Football and F1 Trash Talk
No catchy title this week, but we do have some fantastic sports on tap. Football, World Series baseball, and the F1 Circus all right here in the USA. So let’s get to it.
Football: In the college ranks, the most significant game is arguably Texas A&M at Ole Miss. If the Aggies can get by the Rebels, there is a very good chance they will roll into the regular season final game on November 28th against LSU with a 10-1 record and a chance at real glory. And there is a similar chance LSU will be waiting for them in Baton Rouge undefeated. Ole Miss is no pushover though, especially at home. I’ll take the Aggies here.
Emptywheel asked me to address just exactly what the hell is going on in the PAC-12 this year. I have no real idea, what do you all think? Utah is the darling of the dance so far, but can it last? Well, the Utes have two potential roadblocks, a road game November 14 in Tucson against Rich Rod and the Cats. And then there is tonight’s game at USC. I smell a trap tonight in the Coliseum. Other than those two road traps, the Utes have UCLA and Colorado at home in the surprisingly comfy confines of Rice-Eccles Stadium, where they will be clear favorites. But, the real power in the PAC, if you ask me, is the Trees of Stanford. They should take care of the Washington Huskies today, and get both Oregon and Notre Dame at home in Palo Alto. That is a big time schedule, and on very favorable terms.
One final note before we hit the pros, heed should be paid to two small names that are kicking ass and taking names so far this year: First, the Temple Owls, who are at 7-0 for the first time in forever. Now they may not belong in the final four playoff picture, but you have to be happy for what they are doing. The second is the Memphis Tigers, who rolled up 66 points on a decent Tulsa team in Tulsa last night. They are well coached by Justin Fuente (watch out, this guy is going to get a much bigger job soon) and have an outstanding QB in Paxton Lynch. Memphis manhandled Ole Miss already this year, and if they get through the regular season undefeated, which is quite possible, they deserve to at least be considered for the playoff. Yes, so far, they really are that good.
In the pros, there are only a couple of games that matter. The Jets at the Patriots is one of them. Lot of noise both from and about the Jets. Please, just get out of here with that noise. Brady and Pats in Foxborough, buff said. The Cowboys will now be starting Matt Cassel in their big division game at the Giants. The Boys are starting to get healthier, and are coming off a bye week, but I will take Eli and the Gents here. Lastly, the Ravens are at the Cardinals for MNF. Baltimore is starting to get their legs back, but the Big Toaster in Phoenix is a very tough place to play, and the Cardinals need to make a statement after a disappointing road loss to the Steelers. Problem is, the Cardinals are absolutely horrible historically in big prime time games. I think it is a tossup, with, maybe, the slightest edge to the Cards. Could really be a good game to watch though.
Baseball: Welp, it is the Royals and the Mets in the World Series, which will inexplicably not start until Tuesday October 27. That is nuts, they need to get on with it. Who will be the Boys of November?
Formula One: The F1 circus is has set up shop in Austin for the week. I really need to get to the Circuit of the Americas one of these years, I have heard nothing but good things about the show there, even from my European friends. But this weekend, the weather predictions are rain, rain and more rain. That makes for great spectacle for TV viewers, less fun for actual race attendees. While Nico Rosberg was fast in the first practice, the second session of practice had to be cancelled because of rain. That is the first time an entire practice session was completely lost since 2004 when a typhoon interrupted the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. Frankly, with the remnants of Hurricane Patricia still afflicting the area, qualifying, currently set to go off at 12:30 pm EST today may be in jeopardy too. We shall see! Update: Practice three is actually underway, and the boys are really pushing it, potentially out of fear that qualifying gets scrubbed.
Music this weekend courtesy of the great Mose Allison. If you don’t know Mose, you should. Hoist a tall one and have some fun!
The baseball commissioner and the owners decided they wanted a playoff model like football has – but they didn’t want to shorten the season to allow for the added couple of weeks of play. So at both ends of the season, you have a real possibility of snow at several locations.
Greed, in short.
It’s an odd week. No Wolvereenies (since when did college kids get buys? What are they, gonna study??). And not that many great NFL games. Though as always I’m more worried abt the Pats than most Pats fans are. The Pats barely have an O line. The Jets have a very good D. That might not work out well for the home team.
Don’t forget, the weather in Foxboro is supposed to be going-on-foul. Which will doubtless give Biebs fits trying to get a grip on the ball.
Game time conditions at Gillette:
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59 degrees, 30% chance of precipitation, occasional rain to end at 2PM. Wind from southwest at 13mph.
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I’m on Darrelle Revis watch
Also Dion Lewis is likely out w/what I think is the same abdomen injury he played through last week.
Well! I see that Marcy has learned the “woe is my team” methods of me and Pachacutec.
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PJ – exactly right. Honestly, I love the extra playoff games in baseball, but, man, MLB needs to go back to the 154 game schedule to accommodate it.
Might have to shorten the season more than that. The Series should be over before October 15.
162 games is OK, but they ought to run real doubleheaders, not just makeup split admission DHs. There are few things more fun than going to a doubleheader and making a day of it. Last one I went to was in the late 80s at the old Vet in Philly, where between games the entertainment was Home Run Derby between Greg “Bull” Luzinski and Andre “Moose” Dawson.
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Talk about fun, especially for those of us who chanced to buy seats in the left field grandstand.
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And don’t tell me about how they’ll suffer b/c of the gate. The real money in baseball is TV money.
Seriously! And it’s not only them, you can add Houston and Navy to that mix as well. I took all four. And East Carolina is no slouch either. The whatever conference it is now (formerly Big East) is playing some really good football.
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I also think K State wins in Texas, and even though a lot of money is going to U$C to beat Utah, the cold blooded stats in favor of the Utes say they’re gonna keep rolling. I’m taking Kansas State and Utah
Ahem. Honestly, I thought ASU might beat Utah…at Rice-Eccles…though not as devastatingly as USC is beating them tonight. And, on a different night, or at Sun Devil Stadium, that “might” have been. Who knows, because ASU is totally flaky as shit because of horrid coaching.
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Whatever, this score tonight does not shock me in the least.
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As they say, ‘I don’t have a dog in that hunt’. I don’t know what city Utah is based in. I don’t know anything about their academics. All I know is e.g. among other stats was that they were 8-1 ATS (against the spread) on the road
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SC was 9-4 last year, 3-3 this year. Lost to Washington. Lost their coach …
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Then, how the heck does anyone factor in two interceptions that led to scores? One of which was a return for a TD. And three, count em, three, interceptions. Not just to the opposing team, but three interceptions to one person. One person. And I have zero clue if that last int led to a score because that was insane
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All I have to say to those odds is, “huh?!?”
More ..
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This year in college is bi-polar. For instance last week. How often is a FG muffed? 1 in a 1,000, maybe 1 in 10,000. Ok, that happened last week. So what happens since? There have been two or three other special team plays muffed. Not just in 1 season, but multiple times in consecutive weeks
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Also last week there were teams that hadn’t beaten their opponent either ever, or in over a decade. That happened multiple times last week. There was 1 team that had never beaten their opponent in the history of their series, much less covered, and they won. There was a game where 1 team had beaten the other team 8 out of the last 10 times, they lost. There was one team that hadn’t beaten their opponent on the road in 46 years, and they won last week. Forty. Six years
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College = bi-polar
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PS I like the points they’re giving the J-E-T-S which means they’ll prolly lose. And Falcons; Panthers; under in Vikes – Lions; over Rams – Browns
I never place a bet, but I’m always interested in what Vegas thinks, which is why I enjoy your take.
Thanks
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Although I don’t live in Vegas, but am close enough to some NV casinos to be able to walk to them. And if I do bet it’s only for fun, and only for what I might spend on a night out.
But the baseball playoffs are mercifully short compared to those in basketball and hockey. That’s the apt comparison, I think, not football with its one game a week limitation. Also, I don’t care what the weather is, I sit inside in my heated living room to watch. In fact, it’s a good alternative to going outside, which is what I would do if the weather were warmer.
And speaking of baseball, has anyone here read Roger Kahn’s “The Boys Of Summer”? James Michener apparently called it “the finest American book on sports.” What say you all? (I’m on the prowl for my next Kindle purchase, once I catch up on John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers series.)
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It’s a good book. I read it about 15 or 20 years ago. A lot of behind the scenes stuff
F1 is in deep trouble and Bernie Ecclestone is not the man to save it
by Richard Williams, The Guardian
Friday 23 October 2015 08.32 EDT
Agree in every regard about Ecclestone. With the exception of the engines bit. I could give a flying fuck for the new hybrid junk. This is motor racing not an EPA mileage competition. If the new fangled engines can out perform the V8s, V10s and V12s, then fine, use them. If they are so complicated and regulated that they provide shit racing, then let them fall by the wayside. F1 has always been about racing, the technological advancements came from it being open, not being regulated and specified to death by insistence on some manufactured demand from the eco-conscious consumer sector. So, if the newfangled bunk can beat the old fashioned engines, bring it on. But don’t mandate that false and overly complex junk, doing so is ruining racing.
Also EK, great to see you again! Hope you work everything out with your blogs.
Good grief. I have a hard time accepting Baylor as the 2nd best team in the country, but WOW, they are simply rolling Iowa State.
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Yea, I don’t know if the odds have changed in the last few days, but a few days ago Baylor was 12-1 to win the BCS. I’m seriously thinking about going over there to put a little down on them this afternoon
Quote of the week from Steve Spurrier on getting old…
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“The Pope is 77 and he’s in charge of a billion people. All I have to do is put 11 on the field.”
Regulated but not banned in Boston
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I can live with regulation on fantasy sports, as long as I can play. (selfish motive)
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Compare Massachusetts’s approach with Nevada (banning Fan Duel)
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“The federal statute dealing with unlawful Internet gambling left to the states the ability to regulate fantasy sports,” Healey spokeswoman Cyndi Roy Gonzalez said in a written statement. “We are seeking extensive information about the industry and have spoken with the leading companies directly as part of this review.”
Gonzalez added: “There is little question that this industry will need to be regulated in order to protect consumers.”
Uh, Nevada did NOT ban Fan Duel or Draft Kings. They merely said they needed a license, as other gambling there has. That is their right, and, frankly, completely appropriate.
Don’t be such a fucking legal dick. You know what I mean. You are technically right… and let me rephrase my language to read.
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Revised language: “Nevada bans DraftKings and FanDuel as unlicensed gambling sites”
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Does that make you fucking happy. Bottom line is that if I’m a resident of Nevada on October 14th, I can play, on October 15th I can’t. I never said Nevada does not have that right. They do.
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My point is that Nevada has powerful casino lobbyists…. and a more balanced approach is to improve and protect the consumer.
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Whoopdedoo. I know you don’t gamble but I’ll you bet you a Maine Lobster and beer that Draft King will never receive that license.
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No, they will not, as I previously pointed out. Because they are flagrantly running unlicensed gambling in other jurisdictions. Don’t worry, all this money sites like Fan Duel and Draft Kings have made off their duplicitous and bogus interpretation of an “exception” to date should allow them to buy enough assholes in Congress to perpetuate their fraud. Now that is truly the American ways, buying off craven Congress critters. Yea! What exceptionalism!
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And, as I also previously indicated, I do gamble when I go to Vegas. But I see no need for unregulated fraudulent shit like DFS. Sorry, but we shall just disagree on this one. But #FreeTomBrady!
I’m with Marcy and very worried about the Jets on Sunday.
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Maybe Bellichick’s ace in the hole is Patriots wide receiver Brandon LaFell who is ready to make his debut tomorrow.
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I have to take one exception — Draft Kings is not “defrauding” anyone – I play and I’m not
defrauded… I just picked up two tickets for Powerball, I’m not being defrauded. I know the
chances of winning are a Zillion to one. Your displeasure with Draft Kings is misplaced in my humble opinion. Free gambling/free Brady.
From what I read, Massachusetts’ real problem with fantasy sports seems more to be that it’s cutting into the revenue from the Lottery, not that it’s some inherent evil. From what I read, the Mass. government is looking to establish their own fantasy sports setup so as to capture the money extracted from the proles for the government, and not some private outfit.
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Of course, when NYS created Off-Track Betting to cut into the Mob, bookies and illegal gambling on horse-racing, it turned out to be the only betting operation in history where the bookies (OTB) lost money. And they lost big.
Yeah, the Mass State Treasurer, who oversees the Lottery Commission, is looking at options to determine if revenues will be impacted.
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In FY 2015, the lottery netted $959,028,969 with all of the “gambling” money going to the 351 cities and towns. Thank you, thank you.
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Right now, I’m vehemently opposed to the Lottery getting into the fantasy business. Keep the numbers games and scratch tickets flowing, but stay clear of Draft King.
You all really ought watch the F1 coverage on NBCSports right now from the heavy wet of Austin. It is amazing.
One of the only reason why I’ll visit Texas on day is to see that track, with it’s amazing turn one.
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Ecclestone and Mosley are over the hill clowns. I’d also get rid of Whiting. F1 was an extraordinary physical experience for the spectator. Cars coming out of an hairpin would accelerate through the gears, and with each change it was like a blow to the chest. qualifying in Montreal was always funny as hell, where unsuspecting spectators would leave because of the intensity of the punch to the gut. THey were easy to recognize, it was that green tint… That punch is missing now, it’s like watching a bunch of underpowered diesel cars.
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Just cancel the race, damnit, it’s the fucking tail of a tornado…
One of my friends wants voting machines managed by the same rules as Nevada mandates for slot machines. Because those machines are more secure (and probably more honest) than voting machines currently are.
Totally. Have the Nevada Gaming Control Board manage elections throughout the country and the results that’ll be contested will fall to .0001%
I think that is actually right. And there are actually elections experts who have been saying this.
Some Good News stories, to follow up on some recent horror stories.
“New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells is walking on crutches after his release from the hospital, where he was being treated for a MRSA infection. Fells has spent much of October in the hospital, has had seven surgeries on his infected foot, and has two more scheduled, his agent told ESPN on Monday. He said doctors believe they have the infection under control and that Fells will have plastic surgery on the foot as well.” [Credit: ESPN]
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Cancer’s arrival into our circle of friends and family has a stunning knack for catching us all flat-footed. And with its indiscriminate sense of cruelty, the disease departs only after leaving in its wake just two outcomes: victims and survivors. Small wonder then, that when John Farrell spoke yesterday for the first time about the nine-week war he waged with lymphoma he exuded such sincere gratitude and earnest appreciation for coming out on top. [Credit: Boston Herald]
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I have always thought that the human body is THE most miraculous and wonderful thing ever devised. How it survives US, I can’t begin to know. I guess we should also thank the doctors who work twice the hours we do, and especially the researchers who toil quietly in their labs for decades, ever unrewarded. Bless you all.
Excellent points. I agree. What would be do without the medical community. Many times, we take them for granted.
Agree with you and Bloopie about the medical community, it is wondrous. Though it is disturbing that MRSA seems to fester in medical shops (and NFL locker rooms). I guess that is where the sick people are, so it makes sense as to the hospitals, but still.
Formula e from beijing is on now. Villeneuve will have a seat for the year, he’s in 13th place on lap 7 of 26. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_E
Can’t stand Formula E, it is simply unwatchable for my eyes.
bmaz, thanks. Completely agree about going back to 154 games.
In Tuscaloosa the Volunteers are tied at half with Little Nicky Saban’s Crimson Tide.
Good to see Ohio State is winning on the same half ass bullshit they always have won on.
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Just ask the Miami Hurricanes about that cockeyed bullshit.
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It is damned near as bad as what Notre Dame benefits from in any game they are not just getting their asses handed to them.
Welp, the Hilltoppers did hang tough in Death Valley against the Bayou Bengals foe a half but couldn’t keep it up. But their 48 – 20 loss to LSU still looks a bit better to me than Kentucky’s 42 – 16 loss to Mississippi State.
And agreed about the “Boys of November!” Maybe they’ll dig up Bowie Kuhn and prop him up in the cold and rain without a top coat for old times sake…
Seriously, this November shit robs Reggie Jackson of his title, and unfairly so!
Must say bmaz the musical choice is most welcome as would be a fool killer right about now.
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Well, the Gators certainly won their bye week. Miami suffered its worst loss ever (look for Al Golden to be cut loose today or tomorrow) and FSU lost on a spectacular kick six.
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SEC East standings now show that if the Gators beat Georgia next week, the only team that could catch them is…Vandy. I like those odds.
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Looking forward to my #2 baseball team, the Royals in the World Series. Dilemma: in a moment of weakness, I told Lisa I would go to her flute choir concert and then I discovered it is Tuesday night. The timing is such that I will only miss the first few innings, but still, it will be rough.
Suck it up and complete your flute duties!
Heh, when I saw that comment, my first thought was “What does Jim care about Boston College and their current Flutie?
The new word of the day is aquaplaning.
And that is that, no Q3. Times locked in and grid set after Q2.
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With only three sets of full wet tires, how will tires hold up for the whole race?
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J-E-T-S
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Jets
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Jets
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JETS
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Beat the cheaters!
The Pats always amaze me
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I’m sorry you don’t like the Patriots
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All I can reference is this quote from Boston Barstool
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How great is it to be a Pats fan? It doesn’t matter what happens during the course of the game. It doesn’t matter if Brandon LaFell drops 100 passes. It doesn’t matter if the Jets are winning in the 4th quarter. It doesn’t matter if we have the ball 3rd and 17 and things look bleak. Nothing ever worries you as a Pats fan. The Patriots always win and the Jets always lose because the Patriots are winners and the Jets are losers
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Amen
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cc: Scribe
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl8GrFesCrE
Why is one a Pats fan? Is that by birth, or where you grow up? Is it because one picked that team at some point? It’s so easy to cheer for a winning team.
For me, I’ve been a Patriots fan since 1960 when the AFL was hatched. They were called the Boston Patriots then, and they played at Boston University Field (Nickerson Field, Old Braves Field with a capacity of about 25,000)
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I rooted for them through thick and thin, in good times and bad times, I am a fan-boy, homer, and sports make my day, along with gambling to add some spice.
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We are very fortunate to have the Sox, Celtics, Bruins, and Patsies. I guess it’s the connection and my birth certificate which seals the deal.
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I can’t speak for other Patriots fans but I agree with this quote from a New York fan
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“Being a fan however, it’s about more than your teams wins and losses. It’s about more than the banners that hang in your stadium’s rafters. Being a fan is about loyalty and loyalty is neither destroyed nor built on wins and losses, but is instead tested through how one responds to each.”
I became a Pats fan bc at the time I was watching TV again after finishing my Diss (and having played Rugby), the QB associated w/UM’s national championship season and a Little 3 grad who was viciously smart were together.
FWIW, I lived w/a born and bred Cleveland guy for a year in UT and we kept getting calls saying, “Hey, Browns backers here!” and on and on.
This, this, is nuts. Is this really how front offices work? Is everything in baseball which is this important, so screwy and ill thought out? May be. On the other hand, baseball politely (and gently) refuses to grow up; it tells itself (and us) that it doesn’t need, or want, anything more than we knew when we were twelve years old and playing in the back yard. Perhaps that’s a good thing in today’s world.
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“Several hours after the Dodgers confirmed Don Mattingly wouldn’t return to their dugout next season, Gabe Kapler was asked if he was ready to take over as the team’s manager. “I have to go work out,” Kapler said. He smiled, politely declined to comment further and slipped into an elevator.
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“Kapler has managed for only one season — and that was back in 2007, with a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Kapler resumed his playing career the following season. From the time Kapler became the Dodgers’ farm director, there were rumblings within the organization that he might be the front office’s handpicked manager-in-waiting. True or not, this perception could present an obstacle for Kapler if he is selected to manage the team. If players see him as an extension of the front office, they could view him with suspicion.
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“Already, Kapler has raised some eyebrows with the Dodgers. He was responsible for introducing organic food and eliminating soda in the team’s dining room at spring training, a move that was unpopular with veteran players. Kapler also authors a blog about nutrition and fitness. In August, he used the platform to encourage baseball players to expose their private parts to sunlight as a method of increasing testosterone production.
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“Friedman acknowledged that whoever is chosen as manager will probably have some shortcomings, but that the front office would attempt make up for them by surrounding him with the right coaches. “Whatever we perceive to not be that person’s strengths, we’ll look to fill that in around him and figure out ways to help make it as well-rounded as possible,” Friedman said. [Credit: LA Times]
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Because baseball. Ya gotta love it.
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Cheatin’ Bill defers, Jets cough up rock on 2nd play, Cheaters get a FG.
There was a Kitties O as it should be played sighting!
Through one quarter, the Kitties are playing FAR better O than the Pats.
Except for Ninkovich with his hair on fire.
Looking more and more like the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS are going to win.
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No thanks to Stone-Hands LaFell.
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Methinks Giselle will be throwing a fit for the ages about “You Gotta Catch The Ball”.
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Annnnnd … my dog just puked on the living room floor. Thankfully, she aimed at the hardwood, not the rug. Kinda the way I feel about this game.
Well, this race doesn’t suck. Nice for a change.
Well, some Andy Reid-level clock management by the J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS puts Gronk alone in the middle of the field with the ball and, shortly thereafter, in the end zone.
When college teams play on the road, they typically arrive at their destination no earlier than a day ahead. Not Florida State, for a Saturday night game against the “Rambling wreck,” of Georgia Tech, Jimbo Fisher got them to Atlanta on Thursday.
OT, the funds to pay college football players should come from the NFL owners. Unlike MLB owners who have to pay for their own farm system, NFL owners “socialize,” the vast majority of their “player-development” costs onto the taxpayers.
And speaking of Florida State, guess where DT Letroy Guidon went?
“Packers’ Letroy Guion has faced drug, gun, domestic violence charges”
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-letroy-guion-has-faced-drug-gun-domestic-violence-charges-b99595657z1-336695811.html
Full disclosure, I back the Pack.
Now we see yet another reason the Ryan Mallet experiment failed in NE: guy can’t make the team plane.
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It’s one thing to be a minute late for a meeting and get locked out for the whole day. It’s another to run up to the gate and see the plane pulling out.
And Cassell’s throwing pick after pick. Rodgers-Cromartie having a career at his expense.
HONEYBADGER
Jim Bob Cooter?
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Oy. Man ought to off himself just for having that name,
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At least the Kitties decided to save the plane fare for Lombardi.
Big sale down at The Adjective Store: King Roger the Clown and his courtiers file their brief in the 2nd Circuit, declaring it “unfathomable” that Judge Berman ruled against them.
http://news.yahoo.com/nfl-unfathomable-findings-led-judge-rule-brady-233529230–spt.html
Yeah. Roger has now compared the equipment violation to the Black Sox Scandal of 1919.
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He has lost his mind, and is afraid to see the Pats in person — he is headed for London
to see the Lions.
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Coward?