Cliff Notes

It's been a long time since I've posted, but you have to understand -- I'm lazy. Doesn't it all make sense now?

One of the big happenings in the interim was the baseball trading deadline, and from a Phillies perspective what a soap opera. For a month or so solid all we would hear about is that they "led" in the chase for Roy Halliday and that he would obviously put us over the top and probably make us favorites to win a 2nd straight World Championship. As the deadline approached, however, various "sources" said that the Jays were asking for Drabek (stud pitching prospect), Taylor (stud outfield prospect), and Happ (young guy who's 8-2 with an ERA under 3 in the bigs right now). So my thought was to do the deal -- if they let us replay the bottom of the 9th of Game 6 from '93! Are you kidding? Seriously, no wonder nobody made a deal -- the whole "firstborn son" was a big price to ask for, Rumplestilskin.

So instead we gave up 4 different and somewhat less intriguing prospects (and decent ones at that -- it was no gift to be sure) for Cliff Lee. Happ stays in town and in the rotation, Lee gets added, and guys with value but nowhere to play (Donald, at least) get shuffled off. GREAT deal -- unless someone else picks up Halliday. I was scared to death the Dodgers would step up, but no. He remains a Jay, and all of the sudden the playoffs are basically assured and another parade is a distinct possibility. Wow do I love baseball.

In the meantime, the C's add a legitimate front court All-Star to come off the bench, as well as another big body to throw fouls at Shaq in the Eastern Conference Finals this year, plus a commitment from some back court depth from Indiana, PLUS Baby might still be back. This might be the deepest team we've had, as if we can steer clear of the injuries that took us down last year the playoffs should be absolutely epic.

Not to mention that OU was one of exactly 4 teams that received at least one first-place in the pre-season coaches poll, and deservedly so. Whoever gets out of the Red River Shootout this year (as often, of course), is going to be pretty tough to take down. Here's to a rematch from last January, but in Pasadena this time. (Side note -- the last 4 times that OU has played for a national championship, on a "neutral" site, it's been in the home state of the opposing team. Seriously, Florida State at the Orange Bowl in 2000, LSU at the Sugar Bowl a couple years back, Florida at the Orange Bowl last year, and that's not to mention The Game of which We Do Not Speak, which happened to be against a team from southern California in Pasadena. Not whining, just pointing out.)

Finally, lost in all the excitement of legitimately contending teams -- camp has opened and we have reason to believe that the Lions may win a game this year!