"Who Dey"

The Cincinnati Bengals are going to Super Bowl LVI. They got there by going through the defending champions in Kansas City. Yes, football fans, the Bengals, led by second year quarterback Joe Burrow (2019 NCAA Heisman Trophy winner and National Championship MVP) went into Arrowhead Stadium and pulled off the upset of the playoffs by beating the KC Chiefs. QB Patrick Mahomes will not be participating in a third straight Super Bowl game.

Who Dey? Well, the Bengals are a team who believed all season they could compete with the best. And after this weekend's 27-24 overtime victory over the highly favored Chefs, the rest of the football world have become believers. 

"Who Dey?" "Dey Who" say dey' gone beat dem' Chiefs.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers blew a 17-7 lead and the game against the Los Angeles Rams. Today's niners blame talk fell into two camps; those fans who felt the dropped interception by safety Jaquiski Tarrt in the 4th quarter could have assured them a victory, and those who thought the all-too-familiar faults of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo were yet again too self-inflicting to overcome. 

Not sure if it was the 49ers faulty offense or Rams dominating defense causing the Niners to go cold in the 4th quarter, but cold they went, along with their chances of securing a Super Bowl berth.

I agree with one radio host I heard today say the 49ers inability to run the ball effectively against a resurgent Rams defensive line meant Jimmy had to beat them with his arm. Sporting a 10-point lead heading into the 4th quarter, Jimmy simply couldn't stop being Jimmy, and the rams were given a chance to be the Rams.

Final Score

49ers 17

Rams 20

Warriors Win on my visit to Chase Center

Just wanna jot down some notes after my first Warriors game at Chase Center. 

I suppose Chase Arena is nice, with all the amenities and sights a fan with excess dollars would enjoy. Unfortunately, I’m not all that impressed with sports venues and game entertainment, especially the loud, timeout/halftime entertainment that mostly seems over the top. 

No, it's the game and/or fan reaction to plays that hypes me up or chaps my hyde. That being said, Warriors fans last night seemed average for Warriors fans. On television it appears the arena is buzzing nonstop with yelling and cheering fans, then the team usually responds. Not so much so on this Thursday night against the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. There were moments of uproar accompanying Warriors runs, but nothing like what I expected.

As a Raiders fan who had season tickets for a number of years at Oakland Coliseum, maybe it isn’t fair to criticize fans for their lack of passion and enthusiam. After all, when you go to a Raiders game, the experience can be life changing, spiritually, socially and many other ways. But I digress. Chase Center felt like a nice, clean family outing with the wife and kids leading the way. It was . . . . nice.

As for the game, the Timberwolves, who beat the Warriors once this season, were competitive and put up a good fight. They led at halftime 61-57. Then came the second half, third quarter, where the Warriors came out and went on a 16-4 run. The Wolves, especially Karl Anthony Towns, wouldn’t lay down, but in the end succumbed to the many weapons in the Warriors arsenal, minus Draymond.

One highlight of the night was getting to the floor postgame to watch the shoot around. Got to see Andrew Wiggins, Nemanja Bjelica and Steph Curry each warm-up individually. Steph’s warmup routine is so loose and flexible, yet accurate and consistent. Wiggins and Bjelica were knocking down long range shots like it was nothing, nothing but net. 

Then across the court strolls a brotha in an expensive suit heading for a courtside seat near the scorer’s table, where a TNT camera will broadcast his postgame comments.  Its hall of famer Reggie Miller, not twenty paces away from where I am sitting. Reggie, straight faced and all business, takes his seat facing us fans, puts on a headset, checks a digital device and straightens up his attire, all without raising an eye to us fans watching his pregame, sportcaster’s ritual. I almost wanted to heckle Reggie just to get a response out of him, but I’m no Spike Lee and the environment was family friendly, so I took a few pics and kept my Raiders Trap shut. Did I mention I wore my Raiders cap to the game? 

Final Score

Timberwolves 115

Warriors 124

Can NFL Conference Champ. Games Top Divisional Round Classics? I Think Not!

 

It's Tuesday and I'm finally catching my breath from watching what is being considered the best weekend of NFL Playoff games ever broadcast. 

I mean, come'on man, how do you follow-up a playoff weekend where: 

1) both conference #1 seeds were eliminated at home after a bye wk

2) a Tom Brady led, defending SB team, comeback fell short at home

3) a classic offensive game thriller you have to see to believe

4) three games decided with under a minute left, other in overtime

5) a collage of enough memorable moments to make a feature length football movie 

The weekend that was the 2021-22 NFL Divisional Playoff round was simply phenomenal. And "I pity the fool" who chose not to tune in for all four games.

This coming weekend features four teams playing in two Conference Championship games. I expect a bit of a letdown after such a high football climax this past weekend. The 49ers and Rams should be interesting. This NFC championship game is like "civil war," between California's North and South, San Francisco vs Los Angelews. Two division rival teams battling to represent California in the Big Show! 

On paper, the Rams should mop up the floor with their northern cousin 49ers. However, the Niners have had their southern cousin Rams number in the last six meetings between the two. Mind you, none of those previous meetings were in the Playoffs.  

Just a reminder, the Dodgers took the MLB NL divisional round series 3-2 over the Giants in a baseball thriller.

As for the AFC matchup between the Bengals and Chiefs, let's just say one is just happy as pie to be there, God bless their Ohio hearts, while the other has been on a mission to return to their third consecutive Super Bowl, to make up for the one they lost last season. Can Cincy pull off a miracle on the road at Arrowhead Stadium? Judging by this past weekend's unbelievable games, I'd say it's the Kansas City Chiefs who need to be concerned.

As Chris Berman of ESPN always says, "And that's why they play the games."

Raiders season Ends!

But at least it didn't end like the Cowboys season. With fourteen seconds left and zero time outs, the Dallas Cowboys ran a quarterback draw up the middle. The game clock expired before they could get off another play, and today the entire sports world is targeting the team's ineptitude, looking for a scapegoat to pin the loss on. In Dallas today, its the umpire/referees leading the pack for blame so far.

Wildcard Weekend was unkind to the Raiders as well. In their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, an unintentional official's whistle on a play resulting in a Bengals touchdown was allowed to stand. By NFL rules the touchdown should have been wiped out and the down replayed. 

As Raiders fans, we expect these unfair slights from NFL officials and league front office decision makers. Bottom line, the Raiders didn't do enough to flat out win the game. But the Dallas Cowboys, so-called America's Team, favored and at home, will continue to look for any and every excuse on why they didn't win. And that's why, win, lose or tie, I'm a Raiders fan til I die!

Game Day

 

2022 NFL Playoff Bracket

 

Klay Returns, Ja Morant Jaw-Drops, Raiders Playoff Bound

On a night the Raiders clinched an NFL playoff birth, Golden State Warriors all-star Klay Thompson returned after a two year NBA absence due to injuries. 

Game night at Chase Center was dubbed “Klay Area,” a nod to San Franciso Bay Area’s love and respect for Klay. Number 11 came out and played better than most expected, putting up 17pts. with a nasty slam dunk to show the NBA there’s no rust in his game. Welcome Back Klay!

Meanwhile, captain of the sky last night was Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant, who captured the imaginations of cape-wearing kids worldwide with his amazing, high-flying block of a Lakers lay-up attempt. 

It was like no other block I’ve ever seen, in NBA or elsewhere. It seemed as if his intention all along wasn’t to swat the shot away, but to snag it out of the atmosphere, come down in possession and control of ball and push it back down the court toward his basket. For the most part, his mission was accomplished.

The coordination, athleticism and and grace of Morant’s actions, not to mention the height of his gravity-defying feat, resembled a circus act practiced and performed hundreds of times. Descriptions of the block just don’t do it justice, so here you have it. “Superfly”

Ja Morant Goes Airborne

Raiders Answer The Bell

 

Its Not, Just Tie Baby!

Raiders top Chargers and punch their ticket to the Postseason

The Longest Yard

 

Finally, after a week full of NFL Playoff picture picks and possibilities, football Sunday has arrived. The final week of the season is upon us, and the Raiders are in the playoff conversation. In a game rescheduled (flexed) to Sunday Night national broadcasting, the Raiders will host the Chargers to likely determine which team will grab the final AFC wildcard seed (7th). 

In week 4 the Chargers won 28-14 in Los Angeles. If ever there was a revenge game the Raiders looked forward to, this game is it. With a trip to the playoffs on the line, this AFC West division rival matchup becomes more than just another game and much more than a payback game. It is Thee game to watch this Sunday and Thee game for the Raiders to win. 

The wait is over, the bets and predictions are in. Football Sunday is upon us. Let the game begin!

BREAKING NEWS:

Unbelievable game......Kicker Daniel Carlson does it again, kicking Raiders into an overtime win and the PLAYOFFS! 

Final Score

Chargers 32

Raiders 35

Raiders Stayin' Alive for Playoffs

 

Just One More Baby, and We're In!