MORE THOUGHTS WHILE THINKING

The United States Men’s National (soccer) Team beat Trinidad and 

Tobago 3-0 Thursday (Nov. 16), yet hardly anyone felt good about it. 

In giving out grades for the American players’ performance, a veteran 

USMNT watcher clearly wasn’t impressed. Based on one (low) to 10 

(high), two got a six, while Gio Reyna received a best of eight. 

Everyone else was a five (mediocre/average) or lower. … The losers 

didn’t put a shot on goal, lost a player to a red card before halftime, 

and spent the rest of the game with 10 men deep in the defensive end 

… but goalkeeper Matt Turner received a five … for having nothing 

to do but watch, I guess.

Thank you, Richmond Raceway, for explaining what all that red and

 blue stuff stood for in your new logo. Let the merchandising begin.

OK, so soccer (futbol) on the international stage remains difficult for

Americans to impress. Matt Turner was overcoming a weak defense in 

front of him to give Nottingham Forest a real chance to keep from 

being relegated – again – from the English Premier League. However, 

what was described as “one bad goal” against Liverpool put the one-

time Richmond Kicker on the bench … and left the soccer 

intelligentsia wondering if he was able to backstop the USMNT as he 

did so well in the past.

Come on … we’re supposed to feel sorry for James Madison 

U.,football … that it isn’t bowl eligible. Poor JMU … which WILL 

play in one of the many who-cares post-season matchups by default 

because there won’t be enough teams to win at least six games … 

which is what it takes to qualify.

Please … someone explain why Pat McAfee is worth $75 million to

ESPN. A buck 50 … perhaps. The constant crawl tells it all: "three 

stooges." One, actually.

Maybe some good will come out of JMU’s lawsuit against the NCAA

after all … like leading to the demise of the NCAA. The end is near, 

regardless.

Charissa Thompson of Fox created quite a stir among fellow sideline

 reporters, admitting there were times when she made stuff up. Jeepers, 

who knew? I mean, how would a viewer know the difference … or, for 

that matter, care? When was the last time you heard anything close to a 

stop-the-presses report?

The burning question on a local sports call-in this week was: What will 

it take for the Washington Commanders to beat the New York Football 

Giants Sunday? Easy: Show up. The 2-8 Giants are more interested in 

landing a QB in the 2024 draft, either Caleb Williams (Southern Cal) 

or Drake Maye (North Carolina).

Actually, come to think about it (in the face of outrage from her

 contemporaries), Charissa Thompson said she was guilty … of a bad 

choice of words. She didn’t really make stuff up … but when she 

couldn’t get a coach to comment, Thompson would fall back on things 

she saw and heard during the game. Understand?

Officially, Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-

ending injury in the second quarter of Thursday night’s 34-20 loss to 

Baltimore. ESPN Bet isn’t buying … instead it’s selling the theory his 

right wrist wasn’t right BEFORE the game … and the Bengals covered 

it up. Ergo, the new wagering outlet, launched Tuesday, refunded 

losing bets that relied on Burrow being healthy.

Watching Seth Greenberg on ESPN’s college hoops coverage, I can’t help but 

remember how the late Terry Holland saved his coaching career shortly after it 

began. A graduate assistant at Pitt, Greenberg came afoul of NCAA recruiting 

rules and, just like that, went from wanted to unwanted. Enter Holland, the 

University of Virginia coach, who gave Greenberg a second chance … and, to 

his credit, he didn’t blow it. He joined ESPN in 2012 after 34 years as a coach, 

the last 22 as head man including nine at Virginia Tech where he was two-time 

ACC coach of the year.

Until next time ...