To the Nachoman, the most important events of the week have been JV football practices… twice a day, every day, for six straight days. The good news is, our defense looks good, the offense has learned the basic plays we’re running, and no one is out for the year with injury.
To the city of New York, though, perhaps these events took precedence:
The Yankees put themselves on the brink of elimination
Though they swept the Hapless Orioles at week’s opening, the Yanks proceeded to drop two of three to the wild card-leading Sawx. Sweeping that series was perhaps the Yankees’ last opportunity to make the playoffs. They are down to a 1% chance of playing in October.
The Mets signed a sponsorship deal with the NYC Cardiologist Association
Since the Brewers are most likely to win the NL wild card, the Mets and Phils are in an old-fashioned pennant race for the eastern division. In six games this week, five ended in dramatic fashion. They:
lost on a walk-off walk
won on a walk-off grand salami
came back with four runs in the 8th (against the Phillies!)
lost in 13 innings after leading 7-0 (against the Phillies!)
(won by blowout)
gave up 2 homers in the top of the 10th for the loss
Though I’ve seen a good bit of “oy”-ing about the Mets bullpen from internet scribes, and though said bullpen has been responsible for a number of high-profile blowups this year, the Mets actually have a slightly better bullpen WHIP than the Phillies. (Mets 1.37, 15th in MLB; Phillies 1.40, 18th in MLB.)
Mike and the Mad Dog broke up
I personally have never listened to these famous New York sports talk radio hosts, though I did listen to a Bill Simmons interview with Mr. Dog. These gentlemen had been broadcasting daily for 20 years. It sounds like they finally got sick of each other, plus Sirius Satellite Radio offered Mr. Dog his own entire channel, resulting in an amicable divorce.
Osi Umenyiora is out for the season
The Giants held the best offense in the history of football to two measly touchdowns in the Super Duper Bowl last February.[1] Their strategy: rush Tom Brady hard, and do their level best to frustrate Randy Moss downfield. Defensive linemen Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan seemingly put more pressure on Mr. Brady in one game than he had faced all season. Plus, it helped that Eli Manning didn’t turn into a pumpkin when he had a chance to drive his team for the win.
Now, though, Mr. Strahan has signed with Fox Sports as a free agent,[2] Mr. Umenyiora injured himself in a preseason game, and the Giants 2008 prospects look dim.
Ana Ivanovich was eliminated from the US Open in the second round
Which means that heterosexual New York men will have to ogle some of the other 3 million attractive young women in the city this week.
And what happened outside New York?
Rich Rodriguez earned a million dollars or so for getting his Michigan team beat by Utah; Nick Saban’s team actually won a game against a non-cupcake opponent.
The more interesting college football story from the weekend came from Chapel Hill, North Carolina – or at least, was SUPPOSED to come from there. For their home opener, the University of North Carolina planned to have the game ball delivered to the field via skydivers… but neither the ball nor the skydivers ever showed up. What happened?
Turns out, according to the News Observer, the divers in their plane were about to cancel the jump due to overcast conditions. But the clouds parted, they saw the stadium, and so they made the jump. Down the parachutes came, onto the field while the teams warmed up.
Problem is, the teams warming up weren’t Carolina and McNeese State, but rather Duke and James Madison. Duke’s campus, and its large stadium, are located only eight miles from the University of North Carolina. The parachutists didn’t realize they were at the wrong game site until they landed, when they “scrambled” off the field.
Oops. Perhaps these skydivers should take the stadium quiz.
To the city of New York, though, perhaps these events took precedence:
The Yankees put themselves on the brink of elimination
Though they swept the Hapless Orioles at week’s opening, the Yanks proceeded to drop two of three to the wild card-leading Sawx. Sweeping that series was perhaps the Yankees’ last opportunity to make the playoffs. They are down to a 1% chance of playing in October.
The Mets signed a sponsorship deal with the NYC Cardiologist Association
Since the Brewers are most likely to win the NL wild card, the Mets and Phils are in an old-fashioned pennant race for the eastern division. In six games this week, five ended in dramatic fashion. They:
lost on a walk-off walk
won on a walk-off grand salami
came back with four runs in the 8th (against the Phillies!)
lost in 13 innings after leading 7-0 (against the Phillies!)
(won by blowout)
gave up 2 homers in the top of the 10th for the loss
Though I’ve seen a good bit of “oy”-ing about the Mets bullpen from internet scribes, and though said bullpen has been responsible for a number of high-profile blowups this year, the Mets actually have a slightly better bullpen WHIP than the Phillies. (Mets 1.37, 15th in MLB; Phillies 1.40, 18th in MLB.)
Mike and the Mad Dog broke up
I personally have never listened to these famous New York sports talk radio hosts, though I did listen to a Bill Simmons interview with Mr. Dog. These gentlemen had been broadcasting daily for 20 years. It sounds like they finally got sick of each other, plus Sirius Satellite Radio offered Mr. Dog his own entire channel, resulting in an amicable divorce.
Osi Umenyiora is out for the season
The Giants held the best offense in the history of football to two measly touchdowns in the Super Duper Bowl last February.[1] Their strategy: rush Tom Brady hard, and do their level best to frustrate Randy Moss downfield. Defensive linemen Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan seemingly put more pressure on Mr. Brady in one game than he had faced all season. Plus, it helped that Eli Manning didn’t turn into a pumpkin when he had a chance to drive his team for the win.
Now, though, Mr. Strahan has signed with Fox Sports as a free agent,[2] Mr. Umenyiora injured himself in a preseason game, and the Giants 2008 prospects look dim.
Ana Ivanovich was eliminated from the US Open in the second round
Which means that heterosexual New York men will have to ogle some of the other 3 million attractive young women in the city this week.
And what happened outside New York?
Rich Rodriguez earned a million dollars or so for getting his Michigan team beat by Utah; Nick Saban’s team actually won a game against a non-cupcake opponent.
The more interesting college football story from the weekend came from Chapel Hill, North Carolina – or at least, was SUPPOSED to come from there. For their home opener, the University of North Carolina planned to have the game ball delivered to the field via skydivers… but neither the ball nor the skydivers ever showed up. What happened?
Turns out, according to the News Observer, the divers in their plane were about to cancel the jump due to overcast conditions. But the clouds parted, they saw the stadium, and so they made the jump. Down the parachutes came, onto the field while the teams warmed up.
Problem is, the teams warming up weren’t Carolina and McNeese State, but rather Duke and James Madison. Duke’s campus, and its large stadium, are located only eight miles from the University of North Carolina. The parachutists didn’t realize they were at the wrong game site until they landed, when they “scrambled” off the field.
Oops. Perhaps these skydivers should take the stadium quiz.
-- NM
1 comment:
Let's also note that a quick examination of the photo here will reveal the stadium to be neither UNC's Kenan Stadium nor Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium, but East Carolina University's Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, NC, which would put the skydivers (according to Mapquest.com) roughly 108.7 miles off course.
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