Some sporting thoughts for a July-like Sunday (even though it's October)

1) I read a report on ESPN this morning that New York Yankees head honcho George Steinbrenner will fire manager Joe Torre if the Yankees do not come back from their 0-2 deficit against the Cleveland Indians in their first round playoff series. Let's see, all Torre has done is win four World Series titles (in a five year span), and make the playoffs in each of his 12 seasons. Until this season, New York had won 10 straight division titles. He's universally regarded with respect, if not outright devotion, and even Red Sox fans such as myself admire the guy. Is it his fault that the team's bats slumbered through much of the first half of the season, thereby allowing Boston to build what turned out to be an insurmountable lead in the division? Is it his fault that management arguably waited too long to bring up young phenoms Philip Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain? It is his fault that the bats have once again largely gone silent in Games One and Two of the playoffs? Joe Torre deserves better, frankly.

2) In the National League, two of the more snakebitten franchises, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs, continued to be, well, snakebitten. Both were swept out of the playoffs in three straight games by callow but talented squads (Philadelphia by Colorado and Chicago by Arizona). The Phillies' loss was the more surprising of the two, I think, even though the Rockies came into the playoffs white hot, having won 14 of its last 15 games. Philadelphia's offense completely went to sleep in the series, as it generated only eight runs in three games, and the team collectively batted below the Mendoza Line (.200). Given that the Phillies were the highest scoring team in the National League, but had a mediocre pitching staff, you'd have figured that if they were going to go down, it would be in a series of shootouts, not pitcher's battles. The Cubs remain the Cubs. It's been 99 years since the North Siders last won a World Series, and by next year, it'll be an even 100. That makes the Red Sox' 86-year wait until 2004 and the White Sox' 88-year gap between titles seem miniscule by comparison.

3) I promise not to whine anymore about the fate of my fantasy football teams. Suffice it to say that my squads make the Oakland Raiders look well-run by comparison.

4) Notre Dame won in college football yesterday. That makes me sad. USC lost AT HOME to 40-point underdog Stanford. That makes me happy. Miami lost to North Carolina. That makes me sad. Hawaii won a shootout and remains unbeaten. That makes me happy. Ohio State won again. That makes me sad. The University of Florida lost. That makes me happy. All in all, an "Even Steven" kind of day.............

5) Hockey season started for real on Wednesday, and all of the teams are now in action. My Montreal Canadiens won at Carolina (a surprise), and then, as usual, lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It doesn't seem to matter where the two teams play; Montreal always finds a way to lose to Toronto if the game is close.