With all due respect to NBA slogan, I love these games.
Since there really is so much going on in the world of sports, I think it's time for a roundup. Here are a few brief observations on recent days.

This President's Cup was such a battle of wits that it bore little resemblance to America's head of state.
I'm used to tracking the last couple of days in golf's major events, but otherwise I don't follow it particularly heavily. However, injecting a team element and match play format into the sport can make for some interesting moments, as some memorable Ryder Cups have shown. Unlike the Ryder, the President's Cup allows American golfers to team up against the rest of the world instead of a team composed solely of Europeans. While the Americans pulled out the victory this time around, the final day was not without its drama. Tiger Woods, who held a one hole lead on a pair of occasions early in his Sunday showdown with Retief Goosen, eventually lost 2 & 1. The U.S. however, had more than its share of clutch moments down the stretch. Fred Couples nailed a 25-foot birdie putt on 18 to trump Vijay Singh, and knew it was good as soon as he struck it. Finally, Chris DiMarco sealed the deal in defeating Stuart Appleby with his own 15-footer on the final hole: would it be fair to call it a walk-off putt?

The AL East battle is great drama for some, and close to agony for people like me.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are to face off in a series that could well add a page to the lore of the rivalry. While the Yankees have battled back from serious injuries and have gotten unfathomable production from farmhand Aaron Small and emergency acquisition Shawn Chacon, I would love for there to be a little less tension as to their fate. I read a column by former Reds legend Joe Morgan, who said he believed from the start of the season that the Eastern division would come down to the final series in Fenway Park which begins tomorrow and ends Sunday. I can't say the same is true of me, but baseball does seem to end the season with as many divisional match-ups as possible. In any case, the Yankees have won 16 of their last 20 contests to lead by a single game. For its part, Boston rallied from 4-1 down today behind two key hits by David Ortiz and a two-run homer by Manny Ramirez to maintain their slim deficit. Had the Red Sox been defeated, its fans would likely have remembered Toronto's Frank Catalanotto as an even bigger villain. In the series' final three games, the Long Island native was 9 of 15 with 10 RBI.

You know the National League is getting interesting when I actually stop to pay attention.
For quite some time, I had thought that analysts were jumping on the San Francisco Giants bandwagon a bit prematurely. Yes, the National League West had been horrendous, and Los Gigantes had gotten Moises Alou and Barry Bonds back from injuries, along with some solid outings by young starters Noah Lowry and Brad Hennessey. However, predicting them to overtake the first-place San Diego Padres would be most improbable. Of course, the White Sox did get dangerously close to giving up their division title before clinching the AL Central today.

The Giants have no longer have a shot at a playoff berth this year, but they made things interesting while they lasted. On Monday, Padres center fielder Brian Giles couldn't hold on to a deep drive by Randy Winn, and the Giants scored the tying and go-ahead runs off of closer Trevor Hoffman with 2 outs in the ninth. What made that play even more dramatic were the fireworks that had been set off, obviously by a Padres staff member who thought Giles had in fact made the grab. In the bottom of the ninth, Giants first baseman J.T. Snow leaped for a ball falling into the camera well; while he did not come up with the ball, he landed on the concrete below, and was actually cheered by San Diego fans when he emerged basically unscathed. This made me think of something ESPN Page Two's Bill Simmons wrote last week: "San Diego makes Switzerland look like Compton."

In any case, this triggered a plan that a friend and I had hatched some time ago. If the Giants were within striking distance of the Pads, we would make the trek to Petco Park and take in one of the games in the series. The Padres had lost a game in the standings two straight days, and it was time to put our thoughts into action. Up late the night before the game, I noticed that an EBay ticket auction was to end at 2 AM the day of the game, so I could put in a low bid and see if I won in the morning. The long and short of it: I received seats worth a total of $52 for 99 cents. Memories of this victory came in handy when we were asked to fork over seventeen bucks to park in a garage adjacent to the ballpark. We were just glad to be on time, because we witnessed the Giants hit two singles to lead off the game, followed by a Snow lineout and a Barry Bonds bomb to left field. At the time, we had not reached our seats and observed from near the park area in center field, but there was no doubt about that shot. The first few innings turned out to be offense-oriented, and San Francisco's lead was down to 6-5 in the middle of the fourth. In the bottom of that frame, the Padres had two runners on base with two out when Snow made an extremely uncharacteristic fielding error, opening the door for a Ramon Hernandez grand slam. Even normally staid Petco went relatively berserk over that turn of events, and for good reason: they would clinch the National League West the following day. Unlike the last time I ventured downtown, Hoffman entered to "Hell's Bells" and easily converted the save.

Finally, Wild Card races that live up to the quality of the Rippingtons' new release.
I am a jazz addict, and one of the hottest albums on my playlist in recent weeks has been Russ Freeman and company's Wild Card. But the Indians' push toward the playoffs and the Astros' relentless quest to get back to the World Series have proven compelling in their own right. Cleveland enters the last three games knowing it must beat out either the Yankees or Red Sox for the consolation prize, and will have to win games against a relaxed Chicago squad. Meanwhile, Houston sends Roger Clemens to the mound tomorrow hoping to preserve its two game lead over Philadelphia. The desperate Phillies have been led by Jimmy Rollins, who has turned himself into a machine, compiling hits in 33 consecutive games when they matter most.

Some quick hits about football:
-The Bengals nearly made the postseason last year, but in 2005 they seem destined for playoff action. Carson Palmer has emerged with stellar numbers in the first three weeks, with a rating of 114 (versus 77.3 last year) and completion percentage of 71.1 (compared to 60.9).

-I'm not the only Jets fan distressed about Chad Pennington's latest injury, but some experts say that replacement Brooks Bollinger won't be the reason New York loses games. Meanwhile, speculation abounds: Chris Mortensen suggests the possibility of USC standout Matt Leinart wearing Jet green in 2006.

-What to make of the AFC West? I thought the Chiefs could challenge for one of the top spots in the conference after Week 1, but their bad loss to Denver has Kansas City a little frustrated. Meanwhile, Mortensen picks Oakland to have the third worst record in the league.

-After LSU's heartbreaking home loss at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers, it's not surprising to hear that some fans had trouble keeping their emotions inside. The AP writes that the university apologized after a few supporters "pelted a Tennessee bus with beer bottles."

-As a backer of the Cal Golden Bears, it's hard for me not to be Pac Ten-centric. In my defense, though, the conference is extremely talented this season. USC coach Pete Carroll is wary of Arizona State's accomplished offense, and had a difficult first quarter in defeating the Oregon Ducks. With UCLA and California highly ranked, this could be as fun a year as any to watch.

-It will be hard to top the incredible Week 2 battle between Ohio State and Texas, but fifth-ranked Florida and top fifteen squad Alabama meet in Tuscaloosa having not faced each other since 1999. There something to be said for elimination of multiple divisions within an NCAA conference when it prevents teams like these from playing regularly.

sports

Since I was at a professional hockey rink for the first time since hockey's lockout, the inscription next to each blue line reading "Thank You Fans!" seemed fitting.

As the first period buzzer sounded, I simultaneously thanked myself for wearing a home jersey and cursed myself for not putting on jeans before arriving at the freezing Arrowhead Pond. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim had just played a scoreless frame against the San Jose Sharks, despite a good deal of penalties for both clubs. As many spectators streamed toward the concession stands, the crowd looked far smaller than it had during the action, even though I estimated that only about 8,000 were there to begin with. While I became accustomed to seeing a less than sold out Pond in previous seasons, it was rare to see the place obscenely vacant. I later noticed that NHL.com announced that the attendance on this Wednesday was 9,262. However, I suspect this was actually the number of tickets distributed; as an example, my sister received hers free at an event she attended the prior weekend.

Is this proof that, as critics believed, people are staying away from the NHL's first season since the lockout that claimed the entire 2004-05 campaign? No, the low attendance figures are a product of this being an exhibition game, and the first pro hockey played in Anaheim since early 2004. Of course, we will have to see for ourselves how the league fares as far as regular season turnout goes. The 'My NHL' advertising campaign, as detailed recently by E.J. Hradek, has already been unveiled to drum up interest. My sister, who accompanied me to the game, speculated that the building would be packed to the rafters on October 10, the Ducks' season opener against Edmonton. A brief check of Ticketmaster upon arriving home proved there are certainly good seats available, but one would expect that the team plans to sell many of these in the time before that game is played.

One interesting aspect of attending a preseason contest this year is the explanation of hockey's new rules for the upcoming season. Colorfully illustrated on the jumbotron by clips from EA Sports' new video game NHL '06, new regulations include expanded offensive zones and restrictions on the goalie's ability to play the puck behind the net. Furthermore, every preseason game concludes with a demonstration of the shootout, whether or not the game is actually tied at that point. The shootout will decide every regular season game this year that is still knotted after five minutes of 4-on-4 overtime. Personally, I understand that the shootout will add excitement to the game, but I got used to the tie as a part of hockey. Once, I watched the New York Rangers (my favorite franchise) blow a 2-0 lead in San Jose. Because the game ended in a tie, I felt better than I would have if they lost in a shootout. At least the loser of any game that ends in overtime or shootout will still receive one point in the standings, while the winner is awarded the full two.

For newcomers to this site, I've been a passionate follower of the New York Rangers since my days on the East Coast. Nevertheless, I found this game particularly interesting because it involved two teams with which I am relatively familiar. Over the last couple of seasons, I have attended a half dozen or so Ducks games each year, including Game 6 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. Additionally, when I went to school in Northern California I occasionally saw the Sharks in San Jose, including a few raucous times in the playoffs. As a result, I noticed plenty of familiar faces on both sides, including Anaheim's Sergei Fedorov and Petr Sykora as well as San Jose's Patrick Marleau and Niko Dimitrakos. There were also several newcomers to the party, most notably defenseman Scott Niedermayer, who the Ducks recently acquired, uniting him with brother Rob. The Sharks, on the other hand, have primarily opted to replenish talent through their minor league system over the last several seasons.

I found it a little difficult to formulate solid first impressions about the game, especially because it had been so long since I had seen hockey, live or otherwise. Nevertheless, I really did enjoy seeing even the half-hearted bodychecks one would come to expect from preseason action. What's more, at one point in the first the Ducks' Joffrey Lupul and Rob Niedermeyer in succession notched solid hits on opponents caught against the boards. I checked the NHL's play- by-play to confirm my recollection, and sure enough Lupul's hit was accompanied by an exclamation point on the sheet. It may be unwise to base regular season predictions on preseason play or statistics, but on a basic level it was satisfying to jeer a visiting player who whiffed on a shot attempt and cheer for a spectacular save. I also got my first goal of the year out of the way, leaping to my feet a little late after Fedoruk hit twine.

While I have more experience watching hockey in St. Louis and Anaheim, this game brought back some memories from game I watched up north. For one, the first San Jose power play reminded me of when fans there would form the shape of a shark's mouth to the music from Jaws when the other team was penalized. I also remembered when the netting between the boards and the fans at the extreme ends of the ice was first implemented. The league installed the nets for sensible safety reasons, but fans used to boo whenever the puck hit a net, because that meant a fan was denied a souvenir. But the high point of my recollections came when the stadium played Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll Part 2 during a commercial break, and I yelled out "Hey!" just as fans did after the Sharks found the net.

It won't take long to recount what actually happened during the game. The Ducks' Todd Fedoruk opened the scoring close to 13 minutes into the game, banging home a rebound of his own shot past Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala. The assist was credited to newcomer Ryan Getzlaf, who sports the number 51, the same as my Yankee hero Bernie Williams. Toskala and Anaheim goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere put on a clinic most of the way. Perhaps Toskala's most impressive performance came roughly 4 minutes into the contest, when he fought off an Anaheim two-man advantage. Giguere was forced to make several difficult glove saves, and for the most controlled rebounds very well. Unfortunately for him, Dimitrakos took a pass from teammate Marco Sturm with three minutes remaining in the game and scored up high, sending the game into overtime. When this was insufficient to decide the game, the teams went to a shootout. The sudden-death format would have been demonstrated anyway, but this time it mattered as much as anything in an exhibition could.

The loudest I heard the building all night was when Teemu Selanne was introduced during the shootout; Selanne had been a hometown favorite in seasons past, but played from 2001-03 for the Sharks and the 2003-04 campaign with Colorado. Now, the Finnish star enjoyed a brief moment of welcoming from the fans in attendance. Later on, in the shootout's third round, Sturm scored on Giguere in what became the decisive goal of the game. At first, there was some confusion among the fans about whether the puck had gone in, but the red light left no doubt. Fedorov, the Ducks center, followed but missed the mark far above the net, sending the Sharks to a 2-1 win. A few San Jose supporters left happy, but most of those in attendance seemed satisfied with the entertainment value of what was, after all, just for practice.

hockey

It's funny when authoritative sports sites make a mistake.
If the following table swiped from ESPN.com is correct, then who are the Yankees playing the next three days? I'm sure they'll have it fixed soon, but for now: bye bye, Blue Jays!

2005 American League Standings
EAST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	RS	RA	STRK	L10
NY Yankees	89	63	.586	-	51-27	38-36	827	734	Won 4	9-1
Boston	88	64	.579	1	50-24	38-40	857	765	Lost 1	5-5
Boston	88	64	.579	1	50-24	38-40	857	765	Lost 1	5-5
Baltimore	70	82	.461	19	35-39	35-43	678	740	Lost 5	3-7
Tampa Bay	64	89	.418	25.5	40-38	24-51	717	891	Won 1	5-5

sports

I made it through ESPN's gatekeepers again.

I thought this chat question was especially relevant given the Big Unit's performance in the Yankees' narrow 2-1 win last night, which (for the moment, anyway) gave them sole possession of first place in the American League East. I guess Rob Neyer agreed; he really is correct that Johnson's struggles (high home run total aside) have been somewhat overblown this season.

Alex (OC): Is the effective Randy Johnson here to stay?

Rob Neyer: Nobody can know, because it's simply a matter of Johnson's health. And you know, he's been one of the better starters in the league this season, taken as a whole.

Stay tuned for my commentary on last night's Mighty Ducks preseason opener.

baseball

This is as entertaining of a finish to the baseball season as I can remember.
From the looks of it, I'm not alone in my opinion: former Mets GM Steve Phillips seemed positively exuberant about several races in his weekly ESPN chat earlier this morning. As I know well, this is the sort of time when fans of a contending team get downright desperate for wins. The Yankees have, for the most part, breezed into the playoffs since 1996, and this time around has proved to be a bit more nerve-wracking.

-Last night, the Yanks loaded the bases with no out in the fifth, scoring two to tie the game. Chien-Ming Wang got an enormous number of comebackers with his powerful sinker, and Bubba Crosby hit his first homer of the season to win the game in the bottom of the ninth.
-Sunday was a heartbreaker for the men in pinstripes, as shaky defense, bad luck (starter Jaret Wright was hit by a broken bat), and one big run allowed by Alan Embree in the 8th cost the Yankees a chance at the series sweep.
-On Saturday, the Yankees needed every single diving catch they got to preserve a 1-0 lead behind surprising acquisition Shawn Chacon.
-Friday? That might take a little more time. The following is a recap of the contest, a microcosm of the insanity that is September baseball.

Friday
4:15 PM Pacific: Nice start for the Yanks. Jason Giambi takes the Dave Bush pitch for a double off the scoreboard, scoring MVP candidate Alex Rodriguez, who can help his team just by drawing a base on balls.
4:27: Uh-oh, looks like we're seeing the Dr. Jekyll side of Randy Johnson. After hitting Reed Johnson, the Yankee lefty walks light hitting Frank Menechino. This set up slugger Vernon Wells, who smacks a homer to left. 3-1, Toronto. I have to admit, both pitchers are getting very narrow strike zones so far.
4:41: Offense arrives from an unlikely source. After a Robinson Cano double, backup catcher John Flaherty (whose average rose to .169 after the game) smokes a double to score the rookie second baseman. Soon afterward, Derek Jeter is hit by a pitch on his elbow, but looks all right.
4:52: Well, this has New York Post cover story written all over it. A 2-2 pitch missed inside, but Johnson's pent-up frustration from previous close calls boiled over here, leading to his ejection. I'm more than a bit peeved at umpire Fieldin Culbreth myself. The not-so-nice words exchanged by Johnson and Culbreth were so audible that the announcers concluded: "We don't really need to explain what just happened here." Note to self while trying to stave off an attack of nerves: more announcers should use the word 'therein' like these Rogers SportsNet guys from Toronto.
5:00: Now that the dust has settled, Scott Proctor has come on in relief and gets the first batter to pop out with his initial pitch. Not bad for a guy who once walked in a run to lose a game.
5:04: How many times has Jason Giambi walked after being down in the count 0-2? This must be some kind of record. As the play-by-play man says, "That's the last thing you want to do."
5:08: It's Japanese Night at Rogers Centre, and Matsui pulls a pitch up the middle. For some reason, the Yankees hit and run with Giambi, which is the only reason he gets to third.
5:10: Cano has been white hot recently, which is reminiscent of a stretch he had at the beginning of the season. Just yesterday, he hit a grand slam against Tampa Bay. Here, he rewards my father for picking him up in his roto league, lining a pitch over the right field wall for three runs.
5:13: There must be a full moon or something tonight. John Flaherty now has two hits in the game, both for extra bases...and this one is just his second homer on the year. With that, Pete Walker enters the game, and Bush (who had lately been effective) has only a brief outing.
5:23: Proctor allows a single to the tough Shea Hillenbrand, but gets Aaron Hill out on a drive to the warning track. Proctor completes the inning by striking out Corey Koskie on a high heater; I'm sure Koskie can't wait to redeem himself next season.
5:30: The game doesn't get any better for Koskie, who lets Jeter's grounder get under his glove for a slow double, close to being a foul ball. Walker then receives a rude welcome to the game by Rodriguez, who hits a no doubt two-run shot to center field. Giambi walks amid chants of "Steroids!" and Sheffield singles, chasing Walker from the contest as well.
5:37: Enter Brandon League, who can't be faulted for allowing Matsui's run-scoring fielder's choice. Cano's second bomb of the game, however, can safely be charged to him. All of a sudden, it's 11-3 New York.
5:57: After two uneventful half-innings, the Blue Jays score a run on a Reed Johnson double, wild pitch, and (former Yankee) prospect John-Ford Griffin's RBI groundout. Still, what's one run in this game? Right?
6:17: Koskie gets on the board, hitting a chopper over the mound for a single, followed by a Gabe Gross double and Russ Adams walk. Proctor's allowing too many baserunners for my taste, and Joe Torre agrees.
6:27: Felix Rodriguez may have great stuff, but isn't fooling anyone here, allowing all three men to score with Reed Johnson's double. It's amazing how Tim Wakefield can consistently retire batters with a knuckler in the 50 mph range, and Rodriguez's blazing fastball gets hit around. Now it's an 11-7 lead for the Yankees.
6:47: As Ted Robinson would say, a valiant effort but no pay for the Yankees offense in the 7th.
6:54: Felix Rodriguez is at it again, surrendering a Hillenbrand single and Aaron Hill double.
6:57: Former Boston reliever Alan Embree attempts to put out the fire, but only makes matters worse. The Toronto offense has become unstoppable, and two more hits (by Gabe Gross and Scrabble hero Gregg Zaun) bring the Jays within a single run of tying this ballgame.
6:59: Last outing, Yankee reliever Tanyon Sturtze hit the only batter he faced. I can't help but be a little apprehensive as their former master of the seventh inning begins to pitch. But for the moment, he allows the Yanks to escape the 7th with their lead and what's left of their pride.
7:13: Looks like the Yanks have given up on padding their lead against former Angel Scott Schoeneweis, but Sturtze allows nothing but an infield single in the bottom of the 8th. Luckily for him, he was able to strand a runner on second with Hill's playable fly ball to center field.
7:22: Man, Derek Jeter looks cool even when he's called out on strikes.
7:26: Well, after all this, the Yankees have to use their closer. Mariano Rivera is on, and he has no margin for error against some decent hitters. On a payoff pitch, Koskie hits one sharply to center, but Bubba Crosby is able to get there to retire him. After Gross grounds out, Zaun extends the inning with a long at-bat concluded by a single rolling into right. Finally, Rivera induces the slow ground ball to Cano, and Jeter receives the ball at second to end the game before high fiving his second baseman. As even the home team announcers conceded, the fans had definitely gotten their money's worth.

baseball

I'm ready for some (more) football, so here are five subplots heading into Week 2.
1: Are the rejuvenated 'Boys for real?
The San Diego/Dallas game last Sunday was an unexpected nail-biter. A critical Cowboys' fourth quarter drive was stalling after they got into Charger territory, but a third down penalty on San Diego's Quentin Jammer gave Dallas new life. This eventually led to a 2 yard touchdown pass from Drew Bledsoe to Keyshawn Johnson. The Chargers struck back, using a 33 yard pass on 4th and 14 from Drew Brees to Eric Parker, and eventually had 1st and goal at the 7. But three consecutive passes failed, and on 4th Brees' attempt was picked off by Aaron Glenn to effectively end the game.

All of a sudden, I've noticed that several football writers are giving Bledsoe a more optimistic outlook than I had been used to in the recent past. As Chris Mortensen put it, "There's never been any secret about the key to his success -- protect him and he can be lethal." Or perhaps Michael Smith has it right: many teams simply are not passing very much, so the chance Bledsoe throws an interception is diminished. John Clayton believes that coach Bill Parcells will be assisted by the team's fresh 3-4 defensive scheme; Dallas plays Washington this week.

2. Did the Redskins change horses too quickly?
Meanwhile, the experts are bitterly divided about quarterback Mark Brunell, who will make his season debut as a starter on Monday night after Patrick Ramsey was somewhat ineffective in the opener. However, some noted that Ramsey's accuracy improved as the game progressed, and that he shouldn't have been penalized for being injured halfway through their win against Chicago. Coach Joe Gibbs is apparently ready for the criticism, calling the decision to start Brunell "one I had to make."

How will Brunell fare? Some believe the veteran will simply be overmatched, and that his abilities have declined in recent years. It should be noted that the Washington offensive line is far from a sturdy bulwark against opposing defenses. However, Len Pasquarelli insists that Brunell was stronger in camp this year than he was as the opening day starter in 2004, and that Washington eventually wants to give young Jason Campbell a shot at the number one role.

3. Was I too slow on the draw for my own good?
Many who play fantasy football will recognize that second-year running back Willie Parker had a phenomenal game last Sunday for the Steelers. My team does have two outstanding running backs in Shaun Alexander and Tiki Barber (with Fred Taylor as insurance). Even so, I'm still one of the guys kicking himself for being too slow to pick Parker up in my league. If the kid continues as well as he has, I may end up kicking injured vet Jerome Bettis to the curb before long. As fantasy guru Eric Karabell put it, there's no reason to think Parker can't keep his solid production going.

4. It's the Rams against their former savior: who will win the 'Warner Bowl'?
If there are three things I remember about living in St. Louis, they are as follows:
1) The Blues made mighty playoff runs, only to be stopped by Detroit.
2) The Cardinals traded a minor pitcher for a veteran first baseman named Mark McGwire.
3) St. Louis football was so awful that when my high school band arrived at a competition at what was then called the Trans World Dome, the director remarked "It smells terrible; the Rams must play here."

If this makes me sound fixated on sports, it's because I am. But soon after I left town, the Rams' fortunes changed with two maneuvers: the acquisition of running back Marshall Faulk, and the discovery of quarterback Kurt Warner after incumbent Trent Green went down with an injury. The eventual result was the 2000 Super Bowl Championship, but since then Warner was replaced with now-starter Marc Bulger, and Warner moved on to the New York Giants, and most recently the Arizona Cardinals. Now Warner's new team meets the one where he once became the darling of the NFL, with the loser limping home 0-2. As the Post-Dispatch's Jim Thomas says, the past is still fresh in the memories of longtime Rams.

5. Speaking of a player's return against his former team, how about this one?
San Francisco and Philadelphia will play each other Sunday, but it is the 49ers who enter sporting a 1-0 record. The 49ers, the league's doormat in the 2004 campaign, are out to prove that last year's struggles without star wide receiver Terrell Owens are behind them. Owens, the subject of immeasurable media wrath in the offseason for his contract dispute with the Eagles, insists that this will be just another game for him. The Chronicle's Gwen Knapp thinks that's ridiculous, and she's right, but we cannot forget that this is also an Eagles team expected by its fans to go deep into the playoffs once again. They cannot afford an 0-2 start, although it would be surprising to see that happen the way the matchup looks on paper. Even last week, the Niners put up statistics that were decidedly inferior to those of St. Louis, the team they defeated. Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb insists he will play despite a bruised sternum.

football

I finally broke my drought on ESPN chats.

All right, I promise to post something more substantial after my day of errands. However, it has been something like 2 years since ESPN has taken a question or comment from me during its chats. The first was a question for former Cal point guard Shantay Legans, in which I asked him about making a game-winning shot against USC that season. The second was for former New York Rangers right-winger Matthew Barnaby, and I chose to ask about the team's prolonged struggles to make the playoffs (which have continued since, much to my chagrin).

Today, there was supposed to be a discussion with ESPN's Rob Neyer, who usually comments that he received hundreds or thousands of questions during the hour session (understandably, no one can respond to more than a couple of dozen). But today, the site personnel could not locate the baseball expert, and so the chat moderator asked for opinions about who should win MLB's awards or who might make the playoffs. By this point, nothing I submitted had actually been posted on the site for so long that I felt it would never happen again.

At the very moment I was about to walk away from the computer, I noticed my comment had just been selected. In disbelief, I actually refreshed the browser just to make sure I had seen this correctly. Sure enough, it was there; I had put my endless hours wasted watching sports to some practical use!

Getting in there at the last minute, I turned out to be the final response of the day. In case you're interested in what I said, you can follow this link.

UPDATE: ESPN has since restricted this link to subscribers only. My contribution was the following:
Alex (OC): This whole "A-Rod can't hit under pressure" argument is ridiculous. Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus pointed out on ESPN yesterday that his offensive and defensive prowess from day 1 made him the ideal MVP. Furthermore, does anyone remember A-Rod's hit to cap the 5-run ninth-inning rally against Kansas City?

sports

It was a day of mixed emotions for the New York fan in me...mostly before 1 PM.
Long, long ago in a state far, far away, my family had the satellite television service known as DirecTV. So, what's the big deal, you ask? Well, DirecTV has the exclusive rights to the package known as NFL Sunday Ticket, which allows out-of-town fans to watch any football game not otherwise available on local channels. I imagine that this deal is quite profitable for the NFL, because it means shutting out cable customers, which leaves literally millions of viewers without the option of purchasing the Ticket. At least the digital cable company provides access to most baseball, basketball, and hockey games for a fee, although one might argue that the quality of this service tends to be compromised when the picture fades to black every minute or so (seemingly only when the Yankees are playing).

East Coast fans transplanted to the Pacific region must wake up earlier than anyone else on the weekends, and it's likely that only the die-hards make sure to catch the first pitch of 10 AM (or 1 in the afternoon Eastern time) baseball games. When I bolt downstairs on Saturdays just before starting lineups are announced, my family sometimes laughs, realizing this is no coincidence. Years ago, when we lived in St. Louis, the same could be said for days that football was on: the Jets often played at 1 Eastern, and I was usually ready for kickoff. The games I once watched at Cal, which often air at 1 Pacific or later on Saturdays, seem obscenely late by comparison.

Realizing that this Sunday was the first of the football season, we knew that a solution had to be found. Lacking the only portal to New York's NFL action short of a trip to the Big Apple, my dad and I did what any reasonable humans would given the situation: we decided to visit a sports bar. Knowing we'd need to find a place with multiple televisions, the closest location we could come up with was the Fox Sports Grill at the Irvine Spectrum. Their website indicated not only that they served breakfast, but also that the doors opened early for football games.

Just before 9:30, the two of us headed off onto the 5 freeway, noticing how empty the roads look on weekend mornings. We missed the turnoff onto Fortune Drive despite our knowing exactly where it was, but still had plenty of time to spare before game time. As soon as we saw half a dozen people clad in jerseys in the distance as they prepared to cross the street, it was obvious we had reached our destination. A full parking lot before ten on a Sunday only confirmed this suspicion.

After opening the restaurant doors, we were greeted by a bank of television screens, mostly tuned to the standard Fox NFL pregame show, although to our delight, two were devoted to the upcoming Yankees/Red Sox game. The one hang-up I had about coming in the first place was potentially missing the series finale, a game which New York desperately needed to win. We settled into seats at the bar, and I was promptly asked for ID (I've only begun to realize that having recently turning 22 doesn't exempt you from this). I ordered up some pancakes, and my father went for the omelet; I must admit it's a little strange sitting next to a beer tap while bleary-eyed and ordering the full stack.

Having ordered, I looked up to realize that the baseball coverage had ceased, and now every screen was covered with pregame football pageantry. Ah well, I thought, I came here to watch football anyway. Plus, I had brought along my satellite radio so I could at least track the ballgame score between plays. Suddenly, we heard a loud, booming noise. Much to our chagrin, God Bless America, as sung by Jessica Simpson, had begun to bounce off the walls of the considerably sized grill. Anything that comes out of a speaker at roughly 1000 decibels has to be considered annoying, but this county-tinged anthem made it all the worse. My dad yelled just strongly enough for me to make out that he thought she was a terrible singer. The apple didn't fall far from the tree in regard to this issue. All right, I thought, let's just get this over with. Then, I would be able to hear myself speak again.

Having finished with the ultrapatriotic introduction, Fox moved onto the obligatory commercial break. The only trouble was, the guy at the switchboard didn't move the volume down a bit from what it was during the song. As it turns out, it stayed there for just about the entire time we stayed, whether the primary TV was announcing a touchdown or running an ad for tires. However, we were momentarily distracted by something awe-inspiring: the second television on the right wall was showing the Jets and home team Kansas City Chiefs heading through the tunnel onto the field. Finally, the moment we had been waiting for!

Well, almost. Anyone who's a fan of the league and paying attention to its coverage will tell you that advertisements are sneaked into every possible break, including some situations where there isn't enough time to justify them. This is a point not missed by last night's Simpsons episode, in which the play-by-play man is too distracted by his interview of a reality show's cast to focus on the game itself. Of course, the Simpsons and early NFL coverage are on the same station!

The Chiefs won the coin toss and elected to receive the football. In years past, Kansas City has been known for a terrific offense and an equally terrible defense, a combination destined to disappoint its ultra loyal fans (my dad pointed out that on the Friday before a game, the whole town wears the team color, red). The Jets, for their part, were coming off a postseason in which they defeated San Diego in overtime on a field goal (a game I attended, also with him), but then lost to Pittsburgh in the AFC Semifinal, mostly due to the kicking game. As I said to a Steelers fan as we entered the place, the former kicker (one-time Cal player Doug Brien) both won and cost them a game. He has since been replaced by rookie second-round pick Mike Nugent, from Ohio State, a point not lost on the man in the black and yellow Pittsburgh jersey.

As it turned out, the Jets' troubles began almost as soon as the ensuing kickoff. Dante Hall may not have gotten far with the return, but the offense picked up where he left off, needing just 3 rushes (two by Priest Holmes for 40 yards and a 35 yard run for the touchdown by Larry Johnson) to complete its drive. I rolled my eyes at my dad, but knew full well that this was the kind of start Cal had gotten off to the previous day before eventually trouncing Washington 56-17.

On this day, a similar story was not to be. On the Chiefs' next drive, the Jets were hapless on 3rd down, eventually succumbing to the 12-play touchdown, after which I buried my face in some more blueberries above the scattered cheers from Chiefs fans. From the looks of this game, the Cal Bears wouldn't have minded playing the guys in green. The team fumbled 7 times, were penalized for 80 yards, allowed 198 rushing yards, and had its only touchdown thrown by backup quarterback Jay Fiedler. Somehow, Chad Pennington put up 264 passing yards during the debacle.

I have been told that if I'm optimistic about anything in life, it's sports. Maybe this is because they are such a source of pleasure for me, or perhaps I am able to put individual seasons into perspective. Make no mistake: losses hurt me as much as anyone, but I can appreciate the development of rookies in a rebuilding season and understand that a team will not always show off its ability on a given day. Well, let me just say this: I hope the Jets fall into that category after their 27-7 defeat.

Going to the grill was an interesting experience, but my dad and I were done by halftime. If the game were on at home, I would have at least continued watching, but between the volume of the TV and our proximity to so many drunken individuals before noon, we had had enough. Just before leaving, a middle-aged Jets fan on my left talked about a game he attended in the freezing cold the year before. I shot back with my tales from the playoff overtime contest in San Diego in the middle of a surprising amount of rain. He suggested we stay for the second half, that the game wasn't over yet; I agreed with him on the second count, at least.

We had we seen enough of olive jars, waitresses in pink jerseys, and beer mugs, but there was another reason we were interested in getting home. The New York/Boston ballgame was still going, with the Yankees leading due to a Jason Giambi solo homer in the first inning, which I somehow managed to hear on my XM radio above the din of the Fox Sports Grill. Meanwhile, the game was a classic pitcher's duel: a call to my sister told us that the Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield had a career high in strikeouts, while Randy Johnson had a shutout going.

We got home in time for the bottom of the seventh, but the only interesting half-innings remaining occurred while Boston was hitting. Knowing that a win would help the Yankees in the Wild Card race and move them within 3 games of the AL East division lead, it was extremely tough to watch them pitch with just a one-run cushion. In the eighth, Tony Graffanino singled off Tom Gordon to begin the inning, and Adam Stern pinch ran. Then, after Doug Mirabelli hit a pop up, the Yankees (either intentionally or mistakenly) let the ball drop, and forced out the speedy Stern at second base. WCBS radio commentator John Sterling would later say that he couldn't believe a team would do that on purpose and risk giving up an extra base runner, and my palpitating heart tended to agree. After Ortiz walked with two out, Mariano Rivera came on in relief. Johnny Damon had an epic at-bat, including a ball hit just foul down the right field line, before meekly grounding out to first. Michael Kay of the YES TV network put it best: "If you are a nail biter, this is your time."

Rivera had to face the 2-3-4 hitters in the top of the 9th in pursuit of his 37th save, and the tension didn't ease up for a minute. Edgar Renteria lined a ball ticketed for center field on the first pitch, but the calm closer reached up and made a great play for the first out. Next, the count went to 2-2 on Trot Nixon, who grounded out. Rivera gave himself a chance to retire Manny Ramirez, but the patient righty walked on a full count, moving to third on Kevin Millar's single. Now, the Sox sent the streaking John Olerud to the plate, who had been a Yankee at this time last season. Olerud refused to chase pitches out of the zone, but Rivera's 2-2 fastball struck him out swinging. The Yankees had their series victory, grinding out a game that was arguably more important than the Jets' season opener.

All in all, it was an interesting weekend of athletics. Ohio State managed to mess up my prediction by blowing a late lead to Texas, while Cal's backup quarterback proved himself the week after their first-stringer was seriously injured.

The New Orleans Saints pulled off a surprising and emotional win over a very tough Carolina defense. The New York Giants proved that they're always better than a team that starts their castoff Kurt Warner at quarterback, while Larry Fitzgerald showed me he could be a fantasy producer at wide receiver for Arizona. Finally, the Rams perpetuated the stereotype that they can rack up the yardage without winning (I'll take the fantasy points from QB Marc Bulger, though).

Finally, Cleveland demolished the Twins to maintain their wild card lead over the New York Yankees and Oakland A's before moving on to play the Athletics at home. I kind of hate to watch the scoreboard to see how Yankee opponents fare, and lately the Indians have made this even more of a frustrating pursuit.

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Ready for a lightning round?

I wonder if I'm the only guy who had a Ken Griffey flashback
En route to their 8-4 victory against Boston tonight, the Yankees witnessed a strange and rather humorous play by the Red Sox. After Robinson Cano's single to center, Johnny Damon bobbled the ball, and shortstop Edgar Renteria threw the relay straight into the ground toward second base, as a relieved Jorge Posada scored without a throw to the plate. Aside from making me laugh, this instantly brought to mind a similar occurrence from August 25, when Ken Griffey Jr. attempted to make a hard throw to the infield, and instead saw the ball bounce 15 feet or so in front of him.

Fantasy owners often have mixed emotions watching games
Since I'm a fan of the New York Jets, Thursday's opening NFL game pitted two of my least favorite franchises against each other: the New England Patriots (fierce divisional rivals of the Jets) and the Oakland Raiders (against whom the Jets have had their share of meaningful games in recent years). What's more, I was fresh off my fantasy football league's draft, in which I selected the Patriots defense. So while it would help the Jets if the defending champion Pats were to lose, I hoped they wouldn't allow many points in the process. Almost anyone who has earned league points (and subsequent bragging points) based on the performance of actual athletes knows the inherent dilemma in owning a player of their favorite squad's arch rival. I rationalized my selection of the New England defense with the belief that it was the most intelligent draft choice at that point. As my brother put it, "It may as well be you earning those points."

Bring on the Oilers
I'm excited about the upcoming hockey season, and preseason for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim begins in about a week. I am a bit frustrated with the new schedule, which provides for division rivals to play each other endlessly, but keeps the New York Rangers out of Southern California for the first time since I've lived out here. That aside, little compares to the excitement of the NHL live, a sentiment which I hope is echoed by people throughout the continent (who am I kidding, the Canadians will never desert the sport). Anyway, I've become accustomed to some surprisingly good games over the years, including an 8-6 win over Detroit last season and tie with the LA Kings, not to mention their Game 6 victory in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals. Whether or not the team plays up to the hopes of whatever local fans are left is uncertain, but I'm anticipating another fun year at the Pond. I looked over the Ducks' schedule, and highlighted my most anticipated contests of the year.

October 10, Edmonton: The season opener, after a year's layoff. Need I say more?
October 28, St. Louis: I saw hockey regularly for the first time in the Gateway to the West. Given that I've gotten used to rooting for the Ducks to make live games interesting, this is the ultimate "Who do I cheer for?" game. Incidentally, I've learned that Al MacInnis, a longtime Blue who had an amazing slap shot, has recently retired. As Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser of ESPN's Pardon the Interruption would say, "Happy trails, Al!"
November 18, Colorado: I've seen my share of the Avs in the playoffs the last few years, and this one will feature Duck-turned-Avalanche-turned-Duck again Teemu Selanne.
December 14, Tampa Bay: At least one team from the East is playing out here: the (all together now) defending Stanley Cup Champions. Do the Lightning still get to be called this, given the lack of a winner in 2005?
January 9, Los Angeles: I remember how confusing it was the last time I saw these two play live, since the Kings were wearing purple and white (Anaheim's home colors in previous years) and the Ducks were wearing their brand-new black third jerseys (the customary Los Angeles hue). Game on!
March 1, Detroit: I can still remember seeing the Red Wings play postseason games in St. Louis. I really am a Ranger fan first and foremost, but I still hate these guys for what they did to the Blues.

From a live spectator standpoint, I've seen just about every kind of ballgame this season
With under a month left in the regular season, I have attended 16 different baseball games in person so far. Admittedly, this doesn't do much to dispel the rumor that I'm obsessed with the game; as MLB's own commercials say, "I live for this." To me, one of the most fascinating aspects of the sport is the fact that every contest has its own rhythm, and the seemingly impossible surfaces when you least expect it. When a friend and I saw the Angels last week, I thought I was beginning to get a handle on what to expect. We selected this particular game because he figured the local club would get a solid pitching performance. They were sending Bartolo Colon, who has somewhat quietly had an outstanding season, to the mound. Unlike many games I'm used to watching, the pitchers worked extremely efficiently, and the first nine innings were completed in little more than 2 hours. It's always amazing to see two hurlers go at least nine innings in the current era, a point emphasized by players from decades past, when this was far more common. As it turned out, Francisco Rodriguez, the Angels' closer, escaped trouble in the 10th created by Colon. However, he allowed a Bobby Kielty solo homer in the 11th frame to take the loss by a score of 2-1. This prompted many of the remaining fans to stream toward the exits, and one elderly man who was leaving even admonished us to "keep the faith," a gesture that reminded me of a past experience I had with a fellow Yankee fan. Yes, I have learned firsthand how baseball leaves us high one day and low the next, but there is a certain beauty to its unexpectedness.

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When it comes to pennant races, there are so many angles and so little time.
Here are ten impressions I've taken away from the last week of major league baseball action:

10. September 7th: Minnesota Twins 8, Texas Rangers 6
When it comes to examining runs scored, we should keep in mind that we live not only in an era of offense, but also in one of suspect defense and pitching fundamentals. Texas jumped out to a 5-0 lead, in part due to a two-run homer by young Adrian Gonzalez, but was later done in by mistakes at more than one position. In the bottom of the fourth, Twins third baseman Juan Castro was awarded an infield single that could well have been judged an error on the Texas third baseman Hank Blalock, who failed to barehand a ball hit toward him. In the sixth, Castro again reached base, this time on a bunt single to reliever Doug Brocail, and Mike Redmond followed with another bunt, which Brocail threw away. Minnesota had to do some hitting, but the Texas mistakes proved vital, and the Twins kept their slim wild card hopes alive for another day.

9. September 2nd: Houston Astros 6, St. Louis Cardinals 5.
This game was the very definition of a wild one. I first heard about it at a concert in Inglewood on my trusty XM radio, and the announcers marveled at how Houston had rallied three times to eventually win...in 13 innings. The Cardinals have their division well in hand and shouldn't shed too many tears about this one, but the Astros are in a very different position, smelling the National League wild card berth with every hard-fought win. Houston salvaged the game with solo homers in the ninth and tenth (by 3B Morgan Ensberg and C Brad Ausmus, respectively). Finally, trailing by a run in inning number thirteen, Houston countered with an RBI hit by pitch (yes, you read that correctly) off the body of late-inning replacement Orlando Palmeiro. As seems to be the case in games that play out forever, the game winning hit was delivered by a relative unknown, shortstop Eric Bruntlett. This game proved why I'll never buy the argument that baseball is by nature boring.

8. September 1st: Boston Red Sox 7, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4.
The Sox have been fantastic at Fenway this season, particularly in the last month or so. While the bulk of their runs driven in have come from Messrs. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, this game showed that they can come from any source in these days of offensive plenty. The announcers for Boston's NESN television have grown accustomed to referring to John Olerud as a professional hitter, but I'm not sure they looked for him to smash two homers, pushing his grand season total to 6. Mike Timlin got the save, and his earned-run average improved to a shade under 2, which makes him the only Boston reliever worth owning in any fantasy league in the land.

7. September 7th: Oakland Athletics 8, Seattle Mariners 7.
Because the Yankees are in a heated wild card race with both Cleveland and Oakland, it pains me a little to recount this matinee affair. But the Yanks won their game later in the day, so it's time to swallow my pride and give this the treatment it deserves. The tandem of J.J. Putz and Eddie Guardado frittered away a four run lead in the ninth inning, and reliever Jeff Nelson gave the M's some hope before walking in the winning run in the person of Oakland free-swinging outfielder Nick Swisher. Seattle 3B Adrian Beltre really had to be kicking himself after that turn of events, having grounded into a double play with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the inning. Aside from keeping pace with their Wild Card brethren, the A's moved to within a half game of the AL West-leading Angels, who once again were defeated in Boston.

6. September 3rd: NY Yankees 7, Oakland Athletics 0.
I will never know why 33-year-old callup Aaron Small was demoted to the Yankee bullpen after several terrific starts, but he has certainly earned his way back into the rotation--for now. Small's first major league shutout was far from a sure Yankee win until the six-run sixth inning, in which the A's looked to be a pitch or two from averting the disaster that ensued in the form of an Alex Rodriguez two-run single and subsequent Jason Giambi three-run bomb to right. I was not near a TV for this one, but I will say this: the ESPN radio announcers spared no effort in demeaning the New York defense. With pitching like Small's, I suppose glovework is hardly an issue. Hideki Matsui continues to pad his statistics somewhat quietly, adding two RBI without the benefit of a hit.

5. September 6th: Florida Marlins 4, Washington Nationals 2.
The National League wild card might be the most compelling story remaining, and the fact that several contenders are also division rivals adds to the fun. In any case, baseball experts continue to insist that the Marlins will give their opponents fits should they make the postseason, and they are starting to play up to the praise. In this one, Florida got a strong performance from oft-injured Ismael Valdez as opposed to one of their aces (read: Dontrelle Willis), and just enough hitting from Miguel Cabrera and Co. The banged-up Nats started Darrell Rasner in his major league debut, begging the question: "Which is more likely: Washington having a shot at the playoffs, or them using an untested pitcher in a heated race?"

4. September 4th: Chicago White Sox 2, Detroit Tigers 0.
I know, I know...this game has virtually no postseason implication whatsoever. So why have I included it? To prove the point that, while the Sox have struggled a bit in the last month or two, I am impressed by their work ethic. This is a club that just never seems to take a game off, and they win most of the games that they should. Granted, this isn't necessarily a formula for postseason success, but Ozzie Guillen has undoubtedly built a winning culture on the South Side. I've also heard pundits say that Chicago lacks a fearsome hitter, but they must be falling asleep every time a certain Paul Konerko strides to the plate. Incidentally, first baseman Konerko homered in the game (one of only nine hits in the entire contest), and starter Jon Garland recaptured some of his early-season magic en route to his 17th win.

3. September 5th: Atlanta Braves 4, NY Mets 2.
New York had trouble keeping up with the Joneses on this day, as Chipper continued his torrid hitting since returning from injury, and Andruw smashed his (yawn) 45th homer. After the game, Chipper even made the case for his teammate winning the MVP, a possibility that certainly looms with the Braves seemingly bound for the division title once again. Braves' rookie reliever Blaine Boyer had pitched nearly sixteen scoreless innings before his streak was snapped in this game. No wonder GMs say that building the ideal bullpen is often more luck than skill. Meanwhile, the Mets lost another valuable chance to move up the NL's Wild Card standings.

2. September 6th: Colorado Rockies 6, San Diego Padres 5.
The National League West continues to be an ongoing joke, as it is possible that its winner will have won fewer games than it has lost. I believe that predictions that favor the San Francisco Giants to come from behind and seize the division title are too extreme, but San Diego isn't helping itself with blunders like the ones they showed in this one. Catcher Miguel Olivo made two errant throws in the seventh inning, which makes it clear why he left the locker room too early to be interviewed postgame. This was another game in which the number of hits and errors didn't tell the whole story: each team committed three miscues, and the Pads outhit the team from Denver 11 to 6. I didn't realize this at first, but the Rockies have actually played well enough in the second half to pad closer Brian Fuentes save total: this was his 26th this year.

1. September 7th: Houston Astros 8, Philadelphia Phillies 6.
I've seen one club have another's number before, but this is ridiculous. For two teams with comparable records, the 'Stros and Phils have been far from even head-to-head in 2005. In any case, this contest was Houston's 12th straight win against their rival for the NL's consolation prize. Interestingly, the Astros pulled this one out with a 3-run ninth, when former teammates collided. Houston 2B Craig Biggio, a likely Hall of Famer in the future, deliver the game-winning homer (with two outs) off Philadelphia closer Billy Wagner, who first earned his reputation as a hard-thrower in a Houston uniform. It was yet another wild win for the Minute Maid Park crew, and it's quite possible that the Phils will look back on this lost series as their best chance to take control of their playoff destiny.

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