Sporting Saturday
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.
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This is the only time you’ll ever find me barracking for the ‘Boks. I couldn’t bear it if a team whose tactics are to try to get the ball over the half way line then draw a penalty and give the ball to the Man With The Golden Boot. Where’s the glory in that, huh?
20 Oct 2007 at 2:56 pm
Georgia? As a Florida fan, there is only one thing I must say, 15 out of 17 baby!! See you guys in Jville next week!
20 Oct 2007 at 3:30 pm
It is a bit refreshing to see two smaller market teams like Colorado and Cleveland make it this far in the playoffs. I was watching sportscenter the other day and they were commenting on how people always cheer against the likes of the Yankees or other large market, big-spending teams. However, when it comes down to it, people don’t tend to actually WATCH the playoffs when these teams aren’t in the hunt. The Arizona vs. Colorado NLCS was the lowest rated NLCS in history. Of the teams that made the playoffs this year, I think the best possible World Series matchup, in terms of providing the largest likely audience, would probably have been a Red Sox vs. Cubs series.
On a side note, I don’t think that the Sportscenter segment on the playoffs this year, and the low ratings for the NLCS, actually mentioned that the NLCS was largely shown on TBS rather than a network channel. That probably played some role in the decline in ratings. Probably not as much as the fact that the series was between Colorado and Arizona though.
20 Oct 2007 at 4:00 pm
Yeah, I just read that TBS had the NLCS. I can’t believe that! And you’re right, J, about the fact that nobody cares when its not the big market teams. But I care…
Yeah, yeah 15 of 17, yeah, yeah…
I think I’m with you Trish. The English get all braggity (to quote the Vol Abroad) when they win. It’s better for their national identity to lose these thing. I’ll pull for the Boks tonight. I know that Sinead as an angry Aussie will be cheering along with us.
20 Oct 2007 at 4:33 pm
Florida? As a Georgia fan, there is only one thing I must say, 45 out of the last 82!!! Just kidding Ben. Go Dawgs!!
20 Oct 2007 at 5:27 pm
Anyone but England to win has been my motto living here for the last three years, and probably most of my life before that! Go Springboks!
20 Oct 2007 at 5:50 pm
You mention about Missouri that “they have a tendency to choke when the chips are down”. Perhaps that’s why I’ve developed an allegiance to Missouri sports. They remind me of the Mets!
20 Oct 2007 at 10:26 pm
Chris,
I live in Missouri. They don’t understand the importance of the Saturday football. I would like to talk with the guy who made you and Little British Bulldog dress in Halloween colors. Smack talking time.
How is the little Bulldog doing? Parents getting any rest?
21 Oct 2007 at 4:04 am
I had to chuckle at the reference to embarrassing sports scandals…lest we forget Jim Harrick.
Did you actually read up on the MU/OU game? Mizzou was actually leading in the 4th quarter, which is at least a little bit impressive since OU is 42-2 at home since 2000.
21 Oct 2007 at 8:56 pm
OK, I forgot about (or blocked my memory of Jim Harrick. Good point, Brewer. But as far as OU/MU a loss is a loss.
The Little Dawgs parents are getting a bit more rest and learning to live with less than 8 hours of sleep.
21 Oct 2007 at 9:53 pm
Nathan brings up a good point about Georgia athletics scandals. Wasn’t it your beloved Bulldogs that tried to sell their championship rings on ebay a few years back?
Still pales in comparison to the Ricky Clemons scandal and the university president’s wife referring to the state as a bunch of crackers.
22 Oct 2007 at 8:19 pm
My favorite Missouri sports scandal was having to rename the new basketball arena after the Laurie girl - who had never been to school at Mizzou - got busted for cheating her way through USC. Classic.
Yes, there have been a few minor scandals at UGa…
22 Oct 2007 at 9:23 pm
I would classify that as a USC scandal, not Mizzou…
23 Oct 2007 at 4:23 am
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