BASEBALL
I know I’ve already talked about this
before, but this year’s Major League Baseball
playoffs are without a doubt the worst
edition I’ve seen in a long time. Don’t get
me wrong, the Rockies and Diamondbacks
are great teams, but the series just doesn’t
have the appeal to keep me interested.
Cleveland and Boston is a much better
series, but the appeal is once again lost
because one of those teams is going to have
to lose – and then the winner will play
Colorado or Arizona. I know the World
Series isn’t supposed to be an all-star game.
It’s not a popularity contest. But there is
something about a series between two
traditionally strong teams that makes the
post-season easier to watch. Admit it – you
watched the playoffs more when the Braves
won the division 14 times in a row. You
watched it more when the Yankees were
the clear favorites to win the fall classic
year in and year out. This year’s teams
are all solid, but outside of the Red Sox,
they just don’t have the appeal to make a
casual fan pay attention.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
This season is turning out to be a crazy
one, and you know what? I like it. It’s fun
watching traditional powers like USC and
LSU fall, and it’s fun watching teams like
South Florida rise up through the ranks.
When Stanford knocked off USC last week,
it was good to see an old rivalry rekindled.
Stanford hasn’t been relevant in football in
about a decade, so to see them rise up and
beat the Trojans was refreshing.
Speaking of teams rising up and winning
games – hats off to Michigan. The
Wolverines are now 5-2 after two early (and
embarrassing) losses. While they aren’t
going to get to the national championship,
the Wolverines still have a shot at
the Rose Bowl – something that did not
seem probable a month ago. Another hats
off to Andre Woodson and the University
of Kentucky for bouncing back from a
tough loss against South Carolina and
knocking off the top team in the nation
in LSU. Woodson should be at the front
of the race for the Heisman Trophy for his
performance this season.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The time has come for another season
of college hoops, and to me I think it can
stay away for a little while longer. I’m still
hyped up for football – but hey, different
strokes for different folks. UNC and
Memphis appear to be everyone’s favorites
to win the national title. UNC returns four
of five starters from last year’s Elite Eight
team, including All-American big man
Tyler Hansbrough. The one leg up that
the Tigers may have over the Tar Heels?
Memphis returns all five starters from last
year’s squad – one of the most talented and
athletic in the nation.
On the local front, VCU is poised for
another good season, but there will be
plenty of competition in the CAA. George
Mason looks to be back in business after
somewhat of a letdown season last year. The
Patriots took it up a notch in the conference
tournament last season and look to be
strong this year. VCU will try and ride the
experience of Eric Maynor and the sweet
shot of Jamal Shuler to another conference
title and another NCAA tournament bid.