LOOKING AHEAD TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL: BIG GAMES IN WEEK THREE

Week three brings the beginning of more compelling conference games, although the conference schedules will still be a week or two away from getting into full swing. The ACC boasts two contests that will have a big impact on the Coastal and Atlantic races, what most experts are calling the top four teams in action. Another ACC team hosts a squad many have as the favorite in Big Twelve, while a very important SEC East clash takes place in The Swamp.

Clemson @ Louisville: Last year’s game was a classic and set the stage for Clemson to contend for and eventually win the national championship. Both these teams will have been tested by FBS opponents by this point, so there won’t be a significant step up in class experienced by either one. With Florida State as the favorite in the ACC Atlantic, the loser of this one will have a difficult time contending for the title, especially with Clemson also having to travel to Blacksburg in an ACC Championship game rematch with Virginia Tech. Louisville’s path is significantly easier, as they draw the other, and much worse, Virginia ACC school. Can you say early elimination game?

Miami @ Florida State: The two favorites in their respective ACC divisions meet in a crucial early season with national implications. Mark Richt, the former Florida State offensive coordinator brings what many believe will be an improved Hurricane team into Tallahassee to face a Seminole team that will already have faced Alabama in week one. The outcome of that game will have a significant impact on the what this game means for the Seminoles. A win against the Tide and they emerge as favorites to get into the playoffs. A loss would mean another one against Miami spells elimination from national consideration. Intriguing to say the least, especially considering the import of this rivalry.

Wisconsin @ BYU: BYU’s late season schedule is probably too weak to put them into playoff consideration, regardless of their record, but to go undefeated they would have had to defeat LSU in week one and then the Badgers in this game. Stranger things have happened, especially early in the season. Wisconsin is always in the mix in the Big Ten, and this year they benefit from a much easier schedule than last year’s killer stretch to open the conference slate. They trade Ohio State for Maryland, a change that gives them a real chance to win the Big Ten West and contend for a playoff spot.

Baylor @ Duke:  On the surface, this game doesn’t have the national appeal of some of the other early season, inter-conference match-ups. However, prior to beating Boise State in the Cactus Bowl to end last season, Baylor had dropped its final six regular season games and more than one of those defeats were pretty ugly. With a new coach and hopefully more disciplined approach both on and off the field, I’m interested to see how the Bears come out of the chute. Duke took a step back last season and will be coming off a game against Northwestern, so we’ll  already have seen if the Blue Devils are headed  back in the right direction.

Oklahoma State @ Pittsburgh: Even before the retirement of Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, many experts were picking Oklahoma State as the favorites to win the Big 12. I’m not necessarily one of them, but a win in a tough place for visiting teams would go a long way toward changing my mind. As mentioned in an earlier post, the Panthers will be coming off a big rivalry game at Penn State. The outcome of that game will make a significant difference in what the contest against the Cowboys might mean.  Back to back upsets for Pitt could set them up for a breakthrough season.

Arizona State @ Texas Tech: Arizona State hasn’t won a football game since October of last year and with head coach Todd Graham on the hot seat, this one is important for the Sun Devils. Neither of these teams made it to bowl game last season and finished with identical 5 – 7 records. Last season Texas Tech was inconsistent on offense and just plain bad on defense, not a great combination in the high scoring Big 12. In their last eleven games, the Red Raiders yielded an average of just under 46 points a game. That’s a very big number, so it might actually be a blessing that they only return four starters off that defensive unit. Arizona State wasn’t any better, giving up almost 47 points a game during their six game losing streak to end the season. This one might end up looking like a basketball score.

Texas @ USC: The Tom Herman era begins at Texas with the former Houston coach making the short transition to Austin. With USC having faced Stanford in a big, early season conference game the prior week, the Longhorns may have an opportunity to catch the Trojans at an opportune time. They’ll need all the help they can get as USC will most likely open the season ranked in the top five nationally. With seven returning starters coming back off a decent defense, Texas has a chance of slowing down a team that won nine games in a row to end last season, capped off with a victory over Big Ten champ Penn State in the Rose Bowl. This one will probably have significant national implications.

Tennessee @ Florida: After Tennessee defeated Florida and followed it up with a win at Georgia to start the season 5 – 0 overall and 2 – 0 in the conference, it would have been difficult to find many that would have predicted that it would be the Gators playing for the SEC Championship against Alabama. But that’s exactly what happened as the Vols proceeded to lose their next three games to fall out of the SEC East race. Despite the odd outcome of last season, this will still be a significant game for these two teams that will probably be chasing Georgia for the division title. The Swamp should be rocking!

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.

LOOKING AHEAD TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL: BIG GAMES IN WEEK TWO

Week One isn't the only weekend where we'll see some intriguing college football games. We see some early conference action mixed in with several inter-regional affairs that will lhelp shape the rankings and establish some early favorites for the playoffs.

Louisville @ North Carolina: Louisville has their sensational quarterback, Lamar Jackson back and this game is interesting because the Tar Heels, after losing starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky to the NFL, are looking stay competitive in the ACC Coastal division. Last year, the Cardinals started out on fire and were within a score of upsetting Clemson and potentially taking control of the ACC. I’m curious to see if Louisville can bounce back from three straight losses to end their 2016 campaign where they gave up 106 points.

Auburn @ Clemson: The defending national champs began last year’s title run with a close win at Auburn. This one should tell us something about both these teams: Can Clemson compete nationally without quarterback Deshaun Watson and will Auburn be able get its offense up to their impressive midseason form of a year ago before they dropped three of four to end the season? Other than this game, Auburn’s non-conference schedule is a cake walk so a win is a necessity if they want to impress the playoff committee. Clemson will have to keep from peeking ahead to a big ACC game at Louisville the following week.

Nebraska @ Oregon: Oregon, coming off a four win season that included a 35 – 32 loss at Nebraska, has a new head coach. ‘Husker coach Mike Riley is very familiar with the Ducks’ Outzen Stadium from his days at Oregon State. Nebraska beat the teams it was supposed to a season ago, but stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their last six, including 62 – 3 at Ohio State and 40 – 10 at Iowa. Can they take the next step in the Big Ten, or even nationally? And will new coach Willie Taggart be able to revitalize Oregon?

Oklahoma @ Ohio State: On a day with some pretty impressive match-ups, this one just might be the best of the bunch. The Buckeyes, on their way to the national semifinals, dominated an Oklahoma team in week three, but the only thing the Sooners have lost since is long-time head coach Bob Stoops. He’s replaced by former offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, who at 33 is the youngest head man in the FBS. Before Stoops’ retirement, Oklahoma was a clear contender to get to the playoffs after getting left out last season, most likely due to that loss to the Buckeyes. This one has the look of an early elimination game.

Pittsburgh @ Penn State: In the renewal of a long rivalry, Penn State lost at Pittsburgh on its way to a 2 -2 start that had head coach James Franklin on the hot seat. All they did was run off nine victories in a row, including the Big Ten Championship game over Wisconsin. A close loss to USC in the Rose Bowl did nothing to dampen expectations coming into 2017. Pittsburgh also ended the regular season well, winning three in a row, starting with an upset of eventual national champion Clemson in Death Valley. Last year’s game was decided by three points, and this one has the potential to go down to the wire again.

Iowa @ Iowa State: This one really shouldn’t be close, but there is something about playing the Cyclones on their home field, where they generally pull a stunner or two every season. Last year, they shocked Texas Tech 66 – 10, eliminating the Red Raiders from bowl eligibility. Iowa is coming off a tough schedule and this could be a trap game for them. Last year they lost early to North Dakota State, which exposed their lack of offensive firepower when they get behind. Can Ames be the site of another Cyclone shocker over their in-state rivals?

TCU @ Arkansas: After a disappointing finish to the 2016 season, coach Bret Bielema’s Razorbacks need to improve on their 7 – 6 record to keep him off a very hot seat. Arkansas squandered a promising 3 – 0 start, with one of those wins coming at TCU in double overtime. This will be an early indication of whether the Hogs can improve on their 3 – 5 conference record. TCU was equally unimpressive the last half of the season and is looking to get back in the Big 12 mix. Fourteen returning starters should help, as long as they show improvement from a year ago.

Utah @ BYU: This game is usually a gem of a rivalry, especially when both teams are nationally relevant. Given the schedules these two teams face, a win in Provo is especially important. Last season Utah was contending for a potential Pac-12 South title before dropping regular season-ending games to Oregon and Colorado. BYU lost four games to Utah, UCLA, West Virginia and Boise State in 2016 by a total of eight points and recorded wins over Arizona, Michigan State and Mississippi State. They’ll be coming off a big game against LSU as they host the Utes. With their schedule and a little better luck in 2017, we could be talking about the Cougars come playoff selection time.

Georgia @ Notre Dame: After one of the worst seasons in recent years, the Irish need to get off to an encouraging start. The schedule isn’t  brutal, but it does include USC, Miami of FL (also Miami of Ohio) and Stanford, among others. A win over the Bulldogs would go a long way to erase the memory of a four win season that included losses to Navy and Duke. But it won’t be easy against a Georgia team that returns ten defensive starters off a team that went 8 – 5 a year ago. Both teams have a lot to play for and it should be an entertaining contest.

Houston @ Arizona: This game wouldn’t ordinarily be on my radar, but Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez has to be on the hot seat after a 3 – 9 campaign that included an eight game losing streak. In Houston, Major Applewhite takes over for Tom Herman, who takes over at Applewhite’s alma mater. A lot of interesting story lines in this one, but the most compelling is that Herman left the cabinet not just full, but probably overflowing with seventeen starters returning from a very good football team. The Cougars should have a field day against a bad Arizona defense and I just don’t see the Wildcats being able to keep up. That’s not such a great thing for Rodriguez and his future in Tuscon.

Stanford @ USC: It’s no mystery why this game is on the list. Stanford will be coming off an opening game against fellow rich school Rice in Australia. USC will be trying to extend a ten game winning streak, provided they get past Western Michigan in week one, which is no guarantee. The Trojans boast Sam Darnold, one of the top quarterbacks in college football while Stanford will have to replace Mr. Everything, Christian McCaffery. Can USC be relevant come playoff selection time? Can Stanford generate enough offense to compete in the Pac-12? I guess we’ll see on September 9.

Boise State @ Washington State: Last season, Washington State left Boise in week two with an 0 – 2 record and their coach, Mike Leach on the hot seat. After eight consecutive wins, the Cougars were in the hunt for a conference title before dropping their last three games. Boise lost to Air Force in the final week when they were in contention to be the Group of Five representative in a major bowl. I just like the regional appeal of this game, given Washington State’s proximity to the state of Idaho. Leach returns fourteen position starters off last year’s team, so expectations are high in Pullman. Boise State, well they lost a lot of talent so this game should be a good measuring stick for Broncos.

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.

LOOKING AHEAD TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL: BIG GAMES IN WEEK ONE

BIG COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES: WEEK ONE

With the college football season fast approaching, in the coming weeks I’ll be focusing on the sport in a number of ways. Starting out, it will be to shine the spotlight on the handful of top games for each week. My criteria for a Big Game are not necessarily rankings of the teams or even that the match-up will result in a close score. I’m more interested in highlighting those games that have some factor to create interest or entertainment value. You’ll have to wait until game week for any predictions.

Washington @ Rutgers: Washington is one of the best teams in the country, a conference champion and playoff semifinalist in 2016. Rutgers is one of the worst teams in the country, losers of their last nine games to close out last season, including four by shutout and two others where they scored only seven points. It’s not like the season started out all that well, either for Rutgers, traveling to Washington to open their schedule with a 48 – 13 drubbing by the Huskies. So why, you ask, is this game on the list, and the first one at that? West Coast teams don’t traditionally travel east all that well. The Friday night 8:00 pm EDT start will benefit the Huskies, but I’m still interested if the combination of the time zone difference combined with some overconfidence will affect their effort. Rutgers returns eight starters off a really bad defense, but part of that is the fact that their offense was rarely on the field. Improvement in one could benefit the other unit.

Alabama vs. Florida State, Atlanta, GA:  Many prognosticators have these two teams making the playoffs. I can see ‘Bama getting there even with a loss in this game, but the ‘Noles have a killer schedule and it will be tough for them to recover from a defeat and still run the table. If the experts are to be believed, Florida State has a plethora of young talent coming into Tallahassee, and Alabama, well, uh, hmm…okay, they’re Alabama. There are a number of commentators, myself included, who believe that despite recent SEC successes, the ACC was a better league in 2016. Not that Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban cares about that kind of thing, but the last second loss to Clemson out of the ACC in the national championship game could serve as a little bit of extra motivation.

West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech, Landover, MD: If you’re looking for darkhorses on the national scene in 2017, this game features a couple of candidates. This is the renewal of a long-standing rivalry, with the teams meeting 51 times dating from 1912, and annually from 1973 – 2005, when Va. Tech joined the ACC.  Last season, the Hokies gave eventual national champion Clemson all they could handle in the ACC Championship  Game, then exploded for 35 straight points in the second half of the Belk Bowl to beat Arkansas. West Virginia went 10-2, with defeats at Oklahoma State and at home to Oklahoma before a disappointing loss to Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The Mountaineers get Florida transfer Will Grier eligible at quarterback, but an inexperienced defense could be a problem.  After quarterback Jerod Evans left early for the NFL, Tech was left without any experienced signal callers. Who will emerge as the starter is still undetermined.

Michigan vs. Florida, Arlington, TX: After a 31 – 10 loss at Arkansas last season, the Gators had fallen to 4 – 2 in the SEC and head coach Jim McEwain’s seat in Gainesville was starting to get a little warm. But a big upset at LSU gave Florida the SEC East title and despite a drubbing from Alabama in the SEC championship  game, the Gators throttled Iowa 30 -3 in the Outback Bowl and things are a bit more optimistic starting 2017. They will still need to gain more consistency on offense if they want to contend for an SEC crown and playoff spot. After faltering at the end of last season, Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines are expected to take a step back and for that reason, this game will generate a lot of interest nationally. Michigan only returns one starter from last year’s stellar defensive unit, but I’m certain Harbaugh will have some extra motivation to beat an SEC team.

BYU vs. LSU, Houston, TX: This is a so-called neutral site contest, but with Baton Rouge (the home of LSU) about four hours from NRG Stadium, it will seem more like a Tiger home game. LSU will be a heavy favorite, but BYU’s four losses in 2016 were at Utah, home against UCLA, to West Va. in Landover, Md. and at Boise State by a total of eight points. Head coach Ed Orgeron can’t let his LSU team take the Cougars lightly if they want to make some noise nationally in his first full year at the helm.

South Carolina @ NC State: These are two teams that went 6 – 6 in the regular season a year ago and haven’t been particularly relevant in their respective leagues in a while. So what is my fascination with just another early season inter-conference game between middling opponents? Both have a lot of experience coming back (South Carolina has seventeen returning starters, NC State sixteen) and my feeling is that at least one of them, if not both, will find a way to score a major upset at some point in the season. The Wolfpack was within a field goal of knocking off both Clemson and Florida State last season. South Carolina avoids the big boys in the SEC West, taking on Arkansas and Texas A&M instead of Alabama, Auburn or LSU. This could be a key non-conference win for one of them as the season plays out.

Texas A&M @ UCLA: The Aggies began a 6 – 0 start last season with a big overtime win over the Bruins, a team that was highly touted in preseason. But UCLA lost QB Josh Rosen for the season and won only four games while A&M went on their traditional late season swoon. This year, both programs are expecting better things but for that to happen, it will have to start with a win in the Rose Bowl. For UCLA, Rosen needs to return from injury and play like the Heisman Trophy candidate he was a year ago. For Texas A&M, they need to shore up a defense that despite having top overall NFL pick Myles Garrett, was among the worst in the nation. Both of these coaches need to show some improvement to keep their jobs, which is what makes this a compelling opening weekend interregional battle.

Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA: Last year, Tennessee won their first five games, raising expectations to an unrealistic level, given the talent on defense. Then they did the unthinkable in losing to Vanderbilt to end the regular season. Georgia Tech righted the ship to win six of their last seven and return fifteen starters as they look to challenge for the ACC Coastal Division title. This is another SEC – ACC match-up with a lot on the line, especially for Volunteer head coach Butch Jones. Even though he scratched out nine wins, that loss to Vandy had to hurt in Knoxville. The Yellow Jackets will be playing about four miles from their campus, so it’s hardly a neutral site. However, Tennessee travels well and could have more fans in attendance than Georgia Tech. It won’t be the Battle at Bristol, but the Vols will still be looking to take out a Tech from the ACC for the second consecutive year.

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.

TUESDAY MUSINGS: WHINING AT THE US OPEN, DURANT TASTES A TITLE, FOOTBALL ON THE HORIZON

US Open Whiners, Not Winners: One hundred and fifty-six golfers, mostly so-called professionals will tee off Thursday morning at Erin Hills in Wisconsin for the 117th U.S. Open Golf Championship. They'll be gunning for a $2.1 million winners check, be pampered with courtesy cars, brand new practice golf balls, entourages of coaches and caddies, etc. etc. etc. But many of them have taken time out of their busy schedule to criticize the USGA on everything from the course setup to rules changes to  the color of head man Mike Davis' golf hat. Okay, maybe not the hat, but pretty much a wide array of topics. They even question what the USGA is doing with the $320 million the organization has in an investment fund. Don't get me wrong, the entity that rules the game in the United States needs to be held accountable for their actions, but it seems a bit extreme coming from a group that gets paid an insane amount of money for playing a game that most of spend a lot of our income in which to participate. The FedEx points winner takes home $10 million, and that's in addition to the over $1 million for winning the tournament and the $5 million plus that they are bound to have won during the season. I agree that the handling of the Dustin Johnson penalty at last year's tournament at Oakmont was atrocious. I've been critical of their decision to go with Fox as their broadcast partner. But last time I checked, deep rough, punitive sand traps and fast greens are part of the game. If you think you're the best, then shut up and prove it on the golf course. Whining and complaining is weak and unprofessional. The course conditions and setup apply to all 156 players. Unfair is an incorrect and ignorant categorization. Unfair is when something isn't applied consistently to all competitors. I don't see anyone with a weedeater lowering the rough for one player or creating an additional obstacle for another. So what if they can't break par? At the end of the day, it's totally irrelevant. The point is to get it around for four days in the least number of strokes. There aren't any bonuses for lower scores. For me, I'm very intrigued by how the potentially longest course in U.S. Open history will hold up to what is a truly great and compelling field. And I can't wait for the whine fest after Thursday's opening round.

Warriors' Kevin Durant Gets a Ring: We'll never know, but without Kevin Durant, the Golden State Warriors may very well have been watching Lebron James lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to another NBA championship. But when the former Oklahoma City Thunder star took his talents to the Bay Area, it set the stage for his first and probably not last title. The Warriors won the series in what will look like a dominant 4 - 1 edge, but if the Cavs don't tank in the final three minutes of Game 3, the result could have been very different. Even the outcome of Game 5 was in question until Durant took over in the fourth quarter. The question at this point is how long Golden State can sustain this run. Recent history would indicate that it won't be for very long, if only because it's difficult to keep three or four elite players together for four years or more. The Warriors have Klay Thompson on the block first, and he can be a key player for any franchise. That leaves Steph Curry and Draymond Green, then Durant for them to try to keep. Will Thompson give up max money to stay? Will the others? With the increased salary cap at the expense of ESPN, players can still make an unbelievable amount of money if they're willing to subordinate their egos in order to accumulate titles. I can't answer for the importance of the symbolism of the money versus the actual value for each individual player. But I can give my opinion on what could happen for the better part of a decade if the current Warriors collectively decide to stay where they are, and it doesn't bode well for Lebron James, unless he decides to to what Durant did, and join the party in Oakland.

Is It Football Season Yet? Not quite, but with the NBA and to a lesser extent, the NHL season's behind us, we can at least see it from here. Sure, we have the NBA draft, a couple of golf majors, tennis' Wimbledon and plenty of dog days major league games to fill our time, but most of the sports conversation will be around the upcoming college and professional football seasons. Can Clemson repeat with a new quarterback? Will Alabama be back for another run? Does Bob Stoops' surprising retirement derail Oklahoma's title chances? Is the fourth College Football Playoff committee going to be similar to last season or add more guess work for coaches and administrators? No, of course, probably, absolutely. Now I'll take them one at a time, starting with Clemson. It's hard enough to contend in consecutive seasons with the same team without having to incorporate a new player at a key position. Clemson will be good, but they have a tougher schedule in 2017, having to play at Virginia Tech and contend with Florida State and Louisville in the Atlantic Division. Alabama simply reloads and I'm sure the way Deshaun Watson shredded the Tide defense for the second year in a row won't sit well with head coach Nick Saban. The most stunning news of the college offseason was the retirement of Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops. He was replaced by 33 year old offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, another surprise. The Sooners have a national title contending team, but the change at the top could have an impact, especially with a week two visit to Ohio State looming. I'm wondering if this is an Urban Meyer type move and we'll see Stoops emerge in a new locale in a year or two, but that's a question within an answer. Finally, with Frank Beamer and Jeff Bower, both former coaches, replacing Condoleeza Rice and Barry Alvarez on the committee, there can't help but be a change in how the committee acts. It will be interesting to see how having more of coaching perspective will affect the rankings and eventual makeup of the playoffs themselves.

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.

WARRIORS AND CAVS ON COLLISION COURSE FOR THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON: IS IT HISTORIC?

Despite a surprising last second loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still overwhelming favorites to meet Western Conference champion Golden State in the NBA Finals. It would mark the third consecutive year that the two teams have met with the championship on the line. How rare a circumstance would it be, not just in the NBA, but in the Big Four professional sports leagues? Let's look back and see.

NFL: I went back only so far as the beginning of the Super Bowl era, but that's still over fifty years of championship games. Despite the dominance at times of the Packers, Steelers, Cowboys, 49er's and Patriots, there has only been one repeat match-up in Super Bowl history. That came in 1994 when Dallas dismantled Buffalo for the second consecutive year. Forget about two teams meeting for three years in a row. In fact, only two teams have made it to three or more Super Bowls in a row: Miami from 1972 - 1974 and Buffalo from 1991 - 1994. Granted, the NFL and NBA are drastically different leagues, with just a couple of basketball players capable of making a team dominant for a few years. But it still shows how difficult it is for two teams to meet each other for the title in consecutive seasons.

NHL: I went back to about the same time, the mid-1960's, to look for consecutive meetings in the Stanley Cup Final.  Prior to then, the NHL was a small league with just the original six members, producing a lot of teams meeting a couple of years in a row. Still, we have to go back to Detroit and Montreal in 1954 - 1956 to get three seasons in a row of the same teams in the final. Since 1965, there have been four repeat meetings for Lord Stanley's Cup, the last one in 2008 - 2009 between Pittsburgh and Detroit. This is despite the tendency for hockey teams to have significant runs of excellence, like the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings.

Major League Baseball: You would think that with the Yankees and Cardinals combining for fifty-nine World Series appearances and thirty eight wins, they would have met in consecutive fall classics at some point in the last 50+ years, which comprises the expansion era of baseball. Well, it just hasn't happened. There has only been one repeat, that being the '78 series between the Yankees and the Dodgers. You would also think, given the ineptness of teams like Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and others, that we would have seen an extended run of repeat Series from 1920 - 1964. Well, you would be wrong. We have to go all the way back to 1923 to find the third Series in a row that pitted the aforementioned Yankees against the then-New York Giants.

NBA: Not surprisingly, the league with the most back-to-back Finals is the one with the fewest players on the roster. Ten times since 1963 the same teams have met two years in a row, twice in the last four seasons. But even with that total, the same teams have never, in the history of the NBA, played for the title three times in a row. What about Magic and Bird, you ask? Even though they combined for seven NBA titles, they only met twice in the Finals in non-consecutive seasons.

So what do we make of this potential development? There are a couple of things, actually. One is, don't count the Celtics out of this series. Even with the Chicago Cubs breaking their jinx-provoked streak in the World Series, at least they'd won before. The Cavaliers advancing to play the Warriors erases the word "never" from the description of three consecutive finals with the same teams. Another is that all of the panic expressed by some members of the media over the lack of competitive balance in the league is probably misplaced and blown out of proportion. It can most likely be chalked up to a circumstance of these particular teams getting to the Finals at this point in time. But don't forget, it's still "never" happened. At least not yet.

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.

SERENA'S PREGNANCY, TIGER'S SURGERY, JUNIOR'S RETIREMENT

The last couple of weeks has brought us some varying news about three of the most compelling figures from the last twenty years in sports. It all demonstrates that even famous and accomplished athletes are not immune from age, injury or the realities of life.

Serena Williams is Expecting: In what I consider exciting news, twenty-three time singles Grand Slam tournament winner and thirty-five year old Serena Williams announced last week that she is pregnant and will miss the rest of the 2017 tennis season. I don't know her personally, but through the years I have come to have enormous respect for her in the way she graciously conducts herself off the court, as well as the way she performs on it. Her talent is immense, and along with Tiger Woods, I consider them the two greatest individual sport athletes this country has produced. Serena is arguably the greatest female athlete in history. I'm thrilled that she will be a parent, and am curious what her path will be over the next couple of years. Will she choose to return to competitive tennis, looking to eclipse Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam singles titles? Or will her current open-era record be good enough to send her off into a period of parenthood and post-playing activities? Either way, up to this point, she's certainly earned the option to do whatever she pleases without criticism from any quarters. Many athletes of her gender have chosen to leave their sports behind, but several did not. Kerrie Walsh won an Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball, Evonne Goolagong won a tennis U.S. Open and Nancy Lopez continued to compete in golf following the birth of their children. Will she be as driven, be able to compete at the same high level and possibly get those two Grand Slams? I tend to believe that age, not her gender or childbearing, will be the biggest obstacle. But if she can take a year or so off and play at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows in 2018, I won't be betting against her chances for victory.

Is Tiger Done? After a fourth surgery on his back, fourteen time major tournament winner Tiger Woods is again sidelined for an extensive period of time. Most experts agree that it will take about six months of recovery and rehabilitation for Woods to return to playing golf, competitive or otherwise. The big questions remain: Will he be able to compete and will he want to compete, even if he's able? Who really knows? At the age of 41, it's highly unlikely that we will see Woods add to his major victory total, making Nicklaus' record of eighteen safe for the foreseeable future. Of current players, only Rory McIlroy is probably in a position to challenge the record. Sorry Jordan Spieth fans, but I just don't see it happening. I haven't seen the singularity of focus on the golf course from any of the current top golfers that both Nicklaus and Woods displayed in their prime. It's unfortunate that we haven't seen much of Tiger since a great 2013 season. It's my suspicion that outside of assistant and eventual head captains' roles at Ryder and President Cups, we've likely seen the last of him in an active role at a competitive golf event. But if it is the end, it's the end of one of the greatest runs in sports history. Not only did Tiger Woods win in ridiculous and exciting fashion, he transformed the game in the process. Who else but Tiger Woods could have forced Augusta National to significantly alter their beloved golf course? No one, that's who.

Fan Fave, Link to the Past: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. never won a Winston/Sprint/Whatever the Cup is called now title in his over twenty years of NASCAR racing. But he carried the name of one of the greats of the sport. Since Sr.'s death at Daytona over sixteen years ago, Jimmy Johnson has dominated on the track, but Dale Jr. has dominated in the stands and on the various networks that have carried the sports' races. Earlier this week, Jr. announced that this season would be his last. He sat out most of last year with effects from concussions and came back this season looking to be competitive again for Hendrick Motorsports. However, a series of DNF's, disappointing finishes and concern for his long-term health prompted his decision to leave the driving to younger guys with a passion for racing. I can't help but speculate that his father's death behind the wheel at Daytona in 2001 and Junior's recent marriage had to play a part in his choice. After all, he's a car owner, so he won't be leaving the sport he loves and grew up on. The bigger question is, in a crowded sports landscape, can NASCAR withstand the retirement of yet another popular driver?

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.

THURSDAY HOMER REPORT: HOKIES, REDSKINS, CAPITALS AND RAZORBACKS

As many readers of this blog know, I am a fan of the Virginia Tech Hokies, Washington Redskins, Washington Capitals and the Arkansas Razorbacks. I rarely take the opportunity to comment on them as a whole, but with a recent scheduling announcement, the NFL draft a couple of weeks away, the NHL playoffs just beginning and the NCAA baseball season in full swing, I thought I'd take a little time to review some current news.

Hokies to Open 2018 Against The 'Noles: In the prior four seasons, the Virginia Tech regular season football schedule has been absent of both the Florida State Seminoles and Clemson Tigers, the top two programs in the ACC Atlantic Division during that time frame. That changes this season, as the Hokies will follow up a close loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship game with a meeting in Blacksburg on September 30. In 2018, a schedule change announced this week will pit the Hokies against Florida State in Tallahassee to open the season on Memorial Day weekend. It's a shrewd move by the ACC, especially if Virginia Tech continues to make progress after last season's surprising performance under first year head coach Justin Fuente and transfer QB Jerod Evans, who is headed to the NFL. Given the recent success of Florida State and their last couple of recruiting classes, it's unlikely that the 'Noles won't be in the national championship mix for years to come. The advantage of having what could arguably be two of the top four teams in the league face off in week one is that early losses are much easier from which to recover than those incurred later in the season. It's unlikely that more than a team or two will go undefeated for the season, so a setback against a quality team to open the season can easily be forgotten by the time the playoff committee makes their final four announcement in December. Remember the Ohio State Buckeyes, the inaugural playoff champion? They lost to Virginia Tech at home in week two in 2014, but went on to run the table and lift the championship trophy. The ACC, with two of the last four national champions, is trying to oust the SEC as the top conference in college football, and opening season matchups like they'll put on display in 2018 can't help give them a boost in the court of public opinion, no matter how finicky that can be.

What Are The Redskins Thinking? It's been twenty-five years since the Super Bowl Trophy has resided inside the nation's capital. Given the way owner Daniel Snyder is handling things, it might be another quarter of a century until they see another one. Really? Another year of a franchise tag for Kirk Cousins? A mysterious firing of the General Manager? So that means no long-term deal for a quarterback that is easily capable of leading the 'Skins for the next five to eight years and a lack of football acumen in the front office. It's actually hard to believe that the NFC East, which recorded ten wins in sixteen Super Bowl appearances with every team in the division represented from 1971 - 1996, has just two wins in four appearances in the twenty years since. My point here is that unless things change quickly in Washington, I doubt they'll be among the division's teams other than New York to break through anytime soon. After drafting Kirk Cousins in the same draft where they took RGIII with the top pick, they've seemingly treated him as an afterthought, even though his play on the field has been stellar. I can understand the rationale for tagging Cousins and they can do it again in 2018 if they want to throw away a lot of money for a quarterback who will almost surely be playing elsewhere in 2019. Why not lock up the guy for a few years, especially since he is just entering what most experts consider to be a quarterback's prime? I don't get it, and apparently they don't either.

League Has Caps Right Where They Want Them: The easiest time to beat the Washington Capitals is in the playoffs. Despite sporting the best record in the league for a second consecutive season, few that follow the NHL expect the Caps to even get to the Eastern Conference finals. Last year, the Pittsburgh Penguins knocked them out of the playoffs on their way to the Stanley Cup title, something Washington is still seeking after more than forty years in the league. This year, if the Caps get by the Toronto Maple Leafs, they'll probably need to get past the Pens again to advance, historically a difficult match-up for them. It almost defies the odds that Washington has only been to a single Stanley Cup final in a league that has what is clearly the most unpredictable playoffs year in and year out. I've heard all of the analysis, from the position that the Caps don't play the right style of hockey to win in playoffs to one that their regular season wins don't really matter that much. The analyst in me wants to agree, but the fan side of me just wants to say "Puck You" and chalk it up to bad luck. Heck, the Cubs broke through last year, maybe it's the Caps' turn in 2017. Why not? Oh yeah, they're not built for playoff hockey.

Razorbacks' Baseball Bounces Back: Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn suffered through his worst season as a college baseball coach as the Hogs finished at 26 - 29, with a monumental meltdown in the second half of the schedule. Injuries and youth played a big part in that, and as of this writing they stand and at 26 - 8 overall, 8 - 4 in the SEC and ranked 15th nationally with an RPI of 22nd. With Georgia, not one of this year's SEC powers rolling into Baum Stadium for an Easter weekend series, the Hogs stand a decent chance of bettering those numbers. After an impressive Friday night win last week over LSU, Arkansas blew an 8 - 1 lead on Saturday, then suffered a hangover 2 - 0 loss on Sunday to spoil what could have been a breakout series. With series opening pitcher Blaine Knight virtually unhittable, the Hogs are certain to be in position to win every series the rest of the way. If they can avoid a bullpen meltdown like last Saturday's, it's possible for them to make a run at hosting a regional in Fayetteville and challenging for another berth in the College World Series in Omaha.

Hear my recent interview with legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg, where we discussed his agency, concussions, franchise relocation and philanthropy at http://thechtonsports.com/cold-hard-truth-sports-radio-show-1242017/

Also listen to our conversation with author and sports journalist Mike Carey, as we discussed his latest book "Bad News" about Marvin Barnes and reminisced about Mike's coverage of the Boston Celtics during their glory years with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge and Robert Parish. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/golongmedia/2017/02/08/the-cold-hard-truth-on-sports-radio-show

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com and listen to me Friday's at 8:40 am EDT/ 7:40 am CDT on Lou in the Morning, streaming live on www.WPFLradio.com, 105.1 FM. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.