Where ya from?

If I watch pro football or basketball, I learn where players went to school (mostly college, a few high school names in there). Players are spoken of by the announcers thusly: "Catch made by Jones, in his third year out of Alabama Southern". It may be somewhat relevant if a player is a rookie. You are reminded where he was last year, which may or may not mean something to you. If he has been a pro for a year or more, he is now fully immersed in the pro game, on a pro team. Terrell Owens went to Tennessee-Chattanooga, but he's in his 12th pro year, on his 3rd pro team. Does anyone really think that anything he was ingrained with at T-C is still present in his ways today?

If you want to tell me where a guy is "from", why not where he was born? Oh, that means nothing 20-some years later.

Baseball does not do this. Maybe because a higher percentage of baseball players go to the minors from high school or Junior Colleges, not to mention from other countries. Maybe because college IS the minor leagues for football or basketball?

In any even, I realized today that I officially hate this practice of naming the college a guy attended. I really liked a player and was rooting for him to succeed. He was doing so well, and the announcers were taking note of his performance and I felt a swelling of pride for "choosing" him as a favorite now that he was being noticed on a grand scale. The "experts" on highlight shows were even giving my new found hero major props. I've added him to my fantasy roster, and I was just about to start bidding on anything that had his likeness on it on ebay. And I have money to burn... and then they said it, and ruined it for me, and now I hate the guy, and I may just start hating his whole team... because I just learned the guy went to USC.

Average Baseball Fan

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm your average, run-of-the-mill baseball fan. Nothing special. Joe fan.

I'm the guy MLB targeted with their Tommy Lasorda ad campaign. I'm the guy my hometown team tries to get to buy tickets to the games. I'm perfectly happy watching the game on TV, and that's free. I might buy a cap, maybe even a t-shirt... but no jerseys, and no face paint. I might stick on that free pin they gave away, but my cap is not covered in pins. That hurts when someone pats your head. Oh, I might pay attention and read the newspaper stories every day when my team is winning. If they suck, I might not know who's on first.

If they get to the playoffs, then I wear that t-shirt all the time (but I'm gonna wash it... I'm not a insanely superstitious dude), and I FEEL happy when they win take the lead, or if I'm really lucky, actually win a game. But when they lose out in the first round on a sweep, or however they happen to bow out of the playoffs, then life goes on. The t-shirt goes back to the bottom of the drawer, maybe becomes the "painting shirt". I don't perform sacrifice rituals with the cap, the newspaper articles, or the un-used playoff ticket my boss gave me. I just throw them out.

Maybe I keep the cap. I might need it next year, because next year...oh never mind. They're going to lose next year, too. They just extended the manager's contract.

SO what did the average fan do during this world series? Well, I found myself glued to the television for minutes at a time several times. I laughed at errors, misplays, baserunning mistakes, and dumb managerial decisions. And as little as I actually watched the games, it seems that I always saw those things happening. Joe fan was not impressed (I know my team could have easily won the damn series. If they just could have gotten there). I was asked before the series who I would root for. Uh, no one. I just don't care. ALL I WANT IS GOOD, EXCITING GAMES TO WATCH. Thats all, MLB, thats all I want. And you and Tommy cannot deliver. Now I know why I hate the Dodgers, again.

I was pressed on the issue of rooting, though. I was told you have to root for someone so you can get into the series. Maybe. Being your average fan, I decided that if everyone thought the Tigers were going to win, then I would "pull" for the Cards. I can't "root" for them, they are not my team. So now that the Cards have won, I can finally enjoy a playoff victory because the team I wanted to win actually won!!!

And then MLB ruined the moment for me. They gave the MVP to David Eckstein. They gave him a yellow Corvette and he was happy to have his first new car. Huh? How old are you? How much money do you make? And you never bought a new car before? Average fan is not happy that below average baseball player can win the MVP. Average gets you NOTHING in the real world. This guy gets a car. And my team...the one that SHOULD have been there, and WOULD have won...gets nothing. My team has several below average guys on the roster. Why couldn't it have been us? We are much less than average than the team that won it.

On a side note, I know why they gave him a yellow Corvette. So you wouldn't notice the phone book he needs to see over the dash.

Of course, being the average fan, just this quickly I'm over it. In 5 months or so, I will be surprised to hear that spring training has started. I will start wondering who these guys are, what happened to my favorite player (he's in New York now), and why did we go and get that guy. He sucks.

Oh well, it doesn't matter. We'll win anyway. We're going all the way this year. And if we don't....

Watching the World Series reminds me...

Sometimes the game is not won or lost in the 9th inning. If your lead is in jeopardy in the 6th, 7th or 8th (or whatever) then shouldn't you use your "closer" then? I mean bases loaded, no outs, 4 to 2 lead in the 6th? The opposition may not get a better opportunity in the final 3 innings, so why not bring on your stopper, the big stud of the bullpen? We all know that if a manger uses the stopper in the 6th and some other guy blows the game in the 8th or 9th, the manager will lose his job. Just not if I was the owner. If the game is lost in the 6th when the closer is relaxing in the bullpen and you send in your 5th best reliever... well that manager should lose his job, too, don't you think? Why not stock your bullpen with more than one "closer"? Just kidding... just use the one you have when the game is on the line. If the game is on the line again later... so be it.

Tonight, the game was on the line, and so LaRussa bring in his closer in the 8th, with one out and a man on 2nd and a one run lead. No problem. Okay so he gave up the tying run, but you had your big guy in there to do the job. If Inge had doubled off Joe Schmo to tie the game, LaRussa would (or should) have been skewered. Win with you best, lose with your best. No problem. Of course, this ignores the fact that Wainright is a closer in the World Series, but thats someone elses story. At least he isn't one of the closers who has to come in at the start of an inning (hello, Huston Street).

And one other thing... Eckstein gets a hit because Granderson fell down? We all know he would have caught it if he hadn't fallen, so it shouldn't be a hit. But to give Granderson an error because he slipped on the sloppy wet field is cruel. So what do you call it? On base due to unexpected forces? Environmental assist?

Its like when a shortstop makes a great diving grab, fires to first and the first baseman can't quite sccop the throw, and the runner goes to second. Or the outfielder makes a great throw to the plate but it takes a bad hop and the catcher can't grab it and make the tag. Has an error been committed? Often times one is given. Mostly on the throw. But thats total B.S. The great play, or trying to make the hard play, and it doesn't work out... how about, no error, or "team" error, charged to no individual player, but an error on the team? If everyone played like Eckstien... just making the play, nothing spectacular... there would be fewer errors, but the game would be nowhere as exciting as it often is. I would rather see Torii Hunter try to make the impossible play...and miss it, than watch everyone just pull back to take the easy route.

Okay, so what am I ranting about? The game is often won or lost (in theory) in innings other than the 9th. Treat it that way. And sometimes, a hit isn't deserved, and neither is an error. Something needs to be done so that events that are not claerly hits or errors can be classified as somw thing other than "hit" or "error".

And don't get me started on "lucky" hits.........

Watched MNF, and...

Fans suck. Boo your starting QB, chant the name of the back up. As long as the starter stays on the field, the fans are right. Well, good old Tuna just showed fans everywhere that they are stupid and should just shut up. Now whose name are you going to chant?

And I'm sick of T.O. I'm a 49er fan (I know, they suck and I'm an idiot) and I don't remember T.O. being this way here. Was he? Or was I just a fan blind to it. I just recall the guy was a good player and I hated to see him go. THEN he went nuts. That's what I remember. Anyway, the cameras kept showing T.O. on the sidelines and the announcers were telling us something like, "Now he's yelling at the coach, now he's yelling at the equipment guy...". He didn't look like he was yelling, but all they could do was talk about how upset he was, or was going to be. Then the guy catches a pass and the next thing you know, its a montage of T.O. on the screen when they came back from a commercial. Like he was Brett Favre or something. Come on, is he a terrifically fabulous player, or a jerk weasel? Both? In any event, until the guy shoots someone or actually lives up to his own self-hype (like, make it through a game without dropping an easy pass?) lets just leave him alone. He's only the center of attention because the sports media says so.

Issue Number One

Why can't the NCAA figure out a way to determine the BEST football team in the land? Uh, in Division I anyway. I am against any sport that has outcomes even partially determined by "judges" (the polls). Ski jumping? Why not... WHO JUMPED A LONGER DISTANCE. Why are style judges involved in this? Ice skating. Forget it. Boxing? Nah. But boxing can easily be transformed away from judges decisions. Ultimate Fighting, anyone? Officials can make mistakes, but at least umpires are not determining safe or out based on style. Or Derek Jeter would bat 1.000 every year.

So back to my first point. Why is it that a small group spread out across the country can decide in part who is the best? Do we elect Presidents that way? Ok, bad example. Play a whole season with "one of" the best records to make the "playoffs" and go from there. Sure a team that barely makes it in could be hot at the right time and win, but thats all part of the system. Pro baseball, hockey, basketball, and maybe football (season is short, not everyone plays a similar schedule) do it.

Maybe each conference in the NCAA can have a champ (oh yeah, they do) and some playoffs can start from there? I know my idea sucks, but its better than whats done now.

Oh by the way, I don't really know squat about the NCAA.

Sports will never be as pure as they were when....