Folks Talkin’ Sports – Ep 120: College bowl games; Detroit Pistons; and more.
And welcome to episode 120 of FTS folks talking Sports I am of course kg Chris Garder owner of the Houston round ball review and with me is my man Willie Gibson how are you my man what’s good sir how are you Happy New Year happy 2024 to you as
Well will I’m happy man you’re happy I’m happy win number three man win number three happened last night man win number three I not know where it’s coming from but it happened last night thank you to the Toronto Raptors for making a trade with the Knicks early Saturday morning
To deplete that roster just enough yeah for the p to hold on and get the win to snap that 28 game losing streak and Tony M if you’re watching any rocket fans watching right now don’t worry there will be a rocket show in about four hours probably nine
O’clock Central Time and I’m gonna be talking to y’all about my team going on a two game winning streak after they win tomorrow in Houston defeating the Rockets I say I’m about to be messy when’s number four coming because I knew I knew that when number four is coming tomorrow
In a toown we’ll see how the magic number will apparently I mean it’s weird the magic number for the Rockets is if an opponent scores 120 or more this season the Rockets are 0 and 10 so if by some chance Detroit scores 120 or more that’s another win for for Detroit wow I
Don’t know if that’s gonna happen or not but anyway Mr Gibson yes sir I am not I have not been a big fan of college bowl games for a long long time yep and one reason is how many is it now how many games is it now how many
Games1 so division one college football and oh and by the way thank you for watching us on YouTube and folks talk sports on Twitter as well as my personal Facebook page I must do a better job of this but yes if you’re watching us on
Musk yes it is musk I need put put that in there Musk but it’s folks talk sports right there but you said 41 bowl games 41 42 43 whatever it is so division one college football yeah is the only division one sport where at least 40
Teams can claim they won the last game yep of the Season that to me that’s that screams basically participation trophies I mean you got 40 teams you won our last game oh okay so all these bowl games about oh the kids should play especially the kids who are who are
Getting ready for the NFL draft or oh how dare they not play how dare they sit out or shame on them nil is ruining college football and Ohad I I saw it did not hear him say it but I saw it Doug got Le said it something along those
Lines this is ruining college football y’all wanted this this is what you get with nil you wanted the athlet empowerment This Is What You Get Well couple things couple things couple things players were opting out prior to nil number one number one yes so don’t blame nil because players opted
Out n’s been around two years three years yeah and players have been opting out at least the last seven eight years minimum so don’t blame nil it’s just convenient it’s convenient hey the players are owered now so that’s why we’re not getting what we want no it’s
No no um as far as opt outs you know we’ve dealt with that here in Old Columbus town and you know if you give me an opportunity I I’ll discuss that later but uh some people AR too happy with uh some players uh that set out Friday uh versus uh Missouri the Cotton
Bowl uh they shouldn’t even be allowed to be on the trip they shouldn’t be allowed on the sideline they’re on the sideline wearing their Jersey but they’re wearing jewelry and you know this so and so’s team would have never done this and it’s like come on I didn’t think it was that
Big of a deal and didn’t know they they were there to support their team you know I I I have a opposing Viewpoint you know they you know they supported their guys M they were they were there all week no they didn’t practice but they were their coaching up the youngsters MH
But you know tweet is own I suppose did Marvin play Marvin did not play so you were correct yeah and no surpris you mentioned last Sunday on episode 119 of FTS you surmised that he would not play talking about Marvin Harrison Jr yeah has not officially announced he’s going
To the draft however for conclusion at this point um he has till January 15th to announce and that’s always been a pet peeve mind as well why does he have to announce by rule all he has to do is send a letter to the NFL yeah you indicating his desire to be
Included in the 2024 draft eligible player pool so for all this announcement and he has he hasn’t announced yet he doesn’t have to he doesn’t have to and I look for the day that a player doesn’t announce and and that when the list is released their name just shows up on the
List yep I would love that but I that used to be the case for for the NBA draft yep players didn’t have to announce you just wait for the list to come out and there they were so and so announced with a draft what when did you
That well there is a list what oh yeah but a Cole arback from the athletic and I’m not taking a shot at her okay she loves college football she loves bowl games MH you know college football is her you know pays her salary covering it sure sure she she wrote an article today
About ways to improve the bowl games and all those things which right there let me be clear A’s finest thank you for chiming in and of course if you just missed it there will be a rocket show later on about four hours 9:00 Central talking about
The rockets and there soon to be four straight losses at home they lose to Detroit on Monday Monday night but I kid I kid I kid not really but no you’re not but I’m just digging in with them because we’re going to have fun tonight on that show but NOCO five
Things she said more silliness for the BS more what is it silliness more silliness if we’ve learned anything from the first ever poptart Bowl it’s that people have an insatiable desire to watch a goofy looking mascot dance around the field okay but she’s right with this point that game averaged 4.3 million viewers
On ESPN who were who who are the teams today K State was playing somebody I couldn’t even tell you this K State and somebody else I don’t know okay well yeah don’t ask me about B match ups I couldn’t tell you but number two allow BS I like this one
Allow BS to directly pay players to pay to play okay okay okay number three a Bandon conference affiliations so BS can set up matchups that make the most sense number four get rid of the early signing period oh thoughts on that one for what how do
That how’s that what does that have to do with the her rationale is you can’t move the transfer portal window back because athletes need to be able to enroll in the new schools at the start of the semester in January the cfp is expanding so December will be even
Busier next year the only realistic option of what can move is the early signing period move back to February like like it used to be well there’s still a signing period in February it’s the early signing period in December she just yeah get rid of the early one I don’t
Know and then last one reframe the way we talk about college football and the way we celebrate the sport in the 12 team cfp era we need to stop framing everything as National Championship or bust oh that’s not gonna happen it’s not gonna happen Old Miss just won 11 games for the first
Time in program history and we and we should take time to celebrate these achievements and not ignore teams as soon as they lose a game or two and fall out of cfp contention well what is it what’s the phrase for those who participate or those who celebrate those those who
Celebrate can do so can absolutely do that but don’t say it has to be a blanket across the board for everyone else I mean those that want to celebrate Old Miss within love for for the first time in program history please do so and she writes this needs to be a collective
Effort from pundits to fans to coaches and administrators so wait a minute she has the platform to do so did she celebrate Old Miss winning 11 games for the first time in program history she might have I know she Lov I mean again I’m Tak I’m
Not taking a shot either but don’t I mean you have the platform but whereas here we go this part here toward the end of article we can we don’t need to worry about the feelings of bowl and TV execs we can and should enjoy what non cfp Bowl games have become
Exhibitions for what they are because we won’t have college football for eight months again I think it’s a I think college football who did I hear say this I don’t know I’m trying to think but outside of the cfp college football is a niche sport it’s regionalized it’s Midwest
It’s out it’s West it’s East it’s South so the cfp is the only thing that brings everyone together collectively in college football everything else it’s regionalized so that that’s what’s being lost with the realignment taking place right right exactly so I don’t know man I mean I I appreciate her her her opinion
And that’s fine I disagree with some of those but yeah to say know for those that choose to celebrate Old Miss or for that matter um whomever else mean let you talk about the bowl game what was it James Madison they went to the Military Bowl I believe
Their coach had already left for Indiana he got a better job so based on that the quarterback entered the portal based on that a few other players entered the portal so now should we tell that coach he shouldn’t take that job until after he coaches his team in the bowl game
Well you know it’s exhibitions and and this all stems from I don’t know the final score okay I know Georgia smacked what was left of Florida State around 63 to3 63 to3 and notice what I said what was left yeah of Florida State because they had players transfer players
Entered put the name in the draft and after they got in their eyes snubbed they didn’t care to that point to that point Florida State and Georgia both had the same number of players missing 27 Georgia had 27 players missing as well but Georgia cared about it way more
State exactly so it’s not because they were missing players they just didn’t care right yeah which I think is another issue there’s too many damn bowls 43 bowls will how many bowl games were there 20 years ago H great question may I don’t know 20 25 but the ones that we care
About you know way back when Rose Bowl Cotton Bowl sugar bowl and then you you had offshoots per pop up since then excuse me one second Chris I think I’m having an issue real quick one second let me see what this is from htown finest yes sir all right I have a
Question for the panel what is the difference between the BCS versus the current format now to me it seems that no matter what format the NCA uses computers or people the fans won’t be happy uh what the the uh committee the football committee supposedly goes through their criteria similar to what
The basketball committee does in terms of uh beyond the eye test they go through numbers and they crunch numbers and they try to put together the top four teams for the cfp imitational because that’s what it is an imitational you know you got four spots for the imitational but used to be five
Power conferences so somebody’s gonna be left out regardless based on how this whole process was created and established and that people swallowed thinking this was going to be great from its Inception and it was even designed to be that way from its Inception and I’ve hared on that for years I stopped really
Following college football division one football long long time ago way back when the cfp imitational allowed LSU either LSU or Alabama whatever want that did not win their own division of the conference Championship the conference did not did not win their division of their conference to be one of the four teams
In the Invitational and they spun it and sold that as old we never said you had to win your division wi your conference just has to be one of the four best team in the country in our opinion okay that make sense then sounds good let me spend my money how much
Money you want me come on folks come on it’s college football divisional college football they to steal money left and right that’s this what it is it’s it’s the number two most popular sport in America behind Pro the NFL football people eat live die sleep footb ball they have Monopoly on the ratings
Salute to them they they have found way to tap in to make people believe that they cannot live without football that they cannot live without seeing the Pop-Tart Bowl between K State and K State may have been I don’t know the fourth ranked team in the Big 12 this
Year I don’t know fourth fifth whatever and whoever they played in the Pop-Tart Bowl millions of folks watched the Pop-Tart Bowl between two teams that were not the best in their respective conference but hey it’s college football they have an edible mascot let’s watch this game I stopped living my life like that
Years ago and clearly I’m in a minority because like I said millions of folks love football love watching these bowl games love watching games with players the best players don’t play anymore and and all this y’all do you you keep doing you and I’ll keep talking about it here on FTS and other
Shows but college football is a popularity contest it’s more of the eye test and as coach Prime said himself when Stephen A Smith brought it up to further Ace to finance Point Stephen A said days after the committee picked did not pick Florida State as one
Of the four teams to participate in this year’s Invitational Stephen A said now you know if coach Prime were head coach at Florida State the committee would have picked Florida State because of Coach Prime and the eyeballs he would generate the ratings so what does that say right
There and Coach Prime echoed it oh you know come on now you know seriously based on the coach nobody question that nobody question that oh he’s wrong he’s wrong because they know it’s true it is just a popularity contest and again division one college football is the only division one sport division sportting
College where at least 40 teams can say they won their last game of the season 40 it’s not college basketball where you have One champion one team wins six games to be Champion men’s and women’s college basketball soccer on and on they have a national tournament hockey volleyball but college football division
One because they’re on the lower levels actually have playoffs and it’s successful quite as it’s kept it’s successful the playoffs but division one college football hey the fans and the sponsors going to eat this stuff up man let’s get 41 42 43 44 bowl games let’s have matchup between
Six and six teams five and seven teams oh yeah this is great and 40 teams can say we won our last game of the season why are so many people good with that and why do you have have you allowed yourself to be okay with that 40 no no other sport in
College does that NFL playoffs it’s a playoffs Super Bowl champion one team wins their last game played of the season but division on college football hey we won the poptart Bowl they won the Armed Forces Bowl they won the Birmingham Bowl they won the Independence Bowl they won the Rose Bowl
They won the the Sugar Bowl the Citrus Bowl the to jam Bowl on and on and on and Y y’all are good with that and people spend money on this over and over were why why do you do that why why have you allowed yourself to be ConEd into
Thinking that was good for college football where was it written that the non champions of a conference get to participate in a participation trophy to end their season to win one more game and once again if you’re chiming in this is episode 120 of folks talking Sports I
Am kg Chris Garden owner of the Houston round bareview my co-host Willie Gibson had to take care of something something popped up so hopefully he’ll be able to join me um momentarily he had to take that call so I don’t know it’s an emergency so he’ll be able to join me
Back shortly for this edition of FTS folks talk sports streaming on Facebook YouTube and folks talk sports on musk right there on musk right there folks talk sports but a Town’s finest Tony M Tony M where are you my man you’re you’re one of my rocks of viewers on
These live stream shows available on the Houston Round barview YouTube channel rocket fans join me in a few hours going to talk about the rockets and their three- game losing streak all three games are have happen at home to the lost three trade at home defense is taking a step back Dylan
Brooks Jabari Smith will be out for Monday’s game against Detroit Monday’s game against Detroit will be a theme night for the Thompson Twins am man and AER Thompson bobae head Knight put it out there think I still have that slide RS will give away to the first 5,000 fans in attendance
Boba head right there so I don’t know if it’s GNA look like that but if it’ll be a solid base for both twins I’m not sure but first thousand first 5,000 fans in attendance for Monday’s game will receive a bobblehead featuring amen and oser Thompson so very cool right
There I hope I hope see I knock on some wood somewhere around me I don’t know that they will set a handful aside for the media so I can get one of those as well because looks pretty cool so hey and of course you know me you follow
Houston RAR viiew and all these platforms I’m a Detroit Pistons fan been one for 36 years wow no third no no 37 years they won one in a row they snapped their losing streak at 28 so it’s all good neighborhood so I did not catch what did the coach say
Today I’ve been in college basketball mode from yesterday’s long day over at uh men’s and women’s basketball great women lost uh 7971 in their first Big 12 game against Texas Tech post game comments from coach hu and Coach Glick from Tech so what do you have to say I haven’t heard from uh
Colleagues eeko or SPO or Fagan about it but the defense is taking a step back for the Rockets we’ll talk more about it later on on the Les T Houston Rockets edition of the show but the defense is taking a step back I mean Fred Van vet said after Friday’s lost to
Philly offense wasn’t a problem Rockets can score they can’t get stops they’re not getting stops now if the Rockets defense has problems Monday night against Detroit Detroit that’s a red flag okay Kate Cunningham he’s getting better offensively trying to be more consistent on offense still kind of turnover prone last yesterday was
Better but if the Rockets give up a lot of points to Detroit oh that that’s we’re gonna talk about that for sure well what do you say about this you said we should not be pleased with our 15 and 15 record they’ve lost three straight and they’re not playing good ball anymore and
Koka when he was hired his sister said it as well when I spoke to her in an interview in the summer they expect to make the playoffs this year surpris me and a lot of folks Outsiders mainly and they’re not playing playoff caliber ball right now injuries notwithstanding and 131 to
Philly that’s 131 to Philly without Joel embiid 131 one to Philly without Joel in beat and the early minutes of the fourth quarter they had what a 97 99 90 lead they were up 7even to n early in the fourth quarter Tyrese Maxi was on the bench getting arrest
And Philly took a lead with Maxi on the bench because Rockets could not get stops that’s a problem post the link if yeah post the link I can see if I can pull it up if not I’ll work on it um later on for tonight’s edition of let’s talk Houston Rockets it’s more
Appropriate there and based on will taking longer to take care of his issue I’ll cut this edition of the show short so we can focus on him and I’ll have to reach out to him and see everything is okay with him and we’ll just talk about
Rockets in more detail in a few hours on let’s talk Houston Rockets but back to my original Point College football fans stop be a football fan if you want to but why have you allowed yourselves To accept that it’s okay for division one college football to have 40 of its member schools in the season with the win 40 if not more might be 41 42 43 all these extra bowl games they’re just money grabs that’s all they are and I know know the coaches I’ve covered
Coaches a long time they will tell you it’s good to get these practices in for the bowl game to help the team get ready for The Following Season that’s coach speak these are money grabs these are sponsorship opportunities these bowl games for the boosters and all the welltoo folks bowl
Games 40 if they’re not involved in Conference Championship Conference champions they don’t mean crap they never did mean crap but now the NCA well college football is really the cfp for sure is separate from the NCA but what what is the point of seeing a five- seven face a six
And6 or two six and six team Square Off who cares why is that a big deal it’s a win-win for the money folks that’s who it’s a win-win for but if you lose that bowl game you forget he even played any you know what the press release will be for the up
Following Season they’ll focus on the regular season record won’t even acknowledge Bowl but if you win it like the head coach who’s no longer at Houston the former head coach at Houston hey I’m I’m the only coached in Houston history to win two straight bowl games
And 20 wins back toback you know total in two seasons Birmingham bowl and the Independence Bowl and he he hung his hat on that winning the Birmingham bowl and the Independence Bowl whoopy damn do and ight marketed that like it was some major accomplishment that’s how that’s how low the bar had
Fallen think about that that’s what these six and six bowl games present and allow teams to do we want to reward our players a bowl opportunity to go to another city go all on they were five and seven they were six and six so we we awarding
Mediocrity or if you five and seven we are are awarding less than mediocrity and want our fans and alums and boosters to spend money to travel to said Bowl anyhow gonna cut this one short Ace times finest I’ll look for uh coach oka’s oka’s comments but rocket fans nine o’clock Central maybe
8:30 get ready because I’m GNA be I’m in a good mood now I mean because the Pistons have have won a game they won three now they’re not on a losing streak I don’t think they’re going to win tomorrow against the rockets and I’m was like they better not
Beat the Rockets tomorrow but boy if they do man boy if they do that’ll be good from a piston point of view but from a rocket perspective oh because the rest of the Rockets game this week Brooklyn Minnesota and Milwaukee man Brooklyn can score points Minnesota and Milwaukee are very
Good dare I say like I said I I am not the fan in me would pick Detroit to win Monday but the objective media person the Rockets will win Monday night over the Pistons but my goodness if the Rockets lose Monday to Detroit Brooklyn and then what is it Minnesota
And the Bucks are backto back woo boy that this seven game homestand could be a disaster so yeah I can see why coach udoka will be upset the team being at 500 now yeah that that’s a problem but we’ll talk about it doc cille thank you for timing in Doc you
Know how we how I I feel about college bowls and and all the excess college bowls and all that but Dr cavil is is the dean of HBCU Sports and part of the original one of the original one of the ogs for podcasting one of the trio the kg fifth
World Wildcat and Doc podcast from a few years ago he Doc and the fifth Wildcat Jerry Lee Woodley Jr we started that a few years ago and it’s grown into this platform for me and Doc’s own platform inside the HBCU Sports Live cast that on Tuesdays and
Thursdays I’m a part of that proud of it I started tonight’s show of FTS a little bit late because I was watching episode two of why not us Howard golf team on ESPN because of the great things Steph Curry is is doing and has done with Howard golf so I was proud of
That so I’m all all about the Excellence ver us to shine through and I want all of us to eat and be successful but wrapping it up on this edition of FTS episode 120 y’all know I’m not shy to give my opinions on my platforms because that’s
What I got the platforms for to give my opinion want to talk about the cougs women’s team and I spoke with a Hall of Famer yesterday at the cougs game she was there talk to her about the state of Houston Cougars women’s basketball but that’s for another time join me later on
Tonight on the Houston Round barview YouTube channel for the next edition of let’s talk Houston Rockets subscribe to this channel hit that Bell click on it so you can receive notifications of when the shows will be posted I enjoy thank you for your comments and Doc kissy cat Ace Tom
Finest rocket fans see you in a few hours tell your friends about Houston RAR view 2024 making a great year everybody take care until later on tonight I’ll take care peace
Watch episode 120 of FTS with Kris Gardner (KG – owner of The Houston Roundball Review) and Willy Gibson (Will Knows Sports) discuss college bowl games; Pistons’ end losing streak; and more.
00:00 – Intro
00:39 – Pistons got win number 3
01:58 – College bowl game discussion
05:35 – Why do college football players have to announce decision to declare for NFL Draft?
07:17 – The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach’s 5 ways to improve college bowls
13:05 – Georgia cared way more about the Orange Bowl than FSU did
14:11 – Willy Gibson left the show
16:40 – College football is a popularity contest
22:53 – Rockets have lost 3 straight at home
23:30 – Rockets’ bobblehead giveaway on Jan. 1
24:45 – Coach Udoka isn’t happy?
31:00 – Too many bowls allow mediocrity to be rewarded
32:10 – IF the Rockets lose to the Pistons Monday night, the Rockets’ 7-game homestand would be a disaster
35:00 – Conclusion
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