When it comes to the sporting world no one has ever confused me for an optimist. Where some see the glass half full, I see dangerous glass shards which will be used to rip out the eyes of the high scoring winger carrying my favorite team. So, as you can imagine, my choosing to write a sports blog is more like therapy than anything else. It gives me a chance to vent, or hyperventilate, depending on my mood of course.
However, every so often one or more of the teams I follow begins to put things together. Right now I have the good fortune to have two teams doing that, which is sort of difficult for a curmudgeon.
The Blues have won five in a row, and have generally played real well since their defensive corps all got healthy. Obviously, Roman Polak is a huge part of the Blues success. The Blues are 9-2-2 this season when Polak is in the lineup. When you compare that to the record when the Blues' seventh defenseman (Tyson Strachan) plays (9-8-2) the difference is remarkable. With Polak in the lineup the Blues are on a pace to get 126 points, without him only 86 points.
Welcome back Roman. Please stay healthy.
However, the Blues are not the only team I follow moving in the right direction. After their usual share of early season turmoil Notts County is really starting to string together some results. Since they lost at home to Tranmere on Nov. 20th the Pies are undefeated in 5, going 3-0-1 in the league and advancing in the FA Cup in the other game. I didn't know what to expect when Paul Ince was made manager, but the team certainly seems to have responded. The table in League One is so bunched up right now, a playoff spot for Notts is not out of the question, though neither is the relegation zone if they begin to slip.
See? I'm starting to fret about relegation already.
Everything's back to normal for me.
