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This is the best time of the year for some sports fans, with baseball reaching its annual league playoff pinnacle, while football is seriously into midseason, and auto racing nearing its climactic weekends. Unfortunately, we are now inundated with social media “everybody’s a critic” season, which seems to be an everyday function on radio, television and in newspaper reporting.

The sad thing is that last Sunday, when the Minnesota Vikings were trying to establish a foothold against the Green Bay Packers, lineback Anthony Barr chased Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers out of the pocket, and Rodgers unloaded his pass just as Barr lunged at him. Barr did it right, putting his helmet to the inside of Rodgers’ chest while he smacked him solidly with his right shoulder pad.

Rodgers went down hard on his right side, as Barr hurtled over him. Barr was quickly congratulated by his teammates, but Rodgers stayed sprawled on the turf. There was no penalty, and no rational person could say it was a cheap, or dirty, hit. Tragically, Rodgers is probably out for the rest of the season with a cracked right collarbone. Barr, later in the game, went out with indications of a possible concussion, and he didn’t return to play in the second half.

There is considerable hostility when these two teams play. I enjoy watching the Vikings, and I enjoy - and marvel at - watching Rodgers. When Rodgers was knocked out, the Vikings went on to win 23-10, and the two teams are now tied for first in the division at 4-2. The Vikings, already without Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford, may have the inside track to the division title in a duel between backups, simply because third-string Case Keenum looks very good at controlling the proper rhythm with the Vikings.

The Barr hit on Rodgers came with both running hard. Barr was close, and closing, and after Rodgers threw the pass, Barr could justifiably say he couldn’t stop those final two steps before impact. One of the problems is that live, and in full-speed, it didn’t look uncommon or cheap. But in video analysis, the slow-motion video that helps officials and announcers clarify plays also makes it look like those two steps took about three seconds, which should have been plenty of time to stop or veer away.

My theory is that whenever a defensive player slams a ball-carrier, or a quarterback, or a receiver at the sideline, moments after a play or when the offensive player is helpless, there is no way the offensive player can do anything to lessen the impact. Therefore, the only one of the two involved who could lessen or avoid the impact is the defensive player.

That means, if we want to preserve our quarterbacks for the following week, the enforcement of the rules will have to be tightened up. Call roughing the quarterback, or unnecessary roughness, more closely. If a defensive player howls, he will have to realize that he, and not his target, is the only one who can make that very dangerous part of the game safer. 

In this time of recognizing concussions, it is clear that players have gotten far away from avoiding the lead-with-your-helmet hits, also. Any hit with the helmet should be penalized, and I believe a second one in a game should require expulsion. Hit with your shoulder.
Social media zealots can’t wait to support their teams and rip the opposition, and it is not limited to football. One of the classic responses to irresponsible tweeting and texting by wannabe-critics came after Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon chose to not use his closer, Wade Davis, with more than an inning to go in Game 2 of the Dodger series to decide the National League entry in the World Series. He had pitched too much in the previous games.

“I don’t understand why tht’s difficult to understand,” Maddon said at a press conference. “And furthermore, you have to also understand it wasn’t the last game of the year, or the second-to-last game of the year. It was about winning eight more games. All these things are factors.
“I really hope that you all understand that social media doesn’t count at all. Twitter doesn’t count at all. And really, as sports writers, you should be doing a better job than relying on Twitter to write a story, frankly.”
Here, here. I think all four managers in the league finals are impressive, but Joe Maddon is my favorite. I’ve covered him and his team when he was managing Tampa Bay and they played in Minnesota, and we established a rapport of mutual respect almost immediately. His critique of the critics is right on, in this case.

By the way, both the Dodgers-Cubs and Astros-Yankees series have been totally compelling battles with spectacular play, and some erratic play. Makes it, as usual, the most entertaining baseball of the year.
   
Gopher-UMD Series Key

Much like the season highlight that occurs whenever Minnesota plays UMD in men’s hockey, the women’s teams from the two instate foes have also staged some memorable battles and established an outstanding rivalry.
But this year? Not so much. A few years ago, UMD, Minnesota and Wisconsin formed a Big Three in the WCHA that dominated the nation in women’s hockey. After being the early pace-setter, UMD took its five NCAA championships, including the first three conducted by the NCAA, and faded away into a couple of down years, while Minnesota and Wisconsin raced on as a Big Two.

It appeared, with North Dakota dropping its women’s hockey program, that  the Gophers and Badgers would maintain their battle at the top, and the question was whether UMD might move up to their level under coach Maura Crowell.
But four weeks into the season, it appears that Wisconsin is on its way to making the WCHA the Big One. At 8-0, the Badgers remain ranked No. 1 in the country, while Minnesota has stumbled a couple of times, and UMD has lost four straight games.
When Minnesota and UMD meet in a pair of 3 p.m. games Friday and Saturday at AMSOIL Arena, they won’t be battling for WCHA supremacy as for evidence that they will remain relevant in the league season.
Nationally, Wisconson is ranked No. 1, while Ohio State is No. 4, Minnesota (3-2-1) is No. 7, and UMD (2-4) is No. 8. Both teams are short because of departures to national teams preparing for the Olympics, such as UMD goaltender Maddie Rooney. But the Bulldogs also keenly miss departed seniors Ashleigh Brykaliuk and Lara Stalder, who were always counted on to score or set up pivotal goals.

It is a major home weekend for homecoming for UMD, with the men’s hockey team taking on Merrimack Friday and Saturday nights following the women’s games with Minnesota. Up at Malosky Stadium, UMD’s football team takes on Minot State at 1 p.m. Saturday, while inside Romano Gym, UMD’s volleyball team returns home to face Minot State at 6 p.m. Friday, and returns to engage Mary at 4 p.m. Saturday.

U.S. Grand Prix

Try to catch Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix from Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas. That road-racing course was built for this race, and I was fortunate enough to get a chance to drive on it before it was opened to competition.
It’s an interesting and challenging circuit, and this has been an intriguing season in F1. Lewis Hamilton is first in points in his Mercedes, with Sebastian Vettel second in a Ferrari, and the Red Bull tandem of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo are also in challenging positions. Whenever they race on a track that is wide enough for passing, F1 puts on a dazzling show. Circuit of the Americas allows passing, so this should be a great one.

Also, congratulations to Jason Line, of Wright, Minnesota, after he won last weekend’s NHRA Fallnationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.