SU is looking forward to this week’s World Series between the Cubs and Indians. For MLB, they have really lucked out after what have been 3 weeks of low drama series. Yankee fans are excited as we have provided each team with its closer – a small contribution to this year’s post-season.
If you look at the Cubs’ roster, it’s interesting that they went young for their position players but have mainly put the pitching staff together through free agency and trades. Is this the model for other teams? If you look at what Cashman has done of late, he seems to be following the Theo Epstein model in Chicago as most of the prospects appear to be position players (although I suppose some could be traded for pitchers in the future). The Indians are a bunch of no-name younger players who play together as a team. On paper, you have to give the nod to the Cubs but it feels like this series will go 6 or 7 games as the Indians have that lights out bullpen. If nothing else, it’s a welcome distraction from other things for a week or so.
SU watched a lot of NFL football yesterday. My takeaways:
- The Giants must be the worst 4-3 team in the NFL. Winning ugly is too kind for them. They have no rhythm offensively and their defense struggles with getting off the field on 3rd down. As a fan, you take it but it’s hard to see them going anywhere this season.
- You have to feel bad for Geno Smith. Dude finally gets his shot and then goes down to injury. The Jets should go with one of their youngsters for the remainder of the season as Fitzpatrick is only a stop gap and this season is already lost.
- Whatever happened to the sure thing NFL kickers? Did you see the end of the Seattle – Arizona game? Each kicker missed short field goals to win the game in overtime. It almost feels like the veteran kickers (Matt Bryant, Adam Vinatieri, etc.) can kick into their 40s like left-handed relievers in baseball while the young guys don’t have the nerve to be successful in the NFL.
- The quality of play league-wide is lacking. Seriously lacking. And is it just me, or have the refs stopped calling pass interference when the defender grabs the arm of the receiver before the ball arrives? I feel like there were a ton of these no-calls over the weekend and the announcers basically just agreed with the refs.
The NBA starts this week and SU will be coming out with its fearless predictions soon. All eyes will be on Golden State and their stacked roster but as we know, stuff happens and Draymon Green is a bomb waiting to go off. If anything can derail the Warriors it’s him.
Finally, how does Ohio State lose to Penn State? Nothing against the Nittany Lions, but they are not a good team this year. And all of a sudden they are ranked in the top 25? Wow. Ohio State’s loss shouldn’t impact what will hopefully be an exciting match up with Michigan in November as they can still go to the Big Ten Championship game. But their roster is stacked – hard to see how they lost over the weekend.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Funny that you mentioned it seems “the refs stopped calling pass interference when the defender grabs the arm of the receiver before the ball arrives”. I was at the Jet game yesterday and mentioned in the 4th quarter that it seemed unusual that there were not any pass interference calls in the game.
Alan, there were definitely some on the other games. I think the refs are always behind the receiver/defender and can’t see the grab by the defender on these long pass plays down the sidelines. The backs are getting smarter and have figured out that they can grab the one arm and not be detected in live action. I guess the trick is to not have so many penalties called after receivers wave their arms for the flag and try and get them right. But from what I am seeing, the refs aren’t getting them right as of now and a lot of big calls are going against the receivers late in games.
The refs need to get smarter on these PI no calls. Two weeks ago on the Julio Jones no call didn’t any of the refs find it strange that Julio didn’t try to catch the pass with two hands? The assumption in that case especially for a receiver of that caliber should be that he was interfered with and then turn it over on a reply. That is a better solution than being able to request a review on a no call.
I agree with the smart move being the Jets trying out one of their new kids. Geno is not the answer (and gets hurt every time he enters the game) and Fitz has proven that the $12MM he got was about $10MM too much. Unless they run the table (unlikely) they are out of the playoffs already.
I believe we are going to see the day in the not too distant future where pass interference calls, even on a limited basis like once per game, can be challenged using the replay system…too many crucial plays not being called, tough call for the officials sometimes…and while it won’t happen in college, and it never should have come down to it, Penn State got away with one on Ohio State’s last drive that would have given them a first down before the back to back sacks (the one that hit the WR in the helmet), and Darboh had his arm grabbed in the end zone on a potential TD pass as well.