Sports this 'n' that

 The most storied rivalry in college football will not be revived this year.

The University of Michigan announced earlier today that their annual regular-season ending game vs. Ohio State will not take place due to a coronavirus outbreak on the Wolverines.

Coach Jim Harbaugh, 0-5 vs. the Buckeyes, is fighting an even tougher opponent this year, and the circumstances surrounding this season might actually help Harbaugh survive for another season.

As for the Buckeyes, a 3rd cancellation will cost them the Big 10 title, even though some media outlets are speculating that the Big 10, because of Ohio State being one of their elite teams, might risk some backlash within the league by giving the Buckeyes a waiver. If they hold to their dictum at the start of the season, however, surprising Indiana, who gave Ohio State all they could handle recently before losing, would play Northwestern for the Big 10 title on December 19.

Kinda makes one wish they decided to use bubbles....!

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It's being reported that Catskill native Mike Tyson was paid $10 million for what ended up a draw vs. Roy Jones, Jr. a couple of weeks back. Tyson can always use the money to help budget his [adult swim] animated series.

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The Chicago White Sox have made a couple of deals in the last 24 hours to improve their team as Tony LaRussa returns to the dugout in 2021.

Free agent outfielder Adam Eaton returns to Chicago after spending the last few years in Washington with the Nationals, winning a World Series along the way. The ChiSox have also traded for journeyman pitcher Lance Lynn, who has made a home in the AL with the likes of the Yankees, Texas, & Minnesota in recent years after St. Louis gave up on him.

Shopping season has just started.

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Traditionally, when a team fails to finish the season undefeated, the surviving members of the Miami Dolphins' 1972 team, the only one to run the table, will celebrate in grand style. Of course, that's being done virtually this year, but they're celebrating just the same.

This is after the Pittsburgh Steelers were upset, 27-24, by the Washington Deviants Monday night, a nightmare scenario that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had to have in the back of his mind going into the game. Pittsburgh didn't exactly play clean football in beating Baltimore five nights earlier, either, and defensive lineman/Subway shill T. J. Watt did get to Washington QB Alex Smith for a sack or two, but the offense simply ran out of magic and luck.

It's not going to get any easier for Pittsburgh, as they will play AFC East leader Buffalo on Sunday night. The Bills dismissed San Francisco, 34-24, in Monday's nightcap, retaining a 1 game lead in the AFC East over Miami, with New England 3 games back with 4 to play, and none of those teams will have it so easy in Week 14.

On Thursday, New England will have a Super Bowl rematch vs. the Los Angeles Rams, their 2nd straight game at So-Fi Stadium, which the Rams share with the Chargers. On Sunday, Miami will play the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Bills-Steelers is the nightcap.

As for the Deviants, they share 1st place in the NFC Least with the Giants, but Big Blue still holds the tiebreaker after upsetting Seattle for their 4th straight win.

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We do have to close with some sad news.

Olympic decathlete Rafer Johnson passed away last week, and former American League MVP Dick Allen died on Monday. Allen has been shut out of the Hall of Fame up to this point, but you have to believe that his contributions to the game of baseball will lead to a posthumous induction later on. 

Johnson, 86, turned to acting after winning the Decathlon 60 years ago, appearing in 2 "Tarzan" movies with Mike Henry, with Elvis Presley in "Wild in The Country", with Timothy Dalton in the James Bond adventure "Licence to Kill", and in the miniseries, Roots: The Next Generations. Johnson, along with football legend-turned-actor-singer Rosey Grier (Daniel Boone) was credited with capturing Sirhan Sirhan after he had shot Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.

Rest in peace.