10. Alex Rodriguez won’t be playing in the minors this year. Four weeks after he opted out of his deal with the Yankees, A-Rod signed a 10-year, $275 million contract with the team, ending speculation that he wouldn’t find a team to meet his high demands. As a die-hard Yankees fan, I believe he was the best option we had at third base, and his infamous agent Scott Boras heavily influenced his egregious actions in the past. I’m excited to have the slugger back, and I can’t wait to watch him shatter Hank Aaron’s home run record in the new Yankee Stadium.
9. The 2007 college football season. LSU crumbles to Arkansas by two points in triple overtime? Kansas gets romped by Missouri? What’s going on out here? The number one and two seeds fell this past Saturday, jumbling up the BCS standings for another consecutive week. It looks as though after crushing Connecticut for the Big East title, West Virginia should play Mizzou in the national title game. It would make sense to say that’s a safe bet, but the way the season has unfolded, I may as well keep quiet and just watch.
8. The New York Knicks are now considering making some front office changes. This is a really terrible team on almost every level. After being at the Garden over break, it was clear that the only thing Knicks fans would get to say over the holiday was “Fire Isaiah.” If the league’s best record were based on signing washed-up, nothing-left-in-the-tank, overpaid players, the Knicks would be golden. Sadly for them, this is not the case, and they will likely be spending every holiday for the foreseeable future in the cellar of the NBA’s Atlantic Division.
7. MLB’s Mitchell Report has yet to come out. We’re all about to find out about a bunch of “big name players” that took steroids and jeopardized the integrity of the game. I worry that this will steal a great deal of light from baseball itself, and potentially contaminate the records of several of the stars that we have watched and loved for years. If I find out that one my favorite players took steroids, what am I supposed to do? Immediately stop liking him? Write angry letters? I understand that George Mitchell’s report is a necessity, but I am concerned that it will threaten baseball’s popularity.
6. The end is near if you are a Jets, Dolphins, Bengals, Raiders, Falcons, Rams or 49ers fan. Your team has endured a miserable year, but look on the bright side, you have a chance at getting Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in the upcoming draft. Unless you’re the Jets. The Jets will manage to win enough games to keep them out of the top spot, despite getting demolished (in the 31-point loss to the Cowboys a few days after the victory over Pittsburgh) any time hope begins to creep back. Eric Mangini should be more concerned with buying his family Christmas gifts than with running this team right now.
5. Pete Sampras defeated Roger Federer in the Venetian Macao Arena as part of a three-game exhibition series between the two tennis greats. Each has experienced being the best in the game at one point or another in their careers, and it was nice to see the old Pistol Pete defeat today’s Zeus of tennis. Thankfully, Sampras will not attempt a comeback to the pro tour, stating that he had his time in the 1990s. That’s right Pete, you did. Now you can enjoy years of greatness on the exhibition courts.
4. Nebraska fires Coach Bill Callahan. This was a long time coming, and after a dismal 5-7 season for the ’Huskers, Callahan got the boot. As he should have. He’s one of the lousiest coaches I’ve ever seen, fumbling terribly with the Raiders in 2003 and even worse with Nebraska. He led the program to five straight losses for the first time in its history. If he wants to go back to the NFL, I can’t see the Dolphins bringing back Cam Cameron next season.
3. The awe that the New England Patriots are generating—at least until last night. But seriously, despite the close call against the mediocre Philadelphia Eagles, this team just doesn’t stop. I said it in Week 3, in Week 9 and now again. This is the first time ever that a team is consistently a multi-touchdown favorite for almost any opponent. At least before Sunday night’s game, the question had changed from “Will the Patriots win?” to “Will the Patriots win by 30?” But, while perfection certainly appears within reach thanks to their soft schedule, the success of Andy Reid’s game plan has made them appear more vulnerable than they have in a long time.
2. The Anaheim Angels just signed Torii Hunter to a five-year, $90 million deal, and your favorite team didn’t. This guy is good, but not that good. He’s an average hitter with a great glove, but he’s not getting any younger and will prove to be a bust next season. They already have a gold glove center fielder in Gary Matthews, Jr. and overpaid for a guy who really doesn’t warrant that kind of cash. I wouldn’t be knocking the deal if he filled the Angels’ holes, but I don’t think he did.
1. Amherst men’s and women’s basketball, women’s hockey and both swim teams have all opened up the year undefeated. We will beat Williams in all of these sports, and we will enjoy doing it. I personally will enjoy rushing the court as we hoist trophy after trophy, and I will enjoy even more watching the dejected look of Williams students as they leave our gym.