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This and that
Dick VitaleSPECIAL TO ESPN.COM
Every Friday I will give my thoughts on the game I love, college basketball.
Congratulations to the World Champion Boston Red Sox. Wow, two times in four years, so much for the Curse of the Bambino! Led by Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling, plus the bullpen with Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon, Boston's pitching really silenced the Rockies. By the way, when is Terry Francona going to get paid up there with the big guys like Tony LaRussa. Francona has done a great job leading the Red Sox; he has been brilliant over his five years.
It was after midnight on the east coast when the Red Sox began celebrating after Pabelbon struck out Seth Smith to end the World Series. I wish games would start earlier so that fans could stay up to enjoy these special moments. It is getting tougher and tougher. There was a nine-inning game that went over four hours in this series.
The Patriots and Colts keep on rolling, setting up a showdown next Sunday. New England did a number on the Washington Redskins, 52-7 as Tom Brady continues to post incredible numbers. The Colts had struggled early before taking charge in Carolina. So we are ready for the latest Game of the Year, with Brady and Peyton Manning leading their teams into battle. Wow, I hope it lives up to the hype. These are the two best teams in the NFL by far.
For a while Sunday, I thought the St. Louis Rams were going to break into the win column. Give Cleveland credit for winning on the road. Romeo Crennel's squad has been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL and Derek Anderson has been one of the keys. He has been a stellar QB ever since Charlie Frye was dealt to Seattle.
How about a little love for Oregon? What a great win over USC, and the Ducks are 7-1 with a big game next week against undefeated Arizona State. The Pac-10 is really loaded up top. Let me tell you, Oregon has a player who gets absolutely no publicity nationally in running back Jonathan Stewart. He was highly-recruited coming out of high school, and he has been sensational this season. Stewart is one of the better running backs in America.
Trade talk is heating up with Kobe Bryant. He has been screaming about getting out of La-La Land, and there have been rumors against going to the Windy City in a deal that is pretty exciting. Phil Jackson is unhappy, saying he questions the way Bryant has lacked effort in practice. Kobe would like to go to ChiTown, and he has a no-trade clause that could be waived if a deal is worked out. Right now, it looks like the Lakers demands are too great, but we have to wait and see what happens.
What about Matt Ryan as a legit Heisman Trophy candidate? He made some magic at the end of the Virginia Tech game with a Joe Montana-like performance. Forget about Montana, it was like Doug Flutie magic. There have been a lot of sports headlines in Boston. It has been quite a run in Beantown, with the Red Sox, the Patriots and even the Celtics with their trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett making noise
It is time for people to talk about Connecticut football. That's right, I am not talking about Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma my friends. Top 20 in football baby! That was a great win hanging on against a solid South Florida team, holding on in the end to survive at home. Randy Edsall has done a super job with this football program. It is quite a story as the Huskies lead the Big East. Connecticut is now #13 in the BCS standings.
Georgia got a big W over Urban Meyer and Florida. The Bulldogs put on a great offensive show, posting 42 points on the board. Mark Richt had to be thrilled with his team's performance. Georgia is in the top 10 in the BCS standings.
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