Only the (7-2-1) San Francisco 49ers, among the four NFC division leaders, gained ground this past week in the NFL. S.F. ripped the (7-3) Chicago Bears in the Monday night game which was more boring than ultra boring “announcer,” Mike Tirico. The result coupled with the Green Bay Packers’ win at Detroit (Lions) means there is a tie at the top of the NFC North between Green Bay and Chicago. The Niners gained in the win column and now lead (6-4) Seattle (Seahawks) by a game and a half in the NFC West.
The Dallas Cowboys survived, winning (23-20) in overtime vs the Cleveland Browns (oh for the days of five straight years of all but decisive Cowboys vs old Browns games from 1966-1970) and gained ground on the idle New York Giants. The defending Supe champion Giants lead Dallas by one game. From (1967-1969) the last three pre- AFC/NFC configuration seasons, the NFL went to four divisions abandoning the previous two conferences configuration. In each of those three seasons, the Cowboys won the Capital Division and met the Browns, who won all three Century division crowns (Giants’ fans might remember that the Giants alternated playing in both the Century and Capital divisions). Cleveland, after being annihilated by the Cowboys in the 1967 Eastern Conference playoff game won the same game in both 1968 and 1969. However, in both 1966 (Thanksgiving night in Dallas) and in the penultimate regular season game of 1970 on a muddy field in Cleveland, Dallas dealt the Browns’ playoff hopes a severe blow, beating the Browns each time.
Finally, though struggling, the Atlanta Falcons raised their record to (9-1) winning (23-19) as nine point favorites vs the Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons maintained their three game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneeers, who were one of three teams to win in overtime in the past week. The Falcons entered the NFL in 1966, the first season with a Super Bowl, and lost in their only Super Bowl appearance. The Buccaneers entered the league ten years later and won in their only Super Bowl appearance.
1968 Cowboys
All four AFC division leaders gained in the standings yesterday. Three of the four AFC division leaders have three game leads while the (8-2) Baltimore Ravens who won (13-10) as a field goal favorite at the Pittsburgh(Steelers), lead the AFC North by two games. Additionally, Pittsburgh was without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last night and likely will be when the Steelers visit Baltimore in two weeks.
The (9-1) Houston Texans did win in overtime (43-37) vs the (1-9) Jacksonville Jaguars but struggled mightily to do so. Houston trailed the 15 point underdog, Jaguars (34-20) with less than six minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, Texans’ quarterback Matt Schaub, who threw five touchdown passes, rallied Houston to the victory. In the overtime, in this the first regular season with the new overtime rules whereby the first team to score does not necessarily win, each team made a field goal. Then Schaub threw a touchdown pass to Andre Johnson to win the game.
Elsewhere the (7-3) New England Patriots, who did trail (7-0) and (14-7), eased to a (59-24) victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The Pats were ten point favorites at home while the Colts with a (6-4) record are tied with the Steelers for the AFC wild card lead (two wild card teams will join the four division winners in the playoffs). New England gained ground on the (4-6) Miami Dolphins and now lead the AFC East by three games. The Patriots are virtually certain to capture their tenth AFC East crown in the last twelve seasons.
Finally, it looks like the (7-3) Denver Broncos in the AFC West as they actually have the biggest divisional lead after a (30-23) win at home vs the (4-6) San Diego Chargers. The Broncos lead is three and a half games because they would have the tiebreaker against the Chargers, having beaten them in both tilts this season. The Denver comeback win on October 15th in a Monday night game at S.D. was the key game in what now will almost surely manifest in a second straight AFC West crown for the Broncos.
“Want and Need” a play written by John Krisiukenas, was truly entertaining and moving. I saw the show on its penultimate night. The entire cast and crew should be commended as all the audience members I talked with raved about the show both at intermission and after the final curtain. There was a great deal of humor but also a pretty gripping story.
So many cast members were good while Adam Pagdon, as the writer “John,” who could “get” any woman he chose but could not meet the right one, was sensational. He delivered the funny lines but also one could feel the pain of his character’s past as he struggled to go on. Alas it is a tough job to “make out,” if not make love to four different women on stage but someone had to do it. Not that I ever have, but it is a tough job on stage and Pagdon handled it and the far deeper responsibility of showing “John” as someone worthwhile, not a true jerk, very well. Adam Pagdon is an actor to watch. He is a physical and humorous presence on stage.
http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/roy-arias-studios/want-need.php
Adam Pagdon
Perhaps this has been said before but if only we could bottle the energy and goodwill of Rachael Ray. Surely it would help to begin to solve some of our problems. After a long day, which entailed getting up at 6 a.m. and shooting three of her television shows; cooking; exercising; and changing; Ray looked and sounded great at the 92nd Street Y talking about her new book, “My Year in Meals,” with “The View’s” Sherri Sheperd, who did a nice job “pinch hitting” for Joy Behar (cue in Bob Sheppard announcing Sheperd batting for Behar).
Ray enlightened the audience with practical ideas and emphasized the need to try, which is the backbone to her “no regrets” philosophy of life. Her energy and enthusiasm are boundless and normally that type of “do all, all good” does not inspire me all that much. However, Ray, who recently made a big contribution to Hurricane Sandy victims and really cares about kids and their eating and cooking beginnings proved to be most inspiring. Much good comes from her “Yum-o” organization in that regard.
In the cooking department, I will need help just to get to zero but that is another story. I am on board with Rachael’s love for cooking and the saving money and empowerment that comes with it. She proved most engaging when we chatted after the interview and book signing. I made her laugh when I said to this most outgoing, dynamic personality, “You have to overcome your shyness problem.” Indeed “laughter is the best medicine” as is loving what you do. Few people love what they do and bring the passion/personality to it the way Rachael Ray does.
http://www.rachaelray.com/books/year-in-meals/
Film director Oliver Stone and Associate Professor of History at American University Peter Kuznick have collaborated on a comprehensive book and a “Showtime” ten part documentary series called “The Untold History of the United States.” I was fortunate to see Stone, Kuznick and former Harper’s Magazine editor Lewis Lapham being interviewed by Fordham University Professor Thane Rosenbaum in a highly entertaining and informative event at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.
People, including me, get worked up about politics and history, and within reason, that is a good thing. Issues should be discussed without people going “too crazy.” Sadly, my closest living relative does not speak to me, in part, because of differing political viewpoints. This book and documentary series will certainly open up “discussions” and to this point, not much has been refuted. However, as Mr. Stone himself said at the 92nd Street Y interview, “it is early.”
The visual and dramatic presentation (the documentary) is surely worth seeing. Clearly, much needs to be corrected here in the United States and anywhere. Whether it is in a lover’s quarrel, a family situation or a business matter there is something to be said for understanding the other point of view. Pride exists in our families, religion and country but that does not supersede the fact we are all human beings. There needs to be an accounting for things done and the book and series make good cases enlightening us about past horrific deeds perpetrated by our government. On the other hand, Stone can certainly formulate scenarios with “help” he has given along the way. Either way, read the book and see the series. Each is a comprehensive, detail filled overview of history.
This from the book’s “foreword” regarding perspective: “Historical understanding defines people’s very sense of what is thinkable and achievable. As a result, many have lost the ability to imagine a world that is substantially different from and better than what exists today.” Open it up: both the book and your mind. If it does nothing else you will think, and think about history. I fervently wish a history course ripe with excitement was available in my school days when let’s just say the U.S. did have fifty states but had not had that many for too long. I look forward to the documentary airing on Monday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Showtime and to reading “The Untold History of the United States.”
While it was not quite a “best of times/worst of times” Charles Dickens’ NFL Sunday, all four AFC division leaders won on Sunday and none of the four NFC division leaders could manage victory. The San Francisco 49ers, salvaging a very rare tie vs the St. Louis Rams, were the only NFC division leaders to avoid defeat.
The (8-1) Houston Texans prevailed in an inter conference battle of division leaders winning vs the NFC North leaders, the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Elsewhere while AFC division leaders the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos won comfortably, the AFC East leading New England Patriots struggled to beat the Buffalo Bills (37-31). The Patriots were just under two touchdown favorites in the game.
In other games involving NFC division leaders, the Cincinnati Bengals, with local Cincinnati Reds’ telecaster Thom Brennaman, another of the broadcasting “nepotism cases” assigned to the national broadcast, eased vs the NFC East leading New York Giants. The New Orleans Saints handed the Atlanta Falcons their first loss while the NFC West leading SF 49ers could manage only a tie in a home game vs the St. Louis Rams. The Niners were 13 point favorites in the game.
Tonight the Pittsburgh Steelers hope to move within a game of the AFC North leading Ravens when they host the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers host the Ravens in next week’s Sunday night game.
The Henrik Ibsen play, “An Enemy of the People,” still resonates as its main character, Dr.Thomas Stockmann, stands alone and hence is the strongest because he does so. Written in 1882, the play features the doctor, who learns that the lucrative bathes in a Norway spa town are contaminated. He wants to tell the truth but others worried about business losses try to curtail his efforts. Thus, Dr. Thompson becomes “an enemy of the people” in this riveting tale.
Boyd Gaines as Dr.Thomas Stockmann and Richard Thomas as his mercenary brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann, are the co stars. Each is magnificent as are Kathleen McNenny as the doctor’s wife Catherine, and Gerry Bamman as the “on the fence” printer and merchants’ association leader “Aslaksen,” whose continual calls for “restraint” pepper humor into the dramatic story. Rebecca Lenkiewicz has done a good job with this version of Ibsen’s work. The play is directed by Doug Hughes. One hundred thirty years after it was written, “An Enemy of the People” remains a gold standard in the telling of a courageous, selfless deed.
You can see “An Enemy of the People” at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre though November 18th.
http://anenemyofthepeoplebroadway.com/
Five teams are prohibitive favorites to win their divisions as the NFL season is just past the halfway point. It is possible things will go back and perhaps forth but I can make a pretty good case for naming ten of the twelve playoff teams. However, one good thing about the NFL is that just when one assumes–remember the configuration of assume–ass u me, warning that often when one assumes, one makes an ass of you and me–something, other than what one assumed often manifests.
The defending champion New York Giants, despite a home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their most recent game are five to one favorites to win a second straight NFC East crown. The Atlanta Falcons still unbeaten after eight games are overwhelming favorites to win the NFC South. The San Francisco 49ers are also overwhelming favorites to win a second straight NFC West crown.
There are two prohibitive favorites for divisional titles in the AFC. The Houston Texans in the AFC South and New England Patriots in the AFC East are in that category. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos are also big favorites in the AFC West though their lead is roughly a game over the San Diego Chargers. However, I say “roughly” a game because the Broncos overcame a (24-0) deficit to win in San Diego on a Monday night and at this point, have the tiebreaker advantage.
Both North Divisions are considered virtual toss-ups. Though the Chicago Bears have a one and a half game lead over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North, they are only slight favorites to win that division.The Packers beat the Bears in week two at Green Bay. Meanwhile the Baltimore Ravens, with a one game lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers, are also only slight favorites to capture a second straight AFC North crown. The two teams will meet twice within two weeks, the first a Sunday night tilt in Pittsburgh on November 18th.
This is the sixth straight season that either Ryan Theriot or Eric Hinske played on the World Series winner (that has happened four times; Hinske with the 2007 Red Sox and 2009 Yankees and Theriot, the last two seasons with the Cards and Giants) or played on a team that was beaten in the post-season by the eventual world’s champion (both cases it was Hinske, who struck out for the Tampa Rays as the Phillies clinched the title in 2008 and was on a Braves team that lost to the eventual champion Giants in 2010, but not before Hinske hit a go ahead, two run pinch homer in the bottom of the eighth inning of game three of the division series).
Jon Miller joins John Rooney as broadcasters with four titles doing so with three different teams. Miller and Rooney each were broadcasting nationally for one of the titles. Miller, who is a Hall of Fame broadcaster and “more important,” at least a better barometer, considered a good broadcaster by me (I like so few broadcasters, especially today) did the play by play on the national broadcast when the Angels beat “his” Giants in seven games in 2002. He was a 22 year old announcer, who did no World Series “play by play” when “his” Oakland A’s won a third straight World Series, beating the LA Dodgers in five games in 1974. Miller’s Baltimore Orioles dispatched the Philadelphia Phillies in five games in the 1983 World Series. Miller was doing the national broadcast in 2010 and this time the Giants (“his” Giants, as he was still a local broadcaster with SF) won in five vs the Texas Rangers, coincidentally the team that hired Miller back into Major League Baseball after A’s owner, Charles O. Finley had fired him. This year, Miller was doing the local broadcast and “his” team won in less than five, sweeping the Detroit Tigers in four games.
Rooney was a Twins broadcaster, who handled pre and post game assignments for CBS Radio when “his” Minnesota Twins took the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games to win the 1987 World title. John is the only local (White Sox) broadcaster to ever call a Chicago White Sox World Series title (coincidentally Miller was on national radio calling same) when they swept the Astros in 2005. Remember there were no radio broadcasts in 1917 nor 1906, the other two years that the White Sox won the World Series. Rooney broadcast locally with the Cardinals’ World Series winners in 2006 and 2011.
John Rooney
Jon Miller
