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Sports Commentary

  1. 1d ago

    The Big Stink-o over Cinco at LSU

    LSU was front and center in national sports headlines in the past week.  Most every day, the stories just kept on coming. “Recent Heisman Trophy winner wants his jersey retired or his Heisman back!” How about this:  “LSU Defensive back replies, “It’s My Number now – Come and Take it!” And then LSU had one of the saddest stories of the week with the headline, “Legendary LSU Baseball coach and Athletics Director Skip Bertman died Friday in Baton Rouge at age 88.” Let’s cover that serious story first. Skip Bertman was a man with a golden touch who quietly built LSU athletics into a national power J. Stanley Bertman loved baseball from an early age.  After his family relocated to Miami, the young “Skip” Bertman became a top local high school baseball player.  He signed to play college ball with the local Miami Hurricanes as an outfielder and catcher.  Bertman earned both his Bachelors and Masters degrees at The U in the early 1960’s. Skip Bertman then began his coaching career as a high school baseball coach at Miami Beach High School.  He took the team to a state championship and two runner-up finishes in 11 years. Bertman returned to his college alma mater to work with legendary college baseball coach Ron Fraser.  Skip Bertman became the recruiting coordinator, pitching coach, and assistant head coach for the Miami Hurricanes from 1976-1983.  The Canes won the NCAA national championship in 1982. LSU Athletics Director Bob Broadhead struck gold when he convinced Skip Bertman to leave south Florida and take over the LSU baseball team in the summer of 1983. Over the next 18 years, “The Skipper” led LSU’s baseball team to five national championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000).  The team made 11 College World Series appearances to Omaha during those 18 seasons. When Bertman arrived in Baton Rouge, LSU baseball was played at the cozy confines of Alex Box Stadium.  This rather unique ballpark was put in service back in 1938.  It was located right across the street from LSU’s monstrous Tiger Stadium football facility.  The ballpark also bordered alongside an active railroad track.  It seemed that a train would rumble by the baseball park during every LSU night game. The success of Skip Bertman’s LSU baseball teams led to several expansions of Alex Box Stadium as sellouts became the norm by the late 1980’s. A larger new facility with nearly 11,000 seats replaced the old baseball stadium in 2009.  This new ball park retained the original name of “Alex Box Stadium.” In 2013, the name of the stadium changed to “Skip Bertman Field at Alex Box Stadium” in honor of LSU’s most successful baseball coach. Coach Bertman coached 41 LSU players who went on to play major league baseball.  Other former players have become successful coaches.  Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco (a catcher at LSU under Skip Bertman) guided his team to the College World Series title in 2022. Skip Bertman became LSU’s Athletics Director from 2001-2007.  His leadership and fundraising skills led to a series of major upgrades to the school’s athletics facilities.  He led a number of local charity fundraisers after retiring from LSU. Bertman had been hospitalized recently with heart-related issues.  He was 88. High…uh…4.999!  It’s the battle for the right to wear #5 on the LSU football team In one of the most bizarre sports stories last week, former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels (now playing for the NFL’s Washington Commanders) demanded that his former college not allow sophomore defensive back DJ Pickett to wear his former #5 this season. After that didn’t work, the quarterback’s family demanded that LSU must stop utilizing Daniels’ name, image, and likeness effective immediately.  They may have also asked for the Heisman Trophy replica on display at LSU to be returned to the Daniels’ family. As of this writing, LSU has not obliged any of those requests.  Nor should they. Daniels was a transfer student from Arizona State who played his final two college football seasons at LSU in 2022 and 2023.  He won the 2023 Heisman Trophy following a brilliant final year with the Tigers. Jayden Daniels became the #2 overall selection in the NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders in April, 2024.  He is entering his third season in ol’ DC. Daniels joined running back Billy Cannon (1959) and quarterback Joe Burrow (2019) as LSU’s Heisman Trophy winners. Jayden Daniels surprised the sports world last week with a demand that LSU not allow a current football player to wear his former #5 jersey this year. For the record, Joe Burrow’s #9 has not been worn since LSU’s 15-0 perfect season culminating in the 2019 national championship. The #9 football jersey for Joe Burrow and the #5 jersey for Jayden Daniels have not been “retired” by LSU.  At least not yet. Billy Cannon’s #20 is the only LSU jersey which has been retired and officially removed from circulation in the football program. LSU has “retired” the jerseys of three additional football players, though.  The jerseys of #4 (Charles Alexander – running back), #21 (Jerry Stovall – running back), and #37 (Tommy Cassanova – defensive back) were ceremoniously retired by LSU football. LSU plans to retire the #7 jersey of quarterback Bert Jones in a ceremony scheduled for November 14 this fall. Those four jersey numbers may still be worn by future LSU players, though.  Only Billy Cannon’s #20 is permanently out of circulation and unavailable for future football players. For the record, this year’s 2026 LSU Tigers football squad will have one player wearing Charles Alexander’s #4 jersey, two wearing Jerry Stovall’s #21, and one who will don Tommy Cassanova’s #37 in the fall. Why did LSU’s DJ Pickett persist on wanting to wear #5 this season? Many major college football teams dress more than 100 players for home games.  Since teams are not allowed to utilize three digits on a football jersey, two players frequently wear the same jersey number in college games.  Most of the time, one will play offense.  The other is usually on defense or special teams. Jayden Daniels played offense at LSU.  Cornerback DJ Pickett plays defense for the Tigers. LSU’s DJ Pickett claims to have worn a #5 jersey from youth football and all the way through high school. He said that former LSU football coach Brian Kelly had “promised” to allow him wear that number once he came to LSU. Coach Kelly has confirmed that the promise was, indeed, made to Pickett.  However, Kelly also said that former player Jayden Daniels had not given the “OK” prior to Pickett’s freshman season in 2025. So, DJ Pickett settled for jersey #3 last year as a freshman at LSU as part of Brian Kelly’s Tigers.  Pickett had a sensational first year at LSU and was named to the freshman All-American team. After Brian Kelly was fired and Lane Kiffin became LSU’s new coach beginning this season, DJ Pickett raised the “You guys promised me I could wear that #5 jersey” issue to his new coach again this summer. Pickett doesn’t seem to care what Jayden Daniels thinks about wearing LSU’s #5 jersey this season. DJ Pickett told the media last week, “It’s the number I was promised (by LSU).  I wish Jayden the best.  Good player, and he did real good here.  So, that’s all.” The father of DJ Pickett was more emphatic. Papa Pickett said last week, “Considering that Jayden is a legend at LSU and it’s out that he’s not supportive of my son wearing his number is very disappointing.  We wish in a perfect world that he (Daniels) would have given his blessing and, Tiger to Tiger, wish my son well.” LSU football coach Lane Kiffin (being the seasoned politician that he has become) confirmed that he checked with LSU administrators and found no reason why Pickett could not wear the #5 jersey for the Tigers this fall. LSU’s new $13 million per year football coach wants to stand up for his current group of players.  DJ Pickett will play an important role within LSU’s defensive unit this season in Baton Rouge. Sports fans are having a field day making fun of this #5 kerfuffle Needless to say, people outside of Louisiana have taken note of the childish back-and-forth going on surrounding LSU’s #5 football jersey. Sports punsters around the country have been making jokes about their own possible unauthorized usage of the #5.  It seems that no one wants to mess with the irate family of Jayden Daniels when it comes to the use of the fifth digit. Baseball’s New York Mets led the way. The major league baseball team won a game over the Washington Nationals last week 4-1.  They declared on the team’s X.com site, “Stopped at 4 (runs) out of respect for Jayden Daniels.” Another originated from sports ticket vendor Stub Hub.  On their website, tickets being sold for the Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders NFL game on September 27 will not allow bundling of five tickets together. “Out of respect for Jayden Daniels, we’re only doing 4 or 6+.” You get the picture. One of the more interesting ideas I heard last week was for LSU to auction the replica Heisman Trophy and donate the proceeds to one or more local charities.  If the family of Jayden Daniels still wants the trophy back, they can buy it back from the winner. I like it, but with one caveat. “No bids should contain the number five out of respect for Jayden Daniels.” The post The Big Stink-o over Cinco at LSU appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

  2. 3d ago

    LIV Golf – Turn out the Lights – the Party’s (almost) Over

    Those who follow my posts know that I have been a supporter of LIV Golf since Day 1 (Spring, 2022). Every PGA Tour golfer should be thankful to LIV Golf for introducing some much needed competition during the past five years.  The stodgy PGA Tour’s tournament payouts have risen after LIV Golf began poaching several top golfers. The remaining stars of the PGA Tour are now pocketing significant long-term benefits after a new incentive bonus system was instituted two years ago to retain top talent. As of today, LIV Golf will need a major miracle to continue in 2027.  It is officially “Hail Mary” time for the fifth year golf league. Reports continue to circulate this week that LIV Golf is canceling its $40 million season-ending tournament near Detroit, Michigan in two weeks.  That would make next weekend’s (August 20-23) LIV Golf event near Indianapolis the final tournament of 2026. It also might become the final event ever for LIV Golf. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil has the most difficult job in professional sports How would you like to be in charge of an organization which just lost 100% of its funding, and your top performers are openly discussing jumping ship? Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil took over the top role at LIV Golf after World Golf Hall-of-Famer Greg Norman left in early 2025. O’Neil’s background included running Madison Square Garden Sports (basketball’s New York Knicks and hockey’s New York Rangers).  He later became CEO for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL New Jersey Devils. O’Neil’s latest role at LIV Golf should be titled “Chief Magician” if this golf enterprise is going to survive into 2027. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has lost upwards of $6 billion after five years of bankrolling LIV Golf.  They finally saw the light and are bailing out after LIV’s final event this month. Scott O’Neil has been scrambling for months trying to find new financial backers.  Those interested in LIV Golf will be investing in a sports league best known for hemorrhaging massive amounts of cash. Good luck with that sales pitch! Last week, Scott O’Neil said, “Notably, our next chapter will make our players the majority equity holders in LIV Golf…and gives the league the foundation to keep the game growing worldwide.  We anticipate finalizing terms in the coming weeks.” Let’s analyze that last statement a little closer LIV Golf’s CEO is saying that he wants to make the golfers the MAJORITY equity holders in the organization going forward? My Dad was not a big fan of televised golf.  Though one of his sons (me) fell in love with the sport at age 8, Dad often laughed as golfers agonized over their putts.  He would say, “If those guys were out there playing for their own money, this might be a lot more interesting to watch!” If LIV Golf tees it up again in 2027, my Dad (viewing golf from heaven since 2001) may get his wish with players having their own financial stake in the golf league. The LIV Golf bonus babies may determine the future of their own league LIV Golf was able to get off the ground five years ago only after the Saudi PIF generously opened their wallets to buy talent.  More than $1 billion in bonus money was needed to sign a number of the top PGA golfers. Remember Phil Mickelson?  The six-time major champion was one of the first top golfers to switch to LIV Golf. He received a reported $200 million signing bonus.  Season One at LIV Golf featured the signings of Brooks Koepka ($130 million), Dustin Johnson ($125 million) and Bryson DeChambeau ($125 million). The other fifty LIV Golfers (the league features 54 players) received varying amounts in signing bonuses, too.  Former major champions such as Patrick Reed ($100 million), Louis Oosthuizen ($50 million) and Sergio Garcia ($40 million) came aboard in 2022 to help get LIV up and running (while assuring their own long-term financial futures). Australia’s Cam Smith ($140 million) was added to begin the 2023 season.  Spain’s Jon Rahm ($300 million) followed in Year #3 and became the highest paid golfer in the LIV Golf portfolio. Those nine LIV Golf signees I have mentioned required an outlay of more than $1.2 billion. Let’s say that the remaining 45 LIV golfers were signed for a “paltry” total of $300 million.  That would have brought 2022’s total initial investment (before one hole of golf was even played) to more than $1.5 billion. Each golfer’s LIV contract agreement is confidential.  My best guess would be most LIV golfers received a portion of their signing bonus up front (perhaps 25% or more) with the remainder being paid annually over the term of their agreement. By the way, Jon Rahm’s $300 million agreement apparently covered six years (2024-2029 golf seasons).  He is now halfway through his contractual commitment. SOS – There’s an iceberg dead ahead for the S.S. LIV Golf The biggest problem with LIV Golf (in addition to their lousy TV contract with FOX Sports) is that the tournament payouts greatly exceed the revenues generated.  The cost of tournaments and operations has been unsustainable from Day 1. Some reports estimate LIV Golf has lost upwards of $1 billion annually (excluding the money spent on those signing bonuses). What is likely to happen to each of the highest paid LIV golf stars in 2027? (Note – All signing bonuses and contract terms mentioned here are my own best guesses after reviewing a number of online resources). Jon Rahm ($300 mm) – The most expensive golfer for LIV Golf appears ready to walk the plank and take a financial write-off soon. Rahm is just 31 years of age.  He has at least a decade of top level golf still ahead of him. Rahm is under contract with LIV Golf for another three years.  If LIV Golf should survive into 2027, they must pay Rahm the fourth year portion of his contract/signing bonus.  Should LIV Golf file for bankruptcy at some point, Rahm would be fortunate to receive a dime once the Saudi’s bail out later this month. My best guesses? I predict that Jon Rahm will voluntarily walk away from LIV Golf soon.  He would keep whatever bonus money he has already been paid by LIV Golf.  Rahm would also forfeit the remainder of his contract and join the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) beginning in early 2027.  The talented Jon Rahm will eventually make his way back to the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson ($200 mm) – Lefty’s signing bonus/contract with LIV Golf was rumored to be for a four year period.  That means that Mickelson had received 100% of his signing bonus money after the 2025 LIV season ended. Phil is now 56 years of age.  He was a non-factor in the majority of LIV Golf events since the league’s initial season in 2022. Mickelson has been dealing with family-related issues in 2026 and did not participate in any LIV Golf events this year.  There are a lot of rumors flying about Phil’s family situation.  Regardless, Phil Mickelson’s competitive playing days appear to be over. Cameron Smith ($140 mm) – The 32-year old Australian golfer won the 2022 Open Championship.  He was the #2 ranked player in the world at the time he signed with LIV Golf prior to the 2023 season.  Cam Smith is captain of the popular LIV Golf Australian team called the Rippers. Smith likely has one or more years remaining on his LIV Golf contract.  I expect him (and his Aussie team) to stick together in 2027 should the league somehow survive.  If LIV Golf goes under, Smith (like many non-US golfers in the league) may attempt to enter the DP World Tour in 2027. Brooks Koepka ($130 mm) – Koepka quietly negotiated an exit deal from his LIV Golf agreement at the end of the 2025 season.  After meeting conditions set by the PGA Tour, Brooks Koepka rejoined the traditional golf tour this year.  He is ranked #82 on the PGA’s money list this year with earnings of $1.7 million. Dustin Johnson ($125 mm) – Surprisingly, DJ signed a contract extension to remain with LIV Golf through the 2029 golf season. Johnson is captain of the successful 4Aces golf team and seems to enjoy his role within LIV Golf. Bryson DeChambeau ($125 mm) – Unlike Dustin Johnson, DeChambeau rejected a contract extension request by LIV Golf after the 2025 season.  His initial agreement will expire at the end of the 2026 season (less than two weeks from now). The 32-year old DeChambeau has been the most vocal supporter of LIV Golf since the league began. He might be negotiating to become part of the new ownership team if the league survives into 2027.  Bryson DeChambeau has nearly three million subscribers to his popular YouTube channel.  He is already one of the world’s most popular golfers.  DeChambeau will be fine. Patrick Reed ($100 mm) – Like Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed pulled the plug on LIV Golf once his contract ended at the end of 2025.  He then reapplied for entry to the PGA Tour and, after meeting the Tour’s requirements, will become eligible to play again during September’s fall schedule. All the remaining LIV Golfers – Most of the initial group of LIV Golf signees will have collected their entire bonus by the end of August, 2026.  Others who were added since Year #1 (2022 season) will likely remain with LIV Golf – should the league continue in 2027. Summary Keep your eye on any news involving Jon Rahm and LIV Golf. If Rahm decides to walk away soon (and I think he will), the future of LIV Golf becomes even more doubtful.  Fewer top stars will mean that LIV Golf’s tournament payouts will take an even bigger cut in 2027. The iceberg is in full view for LIV Golf. It’s time to brace for impact! The post LIV Golf – Turn out the Lights – the Party’s (almost) Over appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

  3. 5d ago

    Will the Dallas Cowboys finally end “The Streak” this season?

    It’s been 31 seasons since the Dallas Cowboys last played in a Super Bowl game.  That season-ending victory came at the conclusion of the 1995 NFL season on January 28, 1996. Heck, it has been 31 seasons since the Dallas Cowboys have even played in the NFC Championship game! Team owner and billionaire huckster Jerry Jones tried to convince Dallas Cowboys fans last summer that trading away the team’s best defensive player was a smart move.  Micah Parsons wanted ol’ Jer to pony-up with another high dollar contract to remain in Dallas. Instead, the owner shipped Parsons to the Green Bay Packers right before the 2025 season began.  The defensive rushing specialist received what he wanted, though. Micah Parsons signed a new contract in Green Bay last fall paying him $188 million over four years (a whopping $47 million per season). Dallas received Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark from Green Bay plus two first round draft picks as part of the deal. After losing Micah Parsons, Big D’s defense became a league-wide joke in 2025.  You can’t consider your team a title contender with a defense which allowed an NFL high 30.1 points per game last season. Cowboys fans were understandably upset after team owner Jerry Jones dealt the team’s “lone star” defensive player one year ago.  Jones’ history of meddling with the team’s roster has backfired plenty of times during this 31 season title drought. Despite the absence of a competitive defense, Dallas still finished with a fairly respectable 7-9-1 record last season.  Only the prolific offense of the Cowboys saved the 2025 team from being a total disaster. Something feels different this year… In April, Dallas selected safety Caleb Downs from Ohio State with the 11th pick in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.  A two-time college football All-American, Downs was expected to be taken earlier in the first round.  The Dallas Cowboys appear to have capitalized on a little bit of good fortune. Dallas then added another defensive pick with its second selection during Round 1.  Defensive edge rusher Malachi Lawrence played college football for UCF under the watchful eye of the Cowboys’ new defensive line coach, Demeitri Brim. Last season’s “defenseless” Cowboys had just made two first round solid defensive picks in the NFL Draft. Over the past week, the Cowboys re-signed defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (who was acquired from the New York Jets last season) to a new three-year deal worth $106 million. Williams played college football at Alabama under Coach Nick Saban.  He is well liked by his new teammates in Dallas. Is Maxx Crosby still a possible addition? It’s no secret that Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby would like to come play for the Dallas Cowboys.  The former fourth round selection out of Eastern Michigan played his high school football in Colleyville, Texas – just north of Fort Worth. Maxx Crosby plays his position with incredible effort and intensity.  He is a five-time NFL Pro Bowler entering his eighth NFL season – all with the woeful Raiders franchise.  He was briefly traded earlier this year (for two first round selections) to the Baltimore Ravens.  Unfortunately, Crosby failed the physical exam after rehabbing a knee injury incurred last fall.  That nullified the deal and required Crosby to return to the Raiders. Dallas made a competitive offer to the Raiders for Maxx Crosby (a first round and second round pick) but fell short.  Crosby’s knee injury may be healed sufficiently by now to warrant another trade offer from Dallas owner Jerry Jones over the next month. There’s no doubt that Maxx Crosby would represent a significantly upgrade to the Dallas defensive front.  His intense style of play would quickly make him a fan favorite in Dallas.  Keep an eye on this development in the weeks ahead. Cowboys made Brandon Aubrey the highest paid kicker in the NFL Seven million dollars per year sounds like a lot of money to pay for a field goal kicker. That’s what Dallas placekicker Brandon Aubrey will receive for the next four years after recently becoming the NFL’s highest paid kicker. Aubrey’s path to riches came without kicking a football in either high school or college.  He was a talented soccer player at Notre Dame and played professionally in Canada. The USFL’s Birmingham Stallions gave Brandon Aubrey a pro football tryout and signed him.  Aubrey delivered booming kick-offs and field goals in Birmingham over his two seasons with the spring football league team. The Dallas Cowboys signed him in 2023.  Brandon Aubrey made the NFL Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons.  He has booted six field goals of 60 yards or more in his career and provides the potent Dallas offense with a reliable scoring weapon. What about Dallas wide receiver George Pickens? Pickens (who played wide receiver in college at Georgia) was a second round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022.  His first NFL contract paid him nearly $7 million – over a four year period. George Pickens and former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t seem to get along very well.  Pickens occasionally displayed less than 100% effort on the field at times.  That put him into the coaches’ dog house.  He compounded his own troubles with the Steelers and their loyal fans by posting “Free Me” comments on social media. The Steelers obliged and sent “Pouty” Pickens packing to Dallas in 2025. For just a lowly 6th round draft pick, the Cowboys inserted George Pickens into the starting line-up last season and saw his on-field talent.  He snagged 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns for Dallas last year. Dallas’ primary wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, benefited from having the speedy George Pickens on the field at the same time running routes to keep defenses off balance. Following his productive 2025 season, Pickens demanded a new long-term contract from Dallas owner Jerry Jones. Instead, the Cowboys recently placed its “franchise” designation on their new wide receiver. The team likely wants to see more than one season of positive results prior to plunking down big bucks for a long-term deal. Don’t feel sorry for George Pickens. He will receive nearly $24 million for the upcoming 2026 season.  That “franchise” designation requires Dallas to pay him the average of the five highest paid wide receivers in the entire NFL. Dallas fans should watch closely to see if George Pickens will continue to show improvement this season or return into his former disgruntled self while playing in Pittsburgh. Can quarterback Dak Prescott finally lead the Cowboys to an NFC title game? Prescott is entering his 11th NFL season in Dallas.  His impressive personal stats and friendly personality have made him a fan favorite. That said, Dak is only 2-5 in playoff games during his first decade in Big D. The former Haughton High School (Shreveport area) and Mississippi State product is being paid $60 million per season.  A four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Dak Prescott is now being paid at a high level that team owner Jerry Jones, head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and Dallas fans now expect a deep run into the NFL playoffs. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Prescott has not delivered – yet. Is Dallas a legitimate contender to win the NFC East this season? Absolutely! The NFC East has been dominated for the past several years by the Philadelphia Eagles.  Philly’s dominant defense and efficient offense has produced 50 wins against just 18 losses in the past four NFL seasons.  They won the 2024 Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Philadelphia’s core of top players on offense and defense has been dwindling by the year.  The Eagles posted an 11-6 record last season but were quickly bounced out of the playoffs in the opening round (at home) by San Francisco. Wagering lines posted by Las Vegas oddsmakers show the Philadelphia Eagles remaining the favorite to once again capture the NFC East title in 2026.  The Dallas Cowboys are projected to finish one game behind. Dallas must apply early pressure this fall to nudge the Eagles off their perch atop the NFC East standings. The Cowboys’ 2026 schedule appears somewhat favorable. Dallas plays nine home games and eight road games in the NFL’s 17-week regular season.  A pair of late season road games at defending Super Bowl champion Seattle and at the NFC runner-up Los Angeles Rams will likely decide the playoff fate for the Cowboys. To the surprise of no one, “America’s Team” (ugh) will play in six nationally televised prime time night games.   Three (including the season opener at the New York Giants) will be featured on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.   Dallas will appear twice on Monday Night Football (ESPN) and one time on Thursday night (Amazon Prime).   Prediction: There is no doubt that Dallas has an excellent opportunity to return to the playoffs in the 2026 NFL season.  The defense will improve (it can’t be worse than last season’s 32nd place showing).  Dallas’ productive offense (2nd in the NFL in scoring last year) is back and seems ready to roll once again. Regardless of whether defensive weapon Maxx Crosby comes aboard this year, I see Dallas improving to a record of 10-7 in the regular season. That means that Dallas should make the playoffs – either as NFC East champions or as a Wild Card entry. I have no clue about the playoffs.  Recent history would suggest that you might not wish to place any wagers on the “Boys” once the post-season begins. Buckle up and enjoy the ride this season, Cowboys fans! Perhaps this might even be the year when Dallas ends that 31-season “no titles” streak. The post Will the Dallas Cowboys finally end “The Streak” this season? appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.c

  4. Aug 11

    Let’s Catch up!

    I’m ba-a-a-ck! Being a grandfather isn’t something that you train for.  It was quite challenging last week to go outside and shoot basketball for an hour in the summer heat with an 8-year old intent on dispatching his creeky ol’ Grandpa in morning games of one-on-one. He took the overall 3-game series, but Grandpa held his own (at least for this year).  Now, where did I put that tube of SportsCreme? In fact, the past month has found my lovely wife and I spending a full week with each set of our five young (10 and under) grandsons.  We have enjoyed a total summer blast! Now, the house is quiet again.  Our eight-year old rescued Old English Sheepdog (Molly) seems to be mourning the loss of our fine young gentleman visitors and their very patient Dad. Molly enjoyed extra company during her morning and evening dog walks every day. It has been difficult to keep close tabs on sports while traveling to visit or hosting our very sharp and fun-loving grandsons over the past month. Some things appear to have changed a lot.  Others didn’t. It’s time to catch-up. Good news!  Saints legend Drew Brees was inducted into the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame! New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees led the Black and Gold to their only Super Bowl appearance and title in February, 2010.  He set numerous NFL passing records during his stellar 20-year pro football career. The Texas-born Brees was an excellent student as well.  He majored in Industrial Management at Purdue University.  Drew Brees quarterbacked the Boilermakers football team to the Rose Bowl in 2001 as the team won a share of the Big Ten title. The San Diego Chargers selected Brees with the first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. It’s hard to believe that he played in San Diego for the first five years of his pro football career. A trade to the New Orleans Saints in 2006 also paired Drew Brees with new head coach Sean Payton.  It would be a match made in WhoDat Heaven for us Saints fans. Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in August, 2005.  The Louisiana Superdome was painstakingly repaired and refurbished the following year as New Orleans welcomed home its beloved football team along with a new quarterback and head coach. Drew Brees’ infectious positive attitude and leadership skills helped the Saints improve every season leading up to that Super Bowl victory. More importantly, the Saints’ rise served to boost the spirits of the entire Gulf South region during recovery efforts from both Hurricane Katrina and, a month later, Rita in southwestern Louisiana. Sorry, Archie Manning supporters.  The true GOAT (greatest of all time) for the majority of New Orleans Saints fans is Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees.  Congratulations! Red-hot Red Sox are blazing in baseball’s American League! The Boston Red Sox have won 27 of their last 32 baseball games through Sunday, August 9.  Boston was at the bottom of the American League East standings earlier in the season. The BoSox are still seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays with 45 games left to play in baseball’s seemingly never-ending 162-game regular season.  Late inning comebacks have been the rule during Boston’s recent hot streak during July and into early August. Will the Boston Red Sox remain hot during this hottest month of the year?  Stay tuned! The eight team UFL recently packed-up and left Houston and Birmingham.  Why? Spring pro football’s United Football League (UFL) quietly exited two of its long-time markets less than two weeks ago. The Birmingham Stallions won three straight spring football titles from 2022 through 2024.  A brand new college football stadium for UAB featuring nearly 40,000 seats played host for Stallions home games in each of the past five seasons. The UFL’s billionaire owner and apparent league spokesman, Mike Repole, jousted with Birmingham football fans earlier this season about their lack of support for the team. It’s no surprise that Repole just pulled the plug after attendance declined this year.  His excuse for leaving Birmingham is what has raised eyebrows in Alabama. He said, “With Birmingham, this decision was 100% about the wrong sized venue.  Even on opening day, when 16,000 Stallions fans showed up, the energy, passion, and game atmosphere was not felt due to the size of the venue.” Here’s a question for you, Mr. Repole. Doing just as you requested, the Houston UFL franchise vacated its college football stadium at the University of Houston.  The Houston Gamblers moved into the city’s downtown soccer venue with 20,000 seats this season.  How do you explain why less than 7,000 fans attended Houston Gamblers football games this spring?  The team did exactly what you asked for and had even less success.  Houston’s UFL franchise is now defunct. Perhaps Mr. Repole might consider that the UFL’s on-field product is simply not very good.  It is also played during increasingly hot spring weather – especially in the league’s southern markets.  UFL games – which are (generally speaking) low scoring and not very exciting to watch – have trouble attracting local fans when tickets were priced as low as $20 apiece. The market, sir, has been and continues to speak to you quite loudly. Golf – Welcome to the winner’s circle, Jackson Koivun and Asterisk Talley! Two weeks ago, former Auburn All-American golfer Jackson Koivun picked-up his first PGA win at the 3M Open in Minnesota.  It was only his third professional start! After Sunday’s middle-of-the-pack finish in his fourth PGA start at Greensboro, NC, the 21-year old Koivun has earned enough FedEx points to qualify for this week’s first round of PGA playoffs beginning Thursday in Memphis. Let’s also welcome a 17-year old upcoming high school senior golfer to the winner’s circle. Asterisk Talley (yes, that’s her real name) easily won her first USGA championship by taking the US Women’s Amateur title in Tennessee with an 8-up victory.  She had previously finished runner-up in the 2024 US Junior Girls Amateur and the US Women’s Amateur. Congratulations to Ms. Talley!  Yes, there will forever be an Asterisk next to her last name on the US Women’s Amateur trophy. LIV Golf remains on life support but wants to tee it up again in 2027 In this continuing soap opera, LIV Golf (completing its fifth season in late August) will lose its Sugar Daddy financial backers.  The Saudi Public Investment Fund (with over $1 trillion in assets) has lost more than $5 billion to start, fund, and prop-up this worldwide golf venture.  They are skedaddling by no later than the end of August. Last week, LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neal announced that a new lead investor has been secured.   Before you say, “Hooray!”, the golf league’s boss did not reveal a lot of specifics.  We don’t know who the investor is, how much money was actually being injected, or any other details which translate into a viable 2027 LIV Golf campaign. Golfers expecting to participate in LIV Golf during 2027 (assuming there is a season) will be playing for smaller prize money and will likely be asked to share in the risk (and, if possible, the rewards) of the revamped league. The future still looks shaky for LIV Golf. The US Senate punted on 4th down to go on vacation and leave the future of college athletics hanging in the balance When you woke up on Saturday morning, the United States Senate had adjourned to take a well-earned (sarcasm intended) full month of vacation. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) were finally able to bring their college sports bill to the floor of the US Senate over the past few weeks.  It showed some encouraging signs of passage. The SEC and Big Ten finally jumped aboard to support the Senate’s “Protect College Sports Act” last week.  That was the equivalent to a two-minute drill in hopes of getting this bill across the Senate’s goal line prior to the legislative body’s annual August recess. College sports conferences have been unable to get their primary rule maker and enforcement arm (the NCAA) to take consequential actions in recent years.  Guidelines and enforcement of rules in today’s transfer portal and NIL high dollar environment have many mid-sized and smaller universities considering dropping sports altogether.  The SEC recently suggested it was willing to break away from the NCAA and establish its own set of rules if something doesn’t change soon. With the proverbial play clock running, some Senators (as they are prone to do) tried to add amendments to the college sports bill last week.  They wasted too much time and failed to bring it to a full Senate vote prior the month-long adjournment. However, the Senators are promising to bring this college sports bill to a vote when they return in early September. If that occurs, the sports bill must still be approved by the House of Representatives and then obtain the President’s signature to become law. Sounds like a Hail Mary could be needed to complete this legislation with the mid-term elections coming up in November! The post Let’s Catch up! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

  5. Jul 22

    The Quick Kiwi Fox jumped over the pokey Open Championship Field

    Speedy Gonzalez would love playing a round of golf with newly-crowned Open Championship winner Ryan Fox. A round of golf at last week’s British Open at Royal Birkdale averaged a snooze-worthy 5 ½ hours.  Don’t blame the weather.  All four days of this year’s event were played under benign conditions.  No rain or high winds affected play. The final player on the golf course on Sunday was a relative unknown named Ryan Fox. The native New Zealander was already tied with clubhouse leader Cameron Young at 9-under par as he sized-up an 11 foot birdie putt to win the tournament.  A massive throng of British fans surrounded the green to watch the drama unfold. It took 39-year old Ryan Fox (seeking just his third professional victory) just 22 seconds to line-up and execute the most important putt of his golfing career.  He drained the birdie putt, won the Claret Jug trophy, and captured (on paper) more than $3.2 million in first prize money. Unfortunately, the British government absconded with nearly 45% of his payday.  The take home pay for the new “Champion Golfer of the Year” was sliced to $1.76 million. Great Britain’s His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs group had already pilfered $1.44 million on behalf of the host country’s bank account. And you thought the I.R.S. was tough? Ryan Fox has now become the people’s champion to help end slow play! Weekend warriors at public golf courses are monitored by an oft-times surly roving ranger who tries to keep rounds at four hours or less. Wouldn’t it be nice to see a 4-hour pace of play in professional golf? Why should professional golfers (who require significantly fewer shots, utilize personal caddies and play with the latest high-tech equipment and golf balls) take 25% longer than a player who requires 30% more swings? New Zealand native Ryan Fox is the exact opposite of today’s sloth-like pro golfers.  He is already thinking about his next shot while moving toward the golf ball. Fox said, “The less time I have to think about it, the less bad stuff can creep in there.”  He added, “It’s not that difficult to pick a shot and pick a club.” Indeed! It must be maddening for Ryan Fox to play golf with many other professional golfers who seem to agonize over every single shot. Sure, today’s “Slow Poke Pro Golfer Brigade” tries to defend its slower pace of play by saying the higher tournament payouts require more time to consider each shot. The Slow Pokes would chuckle and say that you, too, would take longer if standing over a $1.4 million putt (the difference between a first and second place finish) for a major championship win. Oops!  That analogy just went down the drain.  Speedy Ryan Fox stepped right up and sank the winning putt on hole #18 in just 22 seconds on Sunday. Other golfers have taken note of Ryan Fox’ faster pace. PGA golfer Min Woo Lee played with Fox in an earlier round.  He was excited for Ryan Fox’s victory and the message it should send to golfers at all levels. Lee said, “He just plays his own game, and that’s something that everyone can learn.  Whenever a fast player wins, it’s the greatest thing ever!” Should we blame the greatest golfer of all time for today’s slow play? Jack Nicklaus is best remembered for his 18 major championships and being one of the most focused golfers of all time. The Golden Bear had a tendency to stand over his putts for what felt like an eternity during his heyday in the 1960’s and 70’s. Nicklaus famously received a two stroke penalty for slow play during his first year as a professional golfer in 1962. A rules official at the Portland (Oregon) Open gave Nicklaus a two-shot penalty for failing to speed-up his play during the second round of that tournament. The PGA official told him, “Jack, you can take as long as you want when you’re over the golf ball, but be ready when it’s your turn!” Nicklaus had believed that it was poor etiquette to prep for his next shot when it wasn’t officially his turn to play. Jack Nicklaus ended up winning the tournament in Portland by six shots.  He said he learned a valuable lesson from being penalized for slow play. Lee Trevino is the same age (86) as Nicklaus.  He laughed about his friend receiving that two-shot penalty for slow play in 1962. “It didn’t make a difference.  But at least they had the guts to penalize a superstar!” Trevino (winner of six major titles) was one of the fastest golfers of his generation.  Lee made a number of suggestions to improve the pace of play. Golfers should take two or less waggles prior to beginning their backswing.  They should be required to putt-out on every green without marking their golf ball again.  Trevino was one of the earliest advocates of “Ready golf”.  That means that the first player ready to hit the ball should go right ahead. Former European Tour star Colin Montgomerie won 54 professional events – mostly in Europe.  He had a second place finish at the Open Championship, the Masters, and the US Open. Monty (who plays on the PGA Champions Tour today) ripped into the slow play seen at last week’s major championship. “TV hates it and specatators hate it,” he voiced.  “Too long is the chat between the caddie and the player…it goes on forever!  The (yardage) book comes out. How many times do they get that bloody book out?” Is it time for pro golfers to ditch their caddies? The role of a professional golf caddie has grown significantly in the past half century.  A caddie originally just toted a heavy 40-pound bag of clubs for five miles every round for a sometimes temperamental golfer. Today’s caddies now function as the chief meteorologist (wind speed and direction) and sports psychologist (“Stay in the moment!”). Many of the top professional golf caddies earn $500,000 per year or more for their efforts. Most receive a weekly minimum payday from $1,500 to $3,000 plus a sliding percentage of the player’s earnings from the week’s golf tournament. The caddie for Open Championship winner Ryan Fox was expected to receive a 10% share of the winner’s check. I wonder if the caddie’s $320,000 earnings were taxed by the Brits, too? Perhaps we may soon see an AI-based rolling golf bag cart to follow the players around. It could spew yardages, provide wind speeds and directions, and offer encouraging words to the golfer.  Especially those who just dumped their approach shot into a lake in front of the green! Too much time is being wasted in conversations between today’s pro golfers and their caddies prior to nearly every shot.  There is zero evidence that the additional time spent in consultation has resulted in lower scoring in professional golf. Let’s fix it!  Penalties to dock the golfer’s paycheck are the most effective way to increase speed of play This weekend, I watched as one pro golfer marked his golf ball less than six inches away from the hole rather than just tapping it in. I kid you not.  The distance about the width of his hand. Most golfers wear spikeless shoes.  It shouldn’t matter if the player briefly stepped into the line of his playing partner in order to quickly complete that short putt. This seemed like a perfect example of today’s slothful play. Slow play has been fostered by a lack of tough rules and a lack of enforcement. The United States Golf Association (USGA) rules do not spend a lot of space addressing the pace of play. However, Rule 5.6 was adopted to limit golfers to 40 seconds to make a stroke after the player is ready to hit. Let’s say that Rory McIlroy has just completed his second shot from the fairway.  Now it’s now my turn.  Rule 5.6 states that I should complete my shot within 40 seconds after Rory’s golf ball coming to rest. Pro tip – Put a stopwatch on any golfer while you watch a PGA or LPGA event.  Most will hit their tee shots in the allotted 40-second time.  However, more than half will exceed 40 seconds on every subsequent shot until they complete the hole. Did you know that there is already a (human) walking scorer assigned to follow each group in men’s and women’s professional golf tournaments? The PGA and other pro tours can and should provide a stopwatch to the scorer to record the time for each golfer’s shot.  That information (in addition to the golfer’s score) could be reported after every hole. Upon the first violation, a rules official should advise the player that they are being warned about slow play.  Every subsequent 40-second violation should come with a one-shot penalty for that hole. Players receiving two or more penalties during a round of golf will quickly get the picture.  I wouldn’t be surprised if tournament scoring might be just as good or even better than today. Newly crowned Open Champion Ryan Fox would heartily agree! The problem (much like in politics) is getting the PGA and LPGA to pass rules providing for specific penalties enforcing the pace of play It is akin to seeing someone in the US House or Senate voluntarily introduce a bill on term limits or to require a balanced federal budget. Should it happen?  Yes.  Will it happen?  Not if the players have their way. Enforcing the pace of play with legitimate penalties will also have a trickle down effect.  Increased speed of play on the golf course will improve college, high school, and junior golf, too. With less wasted time, more people might consider playing golf again.  That would translate into more revenue for golf courses! If Ryan Fox can help bring an end to slow play in professional golf, then consider me one of his biggest fans. The post The Quick Kiwi Fox jumped over the pokey Open Championship Field appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

  6. Jul 18

    It’s a LIV Takeover at the Open Championship!

    Raise your hand if you saw this one coming. LIV Golf has been downright invisible for more than a month.  The last action featuring the upstart golf league took place on June 7 in Spain. The next LIV Golf event (perhaps) is expected to take place next Thursday, July 23 in the United Kingdom.  August will feature three tournaments in New York, Indianapolis, and Michigan to end the 2026 season. In case you missed it, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has already told the LIV Golf players that Daddy Big Bucks won’t be around to lose another billion or more next year to support the league. There has been chatter during this one month LIV Golf lull that the Saudis might even pull the plug prior to next week’s golf tournament in Staffordshire, England. Stay tuned! This week, the fourth major golf tournament of the year is being held at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale (located 50 miles northwest of Liverpool, England). After two rounds, nine members of the LIV Golf contingent have made their presence known at The Open – loud and clear Leading the Open after two rounds was none other than LIV Golf’s Lucas Herbert at eight under par.  Who dat, you ask?  The unassuming Herbert is an Australian golfer who participates as a member of the LIV Golf’s popular “Ripper GC” team. Lucas Herbert is only 30 years old.  He won a single PGA Tour event in October, 2021 in Bermuda against a less-than-stellar field.  Herbert then moved over to LIV Golf in January, 2024 to team up with fellow Aussies Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, and Elvis (Smiley, that is). Herbert (whose caddie looks like a guitar player for ZZ Top) won the May, 2026 LIV Golf tournament in northern Virginia.  His blazing 24-under par total produced a four-shot victory. Lucas Herbert tied the Open record on Friday with a second round 8-under par 62.  He missed a three foot birdie putt on the 18th hole which would have given him a new record with a sizzling 61. He told the assembled press afterwards, “It’s a pretty good problem to have – to be disappointed you shot a 62!” When the second round ended, Herbert took a one shot lead into the weekend over fellow LIV Golf star and team captain of the “Crushers” team, Bryson DeChambeau. Well, at least for a few minutes… Bryson DeChambeau rolled in a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole on Friday to post a 7-under par total and take solo second place.  He was expecting to be paired with LIV Golf’s Lucas Herbert on Saturday as he walked off the 18th green following Round 2. Royal & Ancient tournament officials visited with Bryson DeChambeau as soon as he walked toward the clubhouse to sign his scorecard.  They wanted to discuss a possible rules infraction which happened way back on Hole #5 of the second round Friday. Bryson DeChambeau bombed a long tee shot, but it was far off line to the right side of the fairway.  His golf ball landed in a marshy area surrounded by knee-high fescue grass.  As DeChambeau walked around and then behind the ball to line-up his second shot, he accidentally stepped onto some of the fescue behind the ball.  The rules officials deemed the temporarily depressed grass to give the golfer an unfair advantage. DeChambeau gave a passionate explanation of his version of the story.  He pleaded with the officials that the shot he played was not affected by the squished-down nearby grass.  No matter.  He was still assessed a two shot penalty to balloon his bogey 5 into a triple bogey 7 on Hole #5. Those extra two shots changed his second round total score from -7 to -5.  It dropped DeChambeau from solo second place into a three way tie for fifth place. Afterwards, he said, “Obviously disappointed with the ruling.  I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is.  This fires me up.  Onto the weekend.  Let’s get it!” It wasn’t the only time that DeChambeau was in the news this week at The Open Bryson DeChambeau is a former US Amateur champion and has won two US Opens.  His unusual golfing style (extremely long drives, a set of irons which are all the same length, and a wonky upright putting stance) make him easy to notice on the golf course.  His bright smile and affable personality have added to his popularity – especially with younger golf fans. One former golfer who isn’t enthralled with DeChambeau’s golf style is former champion Nick Faldo. Earlier in the week, Faldo took to the microphone to say that Bryson DeChambeau had little or no chance of winning the Claret Jug trophy which goes to the winner. The six-time major champion commented, “I’d say it to his face.  DeChambeau has zero clue of strategy.”  He added, “He (DeChambeau) said last year, ‘I’m going to go out and attack the links.’  Well, I’ve never attacked the links.  You thread it…feed it down the fairway.” To his credit, Bryson DeChambeau didn’t directly respond to Nick Faldo’s barbed remarks. LIV Golf’s “Hot Temper Twins” haven’t disappointed, either What’s the first thing you think of when I say, “Terrell Hatton?” Some might say, “Who?”  Golf fans like me think of “Hot Head Hatton.” The club-flinging, four-letter-word-hurling Hatton found himself at -3 heading into Saturday’s third round. The LIV Golf competitor was paired with Scottie Scheffler (-4) and Bryson DeChambeau during the first two rounds at this year’s Open.  The cameras found Hatton on the verge of club-chunking a few different times during Thursday’s opening round. Then there’s LIV Golf’s $300 million bonus man, Jon Rahm.  Like Hatton, the intense Spaniard has a long history of temper eruptions on the golf course. Friday’s second round featured Jon Rahm (-4 for the tournament) flinging an iron which bounced off the tee box on the par-3 15th hole. Rules officials handed Rahm an official warning afterwards. The four major golf championships are (yeah, right) cracking down on bad behavior on the course.  Rules officials now have the option of issuing a warning, a two shot penalty, or, if warranted, a disqualification. With Rahm being a two-time major golf champion, he was fortunate not to be assessed a two-shot penalty after Friday’s latest temper outburst. A LIV golfer may not hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday, but they’ve stolen the show The other five LIV Golf players who made the cut at The Open were Thomas Detry, Josele Ballester, Victor Perez, Peter Uihlein, and Laurie Canter. You can say a lot about LIV Golf, but several of the nine players who made the cut at this year’s Open Championship have definitely spiced-up this week’s competition. A perilous financial future lies ahead for LIV Golf at the end of August (assuming they are still in business at that point). The economics of the league are not sustainable.  Saudi’s fat wallet (now more than $5 billion lighter) will be unavailable soon after enduring four years of massive losses.  Defections by Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed this season have also hurt LIV Golf.   Don’t forget that Bryson DeChambeau’s contract expires at the end of 2026. All signs point to a rough landing ahead for LIV Golf. Let’s enjoy their contingent of talented and spicy golfers this weekend at The Open – while we still have time. The post It’s a LIV Takeover at the Open Championship! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

  7. Jul 14

    Grading the Mid-Major Conference expansions – Part 2

    The previous post covered my grades on how the strength of today’s four largest college athletic conferences compare with their previous versions twenty years ago in 2006. Here’s a brief recap. In my estimation, only the SEC (which expanded from 12 to 16 teams over that 20 year period) has shown an upgrade in competition levels since 2006.  I awarded the SEC a “B” grade. The Big 12 (which lost four of its prominent members to the SEC) received a C+ for their nimble addition of several relevant regional sports schools. A “D” grade was handed down to the Atlantic Coast Conference.  Their nonsensical addition of West Coast newcomers Cal (Berkeley) and Stanford in 2024 crashed the ACC’s overall score. Speaking of lousy grades, I awarded a D- to the Big Ten Conference as its recently-annexed properties have resulted in a BIG thud.  From the east (Maryland and Rutgers) to the west (Nebraska, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington), the Big Ten’s new coast-to-coast configuration has failed to improve this conference for either sports fans or student/athletes. How have the five mid-major conferences fared with recent expansion issues? These other conferences (nicknamed the “Group of Five”) can be quite entertaining but rarely win national championships.  They must compete against the “Big Four” major conferences featuring the wealthiest college sports programs. American Athletic Conference (AAC) The AAC has only been around since the year 2013.  There were 10 initial AAC members and now 14 in 2026. Only Memphis, South Florida, and Temple remain from 2013.  The ACC raided Conference USA to obtain several of its new members. Army and Navy – What’s not to like about these two additions?  They bring the focus of the entire college football world to their annual game played in early December.  Grades – A Charlotte – The 49ers have been perpetual cellar dwellers in most sports.  Charlotte, North Carolina sports fans are more likely to follow UNC, Duke, and Clemson.  Yawn.  Grade – D- East Carolina – The Pirates have made the NCAA baseball playoffs ten times since 2013 and have occasionally contended for the AAC title in football.  A hearty fan base makes ECU a fun place to watch sports.  Grade – B Florida Atlantic – A member of the AAC since 2023, this school is best known for its men’s basketball team and having a great beach nearby.  Sadly, most local sports fans don’t give a hoot about the FAU Owls yet.  Grade – C- North Texas – The Mean Green had a brilliant 12-2 football season in 2025 in the school’s third year as part of the AAC.  The other sports are lagging behind.  Grade – C Rice – Another third year AAC member, the Houston-based Owls have been an athletics flop in their new conference.  Grade – D Tulane – Green Wave football program has rejuvenated Tulane athletics down in the Crescent City.  Unfortunately, the remainder of the school’s sports teams rarely lead the AAC.  Grade – C Tulsa – Golden Hurricane football and men’s basketball programs have been on the decline in the past decade.  That’s a shame, because Tulsa fans desperately want to get behind the city’s lone major college athletics team.  Grade – C- UAB – Try as I might, I’m having trouble remembering any recent sports successes for the Blazers.  Grade – D- UTSA – Like Tulsa, the Roadrunners have the entire San Antonio market ready for their athletics programs to take off.  Other than some recent success in football, UTSA sports still appear to be taking a siesta.  Grade – C- AAC overall grade for expansion: C- Conference USA (C-USA) I am not going to provide individual grades to Conference USA member schools.  It is not their fault that C-USA management has done such a lousy job of keeping this conference together and relevant in major college sports. The conference has seen a 100% turnover in the past 20 years. Schools being added have generally been former FCS top teams such as Delaware, Sam Houston, and Jacksonville (AL) State. Things have declined so badly in Conference USA (“How badly have they declined?”) that longtime member Louisiana Tech recently agreed to pay a reported $8 million to buy its way out of C-USA.  The Bulldogs’ jubilant athletic department and fans are rejoining the Sun Belt Conference this fall.  Louisiana Tech will save more than $1 million annually in travel costs formerly required to travel to schools within the far-flung Conference USA. Longtime C-USA holdovers Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State deserve a better fate.  Save your money and call the Sun Belt in a couple of years! C-USA overall grade for expansion –  F- Mid-American Conference (MAC) In contrast to Conference USA, the MAC has remained remarkably stable for the past 20 years. Eleven of the dozen MAC members in 2006 remain a part of the conference today.  Northern Illinois (which had been part of the MAC for 30 years) is leaving this fall to become part of the Mountain West Conference. In a couple of curious moves, the Mid-American Conference has added two new members recently. UMass – The 2025 addition of the University of Massachusetts (which is at least in regional proximity to longtime MAC member Buffalo) was rather questionable.  Athletic success at Umass has been nearly invisible over the past decade.  After just one year in the MAC, the Minutemen have been a net negative in sports for the Mid-American Conference.  Grade: D- Sacramento State – Seriously?  Yes, the Mid-American Conference will add this longtime FCS member from California to its football schedules this fall.  Sacramento (the #20 TV market) is 2,500 miles from the middle of Ohio. The Hornets will be a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference.  For the usually stable MAC, this is a rather bizarre expansion move.  Grade: F MAC overall grade for expansion:  D- Mountain West Conference (Mountain West) The Mountain West has survived a few departure tremors in recent years.  Of the nine Mountain West members 20 years ago, only Air Force, New Mexico, UNLV, and Wyoming remain.  Let’s review the teams which have come aboard since 2006. Hawaii – The Rainbow Warriors (2012) have posted winning football records in just four of their 14 seasons in the Mountain West.  The other athletic squads are nearly invisible in the post-season tournaments.  Hawaii remains a dream road trip destination for visiting teams and their fans, though.  Grade: C- Nevada – At least the men’s basketball team has appeared in the NCAA March Madness event five times over the past nine seasons.  Otherwise, fans of the Nevada Wolfpack (which joined the Mountain West in 2012) haven’t had much to howl about lately.  Grade: C- North Dakota State – This former FCS division powerhouse football program is stepping-up to play against the big boys beginning this fall.  The move is for football only. The Bison are a terrific geographic fit for the Mountain West Conference, too.  This makes sense.  Grade: A Northern Illinois – The Huskies will join the Mountain West this fall after 30 years in the Mid-American Conference.  Northern Illinois’ sports resume has weakened in recent years.  Other than bringing the #3 TV market (Chicago) to the Mountain West, this move makes little sense.  Grade: D San Jose State – The Spartans (members since 2013) have appeared in four bowl games over the past decade.  On the other hand, the men’s basketball team has won just 33% of its conference games over the past 13 years.  Grade: C- UTEP – This longtime Conference USA member joins the Mountain West this fall.  UTEP’s football team has been downright awful in recent years.  Despite a sports slump, UTEP bring strong fan support from the El Paso area.  They should be a fine geographic fit for the Mountain West.  Grade: C Mountain West overall grade for expansion:  C Sun Belt Conference (Sun Belt) The Sun Belt has been nicknamed the “Junior SEC”.  This conference has grown from 10 members in 2006 to 14 today. Only Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, South Alabama, Troy, and UL-Monroe remain from 2006. Appalachian State – The Mountaineers (members since 2014) have been a top football contender in the Sun Belt.  Their enthusiastic fans make road trips to Boone, North Carolina a fun stop.  Grade: B Coastal Carolina – Speaking of fun stops, how about a visit to Myrtle Beach to play Coastal Carolina?  The 2017 Sun Belt addition of the Chanticleers has been a terrific addition for the conference.  Coastal’s football team has played in six straight bowl games.  The baseball team won the men’s College World Series in 2016.  Grade: A Georgia Southern – Would it surprise you to learn that the Golden Eagles from Statesboro, Georgia have played in seven bowl games over the past eight seasons?  The other sports programs at Georgia Southern need to step it up.  Grade: B Georgia State – The 2013 addition of the Panthers from Atlanta has not added a lot of sports notoriety.  However, the men’s basketball program has earned four invitations to March Madness in the past 11 seasons.  Grade: C Louisiana Tech – The Bulldogs paid dearly ($8 million) to escape Conference USA beginning this fall.  Louisiana Tech brings several highly competitive sports teams. They are a perfect geographic addition to the Sun Belt Conference Western division.  Grade: A Marshall – This begins Marshall’s fourth year in the Sun Belt Conference.  The Thundering Herd has been a top football competitor and competes well in other major sports.  Grade: B Old Dominion – ODU came into the Sun Belt in 2022.  The Monarchs from Norfolk, VA posted a nifty 10-3 football record in 2025.  Old Dominion has been relatively quiet in its other sports, though.  Grade: C Southern Miss –

  8. Jul 11

    Grading the College Conference expansions – Part 1

    We are in that brief summertime window where college athletics have gone on vacation. The men’s and women’s College World Series ended last month.  Football season begins again in late August. I have been reflecting on the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. Even just twenty years ago, the major college sports conferences looked a whole lot different than they do today.  Schools have been shifting to new conference locations primarily to maximize revenues. A few have switched conferences primarily to reduce expenses (I’m looking at you, Louisiana Tech!) The question remains as to whether the recent decades of musical chairs has resulted in improvements for college athletic fans and athletes?  Or have these changes primarily benefited the wallets of major universities and the media companies who quietly wink and nod after bigger TV markets have been added to the portfolios of the largest conferences. Let’s jump into the Wayback machine today and return 20 years to 2006.  We will take a look at each major college athletic conference as it was in 2006 and how it is structured today in 2026. Have these additions been for the better or worse for each conference? Today, let’s examine the top four (by money) major football conferences.  We will review the group of “mid-major” conferences in my next report. Southeastern Conference (SEC) New teams:  Missouri and Texas A&M (2011); Oklahoma and Texas (2024).  Interestingly, each of those four teams moved from the Big 12 Conference to the SEC. Analysis by Team: Missouri – has been a geographic misfit in the SEC from Day 1.  The Tigers have not competed at a high level in most sports nor do they have a lot of trophies to show for the past 15 years in the SEC.  Grade: D Texas A&M – made a lot of sense coming to the SEC in 2011.  The Aggies needed to move along from its constant obsession about being compared to intrastate foe “Texas University”.  SEC leaders were able to snag the huge Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth TV markets.  A&M has proven it “belongs” in the SEC over its 15 years in the league by earning several league titles and staying relevant annually.  Grade: B Oklahoma – The Sooners played in the College Football playoffs last year and just claimed the men’s College World Series title in June.  OU’s long history of athletic success has already been felt around the SEC.  Grade: B+ Texas – The Longhorns are annually contending for the College Football Playoffs in recent seasons.  Texas also brought the growing San Antonio and Austin TV markets into the SEC.  The Longhorns have quickly become top SEC competitors in basketball, baseball, and other sports.  Grade: B+ SEC overall grade for expansion: B Big Ten Conference (Big Ten) New teams: Nebraska (2011); Maryland and Rutgers (2014); Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington (2024). It took a long time for the stodgy Big Ten Conference to finally invite Penn State to become its 11th team in 1990.  Since that time, the poorly named Big Ten has grown to 18 schools today.  The league picked-up several large TV markets in New York City and Philadelphia (Rutgers), Washington DC/Baltimore (Maryland), Los Angeles (UCLA and USC), and Seattle (Washington).  Those new schools have produced relatively little in terms of sports titles for the conference, though.  Analysis by Team:  Nebraska – The Cornhuskers left the comfy confines of the Big 12 Conference in 2011 and quickly saw their national stature in sports take a beating in the Big Ten.  Despite lofty expectations, Nebraska has been a disappointment.  Grade: D Maryland – Ditto.  Just substitute “ACC” for “Big 12”.  Grade: D Rutgers – Rutgers was lousy at most major sports prior to joining the Big Ten.  They were added to the Big Ten simply to attract television viewers from the New York City and Philly TV markets.  Athletically speaking, Rutgers has been a Big Ten bust.  Grade: F Oregon – The Big Ten’s raid of the former Pac-12 snagged one of the nation’s top football teams in Oregon.  The Ducks have given the Big Ten a much needed bolt of energy.  However, I can’t give a top grade to Oregon when its athletes must travel thousands of miles just to participate in Big Ten events.  Grade: C+ UCLA – The Bruins’ women’s basketball and softball teams have been been excellent.  However, the men’s sports programs haven’t made much of a dent in the Big Ten yet.  Grade: C USC – There were lofty expectations for the Trojans’ football team.  They have under-performed.  Like UCLA, USC has not been a difference maker in the Big Ten.  Grade: C- Washington – The Huskies’ football team has regressed the past two years with a 14-11 overall mark.  Washington’s other sports teams have been nearly invisible in the 18-team Big Ten Conference.  This is yet another school spending a ton of money on jet fuel.  They are forcing student/athletes to travel across the country to play in athletic events just to grab more money from television.  Grade: D- Big Ten overall grade for expansion: D- Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) New teams: Pitt and Syracuse (2013), Louisville (2014), SMU, Stanford, and Syracuse (2024) Exiting team: Maryland (2014) to Big Ten *Notre Dame:  The Irish joined the ACC in 2013 but remained independent in football.  The current 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference has, by far, the worst geographic fit of any major college conference in America.  Twenty years ago, the ACC’s 13 teams (Maryland has since left) were located along the Atlantic coast.  Adding SMU (Texas) and West coast entries Cal and Stanford in 2024 has been one of the most puzzling decisions in recent years.  Analysis by Team: Louisville – This school (since 2013) has been surprisingly competitive in football but surprisingly non-competitive in men’s basketball recently.  Overall, the Cardinals have been a solid addition to the ACC.  Grade: B+ Syracuse – The Orange (coming aboard in 2013) has produced just four winning seasons in football after 13 years in the ACC.  Some early ACC basketball success has faded in recent years.  Grade: C- Pittsburgh – Pitt (which arrived in 2014) had a good run in football a few years ago with Kenny Pickett running the offense.  Otherwise, their addition to the ACC has been “OK” at best.  Grade: C- Cal (Berkeley) and Stanford – these two Pacific Coast schools (added in 2024) have brought zero titles to the ACC since joining the league.  They remain a waste of jet fuel.  Grades for both schools: F SMU – The Mustangs effectively bought their slot in the ACC in 2024 with the help of their wealthy financial backers.  SMU made it into the 2025 College Football Playoffs but hasn’t been a factor in other sports.  Grade: D+ *Notre Dame – The Irish baseball team made it into the College World Series in 2022.  Notre Dame’s financially prudent but quite selfish decision not to participate in football in the ACC comes with a marked-down score. Grade: D ACC overall grade for expansion: D Big 12 Conference (Big 12): Only seven of the Big 12 Conference members remain from 2006.  Within that group, Colorado left the Big 12 for the Pac-12 in 2011 but returned in 2024. Analysis by Team: Arizona – The Wildcats came to the Big 12 in 2024 as a refugee from the dying Pac-12 Conference.  Arizona went 9-4 in football last season.  It’s too early to give the Cats a good grade.  Grade: C Arizona State – Same story as Arizona.  Grade: C BYU – The Cougars came into the Big 12 in 2023.  They have rolled-off 11-2 and 12-2 football records in 2024 and 2025.  The BYU basketball team has appeared in the NCAA tourney in all three seasons after joining the Big 12.  Despite its geographic distance from other longtime Big 12 members, Brigham Young has been a positive addition to its new conference.  Grade: B+ Cincinnati – They entered the Big 12 in 2023.  The Bearcats haven’t been a major sports factor in their three years in the conference.  Cincy has been a good geographic fit for the Big 12, but a sports dud.  Grade: D- Houston – The Cougars also came into the league in 2023 along with the valuable Houston television market.  The Coogs have been competitive in football and a regular national championship contender in men’s basketball.  U of H has been a solid addition to the Big 12.  Grade: B TCU – Texas Christian joined the Big 12 in 2012.  In addition to bringing the Dallas-Fort Worth TV market into the league, the 2022 Horned Frogs’ football team played in the national championship game (and lost).  TCU’s other athletic programs have been regular contenders in the Big 12.  Grade: A- UCF – Central Florida (added 2023) hasn’t posted a winning season in football in three years in the Big 12.  The other sports teams haven’t been very competitive, either.  This school was added primarily due to its enormous size (70,000 students) and the Orlando television market.  Despite those pluses, the school is 1,000 miles east of Houston (the nearest Big 12 city).  This addition has been puzzling since Day 1.  Grade: F Utah – The Utes football team finished 11-2 in 2025 (the school’s second year as part of the Big 12).  Utah’s sports programs are generally quite competitive and bring enthusiastic fans.  Grade: B- West Virginia – Mountaineers entered the Big 12 back in 2012.  In the past 14 years, West Virginia has posted a winning football record 50% of the time.  Like Utah, this is a school with passionate sports fans who have been a plus for the Big 12.  Grade: B- Big 12 overall grade for expansion: C+ Conclusion – SEC, Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12 conferences After the questionable addition of Missouri in 2011, the SEC’s expansion to add both Oklahoma and Texas in 2024 has made their conference a bit stronger.  OU an

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