**Next BC not until early Tues. a.m.
[Posted late Wed. p.m.]
NFL Quiz: Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers went over 4,000 yards passing for a sixth season on Sunday, but with his 13 yards rushing he joined an elite club…those who have thrown for 35,000 yards and rushed for 2,500. Name the other three. Answer below.
NFL
—AFC playoff picture:
1. New England (13-2)
2. Oakland (12-3)…gain No. 1 seed with win at Denver, and New England loss at Miami
3. Pittsburgh (10-5)
4. Houston (9-6)
5. Kansas City (11-4)…but win AFC West if Oakland loses at Denver, and K.C. wins at San Diego, thus gaining second seed
6. Miami (10-5)
—NFC playoff picture:
1. Dallas (13-2)
2. Atlanta (10-5)
3. Seattle (9-5-1)…need Atlanta to lose to Saints, while defeating the 49ers to get the bye
4. Green Bay (9-6)…
5. New York (10-5)
6. Detroit (9-6)
7. Washington (8-6-1)
8. Tampa Bay (8-7)…not worth bringing up what they need to happen.
—Washington received a huge break when Dallas defeated Detroit 42-21* on Monday night to give Washington a clear path to clinching the NFC’s sixth seed. The Lions could have clinched a berth with a victory but now find themselves one of four teams in the hunt for the final spot.
If the Redskins beat the Giants at FedEx Field, they will receive the sixth seed as long as the Lions’ home game against the Packers on Sunday night doesn’t end in a tie. In this scenario, the winner, the winner of Packers-Lions, will clinch the NFC North title, while the loser will finish a half-game behind Washington for the second wild-card spot and be eliminated.
The only problem for the Redskins is if the Redskins, Packers and Lions all finish 9-6-1, the Packers would win the NFC North because of a better head-to-head record against the Lions. Meanwhile, Detroit would clinch the sixth seed because of its head-to-head tiebreaker over Washington, the Lions defeating the Redskins, 20-17, in Week 7 at Ford Field.
*In the Monday night game, Dak Prescott was a cool 15/20, 210, 3-0, 148.3, with Ezekiel Elliott rushing for 80 yards and two touchdowns, while Dez Bryant caught two of Prescott’s touchdowns, plus threw the first scoring pass of his career, a 10-yard pass to TE Jason Witten. In other words, the stars all stepped up.
For stumbling Detroit, Matthew Stafford was just 26/46, 260, 0-1, 63.7.
–The Giants are locked into the No. 5 seed and will play on the road Wild-Card weekend, but there are four different scenarios for whom they would play and it’s not worth getting into, frankly. They are either traveling to Seattle, Green Bay, Detroit, or Atlanta.
–The NFL did a good thing in moving Giants at Washington to the 4:25 p.m. time slot on Sunday, with Packers at Lions the 8:30 p.m. game
Since none of us have school that Monday, we can stay up late!
–As expected, Buffalo fired head coach Rex Ryan on Tuesday, Ryan having gone just 15-16 while failing to end the Bills’ NFL-longest playoff drought, which was extended to 17 seasons.
Bills ownership didn’t let Ryan finish out the campaign because of Sunday’s embarrassing 34-31 loss to the Dolphins that was littered with questionable decisions and one moment when the Bills only had 10 players on the field for a big play on defense.
Ryan said at a press conference Monday, “Obviously, reviewing the film, that’s about as painful of a loss as I can remember.”
Ryan’s twin brother, Rob, was also let go, with Anthony Lynn becoming the interim head coach for Sunday’s finale against the Jets.
–In the Jets-Bills game, Ryan Fitzpatrick (aka Fitzmagic) gets the start with Bryce Petty having been placed on injured reserve with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. So the Petty experiment lasted four starts (five appearances) and he tossed three touchdown passes with seven interceptions. Unfortunately, the Jets didn’t learn a thing in terms of next year. I think the guy still has potential, but the Jets can’t assume he’ll develop to be No. 1 so they need to acquire a veteran in the offseason.
–Meanwhile, back to the playoffs, NFL and Fox execs are praying for a Dallas-New England or Dallas-Pittsburgh Super Bowl (Fox broadcasting it). Either one of those should be the highest-rated ever.
[Reader Mark R. was at the Steelers-Ravens game and said the atmosphere was as exciting as any contest he had been to at Heinz Field.]
–I didn’t mention last time that in the Panthers-Falcons contest, Carolina’s Greg Olsen became the first tight end in NFL history to have three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. I also need to note for the record that when Miami’s Jay Ajayi rushed for 206 yards against the Bills, his third 200-yard game of the season, he joined O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell and Tiki Barber as the only players to do that.
College Football
—Huge win for Wake Forest, 34-26 over No. 24 Temple (10-4) as the Deacs jumped out to a 31-7 first half lead and held on, thus wrapping up a winning season (7-6) for the first time since 2008, as well as their first bowl victory since then.
Wakeyleaks is now a thing of the past. This is something the program can build on.
But as the announcers rightfully brought up, it does make you wonder as to the impact of former player/coach/broadcaster Tommy Elrod’s devious behavior. More below.
–So I’m watching Maryland-Boston College in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit (because I said I would), at least some of it, and B.C. held on for a 36-30 win after building a 36-13 lead.
But one player stood out I frankly haven’t followed all season, that being Maryland sophomore running back Ty Johnson. He ripped off a 62-yard touchdown run in the first half and I’m thinking, ‘Who is this guy?’ The fellow doing color commentary said something like, ‘Johnson doesn’t carry the ball much and the Terps obviously need to get it to him more’ and then I look up his stats and see he entered the game with an 8.9 yard per carry average! [95-845, 8.9].
And this was against some pretty respectable competition. 7 carries for 204 yards against Purdue; 9-115 against Michigan State; 13-142 against Indiana; 11-168 against Rutgers (OK, not all respectable)…and then he finished Monday with 159 yards on 15 carries against the Eagles.
So Ty Johnson finished the year with 110 carries for 1,004 yards…a 9.1 average! Goodness gracious. Yes, he’ll probably get a few more touches next year.
Actually, while Maryland finished 6-7, they have a ton of talent coming back on offense, if they can just find a quarterback, but they have some potentially good QBs waiting in the wings. So I’ll say Maryland improves to 9-3.
As for Boston College, coach Steve Addazio has now done the following at the school:
2016: 7-6
2015: 3-9
2014: 7-6
2013: 7-6
And three bowl games. That’s really not that bad. B.C. is like Wake Forest. It just isn’t easy winning there, and it’s not like the local area gets fired up over college football with the Pats soaking up the coverage. So I have to give Addazio credit. [Earlier this year we thought he would get fired and replaced by Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly.]
—No. 23 Pitt (8-5) lost to Northwestern (7-6) 31-24 in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium, though credit has to be given to running back James Conner for playing and risking his NFL draft standing, while others are opting not to. Conner then got hurt, potential head injury.
For Northwestern, Justin Jackson rushed for 224 yards and 3 touchdowns.
—Miami finished 9-4 after a nice 31-14 win over No. 16 West Virginia (10-3) as Brad Kaaya threw for four touchdowns in the Russell Athletic Bowl.
–Here’s a reason not to give a damn about so many of these bowl games. Monday, you had the St. Petersburg (Russia) Bowl, Mississippi State (5-7) vs. Miami (Ohio) (6-6), with MSU winning 17-16, thus leaving both 6-7. Eegads.
—UConn fired coach Bob Diaco after three seasons in which he went a godawful 11-26 in three seasons. And guess what? Former coach Randy Edsall is returning. He was 74-70 at UConn from 1999-2010, before moving to Maryland. Edsall is a former Bar Chat “dirtball.”
College Basketball
AP Poll (Dec. 26)
1. Villanova 12-0 (56)
2. UCLA 13-0 (3)
3. Kansas 11-1
4. Baylor 12-0 (6)
5. Duke 12-1
6. Louisville 11-1
7. Gonzaga 12-0
8. Kentucky 10-2
9. North Carolina 11-2
10. Creighton 12-0
20 Florida State 12-1
22. USC 12-0
–Boy, Wake Forest looked great playing Florida State tonight down in Tallahassee, up 66-61 with nine minutes to play, then they wilted, badly, losing 88-72. [Yup, outscored 27-6 down the stretch, boys and girls.] Wake’s whole season is dependent on the next two, Clemson and Boston College at home. If we win both, we’ll go on to have a solid season. If we don’t, my early-season optimism will fade quickly.
–Also Wednesday, No. 1 Villanova had a surprisingly difficult time with DePaul (7-7), winning 68-65.
No. 12 Virginia (11-1) upset Louisville (11-2) on the road, 61-53.
North Carolina destroyed a decent Monmouth (10-3) squad 102-74.
And Creighton stayed undefeated with a nice 89-75 win over Seton Hall (10-3).
This just in, No. 21 Oregon (12-2) defeated UCLA 89-87.
NBA
—Phil Jackson, president of the Knicks, announced on Twitter Tuesday night that he and Jeanie Buss, managing partner of the Los Angeles Lakers, had ended their four-year engagement, and nearly two-decade relationship. But the reason why what is otherwise a personal situation is making news around the league is because this clearly ends any talk that Jackson would be moving to L.A. to take a position with the Lakers. It was also just an uncomfortable situation to have two leading decision makers at two marquee franchises in a relationship with each other.
Jackson had a mutual option with the Knicks in his contract after this season so it’s been felt he would bolt, especially after drafting Kristaps Porzingis, a true franchise player, so Jackson could say he left the Knicks in a better way than he found it…which is kind of true (an aging Carmelo Anthony notwithstanding).
But now? Phil is probably staying, or he’ll just step aside for health reasons.
MLB
The Hall of Fame ballots are due on New Year’s Eve and there could be huge, unexpected news if we are to believe Ryan Thibodaux, who tracks the votes from qualifying members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). As reported in USA TODAY, he had collected 122 ballots as of Tuesday night, a little more than a quarter of the estimated total of 435.
So the surprise is that voting for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens appears to be way up from the 44.3% and 45.2% they received, respectively, last year. Like try 71.3% for each, or very close to the 75% required for induction.
This would be a shock, even though there has been a growing sense that Bonds and Clemens would see their vote totals rise.
Also, Manny Ramirez, who is on the ballot for a first time, and was suspended in 2009 and 2011 for using PEDs, appears on 32% of the early ballots, which is strong.
One thing is clear. The BBWAA is getting younger, having eliminated some older, inactive members who would never consider someone like Bonds for enshrinement. The younger guys are far more lenient in how they view the drug cheats.
So we’ll see what happens in about three weeks when the results are released Jan. 18.
Premier League
–Ah, the best time of year for fans (though sucks for the players), as unlike the other major international leagues who largely take Christmas week off, the Premier League packs it in, beginning with eight games on Boxing Day (and single contests Tues. and Wed.). The matchups were far from terrific, but the league knows what it’s doing as 98% of tickets are sold for games during Christmas-New Year’s (the best rate of the year) and the television ratings both in the U.K. and other markets (like the U.S.) are off the charts.
So the Big Four prevailed on Monday thru Wednesday….
Arsenal 1 West Brom 0
Chelsea 3 Bournemouth 0
Manchester City 3 Hull 0
Liverpool 4 Stoke 1
Plus….
Manchester United 3 Sunderland 1
Everton 2 Leicester 0
Tottenham 4 Southampton 1
Chelsea won its 12th in a row, a club record, one shy of Arsenal’s record of 13 consecutive victories in the same top-flight season, set in 2002.
Standings after 18 matches of 38….
1. Chelsea 15 (W) 1(D) 2 (L)…46 points
2. Liverpool 12-4-2…40
3. Man City 12-3-3…39
4. Arsenal 11-4-3…37
5. Tottenham 10-6-2…36
6. Manchester United 9-6-3…33
Man U has suddenly won four in a row and haven’t lost in their last nine as Jose Mourinho’s boys are coming around. I watched most of the Sunderland game on Monday and the Armenian, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, scored an absolutely brilliant goal on a backheeled volley, which everyone from manager Mourinho on down called “phenomenal.” It’s worth looking up, believe me. Or as the television announcer called it, “a moment of genius.”
Meanwhile, also for Man U, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has stepped up his game and returned to “football royalty” form, Ibrahimovic with a terrific goal and two assists.
The league is more interesting if Man U is playing well and I’ll say they are back and a major factor the rest of the way.
As for my Tottenham Spurs, that was a huge win against No. 8 Southampton, the kind of contest on the road they’ve been drawing at best. [It was just the third loss at home in 23 PL matches for the hosts.]
Big game this Saturday…Liverpool-Man City.
–Again, I have to mention defending champ Leicester City and its troubles. 23-12-3 last year, it’s 4-5-9, 17 points, this season and just three from relegation! Yet they are also in the Champions League Round of 16. Go figure.
–Finally, Swansea City sacked manager Bob Bradley, the first American boss in the top flight, after just 11 games, and seven losses. It just wasn’t meant to be, as Swansea sits at the bottom with Hull City at 12 points. With half the season remaining, the pressure is immense to not be relegated and as I’ve written before it’s about the money, first and foremost, and the enormous sums that you give up when you are forced to drop down in flight.
Stuff
–Rebecca R. Ruiz / New York Times
“Russia is for the first time conceding that its officials carried out one of the biggest conspiracies in sports history: a far-reaching doping operation that implicated scores of Russian athletes, tainting not just the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi but also the entire Olympic movement.
“Over several days of interviews (in Moscow) with the New York Times, Russian officials said they no longer disputed a damning set of facts that detailed a doping program with few, if any, historical precedents.
“ ‘It was an institutional conspiracy,’ Anna Antseliovich, the acting director general of Russia’s national antidoping agency, said of the years’ worth of cheating schemes, while emphasizing that the government’s top officials were not involved….
“Russian sports officials had vehemently denied the doping operation’s existence despite a detailed confession by the nation’s former antidoping lab chief, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, in a New York Times article last May that was subsequently confirmed by global antidoping regulators.
“An investigator appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, Richard McLaren, published more extensive evidence this month that prompted the International Olympic Committee to open disciplinary proceedings against dozens of additional Russian athletes.
“Russia’s drastic shift in tone may be motivated by a desire to reconcile with the regulators, who have stipulated that the nation accept the findings of the recent investigation before the country is recertified to conduct drug testing and be a host again of Olympic competitions.
“The officials, however, continue to reject the accusation that the doping program was state-sponsored. They define the Russian state as President Vladimir Putin and his closest associates.”
–On a totally different mater in Russia, “Russian investigators said on Wednesday they had opened a criminal case into a group of men who filmed themselves crushing a bear to death by repeatedly driving over it in off-road vehicles in the Siberian tundra.
“A video posted on YouTube on Monday, apparently shot on a mobile phone, showed men in two heavy trucks shouting ‘Crush him! Crush him!’ and…[Ed. I’m not printing the other details.]
“The video, which has since been removed from YouTube, was widely circulated by Russian media and caused a public outcry.”
Investigators have opened a criminal investigation and the dirtballs could face two years in prison.
I’m taking ‘Man’ down 10 notches, from 329 to 339 on the All-Species List, effective with the next posting of same, Jan. 2 or 3.
Octopus moved up to No. 5 this week.
–Just a few thoughts on the passing of George Michael, 53, which I didn’t have a chance to put down last time. I have to be honest. I admire his success, 100 million albums sold, but I wasn’t into his music, as in I never contemplated buying one of his albums (or Wham!’s). For those saying he is in the same conversation as two larger-than-life stars who also died this year, Prince and David Bowie, I have to disagree, but everyone has an opinion. [Among other stars in the music world we lost this year were Merle Haggard, Glenn Frey, Leonard Cohen, Paul Kantner and Maurice White.]
But I do recognize Michael was influential in his own way. My issue is that I hated the 1980s, musically that is (otherwise the decade gave us Ronald Reagan and the ’86 Mets). I started growing my oldies collection instead during the decade; New York’s classic oldies station, WCBS-FM, was a fixture (now it sucks); and I got into country with the arrival of Randy Travis and the new wave of talent in that genre, beginning in the mid-80s. Otherwise there were only a few Rock ‘n’ Roll acts I liked.
Michael did have a slew of #1s on Billboard (U.S.), however, including with Wham!, the duo with Andrew Ridgeley, and he was greatly helped by the emergence of MTV as a music industry force.
#1 1984 – Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go…couldn’t stand this one
#1 1984 – Careless Whisper
#1 1985 – Everything She Wants
And then as a solo artist….
#1 1987 – Faith
#1 1988 – Father Figure
#1 1988 – One More Try
#1 1988 – Monkey
#1 1990 – Praying For Time
Plus a #1 in 1987 with Aretha Franklin, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me).”
“I Want Your Sex” peaked at #2 in 1987.
Yes, Michael was hot as a pistol, cough cough, 1984-90, but I was more concerned with Dwight Gooden’s drug issues. Michael’s first solo album, 1987’s Faith, sold more than 20 million copies.
I did understand, however, why Michael was huge in the U.K. and the tributes from there in particular are sincere.
Elton John wrote: “I am in deep shock. I have lost a beloved friend – the kindest, most generous soul and a brilliant artist.”
Singer Sam Smith tweeted: “I would not be the artist I am if it wasn’t for you.”
Boy George (part of the most depressing act of all time): “He was so loved and I hope he knew it because the sadness today is beyond words. Devastating. What a beautiful voice he had and his music will live on as a testament to his talent.”
And forever after we’ll always have “Last Christmas.”
–And we note the passing of actress and author Carrie Fisher, days after suffering a massive heart attack aboard a flight from London to L.A. She was 60.
Fisher, who famously played Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, had been traveling to promote her latest memoir when she went into cardiac arrest just 15 minutes before the flight was schedule to land in L.A. on Friday.
An EMT happened to be on the plane and administered CPR, after which she was rushed to UCLA Medical Center once the flight landed.
In her new book – after 40 years of silence – Fisher admitted she had an off-screen affair with her married co-star, Harrison Ford. She was just 19 at the time, having beaten out Jodie Foster and Amy Irving for the prize role in the 1977 blockbuster.
“God, he was just so handsome,” Fisher dished in “The Princess Diarist,” of Ford.
Josh Rottenberg / Los Angeles Times
“Although she achieved global stardom as the trailblazing space heroine, Fisher eventually became just as famous and beloved for simply being herself: an author, actor, activist and personality, armed with an acerbic comic flair and an admirable, if occasionally unnerving, tendency to tell the truth.
“But while Fisher’s commentary could be brutally cutting, she never lost her affection for the blockbuster franchise that launched her to fame; she had, in fact, recently completed production for ‘Episode VIII.’ ‘As much as I may have joked about ‘Star Wars’ over the years, I liked that I was in those films,’ she wrote in her recently published memoir, ‘The Princess Diarist.’ ‘Particularly as the only girl in an all-boy fantasy. They were fun to make. It was an anecdote of unimaginable standing.’
“From the moment she first stepped onto the screen in 1977’s ‘Star Wars,’ the character of Leia Organa – whip smart, wryly funny and fearless enough to stand up to the likes of Darth Vader without batting an eye – inspired generations of young girls to be bold and inspired crushes in generations of young boys….
“If ‘Star Wars’ was an unprecedented kind of movie phenomenon, Fisher was an unprecedented kind of movie star, a child of the old Hollywood system who, with her penchant for fearless self-exposure and her knowing, bemused detachment from the machinery of fame, charted a path toward the new one.”
Fisher was the daughter of pop singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds.
Fisher, who was married for one year to Paul Simon, though they dated on and off for the next decade, bore her only child, Billie, with her second husband, Hollywood agent Bryan Lourd – who left her after three years of marriage for another man.
But Carrie Fisher never seemed to resent being linked to Leia.
“It’s not always fun, but it’s certainly life-changing,” Fisher told The Times last year. “I have been Princess Leia exclusively. It’s been part of my life for 40 years….I’m like the diplomat to a country that I haven’t been to yet. I am that country.”
[As for the death of Debbie Reynolds tonight, Wednesday, simply unbelievable.]
–I forgot to note last time that “Joey Boots,” Joseph Bassolino, died at the age of 49. He was a popular fixture on “The Howard Stern Show” and is the man who popularized the phrase “Baba Booey” on the air, which is the bane of every golf fan who hears it on a telecast.
–Depressing news from the Animal Kingdom. According to a report from the Zoological Society of London, the estimated number of cheetahs left in the wild is down to 7,100. The world’s fastest mammal is in trouble just like other animals in that they range far from protected areas and are coming increasingly into conflict with Man. The authors of the study want an “urgent” re-categorization of the species from vulnerable to endangered, to better help with protecting it.
More than half the world’s surviving cheetahs live in one population that ranges across six countries in southern Africa. Cheetahs in Asia have essentially been wiped out. A group estimated to number fewer than 50 individuals clings on in Iran.
Because it is so far-ranging and roams outside protected areas, the cheetah is falling prey partially to the bushmeat hunting trade.
In Zimbabwe, the cheetah population has fallen from around 1,200 to just 170 in 16 years, owing mostly to Man (the bastard). Among the other concerns is the illegal trafficking of cubs, fueled by demand from the Gulf states. Young cats can fetch up to $10,000 on the black market. According to the Cheetah Conservation Fund, 1,200 cubs are known to have been trafficked out of Africa over the past 10 years but around 85% of them died during the journey.
2016
What a year it was in the world of sports…legitimately, some of the biggest stories we’re likely to have the entire century.
Such as the Cubs winning the World Series. And LeBron James leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA title after being down 3-1 to the mighty, record-setting Golden State Warriors, snapping the city of Cleveland’s long championship drought.
Or how about Villanova’s NCAA basketball championship on Kris Jenkins’ last-second 3-pointer.
But, globally, Leicester City winning the Premier League title was the biggest story, aside from some of the heroes and legends we said goodbye to.
Usain Bolt’s performance at the Rio Olympics was also rather titanic, but his third straight sweep of the sprint events doesn’t get the credit it deserves because of the steroid cloud hovering over the sport, though Bolt has never been implicated in any fashion whatsoever. [Katie Ledecky’s performance in Rio was pretty special, too, ditto Simone Biles’.]
Farewells…it was a big year in this category, with two of the all-time greats in the history of sports, two of the most recognizable people on the planet, Muhammad Ali, 74, and Arnold Palmer, 87, taking their last breaths. You didn’t come bigger than those two in the 20th century.
Just a rung below, we lost Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, 88
And there was legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, 64; pitcher Jose Fernandez, a true shooting star, dead at 24 in a boating accident; Dennis Byrd, 50, the New York Jet lineman paralyzed in a game who recovered to walk again; Nate “The Great” Thurmond, 74, one of my favorite players as I began following the NBA in the 1960s….
Dwayne “Pearl” Washington, 52, who helped define college basketball in the 1980s, but never achieved stardom in the NBA; the great sideline reporter Craig Sager, 65; Bill Johnson, 55, the first U.S. man to win an Olympic downhill at the Sarajevo Games in 1984; and Bud Collins, 86, who was ubiquitous at tennis’ majors….
And the members and staff (plus traveling press) of Brazil’s Chapecoense football club that died in that tragic plane crash.
One more…though thankfully he is still with us. We bid farewell to Vin Scully as he retired after an astounding 67 years in the Dodgers’ broadcast booth.
Bar Chat Awards…random order
Hero Dog: Jethro, a 3-year-old German shepherd, and his partner, Canton, OH, Police Officer Ryan Davis, responded to a burglar alarm back in early January and discovered that someone had entered a closed grocery store through the roof. The dog found the suspect, who then shot Jethro three times. Jethro would die from his wounds, while Police Chief Bruce Lawver said, “There’s not a doubt in my mind that that dog saved officers’ lives today.”
Other officers, including Davis, returned fire and wounded the suspect.
Jerks, verging on Dirtballs: Cincinnati Bengals fans, for hurling beer cans and other debris at Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as he was getting carted off the field after suffering a shoulder injury.
Dirtball, A-hole and Idiot: Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict for targeting Steelers receiver Antonio Brown in their playoff game. Burfict was suspended three games. A month earlier, he went after Roethlisberger.
Jerk: Pacman Jones, for saying after the Burfict hit that Antonio Brown was “faking” his head injury. Pacman later apologized. Too late, this career ‘Jerk’ remains just that.
Dirtball: Oregon State hoops player Jarmal Reid, who was suspended a minimum of four games for tripping referee Tommy Nunez during Utah’s road win over the Beavers.
Dirtball: Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Wideman, who was suspended 20 games for his hit on linesman Don Henderson.
Dirtball: Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib for his out-of-control play in the first half of the Super Bowl against Carolina, when he racked up three penalties, the most vicious of which was a violent facemask grab on Panthers receiver Corey Brown near the end zone.
Idiot: One of the all-time idiots, frankly…Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia, who failed a doping test for a third time in a year, resulting in MLB handing down the most severe punishment under its antidoping program, a lifetime suspension.
Good Dog: Ludivine, a 2 1//2-year-old bloodhound living in Alabama, ran a half-marathon in Alabama back in January, finishing seventh among the pack of runners in 1:32:56. Her owner, April Hamlin, had just let her out for a quick bathroom break, she saw the runners near the start line and just joined them.
Jerk: Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin injured his right hand after hitting a member of the team’s equipment staff during an argument in a restaurant in Toronto. Griffin fractured the hand and missed a lot of playing time, this after he was already out with a quadriceps injury.
Idiot: Ryan Ruffels, 17, and a promising amateur golfer at the time, played a practice round at Torrey Pines last December with Phil Mickelson and made up a story that he won $5,000 from Mickelson when the Aussie turned pro, which he as about to. But Ruffels later admitted the story was “very inaccurate” and the amount of the wager was “out of proportion,” after which Mickelson, at the late January Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey, said the 17-year-old must learn a few things, and “one of them is, you don’t discuss certain things.” Mickelson went on to blast the kid.
Courage: Daniel Cartica, of Chicago, and Becca Pizzi, of Belmont, Mass., won the World Marathon Challenge…7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days last January.
Jerk: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who compared the dangers of playing football to the dangers of being lazy and sitting on a couch.
Dirtball Team: Members of the Univ. of Tennessee football program, for assaulting former wide receiver Drae Bowles after he helped a woman who accused fellow teammates of rape in November of 2014, though the incident became public last February as part of a lawsuit filed by six unnamed Tennessee female students, including five alleged rape victims.
Bowles took one of the alleged victims to the hospital the night she was assaulted, and supported her decision to report the crime to the authorities. One of the plaintiffs in the case “witnessed several football players ‘jumping’ Bowles the day after the alleged rape occurred.”
Bowles was then assaulted a second time by the same players at a team facility.
For his part, Bowles is a Good Guy recipient.
Oh, and Tennessee coach Butch Jones told Bowles that he “betrayed the team” after helping a woman. Jones later apologized for calling Bowles “a traitor.”
Bowles transferred to UT-Chattanooga, where he played some in 2015 before being injured. I see he made the honor roll that year.
Jerk Team: The Atlanta Falcons, who had a coach ask former Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple (now with the Giants) whether he is gay during a meeting at the NFL combine.
Dirtballs: Tourists in Argentina killed a rare baby dolphin after grabbing it out of the water so they could take selfies. The animal died from dehydration.
Dirtball: Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul for hitting Kevin Durant in the groin during a March contest in order to free up a jump shot.
Good Dog: A puppy thought to be dead for five weeks after she fell off a fishing boat in Southern California was reunited with her owner in San Diego after being rescued by the Navy.
After about a week of searching, the 1 ½-year-old German shepherd was assumed to be lost by both her owner and U.S. Navy officials. Luna was eventually found on San Clemente Island, which was two miles from where the dog had fallen into the water.
Idiot: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for saying that football is not linked to head trauma and brain disease like CTE.
“We don’t have that knowledge and background, and scientifically, so there’s no way in the world to say you have a relationship relative to anything here.”
Dirtball: The Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green, for his penchant for dirty play, including the kick to Steven Adams’ groin in the playoffs.
Jerk and A-Hole: Aussie tennis player Nick Kyrgios for tanking matches and acting like a true jerk in the process.
Hero Dog: Banjer, the 7-year-old Belgian Malinois K-9 that was stabbed in the face while a Sheriff’s deputy in Rancho Santa Fe was trying to convince a man with a knife to surrender.
But as I described just a few weeks ago, Banjer is raring to get back to work.
Jerk: Jets coach Todd Bowles…just because. He refuses to say anything at his press conferences, he mumbles when he does speak, and he treats both the press and us fans like schmucks. Well Schmuck You, Todd! [I kind of like that…just made it up.]
Dirtball: Former Wake Forest player, assistant coach and color commentator Tommy Elrod, who betrayed his school by trying to pass off game plans to opponents, some of whom accepted it, others who didn’t…as the story is still evolving. Dirtball-in-waiting is Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, who clearly lied about his team not knowing they had received the game plan from Elrod, but then one of his coaches was suspended. Petrino is a former “Dirtball of the Year.” Call him “Dirtball Emeritus.” In the Wake case, we just haven’t proven his Dirtballiness yet.
Note to Steve G. I do like your term “Scumbag of the Year” for Elrod. He is the very definition of same. [But in all sincerity, I feel for his family. Talk about innocent victims.]
Jerk: Sacramento Kings star DeMarcus Cousins, who in his latest example of primo jerkdom blasted a reporter for mentioning Cousins and his brother have had issues in nightclubs. Cousins is also a lifetime A-Hole.
Good Guy: Verne Lundquist, who has retired from doing college football, though he is still doing college basketball and The Masters…a tradition unlike any other, on CBS…for at least another year.
Jerk: Brandon Victor Dixon, the member of the cast of “Hamilton” who upbraided Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who was merely there with his family to see the show.
Dirtball: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, again, after a report from the House Energy and Commerce Committee charged the league with trying to influence a major U.S. government research study on football and brain disease after agreeing to an unconditional donation to fund research. The report found the NFL’s actions “fit a long-standing pattern of attempts to influence the scientific understanding of the consequences of repeated head trauma.
“The NFL attempted to use its ‘unrestricted gift’ as leverage to steer funding away from one of its critics,” the report stated.
Hero: The late Dr. Henry Heimlich, who earlier this year, before his passing, was able to save an elderly woman choking on her hamburger at their Cincinnati senior living center. It was the first time the 96-year-old Dr. Heimlich got to use the life-saving technique – and he didn’t choke!
Jerk: Kanye West…for his full body of work.
Jerk: Odell Beckham Jr. [See Kanye]
Jerk: Billy Bush [and Donald Trump]
A-Hole: Hope Solo, for her classless response to Team USA’s loss to Sweden in Rio.
Dirtballs: The Indian couple that faked their ascent of Mt. Everest, complete with fake photos.
Good Guy: Golfer Rory McIlroy finally ended his drought on Irish soil, winning the Irish Open, and proceeded to donate all his prize money, 650,000 euros, to charities supported by the Rory Foundation.
Hero Dog: A four-year-old white Labrador called Dayko was credited with rescuing seven people from the aftermath of the Ecuador earthquake – before dying of exhaustion. Dayko was a rescue dog with the Ibarra fire service, having spent the previous days searching endlessly for survivors in the rubble of the April 16, 7.8-magnitude quake that killed more than 650 people.
Jerk: Raymond Moore, tournament director of the BNP Paribas Open tennis event, for saying women players “ride on the coattails of the men.”
Idiot: In Week One of the NFL season, Dallas receiver Terrance Williams took a pass with 12 seconds left and Dallas down one to the Giants and out of timeouts, and instead of running out of bounds to stop the clock and set up a field goal attempt, he inexplicably turned upfield and the clock ran out.
Jerk, bordering on A-hole: Former Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam LaRoche, who retired after a disagreement with team management, specifically EVP Ken Williams over clubhouse time for LaRoche’s son.
Several players and staff members had privately complained about the non-stop presence of LaRoche’s 14-year-old kid in the clubhouse, including on road trips. Like try 120 games during the 2015 season.
Nothing wrong with the boy, supposedly, but his father was a jerk in how he handled it, and then Williams was made out to be the bad guy.
At first, LaRoche was turned into a hero for being a good father, but then the truth began coming out about how a majority of folks didn’t want the kid always hanging out.
“This was likely to be the last year of my career, and there’s no way I was going to spend it without my son,” said LaRoche.
Yeah, but this is the business you were being paid absurd money to play and treat as a serious job, not some feel-good movie. Teammate Chris Sale was also a jerk for being way over the top in his defense of LaRoche, which is one reason why he’s now in Boston.
Dirtball: Duke basketball star Grayson Allen, for blatantly tripping three opponents in the past 10 months. [I’ve said enough about the guy the past few days otherwise.]
Good Guy: PGA Tour golfer Tony Finau, who after hitting a spectator in the head after an errant shot at the Colonial golf tournament, requiring a few stitches, showed up at the girl’s door with flowers, chocolates, a get well card, and he stayed to talk a bit. Elisa sent out a tweet of thanks from “your new favorite fan.” #classact
Good Guy: Golfer Bubba Watson for his $250,000 contribution to the Greenbrier, West Virginia recovery efforts, following the catastrophic flood there.
Jerk: Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner, who in putting together his new staff said he didn’t want anyone who likes to play golf.
“My first question to anyone I [might] hire is, ‘Do you golf?’ If they say, ‘Yes,’ you can’t work for me, because that means five hours on a Sunday or on a Saturday.”
That’s the definition of a jerk.
Dirtballs: An ostrich was freed from a circus in Munich, Germany, by animal rights activists and then was immediately killed when it ran in front of a car.
Jerk: Kelly Ripa, for taking an on-air swipe against her former co-host Michael Strahan when he suddenly left the show for a full-time job at “Good Morning America.” Ripa, with Strahan next to her, started talking about his divorces. Needless to say, his time left with the show was cut way back after the incident.
Jerk: Colin Kaepernick for not only not standing for the national anthem, but some inane comments in the ensuing weeks and months.
Jerk and Idiot: Swimmer Ryan Lochte, for his lies and for selling out his teammates after the stupid incident in Rio. Some Brazilian officials and authorities didn’t exactly distinguish themselves either.
Good Guy: Legend Herb Alpert, for making a $10.1 million donation to Los Angeles City College that will provide all music majors at the school with a tuition-free education. He has been supportive of the school in the past, but not at this level.
Good Guy: Bono, who helped the Eagles of Death Metal get back on stage, following the Nov 13, 2015 aftermath of their concert in Paris, one of the worst terrorist attacks in recent history at the Bataclan.
Bono and U2 originally postponed a Paris concert scheduled for the same weekend the attacks took place. When U2 then returned to Paris, they welcomed Eagles of Death Metal onstage for the final two songs of the night.
But we didn’t learn until Jan. 2016 through an article in Rolling Stone that Bono called frontman Jesse Hughes after the attacks. Hughes said, “He knows that I’m a Christian, and he also knows I’m a mama’s boy. The very next day a courier came with a phone that had a note that said, ‘This is from Bono. Make sure you call your mom.’ I thought that was awesome. It was the first time I really got to talk to my mom without being in a police station, and that meant the whole world to me.’”
Hero Dogs: Four dogs who worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan were awarded medals for their sacrifice and service to the United States.
The canines were given the K-9 Medal of Courage, and are the first to receive the honor created by the American Humane Association.
All four dogs saved lives by smelling out explosives. They are also now suffering from PTSD. [True.]
The four are:
Matty, a Czech German Shepherd
Fieldy, black Labrador retriever
Bond, a Belgian Malinois
Isky, German Shepherd
Animal of the Year: In a rout, Dog.
Dirtball of the Year: It’s close, but I’m giving it to the Argentinians who killed the rare baby dolphin, because it involved animal cruelty; thus they edge out Vontaze Burfict and Grayson Allen.
Good Guy Award: Posthumously, Arnold Palmer, and the award will forever now be named after him.
Person of the Year: Tim Duncan, for his 19 years of excellence and class. And, gee, whaddya know…these last two went to Wake Forest.
Top 3 songs for the week 12/23/67: #1 “Daydream Believer” (The Monkees) #2 “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Gladys Knight & The Pips) #3 “Hello Goodbye” (The Beatles)…and…#4 “I Second That Emotion” (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles) #5 “Woman, Woman” (The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett) #6 “The Rain, The Park & Other Things” (The Cowsills) #7 “Boogaloo Down Broadway” (The Fantastic Johnny C) #8 “Incense And Peppermints” (Strawberry Alarm Clock) #9 “You Better Sit Down Kids” (Cher…song kind of grows on you…) #10 “I Say A Little Prayer” (Dionne Warwick)
NFL Quiz Answer: The others along with Aaron Rodgers in the 35,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards rushing club are John Elway, Fran Tarkenton and Donovan McNabb.
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday…not Monday…as I’ll wait until after the New Year’s Bowl Games.
