The Sports Curmudgeon

The NCAA and MLB were two hidebound organizations that were losing relevance quickly.  MLB reacted positively with pitch clocks and shift restrictions to improve its entertainment product significantly.  It took a significant loss in a courtroom for the NCAA to rouse itself from its slumber but – – contrary to previous behavior – – the NCAA saw a cumbersome and chaotic situation and acted to try to make it more orderly instead of adding more restrictions/regulations on top of the chaos.

The “Transfer Portal” is a necessary evil.  It completely changes the college football environment, and not all the changes are for the better.  Nonetheless, the NCAA is powerless to close the portal and go back to its previous hyper-restrictive ways.  The way it was working was a mess and the powers-that-be have tried to make it better.  Obviously, we will have to wait to see if it works as intended, but there is a glimmer of hope.

Instead of having the Transfer Portal open and operating almost universally, the NCAA will allow a single  transfer time for college football players.  The original idea was to have a 10-day open portal between January 2^nd and January 11^th; that would establish the universe of players available for transfer and signings could proceed from there.  Critics said that it was too short a period of time and that it would disadvantage players who were on teams in the CFP where those current teams might have a game or games after the January 11^th deadline.

Twenty years ago – – maybe even ten years ago – – the NCAA would have told the critics to quit their whining and follow the rules.  But the kinder and gentler – – and seemingly smarter – – NCAA of 2025 decided to keep the single portal period concept and adapt to the criticisms.  The latest Transfer Portal rules are:

• January 2^nd to January 16^th:  There is an extra five days of open portal allowing athletes more time to make their decision(s) about transferring or staying put.  Five days may not sound like much at first, but it represents about a 50% increase in decision making time for athletes.
• Special portal opening for players on CFP teams:  If a player is on a team that has a CFP game scheduled for January 12^th or later and that player wants to transfer for the next season, there will be a 5-day open portal period for such players starting the day after their final CFP game.

The modification has a hurdle to cross; it needs the approval of the “Division 1 Administrative Committee” which next meets in mid-October.  Let us hope that the members of that committee have shaken off the scales from their eyes and approve of something as simple as this.

Moving on …  The MLB regular season is over, and the playoffs are set.  So, let me do a small postmortem on my season predictions from back in March.

• AL East:  I took the Red Sox to win the division; they finished third but made the playoffs.  I had the Orioles finishing second and said the Blue Jays would not “contend for long”.  Grade that set of prognostications as an F.
• AL Central:  I had it as Tigers, Twins, Guardians; it finished as Guardians, Tigers, Royals.  I had the White Sox finishing last – – big deal.  Grade these predictions as another F.
• AL West:  I had this one as the Rangers, Mariners, Astros.  It wound up Mariners, Astros, Rangers.  Grade that one as C.
• NL East:  I had this as Phillies/Braves.  Indeed, the Phillies won the division handily, but the Braves suffered a ton of injuries and limped home fourth.  I thought the Nationals would finish ahead of the Marlins, but they finished 13 games behind the Marlins.  Grade this one as a D.
• NL Central:  I had the Cubs eking out the division title here over the Brewers; it finished in the reverse order.  Grade this one as a C.
• NL West:  I had the Dodgers winning the division and the Rockies finishing last.  That was perfect; the rest of the division prediction was far less than perfect.  Grade this one as a C.

That does not yield much of a Grade Point Average, but at least I avoided a “Blutarsky” – – zero-point-zero-zero.

I also suggested 5 win total bets for the regular season:

1. Red Sox OVER 86.5 wins.     Winner!
2. Yankees UNDER 90 wins.      Loser!
3. Mariners OVER 84.5 wins.     Winner!
4. Cubs OVER 85.5 wins.           Winner!
5. Rangers OVER 85.5 wins.     Loser!

At least those predictions showed a “profit” …

Finally, these words from Henry Ford:

“We don’t want tradition. We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinker’s dam is the history we make today.”

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

 

 

Sgt Joe Friday sought, “Just the facts, Ma’am”.  Here on Football Friday, we seek the facts – – and some opinions too.  So, let me begin with the facts as they apply to last week’s “wagering” entries:

• Spreads & Totals:     0-3-0    Disgraceful
• Season To Date:        3-7-0    Unacceptable

And …

• Money Line Parlays: 2-1       Profit = $107
• Season to Date:         5-4       Profit = $184

            The Linfield University Wildcats evened their season record at 1-1 last week with a 28-13 home victory over the Chapman Panthers.  That concludes Linfield’s out of conference schedule for 2025; from here on out, they will be playing Northwest Conference opponents.  The Wildcats have this weekend off; they will return to action on October 4^th when they hit the road to Newberg, OR – – all of about 20 miles away – – for a game against George Fox University.

My “sleeper team” for 2025 – – the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets – – stretched their record to 4-0 for the 2025 season with a 45-24 win over out-of-conference opponent, Temple.  While I am pleased to report that season record here, I am not positively disposed to speak about yielding 24 points to Temple.  That was not a great showing; my “sleeper team” may have been ”nodding off” during that game …

 

College Football Commentary:

 

Oklahoma State fired Mike Gundy as its head football coach this week.  The 2025 season would have been his 21^st year in that job.  In announcing the decision, here is what the university President had to say:

“This is a decision about what’s best for our football program, our student-athletes and Oklahoma State University and it reflects our unwavering commitment to championship-level football and competing for national success.”

When Gundy took the job in 2005, Oklahoma State was hardly competing for national success; the Cowboys had been mired in the middle of the Big-12 standings for 10 years prior to his taking over.  By 2010, Oklahoma St. had won the Big-12 title and the Cowboys enjoyed plenty of success from 2010 through 2023.  From 2006 (Gundy’s second year on the job) through 2023, Oklahoma St. had 18 straight winning seasons and either won the Big-12 or played in the Big-12 Championship game four times.  Mike Gundy’s teams at Oklahoma St. compiled a 170-90 record (Winning percentage = .654).  No other coach in Cowboys’ history has ever won more than 70 games at the school.

Last year, the preseason polling of Big-12 coaches pegged the Cowboys as the favorites to win the conference.  The year started auspiciously with three out of conference victories – – and then came the tsunami.  Oklahoma St. lost every one of its nine conference games including a season-ending debacle losing to Colorado 52-0.  Gundy took a pay cut and a restructured contract over the offseason to remain on the job; according to reports, his buyout for this year was set at $15M.

The 2025 season had not begun well.  After beating Tennessee-Martin by 20 points in the opening game here are the next two results:

• Oregon 69       Ok. St. 3
• Tulsa 19          Ok St. 12

Those embarrassing losses are magnified by what has happened to Tennessee-Martin since losing by 20 points to Oklahoma St.:

• Lost to UTEP by 25 points
• Lost to S. Illinois by 27 points
• Lost to Montana St. by 32 points

Here are some comments about that loss to Tulsa last week:

Tulsa 19  Ok St. 12:  Tulsa ran for 205 yards in the game and amassed 424 yards of Total Offense.  Adding to that misery, 146 yards of rushing offense came from a running back who used to be at Ok. St. and who transferred out.  Tulsa was paid to come in to take a loss for the Cowboys at home; reports say Tulsa collected $300K for that visit.  The last time Tulsa beat Oklahoma St, was in 1998 and the last time Tulsa won in Stillwater, OK was in November 1951.  Oh, by the way, Tulsa already has a loss on its record to New Mexico St. – – never a positive entry on a résumé.  This was an embarrassing loss at best for Oklahoma State.

Mike Gundy did some impressive work in Stillwater OK at Oklahoma St – – and then all of a sudden, his program went into freefall.  Lots of people attribute that change of fortune to Gundy’s inability to adapt to the “NIL Era”; maybe that is the case.  However, I am not so sure that the Oklahoma St. job is a plum …

Moreover, changing coaches does not always produce positive results, Sure, Curt Cignetti has been a godsend for Indiana football fans, but when I look at how new coaches are doing this year, it’s a mixed bag at best;

• Scott Abell – Rice:  The Owls are 3-1 so far in 2025.
• Bill Belichick – UNC:  It’s not working …
• Scott Frost – UCF:  The team is 3-0 and beat UNC last week.
• Joe Harasmyiak – UMass:  Team is 0-3 and one loss was to a Division 1-AA team.
• Bronco Mendenhall – Utah St.:  Aggies are 3-1 and the loss was to Texas A&M.
• Mike Uremovich – Ball St.:  The Cardinals are winless at 0-4.

It is way too early to pretend to know the teams that deserve to be in the CFP in December/January.  Likewise, it is too early to know who the worst teams in the country might be at the end of the season but there is one interesting thing to note.  CBSSports.com ranks all 136 Division 1-A football teams.  As of this week, the bottom four according to CBSSports.com are:

• Ball St.
• Akron
• UMass
• Kent St.

Those four teams are all in the MAC.  Oh joy …!

Here are some comments on a few of last week’s games.

Texas Tech 34  Utah 10:  These teams came in ranked #16 and #17 in the country; both were undefeated.  The 24-point differential here is a bit surprising.  The Red Raiders scored three touchdowns in the final 8 minutes of action to make what had been a close game for 52 minutes look like a blowout in the end.  Tech was 9 of 17 on third down conversions and Tech won the turnover battle 4-2.

North Texas 45  Army 38 (OT):  North Texas is 4-0.  Army is 1-2 and both losses have been in OT.  Army lost the season opener to Tarleton St. in OT.

Memphis 32  Arkansas 31:  This was an upset; Memphis is now 4-0.  The first three wins were over Chattanooga, Georgia St. and Troy; Arkansas is usually a big step up from that level of competition.

UCF 34  UNC 9:  Two coaches are looking to refurbish their images here.  Scott Frost did a better job in that regard last week.

Syracuse 34  Clemson 21:  Clemson is now 1-3.  The teams combined for 936 yards of offense in the game; Clemson had 503 of those yards gained.  Clemson was only 3 of 13 on third down tries and committed two turnovers to turn the game against it.

Mississippi St. 34  N. Illinois 10:  Miss St. is 4-0 this year.  The other three wins have been over:

• So, Mississippi
• Arizona St.  (ranked in Top 25 at the time)
• Alcorn St.

Not a bad start for a team that was 2-10 last season.

Boise St. 49  Air Force 37:  Total Offense in the game was 1109 yards; both teams put up 500+ yards.  In the second half, Boise had 5 possessions – – 4 TDs and then running out the clock.  Meanwhile, AF had 5 possessions producing 3 TDs a field goal and INT.  There were no second half punts.

Indiana 63  Illinois 10:  Both teams were ranked at the kickoff and both teams were undefeated.  Then the Hoosiers administered an ass-kicking.  Indiana had 579 yards offense …  Illinois 161  yards offense and only 2 yards rushing.    Clearly, Illinois was overrated in the Top 10; but Illinois has a respectable defense and the Hoosiers simply shredded it.   Indiana punted on two of its first three drives and then finished the shellacking by scoring seven consecutive touchdowns.

Miami 26  Florida 7:  The Hurricanes blew it open in the fourth quarter with 13 points.  Florida managed to keep it close for 45 minutes…

Oklahoma 24  Auburn 17:   This was not an artistic victory for the Sooners, but ugly wins count just as much as artistic ones. The Sooners’ defense was stifling registering 10 sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss in the game.   The Sooners now have wins over both Auburn and Michigan this year and that defense just might propel them to the upper echelon of the SEC.

Iowa 38  Rutgers 28:  Iowa scored 38 points in one game?  In the past, that would have been 3 week’s worth of scoring for the Hawkeyes …

 

NCAA Games of Interest This Week:

 

There are five games on the card for this week that should be entertaining, and they could well be important for some late-season rankings and decisions:

1. Oregon at Penn State
2. Alabama at Georgia
3. LSU at Ole Miss
4. Auburn at Texas A&M
5. Ohio State at Washington

I am happy to report that I could only find one outrageous spread of 5 TDs or more this week:

• UMass at Missouri – 44.5

(Fri Nite) Florida St. – 6.5 at UVa (60):  The Seminoles have looked very good so far in 2025 but Virginia seems to have found some offensive players who can move the ball and puncture the goal line more than once in a great while.  This should be a good game.

(Fri Nite) Houston – 13 at Oregon St. (47):  Oregon St. is winless so far in 2025 …

Memphis – 13.5 at Florida Atlantic (63):  Memphis is undefeated so far in 2025 …

Notre Dame – 4 at Arkansas (64):  The Irish have already lost two games this year; they cannot afford another one here.  Arkansas lost at home last week to Memphis.  Both teams need a win here.

Indiana – 8.5 at Iowa (48):  I doubt the Hoosiers will score 60+ on the Iowa defense and I doubt that Iowa will score almost 40 points against the Indiana defense.  The Hoosiers will probably need to break a sweat for the first time this year in this game.  Iowa is at home, and they are getting more than a TD-worth of points and they have a solid defense; that is a signal to me to pick the Hawkeyes plus the points; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Georgia Tech – 14 at Wake Forest (52):  My “sleeper team” is looking to go 5-0 for the season …

New Mexico St. at New Mexico – 13.5 (54.5):  Usually this is a game between two miserable teams, but both have begun 2025 surprisingly well.

• New Mexico is 2-1 with a 35-0 win over UCLA and the loss was to Michigan
• New Mexico St. is also 2-1 with the loss coming against Texas A&M

Rice at Navy – 14 (45):   Rice is 3-1 with the loss coming at the hands of Houston – – not much of a surprise.  Navy is 3-0 in 2025.  This is an AAC game that could be important down the road.

Tennessee – 7.5 at Mississippi St (64):  The Vols already have a conference loss; they do not need another one here.  Mississippi St. is undefeated in 2025, but this is their first SEC contest.

Baylor – 20 at Oklahoma St (58):  Welcome to the Interim/New coaching regime in Stillwater …

LSU at Ole Miss – 2 (55):  Both teams are 4-0 in 2025.  This is a big game for both sides.

USC – 5.5 at Illinois (60:  I wonder how much of a hangover the Illini will have after the epic beatdown they took last week at the hands of Indiana (see above).  USC is not the national powerhouse it used to be, but I think they can go on the road and handle a wobbling Illinois team that was clearly overrated last week; I’ll take the Trojans on the road and lay the points; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Auburn at Texas A&M – 6 (52):  Auburn is 3-1, but the loss was a conference loss to Oklahoma last week (see above).  The Aggies are undefeated so far, but this is their first SEC game.  This too is a big game for both sides.

Oregon at Penn St. – 3 (52):  This is my College Game of the Week.  The Ducks are 4-0; the Nittany Lions are 3-0.  The Ducks are ranked fifth in the nation; the Lions are ranked second in the nation.

Alabama at Georgia – 3 (52):  This was my runner-up for College Game of the Week.  Neither team has had a conference loss so far in 2025 – – but one of them will come Sunday morning.  I had difficulty deciding how to pick this game, but I finally decided to take the game to go OVER 52; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Ohio St. – 8 at Washington (52):  Both teams are 3-0 in 2025.  Neither has played a conference game so far.

 

NFL Commentary:

 

            I know is it still September and I know there is still a whole lot of NFL football to be played.  But as I was ruminating on last week’s results, the first thing that hit me was that “The Big Apple” teams for this year may just turn out to be “The Big Rotten Apples”.  But before I decided to dump on the Giants and the Jets, I looked at the standings and recognized that there are other teams that remain winless at this point who are in similar dire straits; call them the Sad Sack Six.  Let me take them alphabetically:

• Dolphins:  The Dolphins are 0-3, and I believe that the next month will make or break the season for the team.  Here are the next four games on the schedule:
  • • Vs Jets
    • At Panthers
    • Vs Chargers
    • At Browns
• The Dolphins need to win 3 of those 4 games lest their season become a steaming hot mess by Halloween.  The defense has been bad thus far; the Dolphins have given up more points (97) in the first three games than any other team in the NFL.  The narrative here is that coach Mike McDaniel has either “lost the locker room” or “is in the process of losing the locker room”.  The best way to avoid those sorts of situations is to stop losing games on the field and to put some marks in the win column.  We shall see …
• Giants:  Yes, they marched up and down the field on the Cowboys even though they lost, but the offense has been horrid in the other two games.  The Giants’ front seven on defense is very good which is an indictment on the secondary because the DBs are getting beaten even with a solid run defense and a good pass rush.  The “problem” here is more than switching in Jaxson Dart for Russell Wilson.  The folks who construct the roster have been AWOL recently:
  • • They let Saquon Barkley walk for no compensation and all he did was to post a 2000+ yard season rushing leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl win.
    • They paid Daniel Jones “starting QB money” only to release him so he could sign on with the Colts where he has led the team to a 3-0 start.
    • They have failed to assemble an OL that can be labeled as “marginally competent”.
• The Giants are 0-3 now; their BYE Week is in the week of December 7^th; their record at that point could be as bad as 3-10.
• Jets:   The Jets’ offense is generally overmatched.  Breece Hall is a good – not great – running back and Garrett Wilson is a good – not great – wideout.  That’s about it; maybe some day Justin Fields will become a good – not great – QB but that is in the future if it is to be at all.  The Jets’ defense is the better unit, and it is no prize.  In their three losses, the Jets have given up an average of 31 points per game to the likes of the Steelers, Bills and Bucs.  What could make people think this team is better than reality is that it plays in the AFC East where even a mediocre team can finish second in the standings.
• Saints:  The roster is old and overpaid.  Other teams simply have more talent.  Can the Saints’ braintrust find a few bargain basement roster add-ons to salvage some wins this year?  I doubt it; but hope springs eternal …  Kellen Moore is in his first head coaching gig in the NFL, so he probably makes a lower tier salary and has a deal of 4 or 5 years in length (specifics of his contract have not been revealed).  Here is my advice to Kellen Moore:
  • • Through no fault of your own, you will probably be fired before the contract is up.  They will have to pay you a total of at least $20M for your trouble.  Invest it wisely…
• Texans:  Sorry, but the biggest problem here seems patently obvious to me.  The Texans OL is as bad this year as it was last year, but the excellent defensive unit has not been able to bail out the offense so far in 2025.  Look, Nick Chubb is a solid running back – – when the OL opens holes for him.  CJ Stroud is a competent QB – when he is not running for his life or staring up at the sky with two or three defenders laying on top of him.  Nico Collins is a top shelf WR – who can only catch the ball when CJ Stroud is upright and able to throw it.  Overarching all of that is the fact that the Texans OL is overwhelmed on far too high a percentage of the team’s offensive snaps.  The Texans are 0-3 and are looking around in the usually soft AFC South only to find the Colts at 3-0; this is a bad omen …
• Titans:  The good news here is that no one expected this team to be any good in 2025, so the fan disappointment is tempered to some extent.  Unfortunately, that is all the good news I can conjure up here.  The Titans are undermanned; if they don’t find ways to protect Cam Ward better, they are going to lose him to injury the same way they did with Will Levis.  Yes, the schedule has been tough for the team opening the season against the Broncos, Rams and Colts but the eyeball test says that the Titans are nowhere near those teams in competency measures.  Brian Callahan is in his second year as the head coach there and his record is 3-17 …

Here are some comments on last week’s games; there were a few shockers in the mix:

Lions 38  Ravens 30:  Fears that the Lions were faltering without their two coordinators from last year may have been overblown.  The Lions had 426 yards of Total Offense and 224 yards rushing averaging 6.2 yards per carry.  Or … is the Ravens’ defense not very good?

Panthers 30  Falcons 0:  Here is the essence of my thinking on this game:

• WTF?
• The Falcons outgained the Panthers by more than 100 yards and lost by 30 points?
• The Falcons averaged 5.0 yards per play, and the Panthers averaged only 4 yards per play and the Falcons lost by 30 points?
• Michael Penix Jr. had a bad day with 2 INTs, but did it make sense to pull him with about 10 minutes left in the game?
• He’s supposed to be the “QB of the Future” … no?

The Falcons did not cross the Panthers’ 30-yard-line in the game.  After the game, the Falcons fired receiver coach Ike Hilliard. In three games, the Falcons have failed to complete a TD pass to a wide receiver or a running back.

• WTF?

Jags 17  Texans 10:  The defending AFC South division champions are 0-3 to start the 2025 season.  The Texans have failed to score 20 points in any game so far.  Fielding a tough defense is a great asset – – but you have to score a bit too…

Vikes 48  Bengals 10:  The Vikes played their backup QB – – Carson Wentz – – in this game.  The Bengals Total Offense was 171 yards, and they too started a backup QB – – Jake Browning.  With Joe Burrow on the shelf for at least several months, Browning is probably “The Guy” in Cincy because the other QBs on the roster or on the practice squad are:

• Sean Clifford
• Brent Rypien
• Mike White

Isiah Rodgers scored two defensive TDs in the first half of the game.  One was a Pick Six and the other was a scoop-and-score.

Colts 41  Titans 20:  The Daniel Jones victory tour rolls on as Giants’ fans seethe.  His stat line was very efficient in this game:

• 18 of 25 for 228 yards with 1 TD and 0 INTs.

Jonathan Taylor had an offensive outburst here rushing for 102 yards and 3 TDs on only 17 carries.

Bucs 29  Jets 27:  At the start of the 4^th quarter, the Bucs led 23-6.  The Jets rallied for 3 TDs in the 4^th quarter to take the lead at 27-26 only to give up a field goal with 3 seconds left on the clock to lose the game.  The Jets remain winless; the Bucs remain undefeated.  Now, compare that situation with the next game.

Eagles 33  Rams 26:  The Rams had a commanding 26-7 lead early in the third quarter of this game.  The Eagles rallied for 3 TDs to take a 27-26 lead in the game.  With only seconds remaining on the clock, the Rams had a short field goal try blocked and returned for a meaningless score.  It is almost as if the football gods arranged for this juxtaposition…

Steelers 21  Pats 14:  The Pats outgained the Steelers by 165 yards – – and lost the game.  The Pats committed 5 turnovers – – they lost four fumbles and two of those fumbles came inside the Steelers’ 5-yardline.   That is how you come out on the short end of the stick despite dominating the stat sheet.

Commanders 41  Raiders 24:  The Raiders are not a good football team; their offensive line is – – offensive.  Jayden Daniels did not play in the game and the Commanders still put up 40+ on the board.

Browns 13  Packers 10:  The Browns’ defense is elite.  Nevertheless, this is a shocking outcome.  Two weeks ago, the Packers pushed the Commanders’ defense around; here the Packers amassed the puny total of 230 yards on offense for the day – – and they lost.

The Packers were called for 14 penalties in the game and that was certainly not helpful.

• The Packers had a 10-point lead with four minutes to play against one of the worst teams in football … and lost.
• Jordan Love threw a terrible interception late in the game and then the Packers had a game-winning field goal try blocked.
• The Packers are too good a team to lose a game to the Browns.  The Packers are too good a team to hold a 10-0 lead with 4 minutes left in the game only to lose the game in OT.

Chargers 23  Broncos 20:  The Chargers outgained the Broncos by over 100 yards in this game – – and needed a field goal with 3 seconds left in the game to eke out a win.  The Chargers now have a two-game lead over both the Chiefs and the Broncos.

Seahawks 44  Saints 13:  The stat sheet would have you believe this was a close game; it was not.  The score at halftime was 38-6.

Niners 16  Cards 15:  Here is another game where a field goal at the end was definitive.  Niners trailed 15-13 with 4 seconds to play and hit a 35-yard field goal to win the game.  Mac Jones was impressive stepping in for an injured Brock Purdy; here is Jones’ stat line;

• 27 of 41 for 284 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT

Bears 31  Cowboys 14:  Caleb Williams threw 4 TDs and had four completions of at least 30 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown to rookie WR, Luther Burden III, on a flea flicker.  What was the bigger surprise?

• Bears scoring 31 points or
• Bears holding the Cowboys scoreless in the second half?

The Cowboys’ defense is bad.  As noted elsewhere, the Raiders offense and offensive line are also bad.  Those two teams will meet on MNF Nov 17^th.  That game could be described as the easily moved object facing off against the gentle breeze.  Circle the date on your calendar …

Chiefs 22  Giants 9:  The Giants’ front 7 on defense is very good.  I have now said just about everything I can think of to say about the Giants that is positive.

Bills 31  Dolphins 21:  Josh Allen was not Superman in this game; he was more like an efficiency expert at the QB position:

• 22 of 28 for 213 yards with 3 TDs and 0 INTs
• Oh, and he ran 4 times for 25  yards too …

 

NFL Games This Week:

 

This week starts the “International Games” for the NFL 2025 regular season.  The Steelers and Vikes play in Dublin, Ireland on Sunday such that the game starts at 0930.  The game will be played in Croke Park which is about 5 miles from where The FOG and his parents reside.

Here is an “exclusive report” from the parents of The FOG:

“As the Steelers arrived at Terminal 2 of Dublin International Airport, they were greeted with Irish Dancers and an outrageous number of black and gold balloons.”

Back to you in Curmudgeon Central …

One observation as I looked through the odds for this week …  The Total Line on some games varies significantly from sportsbook to sportsbook.  For some reason it seems that the range of Total Lines is bigger than usual – – and I have no explanation as to what might be causing that.

(Sun Morning) Vikes – 2.5 vs Steelers (41) Game is in Dublin:  The spread for this game opened with the Steelers as a 1-point favorite.  Maybe the bettors who follow trends have latched onto this one:

• Vikes are 4-0 in International Games

I think the game boils down to something very simple.  The Vikes’ defense should be able to control the Steelers offense to the point that 25 points by the Vikes’ offense can win the game.  For the second week in a row, Carson Wentz will start for the Vikes.  Kevin O’Connell’s reputation is that he can take QBs thought to be “retreads at best” and make them productive.  Can he do that again with Carson Wentz?  Can Wentz and Company score 25 points here?

Eagles – 3.5 at Bucs (44):  This is the Game of the Week.  Both teams are undefeated; both teams were playoff teams last season.  The Eagles do not play well in Tampa; there must be something about the latitude and longitude of the stadium there that they don’t resonate with.  But the Bucs are down two starting offensive linemen, and Mike Evans will not play with a hamstring injury.  Given the propensity for both teams to pull out game late on the clock, this one should go down to the final two minutes.

Saints at Bills – 15 (48):  One sportsbook has the Total Line at 48.5 and another has it all the way down to 46 points.  Once in a while, that sort of difference appears momentarily early in the week, but not on Fridays.  As noted above, this is a weird week for Total Lines.  As far as the game is concerned, a Saints’ win would be an even bigger shock than the Packers’ loss to the Browns last week.

Panthers at Pats – 5 (42.5):  Here is another strange set of Total Line listings; the range I found this morning was from 40.5 to 43 points.  And those lines are down from an opening of 45.5 points.  Clearly, the oddsmakers do not expect another Panthers’ domination this week.  Surely, the Pats will not turn the ball over 5 times again this week…

Commanders – 1 at Falcons (44):  The Total Line can be found just about anywhere between 43 and 45.5 points this morning.  This game is a pile of QB Question Marks:

• Can Jayden Daniels play this week?
• Can Marcus Mariota string together two straight strong performances?
• Can Michael Penix, Jr. rebound from two consecutive stinkers?
• Can the Falcons really want to try to send Kirk Cousins to the rescue?

Browns at Lions – 10 (44):  The Lions looked great beating the Ravens on Monday night, but I think the Browns’ defense is too good to be pushed around for more than 400 yards and 38 points.  At the same time, I doubt the Browns’ offense can do what the Ravens did on Monday and score 30 points on the Lions’ defense.

Titans at Texans – 7.5 (38.5):  This could have been the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  Both teams are winless; both teams are in the AFC South, meaning that one of them will suffer their second division loss already in the 2025 season.

Chargers – 6 at Giants (42):  The Total Lines here vary this morning from 41.5 points to 43.5 points – – down from 45.5 points earlier this week.  I think Jaxson Dart gets a Baptism of Fire this week from the blitzing Chargers’ defense.  Normally in what I think will be a low-scoring game, I like to take points, but I am going to take a different tack here.  I like the Chargers to win and cover even about 3,000 miles from home; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Jags at Niners – 3 (47):  Usually when a team is like a M*A*S*H unit, they do not enter a game undefeated as is the case with the Niners.

Colts at Rams – 3.5 (50):  I thought about this briefly as the Game of the Week but I think the main angle for this game comes down to how the Rams react/recover from the gut punch last-second loss to the Eagles last week.  Another consideration is that the Rams – – playing to their pedigree – are significantly better than two of the three teams the Colts dominated (Dolphins and Titans) to get to a 3-0 record.

Bears at Raiders – 1 (48):  This is the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  This is an interconference game featuring two teams that hope by the end of the season to be considered “mediocre”.

Ravens – 2.5 at Chiefs (48):  This was my runner-up for the Game of the Week because both teams are playoff aspirants that opened the season with 1-2 records.  Neither team has looked much like previous iterations of those squads so far in 2025.

• The Chiefs offense is anemic; it used to be fearsome.
• The Ravens defense looks ordinary; defense used to be their calling card.

Here are some trends related to this game if that floats your boat:

• Patrick Mahomes is 12-3-1 against the spread as an underdog in his career.
• Patrick Mahomes is 5-1 straight up against Lamar Jackson

(Sun Nite) Packers – 6.5 at Cowboys (47):  It’s the Micah Parsons/Jerry Jones reunion.  Hi-ho!  Much more important is the questionable status of CeeDee Lamb who suffered a high ankle sprain in last week’s loss to the Bears.  When the Cowboys traded Parsons, they did severe damage to their ability to rush the passer.  That is not a good thing from any perspective but when the DBs on the squad also lack the ability to cover a mattress with a blanket, the result is a defense that stops no one.  If the Packers come out angry and stomp on the gas pedal all night long, this could be embarrassing on national TV.  Except, I’m not sure anything could embarrass Jerry Jones…  Give me the Packers here on a rebound game to win and cover; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

(MNF 7:15 ET) Jets at Dolphins – 3 (45.5):  The Total Line here can be found at all stops between 44.5 and 46.5 this morning.  The reason this is not the Dog-Breath Game of the Week is that it is a division game even though both teams are winless.  The Dolphins have already lost two division games; the Jets have only lost one.

(MNF 8:15 ET) Bengals at Broncos – 7.5 (44):  The Broncos’ defense is very good; if they study last week’s Bengals’ debacle against the Vikes, this game might get out of hand early.

So let me review this week’s “Betting Bundle”:

1. USC – 5.5 over Illinois
2. Iowa +8.5 against Indiana
3. Alabama/Georgia OVER 52
4. Packers – 6.5 over Cowboys
5. Chargers – 6 over Giants

And just for fun, here are three Money Line Parlays:

• Florida St. @ minus 240
• USC @ minus-240                 $100 wager to win $100.

And …

• Bucs @ +165
• Broncos @ Minus 400          $100 wager to win $231.

And

• Pats @ minus-210
• Rams @ minus-180               $100 wager to win $130.

Finally, when Marv Levy had the Bills in the Super Bowl, he was asked if that game was a “must win”:

“This is not a must win.  World War 2 was a must win.”

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

 

 

Sports creates icons.  Most of the icons are for on-field/on-court accomplishments or antics; some icons are in the broadcasting booth some icons are mascots or fans who perform “above and beyond the norm”.  And then, there is Sister Jean.

Sister Jean was an Internet sensation back in the Spring of 2018 when Loyola-Chicago made it to the Final Four in March Madness; Sister Jean was a 98-year-old nun who was the team’s chaplain and mentor to the players and she became as much of a personality in that year as any player on the team that made the run to the Final Four.  [Aside:  Few if any folks thought Loyola-Chicago was a Final Four threat that year; they were seeded 11^th in their bracket.]

The Ramblers have not duplicated the same on-court success since that run in 2018, but Sister Jean continued to be a recognized figure.  If Loyola was playing, she was there to root on her young favorites.  Back in the Spring, Sister Jean was not “in the house” when Loyola was in the NIT raising apprehension for her health.  Yesterday came an announcement that Sister Jean – – now 106 years old – – “retired at the age of 106, ending more than six decades of service to the university and its students.”  The university President said in a statement:

“While Sister Jean is no longer able to be physically present on campus, she remains a beloved friend, trusted adviser and loyal Rambler — cheering for our teams and praying for us all daily.”

Bonne chance, Sister Jean.

Moving on …  Fans of the NY Giants will get their wish this week; Brian Daboll announced that he has decided to start rookie QB, Jaxson Dart against the Chargers this weekend.  Here is what I had to say about Jaxson Dart in my “Pre-Draft Analysis” back on April 21, 2025:

“Jaxson Dart – Ole Miss: “Big, strong and can throw the deep ball very well”.  Frankly, he might be the best pro QB from this year’s crop.  “First round pick.”

Indeed, the Giants got him with the 25^th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft which I consider to be a great value pick for the team given its need at the position.  Moreover, he played well enough in the meaningless Exhibition Games to create what is almost a cult of the fan base around his very existence.  With the Giants record at 0-3, the coach is ready to try anything…

Go back and read what I said in April about Jaxson Dart.  I am NOT a hater; I am not on record with anything that would indicate that I wish for him to fail.  And because I have no reason to want to see him fail, that is exactly why I think that starting him this week is risky business.

• The opponent this weekend will be the undefeated LA Chargers.  The Chargers’ defense has been violent and effective.  They play a more sophisticated brand of defense than the “plain vanilla” sort of defense that Jaxson Dart saw in the Exhibition Games.  The only plus that I see is that this is a home game for the Giants where the fans will be supportive and the Chargers will be adjusting to a 3-hour jet lag situation.
• If the Giants would only wait one week, the next opponent would be the winless Saints.  Yes, that would be a road game; but the opponent is far more likely to be “beatable” and the Giants’ fans want their new hero to be a “winner” and not another “loser”.
• If the idea is to expose Jaxson Dart to a “trial by fire” then wait for two weeks and throw him into a schedule that has him facing the Eagles, the Broncos, the Eagles again and the Niners in the “month” between October 9 and November 2.

Switching gears …  I read a report that the Browns victory over the Packers last week was more lucrative for myriad sportsbooks than it was for the Browns’ roster.  According to the report I read, the Packers attracted the most money in terms of Money Line bets in the history of betting stats; the report said that just over $1.1B was riding on a Packers’ victory – – which never came to pass.  Add to that revenue falling into the laps of the sportsbooks the fact that more than 75% of the money wagered on the game involving the spread had the Packers covering  8 points – – which obviously never happened.

Packers’ fans were distraught at the result; Browns’ fans were over the moon with the result; the sportsbooks breathed a sigh of relief and went to check their bank balances with smiles on their faces.

Finally, think about this advice from Laurence Peter – – “inventor” of the “Peter Principle”:

“If two wrongs don’t make a right, try three.”

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

 

 

About 3,000 years ago, Heraclitus of Ephesus left us with these words:

“The only constant in life is change.”

Sports as we know them today were not around when Heraclitus was philosophizing, but somewhere in the cosmos, he may be observing the sports world and thinking, “I told them so,” back in the day.

Let me start with MLB, which is an institution that has only recently acknowledged that change might be beneficial.  It took years to overcome the entrenched thinking that had pervaded baseball and allowed for minor league “experimentation” with a pitch clock.  And what a blessing that turned out to be.  Now, MLB has announced that it will institute a challenge system for balls and strikes in the major leagues starting in 2026.  Most folks are referring to this change as the arrival of “roboumps”; there is reason to think along those lines since the challenge system will rely on technology to resolve any and all challenges that arise.

Here is the outline of how it will work – – at first.  Remember, change is constant so even the milieu of roboumps is necessarily in flux:

• There will still be home plate umpires calling balls and strikes.
• Each team will be allowed to challenge up to two calls per game by the home plate umpire.  [Aside:  Most reports say teams will get “additional challenges” in extra-inning games, but one report said that additional challenges was still “TBD”.  Stay tuned …]
• Challenges will be resolved by a sophisticated camera/tracking system and the results of the pitch that was challenged will be shown on the big-screen scoreboard – – and on TVs at home – – so there is no mystery about robotic judgment.
• Only the pitcher, catcher or batter may initiate the challenge – – but fear not, the managers will insert themselves into that decision making process posthaste.

Baseball has been testing this system in the minor leagues since 2019.  It has been used at the Triple A level for about a year and a half and seems to have reduced the number of protests and ejections that come from disputes on ball/strike calls.  From my perspective, that is a benefit in and of itself.  Baseball rhubarbs come to naught; no matter how much arguing and gesticulating the plaintiff produces, the umpire’s decision is going to stand; the plaintiff there has as much chance of winning as Wile E. Coyote has of catching the Roadrunner.

I read one stat that said even with the tech for roboumps in place even when not used or when calls are not challenged, human umpires get about 95% of the ball/strike calls right.  As a former official – – basketball mainly and not baseball – – I am comfortable with that level of human error in the adjudication processes.  If a baseball game involves 250 pitches, a 5% error rate means only 12 or 13 “mistakes” were made; I can live with that.

However, when I used to watch a game and learned that Angel Hernandez would be the home plate umpire, I immediately adjusted my thinking and expected not only for the error rate to be above 5% but that at least a couple of calls would be outrageous.  So, in that memory, I will always call the roboump, “Angel” because that is who the roboump is replacing.

But wait; there’s more …

The Canadian Football League (CFL) announced yesterday changes to its game that were described as “bold” with the intent to “increase entertainment and innovation.”  In making the announcement, the CFL Commissioner, Stewart Johnston said:

“I commend the Board of Governors for its unwavering commitment to a culture of constant improvement.”

Is Heraclitus of Ephesus on the Board of Governors?

The changes will be phased in over the next two seasons.  Here are the 2026 changes:

• Change the way a point is awarded for a rouge or a single such that a game cannot be decided by a missed field goal or a punt that goes out of the end zone.  A rouge, also known as a single, is one point awarded to a kicking team if a punt or missed field goal goes  into the defenders’ end zone and is not returned out of that end zone.
• A 35-second play clock will automatically begin as soon as the previous play ends with a whistle. Currently, a 20-second play clock does not start until it is manually started by the referee. This change removes ambiguity and inconsistency in timing decisions.

The changes for 2027 are much more significant:

• The field will be shortened from 110 yards to 100 yards.
• The end zones will be reduced from 20 yards to 15 yards
• The goal posts will be moved to the back of the end zones instead of being on the goal lines.  [Aside: That must be at least partially a tip of the hat to player safety.]

I agree that the changes are bold and innovative; the CFL game is already entertaining and exciting; these rules will open more scoring possibilities and encourage teams to “go for it” more often that trying a field goal or punting the ball out of the end zone to earn a point on a rouge.  Assuming that ESPN will continue to air some CFL games in 2026 and 2027, I will be interested to see how this changes the viewing experience.

Finally, let me close today with these thoughts about change:

“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.”  [Harold Wilson]

And …

“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”  Woodrow Wilson]

And …

“A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.”  [Winston Churchill]

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

 

 

Yesterday, I mentioned the importance of plenty of American League games in this last week of the MLB regular season given the playoff slots there up for grabs.  Not wanting anyone to think that the National League playoff situation is cut and dried, let me take a parallel look at the situation there:

• Brewers           95-62   Clinched the Central Division
• Phillies            92-64   Clinched the East Division
• Dodgers          88-68   Clinched a playoff spot somewhere

That may give the impression of “Ho-hum…” to the National League situation, but the wildcard race there has multiple possibilities:

• Cubs                88-68   Clinched a playoff spot somewhere
• Padres             86-71   Clinched a playoff spot somewhere – – and here the fun begins …
• Reds                80-76
• Mets                80-76
• D-Backs          79-77
• Cards              77-80
• Giants              77-80

Only one National League playoff slot is still in doubt with five teams still “in the mix”.

Moving on …  Last Sunday was September 21, 2025, and on that day, there was a highly unusual happenstance in the Eagles/Rams game.  The Eagles won the game 33-26 rallying from a 26-7 deficit to win the game.  Twice in the fourth quarter, the Rams lined up to kick a field goal.  Jalen Carter blocked the first try in the middle of the fourth quarter; then, with only seconds left on the clock and the Eagles leading 27-26, Jordan Davis blocked the second field goal try, scooped it up and ran 60 yards for a TD to seal the win.

I have been unable to find a time when an NFL team blocked two field goals in the same quarter of a regular season game, but I will admit that my data mining skills are not exactly “world renowned”.  However, I did run across an interesting coincidence:

• The Eagles blocked two field goal attempts in Sunday’s game on 9/21/25.
• Exactly 50 years to the day before that, the Eagles blocked two field goal attempts against the Giants on 9/21/75.
• In the 1975 game, both field goal blocks were accomplished by Bill Bergey.
• Unlike Sunday’s win over the Rams, the Eagles lost the game in 1975 by a score of 23-14.

Switching gears …  Auburn head basketball coach, Bruce Pearl, “abruptly” resigned yesterday and his son Steven will take over the job there.  The idea of a successful coach “retiring” proximal to the opening of a season in order to have a specific person inherit the position is not unknown and these events could easily be explained in that milieu.  However, there may be a wrinkle here:

• Rumors say that Bruce Pearl may be contemplating a run for the US Senate seat now held by Tommy Tuberville who was once the head football coach at Auburn.
• Tuberville is not going to stand for re-election to the Senate.  He is going to run for Governor of Alabama in 2026.

For now, Bruce Pearl has debunked the rumors simply saying that he resigned simply because it was time for him to do so.  Nonetheless, the rumors persist …

Finally, after noting the coincidence of the Eagles blocking two field goals in a game exactly 50 years apart, let me close with this from Albert Einstein:

“Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”

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

 

 

Sometimes I get asked if it is difficult for me to find events about which there is a “curmudgeonly element” so that I have something to rant about here.  Indeed, there are some sparse periods; and when I find myself in the throes of such a time, I tend to venture out into sports that I normally do not follow as closely as some others.  I feel in those times like a member of a hunter-gatherer clan searching in the wilderness of sports for a morsel here and a nugget there.  Such was the case last week and I turned to the sport of golf for some reading.

And that is how I found an item from about two weeks ago.  It was on CBSSports.com which is a site that I check routinely but it was buried on the “Golf Page” that I rarely if ever check.  And that is where I learned that the PGA’s Champions Tour – – the one that used to be called the Seniors Tour – – had an event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  That tournament was contested at the Minnehaha Country Club and the 12^th hole at that course is described as par 5 with a water hazard.  John Daly was a contestant in that Sioux Falls tournament and he managed to shoot a 19 on that hole alone.  Here is how it was described at CBSSports.com:

“The course does not have a laser system to record shots, but shot-by-shot details state Daly deposited seven balls into the hazard. He finally cleared the water and got up and down from the intermediate rough for his 19. He officially signed for an 18-over 88, nine shots worse than the next lowest standing player. For those keeping score at home, that means Daly played the other 17 holes in 4-over par … Daly’s performance broke a three-way tie for highest score on a single hole, most recently achieved by Bruce Crampton, dating back to the 1996 Grand Rapids Open.”

At the least, you have to give John Daly points for his persistence there …

Moving on … Cal Raleigh is not getting nearly as much acclaim as he deserves. The catcher for the Mariners is breaking records left and right but does not seem to be a part of the major sports narrative these days.

• Weeks ago, he broke the record for home runs by a catcher (Johnny Bench)
• Last week, he broke the record for home runs by a switch hitter (Mickey Mantle)
• Last week he broke the record for home runs in Mariner history (Ken Griffey, Jr.)

Just being on a list with those three players is impressive enough; being someone who broke records set by those three players is more than merely impressive.  So, can he break the record for most home runs in a single season in the American League?  Here is the math

• Aaron Judge – – 62 home runs in 2022 for the Yankees
• Roger Maris – – 61 home runs in 1961 for the Yankees
• Babe Ruth – – 60 home runs in 1927 for the Yankees
• Babe Ruth – – 59 home runs in 1921 for the Yankees
• Cal Raleigh – – 58 home runs in 2025 for the Mariners – – and counting …

The Mariners have 6 games left to play in this season; every added “dinger” by Raleigh will move him up a notch on that list.  Once again, Raleigh is in contact with historic MLB figures and that list of impressive players is even larger when you add in three other AL players who hit 58 home runs in a season:

• Aaron Judge – – 58 home runs in 2024 for the Yankees
• Hank Greenberg – – 58 home runs in 1938 for the Tigers
• Jimmy Foxx – – 58 home runs in 1932 for the A’s.

As of this morning, the Mariners hold a three-game lead over the Astros in the AL West thanks to a series sweep of the Astros over the weekend.  In the AL, only the Blue Jays have guaranteed themselves a playoff slot this year.  The races for the division and for the wild card slots look as if they could go down to the last day or two of the season:

The current division leaders in the AL are:

• Jays                 90-66
• Mariners          87-69
• Tigers              85-71

It is good to be in the lead this late in the season, but there are four teams vying for only three wild card slots that are close enough to the division leaders to give some pause:

• Yankees          88-68
• Red Sox          85-71
• Guardians       84-72
• Astros              84-72

There should be plenty of drama in the final week of the MLB regular season in the American League playoff chase – – and if you add in the potential record-setting potential for Cal Raleigh, there is plenty of reason to check out the Mariners’ box scores specifically.

Finally, even though Bob Knight is most associated with basketball, he did have this curmudgeonly perspective on hitting home runs:

“I watched the guy that hits a home run, and he comes across the plate and he points skyward, like thanking for the help from the Almighty to hit the home run. And as he does that, I say to myself, ‘God screwed the pitcher.’ And I don’t know how else you look at it.”

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