33th Edition - 10/20/06

• His Mets (Cause they are no longer mine)

It's seems just a couple weeks ago readers voted for me to jump on the Mets' Bandwagon. Well, it was a bumpy ride that has come to an end.

Cardinals 3, Mets 1 (Cardinals win the series 4-3)
The Cardinals will move on to play the Detriot Tigers in the World Series. I want the Tigers to win, mainly because the Cardinals don't do anything for me, there is no story, the team is boring, and they weren't that good this season.

Anyway, I said His Mets because one of the readers is Miko Mendoza, a Mets lifer, so he gets to give the final word on the Mets...
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I love the amazin’s. I always tell myself that you gotta believe. But it is not easy. Because as you’re entering the playoffs, your pitching staff dwindles down to the arm of a 40-year-old veteran. Somehow, they pull off a sweep of the Dodgers with an improbable double play-at-the –plate (how do you score that 9-6-2-2 unassisted?) their bats seemed to be in full swing during that series. Then they come up against St. Louis, who on paper don’t have a chance against the Mets. But it’s the postseason and unlikely heroes like Weaver and Suppan pitched like they’ve been there before and Maine and Perez made some gritty performances. After a roller coaster of emotions this past week, the series came down to a fantastic game 7 again with unlikely heroes – Endy Chavez and Yadier Molina … but when I was about to believe, the Mets mighty offense let them down… It’s never easy being a Met fan. So I’ll hang up my Mets cap until next year and now I can go on with my regularly scheduled life…
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Well, it's back to the Cubs for me.

• The Hawkeyes

I will watch. I will cheer. I will not be expected a victory. Everything the Hawkeyes have shown me this year involves the word mediocre. They play the Wolverines in Ann Arbor at 2:30. I had thoughts of going to this game, since I have never been to the campus, but a lot can change when you lose to a Hoosier.

• The Problem

Right now, the top 4 headlines on ESPN involve criminal actions involving athletics. A Celtic might have been involved with shooting a rapper. The NFL is not going to be bombed this weekend ... I don't want to deal with any of this stuff. The more things that happen like this, the less sports become an escape.

• The Picks

j NCAA: 1-2 (Season 11-6-1)
billy z NCAA: 2-1 (Season 11-5-2)

j NFL: 0-3 (Season 9-7-2)
mike d NFL: 2-1 (Season 10-7-2)

j NCAA picks
Illinois (+17.5) over Penn State
Wisconsin (-6.5) over Purdue
Texas (-5) over Nebraska

j NFL picks
Chargers (-5.5) over Chiefs
Panthers (+3) over Bengals
Broncos (-4.5) over Browns
Under of the Colts/Redskins (48.5)

• Stuff

I am seeing a movie with my fiance on opening day! I missed the screening of the "Prestige," and have heard nothing but good things. So we are doing dinner and a movie. Just like a real couple.

John C. Reily is hosting SNL and I've heard a couple rumors that Will Ferrell will be making an appearance. I might actually laugh.

"Flags of our Fathers"
Wow. Just not good.
If you are going to watch this film, bring a team with you. Everyone should be in charge of one actor, and every time you are able to make the connection of recognizing them on-screen, your job will be to stand up and scream their name. Just impossible to keep these guys straight through the first half of the film. Plus, they add a naration in at the end out of nowhere, cause Clint Eastwood couldn't figure out how to end the film. It's a mess, though I did find it interesting to learn the history of the famous pose. The only good thing is that Eastwood's next film is the Japanese point of view during WWII, a story we Americans don't really hear about.
C