GOOD MORNING!
Good morning, indeed. We're one day away from the weekend, there's NFL action on the horizon and a little thing called the College Football Awards is happening. If you're not familiar with the name Joe Burrow, you undoubtedly will be after tonight. But first you should probably read this newsletter because it's never cool to show up unprepared. Here's your ESPN Daily:
LISTEN UP
It seems like pretty much every aspect of O.J. Simpson's life has been thoroughly covered (see our Academy Award-winning series "O.J.: Made In America," for example) but one aspect of it that's been left by the wayside is the story of his Heisman Trophies. These days, one of them -- the version given to the school -- is sitting in a USC trophy case, returned there 20 years after it was mysteriously stolen. The other, the version given to Simpson himself, is in a Pennsylvania bank vault and might never be seen again.
"You always have to keep impressing your girl!" -- sheet metal wholesaler Tom Kriessman, on why he purchased Simpson's Heisman Trophy for $255,000 at an auction
It's a story about two Heismans, of course, but it's also about so much more: Obsession, celebrity, and what happens when the two collide. In today's episode of the ESPN Daily podcast, ESPN senior writer Ryan McGee joins host Mina Kimes to talk about it all.
SAY WHAT?
It's a Tucker takeover ...
I used to think that getting name-dropped in a rap song was the unofficial sign one had made it in the sports world. Now? I'm quite convinced it's having a large, endangered breed of pig named after you. Of course, Tucker the pig isn't the Baltimore Ravens' beloved kicker's only namesake -- there are dogs, cats, and kids, too -- but the pig really got in on the ground floor of Justin Tucker-mania. You see, Tucker the pig was named back in 2012, before Tucker the kicker had established himself as the best in NFL history. It was then that some die-hard Ravens fans decided to roll the dice of life after witnessing Tucker's impressive preseason.
To say Tucker has rewarded that vote of confidence would be a vast understatement. Sure, he has produced the most field goals (260), scored the most points (1,068), and touted a 90.6% success rate (which ranks No. 1 all time) in the NFL over the past eight seasons, but it goes beyond that. Baltimore's devotion to Tucker stems from how he's embraced the community. Fans cite his booming personality, humble persona and the way he always makes time to engage with them as reasons for the naming spree. In Tucker they big truss-t.
THINGS TO CARE ABOUT
The legend of Joe Burreaux ... Joe Burrow's path to the Bayou was anything but extraordinary. In fact, it was paved with doubters and detractors. Schools such as Nebraska passed on Burrow coming out of high school. Then at Ohio State, he was told he wasn't good enough to start for the Buckeyes, prompting his eventual transfer to LSU. What would come to pass for the native Ohioan during his time in Louisiana is something different entirely -- the stuff of legend.
So how did a guy who entered the season as a largely unknown entity come to be the greatest QB in Tigers history? How did he go from average Joe to Joe Burreaux? How did he change the entire narrative around what was possible for LSU football and Coach O?
If every Heisman winner is required to have a "Heisman moment," Burrow did it in the form of an entire season. We'll let the story of his year speak for itself.
The dying art of the parlay-card wiseguy ...
Being a parlay-card wise guy is not for the faint of heart -- or for timid drivers, as Cowboy Erik can attest. Nope, for the 44-year-old professional gambler life is full of disguises, distractions, outdated odds and drink cards. Nights are often spent speeding from casino to casino hoping to fool the sportsbooks into thinking he's a naïve, happy-go-lucky tourist in town for a rootin'-tootin' good time. On this particular night? He's looking to beat the town's bookmakers by capitalizing on the record crowds for the Professional Bull Riders World Finals.
"I thought I was Rain Man." -- Cowboy Erik, on the first time he gambled in Las Vegas
But the jig is almost up. The longtime wise-guy hustle he's trying to achieve is on its last leg, and a staple of American sports betting could be on its way out.
THING TO WATCH
OVERHEARD
"I rolled a 251 off the flu."
-- Le'Veon Bell, on going bowling on Saturday night despite being too sick to play on Sunday Read more
REMEMBER WHEN?
On this date in 2002, some guy you might have heard of named LeBron James made his national TV debut on ESPN, scoring 31 points for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. He'd go on to make sporadic appearances on our networks over the next few years.
WHAT'S ON TONIGHT?
College Football Awards (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Blue Jackets at Penguins (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Golden Knights at Blues (8 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
Jets at Ravens (8:20 p.m. ET, Fox/NFL)
UNTIL NEXT TIME, REMEMBER ...
Just because you have a killer cowboy disguise doesn't mean you're going to win your parlay. OK, that information probably doesn't pertain to most of us. How about this? Just because you're told that you're not good enough doesn't mean you can't go ball out on everyone like Joe Burrow. Yep, you definitely feel uplifted now. This has been your ESPN Daily for Dec. 12, 2019.