This World Series matchup between the Mets from New York and the Royals from Kansas City is a classic. Saks Fifth Avenue versus Country Barbecue. The Eastern Seaboard versus flyover country. Gotham versus the City of Fountains. “New Yaawk versus Kannsass City. The Big City versus the Big Country and, for our part of the world, the Bad Guys versus the Good Guys! It couldn’t be more fun! Real fun is a 2-0 lead.
The television guys, Fox, trot out five “experts” in their pre-game show, including the formerly banished Pete Rose. Pete looks like he just might punch somebody and, given the format, maybe he should!
The Mets hang their hat on their starting pitching. The Royals boast an impenetrable bullpen. The Mets are a power team, much like most of the American League. The Royals are built on speed and defense, much like most of the National League. The Mets’ pitchers are power pitchers and strike out a lot of batters. No team in the majors strikes out as little as the Royals.
About the only thing these two teams share is that this is the first World Series between franchises that were created during the 1960s, the era of big expansion in major league baseball.
Neither team has won a World Series since the mid-1980s. However, the Royals came close last year and that experience will be enough to tip the scales in their favor. Don’t let that 2-0 lead fool you. We’re headed to New Yaawwk. Royals in six games!
Mark Mangino just got sacrificed at Iowa State. Earlier in the week, Iowa State head football coach Paul Rhoads announced that Mangino would no longer be serving as Offensive Coordinator for the Cyclones because they “couldn’t get on the same page” about what to do offensively.
This is a classic example of “someone has to fall on the sword”. Rhoads is in trouble at Iowa State. His teams have peaked out and the last three years have been a struggle. Cyclone fans are clamoring for change so Rhoads gives them this sacrificial lamb-though I will agree that Mangino looks about as much like a lamb as Donald Trump looks like a guy with a GI haircut!
Mangino is out at Iowa State but he will pop up somewhere. Paul Rhoads will be out at Iowa State after this season is over.
CHALK TALK: Can Great Bend complete a sweep of the two Salina schools with a District win over Salina South this week? Pretty heady stuff for the Black Panthers but, why not? Great Bend 30, South 24. Kansas State is finding out how difficult it is to win in the Big 12 without a Big 12-caliber quarterback. Baylor in the next game is not exactly the best pick of a team to try to get well on! Nebraska has lost more games in 2015 than fired coach Bo Pelini lost in ANY of his 7 seasons! In four of the Huskers losses they gave up a fourth-quarter lead. By way of comparison, Nebraska lost only three fourth-quarter leads in SEVEN seasons under Pelini. Do I hear any “We want Pelini” cries out of Lincoln? Larned closes the season against long-time rival Pratt in a District game that means nothing, other than pride, for both teams. When it is Larned and Pratt though, that pride thing is important. In a quirk of scheduling they will square off in the first game of the 2016 season. All of that should make this a fun game. Pratt is favored but I am looking for a Larned upset! Indians 26, Greenbacks 21. Hoisington completes an unbeated regular season as they toy with Lyons 50-7. Alex Karras, former NFL All-Pro lineman on his college career at Iowa: “I never graduated from Iowa. I was only there for two terms—Truman’s and Eisenhower’s!