Another long break, with lots of action on the field and inaction from me, leads to a new set of Reclinations

As a PSU fan and former Catholic High School football player, therefore Notre Dame supporter, around 7:30 pm Saturday night was one of worst sporting half hours of my life. Before the shock from the Michigan touchdown had really even set in, or the proper time for me to break something valuable (IPod, cell phone, girlfriend), USC scores. Bad night to go to Atlantic City (final result: pretty drunk, down 200. Just like the football games, I was up 150, and lost it all at the last Hold’em table. Unlike PSU and ND, I had a choice when to end the game).

I’m not upset about the “Bush Push,” because I wasn’t clear on the application of that rule, and I barely saw it. Running backs push linemen all the time, but I suppose the rule only applies to players without the ball assisting those with it. I would be way more upset if a fifth down occurred like in Colorado or Joe Paterno was ruled legally blind, and therefore unable to coach a NCAA team.

Sex boat? Am I surprised this happens in the NFL, absolutely not. I saw “Any Given Sunday.” The only shock is that it happened in Minnesota? Where was the boat sailing, the St. Lawrence Seaway? (Ha, I told my high school geography teacher I was paying attention).

Baseball playoffs without the Red Sox and Yankees – I know I am among many who are more than happy about this. Even the Sox and Bombers were sick of playing each other. Neither fans, players nor the rest of the country could have handled another playoff series that intense. Plus my roommates’ accents are annoying when they get excited about baseball.

Ron Artest is on the cover of Penthouse and supposedly challenges Ben Wallace to a pay-per-view fight. I am glad Artest brought this up because my friends and I have discussed this before, who we’d least like to fight in the NBA, ala “Fight Club.”

Wallace- Between the muscles, the reach, the combination of size/strength/speed and pants-wetting stare framed by a misshapen ‘fro, Big Ben is one vicious dude.

Shaq- Not just because he is big, which he is, but had he connected with that punch he threw at Brad Miller, the Diesel would be in jail for murder right now. That was the nastiest roundhouse I ever saw and Miller thanks God every day he had his back turned.

For kicks, guys I’d most want to fight:

Shawn Bradley- I shouldn’t even have to write anything

Ray Allen/Reggie Miler- If a technically perfect jump shot helped in a street fight, Jimy Chitwood would own the ECW.

Darko Milicic- If there was any team I didn’t want to fight, it would be the Pistons, but I can picture the center in the locker room crying to his mother in Russian about no playing time and how “none of the other players pass him the ball.”

Another fantasy player goes down for me, keeping my season long streaking of losing at least one player every week alive. Jake Delhome, you certainly took advantage of your first start with Donovan McNabb on a bye, throwing three interceptions and leaving unconscious. Thanks.

The dropped third strike against the White Sox was a tough call, however, not once but twice the umpire signaled out. If I’m the catcher I probably would have done the same thing. Credit Mike Scioscia for keeping his cool, had Lou Pinella been coaching that game, he would have ripped home plate out the ground and decapitated the ump with it.

I have to agree with ESPN’s Scoop Jackson, the NBA dress-code is suspiciously close to racist. Without reading the actual CBA, the parts being reported seem to alienate black players dressing in what is typically ethnic apparel. Big chains? Kyle Korver will have to take back his eight inch platinum double K. Timberlands (referred to as work boots)? I guess MVP Steve Nash’s endorsement with that company is done. I understand where David Stern is coming from, but accept the facts: this is not Michael Jordan’s NBA, it’s Allen Iverson’s. And the clothing these players wear isn’t sweat pants and hoodies, it’s thousand dollar velour jump suits. These are grown men, they can dress how they want. If you want shirts with sleeves and a collar fine, but by being this specific and nit-picking, you’re drawing a white hood on Jerry West’s NBA logo.

Penn football player Kyle Ambrogi’s suicide is one of the most tragic deaths in college sports history. It is obvious to say, often everything to know about a person is not on the surface. Ambrogi is one of many people whose seemingly perfect life (he scored two touchdowns the day before he died) is wrought with crippling depression, and friends and family should always have their eyes open for warning signs to prevent another sad loss.

God bless, enjoy homecoming weekend.