This Week in Jewish Sports – BAGELS & JOCKS Monday, January 2, 2012

Created by Matthew J. Goldberg, tipofthegoldberg.com

In the beginning of 2012, the NFL owned New Year’s Day while college football waited one more week to grab the big headlines. The NBA took  early shape, even if a rare matchup of Jewish NBA players was hardly Wilt versus Russell or Magic versus Bird.

Bagels and Jocks will start the year with a look at developments in the NFL.

NO MORE GRIDIRON GRIDLOCK

Yes, Bagels and Jocks well remembers the years when New Year’s Day meant lots of college bowl games, including a debate as to which winner would be crowned the mythical NCAA Division I champion. This year, the NFL had all of the pigskin action and the BCS Championship Game (remember when there was no BCS?) will not be played until the evening of January 9. College football also now boasts more divisions and subdivisions than the average New Jersey suburb.

Before we get to the Jewish-specific gridiron action, it is time to look at the playoff seedings for the NFC and AFC.

NFC SEEDS

The world champion Green Bay Packers (15-1), led by presumptive MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, have clinched the top seed and home field advantage. They will have a bye and host (if there is not an upset in the first round) the winner of the New York Giants (9-7) and the Atlanta Falcons (10-6).

Comment #1: Only in the NFL does a 9-7 team get to host a 10-6 team, because they won their (in this case, inferior) division. Stay tuned: There is a bigger injustice in the AFC.

Comment # 2: If Aaron is a great biblical name and often a Jewish given name today, and Richard Rodgers was a great Jewish composer, why can’t Aaron Rodgers be Jewish? Our team could use him, and we have some very good lineman, such as the Cowboys’ KYLE KOSIER and the Bears’ (injured rookie) GABE CARIMI, to protect him.

The surprise San Francisco 49ers drew the second conference bye and if all goes as planned will host the winner of the game between the New Orleans Saints (13-3) and the Detroit Lions (10-6). The Schwartz (in the person of head coach Jim—not Jewish—may well be with the Lions, but it’s doubtful that it will be enough to stop red hot passer Drew Brees. Given the reputation of the Lions—most notably, second-year defensive lineman Ndamakong Suh—for playing outside the rules, this should be billed as the Saints versus the Sinners.

AFC SEEDS

The New England Patriots (13-3), who have not won a playoff game in five years, will try to do so with a no-name, no-cover pass defense. On paper, they will meet the winner of the clash between the Denver Broncos (8-8) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4). Naturally, the Broncos earned home field advantage for this tilt. Having a record that is four games (and 25 percentage points) inferior has no bearting.

In the 3-6 matchup, the Houston Texans will make their playoff debut versus a Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) team that is more used to making headlines for off-the-field indiscretions and on-the-field incompetence. The winner will meet the Baltimore Ravens (12-4).

In Sunday’s action, the Chicago Bears (8-8) finally tasted victory again, even if the win was too little, too late to help them reach the postseason. Punter ADAM PODLESH boomed seven punts for a terrific 47.9-yard average, downing one inside the opponent’s 20. The opponent? The Minnesota Vikings, who dropped to 3-13 after the 17-13 loss. Backup wide receiver GREG CAMARILLO hauled in one pass for nine yards.

The San Diego Chargers got some revenge on their upstate rival Oakland Raiders, drubbing the silver-and-black by a 38-26 score. Lineman ANTONIO GARAY registered three tackles on the day.

For what it’s worth, the Chargers, Raiders and Denver Broncos all ended their seasons with an 8-8 record, but the Broncos (behind slumping quarterback Tim Tebow) won the tiebreaker for the right to host the Steelers.

Bengals’ safety TAYLOR MAYS was not credited with any tackles during his team’s 24-16 loss ot the Ravens. We don’t know if he saw limited playing time, was being too much of a mensch or was saving his aggressiveness for the playoffs. Watch out, Texans!

THE NBA CONTINUES PLAY

After only eight days of play, both the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder have won their first five games. It will not surprise too many pundits if LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat will meet Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Thunder in the NBA Finals. However, there are 61 games (apiece) and three rounds of playoff action to be contested to precede that possible event.

If they do meet, I think that this will be the first championship matchup of teams whose nicknames are derived from meteorological events. No, the Pheonix Suns never played the Houston Hail for the title.

New Year’s Eve saw a fairly forgettable game between the 2-2 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 1-4 New Jersey Nets. Well, it may have been forgettable for many, but not for Bagels & Jocks.

The Cavaliers feature starting Israeli small forward OMRI CASSPI while the Nets (usually) suit up backup point guard JORDAN FARMAR, who had helped his last NBA team—the Los Angeles Lakers—garner a couple world championships. In this New Year’s Day clash, score a win for Casspi, who produced nine points, one rebound and four assists in 18 active minutes.

Farmar, who had played a total of 25 minutes in his previous three games, did not play.

In other news, New York Knicks’ center-forward AMAR’E STOUDEMIRE is currently sidelined with a sprained left ankle; his team stands at 2-2 in the early going.

SOME QUICK BASEBALL CHATTER

Pitchers and catchers do not report to Major League Baseball spring training sites for another month and a half, and the regular season does not kick off for another 90 days or so.

Having written that hype killer, please know that 2012 should once again feature a lot of excitement generated by Jewish ballplayers. The three most significant ones are Milwaukee Brewers’ National League MVP Ryan Braun, the Texas Rangers’ Ian Kinsler and Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox. Luckily, they are just three of the many (relative to most eras) players that we will cover this year.

Of course, there are many Jewish general managers and owners in all the American professional sports, and prominent Jewish players and coaches in the collegiate ranks, and in a variety of other sports including tennis, golf, swimming and boxing. And ice hockey fans, don’t fret: There are quite a few Jewish NHL players who are scoring goals, clearing the crease and dropping the gloves. We’ll cover them as well.

In other words, whether you are playing for headlines, playing for exercise and enjoyment or watching others compete, it is my pleasure to wish you a most happy, healthy and victorious 2012.

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That is all for this week’s, and this year’s first, edition of Bagels and Jocks. See you next Monday right here. Please feel free to share some dialogue below.  If you would like to bring another Jewish athlete or mover-and-shaker to my attention, please contact me via this site or by e-mail.

Matthew J. (call him Matt) Goldberg will be presenting BAGELS AND JOCKS every Monday on this site. Please send feedback or suggestions to Matt@tipofthegoldberg.com.

For information about Matt’s books, sports columns, speaking events and requests for appearances and custom writing, please visit www.tipofthegoldberg.com, or contact him via email.