Octoberfest of Sporting Options
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Page 6 October 22, 2009 MANHATTAN BEACH SUN Frankly Plank Octoberfest of Sporting By Duane Plank I am correct. So it is with much glee that Options Amazing Amanda, if the scurrilous rumor I’ll inform you about a prediction that rang is really true and you will be leaving us for true recently. Watching game two of the By Duane Plank son to a Steeler team that needs the win a the white wasteland that is Colorado, know Dodger/Philly series, and mentioned to the What a great time of year for the discerning little bit more than the Purple People Eaters. that you will be really, really missed. You guy next to me, who appeared to be snooz- sports fan. Octubre is the time of year when And I would be derelict in my reportorial helped make the incredibly tedious nights ing, that Philly second-sacker Chase Utley all four of the country’s major sports, five if duties if I didn’t note that my Rams will of research a little less lonely. Good luck to looked pathetic in the field and was going you count NASCAR, collide in a month filled continue their losing ways when they play you and the hubby, and when you get tired to botch another critical play or two in the with playoff baseball, key NFL and college host to the undefeated Indianapolis Colts and of freezing your whatever off, you will be series. And bingo, an inning or two later, football match-ups, and the opening salvos that Peyton Manning guy. Give the Rams a welcomed back, no questions asked. Utley completely unraveled as the pivot-man in the NBA and NHL seasons. little bit of credit. They actually made it to Attended the American Martyrs fair last on a sure 5-4-3 double play. He messed up Week seven of the NFL season is on tap, overtime last week before losing to the run- weekend. For a very short time. Fair number the footwork around the bag and unleashed and looks to me like the marquee match-up of-the mill Jacksonville Jaguars. 39 for my old grade school in the fine city a horrible throw to first, high and wide of the will showing up on the big TV Sunday night, You Raider fans get to look forward to of Manhattan Beach. Talk about glory days, first baseman. Ball ended up in the dugout, when the defending NFC champion Cardinals another presumed beat down when the Sil- folks. I was a fifth grader at the iconic Catholic pinch runner Juan Pierre scored the game-tying and my main man Kurt Warner travel to ver and Black continue making a mockery grammar school when they decided to hold eighth inning run, and the Dodgers went on Nuevo York to tangle with Eli Manning and of their inclusion in the NFL, playing host the first gathering. It was so darn exciting! to eke out a 2-1 win in the very important the Giants. Sunday night could be a monster to the New York Jets and golden boy QB All we had to look forward to back in the second game of the NLCS. in the Big Apple, what with game seven in Marc Sanchez. Who I recently dropped from days prior to the fair were Thursdays, which Utley had made a similar screw-up in the the Angel/Yankee League Championship my Fantasy team, not because he can’t play, were “Hot-dog days.” first game of the series, but the Phillies won Series scheduled to take place in the new but because Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck Grab a couple of chili dogs, a donut or the game, so his oh-so-shaky defensive lapses Yankee Stadium. returned to the gridiron after mending some two, some milk, and then inhale said food were pretty much ignored. Hopefully, the Halos will have dispatched busted up ribs. before heading out to the playground to For his part, the ex-Air-Force Blue Bruin the latest edition of the Bronx Bombers Glad that you asked about my Fantasy work up a sweat in our nice little salt-and- didn’t have any excuses. Said Utley, after before game seven, but as of this penning, team, thanks. Think I was victorious last pepper-colored school unis. Ah, the simple game two: “Just a bad throw.” When asked the Angels were bailing water from their week, running the record to 4-2, but I was things in life. if the runner bearing down on him caused lifeboats, trailing the New York big-buckers awaiting the results of the Monday night Back then, the fair involved games of the errant toss, Utley said nope, that “I had 2-0. Unfortunately, due to my deadline, had game. My opponent, brother-in-law Pat, chance, which you could never win, as well plenty of time to turn it. I just didn’t make to tap out this column Sunday night while who was out here in July scouting out the as spinning rides that took up the outfield a good throw.” watching the Dodgers get kicked to and fro local talent, needed a big game from Char- spots on the grass playground. And made Good for Utley, being a stand-up guy and in the City of Brotherly Love. Manager Joe ger running back LaDainian Tomlinson to willy nillys like myself puke. They have all when addressing the brilliant scribes after Torre usually pushes the right buttons, but overcome my slim lead. By the by, when it long since ridded themselves of the rides, the costly miscue. Now let’s see if he can after the abysmal start on the bump by the comes to my fantasies, football players and for whatever reason. Maybe it was the li- stand up and stand in and turn the double rehabbing Hiroki Kuroda, maybe Joe should their exploits aren’t really on the list. Can ability deal, maybe the rides didn’t provide play in the critical contests down the road. have pushed the eject button before sending any of you “between-the-lines” readers figure substantial revenue, maybe they didn’t favor Where the hell did Vicente Padilla come Kuroda out to the mound. Maybe start Padilla out what is on the list? wimps like me throwing up. The vomit from? Trolley Dodger fans should be oh-so on two days rest down the road? Back to reality. What, you tell me, the wouldn’t look too pretty on the Astroturf very thankful that the big righty, jettisoned by And in regards to my Angels, let it be Raiders actually won another game last stuff that was installed a while ago on the the pitching-poor Texas Rangers in August, known that I said it in April, that Big Daddy week? Beat up on the Philadelphia Eagles playground field. ended up tossing his 94-mph fastballs on the Vlade Guerrero was done. And big hit, no 13-9? And corpulent QB JaMarcus Russell So now instead of standing in line to hill at the Ravine. Another great acquisition make that a huge hit, against the BoSox threw for 224 yards, or about 75 yards less puke, you can stand in line to get your face by Dodger GM Ned Colletti, who may be notwithstanding, Vlade has to take a seat than he weighs? painted, or have a fake tattoo applied, or faced with some challenges down the road on the pine. Mind you I am writing this That loss had to tick off a local restaurateur pet some animals. Progress? Not sure there. after the McCourt divorce proceedings play on Sunday night before the Angels host the with Philly connections, but I gotta believe First time we took the kid back to the old out. Speaking of that touchy subject, heard Yanks in games three to five. But anyone he felt better later Sunday night when the alma mater was about 11 years ago, and I the word “Cougar” bandied about. No clue out there who is paying a bit of attention Phillies throttled your Dodgers, 11-0. QB remember that he rode some Big Wheels in what that meant. has to see that Vlade is, sadly, a detriment Sanchez has returned to earth, leading the the southwest corner of the parking lot and Anyway, Padilla looks like Don Drysdale to the offensive attack, especially hitting out Jets to an embarrassing 16-13 home overtime shot some plastic hockey pucks at some out there, throwing strike after strike, pound- of the four hole. He absolutely killed the loss to the scuffling Buffalo Bills last week. cardboard goalie. Also long gone. ing both sides of the dish. Boy, I sound Halos in that excruciating 4-3, 13 inning Sanchez chucked five interceptions in last But they still have the pizza, the teriyaki, like I know what I am talking about, don’t loss in game two. Sunday’s meltdown. and I believe I may have spotted a booth, I? Back to Padilla, enough self congratula- He won’t be resigned next season, so I Collegiately, the men of USC, fresh off a hidden away in the back, that sold a brewski. tions. Padilla will be on the hill again in this gotta hope that Manager Mike Scioscia did stirring victory over Notre Dame, will play Some things never change. series, and isn’t that a comforting thought the right thing and benched Guerrero for the host to the Oregon State Beavers Saturday Seems that most of the time the weekend for Dodger fans who had to witness the week’s games at Anaheim Stadium.