|
Time for the shorts to be put away. Stock the cupboard with plenty of food and water. Buy a snow shovel and salt before the stores run out. It’s going to be a long winter. Cases in point:
All of our hopes were put into the Ohio State-Michigan game. A win, and there is a hope to defend the Championship. A loss, and we await our fate in the Fiesta, Orange, or Citrus (or whatever they call it these days) Bowls. Despite a great comeback and a questionable call to bring back your injured QB late in the game, the Bucks went down to the Wolves, thus ending a repeat performance from last year. But, that’s okay - I feel fine. Just think, the offense was horrendous all season. Yet, they went 10-2. They still have a shot at a BCS bowl bid, and really this team isn’t that great. They are lucky and know how to win close ones, but I don’t think they go down in history as a Buckeye juggernaut.
Expectations could be found for the OSU hoopsters also. But those expectations disappeared faster than Jim O’Brien’s voice. An opening season loss to San Francisco (they have a college? And a basketball team?), spelled early season doom. A lackluster performance in Maui (where I’ll be spending my honeymoon) has opened up the gates to a 2-3 start and signs of a long season for OB and his boys.
Down the stretch they come. Will it be the Browns or the Bengals? Huh? The Bengals? Yes, somehow, after their 100th coaching change in the last 5 years, the Bengals find themselves in contention for a division title (albeit the worst division in the NFL). With a showoff, mouth-running receiver leading the way, the Bengals could find themselves in the playoffs for the first time since 1872. The Browns, coming off a playoff invite a year ago, have stolen the Ohio State offensive strategy for not scoring. It has already seemed like a long season in Cleveland, but with 4 games left, they have an opportunity for redemption.
I admit it, as a Yankee fan, this baseball off-season is worrying me. The acquisition of Curt Schilling to the Red Sox for almost nothing was one hell of a move by the BeanTown Follies. Especially since he was swept away from the Yanks. Putting Pedro and Schill in the same rotation is just as dangerous as Schilling-Johnson. How do the Yanks respond? Rumors lead to signing former Tribe-tubby Bartolo Colon, head-case Gary Sheffield, and possibly trading away 2 young stars in Nick Johnson and Alfonso Soriano. Sounds like bonehead moves to me. Neither Colon nor Sheffield fit the Yankee-mold in my opinion a tad over-rated. But, I hated Wade Boggs and Jose Canseco too. And they helped lead the Bombers to Championships.
Finally, the most disappointing reason why this winter will last forever. The Blue Jackets. There was so much promise at the beginning of the season. The big P word was being thrown around. Now, 1/4 of the way through, it is the same old CBJ. We can’t win on the road, literally. Our offensive stars are not producing. While Rick Nash is developing into a superstar, the Jackets have had huge injuries to overcome - particularly on the blueline - and Marc Denis has fallen apart during key stretches. So has the patchwork defense. If the end of the year comes, and we are still holding onto last place in the West with the playoffs a distant dream, maybe GM/HeadCoach Doug should fire himself, and avoid another end of the season apology to the fans.
Merry Christmas!
|
