Month: November 2018

NFL flexes its content muscle

The NFL cleverly makes audibles on which games it will slot into prime time, recently moving the Bears – Rams game into a headline spot.

It’s easy to see what goes into a decision like this when the two ‘replacement’ teams are from major cities.

But while Chicago versus Los Angeles sounds good on paper, the reality is that one team in this match-up is a heavyweight (the Rams), while the other is finding its feet as a contender. Top of the division, yes, but not top of the conference. That’s just the facts.

This could be problematic for NBC, the TV station airing the contest, given that the Rams have the potential to post a high tally, while the Bears’ Mitch Trubisky-led attack will try to keep pace.

Chances are the first quarter will be full of storylines, particularly with the focus on two young quarterbacks. However, the remaining three quarters might lose some of that early narrative flow and, as such, see this particular ‘flex’ flop.

It begs the question, what’s the science behind a flex pick like this anyway? Is there any science?

Rivalries surely must take precedence. Maybe stadiums, too. Then there’s the historical context. But then again, the below options seemingly have more bite.

Consider …

Bucs – Saints: Scrappy pirates battle slick Super Bowl contenders.

Fins – Pats: Fighting fish against the perennial pro football standard.

Texans – Colts: Upwardly trending Texans buck against cup worthy Colts.

Not that these teams are better than the Bears, per se, but these respective contests just might be worthier than a red hot LA against these particular Bears.

It’s hard to say, so you have to feel for schedulers who can never know if they’re getting Jim McMahon or Vince McMahon.

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Hawks, Bruins go classical

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There are few things that stir our drink like a throwback jersey. And let’s face it, throwbacks typically don’t come any smoother than those produced by the NHL.

The Winter Classic games in particular, help bring some pop to their designs, mostly because the jersey makers are working with yesteryear’s template: simple colours, uncluttered logos and quite often forgotten fabrics.

The latest iteration of the Bruins and Blackhawks jerseys for the Classic even boast felt for the numbers and logos, a neat touch but also a clever way to entice merchandise fanatics.

All that’s left for these items, perhaps, is an old timey smell. How about a combination of Lentheric aftershave, Brylcreem and sweat?

Now that’d be truly vintage.

Melbourne Cup’s global appeal

The race that stops Australia continues to give pause to many around the world, at least anecdotally.

For example, the media has typically tapped into the race and whipped into shape a few well-run story lines, including the threat of the foreign raiders, as per USA Today; the cursed British gallopers, revisited by CNN; historical reflection in The Wellington Times, pricey plane tickets for four-legged travellers in The Times; and The New York Times (via Reuters) discusses the chances of master trainer Aiden O’Brien of Ireland.

Of course where would the whole thing be without the thumping fanfare, dark sunglasses, excessively large hats, bottomless champagne glasses, instant experts, vanishing dresses, raucous crowds and the inevitable sensation that none of your punts came off … yet again.

Raiders v Niners: Battle of the Bay

It’s been a while since the Battle of the Bay meant something and it’d be a long bow to draw to say it means something now.

This is the type of contest that drawn up late at night in NFL HQ, must have seemed more appetising than a giant bowl of garlic fries with an icy cold Bud. Now it seems more like sitting in someone’s soggy potato mash.

Still, there’s the fact that these fan bases don’t really like each other and that one of them in particular, Raider Nation, does a Halloween contest better than any other.

Mostly because every contest is a Halloween one.

Whether it’s Darth Vader, a crazed Thunderdome type or a teenage werewolf, Raider fans know Fright Night, no matter the frightfulness that might be unfolding on the field.