The Sports Curmudgeon

The last new NFL head coach hired in this season’s iteration of “Speed Dating” was Dan Quinn by the Washington Commanders.  I think it is fair to say that Bob Molinaro of the Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot was not exactly blown away by the choice:

New guy: Dan Quinn is a “wow” hire for the Commanders. As in wow, that’s the best they could do?

Also related to that coaching selection, someone reminded NFL historian Dan Daly that 50 years ago when George Allen took over the Redskins’ coaching job, he traded for and signed a whole bunch of his former players from the LA Rams.  In fact, there were so many that the team became known as the “Ramskins”.  The question was posed to Daly what the team might be called if/when Dan Quinn brings former Cowboys’ players to DC.  Here is Dan Daly’s response via Twitter – – or whatever they call it this week:

“In a political town like DC, the Jerrymanders?

One more item on the new coaching regime in Washington …  Eric Bienemy certainly did not get the head coaching job with the Commanders and now he is going to be released entirely by the team after Klif Kingsbury was hired as the Offensive Coordinator.  It did not take long for Stephen A. Smith to play the race card on that move.  In part, here is what Smith said:

“I’m saying from a historical perspective, we look at a guy like Kliff Kingsbury and you know what we see as black folks? This is the kind of stuff that don’t happen for black folks.”

And …

 “It doesn’t seem to me there are bona fide football reasons as to why Kliff Kingsbury is the new offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders.”

The last time Klif Kingsbury was in a position close to being an NFL offensive coordinator was back with the Texans in 2010 and 2011; he was the co-offensive coordinator.  In 2010, the Texans went 6-10 (unimpressive); in 2011, the Texans went 10-6 and won their division and made the playoffs (not too shabby).  Kingsbury’s time as the head coach of the Cards was an uninspiring 28-37-1 over 4 seasons with 1 playoff appearance thrown in that mix.

So, in one sense, Smith is “right” in his thinking that Kingsbury does not have a potent NFL résumé to bring to this job.  However, here is one detail that Smith either did not check or did not choose to mention.

• Two years ago, with Scott Turner as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Commanders scored 321 points in 17 games (18.9 points per game).
• Last year with Eric Bienemy as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Commanders scored 329 points in 17 games.  (19.4 points per game)
• The Commanders scoring improved by one-half of one point per game with mostly the same offensive roster and probably better QB play.

NFL free agency has not blossomed yet, but there are a couple of fairly obvious things to say about some pending free agents.  Baker Mayfield is the most obvious example of someone who has seen his potential value increase significantly over the past year.  In 2023, Mayfield played for the Bucs on a 1-year contract with a base value of $4M with incentives that could have maxxed out at $8.8M.  Mayfield led the Bucs to the playoffs by winning the NFC South and then won a playoff game over the Eagles in the wildcard round.  In the regular season he threw for just over 4000 yards with 28 TDs and 10 INTs.

It seems as if Mayfield has been around the NFL for a long time, but he is only 28 years old.  So, what sort of deal might he command in the free agent market place?  He certainly played above the level of his 2023 contract, but I don’t think he will get offers that challenge the QBs at the top of the NFL pay scale at the moment.  Maybe an offer like:

• 4 years and $90M with $60M guaranteed?

Perhaps that value increases if a couple of QB-needy teams focus on Mayfield such as:

1. Bears (?)
2. Broncos
3. Bucs
4. Commanders
5. Falcons
6. Pats
7. Raiders
8. Steelers (?)
9. Titans (?)
10. Vikes – – if Cousins signs elsewhere

Lots of possibilities there …

#1 son went to William and Mary for his undergraduate degree.  In 1994, he was a junior there and the football team then had three folks taking part who would be employed as NFL head coaches in 2024:

• Mike Tomlin was a WR on the that team
• Sean McDermott was a safety on that team
• Dan Quinn was an assistant coach on that team.

That’s pretty amazing for a Division 1-AA football program…

Finally today, words of wisdom from H. L. Mencken:

“Wealth – any income that is at least one hundred dollars more a year than the income of one’s wife’s sister’s husband.”

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

 

 

With the players and coaches from the Super Bowl teams having arrived in Las Vegas, the NFL has imposed even tighter restrictions on gambling activities for those folks.  Here is the bottom line:

• While in Las Vegas, players participating in the Super Bowl are prohibited from engaging in any form of gambling, including casino games and betting on any sport. – – AND – –
• Players on teams other than the super Bowl participants may gamble legally but nay not wager on the Super Bowl game or any proposition bets related to that game. – – AND – –
• Team officials of any club and employees of the participating teams may not bet on any sports or play any casino games until the Super Bowl game is over.

While that seems a bit draconian to me, I am not in the position of protecting the image and the acceptability of a product that generates about $20B a year in revenues.  So, the NFL poohbahs have chosen to be ultra-conservative in their dealings with gambling in Las Vegas.  In a correspondence with players, Commissioner Goodell explained this ultra-conservative approach this way:

“The NFL is strongly committed to protecting the integrity of out game.  As NFL players, you have a special responsibility … to ensure that it is always played fairly, honestly and to the best of your ability.  This includes taking all appropriate steps to safeguard our game against possible gambling-related risks that can undermine the confidence and trust of our fans …”

Reading that excerpt from the Commish reminded me of an old NFL story.  Back in the 1960s, Alex Karras was suspended from the NFL for a full year when he admitted to placing bets on NFL games.  When he was reinstated by the league, he returned to his team (the Lions) and was named a captain of that squad.  As such he was in the mid-field group just prior to the game for the coin toss.  When the referee asked Karras to call the toss, Karras allegedly replied:

“I’m sorry sir; I’m not permitted to gamble.”

So, just how will this year’s coin toss take place in light of the NFL prohibitions on players and coaches and gambling?

I want to go back for a moment to the NFL coaching mixture that seems to have ended for this offseason.  Probably the earliest and fastest decision in the process was by the Cowboys to retain the services of Mike McCarthy.  Given the trouncing the Cowboys suffered in the wildcard round of the playoffs this year, I was a bit surprised by that decision.  Obviously, I have no inside information here; but I do wonder if the swiftness of that decision to keep McCarthy happened in this way:

• Jerry Jones places a call to Bill Belichick’s agent sounding out if Belichick might be interested in coming to the Cowboys.
• The agent returns that call a few hours later and says, “Hell, no!”
• The Cowboys announce “Plan B” as if it had been “Plan A” all along.

I have said this before, and I will say it here again.  Since it is apparent that Bill Belichick will not be on the sidelines for an NFL team next season, he belongs on television.  If you saw him in studio setting doing the NFL’s Best 100 Players, you saw that he is comfortable, knowledgeable, and even engaging on TV.  He is not always like his monosyllabic press conferences; I think he would be a star on NFL studio presentations.

Here is a Quick Quiz.  No googling allowed …

• Four different NFL head coaches have lost the Super Bowl game 4 times.
• Name them.
• [Answer below.  I got 3 of the 4 very quickly and finally got the last one.]

An email from a reader asked if I thought the praise and the reaction to the Chargers’ hiring of Jim Harbaugh was over the top.  I would agree that some of the coverage was excessive, but I do think that Harbaugh’s coaching history plus the roster he will inherit justify plenty of optimism on the part of Chargers’ fans and NFL commentators.

In Harbaugh’s first two coaching stops, he took two college teams that were anything but traditional powers (University of San Diego and Stanford) and rather quickly turned them into winning programs.  Then he went to the NFL and took over a Niners’ team that had gone 6-10 the year before he arrived.  The next season, the Niners were 13-3.

When he went to Michigan, the Wolverines were consistently pushed around by Ohio St. and sometimes lost to other Big-10 schools too.  It took Harbaugh several years to get the type of roster he wanted and that made Michigan into the Big-10 bully in place of Ohio St.

Does this mean I am betting on the Chargers to make it to the Super bowl next year?  No.  But I do believe that Jim Harbaugh will improve the Chargers’ record beyond 5-12 next year because he has a very talented QB and some pass-catching talent already in place.  I believe that prior performance and experience are important when projecting future results.

Here is the answer to the Quick Quiz:

• Bud Grant
• Dan Reeves
• Marv Levy
• Don Shula – – This is the one that took me a long while…

Finally, having dwelled on coaches and coaching today, let me close with this:

“The interesting thing about coaching is that you have to trouble the comfortable and comfort the troubled.”

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

 

 

Let me start this morning with the NBA.  Steph Curry scored 60 points in a game against the Hawks over the weekend, but the Warriors lost in OT 141-134 – – Total Score 275 points.  Last week on the same night, here were two NBA game results:

• Mavs 148  Hawks 143   Total Score 291 points
• Pacers 133  Suns 131   Total Score 264 points

It was not that long ago when those sorts of scores were only seen in the NBA All-Star Game where only the best players in the league participated and where it was acknowledged that no defense would be played.  Now these scoring levels have become commonplace, and it does not make the games more enjoyable.

It is not just the team totals that are inflating.  It used to be that when a player scored 60 points in a game it was an event.  Now that feat earns a hearty “Hoo-ray” because it seems to be a routine occurrence.  In just the last two weeks, the NBA has seen the following performances:

• Luka Doncic  73 points
• Joel Embiid  70 points
• Karl Anthony Towns  62 points
• Devin Booker  62 points
• Steph Curry  60 points

Might I suggest that the NBA rules mavens begin thinking about a few rule changes that might bring a semblance of defense back into their games?

And while I am at it, let me also suggest that the NBA devote some thought/effort to several other issues facing the league:

• “Instant replay” is sucking the enjoyment out of too many games.  If you are a fan in the arena or a fan watching at home, time spent looking at a ref or two bent over at the waist looking at a tiny screen to check on some aspect of the play is not enjoyable.  Fans in attendance did not pay $200 to see the ref’s butt sticking up in the air; fans did not tune in for that sighting either.  And yet, that sight has become commonplace, and it seems to be expanding.
• [Aside:  Some “instant replay” reviews take so long it makes me wonder if the refs replay channel has ads on it and some of that time is consumed by their having to watch LIMU Emu – – and Doug.]
• The NBA has very successfully used the strategy of “marketing and branding its stars” ever since the days of “Bird and Magic”.  For the last decade, the three faces of the league have been LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.  LeBron is almost 40 years old and his game is not nearly as compelling as it was even two or three years ago; Curry is still a scoring machine (see above) but he is 35 years old; Durant is also 35 years old and has missed significant portions in two of the last four seasons.  If the NBA has a “Succession Plan” to slip new marketing stars into top positions, that plan is not clear to me.
• It seems that two weeks cannot go by without some reporting on “NBA expansion” usually in the form of reports that some group seeking a franchise has done something that seemingly puts pressure on the league.  I am sure that having 32 teams in the NBA is preferable to having 30 teams from the standpoint of creating divisions and scheduling and the like.  And I am equally sure that the current owners would love to split up the “Entrance Fees” paid by a couple of new teams.  Nonetheless, the talent to sustain more teams is not there; the NBA needs to resist the “pressures” and the temptations to expand.  If you think I am exaggerating about the lack of an additional 30 NBA roster spots, take some time to try and watch a G-League game on NBA TV.  The product is significantly inferior.

Switching gears …  Lindsey Horan is the captain of the US Women’s National Soccer Team.  In an interview with The Athletic, Horan had this to say about the fans who watch the USWNT’s games:

“Most of them aren’t smart.  They don’t know the game. They don’t understand. But it’s getting better and better.”

Horan seemed to be particularly perturbed at the level of credence that fans put in the TV analysts who try to explain the game; Horan does not think they know as much as they purport to know.  Maybe she is right; maybe not.  However, I am not sure in what universe it makes sense for her to say of her team’s fans that they “aren’t smart”.

Looking on the bright side, at least Horan did not call those fans “deplorables” …

Finally, I wondered above if NBA refs were subjected to advertisements on their “Instant Replay” channels; so, let me close with this observation from Sinclair Lewis:

“Advertising is a valuable economic factor because it is the cheapest way of selling goods, particularly if the goods are worthless.”

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

 

 

The Washington Commanders had the last coaching vacancy in this round of “coach shuffling” until yesterday when they announced the hiring of Dan Quinn – – most recently the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys.  Like all other fanbases, the Commanders have a “negative element” in their fanbase who can never be satisfied; if the team were to win two Super Bowls in a row and lose the next one, some fans would consider that team to be a failure.  So, I was not overly surprised to see a small element of the fanbase react on one of the fanboy websites with this comment:

“… just another defensive retread like RR (Ron Rivera).”

I don’t know what that commenter thought the Commanders had to sell to a “hot prospect” in the coaching market.  In the NFL, a really good foundation for a team is the presence of:

• A franchise QB
• A solid offensive line – – to keep that franchise QB healthy
• An offensive playmaker – – AND – –
• At least an average defense

The Commanders have an offensive playmaker (Terry McLauren).  Other than that, they are – to be polite – woefully inadequate.  Yes, they have cap room and the second overall pick in the draft.  But cap room must be spent wisely and the last time the Commanders had the overall #2 pick they spent it on Chase Young who – to be polite – is a mediocre defensive lineman at best.

So, why would any “hot coaching prospect” with multiple potential suitors want that job?

There is another aspect to this hiring that I find interesting.  For the last couple of years, the Washington Post decried the fact that Eric Bienemy never got a head coaching job.  Most if not all of the paper’s columnists took up Bienemy’s cause to the point that they tried to imagine any reason for his lack of success in getting a head coaching job other than systemic racism among NFL owners.

Last year, the Commanders hired Eric Bienemy as their offensive coordinator.  He was on their staff for the whole year and was reportedly interviewed for the head coaching job – – which he obviously did not get.  This morning, Barry Sverluga’s column in the Post says that the Commanders now need to hire a “top offensive mind” to complement Dan Quinn’s defensive expertise.  In that column, Sverluga never considers Bienemy as that guy – – yet he was one of the folks decrying Bienemy’s failure to get a head coaching job prior to his arrival in DC.

NFL history is replete with excellent assistant coaches specializing in either offense or defense who washed out as head coaches.  Here are a bunch of examples off the top of my head in alphabetical order:

• Rod Marinelli
• Josh McDaniels
• Matt Patricia
• Richie Pettibon
• Buddy Ryan
• Rex Ryan
• Arthur Smith
• Steve Spagnuolo
• Charlie Weis

Josh Harris has been around the Commanders for all last season; he got to see enough of the team and the coaching staff to decide to fire Ron Rivera and start a major reconstruction of the roster.  At the same time, he also had the opportunity to observe and watch Eric Bienemy do his job – – and when it came time to make the call for a new head coach, Josh Harris passed on Bienemy.  Make of all this what you will, but here is my take:

• Eric Bienemy is a good – – not great – – offensive coach. 
• In Kansas City he benefited from close association with a very innovative offensive-minded head coach (Andy Reid) and had outstanding offensive talent on the field to execute the plays that were called (Mahomes, Kelcie, Tyreek Hill …) 
• In Washington, he was the sole “offensive-guy” on the staff and had significantly less on-field talent to execute his plays. 
• When in the “Chiefs’ environment” Bienemy went to the Super Bowl. 
• When in the “Commanders’ environment”, Bienemy went 4-13.

Dan Quinn has been a very successful defensive coordinator for the Seahawks and the Cowboys in his career.  His previous head coaching gig was with the Falcons for five-and-a-third seasons; his overall record there was 43-42-0 with two playoff appearances and one Super Bowl appearance.  With apologies to the fanboy I quoted above, Dan Quinn looks to be to be a perfectly adequate selection as the Commanders’ head coach who has a significant challenge ahead of him in gutting the current roster and finding improvements almost everywhere on the team.  He is a “retread” only in the sense that he has had a head coaching job in the past from which he was fired.  Then again, so did Bill Belichick – – and he worked out OK in New England.

As this NFL coaching version of “Musical Chairs” comes to a close, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel do not have jobs in the NFL.  Raise your hand if you saw that coming…

I have made it clear that I believe Dan Quinn has a difficult task ahead of him.  So let me close today with this observation by John Madden that may have relevance to Quinn’s situation:

 “The road to Easy Street goes through the sewer.”

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

 

 

There were two MLB franchises – – the Angels and the Nationals – – that went up for sale in the last year or so and neither one sold.  There were rumors that the Angelos family might sell the Orioles, but there was no overt search for a buyer or any other public announcement of the franchise being available.  However, news this week comes that a group of folks headed by David Rubenstein (one of the founders of the Carlyle Group) will buy a 40% interest in the Orioles and take over management responsibility for the club.  The buyers’ group will also hold an option to buy the rest of the team at some future date.  Based on the purchase of this 40% stake, the Orioles’ franchise is valued at $1.7B.

The deal is not final simply because any transaction of this sort needs the approval of the other MLB owners and there is a committee of the owners that specifically looks at purchase agreements to convince themselves that the prospective owners meet two criteria:

1. The prospective owners’ financing arrangements and financial strength are adequate for them to run the franchise.
2. The prospective owners as a group “pass the smell test” such that the MLB owners as a whole are comfortable with them joining their club.

Along with David Rubenstein (net worth of $3.8B), there are other partners who bring financial resources to the party including:

• Michael Arougheti – – founder of a private equity firm, net worth of $1.3B
• Michael Bloomberg – – net worth of $96.3B

Rubenstein is a Baltimore native and is well known in the city.  Other recognizable figures in his consortium are:

• Grant Hill
• Cal Ripken, Jr.
• Kurt Schmoke – – former Mayor of Baltimore.

It is difficult for me to find fault with this group of prospective buyers particularly since there is a significant degree of “native Baltimore flavor” in the group indicating stability for the franchise in that location.

Sticking with baseball here, a friend sent along this piece of trivia:

• There are 28 players who have hit 500 homeruns or more in baseball history.  Of those 28 sluggers, only 3 have also won 10 Gold Glove Awards over the course of their career.
• Name them …  [Answer below.  For the record, I got two of the three but that’s all]

One more baseball item here …  The Washington Nationals signed free agent Joey Gallo to a one-year deal.  The Washington Post labeled him as “big swinging”; that is one way to look at it.  Consider:

• Gallo has been in the major leagues for 9 seasons; the first 6.5 seasons were with the Rangers.
• Since 2021, he has been with four different teams (Rangers, Yankees, Dodgers and Twins).
• The last time he hit over .199 for a full season was in 2018.
• In all 9 seasons in MLB, he has averaged more than 1 strikeout per game played.
• Only twice in his career has Gallo recorded a Walk-to-Strikeout Ratio” greater than 0.5.

Let’s make today a completely baseball day …  The new Hall of Fame Class for 2024 will have three player inductees:

1. Adrian Beltré
2. Todd Helton
3.  Joe Mauer

Last year the inductees were:

1. Fred McGriff
2. Scott Rolen

I don’t mean to be the grumpy old guy in the neighborhood who yells at kids to stay off my lawn, but it really does seem as if the Hall of Fame is trending toward the Hall of Very Good Players.  None of the five names above make me stop and say, “Wow!”  All five of those players were very good and were strong contributors to their teams but that is as far as I want to go in terms of making them part of elite baseball history.  I mentioned a week or so ago that the Hall of Fame itself has some financial problems and the induction ceremonies every summer provide revenue to the institution.  In that sense, it is better to have a 2024 Class for the Hall of Fame than to let the dates for the ceremony come and go with nothing on tap.  But these last two classes do not inspire me at all.

The answer to the trivia question above is:

• Willie Mays (I got that one)
• Mike Schmidt (I got that one)
• Ken Griffey Jr. (I did not get that one)

Finally, since I mentioned Kurt Schmoke – former Baltimore mayor – above, I had the opportunity once to spend an hour or so in a round-table discussion with him.  He began his opening remarks to our group with a great introduction that I have used many times – – with attribution of course:

“A speech – – to be immortal – – need not be eternal.”

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

 

 

Professional wrestling bills itself as “sports entertainment”.  From where I stand, it is certainly not a “sport” and I do not find it even remotely “entertaining”.  So, let me invent my own descriptor for what World Wrestling Entertainment puts on the air periodically:

• “Scripted acrobatic faux violence.”

Another way to look at it is that professional wrestling is a soap opera where serial romantic interludes are replaced by serial “fights to the death”.  The comments above should explain why I rarely refer to any sort of happenstance in the realm of “rassling.  But now there is a story out there that deserves some comment.

Vince McMahon has been the “kingpin” of professional wrestling for about 30 years, and he has been a successful businessman in that arena chalking up a net worth – – according to Forbes – – of $3B.  However, he is now accused in a civil lawsuit of behaviors that go will outside the bounds of sexual harassment.  His accuser says that she was subjected to “sexual slavery” not only at the hands of McMahon but also, she was “served up” to wrestlers and other company executives.  The WWE was recently bought out by another entity and McMahon was on the Board of Directors for that other entity until last week; he has stepped down via resignation from the position and he vows to clear his name and vigorously defend himself.

This story is at a dangerous stage.  It is so salacious that one cannot ignore it totally; witness that even I as a professional wrestling hater am commenting on it.  At the same time, we have only heard one side of this story so far.  To be sure, what we have heard so far is sufficiently revolting that one is spring-loaded to take sides; maybe that is the proper thing to do sometime later as more facts and more testimony under oath present themselves.  However, I will refrain until that time because of numerous precedents where salacious stories proved to be fabricated in the end.  I am NOT saying that is the case here; I don’t know enough yet to take a side – – but it is tempting to recall that reports say McMahon has paid off accusers of his “wrongdoings” in the past and take up the cause against him.

At the moment, this is a civil matter and not a criminal one.

Moving on …  There is an interesting circumstance that may come to pass regarding the 2018 NFL Draft.  In that Draft, there were 5 QBs taken in the first round:

• Baker Mayfield – – 1^st – – Not a bust but certainly not a star QB either
• Sam Darnold – – 3^rd – – This is his 3^rd team in 6 seasons.  Meh!
• Josh Allen – – 7^th – – Franchise QB
• Josh Rosen – – 10^th – – 3 teams in 3 seasons; out of the league.  Flame-out!
• Lamar Jackson – – 32^nd – – Probably about to win his second MVP Award

Many will look at that summary and conclude – correctly – that drafting players in general and quarterbacks specifically is much closer to a crapshoot than it is to a science.  I think there is another way to look at this listing:

• If the Niners beat the Chiefs two weeks from now in the Super Bowl Sam Darnold will be the first QB taken in that year’s first round to get a Super Bowl Ring.

[Aside:  One other QB from the 2018 Draft has already received a Super Bowl Ring.  Danny Etling was on the practice squad of the Pats’ team in 2019 when the Pats beat Rams.  Etling was taken in the 7^th round with the 219^th overall pick in 2018.]

Switching gears …  I have been pondering a question for about a month and offer it up to everyone for consideration.

What is worse for an NFL team:

1. Not having a franchise QB – – OR – –
2. Having a QB who is not a franchise QB but is way overpaid?

Some of the teams who do not currently have franchise QBs:

• Commanders – – it’s been a while since they had a top-shelf QB.
• Falcons – – Mediocre at the very best at the QB position
• Pats – – Embarrasingly ineffective.
• Raiders – – Plain vanilla at QB
• Titans – – Maybe Will Levis?  Some day?  Perhaps?

And here are four teams that seem to be paying a lot more for their QBs relative to the productivity on Sundays:

1. Broncos – – Russell Wilson – – Contract calls for $188M over the next 5 seasons.
2. Browns – – Deshaun Watson – – Contract calls for $138M over the next 3 seasons.
3. Giants – – Daniel Jones – – Contract calls for $106M over the next 3 seasons.
4. Saints – – Derek Carr – – Contract calls for $110M over the next 3 seasons.

So, which of the two lists above is the worst one for a team to be on?  It’s a close call.

Finally, I want to close today with an observation from a professional wrestler named Chris Jericho:

“Think about it – professional wrestling as an Olympic sport would be pretty cool.  Look at figure skating or gymnastics – what is it?  It’s a choreographed performance that is judged.”

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

 

 

No shovel has gone into the dirt in Las Vegas to begin construction on a new ballpark for the ultimate arrival of the Las Vegas A’s, but the team continues to work on how and where they will play in their “gap seasons”.  Here is the math to explain the existence of “gap seasons”:

• The lease on the Oakland Coliseum – – or whatever they are calling it this month – – expires at the end of the 2024 season.
• The new ballpark in Las Vegas is not scheduled to be operable until the start of the 2028 season.
• Ergo, where to play from 2025 to 2027?

The acrimony that exists between the team and the power structure in Oakland will make any negotiations for a short-term lease extension difficult; moreover, it is hard to imagine loads of fans in Oakland turning out to see the team that has chosen to skip town.  The A’s attendance over the past several years has been abysmal; if the A’s play in Oakland from 2025-2027, it will probably be even worse.  Nevertheless, a short-term lease extension remains an option.

The team has begun to look for other interim venues and here are some possibilities:

• There is a minor league park in Las Vegas where the LV Aviators play.  The facility seats 8200 and can accommodate 10,000 fans with standing room.  Interlacing the A’s schedule with the Aviators’ schedule would be necessary.
• The A’s could share Oracle Park with the SF Giants.  Major league teams have shared a facility in the past so figuring out the combined schedule is something for which there is some history.  In addition, even though the Cubs and White Sox do not share a park, the two teams are rarely – if ever – in town on the same dates.

The A’s owner and other execs have begun to check on the possibility of playing some games in other minor league facilities in the west.

• The Sacramento River Cats play in a stadium that seats 10,600 fans and can accommodate 14,000 folks with standing room.
• The Salt Lake Bees play in a stadium that seats 14,500 and has accommodated as many as 16,500 in the past.

The simplest resolution here would be for the A’s to play in Oracle Park because that facility is obviously ready to accommodate major league teams and major league crowds.  Probably, any of the minor league facilities under consideration would need some sort of “upgrading” to achieve “major league acceptability”.  And the beat goes on …

[Aside:  There is precedent for two teams sharing a facility on a short-term basis.  In the 1970s, the Yankees took 2 years to modernize Yankee Stadium and for that time the Yankees and Mets both played home games in Shea Stadium.]

Moving on …  The NFL has a “modified gambling policy” in effect for players during Super Bowl Week.  Players for the Chiefs and for the Niners are barred from betting of any kind during that week including casino games and sports other than football.  This is more draconian than the existing regular season policy where players/coaches are permitted to gamble on things like blackjack or slot machines so long as they stay away from sportsbooks.

The NFL has a love/hate relationship with gambling.  It loves the attention that gambling draws to its games and the revenues it enjoys from its “corporate partners” in the gaming industry; it also hates the idea that someone might perceive any sort of gambling activity by NFL folks as an indicator that NFL games are “rigged” in some way.

Speaking from a reality-based perspective, let me assert that the most recognizable person involved in the Super Bowl this year is Andy Reid. His visage with his trademark moustache is easy to spot; his girth makes him easy to spot at a distance.  I would have no difficulty in picking Andy Reid out of a crowd.  Now, having said that, I would NOT have any bad feelings or sinister suspicions if I saw Andy Reid pull the lever on a slot machine.  Just saying…

Over the weekend, Kevin Blackistone had a column in the Washington Post under this headline:

• “It’s obvious the college game needs Rooney Rule”

I’m sorry, but I do not think college sports need a version of the Rooney Rule.  I fully agree with Blackistone that minorities are underrepresented in coaching and athletic director positions; where we disagree is on the efficacy of the Rooney Rule to resolve that situation.  The problem with the “collegiate situation” as opposed to the “NFL situation” is in the hiring decision maker.

• In the NFL, the owner either hires the coach directly or he hires a GM and then acquiesces to the GM’s choice as the coach.  The decision maker is a single and identifiable person.
• In big-time college sports, it appears as if the Athletic Director at Fugue State is hiring its coach.  Yes, the Athletic Director is the one who runs the press event to announce the new coach; but that decision is made in conjunction with the university administration and with the big donors to Fugue State’s athletic programs.
• So, in the college version of the Rooney Rule, who would be required to do the mandatory interviews of minority candidates?

Remember that the major distinction between a cynic and a realist is whether or not you agree with him/her.  I think I am a realist here when I say that if the three biggest donors to a school’s athletic program tell the Athletic Director not to hire Joe Flabeetz, then poor Joe is not going to get the job.  The same goes for the university president who may be hearing from donors to other areas of the university.  It is not a pretty system, but it is one that will not be resolved by a Rooney Rule.  In fact, what a Rooney Rule will do at the collegiate level is to take the number of pro forma/sham interviews and multiply them by a factor of 100.

Finally, I’ll close today with this view of cynicism by author Julian Baggini:

“If there’s one thing that makes me cynical, it’s optimists.  They are just far too cynical about cynicism.  If only they could see that cynics can be happy, constructive, even fun to hang out with, they might learn a thing or two.”

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

 

 

It has been about two weeks since Sports Illustrated laid off its staff.  There has been little if any reporting on any sort of progress in the corporate negotiations that might give some sort of reprieve to the magazine, but even if there is sub rosa progress on such talks, I suspect that any “reprieve” would be temporary at best.  I think there are two barriers in place that will prevent SI from survival in 2024 and beyond:

1. The first is reassembling a competent staff.  I am not here to play the crotchety old-guy and proclaim that there will never be another confluence of writing talent to equal what SI had in the 60s, 70s and 80s.  I mean that any sort of resurrected SI would remain on sufficiently thin financial ice as to be unable to attract and retain the best sports writers/commentators of today.  Staff quality is particularly important to a resurrected SI, given the scandal of its using AI generated articles by fictitious authors in previous editions; trust must be restored.  Writing about sports is enjoyable and maybe even luxurious; I resemble that remark.  At the same time, writers need to be able to survive economically, and counting on a reincarnated SI as the source of “funding” would be a huge gamble.
2. The second is that print journalism in general – – not just in sports – – is an industry with declining revenues.  The LA Times is laying off lots of folks; reports say that the Washington Post may have lost $100M last year; the NY Times laid off – – or reassigned – – its entire sports staff.  Until and unless market forces change, this is a death spiral.  Revenues go down, writers are laid off, the product declines in quality, revenues go down further…

Observers have offered various explanations for the demise of what was once a great journalism franchise.  I don’t know enough to do a deep dive into all of this, but I do think that two of the more common explanations are shallow:

1. Some folks believe that the demise of SI is another example of “Go Woke, Go Broke.”  Yes, the magazine put a transgender woman on the cover of a Swimsuit Issue, and I am sure it angered more “existing readers” than it attracted as “new subscribers”.  But I doubt that is the reason since SI had been in severe pruning mode for at least 5 years prior to that “Woke” action.
2. Other folks believe that the Internet killed SI because the folks running the magazine never figured out how to generate meaningful revenues from online readership.  If that is the reason, then the financial people at SI must not have been able to figure out the successful survival strategies that keep other magazines alive and well such as The Atlantic and/or The Economist.

I recognize that many folks today prefer to consume news and entertainment media ‘on their devices”.  Personally, I prefer a three-dimensional newspaper or magazine for lengthy consumption and electronic media for shorter engagements, but my preferences do not set a marketplace.  If some sort of financial construct can emerge that gives SI new life, the challenge for the managers there will be to hit the ground with a quality product that attracts print AND online revenues.  It can be done; the folks who ran and who now own SI have never figured out how to do this.  And I think the first thing on their plate has to be that the new financial model must support a publication that is weekly and not monthly.

And now for something completely different … [Hat Tip to John Cleese] Every year in England they have a sporting tournament known as the FA Cup.  This year, 732 different soccer clubs entered the tournament; some of the entrants were professional clubs in the various tiers of soccer in England; some of the teams were amateur entrants; it seems that the only criterion for entry is that the club is located in either England or Wales.

Maidstone United is described as a “sixth-tier side”.  As an analogy to US college basketball, Maidstone United would be a solid favorite over a recreation league champion but would likely be overmatched against the worst of the 350-or-so Division 1 College basketball teams.  Nevertheless, Maidstone United won its first four games in the tournament to get to last weekend’s challenge against Ipswich Town.  On paper, this should have been the end of the line for Maidstone United; Ipswich Town is in second place in the English Championship meaning that it is on the verge of being promoted to the Premier League next year.  In its last 5 games against Championship level competition, Ipswich town has a victory and 4 draws.  At the same time, Maidstone United was in fourth place in its “sixth-tier league” and had lost its previous three games in that league against competition at that level.

But that is why the play the games …  At the end – – or “after full time” as they say in England – – the result was:

• Maidstone United  2  Ipswich Town  1.

That result advances Maidstone United to the FA Cup’s version of the “Sweet 16”.  Their next opponent will be either Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry City depending on the outcome of that match on 6 February.  As of this morning, both Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City are Championship League teams, as is Ipswich Town.

• Coventry City is currently in 6^th place in the Championship having won 4 and tied once in its last 5 games at that level.
• Sheffield Wednesday is currently in 23^rd place in the Championship – – and is currently in the “Relegation Zone” – – having won 2 and lost 3 in its last 5 games at that level.

Maidstone United is known as “The Stones”.  Stones on the road ahead can either be obstacles or steppingstones.  So far, “The Stones” have been using them as steppingstones.

Finally, since I began today ruminating on the demise of Sports Illustrated let me close with these words from Frank Deford:

“I grew up in Baltimore and that’s why I root for the Orioles.  I’m very suspicious of people who move and take on a new team.  You should stick with the team of your youth all the way to your grave.  That shows a sense of loyalty and devotion.”

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

 

 

This compendium of Football Fridays began back in August; today is the penultimate entry in that series.  Yes, I know that there are still two weeks to go in the NFL season after this weekend, but I refuse to recognize the Pro Bowl – – as it is currently configured or as it was previously configured – – as an event worthy of one’s time and energy.  So, Football Friday will be on hiatus next week and will return on the Friday before the Super Bowl.

With that out of the way, let me begin with a review of last week’s “Betting Bundle”:

 

• College  =  0-0-0   =>   Final Season Total  =  21-10-0
• NFL  =  1-3-0   =>   Season Total  =  27-30-0
• Parlays  =  0-0  Profit/Los  =  0   =>   Season Total  =  11-17  Profit  =  $8

 

College Football Commentary:

 

I wonder if a gentleman named Roy Englebrecht is a visitor to this website.  If he is not, then great minds run in similar channels.  Mr. Englebrecht was described in a report at CBSSports.com as a “Newport Beach, California-based promoter” and he wants to stage something he called “The Irrelevant Bowl”.  In his vision for such a thing, the game would match the two worst college football teams in the country giving them each a chance at redemption for the season.  Obviously as a “promoter”, Mr. Englebrecht tends to “always look on the bright side of life”.  [Hat Tip:  Monty Python and Spamalot]

“The Irrelevant Bowl” would be a truncated form of my “SHOE Tournament” which I would propose for the 8 worst teams in the country and which would focus on the dark side of life by making the loser play on to determine THE UNEQUIVOCAL WORST TEAM AS DECIDED ON THE FIELD OF PLAY.

[Aside:  Recall that “SHOE” is an acronym for Steaming Heap Of Excrement and that the ultimate loser of such a “tournament” would be known as the “SHOE Team”]

Unless “The Irrelevant Bowl” can come up with a ton of TV money to dangle in front of the paper-shufflers at the NCAA, the chances of there ever being an “Irrelevant Bowl” are about the same as having the NCAA sanction and organize a SHOE Tournament.  That is not part of the noble ideal that sits behind the façade of the NCAA; they seek to crown champions not to bury the detritus of a sport.

Notwithstanding my assessment that “The Irrelevant Bowl” will ever be a real thing, I am rooting for Mr. Englebrecht simply based on recent history in college football:

• The BCS started with two teams playing for a championship; “The Irrelevant Bowl” would be two teams playing for “redemption” or “ignominy depending on your point of view.
• The BCS expanded to become the CFP involving 4 teams
• The CFP expanded so that it will involved 12 teams starting in 2024.
• Perhaps “The Irrelevant Bowl” – – should it ever get started – – might expand to become my fantastical “SHOE Tournament” under a totally different name of course.

 

NFL Commentary:

 

They say one is known by the company one keeps.  In that case, might I suggest that Baker Mayfield is now keeping company with some rather accomplished NFL QBs.  Mayfield won a playoff game with the Bucs this year; previously, he won a playoff game with the Browns in the 2020 playoffs.  Until this year, only 4 QBs in the NFL had won playoff games with two different franchises:

• Tom Brady
• Brett Favre
• Peyton Manning
• Joe Montana
• And now there are 5 QBs on this list …

With the Conference Championship Games on tap for this weekend, this is the sixth consecutive year that the AFC Championship Game will involve the Chiefs.  The AFC – – and NFL – – record for consecutive appearances in the Conference Championship Game is held by the Pats at seven years in a row.  Over in the NFC, there is no streak ongoing this year and the record in the NFC is shared by the Eagles and the Cowboys at four consecutive appearances

Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll were both “relieved of command” a few weeks ago and neither has gotten a new job.  Is that a signal that the NFL is handing the baton over to a new generation of leadership – – or is that ageism at work in the NFL?  Or perhaps it is neither…

Along the same lines, Brian Flores did a great job as the defensive coordinator for the Vikes this year; no one can say that unit underachieved.  Based on reporting about the NFL coaching carousel, Flores has not even been interviewed let alone offered a job.  Is that racism at work in the NFL – – or is that a reluctance on the part of any owners to deal with someone who is suing them in court?  You make the call there …

Last week’s Bills/Chiefs game did more than decide which team would advance in the playoffs.  That game provided fans with an entertainment level that is not matched elsewhere in the sport in 2024.  In fact, the only QB confrontation that I can recall that was as entertaining was the one involving Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.  Mahomes and Allen are fun to watch anytime they are on the air separately; when they are facing each other, they never fail to entertain.

The TV network execs and the advertisers for last week’s Bills/Chiefs clash were more than merely entertained; I suspect they were bordering on rapturous.  The folks who measure TV audience size report that the Bills/Chiefs audience averaged 50.4 million viewers last Sunday.  Even for the ratings-dominant NFL, this is a milestone.  It represents the largest audience for any NFL game other than a Super Bowl telecast.

The Packers fired Defensive Coordinator, Joe Barry, earlier this week.  Early in the season, the Packers’ defense was porous at best but as the season went on, the Packers’ defense played very well.  In fact, in the Packers’ wildcard round victory over the Cowboys, the Packers’ defense was in control holding the Cowboys to only 16 points in three quarters of football.  Usually, coaches are fired on the basis of “What have you done for me lately?”  This one seems to be based on more than just that.

Looking at the list of finalists for the various NFL individual awards for 2023, here are my picks:

• Defensive Player of the Year:  Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby – – either/or
• Offensive Player of the Year:  Christian McCaffrey
• Offensive Rookie of the Year:  CJ Stroud
• Defensive Rookie of the Year:  Jalen Carter or Joey Porter, Jr. – – either/or
• Comeback Player of the Year:  Damar Hamlin – – and I will not entertain any arguments…
• Coach of the Year:  DeMeco Ryans or John Harbaugh – – either/or
• Most Valuable Player :  Lamar Jackson

Here is a statistical tidbit related to the Lions/Niners game this weekend in Santa Clara, CA:

• The last time the Lions won a road playoff game was in 1957.
• The Lions have lost eleven straight road playoff games since 1957.
• The team the Lions beat in 1957 was – – drumroll – – the SF 49ers.

Let me review the four games from last week:

Lions 31  Bucs 23:  The game was tied at 17 at the start of the 4^th quarter but the Lions put together two long drives (75 yards and 89 yards) in the fourth quarter to take control of the game.  The stat sheet for the game was very balanced:

• Lions’ Total Offense = 391 yards   Bucs’ Total Offense = 408 yards
• Lions’ First Downs = 26   Bucs’ First Downs = 23

The biggest statistical discrepancy was in the turnovers; the Bucs turned the ball over twice and the Lions did not turn it over at all.

Ravens 34  Texans 10:  I really thought that the Texans’ defense could make this game much more competitive; I was wrong.  The Ravens’ offense dominated the game holding the ball for 37:35 in the game.  Even more dominant was the Ravens’ running game which racked up 229 yards on 42 attempts – – 5.5 yards per carry.  It was just another day on the field for Lamar Jackson:

• 16 of 22 for 152 yards with 2 TDs and 0 INTs – – AND – –
• 11 carries for 100 yards and 2 TDs

The Ravens have fared extremely well against opponents who made the playoffs in both conferences this year:

• Versus the Texans, the Ravens won by 16 in September and by 24 last weekend.
• Versus the Browns, the Ravens won by 25 in October.
• Versus the Lions, the Ravens won by 32 in October.
• Versus the Rams, the Ravens won by 6 in December.
• Versus the Niners, the Ravens won by 14 in December,
• Versus the Dolphins, the Ravens won by 37 in December.

In contrast to that impressive sets of showings, the Ravens played the playoff-bound Steelers twice this year with the following results:

• Steelers 17  Ravens 10  – – January 2024
• Steelers 17  Ravens 10  – – October 2023

Niners 24  Packers 21:  The Niners needed to rally from 7 points down at the start of the fourth quarter to win this game.  It was the first time the niners had trailed in the second half and managed to come back and win the game.  The Niners closed the score to 21-17 at the start of the 4^th quarter.  The teams then traded punts until the Packers drove to set up a 40-yard field goal try with just over 6 minutes left in the game that was unsuccessful.  At that point the Niners took the ball at the Packers 30 and marched down the field with Brock Purdy hitting 5 out of 6 passes and scrambling for 9 yards to set up a second-and-one situation that led to Christian McCaffrey getting the first down and a touchdown that won the game.

The game featured two young QBs who have taken a measure of criticism/scorn over the last year or two.  Brock Purdy had the better day here:

• 23 of 39 for 252 yards with 1 TD and 0 INTs

Chiefs 27  Bills 24:  This game was back-and-forth for 60 minutes; the largest lead in the game was 7 points for a 4-minute period in the second quarter.  Here is how close this game appeared to be:

• Chiefs’ Total Offense = 361 yards   Bills’ Total Offense = 368 yards.

However, a closer examination of the stats from the game reveals that the Chiefs should be thankful they were in the game at all let alone on top on the scoreboard:

• Chiefs’ 3^rd Down Conversions = 1 of 5  Bills’ 3^rd Down Conversions = 7 of 14
• Chiefs’ Red Zone = 2 of 4   Bills’ Red Zone = 3 of 4
• Chiefs’ Time of Possession = 22:57  Bills’ Time of Possession = 37:03
• Chiefs’ Offensive Plays = 48   Bills’ Offensive Plays = 77
• Chiefs’ First Downs = 21  Bills’ First Downs = 27

People will remember that the Bills missed a game-tying field goal with less than two minutes to go in the fourth quarter.  People should also remember that the Bills went for it on 4^th down with a fake punt in Bills’ territory and that gave the ball to the Chiefs with a short field.  The only reason the Bills did not pay for that stratagem was that Mecole Hardmen fumbled the ball out of the end zone and gave the ball back to the Bills three plays later.

I am not going to be critical of the decision to go for it on fourth down because the Chiefs led at the time and the Bills needed to score not punt.  However, I will criticize the choice of a fake punt by the Bills.  Here’s why:

• The biggest offensive weapon for the Bills is clearly and obviously Josh Allen; he can beat opponents with his arm and with his legs.  A fake punt – needing about 4 yards – takes that potent weapon off the field and puts him on the bench.
• How is that a good idea?

 

The Conference Championship Games:

 

Because there are only two games this weekend, I will make a selection in each game for the “Betting Bundle” but with less than my usual degree of enthusiasm.  Each of the four teams can be a winner on Sunday; each game could come down to a last second field goal try; each game could be a two-score margin of victory or more.  There are not weak sisters in the field this weekend.

(Sun 3:00 PM ET) Chiefs at Ravens – 4 (44):  The spread opened at 2.5 points and climbed quickly to 3.5 points; you can still find the spread at that level at a few of the sportsbooks this morning.  This matchup pits the two best scoring defenses in the NFL at each other:

• Ravens allow 16.1 points per game (Best)
• Chiefs allow 17.1 points per game (Second Best)

Last week was the first time Patrick Mahomes had to play on the road in the playoffs.  This week provides another “first”.  This is the first time the Ravens will host a Conference Championship Game.

The potential return to the Ravens’ lineup by TE Mark Andrews should be a big help for the Ravens even if he is only 75% of what he would be without his injury.

Last week the Ravens ran the ball for 229 yards; last week, the Chiefs gave up 182 yards rushing to the Bills – – and managed to come away with a win.  I think the Chiefs’ ability – – or lack thereof – – to stop the Ravens’ run game is going to decide the outcome here.  That assessment is not meant to take away anything from any of the other participants here; these are two really good teams; each team has star players who can take charge of a game.  I do believe however, if the Chiefs can make the Ravens throw the ball more than they are used to doing then the Chiefs can win the game.

• I think this game will be a nail-biter and go down to the wire; therefore, give me the Chiefs plus the points; Put that in the “Betting Bundle”.  In addition, despite the two top scoring defenses being on the field, I think there will be plenty of points in the game, so I’ll take the game to go OVER.  Put that in the “Betting Bundle also.

(Sun 6:30 PM ET) Lions at Niners – 7 (51):  These lines have been steady as a rock all week long; for a brief time on Thursday a couple of the sportsbooks had the Total Line up to 51.5 points but they settled back to the opening number this morning.  A huge question hanging over the time leading up to this game is this:

• Can Deebo Samuel play – – and if so, can he play anywhere near his normal level of competency?
• Deebo Samuel did not practice this week.

Another interesting item related to the running game could emerge here.  Christian McCaffrey led the league in rushing this year; the Lions rank 3^rd in the NFL in rushing defense allowing only 3.7 yards per carry.

[Aside:  The last player to lead the NFL in rushing AND to make it to the Super Bowl was Shaun Alexander back in 2005.  Make of that what you will …]

For the Lions, a key factor will be the ability of the Lions’ OL to protect Jared Goff.  When he has time to throw, he has three quality receivers out in pass patterns any one of which can do significant damage.

• I think each team will be able to move the ball on the opposing defense in this game so give me the game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

So let me review this week’s ”Betting Bundle”:

• Chiefs +4 against Ravens
• Chiefs/Ravens OVER 44
• Lions/Niners OVER 51

There are no Money Line Parlays for this week but here is one potential parlay to have in mind if you believe that both underdogs can win outright this weekend.  For the record, I do not think that is likely. However:

• Chiefs @ +175
• Lions @ +285
• $100 wager to win $959

Finally, these words from former Florida St. head football coach, Bobby Bowden:

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

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

 

 

Lots of news/rumors today in “Coaches World” …  Yesterday, I mentioned in passing that Wes Unseld, Jr. had not exactly succeeded in his tenure with the Washington Wizards and that the expectation that he would bring tough defense to the fore was not nearly borne out in on-the-court results.  This morning, the Wizards have kicked Unseld upstairs in the organization; he  is no longer the coach; he is now in a “front office advisory position”.  The Wizards record so far this season is 7-36; the team’s combined record under Unseld’s leadership is 77-130 (winning percentage = .372); so, the team had to dig deep into management-speak as it announced the basis for this move:

“After several thoughtful conversations with Wes, we determined together that a change was needed for the benefit of the team.”

And …

“Wes embodies the characteristics we value in our organization, and his vast basketball experience will be an asset to the front office as we progress toward our long-term goals.”

Another big event in “Coaches World” from yesterday was the decision by Jim Harbaugh to leave Michigan and take the job as the head coach of the LA Chargers.  First of all, I wondered why he would leave Michigan now after winning the national championship just a couple of weeks ago; he is in the process of beatification there.  Then I remember that the penny-ante bureaucrats at the NCAA have not given up on investigating him and Michigan for real or imagined violations of their sacred rulebook.  So, from that perspective, it is the perfect time for him to pack up his belongings and ship them from Ann Arbor to LA and take on a new challenge in the NFL.

I said here previously that I thought the Chargers’ job was the best NFL head coaching vacancy in this cycle simply because all the other teams looking for a new coach are either deficient at the QB position or at best have a question mark at the QB position.  That is not the problem with the Chargers; Justin Herbert is a blue chip QB.  The Chargers seem always to invent ways to lose games that they need to win and should have won.  The most recent egregious example of this tendency was in last year’s AFC playoffs:

• The Chargers led the Jags 27-0 late in the first half of a wildcard round playoff game.
• The Chargers benefited from 5 turnovers by the Jags in that game.
• Nonetheless, the Chargers lost the game 31-30.

In Jim Harbaugh’s previous stops on the coaching circuit, his teams have lost a few “big games”, but they were never known for beating themselves sufficiently often that their fans could never count on a victory until the clock read 0:00.  If he can remove that tendency from the Chargers’ team, he will be a success there because there is plenty of individual physical talent on the roster.

Another way to look at Harbaugh’s decision to take the Chargers’ job is to examine the coaching lineup in the AFC West:

• Broncos:  Head coach is Sean Payton who has won a Super Bowl and has an overall record of 152-89 (winning percentage = .631).
• Chargers:  Head coach is Jim Harbaugh who has won a collegiate national championship and has taken an NFL team (Niners) to the Super Bowl.  His NFL coaching record is 49-22-1 (winning percentage = .690).
• Chiefs:  Head coach is Andy Reid who has won 2 Super Bowls and has an overall record of 258-144-1 (winning percentage = .641).
• Raiders:  Head coach is Antonio Pierce who salvaged what he could of the Raiders’ season in 2023 and has an overall record of 5-4 as the interim head coach in Las Vegas (winning percentage = .556).

Two observations from that listing:

1. That is a potent coaching lineup that is not matched in any other NFL Division.
2. Coach Pierce has his work cut out for him matching wits with those division rivals.

One final thought about “Coaches World” today …  This is a flight of fantasy; it is not impossible but the odds against this happening are as long as a Wagnerian opera.  Imagine:

• The Washington Commanders hire Bill Belichick as their new coach.
• The Washington Commanders sign Kirk Cousins as a free agent in this offseason.
• The Washington Commanders go on to win the Super Bowl in the next couple of years.
• The Washington Commanders’ fans experience joy in the victory and agita at the fact that the team ran Cousins out of town six years ago.

Finally, let me close today with these words from George F. Will about the sport of football:

“Football combines the two worst features of American life.  It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.”

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