Latest news with #Aaron Rodgers
New York Times
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
PGA Tour's FedEx Cup is a joke of a playoff system with an easy fix
This PGA Tour story starts with a celebrity golfer of some distinction, Aaron Rodgers, and the 2011 NFL season. Rodgers was the reigning Super Bowl MVP back then, and the quarterback of a Green Bay Packers team that had won 21 of its last 22 games, including 19 in a row. Rodgers was not simply a regular-season juggernaut who was about to win the first of his four league MVP awards. He was also a lights-out postseason quarterback with a 4-1 record. Advertisement But in his one and only playoff game as a defending champ — the 15-1 Packers against a New York Giants team with a 9-7 regular-season record — Rodgers didn't start with a 14-0 lead on the Lambeau Field scoreboard. The Packers had to beat the Giants fairly and squarely to reach the next round of the playoffs, and they face-planted instead. They lost, 37-20, because the visitors' defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell, had a plan to contain a superstar distributor he likened to Magic Johnson. Rodgers is 7-9 in the postseason since taking the field that day. The playoffs are supposed to make or break franchise-player legacies. They are defined by high stakes and dire consequences, and that's what makes them such compelling theater. A whole season's worth of brilliance can go up in smoke in one bad week, or on one bad night, or on one bad pass. Or on one bad putt — if the FedEx Cup actually meant something profound to the players beyond the $100 million the title sponsor pours into it. But in golf, the notion of true postseason pressure is a punch line at a cocktail party. In 2007, the first year of the FedEx Cup playoffs, Tiger Woods skipped the opening round in Westchester County, N.Y., embarrassed the tour by showing up in Manhattan days later to promote his video game, and then won the big trophy anyway by seizing the third and fourth legs of the series — the BMW and Tour Championship — along with a $10 million bonus for his retirement fund. Eighteen years later, with the playoffs reduced from four legs to three, Rory McIlroy awarded himself a 'bye' this week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and advanced into the next round (the BMW Championship outside of Baltimore) because, well, he could turn that 70-man field in Memphis into a 69-man field without facing a meaningful penalty. McIlroy is No. 2 in the standings with 3,444 points, 1,362 behind Scottie Scheffler but enough points ahead of everyone else to know that he could finish near the bottom of the St. Jude field (like he did last year) and barely fall in those standings. Who's taking home the first win during the #FedExCup Playoffs? 👀@FDSportsbook | @Golfbet — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 5, 2025 Of course, most sports fans have no idea what those points mean and have no interest in doing the postseason math (quadruple points available) to determine how a player ranked 63rd can move into the top 50 to qualify for the BMW. The devoted golf fan gets it, but any unscientific survey would show that the average football-baseball-basketball-hockey fan who follows only the four majors is surprised to learn that regular-season golf points help protect the stars from early playoff knockouts. Advertisement Rodgers could have really used this system. The New England Patriots could have used it, too, in the same year the FedEx Cup playoffs began. Given a head start of a couple of field goals against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, those 2007 Patriots would've finished as the only 19-0 team in league history. Yes, the NFL does grant first-round byes to the best team in each conference and homefield advantage to all higher seeds before landing in a neutral-site Super Bowl. But a football team has to beat the one opponent in front of it to survive. The 15-2 Detroit Lions caught no breaks in losing their first playoff game last season to the Washington Commanders, who entered the tournament at 12-5. Ditto for the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings, who lost their wild-card matchup with the 10-7 Rams. Though these are heartbreaking defeats for the higher seeds, again, that's what makes the playoffs the playoffs. Win or go home. In golf, a McIlroy or a Scheffler doesn't have to beat one particular opponent to stay alive. In fact, if the first round of the postseason was played straight up, Scheffler could finish behind 49 golfers this week and still advance to the second round. As it is, Scheffler could shoot four straight rounds in the 90s in Memphis and still show up at the BMW in first place in the standings. The #FedExCup Playoffs are here ⛳️ Tee times are live for @FedExChamp. (In partnership with @ROLEX) — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 5, 2025 So if the PGA Tour ever wants the postseason to be taken seriously, it will completely separate this three-tournament event from the regular season. No points carryovers. None. Zero. Nada. You want to make it from the first round to the second round? Finish in the top 50 that week. You want to make it from the second round to the Tour Championship in Atlanta? Finish in the top 30 that week. Advertisement It's not too much to ask. That system would create much more drama and would be much easier to follow. FedEx officials might be terrified it could cost them star power at East Lake, but it's a necessary risk to create playoff legitimacy and capitalize on a slow period on the sports calendar shaped by NFL training camps and the dog days of a baseball summer. The tour did the right thing in May when it abandoned its 'starting strokes' format for East Lake, an absurd system that actually had Scheffler show up on the first tee last year at 10-under par (as if he needed it!). Now all 30 members of the Tour Championship field have the same crack at the grand prize, the way it should've been all along. In making this change, the tour promised that 'additional enhancements' to the Tour Championship are coming. Match play would make the most sense in Atlanta (nod to The Athletic's Hugh Kellenberger), with a top 32 advancing out of the BMW, a wild Wednesday of duels to create a Thursday Sweet 16, a Friday Elite Eight, a Saturday Final Four, and a Sunday finale. Stage eight matches on each of the last four days to decide tournament placements and, more importantly, to keep as many stars as possible playing on TV in case of a low-profile title match. If you want to make your postseason feel as big as a major in the middle of training camp holdouts, you do something like that. You also make sure the most popular golfer in a post-Tiger world doesn't mock the whole endeavor. McIlroy isn't chiefly to blame here; it's the flawed system. Rory used it to his advantage, passed on a course (TPC Southwind) that doesn't suit his game, and preserved his chance to win the whole thing for a fourth time. Meanwhile, by bailing on Memphis, McIlroy snubbed FedEx — a tour partner for four decades — in its headquarters hometown right after he collected $10 million in bonus money for his regular-season play. How do you think FedEx officials felt about that one? Advertisement For $100 million, they purchased the right to have a loud voice in the room on changes to come. Peter Malnati, player director on the tour's policy board, told Golfweek that he is 'very concerned' about McIlroy's move and that 'there is stuff in the works' to prevent future absences. As there should be. The PGA Tour lost too many big names to LIV Golf to lose an attraction like McIlroy. The tour's new CEO, Brian Rolapp, spent many years as an NFL executive working mega-media deals for its postseason product. He should know that a playoff round becomes a joke without real-time consequences, and without the participation of all the stars eligible to compete in it. It's simple: If the PGA Tour wants the FedEx Cup to matter, don't let the players mail it in. (Photo of Rory McIlroy: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images)
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steelers connected to former Aaron Rodgers teammate in trade with Packers
Steelers connected to former Aaron Rodgers teammate in trade with Packers originally appeared on The Sporting News The Pittsburgh Steelers have been connected to a trade with the Green Bay Packers involving a former teammate of Aaron Rodgers. Newsweek's Evan Massey lists the Steelers as a potential landing spot for Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs. Doubs could be the odd man out [in the Packers' wide receiver room]. In a contract year, Green Bay could choose to ship him off to a wide receiver-needy team for draft capital," Massey wrote. The Steelers could use another capable player in the wide receiver room, as the team lacks starting-caliber options outside of DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin, who primarily operates in the slot. Doubs is entering the final year of his deal in 2025, and the Packers receiver group is loaded with young talent, so the 25-year-old could become expendable. Despite playing in just 13 games last year, Doubs nearly posted a career year with 46 receptions for 601 yards and four touchdowns. In 2023, the Nevada product played all 17 games and snagged 59 catches for 674 yards and eight touchdowns. During his rookie campaign in 2022 with Rodgers, Doubs was able to post 425 yards and three touchdowns. The former fourth-round pick already has chemistry with the Steelers starting quarterback and shouldn't cost too much to acquire in a deal with Green Bay, making him a logical trade target. Signing Doubs to an extension also shouldn't be too expensive, even if he has a solid 2025 campaign. Pittsburgh needs to bolster the talent in the receiver room, and trading for Doubs is a realistic and savvy answer. The Steelers will kick off the preseason at EverBank Stadium versus the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday. We'll see how the receivers perform in that game, which should signal whether Pittsburgh needs to make a move or stay put with what they have. MORE PITTSBURGH STEELERS NEWS Stephen A. Smith rips George Pickens for Cowboys-Steelers comments Former Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher a 'name to watch' for Tennessee Titans Steelers beat writer offers 'concerning' updates for Pittsburgh's offense Steelers analyst predicts Micah Parsons trade package for Pittsburgh
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steelers listed among top trade destinations to land 49ers WR
Watch out Pittsburgh, the Steelers are once again in the middle of wide receiver trade rumors. After Adam Schefter reported that 49ers WR Jauan Jennings was seeking a new contract or trade, fans and analysts began to predict where San Francisco's underrated wideout could take his talents — including CBS Sports, which recently named the Steelers among the top landing spots. Advertisement Here's what CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin had to say about Pittsburgh's odds of acquiring Jennings amid red-hot trade rumors: "The Steelers haven't been shy about their interest in bolstering Aaron Rodgers' supporting cast, even with DK Metcalf and Jonnu Smith already plugged in as new weapons at receiver and tight end, respectively," Benjamin wrote. "And Jennings might cost a lot less than another premium target. Better yet, he brings the kind of rugged physicality and positional versatility that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith would likely prefer. You can bet Rodgers would appreciate the big-game savviness Jennings also brings to the table, having played for several title contenders." Jennings is coming off a breakout year in 2024 — producing 975 receiving yards and six touchdowns, a major reason why he's seeking more money than the $7.5 million he's due this season. After the failed 2024 Brandon Aiyuk pursuit, will the Steelers finally pull the trigger on a 49ers wide receiver — or is Jennings using these trade rumors to force San Francisco's hand in a new contract? Advertisement For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers among top landing spots for 49ers WR Jauan Jennings trade
