The pope is the only man that can knock an Eagles win off the front page

Sunday Bloody Sunday

The Philly Daily News sums up yesterday's mess perfectly. Only Pope Francis can save us.

It's over before it started

I had a feeling that Rutgers was not going to be as good this year as it was last year but I didn't think that by 11pm on Sept. 19 the season would be basically over. 

Last nights performance against Penn State took me back to a time when Rutgers was uncompetitive, a time when a loss to Villanova was a real possibility. They looked over matched, against a team that loss to Temple. They looked out coached. 

All of the momentum of an 8-win first season in the Big Ten is gone. The program is sliding down hill quickly. All that Greg Schiano built during his tenure is in danger is of being loss. This program  is in real danger. 

Professional Tailgating: Let's talk about the game

It's been a crazy week at Rutgers. Emails and arrest have dominated the headlines. Now we finally have a game to talk about. Here are some of the sights from a weird day on the banks.

Silence is not good for Kyle Flood

With the season starting in three days, Rutgers football is at a cross roads. Head coach Kyle Flood is under investigation by the university for emailing a professor about the status of a grade and no one knows what his future holds. One thing that would be concerning, if I was Flood, would be the lack of support from the administration. No one from the administration has spoken up and said anything about the situation. 

I love Kyle as a person. He took time to talk to my son and take some photos with him last year. That is something I will remember. 

But as time goes on I think Flood's position is unattainable. Remember this he was not ADs hire and this whole situation could be her a way to bring in her own person. 

Prospects Plus: The Top 10

The Minor League Baseball season is almost over. It's been a fun year for us at OTWT. We went to a bunch of Lakewood Blueclaws game as well as a Trenton Thunder. Here is a break down of the 10 best players I've seen this summer.

1. Nick Williams, OF, Reading:  A key piece of the Hammels deal..He looks the part of the an offensive force. Saw him two years ago in the South Atlantic League and he looks like a different player now and I mean that in a good way. I'm a huge Nick Williams fan boy. 
2. JP Crawford, SS Reading: I've seen a bunch of him the last couple of years and he looks the next Phillies SS for the next decade. 
3. Josh Morgan, SS, Hickory: The Texas Rangers prospect looks the part. 
4. Cole Tucker,  SS, West Virginia: I really think him and Morgan where the best Single A players I saw all year. 
5. Spencer Adams, P, Kannapolis: Sat between 92-94 with his fastball. Bad electric stuff when I saw him. 
6. Carlos Tocci, OF, Lakewood: Tocci didn't spend much time in Lakewood this season but  he showed that his bat is starting to develop.
7. Jake Thompson, P, Reading: Good fastball. Good Change up. Could develop into a good 3rd starter. 
8.  Jairo Beras, OF, Hickory: He looks the part of an outfielder. 
9. Cord Sandberg, OF, Lakewood: The former Mississippi State football recruit looks like a player for the future. 
10. Tyler Wade, SS, Trenton: Athletic defender.

Don't blame the reporter

Earlier today news broke that Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood may have broken university code by contacting a professor of a player. Around the Rutgers universe people are taking shots at the reporter who wrote the story, which is not fair. As a reporter, I would have to assume that this story was completely vetted by the editors at the Ledger. You can't just run a story like this, that is not how the system works.

Some Rutgers fans view the Ledger as the enemy,which is not true at all. The Ledger covers the team, is like me covering government. You write the good and your right the bad, that is how this works. People need  to calm down, they need to respect the job that reporters do. 

Prospects Plus: It's been a long summer

The minor league season is winding down and it's been a blast. I have the rosters and the scouting reports to show it. Sometime during the next week, I'm going to post my 10 best prospect's I've seen this season. So stay tuned.

Prospects Plus: Reading's Jake Thompson

Name: Jake Thompson
Team: Reading Fightins
Organization: Phillies
Position: SP
Organizational Rank: Third ranked prospect in the Phillies system by MLB.com
Saturday vs. Trenton Thunder: 6 innings,  2 earned  runs, 2 hits, 5 walks, 5 Ks.

Positives: Showed some good stuff during this 89 pitch performance Saturday night. Thompson topped out at 93 and  showed a good slider. He seemed to hold base runners well. Thompson has a classic starter's build that should give him durability and allows him to pitch on a tough downhill plane.

Negatives: Walking five batters in six innings is not what people want to see in prospect who was a key part of the Cole Hammels deal. His machanics looked to be all over the place. He is pitcher that I would not rush to the big leagues. Thompson should start the season in AAA next season.    

Prospects Plus: Reading's Nick Williams

Name: Nick Williams
Team: Reading Fightins
Organization: Phillies
Position: CF
Organizational Rank: Fifth ranked prospect in the Phillies system by  MLB.com
Saturday vs. Trenton Thunder: 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and stolen base

POSITIVES: This was my second time seeing Williams. I saw him two years ago vs. Lakewood when he was with the Rangers organization. When I saw on Saturday night, he looked more like a baseball player then an athlete playing baseball. Really did a nice job in center field. Williams was a key player in the Cole Hammels trade.

NEGATIVES: There has been some talk in the local media that Williams might get a September call up,  which is something that I don't understand. He still needs time to develop, I would be be against him playing winter ball to improve his skills.

Just like Fever Pitch

Every year the day my season tickets for Rutgers football come in the mail is like a holiday. Today was no different. 

Prospects Plus: Cole Tucker

Name: Cole Tucker

Position: Shortstop 

Team: West Virginia Power

Organization: Pittsburgh Pirates

Organizational Rank: eighth ranked prospect in the Pirates system, according to Baseball America 

Last Friday vs the Blueclaws: 2 for 4 with a double. 

Positives: Tucker looks the part of a middle infielder. He showed many of the skills that made him a first rounder back in 2014. He has great baseball IQ, including saving a run by gunning a guy at home. Sure he is going to take time but it may be worth it in the end. He looked like the best player on the field on Friday night. 

Negatives: Tucker is never going to be a big time offensive player. His baseball IQ is going to play at any position if he has to be moved off shortstop. 

Fore: One of the best I've played

Every time we come down to Williamsburg to visit my aunt and uncle I make it a point to play golf with my uncle. So on Monday the two of us played the Goldenhorse Gold course and it did not disappoint. My uncle is a member at the Golden Horseshoe. 

I would agree with the sign below. 

The 16th hole is the photogenic hole of the two. 

While the 17th is a beast of a hole. One of the hardest I played. 

The Golden Horseshoe Gold Coures is one of the best I've played. In my top five. I broke a 100 so I'm happy. 

I wish the Great Outdoors Games where still around

I've been on the earth for nearly 38 years and one thing I haven't done was shoot a gun but at that all changed today as my buddy took me to Range 14

First we went skeet shooting and that was awesome. 

They even make pink shell casings.

After skeet shooting, we went to the pistol range and that was fun but not as fun as skeet shootings. 

When all is said and done I really enjoyed it and would go back. 

Prospects Plus: Josh Morgan

Name: Josh Morgan

Position: SS

Team: Hickory Crawdads

Organization: Texas Rangers

Ranking: 10th overall prospect in Rangers organization, according to Baseball America

Friday vs Lakewood Blueclaws: 2 for 5 with 3 RBI

Positives: Of all of the players that I saw on the field last night, Morgan, a former third round draft pick, was by far the most impressive. He looked really good at the plate and looked solid in the field. In the bottom of the seventh, Morgan made a really good back handed stop to prevent a run. Morgan's upside is as a high-OBP SS or 2B who doesn't steal a lot of bases or hit for much power, but who is solid defensively while getting on base at a solid clip.

Negatives: Morgan is going to have to continue to hit as he moves up the ladder, particularly when he gets to higher levels where pitchers can throw strikes more consistently, and will be more likely to challenge him due to his lack of power.  Morgan will have success if he can maintain his good approach at the plate while making solid contact enough to keep pitchers from overpowering him.

I tried but I just don't care

Few people watch as much soccer as I do. During the soccer season I watch: the Premier League, the Championship, the French league, Spanish league, Italian league, Portuguese league and the Russian league. So no one can question my love for the beautiful game. 

But there is one thing that I have had a hard time watching: the Women's World Cup. I tried to watch the final 45 minutes of the United States vs Germany but I found it unwatchable. While the pace of the game was ok the game lacked tackling. At no point in the second half did I see anyone flying in for a Roy Keane like tackle. 

Some might call me sexist for not being into the United States run to the final but honestly I care very little about it, wake me up when club friendlies start. The women's game does very little for me. 

U.S. Open done the Fox Way

I've held off on passing judgement on Fox's first attempt at covering my favorite major: the U.S. Open. Until now.

Joe Buck is a pain and I've never liked him and during the open my disliked for him grew. During the four rounds, Buck drove me nuts but talking over shots the whole time. Listening to Buck for four days make me yern for the days of Dan Hicks. 

Greg Norman was ok, not great. Norman gave some good insight on Jason Day's issues but beyond that he was not great.

The one thing I did like was the time they gave golf course designers to talk about all for the issues regarding fescue grass and the way it dominates the course. 

For a first major championship, Fox did an ok job but there is a ton of improvement that has to be made next year at Oakmont, my favorite US Open venue.  

Prospect Plus: Best Class Ever

In honor of this years rookie class Baseball America posted this epic photo on their Instagram. The four hotshots all on their cover. 

Prospects Plus: My MLB Mock Draft

Doing a MLB Mock Draft is probably the hardest thing in sports to do, but over the last couple of years I've given it a shot and I will again this year. So Here we go: 

1. Diamondbacks: Dansby Swanson,SS, Vanderbilt    
2. Astros: Alex Bregman, SS, LSU
3. Rockies: Dillion Tate, RHP, UCSB
4. Rangers: Brandan Rodgers, SS, California HS
5. Astros: Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt
6. Twins: Tyler Jay, RHP, Illinois
7. Red Sox: Daz Cameron, OF, Georgia HS
8. White Sox: Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, Louisville
9. Cubs: Garrett Whitley, OF, New York HS
10. Phillies: Kyle Tucker, OF, Florida HS
11. Reds: Walker Buehler, RHP, Vanderbilt
12. Marlins: Trenton Clark, OF, Texas HS          
13. Rays: Andrew Benintendi, OF, Arkansas
14. Braves: Carnelius Randolph, SS, Georgia HS
15. Brewers: Ian Happ, OF, Cincinnati
16. Yankees: Tyler Stephenson, C, Georgia HS
17. Indians: Nick Plummer, OF, Michigan HS
18. Giants: Alex Young, LHP, TCU
19. Pirates: Mike Nikorak, RHP, Pennsylvania HS
20. Athletics: James Kapriellian, RHP, UCLA
21. Royals: Brady Aiken, LHP, IMG
22. Tigers: Ashe Russell, RHP, Indianapolis HS
23. Cardinals: Jon Harris, RHP, Missouri State
24. Dodgers: Kolby Allard, LHP, California HS
25. Orioles: Beau Burrows, RHP, Texas HS
26. Angels: Phil Bickford, RHP, JC of Southern Nevada
27. Rockies: Nathan Kirby, LHP, Virginia      
28. Braves: Dakota Chalmers, RHP, Georgia HS
29. Blue Jays: Michael Matuella, RHP, Duke
30. Yankees: Donny Everett, RHP, Tennessee HS
31. Giants: DJ Stewart, OF, Florida State
32. Pirates: Kevin Newman, SS, Arizona
33. Royals: Cody Ponce, RHP, Cal Poly Pomona
34. Tigers: Jacob Nix, RHP, IMG
35. Dodgers: Chris Shaw, OF/1b, Boston College
36. Orioles: Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3b, Texas HS
37. Astros: Donnie Dewees, OF, North Florida
38. Rockies: Justin Hooper, LHP, De La Salle HS
39. Cardinals: Kyle Holder, SS, San Diego
40. Brewers: David Hill, RHP, San Diego
41. Padres: Juan Hillman, LHP, Canada HS
42. Indians: Scott Kingery, 2B, Arizona

There was a time these guy matters.

It seems so long ago that some of the people below mattered in the sports world.