College Football Quiz: 1) Who was Army’s coach the last time it finished in the AP final Top 25 in 1996? 2) Who was BYU’s coach when it finished 5th in the same 1996 final poll. 3) Who was Cincinnati’s coach in 2009 when they finished 8th in the AP and went to the Orange Bowl? Answers below.
College Football…the new CFP Rankings
1. Clemson 9-0
2. Alabama 8-1
3. Ohio State 9-0
4. Notre Dame 8-1…hosts Wake Forest, ughh
5. Iowa 9-0
6. Baylor 8-0
7. Stanford 8-1
8. Oklahoma State 9-0
9. LSU 7-1
10. Utah 8-1
11. Florida 8-1
12. Oklahoma 8-1
13. Michigan State 8-1
14. Michigan 7-2
15. TCU 8-1
20. Navy…AAC
21. Memphis…AAC
22. Temple…AAC
23. UNC
24. Houston…AAC
I have to note I did OK with my comments last chat. I said….
‘Bama will move up to 2.
I said Notre would rise to 3, Ohio State fall to 4. Well, the opposite, but OK.
I said Baylor up to 5…miss.
I said Iowa from 9 to 6…miss but not bad.
I said Stanford up to 7 from 11…proud of this one.
I said Oklahoma State from 14 to 10…miss by 2.
I said Oklahoma from 15 to 11 or 12. Good.
I said Florida should stay at 10 and not move up. It fell one to 11.
—This coming weekend, a few key games….not a lot of great ones, mind you, at least on paper.
First and foremost, Oklahoma at Baylor (8:00 ABC). The winner still has a shot at a Final Four.
Memphis vs. Houston (7:00 ESPN2)…winner here still retains a shot at a New Year’s Six bowl game.
Alabama at 17 Mississippi State (3:30 CBS).
There’s a major “trap” game looming, however. Oregon (6-3) at Stanford (7:30 Fox). Oregon has had as many key injuries as anyone but has gotten its act together the last three and had 777 yards total offense against a respectable Cal team last weekend. I’m hearing the Ducks’ cheerleaders are also back in peak form. Quack Quack….
–Down the road the key games coming up are Ohio State-Michigan State, 11/21, and Ohio State-Michigan, 11/28.
The American Athletic Conference still has important contests for determining a potential New Year’s Day bowl bid…Temple-Memphis, 11/21, and Houston-Navy, 11/27.
But perhaps the biggest of them all, aside from the conference championships, will be Stanford-Notre Dame, 11/28.
What seems clear to me is that this is all setting up to look very much like last year. Ergo, the Big 12 will once again be on the outside looking in.
–Chris Dufresne / Los Angeles Times: “The Crimson Tide has roared back to become the hottest one-loss team on the playoff market after Saturday’s 30-16 win over Louisiana State.
“It didn’t matter that the team Alabama lost to, Mississippi, lost Saturday to an Arkansas team that lost to Toledo, which just lost to Northern Illinois.”
—FCS (Div. I-AA) poll (11/9)
1. Jacksonville State 8-1
2. North Dakota State 7-2
3. McNeese State 9-0
4. Coastal Carolina 8-1
5. South Dakota State 7-2
12. Harvard 8-0
25. Grambling State 7-2
–I said last time I was employing my “24-hour rule” in not commenting on the University of Missouri and the threatened boycott by the black football players on the Mizzou team in the wake of racial incidents at the university and how officials have responded to them. So on Monday, both the president, Tim Wolfe, and the chancellor, R. Bowen Loftin, resigned.
Earlier, Coach Gary Pinkel proclaimed the team was “united” as a photo was taken of all the coaches and players standing together, arms locked, in unity.
The protests, including with various campus groups, centered around how Wolfe seemed indifferent to matters of race and discrimination at the 35,000-student main campus in Columbia.
With the resignations the football team will be on the field Saturday for a big game against BYU in Kansas City. Had the boycott proceeded, the school would have lost at least $1 million.
I have to admit…I don’t like this story one bit. I’m biting my tongue, but I just don’t believe some of the allegations that are out there.
—Illinois fired its athletics director, Mike Thomas, about two months after then-football Coach Tim Beckman was fired amid allegations of mistreatment of players. But Thomas was never accused of any misconduct.
This case is different from the Missouri story. It does seem as though members of the Illini coaching staff “pressured players to avoid or postpone medical treatment and continue playing despite injuries,” as noted in a school statement.
NFL
–For the first time in NFL history, three teams are 8-0 to start the season; the Bengals, Panthers and Patriots. But as the Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Beaton notes, New England’s eight upcoming foes have a combined .508 winning percentage, while Cincinnati (.478) and Carolina’s (.456) are below .500.
New England is at Denver in Week 12, while Cincinnati travels to Denver in Week 16. The Bengals also play Arizona in Week 11. Carolina has two games remaining with the Falcons.
–Every team gets hit by injuries, but the Jets have been decimated at safety and now they’re dealing with the neck injury to Nick Mangold, the All-Pro center who is their leader.
And then you have quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who it is looking increasingly likely will undergo surgery on his left thumb following Thursday’s game against the Bills.
Oh, and their excellent placekicker, Nick Folk, is out four to six weeks with a strained quadriceps muscle. So the team is working out a bunch of retreads.
Ergo, I wouldn’t be betting the ranch on the Jets in Thursday’s game against the Bills, the return to MetLife Stadium of Rex Ryan.
–After their biggest win of the season over Denver, Indianapolis received some crushing news on Tuesday when it was revealed quarterback Andrew Luck is expected to miss two to six weeks with a lacerated kidney and a partly torn abdominal muscle, injuries he sustained late in the contest.
The injuries probably occurred in the first minute of the fourth quarter when Luck, scrambling for a first down near the Denver goal line, was hit by Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan from the front while defensive end Vance Walker hit Luck hard on the side of his left shoulder, bending him over awkwardly.
But as ugly as it looked, Luck broke a 17-17 tie on the next play with an 8-yard pass to Ahmad Bradshaw. The quarterback never left the game and continued to take more hits, which is why many are questioning the team’s medical and coaching staff today.
After the game, Luck complained of soreness and when he felt worse on Monday, he was sent for additional tests that revealed the injuries. He won’t require surgery. 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck will fill in.
–Denver cornerback Aqib Talib was suspended by the NFL for one game for poking Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen in the right eye during Sunday’s game.
The league said in a statement: “Talib was penalized for unnecessary roughness late in the fourth quarter for forcefully poking an opponent in the eye after the conclusion of a play.”
Talib said Monday that he was appealing. “I didn’t initially poke him in his eye, but as you could see, I did get his eye. It was unintentional.” At least he added, “They’ve got the right to discipline me as they did.” [Talib lost his appeal and will sit out Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.]
As I noted last time, to me this was as ugly an on-field incident as I can remember. Just an amazing dirtball move.
—No team has ever made the NFL playoffs after starting off 2-6, so that’s why the Dallas Cowboys are considered dead and buried after their 33-27 overtime loss to the Eagles (4-4) on Sunday night. Dallas has lost all six games without Tony Romo and their leader will miss at least one more. I’ll officially count the Cowboys out if they go to 2-7. Sunday they’re at Tampa Bay.
MLB
–As the annual general managers meetings commenced in Florida, Mets GM Sandy Alderson was absent because of an upcoming medical procedure that the team is giving no details on. Just the other day, Alderson collapsed during a news conference at Citi Field after the Mets had lost the World Series a few days before, an episode initially attributed to a combination of Alderson not eating breakfast that morning and standing under hot television lights.
Assistant Mets GM John Ricco, who will stand in for his boss with others, said, “I don’t want to portray that there’s something extremely urgent (about the procedure).”
The Mets are hinting that while they don’t want to part with Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard or Steven Matz, they are willing to listen to offers for Zack Wheeler, who is due back from Tommy John surgery in June or July.
–St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina earned his eighth consecutive Gold Glove Award, putting him in third place behind Ivan Rodriguez (13) and Johnny Bench (10) for most by a catcher.
The Royals had three win Gold Gloves; catcher Salvador Perez and first baseman Eric Hosmer each won for the third straight year, and shortstop Alcides Escobar garnered his first.
Yoenis Cespedes won a Gold Glove for his play in left field with…the Tigers!…having played there long enough to qualify before being traded to the Mets on July 31.
Houston pitcher Dallas Keuchel and L.A.’s Zack Greinke both won for the second straight season.
Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado earned his third straight, while Cardinals right fielder Jason Heyward, Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and Baltimore third baseman Manny Machado won their second.
One player very deserving of his first Gold Glove was Dee Gordon, second baseman of the Marlins.
–The National Baseball Hall of Fame released its ballot for the Class of 2016 and among the newcomers are Ken Griffey Jr. and reliever Trevor Hoffman. Mike Piazza (69.9 percent of the vote last year), Jeff Bagwell (55.7) and Tim Raines (55) are the returnees with the best chances of being elected this time around.
But with the rule change that shortened the period of eligibility from 15 to 10 years, Raines is most affected, this being his ninth and next-to-last year on the BBWAA ballot. It is also Mark McGwire’s final year.
Three players were grandfathered as they were already in the 11-15-year-range – Don Mattingly, Lee Smith and Alan Trammell. Mattingly’s eligibility ended with the last ballot. Trammell is in his 15th and final year and Smith his 14th. Smith received 30.2 percent of the vote and Trammell 25.1 percent last time.
Griffey obviously will be enshrined next summer, hopefully with Piazza.
The number of ballots has been winnowed down from 625 to 475 this year.
Results are to be revealed on Jan. 6.
–The baseball world was saddened to learn that 29-year-old former Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson died suddenly Monday night in Atlanta after reportedly suffering catastrophic organ failure and slipping into a coma. Sunday he had complained of shortness of breath. There is a potential cause floating around out there as I go to post but it’s not fair to say so at this point. All I’ve read is he was a beloved teammate and member of the community in the north-Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta where he had set up his home.
Hanson came up as a 22-year-old rookie in 2009 and went 11-4 with a 2.89 ERA, finishing third in the rookie of the year balloting. He followed that up with seasons of 10-11, 11-7 and 13-10, before his career ended early in 2013, pitching for the Angels.
Overall he was 49-35. RIP.
–Former Mets and Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes is in serious trouble after being arrested in Hawaii on Halloween for allegedly assaulting his wife, the details of which just emerged on Monday. The assault allegedly occurred in a Maui hotel room. Hawaii News Now reported Reyes grabbed his wife by the throat and shoved her into a sliding glass door during an argument. Hotel security called the police and Reyes was arrested in the room. His wife reportedly sustained injuries to her thigh, neck and wrist.
Reyes finished this season with the Rockies after being dealt from the Blue Jays as part of the Troy Tulowitzki trade. It was clear Reyes was unhappy in Colorado and was hoping to end up elsewhere this coming season. Now, regardless of how this case is resolved, Major League Baseball is likely to come down hard on him in this zero tolerance era regarding domestic abuse (at least in most cases).
–A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, graded at “near-mint,” was sold at auction for $486,100, setting a record for the card. Two other Mantle cards sold for $382,400 and $400,900, as reported by ESPN’s Darren Rovell.
Russia Accused of Massive Doping
The World Anti-Doping Agency has recommended that Russia be banned from international athletics competition following allegations of doping and corruption.
“The Independent commission has turned over considerable data and information to Interpol that tends to demonstrate criminal conduct on the part of certain individuals and organizations,” Wada’s report said.
The head of Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, admitted to intentionally destroying 1,417 samples ahead of the investigation.
The massive report is a true game-changer. As Richard McLaren, a law professor at Western University in Canada and one of the three authors responsible for the report, put it:
“You potentially have a bunch of old men who put a whole lot of extra money in their pockets – through extortion and bribes – but also caused significant changes to actual results and final standings of international athletics competitions.”
The report said:
“What made these allegations even more egregious was the knowledge that the government of the Russian Federation provides direct funding and oversight for the above institutions, thus suggesting that the federal government was not only complicit in the collusion, but that it was effectively a state-sponsored regime.”
Sebastian Coe, the new International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president, said there was “clear shock, anger and sadness.
“These are dark days for our sport. That people in our sport have allegedly extorted money from athletes guilty of doping violations is abhorrent.”
This does indeed truly suck, but obviously not a shock. The report says Russia’s deeds evoke the worst days of East Germany and its state-run doping system that made a mockery of the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, especially in terms of women’s swimming. A high school classmate of mine, Kathy Heddy, was one of those screwed out of potential medals. Those of us of a certain age will never forget ’76 and how these girls (she-men) from East Germany suddenly appeared and were like twice the size of our girls, who just the year before had dominated international competitions (Kathy was a superstar).
Interpol said it’s set to launch an international investigation led by France into the scam.
There is a rising chorus to ban the Russians from the 2016 Olympics. Let’s hope the powers that be have the guts to do this. Russia is supposed to respond to the report formally by the end of the week.
But the Russian government was speaking out Monday, with Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko saying, “Russia’s [doping] problems are no worse than other countries,” but “whatever we do, everything is bad.”
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the accusations “appear rather unfounded,” Interfax reported.
Other Russian figures said the report was “politicized.”
As to the charge others do it, of course, that’s been and will continue to be a problem. But there’s no “state-sponsored” doping elsewhere, as the Wada report alleges in the case of Russia.
DraftKings and FanDuel Told to Cease and Desist in New York
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is the latest to play the role of Chief A-hole in ordering the two biggest daily fantasy sports companies to stop accepting bets in New York, saying the games constituted illegal gambling under state law. Seeing as about 10% of DraftKings’ and FanDuel’s business comes from New York state, this is a big deal, let alone many other states often follow decisions made here.
Fantasy sports companies have long contended their games are not gambling because they involve more skill than luck and were legally sanctioned by a 2006 federal law exempting fantasy sports from a prohibition against processing online financial wagering. But as noted in this space before, that was largely to accommodate the original, low-key season-long fantasy sports leagues. The likes of DraftKings and FanDuel then exploited the loophole and the rest is history.
I’ve said enough on this issue and it bores the hell out of me. I just started playing golf and football this year through DraftKings and enjoy it. Yes, it’s gambling, but there is skill involved. I’ve won a few times at golf…but 0-for-9 in football.
That said, yes, the industry needs to be regulated, but hardly banned. I don’t like the idea of some of the players playing tens, perhaps 100 or more lineups at a time, using their algorithms, but at the same time, I as an individual have the same shot at picking the right lineup as anyone else.
So to the Schneidermans of the world, leave us the hell alone. Spend your time going after drug dealers and terrorists, and corporate and insurance fraud.
Golf Balls
–Yet another first-time winner on the PGA Tour, as 28-year-old Peter Malnati won the rain-delayed Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss., on Monday, beating William McGirt and David Toms by a stroke.
So in the opening five events of the new 2015-16 season, Malnati is the fifth first-time winner. He struggled as a rookie in 2014 and lost his card, but re-gained it after finishing ninth on the Web.com Tour last season.
–Steve G., he of the sweet 20-foot jumper from back in my youth, reminds me that last week’s first-time PGA Tour winner, Russell Knox, played his college golf at Jacksonville, Steve’s alma mater and home of the Dolphins.
“Candygram…”
“You can’t fool me…you’re that killer Land Shark….”
“No, m’am…just a dolphin.”
–I didn’t see that Wake’s Billy Andrade won the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday until after I posted, Andrade besting Bernhard Langer in a playoff.
But Langer won the actual Charles Schwab Cup, the third time for this amazing 58-year-old. They talk about 80-year-old Gary Player being in shape. Well you can see that Langer will be in similar condition when he’s that age.
As for Andrade it was his third victory of the year.
Stuff
—Men’s Division I Soccer Rankings (11/9)
1. Wake Forest 15-1-2
2. Clemson 15-1-2
3. Akron 13-3-2
4. North Carolina 14-1-3
5. Stanford 13-2-2
The semifinals of the ACC soccer tournament are today, Wednesday, and the ACC tourney will go a long way towards rankings for the NCAA tournament. Go Deacs!
–Speaking of Wake Forest, former Wake point guard Ish Smith was hardly a star in college. A solid point guard, but he couldn’t hit the side of the barn when it came to his shooting and I never expected him to make the NBA.
Well somehow Ish is now in his sixth season, playing for his ninth team, New Orleans, and on Tuesday in the Pelicans’ first win of the season over Dallas, 120-105, all Smith did was have 17 points and 12 assists in just 27 minutes. Boy, his career is the very definition of perseverance.
–How disastrous is Chelsea’s start in the Premier League this season, with seven losses in their first 12 games? The cost could run to $150 million (100m pounds) for club owner Roman Abramovich. This figure includes the cost of overhauling the team should he opt to bring in a new coach, apparently Diego Simeone…whether it is now or next summer.
According to Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph:
“The understanding has always been that Abramovich will make a change when he feels Chelsea’s Champions League status is under serious threat, but sacking (manager Jose) Mourinho and failing to climb into the top four would cost him a fortune.
“Assuming the Portuguese accepted an immediate pay-out, rather than not working for the next three seasons and collecting the full value of his contract signed in August, Mourinho would be due 100m pound in compensation.
“Failure to qualify for the Champions League is estimated to cost clubs at least 40m pounds ($60m).”
Who is Diego Simeone? He is the coach at Atletico Madrid and he has a buy-out clause set at $22.5m. Simeone has made it clear he’s interested but he thinks Chelsea needs a major overhaul, and that spells all kinds of money, including on player buy-out clauses.
See, these things are perhaps a bit more complicated than you thought, sports fans.
Chelsea’s next Premier League game is Nov. 21 and a loss against Norwich City would probably spell the end for Mourinho.
–Congratulations to Joe McKeehen, a 24-year-old from Philadelphia who won the World Series of Poker and $7.68 million, after outlasting 6,419 others who entered and risked $10,000 for the chance. Second place went to 25-year-old Joshua Beckley of New Jersey.
As reported by the Associated Press: “Beckley had a pair of fours and better odds at surviving to live another hand, but luck was on McKeehen’s side.
“McKeehen started with an ace-10, securing another 10 on the flop. The game was his.
“His victory came after he had earlier knocked out six of the eight other Main Event finalists in three days.”
–The other day I mentioned a Van Gogh landscape sold at auction for $54 million, but on Monday night at Christie’s, a painting of an outstretched nude woman by the early 20th-century artist Amedeo Modigliani sold for $170.4 million with fees, the 10th work of art to sell for nine figures at auction.
Christie’s guaranteed the seller, the daughter of an Italian collector, a minimum price of $100 million. The buyer? A Chinese billionaire.
As noted in the New York Times, “In the winter of 1918-19, a desperate Modigliani offered to sell the entire contents of his Paris studio – which in all likelihood included Christie’s ‘Nu Couche,’ – to the British writers Osbert and Sacheverell Sitwell, for 100 pounds or $300 (roughly $4,700 today). According to John Pearson’s 1978 book ‘Facades: Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell Sitwell,’ the aristocratic brothers couldn’t raise the cash.”
The all-time record for a painting sold at auction (there have been private sales that were greater) is $179.4 million for a Picasso, “Les Femmes d’Alger.”
–A New Jersey man was arrested at the Sands Casino Bethlehem (Pa.) the other day after twice trying to bet after cards had been dealt by a blackjack dealer.
As reported by Dan Ivers / NJ.com:
“Known as ‘past post betting’ – the act of entering a bet after a time when no more bets are to be taken – is considered cheating.”
I’m not naming the guy arrested but he supposedly provided a false ID and date of birth after being confronted by a trooper.
At first when I read this story I couldn’t understand why he was arrested, rather than just kicked out, but upon further reflection as a blackjack player myself, I can see the movements he must have been making to slip his chips.
Terrific Emeril’s at this Bethlehem location, by the way. I had a good time there about three years ago. But I also lost at the tables.
–A mountain lion was captured roaming the streets of San Dimas, California. What’s disturbing is the animal was walking along a commercial district.
But I thought mountain lions liked to stay clear of such spaces, you’re probably musing. That’s why this is troubling. They are becoming far too comfortable, boys and girls.
Then again, I need ratings ahead of Web Sweeps Week so a cougar attack or two would be good for business.
–Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal had a story on starving bears wreaking havoc in the Smoky Mountains. The problem has to do with “a periodic problem of nature – a collapse of the natural crops of cherries, acorns, hickory nuts and walnuts that bears love to eat…
“The area’s supply of bear nosh is particularly low, probably due in part to random climate factors like late freezes or isolated periods of drought that can impact the trees,” according to a park biologist.
So many of the 1,500 bears in the 800-square mile park are being forced into downtown areas to forage for garbage and such. Wildlife officers in Tennessee recently shot and killed a mother bear and three cubs near Gatlinburg, Tenn., after several incidents, “including one in which a bear attempted to climb into a van where a small child was sitting.”
Human-bear encounters are inevitable. This too is good for ratings.
[I’ve read separate tales of how bears are doing the same thing in California these days…coming down from the mountains to stir things up.]
—Champion surfer Sam Morgan of Australia sustained a serious bite wound to his left thigh after being attacked by a suspected bull shark at Ballina in northern New South Wales on Tuesday evening. Earlier that day, a government helicopter on shark patrol had spotted a large bull shark near where the attack would occur and the helicopter immediately alerted a shark-catching boat, but the shark didn’t take the bait.
There have been 12 shark attacks on this stretch of Aussie coastline this year.
Top 3 songs for the week 11/9/74: #1 “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” (Bachman-Turner Overdrive…one of the great car songs of all time…) #2 “Jazzman” (Carole King) #3 “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” (John Lennon w/the Plastic Ono Nuclear Band)…and…#4 “Tin Man” (America…their music always sounded great but their lyrics are often beyond moronic…see “Horse With No Name”…and frankly this one…) #5 “Back Home Again” (John Denver) #6 “My Melody Of Love” (Bobby Vinton) #7 “Do It (‘Til You’re Satisfied)” (B.T. Express) #8 “The Bitch Is Back” (Elton John) #9 “Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)” (Reunion) #10 “Carefree Highway” (Gordon Lightfoot)
College Football Quiz Answers: 1) Bob Sutton was Army’s coach in 1996 when they finished 25th after a 10-2 season, the only top 25 poll finish since 1958 and Red Blaik. 2) LaVell Edwards was BYU’s coach in 1996 when they finished 5th with a 14-1 record. 3) Brian Kelly coached Cincinnati to a 12-1 record in 2009 and a final 8th-place AP poll finish. Actually, Kelly was 12-0 and left to go to Notre Dame before Jeff Quinn coached Cincy in the Orange Bowl, which the Bearcats lost.
Next Bar Chat, Monday.
