Sports 2018: Scandals and Comebacks

OK, so what else happened this year besides LeBron James moving west, another NBA title for the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia's Eagles flying home with a Super Bowl, the Boston Red Sox winning another World Series, the Washington Capitals swigging the Stanley Cup, players taking a knee, and Colin Kaepernick does TV commercials instead of playing football?

• Larry Nasser, who was a team physician for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, is off to prison for sexually assaulting female athletes.  Because of what this man did (and the many gymnasts who were brave enough to point him out in court), women and young girls will think twice before ever trusting their bodies to team doctors again.  And unless your name is Simone Biles, the future of gymnastics in this country is in peril.
• Serena Williams, who pretty much is women's tennis these days, amazed the world with her comeback from a difficult pregnancy,  She also alienated a lot of folks for her meltdown at the finals of the U.S. Open, losing points for alleged cheating and the match to newcomer Naomi Osaka.
• Even though the PGA Tour promotes its golfers in its ads as "these guys are good", there's only one who still draws crowds and spikes tournament TV ratings whenever he plays:  Tiger Woods.  After a decade of injuries and scandal, Woods became relevant again in winning the Tour Championship.  Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka won two of the four golf majors this year (U.S. Open and PGA Championship).  He's good, too.
• The U.S. Supreme Court in April struck down a 1992 federal law prohibiting states from legalizing sports betting.  Who this benefits other than casinos in Las Vegas and states hoping to cash in on the possible tax revenue is hard to say.  But we won't be looking at the final score the same way again.
• After the Vegas Golden Knights went to the Stanley Cup finals in their first season, the National Hockey League is hoping lightning strikes again in Seattle.  That's when an expansion team will hit the ice come 2021.  The enthusiasm for hockey might be there, but one wonders if the folks in the Emerald City would prefer to see the NBA Sonics return.

In Minnesota, departures were the big story.

• Lindsay Whalen ended her long playing career that included a Women's Final Four appearance as a Minnesota Gopher, gold medals as part of the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team, and four WNBA titles with the Minnesota Lynx.  Whalen has returned to her alma mater as the new Gopher women's basketball coach, and so far her team is doing very well.
• Joe Mauer leaves behind a complicated legacy with his retirement as a Twins player after 15 seasons.  As a catcher, he won the American League batting title (the only catcher to do so) and for being the league's most valuable player.  When the Twins' fortunes soured, Mauer was moved to first base plagued by injuries and a massive contract that expired only last season.  But he'll be remembered as the hometown boy from St. Paul who made good, and that's enough.
• After being a big pain in the butt in demanding to be traded at the start of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves obliged Jimmy Butler with a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers,  Since the trade, the Sixers are having a good season lodged in a playoff position (as of 12/28/18).  The Wolves are struggling as an under-.500 team well short of making the playoffs.

PASSING ON:  David Pearson, Willie McCovey, Dick Modzelewski, Paul Allen, Jim Taylor, Tex Winter, Dave Anderson, Stan Mikita, Tony Cloniger, Maria Bueno, Red Schoendienst, Dwight Clark, Carol Mann, Billy Cannon, Chuck Knox, Hal Greer, Rusty Staub, Roger Bannister, Ben Agajanian, Oscar Gamble, Warren Miller, Dan Guerney, Doug Harvey, Keith Jackson, Lee Leonard

The 2018-19 Owljock Bowl Board

To paraphrase Chuck Todd of NBC's "Meet the Press":  If it's the end of the college football season, it must be time for the Owljock Bowl Board.  But first, a couple of notes.

• Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame and Oklahoma are this year's contestants in the College Football Playoff, which means there's a 75 percent of a team from the South winning the national championship.  The Crimson Tide, which has been the top-ranked team all season, is favored to win another title.
• The CFP semifinals will now be on the last Saturday in December, in response to calendar quirks and declining TV ratings,  That is, if the rotation falls on New Year's Day.  In which case, by tradition and contract, the Rose and Sugar bowls would host the semifinals.
• As usual, there's the whining over which teams got passed over for the four-team playoff, which usually leads to calls for an eight-team playoff.  This year it's Central Florida and Ohio State.  The Knights' crime is going undefeated in something called the American Athletic Conference, and playing pushovers just like the big boys do.  The Buckeyes won the Big Ten Plus title, but lost a key game or two for the committee to consider them.  Now coach Urban Meyer is leaving after the Rose Bowl, allegedly for health reasons, and will be replaced by assistant Ryan Day.

If you haven't been here before (or if you just plain forgot), here's how the Bowl Board works:  We name the game, who's playing and where, who's televising it, and a brief description of the game's sponsor and what they're known for (where appropriate).  Got all that?  Good. Let's get on with it.

Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl:  North Carolina A&T vs. Alcorn State (Atlanta, GA 12/15)  ABC

New Mexico Bowl:  North Texas vs. Utah State (Albuquerque, NM 12/15)  ESPN

AutoNation Cure Bowl:  Tulane vs. Louisiana (Orlando, FL 12/15)  CBS Sports Network
Automotive retailer.

Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl:  Fresno State vs. Arizona State (Las Vegas, NV 12/15)  ABC
Auto manufacturer.

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl:  Georgia Southern vs. Eastern Michigan (Montgomery, AL 12/15)  ESPN
Media company.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl:  Middle Tennessee vs. Appalachian State (New Orleans, LA 12/15)  ESPN
Shipping firm.

Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl:  Alabama-Birmingham vs. Northern Illinois (Boca Raton, FL 12/18)  ESPN
Energy drink.

DXL Frisco Bowl:  San Diego State vs. Ohio (Frisco, TX 12/19)  ESPN
Men's clothing store chain.

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl:  Marshall vs. South Florida (Tampa, FL 12/20)  ESPN
Lawn mowers.

Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl:  Florida International vs. Toledo (Nassau, Bahamas 12/21)  ESPN
Industrial park in Elk Grove Village, IL, near Chicago.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl:  Western Michigan vs. Brigham Young (Boise, ID 12/21) ESPN

Jared Birmingham Bowl:  Memphis vs. Wake Forest (Birmingham, AL 12/22)  ESPN
Retail jewelry store chain.

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl:  Houston vs. Army (Fort Worth, TX 12/22)  ESPN
Defense contractor.

Dollar General Bowl:  Buffalo vs. Troy (Mobile, AL 12/22)  ESPN
Retail chain.

SoFi Hawaii Bowl:  Louisiana Tech vs. Hawaii  (Honolulu, HW 12/22)  ESPN
Financial services.

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl:  Boston College vs. Boise State  (Dallas, TX 12/26)  ESPN
Disaster cleanup service.  Formerly Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Quick Lane Bowl:  Minnesota vs. Georgia Tech  (Detroit, MI 12/26)  ESPN
Auto care shops.

Cheez-It Bowl:  California vs. Texas Christian (Phoenix, AZ 12/26)  ESPN
Cheese crackers.  Formerly Cactus Bowl.

Walk-On's Independence Bowl:  Temple vs. Duke (Shreveport, LA  12/27)  ESPN
Sports restaurant chain.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl:  Miami vs. Wisconsin  (New York City, NY 12/27) ESPN
Sports apparel.

Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl:  Baylor vs. Vanderbilt  (Houston, TX  12/27)  ESPN
Sporting goods retail chain.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl:  Purdue vs. Auburn  (Nashville, TN 12/28)  ESPN
Financial services.

Camping World Bowl:  West Virginia vs. Syracuse (Orlando, FL 12/28)  ESPN
Camping and RV supplies.

Valero Alamo Bowl:  Iowa State vs. Washington State (San Antonio, TX 12/28)  ESPN
Energy company.

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl:  Florida vs. Michigan (Atlanta, GA 12/29)  ESPN
Chicken restaurant chain.

Belk Bowl:  South Carolina vs. Virginia (Charlotte, NC 12/29) ABC
Regional department stores.

NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl:  Arkansas State vs. Nevada (Tucson, AZ 12/29)  CBS Sports Network
Mortgage lender.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (CFP Semifinal):  Clemson vs. Notre Dame (Arlington, TX 12/29) ESPN
Tires and blimps.

Capital One Orange Bowl (CFP Semifinal):  Alabama vs. Oklahoma (Miami Gardens, FL 12/29) ESPN
Financial services.

Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman:  Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech  (Annapolis, MD 12/31)  ESPN
Defense contractor.

Hyundai Sun Bowl:  Stanford vs. Pittsburgh (El Paso, TX 12/31)  CBS
Auto manufacturer.

Redbox Bowl:  Michigan State vs. Oregon (Santa Clara, CA  12/31)  Fox
Movie and game rentals.  Formerly Foster Farms Bowl.

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl:  Northwestern vs. Utah  (San Diego, CA 12/31) FS1
Financial services in southern California.

TaxSlayer Gator Bowl:  North Carolina State vs. Texas A&M (Jacksonville, FL 12/31)  ESPN
Online tax preparation.

Outback Bowl:  Mississippi State vs. Iowa (Tampa. FL 1/1/19)  ESPN2
Steak and seafood restaurants.

VRBO Citrus Bowl:  Kentucky vs. Penn State (Orlando, FL 1/1/19) ABC
Vacation rental and travel website.

PlayStation Fiesta Bowl:  Louisiana State vs. Central Florida (Glendale, AZ 1/1/19)  ESPN
Videogame consoles.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual:  Washington vs. Ohio State (Pasadena, CA 1/1/19)  ESPN
Financial services.

Allstate Sugar Bowl:  Texas vs. Georgia (New Orleans, LA 1/1/19)  ESPN
Insurance and financial services.

College Football Playoff National Championship Game Presented by AT&T:  Teams TBD  (Santa Clara, CA 1/7/19) ESPN
Communications giant.