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Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Page 2 Quickie: October 12, 2004

The Lead Item
Two Words For You:

Pedro Martinez's li'l pal (and unofficial Red Sox cheerleader) Nelson de la Rosa symbolizes the differences between the teams in the Series To End All Series.

The Red Sox are Freaks: A diverse carnival of frat-house antics and self-proclaimed "Idiots." The team mantra has gone from "Cowboy Up!" to "One of us ... one of us ..."

The Yankees are Geeks: Buttoned-up and all-business to the point of Listerine professionalism, they remain baseball's Stepford squad.

(The irony is that the Freaks are guided by a geeky Bill James-inspired front office; the Geeks perpetuate the freaky "Jeter intangibles" myth.)

Here's the thing: So far, there's been no evidence that Boston's easygoing, "Why Not Us?" thing beats New York's clinical, "We're Why It's Not You" focus on winning. In a series this taut, loosey and goosey gives up a slight edge to discipline and experience.

Translation: Francona's blunders will be the difference: In yet another RSN heartbreaker, Yankees in 7.

Rivera Watch
Via private jet, expected to be in NY for G1 tonight. Can already see how this plays out: If he pitches poorly, the trip gets the blame; if he pitches well, it's a mystique-builder.

Schilling Yaps
Bulletin-board material: "I'm not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up." It's not that it won't happen; it's that it can't happen.

Astros Win LDS
One of the more remarkable streaks in MLB history is over: The Astros won their first postseason series ever, in their eighth try. They did it decisively (and on the road, no less). Manager Phil Garner is off the hook, at least. Because coming next ...

NLCS Preview
... Houston has no chance. Go ahead and talk about the Astros' season-ending series sweep of St. Louis. The 'Stros got what they desperately needed -- out of a playoff round. Now, with a pitching rotation in tatters, they'll be lucky to take this series to six games.

Pick: StL in 5.

MNF: Pack Stinks
Lamb-asted: Titans' 48 the most points ever scored by a visitor at Lambeau. But that's not nearly as bad as GB's 1-4 start, which only 8 teams in NFL history have recovered from to make the playoffs. (Those of you us who picked the Pack to the NFC title game, please 'fess up.)

NFL Injuries
Usually when a RB goes down, everyone goes scurrying to the fantasy waiver wire to pick up his replacement. How bad is it for the Panthers that they are so far down the RB depth chart that FFL GMs can't even find Carolina's 4th/5th-string guy?

Meanwhile: Breathe a sigh of relief, because the most exciting player in the league, Lions WR Roy Williams, is day-to-day, not (yet) tainted by Detroit's annoying habit of losing its best skill-position players for the season.

Ricky Watch
Latest: Williams' lawyer said he thinks Ricky will be back in the NFL "as soon as possible" -- even claiming he can return without a suspension. How does he possibly make that go away? Does his attorney work for the firm of Copperfield, Henning and Blaine?

Offensive T-Shirts
Does this offend you?

Hey, Red Sox: Who's Your Daddy?

Apparently, unless RSN fans are making their own "spirit shirts" (usually incorporating the words "Yankees" and "suck"), they can't take it.

Were they offended by the sentiment -- or that MLB itself produced the shirts? So MLB pulled the shirts (Hey, Red Sox: Don't Be Maddy?)

Why wouldn't Boston fans embrace the insult and turn it into a rallying cry? The same hyper-sensitivity keeps them from handling the pressure of beating the Yankees. "Why Not Us?" Exactly.