Sports Musings

I know not everybody is a sports fan. I love golf and football. I actually play golf. I was too much of a wimp to ever play football. Anyway, lots of stuff has happened in sports I care about lately, so I'm going to get caught up a little bit.

Denver Broncos: The Denver Broncos are now 8-5 and are on the verge of winning their division and advancing to the playoffs. I say "on the verge", because even with a 3 game advantage, they've proven that no lead is safe. They are one of the most confusing teams in the league. One week, they get whipped by the Oakland Raiders, who are awful. The next week, the beat the New York Jets, who are very good, in New York. I've decided that this team is just going to be inconsistent. They are very young, with about a dozen rookies getting playing time this season. Even though I ripped him 2 weeks ago, coach Mike Shanahan has done a terrific job getting this team ready to play. The rest of this season should be interesting...time to sit back and try to enjoy the ride.

Peyton Hillis: Who's Peyton Hillis? He's the 5th Denver Broncos Running Back to be lost for the season to injury. He'll be replaced by Tatum Bell, who 1 month ago was selling Cell Phones in Aurora, CO (I'm not making that up). Peyton Hillis was a 7th round draft pick who only got to play because the 4 guys in front of him went down. In his limited time, he proved he could play in the NFL at a top level. Hopefully he'll heal in the offseason and be ready to go next fall.

Michelle Wie: Michelle Wie earned her LPGA Tour Card this week at the 5 round LGPA Tour Qualifying School. Michelle hit the scene as a 13 year old and has had quite a few ups and downs. The ups are that she's nearly won several LPGA tournaments. The downs...she's never won an LPGA tournament. Over the past year or 2, it seems like Michelle as either withdrawn or been DQ'd from more tournaments than she's finished. Known for her length off the tee, she's even tried her game against the men 7 or 8 times, though she's never made the cut. Now 19, she seems to be growing up. I am rooting for her to recapture her game, win some LPGA events and be as great as we all thought she'd be when she was 13.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits: Yes, Jackrabbits...not angry Jackrabbits, not Fierce Jackrabbits, just the Jackrabbits. My alma mater has now completed it's 5 year transition to NCAA Division I athletics. The football team finished 7-5 in their first year in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, good for 3rd place. Not bad for a team picked to finish 6th. Now it's basketball season. The men's team continues to struggle against good Division I competition, with a 4-5 record. However, the women's team is now 8-1 and receiving consideration in the rankings. I'm anxiously following both teams, hoping the women continue to play well and make a run at the NCAA tournament and hoping the men's team is able to improve. The Jackrabbits will be on the Big 10 Network on Wednesday against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. I'll be tuned in, anxious to see how they do.