Have you missed me?

My apologies for not posting much this week, as I've been rather busy getting back in regular swing of things following my trip, both mentally and physically, but I will be delivering lots of new posts voluminiously this weekend, so strap yourselves in...

I'M RAGGIN'
It's Labor Day weekend, so that can only mean one thing—my sinuses are freaking!  Right on cue, ragweed season has hit just like it always does on or around Labor Day, and if my post-nasal drip keeps up like it is, I'm liable to blow something out of my head that I need...

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOSBALL?
Ahhh, finally some games that count! I'm getting ready to watch my Mizzou Tigers pick up where they left off last season as they take on Illinois in St. Louis.  MU better be on their toes for this one, as there have already been a couple upsets today, like East Carolina doing the Hokie Pokey against Virginia Tech and Utah beating Michigan in what is becoming an annual opening day ritual at the "Big House" in Ann Arbor.  The Wolverines' nemesis from last year, Applachian State, didn't fare quite so well against the Bayou Bengals of LSU today.

As for the NFL, I'm rarin' to go after yet another needlessly-long exhibition season.  I'm glad to hear that there is now some serious discussion about shortening the NFL preseason to two games and adding two more to the regular season.  Hell, the Canadian Football League has played an 18-game schedule for many years, and they currently only have eight teams.  I still can't believe the NFL used to play six preseason games back in the early '70s.


IS THERE NOTHING SACRED?
Speaking of football, El Chiefos are saying that it's just a matter of time before they slap some corporate name on Arrowhead Stadium.  I suppose it's inevitable, but I'll never call the place anything but Arrowhead or just plain The 'Head.

OLYMPIC POST-MORTEM
Since I was gone most of the time, I didn't get to comment much on the Summer Games from Beijing.  It was rather surreal listening to the Gold Medal basketball game live on the radio while en route to LAX at 7:30 in the morning, but I'm glad the U.S. won, although it's hard to root for these NBA millionaires as opposed to a bunch of college kids.  Michael Phelps was mighty impressive in the swimming thang, but why do I have a feeling we'll find out later he was on steroids?  You can't help but wonder in this day and age...

NOVEMBER CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH
I'm so sick of the whole Presidential campaign—I can't wait until election night just to get it over with.  These party conventions are such a sham anymore, and I refuse to waste my time watching either of them—it's all "hooray for our side" and very little substance.  I still have my doubts about Obama, but I'm sticking with him because you couldn't get me to vote for a Republican at gunpoint right now, especially one who doesn't know how many houses he owns and who thinks $5 million is "middle-class".

Speaking of McCain, a curious choice he's made for a running mate.  I'd never even heard of this Palin woman until 24 hours ago, and when I saw the headline "McCain chooses Palin as running mate", I immediately thought of Michael Palin of Monty Python's Flying Circus!

ATTENTION, RAYS FANS...
Your baseball team is really good!  I was rather appalled to read that even though the Tampa Bay Rays are still looking good for the American League East title, no one is showing up to their home games.  On Wednesday night, the Rays only attracted 200 more people than what bothered to watch the Royals' debacle at Kauffman Stadium here—we're talking less than 13,000 patrons.  Come on, all you Tampa-ites (Tampons?), get your butts in gear and get to the games, or I'll become a major advocate of contraction of your team.  There are too many cities out there who would truly support Major League Baseball if they had a team, like Portland, Indianapolis or Buffalo.

LET'S WATCH THE RADIO!
In what is becoming an annoying trend, yet another nationally-syndicated morning radio show is apparently coming to television this fall, as WGN in Chicago has been running promos for the dreaded "Bob & Tom Show" during the ballgames.  These promos feature nothing but incessant laughter, which is pretty much all they do on this crapfest, as B&T do nothing but laugh at their own lame jokes and bits for four hours.  They were on the air ever-so-briefly here in K.C. a couple years back, and their ratings were so abysmal that 101-The Fox dropped them like a bad habit and went back to local deejays.