Why the 12 team playoff will create more parity in College Football

Georgia beat TCU 65-7, a lopsided game that has many people concluding that the 12 team playoff is a bad idea that will generate more one-sided championship games. I disagree.

It may not happen in year one or two of the 12-team playoff, but over time the new format will create more much needed parity in the sport.

Just think about it – right now the top blue chip recruits all want to go to Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and a few others like Clemson, USC, Oklahoma or Michigan because they have an opportunity to play for conference and national championships. Now, what if you multiply that group by 3?

Take Mississippi State – who by all measure has little to no chance of making the 4-team College Football Playoff. State was #1 in the nation for 5 weeks in 2014 and was pretty close going into the final week of the season, but that’s the only time in the history of the program they’ve even been in the top 5.

Now, what if they can get into the playoff with a 9-3 season? There’s hope they could achieve that in 2023, and it’s not out of the question to even elevate to 10-2 and make it in. Get two or three of those type seasons over a 6-7 year stretch and all of the sudden you’re pulling in a higher level of recruit.

The new 12-team format will level the playing field more by distributing the top flight players across more teams. When more schools have a chance to win it all, more alumni and fans will contribute to their NIL funds and create more reasons for players to look outside of the blue bloods.

Sure, Georgia will still be a dynasty. It’s going to be incredibly difficult to beat them or Alabama or Ohio State. But they will get beat more often. And instead of having a run where Alabama wins 6 national titles in 12 years it would be more like 2 or 3. It’s going to be really difficult for one or two programs to totally dominate like in the past with resources spread across more teams.

The 12-team playoff will generate more interest in college football and bring some hope to fanbases across the country that they’ve got a real shot at the ultimate prize.

What November would look like with the 12 Team College Football Playoff

We are going to have a 12 team College Football playoff in the near future, maybe by 2024 but definitely by 2026. Some say it devalues the regular season. Others disagree and say it gives more teams a chance and will help to level the playing field. Here’s how it would affect the way we look at the November slate of games in 2022.

November 5:

Going into the week the seeding was:

1. Tennessee (bye)
2. Ohio State (bye)
3. Clemson (bye)
4. TCU (bye)
5. Georgia (home) vs. 12 Tulane
6. Michigan (home) vs. 11 Ole Miss
7. Alabama (home) vs. 10 LSU
8. Oregon (home) vs. 9 USC

Georgia is #1 in the AP and Coaches Poll this week, but the committee ranked them 3rd…..and since only conference champions get a bye, they slide all the way to #5. TCU moves all the way from #7 in the committee’s ranking to #4 due to conference champs.

UCLA was ranked #12, but Tulane gets in by virtue of being the 6th conference champion even though they were ranked #17.

Biggest game of the week: Tennessee vs. Georgia. The game is for the SEC East and securing a first round bye. UGA won and jumped to #1.

LSU and Alabama face each other in this scenario and on the field this week. LSU won and it did two things for the Tigers: it kept them in the playoff discussion with 2 losses and it put them in position to win the SEC West, and if they were to beat UGA for the SEC championship they could vault all the way to a top four seed. Alabama losing still likely keeps them in this playoff, however, their upcoming game against Ole Miss would likely become a battle to stay in the playoff race.

Clemson losing to Notre Dame 35-14 is pretty interesting because the game doesn’t count against their ACC record, and they are still likely to get an automatic bid to the playoff with that. If they win the ACC and have a better ranking than two other conference champs they would still get a bye.

Kansas State was on the cusp of the top 12 at #13, but they lost a home game to Texas.

November 12:

1. Georgia (bye)
2. Ohio State (bye)
3. TCU (bye)
4. Oregon (bye)
5. Michigan (home) vs. 12 Tulane
6. Tennessee (home) vs. 11 Ole Miss
7. LSU (home) vs. 10 Clemson
8. USC (home) vs. 9 Alabama

The byes are reserved for the top 4 conference champions, so even though Michigan was ranked #3 by the committee this week, they’d move back since Ohio State is the higher ranked Big Ten team (theoretically the champion). Oregon was #6, but they are the 4th best conference champ (using the best record).

LSU moved up from last week into a home game while Tennessee lost their bye. Alabama lost their home game and USC gained one. There was a ton of jockeying for position this week with only Ohio State and Ole Miss maintained their spot from last week.

The upcoming week’s biggest game is Alabama visiting Ole Miss. TCU has to make a roadtrip to Austin, Texas where they are a 7 point underdog. LSU has to travel to Arkansas where they are only a 3 point favorite.

The 6th conference champ dynamic is huge to me in terms of elevating all college football teams. Now all of the sudden the “group of 5” have a chance. The AAC seems to have the inside track at a spot right now with Tulane, Central Florida and Cincinnati all in the mix. Tulane hosts Central Florida in a battle for first place in the AAC this week with a game with Cincy in the final week.

November 19:

1. Georgia (bye)
2. Ohio State (bye)
3. TCU (bye)
4. USC (bye)
5. Michigan (home) vs. 12 UCF
6. Tennessee (home) vs. 11 Penn State
7. LSU (home) vs. 10 Utah
8. Alabama (home) vs. 9 Clemson

Again the top 4 conference champs getting a bye is huge as USC goes from #7 by the committee to #4 here.

Oregon’s loss to Washington pushed them from a bye to out of the playoffs. UCF beating Tulane pushed them into the playoffs. Alabama beating Ole Miss elevated the Tide to a home playoff game and Ole Miss out of the playoffs. So some of these November games that were of interest this season, have a lot more juice within the 12-team playoff.

November 19th looked like a mediocre day but it was filled with exciting games. Tennessee got knocked off and we will see how far back that drops them. Georgia and Ohio State were in close road games, while Michigan and TCU barely survived. For the 4-team playoff, that made it really exciting – the question is: would those games have had the same juice in a 12-team playoff? I’m not 100% sure, but chaos is still pretty exciting, and the difference between getting a bye or not makes it very interesting just like the NFL playoffs.

UCF and Utah got knocked off as well. Penn State is not talked about at all, but with the 12 team format they would be in the thick of the discussion after three straight 30+ point wins in the Big Ten.

November 26:

1. Georgia (bye)
2. Ohio State (bye)
3. TCU (bye)
4. USC (bye)
5. Michigan (home) vs. 12 Tulane
6. LSU (home) vs. 11 Penn State
7. Alabama (home) vs. 10 Tennessee
8. Clemson (home) vs. 9 Oregon

Oregon’s big win over Utah got them back in. Tennessee’s loss to South Carolina forces them into a must win game vs. Vandy.

Rivalry week was interesting as several teams got knocked off. Clemson lost to South Carolina, LSU lost to Texas A&M, Oregon lost to Oregon State – will those teams get pushed out of the top 12?

Ohio State vs. Michigan was a huge game in the 4-team playoff, and arguably loses a lot of luster in the 12 team because both teams will still make it. But Michigan winning gives them a chance at a bye which is huge, and the game still has bragging rights. So it may not be a massive game, it’s still a big game.

December 3:

1. Georgia (bye)
2. Michigan (bye)
3. TCU (bye)
4. USC (bye)
5. Ohio State (home) vs. 12 Tulane
6. Alabama (home) vs. 11 Utah
7. Tennessee (home) vs. 10 Kansas State
8. Penn State (home) vs. 9 Clemson

Incredibly, Clemson’s home loss to South Carolina only moved them down one spot, but that one spot is the difference between a home and away game in the first round. But they could still earn it back by winning the ACC Championship game.

LSU and Oregon were knocked out of playoff contention. Granted LSU still has the SEC Championship game that could vault them back in.

Championship Weekend

The conference championship games may be something that needs to die off in the new era of a 12 team playoff. Just in terms of this year’s 4-team playoff, the top 4 are all playing in championship games while teams 5-8 are not. So by playing in a championship game are they putting themselves in jeopardy of losing their spot in the top 4 while the teams ranked just below them essentially have a bye? That shouldn’t be the case.

Look at this 12 team field. The only game that really should matter is Tulane vs. UCF because they are playing for a conference championship that would determine whether or not they get in the field. Without the conference champion tie-in, neither would have a chance. But take Utah, Clemson and Kansas State who are playing in their championship games – Utah and KSU are playing top 4 seeds, who if they lose the game they would potentially get pushed out of the playoff in favor of a team who didn’t play?

It seems kind of silly. The conference champion should just be determined by who is in first place after the regular season. There is a lot of scheduling confusion around how to implement this 12 team playoff, but it would be made much simpler if the first round were just played in the first weekend of December in lieu of conference championship games.

My wish would be to trade quarterfinal games on New Year’s Day for on-campus games the third Saturday of December. Then you could settle down the Rose Bowl with a guaranteed semifinal game every New Year’s Day at 2 PM Pacific like they want so badly. Then just rotate the other big bowls between the other semifinal game that night and the national championship game. Done.

Conclusion

I’ll stop here at the final week…..since this post was about November anyway.

I think the 12 team playoff will be great for college football. It will help elevate all teams – not just teams like Mississippi State or Purdue or Oregon State or Boston College, but teams in the group of five who now have a guaranteed shot at a playoff just like the NCAA Basketball and Baseball tournaments.

There will be some regular season games that lose some of their luster, but just as many games will gain some luster by having a chance at the playoff. People don’t quit watching the NFL during the final weeks of the season because teams have clinched their spot – there’s almost always something to play for. Even if you know you’re in, there is still seeding, which is huge considering byes and home field advantage.

I’m looking forward to the 12 team playoff and hopefully they’ll be able to start in 2024.

The Braves domination of the NL East

2022 marked the 5th straight NL East division title for the Atlanta Braves, and they are positioned to continue that streak into the future much like the franchise did from 1991-2005.

The Braves have won 20 division titles since 1991. That means that 65% of the time in the last 31 years they’ve finished in 1st place. Pretty good.

From 1991-1993 they won the old NL West that also included the Astros, Dodgers, Reds, Padres, Giants and Rockies for one season. When MLB reconstructed the divisions in 1994, the Braves were moved the the NL East to complete with the Mets, Phillies, Marlins and Expos.

That 1994 season ended with a strike while the Expos were leading the division but they were not awarded a division title since there were no playoffs.

In 1995, the Braves started a string of 11 straight NL East titles with a World Series title as well. Finally, in 2006, the Mets won the NL East to break the streak. The Phillies continued to shake it up with 5 straight of their own from 2007-2011, which included winning it all in 2008. The Montreal Expos turned into the Washington Nationals in 2005, and finally won the division in 2012.

What was a given every year – the Braves winning the division – suddenly disappeared and the Braves were just battling for the wild card spot until 2013 when they re-emerged as division champs. But then they went on hiatus from 2014-2017 while rebuilding in anticipation of the opening of SunTrust Park.

Then in 2018 a new streak began, and it has included a World Series championship in 2021.

In all, the Braves have won the current construct of the NL East 17 times. The Phillies have won 5 times, the Nationals 4 times, Mets twice and the Marlins have yet to win a division title (of course, they’ve won two World Series as a wild card team).

Add all that up, and it’s been 17 1st place finishes in 28 years (61%). That’s domination of four other teams. There’s no doubt the Braves are the class of the NL East.

Even if you discount the first 11 division titles from 1995-2005 and start counting once the other teams caught up in 2006, the Braves have still won the division the most with one more than the Phillies.

It doesn’t look like it’s going to get better any time soon for other NL East teams as the Braves are stock-piling young talent for years to come. The core of Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris and Spencer Strider have all signed long term deals. William Contraras, Kyle Wright, Ian Anderson and Vaughn Grissom are all controllable for at least four more years.

The 2022 team that just won 101 games really doesn’t have too many moves to make in the offseason. The biggest concern is shortstop – will they be able to resign Dansby Swanson or will they try to get another one of the free agent SS……or will they let Vaughn Grissom play there? They need to fill a couple of bullpen arms since Kenley Jansen is a free agent and Tyler Matzek had Tommy John surgery. Otherwise everyone is back for 2023.

The Phillies, and really the Padres as well, have proven in the new expanded playoffs with three wild card teams that you don’t really need to win the division. The Braves and Dodgers were poised to meet in the NLCS for the third straight year as both teams were incredible all summer long, however, things didn’t go their way in October so neither one made it that far. The division titles are a lot of fun, but not as fun as a run to the World Series.

Nevertheless, winning the division means you’ve had a great season and are in position to make a deep postseason run. In baseball, that’s all you can ask for. The fun of watching a winning baseball team every night in the summer is something the Braves have provided me since I was 7 years old (save for a just a few seasons).

The hope is, division title or not, the Braves will be able to be in remain in contention for the next 5-10 years and pick up one or two more World Series championships.

MSU Baseball 2015-2022: worst to first, then first to worst

It’s May 23, 2022…..two days removed from the end of the 2022 Mississippi State baseball season, nearly six weeks shorter than 2021’s Omaha run. State finished in dead last place in the SEC with a 9-21 record; a similar finish to the 2015 season.

I can’t get too mad with what transpired in 2022, not after the Dawgs brought home a national championship last year. It was pretty ugly at times, but I’d take a CWS title + last place conference finish in a two year stretch over two trips to Omaha where we fell just short like in 2018 & 2019 (or, at least, I’ll take them now since the title was our first).

Speaking of those 2018 & 2019 teams – this year will mark the end of a three year streak of going to Omaha. It will mark a five year streak of going to Super Regionals. Wow.

Think about that – Mississippi State won 5 straight Regionals: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 (2020 obviously didn’t happen for anyone).

The 2015 season was a disaster. The Bulldogs went 24-30 (8-22). But they rebounded in incredible fashion by winning the SEC in 2016 with a 44-18 (21-9) season – the first regular season championship in 27 years. They got a national seed, won their Regional and then fell short vs. Arizona in the Super.

Then you go forward through all the coaching changes and construction of a new ballpark from 2017-2019 which did not effect the on-the-field success at all.

2016-2021 featured the Jake Mangum Era, then Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen bringing the school it’s first ever title. Over this time there have been so many great memories the baseball program has given us.

It’s weird that this run comes to a screeching halt with a 26-30 (9-21) season that almost mirrors 2015 record-wise.

The good news is that State has enough talent and the ability to procure more talent so that maybe they could make another turnaround run like they did in 2016. I wouldn’t expect something so drastic but then again I never imagined this first to worst year.

It’s been a great run of success the previous five full seasons, and we’ll have to start over again to make another run…..should be a lot of fun. For now I’ll enjoy a relaxing June with no playoff baseball and hope for better next year.

Baseball in 2021 couldn’t have been any better

Mississippi State and the Atlanta Braves won it all!

I can’t believe it – after watching Mississippi State year after year in football, basketball and baseball – they finally won a national championship! And for it to happen in baseball was so sweet. I’ve been savoring that title for the rest of the summer and into the fall…..not bothered by any hype or shortcomings in football, just happy to have that baseball championship.

Then along come the Atlanta Braves. I’m a lifelong Atlanta sports fan who grew up watching the run from 1991-2005 and every year since. I witnessed the Falcons collapse which has scarred me for life in terms of “no lead is safe”. I watched this year’s team the whole way through, although April – July it was tough to watch as they consistently blew leads and played frustratingly bad amid injuries and setbacks. But they turned it around in August and won it all!

All the years of watching sports and then State and the Braves win it in the same year. And both my school and city won in baseball – my favorite sport!

I’ll always remember 2021 as the year of baseball. Of course, it all started in February when it was so great to have college baseball back after the Covid-shortened 2020 season.

Then little league baseball started, which I was able to coach my son’s team. I even signed up to play softball for the first time in a decade and had fun with that in the spring and fall seasons.

I took my family to a Braves game in June which was a lot of fun – then to a Gwinett Stripers (Braves AAA) game in July…..we saw Kyle Wright pitch lights out there, not knowing how huge he would be in Game 4 of the World Series.

My dad and I took our first trip to Omaha to see MSU play their first two games of the College World Series, which were awesome to witness!

It was awesome all year long. So many fun moments along the way. Baseball has been great in 2021! Christmas gifts for me should be pretty easy this year: MSU and Braves championship memorabilia!

Eric Clapton: the hardest working guitarist in history

Eric Clapton has a catalog of music that stretches nearly 60 years – it’s incredible and seemingly never-ending.

He may or may not be the best guitarist you’ve ever heard depending on your tastes. But he’s tinkered with so many styles of music, you’re bound to find something in his catalog that you enjoy.

He’s not the best singer, nor the best songwriter, so if you’re not enjoying a particular song just keep waiting because there’s a guitar solo around the corner that’ll keep you coming back again and again.

He started his career in 1963 with the Yardbirds, honing his skills for a couple of years before embarking on a 6-year blitz that will never be duplicated.

Here is the list of albums Eric Clapton was featured on from mid 1965 to early 1971:

For Your Love by The Yardbirds (July 1965)

Having a Rave Up by The Yardbirds (November 1965)

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton by John Mayall and the Blues Breakers (May 1966)

Fresh Cream by Cream (December 1966)

Disraeli Gears by Cream (November 1967)

Wheels of Fire by Cream (June 1968)

Goodbye by Cream (February 1969)

Blind Faith by Blind Faith (August 1969)

On Tour with Eric Clapton by Delaney & Bonnie & Friends (March 1970)

Live Cream by Cream (April 1970)

Eric Clapton by Eric Clapton (August 1970)

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos (November 1970)

The London Howlin Wolf Sessions (January 1971)

That’s 13 albums in six years. And not just any 13 albums – five were ranked in Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest of all time: Having a Rave Up at 355, Wheels of Fire at 205, Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton at 195, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs at 117 and Disraeli Gears at 114.

For my money, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is the best work of his entire career. Live Cream is easily top 5 of my favorite live albums, probably 2nd behind At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band.

As you can see from that list of albums, Clapton had no problems jumping from band to band. He also loved to collaborate with other musicians like Steve Winwood in Blind Faith and Duane Allman in Derek and the Dominos. Here are some songs for other artists that Clapton made a guest appearance during this same 1965 – 1970 period:

• “Good to Me as I Am to You” by Aretha Franklin (1968)
• “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles (1968)
• “Yer Blues” by John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band (1969)
• “That’s the Way God Planned It” by Billy Preston (1969)
• “Go Back Home” by Stephen Stills (1970)

Clapton also contributed on five songs for George Harrison’s triple album, All Things Must Pass. Collaborations have been a cornerstone to Eric Clapton’s career, whether credited or not. He has contributed on too many songs to mention, but here are some highlights:

• “Fishes and Scorpions” by Stephen Stills (1971)
• “Eyesight to the Blind” by The Who (1975)
• “5:01 AM: The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking” by Roger Waters (1984)
• “Deep in Your Heart” by Paul Brady (1986)
• “Tonight Will Be Alright” by Lionel Richie (1986)
• “Cloud Nine” by George Harrison (1987)
• “I Wish it Would Rain Down” by Phil Collins (1989)
• “Mr. Bluesman” by Richie Sambora (1991)
• “Runaway Train” by Elton John (1992)
• “The Calling” by Santana (1999)
• “Everytime I Sing the Blues” by Buddy Guy (2008)

I was first introduced to Eric Clapton as a child in the 90s. During that time, songs like “Tears in Heaven”, “Change the World” and “My Father’s Eyes” were popular. While these songs were hits for Clapton, they could not have been further from his sweetspot as a guitar hero. Once I found the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs in high school, it changed my view of what type of musician Eric Clapton was.

Then came my introduction to his work with Cream, and his long solo career which was successful in the 1970s and 80s. Eric Clapton is a blues guitarist first, then all of the other areas in which he has experimented.

If you love the blues, start with Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, move over to Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and then cherry-pick the lone blues song from each of his solo albums:

• “Blues Power” from Eric Clapton (1970)
• “I Can’t Hold Out” from 461 Ocean Blvd. (1974)
• “The Sky is Crying” from There’s One in Every Crowd (1975)
• “Double Trouble” from No Reason to Cry (1976)
• “Mean Old Frisco” from Slowhand (1977)
• “Early in the Morning” from Backless (1978)
• “Blow Wind Blow” from Another Ticket (1981)
• “Crosscut Saw” from Money and Cigarettes (1983)
• “Same Old Blues” from Behind the Sun (1985)
• “Miss You” from August (1986)
• “Hard Times” from Journeyman (1989)

Most of those are cover songs from other blues artists, but Clapton’s take on them are usually suburb to the original. His guitar solos are too good to pass up, and usually the blues songs feature the best solos…..maybe until you get to his live catalog.

If Clapton is first a blues guitarist, he is second a live guitarist. There is a ton of material to pick from with a handful of live albums. Here are a few of my favorites:

• “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” from E.C. Was Here (1975)
• “Ramblin’ On My Mind” from E.C. Was Here (1975)
• “Further On Up the Road” from Just One Night (1980)
• “Worried Life Blues” from Just One Night (1980)
• “Hoodoo Man” from 24 Nights (1991)
• “Driftin’ Blues” from Crossroads 2: Live in the Seventies (1996)

Of course, the most famous of Eric Clapton live performances would be Unplugged (1992), which is the total opposite of the loud, electric, booming sound of Live Cream Volume 2 or Eric Clapton’s Rainbow Concert (1973).

If the Unplugged album is more your speed, however, then Clapton has plenty of studio albums for you. After the 13 album run mentioned above, he took a couple of years off to feed a drug habit, then once rehabilitated he came back as a laid-back raggae to soft rock to country rock musician for the rest of the 70s. His studio sound was very subdued during this time, but it helped him procure a number of hit songs like “I Shot the Sheriff”, “Hello Old Friend”, “Lay Down Sally”, “Wonderful Tonight” and “Promises”.

Eric Clapton jumped around from band to band in the 1960s and early 70s, and he did the same during his solo career. He left the Yardbirds because they were too poppy, he left John Mayall because he was too talented for them, he left Cream because his bandmates were nuts. He ended Blind Faith because he liked what Delaney & Bonnie were doing, then started Derek and the Dominos because he needed the blues again while in love with Patti Boyd. His solo career started with the evolving soft sound he created in the 70s, then moved to a harder sound with 80s production.

I really like 1980s Clapton. There’s some songs like “I Can’t Stand It”, “Forever Man”, “It’s in the Way That You Use It”, and “Pretending” that you never hear anymore but you know them….all of which didn’t have much success on the pop charts but went to #1 on the rock charts as well as “Alibies”. Phil Collins produced the albums Behind the Sun, August and Journeyman, which contributed to the over-produced and sometimes synthesized 80s sound, but it doesn’t hurt the music…just dates it. To me, it’s just another sound of Clapton’s career – not the best but not the worst, very enjoyable music with the usual guitar solo work at keeps you entertained.

Clapton has still been putting out music into his 60s and 70s. Most of it is an eclectic mix of laid-back songs with guitar solos or blues songs with a bunch of collaborations and tribute albums thrown in. He is still a great musician that keeps growing his immense catalog of songs all the time. I’ve tried to narrow down his best work, and come up with 150 songs in my Eric Clapton playlist….enjoy.

Deion Sanders was everywhere in October of 1992

The other day I was watching a replay of Florida State at Georgia Tech, and they showed Deion Sanders on the sidelines. The game was played on October 17th – and I was thinking…..wasn’t Deion supposed to be playing in a MLB playoff game that day? Sure enough, it was the day of Game 1 in the 1992 World Series for the Atlanta Braves. I’m not sure how he had the energy to be everywhere in October of 1992, but he was.

In the early 1990s, Sanders played for the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons. In 1991, he had to leave the Braves when training camp started in August and was unable to return to baseball outside of a few pinch running appearances during the Falcons’ bye week. After the Braves went to the World Series in ’91 and he missed out, he doubled down on his seriousness about baseball and negotiated a contract that would allow him to return to the Braves for postseason play in ’92.

In 1992, Deion hit .304 and led the National League with 14 triples. It is incredible that a guy who is in the NFL Hall of Fame was also so good at baseball that he hit over .300 in a Major League Baseball season. This time he was able to play the month of August, but had to return to the Falcons in September.

After missing a month of baseball, he returned to the Braves for the final few midweek games to get his swing back.

• Thursday, October 1: 2 for 4, two runs scored, one stolen base (Braves win over Giants, 6-5)
• Friday, October 2: O for 4 (Braves win over Padres, 4-1)

Then, back to the Falcons….

• Sunday, October 4: 82 kick return yards (Falcons win over Packers, 24-10)

The 1992 National League Championship Series between the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates started on October 6.

• Tuesday, October 6: did not appear in Game 1 (Braves won 5-1)
• Wednesday, October 7: pinch hit, strikeout, finished the game in LF (Braves won 13-5)
• Friday, October 9: did not appear in Game 3 (Braves lost 3-2)
• Saturday, October 10: 7th inning defensive replacement in LF, 0 for 1 with strikeout (Braves won 6-4)

Obviously Sanders was not getting the playing time in the NLCS he had hoped for. He was 0 for 2 with a couple of strikeouts. The Braves looked like they had the series in hand, up 3-1, so on Saturday night he flies from Pittsburgh to Miami to play for the Falcons on Sunday afternoon.

• Sunday, October 11: one reception for 9 yards, 43 return yards (Falcons lost to Dolphins, 21-17)

So he plays a full game of defense and special teams, plus he gets his first offensive catch of the year as a wide receiver. Then he flies back to Pittsburgh for Game 5, which he did not play in. It was a historic day, pulling the two for one, but it didn’t turn out well since the Falcons lost and the Braves were unable to clinch, losing 7-1 to the Pirates.

• Tuesday, October 13: pinch hit in 6th and stayed in LF, went 0 for 2 (Braves lost 13-4)
• Wednesday, October 14: pinch hit, strikeout (Braves won 3-2)

That last game was the famous Francisco Cabrera hit, Sid Bream slide to win the series. Deion Sanders pinch hit for Steve Avery to start the 8th inning when he struck out. When the pitcher’s spot came back around in the 9th inning is when Cabrera pinch hit with the bases loaded.

After a couple of days off (although I’m sure he was shuttling between baseball and football practice), he was spotted in Atlanta watching his Seminoles play at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Then it was time for the World Series vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.

• Saturday, October 17: did not play (Braves won 3-1)

Here comes another Sunday. It was time for Game 2 of the World Series and the Falcons were playing the 49ers……but it was in San Francisco. So either he was told not to pull another stunt like that again, decided it could not be done flying cross-country or both…..but he did not attempt it. The Falcons lost 56-17, but Deion was rewarded with his first start of the postseason.

• Sunday, October 18: 1 for 3, two walks, one run, two stolen bases (Braves lost 5-4)

Sanders got another start in place of Ron Gant in Game 3. He was doing all this with some type of leg injury. He was as fast as ever – stealing two bases in Game 2 – but when it wasn’t required that he run at full speed he was clearly hobbled.

• Tuesday, October 20: 3 for 4, one double, one run, one stolen base (Braves lost 3-2)
• Wednesday October 21: pinch run appearance (Braves lost 2-1)
• Thursday October 22: 2 for 5, one run, one RBI (Braves won 7-2)
• Saturday, October 24: 2 for 3, one double, one run, two stolen bases (Braves lost 4-3)

Ultimately, the Braves lost the World Series for the second straight year. Deion got a total of four starts in left field and he made the most of them: 8 for 15 (.533) with 2 doubles, 4 runs scored, 5 stolen bases and 1 RBI. His on-base percentage for the World Series was .588.

The Falcons did not play on October 25 as they had a bye week, so Deion had a chance to lick his wounds and wind down an insane month of playing pro sports at the highest level in the brightest spotlight. He was 25 years old at the time.

In 1993, Sanders committed even more to baseball. It was the only season he was a full time baseball player and part time football player instead of vice versa. He hit .276 that year, then went 0 for 3 in the NLCS loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. His playing time was reduced due to the resurgence of Ron Gant who had a career year.

That was the beginning of the end for Deion’s time in Atlanta. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason, and the Braves traded him around Memorial Day to the Cincinnati Reds. He played there until the baseball strike started, then won a Superbowl – becoming the first athlete to ever play in a World Series and a Superbowl.

In 1995, he started back with baseball when the strike ended and was traded mid-season to the San Francisco Giants. He was a free agent in football, and was highly coveted after a season with 6 INT – three of which he return for touchdowns. So he used baseball as leverage and signed with the Dallas Cowboys after the season had started for the richest contract ever for a defensive player. Then he went on to win another Superbowl that year.

From then on, it was all football. He skipped the 1996 baseball season, but came back for 1997 with the Reds and stole 56 bases in four months of playing.

In total, Deion played 8 years of baseball and football at the same time.

Finding Peace in the Midst of Turbulence

I keep hearing about how 2020 has been such an awful year and there’s so many terrible things going on right now. I’m not buying it – there’s no reason to give in to such negative thinking.

The best way to feel anxious and uncomfortable is to watch the news every day and wait for orders from the government or scientists about what you should do next. The best way to be happy and have hope is to access the peace of God.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

What is better than having peace? Not much.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living, just because He lives

There’s just no reason to worry. Each day, place yourself in the loving arms of the Father…..and prepare your mind for the struggle ahead, knowing that when you’re living in His will, everything will be just fine.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand you ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feel fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. -Ephesians 6: 10-17

There is no question that the unrest of current events are part of the spiritual warfare mentioned in the verses above. It’s just a part of life on Earth. While we’re here, this is the way it is. When Jesus comes back and brings heaven with him, the madness will end.

The Bible says not to worry, so don’t. The Bible says to put God first, so do that. Everything else will fall into line. This is a great opportunity to be a good and faithful servant, so live your life with the peace of knowing God has your back.

Revisionist History of the 1990s Atlanta Braves

In the 1990s, the Atlanta Braves made the National League Championship Series every year from 1991-1999. They made it to the World Series in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 1999. But, of course, just the one title in ’95.

The string of division championships continued until 2005, totaling 14 straight when it all ended. It took me from when I was 7 years old in 1991 and ultimately ended in 2006 when I was 22. It was a great childhood for someone who lived in metro Atlanta, loved the Braves and got to watch every game on TBS.

Every time the Braves’ run is mentioned, the lament is the one championship in 14 consecutive postseason appearances. Those were some really good teams – they all won their division without any appearances as the wild card – so they are seen as choke artists.

The 1996 World Series stands as the one that most Braves fans would like to have back, when they blew a 2-0 series lead heading back to Atlanta against the Yankees. Second would be the 1991 World Series that was a classic against the Twins, ending in the epic John Smoltz vs. Jack Morris duel.

But if I were given the chance to re-write history, and add another championship, I don’t think I’d add either 1991 or 1996.

The first one I’d add is 1999, for several reasons.

While the Braves got swept in 1999 by the Yankees, that’s the one I wanted the most. I was 15 years old and it had been four years since the 1995 championship. New York had won two of the last three World Series and were seen as the much better team. I really hated the Yankees.

If i could, I’d trade the last six division titles from 2000-2005 in exchange for victory in 1999. It was Chipper Jones’ MVP season, and would’ve been a great postseason run to end the streak.

It was also the last time the “Big 3” (Maddux, Glavine & Smoltz) were in the same starting rotation. It was really the big 4 that year, because Kevin Millwood went 18-7 with a 2.86 ERA. The following offseason, Smoltz required Tommy John surgery which caused him to miss all of 2000; then when he finally made it back he was the closer…..then by the time he returned to the rotation, Maddux and Glavine were gone.

The 1999 team went 103-59, and was the third straight 100-win season for Bobby Cox. Those late 90s teams kind of get lost because of the postseason failures, but they were arguably much better overall teams than the early 90s. By ’99, Braves country was really itching for another title to cement their legacy over the powerful Yankees as the team of the decade. It would’ve been nice to notch that in this series.

So if I’m cutting the run of division titles short, and limiting them to the 1990s only, I might as well make one more slight adjustment: I’d trade the 1995 World Series for 1993.

The ’95 World Series was great, but ’93 would’ve been sweeter….for several reasons.

The 1993 Braves were a great team who won 104 games in the epic NL West race with the San Francisco Giants. It was the first year of the “Big 3”, and like 1999, it was really the big 4 because Steve Avery went 18-6 with a 2.94 ERA.

They lost to the Phillies in the NLCS, but I’m not sure how. Game 1 went into extra innings and they lost. Game 2 & 3 were blowout wins. Then with Smoltz on the hill for Game 4 the bats went cold and they lost 2-1. Game 5 was nearly an epic comeback that Mark Lemke missed a game-winning hit by inches.

The 1993 season was also before the bitterness of the 1994 MLB strike. While the 1995 team had a lot of support, it would’ve been a lot better if the Braves had just gotten the job done in ’93. It would’ve been: third time’s a charm.

I wouldn’t want to change anything about the way the 1991 and 1992 seasons went. The first season was magical, and a memory most Braves fans enjoy despite the narrow defeat. Then the 1992 NLCS finish was a classic, and ultimately it’s not so bitter since they eventually got to win it all.

But by 1993, Braves country was the perfect combination of excited, eager, hopeful and restless. It would’ve been a great year to win it all….then lose to the Indians and Yankees in 1995 and 1996. By 1999, when the Yankees were defending champs and it had been six years since the last title, it would’ve been an amazing way to end the run.

The rest of the years, from 2000-2005, were fun to watch but it became mundane. And it’s hard to continually put a product of the field that competes at such a high level….so none of those teams really compared to the 90s teams, or were as fun.

It’s hard to say I’d trade any of the 14-year run the Braves had for another championship, but if I’m going to write a little better way for it all to happen, I’ll take 1993 and 1999 as the years I wanted to win the World Series the most.

The Vic Schaefer Era: a Rocket Ship to (almost) the top of Women’s Basketball

It’s really incredible how Vic Schaefer launched Mississippi State’s women’s basketball program from average to elite in such a short time. He’s gone to the University of Texas now, but for eight years he took us on a wild ride that many fans (including myself) never thought they’d have with women’s college basketball.

The steady improvement year-to-year with Schaefer was clear.

Year 1: 13-17 (5-11), no postseason

Year 2: 22-14 (5-11), 4th round of the WNIT

Year 3: 27-7 (11-5), 2nd round of NCAA Tourney

Year 4: 28-8 (11-5), Sweet 16

Year 5: 34-5 (13-3), NCAA Tourney Runner-Up

Year 6: 37-2 (16-0), SEC regular season champion, NCAA Tourney Runner-Up

Year 7: 33-3 (15-1), SEC regular season & tourney champs, Elite 8

Year 8: 27-6 (13-3), postseason canceled

Those two narrow misses in national championship games will be remembered for a long time. The highlight of his tenure will be defeating UConn and their 111-game winning streak on a buzzer-beater.

In all, Schaefer won 16 NCAA Tournament games (over a 5 year span). MSU men’s basketball has won 10 NCAA Tournament games in its 108 seasons of play.

Sharon Fanning-Otis will remain MSU’s all time winningest coach with 281 wins to Schaefer’s 221. She, however, only had 6 NCAA Tournament wins.

It’s kind of interesting how both Dan Mullen and Vic Schaefer are almost unarguably the best coaches in their program’s history, but both left just short of becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach.

It was a lot of fun watching Vic Schaefer’s teams at Mississippi State. If only we could’ve gotten that national championship. Nevertheless, it was a fun ride, and here’s to hoping he changed the trajectory of MSU women’s hoops forever, to one of sustained success.