Category: Uncategorized

The rants will be going on hiatus as of tomorrow.  My long-suffering wife and I – – along with two close friends – – are headed off to Namibia and South Africa for a safari and then some time in the wine region of western South Africa.  We will return home on September 11 after a scheduled 16.5-hour flight from Capetown, South Africa to Washington DC.   😒

Maybe I will be in shape to write by September 13^th – – maybe not.  I will be back on the air on or before Monday September 16^th.  See you all then…

Stay safe and stay well, everyone …

 

Al Attles died this week at the age of 87.  He was part of the Warriors’ franchise in the NBA for 60 years starting in 1960 when he was drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors before the franchise relocated to San Francisco in the early 1960s.  Attles was a player, a coach – – whose team won an NBA championship – – and an executive for the Warriors and he is in the Hall of Fame.  On the night that Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points, Attles was the Warriors’ second leading scorer with 17 points, and he said in his Hall of Fame speech that once he and Wilt combined for 117 points in a game.

Rest in peace, Al Attles.

News from the CFL this week is that Toronto Argonauts’ QB, Chad Kelly, has been reinstated by the league after serving a suspension that included all of training camp and the first 9 games of the 2024 CFL season.  The basis for the suspension was a “violation of the Canadian Football League’s gender-based violence policy.”  The league has deemed the details of its investigation that led to the suspension as private and has said they will not be disclosed.  What is known is that a former member of the Argos’ staff sued Kelly in a civil matter for sexual harassment; that case was resolved by mediation and then the suspension announcement followed.

Kelly was the CFL MVP in 2023 and his return to the Argos should be a plus.  As of this morning, the Argos are in third place in the CFL Eastern Division with a record of 5-4.  They are 3.5 games behind the Montreal Alouettes and half a game behind the Ottawa Redblacks.  The CFL regular season is 18 games long; so, the Argos are still directly in the mix for a playoff slot this year.  Chad Kelly is the nephew of Buffalo Bills’ QB, Jim Kelly.

Moving on … Speaking of pro football leagues with 18-game regular season schedules, the NFL continues to try to find a way to put an 18-game schedule in place.  Various reports mention “serious talks” not quite to the stage of “negotiations” between the league and the players’ union and Commissioner Goodell has spoken on tangential issues related to expanding the schedule recently.  Goodell said he could envision pushing the Super Bowl game back a week to play the game on the Sunday night of Presidents’ Day weekend.  When I heard that comment, three things ran through my mind:

1. Every year, after someone has partied too hard on Super Bowl Sunday, he/she would take to social media to cry out for the Monday after the Super Bowl to be a national holiday so “everyone” could recover.  [Aside:  The only name for such a national holiday would have been “Hedonists United Day”] That was never going to happen, but Roger Goodell may have found a way for over-indulgers to have their game and their day off work too.
2. There is another sports tradition in the US that happens on the “third Sunday in February”.  That would be NASCAR’s signature race, the Daytona 500.  Presidents’ Day is set by law as the “third Monday in February” so that could put the NASCAR race and the Super Bowl in a head-to-head competition.  Might NASCAR decide to move their race up a week to fit into the “dark weekend” between the Conference Championship Games and the Super Bowl?
3. NBC and FOX both televise NASCAR events.  NBC and FOX both televise the Super Bowl.  Hmmm …

Switching gears …  The college football landscape will look very different in 2024.  Just for starters, the SEC will have 16 teams and has abandoned the East/West Division breakdown.  The SEC Championship Game will match the two teams in the conference with the best records.  [Aside:  Don’t let the SEC Commish hear anything about expanding the SEC post-season to 4 teams because the smell of the dollars generated there might cause him to become delirious.]  So, what will the SEC do to determine the two “best records” in case there are ties?

• Obviously, if there is a two-way tie and there is a head-to-head result, that is the tie breaker.  If no head-to-head result is there …
• Cumulative record against common opponents.  If that does not work …
• Record against highest-placed common conference opponent in the conference standings.  [Aside:  I had to read that twice to get that picture in my head.]  If that does not work …
• Cumulative conference winning percentage of all conference opponents.  If that does not work …
• Capped relative total scoring margin vs. all conference opponents.  [Aside:  I have read that a half-dozen times and still do not understand it.] And if that does not work …
• A random draw involving all tied teams.

Finally, I’ll close with these words from Steve Prefontaine:

“You probably choose cross-country because you were too small to play football.

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

 

 

Duane Thomas died this Sunday at the age of 77.  Thomas was a running back for the Cowboys and the Skins in the 1970s.  He is the origin of one of the best rhetorical questions related to football.  Prior to Super Bowl VI between the Cowboys and the Dolphins, Thomas wondered:

“If it’s the ultimate [game], how come they’re playing it again next year?”

Rest in Peace, Duane Thomas.

August 7^th is a day on which some important baseball events took place:

• Aug 7 2007 Barry Bonds hit his 756^th HR to break Hank Aaron’s record.
• Aug 7 2016 Ichiro got his 3000^th base hit in MLB.
• Aug 7 2021 Japan won Olympic Gold Medal in baseball.

And today I have something similarly momentous to add to this list:

• Aug 7 2024 The Chicago White Sox have a 1-game winning streak going; they broke their AL record-tying 21-game losing streak last night beating the Oakland A’s 5-1.

Before anyone gets too jazzed over the White Sox accomplishment here, the team still projects to a final record of 39-123 for the 2024 season.  As Derrick Coleman often said, “Whoop-di-damned-doo!”

Moving on … but sticking with baseball for a moment.  It appears that the final hurdles have been crossed and that all the “eyes are dotted” and all the “tees are crossed” such that the Tampa Bay Rays are going to get a new stadium.  The facility will be in St. Petersburg; it is scheduled to open in 2028 and it will be part of a massive development of a large area in the city.  When completed there will be a stadium, hotels, retail outlets, housing units and an “entertainment venue”.  The mayor of St. Petersburg called it a “providential day for the city and the Rays offered up a banner on the website proclaiming that they are “Here to Stay”.  All is right with the world in that part of Florida these days.

For years the Rays have not been able to draw fans to the existing facility on the outskirts of St. Petersburg and that lack of support has caused the Rays to develop young players and then trade them away as they reached free agency.  This new facility will take away the stadium as the “excuse” here and focus on the people who live in that area and their interest in supporting a major league franchise.  The planned 30,000-seat stadium is projected to cost $1.3B and the public expenditure for the development of the entire area is set at $6.5B.   This is a major undertaking; make no mistake about that.

Switching gears …  The LA Chargers got themselves a large helping of bad news late last week.  QB Justin Herbert was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and was in a walking boot probably indicating that he will see exactly no action in the Exhibition Games.  Remember, this is a new coaching staff and a new offense for the Chargers; so despite Herbert’s veteran status, there is benefit to him to work in the new offense on the field and not just in the “classroom”.

• [Aside:  I have had plantar fasciitis twice in my life – – the last episode about 6 months ago.  It is not career threatening, but it is mobility limiting and that is not a good thing for an NFL QB who must dodge hostile 320 lb. defensive linemen,]

Current thinking is that Herbert will wear the walking boot for 2 weeks and then ease back into limited practice leading to him being available for the Chargers’ opening game on September 8^th at home against the Raiders.  If Herbert is not available, the Chargers have 3 other QBs on the roster today:

1. Casey Bauman – – Undrafted free agent rookie
2. Max Duggan – – One year on the Chargers’ practice squad/active roster last year
3. Easton Stick – – Started 4 games for the Chargers last year and lost them all.

Frankly, I think the best indicator of Justin Herbert’s recovery from his condition will be the Chargers’ activity in looking at veteran free agent QBs who are “out there and unsigned”.  If the team goes out to sign one, that would indicate to me that Justin Herbert is not going to be available for the opening game and a couple of games beyond that.  If the team just sticks with the cards dealt to them, that would mean to me that Herbert might miss the opener, but the team is confident that he will be back and ready to perform soon after that.

Finally, this observation by President John F. Kennedy:

“Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and northern charm.”

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

 

 

I am going on hiatus for a week or so.  There will be no rant tomorrow (June 27) and the plan is for me to return to the airwaves on July 8^th.  My long-suffering wife and I are in traveling mode for the next week.

Let me foreshadow something here.  I have glanced at our calendar and there are going to be several times between now and Thanksgiving when the rant schedule will be disrupted.  I need to be more careful in terms of commitments to plans/trips/visitors and etc. in the future.

Stay safe and stay well everyone.  In particular, stay safe over the long July 4^th weekend…

 

Yesterday, Bob Ryan posted this Tweet as people recalled the greatness of Willie Mays the day after his passing:

“Aparicio is now the oldest living Baseball Hall of Famer.  But who is the “Greatest Living Ballplayer?”  Let the argument begin.”

Indeed, that “argument” has begun at several sites on the Internet but here in Curmudgeon Central we beat the rush and had this discussion last August.  I concluded then that Ken Griffey, Jr. was the best living player behind Willie Mays.  Recall that we made a distinction between position players and pitchers a year ago and came up with a separate candidate for the best living pitcher.  My choice was Sandy Koufax; let’s just say that selection was not greeted with unanimity.

Moving on …  Another bit of news from yesterday involves the Kansas State Legislature; that body has passed a bill and sent it along to the Governor authorizing the issuance of State bonds to fund new stadiums for the Royals and the Chiefs.  Currently, those teams play their games in KC, Missouri and the folks in that part of the world voted down a referendum seeking funds for either new stadiums or improvements to current stadiums for both teams.

The bonds in question would be paid for by revenues generated by sports betting, revenues from the Kansas State Lottery and revenues from “additional tax dollars generated in and around the new venues.”  It is not news when two cities bid to lure a pro team or to keep it where it is; now we have State Legislatures involved because the Missouri State Legislature is also in the process of considering taking a hand in the game.

I have never been to Arrowhead Stadium so I cannot comment on it’s “adequacy” as an NFL venue now and over the next 20-30 years.  All I can say about it is that it looks good on TV.  I have been to Kauffman Stadium to see the Royals several times – – albeit the last time was in the mid-90s.  My assessment is:

• I like Kauffman Stadium a lot.  It is compact – – almost cozy – – with great sightlines for viewing the game.

Having said that, I recognize that the facility is now 50 years old and that makes it easy to imagine that it needs some upgraded “amenities”.  However, the underlying physical plant in KC is excellent.  I like it along with T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Camden Yards in Baltimore and PNC Park in Pittsburgh as great venues to watch a baseball game.

Switching gears …  The English Premier League season is over; Manchester City was the league champion beating out Arsenal by a slim two-point margin.  Liverpool and Aston Villa finished third and fourth in the standings meaning those two clubs will have a spot in the next UEFA Champions League and Tottenham finished fifth meaning it gets a slot in the upcoming Europa League tournament.  Some of the clubs who are often in the Top Five of the league are absent this year; Chelsea finished sixth and Manchester United finished eighth.

I always like to focus on the bottom of the EPL standings because of the relegation feature in English soccer.  Being demoted – – or sent down if you will – – from the Premier League to the Championship are:

• Luton Town – – finished 18^th with 26 points
• Burnley – – finished 19^th with 24 points
• Sheffield United – – finished 20^th with 16 points.

That result for Sheffield United is staggering.  Premier League scoring awards a team three points for a win and one point for a draw.  The league plays a completely balanced schedule; the season is 38 games long with each team playing every other team twice – – one at home and one on the road.  In that circumstance, Sheffield United only won 3 games and tied 7 while losing 28 times.  But wait, there’s more …

Sheffield United had a goal differential for the season of minus-69.  For a 38-game season, that means every time Sheffield United took the pitch, the expectation was that they would lose by 1.82 goals.  To put that number in perspective, Burnley – – also relegated – – had a goal differential of minus-37 for the season or less than 1 goal per game.

Naturally, I wondered if this was the worst team performance in EPL history – – which only goes back to the 1990s.  And no, there was at least one that was worse.

• In the 2007/2008 season, Derby County finished last in the EPL registering only 11 points and also posting a goal differential of minus-69.
• In that season, Derby County only won 1 game and drew 8 times in 38 contests.  For the record, that win was over Newcastle United early in the season.

Three teams from the English Championship will be promoted to the EPL next season to replace the relegated squads.

1. Leicester City returns to the EPL after a year’s demotion by winning the Championship with 97 points in 46 games
2. Ipswich Town is promoted for finishing second with 96 points
3. Third place, Leeds United (90 points) and fourth place Southampton (87 points) had a playoff to determine the third promoted club.  Southampton won that match and will be in the EPL next season.

Finally, let me close today with some observations by Dorothy Parker:

“I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.”

And …

 “You can lead a horticulture, but you can’t make her think.”

And …

“Money cannot buy health, but I’d settle for a diamond-studded wheelchair.”

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

 

 

Word came yesterday afternoon that Danny Hurley did not want to leave UConn to coach the LA Lakers and he rejected a contract offer that would have more than doubled the $32M he will be getting from UConn in his present deal.  I am not nearly qualified to say why he made the decision that he did but I will take note of the fact that nothing in Danny Hurley’s background screams LOS ANGELES or HOLLYWOOD.

• He was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ which is about as like LA as day is to night.
• He played college basketball at Seton Hall – – in South Orange, NJ.
• He coached at Wagner College – – in Staten Island, NY
• He coached at the University of Rhode Island – – in Kingston, RI
• He coaches at UConn – – in Storrs, CT.

Danny Hurley is 51 years old; his life experiences have centered on the East Coast in areas lacking in glitz and glamor.  I am not shocked that he chose to stay in his comfort zone for $32M instead of striking out of that comfort zone to collect $70M.  It’s not as if his current $32M deal is going to see him and his family wondering where their next meal is coming from.

And it is not as if he is the first college coach of a national championship team to be courted by an NBA team.  I can recall Mike Krzyzewski turning down at least one such offer and there is a story – – perhaps apocryphal – – that says Red Auerbach approached Bob Knight after Knight’s Hoosiers won the NCAA Championship going undefeated in 1976.  Supposedly, Auerbach asked Knight if he would be interested in coaching the Celtics; Knight’s response:

• Only if you guarantee that I will make more than the highest paid player on the team.

If the exchange really went along with that script, I suspect the conversation ended abruptly right about there…

As you might imagine the AD at UConn was happy to hear about Hurley’s decision; here is part of his reaction to the news:

“We are thrilled that Dan Hurley has made the decision to stay at UConn and continue building upon our championship tradition.  He has helped return our men’s basketball program back to the pinnacle of the sport, including back-to-back NCAA Championships, and we’re grateful for his loyalty to UConn … He will continue to bring great pride to Husky fans everywhere as we work toward a three-peat.”

So, fans and administrators at UConn got good news yesterday …  However, elsewhere in the basketball world, things are not going in a euphoric dimension for a former NBA player whose life has tumbled into a condition as bad as a dumpster fire.  Back in 2004, Delonte West and Jameer Nelson led the St. Joseph’s Hawks to the NCAA Regional Finals ending the season with a record of 30-2.  Both Nelson and West were drafted into the NBA; Nelson had a successful career; West’s life spun out of control.  West bounced around the NBA playing for 4 teams – – twice with the Celtics.  He also played for a time in the G League and in China.  He has been arrested on myriad drug charges and on a “weapons violation” about 15 years ago.  Last week, he was arrested in Fairfax County, Virginia for violating parole regulations stemming from prior run-ins with the law and for resisting arrest.  He has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder – – which in concert with drug abuse incidents has turned him into a caricature of his former athletic self.  In that recent arrest activity, police officers administered Narcan at the arrest site as an “antidote” for an opioid overdose and when that did not relieve the drug situation, the officers took West to a hospital for a subsequent Narcan dosage that kept him alive.

Lots of athletes have succumbed to drug addictions but many others are not tragic figures that evoke caring emotions in people close to them.  West does.  His former teammates and coaches have repeatedly rallied to try to help him stabilize his life – – to little avail unless you consider that West is still alive, not having been found face down in a ditch somewhere with no vital signs.

• Sic transit gloria mundi …

Switching gears – – or at least sports …  Another athlete has had an unusual run-in with the law recently.  Xavian Howard had been a quality CB for the Dolphins but was still unsigned as teams began their OTAs last week.  Howard is now being sued by two different people for “circulating photos and videos of himself and other women having sex to humiliate them and cause emotional distress.”  I know, you are thinking that is gauche and low-rent to be sure, but the kicker that takes this one over the top is that the lawsuits allege that he sent those “films” to a minor.  I believe that is the point where the slot machine shouts “JACKPOT!”

Here is a link to the story at CBSSports.com about this whole matter.  Obviously, there are still tons of details to be fleshed out here, but I feel confident in making this assessment at this moment in time:

• If Xavian Howard had been having difficulty finding a team in the NFL who wanted him at a price that he was willing to accept before this became public, his quest for a new NFL home just got orders of magnitude more difficult.

Finally, let me close today with some pertinent words from Will Rogers:

“If America ever passes out as a great nation, we ought to put on our tombstone: America died from a delusion she had Moral Leadership.”

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

 

 

It has been a little over 100 days since the KC Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas and those days have been just a tad tumultuous for the Chiefs’ roster.  In alphabetical order:

• Defensive lineman Isiah Buggs stands accused in Alabama with cruelty to dogs.  His attorney says that this is a scam by the authorities in Tuscaloosa who only want Buggs to renounce his business license to operate an establishment called Kings Hookah Lounge in that city.
• Kicker Harrison Butker kicked up a storm giving a commencement address that got lots of knickers tied up in knots when he suggested that women might find happiness and fulfillment in the home.
• Offensive lineman Chukwuebuka Godrick was arrested on marijuana charges in Kansas.
• Offensive lineman Wanya Morris was arrested along with Godrick on marijuana charges in Kansas.
• Wide receiver Rashee Rice double dipped in off-season troubles:
  • • First Rice was involved in alleged street racing in Dallas, TX that ended in a multi-vehicle pileup injuring about a half-dozen people and then he left the scene.
    • A few weeks later, Rice stands accused of assaulting a photographer in a nightclub in Miami, FL.

When FDR was inaugurated as President, he called the Congress into a special session and in 100 days 15 new laws came into being for the purpose of combatting The Great Depression.  Whether or not you agree with FDR’s politics, you have to concede that he had a better “100 days” than the Chiefs have had this off-season.  The good news for the Chiefs is that there seems to have been teamwork in these off-season shenanigans:

• Godrick and Morris were arrested together.
• There has been pot-stirring by offense, defense and special teams.

Moving on …  I admire French people and the way that they exhibit completely over-the-top behaviors when they decide to protest something – – and they do find lots of things to protest about.  For example, when the French government suggested some increased regulations for farmers and agricultural endeavors, the farmers protested by delivering tons of manure to the front steps of government buildings.  Point made…

Protests may be spontaneous, but some are planned in advance and may even be announced in advance to let folks anticipate what might be happening.  Such is the case with what seems to be a protest aimed at June 23^rd of this year.  Let me set the stage.

Paris will be the site of the Olympic Games starting on July 26^th; recall that Olympic organizing officials plan to use the Seine River as the means to conduct the Opening Ceremony by parading country athletes down the river on barges.  [Aside:  As noted before, there are some security concerns with that plan so it might be scrapped.]  In addition, the plan is to use the Seine River as the venue for the distance swimming events and the water portion of the triathlon.  However, the rub there is that the Seine is not sufficiently hygienic to make that a safe environment for the swimmers.

Not to worry, the organizers and some engineers have a plan to clean the river to a level where it will be safe; the plan could cost about $1.5B and some folks think that money might be better spent elsewhere.  That is the perfect backdrop for a protest – – but the French challenge there is find a way to put this protest into orbit.

To the rescue of the protesters come French President, Emmanuel Macron, and Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo.  These two political leaders said that they would personally swim in the Seine to demonstrate its suitability as the swimming venue.  M. Macron did not say when he would take a dip; Mme Hidalgo said she would take the plunge on June 23^rd.

So here is the planned protest: [Warning:  What follows cannot be described as “in good taste” or in “polite language”.  Be forewarned …]

• The protesters will organize a flashmob of people who surge to the river on June 23^rd to take a dump in the river presumably upstream from where the mayor is swimming.
• They have created a hashtag on social media – –  “JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin” – – which translates to “I Sh*t In the Seine On June 23^rd”.
• They have set up a website where one can learn about the timing and the precise location of the flashmob – – reported to be at Pont Marie.

Lest you think I am making all this up, here is a link to a report in the Washington Times on this planned protest.  As I said, you gotta love French protesters…

Finally, the closing thought today comes from author Wayne Dyer:

“If all you do is follow the herd, you’ll just be stepping in poop all day.”

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

 

 

I will definitely be off the air Monday May 20 and Tuesday May 21.

There is a possibility – – not quite a probability – – that I will find time to write on Wednesday May 22.  As of now, I would count that as another “dark day”.

Next Thursday, May 23, is a travel day so there will not be a rant then.

The plan is to be back on the air on Friday May 24.

See everyone then …

 

 

I will be off the air for about a week.  My long-suffering wife and I will be on travel hoping that the weather will allow us to experience the total eclipse of the sun next Monday.  The current plan is for us to return from that adventure late on Thursday (April 11) but I will likely not be able to have anything cogent to say until Monday (April 15).

So, I’ll see everyone back here on the 15^th for sure – – and on the 12^th if there is something obvious to rant on.

And for the record, I have indeed arranged our schedule such that I will continue my “streak” of watching NCAA Tournament final games even as we are on the road.

Stay safe and stay well, everyone…

 

 

The Women’s Basketball Final Four is set and the much-anticipated rematch between Iowa – -with Caitlin Clark – – and reigning champion LSU – – with Angel Reese – – did not disappoint.  Clark scored 41 points and handed out 12 assists; Reese scored 17 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in their Elite Eight showdown.  That was the fun aspect of that game.

The darker side involved LSU’s women’s coach, Kim Mulkey.  In the days leading up to the game, Mulkey declared that she knew that she was about to be the subject of a “hit piece” in the Washington Post; a reporter there had been working on a negative article about her for two years and that she had hired a lawyer and threatened to sue the author and the Post for defamation.

The article – – written by Kent Babb – – was published.  It had some less-than-flattering things to say about Coach Mulkey, but they were sourced in the article and/or were retellings of things that had been written about her in the past.  Here is a link to the article if you want to read it for yourself.

I believe that defamation suits are decided by juries; if that is the case, let me say that based on my reading of Babb’s article, Coach Mulkey would have a difficult time convincing me that she was defamed by his words.  Perhaps, her threatened lawsuit caused editor(s) at the Post to remove some parts of the article that might have been closer on the spectrum towards defamation; that is possible.  However, if they were removed and not published, I don’t see how they can also be defamatory.  Should this case go to trial, I think I have just disqualified myself as a juror which does not upset me even slightly.  I thought my reading of the Post article would be the end of this story.

But wait, there’s more …

Earlier in the tournament, LSU played – – and defeated – – UCLA.  A writer for the LA Times understandably took the side of the local California team and referred to the LSU women as “dirty debutantes” which is alliterative and confusing at the same time.  Coach Mulkey did not call this defamatory; she said it was sexist which I guess is true in that all her players are females and only females can be debutantes.  It is the word “dirty” that does not fit here.  Here is what Coach Mulkey had to say about the Times piece:

“You can criticize coaches all you want.  That’s our business.  You can come at us and say you are the worst coach in America.  I hate you; I hate everything about you.  We expect that; it comes with the territory.  But the one thing I’m not going to let you do, I’m not going to let you attack young people and there were some things in this commentary that you should be offended by as women.”

The tone of her comments immediately recalled Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy and his famous rant about 15 years ago.  A writer covering the team wrote something critical of a demoted QB for the Cowboys and Gundy exploded at a press event telling the reporters to lay off the kids and to come after him because he was 40 years old and “I’m a man!”

Both Coach Gundy and Coach Mulkey are reading from a pivotal chapter in the “Coaches’ Almanac” where coaches take the blame in lieu of dumping it all on players’ ineffectiveness.  Hence, all the references by losing coaches to having been “outcoached” by victorious opponents and few if any references to botches by players.  When Coach Gundy went on his rant – – back in 2007 – – times were different.  The façade of college sports was that the games were contested by “student-athletes”; such is no longer the case.  Many college athletes – – to include some women who are participating in the basketball tournament – – are in receipt of NIL money.

When they accept that money, they are putting their name and likeness out in the public for exploitation; it is a transaction and not a “family matter”.  So, the protestation by Coach Mulkey and by any other college football or basketball coach along the lines of “Come at me and leave the kids out of it,” is noble and even quaint in these times when a star player might be earning six or seven figures playing a collegiate sport.  If the name, image and likeness of a player is worth that kind of money, then that player is ipso facto an adult public figure.

Switching gears – but staying on the subject of lots of money – the NFL announced that it will stage two regular season games on Christmas Day this year.  In case you are wondering why that is worth mentioning here, Christmas Day in 2024 is a Wednesday; few if any folks associate the NFL with Wednesday.  Here are my thoughts on how and why this is going to happen:

• Last year, Christmas Day was on a Monday and the NFL simply “expanded Monday Night Football”.  In 2022, Christmas Day was on a Sunday, and no one was surprised to have some NFL football on TV on a Sunday.
• Last year, the “Christmas Games” drew huge audiences; the average number of viewers for the games was 28.7 million folks.
• The NBA staged 5 games last Christmas Day and the total audience for all five games was only about 30 million people; the NFL average audience was about the same size as the total NBA audience for 5 games.
• So, if you are an NFL exec looking to increase revenues, why wouldn’t you play games on Christmas Day this year and in the future?

Obviously, this will require some scheduling legerdemain.  Having said that, I am confident that the NFL scheduling mavens have already figured out how to make this work. We will get all the details in May when the NFL releases its 2024 regular season schedule.  And according to reports, the NFL is going to put the broadcasting rights for these two games up for auction involving traditional networks, cable networks and streaming platforms.  One report said that bidding would start at $50M per game.  Let the good times roll …

Finally, let me close here with this comment from actor Jack Palance:

“The only two things you can truly depend upon are gravity and greed.”

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