You knew it was coming. They just can't help themselves. They being the TV people and their never-ending hero worship of one Eldrick Tont Woods, sometimes known as Tiger.
The Farmer's Open was going on at Torrey Pines golf course near San Diego, and OMG, guess who had entered it?
Once again, sound the trumpets and all ye peasants humbly bow in homage. His Majesty Tiger Woods is going to make another grand appearance.
It used to be, when Woods was dominating the PGA tour, many wagerers would take Tiger over the entire field to win any particular event. Nowadays, about the same odds are given as to whether he'll even make the cut.
So there was Eldrick, flailing away for the first two rounds. And holy Jumpin' Jack Nicklaus, by thunder he DID make the cut. Barely. On to the weekend.
Then, as sure as it gets dark at night, the inevitable happened.
The Farmer's Open became the Tiger Woods show. Never mind he was 9 or 10 shots back and hopelessly out of contention. The TV folks reverted to their old shenanigans. See Tiger putt. See Tiger mumble to himself. See Tiger stretch. See Tiger talk with his caddie. See Tiger standing on the course in between shots. From one camera shot to another, Eldrick was omnipresent.
[Note to TV people. Hey, there's a tournament going on here. You know, sixty or seventy other guys out on the course that are not only ahead of Woods, but most all of them ranked higher in the world. Can we see some of that please?]
Finally, a little more of the action.
Oops, Tiger is done playing for the day. Time for an interview. Of course it is. See a fawning commentator lob softball questions and otherwise drool over Tiger. Play goes on elsewhere all over the course.
[Um, guys. We're missing out on the action. We can hear the crowd roars for good shots but don't get to view them. Wasn't that why this tourney was televised in the first place? Good grief, man.]
At last, mercifully, they begrudgingly wind up the Eldrick chit-chat and return to following the leaders. Whew!!
The folks in the "booth" are still buzzing about Woods. Tiger this. Tiger that. Please.
And now we have...... Oh no, say it ain't so. But it is.
The television public is force fed a super slo-mo analysis of Tiger's swing with a complete break down of every nuance. Another roar goes up in the background for a great shot that we didn't get to see.
[Guys? Hello? Anybody home?]
Here comes a little more coverage of the live action. That's more like it. Thank you golf gods.
But no. Just when you think they've finally come to their senses, now the idiots are going to cram Tiger highlights of the day down our throats?
[Hey, what the hell's the matter with you fools? If you want to show this much of Eldrick, make a documentary of him and broadcast it later. Hopefully in the wee hours of the morning on some obscure cable channel. But NOT while the live tournament is in full swing.]
Yours truly will never understand it. Tiger Woods isn't #1 any more. Far from it. He's not even in the top 200. Or 500 in the world. Yes, he had his decade of greatness. But that was a long time ago. In the last few years, when he's even been healthy enough to play, he's pretty well stunk it up on tour.
So why, tell me WHY, does the cult-like fascination with this guy continue?
He's over-the-hillish agewise and there's zero chance -- NONE -- that he can compete with the younger guns now out on tour. And those guys are going to keep coming from all corners of the world. Golf has never been so competitive, which is a good thing.
Yet we remain stuck getting a has-been, one-time serial wife cheater shown to us over, and over, and over, and over again. Does this guy have to retire completely before the TV idolatry stops? Will it even then?
It's just about enough to make an open-minded golf fan gag.
Or at least reach for the remote. Every time his mug comes on the screen while not actually playing, chalk up a click.
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Friday, January 26, 2018
The Michigan State crisis
Michigan State University is in deep, deep trouble. It's reminiscent of the sexual scandal that overwhelmed Penn State a few years ago.
Back then, Jerry Sandusky was accused of defiling multiple young men and eventually convicted of same. He'll never get out of jail, at least alive.
But it didn't stop there. Before all was said and done, lots of heads rolled, including those of long time football coach Joe Paterno and the top brass of the university. Besides resigning or being fired, some got caught up in the criminal justice system as well. As we know, Joe Pa himself passed away not long after the proverbial you-know-what hit the fan.
The university itself was rocked to the core financially, athletically, academically, and most certainly in the eyes of the public.
In the wake of the Larry Nassar investigation and subsequent trial and conviction, MSU and its merry band of administrators and athletic departments finds itself in a similar predicament.
The s---ball is definitely rolling.
Accusations are coming fast and furious involving sexually criminal behavior involving both the football and basketball teams.
According to reports, it would seem MSU has had this problem for quite some time, but steadfastly either looked the other way, or worse, tried to cover it up. And that's just not going to work any more. The Spartan Pandora's box is now open, and the investigative hounds loosed and feverishly on the trail.
Just recently, MSU's president, one Lou Anna Simons, resigned. As did athletic director Mark Hollis. But that might not be good enough to save them from the wheels of justice grinding them up in the future.
As we found out at Penn State, there are different facets of such alleged criminal behavior. First, there's the actual perpetrators, the jocks who did it. Second, the people that knew about it and failed to properly report it to either their superiors or law enforcement.
The third degree is where it gets tricky and differs from "civilian" crimes of the same nature.
If John Doe on the street knew some of his buddies committed a crime, but he didn't actually plan and/or participate in it himself, he's pretty well clear. However, if Mr. Doe had no knowledge whatsoever of the crime even happening, nobody would ever suggest he was culpable in any way. That would be ludicrous.
But more rigorous standards apply in some cases at universities. That being, even if you didn't know, you SHOULD have known. It happened on your watch, so you're hit, by default.
That very logic did in a few people at PSU, and might well be the downfall of others at MSU before this is all over.
Mark Dantonio, head coach of the Spartan football team, and Tom Izzo, the same regarding men's basketball, could easily fall into this category.
Both have led their teams to prominence in the last decade or so, Izzo even winning a national title.
As the information continues to unfold, it's painting a very grim picture of their programs. Both football and basketball players, many of them, on multiple occasions, have allegedly committed violent or criminal acts.
Yet as mentioned above, the university, and perhaps the coaches as well, have so far basically swept it under the rug. They've even gone so far as to quite illegally attempt to withhold pertinent evidence from the investigative authorities regarding same. But that wall is about to come tumbling down.
This thing has blown wide open and hard telling who will get caught up in it. The newshounds and government agencies are all over it.
Just because the university once tried to circle their wagons and protect their own doesn't mean the jocks who, again, allegedly, did these evil deeds are off the hook. Prosecution types might well open or re-open cases on any or all of them.
Dantonio tried to play the ignorance card. This is new ground for him, he said. Yet that appears to not be true.
Izzo has said he might retire after this season.
That's all well and good, but those guys are smart enough to know they're in deep doo-doo. The president and athletic director having already stepped down hardly means Dantonio and Izzo won't be subjected to intense scrutiny in the coming days, weeks, and months. They most definitely will.
Yes, Mark and Tom, they will be coming for you.
It would seem highly likely both of their coaching careers will be over before long. And that's the least of their worries. Both have plenty of dough. Yet if those pesky criminal prosecutors zero in on them, well, who knows where that might lead?
How much they knew and when they knew it may never be proven, but the aforementioned "SHOULD" have known thing may be the trap they can't escape.
On top of all that, over 150 women, alleged "victims", have filed law suits against the university. Before all is said and done, that could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in damages being awarded, which would cripple the school itself.
This thing is just getting started and it's not going to go away. As they say, this story has "legs" and the heads have just begun to roll. There will be more, likely many more, to come.
Yep, MSU is in big trouble and it's probably going to only get worse now that they're the focus of attention. Forget about any more covering up or obstruction. It's ALL going to come out, as it should.
And this is before the NCAA itself has investigated and weighed in. Who knows what sort of harsh penalties they might eventually slap MSU with?
Oh yeah, this is going to get ugly. Really ugly.
Back then, Jerry Sandusky was accused of defiling multiple young men and eventually convicted of same. He'll never get out of jail, at least alive.
But it didn't stop there. Before all was said and done, lots of heads rolled, including those of long time football coach Joe Paterno and the top brass of the university. Besides resigning or being fired, some got caught up in the criminal justice system as well. As we know, Joe Pa himself passed away not long after the proverbial you-know-what hit the fan.
The university itself was rocked to the core financially, athletically, academically, and most certainly in the eyes of the public.
In the wake of the Larry Nassar investigation and subsequent trial and conviction, MSU and its merry band of administrators and athletic departments finds itself in a similar predicament.
The s---ball is definitely rolling.
Accusations are coming fast and furious involving sexually criminal behavior involving both the football and basketball teams.
According to reports, it would seem MSU has had this problem for quite some time, but steadfastly either looked the other way, or worse, tried to cover it up. And that's just not going to work any more. The Spartan Pandora's box is now open, and the investigative hounds loosed and feverishly on the trail.
Just recently, MSU's president, one Lou Anna Simons, resigned. As did athletic director Mark Hollis. But that might not be good enough to save them from the wheels of justice grinding them up in the future.
As we found out at Penn State, there are different facets of such alleged criminal behavior. First, there's the actual perpetrators, the jocks who did it. Second, the people that knew about it and failed to properly report it to either their superiors or law enforcement.
The third degree is where it gets tricky and differs from "civilian" crimes of the same nature.
If John Doe on the street knew some of his buddies committed a crime, but he didn't actually plan and/or participate in it himself, he's pretty well clear. However, if Mr. Doe had no knowledge whatsoever of the crime even happening, nobody would ever suggest he was culpable in any way. That would be ludicrous.
But more rigorous standards apply in some cases at universities. That being, even if you didn't know, you SHOULD have known. It happened on your watch, so you're hit, by default.
That very logic did in a few people at PSU, and might well be the downfall of others at MSU before this is all over.
Mark Dantonio, head coach of the Spartan football team, and Tom Izzo, the same regarding men's basketball, could easily fall into this category.
Both have led their teams to prominence in the last decade or so, Izzo even winning a national title.
As the information continues to unfold, it's painting a very grim picture of their programs. Both football and basketball players, many of them, on multiple occasions, have allegedly committed violent or criminal acts.
Yet as mentioned above, the university, and perhaps the coaches as well, have so far basically swept it under the rug. They've even gone so far as to quite illegally attempt to withhold pertinent evidence from the investigative authorities regarding same. But that wall is about to come tumbling down.
This thing has blown wide open and hard telling who will get caught up in it. The newshounds and government agencies are all over it.
Just because the university once tried to circle their wagons and protect their own doesn't mean the jocks who, again, allegedly, did these evil deeds are off the hook. Prosecution types might well open or re-open cases on any or all of them.
Dantonio tried to play the ignorance card. This is new ground for him, he said. Yet that appears to not be true.
Izzo has said he might retire after this season.
That's all well and good, but those guys are smart enough to know they're in deep doo-doo. The president and athletic director having already stepped down hardly means Dantonio and Izzo won't be subjected to intense scrutiny in the coming days, weeks, and months. They most definitely will.
Yes, Mark and Tom, they will be coming for you.
It would seem highly likely both of their coaching careers will be over before long. And that's the least of their worries. Both have plenty of dough. Yet if those pesky criminal prosecutors zero in on them, well, who knows where that might lead?
How much they knew and when they knew it may never be proven, but the aforementioned "SHOULD" have known thing may be the trap they can't escape.
On top of all that, over 150 women, alleged "victims", have filed law suits against the university. Before all is said and done, that could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in damages being awarded, which would cripple the school itself.
This thing is just getting started and it's not going to go away. As they say, this story has "legs" and the heads have just begun to roll. There will be more, likely many more, to come.
Yep, MSU is in big trouble and it's probably going to only get worse now that they're the focus of attention. Forget about any more covering up or obstruction. It's ALL going to come out, as it should.
And this is before the NCAA itself has investigated and weighed in. Who knows what sort of harsh penalties they might eventually slap MSU with?
Oh yeah, this is going to get ugly. Really ugly.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
The Bonehead Files. Joe Morgan
Baseball fans certainly know who Joe Morgan is -- or was. He was the second baseman on the Big Red Machine of the Cincinnati Reds back in the 1970s, arguably the best Major League Baseball team of all time.
Besides Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, and Ken Griffey Sr., would go on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And on merit alone, Pete Rose certainly deserves a plaque as well. That was quite the loaded line-up. All manager Sparky Anderson had to do was put a different pitcher on the mound every day and turn them loose. You or me could have done that job.
As we know, the latest class of Hall of Famers was recently revealed and the names Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens weren't on the list. Like with Rose, though for a different reason, the debate rages on as to whether Bonds and Clemens deserve induction. On merit alone, it's a no-brainer. But ah, that pesky steroid thing.
In the interim, somehow Joe Morgan got appointed to the board of directors of that same HOF -- vice chairman, no less. A pretty spiffy, high falootin title.
But he messed up. Bad.
In fact, he qualified as an outright bonehead.
While the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) , the very people that do the voting as to who gets in, was pondering their ballots, Morgan sent them an email. In said missive, he discouraged them from voting for "steroid users".
That was out of line. WAY out of line.
The Hall, including Morgan, has absolutely no business trying to influence the writers (voters) one way or the other.
The HOF is basically a museum of baseball greats and memorabilia. A bit like Madame Tussaud's famous house of wax. The difference is -- the Tussaud people get to decide who gets molded and who doesn't, while the Hall has no say so whatsoever regarding its inductees. They are there as merely curators of the building, to guide tours, provide information and, of course, collect the admission fees. Cha-ching. There's always a cha-ching.
Morgan became a bonehead when he tried to taint that process. We will never know to what degree he succeeded. That rests solely in the minds of the voters. They might not know themselves how much they were swayed -- or not -- by that email. But it would be foolish to assume it had no effect at all on their deliberations. Of course it did.
That's without getting into the can of hypocritical worms the HOF already has more than it's fair share of unsavory characters enshrined (see previous blog post -- The HOF Case for Roger and Barry -- stage right).
Morgan overstepping his bounds and advocating "steroid users" shouldn't be admitted might be a bit akin to him suggesting Hispanics, or Republicans, or Catholics, or anybody that lives in California should be denied as well.
Regarding Clemens and Bonds, they were never PROVEN to be "users" anyway. Just a slew of allegations.
While Morgan may well have thought he was doing the "right thing" with his email, in fact it amounted to no more than attempted discrimination. And as mentioned above, it was none of his business to begin with -- vice chairman or not.
It is totally up to the writers/voters to make up their own minds. Even if they want to vote for a proven PED user/abuser, that's their call. Not Morgan's or the Hall's. They're supposed to count up the votes, and if a guy reaches the 75% threshold, start carving him a plaque. Period.
While Morgan is a worthy HOF member himself, board or no board of directors, he needs to shut up and go back to whatever it is a vice chairman does.
It appears he's taking the "vice" in vice chairman WAY too seriously.
Idle thought.
I wonder if old Joe still has that nasty twitch after all these years?
Besides Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, and Ken Griffey Sr., would go on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. And on merit alone, Pete Rose certainly deserves a plaque as well. That was quite the loaded line-up. All manager Sparky Anderson had to do was put a different pitcher on the mound every day and turn them loose. You or me could have done that job.
As we know, the latest class of Hall of Famers was recently revealed and the names Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens weren't on the list. Like with Rose, though for a different reason, the debate rages on as to whether Bonds and Clemens deserve induction. On merit alone, it's a no-brainer. But ah, that pesky steroid thing.
In the interim, somehow Joe Morgan got appointed to the board of directors of that same HOF -- vice chairman, no less. A pretty spiffy, high falootin title.
But he messed up. Bad.
In fact, he qualified as an outright bonehead.
While the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) , the very people that do the voting as to who gets in, was pondering their ballots, Morgan sent them an email. In said missive, he discouraged them from voting for "steroid users".
That was out of line. WAY out of line.
The Hall, including Morgan, has absolutely no business trying to influence the writers (voters) one way or the other.
The HOF is basically a museum of baseball greats and memorabilia. A bit like Madame Tussaud's famous house of wax. The difference is -- the Tussaud people get to decide who gets molded and who doesn't, while the Hall has no say so whatsoever regarding its inductees. They are there as merely curators of the building, to guide tours, provide information and, of course, collect the admission fees. Cha-ching. There's always a cha-ching.
Morgan became a bonehead when he tried to taint that process. We will never know to what degree he succeeded. That rests solely in the minds of the voters. They might not know themselves how much they were swayed -- or not -- by that email. But it would be foolish to assume it had no effect at all on their deliberations. Of course it did.
That's without getting into the can of hypocritical worms the HOF already has more than it's fair share of unsavory characters enshrined (see previous blog post -- The HOF Case for Roger and Barry -- stage right).
Morgan overstepping his bounds and advocating "steroid users" shouldn't be admitted might be a bit akin to him suggesting Hispanics, or Republicans, or Catholics, or anybody that lives in California should be denied as well.
Regarding Clemens and Bonds, they were never PROVEN to be "users" anyway. Just a slew of allegations.
While Morgan may well have thought he was doing the "right thing" with his email, in fact it amounted to no more than attempted discrimination. And as mentioned above, it was none of his business to begin with -- vice chairman or not.
It is totally up to the writers/voters to make up their own minds. Even if they want to vote for a proven PED user/abuser, that's their call. Not Morgan's or the Hall's. They're supposed to count up the votes, and if a guy reaches the 75% threshold, start carving him a plaque. Period.
While Morgan is a worthy HOF member himself, board or no board of directors, he needs to shut up and go back to whatever it is a vice chairman does.
It appears he's taking the "vice" in vice chairman WAY too seriously.
Idle thought.
I wonder if old Joe still has that nasty twitch after all these years?
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
The HOF case for Roger and Barry
While the four who did get voted into the baseball Hall of Fame (Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, and Trevor Hoffman) are certainly worthy of the honor, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds fell short -- again -- for the fifth year.
The latter two garnered only about 55% of the 75% needed for induction. Well short. But their totals keep rising every year, and it probably wouldn't come as too much of a surprise if they made it in eventually. Another year or two.
Yet something has always been wrong with this, and it involves the dreaded "public perception", sometimes known as "arm-chair prosecutors", or even self appointed "judge/jury/executioners".
Yes, we get it. It's all about the steroids -- right? They were the proverbial "poster boys" for what went so horribly wrong in baseball a generation ago.
But not so fast.
Were they indeed?
A look at the factual record says quite the opposite.
As we all know, the institution of Major League Baseball itself, not to mention no shortage of prosecutorial types, spent countless millions of dollars, and moved heaven and earth in an attempt to nail these guys.
Allegations, accusations, and guilty declarations were flying around like snowflakes in a blizzard. Everybody knew they did it.
Thing is, in the end, neither was ever found officially guilty of anything regarding using "performance enhancing drugs" (PEDs). (Though Bonds was convicted of a minor obstruction of justice charge, for which he received probation.)
So if "innocent until proven guilty", the supposed benchmark of the American jurisprudence system, still applies, one can only logically concluded these guys remain innocent.
And if they're innocent, why didn't they get elected into the Hall on their first ballots?
Nobody can seriously question either of their career statistics. Good grief, Bonds is the all-time leading home run hitter. With the recent retirement of Alex Rodriguez, it is highly unlikely anybody will get anywhere near approaching his record -- ever.
Clemens won 353 games. It's also unlikely we'll ever see a pitcher win even 300 again. He was a lock as a 20 game winner every year. In recent times, it is rare when a pitcher surpasses that mark -- for even ONE year.
Both were perennial All-Stars.
Both have steadfastly maintained throughout they "didn't do it".
Few believe them, of course.
That is the result of the League and, to a much greater degree, the media whipping the masses up into a frenzy by coming to the conclusion Clemens and Bonds were "dirty", but not being able to prove it. The classic example of putting the cart before the horse.
To this day, it still remains a "given" in the minds of the majority of sports writers, talking heads, and the public. It's assumed Roger and Barry were just as guilty as, say, the late Charlie Manson. But unlike CM, BB and RC were never convicted of anything, though a mountain of resources was thrown against them in the trying.
Just recently, the mostly stodgy scribes of the Baseball Writers Association of America have finally begun to at least loosen that knot they've had in their shorts all along. Hence, every year Bonds and Clemens inch a little close to induction.
It should be noted the Hall of Fame is already chock full of unsavory characters. Drunks, unfaithful spouses, and it was once rumored Ty Cobb even killed a man. But they're all in, and there's no "outing" them.
So does yours truly think Bonds and Clemens used PEDs back in the day?
Probably. But if I was sitting on a jury in a criminal trial involving same, would I vote to convict?
Absolutely not. Show me the proof -- dammit -- or they walk. Innocent coming in is, by law, innocent going out, sans a conviction.
So would I vote for them to be enshrined?
Of COURSE. Given the spectacular careers both had in MLB, how can any objective person (see no agenda/grudge/axe to grind) NOT?
This is way, WAY overdue, just like Pete Rose (the all-time hits leader) rightfully getting his bronze plaque. That will happen some day too, hopefully while he's still alive to enjoy it. But that's a story for another day.
The latter two garnered only about 55% of the 75% needed for induction. Well short. But their totals keep rising every year, and it probably wouldn't come as too much of a surprise if they made it in eventually. Another year or two.
Yet something has always been wrong with this, and it involves the dreaded "public perception", sometimes known as "arm-chair prosecutors", or even self appointed "judge/jury/executioners".
Yes, we get it. It's all about the steroids -- right? They were the proverbial "poster boys" for what went so horribly wrong in baseball a generation ago.
But not so fast.
Were they indeed?
A look at the factual record says quite the opposite.
As we all know, the institution of Major League Baseball itself, not to mention no shortage of prosecutorial types, spent countless millions of dollars, and moved heaven and earth in an attempt to nail these guys.
Allegations, accusations, and guilty declarations were flying around like snowflakes in a blizzard. Everybody knew they did it.
Thing is, in the end, neither was ever found officially guilty of anything regarding using "performance enhancing drugs" (PEDs). (Though Bonds was convicted of a minor obstruction of justice charge, for which he received probation.)
So if "innocent until proven guilty", the supposed benchmark of the American jurisprudence system, still applies, one can only logically concluded these guys remain innocent.
And if they're innocent, why didn't they get elected into the Hall on their first ballots?
Nobody can seriously question either of their career statistics. Good grief, Bonds is the all-time leading home run hitter. With the recent retirement of Alex Rodriguez, it is highly unlikely anybody will get anywhere near approaching his record -- ever.
Clemens won 353 games. It's also unlikely we'll ever see a pitcher win even 300 again. He was a lock as a 20 game winner every year. In recent times, it is rare when a pitcher surpasses that mark -- for even ONE year.
Both were perennial All-Stars.
Both have steadfastly maintained throughout they "didn't do it".
Few believe them, of course.
That is the result of the League and, to a much greater degree, the media whipping the masses up into a frenzy by coming to the conclusion Clemens and Bonds were "dirty", but not being able to prove it. The classic example of putting the cart before the horse.
To this day, it still remains a "given" in the minds of the majority of sports writers, talking heads, and the public. It's assumed Roger and Barry were just as guilty as, say, the late Charlie Manson. But unlike CM, BB and RC were never convicted of anything, though a mountain of resources was thrown against them in the trying.
Just recently, the mostly stodgy scribes of the Baseball Writers Association of America have finally begun to at least loosen that knot they've had in their shorts all along. Hence, every year Bonds and Clemens inch a little close to induction.
It should be noted the Hall of Fame is already chock full of unsavory characters. Drunks, unfaithful spouses, and it was once rumored Ty Cobb even killed a man. But they're all in, and there's no "outing" them.
So does yours truly think Bonds and Clemens used PEDs back in the day?
Probably. But if I was sitting on a jury in a criminal trial involving same, would I vote to convict?
Absolutely not. Show me the proof -- dammit -- or they walk. Innocent coming in is, by law, innocent going out, sans a conviction.
So would I vote for them to be enshrined?
Of COURSE. Given the spectacular careers both had in MLB, how can any objective person (see no agenda/grudge/axe to grind) NOT?
This is way, WAY overdue, just like Pete Rose (the all-time hits leader) rightfully getting his bronze plaque. That will happen some day too, hopefully while he's still alive to enjoy it. But that's a story for another day.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
NFL playoffs and underdogs
Whether you rooted for or against them, congrats are in order for the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. They will meet in Super Bowl LII in two weeks in Minnesota.
The AFC title game.
Yours truly had been telling anybody that would listen all week that Jacksonville getting first 9 1/2, then down to 7 1/2, was a pretty good bet. That's a lot of points and the Jags were really good this year.
Indeed, they gave the Pats all they could handle for the entire game, before Tom Brady led a comeback and pulled out yet another win (24-20). Foxborough's a mighty tough place to play, and the Jags have nothing to be ashamed of. If they can keep that team together, look out for these guys in the future.
The NFC title game.
Philly must be wondering what they have to do to get some respect.. As the #1 seed in the NFC, playing at home, they were first underdogs to the Atlanta Falcons, who they dispatched, and then the Vikings. The line on the Minn/Phil game was right around Minn minus two points. Most everybody expected a close game.
And then the Eagles blew out the Vikings 38-7. A rout, by any standard. Nobody saw that coming.
The Super Bowl.
Things are about to get a lot tougher for the Eagles. Though the official line hasn't come out yet, there's no doubt they'll be underdogs again going up against the Patriots. And this time, they won't have the advantage of playing before their home fans.
[An aside. Alas, the Vikings won't be the first team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium.]
But there's the thing for the Eagles. Whatever Minnesota season ticket holders and fans manage to score tickets to the Super Bowl, after the usual unsavory types (celebrities, politicians, etc.) siphon off so many tickets (for 15 minutes of photo-ops, then hop back in their limos to leave the seats vacant) there is also little doubt the Eagles will be facing a highly crowd.
Why? Because they won't have forgotten the beat down Philly put on their beloved Vikings two weeks before.
Instead of playing at a "neutral" site, in effect the Patriots will likely enjoy what amounts to a "home" crowd cheering them on. And vice versa for the Eagles.
As mentioned above, Philly was already going to be underdogs going in, but it just got worse, as if the Pats needed any help.
This is not to say the Eagles couldn't upset the Patriots anyway, but if they pull that off under the conditions that will surely await them, they should be hailed as warriors indeed.
Final note. It seems weird that even if Eagles quarterback Nick Foles leads his team to a Super Bowl victory, and he's been outstanding throughout the playoffs, he'll still go into training camp next year as a second-stringer, assuming starter Carson Wentz fully recovers from a blown ACL.
I mean, what's a guy got to do, right?
So this is likely his one and only big shot at glory.
Foles has been an underdog his whole life.
Hard to root against that.
Hard to root against that.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Tom Brady's hand
It's comical how the media is trying to make a Pearl Harbor-ish story out of the status of Patriots' QB Tom's Brady's throwing hand. Evidently, it was injured somewhat in practice a few days ago.
Will this be a day that "lives in infamy"? Probably not. Even the Super Bowl doesn't rank up there with an invasion.
Nonetheless, in their usual fashion, the Patriots (and Brady) are remaining tight-lipped about it.
Trying to figure out what the Pats are up to behind closed doors is like trying to figure out when that pesky Kim guy might test another missile or nuke. No amount of spies, eyes in the sky, wire-taps, "intelligence", and reporters will ever have a clue about it -- until and unless it happens.
Wait and see indeed.
But it drives the newshounds crazy when they can't get the proverbial line on things.
Speaking of lines, the Pats were once 9 1/2 point favorites over the Jaguars in the AFC Championship game.
At last look, that has come down to 7 1/2. It would appear some serious money on Jacksonville has been rolling in to those that cover such wagers.
True, the Patriots will have to submit an "injury report" to the league, hence the public, by tomorrow.
If Brady is indeed scratched, now THAT would be big news, and the betting line would change dramatically.
But that doesn't appear to be the case.
Rather, they can list him as "questionable", or even "day to day", to keep everybody guessing. In the NHL they get away with similar shenanigans by merely saying a player has a "lower/upper body injury", so opponents can't "target" any particular area.
But the NHL is a lot different than the NFL. Everybody knows the opposing starting QB's throwing arm, or hand, is vital. Defenses try to blast them every chance they get.
You can bet the Jaguars are game planning as if Brady will indeed be playing. #12 is a tough old bird that will be out there for the Super Bowl if at any way possible. No way is he going to watch it go by from the sidelines because of a minor ouchy on his hand.
The Jags caught a break in one respect. It's supposed to be rather "balmy" in Foxborough this Sunday. In the mid 40s. This is great news for guys that are used to playing in Florida. It surely beats the heck out of travelling north only to encounter a temp of 10 degrees, wind chill factor well below zero, and maybe even a blizzard. Those southern folks typically don't react well to such conditions.
And if Brady is less than 100%....
And the Jags just last week went into Pittsburgh and downed the Steelers, right?
Then it might just come to pass that.....
Nah, forget that.
Ain't happening.
Patriots win.
But I still think those that jumped on the original 9 1/2 point spread and put some bucks on the Jags to cover were placing a good bet. That's a lot of points and Jax ain't too shabby this year either.
Will this be a day that "lives in infamy"? Probably not. Even the Super Bowl doesn't rank up there with an invasion.
Nonetheless, in their usual fashion, the Patriots (and Brady) are remaining tight-lipped about it.
Trying to figure out what the Pats are up to behind closed doors is like trying to figure out when that pesky Kim guy might test another missile or nuke. No amount of spies, eyes in the sky, wire-taps, "intelligence", and reporters will ever have a clue about it -- until and unless it happens.
Wait and see indeed.
But it drives the newshounds crazy when they can't get the proverbial line on things.
Speaking of lines, the Pats were once 9 1/2 point favorites over the Jaguars in the AFC Championship game.
At last look, that has come down to 7 1/2. It would appear some serious money on Jacksonville has been rolling in to those that cover such wagers.
True, the Patriots will have to submit an "injury report" to the league, hence the public, by tomorrow.
If Brady is indeed scratched, now THAT would be big news, and the betting line would change dramatically.
But that doesn't appear to be the case.
Rather, they can list him as "questionable", or even "day to day", to keep everybody guessing. In the NHL they get away with similar shenanigans by merely saying a player has a "lower/upper body injury", so opponents can't "target" any particular area.
But the NHL is a lot different than the NFL. Everybody knows the opposing starting QB's throwing arm, or hand, is vital. Defenses try to blast them every chance they get.
You can bet the Jaguars are game planning as if Brady will indeed be playing. #12 is a tough old bird that will be out there for the Super Bowl if at any way possible. No way is he going to watch it go by from the sidelines because of a minor ouchy on his hand.
The Jags caught a break in one respect. It's supposed to be rather "balmy" in Foxborough this Sunday. In the mid 40s. This is great news for guys that are used to playing in Florida. It surely beats the heck out of travelling north only to encounter a temp of 10 degrees, wind chill factor well below zero, and maybe even a blizzard. Those southern folks typically don't react well to such conditions.
And if Brady is less than 100%....
And the Jags just last week went into Pittsburgh and downed the Steelers, right?
Then it might just come to pass that.....
Nah, forget that.
Ain't happening.
Patriots win.
But I still think those that jumped on the original 9 1/2 point spread and put some bucks on the Jags to cover were placing a good bet. That's a lot of points and Jax ain't too shabby this year either.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
NFL playoff picks
Yeah, I know it's not normally wise to bet against Bill Belichick and the Brady Bunch come playoff time, but a nine point spread is a lot.
True, the New England Pats trashed the Tennessee Tits by three touchdowns, but the Jags are a different animal. Few would doubt the Pittsburgh Steelers present a formidable challenge to all comers, but the Jacksonville Jaguars went into their house twice this year and thumped them both times. Pretty impressive stuff.
And yes, giving up 42 points to Mike Tomlin's crew notwithstanding, the Jags have one of the best defenses in the league across the board.
Still, it's Tom Brady as one QB, and Blake Bortles as the other. One has a bunch of Super Bowl Rings and the other -- well........
But when push comes to shove, I'm liking those nine points a lot. Sure, I think the Pats will win. But I don't think they'll cover.
Minnesota and Philly is a very interesting game. The Vikes are a slight favorite giving two points on the road to the #1 seed. Yes, I get it. Some keep waiting for back-up Philly QB Nick Foles to self-destruct, but this guy's actually been pretty good over his career, and this is hardly his first rodeo.
On the other hand, the same could be said of Vikes QB Case Keenum, merely a third-stringer when the season started. But oh my, how he has performed since pressed into duty.
Both teams have outstanding defensive personnel, but the purple is a cut above the green.
Head coaches -- Pederson and Zimmer? Both very smart workaholic guys that pay attention to detail. As do their offensive and defensive coordinators. A wash.
This game could well come down to a crucial turnover late in the second half. A pick, a fumble, or maybe even a blocked punt.
In the end, I think the Vikes maintain their poise more so than the Eags and walk out of there with a chance to win the Super Bowl in their own home stadium. The first time in 52 go-rounds a home team will play in it. And it just might come down to a last second field goal at that.
But I like Minnesota giving the 2 points, even on the road.
And there you have it. My super-duper can't miss picks in the NFL conference championship games.
And if you're dumb enough to bet the farm on what a bonehead like yours truly recommends, then maybe you should go to Cleveland and try out as their next quarterback. Lord knows, they've tried everybody else. They might be dumb enough to suit a dummy like you up, pay you a few million bucks, and stick you in the game. Good luck with that.
It will only hurt for a little while -- maybe a few months or so -- but it will be pretty intensive I dare say.....
True, the New England Pats trashed the Tennessee Tits by three touchdowns, but the Jags are a different animal. Few would doubt the Pittsburgh Steelers present a formidable challenge to all comers, but the Jacksonville Jaguars went into their house twice this year and thumped them both times. Pretty impressive stuff.
And yes, giving up 42 points to Mike Tomlin's crew notwithstanding, the Jags have one of the best defenses in the league across the board.
Still, it's Tom Brady as one QB, and Blake Bortles as the other. One has a bunch of Super Bowl Rings and the other -- well........
But when push comes to shove, I'm liking those nine points a lot. Sure, I think the Pats will win. But I don't think they'll cover.
Minnesota and Philly is a very interesting game. The Vikes are a slight favorite giving two points on the road to the #1 seed. Yes, I get it. Some keep waiting for back-up Philly QB Nick Foles to self-destruct, but this guy's actually been pretty good over his career, and this is hardly his first rodeo.
On the other hand, the same could be said of Vikes QB Case Keenum, merely a third-stringer when the season started. But oh my, how he has performed since pressed into duty.
Both teams have outstanding defensive personnel, but the purple is a cut above the green.
Head coaches -- Pederson and Zimmer? Both very smart workaholic guys that pay attention to detail. As do their offensive and defensive coordinators. A wash.
This game could well come down to a crucial turnover late in the second half. A pick, a fumble, or maybe even a blocked punt.
In the end, I think the Vikes maintain their poise more so than the Eags and walk out of there with a chance to win the Super Bowl in their own home stadium. The first time in 52 go-rounds a home team will play in it. And it just might come down to a last second field goal at that.
But I like Minnesota giving the 2 points, even on the road.
And there you have it. My super-duper can't miss picks in the NFL conference championship games.
And if you're dumb enough to bet the farm on what a bonehead like yours truly recommends, then maybe you should go to Cleveland and try out as their next quarterback. Lord knows, they've tried everybody else. They might be dumb enough to suit a dummy like you up, pay you a few million bucks, and stick you in the game. Good luck with that.
It will only hurt for a little while -- maybe a few months or so -- but it will be pretty intensive I dare say.....
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Really, REALLY dumb things
So head coach Mike Mularkey is out as the Tennessee Titan field boss -eh? Seems pretty dumb. Sure, the Tits got squashed at New England a week ago in the playoffs, but there's no shame in that. The Pats were highly favored to win the Super Bowl before the season even started. And let's not forget this is the same Tennessee team that came roaring back to overcome a 21 point deficit at Kansas City just the week before.
To boot, this year and last were the first time the TT's had put back-to-back winning seasons together in a decade. And the KC game was their first playoff win in a whopping 14 years. Mularkey (love that name) had whipped the long sad sack franchise into semi-contenders.
And they get rid of him, while still owing him another year's salary?
WHATZAMATTUH with these people?
According to reports, owner Amy Adams Strunk thinks she sees a "better path to success".
Maybe her and Martha Firestone Ford, heir/owner of the Detroit Lions, should start palling around together. The Lions haven't won a playoff game in a ridiculous 27 years, only one in their whole sordid history, and would probably KILL to win another. Such a head coach would probably have a statue of himself erected outside of Ford Field to commemorate such "greatness". (The Lions have a mighty low threshold of what constitutes a "successful" season.)
If it's true that misery loves company, perhaps it's also true that rich and clueless does as well.
And now a word from our sponsors.
Can that be right? A mattress company proudly states that any buyer of their latest and greatest product won't have to pay any interest for 72 months.
Think about that number. If my little pea brain has the math right -- that's 6 years.
Six years (or more) of payments --- for a MATTRESS???
Good grief, people pay off new car and truck loans in somewhere between 3-5 years.
So here's my question.
How much does that dang mattress cost anyway?
They don't tell you that, but it must be a whole lot.
At that sort of price, besides being the most comfortable thing you ever slept on, that mattress better be able to clean the house, do laundry, grocery shop, and mow the yard.
Dumb.
The talking heads have the utter gall, or perhaps are just that desperate for a story -- any story -- to question who was more at fault for the New Orleans Saints blowing a certain victory on the last play of the game in Minnesota.
Could it have been the fault of Saints head coach Sean Payton? One of his coaches or coordinators?
This goes beyond dumb, to downright stupid.
NFL fans have seen the replay a bazillion times already. Saints' rookie Marcus Williams, out of Utah, lowered his head (apparently closing his eyes as well) and whiffed on a tackle.
[Next time you see the replay, look closer. Not only did Williams miss the ball carrier, he took out one of his own teammates with a helmet shot to the knee. How bad would it have been if he'd blown out the knee of a teammate on the same doofus play?]
All he had to do was "wrap up" the receiver, who was still thirty yards away from the end zone, and off balance. With no Minnesota time-outs left, the game clock would have ran out, and the Saints win. Period.
But no, he went into brain freeze mode and forgot everything he had been taught since probably 7th grade about tackling.
You use your shoulders pads to hit, and your arms and hands to wrap up the receiver, quarterback, running back, whoever the ball carrier may be.
It wasn't up to Payton or his staff to remind Williams of that in the time-out a few moments earlier. I mean, good grief. Should you have to remind a teenager about the potty training thing?
You'd think they'd have it down pat.
But not Williams.
When it mattered most, with the entire season on the line, he blew it for his team, in front of a sold out stadium and tens of millions of people watching it on TVs around the world.
So forget the preposterous notion that this could possibly be the fault of the coaching staff.
There's only one goat, and that's Marcus Williams. Period.
He knows it, or at least should. His teammates know it. Saints fans know it. And everybody that watched the game knows it.
Any other explanation is just plain dumb.
It is what it is.
That being a really, REALLY dumb play.
To boot, this year and last were the first time the TT's had put back-to-back winning seasons together in a decade. And the KC game was their first playoff win in a whopping 14 years. Mularkey (love that name) had whipped the long sad sack franchise into semi-contenders.
And they get rid of him, while still owing him another year's salary?
WHATZAMATTUH with these people?
According to reports, owner Amy Adams Strunk thinks she sees a "better path to success".
Maybe her and Martha Firestone Ford, heir/owner of the Detroit Lions, should start palling around together. The Lions haven't won a playoff game in a ridiculous 27 years, only one in their whole sordid history, and would probably KILL to win another. Such a head coach would probably have a statue of himself erected outside of Ford Field to commemorate such "greatness". (The Lions have a mighty low threshold of what constitutes a "successful" season.)
If it's true that misery loves company, perhaps it's also true that rich and clueless does as well.
And now a word from our sponsors.
Can that be right? A mattress company proudly states that any buyer of their latest and greatest product won't have to pay any interest for 72 months.
Think about that number. If my little pea brain has the math right -- that's 6 years.
Six years (or more) of payments --- for a MATTRESS???
Good grief, people pay off new car and truck loans in somewhere between 3-5 years.
So here's my question.
How much does that dang mattress cost anyway?
They don't tell you that, but it must be a whole lot.
At that sort of price, besides being the most comfortable thing you ever slept on, that mattress better be able to clean the house, do laundry, grocery shop, and mow the yard.
Dumb.
The talking heads have the utter gall, or perhaps are just that desperate for a story -- any story -- to question who was more at fault for the New Orleans Saints blowing a certain victory on the last play of the game in Minnesota.
Could it have been the fault of Saints head coach Sean Payton? One of his coaches or coordinators?
This goes beyond dumb, to downright stupid.
NFL fans have seen the replay a bazillion times already. Saints' rookie Marcus Williams, out of Utah, lowered his head (apparently closing his eyes as well) and whiffed on a tackle.
[Next time you see the replay, look closer. Not only did Williams miss the ball carrier, he took out one of his own teammates with a helmet shot to the knee. How bad would it have been if he'd blown out the knee of a teammate on the same doofus play?]
All he had to do was "wrap up" the receiver, who was still thirty yards away from the end zone, and off balance. With no Minnesota time-outs left, the game clock would have ran out, and the Saints win. Period.
But no, he went into brain freeze mode and forgot everything he had been taught since probably 7th grade about tackling.
You use your shoulders pads to hit, and your arms and hands to wrap up the receiver, quarterback, running back, whoever the ball carrier may be.
It wasn't up to Payton or his staff to remind Williams of that in the time-out a few moments earlier. I mean, good grief. Should you have to remind a teenager about the potty training thing?
You'd think they'd have it down pat.
But not Williams.
When it mattered most, with the entire season on the line, he blew it for his team, in front of a sold out stadium and tens of millions of people watching it on TVs around the world.
So forget the preposterous notion that this could possibly be the fault of the coaching staff.
There's only one goat, and that's Marcus Williams. Period.
He knows it, or at least should. His teammates know it. Saints fans know it. And everybody that watched the game knows it.
Any other explanation is just plain dumb.
It is what it is.
That being a really, REALLY dumb play.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Vikings/Saints, heroes and goats
In what was probably the most anticipated NFL playoff game so far, the Minnesota Vikings BARELY held off the New Orleans Saints.
Minnesota QB Case Keenum is now a hero, but easily could have been a goat after he threw up an off balance "wounded duck" that got picked off and let the Saints back into the game. Let's not forget the Vikings were hammering the Saints 17-zip at halftime.
Drew Brees could be considered a hero of sorts for not only leading his team in a furious comeback, but finally taking the lead with just a few seconds remaining in the game. The Vikes were in trouble.
#13 of the Saints, one Michael Thomas out of Ohio State, 24 years old and a second year guy in the league -- appears to be a combination of a whiner and dirty player. Every time he failed to catch a pass from Brees, he looked to the refs for a pass interference flag. It was just good physical defense shutting him down. But when the opportunity presented itself, he couldn't wait to deliver a killer blind side hit on an opponent, knocking him out of the game and into the concussion protocol. Consider him a goat.
#43 of the Saints, one Marcus Williams out of Utah, 21 and a rookie, was definitely a goat. With time running out and his team ahead, the safety pulled the ultimate bonehead. Not only did he blow the coverage on a Viking receiver, he totally whiffed on a tackle attempt as the receiver caught the ball. Yep, Williams lowered his head and tried to make a shoulder pad tackle. Evidently, the good Mr. Williams must be a concert piano player or surgeon in the off season. How else to explain why he's afraid to use his hands and arms to make a tackle -- like what is taught beginning in 7th grade or so?
You see it over and over again, not only in the pros, but in college. Defensive players trying to knock a ball carrier to the ground with a big hit, instead of just "wrapping him up". This is purely on the coaching staffs for tolerating such nonsense.
In the case of Williams, the receiver not only made the catch, but trotted for a long run into the end zone afterwards with the winning score as time ran out. If I'm Sean Payton -- head coach of the Saints -- this doesn't sit well with me. We had the game almost in the bag until the bonehead rookie somehow forgot how to make a proper tackle -- and we wound up losing -- bang -- season over. What do I do? That goat is cut. Now, as soon as I can get to him in the locker room after the game.
Though the Vikings had obviously won the game, that presented an interesting scenario, not the least being the thousands or millions of people across the country that had participated in buying "squares" on a football sheet for the game. You know, the 10x10 grid where everybody fills in squares, ponies up whatever they're worth for any game, and cards are randomly drawn later to fill in the numbers.
Zeros, sevens, and fours are typically pretty good numbers. Twos, fives and nines are not.
Yet as time ran out and Minnesota won the game 29-24, whoever was on those numbers was probably celebrating. But wait, even though the field was mobbed by security personnel, reporters, camera people, and both teams, NFL rules dictate the "point after" has to be attempted. Uh-oh. Could that 9-4 combination on the betting sheet go away? Maybe. So after several minutes of a delay finally clearing the field, and getting enough Saints back on it to take a pseudo defensive stance (they had all already gone into the locker room) those sitting on 0-4 were probably feeling pretty good. Just kick the stupid extra point and I win. Yippee.
And after all that, the Vikes came back out and took a knee. It was a class thing to do, considering the game was already over. No sense rubbing unnecessary salt in the wound.
So the 9-4 people got to cash after all.
Funny thing, or maybe not, how those bar pools work out sometimes.
You're a hero one minute, a potential goat the next, and wind up a hero in the end after all.
All by the luck of the draw and the whim of a particular team.
Minnesota QB Case Keenum is now a hero, but easily could have been a goat after he threw up an off balance "wounded duck" that got picked off and let the Saints back into the game. Let's not forget the Vikings were hammering the Saints 17-zip at halftime.
Drew Brees could be considered a hero of sorts for not only leading his team in a furious comeback, but finally taking the lead with just a few seconds remaining in the game. The Vikes were in trouble.
#13 of the Saints, one Michael Thomas out of Ohio State, 24 years old and a second year guy in the league -- appears to be a combination of a whiner and dirty player. Every time he failed to catch a pass from Brees, he looked to the refs for a pass interference flag. It was just good physical defense shutting him down. But when the opportunity presented itself, he couldn't wait to deliver a killer blind side hit on an opponent, knocking him out of the game and into the concussion protocol. Consider him a goat.
#43 of the Saints, one Marcus Williams out of Utah, 21 and a rookie, was definitely a goat. With time running out and his team ahead, the safety pulled the ultimate bonehead. Not only did he blow the coverage on a Viking receiver, he totally whiffed on a tackle attempt as the receiver caught the ball. Yep, Williams lowered his head and tried to make a shoulder pad tackle. Evidently, the good Mr. Williams must be a concert piano player or surgeon in the off season. How else to explain why he's afraid to use his hands and arms to make a tackle -- like what is taught beginning in 7th grade or so?
You see it over and over again, not only in the pros, but in college. Defensive players trying to knock a ball carrier to the ground with a big hit, instead of just "wrapping him up". This is purely on the coaching staffs for tolerating such nonsense.
In the case of Williams, the receiver not only made the catch, but trotted for a long run into the end zone afterwards with the winning score as time ran out. If I'm Sean Payton -- head coach of the Saints -- this doesn't sit well with me. We had the game almost in the bag until the bonehead rookie somehow forgot how to make a proper tackle -- and we wound up losing -- bang -- season over. What do I do? That goat is cut. Now, as soon as I can get to him in the locker room after the game.
Though the Vikings had obviously won the game, that presented an interesting scenario, not the least being the thousands or millions of people across the country that had participated in buying "squares" on a football sheet for the game. You know, the 10x10 grid where everybody fills in squares, ponies up whatever they're worth for any game, and cards are randomly drawn later to fill in the numbers.
Zeros, sevens, and fours are typically pretty good numbers. Twos, fives and nines are not.
Yet as time ran out and Minnesota won the game 29-24, whoever was on those numbers was probably celebrating. But wait, even though the field was mobbed by security personnel, reporters, camera people, and both teams, NFL rules dictate the "point after" has to be attempted. Uh-oh. Could that 9-4 combination on the betting sheet go away? Maybe. So after several minutes of a delay finally clearing the field, and getting enough Saints back on it to take a pseudo defensive stance (they had all already gone into the locker room) those sitting on 0-4 were probably feeling pretty good. Just kick the stupid extra point and I win. Yippee.
And after all that, the Vikes came back out and took a knee. It was a class thing to do, considering the game was already over. No sense rubbing unnecessary salt in the wound.
So the 9-4 people got to cash after all.
Funny thing, or maybe not, how those bar pools work out sometimes.
You're a hero one minute, a potential goat the next, and wind up a hero in the end after all.
All by the luck of the draw and the whim of a particular team.
Eating crow
Yours truly boldly predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers would hammer the Jacksonville Jaguars in their rematch this year. Yours truly couldn't have been more wrong. No excuses. I'll own it and eat crow -- as I should.
The Jags continue to impress. Can they beat the Patriots next week in Foxborough? I highly doubt it, but who knows?
The over/under on the Pitt/Jax game was 41 points with the Steelers a 7 point favorite. Doing a little math, that meant the wise guys in Vegas figured the Steelers to win 24-17. Instead, the two supposedly really good defenses got scorched to the tune of 87 total points in a 45-42 Jax win -- on the road. Who saw that coming?
Hard to say which team Brady/Belichick and crew would rather have faced. The Steelers had all but defeated them in an earlier match-up, until they let it slip away in the final moments of the game. But they know each other. As for Jax, the Pats have to completely reload and rethink.
Could get more interesting than many think.
But the Jags in the Super Bowl?
Get outta here.
That can't happen -- can it?
It would be like the Detroit Lions getting to one.
Did I mention "get outta here"?
The Jags continue to impress. Can they beat the Patriots next week in Foxborough? I highly doubt it, but who knows?
The over/under on the Pitt/Jax game was 41 points with the Steelers a 7 point favorite. Doing a little math, that meant the wise guys in Vegas figured the Steelers to win 24-17. Instead, the two supposedly really good defenses got scorched to the tune of 87 total points in a 45-42 Jax win -- on the road. Who saw that coming?
Hard to say which team Brady/Belichick and crew would rather have faced. The Steelers had all but defeated them in an earlier match-up, until they let it slip away in the final moments of the game. But they know each other. As for Jax, the Pats have to completely reload and rethink.
Could get more interesting than many think.
But the Jags in the Super Bowl?
Get outta here.
That can't happen -- can it?
It would be like the Detroit Lions getting to one.
Did I mention "get outta here"?
Saturday, January 13, 2018
MIch/Mich St. cycles
It's interesting how some things in sports -- and politics -- have a way of drastically changing over the years. What used to be good is now bad -- and vice versa. Remember how "red" used to be a bad word, as in communist sympathizers? Now the conservatives, of all people, are proud of their "red" states. How did that happen?
Back in days of yore in women's college hoops, Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion were the powerhouses. We seldom hear anything about either any more. Pat Summit came along at UTenn to usher in an era of dominance, and was then eclipsed by Geno Auriemma at UConn.
The Dallas Cowboys have been great -- then the pits -- then great again, and are now mediocre at best.
Tons of such examples exist across the spectrum of sports. Less than a decade ago, who ever thought the Golden State Warriors would amount to anything?
But the rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State has a few twists of its own.
For decades, the Wolverines owned the Spartans on the football field. It wasn't even a close call most years. But in recent times, the Green has been spanking the Blue. Few would have seen that coming.
On the basketball court, they've both had ups and downs over the years, but generally speaking, Tom Izzo's Spartans have been superior to anything the Wolverines could offer. (Though it should be noted that while MSU brags about their Final Four appearances, and even an NCAA championship back around the turn of the century, this is nothing UM didn't accomplish a few years prior. They won a title too, and made it to the Finals with Fab Five a couple times before falling just short.
Just a couple weeks ago, Michigan State's male basketball team was ranked #1 in the nation. Very impressive. Yet it also appears to have been smoke, mirrors, and hype.
They got absolutely blistered at unranked Ohio State.
Well, OK, after playing their usual patsy non-conference schedule, the Spartans got a serious wake-up call by a fellow conference school. Perhaps an anomaly.
But that doesn't begin to explain how lowly Rutgers took Izzo's supposedly vastly superior boys to the limit before the Spartans barely -- BARELY squeaked out a win at home.
And then, in a quirk of the conference schedule -- the only meeting of the schools this year -- the same unranked Michigan went into East Lansing and took the same Spartans to the woodshed in their own house. A double digit victory, which would have been much worse had the Wolverines done a bit better job of shooting the usual late game foul-a-thon free throws they were continually given.
Last time yours truly looked, MSU had fallen from #1 to #4 or #5. After the lop-sided loss to their cross-state rival -- which they used to own -- and seemingly in disarray, the Spartans will likely tumble far down the rankings.
And well they should.
I continue to get a kick out of a local columnist that claims to play no favorites between Michigan and Michigan State. What he never admits is that he is a Michigan State alumnus. Dude still bleeds green, but tries to hide it. Hey, it's not working. Never did. Just own it -- not so tough. It's not like most of his objective readers, what few are left of them, don't already know this. Can't hide from internet searches. Hello?
Still, not that long ago, who woulda thunk Michigan State would dominate Michigan in football, and the Wolverines would go into Spartanville and spank them on the hardcourt?
There seems to be very few things a sports fan can count on these days, but perhaps there are old standbys to fall back on.
The USA's lady national soccer team will be really good. The men will suck.
The Cleveland Browns will be terrible every year.
The New England Patriots will continue to be excellent.
The Yankees and Red Sox will spent bazillions of dollars trying to buy championships, as will the LA Dodgers, and it feels good when a team like the Houston Astros walks away as World Series champs.
The Sacramento Kings? See the Cleveland Browns above.
As sure as there used to be tea in the harbor, the Boston Celtics will return to glory again, likely some year quite soon.
The dysfunctional Bell family, especially dad, will do yet something else incredibly stupid.
If Tiger Woods so much as shows up at a PGA tournament, his groupies and the media will go wild with speculation as to how he just might -- MIGHT -- return to his former dominance. Right.
And of course, the Detroit Lions and their ever-faithful snake-oil peddling local media will sell the suckers in 2018, for the 50th or 60th year in a row, that THIS will be the year -- the YEAR, dammit -- that they will finally make it to the Super Bowl.
Sigh. P.T Barnum was right. There's one born every minute. Yet there seem to be an awfully lot of them in the Detroit area for whatever reason.
Go figure.
Back in days of yore in women's college hoops, Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion were the powerhouses. We seldom hear anything about either any more. Pat Summit came along at UTenn to usher in an era of dominance, and was then eclipsed by Geno Auriemma at UConn.
The Dallas Cowboys have been great -- then the pits -- then great again, and are now mediocre at best.
Tons of such examples exist across the spectrum of sports. Less than a decade ago, who ever thought the Golden State Warriors would amount to anything?
But the rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State has a few twists of its own.
For decades, the Wolverines owned the Spartans on the football field. It wasn't even a close call most years. But in recent times, the Green has been spanking the Blue. Few would have seen that coming.
On the basketball court, they've both had ups and downs over the years, but generally speaking, Tom Izzo's Spartans have been superior to anything the Wolverines could offer. (Though it should be noted that while MSU brags about their Final Four appearances, and even an NCAA championship back around the turn of the century, this is nothing UM didn't accomplish a few years prior. They won a title too, and made it to the Finals with Fab Five a couple times before falling just short.
Just a couple weeks ago, Michigan State's male basketball team was ranked #1 in the nation. Very impressive. Yet it also appears to have been smoke, mirrors, and hype.
They got absolutely blistered at unranked Ohio State.
Well, OK, after playing their usual patsy non-conference schedule, the Spartans got a serious wake-up call by a fellow conference school. Perhaps an anomaly.
But that doesn't begin to explain how lowly Rutgers took Izzo's supposedly vastly superior boys to the limit before the Spartans barely -- BARELY squeaked out a win at home.
And then, in a quirk of the conference schedule -- the only meeting of the schools this year -- the same unranked Michigan went into East Lansing and took the same Spartans to the woodshed in their own house. A double digit victory, which would have been much worse had the Wolverines done a bit better job of shooting the usual late game foul-a-thon free throws they were continually given.
Last time yours truly looked, MSU had fallen from #1 to #4 or #5. After the lop-sided loss to their cross-state rival -- which they used to own -- and seemingly in disarray, the Spartans will likely tumble far down the rankings.
And well they should.
I continue to get a kick out of a local columnist that claims to play no favorites between Michigan and Michigan State. What he never admits is that he is a Michigan State alumnus. Dude still bleeds green, but tries to hide it. Hey, it's not working. Never did. Just own it -- not so tough. It's not like most of his objective readers, what few are left of them, don't already know this. Can't hide from internet searches. Hello?
Still, not that long ago, who woulda thunk Michigan State would dominate Michigan in football, and the Wolverines would go into Spartanville and spank them on the hardcourt?
There seems to be very few things a sports fan can count on these days, but perhaps there are old standbys to fall back on.
The USA's lady national soccer team will be really good. The men will suck.
The Cleveland Browns will be terrible every year.
The New England Patriots will continue to be excellent.
The Yankees and Red Sox will spent bazillions of dollars trying to buy championships, as will the LA Dodgers, and it feels good when a team like the Houston Astros walks away as World Series champs.
The Sacramento Kings? See the Cleveland Browns above.
As sure as there used to be tea in the harbor, the Boston Celtics will return to glory again, likely some year quite soon.
The dysfunctional Bell family, especially dad, will do yet something else incredibly stupid.
If Tiger Woods so much as shows up at a PGA tournament, his groupies and the media will go wild with speculation as to how he just might -- MIGHT -- return to his former dominance. Right.
And of course, the Detroit Lions and their ever-faithful snake-oil peddling local media will sell the suckers in 2018, for the 50th or 60th year in a row, that THIS will be the year -- the YEAR, dammit -- that they will finally make it to the Super Bowl.
Sigh. P.T Barnum was right. There's one born every minute. Yet there seem to be an awfully lot of them in the Detroit area for whatever reason.
Go figure.
NFL playoffs.
So far, it's been pretty much business as usual, with the lone exception of Tennessee coming back from an 18 point deficit to knock off the Chiefs -- in Kansas City, no less. I'm guessing head coach Andy Reid wasn't exactly having a good time when he had to face the local press after that debacle/choke job.
No big surprise the New Orleans Saint knocked off the Carolina Panthers. One team has Drew Brees and the other Cam Newton leading them. One comes across as a humble hard working guy off the field, while the other seems to be on a mission to prove he can dress like an uptown pimp. 'Nuff said.
Jacksonville dispatching Buffalo was a mercy killing. How the heck did the Bills get into the playoffs?
Atlanta dusting the new LA Rams was hardly an eye-opener, though the Falcons were slight underdogs. Experience prevailed, but make no mistake. Under new head coach Sean McVay, the Rams are young and getting much better rapidly. They will be a force to be reckoned with in the next couple years.
In turn, the same Falcons falling to the Eagles in Philly was foreseeable. True, doubt and questions abounded as to whether Nick Foles could rise to the occasion after starting QB Carson Wentz went down with a blown ACL. But it was never just about that. The Eagles are solid across the board in all the other phases of the game -- particularly defensively. It was just up to Foles not to make too many mistakes. He didn't, actually playing a terrific game. So Atlanta bows out again.
The Titans going into Foxborough to face the Patriots was the gimme of the month. The Pats being 13-14 point favorites? Pshaw. As was stated in this forum earlier, Belichick/Brady/Gronk and Co. were going to smoke them by at least three touchdowns.
Yeah, I know. Jacksonville humiliated the Steelers -- in Pittsburgh -- back in October. But this is playoff time. Look for Big Ben, LaVeon, Antonio, and that bunch to pay them back -- in a big way. Whatever the point spread is -- take Pittsburgh and gladly give them. This will be a romp.
The most interesting game is New Orleans going into Minnesota. Ya never know what the same Drew Brees and Co. are capable of, so it's tough to underestimate them. And though he's filled in admirably since the two QBs in front of him went down with injuries, can Case Keenum keep it together when the pressure ratchets up? Hard to say, but the Vikes have some serious defense going on too. Beating them at home is a tall order, and I don't think the Saints are up to it.
We'll see.
The game everybody wants to see, of course, is the rematch of the Patriots/Steelers. A few weeks ago in Pittsburgh, the Steelers had the Pats right where they wanted them -- until they didn't -- and let them escape with an improbable victory.
And assuming they take care of biz with Jax -- please -- the terrible towelers will have to go to Foxborough for the AFC championship game.
Thing is, if anybody's capable of knocking off the Pats in their own back yard -- it's those guys.
And I wouldn't bet a whole lot of money against exactly that happening.
No big surprise the New Orleans Saint knocked off the Carolina Panthers. One team has Drew Brees and the other Cam Newton leading them. One comes across as a humble hard working guy off the field, while the other seems to be on a mission to prove he can dress like an uptown pimp. 'Nuff said.
Jacksonville dispatching Buffalo was a mercy killing. How the heck did the Bills get into the playoffs?
Atlanta dusting the new LA Rams was hardly an eye-opener, though the Falcons were slight underdogs. Experience prevailed, but make no mistake. Under new head coach Sean McVay, the Rams are young and getting much better rapidly. They will be a force to be reckoned with in the next couple years.
In turn, the same Falcons falling to the Eagles in Philly was foreseeable. True, doubt and questions abounded as to whether Nick Foles could rise to the occasion after starting QB Carson Wentz went down with a blown ACL. But it was never just about that. The Eagles are solid across the board in all the other phases of the game -- particularly defensively. It was just up to Foles not to make too many mistakes. He didn't, actually playing a terrific game. So Atlanta bows out again.
The Titans going into Foxborough to face the Patriots was the gimme of the month. The Pats being 13-14 point favorites? Pshaw. As was stated in this forum earlier, Belichick/Brady/Gronk and Co. were going to smoke them by at least three touchdowns.
Yeah, I know. Jacksonville humiliated the Steelers -- in Pittsburgh -- back in October. But this is playoff time. Look for Big Ben, LaVeon, Antonio, and that bunch to pay them back -- in a big way. Whatever the point spread is -- take Pittsburgh and gladly give them. This will be a romp.
The most interesting game is New Orleans going into Minnesota. Ya never know what the same Drew Brees and Co. are capable of, so it's tough to underestimate them. And though he's filled in admirably since the two QBs in front of him went down with injuries, can Case Keenum keep it together when the pressure ratchets up? Hard to say, but the Vikes have some serious defense going on too. Beating them at home is a tall order, and I don't think the Saints are up to it.
We'll see.
The game everybody wants to see, of course, is the rematch of the Patriots/Steelers. A few weeks ago in Pittsburgh, the Steelers had the Pats right where they wanted them -- until they didn't -- and let them escape with an improbable victory.
And assuming they take care of biz with Jax -- please -- the terrible towelers will have to go to Foxborough for the AFC championship game.
Thing is, if anybody's capable of knocking off the Pats in their own back yard -- it's those guys.
And I wouldn't bet a whole lot of money against exactly that happening.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Bill Polian and the Rooney Rule. WRONG!!!
First of all, yours truly would be the last person to question the NFL credentials of Bill Polian.
He was the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills back in the day when they went to four straight Super Bowls. Okay, they lost them all, but just getting there four years in a row is quite impressive.
Then he was the General Manager of the then expansion Carolina Panthers.
Then better than a decade as the Vice-Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts.
Let's just say the man knows his way around NFL front offices and, hence, knows pro football.
But he was dead wrong in a recent statement.
Polian maintained that because the number of minority head coaches in the NFL has never been higher is proof that the Rooney Rule is working.
[The Rooney Rule was established back in 2003 to force teams to interview minority candidates when searching for a new head coach.]
In the sense that there have been more minority hires, Polian is correct.
Yet that ignores another glaring statistic.
Just because a person gets a job through an arbitrary mandate doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be any good at it.
And the list is long of the minority head coaches in the NFL that have been terrible.
Let's start out with the success stories. They are few indeed.
Tony Dungy was pretty good at Indy, as is Mike Tomlin currently in Pittsburgh. Those guys knew/know what they were doing.
Now the not-so-good stories.
Jim Caldwell was recently fired in Detroit, probably because he couldn't win a single playoff game over his four years there.
Vance Joseph in Denver has led the Broncos into the toilet.
Todd Bowles of the NY Jets continues to stink it up.
Herman Edwards is a great motivation speaker, but didn't exactly shine while a head coach in the NFL. In an attempt to finally be shed of him, the NY Jets once traded him to Kansas City for a measly fourth round draft pick. He would stink it up again in KC and be fired -- as he should have been. Old Herm's famous line is, "You play to win the game". Pity, he didn't win nearly enough of them during his tenures as a head coach.
The foibles of such people like Dennis Green, Romeo Crennel, and Lovey Smith are legendary -- and not in a good way.
Hue Jackson in Cleveland has gone a preposterous 1-31 during his two seasons at the helm, but incredibly keeps his job.
Marvin Lewis has been at it for 15 years in Cincinnati, but the Bengals have never been considered a serious contender. What did they do? Just extended his contract for more millions of dollars. It's so outrageous as to be comical.
So yes, Mr. Polian, while this author gives you kudos for your experiences in the NFL, and credits you with being quite knowledgeable regarding same -- you are horribly wrong when you claim the Rooney Rule is "working".
Results matter, and the NFL, like any other sports enterprise, is a very results oriented business. If you can't produce a winner, typically you're gone. That's just the way it is -- and should be.
Just recently, the Oakland Raiders have come under fire because they allegedly didn't obey the letter of the Rooney Rule law. Owner Mark Davis made no bones about wanting Jon Gruden, a worthy candidate (and former Raider head coach/Super Bowl winner in Tampa Bay) to re-take over his team.
It should be noted that the Raiders already have a black General Manager in the person of Reggie McKenzie (whom Gruden will report to). And RM stated on the record during the introduction of Gruden as the new head coach that he had indeed interviewed two "minority" candidates during the process. Even named them.
But evidently, that's not good enough for pseudo do-gooders, (not to mention the hordes of politically correcters out there), such as Polian, continuing to dictate how and who a manager/boss/owner is and is not allowed to prefer for a job he'll be paying for. Millions at that.
Yours truly has always been staunchly in favor of equal treatment. Be it gender, race, religion, politics, age, whatever, if someone if qualified for the job -- by all means give it to them.
But being forced to pass over such candidates because of some silly arbitrary rule -- which BTW -- is discriminatory in and of itself....
Is just wrong.
He was the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills back in the day when they went to four straight Super Bowls. Okay, they lost them all, but just getting there four years in a row is quite impressive.
Then he was the General Manager of the then expansion Carolina Panthers.
Then better than a decade as the Vice-Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts.
Let's just say the man knows his way around NFL front offices and, hence, knows pro football.
But he was dead wrong in a recent statement.
Polian maintained that because the number of minority head coaches in the NFL has never been higher is proof that the Rooney Rule is working.
[The Rooney Rule was established back in 2003 to force teams to interview minority candidates when searching for a new head coach.]
In the sense that there have been more minority hires, Polian is correct.
Yet that ignores another glaring statistic.
Just because a person gets a job through an arbitrary mandate doesn't necessarily mean they're going to be any good at it.
And the list is long of the minority head coaches in the NFL that have been terrible.
Let's start out with the success stories. They are few indeed.
Tony Dungy was pretty good at Indy, as is Mike Tomlin currently in Pittsburgh. Those guys knew/know what they were doing.
Now the not-so-good stories.
Jim Caldwell was recently fired in Detroit, probably because he couldn't win a single playoff game over his four years there.
Vance Joseph in Denver has led the Broncos into the toilet.
Todd Bowles of the NY Jets continues to stink it up.
Herman Edwards is a great motivation speaker, but didn't exactly shine while a head coach in the NFL. In an attempt to finally be shed of him, the NY Jets once traded him to Kansas City for a measly fourth round draft pick. He would stink it up again in KC and be fired -- as he should have been. Old Herm's famous line is, "You play to win the game". Pity, he didn't win nearly enough of them during his tenures as a head coach.
The foibles of such people like Dennis Green, Romeo Crennel, and Lovey Smith are legendary -- and not in a good way.
Hue Jackson in Cleveland has gone a preposterous 1-31 during his two seasons at the helm, but incredibly keeps his job.
Marvin Lewis has been at it for 15 years in Cincinnati, but the Bengals have never been considered a serious contender. What did they do? Just extended his contract for more millions of dollars. It's so outrageous as to be comical.
So yes, Mr. Polian, while this author gives you kudos for your experiences in the NFL, and credits you with being quite knowledgeable regarding same -- you are horribly wrong when you claim the Rooney Rule is "working".
Results matter, and the NFL, like any other sports enterprise, is a very results oriented business. If you can't produce a winner, typically you're gone. That's just the way it is -- and should be.
Just recently, the Oakland Raiders have come under fire because they allegedly didn't obey the letter of the Rooney Rule law. Owner Mark Davis made no bones about wanting Jon Gruden, a worthy candidate (and former Raider head coach/Super Bowl winner in Tampa Bay) to re-take over his team.
It should be noted that the Raiders already have a black General Manager in the person of Reggie McKenzie (whom Gruden will report to). And RM stated on the record during the introduction of Gruden as the new head coach that he had indeed interviewed two "minority" candidates during the process. Even named them.
But evidently, that's not good enough for pseudo do-gooders, (not to mention the hordes of politically correcters out there), such as Polian, continuing to dictate how and who a manager/boss/owner is and is not allowed to prefer for a job he'll be paying for. Millions at that.
Yours truly has always been staunchly in favor of equal treatment. Be it gender, race, religion, politics, age, whatever, if someone if qualified for the job -- by all means give it to them.
But being forced to pass over such candidates because of some silly arbitrary rule -- which BTW -- is discriminatory in and of itself....
Is just wrong.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Michigan State basketball. WAY overrated
The Spartans may well be ranked in the top 5 teams in the country, but a look at their schedule suggests that they are either 1) overrated, or 2) cowardly.
Yes, I know. The hype has always been that Tom Izzo teams are "tough".
Yet consider that same schedule.
After opening the season against North Florida -- ever hear of it? -- they went up against Duke, and....
Promptly got trashed at a neutral site. And the Blue Devils were without the service of their best player, who left the game early with an injury.
Then a regular Hall of Shame that MSU had scheduled.
Stony Brook.
DePaul.
UConn -- not the women -- who likely would have defeated them -- but the pitiful men.
Rutgers.
Southern Utah.
Oakland.
Houston Baptist.
Long Beach State.
Cleveland State.
Savannah State.
What? No Campfire Girls, Urkels Anonymous, or a squad of paraplegic Syrian refugees to beat up on?
Thank God for small favors, but don't put such a thing past Izzo's Spartans.
Then they went to Ohio State, at least a Big Ten --or fourteen, but's who's counting? -- team.
And were promptly hammered.
A couple days later, back in the so-called safe confines of their own arena, MSU was taken to overtime by Rutgers, before barely squeaking out a win. RUTGERS! In their own building!
Does that sound like a top team to you?
Not me. I see them getting beat several more times before the regular season is over.
Sure, they'll qualify for the NCAA tourney in a couple months. With a watered down field of 66 teams getting invites, MSU will no doubt get one of them, on reputation alone.
But it remains shameful the teams they schedule before they start conference play. And after getting blasted by the unranked Buckeyes and holding on for dear life against lowly Rutgers, it is truly difficult to imagine these guys are ALL THAT.
Do I really think Geno Auriemma and his Lady Huskies of UConn could have knocked off the boys from East Lansing?
Maybe not. But they would have given them a heck of a better game than the likes of Stony Brook, Houston Baptist, Oakland, Southern Utah, or North Florida.
It's just shameful the levels they stoop to to pad their record.
Yes, I know. The hype has always been that Tom Izzo teams are "tough".
Yet consider that same schedule.
After opening the season against North Florida -- ever hear of it? -- they went up against Duke, and....
Promptly got trashed at a neutral site. And the Blue Devils were without the service of their best player, who left the game early with an injury.
Then a regular Hall of Shame that MSU had scheduled.
Stony Brook.
DePaul.
UConn -- not the women -- who likely would have defeated them -- but the pitiful men.
Rutgers.
Southern Utah.
Oakland.
Houston Baptist.
Long Beach State.
Cleveland State.
Savannah State.
What? No Campfire Girls, Urkels Anonymous, or a squad of paraplegic Syrian refugees to beat up on?
Thank God for small favors, but don't put such a thing past Izzo's Spartans.
Then they went to Ohio State, at least a Big Ten --or fourteen, but's who's counting? -- team.
And were promptly hammered.
A couple days later, back in the so-called safe confines of their own arena, MSU was taken to overtime by Rutgers, before barely squeaking out a win. RUTGERS! In their own building!
Does that sound like a top team to you?
Not me. I see them getting beat several more times before the regular season is over.
Sure, they'll qualify for the NCAA tourney in a couple months. With a watered down field of 66 teams getting invites, MSU will no doubt get one of them, on reputation alone.
But it remains shameful the teams they schedule before they start conference play. And after getting blasted by the unranked Buckeyes and holding on for dear life against lowly Rutgers, it is truly difficult to imagine these guys are ALL THAT.
Do I really think Geno Auriemma and his Lady Huskies of UConn could have knocked off the boys from East Lansing?
Maybe not. But they would have given them a heck of a better game than the likes of Stony Brook, Houston Baptist, Oakland, Southern Utah, or North Florida.
It's just shameful the levels they stoop to to pad their record.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Sports wimps
As if it matters, there is now a debate as to whether a couple NBA guys should be disciplined (see fined or suspended) for throwing a punch or two at each other during a game.
It depends on how one views such things.
Like Major League Baseball, and even the rock-em sock-em NFL, the players talk a lot of trash, but are notoriously wimpy when it comes to actual physical confrontations.
There is nothing more pitiful to watch than Major League relievers being woken up in the bullpen, then running all the way across the field to huff, puff, and threaten, but basically act like your proverbial pansies when it's "show time" with the fisticuffs and other mayhem. I mean, what's the point?
In the NFL, it's equally pitiful to watch some idiot take his helmet off and start swinging at an opponent that had the basic common sense to keep his helmet ON. How dumb is that?
Yet the debate rages on as to when an NBA player has "crossed the line" regarding on-court no-nos.
With apologies to the Bard and his fictional character Hamlet -- To discipline or not to discipline. That is the question.
Actually, it's a simple one to answer.
There are two choices.
1) If NBA players want to duke it out on the court, by all means let them, like the officials do in the NHL. When one guy has sufficiently pummeled the other and taken him to the court, then step in and break it up.
Or the polar opposite.
2) Any player that throws a punch, even if it misses, should be suspended for not one, not two, but ten games -- without pay. A second offense will result in a twenty game suspension. Considering the ridiculous salaries these guys make, that gets into the millions. THAT would get their attention and the wimpy pseudo-fight nonsense would stop.
To boot, any player that comes off the bench, like the above-mentioned relief pitchers -- and the subs in Major League dugouts -- gets a ten game suspension without pay as well.
If they are not even in the game, they have absolutely NO business jumping into a confrontation between players that are. This is thug behavior, not that of a professional.
The NHL solved this problem long ago. Sure, they'll let guys fight fair and square on the ice. They'll both be given five minute "major" penalties for doing so, but everybody knows the rules.
More importantly, the hockey folks saw the wisdom in dropping the hammer super-heavy on the head of any fool that was the "third man in", let alone benches clearing.
And trust me, the NHL players are far more formidable fighters than any NBA wimp.
But at least they do it as the testosterone filled men they are -- on skates no less -- instead of like the tattooed Urkels that seem to be everywhere in the NBA.
So there you go Mr. Peanut Head, sometimes known as NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Make a call, dammit, and stick to it.
Either let them fight, with the on-court refs staying out of the way until it's over -- even though it would be a pitiful showing -- or start handing out ten and twenty games suspensions every time somebody throws a hand at the face of an opponent. Groin kicks --hello Draymond? Make that thirty games.
This wishy-washy policy of nobody knows where the line is in any given situation just isn't cutting it.
It depends on how one views such things.
Like Major League Baseball, and even the rock-em sock-em NFL, the players talk a lot of trash, but are notoriously wimpy when it comes to actual physical confrontations.
There is nothing more pitiful to watch than Major League relievers being woken up in the bullpen, then running all the way across the field to huff, puff, and threaten, but basically act like your proverbial pansies when it's "show time" with the fisticuffs and other mayhem. I mean, what's the point?
In the NFL, it's equally pitiful to watch some idiot take his helmet off and start swinging at an opponent that had the basic common sense to keep his helmet ON. How dumb is that?
Yet the debate rages on as to when an NBA player has "crossed the line" regarding on-court no-nos.
With apologies to the Bard and his fictional character Hamlet -- To discipline or not to discipline. That is the question.
Actually, it's a simple one to answer.
There are two choices.
1) If NBA players want to duke it out on the court, by all means let them, like the officials do in the NHL. When one guy has sufficiently pummeled the other and taken him to the court, then step in and break it up.
Or the polar opposite.
2) Any player that throws a punch, even if it misses, should be suspended for not one, not two, but ten games -- without pay. A second offense will result in a twenty game suspension. Considering the ridiculous salaries these guys make, that gets into the millions. THAT would get their attention and the wimpy pseudo-fight nonsense would stop.
To boot, any player that comes off the bench, like the above-mentioned relief pitchers -- and the subs in Major League dugouts -- gets a ten game suspension without pay as well.
If they are not even in the game, they have absolutely NO business jumping into a confrontation between players that are. This is thug behavior, not that of a professional.
The NHL solved this problem long ago. Sure, they'll let guys fight fair and square on the ice. They'll both be given five minute "major" penalties for doing so, but everybody knows the rules.
More importantly, the hockey folks saw the wisdom in dropping the hammer super-heavy on the head of any fool that was the "third man in", let alone benches clearing.
And trust me, the NHL players are far more formidable fighters than any NBA wimp.
But at least they do it as the testosterone filled men they are -- on skates no less -- instead of like the tattooed Urkels that seem to be everywhere in the NBA.
So there you go Mr. Peanut Head, sometimes known as NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Make a call, dammit, and stick to it.
Either let them fight, with the on-court refs staying out of the way until it's over -- even though it would be a pitiful showing -- or start handing out ten and twenty games suspensions every time somebody throws a hand at the face of an opponent. Groin kicks --hello Draymond? Make that thirty games.
This wishy-washy policy of nobody knows where the line is in any given situation just isn't cutting it.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Super Bowl odds
This coming weekend is one of my favorite times all year. As a rabid NFL fan, we're not only getting down to the nitty gritty of the season, having weeded out the riff-raff, but both Saturday and Sunday will feature two games.
Tis glorious.
Yet some more wheat has to be separated from the chaff. A look at the upcoming games....
Jax @ Pitt. True, the Jags put a thumping of the Steelers way back in October, in Pittsburgh, no less. But does anybody really think Blake Bortles and that crew, despite a terrific defense, will defeat them again? Three words. Not a chance.
Tenn @ NE. The Pats are favored by about two touchdowns. It ought to be more. This will be a blow-out.
Nawleans @ Minn. An interesting contest with the Vikes slightly favored. Down to his third-string quarterback, and with his star running back out as well, head coach Mike Zimmer has worked wonders with the purple gang. Yet it's tough to underestimate what Drew Brees is capable of. If he gets hot -- lookout. But when in doubt, go with the home team. Vikings prevail.
Atl @ Philly. Another toss up, but likely doesn't matter. Once starting QB Carson Wentz went down with a blown ACL, so did their chances of getting far in the playoffs. Despite their monumental collapse in last year's Super Bowl, the Falcons should prevail in this one.
At any rate, the winner of that game won't get by the winner of the above-mentioned Saints/Vikings contest.
But the game most fans want to see most is a rematch of the Patriots and Steelers. Yes, the Pats knocked off the black and gold crew in Pittsburgh a while back -- barely. And yes, if this game comes to pass, and it likely will, it would be in New England. But never underestimate Mike Tomlin, Big Ben, a healthy Antonio Brown and LaVeon Bell, along with the usual stout Pittsburgh defense. I smell an upset brewing the following week in Foxborough.
My early prediction?
The Steelers and the Vikings meet in Super Bowl LII. And even though it's going to be played in Minnesota's home stadium, the first time a team will get to host it, the Minnesota faithful will leave mighty disappointed. It's only a matter of time before Case Keenum eventually chokes.
Just please. Please, please, please, don't let it turn out to be Tennessee and Philly meeting for all the marbles.
Take about a ratings disaster.
Even I might not watch that.
Tis glorious.
Yet some more wheat has to be separated from the chaff. A look at the upcoming games....
Jax @ Pitt. True, the Jags put a thumping of the Steelers way back in October, in Pittsburgh, no less. But does anybody really think Blake Bortles and that crew, despite a terrific defense, will defeat them again? Three words. Not a chance.
Tenn @ NE. The Pats are favored by about two touchdowns. It ought to be more. This will be a blow-out.
Nawleans @ Minn. An interesting contest with the Vikes slightly favored. Down to his third-string quarterback, and with his star running back out as well, head coach Mike Zimmer has worked wonders with the purple gang. Yet it's tough to underestimate what Drew Brees is capable of. If he gets hot -- lookout. But when in doubt, go with the home team. Vikings prevail.
Atl @ Philly. Another toss up, but likely doesn't matter. Once starting QB Carson Wentz went down with a blown ACL, so did their chances of getting far in the playoffs. Despite their monumental collapse in last year's Super Bowl, the Falcons should prevail in this one.
At any rate, the winner of that game won't get by the winner of the above-mentioned Saints/Vikings contest.
But the game most fans want to see most is a rematch of the Patriots and Steelers. Yes, the Pats knocked off the black and gold crew in Pittsburgh a while back -- barely. And yes, if this game comes to pass, and it likely will, it would be in New England. But never underestimate Mike Tomlin, Big Ben, a healthy Antonio Brown and LaVeon Bell, along with the usual stout Pittsburgh defense. I smell an upset brewing the following week in Foxborough.
My early prediction?
The Steelers and the Vikings meet in Super Bowl LII. And even though it's going to be played in Minnesota's home stadium, the first time a team will get to host it, the Minnesota faithful will leave mighty disappointed. It's only a matter of time before Case Keenum eventually chokes.
Just please. Please, please, please, don't let it turn out to be Tennessee and Philly meeting for all the marbles.
Take about a ratings disaster.
Even I might not watch that.
Detroit Lions new head coach is...
Well, nobody knows yet. As usual, the Lions are sitting on their hands while other teams snatch up new head coaches, and will probably be left with the proverbial leftovers to choose from.
That was the case a few years ago. After head coach Jim Schwartz deservedly was shown the door, the coaching carousel went round and round again, and the Lions wound up with Jim Caldwell.
The very same Caldwell that had inherited a terrific team in Indianapolis from Tony Dungy, and would go 14-2 in his first year at the helm, including a Super Bowl (loss) appearance. Alas, within two years, he had run that team into the ground and was deservedly fired himself.
This is the guy the Lions wanted. If it wasn't so sad, it would be comical.
Back around the turn of the century, the Lions were in pitiful shape and needed somebody to step in, take charge, and turn it around. It should be noted that a guy named Bill Parcells was out there and potentially available at the time.
So what did the Lions do? Hired a guy named Matt Millen to a long term bazillion dollar contract. Worse, they stuck with him for eight -- count em -- EIGHT years as the franchise became more of a laughingstock every year. Eight years to realize the obvious?
Just today, one Jon Gruden was announced as the new head coach of the Oakland (soon to be Las Vegas) Raiders.
Few would doubt Gruden knows pro football. Every aspect of it. He was a player, learned at the knees of Mike Holmgren and Ron Woolf in Green Bay, and a former head coach of those same Raiders. He didn't want to leave, but was traded, to the Tampa Bay Bucs, where he promptly won a Super Bowl in his first year there. After years of being a TV analyst, he's had access to every venue in the league and was able to watch -- and learn -- from how other teams conducted their business. Add it all up and throw in the fact he's obviously a very bright guy and terrific motivator, and the Raiders got the perfect guy to lead them.
Thing is, Gruden's always been a Raider at heart. It just fits his maverick style. And don't be surprised if the black and silver crew improve immensely, and quickly.
Could the Detroit Lions have wooed him into their camp? Not a chance. It's not always about the money, and, besides, Gruden had a pretty sweet financial gig going on at ESPN lately. It's not like he's hurting for dough. Oakland was likely the only head coaching job he would have taken.
So who will the Lions wind up with?
They've floated rumors of interest in New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. The chances of him coming to Detroit? Like zero. Same with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The only way they leave the most successful professional sports franchise over the last two decades would be to go to a team where they had an opportunity to shine for themselves.
Detroit is not that place. It's long been a graveyard for head coaches. No head coach in Lions history has ever gotten an equivalent job elsewhere. And Caldwell won't either.
Though hailed as some sort of savior in Detroit, Bob Quinn, currently their general manager, was just another example of Lions buffoonery. They thought because he came from the Patriots, he was a genius.
Thing is, while with the Pats, Quinn was no more than a head scout. For another team to elevate him to their general manager position would be like promoting a second lieutenant to full bird colonel. That's a heck of a leap-frogging act. A shavetail to an eagle? Only the Lions could see fit to do such a thing. Not only that, but be proud of it.
Somewhat predictably, yon former junior louie has pretty much botched things since being put in charge of the Lions personnel. Sure, he's making a ton of dough, and good for him. But's he missed on his first two drafts, getting nobody of consequence in the first couple rounds, and seen free agents leave, only to be replaced by less talented free agents at more money.
It should be noted that either Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels, if hired as the next head coach of the Lions, would report to -- yep -- the very same Bob Quinn -- who was their underling by several slots in New England. Besides the foibles and/or curse that always seems to come with being the head coach of the Lions -- why, pray tell, would either of them put themselves in such a ridiculous situation?
So forget that. The Lions aren't getting either one of those guys. Or anybody else that puts success, reputation, pride, and brains over taking millions of Ford bucks. They can afford to wait for a much better opportunity, which is pretty much anywhere around the league not named Cleveland, and that's a close call. At least in Cleveland, the fans expect their team to lose and have come to accept it. Not so in Detroit. They keep thinking year, after year, after over-hyped year, that the next one just might be THE one. It never is, of course, and won't be any time soon, given the nature of the team. Besides Matthew Stafford, a good field goal kicker, and a couple of fairly decent defensive backs, the entire roster is basically a train wreck.
The Chicago Bears just filled their open head coaching position with basically a nobody, but that's Da Bears. The NY Giants, winners of a couple recent Super Bowls, are still looking. As are the Indy Colts and Arizona Cardinals.
Yet in the end, here's a prediction. All those teams will get their new head coach, and some of them might just work out rather well.
But the Lions, per usual, will twiddle their thumbs, dilly-dally around, and settle for whoever's left. Just like they did Caldwell.
Tis the nature of the beast.
Always has been.......
Monday, January 8, 2018
Alabama champs again
Nothing against Bama, but I've never had much use for the ever arrogant and pompous Nick Sabin. So a begrudging congrats on winning another title.
A couple thoughts on that.
Given his spastically poor performance throughout the game, no doubt Bama will be on the hunt for another place kicker. Missing a couple "chip shot" field goals that almost cost them the championship just isn't acceptable. This dude can return to campus safe and sound, though he would have been the all time goat, see potential lynch mob, had his errant leg resulted in a loss.
Not sure who the corner or safety was for Georgia that got burned on a simple fly pattern in overtime that brought a sudden end to the game. The Dawgs had the Tide backed up in overtime, well out of field goal range to even tie it. Everybody knew they were going to go deep, except perhaps that defensive back. Duh.
But I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when he has to go slinking back to campus in a couple days either. All the TV folks will show that replay over, and over, and over again. And each time, Georgia nation will wince.
He's in a heap of trouble with the student body.
And well he should be.
Hey, if a player can reap the praise for making a game winning play, then he should also suffer the humiliation when his bonehead moment cost his team a game -- especially the national championship.
What's good for the goose......
A couple thoughts on that.
Given his spastically poor performance throughout the game, no doubt Bama will be on the hunt for another place kicker. Missing a couple "chip shot" field goals that almost cost them the championship just isn't acceptable. This dude can return to campus safe and sound, though he would have been the all time goat, see potential lynch mob, had his errant leg resulted in a loss.
Not sure who the corner or safety was for Georgia that got burned on a simple fly pattern in overtime that brought a sudden end to the game. The Dawgs had the Tide backed up in overtime, well out of field goal range to even tie it. Everybody knew they were going to go deep, except perhaps that defensive back. Duh.
But I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when he has to go slinking back to campus in a couple days either. All the TV folks will show that replay over, and over, and over again. And each time, Georgia nation will wince.
He's in a heap of trouble with the student body.
And well he should be.
Hey, if a player can reap the praise for making a game winning play, then he should also suffer the humiliation when his bonehead moment cost his team a game -- especially the national championship.
What's good for the goose......
Sunday, January 7, 2018
NFL chokers
"Choking" is a highly politically incorrect term -- which is exactly why I relish using it. PC is for wimps that are afraid to speak the truth, lest they hurt someone else's precious feelings.
Well, guess what? It hurts MY feelings when others try to stifle my freedom of speech, and tell me there are certain words I can't say. Rest assured, given such provocation and/or repression, I'll go out of my way to use them any way.
On to the chokers.
The Kansas City Chiefs, at home, no less, had a 21-0 lead over the Tennessee Titans and choked it away in the second half.
The LA Rams, on paper, and throughout the season superior to the Atlanta Falcons, choked away a playoff game in their own stadium.
The Buffalo Bills can be excused for getting trashed (choking) in Jacksonville. The Jags are pretty good this year, and Buffalo hasn't been worth four dead flies since that OJ guy was carrying the ball many years ago.
The best playoff game was between the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers. And what ultimately happened? Cam Newton choked it away -- again.
It seems every time Cam gets on the big stage -- he gags.
True, he made it all the way to the Super Bowl not long ago, but choked.
Even in the press conference afterwards, while an opposing player on the winning team was being interviewed, Cam was within earshot, and choked. He stormed off the stage, like a little boy that just got spanked (which he figuratively was) and was slinking off to his room in shame. Some refer to this phenomenon as throwing a temper tantrum.
It is interesting that both visiting teams won their playoff games on Saturday, but both home teams prevailed on Sunday.
So what do we have to look forward to?
The Saints get to go to Minnesota to face the Vikings next week. The chances of Drew Brees and Co. pulling an upset over the purple gang? Not good, but they've got a shot if everything falls their way.
The Falcons will head to Philly to face the Eagles. Though Atlanta pulled the ultimate choke in last year's Super Bowl, blowing a 25 point third quarter lead to lose to the Patriots in overtime, yours truly would hardly count them out against the Eagles. With starting QB Carson Wentz out for the season with a blown ACL, it's likely only a matter of time before his replacement Nick Foles pulls his usual choke act. History doesn't lie. Over his career, Foles has gagged more often than your average rookie porn actress.
In the AFC, the NE Pats will host the Tenn Tits. Forget this one. Hey, any team that has a head coach named Mularkey can't be taken too seriously. Unless Tom Brady comes down with a serious case of retardation, thereby forgetting how to get to the stadium, this game is a lock. And when it comes to the chances of choking, who would you put your money on? Marcus Mariotta or Brady?
The Jacksonville/Pittsburgh game -- in Pittsburgh -- is interesting for one reason. Back in October, those same Jags put a thumping on the Steelers. Few saw that coming. And if Mike Tomlin and his crew ever needed motivation -- they definitely have it in wanting to avenge that embarrassment. This game could get ugly, choke city, for the Jags.
Besides, other than their own fans, nobody wants to see Jax or Tenn move on. Everybody is awaiting the big showdown between the Patriots and Steelers, with a Super Bowl trip on the line.
Me? Since my beloved Packers -- no, I don't live anywhere near Green Bay, but adopted them years ago -- lost the services of Aaron Rodgers, I've taken a liking to the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Mike Zimmer has undergone some severe trials and tribulations in his personal life and emerged to whip the Vikes into a very good team, even though their top two quarterbacks, and star running back, have gone down for the season.
Besides, New England and Pittsburgh have won a slew of Super Bowls between them over the years. The Vikings have been there four times in the past and yet to come away victorious.
With any luck, and will likely take a lot --- this will be their year.
I just hope they don't choke.
Well, guess what? It hurts MY feelings when others try to stifle my freedom of speech, and tell me there are certain words I can't say. Rest assured, given such provocation and/or repression, I'll go out of my way to use them any way.
On to the chokers.
The Kansas City Chiefs, at home, no less, had a 21-0 lead over the Tennessee Titans and choked it away in the second half.
The LA Rams, on paper, and throughout the season superior to the Atlanta Falcons, choked away a playoff game in their own stadium.
The Buffalo Bills can be excused for getting trashed (choking) in Jacksonville. The Jags are pretty good this year, and Buffalo hasn't been worth four dead flies since that OJ guy was carrying the ball many years ago.
The best playoff game was between the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers. And what ultimately happened? Cam Newton choked it away -- again.
It seems every time Cam gets on the big stage -- he gags.
True, he made it all the way to the Super Bowl not long ago, but choked.
Even in the press conference afterwards, while an opposing player on the winning team was being interviewed, Cam was within earshot, and choked. He stormed off the stage, like a little boy that just got spanked (which he figuratively was) and was slinking off to his room in shame. Some refer to this phenomenon as throwing a temper tantrum.
It is interesting that both visiting teams won their playoff games on Saturday, but both home teams prevailed on Sunday.
So what do we have to look forward to?
The Saints get to go to Minnesota to face the Vikings next week. The chances of Drew Brees and Co. pulling an upset over the purple gang? Not good, but they've got a shot if everything falls their way.
The Falcons will head to Philly to face the Eagles. Though Atlanta pulled the ultimate choke in last year's Super Bowl, blowing a 25 point third quarter lead to lose to the Patriots in overtime, yours truly would hardly count them out against the Eagles. With starting QB Carson Wentz out for the season with a blown ACL, it's likely only a matter of time before his replacement Nick Foles pulls his usual choke act. History doesn't lie. Over his career, Foles has gagged more often than your average rookie porn actress.
In the AFC, the NE Pats will host the Tenn Tits. Forget this one. Hey, any team that has a head coach named Mularkey can't be taken too seriously. Unless Tom Brady comes down with a serious case of retardation, thereby forgetting how to get to the stadium, this game is a lock. And when it comes to the chances of choking, who would you put your money on? Marcus Mariotta or Brady?
The Jacksonville/Pittsburgh game -- in Pittsburgh -- is interesting for one reason. Back in October, those same Jags put a thumping on the Steelers. Few saw that coming. And if Mike Tomlin and his crew ever needed motivation -- they definitely have it in wanting to avenge that embarrassment. This game could get ugly, choke city, for the Jags.
Besides, other than their own fans, nobody wants to see Jax or Tenn move on. Everybody is awaiting the big showdown between the Patriots and Steelers, with a Super Bowl trip on the line.
Me? Since my beloved Packers -- no, I don't live anywhere near Green Bay, but adopted them years ago -- lost the services of Aaron Rodgers, I've taken a liking to the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Mike Zimmer has undergone some severe trials and tribulations in his personal life and emerged to whip the Vikes into a very good team, even though their top two quarterbacks, and star running back, have gone down for the season.
Besides, New England and Pittsburgh have won a slew of Super Bowls between them over the years. The Vikings have been there four times in the past and yet to come away victorious.
With any luck, and will likely take a lot --- this will be their year.
I just hope they don't choke.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Kansas City blues
The KC Chiefs of the NFL were mighty hard to get a line on this year. Were they good? Mediocre? Overrated? A disaster waiting to happen?
They came out of the gate by putting a 15 point beatdown on the New England Patriots -- in Foxborough. Definitely an eye opener.
Then they reeled off four more wins in a row to get to 5-0. Yessirree, the Arrowhead version of the Big Red Machine was definitely on a roll.
Until the wheels fell off.
They would lose 6 of their next 7 games, to come thudding back to .500. Ouch.
Was head coach Andy Reid (formerly of the Phillie Eagles -- who look pretty good these days) in danger of getting fired? Maybe.
But the Chiefs recovered nicely, winning their last 4 regular season games, claiming the AFC West division title, and marched into the playoffs with a home game to start with. All was well in KC.
That very playoff game turned out to be against the Tennessee Titans, which the Chiefs were highly favored to win.
[Idle thought. If the Patriots can be called the Pats, the Jaguars the Jags, the Buccaneers the Bucs, etc., what should we shorten the Titans pet name to? Would anybody dare?]
And it sure started off well for the home crowd. KC was clobbering Tenn up and down the field, racing off to a 21-0 lead. The Titans were only able to put one measly field goal on the board towards the end of the first half. Oh yeah, Arrowhead, arguably the loudest stadium in the entire NFL, was rocking and rolling.
And then the same wheels mentioned above did a repeat act.
Not only would Tennessee rally in the second half, they would score 19 unanswered points while shutting out the Chiefs for the entire half.
Final score. Tennessee 22, Kansas City 21.
And just like that, the Chiefs have been eliminated. Outta here.
Which has to come back to the same Andy Reid.
Given the disaster, see fold, choke, whatever you want to call it, his team displayed in front of a national TV audience when all the marbles were on the line, against a club they were supposed to defeat easily -- it just might be that Andy Reid's head will be the next to roll in the annual NFL coaching purge carousel.
The ownership/front office of the KC Chiefs are likely not amused one little bit by how things played out. And the talking media heads will likely crucify the Chiefs in the next few days, adding the proverbial insult to injury. How do you blow a 21 point lead, at home, and get shut out in the second half against a team that was supposed to be inferior to yours in the first place?
Good luck with that press conference.
Yep, dear Andy just might wind up being the latest head coach "casualty" in the NFL.
Nice guy and all, but like they say -- it's the nature of the business.
They came out of the gate by putting a 15 point beatdown on the New England Patriots -- in Foxborough. Definitely an eye opener.
Then they reeled off four more wins in a row to get to 5-0. Yessirree, the Arrowhead version of the Big Red Machine was definitely on a roll.
Until the wheels fell off.
They would lose 6 of their next 7 games, to come thudding back to .500. Ouch.
Was head coach Andy Reid (formerly of the Phillie Eagles -- who look pretty good these days) in danger of getting fired? Maybe.
But the Chiefs recovered nicely, winning their last 4 regular season games, claiming the AFC West division title, and marched into the playoffs with a home game to start with. All was well in KC.
That very playoff game turned out to be against the Tennessee Titans, which the Chiefs were highly favored to win.
[Idle thought. If the Patriots can be called the Pats, the Jaguars the Jags, the Buccaneers the Bucs, etc., what should we shorten the Titans pet name to? Would anybody dare?]
And it sure started off well for the home crowd. KC was clobbering Tenn up and down the field, racing off to a 21-0 lead. The Titans were only able to put one measly field goal on the board towards the end of the first half. Oh yeah, Arrowhead, arguably the loudest stadium in the entire NFL, was rocking and rolling.
And then the same wheels mentioned above did a repeat act.
Not only would Tennessee rally in the second half, they would score 19 unanswered points while shutting out the Chiefs for the entire half.
Final score. Tennessee 22, Kansas City 21.
And just like that, the Chiefs have been eliminated. Outta here.
Which has to come back to the same Andy Reid.
Given the disaster, see fold, choke, whatever you want to call it, his team displayed in front of a national TV audience when all the marbles were on the line, against a club they were supposed to defeat easily -- it just might be that Andy Reid's head will be the next to roll in the annual NFL coaching purge carousel.
The ownership/front office of the KC Chiefs are likely not amused one little bit by how things played out. And the talking media heads will likely crucify the Chiefs in the next few days, adding the proverbial insult to injury. How do you blow a 21 point lead, at home, and get shut out in the second half against a team that was supposed to be inferior to yours in the first place?
Good luck with that press conference.
Yep, dear Andy just might wind up being the latest head coach "casualty" in the NFL.
Nice guy and all, but like they say -- it's the nature of the business.
Friday, January 5, 2018
ESPN's Patriot fairy tale
Don't get me wrong. As a sports junkie, I love ESPN -- well -- most of the time -- and watch the various feeds a lot.
Sure, Tony Kornheiser of "Pardon the Interruption" is the most interrupting talking head I've ever seen. Poor Mike Wilbon can't seem to get through a single sentence without the Kornster jumping in with another of his inane rants. And let's not forget dear Tony has been repeatedly suspended from the station for, shall we say, politically incorrect dialogue over the years. Dude just doesn't know when to shut up.
And Stephen A. Smith has to be the most annoying, with Max Kellerman not far behind, TV "journalist" -- and I use that term VERY loosely -- in recent times. Honorable mention to Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe. This unholy foursome could probably cause the Pope to go on a murderous jihad if he watched enough hours of their programming.
But most of the time, ESPN serves up some pretty good stuff.
[It should be noted that while most cable subscribers think the four letter network has always been a "freebie", they have been mistaken. Depending on the local affiliates, ESPN typically constitutes about seven bucks worth of the "basic" cable bill/package viewers receive every month.]
Yet this time, they seemed to have totally botched a story.
Yes, those lovable reporters will go to great lengths to get a "scoop", the more sensational the better. See the sacred ratings/cha-ching god they all worship.
This time around, they have New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, head coach/GM Bill Belichick, and all time best QB Tom Brady in some sort of a family feud.
OMG, quoth the pundits, there's "a palpable sense in the building this could be the last year together for the group".
It could be indeed, You never know. Maybe one of them drops dead from a heart attack, stroke, or other fatal affliction. Or somebody retires. Or a plane crashes. Anything could happen, but there's a major problem with that "story" as is.
Namely, Bob, Bill, and Tom have all joined hands (hear the melodic notes of kumbaya in the background) to refute that very story.
Well then. If all three of them disagree with the story, it logically follows the story was wrong to begin with. After all, who would know more about it than the very participants who have been living through it for the past 18 (very successful) years?
And that's where the reporters and media talking heads have a problem.
They cite "dozens" of Patriot staffers as their sources, but all remain anonymous.
Sure, I get it. People wish to remain anonymous for fear of retribution if their names become public. As in being fired.
And reporters certainly have the right not to give up such "sources", else Big Brother would stampede all over them in the future. Not only that, those very sources, snitches, whatever, would never confide in that reporter again. That's truly being on the proverbial "horns of a dilemma".
But there's the rub. Until and unless the reporters that generated this so far pseudo-story to begin with can offer up credible evidence from "real" people willing to go on the record, it remains no more than a fairy tale like those once generated by the Brothers Grimm.
Tough job being such a reporter. You think you know, you're pretty sure you know, you're almost positive you know, but you can't offer up any solid evidence to back up your story, other than phantom "sources".
And when the three co-stars of that very story come out and jointly deny it, all of a sudden it just might begin to look like tabloid fodder to objective people.
Like me. Personally, I couldn't care less if Bob, Bill, and Tom have long been sniping at each other behind the scenes in Patriot world.
But I'm not going to believe it until you prove it.
And so far, you've got about as close to that as the Detroit Lions have to winning a Super Bowl.
Which, BTW, the Patriots have seemed to do quite often in recent years.
Sure, Tony Kornheiser of "Pardon the Interruption" is the most interrupting talking head I've ever seen. Poor Mike Wilbon can't seem to get through a single sentence without the Kornster jumping in with another of his inane rants. And let's not forget dear Tony has been repeatedly suspended from the station for, shall we say, politically incorrect dialogue over the years. Dude just doesn't know when to shut up.
And Stephen A. Smith has to be the most annoying, with Max Kellerman not far behind, TV "journalist" -- and I use that term VERY loosely -- in recent times. Honorable mention to Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe. This unholy foursome could probably cause the Pope to go on a murderous jihad if he watched enough hours of their programming.
But most of the time, ESPN serves up some pretty good stuff.
[It should be noted that while most cable subscribers think the four letter network has always been a "freebie", they have been mistaken. Depending on the local affiliates, ESPN typically constitutes about seven bucks worth of the "basic" cable bill/package viewers receive every month.]
Yet this time, they seemed to have totally botched a story.
Yes, those lovable reporters will go to great lengths to get a "scoop", the more sensational the better. See the sacred ratings/cha-ching god they all worship.
This time around, they have New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, head coach/GM Bill Belichick, and all time best QB Tom Brady in some sort of a family feud.
OMG, quoth the pundits, there's "a palpable sense in the building this could be the last year together for the group".
It could be indeed, You never know. Maybe one of them drops dead from a heart attack, stroke, or other fatal affliction. Or somebody retires. Or a plane crashes. Anything could happen, but there's a major problem with that "story" as is.
Namely, Bob, Bill, and Tom have all joined hands (hear the melodic notes of kumbaya in the background) to refute that very story.
Well then. If all three of them disagree with the story, it logically follows the story was wrong to begin with. After all, who would know more about it than the very participants who have been living through it for the past 18 (very successful) years?
And that's where the reporters and media talking heads have a problem.
They cite "dozens" of Patriot staffers as their sources, but all remain anonymous.
Sure, I get it. People wish to remain anonymous for fear of retribution if their names become public. As in being fired.
And reporters certainly have the right not to give up such "sources", else Big Brother would stampede all over them in the future. Not only that, those very sources, snitches, whatever, would never confide in that reporter again. That's truly being on the proverbial "horns of a dilemma".
But there's the rub. Until and unless the reporters that generated this so far pseudo-story to begin with can offer up credible evidence from "real" people willing to go on the record, it remains no more than a fairy tale like those once generated by the Brothers Grimm.
Tough job being such a reporter. You think you know, you're pretty sure you know, you're almost positive you know, but you can't offer up any solid evidence to back up your story, other than phantom "sources".
And when the three co-stars of that very story come out and jointly deny it, all of a sudden it just might begin to look like tabloid fodder to objective people.
Like me. Personally, I couldn't care less if Bob, Bill, and Tom have long been sniping at each other behind the scenes in Patriot world.
But I'm not going to believe it until you prove it.
And so far, you've got about as close to that as the Detroit Lions have to winning a Super Bowl.
Which, BTW, the Patriots have seemed to do quite often in recent years.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
The bald revolution
True, in today's ever-politically correct world, which I continue to regard with more and more disdain by the day, there is no such thing as a bald person.
How can that be?
They are merely "follicly challenged".
That also means mankind has evolved to the point where there are no more short, fat, or stupid people.
See altitudinal, calorical, and functioning neuron challenges.
Well, guess what? If, as an adult, you stand four foot five, weigh 300 pounds, don't have a hair on your head, and possess an IQ of, say, 60, you're short, fat, bald, and stupid.
So there. It is what it is, and yours truly will never shy away from stating the obvious.
Nevertheless, this article is about how bald people are taking over the world of sports. They're everywhere these days.
ESPN is a big culprit in hiring so many.
Late night watchers can tune into Scott Van Pelt's "Sportscenter" wrap up show. Him and partner "Stanford Steve" Coughlin are both chrome domes.
"Pardon the interruption" features Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. Nary a hair in sight.
Ryen Russillo, SVP's former partner on a radio/TV simulcast, shaves his head, what little hair is left up top.
J. A. Adande, a former reporter, talking head, and lately pursuing academic interests -- oops -- make that teaching -- this PC thing gets to me every once in a while -- has about as much hair as your average billiards eight ball.
Same with Kevin Blackistone. Full beard, but SOL on top as well.
Want to check in with a panel of "experts" regarding NBA action?
Go to TNT, and see the foursome of Shaq, Kenny, Ernie, and Chuck.
But put on your shades, because the light reflecting off their collective marble heads can be blinding.
Maybe it's a sign of age and yours truly is way behind the times. Yet I can remember when having hair, long hair at that, on both males and females, was considered to be cool. Or is "cool" an outdated word as well?
And yes, in recent years, just like my dad, and his dad before him, I have started to develop a bald spot on the back of my head also. It's not like I wanted it, but heredity kicking in. Hell of it is, I used to have quite a long pony tail. Maybe I just burned out those follicles over time. I don't much care about the bald spot because I never see it, and whacking off that tail a few years back definitely resulted in a much lower maintenance hair thing. Less shampoo, no need for a blow dryer, and twirling all those hair ties (rubber bands) a few times every day got to be annoying after a while. Shower, towel it off, a few strokes with a brush, and I'm good to go. No muss, no fuss, just like the commercials.
But I'm not about to shave my head either. Why would I want to do that?
Just so I'd have to shave it again every day to keep the bald look? That sounds like a whole lot of work. Shaving my face and neck (though I do have a mustache and am experimenting with a goatee for the first time) are hassle enough. But my whole head? That's nuts.
Like most everything else I suppose the old adages of "different strokes" and "to each their own" still apply.
If you were destined to be bald via heredity or somehow managed to dip your head in a vat of acid along the way killing off your follicles, OK, I get that.
But I'll never understand why so many people, men and an ever scary growing number of women, think the cue ball look is the way to go.
I recently walked into a new barbershop for a haircut, my old standby having retired. The barber himself was bald, so I was a bit leery and went to a different joint. People in the business of hair care should not be bald. Period. It sends a bad message.
I mean, c'mon, would you put your faith in an eye doctor that was blind? A hearing specialist that was deaf? A financial adviser that had recently gone bankrupt?
So on to the next barbershop I went. Upon entering, I quickly noticed the barber was a female. And BALD!! Forget leery, I literally RAN out of there.
What is going on here? Has the whole world gone stark, raving, cue ball mad?
If this trend keeps on -- will it be mandatory that EVERYBODY has to shave their head? I'm guessing that wouldn't be such good news for those folks in the business of the vast array of hair products though, granted, disposable and electric razors would fly off the shelves.
I dunno. Maybe it's just another one of those fads that, hopefully, will pass. America seems to have gone from hippies to zippies, when it comes to hair.
And I don't have to like it.
Take that, PC police. As far as I'm concerned, that's always stood for Purely Cowardly, or Punk City anyway.
How can that be?
They are merely "follicly challenged".
That also means mankind has evolved to the point where there are no more short, fat, or stupid people.
See altitudinal, calorical, and functioning neuron challenges.
Well, guess what? If, as an adult, you stand four foot five, weigh 300 pounds, don't have a hair on your head, and possess an IQ of, say, 60, you're short, fat, bald, and stupid.
So there. It is what it is, and yours truly will never shy away from stating the obvious.
Nevertheless, this article is about how bald people are taking over the world of sports. They're everywhere these days.
ESPN is a big culprit in hiring so many.
Late night watchers can tune into Scott Van Pelt's "Sportscenter" wrap up show. Him and partner "Stanford Steve" Coughlin are both chrome domes.
"Pardon the interruption" features Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. Nary a hair in sight.
Ryen Russillo, SVP's former partner on a radio/TV simulcast, shaves his head, what little hair is left up top.
J. A. Adande, a former reporter, talking head, and lately pursuing academic interests -- oops -- make that teaching -- this PC thing gets to me every once in a while -- has about as much hair as your average billiards eight ball.
Same with Kevin Blackistone. Full beard, but SOL on top as well.
Want to check in with a panel of "experts" regarding NBA action?
Go to TNT, and see the foursome of Shaq, Kenny, Ernie, and Chuck.
But put on your shades, because the light reflecting off their collective marble heads can be blinding.
Maybe it's a sign of age and yours truly is way behind the times. Yet I can remember when having hair, long hair at that, on both males and females, was considered to be cool. Or is "cool" an outdated word as well?
And yes, in recent years, just like my dad, and his dad before him, I have started to develop a bald spot on the back of my head also. It's not like I wanted it, but heredity kicking in. Hell of it is, I used to have quite a long pony tail. Maybe I just burned out those follicles over time. I don't much care about the bald spot because I never see it, and whacking off that tail a few years back definitely resulted in a much lower maintenance hair thing. Less shampoo, no need for a blow dryer, and twirling all those hair ties (rubber bands) a few times every day got to be annoying after a while. Shower, towel it off, a few strokes with a brush, and I'm good to go. No muss, no fuss, just like the commercials.
But I'm not about to shave my head either. Why would I want to do that?
Just so I'd have to shave it again every day to keep the bald look? That sounds like a whole lot of work. Shaving my face and neck (though I do have a mustache and am experimenting with a goatee for the first time) are hassle enough. But my whole head? That's nuts.
Like most everything else I suppose the old adages of "different strokes" and "to each their own" still apply.
If you were destined to be bald via heredity or somehow managed to dip your head in a vat of acid along the way killing off your follicles, OK, I get that.
But I'll never understand why so many people, men and an ever scary growing number of women, think the cue ball look is the way to go.
I recently walked into a new barbershop for a haircut, my old standby having retired. The barber himself was bald, so I was a bit leery and went to a different joint. People in the business of hair care should not be bald. Period. It sends a bad message.
I mean, c'mon, would you put your faith in an eye doctor that was blind? A hearing specialist that was deaf? A financial adviser that had recently gone bankrupt?
So on to the next barbershop I went. Upon entering, I quickly noticed the barber was a female. And BALD!! Forget leery, I literally RAN out of there.
What is going on here? Has the whole world gone stark, raving, cue ball mad?
If this trend keeps on -- will it be mandatory that EVERYBODY has to shave their head? I'm guessing that wouldn't be such good news for those folks in the business of the vast array of hair products though, granted, disposable and electric razors would fly off the shelves.
I dunno. Maybe it's just another one of those fads that, hopefully, will pass. America seems to have gone from hippies to zippies, when it comes to hair.
And I don't have to like it.
Take that, PC police. As far as I'm concerned, that's always stood for Purely Cowardly, or Punk City anyway.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
The Bonehead Files
As NFL fans know, there are currently six teams looking for a new head coach. Detroit, Chicago, NY (Giants), Indianapolis, Oakland, and Arizona.
Five of these openings came from firings, because the previous head coach had underachieved in the eyes of management, and in the case of Arizona, a resignation.
As for Oakland, former head coach Jon Gruden appears to be a lock for that job. Let's not forget Gruden coached them once before, years ago, and was relatively successful. Then the genius, or utter madness, of the late Raider owner Al Davis kicked in. In an astounding move, he traded Gruden for a couple first and second round draft picks, a hefty package, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Where Gruden promptly won a Super Bowl in his first year there, and the Raiders haven't much been any good since.
Bad move, Raider Nation. REALLY bad move.
The usual good-ole-boy coaching carousel is spinning round and round again, and who will land where remains to be seen.
Yet it seems obvious two franchises have more than earned their way into the Bonehead Files.
Those would be the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. (The Lions have been long-time inductees and the Bears edge closer to the threshold of eligibility every year.)
In Cleveland, head coach Hue Jackson has been on the job for two years. His record? A jaw-dropping 1-31.
And this guy wasn't fired? SAY WHAT???
Put another way, he would have to go 10-6, a pretty decent regular season record, that is usually good enough to make the playoffs -- for a whopping EIGHT years in a row to only get back to .500.
What can they possibly be thinking in Cleveland? Or are they even capable of any rational thought?
Bonehead #2.
The Cincinnati Bengals.
Head coach Marvin Lewis has been on the job for an incredible FIFTEEN years, never got remotely close to being a Super Bowl contender, and his team remained lousy again this year.
Any sane front office and/or owner would have broomed this incompetent clown YEARS ago.
Yet what did the Bengals just do?
Signed him to a two year contract extension for millions and millions more dollars.
SAY WHAT????
Have they gone stark raving mad in Cincinnati?
It's like the Browns and Bengals WANT to lose.
That whole Russia/Trump/collusion affair being led by former FBI chief Mueller is one thing.
What the NFL and its fans need is for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate THESE guys.
But for now, being slam dunk inductees to the Bonehead Files will have to be sufficient.
And oh boy. They've merited the, ahem, honor in spades.
WHATZAMATTUH with these people?
Are they just......that...... dumb?
Five of these openings came from firings, because the previous head coach had underachieved in the eyes of management, and in the case of Arizona, a resignation.
As for Oakland, former head coach Jon Gruden appears to be a lock for that job. Let's not forget Gruden coached them once before, years ago, and was relatively successful. Then the genius, or utter madness, of the late Raider owner Al Davis kicked in. In an astounding move, he traded Gruden for a couple first and second round draft picks, a hefty package, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Where Gruden promptly won a Super Bowl in his first year there, and the Raiders haven't much been any good since.
Bad move, Raider Nation. REALLY bad move.
The usual good-ole-boy coaching carousel is spinning round and round again, and who will land where remains to be seen.
Yet it seems obvious two franchises have more than earned their way into the Bonehead Files.
Those would be the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals. (The Lions have been long-time inductees and the Bears edge closer to the threshold of eligibility every year.)
In Cleveland, head coach Hue Jackson has been on the job for two years. His record? A jaw-dropping 1-31.
And this guy wasn't fired? SAY WHAT???
Put another way, he would have to go 10-6, a pretty decent regular season record, that is usually good enough to make the playoffs -- for a whopping EIGHT years in a row to only get back to .500.
What can they possibly be thinking in Cleveland? Or are they even capable of any rational thought?
Bonehead #2.
The Cincinnati Bengals.
Head coach Marvin Lewis has been on the job for an incredible FIFTEEN years, never got remotely close to being a Super Bowl contender, and his team remained lousy again this year.
Any sane front office and/or owner would have broomed this incompetent clown YEARS ago.
Yet what did the Bengals just do?
Signed him to a two year contract extension for millions and millions more dollars.
SAY WHAT????
Have they gone stark raving mad in Cincinnati?
It's like the Browns and Bengals WANT to lose.
That whole Russia/Trump/collusion affair being led by former FBI chief Mueller is one thing.
What the NFL and its fans need is for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate THESE guys.
But for now, being slam dunk inductees to the Bonehead Files will have to be sufficient.
And oh boy. They've merited the, ahem, honor in spades.
WHATZAMATTUH with these people?
Are they just......that...... dumb?
The NFL coaching carousel
As usual, several head coaching jobs around the NFL have opened up after the regular season was concluded.
At last count, the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Indy Colts, NY Giants, Oakland (soon to be Las Vegas) Raiders, and the Detroit Lions are on the hunt for their next field general.
Jon Gruden, who has a long NFL pedigree and a Super Bowl win under his belt, and who no sane person would doubt knows football through and through, appears to be a lock for the Raiders job.
Quarterback Carson Palmer of the Cardinals recently announced his retirement after a 15 year career and got out with plenty of dough and his mind and body still allegedly intact. Good for him. The Bears are still terrible, Indy was in nowhere land without Andrew Luck, and Eli's days appear numbered in New Jersey.
But for the purposes of this post, let's zero in on the Detroit Lions' head coaching job.
They are said to be courting New England Patriots' defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. That raises an interesting question. Why, pray tell, would he want to go to Detroit, and report to a boss -- general manager Bob Quinn, that as a mere scout for the Patriots was his subordinate? The very same Bob Quinn that has botched his first two drafts with the Lions, let free agents go while signing others to replace them for more money and less talent, and made the incredibly boneheaded move of re-upping head coach Jim Caldwell for a few more years of making guaranteed millions when it was blatantly apparent Caldwell wasn't a capable head coach in the first place and would have to be fired soon -- which he just was? True, Patricia could tap into major Ford bucks. That family's been sappy for years, decades. But Detroit is where head coaches have historically gone to die. Breathe enough of that atmosphere, get fired eventually, and nobody will interested in them. They're tainted. No former Lions's head coach has EVER caught on with another team in the same capacity. After over a half century, and a long list of coaches, this can hardly be considered a fluke. While Heather Prynne of literary fame will forever wear her scarlet letter "A" for adulteress, Lions' head coaches are doomed to their own letter "L" for losers. It just goes with the territory. Always has.
All the above named teams are said to be interviewing a variety of potential head coaches. Some were former head coaches, others coordinators at successful programs, and even Gruden who been in the TV broadcast booth for the last several years. Round and round they go. Who will hire who remains to be seen.
Lots of teams have expressed interest in a few guys. One way or the other, most of them will have a choice as to which team they want to go to.
And then there's Teryl Austin, the defensive coordinator under Jim Caldwell, for the Lions. Dear TA, most likely largely due to the infamous, but not working well Rooney Rule, which mandates a team interview at least one "minority" candidate for any head coaching or general manager job, has had several such interviews in the past. But no takers.
Further, it doesn't appear that with all these openings around the league, anybody is much interested in him this time around either. Let's just say he's not on anybody's short list of can't miss prospects.
But never fear, Teryl has thrown his hat into the ring to take his former boss Caldwell's job with the Lions. Well, of course he has.
Thing is, were the Lions to hire him as such, they would be eating the same fruit that grew on the Caldwell tree. Why, pray tell, would an organization replace a failure as a high level manager with a protege that supposedly learned under his tutelage? Does that make any sense?
So yes, while several available quality prospects lurk around the league and teams try to cull through them to find the best fits for their organization -- always a crap shoot to be sure -- the potential coach gets a say in this as well.
It's not like if a franchise offers him a head coaching job he just HAS to accept it. In some cases, it might be wiser to stay put, even at a much lower salary, until a "good" opportunity opens up. The same carousel will no doubt be put in motion after the 2018 season. Heads of "underachieving" teams will roll, because that's just the way it works.
Here's a prediction. The Detroit Lions will dilly-dally as they always have, as the potential "difference makers" are swooped up by other teams.
In the end, there's no way they're going to get a guy like Patricia.
Much more likely, they'll hire Teryl Austin, the only guy that no other teams seem to be interested in. The very same disciple of the head coach they just fired.
Because that's just how they roll.
Always have.
And if I'm wrong about that, unlike most like other "know-it-all" pundits, my very first order of business will be to issue a public apology via this venue for getting it wrong.
In a way, I hope I AM wrong. Apologizing would be easy.
The Lions' fans having to live with a guy Austin as their head coach for the next few years would be much tougher on them.
At last count, the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Indy Colts, NY Giants, Oakland (soon to be Las Vegas) Raiders, and the Detroit Lions are on the hunt for their next field general.
Jon Gruden, who has a long NFL pedigree and a Super Bowl win under his belt, and who no sane person would doubt knows football through and through, appears to be a lock for the Raiders job.
Quarterback Carson Palmer of the Cardinals recently announced his retirement after a 15 year career and got out with plenty of dough and his mind and body still allegedly intact. Good for him. The Bears are still terrible, Indy was in nowhere land without Andrew Luck, and Eli's days appear numbered in New Jersey.
But for the purposes of this post, let's zero in on the Detroit Lions' head coaching job.
They are said to be courting New England Patriots' defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. That raises an interesting question. Why, pray tell, would he want to go to Detroit, and report to a boss -- general manager Bob Quinn, that as a mere scout for the Patriots was his subordinate? The very same Bob Quinn that has botched his first two drafts with the Lions, let free agents go while signing others to replace them for more money and less talent, and made the incredibly boneheaded move of re-upping head coach Jim Caldwell for a few more years of making guaranteed millions when it was blatantly apparent Caldwell wasn't a capable head coach in the first place and would have to be fired soon -- which he just was? True, Patricia could tap into major Ford bucks. That family's been sappy for years, decades. But Detroit is where head coaches have historically gone to die. Breathe enough of that atmosphere, get fired eventually, and nobody will interested in them. They're tainted. No former Lions's head coach has EVER caught on with another team in the same capacity. After over a half century, and a long list of coaches, this can hardly be considered a fluke. While Heather Prynne of literary fame will forever wear her scarlet letter "A" for adulteress, Lions' head coaches are doomed to their own letter "L" for losers. It just goes with the territory. Always has.
All the above named teams are said to be interviewing a variety of potential head coaches. Some were former head coaches, others coordinators at successful programs, and even Gruden who been in the TV broadcast booth for the last several years. Round and round they go. Who will hire who remains to be seen.
Lots of teams have expressed interest in a few guys. One way or the other, most of them will have a choice as to which team they want to go to.
And then there's Teryl Austin, the defensive coordinator under Jim Caldwell, for the Lions. Dear TA, most likely largely due to the infamous, but not working well Rooney Rule, which mandates a team interview at least one "minority" candidate for any head coaching or general manager job, has had several such interviews in the past. But no takers.
Further, it doesn't appear that with all these openings around the league, anybody is much interested in him this time around either. Let's just say he's not on anybody's short list of can't miss prospects.
But never fear, Teryl has thrown his hat into the ring to take his former boss Caldwell's job with the Lions. Well, of course he has.
Thing is, were the Lions to hire him as such, they would be eating the same fruit that grew on the Caldwell tree. Why, pray tell, would an organization replace a failure as a high level manager with a protege that supposedly learned under his tutelage? Does that make any sense?
So yes, while several available quality prospects lurk around the league and teams try to cull through them to find the best fits for their organization -- always a crap shoot to be sure -- the potential coach gets a say in this as well.
It's not like if a franchise offers him a head coaching job he just HAS to accept it. In some cases, it might be wiser to stay put, even at a much lower salary, until a "good" opportunity opens up. The same carousel will no doubt be put in motion after the 2018 season. Heads of "underachieving" teams will roll, because that's just the way it works.
Here's a prediction. The Detroit Lions will dilly-dally as they always have, as the potential "difference makers" are swooped up by other teams.
In the end, there's no way they're going to get a guy like Patricia.
Much more likely, they'll hire Teryl Austin, the only guy that no other teams seem to be interested in. The very same disciple of the head coach they just fired.
Because that's just how they roll.
Always have.
And if I'm wrong about that, unlike most like other "know-it-all" pundits, my very first order of business will be to issue a public apology via this venue for getting it wrong.
In a way, I hope I AM wrong. Apologizing would be easy.
The Lions' fans having to live with a guy Austin as their head coach for the next few years would be much tougher on them.
Monday, January 1, 2018
Sports Illustrated picks. LOL, again
For supposedly doing all the deep research, having reams of data and analyses at their disposal, and a panel of "experts" to evaluate same, Sports Illustrated sure seems to get it wrong a lot.
In this year's college football playoff for the national championship, the boneheads have struck again.
In the Rose Bowl, and how the hell did two teams like Georgia and Oklahoma wind up in what has long been a venue for the best of the Big Ten (or fourteen) to square off against the best of the Pac Ten (or twelve)?
Nevertheless, to their credit, they got it right. Though SI had Georgia winning 38-37, the Dawgs did indeed prevail 54-48 over the Sooners, in double overtime. Close enough. #3 beat #2 in a nail-biter.
Yet this is where the long tradition of SI prognostications being laughable once again comes into play.
They had #1 Clemson edging #4 Alabama by a score of 27-24.
They got half of it right.
The Crimson Tide did indeed score 24 points.
The problem? They were off by a whopping 21 points, as in three touchdowns worth -- a bunch -- when it came to Clemson. The Tigers could only manage a measly 6 points for the entire game. Bama spanked Clemson 24-6.
That, of course, makes their prediction for the championship game moot, and a bit laughable. The geniuses at SI had Clemson repeating as national champions by defeating Georgia 21-19.
So next Monday night, Georgia and Alabama will square off for all the proverbial marbles.
I have wondered why my next issue of SI seems to be a bit late coming. Perhaps they're holding it back until they saw the results of the semi-finals. Or maybe it will show up in tomorrow or the next day's mail when, at press time, they still didn't know the results of those semis.
One thing's for sure. They'll never eat any crow over getting yet ANOTHER one wrong. Oh no, they're still gloating over how they predicted the Houston Astros would become World Series champions soon way back in 2014. Something about a blind squirrel and an acorn comes to mind.
But yours truly has a not so bold prediction.
Alabama's going to kill Georgia. By a bunch.
Men against boys. Mentor Sabin against former disciple Smart.
And I don't like Alabama (or Nick the prick) one bit. In fact, I root against them. Always have and always will.
But this a no-brainer.
Not even SI could get this one wrong.
Maybe.
In this year's college football playoff for the national championship, the boneheads have struck again.
In the Rose Bowl, and how the hell did two teams like Georgia and Oklahoma wind up in what has long been a venue for the best of the Big Ten (or fourteen) to square off against the best of the Pac Ten (or twelve)?
Nevertheless, to their credit, they got it right. Though SI had Georgia winning 38-37, the Dawgs did indeed prevail 54-48 over the Sooners, in double overtime. Close enough. #3 beat #2 in a nail-biter.
Yet this is where the long tradition of SI prognostications being laughable once again comes into play.
They had #1 Clemson edging #4 Alabama by a score of 27-24.
They got half of it right.
The Crimson Tide did indeed score 24 points.
The problem? They were off by a whopping 21 points, as in three touchdowns worth -- a bunch -- when it came to Clemson. The Tigers could only manage a measly 6 points for the entire game. Bama spanked Clemson 24-6.
That, of course, makes their prediction for the championship game moot, and a bit laughable. The geniuses at SI had Clemson repeating as national champions by defeating Georgia 21-19.
So next Monday night, Georgia and Alabama will square off for all the proverbial marbles.
I have wondered why my next issue of SI seems to be a bit late coming. Perhaps they're holding it back until they saw the results of the semi-finals. Or maybe it will show up in tomorrow or the next day's mail when, at press time, they still didn't know the results of those semis.
One thing's for sure. They'll never eat any crow over getting yet ANOTHER one wrong. Oh no, they're still gloating over how they predicted the Houston Astros would become World Series champions soon way back in 2014. Something about a blind squirrel and an acorn comes to mind.
But yours truly has a not so bold prediction.
Alabama's going to kill Georgia. By a bunch.
Men against boys. Mentor Sabin against former disciple Smart.
And I don't like Alabama (or Nick the prick) one bit. In fact, I root against them. Always have and always will.
But this a no-brainer.
Not even SI could get this one wrong.
Maybe.
Detroit Lions fire Jim Caldwell
This is something that never should have happened.
Before anyone jumps to a premature conclusion, thinking this author is advocating Caldwell should have stayed on as the head coach of the Lions, let me clear that up.
They couldn't be more wrong.
The reason it never should have happened is because Caldwell never should have been hired as the Lions' head coach in the first place. If he was never hired, it wouldn't have come to the inevitable firing. And yes, it was long overdue.
Way back in 2008 Caldwell inherited a very good Indianapolis Colts team from his predecessor Tony Dungy. A franchise on the rise. True enough, Caldwell would go 14-2 in his first year there with the bed of roses he had fallen into.
But within two years, he had run the franchise into the ground, posting a 2-14 record. Hence, he was rightfully fired.
Only the Detroit Lions and the "infinite wisdom" of the Ford family ownership could see an upside to this guy, so of course they hired him as THEIR head coach.
As has long been proven over the years, even decades, Detroit is where head football coaches go to die. Sure, they make a lot of money, many millions, and are pretty much financially set for life. But they're never going to win anything, because that same history, well over a half century worth, seems to be a curse of some sort. Either that, or they botch draft choices, free-agent signings, trades, and game plans and field management. If there's a way to somehow screw it up before the season is over, one can rest assured the Lions will find it. Because this is.... just.... what....they....do. Always have.
Caldwell can't be too sad about it. After all, though his contract details are a "secret" -- the only head coach in the NFL to somehow enjoy such "classified" status, it is generally known the same bumbling Ford family is on the hook to pay him, in full, for at least one more year. So basically, he'll make a few more millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing. Bet you wish you had a job, or severance package like that.
Now the search is on to find Caldwell's replacement.
Naturally, the existing defensive coordinator of the Lions, one Teryl Austin, has thrown his hat in the ring.
It is also rumored the Lions are very much interested in New England Patriots' DC Matt Patricia.
So let's see. TA was a Caldwell hire in the first place, and the defenses he has contrived over his tenure have been woefully porous. Meanwhile, MP has presided over one of stingiest defenses in the entire league while with the Patriots.
So who will the Lions probably hire? Austin, of course. The same wacky Ford logic will likely prevail. If you're going to run a loser out of town, then why not promote one of his proteges to the same job? It really is comical, and has long been so.
And there's no guarantee Patricia would even be interested in going to Detroit, even though he'd no doubt be showered with much more money as a head coach than he's recently made as a defensive coordinator. When the inevitable purge of head coaches happens during the next few weeks, a guy like him will certainly have much better and more promising destinations to choose from. Going to Detroit is basically a death sentence.
Over all those same decades, no former head coach, NOT ONE, of the Lions has ever been offered the same job elsewhere in the league. Yes, a few have caught on as coordinators, but never the head guy. That statistic is rather telling.
Leave it to Detroit's version of the Georgia Peach, quarterback Matthew Stafford, to add his two cents worth upon hearing the news of Caldwell getting the boot.
Dear Matthew wants current offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter to be retained by whoever takes over. Of course Jim Bob replaced former OC Joe Lombardi, also an original Caldwell hire. Evidently, Lombardi was clueless and Jim Bob is a bit better calling the offensive plays, though oftentimes one is left to wonder just what he could have possibly been thinking with some of the boneheaded strategies he has so often deployed during his short time.
Of course, this is the same Matthew Stafford that was just rewarded with an absolutely ludicrous contract that made him the highest paid player in the entire NFL. This, for a guy with a career losing record that has never won a single playoff game. Seven million MORE per season than Tom Brady? REALLY? What sort of madness is afoot in Motown?
And it's also the same guy that, while getting filthy rich, didn't have brains enough to check out the free agent market that would have beckoned. A few, certainly not all teams would likely have been interested in his services. And probably at least a couple that had a realistic chance of competing for a Super Bowl in the next few years. But no. He basically signed his useful football life away to the forever sad-sack Lions. Would making a few million less per year , say 20 instead of 27, even after taxes, really hurt him that much in the wallet? Any sane person can't possibly spend all that money anyway, and that's not even counting the mega-bucks Stafford surely has coming in from his multiple endorsements. What he did was concede any chance of ever being a champion. Maybe it's something in the air in Detroit, or the offices of the stadium, that make otherwise rational individuals start behaving like idiots.
Nevertheless, Jim Caldwell is gone. Just one more blotch on the long sorry history of the Detroit Lions.
The list of incompetents, from office personnel, down to head coaches, coordinators, and pretty much everybody else is long indeed when it comes to the Lions.
Will they get Matt Patricia? Not if he has any brains.
And last time I looked, the New England franchise was light years ahead of the one in Detroit in that particular department. Always has been.
Patrica need only take a page from his former workmate Bob Quinn. He was only a scout for the Patriots, but the Lions, again in their infinite wisdom, decided to make him their General Manager.
And once he arrived in Detroit, Quinn has pretty much botched everything since. The same old story. Make a lot of Ford bucks. And the brain drain quickly sets in.
For some reason, everybody seems to get a terminal case of stupid when they go to work for the Lions.
Go figure.
Before anyone jumps to a premature conclusion, thinking this author is advocating Caldwell should have stayed on as the head coach of the Lions, let me clear that up.
They couldn't be more wrong.
The reason it never should have happened is because Caldwell never should have been hired as the Lions' head coach in the first place. If he was never hired, it wouldn't have come to the inevitable firing. And yes, it was long overdue.
Way back in 2008 Caldwell inherited a very good Indianapolis Colts team from his predecessor Tony Dungy. A franchise on the rise. True enough, Caldwell would go 14-2 in his first year there with the bed of roses he had fallen into.
But within two years, he had run the franchise into the ground, posting a 2-14 record. Hence, he was rightfully fired.
Only the Detroit Lions and the "infinite wisdom" of the Ford family ownership could see an upside to this guy, so of course they hired him as THEIR head coach.
As has long been proven over the years, even decades, Detroit is where head football coaches go to die. Sure, they make a lot of money, many millions, and are pretty much financially set for life. But they're never going to win anything, because that same history, well over a half century worth, seems to be a curse of some sort. Either that, or they botch draft choices, free-agent signings, trades, and game plans and field management. If there's a way to somehow screw it up before the season is over, one can rest assured the Lions will find it. Because this is.... just.... what....they....do. Always have.
Caldwell can't be too sad about it. After all, though his contract details are a "secret" -- the only head coach in the NFL to somehow enjoy such "classified" status, it is generally known the same bumbling Ford family is on the hook to pay him, in full, for at least one more year. So basically, he'll make a few more millions of dollars for doing absolutely nothing. Bet you wish you had a job, or severance package like that.
Now the search is on to find Caldwell's replacement.
Naturally, the existing defensive coordinator of the Lions, one Teryl Austin, has thrown his hat in the ring.
It is also rumored the Lions are very much interested in New England Patriots' DC Matt Patricia.
So let's see. TA was a Caldwell hire in the first place, and the defenses he has contrived over his tenure have been woefully porous. Meanwhile, MP has presided over one of stingiest defenses in the entire league while with the Patriots.
So who will the Lions probably hire? Austin, of course. The same wacky Ford logic will likely prevail. If you're going to run a loser out of town, then why not promote one of his proteges to the same job? It really is comical, and has long been so.
And there's no guarantee Patricia would even be interested in going to Detroit, even though he'd no doubt be showered with much more money as a head coach than he's recently made as a defensive coordinator. When the inevitable purge of head coaches happens during the next few weeks, a guy like him will certainly have much better and more promising destinations to choose from. Going to Detroit is basically a death sentence.
Over all those same decades, no former head coach, NOT ONE, of the Lions has ever been offered the same job elsewhere in the league. Yes, a few have caught on as coordinators, but never the head guy. That statistic is rather telling.
Leave it to Detroit's version of the Georgia Peach, quarterback Matthew Stafford, to add his two cents worth upon hearing the news of Caldwell getting the boot.
Dear Matthew wants current offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter to be retained by whoever takes over. Of course Jim Bob replaced former OC Joe Lombardi, also an original Caldwell hire. Evidently, Lombardi was clueless and Jim Bob is a bit better calling the offensive plays, though oftentimes one is left to wonder just what he could have possibly been thinking with some of the boneheaded strategies he has so often deployed during his short time.
Of course, this is the same Matthew Stafford that was just rewarded with an absolutely ludicrous contract that made him the highest paid player in the entire NFL. This, for a guy with a career losing record that has never won a single playoff game. Seven million MORE per season than Tom Brady? REALLY? What sort of madness is afoot in Motown?
And it's also the same guy that, while getting filthy rich, didn't have brains enough to check out the free agent market that would have beckoned. A few, certainly not all teams would likely have been interested in his services. And probably at least a couple that had a realistic chance of competing for a Super Bowl in the next few years. But no. He basically signed his useful football life away to the forever sad-sack Lions. Would making a few million less per year , say 20 instead of 27, even after taxes, really hurt him that much in the wallet? Any sane person can't possibly spend all that money anyway, and that's not even counting the mega-bucks Stafford surely has coming in from his multiple endorsements. What he did was concede any chance of ever being a champion. Maybe it's something in the air in Detroit, or the offices of the stadium, that make otherwise rational individuals start behaving like idiots.
Nevertheless, Jim Caldwell is gone. Just one more blotch on the long sorry history of the Detroit Lions.
The list of incompetents, from office personnel, down to head coaches, coordinators, and pretty much everybody else is long indeed when it comes to the Lions.
Will they get Matt Patricia? Not if he has any brains.
And last time I looked, the New England franchise was light years ahead of the one in Detroit in that particular department. Always has been.
Patrica need only take a page from his former workmate Bob Quinn. He was only a scout for the Patriots, but the Lions, again in their infinite wisdom, decided to make him their General Manager.
And once he arrived in Detroit, Quinn has pretty much botched everything since. The same old story. Make a lot of Ford bucks. And the brain drain quickly sets in.
For some reason, everybody seems to get a terminal case of stupid when they go to work for the Lions.
Go figure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)