It's hard to go undefeated over an entire season. It ranges from the impossibility of a baseball team doing it over 162 games or a football team doing it over a much shorter schedule. That's why it's so interesting to wake up this morning and see so many different teams in different sports be undefeated and chasing perfection. Let's start in college football where the Clemson Tigers are undefeated and the #1 seed in the college football playoff and yet are an underdog heading into their Orange Bowl matchup with Oklahoma on New Years Eve. If I was a betting man (oh right, I am) I'm taking Dabo Swinney's crew to top the Sooners and meet Alabama in the National Championship game.
Now let's talk hoops. Any number of college basketball teams are still unbeaten as they hammer overmatched non-conference opponents. How many will be able to run the table? Not many if any. I haven't had time to look at everybody's schedule but I'm dubious that it will happen now that Kentucky has already lost.
The Carolina Panthers remain unbeaten in the NFL but they looked sloppy doing it yesterday. They face the Falcons twice along with the NY Giants and Tampa Bay in their remaining four regular season games. I would not bet that they win all four even though they will be favored in all of them. Could they run the table, including the playoffs? Sure…but it hasn't been done since 1972 for a reason…it's really, really hard.
The Golden State Warriors have started the season with 22 wins. Obviously they can't go the entire season without a loss…or can they? ESPN's Basketball Power Index has thme favored in every game they will play the rest of the year except one…April 10th vs the Spurs..and their computer projections say that the Warriors will challenge the best record ever, 71-11, set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. This, of course, all hinges on Stephen Curry remaining healthy. Curry is an easy MVP choice already as he is doing things that defy imagination. The Warriors are beating teams by an average of 14.8 points a game. That would be an easy record if they can sustain it. The 1971-72 Lakers of Wilt, West and Goodrich who hold the record of 33 straight wins during a season, beat their opponents by 12.3 a game, which is the current record.
How bout the Wisconsin womens hockey team? They are perfect so far after a huge sweep of Minnesota over the weekend. They have 16 games remaining on the regular season schedule. It will certainly be tough but it's conceivable that they could be undefeated as they face the Gophers again Feb 19 & 20 in Minneapolis to finish the season. Wouldn't that be fun?
The Badgers head to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego to play USC. I like it. If you can't be in one of the big bowls, why not spend New Years week in sunny San Diego and take on a classic college football program that you havent played for awhile and never beaten.
The baseball winter meeting started yesterday and despite the signings of Price and Grienke, you should expect alot of trade action. Many of teams would like to improve their roster and avoid the high cost of some of the better free agents.You could see some big deals happen in the next few days.
Happy Birthday to Larry Bird…my mom's favorite hoops player. For some reason my mom became a huge NBA fan back in the 80's and the Bird led Celtics were by far her favorite team. Bird is 59 today.
Tickets go on sale this week for Springsteen and the E-Street band as they go out to celebrate the 1980 album “The River”/ I saw that tour back then and am planning to go this time when they stop In St. Paul on Feb 29th (Leap Day)
Songs Of The Day (a couple of off-beat tunes to start your week) from my I-pod)
Ruby Arms-Tom Waits (1980) not many do heartbreak like Mr. Waits. From his Lp “HeartAttack & Vine”.It's also his birthday today…he turns 66.
