2020 will be a weird year for bowl games (the ones that are played).
Over the last few years, the number of bowl games has continued to
increase. As they have increased, some bowls have been eliminated and
others have been re-branded.
Today, we reflect on those fallen bowl games who were taken from us too soon.
International Bowl (2007-2010)
When this game originated in 2007, it became the first bowl game to
take place outside the USA since the 1937 Bacardi Bowl in Cuba.
International Bowl was another way of saying the Canada Bowl, as the
game was played in Toronto, Canada where baseball’s Blue Jays play.
In all four games, the old Big East conference defeated a team from the MAC.
Cincinnati, Rutgers, UConn, and South Florida were the very lucky
teams that got to go to Canada and pick up bowl victories. Big East
teams nearly doubled up the MAC, winning by an average score of 36-19.
Rutgers RB Ray Rice and UConn RB Donald Brown were the most notable MVPs from the bowl’s prestigious four game history.
The Bowl game was not renewed after the Big East opted into the new
Pinstripe Bowl, taking away their affiliation with this game.
Miami Beach Bowl (2014-2016)
The only thing better than college football in Canada, is college
football in a baseball stadium. The Pinstripe Bowl does it (in Yankees
Stadium). The newly re-branded Cheez-It Bowl (previously the Cactus
Bowl) plays in the Diamondbacks Stadium. And the bowl formerly known as
Foster Farms/Kraft Food/Diamond Foods used to be at the SF Giants
ballpark (now known as RedBox Bowl and takes place in Santa Clara where
SF 49ers play).
And then there is the Miami Beach Bowl, played at the Miami Marlins Stadium. This game lasted just three years, from 2014-2016.
Absolutely horrible attendance and terrible sight-lines (this was
built for baseball, not football) doomed this game from the start.
The AAC played in all 3 games and went 2-1. Memphis won an exciting
inaugural game 55-48 against BYU, a game that ended in absolute mayhem.
Don’t believe me? Read about how this game ended.
The next two games would see Western Kentucky beat South Florida and
Tulsa beat Central Michigan, in the final version in 2016. The winning
team scored 55 points twice and 45 points once, so at least it was
always high scoring!
In 2017, the AAC moved this game to Frisco, Texas and is now known as the Frisco Bowl.
If you take the attendance for these three years combined, you would
get slightly more than the Miami Marlins 2018 overall season attendance.
Garden State Bowl (1978-1981)
Remember when everyone used to mock Rutgers for moving to the Big
Ten? Wait…people still mock them? Right… So, they moved to the Big Ten
because the conference wanted to ensure New York City had access to Big
Ten Network but NYC is apparently the college sports hub of the world.
This was never more untrue than it was from 1978-1981, when Giants
Stadium hosted a bowl game.
A lack of local interest (DUH!) and freezing cold temperatures (the
game was played around December 15th) led to this game’s demise.
Three of the four bowls did include schools within relative close
proximity, but the opponents…oy. The first ever Garden State Bowl in
1978 featured Arizona State (yes, THAT Arizona State, the 90 degree
Tempe, Arizona football team coming to freezing cold east) and beating
the local school, which drove this game to begin with, Rutgers.
California came east for the second game, losing to Temple and Houston
beat Navy in the third game.
The final game in 1981 featured two high profile schools, neither of which had local ties, with Tennessee beating Wisconsin.
After the failure that was the Garden State Bowl, we now have a
Pinstripe Bowl, at Yankees Stadium and Wisconsin, who helped shut down
the Garden State Bowl, gets to return to NY for the 2018 Pinstripe Bowl.
Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (1987-2013)
Who doesn’t love pizza? And who wouldn’t want to spend the Christmas holidays in Detroit, Michigan?
The MAC appeared in all 17 games, and their teams compiled a 7-10
record over that time. Marshall made the most appearances at 5 (4-1) and
Central Michigan (3-1) and Toledo (2-2) each appeared 4 times.
Pittsburgh won the final game in 2013, beating Bowling Green. In that
game, James Connor was named MVP. Other notable MVPs include FIU WR TY
Hilton (2010), Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams (2005), and a pair of
Marshall QBs, Byron Leftwich (2000) and Chad Pennington (1998).
The game ended as a result of a new bowl game created and hosted by
the Detroit Lions, the Quick Lane Bowl, a much more appealing matchup
between the Big Ten and ACC.
Sidenote: From 2006-2010, Little Caesars wasn’t the
only “pizza bowl”. The game now known as the Birmingham was called the
PapaJohn’s Bowl (correction, PapaJohns.com Bowl, can’t forget the
valuable dot com part!). Like the International Bowl, the Big East went
4-0 in each of the four PapaJohn’s Bowls. In fact, the same four teams
that won the International Bowl, won this game too (Cincinnati, USF,
UConn, Rutgers).
Poinsettia Bowl (2005-2016)
Of all the games on this list, this is certainly the (legitamtely)
most prestigious game. Poinsettia Bowl lasted 12 years and was played in
San Diego.
The Mountain West played in all 12 years and those teams went 8-4.
PAC-12 was the only “power 5” conference to ever put a team in this game
– California lost to Utah (before Utah moved from MWC to Pac-12) in
2009. Navy made the most appearances in this game at 4 with TCU (3-0),
San Diego State (1-2) and Northern Illinois (0-3) each making three
appearances.
Notable MVPs included TCU QB Andy Dalton in 2008, San Diego State RB
Ronnie Hillman in 2010, Navy QB Keenan Reynolds in 2014, and current
Packers RB Jamaal Williams of BYU in the final game in 2016. BYU won
that final game 24-21 against Wyoming.
In 2017, the bowl’s sponsors, San Diego County Credit Union, decided
to end this game, as the company also ran the Holiday Bowl, which takes
place at the same venue, at SDCCU Stadium.
What really happened during the first, and only, meeting between the
college football player committee? I have the inside scoop on how it all
went down.
Note – this is 100% satire, but based on reality and possibly some true conversations. Note 2 – for convenience, this committee has only 5 members, plus a moderator.
Moderator: Okay, let’s start. I think we can all agree Georgia is #1, right?
Committee member 1: Georgia? I thought we usually put Alabama at #1?
Committee member 2: Or Clemson?
Moderator: Guys, Alabama has lost a game. Clemson has lost 3. Don’t you watch the games?
*Crickets*
Committee member 3: Georgia beat Kentucky. They always have the best recruiting class.
Moderator: That’s basketball. You guys really don’t pay attention, do you?
member 1: 1-4 should be Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and we can include Georgia too.
Committee member 4: Oklahoma at #5. We always need to include them high.
Committee member 5: Okay let’s get back on track. I
think Georgia is #1. They are an undefeated SEC team and they beat
Clemson. We always put undefeated SEC teams #1, it’s just usually
Alabama.
member 3: I second this.
Moderator: Okay, all in favor of Georgia #1?
All: Ay.
Moderator: Great, how about #2?
member 1: Alabama!
member 3: Ohio State!
member 5: How about Cincinnati?
member 4: Sir, this is college, not pro. We’re not including the Bengals.
member 5: The Bearcats..
member 1: Is that a thing?
member 2: The what? Cincinnati has a college team?
member 3: Yeah, I thought Ohio State was the only FBS team in Ohio?
member 1: Don’t the play in Conference USA?
member 5: Well, that was in the 90s. Now, they are in the AAC.
member 1: Isn’t that the same conference as UCF?
5: Yes.
4: Yeah, no one cares. Ok, so Alabama #2?
3: They beat Florida, who won a title like 10 years ago. They beat Miami, who won one 20 years ago. I like them.
5: But they lost to Texas A&M when they were unranked?
4: Who cares! They are still an SEC team. A real powerhouse. The loss
shouldn’t matter, with the types of teams they have beaten so far.
3: All SEC losses are created equal. Doesn’t matter
if it’s Texas A&M or South Carolina or Vanderbilt. There is no bad
loss in the SEC.
2: Agreed.
Moderator: All in favor?
All: Ay
1: LSU #3?
2: But they stink.
4: But they won the championship like 2 years ago. We can’t give them another chance?
2: No.
1: Fine. Florida?
5: They are 4-4.
1: Okay! So we’re cool with Florida at 3?
3: How about Michigan State?
1: Are they in the SEC?
3: No, well Michigan is north and the SEC is south.
2: So, no. Guys this is the SEC power rankings meeting. Why are these northern teams being mentioned.
1: Texas A&M beat Alabama. I think they should be considered for #3.
4: A&M lost to Mississippi State.
3: They were #1 the first time we ever did this. Should they be #3??
2: Na, but they should definitely be ranked.
5: They have 3 losses.
2: So we’ll put them at like 16 or 17.
4: What about Auburn at 3?
5: How about Cincinnati at #3? They beat Notre Dame.
1: (laughing) Dude, everyone beats Notre Dame
5: They are 7-1.
4: Exactly! They have a loss. How can a team with a loss be ranked #3?
5: Well, no. I don’t think Notre Dame should be ranked 3. I think it should be Cincinnati, who beat Notre Dame.
3. But the Irish have a loss you just said, right?
So how impressive of a win can it be for Cincinnati? If Notre Dame was
undefeated, it would be a better win for Cincinnati.
Moderator: So who do we like at #3?
1: Anyone from the SEC!
3: Again, I ask about Michigan State. They beat Michigan.
1: (laughs) Yeah, because Harbaugh has never won a big game.
2: Who else has Michigan State beaten? Anyone good?
4: Yeah, anyone over .500?
3: Ummm. Well.
1: Yeah, who?
3: Miami
2: Is this the ’90s?
3: Nebraska
2: I just asked, is this the ’90s??
3: Indiana
1: Is this 2020?
5: Jokes aside, beating Michigan is impressive.
1: Yeah, in 1997 maybe.
Moderator: How do we feel about Michigan State at #3?
2: Well, does anyone have a better win than them this year?
5: Cincinnati beat Notre Dame
4: That’s not it.
3: Oregon beat Ohio State.
1: That’s impressive actually.
2: If the goal is to rank the top SEC teams, isn’t
Michigan State coached by Mel Tucker, a potential candidate to become
LSU head coach? I say we put them at 3, in hopes of benefiting LSU.
4: Works for me!
3: Me too:
Moderator: All in favor?
All: Ay
Moderator: #4? Which team do we think will lose to Georgia.
5: You know, Cincinnati only lost to Georgia by 3 points in the Peach Bowl.
1: That was last year. We never care about last year.
2: Right. Unless we’re talking about Alabama. Or Clemson. Or Ohio State. Or sometimes, Oklahoma.
3. Should Oklahoma be #4?
5: Oklahoma hasn’t beaten a ranked team. Cincinnati has.
2. Cincinnati also struggled against Tulane.
5: They won by 19 and trailed for barely a minute.
4. Cincinnati barely beat Navy.
5: They led 27-10 late in the game, and that same day, Oklahoma trailed for 3 quarters against Kansas.
1: They only beat Indiana by 14. Ohio State beat them by 47.
5: In week 4, Indiana still had QB1 and they had
hope. The crowd was wild and the team believed in themselves. The team
Ohio State beat was broken.
2: Well, that’s not Ohio State’s fault. Who broke them?
5: Cincinnati
1: I’m not giving Cincinnati credit for barely beating a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team on the road.
3: Same. I think Ohio State should be 4. They have wins over Minnesota, Rutgers, Maryland.
5: Aren’t those middle-of-the-pack Big Ten teams?
3: No? Those are teams Ohio State beat. Try to keep up.
2: I think we should also include some of those guys in the rankings, you know to prop up Ohio State.
Moderator: So we think Ohio State #4?
1: Well, they did lose to Oregon. Right? Should that matter.
2: HAHA! Since when have we cared about losses?
4: Right. 2-3 losses is fine. It’s when you start to lose 5 or 6 games that makes it hard to rank these SEC teams in the top 10.
5: I vote Cincinnati at 4.
3: I vote Ohio State.
1: I think tiebreaker should be head-to-head.
4: Well, Oregon definitely beat Ohio State.
1: And Ohio State beat Cincinnati 42-0 in 2019.
5: Didn’t you say earlier that history isn’t taken into consideration.
2: Yes. No one cares about history, unless we are talking about Ohio State, Alabama, or Clemson.
Moderator: So Oregon 4, Ohio State 5?
All: Ay.
5: Okay, so Cincinnati 6?
1: Who have they even beaten?
5: Notre Dame.
4: Let’s put Notre Dame at 6. If they played again, I bet they’d win.
5: If Oregon played Ohio State again, who would win.
4: Who cares. Why is that relevant? They did play, and Oregon won so they are ranked ahead.
3: Yeah, this is a hypothetical. If Cincinnati and Notre Dame played on a neutral field, who would win?
5: But guys, they played. In South Bend. And Cincinnati won by 11.
3: But hypothetically, if the played again?
1: Let’s put an SEC team at 6. Have we talked about Ole Miss yet?
2: Well in terms of history, Ole Miss beat Indiana
in a bowl game last year, and Cincinnati beat Indiana. So transitive
property says Ole Miss would beat Cincinnati.
5: That’s not how it works.
3: How does it work?
5: Look, Cincinnati has a win over Notre Dame and they will have opportunities to play SMU and Houston.
2: Who cares about those teams? We’re not going to rank them.
1: Speaking of Texas, where do we rank them? They do
have 4 wins, which is, I think 5th most in the country. So should they
be 5th? Or I guess 6 since we have #5?
2: I like Texas, but maybe not in top 10. Iowa State though…they should be ranked high again. They were really good last year!
5. Cincinnati #6?
4: I like Cincinnati at #6, but I demand two
conditions. Member 5 is kicked off committee for his absurd suggestions
that Cincinnati belongs in this conversation. And second, is that we all
agree to never move them higher than 6. Cool?
At the end of the third Avengers movie, Thanos snapped his fingers
after securing all 6 infinity stones and it wiped away half of all
living things.
Back in June, Trae Young snapped his fingers and wiped away the
Knicks, as the Hawks eliminated the Knicks in 5 games in the first round
of the 2021 Playoffs.
Entering this season, Young should be even stronger and, like Thanos,
is surrounded by strong and many teammates such as De’Andre Hunter,
Kevin Huerter, John Collins, Cam Reddish, Bogdan Bogdanović, Danilo
Gallinari, Clint Capela.
Boston Celtics
Movie: Iron Man 2 and 3 Scene: Tony Stark and James Rhodes fight together
Stark and Rhodes are very good friends, and together they go to
battle and have each other’s backs. Starks and Rhodes are one of the
best duos in the MCU, just like Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Who they fight with, may change, like the Celtics’ roster. Gone are
Kemba Walker, Tristan Thompson and Evan Fournier and arriving are Dennis
Schroder, Enes Kanter, Al Horford, Josh Richardson.
Together, Stark and Rhodes took down Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2 and
defeated Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3. However, they lost to Steve
Rogers’ team in Captain America: Civil War and they lost to Thanos in
Avengers: Infinity War.
Tatum and Brown, together have reached 3 Eastern Conference Finals
but have yet to advance to the NBA Finals. Can they finally overcome the
obstacles that Stark/Rhodes duo faced and come out on top?
Brooklyn Nets
Movie: Spiderman: Homecoming Scene: Tony Stark takes Peter’s suit
In the middle of the movie, Tony Stark took Peter’s suit because of his poor behavior and failure to listen to direction.
This is similar to the current situation between the Nets and Kyrie
Irving. Local laws in NY include strict COVID vaccine mandates, that
include rules about gyms. Essentially, Irving must be vaccinated in
order to play for the Nets (at this time). Recently, Brooklyn announced
that they would not allow him to be a part-time player, meaning it’s
vaccine or nothing for Irving.
Nets, like Stark, have taken away his jersey (or suit) and are
forcing him to the sidelines, despite his desire to play and go to
battle.
Charlotte Hornets
Movie: Ant-Man and the Wasp Scene: The Wasp arrives on the scene
Forgive me, but I had to make a Wasp/Hornets reference. The debut of the Wasp in the second Ant-Man movie was a big deal.
Hornets reached the play-in game in 2021, but did not have enough
firepower to advance into the playoff field. They haven’t made the
playoffs since 2016 and absurdly haven’t won a series since 2002.
This year, with additions like James Bouknight, Mason Plumlee, Kelly
Oubre, and hopefully better health to guys like LaMelo Ball and Gordon
Hayward, the Hornets, like the Wasp, should arrive onto the scene ready
to do battle in the playoffs.
Chicago Bulls
Movie: Captain America: Civil War Scene: Recruitment of Spiderman, Ant-Man, Hawkeye
Towards the middle of the movie, both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers
went out to recruit other heroes for their teams as they prepared to
battle each other. This recruitment isn’t unlike what happens during NBA
free agency.
Bulls had arguably the busiest and most successful off-season did a
good job recruiting in free agency. Zach LaVine made his first All-Star
team in 2021 (27.4 ppg on 50.7% shooting, 5.0 rpg, 4.9 apg) and the
Bulls acquired former All-Star Nikola Vucevic at last season’s trade
deadline. Over the summer, Bulls recruited Lonzo Ball and Demar Derozan
to come to Chicago.
This is similar to how Stark got Spiderman to join his team, just
like Rogers got Scott Lang (Ant-Man) and Clint Barton (Hawkeye) to join
his team.
Bulls haven’t made the Playoffs since 2017 and the last time they won
a series was 2015. Will second-year head coach Billy Donovan be able to
maximize this group?
Cleveland Cavaliers
Movie: Thor Scene: Frost giants fight Asgardians
The villains of the first Thor movie are Frost Giants. Large, beastly
creatures, who ultimately are not successful in taking over Asgard.
Historically, the Cavs have failed in taking over the NBA, with
failed attempts in 2015, 2017, and 2018, though they did temporarily
rule in 2016 but it was a short-lived reign.
The Cavs are comparable to the Frost Giants due to their size.
During the 2021 off-season, Cleveland drafted Evan Mobley (7’0),
signed Lauri Markkanen (7’0), re-signed Jarrett Allen (6’11), and also
added Tacko Fall (7’5). They still have Kevin Love (6’8) and also
recently added Ed Davis (6’10). Will size be a factor? Or are the Cavs
doomed for more failure like the Frost Giants?
Dallas Mavericks
Movie: Captain America: Winter Soldier Scene: Elevator scene
This is one of the best scenes in the MCU and needs no introduction.
Steve Rogers walks into an elevator with Brock Rumlow and about a dozen
other S.H.I.E.L.D. (aka HYDRA agents) ready to attack him.
This feels similar to the Mavs. Adding Reggie Bullock and keeping Tim
Hardaway Jr were both good moves, but it still feels to me like the
Mavs are under-manned. I’m not a huge fan of their roster and even less
of a fan of the decision to hire Jason Kidd as head coach. Dallas did
make the playoffs the last two seasons, but it was largely due to the
presence of Luka Doncic. In this scenario, Doncic is Steve Rogers. He
can walk onto the court and beat any team 1-on-5 if he has to, and there
will be plenty of times this season where he does have to.
Denver Nuggets
Movie: Thor Ragnorak Scene: whole movie
The first Thor movie was good, the second one is not good and the
third (Ragnorak) is widely considered the best of the three. I loved it,
and it certainly felt like the breakout performance for the Thor
character. Well, breakout characters described the 2021-22 Nuggets
pretty well.
Nikola Jokic, a 3x All-Star, really broke out in the biggest way in
2021, winning league MVP. Michael Porter Jr, fresh off signing a
contract worth up to $172 million will be asked to emerge as a potential
All-Star and Aaron Gordon, like Thor, will be asked to fly, and hammer
the ball home.
Jamal Murray is expected to miss most of the season, which means
Denver will be seeking breakout performances from their PG candidates,
such as first round pick Na’Shon Hyland, Facundo Campazzo, Monte Morris,
Austin Rivers.
Detroit Pistons
Movie: Iron Man Scene: Tony Stark escapes cave
Stark took a routine mission to Afghanistan to do a weapons
demonstration for the US Military. The trip went sideways when a group
of terrorists attacked the car and kidnapped Stark. Soon after, he
managed to find a way to escape the cave and return to happiness and
glory.
Since 2020, the list of players the Pistons have let go or sent away
is pretty crazy, considering the lack of return they have gotten
overall. These players found a way to escape the dark cave (Detroit) and
find their way back to the joy of basketball.
The list includes Blake Griffin (bought out), Derrick Rose (traded
for Dennis Smith Jr), Andre Drummond (bought out), Christian Wood (left
via FA), Markief Morris (left via FA), Reggie Jackson (left via FA),
Bruce Brown (traded for Dzanan Musa), Tony Snell (traded for Dewayne
Dedmon).
2021 #1 overall pick Cade Cunningham joins Jerami Grant, Killian
Hayes, Saddiq Bey, among others in Detroit’s cave. Will these players
look to escape? Or will they find a way to win?
Golden State Warriors
Movie: Thor Scene: Thor regains his power on Earth
Early in the first Thor movie, the heir to the Asgardian throne was
banished to Earth and stripped of his powers. Later, he was able to
defeat the Destroyer (set up by Loki), proving he was worthy and
regained his power.
In 2019, the Warriors were on top of the world. Then, Kevin Durant
went down and Klay Thompson went down and it was down to Steph Curry and
Draymond Green. It’s almost like the Warriors were stripped of their
powers. They lost the Finals to Raptors and have been meandering around
the NBA for two consecutive seasons missing the playoffs both years.
However, during those two playoff-less seasons (the equivalent of
Thor wandering New Mexico), they did gain assets. Thor, gained Dr Selvig
and Jane Foster. Warriors gained James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses
Moody.
Now, Klay Thompson returns as does Andre Iguodala, both former 3x
champions with Golden State. Will that be enough to help the Warriors
prove their worthiness to lift the hammer, or the Larry O’Brien Trophy
in this case, and regain their throne?
Houston Rockets
Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Scene: Opening scene – Groot dancing during battle
During the opening scene of Guardians 2, the team is in a serious
battle against a giant alien monster. Groot, is blasting music and
dancing, having fun but is completely useless during the fight.
This feels like the 2021-22 Rockets. A team that is not prepped for
battle and will be useless in the grand scheme of things, but will also
be fun and entertaining. With Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr, Alperen
Şengün, Rockets have a chance to be the most exciting 60-loss team in
the league.
Indiana Pacers
Movie: Avengers: Endgame Scene: Time travel
Rick Carlisle was an assistant coach for the Pacers from 1997-2000
and then the head coach for Indy from 2003-2007. They made the playoffs
3/4 years, regressing each year going from Conference Finals, to semis,
to losing in first round, to missing playoffs his final year. He
resigned in 2007 and later joined the Mavs where he coached from
2008-2021 and won an NBA title in 2011. But after a mutual departure
this past off-season, Carlisle returns to Indiana as the Pacers, like
the Avengers in Endgame, go back in time in search for victories.
The scene is the same for the Pacers. They are essentially running it
back with the same roster that missed the playoffs in 2021 but are
hoping that health and coaching are enough to make significant
improvements.
Los Angeles Clippers
Movie: Avengers: Civil War Scene: King T’Chaka is killed and T’Challa becomes new king
I made this reference in my Marvel NBA characters article, but it’s fun to think of Paul George as the Black Panther.
T’Challa was forced to ascend to the throne unexpectedly, just as
Paul George must do. George was meant to be second fiddle in LA to Kawhi
Leonard, who tore his ACL during the playoffs and will likely miss the
whole 2021-22 season.
George, like T’Challa, must find a way to lead his people. Clippers
reached Western Conference Finals in 2021 for the first time in
franchise history. Can they take the next step and ascend even further?
Los Angeles Lakers
Movie: Avengers Scene: The first time all of the Avengers were on scene together
The first Avengers movie represents the first time that Captain
America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and others came together to work as a
team. 2021-22 Lakers represents 6 Hall of Fame players come together to
battle the rest of the league.
Lebron James could be considered the First Avenger, as one of the
league’s oldest players and the first to join the Lakers in 2018. He was
followed by Anthony Davis in 2019 and then, Russell Westbrook in 2021.
Also joining the Lakers in are Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Rajon
Rondo, and many others like Malik Monk, Kendrick Nunn, Wayne Ellington,
Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore.
Combined, the Lakers have a total of 57 All-Star appearances all-time
between those 6 and DeAndre Jordan. Uniting all of these former
All-Stars could be considered the equivalent of that first team up in
Avengers.
In his early stages of heroism, Peter Parker does most of his work
locally in Queens, NY. He is referred to, by both Tony Stark and Happy
Hogan, as a “friendly neighborhood Spiderman.” This reminds me of the
Grizzlies.
For one, Ja Morant is a perfect comparison to Spiderman. Both can
fly, both can shoot (webs for one, three pointers for another), and both
are quick and agile.
The real comparison comes from the neighborhood reference. Memphis
LOVES the Grizzlies. They always have loud and passionate crowds. But
outside, Memphis there isn’t much support. You don’t often see people
rocking Grizzlies gear in other cities, they are hardly ever on ESPN or
TNT, and overall national content is quite minimal. All of this, in
spite of the fact that Memphis made the playoffs in 2021.
Jaren Jackson Jr, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Zhaire Williams,
Kyle Anderson represent a core group of guys, mostly unknown to the
casual fans, but beloved by the neighborhood fans.
Miami Heat
Movie: Black Panther Scene: Black Panther is no longer king, but comes back from the dead to regain his throne
For a minute, Miami were the kings of the Eastern Conference in 2020.
Then, they got knocked down, but they were not dead and now they are
coming back for the throne this season.
In 2020, Bucks had the best record in the NBA, but were upset by the
Heat in the second round of the playoffs. Heat reached the NBA Finals,
but lost. Still, it felt like they were on top of the world with the way
they persevered through the bubble. Jimmy Butler was like a king.
In 2021 though, Bucks got revenge. Giannis slayed Butler and the Heat en route to their first championship.
But lo and behold, the point is the Heat are not dead yet. Jimmy
Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson is a great core and
Miami added Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker, and maybe sometime in 2022 Victor
Oladipo will return. Heat should definitely be back in the mix this
season.
Milwaukee Bucks
Movie: Thor Scene: Thor’s coronation interupted
I was debating between two scenes, but decided to look towards the
future, rather than the past. One option would have been Avengers:
Infinity War when Steve Rogers arrived on the scene in London to save
Wanda and Vision from Thanos’ children and how that is similar to Jrue
Holiday arriving in Milwaukee to save Giannis and Khris Middleton,
helping them finally get to and win the Finals.
But like I said, I’ll look to the future. Thor was the heir to Odin’s
throne and there was a coronation ceremony planned. Now, the Bucks are
the champs and have been crowned, but I am thinking about all of the
teams who will interrupt and try to fight them this year.
The Nets, even without Irving, are better on paper in my opinion and
will be their biggest threat to the throne. Heat’s addition of Lowry
makes them a factor, the Hawks were 2 wins away from beating Bucks last
year. 76ers COULD be a player IF they find common ground between their
stars, Celtics are talented enough to be a threat, and the NY Knicks
possess more firepower than last season and could attack Milwaukee.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Movie: Thor: Dark World Scene: the whole movie
Thor 2 is widely considered one of the worst movies in the MCU. The story, the villains, it’s all falls a bit flat at times.
No matter how many times you watch, it’s always disappointing. If you
want to talk about disappointments, the line starts behind Timberwolves
in the NBA.
All-time, the Wolves are 2-9 in playoff series with both series wins
coming in 2004. They have made the playoffs only once since than (2018).
That year, they made the playoffs thanks in large part to Jimmy Butler,
who was acquired for Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen and later traded
for a very minimal return.
Wolves enter 2021-22 with Karl-Anthony Towns, D’angelo Russell, and
Anthony Edwards and are likely continue to look on the outside of the
playoffs.
New Orleans Pelicans
Movie: Spiderman: Far From Home Scene: Spiderman fights Mysterio and Illusions
When I think of this movie and how Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, used
the power of illusions to battle Spiderman, it makes me think of the
Pelicans.
Zion Williamson, the 2019 #1 pick has yet to appear in a playoff
game, in part because of a poorly assembled roster by the GM. Griffin
watched Lonzo Ball leave via fee agency and replaced him with a much
worse option in Devonte Graham. They traded for Jonas Valančiūnas, who
seems like a weird fit next to Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Pelicans have created this illusion that they are building a good
team around Zion, but so far they are 0-2 and I believe by the end of
the 2022 season, they will be 0-3 in terms of playoff appearances. But
Griffin will continue with his illusion that progress is being made in a
successful rebuild and that there is positive momentum, even if there
is not.
New York Knicks
Movie: Thor Ragnorak Scene: Thor returns to Asgard to save his people
In this movie, Thor were forced to fight his sister Hela, who
vanquished him to a planet far, far away (Sakaar). He was forced to
fight his way out and return home, where he managed to save his people
of Asgard from, not just Hela, but another evil monster (Surtur).
Kemba Walker has a chance to be a hero. After some reported internal
struggles with some Celtics players and coaches (kind of like a sibling
rivalry), he was vanquished to the OKC Thunder via trade over the
summer. Walker hung out for a bit and eventually found his way out and
was able to return home. Walker grew up in Bronx, NY and fans view
Walker as a hero. But will he, like Thor, manage to save his people and
give them what they want?
Oklahoma City Thunder
Movie: Avengers: Infinity War Scene: Opener – Thanos destroys Asguardians
Thor is known as the God of Thunder. As the team’s best player, let’s
consider Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the God of (OKC) Thunder.
To start Infinity War, Thanos and his minions destroy what’s left of
the Asgard ship and the people on it. He killed Loki and Heimdall.
Unfortunately, they were outmatched and unable to get a win.
The future of the Thunder is bright, but the present is bleak, as it
was during this scene. Thunder have Gilgeous-Alexander plus Lu Dort,
Josh Giddey, Tre Mann but that won’t lead to much success at this time.
Orlando Magic
Movie: Doctor Strange Scene: Car accident
Magic. Doctor Strange. Seems easy right?
Well, beyond the obvious, there are some serious parallels between
the movie and the franchise. Stephen Strange went through a tragic car
accident that affected the use of his hands and cost him his career as a
surgeon.
This is similar to the Magic. They lost Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon,
and Evan Fournier at the trade deadline and they lost Markelle Fultz
and Jonathan Isaac to injuries.
Doctor Strange got off to a slow start as he struggled to learn the
mystic arts, but before long he gained some confidence and had success.
Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter, Chuma Okeke,
RJ Hamton make for an exciting young core for Orlando, but it’s very
likely that just like Doctor Strange, there is a struggle with Magic to
open the season. Over time, they should have success, but the question
is how long will the rebuild take in Orlando?
Philadelphia 76ers
Movie: Captain America: Civil War Scene: Team Rogers vs Team Stark
Look at Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid like Tony Stark and Iron Man. Two
guys who learned to tolerate each other, with greater goals in mind
(like saving the world or winning NBA title). They had some nice
victories along the way, but now after their latest failure (losing in
the second round as #1 seed in 2021), Simmons wants little to do with
Embiid or the Sixers.
Phoenix Suns
Movie: Black Panther Scene: Killmonger takes the throne, before losing it
Let’s call Devin Booker Killmonger (aka N’Jadaka). That’s what I referred to him as in my NBA Marvel characters article.
Not that Booker is a bad guy, but he had to battle adversity throughout
his whole career. The Suns made the playoffs in 2021 for the first time
in 10 years. Booker was more familiar with the lottery than he was with
competitive basketball.
So when he finally had his chance to fight for his birthright, for
the throne, he took advantage. First, he slayed the king (Lebron James
and defending champion Lakers), then he slayed another king (MVP Nikola
Jokic and Nuggets), and then Clippers. Suns led Bucks 2-0 in the Finals
and it felt like they were about to be crowned, and rule the NBA.
But then, the Bucks, like Black Panther said “I’m not dead” and came
back to win 4 in a row. It was a slow and painful death for the 2021
Suns, who should remain in championship contention this season with
their core intact and a few key additions as well.
Portland Trail Blazers
Movie: Doctor Strange Scene: Fight with Dormammu
In order to defeat the big bad Dormammu, Doctor Strange traps them
both in a time loop. It kind of feels like that’s where Damian Lillard
is.
The Blazers keep running it back, in hopes of a different result.
They have made the playoffs 8 straight seasons, but lost in the first
round each of the last two. They have advanced to the West Finals only
once during their run and were swept.
The core remains the same (Lillard, CJ McCollum, Jusef Nurkic). Will
Norm Powell, Larry Nance, Cody Zeller make that big of a difference? Or
will the time loop keeping going and the Blazers keep losing and failing
in the playoffs. If they do, Lillard will be forced to seriously
consider his future.
Sacramento Kings
Movie: Captain America Scene: “I had a date”
Steve Rogers saved the world in his first movie and in the process,
crashed a plane into ice. He was stuck in that ice for around 70 years.
When he finally woke up, he ran into the middle of Times Square where he
was confronted by Nick Fury. Rogers said “I had a date”. He said it
with disappointment, as he missed the chance to dance with Peggy Carter.
This reminds me of the Kings. For 15 years, the Kings have basically
been on ice and they missed their date (in this case, the NBA playoffs).
Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2005, currently possessing the
league’s longest playoff drought.
They added Davion Mitchell in the draft, but he plays the same
position as 2021 Rookie of the Year finalist Tyrese Haliburton and best
player De’aron Fox. No one ever really knows what the Kings front office
is doing and they are likely set up to remain on ice for another
season.
San Antonio Spurs
Movie: Black Widow Scene: Emergence of Yelena Belova
I liked this movie, even if the story-line and time-frame was a bit
odd to me. But one of the takeaways of this movie is that Black Widow
was being written out of the MCU and her “sister” Yelena Belova being
introduced. During the end credits, it became clear Yelena would be
playing a role in the MCU in the future.
The 2021 off-season was a changing of the guard for the Spurs. Demar
Derozan, Rudy Gay, Patty Mills are all gone. With the experienced,
successful stars gone (Natasha), now, it’s time for the young rising
stars (Yelena) to step up and play a role. Guys like Keldon Johnson,
Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, Derrick White, Joshua Primo, Devin
Vassell.
It’s also a perfect fit to say a movie about family is about the
Spurs, given the franchise’s history and culture built by Greg Popovich.
Toronto Raptors
Movie: Avengers: Endgame Scene: Avengers and others return post-snap
In Avengers: Endgame, the heroes won the fight by bringing back every
who was lost at the end of the Infinity War movie. A handful of main
characters were “blipped”, gone from existence. Except they returned, 5
years later.
Now, it’s only been 18 months, but for the Raptors it must feel like 5
years. March 2020 is the last time they played a regular season game in
Toronto. They spent the remainder of 2020 season in the bubble in
Orlando and played the 2021 season in Tampa, FL.
Raptors missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2013
as they finished 27-45. Franchise legend Kyle Lowry is gone and the
Raptors have an exciting young team built around Pascal Siakam, OG
Anonuby, Fred Van Vleet, Scottie Barnes. The return to Toronto is
exciting, the young guys are exciting, but will it translate to wins?
Utah Jazz
Movie: Avengers: Age of Ultron Scene: Trying to pick up Mjolnir
There’s a fun scene in the second Avengers movie where the group
attempts to pick up Thor’s hammer. In the end, efforts from Stark,
Rhodey, Bruce Banner, Barton, and Rogers* all failed. Thor picked it up
at the end, claiming they are all just unworthy.
Unworthy is one way to describe the Jazz. Utah has made the Playoffs
for 5 consecutive seasons and in 2021 actually claimed the #1 seed in
the West. However, they were unable to advance past the second round.
2007 is the last time Utah reached the Conference Finals.
Despite the presence of Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley
and others, the Jazz could not achieve their goals and they weren’t able
to prove their worthiness of picking up the metaphorical hammer. In
2022, I wouldn’t expect anything to be different. The Suns have staying
power, Lakers are back and the west as a whole is a very deep
conference, making life extra difficult for the Jazz.
Steve Rogers’ childhood best friend James “Bucky” Barnes was revealed
to not be dead during this movie. The problem was, Barnes didn’t
recognize Rogers as HYDRA brainwashed him, wiping away his memory and
forcing him to do as they demand.
It feels like Bradley Beal has been brainwashed, like Bucky. Beal has
been with the Wizards since 2012, and the team is 3-5 in playoff series
during his tenure. 2017 is the last time they won a series.
Beal could demand a trade and it would likely to accommodate, but so
far has not. He has this odd loyalty to a franchise with very little
history of success. Its almost like he’s been brainwashed?
Wizards had a busy off-season, trading away Russell Westbrook and
bringing in Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and
others. Will this be enough to convince Beal to remain loyal? His
contract expires at the end of the 2022 season.
Twitter warriors believe Cincinnati Bearcats won’t make the College
Football Playoffs this year. That’s totally fair, because everyone is
entitled to their opinion and I respect others’ opinions. Especially
when those opinions are backed by rationalize thoughts.
The problem is that opinions nowadays are rarely rationalized.
Here is a running list (to be updated as often as needed) of reasons
that people have tweeted as to why Cincinnati won’t be in the playoffs.
You’ll notice a lack of common sense, logic, and even truth in most of
these.
They suck
Don’t play anyone
Resume is trash
Don’t deserve it
Notre Dame sucks
Would have lost to Indiana if McFadden wasn’t ejected for no reason
Indiana beat themselves
Notre Dame beat themselves
Barely beat Notre Dame
Only play MAC teams
Play no ranked teams
Eye test
Wouldn’t win 3-4 games in Big Ten
Anyone can go undefeated with their schedule
Lost 42-0 to Ohio State in 2019
Couldn’t even beat Georgia’s backups in Peach Bowl
Blown out by Georgia in Peach Bowl
Barely beat Notre Dame
Defense is only good because they play noone
Don’t get top recruits
Would get blown out in CFP
They would get smoked and embarrassed by Alabama
Everyone in the top 10 would beat them by 4 TDs
Would be an underdog against the entire top 10
Out fundraised (I don’t know what this means, but it’s true)
If UCF didn’t make it, they won’t make it
Struggled with Tulane (won by 19, trailed for just over a minute – Oklahoma beat them by 5)
I love traveling to college football games! I have been to 4 Big Ten stadiums over the years, 5 if you include Rutgers, who's stadium I visited a few times when they were in the Big East.
Here is how I would rank my five experiences
1. Penn State
10/17/2019 - Penn State vs Michigan
This was incredible. As a neutral football fan, this was the best college football experience of my life. In 2019, I went to the Penn State vs Michigan game, which was played in Primetime on ABC and was the annual Penn State whiteout game. Happy Valley also hosted College Gameday. The whole day was amazing.
Penn State took an early 21-0 lead, and later held on to win 28-21.
I have been to Columbus twice, both times for Cincinnati games. In 2015, Bearcats trailed 33-28 and were in Ohio State territory before an offensive pass interference call backed them up, ultimately forcing a punt. At that point, the flood gates opened and Cincinnati didn't score again. Ohio State, would score 17 unanswered on their way to a 50-28 win.
I remember several things from that game
Joey Bosa broke Gunner Kiel's ribs
Chris Moore broke Eli Apple's soul
Some RB I had never previously heard of broke out (his name was Ezekiel Elliot and he is now among my favorite NFL players)
Now former Cincy head coach and current Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville broke my heart
Ohio State fans were mostly polite. Honestly, why wouldn't they be. They are better than Cincinnati and they know it. We had no bad encounters with fans.
In 2019, Cincinnati lost 42-0 and this tweet is the only thing I remember from the game.
2019 Bearcats went 11-3, winning 9 in a row after this loss, before back-to-back losses to Memphis including the AAC Championship Game, which cost them a spot in the Cotton Bowl.
3. Michigan
To be honest, I was underwhelmed. The Big House holds 100,000 people, but compared to Ohio State and Penn State, it sure didn't feel that way.
Unlike the other two, it was extremely tight in the bleacher seats and there were clearly people hanging out in some sections that didn't have seats there. It took forever to get into the stadium as there seemed to be minimal entrances and few workers checking tickets so despite heading towards the stadium over 30 minutes early, we would arrive at our seats a few minutes after opening kickoff.
While Ohio State fans were polite, while kicking Cincy's rear-end, Michigan fans were weird. Michigan scored their first two touchdowns with ease.
For context, Cincinnati's first 3 possessions included
3 plays, punt
2 plays, pick six
3 plays, punt - blocked and recovered by Michigan
A miserable start is important context for my story about fans' - after Cincinnati finally got on the board and cheers came out of our section, some people started yelling "scoreboard". Which in many circumstances is a fair response to an away teams cheers. Except they are Michigan, we were Cincinnati and we scored a touchdown in the Big House, a cool moment!
Cincy did get to within 17-14, after opening the third quarter with a 10-play touchdown drive. But this was a terrible Cincinnati offense and Bearcats ultimately lost 36-14, with Michigan scoring 19 unanswered in the second half.
4. Indiana
Obviously, Indiana is not a fair comparison to the other 3 experiences. Especially in 2006, with the Hoosiers having 11 consecutive seasons with a losing record.
I attend Indiana/Michigan in 2006 and the Hoosiers trailed 42-0 at the half. That Michigan team had QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and WR Mario Manningham. I left at halftime of a rainy game and went to the McDonalds on campus. That's about my only memory of this game.
2007 - coming off a year where Cincinnati upset 7th ranked Rutgers, both teams entered this game ranked in the top 25. Cincinnati won 28-23 after a late defensive stand.
2009 - Bearcats went 12-0 in the 2009 regular season and opened the season at Rutgers on Labor Day night. Cincinnati won 47-15 in the first game at Rutgers' renovated stadium. Fans were NOT polite. Encountered very rude people, very derogatory comments, which just become more and more entertaining as the scoreboard continues to go up.
2011 - Rutgers won 20-3. I have 2 memories of this day - I sat through a game where Cincinnati didn't score a touchdown with a
When you think of professional men's sports in the New York/New Jersey area, your mind immediately thinks about NYC. This is fair because of the 9 local teams, only 1 has New Jersey in their name. That's in spite of the fact that 3 teams play in the state (Jets and Giants) while NYC has 6 teams (Knicks, Nets, Yankees, Mets, Rangers, Islanders).
Yet, New Jersey (with help from a few loopholes) has had a more successful run than NYC since 2000 (and comparable since 1990).
In total, since 2000, New Jersey pro teams have appeared in 9 championships, winning 4. New York City pro teams have appeared in 7 championships, winning 2.
Here is how it breaks down by sport.
NBA - New York Knicks and New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets
This is one of the few loopholes. Before the Nets moved to Brooklyn in 2012, they reached the NBA Finals in both 2002 and 2003, while playing in the IZOD Center in New Jersey.
Since 2000, Knicks have won 3 total playoff series (2 of them came in 2000). Nets, while in New Jersey, won 9 series in 6 playoff appearances between 2002-2007. Since moving to Brooklyn, they have won just 2 series.
NJ had 6 playoff appearances from 2000-2011, while the Knicks have 7 total appearances from 2000-2021.
Overall, NJ has a 9-5 edge in playoff series victories since 2000 plus the 2 NBA Finals appearances.
MLB - NY Yankees and NY Mets
This isn't a comparison here, since NJ does not have an MLB teams.
Yankees have won 2 World Series since 2000, in 4 appearances.
Mets have appeared in two World Series, losing both, including a loss in 2000 to the Yankees.
NHL - New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils
Overall, NJ leads 4-1 in Stanley Cup appearances, despite having a disadvantage of 1 team vs 2.
Devils have won 2 Stanley Cups (in 2000 and 2003), while the Rangers appeared and lost in 2014.
Islanders have reached the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons, but have not appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1984.
NFL - New York Giants and New York Jets
Here is another big loophole. New YORK Giants and New YORK Jets both play in New JERSEY. Therefore, when talking about the success of sports in NJ, they obviously fall in that category.
Giants have appeared in three Super Bowls (2000, 2007, 2011), winning two, including beating the undefeated Patriots in 2011.
Jets, despite reaching the AFC Championship in back-to-back years (2009-2010), have lacked success, missing the playoffs in 10 straight seasons.
Hosting Championships
New Jersey has hosted the NBA Finals (2003) more recently than New York City (1999). Since the area last won a championship (Knicks in 1973), NJ and NYC have each hosted 2 NBA Finals series.
New York City has hosted the Stanley Cup Finals (2014) more recently, but not as frequently as New Jersey (5 appearances since 1995).
In 2014, the Super Bowl was technically hosted by both New York/New Jersey, with the majority of events taking place in the Big City. But the game itself was playing in New Jersey, giving the state another win over NYC.
9 pro men's teams play in the NY/NJ area and only 1 has New Jersey in their name. Despite that, the state holds a clear advantage over the big city in recent championship success.
College football is both the best and worst sport. It’s the best
because of the drama and emotion. It’s the worst because of insane
narratives drawn up by media and fans.
The best example of this is how Group of Five teams don’t deserve to make the Playoffs.
Now, as a Cincinnati alum, I’m going to use them as my example and proof throughout this article.
“But the schedule…”
This is always going to be the argument that holds back Group of Five schools (see UCF 2017, 2018).
Listen, no one is claiming Cincinnati plays a tougher schedule than
Ohio State or Oklahoma or Oregon. But you can only play the teams on
your schedule. Plus, they willingly chose to play 2 P5 road games in
September. Notre Dame was ranked top 10 and had the second longest home
winning streak and Indiana was coming off it’s most successful season in
forever with high expectations this year.
Here is the key point – just because you might play lesser conference
competition, doesn’t mean you aren’t a great team. Both can be true –
Cincinnati can play in a conference not as good as SEC or Big Ten, but
can also be a great team.
All ranked wins are not created equal
RJ Young of FOX Sports recently claimed Iowa is a tier 2 team in his
weekly rankings. That’s true and not a problem. What is a problem is his
rationale. Young uses a fake metric called “wins against teams ranekd
at the time of game”. As a result, Iowa has 2 ranked wins in 2021 –
Indiana (#17 at the time) and Iowa State (#8 at the time). Indiana,
since opening the season at #17, is 2-3 and Iowa State is 2-2. Neither
team is currently ranked.
[NOTE – this was written before Iowa’s win over Penn State. The
point being made still stands and is not meant to discredit Iowa, but
rather the notion of ranked victories.]
So, according to Young, because Iowa played Indiana week 1 and they
were ranked because…..because…..because a bunch of pollsters decided
they should be? Based on….uh…last year? Because of that, Indiana is a
big win for Iowa.
But Cincinnati, who played on the road, unlike Iowa, does not get the same credit for beating Indiana.
This is true across the board. Wisconsin is 1-3. Penn State, Notre
Dame and Michigan don’t get credit for a “ranked” win. BYU doesn’t get
credit for beating a “ranked” Utah. This idea that because a team was
pre-season ranked so the win is extra special, is just silly.
Make it make sense…
“Cincy will get blown out in CFP”.
Maybe. Honestly, probably. But look at Alabama and Georgia. 128 teams
would be blown out by either one of them – yes, OSU, Oklahoma, Iowa,
anyone that plays Alabama and Georgia will get blown out. Just because a
team will get blown out, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it.
Plus, history suggests there WILL be blowouts no matter who is playing
2014 – Oregon beat Florida State 59-20
2015 – Clemson beat Oklahoma 37-17
2015 – Alabama beat Michigan State 38-0
2016 – Alabama beat Washington 24-7
2016 – Clemson beat Ohio State 31-0
2017 – Alabama beat Clemson 24-6
2018 – Clemson beat Notre Dame 30-3
2019 – LSU beat Oklahoma 63-28
2020 – Alabama beat Notre Dame 31-14
2020 – Ohio State beat Clemson 49-28
2 shutouts and 4 games total where one team didn’t score a touchdown.
But yes, let’s claim “Cincy will get blown out” as a reason not to
include them IF they are deemed worthy.
“Cincy would be 4 TD underdogs against top teams”
Okay? Underdog means someone in Vegas thinks one team is better than
the other and that is shown via points spread. That people that set the
spreads are entitled to their opinions, but they don’t determine the
outcomes.
Texas A&M was recently an 18.5 point underdog against Alabama.
Fortunately for them, they played the game and shocked the world in a
win.
Maybe Cincinnati would lose. Maybe they would lose by 4 touchdowns.
Or maybe they would pull a Texas A&M? Or pull off what is been done
thousands of times in the history of football – winning a game people
didn’t expect a team to win.
Using hypothetical point spreads as a talking point for why a team doesn’t belong in the convo is just stupid.
The past is in the past
The 2021 Cincinnati Bearcats are currently 5-0. This roster and
coaching staff did not play Georgia. Did not play Ohio State. Did not
play Michigan. Why do old games matter? Because people will say anything
to prove their point, even if it means contradicting themselves.
People will cite history for why Cincinnati can’t compete against the
big boys. 10 months ago, Cincinnati lost to Georgia by 3. I heard a
rumor that maybe Georgia had some key guys sit out that game, but the
are still an SEC powerhouse with 5 stars all over the field. By the way,
little publicized fact – Cincinnati also had guys miss the game
including All-American CB Sauce Gardner.
Cincinnati fans will bring up the game against Georgia as proof that
Cincinnati can “hang with the big boys”. In many cases, I have seen this
point countered with “what happened against Ohio State”. In 2019,
Cincinnati lost 42-0 in Desmond Ridder’s 14th career start.
So while the results of 10 months ago are discarded, people like to
bring up 42-0 loss to Ohio St from 2019. This game was week 2. It was
Ridder’s 14th start in college. He’s now made 40 starts. RB Jerome Ford
was still at Alabama, most of these WRs weren’t there, and the defense
was completely different including the coach.
But please, tell me more how that 2019 loss, or even the 2020 Peach Bowl loss, has anything to do with the 2021 team.
7 Bearcats have won 9 total NBA Championships. 3 of the 7 won with the Celtics.
Jim Holstein – 2x NBA Champion with the Minneapolis Lakers in 1953 and 1954. Holstein averaged 4.2 ppg in 1953 and 3.6 ppg in 1954.
Oscar Robertson – Won with Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. Big O averaged 23.5 ppg, 9.5 apg, 5.0 rpg in 4 games against the Baltimore Bullets.
Tom Thacker – Part of the Boston Celtics’ 10th NBA
Championship in 1968, when they beat the Lakers. Thacker played just 7.6
minutes per game.
Ron Bonham – Won back-to-back NBA titles with the
Celtics, beating the Lakers in both 1965 and 1966. He played 3.7 mpg and
2.7 mpg in both series, respectively.
Jim Ard – Bench player for the Boston Celtics’
championship team in 1976. Ard averaged 4.8 ppg and 2.2 rpg in 12 mpg
during the 6 game series against the Suns.
Derrek Dickey – Part of the Golden State Warriors
championship, when they swept Washington Bullets in 1975. Dickey was the
team’s fourth leading scorer in the series, averaging 8.8 ppg and 5.8
rpg in 18.5 mpg.
James White – The most recent Bearcats’ NBA
champion, White was a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. White
never appeared in a game during the 4 game sweep against Lebron James
and the Cavs.
Kenyon Martin started 10 games for the New Jersey Nets in 2002 and
2003 NBA Finals losses to the Lakers and Spurs, respectively.
Jacob Evans was a limited role bench player for the Golden State Warriors in 2019, when they lost to the Raptors.
4 NBA All-Stars
4 Bearcats have made a combined 20 NBA All Star Game appearances.
Jack Twyman – 6 NBA All Star appearances between 1957-1963. Twyman was also named to All-NBA Second-team twice in his career.
Oscar Robertson – 12-time NBA All Star, making it every season between 1961-1972.
Nick Van Exel – Made one NBA All Star appearance, in 1998 as a member of the LA Lakers.
Kenyon Martin – Made one NBA All Star appearance, in 2004 as a member of the NJ Nets.
Both Van Exel and Martin would depart their respective teams after their lone All Star seasons to sign with Denver Nuggets.
3 #1 Overall Draft Picks
Oscar Robertson – 1960 to the Cincinnati Royals
Tom Thacker – 1963 to Cincinnati Royals
Kenyon Martin – 2000 to New Jersey Nets
13 Bearcats drafted in first round
In addition to the 3 guys above who were drafted #1 overall, 10 other Bearcats were first round picks.
MikeDropSports summarizes some of the worst NBA draft decisions that teams have made over the last 10 years. Some of these decisions were knowingly bad at the time and some are just hindsight bad.
Considerations:
Excluded guys like Kawhi, Giannis, Jokic who "everyone" missed on and grouped them into one bucket near the bottom
Tried to keep the mistake within 2-3 picks and looked for same/similar positions (of course, some cases are unavoidable)
2012 - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (#2) over Bradley Beal (#3). Context - Bobcats went 7-59 the year prior, but New Orleans won the lottery and drafted Anthony Davis.
2013 - Anthony Bennett (#1) over literally anyone else (Victor Oladipo was #2)
2013 - Sergey Karasev (#19) over Tony Snell (#20)
2012 - Dion Waiters (#4) over Harrison Barnes (#7), Terrence Ross (#8)
Dallas Mavericks:
2017 - Dennis Smith Jr (#9) over Donovan Mitchell (#13) and Bam Adebayo (#14)
Denver Nuggets:
2017 - Drafted Donovan Mitchell (#13) and traded him to Jazz for Trey Lyles and Tyler Lydon (#24)
2017 - PF Tyler Lydon (#24, via trade) over PF Kyle Kuzma (#27)
2013 - Drafted Rudy Gobert (#27) but traded him to Jazz for nothing
2012 - SF Quincy Miller (#38 over SF Khris Middleton (#39)
Detroit Pistons:
2020 - Killian Hayes (#7) over Tyrese Haliburton (#12)
2017 - Luke Kennard (#12) over Donovan Mitchell (#13)
2016 - Henry Ellenson (#18) over Caris LaVert (#20)
2015 - Stanley Johnson (#8) over Justice Winslow (#10), Myles Turner (#11), Devin Booker (#13)
2013 - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (#8) over CJ McCollum (#10)
2011 - Brandon Knight (#8) over Kemba Walker (#9)
Golden State Warriors:
2020 - James Weisman (#2) over LaMelo Ball (#3)
2010 - Ekpe Udoh (#6) over Greg Monroe (#7)
Indiana Pacers:
2017 - TJ Leaf (#18) over John Collins (#19)
2011 - Drafted Kawhi Leonard and traded him immediately to Spurs for George Hill
Los Angeles Clippers:
2018 - Jerome Robinson (#13) over Michael Porter Jr (#14)
2016 - Brice Johnson (#25) over Pascal Siakam (#27)
2011 - Notable trade - February 2011, Clippers traded Baron Davis and a first round pick to Cleveland. That pick won the lottery, and Cavs drafted Kyrie Irving #1 with LAC pick.
2010 - Al Farooq Aminu (#8) over Gordon Hayward (#9), Paul George (#10)
Los Angeles Lakers:
2017 - Lonzo Ball (#2) over Jayson Tatum (#3), De'Aaron Fox (#5)
2018 - Marvin Bagley (#2) over Luka Doncic (#3). And if that's not bad enough, also over Jaren Jackson Jr (#4) and Trae Young (#5)
2017 - Drafted De'Aaron Fox (#5), following a pick swap with 76ers, who took Jayson Tatum #3. Pick swap and 2019 #14 pick were traded along with 2015 first round pick Nik Stauskas to Philly in 2015 summer
2017 - C Harry Giles (#20, via trade) over C Jarrett Allen (#22)
2016 - Drafted someone named Georgios Papagiannis #13
2016 - Skal Labissière (#28, via trade) over Dejounte Murray (#29)
I attended the University of Cincinnati from 2006-2011. Over that 5 year span, the Cincinnati Bearcats football team beat Rutgers Scarlet Knights in all 5 meetings, with each one carrying a varying degree of significance and entertainment.
2006 - STORM THE FIELD
7th ranked, unbeaten Rutgers lost to Cincinnati 30-11.
Rutgers entered the game ranked #7 in the polls and 9-0 overall. For the first time in school history, they had Big East title and even BCS bowl game aspirations.
The win helped Cincinnati improve to 6-5, to reach bowl eligible for the second time in three years under coach Mark Dantonio. I’ll never forget the amazing experience of rushing the field (and losing my shoe). This was the beginning of the rise of Cincinnati football. After this season, Brian Kelly would take over as coach and Big East championships, 10 win seasons and BCS bowl games would follow.
Two memorable plays stand out for Cincinnati
CB Deangelo Smith returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter
TE Brent Celek rumbled for an 83 yard touchdown in the third quarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC1ubozhEeQ
2007 - Mauk Chop
#20 Cincy wins @ #21 Rutgers
It should seem obvious, but this was the first time ever these teams faced off with both ranked in the top 25. Rutgers was actually ranked 10th a week prior, but fell due to a loss to Maryland.
Rutgers QB Mike Teel was picked off 3 times, including once by LB Ryan Manalac in the final minute of the game to seal the win.
My only memories of this game was that I didn’t come across a single polite person in all of Piscataway, NJ.
Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk made a gesture towards the Rutgers sideline mocking their famous “keep chopping wood” gimmick, doing his own “Mauk chop”.
2008 - PUNT!
Cincinnati won a snooze fest 13-10. Chazz Anderson started at QB for UC, in place of an injured Tony Pike. There were a total of 19 punts (10 for Rutgers, 9 for Cincinnati).
The win put Cincinnati at 5-1, while Rutgers was 1-5. The Bearcats would go on to win the Big East for the first time and play in the Orange Bowl.
This was a rough game - it was Homecoming, it was beautiful weather and I have zero feelings or real memories about this game.
2009 - Labor Day Beatdown
Cincinnati opened the 2009 season with a beatdown in New Jersey. After being tied 7-7 after the first quarter, Cincinnati led 31-7 at halftime and won the game 47-15.
Bearcats finished the regular season 12-0, winning back-to-back Big East titles.
This game is a top 5 sports moment in my life. The result wasn’t surprising but the way it all happened was quite unexpected. Week 1 on Labor Day, high expectations for both programs. Rutgers rolled out a renovated stadium which was loud and sold out. Students were as loud and obnoxious as ever. Fans were mean and nasty. But, it was great!
My favorite memory was a fan coming up to me in the stands, unprovoked, using inappropriate language towards Brian Kelly, to which, I simply shrugged and said “scoreboard”.
2010 - Bet the Over
Cincinnati won 69-38.
This was the first year of the Butch Jones tenure and the Bearcats entered the game 3-6. There really is no significance - this was just a wild, crazy game.The way this team played all year, this score was so unexpected but it was a fun and pleasant offensive outburst in what would be my last time seeing this rivalry first hand at Nippert Stadium, and ultimately the last time the Bearcats would win at home against Rutgers.
RB Isaiah Pead ran for 213 yards and 4 TDs and also caught a TD.
On Saturday October 2nd, the Cincinnati Bearcats take on Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, Indiana in a matchup between top 10 college football teams. When this game was announced in April 2019, who knew it would have so much meaning to it.
This is the biggest game in Cincinnati football history.
Bearcats have played in 3 BCS/NY6 bowl games - 2008 Orange Bowl vs Virginia Tech, 2009 Sugar Bowl vs Florida, 2020 Peach Bowl vs Georgia.
While those games were huge milestones for Cincinnati and were exciting and meaningful, the stakes weren't THIS high.
Had they won either of their BCS bowls, it would have been an exciting victory that would not have moved the needle in the landscape of college football or, at the time, the Big East. By the way, the coach of Cincinnati during those 2 BCS bowls was current Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly… (more below).
If Cincinnati beat Georgia last January, they would have finished 10-0, completing a perfect season during a COVID year where their accomplishments would have been brushed aside in comparison to the big guys like Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson.
They have played in the AAC Championship Game each of the last two years (2019 loss to Memphis, 2020 win over Tulsa).
In the last 15 years, Cincinnati has been blown out by Ohio State (twice), Michigan, Florida. They are 1-32 all-time on the road vs top 15 teams. The 1 win was the 2009 victory over #14 Pittsburgh. A historic moment for UC football, as they completed a 12-0 season, but in the context of history, they didn't get to the BCS Championship Game and they didn't beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl.
I would also say the 2018 regular season game vs UCF was a high stakes game because the Knights were riding high with their historic win streak (23 wins in a row), College Gameday was in Orlando and this game was featured on ABC Primetime. A win would have vaulted Cincinnati into NY6 contention. But ultimately, that moment wouldn't come until the following year.
If Cincinnati beats Notre Dame on October 2nd, everything about the 2021 season changes. It's a victory that moves the needle in a way those previously noted games never would have dreamed of.
Notre Dame falls out of playoff contention with a loss. Even if they were to run the table afterwards, the lack of a conference championship game would hurt them. Plus, no team has ever made playoffs with a loss to a G5 team during that regular season.
Cincinnati enters a legitimate conversation about the playoffs, something no G5 team has really done. With respect to UCF, right or wrong, they never seriously considered. But with the AAC more respectable now than ever, and OOC wins over Notre Dame and Indiana, the committee would have to consider the Bearcats IF chaos were to run through the top of the rankings (as it has over the past month - bye Clemson).
Notre Dame is one of the most notable and historic schools in college football. Like the Lakers and Cowboys, they are a powerhouse program with a national following that includes a love/hate relationship with fans. People are either hardcore dedicated fans of ND or they loathe the Fighting Irish. There is no in-between. You could argue the America's Team moniker applies to Notre Dame. Look at TV ratings, online apparel sales. They truly move the needle in ways no one else does.
A Cincinnati win would snap Notre Dame's 24-game home winning streak, the second longest in the nation.
A Cincinnati win over Notre Dame, would mean PAYBACK!
"Cincy committed to Kelly"
On December 6th, 2009 I sat in Fifth Third Arena, exhausted and hungover waving a red towel waiting for the official BCS announcement show.
The day before, my friends and I drove out to Pittsburgh to sit in a freezing cold snowy game, where Cincinnati trailed 31-10, only to win 45-44 in the best game ever. That secured the Big East Championship as Cincinnati finished the regular season 12-0. That was the last game Brian Kelly ever coached for Cincinnati.
Let's go back a little further now.
2006 was my freshman year of college. On November 18, 2006, the Bearcats got a historic victory over 7th ranked Rutgers. A few weeks later, head coach Mark Dantonio, left Cincinnati for Michigan State.
He was replaced by Brian Kelly, a young head coach at Central Michigan who was highly regarded in coaching circles. Kelly hadn't been at the FBS level long, but this felt like the right step for him at the right time. He was at Grand Valley State from 1987-2003 (head coach from 1991-2003), before making the leap to Central Michigan where he coached 3 seasons and went 19-16.
His first season, in 2007, Cincinnati went 10-3, showing some significant progress at a place where winning wasn't a thing of the past. 6-7 games max was the ceiling at Cincinnati.
And then, Kelly blew the doors off of the ceiling.
Bearcats won back-to-back Big East championships in 2008 and 2009, overtaking the previously dominant Louisville and West Virginia. In 2009, they went 12-0, before losing the Sugar Bowl to Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow and the Gators.
Kelly didn't coach in that game. He left Cincinnati for Notre Dame shortly after the regular season was completed.
That takes me back to that Sunday after Pittsburgh in December 2009.
Many fans attended a watch party at Fifth Third Arena to listen to the official bowl announcement. The school distributed red towels that read "Cincy committed to Kelly". Kelly was a HOT commodity at the time, and Notre Dame had fired Charlie Weis. Kelly seemed like the prime target.
How I recall it? 4 days after the BCS announcement (5 days after the epic win over Pitt), the school held their annual football banquet, celebrating the players' success and accomplishments.
That night (December 10th, 2009), Kelly no-showed the banquet and reports from ESPN began trickling in that Kelly was accepting the job. There was no good bye message, no thank yous, nothing. He just disappeared and the next morning was wearing green in South Bend.
Now personally for me and many others, the way it all went down left a bitter taste. However, if we're being honest, it's hard to get too upset about a guy leaving Cincinnati for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish, in spite of the University's challenges, is a dream job for most coaches.
The truth is, Kelly was never long for Cincinnati. While he didn't lay the initial foundation (that was Rick Minter and Dantonio), Kelly proved you can have success at Cincinnati and really helped put the school on the map and set the stage for the position they are in today.
Fans do owe him thanks. But the school owes him payback.
More payback
"Notre Dame is a dream job for most coaches" and I get why you would leave Cincinnati for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman knows all about Cincinnati's defense. He had a hand in recruiting almost all of these guys, after coaching at UC from 2016-2020. Freeman is a former linebacker at Ohio State and his defensive coordinator was Luke Fickell.
Along with Freeman, defensive backs coach Mike Mickens also departed for Notre Dame after the 2020 season. Mickens felt he'd be better positioned for a defensive coordinator job in the future by working at Notre Dame.
He was an All-American cornerback on the Kelly coached Bearcats teams and was drafted in the 5th round by my favorite Dallas Cowboys. So this one certainly hurts.
Guys like Sauce Gardner and Coby Bryant will certainly play with a little extra chip on their shoulder with both their previous position coach and coordinator on the other side.
More Revenge?
Cincinnati offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has been with Fickell since 2017. Denbrock was Kelly's OC and OL coach from ___
Cincinnati WR Michael Young leads the team....
Two more for fun. Gunner Kiel quarterback'd the Bearcats for ___
Lebron James is not now, nor will he ever be the NBA’s all-time
“GOAT”. But in his own way, James is without question one of the best
all-time. Whether it’s his on court performance, value to his teams, or
what he has done outside of basketball, James truly is incredible.
In 2020, Lebron was crowned NBA champion for the 4th time in his
career, as he helped lead the Lakers to the franchise’s 17th
championship and first since 2010.
The Lebron greatness conversation always includes his Finals record
(3-6). But to me, the most important number is 10. Lebron has played in
the NBA Finals in 10 out of 18 seasons.
While 6 losses is nothing to brag about, it’s important to view them in the proper context.
2007 – Worst team ever
Cavs got swept by Tim Duncan and the Spurs. Drew Gooden (12.8 ppg)
was the Cavs second leading scorer in the Finals. The lineup included
James, Gooden, Sasha Pavlovic, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Daniel Gibson.
This might legitimately be the worst NBA Finals team of all-time. But
to get there, Lebron single-handily beat a legendary Pistons team in
the Eastern Conference Finals.
2011 – No excuse
In James’ first year in Miami, the Heat lost to the Mavs. As great
and well put-together as that Dallas team was, there is no excuse for
this loss. Miami had the better team and this is the one Finals loss
that stands out as inexcusable.
2014 – Great Spurs
This Spurs team was great, going 62-20. The 62 wins were the most
during any of their 5 championship seasons. They beat the Heat in just 5
games. Kawhi Leonard got his first ring and Tim Duncan, Tony Parker,
and Manu Ginobili got their last ones.
2015 – No Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love
Do you need proof of Lebron’s greatness? Here it is.
Warriors won this series in 6 games, even though Kyrie Irving and
Kevin Love were both out due to injuries. Lebron was stuck with Timofey
Mozgov, the team’s second leading scorer (14.0 ppg), Tristan Thompson,
Iman Shumpert, and Matthew Dellavedova, who was arguably the team’s
second best player throughout the Finals.
2017 and 2018 – Warriors Super Team
2017 was the Warriors first year with Kevin Durant and coming off the blown 3-1 lead, no one ever had a chance of beating them.
In 2018, Cavs traded Kyrie Irving before the season for a damaged
Isaiah Thomas and returned to the Finals with a new group that included
George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr, and Rodney Hood, plus Love
and Smith.
I’m not making excuses for James, but he is not the best player ever –
Michael Jordan is and forever will be. But there’s a huge difference
between Jordan and James. Jordan went 6-0 in the Finals against 6 teams
inferior to his. James lost 6 Finals, 5 of which to teams superior to
his.
On the other end of the spectrum, his four championships have all come under extraordinary circumstances.
2012 – lockout-shortened season
2012 was Lebron’s first championship, in his second season in Miami.
Following the Heat’s 2011 loss to the Mavericks, the NBA experienced a
lockout between players and owners. As a result, the season was delayed
and didn’t start until Christmas Day and teams only played 50 regular
season games.
But give the Heat credit for beating a Thunder team that had Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka.
2013 – Ray Allen bailout
Again, give the Heat credit for beating an amazing Spurs team. Miami
trailed the series 3-2 as they returned home for Game 6. Ray Allen,
along with Chris Bosh, bailed out the Heat and literally saved the
season.
After that, the Heat would go on to win Game 7, securing back-to-back championships.
2016 – 3-1 comeback
There is a lot to unpack here. The 2016 Warriors went an NBA-record
73-9 and led the Cavs 3-1 through 4 games of the series. In game 4,
Draymond Green’s actions earned him a one-game suspension. Cavs won game
5, to give them some life in the series. They would win games 6 and 7
and complete the historic comeback. It was the Cavs’ first ever NBA
title and the city of Cleveland’s first championship since the 1964
Browns’ NFL Championship (pre-NFL/AFL merger).
2020 – The Bubble
You know the story – NBA season was paused in March due to worldwide
spread of coronavirus. The season resumed in July, inside a “bubble”
environment. This meant no fans, no families. Just 100% basketball, all
the time. Lakers ended their 7 year playoff drought and won their first
playoff series since 2012. Lebron and Anthony Davis carried the Lakers
past Blazers, Rockets, Nuggets, and Heat to win his 4th title.
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