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.com.

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.

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.

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.

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 – The Golden Eagles (Sun Belt members since 2022) have been a dominant team in recent NCAA college baseball post-season tournaments.  Last season’s 2025 football team improved from a miserable 1-11 record in 2024 to a hopeful 7-6 mark.  Grade: B

Sun Belt overall grade for expansion:  B+

Bonus Conference!  The newly revived Pac-12 Conference “states” its case in 2026

The most prominent names of the long-time Pac-12 Conference bolted for better TV money into the Big Ten and ACC in 2024.  That left holdovers Oregon State and Washington State “homeless”.  The Beavers and Cougars have bagged a few top teams from the Mountain West Conference to help them rebuild the Pac-12 starting this fall.

Boise State is the biggest name coming to the new Pac-12.  The Broncos have fielded a nationally ranked football program several times in the past few decades.

Other Mountain West migrants include Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Washington State.

Texas State (formerly of the Sun Belt Conference) will also join the Pac-12 this fall.

In case you didn’t notice, each of the eight new Pac-12 schools has the last name of “State”!

Summary

Only the Sun Belt Conference has earned a positive score (B+) from SwampSwami among the “Group of Five” mid-major conferences.

The Sun Belt is the only major college athletic conference opting to maintain two divisions (East and West) to minimize travel expenses for its member schools and lessen the travel impact on their student/athletes.  Bravo!

The post Grading the Mid-Major Conference expansions – Part 2 appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

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 and Texas jumped from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2024 after huge piles of money were being pushed in their direction to incentivize the move.  It still saddens me that these two long-time anchor tenants of the Big 12 Conference aren’t around any longer.

Speaking of the Big 12, let’s give that conference credit for adding several new schools within relatively proximity of the league’s Midwestern stalwarts. 

However, the addition of UCF (Central Florida) made absolutely no sense in 2023.  It is still puzzling today.

Both the Big Ten and ACC moved to add schools located west of the Mississippi River in recent years.  The Big Ten’s addition of four former Pac-12 universities still feels odd.  Meanwhile, Cal and Stanford have brought zero value to the ACC.

Instead of buying their way into the ACC, SMU should have remained patient.  The Mustangs could have bought their way into the Big 12 at some point and be competing with nearby TCU and other regional rivals instead of jetting their athletes up and down the Atlantic seaboard.

All in all, expansion has generally served to water-down the four major college conferences – at least on the playing field.  The recent moves have all centered on universities pocketing more money from television and media companies.

Let’s examine the American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, and Sun Belt conferences during our next visit!

The post Grading the College Conference expansions – Part 1 appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

The temperatures across the South are still scorching (as usual).

World Cup Fever across the United States seems to be abating quite a bit today.

The three host countries in North America (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) for the 2026 World Cup soccer advanced into the Round of 16.  That was a pleasant surprise and some very good news for fans in North America.

Sadly, the soccer teams for the three host countries all bit the dust over the past few days.  None reached the quarterfinals, Elite Eight, or whatever the FIFA soccer people call this next round.

Action on Saturday July 4th saw Canada get skunked 3-0 by tiny Morocco.  The Moroccans converted on three of their four shots on goal to capture the win.  Canada only attempted three shots on goal as they bowed out of this year’s competition.

On Sunday, Mexico lost at home to England 3-2 in a very tightly contested match.  The home team out passed England by a 2-1 margin.  The number of completed passes by Mexico (418 to 195 for England) was impressive but didn’t lead to enough points.

As golfers might translate, “Pass for show, but kick goals for dough.”

The final host country bowed out of World Cup 26 on Monday in Seattle.

World Cup host United States had all eyes focused on Seattle Monday evening for its Round of 16 game against Belgium.  Team USA was coming off a raucous Independence Day weekend filled with fireworks and patriotic enthusiasm as the nation celebrated 250 years.

Apparently, America’s soccer team failed to receive a fiery jingoistic pregame message.  Belgium breezed to a surprisingly easy 4-1 win over an American team which looked like it had a case of World Cup stage fright on Monday night.

The US was attempting to reach the quarterfinals (round of 8) for the first time since 2002. Belgium’s Red Devils (yes, that’s their nickname) had never even reached the quarterfinals – before Monday night’s game against Team USA.

Despite having a very loud advantage playing in the home stadium of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, the American team laid a proverbial egg Monday night in losing 4-1 to Belgium.

The team looked lethargic (overconfident, perhaps?) and did not appear ready for a game of this magnitude.

Much like the European golfers have dominated golf’s Ryder Cup matches the past few decades, the European soccer teams seemed more cohesive and better prepared.

The quarterfinals will feature seven European teams and just one South American squad.  All of these games will be shown on FOX Television. Times are CDT:

Thursday – France vs. Morocco (3PM) in Foxboro, MA

Friday – Spain vs. Belgium (2PM) in Los Angeles, CA

Saturday – Norway vs. England (4PM) in Miami, FL

Saturday – Argentina vs. Switzerland (8PM) in Kansas City, MO

Team USA’s bubble was burst on Monday night by a Belgian team which was not considered to be one of the top European squads.

America once again proved that their team has exceptional ability, but their team resolve in tough matches isn’t quite as determined as other top competitors.

Perhaps the US should hire Olympic Dream Team members such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird to help prepare the soccer team next time?

Question – Will Americans still watch the remaining World Cup games without Team USA involved?

The World Cup soccer television ratings have been a success for FOX Sports.  Last Wednesday’s 2-0 win by Team USA over Bosnia-Herzegovina drew 26 million viewers.

Early reports indicated that more than 30 million viewers tuned into FOX on Monday night during the American team’s 4-1 loss to Belgium.

That’s about 1/3 of the number of viewers for a Super Bowl game.  That is quite impressive.  The total exceeds the viewership of nearly every NFL regular season game.

But…

Are you planning to tune in for the afternoon quarterfinal games on Thursday and Friday?  The next night game on the schedule won’t occur until Saturday night’s quarterfinal game in Kansas City featuring Argentina and Switzerland. The Swiss won a 0-0 game over Colombia Tuesday afternoon following a 4-3 shootout success.

I will be surprised if World Cup soccer will lure 15 to 20 million American viewers for the upcoming quarterfinal round of games.

Red Card Outrage!

The US team was given (theoretically) an advantage before Monday’s game with Belgium.

A dreaded Red Card was handed to an American player by a referee in the previous game after two players got their legs tangled-up.  The Red Card would have disqualified the American player from participating on Monday night against Belgium.

Following a call from US President Donald Trump asking for an executive review, a FIFA committee rescinded the Red Card and reinstated the American player.  The Belgian team was outraged by that decision.  It added more motivation to take down the US squad in Monday night’s game.

Have you noticed the unique grammar involving World Cup sports stories?

I was reading a news story posted on ESPN Sunday and ran across the following sentences (among many):

“Norway were stronger, better organized, and more capable with the ball.”

“Norway are a very good team”

What is going on here?  Who is writing this stuff?

The best answer I could find is that Europeans (who speak “proper” English, of course) refer to their national soccer/football team as if it was a plural noun.

I’m not picking on ESPN in particular for this odd writing style during the World Cup.  Other major news outlets have been doing the same thing.

I’ll counter with this suggestion.

If the soccer match is being played in Europe, write the story any way you prefer.  That’s fine.

When the game is being played in Kansas City, Missouri, or another American city, please write your story utilizing the preferred grammar used by American readers.

Fakery Bakery is open for business again this year at the World Cup

Soccer is played without protective pads except around the lower legs.  Contact between the players while they run at full speed or jump into the air to hit the ball with their head is inevitable.  Legitimate sports injuries affect every team.

However, the sport continues to hone fakery to new levels of acting in order to draw a penalty from the game’s referees.  Feigning an injury on the field to draw a sympathetic penalty from the refs has become too commonplace in soccer.

A 0-0 defensive struggle like Tuesday’s epic (Zzzz…) between Switzerland and Colombia can tempt players to feign injury to help their team get a better shot on goal.

Winning a “World Cup Academy Award” in the category of Overacting seems to be a must for many players.

For fun, keep your eyes on those “injured” players. 

Once they receive that penalty call on an opponent, their injured leg, back, or other body part seems to heal almost immediately. 

It’s a miracle!  

Mexican fans performed their version of the Texas A&M Aggies’ Midnight Yell

Mexican soccer fans pulled out all the stops last week in trying to win their World Cup games in Mexico City.  During some recent games, the home team’s zealous fans camped outside of the hotel which was hosting the opposing team.

From late at night until the wee hours of the next morning, a throng of Mexican fans threw a loud party replete with Mariachi bands, singing, chanting, and air horns all night long.  They were trying to disrupt the sleep of the team’s next day opponent.

The Mexican fans’ version of a Texas A&M Midnight Yell practice was in excessively bad taste and displayed rather poor sportsmanship.

In the end, England ended Mexico’s midnight serenade with a 3-2 win to eliminate the host country.

Life is much quieter today in Mexico City.

The post This Ain’t your “Grammar’s” World Cup! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

The past week has featured a number of rather important sports stories. 

Some are quite newsworthy and will have lasting impact.  Others seem to be overblown stories being pushed by the media just to meet deadline requirements.

How do you view these stories?  News or Snooze?

Oklahoma Sooners downed North Carolina to claim the men’s College World Series title

A: Newsworthy

The SEC just won its seventh consecutive men’s College World Series baseball title after unseeded Oklahoma blasted the favored and #5 seed North Carolina Tar Heels 13-2 on Monday night in Omaha.

OU’s “Slugging Sooners” K-O’d every opponent they faced during the postseason in their unprecedented march to college baseball’s national title.

Oklahoma barely made it into the NCAA 64-team tournament field.  OU finished in 11th place in the SEC regular season with a lowly 14-16 conference record.

The Sooners took advantage of their good fortune to make the college baseball playoffs and took down #2 seed Georgia Tech in Atlanta in the opening round. They next traveled to #15 Kansas in the Super Regionals and swept the Jayhawks right out of the tournament.

In Omaha, OU took down #7 Alabama and #3 Georgia to earn a spot in the best-of-three title series against #5 North Carolina.

Yes, Oklahoma definitely caught fire at the right time of the season.  It was their first baseball title since 1994. Well done, Sooners!

Last week, troubled college QB Brendan Sorsby entered the NFL Supplemental Draft.  This week, the NFL canceled their own Supplemental Draft.

A: Snooze worthy

I just can’t muster up a lot of tears for either Brendan Sorsby or Texas Tech right now.  If anyone was wearing the black hat this week, it was definitely the NFL.

Brendan Sorsby (as we’ll explain later) made a timely application to the NFL before the league’s Monday, June 22 deadline to enter the Supplemental Draft.

On Tuesday, the pro football league completely hosed this young man by abruptly canceling its annual Supplemental Draft.  The event is normally conducted in August for a handful of eligible football players who did not participate in April’s seven-round selection process.

As you may recall, Brendan Sorsby was the young man who admitted to betting on college football games (including those of his own team) along with many other sports.

This spring, he acknowledged having a gambling addiction and went away for counseling and treatment.  Upon completion of the program, the NCAA ruled that Sorsby was still ineligible to play football this fall at Texas Tech as an incoming transfer student.  Sorsby then sued the NCAA in a final attempt to regain his eligibility.

With unprecedented speed, a court in northwest Texas ruled that Brendan Sorsby could, indeed, play football this fall for the Red Raiders.  His trial vs. the NCAA was generously moved to begin during February, 2027 (long after this year’s football season ends).

The Big 12 Conference objected, too. 

They wanted Sorsby banned this season for breaking the rules on gambling.  The conference met to determine an appopriate punishment for Texas Tech if Sorsby hit the field this fall for the Red Raiders.

Sorsby (as we predicted) did the right thing last week.  He said adios to Texas Tech and declared his intention to participate in the NFL’s Supplemental Draft.  The NFL then pulled the rug on this event and left Sorsby homeless (football-wise) for this fall.

Don’t feel sad for Brendan Sorsby, though.  Texas Tech (whose athletics program is supported by several wealthy energy leaders) agreed to pay the young man the estimated $5 million his 2026 NIL deal is worth anyway.

Invest it well, young man!

Speaking of drafts, the NBA held its annual player draft this week

A: Snooze worthy

Quick!  Tell me the first round NBA selection made by your favorite NBA team on Tuesday night.

Even many of the players being selected during the first and second rounds of the NBA Draft didn’t even know where they would be playing.

That’s because an incredible 27 of the 60 players taken in Rounds 1 and 2 of the NBA Draft were immediately traded by the team which had just selected them.

What’s going on here?

The first 12 selections in Round 1 will be playing (for now) for the teams which drafted them.  Ten of the next 18 players selected were shipped to another team moments after receiving a ceremonial team cap and shaking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand on-stage.

Round 2 was an even bigger mess.  A total of 17 of the 30 players (57%) picked in the second round were immediately traded to another team.

Outside of the first 12 players selected in Round 1, the majority of basketball players picked in this week’s NBA Draft apparently were not highly coveted.

Cheap advice – Keep your bags packed!

The NCAA recommends college athletes be allowed to play for five seasons over five years?!!

A: Newsworthy

College athletes have long been given four years of athletic eligibility to participate in varsity athletics.  A flawed concept called taking a “red shirt” was used to allow underutilized players (generally freshmen) to participate in team practices for an extra year prior to playing in games.

This concept kept getting pushed to the limits.  Players injured before the midway point in a season started requesting the NCAA to grant them an extra year of eligibility.

This week, the NCAA’s Division 1 Cabinet issued a proposed rule change to make this issue much simpler (we hope).  The athlete will be allowed five years to participate in college athletics from the earlier of the date of full-time enrollment or the academic year following his/her 19th birthday.

This “Five in Five” concept is expected to begin this fall.

Yes, it means that a healthy athlete could (potentially) play five consecutive years of major college athletics.

The NCAA has finally acted on a relevant issue for college athletics.  Unsurprisingly, there has already been some legal pushback filed by players.

Stay tuned to see if this change to college athletics is actually implemented this fall.

The PGA Tour announced some radical changes to its structure beginning in 2028

A: Newsworthy

LIV Golf has been criticized by many, but the upstart league has forced the stodgy PGA Tour to make some radical changes.

The PGA Tour announced on Tuesday that there will be two “tracks” for top pro golfers beginning in the year 2028.

A new “Championship” division will feature up to 24 tournament events from February through August. This grouping will feature the top 100 ranked golfers playing 72 holes with a 36-hole cut (as before).  The prize money in these events will total at least $20 million.

There will also be a new “Challenger” level that will play at least 20 events from February through August. These will have larger fields (144 golfers) and 36-hole cuts, but the tournament prize money will be about $4 million per event.

Players who win two tournaments in one season at the “Challenger” level will immediately be promoted up to the Championship division.

Golfers in the Championship upper division who finish their season ranked #91-100 will be demoted to the Challenger level for the following year.

More details are expected to be announced in the coming months.

This announcement quietly confirms that the PGA Tour continues to struggle attracting its top golfers to appear in some of its mid-level tournaments.  Those events usually offer a lower payout than average, too.

In case you were wondering, LIV Golf (which might fold at any time) is paying its golfers a total tournament purse of $30 million in 2026.  However, LIV Golf is only playing 14 tournaments worldwide this year.

Caitlin Clark’s latest WNBA assailant gets suspended for one game

A: Snooze worthy

Many fans of the Women’s NBA (WNBA) want to watch the talented scoring outside shooting machine named Caitlin Clark produce plenty of points like the NBA’s Steph Curry.

The WNBA’s television ratings and attendance rise whenever third-year shooting guard Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever is featured on national TV or playing in an opponent’s arena.

Unfortunately, many players in the WNBA just don’t like Clark.  Some have made her life exceedingly difficult by playing excessively physical defense against the 6′ shooting guard.

The number of dirty plays involving Caitlin Clark on the receiving end are becoming far too commonplace in the WNBA.  Worse yet, the three referees on the court are letting a lot of the rough play go without even blowing their whistles.

Can you imagine if talented NBA offensive stars such as Pistol Pete Maravich or Larry Bird were being routinely mugged and injured by opposing players?  The men’s pro basketball league understood the value which those stars brought to their league.

On the other hand, the WNBA doesn’t seem to have a clue.

Another scary moment involving Caitlin Clark (fifth in the WNBA in scoring at 21 points/game) occurred Wednesday night as the Indiana Fever played the Phoenix Mercury.

Clark was tripped while handling the basketball.

As she laid on the floor, Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas (who is listed at 6’2” and weighs 202 pounds according to the WNBA website) “recklessly made contact with her fist to the throat area of Caitlin Clark.”

That quote was issued by the league AFTER the game when this play was reviewed. For her part, Alyssa Thomas was assessed a Level 2 Flagrant foul and then received a one game suspension.

Question:  How could three highly trained WNBA referees miss all of that mayhem on the floor? 

What were they looking at?  Or, perhaps, were they instructed before the game to overlook it?

None of the officials blew a whistle on the play despite the rather obvious unnecessary roughness imparted by Caitlin Clark’s opponents.

Whether the WNBA players like Caitlin Clark or not, they better hope that she doesn’t vanish to play go basketball in Europe next season.

If that she should leave, fan interest in the WNBA may quickly revert back to the mediocre levels it had before Clark entered the league just three years ago. 

*Ol’ SwampSwami and his long-suffering sports wife will be out next week babysitting a couple of our energetic grandsons in N. Louisiana.  We’ll visit again after the July 4th holiday.   

Happy 250th birthday, America! 

The post Newsworthy or “Snooze worthy”? appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Sports fans in the South are likely familiar with “The Paul Finebaum Show.”  If you’re not, you are about to learn more.

Paul Finebaum is a graduate of the University of Tennessee.  He has enjoyed a lengthy and very successful career as a popular sportswriter for newspapers across the South.

In the mid-1980’s, Finebaum was discovered by a new audience.  His vast knowledge on college sports helped make him a popular guest on sports talk radio stations in the Southeast.

He eventually became a full-time radio sports talk host in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1990’s.

Paul Finebaum’s unique radio show relied on the host’s deep knowledge of college sports and, especially, the SEC.  He would tee-up one or more issues or topics every hour.  He interviewed guests with relevant expertise on today’s important sports stories.

A third element to Paul Finebaum’s radio show was a growing legion of occasionally intense and always unique callers to the program.

Their contributions helped to make it one of the more entertaining shows on the air.

Paul Finebaum’s local radio show became so popular that he began syndicating it to a number of radio stations in the South beginning in 2001.  New listeners and callers started to show up, too.

“The Paul Finebaum Show” reached new heights again in 2014.  That’s when his afternoon sports radio program (1-5 PM Central Time) started being simulcast on television’s SEC Network.

After a dozen years on cable television, this show remains true to its roots

College football has always been the bread and butter of this program.  SEC football fans are well known for their passion and pride in support of their favorite college teams.  Seasonal sports topics are discussed, but college football is king twelve months of the year on the “The Paul Finebaum Show.”

Finebaum’s national television platform has brought new guests and, of course, a host of new callers.

Hour #4 of his weekday show is generally dedicated to the radio callers and their takes on the issues of the day. Some callers choose to take verbal snipes at one another instead.

Several of the show’s regular callers can come across like seasoned professional wrestlers cutting “promos” trying to sell tickets for upcoming matches.

Let’s start with “Legend.”

He has been a Paul Finebaum regular caller for decades.  Legend was recently voted as the Top Caller to the show over the past year.  Legend is a loyal supporter and a fierce defender of the Alabama Crimson Tide.  In recent months, he has been equally upset about the team’s current football coach, Kaylen DeBoer.  Legend enthusiastically comes across a bit like WWE superstar, Ric Flair.

He can make you laugh as he intensely sells his take on just about any topic.

Another top caller goes by the name of “I-Man.”  The I-Man is much more laid-back than Legend.  He always seems to bring some quality insights about the show’s daily topics.  I-man (like Legend) has been calling the Finebaum radio program for many years.

One of the callers I like to hear from is a gentleman who goes by the name of “Handsome Joe.”

He leads off every call with a heartfelt “Roll Tide Roll, Paul!”  He does a good job of helping the audience try to make sense of what some of the other callers have been trying to convey.

Another interesting regular caller to the show goes by the handle of “Squirrel.”  This caller is generally rather low key in his style.

Like I-Man, Squirrel can deliver some exceptionally insightful and entertaining takes about the day’s topics.  He is also known to take a few shots at some of the show’s weaker callers, too.

There are dozens of regular callers contributing to “The Paul Finebaum Show”

Each day is a different roller coaster ride for listeners of the show.

The guests and show callers can make the show soar at times.  Other days, a series of pointless calls can send the show crashing down, too.  That usually happens whenever a series of callers spend too much of their air time sniping at previous callers rather than adding something new to the show.

Finebaum regular callers also include several insightful female contributors.  They generally make some excellent points and bring a little bit of sanity back to the proceedings.

For his part, Paul Finebaum functions as the ringmaster of his own four hour weekday radio circus.

He generously allows his guests and callers to be the stars of his show.  I have great admiration for the way he pulls it off.  

A few decades ago, yours truly worked as a weekend radio talk show host for several years.  It is very tricky to balance the proper amount of input from the host, the show’s guests, and the callers to craft a product which is pleasing to the average listener.

It’s even harder to do this for four hours every day for five days per week like Paul Finebaum does.

The majority of Paul Finebaum’s callers agree on one thing…

Heaven help the occasional caller who happens to gloat about the Big Ten Conference winning its third consecutive national championship in college football last January.

Alabama and LSU fans may despise one another every November.  Likewise, Georgia and Florida supporters dislike each other with a passion, too.

However, when a Big Ten supporter calls in to the Finebaum show to say that the SEC’s dominance in college football is now over, these SEC fans quickly band together in support of their beloved sports conference.

Some callers to “The Paul Finebaum Show” seem to me a bit like WWE’s Royal Rumble annual wrestling event.  One caller jumps into the ring first to make a point.  The next caller follows to disagree with the previous caller’s position or introduce a different topic to the show.

And so it goes for four hours every weekday.  It’s a wild ride.

What should be the “Rules for Callers” for the Paul Finebaum show?

Tuesday, June 23rd’s final hour of “The Paul Finebaum Show” featured one caller asking the host if anyone had ever written a rule book to help callers to his radio show.   Finebaum suggested that the caller should, perhaps, write that book.  Listeners were also teased by the host to try their hand at it, too.

I have listened to enough Finebaum’s show over the years to understand what this caller meant.

So, let’s tackle that issue today.  Perhaps my list will find its way to the host of the show.  Feel free to use it!

Ten Rules for Callers to “The Paul Finebaum Show”

Do…

1. Listen to the show on the day you are making your call.  (Understand what is the primary topic(s) of the day before calling the program.)

2. Think about what you are going to say prior to calling the show.

(A highly respected radio program director at a music station I worked for years ago posted a sign in the control room.  It read, “Do not open this microphone unless you have something worthwhile to say.”)

3. Have your own distinct opinion on the subject being discussed.

(Tell us why you agree or disagree on the issue.  What would you suggest doing differently?)

4. Feel free to pose a fresh question or topic to the show’s host.

(Paul may welcome a change of subjects at certain times of the show.  He will either answer your question directly or encourage other callers to provide their opinion on that topic, too!)

5. Be succinct.  (You generally have up to 60 seconds to make your point.  It is up to the show’s host and producer to ascertain whether your call is deemed entertaining enough to continue any longer than that.)

Now, for the “Don’t” set of my rules when calling the show…

6. Imbibe any adult beverages prior to making your call.

(Slurring your words – even if you are making a great point – is a turnoff to most of us listeners. Try again tomorrow, please.)

7. Spend your entire call tearing down what a previous caller just said.  That’s boring!

(Instead, start with “I disagree with “X” on this issue. Here’s why he/she got it wrong”.)

8. Read from scripted comments or points or ramble. This is a phone call – not a speech!

(Use brief notes to stay on track if you feel nervous prior to making the call)

9. Speak past the show host!  Have a real live conversation directly with Paul Finebaum.

(Talk as if Paul is the only one on the telephone line, because he is!   Your call will come across much better to us listeners as a result.)

10. Call the show solely to agree with another caller’s point on a particular issue.

(It’s boring to hear, “I totally agree with Legend’s comments about …”.  So, exactly why did you take the time to call the radio show today?  What are your own thoughts on the subject being discussed?) 

Bonus – Don’t take yourself too seriously! 

The post Paul Finebaum Show – “Rules for Callers” appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

It was downright ugly at times on Sunday watching the US Open leader play his final round in front of dozens of obnoxious, heckling New York City area golf fans.

In the end, it was Wyndham Clark getting the last laugh.

He two-putted from nearly 60 feet on the 18th hole to edge a late-charging Sam Burns by one stroke to win the 2026 US Open golf title.  

Wyndham Clark led the tournament field by a whopping six shots entering Sunday’s final round at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island.  He was at 7-under par and paired in the final round with the crowd favorite, Scottie Scheffler (-1).

Those brash New York golf fans were quite aware that:

a. World #1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was trying to win his first US Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

b. Scottie Scheffler (who has two young children) was playing on Father’s Day Sunday – which also happened to be his 30th birthday.  The crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to him on several occasions during the day Sunday.

c. Wyndham Clark (who won the 2023 US Open) caused significant locker room damage one year ago at the US Open in Pennsylvania after missing the cut.  He apologized for his temper outburst several times afterwards and paid to repair the damage.

d. Wyndham Clark’s now-famous temper could, perhaps, be exploited.  The New York crowd might be able to get under his skin during Round #4 and help him lose a six shot lead in the final round.

The fans nearly got their wish

Clark bogeyed three of his first seven holes on the opening nine to squander most of his lead.  Shreveport’s Calvary Baptist Academy and LSU product Sam Burns did just the opposite on Sunday.  Burns started the final day at even par and seven shots behind the leader.  He birdied three of the first five holes to quickly move into second place and turn the back nine of the US Open into a tightly contested match.

Police arrested a number of New York area golf fans who were openly taunting and pulling against Wyndham Clark early during Sunday’s fourth and final round.

One arrest came on the #4 tee box after one fan yelled “Don’t choke, Wyndham!”

Any shot which Clark hit which failed to reach the fairway or green at Shinnecock Hills was met with cheers from many in the crowd on Sunday.   He dropped three shots to par to finish at -4 and won by a single stroke.  

Afterwards, Clark openly addressed the rudeness of many fans during the final round.

“New York really didn’t like me.  I love you guys.  But, you know, I get it.  I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret, and I’ve been sorry multiple times…maybe I can win you guys back over eventually”, said the two-time US Open champion.

That new (and very heavy) putter carried Wyndham Clark to victory this weekend

The heaviest putter in use at this weekend’s US Open belonged to the winner.

Using something called an “Eye Q” alignment, the new putter from Ping is destined to become the hottest product on the market this summer.  Wyndham Clark just won his second event in the past two months using it. He legally adds lead tape to the bottom of his flat stick to make it even heavier.

The golf putter manufacturer and Clark agreed to an exclusive contract with this particular model just days before the US Open started last week.

Talk about good timing – for both parties.

Wyndham Clark’s incredible putting success on both Saturday and Sunday saved countless pars and kept him from falling back to the field.

You, too, can own this putter.  For the low, low price (just joking) of $397, the Scottsdale TEC Alley Blue model from PING is now available nationwide.

Sam Burns keeps getting closer to winning his first major championship

That naughty New York crowd should have gotten behind hard-charging Sam Burns instead of holding out hope for a Scottie Scheffler rally which never came.

Sam Burns shot a 3-under par 67 in windy conditions as he navigated the treacherous Shinnecock Hills greens as well as anyone in the field.  His second place finish is the third consecutive year where he has finished inside the top 15 in the US Open.  Burns’ birdie putt on the 18th hole trickled by the cup by only an inch.  In the end, it would have resulted in a tie for first place with Wyndham Clark had the Burn’s birdie putt dropped into the cup

Sam Burns was distraught after missing the putt.  However, he takes away a record second place prize of $2,430,000 as a consolation prize.

Meanwhile, Keith Mitchell set a unique record which may never be tied

Thursday’s opening nine holes at Shinnecock Hills found Keith Mitchell posting a nightmarish 6-over par score of 41.  On his second nine of the day, he turned it around to shoot a record of 6-under par 29! 

How’s that for a nifty even par 70?

Mitchell posted another 70 in Round 2 to make the cut at even par.  Then he shot a 70 on Saturday in Round 3.

Keith Mitchell completed his fourth round on Sunday with, yes, another 70!  His 70-70-70-70 finish established a US Open record for posting four consecutive even par scores.

Mitchell tied for fourth place with Scottie Scheffler and J. T. Poston.  He will receive an automatic invitation to next year’s US Open to be played at Pebble Beach in northern California.

About NBC’s biased coverage…

I am old enough to remember when Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus dueled each other on the golf course in the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s.  The limited television camera coverage of that era did not permit the networks to show every single shot from golf’s two biggest stars.  That gave viewers a chance to become familiar with other top players in the field.

NBC’s cringe worthy pom-pom waving on behalf of Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler this weekend was truly over-the-top.

Saturday saw Rory moving up the leaderboard into contention on the front nine after carding three consecutive birdies. That’s when NBC’s commentators hoisted one plaudit after another as to Rory’s golfing brilliance.

Sadly for NBC, McIlroy then shot a 5-over par 40 on the back nine to drop out of contention heading into Sunday.

Sunday’s final round featured the New York fans razzing eventual winner Wyndham Clark.  I also noticed that NBC’s announcer team of Dan Hicks and PGA veteran Kevin Kisner were nearly as critical as they critiqued nearly every wayward shot during Clark’s final round.

Time after time, Wyndham Clark responded with a clutch chip shot or a lengthy putt to save his par.  The NBC announcers acted as if Clark was simply lucky to have survived another calamity.

Would they have the same things had the golfer been named Tiger Woods?  Of course not.

Winners – Wyndham Clark, Shinnecock Hills, and SwampSwami!

Congratulations to Wyndham Clark for going wire-to-wire and never surrendering the lead during the final 54 holes of this year’s US Open.  A few wayward tee shots and approaches on Saturday and Sunday caused a lot of heartburn, but Clark deserved this year’s trophy.

Shinnecock Hills is a brilliantly designed golf course and becomes extremely difficult when the winds come up.

One of America’s oldest courses proved its worthiness again this week.  This year’s event featured significant widening of several fairways after the players grumbled following the 2018 US Open held here.  The result?  Wyndham Clark’s 4-under par winning score was a five shot improvement over the +1 final score posted by 2018 winner Brooks Koepka.  Clark capitalized and used every inch of those wider fairways this week.

Finally, it’s time for ol’ SwampSwami to take a bow!

Yours truly listed Wyndham Clark as the hottest player in the field coming into the US Open during last Wednesday’s post. I’m just pleased that I didn’t jinx him.  

Congratulations to Wyndham Clark! 

As Jerry Reed once sang, When you’re hot, you’re hot!

The post “Win ‘em” Clark Ignores NY Knuckleheads – Claims 2nd US Open Title appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.