2008 Woodie Awards
Great time of year for sports fans
From the Sox, to college and pro football, there is a little comething for everyone
Danny Sheridan
Issue date: 10/28/05 Section: Sports
What more could a sports fan want than what is going on right now in both the pro and college ranks?
Okay, as a supporter of both the Cubs and the University of Illinois football team, I could think of ways the sports scene could be better right now for me personally. But on both the local and national levels, the past few days, weeks and months have yielded some moments that will be remembered for all time.
Since the Cardinals and Astros are two of my least favorite baseball teams, the National League Championship Series was something I watched with an unbiased eye. When Astros closer Brad Lidge took the mound ahead two runs in the ninth inning of game five Monday, I figured the series was over and the stupid Astros had beaten the stupid Cardinals to play the stupid White Sox in the World Series. Lidge proceeded to strike out the first two batters he faced and get two strikes on Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein, and I got ready to turn the tv to Monday Night Football.
But then Eckstein poked a single into left field and proceeded to steal second base without a throw. Lidge then walked Jim Edmonds, meaning superstar Albert Pujols came to the plate as the go-ahead run. Having watched generations of Cubs "sluggers" come up in these situations and usually pop out to short or something, I thought, "No way this could happen." But Lidge threw Pujols an 0-1 slider that didn't slide, and Pujols connected for a mammoth home run to put the Cardinals ahead.
Though they trails 3-2 in the series, the Cards nonetheless got to return home for the chance to face perhaps the postseason's biggest story, the White Sox, in the series. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim can cry all they want about some of the calls in the ALCS, most notably the dropped third strike that allowed A.J. Pierzynski to reach base and eventually led to the winning run coming home in game two, but the fact is that they were no match for the Sox's starting pitching. Jose Contreras, the hero of my first-place fantasy team this season, also came up big, pitching two complete games as the Sox used their relief pitchers for only two-thirds of an inning (two-thirds of an inning!) the entire series. Considering the Cubs "aces" like Kerry Wood usually can't make it through two-thirds of an inning by themselves, I was pretty impressed by the efforts of the Sox staff.
Outside of baseball, USC and Notre Dame played one of the greatest football games of all time, with the Trojans winning a 34-31 classic. The Irish led late, but Matt Leinart completed a 61-yard pass to Dwayne Jarrett and then ran in for a touchdown from the one to help USC complete the stunner. It was just a part of an exciting weekend of college ball, with Alabama holding off Mississippi, 13-10, LSU knocking off Florida, 21-17, Oregon St. upsetting Cal, 23-20, and Michigan ending Penn St.'s perfect run with a 27-25 win.
With hockey and basketball just starting up, the Bears in first place, the Sox in the World Series, and most Lewis fall sports teams starting to wind down their seasons, everyone with an interest in sports can find something to get into right now. You don't necessarily have to change your allegiances, but it's still a great time for any sports fan to just enjoy what is going on, especially if it deals with the Cardinals or the Astros losing.
Okay, as a supporter of both the Cubs and the University of Illinois football team, I could think of ways the sports scene could be better right now for me personally. But on both the local and national levels, the past few days, weeks and months have yielded some moments that will be remembered for all time.
Since the Cardinals and Astros are two of my least favorite baseball teams, the National League Championship Series was something I watched with an unbiased eye. When Astros closer Brad Lidge took the mound ahead two runs in the ninth inning of game five Monday, I figured the series was over and the stupid Astros had beaten the stupid Cardinals to play the stupid White Sox in the World Series. Lidge proceeded to strike out the first two batters he faced and get two strikes on Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein, and I got ready to turn the tv to Monday Night Football.
But then Eckstein poked a single into left field and proceeded to steal second base without a throw. Lidge then walked Jim Edmonds, meaning superstar Albert Pujols came to the plate as the go-ahead run. Having watched generations of Cubs "sluggers" come up in these situations and usually pop out to short or something, I thought, "No way this could happen." But Lidge threw Pujols an 0-1 slider that didn't slide, and Pujols connected for a mammoth home run to put the Cardinals ahead.
Though they trails 3-2 in the series, the Cards nonetheless got to return home for the chance to face perhaps the postseason's biggest story, the White Sox, in the series. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim can cry all they want about some of the calls in the ALCS, most notably the dropped third strike that allowed A.J. Pierzynski to reach base and eventually led to the winning run coming home in game two, but the fact is that they were no match for the Sox's starting pitching. Jose Contreras, the hero of my first-place fantasy team this season, also came up big, pitching two complete games as the Sox used their relief pitchers for only two-thirds of an inning (two-thirds of an inning!) the entire series. Considering the Cubs "aces" like Kerry Wood usually can't make it through two-thirds of an inning by themselves, I was pretty impressed by the efforts of the Sox staff.
Outside of baseball, USC and Notre Dame played one of the greatest football games of all time, with the Trojans winning a 34-31 classic. The Irish led late, but Matt Leinart completed a 61-yard pass to Dwayne Jarrett and then ran in for a touchdown from the one to help USC complete the stunner. It was just a part of an exciting weekend of college ball, with Alabama holding off Mississippi, 13-10, LSU knocking off Florida, 21-17, Oregon St. upsetting Cal, 23-20, and Michigan ending Penn St.'s perfect run with a 27-25 win.
With hockey and basketball just starting up, the Bears in first place, the Sox in the World Series, and most Lewis fall sports teams starting to wind down their seasons, everyone with an interest in sports can find something to get into right now. You don't necessarily have to change your allegiances, but it's still a great time for any sports fan to just enjoy what is going on, especially if it deals with the Cardinals or the Astros losing.
