STARTING FIVE
Another fateful play with Chris Davis in his own end zone, but this one ends quite differently.
1. Lone Survivor
Well, lookee here… when all the dust settled, there was just one unbeaten team and the championship game pitted two outstanding squads who went to the brink against one another. These men are such sage balladeers….
Auburn was valiant, racing out to a 21-3 lead, but credit the Seminoles for becoming the first team in the BCS NCG era to overcome a halftime deficit and win. Huge plays? The fake punt late in the first half on fourth-and-four that prevented the Tigers from entering halftime with a 21-3 lead; the holding penalty on Auburn on third down on their first drive of the second half when a pass completion took the Tigers near the red zone; the interceprtion of Nick Marshall; and, of course, the quick hitch route on the Seminoles’ game-winning drive in which two Tigers whiffed on FSU receiver Rashad Greene, who then raced for 49 yards before being horse-collared (not called) out of bounds.
–Kudos to Jameis Winston, but Auburn’s Tre Mason (195 yards rushing) deserved the offensive game MVP award.
–Florida State defensive end Timmy Jerningan is tremendous, but how are you too gassed to play in the final two defensive series of your team’s national championship game?
—Kelvin Benjamin did not have a terrific game, but he did catch the game-winning pass over Auburn’s Chris Davis (the six inch height advantage helped). I fell in love with Benjamin’s game in October when, versus N.C. State I believe, he crushed an outside linebacker with a crack back block on a pitch around right end and just started strutting back to the Seminole sideline. Didn’t even turn to see if his teammate had scored. He knew.
–Chris Davis: The ecstasy and the agony.
— Dee Dee McCarron, who tweeted “Am I listening to English?” during Jameis Winston’s evangelical post-game interview, has become the Crazy Wife of Kurt Warner of college football, even though she’s a mom. My Twitter feed was buzzing with no shortage of simlilarly, um, hostile takes on Winston’s rhetoric and persona in general. As one wiser Twitter pundit noted, Winston is both charismatic and polarizing. Like a young Ray Lewis.
2. The Megacast
This needs to be the next “Film Room” grouping.
Great idea by ESPN, and mostly well-executed. The “Film Room” on ESPN News was fantastic, and I expect we’ll be seeing more of that. Rotate the personalities, though. Tell Millen to move over some so the other dudes can see the screen. And would it kill ESPN to put a plate of nachos, wings, or maple bacon slabs on the table? Perhaps a frost-filtered bucket of Coors Lite? Product placement, plus you let the men be men.
The ESPN Party Room did nothing for me, but then I’m not much of a Michael Smith/Jemele Hill fan. Did you listen at halftime when Smith asked Tim Tebow an innocuous question about the first half and Tim went all Smart Football on him? Hilarious.
3. Polar Vortex
Stephanie Seymour, 45, photographed in St. Bart’s over the weekend. In case you were wondering if this was a scene from the season premier of Downton Abbey.
As loyal MH reader Greg Auman asserts, this is one of the more popular Gatorade flavors. Yes, it’s cold outside.
By the way, how do you get a job as a paparazzi (paparazzus?) in St. Bart’s during January? Hell, I’d take photos of Artie Lange frolicking in the surf if it got me out of the arctic northeast for one week.
4. Happy Knick Year?
All the Knicks needed as the Mr. Rourke mandate: “Smiles. Smiles, everyone.”
The Knicks are suddenly dangerous now that the calendar has flipped to 2014. They went 2-1 in Texas and came within a last-second shot at Houston of pulling off the three-game sweep. Iman Shumpert is actually smiling. They’re 11-22 right now and while Yasiel Puig isn’t walking through that door, it says here that, barring an injury to Carmelo, they’ll finish .500 and make the playoffs (true, at this point .500 would win their division).
5. “Shark Chokes on Moose….Canadians Rescue Shark”
Get back, Lo-retta!
This and other intriguing tales (and fins) from the Year in Review from Outside magazine. Always an interesting read.
Reserves
Sochi can’t ski. She can at least be a commentator, no?
Vonn Is Gone
Lindsey Vonn, the most recognizable–and bankable– American athlete of the Sochi Games, has officially withdrawn in order to have knee surgery. It’s a huge blow to NBC and the sizzle of the 2014 Winter Olympics. We’ll find new stars, of course. We always do. But this is a setback.
Patrick Maher of Grinnell sets an NCAA record with 37 assists in a 164-144 defeat of College of Faith. Relatively, it wasn’t even a blowout. Maher also scored 19 points as the Pioneers went to 8-2.
The Bank
Balance: $950
Result: Took Auburn plus-9.5 for $40 in NCG. Won
Today’s Wager: Knicks minus-3 at home versus Pistons. You watch. The ‘bockers are on a mission (finally). Expect them to cover. Let’s put an Andrew Jackson ($20) on it.
Remote Patrol
No. 3 Ohio State at No. 5 Michigan State
ESPN 9 p.m.
Craft’s cheeks are rosy, just like the Spartans’ football team.
The Buckeyes are undefeated (15-0). The Spartans have one loss (although it wasn’t to Tommy Rees and Notre Dame). The good news for Brutus is that the winner does not go to the Rose Bowl. Aaron Craft may be the most announcer-beloved player in any sport in any country.
WOW! The BCS went out with a bang! Being an ACC girl (even if my alma mater is going all Benedict Arnold thanks to carpetbagging Prez Loh, but I digress), I normally would have rooted for FSU, but I grew sick of all the talking heads/Vegas the past month & especially the past 7 days, annoint the Seminoles before the the 1st damn snap, SO, I started the game rooting for Auburn & damn, they came out of the gate like the Hounds of Hell were chasing them down! But by the middle of the 2nd quarter, I started feeling all sorry for FSU & switched my allegiance. (Alas, guess I take after my alma mater after all).
Anyway, the game kept my attention the ENTIRE time (quite an anomaly these past few years) & even though FSU squeaked out the win in dramatic fashion, I thought Auburn was actually the better team last night. I agree with your “huge plays” but would like to add 2 more – the 100 yd kick-off TD return which you just KNOW the Bama fans at home were hootin & hollerin ’bout KARMA, etc. Without that TD which used no time at all, I don’t think FSU would have had the time to score the needed points. And then within the last minute, FSU is at their 3, 2nd Down & go offsides (I think that was the penalty) & have to go back 5 yards, so they’re at the 8 & it’s 3rd Down. Jameis passes & the Auburn defender wraps the receiver up before the ball is actually in his arms (which is, you know, “FROWNED UPON”), so FSU gets an automatic 1st Down & they’re back at the 2. Four more tries! Without that penalty, I think it was less than 50-50 that FSU scored right there. Game over.
About the Megacast. The “Film Room” was way too dry for me & I know this may ‘sooprize’ the producers, but *I* for one didn’t enjoy looking at the backs of 4 guy’s heads. Plus, the excitement level in the room could have mistaken for an inquest. Still, I imagine the X-O guys loved it. As for “Title Talk” on ESPN2, the only time I really enjoyed it was when Sweet Cheeks was on screen at Half Time (natch). And even though I still can’t stand the kid, I must grudgingly admit that Manziel handled himself very well. BTW, before the game, Timmy picked FSU & gave the projected score to be 35-31. Pretteee damn close! Who sez he can’t be a good “analyst”?! Personally, I think they needed some unabashed fans in there to actually CHEER/go crazy/moan when their team did something great/awful.
As for Vonn. I’m devasted for her, but relieved at the same time. As mentioned here before, I was SO worried about her knee & how she’d be able to ski the Downhill. Such an exciting yet dangerous event! When I heard the news this morning, I got a bit teary as Olympic athletes have so few shots at making at impact in this country & Lindsey had been focused on Sochi since Vancouver. All the while racking up a few more World Cup titles, but most people in this country are barely aware of those. Such a shame. I hope she continues but with age & what will be 2 knee surgeries behind her, you just don’t know.
And you probably know this, but USA does have a budding superstar on the women’s ski team – Mikaela Shiffrin. She currently specialzes in the Slalom (won last year’s World Cup title & the World Championship in the event) but could contend in the GS too. Plus, she’s attractive, which is a “must” as deemed by the media/sponsors. At least in you are a FEMALE athlete. On the men’s side, we have Hot Ligety (Ted), who has dominated the GS the past few years & won THREE titles in last year’s World Championships. And Bode is back.
Beyond skiing, we have Shaun White (still dominant in Half-pipe although not quite as much) & has a chance to medal in Snowboard Slopestyle), Kelly Clark in Halfpipe, Shani Davis in longtrack speedskating, & in all “real men’s” fave event ( 🙂 ) – Ice Dancing, America has it’s ONLY shot at a Gold in Figure Skating with Davis & White (Vancouver’s Silver medalists). Of course, if the flu takes down Yuna Kim & the Japanese, or someone “celebrates” the 20th Anniversary of “Nancy & Tonya by taking out a knee, well, then the USA has another shot.
Of course, one of the GREAT aspects of the Olympics is the athlete who seemingly comes from nowhere, to either win Gold or people’s hearts by beating the proverbial “unsurmountable odds”. CAN’T WAIT!