by John Walters
A Medium Happy 50th to Jon Favreau, star and writer of Swingers and Chef
Starting Five
In his last four appearances, totaling 6 2/3 innings, Jansen has allowed no runs and two hits
Artful Dodgers
Only two teams have played more postseason baseball games than the Dodgers, who played their 200th yesterday: the Yankees and Cardinals. Yet their 6-0 shutout of the Cubs in the NLCS last night marked the first time that the erstwhile Brooklyn Atlantics, Bridegrooms and Superbas had ever recorded consecutive shutouts in playoff games (they blanked the Cubs 1-0 on Monday).
So L.A. leads the series 2-1 and Game 4 is tonight up against debate.
2. Yet Another Notre Dame With A Problem
Notre Dame Prep, the McDowell Mountains in the background….
As the Notre Dame in South Bend trudges through a 2-5 season (despite having outscored its opponents in full), Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, Arizona, has just been placed on probation and ruled ineligible for the postseason. The Saints, as they are know, held a “summer football class” in June and put players in pads and would you believe, some photos were taken and placed on social media (No! Yes. NO! Yes.). Also, NDP sent out letters to athletes at other schools inviting them to attend.
Notre Dame Prep is a new and ultra-rich school, located in the wealthiest section of the wealthiest town in the Phoenix area. The Saints are 6-2 overall but 3-0 in their division and probably would qualify for the playoffs. Local media have located the “concerned” parents whose only takeaway is that they feel sorry for the kids, and we get it, but this was a fairly blatant violation of a known rule. More great life lessons being taught by adults.
3. Nigel, Please
Madison Man
Last Saturday ESPN’s College GameDay visited Madison, where the most famous local athlete is Badger varsity basketball player Nigel Hayes. The 6’8″ senior, who averaged nearly 16 points and 6 rebounds a year ago, is going to be a very wealthy man (especially relative to his classmates) a year from now. Hayes is just not wealthy now and yes, by being a major star who earns nothing (BESIDES A COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP VALUED AT $47,544 FOR OUT-OF-STATERS, WHICH THE TOLEDO, OHIO, NATIVE IS), that seems unfair to some people (athletes and sports writers, mainly).
You know what “employees” at other businesses do when they feel that they are underpaid or taken for granted? They quit. Hayes does not seem to want to do that.
If you think the NCAA is exploiting these players, I’d like to welcome you to every business in America, if not the world. This is simple economics: As soon as I or any university president reads the story of a 4- or 5-star athlete turning down a scholarship offer, maybe the system will change. As soon as a team goes on strike en masse (before a Final Four contest), maybe the system will change.
Instead of coddling these student-athletes, sports writers should give them a lesson in economics. Management’s job is to make you an offer that is good enough to keep you from leaving the job. It isn’t to cut you in on what you think is a fair share of the pie.
Of course, the comeback here is that it’s a cartel. I guess, but the idea that you’re going to overhaul the system because 3% of its members need to take this route for their profession (which is about how many make it in the NFL or NBA) is ludicrous. I was a pre-med paying full tuition: I’d argue that my future profession was far more valuable to society and about 33% of us were moving on to med school. No one stepped in and paid my way.
Yes, but you didn’t fill up a football stadium. No, I didn’t, but my (and my classmates’) intelligence was every bit as valuable a commodity. The thing is, I can’t get into medical school without an undergrad degree, and the better the undergrad institution, the better my odds. Same with the NFL and college football. The potential NFL player also benefits greatly by playing at an Alabama or a USC. Not to mention the countless tangible and intangible benefits: expanded horizons, life experiences, media exposure, sorority honeys, and in some cases, Alaskan king crab legs.
But it’s just not fair, you say. And you’re right. It’s probably not fair that Apple, which has a market cap o $632 BILLION, employs Asian workers who make a fractional amount of what a U.S. worker would. But I don’t see you putting down your iPhone and I don’t see you not attending college football games or not watching them. You’re not willing to sacrifice anything for this noble cause (I’m talking about you the consumer, not the athletes), which just makes you a whiner.
Josh Dobbs: Starting SEC QB, aeronautical engineering major. Easy? No. Possible? Ask him. Or the people who put together Nike marketing campaigns.
Could the NCAA do more right by its student-athletes? Absolutely. Pay for their parents’ traveling to at least one postseason game per year, for starters. Give every four-year grad at least 72 further credit hours (I’d even go up to 144, about the equivalent of a four-year education) that he could either give to a family member who qualifies academically or for his or her own use. Assist by providing more education, not with money.
There are three major money problems: 1) Not all NCAA athletes have the same valuable (probably 1% or so would really be missed by the general public) 2) Once you agree to pay them, you’ve set a market. And now negotiations as to price become a constant aspect of the game and 3) You surrender the idea that young men should be going to college to receive an education; it’s just a minor league. The idea should be to reform the system and stress the value of the degree—and allow young men to earn meaningful degrees—not to be so jaded that we accept that it’s just a marriage of convenience.
Still, as soon as a Rivals 100 player turns down a scholarship, you may see university presidents and athletic directors huddle and discuss. But until then, well, these are mostly smart businessmen. Why pay more for something when the people who have the free will not to sell it (their athletic talent) to you do so anyway 100% of the time?
4. That 3rd Quarter
It’s been four days, I’m finally ready to talk about Stanford 17, Notre Dame 10.
What I want to discuss, as Keith Arnold and I talked about on our podcast, is that 3rd quarter. Not just because it’s where it all went bad, but because it’s a fascinating character study of Brian Kelly (who nine games ago had a 72% winning mark in South Bend and now has a 67% victory mark).
First drive: Notre Dame gets the kickoff to start the half (Finally!), but DeShone Kizer throws a pick-six. Great undercut of the route by Stanford’s Quenton Meeks (who had missed most of the last three games for the Cardinal) and a terrific open-field run to score it. Huge momentum change.
Second drive: On 3rd-and-7 in Stanford territory, Kizer misses an open Kevin Boykin, a completion that would have rendered a first down. On 4th-and-7 Kelly opts not to punt and Kizer, facing heavy pressure, throws a pick downfield. It’s a bad pass, but the pass the play before was the real error.
Third drive: The Irish defense forced a turnover just two plays later (on an insanely great play by Jarron Jones, the best defensive play of the season), so Kizer’s pick was not a huge blow. It’s midway through the 3rd quarter, your starter has just thrown picks on consecutive drives, and you still lead. If you’re ever going to give Malik Zaire a shot, now’s the moment. I think most of us can agree that this wasn’t the worst move, to shake the offense and Kizer out of his doldrums.
On the first play, Zaire sprints around right end for 13 yards. The stadium is energized. As is the team. Oh, what’s that? A flag? Holding on Quenton Nelson. I think that one flag changed the trajectory of Zaire’s career. Now it’s 1st-and-25 and the offense is deflated. The Irish will punt. But Stanford will punt right back. If you’re keeping count, the defense has now allowed one offensive touchdown in nine quarters, dating back to the second half of the Syracuse game.
Fourth Drive: Center Sam Mustipher snaps the ball high, fast and to the right of Zaire, whom Kelly has given a second chance. The ball sails out of the end zone. Safety. The score is now 10-9. On his second drive, Zaire was not even given a chance to touch the football.
Fifth Drive: Stanford scores on offense, finally, and gets the 2-point conversion, because of course (have you been watching Notre Dame football the past three seasons?). It’s now 17-10 and I tweet something to the effect, “If Kelly doesn’t put Kizer in now, that is a huge mistake.” Kelly sends Zaire back in. Three and out.
And there, kind of, is your ballgame. By the time Kelly finally returns to Kizer, for a 3-minute drive, he’s rusty and out of sync. He still almost pulls it out, though. He still should have not been on the bench that long. One series? Sure. Two? Maybe. Three? Never.
You have to wonder if Brian Kelly felt so much guilt over the hand that Zaire has been dealt that he made that the priority, massaging a former starter’s ego, over winning the game. It’s not Zaire’s fault. These are problems Nick Saban never faces. He’s a cold-hearted mofo, but it’s about putting your best team on the field and giving all of them the best chance to win. Ask Blake Barnett.
5. Matt Taibbi
If you have yet to read Matt Taibbi’s “How Trump Lost His Mojo,” from the Sept. 22 issue of Rolling Stone, I highly recommend it. It’s one of his masterpieces. This race changes so often, the major gaffes and low moments, that some of these issues will seem stale one month later. But the writing is too good to be ignored.
Describing a rally: “The audience roars. This is the Trump they fell in love with. It’s the same uber-confident, self-congratulating gasbag who bulldozed the Republican nomination on the strength of long, unscripted rants that were glorious tributes to every teenager everywhere who has ever taken a test without studying.”
Reserves
Canada Dry Humor
In case you have not yet seen this. Our Canadian friend Moose sent this. I think Canada is trying to help us, but it’s a wee bit patronizing, eh?
Music 101
Reach Out of the Darkness
1968 was the most tumultuous year in American history since the end of the Civil War: the Tet Offensive, the assassinations of MLK and RFK, Chicago riots, Nixon’s election, etc. (and yes, 2016 may still give ’68 a run for its money). It was Peak—or Nadir—Sixties, and this song by Friend and Lover is a groovy, hippie folk plea against the violence and chaos. I think this tune also ended the Mad Men episode that concludes with Megan Draper watching footage of the RFK news. The song peaked at No. 13, the duo’s only hit.
Remote Patrol
Baseball
Game 5 , ALCS
TBS 4 p.m.
Game 4, NLCS
FS1 8 p.m.
Donaldson and the Jays will attempt to do some more staving of elimination today
Or you can watch the third debate, but I’d rather just wait to see how SNL distills it down to 10 minutes in three nights. Did you know that the first pitch of Cubs games has been taking place at 7:08, that’s 19:08, Central time? Love that.
Posts like today are, once again, why I think this blog has purpose and monetary value.
I won’t inundate the audience with my views. Today’s topics were highly skewed towards sports, but weren’t written from a sports writer. Take it for what it is worth, I suppose.
About your college sports topic (‘Play ’em & Pay ’em? – jdubs thinks NOT’) – 40 years ago, 30 years, 20, heck, even 15 years ago, I would have totally agreed with your view. And I really like your outta-the-box thinking on how to remunerate the “student-athletes” for what they are doing FOR their universities & colleges (i.e. making them tons of money via the current TV contracts & national exposure to the next generation of ‘willing workers’) WITHOUT actually paying them, you know, filthy lucre. However, the, um “field” has changed quite a bit in the last decade so that now a college scholarship is NOT equal to what the athletes (workers) are EARNING these citadels of higher learning. SO much money is rolling in to some of these schools that they are running out of places to put/use/stash it – just how big can the stadiums be without entirely killing the ‘fan experience’? How many hot tubs, 70 inch flat super high-def TV screens, cryogenic chambers can one locker room hold? How much MORE money can we shove at a Head Coach, then OC & DC, then associate coaches? (Although I do wonder if this mound of moola has actually trickled down to the lowly grad-student assistant &/or 1st & 2nd year assistant coaches who have been notoriously known for being “paid” literally next to nothing for decades – talk about exploitation!). Basically, when I read your piece it seemed the very reason why the “power conferences” will SPLIT OFF into their own subcategory with “special rules”. You are right – the VAST majority of college football players (& most basketball players) will never play a minute at the pro level. For these kids, 4-5 years of free room & board, a large part of their ‘casual’ clothing covered, AND A FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION is the BEST DEAL THEY WILL EVER RECEIVE. And while they should be thrilled, that still doesn’t mean their efforts (work) for the school is being FAIRLY recompensed.
And face it – the football & basketball programs at these “power conferences’ ARE “minor leagues” already. Especially basketball with the ludicrous “one & done” farce which has DESTROYED college basketball, at least for me.
As for how I’d pay them, I’m not sure. 1st, the only student-athletes covered would be the ones in the profitable sports at their school. 2nd, I’d probably increase their monthly stipends to $2,000-$5,000/month & then a ‘balloon’ payment once they graduate &/or 5 years from their date of matriculation. The latter payment would be a cut of the profit the school achieved from the sport during the years he/she attended/competed. Of course, were any of this to actually happen, the ‘student-athletes’ would be officially acknowledged as employees of the schools which would possibly lead to unforeseen complications. But you know what? I was an EMPLOYEE of my university for 4 years while being a student (was actually called a “WORKship” in those days) & the EARTH is still rotating.
I agree with u, Susie B., that the money has gotten insane. And when that happens, usually the entire system has to crash b4 the powers that be have a catharsis (See: GOP). I still don’t want to go down that money road…
J Dubs
Mike DeCourcey had a similar take on Nigel Hayes in his recent article. Naturally, he posted a link on Twitter and Bilas has been killing him the last few days. I agree with you on help for the parents and some transportation costs and potentially a modest stipend. The extraordinary treatment that some of the athletes receive (beyond an education) is ridiculous. I am proud to say that the school from which I graduated still attempts to keep their student athletes as part of the community. The fact that they win championships is a nice bonus.
As a journalist, how can you still consider Rolling Stone as a serious magazine? Didn’t they just have another retraction and it comes on the heels of the Virginia debacle. I know the story fits your narrative and you align with the author but that is a discredited rag.
Debate tonight? No thanks. Baseball for me.
To answer you, JVM3, it’s not about whether I consider RS a “serious” magazine. It’s about Taibbi being a devilishly talented writer, even if you don’t align with the slant here. This is great writing. Doesn’t matter to me where it appears.