Thinking out loud…while wondering if worrying actually works? Ninety percent of the things I worry about never happen.
Never fear, football is nearly here.
And football has never been more, um, ready for its fans. NFL revenue numbers show the league raised its national revenues during the pandemic to nearly $10 billion…consisting mainly of TV and sponsorship deals.
Local revenues aren’t shared across the league, consisting mainly of ticket, merchandise and concession sales. Green Bay (publicly owned) actually LOST nearly $140 million in local revenue, but it’s doubtful they’re worried.
The Packers’ investment fund gained nearly $100 million, and the NFL signed a new $113 billion media rights deal this past March. No one will go without in the Land of the Frozen Tundra…or anywhere else.
This week. Training camp. Guys who want to be here will be here. How many of them will we want to stick around? Few give this Patriots’ edition much of a chance to compete against the Bills and others in the AFC.
It’s great that we have so many experts laying it all out on the line before the first pad is popped in practice. Makes sense.
Here’s what I’m looking forward to following, in my 43rd year of covering the NFL – and my 31st at the Gillette Stadium mic: 1) Mac Jones’ leadership and continued improvement; 2) Do the Patriots have football players at linebacker, or track stars?; 3) Can anyone ascend into the playmaking role vacated by JC Jackson?
Jason McCourty retired this week after a 13-year career, with three of those spent years spent here with his brother Devin. He won a Super Bowl. And now he’s moving into TV on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
Asante Samuel is tired, frustrated, and lashing out. Admittedly, BB may have given up on him a bit too early. But the man is sorely misguided as he attempts to disparage his time spent in New England – and more importantly – discredit what he and his teammates accomplished while here.
Hey Asante? It’s not what have you done…but what have you done lately. And lately, you sound like a whiner. You had a very good career. Part of it was spent in New England. Things didn’t go exactly as you planned.
Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe…the reason BB let you go to Philly in ‘08 was because you didn’t believe in “no Patriot Way” as you told the “I Am Athlete” podcast? And maybe they didn’t want a malcontent or potential troublemaker hanging around? Just sayin’.
Deshaun Watson’s deal is likely to get messier by the day. He says he’ll sue if he’s forced to miss this season. Undoubtedly, there will be some sort of compromise on suspended games served that will be reached.
But he’s missed more than a full calendar year of the sport. Cleveland sank a ton into his (and their) future with an astronomical contract. And the Browns are now having to choose between Jacoby Brissett, and possibly A.J. McCarron and Josh Rosen.
The point of diminishing returns has arrived, and already left this port.
Maybe it’s just me. But LeBron James calling Celtics fans “racist as f***” shouldn’t have simply been dismissed as it was last week, should it?
I mean, did the Celtics defend themselves, or their fans? That’s shameful. What about the Red Sox? LeBron is an investor in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Sox. And nothing but crickets from Fenway.
What are our beloved pro teams saying with this silence?
Former Celtic Kendrick Perkins spoke up on the subject, finally, by telling HBO and ESPN audiences that “there’s racism everywhere.” That’s 100% truth. And that he spent 8-and-a-half years in Boston and never experienced it – although he was on the team.
Can some Boston fans hit below the belt? Of course. Like they do everywhere. But for someone of James’ stature in the sport, his rather flippant comment carries much more weight than it should. And perhaps that’s why the C’s and Sox are afraid to say anything.
Although it would be nice to know they support “most” of their fans, wouldn’t it?
So, I’ll say what they should have, at the very least. Not everyone in Boston is “racist as f***,” Mr. James. This is nothing more than perpetuating a long-held stereotype, for something that allegedly began decades ago by the owner of the organization you now hold a monetary interest in.
FSG should tell their esteemed partner to take a hike. But they won’t, because this is all about business and money and exposure and living the good life and building an empire.
I don’t think my professional partners would take too kindly to my calling them “racist as f***,” which is what James did. But I’m not LeBron James, of course, whose money and athletic stature apparently put him in a different stratosphere than most of us who must answer to others.
And the irony in this is, James just made it that much tougher on himself the next time he comes through this way. Because stupid is as stupid does…everywhere.
The NBA Summer League was a mixed bag for those with local ties this year – three pretty solid performances and three incompletes. David Duke (Brooklyn), Cole Swider (Lakers) and Jeff Dowtin (Toronto) all played like pros, like they belong – and Dowtin received a new, two-way contract from the Raptors in return.
They also might belong, but the incompletes came from former Friar AJ Reeves’ time spent with the Celtics…or lack thereof, getting into only two games. PC’s Justin Minaya played three games with Charlotte, shot 50% from the floor and averaged 4.3 points. Brown’s Tamenang Choh got into two games with Houston.
Disappointing, sure, but not entirely unproductive. Any time spent playing is time also spent in the eyes of others.
France’s AS Monaco resigned ex-Friar Alpha Diallo to a three-year deal this week, according to several Twitter sources. After leaving Greece’s Panathinaikos, Diallo averaged 11.3 points and 5.2 rebounds last year, making the 1st team of France’s Pro A League.
The rumors are out there. The Big East has had discussions/is having discussions with Gonzaga about joining the conference. Can’t provide specifics, other than to say there’s a good amount of chatter. Some of it is probably true.
And much of it isn’t. But the Big East wouldn’t be as successful in their second iteration as they are…unless due diligence was conducted.
Crazy? Maybe. Crazier not to at least investigate another potential seismic shift in the college landscape before it happens. ESPN and Fox have a vice grip on intercollegiate athletics today.
Not for nuthin’, but if Fox sez “jump,” the correct answer is “how high?”
The State of California wants to know why UCLA is moving to the Big Ten. Other than the obvious monetary reasons, Governor Gavin Newsome this week called out the Bruins for potentially damaging the fortunes of another California institution – Cal-Berkeley.
California could block UCLA’s move to an extent, even though athletic decisions are left at the university level and the state isn’t involved in those. But they could impose sanctions and fees that make a potential move more costly.
More NIL opportunities for student athletes is one of UCLA’s reasons for departing the Pac-12. But is NIL nothing more than legalized cheating?
Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin sez it is, telling reporters at the SEC Media Days, “It’s like a payroll in baseball. What teams win over a long period of time? Teams that have high payrolls and can pay players a lot. So we’re in a situation not any different than that.”
The NCAA Division I Council this week endorsed several changes, among them eliminating the blanket rule that prohibits a “free” transfer for an athlete-student (let’s call it what it now is, shall we?) more than once.
What does this mean? If athletes provide a written notice of transfer during a 60-day window following NCAA championship selections in that particular sport (think Selection Sunday)…they would be able to leave one school and become immediately eligible for another program. More than once.
Yup. A full-fledged collegiate free agency, with no restrictions and no waiting to become eligible. A scholarship would only be binding for the school, not the athlete. So let’s also call this what it would be – the professional minor leagues?
We’re in such a hurry to change sometimes, we lose our senses and our sensibilities.
Speaking of losing their sensibilities…the Red Sox are 5-12 in July after a stretch of May-into-June where they went 20-6. And they simply cannot beat anyone in the AL East with any regularity.
Tweet of the Week, from @BostonSportsInf: “Red Sox pitchers have allowed > 13 runs vs. the Yankees in 2 consecutive games for just the 4th time in history – 2022, 2008, 1978, 1956.”
ESPN Stats and Info had a good one this week: The Sox are 0-10-1 in series play against the AL East, which marks the FIRST time in team history they’ve gone without a series win against a division rival at the All-Star break. Whoa.
Going into Half Two, the Sox still face more series against the East Division (12) than they’ve already played (11). They’re currently two games out in the wild card race but have had the injury bug bite hard…including Chris Sale’s bad break.
So, let’s ask the question leading up to the Aug. 2 trade deadline: You buyin’ or sellin’?
Heart sez buy. Head sez sell. Especially if there’s a snowball’s chance to keep Devers and/or Bogaerts around. This weekend’s play against the Blue Jays may tip the scales one way or another.
Ok, All-Star game Likes & Dislikes: Like – the game itself. A pretty good one. Dislike – those uniforms that looked like they were from a low-rent beer league. Part of the charm has been to have players wear their actual unis – can’t we still do that with home/away uniforms?
Like – Home Run Derby. When there are players you recognize in it, it’s fun and engaging to watch. Like – the Ump Cams. The Mic’d Up interviews. Innovation and the ability to get you where you can’t normally go is all a huge plus.
Dislike – that the All-Star game no longer has any skin. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I liked the winner getting home field in the World Series. It’s simply back to being an exhibition now, like the other major sports.
At least it’s not the Pro Bowl, where they don’t hit or tackle.
And yet, MLB attendance overall is down 5% from last year, and the All-Star TV ratings are down a whopping 8% over their previous low. Clearly, the game needs more than Ump Cams to bring fans back.
MLB has agreed to pay $185 million to minor league players to settle a class-action lawsuit, with players seeking improved wages and compensation for ‘overtime’ violations. In turn, commissioner Rob Manfred rejected the notion that minor leaguers were not earning a “living wage.”
Is there, or has there been, a professional sport Grand Poobah more tone deaf than Manfred? Most minor leaguers make less than $15K per year. Manfred earns an $11 million annual salary.
You want to fix baseball’s issues? Start at the top and wait for the trickle-down to follow.
He rejected a $440 million deal from the Nationals. Who is going to pay Juan Soto?
Someone will. Just like the Mets paid (and are still paying) Bobby Bonilla. Stupidity and poor, knee-jerk decisions go hand-in-hand within baseball, like hot dogs and beer.
But I love this: Soto’s agent confirmed the Nationals refused to charter him a flight to take part in the home run derby this week, after he rejected their offer. Instead, he flew commercial…got to LA at 1:30 in the morning, then proceeded to WIN that HR derby.
Wanna feel old? The sons of Matt Holliday and Andruw Jones went one-two in the MLB draft.
Solid job by the local media in keeping up with the locals selected in the baseball draft later rounds. Four players with RI ties had their names called Tuesday: Ben Brutti from South Kingstown High School (11th round, Reds), Hendricken grad Tucker Flint (13th round, Angels), Ben Sears from East Providence HS and CCRI (14th round, Royals) and Salve Regina’s Dominic Perachi (11th round, Pirates).
Kudos to the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Hall of Fame Class of ’22, as announced this past week: Olympic swimmer Elizabeth Beisel, Cranston hockey official Frank Caparco, Smithfield and URI standout Margaret Conaty, Bristol three-sport star and Oakland A’s draft pick Manny DaSilva, Central Falls all-stater and CCRI star Claudia DeFaria, Cumberland HS all-American Kelli Fay-Wolfe…and Friar head basketball coach and former Central star Ed Cooley.
Some big talent in the littlest state, no? The induction ceremonies will take place in October, at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.
The Providence Bruins schedule for 2022-23 was released this week, and it is a strange one. They play only 10 of the other 31 AHL teams, out of 72 games total.
Nearly half of their games will be against Hartford, Springfield, and Bridgeport. Looks like they’ll at least be saving on travel expenses.
And congrats go out to a Rhody original on the ice, as Cranston’s David Quinn is re-employed in the NHL as a head coach – with the San Jose Sharks. Quinn, the former NY Rangers’ coach, was in the running for the Bruins’ gig based largely on his ability to ‘coach-up’ younger players. Thanks to our buddy Joey Mac for the heads up on this one.
One of the all-time Friar greats, John Egan, passed away this week at the age of 83. He came from Weaver HS in Connecticut and averaged nearly 21 points per game as a sophomore with Lenny Wilkens. Egan played for some of the first great Friar teams, winning the NIT (when it was the national championship) as a senior in 1961.
A second-team all-American, Egan was a second-round pick of the Detroit Pistons in ’61, and later became coach of the Houston Rockets…from 1972-76.
My buddy “Big E” is taking some time off. His mother Jan, who was my second mom growing up, passed away earlier this week at 85.
She was, in a word, great. As a mom, as a psychologist, as a church deacon and elder. She was respected. She made people happy. She made the “Big E,” the longest-standing best friend I have.
God bless you Jan. Love you and miss you.
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