---

Bar Chat

12/16/2024

Remembering Rocky Colavito and the Battle of the Bulge

Add-on posted very early Tuesday a.m.

NFL

--In late games after I posted Sunday, the Chargers (8-6) suffered a potentially devastating loss to the Buccaneers (8-6) 40-17 at home, as Baker Mayfield threw for four touchdowns and Bucky Irving ran through the L.A. defense for 117 yards on 15 carries, as the rookie back has become a real force, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

The Cardinals (7-7) beat the Pats (3-11) 30-17.

The Broncos (9-5) continued their playoff push, 31-13 over the Colts (6-8), Bo Nix with three touchdown passes but also three interceptions.  Denver took advantage of five Indy turnovers, including a fumble recovery for a TD that made it 24-13, and a critical mistake at the goal line by Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.

With Indy clinging to a 13-7 lead early in the third quarter, Taylor broke through for what appeared to be a 41-yard touchdown run, but the Colts didn’t get any points because the officiating crew overturned the touchdown, ruling Taylor had let go of the football before crossing the goal line into the end zone.

Since the fumble rolled out of bounds in the end zone, it was a touchback for the Broncos.  Instead of the Colts going up 20-7, Denver took possession at their own 20-yard line.

The Eagles (12-2) easily handled the Steelers (10-4), make that smothered them, 27-13, Philadelphia outgaining Pittsburgh 401-163, even as Saquon Barkley was held to 65 yards on 19 carries, Saquon saying after that when he was taken out after a hard hit, he didn’t suffer any real injury.

In the biggie late Sunday, the Bills (11-3) defeated the Lions (12-2) in Detroit, 48-42, in a game that really wasn’t as tight as the final score indicated, Buffalo pretty comfortably ahead throughout, including 35-21 at the half.

But it was exciting.  Josh Allen had another monster game, 23/34, 362, 2-0, 122.4, plus 68 yards rushing and two scores...giving him five touchdowns on the ground the last two games (along with five TD passes).

Jared Goff threw for nearly 500 yards for Detroit, 38/59, 494, 5-0, as Amon-Ra St. John had 14 receptions for 193 and a score, but it wasn’t enough.

The Lions have suffered a ton of injuries lately on defense* and they’ve given up 79 points over the last two weeks, worrying their fans.

Not that Bills fans aren’t worried about their own defense, which has given up 44 and 42 points the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, the MVP race is down to Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.

Jackson and the Ravens face Pittsburgh next Saturday in a huge AFC North showdown.

*The Lions lost defensive tackle Alim McNeill to a torn ACL in this game, ending his season, as well as starting cornerback Carlton Davis III to a fractured jaw (out indefinitely).  And running back David Montgomery is out for the year it seems after sustaining a sprained MCL.

Sunday night, Green Bay moved to 10-4 with a 30-13 victory over Seattle (8-6), the Seahawks worried about the health of quarterback Geno Smith who suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury. 

But Monday, the news on Smith was good and he might play this weekend against Minnesota.

Speaking of injuries, Patrick Mahomes exited Sunday’s win over the Browns with an ankle injury, but he said after he could have returned to the game.  Monday it was identified as a high ankle sprain and he’s week-to-week.

--Monday night, the Vikings moved to 12-2, 30-12 over the Bears (4-10), while the Falcons (7-7) stayed relevant, 15-9 over the Raiders (2-12), who want Shedeur Sanders.

--As for the Playoff Standings....

AFC

1. Kansas City 13-1
2. Buffalo 11-3
3. Pittsburgh 10-4
4. Houston 9-5
5. Baltimore 9-5
6. Denver 9-5
7. L.A. Chargers 8-6
8. Indianapolis 6-8
9. Miami 6-8
10. Cincinnati 6-8

NFC

1. Detroit 12-2
2. Philadelphia 12-2
3. Tampa Bay 8-6
4. L.A. Rams 8-6
5. Minnesota 12-2...play the Lions Jan. 5
6. Green Bay 10-4
7. Washington 9-5
8. Seattle 8-6
9. Atlanta 7-7
10. Arizona 7-7

Reminder, being the No. 1 seed means you get a bye in the first round, let alone play all your games at home.

--The 49ers suspended linebacker De’Vondre Campbell for the final three games – ending his regular season – after the nine-year veteran refused to enter Thursday night’s game against the Rams.

His teammates have unanimously called him a POS for his actions.

College Football

--Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman agreed to a long-term contract extension (four years that extends him to six more years in South Bend).

--Monday afternoon, Wake Forest fans learned coach Dave Clawson had resigned, which is hardly a surprise, as I wrote week-to-week in this space during this second straight frustrating 4-8 campaign.

Clawson was burned out, and tired of the NIL game, a la Virginia hoops coach Tony Bennett, and the inability to attract and keep players for four years (in Clawson’s case, pre-NIL, five years as virtually every freshman was redshirted).

Clawson took us to seven straight bowl games and then the NIL, transfer portal system got out of hand for smaller schools like Wake, and at age 57, he needs to recharge his batteries.

Clawson had a 67-69 record over 11 seasons and took Wake to the ACC title game in 2021.

Probably the beginning of the end for Clawson was in 2023, after star quarterback Sam Hartman left to play his final season at Notre Dame.  Clawson needled ND for a video tribute to Hartman on Senior Night, saying “here’s a guy that we recruited, and we developed, and they’re putting a video on him saying ‘We will always love you.’”

He added: “You only dated him a couple of months. It can’t be love. We’re the ones that love him. We had five years with him. You rented him for a season. ...When the video played, it was like, ‘Holy cow, this is where college football is.’”

And that tenor of comments continued throughout 2024.

Clawson is the only coach in NCAA history to lead four different Division I / I-AA programs – Fordham, Richmond, Bowling Green and Wake Forest – to double-digit wins in a season.

--In the same vein as the above, when I went to post Sunday, it wasn’t formal that Army, instead of playing Marshall in the Independence Bowl, would be facing Louisiana Tech, 5-7.

Marshall won the Sun Belt championship on Dec. 7, but the next day made a coaching change, with Charles Huff, whose contract was expiring, leaving for Southern Mississippi.  Marshall then announced the hiring of NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson as head coach just minutes after Huff was announced as Southern Miss’ next coach.

Marshall (10-3) had accepted a bid to the Independence Bowl that day, but the coaching change triggered an exodus of more than 20 players.

Both the Independence Bowl and the commissioner of the American Athletic Conference (which Army won) are furious, but the transfer portal opens the Monday after championship games are played.  This has to, and no doubt will be, changed further for next season.

--This coming Saturday is absolutely nuts in terms of the scheduling. [All times Eastern]

You have the three CFP games at Noon (SMU at Penn State), 4:00 p.m. (Clemson at Texas) and 8:00 p.m. (Tennessee at Ohio State) ...after Notre Dame hosts Indiana Friday night.

But you also have two important NFL contests Saturday; Texas at Kansas City, 1:00 p.m., and Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 4:30 p.m.

And as if that wasn’t enough, you have the two I-AA semifinals...South Dakota State (12-2) at North Dakota State (12-2) at Noon, and South Dakota (11-2) at Montana State (14-0) at 3:30 p.m. (both of these on ABC).  Johnny Mac says Montana State QB Tommy Mellott deserves some love.  He’s completed 70.4% of his passes, thrown 28 touchdown passes vs. just two interceptions, and has rushed for 790 yards and 12 scores.

Talk about overload.  The key is when to order the pizza (I pick it up from a nearby joint).

--The AP announced its All-American team and by conference....

SEC – 6
ACC – 5
Big Ten – 5
Big 12 – 4
MAC – 3
Mountain West – 2

Among quarterbacks, Cam Ward (Miami) was first-team, Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) second-team, Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) was third-team.

Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) and Cam Skattlebo (Arizona State) were the first-team running backs.

Travis Hunter (Colorado...and Heisman Trophy winner) was first-team “All-purpose,” first-team cornerback, and second-team wide receiver.

College Basketball

--New AP Poll, records as of Sunday....

1. Tennessee 10-0 (50)
2. Auburn 9-1 (12)
3. Iowa State 9-1
4. Kentucky 10-1
5. Duke 8-2
6. Alabama 8-2
7. Florida 10-0
8. Kansas 8-2
9. Marquette 9-2
10. Oregon 10-1
11. UConn 8-3...up 7
12. Texas A&M 9-2
13. Gonzaga 7-3...down 5
14. Oklahoma 10-0
15. Houston 6-3
16. Purdue 8-3
17. Ole Miss 9-1
18. UCLA 9-1
19. Cincinnati 8-1
20. Michigan State 8-2
21. Memphis 8-2
22. Dayton 9-2
23. San Diego State 7-2
24. Michigan 8-2...down 10
25. Clemson 9-2...down 9

NBA

--Sunday night, the Knicks (16-10) had a nice road win in Orlando (17-11), defeating the Magic 100-91, a good bounce back from their loss to Atlanta in the NBA Cup quarterfinals earlier in the week.  Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 22 rebounds, Jalen Brunson with 31 points.  These two need to carry the team.

And the Lakers (14-12) beat the Grizzlies (18-9) at home, 116-110, as LeBron James returned from his two-game absence, his sore foot seemingly OK, scoring 18 points, with 8 rebounds and 8 assists.  LeBron said after he needs to manage the injury.

Stuff

--We had the final of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship Monday night in Cary, N.C., with the unseeded Vermont Catamounts taking on Marshall.

Incredibly, it’s the first time in UVM history (founded in 1791) that the school was playing in a national championship game of any kind.  They have a bunch of national championships in skiing, but never reached a title game in a traditional team sport.

And the Catamounts won it, 2-1 in overtime!  Awesome!!!

--The ball from Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam to win Game 1 of this year’s World Series sold for $1.56 million at auction, according to a statement by SCP Auctions. 

Freeman’s 10th-inning blast off of the Yankees’ Nestor Cortes gave the Dodgers the win via the very first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.

Earlier this year, the ball from Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run in his 50-50 season sold for $4.392 million.

The Freeman ball was secured by the Ruderman family, thanks to the quick reaction of 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman, who was surprised with tickets to the game by his parents after they told him he was leaving school early that day to get his braces removed.

“When the ball rolled from the seat in front of Zachary to the ground at his feet, he batted it to his dad, Nico, who jumped on it ahead of several other fans scrambling after it,” SCP Auctions, which ran the sale, said in an initial press release.

The identity of the buyer has not been revealed.

Next Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

-----

[Posted Sun. p.m., prior to late NFL action.]

Note: StocksandNews has significant ongoing costs and your support is appreciated.  Click on the gofundme link or send a check to PO Box 990, New Providence, NJ 07974.

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tues.

NFL Hall of Fame Quiz: 1) Name the four New York Jets in the Hall of Fame who were drafted by the Jets.  2) Name the ten Heisman Trophy winners who went on to become NFL Hall of Famers.  Answers below.

College Football

--This week, aside from Army-Navy, it’s been all about Bill Belichick and his rather stunning decision to take the head coaching job at the University of North Carolina.

Dan Wolken / USA TODAY

“Maybe at some point after a future loss to Virginia Tech, we’ll once again get a glimpse of the Bill Belichick persona as a way-too-serious, perpetually annoyed, ‘We’re on to Cincinnati’ hater of answering questions from the media.

“But on Thursday, the new North Carolina coach – it still feels weird to type those words – struck a different tone at his introductory press conference.

“He sounded like something we don’t usually see in college athletics during these days when coaches and fans are riding the sugar high of a new marriage.  Belichick, quite simply, came off like an adult....

“(When) asked about the challenges he might face in the transition from coaching adult pros to young people who are often still in their teenage years....

“ ‘Well, I mean, we’ll see,’ Belichick said.  ‘I’ve had an opportunity to coach young players at various points in my career whether it was other players on my kids’ teams or having an opportunity to be around University of Washington for multiple weeks out there.  But again, it’s a process. And I’d say as a teacher you try to find ways to help the students, help the players, and if you can do that they have a tendency to listen and want more if they’re motivated, which most of them are.  And if you can’t, then you know, they look somewhere else.’

“That answer may seem unremarkable, but within this genre of introductory press conferences, it was downright refreshing.

“When Texas A&M hired Jimbo Fisher, it gave him a mock national championship trophy with a date to be filled in.  Charlie Weis’ honeymoon at Notre Dame was defined by his declaration of having a ‘decided schematic advantage.’ At his first LSU press conference after leaving Notre Dame, Brian Kelly couldn’t help but to pander with the promise that his family were going to ‘immerse ourselves into the culture of Louisiana.  We’re not here to change anything.  We’re here to get changed by it.’

“Now here was North Carolina, in the midst of a potentially transformational moment for its football program, and its new coach wasn’t waving the pom-poms or talking like a used car salesman or making this anything bigger than what it is.

“He’s there to do a job.  He’s there to build a program and help players get better.  Will it work?  What will success look like? Belichick wasn’t making any promises beyond the effort he’s going to put into the job....

“(Belichick) seems to understand the assignment, with a clear vision of what his role is going to be.  Truth be told, most of the new initiatives you’re going to hear about at North Carlina – a more professional and larger staffing structure, a beefed up recruiting budget, a cutting-edge training program – are not novel ideas.  They may be new to North Carolina, but most of the top college programs already operate that way....

“The difference is simply going to be whether Belichick’s approach to developing players and building a system around his personnel like he did in New England is going to work on the college level.  It’s no more complex than that.

“ ‘The lessons they learn will be professional lessons,’ Belichick said.  ‘They’ll be pros in all areas, and that’s what we want to develop.  As well as having a successful program, we want to develop good people and good football players.

“ ‘I’m going to do everything I can to help this program and make it as strong as possible.’

“For someone of Belichick’s stature, that’s a big enough promise.  Whether he can follow through on it will depend on dozens of factors, some of them probably out of his control.

“But if his introduction to North Carolina is a preview of what’s to come, the Tar Heels are now being run by a realist rather than a football televangelist.  That’s already an improvement.”

Belichick at the press conference was asked if he would return to the NFL to pursue the record for coaching victories.

“I didn’t come here to leave,” he said.

His contract is for five years, $10 million a year, and he has the possibility of getting $3.5 million a year in bonuses.

But only the first three years are guaranteed.  There are a few buyouts: $10 million if he leaves before June 1, 2025, and only $1 million if he leaves after that date.

Belichick won’t be without help.  He hired former NFL executive Mike Lombardi to be general manager, and he has a $10 million “assistant coach salary pool.”

The NIL budget is also rising to $20 million from just $4 million, according to reports.

Nick Saban, appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday said Belichick’s biggest problem will be the recruiting process, which is a 365-days-a year effort.

“The biggest thing that will be a challenge for him is the time you have to spend recruiting, making phone calls, talking to parents, all those types of things to get the kind of players that you need...the biggest adjustment for him will be the time spent recruiting,” Saban said.

--As for Army-Navy...it was a disappointing game, given the successful seasons both had, Navy (9-3) rolling over Army (11-2) 31-13, as Navy quarterback Blake Horvath shined, 311 total yards, four touchdowns, including 204 yards on the ground in 25 carries, two scores.

Bryson Daily, who finished sixth in the Heisman voting, was totally bottled up as Army was outcoached.  The Black Knights came in averaging over 300 yards a game rushing and were held to just 113 on 39 carries.

Navy plays Oklahoma in its bowl game, Army goes up against Marshall.

--And so we wait for next weekend’s college football playoffs and it’s going to be cold in Notre Dame for their Friday night contest against Indiana, while it will be 30ish in both Columbus (Ohio State vs. Tennessee) and State College (Penn State vs. SMU), but no precip.   The weather forecast looks terrific for Austin (Texas hosting Clemson).

--Colorado’s Travis Hunter won the 90th Heisman Trophy Saturday night, becoming only the second full-time defender to win the award as well as only the fifth non-quarterback this century.

Hunter, sure to be one of the top three picks in next spring’s NFL Draft, played both cornerback and wide receiver for the Buffaloes, catching 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, while playing a lockdown CB, drawing just 39 targets all season, with four interceptions.

Hunter became Colorado’s second Heisman Trophy winner, following the late running back Rashaan Salaam (1994). 

In the balloting, Hunter received 552 first-place votes and 2,231 points, with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty the runner-up with 309 first-place votes and 2,017 points, making if the closest margin of victory since 2009, when Mark Ingram edged Toby Gerhart.

Quarterback’s Dillon Gabriel and Cam Ward finished third and fourth, respectively.

NFL

--Thursday night, in a real yawner, the Rams (8-6) defeated the 49ers (6-8) 12-6.  The less said on this one the better.  Brock Purdy, for example, was 14/31, 142, 0-1, 45.4 for San Francisco, who is essentially toast when it comes to the playoffs.

The Rams, on the other hand, are right there in the NFC West race with Seattle (8-5).

Former Wake Forest defensive tackle Kobie Turner had two sacks for L.A.  Go Deacs!

San Franciso linebacker De’Vondre Campbell refused to enter the contest the contest in the third quarter and subsequently left the field.  Coach Kyle Shanahan then made it clear Campbell had played his last snap for the 49ers.

--As for Sunday’s early games, goodness gracious, what a crappy lineup, let alone the fact New York metro fans had Jets-Jaguars, both 3-10, and Giants-Ravens.

As is my wont, I watched the Jets solely, and early on, the Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams connection was a mess, Adams with two awful drops, but they got their act together, Rodgers with three touchdown passes, Adams a monster game, 9-198-2, including a 71-yard TD connection, and the Jets, despite awful clock management, survived, 32-25.

It was a thriller.  OK, not really, but entertaining.

The game does, however, give Jets fans, and perhaps owner Woody Johnson, second thoughts on keeping Rodgers around for 2025, while still drafting a QB with the first pick.

The Giants (2-12) lost to the Ravens (9-5) at MetLife, 35-14, Lamar Jackson 21/25, 290, 5-0, 154.6, with 65 yards rushing.  New York QB Tommy DeVito suffered a concussion.

The Commanders (9-5) were in control the whole game, but the Saints (5-9) came back late and after a missed 54-yard field goal by Washington with 2:00 to play, the score 20-13, New Orleans took it down the field and scored, but missed a 2-point conversion instead of going for OT, 20-19, Commanders survive.

The Chiefs are 13-1, 21-7 over the Browns (3-11) in Cleveland, Jameis Winston with three interceptions.

The Bengals (6-8) stay alive, barely, 37-27 over the Titans (3-11).

The Cowboys (6-8) beat the Panthers (3-11) 30-14, Rico Dowdle with another big game, 25 carries for 149 yards.

The Dolphis (6-8) lost to the Texans (9-5) 20-12, as Tua threw three interceptions.

On to the big late games....

--Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was released by the Dolphins Friday, after just nine catches for 55 yards in nine games.

His career would appear to be over, but he certainly had his moments, like his first three seasons with the Giants, 2014-16, 1,300+ yards receiving each campaign, 35 touchdown receptions.

MLB

--The Yankees, still sore from losing Juan Soto, picked themselves up off the carpet and immediately went out and signed lefthander Max Fried, eight years, $218 million.

Fried has had some injury issues over the years, but the 30-year-old is one of the better hurlers in baseball, 73-36, 3.07 career ERA.  Fried slots into a starting rotation that has Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman.

I would have added Nestor Cortes, but the Yankees then traded him to Milwaukee for super closer Devin Williams.

Williams is coming off an injury-shortened 2024, but will bolster a bullpen that saw reliever Clay Holmes head to the Mets and Luke Weaver emerge in September as a closing threat.

Willliams, who in 2023 had 36 saves, a 1.53 ERA, and 87 strikeouts in 58 2/3, has one year remaining on his contract and will be seeking an extension, which I’m sure the Yankees will grant him.

--But the Yanks missed out on replacing Juan Soto with outfielder Kyle Tucker, who Houston then sent to the Cubs for slugging third baseman Isaac Paredes, reliever Hayden Wesneski and infield prospect Cam Smith.

Tucker, one of my favorite players, is a lefthanded slugger, a 30-100 guy, .870 career OPS, Gold Glover, great speed.

But at age 28 (in February), he’s a free agent after 2025 and he’ll want a massive contract which it’s assumed the Cubs will have first dibs on keeping him, maybe this offseason.

Paredes hit 31 home runs in 2023 for Tampa Bay and 19 with the Rays and Cubs in 2024.  He’s just 25 and under club control for three years.

Houston does not like to give out contracts of more than 5-6 years, and Tucker will be demanding 8+, and the Astros, smartly, moved to at least try to replace some of the production today.

If the Cubs don’t sign Tucker, the Yankees will be waiting next winter.

--Texas acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger, who hit 34 and 29 home runs his last two seasons, most recently with Miami.  The Marlins are receiving two shortstop prospects and a promising young left-handed starting pitcher in Brayan Mendoza.

With Texas, Burger could easily be the everyday DH.

It seems the Marlins actually received three excellent prospects in return.

--Texas also opted to bring back starter Nathan Eovaldi on a three-year, $75 million contract, rather than lose him.  The Rangers had been aggressively courting Max Fried.

Eovaldi, 34, is 24-13 with a 3.72 Era in 54 starts the past two seasons with the Rangers.

--The Red Sox, also in the Max Fried sweepstakes, went out and traded for White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, sending catching prospect Kyle Teel to Chicago in return, along with three prospects.

Crochet, 6-12, 3.58, had a stupendous 209 strikeouts in 146 innings as he was severely pitch count limited the last three months of the season, due to him coming back from injuries, never going more than 4 innings.  Nonetheless, he made 32 starts and it’s now time to stretch out this immensely talented hurler.

--We note the passing of an all-time slugger, Rocky Colavito, 91.

Colavito slammed 374 home runs in his career, 1955-68, with 11 consecutive seasons of 20+ homers, three with 40+, six seasons with 100 RBIs, a nine-time All-Star.

Colavito, born in The Bronx in 1933, smashed 83 home runs in 1958 and ’59 for Cleveland, and then in one of the bigger trades in baseball history, he was traded to Detroit straight up for 1959 batting champion, Harvey Kuenn, who hit .353 but had little power.

Indians fans were in an uproar.  As stated in “The Biographical Encyclopedia of Baseball”:

“When Cleveland general manager Frank ‘Trader’ Lane traded Indians idol and American League home run champ Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for league batting champion Harvey Kuenn, he had no idea what a firestorm of protest he would unleash.  ‘They wanted to lynch me,’ said Lane. ‘I went back to my hotel that day and there was this dummy hanging in effigy from a lamp post.  ‘Frank Lane,’ it said on the dummy. They must have thought, ‘here’s our handsome Rocky gone and all we’ve got is an ugly slob of a general manager.’’

“Hordes of fans, many of them young girls who adored the personable young slugger, picketed Cleveland Stadium, carrying signs with such slogans as ‘Don’t Knock the Rock,’ ‘We love you, Rocky,’ and ‘You’ll always be ours, Rocky.’  Rarely has a trade generated such genuine outrage, and Lane added fuel to the fire when he asked, ‘What’s all the fuss about?  All we did was trade hamburger for steak.’

“It’s difficult to imagine now how popular Colavito was in Cleveland.  Aside from his slugging abilities and good looks, Indians fans had a personal love affair with this Bronx import and overlooked his lack of speed and ungainliness.  [He was literally flat-footed.]  But Colavito never stopped hustling, and his right arm was like a rocket launcher, the strongest of any AL outfielder....

“The clean-living right fielder always had time for his public.  Hundreds of fans would gather at the stadium gates after each game for his autograph, and Colavito would oblige them all.  ‘I’ll tell you what,’ he would shout to each day’s crowd, ‘if you’ll do me a favor and line up, I’ll sign for all of you.’  The fans did – they knew Colavito would keep his word, even if it took hours.”

Detroit, despite Colavito’s monster 1961 season (45 home runs, 140 RBIs), didn’t take to Colavito as Cleveland had.  Many fans resented his replacing the solid, if less spectacular, Kuenn.

Colavito’s problems were exacerbated by influential Detroit News columnist Joe Falls, who initiated a News feature that chronicled Colavito’s “RNBIs” – Runs Not Batted In.  The animosity peaked when Falls, in his capacity as official scorer, gave Colavito an error on a disputed play, and Colavito responded by trying to attack the columnist.  [Ed. Shades of Dick Young running Tom Seaver out of town.]

Over time, Rocky found his way back in Cleveland, 1965 and ’66, which ended up being his last productive season in the big leagues.

As for Harvey Kuenn, he went on to hit .303 for his career, 2,092 hits, but was in Cleveland just one season before being traded to the Giants.  He would later manage for the Milwaukee Brewers.

In 1976 Colavito was voted the most memorable personality in Cleveland Indians history.

College Basketball

--No big upsets Tuesday through Friday since I last posted.

Tuesday, Rutgers (6-4) had a much-needed win over a good Penn State (8-2) team, 80-76, as the two star freshmen/2025 lottery picks, Dylan Harper (24-12-5) and Ace Bailey (15-15) came through.

But this is a Rutgers team, preseason Top 25, that will be a massive disappointment if they don’t not only make the NCAA Tournament, but win a game or two, after shocking the College Hoops World by nabbing two of the top five in their recruiting class.

Wednesday, Pete M.’s Colgate Red Raiders were 30-point underdogs to No. 4 Kentucky and trailed 17-0 to start the game.

But Colgate came back to take an early second half lead of 41-40, before succumbing 78-67, nonetheless handily beating the spread...and at the end of the day, boys and girls....

--We had some great games Saturday, starting off with Memphis (8-2) at 16 Clemson (9-2), the Tigers from Tennessee defeating the Tigers from South Carolina, 87-82 in overtime behind Tyrese Hunter’s seven 3s.

No. 1 Tennessee (10-0) barely held off Illinois (7-3) 66-64.

Dayton (9-2) upset 6 Marquette (9-2) 71-63.

In the Battle for New Jersey, Rutgers (7-4) beat Seton Hall (5-6) 66-63 on a Dylan Harper 3-pointer at the buzzer...rather dramatic.

Harper (24 points) and fellow freshman stud Ace Bailey (21 points) combined for 6 threes in just 10 attempts, but at the foul line, together they were 5 of 15!

And in a biggie at Madison Square Garden, 18 UConn (8-3) beat 8 Gonzaga (7-3) 77-71, as the Huskies will continue their climb back up the polls.  Freshman Liam McNeeley had 26 for UConn.

--AJ Dybantsa, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, announced his commitment to BYU on Tuesday, selecting the Cougars over Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas.  He is BYU’s first five-star high school recruit from the United States.

First-year BYU coach Kevin Young has extensive NBA experience, having coached NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, and that was key to Dybantsa’s decision.

Young was the associate head coach at the Phoenix Suns before taking over at BYU in April.  He set a goal of turning the BYU program into an NBA development pipeline.

NBA

--LeBron James has missed the Lakers last two games for personal reasons, though he has a sore left foot, and coach JJ Redick is staying mum.

James, who turns 40 on Dec. 30, has missed two of 25 games after saying before the season that one of his goals was playing in all 82 regular-season games.

The Lakers, 13-12 and losers of eight of their past 11, are playing Memphis at home Sunday night.

--Friday night the Indiana Pacers defeated the 76ers 121-107, as Joel Embiid left the game after suffering a sinus fracture when he was hit in the face and will receive a further evaluation this weekend.

Embiid has appeared in just six of 23 games.

--The Knicks are taking on the Magic tonight after I go to post, but New York (15-10) had one of those rather distressing losses Wednesday to Atlanta (14-12) in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, 108-100 at the Garden.

Distressing because it exposed the lack of size for the Knicks and how they can easily get outmuscled underneath, Atlanta with 22 offensive rebounds to New York’s 12.

Karl-Anthony Towns (19 rebounds) has been a monster off the glass for the Knicks but when he’s not in there we get killed.  The team desperately needs the return of Mitchell Robinson.

--In the NBA Cup semifinals, Saturday, the Bucks (14-11) continued to come back from their dreadful 2-8 start to the season, 110-102 over the Hawks (14-13), while the Thunder (20-5) defeated the Rockets (17-9) 111-96.

So it’s OKC and Milwaukee for the NBA Cup Championship on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

As one who is used to all the different ‘Cup’ competitions in football/soccer across the pond, I have no problem with this format for the NBA. 

Golf Balls

--Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda won their respective Player of the Year awards on their tours.  For Scheffler it was his third consecutive time, joining Tiger Woods (2005-07).  Scheffler won seven times on the PGA Tour, plus a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

--According to Andrew Beaton and Louise Radnofsky of the Wall Street Journal, the PGA Tour and LIV’s Saudi backers have a deal whereby the Saudi Public Investment Fund would invest over a billion dollars in the PGA Tour, but the investment hasn’t been formally unveiled because it’s in front of the Justice Department, which had already been investigating the golf industry over potential antitrust violations.

If it goes through, the PIF would pour $1.5 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises in return for a minority stake.  “And while the sides still have numerous issues to work out in order to achieve fans’ dreams of reunifying the top players in the sport, things are now looking as bright as ever that the deal will withstand antitrust scrutiny and allow the two sides to proceed.”

But while the two sides await a nod from the Justice Department, President-elect Trump has promised to get the deal done in 15 minutes when he takes office.

Premier League

--Wednesday, Manchester City plunged deeper into trouble in the Champions League by losing 2-0 at Juventus on Wednesday.

City has won just one of its last 10 matches in all competitions.

--Make that one of its last 11, as it was shocked by Manchester United Sunday, 2-1, City giving up two late goals.  This is a stunning reversal I can’t recall happening in any professional sport. They’ve won the last four Premier League titles!

In other games this weekend, Arsenal played to a 0-0 draw at home against Everton, which ain’t good.

Also not good, Liverpool only tied Fulham 2-2 at home, but in this one, the Reds were playing with just 10 men the last 74+ minutes and got a late goal to eke out a point.

Nottingham Forest beat Aston Villa 2-1.

In late games, Chelsea is on the move, 2-1 over Brentford, and Tottenham blasted last-place Southampton, 5-0, scoring all five in the first half.

Stuff

--I forgot to mention in my Add-on that North Carolina’s Lady Tar Heels won their 23rd  national soccer championship last Monday night, defeating Wake Forest 1-0.

--Saudi Arabia was officially confirmed Wednesday by FIFA as host of the 2034 World Cup in men’s soccer, giving the oil-rich kingdom its biggest prize yet for massive spending on global sports driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

This was hardly a surprise.  The Saudi bid was the only candidate.

The decision was combined with approving the only candidate to host the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will co-host in a six-nation project, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each getting one of the 104 games.

Less than two years before the U.S., Canada and Mexico host the 2026 Cup, which should be awesome.

--Lindsey Vonn is returning to World Cup ski racing next weekend for a pair of super-G events in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where she has won five of her 82 World Cup wins on the course.

It will be her first major race since February 2019.

--The woman who in 2006 falsely accused three Duke University lacrosse players of raping her – making national headlines that stirred tensions about race, class and the privilege of college athletes – has admitted publicly for the first time that she made up the story.

Crystal Mangum, who is Black, said in an interview with the “Let’s Talk with Kat” podcast that she “made up a story that wasn’t true” about the white players who attended a party where she was hired to perform as a stripper “because I wanted validation from people and not from God.”

“I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t and that was wrong,” Mangum, 46, said in the interview.  The interview was recorded at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, where Mangum is incarcerated for fatally stabbing her boyfriend in 2011.

The former Duke players were declared innocent in 2007 after Mangum’s story fell apart under legal scrutiny.

The state attorney general’s office* concluded there was no credible evidence an attack ever occurred, and its investigation found no DNA, witness or other evidence to confirm Mangum’s story.

*Current North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper was AG back then.

--Hot on the heels of the success of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Coldplay announced it is selling out 90,000 seats at London’s Wembley Stadium for 10 dates next summer.

Cirque du Soleil, after emerging from pandemic-induced bankruptcy in late 2020, is back to its pre-Covid numbers for ticket sales and revenue, the company says, and rolling out new shows in Honolulu and Mexico.  Sphere, the multisensory entertainment venue that opened in Las Vegas in 2023, has generated so much excitement that its owner, Sphere Entertainment Co. is planning a second one in Abu Dhabi.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc. said it has sold more than 20 million tickets via its Ticketmaster subsidiary for Live Nation concerts in 2025, representing double-digit growth from the same point in 2023.

Top 3 songs for the week 12/19/64:  #1 “Come See About Me” (The Supremes)  #2 “I Feel Fine” (The Beatles)  #3 “Mr. Lonely” (Bobby Vinton)...and...#4 “She’s Not There” (The Zombies) #5 “Ringo” (Lorne Greene) #6 “Time Is On My Side” (The Rolling Stones)  #7 “Goin’ Out Of My Head” (Little Anthony and The Imperials)  #8 “Dance, Dance, Dance” (The Beach Boys)  #9 “I’m Gonna Be Strong” (Gene Pitney)  #10 “You Really Got Me” (The Kinks...ahh, the British Invasion is in full swing... ‘A’ week...)

NFL Hall of Fame Quiz Answers: 1) Four Jets in the NFL Hall of Fame that were drafted by the Jets...Joe Klecko, Joe Namath, Darrelle Revis, John Riggins.  2) Ten NFL Hall of Famers who were also Heisman Trophy winners...O.J. Simpson, Roger Staubach, Doak Walker, Paul Hornung, Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett, Marcus Allen, Barry Sanders, Tim Brown, Charles Woodson.

---

Battle of the Bulge

As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of this pivotal moment in World War II, I’ve been saving a piece from Army Times, written by Claire Barrett, who interviewed author Alex Kershaw, whose latest book, “Patton’s Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith, and Victory in World War II,” is a deep dive into the course-altering decision making surrounding the Bulge.

But first:

“I didn’t get frightened until three weeks after it had begun, when I began to read the American papers and found...how near we were to being whipped,” President Dwight D. Eisenhower confessed at a presidential press conference a dozen years after the December 1944 Battle of the Bulge.

Barrett:

“The Bulge had exploited widespread intelligence failures on the side of the Allies, with the Germans’ two-pronged attack toward the Meuse threatening Paris and Antwerp – the key Belgian port supplying the Allies.

“On Dec. 19, 1944, three days after the initial German assault began, grim-faced Allied leadership met in Verdun to concoct a plan to blunt the Nazi offensive.  Except they didn’t need a new plan. Gen. George S. Patton was already three steps ahead.

“Patton had arrived in Verdun with a handful of alternative strategies, while his deputy, Maj. Gen. Hobart Gay, waited for word in Nancy, France.

“Patton was to call Gay with a telephone code, which would then instruct the officer to immediately activate his personnel.

“ ‘George,’ said Eisenhower, ‘I want you to command this move – under Brad’s supervision, of course – making a strong counterattack with at least six divisions. When can you start?’

“ ‘As soon as you’re through with me,’ Patton claimed.  ‘I can attack the day after tomorrow morning.’

“Patton’s aide, Lt. Col Charles R. Codman, recalled ‘a stir, a shuffling of feet, as those present straightened up in their chairs.  In some faces skepticism [showed].  But through the room a current of excitement leaped.’

“Taking tens of thousands of men facing eastward, swiveling them north, and moving them – over inadequate and icy roads with armor and supplies set up for a different thrust – to counterattack two days later seemed logistically unsound, according to historian Stanley Weintraub.

“Yet Patton was confident he could it – and he did.”

Alex Kershaw spoke with Military Times about how faith and ego intertwined that fateful winter, and how such factors led to an astounding American victory.

Kershaw: The reason I chose to write about Patton during this time period is because I wanted to show him at his very best – and boy was he at his very best.  I was surprised at how strategic he was, his planning, what a great staff he had.

I was very impressed by the fact that he was often right there on the front lines. In my book, there are several instances where he was very nearly killed. I can’t think of a single U.S. Army commander who was that close to the front so often – so close to death.

So, this was obviously a guy who was a hot head, who blasphemed, the most politically incorrect character in history, maybe, but he performed.  He walked it like he talked it.  He was our best.  The Allied best.

MT: There’s a claim that the Germans only feared one Allied general – Patton.  How overblown is that?

Kershaw: I don’t think they were just scared of Patton, but if you look at the German accounts... [Gerd] von Rundstedt wrote after his arrest that Patton was our best.

I came across one account where Hitler called him the American cowboy.  There’s nothing wrong with being a cowboy here....

Kershaw: The Third Army by the end of the war had almost 450,000 Americans – 36 divisions I believe.  [Patton] practiced what I like to call American Blitzkrieg.  He was the primary theorist in American armored warfare.

He was the first [American] to actually drive a tank towards combat during World War I because he was the only guy who knew how to drive it.  So, he’s a pioneer in so many ways.  You could say that today’s combined arms doctrine was invented by Patton before it was even official.

So, when he got the chance to move, and summer 1944 is the perfect example of this, his army was so powerful, moved so quickly, so effectively. The only thing that stopped him was running out of gas.  But if you practice that kind of warfare you don’t worry about your flanks. And he didn’t.  We’re just going to kill, kill, kill.  Move, move, move.  Always engage the enemy.  Never let them rest.  It’s a very swashbuckling cavalry mentality.

But to do that, you have to have a very large and intelligent staff who can provide information about where you’re moving to....

His head of intelligence [Oscar] Koch had been with him since Operation Torch in 1942, so they went way back.  Patton wouldn’t make any decision without consulting Koch.

By 1944 it was a very well-oiled machine. So, in late November, early December of that year Patton and his intelligence team were getting disturbing information back to them. When the Battle of the Bulge began on December 16, there was only one man with a plan – Patton – because he had strongly suspected and made preparations for the surprise attack.

When, in the greatest act of his military career, he pivoted the entire Third Army and moved over 100 miles in about 48 hours in terrible conditions, horrible road networks and then relieved Bastogne, he could do so because he was prepared.

MT: Patton twice contacted Chief Chaplain of the Third Army James H. O’Neill about the weather.  O’Neill responded, “It isn’t a customary ting among men of my profession to pray for clear weather to kill fellow men.”  Patton returned, “Are you teaching me theology or are you chaplain of the Third Army? I want a prayer.” Thus Patton’s Prayer was born.  How did religion influence and guide him throughout the war?

Kershaw: One of the reasons I was interested in writing the book was that I was looking for a way to tell the story of Patton and the Battle of the Bulge and I didn’t want to write a biography. So, I used the prayer as a kind of device that allows me to have a structure to the book.

The prayer was answered, Patton believed, because the skies cleared, the air force comes into play. And many men in his army – there were 200,000 prayer cards distributed – believed it, too.

I looked at a U.S Army survey done just after the war that showed that when guys were on the front lines, less than 50 percent believed that prayer was important. When they were in combat that number rose to 75 percent.  GIs are praying.  You can say they were just praying for survival, but it does show how much faith matters to people who didn’t think they were going to live.

Patton himself prayed every day.  He writes in his diary messages to God. He cites God.  He thanks God.  He attends services when he can.

One of the reasons why he calls on his chaplain is that he didn’t think his men were praying enough.

MT: There are plenty of Patton-isms.  Do you have a particular favorite? His “Xmas Eve present coming.  Hold on” radio to Anthony McAuliffe is a gem.

Kershaw: I think of the George C. Scott movie and his famous speech, which is based off of several of Patton’s speeches. There are tons of lines in there like, “No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country.  He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.”

I think that’s one of my favorites because it’s Patton in a nutshell. That’s his whole philosophy.

Ed. Chaplain O’Neill couldn’t find a suitable prayer, so he created his own, jotting it down on a card.

 Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend.  Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.

The Battle of the Bulge was the bloodiest of the entire war for the United States, resulting in over 80,000 American casualties, with 20,000 more taken prisoner by the Germans.

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

---