Monday, October 2, 2023

Sports this 'n' that

 Hours before a season-ending 9-1 loss to Philadelphia, the Mets decided to part ways with manager Buck Showalter. Showalter himself made the announcement before the game started at 3:10 pm (ET). Injuries & underachievement undermined a Mets club that reached the Wild Card round last year, losing to San Diego in 3 games. Trading away co-aces Max Scherzer & Justin Verlander and outfielder Tommy Pham at the trade deadline signaled that the Mets were waving the white flag.

This morning, the Mets introduced David Stearns as the new Director of Baseball Operations (DBO), and fans are under the assumption that he'll bring in Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell, in his walk year, after the Brewers' season ends. I wouldn't be so sure about that.
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Baseball fans in Boston are mourning today over the passing of Tim Wakefield, 59, who succumbed to cancer on Sunday, casting a pall over the Red Sox's season-ending win over AL East champion Baltimore. Days earlier, former teammate Curt Schilling, without clearing it with Wakefield's family, disclosed on his radio show that Wakefield and his wife both had cancer.

Fellow blogger Chuck Miller had something to say about that this morning, but going to Cooperstown and bleaching Schilling's legendary bloody sock from 2004? Uh, no. Schilling owes the Wakefield family and all of baseball an apology for his crass stupidity.
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We are also mourning the passing of former NFL tight end Russ Francis, who starred for New England & San Francisco in the 80's, and even dabbled in pro wrestling, making appearances for the American Wrestling Association while with the 49ers. Francis was killed Sunday in a plane crash in Lake Placid that, surprisingly, has gotten little media attention here in the 518.
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Rodney Harrison has been a fixture on NBC's Football Night in America, but on Sunday, after Kansas City defeated the Jets, 23-20, Harrison, a former Chargers & Patriots defensive back, threw shade on Jet QB Zach Wilson, who had played his best game of the season to this point in a losing effort, perhaps inspired by the presence of Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines.

On an online postgame show airing on Peacock, Harrison, doing his best Stephen A. Smith impression, tried to convince KC defensive lineman Chris Jones to throw shade on Wilson. Nothing doing. Jones was being respectful toward the 3rd year QB, showing something Harrison lacked when he was with the Pats. Class & humility.

The last thing NBC needs is a Screamin' A. Cosell wanna-be. Harrison stepped over the line, and picks off a set of Weasel ears for his trouble.
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One of those clickbait sites plastered a picture of Pats coach Bill Belichick as if he's on the hot seat after New England fell to 1-3, remaining in a 3rd place tie with the Jets after getting spanked, 38-3, by Dallas. Belichick may be showing signs of age catching up to him, but Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn't cutting him loose, if at all, until January.
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NBC went overboard with last night's Chiefs-Jets game. Of course, you know why.


Taylor and a few of her closest friends.

NBC cameras spent more time fixated on Taylor Swift in her skybox, but not quite enough to overshadow the game. As long as Chiefs star Travis Kelce remains linked with Swift in the gossip pages, this will continue through the season. 

On top of that, T-Swizzle will have to get used to right wing morons like Charlie Kirk whining and crying because she's gotten her fans to register to vote in mass numbers, and going after Kelce because he's pro-vaccine. Like, guys, get a life. You were never Taylor's type.

Oh, by the way, I'd believe Screamin' A. Cosell is a Swiftie, except that his pedigree includes a heapin' helpin' of tall tales.

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