Is there some sort of terrible commissioner contest going on?

Some days I really get the idea that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig are in some sort of perverse contest to see who can ruin their respective league's the fastest. What's that? You put hockey franchises in Phoenix and Atlanta? I'll end the All Star Game in a tie and introduce interleague play!

This week has been a classic example of this one downmanship.

It started with Bud Selig, or the office of the league commissioner deciding that the World Series games should all start at 8:30... sorry, 8:29 eastern standard time every night, even though both teams are in the eastern time zone. I am sure this was to make the World Series more accessible to the Midwest and West Coast fans. However, it means that young fans of the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies have to stay up until at least 11:30 at night to watch their home teams play. Any sensible parent would have to send their kids to bed around 10 on a school night. How does a sport, recovering from a major faith-shaking scandal, expect to grow young fans and get them interested in the sport if they can't even watch the championship series in its entirety?

Apparently, Gary Bettman saw this and felt he could do better. (Worse?) After a week of excited speculation that a Western conference hockey team, likely the Nashville Predators, would be bought by Research in Motion co-owner Jim Balsille and moved to Toronto, Gary Bettman announced that it was a baseless rumour that would never happen. Why? He didn't say. One can only assume that he is against the idea of an unsuccessful and unpopular team being moved to a proven hockey hotbed that could easily support a second franchise because he dislikes the idea of people enjoying the National Hockey League.

Not to be outdone, Bud Selig decided that Game 5 of the World Series should be played even though it was raining and there was no sign of abatement. The hometown Phillies were starting ace Cole Hamels, and, if they won, would win the World Series. However, the rain was so bad that halfway through the sixth inning the game was suspended as a 2-2 tie. Hamels was still on the mound at the end of the game, can't possibly be expected to start the day after throwing six innings worth of pitches in the pouring rain and freezing temperatures. Essentially, his start last night has been wasted and has given the Rays another shot at winning the game.

I shudder to think how Bettman will top this disaster...

The UFC Drinking Game

Watching Ultimate Fighting Championship cards is a popular pass time in my household. My girlfriend's brother-in-law fights professionally, and so we've all taken to watching fights. Obviously, UFC produces the best cards, but I'll also watch Bodog, and International Fight League. I even watched Elite XC one drunken night.

Since we're well groomed, experienced UFC viewers we have developed a UFC drinking game.

Here are the general rules:

The Ultimate Fighting Championship Drinking Game:

1. Take a drink every time someone falls.
2. Take a drink every time someone gets back up. (Yes, even if they're helped up by their corner at the end of a round or match)
3. Take a drink every time you see Joe Rogan's gigantic watch.
4. Take a drink every time a fighter is described as being "a complete fighter" or "well rounded".
5. Take a drink every time Joe Rogan talks about "focusing on" a particular skill "at camp".
6. Take a drink every time Joe Rogan mentions his own fighting career.
7. If you're feeling bold, take a drink every time Joe Rogan states the obvious.
8. Finish your drink every time Joe Rogan refers to "Mission Control".
9. Finish your drink if Mandy Moore appears on camera.
10. Finish your drink every time a former member of That 70's Show appears on camera.

As the night progresses, you can add on more rules, like taking a drink every time a fighter needs a translator. However, these are definitely a good guideline to add even more excitement to the next UFC PPV.

An ode to Jamie Moyer

Tonight is game three of the 2008 World Series, and the series is moving to Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. My prediction of a five game championship for the Tampa Bay Rays is holding up so far, and both teams have played well, despite some fielding errors and the Phillies avid interest in leaving their players on base.

Frankly, the games have been pretty slow, but there is definitely one point of interest tonight: the ball is going to be put into forty-five year old Jamie Moyer's hand. He had a good season with 16 wins, and 123 strikeouts, but he'll be sorely tested against twenty-five year old phenom Matt Garza. Insert joke about dusting off his best pitches here.

To put it in perspective, B.J. Upton, the Rays slugging center fielder and presumptive World Series MVP should the Rays pull off their miracle season, was born in 1984. Two years later, a young James Moyer took the mound for his first career start with the Chicago Cubs. And people say John McCain is old.

Be clear: This is not to mourn Jamie Moyer's life, but to celebrate it. He is, actually, one of the most dependable starters in baseball, and has been for, well, over two decades. Although he's only average just over 10 wins a season, he had a reduced workload when he was younger and had two injury shortened seasons. He was also, of course, affected by the shortened 1994 strike season. He's had a twenty win season and a twenty-one win season. He's likely not bound for the Hall of Fame, but he will be remembered as a hard working, conscientious player. In John Feinstein's Living on the Black, he is often quoted and comes across as intelligent, likeable and very respectful of the stars of the book, Tom Glavine and Mike Mussina. In particular, his reverence for Glavine's style of play is enlightening. This is why Moyer (who Feinstein describes as "Glavine-lite") will be interesting to watch tonight.

Moyer, like Glavine, will not overwhelm batters with speed. In fact, his fastball will likely top-out at an agonizing 89 kph. Instead, he'll use his perfect location and change-ups to keep the Rays off balance. He's mastered the circle change-up (you can see it in the above photo) and will work away at each one of the Rays batters. He will be is methodical and surgical. He'll have done his homework on each and every player on the Rays, and he'll take his time to throw the tough pitches. Moyer is going to be happy to have a ten pitch at bat, as long as it results in a strikeout.

All that matters to Moyer is to get the Phillies a win.

The ultimate plodding pitcher, old enough to be many players father, might actually be the most exciting story to unfold in tonight's World Series match-up.

World Series Prediction: Rays Your Expectations

Last night the Tampa Bay Rays completed the rags-to-riches turn around that they'd been on the verge of for the past week - - going from worst to first in the American League in the span of a single season. Their game seven victory in the American League Championship Series finalized the World Series match-up: the Rays versus the Philadelphia Phillies, the National League champions.

A week ago, with both teams on the verge of winning their respective League's Championship Series, I would've picked the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series. They have a superb infield with Ryan Howard covering first, Jimmy Rollins in the gap between second and third, and Chase Utley, the best second baseman in Major League Baseball. They have the speedy Shane Victorino in the outfield and leading off their batting order, and consistent power hitter Pat Burrell also in the field. Coming off the bench they have known-Canadian Matt Stairs who can provide leadership and hitting when called upon. Their pitching is also impressive with Cole Hamels anchoring their rotation and the perfect Brad Lidge as their closer.

However, unlike the Phillies, the Rays lost their fifth and then their sixth league championship games to the Red Sox. Only in the seventh and deciding game were they able to bear down and gut out a 4-2 win over the reigning World Series Champions.

I think this is to Tampa Bay's advantage.

While the Phillies have been resting on their laurels, maybe getting a little stiff jointed from sitting at home and certainly losing any momentum they had, the Rays have still been battling. The Rays have the confidence boost of winning a hard fought series from the reigning champions, and haven't had enough time to breathe, let alone let any neuroses or doubt gnaw away at them.

Although the Phillies are definitely a strong team, they are in an odd place mentally. They can't claim to be underdogs, but they certainly aren't favourites. Although only a week has passed since their last game, it can seem like an eternity in the world of sports. Meanwhile, the Rays are riding a wave of good will and positive energy, one that goes far beyond any pun-based headlines. It's a positivity that comes from freshly won battles conquered by a team.

I am sure that it will be an entertaining World Series, but I also think it will be a short one with the surging Rays winning in five games.