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A16 SPORTS
Tuesday 8 december 2020
On Football: The Bad, The Worse, and the Truly Ugly

By BARRY WILNER two. We lost by three.' I
AP Pro Football Writer think it just speaks to how
For those teams pleading hard everybody plays on
"Cut us a break" in this weird this team and how hard
and unprecedentedly un- everybody plays for each
predictable year, that was other, just with all the stuff
a fair ask. Until now. we've been going through,
At this point of the NFL sea- and getting in these close
son, as we head into the fi- games. But to be a good
nal quarter of the schedule, football team, you have to
the mea culpas have run win those close games."
their course. There's simply Or play close ones at least.
too much bad, worse and The Chargers would seem
truly ugly football to excuse to have enough talent
any longer. (Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen,
Certainly the winless, hap- Austin Ekeler when healthy,
less and possibly hope- rookie QB Justin Herbert
less Jets punctuated that and quite a few others)
on Sunday with their latest not to be 3-9. On Sunday,
debacle. The Jaguars per- they made the so-so Patri-
haps made what's left of ots look like the prime Tom
their believers hold the faith Brady version in a 45-0 fi-
into overtime before fold- New York Jets' Marcus Maye leaves the field with a towel over his head after an NFL football game asco.
ing. The Chargers didn't against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. Instead, the Chargers ap-
even get out of the first Associated Press pear to be regressing. Lynn
period in their worst perfor- kept repeating "unaccept-
mance since, well, maybe Thanksgiving meal in De- ball League as a player ing to the limit many oppo- able." We concur.
when they called Balboa troit by their performance and a coach. That was nents, all of whom are bet- Then there is incredible in-
Stadium home. on the holiday. unacceptable and embar- ter than they are. Yet every eptitude, spelled J-E-T-S.
Philly has flopped (phlo- Two more tailenders, Dal- rassing," Lynn said. week — including the over- On the brink of what pretty
pped?) so badly there are las and Washington, still Sort of what America has time defeat at Minnesota much everyone in the Big
calls for coach Doug Ped- haven't played their Week seen from far too many in which they blew a lead, Apple believed was un-
erson's job; hey, Eagles 13 games. The unattrac- teams, all of which de- made an impressive come- reachable — a win — they
fans, the guy won the Su- tiveness just might be en- served a pass because of back, then committed reached truly ugly instead.
per Bowl three seasons hanced by the end of the the way the COVID-19 pan- the game-losing mistakes Ultimate ugly.
backs. But yes, that offense Cowboys' visit to Baltimore demic has disrupted, well, in OT — things go wrong. After stopping Las Vegas
is unsightly. on Tuesday night. everything. At this point, 12 Jacksonville is 1-11, all of deep in Jets territory, they
Even some of the medioc- Chargers coach Anthony games in, however, soc- the losses coming since an needed a first down to end
rities, and there are many Lynn summed up the ugli- cer's process of relegation opening victory. their team-record 11-game
in 2020, can be downright ness after a 45-0 no-show for the worst offenders — "There's a point where slide. Playing not to lose —
hideous. See Chicago's six- against New England. exemplified by action Sun- there's no moral victories," hey, guys, it almost never
game slide that, by all in- "That was one of the worst day — seems like a wise veteran linebacker Joe works — they got ultra-con-
dications, could reach 10. football games I've ever approach. Schobert said. "In football, servative and had to punt
It's loss Sunday was to the been a part of in my 30 Start with the Jaguars, who you either win or you lost. after the Raiders' used their
Lions, who spoiled many a years in the National Foot- deserve credit for extend- It's not like, 'Oh, we lost by timeouts.q

Trump honors legendary Iowa wrestler Gable at White House

sented the nation's highest Gable is one of several emony to push his false
civilian honor to Dan Ga- sports figures to be pre- narrative that he won the
ble, a renowned wrestler sented the award during election, saying at one
and coach from Iowa who Trump's time in office. Ga- point: "I'm 2-0 and that's
won a gold medal at the ble was a champion wres- pretty good, too. But we'll
1972 Summer Olympics. tler at Iowa State University, see how that turns out."
"He's the greatest wrestler, compiling a 117-1 record The Presidential Medal of
probably ever," Trump said. and winning two NCAA Freedom is awarded to
"He's made our country titles. people who have made
very proud and he's a true During his six matches at exceptional contributions
GOAT." the Munich Olympics, he to the security or national
Trump used an October went unscored upon. interests of America, to its
campaign rally to an- Gable would go on to culture or to other signifi-
nounce the selection of an incredibly successful cant endeavors.
Gable for the Presidential coaching career at the Last week, Trump pre-
President Donald Trump awards the Presidential Medal of Free- Medal of Freedom, bringing University of Iowa, where his sented the medal to col-
dom, the highest civilian honor, to Olympic gold medalist and
former University of Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable in the Oval him on stage to the delight teams won 15 NCAA titles. lege football Hall of Famer
Office of the White House, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, in Washington. of the crowd as he sought "No one has done more to and political ally Lou Holtz,
Associated Press to win over Iowa voters. The promote wrestling in Ameri- whose 34-year coaching
ceremony on Monday at ca than Dan Gable," Trump career included the 1988
By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- the White House fulfills that said. national title at the Univer-
Associated Press dent Donald Trump pre- commitment. Trump also used the cer- sity of Notre Dame.q