My first foray into NFL 2015 predictions and overview concerns the NFC North.
The Green Bay Packers, who came so close to a Super Bowl appearance last season will of course be top heavy favorites to win the divisional title.
My early guess/prediction/seat of the pants feeling is that the Detroit Lions, a hard luck wild card round loser last season, will fall back a bit this season.
I think the Chicago Bears will improve and contend for the playoffs.
There is no feeling good or bad, regarding the Minnesota Vikings’ improvement or decline. They do not figure to be playoff contenders.
The Bears will improve and contend for the Playoffs
Both Wimbledon tennis favorites, Novak Djokovic on the men’s side, and Serena Williams among the women, struggled, but won matches in the maximum number of sets today.
Each had to win the remaining sets to advance and did so.
On Monday and into today, as the match was suspended due to darkness, Djokovic got by Kevin Anderson, after losing the first two sets. The decisive fifth set was played today/Tuesday.
Then after dropping the first set to Victoria Azerenka, Ms. Williams rallied to win the next two sets and the match.
The next opponent for Djokovic is Marin Cilic, with Djokovic a prohibitive favorite. The next opponent for Williams is Maria Sharapova, whom Ms. Williams has defeated in 16 straight matches.
I predicted neither Djokovic nor Williams would win the Wimbledon title this year and that may still happen, certainly one may fail to “title.”
However, each of these great champions may have faced their “moment” in the above referenced matches, survived it and could ease from here on. One reason they play is to see what manifests.
The United States women’s soccer team won their first World Cup title since 1999 with a (5-2) victory vs the team from Japan in the final game held in Vancouver, British Columbia last night.
Throughout the tournament, the U.S. team’s defense with Hope Solo in goal was dominant. They allowed but three goals in the whole tournament.
Last night the offense exploded led by Carli Lloyd’s 3 goal performance. Ms. Lloyd, praised effusively by the classy coach of the team from Japan, Norio Sasaki, was named the outstanding player of this World Cup.
Carli LLoyd
Sadly, Charlie Sanders, the great tight end for the Detroit Lions, died this week at age 68. I have many nice memories of watching him play.
The Lions made the playoffs as the first NFC wild card team in 1970, thanks in large part to Sander’s excellence.
Sanders had great games all year, two on national television.
On the Lions’ traditional Thanksgiving home game, that year vs the high powered Oakland Raiders, Sanders made two Touchdown receptions.
Later that season on a Monday night game–the first season of that TV series–at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum vs the L.A. Rams, Sanders also played great. The Lions’ won that night and it helped them make the playoffs and also was a crucial loss for the Rams who would subsequently fail to make the playoffs.
The Lions would eventually lose the first NFC Divisional round game by the odd score of (5-0) to the Dallas Cowboys. But they wouldn’t have gotten there if not for the great play of Charlie Sanders.
Last night, both the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals won home games in their last at bat. This evokes memories of one of the more famous home last at bat victories in baseball annals.
It was the decisive 5th game of the 1976 ALCS when Chris Chambliss of the Yankees led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a home run that gave the Yankees a (7-6) victory vs the Royals, to win their 30th American League Pennant and first in 12 years.
On this traditional day to look at who leads the races, once 1 of 2 pennant races, and now 1 of 8 mini division races, both the Yankees and Royals are in first place in their entities. Maybe their once great rivalry will be rekindled with a post season clash.
Click here to see the Chambliss home run
Celebrating 1976 ALCS Game Five Victory: Yogi Berra, George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin
A few days back, the great actress Olivia de Havilland turned 99 years old.
She is a true treasure and it is great she is still with us. Another treasure, Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne, speaks with her each week. The conversations are private.
Ms. de Havilland sparkled in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” and was mesmerizing in “The Snakepit,” a movie about mental illness and treatment thereof, which was ahead of its time.
There were so many other roles but it is as “Melanie” in the classic 1939 film “Gone With The Wind,” that we remember Ms. de Havilland best.
Of the four most important characters, Scarlett, Rhett (just noticed the “ett” in each), Ashley and Melanie–I believe only “Melanie” dies in the film.
In real, not “reel” life, the other actors in those roles Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Leslie Howard have all been dead at least 44 years. Ms de Havilland’s sister, the also superb actress, Joan Fontaine, died two years ago.
Of course Olivia de Havilland will endure in celluloid, but it is also nice to know she is still here. Happy birthday, hopefully, a day or two toward number 100 next year.
as Melanie in “Gone With the Wind”
Nobody knows whether the Houston Astros will hang on and win the A.L. West, an occurrence considered about 25 to 1 odds NOT to happen when the 2015 baseball season commenced.
The Astros, who just swept the A.L. Central leading Kansas City Royals, have reached the halfway point in their 162 game schedule with a (47-34) record.
That record puts Houston 5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and 6 games ahead of the Texas Rangers.
Last night’s rerun of “Seinfeld,” which probably should be “David” as in comic genius Larry David, was from 1995. The “George” character works for the New York Yankees and in the episode he meets with members of the Houston Astros front office to discuss inter-league play. At that time the Astros were in the National League and it would have been possible when inter-league play began in 1997. Today, of course, the Astros are an American League team.
The Astros’ play thus far this season is surprising, although if you recall, I said they would be improved and almost picked them to win the A.L. West.
It is onto the finals of the Women’s Soccer Wold Cup for the United States team after a (2-0) victory vs Germany in the semi-finals.
Teams from England and Japan meet today in the other semi-final game to determine the United States team’s opponent in the final game.
The event is being held in Montreal, Canada.
I predict the team from England will upset the team from Japan in today’s match.
Do you think many if any of today’s comedians, male or female, could be as funny or fast, no less as witty, as the great comedian Jack Carter, who passed away at age 93.
To answer the above question they could not do it, without the blue material.
Nothing inherently wrong with blue material, but the greats like Carter, could be funny without it. Today few, if any even try.
Whether on “The Match Game,” or What’s My Line,” (first as a mystery guest and then as a panelist) or on so many comedy roasts, Jack Carter with his rapid fire delivery and great wit always entertained.
He did so with class. Where has that type gone?!
Click here for a vintage Jack Carter stand-up routine
Even though I still think their intangibles for this season are bad and I can not get over their sacrifice bunt decision in game seven of last year’s World Series, it is time to recognize the Kansas City Royals and their excellence.
They are (44-28), (only the St. Louis Cards have a better record) and clearly they have SHOWN (a Missouri “show me state” reference) as in sparkled, that they are a good team.
They swept this past weekend in Oakland vs the seemingly never to be A’s, and have a five and a half game lead in the A.L. Central.
However, “good luck,” getting as far as they did last year when they led the World Series two games to one and had a (4-1), 3rd inning lead, in game four.
The decision to bunt down a run and on a (2-0) pitch in Madison Bumgarner’s first relief inning, whether made by manager Ned Yost or the player, Alcides Escobar, was one of the worst in baseball history.
I said, or rather, screamed, watching that fateful, cowardly, passive decision which cemented the fact that the “S.F.” Giants and not the “K.C.” Royals would win the 2014 World Series.
