Recently by Carleton Cole

Houston baseball fans have to be loving the major league playoffs. Sure we all wanted to see the Astros in the postseason, but that didn't happen. Instead we've been treated some excellent individual performances with Houston connections.

Front and center are the Phillies. No question one of the feel good stories of the season has been Brad Lidge. Ever since Albert Pujols smacked him around Minute Maid Park 3 years ago, Lidge was not the same. That is in an Astros uniform. Not all players have flourished in a change of scenery, but in Lidge's case it turned out to be the best career move he could make...

>> Continue reading: Houstonians are shining in baseball's postseason

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News item: Houston is ranked as the 12th best "Sports City" by The Sporting News. Please the best we can do is 12th?
Let's look at the numbers. Boston remains on top, but Detroit second ? C'mon.

For years The Sporting News was referred to as the authority on baseball, but those days are gone. With the advent of the internet and all the other media, TSN is not the publication it once was, and in its attempt to foster some sort of "controversy" it posts this list. The release tells me this is the 15th year it has had its rankings.

No question Boston is a great sports, town, but in reality th...

>> Continue reading: Houston is only the 12th best sports city?

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Folks in the Pac 10 are circling the wagons. In one of the worst calls in college football, a penalty for excessive celebration cost Washington the gimme chance to tie the game against BYU.
It's a play that's been all over the highlight reels, Huskies quarterback Jake Locker scrambling to the end zone and scoring what was thought to be a touchdown to tie the game. But in his zest he threw the ball up in the air drawing a yellow flag.
"Every call is a judgment call," says Pac-10 coordinator of football officiating Dave Cutaia "(The official) saw the ball thrown very high in the air and made the call. ...

>> Continue reading: Judgment Calls

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This week's official scoring abomination costing pitcher C.C. Sabathia a no hitter just adds to the examples showing why umpires should be the official scorers. It is not a new idea, but that still doesn't mean it shouldn't be reconsidered.

In years past we heard from the umps how physically demanding their jobs are. They are out on the field all nine innings, and in the summer time that can be brutal. So instead of a four man crew, let's make it five.
The rotation would include a game upstairs in the press box making the official scoring calls.

In this case the official scorer Bob Webb ...

>> Continue reading: Major League Baseball scorers

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The generation which is in college now grew up with "Sesame Street" and "Barney." So the students are all familiar with of one of the staples of "Big Bird's" jingles. "Three of these things belong together, but one of those things doesn't." The game teaches similarities and differences to the younger crowd. So why then can't college football get it right?

The Big 12 Conference is made up of 11 publicly funded schools. One is not, and it's high time for that school to pull up its stakes and join a conference of similar institutions.
Ever since the Big 12 was created Baylor University has been the d...

>> Continue reading: Baylor needs a new conference

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A federal judge sentenced disgraced referee Tim Donaghy to 15 months in prison today for taking payoffs from a professional gambler for inside tips on games, it should have been 15 years.
Yes, I realize the maximum sentence under the federal guidelines is only 33 months, but the punishment doesn't fit the crime, or should we say "fix the crime."

Fixing games is the NBA's worst nightmare. There have been point shaving scandals in basketball before, and this while being the latest, it could also be the worst because it involves the men with the whistles. As fans we expect the refs to be impartial, but...

>> Continue reading: NBA betting scandal is still not closed

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It's easy to find fault the way Michelle Wie has played professional golf, but this past weekend she has a point.
Wie was disqualified for not signing her scorecard after the second round of the LPGA tour event in Springfield, Illinois.
It's a stupid rule, and one which should have been changed years ago.
When professional golf wasn't shown on tv, and players were "on their honor" the practice was necessary. Today that's not the case. Not only are the scores broadcast on television, they are shown on screens all around the courses during the events. Everyone knows who's on the leaderboard, and ...

>> Continue reading: Golf rules are out of date

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