Let’s get the despicable out of the way first. This week’s Kansas State-Kansas men’s basketball game illustrated the worst in the sport. With Kansas blowing out K-State at home, a K-State player stole the ball from a Jayhawk player and that player ran the Wildcat down, physically blocking the attempted dunk, standing over the fallen K-State player and taunting him. Then all hell broke loose, which included a chair being held high in a possible attempt to use it on a K-State player. This brawl was ugly and it sullied the contest. Suspensions for all who were involved were warranted. There simply is no place for this type of behavior, no matter what the score is.
Rutgers gave a game effort at Iowa, but lost 85-80. Luka Garza of Iowa is a force—maybe the best player in the Big Ten. Ron Harper, Jr. led RU with a carer-high 29 points. His pedigree makes me believe that he could be NBA material like his dad. RU needs to protect home court this weekend against Nebraska, who they handled earlier in the season in Lincoln.
Seton Hall continues to press on in the Big East. They have taken on all conference comers thus far and have won all of their games. I don’t know if they are a legitimate NCAA title contender, but they certainly are a team to be reckoned with. Note to the NCAA Selection Committee: please don’t force a rematch of Rutgers and Seton Hall should the Scarlet Knights make the tournament.
North Carolina is on a 6 game losing streak. That’s right 6 games!! Almost unheard of on Tobacco Road. This is Carolina, college basketball royalty, we are talking about. Critics question whether Roy Williams should be fired or asked to retire. One bad season and the jackals are out? C’mom—he is a Hall of Fame coach who is only as good as his players are, and they are a team which suffered losses to the NBA and injury. Start the chirping only if he puts up 2 losing season in a row.
UConn women downed Tennessee in the first meeting between the schools in 14 years. A heated rivalry formed, led by the two fiery coaches—Geno Auriemma for the Huskies and the late Pat Summitt at Tennessee. I doubt that it will ever be like the old days. It still goes to show that UConn and Auriemma will play anyone good any time, which includes renewing old rivalries for both the sake of the players and the fans.
Zion Williamson made his long awaited debut for the Pelicans at home versus San Antonio. He did not disappoint, showing a brilliant flash of what he will become with a spurt of 17 straight points in the fourth quarter of what would become a loss to the Spurs. Williamson wanted to continue to play, but it had been pre-determined as to the amount of minutes he would see in this, his first NBA game. It was the right move.His future is ahead of him—why ruin it in one game when a whole career awaits?
He is an awesome talent. I think back to the days when he would have had to stay the four years in college like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bill Walton did. I dare say that Duke might have won a couple of titles while Zion remained a Blue Devil.
This is a dull period in baseball. Only made exciting by the Hall of Fame announcements earlier in the week. The first of the two new members is Larry Walker. I had been wondering why he hadn’t achieved a spot earlier; Walker was a dominant hitter in his generation with Montreal, Colorado and finally finishing his career in St. Louis. He also was a very good fielder with a highly accurate arm while he patrolled right field. This was an example of the BBWAA getting it right on the the last chance to vote Walker in.
Next closest to the inductees was Curt Schilling. He appears to have an inside track for induction in 2021. Accused steroid users Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds lag behind. Many observers believe they will never get in.
Again, my position is clear— if the games count and the statistics count, then the players should receive the benefit of their actions on the field. I find it even more reprehensible about keeping out Pete Rose, applying the same logic.
Which leads me to one of the two top stories in the New York metropolitan area. That, of course, is the voting by the BBWAA which placed Derek Jeter in the Hall of Fame. 397 ballots were cast. He receive 396 votes. Really? One person didn’t think that Derek Jeter was worthy of the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility? Was this a racist thing—like those who didn’t vote for Hank Aaron or Willie Mays? I truly hope not. Or was it a voter who felt that only somebody like Mariano Rivera was worthy of unanimity? Or somebody who doesn’t like Jeter’s current work in Miami with the Marlins?
It is stupid and shouldn’t have happened. Jeter didn’t mind—he has the second highest total of votes in the Hall’s history. Ironically, being number 2 is who Derek Jeter is—the number he wore in pinstripes and road grays, proudly playing for his favorite team.
Many of my peers love Mickey Mantle, and think he was the greatest Yankees player of their lives. I am sorry, but he is second in this instance. Derek Jeter is my all-time favorite Yankee. It’s not just the numbers—his ending up 6th on the all-time hits list with a career batting average of .310, or his higher average in 158 post-season games. He simply was the leader of a great team, the Captain and shortstop of the New York Yankees.
I loved his at bats. He was always capable of doing the unusual, unlike any other player I have seen. I re-watched his final game at Yankee Stadium from 2014. That’s when closer David Robertson uncharacteristically blew a 5-2 lead, which forced New York to bat in the bottom of the ninth. After a lead off single and a bunt, with a man on second, up strode Jeter for what would be his final Yankee Stadium at bat. As he seemingly did so often, Jeter laced a laser to right field, scoring the runner from second base.
A rare show of emotion followed, with Jeter yelling and thrusting his arms into the air in celebration. He was surrounded by his teammates, given his only Gatorade bath (he took it well), and he met with former teammates who he hugged along with the man he called Mr. Torre—Hall of Fame Yankees skipper Joe Torre. It couldn’t have been scripted any better.
This is why I loved Jeter as a player. He was exciting, endearing, intoxicating. To be blessed to watch such talent is rare. Yankees fans had it with Rivera and Jeter. I know my life was that much happier because of Derek Jeter and his style of play, which translated into titles for the Yankees. And now culminating in his expected enshrinement in Cooperstown.
This week was also big for another icon in the area. Eli Manning has called it a career. He retired the way he wanted to—a member of the New York Giants for his whole career.
There has been a lot of debate already starting about Eli’s chances to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Too much emphasis is being placed upon his 117-117 regular season record. Manning owns every Giants passing record there is—good or bad. He has two Super Bowl M.V.P. trophies, the result of two improbable New York victories over the New England Patriots of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
This guy is a certain member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A no brainer. A lock. He was a class act on and off of the field. He created virtually no problems and his durability was not in question—only coaching decisions later in Manning’s career ended his streak of over 200 consecutive games played.
Some have speculated that if no other older quarterbacks retire this year, it will make his entry into Canton easier. That is if he is to be voted in on his first chance at eligibility in 2025. And I say so what about his not getting in on the first opportunity? If he gets in on the second or third try, this hardly diminishes what Manning has done on the field.
Giants fans should once more embrace Eli Manning. They will have another opportunity when his number is retired. Then one more time when Eli Manning joins his brother Peyton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For their sake, I hope that Daniel Jones turns out to be as good as Eli. We’ll see. I know as a Jets fan, I am waiting for Sam Darnold to equal what Joe Namath accomplished. Just like I have been waiting since Namath left the Jets after the 1976 season. Their is no certainty about quarterbacks who follow legends.
We are off to Ottawa on what has now become our annual journey to Canada to see the New Jersey Devils play each of the Canadian NHL teams. I can name a number of Devils, as I have watched a few games and read on line and newspaper accounts.
Unfortunately, I am unable to name one Senators’ player or who is the head coach. Shame on me. That will be remedied by Monday night, which is the first game after the All-Star Game Saturday night in St. Louis.
What I do know is that both teams languish far behind the leaders in the division and conference. Which should make for some good hockey.
In sports, fans have definite opinions. Some things they say are statements. And some are left to speculation.
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