Oh What A Night!

Red Sox third baseman Mike Aviles sits in the dugout after
Boston's loss to Baltimore. Three minutes later he saw his
season come to an end in one of the biggest collapses in
the history of sports.

With apologies to single ladies and NFL fans alike — I'm sorry but my heart has been taken.

Turn on SportsCenter. I dare you. No doubt the talking heads are still salivating over the improbable and epic turn of events on Wednesday night — the last night of the MLB season.

But just in case you missed it or in case you had been off in another galaxy — because clearly everyone in this universe has already heard the news — in a span of 25 minutes we saw two of the biggest collapses in the history of sports.

Atlanta, up 8.5 games on St. Louis on September 1, saw its season dashed with a Hunter Pence blooper that didn't leave the infield. That was the biggest collapse in history... for about 20 minutes.

The American League wild card race trumped Atlanta's choke job when Jonathan Papelbon gave up a game-winning single to Robert Andino during a game that had everything — including a rain delay — putting Boston's season in jeopardy. Three minutes later, that season ended when Evan Longoria homered to left, sending Tampa Bay to the playoffs.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is why we love sports. This is why I went to the University of Missouri's School of Journalism. This is why I love my job.

I've been on both sides — both during my high school playing days and covering local teams. I know the sheer ecstasy the Cardinals and Rays are feeling, and also the sickening agony that the Braves and Red Sox are feeling.

But this is why we, as Americans, are drawn to baseball — despite the fact that teams some of our favorite teams are mathematically eliminated by May. That's right, I'm talking about you in September Cubs and Royals fans.

Even in the social networks like Facebook and Twitter, baseball was the hot topic. Fans from all four teams were going nuts, showing their true enthusiasm for the sport. Some may only be fans in October, but when push comes to shove, they are out there showing their support for the boys of summer.

So, in the words of Maximus Decimus Meriduius I ask you, "Are you not entertained?"

I Shift You Not

One of the stipulations to keeping the Big 12 together was
that Dan Beebe resigned as commissioner. After nearly
losing four teams to the Pac-12 earlier in the week, it seems
like the Big 12 is here to stay — for next year, anyway.

Well that was much ado about nothing.

All week, no matter where you turned you couldn't help but hear the rumors surrounding the Big 12 Conference. First, Oklahoma and the boys in the south tried to jump ship to the Pac-12, then Missouri started to look toward the SEC.

And while we all sat on the edge of our seats waiting to see who would go where, we forgot one simple thing — you might want to check with the conferences themselves before you decide to join their conference.

Like Spirit, the Auburn eagle, the Big 12's hopes of dismantling crashed and burned when Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott told the world that he was happy with 12 members in a midnight press conference. Oklahoma and Texas already had the green light to join the Pac-12 and Oklahoma State was in the process of getting the go-ahead when Scott made his decision.

Much to the dismay of one Columbia sports editor — a man who enjoyed the comparison of conference shifts to plate tectonics — the conference somehow survived the weekend. The only major shifts came in the form of Syracuse and Pittsburgh heading to the ACC.

Now the nine remaining members must go back to the league they once tried to demolish with their tails between their legs. And I, along Mike Gundy, could not be happier. Those die-hard football fans saw Oklahoma State's 3 a.m. finish in Tulsa last week. Could you imagine if that happened every weekend? It's a strong possibility with trips to the West Coast each weekend — no thank you!

Some fans are upset that there wasn't the massive tectonic shift that shook the college sports scene, but there were hundreds of sports reporters that breathed a sigh of relief with Scott's announcement. So, now that all this is over, can we put it behind us and just play football — at least until next season?

And remember kids, if you want an invite into someone's house — or in this case a conference — it's best to ask permission before you barge in with guns blazing.

Thou Shall Honor The Unwritten Rules

Floyd Mayweather's next bout may come against Larry Merchant after

Merchant criticized Mayweather for breaking an unwritten rule of boxing.

If you've ever played sports — whether in high school, college or little league — you are no doubt familiar with the unwritten rules that are associated with them.

Baseball is notorious for such rules like "Thou Shall Not Steal Second With A Seven-run Lead In The Seventh" or "Thou Shall Not Swing Hard At The First Pitch." Soccer has similar rules like "Thou Shall Give The Ball Back After An Opponent Kicks It Out Intentionally So The Training Staff Can Attend To An Injured Player," and football's "Thou Shall Not Run Up The Score On An Opponent" has forced many coaches to be scrutinized over their play calling.

But on Saturday night Floyd Mayweather decided to ignore one of the major unwritten rules of boxing — "Thou Shall Not Hit A Defenseless Opponent."

After head-butting Mayweather earlier in the round — another unwritten rule — Victor Ortiz tried to apologize to Mayweather with what can only be called a "bro hug." Instead Mayweather tapped Ortiz's gloves and then landed a 1-2 punch that sent Ortiz to the canvas.

True, Ortiz should have expected it  — I mean, he was in the middle of a boxing match — but that still gives Mayweather no right to ignore the unwritten rules. George Foreman or a younger Mike Tyson must be rolling their eyes at this young punk.

Perhaps the greatest part of the fight came afterward. During a post-fight interview, Mayweather took exception to a question asked by Larry Merchant — an 80-year-old television journalist who is often proclaimed "the greatest announcer known to boxing."

Merchant's response?

"I wish I were 50 years younger so I could kick your ass."

While chin music and middle fingers are the usual responses for breaking the unwritten rules of a sport, the thought of an 80 year old jumping into a ring and kicking Mayweather's tail is enough to make any casual observer fork over $30 to watch on pay-per-view. And if I had to place my bets, I would definitely go with Merchant because you can't beat a feisty old-timer.

Keep On Rollin'

A large American flag was unveiled at the Jets-Cowboys game on Sunday night. The Jets
won a thrilling 27-24 game on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Ten years ago,  the world was a much different place. From Barry Bonds to the NFL season, fans across the nation were in sports heaven.

Then came that fateful Tuesday morning that made us realize there are more important things than sports.

Our nation froze in terror as three planes hit the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. A fourth plane was presumed to be headed to Washington, as well, had it not been for four former athletes.

After September 11th, no longer did people cheer for their individual teams. Instead they began cheering for one team – America.

Sports is such a huge part of our way of life. Families have been divided over rivalries. Relationships have ended over allegiances. But when the story about what Jeremy Glick, Todd Beamer, Mark Bingham and Tom Burnett emerged, one couldn't help but feel inspired. The phrase "Let's roll" no longer is used in casual conversation – now only reserved for rare and special occasions.

We all know what kind of person it takes to be an athlete at any level. That competitive drive along with years of muscle tuning turned these average Joes into national heroes. When the games resumed, teams from across the country made special signs and donned patches as a salute to the four.

It has been 10 years since the tragic events of 9/11. We've seen Pat Tillman – a former Arizona State and Arizona Cardinals star – make the ultimate sacrifice while fighting the war on terror. We've heard stories of former athletes like Nebraska softball player Julie Geis, who lost her life in the Twin Towers.

Times have changed, but the world has finally returned to a form that resembles life before the attacks. But on Sunday, as NFL fans relaxed and watched their favorite teams, we all were reminded of the events that shattered lives and rocked our world. From Lance Briggs wearing customized cleats and gloves – a gesture he deemed as "the best fine he would ever have to pay" – to giant flags that covered the entire football field, Sunday was a day of remembrance – a day where we were all Americans once again.

So to the thousands that lost their lives in the terror attacks and to the hundreds of thousands more who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting terror overseas, my fellow Americans and I would like to give a big, heartfelt thank you. Your sacrifice has helped us recover, and you will not be forgotten any time soon.

The Good, The Bad And The U-G-L-Y

Maryland's season got off to a rocky start with new
uniforms. It's hard to say whether the uniforms were
punishment for Miami's Shapiro-gate or just a well-devised
distraction to help the Terrapins get a season-opening win
over the Hurricanes.

We finally made it.

After an offseason full of arrests and scandals, the college football season finally kicked off this past weekend – for better or worse.

Much like the offseason there were some bumps and bruises. Auburn nearly tripped out of the gate against Utah State, the Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame didn't put up much of a fight against Skip Holtz's South Florida squad and the ol' alma mater struggled against Miami (OH).

Then there were the were teams like Ohio State – crushing Akron without five members of its team and quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Or Oklahoma State dismantling the Ragin' Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette with Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon.

But perhaps the most shocking event of the weekend came on Monday night. Miami has already been through its toughest offseason ever, with Nevin Shapiro's atomic bomb. Turns out they were served their punishment when they saw Maryland go from bad to worse in their jersey selection. One can only hope things will get better for the Terps and their 38 uniform combinations.

Speaking of uniforms, hopefully you were able to adjust your television sets back after watching the Boise State-Georgia game. It's fine that Boise State wants to join the likes of Oregon as Nike U, but Georgia should seriously consider burning those uniforms given the tradition surrounding the program and the SEC.

There were definitely some winners and losers in this first week. Not all the winners won their games,  and not all the losers lost. But if there's one thing we've learned, it's that we have a long season ahead of us.

And it could be made even longer if someone doesn't stop the Under Armour-Nike train that is running rampant across college football, turning once traditional garbs into nothing more than high school uniforms.