“Power Brokers Playing the Game”

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And so the meetings begin this morning, in New York, on Park Avenue.

The NFL owners, the ones who run the game, play the Monopoly game, as if they were on Boardwalk, and the rest of us were on St. Vincent Avenue.

NFL owners meet to configure out how to prop up two troubled franchises, the moribund Raiders, and the downward trending Chargers.

The ownership groups of both have problems. The Raiders, a poorly funded franchise. The Chargers, a poorly run franchise. Both playing in crumbling stadiums. One, Oakland, in a city fraught with economic and social woes. The other, in San Diego, with a melting pot population base that keeps voting down public funding, for most everything.

It’s a critical situation for the NFL. Hanging in the balance is the lucrative market in Los Angeles, which guarantees the next incoming owner, enormous value to his franchise.

The NFL has issues though. The rich man Stan Kroenke, funding the Hollywood Park stadium, owns a franchise that is a mess on the field, and in the front office. This is a huge embarrassment to the NFL, to have had 90,000-fans show up for the opening of the Rams season, then see the season burn to the ground, where home attendance plunged to a half full stadium by season’s finish.

The Raiders have a strong brand of fans up and down the West Coast, but play in a dungeon of a stadium, in a city that has no resources.

The Chargers have a credibility leadership problem at the top, with the Spanos family decision makers. They have insulted and offended the fan base, and the civic leadership, that wants to help. Not much talent on the field, and no political currency in town.

Beginning today, running thru tomorrow, this is how I see the NFL acting.

They will spend the bulk of their time trying to sort out the Raiders to Las Vegas scenario. Yes, they will say things like protecting the home market, getting it right, and doing all they can, but in the end, nothing can get accomplished in the East Bay.

The biggest issue for the NFL is not the Las Vegas market, and its clientele-fans-visitors, but rather the local money. Do they want to do business with casino owner Sheldon Adelson, who wants to be part owner?

The NFL should not pull the ‘morals’ card out of their pocket. Jerry Jones was part owner of the sports fantasy league, Draft Kings, and that is a semblance of gaming. The Giants, Jets, Patriots and other teams have casinos signage in their stadiums, and that’s advertising gambling and all, isn’t it?

Las Vegas has the money, the leadership and state support. It’s not like the NFL leaving Cleveland or Baltimore, or even St. Louis. Raiders fans will trave and Las Vegas believes its tourists will check out the product.

This looks like a slam dunk, and it solves one problem with the LA market. The Raiders are no longer in the equation.

On to the Chargers, where the problem is fraught with issues. The owner does not have the assets to pay 650M in territorial fees to move to LA, even if he gets a stadium rent deal of just a dollar a year from Stan Kroenke.

He goes into a market with a poor product, in a town that does not want him, and the shiny new stadium is not going to net him the big cash flow you would expect, because he is a tenant..

His real goal is likely to drive the value of his team up to 2B, then have the Spanos family sell the team, take the profits, and go off into the sunset. Chargers fans would cheer, but they will have lost the franchise to LA, after ownership wrecked the relationships in San Diego.

The NFL committees can come up with bridge financing to help San Diego come up with the money to build a new stadium in Mission Valley.

But that entails another set of problems. If the NFL goes beyond its initial promises, does it not open a can of worms with the next group of cities that need money for stadium construction?. If you gave and gave and gave to save San Diego, are you doing the same for Buffalo or Jacksonville or the next city?

I am convinced the NFL does not want Spanos and Sons in Los Angeles. Remembering that the shield is all about profits, and new revenue streams, and therefore making the 2nd team in LA an expansion team, is the real end-game here. It may be four years from now, but think of what they would charge, to put an NFL team into Los Angeles and London, and the profits they would realize?

So they fork over another 200M to get the San Diego deal done, but realize that expansion in a couple of years, would net them, maybe 5B with a couple of more teams.

It allows Kroenke the time to finish the stadium, and fix his ailing franchise too.

And with the Raiders heading to Las Vegas, and a San Diego solution possibly coming to a vote, the NFL could still give the Bolts a year’s extension as a protection against a “no” vote from city-county taxpayers on the new Mission Valley stadium. Spanos might still have that option in 2018, but the NFL will push for everyone to vote ‘yes” to finance this, and keep their team.

Oh one other item, about Chargers leadership.

Anyone want to bet me, Dean Spanos and Mark Fabiani announce on Thursday afternoon, an hour or so before Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s “State of the City” address, that Spanos has agreed to a new resolution by the NFL.

Just track the history of the stuff Spanos and Fabiani pulled off in 2014 and 2015, as the Mayor, city and county, tried to put together financing. Every CSAG press conference or announcement, was preceeded by something the Chargers did, or were going to do, to soil what San Diego was going to do.

Real slime-ball stuff. Happened non-stop for over a year. You think a tiger changes his stripes?

The owner agrees to stay here another years, and work to get something passed, with the NFL money. They will want to paint him as the ‘savour’ of the Chargers franchise, after he was the ‘devil’ for two years running, trying to move.

I’m not big in conspiracy theories, just connecting all the dots, from all the people I have spoken to.

Raiders to Las Vegas. Chargers get another year with hope to get the deal done. NFL helps fix the Rams. Still to be delivered an expansion franchise in LA down-the-road.

Check with me Friday morning. I think I am right.

Like I said, Monopoly game here. Chargers, pass go, and collect 200-dollars, and we won’t let you land on Baltic Avenue.

It’s the way the NFL does business. All for one, one for all, as long as it all goes into their pockets.

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College Football-As Good As It Gets”

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It’s the way you’d want a championship game, for all the marbles, all the trophies, all the rings to end.

The game winning touchdown scored with (:01) left on the clock.

Clemson (35-31) over Alabama. Thank you Tigers.

DeShaun Watson was dazzling, finishing off a brilliant 3-year career with a 1-minute drive and the game winning TD pass against the unbeaten super-power Crimson Tide.

The kid from Gainesville, who went to the school in South Carolina, graduates in 3-years time, and returns to campus with a (32-3) record as a starter, and a championship trophy..

The finish last night was payback for last year’s Alabama (45-40) win. But this Clemson victory was decisive.

The look on the face of iconic coach Nick Saban was priceless. He could not believe what he was seeing. His players could not believe what was happening.

When the guys wearing Orange were done, the guys wearing Crimson were Black and Blue. Against the top defense in the nation, the one that entered the game giving up just (244) yards per game, the one with 15-TDs by their defense and special teams, the numbers the Tigers put up were unbelievable.

Watson says goodbye to ACC football with this farewell gift. He finished with (420) yards passing and 43-rushing. He was (36-for-56). He survived 2-turnovers, 4-sacks, and 3-cheapshot helmet hits early on.

Clemson wound up with (511) yards against the Tide. They ran off 99-plays on offense. Controlled the football for (34:44) in time of possession. It was dominance beyond a doubt.

Wide receiver Mike Williams, himself victimized by 2-helmet hits that were not called, came back with monster catches in the fourth quarter. And there’s no doubt, incredulous to see, Alabama targeting those two players with head shots early in the game.

So much for class.

Bama’s freshman QB-Jalen Hurts was overwhelmed for a chunk of the game. Alabama was (0-11) on 3rd downs. Hurts was wildly erratic throwing downfield. His 30-yard touchdown run with just over a minute to go nearly rallied his team to victory.

But the loss his power running back Bo Scarbrough hurt the offense. The early (14-0) lead eventually disappeared thanks to the dynamics of Watson.

As Alabama has dominated college football, like Oklahome did back in the Bud Wilkinson era, they have created enemies everywhere. Tiny Clemson won the game for all the smaller schools Alabama has trashed over the Saban years.

It was a win for kids who go to classes and graduate. A victory over a Saban led coaching staff tha has 27-assistant coaches and administrative assistants working for the Hall of Fame mentor.

Some may have viewed it as good-beating-evil.

In end, college football got it right. Ohio State and Michigan, Washington and USC, and even tiny Western Michigan gave us thrills this past football season.

But the Tigers and the Crimson Tide are in a galaxy by themselves. And they played that way last night, completing a season that began on Labor Day weekend, and taking it to the final (:01) of the championship game before we knew who was the best in the country.

“Roll Tide” could not “Hold That Tiger”. Dabo Swinney outcoached Nick Saban and Steve Sarkisian.

And somewhere this morning, the last great Clemson coach, Danny Ford, is smiling, hooting and hollering, for wearing Orange is the right thing to do.

Clemson, king and class of college football.

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“Is It Me-or-Them?”

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I watched all four games this NFL wildcard weekend.

A bunch of blowouts, lots of cold weather, a couple of cheapshot hits that led to injuries.

But something really struck me odd.

The difference between the talent level of what we saw Saturday and Sunday on the field, and what we have had to watch all season long, in this wreckage of a season with the Chargers.

There was Aaron Rodgers working all that magic as Green Bay torched the New York Giants defense in frigid 11-degree weather at Lambeau. Rodgers, with no running game, and a shaky offensive line, goes for another 300-yard day and 4-more TDs.

In the midst of this seven game win streak, he has thrown 20-TDs, and no interceptions.

In Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger came out throwing, Antonio Brown catching, Le’Veon Bell a record yardage running day, and a defense that pounded Miami.

Seattle devoid of pass blocking talent drilled Detroit, running the ball, and creating big plays from Russell Wilson to any and all wide receivers.

Of course there was a clinker in that Houston-Raiders game, though that Texans defense does get after it.

I sat there and watched the flow, the consistency, the dynamics and the dominance of three of the teams that won on the weekend.

And then I thought about the Chargers, and how there was hardly any flow to their offense for four quarters of football. And I thought of the Bolts pass rush, but not much else on defense, especially in pass coverage on the back seven..

And it really dawned on me, how far away talent-wise the Chargers are from being equal to the teams that played on wildcard weekend.

Yes maybe the return of a large chunk of those 20-guys on injured reserve this year, coupled with the young athletes they uncovered this miserable season, led by Philip Rivers, will put the Chargers back on track.
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And I had to laugh at the things Chargers team President John Spanos said to may face about competing for a Super Bowl in San Diego. Yes I guess he has to say corporate things like that, to keep the family flame lit, keep the hope going, impress his Dad..

But how about winning some games in the division, where you are (1-13)? How about a winning season first?. How about making the playoffs?. How about winning a post season game, where you have just one victory over the last ten?

Goals are nice. Being delusional is not.

Watching what I saw, and knowing next week we get to see the Patriots and Falcons, Cowboys and Chiefs play, makes me realize reality.

I see a pretty big talent gap between San Diego and the teams playing in January. Other teams have talent, lots of it. This team doesn’t have enough. Doesn’t have a coach either.

The distance between “them” and “us” is like the distance between Boston and San Diego. Lots of miles. Lots of wins. Lots of leadership too.

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“Football Friday Questions Worth Asking”

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Chargers…They are thinking outside the box aren’t they, search for a defensive leader or somebody to fix special teams….areas that need the most upgrade in their head coaching search? Not bad idea. Philip Rivers runs the offense with a coordinator who can play to his strengths. Get some with a defensive flavor of a special teams guru to make it happen as head coach also.

Tom Coughlin…Surprising isn’t it, that a man who won 2-Super Bowl trophies and had all those playoff teams, hasn’t been invited to interview by any of these bad franchises? Thinking a winner like him, with very high and old school standards, would help out a loser.

Waiting for Wednesday….Is there an interesting confrontation coming for Chargers owner Dean Spanos…after NFL owners agreed to up the contribution for a San Diego Stadium to 300M…he refused to meet with the Mayor-City-County leaders for all of 2016? Got an answer for that Dean?

Sweet Home Alabama…Crimson Tide are loaded with talent…so big-so physical…just don’t know how Clemson is going to hold up to the pounding…but then again if DeShaun Watson hits TD passes early-can Bama’s ground heavy offense throw the ball when they have to? The Monday matchup shall be fun.

Mess in Minnesota…Golden Gophers go (9-4) and win in the Holiday Bowl and the Coach Tracy Clayes gets fired in the aftermath of his vocal support of players who wanted to boycott the bowl game, defending the soiled honor of 10-teams who took part or were aware of a sex party last Labor Day weekend. Why would coach not take the high road on this rather than go social public supporting players?

Next Man Up…Hot young guys looking to move up, looking at Minnesota…Western Michigan’s PJ Fleck and Wyoming’s Craig Bohl. Most interesting name though is Les Miles-LSU. That would be some transition from Bourbon Street to the Twin Cities wouldn’t it?

Nasty Divorce…Nick Saban outsting-letting go offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin right before National Championship game….Kiffin with some track record at Tennessee-USC-Raiders and now in SEC….Two things to think of, how well will he do at Florida Atlantic, and how long before he leaves-gets fired-or they get into NCAA trouble? Why do I think of Kiffin and automatically think of Bobby Petrino and all his baggage?

Worst Idea Around…Conference leaders from the Group of 5-Conferences, Mountain West, Mid American, Conference USA and the likes are brainstorming their own Championship Playoff series….I don’t think so on this one….You’re going to remove San Diego State or Houston or unbeaten Western Michigan from major bowl consideration, just so they can play each other in a playoff series no one will want to watch? Sounds like bad immitation of Division 1AA playoffs doesn’t it?

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“Football Friday Questions Worth Asking”

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Chargers…They are thinking outside the box aren’t they, search for a defensive leader or somebody to fix special teams….areas that need the most upgrade in their head coaching search? Not bad idea. Philip Rivers runs the offense with a coordinator who can play to his strengths. Get some with a defensive flavor of a special teams guru to make it happen as head coach also.

Tom Coughlin…Surprising isn’t it, that a man who won 2-Super Bowl trophies and had all those playoff teams, hasn’t been invited to interview by any of these bad franchises? Thinking a winner like him, with very high and old school standards, would help out a loser.

Waiting for Wednesday….Is there an interesting confrontation coming for Chargers owner Dean Spanos…after NFL owners agreed to up the contribution for a San Diego Stadium to 300M…he refused to meet with the Mayor-City-County leaders for all of 2016? Got an answer for that Dean?

Sweet Home Alabama…Crimson Tide are loaded with talent…so big-so physical…just don’t know how Clemson is going to hold up to the pounding…but then again if DeShaun Watson hits TD passes early-can Bama’s ground heavy offense throw the ball when they have to? The Monday matchup shall be fun.

Mess in Minnesota…Golden Gophers go (9-4) and win in the Holiday Bowl and the Coach Tracy Clayes gets fired in the aftermath of his vocal support of players who wanted to boycott the bowl game, defending the soiled honor of 10-teams who took part or were aware of a sex party last Labor Day weekend. Why would coach not take the high road on this rather than go social public supporting players?

Next Man Up…Hot young guys looking to move up, looking at Minnesota…Western Michigan’s PJ Fleck and Wyoming’s Craig Bohl. Most interesting name though is Les Miles-LSU. That would be some transition from Bourbon Street to the Twin Cities wouldn’t it?

Nasty Divorce…Nick Saban outsting-letting go offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin right before National Championship game….Kiffin with some track record at Tennessee-USC-Raiders and now in SEC….Two things to think of, how well will he do at Florida Atlantic, and how long before he leaves-gets fired-or they get into NCAA trouble? Why do I think of Kiffin and automatically think of Bobby Petrino and all his baggage?

Worst Idea Around…Conference leaders from the Group of 5-Conferences, Mountain West, Mid American, Conference USA and the likes are brainstorming their own Championship Playoff series….I don’t think so on this one….You’re going to remove San Diego State or Houston or unbeaten Western Michigan from major bowl consideration, just so they can play each other in a playoff series no one will want to watch? Sounds like bad immitation of Division 1AA playoffs doesn’t it

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