---

Bar Chat

10/30/2023

Jets Win!

Add-on posted late Tuesday afternoon, 4:00 p.m. prior to Game 4.  I haven’t heard anything on Garcia’s status. I’m also posting before the last NFL trades at the deadline.

World Series

Game 3 Monday night in Phoenix was entertaining and tense.  Corey Seager smashed a two-run homer in the top of the third for Texas, who took a 3-0 lead, the blast off Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt, going out at 114.5 mph, which made it the hardest-hit World Series homer in the Statcast era, dating back to 2015.

But Seager also showed he is worth every penny of his $325 million contract in the field, making a sliding stop and starting a double play in the eighth inning that might have saved the game.

For the Rangers, starter Max Scherzer only went three innings, having to leave with a back issue, but then Jon Gray, who entered the postseason with one relief appearance and 204 starts for his big-league career, threw three innings himself of scoreless ball and the rest of the Rangers’ bullpen did the job, Texas winning 3-1 to take a 2-1 series lead.

“This is what you play for.  This is where you want to be at this moment,” said Seager, the NLCS and World Series MVP for the Dodgers in 2020.

But the Rangers also suffered a big potential blow as slugger Adolis Garcia, who threw out Christian Walker at the plate in the second in a critical early moment in the game, had to exit in the eighth with tightness on his left side after appearing to get hurt on a swing.  He went to the hospital for an MRI to determine the severity.

Tonight, it’s a bullpen game…Texas’ Andrew Heaney with the start against Arizona’s Joe Maniply.  Neither is going more than three, likely just two, max.

--We note the passing of baseball great, slugger Frank Howard, 87.

There are a handful of players in my baseball youth whose at bats you never missed, and for me that was Frank Howard, Harmon Killebrew, Willie McCovey, Dave Kingman and Dick (Richie) Allen.  [Willie Stargell and Reggie Jackson were a rung below, if I had to limit it to five.]

Howard hit 382 home runs in his 16-year career, 1958-73, but he was also a decent hitter overall, .273 batting average, .851 OPS. And he was 1958 Rookie of the Year.

He won a World Series in 1963 with the Dodgers, who swept the Yankees that year in four, Sandy Koufax, Johnny Podres and Don Drysdale limiting the Bronx Bombers to just four runs, total.

But it was a stretch in Washington, 1968-70, when Howard immortalized himself in D.C. with the Senators, slamming 44, 48, and 44 home runs those three years, including 44 in ’68, the Year of the Pitcher (eight more than any other player in the game that season).

If you didn’t see him play, you missed something.  He was 6-foot-7, 270 pounds, with more than a few 500-foot blasts.

But Howard wasn’t a one-dimensional athlete.  He was a star basketball player at Ohio State (still holding the single-game rebound record with 32), but chose a career in baseball, signing with the Dodgers. He was a rarity, with his size.  Willie Mays, by comparison, was about 5-11, 180 lbs.

In 1963, in the World Series, he hit what was called “the longest double in the 41-year history of Yankee Stadium” off Whitey Ford.

Yankee shortstop Tony Kubek recalled the moment to the Miami Herald in 1991: “Howard hit a line drive right over my head.  I jumped for it and missed it by about a foot, maybe two, tops.  There was a speaker in left center, 457 feet away.  The ball hit the speaker and bounced back like a bullet…I don’t think it was higher than 10-12 feet all the way out.”

In the fourth and decisive game of the series, Howard launched a 450-foot home run off Ford to propel the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory.

“He was the only batter,” Ford later said, “who ever scared me.”

Howard, after slumping in 1964, contemplated retirement at age 28.  An executive with a cardboard-box manufacturing company in Green Bay, Wis., where Howard had an offseason job, urged him to give baseball another chance.

He ended up in Washinton and got his career back on track.  He also became one of Washington’s most beloved athletes in any sport.

In May 1968, during his third season in Washington, Howard had a hot streak that has never been matched in baseball history.  Over a six-game period, he slammed 10 home runs and drove in 17 runs (over just 20 at-bats).  One home run in Detroit “bounced atop the 90-foot-high roof covering the upper deck and left the ballpark,” wrote Post reporter George Minot Jr., who estimated that the ball traveled at least 550 feet.

Howard said during the streak, he thought someone would plunk him, but no one did.  “It was a fun week.  Man alive, you’d like to crank like that for a couple of months.”

Howard acquired a bunch of nicknames as his fame grew as a power hitter, from Hondo to the Washington Monument to the Capital Punisher.  Several pitchers and infielders recounted how they leaped to catch hard-hit line drives off Howard’s bat – only to watch as they kept rising all the way into the outfield seats.

Even though Washington sucked, Howard loved his time there, saying “We had a bunch of ragamuffins…but I’ve got to say that all of us always gave our best.  We had a team spirit that was hard to beat.”

As the Washington Post’s Matt Schudel writes: “On Sept. 30, 1971, the Senators played their final game.  [Ed. Hated owner Robert Short was moving the team to Arlington, Texas.]  They were leading the Yankees in the ninth inning, 7-5, when unruly fans stormed the field and began to pick up the bases and pieces of turf. The game was forfeited to the Yankees.

“In the sixth inning of the game, Howard slugged a home run – the last ever hit by a Senator.”

Howard would go on to spend many years as a coach with multiple teams and had stints as a manager with San Diego and the Mets (52-64 in 1983, after replacing George Bamberger, the last bad season before Davey Johnson came in and the Mets caught fire).

NFL

--At the trade deadline today, Jets fans were hoping for at least a wide receiver, perhaps disgruntled Davante Adams of the Raiders.

Meanwhile, the Giants made a brilliant move in trading defensive lineman Leonard Williams to Seattle for a 2024 second-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pick.  To get a second rounder for Williams is terrific.  There are always lots of good linemen in the second round.  The Giants are going nowhere, so just a great move.

Washington just traded defensive end Chase Young to the 49ers for a third-round pick.  They’ve made other moves as the Commanders pack it in.

--To clean up some odds and ends from the weekend…

The Vikings suffered a brutal blow with the season-ending right Achilles tear for quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Minnesota had roared back to 4-4 after an 0-3 start, Cousins with 2,311 yards passing, second in the NFL to Tua, while being tied with Tua with 18 touchdown passes.

Cousins, who has been extremely durable, was to become a free agent next spring, but he turns 36 in August, so who is going to give him a big deal?  Likely no one.

Minnesota just traded for quarterback Joshua Dobbs from Arizona.

--In the Eagles’ 38-31 comeback victory over the Commanders, A.J. Brown set a new NFL record with his sixth straight game with 125+ yard receiving, while catching a pair of touchdowns.

Brown has 60 receptions for 939 yards in his first eight games, second in the NFL to Tyreek Hill, 61 rec. for 1,014 yards.

--The Chiefs were shocked by the Broncos, 24-9, falling to 6-2, Denver 3-5.  Patrick Mahomes had been 12-0 against the Broncos, Denver also breaking an NFL-worst 16-game losing streak to K.C.

--Rookie Will Levis joined Marcus Mariota and Fran Tarkenton as the only players with four touchdown passes in their NFL debuts, leading the Titans to a 28-23 win over the Falcons.  Levis was a second-round pick last spring out of Kentucky, and got his opportunity in relief of the injured Ryan Tannehill.

--The Bengals started the season 1-3, but have won three straight as Joe Burrow’s calf is no longer an issue.  It was Burrow who said, “Chill out,” after the slow start.

And Sunday he was a franchise record 28 of 32, 87.5%, 283 yards, 3 touchdowns, 134.8 in the Bengals’ 31-17 win over the 49ers, who are losers of three straight, rather shockingly, to fall to 5-3.

Brock Purdy wasn’t supposed to play and while he threw for 365 yards, he had another two interceptions, five in his last three losing starts after a 10-0 record to start his career.

--Finally, back to the Jets-Giants game, there was broad consensus on the New York sports talk shows Monday morning, and among my friends, that this was the worst NFL game ever,

There were 24 punts, the Giants threw for -9 yards, worst performance since 2000, and the two teams combined to convert 4 of 34 third-down attempts.

Giants fans, for good reason, were livid that head coach Brian Daboll didn’t allow third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito to throw, DeVito 2 of 7 for -1 yard.  Yes, with Daniel Jones out, and Tyrod Taylor spending the second half in a local hospital with a rib injury, DeVito was all the team had but he’s on an NFL roster for a reason.  He’s supposed to be able to pass the ball some.

As for Giants kicker Graham Gano, whose horror show this year I have well-chronicled, there was some talk he was hurt, that he had an issue with his plant leg, which if that was the case, why was he in there Sunday and why didn’t the team sign a kicker in time for the game?

But now Gano, he of the six misses this season, has his three-year, $16.5 million contract extension, an insane $13.25 million of which is guaranteed, an absurd figure if your name isn’t Justin Tucker.

Meanwhile, if Giants tight end Darren Waller is out for the rest of the season with his hamstring injury, which is possible, the Giants will struggle to win two more games rest of the season.

As for the Jets, fans know…all of us…Zach Wilson is never getting better.  He’s in his third season and hasn’t improved one bit.  Sure, he can make some good throws, but he’s not even a dependable backup.  Wilson should be playing for the Pottstown Firebirds.

[I was just informed the Pottstown Firebirds last played in 1970…my bad.]

And back to Brian Daboll, yes, he’s catching a lot of heat, but of course the Giants win the game if Gano makes the f’n field goal! 

College Football

--I’m posting before the first CFP Poll, but there will be nothing dramatic in it, and really won’t be until the final two weeks after the likes of Ohio State-Michigan.

Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Florida State are your top four tonight…it’s a lock.

--Meanwhile, Clemson is 4-4 and their fans are distraught, pissed, you name it.  Granted, they’ve been rather spoiled.

So coach Dabo Swinney was not happy with a caller who phoned into his weekly “Tiger Calls” radio show on Monday.

Tyler from Spartanburg confronted Swinney about his dissatisfaction and Tyler spoke for about 2 ½ minutes, saying Swinney’s recent comments about the team’s performance reminded him of Swinney’s predecessor, Tommy Bowden, and questioned why Clemson pays Swinney $10.8 million to “go 4-4.”

Dabo’s five-minute response echoed his recent comments on the radio show about “98.5%” of Clemson fans being supportive while the other 1.5% “are part of the problem.”

“You can have all your opinions that you want. I don’t know how old you are. Don’t really care.  But let me tell you something: We won 11 games last year.  And, you’re part of the problem, to be honest with you, because that is part of the problem. It’s people like you that all you do is – The expectation is greater than the appreciation.  And that’s the problem.

“And so, we’ve had 12 10-plus win seasons in a row. That’s happened three times in 150 years.  So, if you want to know why? Clemson ain’t sniff a national championship for 35 years.  We’ve won two in seven years, and there’s only two other teams that can say that: Georgia and Alabama. OK ?

“Is this a bad year?  Yeah, and it’s my responsibility.  I take 100% responsibility for it.  But all this bull crap you’re thinking and all these narratives you read, listen man, you can have your opinion all you want.  You can apply for the job, and good luck to you.

“But to answer your question, we’re second in draft picks. We’ve graduated 98% of our guys.  We’re second in wins. If you want to know why, I’m telling you, we’re not perfect.

“There’s a lot of teams that…Frank Howard [Ed. Clemson legend] never had a bad year?  Coach (Danny) Ford never had a bad year? Coach K never had a bad year in basketball?  People have a bad year.  But part of the problem is the appreciation.

“I used to tell people all the time, they’d say, ‘What’s the difference in Clemson?’  Let me tell you: At some places, there’s an expectation, but at Clemson, there’s an appreciation.  And what’s happened at Clemson is we’ve won so much that it used to be the fun is in the winning.  Now even when you win, people like you complain and criticize the coaches and question everything.  People like you….

“I’m sure you’ve never made any bad decisions. I’m sure you’ve lived a perfect life. I’m sure you’ve led a bunch of people.  I’m sure you do your job.  So, to answer your question, I started as the lowest paid coach in this frickin’ business, and I’m where I am because I’ve worked my (butt) off every single day.  And I ain’t gonna let some smartass kid get on this phone and create this stuff. So if you’ve got a problem with it, I don’t care.

“I work for the board of trustees, the President and the AD, and if they’re tired of me leading this program, all they’ve got to do is let me know.  I’ll go somewhere else where there is an appreciation….

“Clemson went 35 years, probably since before you were born, your whole freakin’ life, and we’ve won two in seven years. And we earned it and we beat the best of the best to do it.  The best of the best. Twelve 10-plus win seasons.”

And Dabo went on and on….concluding….

“If you don’t like how I run the program, don’t be a fan. I don’t care. But I’m the head coach, and I’m going to do what I believe is right for the long term of this program, what’s best for the players and what I think’s best for the moment.

“If you got a problem with that, that’s fine, but I’m not gonna see you sit here and let you call in.  I don’t give a crap how much money I make.  You ain’t gonna talk to me like I’m 12 years old.  You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me.” [USA TODAY / Christina Long, Greenville News]

Wonder how Tyler from Spartanburg is sleeping these days.

NBA

--The other day I was perusing NBA box scores and after the Clippers destroyed the Spurs Sunday night, 123-83, I couldn’t help but note that Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook all played well.

“Huh,” I mused.  “It’s all about them staying healthy, like it always is.”

And then about 24 hours later, James Harden became a Clipper, L.A. trading a bunch of future draft picks to Philadelphia, while the Sixers also get Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris Sr. and Robert Covington – a trio of veteran forwards, all on expiring contracts – as well as young forward Kenyon Martin Jr.

This will be interesting to see how this foursome meshes, but Harden and Westbrook began their careers together in OKC.

Actually, I think a real key is the Clippers also received 38-year-old defensive stalwart P.J. Tucker, a role player who does all the dirty work, doesn’t complain, and can stick the occasional three-pointer.

Stuff

--Duke basketball continues to bring in the recruits, the latest Cooper Flagg, a five-star forward out of Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.  Flagg is supposedly the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2024 in the 247 Sports Composite.

Flagg is a 6-foot-9 do-everything star.  He was originally in the Class of 2025 but reclassified to 2024 in August.  Coach Jon Scheyer’s other 2024 commits are five-star guard Isaiah Evans (No. 11 overall, per 247), five-star wing Kon Knueppel (No. 16) and four-star wing Darren Harris (No. 56).  All three of these are said to be elite shooters, and Flagg is a 6-9 point-forward.

I’m jealous. The rich get richer.  Wake Forest?  At least our coach, Steve Forbes, knows how to work the portal, rather successfully, I might add…the last two ACC Players of the Year, in fact.  Transfers.

--NASCAR’s long season comes to an end this Sunday in Phoenix with four drivers racing for the Cup – Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and William Byron.

Whoever finishes higher among the four wins the title.  Simple, and often compelling.  I’ll be sure to try and catch the ending, even though I have been a miserable NASCAR fan this year.

Blaney won this past Sunday’s race in Martinsville to propel him to the Championship 4 for the first time, his third win of the year and tenth of his career.

What ends up happening in the finale is the other drivers do all they can to steer clear, within reason, and by the end, normally the final four, barring mechanical issues, are left to duke it out to the finish.

--Don’t forget the Breeders’ Cup Classic (and Juvenile) this Friday and Saturday.  Johnny Mac, we have to remind each other on the Classic, 6:40 pm ET, if I saw it right.

Because the races are held at Santa Anita, and Bob Baffert isn’t banned at the track, he has one of the favorites in the race, Arabian Knight.

--Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or trophy as the world’s greatest soccer player.  Cristiano Ronaldo is next with five.

Messi beat out Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and French star and former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe.

Next Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

-----

[Posted Sunday afternoon, prior to late NFL action.]

Brief Add-on up top early Tuesday evening, or potentially a bit later that night.

ACC Football Quiz: 1) Name the eight backs in ACC history to rush for 4,000 yards.  [Hint: 8 different schools, one school no longer in the conference.]  2) Name the four to throw for 11,000 yards.  Answers below.

World Series

--Game 1 Friday night in Arlington, Texas vs. Arizona, Nate Eovaldi vs. Zac Gallen.

Eovaldi, who has been a beast this postseason didn’t get it done, yielding 5 earned in 4 2/3 as the Diamondbacks took a 5-3 after five innings on the strength of Tommy Pham’s home run, Corbin Carroll’s 2-run triple and Ketel Marte’s double.  Marte is the first player to hit safely in his first 17 postseason games.

And so the game stayed 5-3 until the bottom of the ninth, closer Paul Sewald in for Arizona, and Corey Seager drilled a 2-run homer to tie it, and then equally dramatic, in the bottom of the 11th, Adolis Garcia homered off Miguel Castro (Sewald and Castro, and Pham, ex-Mets) and just like that, the Rangers had a terrific, wild win in Game 1, 6-5.

Garcia ran his record postseason RBI total to 22, and he has homered in five straight games.

Game 2 was last night in Arlington and Arizona rebounded in impressive fashion, 9-1, behind seven sterling innings from starter Merrill Kelly, one run, 3 hits, zero walks, 9 strikeouts.

What a career the now-35-year-old has had.  After starting out in junior college before transferring to Arizona State, he made it to AAA with Tampa Bay before going to Korea for four years to prove himself.  He then signed his first big league deal at age 30 with Arizona.

Kelly matter-of-factly said after the game, “I just turned 35, and I’m definitely closer to the end of my career than I am the beginning.  I’m just trying to enjoy it as much as I can and not make anything bigger than it needs to be.”

Kelly is making $8.5 million this year and next, so he’s doing OK, and he has hardly been chopped liver, 13-8 (3.37) and 12-8 (3.29) the last two seasons, but if you don’t live in Arizona, he’s off the radar.

Which makes this performance so great…the best of sports.

Meanwhile, ex-Met Tommy Pham had four hits last night (two doubles) among the 16 hits overall for the D’Backs. Ketel Marte extended his postseason hitting streak to 18.

Game 3 in Philadelphia Monday night, Max Scherzer vs. Brandon Pfaadt.

--Going back to last Tuesday night and the D’Backs’ stunning Game 7 win over the Phillies, 4-2, it was pretty simple why Philadelphia lost the last two games at home, Game 6, 5-1.

Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos went a combined 0-for-23 in the two.  Castellanos was 1-for-24 in the 7-game series, after slamming four home runs against the Braves.

--Dusty Baker retired after Houston lost to Texas in Game 7, leaving after 26 seasons…and on his own terms.  He said he would like to remain in the game in an advisory position, either with the Astros or a team closer to his Sacramento, California, home.

Baker, 74, told USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale that he had planned on retiring after the season, regardless of whether the Astros won another World Series title or not.  He said he didn’t announce in spring training because he didn’t want to become a distraction.  Texas manager Bruce Bochy told Baker he regretted his decision to publicly announce he was leaving the San Francisco Giants after the 2019 season, only to return this year with the Rangers.

Baker, who will be eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot in three years, is expected to be a unanimous selection of the Contemporary Era ballot, which would make him the first Black manager to be inducted into Cooperstown.

Baker ranks seventh all-time with 2,183 career victories, and his 57 postseason victories are the fourth-most in baseball history. He’s the only manager in history to lead five different teams to postseason berths.

College Football Review

Comments written prior to release of new AP Poll…and we have the first CFP Poll Tuesday…

--With No. 2 Michigan and 9 Alabama idle, Saturday’s action in the Top Ten….

No. 1 Georgia (8-0) had an impressive win over Florida (5-3) 43-20, as Carson Beck threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns.

3 Ohio State (8-0) struggled at times at Wisconsin (5-3) but won it 24-10.  Running back TreVeyon Henderson returned after being out a month with an injury and looked like what he is, one of the best backs in the country when healthy, 24 carries, 162 yards and a touchdown, while Marvin Harrison Jr. caught six of Kyle McCord’s passes for 123 touchdowns and the other two TDs.  OSU overcame McCord’s two interceptions.

4 Florida State (8-0) will round out the first four in the inaugural CFP Poll, along with Michigan, with a dominating performance at Wake Forest (4-4), 41-16, though this one was 34-7 at the half, FSU having outgained the Deacs 351-75!

I have been writing of the troubling trend in Winston-Salem for weeks, zero offense from a once high-flying unit, Wake wasting some talented receivers this season, but it comes down to quarterback and Mitch Griffis returned from a one-game absence Saturday, and us fans wish he hadn’t…1-of-8 in the first half for 19 yards, 6-of-16 for the game.

Wake ended up with 210 yards of offense for the game, and 51 of that was a Justice Ellison run.  As in 159 yards on the other 64 plays.

This offseason could be horrid for Wake…tons of transfers wanting to get off a sinking ship, our magical run of seven straight bowl games likely over.

Meanwhile, more importantly in terms of the sport overall, FSU has so many weapons, and quarterback Jordan Travis was Heisman-worthy in the first half, 14/23, 273, 3-0, while receiver Keon Coleman (7-66-2) has first-round draft pick written all over him, plus running back Trey Benson (10-55-1 rushing, 4-100-1 receiving).

In the ACC, the title game is shaping up to be FSU-Louisville.

Continuing on….

5 Washington (8-0) is not first-four bound in the CFP with a second straight unimpressive performance against Stanford (2-6), 42-33, on the heels of last week’s 15-7 dud vs. Arizona State.

Yes, Michael Penix Jr. threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns to keep his Heisman hopes alive, receiver Ja’Lynn Polk five catches for 148 yards and two TDs, but the Huskies need to show the committee much more down the stretch.

Which brings us to the big upset of the day, though your editor said this could happen, as Kansas (6-2) defeated 6 Oklahoma (7-1) 38-33 in a thriller in Lawrence, KS. 

Both teams had three turnovers, and OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel rushed for three touchdowns, but the Jayhawks and QB Jason Bean engineered an 80-yard final drive, Devin Neal going in from nine yards for the winning touchdown in the final minute, Kansas’ first win over Oklahoma since 1997!

7 Texas (7-1) stayed highly CFP relevant, 35-6 over BYU (5-3), which I said was the other possible upset in an otherwise dull CFB weekend.  Redshirt freshman QB Maalik Murphy subbed for the injured Quinn Ewers to go 16/25, 170, 2-1, while BYU’s Kedon Slovis, with his fourth school, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.

Also more than CFP relevant is 8 Oregon (7-1), with a big-time dominating performance at 13 Utah (6-2), 35-6.

Bo Nix, who in my mind is the Heisman Trophy winner as of today (I’ll get into it further below) came up big in a showcase contest, 24/31, 248, 2-0.  Oregon, like Florida State, has so many weapons.  Very fun team, like the old days.

9 Alabama was off, gearing up for next week’s biggie with 15 LSU.

10 Penn State (7-1) struggled against lowly Indiana (2-6) at home, 33-24, and doesn’t deserve to move up any, even with the Oklahoma loss.

11 Oregon State (6-2) saw its CFP and possibly Pac-12 hopes go up in flames, losing 27-24 at Arizona (5-3), the Wildcats the best 5-3 team in the land and Top 25 worthy.

12 Ole Miss (7-1) is right there, still in the SEC hunt and Big Six bowl game consideration after a 33-7 win over Vanderbilt (2-7).

14 Notre Dame (7-2) had a punt, fumble and interception returns for touchdowns in a 58-7 win over Pitt (2-6), with a 27-point blitzkrieg in the third quarter.

Despite throwing two interceptions, Sam Hartman was solid, 18/25, 288, while Audric Estime rumbled for 114 yards and three TDs.

For the Panthers, Christian Veilleux was picked off four times.  Ugh.

Notre Dame is still in the Big Six hunt, a most attractive team for the bowl folks.

17 North Carolina (6-2) lost its second straight, 46-42 at Georgia Tech (4-4), following a 31-27 loss to Virginia last week, so the Tar Heels should go careening out of the Top 25.

GT ran for 348 yards, Dontae Smith with 178 of them on 22 carries.

18 Louisville (7-1), as I noted, is in the driver’s seat now to face FSU for the ACC title, 23-0 victors over 20 Duke (5-3), the dream season of the Blue Devils long out the window, minor bowl game ahead.

For the Cardinals, Jawhar Jordan rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns.  There are a ton of great running backs that NFL teams will be salivating over in like rounds 3-6 of the next draft.

19 Air Force (8-0) is your Bix Six, Group of Five bowl entrant as of today, 30-13 over Colorado State (3-5).

21 Tennessee (6-2) beat Kentucky (5-3) 33-27.

22 Tulane (7-1), whose lone loss was 37-20 to Ole Miss, defeated Rice (4-4) 30-28, so they remain in the Big Six, Group of Five hunt.

23 UCLA (6-2) stayed relevant for a big bowl game, 28-16 over Colorado (4-4), a depressing finish to the season very likely for Coach Prime, like 5-7 at the best, says moi.

24 USC (7-2) deserves some credit, for once, for holding it together and rallying for a 50-49 win at Cal (3-5).

The Trojans and their still top-five cheerleaders were down 43-29 entering the fourth, scored three touchdowns for a 50-43 lead, Cal came back for a score, but the Trojan ‘D’ deflected the Bears’ 2-point attempt.

So in the Pac-12’s swan song we have….

Washington 5-0
USC 5-1
Oregon 4-1

USC hosts Washington next week, and then is at Oregon.  OU’s loss is to Washington. 

No. 25 James Madison (8-0) held on for a 30-27 win over a decent Old Dominion squad, now 4-4.

In some final contests….

Liberty could be Top 25 bound as they move to 8-0 with a 42-29 win over Western Kentucky (4-4) in Conference USA play last Tuesday.  Former Demon Deacon Quinton Cooley, getting a chance to play, unlike at Wake, has rushed for 802 yards and a 5.8 avg. for Liberty.

Fans of Clemson have to be in a deep state of depression, similar to Wake fans, as the future looks grim, the Tigers now a shocking 4-4 after a 24-17 loss at North Carolina State (5-3).

Boston College improved to 5-3, 21-14 victors over UConn (1-7).

Nebraska deserves some love, winning its third straight, 31-14 over Purdue (2-6) to move to 5-3 and on the verge of its first bowl game since 2016!  Give coach Matt Rhule a ton of credit for bringing back a positive vibe in Lincoln.

And I just have to note SMU (6-2), up 52-3 at the half! against Tulsa (3-5) before prevailing 69-10.

--Back to the Heisman topic, during the Wake-FSU game, analyst RG III put up a list of the supposed top five as of this week…Dillon Gabriel, Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, and Marvin Harrison Jr.

No Bo Nix.

C’mon.

Here’s my current top five.

Nix, Penix, Jordan Travis, Daniels, Caleb Williams.

Daniels is a stat-stuffer, and extraordinary talent, but LSU needs to beat Bama, with Daniels shining, for him to be in the picture at the end.  Otherwise, it’s Nix over Penix, with Travis shooting up and with an outside shot.

J.J. McCarthy will not be in New York (the top four vote getters).  He’s very solid, but more like Gary Beban than Joe Burrow (or RG III, who is highly entertaining, and informative, by the way).

--Chuck Culpepper of the Washington Post pointed out that the four newbies in the Big 12 – BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston – stood 3-13* against the “harrumphing 10,” as Culpepper put it.

*Now 3-17 after Saturday.

The thing is these fan bases aren’t used to losing.  BYU has had one losing season in the past 18, Cincinnati three in the past 17, UCF three in the past 13 and Houston four in the past 18.  Cincinnati made the 2021-22 College Football Playoff.

--ESPN reported that suspended Michigan football staffer Connor Stalions compensated at least one person for recording future Wolverine opponents with “a couple hundred dollars” and a ticket to a Michigan home game, according to the person.

The man, a former Division III football player and coach, spoke to ESPN on the condition that his name not be published because he was concerned about his privacy. He is the first person who was involved in the alleged cheating scheme to publicly share details about their role.

He said he attended three Big Ten games during the past two years to record the sidelines of a future Michigan opponent.  He uploaded the videos he took on his personal cellphone to a shared iPhone photo album but does not know who else other than Stalions had access to the album.

The source who spoke to ESPN on Friday said he attended games at Rutgers and Penn State last season and another game at Penn State last month.  He assumed that because he was dealing with someone from Michigan’s staff that it must fall safely in the gray area of college football’s sign-stealing rules.

The man says for the three games he received roughly $1,000 to cover his travel expenses and pay for his time, and that Stalions paid him from a personal Venmo account.

Stalions purchased tickets to at least 35 games featuring 12 other Big Ten teams and several other potential College Football Playoff teams during the past three years, sources told ESPN earlier this week.

The Washington Post reported this week that investigators hired by an unknown source to look into Michigan’s operation found evidence that the scouting trips were expected to cost more than $15,000 this year. Stalions, according to the university’s website, received an annual salary of $55,000.

So far Jim Harbaugh has not been directly linked to the sign-stealing operation

--Army is joining the American Athletic Conference as a football-only member in 2024, a good fit for them. The AAC is losing SMU to the ACC next year.

So the AAC will maintain its 14-team conference.  Cincinnati, Houston and UCF departed for the Big 12 in the offseason, but the AAC added six schools.

Tulane has been the class of the AAC the past two seasons.

And now the new AP Poll….

1. Georgia (48) 8-0
2. Michigan (9) 8-0
3. Ohio State (3) 8-0
4. Florida State (3) 8-0
5. Washington 8-0
6. Oregon 7-1…quack quack…
7. Texas 7-1
8. Alabama 7-1
9. Penn State 7-1…don’t deserve to be this high…
10. Oklahoma 7-1
11. Ole Miss 7-1
12. Notre Dame 7-2
13. LSU 6-2
14. Missouri 7-1
15. Louisville 7-1
16. Oregon State 6-2…down 5
17. Air Force 8-0
18. Utah 6-2…down 5
19. Tennessee 6-2
20. UCLA 6-2
21. Tulane 7-1
22. Kansas 6-2
23. James Madison 8-0
24. USC 7-2
25. Kansas State 6-2

UNC out.  Liberty is No. 28 if you carry out the votes.

Next week, aside from 5 Washington at 24 USC, and 13 LSU at 8 Alabama, we have 14 Missouri at 1 Georgia.

NFL

--Jets at the Giants, a big one in these parts, and Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was ruled out again due to his neck injury, with the organization finally saying Saturday (through media sources) that he is “close” to returning, probably in Week 10 at home against Dallas. 

Jones missed the final six games of the 2021 season with a neck injury.  Reminder, for those of you outside the New York area, this dude signed a four-year, $160 million contract in the offseason.

So that meant that Tyrod Taylor would again be the QB and Giants fans weren’t unhappy with this development, given Taylor’s solid play the last two weeks.

The Jets got cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed back, both having cleared concussion protocol.

And so in the rainy Meadowlands, mosquitoes still out because it’s been very warm the past week, the Jets received the opening kickoff and us fans, snug at home, settled in for the action.

Action?  Try a 50-yard pass play from Zach Wilson to Breece Hall as the only touchdown of the first half, Jets up 7-3 at the intermission, outgaining the Giants 127-74, 5 first downs to the Giants’ 3.

If you like punts, 15 of them in the first half, great fun.

And then there were the injuries, a season’s worth…the Jets losing two centers, the Giants losing star tight end Darren Waller to a hamstring injury and Tyrod Taylor, taken to the hospital with a rib issue, meaning Tommy DeVito, formerly of the Four Seasons, and Illinois and Syracuse, was the new QB.

So to start out the second half, DeVito took the Giants 75 yards, the final six by himself on a nifty play-fake, Giants up 10-7.  Saquon Barkley had a big 34-yard run during the drive.

And that’s where it ended…10-7, an absolutely brutal loss for the Jets, now 3-4, the Giants 3-5.

Another wasted effort by the Jets defense, who nonetheless had an awful 4th and 5 penalty with 7:19 left, the offense prepared to get the ball back inside Giants territory for at least the tying field goal, and that was the game.

It’s also really official.  Zach Wilson sucks.  And the Jets desperately need a second wide receiver to go with Garrett Wilson.

Well, I wrote this before….OUT OF NOWHERE…Wilson and the Jets executed two huge pass plays with 0:24 left and somehow spiked it at 0:01 for a field goal attempt from 35!  Greg Zuerlein kicking….and it’s GOOD!

HOLY SHIT!  [I can guarantee, every scribe on sportswriter row was writing the same stuff I was in those final minutes…wanting to post and get out of here!]

So I still want to get out of here and before I watch the overtime, I’ll just note the much-maligned Kayvon Thibodeaux has three sacks for the Giants.

But Graham Gano, who missed two field goals, including a late chippie that gave the Jets the ball back to have an attempt for the tie, now has six on the season after seven combined the previous two. The loss is totally on him!

I say the loss because in OT, Wilson and the Jets got a massive pass interference call at the Giants 15, Wilson with a deep throw to Malik Taylor, a guy making his first start for the team, and it was an easy call.  Zuerlein then booted it in from 33.

Correction: Jets 4-3 and more than relevant…Giants 2-6.

Again, Graham Gano is the goat in this loss. And they gave a big extension to him in the offseason.

--I’m sorry, I was for good reason consumed by the Jets game and didn’t remotely follow anything else, though the Eagles (7-1) survived a game effort by the Commanders (3-5) in Landover, 38-31, as Jalen Hurts (29/38, 319, 4-0, 135.7) slightly outplayed Sam Howell, who after a 24/26, 226 first half, ended up 39/52, 397, 4-1, 114.0.

--Meanwhile, the Dolphins are 6-2 after a 31-17 win over the Patriots; Dallas 5-2 following a 43-29 triumph over the Rams, Dak Prescott with four touchdown passes, and the Jags are 6-2 with their 20-10 win over the Steelers (4-3) in rainy Pittsburgh.

I’ll have more as necessary in my Add-on.

--Thursday night, the Bills improved to 5-3 with a 24-18 win over the Bucs (3-40, Josh Allen throwing for 324 yards and two touchdowns, while running it in for a third score.

NBA

--In the first week of play, all eyes are on Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio.  In his first game as an NBA player Wednesday, a 126-119 loss to the Mavericks, the 7-4, 19-year-old with the amazing skillset had 15 points and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes, 6 of 9 from the floor, 3 of 5 from downtown.  In his second game, a 126-122 win over Houston, Wembanyama had 21 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes, though he was just 7 of 19 from the field, 0 for 6 from three.

--My Knicks are off to a desultory 1-2 start, losing in New Orleans Saturday night, 96-87, as New York shot 7 of 37 from beyond the arc…dreadful.

And really dreadful describes the start of Julius Randle, 10 points on 4 of 15 shooting with eight turnovers last night, and 13 of 47 from the floor in the first three, 27.7 percent.  At least he has double-digits in rebounds each game. 

It’s early, but not too early to say that as the mercurial Randle goes, so go the Knicks.  He has to have a good attitude, even if struggling, or the rest of the team mopes around with him.  Just a fact, having observed this man closely for years now.

Premier League

Tottenham still hasn’t lost in its first ten games of the season, 2-1 winners at Crystal Palace on Friday.

Yesterday, Arsenal destroyed Sheffield 5-0, Sheffield with one point in its first ten.  Their supporters must be rather depressed, relegation already looming.  Chelsea lost at home to Brentford, 2-0.

Today, Liverpool whipped Nottingham 3-0, while Man City won its derby at Old Trafford against Manchester United, 3-0.

So Tottenham remains in first, two points ahead of Arsenal and City after 10 of 38.  A shocking start to the season for the Spurs in this post-Harry Kane era.

By the way, did you see the goal Kane scored for Bayern Munich yesterday from his own half of the field?  It’s worth checking out.

Stuff

--Former NHL player Adam Johnson was killed following a “freak accident” on the ice in the UK Saturday, in what had to be a sickening scene for both players and the fans.

Johnson, 29, who played 13 games for the Penguins from 2018 to 2020, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Hockey League when he was involved in a mid-ice collision midway through the second period against the Sheffield Steelers.

The injury is believed to have been caused by a skate blade to Johnson’s neck, his teammates shielding him from the 8,000 fans in attendance as he was taken off the ice, but it was too late.

Just incredible this doesn’t happen more often.  It’s also why high-sticking is such a dangerous penalty.  Accidents do happen.

--This must also have been horrifying.  The other day in Aspen, Colorado, a bear broke into a hotel kitchen and attacked a security guard.  The attack happened at the St. Regis Aspen Resort when the security guard went to investigate reports of a bear inside the hotel, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release Tuesday.

The guard entered the kitchen and turned a corner, surprising the bear, the agency said.  The bear then swiped the guard and knocked him to the ground.

The man was able to escape and was treated for scratches on his back.  The bear wasn’t found, but had entered the hotel through a series of doors near the courtyard.

--We note the passing of actor Richard Roundtree, 81.  Roundtree was best known for his starring and ground-breaking role in the Shaft film franchise.

His manager, Patrick McMinn, told the Hollywood Reporter: “Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film.  The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”

“Shaft,” released in 1971, was among the first of the so-called Blaxploitation movies, and it made Roundtree a movie star at 29.  He helped redefine African American masculinity in the movies.

As Anita Gates wrote in the New York Times:

“The character John Shaft is his own man, a private detective who jaywalks confidently through moving Times Square traffic in a handsome brown leather coat with the collar turned up; sports a robust, dark mustache somewhere between walrus-style and a downturned handlebar; and keeps a pearl-handled revolver in the fridge in his Greenwich Village duplex apartment.  As Roundtree observed in a 1972 article in the New York Times, he is ‘a Black man who is for once a winner.’”

The movie also drew attention to its theme song, performed by Isaac Hayes, which won the 1973 Academy Award for best original song.  It described Shaft as “a sex machine to all the chicks,” “a bad mother” and “the cat who won’t cop out when there’s danger all about.” “Can you dig it…”

Roundtree played the role again in “Shaft’s Big Score!” (1972) and “Shaft in Africa” (1973), the latter filmed largely in Ethiopia, lost money and that was it.  But the films had made their impact.

--And RIP Matthew Perry, aka Chandler Bing of “Friends” fame, who died of an apparent heart attack while in a hot tub at his home.

“Friends” was incredibly popular for 10 seasons, 1994-2004, “destination television” back in the day.  It took me a few years to catch on but then I became a big fan as well say the last five seasons.

And of course it has become wildly popular for a new generation catching it on re-runs and streaming.

Fame came quickly for the young stars, including Jennifer Aniston, and as Perry told the New York Times in a 2002 interview: “I was a guy who wanted to become famous. There was steam coming out of my ears, I wanted to be famous so badly.  You want the attention, you want the bucks, and you want the best seat in the restaurant.  I didn’t think what the repercussions would be.”

For Perry, fame would lead to decades and decades of alcohol and drug abuse and his death at such a young age comes as zero surprise to anyone even remotely following his career.

But his legacy of making us smile and laugh lives on forever.   I mean if you were stranded on a desert isle and had access to just ten television series, both comedy and drama, “Friends” would likely be one of the ten.

Top 3 songs for the week 10/25/75: #1 “Bad Blood” (Neil Sedaka) #2 “Calypso / I’m Sorry” (John Denver) #3 “Miracles” (Jefferson Starship…from a great album, ‘Red Octopus’…)…and…#4 “Lyin’ Eyes” (The Eagles) #5 “They Just Can’t Stop It…Games People Play” (Spinners…super tune…)  #6 “Feelings” (Morris Albert)  #7 “Who Loves You” (Four Seasons)  #8 “Island Girl” (Elton John)  #9 “Ballroom Blitz” (Sweet)  #10 “It Only Takes A Minute” (Tavares…pretty good week, B+…)

ACC Football Quiz Answers: 1) Eight to rush for 4,000 yards….

Travis Etienne (Clemson) 4952
Ted Brown (N.C. State) 4602
Dalvin Cook (Florida State) 4464
Amos Lawrence (North Carolina) 4391
AJ Dillon (Boston College) 4382
Lamont Jordan (Maryland) 4147
Lamar Jackson (Louisville) 4132
Chris Barclay (Wake Forest) 4032

2) Four to throw for 11,000 yards….

Philip Rivers (N.C. State) 13484
Sam Hartman (Wake Forest) 12967
Kenny Pickett (Pitt) 12303
Tajh Boyd (Clemson) 11904

Hartman (110) and Boyd (107) are the only two to throw for 100 TD passes in the ACC.

Brief Add-on up top by Tuesday evening.

---