March 09, 2017

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 10 comments

With Israel beating The Netherlands and securing a 3-0 record in Pool A of the WBC, I saw this comment posted online:

The last time Israel beat 3 countries in less than a week was 1967.

posted by grum@work at 09:50 AM on March 09, 2017

I have to say, that was pretty good. I remember that war as a kid.

If Israel goes way into extra innings and wins with a heroically and improbably manufactured walkoff run, there will likely be some Entebbe comments.

posted by beaverboard at 01:43 PM on March 09, 2017

If Israel goes way into extra innings and wins with a heroically and improbably manufactured walkoff run

Sadly, the tournament is being played with some crummy extra-inning rules.

posted by grum@work at 01:57 PM on March 09, 2017

Vince Young runnin' back to Saskatoon, or Regina....

posted by tommybiden at 04:18 PM on March 09, 2017

Browns acquire Brock Osweiler and 2018 2nd round pick in trade with Texans

posted by tommybiden at 05:38 PM on March 09, 2017

The best part of the Osweiler trade is that the Texans apparently didn't have to take any Cleveland players in return.

Here's what Osweiler's comet trail might end up looking like:

- Fair haired boy steps in for Peyton, captures hearts and minds, creates optimism for the future, helps win a Denver championship
- Wooed by division champion Texans as a top dollar free agent
- Ugly year as first time full time starter
- Sent to Cleveland
- Cut from roster; salary absorbed by club
- Seen fishing off the rocks at Lakefront Park with no concern as to how bills will be paid
- Charlie Whitehurst signs with his 42nd NFL team, is immediately worried that Osweiler will show up at camp as a walk-on and steal his clipboard and his job
- Osweiler lands starring role in splashy feature film entitled "The Sam Bradford Story". Director sees immediately that Osweiler has the requisite wide-eyed "oh shit, those are big, fast men" expression they've been looking for.
- Ends up playing in the Super Bowl for the Patriots or Falcons, because that's what happens to players who used to play for the Browns.

posted by beaverboard at 08:28 PM on March 09, 2017

I love this paragraph:

"We're really excited to acquire a second round draft choice in this trade," Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown said in a release. "Draft picks are extremely important to our approach in building a championship caliber football team. We are intent on adding competition to every position on our roster and look forward to having Brock come in and compete."

It really is straight out of The Onion if they had ever written a story on Brock Osweiller being traded somewhere. And of course it would've been the Browns in their satirical piece.

posted by NoMich at 09:19 PM on March 09, 2017

From a tweet by NFL Game Day, these are the Browns' 2017 and 2018 draft picks:

2017: 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6

2018: 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7

Two questions come to mind. First, does Danny Ainge have a job moonlighting as the GM for the Browns? Second, it is rather obvious that the Browns are putting together a package for something. Could that be Jimmy Garoppolo? The Patriots are said to be reluctant to trade Jimmy G, mainly because they don't trust Jacoby Brissett to be the only backup for Brady. I have one idea that might sound preposterous, but with Jay Cutler on the market, presumably available for a fairly low price, would it not make sense for Patriots to pick up Cutler as Brady's backup? They could then continue grooming Brissett to eventually step in when Brady's supply of Kickapoo Joy Juice, or whatever keeps him alive, runs out. Could a package of this year's #1 or #12 and a second round pick along with either a first round pick or a pair of second rounders in 2018 be enough? Stay tuned, things are interesting in Foxborough this year.

posted by Howard_T at 11:36 PM on March 09, 2017

Vince Young runnin' back to Saskatoon, or Regina....

As Deadpool would be the first to tell you, 'Regina' rhymes with 'fun'...

posted by MeatSaber at 12:16 AM on March 10, 2017

would it not make sense for Patriots to pick up Cutler as Brady's backup

I think Belichick does better managing supposedly high maintenance types like Moss and Dillon than he does with Eeyores like Cutler.

Cutler just doesn't have a deep burning desire to be a professional quarterback. It happens to be something he's good at and it pays well. When he got to Chicago, there was a lot of general euphoria about the team finally making a dynamic roster move, but some locals who live and breathe the Bears worried that Cutler's kielbasa was not hanging from an iron hook.

One devastating passing remark from Belichick on the training camp practice field and Cutler would be reduced to a mass of quivering aspic.

posted by beaverboard at 08:31 AM on March 10, 2017

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