Are the Raiders for real?
It sure seems like it. It is amazing to see what Jack Del Rio is doing in Oakland, although it helps having a quarterback like Derek Carr making an MVP case this year. Can the Raiders take down the Patriots? How does an Oakland-Dallas Super Bowl sit with you? I know, it’s weird right? Last night’s Raiders victory over the Texans leads us off this morning.
Monday Night Football in Mexico marred by laser pointers and slurs
The NFL took its game south of the border on Monday night before Donald Trump gets to build his wall and it turned out to be yet another fine example of just how well the Raiders are playing and growing. Derek Carr had himself another fine evening with 295 passing yards and three touchdowns, spreading the ball around to seven different receivers and adding another fourth-quarter comeback to his career total.
The Raiders tied the game with a 75-yard pass to fullback Jamize Olawale. A fullback. For 75 yards. A FULLBACK!
After the Texans were stuffed on a fourth down and inches (were they?), the Raiders went to work to take the leads, this time with a long catch and run by Amari Cooper…
Most Game-Winning Drives in 4th-Qtr/OT Since 2015
Matthew Stafford 9
Derek Carr 7 (could have 8 with win)
Eli Manning 7— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 22, 2016
The Raiders are now in first place of the AFC West, arguably the best division in the NFL this season.
Unfortunately, there were multiple instances where laser pointers were being used on players during plays. You can see one being used here on Osweiler…
And again…
Then there was this bizarre moment…
Laser beams still aimed at Texans players heads. pic.twitter.com/QNn0y4q1kt
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 22, 2016
As if that were not enough, fans in attendance shouted a hom*ophobic slur that has led to fines by FIFA to the Mexican football federation. But hey, a lot of people paid to get a seat in the stadium to watch the game so the NFL will be happy anyway and look forward to its next trip south of the border.
Klinsmann out as USMen’s National Soccer Team manager
The United States had finally had enough with a floundering soccer team that has struggled to take steps forward on the international stage. That led to the removal of Jurgen Klinsmann as manager, with the United States on the bubble for World Cup qualification in 2018. Klinsmann was hired for the job in 2011 to replace Bob Bradley. As managerKlinsmann went 55-27-16 and leading the USMNT to the Round of 16 in the 2014 World Cup. But too many missteps and questionable management decisions have left the US just kind of sitting on the fence between taking the next steps to challenging on the international stage in competitions that actually matter or being stuck in no-man’s land. The USMNT failed to reach the 2015 Gold Cup Final, the 2017 Confederations Cup and this past summer’s Olympics. Something needed to change, and that meant Klinsmann’s days were numbered.
So where does US soccer go from here? Early indications are LA Galaxy coach and former USMNT coach Bruce Arena will step in. the changes should become official later today. the naming of Arena as coach may not inspire too many who have followed the US soccer program over the years, but he will likelybe a short-term fix at the most as a new permanent head coach can be found, if such a thing will be possible. The question is whether the change in leadership will have been made in time to turn things around and make a strong run into the 2018 World Cup or if the damage has already been done.
Manny and Vlad on Baseball Hall of Fame ballot
The ballot for the 2017 Class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame is now in the hands of the BBWA, and it includes a number of names worth following. New additions like Manny Ramirez and Vladimir Guerrero join players eligible to return from last year’s ballot like Jeff Bagwell and Trevor Hoffman and a number of players stained by the steroid era (Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens). It also includes Curt Schilling, who I already anticipate crying and whining and ripping his critics once he is informed his loudmouth won’t be inducted to the hall this summer. We’ll see how Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez survive the ballot this year with their own ties to the steroid era, but I’m hoping Vlad gets in, and I hope he goes in with an Expos hat on his plaque. Although, he could become the first player with an Angels cap on too.
Put Vladimir Guerrero in the Hall of Fame, dammit. https://t.co/UT0xkzuK9X pic.twitter.com/DBrMahaeuE
— VICE Sports (@VICESports) November 21, 2016
.@VladGuerrero27, who won the AL MVP in his first season with the #Angels, gets his first bid for Cooperstown: https://t.co/FTbKL47TGe pic.twitter.com/mP4tSEbnAp
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) November 21, 2016
Don’t @ Me: Top Five College Football Rivalries
1. Army and Navy
2. Ohio State and Michigan
3. Alabama and Auburn
4. Oklahoma and Texas
5. Rutgers and Winning
Quick Hits
– Oh, you thought Baylor would manage to go a week without looking like a complete mess of a football program? WELL THINK AGAIN! According to a report from KWTX in Waco says Baylor Associate Athletic Director Heath Nielsen was arrested for a misdemeanor assault on a reporter following a game earlier this month against TCU. Nielsen reportedly grabbed reporter James McBride by the throat as McBride was posing for a photo with a player. McBride claims he had previous issues with Nielsen due to Nielsen’s unhappiness with some reporting put out by McBride on his YouTube channel.
McBride should not have been asking to pose for a photo with a football player in the first place, but that should not have been met with being choked by an athletics department representative. The kicker? Nielsen was charged with working to improve the public image of the Baylor football program. I give up.
– DirectTV customers are about to get 4k sports broadcasts from FOX. Meanwhile, Amazon wants to get in the sports rights game, but the NBA has rejected them for league pass.
– Nothing feeds the desperate egos of high school football players quite like elaborate video productions to announce their college decision, so here we are spoon-feeding Greg Rogers of Las Vegas on his Goodfellas announcement to go to UCLA.
– Wikipedia reports Jimbo Fisher is LSU’s new head coach.
According to Wikipedia, Jimbo Fisher is LSU's head coach. pic.twitter.com/4CPYR0zrcz
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) November 21, 2016
(Fisher is actually still the head coach at Florida State.)
– ESPN’s College GameDay is going to be five hours long on Saturday. And you probably thought they struggled to fill three hours of airtime…
– Here is Michael Jordan asking Ken Griffey Jr. for an autograph, from the archives…
– The Detroit Pistons are on the move, but don’t worry, they’re not leaving Detroit.
– Steph Curry drained a double-clutched shot from just inside the three-point line… on the other side of the court. It didn’t count, but damn was it impressive.
Can't count it, but let's watch it again 🙌 pic.twitter.com/F9TssIeQ1H
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 22, 2016
– In related news, this 593-foot basketball shot from Switzerland is spectacular.
– The Spurs lost to the Mavericks last night, and Gregg Popovich did not mince words after the game.
Coach Pop with the best rant of the year after beating the worst team in the NBA.
Wait for it… pic.twitter.com/byLZu4eKdQ
— Casey Keirnan (@CaseyKeirnan) November 22, 2016
– Beware the Dock Spiders!
– The Red Wings and Maple Leafs have some sweet jerseys for The Centennial Classic. In other news, can we stop just throwing around the word “Classic” as if it means anything anymore?
– When taunting hockey players in the penalty box, be sure to grab hold of your beverage…
– Netflix is bringing three David Chappelle specials to customers in the next year.
– Drake is now Taylor Swift’s biggest fan, because of course he is.
– This stiff arm is pretty wonderful…
One last moment of gratuitousprocrastination
