By Bob Priddy, Missourinet Contributing Editor
The weekend was full of the Christmas DIs-spirit.
(CHIEFS—It has become the Patrick Mahomes post-game litany: I’ve just gotta be better and not be making these mistakes.’
The resurgent Las Vegas Raiders capitalized on a couple of Mahomes mistakes in the first half and the Kanss City City Chiefs’ offense continued to muddle along, giving the Raiders a 20-14 win.
A botched handoff from Isaiah Pacheco to Mahomes and a pick-6 interception did in Kansas City now 9-6. Defensive tackle Bilal Nichols returned a fumble eigtht yards for a touchdown and just seven seconds later, the Raiders’ Jack Jones took an interception back 33 yards for the next score. The Chiefs frustrated themselves and their fans with the no-longer-surprising fumbles and penalties.
The Raiders are up to 7-8 now.
The inability of the Chiefs to get their act together is leading to sideline tantrums by some team leaders. Ths time it was Travis Kelce who had a little converstion with his coach before he got back into the game.
One high note: Receiver Rashee Rice set a new record for most receptions by a rookie receiver. His six receptions give him 74, three more than Dwayne Bowe in 2007.
The Chiefs have another tough one next Sunday—Cincinnati.
(MIZ)—Missouri Tiger Coach Dennis Gates says the tigers are “very, very close. It’s very close and I’m excited about our trending because I think we’re trending in the right direction,” he said after the drubbing his Tigers took from the University of Illinois before heading out for Christmas break.
Close to what? Is the question hanging over the team after giving up 90 points or more for the second straight week and now on a three-game losing streak. Missouri outscored Illinois in the second half 49-48, hardly enough to overcome a 25-point deficit at the half.
Missouri is now 7-5.
Once again, the Tiger’s big guys had little to offer. The four of them, seven-footers Jordan Butler, Mahon Majak, Connor Vanover, and their 6-10 colleague Trent Pierce played a combined 38 minutes, twenty of them Pierce. They combined on 2-11 shooting from outside and 14 points, twelve by Pierce. They contributed seven rebounds and three blocks.
One more game before conference play begins. (zou)
(BASEBALL)—The Cardinals and Royals seemed to take the week off—-although it doesn’t mean they weren’t talking.
Now, some off-track motoring sports:
(NASCAR)—NASCAR fans love their diecast models of their favorite drivers’ cars. And Lionel—you know, the toy train people—make a lot of them. Lionel has released its top ten list of popular diecasts. Kevin Harvick’s farewell tour put two of his cars on the list—his #29 tribute car frm the All Star race was number one and his regular car was 10th. Cars driven by Erik Jones, Kyle Busch, and Ryan Blaney were next.
Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was killed at Daytona in 2001, had the fifth most popular car, a 25th anniversary car honoring his 1998 win in the 500. NASCAR’s 75th anniversary commemorative car was next followed by the model of the car driven by Australiandriver Sane Van Gisbergen in the rainy Chicago street race—his only time in a Cup car, so far. He’ll be running more extensively in the series next year. The last one was a late-model car driven by Dale Jr.
Interestingly, two of the sports’ biggest Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott were missing fromt that list even though Elliott was voted the fan’s favorite driver again.