Well I don’t know quite how to feel.
Per Front Office Sports, the NCAA is going to add a postseason women’s tournament that mirrors the NIT in structure, following the recommendations of last year’s gender equity report which chiefly said, in effect, ‘Hey NCAA, pretty sexist that you host the greatest tournament on earth for men but don’t host a similar one for women.’ 32 teams, a structure that “mirrors” the NIT’s, all great stuff. Except. There’s already a WNIT.
The current WNIT is run by Triple Crown Sports, a private enterprise. It costs teams more than $12,000 to compete, which isn’t outrageous but is less than it would cost under the NCAA’s funding (programs might make money in an NCAA-run WNIT). It’s a 64-team tournament, it’s great, but as we all know…32>68. Which probably means 32 is also greater than 64.
So, I think this is good. But I don’t want to trash the WNIT. Triple Crown Sports has done heroic work over the years in bridging the equity divide, and we hope there’s still some role for them in this new, fairer world.
For those keeping track: We lost one NIT (the Preseason one) this offseason but gained another (the NCAA Women’s NIT) but we might also lose a second (the WNIT) but the Preseason one is coming back next year so…I think we’re narrowly ahead.
Texas Is Shaking Up Its Staff
Uh oh.
Chris Beard had yet another coaching staff shakeup this week, his second of the offseason and yet another sign of discord within the ranks as the program continues to lack a single committed 2023 recruit. Meanwhile, the vibes remain great in Milwaukee. Fascinating.
Joe Kelly Shook Up the Playoff Race
Ok, well he almost did. Entering the game in the worst position relief pitchers face these days—that with a tie score, nobody out, and a runner on second to begin the home half of an extra inning—our guy worked around his own early defensive foible (he lobbed a ball to first on what should have been a sac bunt but turned into a bunt single, and in defense of his defense you would also try to not overthrow it there if you had a bazooka attached to your ribcage) to extend things by a whole inning. The White Sox didn’t score in the eleventh, so they ultimately lost, but had they scored? Could’ve changed history. I say we give him credit anyway.
Audi Bros, Meet F1 Bros
In massive news for young adult males raised in Edina, Minnesota, Audi is going to enter Formula 1 in 2026.
Other racing news:
F1’s at Spa-Francorchamps (spelled that right on the first try, eat it, haters), which is reputed to be a rare F1 course where passing is possible but is also the spot where they did the two-lap parade in the rain and called it half a race. I hope you’re exactly as excited as I am.
Aric Almirola has already unretired after announcing his retirement earlier this year, with Smithfield evidently throwing a lot of sponsor weight behind him, demonstrating that the sponsor model isn’t entirely dead in NASCAR and also that we should probably look up what the hell Smithfield is sometime. Daytona race Saturday night, more on that in the itinerary below.
Is Mason Ramsey Back to School?
Quiet week on social media for our king, which makes one wonder what Mason Ramsey’s school schedule is. But in a supportive way. Not in a weird way. Weirdly supportive? Sure. Sue me for caring about education.
The Fox Valley and Milk
Fox Valley Conference neighbor Huntley (it’s still a little weird) is the home of a man waiting for three million dollars in what the media is calling ‘milk money,’ as Dean Foods, his former employer, filed for bankruptcy shortly after he won a lawsuit against them under the ADA. Full story here, from WGN.
Burnley’s Got Another Goalie
Burnley announced the signing today of Denis Franchi, a 19-year-old Italian man previously employed by Paris Saint Germain. He adds to the depth, which means another keeper (Bailey Peacock-Farrell, specifically) might soon be on the way out.
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Viewing schedule for the weekend:
Friday, 8:10 PM EDT: Cubs @ Brewers (MLB TV)
Saturday, 7:10 PM EDT: Cubs @ Brewers (MLB TV, second screen)
Sunday, 2:10 PM EDT: Cubs @ Brewers (MLB TV)
The Cubs have nothing to lose. The Brewers may have already lost everything.
Friday, 8:10 PM EDT: Diamondbacks @ White Sox (MLB TV, second screen)
Saturday, 7:10 PM EDT: Diamondbacks @ White Sox (MLB TV, gamecast)
Sunday, 2:10 PM EDT: Diamondbacks @ White Sox (MLB TV, second screen)
Interesting that snakes are commonly associated with the devil. I wonder if Tony La Russa will defect and cede management of the team to Joe Kelly.
Sunday, 7:00 PM EDT: Braves @ Cardinals (ESPN)
Jake Odorizzi’s listed as the pitcher in this one for Atlanta, and fun fact: He’s from near St. Louis! Highland, Illinois. Played my brother downstate in 2008. Highland won (Odorizzi stole second in the seventh and then came around to score on a pair of overthrows, if I remember the play), but big bro did hit a double off the guy. And there was a bullshit game-changing call where the ump said one of our hitters leaned into a pitch with the bases loaded, leading the local newspaper’s video guy to ask either Highland’s coach or the ump himself (guessing it was Highland’s coach) “What about the two Highland guys who stuck their elbows over the plate and got away with it?” in the postgame presser. Wonder what that video guy’s up to these days. (Update, I just looked him up, he’s the front man in a classic rock and soul cover band that gigs around the northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin area, this is way better than what I feared had happened to him, which was jail—not because he did anything, but because his name rhymes with a descriptor for a vile criminal—or death.)
Saturday, 10:00 AM EDT: Burnley @ Wigan (not on American television)
So the thing about Wigan is that their name is suspiciously similar to the last name of the friend with whom I most often talk Burnley, which makes me think this might be a setup. That said, Burnley put out a video today of highlights from a match between the two in 2014 which I believe was the one where Burnley clinched promotion. So, there’s either history here or the ruse is deeper than I thought.
Wigan was in the top tier for about a decade early this millennium, but they’ve fallen off and spent a brief stint in League One before winning that league last year to meet Burnley here, in the middle. They play near Burnley, right in between Liverpool and Manchester. Population’s over one hundred thousand, but just barely, which is giving me Wilmington vibes. The Delaware Wilmington, I mean. I know it’s smaller but the whole being-between-two-big-cities aspect made me think of Wilmington, which feels like it’s between every big city.
Wigan’s nickname is the Latics, because their official name is Wigan Athletic and locals pronounce “athletic” as “athlatic.” Yep. That’s the story that comes up when I google them. Again, I think this may be a prank. So close to Lactics, too.
Burnley isn’t an outright favorite, but they’re the favorite in my heart.
Saturday, 12:30 PM EDT: Nebraska vs. Northwestern (FOX)
I want to see Pat Fitzgerald and Scott Frost playing those Irish games where they throw the big logs in a Fox promo. If that doesn’t happen, count me out on Fox. My standards are decisive.
Saturday, 7:00 PM EDT: Coke Zero Sugar 400 – NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona (NBC)
The best race of the year, to be honest. Less of a pain if there’s rain than the Daytona 500 or either Talladega, with the added benefit of sheer desperation from everyone trying to make the playoffs at 200 miles per hour. The way God designed NASCAR.
Sunday, 10:00 AM EDT: Rolex Belgian Grand Prix (ESPN)
A Formula 1 race.
