Big ESPN night
OK, the Tuesday release of the college football playoff committee's views on the action that was causes some intrigue.
Yes, the two most interesting rankings are certainly the first one, which was release last week, and the last one. Heck, the order of intrigue likely goes Last, First, then descending down from Last, which makes this second run, the least intriguing of the entire lot.
That said, the upsets, especially in the Big Ten create some interest. How far will THE Ohio State fall after being a 17-point favorite and losing by 31 at Iowa? (Side note: The next time Iowa is at home and on TV, do yourself a favor and either record it or make sure you watch the change over between the first and second quarter, when the whole stadium waves to the sick kids in the children's hospital next to the stadium. And friends, if that does not make it dusty where you are, then that's a you problem.)
We also are interested to see how far Miami jumps after smoking Va. Tech. And yes, Georgia fans have a lot going on this weekend. UGA goes to Auburn in a game that if Georgia wins, as long as the Bulldogs do not get blasted by Bama in the SEC title game, then a one-loss UGA is positioned to have a real shot.
Whether that shot is helped by Notre Dame beating Miami or Miami beating Notre Dame is certainly debatable. If Miami runs the table in the regular season, the Hurricanes are going to the ACC title game to see Clemson in a play-in game. If Notre Dame wins at Miami, it all-but solidifies its spot in the playoff, and since Notre Dame's lone loss in that scenario is to Georgia, you'd have to think Georgia could make a hard argument to be ahead of the Irish.
The framework will be laid tonight and the mortar of the results will continued to be poured this weekend.
As for ESPN's other big ticket item tonight, we're not afraid to toss out the fact that as a Southern child of the late 1970s and early 1980s, we are supremely stoked for the Ric Flair 30-for-30 tonight.
We can remember going to the Omni to see Harley Race and Dusty Rhoads and Mr. Wrestling II and Tony Atlas and so many others.
And the man who became the king of Southern wrestling was The Nature Boy.
(Yes, Hulk Hogan became the face of wrestling nationwide, but the Southern version was Flair's because, simply put, he had way more flair.)
And yes, we will be discussing this tomorrow in these points, so if you want to consider this a homework assignment, fine.
Philadelphia Eagles' Carson Wentz (11) looks to pass against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone) NFL power poll
Well, we can all pretend all we want that there are a variety of ways to build a consistent winner in the NFL without focusing on the importance of the quarterback.
And in stretches and spurts - especially this year - that has been acceptable and doable.
But that anomaly also has to do with the fact that some of the quarterback battles last week were Bortles over Dalton, Brissett over Savage, and Stanton over Beathard. And that doesn't even mentioned the one-sided QB clashes of Carr over Cutler, Wentz over Osweiler and Stafford over Hundley.
Side note: An off-week in today's quarterback starved and quarterback-injured NFL that includes Brady, Roethlisberger and Rivers sitting out magnifies the extreme dire need for more good NFL quarterbacks. Yes, teams would love more great quarterbacks, but the vacuum at the top has sucked pretty good QBs - we're looking at you Matt Ryan and Matt Stafford - into the possible great category and it's begrudgingly pulled a number of very mediocre quarterbacks into the good category.
We also are quick to crown Carson Wentz into the elite category. Same with Deshaun Watson before he shredded his knee. And while their numbers through a few weeks have been impressive, shouldn't we wait for a sample size that measures in seasons rather than months?
(Side theory: We are completely intrigued at the theory that truly elite wide outs can push quarterbacks into categories above their skill-sets. When Julio Jones is not on the field, even with that egregious drop last week, Matt Ryan is a different dude. When A.J. Green is not on the field, Andy Dalton is a bad quarterback. That's because of the catch-radius, the security of knowing that a guy who can go get a 50-50 ball and the extreme defensive attention those inner-circle No. 1 wide outs demand, make playing the toughest position in sports much easier.)
So we're back to the fundamental fact that getting a few wins with a questionable quarterback is doable in today's NFL. But winning long-term and come January becomes a much trickier proposition.
Look at the power poll. The top five is three future Hall of Famers and two second-year guys playing well - and under rookie contracts so the rest of the roster is much more complete and compensated - and the bottom five, well, that's some bad and banged up bunches.
Power
1. Philadelphia. The 8-1 Eagles are the class of the league and have an elite offense with a bevy of playmakers - Jeffery, Angholor, Ertz, Burton, Blount, Smallwood and now Jay Ajayi - around Wentz, who has received a lot of "First-Half MVP" chatter.
2. New England. But Tom Brady should be the first half MVP. He lost his top wide receiver in the preseason. Gronk has been in and out of the lineup because, well, no one this side Frankenstein can't be expected to be absorb that kind of physical abuse. In fact, Brady's ultimate value is that he turns guys who would be the best player in their adult Sunday flag football game - guys like Chris Hogan and Rex Burkhead - into legitimate NFL options. (Manning never got enough credit for this, either. Ever wonder what Marvin Harrison would have been in, say Arizona? He would have been Frank Sanders, a fine NFL player but not the Hall of Hamer Harrison turned into because Peyton was slinging it.) Now factor in Brady's numbers on what is a 6-2 team with one of the five defenses in the NFL statistically.
3. Pittsburgh. All the distractions are starting to fade and, while Big Ben is older, you still feel like you can trust him come the playoffs right? (Yes, Ben has slipped, but he also has a fair amount of that legit A1 wide out theory to his credit too.)
4. Los Angeles Rams. Jared Goff also has a room full of toys at his disposal, and the Rams are making the most of them.
5. New Orleans Saints. After losing their first two of the season, the Saints have won six straight and make their first trip inside the power poll. They also are the first team
Powerless
28. Indianapolis. The Colts stink primarily because Andrew Luck is injured, but Andrew Luck is injured - and Jacoby Brissett has been sacked more than any QB in the league - primarily because the Colts offensive line stinks. Therefore, due to the transitive property of stink, the Colts stink because the offensive line stinks.
29. Tampa Bay. James Winston is on the shelf for a few weeks and this bunch is already 2-6. Never mind the immature antics - the worst pregame speech ever, the behind-the-back helmet push of a Saints DB - Winston as the long-term solution for the Bucs has to be a concern.
30. New York Giants. Speaking of long-term, Eli Manning has more than 200 consecutive starts, but the injury-riddled 1-7 Giants may turn to young gunslinger Davis Webb to see if he's the future heir apparent.
31. San Francisco. The 49ers traded for Jimmy Garoppolo and will get a behind the scenes look to see if he is the answer. If he is, they can deal a lofty pick for a litany of assets. If he is not, then they are in position to take a QB. Either way, they need to keep doing what they are doing. War Beathard.
32. Cleveland. You keep being you Cleveland.
FILE - In this May 8, 2012, file photo, ESPN radio hosts Mike Greenberg, left, and Mike Golic throw out first pitches before a baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland. The network announced Tuesday, May 16, 2017, that Greenberg would be leaving the longtime morning radio show he co-hosts with Golic to host a new morning TV show on ESPN TV that will premier Jan. 1. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File) Speaking of ESPN
OK, and we sill have a couple of weeks of Mike & Mike left, but we feel the need to discuss this at some point.
The last year of Mike & Mike has been painful. It seems pretty clear to this listener they do not like each other anymore. They may not dislike each other, but the chemistry that made it a prototype show for that medium is clearly gone.
And on Tuesdays, when they bring Trey Wingo in for the early glimpses of the Golic and Wingo Show, well, let's just say that we do not have high hopes.
Wingo interrupts everyone. And to be clear, he's not that likable.
And while the chemistry of Greenie being the nerdy journalist and Golic being the "Hand in the Dirt" former player may have been played out, it was gold for a solid decade.
I'm not really sure what's the baseline Wingo and Golic will be able to fall back to like the nerd-jock dynamic that Mike & Mike did.
And that's not to even mention the complete lack of interest I have for a TV show hosted by Greenberg to be honest. Yes, ESPN is going to push a ton of chips in to make it work, but gang, know this: Mike & Mike became great - like all teams so many walks of life - because its sum was greater than its parts.
Now that ESPN is splitting off the parts, it's hard to know how great either will be.
This and that
- Alabama five-star basketball recruit Collin Sexton has not been cleared by the NCAA. And yes, Alabama landing a five-star hoops recruit is akin to Kentucky landing a five-star football recruit, so it certainly would have raised eye brows even without the offseason FBI stuff that has hovered over college basketball. But most of those head coaches who have been linked to the same FBI investigation are going to be coaching when the season tips off in the coming weeks.
- There was a time in our life when David Letterman was must-watch TV. The skits and such. The characters. It was great. And different. Now, the folks behind the James Corden Show has "Carpool Karoke" and it is consistently overly entertaining. Here's the latest version with singer Sam Smith.
- Speaking of another video that is worth your time, here is Mike Leach, former Press Row guest and all-time college football philosopher, when asked about college football mascots. Coach you are like the soup at Mindy's. Gold, Jerry. Gold.
- Man, just saw this story this morning. After what authorities believe to be an alcohol-related death of an FSU student who was a member of a fraternity, the school is shutting down the entire Greek system - 55 fraternities and sororities -until further notice.
- Also of note and interest is the woman who flipped off the President's motorcade has lost her job. She used to be a marketing and communications specialist - insert communications joke here people - with a company that is a federal contractor in Virginia. Hey, be you a marketing whiz or an NFL quarterback, you have the freedom to do say what you want, be it verbal or with physical gestures, but you do not have freedom of the reprisals or repercussions of those words and actions.
- Thought this was interesting. Tiger Woods, as part of his plea deal, will be subject to random drug testing. Wonder if they look for all sorts of things in that testing, from alcohol to prescription to PEDs?
Today's question
It's a True or False Tuesday, and we aim to serve.
True or false, if the season ended today, Tom Brady should be the NFL MVP.
True or false, the woman who flipped off the president deserved to be fired.
True or false, you will watch the Ric Flair 30-for-30.
The first cartoon depicting an elephant representing the Republican Party was published by Thomas Nast on those day in 1874.
Bill Graham is 99 today. Smokin' Joe Frazier died on this day in 2011. (Back to a Rushmore from earlier this year, Smokin' Joe is a hoss nickname.)
Wow, on this day 26 years ago, Magic announced he had HIV and was walking away from the NBA. That is one of those for sure "Where are you moments" when it happened.
Hey, today is 11/7. That has to be lucky, right?
Rushmore of 'lucky' and be creative.