament. CBSsports.com reported that models for those options were trotted out Wednesday and the growth could be here as soon as the 2025-26 season.
The details are sparse of course because this is just the preliminary ideas, but here are some of the things I expect to see:
— The tournament is going to expand. That’s going to happen because this creates too much money, and college athletics and its programs need money more than ever right now.
— This will not be for the benefit of smaller conferences. This will be about getting more at-large Goliaths in the dance, Davids be danged. With the Power Four conferences expanding, they are going to want more at-large bids (more money), so this will be about adding those 19-13 Mississippi State resumes that DD loves so much.
— As long as the expansion stays in some form or fashion of the “First Four” models and is played well before the ball is tipped on that magical March Thursday at noon, I am at least open to the idea. If/when the money grab expands the actual field beyond 64 and starts messing with my brackets is when they will have killed the Golden Goose.
Thoughts?
This and that
— Braves played. Braves won. That was a quality homestand — 5-1 — as they head for the Bronx and a monster weekend series with the Yankees.
— Like father, like Tiger. Charlie Woods shot 1 under and finished as the medalist in his USGA Junior Amateur Qualifier. Tiger won his first of three Junior Ams as a 15-year-old. Charlie is, you guessed it, 15. Side note: If I am the LIV folks or even an exec at the Travelers Tournament or the Rocket Mortgage Classic, I am calling 15-year-old Charlie and offering an exemption. Dude would demand eyeballs. Period.
— Caitlin Clark went 18-12-6 as her Indiana team won its third straight last night. According to ESPN, Clark is the first WNBA rookie to score 40 points and have 15 rebounds and 15 assists over a two-game span.
— Today is the longest day of the year. Hmmm, I thought all of them were 24 hours, but there you go.
Today’s questions
Anything Goes Thursday — the ol’ AGT — welcomes your questions, for today or for the mailbag.
We’ll start with, if your NFL team signed Trevor Lawrence to a $55 million deal annually, how would you feel?
Also, is Trevor Lawrence a top-10 QB1?
NCAA basketball expansion, friend or foe?
As for today, June 20, let’s review.
“Jaws” premiered on this day in 1975.
Lionel Richie is 75 today.
Nicole Kidman is 57.
Brian Wilson is 82 today. Bob Vila is 78.
John Goodman is 72. What’s his Rushmore?
Go and remember the mailbag.