Happy Holiday of Consumption!

Abject gluttony and a campaign of subjugation of Native Americans is always cause for celebration! That's dynamic duo is what makes Thanksgiving my favorite holiday. Throw in Texas - Texas A&M, good times with family, and a little Jewish guilt for all the people who don't have as much to be thankful for, and you have the makings of a perfect day of festivities. Therefore, I offer to you and all the readers a safe, happy, and joyous Thanksgiving.

But of course, we here at SLAE do tend to be sports-centric and, frankly, it ain't going to be a happy Thanksgiving if things don't go well starting at 7:00 pm tonight. So let's look at this game from a couple of different angles.

A&M's strength (to the extent it is "strong") is its offense. Jerrod is a legitimate athlete and a passable quarterback (get it, "passable"?). The Fightin' Sherminators have two quality running backs in Cyrus Gray and the male incarnation of "Christine." Unfortunately for the Farmers, defense is the strength of this Texas team, and I don't think the A&M offense can operate as efficiently as Kansas's did last week. Really, it was Reesing's quality decision-making that lead to an abnormal number of yards given up by the Horns' defense, and I don't see Johnson being that smart with the football. In the spirit of the fascist Aggies, I could go all "Radio" here and make a racist comment about stupid black QB's, but I'm going to resist. Really. I am.

The Aggies defense is hot garbage that has been sitting in a Houston garage for a month. In July. Which is to say it stinks. From what I read, their only quality is in pass-rushing end Von Miller. Unfortunately, our OL was flaccid like after 5 whiskies (not that I know what that's like) last week. I think we have to expect Colt to get hit some, and that could lead to the only thing that will keep A&M in the game: turnovers. If the Aggy D can get the ball back and create some short fields, anything can happen. Unfortunately, I think this does happen and A&M will get some points out of it.

In the end, though, I don't see Colt letting this team lose this game. Rivalry or not, I am not willing to imagine a Thanksgiving that involves a loss to A&M, the end of out National championship run, and my father-in-law bitching about losing his bets and the games being fixed. I refuse to think of this end. Therefore, we will focus on the positives.

In true holiday fashion, I will end this post by saying I am thankful for my family (including my gestating child), good friends both old and new, and for not being unemployed this Scroogish holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Return of the Evil Empire

Well, we've had about a week to digest the return of the New York Yankees to the summit of Mount MLB. To this writer, the Yankees winning the World Series is akin to the zombies killing the teenage skinny dippers in a horror flick (and right before the nude scene, no less), or the passage of Pelosi/Obama-care. Not unexpected, but disappointing and anti-climactic. Combine the Yankees win with the end of baseball season, and your faithful author has been in a bit of a sports funk (and Texas's beatdown of the University of Central Florida didn't quite fit the adernaline bill).

But the Yankees' win also got me to do something George Steinbrenner no longer can -- think. (And yes, I am going straight to Hell for that particular comment). Is the reascenscion of the Yankees good for baseball? Or is it a sign of exactly what Houston Astros fans have long lamented -- that the big market clubs can buy a championship while Uncle Drayton has to content himself with sippin' on moonshine and throwin' rocks in the pond?

Like the good Jew that I am, I have mixed feelings on the subject. Statistically speaking, there is not a lot of evidence to support the theory that the big market clubs have a dynamic advantage. Something like 20 different teams have made the playoffs in the last 10 years, coming from a range of markets. This would suggest that wise-spending, talent-oriented teams from "small" markets can still succeed. But that tingling in your gut is not the unpleasant rise of last night's dinner, its the realization that -- at the heart of the matter -- probably 25 out of 30 teams don't have a realistic chance of winning at the start of any given year.

So what's more accurate, the numbers or the intuition. My sense is, like so much, the answer lies somewhere in between. Small market teams with owners who don't worry about turning a profit (which, realistically, is not what owning a sports team is really about), can win. They could spend far more than they do, and have a significantly improved chance of prevailing. But the economic realities (i.e. there is so much money in play) suggest that owners are going to be guided by the finances before (and above) winning.

All this is a roundabout way of saying that something needs to be done about baseball salaries for the good of the game. While I am usually the first to stand at the the front of the capitalist, laissez faire line, in this instance I think that the collective good might be best for each individual club. Think of the increased revenue if even half the after-thought teams had diligent followings past the All-Star Break. Baseball has no seasonal competition for much of the year, and yet is in great danger of becoming gerrymandered into a sport of the northeastern coordinator (and St. Louis). In this case, could a rising tide raise all boats?

Or maybe I should just stop drinking for the night.

Oh, and go Dodgers!

Success; But Are We Satisfied?

Texas thoroughly demolished a team that, as my emails during the game can attest, worried me as a real thorn in the run to the Roses. The defensive performance was one of the best I have seen out of a Texas squad, and, for me, solidifies Muschamp as a certified coaching stud. All that had been lacking on that side of the ball was the ability to make game changing turnovers, and that notion was thrown out the window with a vengeance last night.

So I wake up this morning, sit down at the computer, and the pregnant Mrs. Neurotic Fan asks if I am going to pen a masterpiece for SLAE. To that, I respond that I don't feel inspired. And that says something, I think, about this victory and this team. A thorough working over of Okie Lite would normally inspire all sorts of hyperbole in this Texas observer. But this particular Cowboy pounding (and boy does that sound wrong) was like something delivered by a $3 hooker working above the local saloon. Efficient, straightforward, direct and without airs. The proper end was achieved, but in no way does it feel as though work is done.

I tend to believe that the attitude of the fanbase is generally a good reflection of the attitude of the Horns. One of Mack's shortcomings (or perhaps it is an unintended consequence of his style) is a decision to acknowledge and address the perceptions and expectations that surround this program. Whether consciously or unconsciouslly, Mack's attempts to identify and diffuse the pressures of being Texas football can have effect of infusing Texas teams with the general tenor of the fans (and vice versa).

If I'm correct, I think this year's Horns are in a good position. I know I come out of this game unsatisfied. Not with the performance, which was excellent in many respects, but with the state of the season. There is very little about this year that leaves me with a sense of complacency, and that is essential in a game in which every week can make or break the season. In 2005, complacency set in after the OU game. That team was so good offensively that there was a sense we were playing at 75% for most of the season and were still able to win. However, the 75% almost bit that team in the ass in College Station that year, and only VY's dominance and the Greatest Moment Ever allowed the team to reach their ultimate goal.

This year, there doesn't seem room for slacking. Yes, the defense has been dominant; but that has been a by-product of intense effort on a weekly basis, and lots of work by Muschamp -- not sheer dominance by athletic gods. The offense's shortcomings have been well-documented, and will require weekly preparation, adjustment, focus, and, in some cases, muddling-through. Together, the need for constant work from this team on a week to week basis will make them better and should help us avoid the potential pratfalls that remain on our schedule.

This is a strange position for Texas and a strange position for me. Is this what optimism feels like???

A Question for the Masses

And by "the masses," I of course mean my co-blogger. And perhaps the Lone Reader, should he be reading (though after the Epic Fail of Matt Holiday I don't anticipate many visits to this site by Lone Reader). And I welcome any contribution from The Law Clerk New To Burnt Orange ("TLCNTBO") should she feel compelled to visit. But other than that, its basically just you.

So, on to the question: Was Greg Davis's offensive game plan as putrid as (1) it seemed on TV; and (2) its being described by fellow bloggers throughout the interwebs? I'll confess that I don't know enough to decide if it was bad game planning by GD, lack of offensive talent at the WR and RB positions, or total fucking meltdown along the offensive line, that was the cause of our offensive struggles. I am curious what it looked like from inside the Cotton Bowl.

Thoughts?

What Happened Here?

Soul-crushing. Gut wrenching. Mind blowing. These are phrases that leap to mind as I try to put into words last night's Dodgers loss.

Quickly following these phrases are questions: How does Broxton walk Matt freaking Stairs on four pitches with 1 out and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth? How does he hit Carlos Ruiz with a pitch? Do the Dodgers just lack the killer instinct necessary to put a team away in the playoffs? Is this series over and, if so, will this Dodgers core ever win or do they lack some necessary element that needs to be obtained before the core is broken up by free agency? Will my head explode as I continue to hear Chip Carey fellate the Phillies throughout Game 5?

Baseball is, at its core, a game of failure. In that respect, as a baseball fan I should be insulated from these types of losses. But this feels like the failure of a Dodgers era -- call it the post-Gibson era. With so many hopes pinned on the young Dodgers stars, watching them crater in such a magnificent fashion (lead by, arguably, the best of them) undercuts not just this season but the whole theory behind this team. Some teams have that "winner" element that allows them to succeed in the most pressure packed, intense situations. It goes beyond the ability to relax (which Torre stresses so much) and treads into a combination of urgency and serenity that is typically referred to as confidence (though I don't think that captures it). I am starting to wonder if this iteration of the Dodgers has it. The inability to put away the division when it mattered. The epic failures of last year and this year against the Phillies. The season-long tendency to play down to their opponent. All these facts suggest this team embraces failure a bit too much and lacks "It."

There are lots of "X's and O's" issues that could be discussed about this game. Ted Barrett's umpiring giving Ryan Howard 4 strikes before his 1st inning home run. The Dodgers leaving the bases loaded after tying the game with 2 outs. The inability to get to the horrible Phillies bullpen for an insurance run or two. Sherrill's struggles in the 8th that lead Torre to call to Broxton an inning early (and for him to sit for 18 minutes while the Dodgers batted in the top of the 9th). Baseball turns on these things. But such discussions seem hollow when the soul of this Dodgers team seems crushed.

Some day, I hope, my baby girl will become a sports fan. I will sit with her watching our favorite teams and try to teach her what there is to love about grown men playing meaningless games for our entertainment, and will attempt to give her the passion that makes sports great without the fanaticism that makes losing so hard. And she and I will, at some point, have to face a game like last night. Then, as today, I will not know what to say.

Thank god the 'Horns won.

Penny's Prognostication

First off, and let me get this out of the way, I apologize for the horrible title of this post. That is really, really awful. I just can't resist a good alliteration (or even a bad one).

Baseball is an especially hard sport to handicap. Unlike football or even basketball, so much of the outcome in baseball is dependent on circumstance, fate, chance, or plain luck. In football, plays are highly coordinated, and control of the ball is prized almost beyond all else. The team's ability to execute the plan effectively is the most important element of victory. In basketball, athletic ability reigns above all else. If you can run faster, jump higher, or shoot better, you're likely to win. Baseball is the only sport in which, once it leaves the pitchers hand, the ball is largely out of human control for much of the dispositive duration of the play. When you are attempting to hit a round ball with a round bat squarely, you're happy enough to make solid contact without worrying about where the ball travels after you hit it.

The difference between winning and losing can come down to whether the ball travels 100 feet or 150 feet, is four inches to the left or right, or if an idiot fan reaches over the fence and catches a sure out. With that much luck involved, picking which team is going to prevail -- especially over a short series -- is nearly impossible. Yet we at SLAE are never ones to back down from a challenge, so I am going to make some predictions and comments.

AL Series
Yanks over Twins in 4
No commentary needed.

Angels over Red Sox in 5
I think this pick is as much because the Red Sox aren't themselves as that I like the Angels. Papi is not the same as he has been in prior postseasons, and, frankly, neither are the Sox since Manny left. Plus, I don't think you can count on the Sox pitching to dominate the small ball lineup of the Angels. I think the Sox lose to the Angels at their own game.

NL Series

Rockies over Phillies in 5
I will follow this paragraph with a totally contradictory and hypocritical discussion of how momentum doesn't matter, but I think the Rockies are playing too well to lose to the Phils. Lee and Hamels have limped down the stretch, the lineup is not performing as impressively as last year's championship lineup, and the Rockies have more ways to win games than the Phils. That said, I think these teams are very evenly matched. Losing De La Rosa could actually swing this series in the Phils favor.

Dodgers v. Cardinals
I don't buy the standard argument that the Dodgers are dead in the water because of their last week. All year, this team has played to the level of its competition, and losing to Washington, Pitts and S.D. in the last week is not that surprising in light of that fact. Further, the Cardinals have actually had a worse September and October than the Dodgers, so that argument cuts both ways.

I do, however, buy the argument that this is not the same Dodgers team as showed up in the first half and ran up such a gaudy record. The Dodgers were at their best when O-Dog was getting on base, Blake was hitting homeruns, and there were no "easy" outs in the lineup 1-8. Since just before the All-Star break, Hudson and Martin (who looks exactly like Turtle from Entourage) have basically been guaranteed outs, and Furcal's improvement has not been enough to offset Hudson's decline. Now we are starting Belliard in Hudson's place, and I think its safe to say he is a total mystery on whom we cannot count for performance. Blake has reverted to his decidedly average form, and Loney's improvement is not enough to offset that lost performance. All in all, there are outs to be had in this lineup, and the Cardinals are the type of team that knows how to get those outs and make the most out of them.

Now, anything can happen if Kemp/Ethier/Manny get hot, but they have only been tepid for the past month, which leaves this team exactly where it has been for the past month, about a .500 team.

The Cards, on the other hand, do lots of little things well. I swear Brendan Ryan's defense won at least 2 games against the Dodgers this year. Their pitchers pitch to contact and still get outs. They don't rely too heavily on their bullpen. While their offense can still disappear at times, I don't feel like the Dodgers pitchers know how to make the most of the outs in the Cardinals lineup. The loss of the first-half version of Billingsley really hurts this team, since he was a guy that was able to dominate a game on any given day.

In short, to win any game the Dodgers need either (1) a dominant performance from their starter or (2) a dominant offensive performance. I think the Cardinals are exactly the type of team that does not give up dominant offensive performances or permit dominant performances by opposing starters. That does not bode well for the Penny household

Cards in 4.

Seasons

There are moments in the cycle of life that encourage one to stop, reflect, and enjoy their implicit wonder. Perhaps it is the turning of the seasons from Summer to Fall (can't you tell, its only 90 with 90% humidity out), perhaps it is the pending arrival of a child that makes one feel very mortal, or perhaps it is the end of the daily grind of baseball's regular season and the "beginning" of conference play in college football.

This year presents a confluence of all these occurrences for me, and that has made me somewhat introspective. How lucky are we to have arrived at this time of the year? A week of fall rain has saved me mucho energy and $$ spent on watering my lawn. We are closer to the arrival of my (as yet unnamed) baby girl than we are to the date of her conception. The crucial stretch begins for the Horns this week (though hopefully Colorado does not prove to be a worthy opponent). The Dodgers have (finally, exhaustingly) clinched the West and move on to the glorious playoffs (there is nothing better than playoff baseball). To top it off, they will face the Cardinals first, renewing one of the great MLB rivalries of all-time and stoking the flames of hatred between yours truly and the Lone Reader.

And, if I may, Summer and Fall are acting very Spring-like for my co-author, bringing a renewal and rejuvenation of sorts.

There will be opportunity for preview and predictions before Wednesday's first game. Certainly, my sanguine mood will be replaced by a surly, pessimistic gloom as the prospect of Carpenter/Wainwright/Piniero v. Wolf/Kershaw/??? grows closer. But for now, let's just enjoy a day of calm, reflection, and happiness for all.

Except for OU. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!