This Is Kraken ME Up

It has happened. Baseball. Sports is back. I better get Kraken.

Okay, I went there. The newly-released nickname of the Seattle NHL franchise is the Kraken. While the uniforms are fairly sharp with two shades of blue and a small patch of red, the name choice was baffling. And it sent a whole lot of people to Google to see what the name meant. 

Some people ascribe the name to the mythical sea creature film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, a part owner of the team, displayed in Pirates of the Caribbean. Public opinion favored more regional, culturally-appropriate name like the Sockeyes or Totems. In this case, public option be damned. 

A kraken is a sea monster borne from Scandinavjan folklore, a gigantic monster that lived in the North Atlantic and terrorized Norse mariners. It had huge tentacles like an octopus. The beast could grow to 40 to 50 feet in size. Whales and ships were swallowed whole. No one wanted to encounter a kraken. More likely, the sailors observed giant squid and then fantasized about them. 

The marketing branch of the Seattle franchise has a very descriptive explanation for its creature nickname. Their catch phrase is “Release the Kraken.” NHL executives were in favor of the choice. The outcry of the public and the ridicule  of sportswriters came naturally with this selection. Some said that the team was “Kraken me up.”

The onus is squarely on management to put together a product that will remove the laughter associated with the nickname. This isn’t the first time in the NHL that a nickname was inappropriate and originated in a movie—ergo, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, named after Disney’s fictional hockey film. 

Winning will erase any stigma attached to the nickname. If the success of the Las Vegas Golden Knights’ rookie campaign can be duplicated, Kraken jerseys will become a hot item. Ownership and GM Ron Francis are on the hot seat to deliver. 

Speaking of nicknames, the former Washington Redskins will be known as the Washington Football Team for 2020. Owner Daniel Snyder has outdone himself by cowardly deciding not to give his franchise a real moniker that D.C. area fans can appreciate. If it is marketing that drives the bus here, there still is no reason, with over a month to go before the scheduled start to the NFL season, that new jerseys and paraphernalia couldn’t be made and sold. 

Whatever the reason, if I were a Washington football fan, where winning is all but forgotten, I wouldn’t be very happy with this latest development. Then again, would I be very surprised how this is turning out?

Speaking of the NFL, the league gave the NFLPA its request—no pre-season games this year. But what they want is to impose a salary cap and defer the losses incurred this year through 2030. Which is something the NFLPA is not buying into. Nor should they. The NFL seemingly is capitulating on most everything the players want—the owners need to have a 2020 season to profit financially. 

Which leaves the NFL with a dilemma. Should the league postpone the opening of training camps, already pushed back to next week, even further, until this is resolved? It’s always about the money. 

One of my West Coast readers sharply criticized me for not taking a stand about the New York Jets and how they continually make very bad managerial decisions on players and how to properly utilize the salary cap. I don’t disagree with him. It’s probably more than I am so desensitized by the Jets being so mediocre year after year that I haven’t taken umbrage with the fact that they are talent-poor. When All Pro DB Jamal Adams continued his campaign to be traded by singling out Head Coach Adam Gase as not the right coach for the team (he may not be wrong), I thought trade Adams now. Then I thought that Adams should remain with the team and be punished for his outbursts by continuing to be a Jet rather than a Dallas Cowboy. Is wearing the green and white something a football player really wants?

I am glad that New Jersey has said no fans can attend football games at Met Life Stadium or at Rutgers for 2020. Safety is paramount and the pandemic isn’t over. 

But I am also relieved that I won’t sit in the stands and get aggravated in the early season heat, at night on a chilly October Monday, or in the cold when the team is on the verge of blowing another shot at the playoffs in a seemingly wide open AFC East. Too many years I have suffered through the heartaches associated with the team’s failures. 

I don’t need to risk my life to see the Jets play. Especially the perpetually mediocre Jets. But I would say that goes for the Vikings, Cowboys, Rams, Eagles and every one of the NFL franchises. It simply is not worth it.

One more Jets-related item. Woody Johnson, team owner of the Jets and U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, is in a bit of hot water these days. Between racially-insensitive remarks and sexist rhetoric, Johnson behaved unethically when he attempted to promote, after speaking with President Trump, the attractiveness of Trump’s Scotland golf courses for future British Opens. Just a little bit more positive news associated with the franchise.

The NBA has started to play scrimmages between teams in the Florida bubble. The most riveting thing thus far are the patches of gray on Lebron James’ beard and the play of Denver’s Bol Bol, son of former NBA player Manute Bol. Bol, a 7 foot giant, is scoring and shooting with abandon, perhaps making the Nuggets a more legitimate threat in the upcoming playoffs. I love that the league gave Bol a drug test after his breakout game. 

Pity the poor Toronto Blue Jays. Homeless as the season begins. No place to nest. What an embarrassment.

Canadian authorities did not give the Jays the green light to play games at the Rogers Centre, largely due to the visiting teams all coming from the United States and the Jays’ own frequent trips outside of Canada. Considering that there are serious border restrictions in place between the two countries, the reluctance of the Canadian officials to okay the Jays playing in Toronto should not be surprising. Canada has flattened the curve. The U.S. hasn’t.

Except that MLB and the Jays seemingly were unprepared for this eventuality. Perhaps they were complacent, thinking that the NHL secured 2 Canadian hubs in Edmonton and Toronto. But the way that is structured, there is no travel and the participating American team would be sequestered in both cities. 

The Jays set their sights on Pittsburgh and PNC Park, to share the venue with the Pirates. Local and Commonwealth officials wanted no part of the Jays coming in, bringing in double the amount of teams which the Bucs would face. Those officials said this plan would create too many health risks and vetoed the idea. 

This has created a real dilemma for the Blue Jays. The team says it had 5 contingency plans. Negotiations with the Orioles and the State of Maryland had been confirmed. Yet this option was far from secure. 

There were two other choices—to head to Buffalo, where the team has its AAA team and use that stadium. However, there was not sufficient lighting nor were the clubhouse facilities at major league levels. And the team’s Dunedin, Florida spring training site is in a state where the COVID-19 infection rate is soaring. That was not enlightening.

Hartford, Connecticut offered its AA ballpark as an option, since the Jays were trying to remain in the designated geographical area which encompasses the AL East and NL East. I doubt that was a realistic consideration. 

This underscores the effect that the coronavirus has had on sports. For awhile it was entirely possible that the Blue Jays would be a road team for all of its games. That was not a great situation. Ultimately opting for Buffalo was a weak fallback position—but necessarily the only one to choose. I believe a good number of players will be glad to remain in their hotel during a 3 game series in Buffalo, although an excursion to Niagara Falls might be tempting. 

The Yankees opened in Washington against the defending World Champion Nationals. Take a moment to reflect on that. A classic matchup of stellar right handers—multiple Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer for the Nats against Gerrit Cole, coming off the incredible season in Houston and now the richest pitcher on the planet. 

Prior to the game, the teams lined up along the fouls lines, social distanced. The starting lineups were announced. Then a video was shown narrated by Morgan Freeman. The words, along with the long black ribbon held by the players, were the brainchild of former NL MVP Andrew McCutcheon, currently with the Phillies, and his wife, Maria, to tastefully and forcefully acknowledge where race and caring stand in players’ minds. 

In contrast, enter super Washington fan and our expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Given the honor of throwing out the first pitch, Dr. Fauci confidently strode to the mound, only to uncork a very awkward and wild throw allegedly headed to the vicinity of home plate. I immediately thought that this better not be a metaphor for the 2020 season.

As for the game, Giancarlo Stanton took care of the outcome early. After Aaron Judge singled hard to left and Gleyber Torres moved Judge to second with a weak roller, Stanton took a Scherzer fastball and deposited almost 450 feet away from home plate. 2-0 New York. Stanton collected 2 hits and drove in 3 runs. Judge also had 2 hits.

Cole gave up a homer to Adam Eaton. Period. Nothing else. He looked like an ace. Scherzer struck out 11 Yankees during his time on the mound. A fierce thunderstorm deposited buckets of rain and flooded the dugouts, finally causing the umpires to call the contest after a 1 hour, 58 minute stoppage, Final score was 4-1 New York with one out in the 6th inning. 

Juan Soto, the emerging star outfielder for the Nationals was diagnosed with COVID-19. His loss was felt last night and will hamper Washington as they seek to repeat as champions. Moreover, the Atlanta Braves, last season’s NL East champs, have two top catchers out with COVID-19 symptoms. Just a reminder of the potency of the disease.

ESPN televised the Giants and Dodgers on a beautiful Thursday night in Southern California. Future Hall of Fame Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw was scratched from the opening night start due to back stiffness as a result of lifting weights. The ESPN announcers talked about how badly Kershaw must be feeling missing the start—while the screen showed Kershaw enjoying himself greatly, with a big smile while teasing teammates. 

Rookie Dustin May filled in against veteran Giants hurler Johnny Cueto, who has the third lowest N.L. E.R.A. on Opening Day. Both only allowed 1 run while in the game, May left after 4 2/3 innings and 60 pitches. 

Los Angeles opened the game up with a big 8th inning, keyed by Mookie Betts. Betts, a former A.L. M.V.P., this week scored a huge 12 year deal to stay with LA. The Dodgers lineup is formidable—2019 N.L. M.V.P. Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Max Muncy, Corey Seager, Joc Pederson and A.J. Pollock are potent hitters. The pitching is solid. LA is the team to beat in the N.L.

Sticking with baseball, the players and owners agreed to a 16 team playoffs for 2020. The opening rounds would be best of 3 before resuming the normal best of 5, then the best of 7 formats.  The higher seeds would host the 3 game series. Is this a preview of the future?

Finally, in the panicked world of big-time college football, the ACC and its partner, Notre Dame, may have reached a deal to play a 10 game conference schedule plus one more non-conference foe. To diehard Irish fans, losing their cherished independent status, and becoming eligible for the ACC playoff, is something hard to swallow, even if necessitated by the coronavirus. It is a big win for the ACC and a nice compromise for Notre Dame. Yet not surprising in this year of the pandemic, when avoiding monumental financial losses is paramount. 

Within the fabric of what is happening in the sports world, everything is still up in the air regarding how far sports will go from here on. COVID is firmly in control. 

With so much going on right now, it is what Fan X texted on Thursday that got me. He proclaimed, in a tirade, that he is “…a legend in my own mind.” 

I say stop it now, Fan X. With your rantings, a pandemic and sports at this juncture, this is kraken ME up. 

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Will Talking About The Coronavirus Make Me Redunda...

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Will Talking About The Coronavirus Make Me Redunda...: I really don’t want to write about the coronavirus. Every week, like clockwork, I start ranting about it and how the virus impacts society...

Will Talking About The Coronavirus Make Me Redundant And Irrelevant?

I really don’t want to write about the coronavirus. Every week, like clockwork, I start ranting about it and how the virus impacts society and sports. Let’s face it—this is going to go on for a long while with very mixed results as to how the U.S., the world and the sports world deal with the problems of a pandemic.

Right now, there is disagreement about how to confront the disease. To wear a mask or not. Whether testing is a good thing or not (for the record, my wife and I recently were tested for the SARS-2 antibody and the tests came back negative). Is Dr. Anthony Fauci credible or a nuisance to political agendas. 

So many questions can be asked and the number of answers that come back are wide-ranging. There isn’t a consensus that the disease is real and as bad as we are making it out to be. The extremes are given as much credence as the middle ground, and in this 24/7 news and social media world, the opinions and disagreements continue unabated. 

I am a guilty party. When I walk my 3 laps around Garden Oval, totaling between 1.5 and 2 miles, I carry my mask with me. I put it on when I see others approaching and I keep it on until they are way passed me—which ultimately is a mistake, because my hands go too near to my face and we are uncertain about how far the virus carries in any environment even if appropriately social distanced. Almost uniformly, those outside with their children, those who are running or walking, or the worker who tend to lawns and repair items inside homes—they are not wearing a mask or have it sit below their noses and mouths. And this is New Jersey, which was the first state to mandate mask wearing and has done a fairly good job at leveling the curve.

Every weekend I see the pictures of those at the beach, working on their tans and hanging with their friends. They aren’t socially distances and masks are foreign items. Same thing on the trains which carry many of the same people to the Jersey Shore. Which makes me look at the statistics of new cases and deaths a week or two after a beach weekend with the hope that we haven’t had another spike. Plus we are approaching the two week mark after July 4th, and I have my hopes and prayers that the reports of new cases isn’t as bad as I envision.

Nobody wants to endure what we have gone through thus far and the ominous warnings for the future are even scarier. People want to live their lives free of encumbrances, and this is one whale of a serious encumbrance. 

In New Jersey, outdoor dining is available. No matter how tempting that may be, it is not for me and my wife, who fall into the high risk category due to our ages. I get nervous enough picking up items for take out, as the delivery mode at curbside varies tremendously and many times you have to enter the establishment to retrieve your meals. I quickly move past people at Shop Rite, even in the tight produce aisles, never lingering much if I can help it, because social distancing isn’t possible nor is it observed. 

Quite frankly, I see too many people mask less in the parking lots or near the doors, either entering or leaving and promptly ridding themselves of facial protection. And I don’t want to have someone shop for me, because they substitute their judgment about items and you’re stuck with what they give you. So I go, a couple of times a week, in a nervous roulette-like game, hoping the ball always lands on black.

Thus, I go very few places right now. Having learned that the cars need to be run at 55 mph on a weekly basis, I have some trips on Route 24, passing the far-from-filled Mall at Short Hills and exiting at Morristown Airport, before returning via local roads in Florham Park and Chatham, sometimes stopping at CVS for some needed items. 

A trip to Kings Supermarket in Short Hills is the exception to the rule—only if something I want is on sale. I went to the Summit Farmers’ Market last Sunday which was moved two parking lots from its usual spot to allow for social distancing. It was bustling and the lines were longer—with minimal adherence to the 6 foot rule and with people ripping their masks off as soon as they exited the premises. 

Doctor’s visits are highlights. Boldly marked on my calendar. I had so much fun seeing the allergist on Wednesday; I cherished my time there and didn’t want it to end. I stayed outside of the Summit Medical Group building in Florham Park near the Jets’ facility while my wife was seeing an orthopedist for her shin (she’s in a boot, staying off of her feet and resting for what might be a possible stress fracture). When we went for bloodwork, it was almost a normal activity—except that we made the appointment two weeks ago and you have to exchange emails and texts to enter the facility. 

Virtual doctor’s visits aren’t nearly as exciting. Nonetheless, they more than serve their purpose—to keep the patient and provider insulated and healthy. 

Speaking of virtual—Face Time use is up. And who ever heard of Zoom before the pandemic? When you mention that you are going to a Zoom meeting, everyone understands. 

A big day is some garden work, or watering the parts of the garden and grass which the sprinkler system cannot reach. Cooking, always a hobby of mine in retirement, is a staple and making dinner is a sign that we are headed towards PTI on weekdays (now back in its full 30 minute format, even if grumpy old Tony Kornheiser remains sequestered in his attic) and some form of TV entertainment—whether it be a Netflix movie, watching Curb Your Enthusiasm in its entirety (we have completed season 2, leaving only 80 more episodes to view) or just talking (yes, talking is nice).

There is laundry to do, cleaning around the house until we finally have the cleaning people back at the end of the month, reading, social media reviewing, and napping. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. And it is physically exhausting, too. 

Plus this is without reengaging in my exercise before I had a series of epidural procedures for my S-2, L-5 vertebrae and nerve in my L lower back. Now that I have the green light to exercise again, the days will be even more crammed. 

All of this has left little time for sports. Baseball is in it final rehearsals before the start of the season on July 23. The Yankees play an intra squad contest on Friday where Gerrit Cole tunes up for the opener in Washington. Then the Mets are on tap for two games—Saturday at Citi Field and Sunday night at Yankee Stadium. Saturday night’s game will be televised by ESPN. The Phillies close this abbreviated exhibition schedule with a game Sunday evening in New York. Joe Girardi returns, without the appropriate fanfare.

The Washington Redskins retired their nickname. Then The Washington Post reported serious allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, primarily  on the team’s administrative side. Calls for owner Daniel Snyder to sell the team have increased. 

J-Lo and A-Rod have a group of present and former athletes as part of their bid to buy the Mets. They certainly have the glitter, but do they have the necessary cash? 

A-Rod is certainly thinking like an owner when he called for a salary cap. The rebuke from players was swift. I guess how he made his millions shouldn’t be available to other in the new economic landscape baseball faces—so his group’s bottom line doesn’t suffer. His attempts at walking his statement back are like the way he treated his use of performance-enhancing substances—very disingenuous. 

A quick aside here. One of the favorite players of my youth has passed away at age 84. Tony Taylor, known primarily as a Philadelphia Phillies star and who had some good years in Detroit, passed away after complications from a stroke. Never overly flashy, the second baseman from Cuba amassed just over 2,000 hits in his MLB career. I know the late Phillies’ announcer and Hall of Fame inductee Richie Ashburn liked Tony’s play. For me, a lasting memory of Taylor came from the launch of the Telestar TV satellite where he was at bat in Wrigley Field facing the Cubs when the first telecast to Europe and the US occurred. Rest in peace, number 8. 

Tiger Woods is playing for the first time since February at the Memorial. He is doing as well as one might anticipate for an older guy who hasn’t competed much lately and has a creaky body. Still, it is Tiger Woods, and any sighting of his eminence is huge for golf fans.

Pro basketball plods onward towards its July 31 opener. Now the NBA is minus Zion Williamson for an undetermined time, as he deals with family illnesses. How he comes back, assuming that Zion is quarantined and not infected with CoVID-19, will impact the TV ratings. As I have said it before—lose LeBron to the virus and the NBA is doomed. Meanwhile, more players are testing positive daily. 

How the NBA, NHL and MLB do will largely determine the future of the NFL as training camp approaches. The NFL and the NFLPA have much to work out and the clock is ticking. 

College football teeters on the edge of playing or not playing this fall. Probably the only games that may ultimately be played are Air Force versus Army and Navy and Army-Navy, because the service academies’ contests against one another are not regulated by conferences.

While most conferences have either held back making a decision on playing or have determined that a conference schedule only is the way to go, there is much at stake here. I read an article on NJ.com about the staggering money the Big Ten members will lose if no football is played this fall. Ohio State could lose over $100 million. Even Rutgers, the low man on the conference totem pole, would lose about $49 million without any football this fall. 

Spring football may be ethically and morally sound, but what about the bottom line? Will we lack a consensus among Power 5 teams and conferences about what to do this fall, or will there be economically-induced chaos? Just like the way things are regarding masks, I would not be surprised if some conferences opt to play while others say no thanks, I’ll wait and see. Will the money lure the schools into a deep hole either way—by not playing or by playing and putting the young men who play at risk? Who makes the decisions here and will they be more politically-driven as well as economic?

The economy is going to be a huge mess for years to come. Same with so many other segments—starting with the health care area, airlines, the hotel and hospitality industries. Not to mention how many people will suffer personal bankruptcies, lose their homes and apartments and jobs. Or burn through their savings with the increased costs of daily living. 

Then there are the families that have suffered the greatest with loss of life due to the virus or individuals who remain very affected by the ravages of the illness. What will their futures be like?

For me, I don’t want to talk about the pandemic. Coronavirus and COVID-19 are two terms which have very bad connotations. I don’t like using those titles. 

Besides, I am too busy right now to slow down (except when my batteries are drained in the afternoon and the upstairs couch beckons). I am in my own semi-bubble, isolating as best I can. My wife and I haven’t threatened to kill each other yet—a good sign during a pandemic or any other time. 

We are in the same dilemma. Homebound and no sports on TV. And she is wearing her Rutgers Basketball T shirt today while I am clothed in a Travis d’Arnaud freebie T shirt from his tenure with the Mets. Two of a kind, I guess. 

Nope, I really don’t want to talk about the coronavirus. For if I do, I will become redundant and irrelevant. What good would that be with some sports actually on the horizon?

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Playing Head Games

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Playing Head Games: I looked at my calendar book this morning. I saw that I would have been driving to Boston next week for a Braves-Red Sox game that would f...

Playing Head Games

I looked at my calendar book this morning. I saw that I would have been driving to Boston next week for a Braves-Red Sox game that would fulfill my mandate of seeing a game at Fenway Park. Instead, I actually watched the New York Yankees’ two YES-televised intra squad games on Monday and Tuesday. 

I abhor Spring training games. This is reaching a new low for me. When I played in practice games, there wasn’t a real feel to them. Consequently, I never really excelled in any except for a pickup game in Donaldson Park in Highland Park on a Saturday morning when the elitist Dairy Queen team, composed of a lot of South Siders who kept razzing the lowly Police Department players. That was a the only time in my Midget League history that I cleared the left-center snow fence with a line shot to propel us to victory. Take that, Robert Mandel!!

Anyway, the Yankees games were played under the lights on two hot and humid July nights, with a few Yankees employees in the stands (GM Brian Cashman and recently retired C.C. Sabathia were appropriately socially distanced and on their cell phones) and very little ambient noise. The games were as expected—the batters were outclassed by the pitchers. New pitching ace Gerrit Cole threw 5 very effective innings and former 1st round pick Clark Schmidt shut down the batters he faced.

The good news was that nobody got hurt. Considering that Masahiro Tanaka took a 112 mph liner in his head from the bat of Giancarlo Stanton on Saturday. He landed in concussion protocol, which is kind of scary because OF Clint Frazier spent the majority of his 2019 season on the IL after hitting his head against a wall. Tanaka joined DJ LeMahieu and Luis Cessa as unavailable, the latter two on the 10 day COVID list. And it has just been disclosed that closer Aroldis Chapman has tested positive for COVID-19. Typical New York Yankees—you need a scorecard to keep track of the injuries. 

There are a number of players who do not like the set up which MLB and the MLBPA agreed to implement. To make it work, lapses in execution are expected but can have significant consequences for the players and their teams. Testing may not be enough and yet it may be one of the things which does the season in.

Look at the MLS. Their tournament is falling apart, as entire teams are infected with the coronavirus and have withdrawn. Imagine that scenario with baseball. 

Thus, I patiently wait for Cole to lead the Yankees in the team’s opener on July 23 in Washington and Max Scherzer. A marquee matchup. 

A couple of years ago, we sat in a luxury box at the front of the stands down the left field line as the Nationals, led by Steven Strasburg, faced off against the Pittsburgh Pirates, whose pitcher was Gerrit Cole. Both pitchers were dominant that night. I knew that both were phenoms—Strasburg had come back from surgery on his elbow and Cole seemingly underachieved for the Pirates during his tenure with the team.

Instead, a trade to Houston got Cole going. Now he is the ace of the Yankees staff, one which is expected to keep the opposition down while the Bombers potent lineup, if healthy, batters the pitching of their rivals. It is certainly something to look forward to. 

I read that the YES Network and SNY are formulating their plans to televise the 60 game schedule. Announcers will not travel with the teams. The Yankees will have their announcers either in person at the the Stadium, at the YES studios in Stamford, CT, or calling games from their residences. The Mets will have the announcers at Citi Field for home and away games. SNY producers will add some crowd noise to the broadcasts. My bigger questions are these: why doesn’t Ken Singleton real.y retire this season and how will the base ace of a crowd impact Paul O’Neill?

College football is the biggest news of the week. Division III Carnegie-Mellon University, a member of the University Athletic Association, where plane rides are common to play in Chicago and St.Louis, has put off all fall sports. The Centennial Conference, home to Franklin and Marshall, Johns Hopkins plus a host of schools in eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland, also courageously opted to not play in the fall. I have seen that Amherst and Williams Colleges are also on board with this. 

Next came the Ivy League. On Wednesday, the league decided that there will be no fall sports in 2020. This was not unexpected. What has happened since then is, in part, a result of the fallout from the Ivies’ move. 

First, the Big Ten said it would only play a conference schedule this fall—if at all. The Atlantic Coast Conference pushed back its decision-making on fall sports to August 1. Then the PAC-12 echoed the Big Ten by indicating they would play only a conference schedule, holding back the start of the projected games a couple of weeks so that UCLA and USC would have a chance to practice and play. The SEC and Big 12 will be like the ACC and make a decision at the end of July.

Plenty of teams are infected. The rate of transmission of the disease is growing and taxing the hospitals and health care personnel in many states. Unfortunately, the staggering amount of money generated from the games and TV is still the driving force—for now. 

Big non-conference games have been canceled.  Notre Dame likely will not be playing Southern Cal for the first time since at the end of World War II. And the Irish will have to negotiate with the ACC, who they are members in every sport but football, to formulate a larger schedule of ACC opponents and maybe some Independents like BYU or UConn to complete their 2020 schedule.

Numerous luminaries in the college football ranks have mentioned spring football. But not very enthusiastically. It may be a better fit for the Ivies, the Patriot League and D-III schools where football revenue isn’t counted upon to keep the athletic budget afloat. What might happen more frequently is what Stanford did this week—eliminate a number of sports to save money. Eighteen D-I programs have cut down the number of intercollegiate teams they support. 

The COVID situation among colleges is certainly fluid right now—and that is not a pun that is intended. I still think about 1918 and the Spanish Flu pandemic and how it decimated college football. To avoid the dreaded Spring games and to not jeopardize the timing with the NFL draft, there is a mindset which wants to play this fall, whatever the outcome may be. Even if it means little or no fans in the stadiums. I hope that the AD’s at the schools which opt for this path won’t regret their decisions if they have to make a hasty retreat from playing in the late Fall. 

Steve Politi, the Star-Ledger’s astute sports columnist, made some cogent points in his Saturday column. It is clearly apparent to him that college football must think harder (and faster) about not playing in 2020. He said that if just ONE Power 5 head coach was to say that it isn’t right to play right now given the numbers of this insidious virus, the other head coaches should and would follow the lead and fearful athletic directors would not have to be the ones to reach the conclusion alone.

For that matter, Politi asked the questions which I have been harping on. Why is okay for a football player to sweat and expose himself to COVID-19, be tested, quarantined and have to deal with life and death problems when campus learning is all but virtual? The answer is a simple one. The actions of a few acting bravely right now can be morally correct. 

My question is a simpler one. What will it take to get the Power 5 to see the reason of the Ivy League and Centennial Conference? If you have the answer, please send it along to the AD and college President of your choice. 

Moving on to the NBA, the teams are sequestered in the bubble at Disney World. Pictures of Chris Paul engaged in a competitive game of cornhole with his Thunder teammates or articles about the Dallas Mavericks having so much fun in Florida are pure propaganda, especially when so many are falling ill around the state. Make no mistake about this—the NBA is running a risky experiment which could easily backfire. 

It tells you how desperate the NBA news cycle is—there was an article on ESPN.com this week about the 6 barbers chosen to stay in the bubble. Articles about barbers? I like my guy in Millburn, but I don’t write profile him in my blog.

I read an article on ESPN.com about the NHL and its two city playoff system. While there are plenty of measures designed to make the best possible scenario, there are as many unanswered questions which could throttle the entire plan. Keeping rambunctious hockey players confined in Toronto and Edmonton and threatening the teams and players with lost draft choices and hefty fines for violations of the protocol is not feasible.

For instance, if the hotel pool is open, they can use it, adhering to social distancing inside and out of the pool, plus disinfect the chairs before and after. Right. Sure. Modified food buffets?  Ha. 

The fact that the agreement between the NHL and NHLPA is that jointly they can postpone or cancel games if they would “jeopardize the integrity of the competition.” What does that mean? Who will ultimately decide that based upon what criteria? And remember, this is happening in Canada, not the US, so different law and procedure will be applicable. 

While the NHL has its own vision of a bubble, for this plan to succeed, it requires near perfection. Hockey is a rough sport, made rougher under these new and daunting circumstances. It would be ironic that the NHL, situated in Canada, pulls off the “miracle on ice” while down in the States, the procrastinating and bumbling continues.

Of course, there is the NFL. Patrick Mahomes II received a humongous contract extension, which had Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid literally dancing a jig. More drama ensued around the Redskins and a name change—which now seems destined to happen, even if owner Daniel Snyder is displeased about it.

This is the NFL—the “No Fun League” as PTI’s Michael Wilbpn mockingly calls it. Training camp is scheduled to open up shortly, but there has been no word on whether it will start timely. Just like the League has not varied from expecting to complete a full season. 

This is a mega business and there can be little to prevent it from conducting business. The NFL Draft went off virtually. Meetings and training are conducted within safety guidelines. 

Yet the NFLPA wants to do away with all pre-season games in 2020, something which the owners don’t want to do (how do you spell lost gate receipts?). There will be money problems with reduced revenues. Which will lead to acrimony similar to that which enveloped the MLB-MLBPA negotiations. 

Just like with college football, we don’t know what the coronavirus landscape will look like. In July, it is trending downward, which does not bode well for September and beyond.

Like other professional sports, there will be testing. More testing. And some more after that. Beloved humanitarian and defensive stalwart, J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans, is against the NFL’s plan to mandate face visors for its players. 

The lead doctor for the NFL likens the protocol established to be a model for all sports, at all levels. Typical NFL bullishness. Many players do not share the League’s enthusiasm regarding their safety within the pandemic.

Moreover, there are no set guidelines for fans to attend games in retrofitted stadiums, subject to local and state regulations. I thought about helping my daughter move out of her New Orleans apartment before the end of August. My family and primary care physician put a resounding end to that stupid idea.

New Orleans is one of the cities which has had problems containing the virus. Plus the Saints play indoors, where the virus thrives. The number of new cases keeps surging and the NFL holds the course and even entertains fans going to games when every other sport is nixing the thought. 

I have ranted too much on this. You get the picture. I should be happy that the New Jersey Devils selected Lindy Ruff as their head man. Ruff has a record of winning wherever he coaches. His selection, along with removing the interim GM tag for Tom Fitzgerald, are both good moves. 

Duke chose Kara Lawson as the new Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Excellent player, analyst and person. 

The Palace at Auburn Hills has been imploded. All of the Detroit teams presently play downtown, near each other. I wish it was that way for all of the cities. It is a schlep to get to Yankee Stadium or Citi Field. 

The Chicago Blackhawks and Atlanta Braves both have said they will not change their nicknames, citing the acknowledgment of Native American history and culture in support of their beliefs. While the face of Blackhawk is an iconic part of the Chicago uniform, they could easily become the BlackHawks and use a fighting bird as their symbolic mascot. The Braves are fools. And they look worse than Daniel Snyder in the court of public approval. 

Look at all of them—CFB, MLB, NHL, NBA, NFL. The Devils, Duke, the Detroit Pistons, the Chicago Blackhawks and Atlanta Braves, too.  Playing games in an attempt to play games, For the love of…money. 

Talking about head games, my wife and I only have 90 more episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm ahead of us…

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Let's Not Get Ahead Of Ourselves

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Let's Not Get Ahead Of Ourselves: Happy Independence Day. If you like practices in the midst of a pandemic at the beginning of July, then this is your time. A starving fand...

Let's Not Get Ahead Of Ourselves

Happy Independence Day. If you like practices in the midst of a pandemic at the beginning of July, then this is your time. A starving fandom is awaiting word of the next happening for their favorite teams and its players. That’s how deprived Americans are of sport. There is only so much Serie A soccer on Wednesdays before PTI that one can handle.

Baseball is back. The Mets opened Training Camp 02 at Citi Field on July 3. The Yankees formally began their preparations on July 4th. Ironically, that was deceased team owner George Steinbrenner’s birthday. The other MLB clubs followed suit as they head to the start of the 60 games in 66 days on July 23. 

Meanwhile, in the NBA, practice has begun at team facilities, as the 22 eligible teams gear up for the 8 game finish to the regular season before embarking into the playoffs. Each team will be situated at Disney World in Kissimmee. FL in a protective bubble designed to make this season happen. 

The NHL appears headed north of the border for its resumption of play. It is strongly rumored that Toronto and Edmonton are the preferred destinations for the eligible teams. 46% of the NHL players are Canadian, which slightly lessens the problems inherent in the policies of containment in the U.S. and Canada. The teams are in Phase 2 of the NHL’s readiness to play plan, which means they are on ice in their home rinks.

All of this sounds nice. Watching Gerrit Cole throwing in mid-season form during an unofficial practice, striking out Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier with nasty stuff was good. Seeing Judge swing and not hurt his ribs was very good. A dominant Cole, eating up innings and winning big, plus the presence of healthy Number 99 on the field adds so much the powerful Yankees lineup. 

Over in Queens, hitting coach Chili Davis is 60 years old and voluntarily not in camp (Chili Davis is 60!! It seems like 10 years ago he was still playing for the Yankees, where he ended his career in 1999). No matter how much he can contribute and have his assistants giving on-field instruction, his absence will be a big hole as they Mets train for the start of the campaign. 

Yoenis Cespedes is back in the Mets good fortunes. It appears he may have regained his health and, according to General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen, we could expect to see Cespedes both in the outfield and at the DH position this season. If he returns to close to form, this will give the Mets offense a jolt it needs, especially without star pitcher Noah Syndergaard, out this season after arm surgery, and it will possibly give 2X Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom a couple of more wins en route to his third Cy Young Award? Early returns from his Friday bullpen session showed deGrom to be in nearly top shape. 

I saw a statistic that the betting line for the Philadelphia Phillies, beginning their first year under the guidance of Joe Girardi, is at O/U 31.5 wins. That is a paltry amount, which is attributable to the Washington Nationals designated as the overwhelmingly presumptive favorite in the NL East, based on their play last season leading them to the World Series. Or the oddsmakers see parity within the division not singling out a future runaway favorite, coupled with their common opponents from the AL East, home to the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay, Toronto and Baltimore. I think 31 wins is too few for this Phillies squad, which has good pitching and good young players to surround Bryce Harper. 

Don’t be overly optimistic about this season progressing to the World Series and crowning a champion. MLB has not offered us the full schedule as of July 4th. Why is it taking so long? 

Just because the testing and temperature taking is in place, there are so many worries which I have detailed in prior blogs. Washington is going to be without one of its cogs, 1B Ryan Zimmerman, who has opted not to play. In Colorado, Ian Desmond also has chosen to sit out. AL MVP Mike Trout wants to play, but the birth of his first child in the near future is greatly on his mind and how to keep his wife and child free from the coronavirus could alter his decision about participating. That would eliminate one of the game’s greatest stars and make playoff paths suddenly easier for team in the AL West and NL West. 

Trout isn’t the only one with trepidation. Unfortunately, the rate of infections will increase as the teams come together, no matter how they keep socially distant and try to behave. That his why there is a 60 man roster for this season, in anticipation of players leaving active status voluntarily, being injured or acquiring the disease. 

Factor in the rate of infection has risen dramatically in states which are home to many MLB teams, that makes travel more restrictive and could lead to California, Arizona, Florida and Georgia-based teams being forced to play part or all of their home schedule on the road. Competitive balance will then be gone. 

Initial results on Friday from 3,185 samples disclosed 38 positives, of which 31 were players. The rate was 1.2%, well below the current national rate of 9.0%. This is encouraging for MLB and the MLBPA. The number of infections daily are over 50,000 the last three days. Chief alarmist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is calling for greater numbers in the future who get sick and die. If more drastic preventative measures aren’t undertaken. 

Baseball must be very cautious with this first batch of tests. The players hadn’t been together and their ability to infect each other will grow greater with increased contact and not a complete bubble encasing them. 

I applaud the efforts of the Boston Red Sox who have redone portions of Fenway Park for dressing and weight training with social distancing in mind. We hear so little else from the teams of what exactly they are going to do to keep the players and personnel safer. And the Dodgers have not finished their $100 million renovation of Dodger Stadium, so it is also a good thing that the 2020 MLB All Star Game scheduled for that park has been canceled; the LA crowd will have to wait until 2022 to host their first Mid-Summer Classic since 1980. It is also the first cancellation since 1945, with World War II still not over.

I also find it laughable that Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner and managing partner, believes that the Yankees will have fans at the Stadium during some point of this season. Why would he say that given the way things are in New York right now regarding wearing masks and not socially distancing at gatherings is ridiculous. 

Turning to the NBA as they head to their July 31 start at Walt Disney World, both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat have closed their facilities due to positive tests for COVID-19. Since teams are in training, this is not good. 

Players have voiced their reluctance to go to Florida, yet at the same time have a great desire to play the game they love and for which they are handsomely paid. A number of players who either tested positive or are nursing injuries are not going with their teams. The Nets have a slew of key players who are not headed South and the Pacers’ Victor Oladipo disclosed that he was not playing to give his leg more time to heal—even if he had returned to the Indiana roster and played in 7 games before the hiatus began. Boston’s Brendan Haywood stated he will leave the team in September for the birth of his first child.—in the middle of the playoffs. 

Expect more closures of camps. The Toronto Raptors are practicing at Florida Gulf Coast University and it is so far, so good. Then again, Florida is a hotbed of the virus. Texas is another locale where things are dicey. 

COVID-19 is not practicing; it is playing for real. Which is why the NBA season is very much in peril. No matter how well the league and the players try to insulate themselves. 

Droves of Secret Service agents are infected as they protect our leaders. The girlfriend of the President’s son has tested positive. NASCAR legend Jimmy Johnson is out of the Brickyard 400 due to testing positive. Colleges are starting to cancel non-conference early schedule games in fear of the coronavirus—Lafayette at Navy went by the wayside on Friday and more are upcoming. The pandemic is all over the place.

Which is why the NBA proposal for a second bubble in Chicago for the 8 teams which did not make the playoffs is ludicrous. We are talking about a four game tournament to maintain “competitive balance.” I love that phrase. The teams not in Florida would be better off having played a game or two, period. Some of the greats of the game like Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson should opt out. Is there really a need for the Knicks to play the Warriors, the Hawks to meet the Pistons, the Bulls and Cavaliers playing each other or Minnesota and Charlotte getting it on? Especially when there is no clue as to how the Florida experiment is going to work.

Then there is the NFL. Rumors have it that players who contract the virus will be fined. Really? Let them discipline Tom Brady for his unauthorized practices. Narrowing the pre-season to 2 games is indicative of the problems facing the league to start in September. The NFLPA is readying a proposal which would entirely eliminate the preseason in favor of a different end of training camp. Stay tuned on these developments.

Meanwhile, Roger Goodell and his cohorts need to deal with the Redskins name change. Fed Ex, Nike and PepsiCo, big sponsors for the team, have listed their objection to the racist overtones of the name. Politicians in D.C. said that the team must change the name if owner Dan Snyder wants to relocate his team and build on the site of R.F.K. Stadium.

Snyder had been steadfast in his refusal to give in to pressure. He cited a 2016 Washington Post poll which disclosed that 90% of Native Americans were not offended by the nickname.  No matter that so many others wanted it changed—he wasn’t doing it.

Now he is being forced to reconsider his stance due to social and economic forces joining together. The belief is that he will change the name before the start of the 2020 season—if it occurs. The Cleveland Indians are also exploring a name change. That’s good. Are you hearing this, Atlanta?

So let’s leave this week’s entry with a better result. The WNBA’s Maya Moore left the sport, where she was a star on the Minnesota Lynx, to fight an injustice. Jonathan Irons was convicted in Missouri on charges of burglary and assault and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Irons had always insisted he did not commit the crime and he was misidentified, as well as a fingerprint from the crime scene, in possession of the prosecution which was not that of Irons, was never turned over to his defense team.

After a post-conviction hearing overturned the conviction in March and a series of failed appeals, the lead prosecutor in St. Charles County declined to retry the matter. On Thursday, Irons emerged from prison, wearing a mask, joyful for the support he had in gaining his freedom. Maya Moore was there and wept when Irons emerged as a free man.

Moore’s family met Irons through a prison ministry before she began her sterling collegiate career at the University of Connecticut. Her support of his cause never wavered and grew throughout the years until she felt strongly enough to leave professional basketball in her prime playing years to seek justice. The strength and perseverance she demonstrated should be a model for everyone as this country seeks direction during this pandemic. Right still matters. 

Things are changing. In sports, as in the world, we must strive for change and correctness in our actions without being too extreme. There is much going on which we can control and a ton more which is out of our control. Keep that in mind, Roger Goodell, Gary Bettman, Adam Silver and Rob Manfred. 

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.