So there is a true disagreement among the Power 5 conferences about the need to play football this Fall. I used the word “need” for a reason. It’s all abut the money, as I have repeatedly said before.
The Big Ten and Pac-12 wisely opted not to play this fall. The Mountain West Conference not a Power 5 member, also chose to put football on hold for now. Not so with the SEC and the more defiant ACC and Big 12 Conference.
These schools are not joining their compatriots simply to extend traditional rivalries. Heck, West Virginia hasn’t established a real rivalry with anybody in the Big 12 due to their newness in the group.
Nope, their bloated athletic budgets demand that there has to be some kind of cash inflow to offset what have been projected to be staggering losses. Unlike the other Power 5 conferences who prioritize player safety and over costs with an array of tests daily and weekly, the three conferences who forge ahead do it for the bucks.
Look at the marriage between Notre Dame and the ACC for this season—the Irish “agreed” to play an all-ACC schedule with one independent game. This serves both Notre Dame and the ACC well and will give them amplyeTV coverage.
The ACC relied on a doctor at Duke, Dr. Cameron Wolfe who felt it would be okay for football players to play if you can “sufficiently mitigate” the risk of the virus, which led to a decision which could further imperil their future through contracting COVID-19. The SEC believes that there is no consensus among doctors, and they stand to lose a ton of money with no season. Plus those two conferences are located primarily in the South, where politics about the pandemic differs greatly from the North.
Michigan’s President is an honored immunologist and he was at the forefront of the Big Ten Presidents who voted to shut football down for now. They were more in line with the assessment of Dr. Anthony Fauci, our most recognizable authority on COVID-19. They understood the dangers of myocarditis, a tragic result of the virus and they did not ignore the Facebook story of an Indiana freshman football player who is still suffering major after effects from his bout with COVID-19. Pac-12 and its Presidents heeded the strong advice of their medical experts in making the call.
The Big 12, under enormous pressure from the SEC and ACC to have 60% of the Power 5 remain intact, consulted Dr. Michael Ackerman at the Mayo Clinic who indicated that part of the protocol must include necessary heart screenings. This decision was not shared by Dr. Jonathan Kim, a sports cardiologist at Emory University and the team cardiologist for Georgia Tech as well as a member the ACC Sports/Exercise Council. Big 12 Commissioner Brian Bowlsby said this: “There’s a lot of runway between now and that first kickoff…if something comes where we change our mind—that all of a sudden we don’t feel it’s safe—we’re not going to hesitate say so and stop.”
Oregon State President F. King Alexander, who held the same position at SEC member LSU, was asked what the Pac-12 sees differently from the SEC, and said this: “i think, probably, reality.” Therein lies the difference.
So many explanations have been offered as to why it is more prudent to keep the kids on campus for their own safety. Exhibit A in opposition to that nonsense is Rutgers and the epidemic of positive tests after an on campus party. Do these schools really think that after the games the players won’t be searching out the best place to hang out and let off some steam after a big win or a loss?
There is no bubble like the NHL and NBA. It simply cannot happen. This is not like the NFL where there is a protocol for the players at all times, beginning with heading to the faculty and a questionnaire they must answer as the first step. The path that the three conferences are taking is fraught with danger. Especially with the dire warnings from the CDC that, in combination with the flu season, there is the potential for this Fall to be very deadly.
Which brings us back to money. The SEC coaches must wear masks. Not the players. Who is making the money here—the Nick Sabans and Dabo Sweeneys of the coaching ranks.
Certainly not the players. And I am willing to bet that friendly state legislatures will absolve state universities of liability should there be a COVID-19-related death or illness.
The players have become more vocal in asserting their rights. Not surprisingly, they want to play. However, they are young, and like too many young people, the true dangers of the virus are pushed aside and the pleas to use restraint dismissed.
It must be the money, because Scott Frost, the head coach at Nebraska, was ready to play a schedule outside of the Big Ten. His superiors at the school supported him. Until the Big Ten intervened and said not a chance. The next day Nebraska reaffirmed its membership in the Big Ten, said it was disappointed in the decision, and will honor the ruling.
Maybe this will all work out okay for the three conferences. Perhaps the Big Ten and Pac-12 erred. But if they did, the duo erred on the side of abundant caution and in the best interests of their players’ lives, notwithstanding the financial losses they are sure to suffer (but which they hope to make up with spring football, if that can even happen).
For the Yankees, they have managed to compile a 12-6 record with 30% of their schedule completed. Which includes the annual injury to slugger Giancarlo Stanton and the unavailability of closer Aroldis Chapman as he readies to return from his COVID-19 battle. It was unsettling to hear that Aaron Judge went out of Tuesday’s game against Atlanta with lower body soreness from playing so much on the artificial turf in Tampa over the weekend. This was after Judge smashed another home run, as he looked like the 50 homer guy who burst onto the baseball scene with a bang…until he went on the 10 day IL with a mild calf strain. (Memo to manager Aaron Boone: what was wrong with you down there in Florida? First you lost a game by leaving starter James Paxton in too long, especially considering how Paxton had struck out 11 Rays in 6 innings, only to tire and yield 3 runs to tie the game in the 7th inning. And playing Judge in all of the games on the unforgiving turf, leading to a mild setback? Get it together, Boonie!! This is a team that could win it all and you don’t want to muck it up…)
A couple of Yankees require special recognition. On the good side, there is D.J. Le Mahieu. He always is. “Le Machine.” Batting over .400. Unperturbed at bat. He sets the table for the sluggers who follow him—especially Judge and Stanton when they are healthy. Gerrit Cole is as advertised. He is 4-0 and would have gone 5-0 had he lasted 5 innings against the Rays. He truly is an ace. Honorable mention goes to Paxton for his 6 innings of superb work versus Tampa Bay.
On the negative side, there is Gary Sanchez. I don’t care that he hit a home run against the Braves. He looks horrible and cannot hit a curve ball and is late on fastballs, probably with a barely detectable hitch in his swing. To have an average hovering around .100 having played 30% of this shortened season does not leave him much time to get untracked and add to the offense. Gleyber Torres is nearly in such a horrific slump, but his production is way down from what is expected from a rising star. Nine hits, 1 HR and 3 RBI producing a .161 average isn’t cutting it. Did they start to break out on Friday night in the 10-3 pasting of Boston?
Clint Frazier was recalled to fill Stanton’s spot. He promptly struck for 3 hits including a home run in his first at bat this season. Frazier is an amazing hitter and an average outfielder. It is high time that he gets a real chance to show his talent and that Yankees favorite Brett Gardner, he of the .171 average with 16 strike outs in 46 at bats, plays more sporadically. I like an outfield of Frazier in left, Aaron Hicks in center and a healthy Judge patrolling right field. When Aaron Boone wants to rest Hicks or Judge, he can place Frazier in right for Judge, keep him in left, sub in Mike Tauchman or Gardner in center and lastly, let Frazier DH occasionally.
Before play began on Friday, the Yankees record of 12-6 is a very nice start. The Rays are keeping pace with the Bombers at 12-8. Minnesota and Oakland are formidable in leading their divisions. Surprises in the American League are the Orioles at 10-7 (what a team they would be if they didn’t have to keep on losing to the Yankees!), suddenly resurgent Detroit and the Indians and White Sox help make the AL Central the most competitive division thus far, with Kansas City only at 8-11.
Who would have expected the Red Sox to be this bad? Mookie Betts’ 3 homer night on Thursday for the Dodgers is a not too subtle reminder of the Bosox’s fall. And of course everyone outside of the Houston area is rooting for the Astros to remain below .500 and not make the playoffs.
The Chicago Cubs have the top mark with a record of 13-3. Theo Epstein acquired the talent and David Ross is gelling with his old teammates in his first year as manager. In second place behind the Cubbies is 2-3 St.Louis. I think the Cubs will finish first in the NL Central.
Leading the NL East is Miami at 8-4. The Braves, who showed me nothing against the Yankees, are 11-9 and the Mets are flailing at 9-11. Defending Champ Washington is not the same team as last year and the 6-9 record is a mild surprise. Philadelphia at 5-9 is much more of a surprise, but they suffered because of the COVID-19 postponements.
The NL West is the most competitive division in the “Senior Circuit.” Colorado is 12-6 and the Dodgers are 13-7. On their heels are the Padres with an 11-9 record. Even Arizona and the Giants are in striking distance.
Let’s talk about those Cardinals. On Friday, 41 vehicles headed up I-55 to Chicago, conveying players and personnel for a weekend meeting with the White Sox. Friday’s contest was postponed. Starting Saturday, the Cardinals will play 55 games in 43 days to make up for the COVID-19 problem. Including 11 doubleheaders and this schedule does not take into account any rain outs.
Of over 12,000 tests of MLB personnel, there were 4 positives this week. All belonging to St. Louis—2 players and 2 others. 10 players of note are on the IL due to the virus. A bevy of new and untested players will replace those unavailable.
Given all of this, two things come to mind. First, who is to say that this is the end of the coronavirus striking the Cardinals? And for the St. Louis faithful, forget about this year. It will go down as maybe the worst in franchise history unless there is a miracle. And if that is the case, save a place for Cardinals’ manager Mike Shildt in Cooperstown.
I like the idea that MLB is thinking about pods for the playoffs in areas that have multiple stadiums available. Too bad just one of the cities mentioned, Milwaukee has a dome; Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Francisco, San Diego, both New York stadiums and both Chicago stadiums are open air ballparks.
The NBA actually had drama at the end. With the play-in format concerted for this year, four teams actually had shot for the 8-9 game(s). San Antonio; red hot Phoenix, who went 8-0; Portland behind Damien Lillard, who had consecutive games of 51 and 61 points earlier in the week after missing crucial free throws in loss and being taunted by Paul George and some other LA Clippers; and Ja Morant and his high-flying Memphis Grizzlies, who started impact Thursday in 8th place.
San Antonio was the first to fall. By not making the playoffs, the Spurs ended a great run of 22 straight appearances in the post-season.
Phoenix took care of its end by defeating Dallas and Devin Booker and his teammates waited. Memphis took care of the Giannis-less Bucks (he head-butted an opponent and served a wine game suspension).
It was for Portland to determine its destiny in a game against Brooklyn. To interim coach Jacques Vaughn’s credit, he played his depleted squad’s best players and the outcome came down to a final miss by Caris LeVert on a game-tying three pointer to put the Trail Blazers into the playoffs and become the 8th seed for the moment.
What has to happen to decide who faces the Lakers and Lebron in the first round of the playoffs? If Portland wins the first game, the series is over. If Memphis wins, then there is a second contest on Sunday. Good drama created by the NBA in its bubble with virtual fans and fake sound. Then the real playoffs commence on Monday, with four games each day for the first 8 days—a TV viewers bonanza.
The NHL has started the Stanley Cup Playoffs with opening round matchups. Vegas has continued to be unbeaten since play began. Montreal, who lost head coach Claude Julien, who had a stent inserted in his heart, is going to be a tough challenge for Philadelphia. Vancouver startled St. Louis, the defending champs, in Game 1 of their series, just as the Islanders downed the flavored Capitals in their opener.
Which leads me to my second musical lyrics citation in two weeks, to try to put everything in perspective—sports and the world we live in-which isn’t easy. So I quote form the first stanza of the hit by Steelers Wheel:
Well I don’t know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling something ain’t right,
I’m so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I’m wondering how I’ll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of them,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you.
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