The rainy weather is finally out of here!

Back to Baseball

The members of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club may finally return to action Wednesday morning. The rainy weather and the cold temperatures certainly have put a damper on things at Udall Park over the past few weeks. The old bones will be a clanging tomorrow morning, but it'll be great to be back at the old ball park. With 70-degree temperatures in store for us for the rest of December, chances are the TOTS will get a few more innings in before the new year.

Can Jerry Jones, Rob Ryan and the Cowboys survive the battle in New York?

The cameras will be on Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones on Sunday...and defensive guru Rob Ryan...and, of course, the Dallas players themselves. The Game of the Week, in Week 17, will be at the Meadowlands on Sunday night and the scenario is simple: Cowboys beat the New York Giants and they'll capture the NFC East. Lose and they are out!

Cowboys Update: (1-1-12) No...no they can't. Dallas loses 31-14!

NFC teams in playoffs:

1. Green Bay
2. San Francisco
3. New Orleans
4. New York Giants
5. Detroit
6. Atlanta

Broncos, Raiders battle for AFC West

What a storyline! It's comes down to this: Tim Tebow vs Kyle Orton. The Denver Broncos will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 1. Tebow and the Broncos win and they're in the playoffs. Don't you know that Mr. Orton will be putting it all on the line on Sunday? If the Broncos lose and Oakland beats San Diego, Denver will be out. It'll be a crazy day in the Mile High City.

Bronco Update: (1-1-12)Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos lose 7-3 to Kansas City, but San Diego beats the Raiders, 38-26. Broncos win the AFC West today without scoring a touchdown! Wow!

AFC teams:

1. New England
2. Baltimore
3. Houston
4. Denver
5. Pittsburgh
6. Cincinnati

Assassins Win!

My Fantasy Football League:The Assassins fought off a last-minute charge on Monday Night Football and went on to capture the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League Championship tonight with a 139-135 win over the suh-nami. The owner of the Assassins, Mitch Hockenbury, had to sweat it out to the end as suh-nami's remaining player, Julio Jones, the wide receiver for Atlanta, was all over the field tonight and amassed 16 fantasy points in the Falcons' loss to the Saints. With all his players on the board as of late Sunday night, Mitch was forced to sit back, wait, and pray that Jones wouldn't stack up a lot of receiving yards and touchdowns. Jones did get plenty of yardage, but scored just one touchdown. Two scores by Jones and suh-nami would have walked away with the title. The Assassins' big guns, Tom Brady and Eli Manning, got their fantasy points this week, while the suh-nami quarterback Matthew Stafford out-gunned both Brady and Manning. But the kicker for suh-nami turned out to be the loss of its other quarterback, Tony Romo. The injured Dallas quarterback scored zero fantasy points this week, which opened the gates and put the Assassins in the driver's seat. Congrats to Mitch from Bookemdanosports.

The Final Standings:

League Champion
Assassins
2nd
suh-nami
3rd
El diablo blanco
4th
murrays murrauders
5th
A -TEAM
6th
The Sticky Bandits

Also-rans:

Honey Bee, Team Priceless (me), Big Dawgs and Ninjas

Final Fantasy Note:

It was fun. Looking forward to next season.

Sun Devils' woes continue

The Arizona State Sun Devils' woes continue. ASU lost last night to Boise State 56-24 in the MAACO Bowl in Las Vegas. Wow! That's six losses in seven games for the Sun Devils -- included in that streak was the emotional loss in Tempe a few weeks ago to our own Arizona Wildcats, 31-27. Not a good start for the Pac-12 in bowl games.

The conference is 0-1. Up next: California on Wednesday against Texas in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

Next Up for the Wildcats: The Pac-12

Arizona rolled over Oakland University on Tuesday at McKale Center, 85-73, behind the 23-point,11 rebound performance from Solomon Hill and tonight the Wildcats turned to reserve shooting guard Brandon Lavender to lead the way as Arizona knocked off Bryant University, 100-60. The Wildcats reached the century mark for the first time this year as Lavender canned six trays and coach Sean Miller was able to clear the bench, using 14 players -- 12 of them putting points on the board. It was definitely a tune-up week for the 'Cats. Arizona takes a 9-4 non-conference record into Pac-12 conference play. The Arizona State Sun Devils come to town on Dec. 31. The Wildcats will be ready for 'em!

Assassins, suh-nami reach fantasy league final

My Fantasy Football League: The Assassins held on this week and squeezed by Murrays Maurraders, 133-131, to reach the championship game in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. The Assassins picked up 19 points from the San Francisco defense on Monday Night Football and again road the arm of New England's Tom Brady on Sunday, while the suh-nami capitalized on the performances from Detroit's Matthew Stafford and the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo to blow by El blanco diablo, and the team's key player,Aaron Rodgers, to reach next week's championship finale.

The Assassins, the top seed, will face the third-seeded suh-nami, a team that emerged from the middle of the pack just a few weeks ago to become a formidable opponent and just may own a slight edge in the finale. Good luck, to both teams from Bookemdanosports.

Arizona, ASU get thumped

Down early, rally in second half, but can't get over the hump in the final moments. Sound familiar? Arizona, down by as much as 20 points in the first half, couldn't overcome the deficit and lost in Seattle to Gonzaga last night 71-60. The 7-4 'Cats have a chance to finish their non-conference schedule at 9-4 with games next week at home against Oakland and Bryant University. The Wildcats will have to continue to find a way to win with out an inside game. It is just not there! At least the Arizona loss was to another quality opponent. Up in Tempe, the Arizona State Sun Devils lost to Northern Arizona on Saturday, 69-68. Stallion Saldivar hit the game-winning, three-pointer at the buzzer. Saldivar scored 24 points as the Lumberjacks beat the Sun Devils for the second time in five years.

The Roland Rocket

Being a member of the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club has its advantages on and off the field of play. Since all the members are between the ages of 60 to 86, you are bound to run into an old sports story, or two...or three, just by listening to a teammate in the dugout as he lets loose with a flashback to the 1940s, 1950s, or even the 1960s. In some of my previous posts, I've documented a few of those stories, but the following story may just be the best of the bunch. DeLon "Doc" Thompson, 69 , is one of the top pitchers on the TOTS, a hard-throwing right-hander who can throw one by you, clip the outside corner of the plate more times than not, and send you back to the dugout, scratching your head. In other words, catch you lookin' at strike three!

 Fifty years ago, Thompson (above photo) signed a contract with the Minnesota Twins and played a couple of years of minor-league ball. But the big SPORTS story in the life of DeLon Thompson, occurred long before that, back when he was just nine years old. DeLon's older brother, Gary, led the high school team in the small town of Roland, Iowa, population 700, to the 1951 state basketball finals, knocking off the bigger schools from Waterloo and Des Moines along the way, before falling to Davenport in the title game. Of course, by the time Roland had reached the final, Gary Thompson and his teammates were big news, aka the Hoosiers.

 And it didn't stop there for DeLon's older brother as he went on to Iowa State and became an All American. In 1957, Gary Thompson and the Cyclones upset Wilt Chamberlain and the powerful Kansas Jayhawks, as the Iowa State coach, Bill Strannigan, used a slow-down offense and Gary's athletic ability at the guard position to dismantle Kansas, 39-37. Gary Thompson appeared later that same year on the Ed Sullivan Show, along with Chamberlain, and the rest of the collegiate All-Americans. Gary Thompson went on to play for the Phillips 66ers and then spent 34 years as a color commentator on television, covering Iowa State Cyclones basketball. Gary is known through out Iowa as the "Roland Rocket". DeLon followed his brother to Iowa State and played baseball for the Cyclones and even owned a Cyclone pitching record, or two. After college and a short stint in the minor leagues, DeLon turned to the field of music. He has a country music album out and numerous Cd's.

 And, yes! He still throws a mean fastball.

A-Team loses a heartbreaker

My Fantasy Football League: The A-Team lost a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals of the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League this week, falling to the suh-nami, 178-174. The loss eliminated the A-Team, which bows out of the playoffs along with the Sticky Bandits, which lost 153-127 this week to Murrays Murrauders in the other quarterfinal matchup. The final four for next week pits the Assassins against Murrays Murrauders and suh-nami faces El diablo blanco. The A-Team needed a few more yards from St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson tonight on Monday Night Football, instead it was a 16-yard touchdown romp with three minutes left in the game by Seattle's running back, Marshawn Lynch, which sealed the deal for suh-nami. As it turned out, the suh-nami received just enough fantasy points from Lynch tonight on MNF, but the clincher was on Sunday when its quarterback Tony Romo tallied 43 fantasy points in the Dallas loss to the New York Giants, while the A-Team's quarterback, Drew Brees, scored just 28 fantasy points in the New Orleans' win over the Tennessee Titans. Oh, the agony of Fantasy Football.

Bookemdanosports reaches the 700 mark

On July 4, 2009, Bookemdanosports entered the blogging world. The first postings were introduced during a weekend stay, in a room, at a lodge in Greer, Arizona. Two and half years have flown by and this morning Bookemdanosports reached the 700 mark in postings, daily tidbits of information, focusing mainly on old-time ball players (locally in Tucson and nationwide), a little bit of personal info, sprinkled in with some national news and a few words of wisdom.

My old laptop is still blazing away.

Arizona 63, Clemson 47

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Nick Johnson scored 14 points -- including two more highlight-reel dunks as the Arizona Wildcats thump Clemson, 63-47, at McKale Center this afternoon. And guess what? Josiah Turner is out of the doghouse as the freshman point-guard adds six points, five boards and two steals to the mix. He did commit a hand full of turnovers, though. Sill, I good showing at home by Johnson, Turner and the Wildcats. And now it is on to Gonzaga.

Important game at McKale today

It is an important game at McKale today. I guess they all are. But, following the Wildcats' overtime loss in Gainesville to the Florida Gators last week, it is imperative the Wildcats regroup and take care of their home court as Arizona plays host to Clemson this afternoon. Go Wildcats!

It'll be a little chilly for baseball this morning

The rain and cold weather has put a damper on our "playing time" for us old timers. The Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball club will return to action this morning. The first pitch of today's game at Udall Park will be delivered to the plate at 10 A.M. It is hard enough for us old timers to get loose during the summer months, much less during the winter time. But, we'll be there. Once we get out of our car, warm up the old arm, take a few cuts off the pitching machine, we'll be ready. By the end of the game, the temperature should be in the mid 50s. Can't complain, though. Back in the eastern part of the country, it is a bit chilly. Take for instance, Chicago. In the next 10 days, Chicago's low temperature every morning will be in the mid 20s, in Denver even colder. If you live in the Mile High City, you can look forward every morning for the next ten days to a temperature of somewhere between 15 and 24 degrees. Forget the pitching machines! Bring out the antifreeze! We have a guy, or two, one is from Canada, the other from Spokane, Washington, who'll show up in shorts this morning. Let's play ball!

Turner in the doghouse,again!

Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller is not a happy camper with freshman shooting guard Josiah Turner. Turner will miss the trip to Gainesville today. That will hurt! Florida, ranked 12th in the nation in the latest AP poll, is 5-2 and its losses have come at the hands of the likes of No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Syracuse, so the 'Cats will need to rely on Nick Johnson and Jordin Mayes to get the job done. Let's hope this Turner thing gets turned around.

Philip Rivers knocks me out of fantasy league playoffs

My Fantasy Football League: San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers threw his third touchdown pass of the game with just three minutes gone in the third quarter in Jacksonville tonight, knocking me and my Team Priceless out of sixth place -- the final playoff spot for next week's quarterfinals in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

The Jaguars' defense kept Rivers off the fantasy scoreboard in the first quarter and most of the second, but the Chargers quarterback got it going in the final two minutes before the half, connecting on scoring strikes to wide-receivers Vincent Brown and Vincent Jackson as San Diego led at intermission, 24-14. My Team Priceless won six games and lost seven and finishes in seventh place.

Oh well, there's always next year!

Tebow! Tebow!

My Fantasy Football League: I've never been a die-hard Tim Tebow fan, but I'm getting there. Tebow showed his magic once again yesterday as Tebow and the Broncos beat the Minnesota Vikings, 35-32. He sputtered around in the Broncos' backfield, ran some, and threw just enough to score 25 fantasy points to lead my fantasy team, Team Priceless, to a win. The fantasy win may just be enough to get me into next week's playoffs in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. I'm currently sitting in the sixth and final playoff spot, but could get ousted tonight if San Diego's Philip Rivers has a big night. I also have to keep an eye on two other players tonight -- Chargers' running back Ryan Mathews and Jacksonville's running back Maurice-Jones Drew. All three players are on the A-Team roster. The A-Team could knock me out of the playoffs, if the trio combines for 53 fantasy points. Otherwise, I'm in. It could be close as the Sticky Bandits, already assured of a playoff spot, hold onto a 145-93 lead over the A-Team...and to tell you the truth...I've been burned on Monday Night Football more than once this season.

Fiesta Bowl gets a dandy!

The BCS title game goes to LSU-Alabama. New Orleans will be a hoppin' on Jan. 9. But a week earlier, it'll be time for the Pac-12 to shine in Glendale as Stanford gets a shot at Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. Quarterback Andrew Luck will lead the 4th-ranked Cardinal, while the 3rd-ranked Cowboys counter with quarterback Brandon Weeden.

The Fiesta Bowl should be a dandy!

It could be my final fantasy football weekend

My Fantasy Football League: It's raining outside. A good Sunday to stay inside and watch football...in what could turn out to be be my last weekend in my fantasy football league.

Even if my Team Priceless wins today over the Big Dwags, I would still need some help from the Sticky Bandits as they need to beat the A-Team, which has Drew Brees and Philip Rivers in its lineup. If the A-team losses and I win, I'll salvage sixth place, the final playoff spot, in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. I'll be counting on the likes of Tim Tebow and Carson Palmer today. Fortunately, for me, the Broncos and the Vikings are on the Fox Network this morning, while the Raiders and the Dolphins are on the CBS Network. Tonight on NBC, it'll be the Lions and the Saints. I have the Saints' wide-receiver Marques Colston and running back Pierre Thomas going tonight. So, I shall see how those four fair today.

At any rate, I have all my players going today, with the exception of Chargers' wide-receiver Vincent Jackson, who plays on Monday night against the Jaguars. The Big Dawgs key players today will include Carolina's Cam Newton and Houston's Arian Foster. Let's tee up the pigskin, sit back, and let the fantasy points fall where they may.

Things to do before Christmas...

The Arizona Wildcats have some work to do before Christmas.

Last night at McKale Center, the Wildcats seemed to be looking ahead and kinda went through the motions and lumbered their way to a 53-39 win over the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.

The 'Cats can now pack their bags and head to Florida for a clash with the Gators, come home to face Clemson, then head for Seattle for a matchup with Gonzaga, then back home for back to back games with two small college teams, Oakland University and Bryant University.

All this will be accomplished before Christmas. The Lumberjacks set the pace last night, trying their best to wait til the last second of each possession before they put up a shot. Not too pleasing to the fans in attendance. But a win is a win. Solomon Hill led the Wildcats with 15 points, Kyle Fogg scored 11 and Nick Johnson netted nine points-- including a crowd-pleasing jam.

The Wildcats, at 6-2, will need to get off to a good start in Gatorland!

TOTS Baseball Game of the Week

It was a real pitching duel at Udall Park this morning in a Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) matchup.

Seventy-year-old right-hander Arnie White went at it with yours truly. White, who spends the winter in Tucson and the summer months in Montana, threw seven innings of shutout ball, allowing just six hits, while striking out one and walking just two batters. As for me, it is hard to believe I'm back pitching again. I went the distance, allowing seven hits, while striking out five and walking just two.

This afternoon, I'll need to get the old ice bag out, put it over my right arm, curl up on the sofa and give this 66-year-old body some down time. By the way, Arnie's TOTS team won 4-0, thanks to an unearned run in the first inning, another in the third and two earned runs in the sixth. Once again it was 62-year-old Dennis Crowley, Arnie's lead-off batter, who ended up causing me the most problems. The Boston lefty went 3 for 3 and scored three times.

As for my team, we just couldn't get anything going, offensively. Oh well, there's always next week.

Jumpin' Nick Johnson scores 19 in Las Cruces

Nick Johnson got his first start of the season for the Arizona Wildcats tonight in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Johnson, the son of Joey Johnson, a former Arizona State standout and the brother of the late Dennis Johnson, the former Phoenix Suns great shooting guard, scored 19 points to lead Arizona to an 83-76 win over New Mexico State at the Pan American Center.

It was a tough night for the Wildcats as they fell behind early 9-2, but battled back in front of a hostile crowd and led at the half, 44-40. Jesse Perry had another double-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds and two assists. The Wildcats shot 52 per cent from the field, hitting 30 of 58 shots. The Wildcats (5-2) also received double-figure scoring from Solomon Hill and Josiah Turner. Both players chipped in 12 points.

Way to go, CATS!

It's Sunday morning and another QB decision!

My Fantasy Football League: Decisions! Decisions! I can't decide on who to start in my fantasy football league this week. Tim Tebow...Carson Palmer or Vince Young. Of those three, I can use two in my dual-QB league. As of 6:30 this morning: It's Tebow and Palmer.

Fantasy Update: (11/27/2011) Made the wrong choice. Young nets 33 fantasy points today. He throws for 400 yards, tosses a touchdown pass and rushes for 40 yards. Tebow and Palmer combine for 33 points. In real life Tebow and the Broncos win today, while Palmer and Oakland win as well. On the other hand, Young and the Eagles lose to New England. For my Team Priceless, it'll come down to the results from this week's Monday Night Football.

Fantasy Update: (11/28/2011)The Assassins take down Team Priceless, 132-97, behind a 43-point fantasy effort from New England's Tom Brady and a 35-point fantasy point total tonight from the New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. I fall to 5-7 and need a win in Week 13 to have a shot at the 6th and final playoff spot in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

10,011

The Arizona Wildcats road the arm of Nick Foles for one final time this afternoon at Arizona Stadium. Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns and finishes his career at Arizona with 10,011 passing yards as the Wildcats defeated Louisiana-Lafayette, 45-37. Foles played just three seasons at Arizona and passed for more than 4,000 yards this season alone. Juron Criner added his name to the records books as well as he hauled in two touchdown passes today and finishes his career with 32 touchdown catches. As for the Wildcats, they finish the season at 4-8 and welcome aboard Rich Rodriguez.

The lives we lead...

T

he following is a Thanksgiving greeting from a soldier, and a friend, who just happens to be my opponent this week in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

Happy Thanksgiving to all from Diwaniyah, Iraq. I am going to stay up to watch the Dolphins v Cowboys game at midnight. Had a huge meal at the DFAC and am feeling sick. I am hit or miss on connectivity going forward, so my team may just ride it out as is...adrian petersen looks to be hurt so he may be on the bench for a while. I will be in Kuwait at end of December and will reengage then whether I am still in it or not. Hope you are all having a great day...good one to watch football! Take care, Mitch.

We all live our lives in different ways. Some will be far away today, others will be closer to home. Mitch will stay up late tonight and watch the Dolphins vs the Cowboys. He is the owner of the first-place Assassins, which take on my Team Priceless this week in my fantasy league. He will be without Adrian Peterson, who is out with an injury, so the loss of Peterson could prove to be the difference this week. But, Mitch does have Tom Brady and Eli Manning, while my quarterback situation continues to be a merry-go-round. I picked up Vince Young for this week, which means I'll have Carson Palmer and Young in my starting lineup. I'll leave Tim Tebow on the bench. Win or lose, Mitch is in the UPC Hood Fantasy League playoffs. I, on the other hand, have to win to stay in contention for a playoff spot. Good luck, Mitch.

Live and die by the three!

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: The Arizona Wildcats put up 26 three-point attempts tonight at McKale Center. They made five! Arizona threw up 57 shots in 40 minutes and canned 19. That's 33 percent for the night overall and just 19 percent from three-point land. The result: San Diego State 61, Arizona 57.

The Wildcats fall to 4-2 and the Aztecs move to 6-1 and more than likely will replace Arizona in next week's AP poll. Arizona's winning streak at McKale ends at 22 games. The Wildcats dug a hole early...again, much like their last outing against Mississippi State. Solomon Hill led Arizona with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Did the Wildcats get RICH?

Formerly of West Virginia and Michigan, Rich Rodriguez takes over the Arizona football program. We shall see, we shall see! It should be an interesting news conference at McKale Center today at noon.

Don't expect Louisiana-Lafayette to be a pushover

Don't expect Louisiana-Lafayette to come into Arizona Stadium on Saturday afternoon and let the Wildcats roll over them. At 8-3 and sporting the second-best record in the Sun Belt Conference, the Rajin' Cajuns will more than likely finish runner-up to maybe the second best team in Arkansas, the Arkansas State Red Wolves ( 7-0 conference and 9-2 overall). Arkansas State's two losses: Illinois and Virginia Tech. The Red Wolves beat the Rajin' Cajuns, 30-21, two weeks ago. Still, the Rajin' Cajuns will come to town with plenty of firepower. Louisiana-Lafayette quarterback Blaine Gautier has thrown 19 touchdowns for 2,173 yards, but he's been picked off five times this season. So, Mr. Wade take note! Gautier has also rushed for 443 yards and two scores. Freshman Alonzo Harris has caught 136 passes for 593 yards and seven touchdowns.

So, take note, Arizona secondary! If Nick Foles plays, 'Cats win! If Bryson Beirne plays, 'Cats still win! Oh, I'm such a die hard Wildcat fan!

AP poll drops Arizona to No. 23

At 4-1 and after a pretty good showing at Madison Square Gardens this past week, the Arizona Wildcats dropped a bit in the AP college basketball poll this week, falling to No. 23 in the nation.

Our first glitch in the armour: Sidiki Johnson. Under suspension, Johnson is obviously having growing pains. We need the "Tree" to step up this week and record some productive minutes as the 'Cats take on a top-40 team in the San Diego State Aztecs.

Fantasy win moves me into 6th place

My Fantasy Football League: My Team Priceless has gone from the cellar to sixth place in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. My 125-114 win over the A-Team this week moved me up in the standings as my Team Priceless (5-6) has won five times in the last six weeks. My big point-producer this week was San Diego wide-receiver Vincent Jackson. The Chargers lost to Chicago, 31-20, but Jackson picked up 165 receiving yards and scored a touchdown, good enough for 25 fantasy points. I also picked up 23 points from the New England defense, which shutdown the Kansas City Chiefs, 34-3, tonight in Foxborough. The Assassins and the Sticky Bandits continue to be the front runners in the league with 7-3-1 records.

It must have been a restless night for Sun Devil fans

Do you suppose the Arizona State fans were awakened early this morning, startled from a bad dream?

The same dream: Jourdon Grandon, the Arizona defensive back, running down the sideline, after intercepting Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler with just two minutes to go in the game at Tempe last night. The Sun Devil fans should sleep better tonight, at least the one's who didn't spend a lot of time reading the Arizona Republic's sports section this morning.

Once again, the score: Arizona 31, Arizona State 27.

My Team Priceless will find fantasy points hard to come by today

My Fantasy Football League: My Team Priceless will find fantasy points hard to come by today as another NFL Sunday gets underway. Fortunately, my opponent, the A-Team, is in the same boat due to the fact his top point-getter, Drew Brees, is on a bye week. My opponent will have quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Alex Smith, while I'll counter with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Carson Palmer in our two-quarterback league. It may come down to a couple of running backs to muster up some fantasy points as the A-Team goes with Steven Jackson and I'll insert Michael Bush in my lineup once again. Our defenses, we both have penciled in, are nothing to write home about. I have Cincinnati and New England, while my opponent counters with Arizona and Tennessee. I kept Tim Tebow out of my lineup this week. Tebow did collect 16 fantasy points on Thursday night, so I'm counting on my QBs to at least surpass his fantasy score. One of us will get our fifth fantasy win this week as we both go into today with identical 4-6 records -- unless, of course, we end up deadlocked, which could happen. At any rate, the owner of the A-Team is The Hock, as in Don Hockenbury, a buddy of mine for more than 45 years.

So, it's two old timers going at it. Good luck, Don!

Bryson Beirne to Juron Criner for the win!

What a turn of events. Nick Foles throws for 370 yards and then leaves the game with a back injury with six minutes left in the game and in comes back-up quarterback Bryson Beirne. And what does Beirne do? He throws a screen pass to Juron Criner, who runs it in from 23 yards out to give the Arizona Wildcats a 31-27 win over Arizona State tonight at Sun Devil Stadium.

Interim coach Tim Kish, the Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona fans held their collective breath the final five minutes of the game...and in the END the 'Cats had their victory over their hated rivals, Arizona State!

The Heroes:

Nick Foles 35 for 50, 370 yards and 2 TDs
Bryson Beirne 1 for 1, 23 yards and a TD
Juron Criner 9 receptions for 133 yards and a TD
Ka'Deem Carey 13 rushes for 92 yards, 4 receptions for 47 yards and a TD

A triple-header for Grandpa...

It was a triple-header of sorts on this particular Saturday for this old man. Grandpa witnessed two football games and a soccer match as my grandson, Jadon, and his Mountain Lions' teammates played back-to-back football games, and my granddaughter, Hannah, played in her final regular season soccer game. The NW Mountain Lions beat the Marana Tigers, 27-6, in a Southern Arizona Youth Football League semi-final this morning at the Amphi Middle School and then battled, a few hours later in the championship game, losing a hard-fought 6-0 game to the Tucson Tigers.

Jadon scored a touchdown and recovered two on-side kickoffs in the morning game and rushed for 80 yards -- including a 37 yard run, in the Lions' loss to the Tigers in the afternoon game. Sandwiched in between was Hannah's soccer game at Felix Park. Hannah's team, the Sausage Deli Super Subs, won its first game of the season 2-0 as they shutout the Yellow Peppers. Hannah scored one of the two goals for the Super Subs, giving her a team-leading nine goals for the season.

Way to go, Jadon and Hannah!

There is a game!

Tonight in Tempe there will be a football game. Sorry to say, nobody...cares.

That's a little harsh. The Arizona football players and their die hard fans do care. Good luck, Wildcats. Take it to the Arizona State Sun Devils and bring home the trophy.

Wildcats lose title game at Madison Square Garden

The three-pointers were not falling tonight for the Arizona Wildcats at Madison Square Garden.

Mississippi State wins the 2K Sports Classic with a 67-57 win over Arizona, despite another double-double from Jesse Perry, who scored 11 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. The Wildcats (4-1) go 23 of 58 from the field --- including six of 20 from three-point land and were saddled with their first loss of the season. Solomon Hill was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 12 points to go along with his nine rebounds.

The Wildcats return home and will take on San Diego State on Wednesday. The Aztecs beat USC, 56-54, earlier in the week.

Wildcats hit 14 three-pointers in win over St. John's

The Arizona Wildcats canned 14 of 29 three-pointers and five players scored in double figures tonight at Madison Square Garden and went on to beat St. John's, 81-72. Solomon Hill led the way with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and a block. Kyle Fogg pumped in 13, Jordin Mayes netted 12, while Jesse Perry and Nick Johnson contributed 11 points apiece to complete the double-figure scoring.

Josiah Turner came close to double figures, adding eight points to the Wildcats' cause, while pulling down three boards and coming up with two steals. Balanced scoring, indeed! The 15th-ranked Wildcats led at the half 44-41, but relinquished the lead early in the second half and then came roaring back to improve to 4-0 on the season.

The Wildcats will take on Mississippi State tomorrow night in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic. The Bulldogs upset Texas A and M, 69-60, in the first game of the tourney earlier today.

'Cats ranked 15th in latest AP Poll

I'm sure coach Sean Miller will make sure the Arizona Wildcats pay no mind to the fact the Associated Press has the 'Cats ranked No. 15 in the nation this week.

There should be plenty of time, during the plane ride to New York, to reiterate that fact. Yes, the 'Cats are 3-0 and are receiving a favorable early-season ranking, but so is 19th-ranked Texas A and M, one of the team's participating in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer tourney at Madison Square Garden on Thursday and Friday. St John's, the Wildcats' opponent on Thursday will also pay no mind to the early-season rankings as will Mississippi State, the Texas A andM opponent in the tourney opener. The winners will square off on Friday, the losers will play in the consolation matchup.

Good luck, Wildcats!

It's a great day to play baseball!

Wednesday should be a great day for baseball.

When the sun comes up over the Rincon Mountains tomorrow morning, Tucson residents will remember why they have made the Old Pueblo their home. As for us old timers, who love to play the game of baseball, we (the members of the Tucson Old Timers Baseball Club) will take the field at Udall Park under a bright, blue sky and a temperature at game's end, fluttering around the 72 degree mark. The TOTS' players, ranging in age from 60 to 86, will take the field, breathe in the crisp air, let out a whistle or two, and await the first pitch.

There will be a slight breeze in our faces by the third inning...and by the fifth inning we'll shed our wind-breakers and feel comfortable in our short sleeve TOTS' jerseys, as the sun slowly rises, clears the tree tops at Udall, and shines brightly onto the field of play. A great day for baseball!

From a soldier who lives in a world far...far away

From a soldier who lives in a world far...far away:

Infantrymen have a pride and arrogance that most Americans don't understand and don't like. Even soldiers who aren't Infantrymen don't understand. The pride doesn't exist because we have a job that's physically impressive. It certainly doesn't exist because it takes a higher level of intelligence to perform our duties. It's sad and I hate to admit it, but any college student or high school grad ca.........n physically do what we do. It's not THAT demanding and doesn't take a physical anomaly. Nobody will ever be able to compare us to professional athletes or fitness models. And it doesn't take a very high IQ to read off serial numbers, pack bags according to a packing list, or know that incoming bullets have the right of way.

The pride of the Infantryman comes not from knowing that he's doing a job that others can't, but that he's doing a job that others simply won't. Many Infantrymen haven't seen a lot of combat. While that may sound ideal to the civilian or non-Infantry soldier, it pains the grunt. We signed up to spit in the face of danger. To walk the line between life and death and live to do it again - or not. To come to terms with our own mortality and let others try to take our life instead of yours. We have raised our hands and said, "Take me, America. I am willing to kill for you. I am willing to sacrifice my limbs for you. I will come back to America scarred and disfigured for you. I will be the first to die for you."

That's why the Infantryman carries himself with pride and arrogance. He's aware that America has lost respect for him. To many he's a blood thirsty animal. To others he's too uneducated and stupid to get a regular job or go to college. Only he knows the truth. While there are few in America who claim to have respect for him, the Infantryman returns from war with less fanfare than a first down in a high school football game. Yes, people hang up their "Support Our Troops" ribbons and on occasion thank us for our service. But in their eyes the infantryman can detect pity and shame; not respect. Consider this: How excited would you be to meet the average Infantryman? Now compare that with how excited you'd be to meet a famous actor or professional sports player and you will find that you, too, are guilty of placing the wrong people on a pedestal. You wouldn't be able to tell me how many soldiers died in the war last month, but you'd damn sure be able to tell me if one of the actors from Twilight died.

Yet the Infantryman doesn't complain about that. He continues to do his job; to volunteer his life for you, all while being paid less in four years than Tom Brady makes in one game.

It's a job most Americans don't understand, don't envy, and don't respect. That is why we have pride for the Infantry.

Photos: My long-time friend, Jared, and a current fantasy football opponent...and his buddies.

My winning streak is over in fantasy league

My Fantasy Football League: I needed Aaron Rodgers to throw four touchdown passes to Jermichael Finley tonight in Green Bay. Rodgers throws went elsewhere and my four-game winning streak comes to an end as my Team Priceless falls to 4-6 on the season. Sticky Bandits picks up the win as I lose 129-104. With the win, the Sticky Bandits pull even with The Assassins, which lost this week to suh-nami, 123-115. The Assassins and the Sticky Bandits sit atop the UPC Hood Fantasy Football standings with identical 6-3-1 records. Next week, it'll be a battle between two 4-6 teams as Team Priceless takes on the A-Team. Also, the Big Dawgs (4-5-1) will tangle with the suh-nami (4-5-1), Murrays Murrauders (6-4) take on El diablo blanco (6-4), while the Arizona Wildcats (3-7) face The Assassins and Honey Bee (4-4-2) goes up against the Sticky Bandits.

Assassins, suh-nami in an interesting matchup tonight on MNF

My Fantasy Football League: The first-place Assassins (6-2-1) and the ninth-place suh-nami (3-5-1) are in an interesting matchup tonight on Monday Night Football. Suh-nami is up 100-95, going into tonight's action. The players: The Assassins have Minnesota's Adrian Peterson and Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby, while suh-nami counters with Green Bay running back James Starks and the Packers' defense.

Made all the wrong move in fantasy league this week

My Fantasy Football League: I made all the wrong moves in my fantasy football league this week and I expect my winning streak, which is currently at four games, will come to an end tonight, unless Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley goes crazy like he did in Week 3. Finley is my only player left on my roster to root for when the Packers and the Minnesota Vikings collide on MNF. I'm down 25 points and I simply started the wrong people this week. My bench this week scores 68 fantasy points (Carson Palmer, Rashard Mendenhall, Marques Colston and Stephen Gostkowski).

On the flip side, San Francisco running back Frank Gore gets hurt in the third quarter of his game, while Buffalo's Stevie Johnson and Baltimore's Anquan Boldin fail to produce this week. As Don Meridith would say,"Turn out the lights the party's over." A loss this week will drop me to 4-6 on the season and put me mathematically out of the running for a chance at winning the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League.

Fogg lifts Wildcats

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Kyle Fogg pumped in 21 points and Kevin Parrom made his first appearance of the season, contributing six points, four rebounds and two assists as the Arizona Wildcats (3-0) turned back Ball State, 73-63, today at McKale Center. Solomon Hill picked up a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Wildcats, down 38-29 at the half, roared back in the second half, outscoring the Cardinals, 44-25.

Arizona still has a lot of work to do, especially at the free throw line where they connected on 31 of 43, but the Wildcats did cut down on the turnovers with 12 for the game and just three in the second half. Coach Sean Miller gave Parrom a lengthy hug near the end of the game as the Arizona fans cheered their approval of Kevin's performance and his return to action. The Wildcats' play in the second half, in my opinion, was their best 20 minutes of the season thus far.

Way to go 'Cats!

ASU, Louisiana-Lafayette both lose

If you're an Arizona football fan, this might make you feel better this morning: The Wildcats' final two opponents also lost yesterday. Arizona State lost 37-27 to Washington State and Louisiana-Lafayette fell to Arkansas State, 30-21. The Sun Devils, now at 6-4 and with just one victory in their last four games, await the Wildcats in Tempe on Nov. 19.

As for the Ragin' Cajuns, they come to town on Nov. 26, sporting an 8-3 overall record.

Wildcats blown away in Boulder!

The Arizona Wildcats could not stop the run in Boulder today...and to make matters worse the windy conditions didn't help, either. And for the record, the loss of their head coach a few weeks back...is still fresh in their minds.

It all adds up to another Pac-12 loss, this time it's to Colorado, 48-29. About all that's left to talk about this afternoon is Nick Foles and his assault on the 10,000 career mark in passing yardage. Nick's 352 yards today gives him 9,289 yards for his career at Arizona with two games to go. If nothing else, Foles has a shot at the five-figure mark if he can put up some big numbers against Arizona State and Louisiana-Lafayette. Whether he passes the mark or not, Foles will leave Arizona as the most prolific passer in the school's history.

Ball State

The Ball State University Cardinals will be in town tomorrow afternoon and the Arizona basketball team will go after win No. 3. Of course, the 'Cats will hit the road after that and things will get a little more interesting as they head across the country to take on St. John's University. Ball State played Taylor University last week in an exhibition game and won 72-47.

One of the more well-known Ball State alumnus: David Letterman.

Off to a good start in Fantasy League

My Fantasy Football League: I'm off to a good start this week in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. I owe the good start this week to Oakland's running back Michael Bush, who gained 157 yards rushing, hauled in 85 receiving yards and scored one touchdown last night in the Raiders' 24-17 win over San Diego. That's 32 fantasy points.

I ended up with a 40-0 head start on my opponent, the Sticky Bandits, as I picked up two points from San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson (he was defensed well last night) and six markers from the Chargers running back Mike Tolbert. The bad news: I elected not to start Carson Palmer, who did well once again (from a fantasy stand point)as he led the Raiders to victory. Also, I'm down to nine players, going into Sunday's action, while my opponent has all his spots available -- including Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Still, my Team Priceless has a good shot at making it five in a row and improving to 5-5 on the season.

What was a dismal outlook just a few weeks ago when I was at 0-5, is changing rapidly.

It's a work in progress...but the Wildcats win

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: Jordin Mayes went on a scoring-spurt midway through the second half and it was just enough to give the Wildcats some breathing room as the Wildcats went on to beat Duquesne 67-59 tonight at McKale Center. Mayes scored eight points during a three-minute span and finished the night with 19 points.

The Wildcats trailed at the half 30-28 and committed 21 turnovers. The other bad news: The Wildcats missed 11 free throws. The good news: Arizona is 2-0. Jesse Perry was the big gun under the bucket tonight, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for his second straight double-double. The Wildcats had trouble with Duquesne's pressure defense for most of the night and that is something coach Sean Miller will need to address at the Wildcats' practice sessions, later in the week.

All in all, it was a fun evening, even though I sat on the edge of my seat for most of the game. I guess, I'd better get used to it. Chances are, there will be more of the same down the road.

Duquesne

The Duquesne Dukes are in town and will take on our Arizona Wildcats tonight at McKale. The alumni from the private Catholic university in Pittsburgh includes a bishop and a cardinal or two, and was also the school of choice for singer Bobby Vinton, the 1960s crooner, who had two giant hits which still rattle around in my head from time to time -- Blue Velvet and Roses are Red (My Love).

Vinton is 76 years old and lives in Florida. And, of course, we hope the Dukes will be the team singing the blues tonight.

Team Nightmare!

We have the Dream Team, the Fantasy Team and now we have Team Nightmare.

The Coach: Joe Paterno

The starting five:

G Jerry Sandusky
G Doc Murray
F Tiger Woods
F Casey Anthony
C Herman Cain

Defensive Scheme: All-out media blitz

Former Hall of Famers: O.J. Simpson, Washington, Wall Street...it goes on and on...

The Big Winners: The TV Networks

The Losers: Main Stream America

The Assassins drop a game in Fantasy Football League

My Fantasy Football League: The Assassins lost by three points this week to El diablo blanco, and now hold a slim one-game lead in the latest standings of the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. As for me, I pick up my fourth straight win with my lopsided victory over Honey Bee. As you can see, I still have a lot of work to do in Week 10. My next opponent: the second-place Sticky bandits.

The Standings after Week 9:

1. Assassins 6-2-1 .722
2. The Sticky Bandits 5-3-1 .611
3. El diablo blanco 5-4-0 .556
4. Honey Bee 4-3-2 .556
5. murrays murrauders 5-4-0 .556
6. big dawgs 4-4-1 .500
7. A -TEAM 4-5-0 .444
8. Team Priceless 4-5-0 .444
9. suh-nami 3-5-1 .389
10. Arizona Wildcats 2-7-0 .222

Smokin' Joe Frazier...gone at 67

I was 25 years old in 1971...and back then boxing was BIG. The fighters were bigger then life. At theaters, on the wide-screen (if you were lucky enough to have the time off, had money in your pocket and could afford to watch the matches live), the fighters looked like warriors, battling it out in the center of the ring for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

One of the greatest fighters of all time, Smokin' Joe Frazier, who won the heavyweight title with a 15-round decision over Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden in The Fight of the Century on March 8, 1971, died today of liver cancer. He was 67 years old.

Wildcats win opener over Valparaiso, 73-64

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: The Arizona Wildcats led by two at the half, but defended well in the second half and went on to win their season opener tonight with a 73-64 win over Valparaiso at McKale Center. Kyle Fogg led the Wildcats with 16 points, while Jesse Perry and freshman Nick Johnson added 14 points apiece as Arizona, the 16h ranked team in the nation, gets it done.

Perry also grabbed 10 boards for a double-double. Freshman Angelo Chol had a good outing as well with four steals, six rebounds and six points before fouling out late in the game, while Jordin Mayes and Solomon Hill added to the Wildcats scoring with eight points apiece. All in all, not too shabby for the opener. Disappointing was the play of Kyryl Natyazhko, who played just 15 minutes and did not score. We need more from the big fella.

Wildcats' tip-off just moments away...

The University of Arizona basketball season is just moments away.

We, the fans, will find out in the next two hours if the young Wildcats are at least prepared for the likes of a Valparaiso. Without Derrick Williams, the Arizona Wildcats will take the court at McKale Center looking for someone to take hold of the reigns and carry them through the month of November. Will it be Solomon Hill or Jesse Perry? How about Jordin Mayes? Or, will it be one of the freshmen? Possibly, Nick Johnson or Josiah Turner.

We will know soon enough. Good luck, 'Cats!

Say it ain't so, Joe!

Say it ain't so, Joe Paterno!

This blog deals in positive stuff, so I won't go in to all the chatter coming out of Happy Valley. Just when you think you've heard it all in the World of Sports, out comes something else. Joe you might need some blocking up front by your offensive linemen to deal with the media today.

Team Priceless wins again!

My Fantasy Football League: Team Priceless is on a roll! My winning streak in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League is now at four games as I pull out another victory today, thanks to a couple of quarterbacks -- Tim Tebow and Carson Palmer.

You guessed it! I inserted Tebow, who has been riding the pine for most of the season in Denver, and Palmer, who's been surfing on the beach in southern California for most of the year (as far as I know), into my starting lineup...and presto, they combine for five touchdown passes and score 60 fantasy points!

In real life, Tebow leads the Broncos to a win over Oakland, despite Palmer's amazing efforts (three  touchdowns and 332 passing yards). And just to add to the mix, one of my receivers, San Diego's Vincent Jackson hauls in three touchdown passes and amasses 32 fantasy points.

My winning streak may come to an end next week, but, for now, I'm a happy fantasy camper as I score a season-high 197 points. With four wins and five losses on the season, I'm still in eighth place in my 10-team league, but if I can hang on and win a couple more, it would make things very interesting.

Just for the fun of it, I'm starting Tebow and Palmer today in fantasy league

Just for the fun of it, I'm starting Tim Tebow and Carson Palmer today in my UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. One of the two will grind out a win and a few fantasy points. I'm counting on the rest of my Team Priceless lineup to carry the load.

My starters:

QB
Carson Palmer
(Oak - QB)

QB
Tim Tebow
(Den - QB)

WR
Marques Colston
(NO - WR)

WR
Anquan Boldin
(Bal - WR)

WR
Vincent Jackson
(San Diego - WR)

RB
Frank Gore
(SF - RB)

RB
Mike Tolbert
(SD - RB)

TE
Jermichael Finley
(GB - TE)

W/R/T
Michael Bush
(Oak - RB)

K
Neil Rackers
(Hou - K)

DEF
Cincinnati
(Cin - DEF)

DEF
Atlanta
(Atl - DEF)

Fantasy note: I probably should put Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buf-QB) in the lineup today, but he's up against the New York Jets and his chest is sore from a hit he took last week. I guess I just love the storyline and the Tebow-Palmer matchup.

Utes turn into Brutes!

It was brutal. The Utah Utes turned into Brutes at Arizona Stadium tonight. The result: Utah 34, Arizona 21.

Too many mistakes by the Wildcats. And where was Carey in the first half? And when Carey appeared in the second half, why wasn't he given the ball at the 2-yard line when it was first and goal?

Arizona football fans need to take a deep breath and wait for next year, a new coach and some new personnel. The Wildcats, sporting a 2-7 overall record and a 1-6 mark in the Pac-12, need to suck it up and get through the next three games.

Aces fall to El Paso Tejanos, 8-6, in MSBL finale

The Tucson Golden Aces 60-and-over team lost this afternoon to the El Paso Tejanos, 8-6, in the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series championship game held today at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Down 4-3 to the Aces, the El Paso team scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and went on to win the 60-and-over division MSBL title. The Aces picked up a couple of runs down the stretch, but it wasn't enough to overtake the Tejanos. According to manager Mike Morales, the Aces performed well during the past two weeks. The Aces' 65-and-over team went 4-2 last week and the 60-and-over team finishes 7-2 this week. "They knew the Aces were in town," Morales said.

Good job, guys! There's always next year.

Aces reach MSBL World Series title game

The Tucson Golden Aces knocked off the AZ Scorpions, 19-4, and blasted the Hollywood Stars, 11-1, on Friday to reach the 60-and-over division championship game (scheduled for today, 3 P.M., Phoenix Municipal Stadium), at the MSBL World Series in Phoenix. Arnold Mares will be the starting pitcher today for the Aces as they make a run at the championship. The Aces are 7-1 this week at the MSBL World Series and will need victory No. 8 to bring home the championship hardware.

Photo: Top row (left to right) Don Holp, Frank Castillo, Ernesto Escala, Byron Carter, Joe Banner, Dennis Garcia, Chuey Felix, Lou Russo and Hector Castillo.
Bottom row (left to right) Ozzie Espinoza, Chuck Milo, Arnold Mares, Mike Morales, Paul Rickert, Frank Trujillo, Joe Jimenez and Mark Sewell.

Mike Steele

One of my many friends and teammates on the Tucson Old Timers (TOTS) baseball team is Mike Steele, one of the nicest guys you ever want to meet. Mike is a teacher, so his availability to play for the TOTS is limited, but during the summer and holidays you can bet Mr. Steele will be at Udall Park, playing, alongside the rest of us.

Once in a while, we meet on different sidelines and it usually occurs this time of year when the top teams collide at the 1A2A3A Boys' State Soccer Tournament. This year, it will once again (or should, depending on the outcome of the semi finals at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert today) come down to Tucson Desert Christian, the top team in Tucson, of which Mike is an assistant coach, and defending state champion Lakeside Blue Ridge of Pinetop. Now Blue Ridge, is unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps.com. They are also coached by Bryon Crain, who just happens to be the son of Sue Crain, my better half and partner in crime for the past nine years. So, there I'll be this Friday and Saturday afternoon, on the sidelines, or close to it as possible, while Sue squirms in the stands with, more than likely, ear muffs and a blanket (Can you believe it?)

It is supposed to turn cold this weekend in the Phoenix area). It should be a battle and Blue Ridge is favored to win it all once again. There's no question Blue Ridge is the odds on favorite. Blue Ridge has won seven titles since 1999. Desert Christian did win it all back in 1996 and 1997. The runnerup in both of those years: Blue Ridge. Dave Defer coached DC in 1996 and John O'Hair coached DC in 1997. Chris Ellis was the Blue Ridge coach back then and in the championship games the scores were identical: Desert Christian 2, Blue Ridge 1. Last year, it came down to Desert Christian and Blue Ridge in the state finale. Blue Ridge won 3-1 to finish the season 20-0. In the semi finals today at Campo Verde High School it'll be Northland Prep and Desert Christian at 5 p.m. and Payson and Blue Ridge at 7 p.m. The winners will face off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. My prediction: DC and Blue Ridge in the finale.

Soccer Update: (11/05/2011)Surprisingly, DC falls in semis to Northland Prep, 2-1, while Blue Ridge beats Payson, 3-1. So, it'll be Blue Ridge and Northland Prep (from Flagstaff) in state final today.

Soccer Update: Blue Ridge blanked Northland Prep, 4-0, at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert this afternoon and won the State 1A2A3A Boys Soccer title for the third year in a row.

I'm back with the TOTS!

I returned to the ball field today. I still can't run worth a darn, but I did manage to get two hits in four trips to the plate and, surprisingly, I was able to hobble around the bases without calling for a pinch runner. Last week, I played in two games with the TOTS and went 3 for 7, so I'll at least head into action on Friday at Udall Park with a respectable batting average.

I'm a little rusty at third base, but hopefully, I'll do better next week. The fractured bone spur in my right heel seems to be better, at least good enough to allow me to play a seven-inning game. I have a lot of work ahead of me, just to get back in the swing of things and keep pace with my TOTS' teammates. According to the stats sheet for October, some of the club members are clubbing the ball. For instance, the speed demon on the team, Dennis Crowley, from Boston, led the TOTS in hits with 22. He also walked eight times, scored 17 runs and played in 13 games, while maintaining a .550 batting average. Outfielder Bob Daliege played in just eight games, but went 14 for 25 for a hefty .560 batting average. First baseman Brad Tolson was the big run producer for the month. Tolson knocked in a team-high 13 runs, while collecting 17 hits in 12 games. Billy Heiny led all pitchers with a 3-1 record for the month of October.

Good going, guys!

Tucson Golden Aces 60s cruise to 5-0 start at MSBL World Series

The Tucson Golden Aces 60s are rolling over the competition this week in Phoenix at the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series. Two more wins today for the Aces as they pound San Antonio, 20-7, this morning and then blow by the AZ Scorpions, 22-3, this afternoon. That's 95 runs scored and a 5-0 record as the Aces head into tomorrow's final pool-play game against an El Paso team, which also sports an unblemished record at 5-0.

A win over the El Paso Tejanos would give the Aces the No. 1 seed for the playoffs on Friday. Win or lose, the Aces are in the playoffs and have a good shot at winning it all. According to manager Mike Morales, the Aces are not only hitting the ball well, but the pitching staff is getting the job done on the mound. Arnold Mares is 2-0, Byron Carter is 2-0, and Chuck Milo, a Denver resident and the third member of the staff, is 1-0. Mares and Carter are both Tucson residents. "The guys are just pounding the ball," Morales said, during an interview over the phone this evening. "We've had one close game and the rest have been blowouts, but we expect a battle tomorrow against the El Paso team."

 Go get 'em, guys! Keep up the good work. I wish I was there!

MSBL Update: (11/3/2011) Aces fall to the El Paso Tejanos, 4-2. The Aces finish 5-1 in pool play and will take on the AZ Scorpions tomorrow morning in the first round of the playoffs.

Lesson 2 for the Wildcats in the books

The Arizona Wildcats completed Lesson 2 this evening at McKale Center. But this time the Wildcats won as they bested Humboldt State, 60-51. So much for the exhibition games and now it is on to the real thing.

The Teacher, Sean Miller, gave his students, The Wildcats, their share of on-the-job training from the sideline -- first against the likes of Seattle Pacific last week and again tonight with the Lumberjacks from Humboldt State -- in hopes of preparing them for the opener on Monday night against Valparaiso. And just to set the record straight, both of Arizona's exhibition foes weren't to bad. The Lumberjacks are ranked No. 14 in Division 2 and the Falcons from Seattle Pacific are ranked No. 22.

Tucson Golden Aces 60's are 3-0 at MSBL

My teammates on the Tucson Golden Aces 60's are 3-0 in this week's Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) action in Phoenix. I knew back in August, after a hand full of practices at Tucson Reid Park, that this could be the year the 60-and-over Aces could go...all the way!

The Aces have scored 53 runs in three games with wins over Team America (28-5), Australia (17-1) and the Chicago Grays (8-7). The Aces will play a doubleheader tomorrow with a morning game against the San Antonio Red Sox and an afternoon encounter against the AZ Scorpions. Both games will be played at the Salt River Complex. The Aces will end pool play on Thursday in Goodyear with a game at the Cincinnati Reds spring training facility against a team from El Paso. Playoffs get underway on Friday.

Bernadette

Updated for 2022

I stopped in at my neighborhood Dunkin' Donut shop the other day. I was on my second cup of coffee and for some reason I was feeling sorry for myself. I quickly came to my senses.

The door opens and in rolls a lady named Bernadette, sitting atop a four-wheeled scooter. Now mind you, this particular donut shop is housed in a 1,000 square feet space with five or six tables and a dozen chairs. Bernadette maneuvers her way to the counter, wheeling her vehicle around the chairs, the tables and the 15 customers, all of whom were awaiting their orders.

I was amazed how she handled the situation. She backed her Victory Pride scooter close enough to the counter to place her order. And there she sat. Bernadette took a few dollars out of a white envelope, paid the cashier and proceeded to devour her newly-acquired sugar-filled donut. At this point, I just couldn't help myself, so I proceeded to walk up to her and we ended up having a pleasant conversation.

She introduced herself and said she was 77 years old. She proceeded to tell me the brand name of the scooter and explained that recently she had a bit of a problem due to the fact the battery needed to be replaced. I asked her how far she had motored this morning. "Oh!"she said. "I live up near Speedway and Alvernon."

I quickly calculated the distance. My goodness, that's a good two miles. Bernadette asked me my name and then she said, "Danny, it was nice talking to you." I went back to my seat, took another sip of coffee, looked out the window and watched the traffic scurry by.

We all have our troubles, and we figure out a way to survive in this crazy world. For some, like Bernadette, they shrug off their troubles and keep rolling along. I didn't have a donut, and that's probably a good thing. I left the donut shop and I watched Bernadette roll on down the highway, so to speak. 

I had a great cup of coffee. I was now ready to roll, too. I left the donut shop with a lot better attitude and a smile on my face. And come to think of it, Bernadette left with a smile on her face, too.

Team Priceless makes it 3 in a row

My Fantasy Football League: How about that? The UPC Hood Fantasy Football top dog, The Assassins, didn't win this week, but they didn't lose either and remain in first place after a 152-152 deadlock with the Big Dwags. As for Team Priceless, a third straight win and the most fantasy points in the league this week with 153, despite having Tim Tebow as one of its quarterbacks in the starting lineup. My quarterback situation is a lot like a merry-go-around. I could sure use Aaron Rodgers or a Drew Brees! I expect a tough time of it this week. Ryan Fitzpatrick is in for a tough week and Tebow, well he's going to have to rush for 100 yards and pass for 100 yards to get on the fantasy scoreboard. How in the heck did he garner 15 fantasy points this week? Strange, this fantasy football stuff! I won this week despite a 29-point fantasy effort from my opponent's top quarterback, Michael Vick. I did get 21 points from Fitzpatrick, who continues to produce. I still have Christian Ponder on the bench, but Minnesota has a bye this week. I'll consider using him the following week as I continue to monitor the Tebow situation, as are the Bronco fans.

Wildcats can forget the Huskies and prepare for Homecoming

Nick Foles threw for 388 yards and Juron Criner hauled in enough passes to collect 118 receiving yards, but it wasn't enough on Saturday in Seattle as the Washington Huskies prevail, 42-31.

Forget the Huskies. It'll be Homecoming Week and the Utah Utes come to town this Saturday. Better days ahead, at least for Wildcat fans. I spent the weekend in the hospital getting my "ticker" checked. Hey guys, try to avoid that awful chemical, stress test -- the one were they pump the fluid into your old heart, while you lay there, letting the chemicals do the "jogging" for you. No fun!

Following the test, I spent most of Sunday in the hospital bed, watching football. The good news: My ticker passed the test and my Fantasy Football team rocked. I'm heading for my third straight win!

Life goes on!

Cardinals win World Series

It's official. The St. Louis Cardinals are the World Champs as they beat the Texas Rangers tonight in St. Louis, 6-2, in the seventh game of the World Series. David Freese continued his hot hitting in the series with a two-run double in the first inning, Allen Craig blasted a solo shot in the third inning and Tony La Russa made all the right moves down the stretch as the Cardinals made all their fans happy tonight at Busch Stadium.

Aces qualify for playoffs

The Tucson Golden Aces continue to play well without me. The Aces beat Dodgertown West 10-5 today at the MSBL World Series in Phoenix to finish 4-1 in pool play and qualify for the playoffs, which gets underway tomorrow morning. The Aces will need two wins tomorrow to advance to the title game. Way to go, guys!

Aces Update: The Aces lost on Saturday morning to Canada, 11-5, in the first round of the playoffs at Maryvale Park, ending their hopes for a MSBL World Series title. Still, a great showing by my teammates as they finished 4-2 in six straight days of competition against the top 65-and-over baseball teams in the country.

Arizona ranked 16th in latest AP Poll

The Associated Press NCAA basketball rankings are out today. Arizona is ranked No. 16, although they looked anything but a ranked team in its loss to Seattle Pacific last night. Remember it was an exhibition game -- a learning tool for Wildcats' coach Sean Miller. I'll go with the AP poll and consider their expertise over what actually went on at McKale Center last night.

Miller has a lot of work ahead of him to get the Wildcats prepared for the season opener at home against Valparaiso University on Nov. 07.

If I were a Carpenter...

If I were a Carpenter, as in Chris Carpenter, I'd be happy with the scenario thrust upon me tonight as I take the mound in Game 7 of the World Series. The St. Louis pitcher will have the backing of the fans, roaring at his every pitch, as he takes on the hard-hitting, relentless lineup of the Texas Rangers at Busch Stadium in hopes of bringing home a Cardinals' championship.

After last night, don't figure on a shutout by Carpenter, but does he have enough in the gas tank, after only three days of rest, to keep the Rangers from scoring a lot of runs? The longer he stays in the game, the better the Cardinals' chances are of winning the Fall Classic. Texas will counter with Matt Harrison, but Carpenter has the postseason resume and, in my opinion, has the edge. But, after last night, will pitching really have anything to do with the outcome? This is a hitter's series! Will it be Albert Pujols who provides the game-winner? Or, will Josh Hamilton, step to the plate, and crush the winning blast? Maybe, it'll be Cruz...or Freese, or Beltre, or...? Well, you get the idea.

One thing is for sure, the 2011 World Series is now worth watching!

Freese Frame!

David Freese hits a walk-off homer over the center field fence in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 10-9 victory tonight over the Texas Rangers in Game 6 of the World Series in front of a packed house at Busch Stadium.

The blast by Freese extends the World Series to seven games and the Rangers and Cardinals will do it all over again tomorrow night. The first Game 7 in a World Series in nine years! Nineteen runs, 28 hits and five errors in four hours and 33 minutes.

Wow! What a game!

Aces 3-1 at MSBL World Series

My teammates on the Tucson Golden Aces lost 13-8 on Wednesday to the San Antonio Texans, but rebounded today with a 12-2 win over the New England Red Sox and head into play Friday at the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series in Phoenix with an overall record of 3-1.

The Aces will end pool play on Friday as they take on Dodgertown West at 2 p.m. at the West Camelback Baseball Complex, the spring taining facility for the LA Dodgers. A win over Dodgertown should assure them a berth in the playoffs, which are scheduled for Saturday morning.

The guys are doing just fine without me

My Tucson Golden Aces teammates are doing just fine without me at the Men's Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series in Phoenix this week.

The guys are 2-0 after a win on Monday over Tri Valley, 11-7, and a victory today over St. Thomas, 14-8. Great job guys. Keep it up! Next up: The Aces take on the San Antonio Texans tomorrow morning at Scottsdale Stadium. My teammates are competing in the 65-and-over division and will continue play through Friday in hopes of qualifying for the playoffs on Saturday.

I wish I was there.

It's back to St. Louis and the Cardinals need two!

It's back to St. Louis and the Cardinals need two wins to secure the 2011 World Series title. Nothing is ever easy. The Texas Rangers got the job done last night, winning 4-2 and closing the door on the Cardinals with a strike 'em out throw 'em out play in the ninth inning. It's turning out to be a great series after all.

The Assassins still the top dog

My Fantasy Football League: The Assassins are still the top dog in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League as they move to 6-1, after a 149-142 win over Murrays Murrauders this week. The Assassins big gun turned out to be Minnesota's Arian Peterson, who collected 31 fantasy points with 175 rushing yards and a TD against the Green Bay defense. In a real tussle the suh-nami and Honey Bee battle to a 99-99 tie. Honey Bee needed just a bit more from Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco last night on Monday Night Football. Honey Bee needed 11 fantasy points from Flacco to notch the fantasy win. Flacco provided just 10 points as he was shutdown by the Jacksonville defense for more than three quarters. The Big Dawgs, Sticky Bandits and my team, Team Priceless were also big winners this weekend. I'm a happy camper as I knock off Team Arps, 138-112, to move to 2-5 on the season and pick up my second win in a row.

It's a dogfight every week for me as I'll now take on Murrays Murrauders (4-3) next week. The Murrauders will have Michael Vick at the helm and will probably use Kevin Kolb as the second quarterback. I, on the other hand, will counter with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tim Tebow. I will also ponder the idea of starting Christian Pounder. It is a long way to Sunday and more than likely I'll change my mind a half a dozen times.

I'm on my way to 2nd fantasy win!

I'm climbing out of the cellar in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. It won't be official until this time tomorrow night, but my Team Priceless enjoys a 16-point lead, heading into Monday Night Football. My opponent is out of ammo -- his roster for the week is all used up, and my fantasy team still has Baltimore's wide receiver Anquan Boldin available for tomorrow.

I'll improve to 2-5 and will keep my slim hopes alive. A loss this weekend would have eliminated me from the competition. I made a couple of moves, early this morning, that saved the day for me. I started quarterbacks Tim Tebow and Christian Ponder instead of using newly acquired Carson Palmer and the injured Sam Bradford. I dropped Bradford from my roster, picked up Ponder, and left Palmer on my bench. As it turns out, Tebow (two touchdowns,and a 2-point conversion) led the Broncos to a come-from-behind, overtime win in Miami, and Ponder did enough damage (two touchdowns, 219 passing yards) in his first start of the year for the Minnesota Vikings, to garner a combined total of 49 fantasy points.

Of course, one of my top wide receivers, Marques Colston, helped out big time in the final game of the day as he scores two touchdowns and collects 98 receiving yards (21 fantasy points) for New Orleans as the Saints pull out a close one with a 62-7 win over the poor Indianapolis Colts.

Holland has tunnel vision in Game 4

Texas lefty Derek Holland showed the baseball world his version of tunnel vision tonight in Arlington as he led the Rangers to a 4-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the World Series.

And was he ever focused! Holland carved out a two-hit shutout and pitched 8 1/3 innings, while striking out seven Rangers and walking just two. A 3-run homer in the sixth inning by Texas catcher Mike Napoli -- his second of the series -- was the big blow for the Rangers as they square the Fall Classic at two games apiece. What a turnaround from Game 3. And I was wrong about the Rangers pitching around Sir Albert. Holland went right after him. Pujols goes 0-4 and no walks!

Sir Albert

You can call him Sir Albert.

Albert Pujols hits three homers and drives in six runs as the St. Louis Cardinals demolish the Texas Rangers at Arlington tonight,16-7. Wow! Okay, Rangers, it is your turn to hold serve tomorrow night. Pujols becomes the third player in World Series history to hit three homers in one game. The other two: Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson. Cardinals take a 2-1 lead in the series and you can bet Sir Albert will get his share of walks in Game 4.

Great to see some of my fellow fantasy owners

It was nice to see some of my fellow fantasy football owners at the Arizona-UCLA tailgate party last night. Enjoyed listening to all the smack talk, especially from Rich H., Don H., Kevin M., and my opponent this week, Kyle A. After watching Arizona blow away the Bruins, I figure there's hope for us cellar-dwellers.

Win or lose, it is nice to be part of such a great group of guys. Now Rich, if you still want to get rid of Mr. Rodgers, give me a call...I'm in the neighborhood.

Rangers steal one in St. Louis

The Texas Rangers eked out a 2-1 win last night in St. Louis and in doing so will make the 2011 World Series at least watchable the rest of the way! I get the feeling nobody really cares, except people in close vicinity of Busch Stadium, Nolan Ryan and some wild Texas fans who'll fill up the ball park at Arlington.

This year's version, in my mind, just doesn't have the feel of a Fall Classic. On the other hand, it could be my mood which is making me feel this way. After all, my playing days are over as my list of injuries are mounting and come Monday morning my teammates on the Tucson Golden Aces will open play in Phoenix at the MSBL World Series. The Aces kick of the senior world series as they take on the Tri Valley Giants on Monday and are scheduled to play the St. Thomas Suns on Tuesday.

I'll miss being there.

Talk about a quarterback controversy!

Talk about a quarterback controversy!

It has been well documented over the past few weeks that my fantasy football team is in a bind when it comes to having on hand an individual behind center who can produce FANTASY POINTS! And now, I have quarterbacks a plenty as I've maneuvered my way to the following scenarios and story lines. I may be in last place in my UPC Hood Fantasy Football League, but this week is going to be fun! Remember, I'm in a two-quarterback league, which means I can play two each week. I now have four! I picked up Carson Palmer, Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and let Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton go. And I still have Ryan Fitzpatrick, who I have been holding on to since Day 1. And to make things more interesting this week, if I don't pull out a win I'll be mathematically eliminated, which means I'll just be along for the ride the remainder of the season.

I've got a couple of days to make up my mind and pencil in my starting lineup. I gave up running back Cedric Benson to make room for Palmer and I also changed kickers this week, going with Neil Rackers and dropping Nick Folk. To complicate matters Buffalo and San Francisco have a bye week, which means I will not have Stevie Johnson, Frank Gore, or Fitzpatrick available. In the end, it'll come down to point production from, not my quarterbacks, but from my running backs and wide receivers. In other words, I need Vincent Jackson, Rashard Mendenhall, Marques Colston, Anquan Boldin, Jermichael Finley,Greg Olsen and Mike Tolbert to get it done. Isn't fantasy football fun?

Cardinals three wins away from World Series title

The St. Louis Cardinals are three wins away from a World Series title. The Cardinals edge the Texas Rangers 3-2 tonight in St. Louis to take Game 1 of the 2011 World Series. Chris Carpenter gets the win, while Jason Motte earns the save. The game-winner: a sixth inning single down the right field line by pinch-hitter Allen Craig knocks in David Freese, who started the Cardinals' rally with an opposite-field double.

The Cardinals just keep rolling!

Nick Foles

In the Stands Report by Bookemdano: A true Wildcat fan does not give up on his team. So, even though the outlook for victories are grim and some say, "You can KISH the season goodbye," I'll be there anyway, sitting high up in the end zone -- the south end zone, that is. I'll have a good view, along with (I'm estimating) 39,000 fans, to see, if nothing else, Arizona quarterback Nick Foles at work. Foles should top, and go over, the 8,000 yard mark for his career at Arizona as he takes on the UCLA Bruins' defense on Thursday. Remember, Foles was a transfer from Michigan State, otherwise we'd be talking five-figure plus in passing yards!

Foles at a glance:


Age: 22
Hometown: AUSTIN, TX
Height: 6-5
Weight: 240 lbs.
2011 Season
YDS TD INT
2255 15 4
Career
7989 54 23

MNF game a bit dull!

Tonight's MNF game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets was a bit dull! The fight (I mean handshake) on Sunday between Detroit coach Jim Schwartz and San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh was almost as exciting. Still, the Jets (3-3) get back on track with a 24-6 win over the winless Dolphins.

Team Priceless wins!

My Fantasy Football League: Finally, a win for Team Priceless! It took six weeks, but my team scores the most fantasy points (149) this week and improves to 1-5 on the season. I'm still well off the pace as The Assassins also won and improves to 5-1 in the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League. The Assassins are all alone at the top of the standings as El diablo blanco (4-2) lost by one point, 145-144, to Honey Bee (3-2-1). I will need to do some scrambling in Week 7, due to the fact four of my players and both of my defenses are on a bye week. Luckily, I will have a shot in Week 7 as Team Priceless takes on Team Arps, another 1-5 team.

Team Priceless is on the verge of its first fantasy win

My Goodness! After an 0-5 start, I'm on the verge of my first fantasy football win of the season. My two running backs -- Rashard Mendenhall and Frank Gore went wild today, leading their respective NFL teams to victory. Mendenhall rushed for 146 yards and one touchdown as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Jacksonville, 17-13, and the San Francisco 49ers knocked off the Detroit Lions, 25-19, behind an outstanding effort from Gore, who rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown. And it didn't stop there. I got a bunch of fantasy points from three receivers, Marques Colston (NO), Anquan Boldin (BAL) and Stevie Johnson (BUF),as they combined for 289 receiving yards and a couple of touchdowns. My Team Priceless heads into Monday night's action with a 143-114 lead over my opponent, suh-nami. We'll each have one player available for Monday night. I have the New York Jets kicker Nick Folk, and my opponent has the Jets tight end, Dustin Keller.

FF Update: Final: Team Priceless 149, suh-nami 119. Yeah!

It's the Cardinals and the Rangers

The St. Louis Cardinals blasted the Brewers' pitching in Milwaukee tonight 12-6. It was all Cardinals from the get go as St. Louis scored four runs in the first, another in the second inning and four more in the top of the third to take a commanding 9-4 lead into the fourth. The Cardinals came out of nowhere, 10 1/2 games back of the Atlanta Braves at one point of the regular season, to grab the postseason wild card and they've been on a rampage ever since, blasting the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series and now the Brewers in the National League Championship Series, four games to two.

And now the Cardinals will take on the Texas Rangers, the champions of the American League,
beginning Wednesday night at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Cardinals and the Rangers. Go figure! Of all the possible combinations for the Fall Classic, I didn't figure on this one.

Texas in; Milwaukee will rely on its home-field advantage

The Texas Rangers head back to the World Series. The Rangers rolled over the the injury-riddled Detroit Tigers, 15-5, last night in Arlington. So, now we await the Milwaukee Brewers fate as they host the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 tonight in Milwaukee. The Brewers won 57 home games doing the regular season, the best in baseball this year. And of course, the Brewers added a few more victories in the postseason by disposing of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division series. Can the Brewers win two more at home? The home-cooking should help, but the Rangers are rocking and have the momentum.

It'll take the Milwaukee fans, the Milwaukee bats and a lucky bounce, or two, for the Brewers to get it done. My gut feeling: it'll be a Cardinals-Rangers World Series.

Go after first win in fantasy league today

I hope to notch my first win this weekend in my fantasy football league. At 0-5, I take on the suh-nami this week. The suh-nami sits at 2-3 on the season and its big point-getter today should be Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, who goes up against the New England defense. I will counter with my Fitzpatrick/Grossman combination in the dual-quarterback UPC Hood Fantasy League. The suh-nami will also have Matthew Stafford, the young Detroit signal-caller, in its lineup today. I picked up Tim Tebow this week, but Denver is in a bye week. It'll be interesting to see his performance next week when the Broncos travel to Miami -- Tebow's old stomping grounds. Tebow should have his own fan base on hand for that one.

Well, that scenario is a week away. First things first. I need to break the ice with my first victory this week.

Where's my shoes?

We all dream. And I assume as each of us travel through our "Golden Years" many of our dreams make little sense and for us old-timers, frankly, we can't remember what we did yesterday, much less the details of a dream we just woke up from.

As for me, when I dream I tend to create a story -- crazy stories that make no sense at all. Something triggers them. For instance, take a journey with me as I relive my installment from last night. I'm sitting on a curb. A church is nearby and I'm awaiting the start of a funeral. There are others sitting next to me and many of them are taking off their shoes. I do the same. The next thing I see is the casket rolling by. At that moment, everyone gets up, puts their shoes on and they head for the entrance of the church.

I TRY to do the same, but my shoes are gone! I quickly feel around in the row of bushes (which suddenly appear, by the way) and no shoes! Everyone is gone and I hear organ music from inside the church and here I am frantically searching for my shoes. I find one brown one, a couple of kids shoes, a pair of size 13 off-colored shoes, but no dressy, black, size nines!

I make one or two trips to the entrance of the church, unable to make up my mind on whether I should go into the church, shoe-less! I decide to make one more trip to the scene of the crime. And what do I find? A maintenance man had come by on a lawnmower and had trimmed the row of bushes. The area was all raked and cleaned up...and the maintenance worker had vanished. No unruly hedges, no lawnmower, nobody around...and no shoes!

There was a Safeway nearby, so I rushed into the store, ran to the back of the establishment, talked to a clerk and explained to him my dilemma. We ran out of the store and headed down the street. The clerk said to me, "'You might be right, there's something strange about that maintenance guy.'"

The End!

Analyzing the dream: Tough to make any sense of the above. I did attend a funeral recently and I also bought a new pair of shoes last week. Other than that, I'll chalk it up to an old storyteller who might need an adjustment to his nightly medication.

El diablo blanco, Assassins sail on in my FFL

My Fantasy Football League: In the UPC Hood Fantasy Football League the top dogs remain the same as El diablo blanco, following a crushing win over my Team Priceless, and The Assassins, after their victory this weekend over the Sticky Bandits, move to 4-1 on the season. The top point-getter in Week 5 goes to the Big Dawgs as they score 198 points in a 40-point win over Honey Bee. As for me, with my 0-5 start, I should fire myself, pack my bags and leave town with Mr. Stoops.

I doubt I can get a $1.4 million dollar buyout, though, so I guess I'll carry on until Week 14. That's when the playoffs start in my fantasy league.

Stoops...he gone!

Mike Stoops was fired today as head coach of the Arizona Wildcats.

Athletic Director Greg Byrne announced the dismissal of Stoops this evening at a news conference and named defensive coordinator Tim Kish as the interim coach. Wow! Just two days following Arizona's 37-27 loss at Oregon State, Byrne pulls the plug and Stoops is gone after 7 1/2 seasons and a record of 41 wins and 50 losses. Loss No. 50, up in Corvallis, put the final nail in the coffin.

Bring on the Bruins and let's play it out. One thing is for sure, the mood on the Arizona sideline will be a little different.