Pre-Holiday Madness

     The purpose of this blog is to engage the sports fan and educate the not so rabid enthusiast in the sports world as I see it. The world may be in distress on so many levels. Sports, as a metaphor, is a microcosm of that state of mind which has enveloped our daily thoughts and actions. We use sports as escapism, a place to go for a couple of hours to root for our teams, to see gifted athletes perform, coached by men and women who are trying to win games and titles while teaching values to those willing to listen. We try to find ourselves a way to enjoy the event, but many times we come away with sadness and a distaste for what used to be a sanctuary from our fears, a destination for our hopes and expectations.

     I watched two National Football League games this week with some interest. Both were full of carnage, even if the outcomes were exciting. This level of battle, injuring so many stars and causing viewers  to wince at the level of violence, has become the norm. And the injury lists abound with stars and key players on the sidelines, the recipients of vicious play condoned, to a certain degree, by the NFL. Respected TV journalist Brent Musberger told us "snowflakes" to "quit preaching", because the guts and glory associated with the violence in the NFL goes back over 50 years, which, along with sex from the likes of the Dallas Cowboys' cheerleaders, sold the product to the masses.  Musberger specifically mentioned New York Giants middle linebacker Sam Huff and his glorification when CBS, for its show Twentieth Century, hosted by Walter Cronkite, miked up the Giants' defensive leader in 1960. We heard the hard hits and the sounds of the football like never before. The NFL took off and never looked back. But now that product is breaking apart due to the wanton violence present in most contests.

     The Pittsburgh Steelers journeyed to Cincinnati to play the Bengals on Sunday night in a nationally televised affair on NBC. Pittsburgh. led by Big Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback and Antonio Brown, his favorite target at wide receiver,  were looking to win their 10th game this season. The Bengals were having a mediocre season which was, unlike the Steelers, going to result in a trip to the playoffs.

     Division rivalries are bitter. Fueled by the two home and away games, which are a schedule constant, both the players and the fans are familiar with the past histories and come ready for confrontation. Bad blood abounds.

     This distaste for each other was clearly evident in the Queen City, under the lights of Paul Brown Stadium, in the cold rain of Sunday night. A capacity crowd was in attendance, anticipating the Bengals bashing the opposition on the way to a win over the division leaders. A large national audience on NBC were ready to view a bloodletting.

     Yes, some good football was played. Pittsburgh came from behind to win with a field goal as time expired. The better team won.

     The score is not what fans and viewers will remember from this early December brawl. Instead, it was the viciousness of the play which will be the memory. Play after play seemed more designed to maim and injure than show us great athleticism.

     NBC analyst Chris Collingsworth, himself a former Bengals' wide out, repeatedly decried the well-known dirtiness of his former team. In a violent collision, Pittsburgh linebacker Ryan Shazier was taken off the field immobilized after a vicious attempted tackle. Viewers were left believing he was possibly paralyzed. Shazier stayed in a Cincinnati hospital before coming back to Pittsburgh. He will require spine stabilization surgery. There was no penalty nor any suspensions associated with the play.

     Cincinnati linebacker Vonzase Birfect, himself a notorious headhunter, was also carried off of the field but returned. A couple of other times he left the game after hard hits, only to return. JuJu Smith-Shuster received a 1 game suspension for his hit on Birfect. And Birfect laid some heavy hits on Roethlisberger, who was seen wincing and gasping for breath in the huddle. Plus, for good measure, Bengals DB George Iloka received a 1 game suspension for a targeted hit in the helmet of Steelers' All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown as Brown held on to make a great touchdown catch late in the game. In a sordid twist of irony, Pittsburgh, not Cincinnati, leads the NFL in the most penalties for unnecessary roughness.

     Thursday night the NFL brought us the important game between NFC South rivals Atlanta and New Orleans. The Saints had been leading the division, one game ahead of the Carolina Panthers and with last year's NFC Champions, the Falcons, in hot pursuit. Atlanta had to win this contest and every other one to win the division; New Orleans could have delivered a decisive blow to Atlanta's chances with a win.

     New Orleans has a high octane offense led by prolific QB Drew Brees and running back Alvin Kamara, who has won five straight Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors. Atlanta, behind its exceptional tandem of receivers, former Rutgers star Mohammed Sanu, Sr. and Julio Jones, catch a ton of passes from top flight QB Matt Ryan.

     Kamara and Brees started to march thorough Atlanta, torching the field in all-too-familiar way. Then one well-placed helmet to helmet hit by Atlanta sent Kamara head down to the sidelines and into concussion protocol. No penalty would be called on that play.  However, the officials were busy, calling 11 penalties on the Saints, including an illegal formation which negated an end of the first half field goal. New Orleans would lose more players during the game, relying on backups on the offensive line and complaining bitterly about the short week from Sunday to Thursday after losing.  The Saints could have tied or won the game in regulation time if they had not been so aggressive to score a TD by attempting an ill-advised end zone pass which Atlanta picked off. Or if the officials had not called an unsportsmanlike penalty on Saints' head coach Sean Payton, who was vainly calling for a time out after the Falcons had recovered their own fumble.

     What is certain is that the NFL continues to hemorrhage, losing key players due to injuries in games marred by head hunting and retaliatory hits like that of New England's beefy tight end Rob Gronkowki leaving a defenseless Buffalo Bills defensive back prone on the ground and after the whistle. Gronkowski received a one game suspension for his actions. Most flagrant fouls are handled in the same manner. Yet substance abuse and domestic violence receive far greater penalties. That is a bad morality play.

     I say to the NFL stop the hypocrisy. Police your game better than simply handing out 1 game suspensions. Stop the unnecessary violence which plagues the game and leaves players crippled and unable to recover from CTE caused by the blows to the head. I don't know if Aaron Hernandez would not have become a gang-related thug. But I am sure that his head was a mess due to CTE. How many more suicides and murders do we want after the playing days are over? And do we really want to see a death on the field because the NFL is not vigilantly curbing the thuggish behavior which is now routine? Keep it up, NFL, and you might even lose me as a fan...

     This is where I was going to insert three feel good stories. First, Sports Illustrated named two Houston players as their Sports Persons of the Year--Jose Altuve, the diminutive AL. M.V.P. of the Astros, and J.J.Watt, the premier pass rusher and humanitarian not able to play this season for the Texans due to injury. Great choices for their on the field and off the field actions.

     Then there is Rafael Nadal, named as the top male tennis player for 2017. At age 31, Rafa has experienced a true renaissance in recapturing the number 1 ranking in the world. Left behind in the wake of injuries, he has shown his famous grit and overcome these maladies to be the first 31 year old to secure this award. Bravo to his on the court genius. He and Roger Federer have staged some epic matches throughout the years. It is great to see Nadal join Federer in the over 30 bracket where they continue to perform at such a high level in a sport traditionally dominated by younger players.

     Thirdly, Army hung on to win by a point over Navy in a snowy game in Philadelphia. Navy missed a field goal with no time left to secure the win for the Black Knights, who have now won 2 in a row after enduring a long losing streak to the Midshipmen. One thing everyone noticed--there was no kneeling or protest during the playing of the National Anthem.

     All well and good until all hell broke loose Saturday morning when the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins announced they were on the verge of a blockbuster deal involving N.L. M.V.P. Giancarlo Stanton playing for the Yankees. Staggering. The Yankees lose 2 prospects plus second baseman Starlin Castro, a .300 hitter. It is rumored that the Marlins will dump his salary via trade. A virtual Murderer's Row of Aaron Judge, A.L. Rookie of the Year with his 52 home runs and a ton of walks; catcher Gary Sanchez, who hit 33 homers; Stanton, providing more punch with 59 homers and 132 R.B.I, last year; first baseman Greg Byrd, who came alive at the end of the season when he returned from the disabled list; and Didi Gregorius, the shortstop who batted fourth and hit a career high of 25 homers. Should New York re-sign Toms River product Todd Frazier to play third base, another slugger is in the lineup. This move also tells me that Gleyber Torres, the phenom in the minors, is ready to take over for Castro at second base this season, if he has recovered from his Tommy John surgery which concluded his 2017 season; otherwise, Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade are the candidates to play there.

     The Yankees starting pitching is still questionable despite having Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Sonny Clay and Jordan Montgomery. Will they offer a contact to C.C. Sabathia, who showed how valuable he was down the stretch and in last year's playoffs?  Could somebody emerge from the minors like Chase Adams or Luis Cessa? While the bullpen looks awesome, the big question is this--can reliever Dellin Betances regain his dominant form after his late season meltdowns?

     Sure, the Stanton acquisition makes the Yankees' lineup perhaps the most potent in the majors. Nonetheless, GM Brian Cashman and rookie Manager Aaron Boone have to figure out how to juggle the Yankees' roster, given that Stanton now creates a glut of outfielders (Judge, Stanton, Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier and Jacoby Ellsbury) Someone or a rotating group of outfielders and Sanchez when he needs a day off will be the designated hitter. Which brings into question what Chase Headley's role with the team will be--he was inefficient at third base, played adequately at first base until Byrd arrived, then thrived as the DH.

     One thing is for certain--the baseball off season in New York became a whole lot more interesting. Pitchers and catchers report to Tampa in under 70 days. More roster moves are forthcoming. Even if it snowed on Saturday, it certainly feels like baseball season is almost upon us.

     While I cheered for Eli Manning to have a great game against Dallas today and for the Jets to pick up a win in Denver, I join the legion of Yankees' fans rejoicing and eschewing the harsh reality that Winter is officially 11 days away but has arrived a little early. Then again, Christmas and Chanukah may have come early, too. A perfect antidote to the current misery in the NFL and in our world.