College football season that shouldn’t have been played finally over
A ridiculous college football season limped across the finish line Monday night and Alabama fans flooded the streets of Tuscaloosa, sharing their joy and probably COVID-19.
What a fitting final snapshot. The selfishness, recklessness, ignorance … whatever. Those invested in the billions of dollars of contracts at stake managed to hold a season together with silly string and Alabama fans celebrated another championship only slightly less scripted than something from WWE.
The sport is operating as a cartel without a hint of parity or a chance for any but, say, six or eight teams to win a national title. Paraphrasing a friend after the College Football Playoff field was announced: And to think the UConn women
have been called bad for college basketball …
College football is bad for itself. At least the Huskies start in line with 350-plus other teams and earn their place in each Final Four and earn each trophy. There are many football programs in America where a coach can’t tell a recruit that it is possible to win a national championshi — because it isn’t. Even teams with undefeated regular seasons — Cincinnati and Coastal Carolina this year — can’t crack the CFP code.
Since the format began seven years ago, four programs (Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma and Ohio State) have accounted for 20 of the 28 appearances. Notre Dame this season became just the fifth team to make it for a second time. Ohio State was back in, despite playing just six games.
Alabama was undoubtedly the best throughout. The Tide finished 13-0 and looked better than the Jets and Jaguars at times. But the sport is built for brand names and ratings and the same old schools in the same place, with momentum toward the continuation of that trend for the foreseeable future.
The setup is disappointing but not nearly as disappointing as thousands gathering in a congested downtown area in the midst of a raging pandemic. Good riddance to the 2020 college football season. It was as predictable as it was dangerous.
Belichick makes wise call
Bill Belichick chose team over self, and common sense over personal glory, in declining to accept a Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Trump has long been an outspoken enemy of the NFL and its players, saying in 2017, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. He’s fired!’ ”
Belichick goes way back with Trump and acknowledged writing a letter of support to Trump in the run-up to the 2016 election. They are friends — were for a long time, anyway, and possibly still are.
But could you imagine the hurt and anger that would sweep through the Patriots’ facility, and the backlash if Belichick were to stand shoulder to shoulder, smiling, alongside a man who has alienated players in the past? … Kyrie Irving continues to be among the NBA’s most mercurial and disruptive stars. He has missed the Nets’ past four games for personal reasons — among them, according to numerous reports, an emotional response to what took place at the Capitol and his feelings about police reaction. Irving should be commended as an outspoken figure in a league that truly found its voice in 2020, but he also should be held accountable for disappearing while collecting a paycheck. The fact that Nets leaders including coach Steve Nash — initially, at least — were left in the dark regarding the timing of and reasons behind Irving’s absence is a horrible look. Everywhere Irving goes, drama follows.
The NFL’s wild-card playoff game between the Saints and Bears on Nickelodeon was considered a wild success. Tip of the hat to Bob Diaco, full blast of slime cannons to the rest of us. Diaco, while discussing his failed idea for the Civil ConFLiCT rivalry with Central Florida, said the following during one of the most bizarre press conferences in UConn history on Oct. 25, 2016: “I’ve got other ideas, too. If you want to talk about networks, I’ve got all kinds of ideas on networks. Let’s target 6-year-olds to 16-year-olds, how about that? Eventually they’re going to be 18-35. Let’s broadcast our games on Nickelodeon. Who owns that, Viacom? I mean, let’s create some real intrigue. Let’s create some real [following]. And that’s all I was trying to do [with the ConFLiCT]. With love and respect and energy and thoughtfulness.” …
Alterique Gilbert has started eight of nine games as a graduate transfer at Wichita State for interim coach Isaac Brown. Coach Gregg Marshall resigned in November amid allegations of mental and physical abuse going back years and I cringed when that surfaced. Gilbert had a trying four years at UConn — mentally, physically, emotionally — and then walked into a situation where he needed careful support but found another mess over which he had no control. He is averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 assists and 29.3 minutes for the Shockers (10-3).
Whatever Cam Newton’s future with the Patriots, if there is one, he should be appreciated for the way he approached a difficult job in 2020. He took over a team depleted by COVID opt-outs. He didn’t play very well, but his supporting cast was probably weaker than any Tom Brady worked with. Previous reputation aside, Newton has been an adult in Foxboro. He gets criticized in some immature circles for what he wears — that canary yellow suit sure was something — as if a man’s style has anything to do with what takes place on the job. Newton was ineffective, though, particularly in the position’s most important function: throwing the football. And if Jarrett Stidham couldn’t get the nod somewhere along the way in 2020, there’s very little chance the quarterback of the future is on this roster. … If I’m running a team in 2021, particularly in New York or New England, I’d sign up for 10 years of Deshaun Watson, just about any way it could be worked out. … That the Eagles treated their Week 17 game against the Redskins with such disregard for the integrity of the game was unfortunate. So was the Giants’ 6-10 record. Anyone in East Rutherford bitter about missing the playoffs should keep that record in mind more so than the actions of Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who was fired Monday.
Maybe he’ll wind up as Jets coach to the outrage of a fan base that has had its soul crushed for the last, oh, 50 years. … At least Adam Gase, with seasons of 7-9 and 2-14, had a slightly better two-year run than Rich Kotite (3-13, 1-15 in 1995-96).