Fall is in full swing. Sweater weather is better weather. The colors are a-poppin. Scary movies are on cable non-stop. And basic girls are back and better than ever with pumpkin-everything filling up our social media timelines. Well, I wouldn’t say that last point is exactly the best contribution to the season – but we still love ya ladies.
Fall is fun and all, but if you are a sports fan – it is the best time of the year.
We are headed into the halfway point of the NFL regular season, the NHL is headed into hamster-wheel mode, the NBA has just tipped off, and of course we have the MLB’s Fall Classic. All of this combined make the last week of October one of the most highlight filled weeks of the year.
NFL
Cowboys vs. Eagles this Sunday night. Finally, a great primetime matchup, and for first place in the NFC East!
Yet another scandal with a player involved in domestic abuse. I promise this was kept secret by the league on purpose as they needed some sort of story to help their ratings during this competition filled week.
Injuries, injuries, injuries! If your fantasy team hasn’t been affected by the plague – please send me an email; I would love to do a piece on your elite league-wide 1% status
We are witnessing some of the worst offensive lines in NFL history! With the exception of Dallas and Oakland, these lines are leading to the lack of quality QB’s across the league.
Someone from the AFC South is probably going to make the playoffs with less than 10 wins.
Rob Gronkowski is going to have 69 touchdowns after this weekend’s game. Yup.
NHL
The Montreal Canadians are 7-0-1. And even worse, the Edmonton Oilers are 6-1-0!
The Flyers played their 7th game this season Thursday night, and it was their first without a suspension! Thanks Department of Player Safety!
Goal scoring is up, and by big numbers. Over the first nine games of the season, teams are averaging 3.05 goals per game – the first time since 05’-06’.
Goalies are getting injured everywhere. Jonathan Quick, Mike Smith, Jonathan Bernier, Tuukka Rask…
The leagues current point leader (Connor McDavid) and current goal leader (Auston Matthews), are both under the age of 20.
NBA
The Warriors lost their first game at home to the Spurs. I know the Spurs are a great team, but rest assured, I will not be watching ESPN for the next two weeks because the only headlines will be “What’s Wrong with Golden State?”
Joel “Jo Jo” Embiid made his first regular season debut Wednesday night against the Durant-less Thunder and did very, very well. 6-16 for 20 points in 21 minutes. Maybe not the best box score, but if you saw the highlights, you know it was great.
Lebron recorded a triple-double on opening night against the Knicks.
Anthony Davis recorded 50 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and 7 steals against the Nuggets. WHAT!?
A Sixers fan got ejected from the opening night game for throwing the “double-bird” at Russel Westbrook courtside. Love my Philly fans – never change.
MLB
The Cubs and The Indians are in the Fall Classic – whoa. You want the significance of this? Go check out staff writer Matt McNally’s piece on the MLB page.
Commissioner Rob Manfred may be the new Cubs scapegoat if Chi-town losses this series as his new “All-Star Game Winner Gets Fall Classic Home-field Advantage” Rule backfired giving it to the team with 9 less regular season wins. Oh yea, and Cleveland took game 1.
Chicago took game 2, but to reiterate my last point – here’s a groovy stat: 12 of the last 13 MLB champs have won game 1. But that’s none of Rob Manfred’s business I guess…
Corey Kluber recorded 6 scoreless innings and 9 strike outs in Game 1. He became the first pitcher in MLB history to record 8 strikeouts in the first 3 innings.
One thing the MLB is doing right with this series is stacking the games to help ratings. They are having 3 games in a row on a weekend just to get this series done before election week. Well done MLB, well done.
With all this action, it’s tough to give much time to things outside of sports. Maybe this is why every Halloween for the past 5 years I have done last minute DIY costumes involving paper products, old t-shirts, and Sharpies. And while we are on the subject of Halloween – I have a bone to pick…
Thanksgiving is on the last Thursday of November, every year. Easter is on the first Sunday after the paschal full moon (whatever the hell that is – sorry church goers), every year. Yet Halloween, a bullshit holiday to begin with, is on the last day of October, every year. Some of you may be saying; “Well, Christmas is always on the 25th, and my birthday is always on the same day every year”. But guess what. You don’t have to take your kids out on a two-mile walk around the neighborhood when you have work the next day. And kids don’t have to be burnt-out at school following their sugar-high filled night. Thus, I am proposing that Halloween should be moved to the last Saturday of October, every year. This fixes everything, for kids and adults! Obama, if you are going to do anything before one of these other jamoke’s is elected into office – make this your top priority.
Enjoy Sports Week 2016 folks, and Halloween if you can I guess…