Okay -- so we’ve gone from monsoon season to beautiful, crisp, fall weather in the span of a week or so. I hate to be a whiner, but let’s just say that I’m still hoping for a smidgeon of summer before Fantasy Football season gets underway! And no -- I really am not complaining. Today ChristopherCornblog is going to be taking down some ice-storm-damaged trees … and I’ll be gathering up the larger pieces of detritus to cut up for the chiminea … so a coolish day is actually rather nice. But still … dog days of summer anyone?
Speaking of FFootball, things are shaping up and we’ve got 8 of our 12 teams set. Four to go, folks! (Don’t make me go public again!)
As I open up my various “news” sources this morning I veer away from the national news. Between screaming matches at rallys and birthers and death threats and Sarah Palin weighing in with some “trenchant” commentary on health care, it feels like this country is devolving into a kind of chaotic and stubborn stupidity that is shocking even if you’ve lived through Dubya and have come to expect a pretty high level of weirdness.
So instead, I turn to the sports pages -- where I see that those intrepid Red Sox fans who stayed up to root for good vs evil were sorely disappointed last night. What a kick in the gut, eh? At least the Phillies lost relatively early and didn’t drag it out into extra innings.
On the soccer front, the WPS play-offs really DO begin this weekend, with the Freedom playing Sky Blue FC this evening (7PM ET) and the Breakers facing off against the Sol tomorrow at 6PM ET. Tonight’s game will have audio available on-line (I’m thinking of hanging by the chiminea and listening). Tomorrow’s game will be televised on FSC AND will be webcast. The Breakers have, so far, missed every opportunity to clinch a play-off berth. I’m hoping they’ll turn that around for themselves tomorrow in Cambridge!
The Women’s Sports Foundation has selected its nominees for Sportswoman of the Year (awarded on October 13) and you can make your vote on-line now, if you want.
The roster for the WPS All Star game has been named -- with the next wave of top vote getters replacing those who’ll be out due to other commitments (like the Euros). Here’s how the roster has shaped up:
WPS All-Star Team Starters
Karina LeBlanc GK Los Angeles Sol Canada
Tina Ellertson D Saint Louis Athletica United States
Amy LePeilbet D Boston Breakers United States
Christie Rampone D Sky Blue FC United States*
Shannon Boxx M Los Angeles Sol United States
Lori Chalupny M Saint Louis Athletica United States
Formiga M FC Gold Pride Brazil*
Aya Miyama M Los Angeles Sol Japan*
Megan Rapinoe M Chicago Red Stars United States*
Cristiane F Chicago Red Stars Brazil*
Marta F Los Angeles Sol Brazil
*next highest vote-getter to replace First XI
In addition, WPS All-Star Team Head Coach Abner Rogers and WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci named an additional seven at-large players to the roster, including:
WPS All-Star Team At-Large Selections (Commissioner/All-Star Team Head Coach)
Brittany Klein M Chicago Red Stars United States
Kristine Lilly F Boston Breakers United States
Heather O’Reilly M Sky Blue FC United States
Christine Sinclair F FC Gold Pride Canada
Hope Solo GK Saint Louis Athletica United States
Abby Wambach F Washington Freedom United States
Cat Whitehill D Washington Freedom United States
Don’t forget that today is the day to hear the interview with Pokey Chatman on Women’s Sports Talk Radio. Here’s a quick video preview FWIW -- gives you some flavor for what WSTR is about …
And you can listen live to the interview, on Blog Talk Radio. Or check out other Women’s Sports Talk interviews and info there. It’s a big, wide, wonderful world on the web, ain’t it?!
