- Blake Snell should not be in a Cy Young Award conversation. That’s because the conversation should be over. Regardless of what he does in his last start on Saturday. Nobody, including those with marquee names and better career records, has better 2018 numbers that count: W’s, L’s and ERA.
- This had to be a first. The Bucs initial TD against the Steelers came on a pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to tight end Cameron Brate. From one Harvard grad to another Harvard grad. That’s unheard of. This is the NFL and these are pro football players, not high techies, hedge funders, corporate attorneys or political insiders. This is a trivia-contest answer down the road.
- I like college mascots and traditions. The Marshall University “Thundering Herd”: great, original name. The University of California Santa Cruz “Banana Slugs”: college-humor hilarity. And I like the Texas A&M “Twelfth Man,” the Oklahoma “Sooner Schooner,” Army-Navy pageantry, the Florida “Gator Chomp” and FSU’s Chief Osceola.
What I don’t like is when professional sports franchises–with their decidedly different athletic identity and vibe–appropriate from the college ranks. It’s also known as lazy marketing. Best example: the Atlanta Braves who adopted FSU’s Seminole war chant and the complementary, demonstrative “Tomahawk Chop” several decades ago. I used to live in the Atlanta area and attended some Braves games at the “Ted.” The chant and “Chop” seemed incongruous for a game played at a pedestrian pace. Still does.
- Cheerleaders at pro football games: Do they really lead cheers? As if. They’re part of a chorus line. Call them what they are: cheerproviders