A report from the wide world of sports:

So here we sit only a couple days from Halloween and still waiting for the World Series to play out, and it got me thinking about what’s good, what’s bad, and what is downright ugly or sad currently in the wonderful world of sports.

Let’s start with the good, since I like to focus on the positive, the sunny side of our sports world. This Saturday is a great day to get the yard work done early, the chores finished, or pushed back to Sunday, and settle in front of the tube with your favorite beverage, snack, and comfortable spot for two games that promise to have a big impact on the chase for the mythical national title. The first is what is called the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party, which takes place every year between Georgia and Florida, both of whom have a passionate fan base and a tradition of excellence to be passionate about. Both also happen to be right in the thick of the title hunt, and the winner will not only be chanting that it’s good to be a Florida Gator/Georgia Bulldog, they both have the same cool chant by the way, but will be setting their sights on possible vacation plans for early January.

The other big match-up is an in-state rivalry between two Texas schools, the mighty Longhorns of Texas versus perennial understudy Texas Tech. Texas is ranked as the top team in the nation, which means in theory at least, that if they win out they are guaranteed a slot in the title game, and Tech is also unbeaten and ranked high enough that a win over their rival could vault them near the top, which is how Texas got there, by beating their vaunted rival and then number one Oklahoma. This is the Saturday night prime time game on ABC, which is a really cool addition made within the last few years to the college TV schedule, and so far this year the matchups have been stellar and we haven’t been forced to endure some lame regional game like Cal v. Oregon in place of the big national game.

More good sees the start of the NBA season, which tipped off last night. The NBA is as good as it’s been in the last 20 years, and after a decade or so in the wilderness of 82-80 snooze fests with more holding and groping than a hotel room party after prom, the offense and the excitement is back. Look for the usual suspects to compete for the title, including the defending champ Celtics, the Labron James’, also known as the Cavaliers, don’t count out the old Pistons, or even a resurgent Miami Heat with Dwayne Wade back healthy, and look out for the up and coming Magic with Dwight Howard, the best big man to come into the game in awhile. The West is loaded as usual, the Lakers expect a healthy Andrew Bynum to make a big impact on their rotation, the already dangerous Rockets added a potent threat in Ron Artest, and the Hornets with Chris Paul are on the move. Old stalwarts like the Spurs and Suns figure to make some noise as well if they can muster up one more run and stay healthy. My pick, which admittedly is more with my heart than my head, is a Lakers-Celtics rematch with the opposite result this time around.

Now for the bad. The World Series is being delayed, seemingly inevitably, until either Barack Obama finishes his televised speech or the weather breaks in Philly, whichever comes first. At least it’s not Clinton giving one of his marathon speeches, we’d be playing the ballgame around Thanksgiving. But seriously, what does baseball expect when they push the season back to late October and when at least one of the host cities is generally in a cold climate. The weather the other night was not fit for baseball, both with the hard rain coming down and the condition of the field, which was better suited for a muddy pickup football game than a Series contest.

And as one more example of the bad, take Tuesday Night Football. Please. What’s that, you missed the big match-up last night between Houston and Marshall? What kind of sports fan are you, Tuesday Night Football is an American institution. This was a bad idea out of the gate, even die hard football fans need a break so that we can recharge our football batteries. My proposal, get back to the traditional schedule, which means high school games on Friday nights, college games on Saturdays, NFL on Sundays and cap it off with Monday Night Football. Then relax for a few days and get ready for the next weekend, people need time to study point spreads and set fantasy rosters, at least people that do that sort of thing.

For the ugly, it is more sad than anything else, but would be rookie sensation Greg Oden went down last night in the first half of his debut against the Lakers. Oden was the darling of college basketball two years ago after leading his Ohio State Buckeyes to the title game, was drafted number one by the Trailblazers and then suffered a season ending injury before ever suiting up for a game. So on his much anticipated return he goes down short of a complete half of play, and we can only hope that he will come back strong and not end up like another former Blazer center whose pro greatness was mitigated by a series of injuries, Bill Walton.

I must also note and wish nothing but the best for a legend of college basketball, and even though he coached at my college rival, the University of Arizona, one of my favorite coaches, Lute Olsen. Mr. Olsen just retired after a long tenure in Tucson marked by excellence on the court and class off of it, he ran a clean program and sent numerous young men onto the NBA, and until her recent passing, did much of it with his longtime wife and companion Bobbi. It was just announced that Olsen had earlier suffered a stroke, which has caused him some difficulties and no doubt led to his decision to step down. Lute Olsen is a first class individual, a great basketball mind, and a positive force in the lives of the young men he coached and the community he was a part of for so long, he will be missed and this Sun Devil alum wishes him the best of health and hopes that at some point he can return to the sidelines, or at the least enjoy a productive and healthy retirement.

So there you have it, the periodic update from the wide, wonderful, and often wacky world of sports. I would write much more, as there are always plenty of stories to comment on as they pertain to the games we love to watch, but I’ve got to get online and find out if Houston covered the spread against Marshall last night.