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Bar Chat

12/09/2024

The College Football Playoffs Are Set

Add-on posted early Tuesday a.m.

MLB

--It happened...late Sunday night it was announced Juan Soto was signing with the Mets, not the Yankees.  Yankees fans are shattered, and pissed.  Mets fans are ecstatic and can’t wait for spring training.  We are also toasting Uncle Stevie, owner Steve Cohen, at every holiday dinner this festive season.

Soto’s contract is for 15 seasons and $765 million, no deferred money, with a $75 million signing bonus.  It can actually exceed $800 million with a clause that while there is an opt-out after Year 5, 2029, the Mets can keep Soto for the duration by adding $4 million a year.

It’s funny I mentioned Willy Adames on Sunday, and his poor OPS and OBP, because that is the total opposite of Juan Soto...career .953 OPS, .421 OBP.  [And .927 OPS in the postseason.]

Batting behind Francisco Lindor, that is as good a 1-2 as you’ll find in baseball, as good as Ohtani and Betts, all around.

And the presumed No. 3 batter, rising star Mark Vientos, has to be licking his chops already.

No doubt, Mets management knows they have more work to do, especially on the pitching end, both starters and relievers, and the issue of re-signing Pete Alonso or going for Christian Walker at first. [Or move Vientos to first and trade for Alex Bregman to play third...that kind of thing.]

But now, who wouldn’t want to play for the Mets?

And as Jeff Passan of ESPN put it:

“(The contract) isn’t the only story, though.  This is as much about the Mets as it is Soto – about a franchise that for its 63-year existence has lived in the shadow of its pedigreed neighbor.  Not anymore.  Not after the two New York teams went head-to-head for a player who spent 2024 in the Bronx but decamped to Queens for a long-term commitment.

“Think about that for a second.  A Yankee chose to be a Met.  And not just any Yankee: one who helped lead the storied franchise to the World Series this year, one whom the team was equally prepared to pay $700 million-plus over 15 seasons.  The sheer size of Soto’s contract – bigger than Shohei Ohtani’s deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, bigger than Lionel Messi’s with Barcelona, bigger than Patrick Mahomes’ with the Kansas City Chiefs – boggles the mind.  Even more stunning is the Mets’ glow-up from a team whose foibles were its defining feature to the destination for an archetypal free agent.

“And for that, every giddy Mets fan, from Astoria to Jamaica, Whitestone to Far Rockaway, can thank Steve Cohen. When Cohen bought the team in 2020, hope – something previously in short supply to Mets fans – percolated.  One of the world’s richest men, worth an estimated $20 billion, was buying their team. And he was poised to build a juggernaut.

“Failures dotted Cohen’s first four years as owner, but no longer were they the franchise’s defining feature.  He struck gold with the Francisco Lindor trade and subsequent contract extension. He found the right president of baseball operations in David Stearns and the right manager in Carlos Mendoza.  More than anything, Cohen upended the culture inside and around the organization.  After decades of carrying themselves like a midmarket team, the Mets grew into the primordial version of what they could be: a frightening machine, replete with talented people and an owner willing to go where others wouldn’t.”

Mets fans are lucky we have two long-time play-by-play men who have been with the organization almost since the beginning, especially in the case of radio man, Howie Rose, who said of the signing: “This is perhaps the most unique moment in the history of the New York Mets. I told you from day one that Steve Cohen was not about to be the little brother in town. He was taking dead aim at the Yankees and everyone else.  It’s on.”

Gary Cohen (television) described it as “the biggest and most important transaction the Mets have ever made.”

“The only one that is in the same ballpark was the trade for Mike Piazza in 1998,” Cohen said.  “The Mets have never dipped this deeply into the free-agent market in terms of the caliber of player and youth.”

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees offered a $60 million signing bonus, but were originally at $712 million for 15 years on Saturday.  When Scott Boras asked if they could go a little further, the Yankees decided to add an extra year in their bid – a 16th year at $760 million.

The Mets ultimately outdid the signing bonus, the total offered and the annual average value.

The Yanks were asked once again if they would counter and didn’t, a source told Sherman.

--The Dodgers signed outfielder Michael Conforto to a one-year- $17 million deal.  Conforto hit 20 homers for the Giants and gives L.A. corner outfield insurance, especially if they don’t re-up with Teoscar Hernandez, though they are expected to.

--The Classic Baseball Era Committee finally voted Sunday evening to enshrine Dick Allen and Dave Parker in the Hall of Fame.

Allen, who died of cancer at 78 in 2020, missed election by one vote in both 2015 and 2022, but this time collected the required 75%, 13 of 16 (81%).

Parker, 73, and fighting Parkinson’s disease, received 14 of 16.

“It was like champagne popped,” said Dick Allen’s son, Richard Jr., 59. “I wanted to hear it.  I wanted to see it.  We saw it.  Big sigh of relief. ...Really, there’s a lifetime of emotion just pouring out.  It was worth the wait.  It just makes it that much more exciting.

“Long overdue.  Long overdue.”

Allen hit .292 for his career, an outstanding .378 OBP and .912 OPS. Six seasons of 30+ home runs.  AL MVP with the White Sox in 1972, and Rookie of the Year with the Phillies in 1964, arguably his best campaign. He was as intimidating at the plate as they come, and as I’ve written many times over the years, quite a character.

Are his numbers massive?  No.  But does he deserve to be in Cooperstown?  Yes.

Ditto Dave Parker, a two-time batting champion (1977, ’78) and NL MVP (1977) with the Pirates.  Top five in the MVP voting five times (a big deal for me), .290 batting average, .810 OPS, 2,712 hits, 339 home runs, 1,493 RBIs, four times 100+ RBIs, Gold Glover...he was the complete package.  And, like Allen, an imposing presence at the plate.

Back to Richie Allen Jr., he said of his father, “He always loved the green Heinekens.  That’s what we’re getting.  Ready to go get some green ones.”

And as Richie Jr. said, Dad would probably rather talk about horses and racing, his real passion, rather than the honor.

NFL

--In the late games after I posted Sunday, the Seahawks (8-5) beat the Cardinals (6-7) 30-18, as Zach Charbonnet, a 2nd-year running back out of UCLA, had a career day, 22 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns.  He also had seven receptions for another 59 yards. 

The 49ers (6-7) stayed in the hunt, 38-13 over the Bears (4-9), Brock Purdy a cool 20/25, 325, 2-0, 145.4.

And then there was the wild one in Los Angeles, the Bills (10-3) falling to the Rams (7-6), 44-42, despite the heroics of Josh Allen, who in passing for 342 yards and three touchdowns, along with rushing for 82 yards and another three scores, became the first player in NFL history to throw for three TDs and rush for three more in the same game.

Alas, Matthew Stafford passed for 320 yards and two touchdowns, with Puka Nacua catching 12 for 162 yards and a TD, while rushing for a score.  He is the first Rams player with 125 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown in the same game since 2006.

In the Sunday night contest, the Chiefs did it again, barely surviving to move to 12-1, as they defeated the Chargers (8-5) 19-17 on a Matthew Wright 31-yard field goal that doinked off the left upright and through as time expired; the Chargers having taken a 17-16 lead with 4:35 to play.

The Chiefs are now a record 10-0 in one-score games.

K.C. also is the first team in NFL history to have three different kickers make a game-winning field goal as time expired this season.  No other team has had more than one kicker do so in a single season.

The Chiefs also clinched their ninth straight AFC West title, two short of the New England Patriots’ NFL record of 11.

--Monday night, the Bengals (5-8) defeated the Cowboys (5-8) at Jerry World, 27-20, in another wild affair.  With the score tied at 20-20 and two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Cowboys linebacker Nick Vigil broke through Cincinnati’s offensive line and blocked Ryan Rehkow’s punt. The football bounced near the Bengals’ 40-yard line before Cowboys cornerback Amani Oruwariye inexplicably touched the ball. The football went through his grasp and was recovered by the Bengals.

Three plays later, Joe Burrow (33/44, 369, 3-1, 112.8) found Ja’Marr Chase for a 40-yard touchdown with 1:01 to play and Cincy closed the deal...Chase with another monster game, 14-177-2.  He now has eight touchdowns his last four games, 15 on the season.

--The Falcons (6-7) have lost four straight after their strong 6-3 start, and Kirk Cousins has zero touchdown passes and 8 interceptions in the four.  For good reason, there is talk of replacing him with Michael Penix Jr.  But Atlanta gave Cousins $100 million guaranteed.

--The Jets now have the longest playoff drought across major U.S. professional sports leagues at 14 straight seasons.  The Buffalo Sabres could extend their own playoff drought to 14 seasons next spring.

It was also the Jets’ ninth consecutive losing season, which to me is even worse.

College Football

--We have our four Heisman finalists...Ashton Jeanty, Travis Hunter, Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward.  The winner will be announced Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

--Georgia quarterback Carson Beck injured his right elbow when he was hit at the end of the first half in Saturday’s SEC championship game.  The team said Monday he is exploring treatment options and no word on whether he’ll be able to play in the upcoming playoffs.

College Basketball

New AP Poll...records a/o Sunday....

1. Tennessee (8-0) (58)
2. Auburn (8-1) (3)
3. Iowa State 7-1 (1)
4. Duke 7-2
5. Kentucky 8-1
6. Marquette 9-1
7. Alabama 7-2
8. Gonzaga 7-2
9. Florida 9-0
10. Kansas 7-2
11. Purdue 8-2
12. Oregon 9-1
13. Oklahoma 9-0
14. Michigan 8-1
15. Houston 5-3
16. Clemson 9-1...nonrated last week
17. Texas A&M 8-2
18. UConn 7-3...starting long climb back up...
19. Ole Miss 8-1
20. Wisconsin 8-2
21. Michigan State 8-2
22. Cincinnati 7-1
23. San Diego State 6-2
24. UCLA 8-1
25. Mississippi State 8-1

NBA

--In the only game in the league Monday night, the Knicks (15-9) had a nice come-from-behind win over the Raptors (7-18) in Toronto, 113-108, Karl-Anthony Towns returning after a one-game absence to score 24 points, including a critical 3 at the end of the contest, while hauling in 15 rebounds.  OG Anunoby had a huge block on former Knick RJ Barrett near the end as well.

Stuff

--The New York Rangers (14-12-1) hit rock bottom Monday night at the Garden, falling to the league’s worst team, Chicago, 2-1.

--For the record, Scottie Scheffler won the Hero World Challenge, successfully repeating as champion, winning by six strokes over Tom Kim.  Will it be another fantastic year for Scottie, with a major or two?  No reason to feel otherwise.

--Golfer Michael Kim opened up on social media about what it costs a tour player to travel, Kim playing in 30 events this year.

Try $92,698, on flights and hotels alone.  And Kim writes: “Zero dollars spent on private flights, and rarely business class.  Can’t imagine some of the top guys’ costs... At least I’m racking up some CC points!”

--Lando Norris won the final race of the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi, and in the process secured a first constructors’ title in 26 years for his McLaren.  Lewis Hamilton finished fourth in his final race for Mercedes, as he switches to Ferrari next year.

--From the Washington Post’s Frederic J. Frommer:

“A chance encounter between ABC football announcer Frank Gifford and John Lennon led to one of the most interesting moments in sports television history 50 years ago this Monday, when the former Beatle offered his unvarnished view of America’s most popular sport on a ‘Monday Night Football’ telecast.

“ ‘It’s an amazing event and sight.  It makes rock concert look like tea parties,’ Lennon told Gifford’s booth partner, Howard Cosell, on the Dec. 9, 1974, broadcast of a game between Washington and the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“The interview lasted just about 90 seconds, but it was hardly the only time Lennon intersected with Cosell’s career.  The episode inspired Cosell to pursue Lennon for a Beatles reunion on the short-lived 1975 variety show ‘Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell.’  (Lennon politely declined.)  Then on another ‘Monday Night Football’ telecast in 1980, almost six years to the day after the interview, Cosell broke the news to millions of Americans that Lennon had been assassinated.  He memorably called it an ‘unspeakable tragedy.’....

“(Lennon’s) appearance that night was pure happenstance. The afternoon of the game, Gifford bumped into him at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and offered to leave a couple of passes to the game. Gifford said he ‘never dreamed’ that Lennon would show up.  But just before halftime, Lennon appeared.”

Also in the booth that night, Governor Ronald Reagan of California.

Gifford said in a 1995 interview with ABC: “I remember, mostly, looking around to make sure that he (Lennon) was there, and just before the end of the first half, I saw the future president with his arm around John Lennon explaining football to Lennon.  I thought: ‘Boy, this is what it’s all about. These guys are political and philosophical poles apart, and maybe there is something good about this game.”  In his memoir, Gifford described Reagan, 63, and Lennon, 34, as ‘acting exactly like father and son!”

Love that.  Pure Ronnie.  He was there because ABC was set to interview him at the half.

In another interview, as Frederic Frommer writes: “Gifford recounted how the larger-than-life Cosell played to part when Gifford alerted him to Lennon’s presence.  ‘He turned around and said: ‘Giffer, don’t worry.  I’ll take the Beatle; you take the governor.’”

You can look up the interview on YouTube.

Well, fast-forward to Dec. 8, 1980, with the Patriots playing the Dolphins on MNF.  With 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the score tied at 13, ABC went to a commercial.  The production truck had received word from ABC News that Lennon had been assassinated. Cosell and Gifford had to decide quickly how to handle the news.  A 2010 ESPN “Outside the Lines” episode played their off-the-air conversation:

Cosell: “He was shot outside his apartment, the Dakota apartment building.”

Gifford: “Oh, boy.”

Cosell: “Fellas, I just don’t know. I’d like your opinion.  I can’t see this game situation allowing for that news flash.  Can you?”

Gifford: “Absolutely, I can see it.”

Cosell: “You can?”

Gifford: “You betcha. You’ve got to.  If you know it, we’ve got to do it.”

Cosell: “All right.”

Gifford: “Don’t hang on it.  It’s a tragic moment, and this is going to shake up the whole world.”

Cosell: “All right. I will get it in.  Let Giff call this play, and then I’ll get it in.”

Back on the air, after a timeout was called with three seconds left, Gifford turned it over to Cosell for the shocking news.

“Remember, this is just a football game, no matter who wins or loses,” he said. “An unspeakable tragedy, confirmed to us by ABC News in New York City: John Lennon, outside of his apartment building on the West Side of New York City, the most famous, perhaps, of all the Beatles, shot twice in the back, rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, dead on arrival.  Hard to go back to the game after that news flash, which in duty bound, we had to take.”

Reagan, who had just been elected president the previous month, happened to be in New York the next day. He told reporters that Lennon’s death was “a great tragedy.”

Next Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

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[Posted before the late NFL games.]

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

College Football Quiz: Name the six coaches to coach in 25 or more bowl games.  Answer below.

College Football Review

Comments written prior to release of the final CFP Rankings at noon on Sunday.

After the CFP rankings on Tuesday, we had potential first round playoff matchups of:

No. 12 Arizona State at No. 5 Penn State
No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State
No. 11 Alabama at No. 6 Notre Dame
No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Georgia

ASU-Penn State winner vs. 4 Boise State
Tenn.-OSU winner vs. No. 1 Oregon
Alabama-ND winner vs. No. 3 SMU
Indiana-Georgia winner vs. No. 2 Texas.

But then we played the conference championship games, some of which were ‘Win and In.”

Selection committee chairman Warde Manuel caught some major heat for a statement last Tuesday with the unveiling of the penultimate rankings when he said that the committee will not re-order teams who aren’t playing during this weekend’s conference title games, which meant more than half of the top 25 is locked in.  Like Indiana, to the detriment of Ole Miss, and perhaps Alabama, if Clemson beat SMU in a close one and the committee chose to keep SMU in the playoffs.

So we first look at Friday night’s two biggies....

10 Boise State clinched its bid with a 21-7 win over 20 UNLV (10-3) in the Mountain West title game, the Broncos finishing 12-1.

It was the Ashton Jeanty Show, again, 32 carries for 209 yards and a 75-yard TD run that made it 21-0 in the second quarter.  He should have clinched the Heisman with this performance, though supporters of Travis Hunter will bitch that Hunter didn’t get a final showcase before ballots go out Monday.

You can attempt to stop Jeanty for a spell, like 8 carries for 12 yards, but he’ll eventually rip off a biggie.  You simply cannot contain him over a full game.

There was an astounding stat after Jeanty’s 75-yard TD.  He now has 12 runs of 50+ this season, while next on the list is Notre Dame and Navy with seven...the whole team.

Boise’s Maddux Madsen was solid at QB, 18/27, 158, 1-0.  The kid is good and has been under the radar, for obvious reasons.

24 Army (12-1) won the AAC title, 35-14, over slumping Tulane (9-4), as the Black Knights rushed for 335 yards...Kanye Udoh (20-158-1) and quarterback Bryson Daily (25-116-4) leading the way.

Next week, Army-Navy, in what is setting up to be a titanic battle.

On to Saturday....

15 Arizona State (11-2) punched its ticket into the CFP, 45-19 over 16 Iowa State (10-3) to win the Big 12 championship, Cam Skattlebo with 170 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.

What a season for ASU.  Picked last in the conference.

Then it was 5 Georgia and 2 Texas for the SEC crown, and we went to overtime in this one, Georgia pulling it out 22-19, after being outgained 260-54 at the intermission.  But it was only 6-3 Longhorns, as Texas killed themselves with eight penalties (11 for the game).

Georgia, however, had lost quarterback Carson Beck to a shoulder injury at the end of the second quarter.  So the Bulldogs had to go with little used sophomore, Gunner Stockton, and wouldn’t you know, the kid came through, playing with confidence, 12 of 16, 71 yards, though he threw an awful interception, while Trevor Etienne, back after a 3-game absence due to injury, picked up 94 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns, including the game-winner in OT.  Carson Beck, one arm dangling, had to hand it off to Etienne for the final play after Stockton had his helmet knocked off.  It was very dramatic.

For Texas, Quinn Ewers threw for 358 yards but had two interceptions, both by Georgia’s Daylen Everette, and he hardly looked like an NFL starter.

But as Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said after, Texas is in the playoffs and has two weeks to regroup.  Georgia gets a bye and a berth in the Sugar Bowl as the 2-seed.

On to the two night games and 1 Oregon completed a perfect regular season, 13-0, with a 45-37 win over a surprisingly stubborn 3 Penn State (11-2), Dillon Gabriel with four touchdown passes for the Ducks, and star receiver Tez Johnson 11 grabs for 181 yards and a TD.

Oregon seemed to be in control of this one throughout, but the Nittany Lions racked up 523 yards of offense, so that is disconcerting for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the fan base as the Ducks move forward as the No. 1 seed.

Lastly, we had a classic...17 Clemson (10-3) and 8 SMU (11-2).  Win and in for Clemson, and talk about drama, the Tigers were up 31-14 after three quarters, only to have the Mustangs and quarterback Kevin Jennings stage a furious comeback to tie it at 31-31 with just 0:16 remaining, the game headed to overtime.

Only Clemson’s Adam Randall and kicker Nolan Hauser had different thoughts.  Randall had a monumental 41-yard kickoff return (his only return of the season!), Clemson and QB Cade Klubnick with timeouts, needing one big pass to get Hauser into field goal range.  Klubnick then hit Antonio Williams for 17 yards to the SMU 38, and in came the freshman kicker.

Kudos to play-by-play man Sean McDonough for a terrific setup in just seconds of Hauser and his improbable attempt, and then the kid nailed it.

Yes, after all the day’s action, SMU deserves to be in, Alabama does not.

--Three other conference title games....

Ohio (10-3) defeated Miami (OH) (8-5) 38-3 for the MAC championship, and Marshall (10-3) won the Sun Belt Conference title, 31-3 over Louisiana (10-3).

And Jacksonville State (9-4) beat Western Kentucky (8-5) for the Conference USA title, 52-12.

--Prior to the CFP rankings, the AP released its Top 25....

1. Oregon 13-0 (62)*
2. Georgia 11-2*
3. Notre Dame 11-1
4. Texas 11-2
5. Penn State 11-2
6. Ohio State 10-2
7. Tennessee 10-2
8. Boise State 12-1*
9. Indiana 11-1
10. Arizona State 11-2*
11. Alabama 9-3
12. SMU 11-2...down 4
13. Clemson 10-3*...up 5
14. South Carolina 9-3
15. Miami (FL) 10-2
16. Ole Miss 9-3
17. BYU 10-2
18. Iowa State 10-3
19. Army 11-1...up 5
20. Colorado 9-3
21. Illinois 9-3
22. Syracuse 9-3
23. Missouri 9-3
24. UNLV 10-3
25. Memphis 10-2

*These five are automatically in by virtue of conference championships and Group of Five stipulation.

All about Alabama and SMU....

...And then the CFP selection committee ruled...and SMU got the bid.

The playoff bracket....

12 Clemson at 5 Texas...winner to play 4 Arizona State
9 Tennessee at 8 Ohio State...winner to play 1 Oregon
11 SMU at 6 Penn State...winner to play 3 Boise State
10 Indiana at 7 Notre Dame...winner to play 2 Georgia

The actual CFP Rankings were....

1. Oregon
2. Georgia
3. Texas
4. Penn State
5. Notre Dame
6. Ohio State
7. Tennessee
8. Indiana
9. Boise State
10. SMU
11. Alabama...first out
12. Arizona State
13. Miami
14. Ole Miss
15. South Carolina
16. Clemson
17. BYU
18. Iowa State
19. Missouri
20. Illinois
21. Syracuse
22. Army
23. Colorado
24. UNLV
25. Memphis

Here's what some of us without a dog in the fight are thinking.  We could have some winter weather in Columbus, State College, and Notre Dame!  Yippee.  At least give us a clipper system for one of the three, Weather Gods!

Once we get to the quarterfinals, we then have bowl game sites.

--Bill Belichick has had more than one interview for the head coaching job at North Carolina, which is shocking a lot of folks, as in why would he want to deal with the college game and the NIL/portal issues, especially at his age.

But on the other hand, he wouldn’t be the one dealing with such matters.  Others would...at least that is what he’d demand. [A la Stanford’s recent hiring of alum Andrew Luck to run the program, leaving coaches to coach.]

--UNLV coach Barry Odom is headed to Purdue and the top job there, after going 19-8 the last two seasons with the Rebels.  Good luck, Barry!  [Purdue 5-19 the past two years.]

NFL

--Thursday night we had an exciting contest, the Lions (12-1) beating the Packers (9-4) 34-31 on a 35-yard Jake Bates field goal as time expired, a game with four lead changes in the second half.

Lions coach Dan Campbell was praised after for a fourth-and-one gamble with 43 seconds left, score tied 31-31.

Detroit could have attempted a 39-yard field goal, but instead, Campbell kept the offense on the field, trusting running back David Montgomery to pick up the first down, even after Montgomery was stuffed on third-and-inches.

The decision paid off, as the Lions back burst through for a 7-yard gain, and a couple of plays later, Bates trotted on to attempt the game-winner with just 2 seconds left on the clock.

Campbell said after he simply didn’t want to give Jordan Love an extra shot.

For Detroit, Jared Goff was 32/41, 283, 3-1, 109.7, though the interception led to a Green Bay touchdown, one of three for running back Josh Jacobs.

Goff has a 72.4% completion percentage this year.  If you are wondering, the best for a season is Drew Brees’ 74.4% in 2018.  Brees holds second at 74.3% in 2019.  [Tua Tagovailoa entered today’s action at 74.5%.]

The Lions are a fun team, no doubt, carrying the personality of their outstanding coach.

And Green Bay isn’t bad either.

--Sunday....

The Eagles (11-2) held on to beat the pesky Panthers (3-10) 22-16, Saquon with 124 yards on 20 carries. I kept thinking of the guy that bet $3.1 million on Philly on the money line.

Minnesota is 11-2, 42-21 over the Falcons (6-7).  It was 21-21 after three quarters, and then the Vikings rolled.  Sam Darnold was just shy of perfect with five touchdown passes, three to Jordan Addison, two to Justin Jefferson, 22/28, 347, 5-0, 157.9. [158.3 perfection.]

The Steelers (10-3) beat the Browns (3-10) 27-14, after losing to them two weeks ago.

The Bucs (7-6) beat the Raiders (2-11) 28-13, Baker Mayfield with three touchdown passes (and two INTs).

In a game 1,042 people in the country gave a damn about, the Jaguars (3-10) defeated the Titans (3-10) 10-6, Steve G. being one of them.

Locally, the Giants were on the verge of sending their home game against the Saints to overtime, when New Orleans (5-8) blocked a chippie field goal attempt with seconds remaining, New York (2-11) falling 14-11.  Yikes.

And the Jets, who took a 26-23 lead over the Dolphins with 0:52 to play, gave up a 48-yard kickoff return following Anders Carlson’s 43-yard FG, and Tua and Miami converted to a field goal of their own, 52 yards from Jason Sanders, who had kicked a 57-yarder earlier.

Once again, special teams and the Jets ‘D’ failed them in the clutch.

Aaron Rodgers after regulation had his first 300-yard passing game, 27/39, 339, 1-0, 104.5; Garret Wilson (7-114) and Davante Adams (9-109-1) doing their job.

Miami then got the ball in OT and took it down the field for the win, 32-26, staying relevant at 6-7, the Jets 3-10, Rodgers never getting back on the field.

Yes, New York’s teams are a combined 5-21.

Hari-Kari time.  J. Mac, send the sword.

--The NFL suspended Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for three games on Tuesday after he dove head first into a sliding Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Al-Shaair appealed the suspension, but NFL VP of football operations Jon Runyan said in a statement: “Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL.”

Texans coach Demeco Ryans appeared to blame Lawrence for the late hit that rendered him unconscious and in a fencing position, indicating severe brain trauma.

“We stand behind Azeez and everything that came from that,” Ryans told reporters on Monday. “Of course, the unfortunate hit on the quarterback, but it’s also two-fold.  A lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late and they try to get an extra yard...”

What an asshole.

The Jags placed Lawrence on injured reserve Wednesday, likely ending his season.  He was already dealing with a sprained AC joint in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, and then came the hit and the concussion.

Lawrence has had six injuries since Week 6 of the 2023 season, including another concussion, two shoulder injuries, a knee injury and an ankle injury.

Poor guy...you have to feel for him.  He still has a great future.

--Hey Jets fans...ESPN is premiering a “30 for 30” on “The New York Sack Exchange,” premiering Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN and streaming on ESPN+ after.  Should be great.

The Sack Exchange was Joe Klecko, Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.

MLB

--The Baseball World was waiting this weekend for a decision by Juan Soto and agent Scott Boras on whether Soto would sign a mammoth $700 million or so contract with the Yankees, Mets, or someone else.

--In the meantime, the second-best offensive option on the market, shortstop Willy Adames, signed a seven-year, $182 million deal with the Giants, the biggest contract in franchise history.

The Yankees were among the teams interested in Adames.

Adames has one (or two) big knocks against him.  The guy has an unimpressive career OPS of .766, and a .322 OBP.  But he has power...31, 24 and 32 home runs the last three seasons.

--Luis Severino parlayed his solid comeback season with the Mets (11-7, 3.91, 182 innings) into a three-year, $67 million contract with, of all people, the Oakland A’s, err Sacramento A’s, err Las Vegas A’s.

Kind of shocking, as it is the highest contract ever for the franchise.

Severino had declined a qualifying offer from the Mets worth $21.05 million, so the team receives draft pick compensation for his departure, after the fourth round.

--The Mets, who had signed starter Frankie Montas to a two-year deal, then signed free agent reliever Clay Holmes to a three-year, $38 million contract.  It was rather startling because Holmes of course was a Yankee, where he had quite a bit of success as a closer, until the second half of last season, when he ballooned to a major-league worst 13 blown saves, despite a fine 3.14 ERA.

BUT...the Mets signed him to be a starter, a la what they should have done with Seth Lugo. Holmes was a starter when he came up to the majors and the Mets love his hard sinker and think they can convert him.  I love it.  He handled the press well when he was across town and I’m just optimistic on this move.

--We note the passing of Bill Melton, who starred for the Chicago White Sox in the 1970s, and later became a fixture on their broadcasts for more than two decades.  He was 79.

Melton led the American League in home runs with 33 back in 1971 for the White Sox, after hitting 33 in 1970.  He made his only All-Star team in ’71.

I remember when it happened, 1970, that Melton was the first White Sox player to hit 30 homers in a season, which was really startling.

--As for the controversy over baseball’s “Golden At-Bat” potential rule change, I am not wasting my time over this.  No way in hell it gets adopted.

But for the record, the rule change would mean a manager could use one Golden At-Bat per game to slot their preferred batter into the order for a single at-bat.  As Jayson Stark pointed out, for example, the bases are loaded and you have Juan Soto on the bench.  You’d send Soto to the plate and the player he is subbing for wouldn’t have to leave the game.

There are different permutations being discussed, such as limiting it to the seventh inning or later.

It’s a topic of conversation because MLB commissioner Rob Manfred mentioned it on a Puck podcast, but it’s not happening.  Book it.

--What a great story.  The Pittsburgh Pirates are offering 30 years of season tickets in exchange for a Paul Skenes rookie card, and collectors say it could sell for $1 million.

This isn’t any Topps rookie card, but rather a single card that includes the “MLB Debut” patch from the uniform he wore in his first major league game.  The card is also autographed.

It is the “most sought-after type in collecting – a so-called one-of-one, with no possibility of being replicated,” as the New York Times’ Stefano Montali put it.

Topps released the card on Nov. 13 and it’s hidden inside a rippable foil pack of cards.  It could be sitting anywhere

Two days after the card went into circulation, the Pirates announced their “bounty.”  In exchange for the card, the team would give that person two seats behind home plate for every Pirates game over the next 30 years, a meet-and-greet with Skenes, a softball game with friends at the team’s stadium and more.

One local card shop owner said that within two hours of the announcement, he was sold out.  The owner said he could have sold hundreds of boxes.

Olivia Dunne, Skenes’ girlfriend, got in on the act, and said the person who finds the card could watch a game with her from her private suite.

This is so cool.

College Basketball

In games of import since I last posted....

Tuesday

Clemson (8-1) did the ACC proud with a 70-66 win over 4 Kentucky (7-1).

Michigan (7-1) beat 11 Wisconsin (8-1) 67-64, which down the road may help Wake Forest since we handed Michigan its lone loss thus far.

But speaking of the Deacs, Tuesday they played another miserable game, falling at 22 Texas A&M (7-2) 57-44, Wake 6 of 28 from 3. Pathetic.

Wednesday

Creighton (6-3) with a huge upset of No. 1 Kansas (7-1) 76-63.

9 Duke (6-2) beat 2 Auburn (7-1) 84-78, as Cooper Flagg had 22 points.

6 Iowa State (6-1) beat 5 Marquette (8-1) 81-70.

25 UConn (6-3) defeated 15 Baylor (5-3) 76-72.

Despite the Duke and Clemson wins, the ACC, however, has been doing miserably against Top 25 teams outside of conference, 20 North Carolina falling to 4-4 after getting thumped at home by 10 Alabama (7-2) 94-79, Wednesday.

It is UNC’s worst start since 2001-02, when it went a program-worst 8-20.

In fact, in games vs. non-conference opponents ranked in the Top 25...

SEC is 13-7
Big 12 8-10
Big East 5-4
Big Ten 10-8
ACC 4-20!

From here on it’s almost solely conference play, so come March and the tournament selection committee, that 4-20 mark is going to be deadly for the conference.

Thursday

Penn State (8-1) upset 8 Purdue (7-2) 81-70 in State College.

Saturday

4 Kentucky (8-1) overcame an 18-point deficit to defeat 7 Gonzaga (7-2) in Seattle, 90-89 in overtime, former Demon Deacon Andrew Carr with 19 to lead the Wildcats.

5 Marquette (9-1) beat 11 Wisconsin (8-2) 88-74, as Kam Jones had 32 for the Golden Eagles.  He’s having an All-American campaign thus far.  And he’s been at the school all four years.  Good for him! 

20 North Carolina (5-4) snapped its losing streak and beat Georgia Tech (4-5) 68-65 in their ACC opener.

St. John’s (7-2) had a nice 88-71 win over Kansas State (6-3), as Rick Pitino honored Lou Carnesecca’s memory by rockin’ a sweater.

And Wake Forest (8-3) beat Boston College (6-4) in their ACC opener, 72-66, thanks to Cam Hildreth’s 22 points and 10 rebounds, 14 of 18 from the foul line.

But the key was when Efton Reid sank two free throws when it was 68-66 and the game very much in doubt, Reid with an injured shooting hand, so rather heroic if you knew the backstory.

Sunday

Missouri (8-1) upset 1 Kansas (7-2) 76-67 in Columbia, as the Jayhawks committed 22 turnovers, 7 by All-American Hunter Dickinson.  Eegads.  I have never seen so many unranked teams beat Top-10 squads as we have thus far this season.

8 Purdue (8-2) beat Maryland (8-2) 83-78 at home. 

--Exam week coming up for most schools, i.e., little action, or Cupcake City, until next Saturday, when we explode with good matchups again.

NBA

--The Washington Wizards (2-18) lost their 16th straight on Thursday, 137-101 to Dallas, matching a franchise record (set twice previously, most recently last season).  The Wizards were winless for the entire month of November.

Friday, the Lakers (12-11) lost to the Hawks (13-11) 134-132 in overtime, despite LeBron James’ triple-double, 39-10-11.  However, LeBron’s long 3 attempt clanked off at the buzzer.

Saturday, the Cavaliers improved to 21-3 with a 116-102 win over the Hornets (6-17), as Evan Mobley had a career-high 41 points, along with 10 rebounds and three blocks.  This guy is becoming a force.

The surprising Grizzlies (16-8) defeated the Celtics (19-5) in Boston, 127-121.

The Knicks, though, fell to 14-9, losing to the Pistons (10-15) 120-111 at the Garden, as Cade Cunningham had an impressive triple-double for Detroit...29-10-15.

New York had an excuse in that Karl Anthony-Towns missed the game with a sore knee.

Meanwhile, the Wizards snapped their losing streak, 122-113 over the Nuggets (11-10), despite Nikola Jokic’s 56 points.  So, Washington now has three, 16-game losing streaks in its history.

NHL

--Rangers Gm Chris Drury vowed to shake up his team, after New York inexplicably lost six of seven after a solid start to the season, the Rangers just 13-10-1 heading into Friday night’s game against the Penguins.

But hours before they dropped the puck, Drury traded captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim for a defenseman no one ever heard of, Urho Vaakanainen, and a conditional 2025 draft pick.

Most importantly, the Rangers were able to move all of Trouba’s $8 million cap hit off the books.

Trouba had played like crap this season, and the fan base was split on him, the guy known for some dirty play.

And then Drury turned around and signed goaltender Igor Shesterkin to a mammoth eight-year, $92 million contract extension, when it seemed the team would lose Igor at the end of the season, a record annual average value of $11.5 million for an NHL goalie.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the Rangers went out and beat the Penguins 4-2, knowing one or two more moves were in the offing.

But then, in a wild one today, the Rangers lost to the Kraken 7-5.

NCAA Soccer Championships

In the women’s championship, the Wake Forest Lady Deacs will be gunning for their first NCAA title on Monday, after beating Stanford 1-0 on Friday.  But Wake is facing perennial power North Carolina for the title, the Tar Heels blasting Duke 3-0 in their semifinal match.

Alas, the Wake Forest men couldn’t match the effort by the women and lost to Ohio State 3-0 in their quarterfinal match.

The semis for the men are set up as follows.

Denver vs. Vermont, Ohio State vs. the winner of SMU/Marshall tonight.

How cool would it be if Vermont won it?!

Premier League

Saturday, Manchester City’s problems continued, a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace, while Nottingham Forest defeated lowly Manchester United 3-2 on the road.

Sunday, Arsenal managed only a draw, 1-1, at Fulham.  Tottenham had an early 2-0 lead before Chelsea blitzed them with four goals and won it, 4-3.

But Everton-Liverpool was postponed on Saturday due to a wicked storm that hit Ireland and the UK, hundreds of thousands losing power as winds gusted to 90 mph in some spots.

Chelsea is 4 points back of Liverpool in the standings, but the latter has a game in hand.

Golf Balls

--Tiger Woods addressed the press prior to his Hero World Challenge event in the Bahamas.  Tiger said the “fire still burns to compete” as he plans his comeback for 2025.

But he hasn’t played since July and he underwent his sixth back operation in September.

“As far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again and doing it consistently at a high level, I can’t, for some reason the body just won’t recover like it used to,” he said.

“That’s part of age and part of an athlete’s journey.”

When asked about the status of the discussions with LIV Golf, Woods, part of the PGA Tour Policy Board, said: “Things are very fluid, we’re still working through it, it’s happening daily.  From a Policy Board standpoint or from an [PGA Tour] Enterprise standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive. But yes, definitely moving.”

--Will Zalatoris has been plagued by a number of injuries the last few years, including back surgery which cost him most of the 2023 season and then a hip injury this year.

But he said he’s focused on bulking up and the once rail-thin player now has 15 pounds of added muscle.  He sounds psyched...taking a lot of time off to just eat a bunch of protein, “train and get better.”

Go Deacs!

Stuff

--Mikaela Shiffrin will miss the second U.S. stop on the World Cup circuit.

Shiffrin said Wednesday that she’s “starting to feel a little bit more human” after suffering a puncture wound in her abdomen in a crash in Killington.  Whatever caused the puncture wound also dug “a cavern” in her oblique muscles, making it impossible for her to race at Beaver Creek, Colorado next week.  [The women had races this weekend at Mt. Tremblant in Canada cancelled due to a lack of snow, which I found a little surprising, following the weather as I do.]

Lindsey Vonn finished 24th and 27th in two lower-level FIS downhill races on Saturday at Copper Mountain, CO, as she returned from retirement to compete for the first time in nearly six years.

This was out of 45 skiers, though the field had some World Cup participants who were training at the site of next week’s events in the area.

Vonn, 40, is competing in a series of FIS races in an effort to gain the necessary results to lower her rankings so she can possibly enter World Cup events this season.

--The Wall Street Journal had a piece on the massive success of Shaboozey’s country hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” as in 19 straight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Since I don’t listen to current music when I’m in the car, or when I’m playing around with YouTube, I have to admit I liked it when he performed it during halftime of the Lions-Bears Thanksgiving game.  And then he was on SNL last night.

It’s all in good fun...and, boy, we need some of that these days.

Top 3 songs for the week 12/7/63: #1 “Dominique” (The Singing Nun)  #2 “I’m Leaving It Up To You” (Dale & Grace) #3 “Everybody” (Tommy Roe)...and...#4 “Louie Louie” (The Kingsmen)  #5 “She’s A Fool” (Lesley Gore...great tune)  #6 “Sugar Shack” (Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs)  #7 “You Don’t Have To Be A Baby To Cry” (The Caravelles)  #8 “Be True To Your School” (The Beach Boys)  #9 “Washington Square” (The Village Stompers)  #10 “Walking The Dog” (Rufus Thomas...C week...yup, in two months, the British Invasion hits the U.S.)

College Football Quiz Answer: Six coaches to coach in 25 or more bowl games.

Joe Paterno...37 (24-12-1)
Bobby Bowden...33 (22-11)
Nick Saban...31 (19-12)
Bear Bryant...29 (15-12-2)
Mack Brown...26 (14-12)*
Tom Osborne...25 (12-13)

*Brown could have coached in his 27th bowl game this year but opted not to.

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

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