Category Archives: Other sports

NCAA finalizes single-site March Madness

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to Indianapolis, assuming anyone is allowed to attend, which honestly they shouldn’t as things are right now. The NCAA will host its entire postseason men’s basketball tournament in Indianapolis and surrounding areas with a bubble-like format, officials announced on … Continue reading →

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Are you ready to attend a basketball game?

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not, at least not yet. Ask me again after I’ve been vaccinated. The Rockets on Thursday made official their plans to have limited numbers of fans in attendance at home games under a variety of health and safety protocols … Continue reading →

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The entire NCAA men’s tournament in one place

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

If we’re able to have an NCAA basketball season at all, then something like this makes some sense. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee announced today the relocation of 13 predetermined preliminary round sites for the 2021 Division I … Continue reading →

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Coronavirus and college sports update

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

What life is like for Texas’ college football teams. In the world of COVID-19-era college football, Sunday is a day not for resting but for testing. Each Sunday this fall brings a new set of checklists and guideposts that players … Continue reading →

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The virtual marathon

Posted on October 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still not ready for things to be normal. The 2021 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon will be virtual due to ongoing public health concerns with COVID-19. The 2021 Virtual Houston Marathon Running Events will be held … Continue reading →

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And the PAC12 flip flops, too

Posted on September 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Everyone’s playing football again. The Pac-12 will play a seven-game conference football season beginning Nov. 6, the league announced Thursday. The decision, voted on by the Pac-12’s CEO group on Thursday, represents an official reversal after the conference announced in … Continue reading →

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Big 10 flip flops on football

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a powerful force. The Big Ten announced Tuesday that its Council of Presidents and Chancellors has voted to allow the league to play football in fall 2020. The Big Ten will open its season on the weekend of Oct. … Continue reading →

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Everybody is invited!

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this last week. ACC men’s basketball coaches are proposing an expanded 2021 NCAA tournament that would include every Division I team. Several ACC coaches would prefer to avoid nonconference games in the 2020-21 season due to complications from … Continue reading →

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No fans (at first) for the Texans

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

You’ll have to watch the Texans’ home opener on your teevee. Fans will not be allowed to attend the Texans’ home opener against Baltimore because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Texans play the Ravens on Sept. 20 at NRG Stadium … Continue reading →

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The economic effect of losing college football this fall

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have some sympathy, but I also have some skepticism. Texas’ five major conference football teams – Baylor University, Texas Christian University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin — are massive economic drivers … Continue reading →

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College sports roundup

Posted on August 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Southland Conference postpones fall sports. After much deliberation, the Southland Conference has postponed league competition in all of its fall sports with the intent of playing a football season in the spring of 2021 due to concerns over COVID-19. The … Continue reading →

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The Big XII will play football

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s their plan, anyway. The start of the Big 12 Conference’s college football season will move forward as scheduled, conference officials said Wednesday, meaning four major Texas football programs are one step closer to playing this fall. “Ultimately, our student-athletes … Continue reading →

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Big 10 and PAC 12 scrap football for this fall

Posted on August 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Boom. Big Ten Conference presidents and chancellors voted Tuesday to postpone all fall sports seasons, including football, with the hopes of playing in the spring, it announced Tuesday. “The mental and physical health and welfare of our student-athletes has been … Continue reading →

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So where are we with college football?

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Possibly on the brink of postponing the season. Commissioners of the Power 5 conferences held an emergency meeting on Sunday, as there is growing concern among college athletics officials that the upcoming football season and other fall sports can’t be … Continue reading →

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FBS versus FCS

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m referring in the title to the two types of Division I NCAA college football, the Football Bowl Subdivision, which includes the power 5 conferences, and the Football Championship Subdivision, which used to be known as 1-AA and which has … Continue reading →

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Optimism abounds in the AAC

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck with that. In the face of a pandemic, the American Athletic Conference will attempt to conduct business as usual this football season. A plan announced Wednesday will allow AAC schools, including the University of Houston, to play a … Continue reading →

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UT prepares for fantasy football

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have no idea what they’re thinking. The University of Texas at Austin will kick off the football season Sept. 5, albeit with a stadium open at half its capacity, athletics officials told ticket holders Monday. While both NCAA and … Continue reading →

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High school sports pushed back a bit

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a guess, but I’d bet this winds up being redone at least once more before any actual sports get played. The University Interscholastic League is delaying the start of high school football’s regular season to Sept. 24 for Class … Continue reading →

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Will college football shift to the spring?

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. [Dell] Billings, who graduated from A&M in 1995, also realizes it’s looking more like the brakes are about to be mashed on any “full speed ahead” approach, perhaps within a few weeks. “I can’t see how we would be … Continue reading →

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In case you needed another reminder that this coronavirus thing is dangerous

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here you go. The Orlando Pride have withdrawn from the upcoming NWSL Challenge Cup after six players and four staffers tested positive for the coronavirus, a significant setback for a league attempting to become the first in American professional team … Continue reading →

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Fauci and football

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I hate to rain on your tailgate, but… The NFL is planning to begin its season on time, but Dr. Anthony Fauci pulled the reins on that optimistic view Wednesday. “Unless players are essentially in a bubble – insulated from … Continue reading →

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A few bumps in the road for the NBA

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

How’s that season restarting going? A month ago, superstar players got on a Zoom call and reportedly created a united front to support a safe return to play. A lot has changed since. Last week, the 28 NBPA player representatives all voted … Continue reading →

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What kind of college football season will there be?

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

News item: Governor says to expect half-full stadiums for college football. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told athletic directors from the state’s largest schools to expect 50 percent capacity at football games this fall, USA Today reported, but Texas A&M athletic … Continue reading →

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UT athletes take a stand

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Several athletes at the University of Texas at Austin are refusing to participate in recruiting incoming players or show up at donor-related events if university and athletics officials fail to respond to a list of demands geared … Continue reading →

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Here comes high school football

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Surely you didn’t think that Texas’ favorite sport would stay on the sidelines for long? More focus will be on instruction, caution and care than nailing the perfect squat rep when University Interscholastic League athletic programs return to in-person strength … Continue reading →

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Coronavirus and Professional Bull Riding

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s how Professional Bull Riding managed to keep doing what it does during the pandemic. The PBR went on hiatus March 15 at the conclusion of an Unleash The Beast event in Duluth, Ga., that was closed to the public. … Continue reading →

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MLS agrees on its restart, WNBA still considering options

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

More sports coming. The MLS Players Association voted Wednesday to approve a revised collective bargaining agreement with the league. The new deal will run through 2025 and clears the way for Major League Soccer to resume its 2020 season via … Continue reading →

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NBA sets a plan, MLB still working it out

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Happening today. The NBA is finalizing details of a plan which is expected to be approved by the league’s Board of Governors on Thursday, paving the way for a return from the coronavirus shutdown. The board is poised to give … Continue reading →

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NWSL will be the first American sports league to return to play

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. The National Women’s Soccer League will become the first U.S. team sport to resume play June 27 with a month-long tournament in suburban Salt Lake City, and the rebuilding Houston Dash hope the unique format … Continue reading →

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Abbott expects there to be college football this fall

Posted on May 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty optimistic, if you ask me. Gov. Greg Abbott said he believes college football will begin on schedule in Texas with some fans in the stands, he told KXAN during an interview Friday. “My prediction is yes we’re going to … Continue reading →

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The NBA inches closer to a return

Posted on May 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll know more soon. NBA teams are expecting the league office will issue guidelines around June 1 that will allow franchises to start recalling players who’ve left their markets as a first step toward a formal ramp-up for the season’s … Continue reading →

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MLS has a plan to start its season

Posted on May 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That’s Major League Soccer, and their plan may sound a bit familiar. With no indications of when it could resume the season in home markets, MLS has proposed placing all 26 teams in the Orlando area this summer and playing … Continue reading →

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The NBA takes a baby step towards coming back

Posted on May 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

This may not amount to much, but it’s a potential sign that there may be more like it coming. The NBA is reopening team practice facilities beginning on Friday for players in states and municipalities that are loosening stay-at-home restrictions … Continue reading →

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The NBA is still looking for its way back

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody really knows what the next couple of months look like. On the eve of what would have been the start of the postseason, NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Friday said he could not predict when, if or how it … Continue reading →

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