A little while back I wrote about how Jets games make me mental. But this one didn't. Yesterday's lost to the Browns didn't surprise me at all. Because in Jetville, this is EXACTLY the kind of game that they traditionally lose. I would've been completely shocked if they had won. The scenario: The Jets are over-achieving at 4-3 and they play the struggling 1-5 Cleveland Browns. Now, being fair, everyone expected this to be a really crap season, with 4 wins MAYBE. I didn't expect them to win more than 6. Too many questions. Mangini has done a great job. But come on. Did ANY Jet fan expect them to win? This was a classic "looking past these 1-5 clowns" game for them. And...they blew it. Classic. See? HERE is the difference between being taken seriously (5-3) and being mediocre (4-4). I've always said that the 4th game of the football season is the most important one of the year besides the first one. Are you 1-2? Hey, you win this and you are back to even. Lose? 1-3. You suck. Also works the other way. You're 2-1 and you can make a statement with this win. 3-1 raises eyebrows. 2-2 puts people to sleep. Leave it to the Jets to make the 8th game of the season this important...

STILL feelin' that last "Galactica". Damn. THAT'S television.

Well...seeing as how the show is called "Battlestar Galactica" and not "Battlestars' Galactica and Pegasus" you knew that it was only a matter of time before The Pegasus would be destroyed. You just hoped that the ship would go nobly. maybe even sacrificing herself to save humanity. Well, that's exactly what happened. In last Fridays "Galactica" entitled "Exodus, Part II" the big Battlestar got destroyed saving the Galactica, who was taking a royal pounding from four Basestars. The shot of the Galactica, her hull potmarked and cracked, her engines flickering and failing, falling into the void while being absolutely hammered was a great fx shot...which became even greater when the Pegasus comes sailing in firing all weapons. One Basestar gets it immediately and the Pegasus wades right into the middle to give the Galactica time to escape. You KNEW that Lee wouldn't leave his father to die out there like that; you knew he would come back and lend a hand. And when the Galactica escapes and the Pegasus crew abandons ship (Lee's "Thank you" to the ship is a nice touch) the big ship, getting hit from all sides rams a Basestar and gets completely torn apart by a huge explosion aft. And then one of landing bays swings by the camera (We see the name Pegasus one last time) and crashes into another Basestar, destroying it. What a scene. Goodbye Pegasus.

What I liked about what they did with the Pegasus is that Ron Moore and David Eick stood Sci-Fi convention on it's head. Most any other show(including the original Galactica) would have introduced another starship and then destroyed her in the same episode or MAYBE given it a two-parter and done it then. The Pegasus lasted 15 episodes. They built whole storylines around the Pegasus. You might've even fooled yourself and thought that she might stick around. But they took full advantage of having her around and using the ship for great effect. The VASTLY UNDERRRATED "Farscape" did this TWICE, once with a ship and another with the old double-of-one-of-the-characters bit.(I say vastly underrated because I think people saw Jim Henson Puppets and crazy looking aliens and just overlooked the show when it was actually a GREAT show, an amazing character-driven piece. Anyone who rags on "Farscape", I can guarantee, NEVER watched the show for more than a few episodes. It was that good.)

The rest of "Exodus, Part II" was as great as you would expect it to be. The Galactica jumping into the upper atmosphere, dropping off the Vipers and jumping away as she falls burning towards the surface was one of the coolest things I've ever seen on a television show. Great tactic by Adama. And now that the show has come full circle and practically started up again we get into the characters trying to find themselves all over again. Starbuck recovering from one of the most brutal mindf*@%s ever on television, Tigh getting over the loss of an eye and his wife(whom he reluctantly poisoned) and Gaeta and Jammer trying to leave what they did behind on New Caprica (if anyone will let them). And that doesn't even include the four couples on the show, Tyrol/Cally, Starbuck/Anders, Lee( who I assume will try to lose some weight)/Dualla and Boomer/Helo. They will go through some SERIOUS up and downs, I am sure. What a great show. And no other Battlestar to help the old Galactica out.

I am mad at myself for feeling this but last night when Yadier Molina hit that two-run homer in the top of the ninth against the Mets I felt a little wave of relief wash over me. I said "That's gone." and suddenly I felt calm and free and not tense and tied up in knots like I had the past two weeks. It was like when a terminal loved one passes away and your world kind of relaxes somewhat, kind of unfolds. You have that guilt that comes in, that little shame that you feel when you can breathe again. You didn't love them any less, you'd give your heart for them but now you're out of the tunnel and breathing again. That's how much the Mets were affecting me. They were in my dreams and on my mind constantly. The games were almost unwatchable. In the bottom of the ninth they, of course, did not go quietly into the night. They gasped and kicked and grabbed at your collar but then they finally went, finally closed their eyes and were done. I don't mean to imply that I thought the Mets were doomed to fail, no, on the contrary, I thought they could do it. Even with the pitching staff held togother with bubblegum, I thought that they might do it. Or did I? With the sense of dread I had, I'm not so sure. But now after a night and morning of rain here in the New York area the sky has turned sunny as I write this..and I have my life back. And next season, when pitchers and catchers report to Florida I'll do it all over again. Maybe this time that patient won't be terminal..maybe they'll pull through and live forever. I guess that's why I keep watching...

Been really, REALLY busy lately-nothing good- so I haven't had time to write. Plus I am really superstitious about the Mets so I haven't written about that. But that's silly. The fact is that they have to win two at Shea tonight and Thursday to advance to the World Series. Not impossible but very, very tough. Their rotation has been a shambles since Pedro and El Duque went down. If those two guys were healthy I would say we were going to the Series with a great chance to win. Now? Very tough. But they can do it. I hope so, I really do. I love the Mets and even with a successful year like this one, you always want more. You want the title. The Mets being World Champs would just about make me lose my mind. I went crazy back in '86. I'd love to have that feeling again. Maybe if John Maine can overcome jitters and win tonight the Mets can put it together in game 7. It'll be quite an effort but maybe. I can't be superstitious anymore, I've gotta voice my support for them. Hopefully tonight they can start the comeback. Let's get to the World Series!

Time for a prediction. It's been awhile since I made one (and even longer that I've been right) but what the hell. I say that, unless he goes insane and single-handedly wins the World Series, the Yankees will trade A-Rod when this season is over. I think he's had it in this town. That Sports Illustrated article was the last straw. And I know that people will be like "They can't trade him, who's gonna take that $25 contract?" You know what? The Yankees are only paying 7 or 8 million of that, the Texas Rangers are stuck with the rest. So, for some teams, that's a steal. I know I would definitely be putting him out there if I was Steinbrenner. You know he is.If the Yanks flame out before the World Series, look for A-Rod to be gone by December....