noah syndergaardOn Sunday, we got a definitive evaluation of Chip Kelly’s San Francisco 49ers, and the news wasn’t good. Their loss to the Seahawks in Seattle wasn’t nearly as close as the final 37-18 score, since the Niners scored their two touchdowns in what was essentially garbage time in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks, who had struggled to score in their previous two games, beat down the Niners on both offense and defense, and it now seems clear that the Niners’ victory over the Rams is going to be the statistical outlier this season. One can hardly blame Kelly for the debacle. When he was hired, the consensus was that he inherited one of the worst rosters in the NFL, unlike the relatively talented group, particularly on defense, that Jim Harbaugh took over in 2011. What is clear, however, is that Kelly won’t be able to mask the Niners’ shortcomings with smoke and mirrors from his playbook. Any success that he achieves in San Francisco will be a slow process, probably involving multiple drafts. Given the usual level of patience among NFL fans and team ownership, Kelly may want to consider renting rather than buying his living accommodations this year.
The San Francisco Giants, for their part, are still in contention for a playoff spot. It now appears likely, though, that if they make it to October, it will start with a trip to New York to face the same pitcher, Noah Syndergaard, that shut them out on his visit to AT&T Park in August, at least if the Mets manage their pitching staff correctly. If the Giants’ fortunes depend on their ability to hit his 98-mph BBs at Citi Field, they may as well go ahead and book those early vacation reservations.
Then there are the Golden State Warriors, who are due to start their preseason schedule in about a week. With Kevin Durant joining the team, they are now being touted as the new NBA Evil Empire. Apart from the inadvisability of assuming success from a roster that for now is loaded only on paper, I would anticipate a slower start to this year as they figure out how best to incorporate Durant into their system. They may actually lose, perhaps, two or three of their first twenty-five games.
BTW, if the Chicago Cubs live up to their regular season and run the table in October, will they become an Evil Empire?
Then there are the Golden State Warriors, who are due to start their preseason schedule in about a week. With Kevin Durant joining the team, they are now being touted as the new NBA Evil Empire. Apart from the inadvisability of assuming success from a roster that for now is loaded only on paper, I would anticipate a slower start to this year as they figure out how best to incorporate Durant into their system. They may actually lose, perhaps, two or three of their first twenty-five games.
