Briefly.
Thank a vet. If you are reading this and are a vet, thanks.
I missed last Friday and some of this is old news but I’m keeping it in regardless. A little more lengthy than normal. I hope you don’t mind…
Headline of the week – “Is holding in your poop at work bad for your health?”
Jose Fernandez, the Miami Marlins ace who was tragically killed in a boating accident on Sept. 25, was posthumously honored on Wednesday night at the 25th Annual Players Choice Awards. In a bittersweet moment, Fernandez was announced as the National League Comeback Player of the Year for the 2016 season. Fernandez, 24, went 16-8 with a 2.86 ERA, 2.30 FIP, 1.12 WHIP and an NL-best 12.5 K/9 ratio in 29 starts this past season. He made only 11 starts in the 2015 season after returning from Tommy John surgery.
In case you were wondering, Bill “Spaceman” Lee got 2.81% of the vote in Vermont’s Gubernatorial race.
“The party’s over:The politically themed Bud Light Party campaign starring Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer, which debuted during the Super Bowl, has proven to be a major disappointment by failing to reverse declining sales trends. Anheuser-Busch InBev reported that Bud Light sales to retailers fell by “mid-single digits” in the third quarter, during which the brand lost 0.65 points of market share.” Let me tell you something from mere observation. The Baldi did NOT contribute to the declining sales!!
The word is that Draft Kings & FanDuel are discussing a merger, though neither will acknowledge.
And there you have it. Mookie is an MVP finalist, Ortiz is not.
Speaking of Mookie, he wins a Gold Glove and isn’t even the best outfielder on his team.
“Massachusetts voters approved marijuana legalization along some unlikely lines. The ballot measure’s “No” votes largely centered in Boston’s outlying suburbs. The city’s most urban areas tended to support the initiative, as did the state’s most rural ones; voters in western Massachusetts were overwhelmingly pro-pot.” – Why is this not surprising??
Speaking of the Red Sox, they open at home next season on April 3rd vs. the Pirates. Also, the Cubbies come to town April 28-30.
I really like what ESPN is doing on Monday nights by having Chris Berman in studio with different guests each week. Last Monday, because the Bills were in town, Jim Kelly was his guest. He welcomes past players from one of the teams playing each week. You may not like Chris Berman in certain arenas but he does a great job here.
The Raiders were flagged 23 times (two) Sunday’s ago breaking an NFL record that stood since 1944 and had been tied twice. Not only that but they also had three penalties declined and one offset.
The Cleveland Browns are 0-9. They have now lost 12 in a row going back to last year, have dropped 19 of 20 and are 3-27 in its past 30. They are the first team since the 1964 Broncos to allow at least 25 points in their first 9 games. In a fitting tribute, fans in the end zone (two) Sundays ago, held up three bed sheets spelling out DAWG POUND, only the sheets were in the wrong order and spelled out GPODAWUND?
This week’s sign of the apocalypse – Olexander Turin, a Ukranian, was amongst 7 people who changed their name to iPhone Sim. A local electronics store offered to give away an Iphone 7, retailing at $850, for anyone who changed their name. Olexander paid $2 for the name change.
There were 156 golfers at last weekend’s PGA tournament, the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. However, due to the waning hours of daylight this time of year, a couple dozen golfers were supposed to have been lopped off the field. Though no one is clear why, there was a miscommunication that allowed all 156 to play. One of those who should not have been playing, Rod Pampling, won the tournament and took home the $1.2M prize!
The Steelers offensive (pun intended) drives on Sunday. Punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, halftime, punt, interception, punt, blocked punt (TD). The Steelers had more penalty yards (70) than total yards at halftime.
Headline of the week part deux – “Melissa fell in love with Lisa – then discovered she was her Mom”
Brad Stevens just can’t get the Celts to play defense. What’s up with that?
So voters can change their minds in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In Wisconsin you can change your vote up to three times. The deadline was the Thursday before the election.
Back to the Raiders game last Sunday. Derek Carr not only smashed the franchise record for passing yards in a game (513 – he broke the record of 427 held by the immortal Cotton Davidson), he also joined Y.A. Tittle (1962) and Ben Roethlisberger (2014) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 500+ yards, 4 TD’s and zero interceptions in a single game.
Thank the Lord for Tuukka. Where would the Bruins be without him?!?!
The tributes keep coming for David “Big Papi” Ortiz. JetBlue announced over the weekend it will dedicate Gate 34 in Logan International Airport’s Terminal C to the newly retired Red Sox slugger. Ortiz recently starred in a series of ads for JetBlue. The name and design for the gate have not yet been finalized.
Philip Rivers’ 13-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in the first quarter of San Diego’s 43-35 win over Tennessee was the 81st time they’ve connected, the most in NFL history between a quarterback and a tight end. It was also the 108th career TD catch for Gates, leaving him three shy of matching Tony Gonzalez’s NFL record for a tight end. Does anyone else think a local guy will break both records in due time??
Chiefs running back Knile Davis played after re-signing with Kansas City on Saturday. Davis was traded to Green Bay three weeks ago, cut after two games and signed with the New York Jets. He was cut again hours later when New York agreed to terms with C.J. Spiller, allowing Davis to return to Kansas City.
These next two points are as close as I get to political mention:
Hillary Clinton delivered what could be the last political speech of her life on Wednesday and the color she wore was seen as very significant. For her concession speech, Clinton wore a purple shirt and a blazer with purple lapels, while Bill Clinton wore a purple tie. But DYK, purple—halfway between red and blue—is considered the color of American bipartisanship and many commentators praised the color choice as a graceful way to emphasize her message of unity.
Shares in Israeli firm Magal Security System, which helped build the wall around Gaza and many other barriers around the world, jumped around 6% Wednesday in the wake of Donald Trump’s surprise election victory.
Good night everybody!
“Who would believe you were a beauty indeed
When the days get shorter and the nights get long
Lie awake when the rain comes
Nobody will know, when you’re old
When you’re old, nobody will know”
Ed's Head On Friday 