By Sylvester “Nunnie” Robinson
If you follow Major League Baseball at all, especially during the playoffs, then you’re probably cognizant of the profound anomaly that has been prevalent in both the American and National Leagues, but obviously more prominent in the Junior Circuit where the Texas Rangers defeated the Houston Astros, punching their ticket to the World Series against either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Arizona Diamondbacks, a series that will be determined tonight in Philadelphia just as the Rangers/Astros series was. The intrigue involves the erstwhile home field advantage concept. Teams vie during the regular season to win their division and have the best won/lost record to secure home field in each series. The American League quelled that philosophy as each team won away from home. The Astros lost the first 2 games at home, but turned the tide in their favor by sweeping the 3 game set in Arlington. The Rangers quickly returned the favor, winning games 6 & 7 in Houston. earning the first World Series appearance in over 17 years.
The favorite Phillies will attempt to buck the recent home field disadvantage by winning game 7 at home tonight (Tuesday).
Minnesota’s upset victory over the vaunted 49ers on Monday night confirms the competitive balance in the NFL which means you bet on games at your own peril. Recent upsets by the Jets, Pats, Giants, and Browns proved that so called less talented teams or those with inferior records are still capable of wreaking havoc throughout the league. Just take a gander at the AFC East, where our Dolphins are positioned at the top with a 5-2 record, followed by Buffalo 4-3, New York 3-3 and New England 2-5. A Dolphin victory over Pats would solidify their hold on first place, but nothing is guaranteed after the Patriots upset the Bills. Every team is trending upward except the Bills, who were predicted to win the East going away. Most other NFL divisions display similar competitive balance. We shall see.
After week 9, following are the top 10 teams in Broward/Miami-Dade:
- Chaminade 2. Norland 3. St. Thomas 4. American Heritage 5. Central 6. Homestead 7. Columbus 8. Coconut Creek 9. Palmetto and 10. Booker T. Washington.
We will follow closely as the district playoffs begin.
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