I was happy to see the Astros make the World Series. That is a baseball team that was due for some good karma. You just knew the people of Houston were saying the same thing Andy Pettitte said (Oh my God!)when he watched Pujols hit one out to win game 5. Similar to Cubs fans and Red Sox fans (prior to last year), some Astros fans were walking around yesterday morning with that "holy crap, we better not blow this" look on their faces. You have to hand it to this team who mid-way through the season looked like the only thing they had going for them was a shot at getting Bagwell and Berkman a calendar cover shoot for "Lumberjacks in Speedos". They really played well down the stretch and there is no doubt that their pitching is a huge part of their success.

On the topic of pitching, I have a message for Roger Clemens. Pitch another year for the Astros and then retire. Under no circumstances should you ever pitch for another team. Has there ever been a guy like this (Lock Hall of Famer, Living Legend) who is widely respected in his ability and talked about as one of the greatest ever to play his position....and yet lacks an adoring fan base?(I guess A-Rod might qualify in a few years) I mean Red Sox fans despise him, Blue Jay fans feel he deserted them, and Yankee fans are pissed that he retired and then unretired for another team. Clemens is seen as a great pitcher but nobody loves him. Enter Astro fans. With the past two seasons Clemens has had in Houston, the fact that he is native Texan (never underestimate the power of this with people in Texas), and if he actually retires as an Astro, he will finally have a cap that he can wear in Cooperstown.

I just finished watching the Trojan/Irish game and I have to admit it was one of the best games I have seen this season. The Irish played this game exactly the way they needed to. People talk about needing to stop Reggie Bush but players like that sometimes outrun gameplans (the guy is just awesome). I thought the player that they really needed to take out of the game was Lendale White and they did that. What few carries he had went nowhere. Leinart had an ok game (well, ok he had a spectacular final minute) He had a few drops by receivers (not his fault)and looked a bit sluggish (maybe a couple of shots he took caused this--looked like he got a kick in the head on a block he threw). If he doesn't want to get intercepted every other play in the NFL he is going to need to add some zip on his pass. Many of them seemed to float.

I was watching the halftime segment when he was asked why he stayed in school and I thought, "are you kidding me"? Would you rather do what he is doing now (have the team, chicks, & rockstar status he does) or do what Alex Smith is doing right now(becoming the latest Dwight Freeney sack statistic)? I'll take door number one please.
Anyway back to the game. I can't believe Pete Carroll took the risk of the Leinart QB sneak at the end. If he doesn't get in Carroll is second guessed and called all kinds of names by USC superfan Nick Lachey (possibly leading Nick to tell Jessica Simpson where to stick it when she asks what's wrong. Jessica then tells Nick she's sick of his sorry attitude and coat-tail riding ass. Divorce. Finally! ahem....you can tell I've spent entirely too much time thinking about this possibility. Lets move on.) ---Just a gutsy call and fortunately for USC (and Nick and Jess) things worked out. I still think the smart thing would have been to kick the field goal and rely on Leinart and Bush to do their thing in overtime. Although now that I think about it, Leinart just sat with his head in his hands after the touchdown and looked completely spent. Maybe Pete knew his best chance was on that play. Hey, he's only won two straight national championships and I'm just an armchair QB so I guess I'll concede the point here.

And how about Jarett catching that 4th and 9 pass when it seemed like he dropped everything else during the game. That pass was perfect and you just don't see that kind of thing happen on 4th down and long with the game on the line (unless your Tom Brady and you've sold your soul to the devil a few years back). Notre Dame fans were stunned and so was I frankly. Notre Dame should have won this game. But what a game! I tried to tell my wife about it afterward and she just said "that's nice". Now you know why I have a blog. Sports conversation in my house goes over like a rectal exam. Now you know why I have a blog.

Hey White Sox Fans, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots here. I know many of you must be feeling kind of hollow and empty about that win you got in game 2 huh? Hey there's no reason to feel guilty about wins that involve dubious fumbles....um...I mean controversy. A win is a win. You know, according to the rules, the tuck rule....uhh....I mean the umpire technically didn't have to make it clear whether or not it was an out or a ball in the dirt. There is no way to know for sure if the Raiders....um...I mean the Angels could have won that game even without the ref's help...uh...I mean the controversial ruling by the umpire. Hey anyway, keep your heads' up. Sure the media and the Angels won't let you forget it if you happen to win it all but at least you'll have the win. A win is a win whether it's legitimate in the world's eyes or not. Trust me, I have a ring to prove it.

signed Tom (long live the tuck rule) Brady.

I have to attend a work conference Sunday-Wednesday. This means I will miss all of Sunday's football action and even Monday Night's game (banquet that night I have to attend). I briefly flirted with the idea of blowing off the conference (yes, I am that addicted to football), but ultimately decided I need the paychecks that come with keeping my job (if for no other reason than to pay for my DirectTV Sunday NFL ticket). I will Tivo a few games but I just don't think I can keep from hearing the scores until Wednesday and watching games where you know what is going to happen just doesn't have the same magic (yes, I know how pathetic this sounds). My wife just started laughing when I told her of my predicament. I heard her muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "poetic justice".

I realized this past Monday night during the Chargers/Steelers game that the 4 major professional sports leagues were all in action at the same time. Somethings definitely wrong with this. I can understand that for many sports gluttons this is like an all you can eat buffet at the Sizzler. As for me, I just can't get excited about watching Dwayne Wade and the Heat in October when the baseball playoffs are in full swing and John Madden is expounding on the merits of making sure a receiver is beyond the 1st down marker on a crucial 3rd down catch. December? Maybe. October? Not lighting my fire.
Is it just me or does anyone else think the NBA and NHL seasons are excruciatingly long? The NBA's and NHL's pre and regular seasons run 9 freaking months. I don't even start paying attention to NBA standings until February. And don't get me started about the NHL. The only time I check in on them is when the NHL finals start. On that note, are we still allowed to call the NHL a major sports league? I'm somewhat uncomfortable with this. If I were to compare these leagues to my high school class back in 1990 it would go something like this:

- the NFL is the good looking, all state athlete, who was cool no matter what he did. All the chicks wanted him, guys idolized him, and the teachers even asked him for autographs. Mothers schemed ways to get their daughter a date with him and he enjoyed Ferris Bueller type adoration. The only one who doesn't see what all the hype is about is the bitchy english teacher who thinks sports should be outlawed in school (this would be akin to wives who hate football and who have never tried to understand it or their husbands who watch it...ahem...I hope my wife never reads this).

- the NBA is the good looking sports star who gets in trouble, is pretty much a jerk most of the time(Stephon Marbuy, Latrell Sprewell....I could go on but I won't), but is still sexy and amazing to watch play sports. Chicks still dig him (although the ones that have any common sense only flirt with him and never date), guys still want to be like him (or at least would like his ability and looks), and school administrators let his grades and attitude slide sometimes because they want that state championship. There is always a sense of guilt with this kid because you feel like he could be doing so much more.

-MLB is the guy who is in the cool group but he's not that good looking. He still gets chicks but it's because of who he hangs out with and the fact that he is good at sports. This is the guy who has cheated (steroids) on exams, quit the team and been let back on because he apologized (strike year 1994), and yet somehow you still like him. At times he can be dull and boring, but just when your ready to give up on him, he does something eyecatching, interesting, or spectacular (A Bonds at bat, the Wild Card race, playoffs etc.). You find yourself remembering how amazing this guy was in the past and how exciting he can be when he gets it going. Plus if he can get chicks with his looks then maybe there is hope for you.

-The NHL is like the guy on the wrestling team who is somewhat delusional. He thinks his sport is the coolest because their state championship trophy is the biggest in the trophy case. He mistakenly thinks he is hanging with the cool kids when actually they are laughing behind his back about his mangled ears, his funny looking leotard uniform, and the fact that his weight fluctuates like Anna Nicole Smith. His sport will never be followed or respected like the other 3 but he is totally oblivious to this. Nobody watches his matches and even though the school makes no money off tickets for his team's events, he thinks they should get all new equipment, uniforms, and a new gym built just for them. He tries to get the chicks but they just laugh in his face.

When I look at it this way I realize there is no way we can call the NHL a major sport. If it doesn't work in the High School Fiefdom model then it doesn't work in the real world. .......on second thought how does this model explain my coup with the wife I have. My status in high school should have ensured either a life of vagrancy (and possible uni-bomber type apparel) or at the very least, marriage to someone looking like Joan Rivers. As it is , neither happened and I married way above myself. Hey maybe there is hope for the NHL.