Atlanta Braves
Pitcher John Smotz is no longer with the Atlanta Braves. They didn’t do right by him in their contract offer and let him escape to the Boston Red Sox.
They shouldn’t have let him go. Granted he’s in the twilight of his years, but he is a guaranteed future Hall of Famer. And, he’s been with the Braves as long as I can remember.
The Braves just aren’t the Braves without John Smotz.
Hula Bowl
Hawaii’s premier college football all-star game is nowhere to be seen after 62 years. It’s apparently dead and gone.
That’s too bad. But having said that, I have to confess that I hadn’t been to a Hula Bowl since the mid-‘70s when Heisman Trophy winner Charlie White didn’t play and apologized to the fans in attendance before the start of the game.
There was a time when it was the only game in town – except for high school games and the pitiful University of Hawaii – and the stadiums (Honolulu Stadium, AKA the “Termite Palace” and Aloha Stadium were packed. They moved it to Maui for a couple of years. That was a disaster; who wants to go to Maui for a football game anyway?
Aloha, Hula Bowl. RIP.
Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Championship
The Florida Gators beat the Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 Thursday in a game that only came to life toward the end. What a boring game THAT turned out to be.
For their accomplishment, the Florida Gators were crowned BCS champions, and deservedly so. They had a great season, working their way up to #2 and the right to face #1 Oklahoma in the championship game.
But the BCS system controversy rages on. Honolulu Advertiser sports columnist Ferd Lewis echoed my heretofore unarticulated thoughts this morning:
It really settled only one thing: the Gators were better finishers than Oklahoma last night.
But as for certifying a true, honest-to-goodness national championship? P-l-e-a-s-e. All it did was whet the appetite for what should be the next game in an eight- or even 16-team playoff.
Our vote in The Associated Press media poll went to Florida – narrowly – over Utah and USC, but we’d have no quibble for anyone who voted for any of the others. The Gators might very well be the BCS champions and the best team in the land, but national champions? Not yet.
And that’s exactly what I think.
2 comments:
I've always been told if you can't say something nice about somebody, don't say anything ... so, I'll hold my tongue on this comment:
"The Gators might very well be the BCS champions and the best team in the land, but national champions? Not yet."
I wonder if the Braves GM will show his face at that banquet we are attending. He might get booed. Smoltz was definitely ready to be pitching again. The GM had no interest in watching Smoltz throw. The Red Sox saw him on video and jumped at the chance to have him. If you get a chance, read the blogs on the Atlanta Journal Constitution website. A lot of anger.
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