The Sports Curmudgeon

When teams go through seasons that are “hugely disappointing” and/or “brutally incompetent”, there is often a coach-firing event during the season or a nanosecond after the final whistle of the final game.  In most cases, my position is that the problem might reside in the construction of the roster and not the shortcomings of the coaching staff.  Indeed, it is far more common for in-season coaching changes to produce what Wall Street commentators call the “dead cat bounce”.  On Wall Street that means the price of the stock of a company about to go belly-up plummets toward zero but along the way it has some upticks – – if you drop a dead cat, it will bounce a bit when it hits bottom but that is not going to save the company.

The Dallas Cowboys’ record in 2024 is 3-5-0; considering that the Cowboys’ leadership labeled the season as “all in” back around Labor Day, that is worse than “underachieving” or “disappointing”; that is simply “unacceptably bad”.  There will be no surprise here when the Cowboys make major changes once this season is in the books and try to move on to next year as another “all in season.”

There is an additional level of housecleaning necessary in Dallas; in fact, it has parallels to Greek mythology.  Recall one of Hercules’ twelve labors was to clean the Augean stables.  According to the myth, King Augeas’ stables had not been cleaned for 30 years even though it was home to thousands of oxen; Hercules achieved the cleaning by tearing holes in the walls and then diverting the flow of a nearby river through trenches he had dug for that purpose.  It is not clear from the myth how the people living downstream of the diverted river flow enjoyed their newfound riparian rights; I guess that is left to the readers’ imaginations.

The Dallas Cowboys need a similar cleansing; there are significant and obvious flaws in the construction of the roster in 2024; there just isn’t a lot of room to pretend that is not the case.  So, changing the coaching staff is cosmetic in the case of the Cowboys because the underlying problem is that the GM (Jerry Jones) is also the owner (Jerry Jones), and the owner is not going to fire the GM which would be the first step to charting a new course for the team.  To return to the Hercules myth, King Augeas did not tell Hercules how he had to clean those stables because if he constrained the problem sufficiently, Herc would not have been able to work his mythical powers.

Let me be very careful here to point out that there are boundaries on what I am going to say next:

• Jerry Jones suffers from a “syndrome” that was a hallmark of Danny Boy Snyder’s behavior whilst Snyder owned the Washington franchise.

I do NOT mean that Jones has engaged in the kinds of sleazy behaviors that have been alleged and reported on during the “Snyder Era” in Washington. What I mean here is that Danny Boy thought he knew a lot about football and what it took to build a champion; Snyder was an ”active participant” in the Draft and he once fired a coach because the coach chose not to start the QB that Snyder wanted him to.  For all the protests of thirsting to being a winner to DC, it was always clear to me that such an accomplishment would not be enough for Danny Boy; his team needed to win a Super Bowl in such a way that it was an accomplishment made possible directly through Snyder’s “football acumen”.  And the fact that kept getting in the way there was that Snyder’s “football acumen” was a mere drop in the river that Herc used to wash away all that bovine excrement in the Greek myth.

• Sound familiar to Cowboys’ fans yet?

The problem in Dallas is that it seems to be the only way to chart a new heading for the team must involve Owner Jones replacing GM Jones.  And that is not going to happen without GM Jones taking significant punishment to his ego for the shortage of his “football acumen”.  Remember, Jones had a falling out with Jimmy Johnson after Johnson won the Super Bowl twice with the Cowboys because, in part, Johnson was seen to be the architect of that accomplishment and not Jones.  That happened in 1994, which was 30 years ago, and which was the timespan over which the Augean Stables had not been cleaned.

• Coincidence?  You make the call …

Moving on …  Gregg Popovich is absent from the San Antonion Spurs’ bench at the moment with an “undisclosed health issue”.  Popovich is 75 years old and has had to miss some time on the bench; there was a similar circumstance where Popovich had to miss some time as the team coach due to health concerns a couple of years ago but the reports surrounding this “health issue” have a significantly darker tone than I recall from the previous incident.

ESPN’s Shams Charania said that there is “a great level of concern” related to the current situation and that the current issue is a “serious health issue”.  The only reporting on this subject that seems a bit encouraging to me is that Popovich is supposedly “at home and in good spirits” and that he has been in touch with his assistant coaches in addition to whatever medical folks are involved in his treatment.

Popovich has been the coach in San Antonio since 1996; his regular season record is 1388 – 821 for a win percentage of .628.

• Memo to Gregg Popovich:  Get well soon.  Then stay well.

Finally, let me close with this quote from Jerry Jones to suggest that he may not have as much “football acumen” as he thinks he does:

“This quarterback [Brandon] Weeden can drive the ball down field. He’s a thing of beauty on throwing a football. His passing motion and his arm, frankly, you won’t see a more gifted passer, power, accuracy, the entire aspect of it.”

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

 

 

The time has come for my quadrennial interlude.  Today is Election Day and it is important that every intelligent and informed citizen carries out their responsibility to vote.  My long-suffering wife and I voted last week in person at our local polling place to avoid any long lines at the polls; if you are registered and have not voted, please make time today to go and do so.

• I do not care for whom you vote; that is none of my business; you can choose vote for “my candidate” or “another candidate”; the important thing is that you vote.

And now back to our regularly scheduled ranting…

I want to focus today on a sports issue that relates to voting albeit not in any way similar in consequence to the Presidential election underway here.  I want to present to you some data and then ask a question about “voting” for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Here is a list of 8 coaches who are in the Hall of Fame for their accomplishments.  I will list them alphabetically with their win/loss record and win percentage appended.  Before I begin the list, let me note that these are not all the coaches in the Hall of Fame but that I do not believe that anyone would think that these guys slithered in through the cracks; I submit that all eight of these coaches are rightfully enshrined in Canton, OH:

1. Bill Cowher:   149 – 90 – 1    .623
2. Joe Gibbs:   154 – 94 – 0    .623
3. Sid Gillman:   122 – 99 – 7   .552
4. Bud Grant:   158 – 96 – 5   .621
5. Tom Landry:   250 – 152 – 6   .607
6. Chuck Noll:   193 – 148 – 1   .566
7. Hank Stram:   131 – 97 – 10   .574
8. Bill Walsh:   92 – 59 – 1   .603

            Before I present a candidate for the Hall of Fame and his coaching record, can we all agree that every coach on my list here belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Now let me offer up Candidate X for Hall of Fame consideration:

• Coach X was a head coach in the NFL for 4 different teams over a span of 21 seasons.
• Coach X posted a record of 200 – 126 – 1  winning percentage = .613
• Coach X never won a Super Bowl trophy – – but neither did Bud Grant or Sid Gillman on the list above.
• Coach X is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite his record fitting very comfortably in the range of records for those eight fully deserving coaches.

            So, who is this mystery coach who has been “denied his due”?  That is the coaching record of Marty Shottenheimer who was the head coach in Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego.  [Aside:  He is also the one and only head coach of the Washington franchise during the Daniel Snyder Era to come out of that experience without a losing record.  Joe Gibbs on the list of Hall of Fame coaches above could not do that.]

The only knock on Shottenheimer’s record that jumps out at me is his failure in the playoffs and his failure to win a Super Bowl.  However, his teams did make the playoffs 13 times in his 21 seasons at the helm and those were times before the playoffs expanded to 12 and 14 teams each year.  So, what’s the deal here?

• No, I do not believe that there is a mysterious cabal of Hall of Fame voters that has conspired to keep Marty Shottenheimer out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• No, I do not think there is some measure of “secret sordid circumstances” in his career or his life.
• I simply think he has been overlooked.

Finally, the motto of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is:

• Honor the Greatest of the Game.

The “numbers” here tell me that one of the “Greatest of the Game” has slipped into a crack.

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

 

 

Over the weekend, I ran across an image posted on Facebook – – as I recall – – of Randy Johnson about to release a pitch with the caption that this was one of his 413 strikeouts in a previous MLB season.  I thought to myself, “I don’t recall anyone ever striking out more than 400 batters in a season; if he did that there would have been a humongous hullabaloo and I would remember that.”  Thank you, Google.  It was not difficult to find a list of the MLB strikeout leaders by season and if you only consider the modern era – – post 1900 – – no pitcher ever struck out 400 batters in a season.  Nolan Ryan struck out 383 batters in the 1973 season and that is the modern era record for strikeouts in a season.

However, that search and the verification that the image I saw was “fake news” did produce something I did not know and something I find interesting; the top 12 season leading totals for strikeouts in a season has the following entries:

• Randy Johnson is on the list 5 times
• Nolan Ryan is on the list 4 times.
• The other three pitchers on the list are Sandy Koufax (1965), Bob Feller (1946) and Rube Waddell (1904).
• Gerritt Cole is the only active pitcher who comes close to this “Top 12”.  He is 14^th on the list having struck out 326 batters in 2019.

Sticking with MLB stuff for the moment, Bob Costas announced that he will end his career of broadcasting MLB games after four-plus decades behind the microphone.  His final game was the last one in the ALCS this year on TNT Sports.  Costas is 72 years old, and his “retirement” only applies to play-by-play broadcasting.  Costas will continue to be part of MLB network and will contribute to various studio programs on that network.  I have always enjoyed Costas on the radio and on TV going all the way back to his time with Tony Kubek about 35 years ago.

I am sorry to know he will not be doing play-by-play anymore because I always thought he was outstanding in that endeavor.  [Aside:  I know it is bordering on blasphemy to say so, but I preferred to hear Costas than Scully doing a game.]  However, I am glad to hear that he will still be involved with baseball communications on MLB Network and with some writing opportunities.

Have a great retirement, Good Sir.  You have earned it and thank you for good works…

One more historical baseball note today …  If you had a time machine – – like Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine – – you could set the date for July 2, 1963.  A baseball game that day between the San Francisco Giants and the Milwaukee Braves provided a spectacle that has not been seen since then.

• The starting pitchers were Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn.
• At the end of the 15^th inning, the score was tied 0-0 and both starting pitchers were still in the game.
• Marichal continued his shutout in the top of the 16^th inning.
• With one out in the bottom of the 16tth inning, Spahn gave up a home run to Willie Mays to end the game 1-0.
• Warren Spahn threw 201 pitches in this game.
• Juan Marichal threw 227 pitches in this game.

In current baseball, managers get the vapors when a starting pitcher approaches 100 pitches in a game and/or must go through the batting order for a third time.  According to the box score for that game, both pitchers went through the batting order 6 times and started on a seventh sojourn.  Those were different times…

And speaking of “different times” let me close today with a quote from President Teddy Roosevelt.  No US President would dare say this today:

“The reason fat men are so good natured is they can neither fight nor run.”

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

 

 

It has been an unusual end-of-summer/start-of-autumn here in Curmudgeon Central with travel commitments ranging from Namibia/South Africa to Hawaii to New York to Philly and healthcare situations involving my long-suffering wife making me a “caregiver” – – a role I am not accustomed to at all.  All of that has precluded my having the time to follow football nearly as closely as I have done in previous years; that is the reason for the lack of Football Fridays to date.  Looking at the rest of the football season, there will be one weekend spent at sportsbooks with the “Las Vegas Crowd” and there will be a visit from the Dublin part of the family at Christmas.  I should be able to work around those events at least to some extent meaning:

• Football Fridays are back!

So, let me begin by catching up on the Linfield University Wildcats and their pursuit of another football season with a record above .500; they have done that every season since 1956 save for 2020 when their football season was cancelled due to COVID.  I am happy to announce:

• The Wildcats’ record in 2024 is 6-1 and since they play a 10-game schedule, they have indeed achieved a record above .500 for yet another year.

Linfield plays in the Northwest Conference; the champion of that conference gets an invitation to the Division III playoffs.  Linfield is 4-0 in Northwest conference games and has dominated those 4 opponents to the tune of 230 points to 34 points.  This week the Wildcats are on the road to play Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR.  The Boxers bring a 3-4 record to the contest.  Go Wildcats!

I shall also check on my previously identified “sleeper team” in Division 1-A college football – – the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  As of this morning the Huskers ate 5-3 with two of those losses coming at the hands of perennial powerhouse Ohio State and the team that is probably the biggest surprise in college football, Indiana.  To achieve bowl-eligibility, Nebraska needs to find a win in one of their last four games which are:

• Vs. UCLA
• At USC
• Vs. Wisconsin
• At Iowa.

Go Huskers!

 

College Football Commentary:

 

Having mentioned Indiana above, let me say why they are probably the most surprising team in college football this year.  [Aside:  I know Vandy fans will claim this label for their team; their arguments are valid; hence, my label for Indiana as “probably the most surprising” …]  The Hoosiers’ recent role in Big-10 football has been to be a punching bag; the last time Indiana won the Big-10 was in 1967.  So far in 2024:

• Indiana is 8-0
• Indiana has outscored opponents 382 – 113.
• Indiana is second in the country in scoring offense
• Indiana is seventh in the country in scoring defense

The next three weeks will be challenging for Indiana:

• At Michigan State – – Sparty is 3-1 at home this year
• Vs. Michigan
• At Ohio State – – The Buckeyes are 5-0 at home this year.

If I have counted correctly, there are 8 undefeated teams left in Division 1-A:

1. Army – – Ranked 21^st with a 7-0 record
2. BYU – – Ranked 9^th with a record of 8-0
3. Indiana – – Ranked 13^th with a record of 8-0
4. Iowa St. – – Ranked 11^th with a record of 7-0
5. Miami – – Ranked 5^th with a record of 8-0
6. Oregon – – Ranked 1^st with a record of 8-0
7. Penn St. – – Ranked 3^rd with a record of 7-0
8. Pitt – – Ranked 18^th with a record of 7-0

I know that Deion Sanders is a controversy magnet, and I recognize that he is at least part huckster in his dealings with the public.  But you have to give him his due; he has been able to assemble and coach up a competent football team that was embarrassingly bad only two seasons ago.  The Buffaloes are 6-2 this year (bowl-eligible before Halloween) and they are 3-1 on the road.  Colorado has 4 games left and only one opponent (Texas Tech) has a winning record as of today.  It is possible – not likely but possible – that Colorado could finish with a 10-2 record after going 1-11 just two years ago.

When I said Indiana – – or maybe Vandy – – was the biggest surprise team in the country this year, I was focused on “positive surprises”.  Since that is not the norm here in Curmudgeon Central, let me take a moment and identify the biggest negative surprise for 2024 to date:

• The Florida State Seminoles

This is a blueblood program going back to the days of Bobby Bowden.  In the two seasons leading up to this one, the Seminoles’ combined record was 23-4.  As of this morning, Florida State carries a 1-7 record, and the one victory was over Cal by the score of 14-9.

• The Seminoles rank 131^st in the country in Total Offense
• The Seminoles rank 81^st in the country in Total Defense
• The Seminoles rank 112^th in the country in Sacks Allowed
• The Seminoles rank 81^st in the country in Penalties Assessed

Here are the last 4 games of the season for Florida State:

• Vs. UNC – – Tar Heels are 4-4 on the season – – a winnable game?
• At Notre Dame – – Irish are ranked #8 in the country
• Vs. Charleston Southern – – Lose this home game and beware of torches and pitchforks
• Vs. Florida – – Call this one the Underachievement Bowl

Here is an observation by Bobby Bowden that might apply to this year’s Seminoles’ team:

“To have the kind of year you want to have, something has to happen that you can’t explain why it happened. Something has to happen that you can’t coach.”

Let me review some of last week’s games:

Texas A&M 38  LSU 23:  The Aggies rallied in the second half to get this win.  The Aggies are undefeated in SEC games and lead the conference as of today.  They have a clear shot to the SEC Championship Game and a slot in the expanded CFP.  The Aggies’ final game of the season is on Nov 30^th when they host the Texas Longhorns.  Circle that game on your calendar…

Iowa 40  Northwestern 14:  That is the third time this year that Iowa has scored exactly 40 points in a game.  In recent years, it might have taken Iowa 12 quarters of football to amass 40 points.

Ohio St. 21  Nebraska 17:  The Buckeyes had to come from behind to win this one over my “sleeper team” for 2024…

Pitt 41  Syracuse 13:  Undefeated Pitt was a measly 3-9 last year so this is quite the turnaround.  An oddity in this game is that the Panthers had three Pick-Sixes; you don’t see that very often.

Alabama 34  Missouri 0:  This game was never close.  What started out as a promising season for Mizzou came up short last week.  That is their second conference loss putting 5 teams ahead of them in the SEC with fewer losses plus Alabama which owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Texas 27  Vandy 24:  Back in August, this looked almost like a BYE Week for the Longhorns, but they had to fight to win this battle.  I had not seen Vandy QB, Diego Pavia, play before last week; he has an unusual style that is very effective; if you get the chance to see Vandy play, he is worth watching.

Baylor 38  Oklahoma St. 28:  Believe it or not, Oklahoma St, is 0-5 in conference games.  Back in August there were folks who thought they were in the upper echelon of the conference teams.  As of today, the Cowboys are the only team in the Big 12 without a conference win.

Looking at the contenders for the Brothel Defense Award for 2024 – – the college defense that gets scored upon most easily – – here are the “Top 3”:

• Ball State gives up 40.4 points per game
• Utah State gives up 41.5 points per game
• Kent State gives up 46.6 points per game

That list is a sad “State” of affairs…  Sorry!

Next week, I will begin to winnow the list for my imaginary SHOE Tournament which – if ever implemented – would determine the worst team of the year by play on the field.  This week I only have a few preliminary observations:

• Kent State is the nation’s last winless team and is “leading” the pack for the Brothel Defense Award.  They are a heavy favorite to make the Tournament.
• Southern Miss not only loses; they lose big time.  If you only look at games against Division 1-A opponents, they lose by an average of 26 points per game.
• Kennesaw St. won its first game of the year last week beating previously unbeaten Liberty.  But they are still in “Tournament contention”.  That is the first time Kennesaw St. beat a Division 1-A team in school history.

 

NCAA Games of Interest this Week:

 

(Fri Nite) San Diego St at Boise St – 23.5 (57):  Boise St. looks as if it will be the Group of 5 entry into the CFP this year – – but they need to run the table…

Vandy at Auburn – 7 (48):  Let me be sure I understand this.  Vandy beat Alabama on the road and Vandy lost to Texas by a field goal last week.  And now Auburn is a full touchdown favorite this week …

Indiana – 8 at Michigan St (52):  The Hoosier Express keeps on keeping on …

UNC – 2 at Florida St. (48):  With a loss here, the Seminoles will be 1-8 and will be on the watch list for the SHOE Tournament.

Florida vs. Georgia – 16 (52.2):  The Gators need to find two more wins to become bowl-eligible.  This is not one of them.

Pitt at SMU – 7 (58):  The Panthers are undefeated so far in 2024 and are a full touchdown underdog here.

Navy – 11 at Rice (50):  Navy lost its first game of the year last week to Notre Dame.  Rice is 2-6 on the season and just fired their coach.  Hi ho …

UCLA at Nebraska – 6.5 (40):  My “sleeper team” is favored at home.  Go Huskers!

Oregon – 14 at Michigan (46):  The Ducks are ranked #1 in the country.  The Wolverines are 5-1 at home.  I gave this game consideration as the College Game of the Week.

Texas A&M – 3 at South Carolina (44):  A let-down game for the Aggies after beating LSU …?

Ohio St. – 3.5 at Penn St (45):  This is the College Game of the Week.  Ohio St is ranked #4 in the country and Penn St is ranked #3.

Wisconsin at Iowa – 3 (40):  This is not your father’s Iowa football team; Iowa has scored 40 points in three games so far this year (see above).  I have to take this game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

 

NFL Commentary:

 

As the NFL trade deadline approaches, there is some movement where playoff-hopeful teams try to add a piece or two to their rosters for a final push.  Bottom-dwellers hope to extract draft capital from those top teams in order to rebuild.  And then, there is this trade:

• Ravens get WR Diontae Johnson plus a 6tt round pick from Panthers
• Panthers get a 5^th round pick.

The Panthers are a bad team; their 6^th round pick is going to be at or near the top of Round 6.  Meanwhile, the Ravens are a top team and their 5^th round pick is going to be near the bottom of Round 5.  Just focus on that part of the trade; it is pretty much a “pick swap” that may only be separated by 3-5 picks deep into the third day of the draft.  From that perspective, why did the Panthers also give up their best WR in the deal?

I don’t know who the architect of the roster is in Carolina and who is pulling the strings, but that trade is a total mystery unless Johnson was such a humongous pain in the ass that it will be a benefit to the Panthers to have him reporting to work somewhere else.

The Panthers say they are going to start Bryce Young again this week and they plan to continue to develop him as their QB.  Good for them; I wish them well; Bryce Young seems like a nice person.  But someone must be there to catch the passes he throws and with Adam Thielen still on IR, here are the WRs on the Panthers’ roster:

1. Jalen Coker – – Rookie – – Holy Cross
2. Xavier Legette – – Rookie – – South Carolina
3. Jonathan Mingo – – Second year – – Ole Miss
4. David Moore – – Sixth year – – East Central (OK)

Surely you have seen the miraculous Hail Mary pass that ended the Commanders/Bears game last week.  I have four things to say about that play and that game outcome:

1. The play never should have happened.  The Bears gave away about 15 yards worth of real estate with 6 seconds on the clock on the previous snap allowing the Hail Mary play to be called in the first place.  Instead of guarding the sidelines to keep the clock running, the Bears dropped in coverage.  Bad defensive play calling!
2. The Commanders have had just about everything go right for them this year.  They are a good team and are seemingly in the good graces of the football gods.  Do NOT underestimate the power of such a combination.
3. I believe the Commanders will win the NFC East.
4. If anyone still believes that Jayden Daniels is a “work in progress” they need to rethink that position.

Nick Chubb returned for the Browns and gained 52 yards on 16 carries.  Not eye-popping numbers but given the severity of the knee injury that has kept him off the field for about a year, that was a good showing.  The Ravens lost to the Browns last week and their defensive secondary played terribly.  Far too many Browns’ receivers were running free with 5 yards of separation; in those situations where the defenders were around the ball, they tended to get both hands on it and then drop it.

The Cowboys lost to the Niners.  I think the important message there – – in addition to the fact that the Cowboys’ defense was once again not up to the job – – is that the Cowboys’ offense is almost a singularity.  Dak Prescott targeted CeeCee Lamb 17 times in the game; talk about one-dimensional…

The Eagles’ defense showed up en masse again this week.  In the last three games, the team has given up a total of 36 points and 7 of those came on a Pick Six.  With the loss here, the Bengals are now 3 full games behind the Steelers in the AFC North.

The Packers beat the Jags on a last-second field goal.  The Jags gave up 30 points in the game bringing their season total to 224 points.  Only the Panthers are more generous on defense.

The Chiefs beat the Raiders 27-20.  The game turned in the third quarter when Patrick Mahomes threw an interception that was returned to the Chiefs’ 3-yardline.  The Raiders got nothing – – as in nada – – from that possession.  Later when the Chiefs secured a turnover from Raiders’ QB, Gardner Minshew, they promptly scored a TD.  End of message …

The Falcons beat the Bucs last week.  The two teams had been tied atop the NFC South; now the Falcons are in sole possession of first place there.

The Colts stayed within a field goal of the Texans but in the end, it was the Texans that prevailed.  That outcome gives the Texans a 2-game lead in the Division over the Colts with tiebreaker in hand.  Anthony Richardson suffered 5 sacks in the game.

Tua Tagovailoa returned to action last week after sitting out a month to get over his latest concussion.  With him at the helm, the Dolphins kept it close but lost 28-27 after the Cards held the ball for the last five-and-a-half minutes to set up a chip shot field goal to win as time expired.

The Chargers beat the Saints last week.  That win puts the Chargers above .500 and within striking distance of the Broncos for second place in the AFC West.  That loss – – the sixth in a row for the Saints – – leaves them with a 2-6 record which is only one game better than the woebegone Panthers.

Speaking of the Panthers, they lost to the Broncos by 2 TDs last week and saw their defense get pantsed repeatedly by Bo Nix who just may work out as the Broncos’ starter for a long time to come.

The Pats beat the Jets on a late TD that came on a 4^th and goal situation.  Aaron Rodgers and the Jets got the ball back with less than 30 seconds left in the game and never got close to field goal range on the possession.  Here are two important take-aways from the game:

• Both teams are 2-6.
• Both teams are bad enough that 2-6 is representative of their play in 2024

 

Games this Week:

 

There are two teams with BYE Weeks this week:

1. Niners:  They are in a three-way tie for the lead in the NFC West at 4-4 along with the Cards and the Seahawks.  The best news that the Niners can hope for is that with another week of rehab, Christian McCaffrey might be back and ready to go next week.
2. Steelers:  Mike Tomlin’s charges are a surprising 6-2 at this point in the season; only the most rabid fans would have seen that as a realistic target back around Labor Day.

The Jets beat the Texans last night.  I wondered why the Jets were short favorites at home in the game until I saw/heard that the Texans’ top two WRs were out and two of their offensive linemen were either out or doubtful.  The Jets tried their best to hand the game to the Texans but did not succeed.  The Jets committed a roughing the kicker penalty which is a rare occurrence in the NFL AND committed a roughing the long-snapper penalty on a field goal attempt.  But they won so “Fireman Ed” can strut around and pretend that he had something to do with the victory.

 

Pats at Titans – 3 (38):  When I looked at the slate of games and saw this one at the top of the list, I immediately saw “Dog-Breath potential” in the pairing.  However, that designation will go elsewhere notwithstanding these two bad teams who bring a combined record of 3-12 to the kickoff.  The oddsmakers see a low scoring affair which makes sense since neither team excels on offense and both teams have a respectable defense.  Tune in here if you are a fan of punting; there should be plenty of that.

Chargers at Browns – 1 (42):  Jameis Winston is a better QB than DeShaun Watson in 2024 and somehow it took the Browns’ braintrust 7 games to figure that out.  Oh wait; they didn’t figure that out; Watson suffered a season ending injury forcing them to put Winston on the field.  Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers like to run the football; the Browns’ defense is going to make that difficult.  FYI, the Chargers have only allowed 13 points per game to this point in 2024…

Saints – 7 at Panthers (43.5):  Here you are, ladies and gentlemen; this is the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  Check out the “Tale of the Tape”:

• Saints are 2-6 and Panthers are 1-7.
• Saints have lost 6 games in a row and Panthers have lost 5 games in a row.
• Panthers are 29^th in the NFL in Total Offense
• Saints are 32^nd in the NFL in Total Defense

Fans in New Orleans and Charlotte viewing areas will have to see this contest on their local stations.  For everyone else who watches NFL football this Sunday, this is an Avert Your Eyes Game.

Dolphins at Bills – 6 (49):  The Dolphins have their QB back in action, but it may be too little too late in 2024.  The Dolphins – – and the Jets – – trail the Bills by 3.5 games in the AFC East.

Cowboys at the Falcons – 3 (50.5):  If you like offenses that move up and down the field with only minor resistance from defenses, this is the game for you.  The Falcons give up 348 yards per game and the Cowboys give up 372 yards per game.  There could be moments in this game where viewers may think they are watching an NBA game…  I like this game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Broncos at Ravens – 8 (46.5):  The Ravens lost to the Browns last week and that game exposed the inability of the Ravens’ defense to limit the so-called “chunk-plays”. Here is a statistical oddity:

• The Ravens rank first in the NFL in Rush Defense today.
• The Ravens rank last in the NFL in Pass Defense today

Overall, the Ravens rank 25^th in the NFL in Total Defense this morning, only one slot ahead of the Cowboys’ defense which is certifiably mediocre-at-best.  Meanwhile, the Broncos are 5-3 riding a stingy defense that is 3^rd in the NFL as of now.

Raiders at Bengals – 7 (46):  Yes, I also considered this game as a “Dog-Breath” candidate for a moment or two, but the presence of talent such as Joe Burrow and JaMarr Chase along with the comedic stylings of Gardner Minshew keeps this game from such a lowly status.  The Bengals are 3-5 but their point differential for the year is only minus-8.

(Sun Nite) Colts at Vikings – 5 (46.5):  With the Texans’ loss last night, the Colts can narrow the Texans’ lead in the AFC South to a half-game if they win here.  The Vikes have lost two games in a row; they sit third in the NFC North and one of the two teams ahead of them must win this weekend.  Big game for both teams…

Commanders – 4 at Giants (44):  The Commanders are on a roll; the Giants are one step away from being a hot mess.  However, historically over the past three of four decades, the Washington team plays poorly in Met Life Stadium no matter what they are calling the venue at the time of the kickoff.  I think the Commanders will break that jinx this week; I like the Commanders to win this one comfortably; I’ll take the Commanders to win and cover on the road; put that in the “Betting Bundle”,

Bears at Cards – 1 (44.5):  The spread here opened the week as “Bears – 2”.  Obviously, there had to be a lot of money on the Cards at that number to flip the favorite.  In fact, there is one Internet sportsbook that has the game with the Cards as 2-point favorites this morning.  The Cards’ record is 4-4 but that has them tied for the lead in the NFC West with the Niners and the Seahawks.  In fact, every team in the NFC West has exactly 4 losses as of today so every game means a lot to all the teams there.

Rams – 1 at Seahawks (48):  Here is another game where the favorite has flipped.  The line opened as “Seahawks – 3” and now the Rams are favored.  Just because this game means a lot to both teams, I thought about it as the Game of the Week for a moment or two but then…

Lions – 3 at Packers (47.5):  This is the Game of the Week.  The Lions lead the NFC North at 6-1; the Packers are right behind them at 6-2.  The winner will lead the division on Monday morning.  Here is a situation that might be interesting if not important:

• Here we are in November, and this will be the first time the Lions have played a game outdoors.

Both defenses here rank in the middle of the pack as of today.  The two offenses rank 5^th and 6^th in the NFL as of today but the Packers’ QB, Jordan Love, has a groin injury that might make the Packers have to play Malik Willis.  Should be a good one; I like the Lions to win and cover here unless there is a “weather event” in Green Bay around game time; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Jags at Eagles – 7.5 (45):  The Eagles trail the Commanders by half a game this morning and I think the Commanders are going to win big on Sunday.  That means the Eagles need to win this game.  The Jags are 2-6 and their defense ranks 29^th in the league in both Total Defense and Scoring Defense.  Jags’ coach, Doug Pederson, led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over the Pats.  If the Jags get blown out here, the Eagles might be responsible for him becoming unemployed.  As the world turns …

(Mon Nite) Bucs at Chiefs – 9 (46):  The Chiefs are cruising; the Bucs find themselves trailing the Falcons by a game in the NFC South.  For the Chiefs, this is a big game because it continues their 7-game winning streak; no matter the outcome, the Chiefs will still be in first place in the Division on Monday morning.  For the Bucs, this game is a bigger deal because they will know the outcome of the Falcons/Cowboys game on Sunday and this game will either be an opportunity to catch up in the standings or an important game to keep pace with their division rival.

So let me review the “Betting Bundle”:

• Wisconsin/Iowa OVER 40
• Cowboys Falcons OVER 50.2
• Commanders – 4 over Giants
• Lions – 3 over Packers

And here are three Money Line Parlays just for fun:

• Texas A&M @ minus-145
• Georgia @ minus-600     Bet $100 to win $98.

 

• Nebraska @ minus-250
• Navy @ minus-420
• Indiana @ minus-300     Bet $100 to win $131

 

• Commanders @ minus-200
• Eagles @ minus-300     Bet $100 to win $100

Finally, these words from Vince Lombardi:

“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”

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

 

 

No.  I shall not do a celebratory rant about Halloween today wherein I label various sports figures as ghouls or goblins or some other such nonsense.  There are far more interesting – – nay even more important – – things to rant about today.  For instance, the Dodgers won the World Series in 5 games winning last night by a score of 7-6.  The Yankees led 5-0 until a disastrous fifth inning put the Dodgers back in the game; here is how it unfolded:

• Single
• Yankees’ error
• Yankees’ error (bases loaded)
• Strike out
• Strike out (things are looking up for the Yankees here)
• Grounder to first but pitcher does not cover the bag.  One run in.
• Double scoring 2 runs
• Double scoring 2 more runs (score is now tied at 5-5).

Getting three outs in an inning is a challenge; getting six outs is asking far more from a defensive team than is reasonable.  Congratulations to the Dodgers; they outplayed the Yankees significantly in the World Series; they earned their status as World Champs.

Moving on …  One of the things I do on a random basis is to check on the box scores for various teams/players to see if there is anything interesting in “the numbers”.  I know that the NBA season is only about a week old, but there is something to keep an eye on regarding the Memphis Grizzlies and their rookie center Zach Edey.  In his first NBA game about a week ago, Edey fouled out (6 fouls) after playing all of 14 minutes and 44 seconds of action.  If you run the numbers, he committed a foul every 90 seconds of playing time while he was on the court.  If I may be so bold, let me assert that such performance is not sustainable in the NBA …

So, of course I had to see if that sort of bed-wetting was going to be the expectation for Zach Edey in the NBA.  Using admittedly small samples for both pro and con, the trend seems to be an improving one.

• In his next three games, Edey committed 9 personal fouls in 49 minutes of “floor time”.
• That devolves to one foul every 5.9 minutes which is significantly better than in the first game of his career.
• Nevertheless, that is not an acceptable performance level for NBA play.

In 4 games in the 2024/25 NBA regular season, Edey is averaging 10.2 points per game and 5 rebounds per game.  Those numbers for a rookie are reasonable – – so long as the fouling proclivity is not part of the evaluation.

Continuing on with comments on the NBA, there is an early season trend that needs to reverse itself as the season unfolds.  Remember, NBA basketball is a television series that provides entertainment to the people who watch it.  So, with that front and center in your mind, consider these two stats:

1. The Boston Celtics average more than 50 three-point shot attempts per game so far this year.  That is more than one long-range shot per minute of play.
2. Two other NBA teams average more than 40 three-point shot attempts per game so far this year.

The three-point shooting competition during All-Star week is interesting, but it is not compelling TV from October through April which is the time span of the NBA regular season.

Switching gears and sports …  The Indy Colts announced that they will bench QB Anthony Richardson and start Joe Flacco this week against the Vikes.  Richardson has been mediocre at best when he was on the field for the Colts this year and one of his actions last week might have been a superbly bad look for him and his career.  At one point in last week’s loss to the Texans, Richardson came to the sidelines to seek a substitution because he said he was “tired”.  Really?  That is your explanation for asking to be subbed for?  Let me say carefully here that a QB is the last team member who should show up “tired” in a huddle; the QB may indeed have to spend more mental activity on executing his play responsibilities but on the physical side, the QB has the cushiest job in the stadium.  Hell, the beer vendors walking up and down the stadium steps could cry “tired” as easily as an NFL QB.

When Anthony Richardson came out of Florida in the NFL Draft, I said then that he was a prospect but that his passing accuracy and his passing “touch” left a lot to be desired and that he would need tutoring at the NFL level.  Yes, Anthony Richardson has had some injury issues, and those issues have limited his time on the field.  Nevertheless, Anthony Richardson has been a part of the NFL for 2 years now and these stat lines are well below expectation for a guy taken with the overall #4 pick in the Daft:

• Oct 20, 2024 vs Miami:  10 of 24 for 129 yards with 0 TDs and 0 INTs
• Oct 27, 2024 at Houston:  10 of 32 for 175 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT

            In his last two starts, Richardson has completed 35.7% of his pass attempts and has averaged only 5.4 yards per pass attempt.   Taken as an overview, this benching is a bad sign for Richardson as a young NFL QB who was taken with the hope he would be the “face of the franchise” for a decade or so.

The Colts are not turning the reins of the offense over to a similarly young QB who might become the new face of the franchise.  Rather they are giving the ball to Joe Flacco.  Whenever the Colts’ braintrust convenes to ponder the “five-year plan” for the franchise, I suspect that Joe Flacco as the QB is not a foundation piece of such a plan.  The Colts in 2024 are in contention for a wild-card entry to the playoffs in January; the team is making this change because they believe it gives the Colts a better chance to make the playoffs this year.  To me, that means that Anthony Richardson is unlikely to be part of the team 5 years from now – – or even 3 years from now.  This move by the Colts’ coaching staff is significant.

The Colts are facing a tough schedule between now and November 24:

• At Vikes – – underdogs
• Vs. Bills – – will be underdogs
• At Jets – – will probably be a short favorite
• Vs. Lions – – will be underdogs

The good news for the Colts is what the schedulers did for them after Thanksgiving:

• At Pats – – should be the favorite even on the road
• At Broncos – – should be a short underdog
• Vs. Titans – – should be the favorite
• At Giants – – should be the favorite even on the road
• Vs. Jags – – should be the favorite.

The Colts are 4-4 this morning.  Looking at that schedule, a final record of 9-8 looks to be easily within reach.  With another year of “Flacco-magic” as a substitute QB, they could wind up 10-7 and that should get the Colts into the playoffs.  And if that happens, it will be another nail in Anthony Richardson’s NFL coffin.

Finally, Alexander Pope said:

“To err is human; to forgive is divine.”

I wonder if Yankee fans will show any tendencies toward divinity over the next few days…

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

 

 

In an earlier rant, I mentioned that the NFL owners approved Tom Brady as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.  Even before that commentary, I said that I did not think Brady would be a great broadcaster for FOX because he never seemed at ease or in a comfort zone with a microphone in his face.  However, it seems to me that because he is now a minority owner and subject to the rules and regulations that apply to owners of all sorts in the NFL, he is disadvantaged if he tries very hard to become a great color commentator.

Let me explain.  The color analyst who is most similar to Tom Brady would be Troy Aikman; both have multiple Super Bowl victories as part of their curriculum vitae; both owned “celebrity status” on and off the field in their playing days.  So, why does Brady’s part ownership of the Raiders present a barrier that he will need to overcome if Brady is to become as good as Aikman is in the role of “lead color analyst for a network”?

Well, as an owner and simultaneously as a TV color analyst, the potential for “conflict of interest” perceptions abounds.  Note, I said “perceptions” which means that they can exist when in reality there is no substantive conflict of interest.  Let me start with the words of Mark Davis – – Raiders’ majority owner – – as Brady’s purchase was approved by the rest of the NFL owners.  Davis said this proximal to the time the Raiders traded Davante Adams to the Jets:

“We traded Davante Adams for Tom Brady and a third-round draft pick.  Although Tom can’t play, he can help us select a quarterback in the future and potentially train him as well. So, it’s a huge benefit for the organization.”

Maybe it is a huge benefit or maybe not; time will tell on this front.  However, can Brady pretend to be an objective observer and a neutral interpreter of the facts when he is a color commentator who is also helping the Raiders to select and train a future QB?  In case you think I am just being a nit-picking old crabby guy, let me point out several other problems.  As a part owner of an NFL team, Tom Brady is subject to a variety of rules and regulations that apply to all owners of NFL teams no matter what proportion of a team they may own – – and no matter how many Super Bowl rings they earned during an NFL career:

• Brady cannot be present to observe practice sessions for teams other than the Raiders.  If there are prohibitions against “spying” on opponents’ practices, then having a team owner with Brady’s understanding of the game as an observer would surely run afoul of any such regulations.
• If I understand the league’s bylaws correctly – – and I admit that I may be off base here – – Brady as an owner may not be allowed to be in a rival team’s facility except for the time of the game itself.  If I am correct, that would keep him away from places where he might interact with coaches and players to gather “tidbits” for the telecast.
• Perhaps I am being too harsh in evaluating Brady’s access limitations here.  However, we know from reporting by various announcing crews that the announcers and the production folks meet with coaches and perhaps players prior to the game and the telecast.  Someone like Troy Aikman might – – I said might – – be viewed as a “Cowboy Guy” even after he has been separated from that organization for almost 25 years.  Tom Brady is a current and future owner of the Raiders with a personal stake in the success of the Raiders’ franchise.  So, if the league were to find justification for Brady to be in meetings with coaches and players prior to gametimes, that would open the NFL up to a wide variety of conspiracy theorists who might have a field-day with such happenings.
• Now, if you think I have gone over the top here, consider that NFL owners are not permitted to tamper with players under contract to rival teams.  Each and every player in each and every game that Tom Brady does as a color commentator is under contract to a rival team – – unless one of the teams in the game is the Raiders.  Hmmm …
• As an NFL owner, he is not supposed to criticize officiating and officials in NFL games.  Excuse me; color analysts who only say that the officials made a great call on every “bang-bang play” are going to be seen as “house-guys” very quickly.  Brady will agree with refs sometimes and disagree with them other times; he must have the latitude to say so as things happen.
• As an NFL owner, he is not supposed to criticize owners of other teams or officials of other teams or coaches of other teams.  So, explain to me how Tom Brady is supposed to do color analysis for any game this season involving teams like the Panthers or the Browns or the Jets.

I am on record saying that I do not think Tom Brady will be a great color commentator under any circumstances and I stand by that assessment until I am proven wrong by public acclimation.  What I have tried to point out here is that it will be doubly difficult for Brady to become a great color commentator given the restrictions that have to be put on his access and his commentary by dint of his being a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Finally, I’ll close today with words from Al Davis – – Mark Davis’ father – – whose suspicions about other teams’ nefarious intentions were myriad:

“Why should I talk to you? I don’t know where you’re from.”

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

 

 

The 2024 NFL regular season has come to the point where lots of folks are beginning to make “playoff projections”.  The season is not quite half finished, and a few teams seem to be separating from the field and folks are quick to focus on them and their assets.  Here in Curmudgeon Central, it is SOP to look at situations through the other side of the telescope and that is what I propose to do here.

As a rough cut, the 32 NFL teams fall into 3 categories this morning:

1. Certified Playoff Contenders – – barring catastrophic injuries
2. Not Quite Good Enough
3. Les Miserables

Fourteen teams will make the playoffs this year; so, a couple of the “Not Quite Good Enough” teams will sneak in.  None of Les Miserables are going to do that; the value of the teams in Les Miserables is that they allow the league to perpetuate the idea of “on any given Sunday…” whenever they rise up and win a surprising game.  I want to subdivide the Les Miserables category today into 3 sub-categories:

1. The Merely Bad
2. The Incompetent
3. The Disastrous

There are two teams in the Merely Bad sub-category:

1. Raiders:  When you have to sign Desmond Ridder off a rival’s practice squad because your two starting QBs weren’t getting it done, you are in deep yogurt.
2. Jags:  They do not have a QB problem; they have a defensive deficiency; they give up almost 28 points per game – – worst in the AFC.

There are three teams in the Incompetent sub-category:

1. Browns:  When your starting QB goes out for the year and many folks believe that is a positive occurrence for your team, that team is incompetent.
2. Giants:  They score an average of 14 points per game; the OL is awful; they only have one real offensive threat, and the defense is merely good not great.
3. Titans:  Their young QB has shown a propensity to give the ball away at the most inopportune moments.  [Aside:  I considered putting the Titans in the bottom rung here; if that is your assessment, I will not argue vociferously.]

There are two teams in the Disastrous sub-category:

1. Pats:  How the mighty have fallen …  No offense, rookie head coach, defense gives up 25 points per game.  Fans should be ecstatic if the season ends with a 4-13 record.
2. Panthers:  Ugly, ugly, ugly …  The defense has given up almost 35 points per game and the offense is as sharp as a bowling ball.  They cannot go winless for the season because they already won a game, but 2-15 appears to be the best outcome possible.

Fans of some of the teams above might wonder why teams like the Saints, the Dolphins and the Jets escape placement in Les Miserables.

• The Jets are not going to make the playoffs, but they are better and more talented than the teams listed here.
• The Dolphins may get Tua back to play QB for a half-dozen games and when he is the QB, the Dolphins are better than the teams listed here.
• The Saints are indeed 2-5 on the season, but their point differential is only minus-3; they have shown flashes of competency that seem to elude the teams listed here.

Switching gears …  The NBA regular season began last night; it will draw almost no interest until Christmas when it gets some minor attention; then, in late February and March people will begin to follow various teams closely.  Nevertheless, there were a couple of statistical happenings from last night worthy of passing attention:

• LeBron James and his son, Bronny, appeared in a game together.  That is the first time that has happened in NBA history.
• LeBron James broke the NBA all-time record for missed field goals in a career.  [Guess who held the record prior to last night.  Answer below …]
• The Celtics tied an NBA record for three-point field goals made in a game with 29.  In order to do that, the Celtics attempted 61 three-point shots…
• Aside:  The Knicks attempted 30 three-point shots in the game with the Celtics meaning there were 91 long-range shots tried in 48 minutes of play.  Do the math…]

Finally, I’ll close with this from LeBron James:

“You can’t be afraid to fail. It’s the only way you succeed – you’re not gonna succeed all the time, and I know that.”

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

The answer from above is that LeBron James broke Kobe Bryant’s record for most field goals missed in an NBA career.

 

 

Last week, Tony Bennett resigned his position as the head basketball coach at Virginia; the college basketball season will begin in about two weeks.  Bennett’s career at Virginia included a national championship – – can’t get much better than that – – plus a loss as a #1 seed to a #16 seed in a March Madness tournament – – can’t get much lower than that.  And he did all that and more by recruiting players who generally stayed with the program for at least 3 years and usually 4 years and who went to class to earn a degree.  In explaining his retirement, he said that he was no longer the right person for the job and did not want to continue to be “a square peg in a round hole” (his words).

College sports have been transformed in the last several years in ways that few people predicted once the idea of paying college athletes gained traction.  Combined with the transfer portals, the college revenue sports are now the Wild West; there are high school recruits who have hired agents to negotiate deals with prospective colleges.  I did not have that on my collegiate sports bingo card…

College sports have lost some great coaches in the past few years and many of them have alluded to the drastic changes in college sports as part of the reason for their decision to retire.  Here is a list in no particular order off the top of my head; I am sure there are others:

• Mike Krzyzewski
• Roy Williams
• Jim Boeheim
• Jay Wright
• Nick Saban
• Tara VanDerveer

Now add Tony Bennett to this list …

Jerry Brewer had a great column in the Washington Post about Bennett and his decision to retire.  Here is a link to that column; I strongly recommend you take 5 minutes to go and read it.

Staying with basketball – – this time at the NBA level – – Lonzo Ball is back on the court with the Chicago Bulls after being out with injuries since he played in 35 games back in the 2021-2022 NBA season.  After his second game with the Bulls in the NBA regular season, Ball declared that he was “pain free”.  What kept him out so long was that he needed a “cartilage and meniscus transplant in his left knee”.  Knee surgery has come a long way in my lifetime making specific knee ligaments and other structures known to folks who did not major in biology or go to medical school, but adding the word “transplant” to that new vocabulary makes me sit up and take notice.

Lonzo Ball arrived in the NBA in 2017 to an inordinate level of fanfare created by his father.  Lonzo spent two years with the Lakers and then two more with the Pelicans before joining the Bulls and getting injured.  I’m not sure that any kid coming into the league could have lived up to the level of hype surrounding Lonzo, but no one could ever say he was dogging it when on the court.  It is good to see him back in action.  Hopefully that “transplant” is good as gold.

Switching gears …  The Canadian Football League will play its final week of regular season football this week.  There is only one playoff slotting still in doubt.  Let me explain the CFL playoff system.

• The CFL has an East Division and a West Division.  [Aside:  Unlike the US, folks in Canada have a sense of geography.  Not a single team in the East Division is further west than any team in the West Division.  Amazing!]
• Three teams from each Division make the playoffs.
• Round 1 pits the third-place team in each Division against the second-place team in that Division with the second-place team hosting the game.  Division winners get a BYE.
• The two winners of those Round 1 games then travel to play their respective Division winners in Round 2.
• Those two winners then square off for the Grey Cup which will take place on November 19.

The only thing still in question this year is in the West Division where Winnipeg leads with a record of 10-7 and Saskatchewan trails by half a game at 9-7-1.  Here is the scheduling for this weekend:

1. Winnipeg is on the road against Montreal.  Montreal leads the East Division and has the best overall record in the CFL this year at 12-4-1.
2. Saskatchewan is at home against Calgary.  Calgary is dead last in the West Division and has the worst overall record in the CFL this year at 4-12-1.

Looks to me as if the schedule mavens in the CFL got it right for 2024.

Finally, I mentioned Mike Krzyzewski above; so, let close with this observation from him:

“The truth is that many people set rules to keep from making decisions.”

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