Just caught the result for the Cardinals-Phillies game last night, and I have to say I’m shocked. There was a point where the Phillies really did look undeniable; their late season swoon (they lost 7 or 8 straight towards the end of the year) not withstanding. After 102 wins, it looked like the money had been well spent.
But sports in general has no favorites. Anyone who’s been involved in sports for any length of time and takes the time to watch and observe quickly realizes there are eddy’s and undercurrents swirling all over the place, just out of sight but there and significant none-the-less. The Yankees and Red Sox have had the highest payroll for years now; the Phillies put up a lot of money to have the best starting rotation in the Majors. None of them will be hoisting a championship trophy of any kind this year.
The same goes for the NFL- the Colts are winless; the Bills are leading their division and have a comeback-win over the Patriots to their credit; the “Dream Team” Eagles have 1 win in 4 games. Come back in another month, and all of these current facts could look irrelevant.
Last season, my normal racquetball partner returned for the final league and we won the league after he’d been away for almost 2 years. His elbow problems were fixed and he was feeling good. Since then, I haven’t played a game and this past Monday, he herniated himself and won’t be able to play again until next year sometime.
Of course, money didn’t have much to do with that last point. Although it helps to underscore that the only constant in sports is its unpredictability. Small wonder people love sports so much- we never know what we’re gonna get.