Trav's Thoughts

I need to come up with a better title for my Sunday morning observations. It's my weekly feature during football season, so it should have a proper post title. Any suggestions?

Our favorite coffee place is Tully's. There was one just a couple blocks from my old offices. But there isn't one that is convenient between my condo and the offices where we are now. So I stop at Starbucks. Well now it's cool because Starbucks has a free song of the day through October. These are Itunes downloads. So even though we don't usually go out for coffee on weekends, it's pumpkin spice lattes on Saturday and Sunday for us through Nov 7. These are the songs we've gotten so far:

KT Tunstall, One Day
Joni Mitchell, Night of the Iguana
Keith Urban, I Told You So
Emily King, Moon
Mavis Staples, We Shall Not Be Moved



We just saw one of the most bonehead plays you can make on special teams. Seattle punted and right as the Pittsburgh receiver caught the ball, a Steeler blocker shoved a Seahawk defender right into the receiver. That's just dumb. It cost the Steelers 10 yards and decent field position. The game is played fast, but there is still enough time to engage your brain. If you can read the guy's name in front of you, don't hit him.

I worry that football players are never going to learn not to lower their heads. I just saw that Trent Green tried to make a block by putting his head down and going low. He took a knee to the side of his head and was taken off the field on a stretcher. Green suffered a severe concussion a couple of years ago. I would think he would be most conscious of not doing something so dangerous.



Arizona eliminated Chicago last night, so next year it will be 100 years since the Cubs last won the World Series. I wonder if there will be uniform patches...or is that a bad joke?

Colorado also advanced to the NLCS by sweeping the Phillies. The NL West was the worst division in baseball not too long ago. And now the division has two teams playing for the chance to go to the World Series. Cool.

Boston has a chance to close out the Angels today in Anaheim, while the Indians are in the Bronx trying to sweep the Yankees.

Here's an interesting stat...well, it's interesting to baseball fans. The Division series began in 1995 and there has never been a year when all four series winners swept their opponents. That could happen today for the first time.

I think that proper clock management at the end of the half and the end of the game is a lost art. Seattle just walked into halftime with 2 useless times out in their back pocket. They wasted 10-12 seconds rushing up to the line of scrimmage after a long pass play, when all they had to do was call a time out. Then with only :07 on the clock, they rushed through a play and Hasselbeck threw an interception to end the half. Pam said, "Grrrrrrr!"

This has been clear for awhile now, but I'll say it plain right now. Eli is no Peyton. The younger Manning just threw an interception inside his own 30 yard line with :23 left in the first half. And for some strange reason, the Jets called a running play instead of going for a big TD. They let the clock run down to :04 and kicked a field goal to lead 17-7 at the half. You know, the Jets had 2 times out and should have taken a shot into the end zone. The play for the QB is a quick drop and one scan, then throw the ball out of the back of the end zone if there's nothing open. Then you can kick the field goal. Sometimes being conservative is the right choice, but why not look for the chance to go up 24-7 rather than immediately settle for the field goal? If you're up three scores, you force the ball into Manning's hands and remember what I said? Eli is no Peyton.

I said this before, but Ben Roethlisberger is definitely healthy and back to the form he showed in his first couple of seasons. He is sharp, mobile, and in control of his offense. He worked today without his primary receivers - Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes, both out with injuries - but it didn't seem to bother him as other players stepped up. He marched his team down the field on a 10 minute drive to open the 2nd half, capping it with a TD to go up 14-0.

Pittsburgh is completely in control now and Pam is not happy. I guess it's time to make her some lunch and close out the morning version of our observations.

Later babies!