It’s amazing that great athletes can sometimes flat-out rag doll other great athletes. Last night on MNF Tampa Bay fell back towards reality. Pittsburgh went on the road, and got a much-needed win. This seventy-five yard play that included a catch, run, STIFF arm, and run for a touchdown ignited the Steelers’ sideline and changed the momentum of the game.
Sports
There are Stiff Arms and There Was This Last Night.
Ten Piece Nuggets CFB
Four weeks into the 2018 CFB season some interesting trends have begun to emerge. There are also some conference nuggets to digest. Let’s kickoff.
- In the previous three weeks we have asked if everyone is playing for second. Bama is playing like no one else when you consider 16 quarters of football in their portfolio. Well, Vegas certainly agrees. The Golden Nugget out there has the following odds on Bama v. the top four opponents should they meet in the playoffs. THE Ohio St is +10, Georgia is +11, Clemson +12, and Oklahoma +17. Jeez.
- Old Dominion beat Virginia Tech after Va Tech looked pretty darn good beating Florida St. 24-3 and dismantling William and Mary 62-17. Wow is the word. The week off due to the East Carolina postponement as Florence wobbled did Va Tech no good.
- Boston College, after a solid-looking start to their season, got pushed around by then 0-3, now 1-3 Purdue. Meanwhile Duke came in at #22 in the just released AP poll after it took care of business to move to 4-0 with a 55-13 shellacking of NC Central.
- So, where does this leave the ACC? It leaves them with Clemson at # 3 and Duke in the top 25. Clemson aside, the ACC looks like a cross between a train wreck and a dumpster fire. It also leaves Clemson in a must win situation it seems. Duke is the only ranked opponent for them from now until any possible ACC championship opponent. A loss against a non-ranked opponent would open the door for other conferences to get into the playoffs and leave the ACC at home.
- Kentucky entered the top 25 all the way up at #16 after a surprising and thorough working of the Bulldogs of Mississippi St. The last time Kentucky was in the top 25 was 2007. The Dow was 13,700 then. It went on a rollercoaster down to just under 7000 by March of 2009. Today it stands well over 26,000. It’s been a long, bumpy road back for the index and the Wildcats. Are you buying or selling the Wildcats now?
- We’re buying Benny Snell, the Kentucky running back extraordinaire. He might need to stop by New York in December to pick up some Heisman hardware before he’s drafted early next April. He’s only a dark horse right now, but winning in the SEC changes that status by the week. Saturday he produced 165 yards running on 25 carries against a front seven that is very good. He crossed the goal line four times too.
- Oklahoma almost pulled off their annual Oklahoma melt moment Saturday. Army, yes Army, extended them to overtime before the Sooners prevailed 28-21. The phrase “stats are for losers” comes to mind when you realize that Army ran 81 plays to Oklahoma’s paltry 26. The time of possession favored Army by nearly 45 minutes to a very frugal 15. The Sooners have to be better on defense to be considered an elite team. And, the sooner the better is recommended with Big 12 foes and wide open offenses headed their way in the next two months.
- Tom Herman told us that his team was way better in 2018 than 2017. He said this in the post game press conference after losing to Maryland in the season opener. We chuckled. Maybe Tom is about to get the last laugh. The Longhorns sent TCU back to Fort Worth after their rather convincing win. He has the attention of the fickle Texas faithful. Football is fun again in the Lone Star capital.
- Two big games with significant national implications will get our attention this Saturday. It’s Penn St. hosting THE Ohio St., while Notre Dame hosts Stanford. That’s four top 10 unbeatens that will be cut down to two by nightfall.
- Some early lines are out. Syracuse (4-0) travels to Clemson and gets no Vegas respect at +22. Florida and Dan Mullen travel to Mississippi St. and get no Vegas respect at +7.5. THE is -4 at Penn St. And, ND is favored by 5 in South Bend over Stanford. LSU is -13.5 over Mississippi in BR town. Mississippi can score some points. We like Florida and Mississippi.
- One leftover nugget. Scott Frost your team didn’t show up Saturday to play in Ann Arbor. It was 39-0 before the half and 56-10 at the final gun. At least the leaves are changing in Lincoln this fall. The Cornhuskers are 0-3.
I’ll Have a Cuban Sandwich Please.
If you’re a foodie you love trying new restaurants, menus, dishes, or recipes. The hard-working staff here at boomboomsroom.com loves to try out new takes on food as well. Working well into last evening we decided to take a stab on Al Gore’s internet for just that.
What popped up in Google Search trending right there at the top? Wow, a new take on an old favorite did-the Cuban Sandwich.
The prep went as follows.
- Toast bread till burned by your subordinates. Ignore coworkers cries for a better toaster. In fact, ignore them for 10 years or so.
- Pile on a bunch of baloney to cover up how poor your leadership is/was. While layering on the baloney say things like….“I’m just sorry I didn’t see. I’m just sorry I didn’t recognize it. I just hope that out of this we’ll be better and we can avoid it and we can help make everybody just smarter about the whole thing.”
- Add a sliced ghost pepper. “If I was in our business office five times in 15 years, that was a lot. It’s embarrassing to say there were people who I just hadn’t met and hadn’t talked to.”
- Top generously with pungent cheese. “Yeah, obviously that’s a huge mistake on my part. I was under the impression that, the first issue, the pornography was resolved. And obviously it wasn’t.”
- Slather with the mustard that you cannot cut. “I didn’t know and I don’t have an explanation. I can give you lots of reasons but they don’t matter. What matters is it was my responsibility, it didn’t happen and I have to be accountable for it.”
- Season(tickets) to taste with salt extracted from alligator tears.
Cost of the sandwich is a mere 10 million dollars. What a small price to pay for over a dozen years of creating a workplace that went unchecked on domestic violence, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.
It’s good to know that money and a lot of “I’m really sorry(s)” can keep you in the NBA I guess. Well, that is unless your name is Donald Sterling. The food he served was sooooooooo bad that he paid 2.5 million and got a lifetime NBA ban.
Meanwhile, in NY, Adam Silver is in the drive through in his Rolls Royce. Yes, sir, can I help you? Yes, I would like to order that new Cuban sandwich. Sure, is that all? Yes. Okay, your total is 10 million at the second window.
Lefty and Shorty Discuss All That Is the NFL.
Last evening Lefty and Shorty were all but ready to close the Gulf Station. Mosquitoes were everywhere and cars were no where to be found. Lefty- Why do we stay open until midnight? Shorty-So that you and I can discuss the NFL.
Lefty sat to the left of Shorty. Imagine that.
Shorty sat on the shorter of the two “halves” of the 55 gallon drum. Imagine that. Each were cut down to size and retrofitted with a soft cushion top.
Lefty- New England has won more games and Super Bowls than anyone else, why can’t Tom Brady and Bill Belicheck get along? Shorty-They’ve worked together for 18 years. That’s a long time. I’m tired of working with your sorry butt after ten.
Lefty-Yes, but Tom Brady is the greatest ever. Shorty- Tom Brady has had the most favorable rule changes to protect the statue of a QB that he is ever imagined. Different eras are very hard to compare. Only one thing is for certain. No one cleans windshields like us anymore, no one.
Lefty- Well Bill Belicheck doesn’t appreciate him enough. Shorty- So said my ex-wife and every wife to her husband since Y A Title completed his first forward pass.
Lefty- What rule changes? Shorty- You cannot tackle the QB anymore. He sits back fearlessly scouring the options to throw to. It’s a pass first league. It’s a mismatch WR or a Gronk TE type in space versus a DB who cannot cover. It would be like me watching you having to defend Lebron.
Lefty- Is that why so many pass interference calls are made? Shorty-Pass interference is the most punitive flag thrown. It’s worse than forgetting the oil pan when changing the oil.
Lefty-Well at least there are a few new exciting teams this year. Shorty- There are every year. The game is built like NASCAR cars. If you have a losing record in the prior year your schedule the next is easier. Your draft position is higher. You cherry picked good free agents from good teams. Everything is designed to have all cars on the last lap with a chance to win. Unless you get a nail in your tire you have a chance.
Lefty- Well wasn’t that crazy that Vontae Davis flat quit on his team and retired at halftime? Have you ever seen anything like that? Shorty-It reminds me of when we are tuning an engine together and you see the food truck pull up.
Lefty-Want to pick a game to bet against each other this week? Shorty- Sure, I’ll take DA Bears minus five over the low flying Cardinals. Lefty-Deal.
Lefty- And this time if I lose I promise to pay up. Shorty- If you don’t you’ll need to enter the NFL concussion protocol.
Lefty- See you tomorrow Shorty. Shorty- Unfortunately.
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Urban’s Intent Not Taken Out Of (Con)Texts.
Well, well. A Wall Street journal follow up story on the legend that Urban Meyer is has found that the esteemed panel that led the investigation into his actions decided to not attempt to recover deleted text messages. The deleted texts that might have made a difference in discovery were wiped from AD Gene Smith’s phone. Smith stated that he always deletes texts after sending or receiving them. The texts of Urban Meyer were deleted at some point in the past too. Urban is said to have asked a university employee how to delete texts just as the controversy festered.
Deleted texts are recoverable just like deleted emails are and deleted IP address searches are as well. It only takes time and some forensic effort. Time-hmmm. Maybe that would have kept Urban on the sidelines of the sidelines for too long.
If the convened panel was convened to make THE Ohio St University look like they really cared about the matter it failed nearly as badly as Coach Urban Meyer did in his duties, denials, and cover up.
Ten Piece Nuggets-CFB
Enjoy another serving of ten college football nuggets below. We are three weeks in already. That’s 25% of a season of 12 games. Don’t you wish the season was 24 games?
- I asked two weeks ago and I’ll ask again. Is everyone else playing for second? Bama is rolling. Roll Tide Roll. After giving up an early touchdown to Ole Miss in Oxford, Ms., Bama steamrolled the Rebels for 62 unanswered. That’s 62! Ole Miss might not have the best defense, but it is an SEC team filled with decent athletes at a minimum.
- Coach Orgeron’s Hot Seat is officially for sale. Two wins over then top ten ranked opponents in three weeks will do that. The media “experts” had it wrong about LSU this year it seems. There is a lot of ball to play yet, but the talk of a hot seat for a guy now 18-6 in SEC play is tired narrative. You can purchase said hot seat in two minutes here.
- Boston College is sneaky good. And they can score. In three games against two weak sisters and Wake Forest they have put up 55,62, and 41 points. They play with purpose and discipline for Head Coach Steve Addazio. He may be in for a bigger payday down the line. Their schedule sets up favorably for an ACC run. They get Clemson, Miami Fl, and Louisville at home. Va Tech is a road game, however. They are ranked 23rd this week in the AP Top 25 poll and they deserve it with a steady climb very possible.
- Speaking of the AP Top 25, the top five teams are Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, THE Ohio St., and Oklahoma. If you take out THE from the five it’s the 2017 final four playoff teams all over again.
- Speaking of THE, Urban Meyer returns from his three game timeout this Saturday at THE Horseshoe. The Tulane Green Wave gets served up for hungry Buckeye fans. Will any sideline reporter or pregame reporter have the stones to ask the questions that aren’t yet answered? Our staff at boomboomsroom.com has asked for game press credentials. If we get them, we won’t be shy.
- BYU says hello from the AP 25th spot. They are in the midst of a nice turnaround from last year’s, abnormal for them, 4-9 record. Their win at Arizona last week showed some will that last year’s team was missing. But, going into Madison to hand a talented Wisconsin a whipping is way better. Wisconsin fans are crying in their cheesehead soup. They didn’t see this one coming. Isn’t the question “how good is BYU?” Or, isn’t the question “is Whisky overrated?” The answers are slightly above average and probably.
- Everyone in the SEC West is in the top 25 except for Ole Miss and lowly Arkansas. Colonel Reb and Woo Pig have some more beatdowns coming. Bama (1), LSU (6), Auburn (9), MS State (14), and A&M (22) are all ranked.
- Herm Edwards was riding high. Was. His 2-0 start including a nice win over ranked Michigan St. took a tough turn v. San Diego St. The Sun Devils, in my somewhat humble opinion aren’t very good. As the PAC-10 season unfolds we’ll keep an eye on them and certainly will be willing to admit if our opinion is incorrect.
- How far have the mighty USC Trojans fallen off of their white horse? The answer is quite a ways. After scoring a meager 3 points v Stanford they put up a meager 14 against a so-so Texas defense to fall to 1-2. Clay Helton is searching for answers as he now answers to an AD that did not hire him. He might be in line to buy Orgeron’s hot seat as we speak. SI tells you more.
- A few early lines are out. Stanford is -1 at Oregon. That seems low. TCU is -3 at Texas. That’s a good game waiting to happen. Bama is -25.5 at home v Texas A&M. Vegas can’t pour enough points on the underdog when it comes to Bama lines/games. Last week the Bama v Ole Miss line moved higher by 4 points and still covered easily. That said, give me A&M plus this week.
Let Mike the Tiger Geaux! Neaux!
A well-meaning, California-based group has collected 35k plus petition signatures encouraging the powers that be to let Mike VII the Tiger, the live two-year old LSU mascot, go free. Read more here. This isn’t new news. The group Care2, which claims 40 million members, started a similar petition after Mike VI lost a long battle with cancer about 18 months ago. Mike VII replace Mike VI last August.
The Boom Boom Room has a few thoughts about the Care2 initiative if you care to read them below.
- This live tiger was born in captivity and rescued due to poor living conditions and violations by the previous owner.
- According to animal experts he has never been in the wild and cannot be released into it since he has never had to hunt for food and therefore could not survive.
- His habitat cost over three million to build. It covers over 1.5 acres. It has an indoor area as well as an expansive outdoor area.
- The outdoor area includes a cool pool. The indoor area has a “warm” area and a “cooling” area. He can choose his body temp whether he is inside or out essentially.
- The LSU vet examines him regularly and is on call 24/7 making his health a great priority.
- Vet students care for the animal daily. This gives them an ongoing learning opportunity. This gives Mike great attention.
- His diet is better than yours and mine.
- LSU no longer encourages or forces the animal into a smaller mobile cage to parade him around the field on game day.
- The average lifespan of these glorious animals increases by over 33% when placed in this type of environment.
- The worldwide wild tiger population is and has been under siege due to poaching. Skins can fetch several thousand dollars in the black market.
Maybe Care2 should care more about that illegal poaching that kills thousand of tigers each year than one tiger who lives a pretty pampered existence. And, isn’t it easy to “sign” a petition online? “Sign here if you are against caging live tigers.” Duh. Thirty five thousand signatures from an organization that boasts 40 million members sounds pretty darn indifferent too. Aren’t there many trees that still need a hug?
Mike sez, “I am tiger, hear me happily roar.”
Lefty-The WNBA 2018 Final Was Last Night. Shorty-The What?
In my best Al Pacino voice, ” let me introduce you to my two little friends, Lefty and Shorty.” More on the WNBA finals that you didn’t know about in a minute.
Way way back in 1964, or 5, or 6, or 7 I frequently made a Sunday PM trip to the Gulf Gas Station a couple of miles from our house. I did not know it then, but it was on that road and back that my father (Boom Boom) began teaching his lessons of life to me.
Lefty and Shorty were the amiable service station attendants. Well, that’s what they were called back then as every pump was full serve. Sunday’s were slow. We had their full attention. Dad interacted with them as they checked the oil, washed the windshield, pumped the gas, and took the money. He often tipped them as well. They were the main characters in the first lesson I learned. They were funny. They always had a back and forth to their banter. And, they always had a kind word or three for me.
I’m gallantly attempting to write my first book. Lefty and Shorty “star” in the first chapter. What was the first lesson? Sorry, you ‘ll have to wait for the book (my publicist, if I had one, would be SO proud).
If Lefty and Shorty were alive today their exchange might go something like the below.
Lefty– The WNBA Finals were last night. Shorty- The what? Lefty–The women’s professional basketball league, the WNBA. Shorty- Oh. Ok. Lefty- The Seattle Storm beat the Washington Mystics 98-82. Shorty– Who? Lefty- The Storm swept them in the finals series three games to none. Shorty- I heard about that storm named Florence that is about to hit the Carolinas. Lefty- And that has exactly what to do with the basketball game? Shorty– I think a lot more people are paying attention to that storm than the WNBA. Lefty- You didn’t watch it? Shorty- The storm coverage? Lefty- NO. The game. Shorty- Fewer people? The final game last night or the Carolina beaches today? Lefty- I’m going to fix a flat tire.
You’ll hear from Lefty and Shorty from time to time when a spirited debate is needed.
Lefty– Say bye for now Shorty. Shorty– Bye for now Shorty.
Did You Make it to Next Week in Your Survivor Pool?
First things first. Do you know what a college or NFL survivor pool is? Of course you do. Like the board game Chutes and Ladders, skip the next seven bullet points. If you don’t, please read the brief explanation below.
- You pick one team only each week.
- That team must “survive” or win for you to pick a team in the coming week.
- The team that you pick must only win its game, not beat the points spread that Vegas assigns to the game.
- You can pick a team only once each season.
- Some pools cap the spreads on games even though spreads aren’t involved. For example, the college pool that I am in prohibits you from choosing any team favored by 14 or more points. In most NFL pools all games are in play.
- Last guy or gal standing regardless of what week it is wins the pool.
- Everyone else gets a Tootsie Roll (I always wondered about that name for a candy, didn’t you?).
Welp. Guess what. Week one of our NFL survivor pool saw 62 of 113 entrants exit. That’s a lot of Tootsie Rolls. Nearly sixty percent of the pool is GONE in week one. Some years I’ve thrived in these pools and gone many weeks deep. And, in other years I’ve vaporized awfully early. It’s funny if it wasn’t so dang bad. If you’re a football junkie you wait all year for this. Then. Jeez.
So, below are ten thoughts that I have about these weekly, sudden death choices.
- Week one is the toughest of any unless you make it weeks down the road where few legit teams are left to choose from. Why? It’s because you don’t know what you don’t know. What the hell does that mean? It means that your brain (try as you might not allow it) thinks about the past. You’re predisposed to looking backwards and projecting forward. Raise your hand if you thought Tampa Bay and Carolina would be 1-0 in the NFC South and New Orleans and Atlanta would be 0-1. I don’t see many hands. I do see a long Tootsie Roll line forming however. Tampa Bay crushed many pool participants in week one. I was fortunate to take the Ravens. I don’t like them much. I just thought that Buffalo on the road with no QB worth mentioning was an easy win. Buffalo is bad this year, all year, folks.
- Don’t pick bad teams. Well, point one above would make you ask how would you know who they are? You don’t. Well, you might in college usually more so than the pros. One year I took Purdue favored by 12 in week seven. Poof. Purdue is a bad team. They always are. They don’t deserve to be favored by 12 over, say, William and Mary even if William is injured. In week one this year I took the Longhorns from Texas. I didn’t think that they were a bad team. I guess they are. Don’t those waxed shinny wrappers around the Tootsie Rolls feel weird?
- Some brainiacs save certain teams for certain weeks. It’s a weekly path designed to carefully step around land mines and keep your powder dry. It’s a great idea until it isn’t. No one can see that far down into the season. No one. Take the best guess and hope that you get to see another week.
- If you get down to two or three choices in a given week always take a home team over a road team. Always. If they lose at least you can say that you didn’t take a road team.
- New England (NFL) at home is as close to gold as Fort Knox. Alabama (college) is Fort Knox.
- Some pick the team, regardless of who they are, that is playing that week against a year long bad team. Let’s say, for example, you chose anyone over the Cleveland Browns over the last two years. Well you would have won 31 of 32 games. One problem. They play Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh twice a year. Nothing is perfect that’s why it’s called survivor.
- In the NFL it’s fine to pick a slight underdog later in the year that you like. Really, it is. A three-point or less NFL dog doesn’t always mess up your backyard. If you don’t believe me, look back on any given week and see who won the game straight up. Take week one (Henny Youngman), please. Tampa Bay (+9), New York Jets (+8), Philadelphia (+1.5 by game time), and Kansas City (+3.5) come to mind without even looking. Cleveland (+4) tied. And, Chicago (+7.5) came oh so close.
- Throw darts.
- Consult a psychic.
- Pray.
Well, week two in the NFL is upon us. I’ll take the Saints to bounce back at home v. the Browns.
In college I’ll watch from the sidelines. Thanks Tom Herman.
Tired Themes for $50 Alex
Maybe, just maybe, I am getting a bit older and a tad bit crotchety. Probably. Ok, I am. I think what I think. My lifelong love of genuine, inspirational, sport competitions make me wish for the old days. It was a day when you could go to an event or tune in on TV (only 3 channels to choose from) to enjoy a competitive event, match, or game between competitors that preferred to allow their abilities do their talking. For the most part the only controversies were offsides or false start, safe or out, or foul or not.
Sure there was the occasional Billie Jean King v. sexist Bobby Riggs match. There was also the raised closed fists in the 1968 Olympics. There were even a few betting or point shaving scandals along the way.
Heck, even old Jimmy the Greek got liquored up one night and talked about how African-Americans are better athletes due to their physiology. It was probably some fine Scotch though.
But today. Today. Oh boy. The intersection of social media, social outcry, equality, gender this and gender that, racism, and sports is a complicated one. It has yield signs, stops signs, red lights, and numerous lane change opportunities. It’s a well-worn road now traveled far too often. It’s always crowded and always under construction. It’s a turn off for me and a sign that says dead-end ahead.
And, now, Serena says that she may have been the victim of “sexism.” She lost because the chair umpire was a “liar” and a “thief.” What’s weird is that she was playing in her match against another woman of course. I’m not sure if he was equally sexist against her as well. We should ask Serena.
Naomi Osaka take a well deserved bow. 
You won. Sports lost. Tennis got lost in the “I am a sports figure hear me roar.” You deserved better on your very big day. The only racquet you made was with your racquet. Unfortunately, the very diluted, over saturated media, ever desperate for an angle to better ratings, soaks this up like a towel on center court.
This noise comes on the same weekend that Colin Kapernick, desperate for attention, and Nike, desperate to regain lost market share, launched a campaign that said its important to stand up (or kneel down) for what you believe in.
You know what I believe in? I believe in beer, popcorn, two TVs and two damn remotes. I want my sports served early, competitive, often, and without discussions that drone on incessantly about who feels a certain way about whatever topic du jour that is soon sure to crush society. It feels like two months (not two weeks) ago that Urban Meyer forgot to fire an accused wife beater until he forgot too many times. His agent would like to thank Serena, Colin, and Nike for getting him off of the front page.
Isn’t Monday early AM till Friday PM enough time for MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News to incessantly pound all that’s wrong with us into our feeble craniums?
I just wanted to watch the US Open final and the over hyped NFL season openers. Damn.