Well, I suppose the Giants will play Eli just to keep his consebutive starts streak going. I suspect his injury is more than they’ve let on, but not enough to sideline him entirely. Look for Carr to play a good piece of that game. And to win. The Raiders can only be improved if the league steps in and suspends Al Davis, and lets the football people take over. Right now, they are the worst team in the NFL.

As to the Stillers, look for some entertainment. During oral argument this past week regarding the Dog-fighting video/First Amendment case, Scalia asked whether the Government could constitutionally criminalize the Human Sacrifice channel. I suggest that he can get his answer by turning that dial to watch the Kitties push someone out there to play the role called “quarterback” this week. EW’s comment that the other Stiller team – the one that can’t get out of its own way – might show up, and she is likely right. The question will therefore devolve to whether the Bad Stillers are still strong enough to beat the Kitties. I think they are.

As to the Sawx, they are performing their inimitable Lawn-Furniture-in-New-England-in-October imitation. In other words, they are folding up and getting put away for the winter. Look for them to play one game at the Fens, and to go quietly into the dark of a New England winter.

As to Pedro going to the snow and thin air, as opposed to sitting under the mango tree with that really short good-luck-charm guy (Who, IIRC, has since died), remember (a) he won in Boston, no bastion of warmth, and (b) that the guy who would have been the starter in this game were it not for Pedro being there is the Ageless Jamie Moyer. Moyer relies on junk and movement even more than Pedro. So, in that light, it’s clear Chollie Manuel is getting a bit of an upgrade by running Petey out there. Phils fans everywhere, and those of us who learned the meanings of pain and disappointment from watching the Phils as youths, are hoping for a split in Denver so as to bring it home to sea level. I think the better chance of a win is with Petey, rather than the rookie Happ, starting, so if they lose today it’s pretty much over for the Fightin’s.

As to Torre and the Cards and some mystical relation or other, that’s just so much sportscaster blather to fill dead air when they don’t know what to say. Kind of like drawing pictures in the sky by connecting the dots between stars – you can find pretty much any connection you want.

One has to remember that when Torre managed the Cards he was pretty much run out of town in St. Lou and fired, too. Those of you who might not remember anything about the Yankees other than Torre making Steinbrenner cry by winning World Series after World Series need to be reminded that the back page of both NY tabloids bore an interesing display the day the Yankees hired Torre. In the NY Post it was a publicity picture of Joe in his St.L. uni smiling in true press publicity photo style, and in the NYDN a suit and tie publicity photo over the headline “Clueless Joe”. Note the subhead in the NYDN: “Torre has no idea what he’s getting into.”

That, because at that time Torre was regarded as not only washed up as a manager (he’d been a radio color-guy broadcaster for the Angels for a number of years – that was the best job he could get) but as being a really dubious choice more reflecting Steinbrenner firing Buck Showalter in a fit of pique over losing to the Mariners (a brutal series) in the first playoff appearance by the Yankees in something like 13 or 14 years. Everyone felt the Torre selection was one which presaged a return to the days of hiring and firing managers, a la Billy Martin, and of trading away prospects for dubious rent-a-veterans, and surely not the start of a new Dynastic reign in the Bronx. Moreover, people tend to forget that the Yankees baseball people basically forced Don Zimmer into the situation to protect the team and everyone’s futures against Torre continuing to be the Clueless Joe of the past and against Steinbrenner taking it out on the baseball people by trading away the farm system and firing the baseball people. That Torre turned out to do as well as he and the Yankees did was as much a surprise to the baseball people and the NY media as anyone else, i.e., a huge one.

All that said, he still doesn’t handle his bullpens well. He’ll ride one guy and, when that guy fails, will flounder around looking for a new guy to ride, losing games in the process. But, I think the Cards are done for this year.

Not that I pay attention to these things (yea right), and not that it would have changed the outcome, but I have a question for the ump in game 2 of the Twins v Evil Empire series

Hey ump, whadaya blind?

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=7034063&c_id=min&topic_id=7220402

Fall ball?!? He was right there. Don Denkinger is shaking his head at that one

Giants vs. Raiders–this is exactly the kind of game the Giants can lose. I got a bad feeling.

Bmaz, I played your video to figure out what the heck it was and MsDiego was singing along to the words… so you have at least fan for linking it in!

We watched Tech play for the first time this year – they pasted KSU 66-14. Loads of fun!

Man, that QB for Michigan throws a lot of picks. Still, he had his team in the game at the end, on the road against a very tough Iowa squad – that was an awesome game!

Jeebus, this thread has as much vitriol as the Obama Nobel Prize ones … luckily, we’ve got lotsa Likker to calm things down !

Wow, is that an Uzi in the Gun Rack next to the Rocket Launcher ?

Vikes 24-3 over Rams with 7″ left in the 3rd … wonder who their QB is ?