At The End Of February

I received an email from the baseball coach at my alma mater, Franklin and Marshall College. As a baseball alum who sends a little money in support of the program, I receive his reports and even personal e mails. 

He talked about how practice had begun and how hopeful he was that the players might play. He spoke of the Ivy League not playing this year. But he pivoted and said that the Patriot League abruptly changed course and has had a basketball season, even if it has been rife with postponements due to COVID-19. 

Right now, going forward with a season would be up to the Centennial Conference Presidents. It is his hope that the Diplomats baseball team would take to the diamond this year, among the first CC teams to have played since the pandemic began. 

I find coaches on the collegiate level to be wildly optimistic about the team’s chances before the season starts. Any negative showing, and the players lose focus and the season is lost. 

As you who have read this blog regularly know, I have been against playing intercollegiate athletics until this nation turns the corner with the pandemic. Unfortunately, we are not there yet. Student-athletes are among the last groups who will receive the vaccine. 

Yes, I have marveled how colleges have managed to play a season—in football, in basketball. It has been far from perfect. Weekly I sadly read the postponements in many conferences. The NCAA has drafted a contingency plan if a team is in the Tournament and is felled by the virus. 

These are young men and women who sacrifice plenty to be able to follow their dreams. They do not have the arrangements that the professional teams have—and they too have had their hiccups. 

Would I like to see F&M play baseball this Spring? Yes, I would. Am I as optimistic as the coach? Hardly. 

I have seen some games involving ACC and SEC schools aired on the ESPN networks. Those are the big boys. The CC has not followed the big boys, instead taking its lead from the Ivies and the Patriot League. 

We will know the answer to this question of playing CC baseball soon, because March is nearly here and the schedule will necessarily be compressed. Most importantly, I hold out hope for the players and their dreams. 

For this was the time of the year that I used to love when I was at F&M. We were practicing for the start of the season. Mostly indoors, in a dusty dirt area called “The Pit.” It would get watered down, but the dirt below  would be dug up and the lack of adequate light to start with—both from the upper perimeter windows and the caged lights suspended from the ceiling was never enough. 

While I was an outfielder by choice—I loved to make the long throws to the infield and occasionally catch somebody trying to take an extra base—I also was used as a utility player. Which meant that I took ground balls and caught pitches inside the cage during batting practice. And it also meant that I would be bruised and battered from the bad hops on the grounders and my hand would hurt incessantly from the pounding of the pitches. Not your fault, Bobby O!

If that wasn’t too onerous, trying to see the ball during batting practice led to many foul tips and not very awesome struck balls. My sophomore year I broke my Bobby Murcer Louisville Slugger on one of the first wings I took in the cage. Murcer was one of my favorite Yankees and the bat felt so good in my hands—until it was cracked wide open. I was saddened but found solace in an Al Kaline bat which I liked—Kaline was an outfielder with the Detroit Tigers and he is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Luckily, I didn’t break that bat the entire year. 

When the snow would melt and the fields would not be too muddy, we would get outside to practice. Hitting in the Lancaster cold would sting your hands if the ball did not find the bat just in the right spot. We weren’t wearing batting gloves in those days. 

Catching fly balls was always a highlight. A couple of times we would have to endure snow flurries and try to catch the ball—if we could see it. Or the late February/early March winds would make catching a routine fly ball an adventure. 

Even sliding practice was unique. I had never slid on the floor of the basketball court. Let me tell you—if you didn’t slide correctly, your landing would hurt from the unforgiving wood surface.

This may sound like a litany of complaints. Except it isn’t. We were a team and we endured the difficult conditions together. Sure there would be some moaning and groaning. But it made us closer, if not better (we weren’t that good). 

Which made us revel in the sunshine and warmth which would come in March and certainly in April. It was fun and I was plain old happy to be there. In the elements. With my teammates. At F&M.

I have also been to Florida and observed Spring Training for the Marlins, who share space with the Cardinals in Jupiter. I was separated from then Marlins star shortstop Henly Ramirez on an outer field. He tossed a couple of balls over that fence and I secured one.

When my son was attending law school at the University of Miami, I routinely saw Rutgers open the season against the formidable Hurricanes. It was evident how happy the RU players were to be outside in the warmth of Coral Gables, even if the Scarlet Knights were overmatched from a talent perspective as well as working indoors as opposed to the Miami team basking in the South Florida sun for their practices.

With the snow finally melting and the temperatures rising out of the frigid 30’s, the grounds will start turning colorful again. It will be baseball weather once more in the Northeast. Maybe this will augur a much better Spring and Summer than 2020.

In the more present times, we have seen the incredible life of Eldrick Woods get even darker than it ever has been. We have known the little imp called Tiger seemingly forever. His golfing heroics have made him iconic. So, too, have his terrible falls from grace. 

What we have seen is that although Tiger Woods was a nearly robotic magician with a golf club in his hands on foreboding golf courses, his frailty as a human was a stark contrast to the Tiger Woods we watched on TV.  His golf abilities and his human failings caused a roller coaster of emotions for those who followed his travails. 

Now he is in the fight of his life. For whatever reason, his courtesy vehicle left that Southern California roadway and has literally shattered his life. So many questions arose, the results of the haunting demons of his past—although alcohol was quickly shot down as a contributing factor. 

His path to recovery has been compared to that of Alex Smith, the former Washington Football Team quarterback, whose grotesque injury almost cast him his leg and his life. Or the car accident of golfing legend Ben Hogan, where he defied the odds of even playing again and won major championships.

It is way too early for us to really understand the severity of the injuries and the likelihood of any recovery to even close to a normal life, let alone to professional golf. Woods  recently had another back surgery which put his appearance in the Masters, his favorite tournament, in doubt. That is another complication he will face, in addition to what is almost certain to be multiple surgeries to correct and stabilize his smashed ankle and leg.

Tiger Woods is a worldwide celebrity. You can probably name the names even if you aren’t fully invested in sports—Muhammad Ali being the most famous of all. Mention golf, and the first name that  come to mind is Tiger Woods. His popularity in the US and around the world is staggering. 

Thus, his accident is a big deal—big enough to knock the daily morbid stories about COVID-19 off TV news as the lead story for at least one day. Because Americans idolize their champions, and what happens to them—especially if it is a life-altering accident—becomes more important than listening to the grim details of another day of COVID 19 statistics and vaccination troubles. 

In fact, the notoriety of his fame and the tragedy which has been unfolding acts as much an escape for those caught up with the coronavirus as his winning the Masters when no one thought he could win in 2019. The media will report on Woods for as much time as they can, placing his story where the viewers can watch and hear. Their editorial discretion is catering to his status, and Woods’ misfortune—as well as to what the ratings will be with full and complete coverage. 

There are people who will disagree with me on my view of the importance of Tiger Woods’ car crash. I understand that and agree that we can disagree.

I hope he can return to as much of a normal life as possible. And I want to hear the details of his recovery so that I can root him on. It is up to the journalists to report this with accuracy and with discretion. So that Tiger Woods can regain his dignity. 

I turned the TV off after Indiana led Rutgers by a score of 15-4. After muttering a few choice epithets. I thought to myself that this team was a mess and wasn’t going to make the NCAA Tournament. 

I had been going back and forth between the Golden State-Indiana game and the Rutgers game. After watching Steph Curry absolutely struggle with his shooting from behind the three point line, I figured I would see how badly RU was doing.

To my surprise, RU had battled back to only a 27-22 deficit. Before I knew it, RU suddenly was ahead 30-29. With a steal and a bucket by the scrappy Paul Mulcahy at the end of the first half, RU actually led by four. Behind the offense of senior Geo Baker on Senior Night, augmented by Ron Harper, Jr. finally escaping the throes of his horrendous shooting slump, the Scarlet Knights went on to thump the Hoosiers. 

A number of pundits are already awarding RU a spot in the Big Dance. The latest bracket I viewed places them as a #8 seed. I still say not so fast. There are two road contests left in the regular season—at Minnesota, which believes it still has a shot at making the Tournament, and at one-win Nebraska. 

Neither game is a gimme. The way RU plays, one doesn’t know if the good team, the one which downed Indiana, will appear, or its evil twin, the one which lost to Maryland and looked dispirited. Plus there is the Big Ten Tournament to navigate before Selection Sunday is upon us. 

Their destiny is in their own hands. Does this RU team have the wherewithal to make it happen—to end the 30 year drought for NCAA play? The next two weeks will determine that.

Sticking with college hoops, Duke is suddenly playing like a hungry team, one which desperately wants to play in Indiana in March. A desultory Michigan State team upset #4 Ohio State and is now in the discussion for the “bubble.”

Conversely, North Carolina wanted to pad its resume and enhance its chances to play in the NCAA Tournament by scheduling a non-conference home game against Big East opponent Marquette. That gambit failed miserably, as the Tar Heels lost.

Seton Hall lost to Butler on the road. That muddied their chances for the NCAA’s. They too are a bubble team. 

Meanwhile, I continue to see multiple postponements of games on a weekly basis. Whether they will be made up is hard to determine. #3 Michigan, which is now looking like the best in the Big Ten, will play a home and away make up series with in-state rival Michigan State due to its pandemic hiatus. 

Remember this—the pandemic is far from over. One or two missteps and a team’s fortunes can be washed away due to illness. 

Meanwhile, the RU women’s basketball team has been on fire since its return from its own COVID shutdown. Winners of 6 straight, Hall of Fame Coach C. Vivian Stringer has a team which is presently ranked #25 but will undoubtedly be moving up in those polls. 

One of my freshman baseball teammates informed me that the Florida Gulf Coast women’s basketball team has been dominating its opposition. So I delved deeper.

FGCU is 19-2, is on an 18 game winning streak, and they face their closest rivals, Liberty at home next weekend for a two game set, to end the regular season. This one site, two game weekends has produced an anomaly in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings. Both Liberty and Lipscomb could finish unbeaten at home, and FGCU could join them with wins over North Florida this weekend and then over the Liberty Flames. 

FCGU’s two losses came early in the season in the FloHoops Gulf Coast Showdown—a blow out loss to Missouri State and a 6 point loss to Arkansas. They have a low R.P.I. (Ratings Percentage Index)—they are ranked #78, which is below Rutgers at #49, and a 7-5 Lehigh squad, which is somehow #38.

I am not saying that this team will even make the NCAA’s—even with four wins over North Florida and Liberty, FGCU must win the Atlantic Sun Tournament to be assured a spot in the Big Dance in San Antonio. Teams like FGCU and Stephen F. Austin, ranked at #77 and sporting a 16-2 record, are always fighting an uphill battle for recognition. The fact that a prognosticator has FGCU as a #10 seed, while correct in my estimation, hardly means that the Selection Committee will concur with that assessment.

It is these kinds of teams which produce Cinderella runs in the NCAA’s because analytics are skewed to the big conferences and experts don’t watch these teams closely until they are in the NCAA spotlight. That is exactly why I will be tracking the FGCU women for the remainder of the season. 

Both the NBA and NHL churn on. The NBA released its second half schedule this week. I marveled at Steph Curry leading the Warriors to wins over the Knicks and Pacers, placing them in the playoff picture—for now. The Lakers are on a major skid without Anthony Davis. It isn’t meaningful if he can’t play now. Same with Kevin Durant with Brooklyn, which has Kyrie Irving and James Harden to make up for K.D.’s absence. 

Even football is in the news. J.J. Watt is receiving offers of $16-!7 million to join a new team. Seattle QB Russell Wilson doesn’t want to leave the Pacific Northwest but he has given the Seahawks management a list of four teams he would waive his no-trade clause for, which included Chicago?

What we have is the confluence of summer, fall, winter and spring sports and the horrific injuries suffered by Tiger Woods. At the end of February. 

To Give A Shot And Take A Shot

My wife and I have done what millions have done and more in the future. On Friday, we were vaccinated with our first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

Running up to the vaccination, we were apprehensive. Although we hadn’t heard too many people encountering problems, it was our son who forewarned us that we may feel some arm pain and tiredness afterwards. 

Compounding the nervousness was a small snowstorm which left 4+” of snow and lasted well over 24 hours. I can’t say that I slept well the night before the injection, but I didn’t shovel snow for the first time, leaving it to a landscaper we hired on the recommendation of a friend. And that was quite a concession by us, as we avidly work out, maintaining our strength and cardiovascular health. 

As unnerved as I was, my wife hates the unknown and it was troubling her greatly. When we booked the dates (March 19 is the day for the second inoculation), we did it through the office of my allergist, who is affiliated with the Summit Medical Group, a regional multi-specialty collection of healthcare professionals. We learned from a friend that even as SMG was saying don’t call, we are out of spaces for now, going through a doctor’s office could be fruitful. Which it was.

However, when I received the email confirmation, it only was sent to me and did not include my wife. Fortunately, a couple days later, I had an appointment with the allergist and checked on my wife’s COVID-19 date. She was in the computer. Whew!!

We were still more than 4 weeks from our date with the needles. Every day we were inundated with news stories of the crisis. Too few vaccines. Too many new cases. Way too many new deaths. And new variants which might not be effectively covered by the current crop of vaccines. 

Our son was able to secure his first vaccine in Harlem at the end of January. He told us how tired he was from it and how wasted he felt.  This made us wary. Friends also received their vaccines in New York City and they detailed their aches and pains. Plus, going to the Internet gave me no comfort with the plethora of stories detailing every aspect of the shots’ aftermath. 

Further aggravating the situation was the confirmation emails received on Monday. While my wife’s time was reflected accurately, my original time of 9:45 a.m. was now changed to 10:45. That sent me into a small tizzy, wondering do I dare try to call SMG to ask why this happened, or just accept the fact that they accepted my confirmation? I went with the latter, but it weighed on my mind for the rest of the week. 

With the weather a bit iffy, we traveled to the main SMG facility in Berkeley Heights. The parking lots were nearly full. I found a space a distance away from the building we needed to access on this fairly large campus. 

So we hiked through the continuing snow to the entrance, seeing a lot of people similarly situated in age headed in the same direction. We were checked in within 5 minutes of arrival, remaining socially distanced. Then we were led by an assistant to an area with 20 socially-distanced chairs, where we plopped ourselves down and waited for the next step.

A nurse practitioner emerged with a fully-loaded cart, informing us that we would watch a video from the Chief Medical Officer of SMG about the vaccination. She answered all of the questions posed to her.

Finally it was time. One by one, she routinely administered the vaccine. Her method was simple—alcohol prep, followed by a bandage half on, then the shot and then closure of the bandage. 

My wife was the second person in the group to receive her shot. Guess who was last?

As she poked me, I asked how many people would be seen by SMG for their shots. She replied that at Berkley Heights and their Florham Park location, 1,000 people were vaccinated daily. 

Per CDC guidelines, we waited 15 minutes before receiving our cards detailing the date and type of vaccine received.  And we made the 17 minute ride home easily.

Right after lunch, the anticipated pain in our left arms arrived. That pain grew exponentially. While I could raise my arm, it wasn’t very easy to do. 

I had looked up whether we could exercise after receiving the COVID-19 shot. The literature was split on it. 

Being the type of person who lives to exercise—I have been dealing with a painful left ankle for nearly 2 years which may ultimately require surgery—I was raring to go walk. I cajoled my wife into joining me.

We lasted 2 laps, barely over one mile before we called it quits. While there was some residual snow to navigate, we were fatigued—another common after effect from the vaccine. 

I became so tired that I said to my wife that the dinner I expected to make that night—a spinach and bean soup with some turkey and veggie burgers, was too much for me. She, my son and his partner who were joining us for the weekend, enthusiastically accepted my offer for Chinese take out. 

Thankfully my eating was not affected by the shot. However, that pain and the accruing tiredness was taking its toll. 

I made it through The Blacklist on NBC from 8:00 to 9:00 and had a couple of Oreos for dessert (the dark chocolate flavored one are only okay). But I was feeling it. 

I normally sleep in a T-shirt and shorts, as my body heats up in the night. I kept wearing the sweat outfit I had on and didn’t take off my socks. I wasn’t running a fever, but I was feeling a little chilled. 

Normally, I start out on my left side as I fade into sleep. With my left arm and shoulder throbbing, I fell asleep lying on my back.

Many nights, I awaken in the middle of the night and head downstairs to the cellar “Man Cave.” I either fall asleep there or traipse back upstairs for more sleep. 

Not this Friday to Saturday. I slept soundly for 8 1/2 hours. I was clobbered by a truck named Moderna!!

By Saturday, the shoulder ache was a bit better. I made it through breakfast. Only to head right back to bed for another two hours of sleep. 

I remained awake for lunch, which my wife and I made. Only to return to bed for another 1.5 hours  of sleep. My body was building anti-bodies and it was certainly making a fuss over it. 

After that last nap, I had more energy and it led to a 3.25 mile walk in the 34 degree air. I made a pasta and salad dinner. We watched an episode of The Crown—we have reached Season 4, Episode 5. I took in some of the Miami-LA Lakers game and talked with my son, his partner, my wife and our daughter, who appeared via Face Time from Albuquerque, NM, where she is the COVID compliance officer for an Amazon production. 

Saturday night’s sleep was more normal. No extra clothing, no sleeping on my back. I got a little over 6 hours sleep and I worked downstairs preparing for our Sunday run to Shop Rite. 

We picked up pastries for everyone and I scarfed down my favorite prune danish, along with some Greek yogurt, seeds and a banana. No problem.

Until 30 minutes later, when I took my body back to sleep for another 2+ hours. While the pain in the shoulder is all but gone, my fatigue is still there. 

Around 11:00 a.m., I was up and made that soup I was to cook on Friday and baked a store-bought spinach quiche. We had lunch, and by 12:30, I was back in bed. For another hour and a half. 

Which brings me to where I am now—just after 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, and for the first time, having enough strength to write this blog. I want to walk later, but I don’t know if I will have the wherewithal to do it. I might just succumb to the lure of the Maryland-Rutgers rematch and rest. Or maybe not.

What lays ahead for me is this—I will gain my equilibrium fairly soon. I will be back to my full exercise load. Days will become normal again—normal with the restrictions already in place due to the coronavirus. 

I have heard from a number of friends and my son what the impact of the second shot is like. The word I have heard is that it is more powerful than the first inoculation, so I should expect to be hit hard again. 

No matter how much I prepare for the second shot, I will still be blindsided by its impact on my body. But I know that I am doing the right thing. To prevent the virus from hitting me with all its fury, which could be daunting at age 70, no matter how in shape I presume to be. 

From this limited experience, I can only begin to imagine the rougher reaction people have when they actually contracted COVID-19. Make no mistake, this is a life-threatening and life-altering virus. Its power is extraordinary, having killed over 500,000 Americans thus far. We will continue to wear masks into the future for good reason. 

Athletes who have contracted it are still not up to full strength in some instances. Lingering conditions may remain with an individual for the rest of their life. 

Before the shot, I watched the sports try to cope with the pandemic. The fact that the NFL competed a season through the Super Bowl was amazing (if G.O.A.T. Tom Brady’s foolish toss of the Lombardi Trophy from one craft to another had resulted in it sinking to the bottom of Tampa Bay, I would have laughed so hard). Ditto MLB shortened season, and the NBA’s bubble. 

The fact that Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka prevailed in Australia, with its strict enforcement of COVID restrictions was a great testimony to how hard individual athletes from all nations can make something work. I hope the same happens at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

A shout out here to Serena Williams, who made it to the semi-finals before Osaka out hit her; the fact that she is the 4th best woman’s tennis player at age 39 is miraculous. I root for Serena to tie Margaret Court for the record number of Grand Slam women’s titles. But I also see that Father Time has caught up with her when she plays the elite competitors like Osaka. 

I know the end is near for Serena and for her older sister Venus, who barely makes it to the second round of a major tournament. I know that some believe that Martina Navratilova is the greatest female tennis player. Certainly an argument can made about that.

What cannot be questioned is how the Williams sisters, and especially Serena, changed the way the game was played. Their powerful shots and serves, the amount of training put into honing their games was not the norm when they started. 

Sure, people hated the father, Richard, for being overbearing. But now, it is a love affair with Serena as she ages and her quest for immortality is fading. 

In my opinion, I have seen the greatest ones in sports. In tennis, there is Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. Tiger Woods was the face of golf and still attracts so much attention. Muhammad Ali. An International icon. Mention Michael Jordan, Lebron James or Bill Russell and those names are so well-known. Steph Curry has been called the greatest shooter of all-time. There is Brady in football, along with Jim Brown, the powerful Cleveland Browns running back. Baseball has Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth and an inordinate number of Hall of Fame names .

Serena Williams belongs with this rich tapestry of the best of the best. For sure.

I have to mention the trade of Carson Wentz to Indianapolis where he reunites with Frank Reich, his guru while Reich coached in Philadelphia. Good move for both teams.

Spring training has commenced and poor Clint Frazier. He has been given the nod to start in left field by Manager Aaron Boone. Except that the team signed former left fielder Brett Gardner to a $4 million contract. Guess who will be looking over his shoulder. 

There is further discord in Yankees’ camp. Reliever Zach Britton, the team’s player rep, sounded off strongly about Domingo Garcia’s domestic violence charge, which cost Garcia in terms of a lengthy suspension. I am sure that Britton isn’t the only Yankee harboring disgust and resentment. 

If that wasn’t enough, catcher Robinson Chirinos has been touted by Boone to be very valuable. Chirinos was a teammate of Gerrit Cole in Houston, but his catching of Cole was ended in the first half of the season. I wonder where this leaves Gary Sanchez, the talented one who has lost his way, and Kyle Higashioka, who replaced Sanchez towards the end of last season and became Cole’s personal catcher. 

Rutgers has once more fallen off the cliff. They were outclassed by #3 Michigan in Ann Arbor. Then today, I did catch the team lose to Maryland, a team on the rise. Some prognosticators have RU as an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. I see danger ahead with Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska to finish the season. I believe that this team is maybe a 9-11 seed, if they beat IU. If not, do they even belong in the Big Dance?

I have watched the Brooklyn Nets play some amazing basketball. Without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, James Harden lifted the team from a 21 point deficit to a deserved win over a rising Phoenix Suns team. Then they took down Sacramento, followed by a win over the Lakers with Irving back. No matter how Lebron James plays, the Lakers are stumbling with Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroeder both out with injuries. The defense is still suspect, but the offense is great.

Steph Curry was lousy for three quarters against Miami. In the final stanza and OT, he was incredible, leading the warriors to victory. Yet he was sidelined on Saturday when Golden State played in his home town of Charlotte. It seems like he never gets to perform there…

BTW—Draymond Green opened his yap again, picking up two technicals and an ejection, which ultimately cost the Warriors a win. Steve Kerr said Draymond plays with intensity but his antics this time went over the line. I wonder if he’ll ever learn.

The NHL tried to play outdoor games at Stateline, Nevada, on the 18th green of a famous golf course adjacent to Lake Tahoe. Except that the weather warmed and the sun came out, creating havoc. Beautiful scenery—better than the Stadium Series. 

I have stayed lucid and upright. I made dinner. I am going for a walk. I feel better. 

Yet I am already anxious for shot number two on March 19th. Hopefully, the vaccine will be plentiful. Hopefully it will be effective. Hopefully, it will do its magic without sending me back to bed. Which is a heads up not to expect a blog that weekend. 

What is this all about? To give a shot and take a shot. 

Top Dogs

Thankfully the Super Bowl and its aftermath are over. What looked to be a great game on paper resembled a practice game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And now the G.O.A.T. is even more firmly ensconced in history.

Yes, Tom Brady won the game for Tampa Bay. That happened the moment he left the New England Patriots of Head Coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft where he established himself as the premier QB in the NFL with his 6 Super Bowl championships in 9 tries. 

It wasn’t an easy season for the Buccaneers. They muddled through the better part of the season, which included getting torched at home by the Kansas City Chiefs. 

That Chiefs’ loss became a lightning rod for the Bucs. They never lost another game, which included 3 big wins on the road in the playoffs in Washington, New Orleans and Green Bay. 

The offense came together under Brady’s astute leadership. But it was the defense which became stronger and harassed QB’s in a way it hadn’t previously. 

Former Jets head man Todd Bowles, who was not given much of a team by then-GM Mike Macagnan, showed his forte in raising a defense to elite levels. The swarming front seven, with blitzing packages, along with tight coverage by the defensive backs, caused Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes II to repeatedly run for his life. 

Tampa Bay absolutely deserved to win this game. It was a no doubter. I was avidly rooting for KC, because I like the way Mahomes plays—hard and determined. 

But the Chiefs were at a decided disadvantage. The KC offensive line was decimated from the start of the year when one other starting lineman opted out of the 2020 season. To treat people with COVID-19, since he is a physician. Add in a couple of injuries and shifting of roles up front, the Chiefs stood little chance against the formidable rush of the Bucs’ D-line. 

Mahomes tried valiantly—some of his desperation throws showed how well he can improvise, even if they weren’t caught. Considering he had turf toe, which was so severe that it required surgery which was successfully completed on Wednesday, Mahomes played incredibly. 

Even so, the fact that his Chiefs team was held to less than double digits for the first time with him under center, showed how much the Bucs dominated the contest. Tampa Bay was stopped early on a fourth down near the goal line.

It was widely thought that would be the turning point for the Chiefs to come back. Except it wasn’t. My F&M roommate was prescient on Saturday when he told me to watch out for the “Gronk factor.”

Of course, he was alluding to Rob Gronkowski, Brady’s favorite target at New England, and the best tonight end ever to play the game. Gronkowski snared 6 passes for 67 yards while scoring 2 TD’s. In his fifth Super Bowl, Gronkowski is second to Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice in Super Bowl catches 33 to 23;  yardage 589 to 297; and TD’s 8 to 3.  

When Gronkowski returned to the game for the chance to reunite with Brady on a new quest, skeptics wondered if either had anything left in his tank—even if Gronkowski was only 31. Those skeptics should have known better than to bet against the certain Hall of Fame duo. 

Look, I don’t like Brady. I think he has been lucky much of his career—witness the “tuck rule” play which led him to his first Super Bowl win. He gets calls that other QB’s and teams are enraged about—how come there was so little pass interference by the Bucs and the Chiefs seemed to be cited for violations every other play? 

Brady cheated. We all know that. Yet I don’t dispute his talent or dedication to perfection in his diet and preparation. 

His verbal exchange with Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu—some very heated trash talk—was instigated by number 12 and resulted in Mathieu being flagged, not the Golden Boy. The fact that he engaged in such arrogance annoys me—you don’t see Mahomes or a lot of other QB’s doing that. It is more reminiscent of Michael Jordan, perhaps the worst (or best) trash talker of all time. 

I hate that kind of playing. Let your actions on the field speak loudly for how you play the game. 

I looked at some of my favorites—Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, Jim Brown, Curtis Martin—a list which goes on and on. They didn’t have to resort to taunting and running their mouths on the field. 

Brady cannot accept that he is the best. He needs to be angry and has to further motivate himself in this way. 

What kind of example does Brady set? How many kids are going to talk smack and want to be like him like they wanted to be like Mike—Jordan that is. We have enough division in this country. 

Again, it is Brady. He is a polarizing figure no matter what he does: he brings on hatred and anger. He is both a positive and negative media figure. 

I am hoping that the youngsters coming into the league and those yearning to attain stardom do not envy him. Play the game right and your team will win its share of games and, perhaps, Super Bowls. Listen up Trevor Lawrence. It will be good to see Brady win less—maybe even the Jets might win some more, too. 

And for the Giants fans who read this, I am happiest that good guy Eli Manning, now coaching his daughter’s youth basketball team in Summit, took down Brady and the Patriots twice in the Super Bowl. Young QB’s—look at Eli and comport yourself in that manner and the world will be your oyster. 

QB trade hysteria is gripping the NFL in the throes of the off season. Started by the Matthew Stafford- Jared Goff swap between the Lions and Rams (reminiscent of the trade in the 1960’s where the Eagles sent Sonny Jurgensen to Washington in exchange for Norm Snead), it seems that a large number of QB’s will be shopped for relocation purposes. 

In addition to Deshawn Watson wanting out of Houston, names like Dak Prescott in Dallas, Carson Wentz in Philadelphia, the Jets’ Sam Darnold and even Seattle QB and NFL Man of the Year Russell Wilson have been mentioned to be moving on to a new destination. Jimmy Garoppolo, once the heir apparent to Brady and traded by New England to San Francisco where he led the Niners to the Super Bowl, has been linked to a return to the Patriots. Add uncertainty regarding Mitchell Trubinsky, Aaron Rodgers, Nick Foles along with at least three blue chip college QB’s available in the upcoming NFL Draft, we may see QB movement in record numbers. Be prepared for the unthinkable. 

Then there was the late breaking story that J.J. Watt, the star defensive lineman and icon in Houston for his charitable endeavors, was granted his release by the Texans. Team Turmoil had its 2 top players, Watson and Watt, disgruntled in the way the team approached playing for championships. 

While Watt was granted his release to pursue greater opportunities at age 32, the 24 year old Watson is facing enormous resistance from the Texans management and ownership about moving on. If Houston really wants to build from the ground up, maybe this is the time to start anew by letting Watson go and receiving a bevy of draft choices and serviceable players in return. 

I don’t see Watt in New York, and I wonder if he could be reunited with his brothers in Pittsburgh. A Wisconsin native, Watt could be like Hall of Fame defensive lineman Reggie White, who, at the same age, left his storied career in Philadelphia and wrote a new chapter, which included a Super Bowl title in Green Bay…or wherever he lands. 

One last football commentary. The Hall of Fame released the newest additions to the Hall of Fame on the night before the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning led the star-studded array. 

Two names stand out for me. First there is offensive lineman Alan Faneca. Faneca had a great career, then moved over to the Jets where he continued his excellence.

My favorite in this class is Drew Pearson. The Dallas wide receiver should have been in the Hall of Fame much earlier. 

I know Pearson differently. I saw him play football and basketball at South River high School, a rival of my alma mater, Highland Park. In 1966, he was the receiver and sometimes QB for the Rams, as they were led by Joe Theismann, who had storied career at Notre Dame then with Washington until the super human Lawrence Taylor of the Giants broke Theismann’s leg in half.

What I saw from Pearson was incredible athleticism, phenomenal speed and a cannon for an arm. He was a fair basketball player—South River was known for its football, not hoops. 

While I knew that Theismann was headed for greatness, I always thought that Pearson was even better. He never disappointed me while at Tulsa, where he is the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame. 

When he arrived at Dallas, I predicted stardom. And I was right. He was a 3X First Team All-Pro; a member of the 1970’s All-Decade Team; the NFL receiving yards leader in 1977; a Super Bowl champion; and his name is on the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor. Pearosn made some great catches—the most memorable on a frozen day outdoors in Minnesota when he caught Roger Staubach’s Hail Mary pass to win the game. 

Starting his career as a third string wide receiver who made the team to play on special teams, Pearson ended up among the all-time Cowboys greats. He even threw a couple of passes with that golden arm.

Tragically, Pearson fell asleep at the wheel of his Dodge Daytona and caused a crash with a parked tractor-trailer. He suffered a career-ending liver injury and his brother was killed. 

I am happy for Drew Pearson. This is a feel good story.

Just a quick Rutgers comment. They look good winning some games in a row and the team is back in the Top 25. Then they promptly go out and lose to Iowa on the road. 

This team is a Top 40 team. Not a Top 25 team. Because they have only 1 win over a highly-ranked team this season with their win in January over Illinois at the RAC. Until they beat someone good, I don’t think that they are all that others believe they are. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make the NCAA’s but lose in the first round. But they at least finally reach the tournament. 

Those believing that Seton Hall is any better than RU are wrong. They are a very average team in the Big East. Which, quite frankly, is a very average conference. Which is unlike the Big Ten, where it is a battle night in and night out. And I don’t see the winner of the NCAA’s coming from the Big Ten, although with the tournament in the Indianapolis area, it is nearly a home court advantage for the Big Ten.

It is going to be a year of the blue bloods—Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina—being supplanted by Gonzaga, Baylor, Houston, or anyone else you might fancy. This will be a wide open tournament. Expect upsets and who remains standing at the end will be difficult to predict—unless Gonzaga and Baylor are THAT good. 

In a matchup of the two top women’s college basketball teams, #2 UConn downed #1 South Carolina in overtime. Leave it to Geno Auriemma to have another top notch squad led by a rising freshman, Paige Bueckers. Remember that name as she accents to the pantheon of UConn women’s greats, like Bird, Taurasi, , Moore, Stewart et.al.

In a four game swing through Texas, Steph Curry averaged over 35 points per game as the Warriors split the contests with the Mavericks and Spurs. What made the trip more memorable was Steve Kerr’s pronouncement that he will not alter Curry’s minutes because he is thinking about the longevity of Curry’s career, which has four or more good years left. 

No championship will be won this season. But next year, when Klay Thompson returns and James Wiseman is a second year pro, along with any free agent signings, the Warriors will be back in the hunt, with a durable and rested Steph Curry. 

Curry made a no look, facing away from the basket shot while being fouled. He also calmly threw in an underhanded three pointer after the final buzzer sounded on Wednesday. 

His brother Seth, a member of the 76’ers, actually leads the NBA in three point field goal percentage while playing for his father-in-law, Doc Rivers. Yet Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon  both agreed on PTI that if you had to give the ball to either in the clutch, it would go to Steph.

Steph’s performance is evoking M.V.P. thoughts. I say that he has elevated the Warriors to the cusp of playoff status. However, there is this guy down in Los Angeles named Lebron James. He is the M.V.P. Plus Kevin Durant, his former teammate with the Warriors and who leads the Nets, Kyrie Irving and James Harden into San Francisco for a nationally-televised contest on Saturday night, is also up for consideration. 

Look at who I am talking about here. Brady. Gronkowski. Mahomes. Pearson. 

Theismann. Steph Curry, Durant. The better teams RU cannot defeat. Gonzaga. Baylor. UConn. Bueckers. Bird. Taurasi. Moore. Stewart.

What do they all have in common? They all are top dogs. 

A Wintry Mix

It’s ben a whale of a week. 22” of snow prompted 7 runs with my 15 year old Ariens snowblower to make the driveway, walkways and patio navigable. 

What started out as a light, fluffy snowfall turned wetter as the temperature rose, forming a heavy, wet packed snow. This made it much more difficult for the snowblower to cut through, thus causing my wife and I to shovel more extensively than normal. 

Talk about great aerobic and upper body workouts! I thought I was in somewhat decent shape at age 70, walking 3 miles twice a week and accumulating over 10,000 steps every day, according to my gospel, the Apple Watch. I lift weights 2-3 times/week in the basement a.k.a. “The Man Cave.” Which my wife generously shares with me. Then again, I have been a workout freak since high school and she hopped on board at the beginning of our marriage. 

I watch what I eat, which includes no red meat save three exceptions—one corned beef sandwich from Katz’s Delicatessen; breaded veal chops on my birthday; and a taste of brisket for the Jewish holidays. I drink only water—either bottled or from a Brita filter. I limit my pasta to whole grain and I try to avoid things like corn syrup and other baddies for my system. 

I have acquired a taste for flaxseed, nuts and there is salmon Wednesday to celebrate each week. I can go on and on about what I eat—even my Chinese food orders have been altered to ask for brown rice instead of white rice. 

No, I am not even close to my playing weight at Franklin and Marshall. That topped off at 142 pounds 49 years ago. I have added plenty of muscle to this frame since then, but with aging, I have out on inches in the midsection. 

I dropped 5 pounds in late January courtesy of the prep before a colonoscopy. Which has somehow stayed off thus far. I am attempting to lose another 5 pounds by the end of April. A reasonable goal with my mindset. 

As long as I stay athletically healthy. Which has been my biggest bugaboo for the past 25 years. And which restricts me now with tears in the peroneus tendons of the left ankle. 

Still, I thought I would be able to handle the massive snowstorm which blanketed New Jersey with my trusty snowblower, some shoveling and a bit of help from my wife. Was I ever wrong. 

What started out as an easy snow migrated into a long duration event with rising temperatures, causing the snow to be more watery, and thus much heavier. But what was I to do—by Township ordinance, the surfaces had to be cleaned.

I used to like snow. When I was young, it was a cause for celebration when we would have a snow day and no school. I had a window box air conditioner in my room, and I loved to watch the snow would pile up and nearly block the upper portion of the window so I could not look down the hill on Harrison Avenue. 

There was a pathway between North Fifth and Lincoln Avenues, which went down a hill, over a portion of the Mill Brook, a local tributary of the Raritan River, and traveled uphill to Harrison Avenue  and our home. The steeper part was on the Fifth/Lincoln side, and was a haven for local kids to sled. I still have my two sleds from over 60 years ago—a small one which my father painted over and inscribed my son’s name on it; and the Flexible Flyer which I badgered him to buy because all the cool kids had one and it went a lot faster and was easier to control. 

Our house was at the end of a circle, which demarcated the border between Highland Park and Edison. Which allowed the borough snow plows to pile up the snow away from our driveway. 

We had a fairly long, arcing driveway, along with a sidewalk from that driveway to the front steps, along with a back walkway, a set of steps to the enclosed patio, and the sidewalk which encircled our in ground swimming pool. Those portions of our property were my province to clear—leaves in the fall and snow in the winter—for my basketball backboard and hoop hung over the garage door. 

While sometimes it was arduous work, there was always a benefit to it. I could go shoot hoops on the most frigid days following a snowstorm because of my completed chore. I had my own set of shovels, one to push and one to lift. 

My father’s dental office and property was in Edison, just over a mile from home. I was enlisted early to help maintain the site with him, from painting, woodwork and trimming the shrubbery and rose bushes as well as clearing debris, to cleaning the basement which always seemed to accumulate water. 

When he learned early on that the two of us could not clean the lot sufficiently when it snowed, he made a significant investment when he purchased a snowblower.  He fashioned two boards into trams to load the machine into the back of his station wagon so we could transport it to the office property. Which we did. 

As I grew into my teens, the snowblower became mine to operate. When I was away at college or law school, he managed to get it back and forth between properties. Perhaps my sister helped, too. 

Yet when I returned to Highland Park to live, and later in his declining years when I had wife and family, I was charged with my ongoing chore. While I couldn’t clear the office in a timely manner, something his tenant took care of, I still got the orange machine to run at the house. 

Upon his death in February, 1992, one of the items I took from home to our house in Springfield was that snowblower. Somehow I coaxed another 21 years out of it, until starting and running it became too difficult. 

Sadly, I knew it was time to move on in 2004, when I decided to buy my own, more modern version. That machine has given me 16 great years of service, tackling all kinds of snowstorms and the unceasing remnants of the plowing by the Township which maddeningly  blocks my driveway entrance. 

However, the lifespan of this snowblower is between 15 to 25 years. With this last storm,  I clearly recognized that it, like me, was overmatched by the elements. 

Age has a way of catching up to us in many capacities. Whether it is the functionality of machinery or my being in my 71st year, there is a time to call it quits from the rigors of snow removal. 

My wife and I have begun the process of hiring someone to take over clearing the property. No matter how much in shape I am, I am not the person of 30 or 20 or even 10 year ago, when I could still run and lift and even swim laps. Tennis? Not on my radar anymore.

Snow may be pretty when it falls. Cleaning up afterwards is no longer in the cards for me. Sure, I will have the snowblower in the garage for an emergency. I still use one of the two original gas cans from over 60 years ago. 

I will be losing another element of my youth when I stop braving the wind and cold and wetness in my boots (only 3 pair of boots over 60 years) to meet my homeowner obligations. I will still have all of the memories associated with the year of clearing away snow in three locations and the people I met—from the Paulus Dairy driver who gave us a lift as we walked a nearly impassable Route 27 to the collegiality of our neighbors as we jointly shoveled and cleaned. 

I am not sad. I have done this task more than anyone I know of. This is simply accepting the reality of life and the aches of my body telling me in no uncertain terms that it is time to retire again. 

Speaking of age, it is the old man versus the youngster on Sunday in Tampa. I am conflicted on choosing a winner. I cannot help but admire Tom Brady’s career and how, once more, here he is in the Super Bowl. If he wins, it is because his team was superior and he probably had a good enough day. 

Yet I am attracted by the agility and skills of Patrick Mahomes II. His youthfulness hides a wold of innate football knowledge and aptitude. I want his Kansas City Chiefs to repeat as Super Bowl champs. 

I might be a bit sad if the Bucs prevail. After all, the game is in their stadium, which means they didn’t have to fly in. KC has had a small issue with COVID-19, and now there is the tragic news that Head Coach Andy Reid’s son, an assistant on his staff, was involved in a multiple vehicle accident which has injured children. This might be what tips the scale in favor of Tampa Bay. 

Some notes on the game I heard or read this week. Hard to believe, but tight ends Rob Gronkowski of the Bucs and KC’s Travis Kelce are both only 31 years of age. Gronk has a number of rings with Brady during their time in New England. Kelce trails him in a number of career records, but has the prolific Mahomes throwing to him. 

Both will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is silly to ask which is the better one until they both hang it up for good. 

There are three men who have been to the 54 previous Super Bowls. They are making their way to Florida for this year’s game. And the Star-Ledger has columnist emeritus Jerry Izenberg going down memory lane once more—he is another who has covered all the game since Super Bowl I in Los Angeles.

Finally, if you need full time Super Bowl coverage and have satellite radio, Sirius XM Channel 104 is for you. Classic rock Channel 26 still is my favorite. 

A number of NHL teams are on COVID-related pauses, led by the New Jersey Devils, who have 14 players out due to the coronavirus. The NHL season is starting to look like baseball did early on. The league sorely misses its bubble. 

Reigning free agent NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer chose his hometown team, the Dodgers in signing a mega deal. His choices were either the Dodgers or the Mets, which offered more money. The lure of playing for his childhood team was simply too much and makes the Dodgers the clear favorite to win in 2021.

Provided that there is a season in 2021. MLB and the MLBPA are at it again, bickering over when the season is to start. Right now, to the owners’ dismay, Spring Training is nearly upon us. Stay tuned. 

Rutgers is back on track, winning four Big Ten games in a row for the first time ever. There remain a number of tough games ahead. It is clear that team captain and senior leader Geo Baker is healthy and directing the team. 

Lebron James has challenged the necessity of the NBA having an All-Star Game this season. To which I add that it is greedy by the owners to force these stars to travel to a site for one game and risk all that they have sacrificed to be able to play. 

Kevin Durant was played like a yo-yo on Friday. Because of contact tracing, he didn’t start for the first time in 166 games when the Nets hosted Toronto. Then when the person in question’s test came back positive, Durant was pulled in the third quarter and will not play tomorrow in Philadelphia. Durant’s double figures scoring streak also ended in the loss to the Raptors. 

So to pull a star like Durant as state above while allowing an All Star Game to be played? It makes no sense to me. 

Finally, Manchester United tied its best effort with a 9-0 romp over Southampton. Only in a COVID year. 

There you have it. A wintry mix of sports and life. And wouldn’t you know it—it’s going to snow significantly on Super Bowl Sunday. Of course.