PRE SEASON IS HERE

Thank God for FOOTBALL...

I should be happy after last basketball season ended.

My LAKERS are the NBA Champions. Again!

My DUKE BLUE DEVILS are the NCAA Champions.

But sports is a compulsion for me...

And then came baseball.

I used to be a big time MLB fan.

One of my fondest memories of youth was when the dad of my high school sweet heart took me to my first Professional Baseball game. The KINSTON EAGLES, a farm team for the NY Yankees.

Then I moved and Settled in San Diego.

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I enjoyed watching My PADRES, get whooped on a regular basis.

Even with the talents of players like;

TONY GWYNN, TREVOR HOFFMAN, DAVE WINFIELD, KURT BEVACQUA, ROLLIE FINGERS, GOOSE GOSSAGE, RICKEY HENDERSON, WILLIE McCOVEY, GAYLORD PERRY, OZZIE SMITH, STEVE GARVEY, GARY TEMPLETON AND GRAIG NETTLES, the friars only won the pennant 2 times. Once in 1984 and again in 1998, and they have never won the World Series.

In fact the Padres only won a single game in 9 at the World Series.

1-4 Vs Detroit, in 1984.

0-4 Vs New York, in 1998.

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I used to take my son to games. We live in a town where there is always something to do. And it was a chance to build a bond with my son.

Then came the 1994-95 Baseball labor strike.

Spoiled Multimillionaires, all fighting over who gets my money.

So, I decided to make it easy for them. They could fight over your money. But my money was no longer a problem for them to solve.

I went on strike, with them.

And when they let their egos over ride the Fall Classic, a season with no World Series, I decided to rethink to whole baseball thing. The players and the owners had become bigger than the game.

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For example, A PERFECT GAME???

If you are unfortunate enough to experience one of these rarities, You have just spent three hours, watching two grown men play catch. And that is the same with a SHUT OUT and a NO HITTER.

That ranks right up there with GOLF for excitement.

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Then there's the length of the season to consider.

182 games, just to find out who gets to play the

NY YANKEES for the title?

Really? 182 games?

I could get this done in a three week single elimination playoff.

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AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON

FANTASY BASEBALL.

 IS THERE ANYTHING MORE PATHETIC, THAN

 A FANTASY BASEBALL GEEK?

CAN YOU SAY:

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS?

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And when was the last time anything really entertaining happend

in MLB?

Nothing since Billy Martin died.

I miss BILLY BALL.

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When MLB brings back Billy Martin,

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Then I'll come back to BASEBALL.

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I wish no ill will on the boys of summer.

Get ready for some

FOOTBALL

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But this Saturday, at the "Q" in San Diego,

My CHARGERS Take on the 'BOYS from DALLAS

The only thing missing is the voice and football wisdom of 

JOHN MADDEN.

But the worst day of football is still better than the best of day baseball.