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Bar Chat

09/12/2016

All About the Ball

[Posted Sunday p.m.]

NFL Quiz: 500 yards passing in a game: 1) 18 times a passer has thrown for 500 yards in a game in NFL history, with Norm Van Brocklin still #1 at 554 with the Rams way back in 1951.  Name the only two to do it twice.  2) Who is the only Kansas City QB to do it?  3) Who is the only Arizona QB to throw for 500?  Answers below.

U.S. Open

In the men’s finals, Stan Wawrinka won his third Grand Slam title, and first U.S. Open, in defeating Novak Djokovic in four sets; Djokovic taking two medical breaks for not clipping his toe nails.  I have to admit I was watching other sports, and video of Hillary stumbling around, until the fourth set, which was rather underwhelming drama.  Wawrinka was simply better and deserves the title.

Djokovic had advanced to the finals by defeating Gael Monfils in four sets, amidst intense heat and humidity, thus gaining his 21st major final, 19 of the last 25 Grand Slams.

Wawrinka had defeated No. 6 Kei Nishikori in four sets.  Nishikori had taken out second-seeded Andy Murray in an epic five-setter late Wednesday in the quarterfinals that included a rain delay.

Murray appeared preoccupied with the roof being deployed and problems with the noise, including a loud electronic boom that interrupted play.

On the women’s side, Serena Williams once again failed to gain her record 23rd Grand Slam singles title, losing in the semifinals to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 7-6(5), sending the ticket resale market into freefall for the final.  Last year, Williams inexplicably lost to Roberta Vinci in the semis.

So the 24-year-old Pliskova faced No. 2 Angelique Kerber and Kerber prevailed to win her second Grand Slam of the year, the two playing a terrific match in the oppressive conditions (90 degrees, 63 percent humidity), Kerber coming out on top 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Kerber, 28, not only took home the $3.5 million winner’s check, but she is now No. 1 in the world for the first time as she became the first German woman to win the Open since Steffi Graf in 1996.

When the year began, Kerber had yet to reach the final of any Grand Slam, but then she defeated Serena to win the Australian Open in January, reached the Wimbledon finals where she lost to Serena, and picked up a silver medal in singles at the Rio Games.

As former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt would have said, ‘Not bad, not bad at all.’

[For the record, I have to add that Kerber advanced to the final by defeating Caroline Wozniacki, 6-4, 6-3, but a good comeback tournament for Wozniacki.]

Meanwhile, Serena is soon to be 35, and injuries keep popping up, including her bad left knee this week, which clearly hampered her in the second set against Pliskova.

MLB

--Wild Card Standings....

A.L.

Toronto 78-64... --
Baltimore 78-64... --
Detroit 76-66... 2
Yankees...76-66... 2
Houston 75-67... 3

N.L.

San Francisco 77-65... +1.5
Mets 76-67... --
St. Louis 75-67... 0.5

--The Yankees extended their winning streak to seven games on Saturday, riding the dominant pitching of Masahiro Tanaka and home runs by Gary Sanchez and Jacoby Ellsbury to a 5-1 win over the Rays at Yankee Stadium.

After his first slump, Sanchez homered for a second game in a row, his 13th in 33 games.

But one guy playing super ball these days for the Yanks is their ace, Tanaka, who improved to 13-4, 3.04.  He has yielded just 30 walks in 186 2/3, as he has also more than shown his durability, when we have all been assuming he needed Tommy John surgery.  In his last seven starts, when it’s mattered most, Tanaka is 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA, while striking out 48 and walking only four over 46 1/3.

But then they lost Sunday to Tampa Bay 4-2.

--Meanwhile, my Mets blew a big opportunity to pick up their seventh win in a row on Saturday night down in Atlanta, losing to the Braves 4-3 in 10 innings as manager Terry Collins admitted afterwards, he “blew it.”

Stupidly, with two outs in the eighth inning of a 3-3 tie, Wilmer Flores, not known for speed by any stretch, was on second and should have been pinch run for.  Pinch hitter T.J. Rivera then lined a single to right, but Flores was out at the plate on a throw by Nick Markakis, Flores going head first into catcher A.J. Pierzynski’s left knee.  It’s amazing Flores suffered ‘only’ a neck contusion.  He could have been paralyzed on the play, and while the head first slide was also stupid, Collins didn’t hesitate to blame himself, especially with a loaded, post-September call-ups, bench.

So the Mets, who had taken over the second wild card spot by a ½-game over St. Louis with a come-from-behind 6-4 win against Atlanta on Friday night, fell back to a ½-game behind the Cardinals, who won their game Saturday.

But then Sunday, the Mets rode the 7-inning, 2-run pitching of surprise rookie Seth Lugo, and a grand slam and 5 RBIs from Yoenis Cespedes, to a 10-3 win, which, after the Cards lost to the Brewers 2-1, put the Metropolitans back in the second WC spot.

Lugo won his fourth straight start.

--Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did the once unthinkable...took out pitcher Rich Hill after he had thrown a perfect game for seven innings.  Hill, fresh off an injury and no spring chicken, had thrown 89 pitches and Roberts was concerned about keeping a key cog in the rotation healthy for the playoffs.  [Hill has had blister issues.]  The Dodgers would beat the Marlins 5-0, as the relievers gave up two hits in the final two innings, but as Roberts said afterwards, “I’m going to lose sleep tonight.  And I probably should.”  Needless to say, Hill was absolutely furious in the dugout.

Friday night, Clayton Kershaw made his return from the disabled list, tossing 3 inauspicious innings in a 4-1 loss to the Marlins; Kershaw giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, while striking out 6 and throwing 66 pitches.  For Miami, Jose Fernandez improved to 14-8, 2.90, with 14 strikeouts in 7 innings.

--The Nationals appear to have dodged a bullet with pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who felt a pinch in the back of his elbow Wednesday night and was forced to make an early exit in his first start since returning from the disabled list.  At the time, Strasburg winced, as did all of D.C., but an MRI showed a strained flexor mass in his right elbow, but his UCL is intact.

Trainer Paul Lessard said it may not be a season-ending injury, but the swelling has to go down to the point where he is pain-free. The Nats should know a lot more by mid-week if a return for the postseason is even possible.

Of course Strasburg signed a seven-year, $175 million extension in May, having an MRI before inking that deal, and Lessard said Thursday the elbow look “basically the same” as it did then.  [ESPN.com]

--Boston’s Rick Porcello became the majors’ first 20-game winner (20-3, 3.20), in the Red Sox’ 13-3 triumph over the Blue Jays on Friday.

--The Staten Island Yankees are changing their name and the minor league club says it received more than 2,000 submissions in its “Name the Team” contest, with “Pizza Rats” among the top five vote-getters.

This appears to be an homage to the rat seen tugging a slice of pizza in a subway station in a video that went viral a few months ago.

The other finalists are the Staten Island Bridge Trolls, the Staten Island Heroes, the Staten Island Killer Bees and the Staten Island Rock Pigeons.

I like Pizza Rats...or Rat Finks, an homage to Big Daddy Don Garlits’ drag racing days, with artist Don Roth’s Rat Fink drawings most popular at the same time.   [This goes back to the 60s.]

CFB

--Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson had his second straight totally spectacular performance (third if you count last season’s bowl game finale), as he rewrote the school record books, and set ACC and NCAA records with 610 total yards and five touchdowns in a 62-28 victory over Syracuse on Friday night; after he accounted for eight touchdowns in a single half in the opener against Charlotte.  So 13 TDs in two games.

Friday, the 610 yards (411 passing, 199 rushing) set a school and ACC record for total offense in a game.

And among his other marks he became the second player in FBS history to record 400 yards passing and 150 rushing yards, joining Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois) from 2012.  With just one more yard rushing, he would have been the first ever with 400 yards passing and 200 rushing.

Louisville had a school record 845 total yards of offense.

So Jackson, who wasn’t on anyone’s preseason Heisman Trophy list (at least that I knew of), is off to a rather superb start.

In Saturday’s action, first off, it’s impossible to cover every game of consequence in depth, nor will I attempt to each week, ditto the NFL, but early on, what we need to know after this week’s play is that some, such as Clemson and Georgia, should plummet in the polls despite their wins.

No. 1 Alabama beat Western Kentucky 38-10, while No. 2 Clemson just got by Troy, 30-24, as Deshaun Watson is off to a poor start, just 27 of 53 for 292 yards, 3 touchdowns but 2 interceptions, along with 55 yards rushing; a second straight lackluster effort.

No. 3 Florida State whipped a totally outmanned Charleston Southern 52-8, while 4 Ohio State slammed Tulsa 48-3.

No. 5 Michigan destroyed UCF 51-14.

But then you had 9 Georgia barely getting by Nicholls... Nicholls...26-24.

Meanwhile, as I suspected would be the case, 16 Iowa annihilated instate rival Iowa State 42-3, and 17 Tennessee handled Virginia Tech 45-24 before an all-time record college football crowd of 156,990 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

23 Baylor moved to 2-0 under interim coach Jim Grobe as they beat SMU 40-13, and 24 Oregon defeated visiting Virginia, 44-26, as Olympic hurdler Devon Allen had four receptions for 141 yards, including a TD of 77.

In other games of note....

--I have long talked of my family roots, and how when I was growing up, going “home” meant going back to the Pittsburgh area, specifically Greensburg/Latrobe, to visit my many relatives on my mom’s side of the family.

Mom and Dad both went to Pitt (Dad taught Mom’s chemistry class...and he is two years younger...hmmm....cough cough...), plus my nephew recently graduated from there, so I have always been a closet Pitt fan.  Every two years growing up we went to the Pitt-Army game at West Point, and many of you know that I went to Pitt-Notre Dame in 1975 when Tony Dorsett ran for 303 yards; the Fighting Irish at the time never having given up even 200 to a back.

Anyway, my relatives roughly divided their allegiances between Pitt and Penn State and it was a helluva rivalry, the two teams playing every year from 1935-92, before they stupidly stopped it on a regular basis.

Saturday, though, the two schools played for the first time since 2000 and a record crowd showed up at Heinz Field.  Boy, they were rewarded with a terrific ballgame, Pitt emerging on top 42-39.

Pitt running back James Conner, the cancer survivor, rushed for 117 yards and a score, while catching four passes with another touchdown as well, and sophomore all-everything Quadree Henderson rushed for 58 yards, caught three passes, one for a touchdown, and had an 84-yard kickoff return.

But it took an interception in the end zone to seal the deal for the Panthers, Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley’s only real mistake of the afternoon.

--Pitt next goes to Oklahoma State, which should be interesting.  You see, Oklahoma State was involved in a rather controversial ending on Saturday against Central Michigan in Stillwater.

Central Michigan won the game on a stunning final play, 30-27, as Corey Willis grabbed a lateral from Jesse Kroll (who had caught a Hail Mary from CM quarterback Cooper Rush) at the Oklahoma State 12 and raced for the end zone, barely reaching across the goal line for the win.

But the Chippewas didn’t deserve it.  There never should have been a last desperate play. The game should have been ruled over.

You see, on the final play of regulation, Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph threw a pass out of bounds with no Cowboys in the area as time elapsed and OSU up 27-24.  Game over.

But officials called intentional grounding, correctly.  Then they screwed up.

Mid-American Conference officials were working the game (standard practice for the ‘away’ team to get its officials in an outside conference game), and they awarded Central Michigan an untimed down – which the Chippewas converted with the Hail Mary from quarterback Rush and the hook and ladder (well, it wasn’t that clean) for the score.

But the rule book says when a foul occurs that involves a loss of down, that brings the game to an end.

However, Big 12 officials were in the replay booth and they could have interfered if they saw there was a problem, but they didn’t!  They blew it, too.

Referee Tim O’Dey (sic) of the Mid-American Conference acknowledged the error in a postgame press conference.

“There’s a rule that says that the game cannot end on an accepted live ball foul,” he said.  “That’s the rule.  There’s an exception to the rule that says if enforcement of the foul involves a loss of down, then that brings the game to an end.”

O’Dey then admitted the extension should not have happened.

But whereas in Major League Baseball there is an appeal process for a controversial, potential game-changing call (of which only about 2% of appeals are ever, seemingly, granted), college football doesn’t have such a process (nor probably should it).

--Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage did something that hadn’t been done in 26 years, score 8 touchdowns in a game as the Sun Devils beat Texas Tech 68-55 in a battle of defenses.

Ballage equaled the mark of Howard Griffith, who scored eight times for Illinois in a 1990 win over Southern Illinois.  [It’s funny what sports memories you retain....I remember this distinctly.  But I’m now having trouble remembering where I parked my car while at the grocery store.] 

Ballage had seven touchdowns rushing in just 13 carries for 137 yards, and then caught a 39-yard TD pass.

--Army advanced to 2-0 for the first time since 1996 after handling Rice, 31-14.  With trips to Texas-El Paso and Buffalo coming up, a 4-0 start isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

--And finally, Wake Forest picked up its best win of the Dave Clawson era, a solid 24-14 road victory against Duke, with true freshman Cade Carney rushing for 108 yards and three touchdowns, while Kendall Hinton probably won the starting job, at least for next week, by throwing for 133 and rushing for 63.

Wake’s defense was terrific, holding Duke to just 37 yards on the ground, and whaddya know...after that desultory opening 7-3 win over Tulane, maybe the Deacs are indeed capable of a 6-6 season.

By the way, Oct. 29, Wake vs. Army, suddenly looks like an interesting contest.

NFL

--There are a lot of New York sports talk radio hosts who will be going nuts on Monday as my New York Jets pulled the same crap they always seem to do; lose as an opponent manages to drive it down the field as the game is ending for the decisive score.

I’ve been telling you the Jets have a brutal first six games and that a lot of us would be happy with 3-3, but today at home they lost to the Bengals, 23-22, on a 47-yard Mike Nugent field goal with 54 seconds left, after which the Jets made more errors in their last possession.

Brandon Marshall dropped a 20-yard pass downfield and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw his customary late interception at the worst time (his only one of the game) to seal it for Cincinnati.

But here’s the deal.  It was 22-20 after Nick Folk kicked a 23-yard field goal with 5:39 to play and then the Jets’ defense, as has been the case for years, couldn’t come up with the big stop when it mattered most.

The ‘D’ has generally been solid for years, sometimes great, but they never come up with that big 3-and-out.

And as for the ‘O,’ very seldom are they clutch.

But the Jets lost this one ostensibly because Folk had an early chippie field goal blocked and then missed an extra point, which he had never done before in his career...312 straight prior to this one.

For Cincinnati, A.J. Greene was awesome, 12 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown.

Next up for the Jets, Thursday night at Buffalo.

--On the other hand, the Giants were clutch late, defeating Dallas at Jerry’s Palace, 20-19, on an Eli Manning to Victor Cruz 3-yard touchdown pass with 6:13 to play, after which the Giants’ D held on.  For New York fans, it was good to see Cruz finally back and contributing.

--In other games....

The Ravens beat the Bills 13-7 in Baltimore; Brock Osweiler had a successful debut in Houston, leading the Texans to a 23-14 win over the Bears; rookie Carson Wentz threw for 278 yards and two scores as the Eagles beat the Browns 29-10; Shaun Hill replaced the injured Teddy Bridgewater and led the Vikings to a 25-16 win over the Titans....

And down in New Orleans, despite Drew Brees’ 423 yards and four touchdown passes, the Raiders won 35-34 as coach Jack Del Rio opted to go for two points rather than the tie after a touchdown with 47 seconds left...a great win for Oakland and their fans, as Jets fans slug one six-pack after another....not that I’m doing the same as I write....

--Thursday’s opener, the Super Bowl rematch between Denver and Carolina at Mile High, err, Sports Authority Field, was a thrilling affair, though your editor didn’t stay up for the end, as Panthers kicker Graham Gano missed on a 50-yard field-goal attempt that went wide left, Denver prevailing again, 21-20.

Rookie QB Trevor Siemian, the replacement for Peyton Manning (the now insufferable shill for DirectTV, and others, the entire country is sick of), performed admirably, completing 18 of 26 for 178 yards and a touchdown, though he also threw two picks.

But the big story was the Denver defense, as always, which delivered one jarring hit after another to Cam Newton, some of the helmet-to-helmet variety.  No one was coming to his aid, nor did Newton, by his own account, undergo tests for a potential concussion until after the game.

“I just know tonight it was a very physical game,” Newton said.  At least two of the hits to his head were illegal, but neither player was penalized.

Overall, Newton was 18 of 33 for 194 yards, and 54 yards rushing, with two touchdowns (one throwing, one running).  He seemed unperturbed, flossing his teeth on the sideline.

--In Thursday’s game, Denver’s Brandon Marshall took a knee during the national anthem in solidarity with his college teammate Colin Kaepernick, and then Air Academy Federal Credit Union booted Marshall as a spokesperson.

Company president and CEO Glenn Strebe said in a statement the next day: “AAFCU is a membership-based organization who has proudly served the military community for over 60 years.”

Marshall posted on Instagram after the game: “I’m not against the military, I’m not against the police or America.  I’m against social injustice.”

There’s probably no better player to ask about the Kaepernick situation than former star Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who is embarking on his NFL career by being part of the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad as a receiver.

As an NFL prospect with five years of Navy service in front of him, that Reynolds vows to fulfill, he told the Washington Post, “We fight to protect your freedom to do that, regardless of how I feel about it.  How I feel about it is irrelevant. The flag gives you the right to do that.”

Current Navy linebacker Daniel Gonzales echoed Reynolds’ sentiments.  As one of Navy’s two co-captains and a senior majoring in American politics and law, Gonzales said, “I think that’s what we fight for, is for them to be able to do as they please.  We fight for everyone’s rights.  I mean not necessarily do I agree with his actions, but that’s what we fight for, and so I think it’s completely acceptable.”

But as I watched the action unfold on Sunday, and various teams and individual players doing their own thing, it was clear this ‘movement’ had already run its course.  No one, at least 90% of America, gives a damn.  I sure as hell don’t.

Unless someone does something outrageously stupid, I’m hoping this is the last I comment on the topic.

*Separately, for the record, John Tortorella, the coach of Team USA for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, isn’t backing off his comments that he’d bench any player who didn’t stand for the U.S. national anthem.  Tortorella seemed taken aback when his initial comments, made Tuesday, garnered so much attention.  ‘I’m not backing off,” he said on Wednesday.  He doesn’t mind people making statements, he just remains unequivocal in his belief that the flag and the anthem should be sacrosanct.  Tortorella has a son who is deployed in Afghanistan for the third time as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Meanwhile, Megan Rapinoe was stymied in her bid for a second national anthem protest Wednesday night when Washington’s National Women’s Soccer League team moved up the pregame ceremonies.

“We decided to play the anthem in our stadium ahead of schedule (as the players were in the locker room) rather than subject our fans and friends to the disrespect we feel such an act would represent,” the Washington Spirit said in a statement.

--We note the passing of former Indianapolis Colts kicker Cary Blanchard, who died Tuesday at age 47 of an apparent massive heart attack, according to his former wife.  Blanchard died three days after his mother’s funeral in Mabank, Texas, though he lived in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Blanchard was a three-time All-Big Eight selection at Oklahoma State, and in his nine-year NFL career also played for the Saints, the Jets, Giants, Redskins and Cardinals. He was an AP All-Pro in 1996 with the Colts and a Pro Bowl selection in 1997.

Golf Balls

The field for the FedEx Cup narrowed from 70 to 30 at the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick this weekend, with the Tour Championship at East Lake in two weeks for all the marbles, including the $10 million bonus for winning.

The key was to finish this weekend not only in the Top 30, but also the top five in points heading into the finale as anyone in the top five is assured of winning the Cup if they win at East Lake, while everyone else in the field would need lots of help if they won instead.

So entering Sunday’s final round, the top five was Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed, both in a comfortable position for maintaining top five status, along with Jason Day in third, Adam Scott fourth, and Paul Casey fifth.  Rory McIlroy was sixth and Jordan Spieth seventh.

And in the end the top five are DJ, Reed, Scott, Day and Casey, so just a reversal of 3 and 4 (Day withdrew after Saturday’s round with a back issue).

Dustin Johnson won today’s event, as he staked his claim to Player of the Year with his third title, 12th overall of his career, besting Casey with a record performance, -23.

As for the final 30, Rickie Fowler just missed out, which we will find out shortly how this impacted Davis Love III and his Ryder Cup captain’s pick selections.

--About 4 hours after I posted my last Bar Chat, we learned Tiger Woods had suddenly announced he was targeting Oct. 13 as a return date, the Safeway Open (formerly, the Frys.com Open), which would be nearly six months to the day before the final round of next year’s Masters Tournament.

As some are saying, Woods should be judged not just on any successes in the tournaments he has selected to play in the rest of the year (the PGA Tour’s Fall Season...and the start of the 2016-17 wraparound campaign), but wait to see if he can make it all the way through Augusta.

Every single one of Woods’ swings will no doubt be overanalyzed his first few outings (if he makes it beyond the first), but the real issue will be can his body withstand the rigors of regular play again?

What every golf fan should hope for is that Woods can stay reasonably healthy for the next few years, and contend one or two Sundays in the big events, which would be a terrific story, whether you like the guy or not.  Golf needs some juice.

--How much do good college golf coaches get paid?  Not much, based on the contract Illinois head men’s golf coach Mike Small just signed; Small being widely considered to be one of the best.

Thursday, Illinois trustees approved a six-year deal that will pay him a base of $308,000 this season, which will increase by 5 percent each year thereafter.  Small earned $201,900 last year.  The new contract is considered the tops in the sport.  Ergo, if this is easily the best, you have to believe the really top guys are somewhere in the $150,000-$200,000 range, though they do get perks, like nifty golf shirts and sweaters.

Premier League

The early-season showdown between Manchester City and Manchester United largely lived up to its billing, City defeating Man U 2-1 at Old Trafford.  My favorite Premier Leaguer who doesn’t play for Tottenham, Kevin De Bruyne, put City on top 1-0, followed by a score from teammate Kelechi Iheanacho, before Man City’s new goalkeeper, Claudio Bravo, gifted a goal to Man U’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic to make it 2-1 before the half, where it stood the rest of the way.

Afterwards, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho claimed the “Derby” was too big for some of his players to handle.

“Some of the boys they felt the dimension of the game and everything around it...the derby, the game, the focus of attention. Some of the guys, they felt it.”

Mourinho said he wanted to substitute two of his players, Mkhitaryan and Lingard, after 20 minutes of play but didn’t do so because he was afraid it would “destroy” their confidence.

All in all, an entertaining affair.

In other games over the weekend, maybe I shouldn’t be so concerned with my Tottenham Spurs after all.  Yes, Stoke blows, but the Spurs whipped them 4-0 as Harry Kane finally broke a nine-game scoring drought.  Tottenham is 2-2-0 (W-D-L).

Liverpool blasted defending champion Leicester City 4-1, while Arsenal beat Southampton 2-1.

But on Sunday, Chelsea managed only a 2-2 tie at Swansea, and needed a late Diego Costa goal to get the point (Costa’s second of the contest).

So Man City is the only team to win its first four, Chelsea having won its first three before today’s draw.

NASCAR

Denny Hamlin won easily at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night in an anticlimactic end to NASCAR’s regular season, as the sport is now set for the final ten races and the Chase for the Sprint Cup.  It was Hamlin’s third win of the season.

But the fireworks came off the track, as Ryan Newman angrily chided his former boss Tony Stewart after an accident between the two with 37 laps to go officially ended Newman’s chances to make the playoffs.

Newman called Stewart “bipolar,” and said the retiring racing legend had anger issues, all but outright referencing the 2014 incident in which Stewart fatally struck a sprint car driver.

Stuff

--I didn’t watch the NBA Hall of Fame induction speeches delivered Friday night in Springfield, Mass., home of the Basketball Hall of Fame (which I can’t believe I haven’t been to...haven’t been to Canton, either...very bad...or the College Football Hall of Fame, for that matter, as Mark R. keeps reminding me...but I’ve been to Cooperstown, the National Horse Racing Museum (Saratoga) and the Golf Hall of Fame...and Beirut....but I digress...).

Where was I? Oh, so Allen Iverson gave what they say was a most “captivating” 31-minute speech and he recalled his first time playing against his idol, Michael Jordan.

“Man, I wanted to be like Mike,” said Iverson.  “I remember the first time I played against him.  I walked out on the court and I looked at him.  And, for the first time in my life, a human being didn’t really look real  to me.  You know what I mean?  I don’t know if you all watch the Chappelle Show, but he talked about a certain incident where somebody’s seeing Rick James.  Like I literally seen his aura.  It looked like he was glowing.

“I’m sitting there and I’m saying, ‘Man, that’s Michael. And I’m looking at him.  I can’t stop looking at him.  I’m looking at his shoes and I’m like, man, he’s got on the Jordans!  It was my Mike.  It was my idol, my hero.”

Iverson was certainly one of the more electric players in NBA history himself, albeit also polarizing at times.  But even if you weren’t a fan, you could never doubt his effort.

From 1998-2008, he also averaged 26+ points per game each season, 26.7 for his career (1996-2010), 29.7 in 71 playoff games, while playing in 11 All-Star Games, and being the league MVP, 2000-01.

Shaquille O’Neal was also inducted into the Hall, joking about how he got $3 million for doing a Buick commercial when he knew he couldn’t fit in the car.  “What did you want me to say, no?”

Then Shaq said of Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant: “A guy that would push me and help me win three titles in a row.  He would also help me get pushed off the team and traded to Miami.”

And there was this about fellow inductee Yao Ming.

“For years, I never spoke to Yao.  I thought there was a language barrier there,” Shaq said.  “Then one game he hit me with a Hakeem Olajuwon bang-bang fadeaway.  I said, ‘Hey Yao, nice move.’  He said, “Thanks, my brother.’  I said, ‘Woah, woah, woah, woah.  You speak English?’ He was like , ‘Shaq, you never talk to me.  Of course I speak English.’”

--Media mogul John Malone is acquiring Formula One racing for a reported $4.5 billion, a target Malone has apparently had for some time.  Malone’s Liberty Media Group partly owns Live Nation, the entertainment and promotion firm, which could capitalize on F1 events.

F1 has some 400 million global viewers and there is renewed talk of expanding the sport in the United States, though it will be harder gaining traction here than in the sport’s European base, with prestige-loving markets in Asia and the Middle East.

U.S. ratings for the flagship Monaco Grand Prix in May were at 1.3 million viewers, unchanged over the past two years, according to Sports Media Watch.  NASCAR, as I’ve been writing, is experiencing declining ratings and ticket sales.

--Shortly after I posted last time, we learned that Ryan Lochte was suspended for 10 months for his behavior in Rio, a punishment levied by both the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The punishment conveniently will force Lochte to sit out the 2017 world championships, which could be the end for his international career, Lochte being 32.

But there was some internal debate within the USOC in handing out a stiffer punishment to Lochte than the six months given Michael Phelps after his second DUI arrest in 2014, with, as TMZ reported, some members feeling that “Phelps put people’s lives at risk and Lochte arguably didn’t lie about a material fact.”

--Boxer Bobby Chacon died. He was 64 and had long suffered from the effects of brain damage.  Wednesday morning, he fell and struck his head in a Hemet, Calif., care facility and succumbed to his injuries.

Chacon was a tragic figure who won world titles in two weight classes.

A California native, his rise to fame came mostly at the Los Angeles Forum, where he started his career 19-0 and earned a title shot with Mexican legend Ruben Olivares in 1973.

Chacon lost that bout, but after four TKOs, he earned a showdown with gifted L.A. fighter Danny “Little Red” Lopez.

Before a sold-out crowd at the Sports Arena, May 24, 1974, Chacon beat the future long-running featherweight champion Lopez by ninth-round TKO.

A year later, Chacon won the featherweight belt, though he then lost it in a second defeat to Olivares, only to win their 1977 meeting at the Forum, setting up a run of bouts with Rafael “Bazooka” Limon, a title loss to Alexis Arguello and a super-featherweight title defeat in 1981 to Cornelius Boza-Edwards.  [Boy, this was a great era for boxing.  Some of you should remember all those names...I sure do.]

Chacon then won the super-featherweight title in a 1982 bout with Limon, and five months later, he knocked down Boza-Edwards three times enroute to a unanimous decision.  The Limon and Boza-Edwards fights were declared Ring magazine’s fights of the year for both 1982 and 1983.

But these ‘wars’ were taking a toll.  He was drinking too much alcohol and doing too many drugs and his wife, Valerie, who begged him to quit, committed suicide a few days before Chacon had a fight.

Chacon kept the fight on the schedule, insisting it was the only way to get his mind right.

He finished his career 59-7-1, retiring in 1988 after athletic commissioners in several states ruled he was in bad shape.

Chacon was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.  His son, Bobby Jr., died in 1995.

--The other day Steve G. passed along a copy of the Las Vegas Advisor, which is for looking up shows/headliners.  Where do oldies groups go to die?  Vegas, of course...if they’re lucky.

Among the recent acts:

Buckinghams at the Golden Nugget ($20-$107...which isn’t bad for them...I mean respectable potential ‘take’ for the lads, of which I’m sure only 1 or 2 are originals...)

Beatles at Red Rock...really, the original Beatles! ($19...or maybe it’s not them...)

Paul Revere’s Raiders at the Golden Nugget ($20-$140)

Gary Lewis & The Playboys at the Golden Nugget ($20-$107)

Journey and the Doobie Brothers at Mandelay Bay ($49-$199...that has the potential to be a decent show with the original members still being fairly young...like not 85...)

Kool and the Gang at Orleans ($49-$129...this is the one I’d go to if I wanted something close to the original sound...)

Air Supply at Orleans ($43-$65...you only go to this one if you’re trying to catch up on your sleep from the night before but the maid is in your room and it’s looking like they need to do some extensive work, so like you don’t want to embarrass yourself by falling asleep in the lobby, drooling, so you buy a ticket to Air Supply in the far back of the lounge and just wait until they wake you up after as the staff is cleaning up...)

Zombies at the Golden Nugget ($31-$107...I’d love to see them, but I’d be leery of who you’re really seeing...)

Susan Anton at the Smith Center ($35-$59...man, she was hot....not that she still isn’t today, sports fans...I’m not looking to get in trouble...)

Now of course you have some big current names playing, like Mariah Carey at Caesars Palace ($55-$250), but she’s a jerk.

I was shocked you could have seen Coldplay on Sept. 1st at the T-Mobile Arena for as little as $29.50 (up to $179.50)

You could also see Culture Club at the Palms ($64-$165), but seeing as this is the single most depressing act I’ve ever heard, you don’t dare go unless you’re looking to blow your brains out afterwards.

“Sir, what are you so down about?  Nothing is worth taking your life over.”

“I just saw Culture Club.”

“Oh, OK...let me step aside...want me to call anyone after?”

--Bruce Springsteen broke his own record in playing 4 hours and 4 minutes in Philadelphia Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.  Bruuuce!

Top 3 songs for the week 9/17/77: #1 “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” (Andy Gibb)  #2 “Float On” (The Floaters...love this one...)  #3 “Best Of My Love” (Emotions)...and...#4 “Handy Man” (James Taylor...eh...)  #5 “Don’t Stop” (Fleetwood Mac)  #6 “Keep It Comin’ Love” (KC & The Sunshine Band...their tunes weren’t real complex...like Sting has a million things going on in his some of his tunes, but not these guys...)  #7 “Strawberry Letter 23” (The Brothers Johnson...was a cool sound for that era...it’s aging alright, too...)  #8 “Telephone Line” (Electric Light Orchestra...so in my college suite back during these times, Bob was the ELO guy, I was EWF, Ken was Tower of Power, Jim was Steve Miller, Jeff was Boston, Norm was the Crusaders, Gregg was flunking German, Mill was dating Charlotte...actually, to be fair, I was headed to an all-time worst semester for an ACC school, a GPA that to the best of my knowledge still stands...)  #9 “Smoke From A Distant Fire” (The Sanford/Townsend Band...great beginning, but the tune rapidly descends to blowdom...)  #10 “Star Wars main title” (The London Symphony Orchestra)

NFL Quiz Answers: 1) 500 yards twice: Drew Brees 510 (11/9/06 vs. Bengals) and 505 (11/1/15 vs. Giants); Ben Roethlisberger 522 (10/26/14 vs. Colts) and 503 (12/20/09 vs. Packers). 2) Only KC QB: Elvis Grbac, 504 (11/5/00 vs. Raiders).  3) Ariz. QB: Boomer Esiason, 522 (11/10/96 vs. Redskins).

Next Bar Chat, Thursday.

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