Deion Sanders and college football
Deion Sanders and college football
Also, the life of a baseball scout. My interview with Phil Rossi
Good morning, all. I hope your week is off to a great start.
He is the only player to hit a home run in a MLB game and score a TD in an NFL game in the same week. Now he is setting the college football world on fire. In three weeks Deion Sanders has turned a dormant football program at Colorado into must-see football. Now for a second time Sanders has been featured on 60 Minutes, and FOX Sports and ESPN continue to battle over carrying Colorado games.
Many people doubted Sanders, when he left a successful career in broadcasting to go coach college football at Jackson St. When he turned that program around, some doubted whether he could succeed at a Power 5 school. Colorado took a chance and now the Sanders-coached Colorado Buffaloes are ranked No. 19 in the latest AP Top- 25 college poll, after a 3-0 start. Tickets to home games are going at $500 a pop and Colorado games on television are garnering high ratings.
Who knows how this all ends? No one, but the early ride has been a fun one to observe. Meanwhile, do not doubt Deion Sanders.
The life of a baseball scout
It is not easy being a baseball scout, especially in this day and age, when the analytics world seemingly drives every decision, sometimes colliding with what a scout observes with his eyes. Recently, I caught up with Phil Rossi, a longtime scout with the Miami Marlins and formerly with the Boston Red Sox. We cover a lot of ground, including how he launched his career, analytics and his friendship with Ted Williams. Enjoy. Click here for the interview.
MLB expansion nearer?
Is MLB closer to expansion? Commissioner Rob Manfred wants to add two more clubs at a $2 billion-per entry fee, but has said until the stadium issues involving the Oakland and Tampa Bay franchises are resolved there will be no expansion.
Today the Rays are expected to announce plans for a new stadium and Oakland has a deal in place for a new stadium in Las Vegas, pending approval of a franchise shift by owners, which I believe is a mere formality. So with both franchises close to meeting the commissioner’s objective, it would not surprise me if Manfred announces formation of an expansion committee at the winter meetings, if not sooner. Look for Nashville, Montreal and Portland to be candidates for the two clubs. Salt Lake City and Charlotte are also attempting to be part of the conversation.
Do not expect Oakland to be included for an expansion club, once the Athletics move is approved, despite certain reports emanating from the diehards in the Oakland media. Some of these reporters - I can name two who are very competent at what they do - are delusional in this instance. Oakland has as much chance of landing another MLB club as Hartford has of convincing the NHL to return a team to Hartford.
That is it for this week’s newsletter. As always thank you for your support. Have a terrific week.
SPORTSCASTER DAN