Hockey is the most difficult sport to project. Just look at last year. The Blues had the worst record in the league when the calendar flipped, then ended up hoisting the Cup. The Lighting, meanwhile, had a historic regular season, then got swept in the first round of the playoffs. In the NHL, you really just never know. Which is part of what makes hockey so much fun!
Make no mistake, though. There are plenty of teams that enter the 2019-20 season with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations. Some of them had disappointing finishes to promising 2018-19 campaigns. Some are consistent contenders that simply haven't been able to get over the hump. Then there are the up-and-coming squads that are looking to build on what they did last year.
In the Atlantic Division, it's really all about three teams. Tampa Bay won 60 regular season games last year, Boston went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, and Toronto looks to be on the verge of doing something big. With most of the remaining teams in the division in some degree of a rebuild, expect those three to claim the guaranteed Atlantic playoff berths again.
If anyone is going to challenge that triumvirate, it might be Montreal. The Canadiens alternate between being legit playoff contenders and being completely out of it. I don't understand why. Because talent-wise, they should be in the mix. Florida and Ottawa have an outside chance of competing for a wild card, while the Sabres are still probably a year away. The Detroit Tigers won 47 games this season. The Red Wings won't.
As usual, you can make a playoff case for virtually every team in the Metropolitan Division. And, as usual, you can expect Pittsburgh and Washington to claim two of those spots. No matter what, the Penguins and Capitals have the talent and experience to do what they need to do. Then there's an Islanders team that had 100 points last season and the Hurricanes, who came out of nowhere to reach the Eastern Conference Final last year.
Columbus, meanwhile, had a great stretch run to get into the playoffs as the 8-seed...and went on to sweep the NHL-best Lightning in the first round! I'm expecting the Flyers to be much better this season, as well. Then there's the Rangers and Devils, who both just happened to add a dynamic potentially franchise-changing rookie in the draft. I think it'll take another year or two for Kaapo Kakko and Co. to return to the playoffs, but I'm really intrigued by what the Devils might be able to do. In addition to drafting Hughes, they made some big time offseason moves, most notably the trade for P.K. Subban. The Devils may not make the playoffs. But they'll be that team nobody wants to play.
The Central Division might be the one that's the most up-for-grabs. The Blues are the defending champions, obviously, and they'll enter this season as the division favorites. But don't count out the Predators or Jets. Nashville has taken a bit of a step back, but still has Pekka Rinne. And, compared to the rest of the Central, the Predators are in pretty good shape. Winnipeg might be the most talented team of the three, though.
But I can't make an argument against either Minnesota or Dallas as a possible playoff team, either. I think the Wild and Predators have less margin for error. But if they make the playoffs, they could be dangerous. Colorado also needs everything to go right. As for the Blackhawks, it won't be a return to the glory days from earlier in the decade.
Then there's the Pacific, the division that seems most likely to have some turnover at the top. Vegas followed up its magical expansion season with a return to the playoffs. San Jose advanced to the Conference Final. And I'm not sure either one is the best team in the division! The consistently-underachieving Ducks are loaded with talent. And so are the two Alberta-based teams. Edmonton is my real breakout candidate. Too many solid young players for the Oilers to sit at home watching the playoffs.
Don't sleep on Arizona, either. Remember how close the Coyotes got to the playoffs last year? They very well could go right back to the bottom of the league. Or that could've been the start of someting. Like the Blackhawks, the Kings have nothing to complain about with their franchise's fortunes during the '10s. They won't be having their names added to the Cup again, though. Neither will Vancouver. The Canucks' 50th anniversary season will be a long one. They might be the worst team in the league. And when Seattle joins, they might be hard-pressed to even be the best team in the Pacific Northwest.
So, here's what I'm going with for playoff teams...Tampa Bay, Toronto and Boston in the Atlantic (AND, I think the Leafs finally win a playoff series). Washington, Pittsburgh, Columbus in the Met. Islanders and Flyers get the wild cards, with Montreal just missing out. Give me Winnipeg, St. Louis and Nashville out of the Central, Calgary, San Jose and Edmonton out of the Pacific, with Anaheim and Vegas claiming the Western Conference wild cards.
When June hits and the Stanley Cup Final is about to start, I'm sure I'll look back and laugh at how wrong my pick was. But I'm gonna make one anyway. For some reason, I think this is the year Toronto puts it all together. The Leafs don't just win a playoff series. They win three and finally make their first Final appearance in 53 years. They play the Blues, but St. Louis doesn't defend. Instead, a year after the Raptors brought the NBA title North of the Border for the first time, the Leafs bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993.
Monday, September 30, 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2019
NFL 100: Week 4
As the NFL's 100th season reaches the quarter-pole, there are still seven undefeated teams (the week started with eight, but the Packers lost on Thursday night) and seven that are winless, with everybody else somewhere in the middle. That's going to change this week, though. We've got matchups of undefeated teams in Detroit and Buffalo, and a battle of winless squads in Cincinnati.
So, with the 3-0 49ers and 0-3 Jets on their bye week, we know there will at least be two of each as the calendar turns to October...
Thursday Night: Green Bay (Loss)
Titans (1-2) at Falcons (1-2): Atlanta-I still don't know what to make of the 2019 Atlanta Falcons. I also don't know what to make of the 2019 Tennessee Titans. The Titans crushed the Browns, then lost two division games. The Falcons, meanwhile, only have one win, but it was against a good Eagles team. Yet they're both still only a game back in their division. A 2-2 record obviously looks a lot better than 1-3, and the Falcons' win came in their only previous home game, so I'll give them the edge.
Patriots (3-0) at Bills (3-0): New England-Who would've thought that the Week 4 Patriots-Bills game would be for first place? Sure, Jets, Giants, Bengals isn't exactly the cream of the NFL crop, but 3-0 is 3-0. And that defense is legit! Unfortunately, it will likely all come crashing back to Earth after Bradicheck's annual visit concludes. New England has allowed 17 points all season. Maybe we should start talking about their defense, too.
Chiefs (3-0) at Lions (2-0-1): Kansas City-With the Packers' loss, the Lions are currently in first place. And this doesn't appear to be a fluke either. After blowing the Cardinals game, they've posted impressive wins over a pair of playoff teams from last season (the Chargers and Eagles). Can they pick up another against Kansas City? It'll be tough. Especially if Matthew Stafford misses the game.
Raiders (1-2) at Colts (2-1): Indianapolis-Game two of the Raiders' six-week Magical Mystery Tour takes them to Indianapolis. This road trip isn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, and the fact that it starts with the Vikings and Colts doesn't make it any easier. The Minnesota game didn't go well. And I don't think this one will go much better.
Chargers (1-2) at Dolphins (0-3): Chargers-Last night on NFL Network, they showed the "Epic in Miami," that outstanding Divisional Playoff game between these two from the 1981 season. This will NOT be an epic. What it is, though, is an opportunity for the Chargers to right the ship after back-to-back losses (and an unimpressive overtime win in Week 1). That juggernaut Miami offense has scored a whopping 16 points all season! Break up the Dolphins! If the Chargers don't win this game, they might as well drive back to the West Coast. Because the flight would be long enough.
Redskins (0-3) at Giants (1-2): Giants-Ladies and gentlemen, the Daniel Jones Era has begun! That was quite a comeback against Tampa Bay, proving that it was the right decision moving forward. Now, in his home debut, he faces a bad Redskins team that got absolutely smacked on Monday night. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for Jones to impress the home fans.
Browns (1-2) at Ravens (2-1): Baltimore-Some of that early enthusiasm for the Ravens has died down, but they still lead the AFC North (due mainly to the other teams' struggles). This is a chance for the Browns to show they're the division challenger everyone is expecting, though. Cleveland only other non-primetime game in the first five weeks of the season didn't go very well. They got crushed by the Titans on Opening Day. But a division game is something different. This will be a battle. And a Browns win will technically give them the division lead.
Panthers (1-2) at Texans (2-1): Houston-Carolina was badly in need of a win last week, and they got it. Even more impressively, they did it without Cam Newton. That was against the Cardinals, though. The Texans are a completely different animal. And I think they'll definitely have some problems with that Houston defense. They haven't exactly played the best football in the league this season, but they're 2-1 and in a good position in the AFC South.
Buccaneers (1-2) at Rams (3-0): Rams-Bruce Arians does have Tampa Bay moving in the right direction. They've still got a long way to go, though. And back-to-back road games against the Rams and Saints (before they head to London) aren't exactly going to help. The Rams have a couple of big games coming up, including a short week before a trip to Seattle. They'll go into that game 4-0.
Seahawks (2-1) at Cardinals (0-2-1): Seattle-Maybe people were a little too quick to jump on that Cardinals bandwagon after they rallied for that tie in the season opener. Seattle's early 2-0 start might've been a bit of a mirage, too. Although, that humbling loss to the Saints might've been a good thing for them. Because it was a wake-up call. If they're going to hang with the Rams (and, to a lesser extent, the 49ers), they need to beat teams like Arizona.
Vikings (2-1) at Bears (2-1): Minnesota-Prior to Thursday, the NFC North was 9-2-1 collectively, with the only losses coming when these two teams met Green Bay. That's obviously not going to continue, but it does place extra importance on winning division games. Which is something Minnesota couldn't do against Chicago last year. The Bears swept the Vikings last season, including a win in the season finale that knocked Minnesota out of the playoffs. Don't think the Vikings forget that. They send a message here.
Jaguars (1-2) at Broncos (0-3): Denver-Denver being 0-3 is a little surprising, but also not when you consider their opponents so far. Basically what I'm saying is that the Broncos' 0-3 is a lot different than the Dolphins' or Redskins' 0-3. Vic Fangio deserves to get that first win as an NFL head coach, though, and I think it comes this week. The Jaguars aren't as lost without Nick Foles as I thought they would be (and Gardner Minshew actually looks like he's got some potential), but, after that tough start, this one's been circled as the first win of the Fangio-Flacco Era.
Cowboys (3-0) at Saints (2-1): New Orleans-NBC has a good one on Sunday Night Football. Dallas is 3-0, but hasn't really faced a true test yet. New Orleans, meanwhile, has already shown a lot. They spent two full weeks on the West Coast, lost Drew Brees while they were out there, and still came back 1-1 after winning a game no one thought they would in Seattle. Now it's back to the Big Easy for a third tough matchup against a 2018 playoff team in a row. It seems everyone is picking Dallas, but I've got a feeling the Saints will show the Cowboys what's up.
Bengals (0-3) at Steelers (0-3): Pittsburgh-They were joking at the end of the game last Monday night that when they say "someone's gonna lose their 0," they're usually referring to two undefeated teams playing each other, not the other way around. Yet that's the situation Pittsburgh and Cincinnati find themselves in. Not that either one is a big surprise. Here's the thing, though, the AFC North is still winnable. It's significantly less winnable at 0-4 than it will be at 1-3, however. Both teams know this. And, for some reason, I just can't picture the Steelers being 0-4. Mike Tomlin will have his guys ready to "lose their 0" on Monday night.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 30-18-1
So, with the 3-0 49ers and 0-3 Jets on their bye week, we know there will at least be two of each as the calendar turns to October...
Thursday Night: Green Bay (Loss)
Titans (1-2) at Falcons (1-2): Atlanta-I still don't know what to make of the 2019 Atlanta Falcons. I also don't know what to make of the 2019 Tennessee Titans. The Titans crushed the Browns, then lost two division games. The Falcons, meanwhile, only have one win, but it was against a good Eagles team. Yet they're both still only a game back in their division. A 2-2 record obviously looks a lot better than 1-3, and the Falcons' win came in their only previous home game, so I'll give them the edge.
Patriots (3-0) at Bills (3-0): New England-Who would've thought that the Week 4 Patriots-Bills game would be for first place? Sure, Jets, Giants, Bengals isn't exactly the cream of the NFL crop, but 3-0 is 3-0. And that defense is legit! Unfortunately, it will likely all come crashing back to Earth after Bradicheck's annual visit concludes. New England has allowed 17 points all season. Maybe we should start talking about their defense, too.
Chiefs (3-0) at Lions (2-0-1): Kansas City-With the Packers' loss, the Lions are currently in first place. And this doesn't appear to be a fluke either. After blowing the Cardinals game, they've posted impressive wins over a pair of playoff teams from last season (the Chargers and Eagles). Can they pick up another against Kansas City? It'll be tough. Especially if Matthew Stafford misses the game.
Raiders (1-2) at Colts (2-1): Indianapolis-Game two of the Raiders' six-week Magical Mystery Tour takes them to Indianapolis. This road trip isn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, and the fact that it starts with the Vikings and Colts doesn't make it any easier. The Minnesota game didn't go well. And I don't think this one will go much better.
Chargers (1-2) at Dolphins (0-3): Chargers-Last night on NFL Network, they showed the "Epic in Miami," that outstanding Divisional Playoff game between these two from the 1981 season. This will NOT be an epic. What it is, though, is an opportunity for the Chargers to right the ship after back-to-back losses (and an unimpressive overtime win in Week 1). That juggernaut Miami offense has scored a whopping 16 points all season! Break up the Dolphins! If the Chargers don't win this game, they might as well drive back to the West Coast. Because the flight would be long enough.
Redskins (0-3) at Giants (1-2): Giants-Ladies and gentlemen, the Daniel Jones Era has begun! That was quite a comeback against Tampa Bay, proving that it was the right decision moving forward. Now, in his home debut, he faces a bad Redskins team that got absolutely smacked on Monday night. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for Jones to impress the home fans.
Browns (1-2) at Ravens (2-1): Baltimore-Some of that early enthusiasm for the Ravens has died down, but they still lead the AFC North (due mainly to the other teams' struggles). This is a chance for the Browns to show they're the division challenger everyone is expecting, though. Cleveland only other non-primetime game in the first five weeks of the season didn't go very well. They got crushed by the Titans on Opening Day. But a division game is something different. This will be a battle. And a Browns win will technically give them the division lead.
Panthers (1-2) at Texans (2-1): Houston-Carolina was badly in need of a win last week, and they got it. Even more impressively, they did it without Cam Newton. That was against the Cardinals, though. The Texans are a completely different animal. And I think they'll definitely have some problems with that Houston defense. They haven't exactly played the best football in the league this season, but they're 2-1 and in a good position in the AFC South.
Buccaneers (1-2) at Rams (3-0): Rams-Bruce Arians does have Tampa Bay moving in the right direction. They've still got a long way to go, though. And back-to-back road games against the Rams and Saints (before they head to London) aren't exactly going to help. The Rams have a couple of big games coming up, including a short week before a trip to Seattle. They'll go into that game 4-0.
Seahawks (2-1) at Cardinals (0-2-1): Seattle-Maybe people were a little too quick to jump on that Cardinals bandwagon after they rallied for that tie in the season opener. Seattle's early 2-0 start might've been a bit of a mirage, too. Although, that humbling loss to the Saints might've been a good thing for them. Because it was a wake-up call. If they're going to hang with the Rams (and, to a lesser extent, the 49ers), they need to beat teams like Arizona.
Vikings (2-1) at Bears (2-1): Minnesota-Prior to Thursday, the NFC North was 9-2-1 collectively, with the only losses coming when these two teams met Green Bay. That's obviously not going to continue, but it does place extra importance on winning division games. Which is something Minnesota couldn't do against Chicago last year. The Bears swept the Vikings last season, including a win in the season finale that knocked Minnesota out of the playoffs. Don't think the Vikings forget that. They send a message here.
Jaguars (1-2) at Broncos (0-3): Denver-Denver being 0-3 is a little surprising, but also not when you consider their opponents so far. Basically what I'm saying is that the Broncos' 0-3 is a lot different than the Dolphins' or Redskins' 0-3. Vic Fangio deserves to get that first win as an NFL head coach, though, and I think it comes this week. The Jaguars aren't as lost without Nick Foles as I thought they would be (and Gardner Minshew actually looks like he's got some potential), but, after that tough start, this one's been circled as the first win of the Fangio-Flacco Era.
Cowboys (3-0) at Saints (2-1): New Orleans-NBC has a good one on Sunday Night Football. Dallas is 3-0, but hasn't really faced a true test yet. New Orleans, meanwhile, has already shown a lot. They spent two full weeks on the West Coast, lost Drew Brees while they were out there, and still came back 1-1 after winning a game no one thought they would in Seattle. Now it's back to the Big Easy for a third tough matchup against a 2018 playoff team in a row. It seems everyone is picking Dallas, but I've got a feeling the Saints will show the Cowboys what's up.
Bengals (0-3) at Steelers (0-3): Pittsburgh-They were joking at the end of the game last Monday night that when they say "someone's gonna lose their 0," they're usually referring to two undefeated teams playing each other, not the other way around. Yet that's the situation Pittsburgh and Cincinnati find themselves in. Not that either one is a big surprise. Here's the thing, though, the AFC North is still winnable. It's significantly less winnable at 0-4 than it will be at 1-3, however. Both teams know this. And, for some reason, I just can't picture the Steelers being 0-4. Mike Tomlin will have his guys ready to "lose their 0" on Monday night.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 30-18-1
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Doha 2019: It's Finally Here!
After what seemed like an interminable wait, the World Track & Field Championships are finally here! This is the latest the World Championships have ever been, and they're being held in the Middle East for the first time. The selection of Doha as host five years ago was controversial, and it's just as controversial today.
This isn't controversial in the same way as the 2022 World Cup (also in Qatar). Rather, it's the timing and the challenges it'll present. The reason these Championships weren't held in August is because the daytime temperatures in Doha during the summer are around 120! It's not much cooler in early Fall, though. As a result, there are no afternoon sessions. Everything's taking place during the evening, with the long-distance events starting after midnight local time. And the temperature for the women's marathon, the first medal event of the Championships, at midnight Friday/Saturday, will still be in the high 80s/low 90s!
Don't worry, those inside the stadium will be comfortable. They've developed some sort of outdoor air conditioning system similar to the one they'll be using at the World Cup that will keep temperatures inside the stadium reasonable. Which will be great for those athletes and the fans. At least whatever fans are actually there.
It's been reported that they've only sold 50,000 tickets total for the 10-day meet (compared to 700,000 two years ago in London), and the top tier of the 40,000-seat stadium has been covered. I can't really say I'm surprised that people don't want to travel to Doha at this time of the year (when everyone's summer vacation just ended). But an empty stadium won't be a good look for the IAAF. Especially since the whole point of going to Doha was to open up the World Championships to a new region. But at least it'll be a 40,000-seat empty stadium instead of the 80,000-seat empty stadium six years ago in Moscow.
Speaking of Moscow, Russia's suspension continues, so the Russians will be competing as "ANA" for the second straight World Championships. They're the redshirt freshmen competing unattached to maintain their eligibility. And they'll have a good-sized team. There are 29 Russians entered, making ANA the 15th-largest team at these World Championships. I get why they keep extending the suspension, but that doesn't mean it isn't getting tiresome! (I'm really just over that dumb "ANA" designation. Everyone knows they're Russian!)
Anyway, this is ordinarily the time in my World Championships post where I start making predictions, but I'm not going to do that this time. Mainly because the timing of Worlds makes that task incredibly difficult. The Diamond League finals were almost a month ago. The season should be over. Athletes should be in their down period, especially with the Olympics in less than a year, instead of trying to peak right now.
During the Pan Am Games, Dwight Stones suggested that the late World Championships would probably be more appropriate in the post-Olympic year, and he might be right. It actually would've made a lot more sense to have the extended championship break after the Tokyo Olympics instead of having the two major competitions within 10 months of each other (with a World Indoors in between).
And that timing, I think, is going to give us a lot of surprise winners. There are, of course, some overwhelming favorites (Noah Lyles, Maria Lasitskene) who are expected to dominate their events, some world records that will be threatened, and some duels (men's pole vault, women's 400 hurdles) that will be worth the price of admission and then some.
On the women's side, the 400 hurdles might be the event I'm looking forward to the most. Dalilah Muhammad is the Olympic champion who set the world record at U.S. Nationals. And she isn't even the most heralded American! That's Sydney McLaughlin.
Meanwhile, the 800 is wide open with Caster Semenya unable to defend her title due to the IAAF's testosterone restrictions. Which has thrust Ajee Wilson into the favorite role. If she wins, she'll become the first American ever to win the World Championship in the event.
I'm expecting a great battle in both pole vaults. There are about seven different women I can see on the medals stand. Most people figure the gold will come down to Russia's Anzhelika Sidorova and defending champion Ekaterina Stefanidi of Greece, but it really is wide open.
The men's pole vault, meanwhile, might be the deepest event of all. American Sam Kendricks is the defending champion. Sweden's Mondo Duplantis (who's from Louisiana) is the European champion. They've exchanged head-to-head victories all season. But don't count out Poland's Piotr Lisek or world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie of France, who, incredibly, has never won a World Championship!
For the last two years, track & field has been desperate to find that star to replace Usain Bolt as the face of the sport. Can I suggest Noah Lyles? He's not just expected to win the 200. He's expected to do it in style, and even potentially challenge Bolt's world record. Lyles is only running the 200 in Doha, but he's also the Diamond League champion in the 100 and could easily double in Tokyo. With Lyles not running the 100, Christian Coleman could easily upgrade his London silver to Doha gold. That is if Justin Gatlin doesn't defend his title.
Lyles isn't the only one who could threaten a world record in Doha. Kevin Young's mark in the 400 hurdles has stood since the 1992 Olympics, but many experts think it might not last much longer. Either Norway's Karsten Warholm or American Rai Benjamin might be the one to break it. Norway's also got the sensational Ingebrigtsen brothers in the distance races. I can easily see one of them on the podium. I'm just not sure which one (partially because I can't tell them apart, but mainly because they're all capable).
With less than a year until the Tokyo Games, the Americans can really make a statement here, too. It's easy to envision one of the deepest and strongest American teams in recent memory topping its 2017 totals of 30 medals and 10 golds. And it's not just the traditional events, either (although Americans are favored in all three men's sprints). Deanna Price and Gwen Berry could both medal in the women's hammer throw, and the women's distance team has emerged as the best in the world outside of Kenya and Ethiopia.
So, I'm not making World Championships picks this year. Partially because I'm expecting some upsets, but also because I don't want to be disappointed. I want to sit there and enjoy great competition between the world's best athletes. The track & field world has been waiting all year for this. Let's hope Doha doesn't disappoint!
This isn't controversial in the same way as the 2022 World Cup (also in Qatar). Rather, it's the timing and the challenges it'll present. The reason these Championships weren't held in August is because the daytime temperatures in Doha during the summer are around 120! It's not much cooler in early Fall, though. As a result, there are no afternoon sessions. Everything's taking place during the evening, with the long-distance events starting after midnight local time. And the temperature for the women's marathon, the first medal event of the Championships, at midnight Friday/Saturday, will still be in the high 80s/low 90s!
Don't worry, those inside the stadium will be comfortable. They've developed some sort of outdoor air conditioning system similar to the one they'll be using at the World Cup that will keep temperatures inside the stadium reasonable. Which will be great for those athletes and the fans. At least whatever fans are actually there.
It's been reported that they've only sold 50,000 tickets total for the 10-day meet (compared to 700,000 two years ago in London), and the top tier of the 40,000-seat stadium has been covered. I can't really say I'm surprised that people don't want to travel to Doha at this time of the year (when everyone's summer vacation just ended). But an empty stadium won't be a good look for the IAAF. Especially since the whole point of going to Doha was to open up the World Championships to a new region. But at least it'll be a 40,000-seat empty stadium instead of the 80,000-seat empty stadium six years ago in Moscow.
Speaking of Moscow, Russia's suspension continues, so the Russians will be competing as "ANA" for the second straight World Championships. They're the redshirt freshmen competing unattached to maintain their eligibility. And they'll have a good-sized team. There are 29 Russians entered, making ANA the 15th-largest team at these World Championships. I get why they keep extending the suspension, but that doesn't mean it isn't getting tiresome! (I'm really just over that dumb "ANA" designation. Everyone knows they're Russian!)
Anyway, this is ordinarily the time in my World Championships post where I start making predictions, but I'm not going to do that this time. Mainly because the timing of Worlds makes that task incredibly difficult. The Diamond League finals were almost a month ago. The season should be over. Athletes should be in their down period, especially with the Olympics in less than a year, instead of trying to peak right now.
During the Pan Am Games, Dwight Stones suggested that the late World Championships would probably be more appropriate in the post-Olympic year, and he might be right. It actually would've made a lot more sense to have the extended championship break after the Tokyo Olympics instead of having the two major competitions within 10 months of each other (with a World Indoors in between).
And that timing, I think, is going to give us a lot of surprise winners. There are, of course, some overwhelming favorites (Noah Lyles, Maria Lasitskene) who are expected to dominate their events, some world records that will be threatened, and some duels (men's pole vault, women's 400 hurdles) that will be worth the price of admission and then some.
On the women's side, the 400 hurdles might be the event I'm looking forward to the most. Dalilah Muhammad is the Olympic champion who set the world record at U.S. Nationals. And she isn't even the most heralded American! That's Sydney McLaughlin.
Meanwhile, the 800 is wide open with Caster Semenya unable to defend her title due to the IAAF's testosterone restrictions. Which has thrust Ajee Wilson into the favorite role. If she wins, she'll become the first American ever to win the World Championship in the event.
I'm expecting a great battle in both pole vaults. There are about seven different women I can see on the medals stand. Most people figure the gold will come down to Russia's Anzhelika Sidorova and defending champion Ekaterina Stefanidi of Greece, but it really is wide open.
The men's pole vault, meanwhile, might be the deepest event of all. American Sam Kendricks is the defending champion. Sweden's Mondo Duplantis (who's from Louisiana) is the European champion. They've exchanged head-to-head victories all season. But don't count out Poland's Piotr Lisek or world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie of France, who, incredibly, has never won a World Championship!
For the last two years, track & field has been desperate to find that star to replace Usain Bolt as the face of the sport. Can I suggest Noah Lyles? He's not just expected to win the 200. He's expected to do it in style, and even potentially challenge Bolt's world record. Lyles is only running the 200 in Doha, but he's also the Diamond League champion in the 100 and could easily double in Tokyo. With Lyles not running the 100, Christian Coleman could easily upgrade his London silver to Doha gold. That is if Justin Gatlin doesn't defend his title.
Lyles isn't the only one who could threaten a world record in Doha. Kevin Young's mark in the 400 hurdles has stood since the 1992 Olympics, but many experts think it might not last much longer. Either Norway's Karsten Warholm or American Rai Benjamin might be the one to break it. Norway's also got the sensational Ingebrigtsen brothers in the distance races. I can easily see one of them on the podium. I'm just not sure which one (partially because I can't tell them apart, but mainly because they're all capable).
With less than a year until the Tokyo Games, the Americans can really make a statement here, too. It's easy to envision one of the deepest and strongest American teams in recent memory topping its 2017 totals of 30 medals and 10 golds. And it's not just the traditional events, either (although Americans are favored in all three men's sprints). Deanna Price and Gwen Berry could both medal in the women's hammer throw, and the women's distance team has emerged as the best in the world outside of Kenya and Ethiopia.
So, I'm not making World Championships picks this year. Partially because I'm expecting some upsets, but also because I don't want to be disappointed. I want to sit there and enjoy great competition between the world's best athletes. The track & field world has been waiting all year for this. Let's hope Doha doesn't disappoint!
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Setting the Postseason Roster
With their first AL East title in seven seasons wrapped up, the Yankees can begin looking towards the postseason. Sure, they'd like to finish with a better record than the Astros and have the home field should they meet in the ALCS, but there are plenty of other things at stake over the final week of the regular season. For starters, who's going to even be on the roster for the division series? And how will the pitching rotation line up?
One of the best things about this Yankees season has been their "Next Man Up" mentality. They've had a Major League-record 30 players spend time on the injured list, and all of the "replacements" have performed. Which leaves Aaron Boone with a very interesting (and pleasant) problem. Because there are going to be some deserving players who don't make the playoff roster.
I also don't think there's any need to rush Gary Sanchez back for the Division Series. It's 10 days until the Yankees' playoff opener. If Sanchez is ready by then, great! If not, don't put him on the roster! Give him the extra week, have Romine start, and make Kyle Higashioka active as the backup. You can change the roster for each round, so if Sanchez is good to go for the ALCS, he replaces Higashioka.
Edwin Encarnacion should be able to return from his oblique injury sometime during the final road trip, which complicates the first base/DH situation. Because that'll give them six guys for five spots. And, assuming LeMahieu, Gleyber and Didi are guaranteed starters, that means either one of the first basemen or Gio Urshela will start on the bench. My guess is that Voit starts at first, Encarnacion at DH and Urshela on the bench, but coming in defensively for Voit in the late innings. (This is also assuming Giancarlo Stanton will be in left field.)
It also appears that Tyler Wade is likely going to make the roster. There's no need to carry 13 pitchers in the playoffs, so there's an extra spot for a position player, and Wade figures to be that guy. He's quick, left-handed and versatile. Plus, he's been featured regularly over the past several weeks. I'm not really sure there'll be much debate about who'll get that final spot between Wade, Clint Frazier and Thairo Estrada
The other interesting decision will come regarding who'll fill out the bullpen. Originally, Domingo German and Dellin Betances were figured to take two of the eight spaces, but neither one will. That means CC Sabathia will get to end his career coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs. (I'm not sure he would've made the team otherwise.)
Obviously, the bullpen arms who've been relied upon all season will fill those same roles in October. That's Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino and Chad Green. CC makes six. So, we've got two spots left.
Cory Gearrin will get one. When the Yankees picked him up, it was because they planned on using him. And there's no reason to believe the guy they added specifically to bolster the bullpen even more won't be on the playoff roster. Here's where it gets interesting, though. Do you take Luis Cessa, Nestor Cortes Jr., or Stephen Tarpley as the extra reliever?
Cessa has been on the roster all season and has been effective (at times) as the long man. But, if CC is used as a piggyback starter, do you need a second long man? Especially when he's not one of the high-leverage guys. And, Boone has said he plans on using the high-leverage guys a lot. Which would relegate Cessa, mainly, to a mop up role in blowouts. The same can be said for Cortes, who was excellent as the "-estor" part of the equation opener games I affectionately referred to as "Chestor."
Tarpley, meanwhile, was on the postseason roster last year, mainly because of all the left-handed bats on the Red Sox. The Twins have a lot of lefty-swingers, too, so that could give Tarpley the edge if they do, indeed, end up playing Minnesota. Or, it Jonathan Loaisiga, a converted starter who's really been turning some heads during the multi-inning relief stints he's been utilized in since coming off the IL. That would be a bit of a surprise, but not completely shocking. Loaisiga's a hard-throwing strikeout pitcher, which could be very useful against a homer-happy, free-swinging Twins lineup.
Lastly, we have the starting rotation. That picture became a lot clearer with German's suspension and Happ pitching better of late. They have five regular season games left, and the rotation lines up this way: Tanaka, Happ, Paxton, Severino, Tanaka. That would put Tanaka on regular rest for Game 1 on Friday and also allow Boone to stagger them righty-lefty-right-lefty-rigthy. Paxton seems to have earned the Game 1 start, though.
What's nice is that they don't have to worry about someone being available for the Wild Card Game, which Tanaka started in 2015 and Severino started each of the past two years. (It's evidently NOT an AL rule that Wild Card Game is at Yankee Stadium.) In fact, this year, they've got a different problem/luxury. With two off days in the final week and four days off between the regular season and the Division Series, all four of them will be well rested for their first playoff start. Possibly too rested.
Most of the roster spots for the Division Series seem secure. The only real roster questions are that last guy in the bullpen and the extra position player. The real intrigue will involve who starts in the infield and what order the starting pitchers will go in.
If it were up to me, the Division Series roster would look like this:
Starting Pitchers-Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Luis Severino, J.A. Happ
Bullpen-Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Tommy Kahlne, Adam Ottavino, Chad Green, Cory Gearrin, CC Sabathia, Stephen Tarpley
Catchers-Austin Romine, Kyle Higashioka
Infielders-Luke Voit, Edwin Encarnacion, Gleyber Torres, Didi Gregorius, DJ LeMahieu, Gio Urshela, Tyler Wade
Outfielders-Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Giancarlo Stanton, Cameron Maybin
One of the best things about this Yankees season has been their "Next Man Up" mentality. They've had a Major League-record 30 players spend time on the injured list, and all of the "replacements" have performed. Which leaves Aaron Boone with a very interesting (and pleasant) problem. Because there are going to be some deserving players who don't make the playoff roster.
I also don't think there's any need to rush Gary Sanchez back for the Division Series. It's 10 days until the Yankees' playoff opener. If Sanchez is ready by then, great! If not, don't put him on the roster! Give him the extra week, have Romine start, and make Kyle Higashioka active as the backup. You can change the roster for each round, so if Sanchez is good to go for the ALCS, he replaces Higashioka.
Edwin Encarnacion should be able to return from his oblique injury sometime during the final road trip, which complicates the first base/DH situation. Because that'll give them six guys for five spots. And, assuming LeMahieu, Gleyber and Didi are guaranteed starters, that means either one of the first basemen or Gio Urshela will start on the bench. My guess is that Voit starts at first, Encarnacion at DH and Urshela on the bench, but coming in defensively for Voit in the late innings. (This is also assuming Giancarlo Stanton will be in left field.)
It also appears that Tyler Wade is likely going to make the roster. There's no need to carry 13 pitchers in the playoffs, so there's an extra spot for a position player, and Wade figures to be that guy. He's quick, left-handed and versatile. Plus, he's been featured regularly over the past several weeks. I'm not really sure there'll be much debate about who'll get that final spot between Wade, Clint Frazier and Thairo Estrada
The other interesting decision will come regarding who'll fill out the bullpen. Originally, Domingo German and Dellin Betances were figured to take two of the eight spaces, but neither one will. That means CC Sabathia will get to end his career coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs. (I'm not sure he would've made the team otherwise.)
Obviously, the bullpen arms who've been relied upon all season will fill those same roles in October. That's Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino and Chad Green. CC makes six. So, we've got two spots left.
Cory Gearrin will get one. When the Yankees picked him up, it was because they planned on using him. And there's no reason to believe the guy they added specifically to bolster the bullpen even more won't be on the playoff roster. Here's where it gets interesting, though. Do you take Luis Cessa, Nestor Cortes Jr., or Stephen Tarpley as the extra reliever?
Cessa has been on the roster all season and has been effective (at times) as the long man. But, if CC is used as a piggyback starter, do you need a second long man? Especially when he's not one of the high-leverage guys. And, Boone has said he plans on using the high-leverage guys a lot. Which would relegate Cessa, mainly, to a mop up role in blowouts. The same can be said for Cortes, who was excellent as the "-estor" part of the equation opener games I affectionately referred to as "Chestor."
Tarpley, meanwhile, was on the postseason roster last year, mainly because of all the left-handed bats on the Red Sox. The Twins have a lot of lefty-swingers, too, so that could give Tarpley the edge if they do, indeed, end up playing Minnesota. Or, it Jonathan Loaisiga, a converted starter who's really been turning some heads during the multi-inning relief stints he's been utilized in since coming off the IL. That would be a bit of a surprise, but not completely shocking. Loaisiga's a hard-throwing strikeout pitcher, which could be very useful against a homer-happy, free-swinging Twins lineup.
Lastly, we have the starting rotation. That picture became a lot clearer with German's suspension and Happ pitching better of late. They have five regular season games left, and the rotation lines up this way: Tanaka, Happ, Paxton, Severino, Tanaka. That would put Tanaka on regular rest for Game 1 on Friday and also allow Boone to stagger them righty-lefty-right-lefty-rigthy. Paxton seems to have earned the Game 1 start, though.
What's nice is that they don't have to worry about someone being available for the Wild Card Game, which Tanaka started in 2015 and Severino started each of the past two years. (It's evidently NOT an AL rule that Wild Card Game is at Yankee Stadium.) In fact, this year, they've got a different problem/luxury. With two off days in the final week and four days off between the regular season and the Division Series, all four of them will be well rested for their first playoff start. Possibly too rested.
Most of the roster spots for the Division Series seem secure. The only real roster questions are that last guy in the bullpen and the extra position player. The real intrigue will involve who starts in the infield and what order the starting pitchers will go in.
If it were up to me, the Division Series roster would look like this:
Starting Pitchers-Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton, Luis Severino, J.A. Happ
Bullpen-Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Tommy Kahlne, Adam Ottavino, Chad Green, Cory Gearrin, CC Sabathia, Stephen Tarpley
Catchers-Austin Romine, Kyle Higashioka
Infielders-Luke Voit, Edwin Encarnacion, Gleyber Torres, Didi Gregorius, DJ LeMahieu, Gio Urshela, Tyler Wade
Outfielders-Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, Giancarlo Stanton, Cameron Maybin
Sunday, September 22, 2019
NFL 100: Week 3
So, who took the under on two weeks for the length of Antonio Brown's Patriots tenure? And, here's the craziest part of the entire story...apparently, according to his agent "several" team are interested in the wide receiver, although they've been warned that he could potentially be placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List pending the legal investigation.
Seriously?! The guy is toxic! No team in their right mind should even consider signing him! Including wide-receiver-plagued franchises like the Giants and Dolphins. Although, you know he's going to end up in either Cincinnati or Dallas. That's where all the troubled players seem to go. As for AB and the Patriots, "I told you so" seems to be the common refrain right now.
Since I'm already on the topic of New England, I might as well start Week 3 there...
Jets (0-2) at Patriots (2-0): New England-It's not exactly like the Patriots need AB to beat the Jets at home anyway. The Jets are on their third starting quarterback in as many games. New England, meanwhile, is outscoring its opponents 76-3 this season. Yeah, this one might be ugly.
Bengals (0-2) at Bills (2-0): Buffalo-For the first time this season, the Bills will play a game somewhere other than MetLife Stadium. Not that they're complaining about a 2-0 record! In their home opener, they'll take on a Cincinnati team that almost won in Seattle, then laid an egg at home against San Francisco. Which Bengals will show up this week? Frankly, I'm not sure it matters. Both teams will be 3-0 when the Bills square off with the Patriots next week.
Dolphins (0-2) at Cowboys (2-0): Dallas-Miami has done nothing to disprove the notion that they're the worst team in the NFL. The Dolphins have no offense, a terrible defense, and were outscored 102-10 by the Ravens and Patriots. Dallas is 2-0 with a pair of division wins. They finally step out of the NFC East, but we should expect them to make that 3-0 before their schedule gets a lot tougher with New Orleans and Green Bay coming up next.
Broncos (0-2) at Packers (2-0): Green Bay-Has any of the 2-0 teams been more impressive than Green Bay? New coach, new personnel, new everything, yet here the Packers sit at 2-0 with a pair of division wins in what should a competitive NFC North. Denver is better than its 0-2 record. That was a tough loss to the Bears last week! They'll have another competitive one this week, but expect the Packers to pull it out.
Falcons (1-1) at Colts (1-1): Atlanta-In one of the more competitive matchups of Week 3, Atlanta visits Indianapolis. They both lost in Week 1 before rallying to earn a victory last week. And they've both played two (now three) solid opponents. So, I'm looking for another tight one. It's the Colts' home opener, but I can easily see the Falcons going in there and spoiling it.
Ravens (2-0) at Chiefs (2-0): Kansas City-I actually saw earlier this week that someone predicted Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes will be the NFL's next great QB rivalry. Let's not get carried away with those bold predictions just yet. Yes, the Ravens are 2-0. But they've beaten the Dolphins and Cardinals. The Chiefs haven't exactly beaten the cream of the crop either (Jacksonville and Oakland), but they're a proven commodity. The Ravens aren't.
Raiders (1-1) at Vikings (1-1): Minnesota-This is the first of five consecutive games the Raiders will play outside the State of California. And they're all 1:00 starts. So, things are going to be mighty difficult for Oakland over the next month. Although, the nice thing about it is we'll get to see how good this team really is. We've seen signs over the first two weeks, but nothing concrete at all. A trip to Minnesota is a tough way to start the string, though.
Lions (1-0-1) at Eagles (1-1): Philadelphia-After blowing their opener against the Cardinals, I would've figured Detroit had no chance last week against the Chargers. Little did I know! The Eagles lost on Sunday night, but that seems to be their typical result in Atlanta. And they showed some real fight as they were trying to come back late in that one. Back at home, expect them to get back in the win column.
Panthers (0-2) at Cardinals (0-1-1): Arizona-Who would've thought that the Cardinals would be a favorite in Week 3? But that's the situation we find ourselves in. And they actually looked pretty good last week in Baltimore. Which is significantly more than I can say about the Panthers' performance against Tampa Bay. Arizona has a tie and a loss. Might as well complete the trifecta and get the first win of the Kyler Murray Era!
Giants (0-2) at Buccaneers (1-1): Giants-Eli Manning's out, Daniel Jones is in. We'll see if that makes any difference at all for a Giants offense that hasn't really been as much of a problem as the defense. And there's nothing Eli could've done about those deficiencies on the other side of the ball. Tampa Bay got a win last week against a Carolina team that isn't nearly as good as we all thought they'd be. Of course, that means the Bucs could move above .500 this week. I've got a feeling about Daniel Jones, though. This might've been the right time to make the move.
Texans (1-1) at Chargers (1-1): Chargers-Last week was a bit of a surprise. But, then again, the Chargers have historically struggled in 1:00 games, so I maybe should've seen it coming. Back at home, they'll get back to being themselves. As for Houston, they were lucky to hold on against Jacksonville last week. Because otherwise, they'd be staring at 0-3.
Steelers (0-2) at 49ers (2-0): San Francisco-Is it too early to consider this a lost season in Pittsburgh? Granted, New England/Seattle isn't the easiest start and they might be 0-2 right now anyway. But now they have to navigate the rest of the season without their Hall of Fame quarterback (officially giving them ZERO of the Three B's). And winning in San Francisco wasn't going to be easy even with Big Ben. Welcome to life as an NFL starter, Mason Rudolph!
Saints (1-1) at Seahawks (2-0): Seattle-Of all the teams that have lost their starting quarterbacks so far this season (and it's a lot), the Saints are probably in the best shape. Teddy Bridgewater is the highest-paid backup in the league, now he slides right in to taking starter reps. He's not Drew Brees, but he's not a wet-behind-the-ears rookie, either. Spending the whole week on the West Coast after losing to the Rams couldn't have been too much fun, though. Especially since the Seahawks are a tough opponent. They haven't looked great and played two close ones, but they're still 2-0.
Rams (2-0) at Browns (1-1): Rams-Sunday Night Football in Cleveland, Ohio! Has Hell frozen over?! But, you know what?, I'm actually kinda excited for this game. The Browns showed last week what they can do under those bright prime time lights. And the Rams have no Super Bowl hangover. It's the exact opposite, in fact. They're on a mission to get back and show what they can do. And their defense doesn't get nearly enough credit. We'll see that defense make a big stop late to seal the win.
Bears (1-1) at Redskins (0-2): Chicago-Chicago-Washington isn't exactly a must-see Monday night matchup. The Redskins can be thankful for the existence of the Miami Dolphins. Because that means they aren't even close to the worst team in football (besides, Washington has actually scored some touchdowns this season). They finally step out of the division against a Bears team that has to feel relieved after finally having a kicker come through in the clutch! Things should be a little easier in DC than they were in Denver, but Chicago still needs to address its lack of offense.
Thursday Night: Tennessee (Loss)
Seriously?! The guy is toxic! No team in their right mind should even consider signing him! Including wide-receiver-plagued franchises like the Giants and Dolphins. Although, you know he's going to end up in either Cincinnati or Dallas. That's where all the troubled players seem to go. As for AB and the Patriots, "I told you so" seems to be the common refrain right now.
Since I'm already on the topic of New England, I might as well start Week 3 there...
Jets (0-2) at Patriots (2-0): New England-It's not exactly like the Patriots need AB to beat the Jets at home anyway. The Jets are on their third starting quarterback in as many games. New England, meanwhile, is outscoring its opponents 76-3 this season. Yeah, this one might be ugly.
Bengals (0-2) at Bills (2-0): Buffalo-For the first time this season, the Bills will play a game somewhere other than MetLife Stadium. Not that they're complaining about a 2-0 record! In their home opener, they'll take on a Cincinnati team that almost won in Seattle, then laid an egg at home against San Francisco. Which Bengals will show up this week? Frankly, I'm not sure it matters. Both teams will be 3-0 when the Bills square off with the Patriots next week.
Dolphins (0-2) at Cowboys (2-0): Dallas-Miami has done nothing to disprove the notion that they're the worst team in the NFL. The Dolphins have no offense, a terrible defense, and were outscored 102-10 by the Ravens and Patriots. Dallas is 2-0 with a pair of division wins. They finally step out of the NFC East, but we should expect them to make that 3-0 before their schedule gets a lot tougher with New Orleans and Green Bay coming up next.
Broncos (0-2) at Packers (2-0): Green Bay-Has any of the 2-0 teams been more impressive than Green Bay? New coach, new personnel, new everything, yet here the Packers sit at 2-0 with a pair of division wins in what should a competitive NFC North. Denver is better than its 0-2 record. That was a tough loss to the Bears last week! They'll have another competitive one this week, but expect the Packers to pull it out.
Falcons (1-1) at Colts (1-1): Atlanta-In one of the more competitive matchups of Week 3, Atlanta visits Indianapolis. They both lost in Week 1 before rallying to earn a victory last week. And they've both played two (now three) solid opponents. So, I'm looking for another tight one. It's the Colts' home opener, but I can easily see the Falcons going in there and spoiling it.
Ravens (2-0) at Chiefs (2-0): Kansas City-I actually saw earlier this week that someone predicted Lamar Jackson vs. Patrick Mahomes will be the NFL's next great QB rivalry. Let's not get carried away with those bold predictions just yet. Yes, the Ravens are 2-0. But they've beaten the Dolphins and Cardinals. The Chiefs haven't exactly beaten the cream of the crop either (Jacksonville and Oakland), but they're a proven commodity. The Ravens aren't.
Raiders (1-1) at Vikings (1-1): Minnesota-This is the first of five consecutive games the Raiders will play outside the State of California. And they're all 1:00 starts. So, things are going to be mighty difficult for Oakland over the next month. Although, the nice thing about it is we'll get to see how good this team really is. We've seen signs over the first two weeks, but nothing concrete at all. A trip to Minnesota is a tough way to start the string, though.
Lions (1-0-1) at Eagles (1-1): Philadelphia-After blowing their opener against the Cardinals, I would've figured Detroit had no chance last week against the Chargers. Little did I know! The Eagles lost on Sunday night, but that seems to be their typical result in Atlanta. And they showed some real fight as they were trying to come back late in that one. Back at home, expect them to get back in the win column.
Panthers (0-2) at Cardinals (0-1-1): Arizona-Who would've thought that the Cardinals would be a favorite in Week 3? But that's the situation we find ourselves in. And they actually looked pretty good last week in Baltimore. Which is significantly more than I can say about the Panthers' performance against Tampa Bay. Arizona has a tie and a loss. Might as well complete the trifecta and get the first win of the Kyler Murray Era!
Giants (0-2) at Buccaneers (1-1): Giants-Eli Manning's out, Daniel Jones is in. We'll see if that makes any difference at all for a Giants offense that hasn't really been as much of a problem as the defense. And there's nothing Eli could've done about those deficiencies on the other side of the ball. Tampa Bay got a win last week against a Carolina team that isn't nearly as good as we all thought they'd be. Of course, that means the Bucs could move above .500 this week. I've got a feeling about Daniel Jones, though. This might've been the right time to make the move.
Texans (1-1) at Chargers (1-1): Chargers-Last week was a bit of a surprise. But, then again, the Chargers have historically struggled in 1:00 games, so I maybe should've seen it coming. Back at home, they'll get back to being themselves. As for Houston, they were lucky to hold on against Jacksonville last week. Because otherwise, they'd be staring at 0-3.
Steelers (0-2) at 49ers (2-0): San Francisco-Is it too early to consider this a lost season in Pittsburgh? Granted, New England/Seattle isn't the easiest start and they might be 0-2 right now anyway. But now they have to navigate the rest of the season without their Hall of Fame quarterback (officially giving them ZERO of the Three B's). And winning in San Francisco wasn't going to be easy even with Big Ben. Welcome to life as an NFL starter, Mason Rudolph!
Saints (1-1) at Seahawks (2-0): Seattle-Of all the teams that have lost their starting quarterbacks so far this season (and it's a lot), the Saints are probably in the best shape. Teddy Bridgewater is the highest-paid backup in the league, now he slides right in to taking starter reps. He's not Drew Brees, but he's not a wet-behind-the-ears rookie, either. Spending the whole week on the West Coast after losing to the Rams couldn't have been too much fun, though. Especially since the Seahawks are a tough opponent. They haven't looked great and played two close ones, but they're still 2-0.
Rams (2-0) at Browns (1-1): Rams-Sunday Night Football in Cleveland, Ohio! Has Hell frozen over?! But, you know what?, I'm actually kinda excited for this game. The Browns showed last week what they can do under those bright prime time lights. And the Rams have no Super Bowl hangover. It's the exact opposite, in fact. They're on a mission to get back and show what they can do. And their defense doesn't get nearly enough credit. We'll see that defense make a big stop late to seal the win.
Bears (1-1) at Redskins (0-2): Chicago-Chicago-Washington isn't exactly a must-see Monday night matchup. The Redskins can be thankful for the existence of the Miami Dolphins. Because that means they aren't even close to the worst team in football (besides, Washington has actually scored some touchdowns this season). They finally step out of the division against a Bears team that has to feel relieved after finally having a kicker come through in the clutch! Things should be a little easier in DC than they were in Denver, but Chicago still needs to address its lack of offense.
Thursday Night: Tennessee (Loss)
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 9-7
Overall: 20-12-1
Friday, September 20, 2019
Trying to Catch Another Big Fish
The entry list for next week's World Track & Field Championships have been released. On the entry list for the men's 100 meters is American Christian Coleman, the silver medalist (ahead of Usain Bolt) two years ago and one of the favorites to win the first post-Bolt world title. He'll also be running the 200 in Doha. A few weeks ago, however, that wasn't so certain.
That's because at the end of August, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency brought a "whereabouts violation" against Coleman, which carried an automatic one-year ban. However, two days before the scheduled hearing, USADA dropped the case. Their rationale? Pretty much because the World Anti-Doping Agency told them to. Basically, the USADA misinterpreted WADA's definition of a "whereabouts failure," and according to WADA, Coleman hadn't broken any rules.
Athletes are required to give anti-doping officials a one-hour window each day when they will be available for random drug testing. If they're not available during that hour, it counts as a missed test. While not the same as a missed test, athletes can also be held accountable for a "filing failure," which is essentially not providing accurate information about their location where they'll be available for testing. Three strikes, whether it's missed tests or filing failures or a combination of the two, within 12 months triggers a suspension.
Coleman's three whereabouts violations occurred on June 6, 2018 (filing failure), January 26, 2019 (missed test) and April 26, 2019 (filing failure). However, according to WADA's official code, "a filing failure will be deemed to have occurred on the first day of the quarter for which the Athlete fails to make a (sufficient) filing." Thus, the June 6, 2018 filing failure should've been backdated to April 1, the first day of the quarter. Which means that the June 6 filing failure expired on March 31, 2019. So, the April 26, 2019 filing failure was only his second in the 12-month period, not his third.
Does Coleman deserve some fault here? Absolutely. All three violations, while easily explained, were a result of either negligence or carelessness on his part. It's kinda crazy that WADA makes athletes declare their whereabouts three months in advance, but they also make it easy to update if their plans change. All they have to do is send an email or text message saying where and when they'll be available instead. Coleman didn't do that. That's on him.
It's important to note that Coleman has never failed a test. He was tested at least 18 times in 2018 and just as frequently this year, which means he's been tested nearly twice as frequently as the USADA requires. And he's passed every single one of them, including 20 days before and six days after June 6, 2018. It's also worth noting that on January 26, 2019, he missed a test. He didn't fail one.
Yes, I do understand that there are plenty of athletes who doped but never failed a test and vice-versa. But, by making this whole thing public, the USADA was painting Christian Coleman as a cheater when he's anything but. And now, regardless of the circumstances of the case, there are some people who are going to label him as a "cheater" from this day forward, even though he hasn't done anything wrong.
Which is why the USADA never should've made any of this public. They had no case and they knew it, yet they made their announcement anyway. They only backtracked after WADA told them to, and even then they were trying to pass the blame to anyone else. In his statement, USADA CEO Travis Tygart had the temerity to say: "Every athlete is entitled to a presumption of innocence until their case is concluded...this is certainly the case for Mr. Coleman."
I'm not even sure Tygart realizes how ridiculous that sounds! The USADA announced it was bringing chargers against Coleman when they shouldn't have, then said they gave him the "presumption of innocence?" Tygart, of course, was the main person responsible for Lance Armstrong's downfall, and Coleman accused him of simply trying to capture another big fish here. And frankly, that's sure what it looks like.
Meanwhile, Christian Coleman had to miss two Diamond League meets (and worry about his status for the World Championships) while the case was still in limbo. He now has the stigma of being considered a "cheater" simply because his name and "anti-doping violation" were mentioned in the same sentence.
Depending on who you ask, Coleman is either a victim or a villain. Where's the USADA's accountability, though? They make this big announcement where Christian Coleman is the bad guy, only to have to come back with their tails between their legs a few weeks later and say "Never mind. He's innocent of any wrongdoing." (That second announcement was made during the day on Labor Day, by the way.) By then, the damage had already been done.
At least this isn't an issue that's still hanging over Christian Coleman's head. He'll compete at the World Championships, where he has a very good chance of taking home three medals, and is still on track to be in Tokyo next summer. And if Travis Tygart is looking for him next week, he'll be in Doha. Where he should be.
That's because at the end of August, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency brought a "whereabouts violation" against Coleman, which carried an automatic one-year ban. However, two days before the scheduled hearing, USADA dropped the case. Their rationale? Pretty much because the World Anti-Doping Agency told them to. Basically, the USADA misinterpreted WADA's definition of a "whereabouts failure," and according to WADA, Coleman hadn't broken any rules.
Athletes are required to give anti-doping officials a one-hour window each day when they will be available for random drug testing. If they're not available during that hour, it counts as a missed test. While not the same as a missed test, athletes can also be held accountable for a "filing failure," which is essentially not providing accurate information about their location where they'll be available for testing. Three strikes, whether it's missed tests or filing failures or a combination of the two, within 12 months triggers a suspension.
Coleman's three whereabouts violations occurred on June 6, 2018 (filing failure), January 26, 2019 (missed test) and April 26, 2019 (filing failure). However, according to WADA's official code, "a filing failure will be deemed to have occurred on the first day of the quarter for which the Athlete fails to make a (sufficient) filing." Thus, the June 6, 2018 filing failure should've been backdated to April 1, the first day of the quarter. Which means that the June 6 filing failure expired on March 31, 2019. So, the April 26, 2019 filing failure was only his second in the 12-month period, not his third.
Does Coleman deserve some fault here? Absolutely. All three violations, while easily explained, were a result of either negligence or carelessness on his part. It's kinda crazy that WADA makes athletes declare their whereabouts three months in advance, but they also make it easy to update if their plans change. All they have to do is send an email or text message saying where and when they'll be available instead. Coleman didn't do that. That's on him.
It's important to note that Coleman has never failed a test. He was tested at least 18 times in 2018 and just as frequently this year, which means he's been tested nearly twice as frequently as the USADA requires. And he's passed every single one of them, including 20 days before and six days after June 6, 2018. It's also worth noting that on January 26, 2019, he missed a test. He didn't fail one.
Yes, I do understand that there are plenty of athletes who doped but never failed a test and vice-versa. But, by making this whole thing public, the USADA was painting Christian Coleman as a cheater when he's anything but. And now, regardless of the circumstances of the case, there are some people who are going to label him as a "cheater" from this day forward, even though he hasn't done anything wrong.
Which is why the USADA never should've made any of this public. They had no case and they knew it, yet they made their announcement anyway. They only backtracked after WADA told them to, and even then they were trying to pass the blame to anyone else. In his statement, USADA CEO Travis Tygart had the temerity to say: "Every athlete is entitled to a presumption of innocence until their case is concluded...this is certainly the case for Mr. Coleman."
I'm not even sure Tygart realizes how ridiculous that sounds! The USADA announced it was bringing chargers against Coleman when they shouldn't have, then said they gave him the "presumption of innocence?" Tygart, of course, was the main person responsible for Lance Armstrong's downfall, and Coleman accused him of simply trying to capture another big fish here. And frankly, that's sure what it looks like.
Meanwhile, Christian Coleman had to miss two Diamond League meets (and worry about his status for the World Championships) while the case was still in limbo. He now has the stigma of being considered a "cheater" simply because his name and "anti-doping violation" were mentioned in the same sentence.
Depending on who you ask, Coleman is either a victim or a villain. Where's the USADA's accountability, though? They make this big announcement where Christian Coleman is the bad guy, only to have to come back with their tails between their legs a few weeks later and say "Never mind. He's innocent of any wrongdoing." (That second announcement was made during the day on Labor Day, by the way.) By then, the damage had already been done.
At least this isn't an issue that's still hanging over Christian Coleman's head. He'll compete at the World Championships, where he has a very good chance of taking home three medals, and is still on track to be in Tokyo next summer. And if Travis Tygart is looking for him next week, he'll be in Doha. Where he should be.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
End of the Eli Era
I've never been a huge Eli Manning fan. I just couldn't get on board with how he knew he was going to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Chargers, yet still demanded a trade on draft day because he wanted to play in New York instead of San Diego (although, I don't think they're complaining about getting Philip Rivers in return). Especially since that was the same week Pat Tillman was killed in action in Afghanistan. Plus, I'm a Peyton guy!
However, as a Giants fan, I have nothing but appreciation for what he's done for the franchise. Without Eli Manning, Bradicheck's already ridiculous number of rings would be eight, not six. Eli led the game-winning fourth-quarter drive in both of those Super Bowl upsets, and he was named the game's MVP each time. And it's because of those two victories that he'll be in the Hall of Fame conversation every year once he's eligible.
And it sure looks like that's going to be five years from now. Because, for all intents and purposes, the Eli Manning Era is over. The Giants announced today that rookie first-round pick Daniel Jones is going to start Sunday against the Bucs. And this isn't Ben McAdoo's "I'm trying to make a point and want to get fired" one-game Eli benching two seasons ago. The Giants envision Jones as their quarterback of the future. And that future starts Sunday.
So, after 15 years and 232 starts (210 of which were consecutive), Eli Manning is now a highly-paid backup quarterback. (Although, considering how many starters have been lost for a significant amount of time already this season, that might not be a bad thing.) It's something everyone, including Eli, knew was coming. I'm not sure anybody thought it would be this soon, though. (My guess was Week 12 after the bye.)
Eli's been in decline for the past few years. That's not exactly Earth-shattering news. Although, I can't really say he deserves ALL of the blame for the Giants' offensive struggles. It's not his fault they have no offensive line or wide receivers, and they didn't have a ground game until drafting Saquon last year. Still, with Manning entering the final year of his contract, it was time to start thinking about a successor, which is why they drafted Jones. And when Jones was impressive in preseason, most felt it was just a matter of time before he took over.
The timing is still a bit surprising, though. Yes, the Giants are 0-2, but they're by no means out of it. And I don't think a quarterback change is suddenly going to make them competitive. There are definitely some wins out there (they've still got Washington twice, as well as Miami and Arizona), but this isn't a playoff team with either Eli Manning OR Daniel Jones at quarterback.
In other words, when the quarterback change happened didn't make much of a difference. So the Giants decided that the time was now. Eli Manning is the past. Daniel Jones is the future. And he's being given 14 games to prove that he is indeed the long-term answer. After all, Eli was given the same chance midway through his rookie season, when he took over for Hall of Famer Kurt Warner in Week 11 and the rest was history.
Whether or not he ends up joining his brother with a bust in Canton, there's no doubting Eli Manning's place in Giants lore. He won two Super Bowls. He was named Super Bowl MVP twice. He started every game for 12+ years, the second-longest streak for a QB in NFL history. He's the franchise's all-time leader in every major passing category. And, despite how it's going to end, there was more good than bad during his 15 years as the starter.
He may retire after the season. Or he may sign a one-year deal with a team that needs a veteran mentor for its first-round pick. He may even stick around the league as a backup. I can even see a situation where one of the many teams that's seen it's starter go down asks the Giants about an Eli Manning trade at some point this season (he has a full no-trade clause, so he'd have to approve any deal).
Regardless, there will be an Eli Manning No. 10 jersey retirement ceremony on a Monday (or Thursday) night in the not-too-distant future. He'll also take his place in the Giants' Ring of Honor alongside such other legends as Lawrence Taylor, Sam Huff, Frank Gifford and Michael Strahan (oddly, Strahan and Huff's numbers aren't retired). And, considering how much he's meant to the franchise, he certainly deserves both.
His overall place on the list of the greatest players in the Giants' illustrious history is a debate for another day. And it should wait. Because too many people will focus on how it's ending instead of the many highs the franchise enjoyed with Eli Manning under center. Personally, I think No. 10 belongs in the top 10 no question (he might even be top five).
For Eli Manning, I bet he wishes the final chapter was being written differently. And who knows? It still might be. But the thought of Eli Manning in another jersey is as foreign as Joe Namath playing for the Rams or O.J. Simpson with the 49ers. So, in a way, I hope this is it. Whether or not Sunday was his last start, whether or not he has one last moment in the sun, I just can't picture him wearing somebody else's uniform.
Regardless, Eli Manning was responsible for some of the most memorable moments in Giants history. Everyone remembers David Tyree's helmet catch, which wouldn't have been possible if Eli hadn't scrambled through the entire Patriots defense avoiding the sack! OBJ's remarkable one-handed touchdown catch on Sunday night against Dallas during his rookie year? Who threw the ball?
Now in Daniel Jones' turn. Only time will tell if he authors as many signature moments and lasts as long as his predecessor. For 15 years, Eli Manning took Giants fans on quite a ride. As it turns out, his forcing that draft-day trade wasn't so bad after all.
However, as a Giants fan, I have nothing but appreciation for what he's done for the franchise. Without Eli Manning, Bradicheck's already ridiculous number of rings would be eight, not six. Eli led the game-winning fourth-quarter drive in both of those Super Bowl upsets, and he was named the game's MVP each time. And it's because of those two victories that he'll be in the Hall of Fame conversation every year once he's eligible.
And it sure looks like that's going to be five years from now. Because, for all intents and purposes, the Eli Manning Era is over. The Giants announced today that rookie first-round pick Daniel Jones is going to start Sunday against the Bucs. And this isn't Ben McAdoo's "I'm trying to make a point and want to get fired" one-game Eli benching two seasons ago. The Giants envision Jones as their quarterback of the future. And that future starts Sunday.
So, after 15 years and 232 starts (210 of which were consecutive), Eli Manning is now a highly-paid backup quarterback. (Although, considering how many starters have been lost for a significant amount of time already this season, that might not be a bad thing.) It's something everyone, including Eli, knew was coming. I'm not sure anybody thought it would be this soon, though. (My guess was Week 12 after the bye.)
Eli's been in decline for the past few years. That's not exactly Earth-shattering news. Although, I can't really say he deserves ALL of the blame for the Giants' offensive struggles. It's not his fault they have no offensive line or wide receivers, and they didn't have a ground game until drafting Saquon last year. Still, with Manning entering the final year of his contract, it was time to start thinking about a successor, which is why they drafted Jones. And when Jones was impressive in preseason, most felt it was just a matter of time before he took over.
The timing is still a bit surprising, though. Yes, the Giants are 0-2, but they're by no means out of it. And I don't think a quarterback change is suddenly going to make them competitive. There are definitely some wins out there (they've still got Washington twice, as well as Miami and Arizona), but this isn't a playoff team with either Eli Manning OR Daniel Jones at quarterback.
In other words, when the quarterback change happened didn't make much of a difference. So the Giants decided that the time was now. Eli Manning is the past. Daniel Jones is the future. And he's being given 14 games to prove that he is indeed the long-term answer. After all, Eli was given the same chance midway through his rookie season, when he took over for Hall of Famer Kurt Warner in Week 11 and the rest was history.
Whether or not he ends up joining his brother with a bust in Canton, there's no doubting Eli Manning's place in Giants lore. He won two Super Bowls. He was named Super Bowl MVP twice. He started every game for 12+ years, the second-longest streak for a QB in NFL history. He's the franchise's all-time leader in every major passing category. And, despite how it's going to end, there was more good than bad during his 15 years as the starter.
He may retire after the season. Or he may sign a one-year deal with a team that needs a veteran mentor for its first-round pick. He may even stick around the league as a backup. I can even see a situation where one of the many teams that's seen it's starter go down asks the Giants about an Eli Manning trade at some point this season (he has a full no-trade clause, so he'd have to approve any deal).
Regardless, there will be an Eli Manning No. 10 jersey retirement ceremony on a Monday (or Thursday) night in the not-too-distant future. He'll also take his place in the Giants' Ring of Honor alongside such other legends as Lawrence Taylor, Sam Huff, Frank Gifford and Michael Strahan (oddly, Strahan and Huff's numbers aren't retired). And, considering how much he's meant to the franchise, he certainly deserves both.
His overall place on the list of the greatest players in the Giants' illustrious history is a debate for another day. And it should wait. Because too many people will focus on how it's ending instead of the many highs the franchise enjoyed with Eli Manning under center. Personally, I think No. 10 belongs in the top 10 no question (he might even be top five).
For Eli Manning, I bet he wishes the final chapter was being written differently. And who knows? It still might be. But the thought of Eli Manning in another jersey is as foreign as Joe Namath playing for the Rams or O.J. Simpson with the 49ers. So, in a way, I hope this is it. Whether or not Sunday was his last start, whether or not he has one last moment in the sun, I just can't picture him wearing somebody else's uniform.
Regardless, Eli Manning was responsible for some of the most memorable moments in Giants history. Everyone remembers David Tyree's helmet catch, which wouldn't have been possible if Eli hadn't scrambled through the entire Patriots defense avoiding the sack! OBJ's remarkable one-handed touchdown catch on Sunday night against Dallas during his rookie year? Who threw the ball?
Now in Daniel Jones' turn. Only time will tell if he authors as many signature moments and lasts as long as his predecessor. For 15 years, Eli Manning took Giants fans on quite a ride. As it turns out, his forcing that draft-day trade wasn't so bad after all.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
NFL 100: Week 2
Week 2 is always interesting. We get to see if the surprise teams that looked great in their openers are for real and if the teams that looked terrible in their openers really are that bad. Teams also have a chance to make early statements in their divisions, and we've even got a matchup (Saints-Rams) that could have major playoff implications. You know what kind of state the league's in when Joe Buck kept referring to the Thursday night game as a "must-win." A "must-win" game in Week 2! Welcome to the NFL's 100th season!
Thursday Night: Carolina (Loss)
49ers (1-0) at Bengals (0-1): San Francisco-Impressive performances by both of these teams in their openers. San Francisco went into Tampa Bay and won last week. Cincinnati went to Seattle and almost did. So which one keeps the momentum going in Week 2? Frankly, I think the 49ers have more upside. And they know they need to stock up on wins outside the division if they have any hope of keeping pace with the Rams and Seahawks.
Chargers (1-0) at Lions (0-0-1): Chargers-Remember when the Chargers had that reputation for not being able to play 1:00 games? I think they're finally past it. They need to be. Otherwise, they'll be stuck playing on Wild Card Weekend again. As for their opponent on Sunday, what can I say? How do you blow a lead like that against the Cardinals? The Lions were lucky to end up with a tie in a game they should've won. And they really needed that win, seeing as this starts a five-game stretch of playoff teams from last year (Chargers, Eagles, Chiefs), followed by the Packers and Vikings.
Vikings (1-0) at Packers (1-0): Green Bay-It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. The Packers went into Chicago and opened the NFL season with a 10-3 victory over the defending division champs. Now they make their 2019 Lambeau debut against the other NFC North co-favorite. And I'm expecting a much better offensive showing. This game not only gives Green Bay a chance to make a statement, but, with a victory, they'll be all alone in first place with a pair of division wins already under their belt. That could loom large as the season progresses.
Colts (0-1) at Titans (1-0): Tennessee-Both of these teams deserve a ton of credit for their effort last week. The Titans went into Cleveland, dominated from the start, and dropped 43 points on a Browns team that was a popular preseason playoff pick. Indianapolis, meanwhile, almost found a way against the Chargers, sending the game into overtime before finally falling. Maybe they'll be OK without Andrew Luck after all. Is it enough to slow the Titans' roll, though? Don't count on it.
Patriots (1-0) at Dolphins (0-1): New England-Yeah, I think the less I say about this game the better. New England actually has a losing record in Miami during the Bradicheck Era. But that was against an actual NFL team. I don't know what that was last week. But if the Ravens and their powerhouse offense can score 59 points against the Dolphins, imagine what the Patriots will do!
Bills (1-0) at Giants (0-1): Giants-Why, oh why, did the NFL schedule the Buffalo Bills' first two games of the season at Met Life Stadium? It's not like they're a West Coast team that just spent the week in New York. It's a one-hour flight! Anyway, they had that nice second half comeback to beat the Jets, which might've had a little divine assistance (my brother-in-law's best man, who was a Bills fan, passed away last week). I don't think they make it two in a row, though. For some reason, I think the Giants will win.
Seahawks (1-0) at Steelers (0-1): Pittsburgh-All through the Thursday night game, Joe Buck kept saying how both teams needed a win. That sounds crazy in Week 2, but, in the Steelers' case, it actually rings true. New England/Seattle wasn't exactly the easiest way to start the season, but Pittsburgh needs to rebound from that miserable performance on Sunday night and show that it actually has an offense. Fortunately for them, they face a Seahawks team that barely beat Cincinnati and is flying cross country for an early kickoff.
Cowboys (1-0) at Redskins (0-1): Dallas-Most people think the NFC East will come down to Dallas and Philadelphia. So, it was an unfortunate draw for Washington, one of the worst teams in the entire league, to draw the Eagles and Cowboys as their first two opponents. Especially since Dallas did nothing to dispel its favorite status while winning its annual Week 1 matchup with the Giants. These two rivals usually produce competitive games. Don't expect this one to be that close, though. The Cowboys are a far superior team.
Cardinals (0-0-1) at Ravens (1-0): Baltimore-Talk about an easy schedule to start the season! After traveling to Miami for their fifth preseason game, the Ravens get to open their home schedule against another one of the league's bottom-feeders--Arizona. The Cardinals had an impressive rally to tie the game last week, but that was more the Lions letting them back in it than anything else. The Baltimore defense won't be nearly as accommodating.
Jaguars (0-1) at Texans (0-1): Houston-Nick Foles almost lasted an entire quarter as the Jaguars' starting quarterback. It was already setting up to be a long season in Jacksonville. With rookie Gardner Minshew under center, it's only going to get longer. J.J. Watt won't exactly give him a warm welcome to the AFC South, although he will provide him with a preview of what he's in for all season. As for the Texans, they can't afford to fall to 0-2 with the Chargers coming up next week.
Chiefs (1-0) at Raiders (1-0): Kansas City-New year, same Chiefs offense. They picked up right where they left off last week in Jacksonville. Now they travel cross country for their final trip to Oakland. The Raiders had one of the more impressive victories of anybody in Week 1. The Antonio Brown Saga clearly wasn't the distraction people thought it might be (or, they were just glad he's gone and were out to show they didn't need him to begin with). They were also playing Denver last week. The Chiefs are an entirely different animal. I'm not sure Oakland's defense can keep up.
Bears (0-1) at Broncos (0-1): Denver-Last season, Vic Fangio was the Bears' defensive coordinator. Now he's the Broncos' head coach, and his first game in Denver is against his old team. If Chicago could only manage three points at home against Green Bay, I wonder how bad it'll be against a guy who knows Matt Nagy's system backwards and forwards. Fangio and Joe Flacco both begin the Denver portion of their Broncos careers with a win.
Saints (1-0) at Rams (1-0): Rams-Is it just me, or should this game be on a Sunday night? I also feel it should be much later in the season than Week 2. Because, like last year, it could go a long way in deciding who gets home field for the NFC playoffs. It'll also be interesting to see how they both bounce back after surprisingly close victories last week (Saints-Texans is an early candidate for game of the year). I think both offenses click in the Southern California sunshine, but the Rams' being at home is enough to give them the slight edge.
Eagles (1-0) at Falcons (0-1): Philadelphia-On Sunday Night Football, we've got two of the last three NFC champions. I'm not exactly sure why (again, Saints-Rams should've been the Sunday night game). This is actually the third straight year they're meeting on NBC after that playoff game during Philly's Super Bowl run and the opener last season. Both of those games were Eagles wins. This should be another. If there's any consolation Atlanta can take from an 0-2 start, though, it's that they'd have lost to a pair of pretty good teams in Minnesota and Philadelphia.
Browns (0-1) at Jets (0-1): Cleveland-This year isn't just the NFL's 100th season. It's also the 50th season of Monday Night Football. This was the original matchup back in 1970, and this is as close to that anniversary as they could get. It's also a fun matchup, as OBJ returns to Met Life Stadium. Both teams are looking to rebound after disappointing losses last week. Cleveland, especially, needs to bounce back after getting thumped by the Titans. I originally picked the Jets in this one. Then I found out Sam Darnold has mono. The Browns won that initial Monday night game 31-20. That works for me. (We're also pretty close to the one-year anniversary of last year's Browns-Jets game where Baker Mayfield led that second half comeback to give Cleveland its first win since 2016.)
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 11-4-1
Overall: 11-5-1
Thursday Night: Carolina (Loss)
49ers (1-0) at Bengals (0-1): San Francisco-Impressive performances by both of these teams in their openers. San Francisco went into Tampa Bay and won last week. Cincinnati went to Seattle and almost did. So which one keeps the momentum going in Week 2? Frankly, I think the 49ers have more upside. And they know they need to stock up on wins outside the division if they have any hope of keeping pace with the Rams and Seahawks.
Chargers (1-0) at Lions (0-0-1): Chargers-Remember when the Chargers had that reputation for not being able to play 1:00 games? I think they're finally past it. They need to be. Otherwise, they'll be stuck playing on Wild Card Weekend again. As for their opponent on Sunday, what can I say? How do you blow a lead like that against the Cardinals? The Lions were lucky to end up with a tie in a game they should've won. And they really needed that win, seeing as this starts a five-game stretch of playoff teams from last year (Chargers, Eagles, Chiefs), followed by the Packers and Vikings.
Vikings (1-0) at Packers (1-0): Green Bay-It wasn't pretty, but it got the job done. The Packers went into Chicago and opened the NFL season with a 10-3 victory over the defending division champs. Now they make their 2019 Lambeau debut against the other NFC North co-favorite. And I'm expecting a much better offensive showing. This game not only gives Green Bay a chance to make a statement, but, with a victory, they'll be all alone in first place with a pair of division wins already under their belt. That could loom large as the season progresses.
Colts (0-1) at Titans (1-0): Tennessee-Both of these teams deserve a ton of credit for their effort last week. The Titans went into Cleveland, dominated from the start, and dropped 43 points on a Browns team that was a popular preseason playoff pick. Indianapolis, meanwhile, almost found a way against the Chargers, sending the game into overtime before finally falling. Maybe they'll be OK without Andrew Luck after all. Is it enough to slow the Titans' roll, though? Don't count on it.
Patriots (1-0) at Dolphins (0-1): New England-Yeah, I think the less I say about this game the better. New England actually has a losing record in Miami during the Bradicheck Era. But that was against an actual NFL team. I don't know what that was last week. But if the Ravens and their powerhouse offense can score 59 points against the Dolphins, imagine what the Patriots will do!
Bills (1-0) at Giants (0-1): Giants-Why, oh why, did the NFL schedule the Buffalo Bills' first two games of the season at Met Life Stadium? It's not like they're a West Coast team that just spent the week in New York. It's a one-hour flight! Anyway, they had that nice second half comeback to beat the Jets, which might've had a little divine assistance (my brother-in-law's best man, who was a Bills fan, passed away last week). I don't think they make it two in a row, though. For some reason, I think the Giants will win.
Seahawks (1-0) at Steelers (0-1): Pittsburgh-All through the Thursday night game, Joe Buck kept saying how both teams needed a win. That sounds crazy in Week 2, but, in the Steelers' case, it actually rings true. New England/Seattle wasn't exactly the easiest way to start the season, but Pittsburgh needs to rebound from that miserable performance on Sunday night and show that it actually has an offense. Fortunately for them, they face a Seahawks team that barely beat Cincinnati and is flying cross country for an early kickoff.
Cowboys (1-0) at Redskins (0-1): Dallas-Most people think the NFC East will come down to Dallas and Philadelphia. So, it was an unfortunate draw for Washington, one of the worst teams in the entire league, to draw the Eagles and Cowboys as their first two opponents. Especially since Dallas did nothing to dispel its favorite status while winning its annual Week 1 matchup with the Giants. These two rivals usually produce competitive games. Don't expect this one to be that close, though. The Cowboys are a far superior team.
Cardinals (0-0-1) at Ravens (1-0): Baltimore-Talk about an easy schedule to start the season! After traveling to Miami for their fifth preseason game, the Ravens get to open their home schedule against another one of the league's bottom-feeders--Arizona. The Cardinals had an impressive rally to tie the game last week, but that was more the Lions letting them back in it than anything else. The Baltimore defense won't be nearly as accommodating.
Jaguars (0-1) at Texans (0-1): Houston-Nick Foles almost lasted an entire quarter as the Jaguars' starting quarterback. It was already setting up to be a long season in Jacksonville. With rookie Gardner Minshew under center, it's only going to get longer. J.J. Watt won't exactly give him a warm welcome to the AFC South, although he will provide him with a preview of what he's in for all season. As for the Texans, they can't afford to fall to 0-2 with the Chargers coming up next week.
Chiefs (1-0) at Raiders (1-0): Kansas City-New year, same Chiefs offense. They picked up right where they left off last week in Jacksonville. Now they travel cross country for their final trip to Oakland. The Raiders had one of the more impressive victories of anybody in Week 1. The Antonio Brown Saga clearly wasn't the distraction people thought it might be (or, they were just glad he's gone and were out to show they didn't need him to begin with). They were also playing Denver last week. The Chiefs are an entirely different animal. I'm not sure Oakland's defense can keep up.
Bears (0-1) at Broncos (0-1): Denver-Last season, Vic Fangio was the Bears' defensive coordinator. Now he's the Broncos' head coach, and his first game in Denver is against his old team. If Chicago could only manage three points at home against Green Bay, I wonder how bad it'll be against a guy who knows Matt Nagy's system backwards and forwards. Fangio and Joe Flacco both begin the Denver portion of their Broncos careers with a win.
Saints (1-0) at Rams (1-0): Rams-Is it just me, or should this game be on a Sunday night? I also feel it should be much later in the season than Week 2. Because, like last year, it could go a long way in deciding who gets home field for the NFC playoffs. It'll also be interesting to see how they both bounce back after surprisingly close victories last week (Saints-Texans is an early candidate for game of the year). I think both offenses click in the Southern California sunshine, but the Rams' being at home is enough to give them the slight edge.
Eagles (1-0) at Falcons (0-1): Philadelphia-On Sunday Night Football, we've got two of the last three NFC champions. I'm not exactly sure why (again, Saints-Rams should've been the Sunday night game). This is actually the third straight year they're meeting on NBC after that playoff game during Philly's Super Bowl run and the opener last season. Both of those games were Eagles wins. This should be another. If there's any consolation Atlanta can take from an 0-2 start, though, it's that they'd have lost to a pair of pretty good teams in Minnesota and Philadelphia.
Browns (0-1) at Jets (0-1): Cleveland-This year isn't just the NFL's 100th season. It's also the 50th season of Monday Night Football. This was the original matchup back in 1970, and this is as close to that anniversary as they could get. It's also a fun matchup, as OBJ returns to Met Life Stadium. Both teams are looking to rebound after disappointing losses last week. Cleveland, especially, needs to bounce back after getting thumped by the Titans. I originally picked the Jets in this one. Then I found out Sam Darnold has mono. The Browns won that initial Monday night game 31-20. That works for me. (We're also pretty close to the one-year anniversary of last year's Browns-Jets game where Baker Mayfield led that second half comeback to give Cleveland its first win since 2016.)
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 11-4-1
Overall: 11-5-1
Friday, September 13, 2019
All About AB
Last season's Steelers were about as dysfunctional as a team can get. This isn't news to anyone. LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown both pouted their way out of town, while blaming all of Pittsburgh's problems on Ben Roethlisberger. That claim, of course, was comically untrue considering who the locker room cancers actually were.
This season, there appears to be harmony in Pittsburgh. And I don't think it's a coincidence that suddenly everybody's getting along with those two gone. After holding out all of last year, LeVeon signed with the Jets during the offseason and seems to be behaving himself so far. As for Brown, he was traded to the Raiders, although I'm betting Oakland is probably wishing they could have a do-over on that trade.
On paper, it seemed like a good fit. Jon Gruden has the type of personality to handle him, and the Raiders needed a big-game receiver. AB definitely qualifies as a big-game receiver, which is the main reason why the Steelers put up with him as long as they did. Plus, the Raiders were featured on Hard Knocks this year, and you would've figured Hard Knocks would've been the perfect platform for someone with such a big personality.
However, as we quickly learned, whoever thought AB on the Raiders would work was sorely mistaken. First he got frostbite (in the middle of June!) by wearing the wrong type of shoes in a cryotheraphy chamber. Then there was that bizarre issue with his helmet, which wasn't approved by the NFL and he couldn't understand why he wasn't allowed to wear it. It went through two appeals before he finally dropped it (it's a player safety issue, AB, you were never gonna win that one). This is all before he ever put on a Raiders jersey, mind you.
All of this meant that AB rarely, if ever practiced, and he didn't play in any preseason games. Still, that's not considered out of the ordinary for a starter, so people didn't read too much into it. Then came the last straw, after which the house of cards came tumbling down very quickly.
Raiders GM Mike Mayock, who had previously said that Brown needed to decide if he was "all in or all out," fined him $54,000 for unexcused absences during training camp ($40,000 was for missed practices, the other $14,000 was for skipping a walk-through before a preseason game). Like the mature adult he is, AB decided to post the letter on Instagram and whine about it as if he was somehow being victimized. Nevertheless, the Raiders expected Brown to play in the season opener against Denver last Monday night.
Then that all changed. Brown confronted Mayock at the team facility and an obscenity-filled shouting match ensued. That led to a $215,000 fine for conduct detrimental to the team, which also led to the voiding of $29 million worth of guaranteed money in his contract. That prompted this reaction: "No way I play after they took that and made my contract week to week." (There was also more whining, blaming the Raiders, and playing the victim on Instagram.)
Shortly thereafter, he was released by the Raiders. He wasn't unemployed for long, though. Before he even had a chance to clean out his locker, he had signed with the Patriots, which happened so quickly (almost too quickly) that it prompted plenty of speculation that there had been some tampering going on.
Here's the really bothersome thing of the entire saga, though. Antonio Brown never wanted to be a Raider. He wanted to be a Patriot. So, after all of the ridiculous drama and selfish behavior, he was rewarded by getting exactly what he wanted all along. What kind of message does that send?
You can bet that the next time a prima donna receiver (or running back or any position really) doesn't want to play for a particular team, they'll do the exact same thing. They'll become such toxic presence that the team has no other choice but to release them, allowing them to become a free agent and choose their own team. And why not? There's nothing preventing them from doing it! In fact, the AB saga may even serve as incentive to act that way.
They seemed to share the same sentiment on all of the pregame shows. You can't reward bad behavior, which is exactly what happened here. And, to make matters even worse, you're giving him a massive amount of attention, too. It's the NFL's 100th season, yet all anybody could talk about in Week 1 was Antonio Brown (which at least gave us a break from Colin Kaepernick).
So what is the solution? That's the difficult part. Maybe it's something that needs to be discussed in the next round of CBA negotiations. At the very least, maybe when a player changes teams the Commissioner should have the ability to enforce a previous team's suspension. And "conduct detrimental to the team" definitely falls under the scope of things the Commissioner has the power to suspend players for.
Regardless, this isn't a very good look for the NFL. And they know it. There are always going to be star players who are difficult, but they're usually just their own team's problem. But, with all his antics during the offseason, followed by his release and far-too-convenient signing with the Patriots, Antonio Brown has become a league problem. And one they'll have to deal with.
As for whether or not AB and New England will work, that remains to be seen. Belichick won't put up with his crap. That's for sure. Or maybe he'll behave himself and give Brady yet another weapon. Either way, the NFL would like all talk about Antonio Brown to focus on what he does on the field. Not the circus he causes off it.
This season, there appears to be harmony in Pittsburgh. And I don't think it's a coincidence that suddenly everybody's getting along with those two gone. After holding out all of last year, LeVeon signed with the Jets during the offseason and seems to be behaving himself so far. As for Brown, he was traded to the Raiders, although I'm betting Oakland is probably wishing they could have a do-over on that trade.
On paper, it seemed like a good fit. Jon Gruden has the type of personality to handle him, and the Raiders needed a big-game receiver. AB definitely qualifies as a big-game receiver, which is the main reason why the Steelers put up with him as long as they did. Plus, the Raiders were featured on Hard Knocks this year, and you would've figured Hard Knocks would've been the perfect platform for someone with such a big personality.
However, as we quickly learned, whoever thought AB on the Raiders would work was sorely mistaken. First he got frostbite (in the middle of June!) by wearing the wrong type of shoes in a cryotheraphy chamber. Then there was that bizarre issue with his helmet, which wasn't approved by the NFL and he couldn't understand why he wasn't allowed to wear it. It went through two appeals before he finally dropped it (it's a player safety issue, AB, you were never gonna win that one). This is all before he ever put on a Raiders jersey, mind you.
All of this meant that AB rarely, if ever practiced, and he didn't play in any preseason games. Still, that's not considered out of the ordinary for a starter, so people didn't read too much into it. Then came the last straw, after which the house of cards came tumbling down very quickly.
Raiders GM Mike Mayock, who had previously said that Brown needed to decide if he was "all in or all out," fined him $54,000 for unexcused absences during training camp ($40,000 was for missed practices, the other $14,000 was for skipping a walk-through before a preseason game). Like the mature adult he is, AB decided to post the letter on Instagram and whine about it as if he was somehow being victimized. Nevertheless, the Raiders expected Brown to play in the season opener against Denver last Monday night.
Then that all changed. Brown confronted Mayock at the team facility and an obscenity-filled shouting match ensued. That led to a $215,000 fine for conduct detrimental to the team, which also led to the voiding of $29 million worth of guaranteed money in his contract. That prompted this reaction: "No way I play after they took that and made my contract week to week." (There was also more whining, blaming the Raiders, and playing the victim on Instagram.)
Shortly thereafter, he was released by the Raiders. He wasn't unemployed for long, though. Before he even had a chance to clean out his locker, he had signed with the Patriots, which happened so quickly (almost too quickly) that it prompted plenty of speculation that there had been some tampering going on.
Here's the really bothersome thing of the entire saga, though. Antonio Brown never wanted to be a Raider. He wanted to be a Patriot. So, after all of the ridiculous drama and selfish behavior, he was rewarded by getting exactly what he wanted all along. What kind of message does that send?
You can bet that the next time a prima donna receiver (or running back or any position really) doesn't want to play for a particular team, they'll do the exact same thing. They'll become such toxic presence that the team has no other choice but to release them, allowing them to become a free agent and choose their own team. And why not? There's nothing preventing them from doing it! In fact, the AB saga may even serve as incentive to act that way.
They seemed to share the same sentiment on all of the pregame shows. You can't reward bad behavior, which is exactly what happened here. And, to make matters even worse, you're giving him a massive amount of attention, too. It's the NFL's 100th season, yet all anybody could talk about in Week 1 was Antonio Brown (which at least gave us a break from Colin Kaepernick).
So what is the solution? That's the difficult part. Maybe it's something that needs to be discussed in the next round of CBA negotiations. At the very least, maybe when a player changes teams the Commissioner should have the ability to enforce a previous team's suspension. And "conduct detrimental to the team" definitely falls under the scope of things the Commissioner has the power to suspend players for.
Regardless, this isn't a very good look for the NFL. And they know it. There are always going to be star players who are difficult, but they're usually just their own team's problem. But, with all his antics during the offseason, followed by his release and far-too-convenient signing with the Patriots, Antonio Brown has become a league problem. And one they'll have to deal with.
As for whether or not AB and New England will work, that remains to be seen. Belichick won't put up with his crap. That's for sure. Or maybe he'll behave himself and give Brady yet another weapon. Either way, the NFL would like all talk about Antonio Brown to focus on what he does on the field. Not the circus he causes off it.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
A Predictable Disappointment
There are a lot of stories that have come out recently that I want to tackle, so picking a topic for today was actually kinda hard. Although, the good this is that it's given me plenty of subjects for the rest of the week (with, of course, the Week 2 football picks mixed in). So what did I decide to go with? USA Basketball's disappointing performance at the FIBA World Cup.
After numerous player withdrawals, the U.S. went to China with a roster that was decidedly lacking star-power. The biggest name on the squad was Kemba Walker, who single-handedly won an NCAA Championship 10 years ago, but hasn't exactly been a perennial All-Star as a pro. Nevertheless, they still boasted the only roster consisting entirely of NBA players and went into the World Cup as favorites, although they certainly appeared vulnerable.
None of that concern was alleviated when they got their butts kicked by Australia in one of the exhibition games. Then, in the second game of group play, they needed overtime to beat Turkey by a point...and the game only went to OT because Turkey missed a bunch of free throws at the end of regulation. Still, they were 5-0 heading into a quarterfinal matchup with France.
But in the quarters, they were badly outplayed and beaten soundly, 89-79, snapping a 13-year, 58-game winning streak in Olympic/World Cup/FIBA Americas competition. That loss meant the U.S. wouldn't medal for the first time since 2002, when they finished sixth at the World Cup in Indianapolis. Hang on, it gets better! They followed that up with a loss to Serbia in the consolation round, dropping them into the seventh-place game against Poland and guaranteeing the worst-ever finish by an American team at the World Cup.
Frankly, this result isn't all that shocking. It wasn't the best team the U.S. could've sent to the World Cup by far, and a number of nations brought their best possible team to the tournament (semifinalists Argentina, Spain and Australia are all still undefeated, while France's only loss was to Australia in group play). Then you throw in some injuries that left the Americans down to 10 for the France and Serbia games, and the two losses to highly-ranked opponents are even less of a surprise.
I'm not even sure winning the World Cup was necessarily their objective. The World Cup was linked to Olympic qualifying, with the top two teams from the Americas clinching spots in Tokyo. They took care of that by beating Brazil in the final group game, guaranteeing that the U.S. and Argentina would be the only teams from the Americas in the quarterfinals. So, mission accomplished. Otherwise, they would've had to play in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament next summer.
And we all know that the Olympics are and always have been more important to USA Basketball. That's why the team we'll see next summer will be full of names that are much more familiar to the casual basketball fan. Especially after this dumpster fire of World Cup, I'm fully expecting the 2020 Olympic team to be completely different. In fact, I'd be shocked if any of the 12 World Cup players makes the team next summer.
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, who'll be assembling the team for next year's Olympics, was upset about all the withdrawals and made a thinly veiled threat to those players. He said, "I will remember who did not show up for the World Cup," which I guess was his way of trying to imply that they won't be selected for the Olympic team. Which is obviously ridiculous. Because if Steph Curry and LeBron James want to represent the USA in Tokyo you're not going to let them? Please. Especially when everyone knows the Olympics are your priority.
The real reason so many players pulled out had nothing to do with a lack of commitment, either. It's because of FIBA's idiotic scheduling of the World Cup, which I think had a direct impact on the players' decisions.
Kudos to the 12 players who did suit up. Because they'll immediately be heading to training camp in preparation for an 82-game season. Then they're supposed to turn right around as soon as the season ends and put on the USA jersey again for the Olympics (which will also be held in East Asia) before doing the whole thing all over again? That's too much, and there are plenty of NBA owners/GMs/coaches who'd be plenty upset with their star players if they had tried it.
FIBA just changed the international schedule, though, so it doesn't look like they're eager to change it back anytime soon. Which means this is going to be an ongoing problem. And it's on USA Basketball to solve it. Because you're not going to have a roster with 12 All-NBA players in back-to-back years. Especially not the same 12 players.
Keep in mind, they had this exact same problem heading into the 2010 World Cup. Nobody from the 2008 Olympic team returned. The biggest difference, though, was that Kevin Durant was on that team and dominated the tournament. And who knows? Maybe that one stud player would've been the difference. And maybe this year was an anomaly with the injuries and scheduling issues and everything else that led most of those who were invited to drop out.
Perhaps USA Basketball can take this as a lesson, too. You can't just take any 12 guys and expect them to win simply because they play in the NBA and they're wearing a USA jersey. The rest of the world is simply too good.
This wouldn't be the first time that happened, either. After the embarrassing sixth place in 2002 was followed by a bronze at the Athens Olympics, they completely revamped the National Team system, hiring Mike Krzyzewski as coach and changing the selection process. And it didn't work right away. They won bronze at the 2006 World Cup (after that loss to Greece in the semis). But three Olympic golds and two World Cups followed.
Now USA Basketball is at another crossroads. As much they'd like to forget the 2019 World Cup, they can't. And they shouldn't. Because it was a valuable learning experience. Just like not qualifying for last year's FIFA World Cup was a wake-up call for USA Soccer, the performance at this year's FIBA World Cup should serve the same effect for USA Basketball. You have to change what you were doing. Otherwise, it'll happen again.
At least USA Basketball doesn't need to wait another four years. And the World Cup wasn't a total loss, either. They did achieve one of their goals and qualified for the Olympics. So, we'll only have to wait 10 months to see if there's any World Cup hangover. I doubt there will be. Because in Tokyo, USA Basketball will have an entirely different team. In more ways than one.
After numerous player withdrawals, the U.S. went to China with a roster that was decidedly lacking star-power. The biggest name on the squad was Kemba Walker, who single-handedly won an NCAA Championship 10 years ago, but hasn't exactly been a perennial All-Star as a pro. Nevertheless, they still boasted the only roster consisting entirely of NBA players and went into the World Cup as favorites, although they certainly appeared vulnerable.
None of that concern was alleviated when they got their butts kicked by Australia in one of the exhibition games. Then, in the second game of group play, they needed overtime to beat Turkey by a point...and the game only went to OT because Turkey missed a bunch of free throws at the end of regulation. Still, they were 5-0 heading into a quarterfinal matchup with France.
But in the quarters, they were badly outplayed and beaten soundly, 89-79, snapping a 13-year, 58-game winning streak in Olympic/World Cup/FIBA Americas competition. That loss meant the U.S. wouldn't medal for the first time since 2002, when they finished sixth at the World Cup in Indianapolis. Hang on, it gets better! They followed that up with a loss to Serbia in the consolation round, dropping them into the seventh-place game against Poland and guaranteeing the worst-ever finish by an American team at the World Cup.
Frankly, this result isn't all that shocking. It wasn't the best team the U.S. could've sent to the World Cup by far, and a number of nations brought their best possible team to the tournament (semifinalists Argentina, Spain and Australia are all still undefeated, while France's only loss was to Australia in group play). Then you throw in some injuries that left the Americans down to 10 for the France and Serbia games, and the two losses to highly-ranked opponents are even less of a surprise.
I'm not even sure winning the World Cup was necessarily their objective. The World Cup was linked to Olympic qualifying, with the top two teams from the Americas clinching spots in Tokyo. They took care of that by beating Brazil in the final group game, guaranteeing that the U.S. and Argentina would be the only teams from the Americas in the quarterfinals. So, mission accomplished. Otherwise, they would've had to play in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament next summer.
And we all know that the Olympics are and always have been more important to USA Basketball. That's why the team we'll see next summer will be full of names that are much more familiar to the casual basketball fan. Especially after this dumpster fire of World Cup, I'm fully expecting the 2020 Olympic team to be completely different. In fact, I'd be shocked if any of the 12 World Cup players makes the team next summer.
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, who'll be assembling the team for next year's Olympics, was upset about all the withdrawals and made a thinly veiled threat to those players. He said, "I will remember who did not show up for the World Cup," which I guess was his way of trying to imply that they won't be selected for the Olympic team. Which is obviously ridiculous. Because if Steph Curry and LeBron James want to represent the USA in Tokyo you're not going to let them? Please. Especially when everyone knows the Olympics are your priority.
The real reason so many players pulled out had nothing to do with a lack of commitment, either. It's because of FIBA's idiotic scheduling of the World Cup, which I think had a direct impact on the players' decisions.
Kudos to the 12 players who did suit up. Because they'll immediately be heading to training camp in preparation for an 82-game season. Then they're supposed to turn right around as soon as the season ends and put on the USA jersey again for the Olympics (which will also be held in East Asia) before doing the whole thing all over again? That's too much, and there are plenty of NBA owners/GMs/coaches who'd be plenty upset with their star players if they had tried it.
FIBA just changed the international schedule, though, so it doesn't look like they're eager to change it back anytime soon. Which means this is going to be an ongoing problem. And it's on USA Basketball to solve it. Because you're not going to have a roster with 12 All-NBA players in back-to-back years. Especially not the same 12 players.
Keep in mind, they had this exact same problem heading into the 2010 World Cup. Nobody from the 2008 Olympic team returned. The biggest difference, though, was that Kevin Durant was on that team and dominated the tournament. And who knows? Maybe that one stud player would've been the difference. And maybe this year was an anomaly with the injuries and scheduling issues and everything else that led most of those who were invited to drop out.
Perhaps USA Basketball can take this as a lesson, too. You can't just take any 12 guys and expect them to win simply because they play in the NBA and they're wearing a USA jersey. The rest of the world is simply too good.
This wouldn't be the first time that happened, either. After the embarrassing sixth place in 2002 was followed by a bronze at the Athens Olympics, they completely revamped the National Team system, hiring Mike Krzyzewski as coach and changing the selection process. And it didn't work right away. They won bronze at the 2006 World Cup (after that loss to Greece in the semis). But three Olympic golds and two World Cups followed.
Now USA Basketball is at another crossroads. As much they'd like to forget the 2019 World Cup, they can't. And they shouldn't. Because it was a valuable learning experience. Just like not qualifying for last year's FIFA World Cup was a wake-up call for USA Soccer, the performance at this year's FIBA World Cup should serve the same effect for USA Basketball. You have to change what you were doing. Otherwise, it'll happen again.
At least USA Basketball doesn't need to wait another four years. And the World Cup wasn't a total loss, either. They did achieve one of their goals and qualified for the Olympics. So, we'll only have to wait 10 months to see if there's any World Cup hangover. I doubt there will be. Because in Tokyo, USA Basketball will have an entirely different team. In more ways than one.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
But At Least the Fireworks Started On Time
Over the weekend, an embarrassing and, frankly, unacceptable situation occurred during the field hockey game between Maine and Temple that was being played at Kent State. The game was 0-0 and headed into a second overtime when Kent State officials told them that they had to stop and clear the field. Why? Because the Kent State football team had a game at noon and they had to get prepared for the pregame fireworks show!
A regulation field hockey game is 60 minutes long, so the 9 a.m. start time shouldn't have been an issue. However, once the game went into overtime, then double overtime, they were coming close to their 10:30 cutoff time. Both teams had been informed of the 10:30 cutoff when they signed the game contract in the Spring, but it was never communicated that it was to be a hard stop at 10:30. They only found that out when Kent State officials came on the field and told them they had to clear off because of fire marshal regulations regarding the fireworks (sidebar: am I the only one who thinks fireworks at noon make no sense?).
Instead of letting them decide the game in a shootout (which is what's done in the NCAA Tournament), they made them stop playing immediately. Although, to show how "understanding" they were, Kent State did offer to let them resume the game at 5:30! They even offered to pick up Temple's hotel rooms! Wasn't that nice of them? Too bad this "solution" wasn't practical since Temple was driving back home right after the game and couldn't wait that long.
As a result, the NCAA considered the game a scrimmage. So, both teams traveled all the way from Maine and Philadelphia to Kent, Ohio, to play two games, only to have one of them not count...after playing for 70 minutes! And, since the schools aren't exactly close to each other, there are no plans to make it up.
Both teams immediately took to social media to express their displeasure at what happened. And the criticism of how Kent State handled it was as harsh as you'd expect. Especially because it's a situation that could've easily been avoided.
Kent State quickly went into damage control mode (but not until the football game was over). Although, the Athletic Director didn't release a statement until Monday, nearly 48 hours after the incident (is it just me, or is that too late?). He apologized to the student-athletes and coaches while acknowledging that "a different decision should have been made." He continued, "We hold ourselves to a high standard, and in this situation, we failed." Ya think?!
Where do I start with how offensive this is? The statement, which rings incredibly hollow, is insulting enough. And it's not just insulting to Temple and Maine, or even to the sport of field hockey! It's sending a horrible message to all female athletes. Kent State essentially told them that their Division I contest was nowhere near as important as their football pregame festivities. (Not that it matters, but I'm also left wondering if they would've halted the field hockey game had Kent State been one of the teams involved.)
It's 2019. I thought our society was long past this. Yet, here we are, telling Division I athletes that they don't matter. Would the same decision have been made if things were the other way around? Of course not! They would've told the field hockey players that they just had to wait until the football game was over. That alone shows how backwards this entire situation was.
No one's going to deny that BCS football rules the roost. Many schools fund their smaller programs from the revenue brought in by football and men's basketball. That's true even a school like Kent State, which plays in the MAC. The Golden Flashes are playing guarantee games at Arizona State, Auburn and Wisconsin this season. That money, plus whatever they bring in from the conference's TV contract, will cover the operating budget for a number of other Kent State teams.
And other fall teams having to make accommodations around the football schedule is nothing new. Penn State's women's volleyball team has won seven NCAA titles, but often has to schedule its Saturday home matches so that they don't conflict with home football games. They're not the only top-flight volleyball program that has to do this, either. (Although, it should be noted, this isn't done to "accommodate the football team" as much as it is because of all the extra staffing, security, parking, etc., that's needed with all those extra people coming onto campus for the game.)
Does any of that make what happened at Kent State on Sunday acceptable, though? Of course not! I'm not trying to suggest it does. In fact, it had the opposite effect. Because, for all the progress that has been made in terms of equality for women's sports, this sets it back nearly as far. It tells the female athletes that, despite earning the same Division I scholarships and putting in all the same work as their male counterparts, they're unimportant. Is that really the message you want to be sending?
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association is predictably upset. And rightfully so. As are the coaches and players from both teams, many of whom simply don't understand why pregame festivities took precedence over an official, regular season Division I game. Maine's Athletic Department is even looking into filing a Title IX complaint against Kent State.
Unfortunately, Kent State had its priorities reversed on Saturday. Which is really a sad commentary about the state of college women's sports in 2019. Because for all the progress that has been made in terms of equality, there's still a long way to go.
But, hey, at least the fireworks went off without a hitch! And Kent State won the football game (against that powerhouse team from Kennesaw State), which was obviously the most important takeaway from the day!
A regulation field hockey game is 60 minutes long, so the 9 a.m. start time shouldn't have been an issue. However, once the game went into overtime, then double overtime, they were coming close to their 10:30 cutoff time. Both teams had been informed of the 10:30 cutoff when they signed the game contract in the Spring, but it was never communicated that it was to be a hard stop at 10:30. They only found that out when Kent State officials came on the field and told them they had to clear off because of fire marshal regulations regarding the fireworks (sidebar: am I the only one who thinks fireworks at noon make no sense?).
Instead of letting them decide the game in a shootout (which is what's done in the NCAA Tournament), they made them stop playing immediately. Although, to show how "understanding" they were, Kent State did offer to let them resume the game at 5:30! They even offered to pick up Temple's hotel rooms! Wasn't that nice of them? Too bad this "solution" wasn't practical since Temple was driving back home right after the game and couldn't wait that long.
As a result, the NCAA considered the game a scrimmage. So, both teams traveled all the way from Maine and Philadelphia to Kent, Ohio, to play two games, only to have one of them not count...after playing for 70 minutes! And, since the schools aren't exactly close to each other, there are no plans to make it up.
Both teams immediately took to social media to express their displeasure at what happened. And the criticism of how Kent State handled it was as harsh as you'd expect. Especially because it's a situation that could've easily been avoided.
Kent State quickly went into damage control mode (but not until the football game was over). Although, the Athletic Director didn't release a statement until Monday, nearly 48 hours after the incident (is it just me, or is that too late?). He apologized to the student-athletes and coaches while acknowledging that "a different decision should have been made." He continued, "We hold ourselves to a high standard, and in this situation, we failed." Ya think?!
Where do I start with how offensive this is? The statement, which rings incredibly hollow, is insulting enough. And it's not just insulting to Temple and Maine, or even to the sport of field hockey! It's sending a horrible message to all female athletes. Kent State essentially told them that their Division I contest was nowhere near as important as their football pregame festivities. (Not that it matters, but I'm also left wondering if they would've halted the field hockey game had Kent State been one of the teams involved.)
It's 2019. I thought our society was long past this. Yet, here we are, telling Division I athletes that they don't matter. Would the same decision have been made if things were the other way around? Of course not! They would've told the field hockey players that they just had to wait until the football game was over. That alone shows how backwards this entire situation was.
No one's going to deny that BCS football rules the roost. Many schools fund their smaller programs from the revenue brought in by football and men's basketball. That's true even a school like Kent State, which plays in the MAC. The Golden Flashes are playing guarantee games at Arizona State, Auburn and Wisconsin this season. That money, plus whatever they bring in from the conference's TV contract, will cover the operating budget for a number of other Kent State teams.
And other fall teams having to make accommodations around the football schedule is nothing new. Penn State's women's volleyball team has won seven NCAA titles, but often has to schedule its Saturday home matches so that they don't conflict with home football games. They're not the only top-flight volleyball program that has to do this, either. (Although, it should be noted, this isn't done to "accommodate the football team" as much as it is because of all the extra staffing, security, parking, etc., that's needed with all those extra people coming onto campus for the game.)
Does any of that make what happened at Kent State on Sunday acceptable, though? Of course not! I'm not trying to suggest it does. In fact, it had the opposite effect. Because, for all the progress that has been made in terms of equality for women's sports, this sets it back nearly as far. It tells the female athletes that, despite earning the same Division I scholarships and putting in all the same work as their male counterparts, they're unimportant. Is that really the message you want to be sending?
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association is predictably upset. And rightfully so. As are the coaches and players from both teams, many of whom simply don't understand why pregame festivities took precedence over an official, regular season Division I game. Maine's Athletic Department is even looking into filing a Title IX complaint against Kent State.
Unfortunately, Kent State had its priorities reversed on Saturday. Which is really a sad commentary about the state of college women's sports in 2019. Because for all the progress that has been made in terms of equality, there's still a long way to go.
But, hey, at least the fireworks went off without a hitch! And Kent State won the football game (against that powerhouse team from Kennesaw State), which was obviously the most important takeaway from the day!
Thursday, September 5, 2019
NFL 100: Week 1
We made it! Football season is here! Which means it's time for the season premiere of the weekly Joe Brackets NFL picks! I lock them in before the Thursday night game, but I usually don't reveal them until Saturday night or Sunday morning (and tell you how I did on Thursday). Week 1 and Thanksgiving are the two exceptions to that rule.
Also, for those of you who are new to the space, please note that these are straight winner picks. I don't pick against the spread, and I never will. The reason for this is simple. The spread has no bearing on the actual result of the game. If the spread is 3.5 and the favorite "only" wins by three, the win still counts in the standings! Thus, the spread is irrelevant to me. And with that, it's on to the Week 1 picks, starting with the NFL's marquee rivalry...
Packers at Bears: Green Bay-For the first time since the tradition began, the Super Bowl champ doesn't open its defense on Thursday night. With good reason. Because the NFL wants to start its 100th season with its oldest rivalry. So we get Bears-Packers instead, which I'm totally fine with. Last year they played in Week 1 and Aaron Rodgers had one of his trademark comebacks. It turned out to be one of the few highlights of the Packers' season. With a new coach in Green Bay and Chicago coming off a division title, the Bears are favored in this one. But I just have a feeling that Rodgers will do his thing and the Packers will pull this one out.
Falcons at Vikings: Minnesota-Two teams that, in their opinion, massively underachieved last season. And they both have huge expectations coming into 2019, too. So getting off to a good start is definitely important for each of them. Minnesota will have the benefit of knowing who wins on Thursday night (and who they'll be trying to keep pace with). And the Vikings will tie whichever one it is for the early division lead.
Ravens at Dolphins: Miami-Now we'll see how Year No. 2 of the Lamar Jackson Era goes in Baltimore. I definitely think the honeymoon phase is over and reality will set in pretty quickly. In fact, it could be as early as this week. Because the Ravens aren't nearly as good as they were last season. Miami isn't good, either. But I still think they'll open the season with a victory.
Bills at Jets: Jets-With the Patriots not playing until Sunday night, the winner of this one will get to enjoy being in first place, if only for a few hours. This game will also help set the tone for both teams' season. Because second place behind New England is up for grabs. The Jets made a big splash with the LeVeon Bell signing, while LeSean McCoy was one the Bills' final cuts. So, when it comes to the running game, it's advantage Jets. And they'll let LeVeon run his way to a pair of touchdowns in a Week 1 victory.
Chiefs at Jaguars: Kansas City-New England's last two AFC Championship Game victims face each other to begin 2019. Except they're on completely different trajectories. Kansas City is probably the only team good enough to actually challenge the Patriots. The Jaguars are looking to rebound after a disappointing 2018. They brought in Nick Foles, which will definitely help. But they're no match for the Chiefs.
Rams at Panthers: Rams-After being embarrassed in the Super Bowl, I'm sure the Rams have been chomping at the bit to get back on the field. They'll finally get that chance against a good Panthers team that should give them a test. This has the makings of being one of the more entertaining Week 1 contests. Expect plenty of points to be put up with these two offenses. But the Rams have a little more firepower and the better defense. That'll be the difference. Plus, the Panthers are wearing white, which means Rams throwbacks!!
Titans at Browns: Cleveland-Count me as one of those people jumping aboard the Cleveland Browns bandwagon in 2019! It was in Week 1 last season that they put us all on notice they were no longer a pushover by tying the Steelers. This time, they enter the season with playoff expectations (and more). And I can see them making another Week 1 statement. They don't just beat the Titans, they win this one going away.
Redskins at Eagles: Philadelphia-All eyes will be on Carson Wentz this season. Because Philadelphia has lost its Nick Foles insurance policy. They're still in better shape than the Redskins, though. Washington very well might be the worst team in the entire NFL. But...this is still an NFC East division game. Which means it's going to be a close, grind-it-out battle. Ultimately, though, the Eagles have more than enough fire power to start the season 1-0.
Bengals at Seahawks: Seattle-There's a method to Pete Carroll's madness. With the Rams coming off a Super Bowl appearance and the 49ers significantly better, he doubled down on his team's strength--the defense. Seattle will begin its 2019 campaign with an infrequent visit from a new-look Bengals team that doesn't have Marvin Lewis patrolling the sidelines for the first time in a long time. Traveling to Seattle, and a stadium where the Seahawks almost never lose, doesn't exactly scream "Welcome to the NFL!" for their first-year coach Zac Taylor, even if he does know the Seahawks well having come from the Rams.
Colts at Chargers: Chargers-This was orfinally going to be a matchup between two Pro Bowl quarterbacks. Then Andrew Luck decided to retire, which changed the Colts' entire outlook for this season. They are still coming off a playoff appearance, though, so they're not in as bad shape as some other teams would be in a similar situation. And, to be fair, even with Luck they wouldn't be favored against the Chargers. The Chargers have every reason to believe they're Super Bowl contenders. And they'll be going toe-to-toe with the Chiefs all season, so they can't afford any early slip-ups. Especially at home.
Lions at Cardinals: Arizona-Excitement is high in Arizona with the arrival of Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury! That excitement will (most likely) quickly wear off once the fans realize that the Cardinals still aren't very good, but a Week 1 home game against the Lions will be enough to keep them thinking grand thoughts for at least another week. The good times will stop soon after, though.
Giants at Cowboys: Dallas-The annual Giants-Cowboys Week 1 game gets a little bit of a twist this year. It's on Sunday afternoon instead of at night. This game features arguably the two best running backs in the game in Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley. Even though Zeke missed all of training camp, he's good to go for Week 1 and will probably run all over the Giant defense. Dallas simply has more weapons, while the Giants basically just have Saquon.
49ers at Buccaneers: San Francisco-Bruce Arians makes his return to NFL coaching, while Jimmy Garroppolo returns to action for the first time in nearly a full year. I don't know what to make of this game. Tampa Bay put up like 90 points while getting out to a 2-0 start last season before it all went downhill, but this is a different Bucs team than a year ago. They aren't much better, though. And Garroppolo's return makes a huge difference for San Francisco. The 49ers will also get to play with their new toy Nick Bosa for the first time, so Jamies Winston better be ready.
Steelers at Patriots: New England-Do you think people in Boston are mad that the Patriots ended up playing on Sunday night instead of Thursday night? Especially since Yankees-Red Sox is also on Sunday night? Or have they just gotten so used to winning the Super Bowl that it doesn't even matter anymore? Anyway, they were undefeated at home last season and usually beat the Steelers. Don't expect any different to start this season. After all, we don't want to give the Patriots anything they can perceive as a slight. Especially on the night of their annual banner unveiling.
Texans at Saints: New Orleans-Monday Night Football in the Big Easy! Against a quality Texans team, too. This should be an entertaining matchup between the Saint's electric offense and Houston's tough defense. Although, as the Colts proved in the playoffs, a good offense that can move the ball can completely shut down the Texans' defense. That's exactly what New Orleans has. Expect a vintage Drew Brees performance and a lot of points being scored by the team in black and gold.
Broncos at Raiders: Denver-It's the Raiders' final home opener in Oakland, and it'll be against one of their longtime rivals. Denver is looking to rebound after its first consecutive 10-loss campaigns since the 70s, but at least now they have an actual NFL quarterback in Joe Flacco! These teams both know that the Chiefs and Chargers are gonna run away with the division. So beating each other becomes that much more important. And I think the Broncos have the upper hand.
Also, for those of you who are new to the space, please note that these are straight winner picks. I don't pick against the spread, and I never will. The reason for this is simple. The spread has no bearing on the actual result of the game. If the spread is 3.5 and the favorite "only" wins by three, the win still counts in the standings! Thus, the spread is irrelevant to me. And with that, it's on to the Week 1 picks, starting with the NFL's marquee rivalry...
Packers at Bears: Green Bay-For the first time since the tradition began, the Super Bowl champ doesn't open its defense on Thursday night. With good reason. Because the NFL wants to start its 100th season with its oldest rivalry. So we get Bears-Packers instead, which I'm totally fine with. Last year they played in Week 1 and Aaron Rodgers had one of his trademark comebacks. It turned out to be one of the few highlights of the Packers' season. With a new coach in Green Bay and Chicago coming off a division title, the Bears are favored in this one. But I just have a feeling that Rodgers will do his thing and the Packers will pull this one out.
Falcons at Vikings: Minnesota-Two teams that, in their opinion, massively underachieved last season. And they both have huge expectations coming into 2019, too. So getting off to a good start is definitely important for each of them. Minnesota will have the benefit of knowing who wins on Thursday night (and who they'll be trying to keep pace with). And the Vikings will tie whichever one it is for the early division lead.
Ravens at Dolphins: Miami-Now we'll see how Year No. 2 of the Lamar Jackson Era goes in Baltimore. I definitely think the honeymoon phase is over and reality will set in pretty quickly. In fact, it could be as early as this week. Because the Ravens aren't nearly as good as they were last season. Miami isn't good, either. But I still think they'll open the season with a victory.
Bills at Jets: Jets-With the Patriots not playing until Sunday night, the winner of this one will get to enjoy being in first place, if only for a few hours. This game will also help set the tone for both teams' season. Because second place behind New England is up for grabs. The Jets made a big splash with the LeVeon Bell signing, while LeSean McCoy was one the Bills' final cuts. So, when it comes to the running game, it's advantage Jets. And they'll let LeVeon run his way to a pair of touchdowns in a Week 1 victory.
Chiefs at Jaguars: Kansas City-New England's last two AFC Championship Game victims face each other to begin 2019. Except they're on completely different trajectories. Kansas City is probably the only team good enough to actually challenge the Patriots. The Jaguars are looking to rebound after a disappointing 2018. They brought in Nick Foles, which will definitely help. But they're no match for the Chiefs.
Rams at Panthers: Rams-After being embarrassed in the Super Bowl, I'm sure the Rams have been chomping at the bit to get back on the field. They'll finally get that chance against a good Panthers team that should give them a test. This has the makings of being one of the more entertaining Week 1 contests. Expect plenty of points to be put up with these two offenses. But the Rams have a little more firepower and the better defense. That'll be the difference. Plus, the Panthers are wearing white, which means Rams throwbacks!!
Titans at Browns: Cleveland-Count me as one of those people jumping aboard the Cleveland Browns bandwagon in 2019! It was in Week 1 last season that they put us all on notice they were no longer a pushover by tying the Steelers. This time, they enter the season with playoff expectations (and more). And I can see them making another Week 1 statement. They don't just beat the Titans, they win this one going away.
Redskins at Eagles: Philadelphia-All eyes will be on Carson Wentz this season. Because Philadelphia has lost its Nick Foles insurance policy. They're still in better shape than the Redskins, though. Washington very well might be the worst team in the entire NFL. But...this is still an NFC East division game. Which means it's going to be a close, grind-it-out battle. Ultimately, though, the Eagles have more than enough fire power to start the season 1-0.
Bengals at Seahawks: Seattle-There's a method to Pete Carroll's madness. With the Rams coming off a Super Bowl appearance and the 49ers significantly better, he doubled down on his team's strength--the defense. Seattle will begin its 2019 campaign with an infrequent visit from a new-look Bengals team that doesn't have Marvin Lewis patrolling the sidelines for the first time in a long time. Traveling to Seattle, and a stadium where the Seahawks almost never lose, doesn't exactly scream "Welcome to the NFL!" for their first-year coach Zac Taylor, even if he does know the Seahawks well having come from the Rams.
Colts at Chargers: Chargers-This was orfinally going to be a matchup between two Pro Bowl quarterbacks. Then Andrew Luck decided to retire, which changed the Colts' entire outlook for this season. They are still coming off a playoff appearance, though, so they're not in as bad shape as some other teams would be in a similar situation. And, to be fair, even with Luck they wouldn't be favored against the Chargers. The Chargers have every reason to believe they're Super Bowl contenders. And they'll be going toe-to-toe with the Chiefs all season, so they can't afford any early slip-ups. Especially at home.
Lions at Cardinals: Arizona-Excitement is high in Arizona with the arrival of Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury! That excitement will (most likely) quickly wear off once the fans realize that the Cardinals still aren't very good, but a Week 1 home game against the Lions will be enough to keep them thinking grand thoughts for at least another week. The good times will stop soon after, though.
Giants at Cowboys: Dallas-The annual Giants-Cowboys Week 1 game gets a little bit of a twist this year. It's on Sunday afternoon instead of at night. This game features arguably the two best running backs in the game in Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley. Even though Zeke missed all of training camp, he's good to go for Week 1 and will probably run all over the Giant defense. Dallas simply has more weapons, while the Giants basically just have Saquon.
49ers at Buccaneers: San Francisco-Bruce Arians makes his return to NFL coaching, while Jimmy Garroppolo returns to action for the first time in nearly a full year. I don't know what to make of this game. Tampa Bay put up like 90 points while getting out to a 2-0 start last season before it all went downhill, but this is a different Bucs team than a year ago. They aren't much better, though. And Garroppolo's return makes a huge difference for San Francisco. The 49ers will also get to play with their new toy Nick Bosa for the first time, so Jamies Winston better be ready.
Steelers at Patriots: New England-Do you think people in Boston are mad that the Patriots ended up playing on Sunday night instead of Thursday night? Especially since Yankees-Red Sox is also on Sunday night? Or have they just gotten so used to winning the Super Bowl that it doesn't even matter anymore? Anyway, they were undefeated at home last season and usually beat the Steelers. Don't expect any different to start this season. After all, we don't want to give the Patriots anything they can perceive as a slight. Especially on the night of their annual banner unveiling.
Texans at Saints: New Orleans-Monday Night Football in the Big Easy! Against a quality Texans team, too. This should be an entertaining matchup between the Saint's electric offense and Houston's tough defense. Although, as the Colts proved in the playoffs, a good offense that can move the ball can completely shut down the Texans' defense. That's exactly what New Orleans has. Expect a vintage Drew Brees performance and a lot of points being scored by the team in black and gold.
Broncos at Raiders: Denver-It's the Raiders' final home opener in Oakland, and it'll be against one of their longtime rivals. Denver is looking to rebound after its first consecutive 10-loss campaigns since the 70s, but at least now they have an actual NFL quarterback in Joe Flacco! These teams both know that the Chiefs and Chargers are gonna run away with the division. So beating each other becomes that much more important. And I think the Broncos have the upper hand.
Monday, September 2, 2019
NFL 100 Preview: NFC
Unlike the AFC, where there are really only two top teams, the NFC's Super Bowl representative seems far less clear. The Rams are plenty motivated after being embarrassed by New England. So are the Saints after how their last two seasons have ended. Then there's the Vikings, who carried Super Bowl expectations into last season, only to massively underachieve.
Meanwhile, the Falcons, Bears, Cowboys, Eagles and Seahawks all have reasonable playoff expectations. And if things go right, they could even challenge that trio. After all, a different NFC team has faced the Patriots (and Denver once) in each of the last five years.
What that also means is we're going to have some exciting races for both division titles and the wild card spots. I wouldn't even be surprised if there's a two- or three-way tie for the second wild card. Especially when you consider there are three really bad teams in the NFC (Washington, Tampa Bay and Arizona), it's going to be really competitive between those mid-level teams. We could easily see a handful of teams in the 9-7/8-8 range, which should be enough to get one of them into the playoffs.
NFC East: Both Dallas and Philadelphia made the playoffs last season, and they're still the two most talented teams in the division. It should come down to those two again. The Eagles magic from their Super Bowl run carried over into the end of last season, complete with the "double doink" in Chicago. But you've gotta wonder if there's any of that magic left, especially now that Nick Foles is in Jacksonville. Their best hope at returning to the playoffs will be as a wild card.
Make no mistake, Eli Manning is the Giants' quarterback. That's not going to change. At least not this season. He'll finish out his career then ride off into retirement. It's Saquon Barkley's team now, anyway. As long as he stays healthy, the Giants have a chance to make some real noise. Are they a playoff caliber team? Not yet. But they'll be better than they were last season. Which is more than I can say for the Redskins. After a great start last season, it was straight downhill after Alex Smith's gruesome broken leg. Things don't look like they'll be much better this year. Washington seems more likely to challenge for the No. 1 pick than the playoffs.
Projected Standings: Cowboys (10-6), Eagles (9-7), Giants (6-10), Redskins (3-13)
NFC North: Props to the NFL for starting the Centennial Season with Bears-Packers, the oldest rivalry in the sport. Of course, they played in the opener last year, too, although none of us could've expected how each team's season would go after yet another Aaron Rodgers comeback. I'm especially interested to see how Chicago follows up its division title. The Bears tend to make the playoffs once every few years, then regress back to a 6-10 team for the next few seasons.
Either way, I think Minnesota is the team to beat in the NFC North. The Vikings are out to prove that last year was a fluke and they really do belong in the upper echelon of the NFC. Green Bay also wants to rebound after the bottom fell out last season. The coaching change will help. Mike McCarthy had simply worn out his welcome. Besides, the Packers still have Aaron Rodgers. As long as he stays healthy, they have a chance. But, as always, his health is the key to Green Bay's success. I didn't forget about the Lions. They're simply not as strong as the other three teams in the division.
Projected Standings: Vikings (11-5), Bears (10-6), Packers (9-7), Lions (6-10)
NFC South: The NFC South has developed a bit of a reputation as a division that's always up for grabs. That's because the NFL always backloads the division games for some reason, and they usually beat up on each other throughout December. Which is how Atlanta and Carolina go from 6-2/7-1 to not even making the playoffs. Expect similar around-.500 records for both of them again. I don't think they can both make the playoffs, but one of them getting a wild card is definitely possible. Don't forget, they're both only a few years removed from a Super Bowl appearances.
Don't count on either to challenge New Orleans, though. The Saints aren't just the clear best team in the division. They're right there at the top of the NFC. As for the Bucs, they'll be much improved under Bruce Arians. The problem is they still aren't nearly as good as the Saints, Falcons or Panthers. So, even if they're competitive against everyone else, their division record is gonna sink them.
Projected Standings: Saints (11-5), Falcons (9-7), Panthers (8-8), Buccaneers (4-12)
NFC West: Is there more buzz about any division other than the NFC West? From potential breakout rookies in Arizona and San Francisco, all the wheeling and dealing in Seattle, and a Rams team that reached the Promised Land last year and expects to get back, people are talking about all four teams. Although, in two cases, it's more hopeful optimism than realistic expectations. For the other two, those thoughts are legitimate.
Those two with realistic hopes are the Rams and Seahawks. Last season, it was Super Bowl or Bust in Hollywood. This year it is again, but for a completely different reason. They want to get back and hope the real Rams team shows up this time. As long as Pete Carroll's in charge, Seattle will be a playoff contender. And with the moves the Seahawks have made to fortify their defense, expect more of the same this season. The 49ers struggled last year after Jimmy Garroppolo went down. Now that he's back, and they added Nick Bosa in the draft, there are high hopes in San Francisco. The playoffs might be a little too much to expect, though. As for the Cardinals, I have no idea what they're doing. Their new head coach got fired by an under-.500 college program. Yes, he's a quarterback savant and, who knows?, maybe he'll work wonders with No. 1 pick Kyler Murray. But Arizona's still a long way from respectability.
Projected Standings: Rams (13-3), Seahawks (9-7), 49ers (6-10), Cardinals (5-11)
I've got some tiebreakers coming into play once the playoffs come around. Minnesota edges New Orleans for the 2-seed on conference record, while the four-way wild card tie between Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Green Bay goes to the Seahawks. Which gives us Chicago at Dallas and Seattle at New Orleans in the wild card games, with the home teams winning and moving on to face the Rams and Vikings.
Just like in the AFC, I think the NFC Championship Game will be a rematch of last season. Except this time, the Rams meet the Saints in sunny Southern California. Last year, most people thought the home field would make a difference, but the Rams won in the Superdome. I think it actually will matter this year. Especially since the Rams are a better team than the Saints.
That gives us a matchup of the Rams and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV (aka the same Super Bowl most people outside of Boston wanted last year). Kansas City's last Super Bowl appearance wasn't just the last game in AFL history. It also marked the end of the NFL's 50th season. So them going again 50 years later seems kind of fitting. The result won't be the same, though. The Rams have gotten better since last season. This time, they'll be up for the occasion. They won't let the Super Bowl stage get the better of them. And they'll prove it by beating the Chiefs for the Lombardi Trophy.
Meanwhile, the Falcons, Bears, Cowboys, Eagles and Seahawks all have reasonable playoff expectations. And if things go right, they could even challenge that trio. After all, a different NFC team has faced the Patriots (and Denver once) in each of the last five years.
What that also means is we're going to have some exciting races for both division titles and the wild card spots. I wouldn't even be surprised if there's a two- or three-way tie for the second wild card. Especially when you consider there are three really bad teams in the NFC (Washington, Tampa Bay and Arizona), it's going to be really competitive between those mid-level teams. We could easily see a handful of teams in the 9-7/8-8 range, which should be enough to get one of them into the playoffs.
NFC East: Both Dallas and Philadelphia made the playoffs last season, and they're still the two most talented teams in the division. It should come down to those two again. The Eagles magic from their Super Bowl run carried over into the end of last season, complete with the "double doink" in Chicago. But you've gotta wonder if there's any of that magic left, especially now that Nick Foles is in Jacksonville. Their best hope at returning to the playoffs will be as a wild card.
Make no mistake, Eli Manning is the Giants' quarterback. That's not going to change. At least not this season. He'll finish out his career then ride off into retirement. It's Saquon Barkley's team now, anyway. As long as he stays healthy, the Giants have a chance to make some real noise. Are they a playoff caliber team? Not yet. But they'll be better than they were last season. Which is more than I can say for the Redskins. After a great start last season, it was straight downhill after Alex Smith's gruesome broken leg. Things don't look like they'll be much better this year. Washington seems more likely to challenge for the No. 1 pick than the playoffs.
Projected Standings: Cowboys (10-6), Eagles (9-7), Giants (6-10), Redskins (3-13)
NFC North: Props to the NFL for starting the Centennial Season with Bears-Packers, the oldest rivalry in the sport. Of course, they played in the opener last year, too, although none of us could've expected how each team's season would go after yet another Aaron Rodgers comeback. I'm especially interested to see how Chicago follows up its division title. The Bears tend to make the playoffs once every few years, then regress back to a 6-10 team for the next few seasons.
Either way, I think Minnesota is the team to beat in the NFC North. The Vikings are out to prove that last year was a fluke and they really do belong in the upper echelon of the NFC. Green Bay also wants to rebound after the bottom fell out last season. The coaching change will help. Mike McCarthy had simply worn out his welcome. Besides, the Packers still have Aaron Rodgers. As long as he stays healthy, they have a chance. But, as always, his health is the key to Green Bay's success. I didn't forget about the Lions. They're simply not as strong as the other three teams in the division.
Projected Standings: Vikings (11-5), Bears (10-6), Packers (9-7), Lions (6-10)
NFC South: The NFC South has developed a bit of a reputation as a division that's always up for grabs. That's because the NFL always backloads the division games for some reason, and they usually beat up on each other throughout December. Which is how Atlanta and Carolina go from 6-2/7-1 to not even making the playoffs. Expect similar around-.500 records for both of them again. I don't think they can both make the playoffs, but one of them getting a wild card is definitely possible. Don't forget, they're both only a few years removed from a Super Bowl appearances.
Don't count on either to challenge New Orleans, though. The Saints aren't just the clear best team in the division. They're right there at the top of the NFC. As for the Bucs, they'll be much improved under Bruce Arians. The problem is they still aren't nearly as good as the Saints, Falcons or Panthers. So, even if they're competitive against everyone else, their division record is gonna sink them.
Projected Standings: Saints (11-5), Falcons (9-7), Panthers (8-8), Buccaneers (4-12)
NFC West: Is there more buzz about any division other than the NFC West? From potential breakout rookies in Arizona and San Francisco, all the wheeling and dealing in Seattle, and a Rams team that reached the Promised Land last year and expects to get back, people are talking about all four teams. Although, in two cases, it's more hopeful optimism than realistic expectations. For the other two, those thoughts are legitimate.
Those two with realistic hopes are the Rams and Seahawks. Last season, it was Super Bowl or Bust in Hollywood. This year it is again, but for a completely different reason. They want to get back and hope the real Rams team shows up this time. As long as Pete Carroll's in charge, Seattle will be a playoff contender. And with the moves the Seahawks have made to fortify their defense, expect more of the same this season. The 49ers struggled last year after Jimmy Garroppolo went down. Now that he's back, and they added Nick Bosa in the draft, there are high hopes in San Francisco. The playoffs might be a little too much to expect, though. As for the Cardinals, I have no idea what they're doing. Their new head coach got fired by an under-.500 college program. Yes, he's a quarterback savant and, who knows?, maybe he'll work wonders with No. 1 pick Kyler Murray. But Arizona's still a long way from respectability.
Projected Standings: Rams (13-3), Seahawks (9-7), 49ers (6-10), Cardinals (5-11)
I've got some tiebreakers coming into play once the playoffs come around. Minnesota edges New Orleans for the 2-seed on conference record, while the four-way wild card tie between Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Green Bay goes to the Seahawks. Which gives us Chicago at Dallas and Seattle at New Orleans in the wild card games, with the home teams winning and moving on to face the Rams and Vikings.
Just like in the AFC, I think the NFC Championship Game will be a rematch of last season. Except this time, the Rams meet the Saints in sunny Southern California. Last year, most people thought the home field would make a difference, but the Rams won in the Superdome. I think it actually will matter this year. Especially since the Rams are a better team than the Saints.
That gives us a matchup of the Rams and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV (aka the same Super Bowl most people outside of Boston wanted last year). Kansas City's last Super Bowl appearance wasn't just the last game in AFL history. It also marked the end of the NFL's 50th season. So them going again 50 years later seems kind of fitting. The result won't be the same, though. The Rams have gotten better since last season. This time, they'll be up for the occasion. They won't let the Super Bowl stage get the better of them. And they'll prove it by beating the Chiefs for the Lombardi Trophy.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
NFL 100 Preview: AFC
We made it! After five long months, this is our last non-NFL Sunday until February (with the XFL to keep those of you who'll actually be interested occupied for a few weeks after that). So, I guess it's time to start looking ahead at what's in store for us during the NFL's landmark 100th season.
And, frankly, in the AFC, I don't think much will be that different in 2019 than it was in 2018. The Patriots are "still here," even though nobody thought they went anywhere! But, we've learned better than to give them any reason to find a perceived slight, so most people are picking them to win the Super Bowl again just so they can't use it as motivation. The Chiefs and Chargers, meanwhile, are still the biggest threats to Bradicheck making its annual February appearance against the NFC champions.
Last year's sleeper team, the Cleveland Browns, isn't a sleeper anymore. For the first time in years, there are real playoff hopes, dare I say "expectations," in Cleveland. And the Browns certainly do look like a potential playoff team.
So who does that leave as this season's potential sleeper? I actually think it could be the New York Jets. Especially if LeVeon Bell has a big season. It could be the Titans, too. They've gone 9-7 three straight years and just missed the playoffs last season, so they're not your typical "sleeper," but if things to right, I can definitely see the Titans winning the AFC South.
AFC East: Who are we kidding? Nothing has changed in the AFC East. And it won't until Bradicheck finally retires. The Patriots will probably go 5-1 in the division, get their league-mandated first-round playoff bye, and make their required appearance in the AFC Championship Game. It's almost not even fair to compare them to the other three teams in the division. It's like UConn women's basketball and the American. Two completely different levels of competition.
As for the other three, I think the Jets and Bills have the best chance of finishing near .500. Is either one a playoff contender? Probably not. Is either going to challenge New England for the division title? That's funny! But .500 is a very realistic (and attainable) goal. I wish I could say that about the Dolphins, too, but they might be the worst team in the AFC. I'm not even sure I understand what Miami is doing with its player moves. It's not making them better. That's for sure.
Projected Standings: Patriots (12-4), Jets (7-9), Bills (6-10), Dolphins (5-11)
AFC North: Here's the question about the AFC North: Are the Steelers a better team now that the massive distractions known as LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown are gone? I think they are in that they won't have to deal with all the drama those two caused and can get back to just playing football. My concern, though, is that while he's a great R2, I'm not sure JuJu Smith-Schuster is an R1. And, let's face it, when they were happy and behaving themselves, Bell and Brown's talent outweighed everything else.
Cleveland, meanwhile, only got better. And that's why I'm picking the Browns not just to make the playoffs. I think they win the division. Although, I do have two small concerns about the Browns. They aren't gonna sneak up on anybody this year, and they know they have expectations for the first time in a while. Another AFC North team that has expectations after a great 2018 is the Ravens. I'm not sure that success lasts, though. I see them coming back to Earth this season. The Bengals, meanwhile, finally begin a new era after letting Marvin Lewis go. It'll take a year or two for the new regime to get going, especially in a division with two really strong teams.
Projected Standings: Browns (10-6), Steelers (9-7), Bengals (6-10), Ravens (5-11)
AFC South: I'm sure glad I didn't make my AFC South projections before Andrew Luck shocked the league with his retirement announcement. Before that, I thought the Colts would likely win the division. Now, I'm not even sure they're a playoff team. And the biggest beneficiary of Luck's retirement might be the Houston Texans. Because now they're clearly the best team in this division. Even without Jadeveon Clowney, the Texans have more weapons than the other three teams.
Although, like I said before, look out for the Titans. Tennessee is that quietly good team that'll sneak up on you if you aren't careful. And, if the Texans have to deal with injuries like they did two years ago, a division title definitely seems possible. Then there's the Jaguars. After they came out of nowhere to randomly make the AFC Championship Game in 2017, they went right back to being a last-place team in 2018. Now they have a Super Bowl MVP at quarterback, though, so who knows what's going to happen? Can Foles and that defense bring Jacksonville back to the top? In a division as wide open as this one, it's entirely possible.
Projected Standings: Texans (11-5), Titans (9-7), Colts (8-8), Jaguars (5-11)
AFC West: If any team is going to dethrone New England in the AFC, it very well could be the Kansas City Chiefs. You could argue that the Chiefs were a better team than the Patriots last season, and Kansas City only got better. They're thinking Super Bowl. But they'll have to hold off the Chargers in the division first. Because the Chargers are still just as good as they were last year, too. This will once again be one of the tightest division races, and whoever finishes second will be an 11-5 wild card team.
The Broncos should be much improved, too. They're coming off back-to-back 10-loss seasons, which is simply unacceptable in Denver. So, they went out and got Joe Flacco while also making a really good coaching hire in Vic Fangio. While they might not challenge Kansas City or the Chargers, the Broncos are on their way back to respectability. The Raiders, on the other hand, are not. Their last year in Oakland will be a long one. Jon Gruden and Marc Davis have a plan. I'm just not sure what it is. For their sake, I hope their plan is to get good when they move to Las Vegas.
Projected Standings: Chiefs (12-4), Chargers (11-5), Broncos (7-9), Raiders (4-12)
My wild card teams are the Chargers and Steelers, so that gives us Wild Card Weekend matchups of Chargers at Browns and Steelers at Texans, with New England and Kansas City getting the byes (just like last year). I think the Chargers beat Cleveland, while Houston-Pittsburgh would be a very good matchup that the Texans ultimately take. The Patriots beat the Chargers in the Divisional Playoffs again, and the Chiefs beat the Texans to set up a rematch with New England in the AFC Championship Game.
Call me crazy, but I think last year's AFC Championship Game might've been good for Kansas City. It showed the Chiefs that they can't take anything for granted, as well as everything they need to do if they want to actually beat New England. And, frankly, I'm expecting the Chiefs to be even better this season. Which is why, even if the AFC Championship Game is in Foxboro, I really think they can win it. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and NOT pick New England. I'm taking the Kansas City Chiefs to represent the AFC in Miami.
And, frankly, in the AFC, I don't think much will be that different in 2019 than it was in 2018. The Patriots are "still here," even though nobody thought they went anywhere! But, we've learned better than to give them any reason to find a perceived slight, so most people are picking them to win the Super Bowl again just so they can't use it as motivation. The Chiefs and Chargers, meanwhile, are still the biggest threats to Bradicheck making its annual February appearance against the NFC champions.
Last year's sleeper team, the Cleveland Browns, isn't a sleeper anymore. For the first time in years, there are real playoff hopes, dare I say "expectations," in Cleveland. And the Browns certainly do look like a potential playoff team.
So who does that leave as this season's potential sleeper? I actually think it could be the New York Jets. Especially if LeVeon Bell has a big season. It could be the Titans, too. They've gone 9-7 three straight years and just missed the playoffs last season, so they're not your typical "sleeper," but if things to right, I can definitely see the Titans winning the AFC South.
AFC East: Who are we kidding? Nothing has changed in the AFC East. And it won't until Bradicheck finally retires. The Patriots will probably go 5-1 in the division, get their league-mandated first-round playoff bye, and make their required appearance in the AFC Championship Game. It's almost not even fair to compare them to the other three teams in the division. It's like UConn women's basketball and the American. Two completely different levels of competition.
As for the other three, I think the Jets and Bills have the best chance of finishing near .500. Is either one a playoff contender? Probably not. Is either going to challenge New England for the division title? That's funny! But .500 is a very realistic (and attainable) goal. I wish I could say that about the Dolphins, too, but they might be the worst team in the AFC. I'm not even sure I understand what Miami is doing with its player moves. It's not making them better. That's for sure.
Projected Standings: Patriots (12-4), Jets (7-9), Bills (6-10), Dolphins (5-11)
AFC North: Here's the question about the AFC North: Are the Steelers a better team now that the massive distractions known as LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown are gone? I think they are in that they won't have to deal with all the drama those two caused and can get back to just playing football. My concern, though, is that while he's a great R2, I'm not sure JuJu Smith-Schuster is an R1. And, let's face it, when they were happy and behaving themselves, Bell and Brown's talent outweighed everything else.
Cleveland, meanwhile, only got better. And that's why I'm picking the Browns not just to make the playoffs. I think they win the division. Although, I do have two small concerns about the Browns. They aren't gonna sneak up on anybody this year, and they know they have expectations for the first time in a while. Another AFC North team that has expectations after a great 2018 is the Ravens. I'm not sure that success lasts, though. I see them coming back to Earth this season. The Bengals, meanwhile, finally begin a new era after letting Marvin Lewis go. It'll take a year or two for the new regime to get going, especially in a division with two really strong teams.
Projected Standings: Browns (10-6), Steelers (9-7), Bengals (6-10), Ravens (5-11)
AFC South: I'm sure glad I didn't make my AFC South projections before Andrew Luck shocked the league with his retirement announcement. Before that, I thought the Colts would likely win the division. Now, I'm not even sure they're a playoff team. And the biggest beneficiary of Luck's retirement might be the Houston Texans. Because now they're clearly the best team in this division. Even without Jadeveon Clowney, the Texans have more weapons than the other three teams.
Although, like I said before, look out for the Titans. Tennessee is that quietly good team that'll sneak up on you if you aren't careful. And, if the Texans have to deal with injuries like they did two years ago, a division title definitely seems possible. Then there's the Jaguars. After they came out of nowhere to randomly make the AFC Championship Game in 2017, they went right back to being a last-place team in 2018. Now they have a Super Bowl MVP at quarterback, though, so who knows what's going to happen? Can Foles and that defense bring Jacksonville back to the top? In a division as wide open as this one, it's entirely possible.
Projected Standings: Texans (11-5), Titans (9-7), Colts (8-8), Jaguars (5-11)
AFC West: If any team is going to dethrone New England in the AFC, it very well could be the Kansas City Chiefs. You could argue that the Chiefs were a better team than the Patriots last season, and Kansas City only got better. They're thinking Super Bowl. But they'll have to hold off the Chargers in the division first. Because the Chargers are still just as good as they were last year, too. This will once again be one of the tightest division races, and whoever finishes second will be an 11-5 wild card team.
The Broncos should be much improved, too. They're coming off back-to-back 10-loss seasons, which is simply unacceptable in Denver. So, they went out and got Joe Flacco while also making a really good coaching hire in Vic Fangio. While they might not challenge Kansas City or the Chargers, the Broncos are on their way back to respectability. The Raiders, on the other hand, are not. Their last year in Oakland will be a long one. Jon Gruden and Marc Davis have a plan. I'm just not sure what it is. For their sake, I hope their plan is to get good when they move to Las Vegas.
Projected Standings: Chiefs (12-4), Chargers (11-5), Broncos (7-9), Raiders (4-12)
My wild card teams are the Chargers and Steelers, so that gives us Wild Card Weekend matchups of Chargers at Browns and Steelers at Texans, with New England and Kansas City getting the byes (just like last year). I think the Chargers beat Cleveland, while Houston-Pittsburgh would be a very good matchup that the Texans ultimately take. The Patriots beat the Chargers in the Divisional Playoffs again, and the Chiefs beat the Texans to set up a rematch with New England in the AFC Championship Game.
Call me crazy, but I think last year's AFC Championship Game might've been good for Kansas City. It showed the Chiefs that they can't take anything for granted, as well as everything they need to do if they want to actually beat New England. And, frankly, I'm expecting the Chiefs to be even better this season. Which is why, even if the AFC Championship Game is in Foxboro, I really think they can win it. So, I'm going to go out on a limb and NOT pick New England. I'm taking the Kansas City Chiefs to represent the AFC in Miami.
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