NFL Week 6 Picks: The New And Terrible Normal

Yes, Yes It Is

After five weeks of this, it is just like the never ending race for the White House. In that it is intolerable, eternal, and getting uglier by the minute. I've never had a stretch like this before, and even when I'm right, I'm missing on the half points, or on injuries or garbage time covers.

Well, no way through it but to do it. Everything yields to effort. Either that, or I'm fulfilling the classic definition of insanity.

Also, in the time that it took me to write this column, five different women charged the Republican nominee for President, who is supported by tens of millions of people, of sexual assault. We've got four more weeks of this, too.

And with that... on to the picks!

                                                                   * * * * *

DENVER (-3) at San Diego

Division games are always ugly, and Denver player terribly just this week at home against the suddenly dominant Falcons... but the Chargers just look snakebit this year, and there might not be a less imposing home field than one that (a) every opponent's fan base loves to travel to, and (b) the home team is constantly looking over its shoulder as to whether or not this is the last time such and such happens, because they are constantly looking to move. Look for Denver to control this with the ground game even if QB1 Trevor Siemian misses another game, and for their secondary to recover in a big way. Also, well, Terrible Night Football means it won't be close or run to watch.

Broncos 22, Chargers 13

San Francisco at BUFFALO (-7.5)

A lot of points to go for a run-first team that didn't look all that good until recently, and the Niners might get a bounce from a QB change to Colein Kaepernick... but the deck chairs on the Titanic don't have that much impact, and this defense is getting increasingly gassed, hurt, and apathetic. It's almost as if Chip Kelly's strategies don't work at the NFL level, or that he's not very good at coaching in the pros!

Bills 27, Niners 17

PHILADELPHIA (-2.5) at Washington

Second straight winnable road game for my laundry, who didn't set the snooze alarm early enough to avoid real trouble last week in Detroit. This week, I think the defense bounces back, and DC plays to its actual level, rather than their better lucky than good standing of the past two weeks. But this game is always worrisome, and if Philly loses, the shine of the 3-0 start is well and truly gone. Really bad time for DC to lose TE Jordan Reed, who is undergoing concussion protocols, and historically destroys my laundry.

Eagles 20, Slurs 16

CLEVELAND (+7) at Tennessee

I think this week's Browns loss is heart-breaking, rather than soul-crushing. Also, I don't think the Titans are good enough to play competent football in back to back weeks. But if you've got serious interest in this game, you have bigger problems in life, really.

Titans 24, Browns 20

Baltimore at NY GIANTS (-3)

Home cooking for Big Blue after two straight weeks of taking prime time beatings from NFC North royalty. The Ravens are coming off a dispiriting home loss to the Slurs that could have been a win, but all of their wins could have easily been losses, too. It's coin flippy, but I'll take the home team and expect the offense to finally put it together, in a game with more scoring than expected.

Giants 34, Ravens 23

Carolina at NEW ORLEANS (+3)

Are the Panthers really just this bad? They get a short week after a bad home loss, the record is really starting to become a problem, and the Saints at home are usually good enough on offense to cover sins. The Super Bowl Loser curse strikes again.

Saints 34, Panthers 30

JACKSONVILLE (+2.5) at Chicago

Two nowhere teams, but the Jags seem to have a higher ceiling, and I'm just not seeing QB2 Brian Hoyer putting up back to back good games. Jacksonville is also coming off the UK bye and a win, which in the AFC South counts as life-changing momentum.

Jaguars 24, Bears 21

LA Rams at DETROIT (-3.5)

The Lions' surprising win and defense of home field continues against a maddeningly inconsistent Ram team that doesn't usually travel well, and comes into this game after a dispiriting loss to Buffalo. Which means I'm probably getting this wrong, because random events rule the NFL, but the Lions are actually pretty good at stopping the run. Also, QB Matthew Stafford really is playing well.

Lions 27, Rams 20

PITTSBURGH (-7.5) at Miami

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has been prone to massive home/road splits in the recent past, and Miami can get after the QB... but Steeler Fan is going to turn this yard into Heinz Field South, and the Yellow is just a much more potent outfit with RB Le'veon Bell in the mix, since he's basically uncoverable as a WR, too. This one could be over fast.

Steelers 38, Dolphins 20

Cincinnati at NEW ENGLAND (-8.5)

I hate giving up this many points on the road in New England with a team like Cincy, who have the historical tendencies -- physical offense, playmaking defense -- that expose the Pats in the playoffs. But after last week's total no-show in Dallas, and with RB Jeremy Hill seemingly hobbled by a chest injury, I just can't. This has the potential to be like the Buffalo game two weeks ago, but QB Tom Brady will keep it from going that way.

Patriots 27, Bengals 17

KANSAS CITY (+1) at Oakland

Andy Reid after a bye, with a fully healed and rested Jamaal Charles, might set things to rights in the AFC West. (If they had LB Justin Houston back as well, which might fix their lagging pass rush, that would be even better, but he's not quite there yet.) Oakland is the NFL's most interesting team in terms of close and surprising games, but I'm thinking that will take a week off here.

Chiefs 31, Raiders 24

ATLANTA (+6.5) at Seattle

If Atlanta can win this game, a week after handling the Broncos in Denver, we might have to consider them the best team in football... but against the Seahawks in Seattle, coming off a bye, I'm just not seeing it. Then again, I didn't see last week's game coming, either. At some point, QB Matt Ryan has to revert to career norms, right? I'm not calling for a win, but with the Seahawks OL, a cover seems more likely than not.

Seahawks 27, Falcons 24

DALLAS at Green Bay (-4.5)

Kind of the flip side of the Falcons' game, in that Dallas can lay serious claim to being the NFC's best team with a win... but, well, won't, because the Packer defense is starting to put it together, and the Dallas offense isn't good enough to win a tough road game without WR1 Dez Bryant at 100%. But it'll be a grind.

Packers 27, Cowboys 24

INDIANAPOLIS (+3) at Houston

I don't really have a great feel for this game, other than QB Andrew Luck under lights seems like it will work better than QB Brock Osweiler. Why NBC chose to put the AFC South in prime time, we'll never know. Oh, and K Adam Vinateri is just unreal.

Colts 26, Texans 24

NY JETS (+7.5) at Arizona

Two very disappointing teams, and I'm just not comfortable laying the points. Besides, both of these QBs are just ready to crap the bed with multiple picks.

Cardinals 27, Jets 24

Last week: 4-10

Year: 28-49

Career: 787-799-49

Discussions In Locker Rooms

Locker Room Of The Mind

This is going to get a little political, but it's more about sports than most of those things, so enjoy or don't. After the first few thousand posts, I don't lose a great deal of sleep on the likes and comments, or lack thereof.

Donald Trump's infamous tape the other day is the sociological litmus test of our time, with women seeming to react a lot more than men to the, well, awfulness of it all. But it's his explanation and minimization of the act as "locker room talk" that interests me.

You see, I've been in locker rooms. Lots of them. Different kinds, too, as both a journalist and an athlete. From sad little run-down rooms where never-was guys changed in quiet pain and privacy, to up and coming college places with money pouring in every vent and bravado thick enough to cut, to the pro places that have the aspect of upper-class office. As a golfer, I've been in all levels of those rooms, too. Literally dozens of different places.

Now, on to the kinds of conversations that you have there, assuming you aren't talking about things as a sports reporter.

Most of the time, they are cursory at best, because naked strangers are exceptionally awkward and most of the time, no one wants to tarry. But sometimes you get chatty people, especially older guys, who feel like they can just inflict an opinion or six on you. Most of the time, they are harmless, and so long as you don't feed them attention, it ends quickly. But public spaces are public spaces, and some people are just there to teach you patience. It passes.

No, what Trump is talking about here is a locker room that you and I don't get to go into. It's a place where access is restricted only to members, loyalists, subjects. Where you can say anything you want, because no one will stop you from saying it, or tell you that your sense of "humor" is inappropriate or hurtful or destructive, because they are all on the payroll. Or trying very desperately to stay in your orbit and enjoy a similar life without the risk, heritage, and so on.

Which is why I think the gender gap on this experience exists. In our dark little corners, men might imagine being like The Star, able to do whatever we want, whenever we want, without a moment of self-consciousness or consequence... and so long as everyone's making money and we're wonderful enough, it's all good, right?

Well, no, not ever, because life doesn't work like that, and you wind up learning that at some point in your transition from boy to man, and if you don't, well, life beats it into you. Unless you're wildly privileged, of course.

So Trump's locker room?

Goes everywhere he does.

And your locker room?

Does not.

Eagles - Lions Takeaways

Nice Try, Kid

I took the Shooter Mom to the game today, and, um, rough one. Here's what I'll remember from the game.

> Ford's Field is an indoor dome, but with a ton of natural light that avoids most of the warehouse problem that makes indoor arenas problematic.

> From a presentation standpoint, the sightlines and accessibility of the venue is fine, and despite being high up, we had no issues seeing the entirety of the game. Visually, it's a good place.

> Where the place fails is from an audio standpoint. Despite the place not being full -- there were large sections of empty seats for most of the day -- they pushed up the bass to obnoxious levels, which just seems like it's catering to a demographic that isn't actually at the game.

> The audio issues don't end there. Detroit has been blessed with a massive amount of breakthrough musical acts. From Kiss to Eminem to the White Stripes to Motown, the region can claim an absurd amount of recognizable tunes that would work, and do work, in stadiums from coast to coast. Which makes the choice of generic techno thump all the more off-putting, honestly.

> Lion Fan has the same sense of Here We Go Again as Cleveland Fan. Even after going up 14-0 in the first quarter with an offense that was making every play with ease, they were fatalistic about what was to come. For reasons, but not for fatal ones, at least not today.

> Make no mistake about it: Carson Wentz played well enough to win this game, many times over. The raw numbers -- 25 of 33 for 238, 2 TDs, 1 INT -- seem fine, but don't tell the full story. He moved in the pocket effectively. His wideouts let him down repeatedly, especially late in the game when the club had to settle for field goals twice, rather than make plays in the end zone on catchable balls. The game-ending pick was a mistake, but an understandable one, and one that spoke more to Nelson Agholor's inability to fight for the ball and play DB, rather than Wentz's inaccuracy. In the grand scheme of people to blame for this loss, Wentz is way down on the list.

> The biggest culprit in this one, to me, was head coach Doug Pederson. With the game on the line with a killshot opportunity -- convert a third and 4 while up two points with less than three minutes to go -- he takes the ball out of the hands of his QB, and puts it in the hands of RB Ryan Mathews on a toss sweep. End result; loss, fumble, disaster. Wentz finishes this game with a 115 QBR; Mathews finishes with 11 carries for 42 yards, with the rushing attack only going 21 for 116 -- far from a lock, especially when you pull out Darren Sproles' 5 for 45. Wentz had converted a third down earlier in the drive. I would have kept it in his hands there, and I hope that Pederson has learned a big lesson from this failure.

> Pederson, and also maybe Wentz, also get demerits for forgetting the TE in this matchup. The offensive line spent much of this game giving Wentz all the time he needed, and TE Zach Ertz contributed 3 for 37 with no real off moments, other than a marginal OPI push off that negated a first. Detroit had given up TDs to TEs in every game prior to this one, and to forget about them in this game wasn't a positive.

> Sproles had 9 touches for 68 yards in this one, and clearly looks like the RB that Pederson trusts the most in tough situations. For fantasy honks who were looking for more Wendell Smallwood in their lives, um, no. Kenyan Barner was also MIA.

> Detroit QB Matthew Stafford went 19 for 25 for 180 and 3 TDs, the first three passing touchdowns of the year against this defense. To say they didn't show up for the first half was an obvious understatement, in that the Lions had three possessions for three long touchdown drives. You can't play half a game and win in the NFL, and why this club was so flat coming out of the bye is another big indictment of Pederson making rookie mistakes.

> Philly also had 111 penalty yards to Detroit's 18. I'm not going to claim home-field cooking on this one, but, un, 111 to 18. Yeesh. 14 flags to 2. Just not good.

> It's hard to get too upset about a road loss that takes you to 3-1 when your rookie QB plays brilliantly, but the plain and simple is that the NFC East is a lot better than expected this year, and blowing this very winnable game hurts a lot. Dallas smoked the Bengals at home, DC edged the Ravens on the road, and the path to winning the division just got a lot harder, because Dallas looks to be for real. None of us had big hopes for more than 6 to 8 wins before the year started, but after stomping the Steelers, 10 to 11 wins and a division crown seemed very possible.

Now? Well, the division games are coming, and there's a lot less to like about this defense after it slept through a really bad half of football, then failed to get stops late when it held a lead and deep down and distance opportunities. They bounced back, they held the Lions to 244 total yards after giving up 230 in the first half... but Detroit isn't good, and this was a game they'll sorely regret not winning later.

> A final note about Detroit: it's a very affordable place to watch a game, and a nice one, too. My traveling party is myself, my mom, and my very good friend Al and his mom. Saturday, we went out for Thai food and a movie, and spend less than $100 for the four of us for everything. Today, we went to the game, had concessions at the game, parked, then caught late games in Royal Oak at a Buffalo Wild Wings. Parking was half of what we paid in Chicago, concessions were low for a stadium, the BWW was a lot less than NJ, and so on, and so on. There are parts of the town that make you wonder, from obvious homeless encampments near the stadium to dicey blocks in the area, and the hotel we stayed at was a little bit overrun with uncontrolled kids doing Pool and Elevator Shenanigans into the wee hours... but we generally had about as much fun as we could have during a 1-point bitter road loss. In the seven different road games we've been to (Green Bay, Chicago, Cleveland, Tampa, St. Louis, Indy and here), this ranks above Chicago and St. Louis, and roughly comparable to Indy, Tampa and Cleveland.

So far, nothing compares to Green Bay. But you could have guessed that already, right?

NFL Picks Week 5: Operation Ruin It

That's What I Do

This week, I'll be taking the Shooter Mom to our ninth Eagles game for her birthday, one of the better traditions that I've been able to work out in my life. Mom's a hard-core Eagles fan, routinely out-points me in fantasy, and is statistically better than your mom. (Sorry, but you can't argue with the numbers.)

We've been to Philly, Green Bay, Chicago, Tampa, St. Louis, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and this year, Detroit. The first three games were losses, and the last four have been wins, and this one is looking good, which means we're totally doomed and going to ruin it.

This is something that adults just do, really. Take a look at last week's picks, where I went 6-9? It also was a week where I led both of my fantasy leagues in points, giving a fresh load of false hope that the first few weeks of the year were just a fluke and that my waiver wire run of competency is all going to work out. Terrance West and Christine Michael forever! Or, in all likelihood, less than a quarter of their next game. That's more along my historical speed.

We're due for a good week in the picks, and a bad week in everything else. (Oh, and I think I'm coming down with something, because that's what you want to do before a plane trip.)

And with that... on to the ruined picks!

                                     * * * * *

ARIZONA (-4) at San Francisco

Two very damaged teams, one that's disappointing for real, and the other that's disappointing for fun. Arizona might be missing starting QB Carson Palmer, which makes their team dead men walking... but the Niners will definitely be missing MLB Navarro Bowman, and this defense wasn't setting the world on fire against the run anyway. Look for Red RB David Johnson to carry the mail and everything else, and the Cardinals to start their long and slow haul out of the massive hole they are in. Oh, and since it's Thursday Night Football, expect the game to hurt your eyes on every level.

Cardinals 24, Niners 19

NEW ENGLAND (-10.5) at Cleveland

There are reasons to take the Browns, who have been much better than their winless record, mostly because their are multiple players on offense who have greatly exceeded expectations. And if they were facing a 4-0 Patriots team with a rusty Tom Brady taking the snaps, they might have covered the number. But a week after getting the taste slapped out of their mouths by the Bills, Brady will come in hard, and the Patriots will run it up late.

Patriots 34, Browns 20

PHILADELPHIA (-3) at Detroit

The road team is coming off a bye and has been dominant. The home team is coming off terribly disappointing losses, and will probably be selling seats by the score. With Eagle Fan marking out for rookie QB wunderkind Carson Wentz, expect five figures of Road Fan, and another disciplined win for the NFC's most surprising team. Oh, and DC Jim Schultz has a long memory of not keeping the gig in Detroit, too.

Eagles 30, Lions 20

Chicago at INDIANAPOLIS (-4.5)

Lord, the Colts are a terrible organization. QB Andrew Luck is going to spend the prime of his career trying to prop up a collection of sludge around him, and never cratering enough to get idiot-free picks to re-stock the talent base around him. Last week in London, he spent the first half having his team betray him, and the second rallying them anyway, only to have the drops come back at the close to destroy the comeback. They've got the worst recovery trip ever thanks to denying the bye after the UK trip, but this Bears team isn't going to be able to get it done.

Colts 34, Bears 27

Tennessee at MIAMI (-3.5)

Dolphins coming off long rest and a thumping loss to the Bengals, while the Titans have been stumbling all around the league, with an offense that can't stop turning it over. In a game that won't matter or be remembered for anything, give me the home team with rest in a coin flip.

Dolphins 24, Titans 20

Washington at BALTIMORE (-4)

A good regional fight between two teams that have better records than organizations. DC is very fortunate to be at .500 despite a defense that's getting blown out at the line and an offense that's having real issues with ball security and red zone conversion. Baltimore's ceiling is very limited, but they are usually better at home, and they might have figured out their running game with RB Terrance West and returning rookie Kenneth Dixon.

Ravens 23, Slurs 16

HOUSTON (+6) at Minnesota

Short rest for the Vikings and a possible letdown game for a club that keeps leaving points on the field with missed field goals and game management offense. I don't think Houston wins this game, but I think they cover, and I don't think the crowd or team gets up as much for this random matchup.

Vikings 24, Texans 20

NY Jets at PITTSBURGH (-7)

The Steeler offense at home is just a machine, and the Jet defense isn't going to be up to the task. On the other side of the ball, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick just seems to be in end of career free fall all of a sudden, and smart DBs can bait him into poor decisions routinely. The Jets will move the ball and score, but they won't get stops, and eventually, they will give Yellow a short field and extra possessions. That doesn't end well for them.

Steelers 34, Jets 24

Atlanta at DENVER (-5.5)

Time to throw in the towel on regression for the Denver defense; this outfit is just relentless and can't be stopped, probably because the offense without Peyton Manning isn't putting them out there very often or very quickly. The Falcons are 4-0 and are coming off a game for the ages performance from WR Julio Jones (300 yards) and QB Matt Ryan (500); in this one, more like 100 and 250, and another Denver win. Too much pressure from the home team DL is a pretty common formula these days.

Broncos 26, Falcons 20

CINCINNATI (-1) at Dallas

Time for the Bengals to step up and get the kind of road win that give their fan base hope that this year in the playoffs will be different. Dallas doesn't have the defensive horses to keep up with the Bengals' varied offense, and while their running game took a step backward in last win's game against Miami, the defense looks worlds better with spiritual leader MLB Vontaze Burfict back in the fold. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott loses the INT-free streak in this one, especially with WR Dez Bryant on the sideline.

Bengals 24, Cowboys 20

Buffalo at LA RAMS (-2.5)

Classic letdown game opportunity for the Bills, who got a shutout smackdown win in New England, and now have to fly across the country to play a defense that's been lights out since a weak opener. QB Tyrod Taylor will have to be very good in this one, and there will be opportunities downfield, but the road game will be just too much to overcome.

Rams 23, Bills 20

San Diego at OAKLAND (-4)

Next level opportunity for the home team, who need to get a division win to solidify their bona fides as the clear #2 in the AFC West. San Diego has done an admirable job of getting production out of Next Man Up, but in this one, they are going to need RB Melvin Gordon to put up triple digits and clock control, and I just don't think that he's up to it.

Raiders 26, Chargers 20

NY Giants at GREEN BAY (-7.5)

The Pack at home off a bye is almost always good for a cover and big numbers for QB Aaron Rodgers, but the bigger issue is how WR Odell Beckham Jr. just seems to be turning into more distraction than weapon. The NFL refs are flagging him for sins that are mostly ignored by other players, and he's just taking himself and his offense out of games with freakouts. Equally disturbing is how QB Eli Manning is playing the game to avoid injury more than to move the team, with spikes and throwaways on light pressure. This week, I think he overcompensates and turns it over a lot, and the Giant secondary is also very banged up. The Packer offense is still very worrisome, but you won't notice it this week.

Packers 34, Giants 20

Tampa at CAROLINA (pick 'em)

Desperation game for both disappointing teams, with the home team likely on QB2 and the road team with a disappointing defense and turnover issues on offense. The Bucs are missing RB Doug Martin terribly, in that RB2 Charles Sims is exposed with more touches, and QB Jameis Winston is forcing throws. Carolina is in real trouble, with a secondary that's just been nuked, but I think they have a bounce-back game, and QB Derek Anderson will get enough muscled deep balls to WR Kelvin Benjamin to put points on the board. Note also that Bucs K Robert Aguayo, he of the terrible too early pick status, has also been as shaky as advertised.

Panthers 24, Bucs 20

Last week: 6-9

Year: 24-39

Career: 783-789-49

Falling Out Of Baseball

Tell Your Statistics To Shut Up

Not very long ago, Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez lost his life in a tragic boating accident. Fernandez was an iconic, dominant player, and his loss reverberated throughout sports. In the Marlins' first game after the loss, power-free leadoff hitter Dee Gordon took the first pitch right handed, because Fernandez hit that way. Then he switched over to the more appropriate left side, and hit his first and last home run of the season, the only one he'd manage in 325 at bats, and just his ninth in six years of play.

Gordon was very emotional afterward, and wound up having a 4-hit night in a year that was mostly a wash, with the second-worst on-base average in his six years, and a massive steroid suspension eating half of his year. In the post-game, he said he never hit a ball that far in his life, not even in batting practice, and that he felt that the ball had help from Fernandez's spirit. It was, in short, one of those moments that only baseball can be said to provide, where special things happen that attach themselves to narratives.

I missed the game, have Gordon on my fantasy league team, and wound up reading about it the day after it happened. So I went to MLB's web site to learn more about it, and wound up watching a Statcast video of Gordon's home run... that went into mindless detail about exit velocity, distance traveled, arc, amount of time in the air, and what the batting average for those types of hits usually produced.

No, seriously. If you've ever wondered why people hate analytics people, watch that video and wonder no more.

Yesterday, broadcasting legend Vin Scully worked his last game for the Dodgers. The sports world covered this with all due gravity, and we all got extended exposure to Scully's classic solo coverage of his last few games, including a heartfelt and moving speech to the Dodger Stadium faithful.

I can tell you from painful and poignant experience, first with Richie Ashburn and Harry Kalas in Philadelphia, then with the equally wonderful Bill King in Oakland, that once you lose a voice like that in your ear, you never get it back. And in baseball, given the time spent, that matters more than just about anything, honestly.

The Dodgers are in the playoffs, but Scully won't be working those games, because MLB always bigfoots the local announcers in the playoffs for no good reason at all. If you can find a single person who prefers Joe Buck in the booth to Scully... well, I'm glad you know Buck personally, in that he makes a lot of money, and maybe he picks up the bill at restaurants for you. Otherwise, we all lose, Dodger Fan most of all.

This is where I'm supposed to pivot, talk about the matchups in the upcoming playoff season, discuss the possibility of a nation-changing run by the loaded Cubs, pray to all that is holy that Boston Fan doesn't get yet another parade in a month-long festival of David Ortiz worship, and so on, and so on.

But to be honest, there's almost no part of me that is into it. Some rando team will win the rando play-in game, because there's no such thing as long-form pennant races and a deserving team getting their hearts broken in the regular season any more. Boston will beat Cleveland, because there's no way that Cleveland Fan didn't sell their entire soul for that Cavs win last June. The whole thing will wrap up in a month, and if we are very, very lucky, keep America somewhat sane from the presidential madness that's going on.

And I'm going to take a miss on the whole thing, because the entirety of this year has been a miss for me.

Here's the thing; baseball is a local game played nationally. If my laundry (Oakland) isn't involved, the height of my rooting interest is to hope that some other fan base that I loathe (Boston) doesn't win, or maybe that specific players don't get a ring (none really anymore; I'm getting too old to hate players, especially in the morally compromised world of fantasy leagues, assuming they are smart enough to keep their terrible politics private until retirement).

I have a very good friend who would be happy if the Orioles won. I know people from old start ups who go for the Giants. One of my poker regulars lives and dies with his Mets. Toronto has the ex-A's player I miss the most (3B Josh Donaldson). A good friend of over 30 years is all over his Dodgers. If the Cubs win, that's one more fan base we don't ever have to hear from again, and Bill Murray is happy. Bill Murray is a national treasure, so Go Cubs.

But here's the thing -- I don't really have a team that I'm rooting *against*, save for Boston. Sure, Texas has had Bush overtones, and DC is a terrible place filled with dubious memories, but it's not as if I know anyone that will have their day ruined by their baseball team not going the distance.

There's also this. I probably watched less baseball this year than I did "House of Cards" episodes.

That's how uninspiring my A's were. That's how un-competitive my fantasy team was (a pitching staff built around David Price and Sonny Gray; plus Gordon's siesta and subsequent death in steals; I was doomed by May and knew it).

I have no King and no Kalas and MLB has repugnant leadership and wildly overpriced tickets, with no franchise terribly close by, and the NBA just keeps taking more of my life, and yeah.

I spent many years, as an adult, not caring at all about baseball. It was timed to match the period where the Phillies (my first laundry, and the first that I ever gave up) stopped trying to win games until they got a new yard, then the game went on strike and killed Montreal, and I just let it all go. That entire Yankee era was missed, and amen to that. I only got back into the game as a lark, with the A's local to where I lived, and some luck and fun in fantasy. It's honestly been years since baseball has been fun for me.

I'm sure that it will be again some day.

Just not now, and I don't really know, well, when.

So... Cubs to win it all, I guess. Enjoy the games.