WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHTS: CONDOLENCES IF YOU’RE NOT A SPORTS FAN
Game 7 of one of the all-time best World Series will be Wednesday night in Los Angeles and the Buffalo Bills will make a rare prime-time appearance Thursday night in New York against the Jets.
This is one of those times when many of us feel sorry for folks who don’t share our passion for sports. They don’t know what they’re missing.
I’ve watched or listened to more half of the World Series games ever played. That means I’m (1) old and (2) crazy about baseball. I watched my first World Series game at home on our black-and-white TV in 1954 and haven’t missed one since. Television. Radio. I even got to cover three World Series live for the newspaper.
My least-favorite World Series was played in 1919. I’m glad that was before my time because eight guys on the Chicago White Sox (the Black Sox) were in on a fix and who knows exactly what they did on the field to lose to underdog Cincinnati (captained by Rochester’s Heinie Groh).
My least-favorite World Series that I was alive to see was in 1966. I was a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Sandy Koufax was one of my heroes. And even back then I much preferred slugfests over pitching duels. Baltimore swept my Dodgers by scores of 5-2, 6-0, 1-0 and 1-0. The Dodgers batted .142 and the Orioles had a 0.50 ERA. Sandy lost Game 2 and never pitched again. An arthritic left elbow ended his career at age 30.
My two favorite World Series were in 1960 and 1969.
In 1960, Pittsburgh beat the New York Yankees in seven games. It was an amazing Series. The mighty Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27, including 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0 in their three victories. Pittsburgh’s four wins were by 6-4, 3-2, 5-2 and 10-9. Bill Mazeroski’s HR in the bottom of the ninth inning was the only time a Game 7 of a World Series was decided by a walk-off home run. It probably stamped Maz’s ticket to the Hall of Fame. Who could ever forget that hit? Not even the Yankees fans who tried to.
In 1969, I listened to the World Series in my hooch at LZ Sally. It was the closest I felt to home in my 12 months in South Vietnam. I was glued to every pitch and oblivious to my surroundings. For the record, the Miracle Mets upset the heavily-favored Baltimore Orioles in five games.
The first six games of the current World Series included two of the best baseball games -- period -- I’ve ever seen – Game 2 and Game 5. If Wednesday night’s Game 7 is nearly as compelling, I’ll be prepared to tout this as the all-time best World Series.
MESSAGE TO SEAN McDERMOTT: FROM TANKS TO THANKS
When the Buffalo Bills traded Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby during training camp, I was among the critics moaning that the new GM-coach team of Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott were in the process of tanking – diluting the roster to finish with a lousy record to assure a plum pick in the 2018 college draft. Preferably to use on one of the stud quarterbacks.
Most of those college QBs have disappointed so far this fall while the Bills arguably are the biggest surprise of this NFL season. They’d be 6-2 with a win Thursday night at the New York Jets and who could’ve dreamed that?
Tuesday afternoon’s trade for Carolina wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin was the latest proof that the Bills are trying to win – not starting in 2018 – but right now.
What’s not to like about this trade:
Benjamin immediately became Buffalo’s No. 1 wide receiver. He was leading the Panthers with 32 catches for 475 yards this season. Buffalo’s incumbent wide receivers combined have 45 catches for 594 yards.
You’d rather have Benjamin playing for the Bills than against the. In Week 2 of this season, he had 6 catches for 77 yards in Carolina’s 9-3 win over Buffalo. The Bills had a total of 7 catches for 66 yards from their wide receivers that afternoon.
He was selected by the Panthers No. 28 overall in the 2014 NFL college draft. The Bills selected Sammy Watkins No. 4 overall. Benjamin, who missed the entire 2015 season after knee surgery, and Watkins have remarkably similar career stats. Watkins now is trying to find his elusive stardom with the Los Angeles Rams:
Watkins in 44 career NFL games – 171 catches/2,723 yards/15.9-yard per catch/61.9 yards per game/19 TDs catches.
Benjamin in 40 career NFL games – 168 catches/2,424 yards/14.4 yards per catch/60.6 yards per game/18 TD catches. Aside from missing the entire 2015 season, he has been very durable.
Benjamin is a large target (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) for Tyrod Taylor. He can work the sidelines and – though not a true burner – can go deep to spread the defense.
The Bills have stockpiled draft picks and could afford to swap two picks in the 2018 draft -- a third-rounder and a seventh-rounder – for a better wide receiver than anyone they had on the roster. Now – when everyone is healthy – Buffalo has a presentable crew of receivers – Benjamin, Jordan Matthews, rookie Zay Jones, Andre Holmes, Deonte Thompson and Brandon Tate – plus tight ends Charles Clay, Nick O’Leary and Logan Thomas.
The presence of Benjamin eases the pressure on the other receivers and makes them all better. The added threat in the passing game should result in opposing defenses devoting less attention to running back LeSean McCoy.
The addition of Benjamin means the Bills won’t need to make wide receiver a high priority in the 2018 draft. The focus now could be on a quarterback and/or a defensive tackle.
Beane and McDermott were familiar with Benjamin as a player and as a person from their days together in Carolina. They obviously like his talent, attitude and work ethic.
Adding Benjamin wasn’t the only plus for Buffalo’s hopes for a playoff berth at Tuesday’s trade deadline. Offensively-challenged Miami swapped leading running back Jay Ajayi to Philadelphia for a fourth-round draft pick. In two games against the Bills last season, Ajayi rushed for 214 and 296 yards. Buffalo will play AFC East rival Miami December 17 and December 31. The Dolphins minus Ajayi figure to be easier to beat.
RESPECT IS GROWING FOR THE BILLS
The Buffalo Bills are gradually climbing up the assorted NFL Power Rankings. This week’s results:
Sporting News 8th
NFL.com 9th
CBS Sports 9th
Sports Illustrated 10th
USA Today 10th
FiveThirtyEight 10th
ESPN 11th
Yahoo 11th
SBnation 11th
Bleacher Report 12th.
The Bills would continue to advance with a road win over the Jets.
ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Buffalo a 61 percent chance to make the playoffs. FiveThirtyEight gives the Bills a 63. percent chance to make the playoffs, 21 percent to win the AFC East, 12 percent to get a first-round bye and 3 percent to win the Super Bowl.
THURSDAY NIGHT’S ”BEST BET”: BILLS (-3) TO BEAT JETS
The Buffalo Bills beat the New York Jets 21-12 at New Era Field in this season’s opener September 10 and figure to repeat in a rare prime-time appearance Thursday night.
The resourceful Bills have worked too hard to suffer a letdown in this spot and coach McDermott is sure to remind them that they’re not good enough to take any opponent lightly.
The Jets are 5-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games at MetLife Stadium but the Bills are 6-2 outright and ATS in the last 8 meetings and are an NFL-best 5-1-1 ATS this season.
The “Best Bet”” Buffalo (-3) 24, New York Jets 13.
SU LOOKS LIKE A LIVE LONG SHOT VS. FLORIDA STATE
Syracuse is having a considerably better football season than Florida State, but the host Seminoles are favored by 4 points Saturday. Reputation has a lot to do with it. Florida State is supposed to be better than SU in football.
But these are not your typical Jimbo Fisher Seminoles.
Here are a few reasons why I believe the Orange will pull off the upset:
SU is 4-4 and in decent shape for the six wins to clinch a spot in one of the 39 bowl games. The four remaining games for the Orange are Florida State, home against Wake Forest, at defensively-challenged Louisville at home against dangerous Boston College.
(There is a chance SU could get a bowl bid of it finishes the regular season with a losing record and fewer than 78 teams have six wins. The victory over Clemson would make the Orange an attractive 5-7 team).
Florida State could be demoralized coming off an embarrassing 35-3 loss at Boston College. The Seminoles are 2-5 and their streak of 35 straight bowl games is in jeopardy. They’re 0-3 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee and the home fans could be ready to turn on them is they get off to a sluggish start.
SU has a big edge at quarterback with Eric Dungey. Florida State lost star QB Deondre Francois to a season-ending injury in the opening game loss to Alabama. Freshman James Blackmon has struggled.
Florida State has a good defense (allowing 347.3 yards per game; 31st among the 129 PBS teams), but SU isn’t far behind (allowing 367.9 yards per game; 45th).
SU has a much great advantage on offense. The Orange average 455 yards per game (29th) and the Seminoles average only 335.6 yards per game (113th). SU has 25 TDs and Florida State has 11.
SU ranks 59th in scoring (29.8 points per game) and Florida State ranks 122nd (17.4 points per game.
SU has a minus-5 turnover margin but Florida State is minus-10 (126th in the country).
The Orange is coming off a bye week and the time off should be good for Dungey and several teammates who were nursing injuries. Defensive end Kendall Coleman in expected to play for the first time since the loss to LSU.
SU already upset then second-ranked defending national champion Clemson this season. So why not upset Florida State?
Bob’s pick: Syracuse 24, Florida State 20.
A HEAPING HELPING OF NFL FACTS AND STATS
Tom Brady (New England) had his fifth 300-yard passing performance of the season last week. He has 81 career 300-yard games.
Linebacker Zach Brown (Washington) leads the NFL with 75 tackles. Last season, with the Buffalo Bills, he ranked second in the NFL with 149 tackles.
Running back Adrian Peterson has one big game (26-for-164 yards with 2 TDs) and then one lousy game (11 carries for 21 yards and 0 TDs) for the Arizona Cardinals.
Cleveland leads the NFL – honest -- in fewest yards allowed per rush.
The Browns have lost 25 straight Sunday games. That’s a bad trend because they hardly ever play any other day or night.
Rookie Deshaun Watson (Houston) leads the NFL in Total QBR at 81.8, followed by Dak Prescott (Dallas) 73.9, Carson Wentz (Philadelphia) 70.5 and Tom Brady (New England). Tyrod Taylor (Buffalo) is 17th at 52.2.
New England is averaging only 21.8 points in the last four games.
San Francisco is 0-8 for the first time in franchise history.
Seattle leads the NFL with 66 penalties (in only 7 games).
On reason New Orleans has won five straight games and Drew Brees is playing terrific: the Saints have allowed an NFL-low 7 sacks.
Not surprisingly, there have been 772 penalties on home teams and 861 on road teams.
SHORT SHOTS
I’m pretty sure FOX has invited Vin Scully to the TV booth to call the final out if the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series Wednesday night. He’ll turn 90 on November 29.
FiveThirtyEight computerized probabilities to win Super Bowl 52: Patriots 18 percent...Chiefs 16 percent...Steelers 11 percent...Eagles 10 percent...Seahawks 8 percent...Saints 7 percent...Vikings 6 percent...Falcons 5 percent...Bills, Cowboys, Packers each 3 percent...Panthers, Rams, Jaguars each 23 percent.
No big surprises, but Baseball America’s 2017 Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player is Jose Altuve (Houston) and the MLB Rookie of the Year is Aaron Judge (New York Yankees).
Is it just me, or is the plan to reduce the lanes on East Avenue one of the dumbest things around here since the big boat was supposed to have equal traffic between Rochester and Toronto. A few decades from now they’ll probably spend a fortune to add lanes again.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Wednesday, November 1
Chinanu Onuaku (21)...Alex Wimmers (29)...Matt Moulson (34)...Coco Crisp (38)...Tie Momi (48)...Steve Hutchinson (50)...Fernando Valenzuela (57)...Phil Myre (69)...Gary Player (82).
Thursday, November 3
Jordan Howard (23)...Jimmy Garappolo (26)...Danny Amendola (32)...Yunel Escobar (35)...Roddy White (36)...Matt Cullen (41)...Corbin Lacina (47)...Sam Horn (54)...Bruce Bumgartner (57)...Mark May (58)...Willie McGee (59)...Larry Little (72)...Dave Stockton (76)...Ken Roswall (83).