[Posted Sunday p.m. prior to late NFL action.]
Add-on by noon, Wed., probably earlier.
College Bowl Game Quiz: The Fiesta Bowl was introduced for the 1971-72 bowl season. For the 1970-71 campaign, name the ten bowl games that had been on the slate for three seasons, going back to 1968-69. Answer below.
NFL
—Christmas Day, I watched the first two NBA games, and then hours of Anthony Bourdain, after being alerted by my brother. In other words, I didn’t watch a lick of the three NFL games, and I learned I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t have cared less about them.
The league’s decision, in opting to interfere in the NBA’s Big Day, was a classic (a-hole) move on the part of Commissioner Roger Goodell et al.
But for the record, the Cowboys (7-8-1) beat the Commanders (4-12) 30-23; while the Vikings (8-8) eliminated the Lions (8-8) from playoff contention, Jared Goff throwing two interceptions for Detroit, the Lions with a big comedown this season from last year’s 15-2.
And in what was probably Travis Kelce’s final home game, the Chiefs (6-10) lost to the Broncos (13-3) 20-13, Denver outgaining the Patrick Mahomes-less K.C. offense 303-139! Mahomes’ fill-in, Chris Oladokun, was 13 of 22 for a whopping 66 yards.
As for Kelce, he said in a pre-recorded segment with Tony Gonzalez, a Chiefs tight end legend in his own right, that when it comes to whether this was his last game at Arrowhead Stadium:
“I think I’m still searching for those answers. Obviously, the way this one ended left me with a sour taste in my mouth. I feel motivated but I’ve got to make the right decision for me. I gotta hope that if I do wanna come back that the Chiefs are willing to bring me back. It’s a two-way street on that.”
—Saturday, the NFL had two more meaningful games with the Texans (11-5) winning their eighth in a row, another outstanding defensive effort, 20-16 over the Chargers (11-5), whose loss gave Denver the outright AFC West title.
Houston in its last seven has hardly been dominating on offense – 16-13, 23-19, 20-16, 20-10, 40-20, 23-21, 20-16 – but they haven’t needed to be with the stifling ‘D.’ And that translates in the playoffs.
Saturday night, Derrick Henry had one of the best games of his superb career, 36 carries (career high), 216 yards, and four touchdowns (tying a career high) as he led the Ravens (8-8) to a 41-24 win over the struggling Packers (9-6-1), who are nonetheless playoff bound.
Tyler Huntley was OK for Baltimore in place of the injured Lamar Jackson (back injury), 16/20, 106, 1-0, 105.6, plus he rushed for 60 yards, but it was all Derrick Henry.
For the Packers, at least Malik Willis played well in place of Jordan Love (concussion), Willis 18/21, 288, 1-0, 134.6, plus, like Huntley, 60 yards on the ground, though Malik did lose a fumble.
So the Ravens could only sit back on Sunday and hope the Browns and Myles Garrett upset the Steelers. A Pittsburgh win in Cleveland and Baltimore is eliminated. A Steelers loss and we would have a dramatic showdown between the Ravens and Steelers on Jan. 4.
—Sunday, except for the Giants and Jets, I’m not wasting my time with non-playoff teams and their contests.
The Jets hosted the Patriots and entering the contest, New York had a staggering stat. No interceptions from their defense in the first 15 games. No NFL team has ever gone a full season without an interception. [The next fewest in the league is six entering the weekend’s play.] The Jets overall have four turnovers, next fewest is Washington with 9. [The Bears lead the league with 31.]
The Jets were also tied for second from the bottom with only 25 sacks, with the 49ers, kind of surprisingly, with only 18.
And the Jets didn’t pick off Drake Maye, who basically pitched a perfect game, 19/21, 256, 5-0, 157.0 [158.3 a perfect passer rating.] I heard at the end of the 42-10 demolition that Maye was the first since Lynn Dickey in 1981 to have five touchdown passes and a 90% completion percentage. New England is 13-3, the Jets 3-13. Us Jets fans have loved every minute of this season. We watch the games…all the way through…as we stick knives in our eyes…OK, personally, I don’t go to such an extreme, but I can’t speak for my Jets brethren.
At least Breece Hall got his first 1,000-yard rushing season, 111 on 14 carries, including a 59-yard scamper to paydirt that was our only highlight.
–The biggie was in Cleveland, the Browns (4-12) hosting the Steelers (8-8) and after Cleveland’s 13-6 win, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers unable to get it done at the end on a 4th-and-goal from the seven, it will be Steelers-Ravens for the division title and the playoffs next Sunday.
Cleveland’s Myles Garrett did not sack Rodgers, so he remains one shy of the all-time record and since he didn’t do it in 16 games, any record he does get next week will be a bit tainted to some, including moi.
For Pittsburgh, the absence of receiver DK Metcalf, suspended for two games for being a jerk, hurt Rodgers and Co. bigly.
–The Dolphins (7-9) continued their late-season resurgence, beating the Bucs (7-9) 20-17 as Quinn Ewers threw two touchdown passes and didn’t turn the ball over for Miami, while Baker Mayfield had three turnovers for Tampa Bay, who have lost 8 of 10 after starting the season 5-1. What a choke job.
Division opponent Carolina (8-8) fell to the Seahawks (13-3) in Charlotte, 27-10, and now next Sunday, the winner of Panthers-Bucs wins the pathetic NFC South, conceivably with an 8-9 record! Good lord…what a travesty…oh, the humanity…. #Hindenburg II.
–And now those of us in the New York area, if you’re a Giants fan, sit back to watch their team (2-13) play the Raiders (2-13) in Vegas for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft (as of today).
College Football
–I finally watched some bowl game action Saturday (save for Prairie View A&M vs. South Carolina State awhile back and their dueling cheerleaders). Pitt (8-5) fell to East Carolina (9-4) 23-17 in raw Annapolis while Penn State (7-6) had a nice 22-10 win over Clemson (7-6) in cold Yankee Stadium. In the latter, we had a real feel-good story in Nittany Lions interim coach Terry Smith, who after the James Franklin debacle rallied PSU for four straight wins and an above .500 record.
Iowa State’s Matt Campbell is now taking over at Happy Valley, bringing in his own staff, but in a great move, is retaining Smith on a four-year extension.
Army finishes the season 7-6 with a solid 41-16 win over UConn (9-4) at Fenway Park. Freshman Godspower (yes, his real name) Nwawuihe rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries for Army, who rushed for 368 yards and five TDs overall.
In a game between two top 25 squads, 22 Georgia Tech (9-4) blew a 21-10 fourth quarter lead and 12 BYU (12-2) came back for a 25-21 victory in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Georgia Tech was ranked No. 8 in the Week 10 AP Poll at 8-0 but then lost four of five.
Of course this was the game Notre Dame opted out of, pissed that they were snubbed for the CFP, because they’re too good for everybody else. So good for BYU, who had as much a right to complain as ND but went out and played.
19 Virginia (11-3) finishes up with a 13-7 win over Missouri (8-5) in the Gator Bowl.
—Michigan and former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham agreed to a five-year deal to become the school’s next head coach. Whittingham, 66, went 177-88 in 21 seasons in Utah before announcing earlier this month he was stepping down.
Whittingham made clear in public comments he was not retiring, joking he was entering “the transfer portal.”
It’s a very solid hire for the scandal-plagued Wolverines, but is it a home run? Probably not, but Whittingham provides much-needed stability after all that has happened with the Michigan program the last few years, despite a national title.
NBA
—We had a thriller on Christmas Day, at least for us Knicks fans. New York was down 16 in the fourth quarter with 8:11 to play, all seemingly lost, when Knicks coach Mike Brown substituted rebounding machine Mitchell Robinson for Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks went on a 22-6 run, Robinson grabbing four of his 8 offensive boards in the game (13 rebounds overall in 17 minutes) and Jalen Brunson (34 points) hit the key 3-pointer, the Knicks (21-9) with a stunning 126-124 win before the Garden faithful.
Most of the game I was thinking, boy, Cleveland (17-15) is doing a great job keeping Robinson off the offensive glass, but then the guy us fans have really come to appreciate more than ever this season asserted himself.
Fans all know one thing. We have got to keep Mitchell Robinson healthy. Mike Brown is doing a great job picking his spots. Robinson is always hurt and you can’t overuse him, but if he can play 17-20 minutes a game, that’s often enough. He’s that good at his craft.
The next game Christmas Day that I tuned into was the Spurs (23-7) at the Thunder (26-5) and San Antonio did it again, defeating OKC a third straight game in 12 days (including in the NBA Cup semifinals) 117-102. Message sent. The Thunder had started the season 24-1 and it was assumed they would cruise to another NBA title.
Not so fast, as former broadcaster Lee Corso would have said. The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and, just like the Knicks with Mitchell Robinson, if San Antonio can keep Wemby on the floor, they can be in the Finals, not Oklahoma City.
Here’s hoping this is the Western Conference Final, at least, come the spring.
In the other Christmas Day games, the Warriors (16-15) defeated the Mavericks (12-20), though this was Cooper Flagg’s national coming out party and he didn’t disappoint, 27 points on 13 of 21 shooting for Dallas.
The Rockets (18-10) embarrassed the Lakers (19-10) at home, 119-96, as L.A. head coach JJ Redick was not happy with the effort put forward by his team.
And then in the finale Thursday night, the Nuggets (22-8) outlasted the Timberwolves (20-11) 142-138 in overtime as Nikola Jokic had 56 points, including a record 18 in the OT, 16 rebounds and 15 assists. Jamal Murray added 35 for Denver.
Anthony Edwards, 44 points for Minnesota, had forced overtime with a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to go.
Saturday, the Knicks (22-9) beat the Hawks (15-18, 5-11 at home) 128-125, Karl-Anthony Towns with 36 points (17 of 18 free throws) and 15 rebounds, Jalen Brunson with another 34.
But it was OG Anunoby who was the key, with four free throws, a steal and two rebounds in the final 30 seconds for New York.
The Magic (18-14) beat the Nuggets (22-9) 127-126, despite Jokic’s 34-21-12 effort.
The Nets (10-19) shocked the T’Wolves (20-12) in Minneapolis, 123-107.
And Utah (12-19) upset the Spurs (23-8) in San Antonio.
College Basketball
Teams are coming out of the Christmas break playing mostly cupcakes, but conference play breaks out in earnest Tuesday and now it’s a two-month sprint to March.
But the likes of Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and Villanova coach Kevin Willard are among those blasting the NCAA for allowing players that have been drafted by an NBA team, and/or played in the G-League, to be granted eligibility to play with Baylor and Louisville…and there are others.
It is indeed outrageous. The NCAA argues they never actually signed an NBA contract.
Premier League
In Saturday’s games, Manchester City kept pace with first-place Arsenal, defeating Nottingham 2-1, while the Gunners defeated Brighton 2-1.
Liverpool is suddenly fourth, 2-1 over 2-point Wolverhampton. [Two points in 18 matches]
And Aston Villa had a big 2-1 win at Chelsea.
Table after 18 of 38 matches…points
Arsenal 42
Man City 40
Aston Villa 39
Liverpool 32
Chelsea 29
Man U 29
- Nottingham 18…relegation line….
18. West Ham 13
19. Burnley 12
20. Wolves 2
Golf Balls
–Lots of talk concerning Brooks Koepka and his leaving LIV Golf, and, what it means in terms of his probable return to the PGA Tour, if not at some point in 2026, certainly 2027.
First off, I hope this is the beginning of the end for LIV, though that’s highly unlikely. It’s just Saudi money and they’ll keep funding it. But Koepka’s decision no doubt could be weighing on the minds of the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.
With its 2026 season starting in February, LIV has failed to garner new star talent for the third time in its last four offseasons. And the PGA Tour has turned down recent overtures from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, regarding a possible unification of the professional game.
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee said that time has “exposed” LIV Golf after Koepka’s departure, calling the circuit “an ephemeral, flamboyant make-believe tour.”
But Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch, in a column written just before Koepka’s formal departure, said selling the PGA Tour brethren on Koepka’s return might be tricky.
“More diplomatic and prescient types would be keen to facilitate a return in the knowledge that it would be a blow to LIV, but they wouldn’t waste the effort on seat-warmers like Matt Wolff or Talor Gooch. It would have to be someone of stature whose defection would be a clear plus for the PGA Tour. Current context also matters. The Tour is shrinking – fewer exempt members, likely fewer tournaments, narrowing access pathways – so selling the locker room on readmitting a LIV defector demands a tightly defined criteria.”
Koepka fits the bill.
PGA Tour reporter Adam Schupak had a slightly different take. Koepka might be willing to play more on the DP World Tour, which is where he started his career. “Always talks about those being his best days. Could be going full circle next year to get ready for majors,” Koepka still eligible to play in all four.
He’s coming off a 2025, however, where he missed the cut in three of the four majors, and he finished 31st in LIV’s individual standings. He knows he needs to play more against better competition if he is to compete consistently in the big ones.
The PGA Tour posted the following statement regarding Koepka’s decision. “Brooks Koepka is a highly accomplished professional, and we wish him and his family continued success. The PGA Tour continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness.”
–We note the passing of Japanese golf legend Masahi “Jumbo” Ozaki, 78. His 113 worldwide victories were the most of any player from Japan.
Ozaka was revered in his homeland, a big hitter with a sense of style who won 94 times over 29 years on the Japan Golf Tour, the last one coming at the 2002 ANA Open when he was 55.
He rose to No. 5 in the world ranking in 1996 at age 49. But he often got overlooked for never winning outside Japan except for the New Zealand PGA Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
Ozaki competed in 49 majors, his best finish coming in the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill when he finished three shots behind Curtis Strange (T6). He played the Masters for the 19th and final time in 2000 when he was 53 and tied for 28th. His best finish at Augusta was in 1973 with a T8.
Jumbo was a huge role model for the likes of Hideki Matsuyama.
Stuff
–In FIS World Cup Alpine action, today, Mikaela Shiffrin did it again, winning her fifth slalom of the season in five races, this one in Semmering, Austria. It is not that easy, boys and girls…career win No. 106!
–We note the passing of all-time sex kitten Brigitte Bardot, 91. Her sultry performances seduced viewers and she became an emblem of women’s sexual liberation in the 1950s and 60s.
“Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X. “We’re mourning a legend of the century.”
She truly was, with her pouty lips and long blond hair and often bare butt in her films. I mean for some of us of a certain age, to see her on anything, anywhere, it was like “goodness gracious.”
Born in Paris, she married director Roger Vadim at age 18 and by 22, her breakthrough came in the film “And God Created Woman,” directed by Vadim, Bardot playing a sexually liberated orphan just reaching adulthood.
The film was released in the U.S. with the tagline “But the devil invented Brigitte Bardot.”
Bardot quit the film business in her late 30s, feeling she was getting respect for her acting ability, and became a huge animal rights activist, as well as far-right figure in France.
Of her animal activism, she once said, “Humans have hurt me. Deeply. And it is only with animals, with nature, that I found peace.”
Thank you for gracing the world with your beauty, Brigitte.
Top 3 songs for the week 12/30/72: [This is the time of year I have to skip a year or I’d be repeating much of the list from the prior Bar Chat.] #1 “Me and Mrs. Jones” (Billy Paul) #2 “Clair” (Gilbert O’Sullivan) #3 “You Ought To Be With Me” (Al Green)…and…#4 “You’re So Vain” (Carly Simon) #5 “It Never Rains In Southern California” (Albert Hammond…tell that to residents this week!…) #6 “Funny Face” (Donna Fargo) #7 “I Am Woman” (Helen Reddy) #8 “Rockin’ Pneumonia – Boogie Woogie Flu” (Johnny Rivers) #9 “Superfly” (Curtis Mayfield) #10 “Your Mama Don’t Dance” (Kenny Loggins & Jim Messina…B+ week…)
College Bowl Game Quiz Answer: The ten bowl games in 1970-71, the year prior to the introduction of the Fiesta Bowl were….
Astro-Bluebonnet [Houston Astrodome]
Cotton
Gator
Liberty
Orange
Peach
Rose
Sugar
Sun
Tangerine
Back then you had the Big Four…Cotton (which over time would be replaced by the Fiesta Bowl in the Big Four), Orange, Rose and Sugar…with the Gator Bowl considered the 5th in importance.
Much simpler times for sure. To get to a bowl game was huge.
Add-on up top by noon, Wednesday…if not sooner. Will there be a Bar Chat Awards? Executives are huddling over the topic and whether the time has come to deep-six them.
