Weekly Top 10: The World’s Greatest Series

The World Series: the pinnacle of America’s greatest national pasttime. Baseball may be boring with the 162 regular season games that it presents, however when it comes down to the seven game World Series, it becomes everything but boring. True baseball fans and even those fake Yankees fans are licking at their chops while looking forward to this year’s series.  New York Yankees or Philadelphia Phillies?

Without further ado, here are the top 10 finest plays and moments in the fall classic:

10. Cardinal’s outfielder Enos Slaughter’s run in Game 7 of 1946 Series when the game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 8th. Slaughter started at first and blew off his coach’s stop signal at 3rd and came home to win it for St. Louis. St. Louis went on to defeat the Boston Red Sox in 7 games.

9. Yankees Pitcher Don Larsen’s perfect game in game 5 in 1956 against the then Brooklyn Dodgers. Perfect games are rare in itself, but to do it at the game’s biggest stage…

8. Bless his heart, he must be the sickest man in America- Red Sox 1st baseman Bill Buckners infamous error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Mets, and the Mets went on to win the series in 7 and the “Curse of the Bambino” prevailed once again for the Sox.

7. 1st ever Game 7 Walk Off Home Run by Pirates 2nd Baseman Bill Mazeroski in 1960. The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the New York Yankees for the pennant after a grueling 7 game series. 

6. Giants’ center fielder Willie May’s over the shoulder catch in Game 1 in 1954. It is still widely regarded as one of the greatest catches of all time in any sport, and he did it on Baseball’s biggest stage.

5. Fair! Fair! Fair! Red Sox Carlton Fisk Home Run in the bottom of the 12th in game 6 in 1975. Fisk homered in walk off fashion off the Reds in game 6 to force a game 7, but the “Curse of the Bambino” struck and the Red Sox lost in 7. 

4. Yankee Reggie Jackson AKA Mr. October smashed 3 HRs in 1977′s Game 6. Jackson hit 3 home runs off of 3 different Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers to carry the Yankees to victory in 12 innings in Game 6 and the World Series.

3. Twins outfielder Kirby Pucket takes the burden and breaks the Braves in Game 6 in 1991. Kirby Puckett was one of the most heralded stars in baseball, and in the 1991 World Series, he took it upon himself to bury the the Braves. Puckett smashed a walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th. In the top of the 11th, he robbed the Braves of an extra base hit and for the game, was one double away from hitting for the cycle.

2. Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays walks off in style against the Phillies in Game 6 of the ’93 Series.

1. “I don’t believe what I just saw” Dodger’s star Kirk Gibson launched a home run in walk off fashion in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.

Blog of the Week: College Football vs The NFL

The Super Bowl or the BCS Championship, which would you rather watch? What’s better: the NFL or College Football? This is a question that has been asked for ages, and still people have varying opinions. To a non-fan of the game of football, this question would seem to have an obvious answer, the NFL, but to any true fan, this obviously is not the case. Professional football and college football have a majority of the same rules, dominant athletes, and close to the same caliber refs, so why is it so hard to decide which is better?

There are so many different factors that convince different people as to which is better, so many ways to argue for both sides of the ball, so many reasons to love the game of football. In the NFL, the most enduring and clear reason is that the athletes are faster, stronger, and more experienced: the best of the best so to say. With the best athletes, and the fiercest competitors, how can college football possibly compare to the NFL?  

There is no denying that the NFL brings game-winning touchdown drives, huge hits, star-studded performances, 250+ rushing games, and more, way more. The Super Bowl is, if not the biggest, one of the biggest events in Sports each and every year. The NFL showcases big time players in big time situations, it showcases stars in instances of adversity, it showcases new developing talent stemming from young inexperienced players. It showcases a playoff system. A negative aspect of the NFL is the sudden death overtime rule, whereas in college, both teams have an equal opportunity.

Ohio State vs. Michigan, 1938

Sure the NFL has the more talented and profilic athletes, but the passion and tradition of College football is unmatched. The rivalries start on the gridiron but extend to a culture, a way of life. Rivalries such as Michigan vs. Ohio State, Georgia vs. Florida, and Texas vs. Oklahoma epitomize such rivalries. These rivialries have lasted forever, and will never die out. College football is also way more innovative and creative than the NFL. Sure, you might see the occasional flea-flicker, or double reverse in the NFL, but creativity in College football makes the game fun to watch. Boise State’s statue of liberty or Iowa’s fake field goal characterize this creativity. One negative aspect to college football is the BCS Bowl selections instead of a playoff, I still am struggling to understand why an 8 or 16 team playoff has not been substituted for the unfair BCS system.

In my opinion, college football is more exciting and fun to watch until it is playoff time in the NFL and the stars shine the brightest. But I am only one man, and my lone opinion plays no role in determining which one is truly better.