Saturday, October 06, 2007

Technology Shocks

I often joke with people that "man, HDTV is so good it even makes BASEBALL watchable". Well with Mrs. Angus out of town and me not allowed out after dark, I tested this theory last night and it's actually true.

What a bizarre evening in Cleveland, where an army of insects did what no batters have been able to do, get to Joba Chamberlain. That poor kid was freakin' out and a couple of wild throws allowed the Cleveland team* to tie the game, negating a brilliant pitching performance by Andy Pettite.

So lets chalk up yet another black eye for Cleveland. The "mistake by the lake", where a river once caught on fire, where the most famous citizen openly roots for the other team, now wins a crucial baseball game by means of bug infestation. Perfect.

The AP got it just right: Swarming bugs, millions and millions of them, bombarded the New York Yankees at the worst possible time Friday night, covering and rattling rookie reliever Joba Chamberlain and helping the Cleveland Indians to a 2-1 win in 11 innings and a two-game lead in their AL playoff series. "It's like somebody let them go," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "Just when you think you've seen it all -- that's home-field advantage."


Meanwhile, in Boston, the Angels dissed Manny Ramirez repeatedly by walking David Ortiz to get to Manny. On the forth and last occasion, Manny got his revenge with a game winning home run. Afterwards, Manny was Manny, as they say: "I am one of the best players in the game," said Ramirez, who missed almost all of September with a strained side muscle and finished with the worst full-season stats of his career. "I have confidence in myself, and I know my train doesn't stop here." Well at least that's better than thanking Jesus for somehow caring about a game and favoring you over your heathen opponents.



* sorry to be so PC, but Cleveland's team name is just so disgustingly offensive. After living in Oklahoma and getting to know more about native American culture and asking native American Oklahomans what they think about stuff like this (they by and large HATE it), it really bothers me. This crap has got to stop. Did you see the people in the stands with warpaint and feathers? Holy Crap.




1 comment:

Shawn said...

hmm. (you score somewhat higher on the empathy there...) is it the shitty caricature that they hate so much? I remember that a year or so ago, among the biannual uproar about the Florida State Seminoles, there was an article in the Orlando Sentinel about how the seminole tribe wasn't bothered by the name or Chief Osceola.