(Not So) Happy Holidays

 The holidays are not so happy for San Francisco sports fans, as the Niners failed to make the playoffs and look like a team in search of an answer.  The Golden State Warriors even admit they are still looking for an answer as they spiraled out of the play-in they qualified for early, even before getting to Las Vegas.  And things have not been much better since.

While the Niners face big questions and possibly big changes in the off season that can't come too soon, the Warriors are in the midst of their quandaries. Things started to fall apart for the surprisingly strong Warriors when De Anthony Melton went down with a season-ending injury.  The Warriors finally addressed that--by trading him?  Not much faith in the future there.  They got a quality player in Dennis Schrader, but what kind of a fit he will turn out to be is still to be determined, as he's had one good game out of the three he's played.  But the magic definitely isn't there at the moment.

Coach Kerr was blunt about one reason, when he said in his press conference (after a rare victory) that if the young players want to take contested shots from 17 feet, the Warriors will be a losing team.  But if they make the extra passes to free Steph Curry for a good shot, they will be winners.  Perhaps that's the reason that Curry has had two of his lowest scoring games out of the last three (those he dominated with 31 in that victory between), or maybe it's other stuff.

Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Steelers are ending their season playing some of the better NFL teams all in a row.  So far they've lost to Philadelphia and Baltimore, and face Kansas City on Christmas in a short week before their final regular season game with the Bengals, currently looking better than they have all year.  The Steelers have already backed into the playoffs, so these games don't mean as much, but momentum at the end of the season does mean something.  

Kansas City continues to be a mystifying team.  They've won so many games on the last play, and even their 27-19 victory over the Texans was closer than the score indicates.  They just haven't been dominant and yet they've won every game but one so far.  Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens should win out and are playing better as they approach the playoffs.  

Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens or whatever other AFC team may emerge, none seems stronger than 4 or 5 NFC teams.  But while Detroit and Philly are dealing with untimely injuries, the Green Bay Packers have momentum (though they have injuries of their own.)  They face Minnesota next, a team capable of at least being a spoiler.  After a mid-season lull, the Washington Commanders are back on a winning track, but with the Falcons and a possible revenge game with Dallas coming up.  The Falcons are worth watching as well.

Bay Area sports fans don't have much to cheer for in the college football playoff bowl games either, but they may appreciate them anyway.  Though several of the Same Old Teams are in it, others like Oregon, Penn State and especially Notre Dame and Boise State make them more interesting.  So happy holidays anyway.