Having this information, even imparting it, plus two dollars and seventy five cents (the current fare) will get me on a New York City subway but only I do impart this “info” and it is worth noting.
Yesterday six cities/areas had home games, in both big league baseball and the monolith, N.F.L.
In all six instances the home baseball and football teams had the same win/loss result.
Five manifested in double victories, only Cleveland suffered a pair of losses.
New York, Arizona, Los Angeles (the Rams won in their return to L.A. regular season opener, while the Angels from L.A. area Anaheim, also won. A note on that is as I followed the Rams/Seattle game while eating somewhat healthy fast food, a potato at Wendy’s, I heard a person ask which state Anaheim was in) Boston and Colorado scored victories in each sports league.
As stated before, far better to deal with musical notes but my brain leads me to the type of notes imparted above.
Only a late defensive touchdown by the defending Supe champion Denver Broncos prevented my “suggestions,” which included one prediction, from going (6-0).
Four of the five (0-1) teams that failed to cover in their first game, were at least “good” regarding the spread, vs (1-0) teams that had covered in victory, in their first game.
Two of the four, 6 point underdog Tennessee (Titans) and 4 point underdog Atlanta (Falcons) at Detroit (Lions) and Oakland (Raiders) respectively, were outright winners.
Both Cleveland (Browns) and New Orleans (Saints) covered in defeat at home vs Baltimore (Ravens) and at the New York Giants respectively.
A suggested pick, the L.A. Rams in their regular season return to the city of the angels, “barked” as a two to one outright underdog, vs the offensively plagued, Seattle Seahawks.
The Rams have not scored a touchdown in two games but are (1-1), while “Sea” is also (1-1), despite scoring but one touchdown in their first two games.
It looked like (6-0) but the great Von Miller had a late defensive touchdown, as Denver covered the Colts. They were the lone (1-0) team to win and make both their record and spread record (2-0) vs a team, now (0-2) (0-2) in that regard.
Von Miller, pictured above.
Five NFL games in the soon to be upon us, second Sunday of NFL games, match (1-0) teams that covered the spread in their first game and are favored vs (0-1) teams, that did not cover the spread.
In four of them, “Hack” Giants, who in some circles did not cover in their (20-19) win at Dallas last week (the Giants won their second of what is incredibly, 4 Supe titles, I recall the Yale Bowl days and a 1-12-1 season, by that score in the 1990 season), vs the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos/Indy Colts, Oakland Raiders/Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions/Tennessee Titans, the team listed first is (1-0) and playing at home.
That leaves just the (1-0) Baltimore Ravens, to me the old and still somewhat glorious Cleveland Browns, visiting the woeful expansion Cleveland Browns, who to this point have disgraced the Otto Graham, Jim Brown, Marion Motley forged legacy of Cleveland pro football, as a game where the (0-1) underdog is at home, vs a (1-0) team that covered in their first tilt.
I suggest small “investments” on the above underdogs, as well as the Rams plus 7 vs Seattle, in their return to L.A. regular season, return.
However, my one official prediction (watch most of the others win and this one not) is 5 plus point underdog Cleveland Browns 11 Baltimore Ravens 8, a high baseball score as though Indians/Orioles, which may happen in the upcoming baseball tournament, but an indication of a dull football game.
This is not the first and will not be the last time that the great coach Paul Brown, somehow omitted from ESPN’s list of sports’ TWENTY FIVE greatest coaches, will be pictured above.
This is veteran CBS sportscaster Verne Lundquist’s last football season, as he is retiring, I believe after the Southeastern Conference title tilt in December.
Yesterday in Oxford, Mississippi, during top ranked and defending champion Alabama’s “shady,” to say the least, “no cover,” (48-43) win vs the home team “Ole Miss” Rebels, the public address announcer and CBS offered praise for Lundquist, whose horrible factual mistake saying “we all know where we were when Bobby Thomson hit his pennant winning run in NINETEEN FIFTY TWO” (of course it was 1951) never hurt his successful career.
As part of the CBS praise of Lundquist, a presentation to Lundquist by Archie Manning was shown and in giving thanks, Lundquist bumbled calling Manning, Archie Griffin. He was kidded, but that mistake, a slip of the tongue, can be forgiven, but some of his other work/mistakes, must endure criticism.
Before citing some of those mistakes by both Lundquist and analyst, Gary Danielson, who is still talking, I must say as bad as Lundquist and even Danielson are, they are better, more accurately, in my opinion, not as bad as any other college “pig” broadcasting team. I will wish for Lundquist’s return, next year, when an even more inept broadcaster is hired.
My comments on the broadcast, the game, big time college ‘pig” and despite it, praise for Nick Saban, the title winning, Alabama coach, will be present in future posts.
So many years ago (38), that sadly, it did matter, then a bit earlier in September, as is the case this weekend, the New York Yankees journeyed to Boston, trailing the Red Sox in the A.L. East standings.
As is the case this year, games were played on Thursday and Friday nights and Saturday afternoon. Then the Sunday game was in the day as it should be, now in typical, boring fashion, it is on Sunday night.
In 1978, the Yankees ripped the Red Sox in all four games, to pull even in the A.L. East standings. There was no wild card presence.
The Yankees went on to win it all, but not before winning a game that can never take place again, a one game playoff for the right to move on winning an entity, sans the bogus “safety net” of a wild card presence.
So far in three games, the Red Sox, now likely one eighth A.L. East winners, have severely damaged what were already unlikely Yankees’ playoff aspirations, winning the first three games.
This year’s problem is not that I do not care, but the reasons why.
One is the presence of monolith, ESPN, a year away from its little noted birth birth, when the Yankees won in 1978. Now it is a monster, sports nuts as I once sadly was, created. They are without imagination, witness another Yankees/Red Sox Sunday night tilt tonight.
I have yet to confirm ESPN will televise a proposed “rib eating” contest between the Yankees and Red Sox, but if it is a Sunday night, do not bet against it.
Click below to view Bucky Dent’s key home run in the 1978 A.L. East one game, unscheduled playoff. Though it truly still hurts, credit to the fine broadcaster, Bill White on his call of Mr. Dent’s epic home run.
Bucky Dent’s HR in the AL East Playoff Game
So far this season and it will continue indefinitely, I am not aware of WFAN Radio Mike Francesa’s predictions.
I hope he does well but on my honor without knowing, say he will do poorly on his predictions this season.
After losing twice going vs Alabama, once by a half point, I was correct on the Miami Dolphins plus the points vs the Seattle Seahawks. They nearly won the game.
Next I predicted the New York Jets to win at Buffalo vs the Bills, by 6 points. The Jets won by seven points.
Tomorrow some NFL predictions.
About buying, in a post tomorrow.
In addition to the current and very likely eventual top two seeds in each league (Cubs, Rangers, Nationals and Indians) I will “give” at least a playoff spot if not the N.L. 3 seed to the L.A. Dodgers whose 3 seed lead is 4 games and qualification lead is 7 games.
The other “3” seed leader, the Boston Red Sox have a 2 game lead over two fellow A.L. East teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.
In turn, both the Jays and O’s have 3 game leads for qualification.
In the N.L. the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets have respective 3 and 2 game leads for tournament qualification.
The Jays, Dodgers and Mets made the tournament last year.
Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon, has guided the Cubs to the best record in baseball but that means little once the tournament commences, in the Cubs’ case in the quarterfinals, at home, on Friday October 7th.
I think for the first time in a long time, if not all season, there is currently two games of separation for playoffs qualification in major league baseball.
Almost certainly, things will change a bit but I am, often at my own peril, “a wood man” i.e, the lead, thus I will talk of the ten projected playoffs teams compared to those who made it last season.
Agreed it is dangerous and foolish and I am not declaring the race for playoff qualification over but the ten teams in as of today were all teams I projected to be in weeks ago.
Only half of the ten projected/currently ahead teams made the playoffs last season.
The top ranked Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers each qualified last season as wild card teams while the two other virtually certain playoff qualifiers to this point, current 2 seeds, the Cleveland Indians and Washington Nationals, did not qualify for the baseball tournament.
Next a look at the six other teams currently qualifying for the layoffs with the all important proviso, “if the season ended today.”
Flying under the national radar of Cubs’ publicity and my focus on the Cleveland Indians, are the current American League one seed, Texas Rangers, a franchise as is of course the case with the Cubs and Indians that has a history of frustration, trying to win The World Series.
Tonight at 8 P.M. Eastern time, tune in to Decades, for a Dick Cavett Show from 1985.
Mr. Cavett’s guests are/were three extraordinary comedy writers, Larry Gelbart, David Lloyd and Pat McCormick.
It was tremendous, fast paced, hilarious viewing.
No spoiler but Jackie Gleason’s name does come up.
I met and interviewed Mr. McCormick, who was a truly nice and “joke a minute” (no spoiler, but that is evident in the Cavett Show airing tonight) guy.
He relayed the story of when Mr. Gleason ordered every item on the menu, when Pat was invited out by Jackie.
If you miss the 8 P.M. show on Decades try again at 2 A.M. Though at times there is variation I can answer that ever present female voice over in the affirmative regarding how to watch Decades.
Beep your horn when you see me, if you know what I mean.
Pat McCormick, pictured above.
Last night the Chicago Cubs clinched first place in a regular season entity for the 16th time.
Though the team has not won a pennant in 71 years, they have won 10 National League Pennants, most notably four in five seasons a feat only the New York Yankees have exceeded, from (1906-1910.)
Additionally, the Cubs won two one quarter division titles, doing so in 1984 and 1989.
This year’s lopsided victory in the N.L. Central is the Cubs’ fourth one eighth divisional crown, all from the N.L. Central.
Andy B Sports 