Conversation Openers

Well, I suppose I have to have something to say about the Cleveland Browns’ fairly easy win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Actually, I was trying to weasel my way out of saying anything.

That’s because I did not see most of the game.

Instead, Sunday afternoon — at the urging of my significant other — I decided to take a ride downstate to look at the trees. You know…during this time of year the trees (and there are many of them downstate) are usually full of red, yellow and other colors. In fact, the foliage can sometimes be overwhelming.

That was my first disappointment.  The trees in Erie county have more color than any we saw downstate.

My second disappointment is where we ate. I traveled down Route 89 to Titusville and the place where I had eaten many times before (always with a great meal) must have changed cooks. The ham was dry (too long under some lights), the stuffed shells were also not very palatable, and so forth. I won’t mention the establishment’s name, except to say I’ll probably not eat there again.

Anyway, the 104-mile trip was mostly a disappointment. When I finally got in front of my TV set and turned on the game – – I was almost shocked when I saw the score (Cleveland 31, Pittsburgh 3) with about 12 minutes left to play. Then I watched as the Steelers managed to score their only TD of the afternoon in the final moments. But, it didn’t matter. The Browns had this one sewed up much earlier. There was no come-from-behind in this one as the winners have done before this season.

The Browns scored 21 points in the second quarter to grab a 21-3 halftime bulge and then just went about nailing it down with ten more unanswered points in the second half. Then I read some of the comments by other writers. The ones that said (in essence) “…don’t worry, the Steelers aren’t that disappointed…” “…the Steelers won’t go into a panic mode…” “…The Steelers will bounce back…” and so on. Folks, I have a good friend who is a dyed-in-wool Pittsburgh Steelers fan (that because he was born in Pittsburgh) who NEVER has anything discouraging to say about the Pittsburgh club… until now. Here is one of his comments:

“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. The NFL defense have past up Dick LeBeau. The guy is 70 years old and he can’t fathom NFL offenses any more.”

It’s beginning to look as if this guy us absolutely correct. The Pittsburgh defense couldn’t stymie some big passing plays by Cleveland quarterback Brian Hoyer — a middle of the line performer at best. One preseason professional publication stated “The real smoke is on venerable (meaning old) coordinator Dick LeBeau to find a way to get a bunch of new, young players to remake the Steelers defense that slipped in 2013. Their big plays — sacks, forced turnovers, etc — fell off sharply the past two seasons and and last year they dropped from No. 1 to No. 13 in yards allowed.” Hmmmmm. Make that three seasons.

The Steelers defensively no longer scare the opposition. This was very evident this past Sunday in Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Field. It could be more evident the next three weeks when Pittsburgh goes against Houston (3-3) ,Indianapolis and Baltimore — all scheduled for PNC Park. The home fans could be just a more than a bit upset at these three contests. One thing is for sure…it’ll be very interesting.

BOY TALK ABOUT barn-burners…the colleges went nuts this past weekend. And I blame it on a local game. That’s when Warren nipped Meadville 79-78 — with both teams combining for more than 1,5000 offensive yards. The colleges didn’t quite equal the scholastic kids… but they tried. For instance, the new No. 1 in the polls, Mississippi State clipped Auburn 38-23. Then there was Baylor trimming TCU 61-58. Add in Notre Dame’s 50-43 triumph over North Carolina, Mississippi’s 35-20 decision over Texas A&M , Michigan State whipping Purdue 45-31, Oklahoma clipping Texas 31-26, Oregon running past UCLA 42-30 and Duke upsetting Georgia Tech 31-25. For some reason — strange or not — the colleges put on a scoring spree that hasn’t been seen for some time.

Then there was the mundane — like favored Alabama (by nine points) just edging Arkansas 14-13 or Penn State, losing to Michigan 18-13. Looking at that Penn State loss — I saw only the first half, in which the Nittany Lions built a slim 13-10 lead. I had to move away from my TV set in the second half… and that’s when Michigan made its move. Oh, not so much of a move as it was Penn State’s failure to form more offense. Michigan’s defenses have not been all that great this year, the Wolverines coming in with a three-game losing streak. However, the combination of a lack of PSU offense and whatever defense Michigan showed was enough to spell defeat for the Nittany Lions…a game they could have won. First year head coach James Franklin refused to blame anyone in particular (although the offensive line did not protect quarterback Christian Hackenberg the way it is supposed to). Coach Franklin was quoted saying: “It’s hard to call the game when you can’t run blocks and can’t consistently protect the quarterback. I’m not saying it’s the O-line. It’s everyone.”

Not really.   It’s the offensive line that let the team down Saturday. And with Ohio State up next week…it’ll probably be more of the same.

OH, WE ALMOST FORGOT when mentioning high-scoring college games that Edinboro’s ending of its five-game losing streak by slamming Clarion 56-28 and Mercyhurst’s 45-38 upset over Gannon.

HEY! HOW ABOUT them Royals?

Kansas City, which beat the power-laden Los Angeles Angels in the American League Division series by winning two of its three games in 11 innings, now own a 2-0 lead over Baltimore in the Championship series…again by scoring three runs in the 10th inning in the first game and two tallies in the ninth frame of the second game. The Royals are one of the youngest teams in the playoffs and they are performing like battle-scared veterans. The next three games are slated for KC’s Kauffman Stadium — a spacious ball park where the homer-laden Baltimore Orioles might find runs bard to come by.

I know I’m one guy rooting for the Royals. They need only two wins in the next five games to make it into the World Series. As for the National League… I don’t care who wins that one. The San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals are tied at 1-1 right now, with the next three games set for Frisco’s new stadium.

I DON’T THINK anyone figured Mississippi State would be No. 1 in the college football polls this late in the season or that Mississippi State would be No. 3. The top-rated Bulldogs travel to Alabama November 15th and then to Ole Miss on November 29th. Meanwhile, Ole Miss must face Auburn on November 1st. These games will certainly scramble the polls — and the post-season lineup — a lot more. I wouldn’t even hazard a guess as to which four teams will be taking part in the new playoff system. I might take a shot at it three weeks from now.

ON A FINAL NOTE,… what can anyone say???? The Erie Otters are certainly starting the new OHL season off in fine style with a six-game winning streak. That has to be a “wow”!!!!

-Jack Polancy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

What a blast these last three weeks have been

WOW!!! WHAT A BLAST these last three weeks have been. First there was the completely unexpected surgery on my left leg for a severe blood clot, then there was a week of trying to recuperate, then came a four-day vacation trip to the smokey mountains long before I was ready to take any kind of trip anywhere. That trip – via Anderson Coach and Travel – is what I’m going to begin this piece with.

I probably should have stayed home. But, since I had signed up for this venture back in January – I decided to take a shot at it. That decision was somewhat a mistake. Any person who just got out of the hospital should not be traveling over 1,300 miles in four days – unable to sit with your leg in the air as you were supposed to. But I did it because it was Anderson’s 77^th anniversary bash (it was called a “Birthday Bash”) – going to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is wall-to-wall tourism. However, there are also a lot of shows. We (this includes my new significant other, Betty) saw six shows… everyone of them outstanding. The Dixie Stampede (which is sponsored by Dolly Parton) was Betty’s favorite, mine was with the Smith Family Show – certainly one that everyone going to Pigeon Forge should witness. I enjoyed the six shows immensely. It was my kind of music and the action was non-stop. I did not care for the system that was used in seating us. However, when you have a total of nine buses (and approximately 500 people), I guess there is no satisfying way to seat them. Anderson Coach and Travel has been around for 77 years. The outfit takes a lot of people to a lot of places each year. In fact, they carry approximately 425,000 passengers (customers) a year. Their tour directors are quite different efficient. Ours – named Marie – got a bit peeved with me because I became somewhat impatient on a couple of occasions. Anderson motorcoaches, by the way, travel a combined 4,280,000 miles each year. So, I imagine the tour directors must get used to “impatient” customers at times. Oh, and if you’re interested in long trips, Anderson’s longest venture is “Alaska by Land” – something that lasts 28 days and is operated every four years. No, I did not sign up for that one. In all fairness, I do enjoy going with the company. I have been doing it now for five years. I imagine I’ll be signing up for a new trip (I’ve been on four already this year) soon… but I’ll make sure I am in proper physical condition this time. Still, it was an excellent vacation… and, the Smokey Mountains are breath-taking.

OKAY, OKAY… enough about my traveling woes. Let’s take a look at the important things – like what happened over the weekend in college football. Whatever happened to Ohio State… to Michigan State… to Penn State????? Penn State is the team I’m most concerned about, let’s look at the Nittany Lions first. PSU scored a 21-3 win over Akron… a victory in which the Lions struggled most of the time. There was no running game to speak of despite the 106 yards rushing listed in final state. And the passing game, which started out very good but staggered in the middle going before regaining some progress in the final minutes, ended up with a decent 319 yards and all three touchdowns. The Lions, on the plus side, did overcome three turnovers that hurt them throughout the going. Penn State was ahead only by a slim 7-3 count with 8:04 remaining in the third quarter when sophomore QB Christian Hackenberg connected with Eugene Lewis for 28 yards and a first down deep in Akron territory. Two plays later Hackenberg, regaining his early throwing abilities, tossed a 13-yard TD aerial to Jesse James for a 14-3 edge. The Penn State defense did what they could do the rest of the way. The win was enough to propel the Nittany Lions to a spot of the AP rankings poll. Michigan wasn’t as fortunate as the Wolverines fell out of the AP rankings altogether after they had been manhandled and blanked by a Notre Dame squad 31-0. I didn’t think Notre Dame was THAT good this year. Or could it be that Michigan is simply that bad. Whatever, the Irish are now ranked No. 11 in the two football poles listed. Notre Dame tangles with Purdue this coming Saturday in a game being played in Indianapolis. The Irish are 12-1 in neutral sites since 2000. I don’t have any idea of what happened to Ohio State. The Buckeyes were ranked as high as third in most polls, but fell in front of unranked Virginia Tech 35-21. The worst part was that a record crowd of 107,517 witnessed the debacle at Ohio Stadium. I guess the pre-season loss of senior quarterback Braxton Miller was more than was expected. OSU faces Kent State this Saturday… and should breeze.
As for Michigan State… who knows what took place Saturday. The Spartans actually left the fast-moving Ducks in the second half… then Oregon is now second in the AP Poll… while the Spartans skidded to 13^th spot. Michigan State takes a week off this Saturday – to repair its wounds I suppose. The game that was the most surprising (at least to me) was Nebraska’s 31-24 win over complete underdog McNeese State. I watched a lot of this contest and the Cowboys shocked everyone when they forced a 24-24 tie with the Cornhuskers. But then Nebraska, ranked No. 19 before the game, managed to shake loose from the underdog visitors when someone named Ameer Abdullah turned a six yard completion into an almost impossible 58 yard touchdown pass with just 20 seconds remaining to pull out the triumph. The Huskers, however, dropped to 21^st in the poll. Finally… the best (most competitive) game I saw Saturday was the Southern Cal versus Standford affair. It was a see-saw battle all the way and wasn’t decided until Andre Heidart kicked a career-long 53-yard field goal to give the Trojans a 13-10 win. The triumph put Southern Cal in No. 9 spot in the AP Poll and No. 10 in the Amway selection. USC will be heard from before this season is complete. Oh, I can’t forget Pitt. Not with McDowell’s James Conner running the way he has been. Conner ran for 214 yards in leading the Panthers to a 30-20 win over a good Boston College squad. Pitt, now 2-0, takes on Florida International this Saturday. The Panthers are in the “Others receiving votes” on both pulls.

THEN THERE is a NFL. And, of course, the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns. Oh, I know the Steelers won 3-27 on Shaun Suisham 41-yard field goal as the game ended. But, what happened to the Pittsburgh defense – this is what most local fans want to know. After all, the Steelers had a wide 27-3 half time lead over the Browns… and could hold it. The Browns, behind inexperienced quarterback Brian Hoyer, rallied to force a 27-27 tie with 11:15 remaining to be played. The fact that Cleveland ran out of steam in the final going is mute. The Steelers are simply going to have to improve their defensive structure or other teams – those that are better than the Browns – will have a field day with improbable rallies.

CHEERS FOR THE Buffalo Bills. That 23-20 overtime win over the Chicago Bears could be the start of something quite unexpected. The Bills are at Carolina (1-0) this weekend.

AND A FINAL NOTE… Don’t look for the New York Yankees in the post-season playoffs this year. They’re not going to make it.

-Jack Polancy

Well, well… here we are…the Sweet Sixteen

Well, well… here we are. The Sweet Sixteen, The chance to become one of the Final Four.   That’s what will take place this Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament—the continuance of March Madness. Who are the favored four?

 

Hmmmm, in all actuality—all 16 have the opportunity but, in reality, I’d say only about eight have the ability.   The overall favorite’s role has to stay with Florida. The Gators, ranked No.1 in the NCAA Poll, comes in with a 28-game winning streak and had little trouble in their first two games.   Head coach Billy Donovan, who has guided Florida for the past 18 years, recently finalized a new contract which, according to one report, will earn him around $20 million over the next five years… that’s more than enough incentive to win it all. The Gators take on UCLA Thursday night—the Bruins also considered as a good shot to make the Final Four.   UCLA is 28-8 and is a scoring machine… averaging 82 points-per-game with almost a 50 percent average from the field.   Sounds like a good one.

 

Michigan State, beset by a ton of injuries during the regular campaign, is now very healthy—a reason to rate it highly.   Of course, the Spartans will have some trouble with Virginia (a late Friday game) – the best defensive team in the tournament.   Michigan State, which started at 18-1 during the regular season, is now 28-8… with impressive wins in its two opening games.   Virginia, 30-6, also looked good this past week… and if it’s a real close affair, the Cavaliers would have to be favored.   Hmmm, let’s see now. Oh, yes.   Next there is Arizona. The Wildcats, ranked No.1 much of the regular season, comes in at 32-4. This is a solid team with little cracks, if any.

 

Arizona’s opponent (late Thursday) is defensive-minded San Diego State, the Aztecs owning a 31-4 overall mark.   A San Diego State victory would have to be considered as an upset. That brings me to Kentucky, a pre-season favorite to win it all. The Wildcats take 26-10 figure in against Louisville’s 31-5 mark in a late Friday affair. This one should be a dandy, with the Cardinals having to straighten out their turnover problem and their shooting woes. You know, since I’ve been so wrong in a number of these playoff games this season, I’ll probably be wrong again here… but I’m going with Louisville in a very tight one. Okay, my last team with a decent shot at getting to the Final Four is Wisconsin. The Badgers are 28-7 and have shown they are capable of scoring big while playing decent defense.   Wisconsin will face Baylor (26-11) in an early Thursday night game and should prevail.

 

Now, out of the eight winners (at least the ones I thought might win) I have chosen will come the Final Four.   Do you want to know who they are?   Sure you do.   Florida, Michigan State, Louisville and Arizona.   How about that!   Remember, this is the same guy who picked Duke as the national champion. RALPH WILSON JR. The owner and co-founder of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL, was one of my people in sports. Back when I toiled in the sports department of the Erie Times- News I covered the Bills on a regular basis—this mainly because we had two seats in the press box and a spot in the executive parking lot.

 

Anyway, after one game, I came to my car… which was sitting there with a flat tire. Mr. Wilson, already in his car and leaving, spotted my predicament. He stopped his car, asked me if I needed help (immediately said “yes”) and proceeded to direct the replacement of my spare.   While the work was going on the boss and I had a genial conversation. He learned a lot about me and I him. After repairs were complete, a cordial handshake, a profuse thank you… we were both on our way. Man, was I ever impressed!! Mr. Wilson passed away last Tuesday at the age of 95.

 

JUST IN CASE you wanted to know.   The New York Yankees are no longer the biggest spending team in major league baseball.   That “honor” now goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers “predicted projected payroll” for 2014 is approximately $235 millions.   The Yankees, who had been No.1 for the past 15 years, are now second with approximately $204 million.   Then there are the Houston Astros… with a projected payroll of $45 million—which would put them last in baseball.

 

I WAS SURPRISED that the Cleveland Indians named right-hander Carlos Carrasco as their fifth starter over Josh Tomlin.   Carrasco, who has been on the injured list too many times (he even missed the entire 2012 season) and has only an 11-19 record in his four-year career.

 

ON THE OTHER hand, I thought the Pittsburgh Pirates made an excellent move when they signed outfielder Starling Marte to a six-year contract.   The 25-year-old, who played in 135 games last year, ended with a decent .280 average with 12 home runs. He also stole 41 bases. The deal has a reported value of 31 million.

 

THE MASTERS, probably the best of the four major golf events, gets into record books in about two weeks.   Tiger Woods, still rated as the top golfer in the world (why, I don’t know) has not ruled out a playing appearance—despite a bad back that he simply cannot control. During my long tenure with the Erie Times-News I covered only one Masters, this despite having a USDG Badge and a membership in the Golf Writers Association of America.   It was memorable… even though a bit stifling.

 

WHAT’S NEXT? Well, it could be that college athletes will soon be pros… meaning they will be paid for playing for “Dear old Siwash.”   This possibility came out the other day when a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled the football players at Northwestern University may form the nation’s first union of college athletes.   The next step, of course, is paying those unionized athletes.   Regardless of the athletes’ free scholarships that are now in vogue.   I’ve gone on record in this space as being completely against paying college athletes. After all, we already have too many pro athletes in this country.

 

AND A FINAL NOTE… the Major league baseball season gets into full swing on Monday, March 31, and Tuesday, April 1—this regardless of the cold weather and even the snow that may still be around.   Now, who is going to win what? Well, you’ll have to check with my next column to find that out.

 

-Jack Polancy

C’Mon, you’ve got to be kidding, Right?

Well, did you fill out your bracket yet? What bracket?

C’Mon, you’ve got to be kidding, Right? Of course, right!! I’m talking about the bracket for March Madness. You know (I’m sure you do) that it all got started in earnest last Thursday (March 20) and is now going great guns as your reading this.

Hey just because you don’t want me to learn anything from your bracket doesn’t mean that I won’t tell you mine.

Heck, I don’t even know if you are interested in mine. After all, everyone seems to think they know more about college fame basketball than the “other guy.”

Nevertheless, in my last effort I mentioned something about hot teams and their chances of winning it all.

Today I don’t care who is hot and who is not… this is my pick for the Final Four.

Now, I did some logic (notice—I said “some”)—but mainly relied on my heart (Which I have been told by expert gamblers, is the wrong way to predict anything).

However… regardless of anything else, here are my selections. In the South Region—look for Florida successfully project its No.1 status by stopping Kansas.

In the West Region— again I tabbed a No. 1 team, the lads from the Arizona knocking off Wisconsin.

Ah, now we come to the “heart” picks.

In the East Region – My choice is Michigan State, The Spartans beating surprising North Carolina to get there.

And, in the Midwest Region—despite all my complaining during the regular season, I’m staying with the Duke. The Blue Devils clipping upstart Kentucky in the Elite Eight.

So, now you know my Final Four.

Now, which of these—Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, Duke—is going to move to the championship game?

Ha!! That’s something we’ll divulge next week—just before the championship game is scheduled.

I think…

I’VE HAD A TON (Okay maybe not THAT many—but still quite a few) of inquiries concerning the hopes and possibilities of the Pittsburgh Pirates this coming season.

Well, the Bucs seem to be doing okay in Spring Training games (which as we all know DO NOT count.) with a 10-7 mark as of Wednesday (March 19) morning.

Personally, however, I honestly feel the Pirates didn’t do enough in the free agent chases to substantially aid themselves in the won-lost column.

I think the Bucs will be representative in all games player. But, I do not think they will make the playoffs again in the 2014 grind.

Hey, you asked…

 

 

I HOPE YOU haven’t forgotten, but Major League season actually opens this Saturday (March 22) is Australia… with two fames between Arizona and Los Angeles.

From everything that I’ve read about the games… the Diamondbacks are excited to be there, getting to the Land Down Under last Monday (March 17), while the Dodgers have been griping all over the place about “interruption” to its Spring Training routine.

I hope LA realizes that these two games DO COUNT.
IT’S BEGINNING TO look like Tiger Woods is just about finished as a title threat anymore.

The guy who is still ranked No.1 in the world (why, I don’t know) has pulled out of Arnold Palmer Invitational, this is because of the same back problems that have been hindering him of late.

What that does for his hopes and plans for the Masters is unknown, but it doesn’t look good.

Woods had won eight times at the Palmer’s Bay Hill layout.

 

 

WHILE ALL THE hullabaloo concerning the college basketball tourney is about the men’s game… don’t forget the gals.

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament starts this weekend and features two (not one, like the men’s) unbeaten squads… No.1 Connecticut at

34-0, and No.2 Notre Dame at 32-0.

UConn is no stranger than this event, having won it eight times. With the way brackets are set the two unbeaten teams are a distinct possibility of facing each other for the crown.

Since our own Kayla McBride is one of the Notre Dame leaders, naturally we’ve all become fans of the Irish.

ND faces Robert Morris (21-11) Saturday at 1:30 p.m. while Connecticut will meet Prarie View (14-17) Sunday at 8 p.m… both games on ESPN.

Oh, Don’t forget one other local lady is in the tourney.. That would be General McLanes Susan Hensen. She leads Florida Gulf Coast University against Oklahoma State at 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN2.

FGCU (26-7) is a No.12 seed while OS (23-8) is No.5.

 

OH BY THE WAY, did I mention how many people in the United States will fill out a ballot (at work, mainly, but also elsewhere) concerning March Madness.

From a usually reliable source… they tell me more “more than 40,000,000” will take part in trying to guess who will win that.

Wow!!

 

ONE OTHER THING I forgot to mention while talking about the Major League openers this Saturday—the Stadium in Australia id called the Sydney Cricket Ground and in the last two years has undergone renovation to the tune of $186 million.

The stadium has a seating capacity of 38,000—and Aussie officials say that the place will be filled… or almost-filled.

I wonder how many people would be there if the game of cricket was being played???

I DIDN’T REALIZE just how big “fantasy” sports are these days. You know, that’s where you join a league (whatever sport it is) with a team of your own (one that you’ve built by yourself in some kind of draft procedure) and participate against other like teams in a season that pays off financially (usually).

I’ve now talked to a number of people involved… and they love it (although they also are frustrated at times when their playing selections falter).

You have to get into it yourself to see what actually goes on. However, the baseball version is so big that USA TODAY’S publication of “Sports Weekly” put out a “Fantasy Extra” issue to aid in your team’s selection.

And, it does the same thing for “football fantasy.”

Where do these people find the time to do this??

 

NOT MANY OF college quarterbacks eligible for the NFL draft (May 8) seems to be high on anyone’s list. That’s sort of because they didn’t show much during the practice sessions.

What does all this mean?

Only that the unknown (meaning Central Florida’s signal-caller) might be the first QB taken… and this maybe by the Cleveland Browns.

His name is Blake Bortles… keep him in mind.

 

AND FINAL NOTE… I’ve been reading books and pamphlets with wise sayings—and this one really hit home.

“Old age comes at a bad time.”

Harumph… tell me about it!!!!

 

-Jack Polancy

 

 

Okay, enough of this chit-chat.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.  This is Super Bowl weekend time.  So, what do you expect me to say that hasn’t already been said — and by someone a lot closer to the action than this person.

What I do know is this.

It’ll probably be cold.  Metlife Stadium will probably be filled (I wouldn’t be there if I lived nearby — unless, of course, I was in the press box, a spot I usually had when I covered sports for the Times-News for almost 44 years).

The game will probably be a decent contest — meaning, it probably won’t be a one-sided affair.

Let’s see.  What will probably (how about the overuse of THAT word) decide the outcome of Sunday’s 48th version of the NFL Super Bowl?

The standard comment to that question is two-fold.

No. 1 — as far as the Denver Broncos are concerned it will all depend on the right arm of its quarterback Peyton Manning.

No. 2 — and as far as the Seattle Seahawks anxieties it will be about stopping Manning… meaning it’ll all rest on the defense (which is rated No. 1 in the NFL.)

Personally, I think the weather might have something to say about the whole thing.

Meteorologists have been having more interest in their forecasts for February 2,d, almost more than Punxsutawney Phil (don’t forget… this Sunday is also Groundhog Day, and you know what THAT means, right????)

The majority of the meteorologists that I’ve read claim that there will not be any or enough snow to concern the players.

However, another source quoted the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which stated something like, “stormy with heavy rain and snow” for early February.

Well, if this becomes reality, the people who run Metlife Stadium say they are ready.  Meaning they have a reported 821 snow plows along with 60,000 tons of sale — plus an army of workers to apply what will be needed.

Now, with all that being said, let me end this portion with one quote from a somewhat local newspaper.

“For the record, since 1870, National Weather Service records indicate February 2 in the New York area has witnessed just one snowfall, this in 1996 when about seven inches fell on February 2-and-3.”

So, based on past history (which we all use for practically all predictions)… Sunday evening will probably be cold, but will also be without any snow.

Okay, enough of this chit-chat.

Who is going to win the “big game?????”

Hah!  What makes you think I know anything more than the actually unknown number of legitimate journalists covering the game do?????

Oh, I have my favorite — just like anyone else even remotely connected to the Super Bowl.

I’ve made this known in the past.

I am rooting for the Denver Broncos.  Mainly because of Manning.  Anyone who had to undergo what he did on the operating table (four neck operations) deserves all the backing he can ge. Plus, I don’t think the Seahawks’ defense is as good as advertised.  My call… Denver 24, Seattle 21.

Now, whatever you do… don’t bet any money on that!!!!!!

It’s good to see the fans turning out for the Erie Otters this season.  According to one report the Otters are on a pace to register its fourth-highest average attendance ever.

That’s what a winning season will do for any team.

The addition of wide receiver Percy Harvin to the Seattle roster will give the Seahawks a solid performer in that category.  Harvin, who suffered a concussion in the playoff win over New Orleans, says he has “no restrictions” concerning his return in time for the Super Bowl.

I know that I’m in the minority, but nevertheless I am rooting for Alex Rodriguez in his lawsuit against Major League Baseball.  As far as this corner is concerned, I think A Rod got the short end of the stick from all parties involved.

 

Last Tuesday night I was abandoned (because of the below zero weather outside) in my apartment, therefore being almost forced to watch No. 3 ranked Michigan State play at No. 10 ranked Iowa.  With two such highly-rated college basketball teams going at each other one would expect a highly-played contest.

What a disappointment.  I have never seen such a poorly-played affair with turnovers and missed free throws and poorly-attempted fieldgoals… even Spartans’ 19-year head coach Tom Izzo could do nothing but shake his head after it was over.

Oh, Michigan State won 71-69 in overtime.

Despite horrendous weather conditions we’ve all been suffering through this year, keep in mind that the major league baseball season is just a few short weeks (is this really different from “long weeks”?) away.

The campaign will start in Australia (honest) in about 51 days.  But, the main group will begin in about 63 days.

Which means that baseball talk will start seeping through other things (like the Super Bowl, March Madness and the Winter Olympics).  The big question locally is this — now that the Cleveland Indians finally made it back to the post-season playoffs, will the fans make it back to Progressive Field???

Last season the Tribe drew something like 1.57 million paying customers.  That’s a far cry from the days of the 1990’s… when the Indians registered 445 consecutive sellouts — this because they won six division titles in seven years.

Well, Cleveland is not yet considered as a legitimate title threat, but the Tribe is expected to compete.

And, competetive teams usually are rewarded wit good-sized home crowds.

Let’s hope so… on both fronts.

 

In looking at the Cleveland lineup (yes, even though it is early February, the Indians already have a projected lineup) the weakest spot seems to be third base.

Lonnie Chisenhall, a 25-year-old from North Carolina, was expected to step in last year and do wonders.

The swinger stepped in and fell on his face… hitting a woeful .225 with 11 home runs and only 36 RBI.

So bad is the situation that the Tribe brass is attempting to switch catcher/first baseman (also decent hitter) Carlos Santana to third.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens.

 

Erie’s “OTHER TEAM,” the Pittsburgh Pirates are another kind of animal.

Because of some outstanding pitching and timely hitting the Bucs got rid of that lengthy losing streak as they made the playoffs last year.  However, the Pirates were no better than ninth in producing runs in the National League.

So, to repeat (which not many expect them to do) the Bucs will need that same strong pitching (and that is quite iffy) as well as better hitting.

I really don’t think it will happen again this year.

-Jack Polancy

 

And a final note… just in case you’re interested (and in Erie we all should be) Spring is only a little over six weeks away.  Can you last until then????

 

“Big Dates”

    Okay, okay.. we all know that the next big date is less than three weeks away. What date is that you ask? Why, it’s easy enough to check out on your calendar. The next “big date” is Christmas (of course). Oh, you already know that did you? Oh, what you really want to know is the next  “big date” in the wonderful world of sports. Well, that all depends on what you’re looking at. If you’re talking about the NFL why, there is no immediate “big date”. What about the Pittsburgh Steelers, you ask? Ha, you’re looking at a 5-7 team, you do understand that, don’t you? You looking at a team whose head coach owes the league a cool $100,000 for a stupid foot move he made in a losing cause a week ago. You’re also looking at a team that has had  ample opportunities to get itself back in the division race, only to blow chance after chance. That said, you’re also looking at a team that is a three point pick over Miami Dolphins this Sunday, and with the contest slated for Heinz Field this season ( a lack luster 3-2 record), i wouldn’t exactly say that this will be a win for the  Steelers. Understand me, it SHOULD be. But, will it happen? Who knows? As for the other two “local” squads, Buffalo should score a win at Tampa (3-9) thus making the Bills a 5-8 squad. While Cleveland (using yet another quarterback) will get its collective heads ripped off at new England, the Browns the becoming 4-9 team. But then, neither of the two above games are to be included among the words “Big Date”. Sorry, all you NFL rooters, the concept of ‘Big Date” this weekend goes to the college football ranks.
There are a minimum of two, with the possibility of this growing to six, wit ha couple of independent affairs thrown in. The top two (of course) feature the major undefeated No.1 ranked Florida State puts its perfect 12-0 figure on the line against 20th ranked Duke (10-2) in an 8pm meeting at Charlotte, NC. The Seminoles are given a fat 29 1/2 point nod over the hard trying Blue Devils. In other words Duke does not have a chance, but then, neither did Penn State last weekend at Wisconsin. I’m sure you remember what happened in that one. The game most people will be watching will be the one other undefeated Ohio State, also 12-0, traveling to Indianapolis to take on Michigan Stat (11-1), this one also slated to begin at 8pm. The Buckeyes are rated 5 1/2  points better than the Spartans. Some of the so called “experts” do not agree with this assumption, this mainly because Ohio State barley won its last game, a 42-41 decision over Michigan. However, what some of those “experts” fail to recognize is that the game with Michigan is ALWAYS an unknown , a rivalry that is  among the sharpest in the nation, one that can go either way regardless of records. That is what happened last weekend and, Ohio State was lucky to win it, but the DID WIN IT, thus making them 12-0 and 24-0 over the past two years.
Meanwhile, Michigan State is no patsy. The Spartans are ranked No 10. among the top 25 teams in the country. Ohio State is rated No. 2 in that same poll, but no better than NO.7 on the Saragin College Football Ratings. Michigan State is listed as No13. on that same poll. I must admit, I am pulling for the Buckeyes. One reason for that is I spent many an outstanding  afternoon in Columbus covering the Bucks when they had a number of Erie players on the team, this during my almost 44 years at the Times News. Now, I do think Ohio State will win, mainly because of its junior quarterback Braxton Miller. This kid can do it all, including running as well as passing. I think he”ll be the difference this Saturday. NOW, A QUICK LOOK at the other “Big” ones this weekend. Northern Illinois (No. 16 on the poll) is a three point choice over Bowling Green (9-3) for the MAC championship at Detriot on Friday. The team of destiny (Aubrun) will put its third ranked 11-1 mark up against  No.5 Missouri (also 11-1) for the SEC crown at Atlanta on Saturday kickoff at 4pm. Auburn is a slim 2 point pick. In the PAC 12 title game at 7:45 pm No.7 Stanford (10-2) will travel to No.11 Arizona State the Sun devils a tight three point choice. The other title game will find Fresno State (10-1) a 3 1/2 point selection over Utah State (8-4) for the MWC title. Good independent games will have Oklahoma State (10-1) meeting Oklahoma (9-2) and No.9 Baylor  (10-1) at No.23 Texas (8-2).
OKAY ENOUGH FOOTBALL right now, instead, how about a bit of major league baseball??? As I’ve already admitted, I have always been a closet New York Yankee fan. And, I now think the Yankee brass has gone ga,ga. Back in early September when the Yankees knew they weren’t going to make the post season  playoffs, they stated publicly that they were going to reduce their over all payroll to under $178 million in order to get out of paying that so called Luxury tax to the rest of baseball. A tax that cost them $29.1 million last year. So, what did the Yankees do this week??? Sign free agent Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven year $153 million contract (depending on a physical). Earlier the Yankees had signed catcher Brian McCann for five years and $85 million. Now, Ellsbury is 30 years old. By the time he is 33 or 34 he’ll be an over the hill performer (didn’t they learn anything from what A Rod has done lately??). Sure Ellsbury hit .298 for the Red Sox last year , but he only drove in 53 runs. Yes, he stole 52 bases but watch that speed diminish as time goes by. Plus, Ellsbury has a penchant for the disable list, spending much of the 2012 season there. As for McCann, he will be 30 in February, and he is already a tired somewhat worn out, performer who hit .256 last year with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs. I don’t believe the  Yankees have solved much of their problems with the addition of these two “old timers” and the cost is actually prohibitive.
Oh well….

-Jack Polancy