From sports to TV to politics (OK, so mostly the first two), we offer five hot topics that are sure to liven up your round of golf:
1. Rodgers to Rodgers: So much for the theory that these Thursday night NFL games are awful. The latest produced the Green Bay Packers beating the Detroit Lions on a 61-yard Hail Mary from Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers -- the longest pass play to end a game in NFL history. Look away, Lions fans:
Yes, the play shouldn't have happened because of a bad facemask penalty on the play before, and yes, that was horrible defense by Detroit. But how about Rodgers? Forget the Tom Brady-Peyton Manning debate. No one has ever played QB better than Olivia Munn's boyfriend. Am I right? OK, that's a lot to discuss.
2. Kobe Bryant: While we're on the subject of all-time greats in sports, we learned this week that this will be Bryant's last season in the NBA. While he's certainly deserving of our respect, the time has definitely come for him to walk away. In a recent five-game stretch, Bryant shot 25 for 102. The most amazing part of that is the 20 shot attempts per game despite how cold he's been from the perimeter. Tough to see -- especially for his teammates who are standing around and watching. Having Kobe continue to jack up bad shots can't be the Lakers' game plan. . . or is it? The team only holds onto its 2016 first-round pick if it it finishes in the top three of the draft lottery.
3. Scott Weiland: The world said goodbye to a rock legend this week as the man most known for being the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots passed away on his tour bus. This isn't the most shocking news since Weiland long suffered from substance abuse, but it doesn't make it any less sad. I saw Scott perform in 2013 and he spent a few minutes of the concert trying to fight someone in the crowd. He obviously didn't always have his stuff together, but man, could he rock.
4. Coldplay: Staying with the rock music theme, how about this British band getting the nod for this season's Super Bowl halftime show? Normally, I wouldn't mind, but how can it be any act other than Taylor Swift? This is the year of TAYLOR! OK, or Adele. Either way, Coldplay, as good as they are, doesn't exactly seem to be the ideal choice if you're looking for a rousing halftime show. And does the NFL really want them singing "I Will Fix You" to millions of fans if its finale is as shoddily officiated as the rest of the games this season?
5. NCAA conference championship games: Speaking of curious choices, why are the Big Ten, ACC, and Pac-12 championship games all essentially starting at the same time? Especially when two of these games (Michigan State vs. Iowa and Clemson vs. North Carolina) have major national title implications. It will still be a great night for college football fans, but it would have been better if these games had been spread out. Of course, the one big game that's being played in the afternoon, Alabama vs. Florida in the SEC Championship, will probably be a blowout. Anyway, here's hoping for some exciting games and more BCS chaos. At the very least, we know we have some entertaining halftimes to look forward to:
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