Politics: The Bane Of Sports

  I tend to stay away from politics in my blogs. For good reason. The political world can be a mixture of righteousness and toxicity, with common sense at a minimum. 

Then again, the self-centered nature of college and professional sports, driven, as it is,  by money is a microcosm of the political world.

With the political climate in Washington and in many states which are known as “red states” in a state of measured chaos right now and with highly divisive agendas, it made me think about what could happen if the same mentality permeated the sports world. As it continues, we have no idea what the landscape of this country or the world will look like. 

How this tumult affects sports is a great question. These are uncertain times.

What you see now in sports may have changed in six months. Witness at the big wigs of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference having a powwow in New Orleans this past week. 

These are the power brokers of collegiate sports. These are the two mega conferences where the vast amount of television money along with NIL payments reside. This is where the television networks and streaming services gravitate. March Madness would never have become such a big thing without CBS making it into a must-see event. 

The SEC has sixteen members. There are the flagship public universities of 12 states. Additionally, there are three public land-grant universities and one private research university. The conference headquarters is in Birmingham, Alabama. Every member either makes a profit or breaks even on expenses compared to revenue generated; those figures are in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Even with four schools (Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M and South Carolina) competing in Equestrian events as a SEC-sanctioned sport.  

Meanwhile, the expanded Big Ten has 15 of 18 schools enrolling more than 30,000 students, with all public universities, with the exception of Northwestern University and the University of Southern California. All except Nebraska are members of the Association of American Universities, while USC is the only non-member of the Universities Research Association. These schools educate more than 520,000 students and are purported to have 5.7 million living alumni. Big Ten headquarters is in Rosemont, Illinois. Moreover, Johns Hopkins University is an affiliate member for lacrosse, while Notre Dame University is a member solely in ice hockey. 

These conferences extend from the West Coast to the East Coast, up and down the Eastern Seaboard and states abutting the Gulf of Mexico or America, as some now must refer to that body of water. That covers a lot of territory which is full of political ammunition and entrenched power. 

Which is why, in this politically-charged environment, a cartel is forming and will certainly be protected like other big businesses will be. The fact that the two conferences each want to have four guaranteed spots in the College Football Playoffs shows their strength and avarice. 

Expect that to translate to basketball—I believe that upwards of nine schools from each conference will likely make the Big Dance. That will diminish the opportunities for upsets by small to mid-major schools over the big boys, because the marginal spots in the tournament will go to one of the Big Ten or SEC schools on the bubble. 

Don’t expect the state legislatures to act against what is going on. Nor, in this time of wholesale change in government, where reckless downsizing is happening with abandon, will this overriding of the collegiate sports landscape be halted. 

The only thing which will serve to hurt the SEC-Big Ten conglomerate will be what affects it the most—money. While the revenue seems to be guaranteed, if there is a downturn in the nation’s economy, which many believe will occur with a slowing of economic growth coupled with rising inflation, then the dollars spent on everything from merchandise to luxury suites won’t necessarily be there. 

The NCAA seems to be toothless in its governing of its membership. The CFP is not part of the NCAA, and football is the driving sport in the equation. What is going on isn’t good. But in this day and age, no one is going to decry what is happening—except maybe a negative blogger or two who thinks conference expansion and TV money are the root causes of all evil in collegiate sports and who prefers to watch the clarity of competition at the Ivies, Patriot League or Division III, where few worry too much about NIL and even fewer go on to play professionally. 

Sure, I watched the glitz and glamor of Friday night SEC women’s gymnastics on ESPN.  Just like I tuned into Michigan State-Michigan and USC-Rutgers in men’s basketball. 

Yet I found myself at peace watching Franklin and Marshall vie with Gettysburg for the regular season title in the Centennial Conference, and home court advantage in the upcoming playoffs. Two schools in historic areas, with the word College affixed to their names. 

Not too many people cared to watch on their computers—there isn’t any commercial appeal for these games nor are there any TV time outs at regulated times. Just a number of kids playing their hearts out in a less-than packed small gymnasium. 

Simplicity in sports. What a novel idea. Which, at that level, will seemingly endure. Unlike what is happening in Division I. (For the record, F&M won)

Returning to the theme I began with, I worry where this new government will be heading regarding sports. I see a President who appeared at the Super Bowl, staying for a half, then heading to Daytona for the big race, and providing such a stirring pep talk to the USA hockey team before the 4 Nations championship game versus Canada, complete with references to our neighbors to the north as the 51st state. He didn’t fare too well after praising supporter Brittany Mahomes, wife of the Kansas City quarterback nor were his words impactful on the USA team, which lost in overtime to its northern rivals. Heck, I hope he doesn’t weigh in on the efficacy of the “Tush Push.”

No, I am concerned that he and his fans will seek to quash the number of players from other countries entering the United States. The impact will be catastrophic for professional and college sports at all levels. In keeping with the theme of less reliance upon other nations while angering their residents and leaders, I don’t see this outside the realm of possibility. Especially if there is an economic decline. 

You won’t see players like Frenchman Victor Wembanyama display his enormous talent in a nation alien to his interests once he is medically cleared to return from the deep vein thrombosis which has sidelined him for the remainder of the NBA season. Who knows how the anti-vaccine beliefs permeating government will align with the safety of foreign players coming into our country—that is a serious potential issue. 

In this changing world, will the National Football League be welcome in its outreach and games outside of the US? Ditto the NBA and all of the foreign-born players in so many other sports. And will the Olympic ideal be lost to political vitriol? 

Outlandish, you think? No more than the changes which are happening on a daily basis in Washington and resonating throughout our Nation. 

I love to discuss sports. My beliefs are my own. When politics overwhelms sports, I worry.

Politics. The bane of sports right now and in the future. 

So Much Going On

  The NBA held its All-Star Game this past weekend in San Francisco. The last time the game was held in San Francisco (one was played in Oakland in 2000) was in 1967. The site was the Cow Palace. Located in Daly City, over 13,000 fans watched the Western Conference players outshine a loaded Eastern Conference squad in what has been described as the biggest upset in the history of this contest. New Jersey native Rick Barry of the then San Francisco Warriors, a team just five years removed from its former home in Philadelphia, was the M.V.P. Hopefully no cattle were present when the game was held; to this day the Cow Palace is still home to the Grand National Rodeo & Junior Livestock Show.  

Fast forward to this iteration of the All Star Weekend. It is a far different world that the NBA finds itself in. And world is the key word—so many stars come from outside the United States, playing in the best-paying and most prestigious league on the planet. 

The NBA, given the ludicrous high scoring affairs which became routine with the lack of any defense being played, has tried repeatedly to find a combination worth watching. This year was no different. 

Four teams were fielded, honoring the former players who populate Inside The NBA. Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were joined by WNBA legend Candace Parker as leaders of four squads. The goal was to reach 41 points and advance to a final game. 

Team Shaq was stacked. Hometown hero Steph Curry led his group to the title and picked up the M.V.P. trophy just like Barry did 58 years ago. Outside of some ridiculous shot-making by Curry, it was a snooze fest. So much so that I didn’t watch any of the event while it was televised for the final time by TNT, whose NBA basketball tenure is ending with the season (although the stars of Inside The NBA will still operate out of Atlanta, in a show produced by Turner Sports, but which will be seen on ABC/ESPN next season; each star has been signed with lofty deals ensuring their continued participation).

I opted for two different shows to watch—first on Saturday, when the three-point contest and Slam Dunk contest were conducted (G League star Matt Mc Clung won the dunk show for the third consecutive year, this time leaping over a car for a three peat which the Kansas City Chiefs were unable to do). Then again on Sunday when the major stars competed (except for aging Lebron James, who opted to rest his legs for the regular season and post-season, to the marked dismay of those watching at the Chase Center and on national TV). 

In no way could the NBA ever compete with the lure of Canada and the United States meeting in hockey-crazed Montreal on Saturday night. Nor was there any chance the NBA could eclipse the powerful 50th anniversary show for Saturday Night Live. 

Therein lies the NBA’s dilemma. How to secure an audience when other networks and leagues could provide even more satisfying content. (I left out HBO’s return of The White Lotus  for a third season on Sunday night)

Players like Draymond Green were outspoken in their criticism of the current format. Younger stars like Victor Wembanyama support a US versus the World match up. 

Watching the intensity of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NHL found an absolute winner in comparison to the non-checking, inflated goal-scoring games of the past. By staging it in a year before the NHL players are allowed to take a mid-season break to participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, there was meaning to the games. Nationalistic pride was squarely on the line.

In the Canada-Sweden game, it took overtime to decide a winner. Awakening with a roar in the third period, the U.S. routed Finland. 

But what transpired in Quebec in the first nine seconds of the game showed why this was a winning format. Three fights broke out, two involving the Tzchuck brothers, Matthew and Brady, defining the Americans honor. These are established stars duking it out, not goons brought in for a purpose. 

The hitting was for real. The skirmishes and pushing was the norm. And real hockey was played, with sharp goaltending and great passing and shooting. 

Canada had to outlast Finland on Presidents Day to insure a spot in the championship game against the U.S. when the contests moved to Boston. The finale on Thursday ought to be phenomenal. TV ratings for hockey were markedly raised. Nobody missed the former All-Star Game. Take note, NBA. 

There was plenty of basketball in mid-February as the colleges continue to head towards their post-season tournaments and then on to the NCAA Tournament. Good matchups, too. 

Let’s begin with the women. In a midweek match, USC and their star, JuJu Watkins, hosted their crosstown rivals, #1-ranked UCLA. The two best women’s players in college are Watkins and Paige Bueckers of the University of Connecticut. More on the UConn star in a moment. 

Watkins showed why she may be a smidge better when she led the Trojans to an “upset” of the Bruins. Her stat line was phenomenal: 38 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 blocked shots. When UCLA came back with a 10-0 run fueled by 6’7” Lauren Betts, a defensive nightmare for opposing teams, to lead by five heading into the fourth quarter, Watkins and her teammates shut down their rivals with a marvelous display of tenacious defense. All predicated on the leadership of this outstanding sophomore. 

These teams are going to meet once more at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion to end the regular season on March 1, a game televised on FOX at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are going for as low as $106.00, remarkable for the women’s game. With the win, USC sits atop the Big Ten standings in their first year in the conference. Both teams are clear of third place #8 Ohio State, a formidable team which went to Los Angeles earlier this month and absorbed two punishing losses. 

Then there was the nationally-televised Sunday meeting between UConn, the name brand in women’s basketball, and two-time defending champion South Carolina. Led by Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, legendary head coach Geno Auriemma’s team issued a statement game by thrashing the Gamecocks on their home floor, ending a 71 game winning streak for the other USC. 

When the NCAA came out with its initial seeding chart for the upcoming one’s tournament, South Carolina was a #1 seed and UConn a #2 seed in a different region (USC was also a #2 seed). With the losses by UCLA and South Carolina, the Associated Press Top 25 rankings have changed dramatically. A very good Notre Dame team is at the top, followed by Texas, UCLA, USC, UConn, South Carolina, LSU, Ohio State, North Carolina and TCU. 

A lot is going to change in the upcoming weeks. What is apparent that on any given night, the top teams are vulnerable. 

On the men’s side, #1 Auburn invaded #2 Alabama. That sentence sounds more like a football game than men’s hoops. The Tigers knocked off the Crimson Tide to retain the top spot. Alabama fell to #4, with Texas and Duke ahead of them. Houston, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Texas Tech and St. John’s round out the Top Ten. 

Any of these schools are capable of winning the big prize. And like the women, a lot is going to change between now and Selection Sunday. With no clear cut favorite to win it all. 

While at the gym on Sunday afternoon, after the TV was changed from first Robin Hood (yes the Errol Flynn masterpiece), then the gristle of Greta Van Susteren on Newmax, I caught a battle between the top two teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. Bradley defeated Drake on the road, still having a chance to win the regular season crown. Both are capable of winning a couple of games during March Madness. 

Before I watched SNL, I saw Rutgers and its talented freshmen lose another game, this time at Oregon. Head Coach Steve Pikell’s job is in jeopardy with the mounting losses dashing high expectations. 

Reliance on freshmen isn’t working in major college basketball—NIL and the transfer portal allow for 21 and 22 year olds with experience to go between schools seeking the best deals and making powerhouses in the process. See the SEC for a model of the new reality. As Hall of Fame coach Rick Petino indicated about his St.John’s teams, he isn’t going to see high schoolers play anymore when he can recruit veterans and negotiate a deal. So sad. 

I did follow some Division III games this week. #1 Wesleyan completed a second trip to Maine with wins at Bowdoin and Bates. #2 NYU concluded a successful road trip with a close win over #7 Emory and then flying up to Rochester for a far easier victory. 

NYU is the home for DIII hoops this season. As stated, the men are ranked second. Which pales in comparison with NYU women, undefeated and ranked #1. Big time DIII basketball at a former big time basketball school—I remember Barry Kramer and Satch Sanders leading the Violets when they met NYC rivals at the old Madison Square Garden. 

I also watched my alma mater, Franklin and Marshall, soundly defeat nemesis Johns Hopkins, the top team in the Centennial Conference, creating a tie with the Blue Jays and Gettysburg for the CC lead with two games to go before the playoffs begin. This ended a 14 game winless streak against JHU and is the first time since 2017-18 that the Diplomats have beaten Hopkins and Swarthmore in the same season. 

A shout out to Drew University. With a win over second-place Catholic on Saturday, the Rangers continued their quest for an undefeated Landmark Conference season. Losers of three games, including at NYU, Drew is ranked #13 in the NPI rankings, the DIII index the Selection Committee uses. This squad might be legitimate enough to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

I caught one additional sporting event. On Friday, #2 LSU downed #1 Oklahoma before a packed house in Baton Rouge. High level competition in a place which treats the sport almost equally with basketball and football in terms of cheerleaders and bands. 

All in a week where New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is once more injured and the New York Jets severed their ties with Aaron Rodgers, the enigmatic future Hall of Fame quarterback. It took this long to mention them—when there is so much else going on. 

Fly, Eagles, Fly: Top Song In The NFL

  Fly, Eagles, Fly. They sure did. And now they are Super Bowl champions, dethroning the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and denying them a historic three-peat in the process. 

The game was over at the coin toss. Kansas City chose to defer receiving the ball until the start of the second half. It was the first of so many mistakes  by the Chiefs. It gave a hungry—make that ravenous—Eagles team that much more ready to take on its foe.

And did Philadelphia ever put a hurtin’ on KC. The Chiefs offensive line could not stop the Eagles defensive surges. Repeatedly, KC star QB Patrick Mahomes was chased, hurried or sacked. The Chiefs were unable to establish a running game and Mahomes uncharacteristically could not connect with his receivers when he wasn’t under constant pressure from the Eagles defense. 

Super Bowl Sunday was the birthday for two Eagles players. Saquon Barkley, the star running back, and Cooper DeJean, a celebrated rookie defensive back both enjoyed the day with the Philly victory.

Kansas City actually was able to partially shut down Barkley, who had a phenomenal year and finished third in the NFL M.V.P. race. His having a so-so game didn’t hurt the Eagles one bit.

DeJean intercepted a Mahomes errant throw and returned it for a touchdown. The 22 year old became the first player to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl on his birthday. What a memory that will be. 

On offense, it was the Jalen Hurts show. The Philadelphia quarterback dominated with both his legs and arms. Whenever the Eagles needed a pass to work, Hurts seemingly was unerring in his throws. 

Moreover, his scrambling to avoid any pursuit by KC linemen led to either a well-thrown ball or his gobbling up sizable chunks of yardage to put Philly in position to score. Voting Hurts as the Super Bowl M.V.P. was a no-brainer, although some people felt that Eagles’ linebacker Josh Sweat, with his 2.5 sacks and 6 tackles was deserving of strong M.V.P. consideration. 

Somewhat unrecognized was the superior job the Eagles coaching staff did. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore called a great game. He will become the next coach of the New Orleans Saints very shortly and he deserves the job based on his acumen. Almost every play put the offense in a position to succeed. 

Kudos goes to long-time defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as to how he rallied his troops and continually flustered the Kansas City offense. Fangio is usually very stoic; he showed his defense emotions he had from two years ago when the Chiefs beat Philadelphia. He got their attention and they performed like the top-rated unit in the NFL. 

Lest we forget the head coach: Nick Sirianni had been roasted for the past three seasons by the anything-but-nice Philly fans. These people make Ohio State boosters wanting Coach Ryan Day’s head after losing to Michigan look like pansies. 

Recognizing that he had to be a game manager rather than take on too much of the on the field responsibilities, Sirianni trusted his assistants to properly prepare his team for this game. Which they did. 

Sirianni is not your usual head coach. He can get emotional. He can be confrontational. But what he can do is manage this team. 

I saw a moment early in the game when Sirianni was amped up after a defensive stop by his team. Conversely, I then saw KC head man Andy Reid, a former Super Bowl winner in Philadelphia before being replaced, whose body language which told me he knew that his team was in trouble and things were not at all going according to plan. 

Philadelphia making Super Bowls in two out of the past three seasons shows what kind of talent the team possesses. With a coaching staff that knew exactly how to utilize such talent. 

Yes, the Eagles deserved to win this game. It was a beat down for the ages of a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Philly took on all comers in the playoffs and got themselves to exactly where they sit today—Super Bowl champions. 

That indoor Gatorade bath Sirianni received from his players must have tasted quite sweet last night. When he had his son repeat after him E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES, that sounded just about right. The raucous Philly fans would have joined in fortissimo. And loved it. 

Will either team return to play again next year in the Super Bowl? Philadelphia is more likely than Kansas City, but the competition is great in both the NFC and AFC. 

We know that the Los Angeles Rams seemingly make the playoffs nearly every year and are strong on both sides of the ball. I look for Detroit to take a step backwards after losing both coordinators when they became head coaches. Washington seems to be up and coming. San Francisco, if healthy, will always be a challenger. Green Bay is likelier to return to the playoffs than Minnesota. Tampa Bay is a fierce opponent too. It won’t be easy for Philly. 

In the AFC, KC was lucky enough to win as many close games as the team did in 2024. Buffalo, with M.V.P. QB Josh Allen, is right at the precipice and could easily be playing in the next Super Bowl. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are just as good as the Bills. Add in challengers like Cincinnati, the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver, Houston, Pittsburgh plus resurgences in places like Indianapolis and with coaching changes in Jacksonville, New York and Las Vegas to the mix. Then there are trades, the NFL Draft, free agency and the salary cap to contend with. Handicapping the AFC isn’t simple. 

With the Eagles win on Sunday, the franchise has won five NFL titles. The city has won an additional NFL crown with the Frankford Yellow Jackets triumph in 1926. 

The Phillies have won two World Series—in 1980 and 2008. While in town, the Athletics were World Champions in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929 and 1930. 

In basketball, the Warriors won titles in 1947 and 1956 before departing for the West Coast. The 76’ers won it all in 1967 and 1983. 

And the Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. That’s a long time ago. 

Maybe the Phillies will contend again this year. The Sixers and Flyers aren’t anywhere near that possibility. 

Nineteen championships in all these years ranks high enough, tied for sixth with San Francisco. Although that total isn’t quite like New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles  and Detroit. 

But don’t question a Philly fan about their standing right now. These are the same people who heavily booed Taylor Swift when she was shown on the Jumbo Tron in the Caesars’ Superdome. Of course she is the girlfriend of KC tight end Travis Kelce, a grievous mistake to date a guy of the enemy if you ask any boo bird (or the President of the United States or comedian Bill Maher, who would join in the throaty chorus if it wan’t beneath them). Then again, Philadelphia fans boo Santa Claus.  

No, let Eagles fans be euphoric. Enjoy the victory parade. Their team came through magnificently. 

Fly, Eagles, Fly has skyrocketed to become the top song in the NFL.