Tossing batting practice…while wondering if HBO could do a Sixth Season of the Wire, focusing on Ray Lewis and his violent gang of miscreant Ravens.

Growing up I’ve been taught that it’s always better to be lucky than good. During this century following the Pats that has never been more apropos from the Tuck Rule that benefitted us, to the damned helmet catch that killed us. Well I’m thankful that luck was on our side Sunday as Michael Clayton dropped that fourth down pass.

Couldn’t have happened to a nice scumbag either. It was Clayton who sent me into fantasy football retirement last year when he fumbled a pass forward two yards, giving him the half point needed to beat me in the playoffs costing my unemployed ass a large sum of money.
Like Billy Beane once said, my job is to get the team to the playoffs after that it’s all f’in luck.

Defensively the Patriots is sounding better every day, but since I was listening to Gil and Gino via my cell phone I can’t give much further analysis on Sunday’s win. Couldn’t even tell you how they looked.

To score 27 points on Avon Barksdale’s defense is definitely encouraging, but I think the loss of Stringer Bell to the Jets leaves them working more on street rep than actual current ability.
With the Patriots holding Baltimore’s new high flying offense to 14 points it kind of makes them a little bit like Marlo Stanfield, the young hungry group ready to take over the streets.

Ok I’ll stop with the vague HBO references, but the Orioles suck too much to make references to the Wire, unless you want to compare their decline to that of the decaying Baltimore School system, so I have to get them all out against the Ravens.
And like Bill Simmons said the other day, if you haven’t ever watched The Wire you should be ashamed of yourself. Listening to the Pats radio duo was a nice touch of feeling at home, but as far as actually getting pertinent information about the game, well Im just glad the little NFL scoreboard on my phone kept down, distance, and yard line accurately for me.

***
I really didn't care whether the Olympics came to Chicago until the IOC just bitch slapped the US and Obama with that sham of a vote.
Newsflash Europe this was the guy you wanted elected and you just gave his detractors more ammo for criticism, you better hope the republican right doesn't elect Sarah Palin or else the 2016 Olympics will just be the US and remaining occupied continents that haven't been nuked as the result of it being the wrong time of month.

Given the way the IOC just openly despises America, it may be time to throw our economic weight around again, even if we have slimmed down lately like an anorexic high school cheerleader.
Let's boycott again only instead of for political purposes we just do it as a reminder that the Olympics only succeeds even remotely on a financial level because they need us, and the money we generate as a country a hell of a lot more than they realize, or we really need them.
I say we do it in 2012 when it’s in London, screw Europe and who wants to spend a month in a gloomy city of tea drinking elitists, sorry Limey but it had to be said.
I will continue to hate the IOC and most everything about Europe until softball is reinstated as an Olympic sport. Just because Europeans lack any sort of ability to catch and throw the rest of the world shouldn't be punished.

Larry Legend was in the house for the WNBA finals in Indiana last week, I won't make a joke out of fear of getting struck by lightning, but it’s good to see championship basketball being played in the Hoosier state again, even if it is women.
(Ducking bolts, swatting away pestilence)

Congratulations to the Yankees for clinching the ALDS last night. With the Twins winning the only thing the Yanks have to worry about is avoiding the dreaded champagne in the eyes injury to any major players during the celebration this weekend.

It turns out I was actually at the last game the Twins beat the Yanks in the Stadium. That was two years ago, but seems so much longer. It was three apartments, two states, and two careers ago in my lifetime, when Johan Santana topped Moose on a sticky Fourth of July while myself, JT and Joe College himself tried to shake a ridiculous hangover courtesy of the previous night’s social activities.

My playoff opening round predictions are as follows, bear in mind I was only 3-6 in predicting Division Champs in April, and the three non champs I predicted finished last, or second to last in their respective divisions, so I can be spectacularly wrong.

Yanks in 4….The hot air in the Metrodome courtesy of Brett Favre is sucked out, in much the same way Favre will suck out his welcome after Thanksgiving. The Twins have done it with smoke and mirrors all year, well the Yankees are the a-hole (or Dwight Schrute) in the audience who points out how the trick is done. Traditionally the hot team usually doesn’t keep it going in the postseason, the 2007 Rockies not withstanding, but they were on a historical hot streak.

St. Louis in 3….The Dodgers just aren’t good, they haven’t really been all year, trust me I saw more Dodger games than any other team besides the Sox. Their pitching is mediocre and their bullpen is close to shot thanks to the Vaudeville Hook Joe Torre.
The Cardinals have a great 1-2, but they are more than ok with relying on Joel Pinerio as their third starter.

Philadelphia in 4…One of my few correct preseason predictions, was that “I’m pretty sure Brad Lidge won’t be perfect again.”
I want to pick against the Phillies, but the fact the NL West sucked all year, only slightly more than the NL East sucked gives the Phillies the nod here. That and they have better pitching, but I am kinda hoping for one last Lidge implosion on a national stage, this way Philly fans are adequately prepared for Donovan McNabb’s inevitable meltdown later this year. Last year’s choke job in the NFC title game sort of caught them all by surprise for some strange reasons.

Angels in 5… As for the Sox, well I just think eventually the curse of Donnie Moore has to be lifted. The fact there is a permanent green light at second base for runners gives the Angels a huge advantage provided they can get runners on. I think the wild card is Kazmir, who has pitched well for Anaheim, and has owned the Sox. Because of him, I think the Angels split at Fenway, so the Sox need at least a split in Anaheim, I see that occurring, but in the end this game five just doesn’t go their way. All year long the Sox have struggled to hit and score runs against good pitching, sadly Baltimore, isn’t on the schedule this month.
If they can’t get into Anaheim’s bullpen this will be a frustrating series, a microcosm of the season as a whole.