Day 203

• Well, I guess the better teams in MLB should be happy these aren't one-game wild-card playoffs.  The home teams went just 1-3 yesterday.  Full slate of eight games today.
• The two home teams, Cleveland and Washington, won the Botball wild-card playoffs.  Botball is going straight into the Division Series with all four series today.

NFL Week 3 Ratings from SportsMediaWatch:

• Fox Week 3 National:  22.8 million viewers, largest Week 3 window in six years.  72% Cowboys coverage.  21% Tom Brady.  Scratched out a +1% in viewers.
  
• ESPN had a VERY GOOD MNF with the Game of the Year:  30%+ increases to the largest Week 3 MNF viewership since the Fail Mary, now eight years ago.  14 million.
• Final SNF ratings had the least watched Week 3 SNF game since 2006!!!  The 10 ratings and 17.8 million viewers was -7% ratings, -4% viewers.
• CBS' 16.5 million was a -11% this week, as the #NFLBoycott still rages strong.
• FOX Regional could only draw 11.5 million (-15% viewers, -23% when their rating of 6.2 is taken into account).
• Still, it appears the 15 most viewed television programs this year are all NFL games.

Other stuff:

• Serena Williams is out of the French Open and probably done for the year with an Achilles injury.  The French Open started Monday.
• Game 1 of the NBA Finals -- Lakers-Heat -- tonight. 
• A fourth Titans player has tested positive for the virus.  No Vikings positives in the last round of testing.
• The Titans will probably be unable to practice at all for their game against Pittsburgh, and it is not 100% impossible the game may be moved, for additional virus testing, to Monday. Nice FUCKING job, Goodell.    
• AND THEN FUCKING MANFRED SAYS "HOLD MY BEER!!!!!"  Manfred has disclosed plans to allow fans at the National League Championship Series AND the World Series in Arlington, TX.  Seriously.  For real.  THEN WHAT WAS THE FUCKING POINT OF A BUBBLE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT MORON?????? 
• In the second-division United Soccer League, the San Diego Loyal walked off and forfeited a match they were winning 3-1 tonight when an opposing player of the Phoenix Rising is alleged to have given a homophobic slur to Collin Martin, who is gay.  This, one game after a player of the Galaxy II of Los Angeles was suspended and then fired for a racial slur against another Loyal player.
  

 

Day 202

• Last night was the only game this season the Chiefs were NOT favored to win.  There was one opening push late in the year at New Orleans.
• Botball will condense the two wildcard games into one day today (White Sox at Indians, Reds at Nationals), and then start all four Division Series tomorrow.
• Real life baseball begins with four of the eight best of threes today.
• Doc Rivers was fired yesterday as the coach of the LA Clippers.  Probably ending any real talk or speculation of the whole Lakers/Clippers thing actually taking a hold.   
• And we lost Jay Johnstone to COVID-19 and dementia recently. 
• And HERE WE GO WITH THE NFL!!!  Tennessee, three players and five staffers.  Both they and Minnesota, who they just played, have closed their facilities...
  

 

2020 NFL Week Three Score Report

• The NFL fell 20 points, this week, short of breaking the 16-game record for points in a week, but it's absolutely clear that Goodell is using scoring and dramatic games to try to bring fans to the TV sets...
• 835 points this week, 52.19 per game.
• For the three weeks, 48 games:  2446 points, an average of 50.96 per game.  The average NFL game, right now, if you took it as a close game, would be 27-24.
• Home teams are 6-9-1 for the week, 25-22-1 for the year.
• Vegas is adjusting:  The Over was only 9-7 for 29-19 for the year.  The lowest Vegas total for the week was 43 for Tampa Bay vs. Denver (under, Tampa won 28-10).  There were five over 50, including all three national prime-time games (TNF was 50 and went under:  28-13 MIA over JAX, SNF was 52 and went over:  GB 37-30 over NO.  And the big one MNF was KC over BAL 34-20, one point under the 55.)
• Highest Vegas total of the Week was 57, and Seattle and Dallas went over when Seattle won 37-30.
• The other 50+ total was Detroit and Arizona at 56, under at 26-23 Detroit.
• 8-8 against the number for favorites this week, 9-6-1 straight up.  23-24 ATS for the year.  32-14-1 straight up.
• Team with more penalties was 6-7-1 for the week, 19-23-1 for the year.
• 187 penalties for the week (11.7 a game), 567 for the year (11.8).
• SIX Cliffhangers for the week, more than half the season total of 11.
• 10 of the 16 games finished within a score, meaning now half (24) of the games this season have so finished.
• 5 non-competitive games for 15 for the season.
• 4 Last Chance Misses this week for 16 total.
• For the first time this season, we had a game (two, in fact) where the game finished within one score but neither a Cliffhanger nor a Last Chance Miss was satisfied to get there.

Now, lemme see if I can find any early ratings news -- been a bit harder to find...

• NFL Network lost 13% from last year's number for Week 3 for Thursday night.
• About 15 million, according to Show Buzz Daily, for Packers-Saints last night.  Early numbers indicate that's about -11% over last year.  
• THE BOYCOTT IS IN FULL EFFECT.  The only network getting increases is FOX, and that's probably ALL Tom Brady and the Cowboys.
  

Day 201

• The Game 163's in Botball took place.  Tampa Bay eliminated the White Sox, Atlanta defeated Washington to win the #1 seed in the National League, Washington now has to win the Wild Card to get a 5 game series with Atlanta.  Atlanta is now 11-9 against Washington in the simulation.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning have won the Stanley Cup four games to two.  Izzy Silyagi has her first Cup to celebrate.  Silyagi noted on her social media that she actually, as about a 5 or 6 year old, graced the back cover of the Lightning's program as a face-painted fan for about two years.  It even got Little Miss WWE/NXT to miss Monday Night Raw tonight!  :)
  
• Sid Seixerio from SportsNet makes a good point:  As much as we want to slag on Gary Bettman, he was able to completely pull off the entire NHL playoffs and play-ins without much of any real snags.  I will say, again, that I think the choice of Canadian cities had a LARGE ROLE to play in that!    
• It appears as if the WWE is admitting, even if they're not stating, the main-roster outbreak of the coronavirus, as they completely scrapped the idea of "addressing the women's tag championships on Raw", instead saying the match scheduled for Sunday will happen "when the champions are cleared".  Vince McMahon, ignorant of fucking reality...  Again.    
• As one example, the major RETRIBUTION storyline has been shelved for two weeks because of contract tracing of a positive COVID-19 case to at least one member of the faction.
  

Day 200 Part 2

• There will be one extra game, at least, in Botball -- no more than 2 though.  Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay WILL play off the 2nd AL Wildcard tomorrow on stream.  Cincinnati, however, has won, with a win today, the NL 2nd Wildcard, and will play the 2nd place team in the NL East.  Atlanta has won their game today, Washington's must still stream.

And now the NFL fun:

• Sunday nighter going predictably berserk:  10 minutes to go in the fourth and it's 27-27 and Green Bay is driving.
• SIX Cliffhangers already. 
• AND the games were averaging 51 before this -- and then you have Kansas City-Baltimore tomorrow night!
• Steve Gostkowski almost got fired after three Week 1 misses of field goals (and, I also believe, an extra point).  The Titans can be glad they didn't!  They're 3-0, THREE CLIFFHANGERS, ALL on Gostkowski field goals!
• Checking the fans count, and I am NOT counting the teams doing small groups of "family of the team" to set up future protocols:  2-2 this week, 7-3 overall.  Overall, before New Orleans:  6-7-1 this week (yes, we had a TIE, Cincinnati and Philadelphia drew), 25-20-1 overall.
• And let's laugh at these two sacks of failure in Cincy and Philly here a second.  After a Cliffhanger to send it to overtime, the ten minute overtime session featured FIVE PUNTS, TWO FIRST DOWNS, and neither team got inside the other's 40!!!
• Sunday nighter ends 37-30 Green Bay.  So for the second week in a row, an outside chance exists of breaking the 16-game week NFL record for points in a week.  (854, they had 853 last week)  They need 73 to tie it (38-35 would be easiest way to get there).

Other news:

• More possible WWE medical/COVID news.  No confirmation on why (but I'm speculating it's coronavirus), but women's wrestlers Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and Nikki Cross were all pulled from tonight's Night of Champions WWE special.  Jax and Baszler were going to defend the women's tag titles, Cross was going to challenge Bayley for the Smackdown women's title.  Bayley faced Asuka to advance her storyline with frenemy Sasha Banks.  The Women's Tag Titles may go up for grabs on Raw tomorrow.
• The last playoff-relevant Botball game of the year was Washington vs. Philadelphia.  Philly got two in the top of the ninth to take a 5-3 lead.  Two outs, two strikes, two on and one in for Washington and this happens for Victor Robles:  (If you have to click through, go ahead and do so, it'll pop up in a new window for you -- first time really embedding Twitch...)
  

• Second one-game playoff as a result.
  

Day 200 (Last day of the MLB and Botball regular seasons, NFL Week 3 Sunday)

• It appears as if the team the NFL is investigating for unauthorized access to the locker room and another COVID policy violation is the Las Vegas Raiders!
• The Lakers won the Western Conference of the NBA, 4-1 over the Nuggets.  The Eastern Conference is Game 6 tonight, 3-2 to the Miami Heat.
• The Stanley Cup Finals will see at least a Game 6:  Dallas' Corey Perry netted the game-winner about 30 minutes into overtime to force it.  Series is 3-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• The newest 30 For 30 expose:  Oscar Pistorius, the "Blade Runner" found legally culpable (and eventually murdering) in the death of his girlfriend.  In his native South Africa, the prosecution could appeal for a longer sentence and a greater charge, and they did -- he was convicted on prosecutorial appeal of murder and got six years, THAT was appealed and increased to 15 years.  He has served about six years and must wait three more before possible parole.  Given that both his crime and his sentence were increased on appeal via South African law, it does not appear that Pistorius will be released until October, 2029, even though he was originally recommended to house arrest as early as 10 months after the original conviction.
• The Atlanta Falcons have the first COVID-19 miss of the year.  First-round draft pick A.J. Terrell will not play because of an apparent positive test for the coronavirus.

Quick Botball, as there is some to play for today:

• AL seeds are largely taken care of:  Minnesota #1, Yankees #2, A's #3, Cleveland the first wild card.
• The second wild card is tied, though, between the White Sox and Rays.
• NL:  The winner of the National League East will be the #1 seed.  However, that, too, is a tie, between the Braves and Nationals.
• #2 seed is the Cubs, #3 the Dodgers, first wild card is the 2nd place team in that NL East dogfight...
• And the Second NL wild card:  Cincinnati is one game up on Arizona with the one to play today.

So:

• Possible AL wild card playoff game Monday, if both Chicago and Tampa Bay do the same result today:  Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays.
• Possible NL wild card playoff game Monday, if Cincinnati loses today and Arizona wins:  Cincinnati Reds vs. Arizona Diamondback
• Possible NL East/wild card hosting playoff game Monday, if both Washington and Atlanta do the same result today:  Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves.  Winner would be the #1 seed, loser would host the Reds or Diamondbacks. 

And then:

• AL WC game:  Chicago White Sox or Tampa Bay at Cleveland
• NL WC game:  Cincinnati or Arizona at Atlanta or Washington
• ALDS #1:  Winner of AL WC game vs. Minnesota
• ALDS #2:  Oakland A's vs. New York Yankees
• NLDS #1:  Winner of NL WC game vs. Washington or Atlanta
• NLDS #2:  LA Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs
• Minnesota, the Yankees, the Cubs, and the winner of the NL East have home-field advantage for the division series.
  

NFL 2020 Fine Blotter On The Field Edition, Weeks 1 and 2

The general NFL fine schedule has now evened out SOME of the numbers, though a number of these fines don't even look close to those numbers.  I also do not know what this means for the aggregated fine levels penalties, as one can no longer add the straight five percent to last year's numbers to get subsequent numbers.  (And there's no public information on that either.)

I can only post what I find:

• Minnesota Vikings (Week 2):  Irv Smith:  $7,752 for an illegal block.
• Dallas Cowboys (Week 1):  CeeDee Lamb:  $15,000 for a blindside block
• Dallas Cowboys (Week 1):  Aldon Smith:  $12,004 for roughing the passer????  That had to be something else.  Roughing the passer would be well over 20K by now.
• Cleveland Browns (Week 1):  Andrew Sendejo (Week 2):  $13,327 for some degree of an illegal hit.
• Atlanta Falcons:  Deion Jones (Week 2):  $14,984 for unnecessary roughness
• Seattle Seahawks:  Qunadre Diggs (Week 2):  $14,984 for the helmet rule -- he was ejected from the game.
• Denver Broncos:  Josey Jewell (Week 1):  $5,462 for an unnecessary roughness foul.
• Tennessee Titans:  Rashaan Evans (Week 1):  $10,500 for his punch that got him tossed out of a game.
• Detroit Lions:  Jamie Collins (Week 1):  $35,096 for effectively headbutting an official and getting tossed for that.  He was trying to demonstrate to the official what was done to him, made contact, and is very lucky he's not suspended, in my book.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Bruce Irvin (Week 2):  $20,000 for roughing the passer.
• New Orleans Saints:  DJ Swearinger (Week 1):  $10,000 for unnecessary roughness.
• New Orleans Saints:  Cameron Jordan (Week 1):  $12,500 for fighting.
• Washington Football Team:  Landon Collins (Week 1):  $10,000 for a late hit

That's for both weeks.  That takes care of what I can find right now on Twitter.  Will look for more on other sources. 

Couple more from Spotrac, and some of these numbers are odd:

They're saying this bunch is Week 2:

• Atlanta Falcons:  Olimade Zaccheaus:  $3,980 for a face mask.
• Cleveland Browns:  Wyatt Teller:  $4,412 for unsportsmanlike conduct
• Detroit Lions:  Will Harris:  $5,371 for unsportsmanlike conduct
• Detroit Lions:  Oday Aboushi:  $5,221 for unsportsmanlike conduct
• Cleveland Browns:  Porter Gustin:  $3,971 for unsportsmanlike conduct
• Cincinnati Bengals:  Khalid Kareem:  $4,110 for roughing the passer???????
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Mike Hilton:  $15,000 for roughing the passer
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Minkah Fitzpatrick:  $11,619 for a horse-collar tackle?
• Green Bay Packers:  Za'Darius Smith:  $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct

And this bunch is Week 1:

• Detroit Lions:  Romeo Okwara:  $10,000 for a face mask 
• Detroit Lions:  Desmond Trufant:  $10,000 for a face mask
• Chicago Bears:  Kyle Fuller:  $15,000 for defenseless player
• Buffalo Bills:  Mario Addison:  $10,000 for a face mask
• Washington Football Team:  Troy Apke:  $5,477 for a helmet to helmet hit
• New Orleans Saints:  Marshon Lattimore:  $12,500 for fighting

And one on the suspension blotter:

• Miami Dolphins now responsible:  Antonio Callaway has had four games added to his six-game suspension, making ten. The Dolphins are responsible for 7, if applicable.

Day 199

• The mistake that is the 2020 college football season took full flower today as the Big XII and SEC kicked off their abbreviated schedules.
• According to Yahoo, allowing fans for Week 3: 

1. Jacksonville did and lost to Miami Thursday night.  (Home teams with fans are 5-2, the two losses both being Florida teams.)
2. Indianapolis will allow 7500 against the Jets.
3. Denver will allow 5700 to their game this week.
4. Cleveland will allow 6000. 

• Second game of a two-game no-fans order:  Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Buffalo
• Second game of a three-game no-fans order:  Seattle
• Through the month of September:  New England
  
• Until further notice:  Philadelphia, New York Giants, LA Chargers
• Something interesting in both Arizona's game and a BIG Sunday nighter in New Orleans against the Packers:  For each of those two games, the team will allow 750 family members of players, coaches, and staff to attend to help the teams make a concerted effort toward getting fans back in the stands in those stadiums.
• Atlanta is doing the same with 500 family members, planning for an October 11th welcoming back of fans.
  
• And the Ravens, in the NFL Game of the Year against the Chiefs Monday Night, will do the same with 250 family members, etc. and so on.

CBS numbers for Week 2 were not good:

• National:  10.1 rating, about 19 million viewers, worst National Week 2 since 2000 -- -23% rating and -19% viewers since the same window on FOX last year.
• Regional:  A BEATING.  5.4 rating, just under 10 million viewers.  About -40% from last year's regional in both numbers.

• NFL has reminded the teams of game-day protocols, NFL.com reporting at least one team is under investigation for unauthorized locker room access.
  

Day 198

• Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao will fight in the Middle East.  The Homophobe vs. The Idiot...    
• Thom Brennaman has formally resigned from FOX Sports.  I thought they just fired him after the slur.    
• Leading to probably the NFL's Game of the Year on Monday Night Football:  Ravens vs. Chiefs, the defensive coordinator of the Ravens believes Patrick Mahomes is so good (and so much the New Face of the NFL) that he would be underpaid if, somehow, he got a $1,000,000,000 contract.
  

Day 197

• Latest word from Wigan indicates that Wigan Athletic is probably headed to be destroyed -- and would not be the first team in English football to dissolve.  Macclesfield Town has been destroyed as of the 16th after a points deduction shoved them out of League Two and into the National League, and any financiers saw no value in keeping the team, so it's being liquidated and is gone.  Bury Football Club has recently been destroyed (2018) and will be finally be soon liquidated.
• There have been calls for a further significant reduction in the number of full-time teams, as even lower-level team owners do not believe England could support the over 100 such clubs, even on better days.
• NBA appears to be headed for a Miami-Denver Finals.  Miami 3-1 up in the East, Denver 2-1 in the West.  No way that's going to be allowed to stand, especially the West -- especially with what I consider the very real political possibility this could be the LAST season of the National Basketball Association.    
• At least two Louisville police officers were shot during the latest round of violent BLM protests.
• The costs of supporting Donald Trump:  Antifa/BLM arsoned to the ground, after painting "Biden 2020" and an anarchist symbol, the garage of a Minneapolis family with Trump signs on their lawns.
• The Pac-12 has finally bent to stupidity:  7-game regular season starting November 7th.
• The charges against Bob Kraft have, as expected, been dropped for lack of admissable evidence.
• One Louisville cop wants a fucking war -- he says BLM will be washing their police cars.
• It appears as if an unauthorized party was to blame for the new set of WWE/NXT positives, which COULD include the new big main-roster faction RETRIBUTION.
  

Day 196

• Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers died today.  Sayers' family had been trying to sue the NFL for last six years over football-caused dementia.  Another sacrifice to the altar.
  
• AEW's Lance Archer self-reported a positive COVID-19 diagnosis from over the weekend.  He had not been in contact with anyone from AEW then or since, but a planned six-man tag-team match to set up his earned championship match is off.
• He earned it from a "Casino Battle Royale" win in the last pay-per-view.  Eddie Kingston was deemed eliminated from the battle royal last when he was thrown off the top of the turnbuckle support outside the ring after sliding under the bottom rope.
• Hence, he was not thrown over.  The Archer positive gave AEW the opportunity to solve a booking problem, and Eddie Kingston will face Jon Moxley tonight for the AEW World Championship.
• University of Houston's football team is having a serious problem.  North Texas has now reported enough COVID positives so as not to be able to play -- the FOURTH TIME Houston has been unable to field it's team for the first time this year.  In all four cases, it's been the other team.
• A team doctor for the LA Chargers sidelined Tyrod Taylor this week.  He was trying to inject a painkiller, and punctured Tyrod's lung instead!!!  Taylor has two cracked ribs.
• In something which is resonating through Black athletes, the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville will go to a Grand Jury for only one of the three officers involved. Tick, tick, tick...     
• Road Warrior Animal went to join his partner Hawk today, passing away at age 60.
  

Day 195

• Add both MNF coaches and teams last night to the "failed mask policy" list:
• Oakland Raiders:  Jon Gruden, $100,000
• New Orleans Saints:  Sean Payton, $100,000
• Oakland Raiders:  $250,000
• New Orleans Saints:  $250,000.

That's FIVE teams and coaches fined.  And those fines aren't cheap.

• Again, FOX has gained in it's Sunday NFL slot, a 6% rise from last year for it's Week 2 singleheader, making the network 3 for 3 on increasing viewers.  Tampa Bay and Dallas were prominently featured.
• Raw numbers for Sunday Night indicated nearly a five million viewer loss for NBC, this year over last.
• 15.4 million between the two networks for Monday Night Football last night.
• In what probably will result in more ABC/ESPN dual-broadcasted games, that number is a 26% increase from a year ago.
  
• CBS early:  Only 9.75 million.  Giants-Bears or Broncos-Steelers.  *yawn*
• CBS late:  18.87 million
  
• Notre Dame's game with Wake Forest has been postponed as the Irish now have an outbreak of the virus, with 10 quarantined players and three more in isolation.
  

NFL Week 2 Score Report and Week 2 Fine Blotter, Part Zero: Do you want to take the virus seriously NOW?????

Still no word on whether there are going to be ANY fines named for Week 1, but we have six biggies, over a million dollars worth, for Week 2:

First, some big numbers, courtesy of Adam Schefter:

• Denver Broncos:  Vic Fangio
• Seattle Seahawks:  Pete Carroll
• and San Francisco 49ers:  Kyle Shanahan...

For failing the league coronavirus protocols by not wearing masks on the sidelines:

1. Each of the three head coaches has been fined ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
2. Each of the teams has been additionally fined TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. 

Either respect the protocols, or get the fuck out, people...

--

And now, the pinball machine going berserk:

• The NFL officially falls six points short of the all-time record, set in Week 14 of 2013's season, for the most points in a 16-game week.  853 points in the 16 games this week, average is 53.31 points per game.
• The season average is a staggering (for the first two weeks) 50.34 points per game.
• Lowest total this week was Indianapolis 28 - Minnesota 11 for 39.
• There was a 29, 30, and 32 total each last week.
• Including the first game in Allegiant Stadium (nice penalty differential there (10-3 New Orleans), refs, to seal that one!), home teams were 11-5 for 19-13 overall.
• Games with fans, home team was 3-1 for 5-1 overall.
• The Over, to no one's material surprise, was 11-5 for 20-12 overall.  (And get ready, the two big national games:  Packers at Saints Sunday night, Chiefs at Ravens Monday night!!)
• Vegas won the spread pretty good -- favorites were 7-9 against the number (15-16 for the year), but only the Saints and Eagles were actually upset, 14-2 straight-up (23-8 overall)
• Team with more penalties was 9-6 for 13-16 overall.
• 199 penalties for the week (12.4 per game) for 380 for the season (11.88 per game).
• Three Cliffhangers for the week (5 for the season).
• Only 7, again, of the 16 games finished within one score, meaning only 14 out of 32 games so far have done so.
• Again, 5 non-competitive games for 10 total.
• And 5 Last Chance Misses for 12 total.  Every one of the 14 games which has finished within one score has been a Cliffhanger, a Last Chance Miss, or both.

--

And a story which was mentioned in tonight's game that I think mertis "Playing Fair" status.

Before tonight, Mark Davis, the owner of the Raiders, had last missed a home game in the Raiders stadium when he was eight years old.  (It was raining, and he had a cold.)

Because the Las Vegas Raiders will not have fans for any games this year (this has already been finalized), Mark Davis will NOT attend any home games this year.  He does not feel it right to enjoy the new stadium when no fans can -- and wants to share the experience with them when the fans can be welcomed back.

He also, in announcing 0 fans for the year, stated he did not want to piece-meal the experience and turn members of the Raider Nation away.

Day 194

Starting with some early Week 2 ratings news on the NFL:

• From Showbuzz Daily:  Early ratings indicate another -20%+ bloodbath for Sunday Night Football.  Estimated about 14-15 million viewers.  (A later source puts the drop at -17%)
  
• Thursday night's NFL Network-only game held steady in it's limited audience.

Other stuff:

• The Michigan-Ohio State game is apparently now scheduled for December.  So WHEN we get outbreak postponements, when is this season supposed to end??  What a fucking joke!   
• At least two dozen major injuries marred Week 2, including the only apparent relevant player on the Giants and four stalwarts from the defending NFC Champion 49ers. 
• Robert Kraft is pretty much done off scot-free from that massage-parlor sting of a couple years ago.  The judge threw out the relevant video tapes, and the prosecutors will not appeal.  Of the important, by the important, and for the important...  But again, I don't think people want to KNOW who all the names actually were, so this had to get swept under the ground at some point...    
• Checking a couple more days, but we may not have Fine Blotters this year unless they start getting publicized in future weeks.  There were some fine-able offenses in Week 1, but I still haven't seen anything to indicate they've been processed.
• New York City, Portland, and Seattle have been named as "anarchist jurisdictions" by Barr.
• Watch out for Refball tonight, probably for the Raiders.  Not only the opening of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (once fans are allowed, the first stadium in the world where cash will NOT be allowed), but also the 50th anniversary of the first Monday Night Football game.
• Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin will finance Bubba Wallace's next team in NASCAR.  Provided NECKCAR's White fans don't hang the guy first...   
• Another WWE COVID outbreak -- this one contained in NXT... Might've been one of the reasons that the WWE put out Thunderdome in the Amway Center in Orlando for the other two brands...
  

 

One more week in the regular season, both Botball and regular....

First, let's do Botball...

And they are still raising money for Meals on Wheels, who most people should know BADLY needs the cash.  So join their Twitch Stream and you have all this to look forward to this week!

AL: 

• Yankees (96-59) 7 up on the Rays (89-66) Yankees Magic for the division is 1 YANKEES CLINCH PLAYOFFS 
• Twins have clinched all they can (AL Central, #1 AL Seed) 
• Indians (96-60) 7 up on the White Sox (89-67) Rays now 1/2 game ahead for 2nd WC. INDIANS CLINCH WILDCARD AND HOSTING IT. 
• A's (90-66), 2 1/2 up on the Astros (87-68). Astros 2 back of the Rays for 2nd WC 
• WC: Rays at Indians -- White Sox 1/2 out, Astros 2 out. 

NL: 

• Nationals (96-59) TIED WITH Braves (96-59) THE LOSER OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST HOSTS THE NL WILDCARD GAME. 
• Cubs (94-63) 5 up on the Reds (88-67) Cubs Magic for the division is 2. 
• Dodgers (91-65), 2 1/2 up on the D-Backs (89-68) Dodgers Magic for the division is 4. 
• WC: Reds/D-Backs at Braves/Nationals, Braves 7 up on the Reds to host, D-Backs TIED WITH the Reds for #2 WC NL.

Playoff implications:

• Cubs Magic for the division is 2. Magic for the Playoffs is still 1.
• Yankees Magic for Division is 1. 

IN:

1. Twins (AL Central, AL #1) 
2. Nationals and 
3. Braves (at least WC, one has to win NL East, the other will host the NL WC Game)
   
4. Indians (Will host AL WC game) 
5. Yankees (at least WC) 

Remaining Races: 

• AL West: A's 2 1/2 up on Astros 
• AL WC #2: Rays 1/2 over the White Sox, 2 over the Astros. 
• NL East now tied Nationals/Braves, both teams in the playoffs though. 
• NL West: Dodgers 2 1/2 up on D-Backs 
• NL WC: Reds and D-Backs tied.

------------------

And now for real-life: 

• AL East:  TB (35-19), 3 1/2 over the Yankees (31-22).  They are both IN.  3rd is Toronto at 27-26.
• AL Central:  White Sox are 34-19, Twins are 2 back at 33-22.  THEY are both IN.  3rd is Cleveland at 29-14
• AL West:  Oakland is 33-20 and IN.  6 back to Houston at 27-26.  3rd is Seattle at 23-30.

Magic numbers to join in:  Cleveland:  2  Toronto and Houston 4 each.

1. Tampa Bay
2. Chicago White Sox
3. Oakland
4. Minnesota
5. New York Yankees
6. Houston
7. Cleveland
8. Toronto

Toronto at Tampa Bay, Cleveland at the White Sox, Houston at Oakland, Yankees at Minnesota

• NL East:  Atlanta (31-22) 3 up on Miami (28-25), 4 up on Philadelphia (27-26), 7 up on the Mets (24-29)  No one has clinched anything in this division.
• NL Central:  Chicago Cubs (31-22), 3 1/2 up on St. Louis (26-24), 4.5 up on Cincinnati (27-27) and the Brewers (26-26)   No one has clinched anything here either!
• NL West:  LA Dodgers (38-14), 4 up on the Padres (34-20) -- they are both IN.  3rd is San Francisco at 26-26.

We have three tiebreakers to handle.  

• First, we have to resolve Cincinnati vs. Milwaukee for 3rd in the NL Central.  The two teams are 4-4 with a hyper-critical 3-game series in Cincy starting Monday.  But Cincinnati is 19-18 vs. the NL Central, Milwaukee is 16-16.  So this means Cincinnati, right now, has the 3rd spot in the NL Central.
• Now, Cincinnati vs. San Francisco.San Francisco is 15-17 against the NL West, so not only does Cincinnati win the 2nd 3rd place spot, San Francisco falls below Milwaukee in the ranking thereto as well.
• Now you break Chicago and Atlanta for the #2 and #3 seeds.  Both teams are 21-15 in their division.  So the tiebreaker then becomes the records in the last 20 division games between the two teams, and, according to MLB.com, the Cubs currently have that tiebreaker.
  

1. LA Dodgers 
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Atlanta
4. San Diego
5. Miami
6. St. Louis
7. Philadelphia
8. Cincinnati

Cincinnati at LA, Philadelphia at Cubs, St. Louis at Atlanta, Miami at San Diego

 

Day 193 (mostly Week 2 NFL)

• Well, a new Steroid Era has almost-certainly begun in professional golf in this country.  Bryson DeChambeau made mincemeat of not only the course (lowest 72-hole Winged Foot score and only the third person to complete a US Open at Winged Foot under par, and beat the USGA's target score by FOURTEEN SHOTS) but the field (only person this year under par, won the tournament by six) with a rhetoric-creating first major win at the 2020 US Golf Open.  Fuck.  God help us all...    

NFL Week 2:

• Well, it's clear that Goodell is going to try to get people back through scoring, scoring, and more scoring.  795 points so far in Week 2 (a 53 point per game average).
• Week 14 of 2013 had 859 points, the current NFL record for a 16-game week.
• Las Vegas vs. New Orleans at the opener of Allegiant Stadium tomorrow night -- and, if at least 65 points are scored in that game, there will be a new record for most points in an NFL week.  Current Vegas total is 48.5.
• Another interesting stat:  There have been 14 of the first 31 games of the season finishing 8 point margin or within.  That's quite a low number.  But even more interesting is that all fourteen of those games have had either a Cliffhanger or a Last Chance Miss, or BOTH.  Meaning that, in every one of those games, the result has come down to the final two minutes of the game, one way or the other.
• Six national games so far this season in prime time.  Only the KC-HOU opener was non-competitive.  PIT-NYG (MNF game 1) was within 8 at some point in the 4th quarter.  All four other games have had a Last Chance Miss (a good chance to win or tie the game in the last 2 minutes, missed), one of the four also had a Cliffhanger too.
• Favorites are 14-1 straight up this week.
• When Buffalo beat Miami 31-28, it became the first road team in six games to win at a game in 2020 where some fans were present.  Home teams in those games are still 5-1.
  

Day 192

• The Big Ten restart will be October 24th.
• This, on the same day that Florida State announces it's head coach has tested positive for the coronavirus.
• Due to other delays (the South American club championship delayed to a January finish), the FIFA World Club Championship will be pushed back into 2021.
• Ron Gardenhire has retired, immediate effect, from managing.  Health concerns. 
• The Milwaukee Brewers alternate site will probably have to shut down -- two players and a staffer positive for the virus.  Does not impact the major-league team.
• Gary Bettman does not have an idea right now when the 2020-21 NHL season will begin.
  

Day 191

• For the second week in a row, the Thursday Night Football game had some fans there.  About 10% capacity, about 6,000 fans in Cleveland...  (which they will duplicate next week)
  
• And games with fans are 3-0 for the home team, Cleveland 35 - Cincinnati 30.
• Week 2 games with fans, according to Yahoo...

1. Cleveland Thursday night.
2. Miami, 13,000 Sunday against Buffalo
3. Indianapolis will only allow 2,500 to see their game against Minnesota on Sunday.
4. Dallas is estimating about 1/4 capacity for their game Sunday with Atlanta.  Though they have not given a number, this would be an approximate crowd of 20,000, the largest crowd yet for an NFL game this season.
   

As for the rest:

• As of right now, no fans for only the home opener for Tennessee and Houston.
• For the first two home games for Green Bay, Arizona, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh.
• For the first three home games for Seattle.
• Until further notice:  Chicago, LA Chargers, Philadelphia, and the New York Jets.
• And that brand new stadium premiering Monday night in Las Vegas:  No fans at all for 2020 for the Raider games at Allegiant Stadium.

Other news:

• University of Houston football has had a SECOND GAME postponed this week.  After the game with Memphis was postponed, they and Baylor got together to schedule a game quickly.  THAT game is now off because Baylor doesn't meet the criteria for COVID-19 prevention -- probably meaning positive tests in one of their position groups.
  

Day 190, Part Two

• Knew this was coming -- at least one of the fans at last week's opener has now tested positive for the virus, and at least 10 more are quarantined.
• Josh Donaldson of the Twins had a beef with the home plate umpire, hit a jack, and was tossed for kicking dirt on the umpire and home plate on the way through.
  

Day 190, starting with a spoiled British Game Show Stunner

• Donald Fear from Telford, England, about 30 miles NW of Birmingham, became the sixth Brit to win the one million pound jackpot, and the first on the Jeremy Clarkson version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?     
• Two rules changes from the classic version:  The first is, due to a lack of an audience, the player can use two Phone-a-Friend lifelines.  (They must provide multiple Phone-a-Friends, and the same one cannot be used for both lifelines.)  Neither were necessary in the championship run -- Fear only used one Lifeline at 32,000 pounds, the 50/50 normally provided.  The fourth Lifeline is that you can Ask the Host for his idea on the question.
  
• The other is a far more interesting rule change.  The first safe-haven is set at 5 questions and 1,000 pounds, as normal.  The second safe-haven can be set at any amount past that amount, at the contestant's election, before that question is asked.  You must answer the question correctly to gain that safe-haven.
  
• Even more interestingly, Davyth Fear, Donald's brother, appeared on an earlier Clarkson version and received the a million-pound question from Clarkson, but could not answer it.  The Fear brothers have taken 1.5 million pounds from ITV.
• Clarkson and Donald Fear incorrectly note that Donald is the seventh winner.  He is the sixth -- the cheater, Charles Ingram, is not counted.
• He is the first British winner since Ingram Wilcox, just two weeks short of FOURTEEN YEARS since the original country of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? crowned a winner.  186 episodes had aired since -- many celebrity versions.
• Ironically, however, according to a fan wiki, it was only two weeks since another version of Millionaire crowned a top prize, and this country, after an even longer wait.  A contestant named Henny won 1 million Euros in the Netherlands version of the game -- NINETEEN YEARS after the previous winner.
• In fact, according to the source, no less than six contestants have won the top prize of their version since the first of the year.
• According to that source, Donald Fear is the 216th worldwide winner, including celebrities and teams.  One of those celebrity teams included former chess World Champion Garry Kasparov.  ... to what should be no one's surprise.   
• To current knowledge:  Donald Fear is only the second contestant in the history of the format to only need one Lifeline to win the top prize.  The first really shouldn't be counted as that, as it was the famous case of the first worldwide winner, John Carpenter.
  

Day 189

• It appears the statements the Memphis players made were correct.  There is now an outbreak of the virus with the Arkansas State football team, and that means both teams' games (Ark St.-Central Arkansas and Memphis-Houston) have been postponed.
• Still, the Big Ten wants to go forward October 24th now.  FUCKING MORONS.  
• The Pac-12, however, also has the wildfires to deal with, so no word if/when they're going to try it.
• Some idiot jackass 49ers fan posted racist messages to Arizona Cardinals player Budda Baker's social media.  That fan will never be allowed to attend another 49ers game. Of course, given the ratings and the reason why, there is not 100% certainty that said "fan" is going to care...    
• Cricket Wireless is sending out a feeler survey to test the comfort of fans not only attending events, but a long specific list of meet-and-greet questions regarding celebrities.  Take it from me back in the day.  Especially that last part has to wait QUITE A WHILE LONGER.  Some of the social media from last year's Mixtape Tour should give that idea merit -- including one Deb-fan who actually got to jam with Deb on her tour bus!!    
• CDC is now saying enough vaccine for normal life...  Another year-plus. 
• The US (Golf) Open starts tomorrow.  Dustin Johnson is the favorite.
• The most money which has been placed on a golfer for the victory at William Hill sportsbooks is Tiger Woods, at a longshot 40-1!  Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...    
• Phil Mickelson has one guy who bet $45,000 on him winning at 75-1 -- a $3,375,000 payoff if...  Never mind.  Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha....    
• Fucking YouTube idiot Logan Paul wants to fight Mayweather in an exhibition????  Are we that damn desperate???    

 

Day 188

• You still want to believe there will be college football to any meaningful degree this year?  On the same day that Nebraska officials are saying there will be a re-vote on the Big Ten season and they will play...
• Ed Orgeron has admitted that most of his LSU football team has caught the coronavirus.
• Texas Tech has reported five more positives -- now total of 75 positives since the team came back in June.
• The MLB bubble plan has been approved.  Start of the Wild Card round is two weeks from today, Game One of the World Series from Texas (the entire World Series will be played in Arlington) starts on October 20th and ends October 29th.
• The head coach of Navy has had to apologize to the Air Force program.  Navy and Army football teams are playing full schedules this year.  Air Force, however, is only playing the other two service academies to contest the Commander in Chief Trophy.  Navy was not pleased with this.
  
• The US Open is this week at Winged Foot and the USGA wants to assert it's authoritah...  Projected-by-USGA winning score??  EIGHT OVER PAR!!  Fucking ridiculous.  If you are DESIGNING the course to embarrass your professionals, then you are basically saying that most of the professionals on the PGA Tour are not good enough and are stealing money - and that's the LAST MESSAGE you need to be sending at a time like this!    
• To give you an idea of how ridiculous this process is:  Retired professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T announced today that he received a test result from the CDC which indicated he had tested positive for the coronavirus.  Problem being, that test was in LATE JUNE!  Booker has noted three subsequent tests have all come back negative.

Ratings news for the NFL:

• 10.7 million for the first game, 7.7 million for the second for Monday Night Football last night.  Dancing with the Stars actually outdrew the second game with about 8.1 million.
• Game 1 down 21%.  Game 2 down 38%.
• The White Right has spoken -- the #NFLBoycott is in even fuller swing.

And the numbers for Sunday are finally in:

• CBS Single:  -12%
• FOX Regional:  +7%
• FOX National:  +8%, led by Buccaneers-Saints
• Sunday Night:  -15%, the lowest Week 1 Sunday Night since 2008. 
• And Thursday night was -12% as well.

Hoo boy.

• There are now people who are posting on their social media that Black-led sports are supporting terrorism. 
• In what, sadly, cannot be surprising given his tumultuous life, Conor McGregor has been rumored seeking suicide counseling lately.  A private Facebook post today, however, has Conor far more resolute to carry on.  There appear, however, to be allegations of something which have troubled him.
• It appears at least one of the allegations is a sexual assault allegation in Corsica.
• And the fires in Washington State have called off the Mariners and Giants for the next couple days.
  

Week 1 2020 NFL Score Report: Since they completed it, we gotta do it...

• 47.375 points per game for the first week of the season.
• A lot of people talking that lack of crowds will stifle any home-field advantage.  This week would give that credence.  In total, home teams went 8-8, but the two games in which the home team had a crowd, the home team won both.  In empty stadiums, the home team was 6-8.
• Surprisingly, the Over was only 9-7.
• One game kicked a Pick, so the ATS/SU numbers are based on 15 games.  8-7 ATS, 9-6 SU -- the only difference was Tennessee.
• Teams with more penalties won only 4 games out of 14 this week.  4-10.
• Two Cliffhangers:  The Monday nighter with Tennessee and a FG with 15 seconds left (after Gostkowski missed three field goals AND an extra point beforehand!!!), and Chicago beating Detroit on a touchdown at 1:54 of the fourth.
• Most interesting stat of the week:  Only seven of the 16 games ended within one score.  ALL SEVEN, though, ended with a Last Chance Miss, including the two Cliffhangers!!!
• Five non-competitive games this week.
  

Day 187 (Part 2, NFL Ratings, etc.)

• Sunday prelims are starting to come in on the ratings.

Though the Buccaneers lost to the Saints (and that will be big later in the season if the Bucs can right the ship),  Tom Brady's first game in the NFC drew a 16.2 rating for FOX, up a couple percent over last year, and even better than the Thursday Night opener.

The 16.2 rating is the highest in ANY window since 2016.

NBC, however, was not so fortunate:  The Sunday Night game between Dallas and the Rams was almost 30% off last year.  28% down in ratings, 23% down in viewers to 14.81 million.

Any mystery why?  Tom Brady is a WHITE Champion!!!

Unfortunately, until the ratings are finalized tomorrow, that might be it.  Overnights are now far more rarely reported than they used to be.

• Looks like Steve Cohen will be the next owner of the New York Mets.
• The dark side of Botball has started.

No, this is not, in any way, against "Gerrit" or the many fine people who have worked on the project.  Furthest from it.

In about the last 6-8 weeks, there have been an increasing number of problems with the stream.   And communications with Comcast/Xfinity, the ISP tasked with carrying the stream have been, at best, strained -- and, at worst, many believe, intentional malfeasance which has significantly denied the Botball community the ability to expand the stream on Twitch to Affiliate Status and beyond, to get the games more visible to more people, etc.

In fact, it is believed that, when the complaints have made it to the Twitch chat, etc., it can be established that the service has been intentionally degraded as a result of said complaints on a number of occasions.

After a number of weeks of what appears to be stonewalling, "Gerrit", the head/Commissioner/owner of the PS4 on which the simulation is being played of Botball, has filed a $10,000 Small Claims lawsuit in his home state of Washington against Comcast/Xfinity, for what he believes he can demonstrate is substantial damage to the ability of the stream to raise money for the various charities the season-long effort has attempted to raise funds for.

I will not speak for "Gerrit" in any way.  I assume he will speak to us when he feels proper.  I believe, however, we have talked to him in the past -- and, sans the $50 to file the lawsuit, all of the monies he would receive in such a judgement, if and when paid, would probably be disseminated to at least Meals on Wheels, if not all of the other charities for Botball additionally.

Stay tuned.

• Looks like the first NFL ejection of the year in the second Monday nighter.  Rashaan Evans earned a trip to the locker room for punching Jake Butt in the head.
• Botball:  On July 20, Jorge Soler was traded from the Kansas City Royals to the LA Dodgers.  Soler, as of an off day today, has 64 home runs to lead Botball.  He is nine away from the roid record, and the Dodgers have 11 games left.  RL, Soler is still with the Royals, has only 8 home runs in 39 games and is on the IL right now.
  

Day 187 (Part 1, MLB and Botball)

• Eagerly awaiting the NFL overnights to see if the #NFLBoycott is taking hold even more.  Goodell was definitely cooking it up for Week 1.
• Because Kenny Albert was working some of the NHL broadcasts and didn't get back to the States in time, the NFL will not let him work the first two weeks.  Anyone coming from any foreign country has to sit 14 days, per league rules.
• The Athletic reports that the NBA will now not start the 2021 season (might as well not bother with 2020-21, as a result) before the metaphorical season-opening on Christmas Day.
• Dominic Thiem won the men's US Open, rallying two sets down to win in a fifth-set tiebreaker over Alexander Zverev.  Naomi Osaka won the women's tournament.
• Alec Mills threw MLB's second no-hitter of the shortened season, no-hitting the Brewers 12-0.
• And, speaking of MLB, here's where we are:

AL:

• Rays (30-17), 3 1/2 over the Jays (26-20), but the Yankees are streaking on the outside, 26-21, 4 back, and 5 wins in a row.
• White Sox (30-16), 1 up over the Twins (30-18), 4.5 over the Indians (26-21)
• A's (29-17), 6.5 up on the Astros (23-24), 8 on the Mariners (21-25) 

1. White Sox
2. Rays
3. A's (all three separated by one game, 2 weeks to go)
4. Twins
5. Jays
6. Astros (who still would have the 8th best record in the AL, but it's all firsts, then all seconds, the next two)
7. Yankees (Tiebreaker #2:  17-13 against the East)
8. Indians (16-16 vs. the Central)
9. Mariners (1 1/2 out of AL West #2, 4 1/2 out of the other two thirds) 

Indians at White Sox, Yankees at Rays, Astros at A'[s, Jays at Twins.

NL:

• Braves (28-19), 3 1/2 over the Marlins (23-21), 4 over the Phillies (23-22), 7 over the Mets (21-26)
• Cubs (28-20), 4 over the Cardinals (20-20), 6 over the Brewers (20-24), 6.5 over the Reds (21-26)
• Dodgers (33-14), 2.5 over the Padres (31-17), 10 over the Giants (23-24), 11.5 over the Rockies (21-25)

1. Dodgers
2. Braves
3. Cubs
4. Padres
5. Marlins
6. Cardinals
7. Phillies
8. Giants
9. Rockies (1 1/2 out of 2nd 3rd place % points)
   
10. Brewers (1 1/2 out of 2nd 3rd place, 2 out of 2nd in the division)
11. Reds (15-18 division, 2 out of 2nd 3rd place)
12. Mets (13-17 division, 2 out of 2nd 3rd place) 

Giants at Dodgers, Phillies at Braves, Cardinals at Cubs, Marlins at Padres

1 under .500 is enough to get in.

Boston's Tragic Number is 4.  Texas' is 8.  Arizona's is 7.  Pittsburgh's is 8.

• And now for the Botball, and then I will break this in half for later today so this doesn't go Wall of Text:

AL:

• Yankees (91-57), 6.5 up on the Rays (84-63).  All other AL East teams eliminated out of the playoffs.
• Twins (103-46 and running away with the best record in Botball), 12.5 up on the Indians (90-58).  19.5 up on the White Sox (83-65)  All other AL Central teams are eliminated for the season. 
• A's (85-63), 3 up on the Astros (82-66), 6.5 up on the Angels (79-70)  All other AL West teams out.

So:

• Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Tigers, Royals, Rangers and Mariners all eliminated.
• The Twins, this week, became the first Botball team to clinch playoffs.  Twins Magic Number for the AL Central is 2.  Magic number for the #1 American League seed is 3.
• Wild Card:  Current game is Rays at Indians (5.5 up on the Rays).  Indians Magic Number for the playoffs is 8 with the White Sox, the best team out of the playoffs right now.
• Tragic Numbers:  Only one appearing remotely close is the Angels, and that's 9 with the Rays!

Twins vs. Rays/Indians, Yankees vs. A's

NL:

• Washington (93-56), 1 1/2 games over Atlanta (91-57), Philly is absolutely hanging on and about to drop at 74-75, 19 out of the division, Tragic Number 3 with both Cincinnati and Arizona for the WC.  All other NL East teams eliminated.
  
• Cubs (89-60), 3 1/2 up on the Reds (85-63, 1/2 game up on the second WC over Arizona)  All other NL Central teams out.
• Dodgers (86-64), 1/2 game up on the D-Backs (85-64) after LA took 2 of 3 in the final series between the two.  San Diego is 72-77, Tragic Number 1 with both Cincy and Arizona.  All other NL West teams out.

So:

• Mets, Marlins, Pirates, Brewers, Cardinals, Giants, and Rockies all eliminated. 
• San Diego and Philadelphia go early this week.
• Wild Card:  Reds at Atlanta (6 up on Cincinnati).  Washington's playoff Magic Number is 6, Atlanta's is 8, the Cubs are 10. 

Washington vs. Cincinnati/Atlanta, Dodgers vs. Cubs.

Week 1, including the first Refball Screwjob of the Year!!!

•  You gotta be kidding me.  Against Dallas, AGAIN???

Look, I get it, first game in the new SoFi Stadium, etc. and so forth and so on.  So there's no way the Rams are going to lose this one, if the NFL has anything to say about it.

30 seconds left, down 3, and this happens (you know the NFL is gonna yoink this, but this video has the definitive) as Michael Gallup gets the ball inside the LA 20, or so people think...

No question that, letter of the law, that's OPI on a push-off.  But you can't tell me the refs don't let all that slide almost all the time -- and the fact that Jalen Ramsey of the Rams has Gallup's arm.

Is that call made if it's not Sunday Night and the first game in the new stadium?

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrigged...

• Statistical quirk:  The Vikings and Packers had a shootout today.  The Vikings scored three fourth quarter two point conversions on three TD's for 24 points as part of a 38 point 4th quarter.
• One problem, they couldn't stop the Packers, and, as a result of the 29-10 lead built up to start the 4th, the game was non-competitive anyway.
• This represents (via Pro Football Reference) the sixth time the NFL has had at least 3 two-point conversions successful in one game.  Record is 4:  St. Louis and Atlanta, October 15, 2000)
• NFL cooking up the offenses to get the people at home happy:  Average total was 49.
• But one statistical quirk:  Only six of the 14 games played so far finished within one score, and EVERY ONE OF THEM had a feasible Last Chance Miss.
• Home teams were 8-6.  The two teams which had fans this week both won.
• The over was 9-5.  ATS and Straight Up were both 7-6, with one game kicking a pick.
  

Day 186, the day a lot of people think I should stop counting.

• Week 1 Sunday in the NFL.
• No double-digit favorites in Week 1 -- Kansas City's -9.5 was the largest, and it covered.
• Standing totals appear to be mid-upper 40s.
• If the cam I'm seeing at the NY NY is any indication, Vegas is in far more serious trouble than anyone can admit.  Maybe the occasional one person or one group, and I post this and view it only an hour and 40 minutes before first kickoff.
• The reported positive in San Francisco has been declared a false positive.  Giants and Padres will play 2 today.
• NFL has declared All Clear for Week 1.  No positives.  We'll see about that...    

 

Day 185

• Fire at the stadium of the Florida Gators produced a lot of smoke and more than a small scare today...
• But the cause was a malfunctioning golf cart and it has been put out.
• A more scary situation is developing in Kansas City.  Standoff with an armed gunman in the parking lot adjacent to Royals Stadium has put the game on hold for time being.
• That will appear not only to delay tonight's game about 30 minutes, but also reduce the number of broadcasting staff on site.
• And this weekend is another weekend BaseBrawl fans have been waiting for:  Astros-Dodgers:  THE REMATCH. Tonight on FOX, tomorrow night on ESPN.
  
• And the wildfires in California may move or postpone the Rams-Cowboys opener tomorrow.  If that's the case, there's NO WAY the Cardinals and 49ers are playing!!   
• Final opener ratings from Sports Media Watch for the NFL still show the #NFLBoycott is in full swing, but some improvement:  11.2 rating, 19,300,000 viewers, but that's still down 12% rating, 13% viewers from last year.  
• Six years ago, the NFL drew 26,900,000.  So they've lost about 30% due to the White Right. 
• More than 1,400 new cases of the virus this week at the University of Georgia.  If that number is correct, that would represent about 3.5% of the entire student body from last year.
• Virus positives at Va. Tech have felled next week's Virginia-Virginia Tech college football game.
• Big Ten wants another shot at voting the season back into existence.  Will try again tomorrow.
• With coronavirus cases multiplying tenfold to almost 350 at Michigan State University, all students are now being asked to self-quarantine.
  

 

Day 184. Six Months.

• Not only is today September 11th, with everything that means...
• We are now six months into the effects of this pandemic on sports.
• Mike Wallace has been suspended indefinitely for violating NASCAR policy regarding a social media post which appears to be against inclusion matters.
• Daniel Hause of the Rockets is done for the season -- he has left the NBA bubble and will not be allowed to return.  The Rockets are now 3-1 down to the Lakers.  The investigation has found he violated the rules by letting a woman into his hotel room.  He's done for the year.
• Apparently appears to be a dispute with the University of Memphis football team.  They now have 20 positive tests, it is reported, and it appears next week's game with Houston may be off.  Additionally, there is a dispute as to how the players may have gotten the positive tests.  One story has the Memphis players renting a party bus, and it believed they got it from there.  Many of the players involved, however, deny this and state they believe they got the virus from players from Week 1 opponent Arkansas State and want THEM tested.  Stay tuned.
• Interesting story about last night's Holey Moley Grand Champion.  If you recall earlier in the season, and my anonymous friend did, Tanner Beard was defeated in his semifinal event on his week's show, but, mysteriously, one of the two finalists that week withdrew without much explanation given.  Tanner won that week, defeated two other champions in his semifinal on last night's show, and then defeated the final three champions by sinking the 100 foot putt on the Tomb of Nepher-Tee-Tee to win the Jeweled Putter of Nepher-Tee-Tee and $250,000.
• We will have another All-Sport Day Sunday because the Nuggets made it to Game 6 with the Clippers.  Counting games in the NFL, NBA, NHL, NBA, WNBA, and MLS.
• One game which won't be played is Giants-Padres...  At least the games tonight and tomorrow are postponed because someone in the Giants organization has tested positive for the virus.
• The proposed plan for the playoffs for MLB is set:  They'll do the Wild Card series in the home parks.  Then something VERY interesting.  The American League will use Dodger Stadium (DS) and Petco Park (DS and CS).  The National League, Globe Life Field (DS and CS) and Minute Maid Park.
• Meaning the #1 seeds in each league will be playing in the OTHER PARK!
  

(Night 1 Ratings) If the NFL does not get right and the election does not go the right way, the 101st NFL season may be it's last...

Message SENT.

The White Right NFL Boycott has taken flight in a whole new way.

16,400,000 viewers, a 5.1 demo rating for the first game.

But that is a one viewer in six drop over last year's Bears-Packers opener.

And that's for the new "Face of the League".

Do you also think the White Right in America took notice that both starting quarterbacks were Black last night?

It can't have been happy that the Houston Texans stayed in the locker room for the National Anthem -- and it won't be happy that the Miami Dolphins are about to follow suit on Sunday.

I really hope the NFL got the message loud and clear today: You're in trouble, and the country wants BLOOD...

• Fuck you, Skip Bayless.

On the first day of the NFL season, we got word that Dak Prescott's struggles with his own depression and anxiety, after which Bayless criticized Prescott for being an NFL quarterback who shows an ounce of a sign of weakness.

FOX Sports has censured Bayless for the comments, no word on whether this will get as far as suspension or firing yet.

• And, in the "Good in theory, not in practice..." Department...

Tonight, before the first game of the year, Chiefs-Texans, the NFL called for a unity moment of silence, not unakin to the moments of silence with the knee for Black Lives Matter which English professional soccer was doing during their restart.  The teams joined at the center of the field...

And this was the result...

To what should be no one's surprise after that display, Trump is leading in the latest polling in Missouri by 6.5 points, according to Five Thirty-Eight.

Day 183

• On this date, the first day of the NFL regular season, we reach half a year since the coronavirus shut down American sports.
• Many will see today as a victory -- call me in about four months.
• The Atlanta Braves scored 29 runs yesterday in a 29-9 win over the Miami Marlins.  Only the classic 30-3 game Texas had over Baltimore did more in 2007.  You'd have go back to the 1950's to find two more games in which the winning team scored 29 runs.
• This, according to Baseball Almanac, would have broken the American League record for most runs in a game by both teams (36, twice), but the National League record is FORTY-NINE, when Chicago beat Philadelphia 26-23 on August 25, 1922.  Chicago needed two double-digit innings to get it done:  10 in the second, 14 in the fourth.  They were ahead 25-6 at one point and gave up 14 runs themselves in the final two innings.
• An interesting statistic from that game:  Jimmy Ring gave up 16 runs in the first 3 1/3 innings.  Only SIX were earned.
• 27 of the 29 runs were earned for the Braves yesterday.
• And this, on the same day the Brewers hung a 19-run shutout on the Tigers in an inter-league matchup!!  The MLB record for that is 22-0, Pittsburgh over the Cubs, on Sept. 16, 1975.  Two AL games, one in 1901 and one in 1935), ended 21-0.  The most recent 19-0, according to SABR, before yesterday was two of them in 1969.
• The NBA is preparing to ban Danuel House Jr. of the Houston Rockets and quarantine him for 10 days due to a bubble violation.  No one is saying what it was, House is claiming he never left the Disney Wide World of Sports campus.  He was already suspended for Game 3, a late scratch, upon discovery.
• With the completely fouled-up schedule and all, today is a historic day in American sports.
• According to ESPN, this will be the first time in history that an actual counting game (regular season or playoffs) will take place in all of the following leagues in one day: NFL (Game 1 regular season), MLB (Getaway Day Slate, about two weeks to go in the season), NBA (Game 4 Western semis Lakers-Rockets), WNBA (20th game or so in the regular season), MLS (Seattle at San Jose), and NHL (Game 3 West Finals, Vegas vs. Dallas (1-1).
• Checking Sunday and Monday on that regard, now that I'm curious:  NBA has Game 6's in the West if necessary (Clippers 3-1, Lakers 2-1).  MLB is still playing obviously.  WNBA, Sunday is the last day of the regular season, no games Monday.  MLS has four games on Sunday.  NHL, Game 4 East Finals (TB 2-0).  So that means, if Denver beats the Clippers Friday, we will have another day like today on Sunday in the six leagues.
• Bubba Wallace will not return to the #43 car next season in NASCAR.
• And because we have to be FUCKING STUPID and cater to the Covidiots...  Los Angeles County has, at least for now, reversed it's ban on trick-or-treating.  ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???    
• Western Michigan University has suspended all sports activities until an undetermined date -- positive tests for the virus across several sports, including football. 
• "The White Buffalo" Tanner Beard sank a 100-foot snaking putt on the Egyptian-themed "Tomb of Nepher-Tee-Tee" to win the second season of ABC's Holey Moley, the Egyptian treasure of a jeweled putter...  Oh, and a $250,000 winner-take-all prize!!!
• Yes, I watched that INSTEAD OF the first High Mass of the year.  After booing the fuck out of the moment of unity (see other post), the announced 15,895 fans in attendance watched the Chiefs win a non-competitive opener in which they raced to a 31-7 lead and won 34-20.
  

 

Day 182

• The door officially slammed on the Milwaukee Bucks last night, eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals four games to one by the Heat.  The "Greek Freak" is leaving for the NBA's next SuperTeam attempt, wherever that might be.
• A survey by Amazon reveals half of the respondents now believe they are underemployed.  To wit, my only question is:  JUST HALF??    
• Exercise guru Jillian Michaels said she got the virus several weeks ago from the friend who usually does her hair and nails -- literally just a small "letting down of the guard".
• Now the Halloween cancellations:  No trick or treat in LA County this year.
• The Denver Broncos will allow 5700 fans (less than 10%) for a Week 3 game with Tampa Bay.  That's going to last until the first real breakout.  Eventually, you're going to have mass groups together getting into the stadium, and...     
• At least 500,000 children have been diagnosed with the virus.
• A Pennsylvania small-college football player has died of complications due to the virus.
• However, the NFL claims only one player currently has it.  But travel for the season starts now...  
• Vaccine hopes have stalled due to a UK trial being stopped because at least one person may have gotten something else from the vaccine...
• Hank Williams Jr. has again been tossed from the Monday Night Football intro -- replaced by Little Richard.  Part of it is probably BLM, the rest is NOT Hank's bigoted views, but, instead, that "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here For Monday Night" doesn't fit when there's no "rowdy friends" in the stands.
• Jimmie Johnson is officially done with NASCAR after this year -- and will go to IndyCar on a two-year deal with Chip Ganassi Racing.
• Ryan Shazier's near-fatal spinal-cord injury in that brutal MNF game with Cincinnati finally has claimed his career.  Retired today, almost three years after the injury.
  

About three weeks to go: Real Life and Botball, how they stand.

Yeah, I'm bored.  Sue me for one quatloo.

About 2/3 of the way through the real season, about three weeks to go in both:

Real Life first:

AL:

East:  Rays (28-14), 4 1/2 up on the Blue Jays (23-18), 6 1/2 up on a shockingly-fading Yankees team (21-20), who got swept by Baltimore (!!!!), who are 8 1/2 out at 19-21.

Central:  Indians and the White Sox are 26-15, Twins are 1 out at 26-17.  By the tiebreaker:  The Indians are 4-2 against the White Sox, four game series Sept. 21-24 that the White Sox must win three at least not to lose the tiebreaker.

West:  Oakland (24-14), 4.5 up on the Astros (21-20), Seattle 6 1/2 back at 19-22.

11 teams, at worst, 3 under .500

AL seeds:

1. Tampa Bay
2. Cleveland
3. Oakland
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Toronto
6. Houston
7. Minnesota
8. New York Yankees
9. Baltimore, 2 out
10. Seattle, 2 1/2 out
11. Detroit, 2 1/2 out

First round would be Yankees at Tampa, Twins at Cleveland, Astros at Oakland, Blue Jays at White Sox

NL:

East:  Atlanta (24-17), 2 up on Philadelphia (20-17), 3 1/2 up on Miami (18-18), 5 1/2 up on the Mets (19-23)

Central:  Cubs (24-18), 2 1/2 up on the Cardinals (17-16), 4 1/2 up on the Brewers (18-21), 5 1/2 up on the Reds (18-23) 

West:  Dodgers (30-12), 4 1/2 up on the Padres (26-17), 9 up on the Giants (21-21), 9 1/2 on the Rockies (20-21)

That's right, there are TWELVE teams at worst 5 under .500.

1. LA Dodgers
2. Atlanta
3. Chicago Cubs
4. San Diego
5. Philadelphia
6. St. Louis
7. San Francisco (15-14 vs. the division)
8. Miami (11-11)
9. Colorado, 1/2 game out
   
10. Brewers, 1 1/2 out
11. Mets, 2 out
12. Reds, 2 1/2 out

First round:  Miami at the Dodgers, Giants at Atlanta, St. Louis at the Cubs, Philly at San Diego

WS home-field:

1. Dodgers
2. Tampa, 2 back
3. Cleveland 3 1/2 back
4. White Sox 3 1/2 back
5. Twins 4 1/2 back
6. Padres 4 1/2 back

Now for Botball, which uses the regular situation:

AL:

East:  Yankees (89-53), 8 1/2 up on the Rays (81-62).  

All other teams eliminated from the division.  

Boston (67-76, Tragic Number 6) and Toronto (67-78, Tragic Number 4).  Baltimore eliminated.

Yankees Magic Number for the division is 12.  Magic Number for the Playoffs is 11.

Central:  Minnesota (99-45, best record in Botball), 10 1/2 up on the Indians (88-55, 7 up on the Rays), 18 1/2 up on the White Sox (80-63, 1 out of the second WC)

Detroit and Kansas City eliminated.

Twins Magic Number for the Division is 9.  Twins Magic Number for the Playoffs is 2!!!

Indians Magic Number for the Playoffs is 13.

West:  Oakland (81-61), 3 up on the Astros (79-65, 2 1/2 back of the Rays), 5.5 on the Angels (77-68, 4 1/2 out of the second WC)

Rangers Tragic Number is 5 on both division (Oakland) and Wild Card (Tampa).  Seattle Eliminated.

Seeding:

1. Minnesota
2. Yankees
3. Oakland
4. Wild-Card:  Tampa Bay at Cleveland

White Sox 1 out, Astros 2 1/2 out, Angels 4 1/2 out 

Baltimore, Detroit, Kansas City, Seattle done.

NL:

East:  Washington (90-54), back in the lead, 1 1/2 up over the Braves (88-55).  Phillies Tragic Number for the division is 1.  When that goes down, it's a two-horse race for the division.

Marlins eliminated, Mets Tragic Number for the playoffs is 1.  Phillies are 9 1/2 out of the second WC, Tragic Number for that is 9.

Central:  Cubs (85-59), 3 1/2 up on the Reds (81-62).  All other teams out of the division.

Brewers and Pirates eliminated, Cardinals Tragic Number is 2.

West:  Dodgers (84-61) and Diamondbacks (83-60) are on course for a one-game playoff, the loser is the second WC by 2 over the Reds now.

Giants and Rockies eliminated.  Padres Tragic Number is 3.

1. Washington
2. Cubs
3. Dodgers/Diamondbacks winner
4. Wild-Card:  Dodgers/Diamondbacks loser at Atlanta

Reds 2 out, Phillies 9 1/2 out.

Giants, Rockies, Brewers Pirates, Marlins eliminated -- with the Mets, Cardinals, and Padres imminent.

Day 181

• When are people going to get that this is a FIRST-WORLD virus based on social contact???  Word from LA that David and Victoria Beckham probably caught the coronavirus earlier this year -- after an LA socialite party...
• Memo to Chris Jericho:  According to Economics professor Andrew Friedson of the University of Colorado at Denver through Keith Olbermann:

We estimate that over 250,000 of the reported cases between August 2 and September 2 are due to the Sturgis Rally. Roughly 19 percent of the national cases during this timeframe. https://t.co/6tCCV6aXYf

— Andrew Friedson (@FriedsonAndrew) September 6, 2020

• Probably more than a bit of posturing, but, today, EA Sports announced a new free-agent quarterback on the Madden 21 game:  Colin Kaepernick.  And he's an overall 81, better than half the starters in the league.  I do think it's posturing, but EA probably saying what we all know.  BLACKBALLED!!!     
• His touchdown celebration??  Black Power fist!
  

 

Day ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY

• I really want people to get an eye on this.  We are now 180 days, and, though we have sports largely back, it is clear it is a completely different animal, and, frankly, a PERMANENTLY different animal.
• The daily posts will continue (as news dictates -- there has been a rather dulling of the news cycle in the sports world the last couple weeks!)...  and I don't know when they're going to end...  All I can safely probably say is:  Not anytime soon!!!
• Two English soccer players played their first international game on Saturday in Iceland, a 1-0 English victory probably hardly deserved in the UEFA Nations League top tier.
• Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood have been fired from the English team, dropped, and sent home this morning for violating quarantine protocols by inviting women into their Icelandic hotel last night where the England national side was staying before heading to Denmark for their second match in the Nations League.  Fucking STUPID!!!     
• Should've included this in the preview post, but thought it might dull the message.  ESPN reports today these are some of ways the NFL is going to try to get this season in:

1. Electronic push-button whistles
2. No cheerleaders or mascots in the stadiums
3. No jersey swaps or handshakes.  No personal contact post-game, all players must be 6' away.
   
4. Showers must also be at appropriate social distance.
5. Only one captain per team at the coin toss, face coverings required.  (Which led the ESPN writers to propose the XFL solution:  The home team gets the choice to start the game.  The visiting team gets the choice at halftime (sans a home deferral in the first half) and to start overtime.)
6. Pumped-in crowd noise, but only at the limit of about a loud vacuum cleaner.
7. No sideline reporters, per se.  Varying team to team and network to network.
8. Like what soccer has done, all hydration is either from one's own personalized bottle or a disposable cup.
9. Buffets are now a thing of the past.  All game-day meals must be individually packaged and delivered contactless.
10. Players must now stay in the team hotel the night before all games, regardless home or visitor, and are encouraged NOT to need to take the elevator.  Probably also has to do with pre-game virus testing.    
11. All surfaces used to any real extent must be cleaned to standard three times (at least) a day.
12. At least one quarterback every week will be automatically quarantined to ensure the team has a virus-healthy QB.
13. All gatherings must be socially distanced and limited to 15 people, including the gym.
14. For social distancing circumstances, two charter planes are desired per team, and the non-player traveling party is limited.
15. In the unfortunate event someone DOES report virus symptoms, each team is required to have three extra empty hotel rooms so they may be quarantined.  At that point, the league will contract a private plane to get the players home so there is no outbreak.

• John Coates, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, demands that the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo will go on regardless of the coronavirus.  They almost have to as a condition of the continuance of the Olympic movement.  But the virus may demand you hold it's beer.     

 

Suspension Blotter: The entire (according to Spotrac) relevant Suspension Blotter for the 2020-21 league year so far...

 I usually keep track of this, but, obviously, other things have kept my attention the last few months.

• Los Angeles Chargers (Now Free Agent):  Roderic Teamer, 4 games, PED's.  The Chargers fired him for the suspension on August 1, but he still counts against the team for suspension-fine purposes because the suspension was in July.
• Free Agent:  Kentrell Brothers, 9 games, PED Strike Two.  Contract expired after last season with the Vikings.  Vikings not responsible.
• Detroit Lions:  Jayron Kearse, 3 games, substance abuse policy.
• Kansas City Chiefs:  Bashaud Breeland, 4 games, substance abuse.  Lost $712,235.  It's his second suspension for substance abuse.  He also faces ANOTHER four-game suspension on a separate substance-abuse charge, according to NFL.com on the subject.
• Reason this is important:  Kansas City Chiefs:  Mike Pennel, 2 games, PEDs.  Loses $123,235.
• If the Club Remittance Policy is as it has been, this means the Chiefs are the first team to be team-fined, and the fine is $125,320.  (15% of the lost salaries for two suspensions, 20% for 3, 25% for 4 or more, capped at certain figures)  If Breeland is dinged four more games, the fine hits the cap of $150,000 -- it is players fined, not number of suspensions.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Josh Mauro, 5 games, PED Strike Two.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Kyle Fuller, 2 games, substance abuse policy.
• Chicago Bears:  Marqui Christian, 2 games, no reported reason.  He was a free agent when the suspension hit.  Though the policy does not hold teams responsible for suspensions after the player leaves, the reverse is NOT true.  The policy means the Bears WILL be responsible for Christian's suspension should they receive another.

That's all of them.  Eight in total.  Obviously, the different nature of the preseason and offseason had a role to play in all of this.

Some side notes:

• As reported with disgust earlier, Myles Garrett was reinstated in February and signed the richest defensive contract in the history of the league with the Browns (5 years, $125M), on April 27.
• Vontaze Burfict's banishment from the league is over.  He was also reinstated in February.  He is currently not in the league, meaning his banishment probably is the end of his NFL career, barring somebody getting stupid.
• Josh Gordon, as recently reported, applied for reinstatement.  It has been "overseen" by the league, even though he has been suspended five times, needing FOUR reinstatements, for drugs.  If he sits any games, the Seahawks will be fined $13,235 for Fuller's suspension, plus a yet to be determined amount per game for Gordon's (up to, in his case, 15 games -- it's capped at 17 total).  The contract he apparently signed has no reported dollar figure on it, so the fine for taking him would be determined by the league.  (Probably 15% of the league minimum per game.) 
• David Irving has retired from the league because he cannot abide by the league's drug rules.
• Last Friday, Randy Gregory won reinstatement back to the NFL.  Gregory, on a new one-year deal, is second on the depth chart at his position.
• Martavis Bryant's career is probably over, as his second reinstatement for drug policies will probably not have him back on the field in 2020.
  

No, I'm not ready for some football and I don't think anyone else should be either...

 (AKA What Is Going To Pass For The Superfraud 2020 NFL Preview)

Today is September 7th, Labor Day, three days to the beginning of the new NFL season with the World Champion Chiefs.

I've done so little pre-season looking into the NFL that it probably would boggle your mind.

Why? Simple, and it encompasses my overriding and first prediction on the season -- on which the basis of all other predictions I make in this post that this first one is wrong:

I do NOT believe the 2020-21 NFL season will complete with a Super Bowl Champion.  I believe the season will be terminated for cause without a champion.

The first and obvious situation is the coronavirus.  Though the NFL has been the luckiest of all the leagues in terms of timing, it is clear that we have a significant portion of this country refusing to the accept the reality (if not denying it outright, and no one wants to explore THOSE ramifications) that there is a global pandemic of a disease which has been frustrating to deal with, if not worse, and an official death rate in this country still exceeding 3%.

We have over 2,000 cases at the University of Alabama.  At least 16 members of the Auburn football team have had it.  I could go on and on...

We have growing numbers of cases and deaths surrounding the ill-conceived annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.  (Yeah, I'm looking at you, Chris Jericho!!!)

The way things were in March is OVER.  It's not coming back.  Whatever DOES come back will require some degree of vaccine, because the only other feasible alternative (which many of these covidiots want) is 3% of the entire population cleaved -- infect them all, God sorts it out, and he will do so in "our favor".

When the big college Labor Day marquee game is Army vs. BYU because so few teams are actually trying to play this season, that tells you something.  (There are also those who will tell you it's about time the Big Ten and Pac-12 got fully out of the way!)

But that's now just one problem.  Another is really coming up on the outside.

The BLM riots, the 2020 election, and mass violence.

Don't believe me?  There was a confrontation at Saturday's Kentucky Derby with respect to this.  BLM protesters and anti-BLM counterprotesters clashed at the event.

Note and side comment:  I am not necessarily saying this with respect to fans being able or not being able to attend NFL games to start this season.  The opening game in Kansas City will operate with about 20% fans -- 17,000 or so.

According to Yahoo -- as of Saturday, only two NFL Week 1 games will have any fans at all.  That one and Indianapolis at Jacksonville (planned capacity about 25%).

Six teams (KC, Jacksonville, Dallas, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Miami) plan on fans of some number at all home games this year.  Most are going fanless for September.  Washington, Las Vegas and the two LA teams will not have fans at all for the 2020 season.  The Giants, Jets, and Eagles are "until further notice".

So that's not the issue here on this.  If I had the ear of Roger Goodell, I would cancel all play for at least November 8-9, and probably 15-16 as well, due to the election and everything which probably will surround it.  I'll discuss later what I think is going to happen with all that, but you can be assured it's NOT going to be good.

But it does bring to another issue -- the rising anti-sports anti-Black sentiment among the White Right in this country.

--------

So everything from here on down is speculative and based on that prediction being wrong and Super Bowl LV played...  some point late-winter/early-spring 2021.

Remember, there's no preseason this year.  These first few weeks are going to be butt-ugly.  There have been years holding out starters for the preseason has left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths.  Now, it's EVERYBODY.

This is where I think we're going this year:

AFC East:  Buffalo finally gets the division.

AFC North:  Baltimore and Lavar Jackson.

AFC South:  Houston

AFC West:  Kansas City

Wildcards:  New England and Las Vegas

AFC CHAMPION:  KC goes back to back.  In pushing Mahomes, Lavar Jackson is going to get left behind in a way never seen before in the history of the league.

NFC East:  Dallas

NFC North:  Green Bay, only because I think they'll be "useful idiots" again.

NFC South:  Tampa Bay, the biggest rig-job of the year.  I think it's clear the league is trying to assemble what they can for Brady to get #6 this year, because his time is basically up!

NFC West:  Seattle

Wildcards:  San Francisco and New Orleans, with Minnesota just missing out.  New Orleans will get screwed without lube again.

NFC CHAMPION:  Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay beats Kansas City in the Super Bowl, Tom Brady.

Day 179

• Lou Brock passed away at 81 today.
• Novak Djokovic has been thrown out of the US Open for violence against a line judge.  One of the few immediate disqualification (they call it default in tennis) events is hitting any official in anger.  Djokovic hit the line judge with a ball in anger in his fourth-round match and was tossed.
• Djokovic, in addition to any supplemental discipline (he faces a possible one-year suspension from the tour -- though there is little chance it'll go that far), loses all money and ranking points for the tournament.  He was the men's #1 seed.
• Nick Kyrgios has already piped up as to how long would he be suspended for if he did the same.  Patience...  That's not a situation which can be immediately applied.  That has to go through the ATP Tribunal and probably an appeal by Djokovic.  I do think he should be banned, minimum the rest of 2020.
  
• At least two western locations in Southern California -- Chino and Woodland Hills in LA County, hit 121 degrees today.  That is the highest temperature ever recorded on any day west of the mountains in that part of the state.
• At least two unofficial locations in LA County hit 122!
  
• According to the National Weather Service in San Diego, Escondido (115) and Idyllwild (104) also broke all-time all-day records.
• According to the NWS in LA, three other locations beat and one tied their all-time all-day records:  Van Nuys (118), Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo (both 117 -- though their records only go back about 25 years) and Burbank tied theirs (115, but the tie was from Saturday!!!).
• Downtown Los Angeles got to 111 today -- their record is 113 from 2010, with a 112 from 1990.
• Death Valley broke it's all-time September temperature record at 125 on Saturday.  "Only" got to about 121-122 today.  Staring another possible 125 tomorrow.
  

Day 177

• I wonder what power of world soccer did this, but, after all that, Messi is staying at Barcelona.
• Adrian Peterson's career may finally be over -- cut by Washington.
• WWE talents are now forbidden to stream on Twitch and Cameo, nor any other third-party entities.
• At least one Division I school, California-Riveride, is actually considering the ELIMINATION of sports from their school.  It's, obviously, being opposed by the athletes.
  

Day 176

•  Leonard Fournette has joined the party in Tampa Bay.  Unless Brady has nothing left in the tank, I'm getting a real impression this is how it's going to go, and I think people like the Green Bay Packers, who already threw the towel in on this season, know it.     
• Arlodis Chapman was suspended three games for his actions in the incident with Tampa Bay.  Both managers got a game.  And then a Yankees pitcher got tossed last night for plunking a Rays batter.
• If Josh Gordon is reinstated, he is going to Seattle again.
• American Family Insurance has won the naming rights for the Brewers' stadium -- Miller Park for it's first 20 years until the start of next year.  Yes, as of right now, slow news day.  Thank God...    
• Jeopardy returns September 14th -- and "Greatest of All Time" Ken Jennings is now a producer on the show.  A lot of people have been speculating that Jennings would make a good new host of the show.    

 

Day 175

• Appears to be about to go off with the Yankees and Rays.  9th inning of a 5-3 Yankees win, Chapman almost takes Brosseau's head off, 101 and Brosseau had to duck it.  After a consult, the umps give warnings due to history, Rays manager Cash gets ejected.  Brosseau K's to end the game and the benches clear again.  Watch this space.
• The entire series this week between Oakland and Seattle has been postponed to later in the month due to the virus positive in Oakland.
• Tiz the Law, the Belmont winner, is the 3-5 favorite for Saturday's Kentucky Derby, but he and the next two favorites are the outside three horses in the 18-horse field.
• Also, Saturday, they're going to try the Tour de France for three weeks, with a massive bubble.
• Vietnam will not allow anyone to compete at the League of Legends World Championships in China this year, so the field is reduced in the Play-In Phase by the two Vietnam seeds who would've appeared.  The Play-In Phase has also been altered in two ways:  The Korean 3rd seed is now in the Main Event already (which should be the case anyway), and the 10 teams in the Play-In will be in two groups of five for the rest of the spots.
• Michael Jordan has taken an equity and "diversity" advisory stake in Draft Kings.
• International soccer megastar Neymar has reportedly tested positive for the virus and will miss some of the opening of the 2020-21 PSG season.
• Also testing positive is former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
• Twins legend Bert Blyleven will have his last broadcast with the Twins after 25 years in the booth.  He still remains as a special assistant to the franchise.
• Tom Seaver passed away in the last few days.  Lewy Body Dementia (the same disease which drove Robin Williams to suicide), augmented by the coronavirus.  It was once said about Tom Seaver:  "Tom Seaver is so good, blind people come to the park just to hear him pitch."
• Who said it?  Reggie Jackson!
  
• A lot of people have been talking about the Milwaukee Bucks as THE team in the Eastern Conference.  They are now down 0-2 to the Heat in the conference semis.
• Harvard will not open it's campus at all for the Fall term.  It will be the first time in almost 400 years this has happened.  The Ivy League cancelling Fall football means Harvard-Yale won't happen for the first time since World War II.
• Glover Teixiera will not be competing at UFC Fight Night in 10 days.  He's positive for the coronavirus.
• I wonder how the "jusdaflu" crowd will take this one...  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, his wife, and his two daughters ALL have tested positive for the coronavirus.  They've been working through it the last three weeks.
• Upon that announcement, Kevin Nash announced HIS family (wife and son as well) have also been battling the virus.  His wife still has not gotten her sense of taste or smell back.  Son has been asymptomatic.

Day 174 (Everything Else)

• Just to keep in mind:  We are nine days from the NFL attempt to launch.
• The official vote to postpone football in the Big Ten was 11-3.  Nine votes were necessary to get the postponement.  Nebraska, Ohio State, and Iowa voted to play.  Realistically, you can have college football with far less of the bloat if you have just the SEC, ACC, Big XII, and Ohio State, as long as Notre Dame, as planned for this season, is in the ACC.    
• The World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions event in China in late September is off due to coronavirus limitations.
• The Kentucky Derby is this weekend.
•