After watching the Dallas Cowboys get bounced from the playoffs after a strange overturn of a Dez Bryant catch (cue Detroit Lions fans laughing at me), I figured I had enough NFL hijinks for the rest of the year. Instead, I’ve been treated to two solid weeks of a 2 PSI deflation in footballs as well as HOT TAKES on Marshawn Lynch’s interview skills. For something so dumb, I have the usual reaction, but the NFL actually managed to make some headlines this week that had potential college football implications.
Did you enjoy college football reclaiming New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day as their own this season? Well, too bad, the NFL wants the College Football Playoff to move their games. The reason: New Year’s Eve falls on a Thursday this year and the NFL has a Thursday Night Football game so ESPN is worried about a potential ratings decline for the semifinal bowl games. So yes, the worldwide leader is also pushing for this change.
But there’s another problem. The NFL wants to expand their playoff and, for some reason, have one of those games be another edition of Monday Night Football. The only issue there is that the Monday night in question is the national title game so ESPN all of a sudden has the rights, and a contractual obligation, to air two games on the same night and on the same network (the above linked article cites that the contract states both games must be aired on ESPN and not ESPN2).
Understandably, the CFP commissioners are fighting back on the effort, but let’s be frank: if the NFL wants this, they are going to get it. And make no mistake, ESPN won’t move from their corner as that would be an incredibly dumb business decision on their end.
A one year move for the CFP semifinals or a different date for the title game doesn’t seem like that big of a deal; however, this is yet another step in an incredibly annoying creep of the NFL into the college game. Thursdays during the regular season used to be a college football night as there wouldn’t be any NFL games at all, but now that has long gone out the window (and now you even see the occasional Tuesday and Wednesday college games because of it). Now the NFL wants to start shifting the college postseason around according to their whims which could cause further issues down the line should the college playoff ever want to expand itself.
ESPN could certainly shoulder some of the blame for this as well. After all, the increased television exposure for the college game, while very welcome for fans, manages to equate into a serious money grab for them, the playoff, bowls, and the conferences/schools. Thus, when “traditions” like New Year’s Day belonging to college football are reclaimed or having the title game before the NFL playoffs get rolling, it matters very little when the NFL masters come calling to get their way.
I’m just hoping the NFL will stay out of this and work around the college playoffs. It isn’t like games on one Saturday or refraining from adding a new playoff game on Monday would kill them. Then again, you would think that a slightly under-inflated ball or a player that would prefer to not talk to the media wouldn’t be a big deal to them either.
The Roundup
We will start of with an incredibly serious note. Two of the four Vanderbilt players accused of rape in 2013 have been found guilty.
The ACC is making some interesting scheduling moves. In response to pressure to schedule more Power 5 teams in their out of conference schedule, the ACC will consider BYU a Power 5 school and also possibly starting a trend of scheduling conference games as a non-conference game (no seriously, that happened).
Cryptic quotes: Ohio State edition. In what will certainly be the craziest QB battle ever, Braxton Miller, very much a potential transfer in this mix, gave fans some hope during Ohio State’s title celebration in saying “we’ve got another year to go do it.”
Well this is certainly an interesting take on the facility arms-race. How about a freakin’ beach in a stadium?
If you ever thought that your commencement speaker was a terrible choice, just be glad your school didn’t do this to you:
Ole Miss Law School Commencement speaker: Paul Finebaum #PAAAWWWLLLLSCHOOL pic.twitter.com/auFOD3L6ME
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) January 27, 2015
I’d have more entertaining links, but everyone’s in full ‘crootin mode right now and my NCAA booster-mandated gag-order hasn’t been lifted. Signing day can’t get here soon enough…
And now your moment of Nix… From the man himself!
She Said YES!!!!!!! 😃😊😍💏💍💎
— lOUIS NIX III (@1irishchocolate) January 28, 2015
Well good going, sir!
Noooo…don't congratulate me. Congrats to the lady on this movie I'm watching 🙌. I'm not getting married 😂 #SheSaidYes
— lOUIS NIX III (@1irishchocolate) January 28, 2015
Dammit…
The Booze
In the American tradition of over-indulgence of cheap food and drink during the Super Bowl, I’m going Coors Light. Why? Because about a month ago my wife and I failed to communicate to each other and bought a 24-pack each of Coors Light for a family get-together.
I’ve tried to slowly kill the supply, but I’ve noticed that my alcohol intake has gone down ever since the wife got pregnant. Is sympathy sobriety a thing?
Anyways, the Super Bowl is a perfect excuse to consume what remains in the beer fridge to make room for other beverages. Don’t judge me.
Ryan Ritter
Texan by birth, Irish by choice.
Born and raised in the great state of Texas, Tex is a first-generation Domer and a former student manager. After graduation, he left the cold winters of South Bend behind and returned back to his home state with a computer engineering degree in tow. Missing the daily grind of working football practices and talking football with fellow Irish fans every day, he took to blogging, a path which eventually led him to Her Loyal Sons. Continuously diving into stats and game film, Tex strives to break down every aspect of Fighting Irish football--even though it's determined to kill him.
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My takes:
– UCF stadium beach? Can “Sunbathing George O’Leary” be far behind?
– Two words on commencement speaker: Richard. Luger.
– Re: Booze…I go with the quip “she’s eating for two, and I’m drinking for two”
Part of Tulane’s stadium construction includes space for a future recreation of Bourbon Street with balcony hot-tubs from which you can view the field. It doesn’t, but how cool would that be?
If all stadium renovations are including “places where the students party” the Crossroads project will need to add a new luxury box to ND. It will be a very tiny, dark box where a lot of dudes and like 2 girls huddle around drinking Natty Light and listening to 3-4 popular rap songs on repeat.
If the NFL causes the title game to be on Saturday, I won’t be mad. Still douchey of them.