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Bar Chat

01/06/2025

College Football has a Final Four

Add-on posted late Monday p.m.

NFL Playoffs set....

Sat. Jan. 11

L.A. Chargers at Houston, 4:30 p.m., ET, CBS
Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 8 pm., ET, Amazon Prime

Sun. Jan. 12

Denver at Buffalo, 1 p.m., ET, CBS
Green Bay at Philadelphia, 4:30, ET, Fox
Washington at Tampa Bay, 8 p.m., ET, NBC

Mon. Jan. 13

Minnesota at L.A. Rams, 8 p.m., ET, ESPN/ABC

--I have to admit, not thrilled with Saturday’s two games, especially with the Steelers having lost four straight going in, the offense non-existent.

But there could be a coastal storm that day!  [At least a chance of one as of late Monday.]

All three of Sunday’s games are fascinating.  Monday’s as well.

--Sunday night in an historic matchup of 14-2 teams looking for the bye, the Lions whipped the Vikings 31-9, as it was the Jahmyr Gibbs show...23 carries for 139 yards and three touchdowns, along with five receptions for another 31 and a fourth score.

Gibbs, who finished the season with 1,412 yards rushing, a 5.6 average, and 16 touchdowns, really picked up his game further after running mate David Montgomery was injured, out for the season on Dec. 15.

--If you are a Kansas City fan you have to be pumped.  Patrick Mahomes will have had three full weeks off before he takes the field, his ankle no doubt 100% by then.

Denver rookie QB Bo Nix had a spectacular regular-season finale, 26/29, 321, 4-0, 152.4, as the Broncos locked up a playoff berth with a 38-0 win over the Chiefs, who fielded their B squad.

Nix finished his first season with 29 touchdown passes, just 12 INTs, and a 93.3 PR.  Pretty, pretty good.  His extensive college experience showed.

--And us Jets fans were treated to a classic Aaron Rodgers performance in the finale, 32-20 over the Dolphins, Rodgers 23/36, 274, 4-1, 112.5, including career touchdown pass No. 500.

Is he coming back next season? Do the Jets want him back?  Is it going to be up to the new coach, new GM?  Owner Woody Johnson?

Woody said Monday morning it will be up to the new GM and coach, whoever they may be.

This will play out for a while because of the salary cap implications and the actual timing of his probable release.

Rodgers said after: “Truthfully, I don’t know.  I’m looking forward to those conversations with Woody and Christopher [Johnson]...Feels good to be able to do some of those things the last five or six weeks I know I was capable of doing, even at 40, 41.  Either way, I won’t be upset or offended whatever they decide to do.  If they want to move on, if I still want to play and if not I’ll let them know at some point if that’s the case.”

--Giants fans can’t be happy that early Monday, co-owner John Mara said he is bringing back GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

In three years, the Giants are 18-32-1 in the regular season, with rosters Schoen assembled and Daboll guided.  From 9-7-1 the first year, plus a playoff victory, to 6-11 in 2023 and this year’s 3-14.

--The Patriots fired Jerod Mayo after just one season, 4-13.  Mike Vrabel would be a natural fit here.

The Jaguars fired Doug Pederson.  The Jags were just 4-13, and 5-18 over the franchise’s last 23 games.  Over three seasons as coach, he was 22-29.  A far cry from the Super Bowl winning coach (2017 season) that Jags owner Shad Khan thought he had hired in Feb. 2022.

--Back to the wild card playoffs, it’s been two weeks since Jalen Hurts went out with a concussion against the Commanders and as of Monday, the Eagles and coach Nick Sirianni have been tight-lipped about Hurts’ condition.

Sirianni last said Hurts “is progressing through the (concussion) protocol.  Can’t say much more when guys are in the protocol except for that.”

Sirianni did say Hurts was present at the Eagles’ walk-through Friday as the team prepared for the game against the Giants, but clammed up again when asked if that represented a progression for the quarterback.

Will he be available for Sunday’s game against the Packers?  Today, Monday, Sirianni said Hurts was still in the protocol, not a great sign.

--NFL Draft Order

1. Tennessee 3-14
2. Cleveland 3-14
3. NY Giants 3-14
4. New England 4-13
5. Jacksonville 4-13
6. Las Vegas 4-13
7. NY Jets 5-12
8. Carolina 5-12
9. New Orleans 5-12
10. Chicago 5-12

College Football

--As we await the CFP semifinals, Thursday and Friday, we had the FCS Championship (I-AA), No. 1 Montana State vs. 2 North Dakota State tonight...and the Bison [NDSU] picked up their 10th title, 35-32, handing the Bobcats their first loss of the season.

NBA

--Sunday, after I posted, the Thunder moved to 30-5, defeating the Celtics (26-10) 105-92.

The Cavaliers are 31-4, following a 115-105 over the Hornets (7-27).

--Tonight, the Knicks returned home to play the Magic, having played more road games than any other team in the league, 21 of 36.

But New York was without Karl-Anthony Towns, who hurt his knee Saturday night in Chicago, day-to-day, and Miles McBride, missing a fourth straight game with his hamstring issue.

However, Orlando (22-16) is missing everyone...no team has had more injuries than they have...but they play tough and were up 53-51 at the half.

And in an atrocious loss, New York fell 103-94, the Knicks (24-13) with another awful performance from three, 4 of 22.

Understand, because of all of Orlando’s injuries, they didn’t start one player averaging double digits in scoring.

College Basketball

--New AP Poll, records thru Sunday’s play....

1. Tennessee 14-0 (45)
2. Auburn 13-1 (15)
3. Iowa State 12-1
4. Duke 12-2
5. Alabama 12-2
6. Kentucky 12-2
7. Marquette 13-2
8. Florida 13-1
9. UConn 12-3
10. Texas A&M 12-2
11. Kansas 10-3
12. Houston 10-3
13. Illinois 11-3 ...up 9
14. Mississippi State 13-1
15. Oregon 13-2
16. Michigan State 12-2
17. Oklahoma 13-1
18. Gonzaga 12-4
19. Memphis 12-3
20. Purdue 11-4
21. West Virginia 11-2
22. UCLA 11-3
23. Ole Miss 12-2
24. Michigan 11-3
25. Utah State 14-1

Pitt is No. 26, if you carry out the votes.

SEC with 4 of the top 6, 5 of top 8, 6 of top 10.

--Rutgers (8-7, 1-3) with another awful loss at home tonight, 75-63, to Wisconsin (12-3, 2-2), as Dylan Harper played briefly due to his illness, while the other future lottery pick, Ace Bailey, sucked, 3 of 16 from the field.

Golf Balls

--The Sentry Championship wrapped up long after I posted Sunday, and Hideki Matsuyama, in winning his 11th PGA Tour title, third in 10 months, broke the Tour record with a 35-under performance, the record for 72 holes.  Matsuyama, who is always in the rumor mill for a potential jump to LIV Golf, bested Collin Morikawa by three strokes.

Morikawa said after, “Excuse my language, but f---!  35-under par! That’s low.”

A week of low winds helped immensely.

Speaking of LIV, no one of consequence has jumped in a long time, despite the constant chatter that a Matsuyama, Finau, Cameron Young, will be doing so.

--As for Scottie Scheffler and his hand injury, suffered Christmas Day when he had a broken glass issue at home, he announced on Instagram that he will now miss the American Express tournament, but “I am still hopeful to begin my 2025 Season at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.”

We still don’t know how Scottie punctured the palm of his hand from the broken glass.  He had surgery to remove fragments.

I mean I do my own dishes at home (never use a dishwasher), like for 50 years, and I break glasses all the time, but never more than a small cut.  As in, what the hell happened?!”

Stuff

--Major apology...the U.S. men’s alpine ski team hasn’t been real good the last few years, but I missed a great performance back on Dec. 20 at Val Gardena by 33-year-old American Jared Goldberg, who picked up his first podium finish, a 2nd in the super-G.  It’s the only U.S. men’s podium finish thus far in the 2024-25 season.  He deserves a ton of credit for sticking with it.

--Mikaela Shiffrin is still a few weeks away from returning to World Cup action following her crash at the end of November that required surgery for a deep puncture wound in her hip.  She said the other day she’ll be back training on snow in a week or so.

This was a dangerous injury, as I said at the time.  I was worried about infection with a dirty metal or wooden post that went into her skin.  Remember, she crashed into a barrier.

Next Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

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[Posted early Sunday p.m., prior to late NFL games and the golf]

Brief Add-on up top late Monday p.m.  NFL playoff matchups at that time.

College Football Quiz: The Texas Longhorns were a juggernaut with the wishbone, 1969-70, winning the AP national title in 1969, and UPI title 1970 (3rd final AP to Nebraska).  Name the two quarterbacks, two leading running backs, and the only receiver, either year, to have 30 receptions.  Answers below.

CFP

Despite all the bitching and some lopsided scores, we have a fascinating Final Four, and thankfully the games will start before the 8:00 hour and we’ll have the opportunity to stay up for them if the game is good.

Yes, the seeding needs tweaking and no doubt the Selection Committee, which got it right with the 12-team field overall, gets it.  Boise State can’t be a No. 3, and Ohio State No. 8.  That will change. Don’t fret.

The semifinals

Thurs., Jan. 9...6 Penn State vs. 7 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, 7:30 p.m. ET
Fri., Jan. 10...8 Ohio State vs. 5 Texas in the Cotton Bowl, 7:30 p.m.

--All four of the teams that won their conference and earned a first-round bye are now officially out of contention for the national championship.

No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten) was soundly beaten 41-21 by No. 8 Ohio State, while No. 7 Notre Dame beat No. 2 Georgia (SEC), No. 6 Penn State beat No. 3 Boise State (Mountain West) 31-14 and No. 5 Texas beat No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12) 39-31 in overtime.

--Penn State stormed past Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, as the Nittany Lions bottled up Boise, and future NFL star, Ashton Jeanty, holding the All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up to just 104 yards on 30 carries, with a long run of 26. [Jeanty also finished 27 yards short of Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA record set in 1988 at Oklahoma State.]

At the same time, Penn State running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton combined for 221 rushing yards on just 29 carries, and Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes, two to star tight end Tyler Warren.

A complete victory for coach James Franklin.

--Ohio State thrashed Oregon behind Will Howard’s 319 yards and three touchdowns, with rising superstar freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith catching seven passes for 187 yards and two scores.  Senior running back Treveyon Henderson had 94 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries, including a 66-yard TD scamper that should help move him up in the draft.

But the Buckeyes defense was also a story, with eight sacks of Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the Ducks with a negative -23 yards rushing, the second fewest by a No. 1 team this millennium.  This was the same OU squad that put up 45 points against Penn State in the Big Ten championship game.

Like with PSU coach Franklin, often on the hot seat, Ohio State coach Ryan Day was in huge trouble, it seemed, following another loss to Michigan.  Not now.

--Texas survived their Peach Bowl encounter with Arizona State in the best game of the playoffs yet, a double-overtime 39-31 thriller, with Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers connecting for a 28-yard touchdown to Matthew Golden on fourth and 13 to extend the game, and then the ever-maligned Ewers hit Gunnar Helm for a 25-yard scoring strike and then a 2-point conversion to Golden in the second OT.

Texas could have won it in regulation but with 1:39 left and the score 24-24, reliable kicker Bert Auburn missed a 48-yard field goal wide right.

But America got to know Arizona State senior running back Cam Skattebo, who despite being ill, vomiting constantly on the sidelines, put on a show for the ages, 30 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns, eight receptions for 99, and a 42-yard touchdown pass on an option play.  Talk about a guy who improved his position in the upcoming NFL Draft.

The game was also about a targeting call...that wasn’t called.

ASU intercepted a deep Texas pass with 5:45 to play, while another ASU defender delivered a hit on Texas receiver Isaiah Bond, whose head swung back on contact.  Officials reviewed the play and determined there was no targeting, when clearly there was, but the Sun Devils tied the game with a touchdown on the ensuing drive.

And then with 1:15 left and the score still tied at 24-24, ASU completed a 10-yard pass to receiver Melquan Stovall at midfield on third-and-15; Texas D-back Michael Taafe made the hit as both helmets collided.  It was also reviewed for targeting, but not called, which had Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham furious.

A penalty would have extended the drive and given ASU a chance to play for the win.  Instead, it was forced to punt, though Texas, and Bert Auburn, missed another winning field goal attempt, this time from 38, sending it into OT.

Dan Wolken / USA TODAY

“For all the hate directed at the NIL and transfer portal environment, nothing in the history of college sports has done more to spread out talent and give dozens of programs a chance to compete for something significant.

“Despite all the calls for the CFP to include the ‘best’ teams over the most-deserving – as if (Kirk) Herbstreit or anyone else could accurately define what that means – how do you explain dismissed Big 12 champion Arizona State providing one of the best underdog performances in playoff history when the elitists never wanted the Sun Devils in the first place?

“It’s time to stop nitpicking and let college football do its thing. Does that mean every game is going to be great?  Does that mean every underdog is going to look like it belongs?  Of course not.

“But if you just let the sport breathe a little bit, the talent gap is going to continue to close and you’re eventually going to get to a place where a game like Texas-Arizona State is more the norm than the exception.  Even Boise State kept things interesting Tuesday night, competing credibly with Penn State for a good portion of the game before falling 31-14.

“That’s all you can ask for.”

I’d add in Clemson was competitive against Texas.

--The Sugar Bowl, Notre Dame-Georgia, was postponed for a day due to the New Year’s Eve Bourbon Street terror attack, and because not everyone can adjust their travel plans, it was unfortunate that 10,000 fans couldn’t attend.

But the game was 3-3 when Notre Dame’s Mitch Jeter nailed a 48-yard field goal with 39 seconds left in the first half to make it 6-3 Fighting Irish.

On the next play from scrimmage, RJ Oben strip-sacked Georgia QB Gunner Stockton (subbing for the injured Carson Beck), and Junior Tuihalamaka recovered.  One play later, ND quarterback Riley Leonard threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Beau Collins.  The Fighting Irish took a 13-3 lead into halftime.

And then Jayden Harrison returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for another ND touchdown.  Seventeen points in 54 seconds, 20-3, and essentially, ballgame over as Notre Dame won it 23-10.

The Fighting Irish only had 240 yards of total offense, but their defense held Georgia to just 296.

That’s how ND has been winning: a physical defense and enough offense, and here they are in the semifinals.

It also helps to have an athletic quarterback who can make plays, and that’s Riley Leonard.

*There was a key play early in the game when Stockton hit Arian Smith on a 67-yard pass to the ND 11-yard line, score 0-0, but Georgia was hit with a personal foul call on the sideline, specifically #39, Parker Jones, a walk-on who hadn’t played in a game all season, accidentally hit the referee who was racing down the sidelines in the no-go white zone.  Aside from the fact it was the most embarrassing moment of the college football season, Georgia started play on the 26, not the 11, and had to settle for a field goal.

Needless to say, we assume Parker Jones has gotten off social media, which mostly killed him, as did ESPN by constantly showing him on the sidelines after, and we’ll see if he stays enrolled at the school.  [Jones did have his supporters, who rightfully pointed out Georgia couldn’t move the ball from the 26.]

Anyway, with the win, we are assured of having a Black head coach in an FBS national championship game for the first time ever – Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman and Penn State’s James Franklin.

And what a job Freeman has done, the 38-year-old elevated suddenly when Brian Kelly left for LSU.

Once again...Dan Wolken / USA TODAY

“The time has come for the SEC’s fans, its media machine and especially its commissioner to face up to the reality that has simmered under the surface this entire college football season.

“The world has changed significantly. And the old, reliable narrative that there’s a different quality of football in the SEC than other leagues is now more myth than reality.

“Isn’t admitting a problem the first step toward salvation?  Let’s tell it like it is – the SEC is a basketball league now.

“OK, OK. That might have been a low blow. But Notre Dame 23, Georgia 10 is a quarterfinal result that should resonate for a long time to come – especially in the context of the SEC’s miserable postseason.

“A few weeks ago, you had some of the biggest names in the ESPN apparatus devoted to the idea that its most important college sports business partner, the SEC, got short shrift by the College Football Playoff selection committee because only three teams made the field.

“Now, the league is down to one team – Texas, which wasn’t even an SEC member 12 months ago – and was a desperate fourth-and-13 conversion from being completely shut out of the semifinals.  And when you combine it with the SEC’s 1-4 record in postseason games against the Big Ten, something has shifted.  This is different.”

--Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik announced he was returning for a fourth and final season with the Tigers rather than declare for the NFL draft, a big boost for coach Dabo Swinney and Co.

Yup, you can be sure Mr. Klubnik is receiving some major NIL $s to return.  He could have transferred anywhere for same.

NFL

--Saturday, Baltimore (12-5) clinched the AFC North title with a 35-10 win over Cleveland (3-14), as well as the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

Lamar Jackson surpassed 4,000 passing yards in a season for the first time in his career, and became the first player in NFL history to pass for 4,000-plus yards and run for 900-plus yards in a single season (4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdowns with just four interceptions; 915 rushing yards and four rushing TDs).  He should be MVP.

Derrick Henry rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 1,921 yards on the season, 16 TDs.  And he had a stupendous 5.9 average per carry.   It was also his fourth season with 1,500+ yards.

But Baltimore lost Zay Flowers to a potentially serious knee injury, playoff status unknown as I go to post.

Cincinnati (9-8) needed to beat the Steelers (10-7) in Pittsburgh Saturday night to stay alive, and did, 19-17, as Joe Burrow had an off day, but Cade York was 4-for-4 on field goals.

The Bengals thus needed Denver to beat Kansas City Sunday afternoon (after I post), while also needing the Jets to summon up an effort and beat the Dolphins, who also need the win.

But the Broncos are going up against the Chiefs’ B squad, let alone K.C. had serious travel issues yesterday in even getting to Denver.

--Sunday, in the early games, it was all about Tampa Bay (9-7) vs. New Orleans (5-11), and Atlanta (8-8) vs. Carolina (4-12).  Tampa Bay just needed to win to secure the NFC South.  If they lost and Atlanta won, the Falcons were in the playoffs, the Bucs not.

And I watched the entire Saints-Bucs game, New Orleans shockingly up 16-6 at the half, while the Falcons had a 24-17 lead over the Panthers.

Baker Mayfield took the Bucs on the first drive after the half down the field for a score, 16-13, but then Tampa Bay had a comedy of errors, including Baker missing Mike Evans on a surefire touchdown, the punter egregiously muffing one for 14 yards, and after the Bucs’ Jalen McMillan caught a terrific 33-yard pass from Mayfield, McMillan decided to pose shooting a rifle...a deserved 15-yard penalty.  Like this guy immediately was headed towards the December file.

But then the same McMillan made a terrific catch of an equally great Mayfield pass, Bucs up 20-19, but with a ton of time left, 10:09.

But Baker drove the Bucs down 94 yards for another score, 27-19, 1:51 left.

In the Atlanta-Carolina game, it was tied 38-38, the Panthers’ Bryce Young with a career game, as he has resurrected his, err, career...3 touchdown passes, 2 rushing.

But Tampa Bay makes the Atlanta outcome irrelevant, holding on to win, 27-19.

I’ll get into the Mike Evans drama in the Add-on, but he tied Jerry Rice, dramatically.  Eleven straight 1,000-yard seasons.  Very cool.

--The Commanders finish 12-5, 23-19 over the Cowboys (7-10), while the Packers end up 11-6, falling to the Bears (5-12) 24-22, so Washington has the 6-seed, Green Bay the 7-seed.

--The Eagles said during the week they were resting most of their starters, including Saquon Barkley, in their meaningless game against the Giants, so Barkley will end his season with 2,005 rushing yards, 100 short of Eric Dickerson’s record 2,105.

Starting QB Jalen Hurts, who was still in concussion protocol earlier in the week, also needs further rest, with Philadelphia hosting the Commanders or Packers in the wild-card round.

Philly (14-3) won the game, 20-13, the Giants (3-14) ...we’ll sort out the first-round draft order in my Add-on.

--Aaron Rodgers knows his turbulent two-year run in New York is very likely over, so it will be fascinating watching him against the Dolphins, and whether he plays the whole game.

Rodgers, in a press conference, said, “It’s been the best two years of my life... Just the excitement of falling back in love with the game, getting to know these guys in here, getting to know the great men and women who work here, it’s been a lot of fun.

“Obviously, on the field has been short of expectations, no doubt. But this game is more than just that.”

You can decide for yourself how disingenuous he is being.

Anyway, he’s still going for his 500th career touchdown pass.

College Basketball

--The College Hoops season is back on track.  Tuesday, West Virginia (10-2) defeated No. 7 Kansas (9-3) on the road, 62-61, in the Big 12 opener for both.

--Thursday, 9 Oregon (12-2) suffered a big loss at home to 22 Illinois (10-3), 109-77.  Yikes.

Rutgers (8-6), playing without stud freshman Dylan Harper, out due to illness, fell to Indiana (11-3) 84-74.  RU’s other stud, Ace Bailey, tried to do it all in Harper’s absence and had 39 points. 

But Rutgers isn’t making the NCAA tournament even with two lottery picks!

--Speaking of struggling New Jersey teams, we also have Seton Hall, which in losing to Xavier (9-5, 1-2) on New Year’s Eve, 94-72, fell to 5-9, 0-3 in the Big East.

Coach Shaheen Holloway is light years away from his Cinderella success at St. Peter’s (2021-22) that got him the big promotion.

--The season really got underway with the start of SEC play on Saturday.  Among the biggies, 10 Kentucky (12-2) had a super win at home against 6 Florida (13-1), 106-100, handing the Gators their first loss.

Koby Brea had 23 points on 7 of 9 shooting from three for the Wildcats, while for Florida, Walter Clayton Jr. had 33 points.

No. 1 Tennessee (14-0) whipped 23 Arkansas (11-3), 76-52, as Igor Milicic Jr. had 13 points and 18 rebounds for the Vols.

5 Alabama (12-2) handed 12 Oklahoma (13-1) its first loss, 107-79.

In the Big 12, 3 Iowa State (12-1, 2-0) defeated 25 Baylor (9-4, 1-1), 74-55.

In the ACC, 4 Duke (12-2, 4-0) had a nice road win at SMU (11-3, 2-1), 89-62, as Cooper Flagg had 24 points and 11 rebounds.  This guy is going to be so good in the NBA.  He’s so smooth.

For the Mustangs, a major reason why I watched this entire game was to see former Demon Deacon Boopie Miller, who had 21 points and 5 assists.  He’s the point guard the Deacs deeply miss.

Speaking of Wake, we actually had a good week.  A nice 81-71 road win at Syracuse on New Year’s Eve, and then a 77-59 win at home against N.C. State (8-6, 1-2) Saturday, Wake now 11-4, 3-1.

We are winning with defense, shockingly, because we really aren’t good offensively.  We do have, however, Hunter Sallis, who had his fourth straight 20-point game.  More and more I’m seeing him in the NBA.  His terrific mid-range game will translate. 

But our center, Efton Reid, is lost because he doesn’t have Boopie Miller to feed him the ball in scoring position.

Otherwise, the ACC is awful this season and won’t deserve more than three bids to the Big Dance.

Then again, no one expected N.C. State to make the Final Four last season!

--Today, 11 UConn was trailing Providence 39-27 at the half, at home, but prevailed 87-84, the Huskies 12-3, the Friars 7-8.

NBA

--Heading into play Friday night, the Knicks, 24-10, had won nine straight, though it wasn’t against the greatest competition, so New York fans, and fans of the sport in general, waited to see how they would do against the hottest team in basketball, the Thunder, on the road in Oklahoma City.

It was a true test of where the Knicks really are, and for one half, they passed it with flying colors, up 66-54 at the half against a team that was 28-5 going in, winners of 13 straight; the first game since 2000 that teams faced off with concurrent winning streaks of at least nine games.

But the Knicks wilted in the second half, falling 117-107, as Jalen Brunson came up small, 9 of 23 from the field, 0 for 5 from beyond the arc, and two key turnovers down the stretch. The Knicks were only 9 of 32 from downtown.

What also worried this fan was that the starting five, which has logged more minutes than any other in the league, all played 40+ minutes*, and they had to travel to Chicago for another game Saturday night.  [The Knicks bench, undermanned with the absence of Miles McBride, was outscored 44-5 by the OKC reserves.]

*The first time every Knicks starter played at least 40 minutes since 2013.  Karl-Anthony Towns, 17 points, 22 rebounds, said after, “I’d lie if I said I wasn’t exhausted.”

Well, having written the above Saturday morning, I was right to be concerned.  The Knicks came out blazing against the Bulls, Jalen Brunson with 26 first half points, as New York had a 72-63 halftime lead over Chicago, on a night the Bulls were honoring Derrick Rose.

But like in OKC, the Knicks defense wilted in the second half, monstrously so, the Bulls scoring 76 points! on the way to a 139-126 win, Chicago 16-19, New York 24-12.

For a second straight night, the Knicks were dreadful from three, just 8 of 30, while the Bulls, known for firing away from deep, hit 20 of 37!

Kudos in defeat to Karl-Anthony Towns, who despite the exhaustion heroically had 44 points and 16 rebounds, while Brunson only scored seven more in the second half.

Back to the Thunder, who play the Celtics (26-9) late this afternoon, what a fun team to watch, and what a terrific fan base.  Great city, great state.

--Talk about an asshole, look no further than Miami’s Jimmy Butler, who was suspended by the team for seven games for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks.”

“Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team,” the Heat added.

The statement finished with: “Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.”

The National Basketball Players Association called the suspension “excessive and inappropriate” and will appeal on Butler’s behalf.  He stands to lose $2.35 million otherwise.

MLB

--The Orioles made a smart move, signing 41-year-old Charlie Morton for one year, $15 million.

The guy is still effective, 165 1/3 innings for the Braves last year, and he provides veteran leadership in the rotation.

Heck, the guy has made 30 starts the last six full seasons!

--We note the passing of Lenny Randle, 75.  No cause cited by his wife.

Randle was a colorful, versatile major leaguer who batted .257 over a 12-year career.  He once famously dropped to his hands and knees to blow a ball foul in a game in 1981.  The home plate umpire, Larry McCoy, called it a foul ball.

But Jim Frey, the Royals manager, lodged a protest with the umpires, and McCoy reversed his call, sending the batter, Amos Otis, to first base.

Randle insisted that he had only been talking to the ball.

“I said, ‘Please go foul, go foul,’” he said afterward.  “I did not blow on it.  I just used the power of suggestion.”

Randle played three seasons for the Mets and his first one, 1977, he was good, batting .304 with a .383 OBP and 33 steals (though he was caught 21 times). That team was absolutely awful, 64-98, and he was about the only reason to watch.

Also that season, on July 13, the Mets were trailing the Cubs, 2-1, in the bottom of the sixth inning at Shea Stadium when Randle came to the plate.  The Cubs pitcher Ray Burris went into his windup when, suddenly, as if a giant switch had been flicked off, the lights went out.  It was the great blackout of New York City.

“I thought, ‘God, I’m gone,’” Randle told the New York Times. “I thought for sure He was calling me. I thought it was my last at-bat.”

Ten years later, he told Newsday: “I couldn’t figure out whether he threw the ball or not, so I just swung.  Then I didn’t know whether I hit the ball or not, so I took off.”  When he pulled into second base, he added, the Cubs’ Manny Trillo “was waiting for me to hug and kiss him.”

Of course, there was a story behind how Randle got to the Mets.

During spring training in 1977, Lenny was on the Rangers and lost his starting second base job to Bump Wills and became so upset that he punched the team’s manager, Frank Lucchesi, three times, causing a triple fracture to his right cheekbone and other injuries.

“I never thought it would come to this,” Randle said afterward.  “I’m just not that kind of person.”

He was suspended for 30 days and fined $10,000 by the league.  In court he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery, was fined $1,050 and settled a civil lawsuit filed by Lucchesi.  Randle was then traded to the Mets a month into the 1977 season.

So many parts of that story would be so, so different today.

Golf Balls

And the 2025 PGA Tour season is underway, with The Sentry, a signature event with a limited field, played on the beautiful Plantation Course at Kapalua, Hawaii.

After two rounds, Hideki Matsuyama was in the lead at -16 (65-65 on the par-73), with Collin Morikawa a stroke behind.

And after three....

Matsuyama -27
Morikawa -26
Thomas Detry -22

Premier League

As the holiday crush wraps up, Saturday, slumping Chelsea managed only a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace, while Manchester City finally put it all together, 4-1 over West Ham, with Erling Haaland scoring two goals for the first time in over three months.

Today, Liverpool could only get a point at home against Manchester United, 2-2, in an entertaining game, though.

The standings...played – points

1. Liverpool...19 – 46
2. Arsenal...20 – 40
3. Nottingham Forest...19 – 37 ...playing Wolves tomorrow...
4. Chelsea...20 – 36 ...winless last four
5. Newcastle...20 – 35
6. Man City...20 – 34

Stuff

--Alex Ovechkin scored goal No. 872 Saturday against the Rangers in Washington’s 7-4 win, meaning he needs just 23 more to break Wayne Gretzky’s career mark.

--Among those who died in the Bourbon Street attack was former Princeton University football player, Martin “Tiger” Bech, who played for the Tigers from 2016-18, earning two All-Ivy honors as a return specialist, including second-team accolades during Princeton’s first perfect season since 1964 in 2018.

He also recorded 53 catches for 825 yards and three touchdowns as a wide receiver during his career with Princeton.

We pray for all 14 victims and their families.  So damn senseless.

--We note the passing of Wayne Osmond, a singer, guitarist and a founding member of the Osmonds family band.  He was 73.  His brothers Donny and Merrill Osmond wrote on social media that the cause was a stroke.

Born in Ogden, Utah, Wayne was the fourth oldest of nine children and raised in a Mormon household.  He made his debut on “The Andy Williams Show” in 1962 along with three of his brothers – Alan, Merrill and Jay – after they were discovered as children harmonizing in a barbershop quartet at Disneyland.

The brothers became regulars and were soon joined by their brother Donny.  On the show, they earned the nickname “one-take Osmonds” because of their professional approach and intense rehearsing, according to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The clean-cut family act surged to fame in the early ‘70s, clinching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 with “One Bad Apple.”  They went on to perform a wide variety of genres, including disco, rock and pop, and became known for songs such as “Crazy Horses” and “Down by the Lazy River.”

Eventually, Donny and Marie, the sister, took center stage.

But after the Osmond family was bilked out of their fortune in the 1980s, the original quartet of brothers, including Merrill, sang at county fairs, corporate retreats and casinos to help pay off the family’s debt, according to Utah’s Deseret News.  While they didn’t have the success that Donny and Marie found, the foursome still drew crowds.

--And soul singer Brenton Wood died at the age of 83.  I’m getting a kick out of some of the obituaries I read which say he is best known for his 1967 hit “The Oogum Boogum Song,” which was #34 on the Billboard Pop Chart in 1967.  But the same year he had a far better song that has held up well...the #9 “Gimme Little Sign.”

Top 3 songs for the week 1/6/68: [Once a year I have to skip a week or I’d be repeating the same tunes.  We’ll go back to 1967 a little later.]  #1 “Hello Goodbye” (The Beatles)  #2 “Daydream Believer” (The Monkees)  #3 “Judy In Disguise” (John Fred & His Playboy Band)...and...#4 “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Gladys Knight & The Pips...their version was before Marvin Gaye’s...)  #5 “Woman, Woman” (The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett)  #6 “I Second That Emotion” (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)  #7 “Chain Of Fools” (Aretha Franklin)  #8 “Bend Me, Shape Me” (The American Breed)  #9 “Boogaloo Down Broadway” (The Fantastic Johnny C.)  #10 “Skinny Legs And All” (Joe Tex...B+ week...)

College Football Quiz Answers: 1969 Longhorns, 11-0, with quarterback James Street (mostly), but running backs Jim Bertelsen (104-740, 7.1 avg., 13 touchdowns), Steve Worster (136-649, 4.8, 9)...plus Ted Koy (84-441, 5.3, 4) and Street (76-412, 5.4, 5).

The only receiver with even 20 receptions, either year, was Cotton Speyrer (30-492-3).

1970 Longhorns, 10-1, losing in the Cotton Bowl to Notre Dame.

Eddie Phillips was the QB, having played some in 1969, and he rushed for 666 yards and 12 touchdowns.  Worster had 166-898, 5.6, 14; Bertelsen 148-891, 6.0, 13.

The stats are just for the ten regular-season games.

Texas averaged 330 yards rushing in 1969, and 374.5 in 1970.

Of course the coach was Darrell Royal, who in 20 years in Austin was 167-47-5.

Bertelsen played five years in the NFL with the Rams and had modest success, but Worster didn’t play a single down.   [Ditto Street and Phillips.]  Cotton Speyrer, though, had 34 catches and five touchdowns with the Baltimore Colts over three seasons, and I feel like I saw them all.

Brief Add-on up top late Monday evening.

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