Wait until next year

Putting off what could be done tomorrow, today

Man Crush Friday

I thought I’d follow up on the discussion that took place earlier this week on how wonderful Fernando Torres is, alongside many other things, and highlight a couple more man crushes of mine. While I don’t expect this to become the next huge internet meme, if it does take off to any extent then maybe this could become a regular (fun?) feature.

To help, here’s a definition of ‘man crush’ from Urban Dictionary:

“The highest tier of a man’s love for another man, without having any sexual want towards the man.”

So, who do you idolise in the world of sport, who makes you sigh at their prowess, marvel at their skill, gaze at their cheekbones. Er, no. Not that last one. No. Never confused. Never.

federer

Roger Federer

You could make a strong argument that Federer is the complete tennis player, and on his way to being the best ever. It’s incredible that despite that, and so much success, he seems so grounded. And here is also one dapper man. I think I first developed a full-on man crush on him when he wore a crisp white blazer when taking the field at Wimbledon. Such a wonderful nod to tradition – and such style!

david wright

David Wright

My main Mets man crush. Their best player, de facto team leader, and all-round nice guy. Just see his Wikipedia entry. I was very sad when I didn’t get David on my fantasy baseball team this season. Probably too sad. Maybe next year.

So, who is your man crush this week?

 

Federer by Squeaky Knees, Wright by Kidsire, both via Flickr

Rockies make play-offs, post-season takes shape

After Texas were eliminated from the play-off race this week, I feared that me choosing ‘surrogate’ teams for the post-season had produced some sort of unintentional curse. I’m happy to report that my jinxing skills have diminished, however, with the Colorado Rockies securing a spot in the play-offs last night.

I caught the game, and the Rockies looked very impressive casting aside the Milwaukee Brewers by 9-2. Aaron Cook pitched eight strong innings, in response to the Brewers starter Manny Parra, who had a tough day at the office, lasting only 2 2/3 innings (that seemed to go on forever and ever), giving up five runs.

The Rockies now face a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers to finish off their (normal) season, and can potentially overtake them to win the National League West. This is some turnaround by the Rockies and manager Jim Tracy. The Rockies looked dead and buried in May when he took over, but have since won 73, and lost 40 – a real contrast to their pre-Tracy record of 18-28.

The Rockies have been building up momentum for some time now, and while outsiders for a berth in the World Series, it would be hard to discount them, if they can sustain this rich vein of form and keep injury-free.

With three days of the regular season left, the play-offs are starting to take shape. Even without my beloved Mets involved I’m getting pretty excited. Picking a ‘surrogate’ team probably doesn’t hurt, but even discounting that, we’re going to see some pretty special teams and players going at it this month.

Are you looking forward to the post-season? Any thoughts on what to look out for? Dare I say it, any predictions?