ACQUIRE as NEEDED (daily) December 26
Saturday, the day after Christmas (Boxing Day)
Both the NFL and I did something today that hasn't been done all season. After my alarm woke me at 430 AM, I turned it off and went back to sleep for a couple hours this morning. The last time that occurred may have been 2018. The NFL also experienced an anomaly today by broadcasting a stand-alone game solely on Prime Video. The 130 PM/P Niners vs Cardinals game broadcasting rights were awarded to Jeff Besos. I remember his network has carried games for several seasons that were also on FOX or CBS or NFLN, but I believe this was his first game only on Prime. Congrats, Mr. Besos, you've made it into the old, rich, white-guy club. (Insert eye-roll emoji here…)
There were a total of three NFL games on the slate and eight NBA matchups. This was in addition to three college Bowl games that made it past covid's cutting room floor. Hugh Freeze's Liberty Flames played Jamey Chadwell's Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina in a highly anticipated FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl. Near the end of regulation, with 41 seconds to go, the game was tied 34-34. Have you ever played checkers with someone who plays no forced jumps? In an effort to run time off the clock so they could score without leaving Coastal Carolina an opportunity to score, Liberty opted not to jump. RB Joshua Mack slowed as he closed in on the goal line, trying to get on the ground. While the Chanticleers defense attempted to force him into the end zone in order to stop the clock, the Flames running back fumbled and Coastal Carolina recovered. Fortunately for Freeze, time elapsed as they drove back the other way and Flames got the first overtime possession. Liberty scored 3 on a field goal and ultimately blocked Chanticleers' attempt at a field goal in order to upset their undefeated opponent. It certainly ranks high for craziest Bowl game finishes of the season, maybe in history.
Similarly, in the final NFL game of the day, the Raiders opted to stay out of the end zone in order to burn more time off the clock before kicking a go-ahead field goal in the waning seconds. Las Vegas' head coach John Gruden is already receiving criticism for that decision, but I don't think it matters when you're competing against the supernatural. Ryan Fitz"magic", with 19 seconds on the clock and his head yanked 65° around to the side, unable to see anything downfield because the Dolphins Arden Key's fingers were locked in his face mask, threw a 34-yard pass perfectly into Mack Hollins' bread basket. The face mask penalty added 15 yards and put the Dolphins in field goal range, which Sanders put through the uprights for the victory with one second left on the clock. How Fitzpatrick got the pass where it needed to be is far more impressive to me than Gruden's decision not to score a touchdown is disappointing.
Speaking of disappointments, James Harden and the Rockets came to Portland to play the Blazers tonight. Earlier in the week, Houston hadn't enough players pass covid protocol to field a team, so its first game was postponed. Harden made headlines by following the trend of ordering takeout. Unfortunately for him, his takeout order must have been from Stripper Parties 'R' Us, and he was recorded with his order which included unmasked illicit entertainment and being unmasked with too many people gathered, so he was fined and had to quarantine or something. With penalty paid, Harden showed up to Moda Center with a few extra pounds and a vendetta. Though he put up a stat line of 44 points, 17 assists and 4 rebounds, my Blazers pulled off the overtime victory on the back of CJ Mccollum's 44 points. It was a fantastic game to watch and the victory was a sweet way to end the night. This is bakesHere.
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