Sinking fast in Fantasy League

My Fantasy Football League: Another bad week for my Team Priceless in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

I fall to 7-5 and now find myself in a tie with four other teams for second place. The league has just one more week scheduled for the regular season and then the top six teams enter a three-week playoff. So, I'm in a must-win situation this week and my two quarterbacks, Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez, aren't exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment. But, it is the NFL, so anything goes this week.

Of course, my main wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, can't be Superman and haul in all those arrant passes from Derek Anderson, so I cringe at the idea that this week will be any different when it comes to the Cardinals' offense. Still, I have a shot. My opponent this week, the Meat Eaters, lost to me in Week 4, so that's a good sign. A couple of good games this week: Pittsburgh at Baltimore late Sunday and Jets at New England on Monday Night Football.

Number 400 for Bookemdanosports

I

t's hard to believe, but when I type the final word and hit publish to this little addition to Bookemdanosports, it'll complete 400 of these tidbits, words of wisdom (I'm joking), articles, short stories...or whatever you want to call them.

What does it mean? It probably means I'm spending too much time on the computer. There are times when I feel like pulling the plug on this old laptop and try something else for a change. But then again, I've got all this stuff in my head, between my ears so to speak, and if I stop, I'll probable start getting headaches. Every once in a while, a think about hanging it up, and one of my readers says, "What's next?" And the next thing I know, I'm back at it.

So, I guess you're stuck with me. Let's go for another 400!

A winning season...

The Arizona Wildcats are assured of a winning season. But for a majority of the Arizona fans a winning season includes a victory over ASU.

It's like in golf, you either sink that birdie putt or you don't. You miss, you've got yourself a par, but you walk away with a bad taste in your mouth. As far as Arizona football fans are concerned, a loss means 12 months of eating crow to the Sun Devils and their fans.

Forget whatever bowl game the Wildcats are heading for, the "Big Game" is Thursday at our place --  at Arizona Stadium, in front of 59,000 screaming fans. This year, the Sun Devils can't catch us in the overall standings. Oops! They could tie the Wildcats in the Pac-10 though...what a bummer that would be. ASU could finish 6-6 with a win Thursday. But this sounds better: An Arizona win over the Sun Devils, an 8-4 regular season and another journey down the road to El Paso.

Jayhawks vs. Wildcats

The Arizona Wildcats (5-0) cruised to an easy win over Santa Clara last night in Las Vegas by a score of 82-59. Sixth ranked Kansas (5-0) rolled as well, knocking off Ohio University, 98-41. You might say the Wildcats have played five low-caliber teams.

But, you can say the same for the Jayhawks. Take a gander at the following: Jayhawks 113, Longwood 75; Jayhawks 79, Valparaiso 44; Jayhawks 93, North Texas 60; Jayhawks 82, Texas A&M/Corpus Christi 41 and, of course, Jayhawks 98, Ohio 41, at the New Orleans Arena in Las Vegas last night.
 It gets a little harder for both teams today.

Wildcats' Update: Wildcats lose, 87-79, despite 27 points and 7 rebounds from Derrick Williams and 18 points from Kyle Fogg. All in all, not a bad performance from the Wildcats. The game was up for grabs with 2 minutes and 27 seconds left, but Williams fouled out and sixth-ranked Kansas picked up its sixth win of the young season.

They just couldn't hang...

How do you hang tough with the best college football team in the land?

Well, you really don't. You start off tough as nails...you even lead at the half, 19-14. You get super efforts from a kid from Tucson Palo Verde, Adam Hall, and a 448-yard, three touchdown performance from quarterback Nick Foles, a junior from Austin, Texas.

Hall, a sophomore, had an interception, eight solo tackles and a highlight hit that should have been a game changer for the Wildcats, instead, a personal foul, helmet to helmet hit, was called on him in the first half, resulting in a 15-yard-penalty. In the end the Oregon Ducks won their way to a BCS title game with a convincing 48-29 victory over the Arizona Wildcats in Eugene last night. The Ducks steamrolled in the second half...the Ducks looked more like a colony of ants looking for food as they swarmed all over the field and posted 34 points in the final 30 minutes to seal the win.

Keys to Fantasy win: QB's Sanchez and Brady...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

It's time for football in just a few hours. I need New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez to have another big game in order for my UPC Hood Fantasy Football League team to get off to a good start this week. Team Priceless (7-4) needs win No. 8 in the worst way. I hope my team gets win No. 8 this week, and as an extra holiday wish, I hope my Arizona Wildcats pickup that allusive win No. 8 at Oregon on Friday.

Those victories will not come easy. First, my Fantasy team will have to tangle with another pretty good quarterback this morning when it goes up against New England's Tom Brady. Sanchez and Brady are nursing injuries. So what else is new in the NFL? As for the Wildcats, they head for Oregon at full strength --without Bug Wright, of course. What's up with that? I hope everyone has a great week.

Come Monday night we all will be eyeing that turkey sandwich in the frig...and some of us will be licking our wounds over the results of five days of football action. At this point, I'd take a Fantasy loss, if I could be assured of an Arizona Wildcats' win.

Team Priceless Update: Jets win 26-10, but Sanchez and Company not a very aggressive team on offense, even in victory. Not a good start for my fantasy week. Of course, Tom Brady throws for 352 yards and four touchdowns in New England's 30-27 win over the reeling Cowboys.

The Stall

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Don't you hate it when you drive, say 15 or 20 miles, fight the evening traffic, and rush to your seat to watch your hometown collegiate basketball team play, only to find out the opponent for the night stalls, slows the game down, and limits you team's possessions.

 our team averages close to 90 points a game, but finds themselves up only 30-23 at the half. That, of course, was the story tonight at McKale Center as Arizona eventually dispatched Bethune-Cookman, 78-45. Ugly, but another win for the Wildcats as they move to 4-0 on the season. Derrick Williams scores 19 points, despite being double-teamed. I doubt Kansas will use any stalling tactics on Saturday in Las Vegas.

What's the difference between No.1 and No. 20?

What's the difference between the top-ranked team in the nation and the 20th-ranked collegiate football team?

Well, we are about to find out on Friday when the Arizona Wildcats travel to Oregon to face the Oregon Ducks. It'll be Arizona's defense against the rush against the Ducks' minute-to-minute scoring machine. As of this morning, the gap in the Pac-10 standings between Oregon (10-0, 7-0), 7th-ranked Stanford (10-1, 7-1) and the Wildcats (7-3, 4-3) is huge. Nick Foles and the Wildcats' offense...and Ricky Elmore and the Arizona defense needs to close that gap on Friday.

Brees puts a dagger in my fantasy hopes...

My Fantasy Football League: New Orleans' quarterback Drew Brees puts a dagger in my fantasy football hopes today as he had his best performance of the season by completing 29 of 43 passes for 382 yards and four touchdowns in the Saints' 34-19 win over Seattle.

Team Priceless falls to 7-4 on the season as my opponent, the A-Team, garners 59 fantasy points from Brees alone. Oh well,  you can't win 'em all.

Everybody plays, again...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Another blowout win for the Arizona Wildcats. Another bench-clearing affair as all of the Wildcats see action in a 93-70 victory at McKale Center this afternoon over the University of Northern Colorado.

It's becoming commonplace for Arizona's walk-ons to see action. Of course, that may end soon with seventh-ranked Kansas looming on the horizon on Saturday. But for now, it's fun watching players like Max Wiepking and Robert Arvizu log minutes on the court. Maybe, there's just one patsy left -- Bethune-Cookman, on Tuesday, after that Max and Robert will spend a lot more time on the bench.

Vance, have you heard the news?

I haven't been able to get away this year and travel to Colorado and the small town of Parachute, where my son lives. I've mentioned before on a previous post, that my son not only resides there, but former Wildcats' great and Denver Broncos' wide-receiver Vance Johnson owns a watering hole and eating establishment (Outlaw Ribbs) in the little burg, which is located between Grand Junction and Rifle.

Travelers take the one exit from time to time, off of Interstate 70, and chow down at Vance's place and also venture into the back room -- the bar that is, and check out all the Wildcats' and Broncos' memorabilia that adorns the walls. And if they're lucky Vance might be around to conjure up a football story, or two.

News travels fast in the world of sports, so I figure Mr. Johnson has already heard the news that his nephew, CDO's Ka'Deem Carey, rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns in the Dorados' 28-9 4A-quarterfinal win last night over Glendale Apollo. Johnson may want to pack a suitcase, jump into his sports car (I've seen it, it's kinda cool) and head for Tucson next week. Carey and the Dorados take on Cienega in the prep semifinals at Tucson High School (Friday, 7 p.m.).

If not, I'll tell him all about it the next time I visit my son. I doubt it'll be this winter, though. It's snowing up there and downright cold.

Countdown begins...

The countdown begins.

In less than a week the Arizona Wildcats will enter the land of the Ducks...the Oregon Ducks, that is.

The No. 1 team in the country, unbeaten and untested (if you want to disregard the Ducks' 10th win of the season last week over the Cal Bears). A trip to never-never land for the Wildcats. But this is college football and anything can happen -- even an upset win by a good Arizona team, 7-3 overall, 4-3 Pac-10, over a candidate for the National championship, Oregon (10-0,7-0 Pac 10).

The entire sports world will be watching on Friday, ESPN will be front and center, and I'll be glued to my Vizio once again. Come on Wildcats, make my day, for me and the thousands of Arizona fans out there. The spotlight is on the Ducks come Friday, let's turn the tables, shock the world and turn the lights out on the No. 1 team in the land. No prediction this week...not crazy enough to pick an Arizona win...just hoping...and praying.

AZ Rattlers edge Aces' Elite squad...

The Arizona Rattlers edged the Tucson Golden Aces Elite team, 8-5, on Nov. 16 to highlight this week's senior baseball action at Udall Park.

Right-hander Tom Barrow,70, who recently returned from the MSBL World Series, pitched a complete-game for the southside Rattlers. Barrow, a resident of Green Valley, was in trouble early, down 3-0, thanks to a hard hit single to right by Ron Petersen and a two-run single down the third-base line by Danny Price.

Unfortunately, the Aces gave back the three runs in the bottom of the first on three throwing errors on way play. But still, it turned into a competitive matchup with the Aces' southside rivals, who have a history of walking away with double-digit wins.

Pitcher Pete Cerenzia, from Spokane, Washington, went the distance for the Aces, allowing just two earned runs. Cerenzia singled to left field to open up the bottom of the 7th inning, but the Aces' couldn't muster a rally and lost another hard-fought contest to the Rattlers.

The Aces Elite squad are coached by 81-year-old Brad Tolson, a former pitcher for the Arizona Wildcats (1949, 1950) and Floyd Lance, 85, a member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) since 1999. Lance said, after the game, "Errors will cost ya, they always have and always will."

Williams does it again at McKale...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Derrick Williams led the way for the Arizona Wildcats at McKale, again!

Williams scores 27 points and grabs 14 boards as the Wildcats cruise to an 83-57 victory over New Mexico State tonight -- Arizona's second non-conference win in five days. No heart-stopping, last-second nail biters this week. Kinda nice for a change.

Brandy, you're a fine girl...

Brandy you're a fine girl and do not deserve to be ousted from "Dancin' With the Stars".

Bristol Palin survives again! The Looking Glass tune from 1972 should be played in the background next week on the season finale. Jennifer Grey should win it all now, if she doesn't Patrick Swayze will roll over in his grave. Palin wins and you might as well open the gates to "the bridge to nowhere".

Team Priceless moves into 2nd place in fantasy league

My Fantasy Football League: Team Priceless (7-3) moved into second place in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League this week with a 169-161 win over the Grey Ghosts (5-5). Mega Powers (9-1) won again and continues to be the league's front runner. The Big Dawgs (6-4) fell out of second place as they were blitzed by Team Arps (5-5), which received an unbelievable performance from Philadelphia's quarterback Michael Vick -- who tallied 64 fantasy points in the Eagles' 59-28 win over Washington on MNF. Vick set all kinds of NFL records tonight. He's certainly turned his life around, on and off the field of play, and is making the most of his get-out-of-jail free card.

At any rate, the owner of Team Arps in my fantasy league, must be a happy camper tonight. I'm pleased as punch myself, winning seven games so far in my first try at fantasy football.

In a battle with Grey Ghosts for Fantasy win

My Fantasy Football League: I'm in a battle with Grey Ghosts this week in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. Team Priceless is up 169-161 in fantasy points, going into tonight's MNF matchup, which involves the Eagles and the Redskins.

I'm completely out of players. My entire roster played on Sunday, including Eli Manning, who, even in the Giants' surprising loss to Dallas, amassed 51 fantasy points to lead the way for my Team Priceless. On the other hand, Grey Ghosts has one player left, Washington running back Ryan Torain. It is documented that he has a hamstring problem, but is expected to play. If he has a good night, I lose. If he struggles or the Redskins pass more and run less...I win.

A blowout win!

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Finally, a Wildcats' blowout. Finally, something to cheer about.

Arizona cruises in basketball opener as they roll over Idaho State today at McKale, 90-42. Thirteen Wildcats score and fifteen see action. The curtain opened and all the characters got to introduce themselves in front of a very happy hometown crowd. Derrick Williams led the way with 16 points. But the big story was not the offensive explosion, but it was the Wildcats' defense that shined, allowing Idaho State just 15 points in the first half and another 27 in the second half (most of those coming against the Wildcats' bench).

Williams played just 20 minutes, but it was long enough for him to have an ESPN highlight moment when he rammed home a backward dunk, after a high-arching pass from MoMo Jones. Can't wait til Thursday and a matchup at McKale with New Mexico State.

Go Wildcats!

I could have been a contender...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Marlon Brando said it best in the 1954 flick On the Waterfront. Brando's portrayal of Terry Malloy, a down-and-out prize fighter, is a movie role that is hard to forget and includes one of those memorable movie quotes that live on...and on...and on. "I coulda been a contender," a frustrated Malloy explains to his brother Charley, played by Rod Steiger.

University of Arizona football coach Mike Stoops may as well borrow the phrase when he meets with the media later tonight, following the Wildcats' loss to USC at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats could have been a contender in the Pac-10, but instead, they lose to the Trojans, 24-21, and drop to 7-3 on the season, but more importantly fall into the middle of the pack with a conference record of 4-3.

Once again Stoops fumed on the sidelines through out the game and he won't be a happy camper in the morning when he finds the Wildcats have plenty of company with three Pac-10 losses, along side the Trojans and the Oregon State Beavers -- a loser at Corvallis today. A 7-5 overall season record and a 4-5 conference slate is looming for Stoops and the Wildcats if they can't stop the bleeding at Oregon and at home in the finale against Arizona State.

The Wildcats could have been a contender.

It could be a hair-raising experience...

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: It could be a hair-raising experience.

I took the rubber band off my morning paper a few hours ago and discovered an article on the sports page with a photo and a short recap of life on the Arizona Wildcats' sideline for third-string quarterback Bryson Beirne.

The six-foot-3-inch, 225 pound junior discusses his Hawaiian roots, his great-grandmother, and his Afro hairstyle with Arizona Daily Star writer Ryan Finley. Does Ryan know something we don't?

Probably, he's got a lot of eyes and ears out there. Of course, it is easy to see that Mr. Stoops is one blind-sided hit away on his ace signal-caller, Nick Foles, from inserting Beirne into the frying pan against USC, Oregon and ASU. With Matt Scott injured, it is not out of the question that we'll see Beirne don his helmet over his Afro and rush on to the field and into a stunned Wildcats' huddle.

It'll definitely be a hair-raising experience!

Wildcats Update: Mr.Beirne wasn't needed. Nic Foles throws for 353 yards and three touchdowns against USC. But, it still wasn't enough as the Wildcats lose, 24-21, to the Trojans at Arizona Stadium.

Need Ravens to apply "D" against Falcons...

My Fantasy Football League: Week 10 of the NFL season gets a head start Thursday night. And what a matchup: Baltimore at Atlanta.

My fantasy team, Team Priceless, needs a big night from the Ravens. It could be a good start to the week or a bad start for me and my Team Priceless (6-3). If the Ravens' defense can get the job done, then I'd be off to a good start and could focus on Sunday's games with a few fantasy points in the bank. Unfortunately, the Ravens' defense is all I have on my roster for Thursday, while my opponent, the Grey Ghosts (5-4), will unleash a lot of weapons...including three key offensive players from the Ravens, quarterback Joe Flacco, wide-receiver Anquan Boltin and tight-end Todd Heap.

So, you can see what I'm up against. And just to confuse things, the owner of Grey Ghosts has the Atlanta defense, plus the Falcons' place-kicker Matt Bryant! Of course, come Sunday, my opponent will be down four players and a defense, and I'll just be getting started. Isn't Fantasy Football fun?

Team Priceless Update: Atlanta wins 26-21. I'm down a bunch going into Sunday.

I can see it now...

Alright, now I'm just a little bit upset.

My friends and readers know for a fact that I'm not very political. So don't get me wrong here. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican means very little when you hit the dance floor.

Granted, Mr. Warner is better fitted throwing a football down field, but last night he was better than Bristol Palin. It's gotta be a conspiracy. At this rate, the Palin's might as well run for office. I can see it know. Sarah as president of the United States, and Bristol as vice president...and White House dance instructor.

The ball above the dance floor revolves in mysterious ways.

Kathryn and the soldier...

Very seldom do I venture away from a sports story. But in this case...I can't help myself.

It is fairly obvious that most of my readers are 60-and-over...many even older and very few are younger. The story below is a familiar one to most of my readers.

The year was 1944. The town was Jacksonville, Arkansas, located 12 miles northeast of Little Rock and the Arkansas River. The place: a dry goods store called Harpole's. Kathryn worked there. She was seventeen. The soldier who walked by the front window was twenty-two. Kathryn was a beautiful woman, brunette hair, blue eyes, slender build with her entire life ahead of her. The soldier was handsome, dark curly hair, short in stature, but a few inches taller than Kathryn. They were married not too long after their initial meeting.

In July of 1945, their son was born, a pudgy little thing with a big cry and a devilish smile. Kathryn is my mother, now 83 years old and as beautiful as ever. My father, the soldier, passed away 22 years ago.

I was born in the 40s, but if there was an era I would have liked to have been an adult in...well I guess the mid-1940s would be it. I flick through our family albums, glancing at my uncles, aunts and cousins...and especially my mother and father, and I can almost recall my baby years. Well, that would be stretching it, but I can imagine. You could get a full breakfast at the local cafe for fifteen cents...and a gallon of gas was 21 cents. The Jitterbug was in. Bread was nine cents and a postage stamp cost three cents. World War II ended soon after my first cry. The soldiers headed home...it was a time of celebration...and hard times.

Luckily, I curled up in my mother's arms as the adults battled the era. Thanks to all of them...many of us are now in our 60s...battling a new era and a new age. My mother is still alive and as spunky as ever. She spends most of her time at church and playing cards with her lady friends. She has a wonderful life and she sees to it that I have the same. I glance through the family album, now and then -- the album my mother spent many hours, days and months putting together.

I was a child then and a man, now. As I said, we all have similar stories. And thank goodness, we do.

Owens goes wild...leads my Fantasy team to a win

My Fantasy Football League: Eli Manning went wild on Sunday, Mark Sanchez hung in there on Sunday as well and Terrell Owens went crazy on MNF with 10 receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns to lead my Fantasy team, Team Priceless, to a win this week.

The victory moves Team Priceless (6-3) back into a second-place tie in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. The Big Dawgs are tied for second, while Mega Powers at 8-1 continues to lead the 10-team league. In real life, Manning and Sanchez led their respective teams to wins this week, but the Cincinnati Bengals, even with the performance of Owens, fell short tonight on MNF and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-21.

In a supporting role, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall, my top running back on my fantasy team, rushed for 99 yards and a TD tonight. He also had 31 receiving yards. All in all a good night.

Whew! I'm going to bed now.

By Sunday evening we should know what's in store for us for Christmas

By Sunday evening we should know what's in store for us for Christmas.

Don't get the wrong idea here, I'm strictly talking Arizona Wildcats' football and basketball. The USC Trojans come to town and if they leave Arizona Stadium late Saturday and return to southern California on Sunday morning, saddled with a Pac-10 loss, well that would be one early Christmas present. The Wildcats' basketball team, and their fans, of course, will get an inkling of what to expect this winter from MoMo Jones and Company when they tangle with Idaho State at McKale Center,  Sunday afternoon.

As far as the Arizona football team is concerned a big win Saturday would get them closer to a bowl game (forget Rose Bowl...think of another). A loss would not be good, especially with Oregon and ASU still looming on the schedule. The Wildcats (7-2) need season-win No. 8 on Saturday. They better not wait til the Sun Devils come to town, still looking down the barrel at a 7-5 season...still looking for that elusive eighth win.

Of course, Christmas would really come early if the Wildcats upset Oregon. Heck, I might buy all my readers a Christmas present if that happens. As for Arizona basketball, I hope to see a cohesive unit take the court on Sunday. As usual, I'll be on the edge of my sofa, biting my nails with every heart-stopping game the 'Cats play.

Nothing changes there, that's the way it has always been and always will be. Happy holidays!

Blue Ridge defends state soccer title

Defending a state prep soccer title isn't easy. Going unbeaten, winning 21 straight games isn't easy. Running the table in any sport at the prep or college level, for that matter, is not an easy task. But the Lakeside Blue Ridge Yellow Jackets got the job done as they held off a tough team from Tucson Desert Christian in the Arizona State 1A-3A boys soccer final tonight at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert.

The result: a 3-1 victory for the Yellow Jackets.

Blue Ridge picked up the first two goals of the match -- one by Jan Haltermann in the first half and the other by Trey Cavanaugh early in the second half. Desert Christian put up a valiant effort and at the midway point of the second half Scott Waller found the goal from 18 yards out to close the gap to 2-1. Things got a little tense from there. The Screaming Eagles battled hard for the next 17 minutes as they tried everything, including putting their two stars, Caleb Steele and Waller, on the same side. But the final goal of the game came with 3 minutes remaining and it came on a penalty kick,.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, it was the Yellow Jackets' Dallas Threlkeld who supplied the final point as he laced a 15-yard boot by the outstretched arms of Eagles' goalie Gabe Fennema. Fennema had an outstanding game as he kept the Yellow Jackets at bay for most of the game.

Hats off to coach Steve Lord and his Eagles' staff for a runner-up finish at state, and congrats go out to coach Bryon Crain and his Yellowjackets' staff on another state title.

A little Luck could give the Wildcats a boost today...

A little Luck, as in Stanford's Andrew Luck, could give Arizona a boost in Palo Alto.

A lot of Luck and the Las Vegas odds makers could be right on with a 10-point win for the Cardinal. Of course, I'm an Arizona fan, so here's my squeaky prediction: Arizona 24-23. If I get this one right, I'm headin' for Las Vegas and get me a job with those odds makers.

Go Wildcats!

Arizona Wildcats Update: No such luck. Andrew Luck throws for close to 300 yards and leads Stanford to a 42-17 win today at Palo Alto. Arizona falls to 7-2 overall, 4-2 Pac-10. Enough said.

The stage is set: Blue Ridge vs. Desert Christian in state soccer final

The stage is set for the Arizona prep 1A-3A boys state soccer final at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. It's just as I predicted Tucson Desert Christian vs. the defending champs from Lakeside Blue Ridge.

Both the Yellow Jackets and the Screaming Eagles cruised through their semi finals today at CVHS with Desert Christian knocking off Snowflake, 5-1, and Blue Ridge with a 4-0 blanking of Tucson St. Gregory. DC scored their goals early and Blue Ridge picked up their goals late. The Screaming Eagles held a 4-0 lead in the first half over the Lobos and added another marker in the second half for good measure, while the Yellow Jackets waited til the clock struck the 64th minute before they started to rattle the scoreboard. Four goals over an 11-minute span in the second half put away the Hawks.

The Hawks' goalie had his hands full all night warding off shot after shot by the Yellow Jackets. Defensively, the Yellow Jackets held the Screaming Eagles' prolific scorer, Frankie Mgoblu, in check all night. Mgoblu took the final shot of the game. The ball sailed high over the goal and bounced off the football crossbar behind the net. The ball rolled back on the field and came to a stop a few feet away from Mgoblu, who sat on his backside and took one last look at the scoreboard.

It was a tough night for Mgoblu, the Hawks, as well as the Lobos. As for the Yellow Jackets and the Screaming Eagles, there's one more day.

Bookemdano footnote: I have a lot friends and acquaintances in the soccer final tomorrow. I'm good friends with the Blue Ridge head coach, Bryon Crain, and the Desert Christian assistant coach, Mike Steele. And I have a favorite player or two on both teams: Trey Cavanaugh and Clayton Crain from Blue Ridge and Scott Waller and Caleb Steele from Desert Christian. It should be a hard-fought match tomorrow.

Sparky

Sparky Anderson died today at the age of 76.

Sparky looked like a manager. Always did. When I think of what a baseball manager should look like...well I think of the former Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers manager, Sparky Anderson. The way he carried himself, the way he argued umpire calls, the way he stood on the dugout steps and barked out defensive assignments to his players -- all those things...and more. I can't imagine him doing anything else. Sparky not only looked the part, but he got the job done, just a few wins shy of 2200 wins in his lifetime.

I watched him manage the Reds when I was 25 years old and I still remember him going through the motions as skipper of the Detroit Tigers when I was 50 years old. And every manager I watched on the tube for the last 15 years... well they all reminded me of Sparky. Even when I sat back and watched Robert Redford's The Natural, I looked closely at Wilford Brimley,who played Pop Fisher, and I thought of Sparky.

Another baseball legend gone. Rest in peace, Sparky Anderson.

85-year-old bats .364 at MSBL World Series

Eighty-five-year-old Floyd Lance, a member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team, is batting .364 at the Men's Senior League Baseball (MSBL) World Series this week in Phoenix. Lance, playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 70-and-over division, has four hits in 11 at bats with a walk and a sacrifice.

The Diamondbacks aren't fairing as well as a team as they head into the final day tomorrow with a 1-3 record. "We have had some bad innings this week," Lance said. "Too many errors." The senior Diamondbacks split with the Ohio Classics this week and lost to a team from South Dakota and a team from San Diego. Lance and the Diamondbacks will complete their play in the senior World Series tomorrow morning when they tangle once again with the South Dakota Rushmores. South Dakota will play San Diego on Saturday for the championship. "We're through after tomorrow," Lance added. "It's been fun."

MSBL Update: Lance and his teammates on the 70-and-over Arizona Diamondbacks lost 8-2 to South Dakota on Friday. Th loss ended play for Lance, a member of the Tucson Old Timers, and completed the three weeks of play in the MSBL for Lance and all the Tucson Golden Aces who participated in the senior World Series.

From the 60-and-over division, through to the 65-and-over-division, and through the 70-and-over division...fun was had by all the Aces -- despite the losses and the injuries. And those in attendance that witnessed the three-weeks of play never lost sight of the fact that these senior athletes are an amazing group of individuals who can still play the game of baseball and enjoy every moment of it.

We'll be back in 2011.

Okay you TOTS...let's go on a field trip to Centerfield...and to Pat's Drive-in

Okay all you Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) it is time for a field trip.

Let's grab our bats and take off on an outing. First stop the Centerfield Baseball Academy on the westside of Tucson. We'll get our cuts in and then head off to lunch at Pat's Drive-In (the world famous hot dog stand), just up the street and a few miles south of the complex. It is a little jaunt for most of us (see address of complex in previous post), but sounds like a fun get together. The CBA is running a special for five or more players. Believe you me we'll get all the swings in that we can handle...and all the hot dogs, later at Pat's, that we can swallow. Give me a call and let's improve our batting averages and fill our bellies, too.

Centerfield Update: A fundraiser is slated for Nov. 10, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Wendy's, 1602 W. St. Marys Rd.,Tucson, Az 85745. The local Wendy's will distribute 15 per cent of the sales to the Centerfield Royals 10U and 11U club teams. Just mention the Centerfield Royals or obtain a flier from yours truly.

Baseball instruction for the young ball player has certainly changed...

I sat on a bench at the Centerfield Baseball Academy last night and eyed my grandson, Jadon Price, as he listened first to his coach's instruction and then proceeded to complete the drill that had been mapped out for him...and his teammates.

As I watched intently, I thought back to the mid 1950s. I remember a young boy, with a bat in one hand and a ball in the other. I remember a park on the east side of Tucson. I remember the young boy throwing the ball up with one hand and then grabbing the bat with both hands and swinging as hard as he could as the ball caromed off the wired backstop. There was no one around to train with...or practice with. Just the boy, the ball...and the bat.

That certainly was a different time...and man how things have changed. Club ball! The best of the best. The best 10-year-old players. The best 11-year-old players. All training in unison to become the best ball team in Tucson. Top-notch instruction from a former major league player -- in this case, George Arias. Indoor batting cages, pitching areas, catching areas, instruction rooms...everything right there in an 18,000 square foot complex.

My goodness, by the time some of the Centerfield Royals (10-and-under, 11-and-under) club players reach high school, chances are they will have seen 10,000 fastballs and an equal amount of curve balls and breaking pitches. They will not only be ready for high school pitching, but maybe even Nolan Ryan, himself. The instruction out there nowadays for the young ball player is mind boggling.

I was born too soon!

CBA Update: George Arias, who played in the majors and in Japan, coaches my grandson at the Centerfield Baseball complex at 1861 W. Grant Rd. Suite 107. Arias played at Pueblo High School and led the Warriors to a state title in 1990. In fact, he is the only major league player to come out of Pueblo. The CBA's director and the man who put the baseball academy into play is Ricky Scruggs, a former professional player and an outstanding all-conference player at UNLV. Also on the staff are Brent Strohm, former Cleveland Indians pitcher, and Samantha Hoffman, a former University of Arizona hurler.

It's been a long, long time...

It's been a long, long time since the Giants won the World Series in 1954.

I was nine years old and the Giants swept my favorite American League team, the Cleveland Indians four games to none. Behind Willie Mays and Dusty Rhodes, the Giants beat the likes of starting pitchers Bob Lemon (twice), Mike Garcia and Early Wynn. How did they do that? Well for one, Mr. Mays caught that unbelievable over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 at the Polo Grounds in New York. The ball was hit by Vic Wertz and the amazing catch by Mays saved a run and kept the great Larry Doby from scoring.

Those were the days!

Team Priceless back on the right track in Fantasy Football league

Team Priceless (5-3) is back. After starting the NFL season with four straight wins in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League, followed by three losses in a row, Team Priceless, with yours truly as the proud owner, is back on the winning side of the ledger with a 127-96 win over Team Arps this week.

My team didn't put up big numbers on Sunday, but the wealth was spread around, led by Larry Fitzgerald (19 fantasy points), Terrell Owens (18) and Mark Sanchez (15). The three players were involved in NFL losses as the Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets, all went down on Sunday. But that's the nature of Fantasy Football. I even picked up 14 fantasy points from the Arizona defense -- a defense I picked up for this week,  due to the fact my regular defense (Baltimore Ravens) had a bye. You can do that in my league...and it worked.