EL BARRIO, EL FALLS – Happy Saturday... I am gonna let you in on a little secret of how things work at MTM. Short Matt gives us a deadline to submit our articles. He then acts as the editor and goes through them, sensationalizes the title and publishes. I notoriously miss my deadline. It may have something to do with not getting paid or my horrible time management skills or both. So I missed my last deadline and was benched until a pinch-hitter was needed. Well, I am in the box after bathing my bat in pine tar and here’s what I’m swinging my stick at: Alex Smith, NBA Play-In Game, Dr. Sten Vermund.
Alex Smith
Why am I welcoming back Alex Smith? Because he’s a likable guy, that’s why. He is a consistently steady, maybe a military medium quarterback, in the NFL but you he kind of reminds me of former Giants Super Bowl (loser) QB Kerry Collins. If you don’t ask him to do a million things and keep it simple, give him a solid defense and a good running game you can get you pretty far. Now, a lot of the same could be said about other quarterbacks being able to do that but Smith is a solid QB who exudes a Trent Dilfer-level of game management with the occasional ability to win the game by creating. If on the right team, he could get pretty far. I also like that he also said the right things about owner Dan Snyder and the hostile sexual harassment environment scandal, the logo and team name controversy and #BlackLivesMatter, so he is at least politically correct – or smart enough to be politically correct – which is a positive. Are you listening Drew Brees?
The main reason I’m talking about Smith today is because he’s been cleared to play football again after almost a year and a half away from the game. He is coming back from a Joe Theismen-like leg break and dangerous bouts with infection. Anyone who’s ever had to rehab any injury knows how much it can be a pain and inconvenience in your life, so full credit to him. He doesn’t have much left of his career considering his age but at least he gets to leave on his own terms and I’m sure that’s important to him.
NBA Play-In Game
There has been talk about creating a play-in game for the NBA after the Covid abbreviated season. The play-in game during this abbreviated version generated a lot of fun/interest, plus has added extra tension with teams really fighting for a chance to get in. There’s no reason to do this. There already exists a play-in game – it’s called the regular season and you have 82 of them. You know, in some sports it’s just the regular season, no playoffs and hit the links. I’m looking at you, European soccer. Because it’s American sports, though, we have playoffs now want to add a play-in game. Baseball has a play-in game, but baseball at one point had almost 32 teams and only four making the post-season, so they’ve expanded it to 10. That’s still lower than any other sport… The NBA has 16 teams out of its 32 – that’s half the frogging league! Basketball has no excuse/reason to tinker more. What they should be looking to do is shorten the season cause that would make things even more intense /fun but we know there is too much money involved in the basketball for that.
Dr. Sten Vermund
Yale’s Dr. Sten Vermund was on TV, the other day questioning the motives of college football leaders and directors that are still trying to have the season for their conferences. I find that offensive in the highest order. Offensive to anybody with half a brain that has been watching college football for the past few decades. We all know it’s about the money! I guess it takes a Dean/PHD at Yale to figure that out, but I’m just your average idiot and I know it’s all about the cash! The schools in these conferences are desperate for the money that comes from it, Sten… He did go on to rip the administrations and the conference, as he should but there’s no need to question their motivations, we are well aware of their motivations. They value revenue over the lives of these kids and their families. None of us needed Doc Vermund to figure that out, even those of us that went college for eight years.
Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow for our resident PHD, Cheesy Bruin.
P.s… If you wonder why I haven’t quit this non-paying gig, it’s because MTM is Hotel California. Anyway, feel free to comment below.
