Thinking out loud…while wondering if St. Patrick really drove the snakes out of Ireland, could he come over here and do that with Congress?
Last week, it seemed so many were excited to get the college basketball season started. This week? Several complaints about the lack of 'good games' on the early schedule.
Already b****ing about the schedule? Promise I'll get on that for you and let the Basketball Gods know, right away. If they don't strike you down first.
Yes, the Friars had a closer-than-expected battle in their opener with Rider. Two things: 1) Rider has a good team and may likely win the MAAC; 2) The game showed what experience really means to a team.
Rider has a team with seven seniors and/or grad students. Providence has a team with eight new faces and zero starters returning from last years' 27-6 Big East champs.
It doesn't mean this will be a rough ride for the Friars this year. But expectations and reality are on opposite sides of the court right now.
Ed Cooley and his coaching staff will need the right amount of patience with a talented group. So will you.
Like: Defense. There was none of it in the opening 20 minutes against the Broncs, save for a couple of blocked shots. But in the second half, PC turned it on like turning on a water spigot.
Dislike: There will be off-shooting nights. But free throws are a constant, and last years' Friars made them often enough. This team has a long way to go before they reach 'often enough.'
What in the world happened at URI? Archie Miller's debut as head coach was disappointing, sure, in a home loss to Quinnipiac. How did it happen?
See above. New faces in new places means good graces are usually required.
I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge a new face and voice on the URI broadcast team this season. Joining Steve McDonald is Chris DiSano, after Don Kaull officially retired from his role as Rams' analyst after 35 seasons.
Will miss you Don – one of the truly nice guys in the game. And welcome to a front row seat in the rivalry Chris!
In Bryant's case, Division III Thomas College of Maine was willing to travel to Smithfield for a memorable hoop opportunity. Well, they got it.
147-39. One forty-seven to thirty-nine. 73-17 in the second half. Can't imagine a 108-point margin did anyone any good on either side.
What? The Little Sisters of the Poor weren't available? The Bulldogs, however, certainly showed they can score.
Bryant's primary nemesis in America East should be preseason league favorite Vermont, which opened with an 80-65 home win over Brown. An 0-2 start for the Bears, as they also dropped their home opener to Colgate Thursday.
No real surprises in the opening week within the Big East, although there a couple of close calls – including PC's. Creighton had trouble with St. Thomas – a DIII program just two years ago that made the giant leap to DI.
Georgetown was forced into overtime by Coppin State before the Hoyas eventually prevailed – the Hoyas' starting five all played elsewhere a season ago. Overall, Big East teams have started the new season at 13-0.
Marquette's game with Central Michigan Thursday night was a 'students-only' game played on campus. Great idea, actually. Would the Friars ever entertain such an idea for an early-season game at Alumni Hall…with only students in the stands? Or the Rams at Keaney Gym?
Nationally, Florida State losing at home to Stetson may have raised a few eyebrows, as did preseason Big 12 contender TCU's close call with Arkansas Pine-Bluff. But if you like offense, there was a lot of it this week.
147 points from Bryant. 142 for Appalachian State. 123 for James Madison. 120 from Wofford. 117 from Baylor. Is that what all the griping was about?
Sad to hear the news of longtime Syracuse athletic director Jake Crouthamel passing away this week at age 84. Crouthamel was one of the architects of the old Big East with Dave Gavitt in the late '70's. He was a two-way football player at Dartmouth and the first player to sign with the expansion Dallas Cowboys in 1960.
What some (many?) have forgotten – Crouthamel was also a member of the original Boston Patriots in their inaugural season of '60, before joining the Navy.
How 'bout some women's hoops, Edward in East Providence? PC's women got off to a solid start with a home win against Dayton. Rhody lost at Harvard before going all-Ivy again Friday night against Dartmouth. Bryant won its' opener at Dartmouth, while Brown dropped an opening game to Fairfield.
Fist bump to the Brown women's soccer team in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, playing at Rutgers in the first round Saturday night. Seven Bears were named all-Ivy, including offensive player of the year Brittany Raphino.
Bryant got its first Big South football win last weekend by beating Campbell (the Fighting Camels!) 43-37, and QB Zevi Eckhaus was named the league offensive player of the week. Ethan Gettman was tabbed as the league Special Teams player of the week.
This weeks' 'shock the world' shot belongs to the Bulldogs, who will play at 6th ranked and undefeated Holy Cross. 23rd ranked URI plays at #22 UNH Saturday, with the Rams not having won in Durham, NH since 1995. NCAA playoff implications will undoubtedly be at stake.
How about this nugget: PC and UConn meet this weekend for the first time as Top 10 teams – in hockey, not hoops. The Huskies are 9-1-1 and ranked 7th, their highest rank to this point, while the Friars climbed from #14 to #9 this week after sweeping UMass last weekend.
It's a home-and-home series beginning Friday night at Schneider Arena. The Friars have had back-to-back Hockey East Defenders of the Week, with Max Crozier and Taige Harding taking the honors.
My buddy "Big E" sez Mrs. E was complaining last night that he never listens to her. Or something like that.
The bye week comes at the perfect time for the Patriots. Then again, when is a week off in the NFL NOT at a perfect time, considering the grind?
The answer is: When you're on a roll. But these Patriots aren't really 'on a roll,' even if they're over .500 for the first time this year. These Patriots are still in search of some kind of offensive identity, which has been hard to figure.
We can all agree, I think, that Mac Jones isn't the same QB we saw play a year ago. And why is that? What's changed? You know the answer, and I know the answer. But does he?
You can also consider the plaudits BB paid to Mac over the summer – how hard he worked in the offseason, how good he looked in early sessions. And now, this?
C'mon, let's be honest here. We know the problem. Mac has changed because the coaching has changed. They've had half a year to figure it out. We'll see if lightning strikes over the next month.
The joy of sacks. That's it. That's the deal. Without sacks, these Pats are nowhere. Just like without sex, we all are nowhere.
Want better offense? The team needs a healthy David Andrews back, to start. Some play calls that the opponents don't know might help, too.
Tweet of the Week I, from @_andrewcallahan: "Demanding rule changes, sparking Deflategate, calling the worst fake punt in NFL history and firing the head coach to replace him with an ex-player/high school football coach/ESPN analyst. No team loses its mind after losing to the Patriots quite like the Colts."
But that guy Kwity Paye is a keeper. They'll probably hang a banner for him. Just sayin'.
Ruh roh, Shaggy. Josh Allen has a gimpy elbow. Could the Buffalo Bills' season be headed wide right?
Wait, wut? Too soon?
100K. A hundred thousand yards. It's almost 57 miles. And that's the distance TB12 has now thrown for in his NFL career. That's nuts.
Not for nuthin', it's also the next unbreakable, unbeatable sports record.
It's a great debate – sports records that can't or won't be topped. But like Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, Cal Ripken's 2632 consecutive games played, the Celtics' eight straight NBA titles, Wayne Gretzky's 2857 career NHL point record or Brett Favre's 321 consecutive starts and 305 career interceptions…TB12 has this one locked up.
Saw this week where the NFL received three million ticket requests for this weekend's Tampa Bay-Seattle game in Munich, Germany…for a stadium that seats 67K. Is that because of TB12 or Pete Carroll?
Bad move, Dunkin. It isn't even Thanksgiving yet, and some stores have discontinued pumpkin iced coffee. Can't imagine too many iced coffee addicts being happy with that shortsighted – and dumb – decision.
Ok, so maybe it's taken Massachusetts a while to get to the party that most of New England is already attending. But at least it isn't California.
Cali this week soundly defeated two propositions on their ballot that would have allowed sports betting at casinos or tribal lands, and another one for mobile wagering.
"Free money? No thanks, we'll just tax and spend and stick it to the public," sez the Golden State. Which isn't really so golden, or smaht, is it?
For your reference: The American sports betting industry posted a record $1.68 billion in revenue for the 3rd quarter in 2022, beating the previous record of $1.62 billion set in the 1st quarter of 2022, and marking an 80.6% year-over-year increase.
That Xander Bogaerts opted out this week isn't the surprise. That the Red Sox tell us they still hope to keep Bogaerts and re-sign him isn't the surprise. The eye-opener?
That the Red Sox are rumored to be asking around about second basemen available for next season…with the likely eye aimed at moving Trevor Story to shortstop – because they don't expect to have Bogaerts next year.
How can we possibly believe anything these guys say?
The real surprise? Spend the money. And sign Bogey. The qualifying offer this week is simply a case of playing CYA.
Tweet of the Week II, from @GlobeChadFinn: "Sure feels like Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox are going to say, "Bogey is our first choice" right up until he signs elsewhere, and then they'll try to spin it like it was his decision to leave even though they never made a truly competitive offer."
Fenway Sports Group put the legendary English Premiership club Liverpool up for sale this week. That should free up some cash to slide over for Bogey, amiright John Henry?
Or the NY Post sez FSG and Henry want a shot at buying the troubled Washington Commanders, hence the impending sale of the soccer team. Thinking they should have put the Sox up for sale instead.
Jeremy Pena, have a year. It's the stuff Disney movies are made of – and yet, Walt himself might have a hard time believing the current script.
From the Dominican Republic to Providence's Classical High School, to Maine at Orono…to rookie starter at shortstop for the Houston Astros, ALCS MVP, Gold Glove winner, World Series MVP. C'mon, man.
Hey Philly! Congratulations. You lost two championships on the same day this past week, when the Phillies lost to the Astros and the Union lost the MLS Cup to LAFC. That's never been done before. Whoa.
This just about made my week: Blue Jays' 1st baseman Vladdy Guerrero Junior's quote to Spanish media on New York and the Yankees: "I like to play in New York. I like to kill the Yankees. I would never sign with the Yankees, not even dead."
He's 23 years old. Yet he speaks like a true veteran old-timer carrying a grudge and a love for rivalry. Perfect.
The Bruins' whiff on the entire Mitchell Miller signing and subsequent dumping sez at least one thing – that people have trouble admitting mistakes when they make them.
But the guy who should have offered an apology and didn't is the reason this was a story in the first place. Cam Neely and Don Sweeney made it worse. And the Bruins are still paying his contract as of now.
True, the Bruins completely misread the (bleep) storm the signing created, and their admitted failure to properly vet Miller's background was lazy, tone-deaf, and inexcusable.
Miller is 20 years old. He will likely pay the price for his actions for the rest of his young adult life. That's a shame, but it's still on him. I don't blame our currently oversensitive "woke" world for not giving him a second chance, however.
I blame his entitled upbringing – his coaching, his parenting, his guidance – for not having the guts to tell a young man his abuse of a developmentally disabled classmate was not normal, acceptable behavior…just because he was good at playing hockey.
The thing is, if Miller had taken ownership of his actions before the Bruins came calling, and perhaps understood them and shown the slightest amount of remorse…he'd probably be playing professional hockey right now. Pro sports, and society at large, are both extraordinarily forgiving.
But not this time. Stupid is as stupid does.
Meanwhile, the only NHL team unbeaten on home ice is…Boston. It's easier to admit your mistakes when the rest of the world around you is humming along nicely.
The Celtics' Jaylen Brown had the audacity to defend the defenseless this week. Good for him.
But Jaylen, at what cost? Defending Kyrie Irving, and his knuckleheaded ideals at any cost, is a slippery slope. Even if you're standing up for principle – and the Players' Association rights Kyrie has – rather than Kyrie's individual actions, you're likely to get some blow back.
Hope you're ready for it. Hope your team and teammates are, too.
How bad must the "L'Affaire" du Ime Udoka have been for the dysfunctional Brooklyn Nets to say, 'no thanks,' and cut bait on procuring his services?
If you are of a certain age, you'll recall Fred Hickman and Nick Charles on CNN Sports Tonight as the go-to score and highlight show before ESPN SportsCenter discovered Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann. In the early '80's, these guys ruled the nighttime airwaves.
Nick passed away 11 years ago from cancer, and this week Fred passed away – at age 66 from liver cancer. He was still working as a sports anchor in New Orleans.
Got your rooting interest for the upcoming World Cup? Former Revs goalkeeper Matt Turner was named this week to the Team USA roster – and will be on the pitch for the opening match against Wales on Nov. 21.
Anyone headed to the Middle East for this sporting spectacle? Because of a lack of available hotel space, Qatar has built fan "villages" out of metal shipping crates to create more rooms.
Imagine, paying more than $200 US dollars per night, to roast yourself alive inside a tin can in the middle of a desert? Forget the alleged FIFA corruption and human rights issues Qatar is accused of abusing in the first place.
Sounds like this'll be a real kick in the caboose to me.
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