The dominance of the CFL West over the CFL East continued with two more inter conference wins by West teams.
In one of those games, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers raised their record to a league best (5-1) winning as 4 point road underdogs, in Hamilton, vs the Tiger-Cats.
The other Western Conference win vs the East was favored Saskatchewan RoughRiders ripping the expansion Ottawa REDBLACKS (their nickname, perhaps in rude fashion, is all capital letters). The Western Conference is now (13-2) vs the Eastern Conference.
Last week, I picked the British Columbia Lions to at least stay close vs the unbeaten Calgary Stampeders and they won outright.
This week let’s say the Montreal Alouettes of the East will play well vs the Edmonton Eskimos.
The Detroit Tigers have the best chance to win this year’s World Series not because they are the best team nor because they picked up David Price.
The reason they have the best chance is that unlike the Oakland A’s and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, they are very likely division winners.
The A’s and Angels, American League teams with better records than Detroit, are in the same division and but one game apart. The winner of their battle for the A.L. West crown will avoid a one game “play in,” and likely be at least the two seed.
Further reason for Detroit optimism is the fact the American League has the home advantage in the World Series.
Thus for that reason and the likely division title I rate Detroit’s chances as best.
However the race to be baseball’s champion surely is wide open. It is almost any year given the vicissitudes of at least three short series that any champion to be must win.
Do not be shocked if a real long shot takes home the crown.
Finally, justice, as the great punter, Ray Guy, was enshrined in The Football Hall of Fame.
As Mr. Guy said in his induction speech, now every football position is recognized by the Hall of Fame.
It is long overdue that this great performer, whom Raiders’ owner Al Davis made a first round draft pick, got the credit he deserved.
Punting is very important and Guy stood out as no other punter did and is the first player who was only a punter to make the Hall.
Other greats punted, among them quarterbacks Sammy Baugh and Norm Van Brocklin. It is comforting to know that Guy is now in the Hall of Fame with such greats.
Sometimes the Hall gets it right, but it sure took a long time–way too long. Congratulations to the great punter, Ray Guy.
Last week Bobby Cox was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His record of getting into the playoffs is incredible and though his teams could claim but one world title, I can accept his choice though he was not exactly Joe McCarthy or Casey Stengel in the “alchemy” of converting post season appearances into World titles.
I met Mr. Cox once at Citi Field and conducted a TV interview with him as batting practice ended.
Cox won 4 true, “one quarter of the pie” divisional titles and I asked about his first one, the lone one not managing the Atlanta Braves, when he was with the 1985 Toronto Blue Jays.
Playing on the final weekend of the season in a Friday night game, Cox and the Jays were one out away from the divisional title.
However, Butch Wynegar of the New York Yankees hit a game tying solo home run and the Yankees eventually won the game.
I said to Bobby a few years back how that must have caused a sleepless night but also recalled his calling the ABC studio where I worked that Saturday, confident in his team.
Then in 1985 and in the interview with me Cox talked of “letting it go” and the fact “no one is going to feel sorry for you and do it yourself.”
Those words still resonate with me and can with all of us. “Congrats” Bobby on a stellar managerial career and imagine how proud your 1968 Yankees’ teammate, friend, and fellow Oklahoman, Mickey Mantle is of your achievements.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play their third Sunday game against each other and all three were made night games so ESPN could televise them nationally.
This has been the case involving the two teams for well over half the 25 years that the all powerful Disney entity (owner of ESPN) has shown Sunday night baseball.
It truly irks me that these games have been given such high status. Tonight’s game pits the third place Yankees, 5 games out of first place vs the Red Sox, who have given up on the season.
There are so many more meaningful games including the Brewers/Cardinals, two of three NL Central teams separated by one game in the loss column.
It is too bad the far less important Yankees/Red Sox game will be piped into all those subscriber’s homes tonight.
Last year, the Boston Red Sox clinched a World Series title at home for the first time in 95 years. The winning pitcher in the game was John Lackey.
Nine months later, John Lackey has been dealt away from the Red Sox. Another reality of today’s sports and baseball in particular–fans are rooting for laundry.
Not even one completed season later, and the pitching star of that historic Red Sox victory is no longer with the team.
The so called experts analyze the trades as if they have an idea about the future, especially the prospects. The arrogant, continual, virtually useless, never accounted for “hot air” of these talking heads continues.
With all this “business stuff,” I often curse the fact, and genius, of 90 feet from home to first base and baseball’s inherent beauty because that makes it hard to get completely away from it.
Sadly, I do get further away from baseball and its beauty each day.
John Lackey
Despite a loss to the team with the league’s second best record (The Minnesota Lynx), the Phoenix Mercury have been red hot all season.
Their record stands at (22-4) one and a half games ahead of the Lynx in the WNBA West. Before last night’s loss Phoenix had won 15 straight games.
The Lynx have now won eight straight games and will finish no worse than second in the WNBA Western Conference.
In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Dream who lost their first three games without coach Michael Cooper, have now won two straight and lead by a comfortable margin in the standings.
Without any real scouting, I will give an early reading on the NFC West.
Both the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the runners-up San Francisco 49ers, call the NFC West home.
The Arizona Cardinals battled for the playoffs until the final week of the season and the St. Louis Rams were improved: both NFC teams.
It’s a tough division, and the additional “first place schedule” has made the projected wins total for the so called dynasty in the making Seattle Seahawks, only “ten and a half.”
Will they win 11 games or more? That is why they play: to answer those and other questions.
My late friend, the football expert Beano Cook, would have predicted that Seattle will win less than 11 games. I can hear him now saying “they are very good, but that schedule is BRUTAL.” My early feeling, is that Seattle will be very good, but they will struggle to reach a (10-6) record.
Beano Cook: his philosophy and wisdom lives on
“Piece Of My Heart” is an extraordinary musical play telling the story of Bert Berns, an equally extraordinary songwriter, who died so young and whose accomplishments, incredibly and unjustly, are little known.
This play, which weaves the story and music brilliantly and in an entertaining manner (think Jersey Boys, it is that good!) hopefully will change the recognition factor involving Mr. Berns, who died at age 38 in 1967.
The entire cast is wonderful with Zak Resnick shining throughout as Bert Berns. Linda Hart of “Hairspray” fame also stands out playing Bert’s widow Ilene in the later years.
After seeing the play, I now have incredible fascination and curiosity about Bert Berns, who was given great talent but a short time to live.
It was his determination and motivation to do, knowing he had a weak heart and a short time to live, that should be incredible motivation to all of us.
This great work, directed and choreographed by Denis Jones and with Jack Thomas as executive producer, will tell about Berns and help correct the injustice of his lack of recognition.
As always you can look it up and see Berns wrote or co wrote so many great songs and big hits. “Twist and Shout” and “Piece Of My Heart” are two among the many.
The play tells the story of why Berns’ recognition factor is so low; doing so in flashing episodes (with his great songs) of Berns’ life.
The great Jewish scholar Hillel’s name is evoked, as are some of his sayings. One truly applies to seeing this tremendous work: “If not now, when?”
The where is “The Pershing Square Signature Center at 480 West 42nd Street with performances (Tuesday-Friday) at 7:30, two shows Saturday (2 and 8) and a 2 o’clock performance on Sunday afternoons.
Last week, the Calgary Stampeders won the battle of the last two unbeaten teams in the Canadian Football League, winning in Edmonton vs the Eskimos.
Also in the far better CFL Western Conference, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, over a one touchdown underdog, moved to (4-1) with an upset win vs the disappointing British Columbia Lions, who fell to (2-3).
In the East, three teams are (1-3) and the other is (1-4). The East is (2-11) in games vs the West.
This week look for British Columbia to play well and be very competitive vs undefeated Calgary which is a 6 point favorite.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Andy B Sports 