Another week, a few more scandals to report on including in the NHL, with the Phoenix Suns, no real accountability for the Washington Football Team’s workplace abuse scandal and the Aaron Rodgers lies, there’s plenty of ammo for another World’s Gone Mad column. But we’ll keep it to the good, the bad and the ugly from the current or past field of play.
News Item: Pats Update
(1) The 24-6 win over Carolina on Sunday moved the 5-4 Patriots into a six-team scrum for an AFC wild card playoff spot, as well as drawing them to a half game behind Buffalo for first place in the East. That makes Sunday’s game with the 5-4 Browns like a playoff game, where a win moves them a game ahead of Cleveland in the playoff race and gives them the tie-breaker if they finish with the same record to make it actually worth two wins, like their recent win over the Chargers was as well. (2) Here are two questions regarding pursuit of Odell Beckham Jr. after he was dumped by Cleveland. With Cleveland also a contender, what makes anyone think he’ll behave any better here than in NY or Cleveland? And regarding the Randy Moss comparison, Moss came to a team with a three-time SB winning quarterback, not an impressionable-kid nine games into his rookie year. So do you want a serial malcontent yacking in his ear if things don’t go OBJ’s way? (3) Despite losingtheir QB for good, the Saints passed on signing the unemployed Cam Newton.
News Item:Not So Smart Marcus
Things have not started great for your Boston Celtics. There have been frustrating close-but-no-cigar losses to New York and Washington, mixed in with awful non-efforts in home court blowouts by Toronto and Chicago. Then after getting blown out by Chicago after leading by 19 in the third quarter, Marcus Smart sounded off correctly (in frustration) that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown need to share the ball more. But it’s hard to escape the irony of him complaining about people not giving up the ball, when everyone in Celtic Nation wants him to stop taking all his plain stupid threes. Yes I know his buzzer three sent the opener vs. NY to OT, but overall he’s been awful. Best expressed by Tony Massarotti on the Sports Hub when he said of a possible trade involving shooting impaired Ben Simmons and Smart last summer, “I’d rather have a guy who can’t shoot and knows it than a guy who can’t shoot and thinks he can.” Amen to that. Though most would prefer Smart just get a clue about what a bad shot is and gain the restraint not to take them. However, it should be noted that after his complaints the C’s won two straight in Florida before (not so) Smart’s foul on Luka Doncic that gave him five extra seconds to beat them, which he did at the buzzer.
News Item:The Big Mac Project – Update
While not so great the last two games, Mac Jones is still crushing it in direct competition with the QB’s taken ahead of him in last year’s draft. He leads in every category, including wins. He’s also on pace to throw more for more yards, TD passes and have a better completion percentage than any of the QB’s taken first overall (Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow and Kyler Murray) the last three years did as rookies and has also thrown for over 500 yards more than Jimmy Garoppolo.
News Item:RemDawg Passes
Rarely, if ever, has a team’s broadcaster gotten into the DNA of its fan base quite like the late Jerry Remy did with Red Sox Nation. Vince Scully with the Dodgers comes to mind but not all that many others on Remy’s scale. His death was front page news for three days and rarely has anyone gotten that. Especially beyond awful news like the death of Reggie Lewis. It was mixed with sadness, humor and warmth. Not sure how it all came to be, but for me, it was two things. The silliness to downright giddiness at times during the Don Orsillo era and with the Eck and the insight. I don’t suffer broadcast fools easily. To avoid that you have to tell me something I don’t know or make me think. RemDawg did both. RIP.
News Item:1980s NHC/SNHU Star Cleveland Woods Passes
He was the most likable person I ever met and it had nothing to do with how great a player Cleveland Woods was at NHC/SNHU, which included being a two-time Division II All American, the New England Player of the Year his senior season, NHC’s all-time leading scorer and only player to accumulate over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. All of which makes him the first guy on my Mt. Rushmore of NHC/SNHU basketball players.
But forget the player. The grief and affection expressed on Facebook by so many who knew him following his death last week at 56 tells you the impact he had. Always a smile. I don’t think I ever saw him in a bad mood. Even during all the insanity that went on our practices his first few years playing on North River Road. It obviously is a reflection on all the players given the bond shared by the guys he played with. A snapshot of a great thing sports can create when the right people cross paths at the right time. As one of his coaches then, the bond that developed is what I’m most proud of from his time. He wasn’t the only reason, it was the group as a whole, but he certainly was a major contributor to it all. Sadly, he leaves behind his wife Joliette Hall-Woods, two sons and a daughter.
Rest in peace big fella.