STARTING FIVE
For the bowl, they’ll reenact Stephon Tuitt’s ejection-worthy (?) hit on Tom Savage.
1. Irish Complete 65-Yard TD Pass– at Halftime
The Band of the Fighting Irish is thought to be the oldest university band in continuous existence (Norwich University also makes the claim, but how many films about walk-ons has it been the backdrop for?) and was even on hand for the school’s first football game, on Thanksgiving Day in 1887 (a home loss to Michigan…after which everyone claimed that Notre Dame was, see, overrated).
Anyway, last Saturday, in snowy and blustery conditions in South Bend, the band reenacted a pass from Gus Dorais to Knute Rockne that took place almost exactly a century ago, on November 1, 1913 (they hooked up for more than one completion that day). As “the pass” was being thrown, those fans who had not retreated to the shelter of the concourse were heard to shout, “Run the goddamn ball, Kelly!”
(The Irish have won 20 straight in games where they have run the ball 30 or more times, according to Pete Sampson of Irish Illustrated).
I may be wrong, but I don’t think that NBC noticed this moment and aired it. If it had, I would’ve enjoyed listening to Mike Mayock deconstruct the play.
2 . “In Bummin’ham, They Love The Guvnuh”
Meet the one elected official who makes Rob Ford appear tame.
He was Phillip Blake before his encounter with Michonne. Now he’s Brian. As one astute viewer of “The Walking Dead” tweeted, “That’s because Brian has one ‘i’.”
The last two episodes of “The Walking Dead” have been entirely devoted to Phillip/Brian, better-known and feared as The Governor. After a brief bout of stumbling through the wilderness — walkers skulked right past him, thinking he was one of them– he’s back with a new woman, a new daughter, and a new platoon of citizen soldiers.
We’re headed for a showdown in the mid-season finale. The Governor versus Rick. Trailer park versus prison. Might-makes-right versus liberty-and-justice-for-all.
3. Get the Message?
Are any of these men Rick Reilly’s father-in-law?
“A touching scene last night at FedEx Field as the Washington Sambos honored the Tuskegee Airmen, whose daring aviation exploits proved invaluable to the Allied effort in World War II.”
Strike that? Try again? Okay.
“A poignant moment last night at FedEx Field as the Washington Israelites, who after all are named for a tribe of people who were forcibly removed from their land, honored their namesakes by reenacting the Masada siege at halftime…”
It should be noted that “Fighting Irish” wasn’t originally intended as a compliment, either. Also it should be noted that the university in question did not name its teams that; fans and the media foisted it upon them. Then the institution and its denizens decided to rally around the term as a point of pride. Which is why nobody ever seems to take umbrage about it.
4. Not Exactly The Way Pops Did It
Antoine’s older brother, Anthony, played at St. John’s and then spent some time in the D League.
Through 13 bruising NBA seasons, Anthony Mason was renowned for a cartoon-hero physique and an ability to clean up around the paint and finish. The six-foot-seven forward who played for the Knicks primarily (and five other teams) averaged more than 10 points per game over his career, which surprised me.
Burly and Surly: Mason personified the early ’90s Knicks.
His younger son, Antoine Mason, is no facsimile. The six-foot-three guard, who plays at Niagara, is more of a perimeter shooter, but through five games he leads the NCAA in scoring at 31.2 point per game. Antoine is remarkably consistent, scoring between 30 and 35 points in four of those five contests. Quickness may be his greatest asset. The junior from the leafy burbs of Westchester has only hit nine three-pointers, but he gets to the line 12 times per game and shoots 75% from there.
5. All-Blacks, All Wins
Not since the Vikings invaded the Emerald Isle…
I shan’t pretend that I understand how teams score in rugby or that I am familiar with the vernacular.
Here’s what I know: In 1995 international rugby created its first unabashed professional league (I believe this was just after Matt Damon competed for the Springboks of South Africa) and since then no national team had ever gone through a season undefeated (here I should add that Mercury Morris derived an inordinate amount of pleasure from that).
Until last weekend. But it wasn’t easy.
The All-Blacks of New Zealand completed the first perfect season in the 18-year history of professional rugby, winning all 14 Tests. Last Saturday in Dublin, however, they trailed 22-7 at halftime before clawing back for a 24-22 victory, scoring the winning points (that’s probably not the proper way to say it) on the final action of the match. Afterward Ireland quarterback Peyton Manning said that he would not blame the weather conditions for the defeat.
Reserves
Really, Florida? Really? That’s redshirt freshman Marcus Maye doing the Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka move. Oh, for the innocent days of Gator offensive linemen blocking one another.
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Straight Outta Kenya (By Way of Newark)
Cheserek setting the pace in Terre Haute, Ind., last Saturday.
University of Oregon freshman Edward Cheserek became the first true freshman to win the NCAA Division I Cross Country championship since Bob Kennedy of Indiana in 1988. Cheserek was born in Kenya but attended high school in Newark, N.J., which, for those unfamiliar with the city, is not the greatest of running towns –unless the police are chasing you.
Cheserek beat defending champion Kennedy Kithuka of Texas Tech by 18 seconds over the 10,000-meter course. Other Oregon harriers who have won the X-Country national championship include Steve Prefontaine (three championships, two biopics), Alberto Salazar and Galen Rupp. In other words, prit-tee, prit-tee good company.
They call him King Edward. If you are an Olympics fan, get to know the five-foot-eight, 125-pounder. He won the last two national high school X-country championships and as well as the Pac-12 Championship this autumn. He was raised in the Rift Valley.
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Paging Phil Jackson!
Later this month Jim Dolan will sign Methuselah to a 10-day contract.
The New York Knicks and KevinGar Nets are a combined 6-20 and have lost 11 straight combined. New York fell at Portland last night after which I presume they held a Carmelos Only meeting. Here’s one big problem. Whereas the original cast of “Saturday Night Live” used to refer to themselves as “The Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players”, the Knicks and Nets rosters are too heavily manned by “Past-Their-Prime-Time Players“: Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, Amar’e Stoudemire, Kenyon Martin, Metta World Peace. The Knicks even have a 36 year-old rookie point guard, Pablo Priglione.
What it all adds up to is that the Toronto Raptors are not the only dinosaurs in the Eastern Conference.
The Manhattans play the Brooklyns one week after Thanksgiving Day, so someone’s losing streak will end.
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Tim Tebow: A Gator, but not an eye-gouger.
I really love the idea of the “SI Longform” and the layout . As I wrote when ESPN.com Grantland.com put out a similar piece last year on the Iditarod, this must be the future of magazinery on the web. My problem with Thomas Lake’s piece on Tim Tebow is that, while it was an exhaustive profile of Tebow’s travails from Gainesville through camp with the Patriots, I didn’t learn much.
That and it felt as if at least 50% of the story could have been compiled from reading game boxscores. Lake introduces the piece by informing us that he is in a conference room with the beatific No. 15 off Santa Monica Blvd, but there are very few Tebow quotes in the piece.
My favorite moment in the entire hour-long read was when a fan in New England during training camp yelled out “Twelve Mississippi!” because Tebow was taking too long to release a pass. Also, that Tebow tucked it and ran during a 7-on-7 drill. Now that’s hilarious.
I’ll always be a fan of The Tebow. And Lake should know that when Tebow first arrived in NYC to sign with the Jets he eschewed all the cool bistros and eateries to dine, daily, at a plain diner on 2nd Ave. and 81st (I believe) that is heavily populated with denizens above the age of 70. That is where he felt most comfortable and that is where he took most every meal.
Read the piece. Enjoy the spectacular layout. Decide what you think of the reporting.
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If you know Manhattan Beach, then you know that El Porto is the beach just north of town near the lovely smoke stacks and just south of the LAX runway. If you feel like going surfing or paddle-boarding there, take a look at who has moved in recently.
Remote Patrol
Western Michigan vs. No. 14 Northern Illinois
ESPN 7 p.m.
NIU alum Lacey Underalls
The Broncos are 1-10 and have a one-point victory over one-win UMass to their credit. The Huskies are 11-0, boast quarterback Jordan Lynch, and are making a last stab at securing a BCS bowl berth over similarly undefeated non-AQ Fresno State. The line is 35.5 but it should be at least 10 points north of that. NIU wants to make a statement and it’ll waste no time doing so tonight in DeKalb.
I don’t remember you being that big of fan of Tebow. In fact, what I do remember from your NBCsports blog days was that you didn’t think Tebow was all that fab. At least the season the Gators won their 2nd NatChamp under Urban & Timmy was up for the Heisman the 2nd time. Which he SHOULD have won & not just gotten the most 1st place votes. Sam Bradford? Please. And btw, WHY does the Heisman have people vote for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place anyway?! Why not have the voters vote for THE ONE guy & the top 4 votegetters come to NYC?!
Anyway, I guess it’s my PC settings, but I had a lot of difficulty trying to read SI’s Tebow piece online & it was almost impossible to print. Thus, I’ve only skimmed for now.
I’m actually so pissed that Tebow is no longer playing in the NFL, that I’ve barely watched this year. One of the FEW guys that I’d have actually paid to watch was not deemed worthy of the freakin “shield”? Made me realize that maybe I’m not such a fan of this game afterall. It’s also impacted my viewing & enjoyment of the college game. Tebow DOMINATED college football for 3 straight years. If he can’t play “at the next level”, why should I watch a level that apparently does NOT “prepare” one to reach & flourish at that next level? Where’s the payoff? I can count on one, ok, maybe two hands, the # of football players who were so damn exciting that you HAD to watch them play, even if their teams were your team’s hated enemy – Herschel Walker, Tony Dorsett, Jerry Rice & Joe Montana, Bo Jackson, a few others & of course, Tim Tebow.
I’ve read that the NFL’s TV ratings are higher than ever, so losing me as a viewer-fan means nothing. However, count the folks who feel like me, plus the ones horrified at the TRUE REALITY of the football locker room & mindset (hazing, bullying, bounties, PED & other drug abuse) & the trickle-down impact of parents worried about concussions & CTE that keep little Johnny from putting on the pads in the 1st place, it will be interesting to see what the game looks like 15-20 years from now.