Tag Archives: NFL

DirecTV could drop NFL Sunday Ticket after 2014

Posted: March 7th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Football, Sports Blog, TV/Media | Tags: , , , , , ,
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Could every game of the NFL season be available to cable TV subscribers in a couple of seasons?

Don’t be surprised if that’s the case after the 2014 NFL season.

Since 1994, DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket has been the only option to watching every out-of-market NFL regular-season game each Sunday.

DirecTV has paid dearly for the exclusive right to broadcast Sunday Ticket. The most recent agreement, which runs through the 2014 season, costs DirecTV $4 billion.

During an investors conference call Wednesday, DirecTV CFO Pat Doyle said that if the exclusivity price goes too high when the current deal expires, DirecTV might pursue a non-exclusive deal that would allow other companies to also carry Sunday Ticket or even drop the Sunday Ticket package entirely.

So the days when hoisting a satellite dish on the rooftop was the only way to watch every NFL game might come to an end after two more seasons.

So what happens if DirecTV’s exclusivity contract ends? Well, the NFL could offer the Sunday Ticket package to rival Dish Network and cable TV companies, providing millions of television-watching households with access to every NFL game from start to finish.

STARTING POINTS: Greatest receiver debate not really a debate … yet

Posted: January 30th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Football, Sports Blog | Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Well, it was Super Bowl Media Day on Tuesday — an event, that used to be useful to the media, but now is just an embarrassing parade of clowns. It came and went with all the uselessness we’ve come to expect.  Without actually listening to any of the reports, I assume someone dressed like Nacho Libre asked Colin Kaepernick to marry him. A not-so-funny media member with a funny hat asked a player to sing a song. One football player interveiwed another football player in a hi-larious twist on the way things are supposed to happen. And the important players and coaches said absolutely nothing of interest.

But one player who isn’t important anymore said something to get his name in the news and it worked perfectly. All anyone was talking about was Randy Moss saying he was the best receiver of all time. Oh my gosh! But what about Jerry Rice! Clamored people. He has more of everything than Moss – yards, TDs, rings, appearances on Dancing With the Stars. Moss said he thinks he’s the greatest receiver because the entire way defense is played was changed because of him. A valid point of sorts.

But Jerry Rice was there to clear the air, with a response that is what the kids these days would call a humble-brag: “I’m very surprised Randy Moss used that in those words that he’s the greatest. You’d never hear me say I’m the greatest football player to ever play the game. I let my body of work speak for itself, and I think I was able to be very productive on the football field.”

Pardon me Jerry, but Randy said he was the greatest “receiver”, you said you were the greatest “player” of all time. You know, right while you were saying I’d never hear you say it. You pretty much said it. Just sayin’.

But anyway, who cares? Both players should think they are the best of all time. Why not?

Anyway, this “debate”, made me think of a perfect parallel that can be drawn to the NBA about who is the gretest all-around player of all time.

Michael Jordan is Jerry Rice – He’s got the rings, the stats, the calm under pressure, the 100-megawatt smile. Jordan is the best basketball player and Rice is the best receiver. It’s not open for debate … yet.

Kobe Bryant is Randy Moss – An individual with unique talent. They had unbelievably prolific careers, but egos that got in the way some times. And when things are going south, they look out for themselves. Randy Moss by not trying, and Kobe by trying to score 80 points per game whether it’s good for the team or not. But when things are going well, they are unstoppable. Among the greatest talents of all time, but both missing that certain something to put them in the Rice/Jordan class.

Then comes the third entry to both debates.

LeBron James is Calvin Johnson — Just like LeBron was labelled, and has proven to be, a combination of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson; Calvin Johnson has been called a combination of Jerry Rice and Randy Moss. A previously unseen combination of speed, size, hands, route-running and football IQ. Of course, just like LeBron, Calvin would have to get some rings and playoff victories and pesky things like that to really enter the conversation. But just like no one, including Jordan, can do all the things that LeBron does to help his team win. There has never been a receiver, including Rice, with the all-around combination of skill that Johnson possesses.

So the REAL debate isn’t is Randy Moss/Kobe Bryant better than Jerry Rice/Michael Jordan? They aren’t. Debate over. But rather can Calvin Johnson/LeBron James put together enough of a career to eclipse Rice/Jordan? The answer to that isn’t so cut and dry.

 

STARTING POINTS: My tune has changed on Alabama-Notre Dame game

Posted: January 7th, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Football, NCAA, Sports Blog | Tags: , , , ,
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Well, it’s nice to be back with my daily sports blog after a little holiday hiatus. Remember the idea is to start your work day with some quick thoughts about the hot topics in sports, and to get your opinion, too. So please share your take by commenting on this blog, e-mailing me at shad.powers@thedesertsun.com or by hitting me up on twitter at @tdsshadpowers or our general sports handle @mydesertsports.

POINT ONE: BCS title game finally here

It has not been a very exciting bowl season, I think it’s fair to say. The previous 34 games did not provide much in the way of fantastic finishes, amazing individual performances or buzz-worthy story lines. That can all be erased with a classic tonight, but what are the odds of that? Before the bowl season, I would have answered not very high. I was expecting a non-competitive yet still low-scoring game to be won by Alabama, something like 22-6. My mind has changed, though, and it has everything to do with the sluggish performance of the other top teams in the SEC. LSU and Florida’s face plants, plus a miraculous escape by South Carolina, brings Alabama’s excellence into question for me. Obviously Nick Saban’s history in big games, should not be overlooked, but I now think an upset is possible. If the Irish have used the two months (ridiculous amount of time) since their last game wisely, they may have found a few ways to move the ball against Alabama. So I’ve officially changed my tune, I am calling for a Notre Dame victory tonight. Notre Dame 16, Alabama 9.

POINT TWO: Ice, Ice, baby

The NHL is back. When this news broke Sunday, my first reaction was as a sports editor: “Oh great, how are we going to be able find room for hockey in an already bustling sports section.” But my second reaction was as a fan: “That’s cool. The sports landscape does seem a little off without it.” The funny thing is, at least for me, I think the lockout-shortened season has actually piqued my interest much more than if there had been a normal NHL season. The uniqueness of the situation, much like the NBA season last year, actually creates intrigue that isn’t always there. Games should start soon, and we’ll see if those NHL champion L.A. Kings can defend the Cup.

POINT THREE: NFL yawners

The one thing you can count in the NFL is the unexpected. You never know what’s going to happen from week to week with all the parity, and the drama almost always goes to the final second … except of course for this past weekend’s playoffs. The favored team one every game with ease, and no game went down to the wire. Also, the action was not crisp. Nobody’s offense played well. One team’s QB literally didn’t show up (Minnesota), other team’s QBs figuratively didn’t show up (All four AFC teams). So we’re left with the eight teams we all expected. The seven division champions and Seattle. The NFC East is left out of the party, forcing ESPN to learn about some of the other divisions. It’s a safe bet that next week’s games will be more interesting, it would almost be impossible for that not to happen. We’ll wait for later in the week for any predictions, though.

POINT FOUR: High School hoops re-entry

The local high school basketball teams are jumping right back into the fray tonight with two classic boys’ matchups to re-open the season. Palm Springs hosts La Quinta, and Palm Desert hosts Cathedral City. It’s a pair of games pitting the presumptive top four teams in the DVL. Can Palm Springs start clicking on all cylinders after sort of a start-and-stop beginning to the season? Will La Quinta show it has closed ground on the big boys? Can Palm Desert’s stingy defense shut down Cathedral City’s super-scorer Christian Wilson? Can the Lions really compete with the upper crust of the league? Both games tip at 6:30 p.m. so head to Palm Springs or Palm Desert and find a seat early. High school hoops is back.

 

STARTING POINTS: A magical victory at Staples … no, seriously

Posted: December 19th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Basketball, Football, Sports Blog | Tags: , , ,
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POINT ONE: Last night’s Lakers game had all the making of a classic. Wild 20-point swings both ways. Coaches wringing their hands as the final seconds wound down. Kobe had the fourth-quarter snarl going. A loud Staples Center crowd was in full throat as the ball hung on the rim that would have given the opponent the victory, only to explode when the clock finally ticked to zero with a pulse-pounding Lakers victory. It had the spirit and drama of some of the best games in Lakers’ lore. It wasn’t a Game 7 against the Celtics in the Finals, though. It was a regular season game against the Charlotte Bobcats, losers of 11 and now 12 in a row. It was a surreal scene. On the one hand, obviously, it’s a position the Lakers never dreamed of being in, desparately trying to get a home victory over one of the worst teams in the league. But at the same time, they did need it. There was an air of desparation. Losing this game would have done possibly irreparable damage to the Lakers’ psyche and certainly their place in teh court of public opinion. So in that sense, it was a huge victory in a real sense, not in a tongue-and-cheek sense. The end result is a three-game winning streak. Gasol played well in his return and Nash may be coming back Saturday. It’s easy to mock this victory, but funny as it may seem, this win may go down as the turning point to the season. A home victory against the woeful Bobcats. Who would have believed it?

POINT TWO: Mark down

It came about ten games too late, but now that the Jets are officially out of the playoffs, Rex Ryan has benched ineffective quarterback Mark Sanchez in favor of third-string QB Greg McElroy. Thirty below average (and that’s being kind) games in a row was finally enough of a sample size to do in the former USC quarterback. The biggest winner in this move? Clearly, is Mark Sanchez. To his credit, he has handled this miss-managed season with professionalism. He is a stand-up guy, just not a very good NFL quarterback. And there’s nothing wrong with that. His demotion will lift an unfairly huge weight off his back and he can exhale and get back to enjoying life. I expect he will wile away the next couple years as a backup quarterback in the league, and quietly and unceremoniously dissolve into the NFL ether. And for Sanchez, I think that might be a welcome offering. He was the quarterback on the Jets teams that made the AFC Championship game in back-to-back years in his first two seasons, and in retrospect that may have been the worst thing for him. It put expectations on him that he didn’t deserve and would never be able to live up to. He hasn’t gotten worse since those first two years. The team certainly has, but he hasn’t. His level has stayed the same. At his best his was an OK NFL QB, at his worst, like Monday, he was one of the worst. The truth is somewhere between horrible and OK, and that’s not good enough to start in this league. I sincerely hope good things happen to Sanchez now, because he didn’t deserve what he was forced to endure this season.

POINT THREE: High school hoops bonanza

If you’re a fan of Desert Valley League basketball and you want to get a gauge for how this year is going to play out, you should find your way to Palm Springs High School today for the first day of teh Palm Springs Winter Classic. It’s a DVL fan’s dream triple-header with perennial powers Palm Desert, La Quinta and Palm Springs playing back-to-back games in the 12-team field. The Aztecs play Peninsula at 5 p.m.; La Quinta plays last-year’s winner Calabasas at 6:30 p.m. and Palm Springs plays San Jacinto at 8 p.m. And if you miss it today, the same thing happens on Day 2 on Thursday with those three DVL powers playing back-to-back starting at 5 p.m. It also offers a great opportunity to scout if you are a coach of fan of Cathedral City, Inio, Coachella Valley or Xavier Prep. Today’s the first day of an amazing 10-days stretch of holiday basketball in the valley, culminating with next week’s massive MaxPreps tournament.

STARTING POINTS: Belichick yourself before you wreck yourself

Posted: December 11th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Football, Sports Blog | Tags: , , ,
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This NFL season has been unusual in that no favorite has really emerged. It’s probably going to be a while before any team really looks like a clear contender for the Super Bowl. It’s that type of parity that … OH MY GOSH DID YOU SEE THE PATRIOTS MONDAY?

POINT ONE: Patriots act … like champs

It’s pretty much impossible not to have heard the loud statement the Patriots made Monday night, shredding the 11-1 Texans 42-14. This coupled with dominating victories over other AFC top dogs Denver and Indianapolis previously in the season makes it hard to picture the Patriots not making it to the promised land again this year. There’s peaking at the right time of the season, and then there is the way Bill Belichick and the Patriots looked Monday night. Tom Brady and the offense, without Gronkowski, had the Texans on their heels. Crazy formations, guys they picked up of the scrap heap this week, it doesn’t matter when the Patriots get everything clicking. Point differential is usually a pretty good determiner of how a team is playing, the Patriots are a ridiculous plus-198. The next closest team is the 49ers at plus-132. Now the Patriots play the 49ers this Sunday, so if the trend of this NFL season continues, they will look mortal, and someone else will emerge as the new favorite. But if that happens, don’t be fooled. It might not be exciting and they may not be lovable, but the Patriots are going to be in the Super Bowl again this year. Now how they do in the title game against the NFC may be a different story, but if there are any teams that can beat the Patriots in the playoffs, they apparently don’t reside in the AFC.

POINT TWO: Good records, iffy teams

Rodney Dangerfield should be getting some residual checks from the two NFL teams with the best records, because the 11-2 Falcons and Texans are getting absolutely no respect. They may even end up as the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, but they instill absolutely no fear in anyone. The Falcons, in particular, have earned their lack of respect by laying eggs in the postseason recently. A 30-20 loss to the Panthers this weekend didn’t do much to quiet their critics either. Based on the difficulty of the remaining schedules of their pursuers, it seems clear that the Falcons will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC. If the current lay of the land holds true, the Falcons, after getting a bye, will host either the Packers or the Giants in their first playoff game. Does anyone think they can beat either of those teams? Me neither. The Texans on the other hand, have handled their business well all year, with the exceptions of getting hammered by the Packers and Patriots (and of course, what probably should have been a loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving. No, I haven’t reached the accept-it-and-move-on phase of my therapy yet). Unlike Atlanta, Houston does garner some respect from me. They have the mix of defense and offense that can succeed in the postseason, but can they really hang with the elite teams? Games like Monday say “no” but road victories against the Broncos and Bears say “yes”. The Texans don’t have a lot of recent postseason history for us to use as a guide, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt until I see them fail in the postseason.

POINT THREE: Seattle slew the Cardinals

For those into the gambling scene, the Seahawks accomplished something that has never been done before with their 58-0 victory over Arizona on Sunday. It’s very rare, that a team wins in a shutout and still makes the “over” — the presumed total points scored by both teams added together. It’s only happened about 10 times in the last 20 years. But the Seahawks took it a step further. Seattle made the over by 20 points in a shutout victory. That has never happened. The Seahawks put themselves in great position for the playoffs and are quickly emerging as the No. 1 wild card team. Could they even catch the 49ers? The schedule says yes. In fact, the Seahawks, unbeatable at home, don’t play a real road game the rest of the year. San Francisco leads the Seahawks by a game-and-a-half, but the 49ers play the powerful Patriots this week then play at Seattle the following week. It’s not impossible that Seattle could lead the divisoin heading into the season’s final week. But despite this weekend’s amazing performance, we can’t forget that this is a team that lost to the Dolphins two weeks ago. So an assumed victory over the Bills this weekend in Canada may be dangerous.

 

STARTING POINTS: Hey, who invited Northern Illinois?

Posted: December 3rd, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Basketball, Football, NCAA, Sports Blog | Tags: , , ,
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An eventful weekend left a lot of people in sports complaining here are some of the more popular complaints:

POINT ONE: BCS blues

People that hate the BCS had to shift gears this year, as the system worked perfectly to produce a championship game of two college football bluebloods in Notre Dame and Alabama. A game, by the way, that wouldn’t have happened pre-BCS. So not wanting a year to go by without complaining about something, focus has shifted to those good-for-nothing jerks at Northern Illnois. I’m being sarcastic of course, all they did was win enough games to qualify for a BCS bowl under the rules in place. You know the same thing the other nine BCS teams did. What I call the Boise State rule, came into play as talented small-conference teams like Boise, TCU and Hawaii felt left out of the BCS bowls. It states that if a team finishes in the top 16 and higher than the automatic qualifier from a big conference (hello Wisconsin and Louisville) then that team must be allowed to make it. People liked the rule when fun teams that we knew about like Boise State and TCU made it, but seem offended by it now that a Mid-American Conference that has no high-profile wins made it. Hey, rules are rules. And the BCS has much worse rules, like that only two teams from the same conference can make it to a BCS bowl, and conference teams like Wisconsin and Louisville who are much further down on the BCS list than Northern Illinois can make it. Putting it simply, the final BCS standings were announced Sunday, which puts the teams in order of their worthiness. So which 10 teams made it? No. 1 through No. 10 in the final standings? Nope, numbers, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 15, 21 and a team not in the Top 25 (Wisconsin). That’s the problem with the BCS, so back off those Huskies from Northern Illinois.

POINT TWO: Howard the Yuck

A new problem arose for the Lakers in Sunday night’s loss to the Magic, and that is the free throw shooting deficiencies of center Dwight Howard. They weren’t a secret certainly, but they hadn’t really been exploited to perfection until his old team the Magic and new coach Jacque Vaughn did it Sunday. As you remember with Hack-a-Shaq, teams intentionally foul Howard to send him to the line where he will make zero or one free throw and then go down and try to score. It enabled the Magic to come back on the Lakers and eventually score 40 points in the fourth quarter to earn the victory. OK so maybe some lackluster defense didn’t help either, but it bring up a sobering question. So what do you do as a coach? Take out your best/only good defender because he can’t hit free throws, or leave him in and hope his defense makes up for it? It’s a tricky spot for D’Antoni, made trickier by the seeming lack of confidence in Pau Gasol. First, I think it’s clear now that Gasol will be traded soon. As far as Howard, I think you have to grit your teeth and do what D’Antoni did Sunday and leave him in there. Teams have done this before, and it’s not always going to work as well as it did last night, in that Orlando scored on about 10 straight possessions while they were doing it. But it’s just another reason for Lakers fans to be concerned. That team that was promised exists, it was there in Friday’s rout of Denver and the week before at Dallas. Why it’s not there every night remains a mystery. The saying in sports is you are what your record says you are. The Lakers are 8-9.

POINT THREE: NFL movers and shakers

Those NFL playoffs are right around the corner and while some of the division leaders clinched playoff spots, a few teams picked up huge victories in their quests for a wild-card spot.

The AFC has become pretty clear cut: Houston, New England, Denver and Baltimore are likely going to win their divisoins. The wild-card race has cleared up, too. As there are really only three teams vying for two spots. The Colts (8-4), the Steelers (7-5) and the Bengals (7-5). The Colts picked up a huge come-from-behind win at Detroit Sunday and is prime position. They have highly winnable games left against the Titans and Chiefs as well as two against the Texans. The Colts will get to 10 wins at least, and that will be enough. They’re in. That leaves the intriguing battle between the Steelers and Bengals. The Steelers remaining schedule is easier, but as we know, they are still without their starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, though he may be close to coming back. The only above-.500 team they play the rest of the way is those very same Bengals, and that game is in Pittsburgh. The Steelers host the Chargers and Browns and play at the Cowboys. Cincy on the other hand, hosts the Cowboys and Ravens and plays at Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The Bengals would almost certainly have to win the game at Pittsburgh, and even that might not be enough. Advantage Steelers.

The NFC picture is a little more intriguing, but not much. The Falcons, 49ers and Giants appear in solid position to win their divisions. The Packers and Bears also both are in perfect position to make the playoffs, one as a division winner and one as a wild-card. That leaves one wild-card spot open, and a front-runner emerged Sunday with Seattle’s impressive win at Chicago. The Seahawks (7-5) now stand ahead of a cluster that includes the Vikings (6-6), the Cowboys (6-6), the Bucs (6-6), the Redskins (5-6 play tonight) and those pesky Rams (5-6-1). Not only is Seattle in the lead, but they have two more things working in their favor: By far the easiest remaining schedule of the wild-card group: Host Cardinals, at Bills, host 49ers, host Rams. And more importantly, wins in their pocket already over the Vikings and Cowboys, in case those teams were to forge a tie. The more you analyze, it really feels like we will look back and say the Seahawks clinched a playoff spot with that win over the Bears in Week 13.

So there you have it. No reason to watch the NFL anymore this regular season. The 12 playoff teams are set.

STARTING POINTS: Popovich, belly putters and Bruins, oh my!

Posted: November 30th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Football, NCAA, Sports Blog | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Spurs coach Greg Popovich wants me to try to write this blog without using the letters e, s, t and a, but those are four of the best letters on the keyboard so I don’t think I can. In fact, the only word I could still type is Popovich

POINT ONE: Spurring up trouble

In case you missed it, Spurs coach Greg Popovich, in an effort to keep his aging (well every one is technically aging, but the Spurs have a big head start) team youthful and vibrant for the playoffs in six months, rested his four best players Thursday night for a nationally televised game against the Heat. It makes some sense. He’s going to rest them throughout the season. It’s their sixth game in nine nights. It’s a game they very well might lose even at full strength. I get it. In fact any rational person would understand. That’s why NBA commissioner David Stern brushed it off by saying something like, “This is the worst thing that’s ever happened to the NBA. Because the Spurs broke the rule that doesn’t exist. I well penalize them to the fullest extent of my capabilities. They will pay for the damage they have done to the league and pay handsomely.” Oh. So I guess, maybe it is a big deal to some. I was surprised by how livid Stern was. I can understand being frustrated that a showcase Thursday night TNT game was ruined (even thought it turned out to be a 105-100 nail-biting Heat victory) but chalk it up to “These things happen” not “You will suffer for what you’ve done.” I don’t believe their should be any sanctions, but it’s clear there will be. Some have said maybe rest one guy a night, but not all of them at once, but that doesn’t really make sense in the win-loss column. If you rested one guy a night for four games, you could lose all four. This way, you will only be short-handed once. I think a bigger deal is being made of this than is necessary. And when the punishment comes down, I think Stern will be surprised when the backlash is toward him not Popovich.

POINT TWO: Saints flunk Falconry

The Falcons beat the Saints 23-13 on Thursday night to move to an impressive 11-1 on the season. And when experts, or people like me, make lists of the top teams or power rankings, the Falcons are right there entrenched in the No. 5 or 6 position. What is it about the Falcons that doesn’t instill confidence? They have a balanced offense. A solid defense. Good coaching. An unflappable quarterback. Yet no one seems to believe in them. The Onion (I’m going to assume people reading this blog know that The Onion is a satirical Website that I believe to be the main reason the Internet exists)  had a headline leading into Thursday’s game that said: Falcons look to beat Saints, move one step closer to inevitable home playoff loss. And that’s the rub. They just don’t win in the playoffs. In fact, the last couple years (Packers, Giants) they are the first playoff step on the road to a Super Bowl. They were crushed by the Packers two years ago, and scored the always hilarious 2 in a loss to the Giants last year. So until they win that first playoff game, which will almost certainly be at home after a bye, we will continue to not believe.

POINT THREE: PGA’s belly dance

It looks the PGA is going to ban the long putters which are sweeping the golf nation right now. The theory is that it unfairly allows you to anchor the club to your body, eliminating some of the instability and nervousness that can creep into your hands and arms when standing over a crucial putt. I’ll keep this opinion simple. LAME! Hey, any way you can use a long stick to knock a golf ball into a hole, is OK by me. Pros already try so many different grips and tricks and even putter styles to make putting easier. Putting just isn’t easy. If the pro you’re playing against has it so easy with his belly putter, then you use a belly putter. And if you can’t become as good as he is, then that’s your problem. Unless the PGA is going to just hand out 128 identical putters at the start of every event, I don’t see how a belly putter is different than using a claw grip, or using an oversized head putter, or using customized weighting on your putter. The ball’s on the ground, you hit it with your putter and see if it goes in. I’ll do the same. We’ll count up the strokes at the end of the day.

Usually on Friday’s I give a Monday morning headline and try to predict what we’ll be talking about come Monday. Instead, I’m going to give you my prediction for all of the college football championship games:

MAC Championship: Northern Illinois vs. Kent State today in Detroit — Don’t sleep on this game. The winner very well may steal a BCS bid from a big-conference school by being in the top 16 of the BCS (the Boise State rule). Northern Illinois is favored, but I like the undergod here to win straight up. Kent State 30, Northern Illinois 27

Pac-12 Championship: UCLA at Stanford today — In boxing it’s called rope-a-dope. Some just call it opossum. But I believe the Bruins left a lot in the tank last weekend, and are going to use all of their tricks today. I respect Stanford, but something tells me the Bruins are going to the Rose Bowl. UCLA 33, Stanford 24.

Conference-USA Championship: Tulsa vs. Central Florida on Saturday — In an effort not to over-analyze this one. I have a friend named Howie from Tulsa. So I pick Tulsa. Tulsa 44, Central Florida 42.

SEC Championship: Alabama vs. Georgia in Atlanta on Saturday — I feel like there is a bit of a groundswell that Georgia might just be the better team, but I’m not picking against Nick Saban. I’m rooting against Nick Saban, but not picking against him. Bama 28, Georgia 14

ACC Championship: Florida State vs. Georgia Tech on Saturday — Vegas has installed Florida State as a 14-point favorite. Vegas knows more about these two teams than I do. Florida State 36, Georgia Tech (let’s see 36 – 14 =) 22.

Big Ten Championship: Nebraska vs. Wisconsin on Saturday — Stop me if this sounds spiteful at all. Two years ago, Wisconsin went to the Rose Bowl despite having the same record as Michigan State and losing to them in the regular season because the tie-breaker was BCS ranking. Last year, Michigan State stood alone with the best record in the Big Ten, not wanting to fall victim to a tiebreaker, and again beat Wisconsin in the regular season. The previous 150 years of college football, that would have been enough to send my Spartans to the Rose Bowl,  but because of the invention of the Big Ten Championship game, Michigan State had to beat Wisconsin a second time and did not. Wisconsin went to the Rose Bowl again. This year, Wisconsin had one of its worst years in recent memory, finshing a distant third in their division. Their punishment? Another trip to the Big Ten championship game because the two teams ahead of them (Ohio State and Penn State) are both ineligible. Sorry Nebraska, but Wisconsin couldn’t come up with a way to not make the Rose Bowl if they tried. And it seems like they tried hard this year. Wisconsin 38, Nebraska 3o.

 

Sunday’s Chargers game blacked out again

Posted: November 30th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Football, Sports Blog, TV/Media | Tags: , , , ,
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Sunday’s San Diego Chargers game will not be televised in Southern California again.

The Chargers didn’t sell enough tickets for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals to avoid a local television blackout. Nearly 11,000 tickets remained for the game.

This marks the Chargers’ eighth blackout in their last 16 afternoon games.

In place of the Chargers’ game, CBS will broadcast the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Baltimore Ravens at 1:25 p.m.

 

STARTING POINTS: Detroit Lions fan uses his blog as therapy

Posted: November 26th, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Football, Sports Blog | Tags: , ,
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ME: Hello. My name is Shad. And I am a Lions fan.

LIONS FAN THERAPY GROUP: Hello, Shad.

My Lions fan therapy group believes that getting your thoughts down on paper can really help with the acceptance and moving-on phase of your addiction. So here goes nothing as I relive the Lions-Texans Thanksgiving Day game.

My Lions lose a lot, but Thursday was one of those 10th circle of Hell type of losses saved only for Lions fans. It’s fun when they happen on Thanksgiving so the whole world can see what it’s like. A vintage Lions’ loss starts out slow. Maybe a Lions punt clearly hits a Texans player in the first half and after seeing the review the announcer says something like, “Well, this is going to be the Lions ball at midfield.” I said to myself, “How adorable, Phil Simms, you don’t watch a lot of Lions games do you?” Seconds later an official declares Texans ball. “Well at least the football gods owe us one,” thinks absolutely no Lions fan, because they know something more gut-wrenching is probably right around the corner. Despite that bit of bad luck, the Lions build a nice 10-point second-half lead over a 9-1 team, then make the mistake of tackling a player  for a three-yard gain. Only in Lion Land, three-yard gains are cleverly disguised as 81-yard touchdown runs. The Lions coach reacts illegally to the blatant missed call by throwing his challenge flag. To which I’m sure, the proper reaction will be “Whoa, calm down big guy. We’re already challenging it. The No. 1 goal is to get the call right for the integrity of the game. So, stay cool. We’ll get it right.” But the ref seems to be saying something different. It looks like a 15-yard penalty. Gee that’s harsh. Oh and one more tiny thing, also he’s not going to  review it anymore. Say what now? You’re not going to review it? Why, out of spite? No it’s the actual rule. Really, that doesn’t seem logical. Oh it’s not. In fact the rule will probably be changed before the playoffs this year, so no “real” games are affected, this is just a Lions game. Oh I get it, you mean kinda like the Calvin Johnson TD catch in Chicago a few years ago? Precisely. In fact, get this. On the disputed play Thursday, the Texans’ coach could have thrown his red flag to prevent a challenge, knowing that the touchdown was bogus. You don’t say. Wow, that really is a loophole-filled horrible rule.

OK, I may never be able to shake off that ruling, but the Lions, to their credit, were able to. Rebuilding a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. A lead I know isn’t going to last, but maybe you watching the Lions for the first time since last Thanksgiving believe it will. Slowly but surely, the lead evaporates. Maybe Andre Johnson is left uncovered on a fourth-down play. Can I get a line-up-in-the-neutral-zone on an incomplete pass on third and five? Yes indeed. And before you know it, we’re meeting at midfield for the overtime coin toss. That’s when I had this conversation with the football gods:

ME: OK, football gods, I’ll make you a deal. We’re not going to win this game, right?

GODS: Yes, that is correct.

ME: OK, then let’s just have the Texans win the toss and score a touchdown right away like Tebow against the Steelers in the playoffs last year. Quick and as painless as possible.

GODS: Oh Shad, you know better than that. That would just be a devastating loss. This one’s going to be “Lions” devastating.

ME: What does that mean? Let me guess. The Lions will win the toss, march into field goal range, only to have their fumble-happy tight end fumble it?

GODS: That sounds like a good start, yes.

ME: Then the Texans move down the field easily and kick a game-winning field goal? Game over.

GODS: Ha. Ha. Ha. That’s cute. No it’s much worse. The Texans do march down the field. You will be resigned to the fact that the Lions will lose. You will be so frustrated that you make the screen door to your backyard go off the hinges, because you slammed it too hard when letting the dog out (This actually happened). But what’s this? A glimmer of hope. The Texans miss their field goal. Your spirits are raised.

ME: Oh great, then what happens? Let’s see. We probably have good field position, Matthew Stafford’s been fantastic all day. I’ll bet he completes an amazing pass on third-and-long to put us in field goal position. And then … No, don’t tell me.

GODS: Yes, you’re almost there.

ME: Jason Hanson misses a field goal? But he never misses. Did he hook it left, or leave it out to the right?

GODS: A clean miss would be much too easy to accept. Be creative.

ME: He hits the upright doesn’t he?

GODS: Yep. Nailed it. Ha double meaning, you nailed it and he nailed it.

ME: Did we at least kick it on fourth down after gaining every possible yard because football is a game of inches and an extra foot could mean the difference between hitting the goalpost and winning the game?

GODS: Nope. You kicked it on third down.

ME: Please tell me that’s it. The Texans go down and get a field goal to win it.

GODS: Yep, that’s what happened. We considered having the Lions intercept a pass and return it for touchdown only to have it negated by another neutral-zone infraction, but since it is the holiday, we played nice.

ME: Well, thanks for taking time out to talk to me I guess, what are you going to do now?

GODS: We still have a busy day for the Ryan family. We’re going to televise Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan no less than 15 times on the sideline, as RGIII scores a ton of points. And then Rex and the Jets, I mean can you believe they are still starting Mark Sanchez? We haven’t decided yet, but I’m thinking maybe something creative like the Patriots score 35 points in the second quarter or something. Anyway, enjoy the rest of your Turkey Day. Sorry about the whole Lions thing, but you know how it is.

ME: Yep. Keep up the dastardly work.

Wow! That does actually feel a lot better. Thanks for allowing me to vent. And the truth is, the rest of my day wasn’t even ruined. I fixed the screen door. My wife made the tastiest turkey I’ve ever had. I saw a great movie: Silver Linings Playbook. And my wife and I even hung out with every teen in the Coachella Valley at the mall from midnight to 2 a.m Black Friday style. Can you say $200 sheets for $40 at Macy’s? Boom, baby! Glad the rest of you got a little taste of what it must be like to be a Lions fan. I know your team has devastating losses every now and then, but your team’s losses are never “Lions” devastating. And that’s something for which you can always be thankful.

 

 

Sunday’s Chargers’ game will be blacked out

Posted: November 22nd, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Football, Sports Blog, TV/Media | Tags: , ,
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Football fans in the desert hoping to watch the San Diego Chargers’ home game against the Baltimore Ravens on television can now make alternate plans.

The Chargers’ game won’t be televised in Southern California, as more than 9,000 general tickets remained unsold at Thursday’s 1 p.m. deadline. CBS will now broadcast a 10 a.m. game, with the obvious choices being Denver at Kansas City or Oakland at Cincinnati. The exact game will be determined Friday.

All teams must sell out their home games 72 hours before kickoff, or the game can not be televised within a 75-mile radius. That area stretches into the Coachella Valley as well as Los Angeles.

This is San Diego’s second blackout of the season and seventh in the past three years.