Did I Leave The Iron On?

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Did I Leave The Iron On? by Greebo T Cat

Several A/K/A Random's 'sporting blues'


Ah, finally! Something warm to talk about this week, as the Austrailian Open (the first of the Grand Slam tennis events) got underway this week in Melborne. Defending women's champ Kim Clijsters and runner-up Justinne Henin-Hardenne (both from Belgium) won't be there due to injury, so Lindsay Davenport (USA) and Amelie Mauresmo (France) are the top seeds, but Russians Anastasia Mysinka (last year's French Open winner), Maria Sharapova (Wimbledon) and Svetlana Kutznetsova (US Open), along with countrywoman Elena Dementieva are seeded three through six.

Swiss-born Roger Federer, with three Grand Slams last year and something like a 21-match winning streak is the top seed in the men's side. (Whoops, he won his first-round match for twenty-two straight.)

So at least they're warm, which can't be said about the AmFoot playoffs, where the two conference title games will be held on either end of the state of Pennsylvania. In the eastern part of the state, the Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons and near the western end, the Pittsburgh Stealers host the New England Patriots. The winners get two weeks off before meeting in the 39th annual Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida on February 6 so start your office pools after Sunday. Millions are wagered and also spent on parties for The Big Game.

I know Pittsburgh is the Steelers (and I usually call them the Squealers since they are a divisional rival of the beloved Cleveland Browns) but they barely won in overtime last week and face the Pats for the second time this season, having snapped New England's 21-consecutive-win streak back on Halloween. The Patriots are the defending champions and are favoured by 2½ points in the early betting line.

Upstart Atlanta, led by exciting quarterback Michael Vick, will play in the cold and snows of Philly, who have lost the last three of the conference championship games. The Falcons are 4½ point underdogs going in, but I think I'll take that wager, if only for a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.

In other AmSport news, last week's nationwide cold snap has the ski areas rapidly getting busy and Michelle Kwan winning the US Figure Skating championship for the ninth time, trying Maribel Vinson of the 1920s and '30's, a mark that stood for decades and was not expected to be surpassed. Of course, Kwan started competing at age 12 (she is age 24 now) and, ironically, her former coach, Frank Carroll, trained with Vinson in his early years on the ice.

So that's a wrap from the middle of a couple big ponds for this week... this is several, a/k/a random, over and out.

Did I Leave The Iron On? Archive

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