September 19, 2007


BASEBALL
Assuming Boston makes the playoffs, (a pretty safe assumption, but still…) I still don’t like our chances. The Indians are very tough, as are the Angels. And the Yankees are…the Yankees. If their bats are going, they beat anyone, including probably the 1927 Yankees.
The Phillies are on fire, and the Mets seem to be in free fall. The Mets are going to play tough in the playoffs, though, with El Duque and Glavine and Pedro, three guys that have been through the wars. I hope I get to watch at least one El Duque start in the postseason-he reminds me of El Tiante a little bit-although much thinner, obviously.
Bob Ryan says “Should Red Sox fans be worried?” Uh…yeah?
If Youkilis is out, we’re in major league trouble.
Dice K has looked awful lately…I hope he can turn it around, because I love watching him pitch. His command looks very rough. He is only 26, don’t forget…but we need him to be special, and soon.


THE WORLD
It’s silly season on the TV news…Court TV is having kittens, going from coverage of the Phil Spector trial, to OJ (again), to the Crazy Astronaut case. Meanwhile, the dying continues in Iraq. I keep seeing those FreedomWatch.org commercials on the Philadelphia stations, and they are irritating as heck. “THEY attacked US,” the narrator keeps emphasizing. The perfect, racist generalization to stir up the meatheads in Drexel Hill. Why don’t they just say it? The brown people attacked us! That’s what they mean.
And also….uh…no, no they didn’t. The Iraqis didn’t attack us, the Saudis did. There is no evidence Al Queda was in Iraq before WE were in Iraq. None. But they’re allowed to just keep saying it, over and over and over again.
I’m relistening to the entire Napoleon Podcast series, (www.thepodcastnetwork.com) and really, really enjoying it.


FOOTBALL
I’m in last place in my Fantasy Football League, and its not even close. I am underwhelming in every way, but especially at quarterback. I’m starting Joey Harrington and me, essentially-and Harrington is about to lose his job to Byron Leftwich. Nearly everyone is disappointing-except maybe Deion Branch, who should still be playing in New England.
As for Cameragate, is it possible that this is just what Belichick says it is…a misunderstanding? What I’m thinking is that Belichick thought you could tape whoever you wanted, as long as you didn’t use it during the game in progress. I mean, you can tape formations, and players, and everything else that happens during the game…what’s so special about the coaches? And what’s to prevent a fan from sitting in the front row and doing it? It seems like a silly rule to me.
He was warned about it, though, but again, if he thought it was ok as long as you didn’t use it until later, that would explain it.
All this “cheating” talk sounds like sour grapes to me. An old baseball coach of mine used to tell us that if we executed, it didn’t matter if they stole our signals or not. I can’t imagine, even if you stole their signals, you would have that much of an advantage. And you have coaches in the booth, don’t you? No reason to think they can’t steal signals.
Andre Johnson is out, according to the BS Report. I better check and see if his owner will trade a QB for Deion Branch.
5 teams have made the playoffs since 1999 after starting 0-2? Uh-oh, Philadelphia. If this team is 4-10, there’s going to be a lynch mob formed.