Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Bold Prediction of America Decides '08

First, I'm not even going to touch the post directly below. I agree, but I'm not even going to touch it.



I've tried to keep this blog politics free-it's become harder and harder as election day gets closer. So, This Guy will devote only 3 posts to this election. This post is the first. It will be short and has a great chance of being wrong. Hence, that's why it's called a bold prediction.



John McCain will lose the state of Maryland by less than he loses the state of Pennsylvania.



Technically that's just crazy speak, MD is heavily African American, heavy democrat, and heavy liberal (plus is you saw SNL it's also under the heavy weight of Michigan right now). PA is a swing state, therefore it's technically 50/50. Even the bitter Pennsylvanians that cling to their religion and their guns won't be enough to give McCain the victory in PA.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

How the Tampa Bay Rays Saved Bud Selig's Ass (or How the Rain May Have Washed Out a Phillies World Series Win)

Carlos Pena may be getting an extra bonus in his check next month. No, not from the Rays owners for keeping his team alive in the 2008 World Series. Mr. Pena's bonus will be coming directly from the Office of the Commisioner of Baseball. He's getting a little extra under his Christmas tree this year because he single handedly saved Bud Selig's ass.

(Full Disclaimer: I am a huge Phillies fan, obviously, so this will be slightly biased. But I am convinced that my arguments would be the same if the rain would have been falling in the other stadium... oh wait, that's not even possible... well, you get what I mean.)

The umpires, Mr. Selig (and if you believe This Guy... Mr. Murdoch) should never, ever allowed both of those teams to even start out the 6th inning. The conditions, according to Big Head and Square Face, couldn't get much worse and that was in the 4th inning. By the top of the 6th, it was truly ugly out there. Water in the infield... water in the outfield... and Cole Hamels hair finally got wet. But here's the problem... and this is a huge BUT... According to MLB rules, the game was official a half-inning before that point. That meant unless Buddy Boy stepped in, the Phillies would have been World Series Champions only winning 3 1/2 games... not the usual 4. So now that the game is tied, Mr. Selig's decision is that much more easy to take for the general baseball fan.

(Another Disclaimer: Even being a Phillies fan... and desperately wanting to remember a World Series win in my lifetime, I would give anything to have the Fightins win the World Series... but I would hesitate to see it happen on somewhat of a technicality.)

My point is that a change in the rules should have been established long before this game started. Selig should have announced that in the case of a suspended game (he does have the Weather Channel, right?), the game will not be decided unless a full 9 innings have been played. I know, that is a major rule change... but he is the Commish and this is the World Series. But that's not what happened. He made sure that the Rays batted in the top of the 6th... hoping and praying that they would tie the game (and they did it in large part due to the awful field conditions... there is no doubt in my mind that in normal weather Pat Burrell's throw gets Upton 9 times out of 10). That way his decision to suspend the game wouldn't look too bad. This game should have been suspended after 5 innings with the Phillies up 2-1. Finish it up tonight, or tomorrow, or Thanksgiving Day if that's what it takes. But don't let the Rays tie it up.

In an effort to not let the weather affect the outcome of the game... Mr. Selig let the weather affect the outcome of the game. Another grand decision by the guy who has made more major changes to the game than any other Commish before him. Most of them bad.

Plus, despite the success of the Phillies bullpen, and the layoff, the Rays now have momentum in their favor with a great chance of this game going back to Tampa Bay. Which doesn't bode well for this Phillies fan.

So despite all his attempts at playing God, Mr. Selig still couldn't control the weather. But he did let the weather change the entire face of this storied Fall Classic.