Day 630

• Steroid cheat and drug pusher to Marion Jones CJ Hunter has passed away, according to European reports.  Two weeks short of his 53rd birthday.  Thank you to my anonymous friend for the info.    
• And now that I get a good look at that goal-line thing in Washington?  That's a clear touchdown -- he gets the hand under and appears to have about as much control as you can have on that one.  So we know the NFL was trying to concoct another Fantastic Finish (tm) of a complete shit MNF game...   
• Been a tough week for LeBron James.  Ejected two fans, suspended for a fight, fined for obscene gestures...  Now, he's in the health protocols.  The articles appear to indicate COVID (LeBron did say during pre-season media he WAS vaccinated...), but the actual article only says "health and safety protocols".  Maybe some official mental health time?
• I stand corrected.  Further articles do indicate "COVID Health and Safety Protocols" for LeBron.
• Probably no separate CFP post again this week, as Michigan replaces Ohio State, as fully expected.  The other three teams are the same.
• The order might be important though:

1. Georgia
2. Michigan has, in fact, fully replaced Ohio State at #2.
3. Alabama
4. Cincinnati
5. Oklahoma State
6. Notre Dame
7. Ohio State

• So there you have it.  I think Cincy's fate is out of it's hands.  Ok. State beats Baylor, and there you go.
• Cincinnati probably needs one of the following two things to happen:  Ok. State loses to Baylor, Alabama gets rolled by Georgia.  If neither of those things happen....
• Major League Baseball has ADMITTED using two different types of baseballs (at least) last year.  Probably indicating the league either was, as many suggested, juicing the numbers, or the league was tampering with "certain games" and "certain teams" to ensure results.   
• LATE ETA:  My anonymous baseball friend does make a very good point!  Probably not for individual games or for/against individual teams, or the pitchers might notice the difference and speak up.  Good point!
• Brendan Lemeiux of the Los Angeles Kings is fortunate:  He only got FIVE games for biting an opponent's hand.  In my book, that starts at 15 or 20.   
• And another good point from my anonymous friend:  COVID considerations, NHL????

2021 NFL Week 12 Score Report -- and another to add to the list...

If that wasn't the ugliest Monday Night Football game in years (excusing weather-related debacles), I'm taking candidates.

And for the second time this season, a team loses their kicker in a freak accident, forcing otherwise-idiotic strategy.  During the Seattle conversion-return, the Washington kicker pulls a hammy and is out.

But, seriously, you couldn't have let the punter try to kick a 20-21 yard field goal from the 3 after burning all the Seattle time outs??

(I had a rant, not unakin to the "You can't be THAT STUPID!" motif I've been throwing around -- but it turns out the Washington kicker actually got hurt, and the punter hasn't kicked a place kick since college -- FIFTEEN YEARS AGO!!!)

So, what happens?  Long replay review at the goal line goes Seattle.  They drive 97-99 yards in two minutes, but miss the tying conversion.

Then, if not for an illegal formation, Seattle would've gotten the onside kick.

So, I guess the moral of the story is:  The NFL is trying to manufacture these great finishes because a large number of the teams in the league are AB-JECT SHIT.  The quality of play is about as low as I've ever seen it.

I want the name of one GOOD NFL team.  Maybe New England???

sigh  Let's get on with it:

• If you want a great idea of how bad things are getting:  Here are your five totals for the national games this week:  30, 69, and 37 for Thanksgiving.  26 for the Sunday nighter.  32 for Monday Night.
• Week average:  44.07.  (Last year:  47.31)
• Season:  46.07  (2020:  49.55)
• Home teams:  8-7 for the week, still under .500 for the year at 87-89-1.  (Last year:  6-10 for 91-85-1)
• Interesting statistic this week:  This week, the 2021 NFL season not only had the 100th game of the year go under the Vegas total, but the 100th favorite to win the game, but also the 100th favorite to fail to cover the Vegas point spread.
• The Over was 7-8 for the week for 77-101-2 for the 180 games played.  (Last year:  6-10 for 88-85-4)
• ATS:  Another losing week for bettors against the spread:  Favorites were 7-8.  Season:  77-101-2.  (Last year:  5-10-1 for 73-98-3)
• Straight Up:  Only 8-7 this week.  105-72-1 for the year.  (Last year:  11-5 for 115-58-1)
• This is a week football coaches will probably point to for their disciplinary mantras.  In the NFL this week, only the Jets committed more penalties than their opponent and won.  1-10 for the week, 71-84 for the year.  (Last year:  9-5 for 68-84)
• 166 penalties this week in 15 games (just over 11 a game).  For the 180 games in the season:  2,233 penalties (about 12.4 a game).  Last year:  195 for the 16 in the week (12.2) for 2,041 in 177 games (11.3))
• Three Cliffhangers, all last minute.  40 for the year.  (Last year Week 12 also had 3, 33 total)
• Ten of the fifteen games finished within one score.  85 of the 180 for the year (about 47%).  (Last year:  8 and 95)
• Four non-competitive games, all in the early Sunday window.  67 of those for the year.  (Last year:  6, but only for a total of 53 for the year.)
• And five Last Chance Misses for 41 of those for the year.  (Last year:  3 for 56)

Continuing a case study from a long time ago: The Farce Which Is Championship College Football, Part Two...

So now I FINALLY get to where we can start looking at 2013-14 to present as to the legality of the college football top-level national-championship farces which have masqueraded as entertainment for Football Nation America:

This is going to be substantially harder than the post previously-referenced.  In 2013, there was an organized website (for which I thank the people behind the former "Football Geography" website for the information) which gave detailed information as to the probation and bowl ban status for the teams.

I will try, however, to continue up the line.  This is a list of, for 2013-14, the BCS, and for 2014-15 to 2020-21, the New Year's Six, all the games under the purview of an on-field National Championship.  Let's see how many teams don't make the cut:

(PS:  I am willing to add to this at any time if people remember or discover inconsistencies.  Please put in the comments if you find any.)

There are teams who could have permanent places on this list, at least with respect to reasonable sensibility:  

Penn State.  

Alabama.  (if you wish to believe they should've been Death Penaltied at some point in the 2000s...)

Miami.

2014:

Rose:  Michigan State 24 - Stanford 20

Fiesta:  UCF 52 - Baylor 42

Sugar:  Oklahoma 45 - Alabama 31

Orange:  Clemson 40 - Ohio State 35

BCS National Championship:  Florida State 34 - Auburn 31

Auburn is an obvious carryover from the previous season's farce with all the player payouts, etc.

Ohio State was in the final year of three years probation for the whole fiasco which upsot the 2010-2011 BCS.

Baylor was illegally recruiting players through a "female host program" from 2011-2016, as revealed in a 2016 major violation.  This was actually the very beginnings of all the "Rapelor" stuff, according to the August 2021 decision on Rapelor, so NOTHING they have done in the CFP Era is valid.   

2015 (start of the CFP):

Peach:  TCU 42 - Ole Miss 3

Fiesta:  Boise State 38 - Arizona 30

Orange:  Georgia Tech 49 - Mississippi State 34

Cotton:  Michigan State 42 - Baylor 41

Oregon, Florida State, Alabama, and Ohio State were in the tournament.

Baylor, previously listed.

Boise State was in the final year of four years probation for what they did to gain prominence in college football -- cheat.

TCU either was in the first year of or one year short of four years of illegal payments for work by almost three dozen student athletes in several sports.  Unknown whether it would've made illegalities to make this or future appearances illegal, but it is to be noted.

Ole Miss:  By 2017, over 20 NCAA violations had been found under coach Hugh Freeze and his staffers.  Here's the list as of February 22, 2017.  December 2, 2017:  Two year bowl ban, one self-imposed.  No wins vacated, but they should've been, so both this and the 2016 NY6 appearance should be voided.  Wins from this season were vacated due to ineligible players, as were wins in five other seasons.

2016:

Orange:  Houston 38 - Florida State 24

Fiesta:  Ohio State 44 - Notre Dame 28

Rose:  Stanford 45 - Iowa 16

Sugar:  Ole Miss 48 - Oklahoma State 20

Alabama, Clemson, Michigan State, Oklahoma went for the title.

Ole Miss, previously listed, though no wins from the 2015-16 season were vacated, but the team never should've been in this position.

2017:

Orange:  Florida State 33 - Michigan 32

Cotton:  Wisconsin 24 - Western Michigan 16

Rose:  USC 52 - Penn State 49

Sugar:  Oklahoma 35 - Auburn 19

Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Washington were the final four.

I think it no secret, and I'm willing to correct as it is discovered, that the NCAA has taken more and more of a back seat to the misdeeds of it's football programs.  I'm accessing the NCAA's own databases, as well as relevant news reports, as I can find them.

2018:

Cotton  Ohio State 24 - USC 7

Fiesta:  Penn State 35 - Washington 28

Orange:  Wisconsin 34 - Miami 24

Peach:  UCF 34 - Auburn 27

Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia played the tournament.

To give you an example of the NCAA deliberately getting out of the way:  As of 2019, this is the list of all teams bowl-banned.  Only ten times since 2000 has a bowl-eligible team been banned.  Two of those were Pedo State, a third was the Terrelle Pryor situation.

In fact, per Wikipedia:  There are only nine FBS probation schools, in any part for football, at this point.  Rapelor is the longest, until 2025.  Notre Dame even is on probation this year, but for a relatively minor recruiting mess.  Florida (impermissible contact after the 2019 Peach Bowl, though the situation does point to a consistent record of illegalities at the school), Missouri's entire athletic program, UTEP, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh (impermissible use of coaching staff, so that one could make a CFP appearance illegal if Pittsburgh wins the 2021 ACC title game Saturday), Akron, and South Florida are the others.  There are NO current active bowl bans.

2019:

Peach:  Florida 41 - Michigan 15

Fiesta:  LSU 40 - UCF 32

Rose:  Ohio State 28 - Washington 23

Sugar:  Texas 28 - Georgia 21

Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Oklahoma contested the championship.

Just saying for some emphasis right now:  Between what we know of TCU, Boise State and Rapelor -- plus the COMPLETE failure of Scott Frost at Nebraska, is there ANYBODY left who believes that, within five years, we won't be putting UCF on this list?  There's nothing there YET - and that needs to be made clear!!!  BUT...

2020:

Cotton:  Penn State 53 - Memphis 39

Orange:  Florida 36 - Virginia 28

Rose:  Oregon 28 - Wisconsin 27

Sugar:  Georgia 26 - Baylor 14

LSU, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma

Baylor, previously listed.

Florida, see above, depending on the nature of the consistent previous violations.

2021:

Cotton:  Oklahoma 55 - Florida 20

Peach:  Georgia 24 - Cincinnati 21

Orange:  Texas A&M 41 - North Carolina 27

Fiesta:  Iowa State 34 - Oregon 17

Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Notre Dame

Florida, ditto.

You could make a case for Texas A&M due to a fairly serious 2019 recruiting violation.  Nothing Reggie Bush-level, but it's clear by the database, this had some heft.

I do reserve the right to add to this if any errors or additions need be made.

Continuing a case study from a long time ago: The Farce Which Is Championship College Football, Part One...

Entering the 2013 college football season, I did this case study on the entire history of the BCS and the legality of the games and teams which played in them.  The website no longer exists, but a website had chronicled the probation and suspension records of every college football team they could find.

So I went ahead and chronicled, to the best of knowledge, which games were illegally played (by definition, one or both teams never should've been there due to NCAA violations later found out), etc.:

• 1999-2000:  Wisconsin and Alabama rendered the Rose and Orange illegal.
• 2000-2001:  Washington and Rick Neuheisel rendered THAT season's Rose Bowl illegal -- made notes on Miami and Notre Dame.
• 2001-2002:  Colorado rendered the Fiesta illegal, Miami and the Nevin Shapiro case started just before the Rose Bowl/that year's BCS title game, rendering IT illegal.
• UPDATE:  The Shapiro case ended with NO SANCTIONS against the early-2000's Miami participation, a move roundly slammed by anyone with two operational brain cells, especially because it appears Miami people in that case had ties to the NCAA nailing USC and Reggie Bush!
• 2002-2003:  Miami for the Fiesta/Championship.
• 2003-2004:  Miami for the Orange, noted that both USC and Ohio State would get in trouble the next season.
• 2004-2005:  This year's title game is the only football championship at the BCS level to be thrown out by the NCAA due to the aforementioned Reggie Bush fiasco.  That's the only illegally played game of the lot.
• 2005-2006:  Only the Fiesta was legally played, at least under 2013 sensibilities.  Sandusky threw out the Orange.  West Virginia and Rich Rodriguez illegally got to the Sugar.  And Reggie Bush again.
• 2006-2007:  That Boise-Oklahoma classic?  Illegal BOTH WAYS.  A note was made as of the writing of this post in 2013:  The Orange Bowl between Louisville and Wake Forest was the only BCS game at all ever contested between two football programs never sanctioned (to that point!) at the probation level or above.
• 2007-2008:  The Fiesta was illegally played with West Virginia.  And Kansas never should've been allowed in the Orange.  Note was made that, though USC was in the title game, they had not yet been investigated or sanctioned for the Bush fiasco.
• 2008-2009:  The Rose Bowl was a complete sham (USC vs. Pedo State), Alabama was under another different investigation involving their entire athletic program of the era -- sixteen different sports.  National champion Florida should've been stripped of it's title for complete inability to control the criminal gang masquerading as a football team, and their opponents (Oklahoma) shouldn't have gotten there either due to penalties which should've been imposed from the 2006-2007 fouls.
• 2009-2010:  The complete nadir of the BCS.  NONE of the five games played that year should have been played as matched up.  

1. Rose:  Terrelle Pryor and Ohio State never should've seen the Rose Bowl.  The NCAA ruled the 2009-2010 Oregon team illegal as well, so both halves of that are a sham.  
2. Sugar:  Florida was an uncontrolled band of rapists and criminals, Cincinnati had violations, but quite small in comparison to most of these.  
3. Fiesta:  Boise.
4. Orange:  Georgia Tech's participation in the game thrown out by 2013.
5. National Championship:  Alabama should never have been allowed for the complete lack of institutional control in the second incident.

Of the ten teams to contest BCS Bowls after the 2009-2010 season -- as of the writing of the post in 2013, only TCU, Texas, and Iowa were legal -- and Cincinnati was only a smaller extent.

• 2010-2011:  The Pryor situation explodes during the interim, and Ohio State should've been thrown out of the Sugar Bowl, at which point Wisconsin's place in the Rose Bowl becomes illegal by construction:  Remove Ohio State from consideration, and the three-way tie in the Big Ten which gave Wisconsin the Rose Bowl bid goes to Michigan State instead on the head-to-head result between the two.  (Wisconsin, almost certainly, would've been given a legal bid to the Sugar Bowl instead had the right thing been done.)  And the National Championship that year was a COMPLETE SHAM:  An open-faced manipulation to get $Cam Newton over, including massive payments to players -- and, oh by the way, Oregon should've been gone for the same reason their 2009-2010 Rose Bowl was a sham.
• 2011-2012:  Oregon still illegal, so the Rose Bowl is a sham.  And so are the Sugar and Orange, both for fouls by Rich Rodriguez!!  And another sham BCS Championship Game with both teams under probation and sane people wondering how Alabama was still allowed a football, or even athletic, program...
• 2012-2013:  Note was made per Wisconsin only being in the Rose Bowl due to Pryor and Sandusky.  And a note made as to how Northern Illinois actually got into the BCS as the non-AQ qualifier -- and also that, of all the schools to play the BCS to that date, only seven had never been sanctioned as of August 31, 2013.

I didn't intend this to be this long.  This was actually just supposed to be an introduction to doing the next six or so years, if I can find similar information.

Anyhow, I'll split this into two posts, but here you go...  You still want to think there's an OUNCE of legitimacy in big-time college football??  ANYTHING???

Day 629

• Well, it's one thing that Max Scherzer is a New York Met now.
• But, remember, in less than 36 hours, a strike or a lockout starts.  And I can't think Major League Baseball is going to get out the other side as you know it.
• Lee Elder has passed away -- the first African-American golfer to play the Masters.  He was 87.
• Might have an answer on the Cowboys, maybe:  COVID outbreak on the coaching staff.  Only one player has tested positive, but FIVE coaches, including, now, head coach Mike McCarthy, have.
• Think the Oklahoma coach and players got the message from Saturday night?  Sunday, coach Lincoln Riley leaves for USC.  Since, at least 5-6 players or recruits have left the program as well!
• SO WHAT SAY YOU ON THIS, MANFRED???  The Mets and Rangers have raided the Dodgers to the tune of half a billion dollars!!  $130M for 4 years to Scherzer to the Mets -- $325M or so for the Rangers to Seager.  Which raises one further question:  How long until the Rangers hand Seager to one of Manfred's Super Six for pennies on the Benjamin?  (Can't claim credit for that myself -- my anonymous baseball-historian friend had that theory first...)   
• And same anonymous friend points out the Rangers just gave Marcus Semien $175M over a bunch of years...  But this is fine, Manfred.  It's NOT LA!!!  GFY!
• And it appears we have our first on-field NFL suspension of the year:  For going all "I'mma punch you in the face" on anyone other than Richard Sherman -- namely, Las Vegas' John Simpson after the game on Thursday, Trysten Hill will sit two games.  And THAT pretty much does it for Dallas.  Part of the whole condition that Dallas was going to get pushed was to keep their players on the field and out of trouble.  Methinks that is now by the boards...   
• And now let the exodus go from Notre Dame -- Brian Kelly is going to LSU!
• We just had an NFL rarity -- blocked conversion kick goes all the way back for TWO.  IIRC, I think there was a game won by a conversion turnover sent back too, but if not, that might be NFL history there!  If it isn't, there's only been about 2 or 3.
• I'm wrong -- according to this video, not counting one in the preseason, that is either the 9th or 10th such conversion since the rule was instituted in 2015.  The video does have what I recalled, that a game was won on a conversion return.   
• Amy Schneider's reign as a dominant Jeopardy! champion continues.  Another lockout win gets her $47,000 -- and a 9-day total of $342,200, an average of $38,022.  She is already 9th on the all-time regular-season winnings list, and second among women.

A Case Study: How To Ensure A Result If Your Team Is Supposed To Lose

(All videos will be linked.)

I'm sure this is going to get a lot from "Unknown" and the people who swear that there's NO WAY these games can be rigged, manipulated, thrown, etc.

I'm going to take you on a tour of a bunch of plays from several key college and professional games this weekend:

We'll start in Alabama and the Iron Bowl.

No one is going to confuse this Alabama Crimson Tide team with some of the more dominant teams they've had in the last 5-10-15 years.

But you're down 10-3 in the fourth quarter, and Auburn is one first down from pinning your second loss on you at 6-6.

We'll start at the start of this video, as CBS is replaying what probably was the main crux of Auburn throwing the 2021 Iron Bowl to Alabama to benefit the Southeastern Conference and attempt to create a situation of five teams to fit in four so that the CFP Committee can exclude Cincinnati.

How does #4 for Auburn, Tank Bigsby, have ANY BUSINESS near the sideline on that sequence??  How does he have an ounce of inkling to be anywhere near where the clock can be stopped unless he is ACTIVELY THROWING THE GAME?

2:05 of the video:  NO RELEVANT DEFENSE WHATSOEVER FOR THE OVERTIME TOUCHDOWN for Alabama.

3:02 of the video:  Auburn's 3 offensive plays of the second OT:  Stuff, stuff, sack/near-fumble.  No effort made to advance the ball in any feasible respect.

4:32 of the video:  The ending conversion for Alabama's win.  No defense.  None.  Nada.  Zero.

Though I do not agree with everything Pat Truthner says on his conspiracy videos, he has opened my eyes to the concept of what he calls the "Slop Play".  A "Slop Play" is a play where it is clear to anyone with open eyes that insufficient (if any) effort is being made.

You want another great example of a "Slop Play"?  Let's go to Bedlam, and the punt which changed everything in favor of Oklahoma State.

3:55 of the video, one of the #0's -- there is more than one, another #0, just earlier in the video, got a key taunting call after getting an interception to stop a Oklahoma State drive. -- alligator-muffs a punt inside the 5 yard line and Oklahoma State recovers for eventually what would lead to the winning touchdown.

1) Why is he fielding a punt inside the 5?

2) If he's going to field the punt, can he at least make a remote effort to catch the ball?

That is, unless...

And the pro games had a goodie too:

34-26 San Francisco, 4th and goal for Minnesota from the SF, and your professional quarterback lines up under...  Right Guard!!!

Burns a timeout, the pass falls incomplete, and 34-26 is eventually your final!!!

I want you to watch those plays, and then I want you to ruminate on the following:

On a college level, the NCAA is purporting these as students at college.  Men who are working toward advanced degrees, requiring intelligence and acuity (yes, you may stop and laugh at any point of that, but the point I'm making is that this is what the NCAA is trying to present to you as valid)...

The NFL is purporting these as the smartest, most athletic men in the world.

Under either of these premises:  HOW IN THE FUCKING HELL CAN YOU DRAW ANY OTHER CONCLUSION THAN THAT THE GAMES ARE BEING FIXED/RIGGED/THROWN, WITH THE FULL ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE ATHLETES INVOLVED??

And if you don't think a player would throw an Iron Bowl or a Bedlam or whatever -- why not???  What repercussions are being suffered by these players when it is clear they are, if we are to believe the baseline and want to believe the games are legitimate, dangerously incompetent to that end as an inescapable conclusion???

2021 NFL Week 12 Political Rankings

(I'm pretty certain there's no merit in Seattle vs. Washington in this regard, so I think this is safe to do tonight!)

AFC:

1)  New England

Six in a row, flying high, and it looks like Belichick may be the half of the matchup carrying the freight at this point in the season, even with not much else marketable and the rookie quarterback!

2) Baltimore

Oy.  If tonight's performance is any indication, winning UGLY may become the norm for the Ravens.  And, though that might do well on the kayfabe post, it won't do many honors here.

3) Kansas City

Kind of again the Watts/etc. quote:  "You're a fuck up, but many people have come along who've fucked up worse than you did, so you go up the list without doing anything."

TIP OF THE CAP:  Well outside any real consideration, but Miami now has four wins in a row and is knocking on the door of a playoff spot.

AFC DUD OF THE WEEK:  NOMINEES:

CAPTAIN FATFUCK AND THE MEN HE LEADS:  Dude, you're DONE.  On and politically off the field, you're done, Worthlessberger.  Or is it Rapistberger?  And, on many other respects, so is your team.

I can hear "Days of Our Steelers" and UrinatingTree now:

(To the music of "Days of Our Lives":)

"Tonight, on 'Kill Me'..."

"Tonight, on 'Why The Fuck Am I Bothering?'..."

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS:  Are you getting the idea yet that the NFL *MIGHT* want you to have some of these things called...  FANS????

AFC DUD OF THE WEEK WINNER:  THE TENNESSEE TITANS

Probably their formal bow-out from the top tier in the AFC, and an introduction to the heavy lifting toward Brady vs. Belichick.

NFC:

1)  Tampa Bay

From Gary Gramling on Sports Illustrated and their discussion of the Thursday and main-Sunday games on their website:

"Officials Leave Their Mark in Indy Again: It’s unclear whether it was Frank Reich or Matt Eberflus who peed in the punch bowl at the Fraternal Order of Back Judges Annual Gala, but the pass interference flags that came out in the third quarter against the Colts were both game-altering and utterly brutal. There was a mutual-hand-fighting, 37-yard penalty that Scotty Miller(!) drew to set up a Bucs touchdown, and on the subsequent drive a third-and-goal stop was erased by a phantom P.I. flag that, if anything, should have been thrown on the offense. Instead, it resulted in a free four points for Tampa."

Psst.  Mr. Gramling...  Indianapolis was leading by 10 at halftime.  Who were they playing?

THAT'S RIGHT!  The Fucking Tom Bradys!!!  If there are three types of penalties a conspiracy-minded football fan should be looking at the next three months:  Offensive holding, Defensive Pass Interference, and Roughing The Passer.  All three subjective, all three horrifically slanted-called (or not-called), etc.

ANYONE who is surprised by the events you chronicle in the third quarter of that game has no clue of the NFL, it's agendas, or the last 20 years of it's damn history!!!

2) Arizona

Really because there's no other team with a political push in the NFC right now.  Nobody:

1. Does anyone really think the Packers won't, at maximum, get served on a platter to the Tom Bradys again, especially with COVID-12 their only Q-Rating player?  And get that foot of yours off the screen, Rodgers -- that's gross.   
2. $850 million is about to come out of the Rams' hides.  Maybe this LA Experiment wasn't a good idea after all.  SHUT THE FUCK UP, E. STAN KROENKE!
3. What the fuck has happened to Dallas?  Yeah, they might get there, and they MIGHT be a backup plan of some kind (we still haven't resolved Antonio Brown's vaccination card fiasco, to my understanding!!), but it was clear there was some serious pro-Las Vegas Refball in that middle game on Thursday!  (That's another one you acknowledge as has happened -- but you ask WHY did the NFL lose it's own plot?  And, to "Unknown":  This is why you keep an eye on what's going on on the field, and then determine if you think the games are fixed/rigged/thrown/etc.  Not numerology, no Freemasons or Illuminati involved.)
4. Yeah, sounds like New Orleans is about to faceplant...

NFC DUD OF THE WEEK:  

You know what, instead of nominees, because there isn't really any one of the four who goes above the rest, I got FIVE WINNERS, no particular order and winners in equal respect:

1) THE LOS ANGELES RAMS, OR, MORE SPECIFICALLY, E. STAN KROENKE

Especially with the situation with the Chargers (see above), you'd THINK you would not rattle the cage Al Davis-style.  But you did, and since you have, three losses in a row to the Titans, 49ers, and Packers, and now even the All-Star NFL Showtime you're trying to put in LA (I see you there, Odell Beckham Jr.!!) is probably not going to be enough.

Blame your owner, his litigiousness, and his fucking mouth.

FUCK YOU, KROENKE!

2) THE DALLAS COWBOYS

What.  The FUCK.  Was THAT???

Look, I get there was Refball and a LOT OF IT.  But you can't tell me, in that position against one of the lowest politically-inclined contenders in the entire league, you can't put together a win in the Tryptophan Special and solidify your position.  Something has happened in Dallas, and it probably isn't as obvious as past years and it may not even be public.  But I've seen this song and dance the better part of a DECADE.  The rot starts at the top.  That's you, Jerreh.

3) THE CAROLINA PANTHERS

Good.  GOD.

Hey, tip hat to Miami for getting the ship righted, but...

Hey, Cam, you still "Back!" yet?

So bad today, you got fucking BENCHED!!!

4) THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Of course, you might pin this on their M*A*S*H Unit of an injury list, but the wheels have come off hardcore on this bus...

5) THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Sreiously?  7 points against the GIANTS????

I am also doing this five-some as an example:  The NFL is trying to cover for a lot of SHIT TEAMS right now by basically parity-messing with the entire league on "The Biggest Season Ever!!!"...

2021 NFL Week 12 Kayfabe Rankings

(I guess I have to check the outside chance on 4-6 Washington, but with the Monday nighter being 3-7 Seattle at 4-6 Washington, I think I am safe to do this now.)

AFC Kayfabe:

East:  New England has won six in a row to get to 8-4, 1/2 game over Buffalo.  They get their bye in two weeks.

North:  Baltimore's win tonight secures the AFC bye at 8-3, one over the Bengals

South:  Tennessee at 8-4, two over Indianapolis.  Bye next week for Tennessee, two weeks for Indianapolis.

West:  Kansas City at 7-5, one over...  the entire remainder of the damn division.  ALL THREE 6-5!

So, tiebreakers:

New England just beat Tennessee, so New England is the 2, Tennessee the 3.

Buffalo and Cincinnati at 7-4 for the 5 and 6.  Have and will not play.  Conference:  BUF 5-4, CIN 5-2.  Cincinnati is the 5, Buffalo the 6.

AND NOW THE FUN PART:  The entire remainder of the AFC West at 6-5, and the best tiebreaker gets the #7.  HTH:  Chargers 1-1  Broncos 1-1  Raiders 1-1.  Divisional record:  Chargers 2-1, Broncos 1-1, Raiders 1-2.  LA Chargers #7

To extend to show the real fun of it:

1. BAL 8-3
2. NE 8-4
3. TEN 8-4
4. KC 7-5
5. CIN 7-4
6. BUF 7-4
7. LAC 6-5
8. DEN 6-5
9. LV 6-5
10. IND 6-6
11. PIT 5-5-1 (wins tiebreaker with CLE by HTH, loses tiebreaker to IND by conference)
12. CLE 6-6
13. MIA 5-7

So that means only the Jets, Jaguars, and Texans are really out of it with six weeks to go.  And the extra playoff spot doesn't make that big a difference with the logjam at 6-5/6-6/5-5-1...

LAC @ NE, BUF @ TEN, CIN @ KC, BAL gets the bye.

NFC:

East:  Dallas 7-4, 2 1/2 over the Eagles.

North:  Green Bay, 9-3, 3 1/2 over Minnesota, and GB has their bye next week.

South:  Tampa Bay, 8-3, 3 up on Atlanta and New Orleans

West:  Arizona, 9-2, 2 up on the Rams

Tiebreakers:

Three teams for the #7 at 5-6:  Atlanta, New Orleans, Minnesota

Break Atlanta-New Orleans first:  Atlanta won the HTH 27-25, second meeting later.

Atlanta-Minnesota:  Conference records:  Atlanta 2-5, Minnesota 4-3

1. ARI 9-2
2. GB 9-3
3. TB 8-3
4. DAL 7-4
5. LAR 7-4
6. SF 6-5
7. MIN 5-6
8. ATL 5-6
9. NO 5-6  
10. Then we get to where tomorrow night has some importance.  If Washington wins to get to 5-7, they get to the #10 because they have divisional record on Philadelphia at that point and HTH over Carolina.  Philadelphia also has HTH over Carolina, so they'd be #11 and Carolina would be #12.

If they don't, Philadelphia is the #10, Carolina the #11.  Washington, the Giants, the Bears, and Seattle would all be 4-7.  Giants win the divisional on HTH,   Giants would be the #12 on conference record, Washington #13, Chicago #14, Seattle #15.

That's right.  If Seattle wins tomorrow night, EVERY DAMN TEAM IN THE NFC SAVE THE DETROIT LIONS WOULD BE WITHIN ONE GAME OF THE PLAYOFFS WITH SIX WEEKS TO GO.

Let.  That.  Process.

BTW:  MIN @ GB. SF @ TB. LAR @ DAL  ARI gets the bye.

Day 628

• Yokozuna Terunofuji has his first zensho-yusho, as he fought back Takakeisho and leaves him 12-3.  Terunofuji wins the November tournament three matches clear over Takakeisho and former suspended Komusubi Abi.  It's his sixth tournament victory, his first undefeated tournament, and the only reason he hasn't won the last five tournaments running is because he lost to GOAT Hakuho in July in what turned out to be Hakuho's final match before his retirement.
• Evander Kane has been waived by the Sharks.  His suspension for the fake COVID card ends tonight, but he will not return to the team.  They intend to send him to the AHL -- he has fired his agent, hired a new one, and is trying to engineer a trade.  Not only this, but multiple Sharks don't want Kane back in the first place -- before this OR the domestic-violence claims.
• We playing right into the thug culture here, NBC and NFL??  Was going through the channels, the Sunday nighter was going to commercial, with Myles Garrett pictured with font which seemed straight out of a gangsta rap video.
• In two minutes and fifty-one seconds of the second quarter of tonight's Sunday Night Football game between the Browns and Ravens, there have been FIVE TURNOVERS.  If you want to know why the NFL is concocting Fantastic Finishes (tm), it's to cover THIS up.  The football being played is ABJECT CRAP!   
• In the last 3:12 of the first half, you had those five turnovers, a Cleveland field goal, and a punt.  Wow.  What a game.  6-3 Baltimore at halftime, three field goals.   
• Lee Corso of ESPN is demanding the full and permanent separation of the Power 5 and Group of 5 into two separate divisions, separately ranked.  Credit for honesty...  
• Oh, by the way, rigged game in the NBA tonight:  Steph Curry got a T three minutes into the 4th (and could easily have been one-T tossed for it!!!!)  and then decides, after draining a 3 four minutes later, to T up the ref.  You've got three refs out there -- how in Hell did Curry not get tossed by one of them seeing his display???  Or are we now seeing the Warriors' resurgence as good for ratings (and they are, in the early NBA season), so we'll let it slide and help Golden State (now 18-2 after a "win" over the Clippers today) get to a home and home with Phoenix (17-3, won 16 in a row) this week....  (At Phoenix Tuesday, At San Francisco Friday)

And now, here we go with Bedlam all right!

There were a couple earlier calls in favor of Oklahoma, and by late 3rd quarter, I began wondering if the game was being rigged for the wrong team.

Then, the refs gave Oklahoma State a huge one, when they called (Correctly!) Unnecessary Roughness on #16 Oklahoma State for shoving down a ballcarrier declared forward progress stopped.  They PICKED UP THAT FLAG, and Oklahoma State got the ball back.

Then, on the ensuing punt by Oklahoma State, #0 of Oklahoma (who already had a taunting penalty on an interception to back up his own team) decides he wants to call a fair catch inside the five AND FIELD THE PUNT...

Except it's what one sports conspiracy theorist calls a "slop play", intentionally fumbles the kick, Ok. State recovers at the 5, touchdown, Ok. State now up 4 with 7 minutes to go, and Ok. State wth the ball.

If Ok. State wins, they get fellow Top 10 Baylor in the Big XII Championship Game and a shot at acing out Cincinnati.  If Oklahoma wins, the two rematch, but probably not in a position for either to ace out Cincy.

----------

Are people gonna figure this out before or after their own team gets screwed??

College football is on Red Alert.  A Group of 5 team has been named worthy to play for the National Championship, for the first time in the history of any top-level on-field national championship construct.

Remember:  If there's any conference who is NOT going to simply rig out a situation against one of it's own teams, it's the American Athletic and Cincinnati.  So this is gonna have to come from the outside.

You've already seen Auburn throw a game on national television.

You're about to see at least one player (and probably more) on Oklahoma throw another!

----------

Three and out for Ok. State, about four minutes to go, and Oklahoma gets it back at it's 35, must score a TD.

After a couple first downs, consecutive plays:  2nd and 5, ball hits the QB on the snap as he's trying to communicate something pre-snap, scrambles for an incomplete.  3rd and 5, snap is low, he scrambles and is sacked.  4th and 9 at the 38 of Ok State with about 90 seconds left.

QB tripped down at the 35.  Ok. State one first down away from Baylor in the Big XII CG.

They do three and out, but UNLIKE AUBURN EARLIER, force Oklahoma to burn all the timeouts.  Less than a minute, Oklahoma needs six to win, no timeouts.  Eighty yards.

Make it 25, as Caleb Williams, the Oklahoma QB, just ran for 55 yards because they cleared out everybody (after ANOTHER fumbled snap!).

BLATANT DPI in the end zone on 2nd down from the 24 - no call!!!

AND SACKED SENDING THREE ON FOURTH DOWN.

Ladies and gentlemen, loud and proud:

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIGGED

-----------

(People are making a good point, even before we get to the below:  Big XII telling Oklahoma to Go Fuck Themselves straight to the SEC???)

Even beyond all that, The Power Five circled the wagons this week, and blatantly rigged the two biggest rivalry games this week to give the Committee the maximum outs.

Here's your list for the CFP (this is not an order, this is just a list):

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Oklahoma State
6. Can we completely rule out Baylor?
7. Cincinnati

The Georgia-Alabama winner is in.  If Alabama wins, Georgia is in too.  And if Alabama keeps it close, they're in the discussion.

Michigan is in if it wins.

Oklahoma State is in the discussion if they win.  Baylor's not completely ruled out either.

Cincinnati is in the discussion if they win.

But what happens if you have the Big XII champion, SEC and Big Ten #2s, and Cincinnati, and you only have two spots???

(And remove the SEC #2 if Alabama wins, and then you only have one spot for the B12 champ, the Big Ten #2, and Cincinnati.)

That's why today happened, people.  Pay the fuck attention.  That's not against readers of the blog on balance -- just the general public.  The MOMENT that Iron Bowl ended, I was thinking about Oklahoma State getting some help to win there.

Auburn Repaying The Cabal for the $Cam/Boise State Situation???

Ladies and gentlepeoples, you just saw a college football program THROW a football game on nationwide television for the purposes of the betterment of the Southeastern Conference and the exclusive nature of the College Football Playoff...

2 minutes to go, 4th quarter.

Bama has cleanly failed a fourth down to give the ball back to Auburn down 10-3 in Alabama territory, two timeouts.

So, second down on their series, Auburn's back does not surrender himself in bounds and goes out of bounds, they fail on third and 2, punt, and Bama goes 97 yards (and needs the time that back gave him) to score the tying TD.

(Oh, forgot a borderline horse-collar attempt on that same second-down play.)

Oh, and on the play before the touchdown, ANOTHER "subjective" Delay of Game no-call to favor Alabama!

Then, 23 seconds left and a first down stopping the clock for the chains, you surrender and go to overtime.

YOU WANT BAMA TO WIN THIS GAME AND I DAMN WELL KNOW WHY!!!

Let's see how overtime goes!!!

Bama possession:  Unguarded direct throw into the end zone on 3rd and 4 from the 8, touchdown, uncontested.  (Just like the Rodgers Hail Mary against Detroit and the one against Arizona, if you want comparisons...)

Auburn possession:  Is there still a penalty for using the earhole of the helmet to turn the helmet like that?  Bad optics if nothing else...

Two stuffs, third and goal at the 6...  Auburn gets the TD -- and there was coverage on that one, unlike the Bama TD!  17-all.

Second overtime -- must go for 2:

Auburn possession:  Run, stuff.  Run, loss of 4 (like the 3rd down in the regulation series!), 3rd and 14. 

Sack, loss of 3, 4th and 17 from the 32.  FG looked like it needed a little "assistance" -- jerked to the right screen-wise -- but now Bama has 4 down territory to win with a TD.

Alabama possession:  Incomplete, complete for small gain, 3rd and 5.

Incomplete, 4th down and 5.  Field goal try.  38 yd from the same hash the Auburn FG was on.  (See just above...)

Good.  Shootout time.  2-point conversions.

Shootout R1:

Alabama:  Good, decent coverage on the pass.

Auburn:  Looked like they almost were going to get through, but good.

Shootout R2:

Auburn:  Defended in the end zone, no good.  AND AN UNCALLED BUMP.

Alabama:  Unguarded to the pylon.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIGGED.

PS:  About 15 minutes after the game, I do what I do in cases like this and type the hashtag "#Rigged" into Twitter -- the Iron Bowl came up as a recommended topic.

Day 627

• Congratulations to Yokozuna Terunofuji, who has won his second consecutive tournament -- he has won both tournaments since promotion to sumo's highest rank, as is expected.  He defeated formerly-suspended Abi to be two matches clear with one day to go, but there still is drama on the final day.  He goes for his first zensho-yusho (undefeated 15-0 tournament) against Ozeki Takakeisho -- who is 12-2 himself and a victory over the Yokozuna COULD start discussion, if Takakeisho were to win the next tournament.

Day 626

• Couple of interesting facts:
• This is the third year in a row that the Lions, Cowboys, and whoever hosted the third night game on Thanksgiving all lost.
• And with New Orleans losing tonight to Buffalo, no team will be eliminated from playoff contention until at least the first Sunday in December.  I'm looking right at you, Kitties.   
• Bad blood from the second game spilled over afterward:  Trysten Hill of the Cowboys belted John Simpson of the Raiders after the match.
• Bryan Adams is positive for COVID a second time.
• And Steve Burton has been fired from the ABC soap General Hospital for refusing to vaccinate.
• And there's now a new, reported MUCH more virulent strain, called the Mu strain, coming out of South Africa.  Just.  Fucking.  Great.   
• There is now a report, on this Black Friday 2021, that over 11% of Americans have already cancelled Christmas and will not be getting gifts for anybody!
• The fifth version of "The Match" was held today, between the feuding The Sham Beau and Brooks Koepka, over 12 holes at the Wynn Casino and Resort in Las Vegas.  Koepka won 4 and 3.
• Dick Vitale was back on the mic of an ESPN Events tournament in Orlando today -- he witnessed Dayton buzzer-beating #4 Kansas in the game.  (I erred earlier, thinking he was at the Gonzaga-Duke game as well.)
• Landmark composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim has passed away today at 91.
• LeBron, you're about to be suspended AGAIN.  $15,000 fine for an on-court obscene gesture first game back from the suspension.  NBA officially warned LeBron of that and additional obscenities during the post-game press scrum.
• History continues to mount for current Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider of Oakland, who is now one of the top ten winners in regular-season play in show history.  Her 8 wins have netted her $295,200 -- an average win of $36,900.  Andy Saunders' current projections have her an ultra-champion, and quite possibly the first woman in the history of the show to win $500,000 in regular play.
• As largely feared because of results, we now know that World Cup 2022 in Qatar will not have both Italy and Portugal in it, as they have been drawn in the same pod of four.

The European pods for the playoff were drawn today:

1. Turkey at Portugal, North Macedonia at Italy
2. Austria at Wales, Ukraine at Scotland
3. Poland at Russia, Czech Republic at Sweden

All matches in the playoff are single-legged.  The Wales-Austria winner, the Russia-Poland winner, and the Portugal-Turkey winner will host the pod finals for the three final European World Cup spots.  Both matches will be played in the same World Cup window:  The pod semifinals on March 24th, the pod finals on March 29th.

• The interconfederational playoffs were also drawn today:  CONCACAF #4 vs. Oceania.(who is finally slated to announce what it's going to do to TRY to get a qualification in -- if the new Mu strain doesn't nail everything!), and CONMEBOL #5 vs. the Asian interconfederational, which is the winner of a playoff between the third-placed sides in each of two final Asian groups.

Day 625 -- Thanksgiving 2021

• A Thanksgiving article on Yahoo! is about Matthew Judon of the Patriots and his hatred for macaroni and cheese.  Say it with me:  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...   
• The Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils had their game delayed last night -- because the Wild got stuck in New York City's holiday traffic.  Oof.  Been there and seen THAT!   
• Two Pacers fans were tossed after hurling "indecent" words at LeBron James last night.
• Matt Nagy is the coach of the Bears for now -- as Bears ownership let the team know this week before today's Thanksgiving game with the Lions...  ... so you jackasses who have been even chanting it during HIS SON'S BASKETBALL GAME can SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!    
• Spied on the Detroit game:  "Tonight, I'll be eating with Uber Eats.  Offical Food Partner of the NFL".  Typo was NOT mine.    
• Speaking of advertisements for the ineptitude of the NFL and why teams like the Lions are bad business, even if they make money:  I present this game.  It now appears Chicago is going to win with a short field goal off of a penalty for double time-outs after the defense couldn't get set up inside the 15.  On some level, you have to recognize that there are men masquerading as professional athletes -- they have neither the intelligence nor the talent necessary to even do this, and because the NFL is a license to print money, no one is going to care.  We have another Fantastic Finish (tm) between a team with maybe five relevant NFL players on it's 53-man roster and a team with a few more.  Perfect time to get some sleep if you're not in Chicago or Detroit.   
• Chicago 16 - Detroit 14.
• And we've already got Refball in the second game -- FOR Las Vegas and AGAINST Dallas?  WTF???  Clear "three element" catch and football move, and then a punch-out fumble, ruled incomplete...
• How is Perryman for the Raiders still allowed in the game with a clear-path, no-mitigation SPEARING foul in this game as well?? That play is TEXTBOOK for the three conditions for a helmet-foul ejection. Hey, CBS, wanna get your rules guru on to explain that no-call, or would it expose the business that you're at least trying to make this game close, at barest minimum?? 
• Sean Hochuli is enjoying this camera time way too much.
• I think it's time we take Dallas off the top of the list or near it.  Why?  Not only did they lose to Las Vegas on Thursday in overtime, but Anthony Brown was called for defensive pass interference FOUR TIMES, including to set up the winning field goal.  All four penalties, including two on the same drive, led to Raider scores.  Methinks we have a live one here...  And I wanna know why!  
• BTW, that is NOT an NFL record.  In fact, it's not even the first time since 2000 a single player has gotten 4 DPI penalties in a game.  It's the third.
• According to one Tweeter, that was part of SEVEN DPI penalties (along with at least one roughing the passer) on the Cowboys today.  In total, this game became the 17th in NFL history in which both teams had at least 14 penalties -- the 28 penalties are the most in the league this season.  The 166 penalty yards for Dallas are a Cowboys record.
• It also doesn't count two penalties with one player from each team being thrown out of the game for a sideline fight!
• If I were Commissioner and had any belief the games were legitimate, I would have Mr. Brown (and Mr. Hochuli -- see above, before the PI's) in my office 9 AM Friday morning for questioning.   

Day 624

• Everson Griffen has had a third mental-health incident for the Vikings, apparently.  Fired a weapon and barricaded himself after claiming someone in his house was trying to kill him, and posting on his social media with a gun.  No one else has been found, and the team is trying to help.
• He's now out of the house and in a health care facility.
• It appears as if E. Stan Kroenke's bleating has forced the NFL to settle the Rams' relocation lawsuit with St. Louis for nearly $800 million.
• Karim Benzema of Real Madrid has been fined and sentenced to a year in jail (suspended) for a sex tape of a former teammate.  Real Madrid have their Champions' League rematch with Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova today.
• Army cadets, as they often will, try to steal Navy's mascot goat Bill.  Well, they got one of the goats from Bill's farm -- but not, this time, Bill.  The annual football showdown is December 11th.
• Speaking of rivalry shenanigans, Ohio State fans vandalized Michigan's statue of Bo Schembechler.  Given Harbaugh's track record against Ohio State, couldn't the Buckeyes just have waited to vandalize the Wolverines on the field???  Just asking for a friend.   
• What we know right now is that Aaron Rodgers is suffering from a toe injury.  What some are thinking is that it could be related to his COVID situation from just earlier in the season...
• But Rodgers is claiming it's a fractured toe.  OW!
• And if you want to see what value "lessers" have at football factories like Mater Dei in California, this piece of news...    A ritual has been exposed at the football academy, a national power, where "lessers" are forced to gladiator each other in punch-fights in the freshman locker room.  One is now brain-damaged as a result, according to a local newspaper.
• Bigotry has inflamed the Jeopardy! fan community, as many jackasses have slammed the reign of the current champion.  Amy Schneider is the current champion, and is at least the second known out transgender champion -- the first, she notes, was about a year ago.  What makes Schneider special is that she is the first transgender to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, as she has reached 5 wins and $170,400, a total only eclipsed by 8 other players (according to Andy Saunders, who has had a nightmare in dealing with bigots the last week!!!) for 5 wins.
• Last week, when Schneider began her reign on the show, was Transgender Awareness Week.  Saturday was the National Day of Transgender Rememberance.
• Junior Messias was a part-time delivery driver while toiling in the lower realms of Italian soccer.  He worked his way up the ladder, and is now playing for AC Milan -- for whom, in his third appearance with the club and his first shot, scored a game-winning header in the Champions' League to keep hopes of qualifying second in their group alive!!  Three minutes from time, he provided the only goal in a 1-0 AC Milan victory over Atletico Madrid.

CFP Week 4: History, BUT...

 For the first time in the history of any on-field college-football top-level championship format, a non-Power 5 team has been officially ranked worthy of a title shot:

1) Georgia

2) Ohio State (no real surprise -- the ass-job they did on Michigan State has to resonate)

3) Alabama (I wonder what an Ohio State-Alabama Cotton Bowl line would look like.)

The Action Network's Collin Wilson has estimated Alabama would be a 3 1/2 point favorite over Ohio State, and Georgia a 16.5 point favorite over Cincinnati.

4) Cincinnati

5) Michigan  (thought they might get the 4, and that would set up another backdoor for the Committee)

6) Notre Dame

Here's where the "BUT......" comes in for Cincinnati

7) Oklahoma State

8) Baylor

9) is Ole Miss, but they're not involved.

10) Oklahoma

Anyone NOT think that Oklahoma State beating Oklahoma next week and then Baylor for the Big XII title might get Oklahoma State to 4 over Cincinnati, if that was what was necessary??

Oklahoma beating State twice??

Not sure if Baylor can get 8 to 4 on just beating Oklahoma, especially because that would only make a 1-1 split between the two teams...

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

So right now, order of likelihood, for Fuck Cincinnati -- and this does assume Cincy beats ECU and Houston to finish out:

1) Oklahoma State runs the table and pips them at the end.

2) Notre Dame gets in on Mar Kee Val You as a last resort.

2A)  Oklahoma beats State twice, same caveat.

or 3) Michigan beats Ohio State, drops them to 3 -- then railroads Minnesota/Iowa/Wisconsin and you get 2 SEC 2 Big Ten.

(And the only reason that's #3 is that Harbaugh hasn't won shit in Michigan.)

Day 623

• That was quick and brutal.  Less than 12 hours after getting rolled by Tampa Bay, the Giants have fired their offensive coordinator.  Too bad that will come nowhere close to sufficient...   
• Scary incident in Brooklyn last night -- Seth Rollins got jumped by a fan last night as he was leaving his Monday Night Raw match.  Guy's charged with all the relevant offenses, including one they should've put on me 20+ years ago if it was on the books:  Attempted Disruption of Arts and Cultural Affairs.  It is a stated Penal Code in the state of New York to take any action deemed disruptive to the ongoing performance of a sporting event, theatre event, movie screening, etc.
• Injured Auburn quarterback Bo Nix has openly accused the Southeastern Conference of rigging games for Alabama.  NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!  Who do you think these referees work for?  More titles = more money for the conference.   
• Two former Atlanta Dream players have been banned for a game or two when they sign their next WNBA contracts:  A May altercation outside a nightclub got Courtney Williams a 2-game ban and Crystal Bradford 1.
• Three games after being brought in as a possible injury aid for Travis Henry, the Tennessee Titans have waived Adrian Peterson.  Good.   
• Dick Vitale has made a triumphant and successful return to the booth, broadcasting tonight's #1 vs. #2 Gonzaga vs. UCLA match in Las Vegas.  Vitale broke down in tears on TV at the open, recalling that, a scant month and a half ago, it was thought his cancer may be far more serious and that he may never have gotten back to the booth.  Obviously, future schedule IS unknown and health-pending, but if he can be there, he will be there.
• Too bad the game is being fixed for Gonzaga.  At least one where even Vitale, with one eye, could see three guys cream a UCLA player, no call.  And then, two minutes to go in the first half, a Flagrant-1 on a UCLA player, who, seconds before his elbow, had a Gonzaga fist in his throat!!!  I'd have accepted Mutual Flagrant-1s, two shots each, possession arrow.   
• And the existential crisis of the NWSL continues.  After losing last Saturday in the league's championship match to the Washington Spirit, the Chicago Red Stars are now looking for a new coach -- and, guessed it...  Allegations of emotional abuse by Rory Dames.  They're not going to be able to continue play without a complete flush of the male power in that women's soccer league.   

2021 NFC Kayfabe and Political Rankings

Did the AFC last night, because this was an NFC matchup.

Here's the kayfabe situation in the NFC:

East:  Cowboys (7-3), 2 1/2 over the Eagles

North:  Green Bay (8-3), 2 1/2 over the Vikings

South:  Tampa Bay (7-3), 2 over the Saints

West:  Arizona (9-2), 1 1/2 over the Rams

Break the TB-DAL tie for #3:  TB beat DAL Week 1.

Now you have a mess at 5-5 for the last two wildcards.

Minnesota, New Orleans, and San Francisco are all 5-5.

Minnesota plays SF next week, but has not played New Orleans.  SF doesn't play New Orleans either.

Conference records:  MIN 4-2, NO 4-4, SF 4-4

NO vs. SF for the 7:  Common games?  Nope, only three.

So the Strength of Victory numbers:  NO:  .558 vs. SF .343 (UGH!!!)

1. ARI
2. GB
3. TB
4. DAL
5. LAR (7-3)
6. MIN (5-5, Conference tiebreaker)
7. NO (5-5, Strength of Victory)

NO @ GB (boy would that be convenient!)

MIN @ TB (ditto)

LAR @ DAL (would this not make Goodell cream for an NFC wild-card schedule?)

Politicals:

1.  Tampa Bay

But not necessarily because they're looking that strong -- losing to the Izzies will do that to you!!  That said, this is more on the basis of a strong win over a jobber team tonight, as well as a LOT of press seeming to be given to the Patriots on the other side of the ledger.  Nothing is sacred or very strong this season -- one Antonio Brown confirmed-fake COVID vaccination can kill most of this by 4 o'clock tomorrow... -- but it's the best we have.

2.  Arizona

Really don't wanna put em here, but the fact is that, barring much else (especially if the situation in Dallas is deteriorating), the NFL might actually be putting Arizona in as a fall-back plan if, for whatever reason, the Tom Bradys don't pan out!

3.  Dallas

Losses in two of your last three, and the only reason I include you at all (and don't include Green Bay at the moment) is because, unlike the COVID-12 Liar, there's no real discernible reason outside maybe CeeDee Lamb and his fine record.

4.  New Orleans

You honestly don't think, if that matchup above happens in the Wild Card Weekend that Green Bay isn't going home hardcore???

DUD OF THE WEEK

NOMINEES

GREEN BAY:  I think you are getting a reality check regarding the league and who is really running the show...  Look, I get it:  You don't wanna lose your third NFC Championship Game in a row here.  The only way that's not happening, though, is if you don't get there.

NEW YORK GIANTS:  At least make it look like you want to try.

WINNERS: 

THE ATLANTA FALCONS AND THEIR FANS:  

OOF.  The only reason, at first glance, you might've skated on being the winners outright is that it does appear that the league is beginning to strap a rocket-ship on the Patriots here.  But both the on-field and the attendance Thursday night were UGLY.  One look at that crowd before kickoff was all you needed to know as to the relevance of the Atlanta Falcons at this point and juncture!

============

Interesting stat, and it might be one of the reasons the league is letting the on-field product go rancid.

With the NFC #7 5-5, only four teams (Giants, Bears, Seahawks, and Lions) are outside one game short of a playoff spot -- and, with seven weeks to go, only the Lions are outside of two.

AFC:  With the AFC #7 at 6-4, the only difference (still only four teams outside one game (Dolphins, Jaguars, Texans, and Jets) is that only one of the four is within two.

This means that, with 14 playoff teams this year, 24 of the 32 teams are within one game of the playoffs with 7 weeks to go -- and 28 are within two!

This works for the league two ways:  One, it allows them to be flexible with the booking if they need to be.  Two, it allows the league to pump the false hope which fans like UrinatingTree can let consume them whole...

2021 NFL Week 11 Score Report

• Another down week for the scoring:  43.87 for the 15 games this week.  (Last year:  45.5)
• Season average:  46.248  (Last year:  49.78)
• Home teams were 7-8 this week.  Season:  79-82-1.  (Last year:  9-5 for 85-75-1.)
• Over was 5-10 for 70-93-2 for the year.  (Last year:  6-8 for 82-75-4)
• Favorites actually won the week per games:  8-7 against the number, 10-5 straight up.  For the season:  ATS:  70-92-1.  SU:  97-65-1.  (Last year:  ATS:  6-8 for 68-88-2.  SU:  8-6 for 104-53-1.)
• Team with more penalties was actually 8-5 this week!  70-74 for the year.  (Last year:  7-7 for 59-79)
• 179 penalties in the 15 games this week -- one of the lighter weeks of the season at just under 12 a game.  2,067 in the 165 games played so far in 2021 season.  (12.55 per game)  (Last year:  176 in 14 games (12.58 per game) for a total of 1,846 in 161 games (11.47 per game))
• Two Cliffhangers this week.  37 for the year (Last year:  4 for 30)
• Only six of the 15 games finished within one score.  75 for the year (45.5%)  (Last year:  10 for 87 (54%).
• Six non-competitive games for 63 for the year.  (Last year:  6 for 47)
• And 3 Last Chance Misses for 36 total (Last year:  6 for 53)

QUITE A FEW INTERESTING SIDE NUMBERS:

Can you guess the outlier on this one:

• 2021:  75 vs 63
• 2020:  87 vs 47
• 2019:  84 vs 52
• 2018:  85 vs 56
• 2017:  76 vs 55
• 2016:  64 vs 38
• 2015:  93 (!!!) vs. 49

If you don't figure out what those numbers are, read the first part of this post again and start asking some real questions about what the NFL is trying to cover up.

• And in doing so, NBC helped the NFL move the figurative goalposts.  During the latter portion of the Sunday Night game, NBC flashed a graphic from the NFL:  23 games in 11 weeks have been decided on the last play -- a Super Bowl-era NFL record for the period of the first 11 weeks of the season.  (With the "last minute and overtime" record from 2015 rapidly disappearing in the mirror, the NFL is moving the goalposts here...)
• To give you how bad the NFL has gotten:  Stats from Weeks 9, 10, and 11 -- the weekends of November 7th, 14th, and 21st:  

1. 43 games played
2. Only SIXTEEN have ended within one score.
3. And NINETEEN have, at no point after the end of the third quarter, gotten within one score!!!

Day 622

• NBA history was made today.
• Detroit Pistons:  Isaiah Stewart banned two games for escalating an altercation.
• But the history was the other person involved in the altercation, as LeBron James of the Lakers has been banned (one game) for the first time in his NBA career for initiating the altercation after committing a Flagrant-2. 
• I said something about the CFP and Fuck Cincinnati -- ... unless someone beats Oregon.  Utah would like to say hello.  Annihilated the Ducks at home Saturday night.  Unless the CFP Committee cheeses either Michigan, Oklahoma State, or Notre Dame to #4, we will have history tomorrow night:  For the first time in the history of any on-field national-championship top-level college football system (that's CFP, BCS. Coalition, OR Alliance), a non-Power 5 team will actually be officially ranked as worthy of playing for that system's national championship.  And there's only two more weeks to go.

2021 NFL Week 10 Fine Blotter

Spotrac has only two this week:

• Seattle Seahawks:  DK Metcalf got $6,949 for his ejection spree against the Packers.
• Seattle Seahawks:  Carlos Dunlap got $10,300 for throwing his shoe in the same game.

Scrolling through Twitter:

• New York Jets:  CJ Mosely, $15,450 for a helmet hit.

ESPN/Andrea: Are you willing to come out with the truth at any point soon?

I know that the job of the Worldwide Leader in Snorts is to purport these competitions to be legitimate and above the table.

But a comment from ESPN's Andrea Adelson about the recent firing of Florida football Dan Mullen struck me, and tweaked by antennae:

In asking what Mullen's greatest flaw was, Adelson said:

"Let me take you back to a foggy night in Gainesville nearly one year ago, when Florida ranked No. 6 in the country and its long-shot College Football Playoff hopes were still alive. Depleted LSU waltzed into the Swamp and came away with a 37-34 win after Marco Wilson threw his shoe -- resulting in a 15-yard penalty that set up the winning field goal. Ever since the shoe toss, Florida is 2-8 against Power 5 opponents."

Adelson then says the shoe toss cannot be considered the point where everything changed...

I, for one, would care to disagree.

They have defeated Tennessee and Vanderbilt, two teams who should NOT have football programs anymore, for their only two Power 5 wins since the incident.  (I said it, @ me, I don't care...)

They've lost six of those eight by one touchdown or less...

I said the following on December 16th of last year after the incident, after calling for his suspension or expulsion from the University of Florida:

"But, then, it does leave you asking one material question:   

What, short of a suspicious act, possesses you to do THAT in that situation?

Same question I asked about the guy from Ole Miss who literally dog-pissed his team out of a bowl bid and a loss in the Egg Bowl...

If football is THAT IMPORTANT, then should he not be actionable, both as a function of Student Conduct policies, but a real question of the man's character, integrity, and whether he was actually part of fixing a game??"

There are only two real possibilities -- and, yes, I am going to say this now goes far further than Marco Wilson or just the one game, but has now permeated the Florida program:

Either:

1. You are purporting students who are so inept and stupid that they couldn't even get the words "Do you want fries with that?" out, (And, given some of the reports we've heard over years and decades, this cannot be ruled out...)
2. Or you have a match-fixing scandal at the University of Florida and you (and ESPN) refuse to admit it.

The word "recruiting" came up as a remedy for all this, and that would be obvious -- if it weren't equally obvious that all I have to do, as a recruiter from Alabama (or Georgia, or Clemson), is walk over to any prominent high school football player in the state of Florida and say "Play with the best, or go down like the rest.  Champions see The Show.  Champions get The Dough.", and that should be the end of the discussion, especially in the post-NIL model of what is left of college sports.

Florida, you're like USC, UCLA (and if the crowd at that rivalry game didn't tell people volumes on Saturday in LA!!!), Nebraska, etc.

YOU'RE DONE.

Why do you think that the top teams are multiple-touchdown favorites over Top 15 opponents?

We have superteams in college football because no one wants to admit that no one wants to play for a loser.

So when is ESPN going to admit that a lot of these name programs are just plain DONE and should no longer merit real discussion or time on the network?

(And that -- see above -- is the BENIGN answer to that question.  That doesn't get into the possibility that the Florida drug gangs which make Pop Warner football a professional enterprise and gamble on it haven't permeated the likes of the Florida program and created a match-fixing situation!)

2021 AFC Week 11 Kayfabe and Political Rankings

Going to do these by conference with the Monday Nighter being the Tom Bradys vs. the Giants -- also, with three games on Thursday...  AFC done for the week, so it's time to look at them...

Kayfabe:

East:  New England, 1/2 game over Buffalo

North:  Baltimore, 1 over Cincinnati

South:  Tennessee, 2 over Indianapolis

West:  Kansas City, 1/2 over the Chargers

Break the 7-4 tie KC vs. NE for the #3:  No HTH, now or the rest of the season.  Conference record:  NE 5-1, KC 2-4

The three wild cards right now are Buffalo, Cincinnati, and the Chargers at 6-4.  Break the tie to determine who goes where:  No HTH.  Conference:  BUF 5-4, CIN 4-2, LAC 4-2.  So BUF is the 7.

Rebreak the tie CIN vs. LAC:  They play Dec. 5, so no HTH yet.  Conference is a tie.  Common games:  CIN 3-1, LAC 2-2.  (MIN, PIT, CLE, LV)

1. TEN 8-3
2. BAL 7-3
3. NE 7-4
4. KC 7-4
5. CIN 6-4
6. LAC 6-4
7. BUF 6-4

BUF @ BAL, LAC @ NE, CIN @ KC, TEN gets the bye.

Political:

Real tough call at this point.

Could make a case for any of the division leaders to be #1.  But, on it's own independent merit:

1) Kansas City

As much as I don't want to with the Britt Reid trial next year, I think it's clear that at least an unsteady footing of the rewrite in the AFC West is, at the very least, having Kansas City on top.  Get back to me after Thursday, December 16th.  If they stay on course, the Chargers could be #1 in the AFC, because they already have one win over KC, and the second one is there.

2) Baltimore

Depends on whether this IS a coverup for Round 3 for COVID for unvaccinated Lamar...  Hmmmm...

3) New England

As I truly said, they are definitely pushing New England at this point, to some degree of an extent.  That said, however, I do think they are a package deal -- and the other half of the package is about to split open and dump it's contents on the ground in the form of fake COVID vaccination cards -- IF AND ONLY IF the reports are true.

4) Los Angeles Chargers

See Kansas City, and if they can keep it up to December 16th, The American Football Chaos might be playing into their hands!!!

DUD OF THE WEEK:

NOMINEES:

:LAS VEGAS:  Pretty much gave up on their season.  Since the Ruggs incident:  23-16 L to the Giants, 41-14 L to the Chiefs, 32-13 L to the Bengals.  5-12 is very possible with this current situation.  The Trytophan Special with the Cowboys next.

LACKSONVILLE:  I actually originally typoed that, and then realized how PERFECT that is, so I'm keeping it.

WINNER:

THE TENNESSEE TITANS

Look, I get the weather sucked, but you're playing HOUSTON!!!  HOW IN HELL DO YOU LOSE TO THEM AS THE #1 SEED IN YOUR CONFERENCE????

Tying two news stories together: Fuck around and find out??

A lot of people held their breath Friday after Kyle Rittenhouse walked.

This may have been the "exhale".

Kyle Rittenhouse had his kills validated by a jury on Friday, acquitting him of all counts, declaring all his kills good kills -- probably not in part because of the belief at least one of his victims was a child molester.

But what troubles a lot of people was the PRE-EXISTING DISPLAY of the long rifle, and it was clear his trigger finger was ready to go.

So when he walked, everyone began to wonder...

We may have just seen the first blowback.

According to the police scanner in Waukesha, WI, a red SUV with an African-American driver literally TOOK OUT a marching band at the annual holiday parade in the city.  "Multiple" fatalities -- another 25 or so in the hospital.

I've heard a lot of White Right, the last two days, saying they wanna "go".

So I can't rule out 100% that this isn't the "Find Out" from Friday's "Fucking Around" in Kenosha.

I can't 100% rule it in either, but this -- and a number of looting incidents at high-profile stores (at least two in the Bay Area, and two Beverly Hills stores had smashed-out windows, but no one took anything) wonder if the clock is no longer ticking, but BANGING...

Day 621

• Sometimes ESPN lets you in on a bit of the booking...  On Wednesday of this week, Ryan Clark of ESPN's Mike Greenberg Get Up show said the 4-5 Vikings were an "upset lock" to beat the 8-2 Packers.  Reminded me of a similar exchange a couple years back where "no one in America wants to see [IIRC] Utah in a prominent bowl game" -- before Utah was "upset" that weekend.  It's on the blog here somewhere, just have to find it.
• Found it:  2019 Pac-12 Championship Game -- two days before on the very same Get Up show, Paul Finebaum announcing that no one wanted to see Utah in the CFP.  First drive, two questionable playcalls for the Utes.  Second drive, uncalled Oregon targeting.  Third drive, false start on 4th and inches -- Oregon eliminates Utah from the CFP, 37-15, to win the Pac-12 that year.
• Anyone who's been paying an ounce of attention the last about three weeks should know what I'm about to type:  Game-winning FG at the gun, Minnesota 34 - Green Bay 31.
• And, Packer Nation, that won't be the last game you guys get taken down on.  No Super Bowl for you, come back, one vaccinated quarterback.
• 6-3 Bills get railroaded by the 5-5 Colts 41-15 at home!
• But both of those might pale in comparison:  Tennessee lost this week -- TO HOUSTON!!!!
• Green Bay since the Rodgers positive:  Lose to KC 13-7, beat Seattle 17-0, lose to Minnesota today 34-31.
• Las Vegas since the Ruggs incident:  Lose to the Giants 23-16, KC 41-14, and Cincinnati today 32-13.  Coincidence in EITHER OF THESE?  I THINK NOT!!!    
• Last 3 weeks:  Only 15 of the last 41 NFL games entering Sunday night are within one score.
• In that same situation, there have been EIGHTEEN non-competitive games never within a score at any point in the fourth quarter.

Day 620

• The "Fuck Cincinnati" Brigade continues.  Big wins today for Alabama and Ohio State over name opponents.  (Georgia's cupcake doesn't count -- 28-0 after the first and they decided to cover the 52 against a tomato can...)  Cincy's win over 8-2 SMU won't matter.  Two more games to throw unless you want reality to slap you in the face, Bearcats.  The Final Four is set unless someone beats Oregon, and even then...
• Man United is 7th on the EPL table at 5-5-2 and just lost at relegation-threatened Watford 4-1.  Even leading their Champions League group, that's going to be enough to see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fired as their manager.

Vince McMahon, go to Hell...

Another eight went by the wayside in a Thursday night dump.

Another round of cuts, with the most prominent probably being John Morrison (leaving many to wonder what his partner, The Miz, will be doing after his final appearance on the 30th season of Dancing With The Stars Monday night), have left a continued bad taste in many people's mouths.

Let's get right down to it:

1) Vince McMahon has failed, at almost every turn, in his mission to gain all the talent so that "other companies" (read:  All Elite Wrestling) cannot have anyone.  Even outside the huge pickups like Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Christian Cage, Ruby Soho, etc. (CM Punk, remember, had left the business entirely for seven years!), the fact is that Tony Khan has put together an engaging list of other talent like Eddie Kingston, Darby Allin, grimaces Maxwell Jacob Friedman...

vomits...  There, all better...

... and others to complement them.  Though ratings are not quite to the standard of the flagging Monday Night Raw, it is evident that USA Network cannot be happy with the numbers they are getting for five hours of WWE programming for the money they are putting into the company.

2) To that end, NXT has failed.

Two years ago, especially after the Crown Jewel debacle and the burgeoning Wednesday Night War, the WWE began not only to feature NXT as a co-equal "main brand", but, by their performance in that year's Survivor Series, THE main brand of the three.

About 18 months later, Vince decides, now that he's lost the Wednesday Night War, to rebrand NXT as "NXT 2.0", and make it a more PG-14, etc. presentation, with a new female stable and a lot of skin...

The ratings have been disastrous since their move to Tuesday night.  This week was about the worst they've had since they went live on USA.  It is clear that rebranding NXT and moving it away from HHH's vision have been detrimental to an already flagging brand.

And, especially with a still-limited road schedule (and no real need, with record profits -- again, I stress with all these roster cuts, RECORD PROFITS!!), it is becoming apparent that there might be some question in even needing a third brand again, especially if it seems that they flourish there, and some talents aren't even getting a month on the other two shows before getting dumped as a budget cut.

3) There's still no word on a pending sale of WWE, but many have believed in several of these roster cuts that one is upcoming.

4) The continuing limitations on streaming and monetization of non-WWE products is showing strain.  Xavier Woods, who has said he has gotten almost nothing from his super-popular WWE-based UpDownUpDown gaming channel, started a new assignment on the G4 network and actually called on "Kenneth" -- injured now-former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega -- to join him as soon as feasible on G4.

"Kenneth" responded with an anime video of Vegeta regenerating in a healing chamber from the DragonBall series.  It would not be beneath him to do that -- a famous pre-AEW showdown between the New Day and Kenny and the Young Bucks was a massive Internet hit!

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

Of course, you could be Japan right now...

Tokyo Sports has announced several major joshi stars will be on the move at year's end.

To contrast, a shock "Emergency Press Conference" between NJPW and NOAH has been called for 2 PM Saturday afternoon JP time -- about 4 minutes from when I send this...

And the unprecedented third night of NJPW's annual "Wrestle Kingdom" supercard will, in fact, be a joint card between the two Japanese promotions in Yokohama on January 8th, 2022.

This year is the 50th anniversary of New Japan Pro Wrestling, and the new head of the promotion has said he wants this year to have several such "dream" events.

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

I leave you with this thought from previous WWE cut Taya Valkyrie, whose husband, John Morrison, was in this round of cuts:

Stop supporting a company that has ZERO respect for their talent. You love pro wrestling, spend your money on the hundreds of other alternatives. This is wrong. Ethically, as employers they don’t care about us. Talent or fans.

— TAYA VALKYRIE (@FrankyMonetWWE) November 19, 2021

2021 NFL Week 10 Television Ratings

Maybe part of this is that the numbers don't seem to be coming out til quite late in the week, but I keep almost forgetting to get the latest television ratings for the NFL from Sports Media Watch:

• CBS National:  CBS got flexed the Packers-Seahawks returning-QB showdown on Sunday.  And even though the game was UGLY AS HELL, it drew 22.7 million viewers and an 11.9 rating for CBS.  Up 12-13% in both measures from last year -- down about 10% ratings, but only 2% viewers, from a Packers game two years ago.
• SMW points out the odd nature of last year's Week 10 -- that was the week of the rescheduled 2020 Masters Tournament.
• CBS Regional:  7.0 rating, 12.36 million viewers (about a third off of last year's FOX numbers, because FOX had the NFL for the morning slot exclusively last year Week 10).
• FOX Single:  Mostly the Cowboys again, and 9.1 rating and 17.58 million viewers (over a half increase, but the Single last year was only a 4 Eastern start after the Masters wrapped up).
• CBS, as a whole, is up 8% for the year in the NFL, and is at a six-year high as the White Right NFL Boycott may finally be abating.
• Sunday Night:  9.3 rating, 16 3/4 million viewers for Raiders-Chiefs.  Up 5-6% from last year, but down over a quarter from two years ago.
• Monday Night:  12 1/4 million for that ugly 49ers-Rams mess, up 7% from last year -- but that's all Manningcast:  The Manningcast drew 1.55 million, the smallest since their first.
• Thursday Night:  7.4 rating, about 12.9 million viewers -- up 4-6% from last year.

Day 619

• Zac Stacy was arrested for the video beatdown of his ex-girlfriend.
• Almost on a sickening note, checking Spotrac for any Week 10 fines (none yet), the #1 trending search for a pro athlete and his contract is...  Zac Stacy...
• Amari Cooper of the Cowboys is COVID-positive -- and he's out both this Sunday's game and next week's!  Because he's...  *sigh*  ...unvaxxed.
• The Kansas City Chiefs have made a pact to take care of the girl Britt Reid almost murdered in that DUI earlier this year...  Perhaps some good PR to try to get in the good graces of the NFL, given the current fluid push situation in the league?   
• Another round of budget and roster cuts with WWE.  This is probably going to merit it's own post here...   
• The Buccaneers say they did due diligence on Antonio Brown and his vaccine card.  That's neither the point nor relevant -- if he faked his vaccination situation, he's about in the same boat of a liar as Rodgers, and that MIGHT sink the Buccaneer ship, if you know what I'm sayin'.  Yeah, it's the Tom Bradys and all, but you know how much the league spent at least two years, if not three, setting up for Pat Mahomes to be The Next Man.  Now, if this is the case, the Bucs are not to blame on this so much, but they will pay.  And would I be shocked at all if AB is pulling this shit?  In no way...   
• Or am I wrong in that characterization??  A new, second report (on Yardbarker) seems to indicate that Brown, if this is true, got his fake vaccination card from a teammate!!  This WOULD elevate this to a team/franchise issue, and would, in my mind, be enough to push the scales even further toward Dallas in the NFC...
• The Peng Shuai situation -- including a claim by her that a prominent Chinese Communist Party official sexually assaulted her (which is the main reason most of the sane world thinks she has been at least partially "disappeared") -- is going postal.  The CCP is denying everything, Joe Biden is trying to get them to get off their ass, and the president of the WTA has threatened to pull the sport out of the country of China if they don't get cooperation and guarantees of her safety.
• The GM of the Montreal Canadiens, Marc Bergevin, the latest NHL COVID positive.
• NBCUniversal has retained the rights to air the English Premier League on it's broadcast and streaming services for the next six years.  $433 million for the contract, triple the $150 million of the fprevious NBCUniversal contract.  Gee, you think rigging more teams into the championship chase, etc. hasn't paid millions for the English Premier League?   
• The NBA has enjoyed some stellar ratings to start their season, and many believe the resurgence of the Golden State Warriors (to date, the NBA's best team, now that their health is improving after a couple of injury-ravaged seasons -- though tonight's game with Detroit saw the top three Warrior players out, and the Warriors still won to go to 14-2) is a large reason why.  Of the top 11 rated games of the year, the Warriors have played in six.  Five of the top eight, three of the top five.
• As feared, Stan Kroenke has not relented on his situation regarding a lawsuit about the relocation of the Rams:  He has now gone so far as to say he may, before the regular season ends, settle his part of the case individually and force the other 31 owners to go their own way in a January, 2022 trial.  *facepalm*    

Too AWESOME WITH A CAPITAL A to leave on the numbered daily post!!

Dick Vitale, out of the hospital after cancer treatments, will call an ESPN game between #1 Gonzaga and #2 UCLA next Tuesday night.

Day 618

• It appears as if the Chinese Communist Party has at least partially "disappeared" WTA tennis star Peng Shuai, and the WTA is not happy about it in the least.  A statement purported to Shuai regarding concerns of her welfare was actually found to be made by state media, and that's got a lot of people asking a lot of questions.
• An Afghani youth women's sports group has been flown to safety and asylum in London with the assistance of a number of celebrities and other dignitaries.
• Koray Aldemir has won the 2021 World Series of Poker Texas Hold 'Em World Championship, and about $8,000,000 for the honor of the main event title.  George Holmes was the runner up -- and, though it was a hefty final showdown, he still takes home slightly more than half of that.
• In the continuing effort by the NCAA to make the Women's Basketball Tournament even partially relevant, they also will have a "First Four" and make the field 68...
• The William Hill sportsbook is about to lose over a million dollars today -- according to David Purdum of ESPN Chalk, a bettor laid a $30,000 bet on Shohei Ohtani winning the American League MVP award at 30-1 -- a $900,000 payoff.  The only question appears to be whether Ohtani wins the award unanimously for both his pitching and hitting prowess over the completed season.
• Break out the checkbook.  Ohtani -- unanimous.
• I mentioned a day or two ago about a German newspaper talking about soccer player collapses...  An Israeli paper is sounding the alarm that pro sports, as we've known them, may be soon impossible:  In the last 12 months, 183 athletes and coaches have collapsed in professional matches, with 107 dying.  This is a 500% (or six-fold) increase year over year.
• Pavarisa Yoktuan of Thailand has toiled on the women's world golf tours for some time.  Hasn't won a tournament since an LPGA tournament in her homeland in 2015.  Her career earnings are less than $300,000.  So, at least for the next two years, she'll be able to drive in style:  For holing out an ace on the 12th hole in the second round of the Pelican Women's Championship last weekend, she won a 2-year lease on a Lamborghini!
• And Su Oh of China joined Yokutan on Sunday.  It was the first tee shot on that hole for the day, and Oh, who would like to drive a Lamborghini, has a two-year lease on one.  Career earnings?  $2.4 million.
• And a third LPGA golfer won one in the Monday Pro-Am previous to the event...
• NBA general managers are forming an association to aid in defense funds and resources for embattled GM's.
• Though the United States is, at present, considered that they will have their athletes attend the Beijing Winter Olympics next year, a very real possibility exists that the normal diplomatic corps which usually joins them will factually boycott.
• This is what happens when you make enough enemies, you have no business having an NFL career -- or really still being on the outside!!  Antonio Brown's former chef now is reported to allege Brown has acquired and is using a fake vaccine card!!
• SI Sportsperson of the Year to be announced December 7th at the new SI Awards at the Hard Rock.
• Time Person of the Year announced the next day.
• Rory Sabbatini has been tossed from the RSM Classic for an illegal aid, in the form of a reflective sticker, on one of his fairway woods.
• In another move which will probably mean the end of the "free press" as you know it once QAnon and Trump get back in power:  MSNBC has been thrown out of the Rittenhouse trial because they tried to follow the jury bus last night.  CAN YOU BE THAT FUCKING STUPID, MSNBC????    
• The good news...  The Muppets have announced their first Asian-American Muppet.
• So the pissants have to get involved... The Conservative Political Action Committee...  has called for the defunding of PBS as a result.  I promised certain readers of this blog that I would do nothing to further compromise this blog...  *grimaces in great pain*   
• The NFL has sent a directive to teams that players should now just turn away from their opponents after plays, that degree of taunting will be added to the Points of Emphasis for the rest of this season.
• Welcome to Week Eleven in the NFL and no one in Atlanta cares.  I swear that stadium isn't even 1/3 full.

Day 617

• In one of those moments which should not surprise me, yet makes me sick:  When the NBA has it's Christmas games, the Nets play at the Lakers in the fourth game.  That game will be the first sporting event held at the Crypto.com Arena.  The cryptocurrency fraud site has bought the naming rights to the Staples Center.  barf  
• Both Trent Brown and Mike Tyson talked recently about near-death experiences.  Brown, a lineman for the New England Patriots, stated he almost passed due to an IV issue.  Tyson, apparently from trying to smoke psychedelic toad venom.
• Interesting note from the Conservitards over on ZeroHedge:  A German newspaper has reported at least 24 people have collapsed on the soccer pitch in recent matches -- many of these anti-vaxx idiots believing it's the vaccines.  It's probably due to the long-term effects of COVID-19 and the staunch refusal of a lot of people to get it properly taken care of.  If the shit these people were to reply with is any degree of correct, they have no understanding of how "over" EVERYTHING would be as a result!   
• Both Lamar Jackson and his starting center were sent home from Ravens practice today for an illness.  It is, however, stressed it does NOT appear to be a third round of COVID-19 for Jackson.
• The Big XII Conference has suspended for one game the Texas Tech broadcast team for excessive complaining of the officials in last week's victory over Iowa State.
• University of Michigan has an outbreak -- but this one is about 500 students with the flu.  Health officials are watching with concern, though.
• TMZ has a video of domestic abuse of the ex-girlfriend of former NFL player Zac Stacy.