CNOTES 2025-2026 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE + NEWS, NOTES BEST BETS !

[CNOTES]

Friday’s 6-pack:
Career earnings, for NFL punters…….
$40M— Thomas Morstead
$31.1M— Johnny Hekker
$22.5M— Sam Martin
$17.2M— Michael Dickson
$15.8M— Rigoberto Sanchez
$13.7M— Cameron Johnston

Quote of the Day
“Now no one wants to stay if they are selling like this.”
Unnamed Minnesota Twins player, during the day Thursday, while the Twins were trading a lot of their players

Friday’s quiz
Chicago Bears have never had a QB throw for 4,000+ yards in a season; who holds the Bears’ single season record for passing yardage?

Thursday’s quiz
In history of the New York Mets, Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter, in 2012.

Wednesday’s quiz
When Michael Jordan played minor league baseball for the AA Birmingham Barons, Terry Francona was the Barons’ manager that year.

*********************************************************

Friday’s Den: Trends for every MLB team…….​

Trends for major league teams
(thru Thursday’s games)

— Arizona (51-58)
Arizona lost five in row, eight of last nine games.
Diamondbacks traded several key players this week.
Under is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.
Arizona is 9-21 in last 30 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Braves (46-62)
Braves are 4-11 in their last 14 games.
Atlanta is 26-26 at home, 20-36 on the road.
Over is 14-3-2 in their last 19 games.

— Reds (57-53)
Cincinnati is 5-3 in its last eight games.
Reds are 43-35 vs righty starters, 14-18 vs lefties.
Under is 13-3-1 in their last 17 games.
Reds scored in first inning in 8 of last 13 home games.

— Cubs (63-45)
Chicago is 4-7 in its last 11 games- they lead the NL Wild Card race.
Cubs are game behind Milwaukee for NL Central lead.
Over is 8-2 in their last ten games.
Cubs are 49-28 vs righty starters, 14-17 vs lefties.

— Rockies (28-80)
Colorado is 6-6 since the All-Star break.
Under is 12-4-1 in Rockies’ last 17 home games.
Rockies are 3-26 vs lefty starters, 25-54 vs righties.
Colorado is 5-1 in last six games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Dodgers (63-46)
Dodgers are 7-14 in their last 21 games.
LA leads San Diego by 3 games in NL West.
Dodgers are 46-31 vs righty starters, 17-15 vs lefties.
Under is 6-0-1 in their last seven games.

— Marlins (52-55) )
Marlins are 29-17 in their last 46 games.
Miami is 24-29 at home, 28-26 on the road.
Under is 21-5 in Marlins’ last 26 home games.
Marlins are 8-2 in last 10 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Brewers (64-44)
Brewers are 15-4 in their last 19 games.
Milwaukee is 36-20 at home, 28-24 on the road.
Over is 7-2 in their last nine home games.
Milwaukee lead the Cubs by a game in the NL Central.

— Mets (62-47)
Mets are 17-23 in their last 40 games.
Mets are 37-16 at home, 25-31 on the road.
Under is 6-3-2 in their last eleven games.
Mets lead Philly by half-game in NL East.

— Phillies (61-47)
Phillies are 7-11 in their last 18 road games.
Phillies are 49-29 vs righty starters, 12-18 vs lefties.
Over is 7-4-1 in their last 12 games.
Phillies trail Mets by half-game in NL East; they’re #2 Wild Card team.

— Pirates (47-62)
Pirates won eight of their last nine games.
Pittsburgh is 31-25 at home, 16-37 on the road.
Under is 8-2 in their last 10 games.
Pirates are 13-6 in last 19 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— St Louis (55-55)
St Louis is 9-17 in its last 26 games.
Cardinals are 13-5 in home series openers.
St Louis is 32-24 at home, 23-31 on the road.
Under is 8-2-1 in their last eleven games.

— Padres (60-49)
Padres won their last five games, scoring 31 runs.
San Diego made lot of moves before the trade deadline.
Under is 7-3 in their last 10 games.
San Diego leads Cincinnati by 3 games for the last NL Wild Card slot.

— Giants (54-55)
Giants are 2-12 in their last 14 games, 12-23 since acquiring Devers.
Giants are 44-36 vs righty pitchers, 10-19 vs lefties.
Over is 8-3-1 in their last dozen road games.
SF lost last five games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Washington (44-64)
Nationals are 6-6 since the All-Star break.
Washington is 6-16 in its last 22 home games.
Over is 20-7 in their last 27 games.
Washington is 18-8 last 26 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Notes for the Indianapolis Colts:
Colts went 9-8/8-9 in two seasons under Shane Steichen.
Lou Anumumo is the new defensive coordinator.
OC Jim Bob Cooter was Peyton Manning’s backup QB at Tennessee.
This year, Colts are #14 in $$$ spent on offense (last year, #3)
This year, Colts are #5 in $$$ spent on defense (last year, #17)
Indy was minus-4 in turnovers last year (25-29)
Colts were 8-5 LY in games decided by 8 or fewer points.
Colts were 5-3 LY in games decided by 3 or fewer points.
Over is 12-5 in their last 17 home games.
Colts are 5-2 ATS in last seven games as a home favorite.
Colts are 2-5 ATS in last seven games as a road favorite.

— Famous birthdays, August 1st:
Terry Kiser, 86
Greg Gross, 73
John Spagnola, 68
Kiki Vandeweghe, 67
Greg Bell, 63
Gaston Green, 59
Gregg Jefferies, 58
Stacey Augmon, 57
Edgerrin James, 47
Austin Rivers, 33
Madison Bumgarner, 36
Ezequiel Tovar, 24

— Orioles (50-59)
Baltimore won five of its last six games.
Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.
Orioles are 17-16 vs AL East foes, 33-43 vs everyone else.
Orioles dealt some guys at the trade deadline.

— Red Sox (59-51)
Red Sox won five of their last seven games.
Boston is 14-21 in one-run games.
Under is 6-1 in their last seven home games.
Red Sox are 22-15 in 37 games since trading Devers.

— White Sox (40-69)
Chicago is 8-4 since the All-Star break.
White Sox are 24-32 at home, 16-37 on the road.
Over is 8-4-1 in their last thirteen games.
Chicago is 28-53 vs righty starters, 12-16 vs lefties.

— Cleveland (54-54)
Cleveland is 14-6 in its last 20 games.
Guardians are 2.5 games out of the last Wild Card slot.
Guardians are 41-34 vs righty starters, 13-20 vs lefties.
Over is 8-3 in their last 11 home games.

— Detroit (64-46)
Detroit won its last four games, scoring 34 runs.
Tigers are 18-9 vs its AL Central rivals, lead division by 9 games.
Detroit is 14-4 in home series openers.
Under is 7-2 in their last nine road games.

— Houston (62-47)
Astros are 3-10 in their last 13 home games.
Astros lead Seattle/Texas by 5 games in AL West.
Over is 11-7 in their last 18 road games.
Houston added a new LF-SS-3B at trade deadline.

— Royals (54-55)
Royals are 14-8 in their last 22 games.
Kansas City is 41-47 vs righty starters, 13-8 vs lefties.
Under is 14-6 in Royals’ last 20 home games.
Royals are 2-9 in last eleven home series openers.

— Angels (53-56)
Angels are 8-6 in their last 14 home games.
Halos are four games out of last Wild Card slot.
Angels are 43-45 vs righty starters, 10-11 vs lefties.
Angels are 25-13 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Twins (51-57)
Twins traded 10 players off their roster, just this week.
Twins lost five of their last seven games.
Minnesota is 30-24 at home, 21-33 on the road.
Under is 12-6 in their last eighteen games.

— New York (60-49)
New York is 12-8 in its last 20 games.
Over is 5-2-1 in their last eight games.
Right now, New York is the #1 Wild Card in the AL.
New York is 48-37 vs righty starters, 12-12 vs lefties.

— A’s (48-63)
A’s are 15-12 in their last 27 games.
Under is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.
A’s are 12-15 in one-run games, 6-3 in extra innings.
Last 13 series, A’s are 6-1 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on..

— Seattle (58-52)
Mariners are 5-7 in their last 12 games overall.
Seattle is 13-7 in its last 20 home games.
Under is 8-2 in their last ten games.
Mariners added 3B Suarez to improve their offense.

— Texas (57-53)
Rangers are 9-4 since the All-Star break.
Texas is 11-21 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.
Rangers are 34-20 at home, 23-33 on road.
Over is 7-3 in their last nine games.

— Tampa Bay (54-56)
Tampa Bay lost 20 of its last 27 games.
Rays are 31-28 at home, 23-28 on the road.
Tampa Bay is 3.5 games out of the last Wild Card slot.
Rays are 2-8 in last ten games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Toronto (64-46)
Blue Jays lost four of their last five games overall.
Blue Jays won 12 of their last 13 home games.
Over is 8-3-2 in their last thirteen games.
Toronto is 15-7 in last 22 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

 

[CNOTES]

— Notes for the Jacksonville Jaguars:
Liam Coen is the new coach; he was OC for the Buccaneers last year.
Jaguars went 4-13 last year, after a couple of 9-8 seasons.

Last year, Jaguars were 3-10 in games decided by 8 or fewer points.

This year, Jaguars are #30 in $$$ spent on offense (last year, #15)
This year, Jaguars are #23 in $$$ spent on defense (last year, #15)

Jacksonville had only nine takeaways LY; they were minus-15 in turnovers; the new DC is Anthony Campanile, who comes to the Jaguars from Green Bay.

Last four years, Jaguars were 18-13 ATS as an underdog.
Jaguars are 3-7 ATS in last ten games as a home favorite.
Jaguars are 8-4 ATS in last 12 games as home underdogs.

 

[CNOTES]

— Notes for the Kansas City Chiefs:
Last three years, Chiefs were 40-11 SU; they lost Super Bowl LY.
Last year, Chiefs were 15-2, 11-0 in games decided by 8 or fewer points.

Kansas City was +6 in turnovers (20-14) last year.

This year, Chiefs are #2 in NFL in $$$ spent on offense
This year, Chiefs are #20 in NFL in $$$ spent on defense (#30 LY)

Under is 17-9 in Kansas City’s last 26 home games.
Last four years, Chiefs are 10-13 ATS as a home favorite.

 

[CNOTES]

Monday’s 6-pack:
Colleges with the most Pro Football Hall of Famers:
14— USC
11— Miami
11— Notre Dame
10— Pittsburgh
9— Michigan
9— Ohio State

Quote of the Day
“There’s times guys have left here that we really wanted. We just couldn’t make it work. But I can tell you, I’m hopeful when we’re sitting here at next year’s training camp that James Cook is out there practicing and still representing the red, white and blue.”
Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane

Monday’s quiz
In the movie Little Big League, when a 12-year old kid inherits the Minnesota Twins from his late grandfather, what well-known actor played the grandfather?

Sunday’s quiz
The first time the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl (2000 season), Trent Dilfer was their QB.

Saturday’s quiz
Brandon Marshall holds the Chicago Bears’ record for most receiving yards (1,508) in a season

*********************************************************

Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a summer weekend……..​

— Cubs 5, Orioles 3
Justin Turner hit his first-ever walk-off home run to end the game.
Three oldest major leaguers to hit their first-ever walk-off homer:
41 years, 278 days- Murray Dickinson, 1958
40 years, 253 days- Justin Turner, Sunday
40 years, 4 days- Rick Dempsey, 1989

— Pirates 9, Rockies 5
Leadoff hitter Spencer Horwitz homered twice, drove in six runs.
Saturday, leadoff hitter Liover Peguero hit three homers, drove in five runs for Pittsburgh, making the Pirates the first time in the last 100 years to get 5+ RBI from leadoff hitters in consecutive games.
Shohei Ohtani had 12 RBI in consecutive games while he was batting leadoff last year, but he had 10 RBI in one game, two in the other game.

— Giants 12, Mets 4
Rafael Devers homered, had four RBI.
In their last 44 games, Mets’ starting pitchers have thrown only 9.2 innings in the 6th inning; relievers have thrown 34.1 of the 44 innings in the 6th inning.

— Braves 4, Reds 2
They sold 91,032 tickets for the Braves-Reds ballgame at the Bristol Raceway in Tennessee; game was suspended by rain in the first inning Saturday night- they finished Sunday, with Eli White hitting two home runs for the Braves.
Hurston Waldrep pitched 5.2 innings in relief for Atlanta; he was with his AAA team Saturday night, but drove 250 miles, joined the Braves Sunday morning, was one of the game’s stars.

— In his Hall of Fame career, the late Ryne Sandberg played in 10 playoff games; he had a hit in all 10 games, making him the only player since 1903 to play in 10+ playoff games, and to get a hit in all of them.

— Saturday night in Anaheim, White Sox won 1-0, with C Kyle Teel driving in the game’s only run. Angels had only one hit against Aaron Civale and the Chicago bullpen.

Teel is the first catcher since Buster Posey in 2014 to catch a one-hitter (or no-hitter) and also drive in all the runs in that game.
— Players who have a home run in every inning (and in extra innings) this season:
Riley Greene, Tigers
Nick Kurtz, A’s
James Wood, Nationals

— Famous birthdays, August 4th:
Billy Bob Thornton, 70
Michael Holton, 64
Roger Clemens, 63
John Farrell, 63
BJ Surhoff, 61
Meghan Markle, 44
Jason Adam, 34
Kevin Newman, 32
Brady Singer, 29

— Ben Cherington is in his sixth year as GM of the Pittsburgh Pirates; he previously worked for Blue Jays, Red Sox. He is really book-smart; his grandfather won a Pulitzer Prize.
In Cherington’s tenure in Pittsburgh, he’s acquired a top 30 prospect from the Bronx baseball team via trade ten times. Here’s a list of the names; how is he doing?

Roansy Contreras
Rafael Flores (just got called up to AAA)
Miguel Yajure
Canaan Smith-Njigba
Edgleen Perez
Keiner Delgado
Brian Sanchez
Hoy Park
Maikol Escotto
Diego Castillo

So far, not so good.

— Earlier this year, Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in the first inning of a game, but also gave up a home run in the first inning, as a pitcher; he is the first pitcher to do that since the Phillies’ Randy Lerch in 1979.

— How times have changed; from April-July 1977, Angels’ P Frank Tanana threw 14 consecutive complete games, and two of those games went to extra innings. Angels were 9-5 in those games.
Last season, the entire season, there were a total of 28 complete games in the major leagues.

— Red Sox 7, Astros 3
Red Sox have won 20 of their last 24 home games.
First loss since May 2nd for Framber Valdez, a span of 14 starts.

— Dodgers 3, Rays 0
Game was scoreless after five innings.
Dodgers scored in 6th inning, ending an 18-inning scoreless streak.
Yamamoto got 17 outs on 88 pitches- he is 10-7, 2.51 this year.

— Brewers 14, Nationals 3
Brice Turang hit two home runs, drove in four runs.
Brewers were 6-0 vs Washington this season, scoring 60 runs.
Milwaukee leads the NL Central by two games.

— Phillies 2, Tigers 0
Cristopher Sanchez threw 7 shutout IP, on only 84 pitches.
Kyle Schwarber hit his 38th homer of the season.

If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
AL: Blue Jays, Tigers, Astros. Wild Cards: Red Sox, New York, Mariners
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Mets, Padres

 

[CNOTES]

— Information on the Las Vegas Raiders:
Pete Carroll is the Raiders’ new coach; he is 181-131-1 as an NFL coach, 11-11 in playoff games, with a Super Bowl win 12 years ago. Carroll is the Raiders’ 4th head coach in five years.

Geno Smith is the Raiders’ new QB; he is 40-44 as an NFL starter, 0-1 in playoff games.

The new offensive coordinator is former Eagles/Oregon/UCLA coach Chip Kelly.

Last three years, went Raiders 6-11/8-9/4-13; they haven’t won a playoff game since 2002, making playoffs only twice since then, 2016/2021.

This year, Raiders are #31 in $$$ spent on offense (#7 at QB), #13 on defense. Raiders are #32 in $$$ spent at CB, #311 at linebacker.

Last year, Raiders were minus-16 in turnovers (13-29); they were 3-4 in games decided by 8 or fewer points.

Last two years, Raiders were 7-3 ATS as a favorite, 11-12 as an underdog.

 

[CNOTES]

Eight NFL teams that need preseason the most: Bears, Browns, Steelers among clubs with key questions to answer​

The 2025 NFL preseason kicked off with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. It was a mostly one-sided affair between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions, with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance among the most notable players to headline the contest. Now comes the fun part: the first full slate of exhibition action, which begins Thursday.

Plenty of contenders, like the reigning Super Bowl foes in the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, are expected to rest most, if not all, of their best talent in advance of the regular season. Still plenty of others are set to intensify summer roster battles, and/or try to foster team chemistry in the lead-up to September.

So which NFL teams need this preseason the most? Which clubs could especially stand to get key players and position competitions into live game settings? Here are eight teams that fit the bill, including at least one Super Bowl hopeful, as well as key questions that each team hopes to have answered in the coming weeks of play:

Atlanta Falcons​

Key questions:

• Will Michael Penix Jr. build enough momentum to gain legitimate internal and external trust as the Falcons' new full-time starting quarterback?
• How will Kirk Cousins' ongoing presence as Penix's backup play out in preseason action, and how might his performance change what's left of his trade market?
• Does Raheem Morris' defense, which now features a pair of rookie edge rushers in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., have enough talent to make a sizable leap?

Chicago Bears​

Key questions:

• Can quarterback Caleb Williams, who is perhaps best known for his backyard-like freestyling, settle into Ben Johnson's offense before the real games begin?
• Will Johnson get the discipline and attention to detail he's looking for from Williams' top weapons, including Rome Odunze and rookie Luther Burden III?
• Can returning veterans like Montez Sweat and Tremaine Edmunds show game-day comfort inside new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's system?

Cleveland Browns​

Key questions:

• Can anyone separate themselves from the ultra-crowded quarterback room featuring Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders?
• On a similar note, is it possible coach Kevin Stefanski could even be convinced to start anyone other than Flacco to open the 2025 regular season?
• Which young skill player might emerge to give Stefanski's offense a true building block: Jerry Jeudy, Quinshon Judkins, Cedric Tillman?

Indianapolis Colts​

Key questions:

• Can Anthony Richardson stay upright and showcase improved accuracy as a passer for coach Shane Steichen, reclaiming his job as the top quarterback?
• Alternatively, can Daniel Jones earn a new lease on a first-team gig by outdoing Richardson as a more efficient operator of the preseason offense?
• How will new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo sort out a secondary currently battling injuries to Charvarius Ward, Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents?

Jacksonville Jaguars​

Key questions:

• Can Trevor Lawrence, who's out to rebound from a turnover-marred start to his career, steady himself in his first live action under new coach Liam Coen?
• How much chemistry, if any, can Lawrence build with new wide receiver Travis Hunter during exhibition action and/or carry into the real schedule?
• Will Tank Bigsby continue to push Travis Etienne Jr., who's entering a contract year, for the right to serve as Coen's top multipurpose ball carrier?

Minnesota Vikings​

Key questions:

• Is J.J. McCarthy, the new starting quarterback, capable of moving the chains against a live pass rush after an offseason program dominated by the Vikings defense?
• Can coach Kevin O'Connell find reason to trust his backup situation under center, with both Sam Howell and Brett Rypien producing mixed results this summer?
• Which of the club's new cornerbacks, including Jeff Okudah and Isaiah Rodgers, will emerge as a clear Day 1 starter for defensive coordinator Brian Flores?

New Orleans Saints​

Key questions:






The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard

• Which young quarterback will new coach Kellen Moore actually gravitate toward in the rotation: rookie Tyler Shough or holdovers Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener?
• How will new left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. hold up in all areas of protection, serving as the expected cornerstone of New Orleans' present and future front?
• Can new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley settle the back end of the Saints' secondary with new veteran safeties Justin Reid and Julian Blackmon?

Pittsburgh Steelers​

Key questions:

• Will Aaron Rodgers actually want, or be granted, legitimate preseason playing time? Because the clock is ticking on the 41-year-old adapting to another new program.
• Can a downfield threat emerge opposite DK Metcalf out wide, ensuring Rodgers has someone other than young Roman Wilson to target on deep shots?
• How will Mike Tomlin's new-look secondary shake out with Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay added to a defensive back group now missing safety Minkah Fitzpatrick?

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday’s 6-pack:
Passing yardage leaders for the Detroit Lions:
45,109— Matthew Stafford
16,887— Jared Goff
15,710— Bobby Layne
12,647— Scott Mitchell
12,451— Greg Landry
11,885— Gary Danielson

Quote of the Day
“ESPN and the NFL are redefining how fans engage with the game — anytime, anywhere. This deal helps fuel ESPN’s digital future, laying the foundation for an even more robust offering as we prepare to launch our new direct-to-consumer service.”
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro

Thursday’s quiz
Tennessee Titans lost their only Super Bowl appearance after the 1999 season; who was their quarterback in that game?

Wednesday’s quiz
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in 2002, they beat the Oakland Raiders; Bucs coach Jon Gruden was the Raiders’ coach the year before.

Tuesday’s quiz
Washington Nationals won the World Series in 2019; they beat the Astros, in seven games.

********************************************

Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud…….​

— NFL preseason games start in earnest tonight; interesting scheduling, with Pete Carroll’s first game with the Las Vegas Raiders back in Seattle, where he coached the Seahawks for 14 years (147-98-1 and a Super Bowl title).
QB Geno Smith is also a Raider now; he was 28-25 in five years with Seattle (0-1 in playoffs).

— ESPN has bought the NFL Network and other NFL media assets, including the linear rights to the RedZone channel, in a deal that will see the NFL get a 10% equity stake in ESPN.
ESPN will also buy the NFL’s fantasy product and merge it into its existing platform, making ESPN Fantasy Football the official game of the NFL.
Later this month, ESPN is starting its direct-to-consumer streaming product, which I think is going to be $22/month.

— There are only five NFL teams left who take their training camp on the road to a college campus; Buffalo Bills go to St John Fisher College in Rochester.
Bills are on Hard Knocks this summer; first episode ran this week, with decent amount of interesting stuff in there, including a look at their new stadium, scheduled to open in 2026.

— Los Angeles Rams signed RB Kyren Williams to a 3-year, $33M contract extension; last two years, Williams ran ball for 2,443 yards and 26 touchdowns.

— Washington Nationals P MacKenzie Gore is struggling; in his last four starts, Gore has given up 23 runs in 15.2 IP. Not good.

— This week, A’s catcher Shea Langeliers became the first player EVER to hit three home runs in his first game as the leadoff hitter.
Langeliers has 79 career home runs in 395 games; you don’t see a lot of catchers batting leadoff, but he made the most of his chance in this game.

— Seattle Mariners’ P Bryan Woo has started 22 games this season, and pitched 6+ innings in all 22 games, which is a huge plus for the Mariners, taking a lot of strain off their bullpen.

— Famous birthdays, August 7th:
David Rasche, 81
Alan Page, 80
Fred Brown, 77
Steve Kemp, 71
Wayne Knight, 70
Joe Cocozzo, 55
Danny Graves, 52
Charlize Theron, 50
Édgar Rentería, 49
Tommy Kahnle, 36
DeMar DeRozan, 36
Mike Trout, 34
Josh Smith, 28
Kyler Murray, 28
Jalen Hurts, 27

— Guardians 4, Mets 1
Gavin Williams threw 126 pitches, didn’t give up a hit until the 9th inning. Juan Soto’s home run broke up the no-hitter.
Angel Martinez hit a two-run homer.
Williams’ 126 pitches are by any pitcher in a game this year; Zack Littell threw 117 pitches in a game for Tampa Bay in a 16-3 win May 31st.

— Boston Red Sox signed rookie OF Roman Anthony to an 8-year, $130M extension; Anthony is hitting .276 this year, with an .809 OPS.

— Brewers 5, Braves 4
In his last 12 games, Andrew Vaughn is hitting .435 with 16 RBI.
Milwaukee has won six in a row overall, is 33-24 on the road.

— New York 3, Rangers 2
Paul Goldschmidt’s pinch-hit HR in 7th inning was a game-winner.
Mark Leiter Jr got the win in relief.
His cousin, Jack Leiter, started and threw 3.1 IP for Texas.
With the win, New York holds on to the AL’s last Wild Card slot.

— Orioles 5, Phillies 1
Coby Mayo hit a three-run homer.
Trevor Rogers improved 5-2, 1.44 in ten starts this season.
Phillies still lead NL East by 2.5 games.

— Rays 5, Angels 4
Junior Caminero hit two homers for Tampa Bay.
Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined to strike out 16 Angels.
Just the fourth win for the Rays in their last 14 games.

— Random football trivia; back in the 1960’s, the first-ever game between an NFL team and an AFL squad ended with the Denver Broncos upsetting the Detroit Lions 13-7 in an exhibition game at Mile High Stadium.

If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
AL: Blue Jays, Tigers, Astros. Wild Cards: Red Sox, Mariners, New York
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Mets, Padres

 

[CNOTES]

— More info on the Chargers:
This year, Chargers are #3 in NFL in $$$ spent on defense, #27 on offense.

Chargers made the playoffs two of the last three years.
QB Herbert is 41-40 as an NFL starter, 0-2 in playoff games.

Last year, Chargers were +12 in turnovers (21-9).
Bolts were 11-2 ATS as a favorite, 1-3 as an underdog.
11-6 Chargers were 4-4 in games decided by 8 or fewer points.

Chargers haven’t won a playoff game since 2018; they haven’t played a playoff game at home since 2009.

Last two years, Chargers are 2-9 ATS as an underdog.

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday’s 6-pack:
Week 1 NFL spreads:
— Cowboys @ Philadelphia (-7)
— Steelers (-3) @ Jets
— Dolphins @ Indianapolis (-1.5)
— Panthers @ Jacksonville (-2.5)
— Giants @ Washington (-6.5)
— Bengals (-5.5) @ Cleveland

Quote of the Day
“It’s about what I thought he would do. Efficient, effective, aggressive, confident in the pocket. Still stuff we can work on, but he’s doing good.”
Giants coach Brian Daboll, talking about rookie QB Jaxson Dart

Sunday’s quiz
Who is the only undrafted Canadian QB who has won a Super Bowl?

Saturday’s quiz
In the movie For Love of the Game, Kevin Costner is a great pitcher who throws a perfect game in his last career start; Costner’s character wore number 14 in the movie.

Friday’s quiz
Evan Longoria is the all-time leader in home runs for the Tampa Bay Rays.

*****************************************************

Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a summer Saturday…….​

First week of exhibition games aren’t that meaningful, at least the final scores aren’t. Guys are trying to earn jobs; that is significant.

— Steelers 31, Jaguars 25
Steelers’ backup QB Thompson was 20-28/233 passing, with three TD’s.
Jaguars’ kicker Cam Little made a 70-yard field goal; would’ve been a record, if this was a regular season games.
Rookie Travis Hunter plays 10 snaps on offense, 8 on defense.

— Giants 34, Bills 25
Rookie QB Jaxson Dart was 12-19/154 passing, in his NFL debut.
Giants were 9-19 on third down with four different QB’s playing.
Graham Gano kicked three FG’s, including two 50-yarders.

— Rams 31, Cowboys 21
#3 QB Stetson Bennett was 16-24/188 passing, with two TD’s.
Blake Corum ran for a TD on each of the Rams’ first two drives.
Former Patriot Joe Milton was 17-29/143 passing for Dallas.

— Vikings 20, Texans 10
QB McCarthy was 4-7/30 passing in his first action since LY’s knee injury.
Total yards in game: Minnesota 261, Houston 194
Vikings’ WR Rondale Moore hurt his knee; it looked like a serious injury.

— Buccaneers 29, Titans 7
Rookie QB Ward was 5-8/67 passing in his NFL debut.
Bucs dominated early; at one point, total yardage was 143-5, Tampa Bay.
Tampa RB Wright ran ball 18 times for 87 yards and a TD.

— Jets 30, Packers 10
Jets scored defensive TD early in 2nd quarter to grab 14-3 lead.
Packers later fumbled a punt, setting up a short Jets’ FG.
Impressive display by Jets; total yardage was 403-157.

— Cardinals 20, Chiefs 17
Jacoby Brissett threw two TD passes for Arizona.
Mahomes threw one pass; it was a one-yard touchdown.
Harrison Butker kicked a 58-yard FG for Kansas City.

— Broncos 30, 49ers 9
49ers led 9-0 early, getting a safety on an intentional grounding call.
Denver led 20-9 at halftime; Jarrett Stidham threw two TD passes.
Starting QB Brock Purdy didn’t play for the 49ers.

— Famous birthdays, August 10th:
Rosanna Arquette, 66
John Starks, 60
Gino Torretta, 55
Sal Fasano, 54
Angie Harmon, 53
Dan Johnson, 46
Dalvin Cook, 30
Ja Morant, 26

— Seattle Mariners retired Ichiro Suzuki’s #51 before their game Saturday night. Suzuki was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame couple weeks ago- he hit .311 in his MLB career, with an OPS of .757 and 1,420 runs scored.

— Reds 2, Pirates 1
Nick Martinez allowed only six baserunners in 7 IP.
Noelvi Marte went 3-4, with three doubles.
Reds have scored 2 or fewer runs in 40 games this year, including the last four.

— Braves 7-8, Marlins 1-6
Hurston Waldrep allowed one run in 6 IP in the opener.
Miami led 4-0 in the nightcap, but Marcell Ozuna hit two homers.
Marlins have lost five of their last seven games.

— New York 5, Houston 4
Trent Grisham hit the game-winning HR in the 8th inning.
Giancarlo Stanton played RF, his first game in the field in two years
Astros are 10-17 in their last 27 games.

— A’s 11, Orioles 3
Shea Langeliers went 3-4 with a homer and three RBI.
Brent Rooker went 2-5 with a homer and four RBI
A’s are 10-5 in their last fifteen games.

— Brewers 7, Mets 4
Milwaukee scored four runs in the bottom of the 7th.
Brewers have now won eight games in a row.
Mets have lost 10 of their last 11 games.

— Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 5
Lourdes Gurriel hit a walk-off double in ninth inning.
Corbin Carroll homered for the third game in a row.
Colorado has now lost six games in a row.

 

[CNOTES]

Friday’s 6-pack:
CFL standings:
East
6-3- Hamilton
5-4- Montreal
3-7- Ottawa
2-7- Toronto
West
7-1- Saskatchewan
6-3- Calgary
5-4- Winnipeg
4-5- BC Lions
2-6- Edmonton

Quote of the Day
“You look at our head coach. Amazing guy, amazing coach. I think you have to be more player-led. By coming here, and watching how these players lead, I think we definitely got it.”
Minnesota Vikings’ CB Isaiah Rodgers, who played for the Eagles last year

Friday’s quiz
What former NFL QB is the all-time leader in passing yards for the Iowa Hawkeyes?
(Hint: He used to be the coach at San Diego State)

Thursday’s quiz
Odell Beckham Jr. played his college football at LSU.

Wednesday’s quiz
Other than Hank Aaron, Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews hit the most home runs for the Braves.

**********************************************

Friday’s Den: NFL trends for every team……..​

NFL trends for every team……

Cardinals
Last four years, Arizona is 19-9 ATS as a road underdog.
Last three years, Cardinals are 5-9 ATS coming off a win.

Falcons
QB Michael Penix was 1-2 as a starter in his rookie season.
Last two years, Atlanta is 2-9 ATS as an underdog.

Ravens
Lamar Jackson is 70-24 as a starter in regular season, 3-5 in playoff games.

Last two years, Ravens are 20-10 ATS as a favorite.
Bills
Last five years, Buffalo is 7-5 in playoff games, but 0-4 against the Chiefs.

Since 2017, Bills are 20-10-2 ATS on natural grass.
Panthers
Since 2019, Carolina is 3-12 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2009, Panthers are 5-11 ATS in their road opener.

Bears
Ben Johnson is the Bears’ sixth head coach since 2012.
Last four years, Chicago is 21-47 SU/29-35-4 ATS
Last four years, Bears are 12-20-2 ATS as a road underdog.

Bengals
Last four years, Bengals are 14-7 ATS as a road favorite.
Last three years, Cincinnati is 18-7-1 ATS coming off a win.

Browns
Browns used four QB’s last year; none of those guys are on this year’s active roster.
Last four years, Cleveland is 8-15-1 ATS as a road underdog.
Last six years, Browns are 4-14 ATS in AFC North road games.

Cowboys
Last four years, Dallas is 17-8 ATS as a home favorite.
Last four years, Cowboys are 17-7 ATS vs NFC East rivals.

Broncos
Last year was Denver’s first playoff appearance since 2015.
Broncos were 8-0 ATS as a favorite last year.

Lions
Last three years, Detroit is 14-8 ATS as a home favorite.
Last three years, Detroit is 11-3 ATS as a road favorite.
Last four years, Lions are 20-10 ATS as an underdog.

Packers
Since 2019, Green Bay is 17-8 ATS as a road underdog.
Last 18 years, Packers are 14-4 ATS in their home opener.

Texans
Since 2019, Houston is 6-14-1 ATS as a home favorite.
In two years under DeMeco Ryans, Texans were +11/+12 in turnovers.
Last four years, Texans are 8-1 ATS as a road underdog vs AFC South rivals.

Colts
Last five years, Colts are 5-9-1 ATS at home vs AFC South rivals.
Since 2010, Colts are 4-9-2 ATS in their road openers.

Jaguars
Last four years, under is 23-9 in Jacksonville home games.
Since 2018, Jaguars are 13-21-1 ATS in games with spread of 3 or fewer points.

Chiefs
Last five years, Kansas City is 17-22 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2015, Chiefs are 24-11-1 ATS in games with spread of 3 or fewer points.

Raiders
Pete Carroll is the Raiders’ sixth head coach since 2014.
Last three years, Raiders are 10-4 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2017, Las Vegas is 3-12-1 ATS as a road favorite.

Chargers
Last year, Chargers were +11 in turnovers, 10-2 ATS as a favorite.
Since 2019, Bolts are 13-26-6 ATS in games with spread of 3 or fewer points.

Rams
Under McVay, Rams are 17-6-1 ATS in road games vs NFC West rivals.
Under McVay, Rams are 25-19-3 ATS in games coming off a loss.

Dolphins
In three years under McDaniel, Miami is 18-10-2 ATS as a favorite.
Last two years, Dolphins are 3-8 ATS as a road underdog.

Vikings
Since 2015, Vikings are 25-12-3 ATS as a road favorite.
Last five years, Vikings are 16-6-3 ATS on natural grass.

Patriots
Mike Vrabel is New England’s third head coach in three years.
Last three years, Patriots are 12-24-2 ATS as an underdog.
Last two years, Patriots are 2-7-2 ATS in games with spread of 3 or fewer points.

Giants
Last two years, Giants weren’t favored in any of their 17 home games.
Last two years, Giants are 1-6-1 ATS in games with spread of 3 or fewer points.
Last six years, Big Blue is 11-7 ATS in road games vs NFC East rivals.

Jets
Jets haven’t made playoffs since 2010, longest current drought in the NFL.
Since 2018, Jets are 6-12 ATS as a home favorite.

Eagles
Last nine years, Eagles are 8-1 SU/6-3 ATS in Week 1.
Last three years, Eagles are 11-2-1 ATS in games with spread of 3 or fewer points.

Steelers
Since 2018, Steelers are 0-4 SU in playoff games.
Aaron Rodgers will be their 4th starting QB the last five years.
Last two years, Steelers are 12-7 ATS as an underdog.
Last three years, Pittsburgh is 20-9-1 ATS in games with spread of 3 or fewer points.

49ers
Last year, 49ers were 5-12 ATS, after being 29-21-1 from 2021-23.
Last three years, 49ers are 0-5 ATS as an underdog.

Seahawks
Last four years, Seattle is 6-12-1 ATS as a home favorite.
Last two years, Seahawks are 9-3 ATS as a road underdog.
Last four years, Seahawks are 11-6 ATS on natural grass.

Buccaneers
Last two years, Tampa Bay was 11-2 ATS as a road underdog.
Last four years, Bucs are 7-9 ATS as a road favorite.
Last two years, Bucs are 10-3-1 ATS coming off a loss.

Titans
Last two years, Tennessee is 0-8 ATS in games coming off a win.
Last two years, Titans are 4-11 ATS as a road underdog.

Commanders
Washington was 12-5 LY, its first winning season since 2016.
Commanders were +3 in turnovers last year; from 2021-23, they were minus-24.
Washington is 6-2 ATS in last eight games with spread of 3 or fewer points.

 

[CNOTES]

Monday’s 6-pack:
Last six years, Washington Commanders’ passing leader:
2024— Jayden Daniels, 3,568 yards
2023— Sam Howell, 3,946
2022— Taylor Heinicke, 1,859
2021— Taylor Heinicke, 3,419
2020— Alex Smith, 1,582
2019— Case Keenum, 1,707

Quote of the Day
“I need to get the football team in here, talk to the players, those types of things. We’re working towards, obviously, Week 1, that’s part of what this week is about, getting our football team ready. So, we’ll make all those type of determinations in the next couple of days.”
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski

Monday’s quiz
In the football movie The Replacements, what was the name of the team that Gene Hackman coached and Keanu Reeves played QB for?

Sunday’s quiz
Jake Plummer holds the Denver Broncos’ all-time record for most passing yards in a game; he threw for 499 yards in a 2004 loss to Atlanta.

Saturday’s quiz
Giants’ QB Russell Wilson played college football for NC State, Wisconsin.

***********************************************

Monday’s Den: Clearing out a cluttered mind…….​

— Reds 3, Brewers 2 (10)
Game was scoreless after six innings.
William Contreras put Milwaukee ahead with a 9th inning HR.
Reds tied it in 9th inning; Austin Hays had the walk-off single.
Loss ends Milwaukee’s 14-game win streak; they trailed in 8 of 14 games.

— Mets 7, Mariners 3
Mark Vientos hit a 3-run HR as the Mets won the Little League classic.
Tough night for George Kirby, who gave up 7 runs in 4.2 IP.
Mariners trail Houston by 1.5 games in the AL West

— AL Wild Card race:
Wild Cards: Red Sox, Mariners, New York
3.5 games behind- Cleveland
4- Kansas City
5.5- Texas
6.5- Tampa Bay
7- LA Angels

— NL Wild Card race:
Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Mets
1.5 games behind- Cincinnati
5.5- St Louis
6- San Francisco
6.5- Arizona
7- Marlins

— Marlins 5, Red Sox 3
Jakob Marsee hit a 2-run HR in the 9th for the comeback win.
Red Sox led 3-1 after seven innings.
Boston/Seattle are tied for the AL’s top Wild Card slot.

— Washington Nationals DFA’d 1B Nathaniel Lowe, who hit .216 in 119 games for them, and the Red Sox scooped him up to play 1B in Boston. Lowe has hit at least .262 the last four years, helping Texas win a World Series two years ago.

— Dodgers 5, Padres 4
Dodgers sweep San Diego, lead the NL West by two games.

— Famous birthdays, August 18th:
Robert Redford, 89
Greg Pruitt, 74
Bruce Benedict, 70
Denis Leary, 68
Lafayette Lever, 65
Jim Les, 62
Edward Norton, 56
Christian Slater, 56
Jeremy Shockey, 45
Dan Orlovsky, 42
Austin Hedges, 33
Seiya Suzuki, 31

— Bears 38, Bills 0- Chicago played their starters, Buffalo didn’t, but this was one of the worst NFL games I’ve ever seen, totally uncompetitive. I get that this was Caleb Williams’ first game action under Ben Johnson, but the Bills’ subs made backup QB Tyson Bagent look like the second coming of Dan Marino.
Total yardage: 528-180. I’m guessing the Bills won’t have a preseason game on national TV for a few years.

— Jaguars 17, Saints 17- Third tie game this preseason; they don’t play overtime in exhibition games. Jacksonville led this one 17-3 at halftime.
Spencer Rattler was 18-24/199 passing in the second half; it is unclear who the Saints are going to start at QB, Rattler or 26-year old rookie Tyler Shough.

— Indianapolis Colts haven’t won their season opener since 2013; they tied their Week 1 game in 2022 (as a 7-point favorite) but the last ten years, Colts are 2-8 ATS in Week 1.

— Last two years, Pittsburgh Steelers were 10-7/10-7, but didn’t win a playoff game; you’d think they’d get more out of two seasons where their turnover ratios were +16/+10, which are really good. They’ve upgraded at QB to Aaron Rodgers from Russell Wilson/Justin Fields and they play the Jets, Rodgers’ old team, in Week 1, so this should be interesting.
Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2017.

— Steelers’ OC Arthur Smith used to be the head coach in Atlanta; he went 7-10 in all three years with the Falcons. Atlanta lost the Super Bowl in 2016, blowing a 28-3 lead; they went 10-6 the next year, and haven’t had a winning season since then.
Maybe it wasn’t Dan Quinn’s fault after all; Atlanta fired Quinn during the 2020 pandemic year; he wound up as head coach in Washington LY and led the Commanders to a 12-5 season, their first winning season in nine years. Pretty good coach.

— In college football, Tennessee Vols named transfer Joey Aguilar their new starting QB; he had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA, but when Vols’ QB Nico Iamaleava bolted to the Bruins, Aguilar saw the handwriting on the wall, and took Iamaleava’s spot in Knoxville.

— Kent State went 1-23 SU the last two years, going a dismal 4-16-2 ATS as an underdog; the interim coach this year was an All-American I-AA QB at Fordham and was OC at Kent State last year.

— Western Michigan has had three straight losing seasons, despite having a +16 turnover ratio in those years; last two years, Broncos were 6-1 ATS as a home favorite, but 4-9 as an underdog.

— Mid-American Conference has six new football coaches this fall; UMass is new to the league, and Northern Illinois is on its way out, headed to the Mountain West, for football only.

 

[CNOTES]

Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Last six years, Pittsburgh Steelers’ passing leader:
2024— Russell Wilson, 2,482 yards
2023— Kenny Pickett, 2,070
2022— Kenny Pickett, 2,404
2021— Ben Roethlisberger, 3,740
2020— Ben Roethlisberger, 3,803
2019— Mason Rudolph, 1,765

Quote of the Day
“The fans are frustrated, and Kyle is frustrated. When you make outs, it doesn’t look good. He’s trying. It’s just not clicking. We’re going to have to take a step back here, just give him some days off to reset him, hopefully.”
Cubs manager Craig Counsell, on giving slumping OF Kyle Tucker some games off

Tuesday’s quiz
In the 1998 movie Bulworth, what famous actor played a suicidal politician who takes a contract out on himself, but then falls in love with the woman hired to kill him?

Monday’s quiz
In the football movie The Replacements, Gene Hackman coached and Keanu Reeves played QB for the Washington Sentinels.

Sunday’s quiz
Jake Plummer holds the Denver Broncos’ all-time record for most passing yards in a game; he threw for 499 yards in a 2004 loss to Atlanta.

******************************************************

Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….​

— Over the last 22 years, the team that lost the Super Bowl is 6-16 ATS in its season opener the next year.
Over the last 17 years, the Super Bowl champ is 19-6-2 ATS in its Week 1 game the next year.

— Cleveland Browns named 40-year old Joe Flacco as its starting QB; Flacco started a total of only 20 games the last five years- he was 2-4 as a starter for the Colts last year— he was 4-1 as a starter for the Browns two years ago.

— Flacco/Ryan Fitzpatrick share an NFL record; they’ve both started a game for five different teams. Rams’ backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo has started a game for three teams.

— Texas Longhorns are #1 in the pre-season top 25 college football poll, but they’re an underdog in their season opener (+2.5 @ Ohio State). Longhorns are the only preseason #1 team in the last 45 years that is an underdog in their season opener.

— Defensive coordinators in college football who are making the most money:
$3.1M/year- Jim Knowles, Penn State
$2.7M- DJ Durkin, Auburn
$2.65M- D’Anton Lynn
$2.61M- Pete Golding, Ole Miss

— Alabama named junior QB Ty Simpson its starting QB; he’s been a backup QB the last two years, throwing 25 passes for the Crimson Tide last season. Alabama’s two backups have no college experience, something to keep an eye on.

— Over the last 100 years, the longest winning streak in the major leagues was when the 2017 Cleveland Indians won 22 games in a row. The longest winning streak by a National League team was in 2021, when the Cardinals won 17 in a row.

— Famous birthdays, August 19th:
Jill St John, 85
Gerald McRaney, 78
Anthony Munoz, 67
Gary Gaetti, 67
Michael Harney, 67
Ricky Pierce, 66
Ron Darling, 65
Bobby Hebert, 65
Morten Andersen, 65
Nate Burleson, 44
JJ Hardy, 43
Kirk Cousins, 37

— Bengals 31, Commanders 17
Joe Burrow played into the 2nd quarter, was 9-14/62 passing.
WR Michael Tinsley caught 5 passes for 73 yards, 2 TD’s; he’ll find a job somewhere in the NFL.
Takes guts to play so Burrow so much on August 18th; if he gets hurt, the season is over.

— Brewers 7, Cubs 0
Freddy Peralta allowed one hit in six shutout IP.
Milwaukee has won 15 of its last 16 games.
Brewers lead the Cubs by 8 games in NL Central.
Game 2 of the twinbill was rained out; they’ll play a pair Tuesday.

— Reds 4, Angels 1
Brady Singer allowed one run in 6 IP, got his 11th win.
Gavin Lux hit a 2-run homer in the first inning.
Reds are a game behind the Mets for the last NL Wild Card spot.

— Rockies 4, Dodgers 3
Warming Bernabel had a walk-off single for the Rockies.
Colorado has won six of its last seven games.
Rockies snapped a 10-game losing skid against the Dodgers.

— Tigers 10, Astros 0
Houston has been shut out in 3 of last 4 games, first time since 2005.
Good news is that the Astros got to the World Series in 2005.
Jack Flaherty allowed three hits in 7 shutout IP.

— Phillies 12, Mariners 7
Phillies scored six runs in the second inning, had 21 hits overall.
Bryce Harper hit two home runs, Trea Turner had four hits, five RBI.

Turner hit a home run, the 1,500th hit of his career.
— Orioles 6, Red Sox 3
Trevor Rogers threw 7 IP, is now 6-2, 1.41 this season.
Gunnar Henderson had two RBI, scored three runs.
Red Sox are in a 3-way tie with New York/Seattle for the three AL Wild Card spots.

— Cardinals 8, Marlins 3
Alec Burleson went 3-for-4, including the go-ahead single in 7th inning.
Marlins’ defense was lousy behind Eury Perez in a 3-run fifth inning.
St Louis’ win snaps a five-game losing skid.

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday’s 6-pack:
Last six #1 QB’s for the New Jersey Jets:
2024— Aaron Rodgers
2021-23— Zach Wilson
2018-20— Sam Darnold
2017— Josh McCown
2015-16— Ryan Fitzpatrick
2013-14— Geno Smith

Quote of the Day
“A lot of people don’t know this, but my dad, he’s my righthand man. He didn’t even have running water until he was in high school. There’s definitely a lot of things — and people — that I could certainly help with this gift I’ve been blessed with. Little things like that, I don’t really even know anybody back at home that doesn’t need money. It feels good. It’s certainly a weight off my shoulders, my family’s shoulders. It definitely means a lot.”
Bears’ backup QB Tyson Bagent, who got a $10M contract this week

Thursday’s quiz
Who is the all-time leader in passing yards for Notre Dame football?

Wednesday’s quiz
Ron Jawlorski played QB for the Philadelphia Eagles, first time they played in a Super Bowl.

Tuesday’s quiz
In the 1998 movie Bulworth, Warren Beatty played a suicidal politician who takes a contract out on himself, but then falls in love with the woman hired to kill him (Halle Berry).

****************************************************

Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud…….​

— Disturbing report in the news tonight; on May 4, 2024, a shot was fired from outside the Chiefs’ facility in Kansas City, went through the glass of Andy Reid’s office and lodged into a wall about 15 feet from where Reid was sitting shortly after midnight local time.
Reid now has bulletproof glass protecting him in the office.

— New Orleans Saints are only NFL team that hasn’t named its starting QB for Week 1; Spencer Rattler (0-6 as a starter LY) and 25-year old rookie Tyler Shough are the candidates. Kellen Moore is in his first year as a head coach; he’s taking his time with this decision.

— Atlanta Falcons aren’t expected to use QB’s Michael Penix/Kirk Cousins in their preseason finale in Dallas Friday; #3 QB Emory Jones is in concussion protocol, so Atlanta signed Ben DiNucci to play this week’s game, and maybe more.
DiNucci played in three games with the Cowboys in 2020; since then, he played in the XFL in 2023, has been on practice squads for the Falcons, Saints and Buffalo.

— Cincinnati Bengals are spending 39% of their salary cap this year on QB’s/WR’s, more than any other NFL team.

— Chicago Bears signed backup QB Tyson Bagent for two years, $10M; Agent was 2-2 as a starter for the Bears in 2023— he played college ball at Shepherd College in West Virginia.

— Mets’ OF Juan Soto has 30 home runs, 20 stolen bases this season; before this year, the most bases he ever stole in one season was 12, in 2019/2023.

— Congrats to Jimmy Vaccaro, who has retired after 50 years as a Las Vegas bookmaker; most recently, he was working at South Point in Las Vegas. He turns 80 years old in October.
I met Jimmy Vaccaro at South Point a few years ago; good guy, he was cleaning up papers on the sportsbook floor at South Point. We talked for a few minutes; his sportsbook was a fun place to hang out and watch games. We wish him well.

— Famous birthdays, August 21st:
Willie Lanier, 80
Archie Griffin, 71
Gary Hogeboom, 67
Jim McMahon, 66
Craig Counsell, 55
Jesse Chavez, 42
BJ Upton, 41
JD Martinez, 38
Brandon Drury, 33
Mike Evans, 32
Ryan Pepiot, 28
Corbin Carroll, 25
Today would’ve been the great Wilt Chamberlain’s 89th birthday.

— Tigers 7, Astros 2
Detroit scored six runs in the first inning.
Tigers are 9-2 in their last eleven games.
Astros scored total of two runs in their last four games.

— Braves 1, White Sox 0
Atlanta won 11-10 Tuesday, then won this game in a totally opposite way.
Huston Waldrep struck out seven guys in 7 IP.
Both teams had four hits; the only run scored on an error.

— Nationals 5, Mets 4
Josh Bell hit his 16th home run for the Nationals.
Brandon Nimmo left the game with a stiff neck.
Washington’s bullpen got the last 11 outs, allowing only two baserunners.

— Angels 2, Reds 1
Luis Rengifo had the game-winning hit in the 8th inning.
Yusei Kikuchi tossed seven IP, allowed only seven baserunners.
Cincinnati remains a game behind the Mets for the NL’s last Wild Card slot.

— Phillies 11, Mariners 2
Trey Turner went 5-for-6, scored three runs.
Kyle Schwarber went 3-for-5, drove in five runs.
Mariners have lost seven of their last eight games.

— New York 6, Tampa Bay 4 (10)
Giancarlo Stanton hit a pinch-hit home run in the 10th inning.
New York hit five home runs, has hit 14 the last two games.
Rays had tied the game with two runs in ninth inning.

— A’s 4, Twins 2 (10)
Shea Langeliers hit a 2-run homer in the 10th inning.
Langeliers has hit 16 of his 28 home runs since the All-Star break.
A’s are 16-8 in their last 24 games overall.

— If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Mets, Padres.
AL: Blue Jays, Tigers, Astros. Wild Cards: New York, Mariners, Red Sox

 

[CNOTES]

Friday’s 6-pack:
Last six head coaches for the Las Vegas Raiders:
2011— Hue Jackson, 8-8
2012-14— Dennis Allen, 8-28
2015-17— Jack Del Rio, 25-23
2018-21— Jon Gruden, 22-31
2022-23— Josh McDaniels, 9-16
2023-24— Antonio Pierce, 9-17
2025- Pete Carroll

Quote of the Day
“Adding a ninth SEC game underscores our universities’ commitment to delivering the most competitive football schedule in the nation. This format protects rivalries, increases competitive balance, and paired with our requirement to play an additional Power opponent, ensures SEC teams are well prepared to compete and succeed in the College Football Playoff.”
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey

Friday’s quiz
QB Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; which QB was the 2nd pick?

Thursday’s quiz
Brady Quinn is the all-time leader in passing yards for Notre Dame football.

Wednesday’s quiz
Ron Jaworski played QB for the Philadelphia Eagles, first time they played in a Super Bowl.

**************************************

Friday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here…….​

— SEC football is moving to a nine-game conference schedule next year, which should help get more of its teams into the College Football Playoff.
Under the new format, each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years and every opponent home and away over four years. Each school will play three of its rivals every year.

— Over/under bet for this season:
Vikings’ QB JJ McCarthy, who was hurt last year and didn’t play, his over/under for passing yards this season is 3,600.5 yards.
Last year, Sam Darnold threw for 4,319 yards for Minnesota in their 14-3 season.

— Jacksonville Jaguars hired Liam Coen as its new head coach; he is seen as an offensive guru and QB Trevor Lawrence needs one of those.
Lawrence’s salary cap hit in 2026 is $39M, in 2027 it is $29M; Jaguars really need him to be the leader they expect him to be.

— Speaking of salary cap hits, Baltimore Ravens’ front office has some accounting to do; in 2026, Lamar Jackson’s cap hit is $74.5M, then in 2027, it will also be $74.5M, a huge amount of $$$. At some point, they need to spread that money out somehow.

— Steelers 19, Panthers 10
Game was tied 10-10 at halftime.
Steelers averaged 7.2 yards per play, Carolina 4.0.
Rookie K Ben Sauls kicked four field goals.

— GM of the Panthers Dan Morgan was in the TV booth during this game; he was saying how these practices against other teams during the week are really valuable. He said he wished they had them back when he played.
To an extent, it makes the actual exhibition games a little less relevant, but it helps the teams get better with less injury risk for the star players.

— Giants 42, Patriots 10
Giants led 14-10 at halftime.
QB DeVito was 17-20/198 passing, with three TD’s.
Undrafted QB Ben Woolridge played the whole game for New England.

— Famous birthdays, August 22nd:
Carl Yastrzemski, 86
Paul Molitor, 69
Wes Chandler, 69
Ty Burrell, 58
James Corden, 47
Adam Thielen, 35
Randall Cobb, 35
Maxx Crosby, 28
LaMelo Ball, 24

— Cincinnati Reds’ C Tyler Stephenson broke his thumb, is out for the year.

— Nationals 9, Mets 3
Mets led this game 3-0 in fourth inning.
James Wood hit his 26th home run, just his 2nd since the All-Star break.
New York is 5-16 in its last 21 games; they lead the Reds by half a game for the last Wild Card in the National League.

— Brewers 4, Cubs 1
Brice Turang homered, his 8th home run in 18 games.
Brewers’ bullpen got 13 outs, didn’t allow a run.
Cubs went 3-2 in this series, they trail Milwaukee by 7 games in NL Central.

— Red Sox 6, New York 3
Roman Anthony homered, knocked in three runs.
New York made four errors, gave up three unearned runs.
Red Sox are 6-1 against New York this season.

— Astros 7, Orioles 2
Jesus Sanchez went 5-for-5; he entered the game on an 0-for-29 skid.
Christian Walker, Yainer Diaz homered for the Astros.
Dylan Beavers hit his first MLB home run for the Orioles.

— A’s 8, Twins 3
Tyler Soderstrom went 4-for-4, has a 19-game hitting streak.
Minnesota is 2-7 in its last nine games.
A’s are 17-8 in their last 25 games.

— Royals 6, Rangers 4
Vinnie Pasquantino has homered in four straight games.
Royals have won six of their last seven games.
Royals trail Seattle by two games for the AL’s last Wild Card slot.

— Padres 8, Giants 4
Manny Machado drove in three runs for San Diego.
Padres trail the Dodgers by a game in the NL West.
Justin Verlander is 1-10, 4.64 this season.

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday’s 6-pack:
— Arizona 6, Reds 5 (11)- Mets lead Cincinnati by 1.5 games for last Wild Card slot.
— Mets 12, Braves 7- Juan Soto went 3-4 with a homer, four RBI
— Padres 2, Dodgers 1- Teams are tied atop NL West, with 33 games left.
— Cubs 3, Angels 2- Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a game-winning homer.
— Nationals 5, Phillies 4- Washington scored two runs in ninth inning.
— Brewers 5, Giants 4- William Contreras hit a walk-off homer.

Quote of the Day
“I told the line, ‘Don’t you ever let that happen again.’ I said, ‘We gotta protect each other. You guys are the policemen out there on the field. You’re the big brothers out there. You protect everybody, from DK [Metcalf] to me to whoever’s in there at quarterback, whoever’s in their at running back. I don’t care if it’s preseason practice, whatever, you gotta protect them.’”
Aaron Rodgers, scolding the Steelers’ offensive line

Saturday’s quiz
Patrick Mahomes has been a starting QB in the NFL for seven years; how many playoff games has he won?

Friday’s quiz
QB Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; Ryan Leaf was the 2nd pick.

Thursday’s quiz
Brady Quinn is the all-time leader in passing yards for Notre Dame football.

************************************************

Saturday’s Den: Trends for every major league team…….​

Trends for major league teams
(thru Friday’s games)

— Arizona (63-66)
Arizona won six of its last seven home games.
Diamondbacks are 17-24 in one-run games.
Arizona scored in first inning in 12 of last 15 home games.
Arizona is 14-27 in last 41 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Braves (58-70)
Braves are 10-3 in their last 13 games.
Atlanta is 32-32 at home, 26-38 on the road.
Braves are 20-16 vs NL East rivals, 38-54 vs everyone else.
Over is 7-3 in their last ten games.

— Cubs (74-55)
Chicago is 6-2 in its last eight games.
Cubs are seven games behind Milwaukee in NL Central.
Under is 18-2-1 in their last 21 games.
Cubs are 57-37 vs righty starters, 17-18 vs lefties.

— Reds (67-62)
Cincinnati is 15-12 in its last 27 games.
Reds are 49-43 vs righty starters, 18-19 vs lefties.
Under is 11-4-1 in their last 16 road games.
Reds scored in first inning in 10 of last 19 home games.

— Rockies (37-92)
Colorado is 7-4 in its last eleven games.
Over is 8-5 in Rockies’ last 13 road games.
Rockies are 5-30 vs lefty starters, 32-62 vs righties.
Colorado hasn’t scored a first inning run in its last 25 road games.

— Dodgers (73-56)
Dodgers are 15-17 since All-Star break.
LA/San Diego are tied for first in NL West.
Dodgers are 54-38 vs righty starters, 19-18 vs lefties.

Under is 5-3 in their last eight games.
— Marlins (60-68)
Marlins are 5-12 in their last 17 games.
Miami is 29-34 at home, 31-34 on the road.
Under is 14-7 in Marlins’ last 21 road games.
Last three weeks, Marlins are 1-4 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Brewers (81-48)
Brewers are 32-7 in their last 39 games.
Milwaukee is 43-20 at home, 38-28 on the road.
Over is 11-4-1 in their last sixteen home games.
Milwaukee leads the Cubs by 7 games in the NL Central.

— Mets (68-60)
Mets are 6-16 in their last 22 games, 4-2 in last six.
Mets are 41-24 at home, 27-36 on the road.
Over is 8-2-2 in their last 12 games.
Mets trail Philly by six games in NL East.
Mets leads the Reds by 1.5 games for last NL Wild Card slot.

— Phillies (74-54)
Phillies are 12-6 in their last 18 games.
Phillies are 57-34 vs righty starters, 17-20 vs lefties.
Over is 4-0-1 in their last five games.
Phillies lead the Mets by six games in NL East.

— Pirates (55-74)
Pirates won three of their last four games.
Pittsburgh is 37-30 at home, 18-44 on the road.
Under is 8-4-3 in their last 15 games.
Pirates are 17-11 in last 28 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— St Louis (64-66)
St Louis is 3-7 in its last ten games.
Cardinals are 16-6 in home series openers.
St Louis is 35-30 at home, 29-36 on the road.
Under is 11-4-1 in their last sixteen home games.

— Padres (73-56)
San Diego won 15 of its last 19 home games.
Padres are 42-21 at home, 31-35 on the road.
Padres are 51-36 vs righty starters, 22-20 vs lefties.
San Diego is 23-17 vs NL West rivals, 50-39 vs everyone else.

— Giants (61-68)
Giants are 9-25 in their last 34 games, 2-15 in last 17 at home.
Giants are 48-45 vs righty pitchers, 13-23 vs lefties.
Over is 14-7-2 in their last 23 road games.
SF lost 10 of last 12 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Washington (53-75)
Nationals are 6-3 in their last nine games.
Washington is 11-24 in its last 35 home games.
Over is 5-2-4 in their last 11 games.
Washington is 22-10 last 32 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

Famous birthdays, August 23rd:
Barbara Eden, 94
Richard Sanders, 85
Shelley Long, 76
Mike Boddicker, 68
Julio Franco, 67
Mark Ingram, 60
Mark Bellhorn, 51
Scott Caan, 49
Rex Grossman, 45
Miles Mikolas, 37
Mike Yastrzemski, 35
Tyler Glasnow, 32

— Orioles (59-69)
Baltimore won six of its last nine games.
Over is 4-1 in their last five games.
Orioles are 30-32 at home, 29-37 on the road.
Orioles are 19-16 vs AL East rivals, 40-53 vs everyone else.

— Red Sox (70-59)
Red Sox are 5-7 in their last 12 games.
Boston is 1-8 in extra-inning road games.
Over is 11-5 in their last 16 games.
Right now, Red Sox hold the 1st AL Wild Card slot.

— White Sox (45-83)
Chicago lost 14 of its last 17 games.
White Sox are 26-37 at home, 19-46 on the road.
Over is 3-1 in their last four games.
Chicago is 32-65 vs righty starters, 13-18 vs lefties.

— Cleveland (64-63)
Cleveland is 1-6 in its last seven games.
Guardians are 4 games out of the last Wild Card slot.
Guardians are 49-41 vs righty starters, 15-22 vs lefties.
Over is 14-6 in their last 20 home games.

— Detroit (77-53)
Detroit is 17-7 in its last 24 games.
Tigers are 25-13 vs its AL Central rivals, lead division by 10.5 games.
Detroit is 18-4 in home series openers.
Under is 13-7 in their last 20 road games.

— Houston (71-58)
Astros are 12-15 in their last 27 games overall
Astros are 6-13 in their last 19 home games.
Astros lead Seattle by 2.5 games in AL West.
Over is 11-4-1 in their last 16 games.

— Royals (66-63)
Royals are 10-5 in their last fifteen games.
Kansas City is 51-54 vs righty starters, 15-9 vs lefties.
Over is 11-7 in Royals’ last 18 games.
Royals scored in first inning in 10 of last 14 home games.

— Angels (61-67)
Angels lost 11 of their last 15 road games.
Halos are 7.5 games out of last Wild Card slot.
Angels are 50-55 vs righty starters, 11-12 vs lefties.
Angels are 30-17 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Twins (59-69)
Twins lost 8 of their last 12 games.
Minnesota is 33-31 at home, 26-38 on the road.
Over is 5-1 in their last six games.
Twins haven’t scored in first inning in their last eight games.

— New York (69-59)
New York is 9-5 in its last 14 games.
Over is 5-1 in their last six games.
New York is 56-46 vs righty starters, 13-13 vs lefties.
Right now, New York has the #2 Wild Card slot in AL.

— A’s (59-71)
A’s are 26-21 in their last 47 games.
Under is 6-3 in their last nine road games.
A’s are 14-18 in one-run games, 7-4 in extra innings.
Last 10 weeks, A’s are 8-3 in games where winning run scored from 7th inning on..

— Seattle (69-60)
Mariners lost five of their last six games.
Seattle is 23-8 in its last 31 home games.
Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.
Right now, Mariners hold the #3 Wild Card in AL, by three games.

— Tampa Bay (62-67)
Tampa Bay is 15-31 in its last 46 games.
Rays are 33-33 at home, 29-34 on the road.
Tampa Bay is 7 games out of the last Wild Card slot.
Rays are 5-10 in last 15 games where winning run scored from 7th inning on.

— Texas (64-66)
Rangers lost 11 of their last 15 games.
Texas is 53-44 vs righty starters, 11-22 vs lefties
Rangers are 38-26 at home, 26-40 on road.
Texas is 5.5 games out of the AL’s last Wild Card slot.

— Toronto (75-54)
Blue Jays are 12-8 in their last 20 games overall.
Blue Jays won 17 of their last 22 home games.
Over is 8-5-1 in their last 14 home games.
Toronto leads Red Sox by five games in AL East.

 

[CNOTES]

Sunday’s 6-pack:
College football spreads for next week:
— Boise State (-6.5) @ South Florida
— Texas @ Ohio State (-1.5)
— Syracuse vs Tennessee (-13.5)
— Alabama (-13.5) @ Florida State
— Virginia Tech vs South Carolina (-8)
— East Carolina @ NC State (-12)

Quote of the Day
“I was mad, yeah. You can complain all you want, everything. In the end, I’m here in the big leagues. There’s not a lot of 22-year-old kids that get to do this.”
Pirates’ rookie P Bubba Chandler, who made his MLB debut this week

Sunday’s quiz
Who made the longest field goal in NFL history?
(Hint: It was in 2021; the 70-yarder Jaguars made this summer doesn’t count)

Saturday’s quiz
Patrick Mahomes has been a starting QB in the NFL for seven years; he is 17-4 in playoff games.

Friday’s quiz
QB Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; Ryan Leaf was the 2nd pick.

*****************************************************

Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday……..​

— Iowa State 24, Kansas State 21
This game, played in Ireland, was 7-7 at halftime.
Iowa State QB Becht passed for 183 yards, 2 TDs and ran for a score.
K-State outgained the Cyclones, 383-313; both teams had two turnovers.

— Hawai’i 23, Stanford 20
Hawai’i K Matsuzawa made a 38-yard FG at the gun for the win.
Matsuzawa is a Japanese kid who taught himself to kick by watching videos on YouTube.
Stanford was 8-17 on third down, Rainbows were 3-10.

— Western Kentucky 41, Sam Houston State 24
Bearkats led 24-20 with 11:58 left in third quarter.
Hilltoppers were 11-19 on third down, Sam Houston 2-14
WKU’s QB McIvor was 33-51/401 passing, with 3 TD’s.

— Kansas 31, Fresno State 7
Jayhawks outgained Fresno, 383-216- they ran ball for 207 yards.
Kansas led 24-7 at halftime and coasted home from there.
EJ Warner (Kurt Warner’s son) was 18-29/179 passing for the Bulldogs.

— UNLV 38, Idaho State 31
Rebels were a 30-point favorite in Dan Mullen’s first game as coach.
Idaho State led 31-24 with 12:00 to play.
Bengals outgained UNLV 555-532, but turned ball over four times.

— Broncos 28, Saints 19
Sean Payton wins in his return to the Superdome.
Denver outgained the Saints 396-236.
New Orleans still hasn’t decided who their starting QB will be.

— Bills 23, Buccaneers 19
#3 QB Buechele threw for 278 yards and one TD.
Tampa Bay averaged 38 yards per kick return in this game.
This was first time in his career that Josh Allen sat out the whole pre-season.

— NFL preseason scores don’t mean so much; cutdown day is Tuesday. Teams will be getting their rosters in order with no games on the schedule next weekend.

— Famous birthdays, August 24th
Anne Archer, 78
Kevin Dunn, 70
Steve Guttenberg, 67
Cal Ripken Jr., 65
Reggie Miller, 60
Marlee Matlin, 60
Tim Salmon, 57
Dave Chapelle, 52
Michael Redd, 46
Mason Miller, 27

— Padres 5, Dodgers 1
Nestor Cortes allowed one hit in six scoreless IP.
Padres won their last five games.
San Diego leads NL West by a game, with 32 games left.

— Astros 9, Orioles 8
Christian Walker homered for the third game in a row.
Astros led 7-5 after the third inning.
Colton Cowser homered, had 3 RBI for the Orioles.

— Mets 9, Braves 2
Mets hit six home runs; McNeil/Vientos homered twice each.
Clay Holmes allowed three hits in 6.1 IP.
Cal Quantrill was Atlanta’s 17th starting pitcher this season.

— Red Sox 12, New York 1
Red Sox have won eight games in a row against New York.
Trevor Story was 3-5, with a homer, 3 RBI
Guys batting 7-9th in Boston’s order were 8-14 with six runs scored.

— Blue Jays 7, Marlins 6 (12)
Toronto led 4-0 in the 7th inning.
George Springer was 3-6, with 2 RBI, 2 runs scored.
Blue Jays lead AL East by five games.

— Giants 7, Brewers 1
Freddy Peralta threw 5 shutout IP, Brewers led 1-0 after five.
Milwaukee’s bullpen gave up three runs in the sixth inning.
Logan Webb pitched six innings, got his 12th win.

— Diamondbacks 10, Reds 1
Arizona led 7-0 in the fourth inning, against Reds’ ace Andrew Abbott.
Geraldo Perdomo leads major league shortstops with 84 RBI.
Cincinnati trails the Mets by games for the last Wild Card slot.

— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Padres. Wild Cards: Cubs, Dodgers, Mets
AL: Blue Jays, Tigers, Astros. Wild Cards: Red Sox, New York, Mariners

 

[CNOTES]

Monday’s 6-pack:
Lamar Jackson’s rushing yardage, by year:
2018— 695 yards
2019— 1,206
2020— 1,005
2021— 767
2022— 764
2023— 821
2024— 915
His over/under for rushing yards this year: 750.5

Quote of the Day
“Right to the end, he told me he wasn’t afraid of dying. He just didn’t want to be there when it happened.”
Robin Yount, remembering the Brewers’ legendary announcer Bob Uecker Sunday

Monday’s quiz
Of all the active major league players, who is the only one with seven seasons of both 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases?

Sunday’s quiz
Baltimore’s Justin Tucker made the longest field goal in NFL history, 66 yards, in 2021.

Saturday’s quiz
Patrick Mahomes has been a starting QB in the NFL for seven years; he is 17-4 in playoff games.

*******************************

Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a busy weekend……..​

— Minnesota Vikings signed free agent QB Carson Wentz, then traded QB Sam Howell to the Eagles. Wentz is now on his sixth NFL team; this is his 10th season:
2016-20- Eagles
2021- Colts
2022- Commanders
2023- Rams
2024- Chiefs
2025- Vikings

— Eagles got Howell and a 6th round draft pick; Vikings got a 5th and a 7th-round pick.
Howell went 5-13 as Washington’s QB in 2022-23; he threw 14 passes off the bench for the Seahawks last season. He was a 5th round draft pick in 2022.

— Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell broke his wrist in this weekend, expected to be out 6-8 weeks. O’Connell was 7-10 as a starter for the Raiders the last two years, was expected to back up Geno Smith this year. Right now, rookie Cam Miller is Smith’s only backup; Raiders are going to have at least one, maybe two QB’s for their practice squad.

— Michigan Wolverines are going to start freshman QB Bryce Underwood in their first game, against New Mexico- they play Oklahoma the week after that.

— Phillies pitching ace Zack Wheeler had shoulder surgery, is out for the year and is expected to miss 6-8 months.

— Rangers’ SS Marcus Semien, who played in at least 159 games in each of the last four years, has a foot injury and is likely out for the season.

— Cincinnati Reds are only major league team that hasn’t been swept in a series this year.

— Famous birthdays, August 25th:
Tom Skerritt, 92
Rollie Fingers, 79
Bob Lacey, 72
Ashley Crow, 65
Blair Underwood, 61
Albert Belle, 59
Robert Horry, 55
Doug Glanville, 55
Marvin Harrison, 53
Max Muncy, 35
Caris LaVert, 31
Jared Butler, 25

— Dodgers 8, San Diego 2
Dalton Rushing’s 3-run homer was a game-winner.
Freddie Freeman homered twice for the Dodgers
These teams are tied atop the NL West, with 31 games left.

— Orioles 3, Astros 2
Trevor Rogers threw 7 IP; he is 7-2, 1.40 this year.
Luis Vazquez hit his first major league home run.
Gunnar Handerson hit his 16th home run.

— Royals 10, Tigers 8
Kansas City is 28-14 in series finales this season.
Vinnie Pasquantino has six home runs in his last seven games.
Royals are three games out of the AL’s last Wild Card slot.

— Marlins 5, Blue Jays 3
Jakob Marsee hit a double and a bases-loaded triple.
Eric Wagaman homered, scored twice.
Eury Perez allowed only three hits in six IP, got the win.

— Reds 6, Diamondbacks 1
Reds broke open a close game with five runs in the 8th inning.
Noelvi Marte had two hits, scored twice for Cincinnati.
Brady Singer/Zac Gallen had a good pitching duel for six inning.

— Giants 4, Brewers 3
Heliot Ramos hit a 2-run single in 9th inning for the win.
Giants OF Luis Matos is 8-for-15 in his last four games.

— New York 7, Red Sox 2
Chisholm/Grisham both homered twice for New York.
New York ended an 8-game losing streak against the Red Sox.
These teams are the top two clubs in the AL Wild Card chase.

— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, LA/SD. Wild Cards: Cubs, LA/SD, Mets
AL: Blue Jays, Tigers, Astros. Wild Cards: Red Sox, New York, Mariners

 

[CNOTES]

Winners and losers from NFL cutdown day: Dillon Gabriel gets promotion to QB2; Commanders in trouble at WR​

The winners and losers of the 53-man roster cutdown day​

The biggest transaction day in the NFL has passed as all 32 teams had to get their roster to 53 players. There were over 1,100 players cut on Tuesday, plenty of whom will be looking for opportunities on practice squads or contemplating their football future.

The biggest news on Tuesday actually was Travis Kelce's engagement to Taylor Swift, and Kelce could easily be declared a winner on cutdown day -- along with the Kansas City Chiefs and football fans alike. Let's focus on the players who were actually getting waived on cutdown day, or players who made the roster and earned a promotion in the process (whether they were a roster lock or not).

Sometimes cuts can tell you aplenty about the state of the roster, especially at a certain position. That's part of finding the winners and losers on cutdown day, which there were aplenty of on one of the biggest days of the year.

Winner: Dillon Gabriel​

The Browns initially appeared to be carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, as Gabriel was set to be the QB3 behind Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Cleveland then flipped Pickett to Las Vegas in exchange for a fifth-round pick, opening up the QB2 job for Gabriel.
The video player is currently playing an ad. You can skip the ad in 5 sec with a mouse or keyboard
After a strong preseason which Gabriel took advantage of Pickett's hamstring injury and Sanders' oblique injury, Gabriel set himself up to be the top backup behind Flacco. Gabriel will get the first shot to start whenever the Browns decide to move on from Flacco as the starting quarterback.

Loser: Malachi Corley​

Corley was a Jets third-round pick from last season who had trouble getting on the field. He was a Joe Douglas selection and had to prove himself to a new coaching staff under Aaron Glenn and front office under Darren Mougey. The No. 65 overall pick just a year ago had a quiet summer, this after a rookie season in which Corley had three catches for 16 yards.

A change of scenery may be good for Corley, but getting cut after being a third-round pick 18 months prior is a tough pill to swallow.

Winner: Patriots WRs​

The Patriots had an intriguing roster battle among the wide receivers this summer, which may have left a good player or two on the waiver wire. Instead, New England ended up keeping eight wide receivers. Yes eight!

Javon Baker and Efton Chism both made the roster, a reward for Chism's strong preseason catching the football and Baker becoming a key special teams player. Kendrick Bourne even made the roster after not practicing since Aug. 1, while cut candidate Ja'Lynn Polk ended up on injured reserve.

The Patriots may not have top-end talent at wide receiver, but this is their deepest unit in years.


NFL roster cuts tracker 2025: Players released by all 32 teams at 53-man roster cutdown deadline
Jeff Kerr

Loser: Commanders WR room​

There's a legitimate reason for concern in Washington. Terry McLaurin did sign a contract extension to end his contract dispute, but he hasn't practiced all summer. While McLaurin may not be a concern in Washington, the depth at the posiiton is not there.

Deebo Samuel still has a lot to prove, and all the veterans they brought in this summer didn't pan out. Michael Gallup didn't make the team and neither did Chris Moore. The other wide receivers on the roster are Noah Brown, Luke McCaffrey and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane -- not exactly the deepest unit.
There are only five wideouts on the Commanders roster. They could use an upgrade at the position.


Winner: Spencer Rattler
The Saints had to name a starting quarterback between Rattler and second-round rookie Tyler Shough, giving the nod to Rattler hours before announcing their 53-man roster. Rattler won the job after outperforming Shough this preseason, even though he went 0-6 in six starts last season. Rattler completed 57% of his passes in his seven games, as the former fifth-round pick threw for 1,317 yards with four touchdowns to five interceptions (70.4 passer rating).

How long Rattler has the job will be up to him, but he gets the first shot to succeed in Kellen Moore's offensive system.

Loser: Eagles finding a pass rusher ​

The Eagles made several beneficial trades prior to finalizing their initial 53-man roster. They added to the quarterback room by acquiring Sam Howell, created more wide receiver depth in the John Metchie deal, and reacquired their swing tackle in Fred Johnson. All were moves that made the overall roster better.

Philadelphia needs more depth at pass rusher, either in the form of a starter who can get consistent snaps or a player who can immediately contribute to the rotation. The Eagles have Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt as the starters and Josh Uche as the top rotational pass rusher. They need more depth there. Good bet general manager Howie Roseman is looking.

Winner: Trey Hendrickson and Bengals defense​

The Bengals weren't able to sign Henderson to a long-term deal, but they were able to agree to terms on a $14 million raise -- which gives Hendrickson $30 million for this season. Hendrickson will be a free agent after the year, so it doesn't appear he's in the Bengals' long-term plans.

For this season, the Bengals get a significant boost with their best defensive player on the field. Cincinnati's first-team defense struggled to stop any first- or second-team offense this preseason, mainly because of not having Hendrickson available.

The Bengals defense isn't expected to be good, but the unit has a chance to be average with Hendrickson.

Loser: WRs making a comeback​

Two former 1,000-yard receivers took a year off and attempted to make a comeback this offseason. Michael Gallup signed with the Commanders and Hunter Renfrow landed with the Panthers. Both players struggled in their comeback attempts this summer and were left on the roster bubble the last few weeks.

Gallup was released by the Commanders on Tuesday, Ditto with Renfrow and the Panthers. Both players missed a full year of football, and it was evident during the summer. Gallup and Renfrow can still find jobs, but making the active roster after a year off proved to be a major challenge.

 

[CNOTES]

Wednesday’s 6-pack:
Six veterans who were on baseball’s waiver wire Tuesday:
— 1B Carlos Santana, Cleveland
— P Andrew Heaney, Pittsburgh
— 3B Buddy Kennedy, Dodgers
— P Joe Ross, Phillies
— P Matt Bowman, Orioles
— P Ty Adcock, Mets

Quote of the Day
“We know what this offense is capable of. It’s just going out and executing on a daily basis. And offense has ups and downs, so you’re going to go through that during a season. But what we’d really like is for things to keep going well and keep things going in the playoffs. I’ve always said that the hottest team wins in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter who’s the best team. It’s the hottest team.”
Mets’ OF Brandon Nimmo

Wednesday’s quiz
Where did Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson play his college football?

Tuesday’s quiz
1958 was the last time a guy on the Phillies won a batting title; Richie Ashburn hit .350.

Monday’s quiz
Of all the active major league players, Jose Ramirez is the only one with seven seasons of both 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases.

************************************************

Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..​

— Tuesday was Cutdown Day in the NFL; teams get down to 53-man rosters, then sign guys for their 16-man practice squad.
Tough day; NFL goes from 2,880 players down to 1,696 pretty quickly, then back up to 2,208 when you count the practice squad guys. Lot of people lose their jobs. Lot of shuffling between cities. Cruddy teams sign guys the better teams cut.

— Practice squad players with two years of service or less will receive $13,000 a week.
Players with 2+ years of service will receive $17,500 minimum weekly salary ($22,000 maximum).

— New Orleans Saints named Spencer Rattler their starting QB; they host the Cardinals next week. Saints were 0-6 when Rattler started last year; he threw 4 TD’s, 5 INT’s.

— Philadelphia Eagles traded for QB Sam Howell; their #2 QB Tanner McKee has injured finger, so Howell serves as insurance.
With Kenny Pickett traded to Las Vegas, Howell/Pickett become the only two NFL players ever to be traded three times in their first four years in the league.

— Atlanta Falcons’ RT Kaleb McGary is out for the year (leg); he’s been Atlanta’s starter at RT since 2019. McGary’s backup is out 6-8 weeks with an ankle injury. Falcons acquired OT Michael Jerrell in a trade Tuesday.

— Not sure if you heard or not, but Travis Kelce, the Chiefs’ TE, got engaged to be married this week; apparently he’s been dating a famous singer (Taylor Swift). Big news Tuesday.
Long time ago, back in 2000, Taylor Swift was in an episode of CSI, when she was a kid; her character died in that episode. Now she is very much alive and is really, really rich.

— They released the 2026 baseball schedule Tuesday, seven months before the season starts; A’s are going to host two series in Las Vegas, against Brewers/Rockies, two years before they’re scheduled to move into their new stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

— Famous birthdays, August 27th:
GW Bailey, 81
Buddy Bell, 74
Scott Studwell, 71
Mike Maddux, 64
Jim Thome, 55
Patrick J Adams, 44
Darren McFadden, 38
Kevin Huerter, 27

— Mets 6, Phillies 5
Mets blew a 5-2 lead; Brandon Nimmo had a walk-off single.
Mets beat Philly last two nights; they still trail the Phils by 5 games in NL East.
Phillies have lost their last nine games at Citi Field.

— Padres 7, Mariners 6
San Diego scored five runs in first inning; Ramor Laureano hit a grand slam.
Mariners scored six runs in fifth inning to briefly take a 6-5 lead.
Padres currently hold the NL’s #2 Wild Card slot.

— Twins 7, Blue Jays 5
Minnesota scored four times in the top of the 9th inning.
Mickey Gasper’s first MLB homer tied the game in the ninth.
Matt Wallner had the game-winning HR, his third tater in two nights,

— Brewers 9, Arizona 8
Milwaukee led 6-0 after the third inning.
Gabriel Moreno hit a 3-run homer for the Diamondbacks.
Brewers 2B Brice Turang had 63 total bases this month, most in the NL.

— Braves 11, Marlins 2
This game was 2-2 after the 8th inning.
Ozzie Albies homered twice, doubled for the Braves.
Marlins are surprisingly two games ahead of Atlanta in the standings.

— Royals 5, White Sox 4
White Sox led 4-0 after the 7th inning.
Martin Perez allowed only one hit in 7 scoreless IP.
Kyle Isbel had the game-winning single.

— A’s 7, Tigers 6
Darell Hernaiz drew a bases loaded walk that ended the game.
A’s led 5-4 after the third inning.
A’s are 29-22 in their last 51 games.

— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Cubs, Padres, Mets
AL: Blue Jays, Tigers, Astros. Wild Cards: Red Sox, New York, Mariners

 

[Udog]

WEEK 1