The Chicago White Sox are the AL Central Champions after an improbable run. After being swept by the Twins and losing the division lead less than a week ago, Ozzie Guillen and the White Sox looked to be headed down the same path as the NY Mets.
However, Guillen and the White Sox regrouped and became the first team in MLB history to win the final three games of the season against 3 different opponents.
The White Sox are indeed the AL Central Champs, basically being placed in a one game playoff against 3 different AL Central opponents-the Indians, Tigers and finally knocking off the first place Twins 1-0.
John Danks put in an epic performance, throwing 8 shutout innings on 3 days rest. Jim Thome drove in the only run of the game with a solo homerun in the seventh inning.
And Ken Griffey Jr. showed he still is a gamer, throwing out Michael Cuddyer at the plate on a sacrifice fly in the fifth. This is Griffey's first post season since 1997 when he was still with Seattle.
Some may argue the one game playoff because the Twins won the regular season series against Chicago 10-8. Does the regular season not matter? What's even worse, Chicago was awarded home field on a coin flip! I can see why Minnesota fans are crying "bloody murder!"
So for the first time since 1906, both the White Sox and Cubs are in the post season together. The White Sox went on to beat the Cubs in the last "Second City Series."
I can't believe I had never been to Athens, Georgia before. I made my first trip last week and man! was it worth it. The place is heaven on earth! Girls outnumber the guys at least 3-1.
And for the Blackout, black dresses have never looked so good. You would think everyone was going to a party or a club. But no, a football game!
I got to hand to 'em. They do it right in the south. And I don't know what they put in the water down there, but the south easily takes the claim to the most beautiful girls in the USA. And I've been all over the country.
Don't believe me? Think I'm being biased? Go to an SEC football game and you'll want to kill your parents for not raising you in the south and then you'll kick yourself for not choosing an SEC school for college. Yes! It's that good.
I have never seen a dog more popular than Georgia's mascot, Uga. If you walked around campus with this dog, you would be surrounded by every female you crossed.
On a serious note, if you haven't heard, there's a major fuel crisis in the south. Most gas stations are completely out of fuel. If you do find gas, you'll probably have to wait a good 20 minutes and the most they'll let you pump is $20 worth. Pretty scary.
It's been well over a week since Hurricane Ike blew through Southwest Texas. I was basically stranded out of town for a week. The airports were closed, downtown was closed. A lot of schools are opening back up this week.
Ike lit up Houston in the surrounding area. Water front towns like Galveston and Kemah may never recover. There's still nearly a million people without power.
I remember living in NYC during the blackout of 2003. We barely survived a day without power. Many have gone more than ten days now without electricity. Imagine. No TV, no computer, no laundry, no cooking. All your basic needs are pretty much wiped out. Two blocks from where I live the street lights are still out. I just tried to get gas a few hours ago and the Shell across the street is out of fuel.
I know most of the country didn't feel the effects of Ike like people in Houston, but it was devastating.
I good friend of mine just got power back on Sunday! Wow! They made the most of it. A neighbor down the street had a generator and rolled out the big screen TV for Monday Night Football. My friend brought the grill down the street and the entire neighborhood grilled out and watched football. Many of these people had never met before. Ike has already but a dent in the economy and just when it seemed like gas prices were starting to fall, many places in the South are running out of fuel.
Sunday night was probably the most emotional night for me when it comes to sports. Watching the final game at Yankee Stadium brought chills and tears.
I still can't believe they played a final game at the Cathedral of all sports.
It was bittersweet with the final game being played in the regular season. No October baseball for the finale.
After 13 consecutive postseason trips, Yankees have failed to make the playoffs. Many storied franchises, like the Cincinnati Reds, haven't made the playoffs 13 times in their entire history. The last time the Yankees were not in the postseason, Sammy Sosa had 69 career homeruns.
Living in NYC, I was so fortunate to have been able to spend a good portion of my time at Yankee Stadium. It was my second home in New York. It will always have a huge place in my heart. I don't even know if I'll be able to watch the Yankees' home opener next year.
For 85 years sports history was made inside Yankee Stadium-some of the biggest moments in all of sports. The greatest athletes have played in Yankee Stadium. And most of all, the best fans in all of sports have embraced the Yankee tradition.
The Yankees sold out! There was no structural damage to Yankee Stadium. The organization sold out to greed. They wanted more money, as if they already didn't have enough. Next year, the Yankees will move across the street into the house that greed built. It will be a place for the wealthy, the type of people who don't even care to sit down and watch a nine inning game. The new stadium will be somewhat of an amusement park.
That's a huge slap in the face to the greatest sports franchise ever.
Derek Jeter's post game speech was a class act. Did you expect anything less from Mister Class Act himself? He thanked the fans most of all, calling them the greatest in all of sports. He was dead on. He told them to bring the memories from the old stadium across the street to the new one.
The only problem, I bet most of these loyal fans will not be able to afford to attend the amount of games they're accustomed to.
As for Jeter? He is one of the best all around baseball players in this era. The last couple of years many consider him over rated. For anyone to call Jeter over rated is pure jealousy. The guy has batted over .400 this September. He will probably bat at least .300 for the tenth time in his career.
Not many have shined brighter on the biggest stage than Jeter. Don't hate on him. People love to hate Jeter because he's everything any man wished he could be. He's a winner. He's good looking. He's dated countless celebrity babes. He's never cast a negative shadow.
It was great to see all the old time Yankees in attendance during the pregame ceremony. To hear Bob Sheppard's voice over the PA, the abundance of camera flashes that came with every pitch, seeing the entire stadium filled to capacity nearly an hour after the final out.
Yankee Stadium was more than something special. It was a landmark, it was a home, it was and is now history. Tearing down Yankee Stadium is absurd. It's like tearing down the Brooklyn Bridge or Statue of Liberty.
And it was epic to see Mariano Rivera walk out of the bullpen one last time. That may be the single lasting memory I will always keep close to my heart. That walk is impossible to be duplicated. Rivera walking in from the bullpen just will not seem right in the new stadium.
No one can take the memories and history away. However, history does not move across the street. History will remain in the same spot that will someday become an everyday city park.
So after 85 years, the greatest show on Broadway closed the curtain for good.
Final Homerun: Jose Molina
Final RBI: Robinson Cano
Final Hit: Jason Giambi
Final Winning Pitcher: Andy Pettitte
Final Out: Brian Roberts
Last Pitcher on the mound: Mariano Rivera
Just when you thought the NFL couldn't be more unpredictable...the Miami Dolphins tidal wave into Foxboro and hand the Patriots there worse loss ever in Gillette Stadium. Wining for just the second time in their last 22 games, the Dolphins pounded, dismantled the team of the century-the Tom Bradyless New England Patriots.
Joey Porter ran his mouth, and you can bet Bill Parcells wasn't too happy. But Porter became the second Patriots' opponent in their last 4 games to not back down and call out the Pats, back his talk and beat them. Of course we all remember Plaxico Burress.
Honestly, I'm not overly surprised Miami beat New England. I had the Dolphins covering the 12 1/2 point spread. I am surprised about the ass whooping! And dam! I loved every bit about it.
And the most surprising part of the woodshed beat down? Bill Belichick's mastermind not being able to stop a college formation. Not once, not twice, not thrice, but five freakin times! Ronnie Brown is basically the only scoring threat on Miami's team. Who else did you think was going to get the ball?
And I couldn't help but think this offense was so familiar. Of course! How soon can we forget the Arkansas Razorbacks going into LSU's Death Valley on the last week of the regular season and at the time knocking out LSU's title hopes with the offensive overtime thriller.
Darren McFadden ring a bell? How about David Lee? David Lee was was the offensive coordinator for that Arkansas team that dismantled one of the nation's quickest defense. And now Lee is the quarterback's coach for the Dolphins. What a brilliant game plan!
And I still can't believe the Dolphins pulled it off 5 times!
Ronnie Brown was the star of the show finishing with 113 yards on 17 rushes, 4 rushing TD's and 1 passing TD. If you're scoring at home, that's roughly 40-50 fantasy points for one player! The funny thing? Probably half of the fantasy owners with Brown failed to start him!
I'm sure we can expect to see this "Razorback" formation more often down the road for the Dolphins and in the NFL overall. Maybe the Raiders are taking notes. JaMarcus Russell and Darren McFadden running this offense could be lethal.
I'm sure everyone's saying, "We've seen it now. We can figure out how to stop it." But the formation is a triple threat. Brown showed he can run the direct snap, pass the ball, or even hand the ball off. It's shown that with the right talent, the "Razorback" can confuse even the most talented defenses.
Way to go Miami! Finally something for Dolphans to cheer about and now a little hope for the rest of the season.
Week 2 of College Gameday was another smashing success.
Gainesville-SEC country! Miami Hurricanes at the Florida Gators, big time college football.
It's called the swamp for a reason-It's hot, muggy and bugs constantly in your face.
Don't worry. It doesn't keep Gainesville finest from coming out. I love those sun dresses.
Saturday night's Gator victory was the first over Miami since 1985. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium recorded a sell out crowd of 90,833.
I'll tell you one thing, Miami will be good again. Their roster is loaded with freshmen and sophomores. And man these guys are freakin huge!
Watching the Canes during warmups I was thinking-dam! They must driven the bus from the local penitentiary and dropped the convicts off right at the swamp. Some of these guys are flat out scary! I can only imagine the headaches these guys give their coaching staff.
