The Sports Curmudgeon

Axios was the first to report yesterday that the USFL and XFL 3.0 were in serious negotiations about a merger of equals; the two leagues could possibly combine to form a single professional football Spring League.  I have thought for years that there was a market for a “Spring League”, but I am confident that there is not enough room out there for two “Spring Leagues”.  A “merger” or a “consolidation” or a “combining of resources” in this situation makes a lot of sense.  It also raises a few questions – – for which I do not have definitive answers, but I’ll try:

• Each league has a team in Houston.  A combined league – – call it the USXFL for lack of a better name – – would not want two of its franchises carving up a single market despite the size of the Houston market.  So, one of those franchises would have to be moved or dissolved.  I would suspect that the new league would prefer not to set sail and have one of its first acts to be the dissolution of a franchise.  So, where might “the expendable Houston franchise” go?  Neither league had a team in southern California or Arizona.  Maybe “the expendable Houston franchise” might fit there?
• There has been some ”tension” regarding the venue for the Vegas Vipers of the XFL.  They could not get an agreement to play in Allegiant Stadium where the Raiders play; and evidently, the alternate venue was not very good.  So, maybe there is another franchise that might need to be relocated?
• Both leagues have TV deals with major networks.  FOX has an equity stake in the USFL; Disney Corp via ESPN is the “exclusive broadcast partner” of the XFL.  NBC is also involved in all this somehow because it has a “limited broadcast agreement” with the USFL.  A combination of the two leagues will necessarily need to figure out who and how their games will be telecast locally and nationally.
• The XFL played its games in the cities the teams represented; the USFL used a “hub model” playing its games mostly in Birmingham AL.  If the USFXL is going to be taken seriously, I think it must ditch the “hub model” and play all its games in or very near the city that the team represents.
• The two leagues played in the Spring last year with very little overlap.  The XFL kicked off in February – – the week after the Super Bowl. – – and held its championship game in mid-May.  The USFL started in mid-April and played its championship game on 1 July.  Each league played 10 games in their regular season and had a 4-team playoff format.  Assuming the USFXL is a 16-team league, how many games will there be in the regular season and when would they be played?  Personally, I think play should start on the “dark Sunday” of Final Four weekend and run through the 4^th of July, but no one is consulting with me on such issues.

If all the rumors and reporting are accurate, that would indicate to me that the execs for the league and for the media outlets have resolved at least some if not most of these questions.  And as I said above, this is a good thing for “Spring pro football” as a business enterprise.

Switching gears …  Back in the days when the only real legal way to bet on sports like football and baseball and basketball was to visit Las Vegas, the two most vocal opponents of legalized betting were Mark Emmert as the head of the NCAA and Roger Goodell as the NFL Commish.  The NCAA has maintained its anti-gambling stance and continues to worry about and tries to police gambling on collegiate athletic competitions.  I think they are fighting a losing battle, but they are dogged in their defense of the purity of their games.

The NFL – – on the other hand – – wants to re-enact the famous scene from The Wizard of Oz where “The Wizard” declares that no one should pay attention to the man behind the curtain.  Given any soapbox to hop upon, Roger Goodell will sanctimoniously proclaim his profound worry about “the integrity of the games” that is severely threatened by easy access to gambling on those games by so many people in so many venues.  To hear him tell it, you wonder if he ever gets to sleep at night.

Except …  The NFL has three – – as in one, two, THREE – – “Official Sports Betting Partners of the NFL.”  Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel are all in multi-year agreements with the NFL and they:

“… will have the right to integrate relevant sports betting content directly into NFL Media properties including NFL.com and the NFL App. DraftKings and FanDuel will enhance their fan experiences with NFL highlights, footage and Next Gen Stats content. Caesars and the NFL will collaborate on integrating NFL content into Caesars platforms as well.”

But wait, there’s more … The Washington Commanders now have an NFL sportsbook inside the stadium at FedEx Field.  The area is known as “The Fanatics Sportsbook” and it has betting kiosks along with walk-up betting windows.  It is not merely open on game days; The Fanatics Sportsbook is open 7 days a week from 11 in the morning to 11 at night.  Interestingly, it took a positive vote by NFL owners to decide to allow in-stadium betting, so The Fanatics Sportsbook is only the first of many more such facilities to come.

So, next time you hear Roger Goodell feigning angst at the peril sports gambling presents to the integrity of NFL games, just remember, gambling is evil – – unless the NFL can find a way to make buck off it.

Finally, former British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli once said:

“A Conservative Government is an organized hypocrisy.”

Might I suggest that the NFL is quite similar …?

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

 

 

Here in Curmudgeon Central, one of the guiding principles is for me to admit when I am wrong.  That is the whole reason behind writing post-mortems for my NFL predictions and assigning grades to them; that is why I include corrections to facts provided by the “reader in Houston”.  Well, today I have to own up to another huge error.

One week ago on September 12^th, I opened the daily rant with this paragraph:

“Well, I was overly optimistic yesterday when I said that Mel Tucker would be fired by Halloween.  I thought that Michigan State would wait until after the hearing set for early October and then wait a decent interval before deciding to ditch Tucker as their head football coach.  Not so, Michigan State cut bait yesterday afternoon and is first in line among major football programs in search of a new coach for 2024 – – unless you consider Northwestern a major football program.”

I must have misinterpreted a report I had read to lead me to conclude that Mel Tucker had been fired because that was not the case.  The reason I know I was wrong is that there are multiple reports today in reputable places such as the Washington Post, CBSSports.com, CNN.com and ESPN.com which all say that Michigan State has now notified Mel Tucker that the university intends to terminate his contract for cause based on sexual harassment charges that were made public on September 10^th.  Obviously, the university would not be announcing their intent to fire someone if indeed they had already fired him.  Mea culpa!

According to today’s reporting, this notification is provided to Tucker to satisfy the conditions of his existing contract which was to run for 10 years with a guaranteed salary of $95M.  The contract now gives Tucker – and his legal representatives – seven days to present evidence/arguments as to why he should not be fired for cause.  These actions and this notification are separate and distinct from any investigation or charges that may arise from any other investigations into this matter.

According to this morning’s Washington Post, the operative part of Tucker’s contract with the school says in part that Tucker could be fired for cause if he:

“… engages in any conduct which constitutes moral turpitude or which, in the university’s sole judgment, would tend to bring public disrespect, contempt or ridicule upon the university.”

If indeed that clause is in the contract, it would seem to apply in this matter.  The accusation is that Tucker engaged in phone sex with a woman who was hired periodically by the Athletic Department to speak to athletes there about proper and improper behaviors regarding sexual harassment and sexual assault.  As part of that phone sex, Tucker was masturbating as he spoke with the accuser; his first comment in his defense was that the call and the actions involved were “consensual”.  To me, that means he did what the woman said he did.

I am not trained in contract law even in the slightest degree but from a purely personal standpoint, the fact that the head football coach at a major university would masturbate while talking on the phone with a woman who – every once in a while – would be speaking to his players about proper behaviors and curbing their testosterone-driven urges would “tend to bring “contempt and/or ridicule upon the university.”

I suspect that there will be negotiations over the next several days between Tucker’s representatives and Michigan State about any partial payment to Tucker of that nominally guaranteed contract.  Using a linear projection of payments, my estimate is that there is still about $75M left in the deal.  If the school pays out even a dollar on the deal, you can bet there will be layers of non-disclosure agreements involved.

Moving on …  The Tennessee Titans are going to get a new stadium in Nashville; the current estimate for the cost of the new playpen is $2.3B.  Titans’ ownership will put up $200M toward the cost (less than 10%) and the NFL will kick in another $850M for the project out of the league’s developmental fund.  The rest comes from the taxpayers in Nashville and Tennessee.

• The State issued 20-year bonds with a face value of $453M; over the next 20 years – – assuming that the bonds are not called – – the people of Tennessee will pay out $230M in interest on those bonds.
• Meanwhile, Nashville issued 30-year bonds with a face value of $705M; over the next 30 years – – assuming the bonds are not called – – the people in Nashville are on the hook for $840M in interest payments on those bonds.

Looking at the amounts put up by parties other than the owners of the Titans, I would have to say that the owners got a sweet deal.

Finally, having mentioned masturbation above, let me close today with these words from Woody Allen:

“Don’t knock masturbation.  It’s sex with someone I love.”

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

 

 

Over the weekend, the LA Angels announced that they put Shohei Ohtani on the injured list and said he would not play again this year.  That led to Ohtani’s locker being cleared out and at least one Internet video posting of someone who might have been Ohtani in an airport in Japan.  This injury is to his oblique muscle; it is separate from his elbow injury that could require Tommy John surgery once it is subjected to further examination.  Ohtani was definitely with the Angels in their dugout during their game on Saturday, but his future with the team is up in the air simply because his contract will expire at the end of this season.

Speculation about Ohtani’s value on the free agent market places his value in the neighborhood of $500M given that he is a solid power hitter who can also be a starting pitcher every 5 days or so.  There are not many folks who can put that sort of thing on their résumé meaning that there is no benchmark for his value on the open market.  However, with an injury that could affect his future as a pitcher – – the elbow injury – – teams will have to determine for themselves how his treatment of that elbow injury is progressing.

Ohtani has said he wants to play for “a contender” and the Angels are not a team that fits that description; in fact, the last time the Angels made the playoffs was in 2014.  So, it is quite possible that Ohtani has played his final game as a member of the LA Angels.

In other baseball news as the regular season comes down to its final couple of weeks, the Braves and the Dodgers have each clinched their division titles meaning two of the National League playoff participants are set.  The Braves are on track to win 104 games and currently hold a 15-game advantage over the Phillies in the NL East.  The Dodgers are the only other NL team with a shot at winning 100 games this year.

In the National League, none of the wildcard slots have been filled and the race in the NL Central is still up in the air – – sort of.  The Brewers lead the Cubs in the NL Central by 6.5 games with 13 left to play.  Unless we see a repeat of the 1964 National League pennant race, the Brewers look like they are going to win that division.

In the American League, the Orioles have clinched a playoff slot; it might be a wildcard slot, or it could be as the division champion since they currently lead the Rays in the AL East by 2 games.  Don’t feel bad for the Rays because they have clinched a wildcard slot in the AL playoffs for themselves.  Everything else regarding the AL playoffs is up for grabs.

I have been saying for the last month or so that the AL West race is the thing to pay closest attention to.  With about a dozen games left for these three teams, here is the status as of this morning:

• Astros  84-66
• Rangers  82-67
• Mariners  81-68

Of the remaining 13 games on the Mariners’ schedule, 7 games are against the Rangers and 3 games are against the Astros.  The schedule-maker got this right when he set things up for 2023 …

If the playoffs began today, the Rangers would be in.  However, they would play without their major trade acquisition at the trading deadline this year.  Max Scherzer is on the IL; he will not pitch again in the regular season and would be doubtful for any action in the playoffs.  Scherzer has a “teres major strain” which is an injury to one of the muscles that holds the arm to the shoulder blade.  I am not a physical therapist, but that sounds like a serious injury for a pitcher whose arm is the keystone of his success or failure.

The Rangers’ pitching staff has been snake-bitten this year.  They acquired Jacob deGrom in the offseason, and he needed Tommy John surgery earlier this year.  Nathan Eovaldi made the All-Star team this year and then proceeded to take some time on the IL.  Now, Scherzer goes down – – probably for the rest of 2023.

Another bit of baseball news sounds like a broken record.  Stop me if you have heard this before, but the Tampa Bay Rays are supposed to make an announcement about a new stadium for the team early this week.  This time, the location is in downtown St. Petersburg, and the facility will be a domed stadium.  The estimated cost of this stadium is $1.2B and the Rays are expected to cover at least half of that cost.  Speculation in advance of the announcement says the new facility will have a capacity of 30,000 with a fixed dome – – not a retractable one.

There is sort of a time issue associated with this latest proposal for a new stadium for the Rays.  Their lease at Tropicana Field runs through the 2027 season which means that as of the start of the 2028 season the Rays would be “homeless” if they did not have a new ballpark or did not extend their lease at Tropicana Field.  For years, people have blamed the stadium as a major – – if not THE major – – reason that the Rays attendance does not correspond to the team’s performance on the field.  So, extending the lease there would seem to be “undesirable at best”.

There is another interesting angle here regarding the pending announcement by the team.  Assuming that the inside info is correct and that seating capacity for the new venue will be 30,000 seats, that is a small park.  Currently, 16 of the 30 major league teams average home attendance is greater than 30,000 fans per game.  If you assume this year to be “typical”, that will mean even if the Rays sold out every game and filled the new stadium to the rafters for every game, they would be in the middle of the pack when it comes to attendance for MLB teams.

Finally, I’ll close today with an observation by baseball manager/philosopher, Casey Stengel:

“Going to bed with a woman never hurt a ballplayer.  It’s staying up all night looking for them that does you in.”

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

 

 

The calendar can identify for you certain events with accuracy and reliability:

• You need to file your IRS Tax Return in mid-April.
• The swallows return to Capistrano in mid-March (as The Ink Spots reminded us in song).
• Thanksgiving in the US is the fourth Thursday in November.
• Fridays become Football Fridays here in Curmudgeon Central.

And since today is Friday …

Let me review the “Betting Bundle” from last week:

• College Picks:  2-0
• NFL Picks:  3-2
• Money Line Parlays: 1-1  Net Profit = $87

 

College Football Commentary:

 

The Linfield College Wildcats opened their season last week about 2500 miles from home in central Ohio against Denison University.  The Wildcats won the game 28-24 and this week they will be on the road again to Redlands, CA – – a mere journey of 1000 miles – – to take on the Redlands Bulldogs.   Redlands opened its season last week with a win over Pacific Lutheran by a score of 24-14.  Go Wildcats!

We had the hazing allegations and investigation at Northwestern that got coach Pat Fitzgerald fired.  Now comes news that half of the football team at the University of San Diego is facing disciplinary action because of hazing.  Since hazing is not positively regarded in society, my questions for today are:

• Why does it continue to exist?
• Why has it not been “selected against” as time goes on?

According to reports, football teams are not the only place hazing occurs.  Fraternities and sororities have engaged in hazing – – and gotten in trouble for it.  Some of the “secret societies” at prestigious universities such as Skull and Bones at Yale engage in hazing.  So, I have two competing answers for the questions above:

1. Each new generation of “hazers” thinks they are immune to being caught – – AND/OR – –
2. Hazing actually provides some benefit to the organization engaged in the hazing.

I have never understood the evolution of hazing and I guess I never will …

When Texas beat Alabama last week (see below), that broke a 43-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents going back more than 15 years.  I wonder if there are any sufficiently delusional Alabama fans who think Nick Saban should be fired for that.

I will be more specific when I get to reviewing last week’s games, but the SEC was hardly dominant in last week’s action.  In years past, the SEC had much greater depth in the conference than other conferences did; there were few if any walkovers for conference teams other than the cupcakes they scheduled for the purpose of pummeling someone. Last week brings that conference depth into question:

• Arkansas only led Kent State (a bad team) by a score of 7-6 late in the second quarter.
• Kentucky beat Eastern Kentucky but took its first lead late in the third quarter.
• Middle Tennessee State had the ball and was driving on Missouri trailing by only 6 points with less than 4 minutes to play in the game.
• Tennessee took its first lead in the game against Austin Peay in the final seconds of the first half.

All of this may be illusory and dependent on the fact that this was very early in the 2023 season.  But it is worth keeping an eye on.  And in addition, the SEC was only 3-10 against the spread last week while playing some middling opponents …

In the 10 seasons between 2011 and 2020, Arkansas State enjoyed 9 winning seasons and 9 bowl game invitations.  Butch Jones took over in 2021 and the Arkansas State record in his first two years there has been a miserable 5-19-0 – – with no bowl invitations obviously.  I did not have Coach Jones on my “hot seat list” before this season started because I was focusing on coaches at bigger programs this year.  Well, here is the composite score for the first two games involving Arkansas State this year:

• Opponents  110
• Arkansas State  3

Colorado 36  Nebraska 14:  I got to watch almost all of this game and have concluded that Colorado is good.  Their team speed is excellent; they won the stat battle 453 yards to 341 yards.  However, it was not that the Colorado defense held the line; the Nebraska offense looked like a Keystone Kops silent movie for parts of the game.  Both Colorado and Nebraska are programs that needed major rebuilding; Colorado is on its way to relevance; there is still some work to be done; QB Shedeur Sanders was sacked 7 times and the Buffaloes’ running game is anemic at best.  Nebraska still needs to learn to get out of its own way.

• BTW, the Colorado fans stormed the field after this game.  This was a winless opponent who has not been a ranked program since Cheers was the best sitcom on TV – – and you storm the field?  Really?

Utah 20  Baylor 13:  The temperature on the field was more than 120 degrees; fortunately, no one died from heat exhaustion here.  Utah extended its record to 2-0 without starting QB, Cam Rising, for another week.  This game was won by the Utah defense which held Baylor to these results in the second half:

• Field goal
• INT – – led to a Utah field goal
• Three plays and a Punt
• Three plays and a Punt
• INT – – led to a Utah TD
• Run out the clock

Iowa 20  Iowa St. 13:  Iowa did not achieve its 25-points per game mark for the second week in a row.  Remember, that is the number the team must achieve to allow the offensive coordinator, Brian Ferentz to keep his job.

Ole Miss 37  Tulane 20:  Tulane was the pre-season favorite to be the Group of 5 conference champ to get a New Year’s Day bowl Game invitation.  This looks like a big loss, but the stats say the game was much closer:

• Ole Miss total offense = 363 yards
• Tulane total offense = 342 yards
• Ole Miss had 18 first downs
• Tulane had 19 first downs
• Ole Miss was 1 for 13 on 3^rd down conversions
• Tulane was 9 for 22 on 3^rd down conversions

Arkansas 28  Kent St. 6:  I think Kent St. is going to be bad this year.

Idaho 33  Nevada 6:  I think Nevada is going to be bad this  year.

Washington 43  Tulsa 10:  This is another good showing by the Washington defense.  The offense was supposed to be potent – – as it has been in the first two games – – but the question was the Husky defense…

Oregon 38  Texas Tech 30:  Tech led the game 27-18 at the start of the 4^th quarter but Oregon rallied to win.  Here is the Texas Tech offensive production in the 4^th quarter:

• Turnover on Downs
• Field goal
• INT
• INT

Notre Dame 45  NC St. 24:  The Irish are now 3-0 but this game is interesting because it was against an opponent that is normally comparable to Notre Dame, and it was a road win for the Irish; their first two wins were over Navy and Tennessee St and this week is against Central Michigan.  Notre Dame should be 4-0 leading up to a visit to South Bend by Ohio State on Sept 23^rd.   That is where the tire rubs the road …

Rice 43  Houston 41 (2OT):  Rice led 28-7 at the start of the 4^th quarter; Houston forced OT, but the Owls won the game in double OT.  JT Daniels threw for 401 yards and 3 TDs to lead Rice to this upset win.  Houston was a 7.5-point favorite in the game and the Money Line on Rice closed at +300.  By the way, two of Daniels’ TD asses went to Luke McCaffrey who is the “little brother” of Christian McCaffrey.

Texas 34  Alabama 24:  I said last week that Texas QB, Quinn Ewers was the better QB in this game.  He threw for 349 yards and 3 TDs in the game.  Alabama QB, Jalen Milroe, had a good day but his results were 255 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs.  Next up for Texas is a visit by Wyoming; that is a game to watch to see if there is a let-down for the Longhorns.

• BTW, I was surprised that Alabama lost by double-digits last week, but this team does not look like Alabama teams from recent years.  I will not be shocked if they lose again this year.

Mississippi St.  31  Arizona 24:  Arizona outgained Mississippi St. in the game 431 yards to 307 yards.  Five turnovers by Arizona did the Wildcats in.  Once again, Mississippi St. showed a balanced offense gaining 145 yards rushing and 162 yards passing.

Northwestern 38  UTEP 7:  The game was 7-7 at the half and Northwestern only outgained UTEP by 72 yards in the game.  How did that happen?  Here is what happened to UTEP in the second half:

• INT
• Three plays and a Punt
• Turnover on Downs
• Turnover on Downs
• INT

Miami 48  Texas A&M 33:  Miami QB, Tyler Van Dyke threw 5 TD passes in the game and Miami returned a kickoff for 98 yards and a TD.  The Hurricanes are 2-0 and this might be a signature win for the team.   This loss is worse than it looks. The Aggies’ first two touchdown “drives” were 15 and 9 yards in length. Miami dominated play scoring 27 points in the second half.

Utah St. 78  Idaho St. 28:  The amazing thing in this game is that Utah St. scored 44 points in the second quarter.

Kansas 34  Illinois 23:  Kansas is 2-0 on the season …

 

Games of Interest This Week:

 

A general comment first … There are no games involving two ranked teams this week.  Get ready for some surprising results this week.

Florida State – 26.5 at BC (48):  BC had to struggle to beat Holy Cross by only 3 points at home last week.  Florida State is just a tad better than Holy Cross …

Penn State – 15 at Illinois (48.5):  Is Penn State really a Top Ten team?  A road trip to take on one of the weaker conference teams will not likely provide an answer to that question – – unless of course Penn State loses outright …

K-State – 4 at Missouri (47.5):  K-State has steamrollered two lesser opponents to start the season.  Now they go on the road to play a team that has shown good defense so far in 2023.  This one might be interesting to watch.

Alabama – 32.5 at USF (61):  Is this one of those games where “Bama does not take its foot off the gas to get the sour taste of last week’s loss out of their mouth?

• BTW, the last time Alabama went on the road to play a team outside the Power 5 was in 1997 when they went off to New Orleans to play Tulane.

Washington – 16 at Michigan State (55.5):  Last year, Washington surprised the Spartans and just about everyone else by beating Michigan State.  So far this year, the Huskies have outscored their two opponents 99-29.

Tennessee – 6 at Florida (58):  The Vols have dominated two lesser opponents at home so far this year.  Florida is still struggling under coach Billy Napier having lost to Utah in their opener last week (see above).  This is the only college game I like this week for betting purposes; give me Tennessee on the road to win and cover; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

LSU – 9.5 at Mississippi St. (54.5):  Note that this is the seventh game in a row on this list where the home team is the underdog.

Va Tech at Rutgers – 7 (36.5):  Rutgers is 2-0 with big wins over Northwestern and Temple.  Isn’t Va Tech a step up in class here …?

Northwestern at Duke – 18 (48):  Duke is in the Top 25 this week.  If they lose to Northwestern at home, they will be out of the Top 25 for the rest of the year.

Western Michigan at Iowa – 28 (42):  Iowa has not scored more than 24 points in a game so far this year – – and they are favored here by 28…  What does that say about Western Michigan?

South Carolina at Georgia – 27.5 (54):  Georgia has won 19 games in a row and the last time they lost at home was to South Carolina all the way back in 2020.  In the process of losing to UNC two weeks ago, the Gamecocks’ OL gave up 9 sacks.  I suspect the Georgia defenders have watched that film very closely.

Wyoming at Texas – 30 (49):  Beware the let-down game here …

 

NFL Commentary:

 

Let me focus this week on the play of young QBs in the NFL during Week 1.  Yes, that makes these observations necessarily based on a small sample size; I understand that.  Nevertheless, I have a few things to say on the matter:

• Justin Fields did not impress me at all regarding his supposed improved accuracy and touch on his passes.  He is a hell of an athlete and an outstanding running QB, but he still is not a reliable passer no matter what you read or heard during the offseason.
• Jalen Hurts did not look anything at all like the way Jalen Hurts looked last year.
• Daniel Jones should sue his OL for non-support.  Even so, did that look like a QB worth $40M per year out there on Sunday night?
• Mac Jones looked like a different player in the Pats’ new offensive system.  Bill O’Brien is a real offensive coordinator and that could make a big difference this season.
• Trevor Lawrence was good enough when he needed to be in the second half against the Colts.  I like the Jags and took them in the “Betting Bundle” and as part of a Money Line Parlay last week and both choices were winners.  But the Jags were playing a bad team last week and they were trailing late in the third quarter.
• Jordan Love In his first start as the Packers’ #1 guy at QB, he threw three TDs with no INTs; he outplayed Justin Fields by a lot in Chicago.
• Kenny Pickett looked as if he were a rookie again – – but maybe it was the Niners’ defense that just dominated the game…?
• Brock “Mr. Irrelevant” Purdy looked awfully good against a nominally strong Steelers’ defense leading the Niners in a 30-7 rout.
• Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert put on a fireworks display with Tua winning the battle 36-34.

In good news for Chiefs’ fans, the team was able to reach an agreement with DT, Chris Jones on a contract for this season.  Now the question is very simple:

• Is Chris Jones ready to play at his normal level or will he need several games to “get in football condition”?

The standings in the AFC are just a bit “topsy-turvy” after opening week.  I doubt that too many folks had the Bengals, Bills and Chiefs all losing on the same weekend.  I surely did not.  For the record, if you had taken the Browns, Jets and Lions in those three games as a Money Line Parlay, the payoff on a $100 wager would have been a total of $1134.

Commanders 20  Cards 16:  This was an ugly game for both teams.  The Commanders managed all of 248 yards on offense, turned the ball over 3 times and allowed 5 sacks – – and they won the game.  The Cards committed 6 penalties for 97 yards in the first half of this game.

Falcons 24  Panthers 10:  The game was tied at 10 apiece at the start of the 4^th quarter but the Falcons pulled away in the 4^th quarter to secure this one.  The Panthers won the stat battle 281 yards to 221 yards.  This was another ugly game. The Panthers turned the ball over 3 times in the game leading to 17 of the Falcons’ points for the day.

Browns 24  Bengals 3:  The Bengals’ total offense here was 142 yards; Joe Burrow’s stat line reads:

• 14 of 31 for 82 yards with 0 TDs and 0 INTs.

Either his calf injury is more serious than has been alluded to and/or he really needed the practice time he did not get in training camp – – or perhaps both?  This victory belongs to the Browns’ defense; the Browns won handily here, and Deshaun Watson threw for a TD and ran for another in the game – – but Watson’s stat line was not impressive:

• 16 of 29 for 154 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT

Ravens 25  Texans 9:  This outcome was never seriously in doubt; the Ravens’ defense confounded Texans’ rookie QB, CJ Stroud for the whole game and sacked him 5 times.  The biggest downer of the day here is that Ravens’ RB, JK Dobbins tore his Achilles tendon and is out for the season.

Jags 31  Colts 21:  The Colts led 21-17 at the start of the 4^th quarter but gave the Jags 2 TDs in the 4^th quarter while the Colts’ offense did this in the 4^th quarter:

• 3 plays and a punt
• 2 plays and an INT
• 17 plays and a Turnover on Downs

The Jags welcomed back Calvin Ridley to the NFL after a year’s suspension related to a gambling infraction; Ridley caught 8 passes for 101 yards and a TD.  The Colts went 1 for 5 on 4^th down conversions in the game.

Niners 30  Steelers 7:  It wasn’t that close; the Niners outgained the Steelers by 152 yards on offense and held the ball for almost 37 and a half minutes in the game.  The Steelers only tried to run the ball 10 times in the game and gained only 41 yards on the ground.  Three turnovers by the Steelers did not help their cause at all.   Here is what you need to know about the Niners’ defense last week:

• The Steelers went three-and-out on their first five possessions and their net offense was minus-9 yards.

Bucs 20  Vikes 17:  Baker Mayfield led the Bucs to a victory in his first start in Tampa.  He went 21 for 34 for 173 yards and 2 TDs.  That was just enough to win the game thanks to 3 turnovers and 6 penalties by the Vikes.

Saints 16  Titans 15:  The Titans committed 4 turnovers in the game – – 3 INTs by Ryan Tannehill – – and had to settle for 5 field goals in the game.  The fact that the Saints won by only a point here speaks to the anemic offense they showed for the day.  David Carr threw for the game’s only TD in the third quarter.  There can’t be a real QB controversy in Tennessee because the Titans don’t have one on their roster.

Packers 38  Bears 20:  Jordan Love threw for 3 TDs in this year’s opening game; it was the ninth straight win for the Packers over the Bears.  Justin Fields had a mediocre day putting up this stat line:

• 24 of 37 for 216 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT.
• He also ran for 59 yards.

No one has ever doubted his ability to run; the question for the Bears – – and their fans – – is whether Jusin Field will ever develop into a reliable NFL passing QB.  This game provided no answer(s) to that question.

Raiders 17  Broncos 16:  Sean Payton lost his inaugural game in Denver at home to a division rival.  I think the most important stat from the game is that the Denver defense never sacked Jimmy G in the game.  The Raiders’ OL was “problematic” coming into the season, but it did its job well in this game.  Jakobi Myers was Garoppolo’s favorite receiver in the game catching 9 passes (on only 10 targets) for 81 yards and 2 TDs.  A big difference in the game is that the Broncos missed an extra point and a field goal – – and only lost by 1 point.

Rams 30  Seahawks 13:  The Seahawks led 13-7 at the half and were shut out in the second half.  The stats for the game were even more lopsided than the score; the Rams outgained the Seahawks by 246 yards on offense.  Here are the Seahawks possessions in the second half:

• 3 plays – – 5 yards – – PUNT
• 4 plays – – 10 yards – – PUNT
• 3 plays – – 2 yards – – PUNT
• 3 plays – – minus-24 yards – – PUNT
• 1 play – – 9 yards – – END OF GAME

Do the math; the Seahawks had a net of 2 yards on offense for the second half of this game.

Dolphins 36  Chargers 34:  It’s a small sample size, but it sure seems as if the Chargers in 2023 are just like the Chargers in 2022.  They can and will score points and they cannot prevent the other guys from also scoring points.  These teams combined to produce 969 yards of offense in the game.  The Total Line for this game was 50 points; the game was already OVER before the 4^th quarter began.    Tua was the most impressive quarterback of the weekend, by a nautical mile. He went 28 for 45 for 466 yards.  His OL was very good to him; he was never sacked and was only hit twice in the game.

Eagles 25  Pats 20:  A win is a win, but the Eagles did not play well in this game.  After jumping out to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter, their offense went somnambulant.  Here are the Eagles’ possessions over the final 17 minutes of the first half:

• 3 plays – – 2 yards – – PUNT
• 3 plays – – 3 yards – – PUNT
• 3 plays – – 3 yards – – PUNT
• 3 plays – – minus-9 yards – – PUNT
• 1 play – – 3 yards – – HALFTIME

Do the math again; the Eagles gained a net of 2 yards over a 17-minute period in the first half.  This win belongs to the Eagles’ defense who recorded a Pick-6 and generated two sacks in the 4^th quarter to stall Patriot drives.  The defense also carried the day for the Pats as I think it will do for the rest of the season.

Cowboys 40  Giants 0:  There is no simpler way to say this except:

• These teams did not belong on the same field last Sunday night!

In the first quarter, the Cowboys scored on a blocked field goal returned for a TD and a Pick-6.  The Cowboys cannot look this good every week and the Giants cannot look this bad again this year.  Right?

• The Giants averaged just 2.6 yards per offensive play, made it to the red zone once in 12 possessions, and crossed midfield only twice — both times leading to missed field goals.
• The Giants’ OL was AWOL for the game.  The Cowboys recorded 10 tackles for a loss, 7 sacks of Daniel Jones and 12 QB hits in the game.

Just for giggles, here are the Giant’s possessions for the game:

• 11 plays – – 48 yards – – Blocked Field Goal returned for a TD
• 3 plays – – minus-10 yards – – PUNT
• 3 plays – – minus-9 yards – – INT
• 3 plays – – 3 yards – – PUNT
• 1 play – – 0 yards – – INT
• 15 plays – – 57 yards – – Missed Field Goal
• 2 plays – – minus-7 yards – – Halftime
• 7 plays – – 7 yards – – PUNT
• 9 plays – – 30 yards – – TURNOVER ON DOWNS
• 1 play – – 24 yards – – FUMBLE
• 10 plays – – 19 yards – – TURNOVER ON DOWNS
• 2 plays – – minus-4 yards – – END OF GAME

Jets 22 Bills 16 (OT):  You had to see this one to believe it.  This game belongs to the Jets’ defense and then to the Jets’ special teams for the TD in OT to win the game.  Josh Allen gave the Jets 4 turnovers – – 3 INTs and a lost fumble – – in the game.  The overhang here is the season-ending injury to Aaron Rodgers and that injury leads me to present this to you.

• #2 son has a friend from high school days that he has stayed in touch with.  They were together last Monday night to watch the Bills/Jets game.  After it was learned that Rodgers would not return to the game and that he was in a walking boot and the medical prognosis did not look good #2 son’s friend turned to him and said, “There are few teams that have embodied the works of Jean Paul Sartre quite like the New York football Jets.”

I thought you needed to read about that comment.

In last night’s game,

Eagles 34  Vikes 27: This was another ugly win for the Eagles, but they all count in the same column of “Ws”.  DeAndre Swift had his best night as a pro rushing for 175 yards and a TD on 28 carries.  I have seen both Eagles’ games this year; they need to play a lot better than they have shown so far if they hope to make it back to the Super Bowl; nonetheless, they are 2-0 and get 10 days to rest before taking on the Bucs in Week 3.  Meanwhile, the Vikes are 0-2 and the schedule is not very forgiving for the Vikes between now and the end of October:

• Versus Chargers
• At Panthers
• Versus Chiefs
• At Bears
• Versus Niners
• At Packers

The Vikes may be fortunate to enter the month of November at 3-5…

 

Games This Week:

 

There is only one game in college football that I like this week from a wagering perspective; so, I figured I would put together a “Betting Bundle” heavily angled to the pro games on Sunday/Monday.  Not so, this is just going to be a sparse week for items in the “Betting Bundle”.

 

Chargers – 3 at Titans (46):  The Titans could not score a TD last week; the Chargers’ defense was as solid as a screen door last week.  Something’s gotta give.  The Titans compounded their lack of offense last week by having a punt blocked and turning the ball over three other times.  I think the Chargers are the better team, but I have little faith in them to play to their potential especially on the road.

Packers at Falcons – 1.5 (40):  The Packers opened as a 1-point favorite this week and the line has flipped.  I have no reason to trust Desmond Ridder over Jordan Love or vice versa in this game.

Colts at Texans – 1 (39):  This is a battle of two rookie QBs taken in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.  That is the only interesting aspect of the game; I gave the game serious consideration as the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  Don’t bet this game; you cannot seriously have a strong opinion on this game unless you live in Indy or in Houston.

Seahawks at Lions – 5 (47):  This is my Game of the Week.  The Seahawks were trounced last week in a division game at home (see above).  The Lions surprised most folks by beating the Chiefs in the NFL opening game for 2023.  I like the game, but I do not like the lines posted by the oddsmakers – – so, I’ll pass.

Bears at Bucs – 2.5 (41):  Here is another game that received attention for the label, Dog-breath Game of the Week.  The line opened the week with the Bears as a 1-point favorite; it flipped quickly to this number and has basically stayed here all week.  The Bears’ defense did not show well against the Packers last week; if Jordan Love could exploit that defense, it is not a huge stretch of the imagination to see Baker Mayfield doing the same.  But would you trust Baker Mayfield to do that?

Raiders at Bills – 8 (47):  Josh Allen played badly against the Jets last week tossing 3 INTs.  If he does that again, the Raiders will win outright; if he reverts to the more typical Josh Allen here, the Bills should be just fine at home against a lesser defense.  I like the Bills in this spot to win and cover at home; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Chiefs – 3.5 at Jags (50):  This was almost my Game of the Week because the Chiefs need the game to avoid an 0-2 start and the Jags need the game to stay in control of their division.  And both teams are good teams.  The Chiefs will have Chris Jones on the field here; maybe Travis Kelce will be back (?) and Kedarius Toney cannot possibly play as badly as he did last week.  Having said all that, the Jags are a good team, and they should be able to score too.  I see a shoot-out, so I’ll take the game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Ravens at Bengals – 3 (46):  The four AFC North teams play one another this week.  Will the Bengals start the season at 0-2 as they did last year?  Unless the Bengals’ offense plays about five-times better than it did last week (see above), that could happen.  The Ravens will be without JK Dobbins, and two offensive linemen were hurt in last week’s game and neither practiced on Wednesday this week.  This will be a good game – – to watch.

Giants – 4 at Cards (40):  This is the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  Obviously, 16 teams had to lose in Week 1 and both teams did just that.  Moreover, both teams looked bad in doing so.  Given the choice of watching tis game or diagramming all the sentences in the Declaration of Independence, I am not sure which option I would take.  Feh!

Niners – 7.5 at Rams (44.5):  This is a division game and both teams won last week impressively.  The Rams’ schedule in the near term is not an easy one so this game is significant to their playoff quest.  Here is the Rams’ schedule through the end of October:

• Sept 25 – – At Bengals
• Oct. 1 – – At Colts
• Oct. 8 – – Vs. Eagles
• Oct 15 – – Vs. Cards
• Oct 22 – – Vs. Steelers
• Oct 29 – – At Cowboys

The Niners have the better overall roster, but I do not like the hook on top of the full TD in the spread – – so I’ll just watch this game and munch on some snacks.

Jets at Cowboys – 9 (38):  The Total Line opened the week at 46.5 points; it dropped quickly to 41 points and then eroded to this level.  Both defenses dominated opponents last week.  The defense that plays better in this game will win this game.

Commanders at Broncos – 3.5 (39):  Points should be at a premium in this game; the Broncos struggled against the Raiders defense last week and the Commanders’ calling card is their defense.  Meanwhile, the Commanders’ offense only put up 20 points and allowed 5 sacks against the Cards.  This will be the late game on Sunday in my viewing area; I would prefer that not to be the case.

(Sun. Nite) Dolphins – 3 at Pats (46): The Dolphins’ defense was manhandled last week – – particularly in the running game.  The Pats can indeed run the football and if they do that, they can minimize the number of times their defense has to deal with Tyreek Hill on a go-route.  I will definitely be watching this game!

(Mon Nite early) Saints – 3 at Panthers (39.5):  The Total Line opened the week at 42.5 points and has been easing on down to this level as the week progressed.  Neither offense drew much attention to itself last week so this division battle should be decided by which defensive unit plays better.  I’m tempted to take the Panthers at home – – but not to the point that I cannot resist the temptation.

(Mon Nite later)  Browns – 2.5 at Steelers (38):  Here is “the other” AFC North division battle for the week.  The Browns were impressive at home last week, dominating the Bengals.  The Steelers were ground into mincemeat at home by the Niners last week.  This is the better of the two Monday night games; stay up to watch this one.

Before I review this week’s “Betting Bundle” and give you a Money Line Parlay, let me observe that this week is exactly why I abandoned the idea from the last couple of years of providing a “Six-Pack” of wagering suggestions.  There are not 6 games that I like as betting opportunities this week and I am glad I do not have to go back and pick three more games just to fill out a quota.

Here is this week’s “Betting Bundle”:

• Tennessee – 6 over Florida
• Bills – 8 over Raiders
• Chiefs/Jags – – OVER 50

And for a Money Line Parlay:

• Bills @ minus-360
• Niners @ minus-330
• Cowboys @ minus-400    $100 to win $108.

Finally, let me close this out with these words from legendary Notre Dame coach, Frank Leahy:

“A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.”

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

 

 

As a retiree, I have abundant spare time.  One of the ways I spend a little of that time is to be part of an online message board for sports journalists.  There are three general categories of folks there:

1. People who are actively involved in sports journalism.
2. People who used to be involved in sports journalism who have “moved on.”
3. People – like me – who are consumers of sports journalism.

I am not an active participant by any means; I may make one comment every two weeks.  However, I did pose a question there hoping to start a discussion involving people who know more about the business of journalism than I do.  It did not work; the topic never gained much traction.  But I keep thinking about it and so I want to present it here – – not for discussion because that is not the nature of this place, but just in case someone has a cogent insight that has escaped me.  Here is what I posted to try to start a discussion:

• In the past – – say 10-15 years ago – – there were more than a handful of what I will call “controversial columnists” in various sports sections around the country.  By controversial I mean that they took on topics and said things that most other sports columnists would not.  I am not saying these are the only examples but let me throw out a few names in alphabetical order, so no one thinks I am prioritizing here:

       Randy Galloway (Ft Worth)
       Jay Mariotti (Chicago)
       TJ Simers (LA)
       Jason Whitlock (KC)
  All of them have moved on either to retirement or to some other endeavor that is not “sports focused”.  And if there are “replacements” for them and their pointed style, I guess I have been unable to find it.  There is a difference between the sort of “controversy” that Pat McAfee or Clay Travis might generate, but it is not nearly the same as when the four gentlemen listed above were writing 4 times a week.
  So, has that genre gone out of fashion or are sports editors steering away from it or what?
  Frankly, I miss the work of all four of those guys because it was interesting to be able to have a discussion with a friend that began with, “Did you see what So-and-So had to say about Whatever two days ago.  Man, he took no prisoners…”

One thing that has changed over the past 10-20 years is the availability of journalists on the Internet.  When I began this “enterprise” back in 2001, I could read sportswriters all over the country on a daily basis.  That is how I discovered those 4 gentlemen listed above among other folks whose work I came to admire.  That open availability is much more restrictive today.  For example, one of the responses I got to my posting was to inform me that Patrick Reusse at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune belonged on my list and that he was still “stirring the pot” in his columns.  That may be true, but his work is now behind a paywall where an annual subscription is $129.  That is no bargain for someone like me who would have zero to marginal interest in just about anything else that might appear in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune besides his aperiodic controversial columns.  The fact that he is “stirring the pot” behind a paywall only makes me change my question slightly:

• There are plenty of “nationally focused” sports entities that employ columnists where no subscription is required.  CBSSports.com. SI.com, Yahoo!Sports, Sporting News.com are just a few examples.
• None of them have anyone writing on a regular basis who could rightfully claim a seat at the same table with Galloway, Mariotti, Simers and Whitlock.
• So – – why not?

Please do not misinterpret or add a negative layer to my question that is not intended to be there at all.  I am not insinuating in any way that good sportswriters are nowhere to be found today; there are lots of very good ones including my two favorites:

• Sally Jenkins
• Scott Ostler

However, neither of those two top-shelf sportswriters – – in my universe anyway – – should be categorized as “controversial” or “pot-stirrers”.

Finally, since my question of the day involves a genre of journalism, let me close today with these words from the English journalist, Rebecca West:

“Journalism is the ability to meet the challenge of filling space.”

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

 

 

I know the football season is just beginning and any comment about the status of the game or the future of the game is subject to the limitations of “small sample size”.  Nonetheless, I want to make a couple of definitive statements about football coverage on TV at the macro level:

1. Pre-game shows are too long and too formulaic.
2. Halftime shows are chaotic.

For college football, a pre-game studio show could easily be done well in 30 minutes; and if you want to stretch a point and have the show deal with the five best games of the day, make the show an hour long.  The cast need not be large; it merely needs to be prepared and it needs to be knowledgeable.  Please note: I did not say there needs to be comedic skill to be part of the program.  Put the program in a studio with an engaging and competent cast and move on from showing a bunch of half-inebriated children screaming and holding up ever-so-clever signs about their team and their opponents’ teams.  The tone of the program should be informative discussion among people who know what they are talking about with a moderator who simply facilitates that sort of exchange.

For the NFL, the same situation is obtained.  The first thing that should happen is that anyone who tries to make a lame joke about any game or team on the docket gets fired on the spot AND if any other cast member gives out a faux belly-laugh at said lame joke, he or she will be fired on the spot and placed in the stocks in the town square for 8 hours.  If for some reason the producers of NFL pre-game shows think that comedy is a sine qua non for their telecasts, they need to hire a professional comedian to provide that element.  Think about it; the producers do not hire comedians to be the “expert panelists” for these programs simply because comedians are not “football people” any more than Joe Flabeetz tailgating in the stadium parking lot is a “football person”.  Well, here is some cold hard truth for those same producers:

• Former NFL players and/or coaches are not comedians and when they try to be “the funny guy” on the program they embarrass themselves and the program itself.

The chaos of halftime shows is understandable to some degree, but it should be minimized not enhanced.  The cast for the halftime show do not have several days of preparation time to come up with insightful things to say about the game; they must prepare and create commentary on the fly.  In a college telecast, that is a bounded situation because that crew is only focused on that game itself and not the panoply of more than a hundred games around the country.

In the NFL, halftimes come and go at about the same time for as many as 8 games at a time.  No one could make that into an orderly process, but it might be less chaotic with a couple of deep breaths on the part of the producers and the cast.

• Do they really need to show a highlight from all the other games of the day given that most of those highlights have already been shown during “Game Breaks” in the individual games?
• Do they really need to have a sideline reporter ask the coach who is losing at halftime one or two inane questions?

Q:  Coach, you are trailing by 10 points at halftime.  What are you going to tell your team to do in the second half?

A: [The ONLY logical answer] We need to score 11 more points than they do in the second half.

            Now, do some math on the timing of halftime at an NFL game.  NFL halftimes are 12 minutes long – – until you get to the Super Bowl when halftime is measured in geologic eras.  Subtract 30 seconds for the inane sideline interview of a coach and another 2 minutes for commercials.  That leaves 9 and a half minutes for the cast to say something cogent about a whole bunch of ongoing games.  If the unnecessary highlights remain in the program, that cuts another 90 seconds out of the “discussion time” leaving the guys with 8 minutes to fill.  So, that leads to a simple question:

• Do we really need FIVE commentators – – as on CBS this year – – to fill 8 minutes?

Actually, I think having more than two commentators – or three at the most – adds to the chaos.  Please do not mistake chaos for “energy” on the program.  The folks on the set are speaking loudly and quickly because they are competing for scarce audio seconds; they are not doing so because they are fully engaged with their fellow commentators.

Are any of my suggested changes going to happen?  Of course not.  Network producers have either convinced themselves or have been convinced by communications gurus that the current formula is “The One”.  If there are to be any changes at all, my fear is that the change(s) will be in the direction of creating more bombast not less and enhancing the chaos rather than restricting it.

So, I will return to my behavior from last season and minimize the time I spend watching pre-game and halftime nonsense.  I gave it a try early this year; it has not gotten any better.

Finally, let me close today with this advice from Warren Buffet:

“You should invest in a business that even a fool can run, because someday a fool will.”

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

 

 

Well, I was overly optimistic yesterday when I said that Mel Tucker would be fired by Halloween.  I thought that Michigan State would wait until after the hearing set for early October and then wait a decent interval before deciding to ditch Tucker as their head football coach.  Not so, Michigan State cut bait yesterday afternoon and is first in line among major football programs in search of a new coach for 2024 – – unless you consider Northwestern a major football program.

Another high-level position in the sports world opened in the last couple of days.  It was pretty clear that it would eventually need a new incumbent and that eventuality just came to pass.  Luis Rubiales had been the president of the Spanish soccer federation until earlier this week; he is the man who stands accused of sexual assault in Spain for kissing one of the women on the Spanish women’s national team during the celebration of Spain’s victory in the women’s World Cup Tournament in Australia.  Given the level of rancor that escalated from that act and his initial defiance in accepting any blame or responsibility for his action, it was clear he would have to be replaced somewhere along the line.  Now, he is gone.

• [Aside:  I read a report that a new law in Spain removes the distinction between sexual harassment and sexual assault and provides criminal sanctions for any sexual act that is non-consensual.]

In addition to the outrage voiced by the victim in this episode and the levels of outrage that have come in her support, it was clear that Rubiales’ position as the leader of Spanish soccer was going to be a problem.  Overhanging the tension(s) within Spain regarding this matter is another issue:

• Spain – – along with Portugal, Morocco and possibly Ukraine (?) – – are trying to assemble a multi-party bid to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup Tournament in 2030.  The other major bidding consortium for the Tournament is Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
• FIFA will make its choice for the venue in September 2024 and FIFA wants not to have to make that decision with the shadow of this sexual assault allegation overhanging everything.

Moving on …  The two job openings described above were inevitable; there were no “ifs” involved, only “whens”.  This next issue was not really inevitable, but it is hardly shocking either.  CBSSports.com reported yesterday that Pacman Jones was arrested yesterday morning at Cincinnati International Airport for allegedly “causing a disturbance prior to takeoff.”

Evidently, the crew identified Jones as an “unruly passenger” and asked the airport police for assistance in whatever was taking place.  The airport police removed Jones from an aircraft and booked him into the local hoosegow.  Jones was released later in the day and he – naturally – denies that he was a problem or that he ever made any “terroristic threats”.  According to Pacman, what he was trying to do was to change seats on the plane; he contends that the charger did not work at his assigned seat and that he needed his charger to keep his tablet functional because he would need the tablet at the flight destination.

Somehow, a request for a seat change wound up with a call for the gendarmes and a booking (short-term to be sure) at the Crossbars Hilton.  If I told you that story with no names or geography included and gave you ten guesses as to the identity of the central figure in the story, I think more than a few of you would have come up with Pacman’s name as you filtered through the possibilities.  Controversy and Pacman Jones seem to attract each other like magnets.

Switching gears …  They say that in the business of stand-up comedy, timing is everything.  Well, that can sometimes apply to the sports world too.  Back in 2018, the Baltimore Orioles were stinking it up on their way to a final record of 47-115.  It turned out to be Buck Showalter’s eighth and final year as the manager of the O’s.  As you might imagine, attendance at O’s games that year went in the tank; attendance in 2018 was 500,000 fewer fans than had shown up in 2017.

One of the marketing whizzes came up with a promotion for one of the home games.  It was going to be Buck Showalter Snow Globe Night and fans in attendance would get a snow globe with Showalter’s likeness as a tchotchke to take home with them.  [Aside:  It’s probably a collectible item these days!]

All was going swimmingly until Showalter took umbrage at one of the umpire’s decisions in the game.  Not being bashful by nature – – and probably frustrated by the team’s performance for the season – – Showalter was a bit too vigorous in his protestations.  You guessed it; Buck Showalter was thrown out of the game on Buck Showalter Snow Globe Night.  Timing is everything …

Finally, having mentioned that an umpire provided an intervention during Buck Showalter Snow Globe Night, let me close with this definition from The Official Dictionary of Sarcasm:

“Umpire:  A person trained to communicate his or her feelings by combining elaborate hand gestures with deep authoritative grunting noises.”

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

 

 

If you have not read about the background to the headlines today regarding the suspension of Michigan State head football coach, Mel Tucker, click here for a summary of the alleged slimy situation.

According to this report, an investigation has been underway since December; a report based on that investigation was delivered in July and there will be a “formal hearing” in early October.  Without knowing anything about the content of that investigative report I have to ask why suspend Tucker now as opposed to sometime within 72 hours after the report was delivered?  If there was sufficient content in the report to cause sufficient concern in the administrative sphere of Michigan State University, then why the delay?

Look, the allegations and the scenario described here are bizarre even by sexual harassment standards.  Moreover, from a financial standpoint, Tucker would have to be dumber than burnt toast to have done something like this that could jeopardize his contract with Michigan State.  According to reports, he signed a deal in November 2021 that made him the head football coach at Michigan State for 10 years at a fully guaranteed value of $95M.  “Fully guaranteed” in this context means he gets the money unless he does something that allows the university to “fire him for cause” – – sort of like doing what he is accused of doing in this case.

Since the “formal hearing” is scheduled for early October, I presume that means a decision will be forthcoming from the folks who convene that “formal hearing” and that would indicate to me that this is not a criminal procedure where guilt must be shown “beyond a reasonable doubt”.  If that logic holds, I will be surprised if Mel Tucker comes out of that hearing exonerated.  Remember, Michigan State is the university that harbored Larry Nasser as a serial sex abuser for years and years despite complaints from female athletes.  The two cases/situations have nothing to do with each other – – but the overhang is there, and it is real.

Assuming Tucker’s contract is linear – – he is supposed to get $9.5M per year for 10 years – – he is almost two years into the deal.  That means he still has about $76M guaranteed left on that tab.  My guess is that there will be lots of legal wrangling over a settlement figure that will make the University look virtuous and will make Tucker set for the rest of his life because he will never – – as in not ever – – see a coaching deal anywhere near this dimension again.  I am not saying he will never coach again; too many coaches with sordid events in their lives resurface in the football world; however, none of them wind up with a 10-year contract fully guaranteed at $95M.

The accuser in this case is the survivor of a gang-rape and a sexual harassment activist.  My guess is that she and her legal representatives will be part of the financial negotiations here and that her non-profit entity that seeks to change the culture in ways that will prevent sexual assaults will be a beneficiary of such negotiations.

In my College Football predictions for the upcoming season less than a month ago, I said Mel Tucker was on a hot seat – – having exactly nothing to do with this matter because I knew nothing about it at the time.  The fact that he is only 18-14 in his time at Michigan State going into this year is not going to have lots of big money boosters whispering in the ear of the university honchos to “go easy” on our coach because he wins on Saturday afternoons.  I will be surprised if Mel Tucker is the coach at Michigan State beyond Halloween.

But there is a cautionary tale here for Michigan State.  Mel Tucker was hired in a brief frenzy of searching when the previous coach resigned without a lot of notice.  When Michigan State beat Michigan, euphoria was the order of the day and out came that 10-year and $95M fully guaranteed deal.  Well, the same folks who hired Tucker and the same folks who influenced his hiring by funding that contract are the ones who will pick the next guy.  And we wonder why history has a habit of repeating itself …

Moving on …  More than occasionally, I run across a headline indicating that someone has “done a study” and drawn some conclusions from data derived from that study.  Generally, those headlines elicit one of three reactions:

1. Wow, that sounds interesting; let me read about what they did and how they did it.
2. Wow, that sounds like something I really do not care about
3. Well, duh; I hope that effort did not take long or cost very much.

Option #3 was in play when I read this headline:

“Study: College Students Who Tailgate More Likely to Abuse Alcohol, Use Cannabis”

Here are summaries of the “methodology” and the conclusions of that study conducted at Texas A&M” School of Public health:

“Researchers surveyed 816 students, asking them whether they had participated in pregaming before a live sporting event in the previous year and collected data on their substance use in addition to important demographic information such as gender, race and ethnicity, classification in school, and Greek organization affiliation.”

And …

“Throughout the nation, students come to large campuses in the fall and immerse themselves in their college’s sport culture. Some gameday cultures may lead to a perceived view of alcohol use around campus that normalizes the behavior.  This sends mixed messages to students on campus about alcohol use policies and further complicates a university’s aim to protect the health and well-being of their students.”

It is interesting that the researchers did not seem to collect demographic information about the age of the students doing the drinking/smoking.  Even without any data or study on my part, I would go out on a limb and say that some of those drinkers/smokers are underage in addition to all the other conclusions drawn here.

Finally, since several readers have commented favorably on previous reviews of actresses by John Simon – – aka The Vicar of Vitriol – – let me close with another one today:

“Linda Blair, not a very talented or prepossessing youngster then, is even less interesting now, though considerably more bovine; I doubt whether a post-pubertal acting style can be made out of mere chubbiness.”

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

 

 

This is the first full-fledged Football Friday of the Fall.  [ A Hat-tip to the fine folks who live on Sesame Street who allow me to attest that the first sentence of today’s rant was brought to you by the “Letter F”.]  There was no “Betting Bundle” from last week; so, there is nothing to calculate from last week; let’s just dive in.

 

College Football Commentary:

 

The Linfield College Wildcats open their football season on the road in Granville, OH where they will take on the Big Red of Denison University.  That is about a 2500 mile journey for the Wildcats and they will play a team that already has a game under its belt in 2023.  Last week, Denison defeated Capital University 45-35.  Last year, Denison posted an 8-2 record for the 2022 season.  This could be a tough opener for Linfield.  Go Wildcats!

Last year when Alabama went to Austin to play Texas, the Longhorns’ ticket mavens decided to seat the Alabama band in the upper deck; Alabama “thanked” the good folks at Texas and left its band at home.  Well, this week the Texas/Alabama game is in Tuscaloosa and the Alabama AD had this to say:

“We are able to reciprocate a similar seating arrangement to what we had last year in Austin.”

When you tune in, check for the Texas band to be in the nosebleed seats.  It will only be a small version of the Texas band and it will not have any halftime performance.  In addition to playing football, the two schools also decided to put on a “Battle of the Bands”.

ABC has acquired the rights to telecast the Division 1-AA championship football game at the end of this season.  As is customary when such deals are announced, there are carefully prepared statements by the relevant parties:

“Showcasing the Division I football championship on a Sunday afternoon in millions of homes on ABC shows the tremendous interest in this NCAA championship.  We look forward to another exciting championship game and appreciate the support of our great partners in Frisco and at ESPN/ABC.”  [Kent Haslam, Chairman, Division I Football championship Committee]

And …

“We’re pleased to work with our NCAA partners to once again present the FCS championship on ABC, continuing the success we’ve had programming college sports in Sunday afternoon windows and solidifying our season-long commitment to FCS football.  [Dan Margulis, ESPN Senior Director for Programming and Acquisitions]

When the choruses of Kumbaya have died down, I wonder what the big deal here is.  The Division 1-AA championship game will be played in Frisco, TX on Sunday January 7^th, 2024, at 2:00 PM Eastern time.  You know what else will be happening on that date at that time?

• The NFL will be playing its final set of regular season games.

Maybe, if there are only two or three NFL games with playoff implications on that weekend, there may be a nice audience for the Division 1-AA championship game.  But if the NFL schedule is peppered with games that will affect which teams make the playoffs, the good folks at ESPN and the ones involved in selling Division1-AA football will need not worry because their audience will be small.

There is a lot of strangeness involving football and the State of Iowa now.  Later I shall point out some guilty pleas made by Iowa and Iowa State players regarding improper wagering activities.  Here I just want to point out an interesting clause in the contract of Iowa Offensive Coordinator, Brian Ferentz.  [Aside:  Yes, he is the son of Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz.]

According to multiple reports, Brian Ferentz’ offense must score 25 points per game for him to keep his job.  Iowa’s offense last year was pathetic, averaging only 17.7 points per game and ranking dead last in the nation in total offense.  Week 1 provides the classic “Good News/Bad News” angle:

• Iowa scored 24 points last week against Utah State.  That is right on target for 25 points per game and is up from last year’s productivity.
• Utah State did not present Iowa with a “Big-10 caliber defense”.  The Hawkeyes do not have to play Big-10 rivals such as Michigan or Ohio State, but they do have upcoming games against teams with defenses that should be a bit tougher than Utah State.
• Stay tuned …

There were some interesting – – and surprising – – results from Week 1, so let me review:

Rutgers 24  Northwestern 7:  I thought this might be interesting to see how Northwestern played considering its ongoing “hazing matters”.  They played poorly and lost to a Rutgers team that did not play all that well itself.  The total offense by both teams was only 486 yards – – less than Colorado’s passing offense to give you a benchmark.  The Northwestern rushing offense was 12 yards on 22 carries.  Looks like a long season is in store for fans in Evanston, IL …

Tennessee 49  Virginia 13:  The Vols started the season strong but nothing they do prior to their game at Alabama on October 21 and then their game at home against Georgia on November 18 will matter to the good folks on Rocky Top.  The Vols dominated this game gaining 499 yards of offense and allowing only 202.

Ohio St. 23  Indiana 3:  The Buckeyes were 30-point favorites in this game, but the game was actually in doubt for almost 3 quarters.  The good news for Ohio State is that their defense was really good – – something that has not been the case in Columbus in recent years.  The bad news is that the Buckeyes’ offense was less than impressive.

Washington 56  Boise St.19:  I was not surprised to see the Huskies post a big number here; they won 11 games last year and just about the whole offense is back.  I was just a bit surprised they held Boise St. under 20 points.  Is the Husky defense really good too – – or were the Broncos just over matched?  For example:

• Broncos got 21 first downs on 402 yards total offense.
• Huskies got 22 first dawns on 568 yards total offense.

And …

• Broncos ran 75 plays.
• Huskies ran 61 plays.

Penn St. 38  W. Virginia 15:  Penn St was clearly the better team on the field – – but is it because the Nittany Lions are ranked #7 in the country or because W. Virginia is decidedly mediocre?  I need more data here, but I am leaning toward the idea that W. Virginia is not very good this year.

Utah 24  Florida 11:  Utah had to play without its starting QB, Cam Rising who is still recovering from an injury in last year’s Rose Bowl game – – but the Utah defense clearly showed up ready to play.  Florida’s two top rushers were held to 31 yards on 10 combined carries.  Utah meets Baylor this week – – a team coming off a shocking upset loss.

Texas St 42  Baylor 31:  This is a major upset here; it is the fifth loss in a row for Baylor and the Bears’ schedule does not get easier.  The betting line closed at Baylor – 26.5 and the Money Line on Texas St. closed at +1550.  Baylor won the stat battle 525 yards on offense versus 441 for Texas St.  The difference here is that Texas St scored 6 TDs and Baylor scored 3 TDs and settled for 3 FGs on other scoring opportunities.

Fla State 45  LSU 24:  I said this was “must-see TV” – – and it was just that for the first half.  Then the Seminoles just dominated play in the second half turning this into a rout.  Florida State scored on every possession in the second half. – – save for running out the clock in the final minute or so.   Meanwhile, here are the results of LSU’s second half possessions:

1. Punt
2. INT
3. Punt
4. Turnover on Downs
5. TD – – meaningless score with 1:26 to go in the game.

The stats for the two teams look even but here are a couple of stats that might explain the score difference:

• Fla State was 9-14 on 3rd down conversions and 1-1 on 4th down conversions.
• LSU was 3-10 on 3rd down conversions and 0-3 on 4^th down conversions.

BTW:  LSU fans are calling for Brian Kelly to be fired starting “immediately” after this loss.

Duke 28  Clemson 7:  Major Upset Here …  Clemson was ranked #9 in the early season polls and was the consensus choice to win the ACC this year.  Clemson led 7-6 at the half; then Duke shut out Clemson for the second half.  Seriously, that actually happened.  Clemson won the stat battle 424 yards offense versus 374 yards for Duke.   Clemson made 29 first downs to Duke’s 18.  Here are the second half possessions by Clemson:

1. Blocked FG – – second blocked FG by Duke in the game
2. Lost Fumble – – in the Red Zone
3. Lost Fumble – – in the Red Zone again
4. Turnover on Downs
5. INT
6. Turnover on Downs

The last time Duke beat Clemson was in 2004.  This was Duke’s most lopsided win over a ranked team since a 37-13 home win over No. 20 Notre Dame on Dec. 2, 1961.  It was also Duke’s first win over a top-10 team since a 21-17 victory over No. 7 Clemson on Sept. 30, 1989.  The Closing Line for the game was Clemson – 13 and the Money Line on Duke was +460.

Colorado 45  TCU  42:  Maor Upset Here … Coach Prime made his entrance into Division 1-A college football in typical “Prime Time Style”.  The Closing Line for the game was TCU – 20.5.  The Buffaloes amassed 565 yards on offense – – 510 through the air.  Remember TCU was in the CFP Final Game last season; this was not any sort of cupcake scheduling.  Shadeur Sanders – – Deion’s son – – is the Colorado QB and here is his stat line from last week:

• 38 of 47 for 510 yards with 4 TDs and 0 INTs

Four different Colorado receivers had 100 yards or more in pass receptions in the game.

Oregon 81  Portland St. 10:  I mention this here only because Oregon/Colorado is coming up on September 23^rd and that could be a game where the team with the final possession wins the game.  I asked the “reader in Houston” where he thought the Total Line for that game might be set.  His estimate was in the “low-70s” which surprised me because I was thinking in the “high 70s”.

 

Games of Interest:

 

Nebraska at Colorado – 2.5 (60):  Nebraska lost last week on a field goal as time expired but held the opponent – Minnesota – to 13 points.  Can that sort of defense put the brakes on Colorado’s offense?  According to the “reader in Houston”, the preseason spread on this game was Nebraska – 7.5 points.  Anyone who took the points there has a nice shot at a middle bet.  I have not seen anywhere near enough of Colorado to decide if they won their first game on adrenaline or on overall competence and I saw nothing of Nebraska last week.  Deion Sanders and Matt Rhule … the game can be considered a “Border War Game” … lots of reasons to be interested here.

Texas at Alabama – 7.5 (54):  The Bottom Line here is that I think this line is fat.  For the last couple of years, Alabama has usually put the better QB on the field every week.  I do not think that is the case here; Texas QB, Quinn Ewers, will be the better QB on the field.  Alabama should enjoy an advantage on defense, but not enough to negate Ewers who played well against Alabama last year until he had to leave the game with an injury.  I like Texas plus the points here; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

UCF – 3.5 at Boise St (60):  I think this line is an overreaction.  Boise St. was trounced by Washington last week (see above) while UCF stomped all over Kent State to win by 7 TDs.  Seriously …?  This is a long road trip for UCF, and I suspect that Washington will show out to be a much better team than UCF once the season has developed.  I’ll take Boise St. at home plus the points; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Arizona at Mississippi St. – 9 (61):  There will necessarily be a new offense and new offensive philosophy in Starkville with Zach Arnett replacing Mike Leach as the head coach there.  Last week, the Bulldogs actually posted balanced offensive numbers albeit against SE Louisiana State.  I would not bet on the game, but it should be an interesting one to check out the stats on Sunday morning.

Kent St. at Arkansas – 38.5 (58):  I have this here because I want to see if Kent St. is as bad as I think they are.  Considering that I put Boise St. in the “Betting Bundle” this game is interesting to me.

Iowa – 4 at Iowa St. (36.5):  Five players (three from Iowa and two from Iowa State) entered guilty pleas this week on gambling charges filed against them.  Other players on both teams remain suspended and under investigation.  Remember, Iowa needs to average 25 points per game to keep its OC employed.  The oddsmakers say this is not going to be one of those offensive outbursts for the Hawkeyes.

Utah – 6 at Baylor (47):  Baylor needs this win desperately.  A loss here puts them at 0-2 and even with a cupcake next week, the game after that is against Texas.  Utah managed the game without their starting QB last week; reports about Cam Rising’s knee rehab are all positive but his availability for this game remains in doubt until kickoff.  The thing that Utah brings every week is a rock-solid defense.

Texas A&M – 4 at Miami (51):  This looks like a defensive battle where two strong defenses should dominate two middling offenses.  I am tempted by the UNDER here but will defer because I do not have enough data yet.

UTEP – 1 at Northwestern (40):  UTEP is a road favorite over a Big-10 team!  In other news:

• Coup leaders in Sudan/South Sudan share the Nobel Peace Prize
• Greenpeace and the American Petroleum Institute agree on something
• Bigfoot and Nessie are scheduled to address the UN General Assembly.

Lafayette at Duke – 40 (50.5):  Was last week’s Duke upset a flash in the pan …???

Nichols St. at TCU – 38 (63):  Does TCU takeout its frustrations/re-establish its dominance here …???

 

NFL Commentary:

 

At about the 11^th hour and the 55^th minute, the Niners and Nick Bosa finally reached an agreement to make Bosa the highest paid defensive player in NFL history.  Meanwhile, Chris Jones was in the stands watching the Lions beat the Chiefs in the NFL opener last night.  The emphasis is on offense in the NFL these days, but teams must play a bit of defense too.

Lions 21  Chiefs 20:  This result is not a reason for euphoria or panic depending on where one lives and what team one roots for.

• Good news Lions:  They outgained the Chiefs 368 yards to 316 yards.
• Bad news Lions:  It took a tipped pass to set up a Pick Six for the Lions to win.
• Good news Chiefs:  Their WRs cannot possibly drop more passes than they did last night.
• Bad news Chiefs:  Patrick Mahomes was their leading rusher last night.
• Good news Lions AND Bad news Chiefs:  Travis Kelce did not play.

 

Games this Week:

Panthers at Falcons – 3.5 (39.5):  Welcome to the NFL, Bryce Young.  The Falcons’ offense has people impressed; the Panthers defense – – particularly their D-Line – – is a team strength.  This is a good early-season division game that is worth watching.  The oddsmakers call this a close game and I agree.

Texans at Ravens – 9 (44):  The Ravens have a new offensive coordinator; they have no contract beef ongoing with Lamar Jackson; and, they have an actual top-shelf WR on their roster in Odell Beckham, Jr.  Assuming the Ravens’ defense is comparable to last year’s defense, that should be a good starting point for the 2023 season.  The Texans are an improving team but are not ready to take on a top team on the road.  I like the Ravens to win and cover at home; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Bengals – 2 at Browns (47):  Another interesting and important division game for Week 1 on the card here.  Injury reports say Joe Burrow is good to go; that is a big deal for the Bengals because backup QB, Jake Browning, is a big step down from Joe Burrow.  What should we expect from Deshaun Watson?  That is a big deal for the Browns.  This is a great game to watch – – not wager on …

Jags – 4 at Colts (46.5):  The good news in Indy is that Anthony Richardson will be the QB, and he might just be a reincarnation of Cam Newton and/or Randall Cunningham.  The bad news in Indy is that Jonathan Taylor is on the shelf and Jim Irsay is still in charge – – meaning something goofy is always just around the corner.  I like the Jags as a young team in the improve – particularly if Trevor Lawrence maintains his positive career arc.  I like the Jags to win and cover here on the road; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Bucs at Vikes – 5 (45.5):  I do not trust the Vikes’ defense and I do not believe the Vikes will eke out 9 wins in one-score games again in 2023.  Having said that, I also am not comfortable taking Baker Mayfield on the road and getting less than a full TD.  Here is another game to watch this weekend …

Titans at Saints – 3 (41.5):  Derek Carr is the better QB in the game; Mike Vrable is the better coach in the game.  I am tempted to take the points here – – but I will resist that temptation.

Niners – 2.5 at Steelers (41.5):  Brock Purdy is ready to go at QB for the Niners; is he ready to resume play at the level he showed last year prior to his arm injury?  Kenny Pickett is ready to go for the Steelers; is he ready to pick up where he left off last season?  Is Nick Bosa in football condition now?  Too many questions to wager on the game but this is a big game between two potentially very good teams that is definitely worth watching this weekend.  This game got some consideration for the Game of the Week.

Cards at Commanders – 7 (37.5):  If you have something good to say about the Cards, say it now because I got nuthin’.  The Commanders with Sam Howell at QB will be a fun team to watch this season and if the Washington defense plays to its hype, the team will be in the playoffs.  I like the Commanders at home to win and cover; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.  The only reason I won’t also take this game to go OVER is that I am not so sure Arizona can get to double-digits.

Packers at Bears – 1.5 (42):  Yes, the Bears are favorites – – albeit short ones – – over the Packers.  It’s been a while since that situation obtained.  The Packers will finally start a season with Jordan Love under center and the NFL fandom can see if Love has the talent the Packers must have seen in him several years ago to take him in the first round and piss off Aaron Rodgers mightily.  The Bears will start Justin Fields at QB; he has been disappointing to say the least in terms of his passing game to date but reports say he has worked hard to improve his accuracy over the off season.  Even though this is the oldest and longest rivalry game in the NFL, I am going to label this iteration as The Dog-Breath Game of the Week.

Raiders at Broncos – 3 (44):  Don’t you know that this game finished a close second in the “race” to be the Dog-Breath Game of the Week.  I have exactly no idea what is going on between the Raiders and Chandler Jones.  Just Google that combination and read a couple of reports and if you can figure it out, good for you.  By the way, might there be any leftover hard feelings in the Josh Jacobs/Raiders relationship?  Meanwhile, on the other sideline we have a new coach returning to the game after “stepping aside”.  Yes, Sean Payton was a very good coach but so were returning coaches, Joe Gibbs, Mike Shanahan and Bud Wilkenson; their “second acts” did not come close to living up to the hype.

Dolphins at Chargers – 3 (51):  Justin Herbert has his contract extension; the Chargers should be just fine on offense.  Has that defense improved?  There is plenty of room for improvement there.

Eagles – 3.5 at Pats (44.5):  This game got some consideration for Game of the Week.  The Eagles’ defense is rebuilt given all the losses from last year’s team to free agency; starting off against Mac Jones as the opposing QB should allow that unit to ease into real NFL play.  By the same token, the Pats can expect their defense to remain strong enough to keep the Pats competitive just about every week.  I like the Eagles to win and cover here – even on the road; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

Seahawks – 5 at Rams (46.5):  The major bad news for the Rams is that Cooper Kupp will not play this week – – and maybe not next week either.  The good news is that both Matthew Stafford and Cam Akers are good to go.  The big question mark for the Seahawks is Geno Smith.  Did he have a career year in 2022 or does he still have room to improve?  This should be an interesting game.

(Sun Nite) Cowboys – 3 at Giants (45):  Here is yet another division game in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season.  I think the Cowboys have a significantly better roster than the Giants do.  I also think the Giants’ coaching staff is significantly better than the Cowboys’ staff.  I think talent will prevail here but I do not trust Mike McCarthy and crew sufficiently to lay points on the road against a division rival.  I will sit back and watch this one after dinner on Sunday evening, having a nightcap within reach.

(Mon Nite) Bills – 2.5 at Jets (45):  This is my Game of the Week.  It is a division game; most prognosticators pick the Bills to win the division but there are more than a handful who think that Aaron Rodgers plus the Jets’ defense will be enough to dethrone the Bills as the Beasts of the East.  I think the two QBs light it up here; I like the game to go OVER; put that in the “Betting Bundle”.

This week’s “Betting Bundle” has seven entries:

1. Texas +7.5 against Alabama
2. Boise St. +3.5 against UCF
3. Ravens – 9 over Texans
4. Jags – 4 over Colts
5. Commanders – 7 over Cards
6. Eagles – 3.5 over Pats
7. Bills/Jets OVER 45

I also want to offer up some Money Line Parlays for this weekend:

• Jags @ – 230
• Commanders @ – 310
• Eagles @ – 195       $100 to win $187

And …

• Ravens @ – 420
• Titans @ +140        $100 to win $197.

            Finally, let me close today with these words from legendary Alabama coach, Bear Bryant:

“I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game.”

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

 

 

Earlier this week, I got an email from a reader alerting me to a “situation” in women’s tennis that might be part of a future rant.  I do not follow tennis much at all and I certainly do not follow collegiate women’s tennis, but the email sounded like something I should try to track down.  Here is the important part of the reader’s email:

“I thought I would send a tip for you to ponder for a rant.  The subject is Fiona Crawley… she is a rising senior at UNC-CH and leads the tennis team … She recently won three qualifying matches in order to play in the US Open.  She won those and she played in the first round, losing to the world #11 I think.

“My point in raising this is that she qualified for a cash prize of $81,000.00 … based on her level of play in the Open…BUT…she is not allowed to accept the money if she doesn’t want to forfeit her eligibility to continue to play for UNC.

“How about some ranting on the stupidity of the NIL etc. etc. etc….the NCAA etc. etc. etc. that discriminates against the sports that aren’t basketball or football?”

Yes, the author of the note is a UNC alum; but that is not germane to the argument here.  Yet again, the folks who make the rules at the NCAA have twisted themselves into an impossible posture and have turned their rules into a self-eating watermelon.

This is not really a question of discrimination against sports other than football or basketball; this is a demonstration that the NCAA has not opened its mind to collegiate athletes being compensated for athletic achievement.  I must admit that I endangered my “curmudgeon credential” when it became clear that the NCAA was going to be forced by the judicial system to accept NIL payments to athletes.  I was sure there would be bumps along the way, but I actually thought that new leadership at the NCAA plus evolving views on the role of collegiate athletics would lead to something at least marginally sensible.

I should have gone with my gut; I should have anticipated that the blunder-bunnies at NCAA HQs in Indy would find a way to create an illogical and untenable situation.  Here is the situation in September 2023:

• An NCAA athlete can “earn” a million dollars selling subscriptions to a social media channel on which the athlete provides photos of herself in bikinis.  There is nothing salacious or prurient about it; there is also no threat to this athlete’s eligibility.
• An NCAA athlete can “earn” a million dollars paid to him/her by either a school athletic department or by a collective of boosters simply by agreeing to play for a specific university and then to participate in various promotional activities.  The athlete can sign with the highest bidder and there is no threat to his/her eligibility.
• HOW-EVAH, an NCAA athlete cannot earn more than $10K as prize money in the sport they compete in without jeopardizing their eligibility.  If the “earnings” accrue to the athlete because of athletic competence, then the earnings are capped at a ridiculously low level.

So, it is hunky-dory for collegiate athletes to earn money and retain eligibility so long as that money does not derive from success in the sport that put the athlete on a college team in the first place.  Now, if that makes sense to you, the good news is that there is probably a career opening for you at NCAA HQs.  The downside is that you will have to live in Indianapolis …

Moving on …  The fallout in Spain from the Spanish victory in the Women’s World Cup seems not be abating.  The “investigation” and the determination of blame and sanction related to “The Kiss” by the head of the Spanish Soccer Federation on one of the winning players continues.  The “Kisser” has been suspended for 90 days by FIFA; the “Kissee” says that she believes she was sexually assaulted by his unwelcome advance.  If there is a way for these two sides to come to any form of amicable “accommodation” here, it is beyond my capacity to envision.

But wait, there’s more …  The coach of the Spanish women’s team that just won the World Cup was just fired.  That coach, Jorge Vilda, was praised by the folks that fired him as:

“… key to the remarkable growth of women’s football.”

At the moment, Spain holds the world title for women’s soccer in the Under-17, Under-19 levels in addition to the World Cup.  Vilda has been part of that developmental process since 2015; from the outside, it would seem that he must be doing something right.  At the same time, Vilda and Luis Rubiales (“The Kisser from above) must be doing something wrong too.  Normally in sports, winning cures just about any internal strife that may exist.  Not so with the Spanish Women’s National Team:

• All 23 members of the winning World Cup team along with 58 other current and former players for teams under the Spanish Soccer Federation umbrella signed a proclamation that they would not play for the national team again “if the current management continues.”

Finally, for no particular reason let me close today’s rant with an assessment of an actress by noted arts critic, John Simon – – sometimes referred to as the Vicar of Vitriol:

“Doris Day: The only … talent Miss Day possesses is that of being absolutely sanitary; her personality untouched by human emotions, her brow unclouded by human thought, her form unsmudged by the slightest evidence of femininity.”

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