Happy Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day! We hope that your weekend was phenomenal and you’re ready to attack the day. Let’s ride! We’re going to go take a look at the service academies and their dominance this season, the NFL recap, and even some NLCS and WNBA Finals, so buckle up…
Today’s Trivia🧠
When was the last time the New York Yankees appeared in the World Series?
(answer at the bottom of the Stump!)
On This Day…
⚾ On this day in 2003, Cubs fan Steve Bartman deflects the ball away from Chicago Cubs outfielder Moises Alou, the Cubs end up giving away 8 runs in the innings and lose to the Marlins 8-3.
The Bartman incident is largely known as one of the most shocking moments in Cubs history and an integral part of their 79-year World Series drought. They even did an ESPN 30 for 30 on it!
Today’s Featured Story…
🏈 The Academies: Winning the Old Way
To win in college football is hard, it’s really hard. But to do it when you are already at a massive disadvantage, that’s downright impossible…except two teams in the college football world are proving that they can do the impossible. Who else but Army West Point and the Naval Academy to turn the CFB world on its head!
Logically, it makes very little sense that Navy and Army are having such impressive seasons. Both are 6-0, and both are now ranked, Army came in at No. 23 in yesterday’s AP Poll, and Navy at No. 25. This is the first time that both programs have been ranked since 1960, and the first time both programs have started the season 6-0 since 1945, a year in which Army won the National Championship.
While the college football world has changed dramatically in the last couple of years, the academies have stayed the same. They are not allowed to participate in NIL, they still have extremely high admissions standards, and both programs maintain their height and weight limitations, courtesy of the United States Government.
No students can transfer in, only out. So if a portion of the team decides to move on to the new world of the transfer portal, the schools have to reload the old-fashioned way: with their freshman class. With all of the big NIL contracts and huge transfer portal classes that dominate college athletics right now, there are still ways to win without it.
The service academies obviously attract a pretty specific recruit, but it goes to show that with the right players, the right system, and the right coaches, it doesn’t take big-time money to put up big-time wins on the schedule. Student athletes attend these schools for their traditions, what they offer in life after college athletics, and to be part of something bigger than just a contract.
The most interesting piece about this is that both programs are a part of the American Athletic Conference now. If they both finish 12-0, they’ll play in the conference championship game on December 6th, and then the following week they would play in the annual Navy-Army game. How nuts would that be? Army-Navy two weeks in a row? Sign me up!
Both programs still run the triple option, which is undoubtedly past its prime, but it’s so damn hard to stop when run correctly. Both these programs have 11 guys on the field who are completely bought in at all times. Even more, these guys care about each other. It is a refreshingly wonderful way to look at college athletics, and I hope that both these schools keep winning.
Yesterday, In a Nutshell
⚾ NLCS: Dodgers STOMP on the Mets in game 1, 9-0! It was all LA right from the start, scoring 6 of their runs in the first 4 innings! The Dodgers have now pitched 33 STRAIGHT shutout innings, going back to last series! Absolutely nuts!
🏀 The Philadelphia 76ers have shut down star center Joel Embiid for the remained of the preseason due to a knee injury. It is expected that Embiid will wait until he’s 100% to return to playing, hoping to be as healthy as possible for the postseason.
🏈Some fun NFL action from yesterday, here’s the sparknotes:
Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears woke up the football world from London with an impressive 35-16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Caleb looked GOOD: here’s the highlights
The Houston Texans went to New England and spoiled Drake Maye’s NFL debut in a big 41-21 win… surprisingly, Drake Maye survived behind their offensive line.
The Commanders and Ravens go wire-to-wire in an impressive showing from both teams, the Ravens and their backfield duo of Lamar and King Henry power them to victory, 30-23.
Two NFC North teams more than handle their business in big-time matchups: The Packers eased into a big victory over the Cardinals, 34-13 behind a big day from Jordan Love. The Lions absolutely embarrassed the Cowboys in a highly anticipated showdown, 47-9.
Sunday Night Football: Snoozefest. Bengals won. Giants lost. We’ll spare you the details!
🏀 The New York Liberty responded after losing game one of the WNBA finals at home to the Lynx by defeating Minnesota 80-66. Big games from Breanna Stewart, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Jonquel Jones pushed them over the hump offensively, but it was the defense that held the Lynx down.
⛳ Matt McCarty wins the Black Desert Championship with a -19, this was McCarty’s second start on the PGA Tour and the first PGA event in Utah in 61 years. McCarty was a three-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour this year.
💯Top Performers:
🏀 Breanna Stewart (NYL): 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, W
⚾ Jack Flaherty (LAD): 7 IP, 2 hits allowed, zero runs, 6 Ks, DOMINANT
🏈 Derrick Henry (BAL): 24 carries, 132 yards, 2 tuddys = KING
🏈 Jordan Love (GB): 22/32, 258 yards, 4 touchdowns
Stump Top Plays❗❗
Today’s Slate
*All times are ET*
⚾ NL Championship: Mets @ Dodgers (4:08 PM), AL Championship: Guardians @ Yankees (7:38 PM)
🏀 NBA Preseason on NBATV: 76ers @ Hawks (7:30 PM), Mavs @ Clippers (10:30 PM)
🏒 NHL on ESPN+: Panthers @ Bruins (1:00 PM), Kings @ Senators (1:00 PM), Utah @ Devils (1:00 PM), Red Wings vs Rangers (7:00 PM), Penguins @ Canadiens (7:30 PM), Islanders @ Avs (9:00 PM)
🏈 NFL Monday Night Football: Bills @ Jets (8:15 PM)
⚽ UEFA Nations League: Belgium vs France (2:45 PM), Germany vs Netherlands (2:45 PM), Italy vs Israel (2:45 PM), Ukraine vs Czechia (2:45 PM) ; Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying: Kenya vs Cameroon (9:00 AM), Toga vs Algeria (12:00 PM), Concacaf Nations League: Haiti vs Aruba (8:00 PM), Jamaica vs Honduras (9:00 PM), Trinidad and Tobago vs Cuba (9:00 PM)
🎙Song OTD🎙
Feeling Good
Nina Simone (Austin Millz Remix)
A great song that just FIRES you up in this remix. So many vibes, so much energy.
🗣 Quote OTD🗣
“October baseball is what it’s all about.”
James Winnefeld
A Navy admiral who loves ball, now that’s the kind of quote combo we need on this beautiful Monday.
❗Glue Guy OTD❗
Backup Catcher
Baseball
Doesn’t get the spotlight very often, guy is just along for the ride, knows his role. I’m talking the guy who’s there for vibes, and I mean HIGH vibes.
Trivia Answer:
B. 2009. The New York Yankees won the World Series in 2009, but have not returned to the series since then. They have made the postseason in all but 4 years since 2009, but have not made it past the ALCS.
Can’t thank you enough for sticking to the end of this thing we call The Daily Stump. If you know anybody who might want this bit of daily sports news in their life, send them this link! It would go a long way! Appreciate the hell out of you all!
Trees get chopped. Stumps hold strong!
