The Bitch Is Back

It's 2019, and the Schloss-(Bitch) Blog is back...

Or as Elton John would put it...

I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch oh, the bitch is back, stone cold sober as a matter of fact

I can bitch, I can bitch 'cause I'm better than you, It's the way that I move, the things that I do, oh-oh-oh

I entertain by picking brains, sell my soul, by dropping names
I don't like those! My God, what's that! Oh, it's full of nasty habits when the bitch gets back.

Oh, how I've missed you all, but Happy New Year to everyone and here's a poem to make it so:

Twas the night before the shutdown, and in the White House below

Not a person was stirring, they'd all been furloughed

    And on Capitol Hill, all things were still

After all, where were they gonna' come up with that 5 bil?..

    Meanwhile, out beyond The Beltway

Those laid off had naught to do but try and play

    And at the border, mothers gasped

Having received the news, their children passed

    But for the rest of us, life goes on

But for me, 2019 brings a new song

    Of Radio Freedom and just rolling along

So go out there and don't get too down

    Don't let the stock market make you frown

As your 401K fritters away

    Below in the White House, everything's on layaway.

What a year it has been indeed.

Saw the Eagles, and Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band.

Great show - how does he get those stars from groups of yore to come out and play with him? He had the keyboardist from Journey and Santana, who is in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame with both. Also had the lead singers/guitars from Toto, 10cc and Men at Work and did so many of each group's hit songs, plus his own solo and Beatles' hits.

One more great show to go and I can die happy - seeing the Stones when they come to Chicago. Just wish I'd have been able to see Tom Petty before he was "Taken Back."

The Dead are still touring, and here's the thing - saw 'em at Soldier Field 25 years ago. Jerry Garcia and the gang. Sting opened for them. Bob Weir looked like he had just stepped off a golf course that night, wearing a neat, pressed golf shirt and pleated shorts, his hair business clean cut. His riffs filthy though.

Now, the Dead are back and Weir looks like his barber died or else he's auditioning to be an extra in the next Tarzan remake. Still plays a mean guitar and now John Mayer is touring with them. Everyone wants to tour with them. They've already had Trey Anastasio and Bruce Hornsby.

Many of these guys are in their 70s and stlll banging it out. Gotta' love it.

I'll be seeing you weekly from now on again, at the very least. Maybe some New Year's resolutions next time. I know mine - same one I make every year and never keep it - return Cheryl Tiegs' phone calls.

One of these years ... have a great 2019, and beyond.

What a Year It's Been

So, how was 2018 for you?

Your taxes were cut, right? Well, not really. Corporations and the super-rich had their taxes cut. Big time.

People died in shootings all over America, more than in the last 40 years. The report about it is issued on the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting. But Congress and the president still won't act on comprehensive gun-control legislation.

It didn't matter if you were a championship coach (Joel Queennville) or a loser (Fred Hoiberg) in Chicago. You got fired.

Colin Kaepernick, meanwhile, a Super Bowl quarterback, is still not employed by an NFL team. How is that possible when you look around the league at some of the backups, let alone starters, who are still employed? At least Nike thought enough to make Kaepernick a symbol for standing up for that in which you believe.

In Arizona, pro teams are squawking at the state and/or the city of Phoenix to upgrade existing facilities that are virtually brand new or build them ones. Try winning a championship first, OK? Your tax dollars at work.

Not far from there, the U.S. Army, not the National Guard, is standing by to prevent women and children from crossing the border into the United States.

Wow, do I feel safe.

For me, it was a year of reunions - with my class of '68 fellows at Brooklyn Tech, the country's largest high school (that now has girls - thanks a lot). And with my GDX brothers from UAlbany (I remember when it was Albany State - doesn't that sound so much more powerfully athletic?).

Brooklyn has changed so much - so much construction, so much gentrification, but nothing can top a dinner at Peter Luger's. Best steak, best meal. Period.

Some doors closed but many others opened in book publishing and radio broadcasting. I am still in awe. If you'd asked me a year ago if I'd be a radio deejay and a book editor right now, I'd have told you that were you crazy.

But I am. Both.

While investigations close in on the White House and its principal resident, that national debt continues to soar, with politicians showing little to no concern over that. Spend away, let our children and grandchildren pay for it later. When we're a third-world country.

Smile, though. As I write this, the NY Giants could still make the playoffs this year at 8-8 if they win out.

Or ... not.

May your 2019 be better. Save your pennies. The national debt is still growing.

I love you Jocelyn, Jordan, Erin. Let's make this wedding thing work.

Is it Just Me Or Does NFL Officiating Suck?

If you're like me, you watched some pretty horrible officiating this past weekend, both in NFL and college football.

Too many head-to-head and helmet-to-helmet hits that didn't get called, right in front of referees. Too many pass interference penalties that didn't get flagged and too many plays that weren't pass interference, or were marginal at best, that did.

Even worse, every game I watched this past weekend - every game - the officiating was so bad that the referees almost immediately send every call to the review booth for mediation rather than stick with their original conviction on the call, knowing that replay could possibly embarrass them by showing them to be wrong. It extends the game, delays the game to the point of being nearly unwatchable.

How do we fix this? Referees can't get calls right as it is. Was it a catch? Or wasn't it? Was it a fumble? Or wasn't it? Was it a touchdown? Or wasn't it? Was it a first down? Or wasn't it?

And here's one of the most egregious of all - the San Diego-Pittsburgh game Sunday night turned completely when referees refused to call a blatant false-start penalty on San Diego's right tackle. The game was not the same thereafter.

Officiating sucks, at the college and pro levels. So, NCAA and NFL, what are you doing about it, besides letting refs review obvious calls, so obvious that anyone in the stadium or watching on TV saw it all plainly with their own two eyes when it all happened in real time?

One last thought - the Bears deserved to lose to the Giants. Chase Daniel couldn't catch a cold, let alone a snap from center. The Bears defense, as feared, never met a back like Saquon Barkley, whom they couldn't tackle. And Eli Manning had a revelatory bounce back.

What's next? Green Bay firing Mike McCarthy? No, wait... Anyone think Aaron Rodgers pitched in on that decision?

Just asking...

A Giant Headache

Giants, that's it. I am done with you (of course I'm not, but it sounds good).

Another blown game, in the wake of Odell Beckham Jr. blowing a lot of hot air and the inability to maintain the intensity needed to protect a 16-point lead. Incredible, what a collapse.

Eli has been putting up good numbers and Saquon Barkley is a revelation, but the Giants need to go in a different direction, one that wins games, something they have not done since winning a Super Bowl eight years ago.

This in a year when the NFL is garbage, when the best team in the league wins a game in which it gives up 51 points.

In regulation.

Speaking of giving up points, did anyone watch the 7-overtime LSU-Texas A&M monstrosity? Because that's what it was.

When you play a game elongated to that length, someone is likely to get hurt. All this at a time when the game says it is dedicated to preventing injuries. I'm sorry, but someone gets hurt in a 7-overtime, 74-72  decision.

There is nothing wrong with a tie. If you play 60 minutes and are all tied up, that is just fine. Shake hands and go home.

The NFL does after an additional period if the teams are still all tied up (hear that, Donovan McNabb?).

And I am sick of the way DBs play pass defense. No one plays the ball anymore. They just follow their man and hope they can anticipate when the ball is coming in so they can stick a hand in and deflect it away. Usually, guys who do that get beat on the play or surrender a pass interference penalty.

It's sickening.

And the worst part is they are being coached to play defense like that. And when they get lucky enough to stick a hand in and luckily poke a ball away, the announcers call it a great play. I call that not-so-great announcing and analysis.

Now, back to my original point. The NY Giants cannot protect their lunches, let alone their leads in a game. Time for a different direction. When you are worse than the Cleveland Browns, you have a problem.

A very big problem.

Did I mention it's sickening?

What In Heck Is Going On?

Watching college football is so much more fun and exciting than pro football.

They run wide-open offenses, take gambles, have fun. Sorta' like how the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl, right?

Some odd stuff this weekend though.

Alabama was 10-10 at the half with The Citadel. The Citadel - 10-10 - at the half!

Central Florida is showing why it should be a Final Four team in the FBS. But they won't be, because the "committee" knows UCF (nee Central Florida) won't generate television ratings nor attendance like the Alabamas and Clemsons of the world do. Speaking of which, why are they even playing the other games when everyone knows Alabama and Clemson will play for the national title for the third time in four years and meet in the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

Meanwhile, what in heck is going on in the Big Ten? Ohio State should've lost to Maryland and likely would've if Maryland had its regular quarterback healthy. Ohio State gave up 51 points - and won. Their defense couldn't stop my former intramural team.

Michigan totally mismanaged the final moments of the first half against Indiana and trailed 17-15 at intermission before reading the TV script and hearing Jim Harbaugh's halftime scolding and rallying to win.

No matter - the Ohio State-Michigan winner will face Northwestern - yeah, Northwestern - in the Big Ten title game. Amazing. If Northwestern wins, it would become the second consecutive Big Ten champion (Penn State) to not play in the Final Four of the FBS championship playoff.

No love for the Big Ten - if you're name isn't Urban Meyer and you don't coach Ohio State, the FBS selection committee doesn't like you (OK, an aberration, Michigan State, which got embarrassed though when it got the chance).

So here's a vote for Central Florida - uh, UCF - as if changing its name makes a difference to the committee. So what if you beat Auburn in your bowl game last year?  To be in that bowl game, Auburb had to lose its last preceding game - UCF had to win its preceding game.

Game. Set. Match, Case closed. So is the door, on UCF.

Schloss-Blog Lives On

Hi everyone.

I'm still here. Just not on Facebook for a while, to avoid the nasty, vulgar, insidious remarks I've drawn from Trumpsters who can't stand the fact that someone simply disagrees with them and doesn't see America the same way they do, let alone dare to be critical of their view of America.

As a journalist of 40-plus years and a journalism instructor for 25 concurrent years, I am baffled not only over that but the way Trump makes racially toned remarks. Now, when Trumpsters see this, they will say I am "un-American," which I have been called, and a "donkey," i.e., ass, which I have been called. By them. All I did was ask them to produce impactful legislation that the president has signed off on, beyond the already unpopular tax reform, which flopped so badly the Republicans on the recent campaign trail hardly mentioned it all.

Fine. I'll be back on Facebook soon enough, and I want to thank my dear friend Danielle Dwyer for giving me "shout outs" in her initial Facebook Live blog. I formerly edited her blogs for her years ago, and this was her way of thanking me and I love her for it. She is a star sports reporter for WTOL in Toledo, Ohio. I predict it won't be long before you see her pacing an NFL or NCAA sideline for a major network. The girl is a finisher.

Reading that, as recently as two years ago, more people have been buying guns, especially some who live near the Borderline Bar & Grill in California, so they feel safer when they go out. I don't begrudge their feelings but I do begrudge their actions. More guns in those tightly packed places would only produce more shooting at people by people who think they mean harm to all people in the room. Not the answer, any more than are proposals for gun-toting teachers in our schools.

Crazy times in elections. What the media called a "purple wave" Tuesday night as the first midterm election results trickled in became a True Blue Wave by the time we awakened Wednesday morning. And it's not over yet - races in Florida, Georgia and Arizona could yet tip either way, although it is disingenuous of the Florida governor to be critical of election processes administered by people his Republican predecessors appointed.

Me, today, I won't be scanning Facebook for a while yet, so instead, I'll be looking for a good Sinema to watch.

Finally, what up, Chris Callahan? No, I'm not gonna' answer your question about conjugal lives. A little too illicit and personal, dontcha' think?

Ends and Odds thereof

The Schloss-Blog has had an odd end-to-a-means week.

First, I arrived in Arizona to find my guest bedroom in my house with a partially collapsed ceiling due to a leak in the roof. Great, huh? Have already put the steps in motion to get damages in the room repaired, but can't proceed until the homeowners association fixes the roof - in other words, before it rains again. And October was the wettest, rainiest month in the state's history.

A lot of that was hot air though, coming out of the mouths of political candidates (looking at you, Martha McSally).

Every time I put on a cable news station though, I see Donald Trump out on the campaign trail and not in the White House. Interestingly, he lambasted Barack Obama in 2016 for being a president who was out campaigning too much instead of running the country. Hmm...

But Donald loves everybody, just ask him. Except Muslims. Except Latin Americans (and their kids). Except the LGBTQ community (check YOUTube to hear him stumble through saying L-G-B-T-Q). Oh, and of course, the media. He likes to say Fake News. I like to say, Fake President, Real News.

This in the wake of the killings of my brethren, Jews, in Pittsburgh, so sad. And the bombing attempts on the lives of news media personnel at Trump's beloved CNN and to prominent Democrats like the Clintons, Obamas, Eric Holder, Corey Booker, Maxine Waters, George Soros and the Schlossbergs.
OK, the Goldbergs, the TV show cast.

We had a shooting in Pittsburgh and bombing attempts across the continent by people quite discriminatory, whether in sympathy with the White House or not. Interesting how Trump complains about the "obstructionist" Democrats when he has the Senate, the House and his own 'house' all in his favor and still can't get major legislation passed.

But getting back to home base, my cable and internet were out when I arrived here and the cable company kept telling us there as an outage, which was unusual because out next-door neighbors all had service. Had to beg the cable company to come out and examine my equipment and connection but they kept saying it was a non-existent outage, which precludes sending a repair team.

They finally came, and we needed them before Monday morning so we could both work, and the tech who came said our line from house to box was not only not connected, it was nonexistent. Turns out, the grounds crew probably inadvertently and unintentionally cut the line because the tech had to replace the whole freaking line, house to meter box.

Ever go 24 hours without cable or internet? Me neither, and it was excruciating. Got it back just in time to watch a less-than-thrilling Cardinals football game which preempted a terrifically exciting and very impactful Packers-Rams game in the local market in the same time slot.

Wonderful.

Meanwhile, I've swept and cleaned out front, side and rear patios and met our neighbors, who are not renting the unit next door but actually own it and are staying there because their real home nearby was severely damaged in the recent heavy rainstorms. They have a renter coming in though but can't go home yet. Fun.

Did have a whole bunch of stuff from amazon waiting for me when I got here, much of which was supposed to have been sent to my Illinois home. It seems they have defaulted my permanent address to my Arizona address, even though I spend much more time in Illinois than Arizona. And people complain that amazon knows too much about you. Hah! They don't even know my permanent address. Wait, either do I.

So maybe the Washington Post is fake news after all? Uh, nah...

Did you know, by the way, Republicans will protect your pre-existing conditions - at least until after the election?

Me and my friend Larry are going to go to an Arizona Coyotes game. I have no idea why.

The State of Affairs of State

Are you keeping up with the world? With the news? With the state of affairs, foreign and domestic (Heineken or Bud)?

Anyway, the World Series starts tonight. Does it matter who wins? To this Brooklyn-born sportswriter it does. Except Clayton Kershaw is usually a playoff disaster. Usually. Wasn't against Milwaukee though. Hmm.... hope.

Chris Sale is a baby who nagged his way out of Chicago and now gets to pitch in the World Series. Will he be Mitchell Trubisky, Tom Brady or Eli Manning? You never know with him.

The Red Sox are the better team. But they got there in part because of a poor replay-review call by Joe West on Jose Altuve's home run, which became an out. It's time to get rid of replay in baseball. The game is slow enough. I probably won't watch any of the games in their entirety. I'll check in, maybe watch the eighth and/or ninth innings if the games are close. But that's it.

Baseball sucks. Really.

Speaking of sucks, my NY Giants do. Can't win for losing, as the saying goes, even when Eli has a semi-good game, which he did on MNF against Atlanta.

He has the weapons, the quarterback-whisperer coach and two rings on his shelf. And has sucked since winning his last Super Bowl, something like 70-80 overall, with one disastrous playoff appearance.

The Giants played well enough to beat Atlanta. And didn't. The coaching, the time-wasting offensive series in the game's final minute, the 2-point conversion attempt they didn't need to go for at that point of the game (and failed on) and an offensive line that can't guard its lunch. And remember when their secondary was good? Same guys now, but they suck.

At halftime though on Monday night, they had a "performance" by Atlanta's own Little Yachty. On tape. A video. Why not live? Why not right there in the stadium? Why not in person somewhere in Atlanta where people were gathered to watch the game? Stupid. ESPN touted the performance, but forgot to tell us it's a video we can pull up on YouTube.

I keep turning on ESPN2 mornings and keep forgetting that it's Golic and Wingo now, not Greeny and Golic. Actually, it's Golic, Golic and Wingo. Greeny has blown them off for his own competing show in the same time slot on ESPN. Both shows are basically the same as they were when it was Greeny and Golic. Go figure.

So I watch reruns of Leverage instead on ion TV, at the gym. Great show about shyster hustlers with special thievery skills who are modern-day Robin Hoods with all the right little touches. They need to bring it back (went off the air in 2012 after five great seasons).

And in case you haven't seen it on Twitter, Niecy Nash has an hysterical video about a special phone line, 1-844-WYT-FEAR, a number whites can call if they spot blacks doing anything - not anything suspicious - just anything, anywhere, anytime to report them. I'm surprised Donald Trump hasn't incorporated it into his schtick.

Yo, Donald, where's the wall? The infrastructure? The real tax relief? The new tax bill (Congress is not in session). What major legislation have you gotten passed, by the way? Maybe this is Trump's way of admitting that the unpopular previous tax-cut bill only benefitted the extremely rich and giant corporations.

Hey everyone, tear yourselves away from the World Series long enough to go vote.

Hey Chris Callahan, what up?

"Meh" too

Been a lot of comebacks, debuts, recycled vets and sparkling new rookies so far this season, as we head into the first weekend of “byes,” or more like “bye-byes” for some teams.

·       

•   Jon Gruden is back. Thank goodness he had the Browns on the schedule, or he might be 0-4 heading into his bye week, although his defense still made Baker Mayfield look good. Maybe if he still had Khalil Mack. Maybe. Without him, they are “meh.
• Baker Mayfield has looked good in his debut with the Browns, bringing energy to the team, as the analysts and commentators like to call it. He’s not bringing them to the playoffs anytime soon though, so “meh."
• Sam Darnold won his debut, 48-17, over the pathetic Lions, who have since come back to beat the Patriots. The Patriots. The Jets won’t beat them. Nor will the re-energized Bears. Good luck, Sam, but for now, you are “meh.”
• Josh Allen has not revitalized nor re-energized anything in Buffalo, even if they shut out the Vikings. He’s been a washout so far. Tyrod Taylor, come home. ‘meh’ be…
• DeShaun Watson and J.J. Watt, for that matter, are back in Houston. Looks like Bill O’Brien will have to go, though. Don’t worry, Bill, the Patriots offensive coordinator will get a head job and Belichick will bring you back next year. Of maybe he’ll even retire after they win the Super Bowl this year (not), along with Brady, and you can get the head job with no quarterback and no defense, but at least, no expectations. In reality, ‘meh.’
• Every time you hear that Lamar Jackson should replace Joe Flacco in Baltimore, Flacco and the Ravens beat the Steelers. Sorry, Lamar, hang loose though when they flop in the playoffs. In other words, ‘meh.’
• Carson Wentz is back in Philly. Maybe he can catch passes from Nick Foles. Somebody better catch a pass in Philly. They’ve got the Vikings this weekend and the Vikings remember the championship game thrashing last season. Carson Wentz is not invincible. Either are the Eagles, no matter how many times they get away with that throwback pass to the quarterback. Now we find out if Wentz is an MVP or if the Eagles just got lucky last year.
• Is Dak Prescott for real or have the Cowboys surrounded him with just enough to look real? Once again, “meh’ be so. 

Wanted to take this to say thanks to the folks at thesportspost.com. Five good years of making fun of, poking fun at and making people aware of, hopefully, all that is good, bad and indifferent about the NFL. Well, “meh” be.

Eli's Not Coming; Neither is Derek

By Howard Schlossberg

OK, I give up.

I have defended, upheld and touted Eli Manning’s records, performances and history forever, and now I stand on the brink. After those humiliating performances against Jacksonville and Dallas, he gets my scorn. Winnable games (but did anyone really think the Giants would beat a Tom Coughlin-managed team?).

And Derek Carr, we’re putting you on notice too (more on him in a moment).

Eli could be and should be a Hall-of-Famer, like his dad and brother. Two rings and two Super Bowl MVPs to go with them. A career winning record. More than 50,000 career passing yards. Two-tenths of a percentage point shy of a 60 percent career completion rate. One-hundred and ten more TDs than interceptions in his career. 

And now, surrounded by more weapons than Donald Trump claims to have military “fire and fury,” he still can’t produce much-needed wins for his team, a validating, necessary, playoff-driving win against, quite frankly, overrated Jacksonville and Dallas teams that have good defenses and that’s about it.

Eli, wherefore are thou?              

Unless you win this week against Houston, you’ll likely miss the playoffs again this season. You’ll have the Giants regretting their selection of Barkley to help now instead of Rosen to help when you’re gone.

Eli, go win Super Bowl No. 3 and you’re a lock for the Hall of Fame. Right now, fairly or not, you’re a debate.

And Derek, did you really think that new head coach Jon Gruden was going to make a quarterback out of you?

I watched so many Oakland games last season, and now one this season, where your throws are off target or regularly late.

Gruden has already been critical of you. He should be critical of himself – he was thoroughly outcoached in the opener especially by a guy young enough to be his son.

Derek Carr, you are overrated. Eli Manning, you are over-valued. Get to work, gentlemen. You’ve both got enough to do this week alone.

***

So who do CBS executives think they are, pro athletes, especially NFL players, in the league they telecast? And let’s not forget news anchor Charlie Rose. Or "Less" Moonves.

It’s bad enough that NFL Network personalities have been suspended, but all the players who have been too.

I guess that makes our president appropriate in being critical of them for not standing for the national anthem. No, wait (click on “No, wait” and check this out, please).

Yet, Trump is critical of them. He doesn’t live in the White House. He lives in a glass house.

Dedicated to John McNamara

A very special edition today.

We have lost a beloved member of our community – John McNamara, who covered high school sports in Maryland for several decades, was among those killed in the shooting at the Capital Gazette this past week.

This column is dedicated to him and the four others. The media is a big industry but a small fraternity – and sorority – if you will. When one of us gets shot, we all do. I can’t help but feel compelled to believe that President Trump’s persistent, vile attacks on the media as a public enemy in good part emboldened the suspected shooter in this case.

To me, it signals that the media should even more persistently resolve to do its job better and more boldly than ever.

***

I see where, as part of her platform, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who stunningly upset Joe Crowley for a seat in the House of Representatives from New York, calls for free higher education for all. As a former college professor, for 23 years, I know too many students carrying too much overbearing debt in their lives, burdening their ability to fully launch their careers and their future family lives.

But what if what she wants happens – what if college education does become in good part “free,” or subsidized, if you will? What happens to college football, the training ground for future NFL players? What happens to college sports?

Does “free” higher education negate the advantage of “free” tuition for varsity athletes across the country, one of the biggest advantages if not the biggest advantage college athletes get?

Hello, Bernie Sanders, where are you? Would this socialist-leaning policy be the end of college athletics as we know it? Would high-schoolers be able to go directly to the NFL? They can and do in baseball and hockey and formerly did in basketball, which is still only a whisper away from that anyway.

I do like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. I like her energy. I like how idealistic and hopeful she is about America. But wait till she gets to Congress and discovers how quickly idealists like her get their ideals sidetracked by the powers-that-be.

Free higher education? So long to college football? Stay tuned.

***

Jameis Winston just can’t help himself. The same way Donald Trump repeatedly tells lies, Jameis Winston repeatedly gets into trouble.

Now he’s suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season because of behavior that the NFL says violated its conduct policy.

It wasn’t like he didn’t get into trouble in college, especially with sexual assault charges, among other things.

Like I always say to a good friend of mine whose significant other always has and always will put video-gaming ahead of his devotion to her: leopards don’t change their spots.

Ever.

Hello, Mike Glennon, Tampa Bay calling. Again.

The King is Dead! Long Live the King! ... Wait, the King Lives

Wherefore art thou going, Peter King?

After 29 years, he’s walking away from The MMQB at Sports Illustrated, or so he said in on online announcement.

He’s giving up S.I. for NBC Maybe doing the same thing for 29 years is too much to ask of anyone. Except rooting for your favorite team, which you always do for life. Your love for your team always outlasts and outlives your relationship with any significant other you’ve ever had.

Every time.

Why do people change jobs anyway, be it in journalism, sports, sports media or even construction, medicine or being a personal trainer?

Like I always tell the classes I’ve taught (for 24 years), it’s always the money.

Always.

Why do players switch teams in free agency? They always say it’s for the opportunity, the chance to win a championship, but usually, it’s for the money. Ask Scott Michell, Matt Flynn. More recently, Nate Solder.

It’s always the money. And why not? I left my first job as a full-time sports reporter, after seven years, to go to work for a restaurant magazine – which offered me a 37 percent pay raise at the time. With a divorce staring me in the face and all the money to my name in my wallet at any given time, it was a little difficult to pass on it.

But I kept working freelance in sports, and still do to this day, covering games, and writing and editing books, detailing sports business drivers.

Sort of like the emotion that makes sure you value your team more than any other relationship in your life. You know it too.

But Peter King has already made a lot of money, his original Monday Morning Quarterback column becoming a staple of the football world in America. He once wrote the entire thing on his Blackberry. He had a following of 2 million or so we’re told.

I have parlayed my part-time love affair with sports, and my full-time love for my New York Giants, Knicks, Mets and Rangers, into two blogs, freelance work at two major dailies and two books I’ve either written or edited.

Like Peter King, I have a 29-year love affair with Jocelyn, my wife of that time period. She is my rock. She’s a sports fan. But I cheat on her. With sports, that is.

Just like you cheat on your significant other. With sports.

Ain’t it grand?

So go for it, Peter King. Do something “different” at NBC, whatever your job description there may be. You are forever the Monday Morning Quarterback.

Whether you want to be or not.

HOW GOOD WAS YOUR TEAM’S DRAFT?

According to espn.com, Jacksonville should be feeling “confident.” I’m having trouble processing that after watching their coaching staff express no confidence in Blake Bortles at the end of the first half against New England in the AFC Championship Game, making him run out the clock instead of trying to score with timeouts aplenty and decent field position.

The Baltimore Ravens are feeling “hopeful,” says the Mother Ship, after giving Joe Flacco some more weapons. Flacco won a Super Bowl – I mean, the defense won it for him, despite the NFL’s attempts to take it away with the now-famous blackout at the Super Dome. He’s done nothing since, with whatever weapons they gave him. The Ravens are fortunate to have the Browns in their division.

Besides, everyone feels hopeful after the draft and going into OTAs.

Unless your name is Belichick, good luck with that.

More Than One Knee to a Protest

In Oklahoma, Arizona and Kentucky, where schoolteachers walked out or threatened to walk out (and as a retired college instructor, I support them 100 percent), just wondering, would high school athletics have been threatened too?

In Chicago, where I reside, no school, no sports. No sports, no athletes competing, no chances to show their wares to colleges interested in offering scholarships or pro teams in sports like baseball and hockey, where kids do go directly to the pros, at least at some level, right out of high school (unless your name is Ball, and then you go directly to jail, purgatory or Vermont Avenue on a Monopoly board.

Nothing is more important than educating – and protecting the safety of – our kids. Athletics are part of that educational experience. Let’s protect it and let’s pay our teachers what they deserve so the athletes can display what they can do too. Teachers are educators, not gun-toting security guards.

SEAHAWK SQUAT: Apparently, Colin Kaepernick had been talking with the Seattle Seahawks about making a comeback into the league, likely as Russell Wilson’s backup and, who knows, as a secret weapon in “wildcat” and other special formations.

It wasn’t all that long ago that owners knelt with their players in support of their protest against unfair treatment for all in America. It wasn't all that long ago an owner called the players "inmates." This whole thing is confusing, confounding and ridiculous.

Now, with Donald Trump riling up fans over this, with games taking longer, delayed by prolonged replay reviews, with TV ratings eroding a bit and the game overexposed on TV from Thursdays to Mondays, with the occasional late-season Saturday, and let's not leave out fears of concussion concerns, aha - only now are the owners looking the other way.

As long as the form of protest is passive and peaceful, there is no problem, and when the game starts, it’s forgotten already.

We support our teachers and their protests for more pay, better materials and better venues in which to educate our kids. Some of those kids are playing in the NFL now.

Unfortunately, one of them is Reuben Foster. Why aren’t you, Donald Trump, declaring he should be “fired?”

Because you should be.

NFL S_it Job

Remember when football players could put their heads down and ram into someone? Can’t do that anymore. In fact, can’t hit anyone leading with your helmet.

So does that mean if someone is about to hit you, you can’t put your head down to protect yourself with your helmet?

This new no-leading-with-the-helmet rule is going to be interesting to watch (no it isn’t) and definitely interesting to enforce (yes it is).

Players have consistently said they’d rather be hit high (even around the head) than low (around the career-ending knee injury).

So where are you supposed to hit someone? Where can you hit someone?

Ribs? Stomach? Thighs? Calves?

Crack. Strain. Bruise. Muscle pull.

There is no good place to hit someone anymore because anyplace you get hit is injury prone, head to toe. Let alone a penalty.

But for the NFL, billion-dollar concussion lawsuits are less to their liking than player careers ending after just a few years, which is the average length of a career anyway. 

In other words, anytime Tom Brady gets hits someplace on his body where you can’t take something and stick it after folding it five ways and sideways (with all due respect to the original Bad News Bears movie), then we get a rule that restricts player movement, hitting, spitting, celebrating, thinking and practicing and/or any combinations thereof.

According to Sports Illustrated, and we paraphrase here to save space, with the new rules on hits to the head, defenses would be cited for roughing-the-passer penalties alone 37 more times than the prior season. And personal fouls would go up by at least 32 flags, a pace of 256 for the season, or 18 more than the prior year.

That, my friends, is from an article by S.I.’s Jim Trotter, on Oct. 3, 2011, discussing new league-wide, hit-to-the-head penalties instilled that season with the comparative totals to the 2010 season.

Imagine what 2018 is going to look like now compared to 2017. Longer games, more flags, more replays, and this time, the penalty can be reviewed, which has not been allowed by the NFL to this point in its history.

Somewhere, Johnny Unitas just rolled over and Joe Namath started drinking again.

And we are headed to the National Flag Football League before too long unless someone comes up with equipment, rules, padding and officiating that cuts through all this.

QUARTERBACK SHUFFLE: I’ve heard enough. From all the experts. Mel Kiper Jr. Todd McShay. Colin Cowherd. Pete Prisco.

USC’s Sam Darnold is going to the Browns at No. 1 and if they don’t take him, they are fools. The Giants need to take Josh Rosen from UCLA, who outplayed Darnold in defeat when USC beat UCLA. He is an Eli Manning prototype with a fantastically accurate arm, best I saw last year. Let Denver and Buffalo fight it out for draft position for Josh Allen after that. Mason Rudolph and Luke Falk are out there too. And remember folks, Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick.

If the Giants trade the pick, they will get numerous other picks with which they will select three offensive linemen who will be out of the league by 2021, three defensive linemen who will be out of the league by 2022 and two defensive backs who will unfortunately still be with them in 2023.

The Packers took Aaron Rodgers, groomed him three years and then let Brett Favre go and Rodgers has worked out – well, pretty OK, ya’ think?

Hey Giants, do the same with Rosen.

Chicago's Very Own - Sinclair Sports

With Sinclair about to prospectively take over Chicago's Very Own WGN, we're wondering if the impact of its editorial declaration of war on "fake news" will have any impact on sports coverage. Let's take a peek ahead.

And now, back to the Crosstown Classic...

Sunday, May 13, at Wrigley Field...

Jason Bennetti: Welcome back to Wrigley, where the fake-news guys covering Chicago baseball are getting their lunch eaten by the Chicago White Sox this season, and in this series.

Steve Stone: Uh, Jason...

Jason: Steve, hold your water. Sox fans have been hearing it for years, since Cheatin' Theo got into town, using all those phony analytics and fixing all those games so the Cubs could break their curse.

Steve: Jason, just a second...

Jason: Steve, no, just a minute. We've waited years for this. Now we're finally seeing our building, not rebuilding as the fake media have cast it, finally pay off, and the fake-news boys over there in the press box and in the broadcast booth next door to us know how it feels.

Steve: J-A-S-O-N! We're not on Sinclair - uh, WGN today. We're on NBC Sports Chicago. They're on Unclear - uh, Sinclair today.

Jason: Oh...

...meanwhile, in the Cubs broadcast booth...

Len Kasper: Are you listening to those idiots on the "fake news" telecast talk about the "fake news" that we're supposedly doing?

Jim DeShaies: Uh, Len, we are.

Len: Oh yeah, that's right. But only until tomorrow, Jim, only until tomorrow.

Jim: Like a Jon Lester fastball, tomorrow can never come fast enough.

Len: Damn, so that pitch we said Rizzo struck out on was only an 88 mile-per-hour change-up and not a 95 mile-per-hour heater?

Jim: Yup.

Len: Are we even on-air now? Thought they were making a pitching change.

Jim: Yes, and yes.

Len: Damn.

...meanwhile, back in the White Sox booth...

Jason: So, you're saying, we're real news today. And they're fake news tomorrow?

Steve: Who cares? Our next game is against Pittsburgh.

Jason: Damn Pirates. They are such fake contenders.

Steve: J-A-S-O-N!!! Damn, where's Swirsky when I need him?

Don't Worry, Mexico Will Pay for It

Keep wondering, what else is Mexico going to pay for, besides the wall?

The NFL wants to play a preseason game in Mexico City. Who’s going to pay for it?

• ·        Mexico.

The NFL wants to play one, maybe two or more regular-season games in Mexico City. Who’s going to pay for it?

• ·        Mexico.

The NFL wants Pink Floyd to perform “The Wall,” (even though those guys hate each other) at halftime of next year’s Super Bowl (in Mexico?). Who’s going to pay for the performance of “The Wall?”

• ·        Who do you think?

The Steelers want to rebuild a likeness of their “Steel Curtain” championship defenses and get back to the Super Bowl. Who’s going to pay to rebuild that Hall-of-Fame wall?

• ·        Mexico?

Donald Trump was in San Diego last week, examining prototypes for the ‘Wall’ to keep what he called those drug-dealing, murderous rapists out of the United States.

• ·        No wonder the Chargers moved all the way up north to Los Angeles.

In Major League Baseball, it’s guys like Fabricio Macias, who are the future of and carry the burden of the past hitters of all those homers for fans everywhere. So who should be paying their salaries?

• ·        You had to ask?

And if Pink Floyd won’t regroup to play “The Wall” at the Super Bowl, how about getting Santana and his band to perform at halftime of SB LIII? They are touring this year.

• ·        And get you know who to pay for it.

The point is, it’s time for Donald Trump to stop talking about building a wall that no one is going to pay for, not even we taxpayers, let alone Mexico. 

The NFL could probably afford to pay cash and build the wall Trump has proposed, and promised, but the optics of that wouldn’t play well for a league that has promoted heavily in and directly to an audience in Mexico.

Let’s knock down the wall separating the quality of Mexican futbol from American futbol. And let’s forget about the wall Trump wanted Mexico to pay for and have a look at the other side of the wall Robert Mueller is trying to break through.

Let’s stop insulting Mexicans and start embracing all the immigrants who built the foundation upon which our country rests. I don’t remember that including a wall to keep anybody out.

So, your mom's prostitute? And the problem is..?

So, you’ve got this handsome, sharply and appropriately dressed young man in your office.

He’s applying for the opening you’ve advertised and his credentials appear to be a perfect fit: he has endurance; fitness; smarts; thinks on the fly; has the expertise necessary for his position; has had the appropriate training in college; and has social skills that shine in any office or inter-client environment.

So what’s the first thing you want to know about him? What is the one essential that will separate him from the qualifications of the other young men who will apply for this same position? Some of them you’ve already interviewed and you were impressed by their appearances.

So how is this new young man under pressure? How is he when the right move has to be made, no matter what? How is he at beating the opposition to the spot where the deal is sealed, the contract is executed and the men are separated from the boys?

Literally.

Let’s see, how about starting with: what’s your sexual orientation? There’s a deal-closer.

Why stop there? Even if the prospect answers that to your company’s satisfaction, how about the natural follow-up: is your mother a prostitute

Such was the case at the recent NFL Combine in Indianapolis, where running back Derrius Guice was asked just that, or so he says, by one of the teams that interviewed him.

What’s next? Try this: “A boy is 17-years old and his sister is twice as old. When the boy is 23-years old, what will be the age of his sister?”

That is an actual question from a sample Wonderlic exam that the league has been famous for using to measure mental capacity among the athletic studs gathered to show off their running, jumping and other agility skills.

But seriously, in a league known for a Greg Hardy, a Ray McDonald and a Ray Rice, why not test for a Sada Abe, Sally Salisbury and/or a Lulu White [in someone’s ancestral background. 

How long before 23 and Me and Ancestry are bidding to be the official DNA bloodline ancestral background-checkers of the league.

Think about it: it could probably help eliminate any more “wardrobe malfunctions” at halftime of the Super Bowl, ever.

Well, actually, nah…

But when the whole league is on malfunction alert, what’s a halftime boob flashing by comparison?

***

Emptying the notebook:

In a move that is leading to a change in the Process-of-The-Catch Rule, the league has declared that the prospective game-winning catch by Detroit’s Calvin Johnson in the waning seconds against the Chicago Bears was a touchdown and should not have been overturned on review on the basis of the “process of the catch.”

Eight years later.

***

Should pass interference be a 15-yard penalty or a spot-of-the-foul call? The league is considering the former. As it stands, it’s the latter. 

In college and high school, it’s the former, except in college, it’s spot-of-the-foul if it occurs beyond 15 yards downfield.

What do you think? As if it matters to the league…

***

Finally, this nugget. OK, let’s say, this slice. Papa John’s, which protested that the player kneeling protests during the national anthem were costing it pizza sales because of its association with the league as an official sponsor, is dropping its official contractual relationship, therefore.

Better ingredients. Better pizza. What about Papa John’s though?