Notre Dame Chokes When It Counts

Judith "Lying Embarassment to Journalism" Miller Update: Seems Miller just found some notes concerning the Plame matter and her conversations with Cheney's chief of staff, but remains cloudy on how the name "Valerie Flame" wound up in her notes. Oh, and she was under the impression -- as if her impressions warrant any respect any more -- that Libby thought her testifying to the Grand Jury would be against his interests. Anyway, he did tell her Wilson's wife worked for a CIA firm, but not that she was a covert operative. Oh, and the NYT overall thinks she's a bitch but still allowed her to get out of control, their editorial standing and news quality notwithstanding. How depressing.

I am not a big college football fan, but yesterday's USC (first ranked) vs. Notre Dame (9th, new coach from the Patriots doing good) was a top match-up. It also had the makings of an upset until Notre Dame totally choked literally in the last minute (okay, ninety or so seconds). And, not just one time. This made a so-called "epic" or "great" game to use two adjectives downright boring. To me at least -- fantastic wins by people who you expect to win is not that wonderful in my eyes, especially when the other team's failure to finish the job plus a bit of lousy luck is mixed in.

Seriously -- remembering that my true passion is saved for bad ump calls and NY football, the end of the game was a total cheat in my eyes. All ready for an upset, I turned it back on when it was 4th and Nine deep in USC territory. One more block, and Notre Dame would win it. They were up 31-28, failing (did not see it) for some reason to get another field goal after being in range earlier in the Fourth Quarter. USC made the First Down ... in fact, they made in First and Goal! Still, no timeouts, and Notre Dame stop them and hope for OT. Short run. QB run ... stop ... no time left!!!

But, wait! The ball was fumbled out of bounds near the goal line! There is :05 left. Yes, a fumble helped them. It is this sort of thing that is annoying -- great team make their own breaks, but "great" games are not great efforts by the other team to keep the favorite in check until at the very end everything goes the winning team's way. This gave them time to spike and go for a chip field goal. Knowing that they beat fate enough already that day for a win to be in their grasp, USC did not take that route, though they played at preparing for it. They went for it -- and made it. An unsportmanslike celebration resulted in a penalty and they missed the extra point. :03 left, no miracle for Notre Dame (I thought they had special help), they win 34-31.

So, great ball control and so forth the whole game for Notre Dame, until the final ninety seconds. Then, they could not stop 4th and long, let them get a long run to set up the score, did not quite make that goal line stand, and had a bit of bad luck to boot. Epic game? Epic choke, I say. Meanwhile, the White Sox look to finally have a chance to return to the Series (can their crosstown rivals be next?), and the Astros are one step closer to getting their first trip. Well, Clemens' mom had a vision, right?*

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* In a truly cheesy extended moment, the announcers spoke of Clemens' mom deathbed visions of the Astros winning 10-2 that night (of her death) and then of them apparently going to the World Series. Oh, come on. Also, since apparently every end of the year game since 2003 might be "Clemens last," maybe we can call a moratorium on that deal too, okay?