2021-22 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Week 9)

Signings

Terry Taylor (Pacers) to a 2-way contract

Don't know him but obviously the Pacers like him better than the average no-name youngster (or else this is just a roster shuffling move before a flurry of trades....?). 

Garrison Mathews (Rockets) re-jiggered contract to a 4-year deal 

Yeah! The Rockets have been strangely awesome for the last few weeks and Mathews has been a big part of that. The whole point of youth movement squads is to find keepers like Mathews and elevate them beyond the fringes of G-League-ness. Good move by the Rockets.

10-day contracts

Langston Galloway (Nets), Justin Robinson (Kings), Isaiah Thomas (Lakers), Admiral Schofield (Magic), Aleem Ford (Magic), BJ Johnson (Magic), Hassani Gravett (Magic), Justin Jackson (Celtics), Tyler Hall (Knicks), James Ennis (Nets), Shaq Harrison (Nets), Myles Powell (Sixers), Luke Kornet (Cavs), Freddie Gillespie (Magic), Tyler Johnson (Sixers), CJ Miles (Celtics), Theo Pinson (Mavs), Brandon Goodwin (Raptors), Juwan Morgan (Raptors), Nik Stauskus (Raptors); and Davon Reed (Nuggets) and Alfonzo McKinnie (Bulls) each re-signed to a second 10-day contract

A mix of vets just recently out of the league (McKinnie, Harrison, Johnson Kornet, Ennis, Galloway, for example), guys that never quite found their place in the league (Schofield, Morgan, Pinson, etc.), even a lottery pick that didn't pan out (Stauskus--wasn't your fault, Nik, it was Sacramento) and a lot of dudes I never heard of. 

But, obviously, Isaiah Thomas is the name that stands out. With the rather abysmal collection of grumpy old vets on that roster, I wouldn't at all be surprised to see Thomas do well, get regular playing time and still be on that roster in April, after most of the rest of the dudes are long gone (*cough* Rondo, Jordan, Ariza *cough*). 

Waivings

DeJon Jarreau (Pacers), Danuel House (Rockets), Grant Riller (Sixers) waived; and Stanley Johnson (Bulls) 10-day contract expired

Don't know Jarreau. Hardly knew ye. 

House was let go (to make room for Mathews?), so that he could find a spot on another team--which you gotta figure won't be hard to do as Covid lays the league low (so why hasn't he hooked on somewhere else yet?). 

Riller had injury problems early on, this is probably a roster move to facilitate 10-day contracts and/or trades. 

Everyone on earth is getting 10-day contracts and former lottery pick Johnson couldn't score a re-up? 

Injuries

Anthony Davis (Lakers) out indefinitely (sprained left knee)

No one got hurt this week because they're all in Covid....except for Anthony Davis. Clearly AD is the one guy whose career would be saved by getting Covid. 

Derrick Rose (Knicks) out indefinitely (or 6-8 weeks) after right ankle surgery

Everybody is hurting on depth right now, but this is a real blow to the Knicks, who relied on a lot of minutes from Rose. 

Health & Safety Protocols

Clint Capela (Hawks), Jabari Parker (Celtics), Al Horford (Celtics), Brodric Thomas (Celtics), Grant Williams (Celtics), Juan Hernangomez (Celtics), Kevin Durant (Nets), Day'Ron Sharpe (Nets), Kyrie Irving (Nets), Matt Thomas (Bulls), Devon Dotson (Bulls), Alize Johnson (Bulls), Ed Davis (Cavs), Denzel Valentine (Cavs), Dylan Windler (Cavs), RJ Nembhard Jr (Cavs), Lamar Stevens (Cavs), Jarrett Allen (Cavs), Evan Mobley (Cavs), Isaac Okoro (Cavs), Maxi Kleber (Mavs), Josh Green (Mavs), Andrew Wiggins (Warriors), Jordan Poole (Warriors), Marcus Morris (Clippers), Austin Reaves (Lakers), Avery Bradley (Lakers), Kent Bazemore (Lakers), Kendrick Nunn (Lakers), Ziaire Williams (Grizzlies), Patrick Beverley (Wolves), Jarred Vanderbilt (Wolves), Josh Okogie (Wolves), Anthony Edwards (Wolves), Taurean Prince (Wolves), Miles McBride (Knicks), Immanuel Quickley (Knicks), Quentin Grimes (Knicks), Ignas Brazdekis (Magic), Terrence Ross (Magic), Mo Bamba (Magic), Michael Carter-Williams (Magic), Mychal Mulder (Magic), Andre Drummond (Sixers), Davion Mitchell (Kings), Alex Len (Kings), De'Aaron Fox (Kings), Louis King (Kings), Scottie Barnes (Raptors), Malchi Flynn (Raptors), Fred VanVleet (Raptors), Gary Trent Jr (Raptors), Dalano Banton (Raptors), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Wizards), Marvin Bagley (Kings), Bobby Portis (Bucks), Kevin Knox (Knicks), Mo Wagner (Magic), RJ Hampton (Magic), Bol Bol (Nuggets), Reggie Bullock (Mavs), Pascal Siakam (Raptors), Shake Milton (Sixers), Trae Young (Hawks), Cody Martin (Hornets), Josh Green (Mavs), Danny Green (Sixers), Reggie Jackson (Clippers), Kevin Huerter (Hawks), Lou Williams (Hawks), Timothe Luwawu-Caborrot (Hawks), Nerlens Noel (Knicks), Luka Doncic (Mavs), Trey Burke (Mavs), Cade Cunningham (Pistons), OG Anunoby (Raptors), Damion Lee (Warriors)

Okay....I'll say it: Andrew Wiggins should sue the NBA. They forced him to get medication against his will or they wouldn't let him play. He got the medication....and now they won't let him play anyway. Fuck, man, he could've gotten Covid and missed games without getting the vaccine! If your response is 'think how much worse it would've been for him if he hadn't got the vaccine', then you're a fucking moron. Do you honestly believe Wiggins would be on ventilator right now if not for the vaccine? Andrew Wiggins is arguably one of the healthiest humans on planet earth and the idea that only gov't medicine can save him is pure fucking nonsense and frankly an insult to how well a guy like Wiggins takes care of himself. If you think the gov't forcing medicine on him is the only thing keeping him alive.....then you have lost your fucking mind.

Trey Burke is the only guy in the league that we KNOW isn't vaccinated. So, obviously, this is ALL his fault! Only Burke can be responsible for the other 150 guys that have missed games so far! I mean...right? This is America and we know how to do proper justice: dunk Burke underwater and if he drowns then we'll know he's innocent. 

If the whole point of getting NBA players vaccinated was to keep them from getting the virus and cancelling games (I mean if you get the vaccine you can't get the virus, right?), then obviously the vaccine has been a failure. So what kind of level of delirious Orwellian group think does it take to think that more vaccinations is the answer? Are you seriously trying to tell me that gov't vaccines (that are clearly shown to wear off after 4-6 months) are better than a lifetime of diet and exercise? Really? So the first 15 years of Lebron's career are....what....some kind of fluke? Or has he been in some kind of secret Pfizer program his whole life?

It isn't the virus that kills. It's the co-morbidities. And I dare say not a one of these NBA players has a dangerous body mass index or high blood pressure. These guys don't need a vaccine, they never needed a vaccine, and taking the vaccine hasn't kept any of them from getting the virus or missing games. The vaccine is necessary for some people but NBA ballers have the healthiest hearts and lungs in the Western Hemisphere, there's nothing a vaccine is even gonna do for these guys. 

Instead of holding Andrew Wiggins up as the model of how diet and exercise and hygiene will help us all live a healthy live, we held him down and forced him to get medicine he doesn't need and then showed the world that the medicine doesn't do what we were told it would do. But, yeah, it's Trey Burke's fault, he's the only one that will get fined for missing games. 

Live healthy. If you need the vaccine, go get the vaccine. But if you're a professional athlete, what is a vaccine even gonna do for you? It ain't gonna keep you from missing games, so what does it do? And if you think it's the only thing keeping you alive...*smh*

2021-22 NFL (Week 15)

Surprising results:

Pats 17-27 Colts. Seems like the Pats kinda bungled every second of this game. When the Colts run the ball, they're pretty damn good (and when they don't run the ball, you just sit there wondering why they're not running more). 

Titans 13-19 Steelers. How do the Steelers win games? I've watched them way more than I want to this year and I am convinced they actually suck pretty bad...so how did they win this game? (Still trying to figure out how they beat the Bills way back in Week One). The Titans can be good or they can suck, they're as Jekyll/Hyde as any team in the league. 

Saints 9-0 Bucs. Wow, the Saints D stuffed everything the Bucs tried to do (did you realize that Tom Brady is 0-4 against the Saints since getting to Tampa Bay?) and even injured most of the Bucs' best offensive weapons. Dang, man, if the Saints played like this all the time...oh yeah, their QB is Taysom Hill...okay, forget all that. 

Unsurprising results:

Chiefs 34-28 Chargers. Fun game, back and forth crazy action, a good ol' fashioned shootout game. The Chiefs are still (and always have been) the team to beat in the AFC. The Chargers are ferocious when they put it all together, but they don't do that nearly enough. Also, going for it on 4th down EVERY TIME is not really a winning strategy. 

Panthers 14-31 Bills. The Bills desperately needed a get-right game and Carolina gave it to them. 

Cards 12-30 Lions. No, I was not surprised by this. Remember: the Lions play well against good teams (re: teams that take them lightly) and get destroyed by mediocre teams (re: teams that desperately need to win games). Take heart, Cards fans, this is the best possible reminder that you've got a good team. 

Jets 24-31 Dolphins. Yeah, that's about right. 

Cowboys 21-6 Giants. Oh, man, the Giants are painful to watch. The Cowboys did not play particularly well in this match and still cruised easily to victory. 

Texans 30-16 Jags. The Jags are the worst team in the league. The Texans saw their last best chance at getting a W and they took it (good for them). 

Bengals 15-10 Broncos. Awkward game for the most part, two so-so teams struggling to get some kind of advantage. The Bengals are the slightly better team and this score was pretty accurate. 

Falcons 13-31 Niners. The Niners have been getting into a groove and this was a tasty W for them. The Falcons actually play really well on the road, thought they might put up more of a fight. 

Packers 31-30 Ravens. The Ravens went for a 2-point conversion on the last play of the game (for the second week in a row) and (for the second in a row) it didn't work. Hey, I get it: you can play ten more minutes of football or you can win it on one play, I'd take the one play every time, too. Clearly, though, they need to get better at 2-point conversions--don't be shocked if they have at least one more of these this season! The Packers still have yet to play a complete game but they're still winning, so I guess it doesn't matter. 

Raiders 16-14 Browns. Tough L for the Browns, nice W for the Raiders. 

Vikings 17-9 Bears. The Bears are hard to watch, I'm still in on Justin Fields--he's got skills and he'll be better next year--but for now, yeah, they're hard to watch. The Vikings, man....the Vikings...they're just...*phew*....the Vikings. 

Seahawks 10-20 Rams. NFC West is always a rock fight, underdog didn't come through in this one, though. 

WTF 17-27 Eagles. Meh.

2021-22 NFL (Week 14)

Results:

Steelers 28-36 Vikings. The Steelers suck, the Vikings suck a little bit less.

Ravens 22-24 Browns. The Browns jumped out to a big lead, then the Ravens chipped away at it but couldn't quite get there. Both of these teams should be better than they are (Bengals, too), so this division is gonna be a struggle all the way through. 

Jags 0-20 Titans. Titans rolling along. The Jags suck and have now fired Urban Meyer (just before midnight on a Wednesday--how do you get fired at midnight in the middle of the week?). I never understood why Meyer even wanted the Jags job and considering all the NCAA jobs that were open this season (Southern Cal, Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, Florida, just to name a few), seems like if he really wanted to work, then the Jags were always just in his way. Well, all those NCAA jobs are no longer available and Meyer's reputation as a no-nonsense winner is in tatters, so...yeah, why did Meyer want this job again...?

Raiders 9-48 Chiefs. Raiders usually play well against the Chiefs, but KC was ready for a bust out,

Saints 30-9 Jets. Meh. Jets suck, Saints suck a little bit less. 

Cowboys 27-20 WTF. This is about right. The Cowboys are good but scuffling right now, WTF is not awful but not good either. 

Falcons 29-21 Panthers. Somebody had to win this game, I suppose. 

Seahawks 33-13 Texans. The Texans are a get-right team and the Seahawks needed to get right. 

Lions 10-38 Broncos. The Lions cover against good teams, but get destroyed by mediocre teams. Yeah, this result checks out. 

Giants 21-37 Chargers. The Giants are a get-right team and the Chargers needed to get right. 

Niners 26-23 (OT) Bengals. Fun (if sloppy) game. Niners got a big lead, Bengals came back, but couldn't finish it. The Niners at their best are a sneaky good team, still time for them to make a playoff run.

Bills 27-33 (OT) Bucs. The Bills need every W and the fact that they came so far back just to lose anyway...yeesh, that sucks. The Bucs are rolling. 

Bears 30-45 Packers. The Packers own the Bears. Still true.

Rams 30-23 Cards. The Cards had a bad turnover early in the 2nd half that swung this game. NFC West is always a struggle (bet on the road team). 

2021-22 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Week 8)

Signings

Bulls sign Stanley Johnson and Alfonzo McKinnie to 10-day contracts

Johnson is already in H&S Protocols, welcome back to the league. I always liked McKinnie, a little surprised he never hooked on as a reliable bottom of the roster guy. Seems like Covid-19 is gonna be a boon to guys that aren't quite ready to be done with the game (or at least the paychecks). Both of these dudes may well be playing every ten days for a new team all season long.

Injuries

Kira Lewis Jr (Pelicans) out for the season (torn ACL)

Too bad, Lewis was really becoming a steady part of that rotation. He may well have had a breakout season. Perhaps in this Covid-saturated season, he's better off getting away from everybody else and working to get back by next Xmas. 

Jerami Grant (Pistons) out indefinitely (right thumb)

"At least six weeks" according to one report. I think Grant is a for-real trade candidate, we'll see if nagging injuries interfere with that. 

JaMychel Green (Nuggets) expected to miss extended time (ankle)

The Nuggets need all warm bodies at this point and losing Green is gonna be a bit of a hit for them. 

Zion Williamson (Pelicans) still rehabbing foot, not likely to make his season debut soon

Zion is a helluva player but I was skeptical of his long term career opportunities because of his body type. Reports suggest that he is not exactly a workout monster, doesn't take team activities seriously and is probably already looking to get out of New Orleans. So is this all a smokescreen to get him traded or is he actually having injury concerns? Or both? Can't really tell (but if I were New Orleans, I'd be gauging interest around the league). 

Cody Zeller (Blazers) will be evaluated in one week (fractured hand)

The Blazers are a mess these days, missing a regular rotation guy is not gonna make anything better. 

Health and Safety Protocols

Derrick Jones Jr (Bulls), Josh Richardson (Celtics), Wesley Matthews (Bucks), Ayo Dosunmo (Bulls), Stanley Johnson (Bulls), Caleb Martin (Heat), Obi Toppin (Knicks), Kyle Kuzma (Wizards), Troy Brown Jr (Bulls), Zach LaVine (Bulls), RJ Barrett (Knicks), Precious Achiuwa (Raptors), Bruce Brown (Nets), James Harden (Nets), James Johnson (Nets), Jevon Carter (Nets), Deandre Bembry (Nets), LaMarcus Aldrige (Nets), Paul Millsap (Nets), Ish Smith (Hornets), Talen Horton-Tucker (Lakers), Quentin Grimes (Knicks), Donte DiVincenzo (Bucks), Giannis Antetokounpo (Bucks), Serge Ibaka (Clippers), Dwight Howard (Lakers), Malik Monk (Lakers), George Niang (Sixers), 

I have yet to see a single fine or announcement of lack of pay for players being unvaccinated, as the NBA announced it would do before the season started.  So...all these guys are vaccinated, yes? Just checking...

Postponed

Bulls-Pistons (12.13.21) and Bulls-Raptors (12.15.21)

Beginning of a pattern...?

2021-22 Champions League (Round of 16)

They had to re-do the draw but here's the official matchups when Champions League returns in February. I'm ready to go now, but 6 more weeks of NFL action will be a nice way to kill time til the real soccer comes back. 

FC Salzburg v Bayern Munich

Sporting CP v Manchester City

Benfica v Ajax

Chelsea v Lille

Atletico Madrid v Manchester United

Villareal v Juventus

Inter Milan v Liverpool

Paris-St. Germain v Real Madrid

2021 MLS Final

Fun game! Not a lot of scoring but plenty of back and forth action. NYCFC struck me as the more aggressive side throughout (and the deserving winner). Though Portland's defense was sturdy, I was little surprised how uninspiring their counterattack was. I mean, if you're living on defense, then the quick counter is your best choice to score, right? But in that final flurry of regulation, you just knew Portland was gonna score to keep it alive. 

But Portland couldn't get anything going in OT and missed their fist two shots in the shootout and, well, tough to win when you don't score. Great win for NYCFC, better luck next year for Portland.

2021-22 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Week 7)

Front office moves

Blazers fire Neil Olshey (GM & President of Basketball Operations); name Joe Cronin interim GM

Perhaps I should be more doubtful, but the charges against Olshey make him seem insensitive and clumsy, but if that's the problem, then why is an investigation needed? I dunno, if you want the guy gone because he's an annoying asshole then just say that and fire him. Just the way we do things now, I guess. As for Cronin, I don't know the guy and have no sense of whether he'll matriculate to the full position (but if you think this guy is gonna trade Damian Lillard, I'd say you're crazy). 

Injuries

Bam Adebayo (Heat) out indefinitely after thumb surgery

The Heat need Adebayo if they've got any hopes of getting back to the championship this year. 

Brook Lopez (Bucks) out indefinitely after back surgery

Seems like now that the Bucks have gotten back into playing shape, they're taking the chance to give Lopez some extended time off to keep him fresh for later. 

TJ McConnell (Pacers) out indefinitely after wrist surgery

I love McConnell, the Pacers miss him. 

Solomon Hill (Hawks) out for the season with right hamstring tear

I was dubious at best on Hill last season and I'm a little surprised they brought him back, which is my way of saying, I don't think they're gonna miss Hill at all. The Hawks have a deep bench already and two rookies that have yet to get any playing time. 

Khem Birch (Raptors) still out "for the foreseeable future" with knee injury

The Raptors have a deep rotation that can withstand injuries. On the other hand, they use such a deep rotation because they're trying to suck up every ounce of what every player can give them. So, though, they are deep, every injury chips away at their strength.

CJ McCollum (Blazers) out indefinitely with collapsed lung

Yipes! This started as a rib contusion that then became a collapsed lung. And in these days of scary respiratory viruses and such, let's hope this doesn't become something more serious. (Also, how does this interfere with potential trades? And is it Lillard or McCollum that gets traded?)

Health & Safety Protocols

Austin Rivers (Nuggets), Bones Hyland (Nuggets), Bol Bol (Nuggets), Javonte Green (Bulls), Jalen McDaniels (Hornets), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), Mason Plumlee (Hornets), Terry Rozier (Hornets), DeMar DeRozan (Bulls), Ish Smith (Hornets), Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Matt Thomas (Bulls), 

If only we had a vaccine that could prevent people from getting this virus....Oh wait, we do! Oh wait....we don't.

Signings

Wesley Matthews (Bucks) signs 1-year contract

Uh, I dunno, man, Matthews was washed a few years back, not sure he's really giving much of anything to the Bucks right now. But he is a solid standup veteran dude and you need to fill out your roster with guys like that, but I'd be pretty shocked if Matthews had even a meaningful moment all season long. 

Gary Clark Jr (Pelicans) signs 1-year contract 

Not exactly what you'd call a wily veteran, but he has played 130 career games in the NBA (with the Rockets, Sixers, Nuggets and Magic), so while he may not make the difference for the Pelicans this season, at least he's reliable enough to be at practice and show up on time and such. 

Davon Reed (Nuggets) signs 10-day contract 

With all their Covid troubles--on top of injury troubles!--I'm kinda surprised Reed is the only 10-day guy they've picked up lately. 

Waivings

Georgios Kalaitzakis (Bucks)

The 60th pick in the 2021 draft, he played in 9 NBA games before being moved aside for a wily veteran. The buzz at the time was that picking the Greek national was some kind of favor to Giannis and he was never really in the Bucks' plans, which seems to have turned out to be the case. Georgios,  we hardly knew ye. 

2021-22 NFL (Week 12 & 13)

Surprising results:

Chargers 41-22 Bengals

Weird game. Looks like the Chargers blew them out--and they kinda did--but really it was the Chargers dominating the 1st, 2nd and 4th quarters while the Bengals dominated the 3rd quarter. My point is these two teams are closer than this score suggests. If the Bengals had held their momentum (so many dumb turnovers in this game!), they easily could've won by a lopsided scoreline or this game could've been much closer. At any rate, the Chargers got the W (and the tiebreaker that could come in real handy) and the Bengals did not. I think the Chargers are probably the better team but it isn't as clear as it might look. 

Ravens 19-20 Steelers

The Ravens are flaky and the Steelers play with veteran moxie, so this result shouldn't be shocking in a classic rivalry like this. But I was surprised because the Steelers still sucked! It's not like they played particularly well in this game, the Ravens (re: Lamar Jackson) just didn't take the easy W that was in front of them. I'll say it again: when Lamar plays heads-up football, he's really good and his team wins; but when he's playing loose (re: 'making plays'), then he makes weird mistakes and his team loses. The Ravens can still be really good--don't be shocked if they make a run in the playoffs--but they lose games they shouldn't lose and that's troubling at this point in the season. 

Unsurprising results:

Cowboys 27-21 Saints. The Cowboys win when their offense shows up. The Saints play hard but without a QB, they just aren't gonna win games.

Bucs 30-17 Falcons. Yeah, division games, man, they can be tricky or they can be a tonic. 

Cards 33-22 Bears. The Bears are just not much of a team right now, the D is incomplete, Dalton is not the QB of the future, he may as well not be the QB of the present, the special teams is so-so at best. They're just not much of a team right now. The Cards, on the other hand, are in that phase where they're getting big W's with so-so efforts and its weird. Kyler Murray ran well (coming back from injury) but I thought his throwing was rusty and sloppier than I would've expected. But, he's still really good and the offense gets contributions from all over the place, they're really good but still seem kinda flaky to me (love Kyler but not sure he's ready to win big games).

Vikings 27-29 Lions. The Vikings should've won--which is precisely why the Lions stole this. If the Vikings played like underdogs, they would've housed this godawful Lions squad, but they play with too much confidence, not enough surrender, which is why they lose more games than they win, even though they actually look pretty good for the most part. The Lions play hard, they'll win a few more games. 

Giants 9-20 Dolphins. The Dolphins are still easing into the dead stretch of their schedule, they're scoring points, moving the ball, getting W's, but still don't seem scary at all. The Giants are contractually obligated to play games. 

Eagles 33-18 Jets. Yeah, the Eagles are pretty good and the Jets are not.

Colts 31-0 Texans. The Texans just got nothing at all at this point. The Colts win when they run the ball. 

WTF 17-15 Raiders. Two scrappy weirdo teams. Yeah, this sounds about right. (Wait....did WTF just win back to back 17-15 games? When was the last time that happened?)

Jags 7-37 Rams. The Jags are really pretty terrible, kinda have been for a while now (remember that one weird year when Blake Bortles made the Conference Finals...wtf was that?). Seems like the #1 pick QB and high profile (and potentially scandalous) NCAA legend coach would get more pub, but instead they're the most invisible guys in the league. Weird. Rams can put up 37 and still look rusty, their peak might be better than everyone else's peak but their average is still kinda average. 

Niners 23-30 Seahawks. NFC West, man.

Broncos 9-22 Chiefs. Broncos could not move the ball at all, Chiefs offense is not bad but still not vintage.

Pats 14-10 Bills. The final play was emblematic of this rivalry now: Pats CB strays off his man to knock down a pass to another receiver, that was on the goal line ready to haul in the game-winning TD. The Pats got this one, but perhaps he's a step late, pass gets caught, Bills cover the spread on the final play. They Pats and Bills are wearing each other's DNA at this point, they're real close. (They play again in a coupla weeks, don't be shocked if the Bills make the big play at the end to steal the road W or that its during a blizzard)

Week 13 slate:

Surprising results: 

Raiders 36-33 (OT) Cowboys

Man, I thought the Raiders were done and that the Cowboys had turned a corner and were ready to lock up W's. Well...I guess not. 

Eagles 7-13 Giants

The Eagles were rolling, that offense had been piling up points and then they flailed at NYG? Division games, man, always a roll of the dice. 

Chargers 13-28 Broncos

Division games. The Broncos have an anemic offense but they play hard and they can eke out a W every now and again. But the Chargers really missed an opportunity to get a good road win in the division.

Unsurprising results:

Bears 16-14 Lions

Bills 31-6 Saints

Steelers 10-41 Bengals

Bucs 38-31 Colts

Rams 28-36 Packers

Browns 10-16 Ravens

Panthers 10-33 Dolphins

Titans 13-36 Patriots

Falcons 21-14 Jags

Jets 21-14 Texans

Vikings 26-34 Niners

Seahawks 15-17 WTF

2021-22 NCAA Football (Week 14)

Championship Week

PAC-12: (10) Oregon 10-38 (14) Utah

Look, I only saw Oregon three times this year and they lost all three times, so I saw nothing that would suggest they could even come close to Ohio State and I have no idea how they won that game. But make no mistake: beating the Buckeyes was the only thing they did all year and it kept them in the top 10 into December even though this team was never very good. Watching them get housed by Utah (for the second time in a month) was not interesting, not surprising and only confirmed all my darkest thoughts about Oregon. Utah, on the other hand, looks like a tough squad, man, I don't know who they'll be bowling up with, but I wouldn't wanna play them. 

Big-12: (9) Baylor- 21-16 (5) Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State gifted Baylor two 1st quarter interceptions that both went for TD's. If not for the Cowboys' QB making a coupla sloppy passes, I think OSU wins this game by three TD's! Oklahoma State was the better team in every way--save those two bad throws--and should've dominated the shit out of this game. But somehow they didn't. Instead, they dug themselves a hole and couldn't wriggle back out of it even though they were the better team throughout. (Maybe just me: but I would've replayed that lunge at the goal line early in the 4th quarter that eventually led to an OSU FG, I think it was a TD and it was worth a replay, even if 1st down and goal inside the 1 feels like easy money) Great W for Baylor, really disappointing loss for Oklahoma State.

Mountain West: Utah State 46-13 (19) San Diego State

Apparently SDSU (I didn't see them at all this year) had serious injuries all over their roster and were basically playing a skeleton crew. Well, whatever transpired, Utah State got to kick some fuckin' ass on this Saturday and go home champions (good for them). 

Sun Belt: Appalachian State 16-24 (20) Louisiana

I saw none of this game or any Sun Belt games all season long. Louisiana got their coach poached by the SEC, so must've been a good year for the Cajuns. 

SEC: (1) Georgia 24-41 (4) Alabama

We wondered what would happen if UGA's QB had to make plays against a good squad...then we wondered if Alabama was actually a good enough squad to make him work. Well, Bama was good enough and UGA's QB was not up to it. Nor was UGA's vaunted defensive line and LB's, who mostly got routed. This year I saw Bama lose to A&M, pull out lucky wins against Auburn and Florida and stomp Ole Miss; they clearly were not particularly consistent this year, weren't really sure if they were good enough (but all the time we knew deep down that they were). UGA struggled with Clemson and then breezed through the rest of their schedule (toughest game was Kentucky...no, I'm serious--they really didn't play anyone better than Kentucky all year!), so while they looked dominant, they weren't really much tested. Okay. Georgia has been tested and Alabama has shown that they really do belong at the top of the table. So can Alabama do it again? Will Georgia get smacked around like that again? We're gonna find out...

Conference USA: (16) Houston 20-35 (3) Cincinnati

Cincy is for real, man, this team is good, they play tough defense, they've got a stand up QB and a solid attack. They haven't played any SEC-ish opponents and they may well get dusted off in a bowl game, but I don't think they will. I think they're really good and are gonna hang just fine in the playoff. As for Houston, well, they had a good season, made a game effort of it, good run. 

ACC: (17) Pittsburgh 45-21 (18) Wake Forest

Wake was up 21-14 at the end of the 1st quarter and it felt like we were gonna get the shootout we'd been promised. But, no, Pitt kinda flexed a much better than expected defense and smooshed Wake for the rest of the match. You knew both of these teams had offense, but Pitt had more than that. Really a hell of a good W for the Panthers. Still a great season for Wake Forest.

Big-10: (2) Michigan 42-3 (15) Iowa

Yeah, Iowa has a nice defense but that offense was never gonna compete with Michigan. Michigan busted open the playbook, really wanted to scorch this championship and they did. Good run for the Wolverines, they deserved the B-10 championship and they got it. So...do they get Georgia or Alabama next? 

My final rankings:

(1) Alabama, (2) Georgia, (3) Cincinnati, (4) Michigan, (5) Notre Dame, (6) Ohio State

Bama dropped 41 on the #1 team (and #1 defense) and only had 1 loss, they deserve to be #1.

UGA is still better than most everyone else, took a tough L to a tough team, not a bad loss. 

I've been impressed with Cincy all season long, they handled their business at every stage and deserve the #3 spot (and I wanna see a rematch with Georgia--they just played last year, let's see what that match looks like now).  

Michigan did what they needed to do to get to this point (and I wanna see them against Bama--I can't recall Alabama and Michigan ever playing each other, I wanna see it!)

Notre Dame started slow (and lost their coach along the way) but they were really ballin' by the end of the season. 

Ohio State also started slow but had that offense humming by season's end. 

...And for what it's worth:

(7) Ole Miss, (8) Baylor, (9) Michigan State, (10) Utah, (11) Pittsburgh, (12) Oklahoma State, (13) Brigham Young, (14) Oklahoma, (15) Louisiana, (16) Iowa, (17) Wake Forest, (18) Houston, (19) Oregon, (20) North Carolina State, (21) Clemson, (22) Texas A&M, (23) Kentucky, (24) Penn State, (25) San Diego State

2021-22 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Weeks 5 & 6)

Front office moves

Wizards GM Tommy Shepherd signs multi-year extension and named team president

Shepherd has been with the Wizards for quite some time now, seems like a Wizards lifer and this is probably the right move for him an the team.

Kings fire coach Luke Walton; name Alvin Gentry interim coach

Luke Walton is officially out of the Coach of the Year race--still time, though, for Gentry to get in! I don't know what's wrong the Kings--outside of just being an inept organization for a coupla decades in a row now. This is a weird roster with weird goals and as much as I like Gentry, until they figure out what's up with Marvin Bagley and/or De'Aaron Fox, this team isn't going anywhere. 

Signings

Demarcus Cousins signs 1yr deal with the Bucks

The Bucks are probably the one team in the league that aren't afraid of Cousins: if he's good, they'll all love him and if he sucks, they'll all ignore him. His tantrums will likely make no difference in this locker room and that's why this is a great signing. If Cousins can play (big if!) then he'll give them an another scoring element off the bench that should be kinda nice for this squad. Cousins isn't here to be a difference-maker, he's here to make a good team even better.

Waivings

Lakers waive Sekou Doumbouya; sign Chaundee Brown Jr to 2-way contract

Doumbouya in a span of just a few weeks went from cornerstone of the future for the Pistons to nice young bench pickup for the Nets to trade asset dump for the Rockets to one last chance with the Lakers. How bad does this kid not want to play in the NBA? I have no idea who Chaundee Brown is but Doumbouya was a top-10 pick not that long ago and yet it doesn't feel like Brown has big shoes to fill. 

Injuries

Michael Porter Jr (Nuggets) could 'miss significant time' after surgery (back nerve issue)

Okay, getting scary now for the Nuggets. They really needed a bust out season from Porter to cover for missing Jamal Murray, but not only is he not busting out but it kinda looks like he's falling apart (right after signing a giant extension!). This is not good for the Nuggets. 

Frank Kaminsky (Suns) is out indefinitely (knee)

I've never been a Frank the Tank guy myself, but with Dario Saric probably missing the entire season, the Suns kinda need Kaminsky for minutes. Not a major loss but definitely a dip in the Suns' depth. 

Collin Sexton (Cavs) out for season (left knee meniscus surgery)

Well, the Garland-or-Sexton question has been put on hold for now. Sexton seeing that his days were numbered in Cleveland opted for the season-ending surgery just to throw a wrench in the situation. I hope Sexton gets healthy and bounces back next year (though probably not in Cleveland). 

OG Anunoby (Raptors) out indefinitely (hip pointer)

Anunoby was off to a nice start and the Raptors will likely be scuffling in his absence. (I'm still so intrigued by the Anunoby-Siakam-Barnes three headed monster that the Raptors can roll with; I really think Toronto can be crazy good when this settles into place)

Evan Mobley (Cavs) with 'no timetable for return' (elbow)

He only missed a few games, already back in the lineup. The Cavs need him badly which begs the question: do they rush him back (short term need) or do they let him properly convalesce (long term need)? Tough call: the Cavs can be pretty good right away pushing Mobley to his limits or they can have a cornerstone to build around for a decade or so if they take it easy on him.

PJ Dozier (Nuggets) possibly out for season (torn ACL)

Added to missing Murray and Porter and this is another serious hit to Denver's depth. 

Semi Ojeleye (Bucks) has a 'significant injury and is "going to miss some time"' (?)

You're probably thinking 'no big loss' and, well, the Bucks probably won't miss him much. But considering what a disaster he was on the court with the Celtics for the last few years, I was blown away by his scoring instincts since he put on a Buck uniform. He has looked like a for-real baller this season and if he can come back and get that going again, he can be a nice piece for this team.  

Goran Dragic (Raptors) out indefinitely for 'personal reasons'

Since the Rockets have re-activated John Wall (and the Spurs are finally getting playing time for Thaddeus Young), seems like Dragic has made it clear he'd rather not play than shine out for suitors. Look, he thought he was getting bought out or waived or whatever and then he'd just move on to free agency, but the salary caps around the league are kina tight at the moment and I guess the Raptors want something for him. Seems clear Dragic is not gonna play for the Raptors and if he can't get to his team of choice (*cough* Dallas!), then we might not see Dragic in the NBA again. Always one of my favorites--and I think he's a good fit in Toronto!--he and the team clearly do not see eye to eye on his future. 

Joe Harris (Nets) out indefinitely after left ankle surgery

The Nets need Joe Harris, even if he has been rather underwhelming this season. They need all the depth they can get, but perhaps it is best to get his injuries out of the way in time for April. 

Ja Morant (Grizzlies) "no timetable" for return from knee injury

Yipes! The Grizzlies need every minute of basketball than Ja has in him! I hope he gets back soon.

Jalen Suggs (Magic) to be reevaluated in 2 weeks after thumb injury

Well, the Magic aren't going anywhere this season, they can afford to take their time with Suggs, but I suspect Suggs wants to be out on the floor. Hopefully this doesn't develop into a nagging injury.  

Health & Safety Protocols

Nicolas Batum (Clippers), DJ Augustine (Rockets), Lebron James (Lakers), Coby White (Bulls), Bones Hyland (Nuggets), Austin Rivers (Nuggets), Justin Holiday (Pacers)

Have any un-vaccinated players missed game for Covid this season? 

Suspensions

Dida Louzada (Pelicans) 25 games (for testing positive for testosterone)

On the one hand I'm surprised that a world class athlete (for that's what Louzada--though I don't know the dude from Adam--must be to be on an NBA roster) needs this kind of stuff. But on the other hand, I supposed he doesn't....meaning I'm surprised he thinks he needs this stuff. World class athlete or not, he's surrounded by even better world class athletes all day long, I guess, and he must feel like he needs an edge. (I suspect he doesn't and taking the juice is a sign of self-doubt more than anything)

Lebron James (Lakers) 1 game (for punching Isaiah Stewart); Isaiah Stewart (Pistons) 2 games (for trying to punch Lebron)

You know in watching this video, Stewart looks pretty dazed here, like he really has no idea what he's doing. Chump move from Lebron and I don't blame Stewart for going ape shit (though undoubtedly that led to numerous rounds of embarrassing apologies to his teammates more than anything else). Lebron is trying to get back in villain mode--which seems the exact opposite of why he went to the Lakers in the first place!--but he needs to act his age and be more respectful of his fellow players. As for Stewart, I wouldn't mess with that dude and I think he's right to have beef--look at that blood, man!

2021-22 NCAA Football (Week 13)

Games I saw (some of):

(2) Ohio State 27-42 (5) Michigan

I was skeptical of the Wolverines, thought they'd been kinda overrated all year long and with the Buckeyes really stepping into their offensive dominance lately, felt like this was gonna be just another crushing Michigan loss. But Michigan was the better team on offense, defense and special teams on this day, they made plays all over and kept the Buckeye attack from taking shape. The Buckeyes probably still should've pulled this out but they just couldn't keep drives alive. Michigan made a number of critical 3rd down stops and just all-round came to play on this Saturday. Michigan is now set to face Iowa in the B-10 championship and then on to bigger and better playoff-related things for the first time in the Harbaugh era. As for the Buckeyes, I wouldn't want to face them in a high profile bowl game because that offense is still pretty damn good (hmmm....a rematch with Oregon?). 

(3) Alabama 24-22 (4OT) Auburn

Weird game. Alabama's offense just couldn't get going, I like that QB, seems like a nice guy, but he's a manager not a playmaker, so when Alabama struggles it feels like they've got nowhere to go (and, good god, how many holding penalties can one O-line have?). That said, even though Auburn was up 10-0 late in the 4th, somehow it never felt to me like they were going to win the game. Even though usually dominant Alabama has been vulnerable all season and even though they never could get their offense going, I still felt like they were going to pull it out in the end. And they did. Basically tying the game on the final play, after a long march in the 2-minute offense, Alabama was able to match Auburn for 3 OT's then steal it in the 4th. Oh, Auburn, just never had it this year. And even though my gut says Alabama is still Alabama, this team is not as dynamic as years past (how many amazing RB's have they had in the last decade and yet now they seem incapable of running at all), and they've got an uphill climb to take out UGA. 

(10) Oklahoma 33-37 (7) Oklahoma State

State felt like the better team throughout, but OU made plays, moved the ball and were on the doorstep right at the end--probably the best game they've played all season! If the Sooners had displayed half this much offense throughout the season, this game would not have been so important--or so close! I like Oklahoma State, a sturdy squad that has done (pretty much) everything they need to be in the mix this late in the season, but they really white-knuckled it down the stretch of this game. Also, on Sunday Lincoln Riley announced he'll be taking over at Southern Cal (the big rock candy mountain for college football coaches), but I suspect OU will be back in the playoff before USC gets there. I do believe the Cowboys are gonna get to the playoff this year (nice to get a new face). 

Top 25

Handled their business

(1) Georgia, (4) Cincinnati, (5) Michigan, (6) Notre Dame, (7) Oklahoma State, (8) Baylor, (9) Ole Miss, (11) Oregon, (12) Michigan State, (13) Brigham Young, (16) Iowa, (17) Pittsburgh, (18) Wake Forest, (19) Utah, (20) North Carolina State, (21) San Diego State, (23) Clemson, (24) Houston, (25) Arkansas

Won but did not impress

(3) Alabama. I dunno, man, I like the QB but I don't love the QB.  Are we sure a 2-loss Bama side gets an invite to the playoff?

Bad beat

(10) Oklahoma. Well, they probably should've been the better team but they weren't. The Cowboys had a better season, making this a bad beat rather than a disappointment. 

Not so good

(2) Ohio State. Had to win this game but could not keep drives alive, could not keep up the scoring. First loss Ohio State has had to Michigan in a while. 

(14) Wisconsin. Ah, man, could've finished the season with a W over very-beatable Minnesota but came up short. 

(15) Texas A&M. Well, they beat Alabama, so....successful season. But, man, losing to a crappy LSU side to finish off the season does kinda suck, right?

(22) UT-San Antonio. Undefeated no more! That team that's been hanging around the top-20 all year long finally succumbed to the rigors of a tough college football season. UTSA, we hardly knew ye. 

  

Championship Week!

Conference USA -- Western Kentucky v UT-San Antonio (UTSA losing its undefeated season is a bummer but rallying to seal the conference championship will be a tasty finish to a good season)

Pac-12 -- (10) Oregon v (17) Utah (Utah stomped Oregon two weeks ago, I bet they do it again)

Big-12 -- (9) Baylor v (5) Oklahoma State (Baylor is nice but I think OSU is nicer; this could be a major high scoring shootout of a game)

Mountain West -- Utah State v (19) San Diego State (I mean, SDS, right?)

SEC -- (1) Georgia v (3) Alabama (I'll take UGA, they're not unbeatable but I think they're a more complete team than Alabama)

American Athletic Conference -- (21) Houston v (4) Cincinnati (should be a fun one, Houston's got nothing better to do than steal Cincy's soul; I'll take Cincinnati but that's an 11-game win streak against a 10-game win streak, so expect fireworks)

Big-10 -- (2) Michigan v (13) Iowa (Iowa has been too big for their britches all season, I thought the same of Michigan til last Saturday and now I'm all in on the Wolverines here)

ACC -- (15) Pittsburgh v (16) Wake Forest (two surprisingly good squads, this is gonna be a fun offensive contest and they seem very evenly matched to me, I have no idea who wins this)

My rankings

(1) Georgia, (2) Cincinnati, (3) Michigan, (4) Alabama, (5) Oklahoma State, (6) Notre Dame

Actually, I (mostly) agree with the powers-that-be at the moment. 

I think Georgia is still in the top 4 with an L to Alabama. 

But Cincinnati gets banished to the netherworld if they can't beat Houston. Cincy has been good all year but they haven't had a pressure cooker like this yet, are they up for it? 

Surely Iowa won't beat Michigan (right?). But if Michigan loses, Oklahoma State is ready to pounce on that playoff spot. 

I'd be inclined to slide Oklahoma State and Notre Dame ahead of Alabama if they lose to Georgia. (And do #5 and #6 automatically play each other? I kinda think Notre Dame can handle Alabama this year) 

Baylor could replace Oklahoma State in the top 6 with a win in the Big-12 Championship, but I don't see them jumping ahead of Notre Dame. 

And Notre Dame is done, so they can slide up (Michigan, Cincinnati, Alabama and Oklahoma State all have to keep winning), but I don't see them sliding down. 

I don't see how Ohio State finishes higher than #7 or Baylor higher than #6....unless there's a slew of major upsets this week.