Christmas time Q&A

School is about to be out for the holiday, so I admit: I don’t have much to talk about this week in my Casey’s Corner column.

But have no fear — we will open up the mailbag and let you guys dictate the conversation with a little holiday time Q&A.

From my family to yours, the entire staff at Rushing Media would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

This truly is the most wonderful time of the year. So take advantage of it and enjoy these precious moments with friends and family.

Q: Do the Saints need home-field advantage to win the Super Bowl? (Asked by Ross, Houma)

A: Do they “need” it, no, I wouldn’t think so. I’d think that the Saints could can beat the Rams on the road. That’s not much of a home-field advantage there. Half the stadium would be glistened in Black and Gold. But would it help tremendously? You bet your tail it would. I think the Saints have a claim to be the best team in the NFC, but honestly, they and the Rams are a coin toss. That means that the little things will matter and home-field advantage just may be the decisive blow in deciding the outcome of the game. But, a word of caution. A matchup between the Saints and Rams in the NFC Championship Game is not set in stone. The Cowboys, Seahawks, Bears and others are coming on strong. An upset is definitely possible.

Q: What does Nicholls football have coming back next fall? (Asked by Taylor, Thibodaux)

A: Well, they lose far more this offseason than they did last. They replace some linemen and skill players and also a prominent kicker. But look, I know this much — as long as Coach Tim Rebowe is in Thibodaux, the Colonels have a chance to compete. I also know this, as well: as long as Chase Fourcade is under center, the Colonels have a shot to beat anyone on their schedule. I fully expect Fourcade’s senior season to be one that Colonels’ faithful will be happy with.

Q: What bowl game (besides the playoffs and LSU are you most interested in)? (Asked by Tommy, Houma)

A: I love to watch triple-option football, so I think Army vs. Houston in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is intriguing. I love late-night football, so the Sofi Hawaii Bowl between Hawaii and Louisiana Tech is sexy, too. Amongst the “major conference” teams, I think it has to be the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl between Florida and Michigan. That should be a heavyweight fight. I also like the Sugar Bowl matchup between Texas and Georgia and that Rose Bowl swan song for Urban Meyer. OK, so this brings me to a soapbox. I really can’t stand the “there are too many bowl games” guy. Ya’ll, it’s football on TV. Once the bowl games end, we will have no more football until August. How anyone complains about bowl games is beyond me. I think that’s literally one of the silliest arguments in the entire sports world. Heck, let every, single team play in a bowl. Who cares? It’s not like these small bowls have impact on the recruiting landscape.

Q: Who will get Harper and Machado? (Asked by Richard, Gray)

A: I hope they both go to the Braves and team up with Ronald Acuna. OK, now back to reality. I think this is interesting because I’m not sure there is much of a market for either — given their price tags. I think Harper will end up with the Chicago White Sox and Machado with the Phillies. I think both contracts won’t be worth their salts and both will be flops.

Q: What is wrong with your Rockets? They’re in a funk. (Asked by Tommy, Houma)

A: Yeah, they sure are. But I think there is a lot of light at the end of the tunnel. The Rockets have had every, single thing go wrong that could go wrong in the first month and a half of the season. Both Chris Paul and James Harden have had injuries. The depth and role players were depleted and guys who usually play well just haven’t for various reasons. But through all that, the team is hovering around .500 and is playing better in the last few weeks. I think the Rockets will be fine. I think by the end of the season, they will be one of the top seeds and a difficult out once the playoffs roll around.

Q: Why is E.D. White moving down to Class 3A? (Asked by Casey, Houma)

A: I honestly don’t know. The obvious answer is that they have a Class 3A enrollment now, as opposed to the Class 4A enrollment they had in the last cycle. But, they could have chosen to play up and stayed in the Bayou District — a move that I think would have made a lot of sense for a lot of reasons. For one, it would be less travel. The district they’re in currently is far more local than the district they’re going to be in next fall. And also, I think it benefits E.D. White to play a Class 4A district when the playoffs begin. The Cardinals are in Division II, which is a mix of Class 3A and Class 4A select schools. If you’re going to face Class 4A teams in the playoffs anyway, why not just play a Class 4A schedule? But, with all of this said, E.D. White has an outstanding athletic department. I’m sure they have great reasons for that decision.

Drew BreesJOSE DELGADO | THE TIMES

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