I want to thank the several readers who checked out Monday's Holiday Edition and offered a correction. I said that I had been browsing through the college football games last weekend and heard a woman announcing the Wisconsin/West Virginia game and that I thought it might be Pam Ward. Given that several folks all say that Pam Ward was indeed doing play-by-play over the weekend but that she was doing the Iowa/Miami-Ohio game, I have to admit my confusion. As I said, I was browsing and caught glimpses of lots of games over the weekend between chores and preparations for dinner guests over the weekend. So I stand corrected on which game that Pam Ward was doing but I still thought that she was doing a good job behind the mike.

I have been trying not to comment on the Maurice Clarett soap opera that is unfolding at Ohio State but I have to say that whatever is going on there is being handled clumsily. About a month ago, Clarett met with the university officials and presumably some NCAA folks too in order to clear the air. Since then he has been held out of practice then readmitted to practice with the hint that a 3-6 game suspension was in the air. Now he is banished from practice again and there is talk that he may be suspended for the season. He will be allowed to watch practices but not participate in practices in the latest arrangement.

Look folks, I'm not trying to make Maurice Clarett out to be some kind of poster child for the marriage between scholarship and athletics and I am absolutely convinced that he is in violation of at least one of the myriad NCAA rules that govern schools and their scholar-athletes. But this is not an investigation that needs to be done this slowly. This is not even close to the complexity of the murder investigation that is ongoing at Baylor. At some point, someone in the hierarchy at Ohio State has to explain just how this matter has already taken a month to investigate/analyze without reaching a point of resolution. It's not like these folks are trying to figure out how to restart the reactors at Chernobyl; this is a case of “star athlete getting perks on campus”; no one is breaking new ground in the investigation here.

In last night's Cards/Cubs game, it appears as if Cubs' reliever Antonio Alfonseca bumped an umpire during a heated argument over a foul ball call. If true, Alfonseca will get a suspension. For the Cubs, that is good news and bad news. The bad news is that they will be missing a set-up relief pitcher in the middle of a tight pennant race. The good news is that Dusty Baker will not have to fight the temptation to put Alfonseca in a few games so that Alfonseca can blow a lead. Some people say that every cloud has a silver lining. I like to think that every silver lining has a cloud around it. Hi ho!

The Patriots have released Lawyer Milloy when they could not reach an agreement with him on the issue of restructuring his contract. His agent says that they were negotiating with the team and then they asked to be released rather than take a pay cut. So the Pats obliged. Milloy is a quality player who probably has several good years left in his career. Interestingly, the Pats' opponent this weekend is Buffalo and the Bills are one of four teams that have shown interest in signing Milloy. As I look at the Pats' roster, it appears as if they have two players who will take Milloy's spot. Both Aric Morris and Antwan Harris have been in the league a couple of years; however, neither has been in the Pro-Bowl as has Milloy.

Yesterday, I mentioned the tailspin that the Phillies have been in for the last couple of weeks. Every time I see them on TV – either a game or a highlight – I see Larry Bowa in what has to be a state of internal agitation. He looks as if he is about to pop a major artery in his brain. If he makes it through the season, his arteries are probably made of copper tubing and he ought to will his body to science. Hey, it has to be better than willing it to the folks who are in charge of Ted Williams' body.

The Phillies recently released Tyler Houston who left town taking a shot at Bowa. Houston said that Bowa does not care about the players and that you can see it in his negativity and his tirades. Houston said that Bowa's antics in the dugout show that he does not respect his players and is always ready to slam them. However, with Houston headed out of town, the Philly papers went to Bowa for a response and his comments indicated that these two should not be seated next to each other at a dinner party. Said Bowa:

“He'd better hope no manager calls me and asks about him. There's a reason he's with a different team every year.”

Wow. That was kind. You mean there's only one reason, Larry…

Jesse Orosco was traded from the Yankees to the Twins. At his advanced age, I hope that Jesse is not driving from NY to Minnesota to join his new team. It might take him a week and a half to get there driving 35 mph in the passing lane with his left turn signal blinking…

Everyone knows that the Yankees take a back seat to no other organization in any sport. Well, they must have been offended by the Jets' attempt to charge $50 to people for the privilege of staying on their season ticket waiting list; the Yanks must have felt as if the Jets were trying to take over the mantle of Most Obnoxious Behavior by an Arrogant NY Sports Franchise. The NY Post reports that the Yankees will retaliate in this battle by charging fans a $6 “handling fee” for every ticket they buy to the playoff games and World Series Games this year. That is a pretty hefty handling fee – but at least you actually get tickets to games when you pay it.

Finally, Rudy Giuliani is a man I can relate to. He was somewhere on Long Island to present awards to the winners at an equestrian competition. Said Hizzoner:

“It's my first experience with this. I got a little confused at the beginning. I tried to place a bet on a trifecta and they wouldn't take it.”

But don't get me wrong, I love sports...

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