Hey there sports fans, I love ya! Y’all got your swerve on? Because we have week three of the NFL on tap, not to mention the end of the MLB season and, if you are talking the biggest event worldwide, the Singapore Grand Prix. so there is some meat on the table.
If the F1 Driver’s Championship was not already effectively in the capable hands of Sebastian Vettel, and the Constructor’s Championship again to Red Bull, I would surely open with the F1 Circus. But, both of those are true, so we shall begin with NFL fuutball. There are just a slew of great games this week but, really, how could you start anywhere other than with the greatest rivalry in the history of pro football?
That would, of course, be the Packers and Bears. The Cheeseheads return to Soldier Field where they won the NFC Championship last year. Expect the action to pick up where it left off. The Bears can’t protect Jay Cutler for shit, but when he has time, dude can throw the ball. Matt Forte is way underrated, he is an elite back in the league. And Brian Urlacher and the D always comes to play. The loss of Nick Collins, the Pack’s star safety, will really hurt an already porous secondary. It is tempting to take Da Bears for the upset. But I can’t do it.
Another legendary rivalry on tap is the Cowboys and Redskins. Skins are surprisingly solid with Sexy Rexy Grossman at QB and former Cardinal Tim Hightower slamming the run. But if Tony Romo and his ribs can stay on the field, the ‘Boys also have a running game with Felix Jones and that should be enough to win a close one on Monday night. Giants and Eagles is yet another rivalry game, and has many of the same considerations in that the outcome may depend on Mike Vick staying on the field. If he does, it is hard to see how the Gents win.
Okay, mom made me promise to do a couple of things and, really, it will be a pleasure. First the title to this post. It, I think, conveys dead horses. In this case in Indianapolis. Without Peyton Manning, the Colts have become like President Obama, i.e. spineless. This week Indy gets a break. Oh, wait, that break is the Stillers, who may be aging fast, but are still embarrassed about that opening debacle against the Ravens. By the time this game is over, Curtis Painter (who?) may be leading the Colts on their way to slaughter. The other marker left by Miss Marcy is the -gasp!!! – thought that the Circle The Wagons may beat the Patsies. Yeah, I dunno about that, although, to be sure, the Bills are WAY improved and looking solid with Harvard Man Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson providing the goods on offense and a tough and fast defense on the other side of the ball. The Pats may give up 400 yards passing. But Brady will just throw for 500 and Belichick wins another one.
The Heidi game looks to be interesting, as it always is when the Jets and Raiders hook up; may be an upset in Oakland. And, of course, my favorite new team for the year, Teh Kitties. I’m telling ya, these cats are for real, and their confidence is going to grow some more this Sunday with a win over the rudderless Vikings. Say what you will about Grandpa, but the swagger and interest factor simply left with Favre. It is hard to believe that Donovan McNabb is really as done as he appears, but it looks time to put a fork in him if he doesn’t come up big this week. But, I don’t think the Boy Named Suh and Matt Stafford are gonna have any of that. Lions roll to a 3-0 start.
In the professional world of college athletics, the game to watch is the Old Hokeys versus the New Hokeys. Yep, the Randiego State Aztecs invade the Big House to meet the Wolverweenies. Don’t laugh, Brady Hoke built a pretty solid team at SDSU and they may just put a licking on the Maize and Blue, although the home field and crowd may be too much. Should be a great game. Hey, Jim White is going to be in Clemson, where the Seminoles will be taking on the Clemson Tigers in an excellent matchup of two good and ranked teams. Unfortunately, Jim is going to be at a horse show instead of the game, but it should be a good one. We will try to get an equine update. I get a little local excitement with the USC Trojans coming to visit Sun Devil Stadium. The Trojans will probably win, but I gotta tell you, night games in Tempe are really something. Big fun. Arkansas at the Crimson Tide is the only other game even worth noting on a slow Saturday. Tide should roll.
Hey, a shout out to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who clinched the NL West last night with a big win over the defending WS Champs, the SF Giants. We’re gonna have playoff baseball in town! The Brew Crew also clinched in the central, their first division title since the Gorman Thomas years. I am so old, I actually remember that far back. Looks like the Sawx are going to back their way into the postseason, but Beckett and Lester do not look strong enough to take them very far.
And that leaves…..The Singapore Grand Prix. The show from Marina Bay is the only night race on the Circus schedule. It is a rather garish track, but the racing under the lights makes for a strangely compelling, if goofy, scene. Would hate to see the concrete corridor in the daytime though. Well, at any rate, Mark webber and Jenson Button were fast in practice, followed by Vettel and Alonso. Qualifying is just about to go off as I post; I will update a little after Q3.
So that’s it, let rip. Music this week is by the CDB. a couple of old but really great songs, Caballo Diablo and Birmingham Blues. It is not the greatest recording of the latter, but man was that a great piece live back in the day.