When the NFL season began, the New Orleans Saints were slipping into obscurity in the twilight of Drew Brees’ Hall of Fame career. The Saints had missed the playoffs three straight years with a record of 7-9 each time. They were eclipsed in their own division by the last two NFC champs, Carolina and Atlanta, […]
It’s been a long time since “The U” dominated college football the way the Miami Hurricanes did from 1983-92 and again from 2000-03. The ‘Canes joined the ACC in 2004 and promptly fell off the radar. The program hasn’t been to a major bowl game since the Orange Bowl that followed the 2003 season. They […]
That’s the question that was broached on a text thread I’m in with other followers of Big Ten football in the aftermath of the 42-13 thrashing Michigan took at the hands of Penn State on Saturday night. It was the question that was at least the implication of a column in The Detroit Free Press, […]
Penn State and USC have been on paralell paths since meeting in last year’s Rose Bowl. The Trojans won that shootout 52-49 and Sam Darnold vaulted to the top of everyone’s draft rankings for college quarterbacks. The loss did not diminish the Nittany Lions—their turnaround and Big Ten championship had the program back on track, […]
The Philadelphia Eagles are the biggest beneficiary of the landscape-changing injury to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, at least in the eyes of Las Vegas. The Packers have fallen from the ranks of NFC favorites and the Eagles have taken their place. Philadelphia is now listed as a 9-2 favorite to reach the Super […]
College football had a chaotic weekend, with Clemson, Washington and Washington State all taking their first loss in surprising fashion. It has opened the door for the possibility that the SEC and Big Ten could sweep the four Playoff berths. The four teams this scenario is built around are Alabama-Georgia out of the SEC and […]
Red Sox fans feel better today, as their recent flameouts found the usual managerial scapegoat. But the real problems remain. Read why.
Last night in New York, Joe Girardi was booed when he was announced in front of his home crowd at Yankee Stadium. In Boston, John Farrell is taking heat for managing his pitching staff too conservatively. But in Chicago, Joe Maddon’s handling of his pitching staff has been far more indefensible and nary a peep […]
Is there a head coach with more on the line this weekend than Mike Riley? The embattled Nebraska head coach hosts Wisconsin on Saturday night. Riley’s seat is hotter than hot right now, but unlike other endangered coaches—i.e., Butch Jones at Tennessee—Riley can still salvage his team’s season with a strong run in conference play. […]
With the survival of the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees in the wild-card games, major league baseball has its best eight teams left for the Division Series for the first time since 2011, the last year before the institution of the one-game knockout to kick off October. Here’s some thoughts on The Eight… *Cleveland […]
The Minnesota Twins completed their improbable run to the playoffs this week when they wrapped up a spot in Tuesday’s American League wild-card game. All season long, as I looked at this team’s lineup and numbers, I found myself asking “How are they doing this?” With more talented teams like the Orioles and Royals also […]
Mark Dantonio has been the most successful football coach Michigan State has employed during my lifetime and I’ve been watching college football since the late 1970s, if I may date myself. That period includes a five-year stretch where Nick Saban was in East Lansing. It also includes the tenure of George Perles, who went to […]
