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Under the Big Red Afro

Date 9/25/2003 12:00 AM | Topic: Sports

Ever since the Major League Baseball Association decided to move to four divisions in each league some years back, we have not seen a pennant race that fans can get excited about. Finally that day has come.

With only a week left in the regular season, the Cubs and Astros sit in a tie at the top of the National League Central. Both teams also stand two games back of the wildcard spot. This means that both teams have a shot at the post-season without winning the division. That wildcard spot is occupied by the Florida Marlins (at time of print) with the Philidelphia Phillies two games back. As I sit on Tuesday, they will begin a three game series against one another. These three games will define a 162 game season for one of these teams.

In the American League, the Twins pulled away with the Central lead with only two weeks left in the season. Up until that point they were battling the White Sox as they played seven games with each other in a week and a half.

Last but not least, the Red Sox look like they will hold off the Mariners to win the wildcard spot. The curse of the Bambino in Boston may have a chance to come to rest in this year's playoffs.

Finally, after a disastrous stretch without a pennant race, we have four different races involving eight teams for four spots. For a baseball fan, this is making for a perfect end to what many constantly call an imperfect league. While it may not solve the problems that baseball has, it will involve millions of fans who are getting the chance to see their teams fight for something more than money.

A Swiss bodybuilder was arrested for contacting Los Angeles Laker guard Kobe Bryant and offering to kill Bryant's accuser in a sexual assault case. Apparently the man wrote a letter to Bryant that stated that he would do the job for one million dollars up front and two million dollars after the "job" was done.

Ohio State runningback Maurice Clarrett has sued the National Football League (NFL) to challenge their early entry rule into the NFL draft. The league has a policy that a player must be three years removed from high school to enter the draft. Just a suggestion to Maurice: Don't commit insurance fraud, don't lie to your school during their investigation of your doings, and don't tarnish a national championship that a whole team worked hard for. Instead, follow some rules and play football so you never have to file a law suit that you will NEVER win. Buckeyes are just nuts anyway. No, really, a buckeye is a nut.

In Los Angeles, two men have been charged in the shooting death of another man. The catch would be that the accused were Dodger fans while the deceased was a Giants fan. An argument apparently broke out and the Giants fan was shot. The Giants won the game 6-4.

In Richmond, VA, the city council shot down a proposal to name a street after tennis great Arthur Ashe. Ashe was once banned from playing tennis on the city's segregated courts and the proposal was defeated by a vote of 7-2. A statue of Ashe already stands in an area of town where statues of Confederate heroes stand. Richmond needs to realize that Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee are dead, and even if they were alive, Ashe would have beat their asses in tennis too.

Until next time, ride the wave where it takes you.

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Andy Haugen
Sports Editor

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