You would think that a team full of professional football players in the National Football League would derive most of their game-day motivation from being paid big money for doing a job they love to do.

If your favorite NFL team made the playoffs and now has a chance to earn a Super Bowl ring, you would think there would already be plenty of motivation for professional football players to give their all in any particular game.

In some cases, apparently not.

Last week, a Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver (who had already made a few new enemies this year with some on-field antics this season) made a remark to a media outlet about the team’s first round playoff opponent, Cleveland Browns.

JuJu Smith-Schuster was asked if he felt any additional motivation with the Steelers hosting long-time division rival Cleveland on Sunday night.

He said, “Nah, I think they’re still the same Browns that I’ve played every year.  They’re nameless gray faces. They have a couple of good players on their team. But at the end of the day … the Browns are the Browns.”

Translated:  Everyone knows that the Cleveland Browns are perpetual losers.  This year will be no different.

Statistically speaking, JuJu Smith-Schuster was simply pointing out that the Browns have been historically bad.  Sunday’s playoff game with Pittsburgh was their first time to make the NFL playoffs in the past18 seasons.

If you play for the Cleveland Browns, “the Browns are the Browns” comment was considered an insult coming from their AFC divisional foe located just 132 miles away. 

The motivation worked!  Cleveland came into Pittsburgh, jumped to a 28-0 first quarter lead, and then hung on for a 48-37 win over the Steelers on Sunday night. 

In Nashville last Sunday, the Tennessee Titans hosted a playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.  Toward the end of the game, Baltimore intercepted a pass.  After the play ended, a group of Ravens players then raced to the midfield Titans logo and started to stomp on it.   The Ravens would win the game 20-13 to advance to Round 2 of the playoffs this weekend at Buffalo.

This odd behavior appeared to have been a form of “payback” from a November game in Baltimore where Tennessee players got into a shouting match before the game with the home field Ravens players. 

Apparently, the Baltimore Ravens needed some extra motivation for the playoff game and used the November contest as the stimulus.

If this sounded juvenile, you’re right!   Sadly, it seems to be working for some teams.

In Seattle, the Seahawks hosted their NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams on Saturday.  The two teams already played twice during the regular season.  In their week 16 match-up in December, Seattle won the game and clinched a home game in the opening round of the playoffs.

After the game, Seattle (and former LSU) defensive back Jamal Adams broke out a victory cigar in the media room and enjoyed the moment.   Teammate A.J. McCord added, “I hope you all have a wonderful day because, you know, we’re champions!”

The post-game celebration became motivation for the Los Angeles Rams after the two teams were matched for the third time on Saturday.  The Rams came to Seattle and ended the Se...

Happy New Year!  Unless you’re a fan of the Buffalo Bills and the New Orleans Saints, that is. 

The NFL playoffs are now upon us.  The good news? The league was able to play a full schedule for its regular season!  Nicely done, NFL!

Day to day, there is no guarantee that each week’s playoff slate will be played depending on which team(s) has the latest outbreak of COVID 19 on their squad.  Delays to some games might be in the offing so stay tuned!

As the 2021 NFL playoffs (pandemic version) begin this weekend, the bad news for Buffalo and New Orleans football fans is that the league changed its playoff rules beginning with this season.  As the #2 seeds in the AFC and NFC, Buffalo and New Orleans would have earned a bye week for the first round of the playoffs in previous years.

The NFL, wanting to squeeze as much playoff television money for their owners as possible, decided to expand the playoffs this year to add a third wild-card team to the mix.  This year, it means that the AFC Indianapolis Colts (11-5) and NFC Chicago Bears (8-8) are considered playoff teams.  Does anyone really expect either of those teams to win three games in a row and make it into the Super Bowl? 

Me, either.

On the plus side, playoff games will be held this weekend at the home fields of both #2 seeds – Buffalo and New Orleans.  Unfortunately, there still won’t be many fans permitted into the stands for this weekend’s NFL playoff games due to this lingering pandemic.

This weekend, Buffalo (13-3 and AFC East champions) will host the Indianapolis Colts.  The Bills have not hosted a home playoff game in twenty years!  Despite the team’s terrific season, New York state’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, would not allow fans to attend any of the team’s regular season games due to concerns about the spread of the COVID 19 virus.   

But, there’s some good news for the Bills’ playoff game on Saturday!  New York State’s resident Grinch had a sudden change of heart recently and has allowed the football-starved fans of the Buffalo Bills to sell a total of 6,700 tickets (10% capacity) to their Saturday playoff game against the Colts.  Though Buffalo’s fans were glad to have a chance to go to the game, the Bills Mafia (the fans’ nickname) were none too happy that the Football Grinch Governor was planning to use one of those seats for himself and attend the game.

More than 40,000 unhappy Buffalo Bills fans went online this week to request the Governor to stay away from their party on Saturday afternoon.  He apparently received the message and recently donated his ticket to a Buffalo-area hospital nurse. 

The Bills Mafia 1, New York Governor Cuomo 0.

On Sunday, the WhoDatNation (loyal long-time fans of the New Orleans Saints) will be in the stands as their team carries the NFC’s #2 banner into the Louisiana Superdome to play the #7 seed Chicago Bears (8-8).   Just one year ago, the #2-seeded Saints, like Buffalo, would have been idle during the first week of the playoffs with a first round bye.

It’s now 2021, and the Saints must hit the field for Week 1 of the playoffs and play this extra game if they want to advance to another Super Bowl.   At least the team’s fans will be there to support them in Round 1.

Well, 3,000 of them.  Due to pandemic concerns, the 80,000 seat Superdome is being limited to just 3,

Let’s face it.  The pandemic year called 2020 has been a bummer.  If you take a look in the rear view mirror just one year back (which now seems like forever), no one could have predicted the many changes we would find just one year later.

From a mental health perspective, the events of 2020 certainly made life more unpleasant.  As expected, the perpetual optimists still thrived (as they always will).  The whiners had even more to whine about in 2020. If you are normally a Grinch, 2020 was the best year ever! 

For the vast majority of us, the pandemic affected daily living in one way or another.   For those who live in states which seem to be in a perpetual state of lockdown, it certainly makes a future trip to your favorite zoo take on a different feeling. 

For our collective mental health, it is time to send 2020 down the proverbial toilet!

Resolution #1 – Have more fun in 2021!

Yes, losing those stubborn ten (now 15) pounds would be nice, too.  I think that dropping the level of our nation’s collective intensity and taking on a little happier outlook could be what we all need in 2021.  Despite the dark claims of some politicians and frequent naysayers (pick your favorite news channel), raising the collective fear of citizens just isn’t good for our long-term mental health. 

We are learning to adapt to whatever comes our way.  The Grinch of 2020 is now leaving.  Hooray!

Some sports teams are learning that they, too, must work harder to have a little more fun in order to be successful, too. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers were having the most fun of any National Football League team beginning the fall of 2020.  Despite the pandemic keeping the multitudes of Terrible Towel-waving fans out of football stadiums this year, Steeler Nation was thrilled with the team’s perfect 11-0 start to 2020.  None of the Steelers’ six Super Bowl championship teams had ever started a season with such an unbeaten streak.

Then, it simply fell apart.  During the team’s 11th straight win, Pittsburgh lost a key defensive starter (linebacker Bud Dupree) and proceeded to drop three straight games.  Losing to the improving Washington Football Team (aka “WFT”) and AFC East leader Buffalo wasn’t necessarily bad.  The team simply needed to wake-up and shake off the losses.

So, the 11-2 Steelers then traveled to play the 2-10-1 Cincinnati Bengals in a nationally televised Monday Night Football game.   Pittsburgh’s offense was averaging nearly 30 points per game in 2020, and the famed black and gold “Steel Curtain” defense was primed to smother the Bengals’ reserve quarterback, Ryan Finley.

Just the opposite happened once the game started.  Cincinnati rolled Pittsburgh 27-17 and wasn’t as close as the final score made it seem.  Longtime Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said, “High frustration” after completing 20 passes for a measly 170 yards.

Last Sunday, the Steelers’ offensive funk continued as the Indianapolis Colts came to Steel City and grabbed a dominating 21-7 halftime advantage.  In the Steelers’ frustrated locker room, All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey tore into his teammates and coaches as he said that the Colts were calling-out the Steelers plays before they even snapped the ball.  The Steeler’s offense had become so conservative and predictable that the other team’s defense already knew what was coming. 

‘Twas the month before bowl picks and across this great land,

The Army Cadets had six wins and a bowl bid in hand.

To Shreveport they’d march – to the Independence Bowl.

A 1,400 mile trip south to leave New York’s bitter cold!

From West Point to the bayous, over hills and through dales,

The Army’s proud history would not allow these Cadets to fail!

No matter the opponent, Army will show up and fight,

‘Cause the word “quit” isn’t known to the brave Black Knights!

Then many weeks later – after Thanksgiving had passed. 

Army downed rival Navy and got to sing their Alma Mater last! 

In a final game left, against the Powder Blue Air Force, we’d see 

Who would take home this year’s Commander-in-Chief Trophy!

Nearing game’s end with those Falcons, the Cadets seemed nearly done

But they drove to the goal line and faced fourth down and one!

Coach Jeff Monken pondered, “How can we punch this ball in?

Should we pass the ball and surprise those Air Force blue men?

No, we’ll run it right up the middle and dare them to stop us!”

So Army handed it to their big 260-pound fullback-turned-bus!

He blasted into the end zone as his teammates shouted with glee,

The Army would now take home that gigantic 170 pound trophy!

The Army’s dream season would continue – one more game to get ready. 

The Indy Bowl in Shreveport!  Umm – we can taste that gumbo already!   

“We’re in our bowl game”, the Cadets exclaimed as they watched on TV,

“So let’s now find out who our Pac-12 opponent is going to be!”

The match-ups for 2020 bowl selections were released for all to see.

There’s Bama, Clemson, Ohio State and, surprise, there’s ND!

The Texas Aggies finished fifth and have an Orange Bowl date with UNC

Wow!  Look!  The Georgia Bulldogs are matched with unbeaten Cincinnati!

As the pandemic caused some teams to shut-down for the year,

Many bowl games were unable to find two teams which to cheer.

As each bowl game and their match-ups were shown on ESPN,

Some teams with really bad records were drafted – just to fill-in!  

There goes 3-7 Arkansas to Houston to play in the Texas Bowl. 

While 3-4 Houston heads to the New Mexico Bowl?  How droll!

The Army kept patiently waiting for their opponent’s name to be called,

Why was the Independence Bowl Committee disappearing down the hall?

So, where was that Pac-12 team who would play this 9-2 Army squad?

As the picks for other bowls kept coming in, the silence was eerie and odd.

The television ratings for the 2020 NFL season are down eight percent compared to 2019.  That is a fact. 

Due to the pandemic of 2020, more people are staying inside their home this fall (and, therefore, available to watch televised NFL games) than at any time during our lifetimes.  That, too, is a fact.

It would be logical to assume that there would be a record number of television viewers for NFL football this fall, right?

Wrong.

A major news source reported this week that television ratings for the National Football League (through the week of Sunday, December 6 – Week 13) are down eight percent compared to 2019.  During the first 13 weeks of this NFL season, an average of 1.3 million FEWER fans are watching televised NFL football games this year (15.2 million viewers per week) compared to last year’s annual total of 16.5 million/week through the same number of games. 

When examined another way, the total number of television viewers for NFL football games this year have been smaller in 12 out of the first 13 weeks compared to 2019.  Ouch!

This is happening while NFL stadiums in most NFL markets are nearly empty due to local COVID restrictions keeping hometown fans away from attending weekly football games. 

Last Thursday’s NFL game between two playoff contenders pulled 24% fewer TV eyeballs compared to 2019.  Perennial Super Bowl contender New England Patriots (a favorite for East coast fans) and the Los Angeles Rams (West coast) drew a total of 13. 6 million viewers last week compared to over 18 million viewers for 2019’s match-up between Dallas and Chicago. 

The excuse train for the ratings drop from the major sports media outlets has been relentless all season.  Here are a few of the biggest whoppers which the national media has tried to use to avoid discussing the true “elephant in the room” this football season:

#1 – The heated Presidential campaign caused some viewers to choose political programming over NFL football games.   That is pure bunk.  The majority of NFL games are played on Sunday afternoons while the bulk of national political television opinion shows air on weekday evenings.   By the way, the election was held five weeks ago.  What’s the excuse now?

#2 – The nearly empty football stadiums make watching NFL games less interesting than last year.  You’ll get no argument from me!  However, I don’t know of a one single football fan that has refused to watch an NFL game involving their favorite team just because the fans aren’t allowed into the stadium.   Yet another weak argument!

#3 – The movement of long-time NFL franchises (such as the Raiders going from Oakland to Las Vegas and the Chargers from San Diego to Los Angeles) has hurt NFL viewing.  While that may have some merit in the Oakland and San Diego television markets, it’s also likely that viewership would be higher in Las Vegas and, to a lesser extent, in Los Angeles.  Again, that is a pretty weak argument to account for a nearly 10% drop in television ratings nationwide.

#4 – Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady’s departure from New England to Tampa Bay has hurt viewership.   I am unable to quantify that issue (yet).  There’s no doubt that fan interest for the Patriots in New England may have suffered somewh...

That 1970’s hit song concludes with the phrase, “And get yourself free!”

Long-time Auburn’s head football coach, Gus Malzahn, was terminated on Sunday.  His Auburn Tigers finished the year with a disappointing (to some) 6-4 record. 

As part of a coaching purge at Auburn, the former head football coach gets one of the sweetest parting packages this side of Wall Street.  According to reports, Gus Malzahn is owed $21.45 million for the remaining four years of his seven year deal worth a total of $49 million.

But wait, there’s more!  The coach’s contract calls for half of the remaining money to be paid within 30 days of his departure.  That’s $10,725,000 due from Auburn by mid-January.  Cha-ching!

For that kind of payout, Gus can hop onto his own bus and begin enjoying an unexpected vacation soon!

Auburn’s athletic director Allen Greene announced the dismissal of the head football coach on Sunday after Alabama’s Tigers finished the regular season (which featured only games played against other SEC teams this year) with a 6-4 record.  

“After evaluating the state of the Auburn football program, we’ve decided that it was time to make a change in leadership”, Green said. 

In 2020, Auburn lost to three top ten teams (#1 Alabama, #5 Texas A&M, and #10 Georgia).  There are no slouches among that group.  And, yes, their other loss was to 2-8 South Carolina (who, by the way, fired their coach Will Muschamp earlier this fall). 

Gus Malzahn was considered an offensive coaching genius while Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2010 as his group led the Plainsmen to a national championship.   After being promoted to the head coaching position in 2012, Malzahn led Auburn to the BCS national title game in 2013 but his team lost to Florida State. 

Overall, Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers went 68-35 during his tenure.  His teams won two out of every three games.  For most college programs, that certainly wouldn’t qualify as a failure. 

In the state of Alabama, though, the Auburn football program must compete with the best college football power in America – the Alabama Crimson Tide.  Ironically, Malzahn went 3-5 in the annual “Iron Bowl” game against that beast called Alabama and their legendary coach, Nick Saban.  Malzahn’s three wins against Bama is more than any other head SEC coach during the past eight seasons.

Even Nick Saban was scratching his head as to why his intrastate rival was sent packing over the weekend. 

“Sometimes you wonder why people do what they do,” Saban said. “I don’t know what the reasons are. But I certainly think he’s an outstanding coach and has been a tough adversary for us to have to play against in the Iron Bowl every year. I just have a lot of respect for Gus and the job that he’s done.”

Many Auburn fans will interpret Saban’s comments as meaning, “Drat!  There goes another easy win for us every season!” 

I disagree.  Nick Saban isn’t known for his witty sarcasm.  He generally says what he thinks.  After all, why should he sugar-coat anything after winning five national championships at Alabama over the past thirteen seasons?

Year after year, Auburn has been a reliably “good” football team,

As this case opens, we find the camera scanning the crime scene.  It is the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – aka Steve Spurrier/Florida Field – in Gainesville. 

Saturday was Senior Night at the Gators’ stadium called “The Swamp”.   Right on cue, the fog started to roll-in toward halftime of this game.  By the second half, the fog had engulfed the field and added to the aura of this memorable college football game.

Coming into this game, the Florida Gators were ranked #6 nationally and had a record of 8-1 on the season.  The Gators (winners of the SEC East) had already clinched a berth in next Saturday’s SEC Championship in Atlanta against the SEC West champion and #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. 

The opponent on Saturday was LSU.  Last season’s 15-0 national champions, this year’s squad of LSU Tigers has looked confused and dazed all season long and came into this game with a 3-5 record and one of the nation’s weakest defenses.  LSU has posted the worst record for a defending national champion team since 1943.   Just last week, LSU was destroyed in Baton Rouge by Alabama 55-17. 

Oh, yeah.  The Gators had to be licking their chops all week thinking about a tasty wounded tiger that was going to limp into their Swamp on Senior Night!   

Prior to kickoff, Florida’s football team probably had a chance to watch Alabama destroy a plucky Arkansas team in the day’s early game by the score of 52-3.  The Gators had also beaten Arkansas 62-35 earlier in the year.   You had to believe that Florida was probably already thinking about Bama prior to taking the field for a game against LSU Saturday night.

In another surprising move, the Gators played against LSU without likely All-American tight end Kyle Pitts.  The Gators’ best receiver was scratched from the line-up during the team’s pregame warm-ups.  The Florida medical staff indicated that Pitts did not practice during the week and apparently was not at 100 percent prior to game time Saturday. 

So, Florida was already likely distracted by Alabama and their best receiver would not be playing in this weeks’ game against a weakened 3-5 LSU team.  Hmm…

On the LSU sideline before the game, the depleted Tigers roster had taken a few more hits with more players leaving the squad in recent weeks.  Though last year’s national championship team saw more than their share of players leave school for the NFL, this pandemic year of 2020 caused a few of LSU’s remaining “star” players to opt-out (or quit the team without NCAA penalty) before the season.  As the losses mounted for LSU, the so-called “5-star” divas walked away. 

The remaining LSU players who made this trip to Florida were not concerned about the NFL and were ready to play a full 60 minutes of football on Saturday night in Gainesville. 

LSU started a freshman at quarterback on Saturday.   Max Johnson (son of former NFL QB Brad Johnson) made his first start at LSU.  He looked poised right from the start as LSU played Florida to a 7-7 tie ending the first quarter.  Max Johnson would finish the night throwing for 239 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 52 yards on 18 carries to keep Florida’s defense off-balance throughout the game. 

Meanwhile, Florida’s record-setting senior quarterback, Kyle Trask, was hopeful that his final home game would help to secure a Heisman Trophy.  However, LSU’s much maligned defense put pressure on the Florida quarterback...

For the NBA Houston Rockets, this week’s big question is “Where is James Harden”?

As the professional basketball team is practicing for an upcoming season, the team’s feature player remains AWOL.  Recent reports have seen the 31-year old 6’6” bearded scoring machine in both Atlanta and Las Vegas.    

After the Rockets acquired James Harden from Oklahoma City in 2012, the Houston Rockets have been a consistent playoff team.  They have been in the playoffs every season since Harden came to H-town.

Unfortunately, the team has not advanced to the NBA Finals during his eight years with the franchise.  During last season, the Rockets finished fourth in the NBA’s Western Conference and lost in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual champions, Los Angeles Lakers.

The James Harden years with the Rockets have been quite good, but the team can never quite get to the finish line.  Though expectations have been dashed in Houston, a number of other NBA cities would be happy to have a James Harden-type team in the playoffs every season.   

Right, New York???

The Houston Rockets have literally attempted to build their franchise around this gifted scorer who has been an 8-time NBA All-Star who also won the league’s MVP trophy in 2018.  The team’s ownership and fans have embraced “The Beard” as the hairy face of their franchise.

Why not?   Harden has led the NBA in scoring for three straight seasons by averaging over 30 points per game in each of his last three years in Houston.  Harden gets to the free throw line more than any other NBA player and converts 86% of his attempts. 

Harden’s prolific scoring prowess reminds me a bit of San Antonio Spurs legend George “Iceman” Gervin.  During his playing career during the 1970’s and 1980’s, Gervin needed the basketball in his hands (like Harden) to be most effective. 

Both James Harden and George Gervin have career scoring averages over 25 points per game.   Gervin’s teams (like James Harden) were consistent qualifiers for the playoffs but never won a championship during his Hall-of-Fame career.

Unfortunately for both players, there is only one basketball on the floor but there are four other players on the team. 

Winning games during the regular season is much easier than winning a grueling seven-game series in the playoffs as teams can develop a strategy to thwart the opponent’s star players.  The other four teammates can’t be expected to start playing a different style after 82 regular season games of standing around watching their primary scorer take most of the shots.

In Houston, the Rockets have tried and failed to build a championship team around the high scoring James Harden.  Among the prominent teammates who have come and gone during the Harden years include center Dwight Howard (three years), point guard Chris Paul (one year), and last season’s pairing with former OKC teammate Russell Westbrook (traded to Washington after one year in Houston).   The Rockets made the playoffs each season but never advanced to the championship round. 

There’s a new sheriff in town, too.  The Rockets were sold to Houston entrepreneur Tillman Fertitta three years ago for a whopping $2.2 billion.  The businessman (who also owns the Landry’s Restaurant chain and the Golden Nugget Casinos) wants a winner in Houston, but he also wants the team’s payroll to be in-line with revenues, too. 

There are a number of big-time college football teams in the great state of Texas.  However, when push comes to shove, the majority of fans in the Lone Star State have a love/hate relationship when it comes to two particular football teams.

From 1915 through 2011, the University of Texas and Texas A&M University used to do battle annually on Thanksgiving Day.  After nearly a century of playing against each other in the same conference, Texas A&M left for greener pastures in the fall of 2012.  The Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference and left their longtime rival Texas Longhorns and the Big 12 Conference behind.  

The depth of this rivalry is so intense that even the fight songs for each of these two Texas schools still takes a shot at each other – even though the two universities haven’t played football against each other in nearly a decade! 

The “Texas Fight” includes the phrase “It’s goodbye to A&M”.  Meanwhile, the Aggies’ mutual dislike for the Longhorns is a part of the “Aggie War Hymn”.  The song features a direct shot at their rival’s school name (calling them “Texas University”) as the stadium sways with rows of fans leaning side to side suggesting that it’s time to “saw Varsity’s horns off”, too.  Ouch!  Sorry about that, Bevo!

You get the picture.  These two Texas rivals just don’t like each other.

Texas and Texas A&M are two are the largest public universities in America with well over 50,000 students each. 

Their athletics programs are quite well funded, too.  One source ranked Texas #1 and Texas A&M #2 in the country with annual sports revenues totaling over $210 million per year apiece. 

In 2020, the Texas A&M football team is currently 6-1 and ranked #5 in the country while the University of Texas just lost a tough home game last weekend to Iowa State to drop to 5-3 for the season.  Legions of Aggies fans love this year’s success and the Longhorns’ misery.  It isn’t sitting well in Austin, Texas, either.

A couple of years ago, the Aggies plunked down a phenomenal $75 million (all guaranteed) to sign former Florida State head football coach Jimbo Fisher to a seven year deal.  Fisher’s $7.5 million per year eclipsed even Nick Saban at Alabama at the time.  This year, Texas A&M’s lone loss has been to Alabama (of course), but the fifth-rated Aggies remain in the national title discussion with only a few weeks to go in the season.

Though the University of Texas football program hasn’t been a slouch in recent years (going 8-5 last year and 10-4 in 2018), the Longhorns have not been competing for championships in football recently, either.  The last time the Horns lost just one game in a season was in 2009 when Coach Mack Brown’s team won the BCS Championship game. 

After 16 years (with only one losing season) at the helm in Austin, Mack Brown was fired after posting an 8-5 record in 2013.   Charlie Strong fared even worse as Texas lost seven games in each of his three seasons at UT.

Tom Herman became the most recent head football coach at the University of Texas in 2017.  His first Longhorns squad posted a 7-6 record in 2017.  Since then, his team went 10-4 in 2018, 8-5 in 2019, and is currently 5-3 at this point in 2020. 

The year 2020 continues to set the bar for the strangest ever.  Over this sports weekend, we had a number of odd “2020” type of things happen.  Here are just a few:

* 54-year old boxing legend Mike Tyson went back into the boxing ring and faced a 51-year old Roy Jones in the first “Seniors” boxing match (for the record, it was considered a draw).  * The Denver Broncos played their NFL game Sunday against the New Orleans Saints without any of their four quarterbacks on the roster due to a COVID-19 outbreak.  A wide receiver started at QB for the team and completed just 1 of 9 passes for only 13 yards as the Broncos lost 31-3.  He did complete two passes to the Saints, though!   * The San Francisco 49ers will have to find a location to host their home football games after Santa Clara County, where the facilities are located, banned contact sports through December 21.  (Wonder how they knew the pandemic will end on December 21?)   * Vanderbilt University (now 0-8 on the season) lost 41-0 to the Missouri Tigers on Saturday afternoon.  During the second half kickoff, the team used a female soccer player named Sarah Fuller to squib the team’s second half kickoff 30 yards downfield on her only time onto the playing field.  With that brief moment, she became the first female football player to participate in SEC and Power 5 conference history.

You may not have heard very much about sports items #1-3 above.   The sports media has gone Lady Gaga over the saga of Vanderbilt’s female soccer player who briefly made it onto the playing field in the Commodores’ latest loss.

I want to issue this disclaimer up front.  If any young woman practiced kicking the football and earned a spot on her junior high, high school, or college football team, I respect that accomplishment very much.  If she can kick the football well enough to help her college football team, I’m all for it as long as she is fully aware of the risks involved with playing football.

In Vanderbilt’s case on Saturday, though, this was downright embarrassing.  It was embarrassing to the other football players (who have worked hard in high school and college to earn a spot on a college football team).  It was also embarrassing to Vanderbilt University’s athletics reputation for pulling such a dangerous shenanigan as this young lady could have been seriously hurt during the game on Saturday.   

Let’s cover what happened and why I feel this way.    

Vanderbilt’s four other kickers on the team roster apparently had been exposed to the COVID-19 virus last week.  Coach Derek Mason’s football team was in dire need to add a placekicker prior to Saturday’s game at Missouri.  To make matters worse, the student body was primarily at home due to the Thanksgiving break. 

According to a report, a Vanderbilt women’s soccer coach was contacted by someone within the athletics department to inquire if one of the school’s SEC championship women’s soccer team might be a good candidate for this week’s placekicking job on the school football team. 

Time out!  Let’s now review this situation.

First and foremost, it would seem to be the most prudent option to ask the 100 current players on the Vanderbilt football team roster if any of them had any previous experience in placekicking (high school or junior high).  Something tells me that at least a few players might have some prior kicking experience.  Perhaps a few players knew of a former teammate attending college at Vanderbilt with prior kicking experience.