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“DODGERS BLUE–WHY THE HATE?”
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I get surprised by lots of things covering sports.  Sometimes I expect it.  Other times I don’t understand it.

Topic: Dodgers Blue

The Blue are in first place in the National League West, running away from the pack, pounding their way towards the playoffs, and a likely matchup with the NL’s other dominant team the Atlanta Braves

Boy Padres fans don’t like the Dodgers.

Is it the 10-game winning streak?  Is it 14-wins in 15-games?  Is it the (73-46) overall record.

How come Padre fan cannot respect this accomplishment?

Because the Dodgers have now won 12-regular season series dating back to 2020?  Or the dominance in all but the playoff series last year?

Is it the 12-World Championships LA-Brooklyn have won in Dodgers history?

Is it that loudmouth-the late Tommy LaSorda?  Or the excellend of back in the day Manager legend Walter Alson?

Is it Koufax-Drysdale history?  Or the uniqueness of the Garvey-Cey-Russell history?

It cannot be the Boys of Summer era?  Or the legend Jackie Robinson became?

Somebody should respect where they have gone to get players: Mexico-Fernando Valenzuala.  Pacific Rim-Nomo-Ryu-Maeda and more?

Surely it is not the accomplishments of ex-Padres favorite Dave Roberts, who has a (726-427) record managing the Blue.

Maybe it’s the 7-Division titles, 3-World Series appearances or the Ring in the Roberts era.

Could it be the 4M fans they always draw at Dodgers Stadium?
Cannot be the greatness of broadcaster Vin Scully is it?

Just because they once had a scoundrel in Frank McCourt as an owner, that and the corporated idiot that was Fox, they also had greatness in front office execs.

No respect regard for special people like Branch Rickey, Peter O’Malley, or the job done by Fred Claire-Al Campanis?

Granted there was never a ‘fire sale’ in LA, though they did fire a bankrupt owner.  But the Padres had Tom Werner and the Terrible 15, who matched McCourt’s dislike.

T’is hard to believe, when you think of the Dodgers you think of the Duke, Pee Wee, Jackie, Campy, Newk and so many more.  Lots of greatness for a long time.  Much greater than the Padres home grown love affair with Mr. Padre-Tony Gwynn, or Cammy, Vaughn or Kevin Brown. who came from somewhere else.

So as we head to September, I have not figured it out , the San Diego dislike of all things Dodgers baseball.

We have a month to solve this as teams chase down playoff slots.  The Dodgers in their normal spot.  The Padres typically trying to catch up.

Don’t understand the hate.  You tell me.

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“COLLEGE FOOTBALL…A DIFFERENT IDEA”
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What an alarming feeling, the on going bribery attempts, the middle of the night raids that saw teams leave conference to go get big paydays somewhere else.

The bitterness is not going away in the aftermath of the death of the Pac 12, with the 8-schools who have defeected.

Anger in the ACC where now Florida State-Miami-Clemson may be preparing to exit.

The finger pointing at the Big 10, SEC and Big 12, that they will be the only ones left standing when all this is over.

An interesting thought put forth by Nebraska AD-Trevor Alberts, a former ESPN analyst and former NFL player.

He is of the opinion changes will be coming when this next wave of 4-year TV contracts expires.

He says more changes are coming then in football, but that normalcy will return to all other sports.

Alberts projects TV networks are not going to be willing to fork over 50M per year payments to the have-nots in every conference: Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Kansas and others in football.

He believes a new ‘Champions League’ will be formed that involves only the elite of each conference.   This super conference will get all the TV money from the conferences for the super teams.

He also says it will lead to the rebirth of the conferences as we used to know.

The Big 10 might have to survive without Michigan-Ohio State, the SEC might operate without Texas-Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn-Texas AM.  And so on down the road, with marquee teams  also exiting the ACC-Big 12.

But what Albert proposes is this   Every other sports, from basketball to the Olympic sports, will remain in their conferences and those leagues would revert back to geographic rivalries .

Might that means the Pac 12 defectees might come back to a more West Coast conference?  Might than included USC-UCLA bringinf basketball and everyone else back to the West Coast to renew traditional rivalries.

It would mean a radical cut in rights fees to each conference from what they are getting in 2025 under new TV deals

It’s an interesting concept for sure and might merit big discussion once we get thru the trauma of what has just happened, and what the new TV contracts might play out too.

The ACC has ended talks with Cal-Stanford.  The Big 12 says it’s talks that could have included Gonzaga-UConn for basketball only are over.  The Big 10 is not expressing interest in anyone else.  The SEC says it is staying where it is.
On the West Coast, there are only 4-here and a yer to find away to add on.

Next year is set, but Trev Alberts says future years may be inperil.

No one seems happy with what exists right now, nor what is to come.  Might that force more changes down road, a-la a Champions League for football only?

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“FALLOUT FROM BLACK FRIDAY”
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It’s been nearly two minutes since the Pac 12 died and no one knows what West Coast football will look like once the 2024 season is done.

The angst, anger, frustration is everywhere.  A closeup look at the different storylines.

PRESIDENTS…The condemnation of the bulk of the leaders of the Pac 12 remains strong.  That they were selfish.  Were not honest.  Did not work together.  Were out for money and nothing else.

UCLA…Bad decision after bad decision and something like (106M) in athletic department debt.  Trying to bail themselves out of lousy leadership incurred before the arrival of ChipKelly and Mick Cronin.

USC…Arrogance and nothing else drove them to the Big 10.  It was a horrid disregard for over a century of tradition in the conference.  Of course there is the dark stain of the resignation of controversial AD Mike Bohn.   Yes Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams will lead the Trojans to greatness in football.  But basketball and every other sport won’t carry the Trojan flag into all those road trips.

OREGON..Led the breakaway that resulted in Black Friday when they refused to accept a substandard Apple TV contract.  Big difference in taking a lowball (20M) offer when the Big 10 deal starts at (30M) and goes to (50M in later years.  They did not want to be blamed for the end of the league, but they did not work hard at staying.

WASHINGTON…When the Ducks left, the Huskies were not far behind, saying nothing that was presented was viable.

ARIZONA..A national power in basketball, and mid level football program, they surely don’t seem to fit in the Big 12, but they got (37M) to join in the TV deal.

ASU…A big TV market, an up and down football program, an aspiring basketball program.  Weird fit to go tot he midlands, but it was about money again

UTAH…Quite an impact program.  They went from Mountain West to Pac 12 without skipping a beat and pounded their way to wins the last couple of years.  They should do well in the new league.

COLORADO…Despite the flash and the mouthy comments of Deion Sanders, this will be a long road back.  Big 12 schools will like to see Neon Deion, his cowboy hats and boots, but they may still be a (1-11) team.  No bowl games in 11-years while in the Pac 12.

CALIFORNIA..Real slippage in the football program.  A (3-29) basketball program, and left behind facing a big financial hit.

STANFORD..Elite academic reputation and some success in football and hoops.  A prestige place Palo Alto, and they have to stay linked to Cal to lead a league comeback

OREGON STATE-WASHINGTON STATE…Just devastating the financial setback with a small money TV contract coming for 2025-regardless of the realignment outlook.  The Beavers-Cougars had money problems and it’s now worse, despite moderate success with football coaching changes.  They have joined hands to try and lead a new look future.

Who they get, what the new conference looks like may take time.  The financial trauma will be significant.

Money talks, people walk, leaving alot of damage and ill-will behind.

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Hacksaw’s Bonus Podcast-You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton-Sports

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‘HARD TO BELIEVE’
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A look at stories that are all around us.

LAST PLACE BABY…Who could-would have expected this.  The Yankees and Mets opened the week, both in last place.  Teams ranked 1st and 3rd in payroll are buried in the basement.  Done in by injuries more than anything else.  This is not so much on Buck Showalter or Aaron Boone not doing a good job, it’s just not having enough players on the roster because of who was on the disabled list.  It was staggering, all the Mets pitchers, all the Yankees bats on IL.  And of course the Padres with the 2nd highest payroll in baseball, running up hill to try and forge their way into the last wildcard spot.

HARD TO BELIEVE…The Orioles in lst place, with an elite record.  What a job by Mike Elias to fix all that was wrong with baseball in Baltimore, from the horrors of the Angelos family ownership, to the pitiful payrolls given out, and then to the roster building the front office took part in.  Been a long time coming.  The Cal Ripken era was a long time ago.  Boog Powell and the boys, an even longer time back.  And add this.  Baltimore did all the painful rebuilding in a division that included the big money Yankees, the Red Sox, the tremendous development of Tampa Bay, what Toronto has been, and O’s did all this in the division.

DODGERS BLUE…Pretty surprising, this team in first place, with all the wins, and all this despite the injuries to Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, the big bullpen problems, they are running away with the NL-West.  Yes they have the big bats of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman and somewhere in there is the leadership of manager Dave Roberts 700-win career, but what a season to fight thru adversity.

NBA STARS WITH PROBLEMS…Anybody tired of this act, name players either demanding max contracts, or demanding trades.  A league in which the players act as GMs, demand acquisitions, and make threats.  The latest is James Harden, who said he agreed to pick up the option on his 36M-contract to help the team make a deal.  The deal to the Clippers never happened, because the asking price was high.  Then Harden asked for a ‘max contract’ and the Sixers said no because of his age.  Quite a track record he has developed.  Forced trades out of Houston-Brooklyn and now trying to do the same in Philadelphia.  Don’t you just love the wreckage these guys leave behind, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and so many more?  Wonder if the NBA will ever get control of the decision making.

RUNNING BACKS ARE US…Just like that they sign contracts.  Granted the last group of veteran free agent running backs had to take pay cuts, but they will play well where they landed.  The Patriots, who love heavy duty backs, get the Cowboys legend Ezekiel Elliott o a 1-year deal that could be worth 8M.  The Jets get the ex-Viking Dalvin Cook on a similar finance deal.  Zeke will help young New England QB-Mac Jones.  Cook joins Aaron Rodgers in the new look Jets offense.  Waiting next on multi-purpose Kareem Hunt, the ex Brown-Chiefs.

CAREER SNUFFED OUT..Really sad story in hockey, Toronto Maple Leafs #1 draft pick Rod Amirov, selected in 2020, deceased this weekend in 2023.  Brain cancer the year after he was drafted.  A rare tumor they could not control.  Terrible loss.  Sad outcome.

MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TV…World Cup soccer-semi finals coming up.  Sweden-Spain in a semifinal early Tuesday morning on San Diego TV.  Then on Wednesday, England-vs-Australia.  So many story lines heading to the final week of Cup.  The demise of two time champion USA, the ouster of global power Japan.  The surprise of Sweden.  The stunning story of England surviving 3-knee injuries to 3-goal scorers and getting to the semifinals.  And then there are the Matildas, the Aussie side, the host team who will try to get the cup.  Lights on in the middle of the night in my house to watch this.

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“WHAT I SAW-WHAT I THINK”
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PADRES….Point blank question.  Do you have any confidence involving anyone on this team?  Lose 2-of-3 to an Arizona team that had a 9-game losing streak and was plunging out of the playoff race.  Stop hitting again and again.  A fatigued bullpen falters again.  You ask the manager why he sits his hot hitting catcher after Luis Campusano has a couple of 4-hit games.  Anybody see anything positive of the trade deadline acquisitions named Rich Hill..Ji Man Choi..Garrett Cooper.

DODGERS…Nothing bogus about being in 1st place.  Having won 12-of-13 and doing a large chunk of that with little from Clayton Kershaw-Julio Urias.  LA is now (71-46) led by MVP candidates wearing Dodgers Blue (Betts-Freeman) not Brown and Gold (Padres-Fab 4).

ANGELS..Maybe it’s over.  Shohei Ohtani hits his 41st HR, but has to come out of the rotation with shoulder fatigue.  The Trade deadline deals have not made a difference yet and time is wasting with a (59-61) record

CHARGERS…That was quite a jolt of a  performance by backup QB-Easton Stick against a free-agent filled lineup the Rams put on the field on Saturday night.  Impressive 2-explosive TD runs by Northern Colorado rookie Elijah Dotson.  And yes Derious Davis put on a show with that 81Y-punt return TD.  The Chargers run defense not so good and the kids in the secondary gave up bunches of pass yardage, not seeing much from JT Woods and a few others.  It was the Bolts rookies-vs-the Rams rookies-so take that for what it was worth.

RAMS..That was awful early.  At one point the Rams had been outgained (128-23) yards and were in a hole.  Enter Georgia rookie QB-Stetson Benntett who dazzled.  Finished (17-29) for 190-yards of real estate, 2-TD passes, 3-scoring drives.  He will merit more playing time immediately.  The rest of the roster looks overwhelmed.  It sure looks like a long season for that LA team.

PAC 4…They hire Oliver Luck, longtime NCAA administrator, former Athletic Director to lead their push to rebuild the league.  The condemnation of the Presidents of the Conference is everywhere.  Now we find out they rejected a 30M-per-team TV offer from ESPN in spring, eventhough USC-UCLA had left the conference.  What a disaster.  And former Commissioner George Kliavkoff appears out of the decision making process now. As I would say on the air-‘Good Night Now’.

MOUNTAIN WEST…Is there a raid coming soon?  Maybe.  Reports the PAC 4-might loan the top 4-schools in the MWC 17M-apiece to help buyout their MWC contracts (34M-exit fee).  San Diego State-Boise-Fresno-Colorado State would be elevated to the Pac 4, then the league would offer SMU-Rice (Dallas TV) market, and voila, a 10-team conference.  You take on a new TV contract and try to build from there.  The MWC takes the 68M-they get in the buyouts, and goes and gets New Mexico State-UTEP and maybe snares some Big Sky schools to get whole.  The toughest part of this is Air Force seems to be screwed in the who stays-who goes situation.  Stay tuned.

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