Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

- First off – congratulations to UMass for making it to the 1-AA (it will always be 1-AA to me – that new name is the equivalent of New Coke) Championship game. The Minutemen are the best team in 1-AA and it is a shame they had to play this game on the road. Their only loss was a 1–point loss at Navy (a team that will be playing in a 1-A Bowl game) – what else could UMass have done this season? Good luck boys!

- Andy Pettitte signed with the Yankees for a 1-year $16 million contract with a player option for a second year. Rumor has it that Pettitte would have re-signed with Houston if they increased their offer from $12 million to $14 million. If this is true and the Astros let Pettitte slip away over $2 million – then I think it is clear that Houston made a big mistake. The Astros can spin this as not wanting to give that second year but Pettitte has pitched over 200 innings 3 out of the past 4 seasons and I don’t buy that excuse either. Just a stupid, stupid move to let him sign with the Yankees. Consider that the Astros are trying to trade for Jon Garland who is owed $22 million over the next two years whereas Pettitte at $14 million per year would have cost them just $6 million more but they would not have had to give up centerfielder Willy Taveras, pitchers Taylor Buchholz and Jason Hirsh to resign Pettitte. Stupid, stupid move by the Astros.

- Tom O’Brien is leaving BC to coach at NC State. I wish him well. He did a very good job turning BC football around. Now I hope defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani or offensive coordinator Dana Bible get the BC head coach job. They have been as much a part of BC’s success as O’Brien and I hope one of them gets rewarded for it. Frank Spaziani will be coaching the team in the Meineke Bowl against Navy. The Eagles are a 6 point favorite and I look for them to roll.

- I’ll never drink another Rolling Rock. They shut down the plant in Latrobe, PA and now they are trying to obscure that with the new dancing gorilla ads. As far as I’m concerned – the only dancing gorilla is the Anheuser-Busch company (the 500-pound gorilla in the beer industry) and I won’t help pay for the tune by buying Rolling Rock beer.