Well, what a surprising year it has been in college football! The first week saw a bunch of upsets, none bigger than Appalachian State beating highly ranked Michigan. Now, the Wolverines have rebounded but the biggest story in college isn’t about Notre Dame’s struggles, rather the success of the University of South Florida who elevated their program to best in the state after defending champs Florida lost to Auburn.
It’s an exciting time of year for baseball. With all the other sports hitting their stride, it may be easy to overlook the proceedings in baseball, but there is still much to be determined. All of the National League seems to be vying to precious playoff spots. These last series will determine who is fit for October and who will be sent home to think about next year’s Spring Training.
Long before my time, there was a pitcher in baseball named Steve Blass who by all accounts was pretty good at his art until he inexplicably became unable to throw strikes. The affliction came to be unofficially known as Steve Blass Disease, and it has happened to several marquee players. One of the most notable was Mark Wohlers, once competition for greatest closer and post-season closer with Mariano Rivera. He became unable to throw anything near a strike and consistently threw balls way over the catcher. He improved somewhat, but was never the same again. I wonder what kind of mental problems accumulate to contribute to the psyche-out disease known by Steve Blass.
Baseball is my favorite sport, and many American men would agree with me. Though football is probably the most popular of American sports, baseball and softball have to be the most played. I like competetive sports to get involved in, so I started looking at local softball teams. Some have really awkward rules, like limits on home runs. I know it helps balance competition, but baseball and softball are not sports that are fit for a handicap system.
Wow! Take a look at this kid as he makes some unbelievable basketball shots in his driveway. I have seen a few videos like this, and this is one of the best. He doesn’t look that old either, so watch out Harlem Globetrotters!
