Hey:
Another Saturday afternoon and another downpour. This is 4 Saturdays by my count. Actually, you could probably go back to Labor Day weekend for the last time we had decent weather on a Saturday. At least we had a nice Sunday.
The biggest story in the world right now, obviously, is the war between Israel and Hamas. I know last week I said I would write more about it this week. And I've been going back and forth about it.
I mean, I have a definite opinion about who is in the right here. What Hamas did, kidnapping and killing the kids at that music festival last Saturday morning was just disgusting. And I believe Israel has the right and the obligation to defend themselves. Hamas is a terrorist organization and should be dealt with as such.
I don’t want to see any innocent people suffer. I know that’s a fairly obvious statement to make, and the sentiments of most people of good will.
This is just a situation that is going to get worse before it gets better. I see the families of those who were kidnapped on the news and my heart breaks for them. I really wish I had the words to say about all of it, but I don't. Like I said last week, people much smarter than me have tried to come up with solutions, and here we are all these years later, and it's still going on.
So all I can really do is write about other things I don't know anything about.....
Like American politics
And sports
So that's what we're going to do.
BASEBALL PLAYOFFS:
The league championship series are set. An all-Texas showdown in the ALCS between the Astros and Rangers, and an on-paper yawner between the Phillies and the D'Backs.
I say on paper because this could turn out to be an entertaining edge of your seat classic, but right now it's hard for me at least to get excited about it. On a dare, I couldn't name 5 guys on the Diamondbacks. I know the Phillies pretty well because they are rivals with my Mets, but neither team really does anything for me.
As for the ALCS, I mean I don't believe that anyone outside of the greater Houston area wants to see another Astros pennant, and the Rangers have Max Scherzer, who is in essence getting paid by my owner to pitch another team into the World Series. That's like watching some gal go home with another dude after you bought her drinks at the bar all night*. And I know he's not pitching because que surpresa, he's hurt, but Jacob deGrom is also on the Rangers. I don't need to see him getting a ring somewhere else.
So logic would dictate that I should dust off the old Arizona Diamondbacks hat I bought when Tara and I went to Chase Field back in 2007 and jump on the D'Backs bandwagon.
But the next thing I'd have to do is go onto BaseballReference.com and find out exactly whose on that roster. Because I really don't know any of the players. And as much as I can't stand the Phillies, I was rooting for them to beat the Braves, and it's a bit harder than I thought to turn that switch right off.
We'll see what happens if/when I actually sit down and watch the NLCS.
Another issue came up this week with the baseball playoffs that I'd like to discuss. The Braves, Orioles and Dodgers all won over 100 games in the regular season, all three got shown the door in the LDS, with only the Braves managing to even win 1 game. The question now is, could this be a flaw in the system, a system that allows the top two division winners a bye into the second round of the playoffs. The flaw being that the teams get rusty and lose any momentum they may have had?
The idea was that the teams that do well in the regular season can set their rotations and give their stars a rest. You can have your ace on full and then some rest starting the LDS. This year that notion bit the dust.
Of course it was grist for all the baseball writers to debate about, and yes it could be an aberration, but both the Braves and the Dodgers have spit the bit two years in a row. I'd love to chalk it up to both of those teams (who I can't stand) being choke artists, but could it be that the playoff format is flawed?
I'm not sure that's the issue and what's more, even if it was the issue, I'm not sure what the fix is. Go back to the single game Wild Card perhaps? I know what they won't do and probably should, but go back to NOT having 12 teams make the playoffs. If anything, they'd water it down and have more teams come in before they would make the number less.
Again I'm not sure this is even an issue, but I think it does bear watching the next few seasons.
FOOTBALL: The End of an Era????
Tim and I went to The Tap Room in RVC for lunch last Sunday. They had the Sunday Ticket there, so in addition to the Giants-Dolphins disaster, we also got to watch the Steelers vs Ravens and the Patriots vs the Saints.
The Saints-Pats game was particularly interesting to me because for the second week in a row, New England got their doors blown off. They were shut out by the Saints and the week before they were blown out by the Cowboys. In the last two weeks, they've lost by a cumulative score of 72-3. And I can't believe I'm writing this, but there are reports out of Boston that Bill Belichick is on the hot seat.
Can you imagine?
And believe me, I'm glad to hear it. That man has tortured me for the past quarter century. From the time he weaseled out of his agreement to coach the Jets, to going to our arch-rivals and turning them into a perennial Super Bowl favorite, to his cheating by filming our coaches or underinflating footballs, even till today torturing poor Zach Wilson, Belichick has been my least favorite sports figure. I just find him despicable.
And it does my heart good to know that his teams have struggled since they let Tom Brady go to Tampa. To me that settles that chicken vs egg argument. Brady played at elite level till he was 46 years old. He was a freak of nature we may never see again. Without Brady, how many Super Bowls do you think Belichick wins?
And yes I know it was Belichick that drafted Brady, but he drafted him in the 8th round. At that point I don't care who you are, you are not looking to draft your franchise QB in the 8th round. That was pure luck.
And having said all that, how can you think about firing him?
Do I think he gets too much credit for the Pats success? Yes, but still, 7 Super Bowls is 7 Super Bowls. That should buy you some goodwill no?
To me the fact that Pats owner Bob Kraft is thinking of sending Belichick packing tells you what kind of people both those guys are. They both want the credit for the success and none of the blame for the hard times.
Don't get me wrong, I want to see the scumbag get fired, but if I was a Patriots fan, I'd be like, really?
As for our local teams on Sunday, both games were exciting, down to the wire and totally unexpected. The Jets, sans Sauce Gardiner and DJ Reed, and going against one of the best Quarterbacks in the NFL, pulled off the upset against the previously undefeated Eagles.
And the Giants, sans Daniel Jones, nearly did the same against the Bills.
The Eagles committed 4 turnovers, including an interception at the end that gave the Jets, down by 2, the chance to take the lead. They scored on the very next possession play and faced criticism for giving the Eagles too much time on the clock. But to me, the way the defense was playing, I felt it was more important to get the points. (which were coming at a premium) The Eagles missing that FG was a gift. No question about it. This was the first time the Jets ever beat the Eagles, which is amazing given that they used to play each other every year in the preseason. It’s taken 63 years, but the Jets have now beaten every NFL team at least once.
As for the Giants, I wrote on FB that the Bills seemed determined to hand them the game. I didn’t mean that as a shot against the Giants, no way. They stepped up and held the Bills at bay most of the game.
The reason I wrote, that was because on the Bills last possession, they had third and eight, and Josh Allen threw an incomplete pass. I kind of thought Bills should have run the ball and take more time off the clock. But now, in hindsight, I can see why they threw it. He completes that pass, the game is over.
The Giants did a great job, marching down the field. When the Bills were called for pass interference, that’s when I wrote that trying to hand this game to the Giants.
And the fact of the matter is, they should’ve been called for pass interference on the last play of the game too. The Bills defender clearly had Darren Walker’s shirt.
Hopefully for the Giants, this close call gets them off the Schneid.
POLITICS: Still No Speaker:
On Wednesday, the House Republicans nominated House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, to be Speaker of the House. While far from ideal, I would rather have him as Speaker then someone, like for example, Jim Jordan.
Alas, Scalise's nomination lasted less than 24 hours. Unable to get the votes he needed, he withdrew his name on Thursday. And now, it's the aforementioned Jordan who is now up for nomination.
The House GOP took a vote and Jordan only received 152 votes with 55 voting against. He needs 217 to win.
I think we're going to be here for a while. The infighting is paralyzing important congressional business, not the least of which is another looming shutdown of the government on November 17th.
Jordan would be a disaster. Scalise at least acknowledges that Joe Biden is the President. Jordan was one of the biggest 2020 election deniers. You know where I stand on election deniers.
We need this nonsense like we need a migraine. Great job Matt Gaetz.
That’s all folks
Stay Safe
and Have a Great Week
* I know Justin Verlander is also getting paid by Steve Cohen to pitch for Houston.
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