Dec 21: 10-3 SDSU 48-11 v.8-6 C.Michigan @New Mexico Bowl
........... 10-5 Bills @Patriots 27-17
Dec 29: 4-11 Dolphins @12-3 Patriots -1600-16½
Dec 30: 6-6 Illinois v.7-5 Cal -250-6½ @Redbox Bowl

News: Sabo's Aztecs squished Central Michigan in Albuquerque, while at the same time, my Patriots squeaked by the Bills in Foxborough. The latter game wasn't an impressive win, but as they have done this season, New England has got the job done. Mostly. The 'mostly' part isn't what a team wants going into the playoffs... but the plan always remains: get into the playoffs, and then get hot. And... after one more game... here we go !!!1!

Next: First however.... while my Patriots did their job, and plucking that pesky buffalo's wings, the sad sack Bears failed at their job, and allowed the Chefs to BBQ their sorry carcasses 3-26 Sunday night. The Ravens have clinched the #1 AFC seed. My Patriots can still clinch the #2 AFC seed... and that sweet, sweet first round bye. What they need is a win at home over the Florida Fish =or= a road win by the sad sack LA Football Clippers +325+9 (OK, every single one of their games are in front of "road" crowds... this is a game actually out of Carson CA).


Feature: Monday my Golden Bears play in the nearby Redbox Bowl, @Levi Stadium, Santa Clara... home of the NFL 49ers. Their opponent will be the University of Illinois Fighting Illini, of Urbana and Champaign IL. The two teams have met 10 times between 1955 and 2005. Illinois leads the series 7-3. Cal won the last meeting, 35-20 @Memorial Stadium. This is their first bowl match up. Both teams have played in previous incarnations of this bowl, held at Oracle Park... home of the MLB Giants: Cal beat Miami (FL) in the Emerald Bowl 24-17 on 2008-12-27; and Illinois beat UCLA in the Fight Hunger Bowl 20-14 on 2011-12-31. This is both team's first game at Levi Stadium.

The Fighting Illini got here by going 6-6 in the Big Ten (4-5 in conference & vs P5, 2-1 vs G5). Their signature win knocking Wisconsin#6 out of playoff consideration, 24-23, in Campaign IL on 2019-10-19. My Golden Bears got here by going 6-6 in the Pac-12 (4-5 in conference, 5-5 vs P5, 1-0 vs G5, 1-0 vs FCS). Cal also swept the Unofficial UC Championship, beating UCD to open the season, and beating UCLA to finish their regular season. On Hallowed Ground, Cal dominated the game. C.Brown scored two rushing TDs in the 2nd half to put that game away 28-18.

Dec 29: 5-11 Dolphins 27-24 @Patriots
Dec 30: 8-5 Cal 35-20 v. 6-7 Illinois @Redbox Bowl, Santa Clara
Jan 4: 10-7 Titans 20-13 @12-5 Patriots $
Jan 13: 14-0 Clemson#3 v. 14-0 LSU#1 @New Orleans $ -5½-220

Jan 13: 15-0 LSU#1 42-25 v. 14-1 Clemson#2 @New Orleans $
Feb 2: 15-3 49ers v. 14-4 Chefs @Miami Gardens $ -120-1

Belated congrats on the Chefs for beating the 49ers to win Superb Owl LIV (2019 season) -and- losing Superb Owl LV (2020 season) to the Buccaneers !!!1!


The NFL added two playoff teams for the 2020 season, leaving only one bye per conference. The other changes were covid-19 related: the cancelation of the somewhat annoying preseason exhibition games, and no international or neutral site games. Unlike FBS and every other major sport, the NFL didn't modify their regular season. To do this, besides shuffling the schedule as needed, and unlike FBS, the NFL was willing to stoop to farce to get the games in as planned. This was demonstrated by the game in which the Broncos were forced to play without quarterbacks.

In other NFL news, my favorite NFLer, Phillip Rivers, finally escaped the clutches of the evil LA Football Clippers, and ended up in Indianapolis. He retired after the season, and is now awaiting his induction into the HOF. And... now I have -zero- favorite current NFLers, and -two- favorite retired NFLers: Rivers and Lance Alworth.


Was it the end of a dynasty in 2020? Well no, a covid compromised campaign cannot kill a dynasty. But it wasn't good. My Pats went 7-9. New England hadn't not come in first or missed the playoffs since 2008, hadn't had a losing season or played 'garbage time' games post elimination since 2000.

Cam Newton was the starting QB, as GOAT Tom Brady ran away to Tampa, where he ended up winning his 7th Superb Owl.

The impact of covid-19 was far greater to FBS than to the NFL.

At first, 53 of the 130 teams (35%), the Big Ten (14 teams), Pac-12, MAC (12 teams), 11 of 12 MW teams (all except Air Force), Old Dominion (CUSA), and independents UConn, UMass, and New Mexico State announced they weren't playing. Eventually every team except Old Dominion and UConn decided to play. This was supposed to be UConn's first season as an independent, after leaving the AA at the end of last season.

All teams were declared eligible for Week Zero. And... no teams ended up scheduling games that week, and the season opening was pushed back to Week One. Eventually the conference championship games were pushed back two weeks to Week 16, and the season final was pushed back eight weeks to Week 27.

Every team had to rescheduled games, some on only a couple of days notice, like my Golden Bears game @UCLA. Only Texas State ended up playing the standard 12 game schedule. The Bobcats went 2-10. Every other team played a short schedule. Ohio and Miami (of OH) only played, and NMSU is only scheduled to play, three game seasons. Even when games were still on the scheduled, every week several were cancelled because of covid-19 outbreaks... some even on game day itself, like my Golden Bears scheduled game @Washington State.

All conferences except CUSA, American and Sun Belt revised their conference schedules, some several times. The ACC and SEC scheduled more conference games, while the Pac-12, MAC, MW, Big-10 scheduled less. Non-conference games were down sharply as half the teams, including all SEC, Big-10, MAC teams, played conference only schedules. ACC and Big-12 teams were limited to a maximum of one non-conference game maximum, and there were no power -vs- power non-conference matchups. OTOH Notre Dame, after always being an independent since 1887, joined the ACC for this covid compromised campaign.

With the departure of UConn, the AA had went to a top-2 conference playoff format, like the Big-12. Because of covid, the ACC and MW also switched to that format. All but one of conference championships were played. The Sun Belt game was cancelled because of a covid outbreak, and Coastal Carolina and LA-Lafayette were named co-champions.

There were 19 minor bowls, down from 34 last season. Several weren't scheduled. This included the Holiday Bowl, which lacked a venue anyways with the destruction of San Diego Stadium (aka Jack Murphy, Qualcomm, SDCCU). Others were cancelled because of covid outbreaks. The playoff Rose Bowl was moved to Arlington TX so fans could attend, marking only the second time it hadn't been played in Pasadena. All teams were declared bowl eligible. Still, lots of teams didn't accept bids, including Sabo's Aztecs. This resulted in the record number of losing teams that ending up bowling.


Of the 128 FBS teams who played this season, 127 decided to play a conventual fall schedule. One, New Mexico State, decided to play in the spring, -vs- FCS and D2 opponents.

The state of New Mexico has been far the strictest regarding covid safety measures. College sports teams are not only prohibited from letting fans in... they are also prohibited from playing or even practicing in state. The University of New Mexico Lobos became the first college team to play entirely out of state, when they moved the program 570 miles west to Las Vegas NV. Sin City was a busy football town as UNLV and the hated NFL Raiders shared to brand new Allegiant Stadium, while UNM and later San Jose State, shared Sam Boyd Stadium, UNLV's old home. None of the four teams allowed fans to attend.

The New Mexico State Aggies will become the second college team to completely relocate out of state, this time 61 miles down the Rio Grande to the Sun Bowl, El Paso TX.

New Mexico State last played more than a year ago. They lost to the Liberty Flames for the second time in the 2019 season on November 30th by a score of 28-49, finishing at 2-10.

The opponent is the Tarleton State University Texans of Stephenville TX, in the Metroplex area. In 2019 the Texans won the NCAA Division II Lone Star conference with an undefeated 8-0 record. Their only loss was in the Div-2 playoffs at home to Texas A&M Commerce 16-23 on November 23rd. They finished 11-1. This season the Texans are moving up to FCS as an independent. Next season they'll play as a member of the Western Athletic conference, as Sabo's Aztecs' old conference reboots football at that level.

Tarleton State comes in 0-1, having lost at home in Week 24. McNeese State beat them 37-40 in double overtime in their only game so far as a FCS team. New Mexico State and Tarleton State have never met on the gridiron before. This Week 25 game is tomorrow, Sunday February 21st 2:00 PST @El Paso. No fans in attendance. It is streaming on the home of Aggies football: FloFootball ($12.50 for the season). VegasInsider has the game as a "pick".

There were no week #26 games. The New Mexico Highlands Cowboys of Las Vegas NM @ New Mexico State Aggies of El Paso TX game was cancelled due to covid testing concerns. Since 1900, NMSU has a 10-3 record in this series, and won the last meeting 73-7 in 1999. As far as I could determine, this might well remain the most recent Division 2 -vs- FBS matchup.


If it wasn't a covid compromised campaign, 2020 would have been a step backwards for the program. However, it was what it was in J.Wilcox's 4th season at the helm. Redshirt Junior Chase Garbers returned as starting QB.

Cal went 1-3, their worst season since 2013 (1-11) and shortest season since 1894 (0-1-2). They managed to get four games cancelled by covid: Washington (Cal outbreak), @Arizona State (ASU), @Washington State (Cal), and Arizona in a Pac-12 "consolidation" game (both teams).

In this short season they managed to (a) break their two season winning streak, (b) break their two season bowling streak, (c) lost the mythical UC championship @UCLA in a game scheduled just two days prior, (d) allowed Stanford to take that damn axe back to Palo Alto, after a lame-ass socially distanced Stare Down, after finishing the game by missing a tying extra point. The only high point, and there only win, was over eventual Pac-12 conference champs Oregon... to knock them out of playoff contention.


Two weeks ago, Tarleton State won their first game as an FCS team. They kicked the living crap out of FBS New Mexico State. The Texans scored on their first two plays from scrimmage, later added a safety, and the game wasn't anywhere as close as the 43-17 final indicates. Aggies head coach Doth Martin wasn't kidding when he said words to the effect he was treating these games as "spring games".

The FBS season finally finales right as I smash "post": the unfortunately named Dixie State Trailblazers of St. George UT @ New Mexico State Aggies of El Paso TX. Like Tarleton State, the Trailblazers played at the Division II level in 2019. They finished 8-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Like Tarleton State, they are playing just their second game as an FCS team. They lost to those same Texans 7-36 at home last week. Like Tarleton State, they are playing as an independent now, before joining the FCS WAC reboot.

New Mexico State and soon to be renamed Dixie State kicks off right as I smash "post": Sunday March 7th @El Paso. No fans in attendance. It is streaming on the home of Aggies football: FloFootball (correction $19.99 for the two game season). VegasInsider had the game "off the board".

Our baseball picks... which I swear me made before the Yankees game started today...

Pre-season WS

Sabo:
me:

Sabo's Padres

Sabo:
me:

My Red Sox

me:

Sabo's Dog Day Championship

1978. San Diego
1992. Minnesota
2004. Pittsburgh
2005. Chicago Cubs
2006. Chicago White Sox
2007. Chicago White Sox
2008. Chicago White Sox
2009. Chicago White Sox
2012. San Diego
2013. San Diego
2014. Chicago White Sox (2-0)
2015. St.Louis (3-0)
2016. Texas (4-0)
2017. Cincinnati (8-4)
2018. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-2)
2019. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-4)
2020. Los Angeles Dodgers (8-5)

The hated Dodgers won 37% championships in both MLB and Sabo's Dog Day Championship in the covid compromised and compressed 2020 campaign. The SDDC championship was their third in a row. There were no dog games last season.

Instead, 13 games ended up being 'envisioned' by another screw-ball decree by The Competition Committee (below). Let's see how crazy they were this time...

In 2020 there were no 'envisioned' spring training games. None of the games before the MLB shut-down following the Gobert Moment were restricted. The games of the resumed spring training, branded as "Summer Camp", weren't 'envisioned' for two reasons: no fans -and- they were played at the regular season stadiums, as the committee predicted. There were no 'envisioned' regular season games, as fans weren't allowed at any of them. Most of the postseason games also didn't allow fans, and so were also not 'envisioned'.

The only 'envisioned' games turned out to be the NLCS and the World Series, both played before restricted gatherings at the brand new Globe Life Park in Arlington TX. SDDC final standings: #1 Dodgers 8-5 .615 --; #2 Braves 3-4 .429 2; #3 Rays 2-4 .333 2½.

Welcome to Covid Compromised Campaign, the "C"-qual and the 2021 edition of Sabo's Dog Day Championship. As the crazy Competition Committee's Covid decree (above) remains in place, and all games on spring training opening day had restricted human attendance, all were 'envisioned'. Standings...

#1. Angels, Blue Jays, Brewers, Dodgers, Indians, Mariners, Marlins, Pirates, Rays, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Twins, 1-0 1.000 --;

#14. Card's, Nationals 0-0-1 -- ½;

#16. A's, Astros, Braves, D'backs, Giants, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Reds, White Sox, Yankees 0-1 .000 1; No games yet: Cubs, Mets.

There were 417 spring training games scheduled this season. Amazingly, none were cancelled by covid outbreaks. In fact, known dumb-**** and conspiritard D.Trump Jr would claim that covid "replaced" rain, and make the self-contradictorily claim at the same time that the National Weather Service has been captured by the "deep state" and is lying about the rainfall stats... as an equally amazing only two spring games were rained out. There actually were several dog games this spring. However, Sabo was much too busy doing his heroic covid crisis services for the human race to attend any.

Of the 415 spring games actually played, all but the two at Globe Life Park had restricted human attendance. Of those 413 games, 18 were in 'envision' exempt stadiums: 14 in TD Park @Dunedin FL, two in Dodgers Stadium, and one each in Angels Stadium and Chase Field. So, it turns out the SDDC standings through March are identical to the final spring training standings less these 20 games. Which is...

1. Marlins	14-5-5	.737 --
2. Royals	16-8-4	.667 ½
3. Cubs	15-9-4	.625 1½
4. A's	16-10-2	.615 1½
5. my Red Sox	16-11-1	.593 2
6. Rangers	14-10-3	.583 2½
7. Blue Jays	8-6	.571 3½
8. Tigers	13-10-2	.565 3
9. Brewers	13-11-3	.542 3½
10. Braves	15-13	.536 3½
11. Nationals	10-9-5	.526 4
12. champ Dodgers	11-10-5	.524 4
13. Angels	12-11-3	.522 4
14. Phillies	12-11-1	.522 4
15. Rockies	14-14-1	.500 4½
16. White Sox	12-12-5	.500 4½
17. Mariners	11-11-6	.500 4½
18. Mets	11-11-2	.500 4½
19. Pirates	13-14-1	.481 5
20. Sabo's Padres	12-13-3	.480 5
21. Giants	11-12-5	.478 5
22. Yankees	11-12-2	.478 5
23. Rays	13-15	.464 5½
24. Cards	8-10-6	.444 5½
25. Twins	11-15-2	.423 6½
26. Orioles	10-15-1	.400 7
27. Baseball Team	10-17-1	.370 8
28. D'backs	8-15-5	.348 8
29. Astros	6-14-4	.300 8½
30. Reds	7-19-2	.269 10½

It feels like 1984 again. Finally after all these decades... Sabo's Padres have a no-hitter. It was especially special, and really another only in Dago thingee, that San Diego county native Joe Musgrove was the one to do it this April 9th. It was his 2nd return home start... and just days after the historic San Diego Stadium (aka Jack Murphy, Qualcomm, San Diego County Credit Union stadia, and "The Q") was demolished... his Padres original MLB stadium, where like me he had seen his Padres as a child. Sabo has been going nuts the last few days... and he most certainly has my permissions to yap all about it !!!1!

In the 2019 season, Sabo's Padres blew past the Met's old franchise record for most games never having a no-hitter. This includes all the defunct segregated major league franchises of the 1800s and all the newly recognized major Negro League franchises of the 1900s. The Mets started out with 8019 none no-hitters. On 2012-6-1, in their 8020th game, Johan Santana no-hit the Card's 8-0 @Citi Field. Sabo's Padres started out with 8205 none no-hitters. Musgrove's 28 batter masterpiece (he hit batter in the 4th), also the first no-hitter @Globe Life Park in Arlington TX, was in the Padres 8206th game.

Now... that all MLB franchises have no-hitters, it's all about longest streak between no-hitters.

Sabo's Padres have the shortest current streak: 1 game yesterday. The Cleveland Baseball Team has the longest current streak. The last BT no-hitter was 40 seasons ago: Len Barker's perfect game on 1981-5-15 @Cleveland Stadium, a 3-0 win over the Blue Jays. The Phillies have the all-time record. On 1906-5-3 @Washington Park, Brooklyn, NYC, Johnny Lush no-hit the Superbas (nka Dodgers) 6-0. Jim Bunning threw his perfect game on 1964-6-24, in the first game at Shea Stadium, a 6-0 win over the Mets. The Phillies played 8945 none no-hitter games in between.

Sabo's Padres are now tied at one for last in no-hitters with the Mets, Brewers, Blue Jays, Rockies, and Rays franchises. The Mets have the lowest no-hit average (1/60 seasons so far). San Diego and the Seattle-Milwaukee franchises have both had one in the same number of seasons (1/53), but through yesterday's games, Sabo's Padres have played seven more regular season games... giving them the dubious distinction of having the second lowest no-hit average.

Sabo's Padres continue to have seen more than their league average share of no-hitters.

The Phillies and Dodgers have been no-hit a record 19 times. Sabo's Padres are at #13 on that list. However, all 12 teams above them have been around more than twice as long. Of extant franchises, the Rays have been victimized the most frequently (5/23 seasons so far). Sabo's Padres are #2 on that dubious list, having the second highest no hit against average (10/53 seasons). The Padres are also the only known victim of a no-hitter thrown by a pitcher tripping on LSD (the late Doc Ellis, June 12, 1970 game #1, the first of three no-hitters at San Diego Stadium, Pirates 2-0).

There actually are regular season dog games this year too. There have been seven so far, as Sabo's Padres are "open for business" in the Barkyard. There's another one tonight, as the hated champion Dodgers come to town. Sabo's can hardly contain his anticipation for this first of six Padres vs Dodgers series this season... even though his Padres would need a sweep to move into first, as they are already 2½ games behind the champs.

As of today, there are 81 more dog games scheduled: 73 more Barkyard games (all sold out); four at loanDepot park (fka Marlins Park, June 27 vs. Nationals, July 11 vs. Braves, Aug 15 vs. Cubs, Sept. 19 vs Pirates); two at Globe Life Park (the inaugural dog game June 20th vs. Twins, August 28th vs. Astros); and two at Citi Field (May 24 vs. Rockies, Sept. 2 vs. Marlins).

Of course, the Competition Committee's crazy covid decree remains in effect. Bottom line: so far, all regular season games, excepting those in Arlington TX (no attendance restrictions at Globe Life Park)) -and- Dunedin FL (by decree), count in the 2021 SDDC standings. Which makes the current standings...

Dog Games

There have actually been 17 dog games so far this season. This includes 14 Barkyard games, and the first general dog game on April 14th, in which the Angels lost in Kansas City. Or maybe I should say the above are alleged. Sabo and me watched those games, and I didn't notice the dogs being highlighted on the broadcasts.

There was a pair of general dog games on April 4 too... and these dogs were duly highlighted on the broadcasts. The Braves hosted the D'backs in a single admission double header, perhaps the first such in history. The Brave Dogs had to be disappointed in the outcome. Their team went 1-for the doubleheader... not wins, but hits. Z.Gallon pitched a 1-hit complete game shutout in the first game, and M.Bumgarner pitched a zero-hit complete game shutout in the second game. Both were 7 inning games, and thanks to MLBs stupid,stupid,stupid definition of what is a no-hitter, we have the absurd situation where Bumgarner's zero hitter is not officially one of them.

Envision-ment

Of course, the Competition Committee's crazy covid decree remains in effect. Starting May 7th, the Braves will go to 100% attendance. At that point, all games will count in the 2021 SDDC standings, except for non-dog games in Arlington TX, Dunedin FL, and Cobb County GA.


And... Sabo would like to wish everyone a happy May Day !!!1!

Dog Games

There continue to be dog games this season: in the Barkyard, and the Royals hosted their second Bark in the Park, beating the Brewers 2-0 yesterday. Or again, maybe I should say the above are alleged, as Sabo and me watched these games too, and we didn't notice the dogs in attendance.

Envision-ments

The Competition Committee's crazy covid decree remains in effect. Currently, all non-dog games are 'envisioned', excepting Rangers and Braves home games, as well as the Blue Jay games played in Dunedin FL.

The Blue Jays have announced they are moving back to Buffalo on June 1st. By the crazy decree, those games will not be 'envisioned' either. However, in the near future, the number of 'envisioned' games should drop significantly. The following teams have announced when they are going to 100%: Astros (5-25), D'backs (5-25), my Red Sox (5-29), Cleveland (6-2), Reds (6-2), Nationals (6-11), Phillies (6-12), Brewers (6-25), Pirates (7-1), Twins (7-5).

Dog Games

There allegedly continue to be dog games this season: Since mid-May, Sabo's Padres were 4-0 in the Barkyard, and on May 24th, in front of the dogs at Citi Field, the Rockies won 3-2. My theory is that the covid restrictions on in stadium reporting, and the widespread use of shared feeds, is why they aren't showing the dogs on tv this season.

Envision-ments

The Competition Committee's crazy covid decree remains in effect. So far, 97% of these so-called dog games have been 'envisioned'.

However, this craziness shows signs of coming to an end. Of the 30 teams at home: three never had 'envisions' (the nomadic Blue Jays now in Buffalo, Sabo's Padres, Rangers), nine have already had their final 'envision-ment' (see 'Last' column below), and 11 have announced their last 'envision' will be sometime in June ("). It's hard to imagine the seven remaining teams not going full attendance, and hence end their 'envision-ing', before the All-Star break on July 11th.

Correction

I neglected to tally the following 'envision-ments' from early May. They are numbered out-of-order.

Game #1117: May 5, Dodgers 5 @Cubs 6, 11 innings
Game #1118: May 5, Giants 5 @Rockies 6

Dog Games

The dog games in June were all featured on the TV. Well, except for the Barkyard games, which continue to be a mystery. We could tell however, by the interweaved umbrellas re-appearing, that Sabo's Padres have now put all the Barlyard boxes on sale.

Envision-ments

Besides the nomadic Toronto Blue Jays of Buffalo, who still aren't allowed into Canada, all teams have played their last attendance restricted game, and hence a 'envision'-ed game, under the Competition Committees crazy covid rules, was on June 27. It is not envisioned that there will be any new 'envisioned' games this season.

The Race

In the aftermath of the mass 'envision'-ment, the race has been almost completely been decided. The A's have an almost insurmountable lead. Only their cross bay rivals, the Giants, and Sabo's Padres still have a shot. Every other team, including my Red Sox, who are a lock to have the highest winning percentage, and the returning back-2-back champions, the Dodgers, have been eliminated. All-Star Sabo-Metrics have the A's as a 97% favorite.

Dog Games

July 6: Braves 1 @Pirates 2
July 8: Nationals 8 @Padres 9
July 11: Braves 4 @Marlins 7

The general dog games in July, listed above, were all featured on TV. That includes the one @Petco Park, which I watched at a bar. To my shock, they were showing dogs in Gallagher Square (the Park at the Park's naming sponsor since 2020).

I let Sabo down terribly... he hasn't seen his Padres since 2019, and this was proly his only chance until 2022. What happened was this: Sabo's Padres have had a big free general dog day, sponsored by Petco, yearly since the move to Petco Park. It was, of course, cancelled for 2020. Their website said it's cancelled for 2021 too. So I figured that was that. However... a handful of times over the years the Padres have also had smaller dog games they've called "Bark at the Park". These few games have cost a lawn seat for the people, dogs free, and there was a dog item giveaway. That's what they did on July 8th... without my knowledge. I especially let Sabo down this way: he was present at the worst Padre choke ever a few years when they blew a 12 run lead to the Mariners. In this July 8th game, his Padres came back from 0-8, tying their biggest comeback ever (they've done it twice before). Poor Sabo... but he's a good guy, and hasn't held it against me.

Sabo's Padres were also 4-7 in Barkyard only games in July. AFAIK the Barkyard is still missing from the broadcasts.

Envision-ments

The good news is that after almost two years of wandering between Buffalo NY, and Dunedin FL, and shuffling back to Buffalo... the Blue Jays are back home in Toronto. They have 36 home games scheduled @Rogers Center. All-Star Sabo-Metrics counts the location of a plurality of games as the true home games, and other locations as neutral site venues. This means officially the 2020 Blue Jays were a Buffalo team, while the 2021 Blue Jays are a Toronto team, which also happened to play neutral site games in Dunedin and Buffalo.

The SDDC news is the Blue Jays are operating at reduced attendance because of covid. That means, since they are back in Toronto, these games are also "envisioned"... including the two Royals @Blue Jay games July 30-31. This also means that, zombie like, my Red Sox, the White Sox, and of course the Blue Jays, have come back to life.... and are once again in contention for the 2021 SDDC championship.

The Race

Dog Games

Aug. 5: Pirates 4 @Reds 7
Aug. 10: Card's 4 @Pirates 1
Aug. 11: Mariners 2 @Rangers 1
Aug. 15: Cubs 1 @Marlins 4
Aug. 22: Mariners 6 @Astros 3
Aug. 24: D'backs 2 @Pirates 4
Aug. 28: Astros 5 @Rangers 2
Aug. 31: Phillies 7 @Nationals 4

All the general dog games were featured on the broadcasts. The Barkyard however, where Sabo's Padres went 6-7, remains in this curious media blackout.


Envision-ments

The Blue Jays, now on their third homestand, continue to have covid restricted attendance... and hence continue to generate 'envisioned' dog games, as per the Competition Committee's crazy covid ruling. The Jays were 11-7 in such games. In addition, the 'envisioned' Marlins/Mets game of April 11th was finally completed today after a MLB record 142 day suspension. The Mets won 6-5.

The Race

Three teams ate the dirt sandwich this last month. On August 6th, my zombie Red Sox headed to Toronto for 'envisionment'. They needed not to lose the series to remain resurrected. They went 1-3. On August 23rd, it was the zombie White Sox's turn for 'envisionment' in Toronto. They needed to sweep to remain resurrected. They went 2-2. The very next day the hated Dodgers invaded the Barkyard. Sabo's Padres needed to win the series to avoid biting the dust. They got swept.


Scenario

It's the A's turn for 'envisionment' in Toronto on Sept. 2nd. If the A's win that three game series, they clinch the 2021 SDDC Championship.

Dog Games

Sept. 3: Phillies 3 @Marlins 10
Sept. 4: Mets 11 @Nationals 9 (game #1)
Sept. 4: Mets 4 @Nationals 3 (game #2)
Sept. 7: Giants 12 @Rockies 3
Sept. 9: Rockies 4 @Phillies 3

And Sabo's Padres went 3-2 in the Barkyard. Only the Rockies and Phillies dog days were featured on the broadcasts.

Envision-ments

The Blue Jays went 4-0 @Rogers Center. Their fourth homestand, three games each against the Rays and Twins, also have restricted attendance... and hence continue to generate 'envisioned' dog games, as per the Competition Committee's crazy covid ruling.

The Race

The race has taken an unexpected turn. The Jays going 4-0, the A's going 0-3 (in Toronto), and the Giants going 1-0 has turned the tables on the A's. The way it stands now is this: The Giants are now the favorite and in first by percetage points. The A's are "in the clubhouse" in second. The Jays remain alive in third. Note: actual dog game record in parens below.


Scenario

The Jays need to have a winning record on this homestand to avoid elimination.

The Games

July 21: Sabo's Padres @Braves (game #2, suspended)
Sept. 14: My Red Sox 9 @Mariners 4
Sept. 18: Rockies 6 @Nationals 0
Sept. 19: Pirates 5 @Marlins 6
Sept. 19: Tigers 2 @Rays 0
Sept. 20: White Sox 3 @Tigers 4

The dogs were shown on the broadcasts of all the finals above. The Jays had an 'envisioned' 4-2 home stand. The suspended game in Atlanta will become a dog game when it is completed in San Diego on Friday.

The Race

It remains a three way race, with the Giants in the lead. The Jays remain alive and move up to second in win percentage. The A's are now third in the clubhouse. Note: actual dog game record in parens below.


The Scenario

The Giants complete their SDCC schedule tomorrow with three in the Barkyard. The Giants clinch the SDCC with a sweep. A Giants series win eliminates the A's. OTOH, if Sabo's Padres play the spoiler and win the series, the Giants are eliminated.

The Games

The Reds won their Bark in the Park, beating the Nationals 7-6, on North Park Airport Day. Other than that, Sabo's Padres won the game suspended in Atlanta on July 21st, but otherwise went 1-5 in the Barkyard... leaving them at .500 and eliminated in the MLB race, with six games left in LA and SF. Ouch.

The Race

The Giants went 2-1 in Barkyard, thereby eliminating the A's from the SDCC race. They are in the clubhouse with a commanding lead. The Jays remain alive, but would need to win out to become SDDC champs. Note: actual dog game record in parens above.

Sabo's Dog Day Championships

1978. San Diego
1992. Minnesota
2004. Pittsburgh
2005. Chicago Cubs
2006. Chicago White Sox
2007. Chicago White Sox
2008. Chicago White Sox
2009. Chicago White Sox
2012. San Diego
2013. San Diego
2014. Chicago White Sox (2-0)
2015. St.Louis (3-0)
2016. Texas (4-0)
2017. Cincinnati (8-4)
2018. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-2)
2019. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-4)
2020. Los Angeles Dodgers (8-5)
2021. San Francisco (55-36-5)

The Yankees won in the 'envision'ed game in Toronto yesterday 7-2... which eliminated the Jays, and clinched the SDCC 2021 championship for the Giants. Also, the Pirates beat the Cubs 8-6 in a real actual dog game in Pittsburgh.

There were a couple of actual dog games to finish the season, which were... September 29: Phillies 2 @Braves 7, and October 2: Cubs 6 @Card's 5. This is the final standings for the 2021 edition of Sabo's Dog Day Championship...

Team	Dog Games	Spring 'env'	RS 'env'	W-L-T	% GB
1. CHAMPS (Giants)*	6-4	11-12-5	38-20	55-36-5	.604 --
2. my Red Sox	1-0	16-11-1	33-21	50-32-1	.610 ½
3. Blue Jays		8-6	40-26	48-32	.600 1½
4. A's	1-1	16-10-2	43-30	60-41-2	.594 --
5. Dodgers	6-4	11-10-5	34-23	51-37-5	.580 2½
6. White Sox	0-1	12-12-5	43-28	55-41-5	.573 2½
7. Mets	4-4	11-11-2	29-20	44-35-2	.557 5
8. Cubs	3-3	15-9-4	33-30	51-42-4	.548 5
9. Brewers	3-1	13-11-3	35-30	51-42-3	.548 5
10. Mariners	2-4	11-11-6	37-27	50-42-6	.5435 5½
11. Marlins	5-2	14-5-5	32-36	51-43-5	.5426 5½
12. Rays	0-1	13-15	42-32	55-48	.534 6
13. Braves	4-5	15-13	19-16	38-34	.528 7½
14. Sabo's Padres	46-36	12-13-3	12-17	70-66-3	.515 7½
15. Yankees		11-12-2	31-28	42-40-2	.512 8½
16. Royals	2-0	16-8-4	25-34	43-42-4	.506 9
17. Astros	2-3	6-14-4	28-19	36-36-4	.500 9½
18. Card's	1-4	8-10-6	29-26	38-40-6	.487 10½
19. Phillies	3-4	12-11-1	25-28	40-43-1	.482 11
20. Guardians		10-17-1	34-32	44-49-1	.473 12
21. Rockies	7-7	14-14-1	30-38	51-59-1	.464 13½
22. Tigers	2-0	13-10-2	25-37	40-47-2	.460 13
23. Pirates	5-6	13-14-1	26-33	44-53-1	.454 14
24. Angels	1-2	12-11-3	25-35	38-48-3	.442 14½
25. Nationals	3-7	10-9-5	23-30	36-46-5	.439 14½
26. Reds	2-5	7-19-2	32-30	41-54-2	.432 16
27. Twins	1-0	11-15-2	28-42	40-57-2	.412 18
28. Rangers	0-3	14-10-3	11-24	25-37-3	.403 15½
29. D'backs	5-8	8-15-5	15-37	28-60-5	.318 25½
30. Orioles		10-15-1	16-44	26-59-1	.306 26

* The Giants had a higher Record Difficulty Factor than my Red Sox or the A's.

Oh yeah, our World Series picks...

After the 2021 season, where 100s of covid attendance restricted games were 'envisioned' as official, 2022 promises to be a much shorter season indeed. So far, Sabo has attended six pro games...

1. April 18: Reds 1 @Sabo's Padres 4. This was Sabo's 57th game... but his first since 2019. It was also his 20th game at Petco Park. As the schedule now stands, this was a double-elimination game, so the Reds were eliminated.
   
   
2. May 14: Phillies 8 @Dodgers 3. This was sixth game at Dodger Stadium for Sabo. Dogs were allowed to circle the field before the game. It was also a double-elimination game, so the Dodgers were eliminated. In addition, as the Phillies now had the tie-breaker, the yet to play A's and Mariners were also eliminated.
   
   
3. May 22: Las Vegas Aviators 4 (AAA A's) @Reno Aces 5 (D'backs): This was the first game of Sabo's 16th overnight baseball road trip. It was also his first visit to Reno's Greater Nevada Field... his 21st professional stadium.
   
   
4. May 25: Salt Lake Bees 4 (AAA Angels) @Sacramento River Cats 1 (Giants). West Sacramento's Sutter Health Park was Sabo's 22nd pro stadium. The defending SDDC champion Giants were eliminated, as well as the Phillies.
   
   
5. May 26: San Jose Giants 3 (A Giants) 3 @Modesto Nuts 9 (Mariners). The finale of our road trip was Modesto's Thurmond Field... Sabo's 23rd stadium. In a unique twist, after the game dogs were allowed on the field leash-free. Sabo, of course, was the first dog to ever figure how to run off the field... but he came running back too. He's a good guy !!!1!
   
   
6. June 15: Inland Empire 66ers 3 (A Angels) @Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 8 (Dodgers). FYI: before this game, I actually went to a game w/o Sabo. I took the train to see my Red Sox beat the Angels on June 7th. The rest of the month of June is dedicated to taking Sabo to the three MiLB stadiums in LA's Inland Empire on three consecutive Wednesdays . First up was Sabo's fourth visit to Rancho Cucamonga's LoanMart Field (aka The Epicenter) for his 62nd game.

Team	Record
1. Sabo's Padres, D'backs, Mariners-x, Phillies-x	1-0 1.000 --
5. Angels, Dodgers-x	1-1 ,500 ½
7. Reds-x, A's-x	0-1 .000 1
9. Giants-x	0-2 .000 1½

x: eliminated. Source: Captains, the official site of All-Star Sabo-Metrics.

I'm not sure if Sabo the dog is going to bite me. Two days ago it seems, his Padres announced an additional general dog game for tomorrow. However, I missed that announcement until right now, and for the second time in two years, the dog pix had sold out already. Ouch.. and ouch again if he inflicts his punishment.

Source: Captains, the official site of All-Star Sabo-Metrics.