Shirt Pocket Notes

Time to check the shirt pocket and catch up with some things rattling around in my cranium.  (Two Myron Cope references in one sentence!) 

The Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup competition between teams of golfers from the USA competing against golfers from Europe began last Friday.  As we were driving home from Massachusetts all day Friday, I, of course, was unable to see any of that day's competition.  By the time I got home late that evening, all I knew was that the European golfers were kicking the collective asses of the American team, and there was talk of some ugly behavior from the American galleries which apparently consisted of a bunch of loudmouthed obnoxious New Yorkers - the matches were being staged in Bethpage on Long Island - who had had way too much to drink.

My Saturday television watching was confined to college football, but I was aware that the drubbing of the USA golfers was continuing and that, if anything, the behavior of the galleries was even worse.  Someone had thrown a cup of beer at Rory McIlroy, and the female emcee of the event, who was hired by the PGA of America for this event was engaging in organized "F**k You" cheers aimed against the European golfers.  To its credit, the PGA fired this woman, but they also must share in the lion's share of the blame for the national embarrassment that happened.  They, after all, have ginned up this event over the years as a "war" between the competing sides.

At that point, I had no interest in watching the singles matches on Sunday, which turned out to be pretty compelling and the USA turned a total drubbing into a close 15-13 loss.  So, I didn't see a single stroke of the whole shebang, and I can't say that I'm sorry, given what a total black eye this gave to the USA and its sports fans.

No less an imposing golf figure than Tom Watson said it best:

No word from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue about the events that unfolded at Bethage, but I am guessing that the POTUS was probably okay with how it all came down.

College Football

Last weekend was a great one for college football with all kinds of terrific match-ups.  It began on Friday evening when the University of Virginia upset ranked Florida State in overtime in Charlottesville.  It was a terrific game, but it was marred at the end by this truly frightening scene.

This, of course, was the storming of the field by the UVA students when Florida State's fourth down pass fell incomplete in the second overtime of the game, sealing the win for Virginia.  As the game proceeded through the fourth quarter and the possibility of an upset win by UVA looked probable, you could just see how the crowd was building in the end zone, which is apparently a hillside with no barrier between it and the playing field?, and you just KNEW what was going to happen if the Cavaliers ended up winning.  It was, as I said, frightening, and it is a miracle that no one  - that we know about - was seriously injured or even killed.

Spirit, loyalty, and joy over a Big Win are all wonderful things, but scenes like this are not.  The University of Virginia was fined $50,000 by the ACC for allowing this to happen, but what's fifty grand in today's world of big time college football?  A college football podcast that I follow suggested this week that fines, and hiring a couple of more security guys in yellow shirts aren't going to stop this, and the guys on this pod suggested that one way that would surely stop it would be having the home team forfeit the game.  

I'd be all for that.

Saturday's schedule saw Pitt take 17-0 lead over Louisville only to see them blow it and end up losing 34-27.  They are not a good team and Pat Narduzzi didn't help on successive play calls on a 3rd and 2 and a 4th and 7 in the final quarter that were positively baffling.  If he didn't have a contract with a $70 million buyout, I think that he'd be out on the streets after this season.

And speaking of Narduzzi, just what exactly does he write in that spiral top notebook on the sidelines while he is, presumably, coaching a game?

The game to which I was most looking forward came on Saturday night when 6th ranked Oregon traveled to 3rd ranked Penn State.  It was highly anticipated and it was to be Penn State's traditional "White Out Night" to really get the juices flowing in Happy Valley.   No doubt about it, the scene and the atmosphere were electric:

Then the game started.   A "meh" first half produced a 3-3 score at intermission.  Oregon then overcame a 3-10 third quarter deficit by scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to tie the game and then winning 30-24 in two overtime periods.

James Franklin's record at Penn State against Top Ten ranked teams now falls to 4-21.  That is not a statistical aberration at this point, folks, and how hot will the seat be under his rump should (when?) the Lions lose to Ohio State again later this season?

Also, Drew Allar has now dropped off of my list of "Quarterbacks That I Would Like To See The Steelers Draft".

The NFL

At this point, I'm just resorting to bullet points:

• That was nice win for the Steelers in Ireland over the Vikings.  3-1 and in first place in the AFC North.
• D.K. Metcalf is a marvel.  Big, fast, and can really catch the ball.  That 82 yard pitch-and-catch TD from Aaron Rodgers was a marvel.  He should be targeted at least a half dozen times a game, and I am guessing that no one knows this better than Rodgers himself.
• The Ravens fall to 1-3, and appear to be a not-very-good team.  Long noted for their great defenses, they have been giving up so many points (133 in four games)  that you might even say that they "stink".  Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are distant memories at this point.  Oh, and now Lamar Jackson will probably miss a game or two due to injury.  I guess they can still turn it around, but they had better hurry.
• Those of you writing off the KayCee Chiefs who started 1-3 can put those thoughts on hold for the time being.  They still have the best QB in football, as Patrick Mahomes showed with five TD passes against the Ravens on Sunday.

I will close with one of my favorite images from the Steelers win in the Dublin Game.  DB DeShon Elliott celebrating his interception with some Irish river dancing in the end zone.