Friday’s 6-pack
Some interesting college football bowl spreads:
— Iowa (-14.5) vs Missouri
— Florida (-3) vs Oklahoma
— West Virginia (-7) vs Army
— Tulsa (-2.5) vs Mississippi State
— San Jose State (-8.5) vs Ball State
— TCU (-5.5) vs Arkansas
Americans who have died from COVID-19: 328,481
PLEASE wear a mask (over your nose/mouth) when you go out.
Quote of the Day
“I basically said the interest I would have is to do it right and everybody has their own version of what right is, for me, is complete control of my staff and all those things that go with it. I think maybe that was a hinderance. Once again, how far did we get down the path I won’t really say because I’m happy at UAB and this is where I’m at.”
UAB coach Bill Clark, on why Auburn didn’t hire him as their coach
Friday’s quiz
In the movie Draft Day, where Kevin Costner is GM of the Cleveland Browns, what actor plays the coach of the Browns?
Thursday’s quiz
Coming into this season, Stephen Curry had the all-time career-best free-throw %age in the NBA (90.6%)
Wednesday’s quiz
Last time a team won back-to-back NBA titles was 2016-2018, when Golden State won both years.
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Friday’s Den: Merry Christmas, everyone…….
13) NFL playoffs were expanded to 14 teams this year, so only the #1 seed in each conference gets a bye; over the last seven years, of the 14 teams to make the Super Bowl, 10 were one-seeds and four were 2-seeds. Having the bye has obviously been an advantage.
12) Last five years, teams that had the first round by e were 12-7-1 ATS on the second weekend, which was their first playoff game that year.
11) Over last three years, underdogs are 8-2-1 ATS on first weekend of the playoffs; one game was pick ‘em.
10) 2012 Ravens are last Super Bowl champ that didn’t have a first round bye.
9) Underdogs are 12-7 ATS in last 19 Super Bowls, though favorites covered the last two.
8) Baseball doings:
— Pirates traded 1B Josh Bell to Washington, for two young pitchers.
— Detroit signed free agent pitcher Jose Urena.
7) Atlanta Hawks led Chicago 83-59 at halftime Wednesday; are the Hawks that good, or are the Bulls terrible? (With Billy Donovan coaching, they won’t be bad for very long).
6) Charlotte Hornets C Cody Zeller broke his left hand Thursday, is out 4-6 weeks.
5) Pitt Panthers’ best player, Justin Champagnie, is out 6-8 weeks hurting his knee in practice this week. Pitt is off to 5-2 start, 1-1 in ACC games.
4) Hawai’i 28, Houston 14:
— Rainbows picked off three passes, jumped out to a 21-0 lead.
— After Houston but the lead to 21-14, Rainbows ran a kick back for a TD, sealing the deal.
— This was Hawai’i’s first bowl on the mainland since the Sugar Bowl after the ’08 season.
3) Wednesday’s UCLA-Oregon basketball game was postponed, not because any players or coaches had COVID, but because of COVID-19 testing protocols for the refs.
2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t scored a first quarter point in their last four games; they signed QB Drew Stanton to their practice squad, replacing the departed Josh Rosen. Stanton was with Bruce Arians in Arizona; he knows the offense.
1) Way back when, when Steve Alford was a great college player at Indiana, I was convinced that someday, he would be coach of the Hoosiers. His dad was a high school coach in Indiana, it just made sense that someday, Steve Alford would run the Hoosiers, but it hasn’t happened.
This is a goofy idea, but Indiana/Nevada should trade coaches; Indiana is 26-33 under Archie Miller in conference games, not very good. Alford has gone from Missouri State to Iowa to New Mexico to UCLA to Nevada- he’s made four Sweet 16’s, but no Elite 8’s.
Alford is 25-15 at Nevada, while totally remaking the roster after Eric Musselman left; it would be good theater if got to come home and coach Indiana.
Some interesting college football bowl spreads:
— Iowa (-14.5) vs Missouri
— Florida (-3) vs Oklahoma
— West Virginia (-7) vs Army
— Tulsa (-2.5) vs Mississippi State
— San Jose State (-8.5) vs Ball State
— TCU (-5.5) vs Arkansas
Americans who have died from COVID-19: 328,481
PLEASE wear a mask (over your nose/mouth) when you go out.
Quote of the Day
“I basically said the interest I would have is to do it right and everybody has their own version of what right is, for me, is complete control of my staff and all those things that go with it. I think maybe that was a hinderance. Once again, how far did we get down the path I won’t really say because I’m happy at UAB and this is where I’m at.”
UAB coach Bill Clark, on why Auburn didn’t hire him as their coach
Friday’s quiz
In the movie Draft Day, where Kevin Costner is GM of the Cleveland Browns, what actor plays the coach of the Browns?
Thursday’s quiz
Coming into this season, Stephen Curry had the all-time career-best free-throw %age in the NBA (90.6%)
Wednesday’s quiz
Last time a team won back-to-back NBA titles was 2016-2018, when Golden State won both years.
**************************
Friday’s Den: Merry Christmas, everyone…….
13) NFL playoffs were expanded to 14 teams this year, so only the #1 seed in each conference gets a bye; over the last seven years, of the 14 teams to make the Super Bowl, 10 were one-seeds and four were 2-seeds. Having the bye has obviously been an advantage.
12) Last five years, teams that had the first round by e were 12-7-1 ATS on the second weekend, which was their first playoff game that year.
11) Over last three years, underdogs are 8-2-1 ATS on first weekend of the playoffs; one game was pick ‘em.
10) 2012 Ravens are last Super Bowl champ that didn’t have a first round bye.
9) Underdogs are 12-7 ATS in last 19 Super Bowls, though favorites covered the last two.
8) Baseball doings:
— Pirates traded 1B Josh Bell to Washington, for two young pitchers.
— Detroit signed free agent pitcher Jose Urena.
7) Atlanta Hawks led Chicago 83-59 at halftime Wednesday; are the Hawks that good, or are the Bulls terrible? (With Billy Donovan coaching, they won’t be bad for very long).
6) Charlotte Hornets C Cody Zeller broke his left hand Thursday, is out 4-6 weeks.
5) Pitt Panthers’ best player, Justin Champagnie, is out 6-8 weeks hurting his knee in practice this week. Pitt is off to 5-2 start, 1-1 in ACC games.
4) Hawai’i 28, Houston 14:
— Rainbows picked off three passes, jumped out to a 21-0 lead.
— After Houston but the lead to 21-14, Rainbows ran a kick back for a TD, sealing the deal.
— This was Hawai’i’s first bowl on the mainland since the Sugar Bowl after the ’08 season.
3) Wednesday’s UCLA-Oregon basketball game was postponed, not because any players or coaches had COVID, but because of COVID-19 testing protocols for the refs.
2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t scored a first quarter point in their last four games; they signed QB Drew Stanton to their practice squad, replacing the departed Josh Rosen. Stanton was with Bruce Arians in Arizona; he knows the offense.
1) Way back when, when Steve Alford was a great college player at Indiana, I was convinced that someday, he would be coach of the Hoosiers. His dad was a high school coach in Indiana, it just made sense that someday, Steve Alford would run the Hoosiers, but it hasn’t happened.
This is a goofy idea, but Indiana/Nevada should trade coaches; Indiana is 26-33 under Archie Miller in conference games, not very good. Alford has gone from Missouri State to Iowa to New Mexico to UCLA to Nevada- he’s made four Sweet 16’s, but no Elite 8’s.
Alford is 25-15 at Nevada, while totally remaking the roster after Eric Musselman left; it would be good theater if got to come home and coach Indiana.
