TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JAN 2019 39
Ho, Ho, Ho... It’s off to the world of sports we go! Happy New Year to all
you sports fans who can’t wait each month for my column and hang on
every word (ok, maybe a bit too much, but heartfelt nonetheless). Tis the
season for eating, drinking, being merry AND bowl games ... like 40 bowl
games! Too much, nah? Everybody gets a bowl, a trophy and some swag
like a weed eater, Redbox DVDs or a Belk shopping spree. Just the way it
was meant to be in the season of giving!
While the 4 teams receiving the best gifts will play in the Orange Bowl
(Alabama vs Michigan) and the Cotton Bowl (Clemson vs Notre Dame)
in the College Football Playoff, our Georgia Bulldogs will be in Nawlins
to face the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s night. Of
course the plan was to be in the Final Four of college football but a
convincing loss to LSU back in October and then “snatching defeat from
the jaws of victory” (again) against Alabama in the SEC Championship
Game made that happening become a bit ambitious. While most agree
that UGA is one of the best four teams in the country, it was hard for
the playoff committee to get over their 2 losses and ended up putting
Oklahoma in. Do not fear Bulldog fans, this is a young team that has
already arrived on the national scene and Coach Kirby Smart will have
them right back in the mix next season and for years to come. Remember,
reload not rebuild!
As for the College Playoffs, I was pretty close on my preseason predictions
with Alabama, Clemson and Oklahoma. I had UGA in and not Notre Dame,
as I expected UGA and Bama to meet in the SEC Championship as 2
undefeated teams. I’m going with the chalk with Bama and Clemson
to win the semifinal games, with Alabama taking the title for a second
consecutive year. It really boils down to the two best teams for the most
part and would have worked great under the old BCS system for sure.
But don’t get me wrong, I love the playoffs and hope it will increase to 8
teams sooner than later. Why not??
In the NFL, the “local” teams Atlanta and Jacksonville were done pretty
much by Thanksgiving and are already positioning for draft picks. It
seems that the top 4 teams remain New Orleans, the LA Rams, Kansas
City and New England. Lots of teams are still in the mix for the wild
card, but I really do expect that the Super Bowl matchup will come from
those aforementioned teams. We will find out shortly as the NFL playoffs
will come on the heels on the New Year’s bowls and the college football
National Championship game. A good time to be indoors for some football
and beverages for sure!
Winter brings us sports and hockey and I think I’ll study up on those a little
more for future columns. In the NBA I know one team that is rebuilding,
and that’s being kind: the Atlanta Hawks. They are unwatchable (not that
I have). It’s looking like Toronto and Boston in the east and, of course,
Golden State in the West. We are early in the season still (of course it runs
until June). College has had some great early matchups and conference
games are about to commence and again the elites look good: Duke,
Kentucky, Gonzaga, etc.
Again, Happy New Year to all the Beachcomber readers and here’s to a
great and winning 2019! Enjoy the Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day
sports fans. Come on in, the water’s fine (and a bit cool)!
SPORTS TEASER
By George Hassell