Month: November 2025

It’s a funny thing about memories.  There are enjoyable memories that, if a new iteration presented itself, you would partake of it and enjoy it over again.  One example might be a new Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon.  The old ones bright a smile to your face and there must be hundreds more contraptions that the Coyote might devise now that Amazon.com can deliver stuff from Acme Industries overnight and we know for sure that none of those contraptions will work.  But it would be fun …

On the flipside, there are enjoyable memories that, if a new iteration presented itself, you would probably prefer not to experience anew.  One example there might be a boxing match involving Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather.  Ten years ago, they staged an exciting and highly anticipated bout for the world welterweight title; Mayweather won that fight.  When they fought before, both men were long-established fighters in their mid-to-late-thirties.  Both have moved on, and I know that I have certainly not considered a rematch between these two men as an important element that has been missing from my life.

Notwithstanding, there might be a rematch in 2026.  At some sort of a press event in the Philippines, Pacquiao had this to say:

“Right now, we have a lot of negotiations about my next fight; there’s a possible rematch with Floyd Mayweather.  There’s a lot of ongoing negotiations right now, so it’s hard to plan what fight I’m going to post. I’m waiting for the final negotiation.”

As of this morning, Manny Pacquiao is 46 years old.  His birthday is next month so any fight involving him in 2026 would have him at age 47 at best.

As of this morning, Floyd Mayweather is 48 years old.  His birthday is in February so any fight involving him in 2026 would likely have him at age 49.

As of this morning – – and almost assuredly at any date in the future – – I have no interest in seeing two geezers slugging it out as if they were still top-shelf fighters.  But it might happen anyway – – even if I would much prefer a new Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon.

Moving on …   There are some things that are wonderful by themselves plus they just go well together like Chateaubriand with a Premier Cru Bordeaux.  Conversely, there are some things that are fine on their own but should never be mixed.  Consider the elements/makings of a mustard milkshake.  Let me present two “things” here and consider if they naturally go together or not:

1. FIFA
2. World Peace Prize

That sure looks akin to the mustard milkshake above, but it appears that it will become reality rather soon.  The newly created “FIFA Peace Prize” will be awarded as an adjunct to the World Cup draw on December 5^th.  The 2026 World Cup will be staged in North America and the draw for the Group makeup will happen in Washington.  The FIFA Peace Prize intends to “recognize exceptional actions for peace.”

FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, had this to say as the new prize was announced:

“In an increasingly unsettled and divided world, it’s fundamental to recognize the outstanding contribution of those who work hard to end conflicts and bring people together in a spirit of peace.”

I don’t know about you, but I am not going to be on the edge of my seat as the winner is announced.

Finally, this statement from H. L. Mencken on the subject of peace seems an appropriate way to end this rant:

“War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums and smaller adrenal glands.”

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

 

 

             Paul Tagliabue died yesterday; he was 84 years old.  In announcing his passing, Roger Goodell said:

“All of us in the NFL are deeply saddened by the passing of Paul Tagliabue whose principled leadership and vision put the NFL on the path to unparalleled success.”

Paul Tagliabue was Roger Goodell’s predecessor as NFL Commissioner and indeed, his actions set the stage for the explosive growth of the league.

Rest in peace, Paul Tagliabue.

Most of the country did not have to watch the Lions’ evisceration of the Commanders in the late afternoon time slot yesterday; you should give thanks for that favor when Thanksgiving rolls around in a couple of weeks.  Allow me to present some data from that game to give you an idea of how thoroughly dominant the Lions were:

• Total Offense:  Lions = 546 yards       Commanders = 288 yards
• First Downs:    Lions = 30                   Commanders = 14
• Total Plays:     Lions = 68                   Commanders = 51
• The Lions never punted the football; they scored on every possession save for the final one where they knelt out the clock.

This is the fifth loss in a row for the Commanders who only lost 5 games in the 2024 regular season.  In the last four losses, the smallest margin of defeat was 21 points.  The Commanders have given up 280 points so far in 2025 and only the Bengals have yielded more.  So, is this debacle of a season due to a rash of injuries – – or might there be more to it?

The first thing to consider is that the Commanders overachieved to some degree last year; they won 8 games by one-score; that is not something a team should count on doing year over year.  Nevertheless, last year’s team was competitive and competent and seemed to be cohesive.  And what happened in the offseason:

• The Commanders did not resign their leading sacker on defense, Dante Fowler.
• They lost Jonathan Allen and replaced him with Javon Kinlaw.
• They did not resign safety, Jeremy Chin.
• They got rid of Brian Robinson, Jr.
• They did not resign WRs, Olamide Zaccheus and Jamison Crowder.

I am not trying to suggest here that any one of the players above is destined for the Hall of Fame, but none seem to have been replaced with an upgrade at the position.  Frankly, I think the “football people” involved with the Commanders completely misread the situation and thought that the singular presence of Jayden Daniels at QB would assure team success.  Football is a team game; a “franchise QB” is a key element of its foundation but one great player is not enough to assure success.

And so, the “football people” got creative and tossed aside players who were held over from the unsuccessful Ron Rivera Era and replaced those guys with players that the new folks had scouted and curated – – all players who were going to blend seamlessly into “the culture” that had been created.  Nonsense!  The new roster additions are no more talented than the guys they replaced, and the football gods are not smiling on the Commanders nearly to the degree that they did in 2024.

And what about all that “culture” stuff?

• Linebacker Frankie Luvu played yesterday after successfully appealing a suspension for repeated hip-drop tackles this year.
• Defensive tackle Darron Payne was ejected from yesterday’s game for landing a sucker punch on Amon-Ra St. Brown.
• Two other players received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the game.

One other laughable item here …  The Commanders’ defense had given up 110 points in the three games leading up to yesterday’s embarrassment.  So, the braintrust got together and decided to “change things up”.  Good thinking, no?  Here is the change that was put in place:

• The defensive coordinator would be on the sidelines instead of up in the coaches’ booth.  He would call the defensive plays from that position because it would allow him to communicate more directly with the players on defense.

That is the leader in the clubhouse for “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic” for 2025.

Finally, here is an observation from George Carlin:

“Dusting is a good example of the futility of trying to put things right. As soon as you dust, the fact of your next dusting has already been established.”

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

 

 

It’s been said that the only proper synonym for Friday is:

• Boom-Shack-A-Laka!

Not so in Curmudgeon Central; Friday is a workday; Friday calls out for a Football Friday rant.  So, let me get started …

As usual I shall begin by reviewing last week’s “Betting Bundle” – – and it was a disastrous peek into a crystal ball:

• Spreads and Totals:  0-5-1                Yeah, I know; it could be worse.
• Season to Date:         14-28-2            Shameful!

And …

• Money Line Parlays: 0-2                   Loss = $200
• Season to Date:         8-15                 Loss = $36

The Linfield University Wildcats assured that their streak of winning records in football will stay intact for yet one more season.  Linfield beat Lewis and Clark last week 29-21; that was the fifth win of the season for Linfield against two losses; the regular season schedule is 9 games long, so Linfield’s streak that began in 1956 goes on.  This week, Linfield is on the road to Tacoma WA to play at the university of Puget Sound.  Go Wildcats!

My “sleeper team” for 2025 has been Georgia Tech and they have been roaring instead of snoring in 2025.  That season hit a speed bump last week; Tech lost its first game of the year to NC State 48-36.  That outcome makes the ACC standings almost inscrutable.

• Virginia has no conference losses – – even though they lost to NC State in September.  It’s a long and bizarre story …
• Five teams have only one conference loss.
• I started to try to figure out who had the inside track to make the ACC Championship Game and got lost in a maze of possible outcomes.  That is a job for AI …

 

College Football Commentary:

 

Another coach at a major college program was sent packing last week.  Auburn and coach Hugh Freeze mutually decided to go in different directions – – or something like that.  Last week, Auburn lost to Kentucky by the score of 10-3.  That was embarrassing for several reasons:

• It was Kentucky’s first SEC victory of the year.
• Auburn ranks 104^th in the nation in scoring offense; Hugh Freeze made his bones as a coach on the offensive side of the ball.
• Kentucky ranks 86^th in the nation in scoring defense; Auburn only managed a field goal in the game.
• This was a slog of a game; the two teams combined to create a total of 478 yards on offense, and they combined to punt the ball 13 times.
• Freeze leaves Auburn with a record of 15-19.

We have arrived at the portion of the college football season where it is beginning to be possible to envision the participants in the CFP starting in December.  It looks as if perennial entrants like Ohio St, and Alabama will be involved again this year.  It also appears as if there will be some first-time entrants into the festivities.  I am sure that others can find other newbies who have a shot at the CFP this year, but here is my top-of the head list:

• BYU is 8-0 and leading the Big-12.
• Iowa has 2 losses – – and some impressive on-field credentials
• Ole Miss is 8-1 and the remaining schedule is not nearly a killer
• Texas A&M has been dominant this year and even if they lose a game this month, they would seem to be shoo-ins for the CFP.
• Texas Tech is 7-1 and should be in the Big-12 Championship Game

            I am not saying all those teams will make the CFP but none of them have been there before and all have a real chance.  In addition:

• It is virtually certain that the ACC representative(s) to the CFP will be first timers.  The previous ACC teams have been Clemson and Florida St.; neither of them will be under consideration this year.
• It looks pretty clear that the “non-Power 4 team” will be a rookie too.  Liberty and Boise St. have been there in the past, and neither will be there this year.  There are five or six possible teams from this category that could get the invitation, and I can’t possibly sort that out here.

There are four unbeaten teams remaining in 2025:

1. BYU
2. Indiana
3. Ohio St.
4. Texas A&M

Here are some comments on games from last week in the ACC:

Duke 46 Clemson 45:  Clemson has lost 5 games this year and 4 of them are conference games.  In the ACC only BC and Syracuse have more conference losses than Clemson.  Duke is 4-1 in conference games; the ACC race will be very interesting from here on out.

Virginia 31  Cal 21:  The Cavaliers remain “unbeaten” in ACC games (see above).

UNC 27  Syracuse 10:  This was the first win for Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels over a Power 4 opponent …

SMU 26  Miami 20 (OT):  That is the second loss in a row for the Hurricanes, and they are pretty much out of the ACC Championship picture.  SMU has 3 overall losses, but the Mustangs are 4-1 in conference games.  They have a much better shot at getting into the ACC Championship Game after this result.

And in Big-10 action:

Ohio St. 38  Penn St. 14:  The Nittany Lions have now lost 5 in a row; maybe James Franklin wasn’t “the problem”…?  Oh, by the way, Indiana is coming to “Happy Valley” this week…

Indiana 55  Maryland 10:  The Hoosiers ran up 588 yards on offense in this game and held Maryland to only 37 yards rushing on 17 tries.

Next up is the SEC:

Texas 34  Vandy 31:  Both teams are now 7-2.  Texas has only one SEC loss while Vandy has two conference losses.  The Commodores scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to make the score respectable.

Georgia 24  Florida 20:  Georgia improved to 7-1 for the season but that loss was in conference.  The Bulldogs are “lurkers” in the SEC now with that conference loss.  Alabama and Texas A&M are both undefeated in conference play and Ole Miss joins Georgia with a single conference loss.

Mississippi St. 38  Arkansas 35:  The Bulldogs are 5-4 for the season; they have already passed their projected win-total for the year according to the oddsmakers back in August.  Arkansas has lost 7 games this year, but three losses were by a field goal, and a fourth loss was by a single point.

Oklahoma 33  Tennessee 27:  That is the 3^rd conference loss for Tennessee; they will not be in the SEC Championship Game.  Oklahoma has two conference losses but also must deal with the fact that there are 5 SEC teams with fewer conference losses.

And over in the Big-12:

West Virginia 45  Houston 35:  This was a shocker.  Houston was at home and was a 13.5-point favorite and managed to lose by 10 points.  It was the second conference loss for Houston, and it was also the first conference victory for West Virginia.

Texas Tech 43  K-State 20:  The Red Raiders improved to 8-1 for the season.  However, that loss was in conference leaving them behind BYU in the Big-12 standings.

Kansas 38  Oklahoma St. 21:  The Cowboys’ season continues to circle the drain; they are now 1-8 for the season and have not won a conference game since 2023.

Arizona 52  Colorado 17:  If you think that score looks bad consider these:

• Colorado lost to Utah two weeks ago 53-7
• The score at halftime last week was 38-7

And in some random games of interest to me:

Army 20  Air Force 17:  I said last week that games between the service academies are usually close encounters …

North Texas 31  Navy 17:  This is the first loss of the year for Navy; North Texas improved its record to 8-1.

Fresno St.  30  Boise St. 7:  That was the first conference loss – – and third loss overall – – for Boise St.  Nevertheless, they are still alone in second place in the Mountain West Conference.  Fresno St. and five other teams have 2 conference losses so far; that race could get interesting too.

San Diego St. 24  Wyoming 7:  San Diego St. is 7-1 for the season and is the only undefeated team in the Mountain West.

Oregon St. 10  Washington St. 7:  The two offenses in this game were indeed “offensive”.

• Total Offense:              Oregon St. = 184 yards            Wash St. = 271 yards
• 3^rd down tries              Oregon St. = 1 of 12               Wash St. = 2 of 12
• Punts                           Oregon St. = 10                      Wash St. = 7

La Tech 55  Sam Houston 14:  Sam Houston is 0-8 for the season.  The SHOE Tournament Committee – – namely me – – has taken notice…

Here is an update on the race to receive the Brothel Defense Award for 2025:

• UAB gives up 38.8 points per game
• Oklahoma St. gives up 38.8 points per game
• Georgia St. gives up 40.8 points per game
• Sam Houston gives up 40.9 points per game.

Delaware St. 27  Norfolk St. 20:  DeSean Jackson’s team beat Michael Vick’s team.  The game was played in Philly at Lincoln Financial Field and drew a crowd of 47,266.

            Just as a point of reference for you, the stingiest scoring defense in 2025 is Ohio St.; the Buckeyes yield 6.9 points per game.  Quite the difference …

Here are the 12 teams on my radar this week for the SHOE Tournament:

1. Boston College           1-8
2. East Michigan             2-7
3. Georgia St.                  1-7
4. Middle Tenn St.           1-7
5. Nevada                        1-7
6. Oklahoma St.              1-8
7. Oregon St.                  2-7
8. South Alabama           2-7
9. Sam Houston              0-8
10. UMass                         0-9
11. UNC-Charlotte            1-7
12. UTEP                          2-6

 

Games of Interest This Week:

 

Colorado at W. Virginia – 6 (53):  Both teams are 1-5 in the conference.  Is the bloom off the rose in Colorado for Coach Pirme?  Can Rich Rodriguez’ return to W. Virginia start to look like something other than a disaster?  Neither defense is playing well here so I like the game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Florida St. at Clemson – 1.5 (56):  The subtitle for this game has to be, “How the Mighty Have Fallen”.  The Seminoles are 4-4 in 2025, and the Tigers are 3-5…

Indiana – 14 at Penn St. (50):  I suspect that there will not be a lot of happiness in evidence in “Happy Valley” come Saturday night…  Penn St. has not thrown the ball well since Drew Allar has been injured so if they fall behind here, they will have difficulty catching up.  The Indiana defense is tough yielding only 10.8 points per game.  I think this will be a rout; I’ll take Indiana and lay the points even on the road; put it in the “Betting Bundle”.

Wake Forest at Virginia – 6.5 (48.5):  The Cavaliers seek to stay unbeaten in ACC games which would guarantee them entry into the ACC Championship Game.

Georgia – 9 at Mississippi St. (56):  Georgia is ranked #5 this week in the CFP rankings – – the only ones that matter.  It looks like they are in the CFP unless they stumble on their own.

Texas A&M – 7 at Mizzou (48):  This is an important game for the Aggies, and the Tigers are no pushover.

BYU at Texas Tech – 10.5 (52):  BYU is 8-0 for the 2025 season and they are double-digit underdogs here in a conference game.  You do not see that very often.  I think this is the College Game of the Week.

Auburn at Vandy – 6.5 (45):  Auburn will have an interim coach which often gives a team a burst of enthusiasm; Vandy still has an outside shot at the CFP but those hopes will vanish with a poor performance in games like this.

LSU at Alabama – 10 (50):  The Tigers are 5-3 for the season and have lost 2 in a row.  This looks like a hard spot for them.

Oregon – 7 at Iowa (42):  The CFP rankings have Oregon at #9 and Iowa at #20; this is a big game for both teams, and it got plenty of consideration here for College Game of the Week.

Florida International – 1 at Middle Tennessee St. (52):  The SHOE Committee is watching …

Navy at Notre Dame – 28 (56):  Navy likes to run the ball; if they have even a little success doing that, it might be difficult for Notre Dame to have enough time to cover 4 TDs.

Sam Houston at Oregon St. – 20 (53.5):  Here are two bad teams with a combined record of 2-15 and one of them is a 3-score underdog.  Wow!

San Diego St. – 7 at Hawaii (48.5):  The Aztecs are the only team in the Mountain West without a loss this year – – but Hawaii is 4-1 at home this year…

 

NFL Commentary:

 

            With the NY Jets starting a tear-down effort by trading away two of their best defensive players earlier this week, I want to pose a simple question:

• Are the 2025 NY Jets looking at an even worse season than the team endured under Richie Kotite in 1996 when the team went 1-15-0?

Here are some numbers related to the 2025 NY Jets that are not gaudy by any means”

• The Jets rank 32^nd in the NFL in passing offense at 156.5 yards per game
• The Jets rank 25^th in the NFL in scoring at 21 points per game
• The Jets rank 24^th in the NFL in first downs achieved.

Look at those offensive stats in light of the fact that the team just traded off two Pro Bowl level players on the defense and it makes you wonder if 1-16-0 is possible…

The Dolphins did something unusual; the team stinks and instead of firing the coach, the owner fired the GM.  [Aside: That is not to say that the coach will not be out the door in the near future.]  Usually, it is the coach that goes first and if the GM is let go as well, those firings occur as a tandem.  The GM, Chris Grier, is Black; Stephen A. Smith suggested that there might be a racial component to that unusual circumstance; I don’t agree.

First of all, Chris Grier has been the GM of the team since 2016 and last time I checked, the Dolphins have not been in a lot of Super Bowls or Championship Games since then.  If the owner is a “closet racist”, I think he would have found an excuse to fire Chris Grier sometime short of 9 seasons.

I think the frustration of the owner there is that the team had a cumulative record of 77-80-0 since Grier took the job – – and things are not looking up for the 2025 season.  Over the course of his tenure in Miami, I think Grier made two big decisions that just never worked out for the team:

• He hired Adam Gase as the head coach in Miami right after getting the job.  That marriage lasted 3 years and was not an unmitigated success.
• He drafted Tua with the #5 pick in 2020 and that left the Chargers the opportunity to draft Justin Herbert with the #6 pick in that draft.

Yesterday, the NY Times reported that Antonio Brown had been arrested by US Marshalls in Dubai and he has been extradited to the US on second-degree attempted murder charges.  Brown has had some unusual behavioral incidents in the past and was indeed a diva as a WR, but I never saw a “murder charge” coming down the pike.  The events in question go back to May 17 when Brown claimed that he was “jumped” by people who sought to steal his jewelry but that he fended them off.  He was questioned by the police then but not arrested or charged with anything.  After that the police got a warrant for his arrest and he has been evading the authorities ever since then.  Hence – – I guess – – why the arrest happened in Dubai.

I just know that this story is not over …

I want to offer up a prognostication here even though the NFL season is only half over:

• The New England Patriots will be in the AFC Playoffs this year.

The Pats are 7-2-0 as of this morning.  They have 8 games left on the schedule and they will be favored in at least 5 of them:

• Vs. Jets
• At Bengals
• Vs. Giants
• At Jets
• Vs. Dolphins

If the Pats win four of those five very winnable games, they will have 11 wins for the season, and I don’t see how an 11-win team misses the AFC playoffs this season.  And by the way, they have a win over the Bills in their pocket so even if they lose to the Bills in the rematch on Dec 14^th, they still could win the AFC East on tiebreakers.

The Panthers are starting to look like a good football team.  They can – – and do – – run the football and they defend the run well too.  Now if they can keep Bryce Young upright and mobile …

Here is an unusual stat taken from the NFL standings today:

• The Texans are 3-5-0 for the season; nevertheless, their point differential is +47.
• The Texans beat the Titans by 26, the Ravens by 34 and the Niners by 11.
• The Texans’ biggest loss is by 8 points to the Seahawks.

Here are comments on last week’s games:

Steelers 27  Colts 20:  The Colts outgained the Steelers by 143 yards in the game but 6 turnovers negated that offensive advantage.  The Colts also converted 5 of 5 fourth-down tries in the game, but that was not enough to overcome 6 turnovers.  Daniel Jones was responsible for 5 of the 6 turnovers (3 INTs and 2 lost fumbles).  Both teams lead their divisions by 2 full games this morning but there are lots of naysayers who think both teams are Cinderellas with the clock at 11:55 PM.  We shall see …

Pats 24  Falcons23:    The Pats have won 6 games in a row; along with the Broncos, that is the longest extant winning streak in the league.  Interestingly, the Pats are 4-0 on the road and only 3-2 at home.  The Pats held the ball for 34 minutes and ran 14 more offensive plays than the Falcons.  The Falcons record dropped to 3-5-0 here and only the miserable Saints are keeping them out of the bottom of the NFC South.  The Falcons missed a PAT in the game that proved to be the margin of victory for the Pats.

Panthers 16  Packers 13:  The Packers outgained the Panthers by 104 yards – – and lost.  The Packers converted 7 of 13 third-down attempts – – and lost.  The Packers never punted in the game – – and lost.  The NFC North race really tightened up last week; the Packers now lead both the Lions and the Bears by half a game and the Vikes by 1.5 games. The Packers are an enigma; they look like world beaters one week but realize that they have lost to the Panthers and to the Browns and tied the Cowboys this year; those are not 3 great teams.  Panthers RB, Rico Dowdle ran the ball 25 times for 130 yards and two TDs.  Packers were inside the Red Zone 5 times and scored only 1 TD.

Broncos 18  Texans 15:  This was the fourth time this season that the Broncos were behind when the fourth quarter started and the team came back to win the game.  Someone in Denver must have found a cache of pixie dust.  Here are the results of the Texans’ second half possessions – – after CJ Stroud left the game with a concussion:

• 6 plays             24 yards          Field Goal
• 4 plays             8 yards            PUNT
• 3 plays             7 yards            PUNT
• 5 plays             14 yards          PUNT
• 4 plays             8 yards            PUNT
• 3 plays             7 yards            PUNT
• 3 plays             4 yards            PUNT

Bears 47  Bengals 42:  The teams combined to score 31 points in the 4^th quarter alone.  In fact, they scored 23 points in the final 5 minutes of the game.  Some beaches in the world are listed as “Clothing Optional”.  This game should be labeled as “Tackling Optional”.  The Bengals are toast; that defensive showing should have been a full-fledged embarrassment for the entire Bengals’ defense and defensive staff; the Bears posted 575 yards of offense.  But don’t lose sight of the fact that the Bears’ defense allowed 42 points to Joe Flacco in this game; that level of performance by Chicago is not sustainable.    Consider this circumstance:

• The Bengals offense has scored 39 and 42 points in the past two weeks and lost both games because of their defense’s inability to force stops. 

Chargers 27  Titans 20:  The Titans got a TD on a Pick Six and another one on a punt return; this game was not as close as the score would lead you to believe.  Justin Hebert was “The Man” in the game throwing for 250 yards and being the leading rusher with 57 yards.

Vikes 27  Lions 24:  JJ McCarthy was the star of this game by a mile.  He threw 2 TD passes and ran for another score.  The Vikes’ defense held the Lions to only 65 yards rushing on 20 carries and the longest run was only 11 yards.  The Lions are 0-3 this year when held to fewer than 100 yards rushing.

Niners 34  Giants 24:  The Niners ran for 159 yards in the game on 39 attempts; that allowed the Niners to control the pace of the game and time of possession.

Jags 30  Raiders 29 (OT):  You can’t fault Geno Smith for this loss; here is his stat line:

• 29 of 39 for 284 yards with 4 TDs and 1 INT

The difference in the game came down to the Raiders’ choice to go for two instead of playing for a tie with less than a minute left in OT.  That and the fact that the Raiders missed another PAT in the first quarter which played a role in sending the game to OT in the first place.  Another memorable event from the game, Jags’ placekicker, Cam Little set an NFL record with a successful 68-yard field goal.  The Raiders led 6-3 at the half and had the Jags’ offense bottled up.  Then in the second half, the Raiders’ defense went AWOL; here are the Jags’ possessions after halftime:

• 7 plays             17 yards          Field Goal
• 13 plays           69 yards          TD
• 9 plays             74 yards          TD
• 8 plays             42 yards          Field Goal
• 10 plays           44 yards          TD

Rams 34  Saints 10:  This was total domination by the Rams; they outgained the Saints 438 yards to 224 yards.  YOWZA!  The Saints got a look at Tyler Shough at QB for the game; here is his stat line from his first NFL start:

• 15 of 24 for 176 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT

Bills 28  Chiefs 21:  This was a great game to watch; the Bills won the game by winning the game not by the Chiefs losing the game.  The Bills controlled the ball for almost 35 minutes and James Cook’s rushing for 114 yards on 27 carries had lots to do with that.  I suspect we could see these teams face each other again in the playoffs…

Seahawks 38  Commanders 14:  Another game of total domination; the score was 31-7 at halftime; the Seahawks outgained the Commanders by 128 yards and played Drew Lock at QB for a significant part of the 4^th quarter.  Sam Darnold had a perfect first half against the Commanders, going 16 of 16 for 284 yards and four touchdowns in the first half.  Here is a stat that I ran across this week:

• Sam Darnold is the only QB over the past 35 years to complete 100% of his passes for at least 250 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in a single half.

Jayden Daniels suffered a gruesome injury late in the game; the score at the time was 38-7 and one might ask why he was in the game in the first place.

Ravens 34  Dolphins 6:  Seriously, I don’t think the game was this close …

Cards 27  Cowboys 17:  Jacoby Brisset and Marvin Harrison, Jr. had their way with the Cowboys’ secondary and Emari Demercado gained 79 yards on 14 carries.  The Cards’ victory broke a 5-game losing streak where the total margin of victory in the five games was 13 points.  The Cards’ defense also recorded 5 sacks in the game.

Before looking at this week’s games, I should note that last week was a positive one for the Eagles.  They were on their BYE Week; so, they were sitting at home watching instead of playing and they saw all three of their division rivals lose last weekend.

 

NFL Games This Week:

 

Teams on the BYE Week will be:

• Bengals:  I wonder if their defense can pitch a shutout on the BYE Week.  That is not a guarantee …
• Chiefs:  They trail the Broncos by 2.5 games as of today and they are only 1-3-0 on the road.  The Chiefs need to find a way to kickstart their season here.
• Cowboys:  Quinnen Williams will help the Cowboys’ run defense; can they use this BYE Week to teach the secondary how to cover people and to tackle people?
• Titans:  Can they out stink the Jets and get the overall #1 pick again in 2026?

            Last night the Broncos beat the Raiders 10-7 in an unentertaining game.  The Raiders scored a TD in the middle of the first quarter.  Here are their possessions after that:

• 8 plays             23  yards         PUNT
• 6 plays             30 yards          PUNT
• 5 plays             2 yards            FUMBLE
• 6 plays             30 yards          PUNT
• 4 plays             -4  yards          SACK
• 3 plays            -2 yards           PUNT
• 3 plays             -2 yards           HALFTIME
• 3 plays             8 yards            PUNT
• 1 play              0 yards            INT
• 4 plays             -6 yards           PUNT
• 3 plays             – 1 yard            PUNT
• 6 plays            42 yards          PUNT
• 6 plays            15 yards          MISSED FIELD GOAL

Falcons vs Colts – 6.5 (48.5) Game is in Berlin:  The Colts laid an egg last week; so, does that get it out of their system or is that harbinger of a decline?  This game could give a good indication because the Falcons defense against the run is only the 23^rd best in the league.  Which version of the Falcons will show up?

Browns – 2 at Jets (38): Clearly, the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  The only positive thing about the game is that both teams had a BYE last week and should be ready to play as well as they can – – which is not all that great.

Saints at Panthers – 5.5 (40):  The Saints are a bad team, and this is a second road game in a row.  Usually that is not a good situation …

Bills – 9.5 at Dolphins (50):  Unless the Bills totally disrespect this opponent and look forward to the game after this one, they should win in a walk.  I know that is a big number, but I’ll take the Bills to win and cover on the road; put it in the “Betting Bundle”.

Jags at Texans “pick ‘em” (39):  The total Line opened at 41 points but dropped to this level when it was announced that CJ Stroud will not play here because of a concussion sustained last week; Davis Mills will be the QB for the Texans.  The Jags have been up and down this season and the Texans’ defense has a way of making offenses uncomfortable.  I like this game to stay UNDER; put it in the ”Betting Bundle”.

Ravens – 4 at Vikes (49):  Key question here is simple:

• Can JJ McCarthy play the way he did last week reliably?

Lamar Jackson is back for the Ravens; the Vikes will offer resistance, but the team will need offensive production and McCarthy showed that he can provide that.  Now can he do that again here and again next week …?

Pats at Bucs – 2.5 (48):  They are calling this the “Tom Brady Bowl”.  The oddsmakers are showing respect to the Pats here; the Bucs are a good team with a 6-2-0 record to lead the NFC South; the Bucs are at home and are less than a field goal favorite against the Pats who lost 13 games last season.  I thought about this one as the Game of the Week.  I said above that the Pats would be in the playoffs this year; so, will the Bucs.

Giants at Bears – 5 (46):  The Giants defense was touted to be really good; that has not manifested itself.  The Bears’ hopes were similarly pinned on the defense doing its part while the offense blossomed under the guidance of Ben Johnson; that has not happened either.  This game could either be won by the team that scores 20 points, or it could be a game where both teams score 30+ points.

Cards at Seahawks – 7 (45):  Listen up!  The Seattle Seahawks are a very good NFL team this year.  The Cards have played much better than their record would indicate but I don’t think they are up to traveling to Seattle on a short week to play a second straight road game.

Lions – 8 at Commanders (49.5):  Yes, Marcus Mariota will be the Commanders’ QB but that is not the problem for the Commanders in this game.  The problem is that the Commanders do not cover receivers well and they do not defend the run very well.  Overall, the Commanders rank 28^th in the NFL in Total Defense giving up 377.8 yards per game and 23^rd in the NFL in Scoring defense giving up 26.2 points per game.  The Lions do not play as well on the road as they do at home, but they are the better team here; give me the Lions to win and cover; put it in the “Betting Bundle”.

Rams – 5 at Niners (49):  The Niners beat the Rams earlier this year so a win here for the Niners would give them the definitive tiebreaker in the case of a tie between the two teams.  The Rams’ have a potent offense and the Niners’ defense is missing some very good players.  I thought about this one as the Game of the Week.

(Sun Nite) Steelers at Chargers – 3 (45):  Given the injury status of the Chargers’ OL, I suspect that Justin Herbert will be under severe duress for much of the evening.  The Chargers’ hopes in the game rely on passing success; the Steelers’ defense ranks dead last in the NFL in pass defense allowing 278.3 yards per game.

(Mon Nite) Eagles at Packers – 2 (45):  This is the Game of the Week.  I think the question here is straightforward:

• Did the Eagles’ offense come to life two weeks ago scoring 38 points on the Giants – – or was that just a defensive collapse by the Giants?

The Eagles made trades to help their defense at the deadline but nothing for the offense.  Is that a signal?  The Packers looked great in some games and then they laid an egg last week losing to the Panthers in Green Bay.

So, let me review the “Betting Bundle”:

• Colorado/West Virginia OVER 53
• Indiana – 14 over Penn St.
• Jags/Texans UNDER 39
• Bills – 9 over Dolphins
• Lions – 8 over Commanders

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

• Colts @ minus-290
• Panthers @ minus-250
• Bills @ minus-540                             $100 wager to win $123

And …

• San Diego St. @ minus-230
• SMU @ minus-420
• Washington @ minus-410                $100 wager to win $121

Finally, this from Dick Vermeil:

“No one ever drowned in his own sweat.”

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

The NFL trade deadline came and went on Tuesday afternoon and this one was hectic.  Unlike some seasons where the top report emerging from the trade deadline is that Washington Commanders acquired offensive guard Joe Flabeetz from the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft, this year saw lots of deals and lots of good players changing uniforms.  The standout story of the deadline has to involve the NY Jets.

Lots of folks have wondered how the Jets could possibly trade two All-Pro defenders; I think the answer to that is rather simple:

• The Jets are a miserable 1-7-0 team with those two excellent players on the field; they can probably be a 1-7-0 team with other players on the field.  If not, how much worse can they be?
• The Jets harvested first and second round picks which – – if used constructively – – could add four young quality players to the roster.
• The Jets removed about $50M per year from their salary cap by trading those players; they will be “replaced” by guys on rookie deals; that should allow for some Jets’ activity in next Spring’s free agent feeding frenzy.

So, if my thinking aligns at all with the thinking of the Jets’ braintrust, the idea in NY is a complete teardown and rebuild.  And that would require a couple of things if the team is to pull it off successfully:

1. The owner has to be patient and in the specific case of the Jets, the owner has to get out of the way of the “football people” and to go radio silent.
2. If the Jets nail the draft in 2026 and are at .500 when next year’s trade deadline rolls around, the “football people” need to avoid “microwaving the rebuild”.  It will take time to rebuild and teams that think they are on the verge of success early on usually live to regret it.  See Washington Commanders trading for Marshon Lattimore…

So, what about the rest of the teams that made deals:

• The Colts sent two first round picks and a decent WR to the Jets for Sauce Gardner.  That move tells me the Colts think they can do some damage in the playoffs this year and that they will go forth with Daniel Jones as their QB down the line.
• The Cowboys acquired Queenan Williams from the Jets for a first round pick and a young DT.  As I understand it, the pick involved here is the one the Cowboys got from the Packers in the Micah Parsons trade.  That move will help the Cowboys’ defense against the run, but I doubt it will make the 31^st ranked defense into anything resembling a Top 10 unit.
• The Eagles’ defense has not been nearly as dominant this year as it was last year.  So, the Eagles added 4 defensive players over the last two weeks; they had a large inventory of draft picks in hand and used some of them to get two DBs and an edge rusher.  They also brought Brandon Graham back out of retirement with the intention of having him mentor young players.
• The Seahawks added another WR to go with Jaxon Smith-Ngigba.  The Seahawks are for real; that addition says they too think they can do damage in this year’s playoffs.

What surprised me a bit was that the Falcons were not able to trade Kirk Cousins and that the Giants were not able to trade Russell Wilson.  Neither veteran has a future with their current club and there are certainly teams in the league that might benefit from veteran leadership if not on-field performance.  Is this a sign that the Falcons and Giants asked too much for those backup QBs or is this an indication that no one in the NFL wants either player at any price?

I am also surprised that the Bengals kept Trey Hendrickson at the deadline.  The Bengals are going nowhere this year, and their defense is disastrously bad.  Nonetheless, Hendrickson – – who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason – – and the team were locked into a contract stalemate for the entire Summer of 2025 meaning that he can likely leave Cincy and the team will get a compensatory pick and nothing else.

One last player who was not traded is Alvin Kamara.  The Saints need a total rebuild and Kamara is 30 years old.  He is unlikely to be in the NFL at all by the time the Saints are any good.  I thought for sure that Kamara would be moving on this week.  C’est la vie…

Finally, here is an interesting perspective on being a football player by Jack Kemp:

“Pro football gave me a good sense of perspective to enter politics: I’d already been booed, cheered, cut, sold, traded and hung in effigy.”

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

 

 

The WNBA players and owners are negotiating a new CBA; the old one expired on Halloween but the two sides agreed to live under the old one for 30 more days meaning they have kicked the can down the road until November 30^th which is 3 days after Thanksgiving.  Back in 2020, the league and the players union reached a deal to put the current deal into effect and it was supposed to last through the 2027 season; however, both sides had an “opt-out clause” after the 2024 season and the players chose to “opt out” in order to get a better deal.

The WNBA is at its highest level of popularity/recognition/economic viability now.  The current deal shortchanges the players based on that increased level of revenue; that statement is not open to contradiction.  At the same time, the increased level of revenues flowing into the league are not equivalent to the revenues flowing into the NBA; there are issues of scale involved there.

So, what is likely to happen here:

• If there is no deal by November 30^th, there could be another extension of the existing CBA allowing for more negotiations.  Or, there could be a work stoppage.

That sounds simple, but nothing is ever simple.  It turns out that most of the top WNBA players maneuvered their contracts to expire this winter; the majority of players will be free agents once the new deal is in place.  The players clearly outflanked the owners on that move because many teams reportedly have no guaranteed money on their books because they don’t have any players signed beyond the year that just ended.

And if that is not chaotic enough for you to enjoy, remember that the WNBA is going to add 2 new franchises this winter (Portland and Toronto) which means there will need to be a “dispersal draft” to populate those teams – – unless the new CBA just makes the new teams fend for themselves in the upcoming free agent feeding frenzy.

And remember that a “work stoppage” comes in two flavors:

1. The league can lock out the players – – OR – –
2. The players can go on strike.

A lockout requires “all league business ceases” – – which is something I have never understood since continued negotiations on a new CBA seems like “league business” to me and that is obviously permitted and even encouraged.  Whatever …  Lockouts do not have an expiration date as do CBA extensions and deadlines tend to spark activities that lead to deals; so a lockout is probably not good news for WNBA fans who probably just want this matter to be settled so they can get back to watching their teams play.

As is always the case, there are myriad issues that need settlement in these negotiations, but the core issue is both simple and basic:

• The revenue sharing and the pay scale that was agreed to in 2020 was proper for a league that was not so popular and needed money from the NBA to stay solvent.  Such is not the case today; the WNBA is probably poised to be self-sustaining and even profitable across the board as of today; so, the players want a bigger share of the new and improved revenue streams.

Neither side has specified the details of their proposals and the counter-proposals on that issue, so let me make up a negotiating scenario here:

• Owners offer revenue sharing – – 30% of revenues go to player salaries that define a salary cap and a salary floor for all teams.
• Players offer revenue sharing – – 50% of revenues go to player salaries that define a salary cap and a salary floor for all teams.

In my admittedly simplistic formulation here, the final answer is either a percentage somewhere between 30% and 50% or there is a work stoppage that erases games from the WNBA schedule in 2026.  And, erased games means a reduction in revenues which will certainly not improve the desire of either the players or the owners to sit in a circle, join hands and sing kumbaya.

At some point, both sides will conclude that there is enough revenue coming into the WNBA that compromises to get some of what is most desirable is better than nothing.  It will probably take another extension of the CBA to make that happen, but it is the most likely outcome.  The worst outcome is intransigence and both sides of this faceoff need to take the time to contemplate history here:

• MLB lost a World Series to intransigence
• The NHL lost an entire season to intransigence.

The owners and the players need to realize that the reason they are at the table negotiating now is because of the increased popularity of the product they put on the court and on the air.  The way to kill the goose that is laying all those golden eggs is to make the product – – and/or the players – – less popular tomorrow than they are today.  A work stoppage might do exactly that.

Finally, since the league and players are in a standoff for now, let me close with this:

“I have concocted a new cocktail; I call it the Mexican Standoff; it is equal parts tequila, Kaopectate and prune juice.”

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

 

 

After the Cowboys/Cards game was over last night, I went to gather up a couple of game stats and/or something interesting about the game to use as commentary for the upcoming Football Friday.  One thing I noticed was that the official attendance figure for that game was 92,211.  That made me go and check to see the seating capacity of Jerry-World and according to both Wikipedia and Google/AI mode the place seats 80,000.  Before anyone jumps down my throat, I know about the concept of “standing room only” and I am sure that the Dallas Cowboys do significant business in the “standing room marketplace”.

And yet …  I remember seeing lots – – and I do mean lots – – of empty blue seats in that facility early on in last night’s game.  I am not talking about late in the 4^th quarter when the outcome was no longer in doubt and the Cowboys’ faithful had kissed goodbye their bets handing the Cards an additional 3 points.  I am talking about the first half when the Cowboys trailed but were still very much “in the game”.  Then I realized what had happened.

• It was only three days after Halloween and all those folks in Texas who dressed up as Claude Rains for that holiday decided to wear their costumes one more time for the Cardinals’ game on Monday Night Football.
• Yeah, that’s it …

One other snarky comment about last night’s telecast …  When Marvin Harrison caught his short TD pass in the first half, the Cowboys’ DB got his feet tangled up and fell down making the play a trivial completion for NFL caliber players.  Troy Aikman referred to that incident as a “blown coverage”.  Yes, it gave up a TD, but that is not the worst occurrence of a “blown coverage”; the worst occurrence would be a burst condom.

Moving on …  Injuries are part of football; someone said that football is not a contact sport; it is a collision sport.  Every team has to deal with injuries but the kind of injuries that are significantly more difficult to deal with are the ones that hit a certain position on a team with multiple players going down in that position.  That situation seems to obtain in the Los Angeles Chargers’ locker room.

• Rashawn Slater was named to the Pro Bowl twice in his career as an offensive tackle for the Chargers.  He ruptured his patellar tendon back in training camp and is out for the season.
• Joe Alt moved from RT to LT to replace Slater in training camp; he was playing well in that new position.  Alt suffered an ankle injury last weekend that will require surgery and will render hm hors du combat for the rest of the year.
• Trey Pipkins assumed the RT position that Alt vacated back in August.  He is now hurt.
• Bobby Hart was signed to back up Pipkins; he got hurt last weekend with a “groin injury”.

So, who is left on the Chargers’ depth chart to play offensive tackle?

• Austin Deculus is a rookie sixth-round pick from LSU.
• Jamaree Salyer was a sixth-round pick from Georgia in 2022.  He is also listed as the back-up right guard at the moment.
• Foster Sarrell was an undrafted free agent from Stanford in 2021.  He is also listed as the back-up left guard at the moment.

The NFL trade deadline is later this afternoon.  I suspect the Chargers are in the market for an offensive lineman or maybe even two.

And speaking of the NFL trade deadline …  The Dallas Cowboys’ defense is awful it ranks 31^st in a 32-team league.  That defense does not play the run very well, the DBs are suspect at best, and the entire unit misses a lot of tackles.   Yesterday, owner Jerry Jones let it be known that he had a trade in the works but that he could not yet reveal it because he had not pulled the trigger on the deal.  Jones loves the limelight and that sort of “mysterious” foreshadowing is right in his wheelhouse.  Well, today there are reports that indeed he will make a deal that will add a player to his defensive unit.  Except …

• He has acquired a linebacker from the Bengals – – the only defense in the league worse than the Cowboys.
• That linebacker had been demoted by the Bengals from “defensive starter” to “special teams’ player”.

Moreover, even if Jerry Jones found a way to reincarnate a 27-year-old Reggie White, the Cowboys’ defense is incapable of achieving mediocrity with the addition of one player.

Finally, here is an entry from The Official Dictionary of Sarcasm:

“Injury:  A trauma or wound inflicted upon one’s body or one’s psyche.  While the former can lead to some debilitating medical expenses, there is unfortunately no coverage in place for the damage done by somebody calling you a worthless sack of crap.”

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

 

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers are repeat World Series champions – – a feat that has only been accomplished twice before in the last 30 years.  The seventh game of any World Series is “compelling”; this one went above and beyond that description; it was riveting.  My long-suffering wife is not a baseball fan, but she sat down with me to watch at the beginning and was there to see the final out and was fully focused on the game, the score and the situation.  She was not alone …

According to Hollywoodreporter/com, the TV audience for the game “peaked” between 11:30 and 11:45 PM EDT at 31.54 million viewers and “averaged” 25.98 million viewers for the entire telecast.  That is the largest TV audience for any MLB game since Game 7 of the 2017 World Series.  [No need to Google; in 2017, the Astros beat the Dodgers for the World Championship in seven games.]  The last time there was a Game 7 on the air was in 2019 and last Friday’s audience was 10% bigger than that one.

The Dodgers’ repeat is certain to spark fan reaction and debate.  The Dodgers’ payroll on opening day of the 2025 season was approximately $320M; three teams started the season with payrolls less than 25% of what the Dodgers were paying out.  Moreover, half of the teams in MLB spent less than half of what the Dodgers spent on player payroll as of opening day.  Frustrated fans around the league will use those figures to put a figurative asterisk on the Dodgers’ accomplishments.  In one sense, those fans are right; the playing field is tilted in favor of the “big-spenders” and it has been ever since the formation of leagues of professional baseball teams.

The Dodgers played by the rules that exist, and those rules did not guarantee them success; the Dodgers earned their success.  Consider that back on opening day, the NY Mets spent even more than the Dodgers did on player payroll.  [Yes, the difference was a paltry $2M but recognize that the Mets spent $323M on player salaries and did not make the playoffs let alone the World Series.]  The field is certainly tilted, but the outcome is not pre-ordained.  I think Dodgers’ manager, Dave Roberts, summed it all up very well:

“We’re in a big market. We’re expected to win. Our fans expect us to win. I can’t speak to what revenue we’re bringing in, but our ownership puts it back into players, a big chunk of it. That’s the way it should be with all ownership groups.”

The alternative to Roberts’ assessment of the status quo is a salary cap/salary floor situation that would only be acceptable if it were enshrined in a new CBA – – and the current CBA will expire on December 1, 2026 – – soon after next year’s World Series champion is crowned.  Personally, I think a cap-and-floor structure has worked very well for the NFL and the NBA and on that basis, I would prefer that MLB try for something similar in a new agreement.  I doubt that will happen for two reasons:

1. The players’ union is dead set against anything that smells like a salary cap.  They have their reasons for such a position; I happen not to agree with them on that point.
2. The “deep-pocketed owners” are not nearly as motivated to fight for such a concession as are the “small market guys”.  I can envision the “owners’ solidarity” eroding quickly should a lockout dry up their tidy revenue streams.

The Dodgers won the World Series; no one anointed them as the champions outside the rules and norms of the game.  Put aside the “economic inequality lamentations”; they are what they are, and they will be back again next season.  And if next year’s World Series goes 7 games and produces a final game of similar drama and excitement, no one will care about the economics associated with the winners.

Moving on …  The Bible says that when God shuts one door, He opens another.  Well, as the MLB season closes out, the college basketball season opens.  The first real games are tonight and if I have read the schedule properly, the first game will tip-off at 11:00 AM EST with Bradley visiting St. Bonaventure.  There will be thousands of games among the 350+ teams that play men’s college basketball at the Division 1 level between now and when the NCAA crowns its champion in early April 2026.  One season ends and the next one begins …

Finally, consider this from Will Rogers:

“About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation.”

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