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The official arrival of fall brings with it little excitement over leaves changing colors for the average sports fan. Rather, the pleasure is garnered from the plethora of athletic events that the season brings. No more “dog days” of summer where Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter are virtually the same show; football has arrived to rescue us. Three weeks ago the gridiron was brought back to life and so far has failed to disappoint. Along with the return of the NFL and college football, fall also means the return of playoff baseball. So here, once again, is another installment of considerations as we enter a tense month of intriguing sports competition.
Thank you sir, may I have another: Last weekend’s Ryder Cup competition brought with it promise of the Americans regaining bragging rights in the world of golf. The trophy would be brought back – and won – on U.S. soil for the first time in six years. A first day pairing of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson was supposed to kick-start a lackluster American side. The super duo was defeated, two and one, to an inferior European tandem of Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington, foreshadowing the impending trouble the Americans would have over the rest of the weekend.
The red, white and blue would never regain confidence, looking like a group of selfish individuals juxtaposed to the camaraderie and enthusiasm of their European counterparts. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way at the 35th Ryder Cup. The U.S. suffered its worst loss in the tournament’s 77-year history – 18.5 to 9.5 – and has dropped four of the last five, and seven of the last ten meetings. Perhaps there is a team element in golf competition, which is something the Americans clearly lacked this past weekend in Bloomfield Township, Michigan.
Hit it here, Ichiro! Jerry Rice’s consecutive games with a reception streak ended at 274 on Sunday, and Barry Bonds won’t surpass Hammerin’ Hank Aaron’s 755 milestone until 2005. It’s time though for us to embrace the Japanese sensation that is Ichiro.
As of Wednesday afternoon – after going five-for-five Tuesday night against the Anaheim Angels – Ichiro is 14 hits shy of tying the single season record of 257 held by George Sisler. That’s 14 hits in 12 remaining games, a stat Ichiro can amass in his sleep. He’s also batting an astronomical .372, running away with the league batting title, and has hit more singles in a season than anyone in history. The hit record would be Ichiro’s second tally in the record books this season. He remains the lone bright spot on an otherwise despondent Seattle Mariners team.
Dream on: Stuart Scott – you’re fired. The return of ESPN’s Dream Job is proof cable television cannot resist the urge to join the reality TV sensation. The sports station does fine with everything else, why puncture their programming content with that trash? Besides, when was the last time Mike Hall – last year’s Dream Job winner – made an appearance behind a studio desk? Exactly.
So long for now.
