I have mixed emotions over the Cardinals’ big win over the Mets last night. On the one hand, I hate the Mets. On the other hand, I’m fond of both the Tigers and the Cards, so picking someone to root for in the Series will be difficult. It almost would have been easier if the Mets had won; then I could root for the Tigers (the likely champs anyway) with great gusto. Still, any time the Mets lose, I get a warm feeling in my belly.
I think I’ll probably root for the Cards. They and the Phils are both in the National League, so there’s a whole “Bros before Hos” thing going on (the NL teams being Bros, and the AL teams being Hos). Also, the Cardinals have been fighting through the playoffs for the last 4 or 5 years in a row and haven’t won a championship yet (memorably getting swept by the Red Sox in 2004), so I think they’re due. Plus, they’re considered the underdogs, which means they find a soft spot in the heart of most Americans. Lastly, every time Albert Pujols comes to bat, my wife giggles.
I don’t know if all of you have been watching any of the baseball postseason, but if you have, you’ve undoubtedly seen Tommy Lasorda’s playoffs commercials. For those of you that haven’t, here’s the basic gist: Tommy shows up (in a tux?!?) at a house in which there are between 1 and 5 baseball fans hiding in trees or cabinets because their team(s) didn’t make the playoffs. Tommy exhorts them to come out and watch the games anyway, because while they are [Indians|Cubs|Phils] fans, they’re “bigger fans of baseball!” He then yells “TO THE TV!” Kills me.
My favorite one is the guy in the tree, in which Tommy asks the guy’s wife, “Who’s his favorite team?” She responds, “The Cubbies,” and Tommy makes a sound like somebody had just wiped a turd on his shirt. I’ve nearly wet my pants every time. (It’s funny ’cause the Cubs suck.)
In other sports news, the Flyers have lost four straight, but luckily it’s hockey so nobody cares.
