Frontpage Features

BY SCREAMIN' BILL LEEMAN

This week marks the occasion of the opening game of the 2010-11 NFL football season.  Will the Saints repeat as Super Bowl Champions?  How about the Forty-Niners?   Will they carry their perfect pre-season record into a winning regular season?   And what about the Raiders?  Will they play 500 ball?

All these are very important questions, of course, but the most burning question of all is:   WHO CARES?

Don't they know there's a pennant race going on here?   And who's idea was it to schedule football games right in the middle of the best part of baseball season, anyway?   Don't they realize that September baseball is as good as it gets?   It's down to the wire.   This is the time that separates the men from the boys.   The players from the impostors.  The wheat from the chaff.  Or any other comparison you'd like to make, this is when the tough get going.   It's balls-out baseball at its best!

Oh, the races aren't going on everywhere, of course.   In Minnesota, there's was a race going on, although it seems like the White Sox have dropped out.   AL Central is Minnesota's for the taking.   Likewise in St. Louis.  Seems like the Cards have picked up their toys and headed home.  

The Yankees and Tampa Bay have been neck to neck the whole season, with the best records in baseball, respectively.  Although both teams will likely be in the playoffs, it's going to be fun to see which one wins it, and which one becomes the wild card.    

The real races, though, are here in the National League.   Colorado,  Philadelphia, Atlanta and our town.   That is, San Francisco.   Thanks to the Padres and their ten game losing streak, the Giants are two games out with a four game series beginning in San Diego tonight.  

This is exciting baseball, folks!   I'll be glued to my TV, and checking the other games as we go.  

Will the Rockies do what they seem to do best, and go on their usual winning streak to qualify for the Wild Card?   Or even win the dang thing outright?   Not likely, but stranger things have happened.  

Will San Diego pull themselves together and get back on the winning track?   Or will they choke like dogs?  

Will the Giants keep clicking on all seven cylinders?   If they do, will it be enough to overtake the Padres?  

And what about the Phillies and Braves?   They could both go, one as the NL East winner, and the other as the wild card.  

The fact is, is there are five teams hovering around the 79 - 80 win mark, with Colorado at 75 and closing.   Someone is going to bite the dust, and some others are going forward.  

Who will it be?   That is what all the excitement is about!   This is for the marbles!   And I can't wait.

Football?   It's a wonderful game, but please.   We'll catch up with it after the World Series.