Andrew and the Locust

 

After last month’s Yard expose on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his COVID reporting scandal, it now seems everyone is jumping on board.  The US Attorneys and FBI are investigating the Cuomo administration and their accounting practices.  Andy tried not to step on the burning lunch bag of pooh left on his doorstep, but he did.   Cuomo took responsibility for misreporting the nursing home deaths albeit at a lofty level with aristocratic hues.  Just when Cuomo thought he had slid that scandal to page 6, three women came forward with sexual harassment allegations by governor.  One woman alleged that Cuomo inquired if she would have sex with an older man.  The 63-year-old clarified to the horribly uncomfortable 25-year-old aide that he drew the line at 22 years old for his sexual paramours.  In contrition, Andrew is sounding more tone deaf than his nursing home scandal response. He offered an apology stating that he did not realize his comments and actions made anyone feel uncomfortable. Not sure on what planet comments like that are anything but inappropriate but Cuomo is not resigning.  Governor, your office is not 1960’s Mad Men on Madison Avenue, wake up.

The People’s Republic of Texas has been reeling these past few weeks.  The horrific winter conditions that hit their deregulated power grid came within a microwave popcorn of collapsing the entire state.  Conditions were so bad that a meltdown would have been an upgrade.  The frozen Texan tundra became a killing field of jack-knifed tractor trailers and seniors frozen in their ice box homes.  The water pipes froze and then exploded.  The water that made it through was tainted.  It was a truly biblical event in the state’s history.  It all went down just a scant two weeks ago.  This week on the road to recovery, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced he was ending the statewide mask mandate and relieving other COVID restrictions effective March 10.  Texas is a solid second in the COVID sweepstakes behind California. Texas has tallied 2.7 million cases and 45,000 deaths.  Many have questioned the Governor’s actions considering the recent calamities and the state’s infection rate.  On a related note, Governor Abbot has invited famine and pestilence to join the locust who are scheduled in town at the end of the month.

Baseball will be emerging from its COVID truncated season of 2020 with a potential full slate in 2021.  Our beloved Dodgers are the favorites to repeat.  Their million-dollar rotation will be hard to beat in any series including the World Series. The team will have challenges ahead with their other young talent in line for their first big pay days.  There is time to figure that out after another championship we all hope.  The surprise of the National League is their new rival the San Diego Padres.  In 2019, the Padres total payroll was $66 million.  In 2021, San Diego will be paying $158 million for their 25-man roster.  The Yard loves Petco Field and it holds a compact 42,000 loyal.  The Friars do not have a great TV deal and they are maxing the gate.  It is win now with all those pricey contracts and they need to win now to sustain.  Their revenue market potential cannot keep pace with the Dodgers in this manner.  The Dodgers add talent to their home-grown talent.  Fernando Tatis is a Padre draft pick.  But the rest of the big salaries San Diego has are free agents hires.  Manny Machado is a future HOF. Blake Snell was a bad pitching change away from winning the World Series.  Yu is on a redemption tour. Manny drills Kershaw about every time he faces him.  They are the Dodgers new rivals in the NL.  The Giants, Colorado and Arizona will be fighting gallantly to finish above .500.  The Giants are forecasted to win a solid 74 games.  They are averaging 71 wins a season over the past three so maybe it is a stretch goal.  Giant management has done an excellent job of maintaining their high payroll while aging chronically.  Their pitching ace is 35-year-old Johnny Cueto.  Their future could be bright, but it could be 2025 and probably will not include Gabe Kapler.  

March Madness is on the horizon or the precipice. The NCAA is building a bubble in Indianapolis for the 64-team tournament.  Hopefully, the teams get out of their season ending tournament to get the bubble.  Our Bruins are a solid 4 seed possibly but if there is a COVID outbreak at the Pac-12 tournament, they can get DQ’ed, and the dance will go on without them.  It is the added risk of the Madness of 2021. Your star player goes down you try and adjust.  Your team gets slammed into COVID protocols and you might not make the opening round five days later. The college athletes are as virus fatigued as the rest of us.  Probably more so since they are kings of the campus when there is a campus. Being online royalty is not as fun as playing in front of your packed crib in front of adoring fans. The Yard is locked and loaded for three weeks of the world’s best sports spectacle that last three weeks.  There will be last second shots, irresponsible fouls, miracles, and other stuff that will live forever in Madness folklore.   Game on!