Sports Journal October 28, 2017

10-28-17

I’m having some mixed feelings this morning.  I went to a free comic book giveaway at Zia Comics for Halloween.  There were kids there in costume and some games and candy for them.  One of the giveaways I got was an Archie Sabrina comic.  When I got it home, even with the “Horror” label on it, I was actually horrified by the contents.  I haven’t read it yet, but it looked really disturbing and NOT kid-friendly.  I also picked up a Thor (tellingly it was an 80’s reprint, the current versions of “Thor” are an f-ing mess) and a Donald Duck on the giveaway table.  I bought an Adam Hughes’ Betty & Veronica comic and a Rick and Morty trade.  R&M is my new favorite show that I’ve been watching on some Youtube livestreams.  Their comics were put in the Kid’s section.  I’ll wait for you to stop coughing in shock.  The comic doesn’t seem to be quite as urbane (and profane) as the cartoon, but still not really appropriate for children.  So, this was a $25 trip for some weird free comics. 

While out, I decided to swing by Aggie sports sponsor, Sports Accessories.  I was hoping to find a Women’s Basketball championship t-shirt for their “3 Pete” performance.  It was there, but unlike the last championship shirt I got there for $2 on the clearance table, this one was full price.  (There wasn’t even a clearance table anymore).  I also finally found the Aggie hat I’d been looking for the last two years.  Why couldn’t I have found this three Aggie hats ago that I’d already purchased?  It’s just the crimson and black baseball team hat.  Attractive, but nothing special.  So, this ended up being a $50 drop here, but I did get what I wanted.  I did get to tell the clerk how well the “Aggie Empire” shirt I’d bought there last year had gone over every time I’d worn it.  They were out, but were going to get more.  It was a best-seller for them.  I think my best deal today was my $5 Wendy’s meal coupon with the $1 Frosty I added to it. 

In the evening, we had a bit of a scheduling conflict.  Aggie football was playing on the radio and TV, while the World Series was on another station.  The radio pre-game before football was interesting, as usual, as Jack Nixon chatted with Athletic Director Mario Moccia and other Aggie coaches.  Mario was fully burning bridges with the Sunbelt Conference for scheduling the Aggies for one home game over the course of two months.  He was not happy and glad to be leaving the conference.  In spite their best marketing efforts, this probably drove down attendance for tonight.  That was too bad.  It was “AG” Day at the stadium.  The local radio station was doing a remote from there before the pre-game, where there were displays of farm equipment and animals.  The university also hosted the WAC Cross Country championship this morning.  The Aggie Women’s team won.  Congratulations.

There was a talk with a couple of coaches, who weren’t on the Aggie Coaches Show earlier this week.  Freddy Delgado of the soccer team, mentioned that the team has three of the best attackers in the conference, so he is able to keep more players back on defense.  Interesting.  Volleyball coach, Mike Jordan, attended the “Zombie Walk” this week with his little son, who was appropriately frightened.  Coach Jordan sounds a lot more reasonable talking to Jack between games than he does talking to Adam Young right after a match.  The volleyball team was reported as winning earlier in the day.  I never heard an update on the evening soccer match on the road, which was going on at the same time.

Game 4 of the World Series between the Astros and Dodgers had some annoying audio glitch with the network, which I identified as Joe Buck and John Smoltz.  I kept the sound off.  Both offenses took much of the game off, so I stayed with the football.  The Aggie football was playing the Arkansas State Red Wolves, who have won the conference the last two years.  The first quarter was a very defensive battle between both teams.  The Red Wolves scored a touchdown for a 7-0 lead.  In the second, a fumble led to a Larry Rose III rushing drive that tied the score.  In the final minute, Aggie wide receiver Jaleel Scott made a highlight reel catch.  The ball went 30 yards downfield into double coverage, went through the arms of one defender, and right into Jaleel’s breadbasket.  The Aggies scored for a 14-7 lead at the half.  Significantly, Arkansas State had 12 penalties in the half.  The Aggies had one, but it resulted in an ejection. 

Meanwhile in Houston, it was still scoreless in the sixth.  Alex Wood on the Dodgers had a no hitter going.  Charlie Morton on the Astros was also doing well.  In the top of the inning, Alex Bregman cut down a runner at home, trying to score from third on a grounder.  Other teams need to stop hitting the ball to him in those situations.  In the bottom, George Springer bashed a solo home run, driving Wood from the game, 1-0 Astros.  It was the only hit he gave up.  Morton came out in the seventh after giving up a double.  A Dodger run would score, tying the game.  Hey, Houston has cheerleaders dancing on top of the dugout.

In the third quarter in Las Cruces, the Red Wolves scored a field goal and a touchdown to take a 17-14 lead.  The Arkansas State defense turned it up.  They got an interception after getting two sacks in a row.  Aggie Shamad Lomax returned the favor to kill their drive.  An ensuing punt and big run back gave the Red Wolves good field position, but they missed the field goal to convert on it.  The Aggies mounted a good drive downfield.  In the opening minute of the fourth quarter, quarterback Tyler Rogers took it in for a touchdown on a keeper, 21-17 Aggies.      

Here, my evening took a downward turn.  Arkansas State got ball back and quickly marched downfield on an exhausted Aggie defense.  24-21 AR State after a touchdown.  Back in Houston, Ken Giles had entered the game for the Astros and immediately let on two runners.  One hit later, it was 2-1 Dodgers.  The Red Wolves scored again, then had an interception and a long run back, which led to another touchdown.  The Astros brought in another pitcher which only added gas to the fire.  Joc Pederson capped a five-run inning with a three-run homer.

The football game dragged on to an enviable conclusion, 37-21 Red Wolves.  Tyler Rogers was having some real problems hitting the receivers tonight, more than just facing a good defense.  I wonder if he has a hand or arm injury.  The running game worked for a bit, but the Aggies went away from it.  The defense was great, but ran out of gas by the fourth since they were out on field for so much of the game.  Alex Bregman hit a solo home run off of Kenley Jansen in the bottom of the ninth, but there was no further comeback.  At least the Astros can get to him.  The Dodgers won 6-2 to even the series.  Ken Giles is certainly done as Houston’s closer.  The Astros’ offense just turns on and off like a light switch.  Today, they were off.  Unlike the morning, there were no mixed feelings here.  This was a depressing.