On the Road to Perdition

     This was a week chock full of stories. From comparisons to heartfelt tragedy. I will try to make some sense of what has transpired since we last met.

     I was going to write a piece about the trade of Pittsburgh Pirates' outfielder and face of the franchise, Andrew Mc Cutcheon, to the San Francisco Giants. That the Pirate fans want the owner banished speaks volumes how the trade affected the psyche of Pittsburgh fans already reeling from the Steelers' loss in the AFC playoffs. Mc Cutcheon embodied class and dignity in a Pirates uniform. I feel badly for the Pirates' fan base and hope that management knows what it is doing in rebuilding this team.

     Perhaps I could have written about Matt Patricia, the New England Patriots defensive coordinator who will become the next head coach of the Detroit Lions after the Super Bowl concludes. Matt graduated from R.P.I. with a degree in aeronautical engineering and obtained a Masters in Education from UMass. Who gave up a brilliant and promising career in engineering after 2 years to seek something more rewarding in coaching football players. My hunch is that he is going to succeed big time in Detroit, especially starting with a proven QB in Matthew Stafford.

     Instead, we have begun the two weeks that is Super Bowl time. The lead in to the event that captivates millions and makes incredible money for its commercial spots.

     The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Minnesota Vikings to win the National Conference title. Given the fact that the New Orleans Saints should have been been playing in this game but for the miraculous throw by Vikings QB Case Keenum to WR Stefon Diggs which resulted in a game-ending 61 yard pass play, it is not surprising that the Eagles would emerge as the victors. Behind their super backup QB Nick Foles and a stout defense, this was a mismatch. Moreover, no dome team has won a Conference final on the road; Minnesota is a an indoor team.

     Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked every bit the team that knocked off the second-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers. They took it to the New England Patriots and G.O.A.T. Tom Brady. Led by QB Blake Bortles, whose underrated status is a joke, the Jags had the Pats on the ropes. But that was the first half.

     We have almost learned to expect Brady to lead a 2nd half comeback. Ask the Atlanta Falcons about that from Super Bowl LI. So it came as no surprise that the Patriots' defense diagrammed by Matt Patricia shut down Bortles & Co. while Brady and WR Danny Amendola once more did their damage.

     Now we have Super Bowl LII coming up inside the gleaming, glass-encased U.S Bank Stadium in frigid Minneapolis. New England started out as a 6.5 points favorite. Until someone plunked down an astounding $10 million bet on Philadelphia to win. That unheard of bet undid the Las Vegas betting line, moving the odds in favor of the Patriots to 4.5. I hope the casino vetted this bettor to make sure of an ability to pay...

     As with all Super Bowls, the minute exams of players and teams started right after the Eagles' win. Can understudy Foles, in relief of an injured Carson Wentz, lead the Eagles to an improbable victory over Brady as he and Coach Bill Belichick seek their 6th crown? Will Belichick retire with a win as his coaching staff loses its offensive and defensive coordinators?

     For that matter, will Foles be a hot commodity that Philadelphia can trade if he pulls the upset in Minnesota? Or will he remain a high-priced insurance to Wentz as the incumbent starting QB rehabs from an ACL and LCL surgery? And will Philadelphia drown in celebratory free Bud Light courtesy of Eagles' right tackle Lane Johnson's boast about winning the Super Bowl? Dilly Dilly?

     Then there is this comparison of Brady to basketball all-time great Michael Jordan.  With a win, would Brady be the greatest male athlete in U.S. history? Can anyone inject heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali or golfer Tiger Woods into this ridiculous debate?

     On a footnote, I am glad to see Woods make the cut this week on the PGA tour at Torrey Pines near San Diego. Perhaps not as happy as the networks and the PGA; both entities sorely missed the iconic Woods and his dominance.  Cautionary note--don't expect too much--he has missed many years, he is older, plus he has had multiple back surgeries. Yet what a story it would be if Woods became the old Tiger for even one more time given all that has happened to him.

     This week, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced its 2018 class. Leading it is the Atlanta Braves' Chipper Jones. The switch hitting third baseman/outfielder, an over all number 1 draft pick, was an overwhelming choice. (The other number 1 draft choice in the HOF is Ken Griffey, Jr.) His 19 year career--all with Atlanta--produced 1 N.L. M.V.P. award, 8 All Star nods, 468 homers, a .303 lifetime batting average with 1623 R.B.I.

     Joining Jones as a first ballot classmate is outfielder Vlad Guerrero. A 9 time All Star and also an A.L. M.V.P. with the Angels, the Dominican-born Guerrero had a career .318 average, with 449 homers and 1496 R.B.I. During his 16 years in the majors, Guerrero was a feared slugger with Montreal, the Angels, Texas and Baltimore. averaging 34 home runs and 113 R.B.I., per season.

    Third on the list was Padres' closer Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman was the first closer to reach 500 then 600 saves. He ended his brilliant career with 601 saves. When this generation's closers are named, two names stand out--Hoffman and next year's certain enshrinee, Mariano Rivera.

     The final choice for 2018 was slugger Jim Thome. Thome played first base and third base more than he was a Designated Hitter. His numbers were eye-popping--612 homers and 1699 R.B.I. over 22 seasons. His yearly average was 39 home runs and 108 R.B.I. While playing with Cleveland and Philadelphia, his seasonal numbers were even greater. In 2003, he produced 47 homers and 131 R.B.I at age 32 with the Phillies.

     All worthy candidates. This was only the second class that had 4 former players entering Cooperstown. Which left little room for a fifth member in 2018. Two notables who moved up in the voting were Seattle Designated Hitter/third baseman Edgar Martinez and erudite, Stanford grad with a degree in economics, Righthander Mike Mussina, who had a 18 year career with Baltimore and the Yankees. Martinez, with a grass roots sabermetrics campaign started on his behalf, jumped 12% in the latest voting; his 70.4% among voters bodes well for his chances to be enshrined. He needs 20 more voters to look favorably on his chances.

     Mussina collared 63.5% of the voters' attention. "Moose" needs 49 more votes to get to Cooperstown though he isn't of the same caliber as pitchers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz. Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, all who were elected during Mussina's 5 years on the ballot. What Mussina has done is steadily rise from 20.5% in his first year to getting closer and closer to the magic figure. This, in part, is an acknowledgement of how difficult it was to pitch at a high level during the Steroid Era. A 270-153 record with a 3.68 E.R.A. in a career where offenses were dominant makes a compelling case to grade Mussina as the seventh best pitcher in his time and Hall of Fame worthy. Would it be a Yankees' dominating time in 2019 with Rivera or 2020 with Derek Jeter, if Mussina joined their parties?

     Incredibly, there is the sordid mess that the Larry Nassar tragedy has created. Nassar did the unspeakable to many young athletes, especially female gymnasts. As a result he deserved the 40-175 year prison term imposed this week. The harm he did is unquestionable. He will, in fact, die in prison.

     What his unseemly life exposed was a culture of not listening to the cries of young women who were sexually molested by a doctor they thought they could trust. The United States Gymnastics Association and Michigan State University are at fault here. High level officials with both organizations have been removed or resigned.

     Moreover, ESPN, in its award-winning Outside The Lines program, has documented 37 instances of sexual assaults within the MSU football and basketball programs. While football coach Mark D'Antonio and basketball coach Tom Izzo deny any wrongdoing or cover ups, ESPN has records that show a salacious pattern of indifference to women who were attacked by predators. Those predators were repeatedly let off of the hook. One woman, whose case seemed to be very compelling, was told by the prosecuting attorney that her case would be dismissed because she would not be a convincing witness. That prosecutor now works at Michigan State.

     Undoubtedly, we have not seen the end of this story. What will unfold in civil litigation and NCAA investigations will take an even greater toll on Michigan State overall and specifically, its athletic programs. The MSU President and Athletic Director have both resigned. The protests abound on campus.  It is a terrible mess, with too many lives broken as a result.

     On a lighter note and certainly stupidly, WWE head Vince Mc Mahon has resurrected the XFL as an alternative to the NFL. Note to Mc Mahon--stick to wrestling--the XFL failed once before and it awaits the same fate. Besides, wrestling fans want to see if former MMA diva Rhonda Rousey wins the first women's Royal Rumble on Sunday.

     Almost as inane was the draft the NBA utilized to pick the sides for its upcoming All Star Game. The idea is dumb and the complaints about it not being televised are dumber. The NBA ASG is broken--no defense is played and dunks are the name of the game. Very few remember who starred in these contests. The NFL Pro Bowl game suffers from similar spectator enthusiasm and is merely an exhibition game. Goals in double figures are scored in the NHL All Star game, as there is no checking or hitting. Give me the MLB All Star game any time. More exciting match ups have resonated from the very first one in 1933. The other sports simply cannot showcase their stars like baseball.

     Once again we must endure the crazy football stories which will originate from writers covering the Super Bowl--what will the New York Jets do for a QB? Will the Vikings keep its three QB's--Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford, the latter two, injury-prone? What about those dog masks that the Eagles and their fans wear as part of the underdog mentality that is also making Amazon richer with the demand for these items? Aren't you glad that the New York Giants will start Eli Manning at QB next season?

     Thankfully we had the Golden State Warriors to watch against Eastern Conference-leading Boston. With Steph Curry scoring 49 points to overcome Kyrie Irving in a duel of the two of the best guards in the NBA, the Warriors defeated the Celtics in a scintillating affair.

     The Celtics-Warriors match up was in complete contrast to the train wreck the Cleveland Cavaliers have become--the finger-pointing and blame for their sudden descent is soap opera material. With college basketball heading towards March Madness and Villanova and Purdue at the top of the men's rankings, the once-great UConn Men's basketball team is under NCAA scrutiny while the undefeated UConn women roll on.

     Early on Saturday morning in the U.S., we were treated to an excellent Australian Open Women's Finals match between top-seeded Romanian Simona Halep and the second seed, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Two superbly conditioned athletes slugging it out for three hard-fought sets. Wozniacki claimed her first major title and secured the Number 1 ranking, out dueling Halep. Ageless Roger Federer, another G.O.A.T., headlined the Men's Final. It is great to see Roger still competing like he does. Especially with Federer prevailing over Marin Cilic to win his 20th Grand Slam tournament in 30 tries.

     Fortunately, there are enough diversions to take our minds off of the hot sports issues of the week. After all, isn't that what sports is all about? Besides, there is the 60th Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden, the World's Most Famous Arena. Just another instance of sports intersecting with the world. In that vein, who would have thought that mortal enemies North and South Korea could have merged their teams to compete in the upcoming Winter Games?

     Hopefully the Grammies will result in less controversy and discussion than this week in sports...