Over the past six years, I have attempted to let the powers that be at Northwestern that the offense has been substandard and now that it’s truly horrific, it is way past time to fire Offensive Coordinator Mick McCall. Long time readers know that I wrote Pat Fitzgerald five years ago on the topic. I tried to email McCall himself over this past summer, not to suggest he resign but with five-star recruit Hunter Johnson finally becoming eligible to play, I hoped that McCall wasn’t “putting a Ferrari engine in a Yugo.”
Well, as we know, the offense has become the laughing stock of the nation – the worse offense in the 130 team FBS. After spending years yelling at Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips from my seat in row 34, I ran to the front of the stands during the Iowa game a couple of weeks ago trying to get his attention. Cheers to old friend, fellow-NU alum and fellow season ticket holder Maury Bell, who got Phillips’ email address and sent him a message (to which Dr. Phillips responded). Not to be outdone, I sent my own letter (which is cobbled together from other letters, which I have posted here, but why reinvent the wheel…), which is listed below:

Dear Dr. Phillips,
You may remember me – I was the fan that ran down to the first row during the Iowa game trying to get your attention as you ran from the south end zone where you had made a presentation back to your spot in the north end zone. You pointed at me and kept running. This is my attempt to get your attention.
I have had football season tickets since Pat Fitzgerald was a Senior at NU. I have watched NU football since 1976, one year before I entered the university. I lived through “the bad old days:” the longest losing streak in Division I history up to that time. I remember discussions when Penn State entered the conference as to whether Northwestern should be jettisoned.
On top of that, along with NU alums Rick Telander and Bill Jauss, I was associate producer on “the Sportswriters on TV” and “The Back Table with Chet Coppock” television shows. I think I have a better than average sports IQ. Which is why I have been a frequent critic of Northwestern’s offense, especially Offensive Coordinator Mick McCall.
As I stated, I have been writing sports for television and for my own site (evilopinion.com) since 1990, and, having been fired from jobs a couple of times, I know that it is never a good experience for the organization, nor the individual. Even in sports, where the coaches and players make many orders of magnitude more than I earn, I have always been hesitant to call for someone’s dismissal. It is time for a new voice, new scheme running the offense. At the end of the season, Mick McCall needs to be replaced.
My seats are in 107, row 34, seats 22 and 23. The seats are in the name of my friend Thomas Watson who has two seats in row 35 (in case you need to verify my seats). The whole section of season ticket holders around us laugh or groan when I call out the next play from our seats. This season, if the running back is lined up on the left of the quarterback, it will be a dive play to the right side. If the running back is on the right, the run will be on the left. If I can pick that up from row 34, what are defensive coordinators with time, film and a financial interest in stopping us doing?
The play calling remains as vanilla as snow and predictable as a train schedule. I have always believed that the offense has one big advantage over defenses – they know where they are going whereas defenses are in general reactive. Your plan is much more likely to work if the other teams is not sure what you are doing.
It appears to me that McCall believes that the problem is simply execution. ‘We can run the same play; it will work if we block better or run better,’ is the message I get. When the defense knows what you are going to run, the best you can expect is a minimal gain and Big Ten defenses are among the best in the country. Far too often, the offense is faced with a 2nd down and 8 yards to go (or worse) after running the same dive play again and again. We must lead the nation in 2nd and long (8 yards or more) and 3rd down and long situations.
This horrific result has also brought out the worst in Fitzgerald. After the Michigan State game, Fitzgerald held his weekly press conference and it appears that he thinks that he is beyond criticism (which is impossible in the very public sports world). To remind you, Fitzgerald was asked if he was happy with his offensive game plan, and if it was just a case of tightening up the execution after the Wildcats loss. This response was “Yeah, I go into every game plan expecting it to work,” Fitzgerald said. “To be quite honest with you, I understand there are 40,000 experts on Twitter that can call plays for me. My email address is hashtag I don’t care. So, shoot that out.”
First of course, hashtag is a Twitter conduit, not an email one, but I’m surprised he even knows what Twitter is. As a season ticket holder who pays money to watch this team, I remain incensed at his cavalier attitude. I understand that Fitzgerald’s job is untouchable, since he has been the most successful football head coach in school history (although other than Ara Parsegian, that bar is pretty low). However, no football coach outside of Nick Saban can just flip off the naysayers.
I am also tired of being called a “hater” because I am upset that the team is getting outcoached (except for defense and special teams – hiring Mr. Hankwitz is the best decision Fitz has made at NU). I’m not one of those “I pay your salary types” (although my season ticket money paid over the past 20 years should count for something). I have paid my money and came to games in rain, in snow, in bad seasons and good seasons, which you know since I was at Ryan Field for the Iowa game last weekend.
The Mick McCall era should have ended at the end of 2014. It should have ended at the end of each of the last five seasons, but loyalty and the belief that the offense has been as much a reason for the 10-win seasons as the defense. This belief continues to blind Fitz and the athletic department. It is a shame that it has taken a nosedive to finally send the message that our offense is just not good enough. Our defense deserves an offense it can be proud of.
Fitzgerald is proud of saying that he is a builder of young men; that your players have to be held accountable for their play on the field and behavior off the field – all noble goals and the correct thing to teach your team. Obviously, the same standard is not being applied to the coaching staff, at least on the offensive side of the ball.
Thank you for your kind attention,
Tony Fernandez

Again, to his credit, Dr. Phillips replied:

Mr. Fernandez,

Thank you for taking the time to write. While you may not have expected a response, I want you to know you are heard! This has been a frustrating fall for everyone who loves the Wildcats.
Through this disappointing start, please know that NOBODY is more frustrated than our student-athletes, coaches and especially head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Rest assured they are working relentlessly to fix this now and for the future.
Thank you for your dedication and passion. You deserve to be proud of your alma mater academically, socially AND athletically, and we will reach that better destination thanks to the commitment of so many Wildcats like you!

GO ‘CATS!

Jim

I think I have said all that needs to be said, and have pleaded my case to all of the places that count. I hope that Northwestern wins the rest of its games, but regardless of the outcomes, I hope that there is finally meaningful change in the coaching staff.

There is perhaps nothing sadder in sports then when a great player faces the end of his athletic career, either by injury or by getting old. People mu age will always talk about seeing the great Willie Mays in his last season in 1973 with the New York Mets when he batted .211 and was a mere shell of his former self. Fans’ pain is amplified when the player has been an All-Star, with your team for a long time or seems to be a decent guy.
This point may have arrived for Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt. After posting 5 Pro-Bowl seasons and being the highest paid non-quarterback in the league, Watt has lost significant playing time in three of the last four seasons where he suffered season ending injuries. He’s had back surgery, knee injuries and now, suffered a torn pectoral muscle which has ended this season.
Besides being arguably the best defensive lineman of the 2010s, Watt has performed scores of humanitarian projects. He raised $46 million for relief to the City of Houston after being devastated by Hurricane Harvey. He has been involved with many other charities and foundations, running contests for greets and cars to do more good in communities all over the country.
I’m not saying that Watt is finished, but with his history, one has to wonder if he’s thinking about it.
Closer to Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks has made defenseman Brent Seabrook a healthy scratch for the past two games. Other than one scratch last season, he has never missed games except for injury and Seabrook is not at all happy about it. At 34 years of age, there are quite a few players still playing productively in the NHL. However, as the old story goes, it’s not the years, it’s the mileage. In the seven years between 2008-2015 seasons, the team made four deep runs into the playoffs including three Stanley Cup Championship seasons, two Olympic Games and of course 6 ½ full seasons (the 2012-2013 season was shortened by an owner lockout). I saw a stats on an NBC broadcast around the end of the 2015 season that showed that the Blackhawks had played more games than any NHL team in history over that period of time.
Of course, the other stickler is that the team and GM Stan Bowman garnered a lot of loyalty by getting their core players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and others to take small contracts after their rookie contracts expired and giving them nice contracts afterwards. For Kane and Toews and Duncan Keith, this has worked well – they continue to play well (not as much this season so far, but Kane and Toews had career years last season). The team signed Seabrook to an 8-year, $55 million contract which expires in 2024. Seabrook’s play has been in decline for a few years, posting a -6 plus/minus last season and a -5 so far this season. While advanced stats are hard to come by for the average fan, according to the press, Seabrook has some of the worst puck possession stats on the team.
So, Seabrook has sat for two games, and may be sitting out more games. Honestly, with that salary cap hit, no team is going to want to trade for him (unless the Hawks pay a significant percentage of his salary). The fans have made Seabrook one of the reasons for the team’s lack of success, and really, Seabrook has been the poster boy for the core getting old. The Blackhawks seem to have decided to let the young guys play, which leaves no room for the elder defenseman.
Again, it is hard not to empathize with these two fine athletes. Both have excelled in their sports; perhaps to eventually be Hall of Famers. Both have been exemplary in their communities. Maybe however, it’s time for J.J. Watt and Brent Seabrook to start planning the next chapter in their lives: Watt to be able to live a healthy life; Seabrook because he just can’t perform at a high level anymore.
No matter, it is sad to see.

When I wrote for The Sportswriters on TV, the panel often mentioned how reporting brought them into contact with people of various backgrounds, races, sexes, sexual orientations and that the exposure made them more empathetic and sympathetic. Then there is Rob Drake.
Drake is an umpire for Major League Baseball and has been since 2010 full time after having worked spring training games between 1999 and being hired. While the percentage of African-American players has declined, players from Latin America and other Spanish speaking countries has grown significantly. Again, one might think that this would make one a bit more considerate at least. Or not.
With baseball suffering a black eye over the Astros’ assistant general manager Brandon Taubman’s tirade in the direction of a group of female reporters after clinching the pennant in support of Roberto Osuna who served a 75-game suspension for a violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy, they didn’t need another incident, but Drake leapt right into the polarized political environment even though he is not umping any postseason games this year. (It should be said that the Astros either got a clue on their own – but probably were prodded strongly by MLB – and fired Taubman.)
Drake posted this message to Twitter on Tuesday: “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020.” (Yes, that is how Civil was spelled.) Later that day, before Washington played at Houston in Game 2 of the World Series, commissioner Rob Manfred said Major League Baseball would investigate Drake’s comments. As always happens with these outbursts, Drake later deleted the post and then yesterday, took to Twitter to post a non-apology, apology. In a series of tweets Thursday, Drake apologized to victims of gun violence, fellow umpires and his family, and acknowledged he had caused a controversy for the sport. “I never intended to diminish the threat of violence from assault weapons, or violence of any kind. I know that I cannot unsay the words, but please accept my apologies,” he said.
The umpires’ union, in a statement Wednesday, said: “Rob is a passionate individual and an outstanding umpire. He chose the wrong way to convey his opinion about our great country.” I cannot help but compare that support to the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police which has issued a statement on “no confidence” to Police Commissioner Eddie Johnson because he plans to boycott Drumpf’s appearance at the International Association of Police Chiefs of Police convention in Chicago next week. The umpire’s unions comment (like the FOP’s) says to me “we secretly agree with everything he said, but we can’t be seen as doing that, so we will give him the softest admonishment possible in hope that you won’t call us what we deserve to be called.”
Again, notice that he did not denounce the threat of violence against his political enemies; did not say he was no longer planning on buying an assault weapon or planning on using it. I would like to know what players have to say about him? Is he just another ranting, spending most of my time in my basement right-winger like former pitcher and baseball analyst Curt Schilling? Have any players of color, or those whose politics are more openly leftist had run ins with Rob Drake? Just wondering.
I am glad that these people are getting called out. Could Drake lose his job? Perhaps. Does Major League Baseball want the threat of an umpire getting his weapon if Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders are in the crowd? I certainly don’t.
However, once again I mention that blacks and Hispanics and people of color are no longer frighten of gangs of white men, in sheets or otherwise. We can get guns too, and as they secretly know, the demographics are against them. They know that the “good old days” are over, which is why they’re frightened and fighting so hard.

I am not a Cub fan. That said, I thought they made a mistake firing the manager that led the team to its first World Series Championship in 108 years. Joe Maddon seems like a straight-up guy, playful, but no BS when it counts. Five consecutive years of reaching the post-season with one title. Maddon’s teams were unable to win a second title because of untimely hitting slumps, better opponents, and a front office that did very little to help him.
Yes, President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have spent the Ricketts’ family’s money on big time free agents who haven’t panned out and the minor leagues, which Epstein said he would rebuild when he arrived on Addison St. is as bare as a cupboard during the Depression. The only way that Maddon should have been fired (actually any manager/head coach) is if he had lost the locker room. Only occasionally will you publicly hear of a revolt by players (or even a mutiny), but if the captain has lost the support of the crew, it’s over.
For a big time job with a top-level core of young, talented players, one would think that the top managerial candidates would be applying and interviewing, and that was the case. Many thought that former Cub Joe Girardi who last managed the Yankees, local guy, Northwestern alum, would be favored. Many people I spoke with were in favor of the pick, but just as many didn’t like Girardi – too much of a disciplinarian, only won one title despite having nearly unlimited budgets (of course, the Red Sox also have huge money and are in the same division). Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada was an interesting choice – long time baseball guy, knowledgeable. Of course, he could not be approached until the Series is over.
One of the problems with the Cubs over the years is that they get overly sentimental and attached to players which causes them to hold on to players long past their primes. The same can be said for players who want to be managers. The Cubs, I felt, dodged a bullet when former shortstop and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg wanted to manage the big club, but he wasn’t ready at that time. The Cubs have decided to hire David Ross, former catcher, who has spent the last couple of years out of baseball most notably being on Dancing With the Stars.
While the former front office refused to give Sandberg the head job, Epstein is giving the job to Ross, who the players on the 2016 Championship Team called “Grandpa” and is beloved by the players, but can he discipline his old friends and ex-teammates? Giving him credit, Sandberg went to the minors and managed there, getting experience as a manager, which was especially important to a man who is renowned for his shyness. Ross, the fan’s pick, will not have that same experience, and he’s taking over a $200 million annual salaried club.
One thing that does bode well – Ross was a catcher, the manager on the field. He knows how to handle pitchers; he understands the strategy behind the game. Still, if I were a Cub fan, I’d be nervous – just because you watch someone ride a motorcycle doesn’t mean you can do it immediately yourself.
Of course, I’m not a Cub fan, so if they crash and burn and waste the championship window they have, I won’t be disappointed.

Usually, the first game of the World Series is a celebratory occasion, especially for the participating teams; doubly for the team with home field advantage. However, as the world gets more insane, the World Series isn’t immune, especially when a man makes an ass of himself in this age of #Metoo.
American League Champion Astros’ assistant general manager Brandon Taubman yelled in the direction of a group of female reporters during the team’s American League Championship Series clubhouse celebration last Saturday when the team clinched its second appearance in the Fall Classic in three years.
Sports Illustrated first reported the story Monday night which was confirmed by three eyewitnesses. According to the Sports Illustrated report, Taubman yelled “Thank God we got (Roberto) Osuna! I’m so (expletive) glad we got Osuna!” about a half dozen times toward the group.”
Sports Illustrated reported that one of the women was wearing a purple domestic violence awareness bracelet. The Astros acquired Osuna in July 2018 while he was serving a 75-game suspension for a violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy. Domestic abuse charges against Osuna were withdrawn in Canadian court last September after he entered into a peace bond.
Taubman’s outburst came after the 24-year-old closer blew a save in Game 6, surrendering a game-tying, two-run home run to DJ LeMahieu in the ninth inning. Jose Altuve hit a walk-off home run in the home half of the frame to send the Astros to the World Series.
Taubman’s actions would have been bad enough, but the team doubled down, backing him up. In a statement Monday night, the Astros called the report “misleading and completely irresponsible. Our executive was supporting the player during a difficult time. His comments had everything to do about the game situation that just occurred and nothing else – they were also not directed toward any specific reporters” The report concluded, We are extremely disappointed in Sports Illustrated’s attempt to fabricate a story where one does not exist.”
I wonder if this is just another instance of the Trump Presidency is allowing white people to fully vent their ignorance and prejudice. It shows again that perhaps the whole idea of punishment for girlfriend or spousal abuse is just a PR stunt. We have seen it up close and personal here in Chicago with shortstop Addison Russell being suspended for 40 games for beating his wife, but he’s still on the Cubs even though Javy Baez is a better shortstop.
I am certain that Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred will be talking with the Astros, and I expect an apology will be forthcoming, written by lawyers or spin doctors. Women have been covering sports for decades and have done as fine a job as their male counterparts. When the women first went into locker rooms, they faced harassment and horrible treatment, like women have and continue to face daily. However, old men of every age, these are changing times. There was no excuse for it in the past, there’s no excuse for it in the future and finally, people are being held accountable.
If Manfred has any guts, he would punish the Astros entire team.

As Ohio State comes rumbling into Dyche Stadium (Pat Ryan’s never given any money to me about what to call the stadium)tonight, I think of the OSU fans who will be filling the stadium (or trying to) to watch the game, and as I was thinking about it this morning, I verbalized what I’ve known all along – most of the time, the hatred we have for a certain school involves their fans, not the team itself.
We don’t know these players at all. In fact, unless they have been caught for some academic, NCAA rule or criminal infraction, they’re just kids. Athletically talented kids, but kids nonetheless. As I’ve said numerous times, how many of us did things at 17, or 20, or 24, that we’re not very proud of? Add the celebrity, and there are more opportunities to do something stupid and have it filmed and broadcast on social media.
No, it’s the fans that breed the hate. I know lots of people who hate Ohio State and Michigan fans the most, and they’re deserving, but they don’t reach the upper echelon of my ire. They have been good for decades and against NU, usually a win. What does make them bad, like the worst offender – Notre Dame is they expect to win. Not only expect to win, but don’t expect anyone to even think that the other team stands a chance. Every game should be a coronation of their team as all time best, and that’s it (which makes it all the sweeter when they do lose). Notre Dame of course is the worst offender in this category – there are the alums and boosters who await the coronation, but worse are the fans who not only never attended ND, but couldn’t get it if all it took was to be able to spell the school and we spotted them the N-O-T-R-E.
To elevate yourself to that level takes work, and that for the schools who have the same attitude but don’t have the history of winning. Looking at the history of football games between Wisconsin and Northwestern, there’s a history of whoever has the best team that year wins. There’s no 25-year winning streaks here. The same can be said for Iowa and Nebraska (although for the most part their fans are so nice, it’s almost hard to hate them). The worst not-consistently good school is Michigan State. As I have ranted about in the past, their inferiority complex because of Michigan means that they need to inflate their egos (not in basketball however). I have gotten into more near fights at Michigan State games than at all of the other Big Ten games combined over the years.
One last point: while the fans are the major reason that teams become hated, coaches can also play a part. Back when I was at Northwestern (the bad old days when we hardly ever won), Hayden Fry’ s Iowa teams didn’t just beat us; they tried to humiliate us. Putting up 60-70 points was the aims. For contrast, take Michigan legend Bo Schembechler – games against us in that period were like 30-7. He easily had the talent to run us out of the building; put up 70 or more points, but when it became apparent that the game was won, he eased off the scoring.
Today’s multimillionaire coaches can make for an easy outlet for hate. Urban Meyer, now retired, has always made my skin crawl. Lots of people hate Alabama because of Nick Saban. I have always had suspicions about Saban, but if anything prohibited is happening in his program, it is well hidden. Still, the number of teams who’s coaches alone bring the hate are few.
So, I will be rooting (probably in vain) for Northwestern tonight. My blood pressure will be much lower because I will not have to listen to the fans and that’s OK with me.

I’m going to come out and say it – I don’t give a damn about arbitrary deadlines.
Occasionally, I have donated money to charities and political campaigns, usually to the Left of the political spectrum, and I do understand the rules in the current Democratic debate guidelines that you have to have raised so much money to get on stage, but telling me you have a deadline does not make me want to give you money. In fact, it disincentivizes me to give you money, or give money after the deadline because we all know that you’re not going to send it back Mr./Ms. Politician/Charitable Organization.
By the same token, just because I sent money before does not mean that I am rich enough for you to ask for more money all the time, like a no-account cousin. Speaking of politics, it seems to me that both parties have huge amounts of money, but it’s a failure to get the proper message out, or tactical blunders (or bad candidates) is how they lose especially on the national stage. Just having more money doesn’t guarantee success.
Back to deadlines: it isn’t just politicians. I am a member of TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival (long time readers know I go every year). I have a membership (not expensive – $99/year) so that I can gain access to tickets faster than the general public and much faster lines for exchanges, etc. They are having a fundraiser supporting Women in Film. I noble gesture, but not one I have extra money or a pressing need to donate to. I received an email this morning from TIFF asking me to donate because they are 93 donors short of their goal which they are reporting on Monday. As I’ve written, this isn’t a pressing need; if I had millions of dollars, I would consider it – I appreciate having more opportunities for women in film and all walks of life, but because you didn’t make your numbers, I’m supposed to jump?
I must wonder who that deadline ruse works on? People who need to be begged? People who must do everything at the last minute? Sure as hell doesn’t work on me.