By Tim Peterson
Football in December is much better than basketball in December. Don’t get me wrong. Football is better than basketball any month of the year but especially in December.
Why is the NBA back already anyway? Well we all know why it’s back after just a 72 day off season. It’s all about the lettuce, dough, cheddar or as our Mid Valley Sports stringer Corey “Corn Dog” used to say the “provolone”. Adam Silver wanted the cheddar. The Commissioner needed the provolone. Without the Christmas Day games Silver and the NBA lose out on all of that TV money.
The NBA, like any other professional sports league, generates its biggest revenue from the broadcasting rights. Especially this season when there are no fans in the stands, it was essential that Silver raked in the TV dough. So he started the season December 22nd, got his Christmas Day present of prime time games and worked out a 72 game season. Players may not like it and we may see some stars sit out games early but Silver doesn’t care. He got his provolone.
So I tried watching the NBA this week. Sorry I could only manage about a quarter. Football is better than basketball in December. Especially regular season basketball. Three point bombs on every other possession and isolation basketball on every possession isn’t my idea of a good time. It’s December, give me a bowl game. Give me the Myrtle Beach Bowl and the Idaho Potato Bowl. Even the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl is a must see if the alternative is the NBA. As for basketball I’ll check back in for the Finals.
Speaking of Bowls they got it right for the College Football Playoffs. Alabama and Clemson were 1 and 2. There was no question there. Ohio State was undefeated. I don’t care if the Buckeyes only played six games. They weren’t going to lose to Michigan. They would have beaten the Wolverines by 30. No other Big 10 team would have been within two touchdowns of them. Ohio State was clearly number 3. Then it was down to 4 with three teams in the mix. Texas A &M only lost one game but its best win was over a Florida team that lost three games. Cincinnati, although 9-0, simply didn’t play the same competition as the big boys. That left Notre Dame and you can’t penalize a team for losing one game to the number 2 team, Clemson. Especially after they already beat that same team earlier in the year. The Irish, like it or not, earned the fourth spot.
That being said Alabama beats Notre Dame by three touchdowns. Ohio State keeps it close but Trevor Lawrence and the Tigers pull it out late. Alabama-Clemson prediction soon.
Quick Hits:
The Rams will be fine. Although the loss to the New York Jets looks disastrous at first glance it’s just what they needed to spark an extended playoff run.
Since when did Marc Paramo become Wolfgang Puck? Judging by his pictures on Twitter of the dinners he’s been throwing together one would think that the former Rosemead head football just finished culinary school.
Does Ben Roethlisberger really have a “wet noodle” for an arm as one former local high school football coach described it or are the Pittsburgh Steelers simply in a funk?
Good news, bad news: Good News: The Chargers have won their last two games. Bad news: Those wins may have saved Anthony Lynn’s job.
The Jets may have won a game but they also may have lost Lawrence.
Which LA football coach gets fired first? Clay Helton, Chip Kelly or Lynn?
If the Rams don’t make an extended playoff run Jared Goff’s four-year $134 million contract looks like a lot of provolone.
That’s my principle.
Tim can be reached at tim.midvalleysports@gmail.com or on Twitter @tspeterson40.
@Americas 2nd Past Time,
I am afraid that you might be very right! The demise of APU football is a scary prospect for football in California. Football is still big time in America, but too much legislation and politicians in Ca. Who don’t value it and only see risk factors. It used to be most school administrators once had coaching ties. That is not the case anymore.
It seems that football will slowly go the way of baseball in America, you have the older generations who love it but fewer and fewer as they get younger. Will be even more impacted by less youth kids playing and them having so many alternative activities and technology to ammuse them. Basketball is already such a global game, its like soccer except America is the top dog. Football biggest downfall will be its giant liability that eventually only top of the line program colleges and pro teams who profit will be able to keep playing. Its the reason all the start up football leagues will keep failing and seeing APU fold i wouldn’t jbe surprised to see some locals D3s start following especially with the Pandemic money issues.
Opposing teams have figured out how to attack Goff. He is afraid to extend plays so they play for the bubble screens and quick slants to Cupp and rush straight at him so he gets rid of the ball quick. Goff reminds me of the Lions Matthew Safford. Too expensive to trade or cut, just good enough to keep as a starter but not good enough to be a leader and winner. Rams defense is the only reason they win more than lose.