Thinking out loud…while wondering whatever happened to Peter Frampton…
- Two thoughts from the late T. Boone Pickens, a business magnate, oil tycoon and huge Oklahoma State booster who passed away a couple of weeks ago, that ring true and seem especially appropriate today: 1) "A good work ethic is critical."
- And 2) "Don't think competition is bad but play by the rules. I loved to compete and win. I never wanted the other guy to do badly; I just wanted to do a little better than he did."
- Do you think Mr. Pickens could also have included 'use common sense, and learn when to step away from the keyboard and social media?'
- Is it just me, or does it seem as if the NFL is separated into the "haves" and "have nots" this year?
- On the field, and off – there's a few more "nots" in there than anyone bargained for.
- 11 days. One game. Has anyone in that short amount of time left such a mess in his wake as Antonio Brown?
- Another day, another drama. There's a pattern here. He's no angel. And before you get the idea I'm honking for the team on this – fuhgeddaboudthat. If AB is a rotten apple, he should be jettisoned from the bunch before he spoils the rest.
- His position on the team was pure football bidness, and nothing but football bidness.
- Did Brown's presence make the football team better? They weren't too bad without him, either. But now, until (and if) N'Keal Harry returns, the Patriots are short(er) on depth at the position.
- From a football POV, this might not have been the best move. Socially? Morally? Internally? Monetarily? He was due a $5 million payment Monday. You tell me.
- Phillip Dorsett is sneaky good at what he does. Good at running routes, better-than-advertised hands, deceptive speed. He causes opposing defenses to choose their poison when it comes to manning up or doubling his teammates.
- Please don't worry about Stephen Gostkowski. At least, not yet. I mean, who ya' gonna get to replace him – that's any better than he is? Just sayin'.
- If you absolutely feel the need to worry about something, worry about the offensive line. Three-fifths of the original starters are down, and they've installed a revolving door in and out of the Patriot locker room to accommodate that transient nature.
- But will you bet against OL coach Dante Scarnecchia (aka the Hog Whisperer) figuring it out?
- That defense though. Best ever under Bill Belichick? There's a lot of football to be played between now and January, but with relative health – it certainly might be the best seen here in 60 seasons of New England history.
- Why? Depth. Better speed. Athleticism that didn't previously exist in a couple of places. Desire. And culture, of course.
- How far the mighty have fallen on South Beach. A former House of Horrors (remember last season's Miami Miracle?) was only horrible for the Fins last Sunday. Head coach and ex-Patriot Brian Flores might have also had a message sent his way – "what the **** were you thinking?"
- Not for nuthin', but J-E-T-S week just doesn't have the same vibe when they S-U-C-K.
- Tough to think that after just two weeks, there are more than a few NFL teams already relegated to also-ran status. There's some bad football out there.
- Quarterback is officially back on the endangered species list, as Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Nick Foles can attest. The Jets are down to a 3rd stringer this week. Eli Manning has been cast out to pasture.
- And yet, no one has a spot (yet) for Colin Kaepernick. Nor will they.
- Pass interference challenges still don't make any sense, based on early returns. I don't expect things will improve much – in fact, those calls will probably get worse before they get better.
- So let's solve the problem. Give coaches two opportunities to challenge ANY call they wish. Just two. You'll find games proceed more smoothly, on time and without nearly as much confusion from the zebras. You're welcome.
- Congratulations to PC's Ed Cooley, who will be going into Stonehill College's Athletic Hall of Fame on November 1st. Cooley is, you might recall, a '94 Stonehill grad and one-time assistant coach there as he began his career after graduating from Providence's Central High School.
- Bishop Hendricken basketball coach and athletic director Jamal Gomes is a '95 Stonehill grad, and he is also going into their Athletic Hall of Fame this year. That's a heckuva Hall combo, right there. GoodjobouttaStonehill.
- The expectations are building – if they haven't already – for the Friars. Senior forward Alpha Diallo was chosen as a preseason 3rd team all-American this week by Street & Smith magazine.
- On the first and second teams? Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander, with Marquette's Markus Howard also on the 3rd team. Strangely, no mention of Seton Hall's Myles Powell. Everyone in the league has talent. But those guys can carry teammates on their shoulders – and may have to.
- Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not seeing Xavier as highly ranked as some other prognosticators have the Musketeers. Just because they have several returning players doesn't mean they'll automatically be successful – something the Friars will also need to remember.
- The Big East held its' annual Freshmen Fundamentals program last weekend in New York. The lineup of former players speaking to them alone (Ryan Arcidiacono, Tarik Turner, Donny Marshall) would be enough to get my attention. And I think that's the point.
- Did you see where Rick Pitino and Louisville kissed and made up this week? Apparently there was no cash exchanged, but Pitino's record at the school will be amended to now say he resigned his position as head coach, rather than having been fired for his involvement in corruption and a recruiting scandal.
- Pitino has also dropped his multi-million dollar lawsuit against the school. So he's cleared his deck. Anyone else think he'll be back in the college game coaching again by next season?
- Mike Yastrzemski's Fenway debut this past week for the SF Giants had me thinking that old Bob Lobel line – "why can't we get players like that?" Then I realized, the Sox had actually drafted Yaz's grandson in 2009, in the 36th round.
- Instead, he chose college and left for Vanderbilt. Such a cool, feel-good story for an Andover native and St. John's Prep grad that you didn't necessarily mind the home run he hit happened TO the Sox, and not FOR the Sox, did you?
- The ProJo's Bill Koch had a good summation piece this week on the seasons' that Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers have had. First teammates to each reach 30 home runs and 50 doubles in the same year. So why did this season turn out as such a crushing disappointment?
- Point all fingers – and attention – toward the pitching staff, and the treatment of said pitching staff this season by coaching and management. It was an unmitigated disaster, save for Eduardo Rodriguez. 27 blown saves (so far) for a bullpen (T-5th in MLB) that has performed more like a blowpen.
- Throw in the injury issues with Chris Sale and David Price, it's no wonder these Sox stink a mere 11 months after winning it all.
- Is Christian Vazquez really as good as his numbers this year say he is, or is he a beneficiary of the juiced baseball? I'm thinking the latter, what about you?
- Giants' manager Bruce Bochy won his 2000th career game as a manager Wednesday night at the Sox' expense. And yet, for his entire career, he's still lost more than he's won. Hall of Famer?
- Three World Series titles as a skipper says he is, likely.
- As Bruins camp and preseason are underway, the re-signing of Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, with a limited amount of cap room, is a good first step toward building for another Cup run.
- Now, if they can do something about an offensive attack that has been known to take naps, we might have something.
- Coventry, RI resident Mike Stefanik should someday soon be in NASCAR's Hall of Fame, largely for his 74 career victories on the circuit's Modified Tour. Tragically, Stefanik lost his life last week, crashing in an Ultralight, single-passenger airplane on the RI-CT border. He was 61.
- Brown opens its 142nd season of football at Bryant Saturday, with the Bulldogs in just their 21st. But Bryant already has three games in hand this year, even though they're 0-3 under new head coach Chris Merritt. Merritt has his gig because Bryant's coach last year – is now at Brown.
- James Perry returned to his alma mater after two seasons in Smithfield, 20 years removed from leading the Bears to an Ivy title in 1999. Another Perry may lead these Bears on the field this year – James' nephew E.J., a QB who transferred from Boston College.
- Déjà vu, all over again? You want plots and subplots in your storyline, you might want to visit Beirne Stadium Saturday afternoon. It shouldn't be boring.
- Nor should URI at UNH, with both teams looking for their first wins of the young season. Redshirt junior QB Vito Priore (now that sounds like a RI kid, even though he's from Atlanta) is #2 among all quarterbacks in the FCS, averaging 360.5 yards passing per game through his first two.
- URI already scored big this week, receiving a gift from Tom and Cathy Ryan (CVS CEO) of $35 million – with some of the funds earmarked for a potential new hoop facility for the men's and women's programs. It's the largest private donation in school history.
- You're missing out if you're not paying at least a little attention to the national college football picture. Yeah, it's Clemson and Alabama and the rest of 'em…but UCF is threatening – again – to be the cockroach at the College Football Playoff picnic.
- HBO's 24/7 series is officially moving onto college football – starting next month. Florida, Penn State, Arizona State and Washington State (with the ever-quotable Mike Leach) will each get a sneak-peek week, Hard Knocks style.
- The Fenway Bowl? It'll be a reality for Fenway Park, beginning in 2020. As if we needed more bowl game opportunities. Look, I actually love bowl games. I don't love 6-6 teams getting into those bowl games.
- Sounds to me as if this will be the proverbial "cushion" for Boston College to fall back upon, in case the Eagles are snubbed (or don't qualify) for a bigger game. Billed as an ACC vs. AAC matchup, I can't wait to see that titanic Georgia Tech vs. Tulane encounter. Yeah, that'll go over big.
- BC vs. UConn certainly might sell regionally, someday. Wait, wut?
- Last week, we mentioned rock icon Eddie Money's passing. This week, it was "The Cars" singer and guitarist Ric Ocasek who left us at age 75. Ocasek and The Cars were rightfully inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame last year, based on not just their talent but also on their sales and marketability to a consuming public.
- 13 Top 40 hits in nine years says a lot. Five Top 10 albums on Billboard's charts. He and the late Ben Orr got together in Boston in the '70's and started out as a group known as "Milkwood." That didn't really set the night on fire, did it?
- But "The Cars" were energetic and fun. It was magic. Shake it up, and let the good times roll.
- Long time veteran news reporter and political commentator Cokie Roberts passed away this week at age 75, after a battle with breast cancer. By most accounts, not only was she talented – but also tough. And fair.
- She was never afraid to mix it up with 'the boys' within political discussion circles, and more than held her own every time. She should have – Cokie was a daughter to a father and mother who were both former Louisiana politicians. At one time in the '90's, Roberts seemed like she was connected to just about anyone and everyone who made the news.
- Veteran NBC news reporter Sander Vanocur also passed away this week, at age 91. Watching his live reports from political convention floors, specifically in 1968, are what initially drew my interest into news and the reporting of news as a potential career option.
- Two more pertinent thoughts from the late T. Boone Pickens: 1) "Embrace change. Although older people (he was 91) are generally threatened by change, young people loved me because I embraced change rather than run from it. Change creates opportunity."
- 2) "Be humble. I always believed the higher a monkey climbs in the tree, the more people below can see his ass. You don't have to be that monkey."
- If you were saddened by the deaths of Eddie Money and Ric Ocasek recently, you're probably equally saddened by the current plight of Grammy Award-winning guitarist Peter Frampton. Frampton just played the Garden in New York as a part of his final tour – after 50 years of wowing music-lovers with his talents.
- Frampton announced as he began his tour this would be his final go-round, as he has myositis, a rare and incurable inflammatory condition that causes muscles to slowly weaken. Not the best news for a guitarist, or for anyone else. He was originally diagnosed four years ago, but when he could feel his fingers being affected by the disease, he knew it was time to give it up.
- He concludes his tour – and his career – next month near San Francisco, where he began it all by recording "Frampton Comes Alive" in 1976, one of the best-selling live albums of all time. Peter Frampton is 69 years old, and a walking, talking and still-strumming-and-singing example of why older age is not for the weak. Or timid. He hasn't said goodbye or 'farewell' at any stop on his tour, nor should he.
- Todd in Ohio posted on Facebook, as to a question posed this week on whether Antonio Brown's antics were tiresome: "John, as a Pats fan living in the Cincinnati area, I get a lot of guff. I just smile and laugh and say 'that's ok,' put up six fingers and walk away proudly."
- Todd: At some point, and maybe we're not quite there yet, AB's actions will speak louder than his words. Trust me, I was all for the team signing his football talents. It's the other baggage that comes along for the ride that should concern all of us as fans – including the damage to a brand redeveloped over the past 20 years that has taken on a few more dents over the past few weeks.
- Interested in having your questions on local Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Send 'em to me! It's your chance to "think out loud," so send your questions, comments and local stories to jrooke@weei.com. We'll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/Tweets right here! Follow me on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
Don't forget to tune into Providence's 103.7 FM, every Saturday from 7:00-9:00 am for Cordischi and Coit! Call in at 401-737-1287 or text at 37937.
