1) I received several e-mails from friends who are Yankees fans and/or are Red Sox haters, and they are conceding the World Series to my Red Sox. As a Sox fan, I know better. I know the pain that this team can inflict on its fans. Sometimes, the pain is sudden (Bucky Dent, 1978; Bill Buckner, 1986). Sometimes, it is gradual and prolonged (The collapse in 2006). The one constant, however, is PAIN. Now, I will admit that the cathartic experience that was the 2004 World Series title went a long way towards easing some of that pain, but let's not forget that there is an awful lot of heartache to erase. So...........the long and the short of it is that even though Boston is up three games to nothing on Colorado and has outscored the Rockies 25-7 in the first three games of the series (13-1, 2-1, 10-5), I am not counting this series over by any stretch of the imagination. Let's not forget how hot Colorado was coming into the World Series (14-1 down the stretch, 7-0 in the playoffs) . All it takes is one game to get that momentum back.
GO SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2) I just got done watching the New England Patriots hose the Washington Redskins 52-7. Now we are all set for clash of the unbeatens next week, with the 7-0 Indianapolis Colts hosting the Patriots in Indy. New England is scary good, but it seems as though everyone has forgotten who won the Super Bowl last year. I expect the Colts to be motivated by the fact that they may be the first team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl, start off the next season 7-0 (and in which they are arguably playing considerably better than they did in their Super Bowl season), and yet still be an afterthought.
3) I'll stay on the Boston theme for now. Is there a better sports city in which to live right than Boston? Your baseball team is one win away from the World Series. Your professional football team is 8-0 and setting records. Your Division 1A (yes, I know that that's not what its' called anymore, but old habits die hard) football team, the Boston College Eagles, are undefeated and #2 in BCS rankings. Your professional basketball team now has three superstars (Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett) and there is excitement about it for the first time in a decade. Even the lowly Boston Bruins have played much better early in the 2007-2008 season. Face facts, sports fans. Right now, Boston is where you want to be..............
4) Back to the NFL. The polar extreme of the Patriots and Colts are the Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams, each of whom is now 0-8. Unfortunately, they don't play each other this season. What's happened to Miami really is sad. The Dolphins used to be the gold standard of the NFL. No, they hadn't won a Super Bowl in a very long time, but they were a playoff fixture and were a lock to win 10+ games every season. The Rams have been up and down, but they won a Super Bowl not long ago and played for another shortly thereafter. Both are now jokes.
5) I am listening to these so-called experts pontificate on college football and who the best team is. Much of this discussion is quite silly. Teams get penalized for where they were ranked before the season began, as well as when during the season they lose. Still, some facts have become clear. Of the "major conference" teams, Ohio State, Boston College and Arizona State have (thus far) won all of their games. While I don't expect them all to run the table, that they have thus far is a credit to them. I don't want to hear people whine about LSU or Oklahoma or even Oregon is better. Sorry, you guys lost a game. LSU, you lost to a slightly better than average Kentucky team that got clocked at home by Mississippi State (!!), and probably shouldn't have beaten Florida. Oklahoma, you blew a double digit second half lead against a middling Colorado team. Sorry, neither of you has any reason to whine. You want to play for the national title? Run the table, like the two teams ahead of you have (and yes, Arizona State should be ranked ahead of both of you as well).
6) Maybe it's just me, but as much of a hockey freak as I am, I am not that juiced so far by the season, and that's despite the fact that my two teams, the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers are off to pretty good starts. I'm not sure why, but I do think that part of it is that I am seeing too much of the same defensive system games that I saw prior to the lockout that cost the league the 2004-2005 season. I'm also increasingly nonplussed by the shootout, and given teams ties for losses in overtime and shootout losses. Why is one loss worth more than another? If you lose, you lose. You shouldn't get any points. Like I said, though, maybe it's just me, though judging by the minuscule ratings that the NHL games are getting, it's probably NOT just me..........
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