Since political news is downright tedious, let's go to the back page this time around. First off, Wade Boggs (Red Sox / Yanks) and Ryne Sandburg (Cubs) were just elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. My memory of Boggs shall always be his bases load walk in Game Four of the 1996 World Series that led to the series being tied 2-2 (Yanks were six runs down). I do not know of Sandburg, but he does have an interesting first name, and I'm told that he deserved the honor.
A couple teams argued that they deserved to be top ranked, but after the shellacking USC delivered last night, I bet they are downgrading their claims to second ranked. They surely have a claim now, given a game that many felt was going to be close turned out to be a rout, surely upsetting various odds makers all over the country.
I imagine certain off center folks out there betting high for underdogs (Red Sox, Cubs, and the usual suspects) or crazy scores (low scoring Colts games, etc.), just waiting for that one time that they will hit the lottery. Yesterday might have been such a day, since the afternoon sports show around here predicted a 3-6 point differential, not a 3-6 touchdown one.
On the subject of sports, how about those nutty Anaheim Angels ... oh, I'm sorry! The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (sic). This amusing development is a result of contractual obligations that require the use of "Anaheim" in the team's name, but the owner apparently doesn't really like Anaheim. Will this become a trend ("The N.Y. Jets of New Jersey")? But anyhow: the guy does know that this is totally ridiculous, right? I guess, however, they can gain a new sponsor (AAA).
Speaking of baseball, how about the local teams? The Mets are talking about getting into the Carlos Beltran sweepstakes, though I have no idea why he'd want to come here (especially since the tax differential will make the money less alluring than meets the eye), given he is nice and comfty in Houston. When dealing with big money, it seems to me that a few million is not worth it sometimes. The idea is seen in the small scale too, after all, by those who don't go to the job that supplies a few extra dollars an hour because there are negatives involved. Anyway, the Mets need relief pitching. Meanwhile, alien life form Randy Johnson is coming to the Bronx.
The "getting no respect, since little is warranted" Jets are due to play San Diego on Saturday. Herm Edwards, the head coach, is shown in today's paper holding up a letter from the commissioner congratulating them for getting into the playoffs. This is deemed an accomplishment, which it is, though I don't know if the Jets wants to be compared to the likes of the Minnesota (thanks Saints!) Vikings and Seattle (we have a D ... we really do!) Seahawks.
The Jets deserve credit for early consistency (many a team was doomed by losing to bad teams), but their inability to beat at least one good team (they beat San Diego before the team gelled and Seattle, which is stretching "good" a tad) warrants some degree of humility, of which they aren't quite showing. As a NY fan, I don't really care too much, except to the degree that it seems stupid ... as much as those fans who cannot admit they "backed into" the playoffs, given they were 5-6 and needed Buffalo to choke to get in.
Basketball? NY teams are pretty mediocre ... they should be thanking the basketball gods that Miami is no longer in the Atlantic Conference. Hockey? Apparently, it is likely that the strike will end the season. Not really my concern, though I did see a hockey magazine in the store last night, and wondered what they would write about, if the season ended now. Then again, the Yankee Yes Network somehow fills its schedule in the winter, so it should be okay.
This weekend: Jets, Packers, Seahawks, Broncos (I'm tired of the Colts). And, who knows, at least two of these might even win! The Wild Card Round, by the way, is the "do over" weekend, with divisional opponents and rematches involved throughout.