Often, when trying to hurry up steps, we stumble. Same is true in sports as team are trying to HURRY UP the Steps to playoffs, bowls, championships, etc, they STUMBLE!

…Take a look at our St Louis Blues…they are STUMBLING  UP THE STEPS to succeed in the Playoffs. It’s easier said than done… it seems that the Blues just really don’t have any “superstars”. Robert Thomas, arguably, the team’s best player is really missed on the ice since his injury. The other top player, Jordan Kyrou seems to have shifts where you don’t even know he was on the ice. Without the strong production of their “leaders”, the Blues offense struggles. Currently they are 24th of 32 teams in the NHL in scoring goals. The 6^th place Blues have 37 goals as I write this Buzz. The top team in their division, Winnipeg Jets, has scored 63 goals!

…..This struggling offense is even more apparent on the Power Play. The Blues are tied for last place on power play with just 4 Power Play Goals all season! On the other side, the Blues are 16th — right in the middle of the NHL in “Penalty Kill”. The loss of Philip Broberg, a 23 year old Swedish defenseman, to injury really set back the Blues. He showed speed & skill that our other veteran defensemen do not possess. It’s not really a surprise, he was drafted eighth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He should be in his “prime” years of his career.

….In some ways, the Blues have always been proud of their ability to reach the playoffs. They own a tremendous record in “reaching” the playoffs— they have reached the Playoffs 45 of their 57 seasons. Maybe, that record also indicates that the Blues draft choices were seldom the “premier” picks of the draft. Soooo….it appears that the Blues currently may be more concerned about STUMBLING SLOWLY UP THE STEPS (with some ups & downs) to NHL “quality team” status over the next few years. Maybe a few “down” years could provide them with higher, more talented, draft picks.

….Mizzou Football is also trying to STUMBLE UP THE STEPS in the SEC. In 2012, Mizzou entered the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It’s a much steeper hill than the Big 8. That’s NOT a shot at the Big 8, football in the South is just a really Big Thing in the fall. In 2013 & 2014, Gary Pinkel won the Eastern Division of the SEC with 7-1 records. Probably, many thought…..this conference isn’t much different than the Big 8.  SORRY…currently it’s 1 of the 2 power football conferences in the USA. When Eli Drinkwitz posted a 6-2 conference record last year (2023). His overall 11-2 record was based on a soft (for the most part) non-league season as most of the SEC teams do also.

…Mizzou had a terrific win this weekend that really could help them STUMBLE UP THE STEPS in the SEC!  Trailing 16-9 with only 3:20 left in the game. The Tigers rallied with 28 points in the final 200 seconds! Zion Young recovered a fumble and raced with it into the end zone from 17 yards out with just 22 seconds left in the game to make the Tigers winners! Replacement QB Drew Pyne threw for 143 YDS & 4 TDs in the Tiger victory.

…. How do you STUMBLE  UP THE STEPS in the SEC?  Currently, the premier college teams have robust passing games. Hence, a good (very good) QB with 2 or 3 excellent receivers are an absolute MUST. On the other side of the ball, a strong defensive backfield and defensive secondary is necessary. Sooo…Mizzou has a 3^rd year QB, Brady Cook this year. I think Cook is a really terrific QB. He’s in his 6^th year for playing (that’s another issue—college isn’t a 6 year deal for anyone! If you can’t graduate in 5 years, you probably don’t belong in that college. I realize that this is a result of the COVID year. Who said life would be fair to everyone? Anyway…..He’s smart, experienced, and possesses the good size required of QB. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he received $1.2m in NIL money from Mizzou. Mizzou does have 2 talented receivers (whom I think will leave after this year)—Luther Burden III and Theo Wease Jr. Sooo…Mizzou can’t STUMBLE upwards next spring when a new QB (I assume it’ll be a transfer. I doubt that any QB will transfer out of 1^st unit role. Almost always, transfers are on the 2^nd or 3^rd unit.  Frosh QB, for the most part, can’t do it in the SEC) and restock their receiving corp. Of course, in order for all this to happen in the backfield a good, BIG offensive line will always be required for SEC rugged play.

….St Louis U hopes to STUMBLE UP THE STEPS this season. Going for a completely fresh start, the Billikens brought in Josh Schertz from Indiana State. Schertz had just completed his 3rd season with the Sycamores and led them to a 32-7 record and a magical run to the NIT championship game. The Billikens had lost traction with Travis Ford in the past couple years. A change was necessary. What do you need to win in NCAA basketball—several consistent scorers (not just 1 or 2), strong rebounding, and good teams always play good defense. The integration of transfer students within the team culture should be easier this year since the Billikens will have a completely  “new look” on the roster. I think Basketball could be the easiest sports to STUMBLE UP THE STEPS due to continual shuffling of the roster due to transfers (in & out), moving on to professional careers (not always the NBA), the abundance of players available to compete at college basketball level. Rebounding & defense are the keys to winning and that has to be the focus & emphasis of the coach from Day 1. Scoring development evolves as the team, itself, determines the best & easiest ways to score. The team sees it everyday @ practice, Johnny Hot-Shot can’t make a basket while being guarded while Joey Unknown quietly gets the ball into the basket repeatedly. It should be enjoyable to see this evolution into a strong team. From what I’ve read, Schertz is a believer in “fast pace” basketball. Of course, in this era not many college players want to “slow it down” except in the last 2 minutes of the game when it becomes a free-throw shooting contest!

….staying in the basketball world….after just 1 game, a former StL High school player (Rosary HS- now closed) started his STUMBLE UP THE STEPS to the NBA. In the 1^st game of the year, this 7-1 center scored 49 points in the opening game of the year for Creighton. Now…it’s only 1 game but …it’s still 49 points!! Let’s see if he ends up in the NBA next year.

…without a NFL team in our city, St. Louis regularly sees the Chiefs each Sunday on our TV schedule.  KC is still unbeaten but as I’ve watched them they have STUMBLED UP THE STEPS in several games. Check out their results..beat Baltimore by 1 TD—27-20 in game 1 but was outgained 452 yards to-353 yards; game 2 saw KC make a 51 yd FG as time ran out to with 26-25 over Cincinnati; Chiefs beat Falcons 22-17 in game 3; in game 4, KC didn’t take the lead until the 4^th quarter in their 17-10 victory over the Chargers; Games 5 & 6 were comfortable wins—26-13 over New Orleans & 28-18 over 49’ers. Game 7 was a 27-20 win over Las Vegas Raiders and in game 8, KC went into OT by tying the game with 0:27 left in regulation then beat the Buccaneers 30-24. This type of thing often “catches up” to a team in more critical games either late in the season or post-season.

…St Louis City SC wants to move beyond their 2024 record of 8-13-13 which landed them 12^th of the 14 team division. They want to STUMBLE UP THE STEPS to respectability. Professional soccer teams that are “struggling” usually have a difficult time in scoring goals. St. Louis CITY SC’s Homegrown players, Caden Glover and Mykhi Joyner, have been called up by U.S. U-19 Men’s Youth National Team.  for the team’s upcoming November camp in West Palm Beach, Florida. The camp will run from November 11-17, 2024 under Head Coach Michael Nsien. That’s a good way to start the STUMBLE UP THE STEPS.

….one of biggest stories in college Football is Indiana University. The Hoosiers are 10-0 as I write this  on Sunday morning after a significant win over Michigan. The Hoosiers scored two early TD’s and made them “stand up” for the win. They are trying to STUMBLE UP THE STEPS to real NCAA significance. It is their first EVER season with 10 wins!! HC Curt Cignetti was an assistant under Nick Saban and took with him many ideas from Alabama to Indiana. Apparently Saban wanted his team to be coached to the “N”th degree. No trickery…just fundamental football capped off with maximizing of individual skills to help carry them to the next level.  As I write this on Saturday morning, undefeated No. 8 Indiana (10-0) in what could be the story of this 2024 college football season.  Cignetti watched college football’s greatest coach and has tried to emulate him in preparation for when he’d finally got a shot as a Head Coach one day. His 1^st HC job became the Indiana job in his 41 year career!!  

…Thanks for your read! I’m always interested on YOUR thoughts on any of the topics. All responses can be found on my Facebook page-Bob Ryan. They are always interesting.  Thanks!! Bob