Well obviously, if you're a fan you're a fan regardless of the record. You continue to watch for the little things: for the stellar plays, the occasional pitching gems (see: Jeff Karstens and the almost-perfect game two nights ago), and the feeling you get for winning even one game. Now, I watch for those reasons and more even though both of my teams are currently in the running for October. But the subplots are still awesome to hear about. For example:
> Mike Mussina is a champ. He shut out the Rangers, one of the most potent offenses in the league, in their house last night. His final line was 7IP, 8H, 0R, 1BB, and 6K. The Moose, who everyone was calling dead and done in April, silenced hitters like Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton, and Michael Young to cruise to his AL-leading 15th win of the season (granted, he got lucky and the defense helped him out by turning 3 DPs, but he did a lot by himself). He also has a 3.27 ERA (9th in AL) and 1.20 WHIP (T-11 in AL). In a year when the young stars couldn't deliver and the usual ace was sidelined, Mike Mussina has truly stepped it up. Thanks, Moose, for giving us a fighting chance this season.
> A team is in a pennant race with five rookie starters? Not possible! you may say. But it is, and the Twins are proving it. Out of Perkins, Slowey, Baker, Liriano, and Blackburn, the latter is the "elder" at 26. And minus Liriano, the original four have combined for a 31-20 record with a 3.97 ERA in 80 games. Oh, and their team is battling neck-and-neck with the White Sox at the top of the AL Central. Now wait a minute--Minnesota was supposed to be total crap this year without the help of Johan Santana and Torii Hunter. Oops...looks like they forgot. Again, thanks to more unlikely heroes stepping up, the Twins are realistically looking towards postseason play.
(This article inspired that part.)
Did I ever tell you that I love baseball? How I ever survive the offseason is beyond me...
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Now for some tidbits:
So the 2008 Olympics start tonight. Or rather, they start for Americans tonight since none of our stations wanted to show the Opening Ceremonies when they actually happened this morning. It's kinda obnoxious how there will be a 12-hour time difference between us and the actual action. Remind me not to check Yahoo (or any news outlet for that matter) if I want to avoid "spoilers"; chances are, all results will be daily headlines. Bah.
I'm going home for the weekend (and for my birthday) and will be taking the Greyhound. Here's to hoping I don't get stabbed, beheaded, and eaten!
I'm happy Brett Favre finally found a home (in NY?!). Now ESPN can actually report on what's going on in the sporting world, as opposed to what Favre had for breakfast and how fast he drove down the highway.
I've seen both The Dark Knight and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor recently, but I have yet to post the reviews. I'll get on that.
