Alexander: Expectations in SoCal sports have been upended
The world according to Jim:
• Maybe it’s not being off target on our expectations as much as it is not knowing what to expect, period. But the last couple of months in this region have reminded us why we are so attracted to sports. We can assume, but we never really know until the games play out.
Who could have predicted, for example, that as the calendar flips from November to December that it would be the Rams pushing for a playoff berth and the Chargers perilously close to dropping out of contention? That’s a complete flip-flop from what was expected coming out of training camp.
And who could have dreamed, after a wild, weird and sometimes wrenching college football season on both ends of the crosstown rivalry, that UCLA’s Chip Kelly would have some job security while a betting website would actually post the odds on USC’s Lincoln Riley getting fired? (See below.)
Who even considered, at the start of a season in which the true believers among Trojan fans were dreaming of a national championship run and another Heisman Trophy for Caleb Williams, that by season’s end, Riley’s team would be compared to those of Clay Helton, and not favorably?
And who could have thought that there would be nights when James Harden, the latest star added to the Clippers’ filament, would be too deferential? (Then again, sometimes the athletes do meet expectations, such as Monday night when Russell Westbrook got in a debate with a courtside fan – at home, mind you – over the fan’s heckling. That might be one of the least surprising things that’s happened this month.)
Who, also, could have imagined that the Dodgers would win 100 games in the regular season and then flame out – uh, stop right there. …
• The point? Expectations can be their own all-consuming burden. Predictions and forecasts are good for starting conversations and often not much else. …
• The Riley stuff is crazy, by the way. I’m not sure that there’s an official line on this at any of the Las Vegas establishments, but BetOnline.ag lists him as 3-1 to not only be fired but to be the next to go, and I’m guessing these odds were posted only because the Bubbas who support Texas A&M came up with a king’s ransom to make Jimbo Fisher go away. USC would need to scrape up a sum estimated at between $80 million and $90 million to pay off his 10-year contract, and while influential USC boosters have been known to be rich and impatient – which is an often toxic combination, after all – this is nowhere close to the same scenario. …
• Those odds, by the way, should be considered for entertainment purposes only. Christopher Browne, media relations director of the American Gaming Association, noted in an email a couple of months ago that BetOnline.ag “is an unregulated, offshore sportsbook, so any Americans betting on this site would be doing so illegally.” …
• More “entertainment,” unless you’re Brandon Staley or someone close to him: The Chargers coach now seems to be the consensus next NFL head coach to be fired according to a number of betting services, none of which seem to take into account the history of the team or owner he works for. The NFL does stand for “Not For Long,” and the expectations – there’s that word again – were immense going into the season, so a quicker hook is not totally inconceivable. But again, keep in mind that no coach has been released in midseason on Dean Spanos’ watch.
Then again, one win this week over the hapless New England Patriots – and whoever thought we’d use those words in that combination – and Staley’s job security goes up. Doesn’t it? …
• Statistic for those in Southern California to send to friends and relatives in New England: Bill Belichick’s career record as a head coach without Tom Brady as his starting quarterback is 78-96, including this season’s 2-9.
And another comparison to hit ’em with while you’re at it: High temperature in Los Angeles on Wednesday: 65. High in Boston: 35, and just wait until it starts snowing. …
• The Baseball Hall of Fame ballot came in the mail Tuesday, and no, I will not disclose my vote until the day the results are announced. But I can tell you that Adrián Beltré should be a shoo-in in his first year on the ballot, and Todd Helton (72.2% of the vote last year) should also get in.
Former Dodgers on the ballot in addition to Beltré: Adrián González, Andruw Jones, Manny Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, Gary Sheffield and Chase Utley. Former Angels: Bobby Abreu, Bartolo Colon, Torii Hunter and Francisco Rodriguez. …
• Add Halls of Fame: Iconic Chargers tight end Antonio Gates is one of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with the inductees to be announced on Feb. 8, three nights before the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
And Reggie Bush will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this coming Tuesday night, also in ’Vegas. Obviously, the National Football Foundation is a bit more realistic, or at least forgiving, than either the NCAA or the Heisman Trust. …
• Condolences to and prayers for the family of Landon Negri, one of our own, a copy editor at SCNG who passed away earlier this week. Landon was a writer and sports editor for The Californian in Temecula when we first crossed paths, and he eventually joined us at The Press-Enterprise. He was a versatile writer and storyteller, and best of all, he cared – about his craft and about people, those he wrote about and those of us he worked with.
He was a professional and a friend, and we will miss him dearly.
jalexander@scng.com