This issue is dated for Thanksgiving Day, so a great day to all as you watch football before and after we’ve stuffed our faces. But that’s not all that’s going on in sports, so here are a few more morsels to nibble on before you take that nap on the couch during halftime.
Here are my nominations for the next inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Legends category: Jim Kaat and Joe Torre. For Kaat, if Bert Blyleven is in, Kaat should be. BB was 285-258 lifetime with a 3.13 ERA and one 20-win season to Kaat’s 284-233 mark with a 3.45 ERA and three 20-win seasons, with a high of 25 in 1965. He also won 16 straight gold gloves. For Torre, if Craig Biggio is in, Torre should be. He doesn’t have 3,000 hits, but he exceeds CB in 100-RBI seasons (6-0), All-Star games (9-7), MVP’s (1-0) and batting titles (1-0) both in 1971, when he had 230 hits. He also was good enough to hit 36 homers in 1966 (CB’s best was 26) and made those All-Star teams playing three different positions (catcher, 1B, 3B) while three-position brother CB (C, 2B and CF) only did it for two.
Sports 101: Name the only other person besides Torre to make All-Star at three different positions.
Coach B said after the Carolina game that “not many players in history” could have made the incredible interception Jamie Collins did off Sam Darnold’s fastball when he wasn’t even far enough away to be officially socially distanced in the grocery store. The only other one I’ve seen that compares was Manny Ramirez crazily cutting off that Johnny Damon throw from 10 feet away that made Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo giggle uncontrollably every time they saw a replay.
If you want to see just how hypocritical and phony most fan outrage is, watch how fast fans in the Bronx go all in on Carlos Correa if the Yankees sign him to be their shortstop after booing him unmercifully since his role in the Astros’ cheating scandal. These are the same Yankee fans who gave a pass to the serially cheating A-Rod after he was caught in a series of steroid lies.
Besides Nomar Garciaparra it’s hard to think of anyone who let contractual stupidity lead to the downfall from career high points to absolute irrelevance at the end as Le’Veon Bell did. For Nomar it was his contentious 2004 negotiation that led him to be dumped at the trade deadline, which catapulted the Sox to win their first title in 87 years. He also left behind a fan base that adored him and the ballpark that made him seem even better than he was. The latter likely derailed his path to the Hall of Fame, which once seemed to be a lock for him. Instead he ended up as a part-time DH in Oakland and now is basically forgotten at Fenway.
For Bell, it’s being released by Baltimore last week after not being able to stick with them even after they lost their three best backs within two days during training camp. Not too long ago he was the best two-way back in football before arrogantly sitting out 2018 rather than take a big offer from Pittsburgh. That led to a disastrous year and two games with the Jets before being released amid complaints about not getting enough touches. Then it was on to KC, where the same thing happened in a nine-game stint, which included being a non-injury DNP in the Super Bowl. Now he’s gone after five games in Baltimore.
Well, now that I think of it, there’s Odell Beckham Jr., who I’m betting it ends badly for with a third team by year’s end in L.A.
The extra muscle on Jayson Tatum is not responsible for his shooting slump to start the season. Basketball is a game where you should be leaning forward, which he doesn’t do nearly enough. Instead he’s spending his time isolating on the wing looking to do that stupid fall-away shot he’s so in love with. So, Earth to Coach Udoka: Do your job. Make him stop that, because it’s killing both his shot and ball movement on offense.
Good God could Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns be any bigger a crybaby than he is? Two weeks later he’s still whining that Mac Jones tried to hurt him following his strip sack in the P’s 24-6 win over Carolina. It’s like 7’4” Ralph Sampson trying to blame 6’0” Jerry Sichting for the fight they got into duringthe 1986 NBA even though he spent the entire Finals swinging his elbows anytime anyone came close to him in the post. Take a look at the tape, big fella. It shows that after Mac’s face plant he didn’t know where the ball was, so he grabbed Burns’ leg to prevent him from recovering the fumble. That’s holding, for which he should have been penalized 10 yards (or lose the ball depending on what the rule is). Burns got hurt when he got to his feet and tried to yank his leg free by twisting it out of his grasp.
With the Bears now 3-6, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot looks even smarter now than when she was asked last summer about the Bears’ just announced plans to move from city-owned Soldiers Field in favor of building a new stadium outside city limits in nearby Arlington Heights. She said then that instead of putting their focus on building a new stadium, the Bears should build a winning team and “focus on … being relevant past October.”
Sports 101 Answer: The only other three-position all-star was Pete Rose (naturally) who made it at second and third and as an outfielder.
In case you haven’t been paying attention: With 27 TD passes already after nine games, Tom Brady was on pace to throw a career-best 51 TD passes.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
