October 22, 2018
Just when you thought people from Boston who live in LA couldn’t be any more annoying, I give you the 2018 World Series! I really couldn’t be any happier for Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp especially for getting this far. However, I was amazed at the stupidity of the decisions the Brewers made in Game 7, and throughout the series. The Dodgers were fortunate they went to their pen so early in every game, because Milwaukee’s starters were shutting them down. They were also fortunate because Hyun-Jin Ryu completely “Yu Darvished” game 6. In any case, give the Dodgers credit because they are a resilient bunch. They are much better off going up against Boston’s inconsistent pitching staff than Houston, but taking down the Red Sox will be a tall order. Considering Kershaw and Manny Muchado are potential free agents among other Dodgers, this is probably the last shot for this group to win a title. I just wouldn’t be so optimistic about it.
Looks like State Farm can’t help Chris Paul this time. Paul, Brandon Ingram, and Rajon Rondo all got suspended for their brawl on Saturday night at Staples Center. These guys were ready to murder each other, while Lebron, CP, and ‘Melo were probably sharing a bottle of Kendall Jackson when the game was over. That’s the modern day NBA, where everybody wants to be best buddies. As for the Lakers, I’m sure many of you are going to be ready to jump off the tallest building in downtown, but no need to. The Lakers have actually played pretty well in their first two games. They lost to a tough Portland team on the road, and an elite Houston team at home. They were in both games up until the end, and Lonzo has looked good. The shooting may not be amazing, but it will get better, and so will the schedule. They’ll just have to be without Ingram and Rondo after this….
Here’s all you need to know about the Clippers. On Saturday night the Lakers served the media a fat taco bar. On Sunday night against the Rockets, the Clippers served the media Meatloaf. That should be symbolic of their seasons. With a lottery protected 1st round pick this year, I see no reason for the Clips to try and push for a playoff spot, no matter how hard they try to convince us that is what they will do. There’s nothing quite like the “overreaction standings” in the early going of the NBA season, and last night’s Clipper effort against Houston will help fuel that. After about a month though, it’s the real standings that will matter.
The Rams dismantled the 49ers yesterday in the Bay Area. What was most impressive is they were able to do this while running around Levi Stadium dressed as yellow mustard packets. It’s hard to take anyone seriously when your uniforms are that ugly. The Rams are back to crushing teams like grapes, and they look like they are going to clinch home field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs any minute now. What would be really nice to see though is a trade for Patrick Peterson, or another shutdown corner since Aqib Talib’s health is in question for the rest of the year. In any case, it’s safe to say that at the moment, they are the best team in the NFL.
The Chargers got by the Titans and remain a game behind Chiefs in the standings. However, that’s not the real story. Reports surfaced this week that NFL owners are concerned that the Bolts might not be viable in Los Angeles, considering they don’t have many fans coming to their games. In a related story, water is wet and the sky is blue. It amazes me that 32 of the wealthiest people in the world could collectively make one of the dumbest decisions in the world. Everyone knew the Chargers weren’t viable in LA, except those 32 idiots. Even more embarrassing is the fact the franchise is selling PSL’s in their new stadium for penny’s on the dollar. I’m surprised we haven’t seen a Groupon to get in on Charger season tickets. It’s getting more and more embarrassing by the day, especially as the team wins more and still nobody shows up.
Elsewhere around the NFL, the Chiefs got flexed onto Sunday Night Football because NBC thought their game would be more competitive, but so much for that. The Browns have now played four OT games this season, which should put Hue Jackson in line for a contract extension. After being benched at halftime, Blake Bortles has informed the Jags he has retired. The Bills got hammered by the Colts, and someone should give Bills Mafia the number for a suicide prevention hotline. The Cowboys found a way to lose late. That’s about as predictable as a stupid tweet from Donald Trump. Justin Tucker is raising the bar on kickers choking after missing a game-tying extra point against the Saints. The Panthers took down the Eagles, and Cam Newton celebrated by dressing up like Dick Tracy when it was over.
How much longer is USC going to put up with this Clay Helton debacle? That was one of the worst displays of Trojan Football I’ve seen in years, after that blowout loss against Utah. JT Daniels is now regressing, and looks as bad as a quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. This isn’t his fault though. His offensive coordinator is a disaster, and his head coach puts on practices that are much less physical than women’s soccer practices across campus. Helton has to be getting desperate for a shake up at this point, and if he doesn’t, he’s really clueless. He either needs to demote Tee Martin, change his quarterback to Matt Fink, or start having real practice in pads. I’m not so sure we’ll see any of those things next week, especially since the Trojans are still in contention for a mediocre Pac-12 South title.
It really took an an injury to Dorian-Thompson Robinson to get Wilton Speight back in the lineup for UCLA? It’s amazing how suddenly the offense put up 31 points with the guy who was supposed to be the starting QB since the start of the season. Then again, they did play Arizona, which is also a train wreck. These two schools might as well throw $10 million into a big pile and light it on fire given how much money they are spending and how much they are losing. Oddly enough, UCLA still controls its own destiny in the Pac 12 South. That’s how bad it is folks.
In case you missed it, the Angels named Brad Ausmus as their new Manager. I recognize that we are entering an era of new baseball skippers we don’t know much about, but Ausmus seems like a very uninspired choice. Billy Eppler said he wants a Manager who can think about probabilities when it comes to outcomes. What he’s really saying is that he wants a Manager who can use an iPad and take instructions from a computer. Or even the front office. This is what managing a baseball team has become today sadly. Brad Ausmus doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to fit that description, nor want to do that.
Finally, The Walking Dead went down last night on AMC so spoiler alert for those of you who have yet to see it. Now that we know what’s with the helicopter, I think we know what happened to Heath as well. it’s no wonder Rick asked Gabriel to keep an eye on Jadis. Too bad he really only has one eye. Bad move Rick. Jadis claims she and Gabriel can go to a better place. This woman lived in a dumpster. What does she consider a better place? When will these people learn? Carol can’t die! She’s a badass. When you step on tomatoes, you risk your life. I don’t know what an A or B is, but I do know that Daryl had an “A” written on his jumpsuit when he was captured by the Saviors, and that Rick had an “A” written on the container Jadis put him in at the dumpster. That “Richonne” moment was touching, but there won’t be much more of that since Rick is done in two more episodes. Knowing TWD, they’ll kill him right after Michonne finds out she’s pregnant. Meanwhile, Maggie has apparently found a replacement for Glenn, and of course he’s Asian. I’m guessing his name is “Len”.
