Comparisons and player comps are unavoidable in sports. It’s only natural especially when the players have so much in common or teams appear to be of equal strength.

Before Freddie Freeman destroyed the dreams of a competitive World Series, we were all led to believe that the battle between Judge and Ohtani and the Yankees and Dodgers would be epic. It’s been anything but that despite the MLB hype machine’s best efforts. While I’m not in the ideal environment for baseball talk, a different sporting event has dominated Chicago.

This past Sunday’s game between the Washington Commanders and the Chicago Bears was pegged as one of those must-see battles between rookie quarterbacks. And not just any rookies, but rather the first two players taken in the past NFL draft, Caleb Williams (#1) and Jayden Daniels (#2). And as every QB and starting pitcher will tell you, it’s never really a battle between the two as they’re really facing defenses or batters. Yet. we always compare the players and their performances. In Chicago it was secretly a referendum on whom the Bears should have taken with the number one pick. The D.C media had their choice of storylines.

As I said, Game 1’s exciting finish has completely taken a back seat to the Bears epic failure Sunday-at least in Chicago. The local sports media has dissected the final two or three plays, focusing on the Bears’ shortcomings. At least nationally, some of the attention has been lavished upon Daniels’ abilities. In recent weeks, Chicago has been lauding Williams’s improvements. However, I don’t think anyone here has really looked at the opponents’ mistakes. My point being, there is a flip side to every successful play, one that the other fanbase is stressing over to the extent Bears fans are over this disaster.

The other day someone was bemoaning the fact that baseball had to endure the 2023 World Series between the Diamondbacks and Rangers. While it may not have generated the eyeballs that this year’s game one did, I miss seeing Zac Gallen succeed and fail. I’m beginning to wonder if the Dodgers and Yankees are the most watchable teams this year.

Did anyone envision Luis Gil facing off against Ben Casparius and a slew of Dodger relievers in a series-clinching Game 4 in New York? Along the lines of a miraculous 3-0 comeback a la 2004, I won’t be crushed if the Yankees don’t win their 28th World Series. Would that there were a great pitching match-up like previous World Series because the Ohtani-Judge thing has been a flop to date. Prove me wrong guys! I dare ya.

Incidentally, the NFL will benefit if Daniels v. Williams is a headline for the next decade.

Evoking my inner-Frank Gorshin “Riddle me this Caped Crusader, why is Marcus Stroman on the Yankees WS roster?