#-1: United FC (Last Week: -1). This week we have only two teams, both exhibiting extreme incompetence, but in very different ways.
It feels weird to reward the team that got its only Game scheduled this week cancelled, but technically, the Loons didn't lose, let alone in excruciating fashion, so they get the top spot here. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 bug all other Minnesota sports teams were able to dodge hit MNUFC. Two players (not known ... for now) tested positive for the 'Rona, and therefore the XI not only didn't play Wednesday's scheduled Match vs. FC Dallas, they didn't even get on the plane. (Good thing they didn't take off only to have to fly back.)
I have to say that it has been remarkable the extent to which some leagues have kept players and teams virus-free. By "some leagues" I, of course, mean the NBA and the NHL. It has been repeated on Twitter by many people that the NBA ran thousands of tests and did not come up with one single positive result. (By the way, congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers on winning their twelfth NBA title!) Same thing, however, with the NHL, so give that league props -- and note that instead of just one city (Orlando), the NHL conducted its Stanley Cup Playoffs across two (Edmonton and Toronto), although the fact that they did it in Canada, a nation that is taking coronavirus seriously, may have a lot to do with its success.
Contrast that to MLB, which saw two teams, St. Louis and Miami, get riven with outbreaks of COVID-19, or the NFL, where positive tests have resulted in the moving of eight Games up and down the schedule, or college football, which have had dozens of Games either postponed or cancelled. The common characteristic for those leagues is that there is no bubble; Games are being played on home fields to which opponents have to travel. And while we need to learn more about how the virus is being transmitted, even a Republican (if he or she is honest with himself/herself) can see that not having players, coaches and staff quarantined in a certain area, allowing them to live with family members who themselves have had contact with other people in public, and force them to travel to other cities around the United States is a recipe for a dish that the coronavirus is getting fat on.
MLS restarted play in a bubble, and although it got so bad for two teams that they withdrew from the tournament, things finally settled down and the positive tests stopped. Now they have been taking steps towards normalcy by resuming a regular season, but then the goddamn positives started showing up. And now it's infected United FC. What I'm saying is, the only way sports leagues are not going to get interrupted by COVID-19 is to bubble up. Or, better yet, not fucking play at all.
The squad is scheduled to play two Games this week: Tonight/Wednesday night versus the Chicago Fire, then Sunday night vs. the Houston Dynamo. Both Games are at home. Let's hope both Games actually go off.
#-2: Vikings (Last Week: -2). Why didn't those fuckers kick a fucking Field Goal with two Minutes left instead of going for it? You would be leading by eight Points, which means that Russell Wilson has to drive down 75 Yards for a Touchdown with only Time Out, then go for the Two-Point Conversion -- and even if he does all that, you'd still be playing in Overtime.
Or, better yet, why in hell was this team chasing points after scoring a TD to make it 21-19 against the Seahawks in Seattle? There was more than a Quarter left, and that drive demonstrated that Seattle's Defense was very beatable. If they just kicked a PAT, and if they just kicked a FG at the Two-Minute Warning, they would be up by nine and the Seahawks would have had to score twice, which would be impossible.
So to that you say something to the effect of, "Blah-blah-blah, analytics say always go for two, you want to be aggressive, etc."; (wanking motion) why is aggression always a good thing? How about being smart? How about thinking? And to those who complain about bandwagoners like me who will complain about a Head Coach going for it and failing, and then turn around and complain about a Head Coach playing it safe -- hey, I don't blame a club for going for it or for playing it safe. I blame a club for losing. And I get to be an unreasonable sports fan and complain about decisions made after the fact if that decision leads us to a loss. Being at least thankful for being aggressive is the equivalent to a moral victory. It's fucking useless.
Oh, and Dalvin's hurt. Plus Atlanta comes to town just after firing their Head Coach and General Manager. Something tells me The Dirty Birds will be all jacked up and motivated now that old leadership has been let go. You know, even though I saw first hand another chokejob to The Bastard Houston Oilers, going 2-3 would feel as if this team has turned the corner. No, they haven't. Another collapse is more evidence that this strange season will also turn out to be a long one.
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