Happy New Year Sports Teaser fans (and the rest of you)! 2021 couldn’t get here fast enough and let’s hope that things continue to get better,
everyone gets the vaccine and can get back to some real life in the real world. In the meantime, thankfully, sports continue to roll on, even with some
snags that have occurred because of COVID-19. There have been stops and starts and a few pauses, but we have gotten through a lot more in the
sporting world than all of us thought we would see. In these uncertain times one thing is certain, we love our sports. So, let’s get to it folks.
Football continues to wind down the regular season in both college and the NFL. College football has seen more than its share of postponements and
cancellations due to the virus. Some schools were close to not having enough players to begin with, then add some Covid issues and you get canceled
games. In this crazy year you will see teams go to bowls with losing records and many bowls that have been rescheduled for next year.
Whether this year was normal or not, the College Football Playoff is what matters. By the time you read this column, we will be down to two teams
with the national championship just a week or so away. I don’t think anybody is going to beat Alabama, so I will hand them the trophy right now.
Clemson, Notre Dame or Ohio State could be somewhat formidable opponents, but I don’t think they have the firepower to match up with the Tide. Our
Georgia Bulldogs failed their big tests this year versus Alabama and Florida and most likely will end up in the Peach Bowl. Let’s hope for bigger and
brighter things next year as JT Daniels gets more time at quarterback and the offense picks out some steam.
We’re about to start the NFL playoffs with a few extra teams added in this Covid season. Right now, the same frontrunners seemed to be destined
to advance in the playoffs. Pittsburgh and Kansas City are the cream of the crop in the AFC, while Green Bay, New Orleans and maybe a team from the
NFC West in the NFC. Like the old days when the NFC championship seemed to be the Super Bowl, I think that Pittsburgh versus Kansas City in the AFC
will be the matchup of the best two teams. New Orleans may have something to say about that, however.
And basketball is back, with college already going and the NBA starting in late December. In college, it’s a free for all as to who will have enough
players and play enough games and make it to the tournament. It appears that the NCAA tournament will be in a bubble type situation, maybe in
Indianapolis. At least they’ll have a better chance to play all the games that way. In the NBA I only have one word to say about it: Lakers. More on
basketball as we get into 2021.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my favorite event of the year, The Masters. While it was a unique situation that it was played in November
with no patrons, it still was great to see the event played and not postponed. Dustin Johnson pretty much ran away with it on Sunday, but I promise you,
I was glued to about every shot and had a tub of pimento cheese next to me. One great edition that CBS had this year was drone coverage which offered
some unique views never seen on TV of the beautiful course that is Augusta National. Interesting, we get another Masters in just four months (hopefully)!
Well, that’ll wrap up the January edition of the Sports Teaser. Happy New Year to all and may 2021 be the best, because last year might have been
the worst ever. See ya next month!
TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JAN 2021 23
SPORTS TEASER
By George Hassell