The Weak Ender

Most members of the BYU football team are saving themselves for marriage. And that's too bad because the whole team was violated by Texas Christian on Thursday night. Good lord, that game wasn't even close. The BYU fans must be crying in their 7up tonight as they soil their sacred undergarments.

Not that TCU isn't a very good team, they are ranked No. 23 in some polls. And yes, they dropped a game in Norman this year, but Oklahoma was looking for a measure of revenge on the Horn Frogs for an upset win a few years ago.

However, fans of Mid-Majors looking to make it to a BCS game took a huge wallop on Thursday. BYU likely will turn around and clock Utah to take them out of the running, leaving Boise State as the only chance for the good guys.

And before moving on, here's some full disclosure. The Weak Ender's opening was a touch different when the Rays were leading the Red (rhymes with bunts) 7-0. The picture of Cowgirl in the Rays uni was ready to go. Instead, we got this Mormon hottie (thanks to the SOTSG) and a Phillies vs. Red Sox World Series.

Let's talk some football.

• Before claiming that the Chargers are back, you should realize that there is a good chance that this team goes 0-2 on this next world tour that will take them from Buffalo to London (against the Saints) to the bye week. The only hope is remember that the Raiders actually had the Bills on the ropes in Buffalo, and the Cardinals absolutely boat-raced the Bills in Arizona. Somebody is going to take a huge hit in the playoff race.

• The Colts are playing at Green Bay and we should be lucky that Brett Favre now plays for the Jets. Otherwise, Peter King and the broadcast teams would be fighting over themselves to see who they could pleasure the most, Farve or Gomer. And speaking of announcers falling for a team. David Ortiz might as well sit in the broadcast booth with his pants around his ankles the way the TBS crew was carrying on during the Red (rhymes with bunts) rally. Good lord, how about a TV rating of M or NC17, because it's hard to explain to the six-year old why those grown men are verbally (expletiving) Boston and their baseball team. And really, there should be no blame put on the Rays. The Angels should have finished the job.

• Punch yourself in the face if you are looking forward to these games: Baltimore at Miami; 49ers at Giants (just because); and Tennessee at Kansas City. The Titans are a great team, but oh so boring. Chris Johnson's fantasy value, however, almost makes it worthwhile.

• Houston and Detroit almost made the list, but Steve Slaton is on my fantasy team. Then again, Johnson is on my opponent's team. (Other league, Reader Matt P.) So you can scratch Tennessee and Kansas City off the punch list, but just barely.

• There is no way this Roy Williams trade works out for Dallas. This is an awful lot like that Anthony Miller deal all over again. Williams seems to be the same-type of receiver that Terrell Owens is. Meaning, he talks a lot, has a lot of hype, and drops a lot of balls. The Cowboys would be better served with a DeSean Jackson-type of receiver who could stretch the field. Plus, Jason Witten is better than both of those suckers. If the Cowboys were going to panic, maybe they should have picked up a defensive player. At least they are doing their part to keep fantasy leagues moving. In fact, the Cowboys have become the world's most expensive fantasy league team.
  

• USC is favored to beat Washington State by 40 points. Oh no, anybody scared for the Trojans? Doesn't anybody remember the Stanford game? (Thanks to Dr. Doug for the correction.) And speaking on that, what was Jim Harbaugh doing, saying that he would love to work for the Raiders? The Stanford administrators paying your salary must love to hear that. And what indictment is that of the Stanford athletic department? That your football coach would rather work with crazy old Al, rather than the Trees? He might get his chance.

• BTW, did you know that NFL.com now has commenting? And it's easy to use (meaning you can use fake email addresses) and not monitored after 9 p.m. PT.

• The Red Sox might live on, but the Patriots will be dealt a quick death by the Broncos on Monday night. Mike Shanahan has had his way with Hoodie in recent years. Look for that to continue. If there is a football God, then the Broncos will actually run up the score on the Pats.

AND FINALLY
Sad news to report, but Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal has died. The name might not be familiar to you, but his story is. Rosenthal was the inspiration for the movie, Casino, and the "Ace" Rothstein character.

Rosenthal created the sports book, having opened the book at the Stardust. He moved sports gambling from seedy off-track betting type of joints, into legitimate operations. Though the people at the Tropicana could upgrade their sports book. So the next time you are placing a wager at a sports book, pour one out for Lefty.

Rosenthal, was one-of-a-kind, but when he was running houses in Las Vegas (Stardust, Hacienda, the Fremont and Marina) were all top-notch in customer service. Any fan of Las Vegas will certainly miss him.