This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.
Georgia took down TCU in the national championship game Monday night and let’s be honest – that thing was over pretty quickly. The Horned Frogs from the Big 12 were clearly in over their heads against the SEC power and the Bulldogs cruised to their second straight championship with a 65-7 win.
While Stetson Bennett and other players on Georgia made huge plays, one of the biggest stars of the pretty brutal game didn’t even play in the game. In fact, he wasn’t even down on the field.
I’m talking, of course, about Nick Saban.
The legendary Alabama coach did what he has done over the years when his team didn’t make the title game – he clipped a mic on his shirt and did TV work for ESPN.
I have to think that must be pretty awkward for him, having to work a game that he’d so love to be coaching in. Instead, he had to watch a SEC rival win again and be showered in everyone’s praise.
Having Saban on ESPN, however, is TV gold for us, the viewer, and it paid off big time last night.
The first moment came before the game when Saban seemed to be totally confused by Pat McAfee as the former punter/current media mogul went off on one of his loud Pat McAfee, WWE-inspired rants. That was some fun television and the moment went viral.
But what happened at halftime was even better. Boy was this terrific. Saban had to sit there on live TV and listen to former Georgia linebacker David Pollack wax poetic about the Bulldogs.
This one line made Saban look physically ill:
“Georgia, obviously, we’ve seen in the past couple seasons now, really – they’ve taken a hold of college football.”
— sportsvids99 (@sportsvids991) January 10, 2023
OUCH.
That is very true and it was so great to hear him say that in front of Saban. I have to believe Pollack loved saying it, too. I wonder if the two of them had any fun conversations during the commercial break.
Look, last night’s game was really bad. One of the worst national championship games ever. But thankfully for all of us a sad Nick Saban was there to brighten our evenings.
Thank you, ESPN. Thank you very much.
Quick hits: Aaron Rodgers upset with cameraman… Great national anthem before Georgia-TCU… Belichick’s weak endorsement of Mac Jones… And more.
– Aaron Rodgers didn’t seem to be too happy with a cameraman in the tunnel after Packers’ loss Sunday night.
– Pentatonix absolutely nailed the national anthem last night.
– Bill Belichick didn’t have the strongest of endorsements for Mac Jones on Monday.
– My pal Charles Curtis ranked the 10 best possible Super Bowl matchups.
