NBA / ACC Quiz: [Phil W. passed along some information that I thought made for a good quiz.] 67 players from current Atlantic Coast Conference schools are listed on NBA team rosters as of the season opener. Duke and North Carolina each have 15. Name the three schools that are next. Answer below.
College Football Review
[The following comments are made before the release of the latest AP and BCS polls.]
With No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Oregon, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Baylor and No. 10 Oklahoma having byes, it was a less than scintillating weekend of college football.
As expected, No. 3 Florida State dismantled No. 7 Miami, 41-14, even as some were questioning the 21 ½-point line on the game, with the Los Angeles Times’ Chris Dufresne comparing it to Super Bowl III, when the Colts were favored by 18 over the Jets. After all, Dufresne writes, Miami has five national titles and Florida State two. [He wasn’t saying Miami would win, however, just drawing historical context.] Since at least 1980, this was the biggest spread for a game matching undefeated top ten teams this late in the season. [L.A. Times / pregame.com] Heck, once again, even Brent was talking about the line at the end of the contest.
The Seminoles outgained Miami 517-275, but will it be enough to move them once again ahead of Oregon in the BCS? I don’t think so.
No. 4 Ohio State ran its winning streak to 21 games, the longest in the nation, in routing Purdue 56-0, outgaining the Boilermakers 640-116! But with such a weak schedule it seems impossible for the Buckeyes, who haven’t lost under coach Urban Meyer, to move into the top two.
Then again, there is suddenly hope the Big Ten championship game could be a contest after all, following No. 22 Michigan State’s 29-6 shellacking of No. 21 Michigan. The Spartans are in line to face the Buckeyes in a title contest that now looks very intriguing, given Michigan State’s superb defense, as good as any in the country. Michigan had -48 yards rushing…-49 on 7 sacks and +1 on 22 rushes…the worst in Wolverine history. Remember, Michigan State’s lone loss was at Notre Dame in Week 4, 17-13.
No. 8 Clemson destroyed Virginia 59-10 as quarterback Tajh Boyd threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another to become the all-time ACC leader in touchdowns created…116 (93 passing, 23 rushing). Clemson can still get a BCS bowl bid.
No. 9 Missouri remains relevant, 31-3 winners over Tennessee. They can still play Alabama in the SEC title game.
No. 18 Oklahoma State beat No. 15 Texas Tech 52-34, with the Cowboys (whose lone loss was a bad one to West Virginia) still having Baylor and Oklahoma on their schedule.
No. 16 Fresno State defeated Nevada 41-23 to move to 8-0 and keep its BCS hopes alive.
Ditto No. 17 Northern Illinois (9-0), which beat UMass 63-19 as quarterback Jordan Lynch ran for four touchdowns and passed for another.
Wake Forest (4-5) laid an egg, a big one, in losing to Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, 13-0. They also lost star receiver Michael Campanaro in the process to a dislocated shoulder. Deacon quarterback Tanner Price was dreadful. What had been a promising three-game run of very solid play went up in flames, with Florida State up next and a .500 season not looking good. [Duke and Vanderbilt to close it out.]
Big win for Boston College (4-4) over Virginia Tech (6-3), as the Eagles took advantage of four Hokie turnovers. BC running back Andre Williams had 166 yards on the ground.
Bo Pelini survived to coach another week as Nebraska defeated Northwestern 27-24 on a last second 49-yard Hail Mary pass.
Rutgers (5-3) eked out a 23-20 over hapless Temple (1-8) as embattled quarterback Gary Nova led a last-minute scoring drive and didn’t throw an interception after seven the prior two games.
North Carolina became the best 3-win team in the country in defeating North Carolina State 27-19, both now 3-5.
My Maine Black Bears defeated Stony Brook 19-14.
Unfortunately, Brown beat Penn 27-0. I was hoping that after the way Brown students treated NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly this week, Penn would whip ‘em.
Princeton quarterback Quinn Epperly tossed three touchdown passes and ran for three in the Tigers’ 53-20 win over Cornell.
Fordham moved its record to 9-0 with a 32-30 win over Holy Cross. Rams quarterback Mike Nebrich had a school record 524 yards as Fordham came back from a 23-14 halftime deficit.
Notre Dame edged Navy 38-34. But the Fighting Irish were 15-point favorites so great job by the Midshipmen in covering. Because at the end of the day boys and girls…it’s all about the spread.
On Thursday, Arizona State defeated Washington State 55-21 as Taylor Kelly accounted for seven touchdowns, five passing, 2 rushing.
And on Friday night, USC had a nice 31-14 win over Oregon State in Corvallis, both going to 6-3. Beaver quarterback Sean Mannion, averaging over 400 yards passing per game, was held to 277 and had 3 picked off.
So with this result I’m issuing a SPECIAL ALERT! All traders should remove their Beaverwear hedge… repeat…remove your Beaverwear hedge until further notice. Kids under the age of 13 should not be participating in this trade without parental guidance.
Lastly, as we await the AP and BCS polls, this coming Thursday is obviously huge.
No. 2 Oregon at No. 5 Stanford…No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 6 Baylor. More next chat.
And now your new AP Poll….
1. Alabama (52 first-place votes) 8-0…1491 points
2. Oregon (2) 8-0…1418
3. Florida State (6) 8-0…1409
4. Ohio State 9-0…1315
5. Baylor 7-0
6. Stanford 7-1
7. Auburn 8-1
8. Clemson 8-1
9. Missouri 8-1
10. LSU 7-2
17. Fresno State 8-0…overrated
18. Michigan State 8-1
19. UCF 6-1
22. Northern Illinois 9-0…travesty
24. Notre Dame 7-2
And the new BCS Poll….
1. Alabama .9797
2. Florida State .9525…got this one wrong
3. Oregon .9435
4. Ohio State .8720
5. Stanford .7930
6. Baylor .7745
7. Clemson .7277
8. Missouri .6890
9. Auburn .6686
10. Oklahoma .6084
16. Fresno State
18. Northern Illinois
–Huge game Nov. 23 at Bozeman…Montana-Montana State, both currently 7-2. Wish I was there (as long as I could be guaranteed it was at least 50 degrees and no wind).
–Like many of you, I have marveled at the Ohio State marching band’s performances this year. The Wall Street Journal had a piece on them this weekend and in case you were wondering, they practice every weekday for two hours. The band’s routines have attracted more than 20 million views on YouTube this season.
–Never too soon to take a look at next year’s NFL draft. USA TODAY Sports came up with a mock one, based on projections of where teams will finish.
1. Jacksonville…Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
2. Minnesota…Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
3. Tampa Bay…Jake Matthews, T, Texas A&M
4. New York Giants…Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina
5. Oakland…Taylor Lewan, T, Michigan
6. Pittsburgh…Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA
7. St. Louis…C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
8. Carolina…Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
9. Buffalo…Cyrus Kousandjio, T, Alabama
10. Houston…Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
—Denver Broncos coach John Fox needs heart surgery and will miss several weeks, the team confirmed Saturday night. Fox, 58, will undergo aortic valve replacement surgery Monday in Charlotte, N.C., where he was staying for a few days during Denver’s bye week.
It turns out Fox knew he needed the procedure, but was trying to put it off until February. Ironically, he met with his cardiologist in Charlotte and told to seek immediate attention if he felt any discomfort and sure enough, on Saturday, Fox became dizzy playing golf near his offseason home and was taken to a hospital. Tests revealed he couldn’t wait any longer.
Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is expected to take over, Del Rio having head coaching experience with Jacksonville before joining Fox’s staff.
What a win…26-20 over the Saints. Forget my biases, but this was the kind of game that is an example of what the sport can still produce. And I wrote this past week I was optimistic the ‘good’ Jets would show up today.
When quarterback Geno Smith doesn’t turn the ball over, the Jets win. That’s pretty much the formula. [9 interceptions in the four losses…4 picks in the five wins.] Plus kicker Nick Folk, who is 23-for-23 on field goals this season after booting four on Sunday. Actually, Folk is clearly the MVP thus far….and it’s not even close.
And how about the fact receivers Greg Salas and Zach Sudfeld (TE) combined for four receptions (two each) and 103 yards?!
Greg and Zach who? Yup…that kind of year. Now 5-4 heading into the bye…perfect. Might break the pattern, too.
Meanwhile, Dallas moved to 5-4 with a final-minute win over the 1-7 Vikings, 27-23.
Kansas City is 9-0 after beating Buffalo 23-13. K.C. plays Denver Nov. 17 (at Mile High) and Dec. 1, plus Indianapolis Dec. 22 and two games against San Diego. Ergo, they ain’t goin’ undefeated.
Carolina has suddenly won four straight, scoring 30+ in each one, the latest being a 34-10 pasting of the shocking 2-6 Falcons. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan threw three interceptions. The Panthers are 5-3.
Washington kept their hopes alive, moving to 3-5 in beating 4-4 San Diego, 30-24 in overtime.
Philadelphia’s Nick Foles threw seven touchdown passes to tie the NFL single-game record held by six others, most recently Peyton Manning earlier this season, as the Eagles walloped the Raiders in Oakland, 49-20. Riley Cooper had three TD receptions, Mr. Cooper having had those issues in the preseason with his teammates that I won’t get into again.
[Recall…prior to Manning throwing the seven TD passes, it hadn’t been done since Joe Kapp in 1969.]
Seattle was down to winless Tampa Bay at home, 21-0 in the second quarter, but came back to defeat the Buccaneers 27-24 in OT. Seattle is now 8-1. Tampa Bay 0-8.
Cleveland moved to 4-5 in shocking the Ravens, 24-18. The Super Bowl champs fall to 3-5.
And Tom Brady threw for 432 yards and four touchdowns as the Patriots (7-2) beat the Steelers, now 2-6, 55-31. For Pittsburgh, this is the most points they have given up in their history, which given all the awful years they had before the run in the ‘70s, I found very surprising. But it’s true.
[Curious, I did a spot check on some of the Steelers’ worst seasons, 1969 (1-13), 1968 (2-11-1) and 1965 (2-12) and they indeed never gave up 55.]
–So I have no idea who second-year Miami lineman Jonathan Martin is, not being a Miami fan. But it seems the offensive tackle last year was referred to as “The Big Weirdo,” and then this past Monday was the victim of a prank in the cafeteria, at which point he went ballistic and disappeared. Martin was AWOL for the Dolphins’ Thursday night win over Cincinnati, 22-20.
But the team wants him back, because they need his help protecting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has been sacked a league-high 32 times….yet the story is very complicated, and very ugly it seems. I’m exercising my ’24-hour rule’ for now.
—Oneida Indian Nation representative Ray Halbritter called a meeting with the NFL “historic” but said he was disappointed that during the 90-minute discussion in Manhattan, the league continued to argue for keeping the name of the Washington Redskins.
The discussion came a day after Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Washington owner Daniel Snyder; Snyder reiterating he had no plans to change the name. Goodell has said the decision is Snyder’s to make.
So in a Washington Post op-ed, Bob Drury and Thomas Clavin, authors of “The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, an American Legend,” have a brilliant idea.
Change the name Redskins to Red Clouds!
Red Cloud was a legend, “the most powerful American Indian leader in the country,” who arrived in Washington in 1870, with historian R. Eli Paul writing: “He became stunningly famous. Newspapers recounted his every word and deed, and large crowds of onlookers gathered at every public sighting.”
“The name change from Redskins to Red Clouds would go a long way toward repairing the relationship between the NFL and American Indians. And it would involve minor alterations to the team’s logo and even its famous fight song, which could be sung, without missing a beat, as ‘Hail to the Red Clouds.’ Red Cloud’s profile would be most appealing on jerseys and banners. Finally, there is precedent for naming an NFL franchise after an individual – the Cleveland Browns took their name from their first head coach, Ohio coaching legend Paul Brown.
“At the height of his prowess, Red Cloud controlled a multi-tribal empire whose territory spanned one-fifth of the contiguous United States. Moreover, not only did he manage to unite the fractious Sioux clans, bands and tribes into the most fearsome Indian nation in the West, he was a brilliant strategist. Such was his foresight and courage that he was the only Indian to have defeated the United States in not just a battle but a declared war….
“Named after such a proud and powerful winner, the Washington Red Clouds would be a lock to emulate their namesake and rout 49ers, defeat Raiders, humiliate Cowboys, pluck Eagles, turn back Texans, break Broncos and generally leave quivering the remaining would-be Giants and Titans of the National Football League.
“And that is something for Daniel Snyder to consider.”
But in reading the piece by Drury and Clavin, they mention that Red Cloud is buried next to the Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and it hit me I once drove by the school (I distinctly remember it), but had no idea Red Cloud was buried there or I would have stopped.
Actually, this was the time I had driven through the scary community of Whiteclay (worst alcoholism in the nation there…true story…) and I was being chased, at least it seemed that way. So I’m not real sure I would have stopped at the school, if you catch my drift.
Ball Bits
–I posted last time prior to Game 6 of the World Series, won by Boston 6-1, with David Ortiz, now a three-time champion, picking up the MVP trophy. Big Papi said after:
“I know I’m one of the forces for this ballgame and I like to take things personal. And that’s been my whole career, a challenge.”
Ortiz posted slow-pitch softball numbers in the Series. He reached base 19 times in 25 plate appearances, including 11-for-16 (.688) with a 1.948 OPS, 2 HR, 6 RBI, while the rest of his team batted just .169.
But when you talk about the Big Needle, there’s always the elephant in the room.
“When the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals and clinched a title at swaggering, swooning Fenway Park for the first time in 95 years, you really wanted to believe this was another example of Boston Strong.
“But, sadly, it is completely fair to wonder if the biggest part of this strength is real.
“His name is David Ortiz, and for the last week he has been an enigmatic mixture of beauty and baggage….
“He was unstoppable. He was unbelievable. Seemingly every swing brought chills, the ball appearing to shoot off his bat like a Roman candle, his .688 batting average and .760 on-base percentage the second-highest numbers in World Series history….
“After a throwback regular season in which he had his most RBIs in six years and second-most home runs during that time, Ortiz became the third-oldest player to win the series MVP award.
“In the end, it became clear there was really only one thing his 2013 bat could not obliterate, that being the question of whether he was doing this cleanly.
“It is the lingering curse of baseball’s steroid era that every aging player who suddenly puts up superhuman numbers is worthy of a closer look, but Ortiz is under an even stronger microscope because he has acknowledged association with the scandal.
“According to a 2009 New York Times report, Ortiz was on a list of more than 100 major league players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs during baseball’s initial survey test in 2003, three years before the establishment of baseball’s drug policy.
“Ortiz later confirmed his appearance on the list, yet claimed he tested positive because he was using allowed supplements, echoing the future defense of another guy on that list named Manny Ramirez.
“In his many tests since then, Ortiz has never tested positive. Baseball has since become the first major sports league to even test for human growth hormone, and Ortiz has never flunked.
“Yet this summer’s Biogenesis scandal, in which 13 players were suspended without a positive test, showed that players are still one syringe ahead of the drug enforcers. And if one can’t imagine Ortiz leading a team to a big series win while playing dirty, well, it wouldn’t even be the first time in the last three years.
“In 2011, Ryan Braun led the Milwaukee Brewers to a thrilling National League division series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks with a .500 batting average, .571 on-base percentage and .889 slugging percentage.
“Also during this series he involuntarily peed in a cup, his urine tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and many lies later, he was given a 65-game suspension.
“Here’s hoping this doesn’t happen here. Here’s hoping the wonderful 2013 Ortiz saga does not end up in the ruins of the 1998 home run chase….
“Because of baseball’s sordid drug history, the game should treat its world champions like the officials at the Olympics treat their medalists. All are immediately tested for drugs, and the results of those tests are often known before the end of the Games.
“The Red Sox should not have been allowed to touch a drop of champagne until they had each been tested. The timing stinks, but it would be one way to rid baseball of the remaining stench of drug cynicism. If nothing else, baseball needs to be able to say its champions are clean.”
But on a brighter note…Thomas Boswell / Washington Post
“ ‘This team is full of players who were driven to rewrite their stories,’ (Manager John) Farrell said. ‘There was a tremendous sense of embarrassment here at the beginning of the year.’ Now there is, well after midnight, a sea of fans and players, awash in the joy of a title that almost no one imagined, played out on the same field where Red Sox teams, expected to win, failed for generations.
“To sense this rich, amazing present as Boston fans do, we must go back to what was, emotionally and psychologically, one of the most bitter moments in franchise history. On the last day of the ’11 regular season, Boston lost in Baltimore to complete the biggest September choke (7-20) of a playoff spot in baseball history. After midnight, the Red Sox trudged off the field a broken team and tumbled into their own baseball hell.
“Then everyone from ownership through players turned on each other or retold the past in terms that turned their horns to halos. General Manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona, architects of two World Series titles, quit and were fired respectively. As baseball gasped, the Red Sox hired combustible, insecure Bobby Valentine as manager.
“By the end of last season, the Red Sox were giving away their stars in a quarter-of-a-billion-dollar salary dump that impugned the judgment of every decision maker and scarred the competitive reputation of every player shipped cross country to Los Angeles.
“What has happened since, with the acquisition of feisty, scrappy but limited or spurned players such as Victorino, Jonny Gomes, Napoli and a half-dozen others who arrived to fill roles, not to set records and make tens of millions, has been marvelously inexplicable. Even Red Sox fans barely believed that they suddenly had a 97-win team, not a 93-loss civic embarrassment….
“Every few years, baseball searches for the next advance in analysis. The most recent is a fascination with defensive shifts that once would have been considered too radical.
“But the next wave has to do with trying to measure and create ‘team chemistry.’….
“From this moment, the team that will be studied as much or more than any in MLB will be the Red Sox, the very bunch that devolved into a total hot mess so recently. With the even-tempered Farrell, with new General Manager Ben Cherington and with plenty of luck, the Red Sox have gone from the anti-team to the apotheosis of togetherness. In this final win, they had players on their roster who began the season in Class AA. The save went to Koji Uehara, who had been the team’s fourth closer in the spring.
“ ‘As I stood out there on the infield and looked at the cloud of smoke [from fireworks], I thought, ‘Given where we’ve come from, this is surreal,’’ Farrell said.
–Richard Sandomir of the New York Times blistered Fox for its employment of Erin Andrews during the Series, especially for the final celebration, and I couldn’t agree more.
Andrews became a ‘star’ doing the sideline reporting for college football with ESPN, but when Fox hired her away, they figured she should be covering all the major events a la Bob Costas. One big problem. She just isn’t up to the task.
As Sandomir observed, for starters Fox should have used Ken Rosenthal for the post-game work, or another Fox baseball announcer like Kenny Albert, someone with gravitas.
Or, heck, Tim McCarver, Wednesday being his final telecast in a 34-year career.
By the way, the ratings for the Series were solid. The six-game average of 14.9 million was up 17% from last year.
–So now everyone wants to emulate Boston general manager Ben Cherington’s success with free agent signings. Essentially the guy was 7-for-7 in terms of success, players like Victorino, Napoli and Uehara. But it just isn’t that easy. Far from it.
But in these parts, Mets and Yankees fans are kind of pumped to see what sort of wholesale changes their teams make. The Mets supposedly have money to spend (finally), while the Yankees’ first decision is what to do with Robinson Cano? He just turned 31 and is looking for $200 million. With the Dodgers out of the sweepstakes, there’s no guarantee another club will go after him at that price.
Meanwhile, the Yankees did a very classy thing in rewarding captain Derek Jeter for his years of service and re-signing him for $12 million for 2014, $2.5 million more than the player option Jeter could have picked up.
But will Jeter, who played all of 17 games last season, really be healthy by Opening Day? How much shortstop will he be capable of? One thing is for sure. The Yanks need a good backup at the position.
Regarding the Mets, they bought out pitcher Johan Santana’s contract for $5.5 million, rather than pay him $25 million for 2014. [I’ve long become numb to these numbers.]
So the Mets ended their relationship with the lefty, long ago having granted him a six-year, $137.5 million contract with that option for a seventh season. Santana went 46-34 with a 3.18 ERA in 109 starts, the pitcher having sat out all of 2011 and 2013 due to injury. Outside of his first season, 2008, the only one in which he pitched the whole year without interruption, and 2012’s no-hitter, it was a nightmare.
–Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka finally lost a game. In Game 6 of the Nippon Series, Tanaka, of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, threw 160 pitches in a 4-2 complete-game loss to the Yomiuri Giants, sending the series to a Game 7.
Including his performance in the playoffs, Tanaka was 26-0 heading into the start and had won a record 30 consecutive decisions dating back to Aug. 19, 2012. He was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in the regular season in 28 starts.
The MLB record for consecutive wins is 24, set by Carl Hubbell in 1936-37.
Tanaka is highly sought after by the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers, assuming Rakuten makes him available, as expected. But as David Waldstein of the New York Times notes, some teams may be scared off by the high pitch count.
Tanaka is expected to attract a ‘posting bid’ in excess of the $51 million the Texas Rangers shelled out for Yu Darvish, the posting money going to the Japanese team once the player signs with a MLB club.
–The day after the World Series, Alex Rodriguez, through a statement, felt compelled to criticize Commissioner Bud Selig,
“It is sad that Commissioner Selig once again is turning a blind eye, knowing that crimes are being committed under his regime. I have 100 percent faith in my legal team. To be sure, this fight is necessary to protect me, but it also serves the interests of the next 18-year-old coming into the league, to be sure he doesn’t step into the house of horrors that I am being forced to walk through.”
Rob Manfred, MLB’s chief operating officer and favorite to be the next commissioner, said of A-Rod:
“This latest, sad chapter in Mr. Rodriguez’ tarnished career is yet another example of this player trying to avoid taking responsibility for his poor choices. Given the disappointing acts that Mr. Rodriguez has repeatedly made throughout his career, his expressed concern for young people rings very hollow. Mr. Rodriguez’ use of PEDs was longer and more pervasive than any other player, and when this process is complete, the facts will prove it is Mr. Rodriguez and his representatives who have engaged in ongoing, gross misconduct.”
“Rob Manfred has gone so far over the line with his latest slanderous attack against Alex (which presumably was approved by Commissioner Selig) that we demand the other two arbitration panel members immediately remove Manfred from the panel hearing Alex’s appeal. Indeed, we do not see how he can continue to hold any position of responsibility within Major League Baseball. But we will leave that to the conscience and judgment of the owners within the league.”
“Mr. Tacopina’s latest rant is so delusional it doesn’t warrant a response.”
A-Rod’s appeal resumes Nov. 18, and arbitrator Frederic Horowitz is expected to rule on the 211-game suspension by Christmas.
–Meanwhile, as we look to 2014, Bovada established the Los Angeles Dodgers as the odds-on favorite to win the Series at 7/1. Then it’s….
Detroit 9/1
Boston 10/1
St. Louis 10/1
Washington 10/1
Los Angeles Angels 14/1
Atlanta 16/1
Cincinnati 16/1
Yankees 16/1
Oakland 16/1
Tampa Bay 16/1
Texas 16/1
Minnesota 75/1
Mets 75/1
Miami 200/1
Houston 250/1
RJ Bell lists Vegas odds of…
Dodgers 5/1
Detroit 8/1
Washington 9/1
St. Louis 10/1
Mets 115/1
Miami 125/1
Minnesota 125/1
Houston 250/1
–Finally, Johnny Kucks died. He was 80. Kucks tossed a shutout to clinch the Yankees’ World Series Game 7 win over Brooklyn in 1956, striking out Jackie Robinson to end the game in what proved to be the final at-bat of Robinson’s career.
While Kucks was just 54-56 in his six-year career, he went 18-9 that magical ’56 season. He was later traded in 1959 to the Kansas City Athletics for Ralph Terry and Hector Lopez.
But get this, back in ’56, he threw a shutout against the White Sox on just 73 pitches. And as the New York Times’ Bruce Weber noted, he was nonetheless a surprise choice to start Game 7 because Kucks had not pitched well in September and when he was called upon in relief early in the Series against Brooklyn, he was ineffective.
Yet he was brilliant in Game 7, allowing just three singles as the Yankees won going away, 9-0, on the strength of four home runs. That last strikeout of Robinson was Kucks’ only one of the game.
In May 1957, Kucks became part of Yankee lore when he joined a bunch of teammates that included Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Billy Martin and Hank Bauer at the Copacabana nightclub in Manhattan to celebrate Martin’s 29th birthday.
“After a scuffle broke out at the club between the players and members of a bowling team, Bauer was accused of hitting one of the bowlers. He was eventually cleared of all charges, but the players were fined, and the publicity embarrassed the Yankees, who traded Martin to Kansas City shortly thereafter.” [Weber]
Kucks had the misfortune of having his Game 7 gem follow by two days his teammate Don Larsen’s perfect game. As Kucks told the Associated Press in 2000, “Larsen got a car. I got a fishing rod.”
[Actually, that ’56 Series was also noteworthy for Game 6, when Brooklyn’s Clem Labine pitched a 10-inning, 1-0 shutout of the Yankees. Pretty good three-game stretch, I think you’d agree.]
So…it was back in March 2007, as chronicled in these pages, that I tracked down Johnny Kucks! He was living in Hoboken (which is also where he was born). As I wrote at the time, the conversation went something like this.
I then explained who I was, offered to send him a check to show my sincerity, and asked for a sit down anywhere he wanted. He politely passed.
But I had done some research, mentioned a few things, and he finally said, “You’re telling me my life story!”
He said he was in good shape and attended some card shows.
College Basketball
–The AP Preseason Men’s Poll:
1. Kentucky
2. Michigan State
3. Louisville
4. Duke
5. Kansas
6.Arizona
7. Michigan
8. Oklahoma State
9. Syracuse
10. Florida
Yes, the only difference in the top five from my previously posted USA TODAY Coaches Poll is switch Kansas and Arizona. Bor-ringgg!
What is significant is that Kentucky was just 21-12 last year, but the Wildcats have THE GREATEST FRESHMEN CLASS IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD!!!
Or maybe not….which is why they play the games, sports fans. Kentucky meets Michigan State on Nov. 12, the same day Kansas goes up against Duke. [7:30 / 9:30 PM ET on ESPN…clear your schedule.]
Wake Forest plays Colgate in its opener Nov. 8. Good seats are available. Pete M., even up for a dinner in Hoboken…..
….uh oh….Pete wants points….checking my mileage cards….
–The Washington Post’s John Feinstein, while bemoaning the fact the same top five, or six, are in everyone’s poll, notes that Harvard, 31st in the AP, not only returns four starters from a team that beat No. 3 seed New Mexico in the NCAA tournament, but two top players who had to sit out last year because of the cheating scandal at the school. Ergo…there’s your sleeper.
–ESPN The Magazine interviewed 87 college b-ball players from across the country and among the questions asked was: “True or False: PEDs are a bigger problem in college hoops than the NCAA realizes.” 24% said True, 76% said False.
–And now…your EXCLUSIVE Pick to Click for the 2013-14 college basketball campaign…
Shaka Smart…Shaka Smart Shaka Smart….It’s all about a very deep Rams team and the “Havoc” defense.
–Preseason AP Women’s College Basketball Poll:
1. UConn…yawn
2. Duke
3. Stanford
4. Tennessee
5. Louisville
6. Notre Dame
7. Kentucky
8. Maryland
9. California
10. Baylor
–Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times has a story this weekend on the future of LeBron James in Miami, seeing as how he can opt out after the season. It’s always been thought LeBron would stay, but as Hoffman points out, if Dwyane Wade’s knees don’t hold up and he doesn’t return to his own dominating ways, LeBron may decide to leave.
–It’s stupid to say much about the first few weeks of the NBA season, but in the Nets’ win over Miami the other night, 101-100, you saw an example of Brooklyn’s incredible depth. [The win broke a 13-game losing streak against Miami.]
Cliché alert….Now if the players can just buy into the system and accept that few of them are going to get 30 minutes a game. That’s new coach Jason Kidd’s biggest challenge.
–And not for nothing, recognizing it is just three games, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis is off to a terrific start. He’s just 20, remember.
–We note the passing of basketball Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy, 74. The former Indiana University star won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and was the first overall pick by Chicago in 1961, winning rookie of the year honors after averaging 31.6 points and 19 rebounds. That ended up being his best season statistically, but for his career “Bells” averaged 20.1 points, 13.7 rebounds. At 6’11”, 225, he was a load back in the day.
Bellamy was also involved in the December 1968 trade that brought Dave DeBusschere to the Knicks, with Bellamy and Howard Komives going from New York to Detroit. It was a deal that immediately turned the Knicks into title contenders.
Golf Balls
—Dustin Johnson picked up the biggest win of his career in taking the World Golf Championship-HSBC event in Shanghai by three strokes over Ian Poulter. Graeme McDowell was third.
It was Johnson’s 8th PGA Tour title (WGC events count in this category) and he now has at least one in each of his first seven years (reminder, this event is part of the new 2013-14 wraparound season).
[Phil Mickelson had a final round 65 to take 14th by himself.]
—Simon Dyson, an Englishman, is a six-time winner on the European Tour who was disqualified after tapping down a spike mark during the second round of the HSBC tournament. Officials were alerted by television viewers and Dyson, in violation of rule 16-1A (“Touching Line of Putt”), was assessed a two-shot penalty but because he had already signed his card, the tour had to disqualify him because of an incorrect score.
So Dyson faces a disciplinary hearing and among the sanctions that could be imposed is a suspension of membership, or a suspension for a number of tournaments, or even expulsion from the European Tour.
But sources told Golfweek Dyson is unlikely to face any further penalty, seeing as how it would be impossible to prove intent…that Dyson deliberately tried to gain an advantage. [Others, though, say Dyson could be suspended for a few months and that this isn’t the first he has bent the rules.]
Dyson said afterwards that “only after I was shown the replay of my action (did I) realize what I had done and that I was in breach…. It was simply an accidental mistake.” [I saw it…doesn’t look good.]
—Brandel Chamblee made his first on-air comments since he wrote a column two weeks ago that insinuated Tiger Woods had cheated during the 2013 season.
“In offering my assessment of Tiger to you, and specifically looking at the incidents in Abu Dhabi, Augusta, Ponte Vedra and Chicago, I said Tiger Woods was cavalier about the rules. I should have stopped right there,” Chamblee told Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner. “In comparing those incidents to my cheating episode in the fourth grade, I went too far.
“Cheating involves intent. I know what my intent was on that fourth-grade math test. But there’s no way I could know with 100 percent certainty what Tiger’s intent was in any of those situations. That was my mistake.”
It turns out Golf.com’s editors asked him to rewrite the portion pertaining to Woods and Chamblee declined. He said he will no longer write for Golf Magazine after this year.
Tiger and agent Mark Steinberg said there would be no further comment on the matter. I imagine in the back of their minds is the Dyson situation.
—Fred Couples won the season-ending Schwab Cup Championship on the Champions Tour, but Kenny Perry won the year-long points race and the $1 million annuity that goes with it.
“A span of less than three hours at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park on Saturday starkly illustrated the excruciating swings of emotion intrinsic to thoroughbred racing.
“Bob Baffert, a Hall of Fame trainer whose high-powered operation has endured a series of fatal injuries, watched Secret Compass be euthanized after the running of the Juvenile Fillies. New Year’s Day stamped himself as an early Kentucky Derby favorite by outdueling Havana in the Juvenile.
“ ‘This game can be brutal,’ Baffert said. ‘The highs and lows are just so strong. I’ve had some great moments and some sad moments. We get up every day, and win, lose or draw, we love these animals no matter where they run. It’s very emotional to lose one of them.’”
Secret Compass fell during the Juvenile Fillies and dumped jockey John Velazquez, who had emergency surgery to remove his spleen.
As for New Year’s Day, he ran down Havana in the stretch and Baffert began thinking big.
“The minute he hit the wire, I started thinking about the first Saturday in May,” he said.
In the $5 million Classic, Mucho Macho Man won by a nose over Will Take Charge. Gary Stevens was up, capping his sterling comeback at 50. Mucho Macho Man’s trainer is Kathy Ritvo, making her the first female trainer to win North America’s richest race. Good for her.
—Sebastian Vettel won his seventh straight Formula One race, 11th of the season, in Abu Dhabi. Remarkable. Michael Schumacher also won seven in a row on his way to the single-season record 13 in 2004. Vettel has two races left. [The record winning streak is nine, held by Italian Alberto Ascari, spanning the 1952-53 seasons.]
–Houston voters on Tuesday will decide the fate of the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Houston Astrodome, and whether or not to spend $217 million (financed by bonds) to turn it into a convention center. Otherwise it will be torn down.
So on Saturday they held an auction at the place and 4,000 showed up, buying literally pieces of AstroTurf for $20. Seats went for $200 a pair.
A locker autographed by Earl Campbell sold for $2,200.
—Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya defended his men’s title in the New York City Marathon. Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya won the women’s race.
–In Miami, a 6-year-old boy was attacked by a shark while vacationing with his family. The boy was wading in knee-high waters just a few feet from his parents when they heard their son scream. The father told the Alex City Outlook that he “thought it was a jellyfish.”
But then as he approached his son, he saw a shark fin. The shark, described as 4 ½ feet in length, had clamped down on the boy’s leg and was trying to drag the child under the water.
The father latched onto his son while the boy’s mother tried to pry open the shark’s mouth but she was pushed aside by a pair of good Samaritans, who jumped into the water and started pummeling the fish until it finally let go.
The boy was rushed to the hospital, suffering from five deep puncture wounds in his leg, but was soon released. [Joe Kemp / New York Daily News]
Top 3 songs for the week 11/1/69: [Some of us were still celebrating the Miracle Mets’ World Series title back then.] #1 “Suspicious Minds” (Elvis Presley) #2 “Wedding Bell Blues” (The 5th Dimension…oh baby, Marilyn McCoo…) #3 “Sugar, Sugar” (The Archies…ughh…)…and… #4 “I Can’t Get Next To You” (The Temptations) #5 “Baby It’s You” (Smith…dreadful…) #6 “Hot Fun In The Summertime” (Sly & The Family Stone…one of the great tunes of all time) #7 “Little Woman” (Bobby Sherman…not awful…really…) #8 “Jean” (Oliver) #9 “Tracy” (The Cuff Links) #10 “Come Together” (The Beatles…heard of them…)
NBA / ACC Quiz Answer: North Carolina and Duke have 15 on opening-day NBA rosters, followed by Georgia Tech with 8, Syracuse 6, and Wake Forest 5. No one else has more than three. Clemson and North Carolina State have just one each (Trevor Booker and JJ Hickson).
