College Fantasy Football

     Notwithstanding the craziness of baseball as we head into the last week of August and Labor Day, college football is at hand once again. The big boys in the FCS & FBS start play next week as do a lot of Division III schools.

     There will be a number of intersectional rivalries and there will be some regional affairs. I took stock of the schedules of many of the top tier schools and some more well-known programs. I let my fertile imagination go and I have come up with a list of contests that have gone by the wayside with conference realignment or some colleges opting to play on the highest levels of the sport while others remain at a level most acceptable to them. I hope that, with the games I would like to see and those that are lamentably of a bygone era, you have some fun too imagining what I am discussing.

     The one standout game in my childhood involved the two teams who played the first intercollegiate football game:  Rutgers and Princeton. A staple leading off the football season and largely played at the bigger Palmer Stadium on the Princeton campus, the Tigers routinely dominated the Scarlet Knights. Ivy League football back in the 1950's and '60's was a pretty good brand of football. Independent Rutgers, before it started to build up its campus in the late 1960's, simply could not attract the caliber of player/student that Princeton could. Which was more desirable: a Princeton degree which was surely the equal of Harvard and Yale, or a Rutgers diploma from a state school?

     In the 1970's, RU started the climb into big time football. Princeton had been there and done that long ago. My recollection was that the mismatches that they thrived on in the series were no longer there for Princeton and in an effort to provide safety to its players, the series ended.  Princeton cited the difference between scholarship athletes that Rutgers had and the tradition of non-scholarship athletes that the Ivies had collectively set out.

     Thus, in 1980, the last game between the long-time rivals was played, resulting in a predictable RU win. The series ended with the Tigers on top, with a 53-17-1 record (largely due to the game only having been played at RU an amazing 13 times overall). There was no animosity between the schools and some sadness.

     The RU-Princeston rivalries continued for a while in other sports--soccer, lacrosse, wrestling and basketball. They still wrestle each other occasionally, as Rutgers is now a top 20 team in that sport. But that is it as far as competition goes between the two rivals separated by under 25 miles.

     What I lament is the loss of the series in men's basketball. Playing alternate years at home, that series has now sadly ended with RU's commitment to the Big 10 schedule, a desire to play lesser teams to garner wins and an intra-state rivalry with Seton Hall borne from their shared days in the Big East Conference. Princeton won the final game in 2013 and holds a commanding 75-45 lead in the series.

     Talk of Rutgers and Princeton meeting on the gridiron in 2019, 150 years after their first battle was nothing more than talk. In fact, close to the November date when, 150 years after it all started, Princeton will meet perennial Ivy League foe Dartmouth at Yankee Stadium.

     Something will be done in 2019 in college football to commemorate the anniversary. Sadly, that is all that can be done.

     In ascending to the higher level of play, RU also stopped playing long-time rivals Lafayette and Lehigh. Columbia and Colgate also have left the schedule. I am glad that RU has a yearly meeting with Penn State, even if the scores continue to be lopsided in the Nittany Lions' favor. In 20 or 30 years, the yearly meetings with Michigan and Maryland will have a feel of its own. It just won't be like Rutgers-Princeton. For fun (and hopefully a win) RU could schedule Delaware periodically as it did in my childhood, instead of Texas State. Playing nearby Monmouth next year is a 1 game deal.

     Speaking of Penn State, they have rivalries with everyone in the Big 10 because they are good. Built in rivalries are with border schools like Maryland, Rutgers and Ohio State. But what is missing on an annual basis are games with another border state rival--West Virginia--and in state rivals like Pitt and Temple. Pitt is playing Penn State again--through 2019. But in 2020, the series is once more dormant.

     Sure, it is colorful and interesting to bring in other schools to pad the records. But playing the teams closest to you for the longest time and then no more leaves a void.

     Michigan and Notre Dame renew acquaintances this fall. A long history of playing each other fairly regularly has been relegated to every once in a awhile. Michigan has Big 10 obligations and Notre Dame has a tie in with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Such is the trend of college football--you can only play 4 to 5 non-conference games per season and they are carefully picked to insure national rankings and  better bowl games with the wins that should pile up.

     Playing long-time rivals has meaning. I look at Texas and Texas A&M. The Longhorns stayed with the Big 12 Conference while the Aggies abandoned a lot of long-standing rivalries to join the bigger and "better" Southeastern Conference. Still, these heated rivals should have found a way to continue playing each other notwithstanding conference tie-ins. Georgia and Georgia Tech do. So does Florida and Florida State. Louisville and Kentucky meet annually. Tulane and LSU could have found a way to keep playing each other. These games mean a lot to the fans. The University of Miami against the University of Florida seems to be ripe for renewal; I absurdly wish that Miami could semi-regularly play Miami University from Ohio...

     Somehow Navy and Notre Dame get it right and continue to play; it is a bit more competitive now that Navy is fielding very good squads. I would have liked to see Maryland and Virginia play, but too much acrimony was built up once Maryland fled the ACC for the riches of the Big 10. Both schools finally came to their senses and are playing in 2023. Good for them. Maryland and Navy?? In my dreams, I guess. And UVA is playing a series of games in the next couple of years with Virginia schools VMI, Richmond, Old Dominion, Liberty and William & Mary. Virginia Tech is doing much of the same. Kudos to them.

     Colorado and Colorado State still square off and that seems to be in jeopardy. The Battle of the Brothers involving Utah and Utah State ended in 2015, with no plans to restart the games. Nor is BYU meeting Utah.

     Speaking of Colorado, I miss the Big 8/12 rivalries which they had with the likes of Nebraska, the Oklahoma schools, the Kansas schools and Iowa State. Oklahoma-Nebraska was a staple due to the conference, but now they have gone their separate ways. Texas A&M had a number of in-state games end when they joined the SEC. Arkansas versus Texas ended when the Razorbacks went to the SEC.

     I am such a traditionalist that I miss SMU-TCU and I missed Boston College playing Holy Cross, even if the latter makes no sense since BC is in the big time with the ACC while Holy Cross' program is more attuned to small colleges in the Patriot League. Someone must have read my mind, as BC and HC play each other in 2018 and 2020 (tell RU and Princeton about that!).

     The old Yankee Conference is long forgotten. Some remnants remain with New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine. However, Connecticut and Massachusetts have joined the big boys. For old times' sake, they can restart their rivalry. Plus I hope that BC and UMass continue to play each other, now that they are supposed to be on more equal footing; they seem to be scheduled on and off through 2025. Because in-state opponent UNH has had too much success at the FCS level, Dartmouth has scheduled new (easier?) opponents with the exception of Army in 2022.

     I even long for San Jose State and Stanford, two close in proximity opponents, meeting each other. Why is Stanford playing San Diego State, UC Davis, UCF, BYU, K-State, Vanderbilt and, incredibly, William & Mary, instead of the SJSU Spartans? Plus no Rice and Houston football since 2014? They are in the same city!!

     While I was at Franklin and Marshall, they were in a hiatus with their longtime rival, Gettysburg. G-Burg felt they were more suited to play in the Middle Atlantic Conference University Division with Delaware. Rutgers, Temple, Lehigh, Lafayette and Bucknell. They found that being swamped weekly as not a good thing and Gettysburg reunited with F&M and Dickinson in the Centennial Conference, where they belong.

     As long as the landscape of college football stays this way, the past can only be a glimmer of the future when thinking of old rivals. Does anyone recall the 8 year run of the Boardwalk Bowl inside of the Atlantic City Convention Hall between the Merchant Marine Academy and Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener)?  Thankfully there is the Secretaries Cup series, a fixture since 1949, when Kings Point and the Coast Guard Academy meet.

     Until more of the old gridiron battles resume, I have my memories and dreams to go on.

   

   

Any Given Sunday (or Thursday, Saturday or Monday)

     The National Football League is a mega-conglomerate. It is one of the biggest, most pervasive forms of entertainment in the United States and in many parts of the world, where it is know as American football.

     From what is the overwhelming popularity of the NFL derived? Television has been the key to making the NFL as successful it is. There was the violent world of Sam Huff, the middle linebacker of the New York Giants who became an icon for the league as it went national on TV; the Baltimore Colts epic win over the Giants in OT in the 1958 NFL Championship; through the dominating years of the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers; through even more expansion after absorbing the rival American Football League; the popularity of the polarizing, bombastic Howard Cosell on ABC's groundbreaking Monday Night Football telecasts; more dominance by Washington and San Francisco; up to the current run of the New England Patriots and Tom Brady and Bill Belichick; games in England and Mexico City plus the Manning brothers, the NFL and pro football is the most iconic brand that marketing has ever seen.

     Fans are zealous in their devotion to their local team as well as those who root from afar. They have talking heads everywhere on TV. There is a fervor over the NFL Draft, to see how the next savior for a downtrodden franchise might be. Exhibition games are locally and nationally televised and they mean absolutely nothing.

     The Super Bowl is an unofficial national holiday. TV starts its coverage way before the actual contest begins. Commercials cost an outrageous sum and are rated by the viewers for their content and originality. Betting in pools was always up there with the NCAA basketball brackets and will become greater as legalized sports gambling expands away from Nevada.

     Such is the reach of a violent yet very American sport. It is colorful. The stadiums are loud for those fortunate enough to fork over significant sums of money to be present in heat, cold or the comfort of a domed stadium. The amount of merchandise sold is staggering--the 2017 season was the best thus far for the NFL, in part thanks to the rush for Philadelphia Eagles gear. Which proves that while traditional broadcasting ratings may be down and the apparel industry as a whole is challenged, fandom is still stronger than ever in the NFL.

     Are there are controversies in the NFL? From Deflategate to the concussion issues to kneeling for the National Anthem, these topics are front page noteworthy. Once more showing the place of the NFL in the lives of so many Americans.

     There is tremendous saturation of telecasts. Doubleheaders, Thursday nights, December/January Saturdays, Sundays and Sunday nights, and Monday. There are 4 networks involved--FOX, CBS, ABC/ESPN and NBC. Plus now there is digital and live streaming of NFL contests. The NFL has its own very profitable network of 24-7 NFL coverage and even Amazon is televising the NFL.  All because the NFL knows how to generate profits and is constantly seeking more avenues to generate more cash flow into their bulging coffers.

     I can continue almost forever on the NFL and its manic obsession for the almighty dollar. But that is not what this article is about.

     Just like I did last week, I want to talk about the core of the NFL--its rivalries. My childhood memories go back to the days of the late 1950's when the New York Giants were flexing their muscles. I do not go back as far as the championship year of 1956, but I do recall watching a grainy CBS telecast of that Colts-Giants game by way of Channel 10 in Philadelphia. Reading the newspapers and recognizing the significance of the game, I started follow the NFL. I do recall the Time magazine cover and the article about Huff.

     So, I became a Giants' fan because they were the only game in town. Until 1960. That's when the upstart AFL challenged the supremacy of the NFL. While there were lawsuits, venom and trickery in signing athletes like Billy Cannon of LSU, who the NFL lost to the Houston Oilers of the AFL, I began to enjoy the NBC broadcasts of the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Houston with its ageless QB George Blanda, the San Diego Chargers, Boston Patriots and Oakland Raiders. They were available as opposed to the Giants, who were only on TV when on the road due to blackouts put in place locally to force fans to purchase tickets.

     I started liking the Jets once their days as the New York Titans were over and they had moved into gleaming new Shea Stadium as lowly co-tenant of the Mets. While they too were blacked out in the New York market for home games, the Jets were highly publicized due to the media coverage afforded one Joe Willie Namath, a highly coveted QB from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and the University of Alabama. Unlike the Giants, the Jets had more pizzazz, even if purists panned their style of play as being unworthy of the NFL.

     The NFL and AFL reached a turning point in the history of pro football when they squared off in the first Super Bowl in 1967. While the Green Bay Packers of the tough New Jersey and
Fordham legend Vince Lombardi thrashed the Chiefs in 1967 and Oakland in 1968, the games were starting to attract attention. When Namath guaranteed a win over the Colts in Super Bowl III and followed through on his prediction over the prohibitively favored Colts, the merger of the two leagues quickly came about in 1970.

     Monday Night Football began in 1970, coinciding with the first year of the merger and the realignment of some of the teams. The Colts and the Steelers switched from the NFL conference to become part of an AFL conference. Thus here is where the rivalries of today were cemented.

     The NFC East is comprised of the Giants, Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. The latter started playing in the NFL in 1960. The Cowboys have won 8 NFC titles, most in that conference along with 5 Super Bowls. From 1966-1985, they recorded winning seasons and missed the playoffs twice during that span, which is an NFL record. They became America's team from the opening of the 1978 highlights film, when the "voice of G-d," John Facenda said that "They appear on television so often that their faces are as familiar to the public as presidents and movie stars, They are the Dallas Cowboys, 'America's Team.'"

     The contests with Dallas are the biggest for the other 3 NFC East teams. The hatred by the Redskins versus the Giants and Eagles and the Giants against the Eagles from the teams and their supporters is a smidgen below the intensity of the dislike of Dallas and its fans.

     The NFC Central is no different. The Packers, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions all are original NFL teams with embedded loyalties. Minnesota joined the NFL for the 1961 season and they became good very fast, making the games with the other members of the division tough. Moreover, before the advent of the domed stadiums in Detroit and Minnesota, late season cold weather games were a staple of these rivals, magnified by the cold of games we have seen n the 1967 Ice Bowl between Dallas and the Packers and more recently with the red cheeks of Coach Tom Coughlin when his Giants won the NFC title in the bitter cold of Green Bay.

     Because of NFL title games and NFC title tilts, newer rivalries have popped up. Dallas and Green Bay; the Giants playing Green Bay; and meaningful contests between Green Bay and the Eagles as well as the Giants against the Bears and Vikings, which both franchises and fans vividly recall.

     The NFC South is an accumulation of newer teams. Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans have their levels of intensity, but do not have the longevity of the rivalries within the East and Central when those two divisions clash.

     The NFC West is a bit of a transient grouping. The Rams have migrated within Southern California after moving west from Cleveland in the 1950's, with a sizable stint in St. Louis before returning to Los Angeles. The Arizona Cardinals were in Chicago in the late 1950's when I began to watch pro football. Very much the second fiddle to the Bears, the Cardinals moved to St. Louis and shared Busch Stadium with baseball's Cardinals. Not happy enough with the stadium, they took flight to the desert and a beautiful domed facility.  Seattle joined the AFC first, but with the final wave of expansion, ended up in the NFC West and they have been winning more often than not.

     The only standard in that division has been the San Fransisco 49'ers. While they have recently migrated to near San Jose, the Niners were one of the teams of the 1980's behind QB's Joe Montana and Steve Young, directed with the brilliant coaching of Bill Walsh, George Seifert and Steve Mariucci. They, too, have a rivalry with Dallas, as evidenced by Montana's miraculous touchdown toss to the late Dwight Clark to win the Niners a trip to the Super Bowl in 1982. Some games against the Giants have meant a lot.

     Then there is the cross-Bay rivalry between the blue bloods--the Niners--and the crass, nasty image of the Oakland Raiders, cultivated by the black clad, arch enemy of Pete Rozelle, owner Al Davis, which survived the Raiders departure to Los Angeles and their subsequent return to the Bay Area. How survivable will it be when the Raiders uproot to Las Vegas remains to be seen.

     In their co-existing LA years, the Raiders and Rams developed a heated dislike for each other, but in laid back Southern California, how much intensity can be developed by a fandom that has other pursuits in mind?

     Right now, everybody loathes the success of the New England Patriots. The Jets call their two meetings "Patriots Week." New York fans can't stand New England fans and it is a reciprocal anger. Buffalo and Miami are just as angry at the Patriots and their fans. Every Super Bowl opponents fans hold the Pats and their fans in utter contempt.

     The Dolphins, a 1960's expansion team in the AFL, experienced great success under coach Don Shula and with Dan Marino at quarterback; Marino and the Jets have played many close contests which is why NYJ fans say "Squish the Fish'" even if dolphins are mammals.  The longevity of the Bills and Jets rivalry is another reason it is heated.

     Still abundant is the rivalry between the Colts and Jets when they periodically meet. From Super Bowl III, through the years that the two teams met while the Colts and Jets were in the same half of the AFC, the rivalry still brings out an animosity towards the Jets which has now been taken up by Baltimore Ravens fans when those teams square off. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Super Bowl III, the Jets are making a big deal out of it on October 14 when Indianapolis is in town. After all, it is the lone Jets Super Bowl win.

     The AFC Central is as competitive as its NFC counterpart, notwithstanding the actual records may indicate. Proximity is the key in the AFC Central, as the members are not too far apart. Cleveland and Cincinnati are in the same state and driveable to Pittsburgh. So is Baltimore driveable to the other three franchises. Moreover, the Cleveland Browns are the new reincarnation of the old team, which abandoned the shores of Lake Erie and its very loyal fans for the Inner Harbor of the larger market in Baltimore.

     Baltimore has a unique Beltway rivalry with the Redskins, as they share the D.C. Metroplex area market. This was born from the Redskins and Colts, who sparingly played each other while in the NFL, with Washington in the Eastern Conference and the Colts sequestered in the Western Conference (albeit with the Rams, Niners, Bears, Lions, Vikings, Packers, Saints and Falcons).

     In the AFC South it is the Colts, Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers, an original AFL team), the successor to the Oilers with the expansion Texans  and the Jacksonville Jaguars, another expansion team. The rivalries are there, but not as strong as within other divisions.

     I saved the most savage of the AFC rivals, all whom reside in the West, for last. Denver, Kansas City, Oakland and the Los Angeles (who used to be in San Diego) Chargers are all original AFL teams. They despise each other, as almost everyone hates the Raiders anyway. The Raiders had ties to Los Angeles as I stated before and the Chargers have reluctantly vacated San Diego due to lack of a "sufficient" stadium, returning to their Los Angeles roots (the Chargers played one year in the LA Coliseum before settling down in San Diego). None of this vitriol will abate when the Raiders move to Vegas. That is for certain.

     Oakland has two simmering rivalries with Pittsburgh (the Immaculate Reception propelled the Steelers to their first Super Bowl win) and New England (the tuck rule benefited Brady & Co.). Fans in Green Bay, Minnesota and KC still think about their Super Bowl matches. The Giants and Patriots have become distinct rivals and the Giants and the Bills, too. Seemingly anyone competing with New England is a rival, like the multitude of Cowboys foes. Anytime teams meet in a Super Bowl, they are inexorably tied to each other--and the loyalists have long memories. Even the Patriots and the Eagles have met in a Super Bowl prior to this past season, when the Pats defeated the Birds in 2005.

     Who knows what new or old rivalry will pop up? Will there be more realignment? Or more expansion? Seemingly endless possibilities exist to stoke the competitive juices of the teams and their fans.

     Such is the beauty of the National Football League. On any given Sunday (or Thursday, Saturday or Monday) old friends can renew hostilities. It is not quite the battles between European foes in the years before America became a country. Nonetheless, civic money and pride, TV and marketing can go a long way as epitomized by the NFL...



       

This Is Baseball

     With the conclusion of the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees and Houston Astros visiting the Dodgers in Los Angeles in a reprise of last season's World Series matchup, I had a though or two about what these rivalries meant. So I have done some research and I am ready to advance what rivalries really exist in my mind in professional sports. And in a nod to Rivalry Week, the brainchild of ESPN, I will highlight some of the more curious ones germane to baseball, leaving the other sports to later blogs.

     Let's start with Boston and New York. Two of the original 8 teams in the American League when I started following baseball. So who else survives from that era in the 1950's? The Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Oakland A's, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians. Except, in 1957, Minnesota was playing in Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. and they were called the Senators. The A's were in Kansas City then, their first landing spot after leaving Philadelphia. Baltimore was 5 years removed from having left St. Louis, where they known as the Browns. Thus, when each of those 8 teams plays another of the original teams, I consider them to be long-standing rivals notwithstanding franchise relocation.

     There were also 8 teams in the National League at the time. San Francisco had just moved west from New York and the Dodgers gave up in Brooklyn, fleeing to greener pastures in Los Angeles. St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Chicago have remained in their locales. The Braves have managed to migrate from Boston to Milwaukee and then on to Atlanta. They, too, are rivals of great duration.

     Expansion and further relocation has made new rivalries when the original teams come back to their old city to play. I found it cute that the Twins used to go to Washington to play the second incarnation of the Senators, before that franchise moved on to Texas. And when Washington visited or hosted the other 7 pre-existing A.L. members, it had a familiar ring to it. 

     Similarly, when Oakland returned to Kansas City to take on the Royals, there was a lineal tie. Plus, when Kansas City played the other 7 teams in the pre-expansion A.L., there was a familiarity with the scoreboard listings. 

     In the N.L., with expansion, the Dodgers and Giants coming in to play the Mets was the return of the historic franchises to their roots (especially when the Mets played in the Polo Grounds, the former home of the New York Giants).  Of course, the rivalry between the Giants and Dodgers has taken on a new dimension given the Northern and Southern California rivalries.

     Speaking of California teams, I get excited when there are the matchups involving the Angels, Dodgers, A's, Giants and Padres. There is a hint of territorial pride within the games as well as part of the N.L. West with the Dodgers, Padres and Giants. Throw in the Rockies and D-backs of the N.L. West and the Seattle Mariners, and there is a lot to battle in the West, especially with the teams all situated in the Cactus League in Arizona for pre-season baseball. Add in the other teams that play in Arizona for Spring Training, and you have built in rivalries based upon how many times a year they face each other.

     That logic applies to the Florida teams and the excitement that comes within the A.L. East, the N.L. East, and part of the N.L. Central divisions. When there are intra-division and inter-division games among the Florida-based teams, the passions run a little bit higher. Perhaps even higher between the Cardinals and Marlins, who share Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter or the Red Sox and Twins who have the same arrangement in Ft. Myers.

     Of course, there are signature games involving the two teams in New York, Chicago, Southern California, the Bay Area, the Washington Beltway, Ohio, Texas, Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, plus regional battles in the Midwest involving the Chicago teams, the Missouri teams and the Brewers, Twins and Tigers. The New York teams, the Bay Area teams, the Missouri teams have all met their local rival in a gripping World Series.

     In essence, there is a tie in between teams based on proximity, division or league. Additionally, World Series matchups of recent or even older vintage have resonance. Because the Yankees have had 40 appearances in the Fall Classic and won it 27 times, they have met up with the Dodgers, Giants, Cardinals, Braves, Reds, Cubs, Phillies and Pirates more than one time. Other teams who have met more than once in October include the Red Sox and Cardinals; the Cubs and Tigers; Tigers and Cardinals; Braves and Indians; Orioles and Pirates; Cubs and A's; Reds and A's; Dodgers and A's; Senators (Twins) and Giants; and A's and Cardinals. The Padres and Yankees have a rivalry borne out of the 1998 World Series. So does New York have one from 2001 with Arizona and 2003 with the Marlins. The Mets and Orioles, Red Sox, Royals and A's have battled for the big prize. With the few teams who have made the big games just once--namely the Angels, D-backs, Tampa Bay, Colorado and the Brewers, whose appearances made for special relationships with their opponents. Pity the Nationals and Mariners, for they have yet to appear in the World Series.

     Some of the most intense World Series since I started watching in 1957 are single matchups like the Yankees and Pirates in 1960 with Bill Mazeroski's walkout homer in Game 7 at long gone Forbes Field; the Dodgers and Twins in 1965; the Dodgers being swept in 1966 by the Orioles; 1969 between the Mets and Orioles; 1975's iconic Red Sox-Reds matchup with the Bernie Carbo and Carlton Fisk homers; and in 1986 where the Mets won based on a grounder booted by Red Sox 1B Bill Buckner. Added to that list are the last three 4-3 series--in 2014 between the Giants and Royals; 2016 with Cubs and Indians going extra innings in Game 7; and last year with the Astros winning in Los Angeles. 

     Such is the uniqueness of baseball. Every time a game is played, whether it is within a division, the league or an inter-league matchup, there is a piece of history or a connection involved. 

     I think I will go see who is on TV tonight. There must be something curious about the game's participants.

 Reply  Reply All  Forward

What Is Going On Here?

     In the space of about one week, the sports world has seen the start of NFL Training Camps (yawn); the induction of this year's class of the Baseball Hall of Fame; the retirement of a New York Jets' great; the end to a busy MLB trading deadline; chaos in the Bronx; an unforgettable meltdown by a Nats' pitcher; an Urban crisis in a major Ohio city; another couple of not-too-nice problems at Rutgers; a World Series (and that is not referring to the Yankees and Red Sox tangling in Fenway Park); and the finalization of a challenge match between a Lion and a Tiger.  With the Tour de France finishing in anonymity. And this is without counting a story or two about LeBron James while the NBA is in its off season.

     Six stars and the legendary announcer Bob Costas headlined the inductees in Cooperstown last weekend. The leader of the pack is a former overall number one draft choice by the Atlanta Braves, where Larry Wayne Jones, Jr. tore through baseball as Chipper. The switch-hitting Jones was a first ballot Hall member, as he compiled a .303 batting average, 2,726 base hits, 549 doubles, 468 home runs and 1,623 R.B.I. in his illustrious career. A force at third base for the Braves, he is the only pitch-hitter to have batted at least .300 and slugged 400 or more homers. His Atlanta teams were among those which won 14 straight division titles and 1 World Series. Individually, Chipper was an 8 time All Star, won an N.L. M.V.P. award, led the N.L. in hitting in 2008 and twice won the N.L. Silver Slugger award for third basemen.

     Two Tigers entered the Hall. Jack Morris was a dominant pitcher in his prime, yet he needed the help of the Veterans' Committee to gain entry into the HOF. A five time All Star, Morris was a part of 4 World Series championship teams in Detroit, Minnesota and Toronto. He has the highest E.R.A. of any pitcher in the Hall at 3.90, yet he started the most games, pitched the most innings and had the most wins (162) for any pitcher in the 1980's.

     His fellow enshrinee from Detroit and also chosen by the Veterans' Committee was the Tigers' shortstop, Alan Trammell. A second round draft choice in 1976 (Morris was a fifth rounder in the same draft), Trammell and Morris reached Detroit for the first time on the same day. Trammell became a fixture at short from 1977-96. His stats aren't gaudy but exemplify a fine fielder--Trammell ranks 6th in fielding for shortstops who played over 2,000 games and he has 4 Gold Gloves to show for it. A steady player, he batted .285 and was the 1984 World Series M.V.P.

     Vladimir Guerrero entered the Hall as the first Angel, much to the disappointment of the throngs of Montreal Expos' fans who still made it to Cooperstown to watch his speech. A 9 time All Star and 1984 M.V.P., he hit .318 lifetime, with 13 of his 16 seasons above .300. A free swinger, Guerrero struck out only 985 times during his illustrious career with the first 8 in Montreal followed by 6 in Anaheim before finishing his career with steps in Texas and Baltimore. Guerrero had a strong arm, resulting in 126 assists to go with 125 errors.

     Trevor Hoffman began his career in the minors with Cincinnati as an infielder. In 18 years with San Diego, he saved 601 games, placing him second to Mariano Rivera. Hoffman's career E.R.A. was sparkling 2.87. In 1089.1 innings, Hoffman struck out 1,133 batters.

     Finally, there is the strong man, Jim Thome. A first ballot selection, he played 22 seasons as a first baseman, third baseman and as a designated hitter. Thome smashed 612 homers and drove in 1,699 runners. He hit a record 13 walk-off homers and hit 40 or more homers 6 times, plus added 17 more in the postseason.

     A fine class indeed. Upcoming in the next two years are two Yankees who will cause Cooperstown to overflow. In 2019, Rivera is a lock for the HOF. Then in 2020, it is time to enshrine Derek Jeter. Indeed, those will be precious times for New York fans.

     One more side note of sour grapes--again, I don't understand why Tommy John isn't in the Hall of Fame. He was the guinea pig for the lifeline which so many pitchers undergone to have return to the major leagues and resume their fine careers. I dare say that a pitcher who gets into the Hall after having the surgery that bears this great pitcher's name should give Tommy John and Dr. Robert Kerlan all of the credit during that speech.

     While on baseball, the Yankees are in a funk. Their pitching is in disarray--even newly acquired J.A. Happ is on the DL--with hand, foot and mouth disease, something the Mets' Noah Syndergaard also recently had. New York is having trouble driving in men who are in scoring position. They miss the big bats of Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez--Giancarlo Stanton, rookie Miguel Andujar and Didi Gregorius are keeping the team afloat. Since the team beat up on Boston in early July, they are 14-12, while Boston has steamed away from them, with Red Sox hitting and pitching like a special team. I hope that the Yankees can hang on to the top Wild Card spot, as Oakland is charging fast towards them.

     Then there is the Shawn Kelley incident in D.C. The Nats' were pounding the hapless Mets in a game where the final score was 25-4. Kelley was pitching and surrendered a home run in the 9th inning to Austin Jackson. Kelley slammed his glove to the ground, which drew the considerable ire of the Nationals manager Dave Martinez. GM Mike Rizzo was so appalled with Kelley's selfishness and unprofessional behavior that Kelley was designated for assignment. Maybe this was an overreaction on both sides, but there is probably more to the story than we know. It will be interesting to see if Kelley lands an MLB job after this.

     Meanwhile, the Nationals seem to have finally come alive. Bryce Harper is actually playing like the superstar he is. The Phillies and Braves are no lock in the N.L. East.

     Potentially the best series this weekend is the under the radar one taking place at Dodger Stadium between the Houston Astros and the Dodgers. The two teams met in last year's World Series, a 7 game event. What was MLB thinking--scheduling that series on the same weekend when the Yankees and Red Sox renew hostilities at Fenway Park?

     I was glad to see that Manny Machado ended up in Los Angeles as a Dodger. That team is a lot stronger now with Machado and could emerge as the N.L. representative in the World Series. I was also happy that the Yankees made some deals to strengthen the team and that the Cubs did so too. Still, the prize acquisition was youthful pitcher Chris Archer going to Pittsburgh from Tampa Bay. The Pirates and Cardinals are making a concerted push towards to the top of the N.L. Central, giving the Cubs and Brewers a run for the division title as well as for a Wild Card spot.

     There is the first Bluegrass World Series in Louisville, Kentucky this weekend. There are a number of former major leaguers including Chipper Jones and manager Johnny Bench facing various competition. It seems like it is a fun enterprise even if it means very little. That Rick Ankiel, a former pitcher turned outfield because of control issues is pitching well does not mean that he is ready for a comeback at age 39...

     At cornerback for the New York Jets, number 24, Darrelle Revis. In 2009, he was targeted 111 ties, allowing 41 receptions and he defended 23 passes, 7 more than any other player that season. His 2009 numbers are considered to be the best among any cornerback in NFL history; he held 9 of the NFL's top receivers under 35 yards in a game in 2009. A seven time Pro Bowl CB with only 29 interceptions, his true value was exemplified in 2009-11 when QB's threw only 253 times in his direction and they successfully competed passes only 38.7 times. It earned his style of play the moniker "Revis Island" because he could be counted on to defend passes better than anyone. So, in 5 years, this Jet who also played in New England, will be in Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

     Rutgers has stirred up controversy...again. They hired a men's assistant lacrosse coach who had been suspended at the Air Force Academy as the result of a hazing issue. Former AD Julie Hermann, who was fired, was paid over $500,000 in severance/hush money not to sue the school. An assistant swimming coach who was fired due to body shaming comments she allegedly directed at a number of her charges, she is suing the school over her discriminatory firing. Football began pre-season practices with the cloud of 8 suspensions and an ongoing investigation into credit card fraud by members of Coach Chis Ash's team. Business as usual at RU--what a mess. When will they EVER get it right?

     A bigger mess is what is transpiring at Ohio State. Legendary football coach Urban Meyer is embroiled in controversy over whether he had knowledge of an assistant coach's abusive behavior towards his ex-wife. Supposedly Meyer's wife knew directly from the victim about the domestic violence.

     The question was whether Urban Meyer knew and his failure to act responsibly and notify officials at Ohio State constituted a breach of his contractual responsibilities. Forget the morality involved. Meyer is on paid leave pending an investigation. It is unresolved whether a coach like Meyer, a National Championship leader, will survive this turmoil. The climate is zero tolerance right now in college sports--the Paterno/Penn State scenario started this resolve--and no school wants to be in the midst of questions like this; Tennessee would not hire Greg Schiano because, while he was at Penn State, he was aware of the situation and he did nothing. And as I mentioned last week, Michigan State fired a ton of administrators in the wake of the horrific events there.

     Plus, naming the court for Roy Williams at the Dean E. Smith Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill rewards Williams for winning, which apparently is primary in the eyes of the alumni and the administrators. To me, I find it to be hypocrisy. Didn't Carolina have an academic scandal recently, involving basketball players, while Williams went unscathed?

     Coaches are role models. They are also highly paid at the bigger schools in the revenue sports. Coaches cheat, players are less than savory but warrant a scholarship due to athletic prowess. Until there is greater oversight and a sudden recollection of what place morals have in our society, these transgressions will continue. Isn't it time for an overhaul of college athletics now before the damage is irreversible?

     There is this $10 million winner-take-all match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in November, appropriately in Las Vegas. Which will generate a lot of interest. It will gather some steam if either can actually win a tournament.

     Surprise. Lebron James is in the news. For allegedly being in a night club in LA with Kevin Durant and both superstars interceding in a fight between Durant's teammate, Draymond Green, and James' former Cleveland mate, Tristan Thompson. During the recent NBA Finals, they had very heated exchanges. Green refused to shake hands with Thompson at the end of the series, or was it vice versa? Evidently the bad blood never settled--at least on Thompson's part. He attacked Green and then James and Durant separated the two. What all four were doing in the night club was another thing. But at least no further damage was done.

     What James did in Akron this week was the right thing. He opened an academy in partnership with the Akron Public Schools. The school is named the I Promise School, an elementary school dedicated to students in the area who come from difficult circumstances. He opened it down the street from his hometown high school, to give those children structure and to let them know that people care about them. There is a focus on accelerated learning; it makes available job placement assistance for parents; is designed to remove economic stress form the students; there is an on-site food bank; a bicycle is given to each student to escape dangerous parts of town and to explore; and guarantees free college tuition to the University of Akron to all graduates starting in 2021.

     You might not like James as a player. He may act selfishly on the court in his desire to win. That is who he is. But this is exemplary. And that also is who LeBron James is.

     So that is some of the morass of sports from this week. It is a microcosm of our world right now. What will happen next to test our resolve? Even the Margate Hurricanes, 21 time Atlantic County Baseball League champs, led by my F&M teammate Yogi Hiltner, were unceremoniously  eliminated from the ACBL playoffs by the Northfield Cardinals.

     By the way, Gearing Thomas, a 32 year old double Olympian Welshman, won the Tour de France. He dominated the race by leading from Stage 11 to the end.

     There is something mysterious afoot here in the sports world, which may or may not derive from collusion or meddling. It is not fake news. It is the new reality.