Sporty Too

The America's Cup got off to a roaring start Saturday. Close racing and great pictures on NBC's broadcast.

I think Emirates Team New Zealand has a slight edge speed-wise, though it could be sailing prowess not a design weakness on Team OracleUSA's boat.

We'll see tomorrow...

Friday night I witnessed a near miracle while watching the SF Giants play the Arizona Diamondbacks.

With Giants' starting pitchers Chad Gaudin and Matt Cain on the 15 Day Disabled List. Giants' journeyman right hander, Yusmeiro Petit got the call. I watched his last start at Arizona where he was the winning pitcher, going six innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs, one walk and ten strikeouts. Swing and miss stuff, too...

Friday, Venezuelan Petit looked sharp. When he retired his twelfth batter in a row it dawned on me that he had a 'Perfect Game' going.

Now baseball players are credited with being 'The Most Superstitious Athletes', and no facet of the game carries more superstition baggage than the perfect game and no hitters, or No-Nos...

In dugouts across The Fruited Plain, there's one Ironclad Rule...If there's a No-No underway, you don't say No-no, no-hitter, perfect game, or any other combination of words that indicate same...'You'll jinx it' they say.

By the sixth inning, AT&T Park was abuzz...it got more electrified as Petit retired each batter.

Giants' Manager Bruce Bochy made some defensive substitutions to help keep the No-no going, and that paid off instantly when speedy outfielder Juan Perez made a circus catch.

In the bottom of the ninth, everyone in the sold-out AT&T Park was standing, cheering every pitch...one out, two outs...one strike, two strikes...and with the count full, pinch hitter, Eric Chavez hits a line drive to right, Speedy Giants right fielder, Hunter Pence races to it, but it bounces inches from Pence's glove...the Perfect Game dashed.

Petit got the final out on the next batter...ballgame, Giants win...but 40K+ fans in the park and millions tuned in around the country only thought of what might have been...sigh...

Had Petit rung up Chavez, it would have been the 24th perfect game in baseball history. Alas, he became the 12th pitcher to have the perfect game escape with two outs in the 9th...he did tally his third victory since the Giants brought him up from AAA Fresno.

Today I heard first baseman Brandon Belt say: "It's my fault. I didn't sit in his spot" I couldn't tell if Belt was kidding or not.

No superstitions I'm aware of in "The World's Fastest Motorsport" This week is Air Race Week! The 50th Anniversary Reno National Championship Air Races kick off Wednesday September 11th.

I can't wait to get out to "The Valley Of Speed"

Gotta turn in early now...my alarm (and DVR) are set for 0430. Formula One races in Italy tomorrow...Monza, Ferrari, Tifosi...high speed and history on display.

Good Night!

Sporty

Whew! It's finally time for the America's Cup Regatta on San Francisco Bay!

In the first week of August, SturgeUrge and I made the pilgrimage across the Old Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge to watch Race 1 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals between challengers, Team Artemis of Sweden, and Team Luna Rossa of Italy. The semis would decide which syndicate would race Team Emirates New Zealand for the right to challenge the Cup's Defenders, Team Oracle USA in September.

This afternoon Race 1 of the Cup goes off at 1:15PM PDT, followed by Race 2 at 2:15PM

I was thinking of hitting two birds with one stone...driving the new eastern span of the bridge, and taking in the race. I clicked over to the America's Cup website and the homepage has the "Buy America's Cup Tickets" button above the "Continue to AmericasCup.com" button...I clicked the Tix button...

Cheap Seats: Starting at $140!

Alternatively...NBC has the races LIVE starting at 1PM today...