There is no completely relevant season during college football season other than college football season, but we have a little bit of chatter about other leagues this week.
I was reviewing an old Sports Illustrated from earlier this year and saw a letter to the editor about Michael Vick. "Let me, with just five words, caution everyone running in all directions because a sports star has apparently done something that is revolting: Remember the Duke lacrosse team." heh. I remain uncautioned.
I remember race being a big issue in that case until Vick admitted everything was true. I suppose there are some people for whom race plays a large part of their opinions about criminal accusations. I like to think it isn't true with me. For example, I believed the Duke boys, and not their accuser, but I also believed Kobe, and not his accuser. I believed Mike Tyson's accuser. I do not believe OJ Simpson's accuser.
Ok, I was lying about the OJ part. I do believe those dirtbags.
My favorite baseball story of the year was that of Rick Ankiel, who failed as a pitcher in the Cardinals' organization, but made it back in the bigs as an outfielder. How unusual is that?
Of course, the best hitter of all-time was a pretty good pitcher for the Boston Red Sox back in the day.
Actually, the converse is probably more unusual. Troy Hoffman, baseball's all-time save leader, went into the bullpen to avoid being cut as a shortstop.
Barry Bonds and his 756th home run was the most uninteresting story of the year. If the Sports Illustrated issue covering it hadn't come wrapped in a cover with USC football players on it, I wouldn't have kept it.
There is a bunch of talk about New England going 16-0 in NFL play this year. My favorite team also started 8-0 and looked to be in great shape to put together an unbeaten season, but they blew it a week ago. My favorite team is the team playing St. Louis each week.
Kobe Bryant has the only full no-trade clause in the NBA, and he was fully prepared to waive it to go to the Bulls, who are possibly the worst team in the league right now, and would have needed to surrender several of their best players to get him. Go figure.
I'm not sure why Dodger fans are so excited about Joe Torre's hire. In 14 years as a National League skipper, he got one division title (1982 Braves) and won no playoff games.
Apple season is about over. I saw a couple of ads, for boxing and produce, that got me wondering: If you eat strawberries at the Strawberry Fest, and you eat apples at the Applefest, what should you expect to be served at a slugfest?
Way to go Reed Doucette. The former USC basketball player just earned a Rhodes Scholarship.
USC's basketball team beat South Carolina this week. I'm sure there were plenty of funny signs about Trojans and Cocks, but I couldn't see them because the game wasn't on TV.
After USC lost to Mercer, I thought maybe they had overscheduled their nonconference matchups. After reaching the finals of the ESPN Anaheim Classic against Southern Illinois tomorrow, USC plays Oklahoma, Kansas and Memphis over a short stretch from November 29 to December 4, before prepping to start play in the the toughest conference in the land.
I'm less worried now; with Daniel Hackett back, they look pretty good. Not Final Four good, but pretty good.
I might actually hit a few games this year other than UCLA and the Pac-10 tournament.
Comments