One final post in the waning hours of 2016. And it's a confusing one...because it's the final week of the 2016 NFL season, but the game are all being played in 2017. Of course, the playoffs are in January, so this happens every year, which is exactly why Super Bowls are numbered with Roman numerals.
Anyway, a lot of the suspense for this week has been taken out. The Titans gave the AFC South to the Texans, meaning the only division up for grabs is the NFC North (which made the Sunday night choice very easy). Technically the AFC teams are playing for position, but even those are all essentially locked up. So, really, other than Packers-Lions, the only game with direct playoff bearing is Giants-Redskins. If Washington wins, they get a wild card and the Packers-Lions loser is out. Otherwise, both Green Bay and Detroit will get in anyway.
Ravens (8-7) at Bengals (5-9-1): Baltimore-You've gotta figure this is the last game of the Marvin Lewis Era in Cincinnati. Kinda like Andy Reid in Philadelphia (and even Tom Coughlin in New York), it's in the best interest of both parties for the Bengals to move on. The Ravens have had a lost season, too, as they were knocked out by Antonio Brown in that sensational Christmas game. I do think they beat the Bengals and end up 9-7, though.
Texans (9-6) at Titans (8-7): Houston-This one was supposed to be for the AFC South. But the Titans decided to lay a total egg in Jacksonville instead. As a result, the Texans clinched the division and the No. 4 seed when they beat the Bengals on Saturday night (is it just me, or were there a lot of last-second field goal attempts last week?). Ordinarily that would mean resting starters, but I think the Texans probably want Tom Savage to get as many reps as possible before next week. That and the fact that Marcus Mariota broke his leg last week leave me inclined to go with the Texans.
Jaguars (3-12) at Colts (7-8): Indianapolis-Is Jacksonville actually serious about bringing Tom Coughlin back? We'll find out in the next couple of weeks, but I just don't see that happening. Anyway, the Colts are looking at a .500 season if they can win this one, so that's at least something tangible to play for in an otherwise meaningless season-ending contest.
Patriots (13-2) at Dolphins (10-5): New England-Last season, the Patriots lost the final game in Miami to cost themselves the No. 1 seed. As a result, they went to Denver for the AFC Championship Game, and we all know what happened there. They haven't forgotten that, and they'll want to make sure the road to the Super Bowl goes thru Foxboro this season. The Dolphins, meanwhile, are essentially locked into the six-seed, so I'm very curious to see how long their starters stay in.
Bears (3-12) at Vikings (7-8): Minnesota-Adrian Peterson won't play. Which makes sense, seeing as there's no reason for him to. Minnesota's season tanked at the bye week. The Vikings are just 2-8 since their bye, and last week's loss at Lambeau officially ended things for them. For the Bears, things were over weeks ago. This will be the last time President Obama will get to watch his hometown team lose while in office.
Bills (7-8) at Jets (4-11): Buffalo-I was seriously considering going to this game. Tickets are going for like $25 on StubHub. Then the Bills ruined everything by firing Rex Ryan a week early. His last game as an NFL coach was supposed to be at the Meadowlands against the Jets. Now the appeal of this game has been lost. For what it's worth, I do think the Bills will win. They're much less dysfunctional than the Jets (and apparently much less dysfunctional than they were with the Brothers Ryan in charge).
Cowboys (13-2) at Eagles (6-9): Dallas-Philly locked up home field for Dallas, but don't look for the Cowboys to return the favor by resting their starters. They want to get Dak Prescott the rookie record for wins. They want to get Ezekiel Elliott the rookie rushing record. Sean Lee wants to play every defensive snap of the season. We will see Tony Romo (and even Mark Sanchez for some reason), but this won't be a complete fourth preseason game for the Cowboys.
Browns (1-14) at Steelers (10-5): Pittsburgh-When was the last time a team played on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's in the same season? I think the Lions did in the mid-90s, but they might be the last one. Anyway, the Steelers will probably give the Three B's at least a little time off against the red-hot Browns as they get ready for their wild card game. That's right. The red-hot Browns. It was so great to see Cleveland get a win last week. Then the 49ers won to give them the No. 1 pick back.
Panthers (6-9) at Buccaneers (8-7): Tampa Bay-Tampa Bay is still technically alive in the playoff race. The key word here is technically. They need a lot of crap to happen in order to get in. The first thing that they need is to take care of their own business at home against the Panthers. Of course, if they'd done that last week against the Saints, they'd likely be playing for a spot this week. Even though they know the hope is slim, the Bucs will cling to it and knock off the defending NFC champs.
Saints (7-8) at Falcons (10-5): Atlanta-Trying to figure out the seeding possibilities for the other three NFC division winners is enough to give you a headache. All of that only comes into play if the Falcons lose, though. If Atlanta wins it's easy. They get a week off and the final game at the Georgia Dome will be a Divisional Playoff. Also look for Matt Ryan to further his MVP case as the Falcons' offense looks to end the regular season with a bang.
Raiders (12-3) at Broncos (8-7): Oakland-Talk about bad luck. The Oakland offensive line allowed the Colts defense to get to Derek Carr exactly ONCE last week...and that hit broke his leg. Now the Raiders turn to Matt McGloin with the division still not clinched. And just to put it into perspective, a win means clinching the division and only having to win two games (one at home) to get to the Super Bowl. A loss likely means three playoff road games. And the Super Bowl ain't happening in that scenario. The defending champs want to go out with a win, of course, but they sure looked like they were phoning it in at the end of the Chiefs game. I'll say McGloin does what he needs to do, the Oakland defense does the rest, and the Raiders get their playoff bye.
Cardinals (6-8-1) at Rams (4-11): Arizona-How do you get swept by the 49ers, a team that hasn't beaten anybody else all season? The Rams' return to LA wasn't as glorious as anyone had hoped. The other team that used to play in St. Louis has had a disappointing year, as well. Although, Arizona did go 1-0-1 against Seattle. Small consolation, I know. At least they'll end the season on a winning streak.
Chiefs (11-4) at Chargers (5-10): Kansas City-Don't expect the Chiefs to hand Oakland that bye. Because it could be the difference between the Chiefs getting to the Super Bowl or not. Kansas City might be the only AFC team capable of beating New England. But they're not winning three road games. Unfortunately, only one part of the equation is in their hands. They'll take care of that part against the Chargers. Whether this will be the last NFL game in San Diego is a question that will be resolved during the offseason.
Seahawks (9-5-1) at 49ers (2-13): Seattle-The Seahawks are either going to be the No. 2, 3 or 4 seed in the NFC. They need a Falcons loss to get the No. 2, and a loss to the 49ers drops them to No. 4. Not that it matters, but the Giants don't want that. I don't see any way how the Seahawks lose to the 49ers, though, so they'll lock up at least No. 3.
Giants (10-5) at Redskins (8-6-1): Giants-They backed into the playoffs with the Bucs loss, but they're in nevertheless. And they're locked into the No. 5 seed. So, do the Giants play all-out or rest up knowing that they have to travel next week? The Lions and Packers (one of whom will likely be their opponent) sure hope it's the former, because they need a Giants win to guarantee they're both in. Otherwise, the Redskins get the second wild card. I think the Giants take kind of a combined approach. They can't afford to sit everyone after last week's dud, but they also don't care who the other wild card team is. Although, they do hate the Redskins, and they did lose to them earlier in the season.
Packers (9-6) at Lions (9-6): Green Bay-Because Green Bay won the first meeting, they win the division if the game ends in a tie (which is the only way Washington wins and doesn't get in). I want both of these teams to make the playoffs. Because it'll be so unfair if the Lions don't make the playoffs after their tremendous season. The Packers are doing what they always do, though. When they were 4-6, everyone was calling for Mike McCarthy's head. Now they've won five straight, the longest winning streak in the NFC, and are once again in a position to win the NFC North. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Expect to see the Giants headed to Lambeau next week.
Last Week: 9-7
Overall: 156-82-2
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Top 16 Games of 2016
It's that time of the year again. As the calendar year wraps up, the superlatives come raining down. I traditionally end the year with a countdown of the best games from January 1-December 31. The number of games usually corresponds to the number in the year, and that's the case again this time (eventually the year number will get to high to use it as the basis of the countdown). Although, this is the first time that I have more than one contest from the same sport/event. That's because of the many memorable games we saw during those two weeks in Rio.
16. Indianapolis 500: May 29, Indianapolis-Was this one of the all-time classic Indy 500s? No. But the 100th running of the Greatest Spectacle In Racing produced quite a finish. All of the leaders had to pit for fuel late in the race, handing the lead to rookie Alexander Rossi. He didn't pit and was running on fumes at the end. Despite going less than 180 mph, he held off Carlos Munoz and Josef Newgarden by just over four seconds.
15. Olympic Trials, Women's 100 Meter Hurdles: July 8, Eugene, OR-How loaded is the U.S. in this event? Well, for starters, Keni Harrison broke the world record a week AFTER she didn't even make the Olympic team. Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin were the three that did, and they went on to sweep the medals in Rio.
14. US Open Men's Quarterfinals (Kei Nishikori vs. Andy Murray): September 7, New York-I was there for that incredible five-set match Rafael Nadal lost in the third round, but this scintillating quarterfinal trumps that one. Murray won Wimbledon and the Olympics, and he'd go on to become No. 1 in the world. But in the US Open quarterfinals, he blew a two sets-to-one lead against Olympic bronze medalist Kei Nishikori, who looked out of it before emerging victorious, 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.
13. Champions League Final (Real Madrid 1, Atletico Madrid 1): May 28, Milan-To say Cristiano Ronaldo had a good year would be an understatement. Before Portugal won Euro 2016, he scored the winning penalty kick for Real Madrid in the Champions League final against rival Atletico Madrid. The winner came in the final round of the shootout after the game ended 1-1.
12. Olympic Women's 10,000 Meters: August 12, Rio de Janeiro-Those wacky Rio organizers. The first final of the track & field program--in the first session on the first day--produced a world record. And it was a brilliant one at that, with Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana shaving 14 seconds off the existing mark. Ayana's world record wasn't the only thing that made this the fastest women's 10,000 in history, though. The second-, third- and fourth-place finishers had the third-, fourth- and fifth-fastest times ever, and there were a total of eight national records set, including Molly Huddle's American record that was also an area record.
11. UFC 196 (Miesha Tate vs. Holly Holm): March 5, Las Vegas-In her first fight after beating Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm lost to Miesha Tate. That women's championship bout wasn't the main event, though. That was Conor McGregor. So what if he lost to Nate Diaz? This was one of the biggest events in UFC history until that long-awaited Madison Square Garden debut in November, which was also headlined by a certain Irishman.
10. Australian Open Women's Final (Angelique Kerber vs. Serena Williams): January 30, Melbourne-Little did we know it at the time, but 2016 would be the Year of Angelique Kerber. It started so innocently in Australia in January. After saving a match point in the first round, she stopped Serena's coronation, putting that 22nd Grand Slam title on hold until Wimbledon with a BRILLIANT 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory that was the talk of the tennis world. She'd later win the US Open (in another three-set thriller) and take Serena's place as the world No. 1.
9. Olympic Men's 100 Meter Butterfly Final: August 12, Rio de Janeiro-Michael Phelps didn't win gold in his final individual Olympic race. Yet he found his swan song to be entirely fitting. He finished behind Joseph Schooling, a 21-year-old from Singapore who took a photo with his idol during the USA's training camp in that country prior to the Beijing Games. The best part, though, was that Phelps finished in a three-way tie for silver--with South Africa's Chad le Clos (who beat him in this event in London) and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh (who won so many silvers behind Phelps throughout his career).
8. World Cup of Hockey Semifinal (Europe 3, Sweden 2 OT): September 25, Toronto-Say what you want about how stupid including Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey was. They were fun to watch, though. That semifinal game against Sweden is a prime example of that. This game was by far the most entertaining of the tournament. It was 1-1, then Europe scored early in the third, only to see Sweden tie it with less than five minutes left. But Tomas Tatar put one past Henrik Lundqvist in overtime to upset the Swedes.
7. Olympic Men's Golf Final Round: August 14, Rio de Janeiro-A funny thing happened during the Olympic golf tournament. The players embraced being in the Olympics after all, and a truly exceptional tournament was the result. Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar were locked in a tight battle heading to the back nine, where Rose ended up taking the gold by two strokes over Stenson, who was one ahead of bronze medalist Kuchar.
6. NFC Divisional Playoff (Cardinals 26, Packers 20 OT): January 16, Glendale, AZ-While the Super Bowl sucked, there were plenty of outstanding games in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. I easily could've gone with that Steelers-Bengals wild card game or even the final Manning-Brady showdown for the AFC championship. But I decided to go with the Cardinals-Packers Divisional Playoff. A game where Aaron Rodgers threw the tying touchdown pass on the final play of regulation, only to see Carson Palmer connect with Larry Fitzgerald on a 75-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage in overtime...then find Fitzgerald again two plays later to win it.
5. Ohio State 30, Michigan 27 (2 OT): November 26, Columbus, OH-For the first time in a long time, Ohio State and Michigan were both good heading into their season-ending matchup. They both came in 10-1, and they were ranked second and third in the country. And the game lived up to the hype. Ohio State tied it with a field goal on the final play of regulation, then after both teams scored touchdowns on their first possession of overtime, the Buckeyes won it in the second extra period to lock up a place in the College Football Playoff.
4. Olympic Men's Soccer Gold Medal Game (Brazil 1, Germany 1): August 20, Rio de Janeiro-Brazil wanted one gold medal at the Rio Games. And they delivered it. The men's soccer gold medal game went to penalty kicks tied at 1-1. After the Brazilian goalie made a save, Neymar stepped up to the spot and put it into the back of the net, giving the hosts their first-ever gold medal in their national sport and sending the sellout crowd at the Maracana, one of the sport's cathedrals, into euphoria.
3. World Series, Game 7 (Cubs 8, Indians 7): November 2, Cleveland-After 108 years, what's an extra half-hour? The Cubs and Indians gave us an amazing World Series, capped by an incredible Game 7. Chicago led 6-3 before Rajai Davis homered in the bottom of the eighth to tie it. There was a rain delay before the 10th inning, during which the Cubs had a players-only meeting in the clubhouse. They then went out and scored two in the top of the 10th before closing out a championship no baseball fan will ever forget.
2. NBA Finals, Game 7 (Cavaliers 93, Warriors 89): June 19, Oakland, CA-The Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit to win a title. They were the second team to do that this year. The first was the Cavs, who just so happened to knock off a Warriors team that had beaten them the previous year and set a record with 73 regular season wins (against just nine losses). LeBron's tour de force started in Game 5, and he was at his very best in Game 7, posting just the third Game 7 triple-double in NBA history. He also had "The Block" with the score tied 89-89 with 1:50 left, then, after Kyrie Irving hit the go-ahead three, nailed a free throw with 10.6 seconds remaining to ice Cleveland's first pro title in any sport since 1964, delivering on the promise he made when he returned to the Cavs.
1. NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game (Villanova 77, North Carolina 74): April 4, Houston-LeBron didn't quite do enough to earn the top spot, though. That honor goes to one of the best NCAA championship games in history--that thriller between Villanova and North Carolina. We all thought we were headed for overtime after North Carolina's Marcus Paige hit that ridiculous off-balance three-pointer to tie it at 74-74 with less than five seconds left. Villanova had other ideas, however. Kris Jenkins launched one just before the buzzer, and he sank it to give the Wildcats the championship. It was the Play of the Year without question, and it lifted the NCAA Championship Game above all the others as the Game of the Year, as well.
16. Indianapolis 500: May 29, Indianapolis-Was this one of the all-time classic Indy 500s? No. But the 100th running of the Greatest Spectacle In Racing produced quite a finish. All of the leaders had to pit for fuel late in the race, handing the lead to rookie Alexander Rossi. He didn't pit and was running on fumes at the end. Despite going less than 180 mph, he held off Carlos Munoz and Josef Newgarden by just over four seconds.
15. Olympic Trials, Women's 100 Meter Hurdles: July 8, Eugene, OR-How loaded is the U.S. in this event? Well, for starters, Keni Harrison broke the world record a week AFTER she didn't even make the Olympic team. Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin were the three that did, and they went on to sweep the medals in Rio.
14. US Open Men's Quarterfinals (Kei Nishikori vs. Andy Murray): September 7, New York-I was there for that incredible five-set match Rafael Nadal lost in the third round, but this scintillating quarterfinal trumps that one. Murray won Wimbledon and the Olympics, and he'd go on to become No. 1 in the world. But in the US Open quarterfinals, he blew a two sets-to-one lead against Olympic bronze medalist Kei Nishikori, who looked out of it before emerging victorious, 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.
13. Champions League Final (Real Madrid 1, Atletico Madrid 1): May 28, Milan-To say Cristiano Ronaldo had a good year would be an understatement. Before Portugal won Euro 2016, he scored the winning penalty kick for Real Madrid in the Champions League final against rival Atletico Madrid. The winner came in the final round of the shootout after the game ended 1-1.
12. Olympic Women's 10,000 Meters: August 12, Rio de Janeiro-Those wacky Rio organizers. The first final of the track & field program--in the first session on the first day--produced a world record. And it was a brilliant one at that, with Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana shaving 14 seconds off the existing mark. Ayana's world record wasn't the only thing that made this the fastest women's 10,000 in history, though. The second-, third- and fourth-place finishers had the third-, fourth- and fifth-fastest times ever, and there were a total of eight national records set, including Molly Huddle's American record that was also an area record.
11. UFC 196 (Miesha Tate vs. Holly Holm): March 5, Las Vegas-In her first fight after beating Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm lost to Miesha Tate. That women's championship bout wasn't the main event, though. That was Conor McGregor. So what if he lost to Nate Diaz? This was one of the biggest events in UFC history until that long-awaited Madison Square Garden debut in November, which was also headlined by a certain Irishman.
10. Australian Open Women's Final (Angelique Kerber vs. Serena Williams): January 30, Melbourne-Little did we know it at the time, but 2016 would be the Year of Angelique Kerber. It started so innocently in Australia in January. After saving a match point in the first round, she stopped Serena's coronation, putting that 22nd Grand Slam title on hold until Wimbledon with a BRILLIANT 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory that was the talk of the tennis world. She'd later win the US Open (in another three-set thriller) and take Serena's place as the world No. 1.
9. Olympic Men's 100 Meter Butterfly Final: August 12, Rio de Janeiro-Michael Phelps didn't win gold in his final individual Olympic race. Yet he found his swan song to be entirely fitting. He finished behind Joseph Schooling, a 21-year-old from Singapore who took a photo with his idol during the USA's training camp in that country prior to the Beijing Games. The best part, though, was that Phelps finished in a three-way tie for silver--with South Africa's Chad le Clos (who beat him in this event in London) and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh (who won so many silvers behind Phelps throughout his career).
8. World Cup of Hockey Semifinal (Europe 3, Sweden 2 OT): September 25, Toronto-Say what you want about how stupid including Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey was. They were fun to watch, though. That semifinal game against Sweden is a prime example of that. This game was by far the most entertaining of the tournament. It was 1-1, then Europe scored early in the third, only to see Sweden tie it with less than five minutes left. But Tomas Tatar put one past Henrik Lundqvist in overtime to upset the Swedes.
7. Olympic Men's Golf Final Round: August 14, Rio de Janeiro-A funny thing happened during the Olympic golf tournament. The players embraced being in the Olympics after all, and a truly exceptional tournament was the result. Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar were locked in a tight battle heading to the back nine, where Rose ended up taking the gold by two strokes over Stenson, who was one ahead of bronze medalist Kuchar.
6. NFC Divisional Playoff (Cardinals 26, Packers 20 OT): January 16, Glendale, AZ-While the Super Bowl sucked, there were plenty of outstanding games in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. I easily could've gone with that Steelers-Bengals wild card game or even the final Manning-Brady showdown for the AFC championship. But I decided to go with the Cardinals-Packers Divisional Playoff. A game where Aaron Rodgers threw the tying touchdown pass on the final play of regulation, only to see Carson Palmer connect with Larry Fitzgerald on a 75-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage in overtime...then find Fitzgerald again two plays later to win it.
5. Ohio State 30, Michigan 27 (2 OT): November 26, Columbus, OH-For the first time in a long time, Ohio State and Michigan were both good heading into their season-ending matchup. They both came in 10-1, and they were ranked second and third in the country. And the game lived up to the hype. Ohio State tied it with a field goal on the final play of regulation, then after both teams scored touchdowns on their first possession of overtime, the Buckeyes won it in the second extra period to lock up a place in the College Football Playoff.
4. Olympic Men's Soccer Gold Medal Game (Brazil 1, Germany 1): August 20, Rio de Janeiro-Brazil wanted one gold medal at the Rio Games. And they delivered it. The men's soccer gold medal game went to penalty kicks tied at 1-1. After the Brazilian goalie made a save, Neymar stepped up to the spot and put it into the back of the net, giving the hosts their first-ever gold medal in their national sport and sending the sellout crowd at the Maracana, one of the sport's cathedrals, into euphoria.
3. World Series, Game 7 (Cubs 8, Indians 7): November 2, Cleveland-After 108 years, what's an extra half-hour? The Cubs and Indians gave us an amazing World Series, capped by an incredible Game 7. Chicago led 6-3 before Rajai Davis homered in the bottom of the eighth to tie it. There was a rain delay before the 10th inning, during which the Cubs had a players-only meeting in the clubhouse. They then went out and scored two in the top of the 10th before closing out a championship no baseball fan will ever forget.
2. NBA Finals, Game 7 (Cavaliers 93, Warriors 89): June 19, Oakland, CA-The Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit to win a title. They were the second team to do that this year. The first was the Cavs, who just so happened to knock off a Warriors team that had beaten them the previous year and set a record with 73 regular season wins (against just nine losses). LeBron's tour de force started in Game 5, and he was at his very best in Game 7, posting just the third Game 7 triple-double in NBA history. He also had "The Block" with the score tied 89-89 with 1:50 left, then, after Kyrie Irving hit the go-ahead three, nailed a free throw with 10.6 seconds remaining to ice Cleveland's first pro title in any sport since 1964, delivering on the promise he made when he returned to the Cavs.
1. NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Game (Villanova 77, North Carolina 74): April 4, Houston-LeBron didn't quite do enough to earn the top spot, though. That honor goes to one of the best NCAA championship games in history--that thriller between Villanova and North Carolina. We all thought we were headed for overtime after North Carolina's Marcus Paige hit that ridiculous off-balance three-pointer to tie it at 74-74 with less than five seconds left. Villanova had other ideas, however. Kris Jenkins launched one just before the buzzer, and he sank it to give the Wildcats the championship. It was the Play of the Year without question, and it lifted the NCAA Championship Game above all the others as the Game of the Year, as well.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
2016 Year In Review
Over the past week or so, all I've seen is people wanting 2016 to just go away, mainly because of the number of celebrities that have died this year (to which I say, don't a lot of celebrities die every year?). I don't want 2016 to end, though. Because 2016 has been a great year in sports. Some have called it the best ever, which is high praise. I'm not willing to go that far, but 2016 was pretty memorable. For a number of reasons.
Let's start with the remarkable championship moments. For the first time ever, we saw two different teams come back from 3-1 finals deficits to win a title. And both titles were historic. LeBron delivered his promise to bring a championship to Cleveland...after the Cavs completed their comeback against a Warriors team that set a record for wins. The other championship comeback also involved Cleveland. This time it was the Indians blowing the lead against the Cubs, who snapped their 108-year curse in one of the most memorable World Series in quite some time.
The NCAA championship game was also one we're going to remember for a long time, as Villanova's Kris Jenkins hit that winning three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Wildcats the title. Breanna Stewart, meanwhile, finished her outstanding UConn career with a fourth straight national title, making her the first basketball player (men or women) ever to do that. Then she was taken No. 1 in the WNBA Draft and won Olympic gold in Rio. Not a bad summer.
Speaking of Rio, the Olympics that were destinend to be "a disaster" according to anyone you asked prior to the Games happened, and they went off successfully. The Russian doping crisis loomed over the Games (then took on a life of its own in the ensuing months). But no one caught Zika and no one was a victim of a crime (despite what Ryan Lochte would've had you believe).
In Brazil, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt further confirmed their status as two of the greatest Olympians of all-time, while Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky look primed to step right into the shoes of those two legends. There were plenty of other inspiring stories that came out of the Rio Games, none more so than the presence of the Refugee Olympic Team. And Rio also saw the successful reintegration of rugby and golf into the Olympic program.
All of the pre-Olympic talk about the return of golf centered around how many of the top players were withdrawing and "didn't care." Justin Rose quickly dispelled anyone of that notion. So did the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which had that dominant victory to reclaim the Cup for the first time since 2008. "Dominant victory" also applies to Jimmie Johnson, who captured his seventh NASCAR Cup title, joining legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most ever.
Euro 2016 gave us the great stories of the little guys like Iceland, Wales and Northern Ireland going head-to-head with Europe's traditional powers and, for the most part, coming out on top. In the end though, it was one of those traditional powers, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, that emerged victorious. Throw that in with Real Madrid's Champions League crown, and it was a pretty good year for the world's best player (I now concede that distinction to him after Messi choked in the Copa America final). Real Madrid's Champions League crown was far more expected than Leicester City's Premier League title. The unlikeliest of champions, they started the season as a 5,000-1 longshot to finish atop the table.
Of course, there were plenty of off-the-field stories that caught our attention. The Russian doping situation took on a life of its own, and it claimed another victim when Maria Sharapova received a suspension for using Meldonium at the Australian Open. We can't forget about the embarrassment that was Ryan Lochte's lies, a story that hijacked the second week of the Olympics, either. All the news surrounding the NFL, whether it be Colin Kaepernick's anthem protest to concussions or TV ratings, seemed to be negative. Although, we did also get to celebrate football's return to LA, as the Rams came home after 21 years in St. Louis. And we had the NBA and MLB reach new labor deals without work stoppages.
We also said goodbye to some legends in 2016. Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer and Gordie Howe, arguably the greatest of all-time in their respective sports, passed away. We also lost Pat Summitt, possibly the greatest women's basketball coach of all-time, as well as eccentric broadcasters Craig Sager and Bud Collins. And Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was taken way too soon.
A number of legends said another form of goodbye in 2016, as there were a number of high-profile retirements. Peyton Manning won the Super Bowl, then called it a career. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan both hung it up, guaranteeing a packed house when they go into the Hall of Fame together in five years. Three if Kevin Garnett is inducted with them. David Ortiz, the greatest DH in history, won't torment the Yankees anymore, either. Tony Stewart ended his NASCAR career, too. And Michael Phelps officially ended his remarkable career with six more Olympic medals.
Two legendary sportscasters went out in style, as well. After 67 years as the Voice of the Dodgers, Vin Scully called his final game on the last day of the regular season...and he went out with a farewell message that exemplified everything about what make him such a revered figure and the gold standard. Verne Lundquist was given a similar sendoff, as the red carpet was rolled out at every SEC school throughout the season. And rightfully so. Because Verne Lundquist is just as beloved by college football fans as Vin Scully is by baseball fans.
What does 2017 have is store? I have no idea. But I can't wait to find out. What I do know, though, is that after what the last 12 months have given us, 2017 has a lot to live up to if it has any hope of matching 2016's excellence.
Let's start with the remarkable championship moments. For the first time ever, we saw two different teams come back from 3-1 finals deficits to win a title. And both titles were historic. LeBron delivered his promise to bring a championship to Cleveland...after the Cavs completed their comeback against a Warriors team that set a record for wins. The other championship comeback also involved Cleveland. This time it was the Indians blowing the lead against the Cubs, who snapped their 108-year curse in one of the most memorable World Series in quite some time.
The NCAA championship game was also one we're going to remember for a long time, as Villanova's Kris Jenkins hit that winning three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Wildcats the title. Breanna Stewart, meanwhile, finished her outstanding UConn career with a fourth straight national title, making her the first basketball player (men or women) ever to do that. Then she was taken No. 1 in the WNBA Draft and won Olympic gold in Rio. Not a bad summer.
Speaking of Rio, the Olympics that were destinend to be "a disaster" according to anyone you asked prior to the Games happened, and they went off successfully. The Russian doping crisis loomed over the Games (then took on a life of its own in the ensuing months). But no one caught Zika and no one was a victim of a crime (despite what Ryan Lochte would've had you believe).
In Brazil, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt further confirmed their status as two of the greatest Olympians of all-time, while Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky look primed to step right into the shoes of those two legends. There were plenty of other inspiring stories that came out of the Rio Games, none more so than the presence of the Refugee Olympic Team. And Rio also saw the successful reintegration of rugby and golf into the Olympic program.
All of the pre-Olympic talk about the return of golf centered around how many of the top players were withdrawing and "didn't care." Justin Rose quickly dispelled anyone of that notion. So did the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which had that dominant victory to reclaim the Cup for the first time since 2008. "Dominant victory" also applies to Jimmie Johnson, who captured his seventh NASCAR Cup title, joining legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most ever.
Euro 2016 gave us the great stories of the little guys like Iceland, Wales and Northern Ireland going head-to-head with Europe's traditional powers and, for the most part, coming out on top. In the end though, it was one of those traditional powers, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, that emerged victorious. Throw that in with Real Madrid's Champions League crown, and it was a pretty good year for the world's best player (I now concede that distinction to him after Messi choked in the Copa America final). Real Madrid's Champions League crown was far more expected than Leicester City's Premier League title. The unlikeliest of champions, they started the season as a 5,000-1 longshot to finish atop the table.
Of course, there were plenty of off-the-field stories that caught our attention. The Russian doping situation took on a life of its own, and it claimed another victim when Maria Sharapova received a suspension for using Meldonium at the Australian Open. We can't forget about the embarrassment that was Ryan Lochte's lies, a story that hijacked the second week of the Olympics, either. All the news surrounding the NFL, whether it be Colin Kaepernick's anthem protest to concussions or TV ratings, seemed to be negative. Although, we did also get to celebrate football's return to LA, as the Rams came home after 21 years in St. Louis. And we had the NBA and MLB reach new labor deals without work stoppages.
We also said goodbye to some legends in 2016. Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer and Gordie Howe, arguably the greatest of all-time in their respective sports, passed away. We also lost Pat Summitt, possibly the greatest women's basketball coach of all-time, as well as eccentric broadcasters Craig Sager and Bud Collins. And Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was taken way too soon.
A number of legends said another form of goodbye in 2016, as there were a number of high-profile retirements. Peyton Manning won the Super Bowl, then called it a career. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan both hung it up, guaranteeing a packed house when they go into the Hall of Fame together in five years. Three if Kevin Garnett is inducted with them. David Ortiz, the greatest DH in history, won't torment the Yankees anymore, either. Tony Stewart ended his NASCAR career, too. And Michael Phelps officially ended his remarkable career with six more Olympic medals.
Two legendary sportscasters went out in style, as well. After 67 years as the Voice of the Dodgers, Vin Scully called his final game on the last day of the regular season...and he went out with a farewell message that exemplified everything about what make him such a revered figure and the gold standard. Verne Lundquist was given a similar sendoff, as the red carpet was rolled out at every SEC school throughout the season. And rightfully so. Because Verne Lundquist is just as beloved by college football fans as Vin Scully is by baseball fans.
What does 2017 have is store? I have no idea. But I can't wait to find out. What I do know, though, is that after what the last 12 months have given us, 2017 has a lot to live up to if it has any hope of matching 2016's excellence.
Friday, December 23, 2016
2016 NFL Week 16
This is a weird week in the NFL. Just like it always is when Christmas falls on Sunday. The normal Sunday slate of games gets moved to Christmas Eve. OK, nothing strange about that. But there's also a Saturday night game (which they usually don't have) and a Christmas afternoon game (which I don't think they've ever had in the regular season).
It's also the week where a lot of teams can give themselves (or somebody else) a Christmas present in the form of a playoff berth or division title. The Giants blew their chance to get in directly with their loss to the Eagles, but will still lock up a spot this week if any of four teams loses (although ESPN.com did show the only possible scenario that keeps the Giants out, which includes eight! different things all happening). It's possible that the entire AFC playoff field will be locked in after this week, too, which could create a very uneventful Week 17 in the AFC.
Dolphins (9-5) at Bills (7-7): Buffalo-Miami's one of those teams that can clinch a playoff berth, but in order to do it, they'll have to beat Rex Ryan's dysfunctional bunch of Buffalo Bills. Problem is the weather in Buffalo in December isn't the same as the weather in Miami in December. That's why the Bills like playing their home game against the Dolphins late in the season. They don't win in Buffalo in December. And you know the Bills would love to spoil their rival's playoff chances.
Redskins (7-6-1) at Bears (3-11): Washington-Washington really damaged its playoff hopes with that Monday night loss to Carolina. The Redskins aren't out of it, but they need a lot of things to happen in order to get in. If they find a way to lose to the Bears, it's definitely not going to happen. The chances of that actually happening don't seem to high, though.
Chargers (5-9) at Browns (0-14): Cleveland-If the Browns are going to avoid 0-16, this is probably their last chance. It really depends on what San Diego team shows up. If the Chargers jump on them early the way the Bengals did, Cleveland will lose in the first quarter yet again. But if the Browns manage to stay in the game until the end, we might finally see them turn that 0 into a 1.
Vikings (7-7) at Packers (8-6): Green Bay-Last year when these two met at the end of the season, Minnesota pulled the upset and ended up winning the NFC North. And the Vikings won again in Week 2 to open their new stadium. Should they complete the trifecta, it'll screw up Green Bay's playoff chances (and clinch a spot for the Giants). However, the Packers know that if they win their final two games, they'll end up as the division champions. And do you trust anyone more than Aaron Rodgers in December?
Jets (4-10) at Patriots (12-2): New England-Todd Bowles didn't travel to New England with the team and may not coach on Saturday. If he misses the game, he at least won't have to watch the Jets for a week. Last year, the Jets beat the Patriots in Week 16 at the Meadowlands. That was last year. Not happening this time.
Falcons (9-5) at Panthers (6-8): Atlanta-Here we've got perhaps the most fascinating matchup of the weekend. Atlanta pretty much clinches a playoff berth with a win and locks up the division with a win and a Bucs loss. Carolina won't make the playoffs, but can certainly play the role of spoiler. And don't forget, the Falcons beat the Panthers in Week 16 last year to come between Carolina and a 16-0 regular season. They haven't forgotten that. I do think the Falcons will win, but it'll be a close one.
Titans (8-6) at Jaguars (2-12): Tennessee-Why didn't the Jaguars wait until they got back to Jacksonville to fire Gus Bradley? That would've prevented the entire awkward situation on the flight home. Anyway, the Titans know that they'll be playing for a division title at home if they beat the perennial AFC cellar dwellers. Unless you're the Patriots, that opportunity doesn't come around very often. They won't want to waste it. Especially after they beat Denver and Kansas City to put themselves in that position.
Colts (7-7) at Raiders (11-3): Oakland-Oakland's in the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Now the Raiders can move closer to an AFC West title against a Colts team that really can only hope for a three-way tie at 9-7. If the Raiders win, Indy's done. As we've seen all season, though, this Raiders team is really freakin good. You think they're losing their last home game of the season when a potential playoff bye is on the line?
49ers (1-13) at Rams (4-10): Los Angeles-Kevin Harlan is getting all kinds of year-end accolades for his call of the drunken idiot running on the field during the miserable Monday night game between these two in Week 1. Well, San Francisco has won as many games as Cleveland since that 28-0 shutout. The best thing about this game, though, is that the Rams will be wearing their vintage LA Rams uniforms from the 80s (we're talking the Eric Dickerson Rams here).
Buccaneers (8-6) at Saints (6-8): Tampa Bay-These two meet for the second time in three weeks. Why? I don't know. And it took an outstanding defensive effort for Tampa Bay to notch a 16-11 win (what's with all the weird scores this season?). Now they visit the Superdome, where you think the Saints offense is more likely to actually show up. I can see New Orleans pulling the upset here, but I'd like to see the Bucs in the playoffs, so I'm gonna say they find a way to get it done.
Cardinals (5-8-1) at Seahawks (9-4-1): Seattle-They've certainly taken different paths since playing the first tie in Sunday Night Football history. Arizona's finishing up a lost season, while Seattle has already secured another NFC West title. A win this week, and they move closer to a first-round bye, which they can clinch if the Lions and Falcons both lose, as well. As a bonus, the Seahawks won't be wearing fluorescent green this week, so you won't have to adjust the brightness on your TV during this game.
Bengals (5-8-1) at Texans (8-6): Houston-Whenever the NFL scheduled a Christmas Eve night game in the past, it usually involved two West Coast teams (they actually used to have a rule against it). That's clearly not the case anymore, as the Texans host the Bengals in a Saturday night special. They both won their division last year, so you can see why the NFL picked it. Now, with Cincinnati out of it, the Texans know this is a must-win for them if they're going to defend their AFC South title. Especially since they'll already know if the Titans beat the Jaguars (which seems likely).
Ravens (8-6) at Steelers (9-5): Pittsburgh-Likewise, the NFL never plays during the day on Christmas. (I remember a Cowboys-Eagles game on a Monday right after NBC got the Sunday night package, but that's really it.) But as someone who thinks five NBA games is excessive, I'll take the extra helping of the NFL. Especially when it's a great rivalry game like Pittsburgh-Baltimore. This game has huge playoff implications, too. If the Steelers win, they clinch the division and severely damage the Ravens' wild card chances. But if Baltimore wins, they'll have a sweep and will just need to win next week to win the AFC North. Like I said, big game. Big Ben usually performs in big games. Especially at home.
Broncos (8-6) at Chiefs (10-4): Denver-NBC flexed into the first Broncos-Chiefs game, and it was one of the best games of the year. Now the pre-planned Christmas night rematch. The defending champs will be out if they lose. The Chiefs can clinch with a win, which was also the case last week when they lost to the Titans on a last-second field goal. Denver's offense is going to need to actually show up if they're going to snap their losing streak and have any hopes of next week being relevant. Kansas City would also like next week's game to be relevant for them. Everything points to the Chiefs winning and making Week 17 matter. So, of course, I'm going with my gut feeling and picking the Broncos.
Lions (9-5) at Cowboys (12-2): Dallas-The final Thursday night game made the final Monday night game a whole lot more interesting. Dallas has nothing to play for now. Do they play all out and go for the win, or do they do that whole rest the starters for the playoffs thing. Should they do that, they'll be doing teams like the Packers and Giants a huge favor. Because Detroit hasn't locked up anything yet, and a Cowboys win sets up that Lions-Packers game next week as a winner-take-all. I think Dallas does play all out. This is their final home game, and they won't want to go three weeks without their starters playing in game situations. Which will be a late Christmas present for the Giants, Packers and everyone else who needs a Lions loss.
Just for fun, I'll throw in a bonus prediction. The Sunday night game for Week 17, which the NFL doesn't decide until after the relevant Week 16 games are all done, will be Titans-Texans. That one will decide the AFC South and the loser will be out. The only other option that seems realistic is Packers-Lions (which could easily be chosen because it is the Packers), but I think that more likely to have that be FOX's 4:25 national game.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 147-76-2
It's also the week where a lot of teams can give themselves (or somebody else) a Christmas present in the form of a playoff berth or division title. The Giants blew their chance to get in directly with their loss to the Eagles, but will still lock up a spot this week if any of four teams loses (although ESPN.com did show the only possible scenario that keeps the Giants out, which includes eight! different things all happening). It's possible that the entire AFC playoff field will be locked in after this week, too, which could create a very uneventful Week 17 in the AFC.
Dolphins (9-5) at Bills (7-7): Buffalo-Miami's one of those teams that can clinch a playoff berth, but in order to do it, they'll have to beat Rex Ryan's dysfunctional bunch of Buffalo Bills. Problem is the weather in Buffalo in December isn't the same as the weather in Miami in December. That's why the Bills like playing their home game against the Dolphins late in the season. They don't win in Buffalo in December. And you know the Bills would love to spoil their rival's playoff chances.
Redskins (7-6-1) at Bears (3-11): Washington-Washington really damaged its playoff hopes with that Monday night loss to Carolina. The Redskins aren't out of it, but they need a lot of things to happen in order to get in. If they find a way to lose to the Bears, it's definitely not going to happen. The chances of that actually happening don't seem to high, though.
Chargers (5-9) at Browns (0-14): Cleveland-If the Browns are going to avoid 0-16, this is probably their last chance. It really depends on what San Diego team shows up. If the Chargers jump on them early the way the Bengals did, Cleveland will lose in the first quarter yet again. But if the Browns manage to stay in the game until the end, we might finally see them turn that 0 into a 1.
Vikings (7-7) at Packers (8-6): Green Bay-Last year when these two met at the end of the season, Minnesota pulled the upset and ended up winning the NFC North. And the Vikings won again in Week 2 to open their new stadium. Should they complete the trifecta, it'll screw up Green Bay's playoff chances (and clinch a spot for the Giants). However, the Packers know that if they win their final two games, they'll end up as the division champions. And do you trust anyone more than Aaron Rodgers in December?
Jets (4-10) at Patriots (12-2): New England-Todd Bowles didn't travel to New England with the team and may not coach on Saturday. If he misses the game, he at least won't have to watch the Jets for a week. Last year, the Jets beat the Patriots in Week 16 at the Meadowlands. That was last year. Not happening this time.
Falcons (9-5) at Panthers (6-8): Atlanta-Here we've got perhaps the most fascinating matchup of the weekend. Atlanta pretty much clinches a playoff berth with a win and locks up the division with a win and a Bucs loss. Carolina won't make the playoffs, but can certainly play the role of spoiler. And don't forget, the Falcons beat the Panthers in Week 16 last year to come between Carolina and a 16-0 regular season. They haven't forgotten that. I do think the Falcons will win, but it'll be a close one.
Titans (8-6) at Jaguars (2-12): Tennessee-Why didn't the Jaguars wait until they got back to Jacksonville to fire Gus Bradley? That would've prevented the entire awkward situation on the flight home. Anyway, the Titans know that they'll be playing for a division title at home if they beat the perennial AFC cellar dwellers. Unless you're the Patriots, that opportunity doesn't come around very often. They won't want to waste it. Especially after they beat Denver and Kansas City to put themselves in that position.
Colts (7-7) at Raiders (11-3): Oakland-Oakland's in the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. Now the Raiders can move closer to an AFC West title against a Colts team that really can only hope for a three-way tie at 9-7. If the Raiders win, Indy's done. As we've seen all season, though, this Raiders team is really freakin good. You think they're losing their last home game of the season when a potential playoff bye is on the line?
49ers (1-13) at Rams (4-10): Los Angeles-Kevin Harlan is getting all kinds of year-end accolades for his call of the drunken idiot running on the field during the miserable Monday night game between these two in Week 1. Well, San Francisco has won as many games as Cleveland since that 28-0 shutout. The best thing about this game, though, is that the Rams will be wearing their vintage LA Rams uniforms from the 80s (we're talking the Eric Dickerson Rams here).
Buccaneers (8-6) at Saints (6-8): Tampa Bay-These two meet for the second time in three weeks. Why? I don't know. And it took an outstanding defensive effort for Tampa Bay to notch a 16-11 win (what's with all the weird scores this season?). Now they visit the Superdome, where you think the Saints offense is more likely to actually show up. I can see New Orleans pulling the upset here, but I'd like to see the Bucs in the playoffs, so I'm gonna say they find a way to get it done.
Cardinals (5-8-1) at Seahawks (9-4-1): Seattle-They've certainly taken different paths since playing the first tie in Sunday Night Football history. Arizona's finishing up a lost season, while Seattle has already secured another NFC West title. A win this week, and they move closer to a first-round bye, which they can clinch if the Lions and Falcons both lose, as well. As a bonus, the Seahawks won't be wearing fluorescent green this week, so you won't have to adjust the brightness on your TV during this game.
Bengals (5-8-1) at Texans (8-6): Houston-Whenever the NFL scheduled a Christmas Eve night game in the past, it usually involved two West Coast teams (they actually used to have a rule against it). That's clearly not the case anymore, as the Texans host the Bengals in a Saturday night special. They both won their division last year, so you can see why the NFL picked it. Now, with Cincinnati out of it, the Texans know this is a must-win for them if they're going to defend their AFC South title. Especially since they'll already know if the Titans beat the Jaguars (which seems likely).
Ravens (8-6) at Steelers (9-5): Pittsburgh-Likewise, the NFL never plays during the day on Christmas. (I remember a Cowboys-Eagles game on a Monday right after NBC got the Sunday night package, but that's really it.) But as someone who thinks five NBA games is excessive, I'll take the extra helping of the NFL. Especially when it's a great rivalry game like Pittsburgh-Baltimore. This game has huge playoff implications, too. If the Steelers win, they clinch the division and severely damage the Ravens' wild card chances. But if Baltimore wins, they'll have a sweep and will just need to win next week to win the AFC North. Like I said, big game. Big Ben usually performs in big games. Especially at home.
Broncos (8-6) at Chiefs (10-4): Denver-NBC flexed into the first Broncos-Chiefs game, and it was one of the best games of the year. Now the pre-planned Christmas night rematch. The defending champs will be out if they lose. The Chiefs can clinch with a win, which was also the case last week when they lost to the Titans on a last-second field goal. Denver's offense is going to need to actually show up if they're going to snap their losing streak and have any hopes of next week being relevant. Kansas City would also like next week's game to be relevant for them. Everything points to the Chiefs winning and making Week 17 matter. So, of course, I'm going with my gut feeling and picking the Broncos.
Lions (9-5) at Cowboys (12-2): Dallas-The final Thursday night game made the final Monday night game a whole lot more interesting. Dallas has nothing to play for now. Do they play all out and go for the win, or do they do that whole rest the starters for the playoffs thing. Should they do that, they'll be doing teams like the Packers and Giants a huge favor. Because Detroit hasn't locked up anything yet, and a Cowboys win sets up that Lions-Packers game next week as a winner-take-all. I think Dallas does play all out. This is their final home game, and they won't want to go three weeks without their starters playing in game situations. Which will be a late Christmas present for the Giants, Packers and everyone else who needs a Lions loss.
Just for fun, I'll throw in a bonus prediction. The Sunday night game for Week 17, which the NFL doesn't decide until after the relevant Week 16 games are all done, will be Titans-Texans. That one will decide the AFC South and the loser will be out. The only other option that seems realistic is Packers-Lions (which could easily be chosen because it is the Packers), but I think that more likely to have that be FOX's 4:25 national game.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 147-76-2
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Listen to Joe Thomas
The Cleveland Browns are 0-14 and have a very realistic shot at being just the second 0-16 team in NFL history. Yet they've got a Pro Bowler and six other teams don't. Not that Joe Thomas doesn't deserve to be there. He's one of the best tackles in NFL history, and this is his 10th consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl.
So, I'm going to listen to Joe Thomas when he makes suggestions for how to improve the game. Of course, there are a couple of obvious things that the NFL could do, but Mr. Brilliant Commissioner refuses to listen regarding those. This year's game is in Orlando. Not Hawaii. That's where it should be. Every year. Like it used to be. Just like the Pro Bowl should be moved back to the week after the Super Bowl so that the players from the two best teams in the league can, you know, actually participate.
Maybe if either (or both) of those things happened, the Pro Bowl would no longer suck. At least they finally got over that stupid fantasy draft thing and went back to AFC vs. NFC. I didn't like the make your own teams idea when the NHL did it, and I thought it was even dumber when the NFL adopted it, too. Fortunately, it looks like that fad is finally over.
Thomas didn't suggest anything like that. What he did suggest, though, is stuff the NFL really should consider. Each of the other three leagues has some sort of skills event as part of its All-Star weekend, and those events (which always sell out) are as popular as the All-Star Games themselves. But the NFL doesn't have an equivalent to the Home Run Derby, Slam Dunk Contest/3-Point Shootout or Skills Challenge. And that's an area where they're really missing out.
They used to have the Quarterback Challenge as a part of the Pro Bowl festivities. Of course, this was a made-for-TV event that included more than just the Pro Bowl quarterbacks and was edited to air at the start of the next season. Then they did away with the Quarterback Challenge in favor of an event that included all of the Pro Bowlers. That only lasted a couple of years before the NFL did away with it. Since then there's been nothing (the "Pro Bowl Draft" or whatever that ridiculous thing was called doesn't count).
This is an opportunity that I'm surprised the NFL hasn't tried to seize. I'm especially surprised that either ESPN (which airs the Pro Bowl) or NFL Network hasn't pushed for such an event. And, honestly, I think fans would eat something like this up. They're going to let fans watch guys lift weights at the combine (and you know they're going to sell out those tickets), but they can't think of a way to let fans watch actual NFL all-stars show off their skills in something other than the glorified flag football game that no one cares about and half the guys that are selected don't even bother showing up to?
When they announced that there was going to be a dodgeball tournament this year, I thought they finally got the memo and were on to something. (No word on the TV network and announcers for the dodgeball game, but you can bet it'll probably be on ESPN8: The Ocho, with Cotton and Pepper calling the action.) It's part of a whole "Skills Showdown," but the dodgeball tournament will be the clear highlight.
There will also be a timed relay race, a precision passing contest, and a "best hands" competition for quarterbacks and receivers. But Thomas would like to see more, and, frankly, so would I. This "Skills Showdown" has a chance to be really entertaining. But only if it's done right. And only if you can find a way to include everybody.
And, frankly, some of the things Thomas suggested aren't bad ideas. Have the linemen throwing passes or, even better, have a tug-of-war between the linemen. Instead of a relay, make it a fastest man competition between the wide receivers, defensive backs and return men. Obviously working the kickers and punters in might be kinda tough, but they could do some kind of accuracy or trick shot or longest distance type of thing. Maybe even a drop-kicking competition.
Keep the dodgeball game and bring back the Quarterback Challenge. But add in some of this other stuff too. Make it like the NHL Skills Challenge. That could be really fun. And it could be something that both the players and the fans would enjoy. Isn't that the whole point? And, who knows? Maybe it would even give guys the incentive to actually show up for the Pro Bowl.
Listen to Joe Thomas. He knows.
So, I'm going to listen to Joe Thomas when he makes suggestions for how to improve the game. Of course, there are a couple of obvious things that the NFL could do, but Mr. Brilliant Commissioner refuses to listen regarding those. This year's game is in Orlando. Not Hawaii. That's where it should be. Every year. Like it used to be. Just like the Pro Bowl should be moved back to the week after the Super Bowl so that the players from the two best teams in the league can, you know, actually participate.
Maybe if either (or both) of those things happened, the Pro Bowl would no longer suck. At least they finally got over that stupid fantasy draft thing and went back to AFC vs. NFC. I didn't like the make your own teams idea when the NHL did it, and I thought it was even dumber when the NFL adopted it, too. Fortunately, it looks like that fad is finally over.
Thomas didn't suggest anything like that. What he did suggest, though, is stuff the NFL really should consider. Each of the other three leagues has some sort of skills event as part of its All-Star weekend, and those events (which always sell out) are as popular as the All-Star Games themselves. But the NFL doesn't have an equivalent to the Home Run Derby, Slam Dunk Contest/3-Point Shootout or Skills Challenge. And that's an area where they're really missing out.
They used to have the Quarterback Challenge as a part of the Pro Bowl festivities. Of course, this was a made-for-TV event that included more than just the Pro Bowl quarterbacks and was edited to air at the start of the next season. Then they did away with the Quarterback Challenge in favor of an event that included all of the Pro Bowlers. That only lasted a couple of years before the NFL did away with it. Since then there's been nothing (the "Pro Bowl Draft" or whatever that ridiculous thing was called doesn't count).
This is an opportunity that I'm surprised the NFL hasn't tried to seize. I'm especially surprised that either ESPN (which airs the Pro Bowl) or NFL Network hasn't pushed for such an event. And, honestly, I think fans would eat something like this up. They're going to let fans watch guys lift weights at the combine (and you know they're going to sell out those tickets), but they can't think of a way to let fans watch actual NFL all-stars show off their skills in something other than the glorified flag football game that no one cares about and half the guys that are selected don't even bother showing up to?
When they announced that there was going to be a dodgeball tournament this year, I thought they finally got the memo and were on to something. (No word on the TV network and announcers for the dodgeball game, but you can bet it'll probably be on ESPN8: The Ocho, with Cotton and Pepper calling the action.) It's part of a whole "Skills Showdown," but the dodgeball tournament will be the clear highlight.
There will also be a timed relay race, a precision passing contest, and a "best hands" competition for quarterbacks and receivers. But Thomas would like to see more, and, frankly, so would I. This "Skills Showdown" has a chance to be really entertaining. But only if it's done right. And only if you can find a way to include everybody.
And, frankly, some of the things Thomas suggested aren't bad ideas. Have the linemen throwing passes or, even better, have a tug-of-war between the linemen. Instead of a relay, make it a fastest man competition between the wide receivers, defensive backs and return men. Obviously working the kickers and punters in might be kinda tough, but they could do some kind of accuracy or trick shot or longest distance type of thing. Maybe even a drop-kicking competition.
Keep the dodgeball game and bring back the Quarterback Challenge. But add in some of this other stuff too. Make it like the NHL Skills Challenge. That could be really fun. And it could be something that both the players and the fans would enjoy. Isn't that the whole point? And, who knows? Maybe it would even give guys the incentive to actually show up for the Pro Bowl.
Listen to Joe Thomas. He knows.
Monday, December 19, 2016
A Real Team Player
Since I'm not a fan of college football, it's obviously not my area of expertise. As such, I generally try to avoid college football-related posts. But I saw college football story today that absolutely disgusted me, so I felt compelled to write about it.
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, a junior who has already declared for the NFL Draft, announced today (on Twitter no less) that he won't play in the Sun Bowl to "focus on his NFL Draft preparations." He's the second high-profile draft prospect to opt out his team's bowl game in the last couple days. LSU running back Leonard Fournette did the same thing. And by doing so, both players have made it pretty clear that they don't care at all about their team.
When did playing in a bowl game become optional? One of the reasons I don't care much for college football is because there are 65 bowl games and all but about five of them are completely pointless and unnecessary. But that doesn't change the fact that they're on the schedule. These bowls are still games that are important to the teams that are playing in them, as well as their fans and alumni, not to mention the TV broadcasters and the communities where these games are played. If these games are that important to them, they should be just important to the players.
Would they be sitting out if their team had qualified for the College Football Playoff or was selected for a higher-profile bowl game? Of course not! Likewise, if they were injured, I would have no problem with it. But these guys are basically quitting the team for purely selfish reasons. If you don't want to play in a Senior Bowl or any of those other all-star games, be my guest. But you're still a part of a team. And that team has another game to play.
Likewise, how many guys see their draft stock go up because of their bowl game exploits? Had anybody heard Jadeveon Clowney's name before that ridiculous hit in the Outback Bowl? That play alone got him drafted No. 1 overall. And you can bet Florida State's National Championship was one of the things the Bucs considered when they took Jamies Winston over Marcus Mariota (although, the Titans seemed to make out OK, too). Going way back, Plaxico Burress put up crazy numbers in a bowl game and ended up being the first receiver taken. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples, too.
McCaffrey's teammates have publicly supported him, but you know there have to be mixed feelings in the Stanford locker room, as well. I'm sure they'd rather be playing in the Rose Bowl or the College Football Playoff. But they're not. Whether they like it or not, they're getting ready for the Sun Bowl instead. They have full scholarships to play football for the school, and playing in the bowl game is part of the deal. For everyone. Not just the guys who feel like playing.
Ezekiel Elliott was pretty clear about his thoughts on the matter. He posted on his Twitter page that he would've loved to be able to play with his Ohio State teammates one more time. Elliott knew he was going to be drafted highly. That didn't affect his commitment to his team. And I'd say things worked out pretty well for Elliott.
Imagine if a college basketball player decided not to play in the NCAA Tournament so that he could "prepare" for the NBA Draft. That would obviously never happen, and many of the details are completely different, so it's not an apples to apples comparison. But I think my basic point here is understood. And, frankly, I don't see why it's considered acceptable in football.
If I were an NFL general manager, I'd think twice about drafting either one of these guys. Because this speaks a lot about their character. They obviously aren't team players. They're only looking out for No. 1. I'm not placing the blame completely on McCaffrey and Fournette here. I'm sure they've gotten some bad advice from their soon-to-be agents and/or somebody else. But. ultimately, they're the ones making the decisions. And they're the ones who'll have to live with the consequences of those decisions.
I'm sure this won't impact their draft status too much. They'll definitely both still be first-round pick, probably both in the top 10. But, if it were me, I'd be a little more hesitant when it comes to both McCaffrey and Fournette. They've made it clear where their priorities lie. And it's not in the right place. It's not with their team. Or their teammates, all of whom deserve better. It's with themselves. The team be damned.
Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey, a junior who has already declared for the NFL Draft, announced today (on Twitter no less) that he won't play in the Sun Bowl to "focus on his NFL Draft preparations." He's the second high-profile draft prospect to opt out his team's bowl game in the last couple days. LSU running back Leonard Fournette did the same thing. And by doing so, both players have made it pretty clear that they don't care at all about their team.
When did playing in a bowl game become optional? One of the reasons I don't care much for college football is because there are 65 bowl games and all but about five of them are completely pointless and unnecessary. But that doesn't change the fact that they're on the schedule. These bowls are still games that are important to the teams that are playing in them, as well as their fans and alumni, not to mention the TV broadcasters and the communities where these games are played. If these games are that important to them, they should be just important to the players.
Would they be sitting out if their team had qualified for the College Football Playoff or was selected for a higher-profile bowl game? Of course not! Likewise, if they were injured, I would have no problem with it. But these guys are basically quitting the team for purely selfish reasons. If you don't want to play in a Senior Bowl or any of those other all-star games, be my guest. But you're still a part of a team. And that team has another game to play.
Likewise, how many guys see their draft stock go up because of their bowl game exploits? Had anybody heard Jadeveon Clowney's name before that ridiculous hit in the Outback Bowl? That play alone got him drafted No. 1 overall. And you can bet Florida State's National Championship was one of the things the Bucs considered when they took Jamies Winston over Marcus Mariota (although, the Titans seemed to make out OK, too). Going way back, Plaxico Burress put up crazy numbers in a bowl game and ended up being the first receiver taken. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples, too.
McCaffrey's teammates have publicly supported him, but you know there have to be mixed feelings in the Stanford locker room, as well. I'm sure they'd rather be playing in the Rose Bowl or the College Football Playoff. But they're not. Whether they like it or not, they're getting ready for the Sun Bowl instead. They have full scholarships to play football for the school, and playing in the bowl game is part of the deal. For everyone. Not just the guys who feel like playing.
Ezekiel Elliott was pretty clear about his thoughts on the matter. He posted on his Twitter page that he would've loved to be able to play with his Ohio State teammates one more time. Elliott knew he was going to be drafted highly. That didn't affect his commitment to his team. And I'd say things worked out pretty well for Elliott.
Imagine if a college basketball player decided not to play in the NCAA Tournament so that he could "prepare" for the NBA Draft. That would obviously never happen, and many of the details are completely different, so it's not an apples to apples comparison. But I think my basic point here is understood. And, frankly, I don't see why it's considered acceptable in football.
If I were an NFL general manager, I'd think twice about drafting either one of these guys. Because this speaks a lot about their character. They obviously aren't team players. They're only looking out for No. 1. I'm not placing the blame completely on McCaffrey and Fournette here. I'm sure they've gotten some bad advice from their soon-to-be agents and/or somebody else. But. ultimately, they're the ones making the decisions. And they're the ones who'll have to live with the consequences of those decisions.
I'm sure this won't impact their draft status too much. They'll definitely both still be first-round pick, probably both in the top 10. But, if it were me, I'd be a little more hesitant when it comes to both McCaffrey and Fournette. They've made it clear where their priorities lie. And it's not in the right place. It's not with their team. Or their teammates, all of whom deserve better. It's with themselves. The team be damned.
Saturday, December 17, 2016
2016 NFL Week 15
We've got Saturday NFL games for the next two weeks (although, they always do the full slate on Saturday when Christmas is a Sunday). And we've finally got playoff clinching scenarios that are realistic. In fact, one berth has already been clinched, as Seattle locked up the NFC West while wearing those ridiculously hideous lime green uniforms on Thursday night. And we've got an NFL Network double-dip, with the Dolphins-Jets Saturday night special.
Dolphins (8-5) at Jets (4-9): Miami-Miami's in the playoff race. When was the last time we said that in December? So, of course, the Dolphins' next two games are visits to their AFC East rivals the Jets and Bills, two places where the weather is vastly different than it is South Florida at this time of year. Even still, they're better than the Jets. Even without Ryan Tannehill, that should be enough to get them to 9-5 and, depending on how New England-Denver goes, either in a playoff position or just out of one.
Browns (0-13) at Bills (6-7): Buffalo-So...not so much on that whole Cleveland beating Cincinnati thing. The Bengals jumped on them early and never gave the Browns a chance. Now their last best chance comes in Buffalo, where the Bills can still finish above .500 if they win out. If the Browns don't win this week, 0-16 is looking more and more likely. The Bills don't want to be the team that actually loses to them, though.
Packers (7-6) at Bears (3-10): Green Bay-Ladies and gentlemen, the real Green Bay Packers finally showed up last week. They've still got a lot of work to do, but if Green Bay plays like it did against Seattle over its final three games, don't bet against them. Of course, Aaron Rodgers' health is a concern, but I think I could play quarterback against the Bears and lead my team to a win.
Steelers (8-5) at Bengals (5-7-1): Pittsburgh-Is there any better quarterback in the month of December than Ben Roethlisberger? And now that the Steelers are in first place, there's no reason to believe they won't be in the playoffs. Especially since all they've got left is division games. This is their first trip to Cincinnati since the Bengals gifted them that wild card game last season. This is a much different Bengals team. The result won't be that close.
Titans (7-6) at Chiefs (10-3): Kansas City-Kansas City has perhaps the most direct clinching route of the weekend. They're the only team that can clinch with a win that's also playing at home. And they should be able to do it. The Titans are coming off that big win over Denver (who comes to Kansas City on Christmas night), and they're right in the thick of the AFC South race. The Chiefs are playing for a shot at home field, though. They won't waste it.
Colts (6-7) at Vikings (7-6): Minnesota-Adrian Peterson has hinted he'll return for this one (although I think it'll actually be next week against the Packers). That's music to the Vikings' ears. Because this is a much different team than the one that started 5-0. Minnesota is in a dogfight just to get a wild card, which is still possible. It won't be if they lose at home to the Colts, though.
Lions (9-4) at Giants (9-4): Detroit-Both teams have clinching scenarios, but they can't both clinch. Detroit's need for a win is a little more immediate, though. They play the Cowboys and Packers in their final two games. They've both got a little bit of a cushion, so a loss isn't the end of the world. It'll also be interesting to see the fourth quarter. Because they've both been great fourth-quarter teams all season.
Eagles (5-8) at Ravens (7-6): Baltimore-Talk about a team that needs a win. The Baltimore Ravens did not help themselves in Foxboro. It was a nice comeback, but the game was essentially already over by that point. Now the Ravens need to regroup and beat the Eagles. Because they can put their fate right back into their own hands in Pittsburgh on Christmas. If they lose to the Eagles, though, the Steelers are really in the driver's seat.
Jaguars (2-11) at Texans (7-6): Houston-As I've said repeatedly, Houston's critics love to say how the Texans aren't any good. And I continue to counter with the fact that they don't need to beat everyone else as long as they win their division games. And, as they've continued to show, they're the best team in the AFC South by a wide margin. They'll easily beat Jacksonville at home.
49ers (1-12) at Falcons (8-5): Atlanta-If not for Cleveland, we'd all be talking about how bad San Francisco is. The 49ers are not a good football team. At all. They had two "winnable" games in the last two weeks, yet somehow found a way to lose both. Only bad teams find ways to give games away against other bad teams. Atlanta's a good team, so they shouldn't have any issues with San Francisco.
Saints (5-8) at Cardinals (5-7-1): Arizona-Let's see how amped up Arizona gets for this one knowing that their playoff chances are all but gone. The same thing can be said for New Orleans, where Drew Brees hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three weeks. One of them has to not lose this one, though. The game's in Glendale, so I'm giving the Cardinals the nod.
Patriots (11-2) at Broncos (8-5): Denver-Last year when they met on that snowy Sunday night, it was Brock Osweiler at quarterback for the Broncos' overtime victory. And it's because of that win that the AFC Championship Game was in Denver. This year has obviously been a little different for the Broncos, who are clinging to a wild card and have a brutal remaining schedule (Patriots, Chiefs, Raiders). There's no reason to think the Broncos win this game. Yet I'm picking them anyway. They're desperate and they know what it takes to beat New England.
Raiders (10-3) at Chargers (5-8): Oakland-Oakland's one win away from clinching its first playoff berth in 14 years. Is there any reason to believe the Raiders won't do it? The Thursday night loss was nothing more than a good game between two good teams. Yes, Derek Carr's finger is a concern, but not enough of one to make you think San Diego is going to spoil the clinching party.
Buccaneers (8-5) at Cowboys (11-2): Dallas-I thought the NFL played on Sunday afternoons. Yet, Dallas will have five consecutive games on either Thursday, Sunday night or Monday. You can see why NBC flexed this one into Sunday night, though. Dallas is undefeated against every team other than the Giants, and Tampa Bay is on a major roll since that Thursday night loss in Atlanta, which was a while ago. The Cowboys will know whether or not they can clinch the division this week before the game even starts. Even if they can't, a win over the Bucs puts them one away from home field.
Panthers (5-8) at Redskins (7-5-1): Carolina-When the NFL picked this one for the second-to-last Monday night, it looked like a good matchup between two division winners from last year. Well, we all know how 2016 has actually turned out for the Panthers and Redskins. Washington does still have an outside shot at a playoff berth, while Carolina is just looking to play spoiler the rest of the way. I think the Redskins' season will be the first one they spoil.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 13-3
Overall: 137-70-2
Dolphins (8-5) at Jets (4-9): Miami-Miami's in the playoff race. When was the last time we said that in December? So, of course, the Dolphins' next two games are visits to their AFC East rivals the Jets and Bills, two places where the weather is vastly different than it is South Florida at this time of year. Even still, they're better than the Jets. Even without Ryan Tannehill, that should be enough to get them to 9-5 and, depending on how New England-Denver goes, either in a playoff position or just out of one.
Browns (0-13) at Bills (6-7): Buffalo-So...not so much on that whole Cleveland beating Cincinnati thing. The Bengals jumped on them early and never gave the Browns a chance. Now their last best chance comes in Buffalo, where the Bills can still finish above .500 if they win out. If the Browns don't win this week, 0-16 is looking more and more likely. The Bills don't want to be the team that actually loses to them, though.
Packers (7-6) at Bears (3-10): Green Bay-Ladies and gentlemen, the real Green Bay Packers finally showed up last week. They've still got a lot of work to do, but if Green Bay plays like it did against Seattle over its final three games, don't bet against them. Of course, Aaron Rodgers' health is a concern, but I think I could play quarterback against the Bears and lead my team to a win.
Steelers (8-5) at Bengals (5-7-1): Pittsburgh-Is there any better quarterback in the month of December than Ben Roethlisberger? And now that the Steelers are in first place, there's no reason to believe they won't be in the playoffs. Especially since all they've got left is division games. This is their first trip to Cincinnati since the Bengals gifted them that wild card game last season. This is a much different Bengals team. The result won't be that close.
Titans (7-6) at Chiefs (10-3): Kansas City-Kansas City has perhaps the most direct clinching route of the weekend. They're the only team that can clinch with a win that's also playing at home. And they should be able to do it. The Titans are coming off that big win over Denver (who comes to Kansas City on Christmas night), and they're right in the thick of the AFC South race. The Chiefs are playing for a shot at home field, though. They won't waste it.
Colts (6-7) at Vikings (7-6): Minnesota-Adrian Peterson has hinted he'll return for this one (although I think it'll actually be next week against the Packers). That's music to the Vikings' ears. Because this is a much different team than the one that started 5-0. Minnesota is in a dogfight just to get a wild card, which is still possible. It won't be if they lose at home to the Colts, though.
Lions (9-4) at Giants (9-4): Detroit-Both teams have clinching scenarios, but they can't both clinch. Detroit's need for a win is a little more immediate, though. They play the Cowboys and Packers in their final two games. They've both got a little bit of a cushion, so a loss isn't the end of the world. It'll also be interesting to see the fourth quarter. Because they've both been great fourth-quarter teams all season.
Eagles (5-8) at Ravens (7-6): Baltimore-Talk about a team that needs a win. The Baltimore Ravens did not help themselves in Foxboro. It was a nice comeback, but the game was essentially already over by that point. Now the Ravens need to regroup and beat the Eagles. Because they can put their fate right back into their own hands in Pittsburgh on Christmas. If they lose to the Eagles, though, the Steelers are really in the driver's seat.
Jaguars (2-11) at Texans (7-6): Houston-As I've said repeatedly, Houston's critics love to say how the Texans aren't any good. And I continue to counter with the fact that they don't need to beat everyone else as long as they win their division games. And, as they've continued to show, they're the best team in the AFC South by a wide margin. They'll easily beat Jacksonville at home.
49ers (1-12) at Falcons (8-5): Atlanta-If not for Cleveland, we'd all be talking about how bad San Francisco is. The 49ers are not a good football team. At all. They had two "winnable" games in the last two weeks, yet somehow found a way to lose both. Only bad teams find ways to give games away against other bad teams. Atlanta's a good team, so they shouldn't have any issues with San Francisco.
Saints (5-8) at Cardinals (5-7-1): Arizona-Let's see how amped up Arizona gets for this one knowing that their playoff chances are all but gone. The same thing can be said for New Orleans, where Drew Brees hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three weeks. One of them has to not lose this one, though. The game's in Glendale, so I'm giving the Cardinals the nod.
Patriots (11-2) at Broncos (8-5): Denver-Last year when they met on that snowy Sunday night, it was Brock Osweiler at quarterback for the Broncos' overtime victory. And it's because of that win that the AFC Championship Game was in Denver. This year has obviously been a little different for the Broncos, who are clinging to a wild card and have a brutal remaining schedule (Patriots, Chiefs, Raiders). There's no reason to think the Broncos win this game. Yet I'm picking them anyway. They're desperate and they know what it takes to beat New England.
Raiders (10-3) at Chargers (5-8): Oakland-Oakland's one win away from clinching its first playoff berth in 14 years. Is there any reason to believe the Raiders won't do it? The Thursday night loss was nothing more than a good game between two good teams. Yes, Derek Carr's finger is a concern, but not enough of one to make you think San Diego is going to spoil the clinching party.
Buccaneers (8-5) at Cowboys (11-2): Dallas-I thought the NFL played on Sunday afternoons. Yet, Dallas will have five consecutive games on either Thursday, Sunday night or Monday. You can see why NBC flexed this one into Sunday night, though. Dallas is undefeated against every team other than the Giants, and Tampa Bay is on a major roll since that Thursday night loss in Atlanta, which was a while ago. The Cowboys will know whether or not they can clinch the division this week before the game even starts. Even if they can't, a win over the Bucs puts them one away from home field.
Panthers (5-8) at Redskins (7-5-1): Carolina-When the NFL picked this one for the second-to-last Monday night, it looked like a good matchup between two division winners from last year. Well, we all know how 2016 has actually turned out for the Panthers and Redskins. Washington does still have an outside shot at a playoff berth, while Carolina is just looking to play spoiler the rest of the way. I think the Redskins' season will be the first one they spoil.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 13-3
Overall: 137-70-2
Friday, December 16, 2016
Athletes of the Year
LeBron James is the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. No argument here. Before they announced it, as I was thinking of the athletes it could possibly be, LeBron was the name that always came to the forefront. Unlike 2015, where Serena Williams was rightly presented with the honor, there was a large segment of the sports-loving population that favored American Pharoah for finally ending the Triple Crown drought. This year, there was no such controversy. LeBron James really was the clear choice.
But that doesn't mean LeBron is the only athlete that deserves praise for an outstanding 2016. Let's start with the most obvious person. She's very tiny, but she was one of the biggest stars in Rio. Before the Olympics even started, Simone Biles was already anointed as the greatest gymnast ever. She showed why in her Olympic debut. Four gold medals, including the team event and all-around. At the Closing Ceremony, where she was the U.S. flag bearer, she held up the line as the athletes entered. Because everyone wanted a selfie with her!
Speaking Rio, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt once again confirmed their greatness in their final Olympic appearances. Bolt is the greatest sprinter ever. Track & field's biggest star capped off his third straight Olympic triple, while Phelps, already the owner of the most medals in Olympic history won six more, bringing his career total to 28. Then he retired. Officially this time. Let's throw Katie Ledecky in there, too. Because Phelps passed the torch to her. Ledecky's only 19, and she might be on her way to becoming the best ever.
Andy Murray also won a gold medal in Rio, his second straight. He also won his second Wimbledon title. More than that, though, he wrestled the No. 1 ranking away from Novak Djokovic. How significant is that? Well, Djokovic completed his "Djoker Slam" by winning the Australian and French Opens, and his lead in the rankings was so huge it seemed insurmountable. Yet Murray caught and passed him (by the way, the gap between Djokovic and No. 3 Milos Raonic is greater than the number of points Raonic has). Serena Williams isn't No. 1 anymore either. Women's player of the year Angelique Kerber is.
Then there's Jimmie Johnson. He won his seventh Sprint Cup, tying the two greatest drivers in NASCAR history--Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most ever. I still don't put Johnson in the same league as those two (or even Jeff Gordon), but there's no denying he solidified his place in the Holy Trinity of NASCAR. And he's won championships in three different formats now, so don't be surprised if he picks up No. 8 at some point soon.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a pretty good year, too. Real Madrid won the Champions League, with him putting in the decisive penalty kick against rival Atletico Madrid in the final, Then he won his first major international trophy when Portugal beat France in the final of Euro 2016 (even though he left the final due to injury and Portugal was definitely not the best team in the tournament).
In the American team sports, the Cubs were obviously the story of the year (sorry, Cleveland). And Kris Bryant was their best player. He was the near-unanimous MVP in the NL, and once he finally got going in the World Series, the Cubs began their comeback from 3-1 down. It's only fitting that he fielded the final out of Chicago's first championship in 108 years.
If not for the Cavs making a 3-1 comeback of their own, we would've been talking about Steph Curry as the runaway Sportsperson of the Year. The Warriors set a record for wins with 73 and he set a record for three-pointers en route to winning a unanimous MVP. Except Golden State didn't win a second straight title, so the spoils went to LeBron instead. (Curry could've added an Olympic gold medal if he wanted to, but he opted not to play in London.)
It takes something extraordinary for a college athlete to even be considered on any athlete of the year list, and "extraordinary" would definitely be a word you could use to describe Breana Stewart. We all knew she was the best player in women's college basketball, so it's only fitting that she became the first player in NCAA history to win four consecutive titles...and she was the Final Four MVP each time! In the long pantheon of UConn greats, she's right there near the top. She then got picked first in the WNBA Draft and won a gold medal in Rio.
Sidney Crosby, meanwhile, won his second Stanley Cup with the Penguins before helping Canada win the World Cup of Hockey. And we can't forget about Von Miller. It's tough for football players to get their due because their championship efforts take place so early in the year. But it was that Denver defense, led by MVP Miller, that won Peyton Manning his second Super Bowl ring. He isn't the best defensive player in the NFL (or even his own division). That's Khalil Mack. But the Broncos don't win the Super Bowl without Von Miller. Come to think of it, they're not in the playoff race this season without him, either.
All of these other athletes were great in 2016. But with what LeBron James did, for his team and his city, the choice was an obvious one. His 2016 was one to remember. And remember it we will.
But that doesn't mean LeBron is the only athlete that deserves praise for an outstanding 2016. Let's start with the most obvious person. She's very tiny, but she was one of the biggest stars in Rio. Before the Olympics even started, Simone Biles was already anointed as the greatest gymnast ever. She showed why in her Olympic debut. Four gold medals, including the team event and all-around. At the Closing Ceremony, where she was the U.S. flag bearer, she held up the line as the athletes entered. Because everyone wanted a selfie with her!
Speaking Rio, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt once again confirmed their greatness in their final Olympic appearances. Bolt is the greatest sprinter ever. Track & field's biggest star capped off his third straight Olympic triple, while Phelps, already the owner of the most medals in Olympic history won six more, bringing his career total to 28. Then he retired. Officially this time. Let's throw Katie Ledecky in there, too. Because Phelps passed the torch to her. Ledecky's only 19, and she might be on her way to becoming the best ever.
Andy Murray also won a gold medal in Rio, his second straight. He also won his second Wimbledon title. More than that, though, he wrestled the No. 1 ranking away from Novak Djokovic. How significant is that? Well, Djokovic completed his "Djoker Slam" by winning the Australian and French Opens, and his lead in the rankings was so huge it seemed insurmountable. Yet Murray caught and passed him (by the way, the gap between Djokovic and No. 3 Milos Raonic is greater than the number of points Raonic has). Serena Williams isn't No. 1 anymore either. Women's player of the year Angelique Kerber is.
Then there's Jimmie Johnson. He won his seventh Sprint Cup, tying the two greatest drivers in NASCAR history--Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most ever. I still don't put Johnson in the same league as those two (or even Jeff Gordon), but there's no denying he solidified his place in the Holy Trinity of NASCAR. And he's won championships in three different formats now, so don't be surprised if he picks up No. 8 at some point soon.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a pretty good year, too. Real Madrid won the Champions League, with him putting in the decisive penalty kick against rival Atletico Madrid in the final, Then he won his first major international trophy when Portugal beat France in the final of Euro 2016 (even though he left the final due to injury and Portugal was definitely not the best team in the tournament).
In the American team sports, the Cubs were obviously the story of the year (sorry, Cleveland). And Kris Bryant was their best player. He was the near-unanimous MVP in the NL, and once he finally got going in the World Series, the Cubs began their comeback from 3-1 down. It's only fitting that he fielded the final out of Chicago's first championship in 108 years.
If not for the Cavs making a 3-1 comeback of their own, we would've been talking about Steph Curry as the runaway Sportsperson of the Year. The Warriors set a record for wins with 73 and he set a record for three-pointers en route to winning a unanimous MVP. Except Golden State didn't win a second straight title, so the spoils went to LeBron instead. (Curry could've added an Olympic gold medal if he wanted to, but he opted not to play in London.)
It takes something extraordinary for a college athlete to even be considered on any athlete of the year list, and "extraordinary" would definitely be a word you could use to describe Breana Stewart. We all knew she was the best player in women's college basketball, so it's only fitting that she became the first player in NCAA history to win four consecutive titles...and she was the Final Four MVP each time! In the long pantheon of UConn greats, she's right there near the top. She then got picked first in the WNBA Draft and won a gold medal in Rio.
Sidney Crosby, meanwhile, won his second Stanley Cup with the Penguins before helping Canada win the World Cup of Hockey. And we can't forget about Von Miller. It's tough for football players to get their due because their championship efforts take place so early in the year. But it was that Denver defense, led by MVP Miller, that won Peyton Manning his second Super Bowl ring. He isn't the best defensive player in the NFL (or even his own division). That's Khalil Mack. But the Broncos don't win the Super Bowl without Von Miller. Come to think of it, they're not in the playoff race this season without him, either.
All of these other athletes were great in 2016. But with what LeBron James did, for his team and his city, the choice was an obvious one. His 2016 was one to remember. And remember it we will.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Chapman's Back
When the Yankees traded Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs in July, he said he'd love to come back. That wasn't just lip service. He meant it. How do I know? Because that's exactly what he did. To the tune of five years and $86 million.
While it seemed like a reunion was inevitable, the midseason trade of Chapman has to go down as one of the shrewdest moves of Brian Cashman's tenure as Yankees GM. The Cubs knew they needed an elite closer to win the World Series, and they were willing to give up top-level prospects to do it. Cashman knew the Yankees weren't going anywhere in 2016, so he took the greatest asset he had and turned it into a prospect stockpile that's the envy of every other organization.
And it's abundantly clear that the trade worked out well for everybody. The Cubs don't win their first title in 108 years without Chapman, who was always going to be a rental. All the Yankees lost was a couple months of his services while restocking their farm system in the process. Chapman, meanwhile, got a ring and drove up his own value. He showed he can pitch in New York. Then won a ring in Chicago...with the team that hadn't won in more than a century!
Chapman's absence showed just how valuable he was to the Yankees, too. Choose whatever reason you want, but Dellin Betances didn't cut it as the closer. He's better suited to being a setup man. They also knew that the best thing they had going for half the season was the No Runs DMC bullpen. Then M and C got traded (and both ended up in the World Series, so I'd say both trades worked out). If they're going to be contenders again, it's going to start with a dominant back end of the bullpen.
More than that, Chapman brings a burst of energy back into Yankees fans. Let me tell you, going to a game was much different in June than it was in September. People actually stayed until the end of teh game during the three months Chapman was on the team. When that bullpen door swung open and he was throwing 105, you could feel it. It wasn't the same as when "Enter Sandman" was played and Mariano Rivera did his thing. But it's the closest you're gonna come to that.
I'm not saying Aroldis Chapman is Mariano Rivera. As a Yankees fan (and a baseball fan), it would be blasphemous to even think that. Mo's the greatest closer in history for a reason, and we were spoiled to see him for 20 years. He was the backbone of a dynasty that won five championships, and no one ever questioned his value. That marquee closer is something the Yankees knew they needed and were missing until they traded for Chapman last offseason, and now it's back with him returning.
There are critics that were quick to slam the Yankees for the amount of money they're investing and/or the length of the deal. ESPN's Andrew Marchand blasted Cashman for "wasting" the first two years of Chapman's contract during the rebuilding process when the Yankees will, at best, content for a wild card. And it's true that Chapman can opt out after 2019, but the rest of Marchand's arguments are flimsy at best. He pointed out that the Cubs didn't even try to re-sign him (perhaps because they didn't want to shell out the kind of money he was going to command) and that only one closer had ever been given a five-year deal before and that Betances will be a free agent in 2019 (when they'll either have to pay both of them or let Betances walk) and that he missed the first month of his Yankees career serving a domestic violence suggestion. Marchand also predicted (probably correctly) that Chapman's fastball velocity is inevitably going to dip. What does that mean exactly, though? 99? I'll still take that.
But the Yankees made re-signing Chapman a priority for a reason. So what if he doesn't necessarily "fit in" with their youth-oriented strategy? That's exactly why they had to sign him. And, if you think about it, the deal does make sense. The Yankees had the money to spend and Chapman was the one guy they wanted. It was a closer-rich market, but he was always their guy. And this is a team that knows the value of a dominant closer.
Most importantly, Aroldis Chapman is a guy who'll keep people's butts in the seats until Sinatra starts singing. Watching him is exciting. He's a star who shines brightly underneath New York's intense spotlight. Besides, who else were they going to sign? They still need a starter, but the market for them is weak. And outside of Betances, there's no one else in the bullpen worth writing home about.
Say Sanchez and Co. (who, by the way, are all signed on the cheap, leaving the team with plenty of money to spend) keep the Yankees in contention. They would've been looking for that lockdown guy in the ninth, which the 2015 Royals and 2016 Cubs and Indians have proven is vital. Now they don't need to worry about that. They found it in a very familiar place.
While it seemed like a reunion was inevitable, the midseason trade of Chapman has to go down as one of the shrewdest moves of Brian Cashman's tenure as Yankees GM. The Cubs knew they needed an elite closer to win the World Series, and they were willing to give up top-level prospects to do it. Cashman knew the Yankees weren't going anywhere in 2016, so he took the greatest asset he had and turned it into a prospect stockpile that's the envy of every other organization.
And it's abundantly clear that the trade worked out well for everybody. The Cubs don't win their first title in 108 years without Chapman, who was always going to be a rental. All the Yankees lost was a couple months of his services while restocking their farm system in the process. Chapman, meanwhile, got a ring and drove up his own value. He showed he can pitch in New York. Then won a ring in Chicago...with the team that hadn't won in more than a century!
Chapman's absence showed just how valuable he was to the Yankees, too. Choose whatever reason you want, but Dellin Betances didn't cut it as the closer. He's better suited to being a setup man. They also knew that the best thing they had going for half the season was the No Runs DMC bullpen. Then M and C got traded (and both ended up in the World Series, so I'd say both trades worked out). If they're going to be contenders again, it's going to start with a dominant back end of the bullpen.
More than that, Chapman brings a burst of energy back into Yankees fans. Let me tell you, going to a game was much different in June than it was in September. People actually stayed until the end of teh game during the three months Chapman was on the team. When that bullpen door swung open and he was throwing 105, you could feel it. It wasn't the same as when "Enter Sandman" was played and Mariano Rivera did his thing. But it's the closest you're gonna come to that.
I'm not saying Aroldis Chapman is Mariano Rivera. As a Yankees fan (and a baseball fan), it would be blasphemous to even think that. Mo's the greatest closer in history for a reason, and we were spoiled to see him for 20 years. He was the backbone of a dynasty that won five championships, and no one ever questioned his value. That marquee closer is something the Yankees knew they needed and were missing until they traded for Chapman last offseason, and now it's back with him returning.
There are critics that were quick to slam the Yankees for the amount of money they're investing and/or the length of the deal. ESPN's Andrew Marchand blasted Cashman for "wasting" the first two years of Chapman's contract during the rebuilding process when the Yankees will, at best, content for a wild card. And it's true that Chapman can opt out after 2019, but the rest of Marchand's arguments are flimsy at best. He pointed out that the Cubs didn't even try to re-sign him (perhaps because they didn't want to shell out the kind of money he was going to command) and that only one closer had ever been given a five-year deal before and that Betances will be a free agent in 2019 (when they'll either have to pay both of them or let Betances walk) and that he missed the first month of his Yankees career serving a domestic violence suggestion. Marchand also predicted (probably correctly) that Chapman's fastball velocity is inevitably going to dip. What does that mean exactly, though? 99? I'll still take that.
But the Yankees made re-signing Chapman a priority for a reason. So what if he doesn't necessarily "fit in" with their youth-oriented strategy? That's exactly why they had to sign him. And, if you think about it, the deal does make sense. The Yankees had the money to spend and Chapman was the one guy they wanted. It was a closer-rich market, but he was always their guy. And this is a team that knows the value of a dominant closer.
Most importantly, Aroldis Chapman is a guy who'll keep people's butts in the seats until Sinatra starts singing. Watching him is exciting. He's a star who shines brightly underneath New York's intense spotlight. Besides, who else were they going to sign? They still need a starter, but the market for them is weak. And outside of Betances, there's no one else in the bullpen worth writing home about.
Say Sanchez and Co. (who, by the way, are all signed on the cheap, leaving the team with plenty of money to spend) keep the Yankees in contention. They would've been looking for that lockdown guy in the ninth, which the 2015 Royals and 2016 Cubs and Indians have proven is vital. Now they don't need to worry about that. They found it in a very familiar place.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
What to Do About Russia
I'm going to use this week to catch up on some topics that I've been meaning to talk about, but haven't gotten the chance to yet. One of those things is the Russian doping scandal, which is evidently a lot worse than we all originally thought. The complete McLaren Report has been released, and it's even more damning than the one issued in July. According to the new report, there were more than 1,000 positive tests across 30 sports.
All of this has had credibility from the start because pretty much every detail of Yuliya Stepanova's account has been corroborated. Just like Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of the doping lab at the 2014 Olympics, provided play-by-play commentary of exactly how he was instructed to cover-up positive tests by state officials. After fleeing Russia, Rodchenkov turned over hundreds of pages of emails to WADA, describing in vivid detail a deeply corrupt "institutional conspiracy."
But the extent of the conspiracy is greater than anyone could've possibly realized, and it started a whole lot earlier than everybody thought. It goes back further than the 2013 Track & Field World Championships in Moscow and the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Russian coaches and athletes have been involved in doping since 2011, and there's government involvement in covering up positive tests nearly as long. We just didn't know how deep it went. It's not just track & field. It's pretty much every sport, including Paralympic sports. Virtually every Russian medalist at the 2012 and 2014 Olympics has had their results called into question, and a number have already been disqualified.
The names of the athletes have been turned over to the international federations, who now have the unenviable task of figuring out what type of discipline to levy. The report said that 15 medal winners in London had been protected by Russian officials from testing positive prior to the Games. Of those 15, 10 have since had their medals taken away after their samples were retested.
Not surprisingly, there are calls from the international sporting community, led by the Americans and Germans, for a blanket ban on all Russians in all sports. The Russian track & field federation, the first one implicated in the scandal, has been suspended since last November, which led to their not being allowed to participate in the sport at the Rio Olympics. That suspension will remain in effect into 2017, and there's no indication as to when it might end, despite pleas from the influential Yelena Isinbayeva (and others) that Russia be reinstated.
A lot of people want the IOC to take the ultimate step and ban the Russian team entirely from the 2018 Olympics. They didn't do that for Rio, so it seems unlikely they'll do it for Pyeongchang...mainly because the Russian Olympic Committee isn't implicated. It's the Russian Sports Ministry. Although, I'll admit, I'm not sure what the difference between those two organizations is, and I also find it highly improbable that one was completely unaware of the other's actions, especially if it was, as the report indicates, a sophisticated, state-run system.
What seems more likely is that other sports will follow track & field's lead (and the IOC's suggestion) and avoid scheduling events in Russia. The World Bobsled and Skeleton Championships are supposed to take place in Sochi in a few months, and a number of nations have either already pulled out or threatened to if the event isn't moved. Although, the International Biathlon Union scheduled its 2021 World Championships for Russia after the IOC mandate came out. We're also way too far into the preparations for the 2018 World Cup for FIFA to even consider moving the tournament (with FIFA involved, the host country's doping problems may only be the second-biggest scandal they'll have to deal with at the 2018 World Cup anyway).
That seems to be the most logical course of action. Because this whole thing started after the Russians were disappointed in their (presumably clean) showing at the Vancouver Olympics, and they refused to be "embarrassed" like that again on home soil four years later. Likewise, Russia wanted to put on a show as the hosts of the 2013 World Championships in track & field. You have to wonder how bad this gets if Russia doesn't host those two major events.
From all indications, it wasn't limited to the Moscow World Championships or the Sochi Olympics. Not by a long shot. As McLaren said: "It is impossible to know just how deep and far back this conspiracy goes. For years, international sports competitions have unknowingly been hijacked by Russians. Coaches and athletes have been playing on an uneven field. Sports fans and spectators have been deceived." He also described the program as "a cover-up that evolved over the years from uncontrolled chaos to an institutionalized and disciplined medal-winning strategy and conspiracy."
Athletes and sports fans worldwide are rightfully angry about this entire situation, and Russia absolutely deserves to be punished. However, and I know I'm in the minority for saying this, but I think it needs to be said, this doesn't seem to be much different from what the East Germans were doing in the 1970s and 80s. What I mean by that is, while these athletes may be "guilty" of doping, how many of them had a choice? The East German athletes were forced to take performance-enhancing drugs. I'm not saying the Russians were. But I'm not saying they weren't either. Of those 1,000 athletes named in the McLaren Report, I guarantee a good number of them never intended to cheat.
You're responsible for what you put in your body, so I'm not making any excuse for any of those Russian athletes that failed a test. But the guilt is not theirs alone. And that might be the saddest part. Because the athletes and sports fans from elsewhere in the world aren't the only victims of the Russian doping scandal. A scandal which will likely claim many more victims before we can fully trust Russian sport again.
All of this has had credibility from the start because pretty much every detail of Yuliya Stepanova's account has been corroborated. Just like Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of the doping lab at the 2014 Olympics, provided play-by-play commentary of exactly how he was instructed to cover-up positive tests by state officials. After fleeing Russia, Rodchenkov turned over hundreds of pages of emails to WADA, describing in vivid detail a deeply corrupt "institutional conspiracy."
But the extent of the conspiracy is greater than anyone could've possibly realized, and it started a whole lot earlier than everybody thought. It goes back further than the 2013 Track & Field World Championships in Moscow and the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Russian coaches and athletes have been involved in doping since 2011, and there's government involvement in covering up positive tests nearly as long. We just didn't know how deep it went. It's not just track & field. It's pretty much every sport, including Paralympic sports. Virtually every Russian medalist at the 2012 and 2014 Olympics has had their results called into question, and a number have already been disqualified.
The names of the athletes have been turned over to the international federations, who now have the unenviable task of figuring out what type of discipline to levy. The report said that 15 medal winners in London had been protected by Russian officials from testing positive prior to the Games. Of those 15, 10 have since had their medals taken away after their samples were retested.
Not surprisingly, there are calls from the international sporting community, led by the Americans and Germans, for a blanket ban on all Russians in all sports. The Russian track & field federation, the first one implicated in the scandal, has been suspended since last November, which led to their not being allowed to participate in the sport at the Rio Olympics. That suspension will remain in effect into 2017, and there's no indication as to when it might end, despite pleas from the influential Yelena Isinbayeva (and others) that Russia be reinstated.
A lot of people want the IOC to take the ultimate step and ban the Russian team entirely from the 2018 Olympics. They didn't do that for Rio, so it seems unlikely they'll do it for Pyeongchang...mainly because the Russian Olympic Committee isn't implicated. It's the Russian Sports Ministry. Although, I'll admit, I'm not sure what the difference between those two organizations is, and I also find it highly improbable that one was completely unaware of the other's actions, especially if it was, as the report indicates, a sophisticated, state-run system.
What seems more likely is that other sports will follow track & field's lead (and the IOC's suggestion) and avoid scheduling events in Russia. The World Bobsled and Skeleton Championships are supposed to take place in Sochi in a few months, and a number of nations have either already pulled out or threatened to if the event isn't moved. Although, the International Biathlon Union scheduled its 2021 World Championships for Russia after the IOC mandate came out. We're also way too far into the preparations for the 2018 World Cup for FIFA to even consider moving the tournament (with FIFA involved, the host country's doping problems may only be the second-biggest scandal they'll have to deal with at the 2018 World Cup anyway).
That seems to be the most logical course of action. Because this whole thing started after the Russians were disappointed in their (presumably clean) showing at the Vancouver Olympics, and they refused to be "embarrassed" like that again on home soil four years later. Likewise, Russia wanted to put on a show as the hosts of the 2013 World Championships in track & field. You have to wonder how bad this gets if Russia doesn't host those two major events.
From all indications, it wasn't limited to the Moscow World Championships or the Sochi Olympics. Not by a long shot. As McLaren said: "It is impossible to know just how deep and far back this conspiracy goes. For years, international sports competitions have unknowingly been hijacked by Russians. Coaches and athletes have been playing on an uneven field. Sports fans and spectators have been deceived." He also described the program as "a cover-up that evolved over the years from uncontrolled chaos to an institutionalized and disciplined medal-winning strategy and conspiracy."
Athletes and sports fans worldwide are rightfully angry about this entire situation, and Russia absolutely deserves to be punished. However, and I know I'm in the minority for saying this, but I think it needs to be said, this doesn't seem to be much different from what the East Germans were doing in the 1970s and 80s. What I mean by that is, while these athletes may be "guilty" of doping, how many of them had a choice? The East German athletes were forced to take performance-enhancing drugs. I'm not saying the Russians were. But I'm not saying they weren't either. Of those 1,000 athletes named in the McLaren Report, I guarantee a good number of them never intended to cheat.
You're responsible for what you put in your body, so I'm not making any excuse for any of those Russian athletes that failed a test. But the guilt is not theirs alone. And that might be the saddest part. Because the athletes and sports fans from elsewhere in the world aren't the only victims of the Russian doping scandal. A scandal which will likely claim many more victims before we can fully trust Russian sport again.
Sunday, December 11, 2016
2016 NFL Week 14
It's not a bad week to be a bad team in the NFL. Both the Browns and 49ers are playing winnable home games this week. I also give the NFL credit for actually managing to make all of the primetime games this week worthwhile. They probably didn't know they'd luck into Chiefs-Raiders being as important as it was, but you can't go wrong with Giants-Cowboys, and that Ravens-Patriots game on Monday night is also one of the better matchups of the week. If things play out in their favor in the earlier games, Dallas and New England can both clinch the division this week, too.
Steelers (7-5) at Bills (6-6): Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh is back on track. The Steelers have won three straight to move into a tie with the Ravens for first place. Pittsburgh's fate is really in its own hands. This is their final non-division game. And, with the Ravens playing New England on Monday night, the Steelers could easily enter the home stretch in first place.
Bengals (4-7-1) at Browns (0-12): Cleveland-This might be the week! And I fear it might have to be. If the Browns don't win this one, 0-16 is a real possibility (although, they still have the Chargers at home, so there's a chance there). Cincinnati will do all it can to prevent a Browns win from actually happening, but Cleveland (which had its bye last week for some reason) will be just as fired up to finally put one in the win column.
Bears (3-9) at Lions (8-4): Detroit-There's just something about this Detroit Lions team. Week after week, they find a way to pull it out. It's more and more impressive each time, and it's really got me thinking that this isn't just a fluke. The Lions have a two-game lead in the division, and last week they had the lead for the entire fourth quarter for the first time this season. Are we really going to see a Lions home playoff game? We're gonna get another step closer to that being a reality.
Broncos (8-4) at Titans (6-6): Denver-With Kansas City and Oakland both sitting at 10-3, the Broncos know that they absolutely need this one if they have any hope of winning the AFC West. The Titans aren't going to make it easy for them, either. Tennessee's a scrappy team and Denver's in for a battle. But, just like last week in Jacksonville, I think the Broncos figure out a way to win.
Texans (6-6) at Colts (6-6): Houston-Houston has dropped three straight and now sits in a three-way tie for first in the AFC South. A lot of people don't think the Texans are that good because they can't seem to beat anybody outside of their division. That's a fair criticism. But division games are the No. 1 tiebreaker, which is how the Texans are holding a playoff spot right now. And, fortunately for them, three of their last four games are in the division.
Cardinals (5-6-1) at Dolphins (7-5): Miami-In perhaps the biggest game of the week, Arizona travels to Miami. Both the Cardinals and Dolphins are on the outside looking in at the playoff race, but this game has a major bearing on both the Seahawks and Patriots. Whichever team wins prevents their rival from a chance at clinching the division. The Dolphins had their winning streak snapped last week, but the Cardinals are traveling for an early kickoff.
Redskins (6-5-1) at Eagles (5-7): Washington-Since I don't have an early game this week, FOX gave me this one. Washington concludes a three-game road trip looking to get back in the win column after falling in Dallas on Thanksgiving and suffering that devastating one in Arizona last week. The loss to the Cardinals knocked them out of wild card position. They need to beat the Eagles if they don't want to fall any further back.
Chargers (5-7) at Panthers (4-8): Carolina-Carolina's going to continue the NFL tradition of the Super Bowl loser missing the playoffs the following season. Can we stop acting like they have a shot at making it? Because they won't. They were simply too bad for too long. And Sunday night in Seattle was embarrassing. This is weird because both teams flew cross country for this one. But it's the Panthers that have been sleeping in their own beds.
Vikings (6-6) at Jaguars (2-10): Minnesota-Terry Bradshaw thinks the Vikings are going to win the NFC North. I'm not sure how, seeing as they need the Lions to lose three of their last four in order to catch Detroit, but there's nothing Minnesota can do about that. All they can worry about is themselves. And if they lose to Jacksonville, they don't deserve to make the playoffs.
Jets (3-9) at 49ers (1-11): San Francisco-The NFL is doing all it can to make sure the 49ers get a second win. Last week they went to Chicago. Except it snowed, so there went that. Now they play another bad team in the Jets. And this one's at home. It became pretty clear on Monday night that the Jets are mailing it in, so why would anybody expect them to win after flying cross country on a short week?
Seahawks (8-3-1) at Packers (6-6): Green Bay-Seattle is virtually unbeatable at home. But the Seahawks are a very average team on the road. They're used to playing in inclement weather, so the snow at Lambeau won't affect them anywhere near as much as it did the Texans last week. The weather is one of the reasons why it's so hard to beat the Packers in Green Bay in December. And the Packers need this one.
Falcons (7-5) at Rams (4-8): Atlanta-We've got a tie in the NFC South! All because of an interception and defensive two-point conversion (no, I've never seen that before). I do still like them to win the division, but they need to win this one. They've already won twice on the West Coast this season, so the fourth trip out there shouldn't be too daunting. Especially since the Rams aren't nearly as good as the Raiders or Seahawks (where Atlanta played extremely well in a 26-24 loss).
Saints (5-7) at Buccaneers (7-5): Tampa Bay-For some reason, the Saints and Bucs haven't played yet, but they face each other twice in the next three weeks. With a trip to Dallas (flexed into Sunday night) sandwiched in between the two matchups with New Orleans, Tampa Bay really needs to take care of business here. The Bucs aren't just tied for the division lead, they're sitting on a wild card. Assuming they lose to the Cowboys next week, one here would drop them to 7-7, which would likely knock them out of a playoff spot.
Cowboys (11-1) at Giants (8-4): Giants-One point is all that separates Dallas and an undefeated record. That one point came courtesy of the New York Football Giants on Opening Day. Now for the rematch on Sunday night, and if the Cowboys make it 12 straight, they clinch the NFC East. The Giants laid an egg in Pittsburgh, which surprised me. Because they usually get up for big games. Like this one. Can they get the sweep and make Dallas wait a week to clinch the division?
Ravens (7-5) at Patriots (10-2): New England-Picking against New England seems to be a fool's errand, which is why I'm not going to do it. But if there's a week the Patriots are vulnerable, this might be it. Brady doesn't have Gronkowski, and Baltimore always gives them trouble. Remember the playoff game two years ago? They'll both know what they have to do based on what happens on Sunday, and you know the Ravens will be amped up to either go ahead of the Steelers or pull even with Pittsburgh.
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 12-3
Overall: 125-66-2
Steelers (7-5) at Bills (6-6): Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh is back on track. The Steelers have won three straight to move into a tie with the Ravens for first place. Pittsburgh's fate is really in its own hands. This is their final non-division game. And, with the Ravens playing New England on Monday night, the Steelers could easily enter the home stretch in first place.
Bengals (4-7-1) at Browns (0-12): Cleveland-This might be the week! And I fear it might have to be. If the Browns don't win this one, 0-16 is a real possibility (although, they still have the Chargers at home, so there's a chance there). Cincinnati will do all it can to prevent a Browns win from actually happening, but Cleveland (which had its bye last week for some reason) will be just as fired up to finally put one in the win column.
Bears (3-9) at Lions (8-4): Detroit-There's just something about this Detroit Lions team. Week after week, they find a way to pull it out. It's more and more impressive each time, and it's really got me thinking that this isn't just a fluke. The Lions have a two-game lead in the division, and last week they had the lead for the entire fourth quarter for the first time this season. Are we really going to see a Lions home playoff game? We're gonna get another step closer to that being a reality.
Broncos (8-4) at Titans (6-6): Denver-With Kansas City and Oakland both sitting at 10-3, the Broncos know that they absolutely need this one if they have any hope of winning the AFC West. The Titans aren't going to make it easy for them, either. Tennessee's a scrappy team and Denver's in for a battle. But, just like last week in Jacksonville, I think the Broncos figure out a way to win.
Texans (6-6) at Colts (6-6): Houston-Houston has dropped three straight and now sits in a three-way tie for first in the AFC South. A lot of people don't think the Texans are that good because they can't seem to beat anybody outside of their division. That's a fair criticism. But division games are the No. 1 tiebreaker, which is how the Texans are holding a playoff spot right now. And, fortunately for them, three of their last four games are in the division.
Cardinals (5-6-1) at Dolphins (7-5): Miami-In perhaps the biggest game of the week, Arizona travels to Miami. Both the Cardinals and Dolphins are on the outside looking in at the playoff race, but this game has a major bearing on both the Seahawks and Patriots. Whichever team wins prevents their rival from a chance at clinching the division. The Dolphins had their winning streak snapped last week, but the Cardinals are traveling for an early kickoff.
Redskins (6-5-1) at Eagles (5-7): Washington-Since I don't have an early game this week, FOX gave me this one. Washington concludes a three-game road trip looking to get back in the win column after falling in Dallas on Thanksgiving and suffering that devastating one in Arizona last week. The loss to the Cardinals knocked them out of wild card position. They need to beat the Eagles if they don't want to fall any further back.
Chargers (5-7) at Panthers (4-8): Carolina-Carolina's going to continue the NFL tradition of the Super Bowl loser missing the playoffs the following season. Can we stop acting like they have a shot at making it? Because they won't. They were simply too bad for too long. And Sunday night in Seattle was embarrassing. This is weird because both teams flew cross country for this one. But it's the Panthers that have been sleeping in their own beds.
Vikings (6-6) at Jaguars (2-10): Minnesota-Terry Bradshaw thinks the Vikings are going to win the NFC North. I'm not sure how, seeing as they need the Lions to lose three of their last four in order to catch Detroit, but there's nothing Minnesota can do about that. All they can worry about is themselves. And if they lose to Jacksonville, they don't deserve to make the playoffs.
Jets (3-9) at 49ers (1-11): San Francisco-The NFL is doing all it can to make sure the 49ers get a second win. Last week they went to Chicago. Except it snowed, so there went that. Now they play another bad team in the Jets. And this one's at home. It became pretty clear on Monday night that the Jets are mailing it in, so why would anybody expect them to win after flying cross country on a short week?
Seahawks (8-3-1) at Packers (6-6): Green Bay-Seattle is virtually unbeatable at home. But the Seahawks are a very average team on the road. They're used to playing in inclement weather, so the snow at Lambeau won't affect them anywhere near as much as it did the Texans last week. The weather is one of the reasons why it's so hard to beat the Packers in Green Bay in December. And the Packers need this one.
Falcons (7-5) at Rams (4-8): Atlanta-We've got a tie in the NFC South! All because of an interception and defensive two-point conversion (no, I've never seen that before). I do still like them to win the division, but they need to win this one. They've already won twice on the West Coast this season, so the fourth trip out there shouldn't be too daunting. Especially since the Rams aren't nearly as good as the Raiders or Seahawks (where Atlanta played extremely well in a 26-24 loss).
Saints (5-7) at Buccaneers (7-5): Tampa Bay-For some reason, the Saints and Bucs haven't played yet, but they face each other twice in the next three weeks. With a trip to Dallas (flexed into Sunday night) sandwiched in between the two matchups with New Orleans, Tampa Bay really needs to take care of business here. The Bucs aren't just tied for the division lead, they're sitting on a wild card. Assuming they lose to the Cowboys next week, one here would drop them to 7-7, which would likely knock them out of a playoff spot.
Cowboys (11-1) at Giants (8-4): Giants-One point is all that separates Dallas and an undefeated record. That one point came courtesy of the New York Football Giants on Opening Day. Now for the rematch on Sunday night, and if the Cowboys make it 12 straight, they clinch the NFC East. The Giants laid an egg in Pittsburgh, which surprised me. Because they usually get up for big games. Like this one. Can they get the sweep and make Dallas wait a week to clinch the division?
Ravens (7-5) at Patriots (10-2): New England-Picking against New England seems to be a fool's errand, which is why I'm not going to do it. But if there's a week the Patriots are vulnerable, this might be it. Brady doesn't have Gronkowski, and Baltimore always gives them trouble. Remember the playoff game two years ago? They'll both know what they have to do based on what happens on Sunday, and you know the Ravens will be amped up to either go ahead of the Steelers or pull even with Pittsburgh.
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 12-3
Overall: 125-66-2
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Time to End Thursday Night Football
As I sit here watching Chiefs-Raiders, one of the few good Thursday night games (excluding season openers and Thanksgiving) in recent years, I'm also thinking about that story Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio broke last week that the NFL is thinking about making some changes to the weekly package. The NFL has denied this, but Thursday Night Football is reportedly going to end, or at least be scaled back, after next season. Translation: they've gotten the message and realized that everyone hates Thursday Night Football.
When they started it, Thursday Night Football wasn't a bad idea. The NFL plays on Thanksgiving every year, and they've done a package of late-season Thursday night games in the past. And the creation of this current incarnation of Thursday Night Football was really a ploy to get cable companies to carry the NFL Network. Which worked. But the novelty has worn off, especially now that the games are also shown on CBS and NBC (and Twitter). Does anyone even watch the Thursday night game on NFL Network?
The season opener on Thursday night (hosted by the Super Bowl champion) and the third game on Thanksgiving (which gives a team other than Detroit or Dallas the opportunity to host a Thanksgiving game) aren't in jeopardy. And they shouldn't be. That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about the confusing, co-branded "Color Rush" crap that we're subjected to every week.
Among the many, many problems with Thursday Night Football is that it's become way too gimmicky. It's where the NFL experiments with new ideas. Want to try streaming games online? Let's do it on Thursday night! Ugly monochrome uniforms that teams wear once and serve no purpose other than to blind people? Thursday night!
One of the things that they played up when Thursday Night Football was expanded to midseason was that it would be a 16-game package, so every team would appear once. It did seem like a fair thing to give teams like Cleveland and Jacksonville and Buffalo (teams that are never getting picked for Sunday or Monday night) the opportunity to play at least one primetime game. Except that requirement is exactly why we've ended up with our annual Jaguars-Titans Thursday night matchup, among other high-quality showdowns that would otherwise be the No. 5 regional game at 1:00 on Sunday afternoon but football fans are now being subjected to in primetime.
If it was just fans being unhappy with the terrible matchups between bad teams, that would be one thing. But you've gotta think the players' hatred of Thursday Night Football is really what's driving this bus. The players have been vocal in their opposition of playing on Thursday nights from the start, and you can easily understand why.
It's also more than a bit oxymoronic that the NFL is all about "player safety," yet the owners keep talking about an 18-game schedule. Just like it was the owners that pushed through the idea of a season-long Thursday night schedule, which results in every team going just three days between games at some point during the season.
That may be "fair" in the NFL's eyes (every team has to do it, and they do have rules such as no Thursday night game before or after a bye), but if you're so worried about concussions and other injuries, why are you asking the players to subject their bodies to the physical toll of an NFL game twice in four days, especially since one of them will have to travel? I don't care how much rest they get between Thursday night and their next game. That's probably one of the most obvious reasons why the quality of play on Thursday night is often pretty bad.
Take the Redskins. They played a Sunday night game before traveling to Dallas for an afternoon game on Thanksgiving. That's two games in less than 72 hours! Likewise, the Cowboys played back-to-back Thursdays, then not again until Sunday night! And earlier this season, we had three consecutive weeks where the Cardinals, Broncos and Bears played a Monday night game the week after they played on Thursday night. So, they played twice in four days, then not again until 11 days later. People would've been easily forgiven for forgetting Arizona, Denver or Chicago was even in the league during that span!
There's no continuity, either. The games have jumped between CBS, NFL Network and NBC, with the broadcast crews and graphics completely changing in the middle of the season!
Thursday Night Football was a worthwhile idea. One that worked for a while. But it doesn't work anymore. The NFL may be the king, but they're oversaturating the market. Fans already watch all day Sunday (starting at 9:30 a.m. if there's a London game) and on Monday nights. Thursday makes three nights of primetime games. That's simply too much to ask of even the most die-hard fans. Especially when they don't particularly care if they miss the Thursday night offering.
Will the NFL lose anything other than some pride and a little money by admitting defeat with Thursday Night Football? Probably not. If they keep it going, fans will continue to complain about it/make fun of it, but likely will keep watching. Just like if they bring an end to Thursday Night Football, people will miss it for a little while, but will get over it just as quickly.
When they started it, Thursday Night Football wasn't a bad idea. The NFL plays on Thanksgiving every year, and they've done a package of late-season Thursday night games in the past. And the creation of this current incarnation of Thursday Night Football was really a ploy to get cable companies to carry the NFL Network. Which worked. But the novelty has worn off, especially now that the games are also shown on CBS and NBC (and Twitter). Does anyone even watch the Thursday night game on NFL Network?
The season opener on Thursday night (hosted by the Super Bowl champion) and the third game on Thanksgiving (which gives a team other than Detroit or Dallas the opportunity to host a Thanksgiving game) aren't in jeopardy. And they shouldn't be. That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about the confusing, co-branded "Color Rush" crap that we're subjected to every week.
Among the many, many problems with Thursday Night Football is that it's become way too gimmicky. It's where the NFL experiments with new ideas. Want to try streaming games online? Let's do it on Thursday night! Ugly monochrome uniforms that teams wear once and serve no purpose other than to blind people? Thursday night!
One of the things that they played up when Thursday Night Football was expanded to midseason was that it would be a 16-game package, so every team would appear once. It did seem like a fair thing to give teams like Cleveland and Jacksonville and Buffalo (teams that are never getting picked for Sunday or Monday night) the opportunity to play at least one primetime game. Except that requirement is exactly why we've ended up with our annual Jaguars-Titans Thursday night matchup, among other high-quality showdowns that would otherwise be the No. 5 regional game at 1:00 on Sunday afternoon but football fans are now being subjected to in primetime.
If it was just fans being unhappy with the terrible matchups between bad teams, that would be one thing. But you've gotta think the players' hatred of Thursday Night Football is really what's driving this bus. The players have been vocal in their opposition of playing on Thursday nights from the start, and you can easily understand why.
It's also more than a bit oxymoronic that the NFL is all about "player safety," yet the owners keep talking about an 18-game schedule. Just like it was the owners that pushed through the idea of a season-long Thursday night schedule, which results in every team going just three days between games at some point during the season.
That may be "fair" in the NFL's eyes (every team has to do it, and they do have rules such as no Thursday night game before or after a bye), but if you're so worried about concussions and other injuries, why are you asking the players to subject their bodies to the physical toll of an NFL game twice in four days, especially since one of them will have to travel? I don't care how much rest they get between Thursday night and their next game. That's probably one of the most obvious reasons why the quality of play on Thursday night is often pretty bad.
Take the Redskins. They played a Sunday night game before traveling to Dallas for an afternoon game on Thanksgiving. That's two games in less than 72 hours! Likewise, the Cowboys played back-to-back Thursdays, then not again until Sunday night! And earlier this season, we had three consecutive weeks where the Cardinals, Broncos and Bears played a Monday night game the week after they played on Thursday night. So, they played twice in four days, then not again until 11 days later. People would've been easily forgiven for forgetting Arizona, Denver or Chicago was even in the league during that span!
There's no continuity, either. The games have jumped between CBS, NFL Network and NBC, with the broadcast crews and graphics completely changing in the middle of the season!
Thursday Night Football was a worthwhile idea. One that worked for a while. But it doesn't work anymore. The NFL may be the king, but they're oversaturating the market. Fans already watch all day Sunday (starting at 9:30 a.m. if there's a London game) and on Monday nights. Thursday makes three nights of primetime games. That's simply too much to ask of even the most die-hard fans. Especially when they don't particularly care if they miss the Thursday night offering.
Will the NFL lose anything other than some pride and a little money by admitting defeat with Thursday Night Football? Probably not. If they keep it going, fans will continue to complain about it/make fun of it, but likely will keep watching. Just like if they bring an end to Thursday Night Football, people will miss it for a little while, but will get over it just as quickly.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
2016 NFL Week 13
Why do the Browns and Titans have byes this week? During that three-year stretch between the Browns coming back and the Texans starting, there was either one or three byes every week because there had to be with an uneven number of teams. But there's absolutely no reason to have post-Thanksgiving byes in today's NFL. Especially since they were able to figure out eight divisions of four so easily, but refuse to apply that same math to the bye weeks. Dumb. But on a positive note, at least the Browns won't lose this week.
Chiefs (8-3) at Falcons (7-4): Kansas City-That was a big field goal at the end of overtime last Sunday night. It gave the Chiefs a very realistic shot at winning the AFC West heading into that huge Thursday night matchup with the Raiders. But they can't get caught looking ahead. Not against a good Atlanta team that also needs a win with the Bucs only one game behind them in the NFC South. Big game for both teams, but I think Kansas City's defense shuts down the Atlanta offense enough to come away with a victory.
49ers (1-10) at Bears (2-9): Chicago-Much like Cleveland, one of these teams isn't going to lose this week! Both the 49ers and Bears are bad football teams, and this is probably going to be a terrible game to watch. It's really a toss up here, but Chicago's the home team, so I'll give them the slight nod.
Eagles (5-6) at Bengals (3-7-1): Philadelphia-Remember when these two finished in a tie because Donovan McNabb didn't know the rules? That was actually the last time the Eagles and Bengals met in Cincinnati. This time they square off with Philadelphia desperately clinging to its fading playoff hopes. The Bengals' season is already lost. They can play spoiler if they get a win here, but I think the Eagles rebound from that Monday night loss.
Texans (6-5) at Packers (5-6): Green Bay-It's snowing in Green Bay. The Packers are used to that. The Texans aren't. How much of a bearing will that actually have? Now that they've finally snapped their losing streak, I liked the Packers in this game already. With the weather conditions being what they are, that furthers my belief Green Bay will win this one.
Rams (4-7) at Patriots (9-2): New England-Jeff Fisher just got a two-year extension, so there's no question about his job status in LA, which is a good thing. Now the Rams can focus on football. Not that any of that means they're going to beat the Patriots at Foxboro. Gronkowski or no Gronkowski. (And while I'm at it, the whole talk about whether or not he can come back for the Super Bowl was typical Patriots fan cockiness at its very best. At least they put that to rest by officially declaring him out for the season.)
Lions (7-4) at Saints (5-6): Detroit-No matter what, Detroit will be in first place at the end of the day (they have the tiebreaker on the Vikings anyway, so they're really sitting pretty). I give them a lot of credit. They've trailed in the fourth quarter of every game this season, yet they've won seven of them. I'd expect them to play another close one at the Superdome. And if it's close at the end, they've proven they have what it takes to pull it out.
Broncos (7-4) at Jaguars (2-9): Denver-I had this discussion with somebody on Monday after the Broncos missed that 62-yard field goal to give the Chiefs the short field, but I fully supported Gary Kubiak's decision then, and I still do now. Denver wasn't winning the game if they didn't attempt the kick, and nobody would be second-guessing the call if he'd made the kick. Anyway, that loss knocked the defending champs out of a playoff position (at least temporarily). Which means they can't take their trip to Jacksonville lightly. Especially with Tennessee, New England, Kansas City and Oakland left on the schedule.
Dolphins (7-4) at Ravens (6-5): Baltimore-If the playoffs were to start today, Miami at Baltimore would be an AFC Wild Card Game. Don't consider this a little preview (because the matchups are almost certainly going to change). More like a happy little coincidence that this contest could repeat itself a month from now. I really don't know how the Dolphins have won six in a row, but it all clicked when they beat the Steelers. Winning in Baltimore, though? That's a whole different proposition.
Bills (6-5) at Raiders (9-2): Oakland-For some reason, traveling cross country to play the Raiders when you don't regularly do it, especially for other AFC teams, usually ends up in an Oakland win. And that was before the Raiders were any good. With the Raiders playing the way they have so far this season, it would be a surprise if they do lose this one. Especially since three of their final four games are their division road games. It sounds silly to call this a must-win, but if Oakland wants the 1-seed, that's exactly what this is.
Redskins (6-4-1) at Cardinals (4-6-1): Washington-Dallas can clinch a playoff spot if the Cardinals win (they also get in if San Diego beats Tampa Bay), so you know Washington would love to put the Cowboys' celebration on hold for at least another week. Thanks to their tie, the Redskins are sitting in playoff position right now, so a win would do more than delay the inevitable with the Cowboys. This is a real test for them, but I do see them managing a win.
Giants (8-3) at Steelers (6-5): Giants-Oh man, we've got a good one for the FOX national game! It's always fun when Big Ben and Eli get together. The Giants are sitting pretty for a playoff spot. They lead Washington by a game and a half for the first NFC wild card. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is in a dogfight (mainly of its own making). The AFC North is going to go down to the wire between the Steelers and Ravens. Which Pittsburgh team will show up, though? The one that crushed Kansas City, or the one that got killed by Miami? Meanwhile, the Giants have a tendency to play to the level of their opponent, so expect their best shot.
Buccaneers (6-5) at Chargers (5-6): Tampa Bay-Is this the beginning of the Chargers' final month in San Diego? If some reports are to be believed, they're going to exercise their option to join the Rams in LA next season, but the NFL wants them in San Diego, so I really have no idea what's going on there. Anyway, San Diego is that team nobody wants to play. The same thing can be said for Tampa Bay, which has beaten Kansas City and Seattle (by a 14-5 score) in the last two weeks. Can the Bucs make it three straight after traveling cross country?
Panthers (4-7) at Seahawks (7-3-1): Seattle-Don't ask me why, but NBC decided to keep this one on Sunday night even though the Panthers are out of it. Maybe it's because Seattle's first two Sunday night games were both really good (even if one of them was a tie). Regardless, the Seahawks should have no problems here, and, depending on how things go in the earlier games, move closer to clinching the NFC West.
Colts (5-6) at Jets (3-8): Indianapolis-There's an entirely realistic scenario where the Colts will be playing for a share of first place on Monday night. All it would take, really, is a Packers win to set that up. And if they have that opportunity, expect them to take advantage of it. After all, they're playing the Jets.
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 12-4
Season: 113-63-2
Chiefs (8-3) at Falcons (7-4): Kansas City-That was a big field goal at the end of overtime last Sunday night. It gave the Chiefs a very realistic shot at winning the AFC West heading into that huge Thursday night matchup with the Raiders. But they can't get caught looking ahead. Not against a good Atlanta team that also needs a win with the Bucs only one game behind them in the NFC South. Big game for both teams, but I think Kansas City's defense shuts down the Atlanta offense enough to come away with a victory.
49ers (1-10) at Bears (2-9): Chicago-Much like Cleveland, one of these teams isn't going to lose this week! Both the 49ers and Bears are bad football teams, and this is probably going to be a terrible game to watch. It's really a toss up here, but Chicago's the home team, so I'll give them the slight nod.
Eagles (5-6) at Bengals (3-7-1): Philadelphia-Remember when these two finished in a tie because Donovan McNabb didn't know the rules? That was actually the last time the Eagles and Bengals met in Cincinnati. This time they square off with Philadelphia desperately clinging to its fading playoff hopes. The Bengals' season is already lost. They can play spoiler if they get a win here, but I think the Eagles rebound from that Monday night loss.
Texans (6-5) at Packers (5-6): Green Bay-It's snowing in Green Bay. The Packers are used to that. The Texans aren't. How much of a bearing will that actually have? Now that they've finally snapped their losing streak, I liked the Packers in this game already. With the weather conditions being what they are, that furthers my belief Green Bay will win this one.
Rams (4-7) at Patriots (9-2): New England-Jeff Fisher just got a two-year extension, so there's no question about his job status in LA, which is a good thing. Now the Rams can focus on football. Not that any of that means they're going to beat the Patriots at Foxboro. Gronkowski or no Gronkowski. (And while I'm at it, the whole talk about whether or not he can come back for the Super Bowl was typical Patriots fan cockiness at its very best. At least they put that to rest by officially declaring him out for the season.)
Lions (7-4) at Saints (5-6): Detroit-No matter what, Detroit will be in first place at the end of the day (they have the tiebreaker on the Vikings anyway, so they're really sitting pretty). I give them a lot of credit. They've trailed in the fourth quarter of every game this season, yet they've won seven of them. I'd expect them to play another close one at the Superdome. And if it's close at the end, they've proven they have what it takes to pull it out.
Broncos (7-4) at Jaguars (2-9): Denver-I had this discussion with somebody on Monday after the Broncos missed that 62-yard field goal to give the Chiefs the short field, but I fully supported Gary Kubiak's decision then, and I still do now. Denver wasn't winning the game if they didn't attempt the kick, and nobody would be second-guessing the call if he'd made the kick. Anyway, that loss knocked the defending champs out of a playoff position (at least temporarily). Which means they can't take their trip to Jacksonville lightly. Especially with Tennessee, New England, Kansas City and Oakland left on the schedule.
Dolphins (7-4) at Ravens (6-5): Baltimore-If the playoffs were to start today, Miami at Baltimore would be an AFC Wild Card Game. Don't consider this a little preview (because the matchups are almost certainly going to change). More like a happy little coincidence that this contest could repeat itself a month from now. I really don't know how the Dolphins have won six in a row, but it all clicked when they beat the Steelers. Winning in Baltimore, though? That's a whole different proposition.
Bills (6-5) at Raiders (9-2): Oakland-For some reason, traveling cross country to play the Raiders when you don't regularly do it, especially for other AFC teams, usually ends up in an Oakland win. And that was before the Raiders were any good. With the Raiders playing the way they have so far this season, it would be a surprise if they do lose this one. Especially since three of their final four games are their division road games. It sounds silly to call this a must-win, but if Oakland wants the 1-seed, that's exactly what this is.
Redskins (6-4-1) at Cardinals (4-6-1): Washington-Dallas can clinch a playoff spot if the Cardinals win (they also get in if San Diego beats Tampa Bay), so you know Washington would love to put the Cowboys' celebration on hold for at least another week. Thanks to their tie, the Redskins are sitting in playoff position right now, so a win would do more than delay the inevitable with the Cowboys. This is a real test for them, but I do see them managing a win.
Giants (8-3) at Steelers (6-5): Giants-Oh man, we've got a good one for the FOX national game! It's always fun when Big Ben and Eli get together. The Giants are sitting pretty for a playoff spot. They lead Washington by a game and a half for the first NFC wild card. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is in a dogfight (mainly of its own making). The AFC North is going to go down to the wire between the Steelers and Ravens. Which Pittsburgh team will show up, though? The one that crushed Kansas City, or the one that got killed by Miami? Meanwhile, the Giants have a tendency to play to the level of their opponent, so expect their best shot.
Buccaneers (6-5) at Chargers (5-6): Tampa Bay-Is this the beginning of the Chargers' final month in San Diego? If some reports are to be believed, they're going to exercise their option to join the Rams in LA next season, but the NFL wants them in San Diego, so I really have no idea what's going on there. Anyway, San Diego is that team nobody wants to play. The same thing can be said for Tampa Bay, which has beaten Kansas City and Seattle (by a 14-5 score) in the last two weeks. Can the Bucs make it three straight after traveling cross country?
Panthers (4-7) at Seahawks (7-3-1): Seattle-Don't ask me why, but NBC decided to keep this one on Sunday night even though the Panthers are out of it. Maybe it's because Seattle's first two Sunday night games were both really good (even if one of them was a tie). Regardless, the Seahawks should have no problems here, and, depending on how things go in the earlier games, move closer to clinching the NFC West.
Colts (5-6) at Jets (3-8): Indianapolis-There's an entirely realistic scenario where the Colts will be playing for a share of first place on Monday night. All it would take, really, is a Packers win to set that up. And if they have that opportunity, expect them to take advantage of it. After all, they're playing the Jets.
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 12-4
Season: 113-63-2
Saturday, December 3, 2016
The Today's Game Ballot
In what seems to be an annual scene, they've once again changed the Veterans Committee rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame. I don't know why they keep changing the format, but we'll see how long this one lasts. The main purpose of this restructuring, it seems, was to split the more-recent candidates into two separate eras. Instead of three different eras, there are now four, and they're voting on players, managers and executives from 1970 on with much more frequency.
It looks like they're trying to make it a little easier for the "modern" guys to get in via the Veterans Committee. But that still doesn't mean it's going to be easy. They still need 75 percent of the vote for election, and I'm not sure any of the 10 candidates will meet that threshold. We'll see if I'm wrong when the results of the Today's Game Era ballot, which considers those whose contributions came from 1988 onward, are announced.
There are 10 candidates--five players, three executives and two managers. No offense to the other four players, but there's only one in that group--Mark McGwire--that I would consider a Hall of Famer. Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella are, at best, fringe candidates as well. Which means the candidates with the most Hall of Fame-worthy credentials are the three executives (seeing as this is the only chance executives and managers get at election, that's only right).
The guy I'd most love to see get in is John Schuerholz. He was the architect of those outstanding Braves teams of the 1990s that made 14 consecutive playoff appearances and won the 1995 World Series. Ten years earlier, he built the Royals into World Series champions. That's just the icing on the cake. Because what he did in Atlanta was enough. Manager Bobby Cox and the three starting pitchers already have plaques hanging in Cooperstown, and Chipper Jones will have his added when he becomes eligible next year. Schuerholz drafted Glavine and Jones, traded for Smoltz, signed Maddux and hired Cox. He deserves to have a plaque hanging alongside theirs.
George Steinbrenner almost got in the last time he was up, and he'll either get in or be close again this time. Yankee-haters love to point out the negative aspects of George Steinbrenner's ownership and are quick to bring up the fact that the 1990s dynasty was really built when he wasn't allowed to be hands-on during his suspension. But everything George Steinbrenner did was because he expected to win. Anything short of a World Series title, especially with the franchise most associated with winning, was unacceptable. And win the Yankees did. Seven titles, 11 pennants and a .565 winning percentage during his 37 years of ownership.
Then there's Bud Selig. His time as commissioner was occasionally somewhat rocky, and there were some definite black marks against him (the All-Star Game tie, the Steroid Era). But he also presided over an unprecedented period of growth for the game. When he took over, there were 26 teams, four of which made the playoffs. When he left, there were 30 teams fighting for 10 playoff berths. There's also interleague play and a World Baseball Classic. Other commissioners that have done a lot less are in the Hall of Fame.
Looking at the two managers, I'd say Lou Piniella's resume is slightly better than Davey Johnson's. But I don't think either one should get in. Piniella is best known for his time with the Mariners (who he led to a Major League-record 116 wins in 2001), but he actually managed five different teams for 23 seasons starting in 1986. This came after an 18-year playing career that ended in 1984. That's basically 45 years of uninterrupted involvement in Major League Baseball for the three-time Manager of the Year who won the World Series with the 1990 Reds.
Now for the players. No offense to Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Will Clark and Orel Hershiser, but they're not Hall of Famers. Mark McGwire, on the other hand, would've been voted in by the writers if not for his (since admitted) steroid ties. It's because of this that I highly doubt McGwire will ever be elected to the Hall of Fame. That doesn't change my hypothetical "vote," which he's always had and he always will. I acknowledge that I'm in the minority here, and I'm completely fine with that.
If the 16-member committee is limited to four votes, which is how the Veterans Committee ballot has been structured for the last couple elections. So, sticking with that criteria, my votes would go to Schuerholz, Steinbrenner, Selig and McGwire. I do think we'll see at least one person elected. The most likely choice seems to be John Schuerholz. At least, I hope it is. Because he's the most deserving guy in this 10-candidate group.
It looks like they're trying to make it a little easier for the "modern" guys to get in via the Veterans Committee. But that still doesn't mean it's going to be easy. They still need 75 percent of the vote for election, and I'm not sure any of the 10 candidates will meet that threshold. We'll see if I'm wrong when the results of the Today's Game Era ballot, which considers those whose contributions came from 1988 onward, are announced.
There are 10 candidates--five players, three executives and two managers. No offense to the other four players, but there's only one in that group--Mark McGwire--that I would consider a Hall of Famer. Davey Johnson and Lou Piniella are, at best, fringe candidates as well. Which means the candidates with the most Hall of Fame-worthy credentials are the three executives (seeing as this is the only chance executives and managers get at election, that's only right).
The guy I'd most love to see get in is John Schuerholz. He was the architect of those outstanding Braves teams of the 1990s that made 14 consecutive playoff appearances and won the 1995 World Series. Ten years earlier, he built the Royals into World Series champions. That's just the icing on the cake. Because what he did in Atlanta was enough. Manager Bobby Cox and the three starting pitchers already have plaques hanging in Cooperstown, and Chipper Jones will have his added when he becomes eligible next year. Schuerholz drafted Glavine and Jones, traded for Smoltz, signed Maddux and hired Cox. He deserves to have a plaque hanging alongside theirs.
George Steinbrenner almost got in the last time he was up, and he'll either get in or be close again this time. Yankee-haters love to point out the negative aspects of George Steinbrenner's ownership and are quick to bring up the fact that the 1990s dynasty was really built when he wasn't allowed to be hands-on during his suspension. But everything George Steinbrenner did was because he expected to win. Anything short of a World Series title, especially with the franchise most associated with winning, was unacceptable. And win the Yankees did. Seven titles, 11 pennants and a .565 winning percentage during his 37 years of ownership.
Then there's Bud Selig. His time as commissioner was occasionally somewhat rocky, and there were some definite black marks against him (the All-Star Game tie, the Steroid Era). But he also presided over an unprecedented period of growth for the game. When he took over, there were 26 teams, four of which made the playoffs. When he left, there were 30 teams fighting for 10 playoff berths. There's also interleague play and a World Baseball Classic. Other commissioners that have done a lot less are in the Hall of Fame.
Looking at the two managers, I'd say Lou Piniella's resume is slightly better than Davey Johnson's. But I don't think either one should get in. Piniella is best known for his time with the Mariners (who he led to a Major League-record 116 wins in 2001), but he actually managed five different teams for 23 seasons starting in 1986. This came after an 18-year playing career that ended in 1984. That's basically 45 years of uninterrupted involvement in Major League Baseball for the three-time Manager of the Year who won the World Series with the 1990 Reds.
Now for the players. No offense to Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Will Clark and Orel Hershiser, but they're not Hall of Famers. Mark McGwire, on the other hand, would've been voted in by the writers if not for his (since admitted) steroid ties. It's because of this that I highly doubt McGwire will ever be elected to the Hall of Fame. That doesn't change my hypothetical "vote," which he's always had and he always will. I acknowledge that I'm in the minority here, and I'm completely fine with that.
If the 16-member committee is limited to four votes, which is how the Veterans Committee ballot has been structured for the last couple elections. So, sticking with that criteria, my votes would go to Schuerholz, Steinbrenner, Selig and McGwire. I do think we'll see at least one person elected. The most likely choice seems to be John Schuerholz. At least, I hope it is. Because he's the most deserving guy in this 10-candidate group.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
We've Got a Deal
It came down to almost the 11th hour, but Major League Baseball has a new CBA. We won't see the first baseball work stoppage since the 1994-95 strike, and this unprecedented period of labor peace will reach 26 years (it's still my belief that both sides learned their lesson from the strike and we'll never see another one in Major League Baseball again).
I highly doubt that anyone actually thought either side would be stupid enough to let a lockout happen. This isn't the NHL, where the owners (and commissioner) view lockouts as a negotiating ploy rather than the last-resort nuclear option. The sticking points, while not trivial, certainly weren't anything that was worth having a lockout over. Especially not with billions of dollars at stake, and especially not coming off the highest-rated World Series in years.
For their part, both sides were acting as if everything was (and would continue to be) business as usual. After all, Spring Training doesn't start until February, and there was no doubt a deal would've been in place by then. But a lockout, however brief, would've put things like free agency, and even possibly next week's Winter Meetings, on hold. Those things are just as important as Spring Training and the 162 games.
There are still a lot of details that we don't know, but, on the surface, this labor deal looks really similar to the one that was about to expire. The stuff we do know is gradually trickling in, and there are a few significant changes worth mentioning.
Perhaps the two biggest things to come out of this new CBA are major wins for the players. The first is that there won't be an international draft. The owners really wanted that. The players, especially those from Latin America, were vehemently opposed. Instead, each team will have a hard cap on roster bonuses it can give to international free agents. This won't stop teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers being able to throw as much money as they want at top international players. But it does limit their spending power, which gives the smaller-market clubs an opportunity to sign them, as well.
Another big win for the players is that the "free" part has been put back in free agency. Teams will no longer receive a first-round draft pick as compensation for losing a premium free agent. Frankly, the old process didn't make much sense anyway. The whole point of free agency is that the player gets to choose what team he plays for. But because of the first-round pick attached, the old system (which will still be in place this offseason sense since free agency has already started and the ink isn't dry yet, which does make sense) limited the market on certain players. Now that's not a worry. There are still draft picks attached to free agents. But they aren't first-round picks. If you're under the luxury tax threshold, you lose a third-rounder. If you're over, you lose two picks, a second-rounder and a fifth-rounder.
Speaking of the luxury tax, it's going up. From $189 million to $195 million, then gradually to $210 million by the end of the deal. If you go over, you pay similar tax rates to what you already did. But if you go way over (cough, Dodgers, cough), that rate could be as high as 90 percent. So, basically, there's nothing different on that front. The Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers were over last season, and they still would be using this new math. The only thing that's different is the amount they have to give everybody else.
The players didn't get everything they wanted, though. Rosters are staying at 25 instead of increasing to 26. They'll still expand to 40 in September, and it's not clear whether or not teams will have to declare a 25-man active roster for each game after they do, which is something a lot of people have been pushing for for years. Likewise, there are probably changes to the domestic violence and joint drug policies, which would lead you to believe means tougher penalties.
What's also unclear, although it was discussed (likely at length) is whether or not the season will start earlier. Playing 162 games in 183 days is a grind. Especially when you're flying cross country, then playing that night. At the very least, the players wanted more day games on getaway days so that they're not getting into a city at 3-4:00 in the morning, only to turn around and play a few hours later.
So, don't be surprised if they add a few days on the front end of the season so that the players get a few more off days built in. (The weather in April in a lot of cities is usually so bad anyway that giving teams more options for makeups doesn't seem like a terrible idea, either.) Starting a full week earlier might be a little much, but adding an extra weekend in front of that traditional first Monday in April Opening Day doesn't seem unrealistic. Obviously they can't change it for the upcoming season, but I'm curious to see if it'll be there on the 2018 schedule.
We'll get more details once the CBA is ratified by both the union and the owners. But we're not going to have to worry about when the deal will be signed. Instead, we'll move on to the Winter Meetings and Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic and, finally, the 2017 season knowing that we're not gonna have to worry about this again for another five years. Which makes baseball fans the biggest winners here.
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