It’s time for another edition of Notes On A Scorecard….the format used by the late, great Los Angeles sportswriter Alan Malamud who had quick-hits on his opinions of various sports topics.
Our baseball talk this year has been about Aaron Judge, the Yankees, and the shockingly surprising Phillies. But how about a shout out for the world champions.
The Houston Astros are the kings of baseball after capturing the World Series in six games over the Phils.
The Astros have had a target on their backs ever since they cheated by stealing signs to win a World Series in 2017.
They became the ogres of the baseball world and perhaps the entire sports world as well.
They fired their front office, and basically rid themselves of the team’s core.
They have been strong contenders ever since and won it all this season for the first time since that title five years ago.
There is nothing worse than cheating in sports. It puts the integrity of the game in doubt. Without integrity, you have nothing.
But the Astros took care of their problem and, while still having players from that 2017 team, have built a terrific farm system which has reaped dividends, and remained one of baseball’s finest teams.
So, what is the point in bringing up the disaster of five seasons ago.
True, what happened is facts, but does a franchise have to pay forever?
I don’t think so.
Let’s give a world of credit to the world champions.
And move forward.
As we know, there is no such animal as a sure thing. If you would have told me the Super Bowl champion Rams, the Packers with Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady’s Bucs would be 10-16 at or near the halfway mark I would have given you a strange look. But here they are.
Brady pulled out a vintage late-game rally to pull his team through, but Green Bay’s #12 has dropped five straight, with a horrendous 3-interception game against the Lions.
I would have given you a funny look as well if you had said the Jets, Giants, Dolphins, and especially the Seahawks would be contenders at this point.
We’ll see how it all plays out.
I know it’s the off-season for professional golf, but I don’t like what I see.
The Saudi LIV Tour has completed its first season. They will expand their schedule next year. Their war with the PGA Tour goes on, but that’s not what concerns me. It’s the bad blood that developed among the players from the two tours. The game of golf has always had its rivalries, but those competing were always amiable and friendly with each other. Now, there is bitterness among the players. Rory McIlroy no longer speaks with some of those who split, such as Sergio Garcia. They used to play alongside each other in the Ryder Cup.
What’s ahead for that great event, and other championships? Who knows.
But there is genuine dislike, or worse, among the athletes we have admired, and it’s not good.
For those who are tired of Alabama’s dominance of college football, it’s time to do a dance. The wicked witch is dead.
At least for this season, anyway.
Unlike the NFL where we really can’t say with utmost assurance who’ll be playing in the Super Bowl next February, it kinda looks like Georgia will be facing either Ohio State or Michigan for the national college championship.
And it’s more than likely, it’ll be the Buckeyes.
‘Bama won’t even make the final four. Right now I like TCU and Oregon, but I may be overlooking Michigan , even if they lose to Ohio State.
Serious stuff. Kyrie Irving, like so many star athletes who should play and not talk, is a troublesome NBA figure.
To cut to the chase, Irving posted his support of a virulent anti-Semitic movie on his social media site.
Let’s have a show of hands for those who think the word “social” is a joke in referring to our current culture which opens up communication to the world to express harmful and hateful rhetoric.
Anyway, the agonizing delay in crushing Irving’s sentiment was, in fact, agonizing.
NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, who I know is a good man, was probably hoping the entire fiasco would go away, which it didn’t.
It took seven days, that’s right, seven days for Silver to denounce Irving’s post.
His team, the Brooklyn Nets also took it slow before they suspended the player for at least five games.
Irving then issued the usual apology basically using the all-too-familiar, “……if I offended Jewish families……..”
Too late, too late, too late!
Remember, during the off-season when all these top-flight announcers played musical chairs and joined new networks?
Mike Tirico took over play-by-play Sunday night.
Al Michaels joined Amazon’s Thursday Night Football’s streaming adventure.
Joe and Troy switched from Fox to ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
Kevin Burkardt and Greg Olsen were the new number one at Fox, and one their way to a Super Bowl assignment.
Dazzling wasn’t it?
But it turned out what we knew all along, that it’s the game that counts.
Viewers tune into the matchup. If it’s a good one, more folks will watch.
Look, all of the broadcasters involved are good at what they do.
There is no one there who doesn’t deserve it.
But I have to say, I sympathize for Michaels, who is the very best in my book, but forced to describe some matchups, not fit for prime time.
It’s a new world for Al, the best, who has covered the best, but I have a hunch no one is really feeling sorry for the veteran broadcaster.
He’ll get through it!!!
I think the most celebrated NFL player through the first half is quarterback Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks.
I know, there’s a chorus out there screaming for Jalen Hurts, the QB of the only unbeaten team remaining, the Philadelphia Eagles.
No question that Hurts has been brilliant, perhaps making more progress than anyone at his position. The Eagles, who have had their moments of glory throughout their existence have never been 8-0 till now, but they were considered playoff material before the season began.
But not the Seahawks. Actually, most predictors had them marked for last place in the NFC West, on a rebuilding ride, especially after trading away Russell Wilson to the Broncos.
But it’s the Broncos who have stumbled, and Pete Carroll’s crew have taken the division lead and winning four in a row as of this writing.
The key has been Geno Smith. An improbable story to say the least.
Smith is 32, lost his starting spot after two shaky seasons, and then slowed by injuries. He became a backup with the Giants, Chargers, and Seahawks, before getting the nod to replace Wilson this year.
He has responded in a way career backups rarely do. He has made the most of his opportunity, and the Seattle organization look like geniuses.
There’s still plenty of time for things to change, but at this point, I like what Geno Smith has accomplished over all the others.
By now, we all know the results of Tuesday’s mid-term elections.
Aren’t we all relieved when that day is over? And maybe several days after.
All I wish for, is some semblance of a return to the days when people could disagree and not get unhinged, or even worse, violent.
Maybe freedom of speech is the most important freedom we have.
May it never been curtailed.