Category: Uncategorized

An adage reads:

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Applying that adage to an NFL transaction, the object under analysis would be Joe Flacco.  After earning the starting QB job for the Browns during Training Camp, Flacco was less than sterling in the opening games for the Browns.  In 4 starts, the Browns’ record was 1-3-0 and Flacco’s stat line was an unimpressive one:

• 93 of 160 for 815 yards with 2 TDs and 6 INTs

Let me save you the trouble of getting your calculator revved up.  He completed 58.1% of his throws; he averaged 5.1 yards per attempt; if you are into “Passer Ratings”, his rating was 60.6 and that is not a good rating at all.  Last weekend, the Browns sat Flacco down and played rookie Dillon Gabriel at QB.  The Browns lost that game but must have seen enough from Gabriel to go forward with him; so, they traded Joe Flacco to the in-state rival, Cincy Bengals.

The Bengals are smack dab in the middle of dealing with a struggling QB.  When Joe Burrow had to undergo toe surgery that will keep him out of action until at least December 2025, the Bengals turned to Jake Browning who had been a capable fill-in for them back in 2023.  However, Browning has not been as effective this year and here is his stat line for 4 game appearances in 2025:

• 80 of 124 for 757 yards with 6 TDs and 8 INTs

I think we can agree that neither stat line is impressive.  But the Bengals determined that it was worth it to them to acquire Flacco in a trade.  Here is the exchange:

• Browns get a fifth-round pick in 2026
• Bengals get Flacco plus a sixth-round pick in 2026.

Lots of commentators have labeled this trade as “unusual” because it is “inter-divisional”; I agree with that assessment.  However, I think it is unusual on another axis.  When the Browns “demoted” Flacco to backup status, it seemed clear to me that they were not going to play him any more in 2025 unless Gabriel was injured.  Although the coaches and team execs would never admit this, I honestly believe that the Browns know that they are not going to make the playoffs in 2025 and need to know if they have a QB asset in Gabriel and/or Shedeur Sanders who now becomes the backup QB in Cleveland.  Moreover, Flacco was on a one-year deal in Cleveland; and at age 40, he was clearly not part of the long-range plan for the club.

Joe Flacco is the “trash” in the adage above and the Browns managed to get a pick-swap for him in this trade.  Congratulations to the Browns for pulling that off.  Now here is what I do not understand:

• Why did the Bengals make this trade?
• Why do they see him as the “treasure” now?

When Joe Burrow is back and healthy, he will be the QB in Cincy; neither Flacco nor Browning is going to change that situation in the least.  And when you compare the two stat lines for 2025, Browning’s performance is slightly better than Flacco’s notwithstanding the fact that both stat lines are bad ones.

According to the Bengals website, they had Brett Rypien as the backup QB on the depth chart behind Browning until they acquired Flacco.  But does it make a lot of sense to give up a pick-swap for a 40-year-old backup?  Here is a possible motivation for the Bengals in the deal:

• They need someone who can start at QB for a while as the coaches work with Browning to get him back to the performance level he showed in 2023.  Joe Flacco can fill that role.
• If that interpretation is valid, then Joe Flacco might just be the best available option.  I know this is not the full list, but scanning the late Training Camp cuts for QBs who have not signed elsewhere and practice squad members, here are some of the other free-agent options or practice squad members who might be available to the Bengals:
  • • CJ Beathard
    • Tim Boyle
    • Taylor Heinicke
    • Nate Sudfeld
    • Dorian Thompson-Robinson
    • Kyle Trask

Joe Flacco is at the head of the class there …

If I were assigning academic grades to the Browns and Bengals for this trade, I would give the Browns an “A” because they got a small asset in exchange for something that was not of much value to them.  I would simultaneously give the Bengals a grade of “Incomplete” because it is not clear to me what the Bengals will do with their new acquisition nor is it clear to me that Joe Flacco is necessarily an upgrade over Jake Browning.  Just as with draft picks, it is going to take some time to assess what the Bengals received in this transaction.

Finally, I started today with an adage about trash and treasure.  So, I’ll close with a simple observation:

“Some people are such treasures that you just want to bury them.”

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

 

 

The initial report last week said that Mark Sanchez had been stabbed in Indianapolis and was taken to a hospital.  Later, there was a report that Sanchez had been arrested; that was a tad strange; the victims of a stabbing are usually not the ones getting arrested.  This morning the report is that Sanchez is being charged with three misdemeanors – – battery, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle.  The “stabber” in this case is 69 years old and said that he feared for his life in the altercation and used pepper spray on Sanchez in addition to a knife.  The hospital has upgraded Sanchez’ condition to “stable”.

The report this morning said that it appears as if the altercation began over a “parking situation”; Sanchez was in Indy intending to call the Colts/Raiders game on Sunday for FOX.  Maybe he can take some solace in the fact that he did not have to watch his former college coach, Pete Carrol, take a severe drubbing on Sunday.  The Raiders lost 40-6 kicking field goals on their first possession and again on their final possession in the game.  Between those field goals, here are the results of the Raiders’ offensive possessions:

• Punt
• INT
• Missed Field Goal
• Punt
• INT
• Turnover on DOWNS

Geno Smith now leads the NFL in interceptions thrown with 9.  That is a particularly ominous statistic when you consider that the Raiders’ defense allowed the Colts yesterday to score 6 TDs on 6 Red Zone possessions.

The 2025 season is about one-third finished; I have not yet seen all the teams in the league but of the one’s that I have seen for at least a half of a game let me categorize them into 3 groups – – teams that look very good; teams that look very bad and teams that look as if they could be a serious contender later this year.

• Very Good Teams: Bills, Broncos, Bucs, Chiefs, Lions, Rams
• Very Bad Teams: Browns, Dolphins, Giants, Jets, Raiders, Ravens
• Improving Teams: Commanders, Jags, Pats

Note that I do not have the Eagles anywhere on those lists because I do not think they have played well at all; and at the same time, they are not a very bad team either.

Last week, Giants’ coach Brian Daboll looked to be in desperation mode starting Jaxon Dart against the Chargers and it looked as if his longshot had paid off.  The Giants came away with a major upset victory and Dart was the toast of the town.  Against the Chargers, Dart produced 111 passing yards and one TD, and he added 54 yards rushing on 10 carries.  Yesterday was a different story …

Against a middling Saints’ defense, Dart led the Giants to touchdowns on the team’s first two possessions.  Things were looking up in NYC until the worm turned.  Here are the Giants; possessions after those two early touchdowns:

• Punt    
• Punt    
• Fumble
• Strip Sack
• Fumble
• Fumble
• INT
• Turnover on DOWNS

The Giants did indeed turn the ball over on five possessions in a row.  At that point the joy in NYC was probably equal to the joy in Mudville when Casey struck out.

Another source of agita in NYC is the current state of the Yankees/Blue Jays series in the AL playoffs.  The Jays lead the series 2-0 and have outscored the Yankees 23-8 in those two games.  No joy there either …

Finally, having mentioned the lack of joy in NYC, let me close with this observation about riding the subway in NY by Dorothy Parker:

“Not just plain terrible. This was fancy terrible; this was terrible with raisins in it.”

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

 

 

Well, the calendar has flipped over the requisite number of times, making it appropriate for another Football Friday.  So let me begin with an unpleasant review of last week’s “Betting Bundle”:

• Spreads and Totals:  1-4-0    Ugly
• Season to Date:         4-11-0  Even worse
• Money Line Parlays: 1-2       Loss = $70
• Season to Date:         4-6       Profit = $114

            The Linfield University Wildcats had the week off and will commence their Northwest Conference season this week at George Fox University.  Go Wildcats!

My “Sleeper team” for 2025 barely continued to succeed last week:

Ga Tech 30  Wake Foret 29 (OT):  My sleeper team was sleepwalking here; they were a 12.5-point favorite and were minus-550 on the Money Line.  Wake outgained Tech by 50 yards in the game and Tech won the game when Wake opted for a 2-point conversion in OT, but Tech foiled the try with an end zone INT.  Wake led the game 20-3 early in the second half, so it was a significant rally by Tech that got the game into OT in the first place.  However, a win is a win – – but I would prefer for my “sleeper team” to do a bit less sleep-walking this week.

College Football Commentary:

 

It may sound like a Hollywood screenplay, but Bobby Petrino is back at Arkansas as the head football coach.  After Arkansas was drubbed at home last week (see below), the school fired Sam Pitman and elevated Petrino to the job.  Recall that he had this same job in the past and was forced to resign after a motorcycle accident where it was discovered that he was in the presence of a young female volleyball player.  Now he is back as the head coach after about a 15-year absence.

Ole Miss has started the season at 5-0. The Rebels beat LSU last week (see below).  The rest of the schedule for Ole Miss seems favorable. They have only two ranked teams on their schedule over the final seven games – – at Georgia and at Oklahoma. The rest of the schedule includes home games against South Carolina and Florida, plus a rivalry game with Mississippi State in the final game of the year.  If they can avoid tripping over themselves, Ole Miss could easily end up with a 10-2 record – – or better – – and be part of the discussion for a CFP slot.

Here are some comments on college games from lasts week:

Notre Dame 56  Arkansas 13:  This was a home game for the Razorbacks, but they were embarrassed by the Irish who gained 641 yards on offense in the game.  They have a new head coach in Bobby Petrino who summarily fired the defensive coordinator and is in the process of shuffling the football staff.

Ole Miss 24 LSU 19:  In addition to being 5-0 overall, the Rebels are 3-0 in SEC games this year.   Ole Miss outgained LSU 480 yards to 254 yards; normally, that results in more than a 5-point differential.  Fourteen penalties and two turnovers by the Rebels kept the game closer than one would expect.

North Texas 36  South Alabama 22:  North Texas is 5-0 for the season.

Vandy 55  Utah St. 35:  Vandy is 5-0 for the season.

Memphis 55  FAU 26:  Memphis is 5-0 for the season.

Navy 21  Rice 13:  Navy is 4-0 for the season and Navy leads the nation in rushing offense.

BYU 24  Colorado 21:  BYU is 4-0 for the season.

Houston 27  Oregon St.  24.  Houston is 4-0 for the season.  AND Oregon St. is 0-4 for the season.

Northwestern 17  UCLA 14:  UCLA is winless at 0-4 for the season.

Texas A&M 16  Auburn 10:  Aggies’ head coach Mike Elko is a defensive guy, and his defense did the job here. The Aggies held the Tigers to 0 for 15 on third and fourth down tries.  The defense also recorded six sacks in the game.  Texas A&M is 4-0 for the season; Auburn dropped to 3-2 with this loss and both losses are in conference games.

Tennessee 41  Mississippi St. 34 (OT):  The Vols did it through the air in this game; Tennessee QB, Joey Aguilar, posted this stat line:

• 22 of 40 for 335 yards with 1 TD and 2 INTs.

It was those 2 INTs that kept the game this close as Tennessee outgained Miss St. by almost 100 yards which usually does not suggest an OT contest.

Alabama 24  Georgia 21:  There was no scoring in the final 22 minutes of this game.  There were no turnovers in those 22 minutes; both defenses just shut down the opposition.   Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson had a great day, throwing for 276 yards and two touchdowns.  This is a big win for the Crimson Tide.

Indiana 20  Iowa 15:  The Hoosiers are 5-0 for the season but the Iowa defense took some of the shine off the image of “unstoppable offense” that had been created for Indiana.  In their three games prior to the Iowa game, Indiana scored a total of 192 points.

Ohio St.  24  Washington 6:  There were no TDs by Washington’s offense, but the Huskies’ defense kept the game from turning into a rout.  Actually, the Ohio St. defense dominated the game.  The Buckeyes recorded six sacks and nine tackles for losses and held the Huskies to 2 for 14 on third and/or fourth-down conversions.

Oregon 30  Penn St. 24 (2OT):  Oregon dominated the stat sheet gaining 424 yards to Penn St.’s 276.  Oregon led 17-3 early in the 4^th quarter but the Nittany Lions rallied to tie the game at 17 and force OT.

Illinois 34  USC 32:  The Illini were able to shrug off the beat down they took two weeks ago at the hands of Indiana.  It was the first loss of the year for the Trojans, but it was a conference loss.  They are now looking up at 6 conference rivals who are undefeated in conference games.  The Trojans’ schedule is a tough one with games against Michigan, Notre Dame, Iowa and Oregon still on tap.

Baylor 45  Oklahoma St. 27:  The first game in the post-Mike Guncy Era was not pretty for the Cowboys.  But they did cover the spread which was 21 points…

Va Tech 23  NC St. 21:  Tech fired its coach after losing to Old Dominion by 19 points.  So, is the new interim coach in Blacksburg a miracle worker or is NC St. nothing more than mediocre?

UVa 46  Fla St. 38 (2 OT):  The Seminoles won the stat sheet by 75 yards but lost the scoreboard when they could not match a TD and a two-point conversion in the second OT.  Florida St. has a win over Alabama this year; so, while this loss will sting, I would not write the Seminoles off just yet.

Hawaii 44  Air Force 35:  The Total Offense by the two teams here was 1029 yards.

 

NCAA Games of Interest This Week:

 

            There is only one outrageous spread in the college games this week:

• Kent St at Oklahoma – 45.5 (53)

Air Force at Navy – 12 (52):  Navy leads the nation in rushing and Ari force’s defense has been porous this season.  Nonetheless, a 12-point spread in a game involving two service academies is very large …

Kentucky at Georgia – 21 (48.5):  The Bulldogs look to atone for last week’s loss …

UVa at Louisville – 6.5 (61.5):  The oddsmakers are not overly impressed with the Cavaliers’ win over Florida State last week …

Washington – 6 at Maryland (54):  Maryland is undefeated this year and at home – – and a significant underdog …

Clemson – 14 at UNC (46):  The Bill Belichick Era in Chapel Hill is not going smoothly …

Penn St. – 25 at UCLA (49):  The Lions look to atone for last week’s home loss to Oregon, and a winless Bruins team could be the perfect foil …

Miami – 4 at Florida St. (54):  This is my College Game of the Week.  Both teams are ranked; this is an intrastate rivalry game.  What’s to dislike here?

Vandy at Alabama – 10.5 (55):  Vandy beat Alabama last year and Vandy is undefeated so far in 2025.  I suspect that Kalen DeBoer has reminded the ‘Bama players of those two things more than once this week …

 

NFL Commentary:

 

Just a few random observations based on stats to date in 2025:

• The Bengals have been outscored 76-13 in the two games where Jake Browning has had to step in for Joe Burrow.
• Puka Nacua has been targeted 50 times this season and has caught 42 of those pass attempts for 503 yards.  Wow!
• Joe is Flacco out and Dillon Gabriel is in at QB for the Browns this week against the Vikes in another international game for the Vikes.  Flacco remains as the backup and Shedeur Sanders is still #3 on the Browns’ depth chart.
• The Jags’ defense has intercepted 9 passes in 4 games so far in 2025.
• The Jets’ defense has created no takeaways in 4 games so far in 2025.

Since I mentioned above that there is another international game this week, here is what Roger Goodell had to say on that subject last week:

“We have our eyes set on being 16 games internationally every year.  We think we can do it.”

He also opined that a European city could have an NFL franchise and that he loved the possibility of a team in London, England.  Regarding the 16-game international schedule, I believe that international games are an element of the CBA so this might need negotiation with the NFLPA to happen.  I suspect that players would prefer to “stay home” for regular season games.

Then, later in the week, the  NFL announced a deal with the city of Rio de Janeiro to host at least three regular-season games in the city over the next five years, with the first one set to take place in 2026.

Here are comments on last week’s games:

Steelers 24  Vikes 21:  This was the first international game loss for Vikes.  Minnesota scored 15 points in the final 8 minutes of the game to make the score respectable.  The Steelers improved to 3-1 to lead the AFC North that looks winnable for the Steelers with QB injuries in Baltimore and Cincy.  Carson Wentz played QB for the Vikes and threw for 300 yards and 2 TDs – – and also threw 2 INTs.    Carson Wentz was sacked six times.

Pats 42  Panthers 13:  The Panthers actually outgained the Pats 326 yards to 307 yards.  The Panthers held the ball for more than 35 minutes; they had fewer penalties for fewer yards and did not turn the ball over.  The Pats scored on an 87-yard punt return and had another punt returned for 65 yards setting up another TD.  After scoring a TD on their first drive, here is how the rest of the game unfolded for the Panthers:

1. PUNT
2. PUNT
3. MISSED FIELD GOAL
4. PUNT
5. PUNT
6. PUNT
7. TURNOVER ON DOWNS
8. PUNT
9. TURNOVER ON DOWNS
10. TD – – MEANINGLESS

Giants 21  Chargers 18:  Jaxson Dart did not shock and amaze in his first NFL game, but he did rush for a TD and throw for another one.  The Chargers outgained the Giants by 88 yards and still lost the game.  The Giants’ defense created 2 turnovers that were instrumental in this victory.  Tuli Tuipulotu had four sacks for the Chargers.

Lions 34  Browns 10:  The Browns’ defense did its job here; it held the Lions to 277 yards on offense.  But the Lions got a punt returned for a TD and created 3 turnovers that gave the Lions scoring opportunities that they cashed in.  That is 3 wins in a row for the Lions.

Bills 31  Saints 19:  The Bills are undefeated in 2025; the Saints are winless in 2025.  The Bills have scored 30+ points in all four of their wins so far this season.

Eagles 31  Bucs 25:  The Eagles did not complete a pass in the entire second half of this game and still won.  The Eagles were outgained 376 yards to 200 yards on offense and still won.  A blocked punt returned for a TD and two turnovers by the Bucs were just enough for the Eagles to stay unbeaten in 2025.

Texans 26  Titans 0:  The Titans were held to 175 yards of Total Offense in this game.  The outcome was never really in doubt despite the score being 6-0 at the start of the fourth quarter.  I said back in April that I was not sold on Cam Ward as a franchise QB in the NFL.  Well, after a quarter of a season, he has not changed my mind…

Falcons 34  Commanders 27:  Watching this game, it did not appear to be this close.  The Falcons outgained the Commanders by 141 yards for the day.  Bijan Robinson had a total of 186 yards from scrimmage and a TD in the game

Rams 27  Colts 20:  This was the first loss of the year for the Colts.  Puka Nacua had 13 receptions for 170 yards and a TD in the game, but it was an 88-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford to Tutu Atwell that provided the difference on the scoreboard.  Here is Matthew Stafford’s stat line for the day:

• 29 of 41 for 375 yards and 3 TDs with 0 INTs

Jags 26  Niners 21:  The Jags returned a punt for a TD and the Jags’ defense created 4 turnovers in this game.  Travis Etienne had a 48-yard TD run in the game.

Chiefs 37  Ravens 20:  The Ravens finished the game without the services of 7 defensive starters – – 4 were not even active for the game.  Also, Lamar Jackson exited in the third quarter and Cooper Rush had to finish the game for him; Jackson was limping after the game with a hamstring injury.  The Ravens are now 1-3 and could be in deep trouble if they don’t get well quickly.  The Chiefs seem to be on the mend.  Xavier Worthy played last week and was instrumental in the Chiefs getting back to their “chunk plays” down the field.  If this “offensive outburst” is indicative of the Chiefs’ returning to their offensive explosion roots, the AFC should prepare to be amazed.  From the Ravens’ perspective, their defense must find ways to stop the “other guys”.

Bears 25  Raiders 24:  The Raiders had a field goal attempt blocked at the end of the game to find another way to lose a football game.  The Raiders got the best of the stat sheet; Ashton Jeanty showed his potential as an RB with 21 carries for 138 yards and a TD.  The Raiders turned the ball over 4 times in the game; three of those were INTs thrown by Geno Smith.

Packers 40  Cowboys 40 (OT):  This was a great game to watch; at the same time, it probably was sufficiently anti-climatic for all the players and coaches involved.  The teams combined for 925 yards on offense and a total of 275 yards on returns.  I read a report that the Packers provided the sportsbooks with another windfall here; 77% of the wagers on this game took the Packers and laid between 6 and 7 points.  Two weeks ago, the Packers had about $1B bet on them in their game against the Bowns and the books cleaned up on that too.

Seahawks 23  Cards 20:  A field goal as time expired saved this game from going to OT.  The Cards rallied from a 20-6 deficit in the 4^th quarter to tie the game with 30 seconds on the clock – – but it still was not a compelling game.  The Seahawks got into field goal range in the final 30 seconds and kicked a 52-yard field goal to send the Cards’ fans home with a bitter taste in their mouths and to allow TV viewers to go find something more exciting to watch.

Dolphins 27  Jets 21:  Two bad teams here; one of them had to win the game.  The Dolphins lost Tyreek Hill for the season – – forever? – – so it may have been a Pyrrhic victory.  The Jets committed way too many offensive pre-snap penalties.  That is a lack of discipline and is one thing that can/should be attributed to coaching.  Coaches don’t make plays but here are stats from this game that ought to make Aaron Glenn and his staff wary:

• The Jets turned the ball over three times.
• The Jets committed 13 penalties for 101 yards.
• The Jets went 0-for-2 in the red zone.

Broncos 28  Bengals 3:  The Bengals took the opening kickoff and marched down the field methodically inside the 5 yardline and had to settle for a field goal.  After that drive, the Bengals never snapped the ball in Broncos’ territory for the rest of the game.  The Bengals have been blown out twice in a row without Joe Burrow under center; it could be a LONG season in Cincy…

 

NFL Games This Week:

 

There is another international game this week plus there are 4 teams working on their BYE Week:

1. Bears:  Their 2-2 record is about as good as should have been hoped for.  The next game is against the Commanders and the last-second Hail Mary pass by Jayden Daniels to win the game with no time left sent both teams on a totally different vector heading for the season.  Does history repeat …?
2. Falcons:  After a stinker of a game against the Panthers, the Falcons rallied to beat the Commanders more solidly than the score would indicate.
3. Packers:  This is a very good team that has played below their ability for the last two weeks.
4. Steelers:  They sit atop the AFC North as of this week.  They are probably best equipped to suffer a significant injury their starting QB than any other team in the division.

 

Vikes – 3  vs. Browns (36):  Two games in a row for the Vikes overseas.

Dolphins – 1 at Panthers (44): This is the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  Neither team matters even a little bit.   

Cowboys – 2.5 at Jets (47.5):  Clearly, the oddsmakers think the Cowboys are not nearly accurate as was shown by the nomadic wanderers during the daytime.  The Jets seem to be zombie like,

Raiders at Colts – 7 (47.5):  The Colts need a win to right the ship after last week.  The Raiders are beyond hope.

Broncos at Eagles – 3.5 (42): This is the Game of the Week.  The only time the Broncos won in Philly was in 1986 and their QB on that day was John Elway.  Here are two more interesting stats related to this series:

1. Overall, the Eagles lead the series 9-5.
2. However, Broncos have outscored the Eagles 332-331.

Giants at Saints – 2 (42):  This would have been the Dog-Breath game had it not been for the focus on Jaxson Dart as the QB savior of the Giants.

Texans – 2 at Ravens (41):  The Ravens; defense has been lousy at best this year.  The Texans’ offense has not been much better.  Which unit will out stink the other?

Titans at Cards – 7.5 (42):  Cards need this win badly.  The Titans are merely bad.

Bucs at Seahawks – 3.5 (45):  Both teams are 3-1; the Bucs leas their division and the Seahawks share that record with two other NFC West squads.  This is an important game for both teams.

Lions – 10 at Bengals (49.5):  If the Bengals’ defense cannot play better than it has shown so far in 2025, the Lions might score 49.5 points all by themselves.

Commanders at Chargers – 3 (47):  This is a prove-it game for both teams.  The Commanders’ defense has been awful; the Chargers will play without the services of both starting offensive tackles.

(Sun Nite): Pats at Bills – 8 (49):  The Pats are much improved over last season, but the Bills are still too good for the Pats to win in Buffalo.

(Mon Nite) Chiefs – 3.5 at Jags (46):  Did the sleeping giant that is the KC Chiefs’ offense regain consciousness last week?  If so, the NFL needs to be very careful.

So, here is this week’s “Betting Bundle”:

• Alabama – 10.5 over Vandy
• Washington – 6 over Maryland
• Bills – 8 over Pats
• Giants +2 against Saints
• Colts – 7 over Raiders

And here are some Money Line Parlays for the week:

• Texas @ minus-240
• Baylor @ minus-220
• Illinois @ minus-330             $100 wager to win $169

And …

• Colts @minus-290
• Giants @ +115           $100 wager to win $189

            Finally, let’s hear from Woody Hayes:

“I am not very smart, but I recognize that I am not very smart.”

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

 

 

Over the weekend, the NFL dramatically announced the performer who would entertain at the Super Bowl halftime extravaganza.  It should come as no surprise to anyone who has been reading these rants for a while that I had never heard of “Bad Bunny” until that instant of revelation.  However, a long-term reader here is much more into music and concerts than I am; so, I contacted him for some enlightenment.  Here is our text exchange:

• Me:  Is there any reason that I might know who or what “Bad Bunny” is?
• Reader:  No.  But if interested he’s a Spanish speaking (I think Puerto Rican) singer who appears to be very popular.
• Me:  Since I couldn’t understand 99% of last year’s rapper, it will not be a shock when I don’t understand this artiste in Spanish.
• Reader:  Excellent point.

Moving on …  In a previous rant, I mentioned the collapse of the NY Mets in the second half of the MLB regular season resulting in the team missing the playoffs.  As a quick reset, the Mets had the best record in MLB in mid-June at 45-24 (win percentage = .652).  From that point on, the Mets’ record was 38-55 (win percentage = .409).  That “subsidence” gave the Mets a final record of 83-79 and a seat on the living room couch to watch the NL playoffs.

But looking at the standings and the payroll stats, the Mets finished only 4 games ahead of the Miami Marlins and that prompts me to do some math:

• Mets Payroll = $338M  Mets Wins = 83  Dollars per win = $4.07M
• Marlins Payroll = $68M  Marlins Wins = 79  Dollars per win = $0.861M

            That is quite a disparity!

Switching gears …  In case this all sneaked up on you the way it did on me, the NHL will begin its regular season next week and NBA teams are already playing Exhibition Games.  Really?  I thought those folks had just finished their playoffs a week and a half ago.

Next up …  The Cowboys and the Packers played to a 40-40 tie game at the end of overtime on Sunday Night Football.  So:

1. Was that a vindication for Jerry Jones in trading Micah Parsons?  OR
2. Was that a measure of revenge for Micah Parsons?  OR
3. Who cares?

I vote for the third entry on that list above…

Changing the subject …  The injury bug has hit some QBs early in this NFL season.  Jayden Daniels missed a game; Brock Purdy missed a game; Joe Burrow is out for most if not all the regular season; Lamar Jackson looks as if he will miss two or three games.  Various commentators have used that data to underscore the importance of the backup QB position in the league.  I am certainly not going to oppose that point of view, but I think there is another layer to consider.

• Indeed, teams need a competent backup QB.  He is like your homeowner’s insurance; you hope never to need to use him, but you will be awfully glad to have him in place just in case…
• And in addition, I think it is important for teams to have a backup QB whose skill set and whose style of play is similar to the starter.

When Jayden Daniels sat, Marcus Mariota played the position similarly to the way Jayden Daniles would have if healthy.  Mariota was not as proficient as Daniels; that is why Daniels is the starter and Mariota is the backup.  But for the rest of the players, the way the game evolved was very similar; the Commanders played a game the way they had been practicing to play games ever since Training Camp began.

The Niners were in a similar situation with Brock Purdy missing time and Mac Jones filling in.  The two QBs are comparable in their style of play.

I think it will be interesting to see how the Ravens adapt to their situation.  Cooper Rush showed last year that he is a competent backup QB but only someone who never followed football or someone who is totally blind would suggest that Cooper Rush plays the position similar to the way Lamar Jackson plays the position.  Perhaps, some of Rush’s success last year as the fill-in at QB for the Cowboys is that his game is similar to Dak Prescott’s game allowing for only minimal adaptations by the other folks on offense.

Finally, as the calendar moves into October and Fall is upon us, let me close with this from Dorothy Parker:

“Summer makes me drowsy.

Autumn makes me sing.

Winter’s pretty lousy,

But I hate Spring.”

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

 

 

As MLB entered its playoff stage, I was roaming around some baseball stat sites to get a synoptic view of the season that just ended.  One thing that jumped out at me was this:

• Trea Turner led the National League in batting average for 2025 with a .304 average.
• No other National league player hit .300 for the season.

When I was a kid – – right after Stonehenge was finished – – it was not unusual for there to be a dozen players hitting .300 or better for a season and for the “batting champion” to hit .330 or better.  That is an observation and not a complaint; the hitter’s mentality today is very different from years ago; the objective then was to get on base safely; the objective today is to drive the ball with power.  And so, only one NL player managed to hit .300 for the season.

Using National League OPS numbers as a measure indicates that power hitting has done well.

• Shohei Ohtani had an OPS of 1.014 thanks to a slugging average of .622.
• Kyle Schwarber had an OPS of .928 despite a batting average of .240.
• Eight National League players had slugging averages over .520.

The American League painted a slightly different picture in 2025.

• Aaron Judge led the league in hitting at .331
• Six players in the AL hit .300 or better.
• Aaron Judge also led in OPS with an average of 1.145
• George Springer hit .309 and had an OPS of .959.

Another thing that caught my eye had to do with the running narrative related to Cal Raleigh for at least the last three months.  He had an amazing season setting a variety of records and much of the wonder about his season was that he was doing it as a catcher.  That position is not historically one or the positions where top-shelf hitting is found.  Well, overshadowed by Raleigh’s very strong offensive season is another American League catcher, Shea Langeliers (“Oakland” A’s) who posted well above average offensive numbers for a catcher:

• Batting average .277
• Slugging average .536
• OPS .861

Cal Raleigh’s numbers were better, but Langelier’s numbers deserve to be noted and appreciated too.

On the pitching side, if you had asked me to name the pitcher who allowed the lowest batting average against him in the National League, I would immediately have guessed Paul Skenes.  Not so.  Skenes finished fourth in the National League in that statistic for 2025; here are the top five NL pitchers in terms of “getting batters out”:

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto .183
2. Freddy Peralta .193
3. Nick Pivetta .195
4. Paul Skenes .199
5. Robby Ray .221

In the American League here are the top five pitchers in “batting average against”:

1. Carlos Rodon .188
2. Jacob deGrom .196
3. Tarik Skubal .200
4. Bryan Woo .200
5. Hunter Brown .201

Just as hitting stats have changed over the years, so have pitching stats.  If you look at 1975 – – 50 years ago – – no pitcher in either league posted a “batting average against” below .208 (Catfish Hunter).  Here in 2025, nine pitchers did that.

Here is a strange one I found when looking back at 1975 stats.  That was a time when the NL had hitters like Dave Parker, Mike Schmidt, Johnny Bench, Willie Stargell and Geroge Foster.  None of them led the NL in OPS in 1975.  I would never have guessed that Joe Morgan led the NL in that stat in 1975 (.974) and Greg Luzinski finished second (.934).

Finally, here is an interesting perspective by Ted Williams:

“I hope somebody hits .400 soon. Then people can start pestering that guy with questions about the last guy to hit .400.”

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

 

 

Let’s do some baseball today.  Back on August 1^st, the NL East looked like an interesting race that could go down to the final series of the regular season.  Here is how the Phillies and the Mets stacked up back on August 1, 2025:

• Phillies:           62-47  .569
• Mets:               62-48  .564

Well, the anticipation of a nail-biter of a race turned out to be disappointing at the very best.  The Phillies have already won the NL East with 9 games remaining on the regular season schedule.  Since August 1, 2025, here is how the fortunes of the Phillies and the Mets have diverged:

• Phillies:           29-15  .659
• Mets:               16-26  .381

As of this morning, the Mets still hold on to the final wild card slot in the NL playoffs, but they have three teams “hot on their heels”.  The Mets lead the D-Backs by a game-and-a-half and the Reds, and the Giants are right there only two games behind the Mets in that wild card chase.  Back in August I anticipated the Mets being in a tight race for a division title when in reality, the Mets are now in a tight race just to get a wild card invitation to the playoffs.  Sic transit gloria mundi …

One other note from the standings this morning …  The Colorado Rockies have ten games left on their schedule.  They need to win only one of those ten games to avoid equaling last year’s Chicago White Sox debacle that produced only 41 wins for the year.  As of this morning the Rockies record stands at 41-111.  That is the good news of a sort.  Here is the bad news.

• The Rockies’ run differential for the season is minus-402 – – with 10 games left to play.
• The MLB record for worst run differential in a season has stood since 1932.
• In 1932, the Red Sox were outscored for the season by “only” 349 runs.
• The Rockies have crushed that standard of ineptitude in 2025.

I have two Quick Quizzes for you today.  No peeking, no Googling, no using AI:

1. What is the largest US city without an MLB franchise?
2. What is the largest US city without a franchise in either MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL?

Answers below …  [Aside: I got the first one but missed the second one.]

Today is my grandson’s 18^th birthday.  If you have been reading these things for a while, you may remember that I have referred to him as The FOG – – the First and Only Grandson.  He now lives in Dublin, Ireland but his introduction to baseball was when he and his parents lived within walking distance of Wrigley Field in Chicago and he is – naturally – a Cubs’ fan.  Coincidentally, the Cubs have just clinched a wild card slot in the NL playoff this year having missed out on that for the last 4 seasons.  I am certain that he is very happy to know that his Cubbies will be in the playoffs next month.

Moving on …  MLB has played regular season games in London off and on since 2019.  They had scheduled a 2-game series between the Jays and the Yankees for London in June 2026 but that had to be cancelled because the stadium in London will be used in May 2026 for an EPL game involving West Ham.  Evidently, there is insufficient time to convert the stadium from a soccer pitch to a baseball diamond, and the series has been cancelled.  That cancellation comes on the heels of another cancellation this year for the city of Paris where MLB was unable to find a promoter to take the games.

MLB has had success “exporting” its games to Tokyo, Mexico City, Seoul and Sydney.  London has been a successful venue in the past but the cancellation in 2026 seems to me to be either very bad planning with regard to scheduling or a lack of urgency on the part of the groundskeepers there to work through two field conversions.  Rob Manfred continues to say that MLB has an eye on Europe; he had this to say about this matter:

“We remain interested in Europe. We think London is an important jumping off point for us … We continue to believe that there’s an opportunity there and that we can get at the developed economies in Europe through that London entree.”

Somehow, that sounds to me like whistling by the graveyard…

Here are the answers to the Quick Quizzes:

The biggest US city without an MLB franchise is San Antonio TX with a population of 1.6M and a metro area of almost 3M.

The biggest US city without a franchise in either MLB, NBA, NFL or NHL is Austin TX with a population of 1M and a metro area of 2.4M.

Finally, I’ll close today with some advice for The Fog as his introduction to adulthood:

 “Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.”

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

 

 

Every time you go to see a game, you have the potential to see something you have never seen before.  Fans who took in a minor league game between Norfolk and Jacksonville recently got to see something that has been labeled as a “Thunderbalk”.  Here it is:

• Jax has a man on third base.  The weather is threatening.
• The pitcher is in his windup; his lead foot is off the ground, and he is leaning into the throw.
• There is a tremendous thunderclap that makes every player on the field and even the umpires jump in reaction; the pitcher holds the ball and steps to the first base side of the mound.
• That is a balk; the man on third base scores.

I never saw a “Thunderbalk”; how about you?

Last night’s All-Star Game ended in a tie-breaker Home Run Derby.  It is not how I would ever want to see baseball games that mean anything decided, but in an entertainment exhibition like an All-Star Game, it is quick and decisive – – and it can provide a bit of drama on its own.  Just keep it in the All-Star Game or maybe in one of the Savannah Bananas’ games…

MLB also used the robo ump challenge system for this exhibition game.  It was not intrusive; it did not stretch out the game; had it not been the first time I had seen the concept in practice; I would have assumed that is how baseball has always been officiated.  This is not nearly a big-deal in my mind.

Moving on …  The WNBA issued a warning – – and threatened to levy fines – – against two players for the New York Liberty and the warning has nothing to do with their play.  In fact, the incident that drew the warning happened in a game where both players were inactive.  So, what was their offense that drew the ire of the league?

• They wore hats on the bench. 
• One was a baseball cap, and the other was a beret.
• How dare they …

There is no rule in the WNGA rulebook about wearing hats on the bench; there is however an “operations manual” is also given to each team and in that document, there is mention of the attire that can be worn on the bench during games.  That almost reminds me of Dean Wormer declaring that Delta House was on “double secret probation”.

The WNBA is in a growth spurt; it has never been as popular as it is now, and it has never garnered the level of attention that it does now.  Now is not the time for the league to paint itself as petty or fussy.

• The baseball cap had a slogan on it, “Calm Before the Storm”.
• The beret bore no writing or “message”.

Someone may need to explain to me how “Calm Before the Storm” had any effect on the play in the game or how that message might be offensive to anyone or anything.  I can understand that the league would want to assure that players do not wear apparel from providers who are competitors with the WNBA’s “corporate partners.  I can understand that the league would not want players wearing apparel with “hate speech” prominently displayed.  But “Calm Before the Storm”…?

The player wearing the cap with the offending message is a 10-year veteran, Natashia Cloud.  Here is her comment on the threat of a fine:

“I just feel like we’re doing nitpicky sh*t.  I’d rather the W focus on actual things than trying to take our money for wearing what we want to wear and expressing ourselves.”

If the boundaries of good taste obtain, I agree with her.

Finally, these words from James Barrie:

“Life is a long lesson in humility.”

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

 

 

Yesterday, I mentioned that sometime before the start of the NFL regular season we would be hearing about an 18-game regular season expansion.  As if on cue, there is an article in today’s Washington Post saying that – – for the moment – – talks about an 18-game season are on hold.  I am starting to worry about turning into a latter-day Cassandra …

The Niners’ DB, Deommodore Lenoir was arrested on a charge of “obstruction of justice”.  Even if that charge is dropped, he should be arrested and charged with juvenile delinquency – – with the emphasis on “juvenile”.  Here is how the arrest was described at Yahoo!Sports.com:

“According to the police report, officers stopped a group including Lenoir in the area of West Vernon Avenue and South Wilton Place and saw a gun in a parked vehicle. Officers asked for the keys to the car and one person in the group threw them over to Lenoir. Lenoir then tossed the keys to a third person, who attempted to hide them.”

Playing “keep-away” is a time-honored behavior on playgrounds just about everywhere.  Participants are usually pre-teens and the individual from whom something is “kept-away” is not a police officer.   Deommodore Lenoir just put himself squarely in the running for the honor of being Meathead of the Year – 2025.  The Niners just signed Lenoir to a 5-year contract worth up to $92M; they cannot be even slightly happy to learn about this.

Moving on …  There are rumblings that the NCAA mavens are considering an expansion for March Madness that would increase the field to 76 teams.  If they do this, it is purely a cash-grab from the TV networks because there is no clamor in the fanbase to do this.  In fact, the additional “play-in games” that such a field would necessitate will only add more confusion to the bracket pools that made March Madness into what it has become.

There is empirical evidence that the fanbase is not chomping at the bit for more play-in games.  The current set of 4 such games draw TV audiences smaller than any of the future games in the tournament.  As the field stands now, there are teams involved that have lost 10-12 games; other than alums and parents of students at such schools, no one wants to see more of them on TV.

The NCAA stands to make extra money from extra games.  You know who else stands to make more money – – and hence are solidly behind such expansion?  College coaches and Athletic Directors who often have lucrative bonus clauses in their contracts if the teams they oversee get a tournament slot.  So, when you hear from them about how it will “benefit the game” just remember that they are speaking from a position of enlightened self-interest.

It will never happen, but if the NCAA mavens wanted to tweak March Madness, they should cut out the 4 “play-in games” and go beck to a field of 64 teams.  Some folks have observed that the Thursday and Friday first round games dominate the TV landscape and that domination would translate to the “play-in games” without diminution of the Thursday/Friday popularity.  That sounds good, but the logic does not hold:

• The 4 current “play-in games” draw comparatively tiny audiences.
• Ergo, adding more low-caliber games to a less popular aspect of the tournament is going to inflate interest?

Coaches – – the ones potentially with bonus clauses in their contracts – – like to point out that the “play-in games” allow for late blooming teams to get a shot at “making a run”.  Here is my answer to those coaches:

• Your team is in a conference.
• That conference has a conference tournament the week before the field is selected.
• That was your “play-in game”.  Win that conference tournament, and you get an invite.

I presume I have made my position abundantly clear on the matter of expansion of March Madness …

Finally, these words from Hunter S. Thompson:

“I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.”

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

 

 

Having not had much time for browsing over the past several days, I sat down this morning to find some new stuff for today’s rant.  The headline that jumped out and bit me on the nose was clearly in the category of “old news” – – and  yet, there it was at the top of the page I found.  Here is the headline:

“Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw rips Aaron Rodgers, team for handling of quarterback position: ‘A failure’ “

Bradshaw minced no words according to this report, going back to the way the Steelers dealt with Kenny Pickett, which Bradshaw thought was off target.  After reading this, I wondered if the Steelers had the worst “QB situation” in the NFL at the moment.  So, I started looking at depth charts and came up with this.

Here are five teams whose “QB situation” is either “not very good” or “too many unknowns to declare”:

• Browns:  Ever since the disastrous trade for and signing of Deshaun Watson, the Browns have had QB issues.  It seems now that they seek to resolve those issues with sheer numbers.  The Browns have 5 QBs on the string – – Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders and the aforementioned Watson.  Maybe Pickett is a late bloomer?  Maybe Flacco still has a pinch of fairy dust in his pocket?  Maybe …
• Colts:  Here is the deal in a nutshell:
  • • Anthony Richardson is a stud athlete whose passing accuracy is about as reliable as a Wi-Fi signal in a hotel lobby.
    • Daniel Jones is up and down as often as a yo-yo.
• Also on the roster are Riley Leonard (rookie 6^th round pick from Notre Dame) and Jason Bean (spend 2024 in the UFL with the Memphis Showboats)
• Saints:  The retirement of Darek Carr is a real problem in New Orleans.  Carr may not – – even at his best – – have been a “Top Ten QB”, but his injury-induced retirement leaves the Saints with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener as their QBs with NFL experience plus Tyler Shough, a rookie out of Louisville who spent 7 years in the collegiate ranks.
• Steelers:  Indeed, the Steelers are on this list.  As of this morning, they have Mason Rudolph as the starter with 6^th round pick Will Howard as the understudy.  If Rodgers does not show up, maybe they could trade for Kirk Cousins – – and assume the burden of his bloated contract – – but that situation is both up in the air and talent deficient.
• Titans: Yes, they have overall #1 pick Cam Ward on the squad and hope springs eternal with overall #1 selections.  Other than Ward, however, the roster shows Will Levis, Brandon Allen and Tim Boyd.  Let’s just say that the jury is out on Cam Ward, but the jury has returned verdicts on the other three …

            Just to maintain a degree of symmetry in the universe, let me suggest the five teams that I think have the most solid QB situations in the NFL today:

• Bills:  Josh Allen plus Mitchell Trubisky is a solid QB situation.  IN addition, Mike White has been in the league for several years.  Shane Buechele has been with the Bills and the Chiefs since 2021; given the starters for the Bills and the Chiefs, it is not surprising that Buechele has not seen a lot of game action.
• Chiefs:  Patrick Mahomes is the man in KC; the Chiefs signed a capable backup in this offseason – – Gardner Minshew.  Minshew did very well in college under Mike Leach and the “Air-Raid Offense”; he might also do well in Andy Reid’s passing offense.  Bailey Zappe is another QB on the roster with unrefined passing skills.
• Eagles:  Jalen Hurts is for real; there are at least 20 teams who would start him immediately.  Behind him is Tanner McKee who got a start last year in a meaningless regular season game and posted this stat line:
  • • 27 of 41 for 269 yards with 2 TDs and 0 INTs
• Yes, it is a small sample, but as a backup QB, those are impressive numbers.  Also in the building are Dorian Thompson-Robinson (some NFL game experience) and Kyle McCord (rookie from Syracuse).
• Rams:  Matthew Stafford can still play at a superior level and the backup in LA will be Jimmy G. who has proven that he can be an excellent backup in the league but is a bit too injury-prone to be a reliable starter.
• Ravens:  In recent years, there was a huge drop-off from Lamar Jackson to the Ravens’ backup QB.  The team seems to have resolved that in this offseason signing Cooper Rush to be the backup QB; Rush demonstrated his abilities last year with the Cowboys.  Devin Leary is a second-year player out of Kentucky and is also on the depth chart.

I expect some pushback for leaving the Bengals off the “solid QB situation list”.  My reason is that I believe the drop-off between starter Joe Burrow and prime backup Jake Browning is larger than the drop-offs for the five teams on my list.  The depth chart entries behind Browning are Logan Woodside (drafted in 2018 and has yet to “emerge”) and Payton Thorne (undrafted rookie from Auburn).

Finally, since all this started with some observations by Terry Bradshaw, let me close with another thought from Bradshaw:

“I would start with the most important thing a quarterback has to be: poised. If you panic in that pocket, you are no good. I don’t care what else is there; you have to be poised.”

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

 

 

 

The rants will take a break until May 9th for travel reasons.  See everyone then.

Stay safe and stay well, everyone.