(Get) A Sporting Life

Oskee Wow-Wow and we're off! How sweet is it not to have an Illini-Mizzou match-up where the their respective national rankings do not tally up to triple digits. That said, I predict my Illini will fall 35-24. Even with Mizzou's offensive line concerns, I suspect Daniels will pick up apart. FIRST HALF UPDATE: Wow. Mizzou looks like a team with a few games under its belt. On the other hand, the Illini defense was shambolic, the offense incoherent and yet the special teams still managed to be the lowlight. LATE 3rd Q UPDATE: What a train wreck. The only positive the Illini can take from this is that complacency was a concern. No more. With the upcoming schedule this club is going to be fighting hard to get seven wins and a bowl bid. 4th QTR UPDATE: Why I love Mrs. Southlandish (also an Illini alum). "We've got them right where we want them. We've worn out their offense."

I've rarely slept so soundly as in this bed. ...but I still have the world by the balls. I'm back from a couple of weeks in Illinois and the report is superb. My godson grew up in a household of heathen Cubs and Bears fans. Yet, as this photo shows, he is safely in the arms of angels. Being a cruel bastard, few things have given me more pleasure in life than knowing that a Cubs/Bears fan cousin (whom I adore) has seen her beloved spawn grow sensibly into a Cards and Packers fans like his dear ole godfather. The Illini garnish is just the icing on the cake, seeing as that is the one loyalty the family shares.

Contrary to the IM's speculation, Ludwick spared the streets of STL a weeping Southandish. As happy as I was it gave us a win, I was even happier it gave us an excuse to get Mrs. Southlandish home. She happily signs up for nine innings. After that she gets even crankier than a Mr. Southlandish who is watching Izzy meltdown two innings after beer sales have ended.* The Goat and I realized that of the dozen or so games we have seen Pujols play live, this was his first homer. Damn, I just realized that I have seen him play at Fenway, Joe Robbie, Wrigley, Old Busch and New Busch. I am getting old. The ride home on Tuesday was better than this afternoon. On the way down the Goat predicted one run on three hits and was only one shy on the latter. Thankfully, everything else about the day was stellar. *advice to InBev: you want to win over St. Louis? Negotiate beer sales through the end of the game. Or at least full until 10:00. I'm not saying that I had a vendor shut me off at 9:58, ...

Here is the run down of the (still ongoing) bottom of the 9th inning: - R. Villone relieved K. McClellan - A. Jones hit for R. Troncoso - A. Jones homered to deep left - J. Isringhausen relieved R. Villone - M. Kemp grounded out to second - A. Ethier singled to center ...

Heard Shannon say on the radio that it could hit triple digits tomorrow. Lovely. I'm going to the ballpark on both Tuesday and Thursday. Hopefully the Thursday afternoon forecast of 86 for a high will hold. That would be lovely. 

...to keep batting a slow of foot rookie in front of Albert Pujols? How many rally killing doubles plays does Mather have to hit into before LaRussa decides its a stupid idea? Evidently the answer to that second question is "a whole hell of a lot of em." Oh, joy.

The USA Today coaches poll was released today. GASL notables: Mizzou #7 Illini #19 I still find this too weird for words.