Monday Musings

With winter over, the fun is just starting

by John Furgele (The All Over the Place 228)

Joy to the World—the long, cold, dark winter is over. We know this because the NHL and NBA playoffs have begun and while the playoffs will seemingly last forever, it’s good to see that the most meaningful games are back.

In less than two weeks, we will have the Kentucky Derby, an even surer sign that winter is officially over. 

Like many, I wish the NBA and NHL regular seasons were shorter. We know this will never happen, but doesn’t a 72-game season make more sense than one that has 82? It’s only ten games, but it just seems like the right amount of games to play. Revenues and network demand for inventory will prevent this from ever happening, but starting the playoffs in March is something that few would complain about. 

For some reason, though, I like the 162-game MLB schedule. Perhaps it’s because they play games every day, but if they cut down to 144, 152, or 154, I wouldn’t complain.

Speaking of sports, it’s impossible to avoid gambling commercials, they’re everywhere. And sadly, TV broadcasters often discuss money lines and prop bets during games. Just 10 years ago, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said that gambling would ruin the integrity of professional sports; today he sleeps with the devil and seems to enjoy it. After all, this is a guy (and a league) that will step over their best friend to pick up two quarters off the street.

Last week, Jontay Porter was banned by the NBA for life for betting/making a prop bet on a basketball game that he was playing in. It didn’t get much play in the press which goes to show you how much in bed they are with the gambling outfits. If this happened eight years ago, Congress would conduct a hearing; today, it just gets brushed off. But there will come a day when a true scandal hits professional or professional college sports. It’s an earthquake, just waiting to happen.

My son and I attended Game 2 of the ECHL’s North Division Semifinals. The game pitted the Maine Mariners and the homestanding Adirondack Thunder, in Glens Falls, NY. There were 4,701 fans in the 4,860-seat Cool Insuring Arena. On Friday, there were 5,017 in that same arena–standing room only.

It’s nice to see a small community embrace a minor league team like this. In some ways, it restores my faith in humanity. While most of us are consumed with watching multi-millionaires play professional sports, there is something to be said for getting out and watching the local team perform.

Fans in major league towns have forgotten this. In Buffalo, there is much lament over the cost of the PSLs for the new Bills’ stadium, while others complain that the NHL Sabres have now missed the playoffs for a 13th consecutive season.

Fans in Buffalo have other options besides taking out a home equity loan to secure their season tickets. They could attend a Triple A baseball game, a University at Buffalo football or basketball game, or games at Daemen, Buffalo State, Niagara, or Canisius. But, if they do that, they can’t keep up with Bills and Sabres doings–the classic case of FOMO.

My son asked me a good question during the game–“Why are there so many minor league teams in hockey and baseball and very few in football and basketball.”

That’s an excellent question. We know why there isn’t minor league football; the colleges provide more than enough labor for the NFL. Basketball has always surprised me. We have the G League, but I’m not sure how communities feel about it. Hockey is still the least played by youth of the big five sports (soccer counts), yet, they have a robust minor league system with the AHL, the ECHL, the SPHL, and the Federal Prospects Hockey League. Like baseball’s minor leagues, it is well organized and games and teams are embraced in cities like Glens Falls, NY and Estero, FL. 

If you’re going to have a minor league team, hockey and baseball make the most sense. In addition to Triple A, Double A, Single A and Rookie Ball, baseball has several independent leagues and teams in places like Sioux Falls, SD which for those who follow, makes summer better.

The survival rate of minor league hockey and baseball surpass those of basketball and the other sports. I look at cities like Rochester, NY–they’ve had the Triple A Red Wings since 1899 and the AHL Americans since 1956. Other minor league entities have come and gone, but those two remain.

Soccer is trying to replicate what (minor league) baseball and hockey have. The United Soccer League continues to grow with 24 teams (and three more coming) and a feeder system below it. And the teams are in cities like Pittsburgh, Detroit, Phoenix, and San Antonio. On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Rowdies drew, 1-1, with El Paso Locomotive FC before 4,945 in Tampa, a solid crowd for a minor league sport.

We know that the cost of attending major league sports isn’t getting any cheaper; in fact, those that attend are often our highest earners. Sure, you can wait for Seat Geek bargains, but if you’re a planner and need to secure tickets in advance, it will cost you. Minor league sports exist for many reasons with affordability being one of them.

Women’s sports continue their ascent. On Saturday, the PWHL moved its Toronto-Montreal contest to the Bell Centre, the home of the Montreal Canadiens. The place was packed with 21,000 fans who saw Toronto prevail in overtime.

I’m not sure when we woke up and started paying attention to women playing sports, but who cares. It looks like women’s sports are finally here to stay. Over the weekend, there were several NWSL games on TV and I have to believe that one of the networks will pick up PWHL games, hopefully in time for the 2024-25 season.

While Caitlin Clark deserves credit, she can’t get all of it can she? Did 21,000 plus go to the Bell Centre for a hockey game because of her? Were NWSL stadiums filled for that very same reason?

Maybe there is some fatigue with men’s sports. In basketball, they shove Curry and James down our collective throats. In football, the NFL has become a 24/7/365 machine. Baseball, despite its rules to speed up the game, still has economic disparity between its teams, and a younger generation that simply doesn’t pay enough attention to the National Pastime.

Women’s sports are new and refreshing. We don’t know who the stars are, so we’re investing our time to find out for ourselves. If that’s the case, I hope it continues, because they are worth watching.

What’s Tiger Woods Really Thinking?

Does he really want to keep playing? Is he tarnishing his legacy?

by John Furgele (The Par for the Course 228)

On Aug. 13, 1977, future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson retired. The Oriole great was batting .149 with 1 home run and 4 RBI when he walked away.

On May 28, 1989, future Hall of Famer Michael Jack Schmidt retired. The Phillie great was batting .203 with 6 home runs and 28 RBI.

On Aug. 3, 1989, future Hall of Famer Jim Rice retired. The Red Sox great was batting .234 with 6 home runs and 28 RBI.

The toughest thing to do in sports is to know when it is time to walk away from the game. Very few go out on top, at their pinnacle, and that’s understandable. What makes athletes great is their drive, their resolve. They always think they can do it and sometimes they can. Heck, George Foreman won a heavyweight boxing title at age 45.

Father Time is not kind to all of us, especially athletes. While John Sterling can still call Yankee games at age 85, most athletes are lucky to play past age 35. The hardest part is coming to grips that it’s over.

I grew up a Phillies fan. For some reason, I started following them in the summer of 1976. When they lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the ’76 NLCS, I was sad, but I knew I was hooked.

They went on to lose two more NLCS—Phils fans remember Black Friday in ’77—before winning it all in 1980. That ’80 team remains my second favorite sports team of all-time (Team USA, 1980, Miracle on Ice, will always be number one).

Schmidt, despite being overshadowed by more colorful personalities and being dogged by a tough media, was my favorite Phillie. Despite collecting 2,234 hits, 548 HR and 1,595 RBI, he remains underappreciated by the baseball world.

I remember the day he retired. He cried. But he knew that it was time and despite the .203 batting average, his legacy is untarnished.

Brooks Robinson knew that day was coming. In 1975, he batted just .201 with 6 HR and 53 RBI. Like most, he thought he could turn it around in 1976. He didn’t, batting .211 with 3 HR and 11 RBI in 71 games. But he came back in ‘77 for one more try and in August knew it was time to hang ‘em up.

Rice had a similar decline. In 1986, he batted .324 with 20 HR and 112 RBI. That was his last great season as injuries and age took over. He probably should have retired after the 1988 season; a season where he batted .264 with 15 HR and 72 RBI, but he wanted to go out on a high so he came back—until Aug. 3.

I write this because of what we saw over the weekend at Augusta National at The Masters. While Scottie Scheffler was winning his second “Green Jacket,” as always, CBS had to show us every shot taken by Tiger Woods.

I felt sorry for Woods, which is something I thought I would never say. As great as Woods is (second best ever?), his demise is largely because of him. The extramarital affairs, the car crash, the DUI—those happened because of choices he made.

But we remain enamored, hoping that he can defy and bring us another moment of glory. In that hope, we get to see him hit into bunkers, into water, into trees, card triple bogeys, and shoot 159 on Saturday and Sunday.

When he approached 18, the adoring crowd cheered, just like they did when Arnold Palmer played his last competitive round at the US Open in 1994. The crowds also cheered in 1977, when the well-past-his-prime Brooks Robinson came to the plate.

I give Woods credit for trying, but he is an immortal. Phil Mickelson is not an immortal, so if he plays The Masters at age 70, that’s fine. That goes for Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, and all the other former champions.

Who am I to tell somebody they should retire. But, Woods is a different cat. This guy changed the game of golf. Because of him, fitness became an important part of the game. Power became an important part of the game. When Jack Nicklaus won his sixth Masters in 1986 at age 46, he had a Dad Bod, his belly hanging over his plaid pants.

Woods forced golfers to become fit athletes and he also made them all millions of dollars, so for me to tell him to hang it up is truly out of bounds.

That said where is the pride? It’s okay for Vijay Singh to be 14 over par—he’s just another golfer that’s won a few majors—but Tiger Woods?

Woods says he will play on and plans to compete in the PGA Championship, the US Open, and the British Open. Again, that’s his choice, but when he flew back to Florida Sunday evening, I wonder if he had a conversation with himself that began with “Is this really worth it anymore?”

Professional golf is a mess right now. We have two tours—PGA and LIV—which has led to chaos. LIV players can play majors, but they can’t get World rankings points. Last year, Jon Rahm bashed LIV; this year he swallowed his pride and took a nine figure guarantee to join what truthfully is, a Triple A circuit.

The game needs Tiger Woods. I’d like to see him as PGA commissioner. He has the clout to unite the two sides. There supposedly is a merger agreement in place, but today, we still have two tours.

Woods could direct his energies to finding a solution. He has the game for that. Players would listen, sponsors would listen, and he could write and right/rite his next chapter of immortality.

That won’t happen today as he is determined to carry on and keep playing and he could prove me wrong by finding his game and winning another major. I don’t think that will happen, but I certainly don’t know it.

Watching Woods shoot 159 was sad on many, many levels. He’s too great; he’s an immortal, and we want to remember immortals at their very best. We didn’t see that in Augusta.

And, that’s disheartening.

UConn’s Basketball Title Just Creates More Tension

At some point, they have to figure out what to do with football. It’s a delicate balancing act

by John Furgele (The Tension Filled 228)

The Connecticut Huskies are a blueblood, whatever that means in today’s age of professional college sports. Beginning in 1999, the Huskies have won six NCAA basketball championships. They have made the Final Four six times and have never lost, a 12-0 record. Bottom line–when they get there, they win, and usually do so in convincing fashion.

But unlike the other “bluebloods,” there will always been tension in Storrs, CT. Right now, it’s just simmering, but Connecticut is different than Duke, North Carolina. Kansas, and Kentucky, and that is the cause for concern.

That cause: Football

Basketball-wise, Connecticut has it made. They win, they have an alpha-dog head coach, and they play in a conference that loves basketball. They have regional rivalries with St. John’s, Providence, Seton Hall, and Villanova; new ones with Creighton, Butler, Xavier; and ones renewed with DePaul, Marquette, and Georgetown.

What could possibly go wrong? 

Unfortunately for Connecticut, football has all the power in college athletics. They get the big ratings, they get talked about daily during the regular season, and most importantly, the networks are paying big bucks to broadcast football games.

Connecticut has a problem that no other Big East school faces because they have a FBS football team that is struggling to survive. Villanova has a football team but it’s not a threat because it plays at the lower FCS level. Butler also has a FCS football–in the non-scholarship Pioneer League—that will never threaten basketball.

Connecticut has to figure out what to do. Soon, the Big East basketball package will expire and go out to bid. Currently, the conference has a 12-year $500 million deal with Fox that runs out after the 2024-25 season. Each school receives about $5 million per year.

To compare, the Big 12’s new TV deal will pay each football member $31.7 million per year starting in 2025-26. Marquette and St. John’s aren’t starting football programs to get in on the action, so for them, basketball will always be number one. As long as the Big East keeps getting TV deals, the other 10 schools are going nowhere in this seemingly endless conference realignment game. 

As great as Connecticut basketball is, they have to save football, or admit defeat and either dissolve it or drop to FCS. They’re trying to survive as an independent, but they’re not Notre Dame. They don’t have NBC throwing $50 million at them to show their home games (plus the $17 million they’ll get from the ACC). 

Massachusetts were in a similar boat. The Minutemen were in the Atlantic 10, a basketball centric league that only has FCS football members in it. Of course, the Minutemen are not half the basketball program that Connecticut is, but they had the same football dilemma. 

Officials in Amherst no doubt wanted to stay in the A 10, but they had to save the football program, or put up the white flag and drop to FCS or dissolve it.

The decision was easier because they’re not a blueblood, so they opted to leave the A 10 for the MAC. That certainly is a step down in basketball, but it saved the football program. Fans may not like it, but those in charge in Amherst made it clear:  football is here to stay.

There is no chance that Connecticut would leave the Big East for the MAC, we all know that, but because they have to save, downgrade, or kill football, they will always be open to conversations from the existing power conferences.

They flirted with the Big 12 last summer, but the members didn’t want Connecticut football, but if they, the Big Ten, the SEC, or even the beleaguered ACC called, they’d have to listen. And, if offered a spot, they might have to go.

That would hurt and anger many of their basketball fans. When the university put football first (in 2013) by joining the American Athletic Conference, basketball suffered. Sure, they won the NCAA title in 2014, but that was their (in the American) first year; they still had that Big East pedigree and of course Big East quality players. Fans begged for them to go back to the Big East and surprisingly, the conference took them back, but that left football out in the cold as an independent.

As long as Connecticut has FBS football, this tension will continue to exist. I’m sure there isn’t friction between the programs per se, but you know each day, athletic director is David Benedict is trying to figure out what the future is for football and his entire athletic program.

If we looked at this purely from a success rate, why would Connecticut ever leave the Big East? They’ve won two straight titles, they get to play at Madison Square Garden, and they get to play–and beat up—their old rivals. Oh, they also get to play and beat up the rest of the country, too.

That’s pragmatic, which sadly, doesn’t exist anymore in professional college sports. That went out the window when USC and UCLA left the Pac 12 to play in the Big Ten and all those Eastern Time Zone games. It eroded further when Stanford thought traveling to Syracuse for an ACC soccer game on Wednesday night was a good idea.

Would Connecticut thrive playing at Kansas and hosting Arizona in basketball? Yes, but what they have going on right now is working perfectly so why move away from it?

The reason, of course, is money. You’re trading the packed Madison Square Garden game versus St. John’s for playing Kansas in Hartford. But, you’re also getting to play power conference football with a robust TV deal.

This tension will not go away until Connecticut figures out how to handle football in this new era of professional college sports.

And that, is cause for concern. 

Why Look for a Coach When You Can Steal One?

Schools like Kentucky are too lazy to find a coach so they just poach them

by John Furgele (The Diligent 228)

John Calipari decided it was better to leave before getting fired. Rather than face a 2024-25 year of hell and constant scrutiny, he took a demotion by leaving Kentucky for Arkansas.

Good for him. If you don’t feel wanted at your workplace, why stay? Why subject yourself to the daily grind, criticism and the stress that comes with it? For Calipari, anything short of the Final Four in 2025, would likely mean dismissal.

Now the comical part has arrived. Anytime a coach from a “blueblood” program leaves or is jettisoned, the speculation begins. Or, as the pundits do, they create a shortlist of potential hires. Some schools hire search firms and they also come up with a similar shortlist which makes me ask, “Why bother to hire a search firm?”

Naturally, the list of candidates are all from winning programs and for Kentucky, they’d have to steal them to get them to Lexington. That’s the sad part of this because it doesn’t have to be that way.

We know why Kentucky would target Danny Hurley, Scott Drew, and Nate Oats. Hurley is the current king; his Huskies have dominated the last two NCAA Tournaments while Drew won it all in 2020-21. Oats was highly successful at Buffalo and has done very well at Alabama as evidenced by a Final Four run this season.

Many think if Kentucky offered Hurley $10 million per season, he’d likely take the job. Hurley, of course, hinted that he wants to stay in Storrs and win more titles at Connecticut, but his words left a crack in the door, meaning he would listen to a UK sales pitch.

Shame on him. And, if he takes the UK job, he’s nothing but a fraud.

I just don’t get why schools have to steal coaches from other power schools. I certainly understand why a Kentucky would hire a guy from Kent State; that’s what we call natural progression. But why try to steal a Hurley, a Drew or an Oats?

Do schools like Kentucky do any research? Are they really scouring to find somebody who has successfully built a basketball program that could come to Lexington and succeed?

There has to be a guy that took a moribund program and turned it around. You know a school that had 24 wins in three years and then, under his direction, won 54 games in his first three years. Rather than do due diligence, it’s easier to create the shortlist, talk to some agents and see if you can steal a coach.

There are four levels of college basketball; Division 1, 2, 3 and the NAIA, and if you want to be accurate, we have JUCO and its three divisions. Obviously, hiring someone from a JUCO school is too big a reach, but isn’t there a guy at one of the other levels that has built a program and could come to your school and become a star.

Most will laugh this off and say that you can’t take a Division II coach and hire him at Kentucky to which I say, why not? Why can’t you be different and spin the wheel? As much as we like to call coaches geniuses, the fact remains that this is basketball. It’s not that hard of a sport to coach because all coaches do the same thing: recruit, coach, and manage their players.

But for some reason, schools are afraid; they’re scared to take a chance, so why not do the easy thing and throw $10 million per at Scott Drew or Danny Hurley. I guess it’s easier to go to a store and steal rather than save up and buy.

Look at Kalen DeBoer. The Alabama football coach was the head coach at Sioux Falls, a NAIA school, where he won three NAIA championships. After several assistant coaching jobs, he became the head coach at Fresno State and then Washington and now, Alabama.

A better example is Jim Tressel. Like many, Tressel started as an assistant with stops at Akron, Miami (OH), Syracuse and Ohio State. He then became the head coach at Youngstown State, a 1-AA (now FCS) program and in 15 seasons (1986-2000) won four 1-AA championships with two runner-up finishes.

You would think a 1-A school would have noticed this success and pried him away from Northeast Ohio, but it took 15 years for that to happen. Finally, in 2000, he was hired by Ohio State.

That was a bold move. The Buckeyes didn’t steal a big name guy from a big name school. They hired a program builder from a lower level, believing that he could do the same in Columbus. All he did at Ohio State in his ten seasons was win a BCS championship and play in two others. He also constantly beat Michigan (9-1).

Why can’t Kentucky find a Tressel to lead its basketball program? The answer is simple—they’re too lazy. Why work diligently, when you can dangle an eight-figure annum and steal from another school?

Kentucky could be bold here and look for the up-and-comers, and bring them in for interviews. Drew Stutts just won the NAIA title at a place called Freed-Hardeman University in Tennessee. You probably wouldn’t hire him but why not interview him?

The first question: “You just went 35-3 and won a national championship. Tell me how you did it?”

Nah, that requires too much work. Why make the cake when you can buy one.

Women’s Sports are on Fire

Utica on the World Stage

by John Furgele (The Icy 228)

UTICA, NY–Lost in the shuffle of the Caitlin Clark Craze is that all women’s sports seem to be flourishing right now. Perhaps they always were, but it appears that America has finally taken notice. While Clark was leading her Iowa Hawkeyes to another runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships, another event was taking place in a Central New York city best known for greens and chicken riggies–Utica. 

The event–the IIHF Women’s World Ice Hockey Championships. Ten teams trying to capture the gold, silver and bronze medals in an Olympic style tournament. I took in two games last Saturday; Japan-Germany was the matinee affair which was followed up by USA-Finland. I will sum it up simply and succinctly.

They can play.

As we’re noticing, women’s sports have come a long way in what seems like a short time period. There has always been the perception that women are too slow and not athletic enough for the masses to watch. Because of this, they had to be cerebral and fundamentally sound. Because women can’t–for the most part–dunk–they played at a slower and steadier pace. Because they can’t run 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, they were labeled as plodders.

As we’ve seen (because we’re watching more), that’s not the case. Women are faster and more athletic than ever and their games/sports are progressing faster than the men. Part of that is that they have more room–more upside–to progress, but also because, they’re athletes, they train and play year round.

In the old days, when high schools began sponsoring sports for girls, it was the wild west, a crap shoot. Let’s see who shows up for tryouts and we’ll go from there. I know I’m simplifying things here, but you get the point. Teams would form and the coaches would then adapt and figure things out.

That’s changed. Today, girls are starting to play sports much earlier, and like the boys, they have travel soccer, AAU basketball, club lacrosse, hockey, and everything else. By the time girls reach high school, their skills are already developed and the coaches know which ones are the stars and which ones will be the role players. 

Another great thing about this evolution is that its changed our thinking. Some refuse to watch women’s sports because they don’t play as fast as the men. Why would they watch a women’s hockey game knowing that a boys’ high school team could beat the best women’s college team?

Thankfully, acceptance and separation have taken place. There will always be those who will never watch, but for those that do, they recognize that it’s a different game, but in many ways, just as, or even more exciting. Watching Cailtin Clark hit shots from the logo garnered attention and people wanted to see her with their own eyes.

Once they took a peak, they liked it, and kept watching as evidenced by the 12.3 million who tuned into ESPN on April 1 to watch Iowa beat LSU in a regional final and then, in Sunday’s championship game, 18.7 million more–an astounding number.

We’ve always been able to separate College Football from the NFL and it appears that we have finally separated women’s sports from men’s sports. Now, when you watch, you’re really watching, not comparing.

Back in Utica, Germany beat Japan 4-1, but the game was closer than that score. For much of the contest, this was a one-goal game with Japan having ample chances to get the tying goal. Both teams were skating fast and the action was up and down, end to end. I kept waiting for Japan to tie things up which would have made things interesting. But once Germany went up 2-0, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

One thing I’ve noticed while watching PWHL games this year is that the goalies are ahead of the scorers. The German goalie kept her team in the game and the Japan goalie prevented Germany from taking a commanding lead. The forwards, fast and quick, seemed to lack the shooting skills that results in more goals being scored.

Because of that, neither goalie had to stand on her head; meaning they were not called upon to make miraculous saves. I believe that, in time, the scorers will catch up, and once that happens, life will be difficult for goalies and fans will get what they want—more scoring.

While 1,831 watched the afternoon contest, 3,900 crammed into the Adirondack Bank Center to see the USA battle Finland that evening. The “ABC” is a wonderful “little” arena. Known locally as The Aud, the arena underwent a significant refurbishment and looks shiny, clean, and beautiful. At roughly 4,000 seats, it’s the perfect setting for this championship. Hopefully, there will come a time where the IIHF Women’s World Championship will outgrow the Utica venue, but for now, enjoy it while you have it.

Utica likes its hockey. The AHL Utica Comets draw well and the Division III Utica University Pioneers often sell out the place–impressive for a Division III hockey program. There has been talk of Utica moving to Division I for hockey, but as they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

If you look at the stats of USA’s 5-3 win over Finland, you’d think the Americans dominated. They outshot the Finns 45-12, but the Finns were in the game the entire way. In fact, they scored first and then tied things at 2-2. And like the first game, the Finnish goalie was good, but didn’t have to be great. Yes, the Yanks got lots of rubber on the net, but most of the saves made were routine in nature. 

There have been 22 world championships since the first in 1990 and USA or Canada have won the gold at all of them (12 for Canada, 10 for USA). Finland checks in with 13 bronze medals. That’s the one thing that is needed to give this ascending sport more credibility—more countries winning. 

Make no mistake, the other countries are catching up and while I’m not an expert on international women’s hockey, I did leave the arena with the thinking that Team USA could be beaten. The team I saw was good, but were they great? I guess that remains to be seen.

On Sunday, I watched China battle Denmark on ESPN Plus. That game was played at a much slower pace than the two games I saw on Saturday. The skills were there, but the speed was slower than the quartet that played the day before.

Denmark won the game, 2-1 in a shootout for their first win; their goal is to make it to the quarterfinals and avoid being relegated to Division I in 2025. Neither team will be collecting a medal this week.

That’s how the IIHF works. Eight of the 10 teams will advance to the quarterfinals. The teams that don’t make it get relegated while the two who make the Division 1 final get promoted for next year’s event in Chechia.

There is one glaring absence and that is Russia. Once they pull out of Ukraine, I’ll assume they’ll come back, but until the leaders of the 3-time bronze medalists do so, they’ll be banished from these events.

The Gold and Bronze medal games are slated for Sun. Apr. 14 and while most sports fans will be glued to The Masters, Utica, NY will crown a world champion.

Women’s sports are hot right now—even on the ice.

Rec Soccer and the Rise of Women’s Sports?

Americans are finally giving women’s sports a shot and the women are delivering

by John Furgele (The You Go Girl 228)

What we’re seeing is refreshing, enjoyable, and in some ways, quite surprising. And, unlike earlier times, it looks like it’s here to stay.

Women’s sports have never been hotter than they are right now.

We have seen this in basketball, with Caitlin Clark’s successful quest to become the all-time leader scorer in history coupled with trying to win a championship in her final college season.

Last Monday, defending champion LSU played the team they beat (Iowa) in the 2023 title game. The Tigers were led by their star, Angel Reese, and their colorful coach, Kim Mulkey, who like her or not, brings wanted attention to the sport.

Iowa won the game, but more importantly, 13,888 came to see it in Albany, NY while a record 12.3 million watched on TV. Those numbers beat the overall average of both last year’s World Series and NBA Finals. It looks like we have finally come around on women’s sports.

I’ll admit, I used to be one of those who “couldn’t get into women’s sports,” because they couldn’t play as ‘fast’ as the men did. I wasn’t alone. We read that a Dallas Academy boys soccer team beat the USWNT 5-2 in a scrimmage. Others point out that a men’s high school basketball team would “wipe” the floor with the women’s NCAA champ.

Some men will never accept or will never watch women’s sports. Some of that can be attributed to what I referenced above, but much of it reflects on their own sense of well-being. Simply, they struggle when women gain or have power. They love it when a women’s sports league fails and when one starts, they scoff and root for its demise.

I’ll give credit to recreational soccer for helping women’s sports. Soccer, for decades, was one of those scoffed at sports, but in the 1980s, soccer offered families and their kids something that most other sports did not; a legitimate co-ed sport for youngsters to harness their skills.

If you have kids and signed them up for rec soccer, you understand. Your kid turns four (earlier starting age than the other sports) and off they go. Boys and girls play together, they practice once a week for an hour and on Saturday, they play their game.

You’ve seen these games. Little four and five year olds running around, following the ball. The kids don’t play positions, they all just congregate around the smaller soccer ball. The coach yells for spacing, yells that fall on deaf ears. At halftime, orange slices are passed out; at game’s end, popsicles.

The key here is that boys and girls play together. Parents can see who is really good. More importantly, it puts girls on equal footing with boys. Most rec soccer leagues play co-ed through third or fourth grade and by that time, you can see who the athletes are.

When my son was in third grade, the best player on his team and the league was a girl. She could do it all and dominated everybody. Once they separated by sex, she continued that dominance. Eventually, she played Division 1 soccer.

Most kids don’t stay with soccer, but the skills learned there do carry over to basketball, hockey, volleyball, and the other sports. Young girls became empowered. Rec soccer gave them a taste of competitive sport and led some to try other sports.

What we’re seeing now is extraordinary and most importantly, investors have taken notice. They see the star power of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Juju Watkins, and Paige Bueckers and they want in. Can you name four players on the men’s side in this year’s Final Four?

Companies want to market their products to new people and sports like MLB and the NBA are not growing their TV audiences. Last year’s World Series averaged 9.1 million viewers, so they’re looking for sports that are gaining viewers not losing them.

The NBA’s TV contracts expire after the 2024-25 season. They think they can triple what they’re getting now ($24 billion each from Turner and ESPN).

Can they?

With women’s sports rising, is ESPN and Turner willing to fork over $72 billion for a declining TV product?

Could interest in women’s sports be a passing fad? Once Clark departs Iowa for the WNBA, how many will hang in there and keep watching? The NCAA tournament is special because of its one and done nature. It’s three weeks, not six to seven months.

Pro sports are tough to follow because of what seems like an endless regular season. The WNBA has a tolerable 40-game regular season, but plays during the summer months when many are trying to take advantage of the weather by being outside.

That said the investment shows that women’s sports are to be taken seriously. The PWHL debuted in January and attendance has been great. How much longer until they secure a national TV contract?

And, while the women get ready for their Final Four in Cleveland; Utica, New York is hosting the IIHF Women’s World Ice Hockey Championships, a 10-team event that runs from April 3 to April 14.

The NWSL gets games on CBS and last fall, we saw great TV numbers for the NCAA Women’s Volleyball championships and each spring, the Women’s Softball College World Series does very well on ESPN.

Why has it taken this long for women’s sports to get this type of attention? It has to be generational. When I grew up in the 1970s and 80s, some parents just didn’t think girls and sports was a good combo. If they played, it was just for fun. There was also that stigma—Jenny is tomboy not a lady, and of course, the stereotype that only lesbians played sports.

That changed with my generation and even more with the one after. Instead of being disappointed (sports and college scholarship wise) with three daughters, parents were looking for places for their daughters to play, play well, and perhaps get some college scholarship money to do so.

I’m not saying this is all because of rec soccer, but seeing young girls compete at a young age with boys opened many an eye to the realization that daughters could get it done on the athletic field.

And, finally, Americans have taken notice.

The NCAA Basketball Tournament Should Expand: To 128 Teams

by John Furgele (The 128 228)

Greg Sankey likely didn’t enjoy his Saturday morning coffee. The SEC commissioner, determined to make college athletics a big school spectacle, has seen his vaunted SEC teams get thrashed in the opening two days of America’s favorite three-week event.

Sankey wants the NCAA tournament to expand so schools like Ole Miss, the conference’s tenth best team are in the field. If the field expands, does that mean Indiana State would get in? And if they did,  would they have to play in the dreaded play-in round; a round that needs to be retired.

At some point, the tournament will and probably should expand. There are 362 Division I basketball schools and only 68 of them make the tournament. That’s 18.8 percent, far below other sports. To compare, there are 64 hockey playing schools; 16 of them (25 percent) make their tournament.

If the NCAA does expand, it can’t go halfway. The talk is that 80 would be a good number. Others have thrown out 96, while others say let’s go to 72 or 76. All these numbers do is create more play-in games, which to me, are not part of the real thing that begins on the third Thursday in March.

Too often, sports tinker instead of blowing things up. This is the chance for the NCAA to make a major change and create something newer, bolder and brighter; If expansion is imminent, let’s go to 128 teams and rebrand this great event.

Before everybody goes nuts, let’s see what a 128-team field will look like. The best thing about 128 is that there would be no play-in games. No longer would Grambling State have to play Montana State, with the winner going into the real 64-team tournament.

With 128, you’d have eight regions with 16 schools in each. You could have one city host all 16, or you could have sub-regionals like you do now, but to win a region, you’d have to win four games, the same as it is today.

With eight schools left, the Final Four changes. That city now gets to host the Final Eight, just like they do at the Division II level. That means there would be four Elite 8 games on Thursday in the host city. The Final Four would then take place on Saturday with the championship game on Monday, just like it currently is.

Those against change will hate this, but think about what it could do for the NCAA and the host city. Now, fans would come in earlier, spend more money on dinners, hotels, sights, and of course tickets. The host city now gets seven games as opposed to three and the NCAA could avoid sending two eastern teams to Seattle to play each other in the regionals.

The math works, too. With 128, 35.8 percent of teams would qualify and as more schools jump to Division I, that percentage will drop. Professional sports keep adding postseason teams—the NBA invites 67 percent (if you count the play-in); the NHL, 50 percent; MLB, 40 percent; and the NFL, 43.8.

Adding half a round only confuses things. What do you call the play-in round. Where do you play the games? In short, a half-round is half-assed.

With 128, any school that wins its regular season conference title is in. Sankey won’t like this because the America East, the Mid-American, and the Southern might get two bids if the regular season titlist comes up short in their conference tournaments, but if you’re not going to value the regular season, why play 29 to 31 games?

For schools like Indiana State and Eastern Washington, the fall is too steep. ISU went 28-6 this year, 17-3 in conference play, but when they lost to Drake in the MVC Championship Game, they had to settle for an NIT bid.

Eastern Washington suffered a crueler fate, The Eagles went 15-3 in the Big Sky, three games clear of everybody else. They had one really bad night, losing their opening round tournament contest to Sacramento State and didn’t even receive an NIT bid.

Putting EWU and ISU in the field does no harm and it rewards a total body of work. Like the current format, these teams might win a game or two, but they’re not going to be cutting down the nets when this thing ends.

It’s never been that way. Indeed, teams like George Mason, VCU, Florida Atlantic, and San Diego State have gotten to the Final Four, but getting there and winning it all are vastly different.

The last team from a non-Power conference to win the NCAA title:  UNLV in 1990 (Some could say Connecticut’s 2014 title as an American member, but they had just left the Big East after the 2012-13 season). The first two days are for Cinderella, but by the time the regional finals come, the power schools are usually the ones moving on.

Making a big change requires training. Fans won’t like it, but the great thing about the NCAA basketball tournament is that you eliminate teams quickly. In two days, the field is cut in half; in three weeks, the whole thing is over.

The only big player tournament field that moves faster is Grand Slam tennis, which goes from 128 players to one champion in two weeks.

Having eight teams advancing to the Final Four site doubles the fun. Think about the bars and restaurants on the Wednesday before the quarterfinals—eight sets of fan bases, eating, drinking, chanting, teasing each other and having what hopefully is good natured fun.

If you’re going to expand, do it the right way. It’s one more round and in time, fans will embrace it just like they did when the field went from 12 teams to 16, 24, 32, 48, 52, 64 and eventually 68.

In today’s sports market, it’s all about the playoffs; that’s what fans care about. So if the NCAA is smart, they’ll give us more of that, because that’s what captivates.

It’s Time for NCAA Tournament to Expand

The NIT debacle is just another black eye for the beleaguered NCAA

by John Furgele (The Why Not 228)

It just never gets better for the NCAA. Each year, on Selection Sunday, we all know that there will be crying. The tears will come from teams that got left out and more will come from critics that believe some teams that got in, didn’t deserve to. That’s how it goes. Thankfully, when the first round tips on that third Thursday, the tears dry up.

Many think the NCAA tournament should expand and while critics argue that expansion will water things down, there are 362 teams playing Division 1 basketball. When the tournament expanded to 64 in 1985, there were 274.

The NCAA runs another tournament, the NIT. The NIT was the first postseason tournament and at one time (long ago), more prestigious. On Sunday, several teams that missed the NCAA party were invited to the NIT and sadly, many of them—Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Memphis to name a few—declined.

The NCAA took over the NIT a decade ago hoping that by running it, it would once again, be considered a prestigious tournament. Prior to this year, any team that won its regular season conference championship would get an automatic bid. That was good news for one-bid leagues like the America East. If Vermont was tripped up by Maine, they knew that they could get into the NIT and play on.

The Power Conference schools complained so the NCAA made changes; no more auto bids for mid-majors, instead, we will guarantee 12 sports for the Power 6 conferences. Even with this new wrinkle, several Power 6 schools said thanks but no thanks to the NIT.

Whether you’re for expansion of the NCAA or not, the question is simple: if nobody really wants to play in the NIT, why not eliminate it and expand the NCAAs?  Furthermore, if the NCAA runs the NIT, shouldn’t NCAA members be required to play in it, if invited?

New York City and its famed Madison Square Garden gave up on the NIT. As the NIT declined in prestige, the one carrot they had was that its Final Four would be contested in the mecca of college basketball; the Garden. No disrespect to the Hinkle Fieldhouse, but it’s not The Garden.

The NIT is no longer the “springboard,” to the NCAAs either. Last year’s NIT champion, North Texas, is back to defend its title. The runner up, UAB, did make the NCAAs this year, but previous success guarantees nothing, especially with coaching changes and transfers portals.

Fans would accept an expanded NCAA field as long as they get to 64 by the third Thursday in March, so 80 teams, or even 96 would not kill the Golden Goose like many suggest.

What it would do is save the NCAA from this NIT embarrassment. It doesn’t look good when you ask 12 teams to play and they say no. And think about that school that gets a call at 8:45 PM with the NCAA on the line begging them to play because 12 others turned them down?

If there were 80 or 96 teams in the field, there would still be crying, but there wouldn’t be any declining. Pittsburgh might not like playing a “Round of 80,” game in Kansas City, Omaha, or Des Moines, but guess what? They’ll play.

I’ve always believed in playing and I would rather focus on the teams that are playing instead of those who aren’t. I also believe that if the NIT invites you to its tournament, you SHOULD accept, but I’m an old guy who misses the old days, so I must check myself.

This year’s NIT champ will come with an asterisk, a yeah but, because the better teams chose not to participate. That’s not good for anybody—the schools, the winner, the NCAA, nobody.

The NIT, like the landline phone, may have lived out its usefulness. That’s part of life. Evolution occurs and it’s probably the right time for the NCAA to expand and for the NIT to fade away.

Where are Sherman, Washington, Mason, Madison, Wilson, and Paterson?

College athletics could implode before our eyes, just like America almost did

by John Furgele (The Constitutional 228)

In 1776, a new nation was created. That new nation, the United States of America, now was tasked to setting up an effective government. It wasn’t easy. The first form of government failed miserably and many were left wondering if breaking away from Mother Britain was a good idea. Something needed to done and thankfully the fixing took place when our leaders gathered in 1787 to “clean things up.”

In some ways, this reminds me of what’s happening with college athletics, specifically football. College athletics have never been this unstable. There is conference realignment that has resulted in bloated and nonsensical geography; one conference, the Pac 12, is gone; and the others have to check their back every day to see if there are any stab wounds. Throw in the transfer portal, NIL, and players voting to unionize makes all of this, in short, unmanageable.

Last week, the CFP committee decided to expand the college playoff from 12 to 14 teams. Never mind that we haven’t seen one incarnation of the 12-team format, the leaders have decided that, after years of stalling, let’s just expand before you expand?

Of course, this comes with concessions. The two power brokers, the SEC and the Big Ten want the most berths. They also wanted the two byes that go with a clunky 14-team format. The two conferences are also going to rake in 58 percent of the revenue, leaving 42 percent for the Big 12, the ACC and the five smaller conferences.

In addition to the byes, the Power 2 wanted to be guaranteed four automatic spots apiece, leaving six for everybody else. In short, the Power 2 dictated the terms and believe or not, for the most part, the other conferences gave in.

There was some pushback; it looks like the SEC and Big Ten will only get six automatics (3 each) and won’t be guaranteed the byes. But it does show how scared the Big 12 and ACC really are.

Critics may argue that the Big 12 and the ACC are selling their souls, but deep down, they’re operating out of fear. They know that if they don’t give in, the Big 2 will eventually raid their members and separate from the rest of college football and if that happens, perhaps all of the other sports.

The Big 12 and ACC are willing to cede to the Big 2, because they know that if they don’t, they could become the next Pac 12, a former conference. Better to get 42 cents of every dollar than zero.

What makes sports great is you never really know what’s going to happen. We all love the NCAA basketball tournament; with those early round upsets, even though when the smoke clears, a school from a power conference wins the title.

But this is different. Rather than have more conferences and giving conference champions a shot to win it all, it has become a money game. The conferences with the most money no longer want to divvy it up with those who make significantly less. When Saint Peter’s beat Kentucky, you could hear SEC commissioner Greg Sankey saying, “never again.”

In many ways, I get it. Why should the SEC, which generated $741 million in revenue in the 2022-23 fiscal year, want to give the Big 12 and the ACC an equal cut? Moreover, why should they share basketball money with the Atlantic Sun, or worse, give the ASUN champion a bid to the basketball tournament over its 10^th best team.

The SEC and Big Ten want to take their balls and go off on their own; they’re just waiting for the right moment. They’ll invite others, but it will be on their terms. Their only fear is that they don’t want to be blamed for the alteration, but eventually, the accountants and actuaries will show them the numbers and they’ll go for the jugular.

This current state reminds me of the Articles of Confederation, the first American form of government. We were a country, but we were a loose union of what really were independent states. There were meetings and legislation, but if Pennsylvania didn’t like what was being proposed, they ignored it and did things as they saw fit.

Thankfully, our Founding Fathers realized that this wasn’t going to cut it and in 1787, they returned to Philadelphia, tightened things up, and wrote The Constitution, a document that has lasted for 237 years.

The NCAA is the USA under the Articles of Confederation. They don’t have the leadership and brains to unite like our Founding Fathers did. As a result, there has never been more chaos. When the NCAA goes to court, they lose each time, all that does is weaken them and empower conferences like the Big Ten and the SEC. And soon, it will empower the athletes themselves.

The other conferences can’t even look to the NCAA for help because the NCAA can’t help, so they take deals. They allow for a 14-team playoff; they give the SEC and the Big Ten more guaranteed bids; they give them 58 cents on the dollar, because they’re afraid to get swallowed whole.

This might just be a temporary stay of execution. If Florida State wins its case against the ACC, we all know that they will leave. If that happens, others will follow. The NCAA can’t stop this, so more ACC schools will join the Big Ten and the SEC and eventually, the Big 12 schools will do the same. Others will get left out, natural selection if you will. In the end, you’ll have two Super Conferences with anywhere from 24 to 32 teams in each.

When that happens, you’ll have Alabama and Ohio State at the highest levels, with schools like Boston College, Syracuse, and Mississippi State wondering what hit them. The networks, if they still exist, will throw billions at this new SuperLeague. If not them, you the consumer will pay to stream it.

Once this happens, watch out NCAA Basketball Tournament. If you think the Power 2 will stop at football, your naivety is on full display. There may be no more UMBCs beating Virginia because UMBC won’t be allowed SuperLeague access.

For years, the athlete was restricted. If they weren’t happy at Ohio State, they couldn’t transfer to Bowling Green without sitting out for one season. If the “average” student can transfer, why can’t the athlete was the popular refrain.

But it’s out of hand. You can’t watch a basketball game without the broadcaster saying this guy transferred to Ohio State from Texas Tech. There has to be a way to rein this in, but the NCAA sits by and watches, powerless.

What college athletics needs are guys and gals like George Washington, George Mason, James Madison, Roger Sherman, William Paterson, and James Wilson. These six knew that America, under the Articles of Confederation, would eventually implode so they came up with a vision that ensured the United States of America would be around for the long term.

At some point, college athletics needs its own Constitutional Convention and it would be wise to include the athletes. Let them in and give them some concessions and come up with a plan that works.

Thanks to Roger Sherman, we have two houses in Congress; one (House of Representatives) that’s proportionally represented; one (Senate) that’s equality based. There has to be a vision, a plan for future success, before the ecosystem crumbles.

The dam is eventually going to give way if the proper barriers aren’t set up. Josh Allen had to sign a rookie contract when he entered the NFL; his earnings restricted. High school recruits are now telling football coaches that they need $2 million in NIL money as a starting point. How long before Scott Boras becomes a college sports agent?

I’m not sure of Sherman, Mason, and Paterson have cell phones, but somebody needs to get in touch with them sooner than later.

Another Year, Another Season Of Running

Life has it ups and downs, but running has always been there

by John Furgele (The Addicted 228)

BINGHAMTON—In the summer of 1983, I was desperate. I was 15, and about to enter my sophomore year at fabled Grand Island High School, a town 10 miles north of Buffalo. In the fall of 1982, I tried out for the junior varsity football team, hoping to become a big-time running back. After two weeks as a tackling dummy, thankfully, I was cut.

I tried soccer (broken foot), freshman basketball (success) and then junior varsity baseball (cut). Let’s just say that finding a sport was challenging.

I still wanted to “play” a fall sport. I wanted to be outside and I wanted to be part of something at the start of the 1983-84 school year. I had finished second in a PE class two-mile run in the spring of ‘82 and my teacher, Mr. Flaherty suggested that I give cross country a try.

“All you have to do is get a good pair of running shoes,” Flaherty said. “They sell them at K Mart.”

So I tried out, made the team, and had some success. The team was good, too. In the fall of 1983, our best runner captured an individual state title. In 1984, our team captured the Section 6 Class A title and then finished eighth at the New York State Championships. We repeated in 1985, moving up to fifth at states.

A few colleges showed some interest and the one that showed the most was SUNY Brockport, a Division III school west of Rochester, NY. Naturally, that’s where I went and like high school, I had some decent successes as a Golden Eagle runner.

Little did I know that 41 years later, I’d still be running. Like many high school and college runners, there comes a time where the shoes are put away forever, but for some reason, I have kept at it. Yes, there have been times where I stopped, got pudgy, and contemplated retirement.

The closest I came to quitting was 1994. I was 26 and just not into it anymore. I had a real job and because of that, time was precious. Why spend 60 to 90 minutes per day running when I can be more productive doing other things? My running was so inconsistent that quitting seemed logical.

I was also overeating, something you can do when you run 60 miles a week but can’t do when you’re running six.

I told a friend (and former college teammate) that I was going to quit and he talked me out of it, put me on an 8-week training plan and told me to stick to it. By the end of those 8 weeks, I was back—for good.

Running is a tough sport, but it has always been there for me, the one constant in this crazy thing called life. I have had at least 15 jobs; I got married, had three kids, got divorced, moved, grayed, changed careers four times, but running has always been the old reliable.

I’m not sure I still love running, only because it’s harder, but I still like it and look forward to running on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. When something becomes part of your life, it’s very difficult to abandon it.

As I’ve matured, despite the fact that I run the same amount of miles, my times have slowed. That’s due to age and the refusal to do “workouts,” but it still bothers me and I’m sure other aging runners just like me. Your brain says go and the body says no.

The races are where Father Time shows up, but I still feel a pull to take part in them even though they’re nothing more than glorified training runs. When you practice often, the ultimate tests are the games. Why do all that training, if you can’t see how good you are?

That’s what made me drive 145 miles to Binghamton, NY on March 9. In my prime, I ran in tons of road races. I averaged about 25 (1990-1999) a year and in 1996, ran 41 of them, my high water mark.

The running season, to me, begins in March and ends on Thanksgiving Day. You can run races before and after, but to me, the lidlifter is some sort of St. Patrick’s themed race in March and the Super Bowl is some version of a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.

Buffalo has their Shamrock Run on the first Saturday in March while Rochester follows with theirs a week or two later. Albany (my hometown) has theirs this Saturday (March 16), but because I work (career change) every other weekend, I must plan things out.

While the Albany race makes the most sense, I’ve always liked traveling. When I lived in Rochester, I raced much more in Buffalo than I did in the Flower City.

The Binghamton race, the St. Pat’s 4-Miler, is an honest test. Indeed, there are flat stretches, but there are several uphills to compliment the downhills and why the course designer made us run uphill on Chestnut Street from mile 3 to 3.5 will remain a mystery to this runner/writer.

I ran this race 10 years ago, in 2014, and yesterday, I ran three minutes slower. My finishing time was 28:24 for the four miles and despite the final mile hill; my last mile was the fastest of the four. Afterwards, when I looked at the time on my old Casio watch, I said to myself, “I’ll take it.”

I have officially begun season number 42. I won’t win anything this year, but I suppose the biggest win is still being able to compete at the age of 56. I know that at some point, the running and racing days will end, but I’ll push that to the far ends of my mind and see how long I can go.

While my times have slowed, the race atmosphere is still enjoyable. There are always people to talk to, stories to share, and training techniques to discuss. And that doesn’t matter if you’re conversing with the overall winner or someone who was thrilled that they broke 10-munute per mile pace. And, there was free beer, never a bad thing.

I chatted with a 71-year old retired teacher who finished three seconds behind me; the overall fifth place finisher who had a name—Joe Guinness—that any beer drinker would love; a woman who’s main thing is competing in 100 milers. The race director, Tom Ryan, convinced me through emails that driving to Binghamton would be worth it. He was right.

One guy was from Bloomsburg, PA. My Dad grew up near there and we talked about Knoebel’s Amusement Park, the site of my annual family reunion. I told him to stop by pavilion D on the second Saturday in August for some chicken, sausage, and meatballs. Part of me thinks he will.

Before making the trek home, I had lunch at the Spiedie and Rib Pit in Vestal. Spiedies are a Binghamton delicacy and “The Pit,” did not disappoint. My recommendation is the Buffalo Chicken, but you probably can’t go wrong with the other choices on the menu. As they say, when in Rome….

Running season is here and we’ll see where it goes. I won’t race much this year, but will jump in here and there to see where I’m at. I’ve run 35 consecutive Turkey Trots and hope to keep that streak going this Thanksgiving at the Super Bowl.

As my freshman college roommate used to tell me, “Keep Training Man,” and that’s what we’ll do for a 42^nd season.