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10/08/2018

Big Shakeup in College Football's Top Ten

[Posted late Sunday p.m.]

*I was out of pocket much of the weekend, driving down to Delaware on Saturday to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law, before Big Bro and I caught the NASCAR race at Dover today...after which I drove three hours home...not arriving until late tonight.  I saw very little football all weekend, though I did catch Saturday night’s Yankees-Red Sox contest (after a delicious fish dinner in Bethany Beach...some adult beverages tossed in).

Ergo, I’m running on fumes.  I’ll be filling in some holes next time for the archives.

Baseball Quiz: Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez hit 39 home runs this season, which is rather remarkable given he’s all of 5-9, 165 lbs.  But as Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal noted, “Only three players listed at  5-foot-9 or shorter, all Hall of Famers, have ever surpassed 39 homers in a single season, according to baseballreference.com.”   Name ‘em. Answer below.

MLB...the Playoffs

--The Yankees whipped the A’s in their Wednesday wild-card game at The Stadium, 7-2, as Luis Severino threw four shutout innings to start the game, received a huge ovation when he was taken out in the fifth (more on this later), even as Dellin Betances had to get Severino off the hook and proceeded to toss two scoreless in relief, which was the ballgame, the Yanks riding home runs by Aaron Judge (further proof he is recovered from his wrist injury) and Giancarlo Stanton, while Luke Voit, the first baseman who has come out of nowhere to be the latest folk hero in Gotham, had a 2-RBI triple.

So it was on to Yankees-Red Sox in the ALDS up in Fenway, Friday night, and Boston got off to a quick 3-0 lead over Red Sox killer J.A. Happ on a 3-run homer from J.D. Martinez, Happ yielding all five runs in just two innings.

But the Yanks began chipping away, after Boston starter Chris Sale went 5 1/3, yielding two runs, as the Red Sox pen struggled the rest of the way, the Yankees falling short, however, 5-4.  There are no moral victories at this stage in the season.

For New York, there was one main goat, aside from Happ....

Joel Sherman / New York Post

“Giancarlo Stanton is not only lugging the largest contract in major league history, but comparisons that will be inescapable – unless he escapes them.

“The Yankees ignored Justin Verlander during the 2017 season because, yes, they thought he was down from his peak, but also because they did not see shoehorning his 2018-19 salaries into their planned sub-$197 million luxury-tax threshold payroll this season.

“Houston landed Verlander as August 2017 ended and he proved seminal in eliminating the Yankees in the ALCS and winning the Astros’ first-ever title.  His dominance Friday afternoon in Division Series Game 1 against the Indians hints more of the same is possible.

“Plus with what the Tigers were willing to pay down to facilitate the trade, Verlander cost $20 million for 2018 – or $2 million less than what Stanton costs the Yankees this season for luxury-tax purposes. You know who else costs $22 million for tax purposes?  J.D. Martinez, who inked a five-year, $110 million free-agent contract last offseason, a few months after the Yankees landed Stanton.

“Verlander might win another Cy Young and Martinez has been in the MVP discussion. Stanton was good in his maiden Yankees season – but not in that award kind of way.

“He could make that narrative all vanish with a big postseason. But in his first taste of Yankees-Red Sox playoff intensity, he lost his matchup against Martinez and the Yankees, not coincidentally, lost Division Series Game 1.

“Martinez hit a three-run homer in the first to put Boston ahead to stay.  Stanton struck out with the bases loaded in the sixth and again on three pitches as the tying run in the ninth against Craig Kimbrel, his fourth whiff of the game.  That helped a wobbled Red Sox bullpen survive in a 5-4 triumph.”

Well, Saturday, New York bounced back against David Price, knocked out in the second after yielding 3 runs in 1 2/3, the Yanks riding the booming bat of  catcher Gary Sanchez, who New York fans have been waiting for all season to bust out; Sanchez belting two home runs, driving in four, Aaron Judge adding this third homer of the postseason.  Masahiro Tanaka did what he had to do, one run in five innings. 

Incredibly, Price is now 0-9 in 10 postseason starts, 5.28 ERA overall, and Red Sox Nation has had it with the guy.

On to New York for Game 3, Monday.

--In the other ALDS, the Astros took a 2-0 lead with a 3-1 win Saturday at home, Gerritt Cole with seven strong innings, one run, 12 strikeouts, while walking none.  Alex Bregman had his second homer in two games.  He now has six postseason home runs in 78 career at-bats.

--The Dodgers opened their series against the Braves on Thursday and there was a bit of a controversy in that Hyun-Jin Ryu got the start over Clayton Kershaw.  But Ryu then fired 7 scoreless, L.A. winning 6-0.

Friday in Game 2, it was ershaw’s shot.  He clearly felt dissed in not starting Game 1 and so he had something to prove.

Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times

“Take that.

“The words were unspoken but screamed, spilling out of Clayton Kershaw from his pumped fist to this slapped glove to eight innings of controlled fury.  Kershaw didn’t just pitch against the Atlanta Braves on Friday in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, he delivered a dizzy, dazzling message strong enough to shake Dodger Stadium down to its Koufax core.

“To the Dodgers management that pushed him off his usual postseason opener perch, take that.

“To critics like this one who wrote that Hyun-Jin Ryu’s brilliance a night earlier was proof that Kershaw was indeed second fiddle, take that.

“To those weary of trusting him as a postseason ace after so many October disappointments, yeah, you, take that.

“His ego bruised, his reputation tweaked, his future as a Dodger a little more uncertain, Kershaw took the mound in perhaps the most personally tenuous situation of his Dodgers career.

“He responded with the loudest single postseason statement of his life, allowing just two hits in those eight innings in a 3-0 victory over the Braves to give the Dodgers a seemingly insurmountable two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-five series.

“As Kershaw sat in his postgame attire of T-shirt and gym shorts, beaming as he was surrounded by his two giggling children Charley and Cali Ann, I asked him if he took any extra satisfaction in this victory.

“ ‘Yeah, maybe,’ he said, still smiling.  ‘Maybe a tick, for sure.’

“Yeah.  Maybe.  Probably.  For sure.

“In 20 playoff starts, it is the first time he has lasted as long as eight innings.  In a career marred with playoff stumbles, this was a two-and-a-half-hour march to redemption.

“Yeah, Sandy Koufax was in the stands watching.  Indeed, the comparisons on this night were appropriate....

“The move to push him back (in the rotation) was a stunning one, but it was written here that it was the right decision because the reality was, Kershaw hadn’t been the same pitcher in recent weeks and was never the same pitcher in the postseason.

“He had a 4.20 ERA in his last five starts and there were some concerns about the lack of movement on some of his pitches.  There were also worries about the cumulative effect of his infamous postseason struggles, as he had a 4.35 postseason ERA and had blown his Game 5 start against the Houston Astros last October in a loss that probably cost the Dodgers the series.

“He carried all that baggage with him to the mound in the first inning, and he was immediately almost smothered in it.

“Acuna, the Braves’ gift rookie leadoff hitter, drove the first pitch into the left-center-field gap for a double. Two pitches later, Johan Camargo bounced a ball back to Kershaw to move Acuna to third.

“With all the surrounding commotion, it is here Kershaw could have buckled.  Instead, it was here that he dug in his heels.  He retired Freddie Freeman on a grounder to pulled-in second baseman Enrique Hernandez, then struck out Nick Markakis by freezing him on a 73-mph curve.

“The fans roared, at which point Kershaw ducked his head and pumped his fist....

“Kershaw had escaped, and now he was rolling, and he kept rolling until he finally departed....

“On this night, it was difficult to view Clayton Kershaw as anything other than the same person he has been for the last decade.

“Once again, the ace.”

Kershaw threw just 85 pitches in his eight innings, no walks, three Ks.

L.A. got a two-run homer from Manny Machado.

--In the other NLDS series, Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead with 3-2 and 4-0 wins at home against the Rockies, Mike Moustakas with a walk-off, tenth-inning single for the Brew Crew in Game 1.  In Game 2, starter Jhoulys Chacin, pitching on short rest, set the tone with five shutout innings.

And this afternoon, Milwaukee completed a sweep of Colorado, in Denver, 6-0, the Brewers using six pitchers...the modern game, sports fans.

Throw four shutout innings like Luis Severino did the other day for the Yankees and you get a standing ovation.  Throw five innings of effective ball and you’re a superstar (even though that doesn’t qualify for a ‘quality start’...which makes Jacob deGrom’s season all the more remarkable, having finished the year with 24 straight quality starts, the MLB record).

--The Orioles fired manager Buck Showalter and executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette after the team’s 47-115 season; the worst since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954.

Showalter is a three-time A.L. Manager of the Year and no doubt he’ll have a new job soon, should he so desire.  He might not, being 62.

College Football Review

[Comments posted before release of latest AP Poll.  As alluded to above, I saw very little CFB action Saturday, but there will be significant movement in the Top 25 this week for sure….]

No. 1 Alabama whipped Arkansas 65-31, as Tua Tagovailoa had another outstanding game, 10 of 13, but four touchdown passes.

Talk about a Heisman-caliber year, Tagovailoa has now thrown for 18 touchdowns (0 interceptions) on just 101 passes.

2 Georgia beat Vanderbilt 41-13.

3 Ohio State had no problem with Indiana, 46-29, as Dwayne Haskins threw for 455 yards and six touchdowns.  Haskins has thrown for 25 TDs (four interceptions) thus far.

4 Clemson embarrassed Wake Forest, in Winston-Salem, in so many ways, 63-3, outgaining the Deacs 698-249, and, worse, taking over the  stadium.  They seemed to have more fans there than we did.

But what made it worse is the Tigers rushed for 471 yards, with three backs gaining 125 yards+, as they shredded Wake’s defense for a staggering five TD runs of 50+ yards!  I saw two TDs in this game, when I arrived in Delaware, that made it 49-3 and then 56-3, at which point I told my brother, “make it stop!”

Clemson and the running game had an incentive.  They were playing for deceased former teammate C.J. Fuller, 22, a key member of the national title squad  of two years ago, who died suddenly in Greenville, S.C., the other day.

22 Florida exposed previously undefeated No. 5 LSU as pretenders, 27-19, in Gainesville.

After leading only by 17-16 at the half, 6 Notre Dame rolled over 24 Virginia Tech 45-23, behind Dexter Williams’ 178 yards rushing and three TDs, including a 97-yard dash to paydirt.  Williams was out the first four games of the season, then emerged to rush for 161 yards against Stanford last week.  The Fighting Irish are looking very strong for the playoffs.

In a biggie, with major CFP ramifications, 7 Oklahoma was upset in the annual Red River Showdown with 19 Texas, an improving Longhorn team, UT holding on for a 48-45 instant classic.  Oklahoma had roared back from a 45-24 deficit after three, with Kyler Murray passing for 304 yards  and four touchdowns, while rushing for 98 yards and a score, but he also threw an interception and lost a fumble.

For Texas, quarterback Sam Ehlinger was better; throwing for 314 and two TDs, but also rushing for three scores, with zero turnovers.  The Longhorns pulled it out on a field goal by freshman kicker Cameron Dicker with 0:09 on the clock.  So that is the end of OU’s national title hopes, while it’s a super win for UT fans.

In another big upset in the top ten, Mississippi State took down 8 Auburn, 23-9, as Bulldogs QB Nick Fitzgerald had a superb game with 195 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

9 West Virginia is now in control in the Big 12 (along with Texas) after a 38-22 win over Kansas, Will Grier with four TD passes.

And 10 Washington beat UCLA 31-24, the Bruins still winless under Chip Kelly at 0-5.

In other games of note….

No. 12 UCF will surge into the Top Ten with all the upsets in front of it, 48-20 winners over SMU.

13 Kentucky’s dream season took a hit down in College Station, the Wildcats falling to Texas A&M 20-14.

15 Michigan will continue its climb back in the rankings after its opening loss to Notre Dame, beating Maryland 42-21.

Down 27-7 in the third, No. 17 Miami’s quarterback, N’Kosi Perry, threw three of his four TD passes to rally the Hurricanes to a 28-27 win over 3-3 Florida State.

23 North Carolina State proved it is for real in the ACC, a 28-23 victor over struggling Boston College, the Eagles playing without injured star running back A.J. Dillon.  Ryan Finley threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolfpack.

Rutgers fell to 1-5, 38-17 losers at home to Illinois.

Pitt had a nice home win, 44-37 over Syracuse.

And in FCS, Div. I-AA, play:

Colgate stayed undefeated with a 27-3 win at Bucknell, and No. 8 Elon beat No. 2 James Madison 27-24.  Huge win, Shu!

And now...the new AP Poll!

1. Alabama 6-0 (59)
2. Georgia 6-0
3. Ohio State 6-0
4. Clemson 6-0 (1)
5. Notre Dame 6-0
6. West Virginia 5-0
7. Washington 5-1
8. Penn State 4-1
9. Texas 5-1...wow, nice jump!
10. UCF 5-0*
11. Oklahoma 5-1
12. Michigan 5-1
20. North Carolina State 5-0
23. South Florida 5-0*
25. Cincinnati 6-0*

*All three in the Eastern Division of the American Athletic Conference...more on this next time.

NFL

As noted above I saw none of the action today, but for the record....

--Nice win for my Jets, 34-16 over the Broncos at MetLife Stadium, as New York rushed for a second-most in team history 323 yards, with Isaiah Crowell having a franchise-record 219 on just 15 carries, including a 77-yard TD run.

Sam Darnold was only 10/22, 198, but three of his completions went for touchdowns, including a 76-yarder to Robby Anderson.  Both the Jets and Broncos are 2-3.

--The Giants, on the other hand, suffered an absolutely crushing defeat down in Carolina, 33-31, on a Graham Gano career- and franchise-best 63-yard field goal with a second left, New York now 1-4, Carolina 3-1.

Eli Manning threw for 326 yards, but while he had two TD passes, he was also picked off twice.

Odell Beckham Jr. had an exciting game, however, catching 8 passes for 131 yards and his first score of the season, while tossing a 57-yard TD pass of his own to Saquon Barkley, who had two TD receptions in the game.

But Odell also muffed a punt that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by the Panthers in the second quarter.

Giants fans are beside themselves.

--Cleveland is 2-2-1 after a 12-9 win in overtime on a 37-yard field goal that was a dying quail, but a win nonetheless, the Ravens falling to 3-2.

The Brownies could very easily be 5-0.

--Kansas City moved to 5-0 with a 30-14 win over Jacksonville, the Jags dropping to 3-2.  Pat Mahomes’ Superman cape was torn a little, however, as he threw his first two interceptions of the season.

--Pittsburgh got their act together, 41-17 over the mystifying 1-4 Falcons.  James Conner rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns.  For the Steelers it was also important that Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown hooked up on two scores.  Pittsburgh is 2-2-1.

--The Super Bowl Champion Eagles are just 2-3, following a 23-21 loss to Minnesota (2-2-1) in Philly.

--The Packers lost to the Lions 31-23, as kicker Mason Crosby missed five kicks (4 field goals and an extra point), the first to do so in the same game since Rolf Bernirschke of the Chargers in 1980.

Crosby, the Packers’ career scoring leader, had made 10 of 11 field goals entering today.

Green Bay falls to 2-2-1, the Lions are 2-3.

--Thursday, the Patriots (3-2) were in total control, beating Indianapolis 38-24 in Foxborough, as Tom Brady reached 500 career touchdown passes, the 500th going to newcomer Josh Gordon, finishing 34 for 44 for 341 yards and two TDs, the other to Julian Edelman, who returned following a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancers.

Brady now stands only behind Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508).

Golf Balls

--I love how we just roll into a new PGA Tour season.  Gives some of us something to watch over the weekends if the football action blows.  Plus you get some good stories in these fall events.  It certainly gives some young guys a chance to jumpstart their careers. 

So at this week’s Safeway Open in Napa, Calif., because all of the big names who made the Tour Championship are missing, save for Phil Mickelson, 49 Web.com Tour graduates were able to squeeze into the field.

And the tournament sponsors extended an exemption to former major-league pitcher Mark Mulder.

Why, you might ask?  Well why not?  Mulder, 41, has game, relatively speaking, having won the American Century Championship at South Lake Tahoe, the celebrity event, three times in a row (2015-17), finishing second this year.  I have no problem with lesser tour events granting exemptions to the likes of Steph Curry and Tony Romo.  Anyone given an invite takes the game seriously and no doubt it brings out some fans.  I mean it’s not like Steph Curry is being granted an exemption to play in The Masters.

Don’t worry. There’s a limit to athlete exemptions.  Like no one has to worry Charles Barkley is teeing it up at a Web.com tourney.

Mickelson was only playing at Safeway because his management company runs the tournament.  Brandt Snedeker and Patrick Cantlay were the only other real names.

As for Safeway, the Pleasanton, Calif.-based supermarket chain, they paid $6 million to put their name on the event, so they can choose anyone they want to grant an exemption.  Popular Fred Couples received one as well. He’s good for attendance.

So what happened?

Well after two rounds it looked like any other Tour event from the spring or summer.

1. Snedeker -13
2. Ryan Moore -10
2. Phil Mickelson -10
2. Michael Thompson -10

Fred Couples was among a group at T-24, -6.

Mark Mulder missed the cut, shooting 75-74, +5, the cut at -3, but he hardly embarrassed himself.  And while he beat only two other golfers, they were Tour regulars Ollie Schniederjans and Wes Bryan.

In the end, however, it was Kevin Tway, son of Bob, who picked up his first PGA Tour win in a three-way playoff with Snedeker and Moore, Snedeker blowing a five-shot lead on the back nine.

Mickelson finally tired, 65-69-74-72, to finish -8, T-17.

Couples shot 73-65-70-75, -5, to finish T-41.  Admirable.

I was pleased to see Demon Deacon alum Bill Haas finish T-10, Haas having struggled mightily on Tour last season.  I’m guessing he would say he’s rededicated himself to the game.

--Mickelson commented on the Ryder Cup at a press conference and expressed his displeasure on the course setup at Le Golf National.

“The Europeans did a great thing: They did the opposite of what we do when we have the Ryder Cup here. The fairways were 14 to 16 yards wide.  Ben Hogan, who is the greatest ball-striker of all time, had a 5 percent margin of error.  So if you hit the ball 300 yards, which we all hit it more than that, you need to have a 30-yard wide fairway to be able to hit it.

“The fact is, they had brutal rough – almost unplayable – and it’s not the way I play.  I don’t play like that.  And here [at Silverado Country Club], I can miss the fairways, I can get shots out of the rough up on the green and it’s playable.

“And I’m 48.  I’m not going to play tournaments with rough like that anymore.  It’s a waste of my time.  I’m going to play courses that are playable and that I can play aggressive, attacking, make a lot of birdies, style of golf I like to play.”

So if Jim Furyk knew this, why would he make Phil a captain’s pick?

--Brooks Koepka, playing in Scotland this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, denied reports he got into a post-Ryder Cup fight with good buddy Dustin Johnson.

“The Dustin thing I don’t get,” Koepka said. “There was no fight.  There was no argument.  He is one of my best friends; I love the kid to death.  We talked on the phone Monday and yesterday. So tell me how we fought?  I don’t know….this is not the first time a news story has gone out that isn’t true.”

Koepka was involved in some tragedy at the Ryder Cup, however.  The woman he hit with a drive off the sixth tee during his Friday morning four-ball match, says she has lost the sight in her right eye.  Koepka was very upset.

“Yesterday was probably one of the worst days of my life,” he said.  “I haven’t had too many tragedies in my family, where there has been a loss or even an accident.  I’ve been lucky in that sense.  I’m not the biggest on social media.  But when I got here (St. Andrews), there were seven missed calls and 25 text messages. I’m just really heartbroken.  My stomach sank. I had a hard time trying to focus and play golf.”

Koepka said he reached out to the woman on Tuesday but had not heard back from her.

Premier / Champions League

--The big news all week was what would happen to Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, United getting off to its worst start in 29 years. The Daily Mirror first reported Friday night that Mourinho was being sacked regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s PL game against Newcastle.

But management made clear Saturday morning that Mourinho’s position is not under imminent threat, insisting no decision has been made over his long-term future, though they didn’t do so through an official statement, only through rival reports, and the Daily Mirror’s veteran reporter was sticking with his source as the game started.

And what a game it turned out to be.  Startlingly, Newcastle scored twice in the first nine minutes to take a 2-0 lead, but Man U stormed back and pulled it out on goal by Sanchez in the 90th minute for a 3-2 win, saving Mourinho’s job, it appears, at least for a few more days.

In other games of note, Tottenham continued to do what it had to, winning another against lesser competition, 1-0 over Cardiff.

Wolverhampton continues its solid play, a 1-0 road win over Crystal Palace.

Today, Arsenal won its sixth in a row, 5-1 over Fulham; Chelsea whipped Southampton 3-0; and Man City and Liverpool played to a tense 0-0 draw.

After 8 of 38 matches...W-D-L...goal differential breaking ties....

1. Man City 6-2-0...20 points
2. Chelsea 6-2-0...20
3. Liverpool 6-2-0...20
4. Arsenal 6-0-2...18
5. Tottenham 6-0-2...18
6. Bournemouth 5-1-2...16
7. Wolverhampton 4-3-1...15
8. Man United 4-1-3...13

--This week also saw a second round (of six) in Champions League Group Stage play, Tottenham losing its second, 4-2 to Barcelona, Lionel Messi with two tallies for Barca.

Liverpool lost to Napoli 1-0.  Man U had a 0-0 draw with Valencia, which gave Mourinho’s detractors further fuel.

CSKA Moscow upset Real Madrid, in Moscow, 1-0.  Man City beat 1899 Hoffenhein 2-1.

And Neymar had a hat-trick in PSG’s 6-1 thrashing of Red Star.

--Lastly, we have the situation with Cristiano Ronaldo, who is denying rape allegations leveled against him, saying his conscience was clear and that he would calmly await the results of any investigation.

“I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in,” he wrote in a tweet.

“Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.  My clear conscience will thereby allow me to await with tranquility the results of any and all investigations.”

The woman making the allegations is Kathryn Mayorga, who says Ronaldo assaulted her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.

Mayorga, a 34-year-old former teacher, says she was inspired to speak out by the #MeToo movement, her lawyer said.

Der Spiegal said Mayorga had filed a report with Las Vegas police shortly after the alleged incident, but the next year, she reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo involving a $375,000 payment for agreeing never to go public with the allegations.

Her lawyers are now seeking to declare the non-disclosure agreement void.

In a lawsuit, Mayorga says she met Ronaldo at the Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel and Casino, and that he raped her in his penthouse suite.

Meanwhile, Nike, which has a rumored $1 billion (with a ‘b’), multi-decade contract with Ronaldo, said this week it was “deeply concerned.”

Ronaldo’s European club, Juventus, said it was standing behind him.  Juventus said in a tweet: “Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus.”

NASCAR

As for the race I attended, the “Monster Mile” at Dover International Speedway, Kevin Harvick was dominating the action the entire race when we left late to avoid what can be awful traffic getting out of the place, so the finish ended up being exactly the opposite of what we expected to hear...Harvick had tire issues near the end and finished sixth, while Chase Elliott pulled it out in overtime.

I’m telling you, boys and girls.  If you haven’t gone to a single NASCAR race, go.  Television does the sport no justice in terms of the speed.  I admire the hell out of these guys.  It was brutally hot today (for a Fall race) and the conditions for the drivers were far from the best, yet their concentration is amazing.

And I give Dover credit for only charging $5 for a can of beer, when they could get away with charging more.

Stuff

--I’m liking what I’ve seen from new Knicks coach David Fizdale thus far.  For one, past coaches and management, i.e., like Phil Jackson, have  ignored a tremendous resource at their fingertips, Knicks broadcaster and Hall of Famer Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who has terrific ideas, and the street cred to back it up.

So Fizdale has encouraged the guards to get to know Clyde and they’ve held group sessions with him.

For one, “No one defended like Clyde,” Fizdale said.  “You’re seeing the kind of DNA I’m trying to create with the guards.   If they can embody what Clyde brought to the game, we got something pretty good.  They may not know everything he’s done, but they know he’s a legend.”

--Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving  will be one of the NBA’s most sought-after free agents next summer, but he says he’s not going anywhere.

“If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here,” Irving said Thursday during an event at TD Garden.

Well, Irving famously told Cleveland fans the same thing in 2013, only to force his way out four years later.  But, still, Irving’s statement was music to Celtics fans’ ears, while disappointing Knicks fans, who harbored thoughts of being able to sign him, Irving growing up in the area.

--Brad K. passed along the following from WCCO in Minneapolis:

“The northeastern Minnesota town of Gilbert is alerting residents that birds may be a bit more ‘tipsy’ than normal this time of year.

“According to Gilbert police, its received numerous reports of what look to be drunk birds ‘flying into windows, cars and acting confused.’

“Police say the reason behind this is the fact that certain berries in the area have fermented earlier than usual due to an early frost.  That, plus the fact that may birds have yet to migrate south, means more birds are feeling the effects than in past years.

“Also, younger birds’ livers cannot handle the fermented berries as well as older birds.  Police say there’s no need to call law enforcement about the birds, as they should sober up in a short period of time.”

Top 3 songs for the week 10/8/77: #1 “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” (Meco...godawful...)  #2 “Keep It Comin’ Love” (KC & The Sunshine Band...eh...)  #3 “You Light Up My Life” (Debby Boone...Trump crooning to Kim Jong Un...)... and...#4 “Nobody Does It Better” (Carly Simon)  #5 “That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Shaun Cassidy)  #6 “Best Of My Love” (Emotions)  #7 “Boogie Nights” (Heatwave)  #8 “Cold As Ice” (Foreigner)  #9 “Brick House” (Commodores)  #10 “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” (Andy Gibb... ‘C-‘ week at best...)

Baseball Quiz Answer: Three who were 5-foot-9 or shorter and surpassed 39 homers in a single season: Mel Ott, Hack Wilson and Roy Campanella.

Next Bar Chat, Thursday.

 



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Bar Chat

10/08/2018

Big Shakeup in College Football's Top Ten

[Posted late Sunday p.m.]

*I was out of pocket much of the weekend, driving down to Delaware on Saturday to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law, before Big Bro and I caught the NASCAR race at Dover today...after which I drove three hours home...not arriving until late tonight.  I saw very little football all weekend, though I did catch Saturday night’s Yankees-Red Sox contest (after a delicious fish dinner in Bethany Beach...some adult beverages tossed in).

Ergo, I’m running on fumes.  I’ll be filling in some holes next time for the archives.

Baseball Quiz: Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez hit 39 home runs this season, which is rather remarkable given he’s all of 5-9, 165 lbs.  But as Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal noted, “Only three players listed at  5-foot-9 or shorter, all Hall of Famers, have ever surpassed 39 homers in a single season, according to baseballreference.com.”   Name ‘em. Answer below.

MLB...the Playoffs

--The Yankees whipped the A’s in their Wednesday wild-card game at The Stadium, 7-2, as Luis Severino threw four shutout innings to start the game, received a huge ovation when he was taken out in the fifth (more on this later), even as Dellin Betances had to get Severino off the hook and proceeded to toss two scoreless in relief, which was the ballgame, the Yanks riding home runs by Aaron Judge (further proof he is recovered from his wrist injury) and Giancarlo Stanton, while Luke Voit, the first baseman who has come out of nowhere to be the latest folk hero in Gotham, had a 2-RBI triple.

So it was on to Yankees-Red Sox in the ALDS up in Fenway, Friday night, and Boston got off to a quick 3-0 lead over Red Sox killer J.A. Happ on a 3-run homer from J.D. Martinez, Happ yielding all five runs in just two innings.

But the Yanks began chipping away, after Boston starter Chris Sale went 5 1/3, yielding two runs, as the Red Sox pen struggled the rest of the way, the Yankees falling short, however, 5-4.  There are no moral victories at this stage in the season.

For New York, there was one main goat, aside from Happ....

Joel Sherman / New York Post

“Giancarlo Stanton is not only lugging the largest contract in major league history, but comparisons that will be inescapable – unless he escapes them.

“The Yankees ignored Justin Verlander during the 2017 season because, yes, they thought he was down from his peak, but also because they did not see shoehorning his 2018-19 salaries into their planned sub-$197 million luxury-tax threshold payroll this season.

“Houston landed Verlander as August 2017 ended and he proved seminal in eliminating the Yankees in the ALCS and winning the Astros’ first-ever title.  His dominance Friday afternoon in Division Series Game 1 against the Indians hints more of the same is possible.

“Plus with what the Tigers were willing to pay down to facilitate the trade, Verlander cost $20 million for 2018 – or $2 million less than what Stanton costs the Yankees this season for luxury-tax purposes. You know who else costs $22 million for tax purposes?  J.D. Martinez, who inked a five-year, $110 million free-agent contract last offseason, a few months after the Yankees landed Stanton.

“Verlander might win another Cy Young and Martinez has been in the MVP discussion. Stanton was good in his maiden Yankees season – but not in that award kind of way.

“He could make that narrative all vanish with a big postseason. But in his first taste of Yankees-Red Sox playoff intensity, he lost his matchup against Martinez and the Yankees, not coincidentally, lost Division Series Game 1.

“Martinez hit a three-run homer in the first to put Boston ahead to stay.  Stanton struck out with the bases loaded in the sixth and again on three pitches as the tying run in the ninth against Craig Kimbrel, his fourth whiff of the game.  That helped a wobbled Red Sox bullpen survive in a 5-4 triumph.”

Well, Saturday, New York bounced back against David Price, knocked out in the second after yielding 3 runs in 1 2/3, the Yanks riding the booming bat of  catcher Gary Sanchez, who New York fans have been waiting for all season to bust out; Sanchez belting two home runs, driving in four, Aaron Judge adding this third homer of the postseason.  Masahiro Tanaka did what he had to do, one run in five innings. 

Incredibly, Price is now 0-9 in 10 postseason starts, 5.28 ERA overall, and Red Sox Nation has had it with the guy.

On to New York for Game 3, Monday.

--In the other ALDS, the Astros took a 2-0 lead with a 3-1 win Saturday at home, Gerritt Cole with seven strong innings, one run, 12 strikeouts, while walking none.  Alex Bregman had his second homer in two games.  He now has six postseason home runs in 78 career at-bats.

--The Dodgers opened their series against the Braves on Thursday and there was a bit of a controversy in that Hyun-Jin Ryu got the start over Clayton Kershaw.  But Ryu then fired 7 scoreless, L.A. winning 6-0.

Friday in Game 2, it was ershaw’s shot.  He clearly felt dissed in not starting Game 1 and so he had something to prove.

Bill Plaschke / Los Angeles Times

“Take that.

“The words were unspoken but screamed, spilling out of Clayton Kershaw from his pumped fist to this slapped glove to eight innings of controlled fury.  Kershaw didn’t just pitch against the Atlanta Braves on Friday in Game 2 of the National League Division Series, he delivered a dizzy, dazzling message strong enough to shake Dodger Stadium down to its Koufax core.

“To the Dodgers management that pushed him off his usual postseason opener perch, take that.

“To critics like this one who wrote that Hyun-Jin Ryu’s brilliance a night earlier was proof that Kershaw was indeed second fiddle, take that.

“To those weary of trusting him as a postseason ace after so many October disappointments, yeah, you, take that.

“His ego bruised, his reputation tweaked, his future as a Dodger a little more uncertain, Kershaw took the mound in perhaps the most personally tenuous situation of his Dodgers career.

“He responded with the loudest single postseason statement of his life, allowing just two hits in those eight innings in a 3-0 victory over the Braves to give the Dodgers a seemingly insurmountable two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-five series.

“As Kershaw sat in his postgame attire of T-shirt and gym shorts, beaming as he was surrounded by his two giggling children Charley and Cali Ann, I asked him if he took any extra satisfaction in this victory.

“ ‘Yeah, maybe,’ he said, still smiling.  ‘Maybe a tick, for sure.’

“Yeah.  Maybe.  Probably.  For sure.

“In 20 playoff starts, it is the first time he has lasted as long as eight innings.  In a career marred with playoff stumbles, this was a two-and-a-half-hour march to redemption.

“Yeah, Sandy Koufax was in the stands watching.  Indeed, the comparisons on this night were appropriate....

“The move to push him back (in the rotation) was a stunning one, but it was written here that it was the right decision because the reality was, Kershaw hadn’t been the same pitcher in recent weeks and was never the same pitcher in the postseason.

“He had a 4.20 ERA in his last five starts and there were some concerns about the lack of movement on some of his pitches.  There were also worries about the cumulative effect of his infamous postseason struggles, as he had a 4.35 postseason ERA and had blown his Game 5 start against the Houston Astros last October in a loss that probably cost the Dodgers the series.

“He carried all that baggage with him to the mound in the first inning, and he was immediately almost smothered in it.

“Acuna, the Braves’ gift rookie leadoff hitter, drove the first pitch into the left-center-field gap for a double. Two pitches later, Johan Camargo bounced a ball back to Kershaw to move Acuna to third.

“With all the surrounding commotion, it is here Kershaw could have buckled.  Instead, it was here that he dug in his heels.  He retired Freddie Freeman on a grounder to pulled-in second baseman Enrique Hernandez, then struck out Nick Markakis by freezing him on a 73-mph curve.

“The fans roared, at which point Kershaw ducked his head and pumped his fist....

“Kershaw had escaped, and now he was rolling, and he kept rolling until he finally departed....

“On this night, it was difficult to view Clayton Kershaw as anything other than the same person he has been for the last decade.

“Once again, the ace.”

Kershaw threw just 85 pitches in his eight innings, no walks, three Ks.

L.A. got a two-run homer from Manny Machado.

--In the other NLDS series, Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead with 3-2 and 4-0 wins at home against the Rockies, Mike Moustakas with a walk-off, tenth-inning single for the Brew Crew in Game 1.  In Game 2, starter Jhoulys Chacin, pitching on short rest, set the tone with five shutout innings.

And this afternoon, Milwaukee completed a sweep of Colorado, in Denver, 6-0, the Brewers using six pitchers...the modern game, sports fans.

Throw four shutout innings like Luis Severino did the other day for the Yankees and you get a standing ovation.  Throw five innings of effective ball and you’re a superstar (even though that doesn’t qualify for a ‘quality start’...which makes Jacob deGrom’s season all the more remarkable, having finished the year with 24 straight quality starts, the MLB record).

--The Orioles fired manager Buck Showalter and executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette after the team’s 47-115 season; the worst since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954.

Showalter is a three-time A.L. Manager of the Year and no doubt he’ll have a new job soon, should he so desire.  He might not, being 62.

College Football Review

[Comments posted before release of latest AP Poll.  As alluded to above, I saw very little CFB action Saturday, but there will be significant movement in the Top 25 this week for sure….]

No. 1 Alabama whipped Arkansas 65-31, as Tua Tagovailoa had another outstanding game, 10 of 13, but four touchdown passes.

Talk about a Heisman-caliber year, Tagovailoa has now thrown for 18 touchdowns (0 interceptions) on just 101 passes.

2 Georgia beat Vanderbilt 41-13.

3 Ohio State had no problem with Indiana, 46-29, as Dwayne Haskins threw for 455 yards and six touchdowns.  Haskins has thrown for 25 TDs (four interceptions) thus far.

4 Clemson embarrassed Wake Forest, in Winston-Salem, in so many ways, 63-3, outgaining the Deacs 698-249, and, worse, taking over the  stadium.  They seemed to have more fans there than we did.

But what made it worse is the Tigers rushed for 471 yards, with three backs gaining 125 yards+, as they shredded Wake’s defense for a staggering five TD runs of 50+ yards!  I saw two TDs in this game, when I arrived in Delaware, that made it 49-3 and then 56-3, at which point I told my brother, “make it stop!”

Clemson and the running game had an incentive.  They were playing for deceased former teammate C.J. Fuller, 22, a key member of the national title squad  of two years ago, who died suddenly in Greenville, S.C., the other day.

22 Florida exposed previously undefeated No. 5 LSU as pretenders, 27-19, in Gainesville.

After leading only by 17-16 at the half, 6 Notre Dame rolled over 24 Virginia Tech 45-23, behind Dexter Williams’ 178 yards rushing and three TDs, including a 97-yard dash to paydirt.  Williams was out the first four games of the season, then emerged to rush for 161 yards against Stanford last week.  The Fighting Irish are looking very strong for the playoffs.

In a biggie, with major CFP ramifications, 7 Oklahoma was upset in the annual Red River Showdown with 19 Texas, an improving Longhorn team, UT holding on for a 48-45 instant classic.  Oklahoma had roared back from a 45-24 deficit after three, with Kyler Murray passing for 304 yards  and four touchdowns, while rushing for 98 yards and a score, but he also threw an interception and lost a fumble.

For Texas, quarterback Sam Ehlinger was better; throwing for 314 and two TDs, but also rushing for three scores, with zero turnovers.  The Longhorns pulled it out on a field goal by freshman kicker Cameron Dicker with 0:09 on the clock.  So that is the end of OU’s national title hopes, while it’s a super win for UT fans.

In another big upset in the top ten, Mississippi State took down 8 Auburn, 23-9, as Bulldogs QB Nick Fitzgerald had a superb game with 195 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

9 West Virginia is now in control in the Big 12 (along with Texas) after a 38-22 win over Kansas, Will Grier with four TD passes.

And 10 Washington beat UCLA 31-24, the Bruins still winless under Chip Kelly at 0-5.

In other games of note….

No. 12 UCF will surge into the Top Ten with all the upsets in front of it, 48-20 winners over SMU.

13 Kentucky’s dream season took a hit down in College Station, the Wildcats falling to Texas A&M 20-14.

15 Michigan will continue its climb back in the rankings after its opening loss to Notre Dame, beating Maryland 42-21.

Down 27-7 in the third, No. 17 Miami’s quarterback, N’Kosi Perry, threw three of his four TD passes to rally the Hurricanes to a 28-27 win over 3-3 Florida State.

23 North Carolina State proved it is for real in the ACC, a 28-23 victor over struggling Boston College, the Eagles playing without injured star running back A.J. Dillon.  Ryan Finley threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolfpack.

Rutgers fell to 1-5, 38-17 losers at home to Illinois.

Pitt had a nice home win, 44-37 over Syracuse.

And in FCS, Div. I-AA, play:

Colgate stayed undefeated with a 27-3 win at Bucknell, and No. 8 Elon beat No. 2 James Madison 27-24.  Huge win, Shu!

And now...the new AP Poll!

1. Alabama 6-0 (59)
2. Georgia 6-0
3. Ohio State 6-0
4. Clemson 6-0 (1)
5. Notre Dame 6-0
6. West Virginia 5-0
7. Washington 5-1
8. Penn State 4-1
9. Texas 5-1...wow, nice jump!
10. UCF 5-0*
11. Oklahoma 5-1
12. Michigan 5-1
20. North Carolina State 5-0
23. South Florida 5-0*
25. Cincinnati 6-0*

*All three in the Eastern Division of the American Athletic Conference...more on this next time.

NFL

As noted above I saw none of the action today, but for the record....

--Nice win for my Jets, 34-16 over the Broncos at MetLife Stadium, as New York rushed for a second-most in team history 323 yards, with Isaiah Crowell having a franchise-record 219 on just 15 carries, including a 77-yard TD run.

Sam Darnold was only 10/22, 198, but three of his completions went for touchdowns, including a 76-yarder to Robby Anderson.  Both the Jets and Broncos are 2-3.

--The Giants, on the other hand, suffered an absolutely crushing defeat down in Carolina, 33-31, on a Graham Gano career- and franchise-best 63-yard field goal with a second left, New York now 1-4, Carolina 3-1.

Eli Manning threw for 326 yards, but while he had two TD passes, he was also picked off twice.

Odell Beckham Jr. had an exciting game, however, catching 8 passes for 131 yards and his first score of the season, while tossing a 57-yard TD pass of his own to Saquon Barkley, who had two TD receptions in the game.

But Odell also muffed a punt that was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by the Panthers in the second quarter.

Giants fans are beside themselves.

--Cleveland is 2-2-1 after a 12-9 win in overtime on a 37-yard field goal that was a dying quail, but a win nonetheless, the Ravens falling to 3-2.

The Brownies could very easily be 5-0.

--Kansas City moved to 5-0 with a 30-14 win over Jacksonville, the Jags dropping to 3-2.  Pat Mahomes’ Superman cape was torn a little, however, as he threw his first two interceptions of the season.

--Pittsburgh got their act together, 41-17 over the mystifying 1-4 Falcons.  James Conner rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns.  For the Steelers it was also important that Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown hooked up on two scores.  Pittsburgh is 2-2-1.

--The Super Bowl Champion Eagles are just 2-3, following a 23-21 loss to Minnesota (2-2-1) in Philly.

--The Packers lost to the Lions 31-23, as kicker Mason Crosby missed five kicks (4 field goals and an extra point), the first to do so in the same game since Rolf Bernirschke of the Chargers in 1980.

Crosby, the Packers’ career scoring leader, had made 10 of 11 field goals entering today.

Green Bay falls to 2-2-1, the Lions are 2-3.

--Thursday, the Patriots (3-2) were in total control, beating Indianapolis 38-24 in Foxborough, as Tom Brady reached 500 career touchdown passes, the 500th going to newcomer Josh Gordon, finishing 34 for 44 for 341 yards and two TDs, the other to Julian Edelman, who returned following a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancers.

Brady now stands only behind Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508).

Golf Balls

--I love how we just roll into a new PGA Tour season.  Gives some of us something to watch over the weekends if the football action blows.  Plus you get some good stories in these fall events.  It certainly gives some young guys a chance to jumpstart their careers. 

So at this week’s Safeway Open in Napa, Calif., because all of the big names who made the Tour Championship are missing, save for Phil Mickelson, 49 Web.com Tour graduates were able to squeeze into the field.

And the tournament sponsors extended an exemption to former major-league pitcher Mark Mulder.

Why, you might ask?  Well why not?  Mulder, 41, has game, relatively speaking, having won the American Century Championship at South Lake Tahoe, the celebrity event, three times in a row (2015-17), finishing second this year.  I have no problem with lesser tour events granting exemptions to the likes of Steph Curry and Tony Romo.  Anyone given an invite takes the game seriously and no doubt it brings out some fans.  I mean it’s not like Steph Curry is being granted an exemption to play in The Masters.

Don’t worry. There’s a limit to athlete exemptions.  Like no one has to worry Charles Barkley is teeing it up at a Web.com tourney.

Mickelson was only playing at Safeway because his management company runs the tournament.  Brandt Snedeker and Patrick Cantlay were the only other real names.

As for Safeway, the Pleasanton, Calif.-based supermarket chain, they paid $6 million to put their name on the event, so they can choose anyone they want to grant an exemption.  Popular Fred Couples received one as well. He’s good for attendance.

So what happened?

Well after two rounds it looked like any other Tour event from the spring or summer.

1. Snedeker -13
2. Ryan Moore -10
2. Phil Mickelson -10
2. Michael Thompson -10

Fred Couples was among a group at T-24, -6.

Mark Mulder missed the cut, shooting 75-74, +5, the cut at -3, but he hardly embarrassed himself.  And while he beat only two other golfers, they were Tour regulars Ollie Schniederjans and Wes Bryan.

In the end, however, it was Kevin Tway, son of Bob, who picked up his first PGA Tour win in a three-way playoff with Snedeker and Moore, Snedeker blowing a five-shot lead on the back nine.

Mickelson finally tired, 65-69-74-72, to finish -8, T-17.

Couples shot 73-65-70-75, -5, to finish T-41.  Admirable.

I was pleased to see Demon Deacon alum Bill Haas finish T-10, Haas having struggled mightily on Tour last season.  I’m guessing he would say he’s rededicated himself to the game.

--Mickelson commented on the Ryder Cup at a press conference and expressed his displeasure on the course setup at Le Golf National.

“The Europeans did a great thing: They did the opposite of what we do when we have the Ryder Cup here. The fairways were 14 to 16 yards wide.  Ben Hogan, who is the greatest ball-striker of all time, had a 5 percent margin of error.  So if you hit the ball 300 yards, which we all hit it more than that, you need to have a 30-yard wide fairway to be able to hit it.

“The fact is, they had brutal rough – almost unplayable – and it’s not the way I play.  I don’t play like that.  And here [at Silverado Country Club], I can miss the fairways, I can get shots out of the rough up on the green and it’s playable.

“And I’m 48.  I’m not going to play tournaments with rough like that anymore.  It’s a waste of my time.  I’m going to play courses that are playable and that I can play aggressive, attacking, make a lot of birdies, style of golf I like to play.”

So if Jim Furyk knew this, why would he make Phil a captain’s pick?

--Brooks Koepka, playing in Scotland this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, denied reports he got into a post-Ryder Cup fight with good buddy Dustin Johnson.

“The Dustin thing I don’t get,” Koepka said. “There was no fight.  There was no argument.  He is one of my best friends; I love the kid to death.  We talked on the phone Monday and yesterday. So tell me how we fought?  I don’t know….this is not the first time a news story has gone out that isn’t true.”

Koepka was involved in some tragedy at the Ryder Cup, however.  The woman he hit with a drive off the sixth tee during his Friday morning four-ball match, says she has lost the sight in her right eye.  Koepka was very upset.

“Yesterday was probably one of the worst days of my life,” he said.  “I haven’t had too many tragedies in my family, where there has been a loss or even an accident.  I’ve been lucky in that sense.  I’m not the biggest on social media.  But when I got here (St. Andrews), there were seven missed calls and 25 text messages. I’m just really heartbroken.  My stomach sank. I had a hard time trying to focus and play golf.”

Koepka said he reached out to the woman on Tuesday but had not heard back from her.

Premier / Champions League

--The big news all week was what would happen to Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, United getting off to its worst start in 29 years. The Daily Mirror first reported Friday night that Mourinho was being sacked regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s PL game against Newcastle.

But management made clear Saturday morning that Mourinho’s position is not under imminent threat, insisting no decision has been made over his long-term future, though they didn’t do so through an official statement, only through rival reports, and the Daily Mirror’s veteran reporter was sticking with his source as the game started.

And what a game it turned out to be.  Startlingly, Newcastle scored twice in the first nine minutes to take a 2-0 lead, but Man U stormed back and pulled it out on goal by Sanchez in the 90th minute for a 3-2 win, saving Mourinho’s job, it appears, at least for a few more days.

In other games of note, Tottenham continued to do what it had to, winning another against lesser competition, 1-0 over Cardiff.

Wolverhampton continues its solid play, a 1-0 road win over Crystal Palace.

Today, Arsenal won its sixth in a row, 5-1 over Fulham; Chelsea whipped Southampton 3-0; and Man City and Liverpool played to a tense 0-0 draw.

After 8 of 38 matches...W-D-L...goal differential breaking ties....

1. Man City 6-2-0...20 points
2. Chelsea 6-2-0...20
3. Liverpool 6-2-0...20
4. Arsenal 6-0-2...18
5. Tottenham 6-0-2...18
6. Bournemouth 5-1-2...16
7. Wolverhampton 4-3-1...15
8. Man United 4-1-3...13

--This week also saw a second round (of six) in Champions League Group Stage play, Tottenham losing its second, 4-2 to Barcelona, Lionel Messi with two tallies for Barca.

Liverpool lost to Napoli 1-0.  Man U had a 0-0 draw with Valencia, which gave Mourinho’s detractors further fuel.

CSKA Moscow upset Real Madrid, in Moscow, 1-0.  Man City beat 1899 Hoffenhein 2-1.

And Neymar had a hat-trick in PSG’s 6-1 thrashing of Red Star.

--Lastly, we have the situation with Cristiano Ronaldo, who is denying rape allegations leveled against him, saying his conscience was clear and that he would calmly await the results of any investigation.

“I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in,” he wrote in a tweet.

“Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.  My clear conscience will thereby allow me to await with tranquility the results of any and all investigations.”

The woman making the allegations is Kathryn Mayorga, who says Ronaldo assaulted her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.

Mayorga, a 34-year-old former teacher, says she was inspired to speak out by the #MeToo movement, her lawyer said.

Der Spiegal said Mayorga had filed a report with Las Vegas police shortly after the alleged incident, but the next year, she reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo involving a $375,000 payment for agreeing never to go public with the allegations.

Her lawyers are now seeking to declare the non-disclosure agreement void.

In a lawsuit, Mayorga says she met Ronaldo at the Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel and Casino, and that he raped her in his penthouse suite.

Meanwhile, Nike, which has a rumored $1 billion (with a ‘b’), multi-decade contract with Ronaldo, said this week it was “deeply concerned.”

Ronaldo’s European club, Juventus, said it was standing behind him.  Juventus said in a tweet: “Cristiano Ronaldo has shown in recent months his great professionalism and dedication, which is appreciated by everyone at Juventus.”

NASCAR

As for the race I attended, the “Monster Mile” at Dover International Speedway, Kevin Harvick was dominating the action the entire race when we left late to avoid what can be awful traffic getting out of the place, so the finish ended up being exactly the opposite of what we expected to hear...Harvick had tire issues near the end and finished sixth, while Chase Elliott pulled it out in overtime.

I’m telling you, boys and girls.  If you haven’t gone to a single NASCAR race, go.  Television does the sport no justice in terms of the speed.  I admire the hell out of these guys.  It was brutally hot today (for a Fall race) and the conditions for the drivers were far from the best, yet their concentration is amazing.

And I give Dover credit for only charging $5 for a can of beer, when they could get away with charging more.

Stuff

--I’m liking what I’ve seen from new Knicks coach David Fizdale thus far.  For one, past coaches and management, i.e., like Phil Jackson, have  ignored a tremendous resource at their fingertips, Knicks broadcaster and Hall of Famer Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who has terrific ideas, and the street cred to back it up.

So Fizdale has encouraged the guards to get to know Clyde and they’ve held group sessions with him.

For one, “No one defended like Clyde,” Fizdale said.  “You’re seeing the kind of DNA I’m trying to create with the guards.   If they can embody what Clyde brought to the game, we got something pretty good.  They may not know everything he’s done, but they know he’s a legend.”

--Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving  will be one of the NBA’s most sought-after free agents next summer, but he says he’s not going anywhere.

“If you guys will have me back, I plan on re-signing here,” Irving said Thursday during an event at TD Garden.

Well, Irving famously told Cleveland fans the same thing in 2013, only to force his way out four years later.  But, still, Irving’s statement was music to Celtics fans’ ears, while disappointing Knicks fans, who harbored thoughts of being able to sign him, Irving growing up in the area.

--Brad K. passed along the following from WCCO in Minneapolis:

“The northeastern Minnesota town of Gilbert is alerting residents that birds may be a bit more ‘tipsy’ than normal this time of year.

“According to Gilbert police, its received numerous reports of what look to be drunk birds ‘flying into windows, cars and acting confused.’

“Police say the reason behind this is the fact that certain berries in the area have fermented earlier than usual due to an early frost.  That, plus the fact that may birds have yet to migrate south, means more birds are feeling the effects than in past years.

“Also, younger birds’ livers cannot handle the fermented berries as well as older birds.  Police say there’s no need to call law enforcement about the birds, as they should sober up in a short period of time.”

Top 3 songs for the week 10/8/77: #1 “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band” (Meco...godawful...)  #2 “Keep It Comin’ Love” (KC & The Sunshine Band...eh...)  #3 “You Light Up My Life” (Debby Boone...Trump crooning to Kim Jong Un...)... and...#4 “Nobody Does It Better” (Carly Simon)  #5 “That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Shaun Cassidy)  #6 “Best Of My Love” (Emotions)  #7 “Boogie Nights” (Heatwave)  #8 “Cold As Ice” (Foreigner)  #9 “Brick House” (Commodores)  #10 “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” (Andy Gibb... ‘C-‘ week at best...)

Baseball Quiz Answer: Three who were 5-foot-9 or shorter and surpassed 39 homers in a single season: Mel Ott, Hack Wilson and Roy Campanella.

Next Bar Chat, Thursday.