Two of the four teams from the AFC North have their corresponding baseball teams at least in contention to make the upcoming baseball tournament.
The cities that made the NFL playoffs last season, Cincinnati (Bengals) and Pittsburgh (Steelers) will not have baseball tournament teams this season.
Certainly the Cincinnati Reds are out and so likely are the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The “Steel City” Pirates had played in the “5 seed vs 4 seed” game, for 3 straight seasons, losing twice.
Before then, the Pirates failed to make the baseball playoffs for 19 consecutive completed seasons from (1993-2012) with no completed season in 1994.
Those who have read these posts over the years, have seen occasional hypothetical, “after life” conversations.
Here is one that would be pretty accurate, no matter the circumstances of their meeting.
It involves my late friend and everything Pitt (Pittsburgh University) Beano Cook and a man to be honored in an “on earth” event (Saturday September 17th) of some controversy, on the exact 50th anniversary of his first game as Penn State head football coach, Joe Paterno.
I never met Paterno, but based on a televised, I guess, “surprise to Paterno, meeting” with Beano and recollections regarding Beano, some of the below might take place, “above.”
Beano: I can not believe Pitt is a 5 point favorite in tomorrow’s game vs Penn State. That would not be the case, if you were still coaching. If I were alive, I would be bugging that Andy B.
Paterno: First of all, you always over rated our team and especially me. One of my famous linebackers, Dennis Onkotz saw through that and told Andy B (whomever? that is).
However, I always liked you and I am so glad you were grateful, it was me, who greeted you upon your death.
Beano: I would have preferred my mother, for two reasons. One is I love her so much, the second is when I saw you, I was not sure, but still confident, I made it to the better place.
Paterno: I could say which place is that, or did you? Better yet, I told you that your obituary was in the New York Times, a lifetime goal for you.
Beano: I know there is no need for money in this place, but I wish I could take the points with your Penn State. I would hope Pitt wins but does not cover the spread.
Paterno: We are running “long,” even for this place. You still have to “clean it up,” but close this, with your line about your root and bet both winning.
Beano: I always said it is like going on a date with a great woman ( I can talk this stuff, “they” say you can not, but to me, what bugged me about you and you truly were a great coach, was that you were at times, sanctimonious, but in reality each of us was with flaws, a part of and great, positive illustration of a “time of craft”) having her “really like you and show it” and then ALSO pick up the dinner check.
As stated in yesterday’s post, the Minnesota Vikings gained a small piece of revenge by winning their Supe 4 redux vs the Kansas City Chiefs at “Minne,” in the 1970 season opener.
Last night, the defending Supe champions and 3 point underdog Denver Broncos, denied the Carolina Panthers even that bit of solace, winning (21-20) in a “bah-bah bah” game, in which the over/under total winner is questionable.
After losing to the Vikings in their 1970 season opener, the Chiefs annihilated the Baltimore Colts, in just the second game of the ABC Monday Night Football package, which enters its 47th season, with a rarity, a fine network announcer, Sean McDonough, in 3 days.
The Colts under “Easy Rider,” low key coach, (not an uptight, power hungry one, as are so many), Don McCafferty went on to win the 5th Supe.
Neither of the Supe 4 participants has even led in a Super Bowl game since that fourth one.
The Chiefs victorious in that one have not made one since that January, 1970 game, while the Vikings lost three subsequent Supes and have never led in any of their 4 Super Bowl appearances.
The Rams are back in Los Angeles and the two cities from the NFC West with corresponding baseball tournament contenders are the Dodgers and Giants.
It is a return, save the fact that another Dodgers/Giants race (there have been many including classic ones, on each United States coast as once both teams played in Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York respectively) is marred by the fact that the presence of the bogus wild card could save the team that does not win the N.L. West.
The Rams’ counterpart Dodgers have a decent N.L. West lead and probably will win the division.
San Francisco’s 49ers’ corresponding Giants are in an all out battle with the St. Louis Cardinals, whom they host for 4 likely big games next week, and the New York Mets for the two wild card berths.
Arizona (Cardinals) will have no local baseball tournament action as the Diamondbacks, whose 2001 World Series win denied a Joe (Torre) a chance to match another (McCarthy), with a 4th straight managed W.S. win, are out of contention.
The NFC West Seahawks’ corresponding Mariners are still alive for tournament qualification but are considerable long shots.
Among the “Bay Area sports questions,” will the Giants cross the bridge into the baseball playoffs?
The NFL with I believe “Alfalfa” (Al Michaels) and the “gang” presiding opens another season with a Supe redux between the champion Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers.
This game is of no interest to me, betting or otherwise.
The NFL had a Super Bowl redux in its first possible week of scheduling in 1970. The losing team in the previous year’s Supe, the Minnesota Vikings eased vs the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Tomorrow more notes on that game, and I guess the result of this year’s “Alfalfa” opener.
Carl Switzer, there is a football name as in Barry Switzer, pictured above as “Alfalfa” from “Our Gang.”
The other AFC East teams/cities with their corresponding baseball teams.
The New York Jets’ corresponding team, the New York Mets surely are now favored to make the baseball tournament after a (14-4) stretch that has them virtually ahead, in a race with two other teams for two tournament spots.
Meanwhile the Miami Dolphins’ season almost always a bigger deal than the baseball Marlins will be again this year.
A sad refrain, as I was about to cite the Don Mattingly always finding the losing dugout” quote from a man who knew, last week after three Marlins’ losses at New York vs the Mets.
Since then, a “salvage” win there, but 5 consecutive losses and a likely, meaningless win yesterday. It is not to be, for the Mattingly managed Marlins.
Baseball in Buffalo, the home of the Bills, is most famous for the fact the movie, “The Natural” based on but not truly faithful to Bernard Malamud’s book, was filmed at the old War Memorial Stadium there.
Throughout the weekend posts on 1966 shows beginning. The same calendar as 50 years later, and the first day of 1967 at War Memorial Stadium, the first Super Bowl entrant manifested.
A look at the AFC East and its corresponding baseball teams.
The New England Patriots probably should have been rewarded with more than the four Supe titles they have won during an incredible period of sustained excellence from (2001-2015).
It also was a period of time that saw Boston (Red Sox), the corresponding baseball team, first end an 86 year title drought by winning the World Series in 2004 and then add titles in 2007 and 2013.
The Red Sox are a very probable baseball tournament team this season, currently leading at least a three if not four team race in the A.L. East by a game, two games and four and a half games, the last figure their lead for tournament qualification.
The New York Mets owe the Cincinnati Reds and yes Washington Nationals’ manager Dusty Baker, some big thanks, as they are right in the thick of tournament qualification contention.
They also might add a thanks to those responsible for getting Jose Reyes, a key contributor, in the current Mets’ (14-4) run, back in baseball and to the Mets.
New York finished the season (6-0) vs the Reds and somewhat incredibly swept them in each of the past two seasons in winning 14 straight games head to head, dating back to 2014.
Meanwhile Cincy helped the Mets by recently taking 2 of 3 games from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Mr. Baker, certainly deserving of praise for a very likely one eighth division title with a fourth different team, gave the Mets an “on paper’ break, that already has manifested in a “standings” break by not pitching Max Scherzer in the recent series finale.
In pitching Scherzer a day later vs “powerful’ Atlanta (Braves), Baker, it now appears has made it so the Mets will also not face Scherzer, when the teams meet again next week in “Wash.”
Complaint department fielding calls from St. Louis and San Francisco.
After Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles led the slight, road underdog, Minnesota Lynx to a 3 point win at L.A. vs the Sparks last night, it is very likely the defending WNBA champion Lynx will be the WNBA top seed.
Minnesota, where the Lakers once played and won 5 NBA titles before moving to Los Angeles which among many other things, is devoid of lakes, now has a one and a half game lead over the Sparks with each team having 4 remaining games.
During the regular season, the Lynx won both “at L.A.” tilts, while the Sparks won the one game played at Minnesota.
Despite those road wins by both teams, the Lynx, now the team likely to gain home advantage, should the two teams meet in the WNBA finals, all things being equal, are glad to have that advantage, should they maintain it.
Sylvia Fowles, last year’s WNBA Finals MVP, pictured above.
The NFC North has one definite “corresponding” baseball tournament and one with a possible tournament entry.
Chicago with the NFL Bears has two baseball teams and while the White Sox will not be in the tournament, the Cubs have baseball’s best record, will almost certainly be the N.L. “one seed” as they enter the tournament in the quarterfinal round.
Detroit with the NFL Lions, has a corresponding baseball team, the Tigers, 32 years removed from their last title, that sits 4 and a half games behind the Cleveland Indians in their division, but only one game behind, in what is now a scramble for tournament entry in the American League.
Neither the Green Bay Packers nor the Minnesota Vikings, will have corresponding baseball teams in the tournament.
Both the Milwaukee Brewers (linked with the Packers who played many games in Milwaukee en route to NFL titles under Vince Lombardi including a divisional playoff game in 1967, but no longer make the travel “leap” from Lambeau Field, to play in Milwaukee) and Minnesota Twins will not be in the baseball tournament.
Those two teams are linked to and by the great player, but current last place manager with the Twins, Paul Molitor, once, a star player with the Brewers.
