Welcome to the Mid-Week Grades. As we always do, we’ll hash over the grade book on Wednesday’s edition of the award-winning WGEM SportsCenter program, which can be heard on ESPN 1440 or wgem.com. Host Josh Houchins and I will mull these over around 8:20. Zip us your grades via our text line at 217-617-9437.
A — Novak Djokovic. Some are saying that he’s having the best season in the history of tennis. He didn’t win the Grand Slam, but three out of four ain’t bad. His $10.6 million he’s earned this year is a single-season best. He’s been at his best against the best, going 20-2 against those ranked in the top 10, including a 6-0 mark over Rafael Nadal and 4-1 against Roger Federer, who helped deny him the Grand Slam with a semifinal win at the French Open. Nadal was supposed to be the next big thing after Federer’s reign. He’s been good, but Djokovic looks to be better.
B — Tom Brady. After the weekend I had — big meltdowns by my Irish and Tony Romo — I had to laugh when Brady’s 99-yard TD pass to Wes Welker killed me in one of my fantasy football leagues — my opponent had Welker. Credit Brady. The guy just knows how to get it done. He had 517 passing yards in the season-opening win over Miami. He’s the best quarterback of his generation — sorry, Peyton Manning fans.
C — Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Sprint Cup circuit’s most overrated driver finds himself back in the Chase for the Championship for the first time in three years, but it doesn’t really matter. He’s not going to be a factor in NASCAR’s 10-race playoff format. He basically backed into the field, wilting down the stretch with just one top-10 in his last 12 races. If his name wasn’t Dale Earnhardt Jr., it’s doubtful he would have stayed in NASCAR’s top series for this long.
D — NBA. After talks broke down on Tuesday, it’s looking more and more likely that that 2011-12 season won’t start on time, if at all. Supposedly the salary cap is the biggest issue between the players and owners, who have currently locked the players out. As an NBA fan, I’ll be disappointed if on Nov. 1 there are no games being played. However, most of the sports landscape won’t miss the NBA until after the NFL season is done.
F — Major League Baseball. Leave it to Error Bud Selig to screw up a Sept. 11th remembrance. Selig forbid the New York Mets from wearing hats honoring New York’s first responders on the 10th anniversary of the attacks Sunday. In 2001, the Mets sported caps of the NYPD and FDNY among others in their first game back after the attacks. If MLB can allow its teams to wear green hats on St. Patrick’s Day and special “flag” hats during Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, it should allow all teams to pay homage to first responders everywhere by allowing them to bring attention to those units every Sept. 11. What a dumb move by the guy who invented the All-Star Game tie.
The Irish are not even close to being relevant on the national college football season.