---

Bar Chat

11/09/2017

Remembering Doc Halladay

College Football Quiz: Name the last four running backs to win the Heisman.  Answer below.

College Football...The new CFP Rankings!

The top five in the CFP are the same as last week...AP rank listed second....

1. Georgia 9-0......Alabama (AP)
2. Alabama 9-0......Georgia
3. Notre Dame 8-1......Notre Dame
4. Clemson 8-1......Clemson
5. Oklahoma 8-1......Oklahoma
6. TCU 8-1......Wisconsin
7. Miami 8-0......Miami
8. Wisconsin 9-0......TCU
9. Washington 8-1......Washington
10. Auburn 7-2......Auburn

18. UCF 8-0
22. Memphis 8-1...it’s about Group of Five, New Year’s Six, for these two, who could face each other later in the American Athletic Conference Championship game for the bid.

This week we have the following big games on Saturday, and thankfully they are spread out in time some.

Ohio State vs. Michigan State, Noon...huge in terms of Wisconsin
Georgia at Auburn, 3:30
Wisconsin vs. Iowa, 3:30
Alabama at Mississippi State 7:00
Oklahoma at TCU, 8:00
Notre Dame at Miami, 8:00

The three highlighted are, to say the least, huge in terms of the CFP and top four.  No sense going further, like into conference championship games.  Just get through this week, though one thing seems clear...come the CFP’s final ranking, at least one school will have a reason to gripe, probably two.

--Dr. W. went to the Georgia-South Carolina game last weekend and he says Georgia has no vertical passing game and will be defeated by Auburn.  “Book it.”  Remember, kids, bet with your head, not over it.  While he is a real M.D., I can tell you from comparing our Draft King lineups each week, he’s not quitting his day job just yet.  [Regarding myself, I am in the midst of an all-time record losing streak at DraftKings golf.  President Trump in South Korea commented, “They say that no one has seen anything like it.”]

FCS / Division I-AA Poll

1. James Madison 9-0...behind every successful man....#DollyMadisonIceCream
2. Jacksonville State 8-1
3. Central Arkansas 8-1
4. Sam Houston State 8-1
5. South Dakota State 7-2
6. North Dakota State 8-1
7. North Carolina A&T 9-0
8. Wofford 8-1
9. Elon 8-1
10. South Dakota 7-2

NFL

--Sunday night, after I posted, Oakland moved to 4-5 with a 27-24 win over Miami (4-4), as Derek Carr had a solid game, 21/30, 300, 1-1, 99.3.  In defeat, Jay Cutler was outstanding, 34/42, 311, 3-0, 121.3.

--Monday night, the Lions won a must-have contest against the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers, 30-17, as Matthew Stafford fulfilled his best-in-the-league contract, going 26/33, 361, 2-0, 132.4 to move the Lions to 4-4, while for Green Bay (also 4-4), Brett Hundley was just highly mediocre, 26/38, 245, 0-0, 86.0.

--The Giants have a real issue that needs to be addressed soon; that is giving another quarterback, namely Davis Webb, a shot at showing what he can do, at the expense of Eli Manning.

To which Manning has responded, “Hey, I want to be out there. I want to be playing.  Yeah, I want to be out there.”

Well the Giants are 1-7, and aside from the fact they aren’t going anywhere, it’s time to give Webb a shot to help the Giants understand if they need to draft a quarterback with their first-round selection next spring.

Eli turns 37 in January, after all, and he’s hardly a superstar these days.

But for besieged coach Ben McAdoo, why would he make a move to Webb when Eli gives the team the best chance to win, and McAdoo needs to string together some Ws to save his job?  So he won’t.  If they lose this week to winless San Francisco, though, ownership may force a move.

One thing I agree with is from long-time Giants fan, and good friend, Newt S., who told me this week the Giants should really fire GM Jerry Reese, today, he being the man most responsible for the debacle by not focusing on the offensive line in the offseason and draft.

Now while no one fires a GM mid-season, Newt’s reasoning is sound, assuming ownership has someone in mind for the long term not currently involved in a winning team today (in which case you’d never pry the candidate away).  The point being you bring someone new in immediately to evaluate McAdoo and the other coaches and players the rest of the way...someone who could hire his own scouts right away for what will be a very important draft.  Maybe it’s just a matter of elevating a man a rung or two below Reese that ownership respects.

--Tampa Bay doesn’t just have a five-game losing streak, but they lost star receiver Mike Evans for a game, after he was suspended by the NFL for his role in a sideline skirmish instigated by quarterback Jameis Winston, who wasn’t suspended, but he is out for at least two weeks with an injured throwing shoulder. Ryan FitzMagic (err, Fitzpatrick) replaces him against his former team, the Jets, on Sunday, which should be interesting.  Tampa Bay is in obvious total disarray.  My Jets have to take advantage of this.

[Jets receiver Jeremy Kerley was suspended four games for violating the league’s PED policy.]

--The latest court ruling on Ezekiel Elliott will be Thursday.

--The Houston Texans have said in light of the Deshaun Watson season-ending injury they are exploring all options, including Colin Kaepernick.  Backup Tom Savage is not the answer.

--The Los Angeles Rams were 4-12 last season, 6-2 this year under 31-year-old coach Sean McVay. As Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal points out, the Rams, and then-rookie quarterback Jared Goff, averaged an NFL worst 14.0 points per game last year, and are an NFL best 32.9 this year, with the same Jared Goff at the helm.  Of course the average is helped a little by the 51 points they scored on the no-show Giants last Sunday.

But as Mr. Beaton points out, the Rams brought in 35-year-old offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth in the offseason and he has shored up the O-Line that is protecting Goff and giving resurgent running back Todd Gurley the space. The Rams gave up 49 sacks last year, second most in the NFL, and this year have allowed only 10 in the first half – the second fewest in the league.

--Peter King in the current Sports Illustrated echoes what many others have been saying recently, that NFL owners are quickly turning on Commissioner Roger Goodell, led by Jerry Jones, perhaps the most powerful owner.  Goodell’s contract doesn’t expire until 2019, but it had been thought an extension was a foregone conclusion.

Then the anthem controversy hit, and Goodell’s handling of it gave the likes of Jones an excuse for playing hardball on Goodell’s request for more than the $66 million in salary and benefits he procured in 2014 and 2015, the latest years reported.

Goodell’s job is to raise revenue and make the owners, who pay him, richer.  The league’s total revenue has risen from $6 billion when Goodell took over in 2006 to between $14 billion and $15 billion this year.

But Goodell believes he’s not only done the job owners wanted on the revenue side, but that’s he’s been a strict disciplinarian, which is where he brushes up against Jerry Jones, who is pissed at Goodell for suspending his star running back, Ezekiel Elliott, for six games. And Jones doesn’t understand why Goodell seems to be playing both sides on the anthem controversy, in not demanding players stand for it.

College Basketball

AP Poll

1. Duke
2. Michigan State
3. Arizona
4. Kansas
5. Kentucky
6. Villanova
7. Wichita State
8. Florida
9. North Carolina
10. USC
23. Seton Hall

Sports Illustrated’s Top Ten

1. Arizona
2. Michigan State
3. Duke
4. Wichita State
5. Villanova
6. Cincinnati
7. Kansas
8. Kentucky
9. Louisville
10. Florida

*And your official Bar Chat “Pick to Click” is Wichita State, with coach Gregg Marshall returning his top eight scorers from last season.

I’m also telling you you can break the piggy bank to bet on Seton Hall to make the Final Four!

Entering March Madness, Wichita State will be No. 3 in the AP, Seton Hall No. 11.  [Our new super computer can get this specific.]

Yes, I can see it all very clearly.  Following the NCAA Championship Game, Justin Thomas will then win The Masters, a tradition unlike any other...on CBS.

--Sports Illustrated’s preseason All-America Team:

G Grayson Allen, senior, Duke
G Allonzo Trier, junior, Arizona
F Miles Bridges, sophomore, Michigan State
F Bonzie Colson, senior, Notre Dame
F Michael Porter Jr., freshman, Missouri

--SI Women’s Top Ten

1. UConn...yawn
2. Stanford...yawn
3. Texas
4. Louisville
5. Mississippi State
6. Ohio State
7. Notre Dame
8. Baylor
9. Duke
10. South Carolina

Baseball

--We note the tragic death of future Hall of Famer Roy “Doc” Halladay, 40.  Halladay’s ICON light-sport aircraft crashed into the Gulf of Mexico 10 miles west of St. Petersburg Tuesday afternoon.  He was the only one onboard, this being a plane he had long dreamed of owning.

Halladay retired in 2013 after playing with Toronto and Philadelphia, amassing a sterling 203-105 record, .659 winning percentage that is 19th in baseball history, but top ten if you limit it to Modern Era hurlers.  He had a 3.38 ERA, which was superb for his time, much of which was during the steroid era.

Halladay was also one of the great control pitchers of all time.  Just look at these numbers, each year leading the league in innings pitched.

2003...266 IP...32 BB
2008...246 IP...39 BB
2010...250 IP...30 BB

Halladay was an eight-time All-Star, but in a category I focus on, top five Cy Young finishes, he had seven of them, including Cy Young Awards in 2003 with Toronto and 2010 with Philadelphia.

It was in 2010 that he also pitched the 20th perfect game in major league history, and then followed that up with just the second postseason no-hitter in the NLDS against Cincinnati.

Halladay retired in 2013 after multiple attempts to come back from serious shoulder issues.  He will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2019.  No word on whether the Hall will look to speed up the process.  

The Phillies released a statement: “We are numb over the very tragic news about Roy Halladay’s untimely death.  There are no words to describe the sadness that the entire Phillies family is feeling over the loss of one of the most respected human beings to ever play the game.  It is with the heaviest of hearts that we pass along our condolences to Brandy, Ryan and Braden.”

The Blue Jays: “The Toronto Blue Jays organization is overcome by grief with the tragic loss of one of the franchise’s greatest and most respected players, but even better human being.”

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred: “All of us are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic passing of former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay.  A well-respected figure throughout the game, Roy was a fierce competitor during his 16-year career...

“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, including his wife, Brandy, and two sons, Ryan and Braden, his friends and countless fans, as well as the Blue Jays and Phillies organizations.”

Upon retiring, Halladay talked often of pursuing his new passion – aviation.  [Sadly, his wife was never able to convince him otherwise.]

“I’ve been dreaming about flying since I was a boy but was only able to become a pilot once I retired from baseball,” he told Jaysjournal.com recently.

Halladay’s Twitter account displayed countless pictures of him in the cockpit and his photos from the air.  But it seems he just procured the ICON aircraft he died in mid-October.

--What the Hall of Fame calls the Modern Baseball Era ballot was released the other day, nine former big league players and one executive to be reviewed and voted on Dec. 10 at the Baseball Winter Meetings.

Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Marvin Miller, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Ted Simmons, Luis Tiant and Alan Trammell are the candidates; Miller the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966-82.

A committee of 16 Hall of Famers, executives, and media members votes on them, each getting four votes, and a candidate needing 12, or 75 percent, for enshrinement.

Personally, I’d go just with Marvin Miller and Tommy John, having long given up on getting Dave Kingman on this ballot.  [Cough cough]

--So I listened to former Yankee manager Joe Girardi in his only interview with the New York media since he was fired, with Mike Francesa Monday, and I’m sorry, I just don’t like the guy.  It’s also very clear he didn’t communicate well the players, with his ‘holier than thou’ attitude, and he obviously didn’t communicate with his boss, GM Brian Cashman.

No doubt, Girardi did a good job with this Yankee team, and he never had a losing season, but the more you hear from other writers and players, yes, he didn’t do a good job communicating.

Now some say the Yankees have launched a smear campaign against Girardi, and GM Cashman, who had a conference call with reporters around the time Girardi was speaking to Francesa, said the decision to move on was because of Girardi’s inability to “engage, communicate and connect with playing personnel.”

Girardi said: “I think Brian was looking for something a little bit different. Evidently, I didn’t fit the mold and it was time to move on.”

Yes, the trend in baseball is to go with younger managers who then don’t have a problem with the front office calling a lot of the shots with their growing analytics units.  And it seems pretty clear Girardi was resistant to being told what to do by some stat geeks. He vows he’ll manage again one day, after a stint in the broadcast booth.

--Among those extended “qualifying offers” at the Monday deadline were Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas of the Royals, and Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis of the Cubs.

Should a player accept it, they’d receive $17.4 million for 2018, but none of those I just mentioned is expected to, only five players having accepted a qualifying offer since it was instituted in 2012.

Teams do it because they would receive a compensatory draft pick if the player decides to sign with another team, which should be the case for all involved this offseason.

Last year the Mets got semi-burned when Neil Walker accepted their offer, having an inkling that he wasn’t going to receive  a two-year deal at much better than the qualifying offer coming off back surgery.  Looking back, the Mets would have done just as well, crappy, with someone else in the lineup.

--Next week is awards week in MLB, the Baseball Writers Association of America releasing the finalists for the biggies Monday night. 

It will be interesting to see who wins in the AL MVP race between Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve, while Judge and L.A.’s Cody Bellinger should be unanimous Rookie of the Year selections.

The NL MVP race is between Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt and Joey Votto.

The NL Cy Young Award between Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.

The AL Cy Young between Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, and Luis Severino.

Kershaw and Kluber win.  NL MVP should be Stanton.

--Baseball announced its Gold Glove winners.

A.L.

1B: Eric Hosmer, K.C. (4th)
2B: Brian Dozier, Minn. (1st)
SS: Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles (3rd)
3B: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay (3rd)
LF: Alex Gordon, K.C. (5th)
CF: Byron Buxton, Minn. (1st)
RF: Mookie Betts, Boston (2nd)
C: Martin Maldonado, Los Angeles (1st)
P: Marcus Stroman, Toronto (1st)

N.L.

1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona (3rd)
2B: DJ LeMahieu, Colorado (2nd)
SS: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco (3rd)
3B: Nolan Arenado, Colorado (5th)
LF: Marcell Ozuna, Miami (1st)
CF: Ender Inciarte, Atlanta, (2nd)
RF: Jason Heyward, Chicago (5th)
C: Tucker Barnhart, Cincinnati (1st)
P: Zack Greinke, Arizona (4th)

NBA

After posting last time, I have to note three Sunday night contests....

--The Knicks moved to 5-4, shockingly, after their beyond pathetic first three games, as budding superstar Kristaps Porzingis went off for a career-high 40 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 19-year-old rookie Frank Ntilikina had his best effort, 10 points, 7 assists, 3 steals in 24 minutes.

--Separately, the Rockets beat the Jazz 137-110, James Harden with 56 on a stupendous 19-25 from the field, including 7-of-8 from three, plus 13 assists.

--And the Lakers beat Memphis 107-102, which I only mention because Lonzo Ball was 3 of 13 from the field, to take his shooting percentage from the field down to .299!  Love it.  [Nothing against Lonzo, said to be a good kid, but it’s all about father LaVar...who wants it that way.]

And speaking of Family Ball, Lonzo’s little brother, LiAngelo, and two other UCLA men’s basketball team members, were arrested early Wednesday morning in Hangzhou, China, for allegedly shoplifting Tuesday.

The three, all freshmen, were questioned about stealing from a Louis Vuitton store next to the team’s hotel, where the Bruins had been staying before leaving for Shanghai on Wednesday.

As I go to post, the players were released on bail.

Ball and the other two are being required by Hangzhou police to remain at their hotel until the legal process is over, with no word on how long this could play out.

So you might be wondering what their rather outspoken father, LaVar, had to say.  In a statement to ESPN: “It is a very unfortunate situation that the Ball Family, and UCLA has to deal with at this particular time. We will comment shortly.”  I then saw LaVar on the “Today Show” casually saying it was “no big deal.”

Three Georgia Tech students have also been questioned but were not arrested.  The season opener is on Friday in Shanghai and is being sponsored by e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Oh yeah, this story has legs.  I’m imagining the three UCLA players will be allowed to return home, but with some agreement worked out between the U.S. and China over their playing status.  Like they could be suspended for a long, long time.  [Just taking a stab at it.  This is now in the hands of the diplomats.]

--Back to the Knicks, make that 6-4, after another stirring comeback at home on Tuesday night, 118-113 over Charlotte, as Porzingis had 28, 10 of 15 from the field, and sub Doug McDermott chipped in with 20 on a near-perfect effort, 7 of 8 from the field, 3 of 3 from three, and 3 of 3 from the free throw line.

The trade the Knicks made to get rid of Carmelo Anthony, shipping him to Oklahoma City for McDermott, starting center Enes Kanter (who has been terrific) and a second-round draft pick, has paid off bigly.  For starters, it’s the trade that cleared the way for  Porzingis to shine, but the parts they got back are already huge contributors.

As for OKC, they are struggling mightily, Tuesday, losing at lowly Sacramento (2-8), the Thunder falling to 4-6 with their lineup featuring Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Paul George.   The three were a combined 15 of 54 from the field against the Kings. Yuck!

Division I Men’s Soccer Rankings, Coaches Poll (Nov. 7)

1. Wake Forest
2. Indiana
3. Stanford
4. Western Michigan
5. Clemson
6. UNC
7. Akron
8. Florida International
9. Louisville
10. Michigan

RPI

1. UNC
2. Wake Forest
3. Duke
4. Indiana

Premier League Standings, after 11 of 38...W-D-L

1. Manchester City 10-1-0...31 points*
2. Manchester United 7-2-2...23
3. Tottenham 7-2-2...23
4. Chelsea 7-1-3...22
5. Liverpool 5-4-2...19
6. Arsenal 6-1-4...19
7. Burnley 5-4-2...19

Relegation Line....

18. West Ham....9 points
19. Swansea...8
20. Crystal Palace...4...but playing much better

*With each win, Man City extends their record for best start ever in the Premier League, which was founded in 1992.  They have scored 38 goals vs. just 7 against.  I’d say that’s total domination.

Golf Balls

--I’ve written of Patrick Cantlay’s story before, Cantlay, 25, the winner last weekend in Vegas for his first PGA Tour title, but it bears repeating.  He was an All-American at UCLA in 2011, the top collegiate golfer in the land, and the top amateur in the world for 55 weeks before making his PGA Tour debut at the 2012 Travelers Championship. A year before at the same event at TPC River Highlands, he fired the lowest score ever recorded by an amateur in a Tour event, 60, in grabbing the 36-hole lead.  That came after finishing T-21 at the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.

But in 2013 he was sidelined with a back injury, withdrawing from Colonial, but somehow came back in the fall to retain his PGA Tour card.  In the next three years, however, Cantlay made just six starts on tour.  In 2016, he didn’t play at all.  He was depressed and had doubts about his game.

Yet he didn’t give up.  He just wanted to feel healthy.  Early 2016, though, he suffered another setback.  Cantlay watched in horror as his best friend and caddie, Chris Roth, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in Newport Beach, Calif.  Cantlay was 10 feet away when the accident occurred at an intersection.

You can imagine that Cantlay thinks of his friend every day.

But now he’s won his first tournament. When you watch him he’s a serious guy. He doesn’t smile much.  If you know what he has been through, however, you understand. I hope he’s treated in the right vein over the coming years.  I’ll be rooting for him.

Stuff

--Two final bits on Sunday’s New York City Marathon. I noted that it was American Meb Keflizighi’s last marathon, and that he collapsed at the end, but I didn’t have the details. The 42-year-old finished 11th...despite throwing up three times after Mile 20!  Having had my own issues in a marathon (Kiawah 1999, black bean soup the night before), boy can I respect this.  It was warm and humid, Sunday, and Meb was clearly dehydrated and just sick (my assessment, didn’t read this for a fact), which is why he collapsed at the end.  I, on the other hand, having run in 70-degree plus heat and hitting every pit-stop along the way, had zero fluids left at the end...until I was duly replenished as only the good brewers of America can do.

I also was just randomly looking through the top American male and female runners from Sunday, to double-check Meb’s result at first, and settled on a woman from Ohio, Lauren Larson-Long.

Now I have no idea who this clearly good woman is, but I decided to mention her because she finished as the 76th best American female at 2:59:51.  I don’t know if she had ever beaten 3:00, but I can appreciate the thrill for her (and panic) coming down the stretch, seeing her time, a gigantic accomplishment.  And now, forever, Lauren you’re in Bar Chat!  You go, girl!

--Former sports radio host Craig Carton broke his silence after his Sept. 6 arrest for his alleged role in a $4.6 million ticket-reselling scam that could land him in jail for a very long time if convicted.

In an interview with USA TODAY, Carton said, “It is devastating....It has thrown my entire life upside down – I have to talk to my kids about things that they might not understand but that I know they are reading....The last two months have been hell.”

Carton vowed he would be back on the air after being exonerated.

This is one of the true jerks on the planet.  His attorney is pushing the story that it’s Carton who is a victim.  I’m biting my tongue.

--Brad K. passed this on from Rob Quinn of Newser:

“A member of a French hunting party was killed Monday in what authorities are calling an exceedingly rare accident.  Police say the unarmed 62-year-old man was acting as a beater (meaning trying to get game to leave their cover) for a hunting party in Compiegne national park, around 50 miles northeast of Paris, when (a European red deer) charged, piercing him with an antler, AFP reports.  Regis Levasseur, described as a seasoned hunter, died of internal bleeding before emergency services got there.

“Authorities say hunting injuries involving wild boar are a lot more common, though ones involving deer are not completely unheard of....The antlers of the stag are like many knives piercing you, there is nothing you can do.”

Both Brad and I agree that in our next lives, being a “beater” isn’t high up on our list.  I want to come back as an eagle, personally.

--I posted a new All-Species List update the other day that you can read there, ‘Beaver’ moving up a notch, based on further evidence of its engineering feats in the U.K.  ‘Pig’ dropped down one...but fear not, bacon, err, Pig, lovers...he is still in the top ten.

[We removed the registration process for the site.  Less stress for you all.]

Top 3 songs for the week 11/8/75:  #1 “Island Girl” (Elton John)  #2 “Lyin’ Eyes” (The Eagles)  #3 “Calypso / I’m Sorry” (John Denver)...and...#4 “Who Loves You” (Four Seasons)  #5 “Miracles” (Jefferson Starship)  #6 Heat Wave” (Linda Ronstadt)  #7 “ ‘They Just Can’t Stop It’ the (Games People Play)” (Spinners)  #8 “This Will Be” (Natalie Col...these last two being terrific...) #9 “Feelings” (Morris Albert)  #10 “The Way I Want To Touch You” (Captain & Tennille...and these last two rather mellow...)

College Football Quiz Answer: Last four running backs to win the Heisman....

Derrick Henry, 2015, Alabama
Mark Ingram, 2009, Alabama
Reggie Bush, 2005, USC [later stripped away]
Ron Dayne, 1999, Wisconsin

Next Bar Chat, Monday.

 

---