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Monday, September 30, 2024

Game of the Year: Part One

Bama is the best team in the country. Better than Texas. Obviously better than UGA. Ohio State and Michigan usually can’t win the big one. Bama was so many weapons. RB, WR, defense. QB Jalen Milroe should win the Heisman. Who is better than him? Texas QB has missed 2+ games, and the Longhorns won both without him.

Did you stay up to the end of the game? The Dawgs came back. I was concerned that they would quit. What started as a rout turned into a nail biter. Though UGA fell far behind early, I thought the Dawgs should’ve pounded the ball inside on the ground more, especially in the first half and early in the second. QB Beck kept finding himself in too many 2nd & 10 and 3rd & long situations. Despite throwing 3 interceptions, losing a fumble, and creating a safety by intentionally grounding the ball while in the end zone, Beck was able get the Dawgs back in the game.

The Dawgs were missing 9 players due to injuries. ABC kept showing OL Tate Ratlidge on the sidelines. His absence alone was the difference between victory and defeat.

We watched the game at my other friend Reid’s house watching the game, with his neighbors and friends. Ten people in all. Lots to eat: turkey chili with rice, cornbread, salad, chips and dips, brownies, rice krispy treats. A late evening, with the game ending around 1130.

Saturday morning Anna was at The Avenue for a event at her High Country store, and I met up with her afterward. It was my first time back at The Avenue since they reconfigured it, with a large common area where ESPN College GameDay was playing (below). Nick Saban’s wife Miss Terry was the guest picker. She scolded Nick for picking against their friend Deion Sanders. She picked Colorado and was right – Nick’s pick for UCF to win was wrong.

I watched a good chunk of the Texas @ Mississippi State game. Bulldogs were able to keep it close due to at least ten penalties on the offensive line. Arch looked good, firing accurate passes downfield  and making several good runs, including a 26 yard scamper that ended with a dive to the pylon. Looked like a TD to me, but he was ruled down at the one yard line.

In only their second meeting ever, Clemson breezed by Stanford. The Cardinal had a time traveling cross country, as the Greenville SC airport was closed for much of Friday. Tiger QB Cade Klubnick may be the ACC player of the year.

Auburn couldn’t hold their lead. FSU got routed by SMU, and QB DJU was finally benched. Noles fall to 1-4. Kentucky looked good again, upsetting #6 Ole Miss in Vaught-Hemingway.

USC beat Wisconsin. Not sure how good Wisconsin is. I’ve even forgotten what their mascot is. The Badgers?

Despite a lack of offense, the Falcons edged the hated Saints on Koo’s 58 yard field goal.

We watched pretty much the entire game.

When Koo nailed a 53 yarder earlier in the game I noticed the kick would’ve been good from at least five yards further, as it landed in the net.

Afterwards we watched most of the Chiefs@Chargers. The Bolts kept it close most of the game, despite QB Herbert’s lack of mobility. Rookie WR Ladd McConkey made several good plays. KC kicker Harrison Butker is the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history. He kicked three field goals against the Chargers, and just missed on a 65 yarder at the end of the first half. Ceil said she wants a Harrison Butker jersey. She's never  before ever said she wanted anyone's jersey.

Watched a little of the Bills @ Ravens. Was surprised that Baltimore had such an easy time.

Spike Lee was courtside, taunting Kelsey Plum and the Aces, like they were Reggie Miller and the Pacers. Hard to believe that was over 35 years ago. I noticed Holly Rowe had made it to NYC for the game, after covering GA@AL late the previous evening.

BREAKING: the Braves clinched a spot in the playoffs this evening, thanks to emergency starter Grant Holmes, pitching for a second straight day when ace Chris Sale fell victim to back spasms.

Talk about your drama. The first three pitchers to toe the rubber in game two had also pitched yesterday, and the fourth was Saturday night's starting pitcher. Braves may need to pitch another emergency starter tomorrow night in San Diego.

Will Brian Snitker retire after this season? I doubt it. Even after making it back into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, for the 7th straight season.

TY COBB [SABR Bio] was player/manager of DET 1921-1926. Cobb’s runs total of 2,245, which had stood as the record since 1928, until he was passed by Rickey Henderson in 2001, his final total ending at 2,295. Cobb was famous for responding to autograph requests. “Letters in museums and private collections make abundantly clear that Cobb responded to his young fans, sometimes with handwritten letters that ran to five pages. He always told them he was honored by their autograph requests.” From Who Was Ty Cobb?  The History We Know That’s Wrong.by Charles Leerhsen. Cobb garnered the most votes in the very first Hall of Fame class.

Player           1936 Voting Pct Last Year

Ty Cobb                  222  98.2%   1928

Babe Ruth               215  95.1%   1935

Honus Wagner        215  95.1%   1917

Christy Mathewson 205  90.7%   1916

Walter Johnson       189  83.6%  1927 

DENISON: Israel’s current conflict with Hezbollah started when the terrorist group began bombing northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas’s genocidal invasion on October 7. Nearly 80,000 Israelis living near the Lebanese border have been forced to flee. Israel’s goal is to enable them to return to their homes in peace.                             

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