YOU MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH ME BUT…
I understand why many NFL media folks in western New York are hoping the Buffalo Bills can find a better starting quarterback than Tyrod Taylor for the 2017 season. But when the name Jay Cutler starts popping up, I’m more convinced than ever that Taylor would not be missed until he were gone. It the Chicago Bears no longer want Cutler, how good can he be? And with his sour-puss demeanor, how quickly would the WNY fans and media turn on him if he were to start slowly?
(Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
Pro Football Focus suggested the best free agent for each of the 32 NFL teams to pursue. Buffalo’s suggested target was wide receiver DeSean Jackson. What’s not to like? Last season, with the Washington Redskins, he led the NFL with 579 yards on 16 deep receptions. He’d be a terrific complement to Sammy Watkins, and Pro Football Focus notes, “If Tyrod Taylor returns as QB, he throws one of the better deep balls in the league.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he thinks the NBA-Develop League (soon-to-be the NBA Gatorade League) will have 30 teams in the near future. I still don’t think Rochester could support a G-League team. Schedule too long. Amerks/Knighthawks/RazorSharks would get prime dates. Lots of NBA games on TV. Long-gone NBA Royals and CBA Zeniths were lost for lack of fan support.
If Carmelo winds up with the Los Angeles Clippers before Thursday, I’ll add the Clippers (assuming Chris Paul comes back 100 percent healthy) to my short list of teams capable of winning the 2017 NBA championship – the Clippers, Golden State, San Antonio and Cleveland.
I didn’t watch the NBA Skills Challenge Saturday night, but after learning that Kristaps Porzingis won the competition, I’m pretty sure defensive rebounding was not one of the skills being contested.
It is sad to see the lack of firepower on the Rochester Knighthawks. The K-Hawks have a National Lacrosse League-worst 2-6 record, have been outscored by a league-most 27 goals (100-73) and are averaging a league-low 9.1 goals per game. This is looking more and more like a rare rebuilding season. Owner/GM Curt Styres knows how to build a team. The K-hawks should be back on track and an elite NLL team again fairly soon.
I don’t understand the outcry against the MLB experiment in two rookie leagues this summer to start every half-inning of tie games after the regulation ninth with a runner on second base. The idea, of course, is to more quickly score runs to determine a winner. What’s wrong with that?
I wonder how many local golf fans have lost all interest in the LPGA Tour since we lost one of the most loyal and best-attended stops on the circuit. I know I have.
The New England Patriots reportedly are prepared to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft. The Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears are the most likely to land Tom Brady’s 25-year-old backup. Getting Garoppolo out of New England would be a plus for the long-term prospects of the other three AFC East teams.
21 years after coaching the 1996 Rochester Americans to our city’s sixth and most-recent Calder Cup, John Tortorella is proving he hasn’t lost his touch this season with the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets (37-15-5 record, including 16-7-4 on the road).
JOE LUNARDI STILL LIKES SYRACUSE
Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange lost 71-65 Sunday at 3-point underdog Georgia Tech, but ESPN Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi hasn’t given up on SU as a potential NCAA Tournament team.
Syracuse 16-12, including 8-7 in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference. Lunardi still projects 10 ACC teams going to the Big Dance. He says SU is one of the four “on the bubble” teams, with California, USC and Kansas State. He has SU (12 seed) playing Wisconsin (5 seed) in Buffalo in the NCAA first round.
SU lost Sunday mainly because Georgia Tech’s Ben Lammers (23 points, 11-of-18, and 7 blocked shots) outplayed SU’s slumping (and tired?) Tyler Lydon (7 points, 3-of-11, including a few misses from close-in) and 15 rebounds) in the battle of sophomore big men. SU point guard John Gillon also was off form. His travel call with seven seconds left in the first half and SU up by six points turned into a slim 3-point lead at halftime.
SU missed 15 of its first 17 field-goal tries in the second half, fell way behind and couldn’t quite catch up despite another gritty comeback try. A marginal illegal screen call on Tyler Roberson with the Orange down by two points killed the rally.
So SU remains on thin ice for an NCAA bid. The three games remaining on the regular-season schedule are home against Duke Wednesday (a win would offset Sunday’s loss at Georgia Tech – but Duke is healthy and playing well), at Louisville Feb. 26 (good luck) and the rematch vs. Georgia Tech March 4 at the Carrier Dome.
A 2-1 record in those three games plus at least one win in the ACC tournament should be good enough for an NCAA tournament bid. Anything less probably would not be.
ANTONIO INOKI’S BIRTHDAY INSPIRES MEMORIES OF…
Japanese pro wrestling legend Antonio Inoki turns 74 on Monday. His birthday reminds me of one of the worst scams in “sports” history.
Before anyone shells out big bucks for the proposed “fight” between undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., and popular UFC magpie Conor McGregor, ESPN should as a public service show the “clash” between Inoki and Muhammad Ali, June 26, 1976, in Tokyo.
That “fight” more than 40 years ago was seen in 34 countries, with an estimated audience of 1.4 billion. Seldom have so many people wasted so much time and money in pursuit of entertainment.
Ali was at his best in the pre-fight buildup. He nicknamed Inoki, who has a prominent chin, “The Pelican.” Ali pledged, “This will be no Pearl Harbor.”
Shortly before the showdown, there was a significant change in the rules: Inoki could only throw a kick if one of his knees was on the ground.
The “match” went the full 15 rounds. Ali landed a total of six “punches” on Inoki, with no apparent damage. For most of the “fight”, Inoki was on his backside in a defensive position – repeatedly kicking at Ali’s legs.
The whatever-it-was ended iwith Inoki leading 6-3 on points. But e points for Inoli were deducated for “fouls.” Thus the result officially was a draw. It was not a popular decision.
After the result was announced, saving face for both contestants, Ali skipped the press conference and went to the hospital to have his swollen legs checked out. He had abrasions and two blood clots.
The fans in the arena threw rubbish into the ring and screamed for their money back. To no avail.
Ali and Inoki both made lots of money and became close friends for life.
Would anyone be surprised if Mayweather vs. Conor would be another fiasco a la Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki?
NBA ALL-STAR GAME IS A SHAM
West 192, East 182. A record 374 points. Four quarters of matador defense. Uncontested three-point shots from the perimeter. A Dunk-A-Thon.
That was Sunday night’s 66th NBA All-Star Game.
I watched. Nothing else was on. But I didn’t enjoy it. Did you? This wasn’t a real basketball game. It was the greatest players in the world having fun and showing off their amazing physical skills.
With 10:03 remaining in the THIRD quarter, Steph Curry’s two-point basket gave the west a 104-99 lead. They were the 202nd and 20rd points in the game.
In the 1956 NBA All-Star Game in Rochester’s new War Memorial, a crowd of 8,517 saw 203 points in the ENTIRE GAME. The West won 108-94 and both teams played honest defense and really wanted to win.
How to “fix” the NBA All-Star Game now? I have no idea. The players make so much money that I can’t imagine any financial incentives doing the trick.
At least it tops the NFL Pro Bowl in my rankings of the All-Star Games in the four major North American team sports: 1—baseball (by a lot; but far from perfect – trim the rosters and let the best players play most of the game)…2-NHL (latest format; 3-on-3)…3-NBA…4-NFL.
SHORT SHOTS
Latest odds from OddsShark on the hypothetical showdown: Floyd Mayweather bet $1,400 to win $100; Conor McGregor bet $100 to win $750.
ixed-martial arts are coming to Buffalo – UFC 210 at Key Bank Center, April 8. Main events are Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Thiago Alves vs. Patrick Cote.
Rochester Red Wings Hall of Famer Bowie Clark is the new assistant major league hitting coach for the Baltimore Orioles. Good luck teaching Chris Davis how not to strike out.
One day after George “The Animal” Steele died last Friday at age 79, another famous aging former pro wrester – Ivan Koloff, passed away at age 74. “The Russian Bear” was Montreal native Oreal Perras. The highlight of his pro wrestling career was ending Bruno Sammartino’s 7 ½-reign as WWWF heavyweight champion in 1971 at Madison Square Garden.
HBO Sports, WWE and the Bill Simmons Media Group are combining for a documentary on the life and times of pro wrestling legend Andre The Giant. It should be a classic.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO…Monday, February 20 -- Luis Severino (23)…Jurickson Profar (24)…Brian McCann (33)…Justin Verlander (34)…Stephon Marbury (40)…Christian Ruuttu (53)…Charles Barkley (54)…Antonio Inoki (74)…Phil Esposito (75)…Roger Penske (80). Rihanna (29), Cindy Crawford (51), Ivana Trump (68) and Sidney Poitier (90) are invited to the birthday party.
Tuesday, February 21 – Franklin Gutierrez (34)…Donte Greene (39)…Alan Trammell (59)…Boston sports columnist Bob Ryan (71)…Red Wings Hall of Famer tommy Shopay (72).