RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Run Silent, Run Deep

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Run Silent, Run Deep: The idea for this blog was for it to be a fun discourse about weekly happenings in sports. I have kept it non-political as much as possibl...

Run Silent, Run Deep

The idea for this blog was for it to be a fun discourse about weekly happenings in sports. I have kept it non-political as much as possible, given that overview.

This week I could have written about Lucas Giolito’s no hitter, the Yankees slide into a 7 game tailspin or at least 20 other little stories. Except that it would not be appropriate in light of the context of what transpired this week.

I had written a draft of a lengthy personal view of what has happened. It was direct and it was emotional. 

Reflecting on my readership, to publish that draft would be unfair to those friends I cherish. The feelings one has on the subject run deep in many instances. I have seen this on TV, in print and on Facebook. 

So I have decided to wait for the games to resume in earnest and report on what I want to and what you, my loyal readership, has come to expect. This is a sports blog and I don’t want to blur the lines between politics and sports, emotion and partisanship. I leave that for others to do.

See you next week.

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Medical Update

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Medical Update: This is becoming sickening. Seemingly all I read or hear about relating to sports is something to do with the medical profession. It seems...

Medical Update

This is becoming sickening. Seemingly all I read or hear about relating to sports is something to do with the medical profession. It seems like an epidemic within a pandemic.

At least 10 New York Yankees  have been placed on the 10 day IL. Most notably, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton reside there along with D.J. Le Mahieu. The frequency of players finding the IL is such that I didn’t even know that backup catcher Kyle Higashioka is on it with a right oblique strain. Which explains why journeyman Eric Kratz has been relieving starting catcher Gary Sanchez for the past week. 

If that isn’t enough, reliever Zach Britton went on the IL on Thursday. And starting pitcher James Paxton (left elbow strain) and Gleyber Torres (hamstring) are likely candidates to join those injured teammates. 

The starting lineup is a patchwork of second tier players, with the exception of Aaron Hicks, Sanchez, Luke Voit and Gio Urshela. Voit is the hottest bat in the American League right now, tied with Mike Trout for the most home runs in the league with 10. Urshela the steady fielding third baseman, kept on hitting and with some pop in his bat. 

Contrast that with the anemic performances by Sanchez, Hicks, Torres thus far, along with Brett Gardner, mired in a 3 for 30 slump, giving him a batting average of .164. Plus, outside of Garret Cole and Jordan Montgomery in the rotation, the pitching has been atrocious, including the vaunted bullpen. The performances of Britton and Paxton may have explanations. Masahiro Tanaka may not have fully recovered from the line drive Stanton hit off of his head. But the lousy pitching from prized receiver Adam Ottavino is inexplicable. 

No wonder the Yankees were swept by the Rays at home this week. Without the full team and Tampa Bay relatively young and healthy, it was a mismatch. Which is why the Rays are atop of the AL East and the Yankees appear shell-shocked. 

The battle for New York was to begin on Friday night. Except that COVID-19 suddenly appeared with the Mets while they were in Miami, when one player and one staff member tested positive. Once more the Yankees have to wait on a team infected with the coronavirus to see when they next play. It certainly is not this weekend, as “out of an abundance of caution” the Mets and Yankees won’t be playing at Citi Field. 

Meanwhile, each Yankee on the IL gets another day more to get healthy, but this will lead to more 7 inning doubleheaders, which the Yankees do not excel in. Such is the nature of the Yankees 2020 season.

The Mets aren’t the only team to fall ill this week. While the St. Louis Cardinals and Marlins are back to health, the Cincinnati Reds had positive tests and their series was postponed. So, by my count, the Mets, Reds, Cardinals, Marlins and Phillies all had positive tests. Teams affected were throughout the AL East, NL East, NL Central and AL Central. And we haven’t reached the halfway point in the season, plus hurricane season is going to be thriving this year, creating plenty more scheduling woes for the second half of the season. 

One additional COVID 19 sorry in baseball. Pittsburgh Pirates President Travis Williams tested positive for the coronavirus. The Pirates abysmal season got even worse. Hopefully he will recover swiftly and without any persistent after effects. The same cannot be said about the team.

Don’t be shocked by the Houston Astros suddenly starting to win. That is not surprising, given the talent they have. However, Houston has 11 players on the IL, starting with star pitcher Justin Verlander, and most recently, AL MVP runner-up Alex Bregman. Yordan Alvarez, last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, is now out for the season as he faces knee surgery. I don’t see them winning the crown, as Tampa, the Yankees, Minnesota and Oakland are far deeper and better than Houston, Nonetheless, if they suddenly get healthy, the Astros are still enough of a force to be reckoned with. 

Some other noteworthy items from baseball this week. Led by the emerging star Fernando Tatis, Jr. the suddenly relevant San Diego Padres slugged four grand slams in four consecutive games, setting a new MLB record. Tatis earned the ire of the Texas Rangers when he connected on a 3-0 count for a grand slam with the Padres already up by 7 runs late in the game. Breaking the unwritten rule is a no-no, so the Rangers pitcher threw behind the body of the next Padres hitter, slugger Manny Machado. 

Good for Tatis and for the beautiful slide he executed to avoid a tag at third base, too. This kid is exciting and the Padres are going to be a legitimate threat for the NL crown in years to come, if not already.

The San Francisco Giants do not like Mike Trout. For whatever reasons one Giants pitcher, Shawn Anderson, who is known to be wild, is throwing up and in at the Angels star, with three of the pitches near Trout’s head. Angels manager Joe Maddon has expressed his opinion on this matter. Giants manager Gab Kapler, who has played for Maddon, only remarked that Anderson was “jittery.” Note to Kapler: Get him out of there if Anderson cannot pitch to Trout. For all of thisTrout two pitches later barely missed a homer and settled for a triple. Perhaps the earful Maddon gave the umpires might be heard by Anderson?

College football was jolted this week with the revelation that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had to close down because of COVID, sending students home for remote learning. The head of the school had said if there was no teaching on campus, there would be no football. Let’s see whether that holds true.

Notre Dame was stunned by a rash of COVID cases. Football practice actually was cancelled for two days. That NEVER happens at Notre Dame. Unwilling to give in to the virus, Notre Dame is treating the COVID scare as a minor inconvenience, temporary in nature. No football is anathema to what Notre Dame is about, no matter how good its academic rank is. Notwithstanding that 5 players tested positive and 6 more are in quarantine. 

Guess what? Parties on and near campus happened, with few availing themselves of masks. The headline in an article published in The Chronicle of Higher Education said “Chapel Hill and Notre Dame Are Just the Beginning.” 

Sadly, this is what the experts all along have been predicting and the naysayers and doubters are still clinging to their beliefs. I heard one slightly intoxicated youth at Notre Dame say that “..this is all a hoax.” 

This is where the administrators need to earn their money. Take a stand. Protect the kids who obviously need to be protected. Sure, there is going to be a harsh monetary cost to this, not soon to be replenished. But  lives lost to COVID can never be replaced. 

The stupidity of the NCAA to permit college football teams to practice if their season has been shut down is astounding.  Coaches worried about the players not learning the plays and being rusty when and if spring football comes about isn’t the right thing to do. They didn’t allow the spring sports teams to continue to practice when their seasons were cut short. 

Of course, the difference is the money involved and what power football wields because of it. This is a pandemic which is growing again before flu season is upon us. Can’t somebody think rationally for a change and unify the schpbpls in their efforts to combat this deadly virus? Wait—it is in the hands of each state to make that call. Fat chance there could ever be unanimity.

In NFL news, there are players who are against first year Giants head coach Joe Judge’s tactics of making his players run punishment laps after mental miscues and for having hard tackling drills. To those who criticize the Giants head man about his tactics, I say leave it be. This Giants team was in disarray when he first started on the job. Judge needs to communicate in no uncertain terms what he expects, and if the highly-compensated Giants’ players don’t like it, I am certain that Judge would agree that they can seek employment elsewhere. I don’t know if this high school/college way of doing things will work or there will be a revolt; the proof will be in the record the Giants accrue in 2020. 

Throughout this training camp period, teams are losing what seems to be a myriad of players to injury early on. My theory is that the different kinds of training the MLB and NFL players are substituting has not been enough for the demands of their sport. Compare that with the lack of serious injuries in the NBA and NHL, where there were bubbles and longer training  before the season, and maybe I am right. 

Washington Head Coach Ron Rivera has squamous cell cancer. He intends to take no time off while fighting the spread of the cancer. I liked him with the Chicago Bears; he was taught and gritty. I am rooting for him to win this fight. 

The Lakers and Bucks lost the openers of their playoff series to eight seeds Portland and Orlando. In the second games, the top seeded teams prevailed. Damien Lillard, who nearly single-handed carried the Blazers into the playoffs, suffered a dislocated finger. Portland’s hopes were faint enough. If Lillard isn’t playing in the stratosphere and is limited by his injury, Portland stands no chance to advance. 

Brooklyn is clearly no match for the defending champion Toronto Raptors, even without Kawhai Leonard. Leonard’s team, the Los Angeles Clippers, has a battle on its hands with the Dallas mavericks. It might have been 2-0 Dallas but for a piece of horrible officiating tossing Krisaps Porzingis in Game 2 for coming to the defense of teammate Luka Donic. Use your heads, zebras!! 

The injury bug is alive in the Mavis-Clips series. Patrick Beverley is day-to-day for LA, while Porzingis and Trey Burke are listed day-to-day and shooting guard Seth Curry is out with an undisclosed leg injury.

Boston has thus far handled the Sixers, who are clearly showing the loss of Ben Simmons to his injury. Miami seems to have Indiana’s number, with Jimmy Butler leading the way for the Heat, aided by the 24 point performance of Duncan Robinson, out of Michigan and Williams College. James Harden’s 34.3 ppg average is the difference between Houston and OKC;  Fear the Beard. 

The best matchup is between Utah and Denver. Two evenly matched teams. The series could make the maximum seven games to decide who moves on to the next round.

Contrary to anyone’s belief, I do not sit home and watch the wall-to-wall coverage of the opening rounds of both the NBA Playoffs and the Road to the Stanley Cup. I may be a sprits junkie, but that is way too much, especially when factoring in the MLB games to watch starting with the Yankees’ telecasts. 

I did watch the Islanders eliminate #3 seed Washington and Alex Ovechkin in five games. New York played a complete game, dominating the center ice play and thwarting the Capitals again and again. 

The Vegas Golden Knights took out the Chicago Blackhawks in five games. Switching goalies in the beginning of the series was risky, but it worked out fine for Vegas. 

St. Louis and Vancouver are mired in a tough series, and those kids in Montreal are giving the Philadelphia Flyers all they can handle. Boston Colorado, Tampa Bay and Dallas advanced relatively unscathed. Colorado looks exceptionally impressive; I wonder if the talent in the Western Conference may be a tad below that of all of the teams in the Eastern Conference?

What is also apparent is that the designated home team does not have a clear cut advantage in the playoffs. Wearing the home colors makes one the home team, and the use of different locker rooms, benches, along with the sounds of virtual fans cheering is done to enhance the atmosphere as best as possible. In the end, these are neutral site games, and the teams which perform the best inside of the bubble and have made the greatest adjustments, are the ones which will win. Announcers in the Islanders-Capitals gems noted how much fun and well-adjusted the Idles were in Toronto.

One other NBA note. Mark Jackson on ESPN on Thursday night went off on the amount of defensive effort coming from Carmelo Anthony as a rejuvenated member of the Portland Trail Blazers. This apparently was a shot at former Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, who, as much as he recognized the athleticism and scoring ability of ‘Melo, couldn’t get him to play D. 

Karl responded with a fact-laden shredding of Jackson, complete with how many times Karl has coached a team to the NBA Finals, Coach of the Year awards, and saving it for last , a shot at Jackson leading the Warriors to a 51 season before his replacement, Steve Kerr won over 60 games with the same crew and won an NBA title. Maybe Jackson’s mind needs a stint on the IL…

In more announcer news, Reds TV announcer Thom Brennaman was pulled form the air abruptly after offering a hot mike homophobic slur between innings of a doubleheader, FOX also pulled him from his gig for NFL football.  Plus NBC analyst Mike Milbury, a Colgate man, offered insensitive comments about women on Thursday night. Brennaman has been suspended. Milbury should suffer a harsh fate too. Mouthpieces who can’t keep their mouths shut.

Finally, what else is new. I had CT scan today for a lower back issue. My appointment with Dr. Martin O’Malley in Manhattan for my ankle had to be rescheduled due to an emergency surgery. I wonder which pro athlete needed some help…

So that’s it, sports fans. My medical update. Stay safe. Be well. Stay off of the IL.

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Stuck In The Middle With You

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Stuck In The Middle With You: So there is a true disagreement among the Power 5 conferences about the need to play football this Fall. I used the word “need” for a reas...

Stuck In The Middle With You

So there is a true disagreement among the Power 5 conferences about the need to play football this Fall. I used the word “need” for a reason. It’s all abut the money, as I have repeatedly said before. 

The Big Ten and Pac-12 wisely opted not to play this fall. The Mountain West Conference not a Power 5 member, also chose to put football on hold for now. Not so with the SEC and the more defiant ACC and Big 12 Conference. 

These schools are not joining their compatriots simply to extend traditional rivalries. Heck, West Virginia hasn’t established a real rivalry with anybody in the Big 12 due to their newness in the group. 

Nope, their bloated athletic budgets demand that there has to be some kind of cash inflow to offset what have been projected to be staggering losses. Unlike the other Power 5 conferences who prioritize player safety and over costs with an array of tests daily and weekly, the three conferences who forge ahead do it for the bucks. 

Look at the marriage between Notre Dame and the ACC for this season—the Irish “agreed” to play an all-ACC schedule with one independent game. This serves both Notre Dame and the ACC well and will give them amplyeTV coverage.

The ACC relied on a doctor at Duke, Dr. Cameron Wolfe who felt it would be okay for football players to play if you can “sufficiently mitigate” the risk of the virus, which led to a  decision which could further imperil their future through contracting COVID-19. The SEC believes that there is no consensus among doctors, and they stand to lose a ton of money with no season. Plus those two conferences are located primarily in the South, where politics about the pandemic differs greatly from the North.

Michigan’s President is an honored immunologist and he was at the forefront of the Big Ten Presidents who voted to shut football down for now. They were more in line with the assessment of Dr. Anthony Fauci, our most recognizable authority on COVID-19. They understood the dangers of myocarditis, a tragic result of the virus and they did not ignore the Facebook story of an Indiana freshman football player who is still suffering major after effects from his bout with COVID-19. Pac-12 and its Presidents heeded the strong advice of their medical experts in making the call. 

The Big 12, under enormous pressure from the SEC and ACC to have 60% of the Power 5 remain intact, consulted Dr. Michael Ackerman at the Mayo Clinic who indicated that part of the protocol must include necessary heart screenings. This decision was not shared by Dr. Jonathan Kim, a sports cardiologist at Emory University and the team cardiologist for Georgia Tech as well as a member the ACC Sports/Exercise Council. Big 12 Commissioner Brian Bowlsby said this: “There’s a lot of runway between now and that first kickoff…if something comes where we change our mind—that all of a sudden we don’t feel it’s safe—we’re not going to hesitate say so and stop.” 

Oregon State President F. King Alexander, who held the same position at SEC member LSU, was asked what the Pac-12 sees differently from the SEC, and said this: “i think, probably, reality.” Therein lies the difference.

So many explanations have been offered as to why it is more prudent to keep the kids on campus for their own safety. Exhibit A in opposition to that nonsense is Rutgers and the epidemic of positive tests after an on campus party. Do these schools really think that after the games the players won’t be searching out the best place to hang out and let off some steam after a big win or a loss?

There is no bubble like the NHL and NBA. It simply cannot happen. This is not like the NFL where there is a protocol for the players at all times, beginning with heading to the faculty and a questionnaire they must answer as the first step. The path that the three conferences are taking is fraught with danger. Especially with the dire warnings from the CDC that, in combination with the flu season, there is the potential for this Fall to be very deadly.

Which brings us back to money. The SEC coaches must wear masks. Not the players. Who is making the money here—the Nick Sabans and Dabo Sweeneys of the coaching ranks. 

Certainly not the players. And I am willing to bet that friendly state legislatures will absolve state universities of liability should there be a COVID-19-related death or illness.

The players have become more vocal in asserting their rights. Not surprisingly, they want to play. However, they are young, and like too many young people, the true dangers of the virus are pushed aside and the pleas to use restraint dismissed. 

It must be the money, because Scott Frost, the head coach at Nebraska, was ready to play a schedule outside of the Big Ten. His superiors at the school supported him. Until the Big Ten intervened and said not a chance. The next day Nebraska reaffirmed its membership in the Big Ten, said it was disappointed in the decision, and will honor the ruling.

Maybe this will all work out okay for the three conferences. Perhaps the Big Ten and Pac-12 erred. But if they did, the duo erred on the side of abundant  caution and in the best interests of their players’ lives, notwithstanding the financial losses they are sure to suffer (but which they hope to make up with spring football, if that can even happen).

For the Yankees, they have managed to compile a 12-6 record with 30% of their schedule completed. Which includes the annual injury to slugger Giancarlo Stanton and the unavailability of closer Aroldis Chapman as he readies to return from his COVID-19 battle. It was unsettling to hear that Aaron Judge went out of Tuesday’s game against Atlanta with lower body soreness from playing so much on the artificial turf in Tampa over the weekend. This was after Judge smashed another home run, as he looked like the 50 homer guy who burst onto the baseball scene with a bang…until he went on the 10 day IL with a mild calf strain. (Memo to manager Aaron Boone: what was wrong with you down there in Florida? First you lost a game by leaving starter James Paxton in too long, especially considering how Paxton had struck out 11 Rays in 6 innings, only to tire and yield 3 runs to tie the game in the 7th inning. And playing Judge in all of the games on the unforgiving turf, leading to a mild setback? Get it together, Boonie!! This is a team that could win it all and you don’t want to muck it up…)

A couple of Yankees require special recognition. On the good side, there is D.J. Le Mahieu. He always is. “Le Machine.” Batting over .400. Unperturbed at bat. He sets the table for the sluggers who follow him—especially Judge and Stanton when they are healthy. Gerrit Cole is as advertised. He is 4-0 and would have gone 5-0 had he lasted 5 innings against the Rays. He truly is an ace. Honorable mention goes to Paxton for his 6 innings of superb work versus Tampa Bay.

On the negative side, there is Gary Sanchez. I don’t care that he hit a home run against the Braves. He looks horrible and cannot hit a curve ball and is late on fastballs, probably with a barely detectable hitch in his swing. To have an average hovering around .100 having played 30% of this shortened season does not leave him much time to get untracked and add to the offense. Gleyber Torres is nearly in such a horrific slump, but his production is way down from what is expected from a rising star. Nine hits, 1 HR and 3 RBI producing a .161 average isn’t cutting it. Did they start to break out on Friday night in the 10-3 pasting of Boston? 

Clint Frazier was recalled to fill Stanton’s spot. He promptly struck for 3 hits including a home run in his first at bat this season. Frazier is an amazing hitter and an average outfielder. It is high time that he gets a real chance to show his talent and that Yankees favorite Brett Gardner, he of the .171 average with 16 strike outs in 46 at bats, plays more sporadically. I like an outfield of Frazier in left, Aaron Hicks in center and a healthy Judge patrolling right field. When Aaron Boone wants to rest Hicks or Judge, he can place Frazier in right for Judge, keep him in left, sub in Mike Tauchman or Gardner in center and lastly, let Frazier DH occasionally. 

Before play began on Friday, the Yankees record of 12-6 is a very nice start. The Rays are keeping pace with the Bombers at 12-8. Minnesota and Oakland are formidable in leading their divisions. Surprises in the American League are the Orioles at 10-7 (what a team they would be if they didn’t have to keep on losing to the Yankees!), suddenly resurgent Detroit and the Indians and White Sox help make the AL Central the most competitive division thus far, with Kansas City only at 8-11.

Who would have expected the Red Sox to be this bad? Mookie Betts’ 3 homer night on Thursday for the Dodgers is a not too subtle reminder of the Bosox’s fall. And of course everyone outside of the Houston area is rooting for the Astros to remain below .500 and not make the playoffs.     

The Chicago Cubs have the top mark with a record of 13-3. Theo Epstein acquired the talent and David Ross is gelling with his old teammates in his first year as manager. In second place behind the Cubbies is 2-3 St.Louis. I think the Cubs will finish first in the NL Central.

Leading the NL East is Miami at 8-4. The Braves, who showed me nothing against the Yankees, are 11-9 and the Mets are flailing at 9-11. Defending Champ Washington is not the same team as last year and the 6-9 record is a mild surprise. Philadelphia at 5-9 is much more of a surprise, but they suffered because of the COVID-19 postponements. 

The NL West is the most competitive division in the “Senior Circuit.” Colorado is 12-6 and the Dodgers are 13-7. On their heels are the Padres with an 11-9 record. Even Arizona and the Giants are in striking distance. 

Let’s talk about those Cardinals. On Friday, 41 vehicles headed up I-55 to Chicago, conveying players and personnel for a weekend meeting with the White Sox. Friday’s contest was postponed. Starting Saturday, the Cardinals will play 55 games in 43 days to make up for the COVID-19 problem. Including 11 doubleheaders and this schedule does not take into account any rain outs.

Of over 12,000 tests of MLB personnel, there were 4 positives this week. All belonging to St. Louis—2 players and 2 others. 10 players of note are on the IL due to the virus. A bevy of new and untested players will replace those unavailable. 

Given all of this, two things come to mind. First, who is to say that this is the end of the coronavirus striking the Cardinals? And for the St. Louis faithful, forget about this year. It will go down as maybe the worst in franchise history unless there is a miracle. And if that is the case, save a place for Cardinals’ manager Mike Shildt in Cooperstown.

I like the idea that MLB is thinking about pods for the playoffs in areas that have multiple stadiums available. Too bad just one of the cities mentioned, Milwaukee has a dome; Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Francisco, San Diego, both New York stadiums and both Chicago stadiums are open air ballparks. 

The NBA actually had drama at the end. With the play-in format concerted for this year, four teams actually had shot for the 8-9 game(s). San Antonio; red hot Phoenix, who went 8-0; Portland behind Damien Lillard, who had consecutive games of 51 and 61 points earlier in the week after missing crucial free throws in loss and being taunted by Paul George and some other LA Clippers; and Ja Morant and his high-flying Memphis Grizzlies, who started impact Thursday in 8th place. 

San Antonio was the first to fall. By not making the playoffs, the Spurs ended a great run of 22 straight appearances in the post-season.

Phoenix took care of its end by defeating Dallas and Devin Booker and his teammates waited. Memphis took care of the Giannis-less Bucks (he head-butted an opponent and served a wine game suspension).

It was for Portland to determine its destiny in a game against Brooklyn. To interim coach Jacques Vaughn’s credit, he played his depleted squad’s best players and the outcome came down to a final miss by Caris LeVert on a game-tying three pointer to put the Trail Blazers into the playoffs and become the 8th seed for the moment. 

What has to happen to decide who faces the Lakers and Lebron in the first round of the playoffs? If Portland wins the first game, the series is over. If Memphis wins, then there is a second contest on Sunday. Good drama created by the NBA in its bubble with virtual fans and fake sound. Then the real playoffs commence on Monday, with four games each day for the first 8 days—a TV viewers bonanza. 

The NHL has started the Stanley Cup Playoffs with opening round matchups. Vegas has continued to be unbeaten since play began. Montreal, who lost head coach Claude Julien, who had a stent inserted in his heart, is going to be a tough challenge for Philadelphia. Vancouver startled St. Louis, the defending champs, in Game 1 of their series, just as the Islanders downed the flavored Capitals in their opener.

Which leads me to my second musical lyrics citation in two weeks, to try to put everything in perspective—sports and the world we live in-which isn’t easy. So I quote form the first stanza of the hit by Steelers Wheel:

Well I don’t know why I came here tonight,

I got the feeling something ain’t right, 

I’m so scared in case I fall off my chair, 

And I’m wondering how I’ll get down the stairs, 

Clowns to the left of them, 

Jokers to the right, here I am,

Stuck in the middle with you.

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: "Sounds of Silence"

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: "Sounds of Silence": “Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.” These are the opening words to the classic Simon & Garfunkel song...

"Sounds of Silence"

“Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.”

These are the opening words to the classic Simon & Garfunkel song, “Sounds of Silence.” Words which had been reverberating in my mind this week, for sure.

On Tuesday, Tropical Storm Isaias arrived in New Jersey. With a fury and intensity that reminded us that a tropical storm with 70 m.p.h. sustained winds is nearly a hurricane, the state was clobbered. 

At 12:31 p.m., the power went. First there was a flicker. Then there was nothing. 

Outside, the rain was pelting the road and the trees were swaying, in a staccato-like rhythm. With one big burst, a very large limb tore from the tree in front of the house, one of three sizable ones to break away in the storm. This one bounced off of the roof near the bay window, settling in front of the steps and into a newly set garden. 

With the rain pelting down on me and the wind growling ominously, I went outside to survey the damage. I had to climb over the limb to see that a small chunk of roof shingles and wood was exposed to the elements. It could have been much worse. 

I knew that I had to move the branch to allow ingress and egress to the house. I grabbed my branch cutter and went to work. Piece after piece I cut, making the huge limb lighter and a bit easier to move. Meanwhile, the winds howled in that moaning sound, a deafening, constant reminder of the fierceness of the storm as it headed north, the center somewhere in eastern Pennsylvania.

After a tough 20 minutes of work, I had cut enough small branches from the big one that I was, with a great effort, able to move it away from its landing spot to a new one, square on the front lawn. The rain stopped, and I started the task of picking up the debris and moving it to the curb. Lots of debris. 

I went to the backyard and spent a lot of time taking more small and medium branches to the front curb. After an hour, I was drenched in sweat and I entered the house. Where it was grey and humid.

Then the thought hit me—Superstorm Sandy. As unpleasant a time as I have had in my life. With Sandy, we knew how massive the storm was and we expected the worst. I recall sitting in the den, watching TV, and bang, everything went dark. 

It was the beginning of an eight day nightmare of no heat, lost food in the freezers and refrigerators, darkness and being cut off from the world. Eventually we learned the magnitude of the damage when we were able to charge our phones. Day after day, night after night there was nothing to do other than listen to the portable generators hum and hope that the ink black darkness of the night would miraculously become fluorescent. 

We were luckier than many others, as we had power in just over a week. It was the beginning of my retirement, and what a way to start it.

My wife and I vowed to purchase a generator, but we were scared off by the costs involved. So we rolled the dice. On August 4, 2020, our luck ran out.

Almost all of our food spoiled. We ordered in what we could from towns less harmed than Springfield. Peanut butter and bread became a lunchtime staple. All meals were eaten out on the patio. 

It was warm this time around. In the mid to upper 80’s. The house stayed in the 70’s and reached 81 degrees one afternoon. It was no haven. 

Carrying flashlights after 8:00 was necessary. Showers to cool the body down occurred at night, by battery power. Except that the showers never quite cooled us. 

Bedtime came early—I had the two best nights of sleep I had in months sequestered on the cellar couch. It was so dark and quiet—until I went up one flight and heard the chorus of generators in the neighborhood. We definitely were not dancing in the dark. 

The routine repeated itself, with car trips to secure food or to break the monotony. Rumors persisted that JCP&L, a notoriously bad power company, would not repair the damaged circuits until Tuesday, a glum forecast. 

Anger persisted. First, it was self-directed for not doing the right thing and buying  a generator and having the house wired. Then it was focused on JCP&L, who had well over a million customers without power in New Jersey. How could they not be better prepared and why would we have to wait a full week to return to normal, we asked ourselves. 

The roof was fixed. The spoiled food was tossed. The landscaper came and chopped off the bad branch. The sun shone after a night of rain. 

We kept our devices powered at the local recreation department, taking two or more hours a day to do this. The media was all over the storm—both in print as well as digitally. 

On our Friday morning trip to the rec center, we saw electric company trucks in droves on the Springfield streets. The word was that we should have power by 11:59 p.m. on Friday. 

There was a nervousness, which made us question if this was true. Suddenly, trucks from Alabama Power and Ohio Edison were on the street. We had just finished our lunch on the patio and I walked into the house. The lights were on. A little past 1:00. 

We shut the windows, made sure the kitchen refrigerator, which had received a thorough cleaning the day before, was running. It was. Within an hour the temperature was back to a cool 71 degrees indoors. 

For us, the ordeal was over. Good thing, too, because thunderstorms arrived in the afternoon and continued into the night. We were happy, but we felt for those who still had no power. I heard that Overlook Medical Center in nearby Summit had to turn away patients due to power problems. With the day of the coronavirus still very much present, that was not good news.

A lesson had been painfully learned. On my list of things to do besides submit my damage claim to Allstate is to call my electrician and discuss in earnest how to wire the house for a generator. It may not make the house cooler to sleep in, but it will definitely save the food from being lost a third time. With a very active hurricane season and strong fall and winter storms hitting New Jersey, a generator is a necessity. 

I kept tabs on baseball, basketball, hockey and of course, football. The Yankees had to play one game in New York against the Phillies on Monday, then play two seven inning games on Wednesday in Philadelphia, with the grey-clad Bombers the home team. Then off to St. Petersburg for a four game set with the Rays in three days. 

Aaron Judge, D.J. Le Mahieu and Gerrit Cole still led the team, propelling them to a 10-4 mark. Of concern is catcher Gary Sanchez, whose batting average was below .100. Overall, the starting pitching was not good besides Cole, which left it to the hot bats to carry the squad. 

The Dodgers, Rockies, Athletics, Twins and Cubs were the top teams in the early going. Yet leading the NL East are the Marlins, back from COVID exile. I wonder how long that will last.

MLB has a serious issue with the Cardinals. More positive tests returned and have kept St. Louis from playing since July 29. This weekend’s showcase series in Chicago has been postponed. If more positive tests are forthcoming, what will MLB do with the franchise when it appears that the other 29 teams are starting to get it right? Good question. 

Hockey has had some major upsets, as Montreal, the #12 seed in the East, took down the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby, shutting the Pens out in the final on Crosby’s birthday. The Chicago Blackhawks rose up and took down the homesteading Edmonton Oilers. The Islanders, Arizona and Vancouver have punched their tickets to the next round. Toronto won a dramatic overtime contest at home to force a deciding fifth game against Columbus. 

Philadelphia and Tampa Bay are playing for the top spot in the East, while Vegas and Colorado vie for the top seed in the West. Both Boston and St. Louis, the teams with the best records in each conference when play was halted, did not fare well in the round-robin format. 

The NBA continues its short season en route to the playoffs. Brooklyn, despite not being at full strength, secured a playoff berth. Philadelphia lost point guard Ben Simmons to a subluxation of the knee and surgery. Milwaukee, Toronto and Boston are the East leaders, but they do not look like world beaters. 

In the West, the Lakers are the first seed, but are not playing like one. Houston has looked good in stretches. There is a wide open competition for the last spot in the West between Memphis, Portland, San Antonio’s New Orleans and Phoenix. Damien Lillard has played sensationally leading Portland to the brink of the playoffs. 

Over 60 players opted out this season in the NFL. Training camp is on, without a bubble. Note this—both the NHL and NBA had no positive tests the past two weeks because they have bubbles. Wait until somebody breaks self-quarantine.

College football is a mess. The Power 5 is determined to play. Notwithstanding that Rutgers had a whopping 28 players test positive. Independent U Conn, the Mid-America Conference have both shut down for the fall; Division II and III will not have football championships this year. As I read on line from a former RU players—when are the colleges going to face the inevitable?

To quote Simon and Garfunkel once more:

“Fools,” said I, “you do not know

Silence, like a cancer, grows

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you.”

But my words, like sent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells, of silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign flashed out its warning

In the words that it was forming

And the sign said, “The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls

And tenement halls”

And whispered in the sounds of silence.

Be safe out there.

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Broken Record

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Broken Record: I take no great pleasure in being right about MLB. Their desire to proceed with a 60 game schedule with only a 113 page protocol which d...

Broken Record

I take no great pleasure in being right about MLB. Their desire to proceed with a 60 game schedule with only a 113 page protocol which does not account for everything, leaves the players vulnerable. Having a taxi squad of minor leaguers and fringe major leaguers standing by is their defense to making teams whole when, as we have seen, 20 Miami Marlins have succumbed to the coronavirus thus far, with a couple of Phillies and Cardinals aded to the mix. 

This has lead to postponements galore, schedule rejiggering, 7 inning doubleheader games and more is coming. Teams like the Yankees are winging it. At the last moment, as they were set to bus to New York after the postponement of their two games in Philadelphia, they ended up in Baltimore, conducted and 8:00 p.m. workout on Tuesday night and managed to continue their streak of wins at Camden Yards behind solid pitching from Gerrit Cole and the potent lineup, which is featuring a slugging Aaron Judge a healthy, powerful and consistent Giancarlo Stanton and the hit machine—D.J. LeMahieu.

But with a rain delay of nearly 2 hours on Thursday night, the Yankees were a weary team when they opened the home schedule against the Boston Red Sox on Friday. The fact that they won is more attributable to how bad Boston might be this season. 

If the schedule had been intact, the Yankees would have been in New York after playing the Phillies in the second set of home and home games, while the Red Sox played two games at Citi Field against the Mets, which resulted in two Boston victories and normal rest in their hotel. Good thinking gone awry with the input of COVID-19.

Speaking of rain delays, I echo the sentiments of Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, himself a cancer survivor and extra cautious when it comes to the disease, carrying hand sanitizer onto the field with him. Ultimately there was a postponement of the Cubs game in Cincinnati on Thursday night after the teams sat in the clubhouses for over two hours. Rizzo observed the lack of social distancing during the time inside, ironically something the Marlins had complained about during an exhibition game in Atlanta. Ironically, it has been shown that Marlins officials did a poor job of following the rules regarding the virus. 

The Yankees had to endure a rain delay in Washington which shortened their first game. Then there was this rain delay in Baltimore. With close quarters and not everyone wearing a mask (that’s you, Aaron Judge), whereupon the CDC has said the chance for infection multiplies in close quarters, what is MLB thinking? Where could they fit the players in these empty and spacious stadiums? I worry that it is only a matter of time that infections arise with the Yankees, Orioles, Cubs and Reds.

And let’s not forget that the outbreaks on the Marlins, Phillies and Cardinals are probably the tip of the iceberg. Given the close proximity of the players, the laxity of mask usage and who knows what else, the incubation period is ongoing despite reports that the tests are returning negative so far.

As it is, the games are not very exciting without the fans. Piped in noise is inappropriate and the recorded music is just as bad. The Los Angeles Dodgers-Houston Astros bench clearing on Tuesday night was much more interesting in terms of context and action.

Players are still high-fiving, spitting and doing much of what was outlined not be inappropriate. Mask wearing in the dugout is not really in vogue. At least the Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton observed protocol with his mask and social distancing when he went to argue balls and strikes calls with the masked umpire.

What’s it going to take to turn this budding travesty into a disaster.? Or will MLB think it is a good idea to use replacement players to dilute the product while keeping it alive? If you are Mike Trout, currently on the paternity list for the birth of his first child, would you stay out for the remainder of the season or await to see how things progress? Commissioner Rob Manfred put the MLBPA on notice that if more happens this weekend in terms of positive tests, he may shut down baseball on Monday.

A little pity for the Blue Jays. On the road to open the season, their first home series was played at Nationals Park on Wednesday and Thursday. The team remains sequestered in D.C. as they were scheduled to play the Phillies and that series has been postponed. Plus their “home” stadium in Buffalo isn’t ready yet. With nowhere to go, the situation is ripe for Toronto players to have let downs in protocol and not remain sequestered. 

I feel like I am repeating this mantra every blog. These are supposedly very bright people in charge of MLB. Without a pod situation like in the NHL or the Orlando bubble that the NBA has unwrapped, baseball, like the NFL and college football, are at the whim of the coronavirus. MLS made their scenario work. The WNBA and women’s soccer, too. 

Intelligent people know how and when to protect their brethren. While the Big Ten is supposedly working on a 10 game conference only schedule, I have read that there is internal conflict about proceeding at all, given the use of testing measures not available to students and not to have long-distancing travel for the teams, the use of open dates to prolong the season into November is extending the possibility that, with cooler temperatures, the onset of COVID-19 will only worsen. Remember that Rutgers and Michigan State recently shut down their programs due to an influx of positive tests, which places them behind the other teams who can adhere to practicing protocols—until something goes wrong in those systems. 

Big Ten officials privately noted they are dealing with unpaid players who are young, living on a campus without football-only dorms, and susceptible to having fun to blow off steam. They recognize the reality. I will say it again—it is all about the money until the virus says no—and look what it has done to the U.S, economy with unemployment, a definite recession which is more like a depression. Very few businesses will go unscathed and the politicians argue about stimulus packages which are band aids. Let repeat this—we are in the throes of a surge right now which is imperiling many, many states and even putting New Jersey behind the curve due to summertime partying.

I watched the NBA open up Thursday night on TNT and Friday night on ESPN. By the scores, the games were close. To me they were boring and unentertaining. Sure the players played hard, but they didn’t have a real rhythm to their play. Lebron James looked particularly out of sync, yet he recovered to lead the Lakers to a win over the cross-town Clippers. In the opener, because he was on a playing time restriction, Zion Williamson’s absence then his mandated quarantine cost the Pelicans, as he wasn’t on the floor during the deciding minutes of the loss to Utah. So why are the Pelicans in Orlando if they are likely not to get into a one game playoff for the final playoff spot  by being 4 games out of 8th place when the “regular” season ends? 

Friday night James Harden demonstrated he can score—49 points in Houston’s come from behind win over Dallas. However, his Rockets’ teammates did the heavy lifting at the right time to tie the game in regulation and to preserve the lead in OT. On the other hand, the Mavericks may have a great duo in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but little else. I don’t see them going very far in the playoffs. 

The NHL Playoffs start Saturday with the top 4 teams participating in a round-robin for seeding purposes and the teams 5 through 12 playing best of 5 series. I read that hockey normally uses 26 cameras for its national games. For this season, there will be 32 cameras in use per venue. That, along with made for TV arenas, may make the games better viewing, although using crowd sounds from EA Sports isn’t going to make it sound better. 

A moment to celebrate the trade of Jamal Adams and his big mouth to Seattle. He’s yours, Pete Carroll. Yes, Adams may possess a ton of talent. There was no place for him with his “I” mentality, when we all know that Vince Lombardi once said that there is no “I” in the word team. GM Joe Douglas received a player who can start in place of Adams, two first round picks and a third round pick. If those pan out and Sam Darnold can continue the progress he started to show at the end of last season without suffering another injury, then maybe this moribund franchise might have something going. 

` Then there is the NFL. Ready to fine those who contract COVID-19 while providing no bubble for the players. The numbers of top players who are opting out prior to training camp bespeaks the dangerousness of playing football and going to locker rooms, showers, etc. It is near 40 and will rise during the week. Coaches may want to opt out, but unlike the players who receive a guaranteed salary of $350,000, the coaches are guaranteed nothing if they don’t coach. 

I see plenty of red flags with the NFL, not unlike college football. The fact that the ACC took in Notre Dame for this season to make a solid conference schedule is the best example of how panicked colleges are to try to play. The Pac-12 pushed its conference only start date back to September 26, as did the SEC, who went with a 10 game conference schedule. That is noteworthy, because the ACC went with a 10 game conference schedule and 1 non-conference game, to allow for long-standing rivalries like Georgia-Georgia Tech, Clemson-South Carolina and Florida-Florida State to continue uninterrupted. The SEC said no dice.

On PTI, Michael Wilbon said all this gesturing and pontificating will not matter. Football games aren’t going to be played this fall. He’s probably right. But the money is too great and the AD’s and Presidents know this. If they can get through this pandemic and keep their athletic programs afloat, then it will all be worth it. Yeah, right. Big if here. 

The logo for the Washington Football Team was unveiled. Analysts were all over it, trying to guess in what direction the team was headed, given the boldness and growth of the yellow color through the name Washington. Many surmise that the team will become the “Redtails,” a nod to the Tuskegee Airmen, three who came from Washington.

Alabama fan Harvey Updyke, who poisoned the Toomer’s Corner trees at arch-rival Auburn, has died. His hatred for Auburn was so deep that, when Auburn pranksters put a Cam Newton jersey on legendary Alabama head coach Bear Bryant’s statue outside of the Alabama stadium, in his rage, Updike stuck 800 darts in those trees. And he bragged about it on the radio. Updyke went to jail, was on probation and had had to make $800,000 in restitution. 

My Connecticut cousin made mention of the great commercial that Nike has put out in wake of the protests and upheaval. It is a much see. 

ESPN’s crawl irked me. It made note of an Orlando Magic player who did not kneel for the National Anthem before today’s Brooklyn-Orlando game. Leave it alone. It is his choice. Those who watched the game may have noticed it, along with the poolers and support staff in attendance. He can deal with the ramifications of his actions from the responses of his peers. Unanimity is nice. If he supports the ideals that his friends, family and teammates embrace, then that is enough. Which, he explained he does, as and ordained minister who deeply believes in the Gospel.

` My daughter has sent me a turntable for my collection of 1970’s and early 1980’s albums. At long last I will hear The Best of The Bee Gees again or replay Barbra Streisand Live at the Forum. Of course, there are Beatles and Rolling Stones records amongst the 35 to 40 I have retained over the years. Probably the most obscure ones I have are The Drifters Golden Hits and the Greatest Hits of Dennis Yost and the Classics IV. There is Glen Campbell, The Association, early Springsteen, lots of Billy Joel, and even Jesus Christ Superstar. Plenty of Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, The Doors, Steppenwolf. Perhaps The Doobies will do, or Michael Jackson. One of my favorites is the “Days Of Future Past” by the Moody Blues. Oh for a Tuesday afternoon, helped along by the London Festival Orchestra. Too bad I don’t have my Gordon Lightfoot album, nor do I have the Guess Who or Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. Bummer. 

Those records may be a bit warped from being stored away and from overuse many years ago. What they won’t sound is like a broken record, which is where sports is today.