---

Bar Chat

10/09/2023

Remembering Dick Butkus

Add-on posted early Tuesday…had a change of plans, schedule not conducive to posting this latter.

MLB Playoffs

--Sunday, after I posted, the Orioles lost again at home to the Rangers, 11-8, Mitch Garver with a third inning grand slam, Baltimore with its backs against the wall after a 101-win season, down 2-0 heading to Texas.

The Twins evened their series with the Astros at 1-1, winning 6-2, as Pablo Lopez was terrific yet again, seven shutout innings, while Carlos Correa had two doubles and 3 RBIs against his old team.  Correa, after a disappointing season, is 8-for-15 in the playoffs.

--Monday, in a terrific game, with a fantastic ending, the Braves were down 4-0 to the Phillies after five innings, looking to avoid going down 2-0 in the series, but with Zack Wheeler pitching a gem for Philadelphia. The Braves’ Travis d’Arnaud then hit a 2-run homer off him to make it 4-3, Wheeler ending up 6 1/3, 3 runs, 2 earned, 10 strikeouts, and then in the bottom of the eighth, Austin Riley hit a 2-run, go-ahead homer off Jeff Hoffman, 5-4 Atlanta.

So in the top of the ninth, with Bryce Harper on first and Nick Castellanos at the plate, one out, Castellanos hit a fly ball to deep right-center that had a chance of going out, but the Braves’ Michael Harris II made a terrific catch at the wall, then immediately fired the ball back toward second base.  Harper was five steps past second base, never thinking Harris would make the catch, and as the throw went into the infield, Riley threw it to first to double up Harper…game over.  The first double play ever involving an outfielder to end a postseason game. 

So Atlanta evens it up, series now shifting to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.

--Out in Los Angeles, the Dodgers, unlike Atlanta, didn’t get it done, falling 4-2 to the Diamondbacks, now shockingly trailing 2-0, series headed to Arizona.

Rookie starter Bobby Miller, like Clayton Kershaw before him, failed for L.A., 1 2/3, 3 earned, the two combining for a historically awful 2 innings, 9 earned.

Superstar Mookie Betts is putting on his best Kershaw postseason imitation, too, going 0-for-7 in the two games, and he’s now 3 for his last 33 in the postseason, no home runs.  His star teammate, Freddie Freeman, also came up small in the fifth inning, looking at a called third strike to end a rally, runners on second and third.

By the way, visiting teams that win the first two games in a five-game series are 28-3 in those  series.

--Astros at Twins; Orioles at Rangers, tonight.

NFL Bits

--After I posted early Sunday, the Jets (2-3) got their much-needed win at pitiful Denver (1-4), 31-21, as quarterback Zach Wilson was alright for a second straight game, 19/26, 199, 0-1, 78.8.  That doesn’t look great, and there was some horrid clock management at the end of the first half, costing the Jets a field goal, but we’ll take it.

The big reason the Jets won, aside from the solid play of the defense, was running back Breece Hall, who finally had the ‘pitch count’ removed from his playing time, after blowing out his knee last season, and Hall rumbled for 177 yards on 22 carries, including a 72-yard TD run.

But the Jets suffered a big loss when offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker went out with a calf injury, later diagnosed as a torn Achilles…out for the season.  He’s a very valuable piece, and it is the second straight season he has suffered a season-ending injury in Denver, having torn his triceps there last year.

Next week, the Jets host the Eagles.

--Speaking of whom, the Eagles are 5-0 after beating the Rams (2-3) 23-14, Jalen Hurts 25/38, 303, 1-1, plus 72 yards on 15 carries and a score on the ground.  It’s funny, as Eagles fan Mark R. says, and others concur, the team is undefeated, but it still isn’t running on all cylinders, a scary thought if they get it together.

--But right now, San Francisco is No. 1 in football, also 5-0 after a 42-10 demolition of the Cowboys (3-2) Sunday night. 

Brock Purdy was superb yet again, 17/24, 252, 4-0, 144.4, and is now 10-0 in his regular-season career, with a 114.4 passer rating.  [I saw a story that it was 121.1…it’s not.  But still awesome.]

Three of Purdy’s touchdown passes went to George Kittle, his only three receptions.  Christian McCaffrey scored for the 14th consecutive game.

And the defense picked off the pathetic Dak Prescott three times.

--Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow sure looked healthy as the Bengals (2-3) beat the Cardinals (1-4) 34-20, Burrow 36/46, 317, 3-1.

Receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who the week before in disgust said, “I’m always f—king open,” caught a single-game franchise record 15 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns.

--The Chiefs improved to 4-1 with a 27-20 victory at Minnesota (1-4), as Travis Kelce, who suffered an ankle injury, returned to catch a touchdown from Patrick Mahomes to make it 27-13.

--In the Giants’ 31-16 loss Sunday to the Dolphins, quarterback Daniel Jones left in the fourth quarter with a neck injury and at least the team received good news on Monday, nothing serious.  Jones was feeling much better and Coach Brian Daboll said there is a chance he could play against the Bills on Sunday in Buffalo.

--I forgot to note that in the Colts’ 23-16 win over the Titans, with Zack Moss going off for 165 yards on the ground, that running back Jonathan Taylor returned for Indy after finally signing a 3-year, $42 million extension.  Taylor had just 18 yards on six carries, but he got his feet wet.

--Is Bill Belichick in trouble?  The Patriots, 1-4, really, really blow.

As Nate Davis of USA TODAY Sports wrote:

“If you’ve been paying attention, the Patriots have been derailed since (Tom) Brady bolted for Tampa in 2020.  Consider that since then:

“New England hasn’t won a playoff game.
In the Patriots only post-Brady postseason appearance, they were trampled 47-17 by the Buffalo Bills in the 2021 wild-card round.
A franchise that won the AFC East 17 times in the 18 seasons Brady was their primary quarterback has not ruled it since.
The Patriots are 26-30 overall after being lashed by the Saints.

“And now? Last-place New England is 1-4 for the first time since 2000, Belichick’s first season in Foxborough.  Outscored 72-3 the past two weeks, the Patriots are averaging 11 points per game and haven’t exceeded 20 nor scored a touchdown in their past 34 drives….

“Just a win shy of his 300th regular-season victory, Belichick is, arguably, the greatest coach in NFL history.  But that qualifier was rarely used a few years ago after he’d apparently surpassed – or seemed destined to – the likes of Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, George Halas, Tom Landry, Bill Walsh and others.  Belichick needs 18 wins, regular-season or otherwise, to eclipse Shula’s all-time record of 347.  Yet it’s increasingly worth wondering how long it will take him to scale that summit, or – gasp – if he’ll even get it done in New England amid once-foreign speculation about his job security.

“It even appeared Belichick had begun feeling some heat at this year’s annual league meeting in March, when he broke from his perpetually forward-facing philosophy after being asked why Patriots fans should be optimistic going into the 2023 season.

“ ‘The last 25 years,’ was Belichick’s response, a comment he later walked back – but not before being criticized, even by former New England defensive captain Teddy Bruschi.”

Next up for the Patriots, a must-win game in Las Vegas.

--The Vikings, already off to a dismal 1-4 start, have lost superstar wide receiver Justin Johnson for at least four games with a hamstring injury.  He was placed on the injured reserve list.

--Monday night, the Raiders (2-3) beat the Packers (2-3) in Las Vegas, 17-13, as Green Bay’s Jordan Love continued to struggle.  After two solid games to start the season, Love, who threw three interceptions, now has been picked off six times in his last three games.

College Football

All about 6 Oregon at 7 Washington (3:30 ET, ABC), and 10 USC at 21 Notre Dame (7:30 NBC), Saturday.

Stuff

--I posted before the end of the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Miss., and it ended up being a five-way playoff, with Luke List ending it quickly with a birdie on the first hole from 45-feet for his second career PGA Tour victory.

There would have been no playoff if Ben Griffin hadn’t missed an 8-foot par putt on the final hole.

Euro Ryder Cupper Ludvig Aberg was one of those in the playoff, which moved him to No. 113 on the points list, so he can secure a tour card for next season.

This week we have the Shriners Childrens Hospital Open in Las Vegas, and Lexi Thompson will become just the seventh woman to play in a men’s professional event on the PGA Tour when she tees it up, playing on a sponsor’s invitation.

--AJ Allmendinger is not involved in NASCAR’s playoffs, but he won Sunday’s elimination race in Charlotte, the third career Cup Series win for the 41-year-old, who was emotional after.

“Because you don’t know when you are going to do it again,” Allmendinger cried.

In winning he held off Kyle Busch, who needed the victory to advance. Also eliminated was Ross Chastain, 2012 Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace.

Eight drivers remain in the championship hunt led by William Byron and Ryan Blaney, four races to go.  After the third the field is reduced to four for the finale in Phoenix, Nov. 5.

New Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

-----

[Posted early Sunday p.m., before late NFL games and MLB playoffs.]

Note: Folks, needless to say there were more important things going on in the world yesterday, and today, and most of you know I don’t spend my days watching “Sports Center.”  I did watch Oklahoma-Texas, Wake Forest-Clemson, and Notre Dame-Louisville straight through for nearly eleven hours, while catching zero of baseball and putting BBC News on frequently.  Pray for Israel.

College Football 2024 Quiz: Just a simple competency test for all presidential candidates, and the rest of us, as I had to remind myself this week.  Name the members of the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC next season.  Answer below.

MLB

The Division Series were set after four sweeps in the best-of-three wild card series.

Rangers at Orioles; Twins at Astros; Phillies at Braves; Diamondbacks at Dodgers.

---

The Rangers advanced in decisive fashion, 4-0 and 7-1 over the Rays in St. Petersburg, Jordan Montgomery and Nate Eovaldi dominating on the mound for Texas.

The Rays, after one of the hottest starts in MLB history, 29-7, and then 51-22, were just 48-41 after, finishing a still terrific 99-63. But a huge disappointment, and you saw the fan support, just 19,700 and 20,000 in the two contests, while the other teams were packing them in.

[The 19,704 on Tuesday was the lowest postseason total (in a non-Covid year) since 1919!]

The Twins beat the Blue Jays in Minneapolis, 3-1 and 2-0, behind Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray, and lots of stellar bullpen work.  Royce Lewis, the former No. 1 overall pick six years ago, only to have back-to-back ACL tears mar his progress, crushed two home runs in the first game, Lewis finally breaking out this season, though injuries again limited his playing time.

So Minnesota finally snapped an 18-game playoff losing streak, as well as ending a nine straight playoff series losing streak, which was the second-longest such streak ever.

The Diamondbacks swept the Brewers, and Front Row Amy, on the road in Milwaukee, 6-3 and 5-2.

And the Phillies received terrific pitching from Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola to dispatch with the Marlins, 4-1, 7-1.

Yes, you win in the postseason with pitching and you can see from the scores above, the winners yielded two runs or fewer in seven of the eight games, three in the other.  That’s rather remarkable, actually.

---

And so the Division Series commenced Saturday, and three of the four wild-card winners carried the momentum forward.

The Phillies are no doubt formidable and opened their series in Atlanta with a 3-0 win over Spencer Strider and the Braves, Bryce Harper with a home run.  He can carry the team the next few weeks.

The Diamondbacks stunned Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine, 11-2.

Kershaw was making the 454th start of his career, and for the first time he failed to complete the first inning, 1/3, 6 hits, one walk, 6 earned, the Dodgers down 9-0 after two on the way to victory.

The postseason woes of Clayton Kershaw continue.  A future Hall of Famer who was 13-5, 2.46 ERA this season, 210-92, 2.48 for his career, is now 13-13 in the playoffs with a staggeringly awful 4.94 ERA.

“You just feel like you let everybody down,” Kershaw said after.  “Guys in the whole organization that look to you to pitch well in Game 1.  It’s just embarrassing, really…It’s a tough way to start the postseason.”

[I do have to note for Arizona, ex-Met Tommy Pham was 4-for-5 with a homer and three runs scored.]

In the A.L., the Rangers beat the Orioles in Baltimore, 3-2.

And the Twins fell to the Astros in Houston, 6-4, as Justin Verlander threw six scoreless.

--Mets fans were excited to have a new president of baseball operations, David Stearns, and as I wrote last time, I was glad Billy Eppler was staying on as GM, mainly because of his connections to Japan and his success in recruiting Shohei Ohtani and Kodai Senga.

But Eppler stunningly resigned Thursday, and then we learned right after he was the subject of an ongoing MLB investigation into alleged improper uses of the injured list.

When MLB informed the Mets of the investigation, Eppler decided to resign rather than to potentially become a distraction to the new Stearns administration.  No details on the investigation as yet.

Eppler’s two immediate predecessors were Jared Porter and Zack Scott, who were both fired for off-the-field issues.

Meanwhile, slugger Pete Alonso hired Scott Boras to represent him in free agency fall of 2024, after he receives probably $22 million in his last year of arbitration.

The Mets and Steve Cohen do have a good relationship with Boras, so you never know…locking Pete up for multiple years is possible, but I see the Mets holding firm and Alonso moving on, either in an offseason trade this winter, or at the trade deadline next year.

--The 2022 Cy Young Award winner in the N.L., Sandy Alcantara, announced in a social media post that he will miss the 2024 regular season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on Friday to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

“I give this game my all,” Alcantara posted. “I give this city my all, and so I promise I will not take a day off as I push to be back better than ever.”

No one denies Alcantara’s greatness, but baseball fans know this seemed inevitable.  He pitched 228 2/3 innings in 2022 in winning the Cy Young, in an era where 180 is pretty much the norm for top starting pitchers, assuming they make 30+ starts.  At a time when complete games are a rarity, he also had six complete games in ‘22.

But 2023 was different. I wrote roughly midseason that he was struggling, BUT, that he still went out every five days, and until his last outing, Sept. 3, Alcantara had pitched 184 2/3, three complete games, giving it his all for Miami, though he was 7-12, 4.14.

Much respect for the lad.  He’s 28, and I’m sure has some great years ahead.

--Padres All-Star third baseman Manny Machado was relegated to the DH role for September due to an injury to his right (throwing) elbow and now he’s had surgery to address the problem, the team announced last week, that makes his availability for Opening Day unclear.

Machado belted 30 home runs and drove in 91 in 138 games this season, but his OPS fell to .782, his worst year in that regard since 2017.

--We note the passing of an original New York Met, Joe Christopher, 87.

Christopher was first signed by the Pirates and earned a World Series ring in 1960 with the Buccos, before he joined the Mets via the expansion draft before the 1962 season.

Christopher was a part-timer his first two seasons, and then in 1964, the outfielder played in 154 games and had a fine year, 16 home runs, 76 RBIs, a .300 batting average, and .826 OPS.

But he slumped the next season and was out of baseball after a brief stint with Boston in 1966.

For his career, he batted .260.

According to the AP, there are 10 living members of the Mets’ inaugural season, including Ed Kranepool, the other #7 in New York, as I write affectionately from time to time.

College Football Review…comments written prior to release of the new AP Poll

Understanding I was focused on the above three noted games, we’ll run down the Top 25, or those I care about….

No. 1 Georgia destroyed 20 Kentucky 51-13, handing the Wildcats (5-1) their first loss, the Bulldogs 6-0.  Georgia outgained Kentucky 608-183, as Carson Beck continues to improve at quarterback, 28/35, 389, 4-1, while the great Brock Bowers caught seven for 132 and a score.

2 Michigan is 6-0 after dismantling Minnesota (3-3) 51-10, outgaining the not-so-Golden Gophers 432-169.

In an absolutely terrific college football game, the Red River Rivalry, let’s start out with a list of Heisman candidates, as put out this week by footballreference.com.

All QBs…Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Shedeur Sanders, Jordan Travis, Quinn Ewers, and Sam Hartman. 

I would hope this week’s list (which just updates their performances) adds Dillon Gabriel of Oklahoma (Hartman ejected), after Gabriel did everything to allow the No. 12 Sooners (6-0) to pull out a stirring 34-0 win over No. 3 Texas (5-1).

This game had everything, including a stop from OU at their own one-yard-line on four plays, when it was 27-20 Oklahoma.

Quinn Ewers for the Longhorns was 31-of-37 for 342, but he threw two interceptions and coughed up a fumble in the third.  Teammate Jonathon Brooks gave his best Bijan Robinson imitation, 22 carries for 129 and a score.

But it was Gabriel, after a Texas field goal made it 30-27 Longhorns with less than 1:30 to play, who took his team 75 yards on five plays in 1:02 for the win, 34-30.

Garbiel was 23/38, 285, 1-0 through the air, with 113 yards on 14 carries and a score on the ground.

Just a superb game.

4 Ohio State had a tough start against undefeated Maryland, but while the score was 10-10 at the half in Columbus, the Buckeyes rolled from there, winning it 37-17.  Kyle McCord was 19/29, 320, 2-0 for OSU (5-0), while the Terps’ Taulia Tagovailoa needed 41 pass attempts to pick up just 196 passing, with two INTs, including a pick-six.

5 Florida State is 5-0 after an easy 39-17 win over Virginia Tech (2-4).  Trey Benson rushed for 200 yards on only 11 carries, two touchdowns, for the Seminoles.

No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Washington, and No. 8 Oregon were idle.

9 USC struggled mightily at home against Arizona (3-3), eking out a 43-41 3-overtime win on a 2-point conversion by Caleb Williams, after the Trojans (6-0) blew a 25-yard field goal at the end of regulation. The Wildcats outgained USC 506-365, as Williams was subpar in the air, 14/25, 219, 1-0, but with three touchdowns on the ground.  He should drop some in the eyes of Heisman voters, but is still No. 1 to pick up the hardware.

Which brings us to 10 Notre Dame at 25 Louisville.  The Cardinals packed their place, a record crowd that didn’t stop yelling the entire game.  Lots of lozenges being consumed in Louisville today after a terrific 33-20 win that wasn’t as close as the final score, ND with a meaningless late touchdown.

For the Fighting Irish, so much for Sam Hartman’s dream season.  I warned Notre Dame fans, as I well-chronicled during his five years at Wake Forest, that despite all his passing records, he was capable of some amazing clunkers and last night was one of them.  Hartman was 22-of-38, for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles…five  turnovers, from a guy who entered the game with 145 pass attempts without an interception, a school record to start a season.

Hartman also had five turnovers in a stunningly awful second-half performance last season at Louisville for the Deacs, a 48-21 loss when we were ranked No. 10 in the country, which started a dreadful 3-week stretch that sent us spiraling out of the rankings, all on the shoulders of Hartman.

So you were warned, Notre Dame.  Next up, USC in South Bend.

I do have to note the super game by Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan, 21 carries, 143 yards and two touchdowns.

Moving along….

No. 11 Alabama (5-1) is getting its act together and will be back in the top ten, a good 26-20 win at Texas A&M (4-2) as Jalen Milroe threw for three touchdowns, Jermaine Burton on the receiving end for nine receptions and 197 yards and two scores.

Granted Bama had 14 penalties, and managed a pair of miscues in the final two minutes when it could have iced the game in a more stress-free manner.

13 Washington State had its bubble burst, 25-17 at UCLA (4-1), as the Cougars (4-1) suffered their first loss, four turnovers, with the Bruins outgaining WSU 470-216.  Big win for Chip Kelly.

14 North Carolina is 5-0, after a 40-7 wipeout of Syracuse (4-2) in Chapel Hill.  Drake Maye, a preseason top three pick for the Heisman Trophy, finally had a big game after a poor start to the season, 33/47, 442, 3-0.

15 Oregon State (5-1) beat California (3-3), 52-40, Beaver Nation still with hopes of capturing the last Pac-12 title.

16 Ole Miss (5-1) needed to rally in the fourth quarter before defeating Arkansas (2-4) 27-20.

And then there was No. 17 Miami, hosting Georgia Tech (3-3).  Despite Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke’s three interceptions, the Hurricanes had dominated play, but found themselves up just 20-17 late in the game…when it became memorable for all the wrong reasons….GT pulling out the upset, 23-20, Miami now 4-1.

Miami had the option to kneel down, with less than a minute to play, and likely run out the clock, but instead Don Chaney fumbled the ball away – Miami argued he was down, referees disagreed – and the Yellow Jackets pulled off the stunner when Haynes King threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Christian Leary with two seconds remaining, Georgia Tech going 74 yards in 24 seconds.

“We should have taken a knee,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.

Said Georgia Tech coach Brent Key: “We kind of thought they were taking a knee.”

23 LSU (4-2) may have salvaged their season with a 49-39 win at 21 Missouri (5-1).  It was the Jayden Daniels show…15/21, 259, 3-0 through the air, but also 15 carries for 130 yards and another score.

For Mizzou, Brady Cook was 30/47, 411 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw two INTs, including a decisive pick-six.

24 Fresno State lost its first, now 5-1, at Wyoming (5-1) 24-19.

Coach Prime finally won his fourth, Colorado now 4-2 with a 27-24 win at Arizona State (1-5) on a last-second field goal.

North Carolina State learned its lesson and benched quarterback Brennan Armstrong.  M.J. Morris took over and led the Wolfpack (4-2) to a 48-41 win over a very solid Marshall squad, the Thundering Herd’s first loss, now 4-1.

Rutgers (4-2) lost at Wisconsin (4-1) 24-13.

Boston College evened its record at 3-3, a 27-24 win at Army (2-3) in West Point.

And lastly, Wake Forest is in deep trouble.  Not that a loss at Clemson (4-2) in Death Valley was a surprise, Clemson having beaten Wake 15 straight times, but rather the manner, 17-12, as the Demon Deacon defense was solid yet again (despite zero sacks for a second straight game).

It’s the highly-touted offense, a juggernaut for years with the defense normally being the problem.  For the second straight game we sucked, as in quarterback Mitch Griffis sucked, 15/25, 137, Wake generating just 247 yards overall.

Oh, sure, Wake’s offensive line was no match for a very good Clemson front, but Griffis muffed some big opportunities inside the 10-yard line early.

On the other side, Clemson and Dabo Swinney converted a huge 4th-and-5 conversion at the Wake 30 that led to a touchdown.

Wake (3-2) next has games at Virginia Tech and home to Pittsburgh.  We must find a way to win both, or the fan base is going to start clamoring for changes at QB and elsewhere.  The Deacs are wasting an outstanding receiver corps.

And now the new AP Top 25!

1. Georgia (50) 6-0…50 first-place votes after 35 last week
2. Michigan (11) 6-0
3. Ohio State (1) 5-0
4. Florida State (1) 5-0
5. Oklahoma 6-0…up 7!
6. Penn State 5-0
7. Washington 5-0
8. Oregon 5-0
9. Texas 5-1…down 6
10. USC 6-0
11. Alabama 5-1...I was wrong, not in Top Ten!
12. North Carolina 5-0
13. Ole Miss 5-1
14. Louisville 6-0…up 11!
15. Oregon State 5-1
16. Utah 4-1
17. Duke 4-1
18. UCLA 4-1…had been unrated
T-19. Washington State 4-1
T-19. Tennessee 4-1
21. Notre Dame 5-2…down 11
22. LSU 4-2
23. Kansas 5-1
24. Kentucky 5-1
25. Miami…down 8

The top six schools by appearances in the AP men’s college basketball poll are Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, UCLA and Louisville.

For the first time in the 87-year history of the AP football poll, all of those schools are ranked at the same time.

Next week, 8 Oregon at 7 Washington.  Oh, this is a game Keith Jackson would have loved to call.

And 10 USC at 21 Notre Dame, to see how good Caleb Williams can be, and whether Sam Hartman recovers.  USC needs a resounding win badly to keep its CFP hopes alive. It has not been impressive, despite Williams’ heroics.

NFL

Just a few notes on the opening games today…as I settle in to watch the Jets.

--The Giants are 1-4, 31-16 losers at Miami (4-1), as the Dolphin offense generated another 524 yards, 524-268, with Tua Tagovailoa 22/30, 308, 2-2, and the amazing rookie running back, De’Von Achane (Texas A&M) rushing for 151 yards, including a rather spectacular display of his speed on a 76-yard touchdown scamper.  Tyreek Hill had another monster game as well, eight catches, 181 yards and a touchdown.

For the moribund Giants, Daniel Jones went out with a neck injury (status unknown), 14/20, 119, at the time.  At least backup Tyrod Taylor is a professional, 9/12, 86. [Jets need him.]

--Atlanta (3-2) defeated Texas (2-3) 21-19 as Desmon Ridder outplayed C.J. Stroud.

--Detroit is 4-1 after a 42-24 beatdown of the winless Panthers (0-5), Carolina owner David Tepper just thrilled with the direction of the franchise.  Oh, Bryce Young has looked promising at times at QB, so I guess there is some hope.

For the Lions, Jared Goff was solid again, 20/28, 236, 3-0, 132.4…actually more than solid.  David Montgomery rushed for 109 yards and a TD.

--Indianapolis is 3-2 after a 23-16 win over Tennessee (2-3), with Zack Moss having a spectacular afternoon, 23 carries, 165 yards and two touchdowns.  Good for the Colts.  Solid start to 2023.

--I welcomed back my good friend Pete M. from a trip overseas and his first comment was, “The Patriots suck!”  [Pete being a longtime Pat and Red Sox fan.]  And, yes, indeed the 1-4 Pats do suck, losing today 34-0 to New Orleans (3-2).

--Jeff B.’s Steelers, on the other hand, are a surprising 3-2, winning ugly again with a 17-10 triumph over the Ravens (3-2), who dearly miss running back J.K. Dobbins.  Lamar Jackson was mediocre, 22/38, 236, 0-1, 65.2, while Kenny Pickett, after a slow start, finished 18/32, 224, 1-0, 88.5, George Pickens six catches for 130 yards and the decisive 41-yard touchdown reception.

--This morning, the Jaguars (3-2) won again in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 25-20 over the Bills (3-2), despite Josh Allen’s 359 yards passing.  For Steve G.’s Jags, Travis Etienne Jr. had 136 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and four receptions for another 48 from his college teammate, Trevor Lawrence (25/37, 315, 1-0).

--The Bears snapped a 14-game losing streak Thursday night, now 1-4, defeating the Commanders (2-3), 40-20, as Chicago receiver DJ Moore had a career-high 230 receiving yards and three touchdowns, quarterback Justin Fields with 282 yards and four touchdowns overall.  In a 31-28 loss to Denver the week prior, Fields had four touchdown passes in that one as well, as suddenly the much-maligned third-year quarterback appears to be coming into his own.

--One of the greats in NFL history, Dick Butkus, “died peacefully in his sleep overnight,” Thursday, at his home in Malibu, California, according to a statement from the family.  He was 80.

“Dick was the ultimate Bear, and one of the greatest players in NFL history,” team chairman George McKaskey said in a statement.  “He was Chicago’s son.  He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidentally, what George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership.

“He refused to accept anything less than the best from himself, or from his teammates… His contributions to the game he loved will live forever and we are grateful he was able to be at our home opener this year to be celebrated one last time by his many fans.”

Butkus, the third overall pick in the 1965 draft out of Illinois, played nine seasons with the Bears, 1965-73, and was five times a first-team All-Pro.  That’s greatness.

He was so good as a linebacker and center at Illinois, that in a 1964 cover story for Sports Illustrated, Dan Jenkins wrote that “if every college football team had a linebacker like Dick Butkus of Illinois, all fullbacks soon would be three feet tall and sing soprano.”

Mike Freeman / USA TODAY Sports

“Dick Butkus was brutal. He was fierce.  He was mean.  He would punch you in the face and when he played, punching someone in the face was illegal, but barely.  He’d run you down, past the out of bounds line, and push you into the bench and wait for you to do something about it.  You wouldn’t.  You’d be too scared.

“Dick Butkus was an enforcer in an age when enforcers ruled the Earth.  This isn’t to say he wasn’t a superb athlete.  He was.  But the thing that defined Butkus was unmitigated violence and while saying such a thing now feels, well, antiquated, then it was the nature of the NFL, where facemasks and noses were constantly askew.

“In this violent maelstrom, Butkus was the king.  The hill was his and no one, absolutely no one, could knock him off of it in the years he played in the NFL from 1965-73.  He played at a time where our understanding of concussions wasn’t as deep as now, and CTE was decades away from being fully explored.  Free from these confines, and with rules far less protective of offensive players, he brutalized opponents, and in doing do, became one of the legends of the sport.  You could argue the legend of the sport….

“Before Ray Lewis and Jack Lambert and Mike Singletary, there was Butkus.  He wasn’t just a Monster of the Midway. He was Godzilla….

“The images of Butkus, in his linebacker stance, staring across the line of scrimmage, induced heart palpitations.  What made Butkus special, and legendary, was his relentlessness….

“There were two quotes circulating in the moments after his death that encapsulate what he was about on the field.  The first: ‘If I had a choice, I’d sooner go one-on-one with a grizzly bear,’ Green Bay Packers running back MacArthur Lane once said.  ‘I pray that I can get up after every time Butkus hits me.’

“The second: ‘Dick was an animal,’ Pro Football Hall defensive end Deacon Jones once said.  ‘I called him a maniac, a stone maniac. He was a well-conditioned animal, and every time he hit you, he tried to put you in the cemetery, not the hospital.’….

“Yes, Dick Butkus was brutal.  He was fierce.  He was mean.

“He was also something else.  He was a true football player.

“He was the NFL.”

Butkus was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

Sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982, so the number of times Butkus smothered opposing quarterbacks remains unrecorded.  But we know he intercepted 22 passes and recovered 27 fumbles.

Butkus was born into a large Lithuanian-American family in Chicago on Dec. 9, 1942, a son of John and Emma Butkus.  His father was an electrician for the Pullman-Standard railroad car company.

After he left football, Butkus pursued acting, appearing in a series of memorable Miller Lite television advertisements, including with the likes of Bubba Smith.  He appeared in motion pictures, including “Any Given Sunday”, was a character in TV shows, and played himself in “Brian’s Song,” the television docudrama about his teammate Brian Piccolo.

Golf Balls

--The PGA Tour’s Fall Season continued this week in Jackson, Miss., The Sanderson Farms Championship, and it was hardly a scintillating field following the Ryder Cup, though European Ryder Cupper Ludvig Aberg was in it, Aberg looking to get his Tour card after playing almost exclusively in Europe.

Aberg started the final round T8, which if it held places him 127th on the points list, top 125 earning cards end of the year. 

UNC’s Ben Griffin held the third-round lead at -20, Carl Yuan of China, by way of University of Washington, was second at -17.

This one will end a few hours after I post…update in my Add-on Tues. p.m.

--In the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, Phil W. and I are following because of our interest in two golfers, Thomas  Walsh and Ryan McCormick.

Walsh entered the tournament No. 54 on the points list, a virtually impossible task to get in the top 30 and earn a PGA Tour card for 2024.  As in he had to win it!

Walsh made a heroic attempt, as high as third in today’s final round, but finished T10 and stayed 54.

McCormick entered No. 22, though, and seemed a lock, despite not playing well this weekend, and he earns the card at 27!  Congratulations to a great guy, father Mark McCormick, head pro at Suburban Golf Club in New Jersey, and his son.  I have a non-Demon Deacon now to root for.

Paul Barjon won the event and moves up to the Big Time.

--Regarding the PGA Tour’s hoped for alliance with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, that process is being delayed over antitrust concerns, so, as of today, there is a good chance the LIV Golf Tour survives for 2024, though this could still change.

Premier League

We had our first Champions League play midweek, and there was a stunner, Newcastle 4, Paris Saint-Germain 1.  A spectacular performance for Newcastle, and a disaster for PSG.

Then this weekend in the Premier League, Tottenham, despite playing with 10 men in the second half, beat Luton on the road, 1-0.  And this afternoon, Arsenal pulled out a huge 1-0 win at home over Manchester City, City’s second-straight loss.

So…after 8 of 38 matches…

1. Tottenham…20 points
2. Arsenal…20 (both 6-2-0, W-D-L)
3. Man City…18
4. Liverpool…17

Liverpool had tied Brighton on the road, 2-2, Brighton in sixth place.  West Ham and Newcastle played to a 2-2 draw as well.

Manchester United picked up a needed win, 2-1 against Brentford.

Irrelevant Chelsea beat Burnley 4-1, but they are “Big Six,” and so get a mention in Bar Chat.

Stuff

--Simone Biles’ return to all-around competition on the international stage could not have gone better.

In pursuit of a record-tying sixth all-around world title Friday night at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Biles opened with a near-perfect vault and went on from there. 

Friday’s win moved Biles into sole possession of the record, 34, for medals at the Olympics and world championships combined.  It was her 21st world gold medal, extending an existing record.

Wednesday, the American squad won the team final, marking Team USA’s seventh straight gold in the event.

Then Saturday and Sunday, Biles picked up a silver and two more golds (floor exercises and beam), giving her 37 medals, 23 golds.

As Ronald Reagan would have said Monday morning, reading the sports pages of the Los Angeles Times, Nancy doing her own floor exercises to stay limber, ‘Not bad, not bad at all.’

--An elite kite-surfer who hoped to represent Gambia in the Olympics, 52-year-old Felix Louis N’Jai, was apparently attacked by a shark near California’s Bay Area, the southern end of Point Reyes National Park, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

He had been camping at the remote site to celebrate a friend’s wedding when he went in the water with two friends, including the groom, and was apparently dragged under by the shark.

The day after a group of kite surfers gathered nearby to mourn N’Jai and the groom described his horrifying final moments.

Friend Jim Kennan told NBC Bay Area that the groom said, “A shark came up, grabbed Felix by the neck supposedly, brought him down and that was the last they saw.  Two other guys rushed out of the water, turned around and saw blood and some commotion in the water.  But no Felix and that was it,” he said.

--Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna, said of her son’s relationship with Taylor Swift, “The NFL is laughing all the way to the bank.  Good for them.  They’re getting the ramifications of everything.”

Since Swift’s first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept. 24 – where she joined Donna in a suite – NFL’s viewership has spiked to new heights.

As I noted in that other column I do this week, the one I sign, movie theater chain AMC announced Thursday that the “Taylor Swift / The Eras Tour” concern film had passed $100 million in global pre-sales.

Top 3 songs for the week 10/7/72:  #1 “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me” (Mac Davis)  #2 “Ben” (Michael Jackson)  #3 “Back Stabbers” (O’Jays)…and…#4 “Everybody Plays The Fool” (The Main Ingredient)  #5 “Go All The Way” (Raspberries)  #6 “Use Me” (Bill Withers)  #7 “Burning Love” (Elvis Presley)  #8 “Black & White” (Three Dog Night)  #9 “My Ding-A-Ling” (Chuck Berry)  #10 “Popcorn” (Hot Butter…moronic…C week…#5 keeps the week from being a D…)

College Football 2024 Quiz Answer:  Next season….

Big Ten: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin.

Big 12: Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, West Virginia.

SEC: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Miss. State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt.

A very brief Add-on up top, late Tues. p.m.

---