[Posted Sunday prior to conclusion of Green Bay-Minnesota.]
NFL Quiz: I was surprised to see that entering Sunday’s play, Buffalo QB Tyrod Taylor had a 100.7 passer rating, which is outstanding. Only two quarterbacks have a career average of 100 (the names of which I’ll leave for below). But this year, entering Sunday, five other quarterbacks had passer ratings over 100 aside from Taylor. Name them. Answer below.
NFL
–Boy, it’s depressing being a Jets fan. After today, 47 years without a Super Bowl appearance, let alone a win. I have to admit, I’m really not in the mood to write anything, but thankfully I worked a lot last night and this morning before I turned my attention to Jets-Buffalo…win and they’re in.
And immediately we knew we were in trouble. The conditions weren’t good, lots of wind, but, heck, our quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, played in Buffalo for four full seasons and certainly he knew how to deal with the elements, right?
Wrong. He started 2 of 10 and just dreadful misses. He looked exactly like the quarterback who does NOT deserve a long-term contract as many on sports radio around here said he did. [I’m not totally clear on his contract situation but I’d sign him for no more than two years as insurance, nothing more.]
In the end, the Jets sucked on third down, Buffalo was good enough, and Fitzpatrick threw three fourth-quarter interceptions (16/37, 181, 2-3, 42.7!). For the second straight game against Buffalo, the Jets lost to old friend Rex Ryan 22-17.
Pittsburgh beat Cleveland, 28-12, my Jets were eliminated, and I was looking for my sword, only I forgot Johnny Mac has it down in Asheville, N.C., and with FedEx’s issues this Christmas, I knew that to have him ship it up to me in time for a dramatic ending to my life wasn’t an option.
Here’s the deal. If you asked any Jets fan before the season if they’d take a final 10-6 record, they’d have said ‘where do I sign up?’
But as things developed, we realized that if we could just get into the playoffs, with a hot quarterback and the best receiver duo (Marshall and Decker) in football, plus a solid defense, you never know.
All we had to do was beat Buffalo, but the Ryan Fitzpatrick of the past, the one who has a reputation for throwing key interceptions, the one who has never played in the playoffs in what is now 11 seasons, re-emerged at crunch time.
This is a Jets team that was remarkably healthy this season, but it’s also a veteran squad with 10 starters over the age of 30. As one writer put it this week (whose name escapes me), the Jets are built to win now…it was always about quarterback play.
But one last comment, for now, on the health front. Ironically, our star defensive lineman, Muhammad Wilkerson, has been clamoring for a long-term contract all season, going back to training camp, but the Jets for some reason have been making, to him, chump offers.
Today, he was carted off with clearly a serious leg and/or ankle injury as I write.* He’s not getting a big deal from anyone if major surgery is required. You feel for the guy…but that’s football, in this modern, big-money era. It’s why you can never begrudge a player for going for it when he has the chance.
*Just saw on local television it was a broken leg requiring surgery.
[For those following things closely, yes, the loss for New York today of running back Bilal Powell was huge, but Buffalo was without LeSean McCoy. I just don’t understand why Chris Ivory didn’t play more, even if he did have nagging injuries. I have nagging injuries and I keep workin’….just sayin’….]
–As for the Steelers-Browns, for Pittsburgh it was once again all about receiver Antonio Brown…13 receptions, 187 yards, one score. He tied Atlanta’s Julio Jones for most receptions this year at 136. [I’ll put down for the record the important stats from the regular season next time.]
Cleveland fired coach Mike Pettine after the game, as well as GM Ray Farmer.
–In other games of playoff import…as I ignore those that didn’t have it, save for Giants-Eagles….
Cincinnati still had a shot at a first-round bye and they went out and closed their season at 12-4 with a 24-16 win over Baltimore (5-11) as AJ McCarron played at quarterback for the Bengals. It is believed, as of now, that Andy Dalton would be available for next week, but the Bengals desperately needed the bye to be sure.
Speaking of byes, New England (12-4) has one but needed a win at Miami to secure home turf throughout the playoffs and they proceeded to lay an egg, losing 20-10 to the hapless Dolphins (6-10). Tom Brady sucked, the Pats are having trouble dealing with all manner of injuries, especially on the offensive line, and they were outgained 438-196.
So Denver then had a shot at securing No. 1 if they could beat San Diego and the Broncos prevailed, as Peyton Manning came off the bench to rally his team, 27-20. Denver finishes 12-4 and many of us hope there are two playoff games in the Mile High City with copious amounts of snow.
Houston (9-7) officially wrapped up the AFC South with a 30-6 win over Jacksonville (5-11). So into the playoffs go the Texans with Brian Hoyer at the helm. Good luck, boys.
In the AFC, it’s K.C. at Houston; Pittsburgh at Cincinnati.
–The Redskins (9-7) go into the playoffs with a hot quarterback, Kirk Cousins, who after Washington’s 34-23 win over Dallas (4-12) has 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions in his last three games. [3-0 today, playing just the first half.]
For Dallas, I just have to note the play of Kellen Moore, filling in at QB. This is a guy who was a stud at Boise State, but hadn’t played a lick in the NFL in four seasons, until last week, and then today he was 33/48, 435, 3-2. You never know. He could be around a long time, even possibly in Big D.
—Seattle (10-6) destroyed Arizona (13-3) 36-6, while Carolina (15-1) whipped Tampa Bay (6-10) 38-10 to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
[The Minnesota-Green Bay result will secure the rest of the playoff lineup in the NFC.]
–Earlier this week, the Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. issued his first statements since serving his one-game suspension last Wednesday. In part:
“I don’t think anything’s going to change except learning from this experience. I don’t think I’m going to play with any less intensity. I don’t think I’m going to play with any less emotion.
Asked about the baseball bat the Carolina Panthers had out on the field before the game two weeks ago, Beckham said, “Pretty irrelevant now. The suspension’s over, we move forward.”
Asked if he’d seen video of his on-field actions against Carolina, he said he had but would only add, “I take responsibility for my actions, I learn from it, and it’s all good.”
Beckham apologized for how his actions looked to kids following him. “It’s poor sportsmanship and not something you want to put on film.”
Then on Sunday, the Giants (6-10) finished out a dreadful season, losing 35-30 to the Eagles (7-9). The rumors have been flying that Tom Coughlin will retire Monday morning, rather than get fired with one year left on his contract. It’s the right thing to do and will be the least messy way of handling things for this classy organization.
As for Beckham, the Giants’ game was on the same time as the Jets’ contest so I saw zero of the former. But in watching local news after, Odell didn’t create a spectacle and had a mere 5 receptions for 54 yards.
–Finally, we note the passing of Hall of Fame defensive end Doug Atkins, who died Wednesday at the age of 85.
During a 17-year career in the 1950s and 60s, including 12 seasons in Chicago, Atkins was All-Pro eight times and in 1963, he anchored one of the great defensive units of all time. Those Bears allowed only 18 touchdowns during the season on their way to winning the NFL title.*
In the title game, played in 8-degree weather in Chicago, the Bears’ defense pressured Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle into throwing five interceptions. Chicago won 14-10.
*This Bears team allowed 144 points in 14 games. Second fewest was Green Bay at 206, and third fewest was Cleveland at 262 (14-team league), just to put Chicago’s dominance in perspective.
Atkins was 6’8”, 275, and was one of the pioneers for the modern defensive end; mobile, strong and athletic.
Minnesota running back Tommy Mason once said in an interview with Sports Illustrated that Atkins leaped over him to tackle Fran Tarkenton.
“Next time I kept my head up,” Mason recalled, “and he grabbed me by the seat of the pants and scruff of the neck and tossed me aside like a bouncer throwing a drunk out of a beer joint.”
Matt Schudel of the Washington Post writes:
“Some players were described as genial giants whose toughness on the field was matched by a gentle personality off it. Mr. Atkins was not one of those players.
“ ‘I played against some mean ones,’ Hall of Fame lineman Jim Parker said, ‘but I never met anyone meaner than Atkins. After my first meeting with him, I really wanted to quit pro football.’
“Mr. Atkins constantly feuded with George Halas, the founder and longtime coach of the Bears, once tussling with Halas at halftime after drinking a Coke without permission. When Halas complained about his poor practice habits, Mr. Atkins – whose top salary with the Bears was $30,000 – replied, ‘you don’t pay me enough to play and practice.’
“Off the field, Mr. Atkins was known as something of a wild man. He arrived at training camp with a pit bull and an arsenal of handguns and shotguns.
“He had prodigious appetites for food and drink, and once won a team contest by drinking 23 martinis at a single sitting.”
Yikes, I’m getting sick just thinking of this!
“After the 1966 season, Mr. Atkins demanded a trade. He spent his final three years with the New Orleans Saints. When he retired in 1969, his 205 games were an NFL record for a lineman. On the final play of his career, at age 39, his sack preserved a victory.”
Atkins was born in Humboldt, Tenn., and led his high school basketball team to 44 consecutive victories.
He actually went to the University of Tennessee on a basketball scholarship but the football coach, Bob Neyland, convinced him to try his sport. Atkins became an All-American and helped the Vols win a national title. And he was the SEC champion in the high jump, clearing 6’6”.
The NFL Network ranked Atkins the ninth-greatest pass rusher in pro football history and in a 1983 production by NFL Films, announcer John Facenda described his presence: “Doug Atkins was like a storm blowing over a Kansas farm house. He came from all directions. All you could do was to tie down what you could and hope he didn’t take the roof.”
College Football Review
So any fan of the sport was fired up for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Eight games, eight matchups of Top 25 teams, including the College Football Playoff semifinals. I was pretty fired up for five of them, but then this happened.
Thursday
18 Houston 38
9 Florida State 24
4 Oklahoma 17
1 Clemson 37
3 Michigan State 0
2 Alabama 38
Friday
14 Michigan 41
19 Florida 7
13 Northwestern 6
23 Tennessee 45
8 Notre Dame 28
7 Ohio State 44
6 Stanford 45
5 Iowa 16
16 Oklahoma State 20
12 Ole Miss 48
Yup, not one of the eight contests was remotely exciting. Even the Notre Dame-Ohio State contest wasn’t in doubt despite ND cutting it to 28-21 at one point.
It was so bad that Friday night, rather than watch the OK State-Ole Miss contest, which I had announced earlier I had zero interest in, I was fired up to see the Knicks were on against the Bulls, just to see something different. Thankfully, all the late nights of the past 10 days caught up with me and I went to bed around 10:00, before what turned out to be the worst fourth quarter in Knicks history (more later).
So for the weekend the big two days of meaningful football was a bust. Actually, truth be told, I watched the entire Winter Classic (won by Montreal over Boston 5-1), which I love every year, especially once I saw how the early bowl games were going on Friday. [67,000+ packed Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.]
That said…just a few comments on some of the bowl action.
–The Michigan-Florida contest was definitely significant for coach Jim Harbaugh to have his Wolverines finish his first year 10-3 rather than 9-4. That was a helluva job. The program is officially back.
–And in finishing 12-1, Ohio State is 50-4 during Urban Meyer’s four seasons in Columbus (12-1, 14-1, 12-2, 12-0). Ah, but wudda, cudda, shudda in 2015 will long be the lament of Buckeyes fans. Awful play calling in OSU’s 17-14 loss to Michigan State did them in. Ezekiel Elliott, who wasn’t used much in that one, had 149 yards and four touchdowns on Friday and he’s now NFL bound.
—Houston held Florida State’s outstanding running back Dalvin Cook to 33 yards on 18 carries. FSU had just 16 yards on the ground as a team! The Seminoles also had five turnovers (four Sean Maguire interceptions) after just 10 total in the first 12 games.
–The Rose Bowl was a massive disappointment, to say the least. My work was finally over (had to put the other column I do to bed) and then before you could say Christian McCaffrey, it was 35-0 Cardinal at the half. Stanford had an interception return for a touchdown, while McCaffrey, in gaining 368 all-purpose yards (172 rushing, 105 on four receptions…including a 75-yard TD catch (first play of the game), a kick return for 28 and a punt return for 63 and a score) served notice he’s going to be a terrific pro.
McCaffrey finished the season with 3,864 all-purpose yards when the previous record had been Barry Sanders’ 3,250, though Sanders did this in 11 games vs. McCaffrey’s 14.
Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times:
“You believe it now, America?
“Do you finally believe this country’s best college football player is the one who lost the Heisman Trophy?
“Do you finally believe this country’s most breathtaking college football player is the one with an ordinary build, from a brainy school, with a teenage slouch and a child-like smile?
“While he was sprinting, you were sleeping. While he was making history in Palo Alto, you were paying attention to Tuscaloosa. While he was breaking records, you were buying into stereotypes.
“But surely now you see….
“America, the Rose Bowl would like you to meet Christian McCaffrey….
“Yep, that was the Stanford running back who juked and zagged and darted around television screens like a distressed bug in leading the Cardinal to a dominating 45-16 win over alleged Big Ten power Iowa in the Rose Bowl.”
—As for the two Big Ones…
In the Alabama-Michigan State semifinal, how good was Jake Coker? 25/30, 286, 2-0. Some of his passes were super sweet.
But as Alabama totally dominated and outgained MSU 440-239, Connor Cook’s draft stock plummeted. The Spartans’ QB was abysmal. 19/39, 210, 0-2.
Earlier, Oklahoma took a 17-16 halftime lead over Clemson, but the Tigers and Deshaun Watson destroyed the Sooners in the second 21-0. Watson finished with 187 yards passing and 145 rushing, while Wayne Gallman had another 150 yards on the ground.
As for the ratings for the semis and the issue of them going up against New Year’s Eve festivities, I have to admit I was shocked at how poorly they did, even if the games weren’t competitive, save for the first half of Clemson-OU.
The Orange Bowl, which kicked off at 4:10 p.m. ET, drew a 9.1 rating, a 38.5 percent drop compared to last year’s Rose Bowl, which got a 14.8 rating. The number of viewers dropped 44.5 percent from 28.16M for the Rose to just 15.64M for the Orange.
The Michigan State-Alabama Cotton Bowl drew a 9.6 rating for ESPN compared to 15.2 for Ohio State-Alabama in the Sugar Bowl last Jan. 1 – a 36.8 percent drop. Total viewership crashed 34.4 percent, going from 28.27M to 18.55M.
Of course last year also had the matchup of two Heisman Trophy winners, Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston in the Rose Bowl, while Ohio State met Alabama in the other, this one going down to the final play as Ohio State upset ‘Bama 42-35.
So was part of this year’s problem that the matchups just weren’t attractive, without the same kinds of marquee players? Is the idea of trying to set a new tradition for New Year’s Eve a bust already? Eight of the 12 years under ESPN’s contract with the CFP will be on this night.
But at least next season New Year’s Eve is on a Saturday, which sets up better than Thursday.
—So we have our title game…Chuck Culpepper / Washington Post:
“A season that traded in the berserk has managed to conclude with the logical. A season that seemed to lack a Godzilla team has come upon a monster final. A final between No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Alabama on Jan. 11 in Glendale, Ariz., feels like one of those playoff deals where lopsided semifinals feel like an acceptance tariff toward big enticement.
“In a college football top tier comprising 128 teams and about 1,280 flaws, Clemson (14-0) and Alabama (13-1) have spent at least the last two months seeming the least flawed, week by week, until they wound up pretty compellingly close to flawless.
“How did the season of Michigan State-Michigan, Georgia Tech-Florida State, Miami-Duke and Arkansas-Ole Miss wind up with something this sensible?
“For one thing, it got a little fortunate.
“But for the loony lateral of a beefy tight end for a lucky Arkansas on fourth and 25 in overtime at Ole Miss on Nov. 7, Alabama wouldn’t have qualified for the Southeastern Conference championship game even with a better overall record than Ole Miss. It might have joined Ohio State among single-loss teams foiled by a border-state villain, teams whose mightiness we might never get to gauge. It would have made hellish work of the computations of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
“Yet the illogic did add up to logic, for here comes a final with two of the season’s most towering elements, banging against one another….
“It’s probable that Alabama has seen nothing this season like (Deshaun) Watson, and Watson has seen nothing this season like Alabama.
“Now they’ll see each other as vital parts of dueling chemistries.
“To travel college football anymore is to hear players incessantly tout the brotherhoods, the families and the love within their teams, but here come two teams that do make that assessment almost palpable for witnesses. In their semifinals, the Clemson and Alabama families won their respective second halves by 21-0 and 28-0.”
By the way, Alabama is an early 7-point favorite. Clemson has lost its last 12 outings against the Tide.
Separately….
–I did watch a lot of Texas A&M-Louisville on Wednesday while I was working on stuff, the Cardinals defeating the Aggies 27-21 as both teams finished 8-5. I just enjoyed the commentary by Andre Ware and Tom Hart on the quarterback situation at A&M. I mean the top two QBs both transferred in December, yet coach Kevin Sumlin refused to take any blame whatsoever. Ware was great. He didn’t hold back on Sumlin. No one had ever heard of a top two leaving before the season ended.
–And on Saturday, in a game some of us were really looking forward to before TCU’s quarterback decided to become an “Idiot of the Year” candidate, 15 Oregon destroyed 11 TCU…in the first half…31-0 as the Horned Frogs played without QB and onetime Heisman candidate Trevone Boykin, who was arrested early Thursday morning after an altercation at a San Antonio bar.
Local police say he was taken in after a fight at Pat O’Brien’s wherein he hit an officer around 1:50 a.m.
According to police, the trouble started when bar patrons recognized Boykin and exchanged words. Boykin swung at one of those making the remarks, missed, and made contact with a bar employee.
When the crowd moved outside, police say bike officers arrived (always be wary of bike officers, boys and girls…they have chips on their shoulders… “Fred, we’re making you a member of the force but you can only ride a bike”)….and came upon Boykin, who then in taking more wild swings (something tells me he was drinking adult beverages) hit an officer. Officers then threatened to tase him and he calmed down, according to Matt Bonesteel of the Washington Post.
Meanwhile, back to the game, so there we were, 31-0 at half, as I flipped to the Iowa State-Oklahoma basketball game, and a funny thing happened on the way to Oregon’s tenth win of the year. Their quarterback, Vernon Adams Jr., who had led the Ducks to four straight touchdown drives, knocked heads with a TCU linebacker on a rare called running play, and he never returned.
TCU, playing behind reserve quarterback Bram Kohlhausen, rallied and suddenly they tied it at 31-31 and proceeded to win a true thriller 47-41 in triple overtime. The comeback tied the record for the largest deficit overtime to win a bowl game, matching Texas Tech’s win over Minnesota in the 2006 Insight Bowl.
Kohlhausen ended up passing for 351 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, running it in for the winner in the third OT.
Major credit to TCU coach Gary Patterson for keeping his guys in it mentally.
Oregon once again has a ton of offensive talent returning next fall, but they desperately need a quarterback to replace Adams.
College Basketball
–The Top Ten is going to be shaken up in a big way when the next AP poll is released Monday. No. 1 Michigan State lost last Tuesday at Iowa and on Saturday, No. 3 Oklahoma (12-0) defeated 11 Iowa State (11-2) in a terrific contest, 87-83, while No. 2 Kanas (12-1) destroyed 23 Baylor (10-3) 102-74. [Michigan State (14-1) rebounded to beat Minnesota (6-8) 69-61 as the Spartans continue to play without star Denzel Valentine.]
So, Kansas and Oklahoma should be 1 and 2 as they head into a showdown Monday night in Lawrence. Not a bad way to start the New Year.
Last Thursday, No. 6 Xavier was crushed by 16 Villanova, 95-64, while 12 Providence beat 9 Butler 81-73.
Then on Saturday, Xavier (13-1) beat Butler (11-3) 88-69.
Also Saturday, 7 North Carolina (13-2) beat Georgia Tech (10-4) 86-78 as six Tar Heels scored in double figures.
I ended up watching the end of 19 West Virginia (12-1) and Kansas State (10-3), the Mountaineers prevailing in double overtime in Manhattan, Kansas, 87-83 in another terrific affair in terms of drama. Always loved WVU coach Bob Huggins.
And late Saturday, Ben Simmons put on a show for LSU (8-5) in their 90-82 win at Vanderbilt (8-5); Simmons pouring in 36 points with 14 rebounds and 4 assists. This guy truly is the next LeBron/Durant. Just too bad the rest of his team is so lacking. LSU has to find a way to get into the NCAA tournament.
–During a lengthy news conference Friday, Louisville coach Rick Pitino let loose on the recruiting scandal at the school in a rant for the ages. Katina Powell has alleged that Andre McGee, a former basketball staffer under Pitino, hired dancers to strip and have sex with recruits and players at Billy Minardi Hall, an on-campus dorm.
“What bothers me about you (addressing Powell) is you say I know everybody’s body fat, you must know about this. That pisses me off beyond your wildest dreams. Because that took place at Billy Minardi Hall and we didn’t get one recruit…somebody criminally came onto our campus.”
And then he went after ESPN for its interview with Powell last October.
“I’m pissed off at ESPN for even giving a forum to that person,” he said. “If there are crimes being committed, why is the NCAA or ESPN giving a forum to that person?”
Powell’s attorney said, “There are a litany of players that have confirmed these events took place that we know about.”
Pitino said he still has not been interviewed by the NCAA, and that he doesn’t expect the investigation to conclude before July. But he did concede he believes McGee did commit violations.
Pitino then told the gathering he would not discuss the sex scandal again in 2016. So he was asked, why so candid on New Year’s Day?
“There’s only good thing about being 63,” he said. “You don’t care what people think.” [Myron Medcalf / ESPN.com]
–Wednesday night, as No. 4 Maryland (13-1) was defeating Penn State 70-64, freshman center Diamond Stone had 39 of the Terps’ 70; the most ever scored by a Maryland freshman. Joe Smith had the previous high of 33 against Rider in 1993. Stone also made 19 of 25 free throws, both now school records. Tom McMillen had the previous high for free throws made in a game against Canisius in 1971!
Stone followed up this effort with 10 points on Saturday in the Terps’ 72-59 win over Northwestern.
–And on Sunday night…18 Louisville hosted my Demon Deacons of Wake Forest…Wake was down 58-56 , late, we missed a one-and-one at the line that could have tied it, and Wake proceeded to lose 65-57. [3-12 from the foul line…hideous…but otherwise solid effort in Wake’s first ACC contest.]
We’re OK. 8-10 at worst in league play. But the way the schedule plays out, including Duke next, it could be a frustrating start.
NBA
Golden State 31-2
San Antonio 29-6
Philadelphia 3-33…2-3 in the “Ish Smith Era” [He is 5 of 28 from the floor his last two…both losses.]
–Golden State’s Steph Curry reinjured his left shin on Saturday in the Warriors’ 111-108 overtime victory against the Denver Rockets. He had missed the two previous games with a left shin contusion suffered last Monday against Sacramento and the Warriors split the two games he was out…then this. He appears to be day-to-day.
—Tim Duncan missed three games due to injury (and rest) and in his return on Saturday against the Rockets, he was held scoreless for the first time in his 19-year career. He played only 14 minutes and missed his three field goal attempts as the Spurs cruised, 121-103.
–So in the aforementioned note of Knicks-Bulls on Friday, the Knicks started out by missing their first 10 shots of the new year and were behind 25-8. But they rallied to take a two-point lead in the third quarter, only to get blown out in historic fashion, 108-81!
The Knicks scored eight points in the fourth quarter, the worst in a fourth quarter in franchise history dating to 1946! They were outscored in the quarter 31-8. Good lord! That’s a bad high school basketball score.
These guys are ‘paid professionals,’ for cryin’ out loud.
Coach Derek Fisher, who I have never liked, questioned his team’s fight.
“We don’t want to be front-runners – guys who can play hard when things are going well,” he said. “We don’t want to be a team when it starts to rain a little bit, we give in. I thought we gave in a little bit in the fourth quarter.”
I think we need a new coach, and the change should be made now, with the Knicks 15-19 but still close enough to make a playoff run.
Meanwhile, when I posted last Wednesday morning, I knew that Knicks forward Cleanthony Early had been shot outside a Queens strip club very early that same day but details were lacking and you know my ’wait 24-hours’ policy.
We now know that Early suffered the same fate, in a sense, as teammate Derrick Williams, who about ten days earlier had been robbed of about $700,000 in jewelry at his Manhattan apartment by two women he had just met at a club.
But in Early’s case, he was held up by up to six bandits – at least one wearing a ski mask – after leaving CityScapes gentlemen’s club with his girlfriend.
As reported by the New York Post, the couple “jumped into an Uber at 4:15 a.m. and began fooling around in the back seat, not paying attention to where the car was going, sources said.
“The cab drove a short distance to an industrial area…before three cars boxed the vehicle in, sources said.”
The four to six men inside those cars then pulled Early and his girlfriend out of the car and one of the men demanded, “Give me everything you got!” – including his gold caps. “Early handed over the caps, cash, two gold chains with medallions and an iPhone 6. The Uber driver was also robbed and forced to hand over his ID, sources said.
“Early was shot once in the right knee. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on the same knee about a year ago, sidetracking his rookie season.”
He was in stable condition when he arrived at the hospital.
–But what’s this? Knicks won on Sunday, 111-97 over the Hawks (21-14). Arron Afflalo had 38. And Early is out of the hospital, but you won’t see this guy back on the court for a long time.
–One other Sunday contest of note. Chicago’s Jimmy Butler scored a franchise-record 40 points in the second half of the Bulls’ 115-113 win over Toronto. Butler had just 2 points in the first half. I’m assuming he underwent multiple post-game drug tests. “No…we need to take another, Jimmy. People just don’t do that.”
Premier League
Among the bigger contests this weekend…West Ham 2 Liverpool 0; Arsenal 1 Newcastle 0; Leicester 0 Bournemouth 0; Man U 2 Swansea 1; Man City 2 Watford 1; Chelsea 3 Crystal Palace 0; Everton 1 Tottenham 1.
That last one, Tottenham, was super exciting. Both teams played their hearts out, non-stop end-to-end action.
Wayne Rooney had a sweet, clutch winner for Man U.
So after 20 of 38….
1. Arsenal 42 points
2. Leicester 40
3. Man City 39
4. Tottenham 36
5. Man U 33
6. West Ham 32…met a West Ham fan at a bar the other day in town
7. Crystal Palace 31
8. Liverpool 30
9. Watford 29
10. Stoke 29
11. Everton 27
14. Chelsea 23
Stuff
–Just one major baseball note from the past few days…the Dodgers signed veteran left-hander Scott Kazmir to a three-year, $48 million deal that contains an opt-out after the first year, as L.A. continues to try to fill the void in their rotation after losing Zack Greinke to free agency.
Kazmir, 31, was 7-11 last season with a 3.10 ERA, pitching for both Oakland and Houston, where he was traded in July. He is 98-90, 3.96, for his career.
Meanwhile, still some big free agents out there….Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Howie Kendrick…lesser folks like Gerardo Parra, Denard Span, Dexter Fowler. The White Sox were said to be ready to make an offer to Cespedes, but they only want to give him three years.
–The Baseball Hall of Fame will be releasing its latest ballot results on Wed. Jan. 6 at 6:00 p.m.
–The Wall Street Journal had a story over the weekend on the best (and worst) cities to be a fan in 2015; among the 21 North American metropolitan areas that are home to at least three major-league sports teams, ranked by total winning percentage across the four major-league sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) during the calendar year 2015.
And the winner is…St. Louis! .622. Second is Pittsburgh, .581; third is Dallas at .566.
Greater New York (so the Journal includes Mets/Yanks, Nets/Knicks, Rangers/Islanders/Devils, Jets/Giants) is 11 at .524.
No. 20 is Milwaukee/Green Bay at .442 and your worst city to be a fan these days is….
Philadelphia! .375! Ughh. It’s not just the 76ers (17-69) for the calendar year, you had the Phillies .389 (63-99), Eagles (6-9) and, thankfully, the Flyers (34-29-18).
–Many of us of a certain age, like post-55, will remember boxer Howard Davis Jr., from Long Island, who in 1976 won an Olympic gold medal on the greatest U.S. boxing team of all time, that also featured Michael and Leon Spinks, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Leo Randolph, all winning gold.
Howard died of lung cancer at the age of 59.
Daniel E. Slotnik / New York Times
“Davis, who was a lightweight for most of his career and had a blistering left jab, was only 20 and was in mourning at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Days earlier, his mother, Catherine, had died of a heart attack at 37.
“ ‘I remembered her pointing her finger in my face and telling me, ‘You’d better win the gold medal,’’ Davis told the New York Post in August. ‘I wasn’t going to be denied. There was no way I was going to lose.’”
I remember Davis vividly. Boxing at those Olympics was intense and Davis was the best of that incredible bunch…at least for those two weeks. He ended up beating Simion Cutov of Romania for the gold in the lightweight division.
But of the five Americans to win gold, Davis was the only one not to go on to win a world title. As Daniel Slotnick notes he became conflicted as to the violence in the sport.
“ ‘The last couple of years, there has been a rash of fatal injuries to boxers,’ Davis told the New York Times in 1981. ‘You think about that every time you step into the ring. I see boxers get knocked out and lie there four of five minutes. It’s frightening. Even if you get paid a million and a half dollars, it’s not enough. It’s a very dangerous sport.’”
Davis retired from boxing, but not until 1996, and then began training mixed martial arts fighters, most notably Chuck Liddell.
—Natalie Cole passed away on Thursday night at the age of 65. The daughter of legend Nat King Cole, who died when she was 15, Cole followed her father into the music business and memorably performed his song “Unforgettable” as a virtual duet (#14 Billboard, 7/91). This tune won Grammys for both song and record of the year, while the album “Unforgettable With Love” won, too.
[Alas, TIME magazine put the song “Unforgettable” on its list of the 10 most overplayed wedding songs, though it remains popular today for this purpose.]
I loved Cole’s breakthrough single, the #6 “This Will Be” from 1975, which every time it hits my list below I can’t help but note how well it has held up versus so many other tunes of that era. Her #5 hit “I’ve Got Love On My Mind” is another that’s done the same.
“This Will Be” earned Cole a Grammy for best female R&B vocal performance in ’75. And wouldn’t you know, eHarmony picked up on the tune as background for its commercials, which says something. It’s also been heard in a number of films.
But Natalie Cole’s life was a hard one, owing to her drug and health issues. She was a heroin addict at one point and then later diagnosed with hepatitis C. She received a kidney transplant in 2009.
TMZ reported she died of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles. RIP.
–And actor Wayne Rogers, Trapper John on “M.A.S.H.” died, also on Thursday. He was 82 and the cause was pneumonia.
Trapper John was a beloved figure, alongside Alan Alda’s Hawkeye Pierce, though Rogers appeared on just the first three of 11 seasons on the immensely popular CBS show.
Andrew Dalton / Associated Press: “The two skilled doctors, Hawkeye and Trapper, blew off steam between surgeries pulling pranks, romancing nurses and tormenting their tent-mate Frank Burns, with a seemingly endless supply of booze and one-liners at the ready.
“In one classic moment, Trapper reaches out as though he’s checking for rain and says, ‘Hmm, feels like it’s going to martini,’ as Hawkeye promptly passes him a drink.
“And in another line that typified the show’s ethos, Trapper answers a question with ‘How should I know? I dropped out of school to become a doctor.’”
Rogers left “M.A.S.H.” in a contract dispute, his character written off as having been discharged. I remember this period. Rogers was kind of miffed how the show evolved to feature Alda more than him. He would go on to become a highly successful money manager and investor.
—Jack Nicklaus’ classy birthday tweet to Tiger Woods.
“Happy Birthday @tigerwoods! Just remember that 40 is the new 30. I had one of the greatest years of my life when I turned 40, and so I not only send you best wishes for a Happy Birthday but hope for a terrific year. You have heard me say it before that I know you have a lot of great golf left to play and success to enjoy, and I hope it all begins this year for you. Lastly, I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year.”
—SHARK ATTACK!!!
From Agence France-Presse: “A swimmer Saturday suffered wounds to his arms and legs after he was mauled in a suspected shark attack off Queensland state on Australia’s east coast, officials said….
“The 30-year-old man was swimming off Rosslyn Bay, north of Brisbane just before 12pm when he was believed to have been bitten by a shark….
“ ‘[He} has lacerations to the arms and legs,’ an ambulance spokesman said…..
“The man was believed to have been snorkeling off Miall Island near Rosslyn Bay….
“ ‘From what I understand…he saw a lot of fish and then the shark came out of nowhere,’ a spokesman for the Coast Guard said.”
But this just in from the Sydney Morning Herald, the lad’s injuries are more serious than first thought, including a “serious injury to his upper right arm.”
A spokesman for the Ambulance Service told the Herald the spearfisherman “lost a lot of blood.”
There were 22 shark attacks in Australia last year. Only one was supposedly fatal, though I’m guessing the true toll was closer to 278, with the Dept. of Tourism cooking the books and intimidating witnesses to keep the masses coming.
2015 Bar Chat Awards
–An “A-hole of the Year” plaque for New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and his ongoing efforts to take down DraftKings and FanDuel. Hours before the calendar turned, Schneiderman filed a new complaint against the two seeking the return of all money they’ve made in New York.
As reported by Bloomberg: “DraftKings didn’t back down, saying Schneiderman ‘still does not understand fantasy sports.’ The company’s lawyer, David Boies, said in the statement that ‘everyone who plays fantasy sports knows they are games of skill.’”
Well, yes, but it’s gambling. That said, you’d have to join Schneiderman in the a-hole category if you thought you deserve to get your money back.
–And a late, Jan. 1, plaque as “Jerk of the Year” for Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina.
Now this is the epitome of jerkdom. As first reported by Aaron Blake of the Washington Post, Fiorina declared Friday afternoon she was rooting for Iowa in the Rose Bowl, despite being from California, though that’s just part of it.
She graduated from Stanford!
Blake: “That’s right: Carly Fiorina is conveniently rooting against her own school and for the school from the state that just happens to be politically important to her current ambitions.”
What a freakin’ loser! At least Obama stays loyal to his teams.
Of course Ms. Fiorina isn’t even registering anymore as a serious candidate so we just move along.
— “Idiot”…Former NBA player and CBS basketball analyst Greg Anthony was arrested and charged with soliciting a prostitute. You haven’t seen him since.
— “Idiot”…NFL Network’s Warren Sapp also lost his job after being arrested for soliciting a prostitute in Phoenix, Arizona.
— “Dirtball”…Lance Armstrong, who hit two parked cars after a night of partying in Aspen but agreed to let his longtime girlfriend take the blame to avoid national attention, police reports showed.
— “Jerk”…Kanye West for another stage invasion at the Grammys, saying Beck “should’ve give his award to Beyonce.” Jay-Z looked horrified.
— “Jerk”…Jim Rome, for tweeting “Is there anyone not in a marching band who thinks those dorks running around with their instruments are cool?” He became public enemy #1 of bands across the world. He later apologized.
— “Idiot”…Immensely talented Cleveland receiver Josh Gordon for failing another drug test and getting suspended for the 2015 season.
— “Jerk”…Reds manager Bryan Price, who went on a profane rant during his daily pregame meeting with reporters. The five-minute, 34-second expletive-filled tirade included 77 uses of the “F” word or a variant and 11 uses of a vulgar term for feces (two bovine, one equine). Price was upset with a reporter for breaking the news a catcher was being called up before Price could tell the backup catcher he was being sent down.
— “Jerk”…Tom Brady and Deflategate…I needn’t say more.
— “Idiots”…those in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ organization who were responsible for playing a video during a playoff game last spring that showed a man violently throwing a woman across a room for wearing a Chicago Bulls t-shirt.
— “Idiot”…Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., for making comments that the team’s fans “don’t understand the game.”
— “Jerk”…Buffalo Bills receiver Sammy Watkins for also blasting fans, calling them all “losers.”
— “Dirtball”…former FIFA president Sepp Blatter for his body of work.
— “Idiots”…the people down in Cape May County, N.J. who feed red foxes donuts that is keeping them near the boardwalk; this while beachgoers have been snapping towels in the direction of the foxes in an attempt to incite them.
— “Idiot”…Mets relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia, who was suspended a second time in a year for PED use and is now out 80 games.
— “Idiot”…Jason Pierre-Paul for his fireworks accident, though I give JPP credit for doing all he could to come back despite a mangled hand. Next year I hope he’s in line for some “Good Guy” hardware.
— “Jerk”…Ariana Grande for licking a donut that she put back, then saying she hates America.
— “Dirtball”…Walter James Palmer, the Minnesota dentist who killed Cecil the lion while on safari in Zimbabwe.
— “Jerk”…NFL broadcaster Cris Carter, after a video emerged of him at an NFL symposium saying every player needed a designated “fall guy” in their crew.
— “Idiot”…the Chinese photographer on a Segway who took out Usain Bolt at the World Championships after Bolt crossed the finish line in the 200. The photographer could have seriously injured the superstar.
— “Dirtball”…Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, who was suspended by the NFL for one game for blatantly poking Indianapolis Colts tight end Dwayne Allen in the eye during Denver’s 27-24 loss back in November.
— “Dirtball”…Rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight, who was charged with murder following his arrest in a fatal hit-and-run in Compton.
— “Bar Chat Achievement Award” goes to Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, who reached the summit of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park; the first ascent of the 3,000-foot cliff in a single expedition with the use of only hands and feet to pull climbers up – a challenge long considered impossible.
— “Dirtball of the Year”…director Quentin Tarantino for suggesting some cops who shoot civilians are “murderers” as part of a vicious, anti-police diatribe.
— The Trifecta… “Dirtball, Jerk and A-Hole” hardware for Greg Hardy, Dallas’ defensive lineman.
–The “Idiot and Dirtball” awards to Odell Beckham Jr. for his absolutely atrocious behavior in the Giants-Panthers game.
— “Idiot”…I will leave out this guy’s name, but the 22-year-old in Calais, Maine who was drinking and celebrating the Fourth of July when he tried to launch a mortar (firework) off the top of his head, setting it off and killing himself instantly.
— “Jerk”…Roger Goodell.
— “Dirtball”…Rajon Rondo, for uttering anti-gay slurs at an NBA referee. Rondo qualifies for his body of work as well.
— “Dirtball”…Chase Utley, the Dodgers’ second baseman, who broke Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada’s leg in a dirty takeout slide.
— “Jerks”…the Duggar Family.
— “Jerk”…James Harden. Ditto Jonathan Papelbon.
— “Funniest Movie Trailer…from ‘Ted 2’”
“Who wrote the Great Gatsby?” “F. Scott Fitzgerald.” “What did Scott Fitzgerald do to you?”
— “Good Guy Award”…to basketball superstar Michael Jordan, who made good on a promise to donate the net proceeds of the multimillion-dollar settlement he received from supermarkets Dominick’s and Jewel-Osco to nonprofits helping Chicago kids.
Jordan won an $8.9 million jury verdict against the two for unauthorized use of his name in an advertisement, and sent the money to 23 charities such as After School Matters and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
Jordan said in a news release: “The 23 charities I’ve chosen to make donations to all support the health, education and well-being of the kids of Chicago. Chicago has given me so much and I want to give back to its kids – the city’s future.”
Jordan brought the suit because he had the right to protect his name and image.
— A “Courage” award to 19-year-old Lauren Hill, who died of a brain tumor but scored a basket on her beloved basketball court for her college team before she succumbed.
— Another “Courage” award to Mick Fanning, the surfer who beat back the shark while under vicious attack.
— “Co-Animal of the Year”…Diesel, the French police dog who died in the raid on a Saint Denis flat following the Paris attacks.
— “Co-Animal of the Year and Sportsperson(s) of the Year”…American Pharoah, plus Bob Baffert and Ahmed Zayat. Zayat deserves more credit than he has received for being the epitome of a sportsman.
— “Person of the Year”: Peter Gold…the 25-year-old Tulane med school student in New Orleans who went to a woman’s aid as she was being mugged, only to have the assailant fire his gun into Gold’s stomach after demanding money, with Gold repeatedly saying he had no cash.
While Gold was on the ground cradling his wound, the suspect stood over him and attempted to shoot him again in the head but his gun jammed. The suspect took the woman’s purse and fled. Gold was initially listed in critical condition but was released days later. The woman suffered minor injuries. The suspect was arrested.
–And the “Bar Chat Lifetime Achievement Award” goes to skier Lindsey Vonn, who year after year, injury after injury, continues to come back and amaze. She is the Best of America.
Top 3 songs for the week 1/1/66: #1 “The Sounds Of Silence” (Simon & Garfunkel) #2 “We Can Work It Out” (The Beatles) #3 “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (James Brown)…and…#4 “Turn! Turn! Turn!” (The Byrds) #5 “Over And Over” (The Dave Clark Five) #6 “Let’s Hang On!” (The 4 Seasons) #7 “Fever” (The McCoys) #8 “Ebb Tide” (The Righteous Brothers) #9 “England Swings” (Roger Miller) #10 “Make The World Go Away” (Eddy Arnold…what a week!…and what made the 60s so great was that occasionally you got a tune like Eddy Arnold’s classic that peaked at No. 6 amid all the rock and roll…)
NFL Quiz Answer: 100 passer ratings through Week 16: Russell Wilson 109.3; Carson Palmer 106.8; Andy Dalton 106.3; Tom Brady 103.1; Drew Brees 100.7; Tyrod Taylor 100.7.
For quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts in their career, Aaron Rodgers is first at 104.4. Russell Wilson is the only other over 100…101.4.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday.
