Being an Angels fan is not always easy. Your team lives in the shadows of an older more respected franchise, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Its similar to living in New York and being a Mets fan or living in Chicago and being a White Sox fan. No matter how much success the Angels, Mets, or White Sox have the Dodgers, Yankees, an Cubs will always be the second fiddle in their respective towns. The Angels are the Clippers to the Dodgers' Lakers. (It is interesting to note that both of the big team in LA are actually transplants with names that specifically tied to the area where they came from). To make matters worse, their current team is coached at various former Dodgers from the miracle underdog Dodgers of 1988-Scioscia, Hatcher, and Griffin.

Another reason the life of an Angels fan is tough are all the painful memories the Angels have supplied over the years. What Angels fan doesn't remember 1986 taking a three game to one lead over the Boston Red Sox. They were one strike away from their first World Series. And tan disaster strikes. Al Michaels called it "the Pitch... Deep to left and Downing goes back. And it's gone! Unbelievable! You're looking at one for the ages here. Astonishing! Anaheim Stadium was one strike away from turning into Fantasyland! And now the Red Sox lead 6-5! The Red Sox get four runs in the ninth on a pair of two-run homers by Don Baylor and Dave Henderson." What Angels' fan doesn't remember the 1995 season. Edmunds catch that was possibly better that Mays' famous catch. (Almost blasphemous, right?) That team had a eleven game lead on August 10. After a couple of nine game losing streaks the Angels were forced to play a one game playoff with the Mariners to go to the real playoffs. The mariners crushed the Angels. Who can forget the 2005 ALCS where by cheating, the White Sox were able to deflate the Angels. The cheating player will go unnamed (and not just because I can't spell it) but his initials were A. J. P.

Continue reading "How hard it is to be an Angels Fan"

After watching the K-Rod blow a save yesterday, and the ANgels nearly blow a 6 to Love lead today the team is getting me slightly nervous for October. The lowly A's should not sweep the Angels. The A's, a team that has given K-Rod 8 of his 59 saves this year, should not come back on him this easily.

Hopefully the rest will do this team good.

In other random thoughts, I'm hoping the Rays hold off the Red Sox. With a 2 game lead and about ten to go they should be ok. As an Angels fan I would rather face the Red Sox than the team formerly known as the Devil Rays. It is interesting that the Rays became good just as  they drop the Devil from their name. 

Maybe Providence is on their side because of the serious repenting they had to do. They repented the Hell and the Devil out of them. Oh, wait. I forgot. I don't believe the Man Upstairs really cares about sports. 

Continue reading "K-Rod scare; D-Rays"

On September 6, 2008 Jake Locker nearly capped the miracle come back against BYU. With two measly seconds left he ran through a couple BYU would be tackles into the end zone for a touchdown. Locker threw (despite all the euphemisms the ESPN commentators have used like flip or toss) the ball into the air drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The potentially game tying extra point was moved back 15 yards. For a collegiate kicker, one that is receiving a good education for kicking a oblong ball through the uprights, a 35 yard extra point should not be too difficult.

However, Jan Jorgensen blocked the kick--sealing BYU's victory over the Huskies. (On a side note why is the Huskies mascot a malamute?)  

The media went wild. Granny Holtz claimed that Locker just threw his hands in the air and the ball just happened to be in his hand. That may be the the most moronic statement I heard since the last time Holtz opened his mouth. Really? Really Lou? Come on. If that was the case why did only his right arm go up while the left arm went across his chest? Also, how did the ball leave Locker's hand in a perfect spiral? Why did the ball said high enough to leave the screen and not hit Locker's back again for about three or four seconds? Lou, your comment proved you have the IQ of a granny smith apple... or Bill Walton.

Continue reading "September 6, 2008, A flag that will go down in infamy."

Does anybody remember who most  sports journalists predicted would win the AL West this year? That's right! The mighty Seattle Mariners.A lot of people picked Cleveland or Detroit for the Central and a few pick the Yankees in the East, It was a bad year for preseason predictions in the AL.

But that Seattle pick! With Seattle's loss last night the Mariners are guaranteed to win fewer games than Francisco Rodriguez saves. That is incredible. Great picks sports journalist. Great picks. 

Continue reading "Preseason AL Playoff picks"