ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
And now it's time for sports.
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SCHMITZ: Another head coach crashes out in college football. And a stunning win in downhill skiing at the World Cup. Sports writer Howard Bryant is here. Good morning, Howard.
HOWARD BRYANT: Rob, good morning. How are you?
SCHMITZ: I'm well. Thank you. Michigan's football coach, Sherrone Moore, was fired for an inappropriate relationship with a staffer and then arrested earlier this week. We've seen similar scandals with head coaches elsewhere, like with Mel Tucker at Michigan State. Howard, are coaching scandals becoming more common in college football?
BRYANT: Well, I don't know if they're becoming more common, but certainly, they're much more prominent. I think the Krampus needs to take a trip to Ann Arbor.
SCHMITZ: (Laughter).
BRYANT: When you think about it what...
SCHMITZ: This guy could clean that place up.
BRYANT: Exactly. When you look at what has happened, not only did Sherrone Moore get his job because of his previous - his predecessor - the Los Angeles Chargers coach, Jim Harbaugh, was let go because of recruiting violations and the infamous sign-stealing scandal, which Moore was also a part of. And now you look at what's happening here, it's a spectacular public fall for a team that won the national championship two years ago. It is stunning. And then you add to that the sort of the coaching craziness going on, whether it's Lane Kiffin, but it's - obviously that's not criminal, but it's the amount of power that these coaches have and the amount of money involved.
You look at it, whether it's there, whether it's - even in the professional ranks with Ime Udoka with the Boston Celtics having an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, which got him fired from the team three years ago. And so it's just obvious at some level that the checks and balances are a little off when it comes to the coaching, especially at the college level - enormous amount of power, enormous amount of responsibility and not a lot of oversight, it seems.
SCHMITZ: So let's go from college to professional football. There's a big game at Foxborough this weekend. The Patriots host the Bills. These are the top two teams in the AFC East Division. A win would basically guarantee the Patriots take the division. Howard, did you see this coming when the season started?
BRYANT: No. I don't think anybody saw it coming with the Patriots. I mean - and I actually think it's in both directions. I think that people - I mean, look, it's Josh Allen's turn. At least, it's supposed to be. Patrick Mahomes has been the reigning champ of the AFC for a long time. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, over in Baltimore, are supposed to be the ones who take over. And yet, it hasn't quite turned out that way for Buffalo. They are on the cusp. And it's funny because Kansas City's down this year, and Baltimore is not that good this year. And so you would think that Josh Allen...
SCHMITZ: Yeah.
BRYANT: ...Would have a pretty clear track to the Super Bowl. But Denver's pretty good, and now they may not even win their own division because the Patriots came out of nowhere. And so huge game - I don't think it's as big a game for Buffalo. Josh Allen is tested. Buffalo is tested. But for the Patriots, what an opportunity to try to get there ahead of schedule. Pretty remarkable season for Mike Vrabel and a potential rookie MVP quarterback Drake Maye.
SCHMITZ: So let's travel to the ski slopes. An amazing comeback from Lindsey Vonn this week, who won the World Cup in downhill skiing at 41 years old. She's been winning downhill ski races for more than 20 years. This one, which was in Switzerland, was especially surprising because Vonn is skiing on a reconstructed knee.
BRYANT: It's really incredible. And I think that - when I saw that story, the first thing I thought was, one, I covered Lindsey Vonn in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which means she's 41, and I don't want to think about how old I am.
SCHMITZ: (Laughter).
BRYANT: But it's remarkable to do what they do. Anyone who's ever been to a downhill ski race, the physicality of that sport - it's ridiculous to do that on a partial knee replacement at 41 years old. Let's take a little moment for Lindsey Vonn. We talk about Lebron James and Tom Brady. How about Lindsey Vonn? Incredible.
SCHMITZ: Incredible. Sports writer Howard Bryant. Thanks, Howard.
BRYANT: My pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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