The Sports Curmudgeon

Sometimes, the world of sports intersects with the world of entertainment.  Today is one of those times – – and I am not going to rant on anything related to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.  It seems that the movie industry has a project underway to produce a biopic of John Madden; the producer for the film is David O. Russell.  Madden is sufficiently “larger than life” to give this movie a chance of being good.  Russell announced that he had reached an agreement with Nicolas Cage to play the part of John Madden.

Say what?  Unless they put Cage in a “fat suit” or unless Cage sets about to gain at least 100 pounds, there will be some sort of credibility issue there.  In fact, Nicolas Cage would be a perfect body type to play Al Davis in the movie if he would agree to wear dark glasses and some of the most hideous jumpsuits ever made as costumes in the film.  When I think of someone playing John Madden, my mind wanders toward some actors who would need to be exhumed to play the role such as:

• John Candy
• Charles Laughton
• Orson Welles

The best I can come up with in terms of actors still vertical and taking nourishment is John Goodman or perhaps Kevin James.  John Madden made several commercials for Miller Lite; seems to me in this biopic he is going to be portrayed as Madden-Lite.

Moving on …  There was a report last week that Michigan had invited Jim Harbaugh to be an honorary captain for the first home football game in Ann Arbor.  About a day later, Harbaugh announced that he would not be doing that.  I don’t know who had the idea to invite Harbaugh in the first place but that was a bad idea.  I don’t care if you think Harbaugh was railroaded by the NCAA in terms of violations and sanctions or if you think he is being used by the NCAA as a scapegoat for their inability to govern the games they are supposed to govern.  In any case, Harbaugh’s presence as an honorary captain at the game could not do much more than to flick a forming scab off a wound.

Likewise, I don’t know how it came to pass that Jim Harbaugh chose not to take on that role, but that is a much better idea than the original one.

Switching gears …  For the last week or so, the Dublin contingent of the family – – The FOG and his parents – – have been visiting.  My time to research stuff for these rants has been diminished over that time.  So, this next item comes to you from an email I received from Gregg Drinnan, the former sports editor of the Kamloops Daily News.

“Thought you might be interested in a CFL game from Thursday night, Ottawa Redblacks at Calgary Stampeders…

“QB Jeremiah Masoli (Oregon, Mississippi) won his first game in 999 days as Ottawa won, 31-29, on a 51-yard Lewis Ward field goal as time ran out in the fourth quarter. Masoli was 27-of-35 for 254 yards and one TD. That was his first TD pass since July 8, 2022…  He hadn’t played in a game in 404 days. Came back from Achilles tear only to suffer broken leg on July 8, 2023… Dru Brown had been starting for Ottawa, but he now has leg injury of some kind…  Masoli had signed with Ottawa prior to 2022 season after eight seasons in Hamilton…  Ottawa (6-2-1) is 4-0-1 in its last five games. Calgary (4-6-0) had been 4-0 at home (and is 0-5 on the road).”

I had not even checked the CFL scores for that week let alone come across any part of that storyline; so, thanks to Gregg Drinnan for that.

Next up …  In English soccer, I have mentioned Luton Town FC before as an interesting story.  At one point they were so disorganized and unsuccessful that the team was relegated out of the lowest tier of professional football in England, but they righted the ship and actually clawed their way back to the Premier League last season.  It was only a cameo appearance for Luton Town as they were relegated to the EFL Championship level at the end of the season.

The 2024/2025 season has begun in England; Luton Town has played two games in the Championship and has one draw and one loss.  But that is not nearly as interesting as what happened to the Luton Town goalkeeper in a game against Portsmouth.

• In the 29^th minute, keeper Thomas Kaminski got a yellow card for “time wasting”.
• Two and a half minutes later Kaminski “ventured outside his box making challenges on two Portsmouth players to receive his second yellow” – – and in soccer two yellows equals a red card.  So, the keeper was sent off.
• But a team must have a keeper on the pitch, so that meant that the Luton Town captain, who is also their best striker, had to go off the field and Luton Town had to finish the game playing only 10 players.
• Here is a link to a report at CBSSports.com on this matter.  In that link, you can see video of the keeper “making challenges”.  It looks pretty clear to me that he earned that second yellow card.

Finally, the item about Luton Town above reminded me of my high school gym class.  We were learning about soccer from our teacher who was the soccer coach and as he explained the concept of defense in soccer he said:

“Remember – – behind every goalie in every game is just an empty net.”

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

 

 

One of the logical consequences of the NFL’s aspiration to parity is that teams that finish last in their division in one season can turn around and win that same division in the subsequent season.  The shorthand for this is “Worst to first”; and of course, here in Curmudgeon Central where symmetry is appreciated, I like to look at “First to worst” too.  So, let me start down that path this morning.

Last year in the AFC West, the Chiefs finished first and the Chargers finished last.

• Chiefs:  It would take an inordinate number of injuries to consign the Chiefs to last place in the AFC West this year.
• Chargers:  New coach, new system.  However, the question mark surrounding Justin Herbert, and his plantar fasciitis makes me doubt they can vault three division rivals in one season.  Call this one a 20% chance…

Last year in the AFC South, the Texans finished first and the Titans finished last.

• Texans:  They got better when they acquired Stefon Diggs.  CJ Stroud would have to suffer a monumental sophomore slump for the Texans to drop to last place this year.
• Titans:  If Will Levis is the “real deal” and can stay healthy, the Titans might escape the AFC South cellar, but I don’t see them winning the division.

Last year in the AFC North, the Ravens finished first and the Bengals finished last.

• Ravens:  They are vulnerable at the top of the division because the other three teams in the division are good teams; the six division games will be wars.  A few bad bounces of the ball could drop the Ravens out of the top spot; a few bad bounces of the ball plus some injuries could put them at the bottom of the division this year.  Call this one a 30% chance.
• Bengals:  The Bengals finished 9-8 last year despite having Joe Burrow at QB for only 10 games.  In the AFC, I think the Bengals have the best shot at “Worst to first”; this has a 40% chance.

Last year in the AFC East, the Bills finished first and the Pats finished last.

• Bills:  With the improvement expected from the Jets, the Bills are in a tougher division this year as compared to last year – – but they are not going to finish behind the Pats.
• Pats:  They won 4 games last year; if they win 6 games this year, they will be fortunate.  No way they win the AFC East…

Last year in the NFC West, the Niners finished first and the Cards finished last.

• Niners:  They will need to overcome the “Super Bowl Loser’s Hangover” this year and may not win 12 games as they did last year, but I don’t see them finishing significantly below .500 which is how they would finish in last place this year.
• Cards:  It would not be shocking to see the Cards win more than 4 games in 2024 but the three teams above them in the standings from last year are not all going to fall apart in 2024.  No chance for “Worst to first” here.

Last year in the NFC South, the Bucs finished first and the Panthers finished last.

• Bucs:  They won the division with a 9-8 record and then won a playoff game, but they are vulnerable at the top of the division in 2024.  But I don’t see them finishing last this year.
• Panthers:  This is why I cannot see the Bucs finishing last.  The Panthers were 2-15 last year and might not have been as good as that record might indicate.  No way the Panthers win the NFC South in 2024.

Last year in the NFC North, the Lions finished first and the Bears finished last.

• Lions:  Will they be the NFC rep in the Super Bowl this year?  Will they even win the NFC North which has strong teams in it?  I think the Lions season hinges on injuries to their players and the availability of important players to their rivals.  Give the Lions a 30% chance of “First to worst”.
• Bears:  The Bears finished 7-10 with Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent as their starting QBs.  Caleb Williams should be an upgrade at that critical position.  This division is up for grabs; I give the Bears a 30% chance for “Worst to first”.

Last year in the NFC East, the Cowboys finished first and the Commanders finished last.

• Cowboys:  The Cowboys are vulnerable; they need CeeDee Lamb signed and happy; they need to find help at RB for Ezekiel Elliott; they need help in the defensive secondary and at LB.  The Cowboys have the highest likelihood of going “First to worst” in the NFL; I give this a 40% chance.
• Commanders:  New coach, new system and new QB who even as a rookie must be an upgrade over any of the team’s starting QBs since Alex Smith in 2018.  If the defensive secondary can be competent – – it was not in 2023 – – the Commanders could be a big surprise and win the NFC East.  I give that proposition a 30% chance.

Finally, I will close today with these words from Dorothy Parker; they might be illuminating with regard to the ranting above:

“It was written without fear and without research.”

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

 

 

When I woke up this morning and checked my phone, Google greeted me with a headline saying that Notre Dame has suspended its men’s swimming team for “at least one year” for gambling.  Since I have never seen a sportsbook that posted lines or props on swimming, I had to dig into that report.

The AP had a good summary of the situation.  The school hired an external law firm to investigate if swimmers had violated NCAA rules related to gambling.  The findings from that investigation revealed that about half of the men’s swim team had established a “makeshift, internal sportsbook” which allowed members of the team to wager on times achieved by themselves or by teammates at various meets.  According to the AP report, the swimmers were not found to have bet on any other Notre Dame athletic events, nor did they wager on anything related to teams other than the Notre Dame swim team.

That sounds like a clear violation of the NCAA gambling rules even though the limitations on the scope of things to be bet on are circumscribed.  It seemed to me that this might be a disproportionate response by the school, but part of the statement made by the Notre Dame Athletic director made me wonder:

“In order to ensure that this behavior ends and to rebuild a culture of dignity, respect, and exemplary conduct, we have decided to suspend the men’s swimming program for at least one academic year.”

A “culture of dignity, respect and exemplary conduct”?  The findings of the external investigators indicated a lack of dignity or respect when swimmers wagered on their times in swim meets or possibly the times of their teammates?  I can buy that the “makeshift internal sportsbook” was not exemplary conduct given that it violates NCAA rules, but what is all this alluding to “dignity” and “respect”?

The AP report says that in a group chat among the sportsbook users there were “derogatory remarks and messages” but that there was no evidence that any physical hazing had taken place.  In addition, the swimmers who were part of this gambling cabal also “bet among themselves on events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness basketball tournament games.”

Obviously, I do not have any insight into exactly what happened in this situation; but suspension of the entire team – – only about half the men’s swim team was involved in this “makeshift internal sportsbook” – – for at least an entire academic year seems like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.

• Yes, they violated NCAA rules and the people who did that should be punished.  If Notre Dame thinks a full year’s suspension is appropriate for violating NCAA rules, that is Notre Dame’s decision.
• They bet on the Super Bowl among themselves.  I don’t know if that constitutes a violation of Indiana State Law, but even if it does, that is pretty thin gruel to support such a punishment.
• They bet on March Madness games.  If this is related to guys filling out tournament brackets among themselves to see who had the best set of picks, this gruel is as thin as the one involving Super Bowl betting.
• They made derogatory remarks on a private group chat.  Unless those remarks involved the suggestion of violation or exploitation of other people, I can’t get too exercised about the behavior there.

For the record, this behavior seems to have been confined to about half of the members of the Notre Dame men’s swimming team.  There are no suspensions or punishments allocated to the men’s diving team nor to the women’s swimming or diving teams.  The coaching staff has also been exonerated:

“The review found that the staff was not aware of gambling or the scope and extent of other troubling behaviors because team members effectively concealed such behaviors from the coaches and staff through concerted efforts.  According to the review, when the staff became aware of certain isolated incidents of unacceptable conduct, they treated them seriously and professionally.”

So, it sounds as if half the men’s swim team is being punished for something that happened that they – – and their coaches – – did not know was in existence.  And somehow that sort of “injustice” is an acceptable burden to bear as the swimming team seeks to reestablish a culture of dignity and respect.  OK, then…

Finally, since today’s rant has mentioned “dignity” as it relates to recent events, let me close with this observation by zoologist, Dian Fossy:

“The more you learn about the dignity of the gorilla, the more you want to avoid people.”

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

 

 

The Paris Olympic Games are over – – at least the athletic competitions are over.  What remains from those Games is part of the dark side of many Olympic sports.  The Games are not completely written into history just yet as lawsuits and protests are only just beginning.  If you think you have heard the last of Jordan Chiles, you are wrong.  Her protest about her disqualification from winning a Bronze Medal in gymnastics has not nearly run its course.  In this morning’s Washington Post, there is a report on the events and the current situation there that covers 33 column-inches of territory in the Sports Section.

Meanwhile, the controversy about the gender of Imane Khelif who won a Gold Medal in Women’s Boxing has entered new territory completely.  In addition to claims and counterclaims about her being a man or a woman and in addition to reports about failed tests or not, French prosecutors have begun an investigation based on a claim of harassment filed by Khelif.  There is a section of the French prosecutorial establishment that tries to limit and punish online hate speech.  Khelif has certainly had serious detractors online during her Olympic performances and making a claim that those commentaries crossed over into hate speech assures that her name and her situation will continue to be in the mind of the sports public around the world.  The complaint filed by a French attorney says that she was subjected to a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign” during and after her pursuit of a Gold Medal in the Olympics.

I have not yet read about any legal action(s) taken by swimmers who came down with diseases after swimming some events in the polluted Seine River.  If any of them emerge in the next several months, I will not be shocked and amazed…

And the Paris Olympic Games are over in another sense as well.  When the Olympic Flame was doused in Paris, the focus about Olympic organizing immediately shifted to Los Angeles for the 2028 games.  The mayor of LA, Karen Bass, was in Paris to – figuratively of course – take the baton and begin LA’s run as the site in 4 years.  And here are comparisons between the two sites that one is not likely to hear in these moments of euphoria:

• The Paris Olympics probably “made money” for the local and national economy because many of the facilities already existed.  Unlike other venues that had to spend heavily to create stadiums and arenas for the events, Paris did not need such expenditures.
• The LA Olympics should similarly show a profit for the same reasons.  Recall that the 1984 Olympics did the same thing when the games were in LA back then.
• The Parisians needed a venue for beach volleyball; Paris has no “beaches”.  So, they constructed a “sandbox” in the shadow of the Eifel Tower to accommodate the sport at minimal cost.
• In LA, there are plenty of “beach sites” provided by Mother Nature…

And of course, there are also some “question marks” and “challenges” that face the organizers and the pols in LA that will need to be addressed for the Games to be a positive experience:

• Mayor Bass declared that the LA Games will be “car free”.  How environmentally friendly is that?  How can anyone think that is a bad idea?
• Have you ever been to LA and tried to get around town on the public transit system there?  Don’t get me wrong, there is a transit system in existence; the problem is that it doesn’t go “everywhere”, and it takes forever to get from Point A to Point B when using it.  If there is going to be an Olympic Village in 2028 for all the athletes and if they are supposed to get to and from their athletic venues using public transit, let me be the first to wish all of them, “Good Luck!”

[Aside:  I’ll be interested to see how the TV production crews get all their equipment to and from various venues without cars/trucks.  Maybe they can use the “Beam-Me-Up-Scotty Machine…]

• In Paris the TV networks had beautiful backdrops for many of the production shots.  There are some pretty spots in LA but there is also a challenge for Madame Mayor there.  I read a report about 6 months ago that a census estimate of the homeless population in Los Angeles County was 75,000.  A tent city is not nearly as iconic as the Eifel Tower or the Louvre as a backdrop.

[Aside:  The good folks in California have taken the stigma out of being “homeless”.  Rather, folks who live in tent cities are known now as “unhoused individuals” putting the blame on those who provide “housing”.  And doesn’t that relabeling and rethinking make the problem so much better?]

The LA Games will be a success economically – – and presumably athletically too.  But matching the Paris Games in terms of atmosphere and grandeur might be a difficult standard to meet.  Mayor Bass was happy for the photo op to take the Olympic baton; now it is time to get to work to solve a couple big problems.

Moving on …  In case you missed it, the Chicago White Sox were mathematically eliminated from winning the AL Central Division on August 11^th.  The season ending game for the White Sox will not happen until September 29^th.  Wow!

Finally, words of wisdom by Yogi Berra:

“Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.”

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

 

 

Let me use today to do a College Football Pre-Season analysis.  The season will start in a couple of weeks, and I’ll be traveling in southern Africa then; so, today is a good time to get this rolling.  I’ll begin with six coaches on hot seats.  Let me be clear, though; I have not considered all 134 coaches in Division 1-A of college football; these are possible hot seats in highly visible programs:

1. Mario Cristobal – Miami:  His overall record in two seasons is 12-13 which is nowhere near good enough for a guy portrayed as the “Prodigal Son Returning Home”.  Double-digit wins will secure his place as the coach at Miami next year; I don’t know if 9-4 would be good enough.
2. Ryan Day – Ohio State:  Yes, he has a gaudy record at Ohio State, but he has not beaten Michigan in the last three years and has not been a key element of the CFP for its entire existence.  He wins 11 or more games a year – -but is that good enough in Columbus, OH?
3. Brian Kelly – LSU:  Same situation as Ryan Day at Ohio State …  Kelly has gone 20-7 in his two seasons at LSU with an SEC West championship on his record.  But like Day, the expectation is that he would have LSU contending for the CFP and not merely a conference championship.
4. Billy Napier – Florida:  His record in his first two seasons at Florida is 11-13 and that is not nearly acceptable to the denizens of The Swamp.
5. Lincoln Riley – USC:  Two seasons ago, the Trojans were very good but lost to Utah twice.  Last year with wunderkind Caleb Williams under center, the Trojans limped home with a 7-5 record.  The schedule is difficult this year with USC in the Big-10, and I am not sure that another 7-5 season will be acceptable.
6. Dabo Sweeney – Clemson:  He could be another victim of lofty expectations on the part of the alums.  Clemson dominated the ACC for about 5 years; they have been good the last 3 years but nowhere near dominant.  With Florida State seemingly on the upswing, Sweeney needs to kick it up a notch.  [Hat Tip to Emeril Lagasse.]

With the tectonic realignment of teams and conferences over the past 9 months or so, a lot of schools needed to shuffle their schedules significantly.  I wondered how many – – if any – – would jettison scheduled games with Division 1-AA opponents that really only serve the purpose of padding records to make teams bowl eligible thereby possibly allowing coaches to keep their jobs for one more season.  This is NOT an exhaustive list, but here are seven schools in major conferences that I believe had purged their schedules of Division 1-AA “patsy games” for 2024:

1. Arizona State
2. Michigan
3. Notre Dame
4. Ohio State
5. Penn State
6. Texas
7. USC

I am sure there are others who have also purged their schedules, and I would like to commend all of them for doing so.

A major rule change for 2024 is the introduction of “helmet communications” between coaches and players on the field.  The NFL has used these sorts of devices for more than 25 years and they seem to work at that level; the college mavens now hope that coach/player radio communications will cut down – hopefully eliminate – sign stealing that precipitated a scandal last year at Michigan.

Here is my view.  Sign stealing is not “illegal” or even “improper”; using video technology to do the analysis of data to make sign stealing effective is “against the rules”.  If one bothered to focus on the various signals being flashed from the sidelines to players in games, I honestly believe that a lot of fans could start to see patterns and figure out a couple of the signals in use for that game.  And if that fan happened to be Joe Flabeetz sitting in the upper deck at the 40-yardline and all he was doing was calling out plays for the folks seated around him, one could label Joe Flabeetz as an annoying presence in the stands but not as some sort of malignant element that ruins the game.

Will helmet communications eliminate the “problem”?  No.  Even with helmet communications in place, the system shuts down with 15 seconds left on the play clock so there will need to be signals used in that later period where teams react to the opponent’s formations.  Having said that, helmet communications will reduce the amount of sign stealing and therefore it is a step in the right direction.  For people who say that there needs to be a system in place to prevent the sign stealing completely, let me refer to advice given by Voltaire:

“Perfect is the enemy of the good.”

The CFP will expand to 12 teams this year with the top 4 teams getting a first round bye.  Clearly, this move is done with the intent to provide more ”inventory” to TV networks thereby raising revenues significantly.  Please do not try to defend any proposition that any other motivation is primary here.  Here is my worry:

• We saw what happens when the best team from a “lowly conference” takes on a top team from a “big-boy conference” last year when Liberty played Oregon.  I fear that some of those first round games in the CFP might resemble that game and not be attractive properties for TV networks.
• I hope I am wrong there…

Historically, people who follow coaching legends in jobs do not fare particularly well.  Nick Saban is not the coach at Alabama anymore; Kalen DeBoer has that job now and has those shoes to fill.  Just for fun, consider this quiz question:

• Another legendary Alabama football coach, Bear Bryant retired in the 1980s.
• Who replaced him?

Not only did the replacement fail to make Bama fans forget the glory days under Bryant, the replacement coach is reduced to a trivia question.  For the record the replacement was Ray Perkins whose record in four seasons at Alabama was 32-15-1 which looks pretty good but was not nearly good enough to follow in “The Bear’s” footsteps.

Bonne chance, Kalen DeBoer.

Jim Harbaugh certainly made his mark at Michigan even if he may not have the same place on the coaching pedestal as Nick Saban.  Harbaugh will be replaced this year by someone who has been on the Michigan staff under Harbaugh; Sherrone Moore takes over the Wolverines in 2024 with a good roster and stratospheric expectations in Ann Arbor.

Bonne chance, Sherrone Moore.

Naturally, there will be a huge focus on Colorado and Deion Sanders – – because if there is not a huge focus on the program, Coach Sanders will do something outrageous to get the attention back on the program.  Last year started well and ended in a heap.  The Buffaloes will play in the Big-12 this year; stay tuned…

Here is my “sleeper team” for 2024:

• Nebraska:  Matt Rhule’s teams tend to improve dramatically in their second and third seasons; this is year #2 for Rhule in Lincoln.  The Huskers won 5 games last year and their win-total number for 2024 is either 7 or 7.5 depending on the sportsbook you use.  I like the OVER.

Since I mentioned win-totals, let me offer three more win-total predictions here:

• Boise State:  I like the Broncos to go OVER 9 wins in 2024.  Boise State seems to be the consensus favorite to be the “outsider team” who gets invited to the CFP this year so that would suggest to me at least 10 or 11 wins.
• Florida State:  I like the Seminoles to go OVER 9.5 wins in 2024.  I think Florida State is the best team in the ACC and could win 11 games comfortably this year.
• Oklahoma:  I think the Sooners will go UNDER 7.5 wins simply based on the schedule for 2024.  If they do not have 8 wins in their first 10 games, they will need to finish the season with wins over Alabama and/or LSU in their final 2 games.  Ouch …

The season is about to begin …

Finally, since I mentioned Nick Saban above, let me close with these words from Coach Saban:

“I always ask myself the question, do you like to win, or do you hate to lose?”

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

 

 

We have all seen highly skilled athletes behave like children when they take offense at some sort of slight.  It is almost as if they believe that their athletic gifts and accomplishments should provide immunity to their psyche from any sort of belittlement or humor.  I suggest that NFL WRs as a class are most susceptible to this personality defect, but it does also appear in other categories of athletes.

How refreshing it is to find a top-shelf athlete with a sense of self-deprecating humor.  You did not hear much of the name Tyrese Haliburton over the last several weeks; that is because Haliburton was the 12^th man on the US Men’s Olympic Basketball team and for the entirety of the Olympics, he managed to see the floor only in “garbage time” when the game outcome was no longer in doubt.  For the entirety of the Olympics, Haliburton scored 8 points and played only 26 minutes.

Tyrese Haliburton is a quality player; he is a difference maker at the NBA level for the Pacers; in the NBA season just concluded, he was named as an All-Star and as the league’s Most Improved Player at the ripe old age of 23.  He could easily have “taken offense” at his place at the end of the bench for the Olympic Team – – but he did not.  Rather than trying to make himself a victim of whatever, he posted a picture of himself smiling and holding up his Gold Medal with this caption:

“When you ain’t do nun on the group project and still get an A.”

Well played, Tyrese Haliburton.  Well played…

Moving on …  Pre-season polls in any sport are meaningless.  Sure, it is possible to identify the top 3 or 4 teams for an upcoming season on the assumption that all goes according to Hoyle throughout the season.  However, in college football – – and basketball – – the preseason polls pretend to be able to identify the Top 25 teams – – in order no less.  The first pre-season poll for college football that I have seen hit the streets recently and had an interesting footnote.

• Colorado got one vote in the poll.  One of the people involved in the team rankings had Colorado as the #25 team in the country.

As I said, this is meaningless; but it seems to provide an insight into the thinking of that person who had that placement.  Recall last year that Colorado started the year at 3-0 and then the roof caved in.  When the dust settled, Colorado’s record was 4-8 and its conference record in the final year of the PAC-12 was 1-8.  With that as the backdrop, it is interesting to speculate how someone projects the Buffaloes into the Top 25 for this season:

• Colorado’s 4-8 record in 2023 is indeed a significant improvement over the 1-11 record it posted in 2022.  So, perhaps that poll voter is looking at 2024 as a year that continues a significantly upward trend.
• Colorado was active in the transfer portal, and it collected several top-rated high school recruits in this offseason.  So, perhaps that poll voter has put the pieces together constructively and in advance of other college football seers.

Since I am not that poll voter – – I am not a poll voter for anything anywhere – – I cannot explain his/her thinking here.  My observation is that the team improved under Deion Sanders in 2023 and that it seems as if the team has addressed what was a clear shortcoming on last year’s squad, namely the offensive line.  However, I did not see enough of the team or enough of their games last year to project them from a 4-8 record to Top 25 status which would probably require at least an 8-4 record if not 9-3.

So, let the games begin…

Switching gears …  There is a report at CBSSports.com that says Colin Kaepernick is still in training in anticipation of an NFL comeback.  All I can say is that one must admire his persistence.

• Kaepernick’s last NFL action was in January 2017; that was about 91 months or 7.5 years ago.
• Kaepernick’s last contact with an NFL team was a workout with the Raiders in 2022; that interaction bore no fruit.

Colin Kaepernick is 36 years old; the successes of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers at advanced ages ought to allow for the possibility that Kaepernick might – – I said MIGHT – – be able to play at the NFL level should he get that opportunity.  However, I would be shocked if that ever came to be.

Even before he became a PR nightmare with his kneeling during the National Anthem and his comparison of police officers to slave catchers in pre-Civil War America, Kaepernick was in the midst of a rough time in his career.  In his last 11 starts with the Niners, the team record was 1-10.  Yes, he had success prior to that difficult stretch taking the Niners to the Super Bowl where they lost to the Ravens; but that final season was hardly a springboard for his career aspirations.

Finally, a cogent observation from Bob Molinaro in the Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot:

“Not right: Paris 2024 is the first Olympics in modern history to have an equal number of male and female athletes. Though that depends, I suppose, on how one counts a couple of male-born transgender boxers controversially competing in the women’s division.”

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

 

 

Due to family and travel events over the next eight weeks, my football analyses will come in dribs and drabs instead of in long-format rants.  Today, I want to start with NFL Win Total Lines with some picks against the numbers.  Win total bets are very simple; the oddsmaker sets a number representing the number of wins an NFL team will have at the end of the regular season; the bettor selects OVER or UNDER.  This has all the complexity of a PB&J sandwich.

Each sportsbook wants to have a “balanced book” meaning they have the same amount bet OVER as is bet UNDER; that would lead one to believe that there could be different lines at different sportsbooks.  In fact, the betting market for Win Totals is particularly efficient; this weekend and this morning as I was checking around at different sportsbooks, I only found a handful of different numbers to play and the difference from book to book was never greater than half-a-game.

Let me start with my four OVERs:

1. Vikes OVER 6.5 wins:  The Vikes were playoff eligible in Week 18 last year despite losing their starting QB in Week 8.  They will start Sam Darnold at QB this season and – – believe it or not – – he is an upgrade over what finished out the season for the Viles in 2023.
2. Commanders OVER 6.5 wins:  They have an easy schedule in 2024 combined with a new coaching staff, a new starting QB and a solid but not spectacular defense.
3. Texans OVER 10.5 wins:  The Texans won 10 games last year; unless CJ Stroud suffers a severe sophomore slump, the Texans should be better in 2024.
4. Bears OVER 8.5 wins:  The Bears won 7 games last year and added Caleb Williams.  Unless he is a bust, he should be worth 2 wins this season…

These are “temptations” as OVERs but I will not make them as “official picks”:

• Broncos OVER 5.5 wins:  With Russell Wilson gone, the drama coefficient facing the team is reduced significantly.
• Jets OVER 9.5 wins:  With Aaron Rodgers in the building the drama coefficient facing the team is increased – – but so is the offensive potential for a team that won 7 games in 2023.

Now for two UNDERs:

1. Cards UNDER 7.5 wins:  They are in a difficult division and have a difficult schedule against teams outside the division.
2. Giants UNDER 6.5 wins:  I think the Giants could go 0-6 in their division…

Here are some “temptations” as UNDERs:

• Pats UNDER 4.5 wins:  The Pats will be bad in 2024; can they be that bad?
• Titans UNDER 6.5 wins:  If Will Levis is healthy and for real, they might win 7 games against an easy schedule – – but if not…
• Raiders UNDER 6.5 wins:  The Raiders’ schedule is brutal…
• Bills UNDER 10.5 wins:  The Bills’ schedule is as tough as the Raiders’ schedule.  The Bills won 11 games last year, but their division has improved overall from last year.

Let me stay with NFL stuff for the rest of today…  I now want to make a strong suggestion to the sports writers and commentators who touch on NFL matters:

• It is time to give the Brandon Aiyuk storyline a rest.  Until he is either traded somewhere, given an extension by the Niners or simply reports to Niners camp ready to play in the 2024 regular season, there is no more “news” to be gleaned here.

Please, no more breathless reporting by beat reporters or by “insiders” who have “sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations” about anything other than the events outlined above.  Those “sources” are either the player, his agent(s), or a team functionary who is leaking something they want “out there” for the public to see.  We have seen enough to know what the problem is:

• Brandon Aiyuk has staked out his claim on some territory in “Wide Receiver Diva-Land”.
• He thinks – – correctly by the way – – that he would be underpaid for the 2024 season with his current deal.
• He wants a hefty contract extension or a trade; the Niners have yet to agree to either condition.
• Aiyuk”s “Diva-ness” compels him to keep his name in the news at least three times a week.
• The public only cares about the end-state now; this storyline is well past its “sell-by date”.

Finally, I’ll close today with this from Cooper Kupp about playing the WR position:

“When the ball’s in the air, as a receiver, it’s just you want to be a Frisbee-catching dog out there.”

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

 

 

Chi Chi Rodriguez died yesterday at the age of 88.  He is enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame and was known for his flamboyance on the golf course.  Possibly his most famous “antic” was brandishing his putter as a sword and then placing it in an imaginary sheath around his waist after sinking a birdie putt.  He was a major figure in golf when most players were very aloof and businesslike on the course; it was easy to spot and to root for Chi Chi Rodriguez.

Rest in peace, Chi Chi Rodriguez.

Moving on …  Let me return for a moment to offer one more observation on the futility of the Chicago White Sox.  After they snapped their historic 21-game losing streak earlier this week, the GM celebrated that achievement by firing the manager and three of the coaches.  I am not going to try to suggest that Pedro Grifol was a good manager – – or even a competent manager – – but he is not the reason for the White Sox ineptitude this year.  The roster stinks top to bottom and that stink belongs on the GM more than it does on the manager.  The GM has been with the Sox Front Office since 2021, so it is difficult to find a way to leave him blameless for what exists today.

For the record, Grifol’s record in almost two years at the helm of the White Sox was a miserable 89-190 – – winning percentage of .319.

Next up …  Once again, I do not understand the mechanics that operate the US judicial system.  Recently, I said that the entirety of the lawsuit against the NFL for monopolistic practices involving “Sunday Ticket” was opaque to me.  However, a jury verdict went against the NFL and that jury awarded the plaintiffs $4.7B in damages which could be subject to tripling under US anti-trust laws.  Such an award of about $14B is substantial even to a financial behemoth like the NFL.  And of course, the NFL was going to appeal that verdict and that award.

However, now it seems that will not be necessary.  After all the legal wrangling and the all the backing-and-forthing at trial and all the jury deliberations, the judge threw the case out.  The judge said that the jury did not follow instructions when it came to calculating the amount of the award, but the ruling did not stop with a re-calculation of the award; the judge threw the entire case out.  One report I read said that the judge found the testimony of two expert witnesses for the plaintiffs to be “based on flawed methodologies” and that their testimony should be excluded; and from that basis the judge ruled that there was no other basis for the broad claim of damages borne by the plaintiffs.

For the record, I have no dog in this fight; I have never bought “Sunday Ticket”, nor have I ever thought to do so.  So, this turn of events – – I can only imagine the enthusiastic high-fiving going on in NFL HQs – – leaves me with several misunderstandings:

• If the judge thought the expert witnesses had “flawed methodologies” as the basis for their testimony, why did the judge allow it in the first place?  If I were to sue the NFL for damages I suffered and based my claim on the moon being made of green cheese, I suspect my assertion would not be sent to a jury for their thoughts on the matter.  So, why did the jury ever get the case for consideration?
• Why throw the entire case out?  If the expert witnesses have a flawed methodology for calculating damages, why not order a new trial without those expert witnesses to see if in fact there is a violation of anti-trust laws going on?  It seems to me there are two different matters at hand here:

1. 1. 1. 1. Did the NFL violate anti-trust laws?
         2. How much did it cost consumers if indeed such violations happened?

This matter is likely not over.  Now it is the plaintiffs who will probably appeal the trial court judge’s decision to throw the case out and there is always the possibility that the plaintiffs can file a new lawsuit claiming the same anti-trust violations but presenting completely different evidence that is not related to the testimony of the two expert witnesses used in the previous case.  And the beat goes on …

Switching gears …  The Paris Olympics closing ceremony will be on Sunday.  I said before the Olympics that I was most interested in seeing Simone Biles compete in these games; her performances were absolutely stunning.  The other woman who was outstanding in the game was Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone who broke the world record – – and obviously the Olympic record too – – in the 400-meter hurdles.  Her time of 50.37 seconds was the first time a woman had run that event in under 51 seconds.

Finally, an observation by Bob Molinaro in the Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot:

“Idle thought: Commanders can’t be the worst name along a pro sports landscape that includes the Cleveland Guardians.”

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

 

 

After Michigan won the football national championship last year, it did not take a whole lot of time for coach Jim Harbaugh to leave Ann Arbor to take the job as the head coach of the LA Chargers.  One of the interpretations for that activity was that Harbaugh had “unfinished business” in the NFL having taken a team to the Super Bowl but not winning that game.  He had shown how to beat Ohio State, and he had won a national championship at his alma mater so what more was there for him to accomplish at the collegiate level.

Well based on reports yesterday, there may have been some other impetus for Harbaugh’s decision; maybe he was high tailing it out of town as a US Marshall was coming to town.

• Recall that Michigan was in the midst of a large NCAA investigation about a “sign-stealing operation” allegedly organized and operated by a grad assistant on Harbaugh’s coaching staff.  That investigation continues to this day, and it threatens the program there – – and some coaches – – with serious sanctions.
• And on top of that, there was that old NCAA investigation dealing with Harbaugh himself improperly recruiting players during a “dark period” imposed by the NCAA during the COVID times.  And yesterday, the NCAA levied a 4-year “show cause penalty” on Jim Harbaugh.  That means if any college wants to hire him for their football program in the next 4 years, they need to show why that hiring decision is in line with approved NCAA policies and practices PLUS there is a suspension subsumed in the penalty that would make Harbaugh ineligible to be involved in any way with a team for 1 full year after his employment began.

So, perhaps the coaching offer from the Chargers was more than an enticement for Harbaugh to leave Ann Arbor for LA.  Maybe it was also an escape hatch allowing him to dodge the gendarmes who were closing in on the football program…

Moving on …  I was reading a couple of reports about Sean Payton and his measured coach-speak with regard to the Broncos’ QB situation in their Training Camp.  Payton had nice things to say about all the QBs in camp as is to be expected when the team has no clear #1 QB holding down the position.  All coaches speak positively about the players on the roster but – – as an example – – there is no doubt who the #1 QB for the Chiefs happens to be on any given Tuesday.  But as I read reports of Payton’s remarks, something dawned on me:

• John Elway has been a loud voice – – if not the loudest voice – – in the choir of folks who have tried to build the Bronco’s roster over the years.
• John Elway was a stone-cold great QB in his playing days.
• John Elway has been remarkably unsuccessful in identifying the elements of a “great QB” that he had brought to Denver.

[Aside:  Yes, he did ”identify” Peyton Manning as having the elements of a “great QB” but so did just about everyone who watched NFL games on TV between the late ‘90s and 2012 when he arrived in Denver.]

Peyton Manning led the Broncos to the Super Bowl twice – – in 2013 and 2015 – – and the Broncos won the game in 2015 whereupon Manning retired.  Since that retirement event, the Broncos have floundered at the QB position; and while all that floundering is not directly the fault of John Elway, it is interesting to see how many folks have traversed the starting QB job in Denver.

• The “succession plan” was for Brock Osweiler to take over for Payton Manning in 2016 but Osweiler signed on with the Texans and the Broncos had to scramble a bit.
• The first trio to seek the starting job for the Broncos was Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch and Mark Sanchez.  Ooof …
• Next, Brock Osweiler returned to Denver – – and that solved nothing.
• Case Keenum and Joe Flacco came to town seeking the starting job and nothing positive came of those efforts.
• Next came Brandon Allen who aspired to mediocrity and then there was a glimmer of hope when Drew Lock looked as if he might – – I said might – – develop into a real NFL QB.  That glimmer of hope went out in 2020.
• Teddy Bridgewater was the next guy up but injuries that had plagued Bridgewater’s career from the start returned and rendered him unavailable.
• And then the Broncos traded for Russell Wilson sending Lock and a bunch of draft picks and three NFL players to Seattle allowing the Broncos to sign Wilson to a huge contract.  After two seasons the Broncos have chosen to eat the salary cap hit from that contract and they released Wilson outright making him a free agent.

That is a rather bleak summary of the Denver franchise and its shots in the dark to find a real #1 QB, and it is all the more bleak when you think about the amount of QB-savvy that appears to reside in the Broncos’ front office.  And what is the prognosis for the Broncos in 2024 and in the foreseeable future?

Well, the team now has a certified top-shelf QB-whisperer as the head coach in Sean Payton.  The Russell Wilson Era in Denver was mercifully brief and is now in the rearview mirror and no attention has been paid to the squandering of draft capital and players that it took for the Broncos to experience the Russell Wilson Era in the first place.  And here is the team’s roster situation at the QB position as of this morning:

• Bo Nix:  12^th overall Draft pick in 2024; has had lots of college starts
• Jarrett Stidham: 5^th year in the NFL, 4 starts, 1 victory in those 4 starts
• Zach Wilson:  4^th year in the NFL, 33 starts, 12-21 record in those starts.

Finally, since I mentioned Peyton Manning above, let me close with his description of an ideal QB:

“I think I could describe the perfect quarterback. Take a little piece of everybody. Take John Elway’s arm, Dan Marino’s release, maybe Troy Aikman’s drop-back, Brett Favre’s scrambling ability, Joe Montana’s two-minute poise and, naturally, my speed.”

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