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Why you must be the famous French shortstop Hercule Jeter
2007-01-10 07:46
by Bob Timmermann

No, that's the famous Belgian shortstop Derek Lyons. Actually, the 24-year old from Salem, Massachusetts isn't Belgian, but he has signed to play pro baseball in Namur, Belgium.

I've been to Namur. I hope he learns French. He can stop by its famous Citadel. Or find the place where I got my camera fixed.

The only MLB player who was born in Belgium.

Comments
2007-01-10 08:46:36
1.   gpellamjr
What?
2007-01-10 08:55:43
2.   Bob Timmermann
Slow news day and I didn't want Russ Ortiz on the top of the page anymore.
2007-01-10 09:30:22
3.   dianagramr
CITADEL anagrams to DELTAIC

(helping push the slow news day along)

2007-01-10 09:35:51
4.   joejoejoe
C'est la Jete.
2007-01-10 11:26:20
5.   Xeifrank
Bob, are you against a NCAA Div I football playoff system? And if so, why??
vr, Xei
2007-01-10 11:42:14
6.   Bob Timmermann
I just don't think either way will work (bowls or playoffs). People will complain. It's in their nature.

And I like the Rose Bowl.

2007-01-10 12:07:40
7.   Bill Crain
A playoff system might name a champion. But it could never find the best team in college football any better than the World Series "finds" the best team in MLB. One league, everybody plays home-and-home with everybody else. That could work, but would the NCAA countenance a 300 game season? How about this: 2 leagues playing balanced 154 game schedules. No interleague play. The winners play 4 out of 7. No, that's not certain enough; I think you need 5 out of 9. But we'll need to keep an eye on Arnold Rothstein ...

Nah, nevermind. I like the Rose Bowl, too.

2007-01-10 12:16:38
8.   Bob Timmermann
In 1982, Deane Beaman wanted the PGA to be set up in two separate tours and then have the top money winners in each tour face off against each other in a series of events at the end of the year. I'm sure that would have told us who the best golfer was!

Even NASCAR has a playoff series.

I just want to go to the Rose Bowl Game and soak up the color.

2007-01-10 12:27:38
9.   Bill Crain
NASCAR would be easy: just keep driving until there's only one survivor. The fans would love it.
2007-01-10 13:19:52
10.   Xeifrank
haha, ok alot of funny jokes about playoff systems, enough already! :) I still haven't heard a good argument against it. You can still have a playoff system and a bowl system to keep the old fuddy duddies happy. All the bowl games except for one, don't have any baring on the BCS champion. They all pretty much just amount to an exhibition game between two good teams. You can easily make the four major bowls part of a playoff system and have all the minor bowl venues have the leftovers, which is what they currently have. No playoff system is perfect (NBA, NHL, MLB they all have flaws), but the current college football playoff system is pretty bad in my opinion and I'd like to see something better. vr, Xei
2007-01-10 13:42:53
11.   Bob Timmermann
Some of us old fuddy duddies don't mind the confusion regarding the way champions are decided in college football. If there is one. People have survived from 1869 to now without one. The lack of a certain college football champion makes people talk about the sport more and is good advertising in my opinion.

We don't need everything to be wrapped up in a neat package sometimes.

2007-01-10 14:04:07
12.   Xeifrank
11. Have to admit that's the first time I've heard that argument. Argumentum ad antiquitatem?
vr, Xei
2007-01-10 14:53:14
13.   Bob Timmermann
12
I'm not the first person who's said this.
2007-01-10 14:55:36
14.   Bill Crain
13
Bob must work in a liberry or something 'cause I think he's referencing John Keats in the "negative capability" letter.

Nah, probably it was Tommy Prothro, the philosopher who first used the phrase "reductio ad absurdum" when recruiting offensive linemen.

So much for heavy cynicism. It's just that college sports are so much fun - they really are - while the underlying premise is so silly. I mean, I was perfectly satisfied with the system when the 'mythical national champion" was decided before the bowl games.

That was before USC allowed girl cheerleaders.

2007-01-10 14:57:50
15.   Bob Timmermann
Bill still still has a "Fighting Methodists" t-shirt.
2007-01-10 15:11:03
16.   Bill Crain
15
I only wear wear it to the Notre Dame game.

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