One of my favorite things to read is ESPN’s Page 2. I’m addicted. Every morning I read the AM Jump, and I came across a funny blurb regarding Game 1 of the ALCS:
“Do you know there are Red Sox fans as old as 3 who have never witnessed a World Series championship? It's so sad. Even worse: Red Sox fans are breeding.”
What about all those bandwagon fans that hopped on after 2004? That wasn’t their team. They don’t even count. As soon as another charismatic team wins it all you can kiss those pink Boston hats goodbye. I wonder how die-hard Phillies fans will react to pink Cole Hamels jerseys. Blech. (By the way, I just saw a Pepto-Bismol pink Cowboys hat. It was an actual cowboy hat with the Cowboys logo. Gross.)
If you can’t tell, I’m still a little bitter. Thankfully, Cleveland redeemed itself last night. It was a glorious night of Mike Lowell bashing. (Seriously, on a scale of one to Mike Lowell ...) Honestly, if you’re going to lose, you might as well tire your entire bullpen out, throw Gagne out for a third of an inning and let Trot get the game-winning RBI. I was ecstatic. And apparently, according to Linda Cohn, size does matter Grady Sizemore. Yeah I didn’t think it was funny either.
Is anyone in Vancouver not rooting for the Rockies? Yes, Jeff Francis is from North Delta, and yes he pitched for UBC.
So, I was at the Canucks season opener last Friday and I have a few things to say about hockey. For my five American friends, scroll down a couple paragraphs. Anyway, Roberto Luongo is the Derek Jeter of the Canucks. In only his second season, he’s already established that “mystique and aura” feeling in Vancouver. It’s true, and who’s to say he doesn’t deserve it? He really cemented it when he had about 300 saves in the four OT playoff game against Dallas. And the lasting image I have of the Canucks’ exit last year is Luongo seeing Scott Niedermayer’s shot go in and just falling to the ice.
But the biggest reason why Louie is the Derek Sanderson Jeter of the Canucks is because he can do no wrong in the eyes of the fans. Look here, Luongo has played SHITTY in the first three games. He let the game get out of reach early against both San Jose and Philadelphia. Even in the overtime win over Calgary, when we were up by two goals in the third period, he let the Flames come back to tie it. Anyway, I don’t know hockey, so I’m probably annoying some like stupid baseball fans annoy me. Also, I’m sure Louie will be back to form, and if someone is leading us back to the Cup, it’ll be Luongo.
One more paragraph about hockey and I’m done. I don’t know much about hits to the head or the suspensions players should receive. The hit that Ryan Kesler took during the Philly game was absurd. In what other sport does a comparable hit happen? It’s one thing for a pitcher to throw at a batter or a hard foul near the basket in basketball, but Jesse Boulerice cross-checking Kesler in the neck with his stick is ridiculous. I was cheering for fights, because it’s part of the game, but come on.
So, the first BCS Standings came out today, and my Hawaii Warriors are slightly lower than I had hoped at 18. In this season of ridiculous upsets (Stanford hello?) I had hoped Hawaii would at least be in the early teens. Let’s go over this. Hawaii is 7-0 and the only unbeaten team in a non-BCS conference. We have Heisman candidate Colt Brennan (complete with his Hawaii head-map). Strange as it is, Hawaii is having a hard time convincing teams to go to paradise and play a great team. In fact, we’re having a hard time scheduling any tough opponents outside the WAC. It’s totally understandable that Hawaii is low in the computer polls because of our slightly weak schedule. Okay, fair enough. But who would have thought in August, that by week seven, the second-ranked team would be South Florida? Really? What about Florida already having two losses or LSU and Cal losing on the same day?
There are six undefeated teams left: Ohio State, South Florida, Boston College, Arizona State, Kansas and Hawaii. Of the above teams, South Florida and Hawaii have the best chance of running the table this season. Ohio State still has to play a Michigan team, winners of its last five, and in Ann Arbor. Boston College has Virginia Tech, Florida State and Miami left on its schedule. Arizona State has four extremely tough Pac-10 games, including USC, Cal and Oregon. Kansas has played one meaningful game all year. They have to dance through Missouri, Oklahoma State and Texas. South Florida has the edge with Rutgers on the road and Cincinnati at home its only potential stumbling blocks. Hawaii has both Boise State and Washington in Hawaii as its only two tough games.
Now I’m not going to get selfish and try to campaign for Hawaii in the BCS National Championship Game, should they finish 12-0. That would be fucking awesome, but it’s highly doubtful. If anyone has read the ESPN the Magazine article on Colt Brennan, you would have read about how the Hawaii football program makes roughly half of what Boise State makes. When you factor in travel costs, it leaves next to nothing for recruiting. Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is, should Hawaii run the tables this year and end up as one a few unbeaten teams, they should get a BCS bowl. Hawaii must end up in the top twelve in the BCS standings and be picked as one of the two at-large bids. They could bring about $3.5 million to the program after revenue sharing. Even if they don’t win, I’d be happy. If they don’t go to a BCS bowl, they take home just under $400,000 from the Hawaii Bowl. There are five more weeks of college football. Here’s hoping Hawaii pulls it out and goes to a BCS bowl.
Oh, and today I drafted my very first fantasy basketball team. “Bibby’s Baby Momma” has Gilbert Arenas, Dwight Howard, Ray Allen, Antawn Jamison and Leandro Barbosa. Oh, and in the late rounds, I got Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Haha sweet. Unfortunately, I missed out on my boy Bibby. So, twenty minutes after the draft I received the following trade proposal: Mike Bibby for Gilbert Arenas. Done! Anyway, two weeks until the season tips off. Here we go.
Whew. I managed to cover all three major sports -- and hockey too. At least this month’s post is out of the way.
Photo Source: ESPN.com
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