Sunday, 4 a.m.
Wanna bet?
Of course you want to bet. The Super Bowl is the biggest day of gambling of the year. You can bet the winners. You can bet the losers. You can bet that something will fall out of the sky.
Seriously, have you checked out the prop bets for Sunday? You can bet on whether the coin toss is heads or tails. You can bet whether Jared Goff throws more touchdown passes than Tom Brady. You can bet on which team will be penalized first. You can bet on the distance of Rob Gronkowski's first reception. You can bet on the distance of the first punt. You can bet on Todd Gurley's first run.
You can bet on if there will be a lead change in the fourth quarter. You can bet on how many times Brady will pass. You can bet if there will be a two-point conversion. You can bet on the MVP.
-- After 22 months away from the ring, my favorite boxer -- Keith Thurman -- has won again. He beat Josesito Lopez in a close fight Saturday night. After fighting mostly against injuries for almost two years, it had to feel good to punch flesh again.
-- I saw a headline today that says "Tom Brady doesn't care about the Pro Bowl." What? Was he the player who was supposed to this year? And if so, isn't it comforting that someone should?
-- Here's a strong candidate for Moron of the Week. Detroit Lions' special teams player Trevor Bates skipped out on a cab fare, and when the cops came, he punched a police officer. Just a hunch, Trevor, but this is going to be worse than 15 yards.
-- If you're thinking that stardom has gone to Bates head, well, he had one whole tackle this season. I think the league can spare him.
-- Hey, I think Roger Goodell should say something about the no-call against the Saints, but really, what words are going to satisfy anyone. Even a lame "hey, there are mistakes. It's a human game" line -- all he could say, really -- would just stir the flames.
-- Raise your hand if you've heard everything you want to hear from Antonio Brown. There have been a lot of diva receivers, but this guy may be Princess of the Year.
-- The Rays want your money, but only electronically. As it turns out, the only cash allowable at Tropicana Field will be Kevin.
-- First powerless, now Cashless. The Rays are going to have to get by with less.
-- If recruiting rankings mean anything, USF isn't going to have a big year soon. According to 247sports.com, Florida is ranked 11th in recruiting, while FSU is 16th, UM 32nd and UCF 56th. USF is ranked 69th.
-- John Riggins, the old Redskin, is fighting to get extra benefits for the NFL's older retired players. Isn't that better than Eric Dickerson, who wants the Hall of Fame to pay for the right to honor him?
-- Former professional malcontent Terrell Owens says he is now the mentor for Antonio Brown. That's like buying a knife and having O.J. Simpson offer to give you lessons.
-- Those of you who are concerned about the Bucs' nearness to the salary cap should relax. They can save $13 million by cutting Gerald McCoy, $10 million by cutting DeSean Jackson and at least $7 million by not bringing back Brent Grimes.Five million of Vinny Curry's $8.5 million is guaranteed, but the Bucs really don't have that many can't-lose-them guys.
-- Fake athlete Ronda Rousey says it's fake news that she is leaving the fake sport of wrestling. Got that?
-- I don't know what little Danny Snyder is naming his boat, but I have a suggestion. How about the S.S. Last Place?
-- The Bears worked out ex-Bucs kicker Nick Folk this week, not the often-failing Roberto Aguayo. Forget that the Bucs spent a second-round pick on Aguayo. He'd have been a bust even if he hadn't have been a kicker. Drafting like that would doom Bruce Arians, too.
-- I was amused by the report that the Browns showed porn on the walls of their facility. I was doubly amused that it took more than 20 minutes to find the off-switch. Could it be that someone didn't know the difference between the porn and the way the Browns play?
-- I really like Wade Phillips. Wade, however, really likes former Buc Aqib Talib. I really don't.
-- Fansided.com says that the greatest draft steal of all time by the Bucs was John Lynch. Lynch was a heck of a player, and I think he should be in the Hall of Fame. But is a third-round draft pick (82nd overall) really a steal? Want a real steal? How about Dave Logan, a 12th-rounder in 1979.
-- Speaking of the Bucs, they don't get as much of a break as you might have imagined. They play the 12th hardest (tie) schedule in the NFL with a winning percentage of .508. That also includes a trip to London.
-- Hey, I think New Orleans was jobbed, too. But can the politicians get back to worrying about more important things than political grandstanding. "I am unequivocally against blown calls, and I am outraged to discover that the NFL has mistakes."
-- Oh, those wacky Cleveland Browns. After owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Eric Dorsey entered Hue Jackson's office and fired him, Jackson asked why. When told his team had quit on him (he was 3-36-1 at the time), Jackson said "get the f--- out of my office." My response would have been, "hey, bub. It ain't your office anymore. Besides, we need the room for all of your trophies."
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