It’s no surprise that Taylor Heinicke this week spoke realistically about his dwindling opportunities with the Atlanta Falcons. As “The Franchise” at Old Dominion and an NFL overachiever, he’s never been anything less than authentic. It’s one reason undermanned Washington teams played so hard for him.
Wherever this season lands him — on the practice squad behind Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. or elsewhere — for a too-short, undrafted quarterback, he’s had an interesting career. This season, he said, he intends once again to be “a great teammate.” Heinicke’s time in the NFL proves that there’s a talent to that.
A moment of crisis: With Orioles All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg joining Jorge Mateo for an extended injury absence, Jackson Holliday is being thrown into the deep end.
Just a kid: Any evaluation of 20-year-old Holliday’s big-league readiness should take into account that he’s the youngest player in MLB. After being the youngest in Triple-A.
Marketplace: Of the 34 players traded this week, 20 are relief pitchers the average fan wouldn’t recognize. Boring stuff. It’s boring, too, that in an era when starting pitchers are lucky to work five innings, bullpen journeymen often alter the course of seasons.
Not right: Paris 2024 is the first Olympics in modern history to have an equal number of male and female athletes. Though that depends, I suppose, on how one counts a couple of male-born transgender boxers controversially competing in the women’s division.
From the heart: After winning bronze in sabre, Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan said, “To all the athletes who could not be here because Russia killed them, I dedicate this to them.” As real as it gets.
False claim: The ACC must think its fans are morons. Note the conference’s “Olympians made here” online self-promotion after Katie Ledecky’s gold-medal swimming performance. Ledecky graduated from Stanford three years ago.
Football folly: While they’re at it, why don’t conference flaks proclaim John Elway an ACC legend? Or SMU’s Eric Dickerson?
Bottom feeders: Stanford is all that’s keeping Virginia from last place in the media’s ACC preseason poll. Wonderful timing to bring the West Coast school into the fold after it stopped playing good football. Stanford does, however, feature a strong swimming program. Yippee!
Numbers game: When the 1992 Dream Team laughingly romped, the Olympics featured 21 players with NBA experience. In Paris, 68 players boast an NBA résumé. The Dream Team beat up on window cleaners and cab drivers.
Bread and circuses: This summer, Texas shelled out $2.3 million for a campus party — with Pitbull as the alleged musical attraction — to celebrate its entrance into the SEC. So, no, football and basketball factories don’t get to whine about where they’re going to find the money to pay athletes.
Idle thought: Commanders can’t be the worst name along a pro sports landscape that includes the Cleveland Guardians.
Future watch: Aaron Rodgers won’t be satisfied until he gets his head coach fired.
A wrinkle: There’s at least one reason to watch this year’s tedious NFL preseason games — for the chance to be confused and/or amazed by the new kickoff rule.
In closing: I don’t think I’ve ever met a White Sox fan. Don’t expect to meet one this summer. Not, at least, anyone who would admit to it.
Bob Molinaro is a former Virginian-Pilot sports columnist. His Weekly Briefing runs Fridays in The Pilot and Daily Press. He can be reached at bob5molinaro@gmail.com and via Twitter@BobMolinaro.
