As the headline above alludes, there is so much happening in the sports world that it is difficult to decide what to touch on in this diatribe.

With that said, we’re going to discuss several topics, and try to not drone on too long.

Before getting to the next pair of items concerning the NFL conference championship games, it was proven once again why I am not a betting man. I know, it’s amazing, but somehow, I was wrong on predicting the outcomes of both games.

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CHIEFS’ STOUT DEFENSE LIMITS LAMAR – The AFC title tilt evolved into a titanic defensive struggle, and Kansas City turned Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s afternoon into a bit of a nightmare. Jackson possesses otherworldly skills, but he struggles under the bright lights, and it played out that way again.

Meanwhile, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes relishes the big stage, and he along with Travis Kelce, set the tone early. Kelce, who finished the day with 11 catches for 116 yards, made a diving catch in the end zone to give KC an early 7-7 lead.

Baltimore was able to answer moments later when Jackson hooked up with Zay Flowers, who made a

sensational diving catch for a TD. But that score was the only time the Ravens dented the scoreboard until Justin Tucker booted a 43-yard field goal with 2:34 left in the game.

This observer questions why the Ravens abandoned their running game when they were the top rushing team in the NFL, but that’s how it played out. A Jackson fumble and interception erased any hope for a win as well.

For all of the praise given the Chiefs’ offensive attack, it was the defensive unit that was the ultimate factor in the 17-10 win.

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LIONS SQUANDER 17-POINT LEAD – In the NFC Championship game, the young Detroit Lions disappointed their exuberant fanbase after building a 24-7 halftime lead, only to get outscored 27-7 in the second half.

It was a combination of poor execution (a key fumble and a dropped pass) and a couple of questionable decisions by head coach Dan Campbell that led to the defeat. Another factor was that San Francisco displayed its experience against a team that was attempting to make its first Super Bowl appearance. The resilient 49ers also used their array of offensive stars and an overpowering defensive front to pull out the win.

Quarterback Brock Purdy overcame a sluggish first-half performance to lead the comeback, and he is also fortunate to have a multitude of weapons at his disposal. Christian McCaffrey is the most valuable and most versatile back in the NFL, and his determined running style earned him a pair of scoring runs to go with his 90-yard day on the ground. Deebo Samuel returned from a shoulder injury and caught eight passes for 89 yards as well.

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INTRIGUING SUPER BOWL LVIII MATCHUP – The early odds on the 49ers-Chiefs clash have tabbed San Francisco as a slight favorite to knock off Kansas City on Sunday, Feb. 11.

Not sure how I feel about that at the moment, and I’ll attempt to come up with a prediction in next week’s Saturday column. That will give our readers time to wager the other way, if you’re looking to make a little money, that is.

The game is a rematch of Super Bowl LIV, when the Chiefs defeated the Niners 31-20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Feb. 2, 2020. You may recall that Kansas City rallied from a 20-10 deficit with less than seven minutes remaining to pull out the win. Mahomes hooked up with Kelce for a one-yard TD with 6:13 left to begin the comeback. That was followed by a 5-yard TD pass to

Damien Williams with 2:44 to play to take a 24-20 lead, and Williams added a 38-yard scoring run late to give the Chiefs the 11-point victory.

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CATS GRIND OUT ROAD WIN, GATORS LOOM – The UK game at Arkansas last Saturday couldn’t have begun with a much uglier start. In the first 13 minutes of the game, the Wildcats were 3-for-21 from the field. Luckily for Kentucky, the Razorbacks weren’t much better, and held just a 26-24 lead at halftime.

The second half wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty either, but UK did enough to pull out the 63-57 win. If not for the solid contributions of Antonio Reeves, Reed Sheppard and Tre Mitchell, the Cats wouldn’t have escaped Fayetteville with the much-needed victory. Reeves led the way with 24 points, Sheppard overcame a lackluster first half and ran the point with aplomb in the second stanza, and Mitchell contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Sheppard, who scored all 14 of his points in the second half, also delivered the dagger late in the game when he drained a three to give Kentucky a 61-52 lead with 1:22 left to play. The freshman sensation also came up with a game-high four steals and dished out a game-high five assists

The UK defense appeared to be much better than in recent games, but they still have a way to go. Ugonna Onyenso (three blocked shots) provided an inside presence and the overall team defense appeared to be much more engaged.

The Cats are hoping that continues this evening when they host Florida at 8 p.m. in another SEC battle to be televised on ESPN. The Gators have won three in a row after a 102-98 overtime shootout win over Georgia, and come into Rupp Arena with a 14-6 record and 4-3 in conference play. Kentucky is 15-4 and 5-2 in SEC play.

In the league opener for both teams on Jan. 6, the Wildcats held on for an 87-85 win in Gainesville, and this one could also go down to the final whistle.

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MASTIN STAYS ON ROLL – The Centre College men’s basketball team went to Memphis Sunday afternoon and the Colonels came away with their third consecutive victory, defeating conference foe Rhodes College 72-63.

Leading the way for Centre was 6-foot-6 freshman Riley Mastin, who poured in 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Mastin, who starred at Mason County a year ago following stops at St. Patrick and Augusta, was 13-for-22 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers on three attempts. Mastin leads the Colonels in three categories;

a 55.7% field goal percentage, he’s making 85.3% of his free throws, and he’s corralled 9.6 boards per outing. He’s averaging 13.8 points per game, second on the Colonels, who improved to 9-11 with the win.

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HAS COURT STORMING RUN ITS COURSE? – In a word, yes.

The prevalence of college students rushing the court following wins over higher-ranked foes is on the rise. I understand the enthusiasm but at several arenas in recent weeks it’s simply gotten out of hand.

Call me an old fogey if you wish, but it’s only a matter of time before a serious injury occurs in the middle of a celebration; it nearly happened after the Iowa women’s team was upset at Ohio State on Sunday, Jan. 21. After the Buckeyes defeated the Hawkeyes 100-92 in overtime, the rush was on.

As students were running all over the court, Iowa star guard Caitlin Clark an overexuberant fan collided with her as Clark was attempting to leave. Clark, who scored a season-high 45 points for the then 2nd-ranked Hawkeyes, was attended to quickly. The first indication was that she may have suffered a serious injury, but later she confirmed that she just had the wind knocked out of her.

“Ohio State tried their best to make it safe, but that wasn’t enough,” Clark said after the game.

An earlier court storming occurred in Cincinnati five nights prior to the debacle in Columbus. It came after the Bearcats knocked off TCU 81-77, and my question at the time was, is beating TCU even worthy of a huge celebration and storming the court? The Horned Frogs were ranked 19th at the time, and it was UC’s first win in their inaugural season in the formidable Big-12, but TCU? Really?

At the time my belief was that if that win warrants that kind of craziness, other schools will do the same after beating ranked teams on their home floor, and sure enough, it has become a common occurrence.

A Tulane fan made contact with a Memphis player during a court storming after the Green Wave upset the Tigers; the Southeastern Conference fined South Carolina $100,000 after fans rushed the court following their win over Kentucky, and fans have also stormed the court at Oregon State, Iowa State, Richmond and Wyoming since those incidents.

Say what you will about ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, but I am in full agreement with the former Duke player on this issue.

“I know it will keep happening and accept it,” Bilas wrote in a text message to the Associated Press. “But it seems inevitable that something negative will happen, and we’ll act surprised when it was foreseeable.”

Unless you’re playing or officiating, you should stay off the court. It’s really pretty simple, but it isn’t getting through to a lot of individuals who should know better.

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“Court storming is certainly a great scene and makes for good pictures, but when you think about the safety… You’ve gotta find a way to barricade the fans. How about going crazy where you are in your seat versus stepping onto the court?” – Clark Kellogg, CBS Sports

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“Heaven is by favor; if it were by merit your dog would go in and you would stay out. Of all the creatures ever made (man) is the most detestable. Of the entire brood, he is the only one… that possesses malice. He is the only creature that inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain.” – Mark Twain