Something stuck out to me that was said by UW head football coach Bret Bielema after the Badgers took revenge on Northwestern last Saturday. Bielema described his team's overall attitude as "loosey-goosey," and spoke of the Badgers' propensity for joking around at team meals.
Bielema capped his point by saying, "It's a no-nonsense group, but in the same aspect, they're full of nonsense."
That's a fun way of looking at things, and I found this particularly fitting when watching the MLB playoffs the rest of that day.
That night, the guys on FOX wouldn't shut up about how Paul Lo Duca and Shawn Green were relishing the chance to exact revenge on the Los Angeles Dodgers team that so foolishly traded them away.
The New York Mets were described in a Sports Illustrated article as a fun-loving folk, with Lo Duca earning the nickname "Captain Red Ass," for whatever reason. Anyway, the Mets swept that series Saturday night over a much more serious Dodgers clubhouse.
The better example, however, came earlier that day. The New York Yankees were gloriously shoved out of the AL playoffs again, for the sixth straight year since winning the Series in 2000. I've gotta say, this thing has become an annual celebration.
There aren't many things more thrilling than seeing countless camera shots of depressed Yankee faces in the finishing innings of their season. A-Rod stunned and confused, Randy Johnson crying on camera and Joe Torre looking like he's sitting at his virgin daughter's wedding to Wilt Chamberlain. Either that or he's passing a stone.
I will say that I am glad Joe Torre is back for another year with New York. Firing him would have been a step in the wrong direction for Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and his legion of fans. It wasn't Torre's fault for the early loss, and the players have said that.
I actually feel bad for Torre — immature journalism led to three days of unnecessary hell for him and the Yankees organization. Lou Piniella, who was allegedly handpicked to succeed Torre, said he never even talked to Steinbrenner. Embarrassing reporting by the New York Daily News; somebody over there needs to lose his or her job.
But I'm not going to wax poetic on the demise of the Yankees. I'm actually tired of picking on them, you're tired of reading about them and there are more pressing matters at hand.
Let's talk about the Detroit Tigers.
The 14 minutes or so after the Detroit Tigers wrapped up the series victory over New York was a truly gratifying experience. Watching Jim Leyland embrace "Pudge" Rodriguez in an emotional moment … the Tigers carrying Leyland, their manager, off the field … the players grabbing champagne from the clubhouse and running back onto the field, spraying fans and high-fiving them for their support … Kenny Rogers pouring a bottle of bubbly all over a security guard on top of the Yankees dugout.
How could anyone not enjoy this stuff? Even Yankees fans, if they could for a moment get past the fact that their team just lost, might be able to feel good about watching the underdogs bask in their glory.
Here's the funny thing, though … underdog? The Tigers? Wait a sec, weren't these chaps the best team in baseball for 95 percent of the year?
Yes, it's true. The $80 million Tigers, for all their success this season in being the best team in baseball, looked very much like a team that had no intentions of beating the $200 million Yankees. It was truly an enjoyable event watching this team celebrate what they — and the world — may have thought impossible 10 days ago.
My favorite story about the Tigers is the revival of Kenny Rogers. Last April, I wrote a column describing the game of musical chairs that is MLB, in which I recounted the journeyman pitcher's tumultuous route through the Major Leagues. Rogers' travel log includes nine different stints on six unique ball clubs (three stays with the Rangers and two with Detroit's current opponent, the Oakland Athletics).
After defeating another former employer, the Yankees, in Game 3, Rogers was reduced to tears over how emotional he was in pitching one of the greatest games of his life against arguably the most dangerous hitting lineups of all-time.
A guy who has been in the public's negative eye since June 2005 for striking a cameraman poured out his heart and soul when he hurled seven-and-two-thirds scoreless innings against New York, setting up the Tigers' big win in Game 4. It certainly was one of the more touching moments of the series, watching Rogers react after such a colossal feat.
The Tigers' effort during the series, and their emotions after winning it, proved two innovations in Major League Baseball. They won the ALDS by having the better team — as opposed to sporting the nine most talented individual baseball players — and then they won America's hearts by proving that even professionals can act like kids who show how much they purely love the game.
Baseball, a team sport? Not what we're used to with baseball, but Detroit — along with the past two defending champs, the 2005 White Sox and 2004 Red Sox — have officially changed the norm, if nothing for more than one night.
And the Tigers acting like they won the World Series when they've still got two series to win in order to win the title?
Maybe it's not such nonsense after all.
Aaron is a sophomore who can't believe the college hockey season is finally here. Even better, the first round of midterms has come and gone. You can contact him at [email protected].
