Lamm at Large

This is my happiest time of the year.   I love the giving, the music, the smiles on so many kids' faces, the bright lights, and the food (OF COURSE).   And all the sports: major bowl games and the start of the NFL playoffs.   I grew up poor but didn't know it because after the necessary bills, my parents spent everything on us three kids, never on themselves. […]

More than 50 years ago NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle said his goal was parity throughout the league. He even joked about a season when every team played .500 ball.   He never saw that dream come true, but he set in motion the wheels that helped most teams become ultra-competitive.   That's the case this season more than ever. With only three games remaining in the 17-game season, just four […]

It's time to point the finger at Trevor Lawrence. The slumping Jaguars have lost three straight games, finding themselves in danger of missing the playoffs, and Lawrence's sloppy play has been a major factor in the team's sudden decline. In Sunday's 23-7 loss to the Ravens at the Bank, the Jaguars found numerous ways to toss away points. The most inexplicable was Lawrence's fumble inside the red zone. He ran […]

I don't remember what I wrote when the Houston Astros handed pitcher Nolan Ryan the first $1 million contract in 1979. But do know that 11 years later, when the Rangers gave Alex Rodriguez a 10-year, $252 million deal, I questioned how much higher MLB salaries could go.   How could MLB afford to pay its players in the wake of the 1994 strike that canceled the World Series and […]

I disagree with the overwhelming majority of men's pro golf experts who say the future of the game has never been more uncertain. I think it's clear where the game is going -- and sooner rather than later.   Three years ago, when LIV golf was created -- the brainchild of Greg Norman and the Saudis -- it was viewed as nothing more than a pipe dream. Now, it's clear […]

Three weeks ago, Jake Browning was a third-string Bengals quarterback with a bad start on his resume. Two weeks ago, he looked like Joe Montana in his prime, leading Cinncinati to a 34-31 overtime victory over the Jaguars.   Two weeks ago, Joe Flacco was watching the NFL at home on his couch. Sunday, he became the Browns' 4th starting quarterback this season and looked like the former Super Bowl […]

I'm not a hunter and don't keep up with what's in season, but one thing is clear: it's quarterback season in the NFL.   No matter how many rules the owners put in to protect their most important and expensive asset, more than a half dozen have suffered injuries that have ended their season or caused them to miss a lot of games.   The Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence is the […]

Time and situation shouldn't influence officiating, but the zebras need to be damn sure in those situations when they toss the yellow flag.   Monday night presented just such a situation in overtime against the Bengals, and in all likelihood was the reason Cincinnati upset the Jaguars 34-31. It was third-and-seven with 6:08 to play and the Jaguars on their 45.  Backup quarterback C.J. Beathard scrambled and launched a deep […]

I feel sorry for the CFP Playoff Committee. It had an impossible job not leaving out one, but two worthy teams.   No matter how you juggle the numbers, there were simply too many excellent teams not to leave two heartbroken. Absolutely the unbeaten, ACC champion Seminoles deserved in. Ditto for Georgia, having won 29 straight games, back-to-back national titles and the No. 1 ranking until losing the SEC Championship […]