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Bar Chat

09/30/2024

MLB Playoff Race still in flux...Bama beats Georgia...

Add-on posted early Tuesday a.m.

MLB

--The regular season didn’t end until Monday in Atlanta, the Mets and Braves playing a doubleheader to make up for last week’s two rainouts as a result of Hurricane Helene.

Both teams needed a split to advance and eliminate Arizona, but whoever won the first game, was clearly not going to use a top-line starter in the second, having a wild card playoff game the next day.

Once again in Game 1, the Mets bats failed to show up early.  The Braves’ rookie pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach once again toyed with New York, seven shutout innings, Atlanta up 3-0 heading to the top of the eighth.

Mets announcer Gary Cohen had noted the Mets were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, 3-for-30 in their last five games, and Mets fans were left thinking, why would things turn around in Game 2?

But Schewellenbach, who had never pitched in the eighth inning of a game, gave up a leadoff double to Tyrone Taylor, manager Brian Snitker removed him, and what happened after was magical...6 runs in the top of the eighth...New York with a 6-3 lead heading to the bottom of the frame.

Mets reliever Phil Maton, though, allowed two baserunners, and with one out, manager Carlos Mendoza brought in Edwin Diaz for a 5-out save, after Diaz pitched Sunday.

And Diaz didn’t have it, including mentally, failing to cover first base on what could have wrapped it up, and Atlanta took back the lead, 7-6!  It was exhausting for both players and fans.

And then in the top of the ninth, the Mets’ MVP, Francisco Lindor, hit as big a home run as there has ever been in franchise history, Diaz got it together to slam the door, and the Mets won, 8-7, clinching a playoff berth.  [Atlanta then won the second game, 3-0, despite Chris Sale being unavailable due to back spasms.]

Gary Cohen: “From (an) 0-5 (start) to OMG!  What a ride! The Mets are going to the postseason in 2024!  And what an incredible game to clinch with! Down 3-0, up 6-3, down 7-6.  Lindor with the home run to put ‘em over the top! Diaz stretched to the max to close it out! And the Mets win it 8-7!”

On June 2, the Mets were 24-35.  They finished 89-73.

--Tuesday’s AL Wild Card matchups have Royals at Astros (winner plays Guardians); Tigers at Orioles (winner plays Yankees)

NL WC...Mets at Brewers (winner plays Phillies); Braves at Padres (winner plays Dodgers).

--The amazing Luis Arraez held off Shohei Ohtani for the NL batting title, Ohtani falling short of the Triple Crown in the process.  So, it’s still not since 1937 that a player has won the Triple Crown in the NL.

For his part, Arraez, batting .314, became the first player in baseball to win three consecutive batting titles with three different teams. [Minnesota, 2022, .316; Miami, 2023, .354.]

--Due to the timing...I’ll have thoughts on the passing of Pete Rose in my weekend Bar Chat.

NFL

--In a late game Sunday, the Chiefs stayed undefeated, 4-0, with an unimpressive 17-10 win over the Chargers (2-2).  Patrick Mahomes, 19/29, 245, 1-1, 89.0, had his third straight sub-90 passer rating, but he lost star receiver Rashee Rice, probably for the season, with an ACL injury suffered when the two collided during an interception return.

At least Travis Kelce returned to form, seven receptions, 89 yards.

--And look at the Washington Commanders, 3-1, following a 42-14 thumping on the road at Arizona (1-3), Jayden Daniels 26/30, 233, 1-1, plus 47 yards rushing and a score.  They’re for real.

--Sunday night, the Ravens (2-2) trounced the Bills (3-1) 35-10, as Derrick Henry ripped off an 87-yard touchdown run to start the festivities in Baltimore, Henry rumbling for 199 yards on 24 carries overall.  He also had a touchdown reception; the 30-year-old showing he has quite a bit left in the tank.

Lamar Jackson was 13/18, 156, 2-0, 135.4, plus 54 yards on the ground and a TD.

The Bills and Josh Allen were held to just 236 yards of offense and 12 first downs.

--Jets fans are licking their wounds following the 10-9 loss to the Broncos Sunday at MetLife Stadium.  New York committed 13 penalties for 91 yards – including five false start penalties, all of them on third or fourth down.

Coach Robert Saleh and quarterback Aaron Rodgers disagreed on the cause of the false starts, Saleh saying the pre-snap cadence was too difficult for the players.  “We’ve got to figure it out,” Saleh said.  Rodgers said the players need to be held accountable.

--Monday night, the Titans (1-3) beat the Dolphins (1-3) 31-12.

And the Lions (3-1) defeated the Seahawks (3-1) in Detroit, 42-29, as quarterback Jared Goff had a perfect night, 18 of 18, 292, 2-0, 155.8, one of the most efficient games in NFL history and, apparently, the only quarterback in NFL history to finish a game without an incompletion while throwing at least 10 passes.

Stuff

--Ross Chastain picked up his first win of the NASCAR Cup Series season, fifth of his career Sunday, at Kansas Speedway.

Chastain narrowly missed making the playoffs but was determined to get back to victory lane after 2-win campaigns in 2022 and 2023.

--Julius Randle is one bummed New Yorker.  He had embraced the city, and all kinds of charitable endeavors going on here, and then the Knicks traded him to Minnesota.

“NEW YORK! THANK YOU” he posted on Instagram.

He was a great Knick.  There were problems, some inconsistent play, but the last few seasons, he busted his ass every night and us fans saw that.

--The Presidents Cup was wrapping up as I was posting and just have to note for the record it was the Americans’ 10th straight victory and the largest win by an away team in the event’s history (18.5-11.5).

After not watching a lick the first two days, I did enjoy it on Saturday and caught a good chunk Sunday.  It’s just not the Ryder Cup, which next year at Bethpage Black will be quite an event...a quite rowdy affair that hopefully doesn’t get ugly.  I can see officials having to limit alcohol intake, if possible.

--We note the passing of NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game.  He was just 58, dying from brain cancer the league announced.  His family had revealed two years ago he was being treated for a brain tumor in Atlanta.

“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.  “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA.  Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others.”

Mutombo was known for his playful wag at opponents after blocking a shot, his deep, gravelly voice, his big smile.  Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, looked to Mutombo as an inspiration.

“It’s a sad day, especially for us Africans, and really the whole world,” Embiid said Monday. “Other than what he’s accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court.  He’s one of the guys that I look up to, as far as having an impact, not just on the court, but off the court. He’s done a lot of great things. He did a lot of great things for a lot of people. He was a role model of mine. It’s a sad day.”

Mutombo spent 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the then-New Jersey Nets.  The 7-foot-2 center out of Georgetown was an 8-time All-Star, 3-time All-NBA selection and went into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after averaging 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for his career.

He was also part of one of the most iconic moments in playoff history, helping eighth-seeded Denver oust top-seeded Seattle in the first round of the 1994 Western Conference playoffs.  That best-of-five series marked the first time a No. 8 beat a No. 1 in NBA history.

“It’s really hard to believe,” Toronto President Masai Ujiri said Monday, pausing several times because he was overcome with emotion shortly after hearing of the news of Mutombo’s passing. “It’s hard for us to be without that guy.  You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo meant to me. ...That guy, he made us who we are. That guy is a giant, an incredible person.”

After retirement following the 2008-09 season, Mutombo devoted his time a to charitable and humanitarian causes.  He spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997, concentrating on improving health, education and quality of life for the people in the Congo.

Mutombo served on the boards of many organizations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

“There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador,” Silver said. “He was a humanitarian at his core.  He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa.”

Mutombo is one of three players to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year four times. [The others Rudy Gobert and Ben Wallace.]

“He was always there to talk to me and advise me on how to approach the season and take care of my body and icing after games and stretching and trying different things like yoga,” Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo said.  “He will be always remembered and may his soul rest in peace.”

Philadelphia 76ers President Daryl Morey – who was with Mutombo for many seasons in Houston – was informed of his friend’s death during the team’s media day on Monday. Tears welled in Morey’s eyes as he processed the news.

“There aren’t many guys like him,” Morey said.  “Just a great human being. When I was a rookie GM in this league, my first chance in Houston, he was someone I went to all the time. ...His accomplishments on the court, we don’t need to talk about too much. Just an amazing human being, what he did off the court for Africa.  Rest in peace, Dikembe.”

--Kris Kristofferson, a singer-songwriter, activist, actor, died at his home in Maui on Sunday.  He was 88.

Kristofferson, the singer-songwriter, was responsible for country-pop hit such as “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” and in a musical genre known for performers with hardscrabble roots, Kristofferson stood out as an Air Force brat who developed a passion for the English Romantic poet William Blake while at Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship.

Fulfilling his family’s expectations, he spent years piloting helicopters as an Army Airborne Ranger.  But in 1965, then-Capt. Kristofferson quit his promising military career to pursue songwriting in Nashville – and supported himself as a janitor at a recording studio on the city’s fabled Music Ros, among other jobs.

“Blake thought that if you were called by the Divine to be creative, you were obligated,” he once told the London Independent. “He said that if you buried your talent, sorrow and desperation would pursue you throughout life, and after death, shame and confuse you until eternity.  For a young guy like me who wanted to be creative against everybody else’s advice, that was powerful stuff.”

As Rich Kienzie wrote in the Washington Post: “Mr. Kristofferson’s persistence was legendary. He was pushing a broom when he first pitched a few songs to Johnny Cash, who turned him down.  A year or two later, while working a side job as a helicopter pilot for Gulf Coast oil rigs, he borrowed a chopper and flew it to Cash’s home in the hope of making an impression.

“ ‘The truth is I almost landed on the roof of his house...and he wasn’t even there,’ Mr. Kristofferson told the Tampa Bay Times.  ‘His groundskeeper came out and got the tape. But John liked the story enough that he made up that I got out of the helicopter with a beer in one hand and a tape in the other.’

“In short order, Mr. Kristofferson was attracting attention for his sophisticated compositions juxtaposing freedom and loneliness, romance and loss, tenderness and a degree of carnality that was groundbreaking and controversial in that era of country music.”

“He is the Marloboro Man with a tender heart,” arts critic Christine Arnold once wrote in the Miami Herald.

Kristofferson won a Grammy Award for country song of the year with “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” called by many the greatest single country song of all time, that starts out, “Take the ribbon from your hair, shake it loose and let it fall...” and, “I don’t care what’s right or wrong, I don’t try to understand, Let the devil take tomorrow, Lord tonight I need a friend.”

He also penned “Sunday Morin’ Comin’ Down” and “For the Good Times,” the latter made famous by Ray Price.

Among Kristofferson’s Hollywood films was “A Star is Born,” co-starring Barbra Streisand.  He and the film were savaged by critics, but it was a box-office sensation.  He also portrayed a gridiron star in “Semi-Tough” opposite Burt Reynolds.

Kristofferson went through a long drought, owing to a crumbled marriage to singer-songwriter Rita Coolidge and chronic alcoholism.

But he began his renaissance as a musician when in 1985 he began touring with Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings as a supergroup called the Highwaymen.

Next Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

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Note: I was focused today solely on the Mets and Jets, for good reason, so forgive me for not covering everything in my allotted time slot.

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

MLB Quiz: Had to do this after seeing a bit on baseballreference.  The other day Jose Altuve hit his 20th home run of the season, marking the sixth time in his career he hit the 20 mark.  Only six second basemen have 7 or more 20-homer seasons in MLB history.  I’ll give you Rogers Hornsby (7), but name the other five.  Four of them started their careers after 1990, the other played from 1938-50 and is a Hall of Famer.  Answers below.

MLB

--This is the 24th season in a row that there will not be a repeat World Series champion, and Bruce Bochy knows firsthand how hard it is trying to win back-to-back titles – or even getting back to the playoffs the following season.

“I should know because I’m 0 for 4,” said Bochy.  ‘I’ll say it again, you start with how difficult it is to win a world championship.  It’s really hard to do. To repeat that, a lot has to happen.”

Bochy and the reigning champion Texas Rangers won’t even be in the playoffs, finishing with a losing record a year after the franchise’s first World Series title.

The Yankees were the last to win consecutive championships, 1998-2000.

--Speaking of the Yankees, they were hosting Baltimore this week, needing one win to clinch the AL East, and Tuesday the Orioles won 5-3, champagne on ice.

Wednesday, Baltimore won again, 9-7, as Marcus Stroman, subbing on the mound for Nestor Cortes, who was suddenly placed on the IL with an elbow flexor strain, was shelled, 6 earned in 3 1/3.  Champagne remained on ice.

Thursday, the Yankees finally got to celebrate, 10-1, Gerrit Cole with 6 2/3 of shutout ball, finishing the regular season 8-5, 3.41.  Aaron Judge hit home run No. 58, Judge having homered five games in a row.

Judge got Friday night off.

Saturday, Yankees fans got to see Paul Skenes, the Pirates righthander in his final appearance, just two perfect innings, three strikeouts, Skenes finishing an extraordinary rookie season 11-3, 1.96 ERA, 170 strikeouts in 133 innings.

But the Yankees’ Luis Gil got hammered, 6 earned, 4 home runs, in five innings to finish 15-7, 3.50.  Aaron Judge was 0-for-5.

New York clinched home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs at 93-68 to Cleveland’s 92-69, the Yanks holding the tiebreaker.

But they probably lost first baseman Anthony Rizzo for the playoffs, Rizzo drilled on the right hand in the seventh inning, fracturing two fingers

--The Kansas City Royals completed an extraordinary turnaround, going from 56-106 last season to the playoffs, 85-76, clinching a wild card berth Friday despite a 3-0 loss to the Braves.  This is K.C.’s first postseason since winning the 2015 World Series over the Mets.

--On Aug. 10, the Detroit Tigers were 55-63 and ten games back in the wild-card race.

They then went 31-11, while the Twins were going 12-24 since Aug. 18 to freefall out of the playoff picture, and Detroit qualified Friday defeating the White Sox 4-1; Detroit’s first playoff berth since 2014.

Since Aug. 11, the Tigers (now 86-75) lead MLB with a 2.60 ERA.

For their part, the White Sox officially became the worst team in baseball history, post-1900, with their 121st loss in losing to Detroit Friday, eclipsing the 1962 Mets, a team patched together after an expansion draft that finished their first year 40-120.

--The Dodgers captured their 11th NL West crown in 12 seasons, defeating the Padres 7-2 on Thursday night.

Two nights before, the Padres clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 4-2 win over L.A., the game ending on an around-the-horn triple play.  Bob C., a diehard Padres fan, was in L.A. for the clincher and, of course, he said it was amazing.

--Meanwhile, we had the scramble for the final two wild card spots in the National League.

I wrote in my Tuesday morning Add-on that the first game of the Mets-Braves series in Atlanta was critical for the Mets in that it was likely Wednesday and Thursday would be rained out due to Hurricane Helene (and an earlier stalled weather front), and that’s what we had.  The danger in particular for New York was having to come back to Atlanta from Milwaukee to play a doubleheader on Monday.

The Mets then proceeded to play listlessly Tuesday, falling 5-1, and then, after two days off, laid another egg in Milwaukee Friday night, 8-4.

The Braves beat the Royals in Atlanta Friday, 3-0, and Arizona fell to the Padres, 5-3, and so heading into Saturday play....

NL Wild Card race...

San Diego 92-68
Atlanta 87-71...--
Mets 87-71...--
Arizona 88-72...—

Insane.

For Mets fans, Friday was particularly disturbing because you thought with the two days off they would have come out fresh, but starter Sean Maneaa, who has been lights out for months, eight straight starts of 6 2/3 or more, all eight Mets wins, the Mets 16-3 over his last 19 starts, was lit up early...four runs in the first, six in 3 2/3 (5 earned), and the Mets’ bats were largely silent again.  ‘Slugger’ J.D. Martinez is in a 0-for-35 slump, the second worst in Mets history for a position player.

But it’s still all in front of us...just win...four games left.

So the Mets were held to two hits Saturday night by the Brewers, 6-0.  Mets fans are at wit’s end.

But the Padres broke up a scoreless tie in the ninth with five runs to beat the Diamondbacks 5-0, while the Braves beat the Royals 2-1 on a Travis d’Arnaud walk-off homer.

After Saturday’s play....

San Diego 93-68...+5
Atlanta 88-71...+1
Mets 87-72...--
Arizona 88-73...—

With all the games in MLB starting at 3:00ish today, the Mets needed to win and Arizona lose and the Mets wouldn’t even have to go to Atlanta Monday, technically, though we’ll see what MLB does in that situation.  You see, the Mets own the tiebreaker over the D’Backs. 

Would the Mets finally get their bats going?

Yes, they beat the Brewers 5-0, David Peterson with seven scoreless in an outing fans will remember forever if we make the playoffs.  Francisco Lindor hit a home run, stole two bases, a huge effort off his injury, and the Mets, because Arizona won today, head back to Atlanta for the dreaded doubleheader, tomorrow, but needing to win just one of two to advance.  What players will show up and be remembered?  We’re about to find out.

Arizona won 11-2, Atlanta lost 4-2.  [Atlanta also needs to win one Monday.]

Game one...ginormous.

--In other games Saturday, the White Sox got to their 40th win, 4-0 over Detroit, now 40-121.

The Reds lost to the Cubs 3-0, but starter Rhett Lowder went five scoreless innings as he finished his brief MLB audition with a 1.17 ERA in 30 2/3 innings.  Lowder doesn’t strike out a lot of hitters, just 22, but he pitches to contact, and he gave up zero home runs!  Looks like he’s a fixture next season in the Cincy rotation.  Go Deacs!

The Dodgers beat the Rockies 13-2, Shohei Ohtani 2-for-5 with his 58th steal.  But it looks like Ohtani, at .310, will fall shy of the Triple Crown as San Diego’s Luis Arraez entered play Sunday at .314.

But Ohtani has 99 extra-base hits...54 homers, 38 doubles, 7 triples...so he has something else to shoot for Sunday.

--Today, the Yanks are playing a meaningless, rain-delayed game against the Pirates and Aaron Judge was given another day off...so he finishes with 58 home runs, 36 doubles, a triple...95 extra-base hits, and a 1.159 OPS.  As Ronald Reagan would have said, ‘Not bad, not bad at all...’

--Long-time Colorado outfielder Charlie Blackmon announced his retirement from baseball after 14 seasons.

“I have been blessed to call the city of Denver and The Colorado Rockies my baseball home for the entirety of my career. I am grateful for the support of this organization, my teammates, and most of all Rockies fans.  It is with a thankful heart and a career’s worth of memories that I choose a new path.”

Through Friday, Blackmon, 38, had a .293 career batting average, .833 OPS.

But the four-time All-Star hit .329 (.942 OPS) at home, .256 (.722) on the road.

--The Pirates cut veteran Rowdy Tellez on Tuesday, rather than let him play the final days of the regular season, and this cost him a $200,000 bonus (and saved Pittsburgh $200K), as he was just four plate appearances shy of getting it.

Pittsburgh said it had good reasons, with the season long over, to bring up some minor leaguers the final week, and thus Tellez, who had been 5-for-43 in September, was expendable.

But this is hardly a show of good faith, and is the sort of thing agents and other players will notice.

--The ball Shohei Ohtani hit to become the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season is going up for auction.

Collectibles marketplace Goldin announced Wednesday it has consigned the coveted ball and bidding for it began on Goldin’s website, starting at $500,000, but it can be “purchased privately” for $4.5 million.  Bidding is open until Oct. 9.

--Finally, the Oakland A’s played their last game, Thursday, at the Coliseum before a sellout crowd of 46,889, the A’s beating the Rangers 3-2 in an emotional sendoff.  In the ninth inning, two fans jumped the fences to run onto the grass, bottles were thrown into center field, and smoke bombs were set off and tossed into right.  Manager Mark Kotsay took the microphone after the game with a heartfelt thank you to the fans and one last round of “Let’s Go Oakland!”

Barry Zito sang the national anthem to huge applause, while Rickey Henerson and Dave Stewart tossed out ceremonial first pitches.

The A’s plan to play the next three years in Sacramento with hopes of opening a new ballpark in Las Vegas ahead of the 2028 season.

It didn’t have to end this way.  Owner John Fisher ran the organization into the ground and now is running them out of town, the most reviled man in California, and one of the truly awful people on the planet.

In a letter to fans, Fisher reiterated his longstanding position that the franchise did its best to stay in Oakland

“Though I wish I could speak to each one of you individually, I can tell you this from the heart: we tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it,” Fisher’s letter read in part.  “And for that I am genuinely sorry.”

The letter closed by hoping the fans will join the team on its next journey, with Fisher adding, “I hope we will make you proud.”

A little over a week ago, prolific player agent Scott Boras leveled concerns about the conditions that major league players will face in Sacramento, including high temperatures, as well as the adequacy of Sutter Health Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple A affiliate, who will share the park with the A’s.

“The city of Sacramento has to understand what major-league players, coaches, media and other owners are going to say about the city when Major League Baseball is playing at a facility that is unlike all other major-league facilities,” Boras said in an interview with The Athletic.  “All of this risk for MLB players is created so two teams can play a season on one field all the while we have a major-league facility less than 60 miles away sitting empty. It just doesn’t seem rational if player health and safety is paramount.”

To that end, MLB said the move is “a certainty,” adding that the league “is continuing to work productively with the MLBPA on the details of the transition.”

The larger move to Vegas has been widely criticized by fans and pundits alike. Just last week, Green Day’s lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, took aim at Fisher at a concert at Oracle Park.  “We don’t take no shit from people like John F—kin’ Fisher, who sold out the Oakland A’s to Las F—kin’ Vegas,” Armstrong said.  “I hate f—kin’ Las Vegas.  It’s the worst shithole in America.”

Through the years, the Oakland A’s became an emblem of East Bay’s grit and flair.  The A’s glory years included the colorfully attired, mustachioed “Swingin’ A’s” during the first half of the 1970s, the muscular and swaggering “Bash Brothers” of the late 1980s, and the scrappy underdogs of the 2000s that yielded a real-life fairy tale in the film, “Moneyball,” based on the Michael Lewis book that ushered in an era of data-driven analysis.

The A’s stadium, through all those years, the now-crumbling Oakland Coliseum – was a hub where people of all ages, races, incomes and backgrounds rallied around a common cause.

A 2019 New York Times story lovingly referred to the Coliseum as baseball’s “Last Dive Bar,” a remnant of an era (the 1960s) when cities built stadiums designed to be used for both baseball and football.

But the stadium was the backdrop for four World Series championships the A’s won in Oakland (only the Yankees, with seven, have won more since 1968).

Fisher could have kept the A’s in Oakland for the three years while the stadium was built in Vegas, but instead chose to move the franchise 85 miles northeast to a minor-league ballpark.  Hundreds of A’s employees and Coliseum concession workers, including some who had been there for more than 40 years, were laid off after Thursday’s final home game.

AP writer Michael Liedtke spent the summer talking to people around the Oakland community about the A’s departure and in his final big piece, concluded:

“Here in Oakland, as a quiet end approaches, that sets us up to leave you with an observation that the former baseball commissioner, A. Bartlett Giamatti, once made about the sport.  It hangs over the community this week like a misplaced curveball: ‘It breaks your heart.  It is designed to break your heart.’”

College Football

Comments written prior to release of the AP Poll Sunday afternoon....

Reviewing the top ten and more from Saturday’s play, it was all about one game in Tuscaloosa, 2 Georgia at 4 Alabama.

And the Crimson Tide built a 30-7 halftime lead, game over...until it wasn’t.

Georgia roared back to take a 34-33 lead, only to see 17-year-old freshman Ryan Williams catch a 75-yard TD pass from Jalen Milroe with 2:18 to play, Bama winning it 41-34.

Alabama is 4-0, Georgia 3-1.  Coach Kalen DeBoer is out from under the shadows of Nick Saban, at least for one week.

Milroe is your new frontrunner for the Heisman (along with Travis Hunter), 27/33, 374, 2-1, plus 117 yards on 16 carries, two touchdowns, on the ground.

Georgia’s Carson Beck was 27/50, 439, 3-3.  The Bulldogs, despite the loss, are still very much in line for a playoff berth.  A 12-team field helps.

Meanwhile, No. 1 Texas (5-0) defeated Mississippi State (1-4), 35-13, Arch Manning 26/31, 324, 2-0, with a touchdown rushing, but Quinn Ewers will be back soon.

3 Ohio State (5-0) defeated Michigan State (3-2) in East Lansing, 38-7.

5 Tennessee was idle.

6 Ole Miss (4-1) may have seen its national title hopes go up in flames, falling at home to Kentucky (3-2) 20-17.  So a major shakeup in the top ten.

8 Oregon (4-0) rolled over UCLA (1-3) 34-13.

9 Penn State (4-0) beat 19 Illinois (4-1) 21-7, holding the Illini to 219 yards of offense.

10 Utah (4-1) was another top-10 to fall, and at home, 23-10 to Arizona (3-1).

Friday night, No. 7 Miami (5-0) was trailing 34-24 at home to Virginia Tech (2-3) late in the fourth quarter, but rallied to defeat the Hokies 38-34, despite Heisman candidate quarterback Cam Ward’s three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble)...Ward 24/38, 343, 4-2 overall, plus 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

But Virginia Tech had a last-second Hail Mary touchdown pass from Kyron Drones to Da-Quan Felton that was seemingly successful for the win, only the refs overturned it without a good explanation.  A brutal defeat for Hokies fans.  VT coach Brent Pry said after, “That’s a tough one right there. ...I hope they got that call right.  To take it from our kids, our coaches, our fans, I hope they got it right.”

In other games in the top 25....

12 Michigan (4-1) edged Minnesota (2-3) 27-24.

13 USC (3-1) beat Wisconsin (2-2) 38-21.

14 LSU (4-1) defeated South Alabama (2-3) 42-10.

16 Notre Dame (4-1) had a critical win over 15 Louisville (3-1) 31-24, despite just 283 yards of offense.  So much for Louisville’s playoff dreams...perhaps.

17 Clemson (3-1) continues to roll offensively after their opening-game clunker vs. Georgia, 40-14 over Stanford (2-2), as Cade Klubnik threw for four touchdowns and ran for another.

21 Oklahoma (4-1) beat Auburn (2-3) 27-21.

22 BYU (5-0) edged Baylor (2-3) on the road, 34-28.

23 Kansas State (4-1) had a nice win over 20 Oklahoma State (3-2) 42-20, as Avery Johnson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for two more, while DJ Giddens had 15 carries for 187 yards and a score.

24 Texas A&M defeated Arkansas (3-2) 21-17.

And 25 Boise State (3-1) is very much in the Group of Five playoff conversation with a 45-24 win over Washington State (4-1), Ashton Jeanty with another monster game at running back for the Broncos, 26-259-4.  In four games, Jeanty is averaging 10.3 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, Boston College (4-1) had a terrific come from behind win in Chestnut Hill against Western Kentucky (3-2), 21-20, after trailing 20-7 heading into the fourth quarter.  B.C. had to employ backup QB Grayson James after starter Thomas Castellanos couldn’t go; according to my B.C. source, due to an illness (he told me what, but I haven’t seen it in print).

Duke (5-0) trailed North Carolina (3-2) 20-0 in the third and rallied for a 21-20 win; Star Thomas with 166 yards rushing and two touchdowns.  Mack Brown may not make it through the season.

Indiana is 5-0, 42-38 over Maryland (3-2).

Coach Prime is fired up as his Colorado Buffaloes are 4-1 following a solid 48-21 victory at UCF (3-1).  Heisman co-favorite Travis Hunter had nine receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown, along with another interception.

Army is 4-0 after a 42-14 thrashing of Temple (1-4) on Thursday night.  The Black Knights had 417 yards on the ground in 57 carries (7.3) plus five touchdowns.

Navy is 4-0 as well, 41-18 over UAB (1-3) as quarterback Blake Horvath was a cool 9/11, 225, 2-0 through the air, and 13-84-1 on the ground.  Alum Bob C. is fired up (plus he has his Padres...an embarrassment of riches for the lad).

This is the first time since 1945 both Army and Navy have started out 4-0.

As for UAB, they stupidly hired Trent Dilfer to be their head coach – one of the least experienced head coaches in modern FBS history – and after six winning seasons in a row, Dilfer is 5-12.

--Friday night, Rutgers moved to 4-0 with a 21-18 win at home over Washington (3-2) despite being outgained 521-299 by the Huskies.  Alas, for Washington fans, their placekicker missed three field goals, including a desperation 55-yarder to tie it.

But great win for the Scarlet Knights, who got another 132 yards on the ground from probable All-American running back Kyle Monangai.

Which leaves me with Wake Forest.  Earlier in the week, Athletic Director John Currie:

“Last week we announced that we have exercised our contract option to cancel our scheduled trip to Ole Miss next year in favor of adding a home-and-home football series with Oregon State from the Pac-12.  In short, this is a smart business decision as we were able to leverage some unique circumstances and relationships to convert the one remaining road game into two additional games – one away and one at home in Winston-Salem against a Power 5 opponent.  We take our stewardship responsibilities seriously and this is a significant net positive financial decision for Wake Forest and Winston-Salem.  Remember, social media and the internet don’t always tell the truth!”

While I hadn’t seen the announcement concerning Oregon State, the fact is we blew up an agreement with Ole Miss and look bush league for doing so.  Mr. Currie, who I met at a reception at last year’s College World Series, seemed to be a bit disingenuous, but I needed to get my facts right, so I phoned an old Wake friend who is well connected with the sports program and he referred me to some pieces from reputable sources.

Bottom line...getting out of the contract with Ole Miss did not cost Wake $1 million (perhaps $750,000), and Oregon State, flush with Pac-12 cash, is funding Wake’s buyout of the game.

The Beavers need Power 4 games (and games in general, until their new alignment is set up, 2026) and Wake was available.

And according to Conor O’Neill, longtime Winston-Salem/Wake Forest reporter, “Wake Forest made sure it had a verbal agreement from Oregon State before canceling the Ole Miss trip.”

It was a PR mess and that should have been avoided, but it is what it is.

As for Wake’s game Saturday at home against the Sun Belt Conference’s Louisiana (3-1), the Deacs (1-3) lost 41-38, Matthew Dennis, our normally reliable placekicker, missing a 42-yarder for the tie.

It was a bizarre game.  Our talented running, Demond Claiborne, reportedly dislocated his knee shortly before halftime, and we were all thinking season-ending stuff.  He was carted off, after all.

Only he returned after the intermission and ripped off a 60-yard touchdown run!  Medical staff popped it back into place, put a bulky brace on the knee, and voila!

Only Claiborne then didn’t return again. The knee became too painful...as you can imagine.

Needless to say, Wake’s season is spiraling out of control, and you go back to that Virginia game and not falling on a fumble and instead trying to pick it up, twice, and as I identified before the season started, that game was going to be critical if we were to have a shot at 6-win season and a bowl game.  Now we’ll be lucky to win three.  Ugh.

Phil W. passed on Coach Clawson’s post-game presser and Clawson was again bemoaning our lack of resources when it comes to the portal and how that is hurting us, and indeed it is.  But stop complaining.  The mood is already gloomy.  Don’t make it worse, Coach!

--The Mountain West and Pac-12 are, for the time being, stalemated at seven schools each, the two needing eight to remain major conferences heading into the 2026 season.  But the lawsuits are flying, those fleeing to the Pac-12 from the MWC claiming they don’t have to pay exit fees.

For now, Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico State, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming have agreed to stay in the Mountain West.  The Pac-12 was trying hard to get UNLV to jump.

Both leagues will now target schools such as UTEP, New Mexico State, Texas State and a variety of FCS schools like Sacramento State that are looking to move up a level.

--Speaking of UNLV, you all saw what their quarterback, Matthew Sluka, did this week, opting to sit out the rest of his undefeated team’s season because of a dispute over a $100,000 NIL payment that was promised but never paid after he agreed to transfer to the Rebels last winter, Sluka’s agent told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

The announcement in a social media post sent shockwaves throughout major college football, where the old rules of amateurism have fallen, but schools and the NCAA are grappling with how to deal with it all.  It’s obviously a freakin’ mess.

NCAA President Charlie Baker is calling on Congress to come up with legislation that would give the schools and the organization some legal backing to be able to refer to, such as the establishment of minimum standards.

As for UNLV on the field, sans Sluka, they unveiled backup Hajj-Malik Williams, a transfer from Campbell, and he kept the Rebels undefeated, throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for 119 and a score, UNLV blasting Fresno State, 59-14. Cool story.

--And now...the new AP Top 25!

1. Alabama 4-0 (40)
2. Texas 5-0 (19)
3. Ohio State 4-0 (4)
4. Tennessee 4-0
5. Georgia 3-1
6. Oregon 4-0
7. Penn State 4-0
8. Miami (FL) 5-0
9. Missouri 4-0
10. Michigan 4-1
11. USC 3-1
12. Ole Miss 4-1...down 6
13. LSU 4-1
14. Notre Dame 4-1
15. Clemson 3-1
16. Iowa State 4-0
17. BYU 5-0
18. Utah 4-1...down 8
19. Oklahoma 4-1
20. Kansas State 4-1
21. Boise State 3-1...playoff bound?  I’d love it...
22. Louisville 3-1...down 7
23. Indiana 5-0...good for them...
24. Illinois 4-1
25. UNLV 4-0...see IU...

NFL

--Bad loss for my Jets (2-2), 10-9 to Denver (2-2) in miserable conditions at MetLife Stadium in the lovely Meadowlands.  Aaron Rodgers was not good at all in clutch time, two separate drives, and our great kicker, Greg Zuerlein, badly missed a 50-yarder to win it.

Rodgers, often not on the same page as his receivers, was 24/42, 225, 0-0, 72.0, while the RB tandem of Braelon Allen and Breece Hall had 38 yards on 18 carries.  Veritable suckdom.

As Charlie Brown would have said... “Drat!”  Rodgers was also clearly banged up at the end, status unknown.

My rookie fave, Bo Nix, was just 12/25, 60, 1-0, 67.9, but the Broncos got 126 yards rushing in the glom that was critical.

--The Colts (2-2) handed the Steelers their first loss (3-1), as Joe Flacco, subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, hurt early, went 16/26, 168, 2-0, 105.9.  That’s what Joe does...the perfect reliever.

--The Bucs are 3-1, beating the Eagles (2-2) 33-16, Baker Mayfield 30/47, 347, 2-0, 100.1.  Still awaiting Progressive to give Baker back his ad bits.

--The Bengals (1-3) got their first win, 34-24 over the Panthers (1-3).

--The Texans are 3-1, 24-20 over the winless Jags (0-4), Steve G. not happy.  But then he had his glory days as a student at Jacksonville, in the days of Artis Gilmore and Pembrook Burrows III, and that kid, Mike B., who got all the [International Web Site Association not approved material.]

--Minnesota is 4-0, 31-29 over the Packer (2-2), as they held on, 31-29, Jordan Love returning for Green Bay, 32/54, 389, 4-3, 83.0, but the turnovers stand out...7 in all between the two teams.

Meanwhile, Sam Darnold...yes, Sam Darnold, is looking like an All-Pro

--Thursday night, the Giants (1-3) lost to the Cowboys (2-2) at MetLife Stadium for a seventh time in a row, 14 in 15, as Daniel Jones and the Giants offense were held to five field goals, falling 20-15.

Giants’ rookie sensation Malik Nabers had 12 receptions for 115 yards, but left the game late with a concussion.

New York was held to 26 yards on the ground in 24 carries, historically awful.

For his part, Dak Prescott had a solid game, 22/27, 221, 2-0, 125.5, as he improved to 13-2 for his career against the Giants, including 13 straight wins dating back to 2017...throwing 29 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions.

--Travis Kelce has only eight receptions for 69 yards in Kansas City’s first three games.  In last Sunday night’s game against the Falcons, NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth called out the lack of “magic” between Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, but former ESPN personality Todd McShay zoned in on other elements surrounding the All-Pro tight end’s highly publicized life.

“Every show I watch, every pregame show, halftime show, postgame show, weekday show, every broadcast I watch for the last few weeks, it’s like are we not allowed to say that he’s out of shape, that he’s been partying all offseason? He’s been jet-setting around with the most famous person probably in the entire world, that he’s drinking, going to the U.S. Open,” McShay said on a podcast.  All true.

Kelce recently signed a two-year extension that will pay him $17.125 million through the 2025 season.

--Hall of Famer Brett Favre announced on Tuesday he has Parkinson’s disease, and then the next day, former Vikings QB Tommy Kramer announced he was diagnosed with dementia.

Kramer said in part in a statement: “Please, no sympathy, I’ve lived a great life and wouldn’t change a thing.  Nobody wanted to win more than me and I never gave up, and that’s exactly how I’m going to battle this.  Football is the life we chose to live and sometimes stuff like this can happen.  I’m grateful to the NFL for the opportunity and am glad they are trying to do things to protect today’s players.”

NBA

--In a stunning, massive trade that shocked New York Knicks fans, and the league, the Knicks are acquiring 4-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns from the T’Wolves for 3-time All-Star forward Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a 2025 top-13 protected first-round pick from New York via the Pistons.

The Charlotte Hornets are the third team in the trade for luxury cap reasons and they are expected to receive draft compensation for helping make the deal work financially.

The Knicks were in desperate need of a center with Mitchell Robinson out until probably January as he slowly recovers from offseason ankle surgery, while some in the organization clearly felt that Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson weren’t a good mix since both are ball-dominant players.  Towns, in this regard, is not.  He plays off the ball. He’s also a New Jersey boy and will be psyched to play before hometown fans.  [Yes, he had a past issue with coach Tom Thibodeau, but the two said years ago they patched things up.]

Mike Vaccaro / New York Post

“Well, give Leon Rose this: Once more he shows he is not content sitting still and letting good feelings and happy vibes try to carry his team forward.  We have seen plenty that he doesn’t believe in magical thinking, simply hoping for the best.

“Sometimes you have to shake things up, rattle the comfort zone to take the next step.

“He did that last December, sending RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto and importing OG Anunoby.  There was an instant reaction among much of the faithful, a wistful sadness. They’d watched Barrett and Quickley grow up.  The Knicks had been winning with them.  Was that trade really necessary?

“As we found out, it was.

“As we found out whenever Anunoby was healthy last year, the Knicks were a far more lethal and efficient team with him than they would’ve been with Barrett and Quickley.  Anunoby going down during the Pacers series denied what sure seemed likely: That new lineup likely would’ve gotten a few swings at the Celtics in the conference finals....

“KAT has long been viewed as a potential final puzzle piece for the Knicks because of a strong relationship with Leon Rose and because, at his best, he’s been a dynamite player.  Lately, he’s been surpassed in Minneapolis by Anthony Edwards, and during the playoffs, he was exposed on both ends of the floor.

“He’s a flawed All-Star caliber player, same as Randle was flawed.  Rose decided to pull the trigger, knowing that it would certainly cause some mourning among the Villanova crew and Randle, who, like KAT, is a Kentucky man with an inside-out game and a history of collecting critics and critiques along the way....

“We have all said in unison that the Knicks won’t be a true contender until they made one more move. This is the move....

“No trade is easy, especially when it involves popular players fans have fallen in love with. But if you trust in the man making these moves – and there’s little reason why you shouldn’t – this will grow on you.  It’s been smart to trust in Leon so far.  Why stop now?”

Golf

--I have to admit, I didn’t watch a second of the first two days of the Presidents Cup up in Canada. The U.S. won the first day in dominant fashion, 5-0, but the International side turned the tables on Friday, day two, and they won all five, so it was 5-5 heading into Saturday morning’s four-ball competition at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im tied a record for the biggest blowout in the Presidents Cup, defeating Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, 7-and-6, with the Internationals birdieing their final seven holes, a staggering streak for alternate shot play.

Back in 2011, Adam Scott and K.J. Choi defeated Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in 12 holes.

Well, Saturday was a good one for Team USA...taking 3 of 4 in both the foursomes and four-ball competitions...so it was 11-7 heading into today’s singles play.

And we rolled...18.5-11.5.

Cantlay, Morikawa, Schauffele with 4-1-0 records.

Premier League

--Manchester City star Rodri will miss a “significant period of time” after suffering a knee injury in City’s tense draw with Arsenal last weekend; a big blow for the four-time defending Premier League champs.  And his absence was felt Saturday, City managing only a 1-1 draw at Newcastle before their rabid fans.

Arsenal defeated Leicester 4-2 with two stoppage time scores, including an own goal.  Liverpool beat the Wolves, 2-1.  Chelsea got a record four first-half goals from Cole Palmer, 4-2 over Brighton (and he could have six!...in the first half!).

Today, Manchester United hosted Tottenham and the Spurs rolled, 3-0, while Aston Villa managed only a 2-2 draw against little Ipswich.

So, while it is still very early, thanks to City’s back-to-back draws, including to Arsenal last week, the top of the table is intriguing.

After six (of 38) matches....

Liverpool 15 points
Man City 14
Arsenal 14 ...Champions League line...
Chelsea 13
Aston Villa 13

Stuff

--Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever are already out of the playoffs, losing to Connecticut in two games (best of three).

The semis consist of Connecticut vs. Minnesota; New York vs. Las Vegas.

--Dame Maggie Smith died aged 89.  The prolific British actress had a seven-decade career in film and on stage, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1970 for her performance in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.”  She later played Minerva McGonagall in the film adaptation of the “Harry Potter” books and appeared in “Downtown Abbey,” as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham.

Top 3 songs for the week 9/24/77: #1 “Best Of My Love” (Emotions...ugh...)  #2 “Float On” (The Floaters...awesome tune... ‘Cancer, and my name is Larry...’)  #3 “Don’t Stop” (Fleetwood Mac)...and...#4 “Keep It Comin’ Love” (KC & The Sunshine Band) #5 “Strawberry Letter 23” (The Brothers Johnson)  #6 “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” (Andy Gibb)  #7 “Telephone Line” (Electric Light Orchestra)  #8 “Stars Wars Theme” (Meco...make it stop! ...) #9 “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” (Shaun Cassidy)  #10 “Cold As Ice” (Foreigner...C- week...)

MLB Quiz Answer: Six second basemen with 7 or more seasons of 20+ home runs...

Rogers Hornby (7), Joe Gordon (7), Craig Biggio (7), Dan Uggla (7), Robinson Cano (8), Jeff Kent (12).

I was guessing most of you wouldn’t have gotten Dan Uggla.  I would have missed him.

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

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