On December 7th, there will four teams selected for the College Football Playoff. The top three seem like a lock, but what about that last one in? How does the system really work? That’s covered by the first of today’s HOT Reads. After that, we head to the NBA and the end up in the NFL talking about those Bears. Enjoy and share the love with your sports-loving friends.
CNN.com. College Football Playoff Facts
Will Nick Saban lead Alabama into the Top four?
Photo: RJYH
The college football world is adjusting itself to the new playoff system. No longer will a computer program solely determine the top of the order. Instead, the twelve-person committee will look at every game these guys play to debate who ranks where. Are two-loss teams better than those eight one-loss teams from the Power 5? Already the discussion of the playoff position is becoming even more spirited than ever. Close games like the Alabama-LSU matchup on Saturday add a new level of suspense. What’s going on in those playoff committee meetings? What’s most important to those sports thinkers – the number of wins or quality of the win? To be sure of the facts when you debate your college rival or fantasy league foes, review this list.
What do you think of the new system?
USAToday.com. Mark Cuban ‘curious’ why the Thunder aren’t tanking
Is tanking simply a part of gamesmanship? Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants to know why the Thunder are still playing like they want to win when their best players are currently injured. His comments were half tongue-in-cheek, but definitely meant as a message to other teams. The current champion San Antonio Spurs tanked and gained a Tim Duncan in the following year’s draft. Recently, the Philadelphia 76ers put their strategy into action. Fans and analysts criticized their decision but if they end up securing the team’s future with a #1 pick, will they still be angry? If the NBA owners vote to change the lottery system, the bottom team will no longer have a 25% chance of getting that #1 pick; the odds will be distributed evenly among a number of the bottom teams. Until that time, though, what’s wrong with a flop here or there?
CBSLocal.com. Bernstein: Trestman, Bears Bottom Out
Jay Cutler is not living up to the Bears’ level. Photo by Mike Morbeck
The Chicago Bears franchise and its fans are a proud lot. They bundle up and lace up, facing the elements with grit and determination. That’s what we believe about the Bears. The current team seems lost, though, fumbling and bumbling through games even though they have some of the hottest talent in the league. As this article says, they were designed to be a win-now team. It ain’t happening. In the last game before the upcoming bye, the Packers beat those Bears like they stole the lunch money. When Cutler-to-Marshall works, it’s a thing of beauty. Marc Trestman was brought in and Lovie was kicked out in order to take that talent to the next level. Instead, the players are embarrassed and angry. The Cutler face doesn’t reveal much, but I doubt that he’s any less ticked off than the rest of the players. A Chicago newspaper put up a poll and asked when Trestman should be fired – 32% of the respondents said now.
The post SP HOT Reads: College Football Playoffs, Cuban on Tanking, Da Bears appeared first on Sideline Pass.