Schedules and Dreams

This holiday season there is some joy in the NY/NJ sports scene. The emphasis is on the word “some.”

Yes, the Giants and Jets are both bad. That has been a constant refrain for 2019. Sam Darnold is a work in progress—his season is a struggle between peaks and valleys. He has the tools. Darnold does not have the experience nor does he have a good corps of receivers. The Jets offensive line is abysmal. Defensively, without Jamal Adams, the DB’s are not very good. Plus the D-line went offside twice on goal line plays against Baltimore. Forget it, Jets fans. Even with wins against Pittsburgh and Buffalo, the season is not salvageable and the draft position in the upcoming NFL Draft is mediocre. Which sums up the 2019 New York Jets.

Things aren’t a whole heck of a lot better over in East Rutherford. Giants QB Daniel Jones is losing valuable growth and maturity while out with a high ankle sprain. It may be a farewell tour for future Canton inductee Eli Manning which keeps Giants fans from completely closing the season down. So much is wrong with the team that, in almost every area outside of running back and quarterback, the team requires considerable upgrades. And even with Saquan Barkley running the ball and Daniel Jones directing the offense, much more is expected from them. 

What is worse for Giants fans is that they host Miami, travel to Washington, then end the season at home with Philadelphia. All sub .500 teams, the last two in the worst division in the NFL. The Giants could actually win a game or two, hurting their draft position too. 

Where to turn—the Knicks? Hey, they beat Golden State in San Francisco in OT. Which established, for at least one night, that they aren’t the worst team in the NBA. Only for one night. On Friday they managed to win at Sacramento. Two in a row!! On the road!! 

They were bad enough to make David Fizdale the first firing of the 2019-20 season. Two hours after he had conducted practice and joked with team management. Typical Knicks. And they don’t have anyone glamorous enough to sell the fans on waiting in the wings to take over coaching for the remainder of the season.

Across the East River, the Nets are treading above .500 while Kyrie Irving remains sidelined. The Nets do have some things the Knicks don’t—a real head coach in Kenny Atkinson plus some decent players who have bonded together in Irving’s absence. They seem to be trending in the right direction as they await the debut of the injured Kevin Durant next season.

Rutgers and Seton Hall seem to have some talent on their squads. Their meeting in Piscataway on Saturday might settle which the best team is in the Garden State and maybe in the area. Seton Hall has had a relatively tough early schedule and acquitted themselves well. RU has stumbled when playing better opposition, although their home win versus Wisconsin was a positive step for Steve Pikiell’s guys, who lost at pre-season Big Ten favorite Michigan State by 12.

Hockey—the Islanders righted themselves after a rugged stretch on the road and swept two games in Florida. Barry Trotz is a fine coach and he will make the Isles into serious contenders for the Stanley Cup. The Rangers are in a rebuilding phase and there have been good wins and questionable losses. The Devils are forgettable. And management too felt they had to fire their coach in the early going. 

Mets fans have some real good things happening. Manager Carlos Beltran, for one. The restructuring of the Cespedes contact. Picking up starting pitchers Michael Wacha and Rick Porcello, the latter a Seton Hall Prep star and former Cy Young Award winner with Boston. There is a good centerfielder plucked from Houston in Jake Marisnick.  The nucleus is there. Brodie Van Wagenen is starting to put together a roster which has more promise than in the past two years. Ownership will be changing shortly, perhaps loosening the tight pursestrings. Loyal Mets followers have genuine optimism, not the false beliefs of the past.

Yankees fans feel like they have hit the jackpot. Lifetime Yankees fan Gerrit Cole is theirs. For 9 years and $324 million. The rotation is now Cole, Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Jordan Montgomery and Domingo German after his MLB ban is lifted. Sure Didi Gregorius is now reunited with Joe Girardi in Philadelphia. Gleyber Torres will fill that role as he continues to slug his way through MLB pitching. MLB All Star D.J. LeMehieu now has a semi-permanent home at second base. Brett Gardner is back for $12 million, to keep the center field position warm until Aaron Hicks returns from Tommy John surgery. Sure Austin Romine has received over $4 million to become the Detroit Tigers starting catcher; Gary Sanchez needs to have a monster season with the lineup that the Yankees will put on the field and learn to catch the best pitchers in baseball. 

To Yankees fans, the road to the World Series goes through Yankee Stadium. They just might be right.

And Greg Schiano is making a splash, flying around in his helicopter, getting recruits to listen and actually change their verbal commitments to have the chance to play at Rutgers. Nobody has more enthusiasm than Greg Schiano. Rooms light up with his presence. Stadiums too. 

It’s a good time to be a Scarlet Knights booster. Football is on the upswing. Basketball is taking steps towards a post-season tournament. RU Wrestling is a top 20 squad. The Women’s Basketball team under the guidance of Hall of Fame Coach C. Vivian Stringer is starting out well. New Jerseyans are feeling pretty good for themselves, even with the misfortunes of the Devils, Giants and Jets.

Let’s go on to the NFL. After watching another magnificent performance by Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, one where the Jets could not really stop him, the M.V.P. trophy is  his, even with 2 games left. He literally ran past Michael Vick’s rushing record; the guy can throw but he runs and looks like a running back and a wideout. 

Thus, the questions that will be settled in the playoffs are: whether the Ravens are one the greatest teams of all time? Similarly, how good is Kansas City in comparison to its AFC rival? Is New England not going to make it past their first game the way they have been playing lately?  Will the NFC East produce a team with a .500 record or below as its winner, to probably go out in the Wild Card round? Can Tennessee sustain its momentum with Ryan Tannehill at QB, charging into the playoffs? Is San Francisco or Seattle the best of the NFC? Can Green Bay knock off teams to reach the Super Bowl? Are Pittsburgh and Buffalo going to be knocked out of the playoffs with their remaining schedule, which includes a tussle at Heinz Field? Could Minnesota or Chicago catch the Packers? Will the Rams resurgence get them into the playoffs? Can one of the following teams actually win out and get some luck from above—Cleveland, Denver and the Colts?

The NFL schedule makers have done a pretty good job for the last two weeks of the season. For Week 16, there is the Saturday triple header. First the Texans visit the Buccaneers, with a lot on the line for Houston. The top two teams in the AFC East, New England and Buffalo get together at 4:30 in Gillette Stadium. The finale has the Rams pitted against the 49’ers in a game with huge playoff implications. Sunday’s tilts include the Jets hosting the Steelers, the Saints meet the Titans in Nashville, Dallas and the Eagles have their NFC showdown in Philadelphia and the Bears host the Chiefs. Monday night the Packers and Vikings are live indoors from Minnesota. Rumor has it that the New Orleans-Tennessee matchup might be flexed to Sunday night.

For as good as they did in Week 16, the season finale has very few direct matches of consequence. The 49’ers travel to Seattle, and playoff positions may already have been decided. Ditto with the Titans and Texans closing out the regular season in Houston. Bears-Vikings could be impactful depending on how the two teams fare in their two previous contests. 

I thought that the idea of Denver Head Coach Vic Fangio to realign the NFL schedule by eliminating divisions, playing a conference schedule of 15 opponents then having the final game against a natural rival from the other conference—Jets-Giants, Cowboys-Texans, Eagles-Steelers, Chargers-Rams, etc., was refreshing if not impossible. He is correct that presently the schedule leads to too many inequities and the top teams in the conferences feed off of playing the losing teams in their division twice a year.

A modification of the NFL schedule is necessary. I like playing a former division rival only once a year. Then, perhaps, play two of the divisions in the conference, for a total of 11 games so far. Then add in 4 games from the other conference and a final rivalry game which Fangio advocates. Then you have some interesting and important games. 

An example of this would be the Jets. They play New England, Buffalo and Miami on a home and home basis every two years. They could then play the AFC South and AFC West in a two year home and home cycle. You would have games against one division two consecutive years. Give them the NFC West with San Francisco, Seattle, the Chargers and Raiders on a two year home and home set. Plus add that rivalry crossover game against the Giants—home on the year they play 1 AFC East enemy and away in the year they meet two division foes.

This way season ticket holders are not deprived by seeing Pat Mahomes or Lamar Jackson too little—even if the Chiefs and Ravens are from another division or conference. Believe me, I could have benefitted seeing the Patriots and Tom Brady one fewer time a year. It might have made the Miami schedule of back-to-back away games with the Jets and Giants and home for the Bengals less likely.

The idea for change in the NFL is a good one. Maybe, as they survey the horrible officiating that has permeated this NFL schedule, the talking heads at NFL Headquarters in New York can turn their attention to some more meritorious changes that will further peak fan interest  and thrill the network partners at CBS, FOX, NBC and ESPN.

Just another dream for a NY/NJ fan who has the awesome Yankees, up and coming Rutgers and the disappointing Jets, Knicks and Devils on his plate (not to mention the Warriors dismal season marred by so many injuries). This is what we think about this holiday season. 

Watch some college hoops this weekend—some in-state  and former and new rivalries are on the tube—Memphis-Tennessee, SHU-RU, Georgetown-Syracuse and Gonzaga-Arizona, for example. The annual Army-Navy football game is also on TV; guaranteed to be a loud, hard-hitting affair. Add into the mix some good NFL games. Those are the ingredients for a nice sports viewers’ weekend. 

Or just sit back and be vigilant as to when Amazon is going to deliver another package which won’t be snatched by a porch pirate. You can decide which you prefer. 

A Lack of Expertise?

He’s back!! Officially, that is. Greg Schiano’s huge contract (yet middling by general standards within the Power 5 conferences for head coaches) was approved by the Rutgers Board of Governors in a pro forma vote on Tuesday. On Wednesday Schiano gave the Scarlet Nation what they wanted to hear—a rousing speech that made them believers again, even if the road ahead is the most arduous path ever faced by a Rutgers football coach.

For now, Schiano has just one assistant—Nunzio Campanile, interim head coach and former head man at Bergen Catholic. A wise and astute move that certainly will be approved by the high school coaches in New Jersey, who detested Chris Ash, Schiano’s predecessor. He also is going to try to bring some former players active in the coaching ranks back to Piscataway.

Schiano is talking with those who entered the transfer portal, trying to have them remain at Rutgers and buy into his vision of the future. Former starting QB Artur Sitkowski was the first to return to the fold. 

The recruiting period ends in two weeks. He is actively working the New Jersey connections he had established, along with returning to Florida, a place where he successfully mined talent in his first gig at RU.

While the sky is the limit in his mindset, the reality facing Schiano is grim. His positive energy and enthusiasm will be both proactive and entertaining. What would make the faithful happiest would be some wins next season in the Big Ten, ending the second longest drought in conference history. 

I, like those who cheer for the Scarlet Knights, can only hope that Schiano is the savior of Rutgers football. Next season isn’t soon enough.

Embattled Athletic Director Pat Hobbs and Schiano were all happiness at the Wednesday press conference. Maybe they can make their shotgun marriage work—Hobbs joked that they can meet for dinner on November 30, as each was hired on that date. But the fact is that Hobbs faces a daunting challenge to secure the necessary funding for the buildings and improvements Schiano made a mainstay of his demands. 

Despite the votes of confidence by Schiano and Rutgers President Robert Barchi, a faculty group has called for Hobbs to be fired for the way he had conducted himself in the past—including his profanity-laced rebuke of a reporter and the controversy surrounding the softball team. While this group has its own motives in procuring considerable pay raises and benefits for the RU professors, they also would have liked to have seen RU remain at the level it was in the 1960’s and 70’s—playing Lafayette, Lehigh, Colgate, Princeton and a host of other FCS teams. Which is never going to happen.

So there is a lot to watch as RU football goes forward into the 2020 season. How Schiano and Hobbs work as a team is the central tenet. Or does Hobbs leave and RU brings in a new man who can fundraise and watch over his department in a manner consistent with what observers expect. Stay tuned. The drama is just getting started.

The college football championships are upon us. Such garbage. For so many years the regular season meant so much. Now, claiming inequities in scheduling due to larger conference memberships, these extra games provide revenue and are a way to define the four entrants into the CFP as well as setting the bowl game lineups. 

I find it hard to believe that the formula used by the FCS, Division II and III cannot be workable for the big boys. High schools have their formulas in every state to determine champions. Why is it so difficult to add just 4 more teams to the mix? It can be sold to the bowl games who take the 5-8 teams on a rotating basis, notwithstanding the Rose Bowl’s insistence to playing only on January 1 when not in the CFP.

Alabama’s baffling loss to Auburn based on poor play and penalties put the Crimson Tide out the playoff picture. The bigger question is whether Tua Tagoavailoa returns for his senior year. He is on the record saying that if he was a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft, it “would be hard to pass up.” With his injury record, it is a big question whether an NFL team will take him in the top-10. Then what? Play and hope that his stock rises with an injury-free 2020 season? He has some tough decisions to make—which I believe will point him in the direction of the NFL.

In the FCS, most of the big names have survived or in the case of the top 8, received first round byes. Austin Peay, Sacramento State, Monmouth, James Madison, Northern Iowa, North Dakota State, Montana and Montana State, Illinois State, Central Arkansas, South Dakota State, Kennesaw State, Albany, Southeastern Louisiana, Nicholls and Northern Iowa are all in the hunt.

Division II saw top-ranked and first seed Valdosta State eliminated last weekend. Five teams ranked in the final Top 10 poll are gone. Slippery Rock plays Notre Dame in the quarter finals—Notre Dame of Ohio.

Mount Union, the D III school with 20 appearances in the championship game in 24 years, uncharacteristically lost in the second round. The other teams who have won the DIII prize in this century, Wisconsin-Whitewater and Mary Hardin-Baylor, play in Texas this weekend. Two schools from Illinois, Wheaton and North Central are still in the picture. Three Eastern schools, Salisbury, Muhlenberg and Delaware Valley also are still playing; Muhlenberg and Salisbury meet in Maryland. The last remaining school is St. John’s from Minnesota.

Rutgers men’s basketball went on the road for its first campus visit of the season. Inconsistent play in the first half and then again in the second half after an early rally put Coach Steve Pikiell’s squad ahead at Pitt in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge turned a potential victory into a defeat.

Up next is a road contest at Michigan State, the favorite in the Big Ten, even if Coach Tom Izzo’s troops haven’t fared as well in the early going. Then a home date against Wisconsin, followed by Seton Hall coming into the RAC next Saturday. The team will almost welcome the December 22nd game versus Lafayette followed by the December 30th contest with D III Caldwell before playing the remainder of the schedule against Big Ten foes. 

The inconsistency of play has been a hallmark of the early season. The blowout of Niagara was more the aberration than the norm. Plus I feel that the team will be much stronger at home, perhaps giving some of the top tier visitors a tough time, as opposed to struggling on the road. 

Yet this formula could put RU into play for an NIT bid if they can secure enough home victories in conference play plus sneak in a win or two on the road. It is early December—there are a lot of games to be played.

The topsy turvy nature of DI men’s basketball was demonstrated in the aforementioned ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Big 10 won the 2019 installment by a count of 8 to 6. The ACC leads the annual event started in 1999 by a 12-6 margin with 3 years ending up in a tie. 

#7 North Carolina was blown out at home by #6 Ohio State. The 74-49 score was somewhat indicative of how bad it was for the Tar Heels. #1 Louisville throttled visiting #4 Michigan. Purdue dominated #5 Virginia 69-40. #3 Maryland demolished Notre Dame by 21. NC State beat Wisconsin by 15. #10 Duke (the Blue Devils fell that much after the loss to Stephen F. Austin) won in East Lansing by an 87-75 margin over #11 Michigan State. Other winners besides these mentioned above and Pitt were ACC schools Miami and Georgia Tech, with Big Ten teams from Northwestern, Penn State, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota also on the plus side.

Unlike Big Ten football, which to me may be a tad overrated, the Big Ten has some formidable teams in men’s hoops. Conference play is starting soon for most schools—the 18 game schedule and then the tournament in Indianapolis will be a truer test of how good the conference schools really are.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks basketball update—they visit 3-4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Niagara won its first game of the season, downing Norfolk State 65-61 on the road. I am following these two schools that Rutgers downed to see how good or bad they end up this year.

F&M men’s basketball, perennially a Centennial Conference powerhouse under legendary coach Glenn Robinson, has struggled out of the gate, perhaps due to the absence of Robinson from the sidelines hastened by his sudden retirement just before the team’s first game. Swarthmore, Johns Hopkins, Gettysburg, Dickinson, Muhlenberg and Ursinus may be stronger than the Diplomats. Washington College has given F&M fits as has Mc Daniel. Haverford is improved, too. Could the Diplomats tumble all the way to the CC cellar?

The Yankees have supposedly opened the vault to offer a gigantic contract to former Astros hurler Gerrit Cole. Cole has indicated that while he grew up in California and attended UCLA, he does not have a bias against playing in the East. The 29 year old has emerged as one of the top pitchers in baseball and he was a Yankees fan as a child. Can the Steinbrenner’s, GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone land this prized pitcher like they did with the recently-retired C.C. Sabathia or in years gone by, secure the likes of Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter? If they do sign Cole, this will undoubtedly change the dynamic within the American League and make the pennant-starved Yankees the prohibitive favorite to win the A.L. and the World Series—if they remain healthier than in 2019.

In other baseball news, the Tampa Bay Rays have given up on their plan to play some home contests in Montreal. Good. I hope that they can secure a long-term commitment from St. Petersburg or they head elsewhere after 2027. The team has been a good one, but the struggles at the box office are unending.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have agreed to purchase the stadium and land surrounding the ballpark while committing to remaining there through 2050. Whether the Angels redesign the existing ballpark—one of the uglier venues in my estimation—or build a gleaming new edifice and develop the land they purchased is a win win for all sides, including Major League Baseball.

On the pro football scene, the woeful Jets and Giants are in the news. Baffling those who thought the Jets were on track and would win the majority of their remaining games, they laid a big egg in Cincinnati as the Bengals thoroughly outplayed them en route to securing their first win of the season. The Jets hold the dubious distinction of giving Miami and Cincinnati their first wins of the year. And it is the Dolphins who visit Met Life Stadium this Sunday. Will the Jets team that handled Dallas and Oakland reemerge or will the team which lost to the Dolphins and Bengals be present?

With the Giants, they have a Monday Night Football game in Philadelphia against the 5-7 Eagles, who, amazingly are in the hunt for the NFC crown along with 6-7 Dallas. What makes this game interesting from both a national and local standpoint is the return of Eli Manning under center. Daniel Jones is nursing a high ankle sprain and is in a walking boot, necessitating Manning to play. I am rooting for Eli to rally the troops and stun the Eagles at the Linc. Probably wishful thinking, but it is a nice storyline about a woefully inept team.

Tom Brady and the Patriots host Pat Mahomes and Kansas City. Brady is suffering from an elbow injury, which is apparently impeding his throwing, something a 42 year old, even if he is the G.O.A.T., cannot readily overcome. Saddled with kicking problems when Nick Folk went out with an appendectomy, the Patriots are the worst 10-2 team I have seen in awhile.

An interesting game is Baltimore at Buffalo. Will the Ravens have a hangover from their last-second home win in the rain against the 49’ers? The Bills are a solid and potentially dangerous 9-3 team. This is a good test for both squads.

A final pro football note. My daughter and I are entrants in a football pool at an unnamed media conglomerate. We had never won the weekly pool, and we finished in the top three in the overall pool a couple of times. 

That changed the last two weeks. We have won two in a row. We sweated out the Ravens-Rams debacle because the Ravens needed to score a lot of points. This past week’s Seattle victory over the Vikings was even more nerve-racking. 

Nobody has won three in a row. I cannot be greedy, even if I would like to be. Dallas losing to Chicago Thursday night didn’t improve my chances (those Bears uniforms were hideous). 

This sudden bit of luck doesn’t make me an expert. Far from it. It sure is fun to have a horse in the race; it made a bleak Monday night after a Jets loss to the Bengals more exciting.

Those who know me would have seriously questioned my sanity if I had said I have never suffered from a lack of expertise.

Post-Thanksgiving Blahs

Almost on cue, Rutgers produced a most memorable weekend. Shut out in the home finale against Michigan State, a middling team in the Big 10, RU had to face a very good Penn State team in State College to put this horrible season to rest.

Then came the news which shocked all of the Rutgers faithful. Greg Schiano had removed his name from consideration for the vacant RU head football coaching position. The messiah was not going to rescue RU from the dregs of college football. 

The shock and outcry which followed was something I had never witnessed anywhere. Wealthy and influential alumni by the droves abandoned their support of Rutgers. Ticket sales, already teetering, continued to head in the wrong direction. The partisans gave the RU administration an earful as to how the administration had mishandled the expected Schiano renaissance, and hit the university with the only thing that counted—a promise to not to renew their subscriptions. 

Schiano never made a public statement as to why he stopped the negotiations. The speculation was that Athletic Director Pat Hobbs, the former Seton Hall Law Dean, never wanted Schiano, who would have been an intolerable threat to Hobbs’ power.

In veiled shots at Schiano, his demands were turned into reasons why this marriage could not be consummated. Whether it was the salary and terms of contract, the proposed buyouts, the use of a private jet or the need to meet certain dates for the start and completion of facilities Schiano deemed necessary to be able to compete with the other programs of the Big 10, Hobbs refused all requests. There was no negotiations with counter offers which would allow Schiano to return to the site of his success. There would be no vote by the Board of Governors. The matter was dead.

Schiano was not on the list of candidates a search consultant Hobbs hired had proposed. Hobbs was forced into spending time with the RU legend rather than conduct the search on his own terms. People surmised that he bristled at this development, which was further aggravated by Schiano’s thorough preparation, which included pointing out the flaws as well as listing what he was prepared to do when he started anew at Rutgers. It was clear to those who knew and talked to Schiano that he wanted the job.

All of this ineptitude did not sit well in the papers, on the blogs nor with the alumni and fans who had supported RU football in heyday and in its present day decline.  High school football coaches, the supposed pipeline for talented players who could come to RU and revive the Scarlet Knights, issued a strong statement condemning a process that failed tp recognize how beloved Schiano was by them. There was one target for their wrath—Hobbs. He was the guilty party, the one who had botched the return of Greg Schiano. It didn’t matter that RU President  Robert Barchi came out in support of Hobbs. 

Politicians became involved in this matter—former Governor Chris Christie, who   famously abused the use of the state helicopter for his private use and stayed in opulent places while on the road, lambasted Schiano’s need for a private jet for recruiting and flying his family to away games. Former acting Governor Richard Codey, an ardent fan of RU sports despite his known affiliation with Seton Hall basketball, came down hard on RU administrators. Governor Phil Murphy did not enter the fray, as some had hoped. 

Then suddenly, on Tuesday, a glimmer of hope arose with speculation from sources within the athletic department and the university that they might reconsider reopening the talks. Word came back that Schiano would welcome more discussions on his coming home. It was dubbed a “Thanksgiving Miracle.”

Nothing further had happened as I start to write this blog the day after Thanksgiving. I didn’t know if Hobbs sincerely wants Schiano, as he may have orchestrated a way to get around hiring Schiano, going for unproven coaches with little or no track record, some lacking the pedigree necessary to rally the fans. I had been dubious that this Schiano revival was going to happen and I still remained skeptical of Hobbs willingness to let it happen. 

So far 12 RU players have entered the transfer portal, tired of the mediocrity and the failure to secure Schiano. The portal can be reopened and a player can return to his school if he wishes. That would only occur if Schiano became the head man.

As I had stated on a Facebook post by a former player who did not play for Schiano, I am not a big fan of Hobbs. Nonetheless, nobody had heard much about Greg Schiano before he came to Rutgers, and his success came at the end of his tenure, in a league not the caliber of the Big 10.  Hobbs could choose someone else and that person could, in a matter of years, make us forget about Greg Schiano and how botched the whole sordid affair was. 

If the stands are filled 5 years down the road, the capital infrastructure is in place and access to Big 10 money is secure, it would be Hobbs legacy. Whether that person manning the sidelines is Greg Schiano or someone else, this would be the positive effect of Pat Hobbs. Should the hirings, be it is Schiano or another coach who has the reins of the football program, fails to right the ship and the stands remain empty, that too, is Hobbs’ to live with.

It was certainly too early to assess what the future holds for RU football. What has happened is that there were a whole lot of people frustrated and angry with where it is now, given the developments of this week.

But in atypical RU fashion, the incredible commotion from the fans, alumni and politicians, including Governor Murphy, who spoke with Schiano and stayed on top of the new talks, was  heard by the RU administration. Greg Schiano is once more going to be the head coach at Rutgers. Hobbs must have caved and he has said all of the right things in commenting on the news. Come Tuesday, when the Board Governors meets, this mess will finally be over and RU can start righting the ship.

Stephen F. Austin University is an institution of higher learning located in Nagcodoches, Texas. It is a state school, named after the great Texan, Stephen F. Austin. Started as a teachers college, the school has an undergraduate population just shy of 11,000 students. The graduation rate is 44%, with a lot of students on financial aid.

Athletics is a part of Stephen F. Austin. Teams compete in the Southland Conference, a regional association in the TexArkLa area. The schools which comprise the Southland Conference are: Lamar, Sam Houston State, Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Incarnate Word, Mc Neese, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana, Houston Baptist, Nicholls, New Orleans and Stephen F. Austin. Names known to athletics junkies and those in the region. Definitely second tier schools in athletics.

Contrast the Southland Conference with the Atlantic Coast Conference, one of the Power 5 conferences. The ACC membership is more notable: Clemson, Boston College, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Wake Forest, Duke, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and full basketball participation by Notre Dame. These are nationally-known universities and champions in many sports. And prestigious academic institutions as well.

So when Duke hosted Stephen F. Austin in men’s basketball on Tuesday night, it was a matter of the #1 team in the country playing a school ranked in the upper 200’s. Here was a revered program, the Duke Blue Devils, from a school renowned for its high level of education, in a top tier conference, playing a lesser light from somewhere in Texas. 

Thus, the fans who entered Cameron Indoor Stadium, a cathedral of college basketball, on that night expected nothing more than a blowout victory for the home team. The visitors had just lost at Rutgers, regarded as a middle to lower end of the Big 10 school. Comparatively, Duke had just defeated California and Georgetown at Madison Square Garden. Duke had also handled Central Arkansas, a Southland school, by a score of 105-54. Which is why the oddsmakers tabbed Duke to be a 27.5 favorite in this game.

What we forget about Stephen F. Austin’s basketball program is this—in 2015-16, Stephen F. Austin won the Southland Tournament, went 28-6, which included a 14 point victory over West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before a 1 point loss to Notre Dame eliminated them. There was some pedigree for Stephen F. Austin. Also, there are 52 former players from the Southland Conference competing in some level of professional basketball. They may not have been the chumps Duke was looking forward to feasting upon and fattening their record.

Since I knew of their NCAA history, I purposely chose to see Stephen F. Austin play at Rutgers in the game prior to Duke. Rutgers put a clamp down on the Lumberjacks with a stifling defensive effort and shooting nearly 50%. The Lumberjacks did not shoot very well from 3 point range against the Scarlet Knights, and missed some critical free throws in the second half. While RU mounted leads of 14 and 13 points, Stephen F. Austin kept chipping away repeatedly, bringing the margin to 7 points with 1:37 left to play before RU surged ahead for good. The final score was 69-57, but I had been impressed with the defensive schemes and hustle from the visitors, who forced 19 RU turnovers while suffering their first loss of the campaign. I thought that it might be interesting to see how they would play against Duke for at least a half.

Well, Duke has learned the very hard way who were the visitors in black with the letters SFA stitched across their jerseys. The Cameron Crazies and the rest of the Duke legion of fans now know who Stephen F. Austin is: that they are the Lumberjacks and that they can play some serious hoops. This is because, in one of the more monumental upsets of any college basketball season, SFA defeated Duke 85-83 in overtime via a steal and layup as time expired by Nathan Bain. The huge underdog went toe to toe with the big dog and didn’t flinch. Every time Duke seemed to grab some momentum, back came the Lumberjacks and, for a significant period of time, actually led the Blue Devils in the second half. The score was tied 11 times and there were 17 lead changes. SFA shot over 48% for the game against a young and very talented Duke squad, which shot 50% for the game but hit on only 24 of 40 free throw attempts.

Kevon Harris led the Lumberjacks with 26 points. Bain hit for 11 points, with the two that counted the most, to end Duke’s long, 19 year unbeaten streak at home against non-conference foes. 

In the post-game hysteria, the Lumberjacks were ecstatic about what they had accomplished.  Coach Kyle Keller, a career assistant coach at a myriad of top schools before taking the helm at SFA for the 2016-17 season, thanked Duke for the opportunity to play them. Bain went from a Bahamian who lost his home over the summer in Hurricane Dorian to cult hero; his Go Fund Me Page to restore his home went from a couple of thousand dollars to over $100,000 as a result. 

Not that the team isn’t well grounded. Upon returning home, the Lumberjacks served turkey dinner to those less fortunate in their area of Texas. They get it and they appreciate from where they came. Their perspective, no matter what happened on Tuesday night, will remain the same. I wish them nothing bu the best and hope they can meander through the remainder of the schedule and head to the NCAA tournament. Everybody will be gunning for them now—to defeat the team which took down Duke. For them, the rest of the season begins on Saturday when they are on the road again at Arkansas State. The reception they will receive on December 2 when they host Arlington Baptist will be beyond belief.

As for Duke, they have to face reality and adversity. Starting tonight, teams like Winthrop will be going after the wounded Blue Devils. I expect them to regroup and have a very successful season—provided that they learned well from this painful lesson.

It was fun watching history unfold on Tuesday night with a team I had a small connection to. This is a year where, in the early months, the behemoths are being shocked by the have nots. Tell me this isn’t fun? You bet it is. I wonder how much longer this trend will continue. For now it is a blast.

Some quick notes. I saw the 3 NFL games on Thanksgiving. The 3 teams I expected to win did. Dallas is a disaster and they are fortunate that 6-6 will keep them no worse than a tie for the NFC East lead.

I wonder what the schedule makers with the flex option were thinking when they chose to air New England at Houston on Sunday night instead of 1 loss San Francisco at Baltimore with the red hot Lamar Jackson at QB? Patriots-Texans is nice. 49’ers-Ravens is a marquee matchup.

I also feel sad that there are so few Thanksgiving high school rivalries in New Jersey. The NJSIAA playoffs have eliminated the multitude of those contests. Thanksgiving and high school football were synonymous in my youth and into my 30’s.

The Thanksgiving Egg Bowl pitting Mississippi at Mississippi State had a bizarre ending. Mississippi scored a late touchdown which put them within 1 point of a tie score. An unnecessary celebration by the Rebels, replicating a dog urinating, got them flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The kicker was moved back 5 yards for the extra point and he missed it. The final score was 21-20 in favor of State, who became bowl eligible with the win.

Finally, one NHL game was played on Thanksgiving night. The New Jersey Devils traveled to Montreal (where it was NOT Thanksgiving Day) for their 7th Turkey Day game—all on the road. Their opponent for many of those games was Arizona, and there were 3 times when the Devils played at the Dallas Stars or Anaheim the night before. Two times the team was under its former names, and the last time, in 2000, the Devils played in Los Angeles. For the record, the Devils won 6-4 over the Canadiens. 

Maybe this pre-and Thanksgiving Day sports smorgasbord is part of the post-Thanksgiving blahs from too much eating. Then again, what if it isn’t? Oy…

Fun and Games

No, Rutgers has not hired Greg Schiano at this time. It has been imminent for awhile. Which has created much angst among the Scarlet Knight faithful. What seems to be holding up this inevitable re-marriage? Is it money? Length of his contract? Written promises to build the new facilities Schiano had demanded? Perhaps it is the protests of rights groups over his role or lack thereof in the Sandusky situation when he was an assistant coach under Joe Paterno,  which tore apart Penn State and its football team and cost Schiano the job as head man at Tennessee? Or is it the trepidation Schiano has about rebuilding Rutgers in the Big Ten, where the odds are stacked firmly against him?

Whatever is holding up the announcement of Schiano’s hiring is driving the RU fans crazy. Maybe it is as simple as waiting until the end of the season or even just after the final home game against Michigan State. We, who read the blogs and the columns, searching for answers, are at a loss. I guess the process is going to take longer than anticipated. Unless it is not going to happen at all. 

Then Rutgers is on to Plan B. Which isn’t going to sit well unless a name coach comes to Piscataway. Except that will not happen in that instance. Possibly an up and coming coach or somebody who wants the lure of coaching in the Big 10, or heavens, a coaching retread. Let’s all hope, for Rutgers’ sake and that of the Big 10, that Plan B is not the option RU must use.

The Myles Garrett saga continued this week with Garrett’s trip to NFL Headquarters in New York City for an appeal of his punishment. At that time, Garrett first alleged that Pittsburgh QB Mason Rudolph uttered a racial epithet towards him during the melee. Rudolph categorically denied this and the NFL did not find any evidence that this had happened. It is just another sad part of this unfortunate episode which, because it occurred on prime time TV, made it even larger and more grotesque. 

I sense that this will not pass until the Browns and Steelers renew hostilities in Pittsburgh next weekend. Rudolph will be a marked man. But isn’t the QB always the target of the defense?  The Browns will be mercilessly booed. The game will go on. Barring any further unnecessary roughness, perhaps this Garrett thing can go on the back burner. 

I watched a documentary on Showtime about Sonny Liston, the former world heavyweight champion. It talked about the seediness of Liston’s past, his mob connections, and it queried whether fights were thrown with Liston cashing in or if he had defied what the mob bosses wanted and he was killed in the midst of drugs and alcohol, both of which had defined the last chapter of his tawdry life. It is worth seeing.

Catcher Yasmani Grandal made the first big splash in the free agent market, signing a lucrative 4 year deal to join the Chicago White Sox. The rumors swirl about who is going where, including the Phillies and Manager Joe Girardi having keen interest in former Yankees SS Didi Gregorius. 

Meanwhile, the Yankees designated for assignment 1B Greg Byrd. Byrd’s tenure with New York was marred by numerous, debilitating injuries. Such a shame, because he could field his position, and he had a fluid swing which was well suited for the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

Then the Yankees did the unthinkable. They got rid of the albatross contract of Jacoby Ellsbury. Injured even more acutely than Byrd, Ellsbury did not come close to playing in even half of the team’s games for which he was being paid so exorbitantly. 

What the Yankees brass knew when they released Ellsbury was that he sought medical advice and treatment from outside of the organization. The Yankees believe that this voided the contract and they will not be paying Ellsbury’s final $26 million. I sense litigation and a settlement.

New York added pitching prospect Delvi Garcia to the 40 man roster. There are high hopes for him to emerge in the Bronx in 2020. This could add depth to the staff and replace either Dellin Betances or another starter. Or he might be trade bait to secure a proven starting pitcher.

Also overheard is the Yankees purported idea to trade JA Happ and his burdensome $17 million salary. Got to hand it to the Steinbrenners—when they seek to reduce payroll, they can almost do it…

I read an article on ESPN.com about the Rams and Chargers fighting over everything in the LA market as they get ready to enter the gleaming SoFi Stadium next season. In the midst of not so great seasons, both franchises are having difficulty drawing fans to temporary venues. Supporters of other teams out number Rams and Chargers fans. TV rating are down in LA. Plus soaring costs have made the construction of the stadium in Inglewood, visible on the flight path into LAX, in the range of an incredible $5 to $6 billion. And I thought American Dream was a nightmare?

But the article is an in depth view of how Stan Kroenke of the Rams and Dean Spanos, the Chargers owner, constantly try to outmaneuver each other over PPL’s, profits, and a whole lot of other things essential to making a go of football in LA, a town that loves the Dodgers and Lakers much, much more. 

It is also a tell all about the NFL, and what has gone on behind the scenes to make this LA venture happen. Instrumental in this is Jerry Jones, the shrewd owner of the Dallas Cowboys and how he has led this return to LA where he, along with Legends Corp. a company he owns with the Steinbrenners, is going to make a bundle irrespective of what the NFL and the two owners can make.

If you have some significant time, it is worthwhile reading. Go to ESPN.com to read the marvelous expose by Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta, Jr entitled “Inside the Rams-Chargers marriage as the NFL fights for LA.”

Lost in everything is the remarkable start of the season that the New York Islanders team is having. This team has lost just once in its last 16 games and has accumulated a ton of points in the process. They remain behind Washington, only because the Capitals have played 5 more games. Barry Trotz, a proven winner in D.C., has the Islanders playing at a level that is reminiscent of the championship teams. Hockey is not entirely dead in New York as the Rangers and Devils try to find their identities. It is found in both the building that used to be called the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale as well as the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. These nomads know how to play under adverse circumstances, which will make them tough in the playoffs.

Speaking of tough, the St. Louis Blues have picked up right where they left off after capturing their first Staley Cup this past season. Could a repeat be in the offing?

As distasteful as the Myles Garrett incident was to the NFL, the NHL had Washington’s Garnet Hathaway spit at an Anaheim player. He received a 3 game suspension for his actions. At least in the NHL, some justice prevails in Washington. 

The Philadelphia Eagles did a wonderful thing this week. They hosted the end of the Camden-Pleasantville high school playoff game which was halted after gunfire erupted, causing the death of an innocent 10 year old in the stands on the homestanding Pleasantville side. Eagles coaches and players came to the game, which was held in Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday evening before a small gathering of invited guests. 

For those kids, it was a gem stuck in the midst of something horrific. They will not forget what happened. They will take away a very positive experience offered by the Eagles. For this I say, “Fly, Eagles, Fly.” Great job. 

Rutgers downed Stephen F. Austin 68-57 in a relatively uninspired contest on Wednesday. RU is still looking to find its identity, especially after its loss to St. Bonaventure in Toronto last Saturday. I look at this team and wonder how it will do against steeper competition, which will come in the form of Pitt, Seton Hall and Michigan State in the upcoming weeks. 

As for SFA, they suffered their first loss of the campaign. They next play at Cameron Indoor Stadium against #1 Duke, who handily beat Cal and Georgetown in a two day tournament at Madison Square Garden. I want to see how the Lumberjacks do against the Blue Devils—either they will be pesky or they will be routed. P.S.: Patrick Ewing is doing a fine job at Georgetown. He reminds me of the Thompsons—coaches who brought winning to D.C.

Hofstra beat UCLA the other night. Yes—Hofstra beat UCLA. The ghosts of Westwood must be turning over very uncomfortably right now, let alone the howling boosters of the legendary program. It is sad to see the decline of UCLA basketball is still ongoing. Their dominance under John Wooden was remarkable—he did get tremendous talent and he had them work his system to perfection. Since then, a legion of coaches have had middling success, to the consternation of its fan base. Here’s hoping that the Bruins right their ship without anything untoward and become relevant again, with their name among Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina—the basketball royalty which has succeeded the Wooden-led dynasty.

Saturday I journeyed to the 155th edition of the rivalry between Lafayette and Lehigh. The teams are both below .500 and the rumblings about firing John Garrett, the Fred M. Kirby ’42 Head Football Coach and brother of the Dallas Cowboys coach, are rumbling through the Lafayette alums. Yet they went into the game with an outside chance of winning the Patriot League if they could prevail in Bethlehem and Holy Cross lost at home to Georgetown. At an abysmal 3-8.

Lo and behold, the Leopards won a thrilling contest with the winning field goal kicked with 47 ticks left on the scoreboard clock. The game was defensive at times, with a smattering of offense by Lafayette and a bit more by Lehigh. It also had a strange sequence where the officials mistakenly moved the action to fourth down when a penalty against Lafayette had occurred. Lafayette actually punted the ball before a lengthy stoppage leading to the correction and Lafayette returning to the field with the appropriate third down. This didn’t change the outcome and, since Holy Cross did defeat Georgetown, made the game meaningless for the Patriot League championship but not to the Lafayette fans, who saw their team stop a four game losing streak versus Lehigh.

In the NBA, the two favorites in the West met last night at the Staples Center when the Clippers won a close game over the Houston Rockets . The debate has begun about which is the better duo—Russell Westbrook and James Harden of the Rockets, the latter averaging nearly 40 points ppg or Kawhi Leonard and his new partner in Los Angeles, Paul George? Talk to me in April about this debate. Still no contest with these impressive duos in comparison with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in their primes,

Luka Doncic of Dallas has been making a big splash thus far this season. Then again, so has the reigning M.V.P., Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee. The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics have had good starts along with the Word Champs, Toronto, and Philadelphia. In the West, the Lakers lead the early returns, followed by Denver, Houston, the Clippers, Mavericks and Jazz. Poor Golden State is at 3-14, just behind three teams at 4-11, Cleveland, Atlanta and the Knicks. 

And a welcome back to the NBA to Carmelo Anthony, as he tries to shore up losses at the forward spots for Portland. He hit for 18 points the other night. See how easy it is to play in the NBA after some significant time away? 

Finally, F&M’s field hockey team finally beat Johns Hopkins on Saturday on their third try to reach the National Championship on Sunday against the Middlebury Panthers. F&M defeated Albright in men’s basketball and football closed out its season at 7-4 in the CC-MAC Bowl with a 31-13 win over Misericordia . Woohoo!! 

This is why teams compete. Fun and games this week. Nothing but fun and games.