The Sports Curmudgeon

I have highlighted here some of the surprising results from a few first round World Cup games, but some other commentators have drawn conclusions from those results that I think are overblown.

• Yes it was a humongous “upset” when Cape Verde and Spain played to a full-time draw.
• No, that result does not justify expansion of the tournament to 48 teams nor does it provide a justification for further expansion.

Let me provide an analogy here.  March Madness expanded to 64 teams in 1985; there have been 41 tournaments since then where teams seeded #16 and #15 had the opportunity to have won first round games.  There are 8 such games in each tournament so the universe of possible upsets of that sort is 328 games.

• Teams seeded #16 have won twice = 1.22% winning effort
• Teams seeded #15 have won eleven times = 6.71% winning effort
• Combined winning percentage for teams seeded #15 and #16 = 3.96%

Those improbable results happen simply because improbable results happen every day if you consider enough different sets of events.  But that does not justify looking for ways to have even more such oddities.  Just enjoy the fact that some of the “upstart teams” in Round 1 of the World Cup this year provided some juice to the tournament but don’t call for further expansion of the field and do not believe that these upstart teams are going to make it to the Finals because that would be more than just an oddity.

Moving on …  Medical science and surgical procedures continue to advance.  On May 6^th, Tarik Skubal underwent surgery on his pitching elbow to remove “loose bodies”.  Twenty years ago, that could well have been season-ending surgery but not in 2026:

• On June 7^th – – 32 days after his surgery – – Skubal started a minor league game for the West Michigan Whitecaps.
• Skubal was on a pitch count and was lifted after 3.1 hitless innings and 54 pitches.  Of those 54 pitches, 44 were strikes.
• On June 13^th – – 38 days after his surgery – – Skubal was pitching for the Detroit Tigers and registered a fastball in the game at 99.9 mph.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache and the procedure employs a contraption known as the “NanoNeedle Scope”.  The question here about this surgery and this contraption is simple:

• Was this outcome wildly serendipitous or is this a harbinger of surgical triumph for MLB pitchers?
• The sample size is far too small to be conclusive – – but these results sure do look enticing.

The first Tommy John surgery was done in the 1970s and it was a breakthrough that extended pitching careers significantly.  Tommy John himself pitched in MLB for 13 seasons after his surgery.  Could the “NanoNeedle Scope” do something similar?  If so, how should this procedure be named:

• Skubal Surgery?
• Neal’s NanoNeedle?

One more thing …  Tiago Splitter has left the head coaching position with the Portland TrailBlazers and signed on to be the head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

• Would it be proper to say that Tiago “Splittered” from Portland to go to Chicago?

Finally, today’s closing thought comes from comedienne, Rita Rudner:

“I was going to have cosmetic surgery until I noticed that the doctor’s office was full of portraits by Picasso.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Sometimes, when I make a sports history reference here or perhaps something about sports wagering, I anticipate hearing from the “reader in Houston” with an amplification/clarification.  I had no such anticipation yesterday when I mentioned that James Harden had been arrested in Houston on a misdemeanor weapons charge.  Nonetheless, here is “the rest of that story”:

“FYI: Anyone who can legally possess a firearm under state and federal law can carry a handgun in most public places without needing a permit.

“If you openly carry a handgun, it must be carried in a holster. [Allegedly, Harden’s gun was on his car seat.]

“You can legally carry a loaded handgun in your car, provided it is out of plain view and you are not prohibited from possessing a firearm.

“However, state and federal laws strictly prohibit firearms in certain locations, even with an LTC (license to carry), such as schools and college campuses, secure areas of airports, voting places on election days, courthouses and government offices, bars, racetracks, correctional facilities, and places hosting high school, collegiate, or professional sporting events.”

It appears that Brendan Sorsby has resolved his college football eligibility issue this morning.  According to an AP report, Sorsby will declare for the NFL Supplemental Draft next week making his legal challenge of the NCAA’s ruling of ineligibility moot.  Take that as good news – – and hope it continues to obtain.  The Chairman of the Texas Tech board of Regents characterized the decision in a way that makes me wonder how this all holds together:

“This decision was made with Brendan and his family and is purely an output of practical analysis of the situation.  Brendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground but he faces a June 22 deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date.  This is the only viable and fair path for Brendan and his future as well as for his teammates and our university.”

Really?

• If you are on such “firm and legitimate legal ground”, why is the NFL supplemental draft important?
• Why would Sorsby not persist, win his cases, play for Texas Tech and enter the NFL “normal draft” next April?
• He could have declared for the normal draft this year but chose not to do so and to try to play for Texas Tech and now there is pressure for him to do something he did not consider doing before?
• How is this the “best and fair path” for Brendan’s teammates?

As I said, be happy this matter might be put to rest and hope that it all holds together…

Moving on …   There was a note at CBSSports.com the other day saying that Donovan McNabb Jr. had committed to playing for UNLV.  I assumed – – incorrectly – – that McNabb Jr. was a QB like his dad; so, I went to the article to see his high school passing stats just out of curiosity.  Immediately, I noticed something that seemed out of place.  McNabb Sr. was a man of thick musculature who played at 230-240 lbs; McNabb Sr. was a bruiser.  McNabb Jr. is 5’ 10” and weighs 160 lbs; McNabb, Jr. is a wide receiver and will graduate from Brophy College Prep in Phoenix AZ in 2027.

Switching gears …  The first round games in the FIFA World Cup continue to provide surprising results.  Spain was ranked as the #2 national team in the world entering the tournament; more than a few folks picked them to win it all.  No one  picked Cape Verde to win it all; in fact, many folks had Cape Verde listed as a team that only made it to the World Cup because the field was expanded from 32 to 48 teams.  Well, here is the result from the match between those two teams in the first round of the tournament:

• Spain 0   Cape Verde 0

Finally, this from Walt Disney:

“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Last weekend produced two champions.  For the first time in 53 years, the New York Knickerbockers are the NBA champions capping a playoff run marked by one stunning comeback after another.  Some folks have labeled this Knicks team as a “team of destiny”; I prefer to think of this team as a hard-working, tough-minded group of players who play sound fundamental basketball.

Jalen Brunson was named the NBA Finals MVP as he should have been; the Knicks would not have won this series without him.  My favorite player to watch on the Knicks, however, is Josh Hart.  I would give him an award as the MVUP – – the Most Valuable Unspectacular Player – – on the court.  Maybe a better label would be the Lake Woebegone Player of the Series – – he does a bit of everything, and it is all above average.  Hats off to both Brunson and Hart and the rest of the Knicks’ squad.

The NBA should get a significant benefit from these playoffs:

• The Spurs and the Thunder are two young teams, and their Western Conference Finals series sparked a rivalry.
• The Spurs and the Knicks should be an interesting rivalry at least for next season.
• The Knicks and the Celtics just became a more interesting rivalry along the I-95 corridor.
• The NBA needs rivalries to goose interest in regular season games.

And in addition, the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup finals over the weekend.  This is the first championship for the Hurricanes since 2006, and they did this with defense.  In the final game, the Hurricanes shut out the Las Vegas Golden Knights, but it was more than just a shutout.  I saw the final two periods of the game, and I only saw the Hurricanes’ goalie make one “difficult” save; the Knights were on their back foot for the whole time I was tuned in.

One tidbit from the Hurricanes victory:

• The 2006 Stanely Cup Champion team’s captain was Rod Brind’Amour.
• The 2026 Stanley Cup Champion team’s coach is Rod Brind’Amour.

The first round of Group Stage games in the FIFA World Cup has produced some surprises:

• Japan tied The Netherlands 2-2.  The Netherlands have been touted as dark horses to win it all; Japan – – not so much.
• Australia beat Turkey 2-0.  Turkey was the favorite in that game.
• Qatar tied Switzerland 1-1.  The Swiss were solid favorites in the game.
• Scotland beat Haiti 1-0.  The “Tartan Army” marches on.
• Germany beat Curacao 7-1.  The outcome is no surprise, but it is always a surprise when a team scores 7 goals in a World Cup game.

In the second game of the World Cup Tournament, South Korea beat the Czech Republic 2-1.  The story there was all the empty seats in the stands which prompted a lot of commentary about ticket prices and FIFA’s price-gouging and – – well you get the idea.  I only saw a small part of that game; and indeed, there were way more seats than there were fans.  However, I think there is another dynamic at work there to produce empty seats.

• The game was in Guadalajara, Mexico.
• That is a long way to go for fans of both South Korea and the Czech Republic.
• I know of no rivalry situation between the two sides.
• And then on top of all that, tickets are really expensive…

Moving on …  They say you should learn something new every day.  Well, over the weekend, there was a report that James Harden was arrested in Texas and charged with a weapons violation.  It seems he was driving in his car, and the gun was on the seat and not in a holster; that constitutes a violation in Houston.  There was no violence or shooting or anything like that involved in the situation; it was just the locale of the handgun.  So, what did I learn from that?

• I did not realize there was an illegal way to carry a handgun in Texas.
• Now, I know.

Finally, I’ll close here with words from Mark Twain:

“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

A reader asked yesterday why I have not commented on the “Brendan Sorsby Miasma” ever since he checked himself into a rehab facility to treat a gambling addiction.  The reason is simple; I don’t think I have a decent understanding of the nuances of that mess.  However, since he asked, I will offer these remarks today.

Brendan Sorsby placed thousands of sports bets in his young life; they were legal bets but some of them included bets on his team in games where he was on the active roster – – but did not play.  Unsurprisingly, the NCAA banned him and declared him ineligible for life; Sorsby went to court and a judge ruled in his favor that he could play college football again at Texas Tech starting in the Fall.  Based on the current court ruling, Sorsby will serve a two-game suspension at the beginning of the season and then be eligible to play.  Two comments here:

1. It is NOT true that the judge who issued the injunction is a Texas Tech grad.  Judge Curry took over the case from another judge who recused himself from the case because the other judge was a Texas Tech alum.
2. The two games Sorsby will miss are against Abilene Christian (home) and Oregon State (away).

Before anyone asks, I cannot explain how Judge Curry arrived at his conclusion that Brendan Sorsby had done something that merited punishment but that his punishment (two-game suspension) had greater legal standing than the NCAA’s punishment (ineligibility).  Nevertheless, that is the state of play as of this morning.  The NCAA has filed an appeal of that injunction with the Court of Appeals for the 7^th District in Amarillo, TX.  Perhaps, this is where the Internet rumor about Judge Curry being a Texas Tech alum arises.

• There are four judges on the Court of Appeals for the 7^th District.
• All four judges are graduates of the Texas Tech Law School.

[Aside:  Question for the lawyers reading here … What happens if all four of these judges recuse themselves?]

A lot of people have drawn dire conclusions from where things stand now.  Some have said that this is a death knell for college sports because if the NCAA – or any so-called governing body – – cannot enforce a rule so basic that “you cant bet on your own team in a game where you are on the roster”, then there are no rules that can possibly be enforced.  Moreover, there will be skepticism about every call and every incomplete pass thrown by Brendan Sorsby from now  until the end of time.

I sort of agree with the first part there; the no-betting on your own team or games seems to be a bedrock principle that this ruling destabilizes.   I think the painting of Brendan Sorsby as a perennial ne’er-do-well is a tad overblown.  As to Brendan Sorsby being the instrument of death for college football, I have two words for people who take that position:

• Art Schlichter

College football survived Art Schlichter and it will survive Brendan Sorsby.  It was wounded in the “Schlichter Affair” and it will take a hit in the “Sorsby Miasma”, but college football is not doomed even if the NCAA loses this case in the courts as the NCAA is wont to do.

What is most surprising to me is that Texas Tech as an institution seems to have no problem with a situation which confers a degree of “outlaw status” on the university.  In fact, the school issued a statement that painted Texas Tech in a light where it is acting as an instrument to save Brendan Sorsby from his addiction; I find that logic contorted but the school seems to be comfortable with it.  Georgia and Nebraska have said they will not schedule any games in any sort with Texas Tech; there seems to be no end date to those declarations and the whole thing just gets smellier and smellier by the day.

I have another question for any lawyers reading here:

• The injunction comes from a Texas court not a Federal court.
• Does that injunction exist outside the State of Texas? 
• If Texas Tech were to travel to Colorado for a game scheduled on October 3^rd, could the Colorado authorities declare Sorsby ineligible for that game and make it stick?

One last bit of confusion here.  According to one report I read, this matter needs to be finalized by June 22^nd and the reason for that is that June 22^nd is the latest date available to Brendan Sorsby to declare for the NFL Supplementary Draft.  Why that is any sort of hard-and-fast deadline in this matter remains a mystery to me.

That’s all I got.  If any of this was enlightening to you, I am more than mildly surprised.

Finally, I think Edward R. Murrow had a perfect closing thought for today:

“Anyone who isn’t confused really doesn’t understand the situation.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Earlier this week, I mentioned here the prices being sought for Game 3 of the Knicks/Spurs series in Madison Square Garden.  That got me an email from the “reader in Houston” who happened to grow up in NYC.  And  yes, he has been a sports fan even longer than I have if you can believe that.  Here is his email:

“I had tickets for the 1970 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Lakers where Willis limped onto the court to “lead” the Knicks in Game 7.

“My seat was in Section 221 and cost me $40 (a strip of four tix at $10 per game).

“I looked up a comparable seat for tonight’s game and saw a ticket in the same section going for $7,608 ($6,340 plus $1,268 fee).

“Back in the day, if I tried to scalp my ticket outside the Garden for say $30-$50, I risked arrest/fine.

“The funny thing is that I never can find out what the face value of today’s pro sports tix are. That’s why the only sporting events I go to now are high school football or basketball games because I can pay cash at the door.”

According to Microsoft CoPilot, something that cost $10 in 1970, would be something that cost approximately $86-96 today depending on which inflation methodology is employed. If you compare that sort of inflationary rise in the price of a Knicks’ playoff ticket with the asking process for seats in the Garden this week, you will see that there is a cost increase far beyond anything explained by “cost of living” changes.

Moving on …  The FIFA World Cup kicks off – so to speak – today in Mexico City.   Starting at 3:00 PM ET, Mexico/South Africa will begin the festivities in Estadio Azteca which seats 83,264 folks.  You can be sure there will not be any empty seats for that game.  Meanwhile the US Men’s National Team (USMNT) starts its quest for the knockout round of the tournament tomorrow evening at 9:00 PM ET in SoFi stadium in Los Angeles against Paraguay.

As of this morning, the USMNT is more highly regarded than the side from Paraguay.  Compare these odds:

• USMNT to win the whole tournament = +5,000
• Paraguay to win the whole tournament = +25,000
• USMNT to win the Group = +135
• Paraguay to win the Group = +400

Let the games begin …

There was an epic collapse in the baseball world last night courtesy of the Washington Nationals.  Here is the deal:

• Nats led the Giants 9-1 going into the bottom of the 8^th inning.
• The Giants scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 8^th so the score entering the 9^th inning was 9-6 in favor of the Nats.
• Nats  added a run in the top of the 9^th.
• The Giants scored a run and then loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9^{th .}
• Then Bryce Eldridge hit a walk-off grand slam to win the game for the Giants 11-10.

Eldridge is the youngest player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam; until last night that honor belonged to Roberto Clemente.  Moreover, according to CBSSports.com this morning:

“… teams up by eight or more runs going into the eighth inning had won 2,698 consecutive games until this one. The last to suffer such a loss was the Rays, who on May 25, 2009, lost by the same score, 11-10, to Cleveland.”

Finally, here is a thought from Cicero:

“There is nothing so absurd that some philosopher has not already said it.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Horseracing is a dying sport and much of its fanbase is in danger of dying off in the near future.  The Triple Crown is the signature event in horseracing; the Breeders’ Cup races were created to augment interest at a time of the year when the Triple Crown was a faded memory.  That sort of worked for a while, but the Triple Crown remains the “heavy hitter” in the sport.

The three races in the Triple Crown have histories that go back more than a century; in fact, the first Triple Crown winner – – Sir Barton – – achieved that feat more than a  hundred years ago.  And for a long time, the schedule has been fixed:

• Kentucky Derby is the first Saturday in May
• Preakness is two weeks later – – the third Saturday in May
• Belmont Stakes is run three weeks after the Preakness

For myriad reasons, thoroughbreds today do not race nearly as frequently as did thoroughbreds in the past and that two week “recouperation period” between the Darby and the Preakness has become a problem.

• In 2025 and again in 2026, the winner of the Derby skipped the Preakness altogether.  No Triple Crown winner was possible.
• In 2025 and again in 2026, the Derby winner did come back to race in the Belmont Stakes and won that race.  With no Triple Crown possibilities, the aura around the Belmont Stakes was pretty much – – Meh!

It does not help a dying sport to have its remaining signature event rendered moot.  Tony Kornheiser offered a potential solution to this problem on Pardon the Interruption.

• Derby on the first Saturday in May
• Preakness on the first Saturday in June
• Belmont Stakes on July 4^th

This is so logical that it will probably be ignored by the movers and shakers who are aboard the sinking ship that is horseracing.  I understand that that the tradition of horseracing calls for the Triple Crown to be as it is so that any modern winers can be compared to historical winners.  But that is all a façade for doing nothing.

• When the Bellmont Stakes had to be run at Saratoga this year, they ran the race at a mile-and-a-quarter instead of the “historical mile-and-a-half”.  Tradition and history were “waived”.
• The Preakness race was a Laurel this year and not Pimlico.  Tradition and history were “waived”.
• Memo for the Horseracing Mavens:  It’s OK to adapt to new conditions; that is how natural selection works.

Imagine a future situation with Tony Korheiser’s new schedule in place where a horse wins the Derby and then wins the Preakness.  Even better, imagine that those were two close races so there is doubt about a Triple Crown winner and interest can build for a month.  Then on July 4^th with the biggest “sports extravaganza” to offer competition being Joey Chestnut shoveling hot dogs down his gullet, you run the Belmont Stakes.  The schedule is expanded meaning more attention is paid over a longer period of time and the final event could dominate the sports landscape.

Hats off to “Mister Tony”.  It is such a good idea and such a simple idea that I am ashamed that I did not think of it first.

Moving on …  Russell Wilson has retired from the NFL after 14 seasons in the league and he has signed on with CBS Sports to be part of The NFL Today.  Presumably, he will replace Matt Ryan on the show since Ryan has gone on to run football operations for the Atlanta Falcons.  Wilson has always seemed at ease with a microphone stuck in his face and his demeanor is measured and low key.  I think it will be interesting to see how he fits in with the existing panelists on The NFL Today and/or with any other newcomers to the table.

Finally, let me close today with some views about “tradition” that might guide the folks in charge of horseracing:

“Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.”  Somerset Maugham

And …

”You can’t allow tradition to get in the way of innovation. There’s a need to respect the past, but it’s a mistake to revere your past.”  Bob Iger

And …

“Tradition is the illusion of permanence.”  Woody Allen

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

It has been a little over six weeks since the NY Knicks last lost an NBA game; they have now won 13 playoff games in a row and lead the Finals 2 games to none over the San Antonio Spurs.  I saw the Knicks play a couple of times in the regular season and have seen them play more than a handful of times during this playoff run.  What they have done – – and are doing – – here is noteworthy from two perspectives:

1. It is highly unusual for an NBA team to win 13 games in a row in the regular season let alone in the playoffs.  That feat alone deserves respect and mention.
2. The Knicks have accumulated this record without being one of the “all-time great teams in NBA history”.

I have no intention here to denigrate what the Knicks are in the process of doing.  In addition to winning those 13 games in a row, the Knicks are in a position to end the finals without the series even going back to San Antonio.  Having said all that, this NY Knicks team is not a reincarnation of the “Showtime Lakers” or the “Jordan Bulls” or the “Bird/Parrish/McHale Celtics”.  And yet, these Knicks have managed to do something that none of those all-time great teams were able to accomplish.

And as a sideshow, Knicks’ fans now have an interesting choice to make.  It has been more than 50 years since the Knicks won the NBA championship; that is quite a drought for fans to endure.  And now it sure looks as if the rain is coming …  Season ticket holders have playoff game tix in hand but  the secondary market for tickets for tonight’s game in Madison Square Garden presents some temptations for those season ticket holders:

• “Bad seats” in the upper corners of Madison Square Garden are listed at $4700 – 5500 per seat.
• “Not quite bad seats” in the corners of the lower bowl are listed at $5600 – 7600 per seat.
• “Sideline seats” in the lower bowl start at $7000 per seat.
• One courtside seat is available for $61,500.

Get thee behind me, Satan …

Moving on – – but staying with the NBA sort of …  NBC has coverage of the NBA under a long-term media rights deal.  That puts NBC in position to air a studio show proximal to the games and the network has done just that.  And in my humble estimation, it needs help.

What I am about to say opens me to accusations of racism and misogyny neither of which I will plead guilty to.  Nevertheless:

• I think Maria Taylor is not well suited to be the lead in a studio program.

The NBA studio show cast is good-not-great.  Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are solid; Jamal Crawford is good at doing color analysis of the live game but mediocre in studio.  Brad Daugherty is good but is rarely part of the program.  My problem with the program is that it comes across as scripted instead of as a conversation among knowledgeable people about a subject the audience should be interested in.  And the reason it  seems scripted is that Maria Taylor cuts off give-and-take among everyone on the program to move to another angle from another contributor.

When you go to the theater to see a play, the material is scripted.  It is the actors’ job to make you believe you are listening in on an actual conversation instead of listening to several folks reading a script to you.  In the case of a studio program, the opportunity is ripe for a conversation and somehow it doesn’t work.  And here is why I blame at least some of this on Maria Taylor:

• She has the same role on Football Night In America and the same condition obtains there.
• Program contributors each say their piece and the program then lurches on to the next utterance with Maria Taylor conducting the orchestra.

Maybe I am being unfair; maybe there is an exec at NBC who thinks that is great sports studio programming and he/she can command the way the studio programs are structured and presented.  What I observe however is that Maria Taylor is the agent that makes two studio shows into “choppy hodgepodges” and so I conclude …

Finally, I’ll close today with this from Knicks’ point guard, Jalen Brunson:

“I just feel like there’s a lot of things more important than just basketball, and I love basketball. It’s what I want to do for the longest time possible. It’s what I eat, it’s what I sleep about, it’s what I breathe, it’s in my lifestyle. I just really feel like there’s more important things than just putting the ball in the hoop.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Several weeks ago, Packers’ running back Josh Jacobs was arrested for a domestic violence situation; reports then said there were five counts cited for the arrest including “strangling”.  That is not exactly a “judgement call”; “strangling” is never seen as socially acceptable.  Then there was radio silence on this matter for a couple of weeks; the team said they were aware of the situation and were monitoring it; the league said that this was a police matter and they would stand aside; that is pretty standard behavior in these situations.

Then, earlier this week there were reports that prosecutors are still considering whether to file criminal charges against Jacobs.  Obviously, Josh Jacobs – via his attorney – vehemently denies any and all allegations of wrongdoing on his part in this matter.  That too is pretty standard procedure in these sorts of situations.  But “strangulation” and “suffocation” are  pretty strong accusations for them to still be in the “consideration zone”.  But the local District Attorney says it is still too soon to make a final decision on filing charges there.

Several years ago, the NFL allowed players to put messages on the backs of their helmets.  One of the standard messages is:

• Choose Love

Might I suggest that Josh Jacobs not present that message on his helmet this season…???

Moving on …  There is another NFL player who got crosswise with the authorities recently even though he did not do anything proximally to that interaction.  Let me do a reset here.  Last year, KC Chiefs’ WR, Rashee Rice, plead guilty to multiple charges stemming from a street racing incident and leaving the scene of a crash.  As part of the plea deal, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail which was suspended based on five years of probation.  Considering there were about a half-dozen charges to be dispensed with there, that seemed to be a slap on the wrist for a punishment.  The NFL also suspended him for 6 games in 2025 for that incident and those guilty pleadings.

Fast forward to now.  Rashee Rice is in jail serving his 30-day sentence for violating his parole.  No, he was not back on the streets racing his car; what apparently happened is that he checked in with his probation officer as is normal and he tested positive for THC.  Evidently, drug use is not hunky-dory for people on probation in Texas where Rice was involved in the car racing that started this whole thing and that positive test flunked him out of probation and put him in jail in Dallas for a month.

Now, it is possible that Rice’s attorney neglected to advise Rice that marijuana use was off limits as per the probation and that he could be tested randomly in the normal course of his probation.  I would think that would be negligent on the part of the attorney, but it could have happened.  However, the more likely scenario is that Rice did not put two and two together well here.

• If they can test randomly, one way to do that is to test as you meet with your probation officer.
• Ergo if you are going to use cannabis in any form, don’t do it proximal to a meeting with your probation officer.

I have not seen any statement by the NFL if this latest incident might result in another suspension and I bring that up because it seems interesting to me.

• What Rice did a year ago merits a suspension by the league; I doubt anyone would argue with that.
• What Rice did this time is not a crime; testing positive for THC will not get any random Texan a jail sentence.  What he did was to violate the terms of the sentence he received such that he is now serving “Options A” instead of “Option B”.
• So, has he done anything that merits more games off by the league office?

Switching gears …  The Belmont Stakes will run tomorrow.  It will be run at a mile and a quarter this year at Saratoga instead of at a mile and a half at Belmont Park which is in the final stages of a “major renovation”.  Belmont Park is scheduled to re-open in September of this year.  Here is my trifecta box for this race – – building on my complete lack of success in presenting similar wagers for the Derby and the Preakness:

• I like 4 horses to be in the money for this race.  #2 is Powershift; #3 is Chief Wallabee; #4 is Renegade and #9 is Golden Tempo
• So, a $1 trifecta box of 2,3,4,9 will cost $24.

Finally, this definition from the Official Dictionary of Sarcasm:

“Olive Garden:  The only authentic Italian dining establishment where you  pay someone to microwave a frozen dinner for you.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

A note from a reader yesterday afternoon asked why I did not call out June 2^nd as “Lou Gehrig Day”.  The answer is that it simply slipped my mind and it should not have.  June 2^nd is important because two events took place on that day:

• June 2, 1925:  Lou Gehrig pinch hit in a game for the Yankees; that was game 1 of his consecutive games streak that stretched to 2130 and that record stood until the mid-1990s when Cal Ripken Jr broke it.
• June 2,^, 1941:  Lou Gehrig died from complications caused by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – – known in the medical profession as ALS and by baseball fans as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”.

            A cursory look at Gehrig’s career and stats points to his greatness.  He was a member of the 1927 Yankees’ team – – considered by some to be the best team ever.  Don’t get wrapped around the axle in that debate but consider this:

• In 1927, Babe Ruth batted third for the Yankees and hit 60 home runs and drove in 164 runs.
• In 1927, Lou Gehrig batted fourth for the Yankees – – hitting with no one on base at least 60 times to be sure – – and Gehring hit 47 home runs while driving in 175 runs and hit .373.

Lou Gehrig is also the first player in MLB to have his number retired by his team.  That happened on July 4, 1939 – – at the ceremony made famous by Gehrig’s declaration that he was the “luckiest man on the face of the Earth”.

Baseball is a game of numbers and another “number” that seems to be out of reach involves the 1971 Baltimore Orioles.  In that season, the Orioles had 4 starting pitchers who each won 20 or more games in the season:

1. Mike Cuellar:  24-8  ERA = 3.43   Complete Games = 21
2. Pat Dobson:  20-8   ERA = 2.90   Complete Games = 18
3. Dave McNally: 21-5  ERA = 2.89   Complete Games = 11
4. Jim Palmer:  20-9   ERA = 2.68   Complete Games = 20

Those four starters threw 70 complete games in 1971.  For the 2025 MLB season, the total number of complete games in the 2,460 MLB games was 29.  Moreover, no one threw more than 2 complete games in the entire 2025 season.

One more baseball oddity today.  Back in 1993, José Canseco was patrolling the outfield for the Texas Rangers.  A fly ball destined to hit the wall bounced off Canseco’s noggin and went over the fence for a home run.  Wordsmiths hopped all over that event naming the home run a “dome run” and a hearty chuckle was had by all.  Well, it happened again this week with an added element of unusualness.  Jo Adell was in centerfield for the Angels, and a long fly ball nicked the edge of Adell’s glove and then bounced off Adell’s head and then hit the wall over the yellow line making it a home run.

When I was a kid playing HORSE, you had to call your bank shots.  I have not seen any reports that the batter – – TJ Rumfield – – called that bank shot.  That would have started a kerfuffle on the playground…

The mention of José Canseco makes me realize that we have not heard of any outrageous statements or actions by him for quite a while.  Forget a complete list, just recall that Canseco’s life events include:

• Aliens have taught him to time travel and that all it takes is quantum physics and consciousness.
• He met Bigfoot and Bigfoot let him know that Bigfoot is an alien.  And for a fee of course, Canseco will introduce you to Bigfoot.
• Canseco shot his finger off while cleaning a gun; doctors were able to reattach the finger but somehow it fell off again in the middle of a poker game.

And now you can see why I miss having José Canseco in the news cycle…

Finally, back in December 2015, there was a “Twitter Exchange” where people were to offer up New Year’s Resolutions in 5 words.  Here is Canseco’s contribution to that “Twitter Exchange”:

“Merge the Great Lakes”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………

 

 

Since today is June 3^rd, please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance that today is the day that Billy Joe McAlister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.   Thank you …

Earlier this week, I reviewed Heisman Trophy winners from 1935 to 1999 and how they performed in professional football.  I labeled that time as the Heisman Era of the Running Back with about two-thirds of the Heisman winners coming from that position.  And then starting in the year 2000, it is as if someone flipped a switch and the minds of the Heisman voters changed focus and only focused on QBs; since 2000, the Heisman winner has been a QB in 22 of the 26 years.  Here are the winners in the current Heisman Era of the Quarterback:

• 2000 Chris Weinke – – QB:  Five marginal seasons in the NFL
• 2001 Eric Crouch – – QB:  No NFL games but played in CFL, AAFL and UFL
• 2002 Carson Palmer – – QB:  Fourteen solid seasons in the NFL
• 2003 Jason White – – QB:  Never played pro football and was not drafted by any NFL teams
• 2004 Matt Leinart – – QB:  Six mediocre NFL seasons
• 2005 Reggie Bush – – RB:  Eleven “good-not-great” seasons in the NFL
• 2006 Troy Smith – – QB:  Four underwhelming seasons in the NFL
• 2007 Tim Tebow – – QB:  Three years in the NFL; one decent season
• 2008 Sam Bradford – – QB:  Eight mediocre seasons in the NFL
• 2009 Mark Ingram – – RB:  Twelve  years in the NFL; three Pro-Bowls
• 2010 Cam Newton – – QB:  Eleven years in NFL: three Pro Bowls; one All-Pro; one MVP
• 2011 Robert Griffin III – – QB:  Excellent rookie season then six mediocre years due to injury
• 2012 Johnny Manzeil – – QB:  Two bad years in NFL; played in CFL and the AAFL
• 2013 Jameis Winston – – QB:  Eleven decent years in the NFL – – and counting
• 2014 Marcus Mariota – – QB:  Eleven decent years in the NFL – – and counting
• 2015 Derrick Henry – – QB:  Ten excellent NFL seasons; one All-Pro and five Pro Bowls
• 2016 Lamar Jackson – – QB:  Eight NFL seasons; three All-Pros; four Pro Bowls; one MVP
• 2017 Baker Mayfield – – QB:  Eight NFL seasons “good-not-great”.
• 2018 Kyler Murray – – QB:  Seven NFL seasons; two Pro Bowls; “Prove-it” contract this year
• 2019 Joe Burrow – – QB:  Six NFL seasons; twice Comeback Player of the Year
• 2020 Devonta Smith – – WR:  Five solid NFL seasons
• 2021 Bryce Young – – QB:  Three “good-not-great” NFL seasons; the jury is still out…
• 2022 Caleb Williams – – QB:  One mediocre NFL season and one very good NFL season …
• 2023 Jayden Daniels – – QB:  Excellent rookie season then injured in season number two
• 2024 Travis Hunter – – DB/WR:  Injured in middle of rookie season …
• 2025 Fernando Mendoza – – QB:  TBD

Once again, the performances by the “best college football player in the country” at the professional level seems a bit thin.  I have a theory as to why that is the case; I believe it is baked into the selection process.  Recall:

• Over 800 sports journalists get a vote.
• Prior Heisman winners each get a vote
• Fans collectively get one vote.

Only in an extraordinary circumstance will the tallies of the fans and the previous Heisman winners matter at all; the overwhelming likelihood is that the sports writers will determine the winner.  And the problem there is that sports writers already have full-time jobs and even if you were to narrow down the worthy Heisman candidates to a half-dozen candidates, most sports writers would not have the time to spare to watch each of the candidates play in three or four games to get a full measure of their performance levels.  Do the math:

Six candidates X 3 games per candidate X 2 hours per game = 36 hours.

That does not count time to find the games to watch on the Internet or the time to make notes and reflect on what the game tape shows.  Elections work best when there is an “informed electorate” and I doubt that happens with Heisman voting simply because those voters do not have the opportunity to do an evaluation with their own eyes.

I watch a lot of college football, and I know I do not see enough of any Heisman candidates to begin to rank order the nominees.  I cannot imagine that sportswriters with deadlines to meet have the time to do what I as a retiree cannot do.

Ergo some of the voting must be done based on reports from other sports writers and from stat sheets.  Well, it is a lot easier to find stats for QBs and RBs than it is for other positions and it is a lot easier – and more commonplace – to find paeans of praise for QBs and RBs than it is for other positions.  In the last 90 years, isn’t it possible that the “best college football player” was an Offensive Tackle?  But unless most of the voters got to see such a player live and in color, how would the voter begin to “discover” this player?

This is not a “problem” that “needs fixing” because – truth be told – it does not matter much at all if the Heisman winner goes on to greatness as a pro football player.  Let me invoke a cliché here:

“It is what it is.”

The Heisman selection process is much more like a beauty contest than it is like an objective deductive procedure.  And there is nothing wrong with that.

Here are two data for NFL GMs as they develop their “Draft Boards”.

1. Ten Heisman winners so far have made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
2. Ten Heisman winners so far never played a down in pro football.

Finally, here is a cogent observation by Mark Twain:

“A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”

But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………