Random thoughts: Let’s cut down on the number of bowls

by Gary Shelton on December 23, 2018 · 0 comments

in general

Sunday, 4 a.m.

If the Bowls cut down to 16 games, there would still be too many games. I can live without USF, without Louisiana Tech, without Wake Forest. You could get to 10 bowl games without sweat and you'd have Alabama-Oklahoma, Clemson-Notre Dame, LSU-UCF, Michigan-Florida, Ohio State-Washington, Iowa-Mississippi State, Penn State-Kentucky, Georgia-Texas, N.C. State-Texas A&M and Utah-Northwestern. Who else do you really want to see?

-- Urban Meyer, get this, is teaching a class on character and leadership at Ohio State. Personally, I thought he should be taking a class on character and leadership. With extra homework.

-- Frankly, I'm more qualified to teach ancient Cambodian literature in Norwegian.

-- Other courses to be taught at Ohio State: Winning Clean, with Lance Armstrong; The Best Boston Shortcuts, with Rosie Ruiz; The KneeBone's Connected to the Thigh Bone, with Tonya Harding.

-- I was amused that Josh Gordon announced he was stepping away from the NFL just before the NFL announced that it had ordered Gordon to step away. That's like Butch and Sundance announcing they were giving up robbing trains just before the posse arrived.

-- Um, a reminder for Miami quarterback N'Kosi Perry: When they talk about studying your game films, they didn't mean the x-rated kind.

-- Buc who needs a big game against Dallas: Linebacker Lavonte David, who will be expected to make about half of the tackles.

-- USF is a two-touchdown underdog to its post-season awards banquet.

-- Do you think the Rays analytics department has decided that home runs, after all, are a bad thing?

-- It's a good thing DeSean Jackson's thumb is healthy. He'll need it to hitch a ride toward his next team.

--  Informal quiz: Who goes on the Ray's DL first: Kevin Kiermaier or Charlie Morton?

-- Buc who needs to have a good game against the Cowboys: Tackle Donovan Smith, who has spent much of his season looking like a matador.

-- Here's an idea: As unproductive as Tampa Bay quarterbacks have been, why should the new XFL franchise announce any at all. Why not have a guy where a mask and call him "Mr. Passer No. 1." He could use the sleeper hold ... on his fans.

-- I'm not going to defend NFL owners, who were accused of having a "slave mentality" toward their players. But I do wish athletes would realize that slaves didn't sign $20 million contracts. I'm all for insulting owners, but let's recognize the real hardships of slaves.

-- So which of the have-not NFL coaches wins the next playoff game? Is it Buffalo's Sean McDermott, Miami's Adam Gase, the Jets' Todd Bowles, the Raiders Jon Gruden? The Browns' Greg Williams? The Broncos' Vance Joseph? The Giants' Pat Shurmer? The Bengals Marvin Lewis? The Cardinals Steve Wilks? Or whoever the next Bucs' coach is?

-- Buc who needs to have a good game against the Cowboys: Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who must play against a good offensive line and face Zeke Elliott.

-- Saints' defensive end Cam Jordan needs to do a little research. He suggested that the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger isn't a Hall of Famer this week, which is absurd for a guy who has two two Super Bowls and is sixth in passing yards all-time. Roethlisberger isn't the slam dunk that Tom Brady or Peyton Manning are, but he's in. Lynch? He should take care of the discount tickets the Hall sells on Thursdays.

-- Buc who needs to have a good game against the Cowboys: Cornerback Brent Grimes hasn't made much of an impact this season, but someone has to cover Amari Cooper.

-- NJ.com says it's 90 percent that Dirk Koetter is fired after the season. That's not a bad as the Jets' Todd Bowles, who comes in at 100 percent.

-- According to 247sports.com, your USF Bulls finished 63rd in recruiting this year. If the playoffs go to a 64-field bracket, well, they're in.

-- Did you read about the New Jersey high school referee who forced a wrestler to cut his dreadlocks before a match or forfeit? I'm not sure what the punishment should be, but let's start with his firing and him being forced to wear his own hair in curlers for  a year. After that, fire him again.

-- Bucs' player who needs to have a big day. Receiver Mike Evans, who has been listed among the snubs for the Pro Bowl. There is no right you feel like proving yourself right.

-- Let's see. Houston scored 57 on USF, and Army scored 70 on Houston, and Duke scored 34 on Army, and Pitt scored 54 on Duke, and Clemson scored 42 on Pitt. That makes USF about 1,000 points from the college playoffs, right.

-- On the other hand, Marshall might have scored 1,000 itself if the weather was dry.

-- I don't know what the Dodgers will have to give up for Bryce Harper. Anaheim, maybe?

-- Give Jon Gruden credit. Newly signed Raiders' quarterback Nathan Peterman can make every bit of the impact that Jake Plummer brought to the Bucs.

-- Watching Ken Hitchcock coach Edmonton Saturday night, I couldn't help but wonder how his yap is.

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