Yet gain, there’s no one better to describe it than Maynard G. Krebs (the G. stood for Walter), who’d shake his hand in wonder then say, “What an age we live in.”
While Sunday’s Bills-Jets was to a large extent another NFL game determined by flags for misconduct, there was one significantly senseless act that, as they say at UPS, didn’t show up in the box score.
The last play in the first quarter was a Bills third-and-1 from their 20, a handoff to Fred Jackson, who was stopped — momentarily — for no gain, perhaps a loss.
At that point, Jets rookie DL Sheldon Richardson turned his back on the play and began to perform an exaggerated, look-at-me celebratory display, his arms sweeping to indicate the Bills got nothing. Yeah, he plays with swagger!
It was then that Jackson spun free and ran — right past Richardson — for 59 yards!
The Bills would soon kick a field goal to make it 7-3.
I know, I know. This is how the game is now played. By now, we should be used to it.
Along the same lines, Wednesday on YES, Ken Singleton noted Robinson Cano was one double short of 40, which would tie him with Lou Gehrig for the Yankees record for most seasons with 40 or more doubles, seven.
As a flat achievement stat — no context provided — Singleton was correct. However…
Four times in his career, Gehrig had fewer than 40 doubles, but seven or more triples. Had he more often “pulled up at second,” those four seasons, he’d have had 11 seasons with 40 or more doubles. For example, in 1931, when he had “only” 31 doubles, he had 15 triples. And in 1937, he had only 37 doubles, but nine triples.
Even at 36, in his last full season, 1938, he had six triples. In his shortened lifetime, he had 163 triples.
On the other hand, triples never “deprived” Cano of a 40-double season. He now rarely shows interest in maximizing batted balls. In the last two seasons he has 88 doubles, one triple. He has 28 triples for his nine-year career. In his first two seasons with the Yankees, Gehrig had 30.
Consider that the Cards’ Matt Carpenter this year leads the majors with 55 doubles, yet has seven triples.
Yes, Cano has played in different Yankee Stadiums than Gehrig, but, like Gehrig, he played every day. And, like Gehrig, his doubles achievements stand as evidence he’s a great hitter.
Unlike Gehrig, Cano played in longer, 162-game seasons. And unlike Gehrig, his annual doubles totals also tell us Cano’s just isn’t much interested in triples.
But that’s only if you choose to apply context.
Kay’s call steps on sidekick
Michael Kay remains a victim of his own foolish devices, so much so that in his transparent eagerness to promote himself through signature calls, he attaches a “Kick Me” sign to his own back.
Before Sunday’s first pitch on YES, he coyly said, “I’m here with Al Leiter. Al, give me some details on [starter] Andy Pettitte.” As Leiter spoke, Pettite threw his first pitch.
Kay couldn’t let that go without his “Let’s do it!,” so he jumped Leiter — interrupted him — with, “Let’s do it, here in The Bronx!” Leiter then continued. Pathetic.
Brought to mind when Chris Berman was calling a game on ESPN. He forgot to give a long drive his tired “back, back, back” treatment. So, after the ball cleared the fence, he quickly said, “back, back, back!” — as if we hadn’t already seen it land.
Save the life of that pepperoni and mushrooms! This story about Lions WR Nate Burleson crashing his car and breaking his arm trying to protect pizzas from sliding off his car seat at 2:25 a.m., well, why not? Most pizza places don’t deliver after 2 a.m. And, as always, safety first!
That Lawrence Taylor episode in which he cussed out Boomer Esiason on Sid Rosenberg’s Florida radio show likely was a chat facilitated by an agent — the agent shared by Taylor and Rosenberg.
It’s not that Mike Francesa gets almost everything wrong; it’s that he presents himself as Erasmus, then gets it colossally wrong. His NFL locks last week included Giants over Panthers (38-0, Panthers) and Niners at home over the mediocre Colts (Colts, 27-7).
Reader Alan Streisfeld writes the Yanks’ new theme song will be “Enter Quicksand.” I’m going with “Re-enter StubHub.”
No network more often reports self-generating news than ESPN. The injury to Orioles third baseman Manny Machado was reported/exploited by ESPN, which reported he had appeared in 18 clips on ESPN’s “Web Gems.”
Bob Cousy’s wife of 63 years, Marie — known as “Missie” — passed last week. She was from Long Island. Bob, we tend to forget given his Celtics legacy, is from Queens.
Ratings — not gender equality — goal of King-Riggs
So much of the attention last week paid to the 40th anniversary of the Billie Jean King-Bobby Riggs “Battle of the Sexes” was soaked in revisionism and misinformation — and presented as fact.
That match had nothing to do with the feminist movement. It was a made-for-TV novelty act, like Evel Knievel jumps and Geraldo Rivera’s opening of Al Capone’s safe. Heck, King was carried into the Astrodome on a throne shouldered by “male slaves” in glittered gladiator costumes.
Years ago, when this myth arose that the match underscored serious social equality issues, Jim Spence, the ABC Sports executive who helped put the event together, tried, in this column, to remind folks it was nothing more than a TV ratings-based goof, nothing to be taken seriously.
But by then it was too late. History will record — has already recorded — that it was something it wasn’t.
As stories accumulate about college becoming unaffordable, piles of money remain for colleges — academic institutions — to throw at sports.
When Chris Carlin, calling Arkansas-Rutgers on WOR-710, Saturday, ran down RU’s athletics schedule, he included a women’s volleyball game against Houston.
Houston? No way; the costs would be too great to justify, especially for a State university. But it’s a fact: Rutgers plays Houston — home and away! And SMU-RU and Memphis-RU, home and away. And RU at Indiana.
Must be a shortage of colleges between, say, Massachusetts and Maryland, a bus ride away.