RetiredLawyerSportsOp: For Every Ending, There Is A New Beginning

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: For Every Ending, There Is A New Beginning: It’s hard to believe. The 60 game baseball schedule is coming to a close. Most teams have 3 games left, a number that will have meaning as...

For Every Ending, There Is A New Beginning

It’s hard to believe. The 60 game baseball schedule is coming to a close. Most teams have 3 games left, a number that will have meaning as to which teams make the playoffs and where they will be situated come Tuesday. The Cardinals could play 58 games with a five game series against Milwaukee. But it is also possible that St. Louis may have to go to Detroit on Monday and play game 59 against the Tigers, and if that does not settle the playoff picture, a second game will be played. The Tigers are not in the playoff hunt. They could be the ultimate spoilers in this wacky baseball season, one which is about to get more convoluted. 

The Reds and aforementioned Marlins clinched spots in the tournament on Friday. Still alive, with a 2% chance, are the Mets. More realistically, The Phillies, Giants and  and Cardinals have shots at making the playoffs. The Brewers also retain a slim chance. 

The Yankees have all but secured the number 5 slot in the AL playoffs. They host the Marlins and Yankees great Don Mattingly for three tilts. These games are important for Donnie Baseball’s crew, as they can win and grab a playoff spot, or hope that those teams battling for the playoffs lose. Plus they can potentially, although unlikely, cause the Yankees to drop to the number 7 or 8 seed. After having the 10 game win streak abruptly halted in Boston, the trip to Buffalo was almost a mirror of the other trip the Bombers made Upstate. Three losses in four games, salvaged only by shellacking the Blue Jays when Garret Cole pitched. 

While 11 out of 15 is quite good, the Yankees are not clicking on all cylinders as they did in the Bronx during the winning streak. The hitting isn’t timely. The power isn’t there. Aaron Judge is close, his manager, Aaron Boone claims. Judge hitting singles or a double isn’t going to do it. Gary Sanchez has gotten a bit better as have Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner, who wants to play again next season (gasp!). The lineup simply does not scare people, and whether they play the White Sox with no hitter pitcher Lucas Giolitto and Dallas Keuchel, the Indians with the probable Cy Young Award winner, the virtually unhittable Shane Bieber, or the Twins with their boppers, winning 2 out of 3 on the road, outside of Baltimore and Boston, isn’t something New York has accomplished. 

Moreover, besides Cole relocating his mastery with friend Kyle Higashioka behind the plate, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, Deivi Garcia and Jordan Montgomery are not necessarily pitchers to fear. Plus the bullpen is littered with inconsistency and no names before getting to Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman. Again, this will not cause worry among the opposing hitters. 

I just can’t see the Yankees making it to California for the next round of the playoffs. To me, it has been a lost season, and going out early would be a reflection of what has happened with the team in 2020. I hope the team proves me wrong. 

How do you pick a winner given the teams have not met anyone outside of their division? Perhaps the AL will be easier if there are matchups between the three teams from the Central, the Yankees and Rays, and in the West, Oakland and Houston. But those appear destined for later rounds. With the NL, the Braves and Marlins could meet in the opening round, just like the Dodgers and Giants. With the latter matchup, if comes to pass, throw the records out the window. No handicapping that battle. 

Furthermore, home field may have some effect. Without real crowd noise, that evens out the contests a bit. Nonetheless, the Yankees and Twins had great home records and lousy road records. With neutral site games, no team has an advantage other than the teams from the AL West and NL West, as Houston and Oakland  have played in Los Angeles and San Diego this season, while the Dodgers and Padres made it into Arlington and Houston in 2020. And for the World Series in Arlington, both the Astros and A’s have been there this year. 

Finally, it is the bubble effect. Which teams thrive in quarantine and which chafe. Who will be stupid enough to jeopardize their teams’ chances by venturing outside of the bubble? All of this has some impact. 

So who am I picking? I see an Oakland-Tampa AL Championship Series, although Cleveland has caught my eye. For the NL, I have the Dodgers and Braves. In my mind, the World Series would be between the A’s and Dodgers. Sentimentally, I want to pick LA. They have the players and the pitching. I want Clayton Kershaw to shine and win the World Series, with help from Mookie Betts. LA had the best record in MLB. Let’s see if they are really that good.

Two more notes on baseball. From those who participate to those who cover it, they are happy the games are being played, but no one says it is fun. Managers Kevin Cash of the Rays and the gregarious Tito Franco of the Indians agree that it is no fun this year, without the normalcy of the schedule, and the worries over the virus, the substandard play and loads of injuries.  The absence of crowd noise or energy makes it harder to play, no matter how much the players are paid to perform. 

The writers and TV personnel concur. Games are listless and it is up to the announcers to interject excitement into the event. This goes for every sport. 

MLB.com offered 20 bonkers stats for 2020. Among the ridiculous are:

The Twins could break the all-time home winning percentage, owned by the 1932 Yankees, with an .805 mark; 

The Dodgers rate of homers per at bat—17.9, would break the 2019 Yankees record;

San Diego has a slugging percentage off .920 with the bases loaded, much higher than that of the 2006 Indians; 

The number of qualified hitters hitting with an average below .200 is 8, obliterating the old record;

The White Sox are currently 13-0 against left-handed starters—no team has gone undefeated in a season versus lefty starters and their .896 OPS against lefties also is ahead of the record;

0 sacrifice bunts for the Reds, Brewers, Yankees and Rays, which has never been done in a season.

NFL football is in Week 3. I look forward to the Chiefs and Ravens on Monday night. Even if, thus far, Pat Mahomes II has owned Jim Harbaugh’s team. KC had it plenty rough in LA versus the Chargers, winning on a 4th quarter comeback along with two 58 yard FG’s, the last one to win the game in OT versus the Chargers and their rookie QB Justin Herbert.

Another thrilling comeback was orchestrated by Dallas. Dak Prescott and company roared back against Atlanta, recovered the best onside kick I have ever seen, and won the game on a FG, too. 

Those games epitomized fun and excitement. Unlike the Giants, who had a last second comeback thwarted in Chicago, even after Saquan Barkley had left the game with a torn ACL. Or the Jets, who stunk up the Meadowlands in losing to an injured and undermanned 49’ers team. For an “offensive genius,” Jets’ head man Adam Gase  is a mediocre game planner. 

Also fun to watch was the Thursday night game in Jacksonville between 0-2 Miami and the 1-1 Jaguars. Gardner Minshew III and the Jags were favored at home. Ryan Fitzpatrick was electric at QB for the Dolphins, rarely missing a receiver, catching one of his own passes and running like a 22 year old. The Harvard-educated Fitzpatrick has now played for one-quarter of the NFL and is the first QB to win 6 games against a team for 6 different franchises. After Thursday night, Tua will continue to sit on the Miami bench for a while longer while the old guy is having a blast. 

As the NBA creeps towards the Finals, the Conference Finals have been quite competitive. While Miami has the lead, the Celtics have led the Heat more in their games. Miami seems to know how to win, entering Game 4. The Celtics are too inconsistent, which is to their detriment. By the way, I miss the Celtics wearing their white uniforms. For that matter, does anyone wear white anymore?

The Lakers, who did break out the white for Game 3 versus Denver, are surviving, not outplaying the youthful Nuggets team with no quit in them. A 3-1 deficit has been no problem thus far for Denver. Which is what they face for Game 5. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are a dynamic duo. Jokic has incredible court sense and Murray, well, he has played outstandingly, hitting shots which defy description and which have been compared to, gulp, Michael Jordan. 

On the other hand, Lebron James covered Murray in crunch time to save a Lakers victory in Game 4. LAL won Game 3 on the sheer magnitude of center Anthony Davis’ sideline three point shot with no time left on the clock. I still feel the Lakers will win the series, but my confidence has waned a bit.

Hockey is nearly at an end. Tampa Bay has dominated Dallas, racing to a 3-1 lead. Lightning captain Steve Stamkos, injured much of the year, suited up in Game 3, and on his first shift eluded a check and scored a spectacular goal. Stamkos may never play again in this series, but his impact on his team is large. With back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, the Stanley Cup might be in the hands of the men from Tampa this weekend. 

With the SEC open for business starting this weekend, the Pac-12, MAC and Mountain West suddenly have reversed course and are opting to play this year. Despite talk of a spike occurring now as fall proceeds and Notre Dame—yes, Notre Dame—forced to postpone its game with Wake Forest due to a COVID-19 outbreak and Houston unable to even get an opener due to the coronavirus attacking its opponents, the monied interests are winning out at the moment. 

No greater bow to money came when the NCAA ruled that all football teams will be bowl-eligible this year, even if they have a bad record.  Don’t you think that a 3-5 Rutgers team might lose out to a 1-8 Tennessee squad for a certain bowl, largely because the Vols have a greater TV audience than the Scarlet Knights? Savor your rankings right now Army, Cincinnati and Louisiana. An 0-1 Michigan will be ahead of you at the end of October. That’s just how it is in big-time college football, more so in a pandemic. 

It makes absolutely no sense that the NCAA endorsed a 16 team FCS playoffs for the spring. Why is it better for the FBS schools to play now but the FCS schools to act more prudently and play when there is a chance the coronavirus might be getting under control? 

There will be more schools with positive tests for their football players and coaches. Heck, the Governor and First Lady of Virginia just announced they tested positive. High schools are continuing to shut down their in-school learning, and correspondingly, the sports teams. To quote the old sage, Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over until the Fat Lady sings.” Last time I looked, the Metropolitan Opera has canceled its 2020-21 season. Smarter heads prevailing?

And you haven’t seen anything like what will occur with college basketball, given the green light to start November 25. Non-conference schedules, bubbles, regional games and a whole host of problems are attached to this venture. College basketball involves a ton more college and universities across the U.S., there are contracts in place, and the money available in the pot is a lot less than with football. Plus there may be wide disparities in testing making teams reluctant to play each other, let alone get on an airplane multiple times in a season for long flights. What a headache this will be, if not wrecked by the insidious nature of the disease itself and how it attacks the schools and the players, coaches and other personnel. 

So as the winter sports close and baseball is in its playoffs, football is starting up with vigor, and college basketball is trying hard to play, albeit with a lot of foolishness. In sports, for every ending, there is a new beginning. 

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: The Elephants Are Definitely In The Room

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: The Elephants Are Definitely In The Room: Okay, this is easy, While there are plenty of stories to report on, and I will later in this blog, there are two main topics that must be ...

The Elephants Are Definitely In The Room

Okay, this is easy, While there are plenty of stories to report on, and I will later in this blog, there are two main topics that must be addressed first. And while I am not talking about Hurricane Sally, it felt like a hurricane happened in the sports world.

The first story is the Western Conference Semi-Finals series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets. The result has been described as the biggest choke in NBA history. 

Down 3-1, the Denver Nuggets came back, through sheer determination and the Clippers ineptitude.  Clearly, the Clippers were caught  looking ahead to playing their Staples Center rivals, the Lakers for the Western crown. Which led them to overlook how talented the Nuggets really are. 

I am not here to extol the Nuggets. Coach Mike Malone did a fine job of readying his troops. Denver did not panic when behind, stayed within themselves and were rewarded for their patience and perseverance. Besides, I have a warm spot for an old ABA team, especially the colorfully clad Nuggets and their mod coach, Doug Moe.

No, this is more about the Clippers. Glenn “Doc” Rivers is a fine human being. We know this for his reasoned approach to the turmoil in this nation. While Rivers had won an NBA title and actually is a good coach, he is the only coach to ever blow a 3-1 lead not once, not twice, but three times. 

Rivers immediately took the blame for the term’s collapse. He took the sword for his players. To shield them from the criticism they richly deserved. 

LA went out and got Kawhi Leonard, fresh off of his title run with the Toronto Raptors, to lead this downtrodden franchise to the Promised Land, which probably required a series win over the Lakers. I am not directly criticizing Leonard—without him, the Clippers would be a very average team. He is a legitimate superstar. His 2 for 11 shooting in the 4th quarter of Game 7 was very unlike him. 

Then again, Leonard was trying so hard to make up for the flawed team the Clippers were by carrying the team by himself. That rarely works. That is usually left to players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Michael Jordan. While Kawhi is extraordinarily talented, is a superstar in the NBA, he is not those three players nor did he have a team as talented as Cleveland, Miami, the Lakers, Golden State or the Jordan-led Bulls. I don’t think this group was as talented as the Raptors of 2019-20, and I really like the Toronto coach, Nick Nurse.

Which leads me to Paul George. “Playoff P” as he is known. I think George is an okay player. But just okay. I can name a number of players on other teams who are more complimentary to their superstar than Paul George. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson come to mind with how they interacted with Durant. And those Golden State teams also had Draymond Green and a host of other more talented players who were far better than what the Clippers put on the court. 

With Leonard futilely trying to make up for the bad play of George (who I also think is on a downward trajectory after his serious injuries) along with the disappearance of Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams, two very selfish players, it not surprising that a team with good, positive chemistry like the Nuggets could prevail over the Clippers. 

Look, I do not expect the Nuggets to defeat the Lakers as the team stand entering the the series. For that matter, the two evenly matched teams in the East, Boston and Miami, will likely slug it out to see who makes the Finals. This is the Lakers championship to win, and I just don’t see them losing. 

One more NBA morsel. The block of Jason Tatum’s dunk attempt by Miami’s Bam Adebayo was incredible. The timing was perfect as was his strength. Simply spectacular, with the game on the line. 

It made me look again as to why this wasn’t goaltending, since Tatum’s arm was in a downward motion when the block occurred. The answer is that the ball hadn’t left Tatum’s hand. And after Thursday night’s loss,  Boston trails the Heat 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The second story is the reversal of the Big Ten to allow football to begin on October 23-24. It will be an 8 game schedule, followed by each of the 8 division streams squaring off against a team from the other division in a final game, with the #1 teams potentially playing for a chance in the playoffs. With Selection Sunday the day after the top teams play.

I have read the proposal. It is a sound one. There will be copious testing and heart monitoring. But it doesn’t take into account that these are kids 18-22 years of age, existing on a college campus, not necessarily engrossed in their studies in their free time. Unless they are babysat by their coaches and the team support staff, trouble is always lurking ahead. 

Do not be fooled by the NBA, NHL or even the NFL over the first week. Look more at Charlotte, whose offensive line has been decimated by COVID-19, forcing the cancellation of the game against North Carolina. Houston-Baylor, set fr Saturday, was postponed because of an outbreak. Or what has happened at Virginia Tech, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Memphis among others, let alone conference schools like Maryland, Michigan State and Rutgers.

COVID is lurking, the weather is changing and the flu season is almost upon us. I haven’t seen any signs saying that it is all clear, let’s resume play. There aren’t going to be fans in the stands. No bands or cheerleaders. Just football.

The “Why?” Is easy. It’s for the money. Like it always has been. Put any spin on it that the Big Ten or other colleges offer, and dismiss the rhetoric. The possible loss of millions of dollars is still the compelling force. 

I wish all the college football players well. How can I not? No matter how misguided or unwilling they are to heed the warnings of doctors and scientists, it is their lives that are in jeopardy. Football may limp to its eventual expected finish line. I hope the cost isn’t too much in the health and safety of others. 

In baseball, the Yankees have started a surge with dormant bats suddenly awakened and slugging home runs. Concurrently, the pitching has dominated both the Orioles and Blue Jays in games at Yankee Stadium. The injured players are healthy and the lineup is playing even better. 

Yet I am not quite sold on their resurgence leading the Bombers on a run though the American League and a date in Arlington, Texas with the National League winner. If the winning keeps on going with the 7 road contests in Boston and then a return engagement with the Jays this time back in Buffalo, then I might be persuaded that this team is for real. 

The Dodgers were the first to clinch a playoff spot, done so on the road where they took 2 of 3 from their closest pursuers, the Padres. Tampa and the White Sox have also clinched spots. None of the playoff slots have been decided heading into this weekend, which will make this new format even more exciting. Home field will become very important for the first round—especially to a team like the Yankees. 

After that, all teams head to their respective bubbles—the AL at Dodger Stadium and San Diego, which the NL will be in Houston and at the Rangers new home in Arlington. Pitching will be at a premium and there will be no days off, since travel will be minimal (although the trip out to California will be a long one for most of the qualifying AL teams). 

Starting this weekend, the teams are quarantined for the remainder of the season and through the playoffs. This will become an extra burden for the teams to cope with, in this year of COVID-19. Here’s where baseball can prove that they are the equal of the other sports who have magnificently pulled off their playoffs. 

Still, there were games postponed this week and now we have learned that an umpire tested positive for COVID-19, creating problems in reconfiguring the umpiring crews. Which means baseball’s attempt to conclude its season always has some lingering doubt attached to it. 

The NFL opened its season last week. Both the Jets and Giants looked as bad as anticipated. The Eagles lost to Washington—I just don’t see Carson Wentz to be a QB that a team can win a championship with. Sam Darnold of the Jets falls into that category, too. Elite QB’s like Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and Drew Brees oil New Orleans continue to shine; Cam Newton was spectacular in New England’s win over Miami, as was Russell Wilson for Seattle over Atlanta; Lamar Jackson of the Ravens and Patrick Mahomes II of the Chiefs are the top flight names we hear repeatedly. Dak Prescott of Dallas and Jared Goff for the Rams are very nice QB’s, just like Houston’s Deshawn Watson; if given the right talent, they are capable of winning a championship. Joe Burrow played admirably in his first two games for the Bengals; he and Baker Mayfield in Cleveland are up and comers. Same thing with Kyler Murray in Arizona. I cite Gardner Minshew II of Jacksonville for his 19-20 performance in a win over the Colts. 

Don’t see two familiar names who are now operating with different franchises? That’s because Tom Brady and Philip Rivers both showed their age and didn’t have particularly good games. I recognize that one game does not define a season, but these older guys are going to have to get it right sooner than later. 

I saw an interesting ESPN rating of NFL football venues (with fans, history, and the amenities). The top place is Lambeau Field in Green Bay, followed by Century Link Field in Seattle, Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and U.S Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. Jerry Jones’ AT&T Stadium is in sixth place, followed by the Linc—Lincoln Financial Field, the aerie for the Eagles. Met Life Stadium, the bland mausoleum known to be the home of the Giants and Jets, placed in at number 21. The worst is Fed Ex Field, the home of the Washington Football Team. Honorable mention for the worst sites goes to TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, and Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium—which I have been to and I can actually say that Met Life is better. 

As promised last week, here are some more lists: 

Favorite NYJ Players

Curtis Martin

Al Toon

Joe Klecko

Best Opponents

Tom Brady

Dan Marino

John Elway

Best College Games (In Person)

Rutgers-Louisville 2006

Rutgers-USF 2007

Lehigh-Lafayette 2014 (Yankee Stadium)

Best College Games  (on TV)

USC-Wisconsin 1963 Rose Bowl

Boston College-Miami 1984

(tie) Clemson-Alabama 2017

      USC-Texas 2006 

Turning to the NHL, the Stanley Cup Finals matchup is set. Dallas masterfully defeated Vegas with powerful hitting and timely scoring. The Islanders impressive run ended with an OT loss to Tampa Bay, who was the superior team. I feel this is the Stars’ year to shine, so I am going with Dallas to win the Cup. 

Honorable mention for the past week goes to: 

Naomi Osaka and Dominic Thiem for rousing comeback wins to collect the U.S. Open Women’s and Men’s singles titles;

Cubs’ hurler Alec Mills, a walk-on at Tennessee-Martin, who looked impressive in his 12-0 no-hitter win in Milwaukee; 

Albert Pujols slamming his 660th career home run, tying the great Willie Mays on the all-time list; 

Luke Voit of the Yankees, who leads MLB in homers; 

Louisiana upsetting #17 Iowa State in Ames and then getting ranked fr the first time since 1943; 

,

Former Devils GM Lou Lamoriello named GM of the Year in the NHL for his resurgence in putting together this Islanders team.

In my mindless quest for information on all things sports, I wondered if the two colleges which call Athens home—the University of Georgia and Ohio University have ever clashed on the gridiron. The answer is no. But I did find some interesting things in the opponents of the Bulldogs. They are 0-3 against Southern Cal and…Holy Cross. 0-3-1 with Pitt. 0-1 versus the U of Chicago, Rice, Miami (OH), Stanford, Syracuse, West Virginia, Harvard and Cumberland. 1-1 against Columbia , Michigan and Dartmouth. 1-2 playing Wake Forest and Nebraska. 2-2-1 against Davidson. 1-1-1 with Centre. 2-3-1 against Maryland. 3-3 with NYU. 0-0-1 versus Arizona. 0-2 with Navy. A perfect 22-0 when playing Mercer. And they are ahead 6-5 with Yale. Georgia has met Auburn, Georgia Tech, Florida and, surprisingly, Vanderbilt the most. They have a losing record playing SEC schools Alabama and LSU. No games against Big Ten schools Rutgers, Northwestern, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois nor Ivy League colleges Cornell and Brown. 

To end this blog on a 2020 college basketball note, the Maui Invitational is moving to North Carolina for this year. So perfectly COVID.

Lots of news in a short span. One thing for certain: the elephants are definitely in the room.

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Electric Shock Therapy and PRP Gets You This Blog

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Electric Shock Therapy and PRP Gets You This Blog: This week has been a cacophony of sports. No more highlighted than the fact that 10 different leagues and sports were in action on Thursda...

Electric Shock Therapy and PRP Gets You This Blog

This week has been a cacophony of sports. No more highlighted than the fact that 10 different leagues and sports were in action on Thursday. So much to talk about, so little time.

Let me begin with baseball. The Yankees suddenly awoke from the dead on Wednesday, after being carved up by the Blue Jays in Buffalo. The team parlayed that into a doubleheader sweep of the Orioles on Friday, the twin bill the result of a rain out on Thursday. Gerrit Cole flirted with a no hitter, ending up with a powerful 2 hitter. In the nightcap, Masahiro Tanaka pitched his most effective game of the season in a 10-1 romp. 

The big guy in all of  this sudden hitting is somebody overlooked but who shouldn’t be. That would be Luke Voit. Buried in the St. Louis minor league system, GM Brian Cashman acquired Voit with the idea in mind to platoon him at first base with the sweet swinging Greg Byrd. Byrd suffered a series of injuries and the Yankees tried a number of combinations at first base. Yet Voit was there, giving adequate numbers and mostly solid defense.

Voit returned this year after core muscle surgery, slimmed down, more powerful looking, like a man on a mission. With the big name sluggers on the team—Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez—all either underperforming or injured, it has been Voit whose power numbers are carrying the Yankees. With his two 3 run shots on Friday, Voit has 16 homers and 37 R.B.I., tops on the club; he produced a sac fly for the win on Saturday. The 16 home runs ties him with the best player in baseball—Mike Trout. A remarkable feat indeed.

New York will be getting Judge and Stanton back by next weekend, to shake off the rust before the expanded playoffs commence. Torres is rounding back into shape after his return. Gio Urshela will be back shortly. Sanchez was benched for a few days, and while he hit the ball harder, he still is hitting under .125. Only lefty starter James Paxton appears destined to remain on the IL.

Having the reinforcements in the fold, and with signs of good pitching from Cole, Tanaka, Jordan Montgomery and rookie Delvi Garcia, New York could make some noise with the right opening round opponent—even if the three game series is away from Yankee Stadium. As long as they don’t face the Rays in the first round, then the Yankees’ chances are a lot better. Still with a lot of ifs which need to be answered, but with 14 games left, they are on a 4 game winning streak and more than alive after a fallow period causing many to think they were dead in the water. 

The playoffs in the NBA and NHL are intriguing and exciting. Which has me watching a lot of TV.

The Islanders and Tampa Bay squared off in the Eastern Conference Finals in Edmonton. Game 1 was an 8-2 blowout for Tampa, the probable result of the Isles winning its 7 game series versus Philadelphia on Saturday night, then flying from Toronto to Edmonton (hopefully on Air Canada, my favorite airline, and this was actually a trip I did following the Devils in 2019) took its toll. Game 2 was a stunner—Tampa won on a fluke attempted clearing pass that went awry and onto the stick of the Lightning’s leading score, Nikita Kucherov and into the net with 8.8 seconds left in regulation time. 

Game 3 was a rough and tumble affair, which the Islanders led 3-1 before Tampa roared back to tie the contest. New York scored late, added an empty net tally and now it won’t be a sweep. Plus there is legitimate bad blood between the teams and Tampa is absent two other top scorers. Could be some fun here.

In the Western Conference Finals, Dallas leads 2-1, winning a close first game, being shut out in Game 2, then scoring the game winner in Game 3 37 seconds into OT. These teams are evenly matched and I can see a 6 or 7 game series on the road to the Finals. 

With the NBA, it took Boston 7 hard games to eliminate the Toronto Raptors. And the last game was played with incredible intensity and energy. Each team led at various times in the contest, with even an 8 point lead not insurmountable. It took some sterling defense from Marcus Smart, who blocked a Raptors’ shot, which ended the final foray for the defending champions. 

Three of my favorite coaches are involved with the Raptors, Celtics and Miami Heat. Nick Nurse in Toronto and Brad Stevens for the C’s are young stars. Both Midwestern boys, Nurse starred at Northern Iowa and still holds the the career 3-point percentage record there, while Stevens was all-Conference for 3 years at De Pauw University. Stevens took Butler to the NCAA Championship game twice and nearly won the title. Nurse made Northern Iowa a threat and tourney regular. 

Spoelstra had Lebron James, Dewayne Wade and Chris Bosh on his first teams, winning two titles. Now with an entirely different squad led by Jimmy Butler, Spoels has show he can really, really coach.

These three coaches, along with Frank Vogel of the Lakers, are the new vanguard of NBA head men. I am not taking anything away from Greg Popovich, Steve Kerr, Mike D’Antoni and Glenn “Doc” Rivers, who have proven track records. I  find the new guys to be energetic, smart and their teams are enjoyable to watch. Query: will surprise Brooklyn Head coach and Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash encounter success with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on his team?

Speaking of coaches, the Memphis Grizzlies made an under-the-radar announcement regarding an assistant coaching hire. Sonia Ronan, the 12 year coach of the M.I.T. women’s team, left New England to become a member of the Grizzlies staff. She is bright—a graduate of Tufts University and Boston College School of Law. Ronan possess experience and a high basketball IQ. Watch this lady. I think she will have a tremendous future ahead of her, whatever directions she choose to go in.

Somebody forgot to remind the Clippers that the Denver Nuggets are not chumps. Poised to be eliminated, Denver came through with a win to cause a Game 6. I still see Kawhi Leonard and company prevailing, 

Meanwhile, the Lakers are taking apart the small ball Houston Rockets. After a Game 1 loss, Lebron and his mates have played with obvious championship aspirations. For me, LAL looks like the team to beat. With James leading the way and Anthony Davis playing the 3, 4 or 5 spots, plus an energetic Rashon Rondo manning the point, they are the team to beat.

The U.S. Open Finals are upon us in Flushing Meadows. It was the compelling semi-final match between friends Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams that caught my eye. I hadn’t watched much tennis thus far, and I knew that Azarenka was riding a 9 match winning streak coming into her meeting with Serena. 

The first set was no contest. Serena blew out her opponent. This looked to be a romp to the finals and the inevitable showdown with Naomi Osaka. 

Except that Serena’s body once more betrayed her. She suffered what appeared to be ankle and foot issues (it proved to be a recurrent Achilles tendon problem) during the second set and, as nobly as she tried, Azarenka, who has won 2 Grand Slam singles titles, took over. The Belarus native and mother answered every Williams shot with better ones. There was no doubt in the third set that Azarenka, who was playing outstanding tennis the entire tournament, would win.

I find myself repeatedly looking at Serena and Tiger Woods, who will be in the NY Metro area for the U.S. Open at Winged Foot C.C. next week, with both wonderment and sadness. The fact that they are at advanced ages and still competing at the highest level is amazing. The media and American fans are rooting for them as they chase the records of most Slams for Serena and most Majors for Tiger. 

However, age catches up with the best. Their bodies are worn down and the injuries mount. No matter how hard the rehab and how hard they practice, the body most times says something else. It is not an argument the mind is going to win. No fooling Mother Nature or Father Time. 

Should either win one more elusive title, it would be miraculous. I am not rooting against two of the greatest in their respective sports. I just don’t see it happening.

P.S. Osaka trailed Azarenka by a set and came charging back to win the title in three sets.

The NFL season opened on Thursday night. The coronavirus testing of all personnel produced only 1 infected player. Thus the games go on. Kansas City looked like they were as good as last season’s Super Bowl winner, dominating a good Houston team. It is so much fun to watch Patrick Mahomes II play. 

Tom Brady and Drew Brees hook up in the Merceds-Benz Superdome on Sunday, marking Brady’s first game for his new team, Tampa Bay. His successor in New England is Cam Newton, is seeking a renaissance with Bill Belichick. The Patriots open with Miami, led by ageless Ryan Fitzpatrick, place holder for Tua Tagovailoa at QB for the Dolphins. 

Oh yeah, the Jets play in Buffalo. I will watch. Maybe they will win. Are they a good team? Hardly. The schedule is too tough—they have both Super Bowl teams—the 49’ers at home in Week 2 then a trip to KC in November. There are 3 West Coast trips to play the Rams and Chargers in the new So-Fi Stadium in Inglewood, along with a fun visit to Seattle. There isn’t a gimme game within the schedule, and with the Jets luck, Tua will be starting for Miami when the two teams meet on November 15 and 29, separated only by the Jets bye week—a real quirk in the schedule along with the back-to-back games in Seattle and LA, with the NFL mandate that the Jets cannot stay on the West Coast for the week.

In Giants camp. New Head Coach Joe Judge is a no nonsense man. He is intolerant of mistakes, makes the offenders run laps and chews out his stars. He was so upset with the start of Wednesday’s practice, that he stopped and restarted it after a few choice and very unprintable words. The jury is out on how the team will respond. It is a novel approach for this day and age.

College football got more underway this week with the ACC kicking in a conference schedule with Notre Dame playing its first and maybe only conference schedule, borne out of necessity due to COVID-19. Right off the bat, Virginia and Virginia Tech was postponed due to a breakout of COVID on the Tech team. Meanwhile, there is still plenty of noise about the Big Ten trying to come upon with a version of a schedule to start in mid-October. This is fraught with danger and could also lead to injuries with such a rushed work. With NJ high schools, there are districts which are seeing COVID cases emerging and there is a shortage of officials for the games. I don’t like it, especially with Dr. Anthony Fauci sternly warning the nation that it is going to get much worse sooner than later. 

So, to end the blog this week, I came up with some lists for high school and college football. I have identified 3 in each category. Some may have meaning for you. You will have your own lists. It’s a fun exercise when so much is not fun out there. 

High School (in person)

Joe Theisman (star at Notre Dame and with the Redskins)

Drew Pearson (teammate of Theisman at South River H.S. and mainstay WR in Dallas)

Ashley Bell (TE for Rumson Fair-Haven and at Purdue)

Highland Park High School 

Rich Policastro (starred at Rutgers after a year at Virginia Military; won Centennial game versus Princeton)

Glenn Meltzer (leading the nation in mass receptions at Wichita State)

Jack Simcsak (succeeded Policastro as QB; was a top-rated punter at Virginia Tech)

College (in person)

Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville QB now in the NFL)

Archie Roberts (star Columbia QB in ’60’s who was drafted by Cleveland, went to med school at Case Western, then played for the Browns before becoming a renowned surgeon)

Pete Johnson (Ohio State RB in the mid’70’ who smashed Wisconsin)

Rutgers (in person)

Mohammed Sanu (WR who went on to success with Atlanta and New England)

Ray Rice (RB with the Ravens who infamously slugged his to-be wife in an Atlantic City elevator and was dismissed from the team)

Tiquan Underwood (WR with some playing time in the NFL)

College (TV)

Roger Staubach (Navy Heisman Trophy winner and Dallas QB)

Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama QB who won the FBS title in the second half)

Herschel Walker (powerful Georgia RB who played in the USFL and NFL)

Next week I will add my best college and pro games I have attended and seen. This is what happens when you had electric shock therapy and PRP in one big sports week. 

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Labor Day Weekend and Two Memorials

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: Labor Day Weekend and Two Memorials: Lionel Messi is remaining with Barcelona. Whew. After much gesticulating and posturing, the two warring sides reached a deal to keep, for ...

Labor Day Weekend and Two Memorials

Lionel Messi is remaining with Barcelona. Whew. After much gesticulating and posturing, the two warring sides reached a deal to keep, for now, the mercurial scorer. While the speculation where the superstar might land was rampant, in the end, he stayed where he had been most successful and he is now suddenly happy. This is good for soccer and there is peace in the rest of the world, I feel good. 

Don’t look now, but there are three Game 7 in the NHL this weekend. Dallas, the Islanders and the Golden Knights were up 3-1 in their series. The Philadelphia Flyers won two overtime games to tie the series and place New York on thin ice. Vancouver had outsmarted and out skated Vegas to even up their series. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit used to be impossible and so far 2 of the 3 series have gone to the teams that were up 3-1. The Stars won in OT and it took Vegas well into the third period to solve goalie Thatcher Denko, who had stonewalled the Golden Knights for well over 120 consecutive minutes. Now, I am feeling that once trailing teams will not emerge victorious. 

In the NBA, the Boston Celtics felt they were robbed of a victory by the officials in their matchup with the defending champion Toronto Raptors, which would have put the C’s up 3-0. Miami has owned the Milwaukee Bucks in the first three games of that series; NBA teams facing a 0-3 deficit are 0-139. In the West, the Clippers dominated the first game of their series with a tired Denver team that barely outlasted a very good Utah Jazz team in a tough seven game series. Houston won a seven game series over Oklahoma City in dramatic fashion; their reward is a rested Lakers juggernaut. It did not bother James Harden, Russell Westbrook and company as the Rockets won Game 1. And the bubble has not burst. 

College football began last weekend and there are a smattering of games Labor Day weekend. The Big Ten has been reassessing its stance and has looked into the viability fo starting games in late November. The Presidents voted 11-3 to not have a fall season. Even with strong parental and player pressure, the potential of a 2/3 vote in favor of playing is unlikely. 

It is less than a week until the NFL season begins. Cam Newton appears to be the starting QB in New England, unless Bill Belichick has a trick or two up his sleeve. Adrian Peterson, one of the greatest runners in the league’s history, was released by Washington. Kickers have been signed and released. The shoring up of rosters is almost final. It looks like there may be a start to a season, subject to COVID-19 and how it impacts the fall. 

Both the Jets and Giants talk good games right now. Then again, all teams are 0-0 and believe they have a chance to make it to the Super Bowl. This Super Bowl, if it does happen, will not involve a NY/NJ team. 

COVID hit a big name and his family. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, his wife and two daughters have all recovered from the disease. No matter how diligent private citizens are, the virus is still out there, lurking and waiting to strike. 

It hit the Oakland A’s, where 2 people tested positive. More games were postponed. On Friday night, the MLB schedule counted 20 games when it is normally 16. Make up after make up contest is the norm. The Yankees had 2 doubleheaders last weekend with the Mets, a 3 game series against Tampa Bay, all at home, followed by an off day make up game at Citi Field against the Mets and a doubleheader in Camden Yards versus the Orioles. Eleven games in eight days, with not one Yankees player having tested positive during the season. 

Is this really baseball with all the unknown names playing? I have seen more pitchers on the Yankees and Mets who I had never heard of, let alone on Tampa or Baltimore. Batting averages are pathetic. Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardner, Mike Ford—all have averages which are below .200. They are not alone—big names like Cody Bellinger and Kris Bryant are in the same predicament. Seemingly every box score I review shows a plethora of mediocre batting averages. Even all-world Mike Trout is hitting in the high .270’s, although his home run on Friday night tied Tim Salmon for the Angels’ franchise best at 299, promoting the possible headline: “Trout catches Salmon.”

Sure, there are hitters who are batting near or over .300. Mookie Betts is leading the Dodgers as the team was 25-10. D.J Le Mahieu is still way ahead in the AL batting race.  Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Manny Machado are a very formidable 1-2 punch in San Diego. I saw that future Hall of Fame pitcher Clayton Kershaw is now 5-1 for the Dodgers; if he stays healthy, he might even have a good post-season. There are players who are performing well—it’s just that more seem not to be doing so well. 

There are some very good teams, too. Tampa is for real. They can hit, run, field and pitch. They will win the AL East. While still in second place, the Yankees patchwork team is floundering offensively and the pitching is very hittable. Reinforcements are not readily forthcoming—Gleyber Torres arrives on Sunday. With 22 games left, the Yankees are tied with Toronto for second place. Where are Aaron Judge, James Paxton, Giancarlo Stanton? Will they have adequate time to prepare for the playoffs if New York remains above water? Plus reliable Gio Urshela has made it to the IL with an elbow issue. It definitely is not good times in Yankeesland. Plus the 19 game winning streak over the Orioles is now history.

In the AL Central, the division boasts three really good teams. Minnesota is led by Nelson Cruz. Cleveland has continued to excel with its pitching and timely hitting. And the Chicago White Sox are seemingly ahead of schedule, with the young players playing like veterans and the pitching as strong as any other staff. With a 7-3 court, the Sox are atop the division .

A two team race might shape up in the AL West between the A’s and Astros. While Oakland has been playing .500 ball recently, the Astros are picking up steam. If Michael Brantley, hitting below .200 and Jose Abreu and George Springer, not hitting much above .200 get hot, Houston will be a factor in the American League.

The hottest team in baseball is Joe Girardi’s Philadelphia Phillies. When they were mired at 9-14, superstar Bryce Harper challenged the team. Since that tongue-lashing, the Phils are 10-1. And in the game they lost they trailed 12-1 and came back to 12-10 before losing to the Braves. Philadelphia features veteran players and leadership, and I like their pitching. Harper is hitting .279 with power. Rhys Hopkins is looking like himself again after a slow start. While they trail a good Atlanta team by 2 games for the NL East lead, they have played 4 fewer games due to COVID-19. With a schedule which only includes some season-ending games against Tampa, who might have clinched the best record in the AL at that time, the Phillies are my pick to win the division.

The Cubs are 4.5 games ahead of the Brewers and Cardinals in the NL Central. Chicago has 22 games remaining, and rookie manager David Ross has managed well with a lineup that has starts Bryant and Mike Rizzo underperforming. They should win the NL Central, but Milwaukee might make a late run.

The Dodgers are 30-10. They lead a very good Padres team by 6 games with 20 contests left for each. Thus, the NL West may have the two best teams in the league, and it isn’t even a contest for the division title. 

A couple of baseball notes. The games between the Yankees and Mets produced a lot of drama. Starting with last Saturday’s game, where former Yankee Dellin Betances uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Mike Tauchman to score. The pitch landed Betances on the IL. Sunday’s doubleheader had the Yankees training 7-2 in the bottom of the 7th, when the Bombers struck for 5 runs to tie the score, led by Aaron Hicks’ game-tying homer. The Yankees won in the 8th inning. In the nightcap, Sanchez pinch-hit with the bases loaded in the top of the 8th inning (the Yankees were the visiting team as this was a make up fo a game postponed in the series set for Queens) and blasted a monster homer to give the Yankees the win. Then on Thursday, with the score 7-6, Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman first blew the lead, then served up a 2 run shot to Pete Alonso to cement a Mets walk off win. Including the previous Friday night’s sweep of a doubleheader, each game was riveting and exciting, if not the best baseball ever played.

Speaking of Chapman, he incited a near riot in Tuesday night’s game versus the Rays. These two teams truly dislike each other. Pitches routinely either hit or brush back batters, many of them intentionally. The blood was simmering in the first inning when Masahiro Tanaka, a control pitcher, plunked a Rays player in the ribs in the first inning. 

But it was Chapman, on to save the game for the Yanks, who threw a 101 mph pitch at the Rays batter’s head, barely missing beaning him. When Chapman retired the batter, words were exchanged and Tampa manager Kevin Cash made very threatening comments towards the Yankees in a not-so veiled threat of retaliation. Yankees manager Aaron Boone and Cash were suspended one game each and Chapman received a 3 game ban (which should have been 5 games), which is on appeal, so this was why he could pitch on Thursday against the Mets. 

Thankfully Chapman did not hit the batter and these teams will not meet again unless it is in the playoffs. This bad blood started last season and has gotten more intense this year. Look for it to resurface next year. And it is not good for baseball. 

NASCAR and the PGA are in their playoffs, as they would normally be. However, the Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, out of its May slot, with no fans at Churchill Downs due to the pandemic. ‘Tiz the Law, is the favorite, but has an unfavorable post position at 17. I heard that the race begins at 7:01 pm. It is being hawked as the intro to the Islanders-Flyers Game 7. Unbelievable, but the way things are in 2020, it is the norm, not the aberration. 

The sports world lost 2 iconic figures this week. Tom Seaver and John Thompson passed away. Both made lasting impressions.

George Thomas Seaver, a Fresno native and USC pitcher, landed with the hapless Mets via the Braves bungling his signing and his name being drawn from a hat. With that magical bit of luck, he transformed the most mediocre team in baseball into the “Miracle Mets’ of 1969. Seaver was a winner, a power pitcher who never gave in, sought every advantage he could find and then capitalized upon them. He was the face of the franchise, the real “Tom Terrific” (not Tom Brady ,as great as he is). The sadness is that M. Donal Grant, in charge of the Mets, resented Seaver and allowed him to leave, Tom thrived for many more years, which maddened the very vocal Mets fans. 

Seaver’s statistics were incredible. 311 wins. 2.86 E.R.A. 3,640 strikeouts. 3X Cy Young Award winner. 1X All-Star. NL Rookie of the Year. 61 shutouts. 231 complete games. Let those last two stats sink in—never will those feats be replicated. In my lifetime, Koufax, Palmer, Gibson, Marichal and Ryan were the top pitchers of that time frame. All in the Hall of Fame. None were better than Tom Seaver. None had the impact that he had over so long a period. 

Even as a Yankees fan, I wanted to root for him. I am glad that I saw him pitch. Because he was so good.

John Thompson Jr. was a giant, literally and figuratively. Six foot, ten inches tall, he had stellar career at Providence College, then was drafted by the Boston Celtics, where he back up legendary Boston center Bill Russell on 2 championship teams. 

That is part one of his basketball background. What made him famous was that he took a moribund Georgetown University basketball team and made into a national power. Thompson compiled a 596-239 record, won the first NCAA Championship by an African-American coach, and changed the gamer forever. 

He was bright. He was articulate. He was  an exceptionally hard worker. And he could coach. Imposing enough at 6’10”, he carried a trademark white towel on his shoulder during games. Thompson seemed aloof at times, but he wasn’t. He did not let his guard down, yet he was compassionate. He knew how to seize the moment—whether it was to feud with fellow Big East coaches Lou Carnesecca at St.John’s or Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, who became friends. He even mimicked Carnesecca’s ugly sweaters by unveiling one on national TV before the two schools clashed at Madison Square Garden.

Thompson’s teams were black. He said it best—that if he was a 6’10” black man in the home of a white player, he was too imposing, but in the home of a black recruit, he was in a more natural setting. 

Those teams played hard, tenacious defense. Foes attacked them as being thugs. Sure, they fouled hard. But they played hard for their coach, who was prideful of his heritage and stood firm against all challenges. He knew what he was up against, and he knew what was necessary to succeed. When he was unafraid, his teams echoed his posture. For all African-American basketball coaches, he was a true leader, setting the tone for their chances to attain success. For this, and so many other reasons, John Thompson is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Two different people. One white and one black. Two men who made lasting imprints. There is much sadness in their deaths. There is more happiness in what they accomplished. 

It is Labor Day weekend and 2020 has sports in a different place at this time. On the holiday we celebrate all workers with a day off, we memorialize two of the greatest in their sports.