Sports Wrap-Up

Christmas weekend is over, and the biggest news still revolved around football:

College:

Saturday's bowl games were interrupted by Urban Meyer's stunning resignation from the University of Florida for health reasons. Sunday's NFL games were interrupted by his stunning decision to make it a long vacation instead. With either NFL or college bowl games every day this week, stand by for additional stunning.

As for the games themselves, this upcoming week will have bowl games that are watchable.  I promise.

It may not get great ratings, but the Fiesta Bowl matchup between undefeated, non-traditional powers TCU and Boise State on January 4 means that yet again this year, one of the Davids will win a major bowl. (Goliaths will win the rest, unless Cincinnati somehow tugs on Superman Tim Tebow's cape in his final college game, the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day.)

NFL:

The NFC’s playoff teams  are set, although only the Saints’ seeding position (#1) is.  In the AFC, seeding is clearer (the Colts are #1 despite taking their first loss yesterday after pulling their starters, the Chargers #2 after a win on Christmas Day), but two playoff spots are still open.  Will Denver fill one? After opening the season 6-0, the Broncos are streaking - the wrong way - as they stand 8-7 with one game remaining. The beneficiaries of the Colts' decision to rest their players were the Jets, who shrugged and accepted the victory, which put them in the driver's seat for a playoff berth. If the Colts lose in an early round, it'll be rookie coach Jim Caldwell's turn to take the heat for the decision to call off his horses (so to speak) rather than go for a perfect season, much as he would've taken the heat for going for a perfect season if any of his stars had played the whole game and gotten hurt.

College Basketball:

After another week of mostly tune-ups for top teams, we'll get Rick Pitino against Kentucky again this week - Louisville at Kentucky, Saturday afternoon (1/2). Pitino and John Calipari - gosh, it's hard to know which of these upstanding fellows to root for, isn't it?
 

by NATHAN WHITAKER

Nathan is the co-author (with Tony Dungy) of the #1 New York Times bestseller Quiet Strength, Uncommon, and others. Most recently,he co-authored (with James Brown) the new book Role of a Lifetime: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Significant Living. A two-sport athlete in baseball and football at Duke University, he worked in the front offices of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nathan lives in Florida with his family.