The Dawgs have the week off to prepare for Florida and the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville next week. That gives me time to look at some of the other sport going on in the world and it’s a big day for it this Saturday.

In the world of college football there are a number of big games – Florida at Kentucky, Auburn at LSU and Texas Tech at Missouri. I got my Ph.D. from Missouri and I tried, I really did, to get behind their sports teams. But the Tigers never really got my loyalty the way the Bulldogs did. There’s a number of reasons for this. The Big 12 is a pale imitation of the SEC. Mizzou has had a number of embarrassing sports scandals in the last decade or so. But most of all, they have a tendency to choke when the chips are down. Dr. O’Connell and I bought season tickets for Mizzou basketball the year that most sport pundits had the Tigers as national title contenders. I think they ended that season 16-14 after losses to basketball giants such as Belmont. Mizzou football has a similar record of disappointment. In 2006 they won their first six games only to lose four of their next five games. This year after a similar start and a spanking of arch-rival Nebraska, they went to Oklahoma last week and got the pants beaten off of them. This week they have the Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-1) coming to town. Both teams have spectacular offenses and extremely questionable defenses, so most likely the team who holds their opponent to less than 50 points will win. I’ll be cheering for the Tigers but expecting them to remain true to form.

We’re in the heart of the Major League Baseball playoffs and the way things are going this year, I’m starting to find some hope for baseball. One of my biggest complaints about the sport is that it’s all about money with the teams who spend the most winning the most. This year’s playoffs has thrown that on its ear. The National League’s pennant winner, the Colorado Rockies, ranked 25th among the 30 teams in terms of money spent on their payroll. If the Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Red Sox tonight, the AL pennant winner will rank 23rd in payroll. I think a World Series between Cleveland and Colorado would be one of the best things for professional baseball proving that the small market teams can still be competitive and giving Royals fans hope. It doesn’t erase the cheating and next year it may be the Yankees and Mets in the World Series but for at least one year maybe the sport can regain some of its purity. So, with apologies to my friends who are Red Sox fans – Go Tribe!

Finally, on this side of the Atlantic, the English are flying St. George’s cross today as the national team is facing South Africa in the Rugby World Cup. England are the defending champs, but most folks didn’t have them down for the repeat. They surprised the Aussies (much to Dr. O’Connell’s chagrin) to get to the semi-finals. Then they came from behind in a hard hitting game to push past France into the final. South Africa beat England badly in the group stages, so England will be looking for revenge. However, the bookies have the Springboks winning a close one. Having no real loyalty, I don’t know who I’m pulling for in this game, but I look forward to watching it this evening. For those of you who haven’t seen it, rugby is a great sport to watch. As an aside, how many American readers knew that the U.S. had an international rugby side and that it was in the World Cup? I certainly didn’t until I saw England knocking them around the pitch in the group stages. They did not win any games, but just being invited is an honor…

Have a great sporting Saturday wherever you are in the world.

Image credits:

Mizzou Flag

Tribe

Rugby

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