This Week in Sports Talk (TWIST) is our weekly roundup of top headlines and current events from the past seven days in the world of sports, plus a preview of what’s up next. Heading into the week of November 1, 2020, here’s how to talk about the top sports news of the moment. Skim it, and you’ll be good to go all week.
This Week in Sports Talk: November 1, 2020
Good morning, dear reader! We hope you had an epic Blue Moon Halloween – and that the extra hour of sleep overnight has left you feeling refreshed and ready for the week ahead. Which might be a wee bit eventful. Maybe. Here are the top 10 stories in the world of sports to know heading into the week of November 1, 2020.
1. LA Dodgers win the World Series in six games
The LA Dodgers won the World Series in 6 games, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays to take home their first franchise win since 1988. Fast on the heels of the LA Lakers winning the NBA Championship, Los Angeles wears the crown of Best Sports City in 2020. Can the Rams or the Chargers keep that streak alive? Nah, probably not.
This being 2020, of course the jubilation over this win was marred by coronavirus. Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was pulled midway through Game 6 because of a positive COVID-19 test result. He was supposed to quarantine, but when his team took the World Series, he took to the field to celebrate – sometimes wearing a mask, and sometimes not.
Join our community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter. And see luxury in a new light.
2. NY Mets have a new owner just as free agency begins
On October 28, every eligible MLB player officially became a free agent, and as of today, teams are required to put in their qualifying offers.
For the Mets, that might be perfect timing, as they now have a much bigger bank account upon which to draw. Both MLB and New York City’s mayor have approved the sale of the New York Mets to hedge fund boss Steve Cohen.
New York Mets majority owner Steve Cohen. Courtesy Photo.
3. Steelers are the last undefeated NFL team; Jets still winless
Rolling into Week 8, there is one last undefeated team left: the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0). And one last team without a single win: the New York Jets. This afternoon, the Steelers travel to Baltimore to play the Ravens (5-1) – can they keep their perfect record going?
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Courtesy Photo.
Meanwhile, Jets fans could be in for some real pain today. So could New York Giants fans. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – teams with two of the most potent offenses in the NFL – will play the Jets and Giants, respectively. Our Sports Desk notes that this could be the most lopsided weekend in New York football history. And we don’t even have the TCS New York Marathon to distract us this year. Ugh!
4. Belichick 0, Brady 16
There are lots of hard feelings and intense rivalry at the moment between the New England Patriots (our team forever, no matter who the QB is) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Why? Because after 6 Super Bowl championships together, the Pats star quarterback Tom Brady left head coach Bill Belichick for the Bucs this season. And now everyone is watching to see whether the Pats can still shine without him. Or whether Brady will bring the Pats magic with him to Florida. The stakes? Bragging rights on who’s responsible for the Patriots Dynasty. That’s all.
So, who’s the greatest? Belichick or Brady? So far, it’s no contest. The Pats are 2 – 4 this season, and are on a 3-game losing streak. For the first time since the Brady era began. They’re under .500, and they don’t seem to have great prospects for improvement.
Meanwhile, Brady has led his team to first place in the NFC South, with a 5-2 record. And Antonio Brown will join the team on the field next week. Our Sports Desk reports that many are calling the Bucs the best team in the NFL.
Having been named NFC Player of the Month, Brady is now being talked about for MVP (although he’s still behind Russell Wilson at this point). He’s scored 16 touchdowns with 2 interceptions – while all of the Pats quarterback combined have 4 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His four-touchdown performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in week 7 gave Brady 559 career passing touchdowns, one more than Drew Brees’ record of 558.
It’s getting cold and dark early up in Boston – and the Super Bowl is in Tampa this year. Watch this space for further updates.
5. Tua Time in Miami
The Miami Dolphins made a switch in their starting quarterback earlier than at least some people expected. It’s “Tua time” in Miami as Alabama star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa assumes the role of NFL starter for the first time.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Courtesy Photo.
He makes his debut today as the Dolphins host the LA Rams. It’s his first start since suffering a heart-breaking hip injury in November 2019 while at Alabama. Former starter Ryan Fitzpatrick has been benched with a 3-3 record.
6. Injuries pile up in NFL
The “injured reserve” list in the NFL is getting longer as the season wears on. The Cleveland Browns’ Odell Beckham Jr. is out for the season. After the Dallas Cowboys lost their star Dak Prescott for the season to injury, his backup Andy Dalton suffered a concussion in week 7 and will be out this week. The New England Patriots’ Julian Edelman had to have knee surgery and will miss several weeks this season (but not the entire season).
7. NFL week 8 is all about rivalry games
The big games to watch in week 8 in the NFL are the division rivalry games. On deck are the Minnesota Vikings (1-5) at the Green Bay Packers (5-1). The New England Patriots (2-4) at the Buffalo Bills (5-2).
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Courtesy Photo.
Also the San Francisco 49’ers (4-3) at the Seattle Seahawks (5-1). The Dallas Cowboys (2-5) at the Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1). The LA Chargers (2-4) at the Denver Broncos (2-4). And the Big Game of the Week: the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0) at the Baltimore Ravens (5-1).
In Thursday Night Football this week, the Atlanta Falcons have now won two of their last three games after a 0-5 start. They came out on top against the Carolina Panthers in an upset on the road, winning 25-17.
8. College football hit as quarterbacks Lawrence and Mertz both test positive for COVID-19
College football has been plagued this week by . . . the plague. Shortly after his historic performance last Saturday in a win against Illinois, Wisconsin freshman quarterback Graham Mertz tested positive for COVID-19. The team has said that the player will be out for a minimum of 21 days, as per Big Ten policy.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Photo Credit: NBC Sports.
Late this week, Clemson announced that its star quarterback – who is also the consensus #1 NFL Draft pick in 2021 – Trevor Lawrence tested positive for COVID-19, and sat out yesterday’s game against Boston College. Early word is that he’ll also miss this coming weekend’s game. Lawrence must isolate for a minimum of 10 days per ACC medical advisory group protocols. He also has to pass a series of cardiac exams, and the team says that going through all the protocols will keep him off the field for another week.
9. Djokovic earns number 1 world ranking in Vienna
Tennis superstar and bad boy Novak Djokovic opted to play in this week’s Vienna Open to achieve the two wins he needed to clinch the year-end world number one spot. Which he did. Then he proceeded to end the season pretty much the way he’s been performing all year: by acting out and making everyone crazy.
Novak Djokovic at the Vienna Open 2020. Photo Credit: Reuters.
As soon as he got to number one, he promptly lost in a dismal 6-2, 6-1 defeat to Lorenzo Sonego. Statistically, it was the worst defeat statistically of his entire career. And yet he flippantly told the press that he was “completely fine” with his loss – the implication being that he tanked once he got what he wanted. That led the tournament director for the Vienna Open to sharply criticize the new number one: “I find such statements unnecessary,” the director noted. “Even if you would think so, you don’t say that in any press conference.”
10. New (old) managers named in MLB
This week, the Detroit Tigers named former Astros manager AJ Hinch as their next manager. Hinch was sidelined after the league’s investigation of the sign-stealing scandal within the Houston Astros organization.
Tony La Russa is the new Manager of the Chicago White Sox. Courtesy Photo.
Also this week, the Chicago White Sox introduced Tony La Russa as their next manager. At age 76, he becomes the oldest manager in baseball. La Russa is the third-winningest manager in baseball history; a three-time World Series champion; and a four-time winner of the Manager of the Year Award. He’s also a Baseball Hall of Fame inductee. Go on, dude!
This Week in Sports News November 1, 2020
That’s it. You’re good to go with the top headlines and coming attractions heading into the week of November 1, 2020. Stay safe and healthy, dear reader. See you next week.
Join our Community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter here. And see luxury in a new light.
Join our community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter. And see luxury in a new light.