Sports Central

I had said a while ago that I would give the whole baseball thing a rest for a while, and as it turns out it’s particularly apt, because that seemed to be the watchword for the Yankees in the past week or so, as they defaulted into run-out-the-clock mode. They had numerous chances to bury the Rays, but didn’t manage to do so. They would have had to be really good and also really lucky to win the AL East outright, and once they clinched the post-season in general by guaranteeing a wild card spot at a minimum, they put more emphasis on resting their starters for the playoffs. So they dropped the final two games of the regular season, which you have to assume they were fine with since they sent Moseley to the mound to begin with.

So no AL East pennant this year, which will be no big deal if the Yankees win the American League Championship, and even less of a deal if they win the World Series. On the other hand, if NY gets swept out of the ALDS, being the wild card isn’t the same kind of consolation prize as being the AL East champ (and by “consolation prize” I of course mean “bragging point easily rubbed in the faces of Red Sox fans” because, yes, that is exactly how pathological I am about the whole rivalry thing). I really do think that’s mainly, if not exclusively, a noteworthy thing from the fan’s perspective, and not something that increases the pressure on the Yanks in any way; they always have the pressure on to win it all regardless of circumstances going into October.

But the annual tradition of twenty-nine-thirtieths (NB: thirtieths may not be of equal size) of baseball fans rooting for the Yankees to fail doesn’t technically begin until tomorrow night, so let’s also take a moment to appreciate the NFL’s contributions to this most wonderful time of the year. Pretty crazy season at the end of week 4, with the world champ Saints at a respectable 3 and 1 (but some of those have been squeakers) and the Colts possibly under the influence of the Super Bowl Runner-Up Curse (2 and 2 isn’t terrible but they’re in the basement of the AFC South because they’re 0 and 2 in-division) and the Chiefs stunning everyone with the only perfect record (possibly aided by an early BYE). I’d honestly be fine seeing KC run the table this year, if for no other reason than to finally shut Mercury Morris the hell up. (Which is something I couldn’t honestly do when the ’07 Pats threatened the ’72 Dolphins’ record, because I hate the Pats and also because in the end it came down to Pats-Giants in the Super Bowl, and COME ON. I somehow doubt the Giants could end up facing two undefeated teams in two Super Bowls in five years, because I’m skeptical of both halves of that equation coming to pass … which means the odds of it happening may be meaningless just to spite my prognosticating. Anyway.)


Speaking of teams near and dear to our hearts, the Steelers are a pleasantly surprising (because of suspensions) 3 and 1 and the Giants are a pleasantly surprising (because the losses have been egregious and only one win was arguably impressive) 2 and 2, which means both teams are tied for the lead in their division (though technically they’re not, taking into account actual tiebreaker stats, but whatever). It should be interesting to see what the next four weeks bring for both teams. As I indicated above, I’m skeptical of my Giants having a memorable season, which means I doubt this is the year my wife and I have to reckon with a New York-Pittsburgh Super Bowl. One of these years, though.

I still hate the Pats but I banked on them wining last night, and they did, which means I went 8 and 6 in the pick’em pool this week, the first time all season I’ve had a better than .500 week. And I’m still sub-.500 for the season as a whole, and well behind my dad, my wife, and my grandmother, in that order. At least I think so, based on last week’s overall standings. For all I know dad and grandma went 3 and 11 this week and I’m breathing down their necks.