For the First Time in Eons: A SPORTS POST

A Potpourri of Miscellaneous Sports BS

As I sit at my desk, watching the Red Sox and Dodgers in the World Series, Game 1 at Fenway Park, and you can bet I'm rooting for my beloved Red Sox.  You see, I like the Dodgers, except for two things: 1) Manny Machado (he was an a**h*** with the Orioles, and he's an a**h*** with the Dodgers), and 2) against the Red Sox.  My favorite Dodger player these days is Yasiel Puig, who is a beast, but the Red Sox need to keep him tame in this series.  I like Dave Roberts, the manager, as well.  He was one of the many heroes in a Red Sox uniform in the 2004 postseason, especially in the ALCS against the Skankees.  (I'm a Red Sox fan, so I have to give the Yankees that nickname.) ;-)

Other nicknames I've often heard and used on opposing teams:

Oreos (Orioles - I started that one this past summer)

Mutts (Mets)

Twinkies (Twins)

KFC (Kansas Frickin' City Royals)

Space Cadets (Astros - I started that one this post-season)

Wrong Sox (White Sox, when they're playing against the Right Sox, that is, the Red Sox)

and others I cannot post here.  I have to keep this at least PG-rated, lol.

Team Name Similarities

I've always marveled at how some cities have similarities in their teams' nicknames, whether it be a rhyme, animals, etc.  But here are some:

Chicago Cubs and Bears

Detroit Tigers and Lions

- (Love the northern Midwest, Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!)

New York Mets, Jets, and Nets

- (Well, now the Brooklyn Nets, before that, the New Jersey Nets, before that, the New York Nets)

St. Louis Cardinals and Cardinals (until 1987 when the football Cardinals moved to Phoenix)

Los Angeles Rams and Dodgers (ok, antonyms here)

Miami Dolphins and Marlins

Colorado Rockies and Rockies

- (Yes, the NHL for a short time in the late 70's/early 80's had a Rockies team in Denver.)

Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers

- (Rangers are in Arlington, TX, right in between Dallas and Fort Worth.)

Kansas City Royals and Chiefs (head honchos)

Philadelphia Eagles and Flyers (they fly, don't they?)

Baltimore Orioles and Ravens
Houston Astros and Rockets

What I Miss

In baseball:

Hitting pitchers (not just in the National League or interleague play in National League parks)

Workhorse pitchers who will give you a complete game shutout even after 120-some pitches  Now they not only count pitches, they count mound visits.  Sheesh!

Also, I wish the Angels would make up their minds.  They were the Los Angeles Angels, the California Angels, the Anaheim Angels, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (which to me sounds extremely stupid), and now back to the Los Angeles Angels (which are in Anaheim, but sounds a lot better than "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim", which would be like moving the Red Sox to Providence and calling them the Boston Red Sox of Providence.  Stupid!)

In hockey:

Games ending in ties in the regular season.  I don't think "overtime losses" should be a separate stat, nor should a losing team get a point in the standings just because it took beyond the 60-minute regulation time.  It's like giving out a "participation trophy" for cripes sakes!  In baseball, football, and basketball, a loss is a loss, regardless of extra periods, innings, quarters, halves, whatever.  Should be the same in hockey.  Bring back the tie!  Then they can get a point!

One Last Crazy Factoid

My favorite hockey stat is penalty minutes.  You think I watch hockey for the goals (even though I like when a team will score 10 goals in a game, hardly happens, though)?  Hell no!  I watch it for the fights!  It's a hell of a lot better than the fights in the boxing ring, plus they're spontaneous!

Quod scripsi, scripsi! (or is it "Quod snarksi, snarksi"?) :D

BMP