The Sports Examiner - The Daily Digest for Thursday, October 4, 2007

The Daily Digest for Thursday, October 4, 2007

October 04, 2007

≡ Interim Report ≡

Spurrier: big challenge vs. Kentucky tonight

= Program Note =

We expected that TheGoodSportsNetwork.tv would be up and running on Monday, September 24, but it is not. We have been told that TheGoodSportsNetwork.tv site will be up soon, but no firm date has been given.

While we wait, we’ll continue posting a weekday note and sending out the Tip Sheet to keep you informed. Stay tuned, and hope for the best.

= Tonight’s Menu =

>> In today’s baseball Division Series:

Colorado takes a 1-0 lead into today’s game two in Philadelphia, with Franklin Morales (3-2, 3.43 ERA) pitching against Kyle Kendrick (10-4, 3.87). Even though Morales’ road ERA is just 2.05, the Phils are favored: it takes $145 to win $100 on the home team, but $110 on the Rockies could return the same $100.

The Yankees start their series in Cleveland with Chien-Ming Wang (19-7, 3.70) up against C.C. Sabathia (19-7, 3.21), having enjoyed a 6-0 record against the Indians this season. So even on the road, New York is favored: it takes $125 to try to win $100 on the Yanks while $100 on the home team could return $115!

Arizona (1-0) will host Chicago in the second game of the N.L. Division Series in Phoenix after last night’s 3-1 win. Ted Lilly (15-8, 3.83) will pitch for the Cubs against Doug Davis of the Diamondbacks (13-12, 4.25). Arizona is now 5-2 against the Cubs in 2007, but Davis has averaged just 4 1/3 innings over his last four starts. So the Cubs are favored: it takes $115 to try to win $100 on Chicago, but a $100 wager could return $115 on the home team.

>> In the middle of the baseball playoffs comes a really compelling college football match-up in the SEC: no. 8 Kentucky (5-0) visiting 4-1 and 18th-ranked South Carolina. It’s a potential showcase for Wildcats quarterback Andre Woodson, who’s completing 67.9 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns and one interception. The Gamecocks, however, have won seven in a row in the series and are favored by four with an over-under of 58, so the sharpies have penciled in a final of 31-27 for Spurrier & Co.

= L.A. Stories =

>> What’s Bruin: See our daily blog on UCLA sports at LATimes.com!

>> Talk of Troy: Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News has a nose for Pac-10 news and he’s already salivating over the November 10 match-up between USC and California at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley:

The Pac-10 football universe finally has a reason to root against Louisiana State that doesn’t involve Les Miles running his mouth.

If the top-ranked Tigers lose to Florida on Saturday evening, there’s a great chance that USC will be no. 1 and Cal will be no. 2 when the Associated Press poll is released Sunday afternoon.

(The Bears haven’t been that high in 56 years. The Trojans haven’t been that high in a week.)

That would create the possibility of a supernova showdown between the top-ranked Trojans and the second-ranked Golden Bears when USC visits Berkeley on Nov. 10.

Wilner notes that the Pac-10 hasn’t had the nos. 1-2 teams in the country since USC and UCLA were 1-2 for two weeks in October 1967. And he writes that Cal could lose to UCLA and the Trojans could fall at Oregon along the way. But he hopes not.

= Panorama =

>> The National Pastime: The Curse of the Goat continues, only this time it hit Cubs manager Lou Piniella instead of the opposition. It was nonetheless effective in helping Arizona to a 4-2 win in game one of the National League Division Series. According to Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune:

“[T]he gloomy fact is, Lou, you made a move to save a pitcher’s strength for your game coming up Sunday and now there might not even be a Sunday.”

Piniella’s removal of starter Carlos Zambrano – who’d thrown only 85 pitches through six innings – in a 1-1 tie was a key to Arizona’s eventual 3-1 win as the Diamondbacks scored two runs off Zambrano’s replacement, Carlos Marmol, in the seventh inning.

>> College Gridiron: Add Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione’s name to the hot-seat list. According to Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com, “Franchione is under fire after the Friday revelation that he operated a secret website for three years. A certain segment of powerful Texas A&M officials ‘want him out’ according to a source but there is no immediate move to fire the coach.” Dodd notes correctly that it’s the sum of Franchione’s situation at A&M that’s the problem: a $2 million salary, a middling 29-24 record in 4 1/2 seasons and no evidence that the program is anywhere close to reaching an elite level, especially after the 34-17 loss at Miami earlier this season. A&M is 4-1, but it’s only test so far was Miami.

>> College Hotseat: Franchione also made the list of coaches who could be fired after the season compiled by Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, at no. 4. Bianchi’s top five includes Charlie Weis (Notre Dame), Tommy Bowden of Clemson, Phil Fulmer of Tennessee and Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, followed by Franchione. Check out these comments:

“Phil Fulmer, Tennessee: The Vols have been surpassed in the SEC East by Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Kentucky. Plus, the powdered sugar from Phil’s doughnuts is causing an ant problem in UT’s athletic department.”

“Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: Under Gundy, the Cowboys are 1-0 against female sports writers, but have a losing record against everybody else.”

“Dennis Franchione, Texas A&M: He should be fired immediately for selling inside information, including the injury status of his players to big-money boosters. What a scumbag.”

>> College Improv: Great note from the Detroit News on resurgent Illinois:

When Illinois defeated then No. 21 Penn State last week, fans and players didn’t know how to celebrate.

So there was plenty of spontaneity as players stormed Memorial Stadium’s north stands amid cheers from their orange faithful.

The Illini are 4-1 and play fifth-ranked Wisconsin in Champaign on Saturday.
~ Rich Perelman

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