Various odds and sods, October 2...

May be added to throughout the day, please check back...

• Manchester City has officially appealed the findings, as fully expected.  The appeals have a 120-day window to occur, at which point the decision is due in another 30.  So, March appears to be the next bellweather.  Apparently, their first match back from the international break next week is at Liverpool -- which could have the potential of going VERY south.   
• And, on the pitch, Man City are the only unbeaten, undrawn team through five rounds, entering said break.  Scored 13 goals, gave up five.
• For his DUI over the summer, Tony Romo has now been officially fired from CBS Sports.
• The Portland Trail Blazers, yesterday, hired Braiden Bell as their new announcer.
• The Portland Trail Blazers, yesterday, FIRED Braiden Bell as their new announcer.
• For 2012-2013 racist social media posts.  Well, for various topics, that renders me COMPLETELY unemployable...  In ANY field...   
• The ABS challenge system resulted in the reversal of about 54% of ball-strike calls challenged under the system this season.  As a result, the largest cause of ejections went to check swings this season.
• An interesting NFL schedule quirk:  Jacksonville will not be playing a home game this entire month.  After playing Cincinnati, they go to London for two games.  Then their bye.
• Not only that, but they lose two home games this year because of the schedule.  And they requested it.
• Why?  They have to perform renovations on their stadium in-season (probably due to Florida weather), and need that entire month to try to get it done.

I guess I get to do this now: Cornell.

Semi-related to sports for obvious reasons -- and the irony has not been lost on several social-media posters tonight.

In the backdrop of the whole DeShaun Watson-fest tonight, consider this developing story:

Cornell University is being forced to submit to an independent investigation of an anonymous former student alleging to be gang-raped by a fraternity in October of 2024.

And one of the first things which has come out is that the research university is one of the worst in the nation in defending women against sexual assault and rape.

With this knowledge almost certainly in mind, the woman definitely waited too long to have a rape kit prepared, and has been conflicted in reporting this -- which is why this situation took nearly two years to surface.

So how many valuable men were in that fraternity?  How many potential top-end researchers that this University believes they can't do without??

How many threats has she gotten, probably up to and including the University itself...

Consider this as Cleveland celebrates DeShaun Watson and even the Amazon broadcast seemed to laud him -- an action almost certainly on orders from New York, and, given Pigfucker the Rapist in the White House, perhaps beyond...

After Further Review (College): And it's good to see this week is off to a rousing start...

First quarter, punt return for North Texas (in white and green) vs. Tulsa (in the blue):

In what universe is this not AT MINIMUM an ejection, if not investigatable???

Good lord pic.twitter.com/aY5VxyVbp5

— PokeNation (@Big12Pokes) October 2, 2026

It was flagged.

After Further Review: The DeRapist Rapist Redemption Tour, at least for tonight, is in full effect...

And, more than anything, it's due to this no-call in the second quarter...

Denzel v Assante....let em play pic.twitter.com/MV4RLDvBXw

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) October 2, 2026

Even though the Browns got 21 in the quarter for 21-10 at halftime, the only question was when...

And, sure enough, aided by a (correct -- barely!!) tipped-ball replay call that negated a pass interference that would've negated an interception AND a (correct) pass interference call on fourth down, Rodgers gets the TD+2 Cliffhanger for 24-24.

But then DeRapist gets the drive for an Andre Szmyt 56-yard winner with 10 seconds left -- sealed when Rodgers threw into how many coverage...

After it looked like TJ Watt got mugged twice on key plays in the fourth quarter, including one that got the Browns into field-goal range for the winner.

Oh...  fuck.

EDIT TO ADD:  And MORE from the DeRapist Rapist Redemption Tour:

Prime executives as Al Michaels tried to land the plane on that “everyone knows the whole Deshaun Watson story” bit. pic.twitter.com/Dr3GyO8X7Y

— Conor Orr (@ConorOrr) October 2, 2026

And in a more mundane sense, The House Always Wins:

At this point there is nothing to be said.#Rigged @NFLTNF@NFL @Browns @steelers #Steelers #Dawgpound #ThursNightNFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/qxqjBfoflM

— GolfHack13.1 (@golf_hack15) October 2, 2026

Various odds and sods, October 1...

• John Calipari, head basketball coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, has reported that nine of the twelve players on his roster earn more money in NIL contracts than his assistant coaches, with the other three even eclipsing his entire staff!  And if you think that's not going to translate to behavior in practices and games, I got some swampland to sell you in Little Rock!  
• Still no word from South Carolina about Dylan Stewart after this week.  Coach Shane Beamer (who may not be the coach much longer!) has gone silent on Stewart's future with the team, and will almost certainly remain silent until, at minimum, after the game with Kentucky this week.  This, after Beamer said upon the indefinite suspension that he would probably have announced it Monday or Tuesday at the latest what happens after the Kentucky game.  More evidence Dylan Stewart has played his last game at South Carolina, and it's not going to matter whose choice it is.  No word yet on the claim of the South Carolina NIL collective, seeking $167,000 a game back from Stewart for the suspension.   
• This probably should get its own post, but one of the major indications in the appeal by Manchester City may surround that many of the payments may have come directly from the United Arab Emirates government, making the team state-owned and state-financed.  And am I the only person in the world who believes that might not make the situation WORSE???   
• The Northwestern Marching Band, the Athletic Marketing citing lack of attendance at the games, will no longer perform pregame at Northwestern home football games.  At least this week, they will perform at a Chicago food festival instead, "where the fans are"...  Well, if Northwestern had a relevant college football team, maybe this would be different, right UCLA and USC?   
• According to at least one member of the band, this is NOT a decision of the band itself, but of Athletic Marketing.  Which causes my statement above to go double. 
• The Big Sky Commissioner finally admits it:  That there's a chance that if the power conferences break off completely from the rest of FBS, the Group of 6 (the remaining FBS conferences) will probably blend in at the top of FCS.
• Since a lot of this is about college football, I'll leave this here in closing:  Ratings for college football are down double digits from last year -- -11%.

England may not be the only major soccer power in Europe about to lose their top domestic league...

This has not been a good international break for European soccer.

A long-standing probable match-fixing scandal regarding the dominant run of the then-most (if not only) relevant team in the Spanish top league has resurfaced.

Barcelona stands accused by UEFA of undue influence, from 2001-2018 of paying 7 million euros to a company owned by a former vice president of refereeing in the Spanish Federation, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

Real Madrid has said this is evidence that Barcelona have basically bought their entire run with crooked refereeing.

Barcelona maintains their innocence.

This is all that's involved:

• 10 La Liga titles, including five in a row, and six of seven.
• 9 Copa del Rey (the national cup) finals, eight in a row.  6 Copa del Rey championships.
• 4 Champions League titles

Oof.  What is it in the water over there?

After Further Review: Jake the Awake, Week Three

We interrupt our special reports on Manchester City for our regular weekly rigged NFL programming.

You know the drill by now.  Let's get to it.

The sidebar is probably the most openly controversial fantasy play of the week:  Trevor Lawrence, about at the first down marker, with #97 for the Patriots, Milton Williams, right next to him and within arm's reach.  No effort to tackle him, and then Lawrence gets to the 1...  and surrenders himself.

10) 49ers-Cardinals.  No score, about midway through the first.

Fairly blatant offensive hold missed on the hook and ladder, by the way.

The main problem here appears to be #3, Mr. Baker, trying to tackle Deebo Samuel rather than get the angle and bump him out of the bounds on the sideline.  His miss allows Samuel to go the rest of the way for the 82-yard touchdown, 7-0 49ers.

9) Same game.  29-27 49ers, about a minute and a half to go.

George Kittle, uncovered, over the middle, no one close for the entire waltz into the endzone.  And it'll just be called a "blown coverage".

You mean to tell me you don't see that in film and prepare for it?  Or did you honestly think to let Kittle score and take your chances getting two scores coming back??

8) Ravens-Cowboys, the pass that gave the Ravens the field goal at the gun to win it.

I do wonder how this play was at least #3, especially because it DIRECTLY IMPACTED THE FINAL RESULT.

But Jake adds the field goal -- that looks like it's almost a magnet-assisted doink or very close to one on the left upright.

7) One of the other songs Jake puts out:  "[Take Me Down To The] Muffed Punt City" -- thinking all muffed punts are scripted as well.

This specific one is Pittsburgh-Cincinnati.  27-24 Bengals, about four minutes into the fourth quarter.

BONK!  Punt is muffed by Ke'Shawn Williams.  And he got fired from the Bengals for that miss.

6) Same game, Pittsburgh inside the Cincinnati 10.  Third quarter, about three minutes left, 20-17 Cincinnati.

Rodgers to Metcalf, two Bengals collide, no one within SEVEN YARDS of Metcalf...

And now Jake claims the Extra Crazy starts, so much, he combines two plays at #6...

The second one:  Rams-Broncos.  16-0 Rams, about halfway through the third quarter.

And this play is why Jake says he included the last one, because it's the same thing for Pat Bryant.  Wide open after two Rams conk into each other (possible pick play penalty "missed" on this one???)...

And that halves the lead and sets us up for the silliness that turns a 16-0 game about halfway through the third to 30-26 the other way.

5) Return of the Doink even got a number, now with an official counter for Jake.  The sixth doink of the year, Rams-Broncos again.  Field goal attempt, 43 yards for the Broncos.  First quarter, 90 seconds left, 7-0 Rams.

And that's a pretty clear magnet job right there.  Ball is headed well good, and then veers to the upright, DOINK!  Hit the music!!

The fifth one was 49ers-Cardinals, extra point after 29-20 49ers, 8:42 to play in the game, that one appears to be directed right at the left upright.

4) Patriots-Jaguars, and this isn't the Trevor Lawrence one.  It's Drake Maye "forgetting" the ball, clean in the pocket.  Four minutes to go in the first quarter, no score.

3) Titans-Giants, Titans inside the 10.  23 seconds left, 12-7 Giants, first and goal for the Titans to win it, and they have two timeouts on top of it.

Clean pocket for Cam Ward, but the coverage is good, so he has to break it off and scramble.  Jake believes he's fast enough to get the corner for the six.  I'm not 100% sure of that (#93 and #52 both have a bead on him for the angle for the Giants), but what Ward DOES do is throw it where the only guy who could catch it is #8 for the Giants.  One receiver, three defenders on that side.  He has the time, he has timeouts, dump it out and try again!

2) Vikings-Buccaneers, and the Bucs are punting to the Vikings, received at about the 14 yard line.  3-0 Vikings, 8 minutes into the game.

86 yards later, it's 10-0 for Myles Price.  

He wants to claim #86 for Tampa can get him -- no...  He's blocked well, and Price gets by him before 86 can get free.

The first pratfall splat by #98, however...  That's up Jake's alley.

Another pratfall later, Price is completely free, touchdown.

1) And #1 is Trevor Lawrence, as previously sidebarred, which gets almost seven minutes.

In fact, it's #1 for the season, and it might take quite a matter to get it out of that position.