Their minds were elsewhere. Latkes!

Hey sportsfans,

Scheduling a hoops tournament during the school's final exams is never a good idea. Especially when the team is the number one seed. This was confirmed during Thursday night's lackluster performance against Fultondale in the "Final on the Vinyl" Jefferson County Middle School hoops tourney. They never really were in the game, mentally or physically. Down 9-2 at half, the Lady Knights did rally to bring the score to 14-11 before the final horn. It was noted that Fultondale played two new players in this game who did not suit up when the Lady Knights handled them earlier in the season. These two players made all the difference. They score 11 of their team's points and stifled our shooters most of the game.

Speaking of games. Em was a beast! She played great. Her 11 boards and four points paced the team in the loss. Em was much quicker off the ground when snagging those boards. The highlight of the game however, was the massive cookie cake shared by the team in celebration of Ashley's birthday.

The Lady Knights are now 11-2 on the season. They have a few more games in January.



Did you know?
With strong media interest in the Tim Tebow vs. Tom Brady showdown, the Denver Broncos have issued about 1,300 credentials for yesterday's game against the New England Patriots.

Did you know, part two?
50,000 people dancing & jumping at a recent Foo Fighters concert in New Zealand had set off local volcanic seismic sensors.

Having a good week:
The San Francisco Giants fan, Bryan Stow, nearly beaten to death on opening day has spoken on camera for the first time since the attack. The paramedic and father of two spent months in a medically induced coma after being beaten outside Dodger Stadium last year.The Indianapolis Colts finally win their first game of the season, defeating the Tennessee Titans 27-13.

Not having a good week:
Kobe Bryant's wife, who stood by her husband when he was charged with sexual assault in 2003, filed for divorce on Friday from the Los Angeles Lakers star, citing irreconcilable differences after a decade of marriage.Former Notre Dame football player Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger agreed to pay $382,866 to settle a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission over a $11 million pump & dump stock scheme in 2008. Barry Bonds has been sentenced to 30 days house arrest, 2 years probation & 250 hours of community service after being convicted of perjury charges. The seemingly invincible Green Bay Packers lost their first game of the season, to the KC Chiefs, almost a full calendar year since their last loss. The loss also ends the Packers' 19-game winning streak.



Sid's dance classes continue. Spring recital is in a few months.
It's almost time to sign up Em for spring lax.
Happy Hanukkah. Remember to go easy on the latkes. Try chocolate syrup on them. You won't be sorry you did.
The Sports Guy

Is this the worst year in sports history?

Hey sportsfans,

As 2011 comes to a close (thankfully), it's time to look back at the sports year in review. This might be the worst year in sports history. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but consider the following that have taken place in 2011:

Pat Summit was diagnosed. NFL lockout. NBA lockout. College football realignment. Russian hockey team perishes in plane crash. Lebron's "Decision." Miami booster scandal with a $930 million Ponzi scheme. NL MVP Ryan Braun busted for PEDs. Terrible plane crash kills four including Oklahoma State women's hoops coaches. BCS was horrible. Ohio State, Penn State and Syracuse all are embroiled in awful scandals. AAU Hoops is being investigated. Lamar and Khloe are taking their train wreck to Dallas. CP3 cannot find a new home. Think the Colts miss Manning or need some Luck?

However, all was not bad. In fact, we've had some great moments, players, plays and outcomes. Consider:

The surprising success of the Denver Tebows. RGIII made some unbelievable believable plays during this Heisman year. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are too good. Cam Newton makes it looks easy. Tiger's slow return and recent victory. Coach K breaks the all-time D1 hoops wins record. Paterno breaks wins record. Brett Favre is still retired. Dirk removes the choke artist label. Justin Verlander set the world on fire. The 7th-8th grades Altamont Lady Knights are 11-1 heading into the county tournament.

I'm sure I have left out lots of good and bad from this year. What have I missed? What's your take?

Here's to a better year in 2012!
The Sports Guy

Tourney time. RGIII. Finals.

Hey sportsfans,

Welcome to another week of "Altamont Lady Knights Crush their opponents." This week featured Parkway Christian Academy and Fultondale Middle School biting the dust. Heading into the county tournament next weekend, these two wins bring the Lady Knights record to 11-1 on the season. The Lady Knights are the number one seed.

PCA usually has a decent team, but not this year. Big and slow. Glacier slow. Slower than that. In the 25-18 victory, Emmy and Co. showed their superior conditioning as they constantly beat the PCA players up and down the court. In fact, check out below the affectionately named "Shequille" who Em had the pleasure of guarding. Was not even close. Em slipped by her for a few buckets and several boards. We won't mention the two blocks Shequille handled on Em's layups. Nasty.



During Wednesday afternoon the Lady Knights hammered Fultondale 27-9. The score was 8-7 at half and Coach Keith was not happy. Outscoring the bad guys 21-2 in the second half, the Lady Knights played their best basketball of the season. Excellent team work, crisp passing and suffocating defense helped the team cruise to victory.

Just watched the ESPN shows on Marinovich and Herschel. Lots of similarities (natural talents, looking for approval from others, reaching top of their professions), but where they differ is how each handled success. Robo QB escaped his father's clutches through recreational drugs that ultimately landed him in rehab and jail. He lasted less than two seasons in the NFL, while later becoming homeless for a period. In the past few years he has reconnected with his father, found solace in the arts and leads a fairly normal family life. Good for him.

Walker, often considered the greatest college running back, has overcome mental disorders to have a successful professional career that lasted almost fifteen seasons in two leagues. Now in the his late 40s, during the past few years Walker has competed in mix martial arts with great success. Good for him.

Having a great week: All the Denver Tebows do is win, win win. Umm, the newest American Leaguer, Anaheim Angel and sure first ballot Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. Don'tcha think? Something like 10 years, $254 mil. Wow. This Friday, Mount Union will face Wisconsin-Whitewater for the NCAA Division III football championship for the seventh straight season. Each team has won three national titles in the past six years. The New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski set a new NFL tight end record with his 14th TD catch of the season. Baylor Bears QB, RGIII, won the 77th Heisman. Deserved it. Great pass. Better Superman socks.



Not having a great week: 2011 NL MVP and MOT Ryan Braun was busted for testing positive for PEDs. So disappointing. RIP The Treasure Ship Restaurant in Panama City Beach, Florida, 1976 - 2010. Kobe Bryant says he "didn't like" the Lakers trading away Lamar Odom, especially to the Dallas Mavericks: "I trust management knows what they're doing. I let them do their jobs, I never get in the way but it's tough. You're talking about sixth man of the year last year. He played lights out." Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno is in the hospital after fracturing his pelvis in a fall on Saturday

We are on lockdown mode at 3900. Finals begin Wednesday.
Getting colder outside by the hour.
Hanukkah is right around the corner. The Maccabeats are great!
Have a great week everyone!
The Sports Guy

Stifling defense. BCS got what it wanted. So did Vanderbilt.

Hey sportsfans,

In three games this week the Lady Knights gave up a total of 25 points. (5 to Brighton, 6 to Victory Christan and 14 to Sumiton Christian) Pretty good, huh? Alabama's vaunted defenses from 1992, 2009 and 2011 cannot boast such stinginess.

Emmy is playing much more aggressively each game. Playing either center or forward, depending on the situation, Em has displayed an increased knowledge of strategy and positioning. Both are helping her to score more points, snag more boards and make several steals.

The Lady Knights defeated Brighton (20-5) and Victory Christian (22-6; however, they tasted defeat (bleh!) 14-12 to a very tough Sumiton crew. The Lady Knights improved their record on the season to 9-1. They have several more games on the schedule before the county tourney in a few weeks.






Durin Saturday night Sid sang a beautiful (and very difficult) song in the Holiday Concert with Ms. Herring's students. She sang "Is it really me?" from the play entitled 110 in the Shade. Sid is looking forward to more vocal lessons and performances. Not to be forgotten, she is also still dancing a few nights a week.

Well, well, well. On the last weekend of the season, the Bowl Championship Series committee got what they wanted - everyone up in arms discussing the pairing for the national championship. LSU and Alabama made it to the BCS Championship Game because they play defense better than everyone else. The Crimson Tide and the Tigers rank 1-2 in scoring defense and total defense. As of this writing I'm not aware of the Oklahoma State Football Militia invading our State. But I would not be shocked if something happens soon. Does LSU get half the title now? If Alabama beats LSU by three do they split the title? I'm sure this topic and more will be discussed ad nauseam for the next five weeks.

Vanderbilt's senior class is the first one in school history to have gone to two bowls. The Dores will take on Cincinnati in the Memphis at the Liberty Bowl on December 31st. If UT beat the Bearcats fairly easily, the Dores should take care of business too.

Having a good week: Tiger Woods won for the first time in two years. Have you read the book "The Swinger" not so loosely based on Tiger's life? Entertaining and sad. The Vanderbilt Commodores. See above. For the sixth year in a row the NCAA D1 national champion will come from the The Southeastern Conference. At 12-0, The Green Bay Packers are closing in on the '72 Dolphins perfect record. They have three home games left and one road game.Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers set a new NFL QB record with his 13th rushing TD of the season.

Not having a good week: Gazillionaire and Okie State alum T Boone Pickens is an eyelash (or .0086) from doing something rash. He is not a happy man. In stark contrast to the Packers, The Indianapolis Colts fall to 0-12 after losing to the New England Patriots 31-24.

Get your holiday shopping done asap! Isn't the internet great?
Is there a Hanukkah equivalent of a Christmas Elf?
Don't forget those in need this time of year. Show some love.
The Sports Guy

Iron Bowl 2011. Dores are bowl eligible. Island of Misfit Toys.

Hey sportsfans,

What's the biggest day of the year in the State of Alabama? Some would say it's Black Friday to open the holiday shopping season. Others say it's that regretful day when our state leaders for some reason decided it would be a good idea to throw up legal barriers around our boarders thus sending many hardworking folks scampering to restart their lives elsewhere. (You wonder why certain produce and goods have escalated in price.) Yet others say Christmas, New Years or the opening of deer season marks the biggest dates in the Alabama calendar. Well, anyone who has an inkling of common sense knows it's the annual grudge match between the University of Alabama and Auburn University aka The Iron Bowl. Amen.

As usual much was at stake this year on the Plains. Alabama was seeking to solidify its No. 2 position in the BSC ranking in hopes of a rematch against LSU in the National Championship Game on January 9th. Auburn was looking to play spoiler while moving its self to a higher rated bowl game.

Norman Rockwell at his finest. This Saturday was just heaven. Beautiful weather. Great atmosphere. Perfect setting. Here are some of images from the day spent with Pa, UD, Papa Rick, Mike-Mike, George, Will, Jared and more than approximately 150,000 (with 87,000 inside the stadium) of our closest friends.












Auburn and Bama bands joined together at halftime in memory of those killed in the Alabama tornadoes to play Amazing Grace and God Bless America. That's right, I said 600+ college kids from rival schools played a hymn, and GOD Bless America in a public place......and 90,000 people sang every word. I love the SEC!






While the scoreboard tells the final score, Bama was truly the dominant team of the day.

Did you know from the Iron Bowl?
Onterio McCalebb's 83-yard TD for Auburn to start the second half against Alabama was reportedly the first kickoff return TD in Iron Bowl history.

Did you know, part two from the Iron Bowl?
How significant was Alabama's 42-14 win over Auburn? So much so Daniel A. Moore is already in the process of commemorating the game with an oil painting called "Never Again." "More than just the win, I want this painting to portray the fulfillment of the Alabama players' vow, "Never Again," which they adopted after last year's humbling loss, a come-from-behind win by Auburn," Moore said. "I want the meaning of the painting to communicate a positive, real-life message to all who see it. True to their vow and commitment there was no let down by the Tide at the end of this year's Iron Bowl. I can think of no better image through which I can express this than that of Trent Richardson's 4th-quarter, Heisman-caliber historic run. The name of the new painting will be "Never Again."

Having a great week:
UNLV upset #1 North Carolina 90-80 Saturday night to win the Las Vegas Invitational championship. It was the Rebels' first victory over a top-ranked team since 1989. Florida Atlantic defeated UAB 38-35 to give coach Howard Schnellenberger his first win in his final season. Schnellenberger's final game with the Owls is next Saturday at home vs. Louisiana-Monroe. In Saturday's 41-7 victory over Wake Forest, James Franklin became the first Vanderbilt coach to win six games in his first season since 1975. Michigan beats Ohio State 40-34 for the Wolverines' first win over the Buckeyes in 2,926 days. And the Columbus Dispatch had to reset its counter. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 10-7 for the Wildcats' first football win over the Vols since 1984. The win snapped a 26-game UK losing streak to UT.

Having a not so great week:
A woman suspected of shooting pepper spray at 20 other shoppers at an L.A.-area Wal-Mart Thursday night turned herself in to police Friday night. I wonder what deal she was after. I bet she'll need a deal now. Among the amounts received by Linda Bollea in her divorce settlement with Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea were 70% of the couple's liquid assets, 40% ownership in Hogan's various companies, $3 million in a property settlement, and a bunch of Hulk's cars. Ouch.

Next weekend when the final regular season and many conference title games are finished, the BSC will announce the post-season college bowl pairings. Where will the Commodores land? Nashville? Atlanta? Birmingham? Shreveport? Who cares. Let's go bowling with the Dores!

Emmy has two hoops games scheduled this upcoming week. Sid has the Holiday vocal concert next weekend.



Looking forward to watching Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys. My favs are Hermey the Misfit Elf and The Abominable Snow Monster of the North aka Bumble.

Exercised enough to rid yourself of that Thanksgiving stuffing?
Cannot believe Hanukkah is in a few weeks.
Have a great week, everyone!
The Sports Guy

Can anyone slow down the Knights? Vandy got jobbed. The BSC should be blown up.

Hey sportsfans,

During Monday night Sumiton Christian School was the sixth victim to fall prey to the Lady Knights, but it was not a pretty one. Borrowing from their softball team, the Sumiton player were tough, rough and looking to make a point. Actually, a block. Or two. Or three.

In fact, they amped up the moving screen that Oak Grove tried so hard to perfect. #21 and #22 for Sumiton were a pair of short, thick and dangerous players who acted liked NFL blocking backs. Elizabeth caught one across the throat. Emmy was hip checked to the ground. Aarthi was knocked out of bounds. However, the refs felt no need to call such fouls. During both halfs, the refs only called four fouls on Sumiton, but yet the Lady Knights fouled into the bonus. It was a joke.

The final joke however was on Sumiton as the Lady Knights pulled off the 23-15 victory. Some of the starting five played sloppily which resulted in the close score. Em played center and forward. Although she did not score, she is putting herself in better positioning for rebounds and defensive guarding.





During Friday afternoon, Westminster traveled up the Hill and felt the wrath that is the Lady Knights smothering defense. Scoring only three points in the first half, the visitors were subjected to a swarming, trapping defense led by Emmy, Katie and Elizabeth all game long. Using superior conditioning and excellent teamwork, the Lady Knights just wore down their opponent. In the 19-11 victory, Emmy scored three points, snagged seven rebounds and caused several turnovers. Twice Emmy tracked down the dribbler from behind and punched the ball forward to a teammate for the turnover. She played her best game of the year. Much more aggressive on both ends of the court. Way to go, Emmy!





Westminster proved to be the most athletic team the girls have played this year. The Sumiton game toughened them up and showed that even when knocked around they won't get hurt. It should be pointed out that with Olivia gone to a lax tourney the Knights were able to play a very good game. With the win, the Lady Knights moved to 7-0 on the season. They will get next week off before resuming play the following week.


Good thing Bama did not need these against Ga. Southern. On Saturday, TSG was treated to attend the game with Rich, Bess and her buddy. I could get used to sitting in a skybox. Despite losing 45-21 to Alabama, 1-AA Georgia Southern managed to score the most points against the Crimson Tide so far this season.



Having a good week: Say whatever you want. Winning ugly. Not a real NFL QB. Whatever. Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow just keeps on winning. LA Dodgers superstar Matt Kemp just inked a $160 mil deal. Great player. Lousy team. Major League Baseball told Houston businessman Jim Crane it would not approve his purchase of the Houston Astros unless he agreed to move the team to the American League. He agreed. They will move to the AL for the 2013 season. This will allow for three five team divisions.

UD is very happy when swimming laps at the Y.


Not having a good week: The New York Times reports that Joe Paterno transferred full ownership of his house in State College to his wife for $1 "plus love & affection" back in July - just four months before the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal broke. JoePa cannot continue to play dumb to this situation. His legacy is going down the toilet at the speed of light. Coach Kevin Stallings insists he tried to warn his seventh-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores about Cleveland State. They sure didn't listen. Michigan State started out the regular season by taking on North Carolina in the Carrier Classic. They lost. A few days later they took on Duke in Madison Square Garden. The lost. Coach K won him 903rd game making him the all time winningest college hoops coach, passing his mentor Bob Knight. The two losses mark the first time in almost forty years where a team opended their seasons playing these two powerhouses. (NC State lost to these team in the mid-70s.) Despite the losses, Michigan State is a very good team and could win the NCAA tourney in March. Keep an eye on them. Tiger Woods & partner Steve Stricker tied a record for worst Presidents Cup loss ever, falling to Adam Scott (with ex-Woods caddie Steve Williams) & K.J. Choi.

Think things are bad right now at Ole Miss? Here is their mascot during the loss to La. Tech this past weekend. This was a week before Ole Miss was hammered by LSU.


Welcome to the SEC West Invitational. Now, a rematch seems almost unavoidable -- only there are now three possibilities, not two, and one of them hasn't even been played yet. They are: LSU-Alabama, Arkansas-Alabama or Arkansas-LSU. Wrap your mind around this: Alabama could be No. 1 in the BCS and not play in the SEC Championship Game. Alabama benefits in the BCS race by not going to Atlanta to try to win an SEC title, as counterintuitive as that sounds to the competitive instincts in sports. That's the BCS for you.

Did you catch the overtime game from Neyland? The last play of the game was a blown call by the refs, costing the Dores a chance to keep playing. Statement from Steve Shaw, SEC Coordinator of Officials concerning final play of Vanderbilt-Tennessee game

"On the last play of the Vanderbilt-Tennessee game, in overtime, the Tennessee defender intercepted the pass, his knee did not touch the ground and he returned the interception for a touchdown. During the play, the head linesman incorrectly ruled that the Tennessee player's knee was down when he intercepted the pass by blowing his whistle and giving the dead ball signal. The play was reviewed as if there was no whistle on the field and as a result, overturned the incorrect ruling. By rule, if there was a whistle blown, the play is not reviewable."

Yes, the Dores got jobbed, but they should only blame themselves. Too many dumb mistakes. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

Here is Lilly doing her version of Tebowing. I wonder what she is praying about.


Sid is busy preparing for the Holiday vocal concert.
Too many movies, too little time.
Don't eat too much turkey! Have a great week, everyone,
The Sports Guy

Ho hum, the Knights wum 2x.

Hey sportsfans,

During Tuesday after the Lady Knights continued their perfect season by defeating Oak Grove (minus their cheerleading troops and their their shooting guard) by a score of 35-11. Dressing only six healthy players put Oak Grove at an extreme disadvantage. Their best player rolled her ankle against the Lady Knights last week resulting in her being casted for a few weeks.



The Knights wasted no time racing to a 20-3 halftime lead. To make matters worse, two of the OG players fouled out in the third quarter. Emmy played down low in the first half and then point guard for several minutes in the fourth quarter when Coach Keith emptied the bench. With the win, the Lady Knights improved to 4-0 on the season.



This past week Sidney and Turner were awarded an excellence award for comedic dialogue in the Trumbauer Theatre Competition. Below is their medal. Nice job, Siddy!



During Thursday afternoon the Knights traveled to Briarwood seeking their fifth win of the season. Success. In the 24-16 victory, the Knights once again demonstrated their quickness and superior athletic ability. Although Briarwood had worked on beating the Knights press, Olivia, Emily and Elizabeth proved to be too strong of an opponent. Emmy jumped at center and played her best game of the season. Contributing four points, five rebounds and several steals, Em was quite pleased with her performance.






Having a good week: Duke defeated Presbyterian 96-55 to give coach Mike Krzyzewski his 902nd career victory, tying him with Bob Knight for most in Division I. Coach K can pass Knight with a win Tuesday night over Michigan State. Officials said Thursday they have found the vehicle used by armed men who abducted Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, a case that highlights a sharp rise in kidnappings in Venezuela. Thankfully Ramos was found safe two days later.

Having a not so good week: Penn State University and JoePa. What a shame. What a scandal. The very talented, but equally troubled pro golfer, John Daly, may have played his last tournament in Australia when he dunked seven balls in succession into the water on the par-five 11th hole and stormed off the course on Thursday. President Obama says that the NBA lockout is "killing" him, but added: "I'm not going to intercede. I've got some bigger fish to fry." Texas Tech's 66-6 loss to Oklahoma State set new Red Raiders all-time records for biggest margin of defeat & most points given up.

Sid is preparing to sing in a Holiday Vocal Show in a few weeks. Should be a fun.
Starting to get into a thankful mindset, for many reasons. Always. What are you thankful for?
Surprise in store for Thing 1 and Thing 2. First though, I'm testing to see if they read the WSU.
Be well and have a great week,everyone!
The Sports Guy

Candy, anyone? Lady Knights in control. Game of the Century, part 11? Dr. Walter H. Trumbauer.

Hey sportsfans,

Emily might have set a block record Monday with her haul of more than 500 pieces of candy. (Actually, I stopped counting after 37. It just looked like more than 500.) She does not know until reading this report that I took half of it to the office. Thanks Em! Sid aka Batgirl and Em the doctor had a big time trolling the neighborhoods with their buds.





Wednesday afternoon the Lady Knights played their second game of the year. This opponent was Brighton Middle. The Knights sprinted out to a comfortable lead in the first half and churned out another win. 26-15 was the final, but the score was not indicative of the how the game was played. Coach Keith has three girls on the team who have never played before. They are getting tons of experience during the games when the outcome has been determined. These three mean well. They play hard. They just need to learn to dribble before walking up court with the ball, to pass the ball to teammates and to catch the ball before it goes out of bounds. Little things.

Em played hard on defense against Brighton. She often was paired with a player three inches taller, but much less coordinated. This caused Em to improvise in adjusting her positioning, as the other player fell several times while trying to snag Emmy's jersey on the way down. Using deft dance moves, Emmy was able to avoid most of the intentional/unintentional contact. The win put the team at 2-0 for the season.

On Thursday the team took the season's longest road trip to Oak Grove, the lovely suburb of Hueytown. Fun drive. Not so much. If past history dictates, I'm pretty sure it is mandatory for Oak Grove female students to either play a sport or to be a cheerleader. Enrollment must be down at Oak Grove because only twenty-two cheerleaders dressed out for this most important match up. (This number is down from the 26 who dressed two years ago when Sid's team played OG.) Below is photo of some of the mass.



I question whether fundamentals of basketball have been stressed in this part of Jeffco. I have to assume that moving picks are encouraged in The Grove (as they call their little slice of heaven). Call it whatever it is, two of the OG players have perfected it. I thought Coach Keith was going to have a comeapart on the sidelines after witnessing these two players sliding in front of Olivia who was trying her best to defend their point guard. Almost like a Monty Python skit, it was sheer unintentional comic genius. Looking back twenty-four hours later, it is funny because the refs never called any type of foul or violation! Had the Lady Knights not been leading by sixteen points Coach Keith might have lost it on the sidelines.

While these moving screens were continuing to happen, Aarthi was ninja-like stealing countless lazy passes and converting them to easy buckets. Elizabeth contributed 8 points, including a three pointer. Em has several shot attempts but was cursed this game. Right now her defense is coming along more quickly than her shooting. I do not think her finger is an issue. Those shots will fall soon. With the 34-12 win, the team moves to 3-0. They take on Oak Grove and Briarwood next week.

This past Saturday morning, Sidney and a buddy participated in the Walter Trumbauer Theatre Competition in Alabaster at Thompson High School. The Drama Festival, started by Dr. Walter H. Trumbauer, was established in 1928. Hundreds of students from mid-state high schools participated offered many types of theatre performances. Great experience for those serious in the theatre arts. Sid and Turner performed a four minute serious dialogue. (I thought they were outstanding, but the judges never asked me.) As of press time they were still waiting for their final scores.



The Game of the Year. The Game of the Century. The Game of the Millennium. The Game of the Year of the Century of the Millennium. The Real National Championship. Round One. #1 vs. #2. Clash of the Titans. Every few years a so-called "Game of the Whatshappeningnow" is claimed by the sporting media. The Alabama-LSU clash has been hyped that way for the past several weeks. Movie stars (DeCaprio), famous athletes (Shaq, LeBron, Wade), musicians (tons of country music icons plus 'lil Wayne?!?!?) and politicians (Connie Rice among others) all were rumored to be in attendance in Bryant-Denny Stadium last night for the most anticipated regular season college football game in a long time.

LSU invaded Tuscaloosa Saturday night looking to hold onto to its number one ranking and establish the inside track to the National Championship game in New Orleans in early January. This game displayed the defensive prowess of the two best teams in the country. Yardage gains of ten yards or more were quite rare. Fans in the stands were holding their collective breathes all game. 3-3 at half. 6-6 at the end of regulation. 9-6 LSU's way in overtime. Bama's two interceptions and four missed field goals were too many errors to overcome. Unlike a Saban coached team. The Mad Hatter proved his critics wrong once again. Sometime soon folks are going take him more seriously.



Having a good week: Three days after the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series, Tony La Russa retired with 2,728 victories, third most among managers. In addition to Halloween celebrations, four of buddies - Aaron, Sam, Raquel and Lilly all celebrated big birthdays this week! Northwestern upset #9 (AP)/#10 (BCS) Nebraska 28-25 Saturday for the Wildcats' first-ever win in Lincoln. Matt Hayes of the Sporting News reports Missouri will be officially introduced as the SEC's 14th team sometime early next week.


Not having a good week: The Vanderbilt Commodores once again snatched a defeat from the hands of victory against Florida. Too many mental errors. As Coach Franklin says, "Only three conferences matter - AFC, NFC and the SEC." The Dores are improving and will knock off some big boys soon. The kickers for Bama missed four kicks Saturday night against LSU. Any of these kicks could have won it for the Tide and made them the number one team in the land. Lenny Dykstra has reportedly backed out of his scheduled boxing match against Jose Canseco tonight in Hollywood. Good thing. Jose would have pummeled him. Dippin' Dots, the well-known stadium concession snack & self-proclaimed "Ice Cream of the Future", has filed for bankruptcy.


Getting closer to Turkey Day. What are you thankful for? Me? Lots.
Swimming is my newest sport. Love it, just not the chlorine. Awesome goggles. No speedo.
What will be in store for the Iron Bowl in a few weeks?
Have a great week everyone!
The Sports Guy

James A. Naismith would be proud. Cards are champs. Game Day from Mesada? Booooooo!

Hey sportsfans,

The Lady Knights 7th-8th grades girls team first hoops game of the season was played on Thursday. The Lady Knights took on Briarwood up on the Hill. Some of the Lady Knight volleyballers are also on the hoops team. Olivia, Lizzie, Em, Katie, Molly, Lilly and Ashley took on some familiar Lions. Coach Keith had the girls ready to go. She stresses the fundamentals and gets the girls to perform at high levels. So glad she is a big part of Sid's and Em's lives. Such a positive influence.

Em's fractured finger did not seem to be an issue versus Briarwood while playing tough defense and chipping in a bucket. Led by Aarthi's 12 points and Olivia's 10, the Lady Knights cruised to a win, 38-16. Coach Keith's bread and bitter trapping defense is very hard for 12 and 13 year old point guards to break. Many turnovers lead to quick layups for the good guys.




Em looks to get more involved in the offense and scoring next game against Brighton. With Em and Co. playing hard for Coach Keith, it's going to be tough to beat this bunch.

Are the St. Louis Cardinals the most improbable World Series Champs ever? Coming from 10.5 games back in August, and twice being down to their last strike in Game 6, the Can-Do Cards provided some entertaining postseason dramatics. Puma, The Machine, Vowels and Hometown Hero Freese were just too much for Ron Washington's crew. What a fun seven games. Game 6 might be the best of all-time, as the Cards scored in each of the last four innings to keep the game going before Freese hit a bomb to win it. Yogi Berra on Game 6: "I always say it ain't over til it's over, but that one should've been over a while ago." Variety reported that Game 7 drew 23.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched baseball game since 2004. Only 107 days until pitchers and catchers report. I can't wait!

Uncle Rob celebrated The Tide's off-week at Masada.


Old Baker Farm and Halloween memories:

Having a great week: Did you see the video of paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand leading the Scarlet Knights onto the field before Saturday's game against West Virginia? Awesome. Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has agreed to a six-year, $59 million contract extension with $24 million guaranteed. Not bad for the former Havard QB. The NCAA passed legislation allowing Division I student athletes up to $2,000 more in financial aid, while requiring teams to have at least a 50% graduation rate in order to compete in the post-season including football bowl games.

Not having a great week: The Vanderbilt Commodores blew it. They had a chance to knock off #10 Arkansas, but they gave it away. There are no moral victories. They blew it. Cannot expect to win if you fumble in the redzone and miss a chipshot field goal. Not happy. Arkansas' Marquel Wade was ejected from Saturday's game against Vanderbilt after hitting punt returner Jonathan Krause early & then celebrating about it. Really not happy. Yesterday's 24-20 defeat to Georgia has given the the Florida Gators their first four-game losing streak since 1988 & their first winless October since 1979.

Several fun birthdays this week. Happy birthday to Sam, Raquel, Lilly and others!
Is Halloween over yet?
Looking forward to the time change.
Have a great week everyone!
The Sports Guy