Blatant Homerism: Have a little self-respect
As someone who writes about the Oklahoma Sooners, I’m having a hard time adjusting to life in the SEC.
Specifically, I can’t bring myself to circle the wagons in support of giving another conference member the benefit of the doubt just because of those three letters. (Fortunately for the SEC, of course, no one cares what I have to say.)
In the leadup to Sunday’s announcement of the first-ever College Football Playoff field, I know I was supposed to act as though leaving Alabama out would have represented an abandonment of reason. And now that this disaster has come to pass, I should be bemoaning such an affront to the sanctity of the sport. Other newcomers to the SEC scene didn’t have a problem bloviating about the injustice of it all.
Competing in the SEC is, in fact, really difficult. In the previous 24 years, I saw the Sooners win Big 12 championships more often than they didn’t. In just one year as part of the SEC, they went 2-6 against conference foes. All in all, I reckon adding OU and league runner-up Texas to the SEC’s mix this season only gave the conference more depth.
But if life is so much easier playing football in other conferences, why did the Red River rivals just leave the Big 12? Not to mention, schools like Alabama would certainly find an audience with ACC commissioner Jim Phillips if they want to explore new conference affiliation.
In the real world, everyone knows SEC membership improves a program’s chances of winning national championships. The league’s geographic footprint covers the most talent-rich territory in the country. SEC schools rake in massive revenue from media rights deals. The league’s games get top billing and coveted broadcast slots from ESPN, which never misses a moment to tout the strength of the SEC brand – in-kind marketing like that is priceless.
On balance, playing in the SEC facilitates building teams capable of winning national championships, but it’s tougher for those teams to assemble records that qualify for a spot in the tournament. It’s a wash. So stop the whining. Frankly, it’s unbecoming.
Smokin’
A brief interlude for some crowdsourcing help. A spectacular run with my Kamado Joe is coming to an end. Countless cooks over the years on the ceramic grill/smoker have left it pretty weathered, and it sustained some damage a couple years ago in what appears to have been an ill-considered theft attempt.
I’m researching new smokers and would really appreciate some insight from our readers on their favorite models. No pellet grills – only opinions on offset stick burners, please.
The worst bowl matchup possible
That is my assessment of OU’s date with Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl.
If you watched Army throttle Tulane in the American title game, you probably understand why I reached that conclusion. A disinterested squad versus a triple-option offense can get all manner of ugly. First, there’s the matter of coaching up your players to face a scheme they see so rarely. Moreover, the players from the service academies bring an uncommon level of physicality and discipline to the field every time they are on it.
Factor in the likely number of OU players sitting out this game, and it has no-show written all over it. (And did I mention they’re playing in Frisco, Texas?)
Picks and Recs: Rebel Ridge
I know I’m late to this straight-to-Netflix offering from director Jeremy Saulnier, but I finally got a chance to watch it while traveling. The lengthy running time of 135 minutes doesn’t detract from an engaging story about an outsider cleaning up local police who have run amok
At its core, Rebel Ridge is about the mundane tyranny of bureaucracies. The realities facing underfunded local governments and public services. The abuses of power enabled by policies such as civil forfeiture.
But Rebel Ridge felt in some ways like a modern take on the Blaxploitation fims of the 1970s – minus a lot of the pulpy gratuity that was so common in the genre. Rather than exacting deadly revenge, the film’s protagonist makes a point of disarming and subduing the law enforcement officers who stole his money and railroaded his cousin. Ironically, he seems to have a lot of faith in the system to punish corruption.
(The scene in which the police learn about Terry’s background in the Marine Corps by itself makes Rebel Ridge worth a watch.)