Usually this time of year I would be absolutely glued to the television watching the A’s take on the Angels and really only start thinking about football come Saturday and Sunday.  This year however, I caught the boxscores on ESPN for the A’s games (they actually won the series) and instead have been geeking out over the the articles having BYU as the main BCS-buster team this year.  I also love that it most likely will come down to the game against Utah to see if BYU has what it takes to hit the Fiesta Bowl. 

In addition to the wonderful BYU press, SI.com has the Eagles going to the Superbowl in their predictions, E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!!  I know predictions for both teams mean absolutely nothing, but I love the hype and it definitely makes the start of the season more exciting.  So thank you football for allowing me to ignore baseball until next season. 

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Rob Neyer examines the downfall possibilities:

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3544969&searchName=Neyer_Rob&campaign=rsssrch&source=neyer_rob

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After the A’s traded for Sean Gallagher, I attended the first game he pitched in the Green & Gold.  It was a wonderful start that left me amazed at how Beane is continually able to find gems that others seem to discount.  Gallagher won that first game, however, since then, he has not won in seven starts.  Now he is being shut down due to “tired arm.”  He is young and it is expected that when the innings start to pile up that he will have some negative reactions.  I just hope and pray that we did not acquire another injury prone pitcher.  While I have come to grips that we were not playing to win this season, it still hurts to see Harden be absolutely dominant for the Cubs and not miss a single start.  Is it wrong to hope he has a tiny injury soon?  All and all, what a weird season.  I went from no hope, to high hopes, to no hope in the span of only 3 months.  All I ask for in the final months is that Barton show a pulse at the plate.  And maybe an injury to Blanton as well.

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Duke went out of the game last night with a hip injury, pretty much par for the season.  On a positive note, this might give Duke the dreaded “injury risk” tag and lower his asking price enough that the A’s might actually have a chance at keeping him this offseason.  Without him, our rotation next year looks like this, Greg Smith, Sean Gallagher, Gio Gonzalez, Dana Eveland, and Trevor Cahill.  Not bad for a rotation in 2010, could be extremely rough next season.  Thank goodness we have a powerful offense to bail them out from time-to-time. 

On another positive note, the Olympics continue to provide me with a distraction from the loneliness of a playoff race that involves the A’s in no way whatsoever.  I have now become a 2 week fan of trampoline, synchronized anything, and badmitton.  U.S.A., A.O.K.!

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Can Oakland lose 3 in a row?  Sure.  How about 5 in a row?  Why not?  7 in a row?  It happens.  10 in a row?  Maybe.  But 11 in a row?  NO WAY, BUDDY!!!  THAT TRAIN’S NOT LEAVING THE STATION!!!! 

Yes, you heard right: Friday, August 9 was the day the 2008 Oakland Athletics courageously stood up and refused to go quietly into that good night.  It was the day a determined Dallas Braden declared that he might develop into a somewhat passable pitcher, sooner or later.  It was the day Rajai Davis proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that even mediocre hitters will eventually drive in a run or two if you keep giving them chance after chance after chance. It was the day Brad Ziegler . . .  (okay, Ziegler doesn’t really fit into this joke scheme, as he is unquestionably the highlight of this Oakland season and is rapidly proving himself to be one of the best relievers in baseball.  Sorry for the diversion).

The 2008 A’s have made their bold declaration that while they may run out the seasons losing 5 or 10 games in a row here and there, they will not – and they mean they WILL NOT – lose more than 10 out of every 11 games.  That’s a guarantee, folks.  You can take that one to the bank.

Might one say that the A’s showed courage evocative of President Bill Pullman in Independence Day?  Yes.  One might.

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