Instant replay
The NFL owners voted to allow a one-year trial run of expanded instant replay that would allow pass interference calls and not-called pass interference plays to be reviewable.
We had to realize this was coming after the clearly missed pass interference late in the NFC championship game that aided the Rams' march to the Super Bowl.
Is it a knee-jerk reaction? Of course it is.
Is it a good reaction? I'm not as sure.
Certainly, no one wants an ugly scene like what went down in the Big Easy in late January.
But this, like so many decisions these days, tries to address the outcome rather than the cause.
Get better officials. And when those officials commit egregious mistakes - like the missed call in New Orleans - fire them. Period, and move on.
The best part of this rule change is that it is only approved for a one-season trial run.
Hey, maybe it will be the greatest thing since sliced bread and the pylon cam.
But the unintended consequences of this change may be quite noticeable. Think about this: The last two minutes of the half and the game every pass play could go to a booth review, and how much will that slow down one of the more exciting parts of the game. (It also will help offenses manage the clock in those situations, too.)
It also makes me worried and wonder what's next now that penalties and non-called penalties are reviewable.
The New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a home run during the first inning of Saturday night's AL Division Series game against the Red Sox in Boston.Baseball preview
Wow, baseball starts in earnest on Thursday.
Sneaks up on you, doesn't it?
OK, let's look around the big leagues outside of the NL East. (We'll discuss the Braves tomorrow. Deal? Deal.)
We'll take the Yankees in the East. (Sorry Spy. That line-up is relentless.)
We'll take the Indians in the Central and the Astros in the West. Yes, that feels a little predictable, but so it goes.
In the NL, give me the Dodgers in the West, the Cubs in the Central and the Nationals in the East.
We'll go with Boston and Tampa Bay as the wildcards in the AL and the Phillies and the Cardinals as the wildcards in the NL.
AL Awards: Angles OF Mike Trout, MVP; Red Sox lefty Chris Sale, Cy Young; Blue Jays third baseman Vlad Guerrero, Jr., Rookie of the Year; Tampa's Kevin Cash, Manager.
NL Awards: Cards slugger Paul Goldschmidt, MVP; Washington ace Max Scherzer, Cy Young; Mets Peter Alonso, Rookie of the Year; St. Louis' Mike Shildt as Manager.
We'll take Boston over Tampa and then over Houston. Yankees over Indians and Yankees over Boston in what would be an awesome ALCS.
We'll take Cardinals over Phillies in the wildcard, with Dodgers over Nationals and Cubs over Cardinals. We'll go with Dodgers over Cubs in the NLCS.
And yes, we're picking Dodgers over Yankees in the World Series. (Hey, if you can't believe in your team on opening day, when can you?)
Proper call
Sometimes the court gets its right.
Take the ludicrous lawsuit filed by the Ooltewah teachers and administrator who claim they were wrongly treated in the awful basketball hazing/rape case a few years ago.
That lawsuit was thrown out, and simply put, thank God. Here's the TFP story. story.
It was a complete nightmare, but for those dudes who mismanaged almost every aspect before, during and after the awful incident, to cry foul and try to be the victim is head-scratching and almost offensive.
Nice job judge.
This and that
- Here's one report that specifically mentions a very interesting candidate if LSU parts ways with Will Capone, err, Wade because of his FBI issues. Yep, that's Baylor women's coach Kim Mulkey.
- This is outrageous and deserves our attention sooner rather than later so hopefully we can force a change. Betsy DeVos presented her federal budget for education and among the more than $7 billion in cuts was the appalling line item of eliminating all the federal funding for the Special Olympics. Hey, we're all for prudent spending of tax dollars and we know there must be cuts. But there has to be a better place than cutting the federal support from one of the most impactful programs anywhere.
- Hate to hear this. Clemson stud wide out Amari Rodgers tore his ACL in practice earlier this week. Rodgers is a good player, but with Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins, Clemson's wide receiver group is still stacked.
- A couple other NFL proposed rule changes - a fourth-and-15 try to replace the onside kick and an overtime change to where each team would get the ball - were not passed at the owners meeting.
Today's question
Which way Wednesday will start this way.
Will there ever be a female coach of a Power Five men's basketball team?
Who you got in baseball this year?
On this day in 1794, Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Navy.
Did you know that it was 12 years ago today that the NFL made instant replay a permanent tool.
On this day 80 years ago, the first NCAA men's basketball championship game was played.
Rushmore of best NCAA hoops title games. Go.