Hurricane Joaquin "could assure that the wild-card game" between the Yankees and whichever team clinches the AL's last playoff spot will be in N.Y., according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY, who writes under the header, "Weather Could Wreak Havoc On MLB's Final Weekend." The Yankees have three fewer losses than the Astros and four fewer losses than the Angels and Twins, "leaving them with a magic number of two to clinch the top wild card spot and play host" to one of those teams or the AL West-leading Rangers on Tuesday. Yet, if inclement weather "causes a postponement" of games in Baltimore this weekend, the Yankees "won't necessarily need to make them up, since it would involve only home field and not a playoff berth." MLB Chief Communications Officer Pat Courtney said, "Our general policy is that if the games are meaningful, all 162 games have to be played. We will continue to monitor this situation over the last [few] days of the season." Nightengale wrote the "big question is whether 'meaningful' translates into home-field advantage." While the NL picture is "far clearer, weather has already impacted" the Mets, who "could face the specter of playing a weekend doubleheader to preserve home field advantage in the first round" (USATODAY.com, 10/1). The N.Y. Daily News’ John Harper said MLB personnel are "determined to get these games in, even if it means going into next week and maybe messing with the playoff schedule." Harper: "They want to decide home-field advantage for these series on the field, which I think is the right thing to do" ("Daily News Live," SNY, 10/1).
PRUDENT PLANNING: NFL Network's Albert Breer tweeted an option that has been discussed for Eagles-Redskins on Sunday is "moving the game" from FedExField to Ford Field in Detroit, as the Lions are in Seattle this weekend (TWITTER.com, 10/1). Breer said another option is to move Eagles-Redskins to Week 8, "but I am told that is not preferable for anybody involved." There are "competitive issues there, of course, the number of practices that each team gets." There also are "CBA issues with the amount of time that each player is contractually supposed to have off," so they are "trying to keep this as a Week 4 game." Ford Field is "not ideal," but the NFL has "been there before" under similar circumstances. Breer: "The more likely scenario than moving it to Week 8 would be putting it in Detroit.” Breer said of FedExField, "That is one of the worst fields in the league. FedExField turf is notorious for being loose. If it’s really wet, that could be a consideration" ("Around the NFL," NFL Network, 10/1). In Philadelphia, Zach Berman noted Ford Field hosted a Bills game "during a snowstorm last season" and a Vikings game in '10 "when the Metrodome's roof collapsed" (PHILLY.com, 10/1).
SCHOOL'S OUT? In Chicago, Paul Skrbina notes Saturday's Notre Dame-Clemson football game was "not expected to be rescheduled" from its 8:00pm ET start as of Thursday, despite 4-6 inches of rain "expected to fall on parts of South Carolina on Saturday and Sunday." Clemson said that it "will continue to monitor weather conditions and has been in contact" with the National Weather Service and ACC (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/2). In Newark, Keith Sargeant notes Rutgers "has men's and women's soccer games scheduled throughout the weekend." Rutgers Senior Associate AD/Facilities, Events & Operations Doug Kokoskie on Thursday said, "We're just going around making all the facilities safe. So that means we're looking at the potential of garbage cans flying around that could do some damage, the concessions carts, anything that can become a projectile in the wind. We're trying to batten down the hatches so to speak." Rutgers Assistant AD/Communications Anthony Hernandez said, "No decisions have been made to postpone the men's (soccer) game Saturday or the two women's games (Friday and Saturday)." He added that the women's game against Michigan State "would be pushed up three hours earlier" to 4:00pm ET Friday. Another area of focus "is what to do about the Rutgers Indoor Practice and Conditioning Facility." Kokoskie said, "We're taking all the (soccer) goals out of the Bubble; we're getting everything prepared so that if we need to take it down, then we're ready to go" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 10/2).
