Statements, Opinions, Speculation

Let’s get the despicable out of the way first. This week’s Kansas State-Kansas men’s basketball game illustrated the worst in the sport. With Kansas blowing out K-State at home, a K-State player stole the ball from a Jayhawk player and that player ran the Wildcat down, physically blocking the attempted dunk, standing over the fallen K-State player and taunting him. Then all hell broke loose, which included a chair being held high in a possible attempt to use it on a K-State player. This brawl was ugly and it sullied the contest. Suspensions for all who were involved were warranted. There simply is no place for this type of behavior, no matter what the score is.

Rutgers gave a game effort at Iowa, but lost 85-80. Luka Garza of Iowa is a force—maybe the best player in the Big Ten. Ron Harper, Jr. led RU with a carer-high 29 points. His pedigree makes me believe that he could be NBA material like his dad. RU needs to protect home court this weekend against Nebraska, who they handled earlier in the season in Lincoln.

Seton Hall continues to press on in the Big East. They have taken on all conference comers thus far and have won all of their games. I don’t know if they are a legitimate NCAA title contender, but they certainly are a team to be reckoned with.  Note to the NCAA Selection Committee: please don’t force a rematch of Rutgers and Seton Hall should the Scarlet Knights make the tournament. 

North Carolina is on a 6 game losing streak. That’s right 6 games!! Almost unheard of on Tobacco Road. This is Carolina, college basketball royalty, we are talking about. Critics question whether Roy Williams should be fired or asked to retire. One bad season and the jackals are out? C’mom—he is a Hall of Fame coach who is only as good as his players are, and they are a team which suffered losses to the NBA and injury. Start the chirping only if he puts up 2 losing season in a row. 

UConn women downed Tennessee in the first meeting between the schools in 14 years. A heated rivalry formed, led by the two fiery coaches—Geno Auriemma for the Huskies and the late Pat Summitt at Tennessee. I doubt that it will ever be like the old days. It still goes to show that UConn and Auriemma will play anyone good any time, which includes renewing old rivalries for both the sake of the players and the fans.

Zion Williamson made his long awaited debut for the Pelicans at home versus San Antonio. He did not disappoint, showing a brilliant flash of what he will become with a spurt of 17 straight points in the fourth quarter of what would become a loss to the Spurs. Williamson wanted to continue to play, but it had been pre-determined as to the amount of minutes he would see in this, his first NBA game. It was the right move.His future is ahead of him—why ruin it in one game when a whole career awaits?

He is an awesome talent. I think back to the days when he would have had to stay the four years in college like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bill Walton did. I dare say that Duke might have won a couple of titles while Zion remained a Blue Devil.

This is a dull period in baseball. Only made exciting by the Hall of Fame announcements earlier in the week. The first of the two new members is Larry Walker. I had been wondering why he hadn’t achieved a spot earlier; Walker was a dominant hitter in his generation with Montreal, Colorado and finally finishing his career in St. Louis. He also was a very good fielder with a highly accurate arm while he patrolled right field. This was an example of the BBWAA getting it right on the the last chance to vote Walker in. 

Next closest to the inductees was Curt Schilling. He appears to have an inside track for induction in 2021. Accused steroid users Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds lag behind. Many observers believe they will never get in. 

Again, my position is clear— if the games count and the statistics count, then the players should receive the benefit of their actions on the field. I find it even more reprehensible about keeping out Pete Rose, applying the same logic. 

Which leads me to one of the two top stories in the New York metropolitan area. That, of course, is the voting by the BBWAA which placed Derek Jeter in the Hall of Fame. 397 ballots were cast. He receive 396 votes. Really? One person didn’t think that Derek Jeter was worthy of the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility? Was this a racist thing—like those who didn’t vote for Hank Aaron or Willie Mays? I truly hope not. Or was it a voter who felt that only somebody like Mariano Rivera was worthy of unanimity? Or somebody who doesn’t like Jeter’s current work in Miami with the Marlins?

It is stupid and shouldn’t have happened. Jeter didn’t mind—he has the second highest total of votes in the Hall’s history. Ironically, being number 2 is who Derek Jeter is—the number he wore in pinstripes and road grays, proudly playing for his favorite team. 

Many of my peers love Mickey Mantle, and think he was the greatest Yankees player of their lives. I am sorry, but he is second in this instance. Derek Jeter is my all-time favorite Yankee. It’s not just the numbers—his ending up 6th on the all-time hits list with a career batting average of .310, or his higher average in 158 post-season games. He simply was the leader of a great team, the Captain and shortstop of the New York Yankees. 

I loved his at bats. He was always capable of doing the unusual, unlike any other player I have seen. I re-watched his final game at Yankee Stadium from 2014. That’s when closer David Robertson uncharacteristically blew a 5-2 lead, which forced New York to bat in the bottom of the ninth. After a lead off single and a bunt, with a man on second, up strode Jeter for what would be his final Yankee Stadium at bat. As he seemingly did so often, Jeter laced a laser to right field, scoring the runner from second base. 

A rare show of emotion followed, with Jeter yelling and thrusting his arms into the air in celebration. He was surrounded by his teammates, given his only Gatorade bath (he took it well), and he met with former teammates who he hugged along with the man he called Mr. Torre—Hall of Fame Yankees skipper Joe Torre. It couldn’t have been scripted any better. 

This is why I loved Jeter as a player. He was exciting, endearing, intoxicating. To be blessed to watch such talent is rare. Yankees fans had it with Rivera and Jeter. I know my life was that much happier because of Derek Jeter and his style of play, which translated into titles for the Yankees. And now culminating in his expected enshrinement in Cooperstown.

This week was also big for another icon in the area. Eli Manning has called it a career. He retired the way he wanted to—a member of the New York Giants for his whole career. 

There has been a lot of debate already starting about Eli’s chances to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Too much emphasis is being placed upon his 117-117 regular season record. Manning owns every Giants passing record there is—good or bad. He has two Super Bowl M.V.P. trophies, the result of two improbable New York victories over the New England Patriots of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. 

This guy is a certain member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A no brainer. A lock. He was a class act on and off of the field. He created virtually no problems and his durability was not in question—only coaching decisions later in Manning’s career ended his streak of over 200 consecutive games played.

Some have speculated that if no other older quarterbacks retire this year, it will make his entry into Canton easier. That is if he is to be voted in on his first chance at eligibility in 2025. And I say so what about his not getting in on the first opportunity? If he gets in on the second or third try, this hardly diminishes what Manning has done on the field. 

Giants fans should once more embrace Eli Manning. They will have another opportunity when his number is retired. Then one more time when Eli Manning joins his brother Peyton in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

For their sake, I hope that Daniel Jones turns out to be as good as Eli. We’ll see. I know as a Jets fan, I am waiting for Sam Darnold to equal what Joe Namath accomplished. Just like I have been waiting since Namath left the Jets after the 1976 season. Their is no certainty about quarterbacks who follow legends.

We are off to Ottawa on what has now become our annual journey to Canada to see the New Jersey Devils play each of the Canadian NHL teams. I can name a number of Devils, as I have watched a few games and read on line and newspaper accounts. 

Unfortunately, I am unable to name one Senators’ player or who is the head coach. Shame on me. That will be remedied by Monday night, which is the first game after the All-Star Game Saturday night in St. Louis. 

What I do know is that both teams languish far behind the leaders in the division and conference. Which should make for some good hockey.

In sports, fans have definite opinions. Some things they say are statements. And some are left to speculation. 

Another Wild, Wacky Week

Another week in the sports world is almost done. This was some week. NFL playoffs. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial team was introduced. NHL firings. Clemson Men’s basketball team did something unreal.  The Milwaukee Bucks are on a pace for 70 wins. The college football championship was decided. Seton Hall is atop the Big East standings in basketball. Rutgers men’s basketball team is being mentioned for the NCAA basketball tournament. I watched the #1 team in Division III via computer. A Rutgers and Highland Park icon passed away. And a man with one arm from birth made a hole-in-one in a PGA Tour Pro-Am event. All to be covered later.

Let’s start with the story came out of Houston by way of the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball which has sent shock waves throughout the sporting world. A story about something so egregious that it cost 3 people their jobs. That wis about the Astros’ two seasons  cheating scheme which allowed them an unfair advantage by letting their players know what pitches were coming.

Sign stealing has always been a part of baseball. If a runner on second base can figure out the complex, changed signals that the catcher flashes to the pitcher and then, with a swipe of a jersey or a hat, relay it to the batter, that’s okay. Similarly, if the opponent can de-code the variety of signs the third base coach uses to inform the batter and any on-base runners, that too is fine.

However, when artificial mechanical means are employed to obtain the signs which might not be readily available to other teams, that is blatant cheating. The use of TV cameras and banging garbage cans or, as has been alleged by players even if discredited by MLB in their investigation, the use of buzzers under the uniform is wholly unacceptable. 

This cheating has cost the Astros and their manager for not stopping the cheating. Manager A.J. Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow received 1 year suspensions from MLB. Houston was also fined $5 million. Owner Jim Crane said this was inadequate and fired both. 

Boston manager Alex Cora, an Astros coach at the time, not only was directly involved in the cheating in Houston, but also improperly used cameras to0 cheat for the Red Sox in 2018. Red Sox owners and Cora mutually agreed to part ways after this came to light. MLB has not completed its investigation into the Red Sox, so expect sanctions against Cora and the team.

Then there was Carlos Beltran, an Astros player who was named in the MLB investigation but not sanctioned. The owners of the Mets felt the pressure and mutual agreed with Beltran that he would be a distraction to the team if he managed in 2020.

The outcry from players has been swift and harsh. Dodgers players, who lost to both Houston and Boston in successive World Series in 2017 and 2018, were quick to condemn the Astros. Recently retired Yankee C.C. Sabathia was particularly incensed over the Astros cheating and how it affected the outcome of their playoff series. Players from other team were just as irate and calls for stripping Houston of its title and individual players fo their awards have surfaced. 

Even more upsetting were the pictures and denials by Astros players that they did not wear a buzzer to warn them about pitches. All Star second baseman Jose Altuve was accused of doing this, and 2019 M.V.P. runner up Alex Bregman was also indicted by other players as a participant in this scheme. 

Players are asking MLB to reopen their investigation new photographic evidence of pictures of Altuve concealing an item beneath his jersey has surfaced.

MLB issued quick justice in this affair and three owners felt that the integrity of their franchises and the game had been so denigrated that employment of the participants was unwarranted. I think that it wasn’t enough and the players should have been more thoroughly investigated.

MLB weathered the steroid epidemic. It acted tough against domestic violence. But this scandal is beyond those measures. It was a concerted effort to gain a competitive advantage that was straight out cheating and a total disregard for fairness and baseball as an institution.

It is the worst scandal in MLB since the 1919 Black Sox debacle, which went to the moral and ethical fabric of the sport. Lifetime bans were effectuated. 

Similarly, when Pete Rose bet on games—even if he was betting on his Reds to win—that was enough to get him kicked out of baseball. This current scandal warrants that kind of punishment.

I like Commissioner Rob Manfred for trying to be proactive while attempting to preserve professional baseball. He may have been too lenient, perhaps modeling the punishment like the “Bountygate” one year penalties Saints Head Coach Sean Payton and then-defensive coordinator Greg Williams both received for targeting opposing players. Payton has since won a Super Bowl and Williams currently is flourishing as the defensive coordinator for the Jets. This is much more significant and should have more severe consequences—to act as a full deterrent to this aberrant activity. 

I hope that MLB reopens the instigation regarding Altuve, Bregman and others. I expect that Cora will receive greater punishment that Hinch. I want to believe, in the end, that this will stop the kind of abhorrent behavior which has tarnished baseball. 

Moving on to the NFL conference title games, upstart Tennessee has reached this round by throttling Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens and utilizing the punishing, big-bodied running game of Derrick Henry. This cinderella act reaches a climax on Sunday when the Titans journey to Arrowhead Stadium to meet the Kansas City Chiefs and QB Patrick Mahomes, who seems to be back in his unworldly form. While Tennessee prevailed earlier this season in Nashville, it is going to take much more to down the Chiefs at home, especially in the way they tore up the Houston Texans after being down by 24

The NFC is a more intriguing matchup. Certain future Hall of Fame QB and State 

Farm spokesperson Aaron Rodgers leads the Green Bay Packers to the West Coast to face the powerful San Fransisco 49’ers, a team seemingly on a mission this season. Green Bay stopped Russell Wilson and negated the Seahawks defense in its win at Lambeau Field. San Francisco demolished the Vikings, which makes them the favorite in this title clash.

I made my own rankings of the final 8 teams quarterbacks. It is highly unscientific and I am not going to cite any figures to support my results. This is based on what I saw:

1. Patrick Mahomes

2. Aaron Rodgers

3. Russell Wilson

4. Jimmy Garappolo

5. Lamar Jackson

6. DeShawn Watson

7. Kirk Cousins

8. Ryan Tannehill

Thus, by my feelings, the numbers 1 and 8 are going head-to-head, while the NFC has the number 2 and 4 passers meeting.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame added new members with 13 players, coaches, contributors and owners being selected. Coaches Jimmy Johnson and Bill Cowher, players Duke Slater, Ed Sprinkle, Bobby Dillion, Jumbo Jim Covert, Harold Carmichael, Alex Karras, Winston Hill and Donnie Shell, former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, NFL Films legend Steve Sabol, who joins his father Ed in Canton, and Giants GM George Young make up the class. 

I think that the 25 man committee did a wonderful job. I also think that the choices of Winston Hill, the tackle on the Jets who protected Joe Namath’s blind side, Covert, Karras, Shell, Carmichael Tagliabue, Sabol and Young were superb. 

LSU is the collegiate champion. They have already been to the White House. The celebration will continue with other events in Baton Rouge and Louisiana. Geaux Tigers is in the national lexicon. This team was a great team. One of the best ever. Led by Heisman Trophy winner and sure fire future NFL star in Joe Burrow, a transfer from Ohio State, the almost homesteading Tigers took a hard punch from an excellent Clemson team which just happened to be the defending National Champions. 

Not only did they weather the storm, LSU shut the door on Clemson Tigers’ QB Trevor Lawrence, the way Clemson stopped Alabama and Tua Tagovailoa last year. There was no doubt who the superior team was this season. LSU is a worthy top dog (Tiger) this season. 

As was pointed out, there may have been as many as 22-24 NFL players playing on Monday night in the Superdome. That statistic is amazing, yet having seen the caliber of play, it makes sense. 

Rutgers has completed its 2020 coaching staff for Greg Schiano. Rutgers’ efforts to land defensive coaching wunderkind Anthony Campanile, a NJ native and RU grad as well as brother of Nunzio Campanile who was the interim RU head coach after the departure of Chris Ash, were for naught. Anthony left the University of Michigan for a job with the Miami Dolphins. This works out for the Scarlet Knights, because with this Campanile off the recruiting trail, RU can potentially land talent that might have headed to Michigan.

A former player at Penn State has filled a lawsuit against current Nittany Lions Head Coach James Franklin for hazing. I do not like Franklin and his antics. Given the death of a student during a fraternity pledge prank, this is unconscionable. I believe that if this is substantiated, Franklin must go. Zero tolerance.

Sadly, former HPHS great and Rutgers Hall of Fame inductee Richie Policastro died from complications from a recent stroke. Richie may have been the best player to come out of HPHS. I wondered why he went to VMI (he was offered a scholarship and thought getting away from Highland Park was a good thing), which did not work out at all. Instead, he re-emerged at Rutgers under Coach John Bateman (Richie was great friends with Scott Bateman, the coach’s son, who was a center on the 1964 undefeated squad, and went to Amherst; before games Richie had breakfast at the Bateman home on River Road), because John Bateman had recruited him and said if things didn’t pan out with the Keydets, he would gladly welcome Richie to RU. Which was a plus for everyone, especially when Richie led the Scarlet Knights to a decisive 29-0 rout of arch rival Princeton in the 100 th anniversary of their initial contest. 

My memories of Richie include something else. When I played freshman football, he would bring me aside and have a catch, throwing his tight, hard spirals right to my hands at my midsection. He laughed, joked and encouraged me to throw the ball, much bigger than my small hands, better and better. He also was playful on the basketball court when I drifted over from freshman basketball practice where I was the manager.

This was the icon of Highland Park sports, yet he took time to play with this chubby, 5’2” freshman. He knew my name and that was something too. May he rest in peace.

Let’s talk college hoops. First the women. Baylor traveled to Storrs and stopped UConn’s 98 game winning streak. Former number 1 Oregon lost on the road at Arizona State. It looks like Baylor and South Carolina are going to be at the top for now. I marvel at the sudden decline, if you can call it such, of UConn women’s hoops. I always thought Head Coach Geno Auriemma was the John Wooden of the distaff side. Wooden didn’t have may losing seasons, as he ended his legendary career. 

To see Geno’s teams not at the top feels unusual and awkward. It’s not that UConn is losing. They aren’t. It is more marveling as to how long they were dominant and how the pursuers are finally catching up. Still, once more it will be strange to see someone else holding up the hardware besides the Huskies. 

With men’s basketball, my first bit of praise goes to Clemson. While the campus may have been down with the football loss, the men’s team finally won a game at North Carolina in its 60th attempt. Sure, it is a down UNC squad, minus its star player. 

But a win is a win. And to follow it up, the Tigers took out #3 Duke at home, to cap off maybe the best week ever for Clemson basketball.

Big Ten basketball is highly competitive in 2019-20. Pre-season favorite Michigan State leads the league. In second place are Wisconsin, Illinois and…Rutgers. Additional teams who have scored impressive victories or are have been placed in the Top 25 are Michigan, Penn State, Maryland, Purdue, Iowa, Minnesota and  Ohio State. That is 11 of the 14 teams, and Indiana is 13-4 as opposed to below .500 Nebraska and cellar dwelling Northwestern. 

Home court is huge in the conference. Rutgers is a prime example, with its three wins at home over Wisconsin, a then-ranked Penn State and Indiana on Wednesday. During the contest, the BTN analyst drove home how RU is undefeated at home this season, which includes the blowout win over Seton Hall, and that the Scarlet Knights are on a pace to finally have a winning season after 13 below .500 years. 

Before we get too giddy about RU, there are 14 more Big Ten games ahead, starting with a 4-3 Minnesota team which RU cannot overlook. Should RU win that game, then maybe entry into the Top 25 might happen. 

Will it last? Probably not. Rutgers lost a winnable game at Illinois when big man Myles Johnson had limited playing time due to foul trouble. RU cannot afford too many instances where he is benched due to fouls. Getting back Geo Baker, the best player on the team was a lift, including his monstrous slam in the last 2 minutes of the Indiana game. Plus RU still shoots free throws poorly and foul shooting is an important key to victory.

It is nice to see a renaissance in RU basketball. For however long it lasts, finally there is improvement.

Seton Hall has picked itself up from its loss at RU, gotten potential All-American Myles Powell back in the lineup and his scoring has vaulted the Pirates to the top of the Big East standings, where they had been picked to finish. This team will go as far as Powell takes them. His injury was scary and it would be nightmare for the team and for him should he suffer another head trauma. 

F&M, in the midst of a down year, hosted number 1 Swarthmore last Saturday. The Garnet looked every bit the the top team in the Centennial Conference and in the nation, with a swarming defense and timely shooting and rebounding holding the Diplomats to 53 points. This Swarthmore team is the best D-III team I have seen, albeit I have only been to one Final Four.

At the halfway point of the campaign, it appears that the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers are the teams in the NBA. The Bucks are on a pace to win 70 or 71 games this season. Not so fast, says GM Jon Horst. The priority is to win the NBA Finals, not garner 70 or more wins or take a shot at the Golden State record of 73. Sound strategy.

This week, some more prominent names in the NHL were fired. Devils GM Ray Shero lost his job, a victim of poor performance which cost Coach John Hynes his job earlier this season; Hynes has resurfaced as the head man at Carolina. The Vegas Golden Knights sacked Gerard Gallant, who only a season removed, led the expansion team to the Stanley Cup Finals. He has been replaced by Peter DeBoer, who had most recently been at San Jose.  Expect more heads to roll in the NHL—the fact that the St. Louis Blues came from the bottom of the pile last season to win the Stanley Cup after making a coaching change might be the impetus for openings to occur soon.

By the way, watch out for the Pittsburgh Penguins. With Sidney Crosby back in the lineup, they are real title contenders. 

With all of the smoke that continued to envelop Australia and Melbourne, the site of the Australian Open which begins on Sunday, the fact that the tournament is being held endangers the players, officials, workers and spectators. Add in the horrific loss of life, property and animals, shouldn’t the organizers cancel the event?

Finally, in a PGA Pro-Am event in California, golfer Laurent Hurtbaise, left with one functioning arm at birth, registered an incredible hole-in-one on the Par 3 4th hole. Watch the video. It is amazing. 

That adequately sums up the wild, wacky week of sports we just concluded.W

Injury Time Out

Let me get the baseball news out of the way. Aaron Judge avoided arbitration by accepting an offer off $8.5 million for the 2020 season. He is still a bargain. Mookie Betts set a record with a $27 million deal from Boston. Cody Bellinger, the NL MVP, did quite well in avoiding arbitration as did the Yankees’ duo of Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela.

Alex Cora, already under suspicion for sign stealing while with Houston, now has a similar accusation against his 2018 Boston Red Sox. This sounds like some serious trouble ahead for him after MLB completes its investigations.

More importantly, at least to me, is that I had PRP injections (Platelet Rich Plasma) in my L peroneus tendon. Three to be exact. They hurt like heck, as the needle which is used to send the plasma into the affected areas to promote healing, is moved around just enough to get into the tendon. There is no anesthesia—just some topical coldness spray, which does almost nothing. No fun at all.

It is an interesting procedure—one which Medicare calls “experimental.” That is code for they aren’t paying and the out-of-pocket cost is hefty enough. Blood is drawn from the arm like any other blood work. Then the vial is placed in a spinner for 10 minutes to separate the plasma. Those spinners go for a cool $12,000, with other needed accessories jacking up the cost for the physician. 

Then comes the actual injection. No matter how much the doctor apologized for the pain, that didn’t deter him, nor me. He used a fluoroscope to monitor the locations after we had rigorously identified the pain spots. I had been through this previously almost 4 years ago, in nearly the same spot.  I was definitely encouraged by his gleeful shouts of “bullseye’ and “home run” to punctuate what he thought was a highly successful procedure.

There were differences between the two procedures. I left Manhattan in a walking boot in 1996. On Tuesday, I left the Millburn site in a tennis sneaker. The prior injection had 2 spots, as opposed to the 3 I received on Tuesday. While both required me to ice the spot and elevate my foot, I didn’t recall tas much post-injection pain as I experienced on Tuesday night into Wednesday. I was definitely hobbling, and since I wasn’t allowed any Advil/Aleve/Motrin or topical pain reducers, it was a rather uncomfortable night spent on the cellar couch. The pain was such that I called the doctor to find out if Tylenol was in play. He permitted me to take some, and the pain quickly relented and my limping became almost non-existent. 

I am allowed to conduct normal activities for now. Walks, weights or any other gym-like activities are forbidden. I have reviewed an article on the Internet from the University of Wisconsin regarding recovery from PRP. I am, in this instance, ahead of the Wisconsin formula, which would have kept me non-weight bearing for 3 days, using crutches and in the boot. So for that I am grateful.

I still ice the ankle a couple of times daily and will sleep with it elevated, this time bravely moving back to the bedroom. I am limiting my steps—I did not even leave the house on Friday. Two weeks is the next doctor’s appointment to assess the situation—that conforms with the Wisconsin timetable. 

Physical therapy might be next—that happened the last time. We’ll see. The doctor left me in a positive mindset and I am not going to do much to create problems. It worked well previously—there should be no reason that it won’t work again. 

I am continually amazed at the advances in medical science which puts athletes or those way past their prime back exercising or playing the sports they love. I think about the horrible knee surgeries Mickey Mantle and Joe Namath endured over 60 years ago. Had they had the opportunity for arthroscopic surgery, their careers would have been even more magnificent. Ditto ex-Yankee great Mel Stottlemyer, whose arm soreness was probably a rotator cuff injury for which arthroscopic surgery   could have extended a potentially great career.

Of course, the most famous medical procedure is the one named after the pioneering athlete who was the guinea pig for those who would later follow and earn millions a result of being able to throw again. That is “Tommy John” surgery, named after the left-handed pitcher who pitched in New York, Los Angeles and Anaheim among other stops, recording nearly 300 wins in the process, most of them after Dr. Frank Jobe performed his magic on John’s elbow.

Comparatively, PRP is an easy procedure. Ironically, Kristaps Porzingis, the former Knicks star and now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, underwent PRP injections this week for a sore knee which had sidelined him since New Year’s Eve. The Mavs “commonly" use PRP for pain in “a variety of injuries,” as well as for “preventative maintenance,” according to ESPN.

Porzingis is not alone on the injury report for this week. Josh McCown, the 39 year old back up QB for the Eagles was forced to come into the game when starter Carson Wentz entered the concussion protocol in the second quarter of the home playoff loss to Seattle. McCown suffered a torn hamstring, which he gutted out to end the game, since Philadelphia had no reliable third QB on the roster. The injury is reported to be so severe—he apparently tore the muscle from the bone, which will require surgery to reattach the muscle—that he will be out for about 6 months, assuming the injury does not effectively end his career. 

Julian Edelman, the star receiver on the New England Patriots, has two upcoming surgeries—one for his knee and one for his shoulder. New York Jets QB Sam Darnold underwent successful surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left hand. 

Which makes me think about the grotesque finger displacement which Philadelphia 76’ers star power forward Joel Embiid suffered this week. He, too, will have ligament repair surgery and his return is unknown. My frame of reference is Steph Curry, who is still far removed from returning to the Golden State lineup after his finger injury and surgical repair. 

Even Rutgers has a player, top guard Geo Baker, who suffered ligament damage to his non-shooting hand and is out indefinitely. Rutgers has played well thus far in his absence, racking up wins at Nebraska and at home against #20 Penn State.

Another injury is the wound that Minnesota WR Adam Thelen suffered to his ankle in practice. The injury was significant enough that it required stitches. His status for Saturday’s game at San Francisco is in question. Teammates Jayron Kearse and Stefan Diggs are also banged up.

RB Mark Ingram of the Baltimore Ravens has had lingering calf issues that restricted him in practice this week. He is expected to play against Tennessee. Probable MVP Lamar Jackson has been suffering from the flu and is expected to play. Longtime observers will remind us that at this time of the year, almost every NFL player is banged up or ill.

Buffalo DE Jerry Hughes played in last Saturday’s game at Houston with torn wrist ligaments. That injury did not make the injury report, which has drawn the ire of the NFL. 

Sidney Crosby, the face of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is nearing a return from core muscle surgery. Top NBA Draft pick Zion Williamson, of the New Orleans Pelicans is working out with the team and is close to making his long-awaited debut.

Injured Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, still recovering from season-ending hip surgery, made a decision to opt out of his senior season to play in the NFL. The fact that he still is projected as a high draft choice in the upcoming NFL Draft speaks to his ability to have significant surgery yet be expected to compete at an elite level.

Anthony Davis, the center the Lakers acquired in a trade with New Orleans, tumbled hard to the floor in a game against the Knicks this week at Staples Center. He suffered a contusion to his Gluteus Maximus and was scheduled to sit out in Dallas on Friday night. The injury looked scary and might easily have ended the Lakers run at a championship. Lebron James and crew seemingly dodged a bullet.

Kyrie Irving, the embattled star guard for the Brooklyn Nets, formerly of Boston and Cleveland, had a cortisone shot on December 24 to his aching right shoulder, as Irving tries to avoid surgery. There is no word of exactly when or if he is going to play.

Not to worry. Much ballyhooed Nets superstar Kevin Durant, out for the year after surgery for his Achilles tendon tear during the NBA Finals while still with Golden State, has engaged in a Twitter beef with former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins about who the better player on the team was. Perkins said Russell Westbrook was the best player on the team. Durant disagreed and the two exchanged personal shots at each other.  Again, this confirms that childish behavior by supposedly grown men can occur off the court.

Enough with the injuries, at least for now. In my Facebook posts, I received encouragement from Jack Simcsak, a former Highland Park football star who went on to punt at Virginia Tech. That, along with all of the other endearing wishes from friends, was so nice. 

I also had contact with another Highland Park alum. Jack Fertig was a three sport star at HPHS who later played at Upsala College before pursuing a career in coaching which led him to stops at Tennessee, USC and Fresno State as the Director of Basketball Operations for legendary basketball coaching icon, Jerry “The Shark” Tarkanian. 

Jack writes a blog and today he posted a Facebook memorial to Mike DePalmer, one of his two closest friends at Tennessee. DePalmer was a jock, just like the athletic lifer Jack became. Those who know tennis recognize the name—he co-founded the DePalmer-Bollettieri Tennis School in Florida with Nick Bollittieri. Bollittieri and his subsequent Academy were known for producing some of the greatest tennis players ever—Andre Agassi was his prized pupil. 

Before his fame, DePalmer did something extraordinary. He taught Jack Fertig tennis by relentlessly going on the court day after day with his adult pupil. 

Coaches might tell you otherwise, that this is what they do. What makes this story unique is that this famous man in tennis circles did this out of friendship. A person could not ask for more. 

Personally, I am sorry for Jack’s loss. As a tennis player, I am saddened as another innovator departs. 

I will remember this story when I make my expected return to the tennis courts from the injury list after the miracle of PRP heals me. 

Early 2020 Musings

David Stern’s death hit me quite hard. I did not know the man, nor was I ever in the same place at the same time with him, unless he was at the Garden or Brendan Byrne Arena and I was not aware of his presence. 

To me, David Stern personified what a leader of a world-wide business should be. He also showed me what a commissioner of a sport must be. Smart, courageous, able to think globally as well as locally, Stern had an uncanny ability to see the future and bring his extraordinary plans to fruition. 

More than that, he was well-educated, having graduated Rutgers and then Columbia Law. Stern found his way to pro basketball by mere happenstance, as the prestigious New York City law firm he was a part of did legal work for the the NBA and Stern was the point man. His charm and intellect won over the owners, who made him the Commissioner. Which was a move that resuscitated and then allowed for the tremendous growth of the league domestically and internationally,

The latter was largely the result of his great idea to form the Dream Team for the 1992 Olympics. This opened up international markets and resulted in top stars from other countries coming to the U.S. to play against the best players in the world.

While he did work for the owners and endured labor strife among the players, he managed somehow to get the league righted and prosperous even when there was tumult. Stern’s acumen and insight, along with an ability to see the grander picture were the unique qualities which made him so great. 

All of this was borne from a 10 year old who, when he lived in Manhattan before the family moved to New Jersey, walked to the Garden to see his beloved Knicks play. Those Knicks, led by Carl Braun and Richie Guerin, were his idols. Which is why, in his actions as Commissioner, he never forgot that he was a fan of pro basketball.

Most leaders of leagues are hired guns for the owners. Roger Goodell is certainly one. He has never cared much for the players and the fans. Pete Rozelle was more the epitome of a visionary leader for the NFL. I liked the lawyerly guidance of Paul Tagliabue much more. 

Bud Selig meant well. Yes, he was a fan. He was also an owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, his primary interest. His business sense came from the car leasing business he owned. A fan of minor league baseball in Milwaukee, he was a significant shareholder for the Braves when they migrated from Boston. When the Braves left, he worked assiduously to bring baseball back to Wisconsin, which culminated in the Seattle Pilots relocating and Selling becoming the face of the franchise. 

I like Selig’s successor, Rob Manfred, largely because he has a seemingly better personality and intellect than his predecessor. Manfred is a Cornell grad with a degree in Industrial and Labor Relations, and a J.D. from Harvard.

Gary Bettman, the NHL Commissioner, called David Stern his long-time friend and mentor. Two lawyers, Bettman worked under Stern in the NBA offices before ascending to the top position in North American hockey. A Queens native, Bettman graduated from Cornell where he studied Industrial and Labor Relations like Manfred and achieved his law degree at NYU. Bettman was at the same law firm as Stern, then joined the NBA in 1981, ultimately becoming the league’s General Counsel and Vice President. His greatest achievement was engineering an agreement of the soft cap system for team salaries, which persists to this day. Bettman has had it much rougher in the NHL, dealing with labor strife and expansion issues. Still, he has managed to remain Commissioner—the prior leaders wore the President title—since 1993.

The current NBA Commissioner is Adam Silver, another attorney with impeccable credentials from the New York metropolitan area—Rye, New York—and mentored by David Stern. The genial leader was first the head of NBA Entertainment then General Counsel and ultimately Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Commissioner for the NBA. He attended the top schools—Duke as an undergraduate and The University of Chicago School of Law. Silver, like Stern and Bettman, worked in big law before entering sports administration. His path was a bit different, as he worked in politics prior to law school, and then was a law clerk in the Southern District of New York after Chicago.

Like Stern, Bettman and Silver are Jewish and liberal in their views. I am not sure about Manfred’s politics; he hails from Rome, New York and is Catholic. I am, however, certain about his grasp of what the job entails. 

So you can see that I am partial to lawyers as the heads of the major sports leagues. Goodell possesses a degree in economics from Washington & Jefferson College and, despite his exposure to lawyers in labor negotiations, I believe that his lack of a legal education is pitfall.

Which brings me back to David Stern. The man is an icon as far as the NBA is concerned. As much as the NFL searches for a global identity, it is an American sport not so widespread around the globe. MLB, NHL and NBA players are far more recognizable internationally by the nature of the sports being played in multiple countries. 

Baseball has Asian and Latin American roots which are deep. The NHL is well-known in Russia, the Scandinavian countries, many European nations and originated largely in Canada.

The NBA under David Stern and now his protege Adam Silver, has become the standard bearer for the second most-played sport in the world after soccer. Muhammad Ali was perhaps the most well-known athlete in the world. I am willing to wager that Michael Jordan and now Lebron James and Steph Curry are nearly as recognizable as Christian Rinaldo and Lionel Messi. The aforementioned Dream Team was every bit international as it was national. 

All of this was enabled by a true visionary and fan of the game he loved. When Stern was felled during lunch at a New York eatery, I thought this might lead to his demise. I hated that I was correct in my intuition.

David Stern’s death at age 77, only 8 years older than me, brought the reality that death is always certain, even for a revered figure such as he was. I felt an identity with him even though we came from largely different worlds and his intellectualism and education far exceeded mine. I could appreciate his thoughts and insight from a legal standard and also from a fan’s vantage. 

I felt that another piece of my world was taken from me with his untimely death. I have mourned Mickey Mantle, Mel Allen, the voice of the Yankees and Bobby Murcer, another Yankees great on the field and in the TV booth.  I was sad about Yogi Berra’s death, just like that of Mel Stottlemyer, who was always a favorite Yankee pitcher. These were athletes.

David Stern was different. He was unique. While making money and expanding the NBA empire, he cared about his players and owners the way an attorney cared for his client. His integrity was unmatched. I saw that, and I marveled how he navigated seamlessly between sides that had much in common but at times little empathy for each other. And like me, his love of the Knicks was pure and unabated. 

David Stern had a great sense of the moment. He would needle reporters and he would use self-deprecating humor to navigate through the boos of another NBA Draft. 

Two Jewish kids from New Jersey. Two lawyers in vastly different fields. He would have understood the necessity of my job in defending the downtrodden youth who felt they had no promise. 

David Stern had my admiration and gratitude for what he did to make the world a better place by marketing basketball in a way that kids who might had no future could avoid idolize and emulate NBA stars, and avoid the fate that my juvenile clients faced Such a talent was so rare. Such appreciation of his fellow man was beyond reproach.

I will miss you, David Stern. Your legacy will live on in the NBA and in other sports. I hope that you are properly honored for all that you have done.

The NFL Playoffs began this weekend with the Wild Card rounds. In the AFC, Buffalo is at Houston and upstart Tennessee is at New England. The Bills are missing some key DB’s for this game. Houston finally has J.J. Watt back to bolster the defensive line. Many believe that Tom Brady is showing his age and the Patriots rely on gadget plays to win. Could this be the last home game EVER for Tom Brady? Ryan Tannehill has become a major efficient passer and the league’s leading rusher, Derrick Henry, is a Titan. Tennessee has a very potent offense and I wonder how strong the vaunted New England defense really is. Besides, I like Mike Vrabel and I would find it sweet if a star former player eliminated his old team and coach.

The NFC teams vying this weekend are Seattle at Philadelphia and Minnesota at New Orleans. Seattle is looking for redemption after unbelievably blowing a possible win against San Francisco to secure home field with the NFC West crown. Philadelphia managed to win out in the weak, weak NFC East and, as a division champ, gets to host a game even with a very average record. By the way, Seattle plays better on the road, which this season included a win in Philly. Minnesota is missing key players and New Orleans is an offensive powerhouse. The reward for the winner of that game is a trip to frigid Green Bay next weekend.

One more thing about aging QB’s. I’ve said it before—they find it so difficult to let go and they think that they can resurrect the glory days when it is virtually impossible. Eli Manning turned 39 this week. Let it go, Eli. You have had a marvelous career. Brady is 42. Unless he proves most everyone wrong and takes the Patriots to the Super Bowl, he should give tremendous thought to calling it a career, too. The older they get, the harder it is to stomach the pounding and ineptitude they show. They are playing when they shouldn’t be.

College football has nearly completed it almost interminable bowl season. The National Championship game is January 13, when the Tigers play—defending champ Clemson and top seed LSU, whose campus is a mere hour away from New Orleans. Rooting for LSU is a religion and believe me, as nutty as the Saints fans will be in the Vikings game, that will pale in comparison to the defining noise in the Superdome a week from Monday.

A lot has been said about the officiating in the Ohio State-Clemson game taking away any hopes the Buckeyes had. I disagree—I think the call to eject the player for targeting the Clemson QB was correct. Besides, I always believed that Ohio State was overrated and Clemson devalued. 

LSU overwhelmed Oklahoma. For my money, I thought Georgia and Alabama were more worthy of the final spot in the semi-finals. Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow continued his awesome season with 7 TD throws. However, the LSU defense was not so good against the pass, which I think Clemson will exploit. It ought to be fun.

College basketball conference play has begun in earnest. The sorting out of the solid NCAA teams from the pretenders with gaudy non-conference marks against lesser teams will occur.

Rutgers lost top guard Geo Baker to a left thumb injury which will sideline him indefinitely. RU played unaffected on the road, handling Nebraska. Next on tap is #21 Penn State at the RAC, where the Scarlet Knights appear to be very tough. I don’t see them in person until February when Northwestern and Illinois visit. My final game is highly-regarded Maryland. I picked the game because I felt it would be important to RU’s post-season hopes. We will know if I am right and how the Baker injury affected the team.

Seton Hall is back on track with the return of All-American Myles Powell. The guard suffered a concussion against Rutgers. Without him, the Pirates knocked off Maryland at the Prudential Center. In Big East action, the Hall has bested De Paul on the road and Georgetown at home, living up to their pre-season billing as one of the top tier squads in the conference. 

F&M continues to struggle in its first season without legendary coach Glenn Robinson at the helm. In their home tournament before the New Year, they went 1-1, with a loss to Susquehanna. It is hard for me to see F&M not dominant in the Centennial Conference.

The Devils are starting to string together more wins than losses. The team beat the Islanders on the road on Thursday in a promising start for 2020. I anticipate more improvement during the season, but not nearly enough to contend for a playoff spot. Perhaps another trade and a couple of good draft choices will set the team in the right direction. What they need, however, is a great goalie, and goaltenders like Martin Brodeur are exceptionally hard to find. 

In the NBA, the Knicks are playing much better ball under interim coach Mike Miller. Will they make a playoff run? Don’t be silly. It is just nice to see the New York Knicks win a couple of games. That’s how I look at the Warriors, who were brought back to reality by a huge loss to Dallas.

If still alive, David Stern would be proud that the league is doing well. He would be ecstatic about the LA market being home to two of the best teams. Big ratings and fan following there. So, too, would he be happy about the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat doing so well in the East. While he would also be glad that the 76’ers are in the hunt, he would not be so pleased with Joel Embiid sniping at Ben Simmons, bemoaning the big Aussie guard’s unwillingness to shoot from the outside. Stern would also be encouraged about the young starts like Devin Booker in Phoenix and Trae Young in Atlanta, as well as the surprisingly good return of Carmelo Anthony.

When I watch the NBA for the remainder of the season, I will see the arm bands and initials on the uniforms, remembering their fallen former leader. It is the level of play, the array of stars from the collegiate and international ranks which will be his lasting imprint upon the sport he loved so very much.

These are my early 2020 musings.