I Tell Ya' Herbie

     It's time for our weekly look at the college football world- I Tell Ya' Herbie as we enter week one.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            College Football needs to take more advantage of "week zero" and add more (and better) matchups.

College Football has a two-week head start on the NFL, and fans are desperate to watch some football, so a few more games with impact would not only be welcomed but would also draw good ratings.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Ohio State fans have built up animosity toward Fox due to the network's decision to place the Buckeyes' biggest games at noon, but there could be more on its way if you are a YouTubeTV subscriber.

The streaming service and Fox's carriage agreement have run out, just in time for Ohio State's season opener against Texas in a battle between two of the country's most popular programs.

While these things usually are figured out before a deadline, imagine the vitriol towards both parties if the game is unable to be seen by the rabid fans of both schools.

Editor's Note: A "short-term" extension has been agreed to by both parties to allow the game to be covered.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            After a tepid week zero (other than Iowa State-Kansas State in Ireland), week one has three top ten matchups with top-ranked Texas against third-ranked Ohio State, sixth-ranked Notre Dame facing number ten Miami, and ninth-ranked LSU visiting fourth-ranked Clemson.

The one I find most interesting (other than personal interest) is LSU and Clemson.

Clemson has slipped a bit under Dabo Swinney since the start of the NIL era, and Brian Kelly hasn't won an opener in his LSU tenure.

Add that both teams' quarterbacks (Clemson's Cade Klubnik and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier) are regarded as first-round talents in the next NFL Draft, and you have a very interesting game.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Trap game? It might be one in Ames, Iowa, as South Dakota travels to face Iowa State,

The Coyotes made the I-AA semi-finals last season, and while the Cyclones won a big one over Kansas State, they have to travel home from Dublin and play the next week against a team that might surprise them one week before they play in-state rival Iowa.

                            

                            

                             

                  

Goodbye doesn't mean forever, Sunday Ticket

      David Gates sung the lyric "Goodbye doesn't mean forever" in the theme of the 1977 film "The Goodbye Girl".

Sidebar: The Goodbye Girl might be the only film ever to have a Best Actor Oscar-winning performance (Richard Dreyfuss) that wasn't even the best performance in the film as ten year old Quinn Cummings steals the film!

And after that performance, Quinn Cummings would act in ONE film (a supporting role in 1987's medicore Listen to Me) ever again! Incredible!I

I recently received an email from YouTubeTV for the upcoming renewal of the NFL Sunday Ticket package and as a subscriber of the package since 2004 in the days of Directv owning the rights, I've never thought about not renewing.

We have now reached the point of considering ending that purchase and it's a bit scary.

YouTubeTV now wishes to recieve $378.00 plus Maryland taxes (22.80) for Sunday Ticket for a total of $400.80 for the upcoming season and I'm starting to think that it's not worth it to see the Browns win four or five games.

That's a lot to watch bad football.

I've always thought that if you buy Sunday Ticket, the Amazon/Netflix/Peacock games should be included with the package, but they never will, as the streaming folks buy these games to attract the hardcore fan, not give them away for free. 

You may be wondering why it's scary.

Well, I've written about my loss of interest in baseball and without even a lousy team to care about, I could see my NFL interest sliding if I'm only watching either Baltimore or Washington games each week.

I'm not saying that it would but it could.

Just like I'm not saying that I won't cut Sunday Ticket, I'm only saying perhaps.

At a time in my life that I need more to be interested in, not less, that's a little scary.

It would also mean less Browns coverage here because I generally don't feel comfortable writing about games/teams that I'm not watching.

If I'm not watching, then I'm not adding anything original to the proverbial conversation and I wouldn't write as much.

It is similar to why I don't write often about Newcastle United, although the reason is a little different as I watch all the games but I don't know nearly enough about soccer/football to feel like I would be adding anything to that coverage.

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't about the money, that does have something to do with it but it's also about the money-grubbing NFL and about the absolute ineptness of the Cleveland Browns and my lack of faith in Andrew Berry to make any moves to change the franchise's direction.

It's getting harder to justify paying that amount of money to watch crappy football but even harder is to give it to a business that gives you back nothing but anger and despair.

But one never knows because after all, goodbye doesn't mean forever.