The Sports Curmudgeon

The imbalance among the NFL Divisions this year is pronounced.

• The NFC East may be won by a team with 9 wins or fewer
• The NFC South currently is led by a team that is 3-5-0
• The NFC North has all four teams with 6 wins or more
• The AFC North has three teams with records over .500

Surely, you are going to see sometime soon a “prediction” that this year will see a team in the playoffs with the worst record ever.  That could happen – – or not.  So, before those sorts of screeds hit the Internet, let me show you how it is theoretically possible for a team to win the Super Bowl with a season record of 9-13.

• In “Division X”, one team wins 4 games while the others win 3 games or 2 games in the regular season.  Call that 4-win team The Whatevers.
• Now, all four of the teams in “Division X” lose every one of their games outside the Division.
• In that circumstance, The Whatevers would win the “Division X” title with a record of 4-13.  As a Division-winner, The Whatevers would be in the NFL playoffs.
• Clearly, The Whatevers would not have the Conference BYE in the playoffs so they would begin play in the Wild-Card round.  From there it would take 5 straight wins to become Super Bowl Champs.
• So, if by some miracle, The Whatevers went on a 5-game win streak at that point, they would be crowned as Super Bowl Champions with an overall record of 9-13.
•             The key word in all the above is … theoretically …

Moving on …  I saw a mention in an AP report that Joe Burrow can equal an NFL all-time record this weekend.  Burrow has produced 4 total touchdowns – – passing and rushing combined – – in each of his last four games.  The NFL record for 4 total touch downs in consecutive games is held by Peyton Manning at five games.  Ergo, Burrow can equal that record this weekend against the Steelers

Switching gears … The NCAA provided data to show that players – – nominally student-athletes don’t you know? – – who transfer from school to school more than once are less likely to get a college degree when their collegiate career is over.  [Aside:  A meeting of everyone who is shocked by this “finding” will be held in the corner booth of Waffle House #2556 in Irmo, SC at 8:00 PM this Friday evening.]

According to the NCAA data, Division 1-A football players who transferred more than once had a 27% less likelihood to leave college with a degree than players who transferred only once or not at all.  The NCAA and players are engaged in multiple lawsuits as players seek an extra year of eligibility which also brings with it the opportunity to make a transfer.

The NCAA data also show that across all sports and all races and all genders, people who transferred more than once had a 10% decline in attaining a college degree as the end of their collegiate careers.  I don’t know if that is a reasonable justification for trying to limit the number of transfers for collegiate athletes, but it does indicate a price to be paid for those athletes that choose to transfer multiple times.

Finally, this suggestion from Lewis Black:

“I believe that summer is our time, a time for the people, and that no politician should be allowed to speak to us during the summer. They can start talking again after Labor Day.”

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

 

 

One of the lead stories of today is that Rex Ryan turned himself into the authorities in Nashville and was charged with:

• Leaving the scene of an accident – – two charges
• Failure to give info or render aid – – two charges
• Failure to obey a traffic control device – – two charges.

What apparently happened is that Ryan was driving his truck in Nashville and made a turn that had him run over the feet of two pedestrians and he did not stop after that.  Good news is no fatalities or critical injuries.  Bad news is he was booked and released on bail.  There is an ironic side to this incident …

Recall when Ryan was the head coach of the Jets there was a video that went viral involving Ryan admiring his wife’s feet.  Foot fetish then; traffic charges now for running over feet.  The wheels go round and round …

Moving on …  Now that the NFL Trading Deadline has passed, I want to ask a question that has nothing to do with who was traded or which team improved the most or anything like that.  Back in the day – – after the dinosaurs and just before the dominance of hominids – – there were usually no trades at all during an NFL season.  The Trade Deadline was a ho-hum event if it was any sort of event at all.

• So, when did that non-event become a month-long staple of the sports media?

Switching gears …  The return of Kirk Cousins to Minnesota is intended to provide competence and stability to the Vikes’ QB position.  But before all that euphoria takes hold consider this:

• Cousins was with the Vikes from 2018 to 2023.  His contract was up and he was injured so the Vikes wished him well in future endeavors and then proceeded to start the following motley crew at QB from 2023 until now – – in alphabetical order:
  • • Max Brosmer
    • Sam Darnold
    • Josh Dobbs
    • Jaren Hall
    • JJ McCarthy
    • Nick Mullins
    • Kyler Murray
    • Carson Wentz

Maybe – – just maybe – – Kevin O’Connell’s reputation as a mystical quarterback whisperer is a bit overblown?  Sam Darnold blossomed in Minnesota; the others on that list were less than satisfactory.

Last but not least …   My extended absence caused me to lose track of the CFL season.  Well, the league is in the midst of its playoffs and here are the results:

• In the semi-finals, Winnipeg beat Toronto and BC defeated Saskatchewan.
• In the division finals, Montreal beat Winnipeg and Edmonton beat BC.

So, the Gray Cup game will be this weekend on November 15^th and will feature the Montreal Alouettes (regular season record = 14-4) against the Edmonton Elks (regular season record = 13-5).  The game will be played in Calgary this year and the Alouettes are currently 3.5-point favorites in the game.

The two teams met twice in the regular season and split those two games – – each team winning on its home field; the Gray Cup will be on a neutral field.

Finally, a eureka moment from Sam Kinison:

“You want to help world hunger? Stop sending them food. Don’t send them another bite, send them U-Hauls. Send them a guy that says, ‘You know, we’ve been coming here giving you food for about 35 years now and we were driving through the desert, and we realized there wouldn’t BE world hunger if you people would live where the FOOD IS!.”

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

I presume that many of you saw the Bills/Vikes game on MNF last night; for those who did not, let me post a couple of stats to let you know how/why the Vikes were dominated in the game:

• Vikes Time of Possession = 17:28
• Vikes First Downs = 9
• Vikes Third Down Conversions = 0 of 8
• Vikes Fourth Down Conversions = 0 of 2
• Vikes Total Offense = 178 yards

With that offensive output, it would take a defense that included Superman, the Incredible Hulk and The Flash to win the game.  The first level conclusion from that miasma would be the Carson Wentz’ career is cooked and he should never again be trotted out to start a game for the Vikes or anyone else.  His performance was indeed awful; I have not found his QB Rating from last night, but I would not be surprised if it was somewhere around his shoe size.  But the Vikes’ offense had another glaring fault:

• The Vikes ran the ball only 12 times and gained a total of 51  yards.

While that average of 4.3 yards per attempt is not awful, the number of running plays called is not sustainable.  In a game where Carson Wentz was having a “less than adequate game”, the Vikes’ play caller had him throwing the ball 32 times.  There had been a lot of speculation about the Vikes trading for a QB at the deadline today; maybe they need to get a running back too and tell the play caller to remember those running plays on the call sheet.

And speaking about the trade deadline …

• When the Eagles traded Jordan Davis to the Jags, that was the equivalent of the Eagles waving the white flag on the 2026 season.
• If the Raiders wind up trading Kirk Cousins to the Vikes, that would put Fernando Mendoza under center for the Raiders starting next week unless the Raiders choose to start Aiden O’Connell then.  It might make sense for them to turn to O’ Connell because the next three opponents for the Raiders are Seahawks, Broncos and Browns.  Those are three above average defenses and maybe that is not the best way to “break in” a rookie QB.  Just a thought …
• Maybe the Vikes should call the Commanders to see if Marcus Mariota is available?  Or how about a call to the Rams about Jimmy G?

Moving on …  After yesterday’s musings about a 24-team CFP, it seems today that such a circumstance will come into being starting at the end of the 2027 regular season; and with that expansion, the conference championship games will need to be eliminated to fit into a pre-determined end of schedule date.  My thought that the expanded CFP schedule could spice up some of the middling bowl games will not come to pass because the first and second round games in the expanded CFP tournament will be played at campus venues and only the quarterfinals and the semifinals will be played in the major bowl games around New Year’s Day.

So, if  you are a fan of meaningless games played in nearly empty stadiums, you need not worry about getting your fix next season – – unless of course this CFP expansion leads to the demise of several of those meaningless games entirely.

Finally, a thought from Lily Tomlin:

“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.”

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

 

 

The CFP is a twelve-team tournament at least for now although I am confident it will be expanded to at least 16 teams and maybe even 24 teams down the road.  I don’t think that is such a great idea but let me take a deep breath and resign myself to the coming expansion and make a few comments upon that.

Coaches seem to have been in favor of the expansion with the idea that making the expanded field of 24 teams would make coaches in top-shelf programs more secure as they slide into the playoffs more years than not.  There is surely validity to that thinking but the obverse may also be true; if a school with overly ambitious goals for its football team misses those expanded playoffs two years in a row, that could raise the temperature of the coach’s seat significantly.  I am not sure how that sword would cut …

Expanding the playoff field to 24 teams could lead to a playoff field that looks like this:

• Top 6 teams from the SEC
• Top 6 Teams from Big-10
• Top 4 teams from ACC
• Top 4 teams from Big-12
• At least 1 conference winner from the G6
• A couple of at-large entries

On one hand, is there really going to be a large entertainment value in a game between the sixth place SEC team and the second place Big-12 team?  I don’t think so, but that answer must be put in the context of the college football post-season that exists now.  There are about 40 bowl games and many of the matchups are threadbare at best.  So, would my hypothetical matchup from an expanded CFP be any less entertaining?

As of this morning, the second-place team in the Big-12 is Texas Tech and the sixth-place team in the SEC is Ole Miss.  That matchup would not be “must see TV” here in Curmudgeon Central but it would be a lot better than Wyoming versus Middle Tennessee State in the “Who Gives A Rat’s Ass Bowl”.

Many – maybe even most – of the mid-December bowl games are god-awful spectacles and replacing them with expanded CFP games would increase their watchability significantly even if the two teams in that expanded CFP game are unlikely to make the “Final Four” of the CFP.  It would certainly be a bigger live audience for the bowl organizers to deal with if the game had some modicum of “importance” as opposed to a meaningless game between two schools that may not have known the opponent actually played college football until the bowl invitation arrived.

Lots of the minor bowl games are in “cold weather locales” and the live attendance for many of those games would easily fit in your typical college basketball venue.  So, there are benefits to having more CFP games to deal with even if the first – – and maybe even the second – – round games are not “CFP relevant”.  Not to worry, I still prefer the current 12 team format to any expansion; my point here is that maybe expansion is not all bad.

Moving on …  I mentioned last week that I noticed that NC State had fired Dave Doreen as its head football coach.  The stories now seem to indicate that the school is hiring Philip Rivers to take over that football program.  No doubt about it; that is a noteworthy hiring; Rivers is an alum of the school, and he had a very successful NFL career after leaving NC State.  That hiring seems to me to be like most of Danny Boy Snyder’s hiring decisions for his coaches – – lots of glitz and press conference appeal but questionable foundation pieces under the choice.

Philip Rivers was a really good QB in the NFL but being a head coach and being a QB do not necessarily demand the same skill set.  Rivers has no coaching experience at the collegiate level let alone head-coaching experience.  Since retiring from the NFL, he has been coaching a private school football team in Alabama for a couple of years.  The NC State job is a huge step up from that experience.

I can think of one other NFL QB who jumped into college coaching at the head-coach level; Trent Dilfer took over the UAB program after his retirement.  In Dilfer’s three-year stint with the Blazers his record was 9-21 which is hardly what one would call “successful”.

Also, recall when the Indy Colts handed the head coaching job to Jeff Saturday.  Let’s just agree that did not work out well at all.

So, good luck to Rivers who seems to be a really nice person, but I think he has a steep learning curve to execute if he actually gets that job.

Finally, ponder this from Laurence J. Peter – – the one who identified the Peter Principle:

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

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

 

 

I know it is Friday and I know that Football Friday has been AWOL for the last several weeks.  I also know that I have not been able to do nearly the amount of background reading and concentration to do a full-fledged Football Friday today.  So, I will try to do a mini-Football Friday and see how that goes.

Counting the results of the last Six-Pack in a Football Friday here is the status of those selections:

• Spreads and Totals = 12-8-0
• Money Line Parlays = 4-4*  Net “Profit” = $140

The asterisk on the parlays reflects that I made a Money Line pick in the NFL game between the Giants and Commanders that ended in a tie.  The sportsbook rule for such a situation is that the game is ignored in the parlay, and the result of the wager is dependent on all the other legs of the parlay.  In the situation there, the other money line wager in the parlay was successful, so the payout was based on the rest of the parlay absent the odds for the Giants/Commanders game.

While I have been gone, the Linfield University Wildcats have been on a winning streak; their season record is now 6-1.  That assures that the Linfield football streak of winning seasons continues since their regular season consists only of 9 games in Division III.  Congratulations to the Linfield University Wildcats.

I did enough reading to find a college football player with a great name for this week.  Let me introduce you to:

Tree Babalade           OL       Nebraska

            My “Sleeper Team” for 2026 has been Florida.  The Gators’ record so far is 5-3 and they have been  up and down through the season.

• Florida has beaten Texas and Ole Miss
• Florida has lost to Mizzou and South Carolina

This week the Gators are at home against Oklahoma.  Go Gators!

 

College Football Commentary

 

Baylor fired head coach,  Dave Aranda; I had him on my hot-seat list in August.

Florida State fired head coach, Mike Norvell; I had him on my hot-seat list in August.

NC State fired head coach, Dave Doreen; I did not have him on my hot-seat list in August.

Allow me to comment on the Florida State job.  It will pay well; according to reports, the school will buy out Norvell to the tune of $50M so new applicants for the job can ask for top-shelf money.  Other than that, I am not so sure this is a great career opportunity.  Florida State football is as much a quagmire as it is a career-maker.  Since Bobby Bowden left in 2009, the Seminoles had a short time under Jimbo Fisher as a force to be reckoned with and then a steep decline.  Willie Taggert and Mike Norvell have been in charge since 2018 and the cumulative record since then for the Seminoles is 52-53 – – but there is a sense among too many Seminole fans and boosters that the team should be at the top of the rankings every year.

Last year, when Penn State fired James Franklin there was not a stampede of great college coaches to take that job because the expectations at Penn State are like those at Florida State.  Having a solid and better-than-average team every year is not sufficient; it needs to compete for the CFP Final game every year and that is just not a realistic goal.  I will be interested to see who wants and then who gets the Florida State job this time around.

A surprising team for 2026 would be the UMass Minutemen; they were the only winless team in Division 1-A last year and as of today their record is 5-4 – – they are one win shy of a bowl invitation.  UMass has been playing college football since 1879; they have spent some time in Division 1-AA and in Division 1-A; in that time, they have been to exactly two bowl games:

• The 1964 Tangerine Bowl
• The 1972 Boardwalk Bowl

If they win one more game, I think they would be a natural invitee to the Fenway Bowl in Boston.  Here is their remaining schedule:

• At Toledo – – Toledo’s record today is 7-2
• Vs Akron – – Akron’s record today is 1-8
• At Bowling Green – – Bowling Green’s record today is 2-7.

This is the time of  year when I start to track the contenders for the “Brothel Defense Award” which goes to the team that allow the opponent the most points per game in college football.  The name derives from the fact that everyone scores in a brothel.  As of this morning, here are the contenders:

• Northern Illinois gives up 37.6 points per game
• UNC-Charlotte gives up 40.3 points per game
• Colorado State gives up 42.4 points per game

And it is also time for me to consider the entries in the 2026 SHOE Tournament – – my imaginary competition to determine on the field of play the worst team in college football for 2026.  SHOE is an acronym for Steaming Heap Of Excrement which applies to the worst team in the country.  The tournament is simple; there are 8 entrants that are seeded.  They play a standard set up where the losing team must play on instead of the victor until there is one worst team left.  I need more study but here are my contending teams for those 8 SHOE Tournament slots as of today:

• Akron – – 1-8
• Bowling Green – – 2-7
• Hawaii – 2-6
• La-Monroe – – 1-7
• Northern Illinois – – 0-8
• Old Dominion – – 2-7
• Rice – – 1-7
• Sam Houston – – 1-7
• Temple – – 2-6
• UNC Charlotte – – 1-7
• UTEP – – 1-7
• Washington State – – 1-8

 

Games This Week

 

There are lots of games with ranked teams playing one another this week such as:

Alabama at LSU – 6 (53):  Lane Kiffin strikes up a new rivalry with Alabama here.

BYU at Utah – 4 (48.5):  In addition to being two ranked teams, this game is a huge rivalry game sometimes called “The Holy War”.

Texas – 3 at Missouri (42):  this is important for SEC standings as well as for possible CFP participation.

Oregon at Ohio St. – 8 (45):  Back in August this looked like it might be the Game of the Year; not so much now…

Georgia – 3.5 at Ole Miss (56.5):  Important game for SEC standings …

Kentucky at Tennessee – 6 (49):  Kentucky is a big surprise in 2026…

Miami at Notre Dame – 7 (55):  Big game relative to CFP rankings.

 

NFL Commentary:

 

The Minnesota Vikings are an interesting team.  Their defense is elite; so far in 2026 they give up only 13.3 points per game which is reminiscent of the 1985 Bears’ defense and the old Steel Curtain defense of the Steelers.  But the Vikes’ offense just plain stinks and after 7 games, I think the jury is out on Kyler Murray as the Vikes’ QB of the Future.  It is hard to make the argument that Murray needs more playmakers around him; the Vikes’ OL is solid; the pass catchers include Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson and Justin Jefferson.

In fact, Murray will be on the sidelines this week in favor of Carson Wentz as the Vikes try to raise their record to 7-1-0 when they host the Bills on MNF.

The Cowboys’ defense is embarrassing.  They led the lowly Cards by double digits in the 4^th quarter last week and let the game go to OT wherein they lost to those lowly Cards.

The Eagles’ offense is embarrassing.  Yes, I know that the injury list is long and involves a lot of starting players.  Nonetheless, the Eagles’ offense is boring, predictable and unproductive.

The Broncos are 6-2-0 and have a point differential of only +7 points for the season.

 

Games This Week:

 

Bengals – 3 at Falcons (52):  Neither team can be relied upon to play the same from week to week.  It’s an important game for both teams given the standings as of now.

Browns at Saints – 3 (42.5):  Dog-Breath Game of the Week here.

Lions – 7 at Dolphins (50):  Lions due for a let-down after beating the Vikes last week?

Rams – 4 at Commanders (47.5):  Two more teams that are not reliable performers week to week.

Cowboys – 5 at Colts (51.5):  Gave this game consideration as the Dog-Breath game.

Giants – 3 at Eagles (38.5):  JJ McCarthy for the Giants versus Joe Milton for the Eagles …

Jets at Chiefs – 10 (48):  I hate double-digit spreads in NFL games.

Broncos – 2.5 at Panthers (44):  Important game for both teams.

Raiders at Niners – 10 (52):  I hate double-digit spreads in NFL games.

Texans – 5 at Chargers (42):  This is almost an elimination game for the Texans.

Packers at Pats – 3 (45):  Gave this consideration as the Game of the Week; two good teams and each needs the game…

Cards at Seahawks – 9.5 (39.5):  Almost a double-digit spread here …

(Sun Nite) Bucs at Bears – 6 (47.5):  Bears are looking awfully good at this point of the season.

(Mon Nite) Bills – 3 at Vikes (44):  This is clearly the Game of the Week …

Finally, a word from Bill Walsh:

“Not to get too clever, but ‘consistent effort is a consistent challenge.’”

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

 

 

I’ll start today with an item from before my “unexcused absence” …  The Phillies hired Don Mattingly to be their manager for the next two years.  On one hand, that is not surprising; Mattingly took over a team that was well below .500 and managed to make the playoffs in 2026.  If you take his record as an interim manager and extrapolate that to a full MLB season the record would be 96-66.  However, there was a caveat that came with this announcement:

• The Phillies hired Mattingly after at least one other candidate turned down the job offer.

So, why the hesitancy to hire Mattingly “full time”?  And why would another candidate turn down a job where the team made the playoffs in the previous season?  Normally new managers take over teams that are sub-.500.

The Phillies’ roster is starting to look long-in-the-tooth but there are no overt signs that the team is going to enter a “tear-down and rebuild” phase.  So, the fact that a “preferred candidate” for the managerial position said, “No, thanks,” makes me wonder…

Speaking of MLB managerial positions, there is a report on AP today that the Astros will interview Albert Pujols for their open managerial position.  Pujols has no managerial entries on his résumé, but he was a league MVP three times and a World Champion too.  He may have a few things to learn about being a manager, but no one can call him a naif when it comes to major league baseball.

Moving on …  The criminal trial of Guardians’ pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz began in NY this week.  They stand accused of giving gamblers a heads-up as to specific pitches within MLB games on which the gamblers could reliably bet and collect on the wagers.  In the strictest sense, their alleged actions were only minor affronts to “the integrity of the games” but if indeed it is determined that those allegations are factual, then both men need to be banned from baseball.  More to follow …

Sticking with baseball …  The December 1 deadline for the expiration of the existing CBA between the owners and the players’ union draws closer and closer.  That could make for an interesting free agent market in November prior to the end of the existing CBA.  It could well be that the free agent signing period under any new CBA could be severely compressed and that might motivate both free agents and GMs to act now when there is some time to think about offers and contracts.

On the other hand, if MLB gets the cap and floor system that it wants, that can significantly change the way MLB rosters need to be constructed.  And that sort of change cannot be seriously considered now in the current free agent time until December 1.  November 2026 could be an interesting month for MLB news.

Switching gears …  The Cleveland Browns could find themselves in an interesting situation next week.  Beleaguered QB, Deshaun Watson has led the team to a 5-3-0 record which has the Browns only 1 game behind the division-leading Steelers as of now.  There are reports this week, however, that Watson is in the concussion protocol after “suffering symptoms” on Monday of this week.  If he is not cleared to play – – a possibility – – that would mean Shedeur Sanders would get the start on Sunday against the Saints.  Notwithstanding Watson’s positive results on the field so far this year, there has been a continuing backbeat among fans in Cleveland to bench Watson and play Sanders.  That backbeat will only get louder if Watson cannot go and Sanders steps in and shines against a Saints team that has given up 27.7 points per game so far in 2026.  Fun times to come in Cleveland …???

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens have had buzzards’ luck with their QBs this year.

• Lamar Jackson returned from a 3-game absence last week.  He lasted exactly one play from scrimmage and left with a thumb injury that will require surgery.
• Tyler Huntley has been filling in for Jackson, so he entered the game when Jackson left.  Huntley suffered a turf toe injury soon after that and he will be out for the year.
• Joe Fagnano took over and played about the way an undrafted free agent who had no expectation of playing in the game would be expected to play.

Reports this week say that the Ravens are trying to finalize a trade with the Cards to acquire Jacoby Brisset.  However, the Ravens play tonight on Thursday Night Football; so, it is doubtful that Brisset will be of much use this week even if the trade is consummated.

Finally, a little wisdom from Mark Twain:

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

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

 

 

Before the NFL season gets mired in speculation as to which team will have the first pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, I want to take a look at the teams at the bottom of their divisions today.

• AFC East:  Dolphins  0-5  Point differential = minus  62
• AFC North:  Bengals 3-2  Point differential = +19
• AFC South:  Titans  0-5  Point differential = minus 51
• AFC West:  Chargers 0-5  Point differential = minus 45
• NFC East:  Commanders 1-3-1  Point differential = minus 34
• NFC North:  Bears 3-2 Point differential = + 23
• NFC  South:  Saints 1-4 Point differential = minus 33
• NFC West:  Cards  1-4  Point differential = minus 54

Looking at that list, you can eliminate the Bears and the Bengals regarding talk of a miserable team; after all, some team must be in last  place in each of the 8 Divisions.  On the other hand, one can make a logical case arguing that each of the other six teams on the list will indeed end up at the bottom of their division.

• The Dolphins are outmanned because they are carrying close to $100M in dead cap money  after releasing Tua Tagovailoa.  The Jets’ season would have to crater badly for the Dolphins to finish above last place
• The Titans are an interesting case; they have already spent a top draft pick on a supposed “QB of the Future” in Cam Ward.  So far, he has not panned out close to their expectations, and the Titans should be underdogs in their next 6 games..
• The Chargers are an enigma; hiring Mike McDonald as the OC was going to unleash Justin Herbert.  If this is “unleashed Jusin Herbert”, then he is a dog and the eyeball test over the last several years says that is not the case..   Nonetheless, I think the Chargers will finish at the bottom of their division.
• The Commanders’ defense is a hot mess, and they are a poorly coached team. In their 5 games so far this year, the defense has given up 30 or more points in three of those games.  However, the Commanders can finish anywhere between 2^nd and 4^th in the NFC East.
• The Saints are probably better than their 1-4 record; but not a lot better.  One stat that does not auger well for the Saints is that they are 0-3 at home.
• The Cards are not good on offense, and they give up points in bunches.  I will be shocked if they finish anywhere other than at the bottom of the NFC West.

If I now apply my eyeball test the Dolphins, Titans and Cards sink to bottom in the first 5 weeks of the regular season.

Finally, this thought from Warren Buffet:

“Rule No.1: Never lose money.

Rule No.2: Never forget Rule No.1.”

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

 

 

According to a report in the Washington Post last week, the US Congress has “launched a probe” of the AAU.  According to the report the AAU has not implemented changes recommended about 6 years ago in the aftermath of the “Larry Nasser embarrassment”.  On one hand, I am glad to see the AAU called to task for almost anything; I have little regard for the organization itself despite its providing access to top shelf sports opportunities for talented youth.  On the other hand, I have no interest in hearing and seeing members of the US House of Representatives emoting and bloviating about this issue; rather than have that happen, I would prefer charging members of the institution with specific crimes and letting the criminal justice system take the issue on.

According to a Congressional statement about the matter, the AAU has become a safe haven for coaches suspected of sexual predation.  That is a disgusting thought to be sure, and it is something that the police or the FBI needs to investigate with the idea of putting any such sexual predators in the “Crossbars Hilton”.  This is not an issue that needs rhetoric; this needs criminal investigation.

Moving on …  Tony Petitti is the Commissioner of the Big-10.  He said that the negotiating window for ESP N  having exclusive rights to the CFP had been extended by mutual agreement and that he was confident that the College Football Playoffs would be expanding to 24 teams posthaste.  The expansion there would require the abolition of individual conference championship games and from a fan perspective, that act would remove a lot of highly competitive games between the two best teams in a conference and replace them with potentially less competitive contests.  As I have said here before:

• I prefer an 8-team tournament; no marginal teams involved
• I don’t like a 12-team tournament because of the BYEs involved
• I could stomach a 16-team tournament with no BYEs.
• I will probably skip some of the opening matchups in a 24-team field

Switching gears …  Martin Sherif is a 20-year old who plays for Everton in the EPL.  The English Football Association (EFA) has fined him $6,600 for “causing, permitting or enabling” 61 different bets on soccer games.  Sherif did not place any bets himself, but he admitted permitting or enabling betting on soccer games through six different betting accounts opened in his name.  The bets resulted in a net loss of about $500 and none of the wagers involved teams Sharif played for; but still, this seems like level of naivete that boggles the mind.

Next up …Dana Altman has been the head basketball coach at Oregon for the last 16 years.  His teams have made the NCAA Tournament 9 times in his tenure there and one of his teams made it to the Final Four.  His record at Oregon was a gaudy 382-182.  With the college basketball season on the brink of opening, Oregon will be out looking to hire – – poach? – – a coach for its team which opens its season on November 2^nd.  Dana Altman is 68 years old; when he says he wants to spend more time with his family I believe him; he has been in the coaching profession for 37 years.

Finally, a thought from George Carlin:

 “If you can’t beat them, arrange to have them beaten.”

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