Wednesday Night Quarterbacking With Some NBA Commentary

     Since returning on December 18th from a quick and wonderful trip to Southern California, I have been beset with a horrible cold which won’t go away. Except for a few moments where the adrenaline kicked in—-my wife’s 70th birthday party on Saturday and a traditional Christmas morning trip to Katz’s Delicatessen and Russ & Daughters Appetizers for Jewish Soul food, I have been sleeping most of my days, eating somewhat (certainly the party and the NYC trip enticed my appetite) and coughing and excreting mucus constantly. 

     It hasn’t been pretty. Moreover, Wednesday was the first day I could even go to the gym; I needed some semblance of relatively normal activity to help me feel a bit better. Going to the gym was with restrictions on what I can do involving my calcium-laden left shoulder, due for a second lavage next week and a sore tibial region which will be the subject of an MRI on December 28th. I am keeping the Summit Medical Group orthopedic surgeons busy.

     My down time has allowed me to watch a lot of sports on TV. Some games I watched nearly from start to finish; others, I saw in significant portions. 

     My viewing was limited to the NFL and the NBA on Christmas Day. From what I saw, there is plenty to talk about. I hope I have enough stamina to say what I think needed to be said.

     On Saturday, I watched much of the second half of the Baltimore-LA Chargers game from the Stub Hub Center, formerly known as the Home Depot Center, located on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson, California, approximately 14 miles south of Los Angeles. It is the home of Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy, seating 27,000 in a nearly Kafkaesque-like setting as far as the NFL’s TV eye was willing to depict.

     The Chargers had an opportunity to cement a hold on the lead in the AFC West over the Kansas City Chiefs, while hindering the Ravens chances among the AFC playoff hopefuls. And the CBS announcing team was clearly rooting for that to happen. But it didn’t. 

     Chargers’ QB Philip Rivers, purportedly on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame due to his cumulative career numbers, laid an egg on the wretched turf. His teammates weren’t much better. The offense was not in sync due to the superior pressure provided by the Baltimore defense. Rivers was constantly hounded or dumped for losses. He and LA Head Coach Anthony Lynn simply could not overcome the Ravens coaching. If that wasn’t enough, there were too many inopportune flags and turnovers to seal the Chargers fate.

     Baltimore looked like a winner. Confident and brash on defense, the offense was guided by rookie QB Lamar Jackson, who delivered timely passes, augmented by a punishing running attack which included former Rutgers tailback Gus Edwards. John Harbaugh made the correct decision when he kept Jackson in place as the starting QB when incumbent Joe Flacco returned from injury.

     Sunday afternoon, I stayed up long enough to watch the first half of the Green Bay-Jets game. Aided by an early Andre Roberts 99 yard kickoff return, Sam Darnold and his mates took  the play away from Aaron Rodgers and the Packers for most of the first half. The Jets defense, dominant for much of that half, began to unravel towards the end of the second quarter, placing the Pack within striking distance. 

     I admit that I slept through the entire second half and the overtime session. I went to sleep believing that the Jets would somehow fritter away the lead to Rodgers and find a way to lose. Which I wasn’t wrong about. 

     Darnold played like the elite pro QB the Jets organization expects he will become. He completed the most passes in a game thus far, suffered no interceptions, and had a QB rating of 158.4, which is perfect. But the Jets defense proved to be no match for Rodgers, in my opinion a far superior QB than the Chargers’ Rivers. With the aid of a couple of questionable calls by the officials which resulted in a post-game rant by the Jets’ normally mild-mannered Todd Bowles, Rodgers won the game for Green Bay.

     I have said it before—the Jets aren’t a very good team. This week’s final game at New England is likely Bowles’ last game as their head man. Notwithstanding the denial that the Jets are courting Jim Harbaugh, John’s brother and the leader at Michigan as well as formerly a successful coach with the 49’ers, the Jets are a nightmare in many areas. With tons of cap space, they need to address multiple scenarios—defensive line and secondary; offensive line; running back; and wide receivers. The only safe spots seem to be at QB with the future star Darnold, kicking, and kick returns with Roberts. New York will likely draft in the number 4 slot—good enough to get a quality player for years to come. 

     If done right by GM Mike Maccagnan and ownership, the future moves come at a pivotal time for the franchise. I do not believe that the Jets would do wrong if they kept Bowles—the players love him. However, the fans want blood, and he will be the scapegoat in the carnage. I hope that whoever comes in will be able to right the ship in the next two years—for that is all the patience I have with this moribund group.

     The two marquee games were the late afternoon Steelers-Saints matchup and the Chiefs-Seahawks nightcap. These two games showcased four QB’s of some repute—three Super Bowl winners and the wunderkind known as Patrick Mahomes. Neither disappointed the viewers, unless you rooted for Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

     Game One featured a showdown between Drew Brees, who has guided the Saints to the top record in the NFC, and old reliable Big Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh gunslinger.

Back and forth the game went—the Steelers repeatedly overcoming bad officiating and New Orleans manufacturing points via Brees and their multi-talented RB Alvin Kamara. Just when you thought the Saints were on the verge of putting away the Steelers, back came the Steel City crew, recovering from a 24-14 deficit to take a 28-24 lead. 

     It was Brees, throwing with pin point accuracy, who took the Saints to the deciding score, aided by a blown offensive interference call. Still, with little time left on the clock, here came Big Ben charging down the field, likely to secure a game-tying field goal or even the winning TD. Only to have the ball punched away from WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, to the delight of the uproarious Saints fans.

     With the win, New Orleans has home field throughout the NFC Playoffs. Pittsburgh fell to the eighth spot in the AFC Playoff hunt and is behind Baltimore in the AFC North race. They need a lot to happen in their favor on Sunday; with the opening game tie in Cleveland and a string of fourth quarter lapses resulting in defeats, the Steelers must focus on winning and hoping other teams like the Browns do them a favor by beating the Ravens in Baltimore.

     I genuinely like Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin. He has a habit of doing unorthodox moves—his midfield attempt on a fake punt was disastrous—and he has the respect of his players. Pittsburgh may not make the playoffs and there will be criticism of Tomlin, some of which will be justified. The Steelers franchise is one of stability; I hope that they don’t hastily fire a true good man and a winner as a coach.

     In Seattle, with weather in the 40’s and a bit of a sloppy track, two thoroughbreds took the reins for their teams and provided a fast paced show. Russell Wilson, playing before the loud and crazed Seattle fans, which included his wife Ciera, led the Seahawks with 3 TD passes and many an accurate throw.  Chris Collingsworth, the NBC analyst, was astonished on one heave how the arc of the throw put the ball safely into the receiver’s arms when he was blanketed by the defensive back. There also were circus catches from WR Doug Baldwin to aid Seatle in its recovery from an 0-2 start to secure a Wild Card spot in the NFC. Seattle has a punishing ground game and a stiff defense, which even gave the lithe Mahomes difficulty. They are a team to be reckoned with; if Dallas draws them, I would pick Seattle to win the game on the road.

     As for KC, do not worry greatly. They should recover to land the top spot in the AFC. Mahomes is a force and he and Drew Brees are vying for the M.V.P. award. The loss of Kareem Hunt has forced the Chiefs to adapt and the loss of this kind of multi-threat player will be hard to overcome. I also think that the KC defense is a liability. A hot team could exploit this weakness and upset KC. Plus I am not a big fan of Andy Reid, unlike so many announcers who are in his corner. 

     I caught a bit of the mud bath between the Denver Broncos and the Raiders at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum.  Given the litigation between the city and the Raiders and the impending relocation of the franchise to Las Vegas, it was an emotional, wild scene on Monday night.  Derek Carr, a fairly good QB who has very few weapons at his disposal, shredded a flat Broncos squad. Watching Denver’s Case Keenum try and try to energize the Denver offense demonstrated the difference between the elite QB’s I have previously gushed over and the everyday, pedestrian ones. I felt cheated. 

     While I wanted to be nostalgic for one night, I am sympathetic with the Broncos’ players description of the filth, stench and horrid conditions that permeated the Coliseum. Playing elsewhere for a year or two may be the best thing for Jon Gruden and his bunch. The A’s should look to play elsewhere until their new stadium is built in downtown Oakland. I imagine that the Warriors are going to be very happy to vacate Oracle Arena next door and head to San Francisco and their new state of the art arena. 

     One more gripe. The plethora of yellow flags raining down on the NFL playing surfaces, coupled with the serious amount of blown calls and non-calls, is making a sham out of competitive games. It is up to the NFL to get the games under control—without affecting the outcomes. Unfortunately, this is not the case and I expect that the playoffs will not be any different. Something has to change, and the NFL better be proactive this off season or the sanctity of the games will be further eroded.

     ON NBA Christmas (it is no longer a religious holiday but for basketball), the league lined up 5 games. The Knicks were no match for the Milwaukee Bucks and  the “Greek Freak.” That sufficed as an opening act. 

     James Harden played like an M.V.P. to lead the Houston Rockets to a close victory over Oklahoma City. That was the salad.

     Philadelphia and Boston went to overtime to decide their game. Kyrie Irving scored 40 and with the assist of some timely defense and offense from his teammates, Boston downed the Sixers. One observation—Philly’s Jimmy Butler is a selfish gunner. The star of the team is Joel Embiid. Get him the ball and let others feed off of him, not Butler, the ball hog. Philadelphia had the chance to win if shooter J.J. Redick had nailed a couple of shots. Credit the Celtics with the win, for they deserved it.

    The main course was between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. Le Bron versus Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. As a Warriors fan, it was an ugly loss to a team that played harder and better when James was actually out of the game and then after he injured his groin in the third quarter. Curry, Thompson, Durant and Draymond Green performed miserably on offense and defense. Ivica Zubac, an unheralded big man from Croatia, repeatedly thwarted the Warriors inside and dominated them in the paint on offense.

     While Steve Kerr maintains he is not troubled by this loss, it is the third twenty point loss at Oracle this season. I think the Warriors rely too much on jump shots, play spotty defense, and need a big man in the middle to help. I hope Boogie Cousins’ debut isn’t far away, because Golden State needs a jump start to begin playing more solid Warriors basketball. Memo to Draymond: stop pouting and distribute the ball more effectively. You are trying to do too much.

     As to LeBron, his groin injury may or not be too serious. He and Durant evidently dislike each other—that’s okay. His unfortunate choice of rap lyrics—which he thought praised Jews when the words were derisive—disappointed me. I thought he was smarter than that. Maybe he should take former Ohio State Head Football Coach Urban Meyer’s course in character and leadership. Lol.

     Two quick predictions—I see Alabama and Clemson making it to the College Football Championship Game. I don’t think Notre Dame can defeat Clemson. ‘Bama may have a tougher time with Oklahoma and its offense and punishing defense.

     I’ll be back next week, if I get a handle on this cold. Perhaps with a bit more enthusiasm and energy. After all, I have to start following the emergence of the Brooklyn Nets as a legitimate playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. Or maybe the possible sinus infection enveloping me is playing more with my mind than I thought…

Rethinking Steph Curry

     This is a short and special edition of the blog. My need to write is generated by a news story I read on ESPN.com. It involves my favorite basketball player, Steph Curry. 

     On a podcast recently, Curry doubted if the 1969 moon landing was real and not staged. Others, like long-time player Vince Carter and ESPN commentator Jalen Rose concurred with Curry’s assessment.

     I was dumbfounded. I could not believe the garbage coming from Curry. NASA certainly didn’t, as they immediately offered Curry a tour of their facility in Houston, full of moon rocks and the Apollo 13 mission control room.

     Coupled with Kyrie Irving’s pronouncement that he questioned if the Earth was really round, Curry’s statements made me think of  a number of things.

     First, why do I put these athletes on a pedestal? The answer is because they have superior athletic ability. 

     However, little is known about them other than their charitable endeavors or edited sound bites. We want to believe that if they sound sincere and coherent, they must be quite intelligent and knowledgeable. 

     I harken back to my childhood team—the New York Knicks of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. They were as cerebral a team as ever may have been. Bill Bradley, Princeton grad, Rhodes Scholar, U.S. Senator. Dick Barnett achieved his Ph.D. Walt Frazier uses words that Columbia Law grad, the late Howard Cosell, would understand. Earl Monroe, a successful businessman. Dave De Busschere, a GM and President of the Nets. Phil Jackson, the Zen Master as he was called, so well read and gifted. He coached the Chicago Bulls and Los 

Angeles Lakers to a record number of Championships.

     Then there were Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton, big men with intelligence and pride. Len Elmore of the Indiana Pacers, is a lawyer. Jay Bilas, one of the foremost experts on college basketball, is a practicing attorney. NBC’s Chris Collinsworth graduated law school. Baseball’s Tony La Russa, a Hall of Fame manager, did, too. Alan Page, a defensive lineman on the Purple People Eaters of the Minnesota Vikings in the late 1960’s, became a recognized justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. 

     My sights are high when I listen to people talk. I have so much respect for Colin Kaepernick and his beliefs and how he expressed them. Which is why I resent his obvious blackball from the NFL.

     I want my sports heroes to be intelligent and respectful, honorable and decent. Good men playing children’s games for money and prestige. I don’t expect them to be Rhodes Scholars like Senator Bradley. Yet I don’t want them to be inane and inarticulate. 

     With Steph Curry, he sounded smart and sincere. He did the right thing when a girl questioned why Under Armor made his sneakers only for boys. Curry led the Warriors in their boycott of President Trump. He and his wife are religious. 

     In this world of fake news and counterculture biases, I yearned for heroes like my Knicks teams. I thought that I might see that with Golden State and especially withSteph Curry. On both counts, I have been let down.

     I still will respect Curry’s gifts on the floor. Just as I will, for now, respect LeBron James’ sincerity and motives with his school in Akron and his charitable activities along with the ferocity of his play.

     What I am unsure of is whether I will pay to go to an NBA game soon. And, believe it or not, I am unsure of the NFL, except that they seem to impose their own brand of justice on societal offenders.

     This has been an unsettling day for me. One of my heroes is merely a very good basketball player, lacking a dose of common sense and some academics. 

     Retiredlawyesportsop will be on vacation. See you in about two weeks; I hope the sports world doesn’t further implode during that time.

In With The New...

     Fan X likes to torment me on the subject(s) for my blogs. Giving him full credence for many good ideas, my blogs are thoughts which capture my mind during a day or week. Sometimes they are a recapitulation of what has happened in sports. Other times they involve subjects more personal and are reflective.  And other times, they are just compilations of what I think is important and might be to you, the reader.

     With that in mind, I am not going to dwell much on the NFL—even if there is plenty to discuss. Thursday night, Dwayne Henry of the Tennessee Titans started the NFL slate off with a sonic boom—a 99 yard touchdown run, bringing back memories of Tony Dorsett’s famous run for Dallas. Henry ran for almost 250 yards on Thursday night as the Titans kept their flickering playoff hopes alive with a resounding win over Jacksonville.

     In a game which had no meaning as far as the playoff picture is concerned, the New York Jets came from behind and defeated Buffalo on a typically cold day in Western New York. The matchup between rookie QB’s Sam Darnold for New York and Josh Allen of Buffalo was much more the story. Darnold, shaking off the remnants of rust and the foot injury which still troubles him, drove New York to the winning score. That translates to leadership and poise, which a franchise QB should have.

     So, for at least one game, Darnold looked like the QB the Jets thought he would become in future years. His counterpart, Allen, can run and throw. His rushing total of over 100 yards puts him int the history book as the first QB in the draft era to have four consecutive games of 100 yards rushing. He passed somewhat effectively, but in the end, his questionable throw, intercepted by Trumaine Jackson of the Jets, sealed the Bills fate. 

     But fear not, Bills fans. Allen, like Darnold, is young and will be a strong leader. While we AFC East fans have to deal with the seemingly ageless Tom Brady for a few more years, the Allen-Darnold duels will become a staple of intra-division games.

     Speaking of the Patriots, who were in Miami today, Brady set some more career records on his TD passes. Unfortunately, New England lost to the Dolphins on the final play of the game—a pass reception and two laterals which resulted in a game-winning score, temporarily denying New England its 9th straight AFC East crown. Dubbed the “Miracle in Miami,” it was a fun play to watch unfold—especially if you dislike the Patriots.

     The NFL is not what I came to discuss. Neither is the sudden resurgence of the Golden State Warriors with the return of Steph Curry, to be augmented with the return on Monday of Draymond Green to the lineup after an ll game absence due to a toe injury and the highly-anticipated debut of 6’11” Boogie Cousins. 

     It surely wasn’t about the Rutgers flop in the Bronx on Saturday, breaking a lengthy winning streak against Fordham, which was hosting a Big Ten team in their tiny Rose Hill gymnasium for the first time since Purdue came East in 1935.

     And it wasn’t about F&M laying an egg at home, losing to Mc Daniel after winning a road test against a game Haverford squad. Or Johns Hopkins coming up short versus perennial power in the Division III Football Championships. Or even Seton Hall’s stunning OT win over 9th ranked Kentucky at Madison Square Garden, where the teams traded incredible buckets and which became a game that ESPN has called an “Instant Classic.”

     My subject for this week came from watching about five minutes of a basketball game between former Big East rivals Georgetown and Syracuse. The final score was 72-71 in favor of the Orange, in a less than packed Carrier Dome. Like prior Hoya-Orange matchups, it had thrills and chills and all of the bruising play famous in this once can’t miss rivalry.

     
     Yet that was not what caught my eye. It was the matchup of the coaches. Jim Boeheim, the bespectacled one with very little hair, who has been coaching the Syracuse men for eons, was matching wits with the Georgetown coach, Big East and NBA legend, Patrick Ewing. I easily can recall the games Boeheim led his team against the invasion of John Thompson and his prize player, the same Patrick Ewing. Now Ewing has taken over for the Thompsons—father and son—and is trying to lead the Hoyas back to glory. Although his 7-1 team lost yesterday, Ewing has amassed a talented bunch, which bodes well for the future. Plus he can coach too.

     So I started to think about the old and new coaches in the college ranks. Not just the retired legends like John Wooden, Thompson, Lou Carnesecca  of St. John’s, Digger Phelps of Notre Dame, Dean Smith of North Carolina and Bob Knight of Indiana. Or the present legends who will make the Hall of Fame like Coach K at Duke, Roy Williams at North Carolina, Boeheim, Villanova’s Jay Wright, John Caliphari at Kentucky, Tom Izzo at Michigan State, Kansas head man Bill Self or Bob Huggins at his alma mater, West Virginia. But also, the next generation of coaches who are starting out or who have been winning consistently and, with some great recruiting and luck, may record a whole lot of wins and some national titles along the way. 

     Who are the guys who haven’t won the prize yet or who show the promise to become top coaches in the next couple of years and beyond?

     I went to my trusted research assistant, Google for some answers. As always, Google did not disappoint me, even keeping me away from my second source for information, Wikipedia. 

     Here’s what I saw. A lot of damn good coaches who could win it all. Which is good for the sport.

     First, there are the established or older coaches. John Beilein comes to mind. The 65 year old Michigan coach has a top squad this season, coming off a team that lost the National Championship to Villanova last season. He will always be on the cusp of a title, and, if things break right, may even win one. 

     Same for Mark Few. A talented recruiter and a solid coach, he made his name at Gonzaga before the lure of the bigger money led him to Georgia. While known primarily as a football conference, SEC basketball is always competitive even if Kentucky nearly always wins the crown.

     Also in that realm is Tony Bennett, who is approaching age 50 and who has produced some superb teams at Virginia, even if the Cavaliers were bounced in the first round by number 16 seed UMBC. Facing Duke and Carolina is daunting. I just wonder if his teams have enough moxie to win it all.

     Mike Brey is at a football school and manages to do just fine. The 59 year old is a stellar recruiter and fine coach. It is just the same mantra for Brey at Notre Dame as for Bennett at UVA—the ACC is littered with carcasses trying to surmount the big boys.

     There are a lot of 50 and 60 year old coaches who win and win some more. Rick Barnes at Tennessee, Frank Martin with South Carolina, Bruce Pearl at Auburn and Avery Johnson at Alabama all can be found in the SEC. Jim Larranaga routinely produces highly competitive teams at Miami. Ditto Jamie Dixon at TCU. Lon Krueger at Oklahoma, Mark Turgeon with Maryland, Randy Bennett of St. Mary’s (CA), Dana Altman with the Oregon Ducks and Greg Mc Dermott at Creighton. Just too name a few.

     The young guns are the ones who I have interest in. I admit that Patrick Ewing is no youngster, just like Chris Mullin at St. John’s, his alma mater. I like this rivalry for the ardor and the history it educes.

     Three sets of brothers come to mind—the Millers, the Hurleys and the Drews. The Millers have established themselves at high profile schools—Arizona for Sean and Indiana for Archie—where the expectation is to win national titles.  

     Danny Hurley is now at UConn after success at Rhode Island;  UConn is known for champions in basketball. Big brother Bobby Hurley has progressed to Arizona State after his first gig at Buffalo. The former Duke All-American has the basketball smarts that their Hall of Fame father instilled in them at St. Anthony’s, a New Jersey prep powerhouse in Jersey City. 

     The Drews, who played for their father Homer at Valparaiso, are at Vanderbilt and Baylor. These schools are not likely homes for national title contenders. But with their coaching pedigrees, they should be ensconced for years to come.

     Another coach with a pedigree is Chris Collins. The Northwestern head man is the son of Doug Collins, a former NBA All Star and coach. Moreover, he played for and coached as an assistant at Duke. His credentials are super and with a refurbished Welsh-Ryan Arena, the Wildcats are worth watching.

     Falling into the father as coach classification is Richard Pitino. His father was a title winner at Louisville and Kentucky. Hopefully he will not suffer a fall from grace like his dad. 

     Shaka Smart at Texas is going to develop national championship caliber teams. He is bright and capable, effusive but decisive on the court, always moving in for the kill. I like his swagger and demeanor.

     Chris Mack at Xavier and Seton Hall’s Kevin Willard compete in the treacherous Big East. With some top tier recruiting, they have the potential to rise in stature. Same with former Butler coach now at Ohio State, Chris Holtmann. 

     An up and comer in the Big Ten is Pat Chambers at Penn State. The Philadelphia native has turned heads with his team’s feisty play. Take note, Steve Pikiell. 

     Steve Alford is always measured against the greatest—John Wooden. A star high school and college player in Indiana, Alford has won in the D I circles with Iowa, New Mexico and now at UCLA. I keep waiting for his breakthrough year, just like Bruins boosters. I just hope that the vultures don’t swoop down on him.

     I have always like Andy Enfield (a.k.a. The Shot Doctor) The sweetheart coach of upstart Florida Gulf Coast landed a great job at USC. Andy has a great coaching resume as a shooting coach for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks and with Leonard Hamilton at Florida State. He holds 18 school records at Johns Hopkins, where the Shippensburg PA High School valedictorian graduated in 1991. Founder of a health care software start up company named TractManager, he is worth millions. Basketball is his passion and he gets to do what he wants with total financial security. Enfield can get the right talent and he certainly can coach. He is in a big market and he is married to a model. This is the kind of guy who can break through at any moment with the right assortment of talent.

     I can go on and on about mid-major icons like Gregg Marshall at Wichita State who are winners. Or I can point out some lower level coaches who have caught my eye like Fordham’s coach, Jeff Neubauer and Bob Richey at Furman. King Rice at Monmouth, once a hot commodity at Monmouth, has fallen on very hard times with an 0-11 start this season. He seems to be the exception.

     The state of college hoops couldn’t be better. There are established coaches who are the immortals. But there are plenty of unknowns or ones with big promise, waiting in the wings. Just like the high-flying, three point shooting teams we love to watch, it is the ones where the coaches get the players to buy into defense first that win continuously.  

     I am not going to predict who will win the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. What I will predict that the coaches who I have mentioned and those who I have not identified in this short list will make college basketball as exciting as it always has been.

Venting

     I am trying to sort out this weekend in sports and put some orderliness to it. Yet I can’t. Not for lack of trying. So I will forge ahead, with the lack of support for my grammatical faux pas from my editor who is ensconced in her South Carolina villa, for at least one week oblivious to my sportswriting.

     Let’s start with the good news. Rutgers did not and will not play a football game again until late Summer 2019. This didn’t stop Athletic Director Pat Hobbs from drafting a mea culpa/rah rah letter to the dwindling and angry Rutgers faithful. Laden with promises about the future and declaring the state of RU athletics is on the rise, Hobbs has aligned himself, at least for now, with Head Coach Chris Ash. 

     Look, I want Ash and Rutgers to succeed. This is the Birthplace of College Football. While they are relative newcomers to big time college football, there is no reason why RU cannot be competitive. The talent is within the high schools in New Jersey. Give them reason to stay home. Greg Schiano did. Then scoop up some players who feel aggrieved or who want to transfer to get playing time, and that is a start to the winning RU fans crave. 

     That is, if the coaching is capable of teaching these youngsters and developing a winning attitude. Which, given the current assemblage of RU coaches, is questionable.

     Giving Ash another shot at turning things around is perhaps by economic necessity. RU can’t afford to buy him out and they aren’t near the Big Ten funds they so desperately covet. I can only hope that they do some better things on the field next season. Or else Hobbs gets to start all over again with a search for a new head coach.

     On the hardwood, the RU men’s basketball team has already done something that some of the past few teams hadn’t done much of. Win on the road against a quality opponent. The win at Miami on Wednesday is a good stepping stone for the confidence of this young team. It came against a tired Hurricanes squad who had played a number of games away from campus in a short span, and they were down a valuable player. 

     It is probable that if they played again, Miami might clearly be the winner. But RU prevailed in a low scoring defensive battle. Less than 48 hours later, they were back at the RAC facing a ranked opponent in Michigan State. For the first twenty plus minutes, RU kept the Spartans close, behind by only two at the half. Weariness and the Spartans superior talent led to second half dominance and a MSU victory. 

     The Knights head to Wisconsin for a game against another ranked opponent on Monday night. This game might not be so pretty, with three games in five nights, and two of them on the road. But Head Coach Steve Pikiell is full of enthusiasm, and I think he can really coach. For the RU Men’s Basketball team, they are showing that they can compete with the good teams. Unfortunately, the Big Ten is loaded with good teams, so the results may not be much improved over last season. Nonetheless, with an upset or two, there is genuine hope with this group.

     I have watched very little TV over the course of the weekend. I did see the excellent movie Green Book, with Mahershala Ali. Did you know that Mahershala, who grew up in Oakland, attended St. Mary’s College in California, a school with a top tier basketball program. He went there on a basketball scholarship, but walked away from the team because he did not like the way the scholarship athletes were treated. Ali got the acting bug while at St. Mary’s, which led to a master’s degree at N.Y.U. and stardom.

     What I did see has been compelling. I saw the end of the Alabama-Georgia SEC title game. What I came away with is that the Crimson Tide is the best team in the country. Whether it is Tua Tagovailoa orJalen Hurts coming to the rescue, this team is loaded. I am not saying they can’t be beaten, but against Georgia, they once more ruined the dreams of the Bulldog fans. 

     I also saw an entertaining contest between Ohio State and Northwestern—for three quarters. Then the talent and depth of the Buckeyes caused the Wildcats to unravel. Making Ohio State the Big Ten champs. 

     Clemson steamrolled Pitt for the ACC title. Notre Dame was idle, ending their regular season at 12-0. 

     What I missed was the barn burner between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas. Earlier in the season, at the Red River Shootout in Dallas, Texas ambushed the Sooners, giving OU their only loss. In a seesaw contest, OU prevailed and won the Big 12 crown. 

     Which gave the College Football Panel a dilemma as to the fourth and final participant in the four team playoff. They selected Oklahoma, relegating OSU to the Rose Bowl. 

     Arguments could be made for both OU and OSU as the final team in. Somewhere, people will be unhappy with this subjectiveness. Alas, this is the system driven by big money and the bowls. Which, in my opinion, stinks. 

     I feel for the OSU team. I feel for the Georgia kids, who played their hearts out. I feel most of all for the Central Florida team, once more undefeated and uninvited. I hope they trounce a good LSU team in the Fiesta Bowl.

     Once the college football season was extended to 12 games, the chances for a real tournament ended. In Division III, the regular season concludes at 10 games. There aren’t any phony conference championships. The regular season is what counts. 32 teams participate, with 25 conference winners and seven wild card teams. Both the FCS and Division II playoffs consist of 20 teams. All three groups crown a champion.

     In Division III, they are down to the Final Four. Mount Union defeated Centennial Conference runner-up Muhlenberg this past Saturday and they play another CC team, conference champion Johns Hopkins. (Kudos to the Mules and the Blue Jays) The winner of Mary Hardin-Hardin-Baylor and Wisconsin-Whitewater will take on the winner of the aforementioned game for the title.

     If the worry in the FBS was about school work and the strain of the games, the four teams left in the tournament are playing game number 14. The FBS teams will each be playing their 15th game in the finals, matching their counterparts in D III. 

     But in the Power 5 conferences, it is all about the money. That is why an interloper like UCF, who may really have a meritorious claim to be included in a playoff, doesn’t get a chance. They can’t even schedule good Power 5 schools, largely because the top football teams will not be willing to tarnish their chances to reach the playoff by being knocked off by a non-Power 5 school. 

     An 8 team playoff would be reasonable if the big boys would agree that 11 games is sufficient. Even if UCF is the 8th-rated team and is one of three wild card teams, then they would have earned their shot at immortality. Taking the five champions from the Power 5 conferences, Washington and Ohio State would be in. Notre Dame and UCF would be wild cards. And maybe Georgia would get into the mix after all.

     Sounds great? Spoiler alert—it’s not going to happen very soon. First, the major bowls won’t allow for this. As long as the Power 5 controls the scene, it is all about them and no one else. The only way that this will fail is if the Ohio States yearly are passed over as the fifth team looking in. Then something will happen to shake the landscape of college football. And only if their is a financial incentive to sweeten the pot.

     I watched the end of the Winnipeg Jets-New Jersey Devils game on Saturday evening. Towards the end of the third period, the two teams skated in a frenzy. The Jets went up 3-1, but the Devils managed to score to tie the score. The game went to a 3 on 3 overtime. The helter skelter pace continued with some brilliant opportunities for each squad. One of the Devils young stars, Nico Hischier coughed up the puck in his own zone and Winnipeg scored the game winner with 16 ticks left in the OT. A fun game, which has epitomized the Devils start to this season.

     As to the NFL, this was not the prettiest week in league history.  The Washington Redskins claimed Reuben Foster, charged with domestic battery and released by the 49’ers. This from a team who would not go near Colin Kapernick, the poster boy for evil based on his stance against abuse of black people by the police through his taking a knee on the sidelines during the National Anthem. Even when they needed another QB after starter Alex Smith went down. Such hypocrisy. Thankfully, he league stepped in and Foster was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List.

     Then there was the case of the Kansas City Chiefs star running back Kareem Hunt. A video went viral from an ugly incident in February at a Cleveland hotel which showed Hunt pushing and kicking a woman. Evidently the Chiefs knew about there incident, but did nothing to act on it until the video surfaced. Hunt was released and he joins Foster on the Commissioner’s list.

     The competitiveness within the NFL is so bad that they hide domestic assault. This is awful. But not surprising. Deflategate became a major thing because of who was involved—Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. That pales in comparison with domestic abuse.

     Too many incidents of a lack of moral turpitude are occurring with the NFL and its teams. There must be transparency and accountability. I fear that there are more heinous acts that are undisclosed or waiting to happen. What is it going to take to stop the fake politics, lying, cheating and abuse that is the sick culture of the NFL?

     Earlier this week, I dreamt that I saw New Orleans QB Drew Brees on the sidelines in an animated yet civil chat. Dallas stalled the Saints dream season, stopping the New Orleans offense on Thursday night. Meanwhile, the Rams are closing in on home field advantage for the entirety of the NFC playoffs.

     I saw a small portion of the first half of the Bears—Giants game. Once I saw that Bears QB Mitchell Trubinsky wan’t playing I knew that the Giants, playing at home, had a chance. According to my scout, Fan X, I missed a great game. I am happy for the Giants. Maybe a Dallas loss might still keep the Giants alive in the NFC East. However, as the sage Yogi Berra has said: “It’s getting late early.” That, sadly for Giants fans, has applicability to this season.

     The end to my football day was watching the Jets disintegrate and lose to the Tennessee Titans in the last minute of play. Too many penalties, blown coverages and bad plays doomed the Jets. The passing game was invisible until the end of the game. Josh McCown’s final pass, resulting in an interception by former Patriot Malcolm Butler, was predictable. 

     If the Green Bay Packers mercifully fired Head Coach Mike Mc Carthy after the home loss to Arizona earlier today, then, as Fan X has been screaming, it is time for the Jets to fire Todd Bowles. There are plenty of experienced or eager guys who can come in, with a bare cupboard, a young and struggling QB, high draft choices, plenty of cap space and the need to re-work the culture of the locker room. The picture of DL stalwart Leonard Williams on the sidelines said it all. Anger and frustration were etched on his face. That is the sad fact of the New York Jets for the 2018 season.

     As to my football night, I witnessed an epic meltdown by the Pittsburgh Steelers. At home, when ahead by 16 points, the Steelers were an amazing 174-0-1. Until the Los Angeles Chargers came roaring back, ending the Steelers dominance at home. The Chargers seemingly are a better road team this year; temporarily playing in a soccer stadium until the big stadium they will share with the Rams in Inglewood is completed evidently does not suit them as well.

     Three other things of note—UConn went to Notre Dame and defeated the No. 1 Irish. Geno Auriemma wanted this game and so did his kids. UConn will rightfully be back at the familiar top spot in the next poll. Geno takes additional satisfaction in beating Muffet McGraw, the highly successful Notre Dame coach.

     I think the Mets are making a big mistake in trading for Robinson Cano and star reliever Edwin Diaz. They are not going to become a contender because of this move. Especially if the Phillies land Bryce Harper and/or Manny Machado and possibly pitching ace Patrick Corbin, whose family is urging the Syracuse native to play for the Yankees.

     And, finally, the F&M men’s basketball team knocked off No. 8 Swarthmore on the road, the winning shot was a three point heave. Now 5-2, Glenn Robinson’s crew scored a major win for the first time in a long while, which counts heavily in conference play. Go Dips!!

     I feel that after venting for so long, I needed to end this piece with a personal, positive vibe. Until next week.