So much Sports...

There is so much to cover that I really don't even want to talk about my gambling weekend. Overall, I was about even for the week and continue to hover around even for the year. Still plenty of time to make some profit but the season is running short so I really need to put a strong card together this weekend.

I was very happy to see the Cardinals win their first World Series since 1982 and 10th World Championship overall on Friday night in Detroit behind unlikely heroes like David Eckstein (MVP) and Jeff Weaver (Dave Duncan deserves a ton of credit for turning Weaver around). The main thing people will remember about this postseason will be Detroit's monumental upset of the Yankees and the same Pitchers that guided Detroit to the World Series costing them a championship because of untimely throwing errors throughout their final 5 games.

Got to give the Cardinals credit, no matter how wide the perceived gap between the National and American Leagues (by Simmons and myeself included), the Cardinals simplay outplayed Detroit and won a world championship.

I would argue that the Cardinals deserved to win at least the '85 series (anyone remember Don Denkinger?) and very easily could have won the '87 series they not had the misfortune of playing 4 out of 7 games in the Metrodome in series that all 7 games were won at home. Those cardinal teams behind Vince Coleman and Willie McGree were lethal on turf.

Very good weekend for Cardinal fans and I have to admit that I feel grateful to be fan of such a great franchise. Now if my Rangers would ever turn things around, things would really start looking up.

Random Fact: The Cardinals were the 13th best team record wise in baseball during the regular season. This should be a lesson to Ranger fans that going for it at the trade deadline like this year's deal to get Carlos Lee is not a bad thing. Getting in the playoffs and getting hot at the right time can really make a difference in the current playoff format.

The Horns outlasted Tech in Lubbock in a win that Texas really had no business winning. Giving up 500 passing yards to Graham Harrell was inexcusable but give the Texas coaches credit for going in at halftime and figuring out how to shutout Tech in the 2nd half. I would have more commentary on the game, but frankly I haven't rewatched my Tivo recording yet and I have vague recollections of much of the game thanks to the Bri-guy's wedding shower. It ended up turning into more of a game watching party with all the Tech and Texas fans there.

As always, Lubbock at night when all those nutso fans have been getting sauced all day is usually a bad recipe for Longhorn teams. Getting down 21-0 didn't help either, but Texas was able to find a way to get a W, and this season in college footbal is all about just winning. Tech always seems to find a way to play Texas tough in Lubbock (2004 excluded) and has absolutely owned A&M of late. Give Mike Leach credit, he is a mad scientist.

USC's 27 game PAC - 10 winning streak came to a screeching halt in Corvallis losing to Oregon St. 33-31 on a failed two point conversion attempt. USC was down 23 but somehow manged to get within 2 of putting it into overtime. Watching this one, I felt like Oregon ST. had to stop that 2 point conversion or SC would have had too much momentum going into overtime. Didn't matter and SC should have a very interesting end to the season. ND is LOOMING on the horizon.

Who saw the 500 hours countdown to Michigan and Ohio St this weekend during Gameday? Look I'm as excited as anyone else about Michigan-Ohio St. but that was so lame and I have begun to tire of College Gameday on Saturday mornings. Maybe I'm just turning into a soccer fan, but watching the Premier League is about even as watching Lee Corso bumble through his analyis.



Speaking of Ohio St, Jack Nicklaus dotted the I this weekend at halftime. Having been to the shoe last season, I can attest to the coolness of this tradition, whatever the hell that means.




This is our Country ad campaign by John Mellencamp is going to end his career. Book it. It was bad enough when he pimped himself and his Chevy trucks during Game 1 of the World Series. And look I am as big a John Cougar as anyone but this is too much. I remember drinking beers in the back of Cuyler's pickup jamming Jack and Diane, but he has gone too far, and I won't stand for it.




The Tony Romo era has officially begun in Dallas and It feels good. Romo (who went to I-AA Eastern Illinois) and grew up in Wisconsin does resemble a young Brett Favre. His talents are becoming stuff of folk legend (Rylan said Romo dropped 35 points in a pickup basketball game and he is a scratch handicap golfer). For now, he is going to have to worry about being the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys because he looks as good at first glance of any guy in a Dallas uniform since old #8 retired.

As nice as it feels to be a Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio St. Michigan, USC or any other big school fan, you have to give credit to fans of schools like Temple, who endured a 20 game losing streak before finally winning a game against Bowling Green 28-14 . It may not seem like much but to the fans of Temple, but one win it is a huge step for that program.

Duke is next up on the watch list with a 16 game losing streak. North Carolina (November 25th) may be their next chance.

Ali G interviews the Beckhams



In the give credit where credit is due department,

Texas A&M and Oklahoma both had a huge wins for their respective programs this past Saturday.

Oklahoma went into Columbia and got a win in convincing fashion dominating both sides of the ball. This season might be Bob Stops best coaching job and his team has a 1 loss A&M squad on the horizon.

Coach Fran was on the verge of losing the Aggy program and I was one of his biggest critics, but the Aggies have played inspired football this year since the heartbreaking loss to Tech and they have really impressed me the last two weeks with Wins @ Oklahoma St. (a miracle win if you saw the highlights) and @ Baylor this past weekend. Fran has people excited about Aggy football again and that is not necessarily a bad thing. But I admit I like it better when the Aggies stink.

A look at the upcoming week
Louisvile/West Viriginia (Thursday)
Tennessee/LSU
Oklahoma/A&M
Texas/Oklahoma St.

Just to name a few this weekend in an increasingly exciting college football season.



I'm off to the SMU/UAB game tommorrow for a halloween special. So if you are watching TV instead of out on the town tomorrow night, turn the dial to ESPN because chances are you might see me on TV. SMU draws about 4 thousand to its games. Let's hope it's more for the TV audience...

And finally, Red Auerbach is dead at 89 and Boston mourns including the Sports Guy.