Sarni's Scrolls: World Series Snooze

By Jim Sarni

Who's excited about the NBA In-Season Tournament?

Anyone?

The NBA created the Nov. 3-Dec. 9 event -- similar to European soccer tournaments -- in an effort to provide a fresh challenge for players and teams, as well as to engage fans in a new and thrilling way.

High hopes...

Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart is not thrilled.

"Being completely honest, nobody cares about [winning in-season tournament], it's the big one that we care about, " Smart said on Media Day.

ESPN analyst JJ Reddick has a different view.

"I don't quite get the skepticism. Number one, it's an event. We’ve got different uniforms, different courts. The games were going to be played anyways. These are regular season games.
"Next thing, teams that make the quarterfinals, teams that go to Vegas, semifinals, final, that's another event. Events bring energy. Events bring nerves. Events bring excitement."
I like new things. The regular season is a slog.The tournament is an interesting concept. The colored courts are funky. But it will only work if the players get behind it.
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It's Breeders Cup weekend, back at Santa Anita for the 11th time. Fourteen races -- five juveniles on Friday (4-8, USA Network) and nine Championships on Saturday (1:30-3:30, USA Network; 3:30-7, NBC; 7-8:15, Peacock).
"The Breeders' Cup is Christmas and New Years Eve rolled into one for serious horseplayers," said Mike Mayo, a.k.a. The Gambling Gourmet, who hosts his popular "Lunchbox" streamer from Gulfstream Park every Friday (1 p.m., South Florida Live).
The Big Race: Post time for the Breeders Cup Classic is 6:40 p.m.
"The Classic is a wide open race with 12 runners," Mayo said. "Wise guys (including me) love White Abarrio and Japanese contender Ushba Tesoro (who's a perfect 6-for-6 at the 1 1/4 mile distance).
"Bob Baffert's Arabian Knight has been training so well (and so fast) that I'm not sure how much is left in the tank. Keep an eye out for Zandon, Saudi Crown and Clapton to fill out the exotics."
***November.
It's all about college football.
There are five undefeated Power 5 teams. Will any of them finished undefeated? Which teams will make the playoffs?
The schedules:
1. Ohio State
Rutgers (6-2)at Michigan St. (2-6)Minnesota (5-3)at Michigan (8-0)
2. Georgia
Missouri (7-1)Ole Miss (7-1)at Tennessee (6-2)at Georgia Tech
3. Michigan
Purdue (2-6)at Penn St. (7-1)Maryland (5-3)Ohio St. (8-0)
4. Florida St.
at Pitt (2-6)Miami (5-2)N. Alabama (3-6)at Florida (5-3)
5. Washington
at USC (7-2)Utah (5-2)at Oregon St. (6-2)Washington St. (4-4)
***
The Rangers-Diamondbacks rWorld Series averaged a record low 9.1M viewers across five games, down from the previous low of 9.8M in 2020.
That makes it the least-watched World Series ever, and the past four World Series now rank as the four least-watched World Series matchups on record.
Meanwhile... there are 146 days until Opening Day, 2024.
There should be plenty of news... Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto free agency... big-name trades... off-season intrigue.
***
For the second time in four years, the MLB, NBA and NHL champions are first-time winners.2023: Rangers (1961), Nuggets (1976), Golden Knights (2017).2019: Nationals (1969), Raptors (1995), Blues (1967).
***Watch list... other than football, basketball and hockey
■ NWSL semifinals (Saturday) -- Portland vs. Gotham, 7, CBSSN; San Diego vs. OL Reign, 9:30, CBSSN
■ MLS 1st round -- Saturday -- Red Bulls vs. Cincinnati, 7, Apple; Dallas vs. Seattle, 9, Apple... Sunday -- Sporting KC vs. St. Louis, 5, Apple; Vancouver vs LAFC, 7:30, Apple.
■ NASCAR championship race, Sunday, 3, NBC
■ Formula One San Paulo GP, Sunday, noon, ESPN
■ WTA Finals, Sunday, 7, Tennis Channel
■ ATP Paris Masters, Fri-Sun, Tennis Channel
■ New York Marathon, Sunday, 8 a.m., ESPN
■ Spain Sail GP, Sunday, 5, CBS.
***
ETC.
■ World Series odds for next season: Braves +650, Dodgers +800, Astros +900, Rangers +1000.
■ The Big 12 Conference has announced its 16-team, four-year scheduling matrix for the 2024-27 football seasons. Four rivalries will play each year: Utah-BYU; Baylor-TCU; Arizona-Arizona St.; Kansas-Kansas St.
■ The Big Ten released its 2024 football schedule, the first with 18 teams and nine divisions. Some marquee matchups: USC at Michigan, Michigan at Washington, Ohio State at Oregon, Penn St. at USC, Oregon at Michigan.
■ The Cure Bowl has a title sponsor and is now the Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl.
■ Andre Iguodala is retiring from the NBA to focus on startup investment with the hope of owning a team one day.
■ Nearly every streaming service has hiked its subscription costs over the past year.
■ ESPN Bet will launch Nov. 14 in 17 states.
***
■ Grammy award-winning producer, DJ, and songwriter Calvin Harris will headline the post-race performances at the Pegasus World Cup, Jan. 27, at Gulfstream Park.
■ Jack Harlow will perform at the Thanksgiving halftime show for the Lions-Packers on Fox.
■ FBS schools ranked by how close they are to an Arby's: 1. Tulsa, 0.1 mile; 1. (tied) Marshall, 0.1 mile.
■ Limited edition at Atlanta Falcons game this weekend: St. Louis style ribs stuffed with mac and cheese in a custom Mercedes-Benz Stadium container filled with kettle chips for $35.
■ The Beatles' new song "Now and Then" is "the final masterpiece they deserve," according to Rolling Stone.
■ "Yellowstone" will end its run in 2024, with Dutton family saga continuing with two more spinoff "1944" and "2024."
■ Comedian Taylor Tomlibsin, 29, has been tapped to host the CBS talk show "After Midnight," which succeeds James Corden's "Late Late Show."

THEY SAID IT
■ "I'm not a system player. I am a system." -- James Harden
■ "[Last Sunday's] Jets-Giants game set back football 80 years." -- Former NFL Executive to Upton Bell.
■ "How is this a real person? -- Yahoo Sports' Kendall Baker watching Victor Wembanyama's amazing performance -- 38 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals -- in the Spurs' 132-131 victory over the Suns on Thursday.
■ "Watching 'The Gilded Age' is like reading Edith Wharton with the verbs removed." -- Writer John Podhoretz

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Jim Sarni, BC Class of '69, is a former sportswriter for The Boston Globe and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He resides in Fort Lauderdale and watches a lot of television.