I saw an elderly gentleman in Kansas City Chiefs’ garb the other day. The sighting was not in Kansas City.
He resembled another older man, who last year won a “rooting” title with the Denver Broncos. That is if the man was still alive.
All this leads up to the “your guess is as good as mine” prediction that the Kansas City Chiefs will win the AFC West.
The other three teams, the defending champion not only of the AFC West but the NFL, Broncos, San Diego Chargers and supposedly much improved Oakland Raiders will fall short this season.
That is my feeling unless an elderly man is spotted wearing S.D. , Oakland or Denver uniforms.
In watching the Johnny Carson show, I feel it is time to praise the so called “second banana” (being second banana to Mr. Carson is no disgrace) on the Carson Tonight Show, Ed McMahon.
The show that aired last night on Antenna T.V. illustrated Ed’s talent to play off Carson.
He joked regarding not seeing Carson when each took a vacation, however, the show that aired last night covered a period when they did meet during their concurrent vacations.
McMahon was a big part of why the Tonight Show hosted by Carson was so good.
Ed McMahon, pictured above, did not have to bring prize money to my abode to entertain me. He was classy and played his role so well.
There are six possible opponents for the N.L. top ranked Chicago Cubs in the divisional/quarterfinal round playoffs.
Those six, two from each of the 3 National League divisions all could play in (I think “play in” that is what this ridiculous game is called), and win a game to gain entry to Wrigley Field (Garagiola in the Tonight Show appearance in our previous and next posts, called it “Cubs Park”) for game one of that series.
TBS and their affiliated stations have the telecast rights to all division series games, but not the NLCS.
You think TBS would not be happy to see the Cubs lose and deny competitor Fox, the larger publicity that would accompany a Cubs’ NLCS appearance.
Last season TBS had the NLCS with the Cubs, but the New York Mets swept them in 4 games, significantly less air/commercial time than TBS wished.
Speaking of the Mets, they join the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins as possible opponents of the Cubs in the upcoming division series.
Another excellent Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson aired last night on Antenna T.V.
Mr. Carson’s guests, in the early 1980’s show were the great playwright, Neil Simon, Joe Garagiola and in his first Tonight Show appearance a young comedian named Bill Maher.
Garagiola, a former catcher and then a television personality and baseball broadcaster, talked of how Hall of Fame pitcher, Gaylord Perry essentially succeeded at hiding the machinations of throwing the “illegal” spitball pitch.
There will be more on the above referenced, Tonight Show in a future post.
The good news for the Detroit Tigers is that they swept a three game series at home vs the Chicago White Sox.
There is “bad news” as well in that the Cleveland Indians maintained their four and a half game lead in the American League Central Division by sweeping a three game home series of their own, vs the last place Minnesota Twins.
As Labor Day Weekend approaches, Cleveland in a bid for their eighth, “one eighth” division title still has a nice lead. The Tigers are now tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the lead in the race for playoff qualification.
Rather than think of the dreaded wild card presence, I think of a great Detroit/Baltimore association from the better, if not glorious past.
The association is baseball great Al Kaline, who played his whole career for the Tigers and was from Baltimore.
Oh those Chicago Cubs do not learn as they continue to win a great deal, certainly as far as the tournament contending, Pittsburgh Pirates are concerned.
Chicago just completed a three game sweep of the “Buccos” in the “Windy City” damaging the Pittsburgh entry’s tournament aspirations.
Last season, the Cubs won a one game playoff, I guess, that certainly eliminated the Pirates from the baseball tournament.
Pittsburgh has been in that joke/one game deal in the last 3 seasons, winning in 2013 before losing in both 2014 and last season.
Joe Maddon, pictured above, has managed the Cubs to an incredible 15 game lead in the N.L. Central Division.
I truly have nothing against Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck save the fact WFAN radio’s Mike Francesa likes him so much.
This season, I believe to be Francesa’s last at WFAN, (I vow not to listen but really want to know his “picks” as I feel strongly, he will not have a second straight good season regarding those picks, but since I will not know his picks and go vs them, I hope he does. All of that manifests in a warning regarding the evil of gambling!!) Andrew Luck and the Colts will do very well.
They are slight underdogs to the Houston Texans in the AFC South.
The Texans’ quarterback, Brock Osweiler is one of the few modern athletes worth cheers. I will root for him, but my feeling is the Colts will win the AFC South.
Neither the Tennessee Titans nor Jacksonville Jaguars figure to challenge for the division crown, but I am not Francesa who so often says NO chance, and will not say they have no chance because they do have a chance.
It is far from my wish list to talk about and promote a game or just about anything on ESPN/ABC/Disney.
In fact I say do not watch the Sunday night clash between Notre Dame University and Texas University.
Do not watch unless they can resurrect the great announcer, who was the lead CBS announcer on so many Cotton Bowls, Lindsey Nelson.
Three such Cotton Bowls matched Texas and Notre Dame with Texas having the national title in their grasp with a victory.
Notre Dame won two of the three games and won as many national titles afterward as Texas.
Before this Sunday night’s tilt (there another promo) more on those memorable games between the two schools.
Lindsey Nelson pictured above.
If it comes to pass that the almost certain National league one seed, Chicago Cubs face the current American League top seed, Texas Rangers in the World Series, talk will be about how the Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908.
That surely will and should be emphasized but alas the Texas Rangers not only have never won a World Series crown but suffered one of the worst defeats ever in any game in which a team had a chance to “title” with a victory.
The game was the sixth of the 2011 World Series when twice the Rangers were one out away from a World Series victory only to see a St. Louis Cardinals’ player, first David Freese and then Lance Berkman deliver all-time type clutch hits that tied game 6, in what eventually manifested in the Cardinals’ 11th World Series victory in game 7.
Thus some of the “sympathy vote” should go to Texas even in a World Series vs the Cubs. Chances are it will not happen, but at the moment no World Series match up is more likely.
Lance Berkman, pictured above and then with the St. Louis Cardinals, delivered a 2 out, 2 strike hit that drove in the tying run in game six of the 2011 World Series vs the Texas Rangers. The Cards went on to win both the game and World Series.
Berkman ended his playing career with Texas, but unfortunately for Texas, the World Series did not end with Berkman’s at bat in game 6 of the 2011 World Series.
Last season the Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North Division.
However, the Pittsburgh Steelers from the same division handed the Bengals an inexcusable Saturday night wild card game loss.
The defeat is one of many the Bengals have suffered without advancing in the playoffs.
Last year Cincy won both “reg” tilts vs the Steelers. That is unlikely to happen again. It will be a close race.
Both the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns will improve.
Andy B Sports 