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This and that
Dick VitaleSPECIAL TO ESPN.COM
It came down to Game 7 in the ALCS. Was this going to be the game where Daisuike Matsuzaka paid dividends on Boston's big-time investment? Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima pitched well and got the Red Sox the lead into the late innings. Cleveland fans will wonder about the decision to hold Kenny Lofton instead of sending him home in the seventh inning since Casey Blake then hit into an inning-ending double play. Dustin Pedroia then sent Fenway Park into a frenzy with a two-run homer in the seventh and a theee-run double in the eighth to help wrap up the comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.
Is there a better big-game pitcher in the postseason than Josh Beckett? He has been absolutely sensational. He should be a lock for this year's AL Cy Young award and he kept the Red Sox alive in the ALCS. He had two brilliant performances against the Indians and Beckett knows how to win the big games. If you don't believe me, call up the Yankees and ask what happened in the World Series when Beckett hurled for the Marlins! Beckett put his team back in position to return home for the remainder of the ALCS. All you can ask for is that opportunity to come back when the backs are against the wall.
The bottom line is C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona did not get the job done. Give Curt Schilling a lot of credit for a solid performance in game six. The Boston bats exploded in that game. JD Drew came up big in that contest.
The timing of the Paul Byrd story right before Game 7was not what baseball needed. Byrd admitted using HGH and even said he used his credit card to pay for it. It came at a time where the focus should have been on great baseball.
New York, New York … the classy Joe Torre will not finish his career wearing the pinstripes of the Bronx Bombers. It would have been beautiful for him to be in that uniform when the Yankees open up their new stadium in 2009. I firmly believe, though I may be wrong, that if the Yankees made a two-year contract offer instead of their deal with stipulations and incentive clauses, Torre would have been back as manager. It wasn't about the money because he has made so much already. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with incentives. I don't feel the team made a real effort to sign him. However, locking it in with the second year, after winning nine division titles, six AL titles, four World Series and 12 straight trips to the playoffs, as well as handling George Steinbrenner and the New York media in a classy manner … give me a break! It was a very sad moment for the Yankees when things fell apart.
Out in Nebraska, the school did not waste time firing athletic director Steve Pederson. The once-proud Cornhuskers were down 38-0 at halftime in Lincoln against an Oklahoma State squad that lost to Troy earlier in the season. Texas A&M came into Lincoln and knocked off Big Red last weekend. Upset with the way the football team has performed, they went after the AD. The big question is, how long before head coach Bill Callahan gets the ziggy as well. It's not helping him to see Dr. Tom Osborne return as athletic director on an interim basis. In a recent book, Callahan criticized Osborne (the current coach did not deny making those remarks), calling him an old (expletive), according to former trainer Doak Ostergard. Osborne said all the right things when he took over the athletic department, but let's remember he was a politician, baby! They know how to handle the word game. Mr. Callahan should get his resume together because the party in Lincoln is over!
The dream of an unbeaten season for South Florida came to an end. The Bulls lost to a very good Rutgers team up in New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights lived off the enthusiasm and energy of their coach, Greg Schiano. Ray Rice put up 181 rushing yards to lead Rutgers to the big W. It was heartbreak hotel for South Florida, which had its opportunities but came up short, making some mistakes. Unlike Florida, Oklahoma, LSU or USC, a loss for the Bulls means a big-time drop in the polls. That is what happens when you don't have the tradition and the magical name.
Wow, Tom Brady was so special Sunday, throwing six touchdown passes against the Dolphins. Brady has so many weapons at his disposal and he has a good chance to be the first quarterback with 50 touchdowns in a season. It was also a special weekend for Rob Bironas of the Tennessee Titans. His eight field goals was an NFL single-game record and his last one game the Titans a wild win over Houston. The Texans had rallied from a 32-7 deficit to take a 36-35 lead before Bironas' heroics.
The Giants have clearly turned things around after a slow start. Tom Coughlin's team was 0-2 and down at halftime against Washington; then things have really clicked. The Giants were impressive in a win over the Niners Sunday. Eli Manning has been playing well and the team has a lot of depth at running back. The defense has made its share of big plays too.
What a week for tennis player David Nalbandian. He defeated Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and then Roger Federer to win the Tennis Masters Series event in Madrid. In the final against Federer, Nalbandian lost the first set 6-1 and looked like he was going to go away quickly. Instead he swept the next two sets to finish a super week.
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