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Guest column: On start times, pricing and betting

As the year winds down, a few thoughts that I would like to see: - Starting games at times where people with real jobs who have to get up at a decent hour can actually see the endings once in a while. - Coaches stop blaming themselves for everything that goes wrong as a protective mechanism. Full disclosure, this doesn’t work at home. My wife agrees, yes I did screw up. - When starting lineups are announced for college hoops and football games, their salaries are also listed next to their position. - Eliminate at least one-two timeouts for all games. There are a million TV and ...

Pitching in to help out Santa Claus

Eager to lighten Santa’s load this Christmas, but lacking access to a sleigh and reindeer, this handy vehicle is a satisfactory substitute for the disbursement of a few stocking stuffers across the athletic plains: n Great debate surrounded what to give Travis Kelce, a guy who seemingly has everything. How about the good sense not to embarrass yourself at the Super Bowl by bumping your head coach off balance during a sideline meltdown for all the world to see? n Perpetually athletic-appareled VP for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft is gifted the honorary title of assistant coach ...

Army vs. Navy about more than football

Take the military academies out of the college football equation and what remains is a host of systemic challenges that threaten the game’s integrity and long-term stability. NIL money defines the business of the game that has transformed recruiting into a financial arms race for players ...

Here’s to the $40 million mulligan for Penn State

Virginia Tech made headlines by hiring James Franklin as its next football coach because nothing screams “fresh start” like picking up a guy who was fired just over a month ago. Soon after the announcement came, Franklin addressed the press in Blacksburg, Virginia to explain why this is such a great idea. The Virginia Tech signing was a significant financial windfall for Penn State as the university will avoid paying approximately $40 million that was originally tied to Franklin’s buyout clause that was one of the largest in college football history. After a lackluster ...

Thankful for much, especially football

While pondering whether the Pilgrims and Native Americans engaged in any type of athletic competition while celebrating that first Thanksgiving in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, it is time once again to express gratitude for all the happiness that our love of sports has manifested this ...

Probing the business of buyouts in college football

Through week 10 of the college football season, the ledger on what universities owe their former coaches in buyouts was nearly $185 million. It all commenced in week three when Virginia Tech decided to fire head coach Brent Pry, who was owed a buyout of $6 million. Not to be outdone, UCLA followed suit, dismissing DeShaun Foster and incurring a $6.43 million tab. By week four, Oklahoma State joined the fray, cutting ties with Mike Gundy at a cost of $15 million. Week five brought Arkansas into the spotlight, as Sam Pittman’s exit added another $8.7 million to the coaching ...