Good morning, all and Happy New Year’s Eve!
The college sports world is in an upheaval with the sudden addition of James Nnaji to the Baylor University men’s basketball team. In reality, the system is to blame, not Baylor. I break it down in the above commentary. Meanwhile, former Massachusetts governor, Charlie Baker, now the president of the NCAA, weighed on this latest controversy, but his statement does not seem to impact Nnaji. Here is the link.
Here are some other thoughts as we put a wrap on 2025:
Batten down the hatches with four big CFP games starting tonight in the Cotton Bowl, when No. 10 seed Miami battles No. 2 and defending champion Ohio St. Look for the Buckeyes to dominate, as they have something to prove, following their loss to Indiana in the Big 10 Conference title game.
Everyone is anticipating a rematch between Ohio St. and No. 1 seed Indiana for the national championship, but do not be so sure. I am not predicting a win by No. 9 Alabama against Indiana in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, but it would not surprise me if the Crimson Tide pull off the upset. We finally get the chance to see how the Hoosiers react, now that they are the hunted.
Things start off at noon on New Year’s Day with the Orange Bowl, in what will be an unseasonably cold Miami. Watch out for falling Iguanas. No. 5 Oregon plays No. 4 Texas Tech, in what should be a donnybrook. The Sugar Bowl on New Year’s night has No. 6 Ole Miss battling No. 3 Georgia.
If college football isn’t enough for you over the next two days here comes the final week of the NFL’s regular season, with a lot riding on several games. Below is the breakdown:
Tiger Woods turned 50 on Tuesday? Where does the time go? And the great Sandy Koufax turned 90 on Tuesday. And did I mention that LeBron James also celebrated a birthday on Tuesday? He turned 41. Now that is a dynamic trio for sure.
And while we are at it, how about Happy Birthday wishes today to Joe Root. Who is Joe Root you ask? Just one of England’s outstanding cricket players. Root turns 35 today. Bet you never thought you would read a cricket note in this newsletter.
In relation to my video commentary (above), here is more college sports insanity. Diego Pavia, the Vanderbilt QB who was runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting, is now suing the NCAA. He wants his college eligibility extended, even though he transferred from junior college to a Division I program. Here is the lawsuit wording:
The JUCO Eligibility Bylaws limit athletes who begin their college careers at junior colleges to only two or three seasons of NCAA Division I football, as opposed to the four seasons of competition (and NIL compensation opportunities) available to all other NCAA Division I football players.
Pavia, 23, wants to play another two seasons, claiming his right to earn a living is being violated. He says the current rules restrict him from earning money under the NIL. Stupid me. I thought you went to college to get an education.
Here we go again. Another carrier dispute, this time between Tegna-owned television stations and cable companies, that could lead to the black out of channels that carry NFL games this weekend. You notice how these contracts are structured, don’t you? They are always designed to end during the start of the NFL playoffs, the most watched programming on television. A pox on both their houses, I say.
Am I the only one ecstatic that Anthony Rendon got his contract restructured by the Los Angeles Angels? The guy hardly played for the team, after signing a seven-year, $245M contract with the Halos in 2020. He is still owed another $35M, entering the final year of the deal, but the Angels are restructuring the contract, so he will receive deferred payments over the next three to five years, to help Los Angeles handle its payroll. He also is done playing another game for the team. Trust me. If more and more consumers cut the cord and decide to pick-and-choose what programming they watch, the flimsy structure on which the sports world is built, is going to collapse like a house of cards.
Remember, it was 51 years ago tonight that the Yankees signed pitcher Catfish Hunter to a five-year deal worth $3.25M. Hunter became a free agent, after arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled that the Oakland Athletics violated his contract. The concept of free agency was born, and the rest is history.
And on that note, enjoy your New Year’s Eve, thank you for subscribing and Happy New Year!
DAN
