Only one team in the AFC is undefeated after three games, while six teams have winning (2-1) records.
The undefeated team is AFC North leading Cincinnati Bengals while two other AFC North teams, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are (2-1).
The New England Patriots lead the AFC East with a (2-1) record.
The Houston Texans with a (2-1) record, are the only team in the AFC South with a winning record.
The AFC West sports two teams with (2-1) records, the defending AFC champion, Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers.
The National League playoffs, in my opinion, are all but set, with only the venue for the “play in game” up in the air, as the final week of the season begins.
What is a “play-in” game? It’s a game between the two wild card teams. The winner joins the three division winners in the divisional series. After the “play in” games in each league 4 teams remain in each league.
Alas, one can still make a case for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central, but I will “declare” the St. Louis Cardinals as very likely winners, as they take a two and a half game lead (but two in the loss column) into the final week.
The Washington Nationals have a three and a half game lead in the all important loss column for the National League top seed. (The half game, because they own the tiebreaker, which frankly is not reported by the many media outlets I have “encountered.”) They have clinched the NL East title for the second time in three seasons.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers are almost certain to be the two seed in the National League.
First off, they take a four and a half game divisional lead over the San Francisco Giants into the final week. They also enjoy a two and a half game lead, again the added half game due to the fact they own the tiebreaker, for higher seeding in relation to the Cardinals.
Last, due to the fact it involves the bogus wild card, going into the final week, the Pittsburgh Pirates own a half game lead (you guessed it, they own the tiebreaker with the S.F. Giants) over the Giants for the home advantage in the very likely one game “play in,” between the two teams to be played on October 1st.
Today in Cleveland, where the hometown Browns face the Baltimore Ravens, it will be a rematch involving the two cities (Cleveland and Baltimore) that met for the NFL championship 50 years ago.
The 1964 championship win was the last one not only for the Browns but for any major league Cleveland professional team.
The Browns also won the NFL title in 1954. There will be some ceremonies, honoring each of those great teams today.
1964 Cleveland Browns
Two teams, the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles went to (2-0) at my “expense” last week while the San Diego Chargers kept the defending champion Seattle Seahawks from that achievement for our lone “victory.”
Three predictions for the NFL’s third week of play follow.
The Washington Redskins will keep the game close, and perhaps pull an upset at Philadelphia, vs the (2-0) Eagles.
The (1-1) Detroit Lions will bounce back and win at home vs the (1-1) Green Bay Packers.
On Monday night the (1-1) New York Jets, who lost a tough game last week at Green Bay, will bounce back and win vs the (1-1) Chicago Bears. Last week the Bears had a great comeback win at San Francisco vs the 49ers.
By the way, and please do not make this the norm, I did not use the verb “beat” as a way of indicating a predicted result.
It was a great Thursday night at Madison Square Garden as the incredible group, “The Eagles,” performed as part of their “History” tour.
What a history they have and it manifested in a great show, as The Eagles performed for a Springsteen like, nearly three hours.
Both the crowd and surrounding atmosphere were great as Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Joe Walsh all performed in lead singer roles.
Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good,” complete with a camera on his person, led to humorous instructions for audience response, and was one of many highlights.
Another was “Take it to the Limit” dedicated to its writer, Randy Meisner, who originally performed that great hit song.
It was also great to see one time guitarist Bernie Leadon perform with the group, and I gained greater appreciation for Timothy J. Schmit, a member of the group since 1977.
The show closed with three great encores and I agree with the fan who said on his way out, “the three songs (Life in the Fast Lane, Hotel California and Desperado) were worth the price of admission.”
Yet, of course, the Eagles and their repertoire of so many great songs, gave so much more.
Each song is part of their great history and why seeing their “History of the Eagles Tour” is now, thankfully, a treasured memory.
It is almost certain that neither the New York Yankees nor the Atlanta Braves will be in post season play this baseball season.
It will be just the second time in 23 completed baseball seasons that this will occur. The other time was in 2008.
The Yankees will in all likelihood fail to make the post season in two consecutive seasons for the first time since 1992 and 1993. They made the post season 17 times in 18 seasons from (1995-2012.)
The Braves will miss the playoffs for just the 6th time in those 23 completed baseball seasons from (1991-2014.) They made post season play, winning at least a divisional title, in all 14 completed baseball seasons from (1991-2005.)
This week when a pair of (2-0) teams, the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills meet in Buffalo, it will be a rematch in the same city, as the AFL Championship Game 50 years ago.
In that 1964 AFL Championship Game, the Bills defeated the defending AFL champion Chargers and would do so in the 1965 AFL Championship Game as well.
The late Jack Kemp, who eventually was a nominee for Vice President and ran for the Presidency, was the Bills’ quarterback in both the 1964 and 1965 championship game victories.
Coincidentally, he was also the quarterback on earlier Chargers teams that played in and lost the first two AFL Championship games in 1960 and 1961.
The Chargers lost 4 of the 5 AFL Championship games in which they participated, and Kemp was involved in all four Chargers’ losses.
Twice as a Bills’ Quarterback (1964 and 1965) Kemp and his Bills defeated them. Also twice with Kemp as Chargers’ quarterback (1960 and 1961), the team lost the AFL championship game.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are almost certain to have the home field advantage in any post season series in which they play in 2014. They will win the A.L. West title.
Another great regular season performance has been accomplished by the Baltimore Orioles, who will win their first divisional title since 1997 and just their second since 1983, when they last played in or won a World Series title.
Baltimore almost certainly will be the American League “2” seed in the playoffs and will open the division series at home, likely vs the Detroit Tigers, on Thursday October 2nd.
The Tigers, as usual, have shown signs of brilliance but also have struggled at times. They are likely, but far from definite, to be the winners in the A.L. Central. If Detroit holds on, it will be their fourth straight divisional crown.
Once the Athletics franchise played in Kansas City, now in their current carnation as the Oakland Athletics, they likely, but far from definitely, will face another Kansas City based team, the Royals, in the American League “play in” game.
Though the situation and the stakes will be so different, it is almost certain that the baseball Giants franchise, in San Francisco after moving from New York in 1957, will face “baseball elimination” in a Wednesday game in early October as was the case in both 1951 and 1962.
I can share the facts and my intensity both for the game and the fact that the presence of wild card teams, negating the need to finish in first place, helped ruin the game of baseball, which I loved.
Then I realized that the night of the game a man named Ed Lucas will address the “New York Giants Preservation Society” at the Bergino Clubhouse in New York City.
Ed is a passionate baseball fan, more important a writer, even more important a man who has overcome adversity and most important of all, one who helps others.
He is related to baseball history and his story is both inspiring and an important lesson.
Ed was a big Giants baseball fan and at age 12 experienced the euphoria of seeing Bobby Thomson’s pennant winning home run in person at the Polo Grounds on Wednesday October 3,1951.
On that same day, an accident playing the game Ed still loves, took away his eyesight.
His story and life is extraordinary and I look forward to seeing and hearing Ed Lucas speak this coming October 1st.
The game that day, likely, but not definitely, to be played in SF will be on the minds of many in attendance.
However, I know Ed has inspired and helped me as I realize it is just a game. People like Ed Lucas, and not athletic exploits should inspire us to do, not necessarily the extraordinary, but at least the ordinary and not dwell on baseball’s loss as regrettable as it might be.
My “PS” is there will be an upcoming post specifically about Ed Lucas and his inspirational life.
Ed Lucas with Gene Michael
With two weeks left to play, the Washington Nationals are certain division winners while the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals are very likely division winners in the National League.
The Nationals will finish first for the second time in three seasons but also only the second time in a non strike season, (they made the playoffs in strike marred 1981) in this the franchise’s 46th season. They originally were the Montreal Expos.
The Dodgers head into the final 2 weeks with a 3 game lead over the San Francisco Giants. In turn, S.F. has a 3 game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates for the top wild card and a 4 and a half game lead for playoff qualification.
The Cardinals lead the Pirates by 3 and a half games in the NL Central and likely will win a second straight divisional title. They almost certainly will at least make their 4th straight playoffs appearance.
