It’s a full-blown five-ring circus out there.
Eight months have gone by since the Tokyo Olympics, and the U.S. figure-skating team, which finished behind the Russians in the team competition, still hasn’t been awarded a medal — any medal — while the “investigation” into Russian doping continues.
NFL replay looks competent by comparison.
Penalty on the play
NFL Prime Video will exclusively stream a “Black Friday” NFL game in 2023, the day after Thanksgiving.
Pundits predict a huge increase in personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct and targeting calls that day — and the football game might even be worse.
Headlines
• At Fark.com: “A Laker player has not gone 0-11 or worse from the field in a game since 1965. Russell Westbrook: Hold my brick.”
• At TheOnion.com: “Astros caught politely asking catcher for little heads-up on pitch selection.”
The rush isn’t on
Football and basketball fans do it. So why don’t baseball fans rush the field after a big win?
You missed your cue to tear down the foul poles after the NLDS, Padres fans.
Heard in passing
What’s more eye-popping, the fact that the Colts’ Matt Ryan threw 58 passes against the Jags without taking a sack, or that the Chargers’ Justin Herbert threw 57 passes against the Broncos without a touchdown?
Razing the roof
Yankees manager Aaron Boone says having the roof open at Minute Maid Park had an impact on Game 2 of the American League Championship Series.
Somewhere Miller Huggins is muttering: “I wish I’d thought of that one.”
Those were the days
The second-year Seattle Kraken have released a “reverse retro” jersey for those feeling a nostalgic twinge for, say, mid-2021.
O-fer ball
With an 0-for-23 at the plate, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve now has the longest hitless streak to begin a postseason of all-time.
Gives Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons something to, uh, shoot for.
BroncozzzzzZZZ
Heads up, insomniacs: The offensively challenged Broncos have already played four of their five prime-time games, with just a Chiefs game to go — in mid-December.
It’s back to counting sheep time once again.
Writing big checks
Don’t think the NFL is a big-money business? Rams owner Stan Kroenke is paying reparations to jilted St. Louis to the tune of $571 million — which would barely cover 25% of the tab for the Titans’ new stadium in Nashville.
Talking the talk
• Alabama coach Nick Saban, on his weekly radio show, when asked if any of his cornerbacks remind him of himself when he played for Don James at Kent State: “First of all, I wasn’t good enough to play at Alabama. If there’s anyone on the team that reminds me of me, I hope that they don’t get to play.”
• Tim Hunter of Everett’s KRKO Radio, on Seattle’s putrid air quality last week: “I went outside and threw a Frisbee in the air, and it got stuck.”
Food for thought
Exchange on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” set:
Charles Barkley: “Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches ever, said something to me one time …”
Kenny Smith: “Stop eating?”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Don’t go to Krispy Kreme?”
Quote marks
• Jack Finarelli of SportsCurmudgeon.com, on “on any given Sunday” trumping “it’s a quarterback-driven league” in the NFL last week: “Mitchell Trubisky beat Tom Brady; Zach Wilson beat Aaron Rodgers; Daniel Jones beat Lamar Jackson; Geno Smith beat Kyler Murray … Make sense of that.”
• Packers lineman Jon Runyan Jr., to ESPN, after getting a letter saying he had been fined $5,215 for leg-whipping an opponent — from his father Jon Sr., NFL vice president of football operations: “I thought since I left for college, I wouldn’t have to deal with him punishing me anymore, but I was wrong about that.”
• Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, to The Athletic, on his leadership style: “I try to lead by example. If that fails, I cuss.”
• Comedy writer Paul Lander, via Twitter, after Senate candidate Herschel Walker claimed he served in the military: “Dude, the New Jersey Generals barely counts as being on a football team!”
Pass the remote
“You think picking the World Series teams is tough? Try finding the playoff games on cable,” wrote Bob Molinaro in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. “And people wonder why the ratings aren’t better.”
Quote, end quote
• Dan Daly of DalyOnSports.com: “Too many NFL games this season feel like Week 4 in 1987, when the Real Players were on strike and your gym teacher was playing linebacker.”
• Ex-Steeler Ben Roethlisberger, on his podcast, on QB concussions: “The brain literally is the only thing in your body you can’t get a new one of. … You’ve got to take it serious.”
• Times reader Charlie Gay, on the M’s 18-inning 1-0 playoff loss to the Astros: “I’d been sitting so long I pulled a muscle during the 17th-inning stretch.”
• Janice Hough of LeftCoastSportsBabe.com, on the opening of the 2022-23 NBA season: “Didn’t the 2021-22 season just end last week?”