Knucklehead of the Week
There is a reason the wildly talented Vontaze Burfict went undrafted in 2012. And, of course, there’s a reason the Bengals were the team that signed him as a free agent. Burfict has been fined by the NFL five times in the past 12 months, including a $12,000 smack upside the head for a double-barreled, middle-finger salute to Bengals fans during last week’s loss to Buffalo at Paul Brown Stadium. Burfict has lost more than $800,000 to fines or suspension in his career, a staggering figure that makes you wonder what this guy will have left in the bank when he retires (or is kicked out of the league).
I made my annual Black Friday trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods and two things stood out: 1) Brick-and-mortar stores are still relevant. It was nearly impossible to find a parking spot and the lines were long. 2) Champion is the sports clothing brand that delivers the most bang for the buck. Much better than Nike.
Ohio State's scintillating knockout of Michigan showed the importance of the dual-threat quarterback in college football. For most of the game, J.T. Barrett's legs provided the entire Buckeye offense. It was a threat Michigan's pro-style offense couldn't match, and in the end the mere threat of Barrett running made Curtis Samuel's winning touchdown run that much easier.
For much of The Game, things were upside down. Ohio State wore charcoal helmets (huh?), Kirk Herbstreit never mentioned “setting the edge,” which he loves to do, and the Buckeyes defense was a bigger threat to score than their offense. But Barrett’s legs took over just in time; there was no other option. What a classic.
The Miami RedHawks started the season 0-6, but will take a six-game winning streak into a bowl game. A bowl game! Thanks to a change at quarterback that put the football in Gus Ragland's hands, Miami will be playing in December. Its destination could be anywhere from Detroit to the Bahamas. Some Miami grads I know are hoping for the Bahamas.
I love the round-robin men's basketball event Wright State is hosting this weekend. It's not a tournament, but it gives the Raiders an opportunity to play three quality opponents, including a non-hockey matchup against North Dakota on Saturday night. WSU wraps up the weekend at 4:30 p.m. today against North "Swoop Life" Florida.
Glad to see Ed Orgeron get the LSU job. Listening to him talk is always fun. My kids know him as "that guy from The Blind Side." Look for the Tigers to have the best recruiting classes in the nation for the next few years. The teenagers love Coach O. His energy might even translate into a win or two against Alabama.
UD volleyball has been one of the most consistent programs around in recent years. The Flyers are 30-1 this season and get their NCAA tournament assignment tonight. UD is 183-42 in the past seven seasons, a winning percentage of .813. If you've never seen college volleyball in person, I highly recommend checking it out. Great action.
Trending up: Western Michigan, Kevin Love, Butler. WMU looks like the Group of Five school that will get an invite to a big bowl game. The "row the boat" storyline is beginning to make me ill, and I'm not convinced P.J. Fleck and his cute ties equal the second coming of Vince Lombardi, but I'll be cheering for the Broncos in the Cotton Bowl. First, they need to get past Ohio U. in the MAC championship game.
Trending down: Heath Nielsen, Leonard Fournette, Sam Bradford. Nielsen, an athletic department official at Baylor University, was arrested after he allegedly attacked a reporter after the Bears' 62-22 loss at TCU earlier this month. Nielsen went after a reporter who was trying to take a photo with a player, saying the scribe was violating a rule. They have more important things to worry about at Baylor these days.
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