Song of the Day: The Walkmen – “On the Water“

Wait... Where's the football?

The days that you came to fear in the Spring are back, just as you knew they would be. It’s a new hockey season and I still have the same expectation that you will all be Flyers fans. Let’s be honest, you don’t have a favorite hockey team. So, by proxy I enlist you all, leading the charge, emblazoned with the colors Halloween, with the curved blade of a hockey stick, fans of the Broadstreet Bullies.

Last night I was reminded why sports – that are not played with an oblong pig skin – continue to be broadcast on TV (albeit the Versus channel, which is like half a station). Not only the niche sport (at this point) on ice, but baseball which we’ve avoided around here like the herp for an entire summer. With the tie-breaker game between the Twins and Tigers playing on TBS (alteration anyone?) and the inter-conference battle between the unbeaten teams of Philadelphia and Washington on Versus my night was spent smashing the “last” button on my remote trying to balance a sloppy piece of pizza in the other.

Both games were ultimately more exciting than the Monday Night Football game between the Minnesota Favres and the Green Bay Not Favres. Not only that, but Tuesdays games featured 100% less Chris Berman, Stu Scott and most importantly, Brett Favre.

The Tigers and Twins took things into extra innings three times over with Alexi Casilla finally giving the the Twins the victory with a game winning single in the 12th (final score, 6-5). They battled back and forth through miscues on defense and between the bases with each mistake ultimately being reconciled for with a stellar play by the previous offender. Because of the Twins feat they have the pleasure of taking on the NY Yankees starting… today. I thought that Peter Gammon was going to have (another) stroke on screen as he was trying to describe what had just happened when the game finally came to a close.

Hockey would not go quietly into the night… They see your final score of 6-5 and call, baseball. The Flyers outfitted with a new goalie (Ray Emery – who didn’t go to Emory, oddly enough) and a NHL defensive mercenary (Chris “Letterman” Pronger) look to usurp the Penguins and Capitals as the powerhouses in the Eastern Conference. They took the first step toward that goal with a hat-trick from captain Mike Richards and three more goals in support in the final two periods of play. All in all, eleven goals in 40 minutes isn’t a bad way to spend your night. The scoring came at a frenetic pace and from every angle imaginable. A shining example of why each one of you should give hockey a chance.

And now that I’ve wasted 400 words on deaf ears let’s move on to our Houston sports updates so we can call Scampi names and criticize one another for not being adamant enough fans… It’s like CoogFans 2.0 ’round these here parts!

AEROS – Lest you forget there is a medium for hockey in town… The AHL is underway as of last week. The Aeros didn’t necessarily make the most of their Western Conference Championship rematch against Manitoba, but whatever. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s only a matter of time before someone comes to you with free tickets that they “won” from calling into a radio show or some such.

ROCKETS – Manu Ginobli (my traitor mother’s crush) is back on the court for the San Antonio Spurs, but the Rockets spoiled the coming home party last night in their preseason battle. Carl “Holy Shit, I’ve Been Shot” Landry led the team with 19 points in the meaningless game.

UNIVERSITY of HOUSTON – “Embarrassed and angry” is the way that Kevin Sumlin describes the feelings of his team right now. That’s probably about right for the entirety of the Cougar fanbase. Don’t turn on each other, Cougars. That’s what they want us to do. It’s all just the man’s ploy to keep us down.

TEXANS – The Cardinals don’t look like the same team that made it to the Super Bowl last year. Then again, they didn’t much look like a team that should make it to the Super Bowl before they entered the playoffs. Three more days to prepare for the game against Cardinal Warner and his merry band of overachievers.

- Septimus Rex