Weekend winners
Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. OK, we all know the stories and stats about NFL teams that start 0-2 - like 89% of them miss the playoffs - right? (Side note: All of those great longstanding stats we know are now meaningless with a 17-game schedule. And in a few years when we go from like seven dudes who have thrown for 5,000 yards in a season to like, 17, yeah the same thing.) Anywell, Henry and the Titans and Jackson and his Ravens entered the 2021 season with lofty goals for individual and team accomplishments. Each were staring a bagel-and-2 start and a rather forgettable first six or seven quarters in the face Sunday. Then they went super-power mode and rallied the Titans to a 33-30 OT win in Seattle - despite trailing 24-9 in the second half - and the Ravens to an improbable 36-35 over K.C. on Sunday night by scoring the last 12 points.
NFL prime-time games. Wow, cue the footage. Season opener, Tampa-Dallas in prime time and it's a thriller. The following Sunday, the Rams put on a show. That Monday, we got the Mannings and a great OT rally by the Raiders. Last Thursday, Redskins-Giants in a last-second kick to decide a game much better than anyone expected. Last night, the Ravens toppled the Chiefs. Tonight? Yeah, what time do the Braves play, because Green Bay > Detroit by more than two scores.
You eliminator pickers. Wow, we have a few folks on the Packers tonight, so we will publish the results mañana, but the heavy favorites carried almost every single still-alive pick into Week 3. We did have a Chargers picker or two and a Seahawks backer or two, but so it goes.
This Emmy's sketch. Side note: I used to love, Love, LOVE Award shows. Seriously. Well, other than the Tonys, who watches the Tonys, and why does the dude from "Who's the Boss?" get his own award show? (Side note: We had a similar Rushmore last week, but Judith Light's son from "Who's the Boss" was not added to the cast, he was an original. But egad was that kid dislikable. He was a show-killer for me. Seriously. And for those who suggested the added little brother on "Diff'rent Strokes," well, you made a solid point. Side question about the side note: Why in the name of Merriam or Webster did they add the apostrophe to "Diff'rent" there? It saves you nothing.) Anywell, modern award shows are unwatchable for a slew of reasons, mostly because no one can make fun of anything these days. Well, the last form of universally acceptable comedy is of the self-deprecating kind, and that skit of a support group for non-Emmy winners was highly entertaining.
Lane Kiffin. Saw a great stat over the weekend from Cole Cubelic's Twitter account. Under Kiffin, Ole Miss has gained 600-plus yards six times in 13 games; in the B.K. (before Kiffin) era, Ole Miss did it 16 times in more than 1,200 games. Which now begs the question: If you were an AD with the keys to a monster job, do you give Kiffin his third shot at a powerhouse despite the baggage? What say you, Fat Vader, when the axe comes for Coach O - and it's when, right? - would you want the Lane Train to pull into Red Stick?
Weekend losers
My picks. Egad, what a disaster. A less-than-Fab 2-7 on a slew of college picks and in an NFL pool with a buddy I went 1-4 for the second straight week. And the crazy thing? I gave great advice to some buddies over the weekend who play rather heavily, in UT covering the number, Cincy and Ole Miss over.
FSU. Dumpster fire. A three-TD loss to Wake with those renowned hecklers that are the Demon Deacon students doing the Faux Chop late in the blowout. Feeling a multiple choice Monday question coming here, friends. And while we're here, after Clemson's inexplicable near-loss to a Georgia Tech team that is impossibly flawed, how - barring a complete collapse from the top 7 or 8 - can the ACC have any expectation of playoff contention considering the state of the league?
This look for MLB. According to this "CBS Saturday Morning" story, a small town in Minnesota is losing a plant that employs 150-plus that makes MLB helmets and softball bats. Hey, business is business. But the MLB is part owner, and they are moving the plant overseas to save, wait for it, $4 million a year. Hey, $4 million is $4 million. I get it. But is that amount - roughly what the Braves paid in signing bonuses to 2021 draft picks Ryan Cusack and Ambioris Tavarez earlier this summer - worth the PR hit for America's pastime dealing a serious blow to Smalltown, U.S.A.?
The Falcons. This will be the last time I include them in Monday's weekend losers because it's simply too easy, and in some ways, the blame will fall on the new coach (Is Arthur Smith overmatched, because it sure feels that way) and the new GM (who had to deal with the gosh-awful cap constraints Tommy D left) because that's where it always falls. But Matt Ryan looks washed. (Side question: Who is more washed, Matt Ryan or Ben Roethlisberger? I think it's the latter, and the Steelers are built for the now - if those defensive injuries are not serious - and should be in talks with teams looking to rebuild with over-priced and aging QBs.) And I will offer this: First, the good? When Cordarrelle Patterson is your best player, you're staring at 2-15. And this: Cue the Calvin Ridley confrontation with Matty Ice (Pick) in 5, 4, 3, 2.
Bonus - Mike Bobo. Yeah, this is a personal choice, and after Auburn went and played its guts out at Happy Valley, Bobo's fourth-and-goal fade from the 2 was the worst call since someone green-lit Yahoo Serious in "Young Einstein." It was a worse call than that awful 1970s horror movie when the babysitter learns that the phone calls "are coming from inside the house." (Side question: Yes, that creeped us all out back in the day, but how was the technology even out there then? We had rotary phones and busy signals, for Pete's sake.) Bobo's call was worse than TV Teddy Valentine missing his 11th consecutive block/charge call because he wants to show out for Dickie V and the TV cameras. Bobo's fade was worse than Vanilla Ice's. I've seen handbags that were a smarter Coach. (That joke's better than you know; ask a female.) Does Auburn get the two-point conversation? I don't know. Does Auburn win even if they get the two-point conversation? Again, I don't know. But your bunch just fought their guts out and you ignore the best player on the field in Tank Bigsby because you want to get cute? That's the textbook definition of failed coaching.
To the next poll - or the pond
So many great "Caddyshack" lines came to mind this weekend as we finished the pool. Yes, we finished the pool as arguably the strongest rainstorm in several years landed on our head - and happened after we had already filled that puppy - but so it goes.
The first pool quote, of course, is the classic exchange between Carl Spackler and Ty Webb in Carl's abode, and now after all this rain, I could offer the great Ty response:
"I got a pool. And a pond. A pond would be good for you, though."
Yes, the tangents here are a predictably unpredictable part of this silliness around here. Could you even do a Rushmore of "Caddyshack" quotes? And for those of us who have dabbled at the game, there are four-to-five that are guaranteed to be said in every single round of golf you ever play.
Long, the Llama. It's in the hole. Be the ball. Right in the lumberyard. By golly I'm hot today. That's a peach, hun.
There are more.The choices make it difficult, and that brings us to this week's 5-at-10 Bracket Challenge.
You guys and gals were aces in the first one. (Side note: As we mentioned last week, we're exploring having more side items of participation like this, and you folks playing along makes that possible. So keep it up, and thanks.)
We started last week with the best college football player from the area, and while the winner was far from a shocker - did anyone think anyone other than Reggie White was going to win? - the path to the predictable was anything but.
Former Rhea County star Andy Kelly bounced Baylor School great and future College and NFL Hall of Fame John Hannah. Eric Westmoreland bounced Kelly in round two and defeated Eddie Moore in the semifinals to face Reggie.
This week, we are looking to play some favorites. Who is the most popular player in Titans history?
There is no wrong answer, of course. Pick your favorite. Pick you who think was everyone's favorite.
We'll take nominations all week and vote early next week.
And, as for the rain, I'd keep playing. I don't think the heavy stuff is gonna come down for quite a while.
This and that
- Here's our A2 from over the weekend.
- I have all but given up my interest in NASCAR - sorry, J-Mac - but I am a little surprised that some national service has made a bigger deal of the complete 180 Kyle Larson has made since his online racial slur. Dude is driving his ride like he stole it right now.
- Hey, PGA, I know you got TV deals and an entire network to try to offer programming, but can we take more than like a 45-minute break before we start a new season? They played this weekend - amid all that football and before a little thing called the Ryder Cup - and I know Max Home is a fine player.
- Speaking of that, yes, we will be covered with Ryder Cup stuff this week. And if you think my football picks were bad over the weekend, my golf picks are atrocious. In fact, I'll make some Ryder Cup picks later this week just so you can fade them and cash in. Seriously. Also of note, betting golf is a ton of fun because you can treat it like 18 mini-bets and bet each hole or you can make one wager and it lasts at least four hours (without having to see a doctor to get rid of it).
- You know the rules. Here's Paschall on the SEC weekend that was.
- The Braves played. The Braves lost 2-of-3 to the Giants and their lead in the NL East is down to two games with two weeks left. Atlanta has 15 games left; Philadelphia has 13. And considering the schedules, yes, it was disappointing that Will Smith was Will Smith on a Friday night that could have been THE game of the season, that was easily the Braves most difficult test left. Handling their business with four in Arizona is a must starting tonight because the Phillies have three with the wretched Orioles and four with the equally wretched Pirates before coming to Atlanta this time next week for a three-game series that will all but decide the East.
Today's questions
Multiple Choice Monday starts this way:
Which former college football power has fallen the farthest?
FSU, which is off to its first 0-3 start since Bobby Bowden's first season in Tallahassee?
Miami, which entered the season ranked and with a Heisman hopeful transfer QB got housed by Michigan State on Saturday?
Nebraska, which has to be asking if Scott Frost can't redirect this ship, who can?
Tennessee? Yeah, you know the details off the last decade-plus. (Side note: Want to see an interesting split? Here was a random poll I offered on social media Saturday, asking: "OK, had a very insightful answer about UT's state of its football union. Which former coach deserves the most blame for the state of the Vols?" The answers split as follows: Kiffin 26%, Dooley 27.2%, Butch 26% and Pruitt 20.7%. Thoughts?)
Discuss.
As for today, Sept. 20, let's review.
On this day in 1984, "The Cosby Show" debuted. On this day in 1973, Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs.
Rushmore of sports ''exhibitions'' because that's one, right?