More TV Baseball...And Attending Three Football Games In A Week

  This is the life of a sports-crazed retiree. Three football games in person in New Jersey in one week. Not all turned out to be what I wanted. Yet I had a blast (otherwise why would I be tormenting myself like I did?).

Do not think that I didn’t watch other games. The Yankees took three of four from the Red Sox. I managed to see parts of all four contests. Plus I tuned into the games from Seattle, as the Yankees visit the Pacific Northwest and then head to Oakland on the final road trip of the regular season. 

I wouldn’t say that the Yankees have righted themselves as much as division rival Baltimore remains mired in an ongoing skid—at the worst possible time. The Yankees contributors are many—it appears that Aaron Judge awoke from his slumber, belting homers against Boston including an awe-inspiring shot off the restaurant glass in center field on Sunday which even caused Judge to be a bit amazed how far that baseball went. 

While the offense periodically worked right—Gleyber Torres batting leadoff has been a good thing to create a spark and catcher Austin Wells hitting in there cleanup role has bolstered his chances to win AL Rookie of the Year based on his contributions—the team needs consistency from Judge, a slumping Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton, the sluggers on the team. Also, youngster Jasson Dominguez needs to flash some power in his own right to make the lineup even more dangerous in the post-season. And Anthony Volpe has returned to his enigmatic ways—unable to hit like he did for torrid stretches at the beginning of the season and after the All Star Game. 

I am not enamored with the pitching. The shift to Luke Weaver as the closer has been good, but still remains stressful. Tommy Kahnle had to come in on Sunday to induce a double play in relief of Jake Cousins, who is normally reliable. Nestor Cortes has reclaimed a rotation spot for now, with Marcus Stroman the odd man out. Reigning Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole was lit up by Boston on Saturday in a head scratching performance. So much to sort out with a little over a week to go. 

One goal has been reached. The Yankees clinched a playoff spot. Now the next two steps are to win the division, preferably before the penultimate series with the Orioles beginning on Tuesday. And the team needs to hold off Cleveland to secure the top seed, a bye and get ready for what they believe will be a deep run into the playoffs. 

Boston and the Mets seem to torment Cole. The other New York team, the hottest team since the ASG, is making a concerted rush for the playoffs. The problem for the Mets is that they have to face Philadelphia four times at home—a team which punished them this past weekend at Citizens’ Bank Park—and has the best record in baseball. And if that isn’t enough, the team from Queens has to travel to Atlanta to square off with its closest rival for the final NL Wild Card berth before finishing the season in Milwaukee where the Brewers, already NL Central champs, will have a direct say if they want it face the Mets in the playoffs. 

The Mets have a better overall lineup than the Yankees. When Francisco Lindor is healthy. Except that Lindor has been plagued with back issues at the worst possible time. Combined with the loss of Jeff Mc Neil for the season, NYM has its work cut out for it despite the great starting pitching which has carried the team to this point—along with Lindor’s outstanding bat. They sure do look really good. 

With football in full swing, I feel like I have a split personality—devoted to baseball and watching tons of football. Both on TV and in person. 

Let me discuss major college football. When Quinn Ewers, the starting QB at the University of Texas went down versus UTSA, heralded youngster Arch Manning, son of Cooper, nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie came in and seamlessly led the Longhorns in a rout. 

Whichever quarterback plays—and Ewers injury is cause for concern—Texas is going to be fine. For right now, having watched Georgia struggle mightily at Kentucky, I am of the belief that two losses might easily get teams into the expanded College Football Playoffs. And when I say that, I am directly pointing at the Southeastern Conference, where premier teams like UGA, Alabama, LSU, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas A&M will continue to bang heads, with a likely outcome that no school goes unbeaten in the SEC in 2024. 

A similar story might play itself out in the Big 12, where UCF, Arizona State, BYU, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Utah and Iowa State are unbeaten thus far. It will prove to be less complicated in the Big 10, where each school is at or above .500 now and like in the SEC, conference games will break down the contenders fast, and unlike the SEC, the Big 10 team are not as good as the SEC or in some instances, the Big 12. 

Now that I covered those items, let me turn to pro football. First, my heart hurts for Tua Tagovailoa. Tua suffered another concussion in a loss to Buffalo. His future is in jeopardy—even if he desires to return to the field. One more hit to the head could be worse than problematic. 

Te NFL has been surprising in its first two weeks. Did anybody see New Orleans becoming an offensive juggernaut? Or that Kansas City would win two games at home by the barest of margins? That Baltimore is 0-2? Sam Darnold finally looks like an NFL QB after languishing for so many years after his New York Jets bad experience? Tampa Bay put a beating on a supposed Super Bowl contender in Detroit? And the Steelers are 2-0 behind Justin Fields and stingy defense?

Buffalo and Texas were expected to start fast. The Chargers are unsurprising, too. But Cincinnati and Jacksonville, two playoff teams a year ago, are now 0-2. Kinda like the hapless New York Giants, whose kicker had issues in practice and promptly hurt himself on the opening kickoff, resulting in no field goals and no extra points and an overtime loss to Washington in a winnable game?

The New York Jets started to get untracked in Nashville, coming back from a deficit to overtake the Titans. Next up would be New England. Which I will get back to in a moment. 

Friday started my football odyssey with a stop around the corner to see my high school take on the boys from Springfield. I talked about that game in my previous blog. 

Less than 18 hours later, I was in Ewing, New Jersey on a sun-baked afternoon to see my college, Franklin and Marshall, try to defeat the homestanding Lions of The College of New Jersey. F&M had won last year in Lancaster and was coming off a convincing win over Lebanon Valley in the season opener. TCNJ had downed Eastern on the road in its first game.

Euphoric from my high school’s big win, I went to Mercer County expecting another good day for the Diplomats. Except that I was to learn that TCNJ was a hungry and veteran team ready for revenge. I should have known when the GPS was giving me trouble and that we arrived just as the National Anthem was being played that this day wasn’t going to be so much fun. 

TCNJ has a fifth year senior QB out of Paramus who was second team NJAC last year in a season when he set numerous TCNJ and conference records. Watching him continually shred the F&M defense, connecting with a corps of sure-handed receivers and complimented by a quick running game and a hard-hitting defense, I marveled that F&M stayed with the Lions and actually took a lead in the second half. Dominating the final eight plus minutes of the game and holding the F&M offense in check, TCNJ earned a 17-12 victory. 

It was a good Division III game between two fairly good teams. F&M gets Montclair State at home this weekend while TCNJ travels to Allentown to face #18 Muhlenberg in a very interesting contest. 

I was happy to see how seriously TCNJ takes football. The home stands were filled. There was tailgating. They had a pep band. And the dance team and cheerleaders were as good as I have seen at that level. At least my wife had comfort food when we got home. The Corleone Style Tomato Pie from Marcello’s Pizza Grill in Hamilton Square was excellent.

So my next in person football game was New England at the Jets. Time to see Aaron Rodgers at home for my first time. Hoping he would continue to stay upright and give long-standing Jets fans some hope this season. 

Rodgers and the Jets gave the fans in the stands serenaded by a brilliant full moon over the Meadowlands (Met Life Stadium was far from filled) and a Thursday Night Football audience streaming the game on Amazon or, if your provider permitted, on FOX in the NY Metro Area. He was in complete control of the offense, which gained major yardage on a New England team that either had a very off night or isn’t very good. 

As a Jets fan, the karma was nice. The team had rebounded from its struggles in the opener versus the 49’ers. While the sample size of three games may not prove anything and with an underwhelming Denver team next up at home, for now the Aaron Rodgers Era is moving in the right direction, like it was expected last year until derailed five plays into the Monday Night Football opener against Buffalo. 

I just want, like I was thinking a lot when Rodgers rolled out, scrambled or was sacked, that he gets up and plays the next down. I have the suspicion that feeling will be pervasive for the remaining games. 

Two final notes from this week. Caitlin Clark and company clinched the sixth seed in the upcoming WNBA playoffs. I hope her on the court performance merits a first team selection.

Then there is Shohei Ohtani. Likely the best player in baseball. He has accomplished a feat like no other—50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season. While going 6 for 6 on Thursday on the road in Miami, slugging 3 homers, swatting 2 doubles, stealing 2 bases and driving in 10 runs. An incredible coda to an amazing year. 

The naysayers will point to his only being a designated hitter. That’s because they are searching for reasons to deny Ohtani his due. I merely point out the no player—whether one who also plays the field or is a DH—ever came close to these numbers. Wait until he resumes pitching next season.

There you have it. More TV Baseball… while attending three football games in a week. 

Just Another Blasé Week, I Guess

  This is somewhat of a rivalry week. The Yankees and Red Sox are engaged in four game series in New York. And a number of former conference and in-state battles are on tap. 

Which is ironic about the fact that Oregon State and Washington State, the former Pac-12 survivors (the Pac-2 as they are sarcastically called even if it is numerically correct), have raided the Mountain West Conference with the war chest that they have with the release of the other members from the once-glorious Power 5 conference. All in the name of again becoming relevant and rejoining the big boys already at the table—the ACC, SEC, Big Ten and Big 12. With a deadline of 2026 to get it done.

When the one-time scheduling agreement with the Mountain West dovetailed, I kind of had a feeling that something else was going on. Whether it was the arrogance of OSU and WSU or the attempted circling of the wagons by the Mountain West, the defection of four schools may be a preliminary shot to more activity.

To be allowed in the now-expanded College Football playoffs, a conference must have a minimum of eight members schools. Adding Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State isn’t exactly glamorous as big time programs go. But it works fine regionally. 

What will be more problematic is getting a good network package for the games, which will begin in 2025-26. And finding those two more schools willing to abandon their present location. 

There are rumblings that California-Berkeley and Stanford might have second thoughts about their insane merger with the ACC given how it will impact their teams going across the country and the costs involved. That might make sense and could peak the interest of the TV moguls. Yet they signed the ACC grant of rights, which binds them to their new home. Until 2036. Unless Florida State and Clemson somehow escape the ACC as they would like and find a home elsewhere (SEC?) It was the hope of the Beavers and Cougars that the ACC could form a Western division with them if the unhappy duo exited. No interest whatsoever from the ACC. 

More likely names floated are Air Force, UTSA, Rice, Memphis, Tulane, North Texas and even South Florida. Except that the American Athletic Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti, a former Rutgers Athletic Director and a savvy media man, has gotten Army and Navy into his league and would be open to Air Force joining its service academy brethren. 

The Mountain West could also lose Nevada and UNLV if they could leave in tandem to the Pac-12. But there are replacements for them in FCS schools in Montana, South Dakota and North Dakota—even the entry fee to move from FCS to FBS is $5 million.

Also, basketball schools like Gonzaga and St. Mary’s might be interested in becoming part of a bigger and better West Coast conference the the WCC. Exposure and money have a way of enticing. 

All this wheeling and dealing isn’t over. UConn made a serious effort to become part of the Big 12, but found little interest. The same thing happened to the Huskies with the ACC when it expanded. As much as basketball is king in the Nutmeg State, its football program is in purgatory. 

Would regionalization make sense? Of course. How to go about making it happen is too complicated with the money, bowl games, playoffs and storied alliances. 

In my lifetime, I have seen much evolve by way of conference adding and subtracting schools. Heck, Denver, Detroit, George Washington, Hofstra, Marquette, Vermont and Boston University are among a list of 59 schools that used to play football. The ACC was formed as an outgrowth of the Southern Conference. 

Which it is why I am sad when I don’t see Maryland and Virginia play regularly like they are this weekend. Or Oregon and Oregon State meeting in the third week instead of at the end of the season. Ditto Washington and Washington State. Oklahoma State plays at Tulsa—the only school left to face in-state now that Oklahoma is in the SEC. 

Forgive me. I am a lonely purist longing for memories that are long forgotten. Such is the nature of the beast known as the FBS. 

To temper my sadness, I was fortunate to be able to walk less than ten minutes from my house to see our local high school, Jonathan Dayton, host my alma mater, Highland Park. Two small schools that nearly ended football forever but found ways to have it survive. Dayton, my children’s school, doesn’t have the storied past that the HPHS Owls have. 

My exposure to high school football came in the late 1950’s when I hung around the team practices on the dusty field by the school which doubled as a softball and Midget League field where I would later play and practice. A new and loud coach named Jay Dakelman was molding some pretty good player into stars. 

I followed his teams from the temporary stands put up in Johnson Park alongside the Raritan River, to the new field born out of the woods nearer to the school, adjacent to the baseball field where I toiled in summer Junior League action. 

Look, I had no business being on a football field. Yet I practiced freshman year, repeatedly getting whomped by bigger players (I know I suffered one concussion from a hit by a friend’s brother who was 60 pounds heavier than me because my head hurt for days afterwards) and was part of the kickoff return team on our freshman squad. Ironically, the small squad HPHS fielded had a few kids definitely my size in uniform. I worry for their safety. 

Mercifully, Jay moved me over to statistics. Which I excelled at and which led me to a seat at my desk at home on Saturdays after games, compiling in minute detail what had transpired. That led me to Sunday morning doughnuts with the coaches after I delivered my neatly handwritten data, and being a part of the next week’s game plan. 

It was pure fun for me, and it made me a part of the team. And my senior year, that team went undefeated. They were that good, although the Owls trailed Carteret at home 20-7 at the half before storming back to win 21-20 after a halftime tongue-lashing by Jay that was motivational if not fearful.

Well, Owls faithful, we crushed the Bulldogs. It wasn’t the Bulldogs we hated—that would be Metuchen. This is a new rivalry based on school size and scheduling cooperation among Union, Middlesex, Somerset and some West Jersey schools. So I may get to see this game another time in the near future. 

I enjoyed being on the small bleachers which were for the visiting team’s fans. As halftime wound down, I also chatted with a HPHS legend, Joe Policastro, who was the star quarterback in the late 1950’s and remains active on the sidelines after he retired as Dakelman’s successor. I knew him as Jo Jo in his days on the gridiron. He was my freshman baseball coach and Driver’s Ed teacher. And as an umpire, he threw me out of a Junior League game for flinging my bat at the pitcher who purposely threw at my head and then laughed (I was deservedly suspended for a game). 

I can identify with fan bases who want to preserve the old rivalries. Still, maybe this lopsided high school contest augers in a new era of playing similar schools which might last for a very long time. Just like the craziness going on at the collegiate level. Who knows?

Oh, and by the way, Aaron Judge broke his 16 game home run drought with a grand slam, propelling the Yankees to a come-from-behind victory over the hated Red Sox. Which was the cherry on my nostalgia. 

Just another blasé week, I guess. 

A Weekend Of TV Sports Saturation

  I spent much of my weekend watching TV, Not all sports, but certainly more than enough for even me. And I am worn down before the Jets and 49’ers take the field in Santa Clara, California. Which isn’t exactly a bad thing.

Let’s preface this weekend of binge watching of sports with the New York Yankees beginning a six game road swing earlier this week in Texas. Where they lost 2 of 3 to the defending World Champions, a team which is not going to reach the playoffs. 

When Aaron Judge and Juan Soto hit, the team tends to win. When they don’t, it becomes an invitation for the opponent to feast on the inconsistent bullpen. 

Most inconsistent of all has been closer Clay Holmes. Or should I say former closer Clay Homes. 

Holmes has 29 saves this season. A very good number. Unfortunately, Holmes has blown 11 saves this year, leading the majors in that category.

Number 11 came in a game which New York led 4-1 at one time. Only to see that lead reduced to 4-3 as the bottom of the ninth approached. 

Instead of shutting the Rangers down, Holmes loaded the bases then surrendered a walk off grand slam home run. Which set off the Yankees’ faithful, who had for month been clamoring for a new and reliable face to end the games for the Bombers. 

Manager Aaron Boone, a players’ manager, had been in Holmes’ corner no matter how badly Holmes had faltered. But that support came to an end with this flop. While not guaranteeing he wouldn’t use Holmes as a closer for the rest of the season, Boone made it clear that Holmes would not be his first choice going forward. 

Perhaps a little late, but there were still over 20 games remaining when Boone made his decision. It was now a question as to who might fill that role. 

The Yankees flew from Texas to Chicago to face the Cubs. While New York lost on Wednesday night, three Chicago pitchers combined to throw the first Cubs no hitter at Wrigley Field since 1972 by Milt Pappas. And the Cubs had been demolishing Washington and Pittsburgh with hitting that was averaging over nine runs per game. 

I had been looking forward to this rare Yankees trip to the ivy-covered walls on the North Side of Chicago. Historically, New York has owned the Cubs in the World Series with two sweeps in the 1930’s. Plus the Yankees held a big lead in the overall; inter league series. 

One of the most majestical playing arenas in baseball is Wrigley Field. Cubs fans are loyal and true blue. 

They continue to revel in the stunning 2016 World Series win. This weekend they had the chance to shower their affection to one of the heroes—Anthony Rizzo. This was Rizzo’s first trip back to Wrigley since the Cubs dealt him New York. 

As much as Rizzo is beloved by his Yankees’ teammates and the NYY fans, that paled in comparison to how the Cubs faithful felt about him. The franchise honored him with a video tribute before Friday afternoon’s game. He was lustily cheered before each at bat. All of which he deserved. His heart may have left a piece in Chicago—both when he was a Cub and after this weekend. 

New York dominated the Cubbies on Friday and Saturday. Luke Weaver recored his first save on Friday; Luis Gill returned from the IL to pitch sterling one-hit ball. On Saturday, Clarke Schmidt also pitched well, backed by former starter Nestor Cortes in relief, who was not too thrilled with his demotion to the bullpen. 

Poor plays by Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge led to two unearned runs and a loss on Sunday. Gerrit Cole pitched well, but the New York bats could not solve former Yankees pitcher Jameson Taillon (a close friend of Cole’s going back to their days in the Pirates’ organization) and two relievers. (A note off interest—in the three games, not one home run was hit in this homer-friendly park, with the wind blowing in from the outfield on both Friday and Saturday)

Judge and Soto aren’t hitting like they did for most of the year. This puts the onus on others—and they just aren’t capable of carrying the team like the the Dynamic Duo. 

There are six series left for the Yankees and Baltimore. New York leads the Orioles by .5. The teams meet in the penultimate series in New York to begin the last week of the regular season. It’s all going to come down to which team can win more games—a problem they both have been facing recently. I will be watching as much as I can stand—perhaps not as a beautiful a sight as Wrigley Field in all its sun-splashed glory. 

With the Yankees game in the afternoon, I watched my alma mater, Franklin and Marshall College, open at home with nearby rival Lebanon Valley. The Diplomats were too much for the Flying Dutchmen. It was a beautiful scene to see a night game in Lancaster—until Shadek Stadium was built, there had only been one night game with portable lights at venerable Williamson Field.  While Saturdays are still golden for F&M football, it was a modern and fun look on an early September evening. 

Who else did I watch? Penn State. This was a game I had toyed with attending—a bucket list item since my daughter is a PSU alum. The Nittany Lions struggled with Bowling Green before finally prevailing. 

I don’t know if this is a post-rivalry game let down after a trip to Morgantown to defeat West Virginia. Why would I think that? Ask Notre Dame fans about the Mid-American Conference, where BGSU and Northern Illinois reside. For the 38 point underdog Huskies, who received $1.3 million to be a sacrificial lamb for the Irish, didn’t get the memo and gave the MAC its first-ever win against a Top 5-ranked school.  Considering that NIU was only predicted to finish third and the Falcons would come in fourth, maybe the MAC is better than people believe. 

Next up was the Top 10 match between Texas and Michigan. I thought this was a mismatch and I was right. Texas is as good as any team in the country. As good as the Longhorns may be, Texas must get through Oklahoma before facing #1 Georgia at home on October 19. Circle that date on your calendar if you want to see a possible title preview game.

I saw the end of the Iowa State-Iowa game. This was of interest to me as I had been on both campuses in early June. A 56 yard field goal with six seconds left allowed the Cy-Hawk Trophy to return to Ames in the arms of the joyous ISU players.

My final game to watch was South Florida and Alabama. It was the night that legendary coach Nick Saban would be honored with the naming of the field in the first season after his retirement. 

Saban seemed to be very uncomfortable in his luxury seat in Bryant-Denny Stadium. For good reason. USF stayed with the Crimson Tide late into the fourth quarter before its defense began to tire. Maybe he needed to sell some supplemental insurance to the school. AFLAC?

Alabama has a very demanding schedule. While the Tide does not play Texas, the next game at Wisconsin could prove very difficult before a bye week and then Georgia comes to Tuscaloosa. Road games at Tennessee. LSU and Oklahoma are on the schedule along with good SEC teams Missouri and South Carolina coming to visit. I just don’t see Alabama winning the National Championship. 

A final college football note—Nebraska pulverized Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes in a revival of a storied Big Eight rivalry. I think that at least for now, Sanders is in over his head. 

Yes, I did watch pro football. The KC-Baltimore game was thrilling. Decided by an overturned call on review to end the game. I dare say the teams went toe-to-toe. (Groan) What I saw was this—don’t anoint the Chiefs to repeat after one game. The AFC is loaded. 

The Giants played as ugly as their throwback uniforms. Minnesota isn’t that good. Green Bay played the Eagles thought on the horrible turf in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The loss of QB Jordan Love for eight weeks is essentially going doom the Packers. Dallas looked really good in Cleveland; maybe they are Super Bowl-bound? The Chargers were sluggish in winning over the Raiders; Jim Harbaugh can still coach in the NFL. 

As for the Jets and Niners, my expectations are dim for Gang Green. Aaron Rodgers is a 40 year old QB who hasn’t played meaningful moments in two years. Monster DL Haasson Reddick is MIA, his holdout ongoing. The Dolphins, Bills and Patriots all won their openers. While SF is still a legit NFC contender. From my end, the math doesn’t add up for NYJ. 9-8 if they are lucky. Beginning with a loss while everyone else in the AFC East won. Ugh.

I have to put my eye drops in to relieve my aching eyes. From a weekend of TV saturation.