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“Aztecs Football—Crossroad Games”

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San Diego State may have a winning streak going, but they’re not playing well, for lots of reasons. Coach Rocky Long knows it after seeing his team fall off in productivity after the emotional high win at Boise State. Now they play Nevada on the road, then go to Fresno in two weeks. He was blunt about his team: Long’s quotes.

..Nevada hot right now-playing really well
..QB playing at high rate
..Wolfpack recruited well the last two years.

..Aztecs-young and inconsistent-fortunate to win some of games
..Nevada runs 3-3-5…run it differently….than us
..We move our 3-3-5 people around a lot in pre snap reads…they play stoic.

..Don’t know about our team being fatigued after Boise-playing lots young kids
..Played 24-freshman-redshirt freshman last week
..Size-speed-experience puts young team at disadvantage
..Young players get fatigued quicker at college level.
..Defensive problems pop up again last week-just not consistent

..I think we are on right track with all these kids
..Playing so many young kids not used to playing this level week-after-week
..Rookie NFL players hit wall halfway thru the season
..Our young players have hit the wall-not to used to that level yet.

..We don’t play good enough to be in the top 25-rankings
..Still looking for top RB-do it RB by committee
..Christian Chapman not ready to play unless it is an emergency
..Chapman is 4th on depth chart
..We see him practice…has to protect himself..tellnot ready to move the pocket

..Offensive line-thought they’d be consistent-haven’t been
..Ryan Agnew-at very critical times-made a lot of big plays…played well under pressure
..Agnew 51% completion rate…still makes huge plays when he has too
..Must improve 32%-3rd down conversion and upgrade passing game

..Defensive line allow 2.4YPC-don’t think they’re dominant…been very average
..We’re not close to being dominant-played 1-run team well-we lost
..Playing spread teams-give up yards and some points.
..Secondary growing-played better than pass rushers-not getting enough rush.

..John Baron always wants to kick the ball all the time
..His ability to make big time kicks in pressure situations-best ever been around
..Weather impacts kickers-always windy-makes bigger difference than any other part
..Yes they can kick it farther in high altitude.
..Our kickers-punters have never handled winds well…it changes the game..

..This is not crossroads game…at Nevada..at Fresno…they’re all important

..Ty Gangi-Nevada QB-moves ball well..throws ball well..more big plays
..Gangi much more comfortable 2nd year in Jay Norvell system
..Really good on offense last 3-weeks-beat up Hawaii-nearly beat Boise
..Really improved big run game-205-240 pounderss…can pound it..break tackles
..Nevada likely to put lots of guys at line of scrimmage-makes us throw the ball..

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“The World Series-They Are the Best”

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Red Sox Nation…meet Dodgers Blue.

Boston-Los Angeles in the World Series tonight.

Two franchises rich in history, rich in payroll, baseball’s royalty.

You mention Fenway…Chavez Ravine, you immediately what teams you are talking apart.

Legendary names from yesteryear, meant so much to the game, Ted Williams to Jackie Robinson, and tons of names after that.

The ownership has been checkered, from the racist era of Tom Yawkey, to the defiance era of Walter O’Malley, , the bankruptcy of the despicable McCourt family, and the savior style of John Henry.

They both have everything. Power hitting batting orders, a deep experienced-productive bench, strong starting pitching, and depth in the bullpen.

They’ve got fire in the gut players in the lineups, and a little spit and personality in the dugout.

Add into that, two managers and front offices, who subscribe to lots of analytics, the shift, lefty-vs-righty matchups, and more..

What more could you want as Chris Sale faces Clayton Kershaw tonight in Game-1.

Boston will run Sale, then David Price, Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi in the rotation. Granted, this is not a pitching lineup equal to last year’s Astros, or legendary starting staffs int he past, but then again, Boston bombs their way to victories.

The Dodgers counter with Kershaw, Hyun Jin-Ryu, Rich Hill, and the red-hot rookie Walker Beuhler. Physical woes have been part of the LA pitching storyline all year long, but they’re healthy, and they’re pitching this week aren’t they.

In this day and age of relievers coming in early, and staying late, this will be fun to watch the chess-board moves Alex Cora-Dave Roberts make if starters get into trouble.

Boston’s bullpen has depth. The setup guys were used alot leading up to the Fall Classic, but gave up just 2-runs in 18-innings. And then there is closer Craig Kimbrel, who was very shaky. In his last 6-plus innings, he gave up 6-hits, walked 5-hit a batter and allowed 5-runs. Overuse, maybe, stage fright, maybe too.

LA counters with Kenley Jansen, who has had another spectacular season, health-heart issues aside. The LA pen had a (1.45-ERA) in the playoffs vs Milwaukee’s big bats. That’s why LA is here and the Brewers are not.

When it comes to bats, Boston has lots of them. The “B” Boys, the Bomb Squad from Boston”

Betts-Bradley-Benetendi-Boegaerts. Add in JD Martinez, Eduardo Nunez, Raf Devers, and Steve Pearce, quite a colleciton of bats. The Bosox have hit (.282) at home this year,playing like the Colorado Rockies used to play at Coors Field.

The Dodgers bats scored 29-runs in 5-games against the best pitching staff in baseball, in Houston. Pick a night, pick a name, and heroes are everywhere. Turner-Machado-Puig-Bellinger-Pederson-Muncy–Kemp. They could be knocking lots of balls off the Green Monster.

Even the bench bunch brings something every night, from Moreland-Kisnler-Holt compared to Keke Hernandez-David Freese-Brian Dozier.

Boston hit 208-homers this year, you expected that. You did not expect 235 from the Dodgers.

The last time the two met in the World Series, was 1916, when Babe Ruth was a Red Sox pitcher, and the team he faced was the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers.-Robins. Speaking of historical names, 90-year old Tom Lasorda will be on hand with the Dodgers.

This fall classic could be a classic.

Lots of hits, run, defensive plays, instant replays. Red Sox Nation will be in full roar on Tuesday. And you can bet Dodger Fan will arrive early, and hope to stay late and get a win when the games come back to LA.

Who wins? Who cares. Just sit back and watch this play out.

A Fabulous Fall Classic awaits.

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“Dodgers Baseball-Why They Are-Where They Are”

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What doesn’t kill you-makes you stronger.

And so the Dodgers are headed to the World Series, beginning Tuesday in Boston against the 108-win Red Sox.

From a team that was (16-26) early in the season, way off the pace, they became this, a Fall Classic team for the second year in a row.

From a front office that kept trying to make deals to strengthen the club, the trading deadline deals pushed them into the postseason run, and games in late October.

Think back to any month on the calendar and understand how much trouble they were in.

Exit SS-Corey Seager with a torn elbow ligament, replaced by utility men. Enter Manny Machado, he of big bat, good glove-large ego and strong emotional personality.

Power hitting 3B-Justin Turner had the fractured wrist, and missed a lot early, then got nicked up again, but when it counted the most, he was there to deliver.

Pick a pitcher, and they were all on the disabled list at one time or another.

Clayton Kershaw, a future Hall of Famer, remade himself from power pitcher, to location left-hander, so impressive if not any longer dominant.

Hyun Jin Ryu spent almost a year rehabbing from surgeries, and got rolling at the right time. Rich Hill battled back from all those blisters, and was there when needed most.

Kenley Jansen’s story of heart arrhythmia is scary, but thru medication-dedication, he is back storming out of the bullpen, even though he knows once the series is over, he faces another heart procedure. Nerves of steel, health wise and in baseball too.

Even the kid pitcher Julio Urias, knocked down by shoulder capsule surgery, is back now serving a roll out of the bullpen.

And then there are the surprise guys. Matt Kemp came home and was hitting into the .330s the first half of the season, helping win games that were as important as any, as they team had them in their pocket when they made the run up the standings at the end.

Joc Pederson came back like no-one thought possible, playing lots, hitting 25-home runs in a big bounce back season.

Max Muncy, dumped by the A’s hit 35-home runs this year, playing multiple positions, having a season, no one thought possible.

Pedro Baez, facing extermination off the roster last year, found himself, finishing with an amazing sub 1.00-ERA the second half of the season, when they needed innings.

And the hot shot rookie Walker Beuhler has been big, dominant, giving you downright dimensions like a young Kershaw did years ago.

No one could have forecasted this. Not when Arizona threatened to run away with the race in spring. Not when Colorado surged into the lead late.

But the Dodgers came together, when every sign you saw could have meant the season falling apart.

For Dave Roberts, Andrew Friedman, and everyone of their execs in between, this has been a Dodger season with lots of chapters in the book.

The Dodgers earned this trip to Fenway Park, overcoming anything, and most everything.

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. The Dodgers have proven that.

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“NFL-What Can They Do?”

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That must have been some weekend for NFL Commisisoner Roger Goodell, spening Sunday, watching football in LA in a futbol stadium, as he took in the Chargers-Raiders game at the Stub Hub Center.

You know, the stadium that was over-run by fans wearing Silver & Black, some 85% of the fans in the stands were Raiders fans.

So this week, the story leaks, the NFL is worried about about the viability of the Spanos-owned Chargers in Los Angeles.

It’s not about wins and losses. It’s about image, and the black eye the NFL and Chargers ownership is getting, for their arrival, how they run the franchise, and the disdain they are held in, by the media, and the fans.

In a year and a half, we know a couple of certainties. The team made a terrible mistakes selling large blocks of tickets to brokers in LA, who promptly sell them to fans of the other teams.

We also know the ongoing hatred that exists to this day in San Diego, over the Spanos family leaving here to go there, in search of the huge money in that market.

Except the market doesn’t want them. And now this piece of reality, the Bolts are playing 16-road games a season.

Now the NFL owners, the ones who voted to okay the move to LA, are concerned.

Not that they give a bleep about the Spanos family, nor Philip Rivers, or wins and losses. They now know that the struggle to sell tickets in the new stadium they are moving into in 2020, means less of a cut of revenue for each of them in their respective cities.

The Chargers, desperate to sell any type of PSLs, have decided to chop prices on some 26,000-seats in the new Rams stadium in which they will be a tenant.

In doing so, it cuts projected new revenue from 400M to 150M. I don’t believe these fellow owners expected ‘rock bottom’ prices for a team they’d allow to move into the 2nd largest market in the country.

Fans can buy tickets priced from 50-dollars apiece up to 150-dollars apiece. But the seat license fee will be anywhere from 100-dollars on cheap seats, to 3,000 for good seats. The response has been lukewarm at best, compared to the hot ticket in town, that is the Rams.

Add in the arrival of LeBron James to Lakerland, and the Dodgers likelyheaded to another World Series, and the Chargers have a huge off-the radar issue, despite the heroics of Rivers and friends on the field.

If you subscribe to the theory, what ‘goes around-comes around’ then betrayed fans in San Diego are having fun watching all this unravel in Carson, and spill over like sewage at Park Avenue-New York, the NFL headquarters.

Could the NFL actually intervene, and do something about the stadium-ticket-credibility crisis Dean Spanos has orchestrated?

Could they send in new people to run the franchise, give it a fresh look?

Could they bring in execs to run the business side to give it credibility?

Are they willing to sit there and let this things fester, till an embarassed Spanos puts the franchise up for sale?

Would the league step in, remove the team from Los Angeles, and work to negate all the business contracts Spanos has signed in LA?

Would the league allow Spanos to say ‘I made a mistake’ , let me return to San Diego, with the promise of an apology, and the decision to reopen talks to build a new stadium in San Diego, with Spanos-NFL-City-County money?

If Spanos put the franchise up for sale, could the NFL help find an owner, with the proviso, it returns to San Diego, and the incoming owner helps fund a new football stadium?

It’s nice to float theories how the Chargers problems could be solved, but none of it would likely happen. I am sure a lot of fans in the 619-760-858 area codes would like to see a ‘total surrender’ from the Spanos family for what they did to the community.

And there’s another issue to be clarified. The estate tax the Spanos family may owe with Alex’s passing, or if not that, a tax that could be levied for Alex and Faye Spanos gifting their 36-% ownership into the family trust. The outcome of that is still to come.

The Joe Robbie family had to sell the Miami Dolphins, and the same with the Rankin Smith-Atlanta Falcons owned franchise.

In the modern day NFL, only 3-franchises have been forcibly removed from their ownership.

The most recent, the sudden sale of the Carolina Panthers, after longtime owner Jerry Richardson was implicated in a horrible sexual workplace harassment scandal.

Decades ago, the league forced Eagles owner Leonard Tose to sell the team, because of his implications in massive gambling debts.

And the legendary Super Bowl 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo was forced out in shame, for his part in a bribery scandal in the Louisiana governmental ranks.

The NFL has dealt with lots of ownership crisis before. They did not intercede.

Al Davis on going war in lawsuit after lawsuit with his move from Oakland to LA and back to the East Bay.

Ken Behring sold the Seahawks after a failed attempt to move them to Los Angeles.

The league allowed Georgia Frontiere to keep the Rams despite her greed filled move to St Louis till she died..

Art Modell had enormous money problems and was allowed to vacate Cleveland to Baltimore, till he finally sold out.

Robert Irsay moved out of Baltimore in the middle of the night, and his bouts with alcholism did not cost him the team, now run by his son in Indianapolis.

Billy Sullivan, the old owner of the Patriots, lost his team with a bankruptcy involving Schaeffer Stadium.and its business operations.

Mike Brown, penny-pinching, ran the Bengals into the ground, destroying his father’s legacy but still owns the team in Cincinnati..

Bill Bidwell, bow tie and all, was allowed to move the Chicago Cardinals to St. Louis, then onto Arizona, despite a poor history of business operations.
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No the NFL probably won’t do an intervention on the Chargers mess.

The league can legislate laws about ownership, what they can and cannot do, within the framework of the NFL bylaws.

The NFL cannot legislate intelligence and quality of ownership.

Sadly for longtime Chargers fans, the franchise isn’t coming back. And the NFL seems powerless to put out this oil fire Charges ownership has created in Los Angeles..

LA it’s your problem. Roger Goodell, it’s your problem. Dean Spanos, you’ve got a problem.

NFL owners are rich men. It doesn’t mean they can’t be incompetent.

Chargers ownership is proving that, and the NFL can’t do anything about it.

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“Rocky Long-Talks Winning-Losing-Rebuilding Football Programs”.

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The Aztecs host lowly San Jose State on Saturday, continuing their march to try and get inside the top 25 in the polls, and to get ready for tough road games at Nevada and Fresno State over the next 3-weeks., He talked winning-losing-injuries and rebuilding. Long’s quotes:

San Jose State record not indicative of what kind of team they have
Could have won 3-of-6 losses
Video shows they play really hard

Changing a football program from losing-you can turn a team quickly
It takes you 4-5 years to turn around a program
Install new players..attitude..system…
Some places harder than ever to turn program
Must give new coach enough time-not interfere with him
San Jose just 3-winning seasons in 25-years..

Coaching staff must evaluate players who can develop
(1-12) teams don’t get blue-chippers
There are a lot of good kids out there who will develop…
Recruits might be young..might be on a bad high school team-but can grow

Aztecs special teams very good-we recruit skill to play those positions
Special teams must be athlete-run fast-physical get off blocks-tackle someone
;Special teams are a team attitude-kids want to play
We run starters on special teams-change the flow
Special teams can win or lose games…need good kicker
Coaching standpoint-people more educated how important special teams are

Chase Jasmin-will likely play this week-no symptoms of concussion
He is still in concussion protocol
Juwan Washington still on same time frame-3 weeks out
Christian Chapman limited practice-getting better-but not moving around

Very disappointed to hear Nick Bosa leaving Ohio State to train for NFL
Not in favor of that-NCAAs allowing players change their mindset.
I’m old guy…1st round picks protecting themselves over earning power
Everybody is wired different…listen to different people around them.

Practice is challenging..switching defenses from 50-50 team-to wishbone-to spread
You cannot flip your defense in last 5-days when opponent so different
We must get back to running ball we are used too..

Blowout games-will give younger players chance to play.kids under new redshirt rule..

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