So many pundits are saying how horrible the World Series was this year.
Philadelphia and Tampa Bay? Ugh for the TV ratings, they said. Who cares, unless you’re an ad exec for FOX.
None of the teams I follow were in the running this year, which make the post-season far less tense. I’m okay with that. I can watch for the sheer enjoyment of the game. Even better with those circumstances, witnessing the winning moment of the Series never gets old.
So congrats to Philly for a first major sports championship in 25 years, and to the Rays for a great comeback season.
See, Seattle? It can be done, that worst to first thing. Get on it.

Is it time for spring training yet?

Jim

The National Basketball Association got the ball rolling on its regular season this week — the Celtics knocked off the Cavaliers in the season opener on TNT — and you can count me as one of the few Americans who was anxiously awaiting the tip-off (I was marking the days off the calendar).

The beginning of basketball season — and the NBA always begins the basketball season — is like Opening Day, Super Bowl Sunday, the Daytona 500, the Masters and Christmas all smashed together for me. I was even excited to see Charles Barkley at halftime (I find that I miss the Round Mound of Rebound during the offseason). I got so excited about basketball season being here that I went about 3-for-47 on 3-pointers in my last YMCA league game. It was impressive.

But the biggest question for me after the first few days of the NBA season is what about Greg Oden? You can’t label him a bust or anything (can you?) but the recurrence of lower body injuries on a man his size has to cause some serious concern for the Blazers and their fans. I just don’t see the combination of hype and injuries combining for much beyond heartbreak for Oregonians (again) in this latest big man experiment. I really hope I’m wrong.

Here’s to basketball season being here — we’ll be watching high school games before you know it.

I can’t wait.

- Padraic

I know my good friend Lenn Davis is a huge Oklahoma fan, so I’m sure he read with great trepidation the news that billionaire booster T. Boone Pickens will give another $63 million in cash to Oklahoma State to finish the renovation of the football stadium that bears his name.

Pickens, you might remember, already gave the school a record-breaking $165 million in January 2006. All of this, of course, so the Cowboys can compete with big brother in Norman and win Big 12 and national championships. But one has to wonder what the large windfall in Stillwater will mean in places like Boulder, Lincoln or Ames. New facilities mean better recruits. So schools like Iowa State, Kansas State and Baylor will be forced to either belly up to the bar and start shelling out cash to upgrade rickety old stadiums and inadequate weight rooms or get left behind, particularly if no rich Uncle Pennybags doesn’t leave a generous sum of cash.

This sort of arms race mentality is a troublesome trend in college athletics but is not new — think Oregon and Nike — and it probably won’t go away anytime soon. So now that Oklahoma State will have all these shiny new toys, what will Oklahoma do to keep up or stay ahead and where does it stop? Not every program has the 117th-richest person in America as a deep-pocketed booster or a Fortune 500 company headquartered 100 miles away from campus.

Andrew

Coaches always tell their players not to look ahead. Take one week at a time and go from there. Well, I am neither a coach nor a player so allow me to look into the furture.

The Iowa football team has managed to win a few here and there and are threatening to become bowl eligible. This week the Hawks have to face Illinois in a game I would love to see the Hawks win to set up the chance to bring down the mighty and unbeaten Penn State Nittany Lions.

I know the Hawks have the talent to do this, but the probablility is not likely. First of all, I give my team a 75 percent chance of losing to Illinois this weekend because a) Illinois lost last week and b) Illinois can spread you out and throw the ball. Iowa, more specifically defensive coordinator Norm Parker has a fasination with the forward pass and for some reason refuses to try to stop teams from completing them.

If by some chance the Hawks do pull out a win it will set my version of Ohio St.-USC or Oklahoma-Texas.

Here’s to hoping the Hawks get the job done and if nothing else at least the Hawks have one Sooner fan (thanks, Mr. Davis) cheering for them to get the job done against the Nittany Lions.

Jeff

The South Dakota state football playoffs begin today all over the state, so I was thinking we might as well take a look at the pairings and how they might shake out in the 11-man classes.

Class 11AA first round
Top-seeded Brandon Valley shouldn’t have a whole lot of trouble with No. 16 Stevens.

No. 8 Watertown topped Yankton in a 15-14 nail-biter at Yankton earlier this season, making me think the Bucks will get a little revenge this time around.

Roosevelt should roll over Mitchell in the 5-12 game.

Lincoln hammers Douglas (it was 49-0 last I checked).

O’Gorman does the same to Huron.

Sturgis gets a home playoff win in the 10-7 game over Aberdeen Central. 

Sioux Falls Washington rolls over Spearfish.

I’m going to go with an upset — the Cobblers knock off Brookings at home in the 11-6 game.

Quarterfinals

Brandon tops Yankton for the second time this year.

Lincoln’s offense is too much for Roosevelt.

O’Gorman’s rushing attack overwhelms a game Sturgis team.

Washington’s too good for Central.

Semifinals

I’m going with Lincoln to knock off Brandon Valley in a shootout.

OG gets back to the Dome.

Championship

The OG Knights win the state title despite giving up 45 points to Lincoln in the Dome … 53-45.

Class 11A first round
Region 1
West Central tops Dell Rapids again for the Region 1 title.

Region 2
Harrisburg tops Vermillion to win Region 2.

Region 3
Winner doesn’t even get tested.

Region 4
Belle rolls through this one as well.

Semifinals

Harrisburg will have to travel to Belle Fourche for a semifinal and a combination of the long road trip, the Bronc defense, Alex Kling and maybe a tiny little bit of East River football arrogance combine to topple the Tigers.

West Central beats Winner in Hartford.

Championship

Does it make any sense at all to pick against West Central?

Class 11B
Semifinals

Aberdeen Roncalli travels to Bennett County and gets beat.

Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian, toughened by a brutal Region 3, narrowly escapes the semis with a win over Tri-Valley.

Championship

Platte’s passing game isn’t enough to stop the Warriors, who win a rare 11-man title for West River.

*We’ll do a little 9-man forecasting after the first round.

- Padraic

For the armchair fantasty GM it doesn’t get much better than this (unless your in first place).
The NFL is at the halfway point, the NHL has 10 games under its belt and tonight the NBA cranks it up for real.

In the RCJ Sports Dept. we take lots of shots at each other and how we manage our fantasy teams.
The No. 1 rule is that it is all in fun (unless your in first place).

Call it a guy thing, but fantasy sports can make a long winter seem a little shorter, your day a little brighter (unless you have Kellen Winslow).

Anyway stay tuned. I’ll keep you posted every now and then on who’s winning, who’s whining and highlight some of the bad trades, dumb moves and sleeper pickups and I will try to keep it G-rated. (Duffy)

Like new 49-ers coach Mike Singletary said, “I’d rather play with 10 and get a penalty every time rather than have 11 that don’t want to play.”
-Lenn

I’m having a really hard time watching the World Series. Besides the fact, I could care less about the Phillies and the Rays, I’m struggling with the fact that it just isn’t fair that another expansion team, in this case, Tampa Bay, has a chance at a title.
Just typing the words Tampa Bay and title in the same sentence makes me believe the baseball gods are laughing hysterically somewhere.
It makes me cringe to think that every expansion team since 1977 — Toronto, Colorado, Arizona and now the Rays — has been in at least one World Series. That is every expansion team save one — the Seattle Mariners. My star-crossed, rudderless Mariners.
Watching the Rockies last year was bad enough, but now watching the Rays makes me shake violently.
At least I can take solace in the fact that the next expansion team to play in the World Series should be the Mariners. After the dreadful season the Mariners just turned in that fact does little to comfort me.

Andrew

Albert Pujols already has an MVP award and a World Series ring and on Saturday he was presented with the 2008 Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to a major league player who combines community service with excellence on the field.

“It doesn’t matter what you do on the field, it’s what you do off the field and the lives you touch,” Pujols said.

Pujols was honored for his work with the Pujols Family Foundation, which helps the lives of children and young adults with Down syndrome. The foundation has helped more than 500 families affected by Down syndrome in the St. Louis area, with various programs and fundraising events.

Pujols has a daughter who was born with Down syndrome, one reason he strives to be a role model for kids.

“At the end of the day, I want to make sure I serve others,” he said.

Clemente was a Hall of Fame right fielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while trying to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He finished his career with exactly 3,000 hits.

Way to go Fat Albert, it’s nice to see someone making news in the sports world for all the right reasons for a change.

-Lenn

This is becoming an expensive season for New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress.

Having already incurred a $117,000 team fine earlier this month, Burress drew $45,000 in additional fines from the NFL for his actions during and after the Giants’ 29-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7.

The latest fines included $20,000 for verbally abusing an official during the game, another $20,000 for “inappropriate” comments about officiating after the game and $5,000 for throwing a football into the stands.

Maybe instead of fining players like Burress, who have more money than brains, they could send them all to Cincinnati and make them play for the Bungels!
Now that would be a penalty, wouldn’t it?

-Lenn

The World Series finally gets started tonight. The Phillies seemed to have a layoff that would rival most college football teams waiting for their bowl game.

This may not be the matchup the media or fans wanted but it should be a fun series. I have to give Philadelphia the edge in game one because of Cole Hammels but after that I think this is the Rays series to win.

It just pays to be an expansion team these days. Florida has managed to win a pair of World Series titles, Arizona got one, Colorado made it to the Fall Classic last year and now the Rays — in a division dominated by bloated payroll teams like New York and Boston — will have its chance.

Young and talented beat experienced and expensive this year.

Jeff