MARK YOUR CALENDARS:  I WILL NOT BE POSTING A BLOG ON CHRISTMAS DAY OR ON DECEMBER 26. Catch my morning sports updates at 9:25 am and 12:15 pm on Radio Esperaza, 1550 AM or on the web - www.miradioesperanza.com 

News from the FIU Campus in Westchester:  I have confirmed through a couple of sources outside of the university that that Butch Davis will be named the new head coach at FIU, with the official announcement coming after New Year’s Day with the national media all in Miami for the BCS National Championship game on January 7th.  I am also hearing that all signs are pointing to Mario Cristobal moving up I-75 to Tampa as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

As I told you before, in my mind, there was no conceivable way that FIU Athletic Director Pete Garcia was going to fire Mario Cristobal and not have a proven and experienced head coach in place to replace him.  I have a lot of respect for both Mario and Butch, and wish them both the best.  Hopefully it is a win-win situation for both of them and that all’s well that ends well.  

  

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Since I just mentioned the BCS National Championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame coming up on January 7th, when was the last time that Notre Dame won a national championship and who was the head coach?  Tell you later, alligator.

The Miami Dolphins beat the Buffalo Bills yesterday 24-10, but minutes after their game ended, the Cincinnati Bengals kicked a game winning field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers to eliminate Miami from reaching the playoffs.  The Dolphins are kicking themselves for their four losses by less than 6 points, including two overtime losses in games they had multiple opportunities to win.  The Fins have plenty of $$$ in cap room for next season, and have 5 picks in the first three rounds of the NFL draft in April.  Playoffs are a possibility next year.    

This week’s results in the NFL,

SATURDAY

Atlanta 31 Detroit 18 Det +3.5

Matt Ryan threw four touchdown passes and the Falcons clinched the top seed in the NFC.

SUNDAY

Miami 24 Buffalo 10 Mia -4

Ryan Tannehill threw for two touchdown passes to Reggie Bush, who ran for another score.

New Orleans 34 Dallas 31  (OT) Dal -1

Garrett Hartley’s 20 yard field goal in OT was the game winner after Dallas rallied in the closing minutes of regulation to erase a 14-point deficit

Green Bay 55 Tennessee 7 GB -12.5

Aaron Rogers threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another score

Indianapolis 20 Kansas City 13 KC +7

Andrew Luck connected with Reggie Wayne on a 7-yard TD pass with just over four minutes left in the game

San Diego 27 NY Jets 17 Jets -1

Philip Rivers had two touchdown passes and the Chargers defense sacked Jets QB Greg McElroy 11 times

Washington 27 Philadelphia 20 Phi +6

Robert Griffin III returned to the field and had two TD passes

Cincinnati 13 Pittsburgh 10 Pit -4

With the win, Cincinnati advances to the playoffs for the second straight season

St. Louis 28 Tampa Bay 13 TB -3

Sam Bradford had two touchdown passes

Carolina 17 Oakland 6 Car -9.5

Cam Newton ran for a touchdown and threw for another

New England 23 Jacksonville 16 Jax +14.5

Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes

Minnesota 23 Houston 6 Hou -9.5

Adrian Peterson ran for 86 yards and is at 1,898 yards this season

Denver 34 Cleveland 12 Den -13.5

Three more TD passes for Peyton Manning, who threw for 339 yards

Chicago 28 Arizona 13 Ari +5

The Bears kept their playoff hopes alive.  

Baltimore 33 NY Giants 14 Bal +1

Joe Flacco threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns

Seattle 42 San Francisco 13 Sea +1

The Seahawks look like the 1927 Yankees, outscoring their last three opponents 150-30.  Rookie QB Russell Wilson threw four touchdown passes and Marshawn Lynch ran for 111 yards and two TD’s

If the playoffs started this week:

AFC:

Cincinnati @ New England

Indianapolis @ Baltimore

Houston and Denver would enjoy a bye week

NFC:

Minnesota @ San Francisco

Seattle @ Washington

Bye week for Atlanta and Green Bay

Here’s the playoff picture as of this minute:  (* clinched)

NFC

Atlanta 13-2  NFC South  *

San Francisco 10-4-1 NFC West

Green Bay 10-4 NFC North  *

Washington   8-6 NFC East

Seattle   9-5 Wild Card 1

Minnesota   8-6 Wild Card 2

In the hunt: 

Chicago (9-6), Dallas (8-7), NY Giants (8-7)

Dallas will win the NFC East if they beat Washington this weekend.

Washington wins the NFC East if they beat or tie Dallas.

New York advances as a wild card only if they beat Philadelphia this Sunday and if Dallas loses and Minnesota and Chicago also loses.

Chicago makes the playoffs if they beat Detroit and if Minnesota loses to Green Bay.

The playoff scenario in the AFC is a done deal:

AFC

Houston 12-3 AFC South *

Denver 12-3 AFC West *

New England 11-4 AFC East *

Baltimore 10-5 AFC North *

Indianapolis 10-5 Wild Card 1 *

Cincinnati   9-6 Wild Card 2 *

The Miami Heat beat up on the Utah Jazz on Saturday, 105-89.  LeBron James led the way with 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.  Dwyane Wade added 21 points and 7 assists.  The Heat return to the hardwood tomorrow in a rematch of last year’s championship series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Game time on Christmas Day is 5:30 pm at the AAA.   

In news around the majors, the Cleveland Indians signed Nick Swisher to a four-year, $56 million contract, with an option for a fifth year that would take the total to $70 million.  The Seattle Mariners signed Raul Ibañez to a one-year, $2.75 million deal.

Former major league outfielder Ryan Freel died saturday from an apparent self-inflicted shotgun wound.  Freel, who played for Toronto, the Cubs, Cincinnati, and Kansas City, was of Cuban-American descent.  He was 36 years old. 

The Marlins signed righthanded pitcher John Maine to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.  The 31-year-old former Met hasn't pitched in the major leagues since 2010.  This could DEFINITELY be the season-changer!

Dear Santa Claus Jeffrey Loria and minions:  

Why haven’t you sold the team?  What are you waiting for, Christmas?  The New Year?  Your inept management allowed the Marlins farm system to deteriorate to the point of being horrible, and have dismantled the major league roster while pissing off the players on the roster and the entire South Florida community.  You allow your management to continue the policy of “sell low and buy high”.  Sell the team so we can once again enjoy baseball in Miami.

You will soon have the window of opportunity you need to get out of town.  The five-year anniversary of the Marlins and Miami-Dade County agreement for the baseball stadium is coming up on February 21, 2013.  After that time, the “penalty” for selling the team is only 5%, a mere pittance, based on a $250 million value of the team.  You’ve already saved much more than that on the salary dump this season alone 

We’ll continue to keep our fingers crossed and light a candle in the meantime. 

In college football tonight, Fresno State faces Southern Methodist in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.  You can watch it on ESPN, kickoff is set for 8:00 pm. 

The complete bowl results and upcoming schedule in college football:

December 15

GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL

Arizona 49 Nevada 48

FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL

#22 Utah State 41 Toledo 15

December 20

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL

Brigham Young 23 San Diego State 6

Friday, December 21

BEEF O’BRADY BOWL ST. PETERSBURG

Central Florida 38 Ball State 17

Saturday, December 22

R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL

Louisiana-Lafayette 43 East Carolina 34

MAACO BOWL LAS VEGAS

#19 Boise State 28 Washington 26

3:30 pm ESPN

TONIGHT Monday, December 24

SHERATON HAWAII BOWL

Fresno State vs Southern Methodist

8:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday, December 26

LITTLE CAESARS BOWL

Western Kentucky vs Central Michigan

7:30pm ESPN

Thursday, December 27

MILITARY BOWL-PRESENTED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN

#24 San Jose State vs Bowling Green

3:00 pm ESPN

BELK BOWL

Cincinnati vs Duke

6:30 pm ESPN

BRIDGEPOINT EDUCATION HOLIDAY BOWL

Baylor vs #17 UCLA

9:45 pm ESPN

Friday, December 28

ADVOCARE V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL

Ohio vs Louisiana-Monroe

2:00 pm ESPN

RUSSELL ATHLETIC BOWL

Rutgers vs Virginia Tech

5:30 pm ESPN

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL OF TEXAS

Minnesota vs Texas Tech

9:00 pm ESPN

Saturday, December 29

BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL

Rice vs Air Force

11:45 am ESPN

NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL

West Virginia vs Syracuse

3:15 pm ESPN

KRAFT FIGHT HUNGER BOWL

Navy vs Arizona State

4:00 pm ESPN-2

VALERO ALAMO BOWL

#23 Texas vs #13 Oregon State

6:45 pm ESPN

BUFFALO WILD WINGS BOWL

TCU vs Michigan State

10:15 pm ESPN

Monday, December 31

FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL

North Carolina State vs Vanderbilt

12:00 pm ESPN

HYUNDAY SUN BOWL

USC vs Georgia Tech

2:00 pm CBS Ch. 4

AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL

Iowa State vs Tulsa

3:30 pm ESPN

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL

#8 LSU vs #14 Clemson

7:30 pm ESPN

Tuesday, January 1

TAXSLAYER.COM GATOR BOWL

Mississippi State vs #20 Northwestern

12:00 pm ESPN-2

HEART OF DALLAS BOWL

Purdue vs Oklahoma State

12:00 pm ESPN-U

CAPITAL ONE BOWL

#7 Georgia vs #16 Nebraska

1:00 pm ABC Ch. 10

OUTBACK BOWL

#10 South Carolina vs #18 Michigan

1:00 pm ESPN

ROSE BOWL GAME PRESENTED BY VIZIO

Wisconsin vs #6 Stanford

5:00 pm ESPN

DISCOVER ORANGE BOWL

#15 Northern Illinois vs #12 Florida State

8:30 pm ESPN

Wednesday, January 2

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL

#21 Louisville vs #3 Florida

8:30 pm ESPN

Thursday, January 3

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL

#4 Oregon vs #5 Kansas State

8:30 pm ESPN

Friday, January 4

AT&T COTTON BOWL

#9 Texas A&M vs #11 Oklahoma

8:00 pm FOX Ch. 7

Saturday, January 5

BBVA COMPASS BOWL

Pittsburgh vs Ole Miss

1:00 pm ESPN

Sunday, January 6

GODADDY.COM BOWL

#25 Kent State vs Arkansas State

9:00 pm ESPN

Monday, January 7

DISCOVER BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

#2 Alabama vs #1 Notre Dame

8:30 pm ESPN

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Since I just mentioned the BCS National Championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame coming up on January 7th, when was the last time that Notre Dame won a national championship and who was the head coach?  The year was 1988 and the head coach was Lou Holtz.   

Don’t miss my two “Descarga Deportiva” segments (for the Spanish-challenged, “Sports Jam Session”) every day, Monday through Friday, at 9:25 am and 12:15 pm on Radio Esperanza, 1550 AM or on the internet on www.miradioesperanza.com. 

The 9:25 am segment on Radio Esperanza is brought to you by the fine folks at La Lechonera Products.  The inventors of the original mojo criollo way back in 1970, also offer the BEST naranja agria (sour orange marinade) product on the market, along with the latest additions to the family - the SALSA PICANTE (hot sauces, both HOT and EXTRA HOT), SALSA DE ALITAS (Buffalo Wings Sauce) and the truly incredible SALSA PICANTE con AJO (Garlic Pepper Sauce - Sriracha).  Look for all the La Lechonera products at Publix, Winn Dixie, Sedano’s, Presidente, and GFS.  If they don’t have it where you shop, ask nicely the first time, then use whatever means necessary to make sure they start offering the complete line of products.  Go to www.lalechoneraproducts.com and LIKE them on Facebook.  Check out some great recipes!  

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Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !