Power play
The college football playoff rankings came out last night. They stayed the same, for the most part.
Couple of thoughts:
First, after the first set of rankings, these feel like a spring scrimmage until the last set of rankings, right? OK, maybe the penultimate rankings have merit. And hey, anytime we can use penultimate in a sentence is a good thing too.
But these November walk-throughs feel like shoddy dress rehearsals.
Second, the only question that interests me at this juncture is if a two-loss Alabama gets into the bracket.
Because if the top five - Georgia is 1, followed in order by Alabama, Oregon, THE Ohio State and unbeaten Cincinnati - win out with Alabama losing to Georgia in the SEC title game, the scenario presents the ultimate answer to the defining question of what the committee values.
Are they looking for the four best teams or the four teams who had the best year?
Because we can all agree that Alabama - even with two losses - is better than unbeaten Cincy, but would the committee pick the Tide or the Fickels?
Thoughts?
Far short of gold medal achievement
What a crock.
Is Mark Emmert running the International Olympic Committee, too?
The IOC walked back its previous ruling and stance on transgender athletes competing in the Olympics.
The IOC is now offering 'recommendations' and asking each sport to craft its own rules, theoretically passing the buck on what should be a top-down decision that addresses one of the fundamental divisions among athletes.
To make matters even more confusing and more downright wrong, one IOC official even suggested that male-born athletes choosing to compete as females should be "evaluated based on performance" to determine whether there is an unfair advantage.
What?
So if you are a mediocre transgender athlete, cool, come compete against the females? But if you're an excellent transgender athlete who dominates, that's when it's unfair?
Egad. This is not policy or leadership.
It's PC politicking that devalues the Olympics as a whole and does a disservice to all the athletes - including transgender competitors - in terms of fairness.
Hoops update
Yes, college basketball has started. And yes, there was no shortage of viewing options last night.
(Side note: Seriously the 'drink from the firehose' approach of college hoops makes the regular season feel meaningless in a lot of ways to me. Maybe I am alone in that view and I get the networks craving live sports programming, but man, there's a bunch of games on TV.)
Anywell, there was a slew of college hoops on, including Michigan getting upset by Seton Hall.
And while it was not on TV, the UTC Mocs won - but did not cover (sigh) - against Tennessee Tech last night.
But the basketball item that has caught my eye is that Steph Curry is better at his job right now than anyone else across the realm of sports.
My word, the slight-framed former Davidson sharpshooter is simply amazing.
Steph dropped 37 - on just 19 shots mind you - on the Nets last night as his Warriors improved to an NBA best 12-2.
How about this run for Curry? Last night's 37 comes after he scored 139 points in his previous four games. In that five-game stretch he has made 33 three-pointers. Yes, 33.
And beyond his marksmanship - he's 33-of-72 in that span - how telling is Steph's importance in the changing face of the game? Michael Jordan did not attempt 72 three-pointers in any of his first four seasons in the NBA.
Curry's skills - and his performance - have been that great.
This and that
- You know the rules. Here's Paschall's prose on UT assistant Rodney Garner's impressive bowling scores.
- OK, not sure why this story is leading some major sports sites, but Carlos Correa just put his name on something that just about every person who knows the difference between WAR the stat and war the card game has acknowledged for years. Derek Jeter was a bona fide Hall of Famer. He was an amazing leader and a consummate teammate by all accounts. (Side note: 'Consummate teammate' is the rare phrase that allows back-to-back double m's. So there's that. Side question about the side note: M&M's overrated, underrated, properly rated. Discuss.) Anywell, Correa said Jeter didn't deserve any of his five Gold Gloves. And, Carlos is right if you look at the numbers.
- So Tampa's Kevin Cash and San Fran's Gabe Kapler were named manager of the year in the AL and NL, respectively. Yeah, here's betting that Brian Snitker does not bat an eye at that announcement.
- The Braves bracket is up and yes, I was stunned that John Smoltz did not make the field. Also, how about Glavine and Maddux facing off in round one. Tough draw.
Today's questions
Which way Wednesday starts this way: Which current sports superstar would you pay a premium to watch play?
Which team would you include in the playoff - a two-loss Alabama or an unbeaten Cincinnati?
Which is your view on M&Ms, overrated, underrated, properly rated?
As for today, Nov. 17, let's review.
Tom Seaver would have been 77 today.
Martin Scorsese is 79. Rushmore of Martin. Go.