Missed Opportunities

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

The Cast

By the Fillerbuster

December 6^th, 2023

I promised myself I would get more of these out, and I am down for the count this afternoon, so I thought I would get some thoughts on the page.

Let’s call it “Missed Opportunities.”

• STEELERS:  Matt Canada was PART of the problem, but not the whole problem.  The Steelers losing to two 2-10 teams consecutively is sad to a whole new level, but orchestrating both events at the HOME crib is downright insulting.  When your 2^nd stringer is being booed before half with the crowd chanting the 3^rd stringer’s name, there are issues.  Even Mother Nature didn’t want the public to see their offense the week before against the Cardinals.  They fundamentally lost to two teams trying to tank.  Mike Tomlin is not on the hot seat, but with the weapons they have in house on offense and that ridiculous defense, just having a streak of winning seasons shouldn’t satisfy fans either.  Initiate a large change of paradigm, everyone in that building.  And stop having Mitch throw a deep fade on a 4^th and 2 late in the game with one timeout. He is a backup because…he is a backup. And, when a fan base is missing the days with Mason Rudolph, somehow thinking those days were good, that is a sign that this present act should now be officially DONE.
• BRONCOS:  Somehow the Broncos still had a chance in the Texans game at the end, even with all of the bad decisions that were made throughout the game.  They had a hot streak going.  They were the talk of the town.  They were playing against a rookie who is playing next level oddly.  They had a good chance to extend that streak with a couple more smarter plays.  Next.  The Chargers are not on fire exactly, but still are dangerous. Then, the Broncos go TO Detroit.  These two games might be a reality check, and then they also play the Patriots.
• CFP-UGA, FSU:  Before the votes came down, I said I could make a legitimate, almost airtight for either of the two teams who got left out of the mix.  Georgia, Florida State, Texas, and Alabama all had rights to be in the CFP for those two spots (with Washington and Michigan being the Given in this Proof).  All had very good reasons to be subbed out too.  Here is where I stand, noting that I know that YOU can also make an airtight against my opinion.  It is a vicious circle.  Anyway, the first answer is that they should have moved to the six team playoff years ago like I suggested here since the CFP came out.  Moving on though, it should have been Florida State and Texas.  Although I could spend all afternoon running through schedules, stat rankings, shared opponents, etc., I find this method much easier (considering there IS no fully correct answer).  Anyway:
  • Although we want the best four teams, A) the entire season has to matter, B) injuries happen to everyone, and C) this is not a predictive model.  Why did we even play the season if we are all Nostradamos?
  • No one can help that conferences are cyclical.  There are years where teams are better and years when teams aren’t.
  • Although we all know that Georgia is one of the best four teams in reality, they did not win their conference.  If a comparable conference-winning team is available, go with the one that won their conference.
  • Florida State won their Power 5 conference, was undefeated, and that is that.  No one could have predicted that Clemson was down and UNC would choke again.  No one could predict that no one would step up in their absence.  There have been some years where Clemson would run the table and then win it all or at least make the dance.  FSU survived, the starting QB in the playoff would have been their 2^nd string QB and not the freshman we saw in the ACC title game, and they got treated unfairly in the endgame.
  • Therefore, given the above, we are looking for one conference champ who is comparable to Georgia, who didn’t win theirs.  So, who do we have?  We have Bama with one loss.  They are good, but who did they lose to?  They lost to Texas (IN Bama), also a conference champion.  Ok, so Bama is NOT the best conference champion available, that would dictate.  Who did Texas lose to?  Oh, they lost to their longtime rival, OU, on a neutral field, who is also in the top 15 teams.  Texas qualifies over Georgia.
  • Oregon blew it twice against Washington, Ohio State lost to Michigan, then we get to two loss teams, and yada yada yada. 
• EAGLES: The Eagles lost to the Niners, and now everyone is writing them off.  Do we really think that the Eagles are that far off?  The Niners found a few deficiencies and the Eagles had a BAD NIGHT.  They simply need to focus on getting that rematch in the playoffs at home and call it a day.  Sure, I know the ridiculous Deebo stat, but there is always some sort of countermove.
• BASEBALL FANS:  It will be fun finding out where Ohtani lands, but this is one circus I DID want to see all of the bells and whistles on.  He is doing everything under the radar when he could be entertaining the heck out of the masses and gaining more baseball fans in the meantime.
• STARTING NFL QB’S:  No one is out of the mix, because everyone is dropping like flies.  I was most impressed by Jake Browning and his post-game presence.  He reminded us that all NFL players have been winners at everything they have done at all other levels.  They don’t lose that EDGE or swagger sitting on the sideline.  Some just don’t get the spotlight.  He might be a later-blooming star in the making.  It was refreshing to hear him talk afterwards.
• COLLEGE HOOPS BLUE BLOODS:  Lots of odd losses in the last week, where a couple of teams could have risen above the rest.  UK, Purdue, Marquette, UNC…just to name a few.   This hook is actually a double whammy.  Rutgers just landed the #2 recruit in the nation shortly after landing the #3 recruit.  It has always been odd how that school hasn’t made a decent run on first tier prospects in Philly and New York, but perhaps that run is starting right now.  You missed out on some five-stars, blue bloods.
• EVERYONE BUT THE PACERS AND LAKERS:  It doesn’t matter who wins on Saturday.  Haliburton is now a name out of the basketball junkie world, and LeBron caring this much (of course wanting to be the first In-Season Champion for his resume) should be an alert to everyone.  THEY also should have cared more about this thing…as much as LeBron, as much as the media, and as much as the fans.
• RAHM:  He wasn’t as loud as Rory, but Jon heading to LIV really is going to make people not think he is as loveable as he made us think.
• JUAN SOTO:  This isn’t the early 2000’s when the Red Sox and Yankees were in bidding wars, Juan.  I think SoCal would have been a better home.

That’s it for today.  As one shepherd said to the other, I am going to get the flock out of here.  Onward and upward, all.

(and all of my stuff from the last blog is still moving forward…good stuff on all fronts)