Even dour Goodell a welcome distraction
A stray cat just wandered into the 3Dot Lounge, so that makes two of us. He leaped upon the bar and ordered the Roger Goodell, a tasteless concoction that makes your tongue feel like sandpaper.
There’s the NFL commissioner on a nearby television screen, oblivious to the COVID19 crisis, making it sound as if his April 2325 draft is beautifully timed. Not only that, he’s going to chastise any league representatives who question its timing. Disgusting, isn’t it?
The problem is, there’s really nothing else to talk about. All these projections on when the NBA, Major League Baseball and other sports will resume play, or how — total conjecture.
You’d find more clarity in a fogbank. So allow this column some quick takes on quarterbacks:
Marcus Mariota: The sooner he starts for Las Vegas (oh my God), the better. Derek Carr is a likable fellow, but he’s had his turn with the Raiders. Let’s see something new. You know that’s what Jon Gruden has in mind . ... Jimmy Garoppolo: Get off his back, everyone. He’s going to be fine, the Niners are lucky to have him, and there are many excellent wide receivers in this draft . ... Tom Brady: I’ve always liked him, but wow — boring choice. That garish Tampa Bay uniform suggests some guy working behind a pizza counter . ... Kyler Murray: It was a gift. Fell right out of the sky. Arizona worked a trade for AllPro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and if Larry Fitzgerald postpones his retirement plans for a year, that’s one hell of a pair . ... Deshaun Watson: You have to believe the rumors about his desire for a New England gig. Arizona flatout stole Hopkins from Houston ... Justin Herbert: Let him land in that No. 6 slot with the Chargers. Sounds absolutely right.
Here’s the deal if the NFL expands to a 17game schedule, now a possibility as early as 2021: If the players approve, from the safety angle, no more debate is necessary. This is the one major sports league that doesn’t have an overly long schedule. There’s always a cry for more football, right through the Super Bowl. What remains astonishingly lame: The NFL doesn’t wipe out its exhibition season altogether. Eliminate that nonsense and an 18game schedule would work . ... Weekend highlights on NBC Sports Bay Area: At 4 p.m. Saturday, the WarriorsCeltics game from December 2015, a doubleovertime win that extended Golden State’s seasonopening record to 240. No team ever put more passion into the regular season than those Warriors. They were possessed, and that 73win surge was a tribute to professionalism and pure desire. The following night, in Milwaukee, would end a sevengame trip and bring the season’s first loss. But check that Boston game to see how badly the Warriors wanted to make history. They should have no regrets . ... Then on Sunday, starting at 9:30 a.m., it’s Games 1, 4, 5 and 7 from the Giants’ 2014 World Series against Kansas City . ... Readers have inquired about Joe Panik, recently noted in the Sporting
Green’s “this day in history” feature. He signed a minorleague deal with Toronto but has been placed on the 40man roster, a good sign . ... The power of Huey Lewis: The video of “Her Love is Killin’ Me,” from his new album, features Joe Montana, Bruce Bochy, Jimmy Buffett, Michael Keaton, Brad Paisley and Jimmy Kimmel, among other notables. Definitely worth a look on YouTube . ... MLB has canceled its scheduled games in Mexico City, Puerto Rico and London, but hopes remain for the Aug. 13 game between the Yankees and White Sox in Dyersville, Iowa, where “Field of Dreams” was filmed. The site adjoins a cornfield and has long been a tourist attraction; an 8,000seat stadium was built for this and future MLB visits . ... Always good for a cheerup, easily found online: The Batting Stance Guy, featuring Danville’s Gar Ryness and his amazing ability to mimic stances new and old. Can’t recommend it highly enough . ... April marks my 47th year at the Chronicle, exclamation point, and I’ve never been more proud of the product. In the most difficult of times, the staff ’s dedication has soared above and beyond.