Sports!

My favorite sports time of the year has begun. I am sitting here watching USC and Virginia on TV. Later today the hometown Sun Devils kick off their season by playing Northern Arizona University. The baseball pennant races are kicking into gear as the last month of the season is getting started and next week the NFL season will kick off. This is way better than any other time of the year.

As a kid growing up in New York state I followed the Yankees. I lost interest in the sport as I grew up but became interested again when the hometown Diamondbacks came into the league in 1998. They are hanging on to a small lead in the NL West and will probably make the playoffs, but I don't expect them to do much once there. I am much more interested in the Yankees not making the playoffs. Yes, I am a Yankee hater. As much as I dislike the organization I hope they go back to the model they used to become so successful in the late 90s using homegrown talent instead of overpaid and under performing free agents. I am shocked that the Rays are still in the AL east lead. Wow. I can even see a scenario where the Red Sox and the Yankees don't make the playoffs. It could happen. That would be something.

I prefer college football to the NFL. Evey year I hope for controversy in the college game because I want a playoff at the end of the year instead of the current bowl system. I was just struck by a thought. With the Olympics fresh in my mind I realized that the college football polls are a lot judging gymnastics. A team does its thing on the field and then the receive a score based on their performance. A team can even receive a deduction for a stumble or flawed performance. That's no way to crown a football champion.