“There are but three cities in the United States. New Orleans, New York and San Francisco. All the rest is Cleveland.”

Thinking of New York because of the justified hullabaloo about Hurricane Sandy and all the mess going on in the northeast. Not to mention the Giants comeback over a comeback against those Cowboys.

Thinking of New Orleans because Sunday night is “Treme” night, no matter what else is going on. Last night, Davis actually went to Fats Domino’s house. Cool.

Thinking of San Francisco because The City’s magnificent Giants sliced and diced my Tigers to win the World Series in a four game sweep.

Actually thinking of Cleveland too because the Browns eked out a 7-6 W over woeful San Diego. (And aren’t we all on pins and needles until Thursday night’s boffo Chargers vs. Chiefs NFL-TV battle?)

* * * * *

Were Detroit’s conquerors anybody besides those irrepressible Giants, I would surely be much sadder than I am.

Don’t get me wrong. I still can’t figure out why the Tigers decided to mimic against SF what the Yankees had done in the ALCS? Which was to allow their bats to sleep to sleep through the games.

But Bochy’s crew got timely hitting and great pitching. And, by all accounts, it’s a fun gang of guys. I don’t know that I have ever seen as loose a dugout in the Bigs as the Giant’s.

Good for them.

* * * * *

The NBA starts play this week.

Which makes at least one reader of mine really happy. (Because all I get from him are emails, demanding more coverage of the play for pay boys.)

Here’s what struck me while previewing the rosters of the teams. I didn’t recognize very many of the players.

I’m a reasonably obsessed viewer of college hoops, tracking players around the country, not only those who play around here or on Big Monday. But the NBA rosters are filled with foreigners and one & doners. Which makes it hard for the casual fan to relate to those he’s seeing on the court.

Jonas Jerebko? Mirza Teletovic? Larry Sanders?

Then there are the guys of whom there are faint recollections. Kosta Koufos. Didn’t he flame out at Ohio State, but left after one season anyway? Steve Novak. Isn’t he that lanky guy who used to reign threes on the Cards? Sebastian Telfair. He’s the paradigm of former future U of L stars, right? Unless it’s Amir Johnson.

Terrance Williams? Name nowhere to be found.

* * * * *

Notre Dame, sad to say, apparently has a really good football team. Especially on the defensive side.

Even though it’s clear to me that Oregon has the second best team in the country and should get a crack at ‘Bama, make no mistake. If the Irish win out, they will play for the BCS. I’m pretty sure it’s in the Bible somewhere. Early on too, like in Genesis.

* * * * *

If Louisville wins the Big East and qualifies for the BCS, the Cards now seem destined for New Orleans’ Sugar Bowl.

Here’s why. After all the arrangements are taken care of, and schools have been slotted where the place cards put them, there will be two squads left. Louisville and future league mate Boise State, which will automatically qualify if it finishes in the top 16 of the standings. Fiesta gets first choice and, as things stand now, it’s going to match the two of the following trio that don’t get slotted with the Crimson Tide: K State, Notre Dame and Oregon. Sugar is next, and the general feeling is that the Cards are a more attractive opponent for the SEC team than Boise.

All that said, if U of L wins out, it will be, as they say, some kind of miracle. With Halloween coming up, it’s appropriate to note that Louisville has been playing Beat The Reaper all year. And winning . . . so far.

* * * * *

The NBA isn’t the only hardwood game tipping off this week.

U of L welcomes the Pikeville Elishas to the Yum! on Thursday.

Kentucky plays its first exhibition that same evening against something called Northwood, a school with campuses in Michigan, Texas, Switzerland and Florida. I believe the Cats are balling against the Seahawk team that resides in West Palm Beach. That would be in Florida.

IU also plays Thursday. Against Indiana Wesleyan. Which foe, when it comes to number of campuses, trumps those Northwood folks many times over. IW has 17 campuses. Including one out there off Blankenbaker Parkway near I-64. And a few in Ohio. ??????

* * * * *

Look who is back on top in NASCAR?

That Jimmie Johnson fella.

* * * * *

In the UK/ Mizzou “football game,” there were 7 fumbles in the battle’s first 20 minutes of action.

* * * * *

I think the Breeder’s Cup is this coming weekend.

Yawn.

* * * * *

Don’t be surprised if this is Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s last season.

Seems like a lot of his players have been more than one toke over the line through the years, but the coaching staff has looked the other way.

Frankly, that behavior, which seems very familiar personally, has never bothered me. College kids smoke pot. Basketball players are ostensibly college kids.

Apparently the NCAA frowns on schools that make rules then don’t follow them.

* * * * *

Around here all the gridiron talk is whether Charlie Strong will be gone after this season?

I have no information whatsoever. I haven’t even heard any innuendo.

But my observations of Strong tell me he wasn’t just woofing when he told Jim Rome he’s not cut like that. I’d be very surprised if Strong were coaching somewhere besides Louisville next season. Hopefully with a new assistant for special teams.

* * * * *

There is one benefit from the World Series being over so soon. Don’t have to listen to Tim McCarver anymore.

Stay classy, sports fans.

– Seedy K

Didn’t think so.

Surprisingly, Celtic is up early, 1 nil. But you really really don’t care, right?

I’ll move on.

* * * * *

Despite all the negative tests, Lance Armstrong did take performance enhancing drugs, it seems.

Imagine my surprise.

Those 7 Tour de France titles. Forgettaboutem.

As I’ve mentioned before, cyclists taking drugs doesn’t bother me that much. They all did it. Perhaps still do. So that evens things up. Besides, that event is far and away the most arduous sporting contest in the world, so all the more power to them if they need some juice to pump 12 miles up a 12% grade after cycling 100 miles.

Armstrong though is another matter. He’s been so aggressively arrogant about the whole thing.

Bottom line, the guy’s a real schmuck. He’s helped raise tens of millions to fight cancer. Good for him. He’s still a putz.

Disgrace suits him.

* * * * *

As a Tigers fan, I was kind of hoping St. Louis would take the NLCS.

Not that I like the Cardinals. I don’t. They still have the stench of retired Tony LaRussa about them.

But Detroit and St. Louis have a rather testy World Series history. ’34. ’68. ’06. Kind of a rivalry there. A renewal of tensions would have been an interesting dynamic.

But, San Francisco continued its resilient run. Three elimination game wins over the Cardinals. To match the three over the Reds. Six straight elimination game Ws. Got to admire that.

I don’t hate the Giants. But I’ll be sure to be rooting against them.

First pitch tomorrow night.

* * * * *

Iniesta just tied the match 1 apiece for Barca in the 45th minute, right before halftime.

* * * * *

Would somebody please explain the concept of defense to Dana Holgorsen?

The state of West Virginia would be most appreciative.

* * * * *

It’s that time of the year, kids.

When I start to rant about how there’s no college football playoff. And how even the new soon to be seen four team playoff isn’t enough.

Right now, Alabama, Florida, K State, my Quack and, sigh, Notre Dame would all deserve a shot. At the very least.

Eight teams is the absolute minimum number of title contestants that should be competing. Sixteen would be optimum. That way, every school with even a glimmer of a claim to contest for the championship would be included.

Four’s a start. It will expand in the years to come. Because . . . well . . . money talks. And ESPN shall wish it to be so.

* * * * *

No I don’t have any idea why Chane Behanan is in The Rick’s doghouse.

My guess is Pitino needed somebody on the team to rag on, so he pulled Chane’s name out of a hat.

* * * * *

Does the winner of the Ohio State/ Penn State game this weekend get time off its sentence for good performance?

* * * * *

Beaver fever. Oregon State is 6-0. The half dozen Ws is twice as many as it captured all last year. The school hasn’t been 6-0 since the oughts. The 19 oughts.

* * * * *

Why did Cincy go and lose at Toledo last Saturday?

* * * * *

The NHL and the player’s association are still at loggerheads. No pucks yet. Sigh.

Oh yeah, I forgot, you’d just as soon have an update on Messi. (Still 1-1 in the 65th minute.)

* * * * *

Since the real refs returned to the NFL, there hasn’t been much to talk about in the play for pain league.

* * * * *

Our local cable network now carries NBA TV. Haven’t watched for a nanosecond.

– Seedy K

]]> http://score.leoweekly.com/2012/10/23/tuesday-sports-update-a-little-of-this-some-of-that/feed/ 1 http://score.leoweekly.com/2012/10/17/if-tigers-tank-im-toast/ http://score.leoweekly.com/2012/10/17/if-tigers-tank-im-toast/#comments Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:06:56 +0000 c d kaplan http://score.leoweekly.com/?p=7911 When exactly was last night’s nail biter over?

Verlander, Coke, Delmon and Miggy had led my beloved Tigers to a Game 3 W over the hated Yankees in the ALCS, taking a 3 nil lead, and I was on the phone talking with my pal David, who is usually in bed and asleep by 9:00. 9:30 at the latest.

But Dave’s a baseball fan, and has adopted the Tigers this season, now that his Reds have gone down.

Was it midnight yet? Must have been, I couldn’t get to sleep until after 1:00.

Anyway, bleary eyed all the time now due to one late finishing game after another, I shared my fear. We’re both Louisville Cardinal fans. Too much so, our cardiologists have advised.

“I don’t know if I can make it through an NCAA championship run,” I told him.

Sporting contests are harrowing when you have a visceral rooting interest. Maybe this incredible post season run by the Tigers is like spring training for hoops. If so, I should be ready.

Of course, I’m feeling good about Detroit’s chances of moving on to the Series. Up 3-0 with two more games in Comerica, I gotta be somewhat confidant. Even if Sabbathia is going tonight for the Yanks and Cano finally got a hit and A Rod will probably be back in the lineup tonight with renewed focus and the law of averages says NY is too good to be swept like some leaves on a sidewalk.

But I’m a fan. Jeez, I own a Tiger throwback jersey, the kind Ty Cobb wore. Which I’d wear more often were it not fashioned of itchy wool, and cut so that I look 30 lbs. heavier than I am.

Yes, I’m also a fatalist. I worry, right? No lead is big enough. No title secure until the trophy is in the case.

Today I have legitimate empirical evidence for my fretting.

Remember the most famous comeback ever from 0-3? Sure you do. BoSox in ’84. Down by that margin to these very same Yankees in this very same ALCS, Beantown won the AL pennant, then continued on to take their first World Series since Paul Revere was riding after dark.

Remember when, exactly when in 2004, Boston started its comeback?

I’ll tell you when.

October 17.

Have you noticed what today’s date is?

Which means I’ve hardly finished my coffee and my stomach is already mumblin’ and grumblin’ and wonderin’ what midnight tonight will feel like? First pitch isn’t for nine more hours.

And U of L doesn’t play its first real game for 25 more days.

Trust me, that cardiologist of mine is on speed dial.

– Seedy K