Friday Frenzy: Ohtani, Jets, Thanksgiving Is Great + Much More
Unloading my slew of random thoughts on Black Friday...
I’m sat watching the Jets game and I need to do something productive or else I’ll probably end up putting my foot through the TV. Or launching the TV out of the window. Either one.
This team is so infuriating to watch and it is apt that they are playing on Black Friday. It is a dark day every time the Jets play. But especially today.
Anyway, when I rebooted the site and launched The Steele Sports Bar, I did promise that I would have one or two columns a week full of random stuff. My brain never stops when it comes to thinking about sports - and silly stuff in general - so I’m always in the mood to open the laptop and let a stream of conscience flow out onto the page.
And, given that the Jets are driving me crazy, I thought now was the perfect time to launch the ‘Friday Frenzy.’ At the end of each week I’ll allow you into this wild, wacky brain of mine and share every single thought I’ve had throughout the course of that week. Most of those thoughts will be sports related, but there will be a bunch of random nonsense in there too.
Let’s not waste anymore time. Welcome to the inaugural edition of the ‘Friday Frenzy’…
🔘 I’ll leadoff with a pretty pointless musing but one that is apt given what today is. I’ve received hundreds of emails promoting Black Friday offers and, so far at least, I’ve resisted the urge to bite. Now that may change given that I’m tempted to treat myself to a new pair of AirPods, but it really is eye-opening how batshit crazy some people go on Black Friday.
🔘 Quick tangent on the AirPods. I’ve stayed loyal to the OG of AirPods, a set I’ve had for a few years now. However, it always blows my mind that despite being an Apple product, they never ever connect to my iPhone when I’m on a call, causing a frantic rush to put the AirPods back in their case, untangle my old school wired headphones, plug them in and get back to the call before I miss it or they hang up. I mean, how does that make any sense at all?!
🔘 Legendary Mets broadcaster Howie Rose caused quite the stir on Twitter today. Or X. Or whatever the hell we are calling that dumpster fire of a site these days. Not exactly known for his insider capabilities, Rose demanded the attention of the entire baseball world by simply declaring that “there might be Ohtani news today.” Cue an epic meltdown across MLB social media. However, Rose put another Tweet out shortly after, attempting to backpedal on his previous statement. Cue another social media meltdown. The only thing I gleaned from the whole saga was either Howie has a really bad source, or he got bored of Black Friday shopping and decided to take part in some all-time trolling.
🔘 Look, I’m not going to pile on Howie here. It is a bad look, especially given that literally everyone who has a remote interest in baseball is waiting to hear where Ohtani signs in Free Agency. But we all have bad days and I’m sure Howie had reason to believe something was going to go down today when he sent out the original Tweet. It is part of the perils of this business. You take a swing and sometimes you hit a grand slam, other times you totally whiff and are left to look stupid at the plate. Unfortunately for Howie, it is the latter.
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🔘 Let’s get into Ohtani quickly. I don’t think there is a single person on this planet who knows where the superstar is going to end up, other than Ohtani himself. What makes the two-way unicorn so interesting is that he’s just wired differently to everybody else, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up with the Cubs or another team we’re not even mentioning at the moment. It also wouldn’t surprise me if everyone is proven right and it is the Dodgers who win the Ohtani sweepstakes. That seems to make the most sense from a baseball fit, and Ohtani would look damn good in those crisp and iconic Dodgers uniforms. A big three of Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman? Man, LA would be must-watch TV every single night with that stacked lineup.
🔘 Who knows though. Again, only Ohtani can know what destination he is leaning towards. He strikes me as a highly-intelligent, highly-motivated individual and I’m sure every single option is being explored exhaustively right now. The Mets fan in me is still holding out hope but, given where this team is in the rebuilding process, I just can’t see Ohtani wanting to waste another couple of years of his historic, eye-popping career on a non-contender. That’s why the Dodgers make the most sense. The Cubs too, honestly. Having made the most aggressive move of the offseason so far to hire Craig Counsell as its new manager, Chicago is clearly going for it and there would be something quite beautifully poetic about seeing Ohtani do magical Ohtani things at Wrigley Field.
🔘 I think what can be said with certainty is that Hot Stove season is going to continue to be a dud until Ohtani signs somewhere. It seems pretty clear that teams are waiting to see where Ohtani lands before making any major moves. Hopefully we get an announcement soon so we can start seeing some real movement.
🔘 Thanksgiving is superb on its own, but I didn’t really realize until today just what a great holiday it is sports wise. We had the three annual football games on Thanksgiving itself - a beloved tradition - we’ve got an actual NFL game on Friday (less said about the Jets the better), and there’s a bunch of NHL and NBA games spread throughout today and across the weekend too. When you’re trying to recover from multiple food comas, laying on the couch and watching non-stop sports really is the best cure.
🔘 Give me all the leftover turkey and stuffing sandwiches. Heaven.
🔘 I need to see them actually deliver on the big stage but, man, the Dallas Cowboys look good. Dak Prescott looked almost unbeatable against the Commanders on Thanksgiving, and that offense is electric. If the Cowboys can’t make a real run this year, then I don’t think they have any hope because this team is legit good.
🔘 Commanders quarterback Sam Howell is like that toxic ex you just can’t force yourself to cut ties with. He does a bunch of stupid stuff to the point where you are pretty much out on him, but then he’ll go and pull an all-time great throw out of his ass to pull you back in again. The Sam Howell experience really is quite the wild ride.
🔘 I always think the Thanksgiving games are kind of funky, and that was proven in the first game of the day on Thursday. The Lions looked like they had indulged in too much undercooked turkey, Jared Goff couldn’t look after the football and that defense had no answers for Jordan Love, who had the game of his life. I don’t think Lions fans need to panic, it was just a bad day at the office. However, it does suck that Detroit couldn’t get a win on Thanksgiving to mark what has been a pretty special year so far.
🔘 If the 49ers stay healthy - and that’s a BIG if given their track record - I don’t see who is stopping them. They are ELITE. And CMC is playing at an all-time great level right now.
🔘 Also, FOX broadcaster Greg Olsen getting destroyed for Jordan Love not being presented with a turkey leg on Thanksgiving is peak social media in 2023.
🔘 The New York Jets stink. That’s all.
🔘 No, seriously, I don’t even know what to say anymore. This year was meant to be different and, yes, Aaron Rodgers getting hurt changed everything, but this is a team with a myriad of problems. The offensive line stinks, Nathaniel Hackett must have something on Rodgers because he absolutely sucks at his job, and GM Joe Douglas has a lot of hard questions to answer this coming offseason.
🔘 As I’m writing this, the Jets are getting embarrassed by the Dolphins and, if they do lose, I think that’s the season done. To be honest, I think this year is a bust regardless. Some big changes have to happen this offseason, including the franchise finally cutting ties with Zach Wilson and that dumpster fire of an O-Line being overhauled. Punt on this season now and focus on putting Rodgers in the best possible situation to succeed in 2024.
🔘 On that subject, it would be franchise malfeasance to allow Rodgers to come back this year now. Honestly, why even risk it? The Playoffs are all but out of sight now, so having Rodgers come back with nothing to play for would be just asinine. Instead, give what is soon to be a 40-year-old a full offseason in which to recover and get ready for next year so he can hit the ground running. And please, on everything that is holy, construct an offensive line that can actually protect the quarterback.
🔘 Today’s game was horrible. And whether it is Wilson, Tim Boyle or Trevor Siemian playing quarterback for the Jets, the rest of this season is going to be absolutely brutal to watch. I don’t think I can take much more.
🔘 Let’s finish on a high. The New York Rangers look legit, and they took care of business against the Flyers on Friday. Both Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider lit the lamp, and if that pair can get hot offensively then watch out the rest of the NHL. I didn’t really know what to expect from the Rangers this year, but they are blowing through most people’s expectations and it is amazing how much difference good coaching can make. This is a really fun team to watch and Saturday’s game against the Bruins should be an absolute doozy.
🔘 I really miss baseball. Can’t wait for it to come back. Roll on spring training.
🔘 By the way, if you need a break from sports but don’t want to watch anything too heavy to go with your heavy stomach after all that Thanksgiving goodness, Grace & Frankie on Netflix is the perfect chill out show. I’m watching it again for the fifth or sixth time. It is easy to watch and it is full of laughs, which is what we all need right now given the state of the world.
Anyway, I’ll sign off with that. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend and I’ll have some baseball content up over the next couple of days. Until then.