It was a strange sports week, to say the least.  In college football LSU upset sixth-ranked Florida despite being a 23-point underdog, USC came back in the final seconds to beat rival UCLA, and Sarah Fuller kicked two extra points suiting up for the Vanderbilt’s Men’s team.

In the NFL, Drew Lock came into Sunday’s game with the worst quarterback ranking in the league and threw four touchdowns in Denver’s win, Carson Wentz was benched and might need to make himself comfortable, and luck is running out in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant is back in the NBA with Brooklyn, Kyrie Irving refuses to do Q & A’s with the press, and James Harden is just MIA (Missing in Action).

And those were only some of the stories.

  • It was a great week for Sarah Fuller as she became the first female to score in aPower 5 football conference after kicking two extra points for the Commodores on Saturday. But not such a great week for Dan Bailey, the Minnesota Vikings kicker who botched three field goals and an extra point in a close loss to the Packers.
  • And another great week for Stanford Women’s Hoopster, Francesca Belibi, who threw down a slam dunk in their win over Cal. Not such a great week for LiAngelo Ball, the brother of NBA stars Lonzo and LaMelo, who just got cut from the Detroit Pistons after failing to play a single minute in the preseason.
  • First the Redskins announced that due to racial insensitivity, the organization would be changing their name to the Washington Football Team (WFT). The lack of originality made me say WTF.  Now the Cleveland Indians announced that they too will be changing their name before the start of next season for similar reasons.  I applaud the move, but if the team goes with the Cleveland Baseball Team (CBT), I’m going to need some CBD.
  • Last week the New York Jets fired their defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams after a disastrous defensive play call with just seconds left cost the team their first win of the season. Frank Bush, the newest defensive coordinator, would have no such issues this week as the team got trounced 40-3.
  • If it’s any consolation to Gregg Williams, losing last-second games and going 0-12 isn’t the only way to lose your job. The Las Vegas Raiders (7-6) fired their defensive coordinator, Paul Guenther, after giving up 44 points to the Colts on Sunday.
  • Speaking of firing. Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, Illinois’ Lovie Smith, and Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin were just three of the many college football coaches that have been let go as their teams have struggled this season.  Michigan’s Jim Harbough may have staved off the inevitable if it wasn’t for the cancelation of their matchup with Ohio State this weekend due to COVID.  Talk about a COVID Relief Plan.
  • The cancelation of the Ohio State vs Michigan game left the Big Ten scrambling to change the rules in order to guarantee the Buckeyes (5-0) a conference title game, as well as a shot in the College Football Playoffs. But it looks like the Powers that Be will get Ohio State in the playoffs despite having only five games and only the 12th toughest schedule.  Must have been that win over Rutgers.
  • Finally, the Washington Huskies were forced to drop out of the Pac 12 Championship game after failing to have enough scholarship players due to COVID-19 protocol. Considering that COVID-19 has sidelined Notre Dame, shutdown Trevor Lawrence knocked out Nick Saban, and stopped both Michigan and Ohio State in one fell swoop, I’m pretty sure we know who should be named the champion.

Images via wjhl.com, theatlantic.com, 13abc.com, detroitfreepress.com, theseattletimes.com, star-tribune.com

 

Alan Tapley
Alan Tapley is an educator, author, and blogger who has lived just outside of Boulder for the last twenty years.  His published work includes two novels, two children’s books, a series of cartoons in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and multiple sports related articles. His love for family and the state of Colorado is only matched by one thing, his passion for sports.  The first baseball game he ever attended was at Wrigley Field, before there were lights.  At the final Bronco game at the old Mile High, he allegedly cut out a piece of his seat in the South stands.  But regardless of being here for the Avalanche’s last Stanley Cup, the Rockies only World Series appearance, and all the Broncos’ Super Bowl Victories, his wife never fails to remind him that he wasn’t at the University of Colorado in 1990, like she was.  The year the Buffs football team won the National Championship
See More Articles From Alan Tapley