So that’s it, right? No more election news for four years, right?
We did the whole Republican and Democratic nomination process, we listened to everyone give their schpiel every day, we finally figured out the two people in charge of each side, and now we’re done! We can all go back to our regularly-scheduled lives where we just kick back with some baseball, maybe a little Robot Wars, and then catch up on Stranger Things or something like that.
*whispers in ear*
Oh God…I forgot about the actual election. Save yourself…
College Football Playoff moves future games off New Year’s Eve
The College Football Playoff was supposed to be a can’t-miss ratings bonanza when it was instituted two years ago but the decision to air the semifinals on New Year’s Eve was met with confusion. The reaction to it only itensified when ratings suffered because audiences were forced to make a choice between going out to celebrate or watching the games.
The result was staggering. The first semifinal was down from an audience of 28.2 million in 2014 to 15.6 million in 2015. The second semifinal dropped from 28.3 million in 2014 to 18.5 million in 2015. ESPN could not have been pleased.
Before the 2015 New Year’s Eve games, Executive Director Bill Hancock said the world was the CFP’s oyster.
“We really do think we’re going to change the paradigm of New Year’s Eve.”
After the ratings were a bust and CFP was challenged about their insistence on keeping games on New Year’s Eve, Hancock stubbornly stuck to his guns regardless of empirical evidence to the contrary (like he always does).
“We are committed to this. Two years does not make a trend. Let’s watch this. Let’s see what happens…We had some bum luck with the lack of competitive games. Things would have been different with competitive games…We’re very confident that every year will be different and over time these games will be ingrained into a part of the New Year’s Eve tradition.”
Now, just six months later, Hancock is singing a different tune as the CFP has decided to move most future semifinal games to Saturdays or holidays.
“We had healthy discussions with a lot of people who love college football and we concluded that making these changes would be the right thing to do for our fans.” said Hancock.
“We tried to do something special with New Year’s Eve, even when it fell on a weekday. But after studying this to see if it worked, we think we can do better. These adjustments will allow more people to experience the games they enjoy so much. For these four years, our previous call is reversed.”
It’s much more likely that ESPN was the party they had healthy discussions with and those discussions were pretty adamant on making the move.
This year’s semifinals will remain on New Year’s Eve but at least it falls on a Saturday this time.
All in all, critics and pundits were pretty pleased with the move, especially since it showcased a rare moment of common sense in the world of college football.
The @CFBPlayoff already differs from the BCS in one key area: It listened to criticism and did something. https://t.co/ewd1mQHzk8
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) July 28, 2016
The College Football Playoff used some common sense. Let's hope this is the start of a trend. https://t.co/ASPAYNtriH
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) July 28, 2016
One notable impact of the new CFP schedule: There will be years when it's as many as 16 days between semis & champ. https://t.co/VY8yfoYweR
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) July 28, 2016
PGA Championship, Day 1: Dustin Johnson falls apart, Jimmy Walker leads
The 2016 PGA Championship got underway on Thursday at Baltusrol and the big story had to be the way Dustin Johnson, one of the early favorites, absolutely imploded. He finished the round with a 7-over 77, 12 shots back of the leader. Only five players had worse days than him and that includes some semi-pros. As you might imagine, he wasn’t in the mood to chat afterward.
Update: DJ did speak to a few media members in the parking lot. "Just a rough day. Anything that can go wrong, did."
— Will Gray (@WillGrayGolfbet) July 28, 2016
One guy who ended up having a solid day was Henrik Stenson. The Swede hit three birdies on the back nine and ended up with a 3-under 67, two shots back of the leader. If he can keep it up, the British Open winner might just become the first golfer to win back-to-back majors since Ben Hogan did it in 1953.
The top of the leaderboard belongs to Jimmy Walker at 7-under 65, matching his low score in a major. It’s the first time he’s ever led a round at a major in his career.
Other notables to keep an eye on include Martin Kaymer (-4), K.J. Choi (-2), Jason Day (-2), Jordan Spieth (E), and Phil Mickelson (+1). The full leaderboard is right here.
Quick hits
– Geno Smith: Not a fan of the Jets re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick.
– Jarryd Hayne says he would still be playing football if a minor league system was in place in the NFL, which makes you wonder why there isn’t since they could make a ton of money and the NFL loves making money.
– NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the DNC.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar bringing the jokes at the DNC: "I'm Michael Jordan" https://t.co/XfVbl2vpimhttps://t.co/BrdLUz4I1f
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) July 29, 2016
– Suspended Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant is going to be a volunteer high school coach while he’s unable to play in the NFL.
– MTV Classic is coming to make sure you really don’t accomplish anything during the day.
– Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Alfredo Griffin all donned gold chains and sunglasses in honor of David Ortiz during his retirement celebration before Thursday’s game.
BUT WHICH ONE IS THE REAL BIG PAPI? pic.twitter.com/lzDmdFbYjd
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) July 29, 2016
– So here’s the thing. Matt Damon is starring in a movie about the “real” reasons The Great Wall of China was built: to ward off monsters. We have questions and this trailer answers none of them.
– Taco Bell wants to put Cheetos in burritos and we’re kinda surprised that wasn’t already a thing.
– Rolando McClain was not on the Cowboy’s charter flight to California on Thursday, which means the troubled linebacker, who is suspended for ten games this season, might be facing fines and much more.
– Chris Sale returned to help the White Sox beat the Cubs and no jerseys were shredded in the process. Win-win.
– Bummer. Craig Sager will miss the Olympics while he undergoes a bone marrow transplant.
– The Rocketeer is returning to cinema screens and you can thank…Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin and Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Ryan Kalil? Really? Okay.
– Space Jam 2 isn’t out yet but you can already watch the “trailer” for Space Jam 3 starring Jeremy Lin. And this time…it’s anime-ish!
One last glorious bit of procastination
May you love something as much as Bill Clinton loves balloons.
