Thinking out loud…while wondering if I buy the smallest Fitbit, will I get just a little bit fit?
Did the world end yet? Just sayin’.
Certainly seems like it on an almost daily basis, based on the issues we’re all facing these days. But rest assured, the world has not (yet) ended.
We may be tilting its collegiate axis a bit, however.
The latest blow within Intercollegiate Armageddon, after UCLA and USC’s departure for the Big Ten a week ago, now has what’s left of the Pac-12 (10 members) potentially entering into an alliance with ACC – creating some nice TV and non-conference scheduling opportunities.
Who wouldn’t want to see Clemson-Oregon? Or maybe Washington-Miami? A Pac-12-ACC ‘Championship Game?’ In hoops, how about Stanford-Florida State?
The kink in this potential chain lies in the possession of the Big 12 Conference. There have been rumors, even reported possible discussions, on the Big 12 wrestling Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado away from the Pac-whatever, which would render that league non-existent even WITH Oregon and Washington.
Do Oregon and Washington already have one foot out the door toward the Big Ten themselves? Or perhaps a carte blanche invite from the Big 12 in their back pockets? Can’t imagine Nike would allow Oregon to wander through the collegiate wilderness as a homeless school.
And is there an expansion plan for the Pac-10 (last we checked) to get back to 12 schools and remain (somewhat) viable or competitive in the national picture? How much do Boise State and San Diego State (two one-time Big East targets) move their needle?
So much to consider, so much to do. And of course, what will the trickle-down effect become for everyone else in Division I?
We’re still seeing the effects of last summer’s Texas-Oklahoma move to the SEC – this week, the Sun Belt welcomed James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss.
The answer is simple. The color is green. And if enough green can be made from these new, geographically nitwitted alignments, they’ll happen. While the irons are all in this fire, it’s time to seize that brand and leave your mark.
Or be left out in the cold, unwanted.
Expect rumors and/or possible discussions to surface regarding Gonzaga’s fate, especially once Notre Dame decides its independence is worth keeping or not. The Zags to the Big East makes monetary sense (and potential monetary cents) for Fox in a new TV contract.
Gotta keep up with the big (nitwit) boys, or be buried by the avalanche they leave behind. Or in football parlance, better to hit than be hit.
Speaking of the Irish, there are several reasons why they still cling to their independence like a child clings to mommy’s skirt. NBC, the network home of Notre Dame sports, is the most-viewed network for sports at 117.2 billion minutes watched so far this year, followed by CBS (98 billion), ESPN (95 billion), Fox (63 billion), and TNT (52 billion).
You don’t think Fox knows about this? That Golden Dome is a brand, as you know. And NBC has done a great job keeping it in front of the sports-viewing public. ND won’t rush to change that if they change at all.
Oh, and this interesting bit of info from Front Office Sports – just why did UCLA and USC make this eastward ho? The Bruins’ athletic department, under one time Boston College AD Martin Jarmond, is running a huge deficit – made deeper by another $62 million thanks to the pandemic.
The Bruins’ athletic department racked up more than $100 million in debt over the past three years. They needed financial stability and had some varsity sports sitting on the edge of existence.
And little ol’ USC just didn’t want to be left behind.
Apple has reportedly restarted talks with the VERY Big Ten on its media rights’ package, with the two Los Angeles schools now in the mix. Fox already has a deal for half of the Big Ten’s games, and CBS is moving in on a Saturday afternoon deal.
Not for nuthin’, but NIL will soon be turning into the latest BILLION-dollar industry within the collegiate sports world. Opendorse sez athletes made a total of $917 million last year, in the first year of athletes being able to gain financially from their name, image or likeness.
Next year, that total is expected to exceed $1.14 billion. Kinda hard to put that cat back in the crate, don’cha think?
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors has endorsed new rules on transfers, benefits and the infractions process. Of note, schools receiving transfer athletes would be required to provide additional accountability – whatever that means – and the athletes will have a definite window of time with which to make their decisions in order to keep eligibility for the next season.
Saw within the local newsies (Kevin Mac and Bill Koch) that URI has hired two new graduate assistant hoop coaches with ties that bind: Ex-Butler Bulldog and Portsmouth, RI’s Andrew Chrabacz, and one-time Hendricken Hawk Justin Mazzulla.
Great moves for Archie Miller. They’ll certainly keep the local fires burning within, for sure.
And coaches are now out ‘cruitin’ again, with the latest live period beginning this week on July 6th.
The news broke after we published last week, but four Friars are in NBA Summer League play with David Duke, Kris Dunn, Justin Minaya and AJ Reeves – Reeves signing his deal last Friday to play with the Celtics.
Call me crazy, but if he connects as we know he can, he has a good chance to stick around with a two-way deal. AJ has never lacked the physical ability; he simply needs consistency. And the Celtics can’t turn away from a local-boy-makes-good (Roxbury, MA) story, can they?
And let’s not leave out Rhody Rams hooping in the NBA Summer League, with Jeff Dowtin playing for Toronto…Brown’s Tamenang Choh with Houston…and of course Portsmouth’s Cole Swider – who had a solid debut with the LA Lakers, scoring 13 points.
So saddened to learn of retired Newport Rogers High School basketball coach Jim Psaras losing his battle with cancer this week. The RI Interscholastic League honored him as a Basketball Legend in 2019 with three state titles and 421 career wins in 26 seasons as a head coach.
Hey, how many of you watched Joey Chestnut down 63 hot dogs to win the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating contest on the 4th of July for a seventh straight time?
And how many of you watched Joey Chestnut put a headlock on a protester who rushed the stage that would have made Hulk Hogan proud? See what you missed?
Wimbledon tennis coverage on ABC/ESPN is up 35% in viewership over last year. Ed from East Providence must have spent a lot of time on the cellphone calling his buddies.
But no calendar year Grand Slam possibility, either, with Rafa Nadal’s injury withdrawal.
My buddy “Big E” sez he’s been helping with his grandson’s Little League team. At a game recently, he called over his talented shortstop (aren’t they all) and said, “Jimmy, you know the principles of good sportsmanship, don’t you? Little League has a code we try to live and play by, and doesn’t allow tantrums, yelling at the umpires or bad language, right?”
Jimmy said, “yes sir, I know.” So Big E then said, “Good boy. Could you please go over and explain that to your Dad?”
Tweet of the Week, from @thecrowesnest, following a recent Boston bullpen implosion: “The definition of idiocy: doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Also, the definition of the Red Sox bullpen who blow another one.”
Boston is 9-19 against the AL East heading into the weekend, 0-for-8 in AL East series. That’s all you really need to know.
Oh, and the Yankees’ pitching is 75 times better than the Sox. Maybe that’s an exaggeration. NY’s team ERA is 2.92, Boston’s is actually 3.70. Seems a lot worse, doesn’t it?
Brayan Bello’s big-league debut for the Sox went over like a lead balloon. Good experience? Sure. He’s the No. 3 Red Sox prospect in the MLB pipeline.
But if the Sox are worried more about getting a young guy experience, even if he is a potential future ace, than bolstering a pen (or the rotation, since Chris Sale has now had a Worcester hissyfit), we’ve got problems at the Fens.
The trouble is, the Sox could use an ace, period. Future or otherwise. There will be a ton of pressure on Nate Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock when/if they return from the IL. But when isn’t there a ton of pressure?
Philly’s Kyle Schwarber became the first Philadelphia player in 16 years to have consecutive multi-HR games this week. He has 27 total for the year.
Nah, couldn’t use him in the Sox lineup.
Hansel Robles and Hirokazu Sawamura are wasting our time fishing around for their talent. Cut bait. See if you can at least reload the soda machine in the clubhouse in exchange for their services somewhere else.
Two moves made in the past week that raise questions: 1) How much rope does Jim Montgomery get after his hiring as Bruins’ head coach? Great that he seems to be able to develop young talent…but we’re not exactly patient around here.
Nor should we be, since the B’s just chased off a pretty good one in Bruce Cassidy.
2) Malcolm Brogdon’s arrival as a back-up for the Celtics? It’s a great move by Brad Stevens in exchange for flotsam and jetsam…but if he can distribute the ball and not turn it over, he should be given the ball at the start. Period.
Or are we going to worry about hurting the feelings of Marcus Smaht and the other turnover machines on the roster?
Thought this was a GREAT point made by Barrett Sports Media columnist Jessie Karangu this week. That new NFL app you can purchase for $5? Reportedly it will have no original content of its own.
So if you can get NFL Films content on other apps, with no original programming or live streaming becoming available, why exactly would you buy this new app?
Because the NFL is counting on you to be lazy enough to pay them the five bucks, just because they’re the NFL.
The Patriots have three semifinalists from the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 in the Coach/Contributor and Seniors category – with Robert Kraft, Bucko Kilroy and Stanley Morgan making the list.
You can make a definitive argument for each of the three – but the most likely inductee would have to be Mr. Kraft. I mean, without him, wouldn’t these Patriots be in St. Louis? Or Los Angeles?
Kilroy spent nearly 50 years as a front office exec and scout…and Stanley Morgan still holds the record for most yards per catch by a player with at least 500 receptions, at 19.2 yards to catch.
Richard Seymour is this summers’ Pats rep for the Hall of Fame, with the Class of ’22. He’ll be the ninth ex-Pat enshrined in Canton, OH.
Baker Mayfield’s move to Carolina just put a little more juice into the Panthers’ preseason appearance and week of practices against the Patriots next month, didn’t it?
Good luck to the Boston Renegades, in the national title game Sunday in Canton, OH for the Women’s Football Alliance. They’re getting the AirKraft treatment again from the Patriots, chartering out to the game on the Pats’ team plane. The game will air on ESPN2.
Deaf, dumb, and blind: The Dallas Cowboys this week announced a partnership this week with a pro-gun coffee company. Now, I’m not delving into politics here – but does anyone else think that the timing of such an announcement is, um, kinda stupid is as stupid does?
Have you ever played Pickleball? The latest rage, especially among the 50+ crowd. Think tennis with paddles instead of racquets. Sort of.
4.8 million players played pickleball in this country last year, representing a 39% growth rate in the sport since 2019.
To you, James Caan was probably Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather.” And certainly, it’s his most notable role. But to me, Caan will also always be Brian Piccolo, a former Chicago Bears’ running back who died in 1970 from cancer at age 26.
“Brian’s Song” was the movie – which began as a made-for-TV clip that became so popular it moved into the movie theaters. What films do that? Caan passed away this week at age 82.
Gymnast Simone Biles will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of just six female athletes or coaches to ever receive the highest civilian honor in the United States. Her activism on issues like mental health, healthcare, foster care and sexual assault are well documented.
But what about quitting? Like she did on her teammates at the last Olympic Games. Are we rewarding that, too? Just asking the question.
Bill emailed this week and offered a quick Sox fix: “Either sign Judge or drive the price up to $400 million.”
Couldn’t agree more, Bill. Spoken like a true Sox fan. If you can’t beat ‘em (this year), ruin ‘em.
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