Greenbean doesn’t blog about sports often, but every now and again it is on his mind.  Here are a few thoughts related only by the fact they all have a sports theme.

1.  The Washington D.C. NFL franchise must change its name.  I really cannot believe that the league allows them to continue using a racial slur as the mascot.  I admire many of the sports reporters who are refusing to refer to the team’s name any longer.  I think that is a good idea.  I also admire many of the colleges who have changed their mascot, but Redskins is a particularly odious name.  Most other Native American Mascots use honorifics like Chiefs or Braves–but Redskins is all about skin color.  They only reason to keep the name is tradition, but this is a bad tradition so I call foul on this one.

2.  It looks like it is the L.A. Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals in the National League pennant series and the Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox for the American League.   Detroit is a sentimental choice because of Justin Verlander.  He is a great pitcher.  I hate all Boston sports teams–Red Sox, Celtics, and the Patriots–all of them but I have to give the Red Sox props because they have some of the greatest beards ever to wear cleats.  Now, If the Seattle Mariners or the Houston Astros are nowhere to be found in post season (which, is almost always the case) I will root for the National League in the world series.  I am hoping it will be the Dodgers.  I have been a fan of the L.A. Dodgers ever since I was a boy.  Kirk Gibson.   Orel Hershiser.  Tommy Lasorda.  Yep.  Anyone else remember Orel Hershiser singing the Doxology for Johnny Carson?

3.  It is TX-OU weekend.  My hapless Longhorns are going up the I-35 freeway to play the very impressive Oklahoma Sooners.  I fully expect us to get destroyed, something like 53-17 or something.  However, I am not a Longhorn fan . . . I am a Longhorn (class of 94) so I am eternally optimistic about the prospects of beating Oklahoma because when I was a student we had Peter Gardere–Peter the Great!  He was 4-0 against OU including some amazing come from behind games.  Oh how I wish he could suit up this weekend.

UPDATE:  Shockingly, my Texas Longhorns pulled off the upset and we beat the evil Sooners 36-20.  I told you that I doubted this would happen, but sometimes optimism pays off.  Hook ‘Em.