Category: Opinion

OPINION: Cartoons, Rorschach tests, and interpretations that fall ‘Just Short…’

The story of how a cartoon led one writer to an illuminating conclusion about a narrative regarding the Kansas City #Chiefs and NFL officials.

A tiresome narrative about the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL officials reached a tipping point this week when Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Adam Zyglis published an illustration captioned “Just Short…” in the Buffalo News.

Zyglis’ cartoon (which we’ll refer to as “Just Short…” from here out) depicts his from-the-hip reaction to the Bills’ defeat at the hands of Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.

‘Just Short…’ made the rounds on social media after Buffalo’s season ended in the AFC championship game, and constituted the first time I had seen a mainstream media outlet run a story (or, I guess, cartoon) that seemed to reinforce the idea that the Chiefs were getting preferential treatment from the NFL’s officials.

On Tuesday, Zyglis posted a picture of “Just Short…” to his official Twitter account with a message that read “Interference… #NFLReferees”:

“Just Short…” features a bound blue buffalo with gritted teeth (ostensibly a stand-in for star quarterback Josh Allen on a memorable failed fourth-down conversion) struggling to run from left to right while the immaculately drawn hand of a referee holds it back on a red leash, which becomes the distinctive stripe in the Bills’ logo.

The chain crew (not pictured) holds its boxy down marker perfectly upright on the near sideline, and it shows that the action is taking place on fourth down.

The forward rod (or “stick,” which shows the line to gain) is tilted slightly to the right — away from the Bills logo, which has its head held over a singular yellow-and-white line on the field.

None of the Chiefs’ defenders are included in Zyglis’ illustration, and the Bills logo is not holding a ball in its canonically swept-back forelegs, which are well short of the line to gain.

I was appalled to see that a Zyglis’ cartoon had made it to print because, on its face, the premise of “Just Short…” — that officials had exercised undue influence to alter the final score of the AFC Championship Game, or otherwise played a role in Kansas City’s recent dominance — has been roundly dismissed by every serious sports outlet.

Now, Zyglis’ medium and mine are completely different. I have never had a particularly keen eye for visual art, or an ability to draw better than about a fourth-grade level, and I’m not the most insightful fellow on the planet.

As a result of these known inadequacies, I had a feeling that maybe I was missing an ironic angle that would be difficult for me to replicate here in the written word (despite my attempt at doing so above) given that Chiefs Wire’s usual quick-and-to-the-point style doesn’t leave much room for protracted prose.

Perhaps, I thought, Zyglis somehow meant to poke fun at the idea that the officials unilaterally swung the AFC Championship Game against Buffalo, and maybe any “joke” he was making just didn’t land for me as a Chiefs fan who is — admittedly — a bit sensitive to the seemingly constant minimization of Kansas City’s achievements that has been taking place on social media lately.

Or, I figured that maybe Zyglis is just a broken-hearted Bills fan who, at the time he sat down to draw “Just Short…”, was more inclined to believe in a grand conspiracy rather than admit his favorite team took a bad loss to a good opponent in a big game without any sort of collusion from a higher power.

We’ve all been there.

So, I reached out to Zyglis directly and was graciously given the chance to interview him about “Just Short…” in an effort to better understand the machinations of a mind that appeared to have embraced the demonstrably false narratives about the Chiefs and NFL officials.

What I found — predictably — was that Zyglis is a master of his craft who is far more eloquent in his preferred form of expression than I could ever hope to be in mine.

When asked about the inception of “Just Short…” Zyglis made it clear that the illustration wasn’t drawn with one play or call in mind.

“My goal is to summarize the biggest takeaway from the game with a strong visual metaphor,” Zyglis explained. “This cartoon was inspired by the series of controversial calls by the refs that held the Bills back at times from getting the edge in an extremely close game. As with any narrow loss, there are many reasons why the Bills didn’t win, from missed opportunities to coaching to a critical defensive injury. In the end, they didn’t find a way. But with two teams so evenly matched, a handful of bad calls at critical times can make a huge difference in the outcome.

“The call that best encapsulated the referee controversy was the ball spot on the fourth-and-1 sequence. In fact, many viewers thought the Bills got the first down the play before. I chose this as the metaphor in the cartoon because it was both the most consequential and the most egregious of the game, with the Bills pushing late to go up by eight points. Referees make mistakes on the field, being human, but the fact that it was reviewed and upheld added fuel to the fire.”

Though the degree to which the officials’ (perceived) errors contributed to the game’s final result is debatable, Zyglis made a point to stop well short of saying that he thinks there was willful or coordinated misconduct by officials that unduly benefited Kansas City or directly prevented Buffalo from winning.

“I wouldn’t argue that the refs were intentionally trying to hinder the Bills – you could never prove that,” Zyglis clarified. “I was simply saying from a practical sense, that key referee decisions and failures held the Bills back in a close game. Intentional or not, two key bad calls were reviewable and upheld. That’s not acceptable with the amount of money in this league and with a ticket to the Super Bowl on the line.”

Regardless of Zyglis’ intent, users on social media took his cartoon and ran with it. Controversial ex-Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown shared a picture of “Just Short…” with his followers on Wednesday, catapulting the illustration into the NFL discourse online.

“The cartoon really took off on X and Instagram,” Zyglis said. “It had over 40,000 likes with former NFL players retweeting it. It really tapped into an undercurrent that has been brewing all year of this distrust of the integrity of NFL games, especially with games involving the Chiefs. In my career I have never seen such a negative national response to the refereeing of a game. With fans fed up with suspicious calls all year, and ‘Chiefs fatigue’ setting in, the cartoon became ripe for the moment. It started as a cartoon for Bills fans and it resonated with a national audience.”

But what if Buffalo had won the AFC Championship Game? Had the matchup ended differently, would the calls against the Bills have warranted an artful outcry?

“In that hypothetical scenario, those bad calls would have not carried the same consequence, so no, I wouldn’t have likely drawn a cartoon on them,” Zyglis conceded. “The loss, and the fact that the game could have gone either way, magnified the calls.”

As it turns out, Zyglis’ decision to leave Kansas City’s defenders — and the ball — out of “Just Short…” was no mistake, nor was the work’s caption just a glib cliché.

“I intentionally left out the Chiefs and the ball because I wanted to show that these bad calls held the team back from progressing,” Zyglis explained. “I wanted to make it bigger than the one play and not about the Chiefs (as good as they did play). The irony of the caption ‘Just Short’ is that the replays suggest they weren’t actually short on that fourth down conversion. It was a way to also suggest Bills fans are proud of the season and the effort they put in. They didn’t fall short in our eyes. Even with the loss they exceeded everyone’s expectations.”

And you know what? I can live with that.

In my initial reaction to “Just Short…”, I failed to consider that Zyglis’ drawing had — in fact — nothing to do with the Chiefs at all, which should have been obvious given that he didn’t depict any of Kansas City’s players in his illustration.

Instead, with a little bit of context, ‘Just Short…’ becomes a poignant truth-telling of a Sisyphean struggle undertaken each year by the Bills and their supporters that was merely co-opted by an all-too-familiar class of online misanthropes who are always eager to add fodder to any unfounded claim they can find an audience for.

What some viewers (like me) saw as a desperate diminishing of undeniably impressive athletic accomplishment by the Chiefs — and others as a lightning rod for a baseless conspiracy — was intended to be neither.

I think the story of “Just Short…” speaks to a moment we’ve found ourselves in as Americans, if not more broadly as humans.

We live in a culture that rewards polarizing rhetoric — both in our online and “meat-space” interactions — and tends to divide folks into competing factions more often than it serves to foster any kind of understanding between people or a civil means of holding differing (but equally valid) perspectives in polite conversation.

As someone who watched his favorite quarterbacks (first Alex Smith, then Patrick Mahomes) struggle for playoff relevance against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the mid-to-late 2010s, I can absolutely empathize with Zyglis’ frustration over a few crucial judgment calls, even if I disagree with the notion that they materially altered the outcome of Sunday’s game.

By that same token, I can recognize that Zyglis didn’t draw “Just Short…” in service of a phony narrative about Kansas City and its relationship to officials, as I had initially thought.

Rather, because of my own defensive instinct, I had completely missed Zyglis’ core observation about Buffalo’s enduring quest to win its first Super Bowl, and the tribulations of Bills fans who want nothing more than to see their favorite team succeed in the face of ever-more intense adversity each season.

At its core, “Just Short…” is a Rorschach test for fans across the country who are either content to smell the flowers of the Chiefs’ budding dynasty or anxiously waiting for Kansas City’s run of dominance to wither so other teams can get their chance to earn a ring.

As with any piece of art, “Just Short…” opens itself up to interpretation, even though its message may seem clear at first glance.

Texans to interview QB coach Jerrod Johnson for OC opening

The Houston Texans might promote from within for their next offensive coordinator option.

The primary goal for the Houston Texans‘ next offensive coordinator is to make quarterback C.J. Stroud feel comfortable.

It makes sense why quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson is considered an internal favorite to receive the promotion.

The Texans plan to interview Johnson for their offensive coordinator job in place of Bobby Slowik, who was fired last week following the AFC Divisional Round loss.

Johnson, a former quarterback at Texas A&M and veteran passer who played for six teams during his NFL career, is regarded as a top internal candidate, according to reports. 

Johnson, who’s been Stroud’s quarterback coach for two seasons, previously worked with the former two-time Heisman finalist before his time at Ohio State. The two first began working with Stroud when the Rancho Cucamonga, California native was 16 years old at an Elite 11 camp.

“One thing that I can say about Jerrod, you talk about somehow who knows how to play the position of quarterback and knows how to relay something, but also just a great person, man,” Stroud said last offseason of his relationship with Johnson. “A guy who loves football, he loves Houston, he loves Texas.

“Someone who has just taught me a tremendous amount of information, but on top of that, put a lot of confidence into me as well.”

Last season, Stroud struggled to recapture his 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year magic under Slowik’s play design. After leading the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio as a rookie, Stroud threw 20 touchdowns, three fewer than his rookie season.

He also tossed 12 interceptions, seven more than he threw in his first season, and posted a passer rating of 87.0.

As a unit, the Texans also continued to spiral after a 6-2 start. Stroud was sacked 52 times, the second-most among starting quarterbacks. A year after finishing top 12 in passing and scoring, Houston ranked 22nd in total offense and 19th in scoring, averaging less than 24 points per game.

Johnson interviewed last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots before eventually returning to Houston.

“It’s been just a blessing to work with him and, whatever happens, I’m excited for him, and he deserves everything that’s coming for him,” Stroud said last season of Johnson. “I’m super blessed to be able to work with him.”

While Houston could pivot in a different direction for the offensive coordinator opening, Johnson could have options. According to KRPC2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson, the New York Jets are expected to interview him following the hiring of former Texans Pro Bowl cornerback and former Detriot Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Other candidates rumored to Houston include Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Nick Caley, and Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.

Opinion: Saints should take Jaguars’ example and fire their GM

With GM Trent Baalke parting ways with the Jacksonville Jaguars, maybe the New Orleans Saints should follow suit with Mickey Loomis:

Organizational dysfunction.

These two words get thrown around social media spaces like people’s lives depend on using the phrase every chance they get. But what is true organizational dysfunction? Well, we got a glimpse of it with the Jacksonville Jaguars in recent years, and they finally made the decision to move on from general manager Trent Baalke.

It starts with complacency. Complacency with being mediocre, and rather than having the ambition to be the best, focusing on just getting back to being “good” or “serviceable.” The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled mightily in finding the right coach for them, struggled to build a core around their former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, and ultimately struggled to find a vision of what they wanted to be. Does any of this sound familiar?

While the New Orleans Saints do not have the number-one overall draft pick at quarterback, they have been running adrift for multiple seasons now after the losses of Drew Brees and Sean Payton to retirement and trade respectively. Additionally, the Dennis Allen hire was a resounding failure, and yet Loomis continues to defend him even post-firing, which certainly does not help his image, nor the image of a cohesive decision making process between him and the rest of the front office/ownership.

The roster management is one of the worst issues though. For a few years now many have called for things to be stripped down to the core, and whether or not you may agree with that assessment, the roster has not performed anywhere near expected, and has suffered significant amounts of injuries. Is this an age issue? Maybe, maybe not. Is it an unwillingness to bring in more experts to assess the situation and dive further into why soft tissue injuries are occurring at such a high rate? Yes.

Loomis has made it abundantly clear in multiple press conferences that he wants the team to remain competitive, which again, make your own assessment. But at the same time, coming off a 5-12 season, there is absolutely no sense of urgency, and you could see that from his post-season media appearance. I have no doubt that he is doing what he thinks is right, and I also understand that this may not be the easiest situation to deal with post-Brees and Payton. However, consistently trying to dig your heels in on the notion of needing to remain competitive after an atrocious season is a tough pill to swallow for fans.

On top of all of that, improving the roster has become an enormous difficulty because of the cap space. They always find a way to circumvent it which is fine to an extent, and required to at least be compliant, however it hamstrings the team each year in what free agents they are able to pursue, as they are not able to offer substantial contracts. Additionally, it forces them to make choices on who to retain, which allows players like Trey Hendrickson to walk. I personally have always been somewhat of a fan of watching it happen, but one of these years it would be so nice to not come into the offseason 50-90 million dollars in the hole, and rather have cap space to pursue players early in the process.

Then we can get to the draft picks, which sure, are not fully the responsibility of Loomis and who truly knows how much say he has in the process. So let’s for a second say its not him calling some of the shots on picks, why do you as a general manager see approximately (and I am going to be enormously generous here) eight players in the draft classes from 2018-2023 panning out, and allow the staff to remain intact that is making those calls.

  • 2018 was an absolute draft class disaster
  • Erik McCoy is the only player who is still a quality player for the Saints from 2019
  • 2020 you somehow got down to only four picks, and just one remains in Cesar Ruiz
  • 2021 you have Pete Werner and Paulson Adebo
  • 2022 you got Chris Olave, Trevor Penning, and Alontae Taylor
  • 2023 you got Bryan Bresee

Outside that, you also had guys like Kaden Elliss, Zach Baun, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson who have gone on to have solid seasons elsewhere, except that doesn’t help you. The Saints had 34 picks from the 2018 to 2023 draft class, if only eight were quality producers, that’s a 23.5% success rate. There are very few jobs where you can be right less than a quarter of the time and still have job security.

Overall, Loomis has gone from the founder of cap mythology and constructor of elite rosters to the pariah of the organization in many fans eyes in the span of about five to six years.

My opinion of the matter is this, Loomis deserves one more shot to get the coaching hire right, he has really only had one true shot at hiring a new coach post-Payton, and it was a dud no doubt, but mistakes do happen. If he is unable to hire a quality candidate this year, or worse, whiffs on the quality ones because he waited too long or could not sell them on the team, there needs to be discussions about a new general manager hire. Whether that come in the form of his firing or being moved into some other part of the executive management, it needs to be looked at if the organization continues down this path.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Opinion: Derek Carr’s latest comments come off arrogant and delusional

Derek Carr essentially says to look at the tape for why he wouldn’t take a pay cut. It makes you wonder what tape is he talking about:

Derek Carr recently told ESPN’s Katherine Terrell wasn’t willing to play ball with the New Orleans Saints by taking a pay cut, and that is fine. Players are owed the guaranteed money in their contracts. It’s his rationale that is the issue.

Carr said he doesn’t feel he should take a pay cut, “Especially with what I put on tape,” referring to his level of play this year and last.

That statement comes off extremely full of himself and delusional. This isn’t to call him a terrible quarterback, but that’s a statement that should be reserved for a few elite players at a position. He’s not one of them.

Spencer Rattler had his struggles, but the season didn’t start going down when the rookie backup became the starter. Carr started in the first three games of the seven-game losing streak. Three of his wins came against teams picking top-10 in this year’s NFL draft, and one of them (the Carolina Panthers) beat him in a rematch.

The offense stagnated with Carr conducting them. You saw times where he would begin to panic after the pressure got there early in the game. You saw struggles with ball placement. And these issues go back to last year.

When Carr essentially tells you to check his tape, you’d think he was in the MVP race. He did some good things in Klint Kubiak’s system, but those faults are present and prominent as well. The first two weeks were best when he just needed to be an efficient complement to a dominant running attack. He only completed 30 passes in those first two games, both wins, but the Saints went 1-3 when he was asked to attempt 30 or more passes this season (not counting a primetime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs where he threw 28 times).

Undeniable isn’t an accurate description of Carr, but the veteran is acting as if a pay cut is beneath him. He could’ve made his point without putting a target on his back, but his poor choice of words paints a less-than-flattering picture of him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Was Texans DE Danielle Hunter snubbed a Pro Bowl nod?

Even in a year where the Texans underachieved, Danielle Hunter lived up to expectations and played like a Pro Bowler.

Four Houston Texans players were named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster on Thursday morning.

Danielle Hunter, who’s closing in on a breakout first season down off NRG Stadium, wasn’t one of them.

Take nothing away from Derek Stingley Jr., who made history with his dominant month of December in coverage to break a Texans’ record.

Give credit where credit is due to Nico Collins, who was on pace to lead the NFL in receiving yards before suffering a hamstring string injury in Week 5 that sidelined him for a month.

Even Joe Mixon and Laremy Tunsil deserve their flowers. The veteran running back is seven yards away from being the first player since 2019 to rush for 1,000 yards in a Texans’ uniform.

Tunsil has been a staple in pass protection on a broken and beaten offensive line protecting C.J. Stroud.

But Hunter’s coronation as the ‘Houstonian Herculean Hulk’ shouldn’t go unnoticed. He enters Week 18’s regular-season finale ranked third in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss.

Only teammate Will Anderson Jr. has given him a run for the money in terms of top newcomer in the AFC over two seasons. He too must wait for someone to bow out before being called to Orlando after notching 11 sacks and 58 pressures.

The pass-rushing duo didn’t get the call like their teammates. Instead, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson and Las Vegas’s Maxx Crosby will represent the AFC defensive ends down in Orlando next month.

The voting isn’t entirely wrong since Garrett and Hendrickson have a case.

The AFC North duo are tied for the league lead in sacks with 14 apiece. Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, also ranks first in tackles for loss and third in QB hits with 28.

But Crosby over Hunter? Signs of “name over production” ring true for the All-Pro pass rusher, who likely won’t even play after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery.

Even going off name alone, Hunter’s been a stalwart in the league since his breakout season in 2017. He’s a sack away from becoming the 46th player in NFL history to hit the triple digits and the first Texan to accomplish the feat since three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt.

Crosby finished with 7.5 sacks in 12 games. Hunter had eight QB takedowns by Halloween.

Crosby was better against the run, totaling 16 tackles for loss in a dozen games. Hunter needed two more games, but his 17 trumps Crosby’s by a lone stat.

And the four-time Pro Bowler from Minnesota also had 23 QB hits and a league-leading 90 pressures, according to NFL’s Next Gen stats. Crosby? He finished with 20 and 59, respectively.

Hunter will likely get the call because of opt-outs. He’s the first in line to replace one of the trio as an alternate entering the postseason. Given Crobsy’s injury status, that call should arrive before the Texans welcome the No. 5 seed to NRG Stadium next week.

Crosby’s persona as one of the league’s top defenders is well-documented. The same goes for Hunter and even a rising star like Anderson.

Sometimes, giving the nod to a player who intends to play tends to make the most sense.

Given Hunter’s numbers, it should have been a no-brainer.

Seriously, what the hell happened, Oregon?

This kind of College Football Playoff collapse from the undisputed No. 1 team was shocking.

PASADENA, Calif. — The final seconds were so anticlimactic it almost didn’t feel like a proper Rose Bowl. Ohio State fans roared through a stadium-wide cheer of “O-H-I-O” as Oregon fans trickled out in a deflated exodus.

“Go back to Eugene!” Buckeyes cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. shouted at no one in particular as the clock counted down to No. 8 seed Ohio State’s commanding 41-21 victory Wednesday in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals game against the top-seeded Ducks.

A forceful victory and a mind-boggling collapse.

Of all the College Football Playoff teams that could have been upset, dominated or straight-up embarrassed off the field, absolutely no one predicted Oregon would be in the running for the most stunning collapse of the season. No one.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DETsfniOk6B/

Yet the Ducks hobbled out of the Rose Bowl dripping in disappointment and irony. No one figured this Oregon team would ever be on the losing end of a blowout. Except maybe Ohio State.

College football fans love a good debate. Buttressed by logic and facts or complete meritless nonsense, they’ll materialize a debate out of thin air if they have to. And especially if it’s about the playoff.

But one playoff detail that never seemed up for debate for much of the regular season was Oregon’s ranking and high esteem, further enhanced by a Big Ten championship in the school’s first season in the 18-team conference.

No one debated the Ducks as the No. 1 team this year, especially as every other national title contender had blunders and at least one loss. No one questioned whether they’d get the playoff committee’s top seed, and no one tried to mitigate their perfect 13-0 record going into the postseason. Oregon was so clearly the best and most complete team from August to December, with an offense led by a Heisman Trophy contender and one of the most formidable defenses in the country.

So when Ohio State absolutely boat-raced the Ducks off the field in the playoff quarterfinals, after the shock waned, you’ve got to wonder: What the hell happened, Oregon?

“They clicked tonight and we didn’t,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said. “When you play a great team like Ohio State, you can’t not be clicking on all cylinders, and they were.”

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end JT Tuimoloau (44) reacts in the first half against the Oregon Ducks in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Arizona State unexpectedly took Texas to two overtimes before falling Wednesday. Group of Five rep Boise State put up a fight before losing to Penn State on New Year’s Eve. Both squads should be proud.

But barely a week after fans, coaches and ESPN personalities lamented the top seeds blowing out the lower seeds at home, here was Oregon, the undisputed No. 1 seed, falling at a neutral site in the same time zone as Eugene.

The Ducks didn’t have the easiest draw in the playoff bracket or path to the national championship, and everyone knew there was a good chance for an all-Big Ten Rose Bowl and a rematch from earlier this season.

I suspect most people anticipated a heated contest more closely resembling October’s one-point Oregon home win. Maybe it wouldn’t be *that* close, maybe it wouldn’t come down to the final drive. But you’re lying if you thought the Buckeyes would outscore Oregon, 34-8, in the first half on their way to a convincing victory.

To be fair, Ohio State bounced back from its unfathomable regular-season finale loss to Michigan and crushed Tennessee in the first round of the CFP. Things were clicking again, as its offense began to spread the ball around its $20 million roster and actually throw to its NFL-bound receiving corps.

But Lanning’s Ducks should have been ready. They had weeks to build a general game plan, 11 days to prepare for a team they already beat this season and plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball.

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 01: Noah Whittington #6 of the Oregon Ducks is hit by JT Tuimoloau #44 and Jack Sawyer #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second quarter during the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Prudential at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

“I just don’t think we had a good enough plan as coaches tonight, and we have to find ways to prepare ourselves for these moments better,” Lanning said.

“We’ve got to be able to adjust a little bit faster,” he added. “We didn’t adjust fast enough.”

But this kind of collapse from the undisputed No. 1 team in the regular season was shocking. Inexplicable. Oregon didn’t wilt and instead fought back in the second half, but overcoming a 34-point deficit is unsurmountable for most teams.

Maybe the Ducks resent not getting an on-campus game, a decidedly awesome feature of the expanded playoff. Maybe the rest hurt them more than it helped, or they looked too far ahead. Maybe they really did have the worst draw in the bracket and earned the right to have a big gripe against the playoff committee. Maybe Ohio State was simply better or learned from October mistakes.

Any validity to Oregon’s complaints about its draw and the reward for being No. 1 evaporated after the Rose Bowl’s first 30 minutes. The games are the ultimate deciders, and as sports continually remind us, sometimes the best regular-season team doesn’t win it all.

“We believe that when we’re executing at a high level that we can play with anybody in the country,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “We knew we had to be at our best today.”

Ohio State looked better than it has all season, especially against an inarguably strong opponent, and freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had a record-breaking night. The Buckeyes were playing at a different elevation than the Ducks. They jumped out to a huge lead and only relinquished a touch of it.

College football is weird, the playoff amplifies that and top-seeded Oregon was the latest to fall.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

Best Christmas music: The 10 best songs of all time, ranked

Does your favorite Christmas song make the cut?

EDITOR’S NOTE: We wrote this back in 2021, but with the holiday season back once again we felt like it was the perfect time to update it.

There’s nothing that brings the world together more than sharing opinions about Christmas music.

And why not? Christmas is a very special time of year for many — myself included! — and music is one of the most fundamental joys of life. So it only makes sense that people hold holiday music in such high regard, as it often formulates a major part of our lives growing up and sticks with us throughout adulthood.

Previously, I touched on the worst Christmas songs ever written, so why not try my hand at the best? The earworms, the nostalgia bringers, the tear jerkers, this list has them all, and then some! So sit back and relax as I list off the top 10 best Christmas songs of all time.

Opinion: Saints should follow Falcons’ example and cut ties with Derek Carr

The Atlanta Falcons are expected to move on from Kirk Cousins, and the New Orleans Saints should consider following suit with Derek Carr:

The Atlanta Falcons are expected to release quarterback Kirk Cousins sometime between now and March after less than one full season starting on the team. This is because of a string of poor starts for the veteran quarterback, and ultimately a lack of true upside, which could hinder the team long-term if they were to retain his contract.

Many of the reasons the Falcons are moving on from Cousins sound like the same issues the New Orleans Saints are facing with Derek Carr. Large contracts with multiple years remaining that could hinder further team development, both have a .500 winning percentage this season when under center, both have a low upside compared to other options on the team, and both have been barely skating by in performances this season.

While the Saints do not have a first-round pick quarterback from the most recent draft class to turn to, they do have a high upside option in Spencer Rattler, as well as what could end up being a top ten draft pick in the 2025 NFL draft. To be clear, I am not a huge proponent of this quarterback draft class, but there are a few strong options that could develop into above average starters. The Saints have been stuck in their ways of trying to compete with an older roster for awhile now, and extending their veteran talents on enormous contracts. Now, most of those contracts look poor in hindsight outside Alvin Kamara and Demario Davis, and the Saints are still well below .500 on the season.

My belief is the Saints need to use their 2025 offseason to get Derek Carr off the roster, considering there is a potential out in his contract where the Saints would only be dealing with the one season of dead cap hit worth approximately $50 million, and build for the future instead. However, there is the option of making Derek Carr one of their June 1st designations where they would only go $10 million into the red instead of $50 million, which would be a significantly preferrable option. Odds are you are going to be dealing with a dead cap hit from other players anyways, including Ryan Ramczyk who is likely to retire at the current juncture.

Drafting a quarterback in 2025 and having them compete for the starting role with Spencer Rattler would likely be a good way to see what you have, and then build around one or the other for the future as the cap hits of the veterans clear up over time. This isn’t even a matter of “kicking the can down the road” anymore, it’s about finding financial flexibility to add youth to your roster and start finding ways to phase out some of the veterans who may want to leave or retire in the coming two to three seasons. Who knows what road the Saints will actually take, but if they are looking for a new head coach in 2025, giving them the chance to build from nearly scratch seems like a better offer than the current roster provides.

USMNT star Christian Pulisic had a weak explanation for his Donald Trump dance goal celebration

If you’re going to make a political statement, stand by it.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election for a second presidential term, we’ve seen several athletes signal their support for Trump by copying a dance the president-elect has been known to do at his rallies. But when it came time to explain the dance, they all had similar answers.

U.S. men’s national team star Christian Pulisic was no different.

Pulisic — who is enjoying a career-best season at AC Milan — scored the opening goal in the USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal win against Jamaica on Monday. And when Pulisic made his celebratory trot to the corner flag, many were surprised to see Pulisic break out that same Donald Trump dance we’ve already witnessed from Brock Bowers and Jon Jones.

Now, Pulisic is entitled to his political opinions — no matter how divisive they may be. And it’s no secret where he stands in that regard. But what was odd was how he brushed off the dance as simply something he saw as “funny.”

Pulisic said after the match via The Athletic:

“Well obviously that’s the Trump dance,” Pulisic said when asked whether he intentionally celebrated with viral moves. “It was just a dance that everyone’s doing. He’s the one who created it. I just thought it was funny.”

He continued:

“I saw everyone doing it yesterday in the NFL, I saw Jon Jones do it,” Pulisic said after the game. “We’re just having a bit of fun, so I thought it was a pretty fun dance.”

…

“No, not at all,” Pulisic said. “It’s not a political dance. It was just for fun. I saw a bunch of people do it and I thought it was funny, so I enjoyed it. I hope some people did, at least.”

And while teammates Weston McKennie (a vocal Trump critic) and Ricardo Pepi joined Pulisic on the dance, it’s awfully disingenuous for Pulisic to dismiss a clearly political dance as something he happened to see in the NFL and UFC. It’s an inherently political statement, and if you’re going to make one, at least have the courage to stand by it and explain it.

When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality, he didn’t shy away from questions. When USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe did the same, she was also able to answer for it. She wrote an entire piece about it.

If Pulisic wants to use his platform as the face of the USMNT to do that dance, he should be brave enough to give an honest explanation. He wasn’t willing to do that on Monday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=4855122]

Deion Sanders is done campaigning for Travis Hunter’s Heisman, and he’s right

There’s a clear reason why Travis Hunter is the Heisman Trophy favorite in Week 12.

Selecting the most outstanding college football player each season isn’t always easy, and there isn’t always a clear-cut favorite.

The 2024 Heisman Trophy race has been fascinating to watch all season with preseason favorite Dillon Gabriel, Ashton Jeanty and Cam Ward making some truly standout plays and quintessential Heisman moments on the field.

But, as talented as they are, no one really compares with two-way player Travis Hunter, who entered Week 12 as the consensus Heisman favorite. And Saturday in Colorado’s 49-24 win over Utah, the Buffaloes wide receiver/defensive back reminded everyone why.

Against Utah, Hunter finished with 60 total offensive yards, which is actually a bit low for him. He earned his first rushing touchdown of the season, and on defense, he returned an interception for 21 yards and added three solo tackles and a pass breakup. On the season, he has 10 total touchdowns, 911 receiving yards, three interceptions, eight passes defended and one forced fumble, as Fox Sports noted.

Hunter’s talent and skills are undeniable. Not only does he play almost every snap on both sides of the ball when he’s healthy, but he also often makes standout play after standout play, like this one:

And this one:

With less than a month to go before Heisman voters make their selections, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs have been stumping hard for Hunter’s Heisman campaign. They’re right to support their player, of course, but they’re also right about no college player in the country being comparable to Hunter, a coveted future NFL Draft pick.

Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders praised Hunter after the game, calling him the best player in the country:

“He’s the best player in the country, hands down, no doubt. There’s not a lot of guys that can do what he do on offense and defense, so it’s really tough to compare him to anybody else because I feel like if he was at a different program — they don’t like us so much. They hate on us too. So it’s real hard, and it makes me sad that they don’t give a guy like him his credit because that’s generational. It ain’t gonna happen again for a long time.”

After the Buffs’ win against Utah, Deion was asked what his message to undecided Heisman voters would be. He echoed his quarterback son’s sentiments but implied he’s done stumping and said:

“I ain’t gonna sit up here and give no message to no Heisman voters who is undecided. If they can’t see, they can’t see. It is what it is. Travis is who he is. It’s supposed to go to the best college football player; I think that’s been a wrap since, what? Week 2?

“So, we ain’t petitioning for nobody. We ain’t doing that. We’ve got a wonderful display of cameras here, and I think we’re on national television every week. If they can’t see it, something is a problem. Don’t allow their hatred for me to interfere with our kids’ success. … Give the kids what they deserve.”

Sanders may claim he’s not arguing for Hunter’s Heisman campaign, but he’s still making an argument that the two-way player is the best in college football this season. And he’s right, but at this point, the Sanders family and the rest of Colorado shouldn’t have to be convincing anyone of Hunter’s exceptionalism.

For Oregon, Gabriel makes his dominance look easy. With Miami, Ward is so poised making big plays it’s almost worrisome. And Boise State has the best running back in the country with Jeanty.

But Hunter is an extraordinary two-way player who’s on the field for the majority of games and is having an incredible season. Barring a catastrophic game for him or a couple truly elevated performances from his fellow contenders, the Heisman should be his come December.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]