One game into the second week of the NFL season, here are some early observations.
I will not start the big anti Peyton Manning comments now but seven touchdowns vs the team (Baltimore Ravens) that beat his Denver Broncos in the playoffs is a bit of “too much” and definitely late.
Denver and Manning are very good and as the season begins they are in the far weaker conference. Thus they are the top choice to win it all.
At this point, a perceived weak conference and division are the biggest things the New England Patriots have going for them. This despite a (2-0) record.
Favored by about 10 points in each win, New England won at Buffalo vs the Bills by 2 points and managed but a three point win in a home Thursday night tilt vs the now (1-1) New York Jets.
In the Sunday night, early season, divisional battle between two highly rated NFC teams, the Seattle Seahawks, playing at home, are about three point favorites vs the San Francisco 49ers.
If not this week, when it is hard to go vs Seattle at home, I believe sooner or later, the Niners, will take charge and win the NFC West.
I do have a “wild” scenario in the crazy (one more wild and we will have to call Robert Conrad) American League wild card race.
Before getting to that and skipping my usual statement of how I intensely dislike the wild card in baseball, let’s give the Yankees and particularly their manager, Joe Girardi much credit. They have battled many injuries to key players and stayed in playoffs contention.
Of course it is the bad play of the Tampa Rays (13 losses in 17 games) which has given hope to the Yankees and others in the playoffs race.
In my September 2nd “American League update,” I “warned” about the “bad karma” associated with Rays’ manager Joe Maddon’s failure to bring a left handed pitcher in to face the near great, David Ortiz in game 5 of the 2008 ALCS.
At that point, the Rays’ slump had started but I was “ahead of the curve” in anticipating this team’s malaise and possible “doomed” fate.
Now perhaps getting “greedy” in the “soothsaying business,” I predict this wild (there is that word!) scenario.
The Houston Astros, with the worst record in baseball, will win at least one key game from the Yankees in their regular season finale series and keep the Yankees out of the ‘offs for just the second time in 20 years (only in 2008 have they failed since failing in 1993) and in 19 completed baseball seasons (1995-2013).
While both the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers enjoy comfortable divisional leads, the rest of the American League playoff picture is still far from determined.
Boston scored 20, 9, 12 and 13 runs in four consecutive wins last week. They have built an eight and a half game lead in the A.L. East and almost surely will win the division under manager, John Farrell, who is in his first year guiding the club.
The Tigers, who as usual seem to have “measured the field” have a five and a half game lead in a bid for a third straight A.L. Central crown.
The close divisional race is in the A.L. West where the Oakland Athletics hold a two game lead over the Texas Rangers.
Of course there are two wild card spots up for grabs and the Texas Rangers and Tampa Rays, the latter despite losing 12 of their last 16 games are the leaders. The Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees and even the Kansas City Royals are still in contention.
This past weekend the five almost certain National League tournament qualifiers either swept or got swept in three game series.
Two were in head to head battles between the likely qualifiers, while the “out of the tournament” Phillies won all three games at home vs the Atlanta Braves.
The St. Louis Cardinals, after losing three of four games in Cincinnati (vs the Reds), won all three weekend games at home vs the Pittsburgh Pirates. That leaves the “Redbirds” one and a half games ahead in the N.L. Central.
Meanwhile the Reds kept winning, sweeping the N.L. West leading L.A. Dodgers in a three game weekend series in Cincinnati. The Reds, one percentage point (.570 to .569) behind the Pirates, are just one and a half games behind the Cardinals.
Both the Pirates and Reds are 8 games ahead for qualification. Earlier in the week the Pirates won two of three games in Milwaukee vs the Brewers.
Despite being swept over the weekend in three game series and being on 4 game losing streaks, both the Braves and Dodgers are still almost certain division winners.
You know what they say about opinions. I am entitled to mine and you to yours. I am not a fan of Sports Talk Radio host Mike Francesa and while the “pandora’s box” of subsequent sports talk show hosts are in my opinion much worse than he, I stand by an utter distaste for Francesa.
However, this is about facts. Yesterday, in his opening remarks on WFAN Radio, Francesa talked of how often Andy Pettitte has been the New York Yankee’s pitcher in big games for the last 17 years. Problem: Pettitte was retired one year (2011) and with the Houston Astros for three seasons (2004-2006). Hence he has not been a Yankees hurler for the last 17 years.
Thursday, he opined Andrew Luck is the most exciting or “some such thing,” quarterback in football since Joe Namath. I do not even remotely agree on both ends but that is his opinion.
However, in the next sentence or two, he said Luck is the most exciting or “some such thing” QB in the past 20 years. Joe Namath retired after the 1977 season.
I guess 36 is the “new 20.”
Andy Pettitte as an Astro
An NFL season that will culminate with its champion being crowned at the football Giant’s home field, 55 years after its most notable game was also played on their home field, begins tonight.
In tonight’s tilt the defending champion Baltimore Ravens visit the team slightly favored to win this season’s title, the Denver Broncos.
En route to winning it all last year, the Ravens won as over a one touchdown underdog at Denver, in the divisional round of the playoffs. Denver is just over a touchdown favorite tonight.
The key play was a shocking Joe Flacco to Jacoby Jones game tying 70 yard touchdown pass in the last minute. It was an inexcusable mistake in the Denver secondary and the Ravens, to their credit, went on to win it all.
The most famous title game played 55 years ago at New York’s Yankee Stadium resulted in the Baltimore Colts overtime victory vs the New York Giants. It was the first of 5 Baltimore NFL championships.
Three titles were won by the Baltimore Colts before they left literally in the middle of the night for Indianapolis. The Ravens have two titles. I do not see either the Ravens or Giants as big contenders this season but perhaps that is why they will be contenders.
Click this link to watch newsreel about 1958 title game from Yankee Stadium
Kramer’s Reality Tour, conducted by the affable and humorous Kenny Kramer (the real Kramer, not “Cosmo” as on the show) in its 17th year and full of great information about the television show, “Seinfeld.”
The tour has baseball overtones. Sticking with baseball, the “Tour” is a home run, maybe even a grand slam home run.
It is over three hours long, never dull and starts with Kenny Kramer talking about the show, offering great tidbits especially about its creator, a comic genius named Larry David.
Next there is a chance to purchase some wonderful souvenirs from “Kra Mart” a play on words but it is doing well while the other “is going out of business.”
Then there is a bus tour on a big, comfortable bus. When entering the bus there are television monitors with well edited scenes from the show, including some bloopers.
There are many sights to see and Mr. Kramer combines the great knowledge often associated with tour guides with a terrific sense of humor and perspective that few have, never mind the average tour guide.
People on the tour get to see the real diner, get the lowdown on an interesting name for a restaurant and so much more.
Last, but certainly not least, the bus stopped and those who wanted could purchase soup from the infamous “Soup” proprietor.
It was as advertised as the lobster bisque soup was beyond delicious (we need a new word.) Al, the proprietor, was at least civil to me, though his printer stopped just after I tendered money to him.
Unlike “George” on the show, I must have been good at ordering the soup. There was a big piece of bread and a delicious chocolate with my soup. This was another really nice thing on a fabulous tour.
Kramer’s Reality Tour is conducted on Saturdays and Sunday. Saturday tours begin at noon. Reservations are a must. Book online at kennykramer.com or call 212 268-5525 or 1800 KRAMERS. Tickets are still only $37.50 as was the original price (depicted in a Seinfeld episode) 17 plus years ago. It is well worth the money.
Kenny Kramer
Last year in the final Baseball regular season series, the Oakland A’s needed and got a three game sweep of the Texas Rangers in Oakland to take the AL West crown.
Starting today, again in Oakland, the A’s host the Rangers in a three game series. Going into the game, the Rangers have a one game lead.
Starting today in Boston, two very likely American League division winners clash. They are the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox.
In the race for the two bogus, but surely important wild card berths, the A’s, as cited also in contention for the AL West title, have a five and a half game lead for playoff qualification.
The Tampa Rays, whose fine manager and good man (as he helps the impoverished), Joe Maddon, whom I fear will never overcome the bad karma associated with not bringing in a left handed pitcher to face David Ortiz in # 5 2008 ALCS, have seen their qualification lead shrink to three games.
Joe Maddon
It is the first day of the last month of the regular season in major league baseball. While I still think the National League playoffs/tournament participants are set, of course there is the possibility of that changing.
Certainly there is a contest for seeding in the form of the NL Central race where the winner will avoid the one game “play in” (talk about a tournament term— it still bothers me a great deal that there are wild card teams in baseball).
As September baseball starts, it is the upstart Pittsburgh Pirates, who lead the St. Louis Cardinals by one game and the Cincinnati Reds by three and a half games in the division. All three very likely will make the post season.
After picking up Marlon Byrd and John Buck earlier in the week, Pittsburgh now has gained the services of 2006 American League MVP, Justin Morneau from the Minnesota Twins.
If the season ended before play starts today, there would be games between the Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers on the exact 39 year anniversary of their NLCS clashes on October 5th and 6th, 1974.
Those would only be quarterfinals, in 1974 they were semi finals. Alas, one should not look back all that often, and looking ahead, there is much baseball left to be played.
Perhaps it is a bit late to pay tribute to a man who was most certainly “early” in discovery, a true visionary, Sid Bernstein, who died last week after an incredible life, at age 95.
Sid is best known for bringing the amazing “Beatles” to the United States and in organizing their historic Shea Stadium performance in 1965.
He was and did so much more. There were other great performers in his realm (Judy Garland and Jimi Hendrix to name two of so many).
On each day, Sid arose, went to work and did so in a most dignified manner. He reached out to so many and brought delight to innumerable quantities.
I met Mr. Bernstein a number of times always addressing him as Sid, which went along with his great penchant for connecting with people.
The last time I saw him was on opening night for the Broadway, Beatles, tribute type show, “Rain,” in 2010.
As though I were the most important reporter in the world, Sid took his time amidst the tumult, (a word he surely used) to answer my question.
Sid Bernstein talked of the Beatles and 1964 and the world of 2010. He was a big part of history but was oh so modest.
Maybe now he is working on intergalactic promotions which will manifest in a great “group/talent” bringing joy on some distant planet. If anyone can do that, it is Sid Bernstein.
click to listen to tribute song on you tube
