The Patriots have returned
Mets fans in uproar. The Utes are bringing in the dough
Good morning, all! It’s hump day!!!
Now you know the 11-2 New England Patriots have arrived. The NFL has flexed the team’s Week 16 game at the Baltimore Ravens to Sunday night, Dec. 21. Of course, there is this “small” thing between then and now, namely a home game against the 9-4 Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Pats beat the Bills in Buffalo earlier this season and have not looked back. As of this writing, the Patriots are 1.5-point favorites, according to DraftKings.
Are the Patriot as good as their 11-2 record? Well, as I wise coach once said, “You are what your record says you are,” (Bill Parcells) and the record says the Pats are in first place at 11-2. However, I still believe they do not have a clear runway to the number one seed. We will learn more with big games coming up in the next two weeks.
Here are some other thoughts, as I await the Tarik Skubal trade to the Yankees:
The New York Mets fans are in an uproar, now that the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers have struck again. LA has signed free agent, ex-Met closer Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69M deal. Mets fans have been going berserk on social media. Meanwhile, the filthy rich Dodgers are trying to buy their third straight World Series title. Think about this. In two seasons the Dodgers have allocated $141M to two closers. That is more than many teams payroll.
Rubbing even more salt into the Mets fans wounds; free agent Kyle Schwarber is returning to the Phillies. The Mets were among the teams supposedly talking to the left hand hitting slugger. If the Mets do not bring free agent Pete Alonso back, I am afraid they may have to close the Whitestone Bridge.
I wrote last week how the Yankees can package a trade for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. The more I read the tea leaves and watch the shows out of the winter meetings, it does not appear that will happen. The big market Yankees have decided to act like the small market Marlins, hyping all of the talent they have in their farm system. Maybe it’s a ruse. Maybe they are setting up everyone for the kill.
It has not gone unnoticed that the Detroit Tigers head of baseball ops, Scott Harris, stated at the meetings there are no “untouchables” on the roster. The last I checked, Skubal, entering his free agent season, is on the roster. I’ve written before, any club trading for Skubal, would have to sign him to a long term deal. The problem is his agent: Scott Boras. With a pitcher of Skubal’s talents, Boras is going to want him to become a free agent, where he believes he can get big money on the open market. Do not be surprised if the Mets take a chance and rent Skubal for a season and then their multibillionaire owner Steve Cohen wins the Skubal free agent sweepstakes. And per usual, the Dodgers will be lurking.
Have to like what the new Tampa Bay ownership is doing. The Rays have already been active in the free agent market - an unusual scenario under the old regime - and the owners say they are moving forward on plans to have a new stadium ready by Opening Day 2029. Action speaks louder than words, but this ownership group’s words have certainly brought a different light to the Rays future.
I would say the only thing saving the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles right now is their assignment to a horrible division. Of course I am old enough to remember when the NFC East was the cream-of-the-crop.
As we get nearer to the CFP, here are the brackets:
As the money keeps rolling in for college athletics, word is the University of Utah is on the verge of a private equity deal that would bring in $500M or more to the school’s athletic department. The gap between the haves and the haves not in college sports continues to grow.
On that note, that is going to do it for today’s newsletter. As always, thank you for subscribing and have terrific Wednesday!
DAN