Day 567

• Word that the Chicago Bears want to move out of Soldier Field and to the site of the Arlington racetrack...
• But there is a story brewing in Minnesota which is probably going to need some attention.  An unannounced and unspecified "major misconduct investigation" has ended the local football program at Proctor High School near Duluth.  The team is also banned from this year's Homecoming festivities (which should result in the cancellation of them, except for alumni events, IMODO), and things are getting so bad that players are now being heckled and could be effectively exiled for showing they are on the team.  The coach is still employed as a science teacher, and has been with the school 20 years.  I know that the MSN article I read says social media is making it worse -- but somebody better get a handle on this and get one on it fast.  There are very few valid reasons to shut down a program without basically bringing in the cops for arrests yet (though law enforcement was part of the decision to shutter the program for the year, and is investigating), and those rumored (probably player-sodomy or rape) are probably at or near the top of the list.   
• Speaking of sexual allegations, former players for the North Carolina Courage are saying now-former-coach Paul Riley forced sex on players, used homophobic slurs, and performed other harassive acts as coach of EVERY TEAM HE COACHED from at least 2011-12 to the present day.  The Players' Association wants to know how he was hired to another team just months after this came out in 2015...  He was fired from the Courage today.
• And people are losing money at Nevada casinos at a record rate:  August, $1.17 billion -- the sixth month in a row that the casinos made a billion dollars off the suckers bettors.
• Frank Thomas and a group of investors have bought the "Field of Dreams" Iowa baseball complex.
• Well, I hope I remember this when the time comes...  Looks like another year where the NFL is not going to really care about it's viewership for the Super Bowl -- the LVI Halftime Show is a rap crap-fest:  Dre, Dogg, Eminem, etc.  *faceaplm*   

And the Week 3 NFL TV Ratings are in...

• The good news for ESPN:  Almost 2 million people tuned into the ManningCast this week.
• Bad news:  That's the last one of those for a while -- they'll do six more regular season games and the Monday night wild-card game.
• It does look like the White-Right NFL boycott of the last five years MAY, in fact, finally be receding:

1. Panthers-Texans on Thursday Night was the most-watched NFL Network exclusive Thursday game in over three years.
2. FOX Nationals:  22.6 million and 11.7 ratings (down 1% from a mostly-Cowboys slate last year -- this year was mostly Rams-Bucs).
3. CBS Single:  Down about 10-14%
4. FOX Regional:  Up 4% ratings, 8% viewers.
5. Sunday Night:  Packers-49ers up 8% ratings, 11% viewers (and that was over another Packers SNF game last year).
6. Monday Night:  14.9 million, up 1% -- but, more importantly, the most-watched Week 3 game... since the Fail Mary nine years ago!  It's been THAT LONG???   

(Sports Media Watch)

Day 566

• And one piece of our puzzle of suspicion in baseball has gone through -- it probably will be St. Louis at the Dodgers, one game next week, for the right to face San Francisco.
• Devin Williams will NOT be joining the Brewers in the playoffs.  He fractured his hand punching the wall in the division-title celebration.  Apparently got drunk and the wrong thoughts entered his mind...  Hoo boy...
• Klete Keller, 2004 and 2008 Olympic gold medalist and five medals in total, will be heading to prison for taking part in the 1/6 riot.  Word is, about two years.  Could get 20.
• Richard Sherman has added himself to the mercenary super-team in the Buccaneers.
• Unvaccinated NBA players who can't play lose their salary this season.
• Las Vegas Raiders:  Gerald McCoy suspended six games for drugs.
• Evander Kane is still in serious trouble with the NHL on two different fronts, though he was cleared of his wife's rants about match-fixing.  Possible domestic violence, and possible COVID endangerment of his fellow San Jose Sharks...
• In a move spurred by the exposition of the gender disparities the NCAA holds in basketball, the women's tournament this school year will be the first to be held as a full "March Madness" tournament.
• Another day, another 50 grand for Matt Amodio -- and this one's important (depending on how you compute the list).  If the standard convention which allowed Thom McKee to hold the game-show winnings record from September 1980 to August 1999 holds, Matt Amodio, at $1,158,001, is now #10 on the all-time game-show winnings list.  Tomorrow, he goes to tie James Holzhauer with 32 wins.  He has had 13 games so far this season, and I believe only ONE where he has not locked up the game pre-Final Jeopardy.

Day 565

• Well, THIS is fresh...  You've never heard of Sheriff Tiraspol.  Hell, you probably haven't heard of the country they are officially from (the tiny European country of Moldova).  And you certainly haven't heard of the unrecognized breakaway region of Moldova, fighting for it's independence, this team is in, Transnistria...
• Well, as of the end of two matchdays in Group D of the UEFA Champions League, Sheriff did more than expected by knocking off Shakhtar Donetsk.  But that was nothing compared to going to Madrid and KNOCKING OFF REAL MADRID AWAY 2-1!!!  Next?  Inter.
• To give an idea:  There are four rounds of qualifying matches lesser teams/countries have to go through to even MAKE the final 32 teams for the group stage.  And higher-level teams, etc. are sprinkled in as you go.  Sheriff Tiraspol had to go through all four stages to get in.  And now they lead the group, and five points clear with four matches to go to make the knockout phase.
• That win alone, according to UEFA, gets Tiraspol 2,800,000 Euros.  Qualification to the knockouts is worth 15,640,000 Euros.
• According to ESPN, their entire market value is less than $14,000,000.  They've already won 5.6 million Euros (about $6.54 million) just in their two wins.
• PointsBet Sportsbook had Sheriff 25-1 to win the match!
• The CFP is trying to save the expanded playoff.  Too late.  NIL took the whole infrastructure out, long before the 2025 changeover.  
• Another big one for Matt Amodio.  Becoming the 3rd man to win thirty games on Jeopardy!, this one was his largest win yet:  $70,400 -- the 4th highest non-James Holzhauer game score.  30 day total:  $1,107,401 -- average win:  $36,913
• Meaning this week could be big on two ends:  Two more wins at any amount ties him with Holzhauer for second all-time in number of wins.  At the present average, it would also make Amodio the 10th highest winner in American game-show history.  
• He's about #14 right now, at least from what I have researched.  
• #13:  Rahim Oberholtzer (Twenty-One):  $1,120,000
• #12:  John Carpenter:  $1,125,000 (non-charity)  
• #11:  Michael Haynes (another 2008 Price is Right millionaire):  $1,127,062.  
• #10:  Adam Rose (TPiR):  $1,153,908

Week 3 NFL Score Report

• Was on pace to be the lowest scoring week in a year and a half (and, probably, barely, still was!!), but the last four totals being 58, 59, 58, and 62 at least pumped this week's PPG number to 45.375 -- nowhere close to last year's 52.1875.
• Season PPG through three weeks:  47.333, down 3 1/2 points from last year's 50.958.
• Home teams:  Clawed to 8-8, needed six of the last seven results, though, to get there.  23-24 for the season so far.  (Last year:  6-9-1 for 25-22-1)
• Over was 1-11 for the week at one point, but the last 4 games went over for 5-11 for the week and 20-28 for the season.  (Last year:  9-7 for 29-19)
• Favorites:  7-9 against the spread, 9-7 straight up.  Season:  18-30 against the number, 27-21 only straight up.  (Last year:  ATS:  8-8 for 23-24.  SU:  9-6-1 for 32-14-1)
• Team with more penalties was 5-6 for 20-21 for the year.  (Last year:  6-7 for 19-23)
• Number of penalties was down this week:  195 (about 12.2 a game) for 629 for the season (13.1 per game)  Last year:  187 for 567.
• Weird week:  The 5 Cliffhangers were the only 5 games to finish within 8 points.  11 Cliffhangers and 22 finals within one score so far this season.  (Last year:  6 Cliffhangers in Week 3 for 11 total.  10 games finished within one score for 24 total.)
• 5 non-competitive games, 17 for the year.  (Last year:  5 for 15)
• And just the 1 Last Chance Miss for 9 total so far in 2021.  (Last year:  4 for 16)

Week 3 NFL Political Rankings

Well, that was a week...

San Francisco tries to get handed one seven ways from Sunday, but can't do it.

Kansas City gets burned.

Baltimore probably gets one with the most league help anyone's had this season so far.

New England finally succumbs to the reality of a missing piece in the puzzle.

And don't look now, here comes Dallas!!!

Here is my current view of the NFL bookers:

AFC:

3-0:  Denver and Las Vegas both won, so they're still 3-0.

1) Baltimore

You can't do what they did on that second-to-last play and NOT put Baltimore at the top of the AFC right now.  And with the Chiefs now 1-2 and in last place alone in the AFC West for the first time in forever, are we actually looking at Lamar Jackson heading to a Super Bowl?  It's early.  It's Week 3...

2) Las Vegas

I wasn't comfortable with them last week, but a lot got out of the way this week.  If they beat the Rams next week on Monday Night Football in SoFi, or even give a good enough accounting that people start thinking in terms of a possible Rams/Chargers/Vegas situation for the Super Bowl (which would be in SoFi)....

3) Los Angeles Chargers

See #2, but not quite as pronounced.  Yet.  They and the Raiders, though, have some play to do.

NOT QUITE SOLD ON YET:  Cleveland.  A lot of people have spoken up on the Browns pre-season -- still want to see a bit more, though, to see them through.  Getting Beckham back, though, might well help!

Cincinnati:  No.  One of the more surprising 2-1s in the NFL.

Denver:  Giants, Jaguars, and Jets.  Three teams who, unless one plays another, none of them might win a game this year.

Tennessee:  Someone's gotta win the AFC South, but if they want to get on the list, they may have to show more than that.

0-3:  Jets, Jaguars, Colts.

DUD OF THE WEEK:

Candidates:  Houston...  If there's evidence you've hitched to the wrong horse in this race, here it is.

New England...  Unless they're gonna sneak you in as a 7-seed, I may have to formally withdraw "Brady vs. Belichick".

Kansas City...  Something is BAD WRONG with that defense, AND the O-line.

Pittsburgh...  Talk about "washed".  Captain Fatfuck, Leader of Nobody.  Urinatingtree could probably quarterback the Steelers more effectively at this point!

Jacksonville...  Your last win was Week 1 last season.  You've now dropped 18 in a row.  12 by double digits, including your last seven!!!  You now are tied with the 72-73 Oilers with the 5th longest losing streak in NFL history.  #3 is next week, tying with the 07-09 0-16 Lions at 19.   Then, the modern-era record of the Buccaneers at 26 -- and the Chicago Cardinals at 29 during World War II.  Your next winnable game is probably in mid-November.

But the winner, and by a mile:  THE NEW YORK J-E-T-S JOKE JOKE JOKE.  19-14 to the Panthers, 25-6 to the Patriots, 26-0 to the Broncos.  You can start showing up ANYTIME NOW, Jets!!!  Three straight years 0-3...  You'd think something would give at some point.

NFC:

3-0:  Rams, Cardinals, Panthers

1) Rams

See the Raiders.  Important game, both for 4-0 and to possibly set a narrative, next Monday night in Inglewood.  If that game is even acceptably close (see the Chiefs/Bucs dress rehearsal last year)...

2) Cowboys

Well, well, well...  Good week for the 'Boys.  The Collins suspension cut to two, and an ass-whuppin' of the Eagles on national television.  That's going to help.  The ratings bump the Cowboys usually give will help some more!!

3) Bucs/Saints/Packers

NOT QUITE SOLD ON YET.  Will the Saints make up their mind?  The Packers really did a nice 11-on-18 win Sunday night on the road, which will probably pay dividends later.  And...

0-3: Detroit, Giants

DUD OF THE WEEK

Candidates:  Tampa Bay:  What.  The Hell.  Was THAT???

San Francisco:  And that goes double for you -- it was CLEAR the refs wanted to give it all to you, and you wouldn't accept it, for some odd reason.

Seattle:  In the same place Kansas City is.  1-2, had expectations, but last alone in their division for the first time in quite a while.

Giants:  You're 0-3, but unlike your stadium-mates, you've only lost those three by 18 points...  So you're at least closer...

NFC "WINNER":  Da Bears Still Suck.   Again, your complete lack of offense (40 points in three games) speaks volumes here.

Day 564, starting with another one in San Francisco...

• The NFL must be kicking itself today.  They tried everything in their power last night to get the 49ers the win, including this no-call....

No flag on this hit on Davante Adams 🤔

Hoping he is okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/OOwpOYNwpf

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) September 27, 2021

• Both players think the hit was clean -- but I think, even if not to the head, it's a defenseless player rule hit.
• Sounds like Seattle is done with Josh Gordon -- he'll head to Kansas City.
• Andy Reid released from the hospital today.

Rare case of Ball Don't Lie in San Francisco...

Looked like another one the refs were going to make Green Bay the job-boys again on Sunday Night Football...

7 minutes to go, Green Bay leading San Fran 24-21.  San Fran ball...

• Questionable Roughing the Passer call -- late safety charge is a moment late.  And if that's a late shot on the QB, there was another on the Packer lineman on the touchdown drive which should've been called too!
• Then a questionable tripping call -- the Packer actually was being blocked the whole time, and his foot got the QB's knee and he went down...
• Then the turnover itself mirrored the Tuck Rule, but the only reason they got the turnover was that the ball actually went a half-yard backward.

So field goal for 27-21, about 3 min to go.

• Possible backward pass on San Francisco's first play.  Could've been second and 19...
• But the all-too-predictable touchdown, and now, no time outs and 75 yards to get.

So they get the ball in the air at the gun...

And the 51 yard field goal is.....

GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Color me shocked.

-----------

Wild Sunday in the NFL:

• Five Cliffhangers today.  Two weird things about that.  First is that they were the ONLY FIVE GAMES out of 15 so far this week to end within one score.  The other is that three of them were multiple cliffhangers -- and the fifth was a Cliffhanger with a Last Chance Miss.

1. Sunday night:  SF TD for 28-27 at 0:36.   Winning 51 yd FG at the gun.
2. Chargers at KC:  Chargers get what would be the winning TD at 0:36, but Mahomes does get Ball in the Air at the Gun.  And that's the only Last Chance Miss of the week.
3. Atlanta at Giants:  Game winner FG at the gun.
4. Baltimore at Detroit:  Detroit ties it at 1:04.  Justin Tucker gets handed a shot by the refs and makes the record 66 yard kick for the win at the gun.
5. But that has nothing on Miami at Las Vegas.  A QUAD CLIFFHANGER!  Miami gets the TD and 2 with 2 seconds left to force OT.  They trade OT field goals, and Las Vegas is 3-0 after a game winner at the OT gun.

I would have to check to see if there has ever been an NFL week with FOUR game winning field goals at the gun.

But I do know when the last Quad Cliffhanger was:  Week 4 2018:  Houston 37, Indianapolis 34.  Same general setup. Tying regulation TD 45 seconds, trading FGs under the new rule, winning FG at the gun for Houston after Indy went for it on 4th down on their 43 and missed with a half minute left.  So that could have been a five-bagger.  (Cliff X 4 LCM)

Then, of course, Week 14 2013, when Minnesota and Baltimore had five lead changes in the last 2:05 -- another quad-cliffhanger which just missed being five!

• Over bettors took a beating today.  Week PPG is at 44.26 -- if it holds under 45 and change, it'll be the lowest score for the PPG since Week 12 of 2019.  The over, as a result, went 4-11 so far.
• Interesting stat:  Five games finished within a score -- six others got a rarer distinction.  They were within one score at some point in the fourth quarter, but did not finish there.  Of the 47 games so far, only nine have done so.  Out of the 256 last year, there were 43 such games.

Keep piling on the logs, people! You'll understand why SOME OF US can't enjoy sports anymore!!!

Been such a long day of bullshit, I've not had time to get the afternoon scores on the spreadsheet yet...

1) USA wins Ryder Cup.  National Bulls Company starts talking "Jordanesque"...

Does that cocksucker own stock in Universal or something???

I mean, how long are we out from this motherfucker, and it's like the only reason sports even EXISTS is to glorify "My friend...  MICHAELJORDAN!!!"

2 and 3) I had to say goodbye (or was shown the door and forcefully kicked) from the Botball Discord community this afternoon.

Two things, in rapid succession, basically got my ire.

2) The first was the mentioned-in-the-daily new NFL record field goal...

The play before Justin Tucker broke the record, this happened:

If that clock on-screen (which IS unofficial) is even REMOTELY correct, the Ravens got two extra seconds to snap the ball on the second to last play.

That happens, you don't get that final kick.

But that only got the "shut up about tinfoil" stuff.

3) What finished it seems to be NFL fans' best friend, Andy Reid...

Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid was transported by ambulance to a local hospital following Sunday’s game. A source close to Reid told @espn and @JeffDarlington that the Chiefs’ HC was in good spirits when he departed for precautionary observation after he felt ill.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 26, 2021

(Full disclosure:  It's not Schefter's tweet which was posted to the Discord -- same news, though...)

I had already had an exchange about Kansas City losing today to the Chargers, and about how Britt Reid and the DUI were partially responsible.  So someone on Botball snarks that I cursed Andy Reid, and I let them have it!!

Basically, I finally had to let them know about the first kid and that if this guy had an ounce of scruples and could be a leader of anything, much less a father, the overdose probably doesn't happen and...

By the time I could get half a follow-up, I was back on my home-screen, kicked out...

Ladies and gentlemen, FUCK ANDY REID.  And the sooner he is out of the NFL, one way or the other, sports will be the better for it!  And if that makes me a bad person, here's a pro-tip:  I fully expect, when I go, that most people (and everyone outside my family and one other person) will be even happier I'm gone than that!!

One overdose, the other almost kills a 4-year-old girl with a DUI, and we slobber all over this cocksucker like he's Phil Jackson???  SCREW THE BITCH!  I've said all along that Kansas City is losing opportunities at being something very special because they can't hold that guy accountable for ANYTHING -- going back to Tyreek Hill, etc.

4) And then, oh lookee what we have here in Colorado today!!!!

2-2 into the ninth in Colorado, and in comes 5.40 ERA Dennis Bard.  Walk, walk, single for one run -- he's out. Then Tyler Kinley finishes it off with a 3-run home run to Brandon Crawford with two pitches RIGHT DOWN THE PIPE!!!

REALLY...  You honestly expect me to believe even HALF THIS SHIT ANYMORE???

I'm trying to find the statistic, but the number is well over 30 since the trade deadline -- the number of Dodger wins which the Giants matched.  (It's actually 27.  But that's still not natural.)

I'm calling it right now:  There is an active collusion going on to deny the Dodgers another world championship.  As I said to one reader already:  There's a difference between "You can't win every year" and an active act of collusion on the part of at least two teams (and now, probably, three...) to fuck a division rival.

I've wondered most of the year how in Hell the Giants could have done this well.  No one saw it coming.

Three things:  Dingers (a club record this year, even surpassing the team total for the year Bonds got 73!), a pitcher's park, and the rest of the NL West taking a dive to put the Dodgers in a one-game playoff with anybody -- which will probably be the Cardinals, who have now won 16 in a row to get to the top 30 of all regular-season win streaks in MLB history.

Oh, like any of us who see what's going on doesn't see what's coming down the pipe.  This Dodger team is so good, it wins 100 games with a fucking M*A*S*H unit this year -- and they're going to get fucked without lube, it now appears.

Really...

And you expect us not only to "watch the games and enjoy them", but shut the fuck up about everything else?

As I said before I got kicked:  If I want to see a Broadway play, I will go to New York City....

(And probably get arrested again, but I didn't say that part of it.  Took EVERY DAMN OUNCE OF RESTRAINT...)

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM... Could MLB be having an organized fix in it's most prominent division?

You're welcome, @SFGiants. pic.twitter.com/LqCIHfq3aI

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 26, 2021

I'm smelling something fishy, and so is my anonymous friend...

1-5 against SF in the second half, and you post THAT on your Twitter after helping the Giants get to a 2-game lead?

Trying to tell us something there, that you think it's in the BIOB that the Dodgers NOT win another World Series, or even the NL West???

And then there's Colorado -- 1-7 against the Giants second-half, your last 5 losses have been by 3 or more runs, 4 of them by 5 or more!  So why then are the Rockies 5-7 with the Dodgers in the same span, the last two of those losses in extra innings???

Are we seeing an organized tank-job by the rest of the National League West to maneuver the Dodgers into a one-game wild-card with the hottest team in baseball -- and, oh look who'll be behind the plate but someone like Joe West or Angel Hernandez???

THIS IS BEGINNING TO STINK HARD.

Day 563

• Well, now we know what got La'El Collins five games, and it should've gotten him more.  He definitely should get more than the two he's going to serve.  Not only has he missed a number of drug tests, he also tried to bribe the tester!  To me, that's a season, at least.   
• Tragedy at Petco Park last night.  A mother and 2 year old infant both were killed at the stadium last night after a fall.
• Ohio State either threw a player off the team or had one quit during a 59-7 win over Akron.  A personnel issue resulted in K'Vaughan Pope being escorted from the field and throwing profane tweets against the program (but in support of his teammates).  He was a senior, but never saw significant playing time for the Buckeyes at any point in his four seasons.  Pope was dismissed from the team earlier today.  Probably should've happened some time ago -- if you can't get better playing time in four years in a college program, chances are you are in the wrong program.
• Aaron Lowe was killed today in a shooting fight at a campus party in Salt Lake City.
• And Brandon Gray, another college player, was seriously injured in another shooting at a campus party in Pullman, Washington.
• You're kidding me, Kenny Mayne...  :)  That is an exit from your last SportsCenter...

• And one of the reasons I'm not sure it's a good idea to try for NFL history today at the end of the half.  Matt Prater of the Cardinals tried a 68 yard field goal at the half today.  It was on-line, but just short, caught right near the end line by Jacksonville's Jamal Agnew.  ONE HUNDRED AND NINE YARDS LATER:  Touchdown Jacksonville.  Might want to refrain from the record field-goal attempts.  I think that one would've broken the mark by three or four yards!!   
• Apparently not the only interesting thing to happen in that game so far.  There was a muffed punt earlier in the half...  Because, apparently, the penalty flag being thrown for an illegal block during the kick struck the ball in the air and deflected it slightly.  No change of possession -- not known what would've happened if there had been one!
• Well, I said "the end of the half"...  Justin Tucker has just won for Baltimore with a new NFL record 66 yard field goal over the Lions.  Off the crossbar and over for the win!
• But the NFL had it's hands in it:  According to the posted play clock on the screen, the down before was a delay of game on the Ravens.  Will try to get a full video...   Well, I think I've got my #1 for this week's AFC Politicals.  
• Andy Reid left after today's game in an ambulance -- he was not feeling well, and the Chiefs are exercising caution.  No sympathy for the Devil.   

Day 561, Part Two

• Near-miss for Vice-President Harris today.  She was going to appear on ABC's The View, but, partway through the taping of the show, two of the hosts found out they tested positive for COVID!  Meaning they had to leave and the rest of the cast and crew probably had to be declared contact-traced.  They hastily arranged a remote interview with Harris.  (Hat-tip to my anonymous friend again...)
• The NFL has announced there will be a Monday night Wild Card game.  Two games Saturday, three Sunday, one Monday.
• Stop me if you didn't see this coming:  Jon Jones, arrested on domestic violence...  WHODA THUNK???
• And there it is:  With a $48,000 win in his 28th victory, Matt Amodio has become at least the 34th person in all of American game shows and the 4th in the history of Jeopardy! to win one million dollars on a program.  He becomes the third player to gain the number in the course of regular play.
• For, what is this now, the FOURTH TIME???  Josh Gordon has been reinstated AGAIN by the NFL.  He is cleared to be on the field (including he is vaccinated) for next week's Seattle game.  *facepalm*  
• The NBA has denied a religious vaccination waiver for Golden State's Andrew Wiggins, all but certainly putting an end to his time as a Warrior, because he cannot play in any games at home until he is.
• The USA had a historic first day at the Ryder Cup -- it's best in two decades, leading the competition 6 points to 2 over Europe.  Since Europe holds the Cup, the USA needs the extra half-point, for 14 1/2, to take it.
• The St. Louis Cardinals now have the longest streak in baseball this season.  With two seven-inning wins today over the Cubs, the Cardinals now have 14 wins in a row and are headed on a one-way shot to at least a one-game wild-card situation in Los Angeles in about 10 days.  It is also their longest winning streak since they joined the National League.
• There have been 30 streaks of 16 wins or more in MLB history.  The record is 26 by the 1916 New York Giants.  The modern record is 22 by the 2017 Indians.
• Missed this one earlier, and another one you can chalk up to the COVIDiots...  We lost Rob Rivera earlier this week to COVID-19.  You might not know the man's name (unless you know the connection), but you'd know what he started...  He was the originator of the world-famous Raider Nation "Black Hole"...

Day 561

• STAY CLASSY, FOOTBALL NATION AMERICA!!  Apparently, during last night's ESPN game, Appalachian State fans were telling the Marshall football team to kill themselves...
• On a far happier note...  Today COULD be a very historic day in American game-show history.  Matt Amodio (after a couple large Daily Double losses the last couple of days and a run of half-decent challengers -- one of whom would've won last night had he wagered during the game properly!!!) now has 27 wins and $955,201.  He stands just $44,799 (a bit more than his average, but nothing completely out of line -- though archivist Andy Saunders, given both that this week has been a bit of a test for Amodio, but also Amodio's weakness on Friday shows, does not believe so) from becoming the fourth man in Jeopardy! history to win one million dollars on the show and the third to do so in regular play.  
• He would (and later ETA, has) become at least the 34th (and probably more) millionaire in American game-show history.  
• Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has had 14 American top-prize winners,
• Jeopardy! had three break the seven-digit barrier (editing after Amodio became the fourth),
• Wheel of Fortune has had three (a million-dollar opportunity is available every night -- you have to hit one particular spoke (a third of a wedge) on the wheel, guess a letter in the puzzle, win that puzzle, and win the match without a further Bankrupt.  You THEN have to spin what would've been the one $100,000 space on the bonus wheel and solve the bonus puzzle.)  Various YouTubers have noted that four people actually got to the bonus puzzle, spun the right space, but failed to correctly solve the puzzle.
• The Price is Right has had at least three to my research, 
• There are at least four others on the Top Ten winnings list from other shows.
• The original FOX version of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? had two -- and Ken Jennings was NOT ONE OF THEM!  He stopped before the last question for the specific reason that all winnings on that show were his kids' college fund...  (He'd have gotten the final answer.)
• The NBC version of Deal or No Deal had two.  
• Power of Ten had a millionaire (on it's first show)
• And the Pepsi TV game-show Play For A Billion gave away a million as it's consolation prize.
• There are several caveats:  Charity usually does not count, nor does any team or couple unless an individual from that team wins a million.  (There was a $1.4 million couples win on LeBron James' The Wall on NBC, but that's not included.)  And the show must be allowed to be governed under Prohibited Practices in Contests of Skill or Chance, so no Survivor, American Idol, America's Got Talent, etc.  State or multi-state lottery games do not count either -- though that COULD be a rather messy distinction...

Three series to go in baseball.  Here's the latest on the standings, starting with the AL:

• In:  Chicago White Sox (Central Champions)  Tampa Bay Rays (at least Wild Card)
• Magic number for the Rays to clinch the AL East is four with Boston, two with the Yankees -- Boston and the Yankees play this weekend.
• Magic number for the Astros to clinch the AL West is three with Seattle.
• Current AL Wild Card matchup is Yankees at Boston, but Toronto is only 1 back of the Yankees, and the Yankees and Boston play this weekend.  Seattle is 2 back of the Yankees in what is turning into the best race in baseball, a four-for-two job.
• Tragic numbers otherwise:  Oakland:  6.  
• Eliminated:  Minnesota, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Baltimore, Texas, LA Angels.
• Best record in the AL:  Rays 3 up on the Astros.

NL:

• In:  Milwaukee, San Francisco, LA Dodgers (at least Wild Card)
• NL West:  San Francisco hangs tough -- the lead is 1 over the Dodgers.  They have the best two records in baseball.
• NL Central Magic Number is 3 for the Brewers with St. Louis (who have won 12 in a row to probably book a date with the Dodgers-SF NL West loser).
• NL East:  Cobb County 2 up on Philadelphia
• NL Wild Card #2:  Cardinals now 4.5 up on the Phillies.  Current matchup is Cardinals at Dodgers.
• Tragic numbers otherwise:  Mets:  4 for the division, 1 for WC #2.  Reds:  5.  Padres:  5.
• Eliminated:  Miami, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Chicago Cubs.
• Best record in the NL:  Whoever wins the NL West between the Dodgers and San Francisco.  Even the Dodgers in 2nd are 7 up on the Brewers.

Best record in baseball:  Giants 1 up on Dodgers, 5 up on the Rays, 8 up on both the Astros and Brewers.

Day 560

• Tommy Dreamer has been fired for his comments from Busted Open Radio and SiriusXM.

Day 559

• For the third year in a row, a team is going to have to come out of administration and attempt to remain in the English second-tier Championship.  Derby County has entered administration and been docked 12 points (losing all of it's current points plus it's next two).  The good news?  They've only lost two of their first eight matches, so they sit nine points from safety at this point.  But you HAVE TO START asking questions if this becomes three years in a row now where at least one of the three relegations from the Championship is due to financial concerns.   
• There is now word the players are not being paid -- and if that is not resolved in the next 10 days, the penalty could be DOUBLED and the team threatened with complete dissolution!  This is what happens within six years of you trying to get to the EPL and failing in the playoffs FOUR TIMES.
• It would be the second club wound-up in the top four divisions in the last three years.  Bury FC exists in name only after being tossed out of League Two with no interest in a buyer -- and they're still looking three years later.
• Wycombe Wanderers is probably going to sue the EFL and Derby County -- believing the 12 points should've applied last year and that Derby County, not they, should already be in League One.
• Two years ago, Wigan Athletic took the drop, and nearly dropped again the following season to League Two -- staying up by only a single point!  This year has started out well, though -- 5 wins and a draw in their first seven.
• Last year, Sheffield Wednesday took a six-point drop for spending violations and they, too, were relegated as a result to League One.  They have three wins and two draws in their first seven.
• On the other side of the ledger is this hilarious story from the low end of CONCACAF club football:  Inter Moengotapoe is from the tiny nation of Suriname, and was second in this year's Caribbean Club Championship, making it to the CONCACAF League.  They are owned by the 60 year-old vice-president of the country, WHO PLAYED LAST NIGHT against Honduran side Olimpia.  Sadly for him, Olimpia won 6-0.
• Matt Amodio, last night, became the third man in Jeopardy! history to win 25 regular-season matches.  Last night's victory was his sixth lockout win in seven matches in the new season, and a large margin over his two opponents allowed him to recover from a $10,000 Daily Double loss to win $36,201 to leave himself just over $100,000 short of becoming television's newest game-show millionaire.
• Archivist Andy Saunders notes this morning that his prediction model actually now has a 1.7% chance that Amodio breaks Ken Jennings' 74 win record.  The bad news for Amodio: The prediction model also has a 7% chance of him losing today!  (Find that information at your peril before Jeopardy! airs today -- the website will update as soon as the show airs...)
• Saunders' current model has the average winning streak in his projections at 36.  At his present average, Amodio would win $1,286,200 or so, making him the tenth-highest American game-show winner of all time.
• Appears as if Evander Kane is in the clear.  NHL announced today it has no evidence of his ex-wife's claims.
• Basebrawl today in Tampa.  Yesterday, the Blue Jays dropped one of their crib sheets (sheets which give scouting information to pitchers and.or fielders on various hitters so they know what to do) on the ground and the Rays found it.  Today, someone's getting suspended:  Ryan Borucki took it for the team, as he plunked Kevin Kiermeier and everyone's feelings were hurt.
• It appears future Olympic hopefuls WILL have to be vaccinated, the United States Sexual Assault Committee announced today.
• Antonio Brown of the Buccaneers has tested positive for COVID.  According to Adam Schefter, that's three Buccaneers now on the COVID list.
• Another sacrifice to football:  Tyler Christman of Carthage HS in northern New York.  Head injury in a game Saturday -- and passed earlier this week.  He was FOURTEEN.

No, sir... It's not "The White Way", it's "The Right Way"!

sigh

You knew someone would do it.

And, yes, Carron Phillips, I think I get what you're trying to say on Deadspin today.

Mr. Phillips is claiming that this is the same situation which came about when David Stern forced NBA players to start dressing up and de-ghettoing the league by looking presentable when they are in airports, etc.

I would say, however, that if you believe anti-taunting is playing the game "The White Way", would you then also say that this is an accepted part of the game which is not "The White Way" either?

Or this???

Or THIS?  This was part of EIGHT such penalties on Sunday...

Or, EDIT TO ADD, how could I forget this postgame exchange after a game worth of shit-talking:

Mr. Phillips, it's not "The White Way", it's "The Right Way" -- and it sounds like, if this week is any indication, they're gonna have to go to the college rule and enforce from the spot the taunting starts.

Maybe part of the reason, as you say, "Black joy has always been viewed as criminal." is that a lot of it IS.  Because you let these players (of all races) pop off, and you WILL get Miami-Florida International...

Or is that, as I have to ask many of the dolts as sick of the rule as you are, what you WANT???

SHUT UP AND GET TO YOUR HUDDLE.

Day 558

• A day late on this:  Maegashira Daieisho earned his third kinboshi by becoming the first man to defeat Terunofuji as a Yokozuna.  A kinboshi (a "gold star") is given to a lower-rank top-division wrestler who defeats a Yokozuna.  Pre-COVID:  This would also be accompanied by much of the crowd (though it is later discouraged, it is a sumo tradition) throwing their seat cushions toward the ring to celebrate the achievement.  However, what is not changed is that Daieisho, as with any kinboshi winner, will receive an addition to his pay for the remainder of his career.  It is estimated that a single kinboshi is worth an additional 240,000 yen (current approximation, about $2,200) per year for the rest of Daieisho's career.  He also received a significant sponsors' bonus for winning the match.
• Ben Simmons, as widely believed, is done with the 76ers and will not report to their training camp.  I'm not sure who in the NBA would WANT this fraud, much less his contract!   
• "Emergency"'s Chet Kelly passed away, reported by museum of the Fire Department the show was in tribute of.
• Davis Mills will be the starter in Houston going forward.

Some NFL numbers:

• 11 taunting penalties have been called in the first two weeks of the season, eight of which this week.  And, unlike most people and many media, it needs to be called MORE.   
• There is a Deadspin article talking about whether this taunting enforcement is actually trying to tell Black players to "play the game the White way"...  I'm going to have some words about that at some point in the next couple of days.  
• The NFL Network-exclusive Thursday night game got the highest ratings in four years for the Network in that spot.
• 13.8M for Packers-Lions last night (Showbuzz Daily).  About 11% lost from last year.  No surprise.  Last year was an ABC DualCast, and who's going to be excited for Packers-Lions at this point, outside of Packer Country?  And how about the almost two million for the ESPN2 ManningCast?
• CBS Late:  24.29 million, up 25% ratings, 29% viewers -- Cowboys-Chargers was the national game.
• CBS Early:  14.2M and that was 41% ratings, 45% viewers to the good -- Raiders-Steelers in a bit more than half the country.
• FOX Single:  18.5M viewers (+7% ratings, +10% viewers), best single in three years.
• SNF:  19.8M, most watched SNF in three years.  No surprise with that matchup!  Ratings up 8%, viewers up 12%.

NFL Week 2 Score Report

Well, the Pack returned to somewhat normal for at least one night...  Cost one guy who bet with BetMGM  a 16-team parlay worth almost three-quarters of a million dollars on a $25 bet.  He was 15-for-15 in the parlay, but needed the Lions to win to get it done...

• Last year's Week 2 was 853 points, 53.125 PPG for the week.  This year, they could "only" get 778 for 48.625.
• Through the first nine games of Sunday, those nine games averaged 38.444 PPG.  Then the rest of the schedule went 83-37-67-63 for the late slots, 71 for the Sunday nighter, 52 for tonight.
• Meaning season average for two weeks is 48.3125 PPG.  Last year:  50.343.
• The home teams were 8-8 this week -- 15-16 for the year.  Last year:  11-5 for 19-13.
• The Over was also 8-8.  (Started the week 3-7!)  15-17 for the year.  Last year:  11-5 for 20-12.
• Favorites fared a bit better this week than last:  7-9 against the number, 11-5 straight up.  Season:  11-21 against the spread, 18-14 straight up.  Last year:  ATS:  7-9 for 15-16.  SU:  14-2 for 23-8.
• The big news of the first two weeks:  Penalties!!  Team with more penalties was 5-10 this week for 15-15 for the two weeks.  Last year:  9-6 for 13-16.
• But the big number:  220 penalties called this week for 434 for the two weeks.  That's almost 14 a game for the week and over 13.5 for the season.  Last year, 199 for Week 2 and 380 for the 2 weeks.  That's over 2.5 more penalties a game this season than last!
• Three Cliffhangers this week as well.  Six for the year.  Last year:  Also had 3 for the week, but the total is 5.
• Half the games ended within one score, 17 of the 32 so far this year.  Last year:  7 for the week, 14 of 32 for the year.
• 5 non-competitive games this week, total of 12 so far in the 2021 season.  Last year:  Also 5 for the week, total 10.
• And Last Chance Misses?  Only two this week (the Chiefs fumble and Minnesota missing a game-winner at the gun).  8 so far this season.  Last year:  5 for the week, 12 total.

Day 557

• It is now official:  DeShaun Watson is done in Houston.  Even if Tyrod Taylor is out, Watson will not be made active.  Just do the same thing they did in Minnesota and put him on the Commissioner's List and dare the PA to do something about it...   
• Tom Brady says the undefeated Buccaneers "have even more to show"...  I believe it.  I look at the first two weeks, and, with just the right ref-juice here, there and everywhere, 20-0 now appears more than plausible.  Part of it is what the league has built in Tampa Bay around Tom Brady.  Part of it, honestly, is how few even GOOD teams there are otherwise.  At least as of June, you could get 40-1...  It's clear that the NFL would LIKE that result...   
• More bitching by Sports Illustrated against the taunting rule changes.  If anything, they aren't being called enough.  At some point, really, you almost have to go to the "any non-football act in the presence of a player on the other team is illegal" situation.  Or even further...   
• Urban Meyer is trying to talk the Jaguars fans into thinking they will get better.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...  Urban, this franchise is a lost cause.  That's 17 in a row, going back to last year.  (The modern NFL record is 26, by the expansion Buccaneers -- it took them nearly two seasons to win one game.)   
• All Elite Wrestling and Martha Hart and others in the Owen Hart Foundation have launched an working agreement in principle, including an Owen Hart Cup Tournament coming to the brand, it was announced this morning.
• Two-time Australian Olympic swimming relay gold medalist Madi Wilson is in the hospital with the coronavirus, a breakthrough case.  And I'm including this link for one reason:  I want you to take a close look at the Instagram picture of Wilson as she announces it, especially her arms.  THIS IS NOT A FUCKING JOKE, PEOPLE...  

NFL Week 2 Political Rankings

(No, I don't think anything that's going to happen between the Packers and Lions is going to change anything, except PERHAPS the Dud of the Week -- and if that happens, I'll denote it in the Score Report and update here.)

Well, that was interesting.

Especially after two interceptions Lamar Jackson threw which appeared to be directly at Tyron Matthieu (or at least that he was the only one who could catch it) AND a phantom Ineligible Man Downfield which cost the Ravens two points (I didn't know "falling forward" was enough to trigger the "moving forward after being blocked" portion of the Ineligible Man Downfield -- and yes, NFL, I researched your own 2021 Rule Book (Rule 8, Section 3, Article 1, Item 2 -- page 33) on the subject...), I thought this was a LOCK for Kansas City...

But, lo, a late turnover and Baltimore wins!!  So my standing assumption on Andy Reid is probably going to run the day -- since this situation is going to be over the league's head into 2022, Kansas City is probably going to lose a playoff game right about like...  THAT!

So watch that space.

Anyhow, in lieu of a Kayfabe Standings, I'll list the undefeated teams by conference and then give my rankings:

AFC:  2-0:  Las Vegas and Denver.

That's it.

That's all.

I am actually serious.

I don't think Denver is in any position to be taken seriously, Political-wise.  If the situation continues to deteriorate in Green Bay and Rodgers actually fanagles an in-season trade to Denver, then we might talk!!!

So here's my Politicals for Week 2:

1) Baltimore

I can't seriously put Las Vegas #1 (even though I do clearly believe they will be 3-0 after dispatching Miami next week...).  But when you can basically go over in the Game of the Week, one which very easily could have playoff implications with respect to home field...

2) Las Vegas

I will put them #2, however.  That is two fairly solid wins to start the season, even if Captain Fatfuck, Leader of Men is more than washed up.  And tonight's win by the Ravens over the Chiefs makes the Week 1 Vegas win over Baltimore even more prescient!  This could very seriously get to at least 5-0...  But, again, you do have other desires, and I can't think some of the conservative faction of the NFL is going to be crazy about a currently-playing NFL player being out.   (1 solo tackle against Pittsburgh)

3) New England

For no real other particular reason than they got the W today and I'm still sold on Brady vs. Belichick.  It won't be easy getting there, but...

DUDS OF THE WEEK

MIAMI:  If you're not going to show up, just forfeit the game.  That 35-0 loss to Buffalo was Buffalo's largest shutout win over you guys in FIFTY FIVE YEARS!!

KANSAS CITY:  Only for that you were all but GIVEN that one on a silver platter multiple times, and you STILL found a way to fuck it up.  Get a real head coach, and you might be this sport's next DYNASTY!

NEW YORK JETS:  How much longer do we even have to BOTHER calling you an NFL franchise?

JACKSONVILLE:  Tony Khan, get out of the NFL and out of soccer (Fulham was relegated out of the EPL last year) and concentrate on what you and yours are actually GOOD AT.  Huge four-hour Grand Slam airing/taping Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium -- the 18,000 expected will be the largest crowd All Elite Wrestling have ever performed in front of.   (And probably will have more fun than the 58,000 who got subjected to the Jaguars.)

LOSER OF THE WEEK, AFC EDITION:  A draw between Miami and the Jets -- two teams who didn't show up at all.

0-2:  The Jets, Jaguars, and Colts.

That's right, guys:  ELEVEN of the sixteen AFC teams are 1-1.

NFC:

2-0:  Tampa Bay, Carolina, San Francisco, LA Rams, Arizona

1) Tampa Bay

Oh Kee-Rist...  I've been believing that this season in the NFC was literally Tampa and everybody else, but this seems to give that far more credence.  No one expected Atlanta to put up much of a fight (I was right -- if the game got close to the 50's, much less 70's, the cover was easy!), but it's clear that, if this team doesn't have one epic bad day, the only question is whether Tom Brady is upright for all 17 weeks!

2, 2A, and 2B)  The AFC West, other than Seattle

Probably Rams slightly ahead of SF, ahead of Arizona.  But that's going to be one HELL of a division.

DUDS OF THE WEEK:

I think we have one clear winner in the NFC:

NEW ORLEANS.  WHAT.  THE FUCK.  WAS THAT???  Look, maybe that people are going to be able to return to New Orleans quicker than expected blew up a narrative, but you didn't have to be THAT BAD this week, unless we find out tomorrow night that Detroit was supposed to be the team favored by 11 points!!!

THE NFC NORTH:  2-6 after two weeks, and the only reason I know that is that the Monday nighter is within the division.

LOSER OF THE WEEK, NFC EDITION:  New Orleans, not close.

0-2:  Minnesota, the Green Bay-Detroit loser, the Giants, and the Falcons

Thankfully, Instructive Only: This is how they do it, people...

Thankfully, it was rendered irrelevant five or six plays later by a game-winning field goal.

So this is only an instructive situation.

But this was SO BLATANT of a bad call, it can't be ignored.

Game situation:  Second possession of overtime, with Seattle with the ball and the game still tied -- so the next score of any kind wins the game.

3rd and 10 from the Seattle 13, and the defense gets through on Russell Wilson:

pic.twitter.com/1NE1rkjkPP

— Ralph Wiggum (@RalphWStats) September 19, 2021

After all that, they ruled him down at the 1!!!

WOT DA HELL????

People wonder how I think games might get rigged -- it's calls like this.  It's not numerology or symbology (though politics and symbolism can work into it -- which see the New England Patriots).   It comes from what I see in the news and what I see on the field/court.whatever have you.

Fortunately, the situation became so obvious, not even that could stop the game-winner for Tennessee, but let's at least hope this gives a bit of insight not only to what I see as a problem (and I see those two first-quarter picks, Lamar Jackson -- where you threw the first one right to Mattheiu and the second one, he was the only one who could catch it!!), but the difference between me and other sports-conspiracy theorists in that regard.

(Except for Brian Tuohy.  Which allows me this:

I had noticed his Twitter feed was suspiciously dark for Week 1 of the NFL season.  A quick perusal tonight of his 2021 NFL webpage shows why:  He got a COVID positive on the 31st of August.  The next 5 days, he had a 100-102 fever.  If that was only the worst of it...  He then got the respiratory problems, and was hospitalized and put on oxygen.  His energy level is effectively nil right now, so who knows when he returns...

Tuohy knows he got it at a class reunion turned spreader event of about 40 people, 10 of which got COVID.  Tuohy was not vaccinated, believing it personal choice.  Brian, shame on you.  Seriously.  Perhaps if you had gotten vaccinated, your body might've had a shot fighting this off.)

Not a rigging point at this time, but definitely at least something to look at: The Matt Amodio Experience on Jeopardy!

Jeopardy!, very well, could have it's fourth millionaire for regular-season play by the end of this week.

Matt Amodio has survived Mike Richards Week and will enter the Mayim Bialik-hosted shows as the third-highest number of regular-season wins in history, 23.

He would need 9 more wins to tie James Holzhauer for #2.

We are not sure yet exactly when he would tie Ken Jennings' #74, mainly because we aren't sure what the syndicated show is doing for tournaments for November as of yet.  Estimates are...  some point in December.

His $825,801 total is also #3 all-time regular season.  He has an average win of $35,904 -- augmented by a $251,000 season-opening week.

18 of his 23 wins have been "lock games" -- where the leading contestant heading into Final Jeopardy has more than twice the second-place amount, assuring victory (unless your name is Cliff Clavin).  All five of his wins this week were locks -- and the amount he had the lock by dictates his ability to cash in Final Jeopardy.

A sweep of all five Final Jeopardys in the first week means he's 17-6 in that regard.  Of the Ultrachamps (archivist Andy Saunders' term for a player who won 10 or more matches in the regular season -- of which Amodio is the 10th), Amodio's 17-6 record is third to David Madden at 15-5 and Holzhauer at a ridiculous 22-1!

Amodio has converted 47 of 53 Daily Doubles, a record which is 4th.  Holzhauer is third, Matt Jackson is second, and David Madden is first.

The rest of these numbers are all based on the average winnings of $35,904 -- based on his current total of $825,801 so far:

• He would become Jeopardy's fourth regular-season millionaire on Friday.
• There is a kept archive of the ten highest winning single contestants in American game-show history on Wikipedia.  Reality shows do not count, teams do not count.  However, there is some dispute on Wikipedia, as to whether charity winnings count.  If they do not (and this has been the long-time practice), the #10 on the list would be The Price is Right's Adam Rose, who won a Million Dollar Spectacular to the tune of $1,153,908 in 2008.  That number would be surpassed, at present rate, by Amodio on October 1.
• That would be the same day he would surpass James Holzhauer's 32 wins on the show.
• If the charity winnings do count, then a bit of the back-history would have to be rewritten, and the #10 would be John Carpenter at $1,250,000.  That would take two further wins, to October 5th.
• Saunders has an algorithm, based on years and years of Jeopardy matches, to evaluate champions and give probabilities as to their win streak lengths.  Right now, Saunders has Amodio at right about at 36 wins, which would put him at about $1.3 million.
• #9 on the list is Curtis Warren, grand champion on both Sale of the Century and on Greed.  His $1,546,988 would be taken past on October 18th, at this rate.
• To give you an idea of the absurdity of Ken's winnings and games-won records:  He would actually pass the winnings record of over $2.5 million four wins before he would break the games-won record -- but, again, we have no idea what interruptions in regular play may be coming this season...

Baseball Kayfabe and Political Rankings

Don't usually do baseball, but I figure I'll do it here.

We've got one game left (Phillies at Mets) tonight, and two weeks to go...

AL:

East:  Tampa is 6.5 up on Boston, 12 to play.  Division magic number is 6.  7.5 up on Toronto, 9 up on the Yankees.  Playoff magic number for Tampa is 4.

Central:  White Sox are 11 up on Cleveland, 13 to play.  Magic number is 3.  White Sox are the only team in the division above .500.  Tragic Number for Cleveland is 5.

West:  Houston, 6 clear of Oakland, 15 to play.  Magic number for the division is 8.  8 up on Seattle.  Tragic Numbers:  Oakland:  8.  Seattle:  6.

Eliminated:  Baltimore, Minnesota, Detroit, Kansas City, Texas, LA Angels.

Wild Card:  Boston 1 up on Toronto, 2.5 on the Yankees, 3 on Oakland, 5 on Seattle.

#1 Seed:  Tampa, 3 1/2 over Houston, 6 1/2 over the White Sox.

Currently:  Toronto at Boston for the 1-gamer.

That winner vs. Tampa with Tampa with the home field for the Bo5.

White Sox vs. Houston with Houston with the advantage for the Bo5.

NL:

East:  Cobb County, 1.5 up currently on Philly and 6 on the Mets, pending tonight's result between the latter two.

Central:  Milwaukee has just become the third NL team to clinch playoffs, they're 11 1/2 up on the Cardinals.  Magic number for the division is 3.

West:  San Francisco, 1 up on the Dodgers.

Wild-card:  The NL West 2nd place team will host the single game -- that has already been clinched, San Francisco with 97 wins and LA with 96.  

Second WC:  St. Louis has the current lead at 79-69.  Cincinnati is 3 back at 77-73.  Philly is 3 back, pending tonight, at 76-72.  San Diego is 3.5 back at 76-73.

Eliminated:  Miami, Washington, Pittsburgh, Arizona

Tragic Numbers:  NY Mets:  7.  Cincinnati:  11.  San Diego:  11.

Currently:  St. Louis at the Dodgers for the one-gamer.

That winner vs. the Giants with the Giants having the advantage for the Bo5.

Cobb County vs. Milwaukee with Milwaukee with the home-field for the Bo5.

#1 seed:  The NL West winner, in short.  Giants are 5.5 up on Milwaukee, Dodgers 4.5 up.  Milwaukee is 12 up on Atlanta for 2 or the 3 seed, Atlanta has only 15 to play.

Best Record In Baseball:  Giants 1 up on the Dodgers, 5 up on Tampa, 5.5 up on Milwaukee.

And now for the Power Rankings, my view on what Manfred is really looking for:

AL:  

1) Houston, and by a wider margin than I think anyone might otherwise think.

Mainly because I can't see Manfred liking any of the other real possibilities unless the Yankees can yoink a Wild Card spot out.  If they can, they become #2.  Look out.

2) Tampa Bay, for repayment.

And possibly for Title Town USA.  Very real chance that, if the Rays were to get through and win it, Tampa could be champions of all three major sports leagues in which Tampa Bay actually has a team.  This year, not just defending.

NL

1) San Francisco

1A)  Cobb County

2) Milwaukee

3) Getting run over by a truck

I think you get where I'm going here vis-a-vis what Manfred really wants.  The biggest two things Manfred would want is either someone upsetting Los Angeles in the 1-game, or San Francisco gets that home-field for the best-of-5 and uses that park to neutralize the home run power.

Day 556

Some quick interesting numbers to note for Week 2 before the games start, since there doesn't seem to be that much news I'm picking up this morning:

• MIN-ARI is 50.5-51 in the total
• ATL-TB is 51.5, with TB -12.5 - -13 If that game gets anywhere close to 51.5, give the points!!!   
• TEN-SEA is 54 on the total.
• DAL-LAC is 55!
• And the big one Sunday night, KC-BAL, is 53.5...
• CLE is -13.5 over HOU
• And the Packers are somehow, on Monday night, -11.5 over DET.  Be glad I'm not in Vegas tomorrow.   

Other thoughts and news:

• Twitter is picking up on it.  Appears to be MAJOR early-season ref-juice and league-juice toward KC and TB.  Will see if that holds up.
• Because of the COVID disqualification of Hakuho's stable, sole competing and debuting Yokozuna Terunofuji is halfway to a zensho-yusho (perfect tournament) picking up his eighth win in eight matches today.
• One of the major storylines is an injured Ozeki, Takakeisho, who stands 4-4.  Because he was injured out of last tournament, he is kadoban, meaning if he does not get eight wins this tournament, he must get ten as a Sekiwake the next tournament or fully lose his Ozeki status.  Takakeisho will probably face Hakuho on Day 14.
• As far as the tournament itself is concerned, Terunofuji is one up over a mid-range Maegashira who has done quite well for himself against the lower top-division wrestlers, Myogiryu.  Sadly for him, he will probably get some more name-rank wrestlers in the second half of the tournament, now that he's the only 7-1 in the field.  He gets Onosho (who is 6-2 and four ranks higher than him) tomorrow.
• It is now fairly clear DeShaun Watson will never play another NFL down.  After Tyrod Taylor became one of several early-game quarterbacks to get injured, Davis Mills, a 3rd round draft pick of the Texans, took his place.
• At least two ejections in the early NFL games today.  Trai Turner of the Steelers spit at a Raider.  Kenny Young for violent dissent and making contact with an official.
• It may not matter, but I have a MAJOR Rig Job of the Day in the last game to complete on Sunday.  Tennessee might've just been screwed out of an OT victory in Seattle!  It'll get it's own post once I see the video -- and probably if it matters.
• It didn't.  Five plays later, Tennessee kicks the game-winner anyway to win 33-30.  But if I can find video of that call...
• After a lower-scoring first part, three games over 60, including the first game over 80 since Week 14 last year bring the week's average to almost 47 again.  And that's with KC and Baltimore about to kick.
• An issue with the Emmys tonight:  Seth Rogen called out the television awards for promising an outdoor event and changing it to indoors...  And if you don't think Rogen is right, I have the story of how Brian Tuohy got COVID in one of the posts above...   
• Hank Carter III passed away last week, it was announced by his band-head, George Thurgood.  You probably recognize his saxophone work -- his was the epic solo on "Bad to the Bone".

Partial Week 1 NFL Fine Blotter

Almost no chance I do a full Fine Blotter or a spreadsheet or extra team fine numbers again this year.  The NFL deliberately underreported fines last year, and Twitter now requiring one to have an active and non-locked account to do searches (might be able to get around some of that with NoScript) is going to make that more difficult.

That said, Tom Pelissero has disclosed at least a few fines for Week 1:

• Cleveland Browns:  As previously noted:  Ronnie Harrison, $12,128 for his altercation with a Kansas City Chiefs coach -- who got a league-wide memo started to not get that involved with other players, but was not otherwise disciplined.
• Tennessee Titans:  Julio Jones, $10,815 for unnecessary roughness.
• San Francisco 49ers:  Dee Greenlaw:  $5,169 for taunting on a pick six.
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Chase Claypool:  $8,354 for an altercation against Buffalo.
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Myles Jack:  the first TWO TIME LOSER of the season:  He got $20,600 for two separate violations -- Pelissero said two unsportsmanlikes, but I checked that, because that should've gotten Jack tossed from the game.  More likely, it was a face mask and an unnecessary roughness.

Some others I found:

• Washington Football Team:  Derwin James:  $15,450 for a horse-collar tackle.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  All but admitting the game was fixed for the Tom Bradys, the league did correctly fine Lavonte David $12,875 for throwing a helmet, which should've been flagged at a key point in the 30-29 Bucs win over the Cowboys.

More almost-certainly to come.

Day 555

• And the last of the Mike Richards episodes aired yesterday:  23 in a row now for Matt Amodio.  Five lockouts in a row, this one giving Amodio a little room for $50,400 for the day and $825,801 for the run so far.  
• $251,000 this week.  And that's not boding well for his opposition.  More on that later.
• One of the largest incidents from Week 1 spurred the only ejection of the week -- a punch-up between Cleveland's Ronnie Harrison and a coach on the Kansas City Chiefs.  Though the Chiefs' coach was the first involved, he was only warned.  Harrison was ejected and fined $12,128.
• The long-feared "Justice for J6" rally...  maybe a couple hundred cowards and idiots...
• The USC football team had an unfortunate incident with their plane.  The crew on the ground forgot to set the tail stand -- and the plane tipped backward with half the team and coaches still on it!  No apparent injuries, hopefully no damage to the plane either!
• Thankfully for USC, once they got on the field, they beat Washington State 45-14.
• Marcell Ozuna of the Braves is probably done for the year -- his domestic-violence administrative leave has been extended again, at least through this Friday.
• Mike Wright has been suspended by MLB for three games for intentionally plunking Shohei Ohtani -- Wright, after backing Ohtani off with the first pitch, fired the second one about 50 feet, and the third one intentionally plunked Ohtani.
• Manager Tony LaRussa was suspended one game.  Wright has appealed.  LaRussa served today.
• Three days after surviving the recall, California Governor Gavin Newsom has had to announce that two of his kids have the virus.

Long-Form: Another WWE major incident bites them in the ass again....

You have to wonder, at some point, when the wrestlers are going to stop taking part and cooperation in VICE's "Dark Side of the Ring" series.

Last night was almost-certainly THE most awaited episode of the second-half of Season 3.

In May of 2002, the WWE roster took an annual European post-Wrestlemania tour to Europe, culminating in a UK-only PPV "InsurreXtion".

What followed that PPV has been affectionately referred to as "The Plane Ride From Hell".

If the account from VICE is any indication, that's putting it mildly.  The show involves many parties on that flight, including, for the first time, a flight attendant sexually assaulted by Ric Flair on the flight:

It's one thing to talk about this as it has been for many years.  It has been one of the darkest nights the WWE has ever had -- and they've tried to tap-dance around it as much as humanly possible.

That may well have ended last night.

There is now significant discussion in professional wrestling circles of the sexual deviancy of "The Nature Boy", especially after he became "The Nature Boy".

I am immediately reminded of Flair's first WWE autobiography, where someone, in an aside, remarks about a given night in the Territory Era where Ric Flair, in his robe, walked over to a woman and tapped his finger on her shoulder...

... except it was not his finger he was tapping on her shoulder, ifyouknowwhatI'msaying...

The real star of this was Heidi Doyle, a flight-attendant with SportsJet, a Phoenix organization, contracted for a custom plane and staff to ferry the WWE wrestlers through the European tour.

The problems began when a "weather hold" was placed on the plane, based on weather the plane was going to encounter at it's landing in Connecticut.  The custom plane was basically all first-class, and had an open bar.  Not only did the WWE talent go through one liquor cart before they took off -- they actually went through two or even THREE...  The weather hold actually took seven hours to clear!

And that doesn't count the Halcyon many placed in their or others' drinks during that time down.  This was common in wrestling circles -- so much so that you did not leave your drink exposed at ANY TIME.

By the time they did get the clearance to go airborne, X-Pac was so smashed (and in dire need of the acceptance of the roster) sliced off the trademark ponytail of Michael Hayes -- who was irate the next morning when he finally awoke!

Then you had the fight between Curt Hennig and Brock Lesnar which almost depressurized the plane!  Hennig put shaving cream on Lesnar's head and slapped it.  Hennig was then chased by an irate Lesnar, causing untold damage to the plane -- and that was before they got to the emergency exit and the fuselage.

For this, Hennig was fired.  Most believed Hennig would pay penance, but then return -- he died the following year.

At this point, you'd THINK things would settle down.

Nope.

The more innocent one was Dustin Rhodes getting on a drunken karaoke binge which took not only Jim Ross to order him seated, but the drugs and alcohol having Rhodes pass out, to finally end.  Rhodes was nearly fired, but it was believed Rhodes needed serious help, as his marriage had fallen apart, etc.

However, Dustin may not get out of this unscathed with respect to HIS position in AEW either:  A second flight attendant on the flight also sued and got a settlement, but was NOT part of the Dark Side of the Ring program.  Her lawsuit actually appears to indicate that Rhodes DID, in fact, sexually proposition her as well.

Seeing a few people saying "Dustin is the only guy who comes out of Dark Side looking decent" and I hate to be a downer but there was a second flight attendant not interviewed but her lawsuit is online and: pic.twitter.com/ZHKcWQbv2D

— Trevor Dame (@TrevorDame) September 17, 2021

Then the two biggies from the program:  Doyle won an undisclosed (but better have been six- or seven-figure) settlement from WWE for effectively being cornered and all but raped by Ric Flair on the flight.  Doyle's account of the matter is on the show.  Flair, as was his want, paraded down the aisle wearing nothing but his trademark robe, exposing himself to all.  He then cornered Doyle and forced her to touch his dick.

If that wasn't bad enough, when a drugged and drunk Scott Hall also cornered her the next morning near landing, she did not leave the galley afterward.  Hall was so drugged out, he was actually believed killed by the drugs, had to be passed through Customs in a wheelchair with sunglasses, and the like.  Hall was effectively fired after the incident.

Jim Ross, then the Head of Talent Relations, may well have to find a new line of work from his announcer post at AEW after last night.  He comes off SERIOUSLY wanting in both dealing with Ric Flair and everyone wondering why Flair was not suspended nor fired (much less ARRESTED OFF THE PLANE!) -- JR basically accounts that it was his status as a "Made Man"...  He also comes off wanting as to why, with Vince's authority on his back, he didn't stop a lot of the roughhousing shenanigans long before they got to the point they did.

In the wake of the Flair revelations, many have taken most of the last 18 hours in wondering if this will be the final straw on a career largely backboned by sexual deviancy and predatory behavior by the former head of the Four Horsemen, spanning at least 25 years.  Ric has been, in the last several weeks, seen as a possible manager to son-in-law Andrade with All Elite Wrestling until the show last night.

And matters were not helped in that regard when Tommy Dreamer stepped in it hard in a long soliloquy criticizing that, if Doyle was so traumatized, Flair should've been arrested and prosecuted instead of money being sought.

For that statement and others appearing to lower the heat on Flair, Dreamer has been suspended today from his wrestling and consultant positions at IMPACT Wrestling (the former TNA, the third or fourth largest American wrestling company, depending on who you talk to) -- as well as that it appears Sirius XM will either suspend or fire him from a hosting position on the daily "Busted Open" morning program.

It is not known yet as to whether Dreamer will be fired from IMPACT, but that's not out of the question in any realistic respect.  It, however, appears that he IS all but fired -- the suspension is indefinite and takes immediate effect, with Dreamer expelled from IMPACT tapings this weekend in Nashville.

There's a third man, also, who probably should be removed from television -- and, unlike Flair, he IS currently employed by AEW, and that's Jim Ross.

Jim Ross, I think, ended up not only a complete deer in the headlights that night, but a complete deer in the headlights when confronted with the reality of what Ric Flair had done on the flight.  He all but admits that if this had not been a private flight (more, in my honest opinion, that the captain had not radioed ahead for such law-enforcement intervention), the Federal authorities would've been waiting for that plane the instant it hit the ground in the United States!

For this, as much as I like Jim Ross and have for many years, it's time for him to be sat down.  Permanently?  I don't know.  That depends on some of the other punishments...  But definitely suspended.

Stay tuned, there's a lot more to this -- and the story IS still developing.

EDIT TO ADD 9/17 6 PM PDT:  At least one ad agency employing Ric Flair (though Gene Mrosko and Cageside Seats does not note which one) has dropped Flair due to the Dark Side of the Ring episode.  PW Insider, their source, notes that it is a Car Shield ad.

Day 554

• Long-form coming on another outstanding VICE "Dark Side of the Ring" episode, which has already had at least ONE current ramification, the suspension of Tommy Dreamer from IMPACT Wrestling -- I'll get to why when I do the long-form, hopefully later tonight.
• Mike Richards Boycott Update (Day 4):  Make it 22 for Matt Amodio.  The fourth lock-out win in a row, but, like Tuesday, not with as large of a margin for the lockout, so Amodio could only cash out for $35,400 and a 22-win total of $775,401.
• Juventus still believes in the Super League, and reports $200 million in losses under the current structure...
• HBO is doing an in-season "Hard Knocks" -- and the Indianapolis Colts will be the subject.

Day 553: You're ALL OUTTA HERE!!!

• I'm assuming the team picked up the fine...  Tim Timmons was not pleased with the Baltimore Orioles organization last night.  With rain bearing down in the ninth inning, about 10-15 members of the Orioles' grounds crew was perched right on top of the tarp, ready for the order from the crew chief to lay it out.  With about that many people ready to get beaned by a foul ball, HE EJECTED THE LOT OF THEM FROM THE GAME!!! asked them to go back to their area (see below). Rain started less than five minutes later, but Timmons' edict stood and the game was finished, and the Orioles blew the ninth inning and lost.
• Timmons, you're no fun!!!  Timmons, this morning, basically was just trying to get them out of the way with in the infield in in the ninth inning.  RATS!!!
• One of my favorite YouTube channels these days is Close Call Sports, an umpiring-school channel for umpires, which focuses on ejections.  They've already been requested to do this one -- and usually are far faster, but eventually did, with a more generic explanation of why Timmons did what he did -- and some plays to explain why Timmons was probably correct.   
• Mike Richards Boycott Watch (Day 3):  Matt Amodio is now all alone #3 in regular-season wins and he's off to a flying start in the 2021-22 season.  Another lockout with distance this time, and Amodio was able to convert to the tune of a total of $61,200 for a 21-day total of $740,001.  Andy Saunders notes Amodio is the first person other than James Holzhauer to cash for $60,000 or more three times.  Not even Ken Jennings did it that often.
• Speaking of Jennings:  The decision has been made:  There will be no permanent host for Jeopardy! for the entire 2021-22 season -- Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will split the duties, it was announced this morning.
• Angels September call-up Luis Rengifo has been charged with falsifying divorce documents, according to Sports Illustrated.  Apparently part of a financial scam.
• The Britt Reid DWI trial is set for April 18, 2022 -- so this is gonna hang over the Chiefs this season too.
• Evander Kane spoke to the media today about his ex-wife's allegations, obviously denying everything.

Day 552: IOC, are you FUCKING LISTENING???

• Congressional hearings today on the Larry Nassar case, and at least two star gymnasts, Simone Biles and Kayla Maroney, have now added that they DO believe, by the FBI covering up for Nassar, that, in fact, the United States government IS involved in the sexual assault of Olympic athletes and hopefuls in this country.  ARE YOU FUCKING LISTENING, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE??   
• And, while we're at it, you think that might be one of the reasons Biles largely walked out of Tokyo -- she could no longer, in any conscience (much less a good one) represent the United States?   
• Thankfully, the recall of Governor Gavin Newsom appears to have been soundly rejected.  All four networks and CNN called the recall failed within about an hour of the polls closing last night.  Mail-in ballots postmarked yesterday still have about a week to reach election officials, and it'll be about a month before Newsom's margin of victory is known.  Larry Elder received about half of the votes to replace, made irrelevant.  NOW LEAVE OUR FUCKING STATE, YOU FAT OREO PIG...   
• As a fan-appreciation gesture, Milwaukee Brewers star Christian Yelich is buying up 10,000 tickets to the Brewers' series with St. Louis and giving them away online for free, anyone who asks, limit of four.
• Mike Richards Boycott Watch:  Day 2:  Matt Amodio tied Susan Collins for the third-longest regular-season winning streak last night on Jeopardy!  Another "lock game" for Amodio (his 15th out of the 20 wins), but did not do so by that much -- so his correct Final Jeopardy answer was only worth a small amount, for a total win yesterday of $36,201 for a total for 20 wins of $678,801.
• Here we go???  Jermichael Finley, six years with the Packers before he retired eight years ago, now says he does not believe Aaron Rodgers is committed to leading the team.  If you are right, then there is only one other alternative...   

Day 551, Part Two

• The good news is, as of this morning, only one of the eight positive tests is a player.  That said, however, the New Orleans Saints have little to celebrate this Tuesday morning -- at least six offensive coaches and a nutritionist have tested positive for the coronavirus, sources have told ESPN's Adam Schefter.   It was announced earlier in training camp that all coaches and staff for the team were, in fact, vaccinated.
• It appears Seattle will host the 2023 baseball All-Star Game.  2022 will be held in Los Angeles.
• Ryan Braun has officially hung up his cleats.  Retired today.
• NORM!!!!  Lost Norm MacDonald today -- long and private cancer fight.  He was 61.
• The Buffalo Bills are joining at least the Raiders in requiring all fans at their games to be vaccinated.
• The victory for the books and for the underdogs in Week 1 of 2021 was the largest-scale such victory straight-up in a Week 1 since 1983!  The 7-9 was the worst since Week 10 of 2019, when they went 5-8 in a 13-game schedule.
• Even after last week, the bookies are making the Packers 11.5 point favorites at home over the Lions on Monday Night Football.  That's a sucker's bet right there.  Take the Lions and the points.  
• The ratings numbers are in for Sunday of Week 1:

1. Both networks had doubleheaders this first week, so there's no comparison with the late CBS DH (10.0 rating, about 19.5M viewers (KC-CLE or MIA-NE).  Compare that to last year's FOX late:  About 15% down rating and 20% down viewers.
2. Early doubleheader for CBS vs. last year's single:  7.5 rating, almost 14M viewers, up a tick in both respects.
3. Early doubleheader, FOX:  Half the nation got Philly-Atlanta, and it ended no surprise in that regard:  6.0 rating, about 11.2M viewers, down about a sixth (17% each) in both respects.
4. Late doubleheader, FOX:  Slackers/Saints in 80% of the markets.  8.3 rating, 16 1/4M viewers (37% drops in both.)
5. Sunday night:  9.6 rating, about 17 2/3M viewers for CHI-LAR for NBC:  About a 7% loss in both.

Pretty much about what I expected.  A bloodbath of various regards, except for the AFC early in both numbers.  CBS did decently, FOX stunk.   

• What was not expected was LV-BAL on Monday night actually got the best Week 1 Monday night rating in eight years:  15.3 million -- yeah, it was a three-way simulcast with the Mannings doing ESPN2 and ABC showing the ESPN feed, but it was a good number for them, leading to the full ratings for the week up 7% Thursday - Monday, largely on the beginning national game and the ending one.

Day 551, Part One: D-Day for California, And For Biden

The Presidency of Joe Biden could be materially over in about 18-24 hours.

It is increasingly unlikely, given more recent polls, that the conditions for such an event would occur, but today is the day we find out.  Current polls, once indicating the recall would succeed, now have it failing pretty much across the board by between 10 and 16 points.

Anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers were able to get a recall petition through and on the ballot for the immediate removal of the Democratic Governor of the state of California, former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom.

The ballots, to be counted today, ask two questions:

1) Do we remove Newsom?

2) If a majority vote yes, which of the 46 candidates replaces him?

Majority vote to remove Newsom in 1) means the candidate with the most votes in 2) replaces him upon certification of the result, immediately upon certification.

And that man will be Black/Oreo Trumpie Conservative Radio Talk Show Host Larry Elder -- the only candidate of the 46 to get any meaningful support whatsoever.

There was a point -- I want to say about six weeks ago -- that motivation among Newsom's base was so low, there was actually belief the recall would succeed and Elder would become Governor.

Some people object to making Elder the face of the recall, but the fact that he's going to win the second question (by some polls, by a factor of three or even four over the next candidate) makes him the face of the recall.

He has said, Day One, he would remove all mandates, mask and vaccine.

He would probably also have to send troops or Proud Boys to unseat the Democratic Legislature and the Democratic mayors of most of California's large cities.

What scares many of us on the Left is that there IS one case where the recall could have gained some traction if it didn't become the "Jesus Loves You!  I Want To Die Of COVID So He Can Deliver Me From This Hell" Recall...  California has become a haven for the "professional shoplifter club".  Many criticize the fact that many city DA's won't prosecute shoplifting that aggressively sans it being a felony.  Many of these people also forget how little people actually see jail as a deterrent in major California cities like San Francisco, etc.

But there are a couple of other reasons that a recall victory for Elder and the Republicans would probably accelerate the blood-letting, even above the blood-letting we are seeing in other "FREEDUMB!" states:

1) It means, almost certainly, the Republicans take the Senate, even before Kamala Harris would lose her ability to break ties if Biden went.  One of California's Senators is quite aged (I forget which one, I think it's Feinstein.), and, if she were to die or resign, the Governor names an immediate replacement.  Install Elder, that redoes the Senate then and there -- and removes probably the last barrier that, if Biden WANTED to resign, was holding him back from doing so.

That barrier:  Should Biden resign or be thrown out or whatever, Kamala Harris becomes President.  She then, however, loses her all-important tiebreaking vote in the Senate.  And, to regain it, she would have to have a Vice-Presidential candidate confirmed through both Houses of Congress -- an impossible act, given the GQP.  In fact, any and all governance would probably become impossible in a completely-hung 50-50 Senate.

2) It basically ends the hope of getting anybody to force the issue against the coronavirus, and this starts running through the country like wildfire.

This country basically becomes ungovernable if these bleating sows on the Right can force the rest of us to catch the virus.

If you still have not filled out your mail-ballot to turn in or mail today, vote against this as if your life depends on it.  Because, unless you think you'll never get COVID...

IT DOES.

Ah, one more, last night in the NFL was history for more than the first game with fans in Allegiant Stadium...

Carl Nassib became the first out gay man to play in a regular-season NFL game.

2021 NFL Week One Political Rankings

I don't usually do these Week One.  In fact, I usually wait until about 4-6 weeks before the end of the year.

And there still IS the chance that, "want to" pending, it may revert to that.

However, I do think a personal viewing of what I call the "rigged" rankings (the "kayfabe" ones being the ones in the papers -- and, of course, through one week, that's a useless exercise) might give an early idea as to what's going on, since it seems a lot of unexpected results might've occurred.

Everyone in the AFC and NFC West won.

Everyone in the NFC North lost.

We'll start in the AFC:

Buffalo, Baltimore, New England all lost.

1) Kansas City

I really blanch at the concept of this holding up for 20 weeks, as I said before.  Especially as the wheels of justice crank to a rusty halt with Britt Reid over the course of this year, I do believe Kansas City will EVENTUALLY rigged-eat it again.  But if we want to talk about Week 1, a lot of people really looked at Cleveland, somehow, as a contender in the AFC.

2) Miami

Pretty much because Buffalo, Baltimore, and New England all ate it and no one really needs to look at the likes of Houston, Denver, and Cincinnati with any degree of seriousness.

3) Cleveland

Pretty much the "best of the losers" in the AFC.  Acquitted themselves quite well against Mahomes and Company.

4) LA Chargers

4A) LV Raiders

Kind of a tie because of the (New Stadium here) Experiment angle, which all three teams appeared to benefit from this week.

DUD OF THE WEEK:  A three-way tie in the AFC, for my theories:

BUFFALO:  How do you go 10-0 up on Captain Fatfuck and Company and then lay THAT EGG in the second half?

TENNESSEE:  There were some corkers in the AFC South, but you took the cake with 38-13 at home to the Arizona Cardinals.  Yes, there are some people who think the Cardinals might amount to a hill of beans this year, I'm not one of them yet.

NEW YORK JETS:  Completely unwatchable in a 19-14 loss at Carolina.

NFC:

1) Tampa Bay

I know what some people are thinking (see #2), but I need to see the two games between these two teams first, before I make an idea whether this year is Katrina II or not.

2) New Orleans

You can't dispute the possibility, however, the NFL doesn't go ahead and replay the entire Katrina angle here -- and that exposure of the Green Bay Frauds just absolutely does the trick.  The two teams play in Week 8 and 15.

3 through 3C)  All four teams in the NFC West

I would probably, for the record, put Seattle a hair's-breadth past the other three (and, as I said above, I'm not sold on Arizona to any real degree, unlike some).  As I said above, New Stadium Experiment for the Rams as well.  And with Green Bay now officially out of the way, I think it's going to be these six teams to basically fight it out for the NFC.

DUD OF THE WEEK HONORABLE MENTIONS:

ATLANTA:  Good God, what was THAT?  32-6 to the Iggles at home, the only team from the NFC East or North to win this week!  Boys, you are the University of Michigan of the NFL -- completely irrelevant after one bonkers loss!  Since the Super Bowl rig-job 28-3 situation, you have had one 10-6 playoff appearance, two 7-9s, a 4-12, and THAT.

THE ENTIRE NFC NORTH BESIDES GREEN BAY:  I said "Honorable Mentions" here.  Green Bay wins the award for the entire league this week and lapped the field in doing so!  Detroit cock-teases their fans before Detroiting against the Niners at home.  Chicago meekly bows in the fans opener at SoFi (Good God, you threw away that defense in a heartbeat!).  And Minnesota couldn't even finish the job against Cincinnati.

DUD OF THE WEEK, NFL EDITION:  

THE GREEN BAY FRAUDS/SLACKERS/ETC.:  And this might take some doing to outdo this entire season.  Yeah, there was all the "Will he or won't he?", but this isn't something the Packers haven't dealt with before.  This was so bad, it got it's own article.  I mean, I get the concept that the team doesn't want to lose it's third NFC title game in a row, but there's losing and there's losing by FIVE RAPEIS WINSTON TOUCHDOWN PASSES.  The worst defeat for a conference-title loser in the next year's opener in NFL history, and a real question of sabotage (and I'm not just talking Rodgers here, though that's a start -- if they lay another egg like this in MNF next week with Detroit, the talking will REALLY BEGIN) mean that the Green Bay Packers were, and not close, the worst team in the NFL this week.  (Atlanta has little expected of them -- there's the main difference.)