Thinking out loud…while wondering if my resolution to read more this year can include reading the subtitles on the TV?
• I don't know about you, but as far as 2021's big sports stories to remember? This Covid thing, and our adaptation to it, is going to be hard to forget.
• The Big East rescheduling policy gives full authority to the league to reschedule games, unlike last year when schools were included in the process. Some games will undoubtedly need to be played on campus gyms if arenas aren't available. And TV will be a strong factor – Fox wants them televised.
• The pecking order for rescheduling is chronological, so first games postponed are the first to be re-set. Georgetown at Providence stands a good chance of being rescheduled soon, pending the health of the Hoyas.
• Teams cannot play three games in a week for two straight weeks. Play three this week? Just two games the following week.
• And, no back-to-back games on consecutive days.
• This week's update on guidelines from the CDC should help, with quarantines lasting five days for positive tests instead of 10. But pay attention – it could all change again on less-than-a-moments' notice.
• The ACC already has added shorter isolation periods for its' athletes who test positive. Other conferences are sure to follow similarly.
• Not for nuthin', but more than 80 college basketball programs have been on a Covid 'pause' thus far. Including at Boston College, which appears to have done a good job of NOT protecting anyone. Football – wiped out with 40+ positives while ON SITE at their bowl game, which was canceled.
• BC hockey was shut down for 18 days. Basketball has been on 'pause' this week, and sources indicate their issues started with the coaching staff spreading the virus to the players.
• Will there be a spring in Chestnut Hill? Just sayin.'
• Former Friar basketball player, current coordinator of student-athlete mentoring, and PC development officer Harold Starks has been fighting a long, hard battle with Covid. "H," thoughts and prayers are with you, my friend. Be well, soon.
• The first matchup of two Top 25 teams at the Dunk came Wednesday night, and the Friars were up to the task. Yes, Seton Hall missed a couple of inside players due to Covid protocol.
• And I've always been of the opinion it's better to be a little bit lucky than a little bit good. It just so happens these Friars are a little bit of both. Breaks go both ways – take them as you get them.
• The Pirates are legit Top 25. Jared Rhoden is a future pro. But Justin Minaya wore on him like a glove Wednesday night. And Noah Horchler – when he shoots it well – makes PC tough to beat.
• 21st ranked Providence is the first team to five Quad 1 wins this season – home wins over Top 30 teams, neutral wins over Top 50, road wins over Top 75. As of Friday, no one else in the nation had FOUR Quad 1 wins – and PC could conceivably bag two more in the next week with roadies at DePaul and Marquette coming up.
• Buckle up, Friars. This could be a helluva ride this season. But wear your masks for the trip.
• Elsewhere in the Big East, UConn, Xavier and Butler were canceled this week, and Dan Hurley tested positive for Covid. DePaul, St. John's and Georgetown have also all shut down in the past couple of weeks due to positive tests.
• And this ain't an issue for just the guys – Covid is proving to be non-discriminatory. UConn's women have been out, too.
• As have PC's women (cancellations at Xavier and Butler this week) and URI's women. Both URI teams lost Atlantic-10 games this week against Dayton, and the league revised its' Covid protocol policy like the ACC's.
• Forfeits, however, are still on the A-10 table if a team chooses not to play a game with a shortened (but otherwise healthy) roster.
• Love Mike Martin's attitude at Brown. Scheduling up after a cancellation didn't gain much with a loss at Syracuse, but it's a trip that could pay dividends down the road. Then, playing at Maryland was a bit closer, but still an 81-67 loss to a Big 10 behemoth.
• And Bryant finally opened NEC play Wednesday night at Central Connecticut after an 18-day layoff with a win. The road to March Madness should have plenty of speed bumps and potholes again this year.
• 16th ranked PC hockey battled to a 2-2 tie with Wisconsin in the Holiday Faceoff title game this week in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum – where the basketball Friars will play Marquette next week. They lost the shootout 2-1.
• Now, John Madden. Is there a single name more synonymous with football?
• Oh, there are some big, famous names associated with the game and the sport, sure. But did any one man mean more to the coaching AND broadcasting profession in the sport?
• And to the business world surrounding the sport, through his influence in gaming? EA Sports' "Madden" video game series is responsible for millions of fans being introduced to the sport and generating more than $7 billion in revenue. Qualifies as a 'whoa' for me.
• Coach Madden passed away this week at age 85. The word 'icon' doesn't do his name justice.
• Arguably, his greatest fame as a broadcaster came by way of first becoming a teacher after he retired as head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 1979. At first, he didn't want to be a broadcaster. But when he was convinced to try it, he became one of the best to ever do it.
• He was authentic. He was honest. He grew into his role like Jack's beanstalk grew from a few measly beans. He was gregarious, entertaining, larger than life. Boom.
• Can you remember his TV commercials? Lite Beer from Miller. Tough actin' Tinactin. Ace Hardware. Trailways Bus Lines. Outback Steakhouse. Dr. Pepper. And we can't forget…the man invented the "Turducken."
• Thoroughly enjoyed watching the All Madden documentary this week on FS1. Made me
miss his presence even more. How lucky were we to have been football fans during his time?
• Patriots' fans undoubtedly remember his wisdom during Super Bowl XXXVI, when he suggested the Pats might be better off to play for overtime against the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf." Might be the only time in his career his advice was ridiculed and criticized.
• And he reveled in how wrong he was. Nope, you don't see or hear that every day.
• Joe Montana said, "he made everyone want to watch football." Ex-Pat receiver Julian Edelman tweeted, "when you think NFL football, you think John Madden." Madden's son Mike had the best line, about when his Dad first worked with Pat Summerall during Super Bowl XVI – "it was like when peanut butter met jelly."
• Jim Gray said about Madden, the only broadcaster to work the NFL for all four of the major networks, "in an exclusive world, he was very inclusive." That works for me.
• My buddy "Big E" sez youth is when you're allowed to stay up on New Years' Eve, or party well into the New Year. Middle age is when you're forced to.
• That was fast. The Patriots lose a second straight game, and all that talk about title-contending shut down quicker than the virus running through a locker room. Talk show hosts may have set a record for "I told you so's" this week.
• Two games remain for the playoff marbles. And let's be real – if you had been given this scenario before the season kicked off, we ALL would have taken it. Including the Patriots.
• Let's see. The Bills did not punt, a first against a BB-coached team. There were undisciplined mistakes and penalties, there was poor tackling, there were dropped balls. N'Keal, hello.
• As bad as it might have been, the win was still there for the taking if J.C. Jackson doesn't drop an INT right in his hands. So much for his "Isle of Denial."
• It'll sound like coach-speak. But these are correctable issues. Which is why the Patriots are still in the hunt…and under the radar for now. That's a good spot.
• Why is Mac Jones struggling? Loved what Matt Cassell said earlier in the week to NBC Sports Boston about his mechanics. His feet haven't been set due to the pressure applied by opposing fronts. They've set out to rattle him.
• And it's working. O-Line, hello.
• Covid caught Matt Judon and Ja'Whaun Bentley this week, and QB Brian Hoyer. Hoyer is the more troubling case – he's unvaccinated. How does his positive test affect Jones or Jarrett Stidham? Or his wife and kids?
• Stupid is as stupid does. With the updated testing rules, we'll soon see if these issues contribute to the Patriots and their playoff push…positively, or negatively.
• After learning this week of Brandon Bolden's battle with cancer three years ago, I will never criticize him for coming up short on 3rd and one. The criticism lies with the play call, not the play-er.
• Home field advantage hasn't been much the past couple of seasons in the NFL. Last year was the first season for road teams to win more than they lost. This year, going into Week 17, home teams are 118-117-1.
• Is Covid the great equalizer? Or is it just parity? The Patriots will have a losing record at home for the first time since 2000.
• That aqua and orange blur coming from the south? Miami is charging hard after starting 1-7. The Dolphins are the only team in NFL history with a 7-game losing streak AND a 7-game winning streak in the same season.
• Could be a playoff spot on the line next week at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida.
• ICYMI, the Giants' Joe Judge handed out $300K in bonuses to 70 staffers for the holidays, from himself, his coaches, and the players. That's one way to get everyone on the same page, behind you.
• Winning would be another.
• Saw this week where NBC will be charging up to $6.5 million for a 30-second Super Bowl spot this year. Gotta make up that missed income somehow.
• You'll be seeing a lot of crypto commercials, apparently, as well. Six and a half million? What is that, like a couple of Bitcoins?
• The college bowl game shuffle this year has been confusing, to say the least. Who's playing where?
• Some of the canceled games (like the Fenway Bowl) appear to be coming from games where interest is low in playing them in the first place. Which should be an indicator we have 6-to-8 more of these than we really need.
• Especially if a 12-team College Football Playoff is put into place in the next couple of years. Love the bowls and love their place in our sports ecosystem. But we need to return to these being rewards for good seasons – not participation trophies for mediocre teams in mega-leagues.
• Still think Tuukka Rask is done with the Bruins? You might want to re-think that thought. He's scheduled to play for the Providence Bruins during a three-game road trip next month.
• Cranston's David Quinn, the former head coach of the New York Rangers (and at Boston University), was this week named as the US Olympic hockey coach. He steps in for Mike Sullivan (both guys with RI backgrounds) who is bound to his job as Pittsburgh head coach with Covid make-up games ahead.
• With international experience, Quinn is a good choice, especially since he's not currently tied to an NHL team. The bigger question remains – should he or anyone else be coaching this team at this time?
• Nate Leaman's US junior hockey team had its' ice melt this week with the cancellation of the IIHF tournament due to Covid.
• And sure, you can understand the angst of some NHL pros – Connor McDavid and Brad Marchand are two who have been vocal – on not being able to skate in the Olympics. Should they have been able to make their own decisions? Probably.
• But should they owe something to the teams who currently contract them to play in the NHL? Absolutely.
• Life is tough. Learn to live with occasional disappointment, fellas. This seems to have disappeared from much of our teachings to a younger generation.
• Get ready for an in-season NBA tournament in 2022. The overall league schedule will likely be reduced by four games, from 82 to 78 per team. That's 60 games worth of revenue being replaced by just seven tournament games.
• But if the TV revenue is there – and initial reports say that it will be – teams and players will buy in around next Christmas time. And since the NBA is largely a wasteland prior to Christmas anyway, it will be interesting to see where this goes.
• The Boston Celtics are better without Jayson Tatum. There, said it. And Jaylen Brown. Said that, too. But…not at the same time.
• There are several issues for MLB and its' players to work out before dreaming of warmer days and sunnier skies next spring. Owners want more revenue opportunities; players want a bigger slice of the revenue pie.
• Historically, lockouts haven't led directly to missed games. But this one might just test that adage before too much longer.
• Rookestradamus nailed a doozy of a prediction for this year with his foresight on Matt Judon's addition in New England. So, I inquired about a big call for 2022?
• "Picture not clear," was the initial response. But as he shook the Magic 8 ball again, he did say Josh McDaniels was not likely to be coaching in New England by the end of the year.
• After receiving several thoughts "out loud" via email over the past few weeks on Covid issues, Ray sent this end of year note from South Florida: "Couldn't agree more regarding your thoughts on moving forward during the latest round of Covid."
• It's sad, Ray. Really. We could probably be a lot further ahead of the coronavirus in this pandemic race than we are. But we're not, and I'll leave it to your own determination as to the root cause. In the meantime, yes, let's get on with it. Life goes on.
• A happy (and safe) New Year to you, and those near you. Always appreciate your sharing and reading.
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? 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! Would appreciate the follow on Twitter, @JRbroadcaster…and join in on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke ...
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