We approach the best time of the sports year: baseball’s pennant races reach their peak; the US Open is in full swing (although players are dropping left and right); and of course, both the college football and NFL seasons are upon us.  SU was pumped for the debut of Jim Harbaugh last night and Michigan out west against a good Utah team.  It certainly seemed like deja vu with the defense wearing down as it tried to keep Michigan in the game.  Combined with a QB that turns the ball over, I can’t say I feel very different from last year.  But as SU ages, I have become a more patient fan and will ride it out in this transition year.  I expect Harbaugh’s team to get better each week and while the overall record may not impress, there may be a surprise or two come November.

Speaking of patience, you have to chuckle about how all the sports writers are saying now that the Yankees are being rewarded for sticking with Stephen Drew who has had a couple of hot weeks.  So, just to be clear, it’s ok to hit .160 last year and .190 for most of this year, and if you throw in 2 hot weeks and hit a couple of homeruns, all is forgiven and hey, why don’t we give you a Robinson Cano like, 10-year contract to boot?  As a Yankee fan, I am thrilled to see him finally hit a little but let’s face the facts: he has been miserable and if he reverts back to form the rest of the way, it’s not acceptable.  We will see now if the Yankees have what it takes without Texeiria.  SU is done making predictions with this team as every time I bury this group, they go out and win 4 in a row (as SU subscriber M. Levine has pointed out).

It was interesting to follow the Yankee-Red Sox game on Wednesday afternoon on Twitter.  The writers and announcers were killing Girardi for bringing in Betances and Miller with a 6-run lead late in the game as Boston was rallying.  I don’t know what game they were watching but the Yankee rookie relievers were walking the ballpark and giving up doubles off the wall.  Betances came in with the bases loaded and a 13-7 score.  Who cares if it’s a save or a hold statistically?  You are trying to win the game.  It’s also interesting to see how Michael Kay is following Twitter during his broadcasts and picks up on comments from various people.  SU is a Kay fan but he was wrong to criticize Girardi in that game.  If they lost that game with a 12-1 lead, that would have been a killer.

Tom Brady has been saved by Judge Berman.  The ruling doesn’t address his guilt or innocence but rather it’s more procedural and about due process.  SU doesn’t really care.  We know he did it but as I have said from the beginning, it’s just not a big deal.  Enough of the integrity of the game talk.  Let’s move on and play football and making sure that the players’ socks are the proper height and no skin is showing between their socks and their pants.  Now there is integrity!  To me, ball inflation is like pine tar on a bat (see George Brett and Goose Gossage in 1983).