Yesterday came reports that Dikembe Mutombo died at the age of 59 after battling brain cancer. Mutombo was a defensive presence throughout his NBA career whose “signature” on the court was to wave his finger as a “no-no” after blocking a shot. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mutombo was known for his charitable works there and in other parts of Africa.
Rest in Peace Dikembe Mutombo.
This morning, I woke up to news that Pete Rose had died over the weekend at the age of 83. No cause of death was in the report I read. There is no need to repeat the self-destructive tale that is Pete Rose in his later years. Suffice it to say that his stats say he belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame – – but he is not there.
Rest in peace, Pete Rose.
At the beginning of the MLB season, I made 10 selections based on the futures bets posted by oddsmakers. The time of reckoning has arrived.
There were 5 winning selections:
- Dodgers UNDER 105 wins
- Braves UNDER 102 wins
- Tigers OVER 80.5 wins
- Nationals OVER 66.5 wins
- Pirates OVER 75 wins – – by one game
There were 5 losing selections:
- Cubs OVER 84.5 wins
- Astros OVER 92 wins
- Orioles to win the AL East
- Rays OVER 85 wins
- Yankees UNDER 93.5 wins – – by one game
Those picks demonstrate the symmetry of the universe in addition to the fact that on the day I made those selections, I was acting as a human coin flip. Those oddsmakers sure do know their business…
Finally, I’ll close this brief rant today with a paraphrase of Tony Kornheiser’s sign off line from Pardon the Interruption:
“I’ll try and do better the next time.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………
You do just fine, thank you.
I always remember that the NFL owners rescinded the Tuck Rule just months after Al Davis’s death. I expect the same to occur vis-a-vis Mr. Pete Rose. My question is: Am I underestimating the stupidity of MLB owners?