He’s just a man, and not a freak…

Nothing much new today. Seeing the oil refinery explosion and realizing that oil isn’t going to pull back below $90 anytime soon. My strategy is to wait for the next big pullback, hopefully into the mid 80’s and then, assuming that that pullback pulls down MRO Marathon Oil to a nice, sub-45 price, I load up on some Marathon Oil and am pretty certain I’ll see it at 60 sometime in the next 12 months. Remember though, I’m no Jim Kramer.

Also trying to figure out a way to see Liverpool-Inter tomorrow at 2:45pm here Eastern Standard Time or Daylight Time or whatever. Options now are to see if Fox Soccer Channel will air it and tape it while at work. The other option is to go to work at 5am and not take a lunch (mostly don’t anyway) and then ride down to the Bronx at 2:30 and go to Rory Dolan’s and watch it. That’s where I saw them win the European Cup in 2005. Which reminds me. I had thought to list my “top greatest sports thrills” list, for anyone who cares. Here goes:

And this is just me, ok?

(1) 1986 Mets win the World Series. Keith Hernandez’ bases loaded hit off Bruce Hurst is THE MOMENT.

(2) 1973 Mets defeat the (Big Red Machine) Reds in the playoffs to go to the World Series. They are possible the worst hitting team to ever play in the WS and they had a dynasty team down 3-2 with Seaver and Koos going! Only the 1988 Dodger and 1959 White Sox had less offense than the 73 Mets.

(3) 2005 Liverpool wins the European Cup after being down 3-0 at half. 3 Goals in 10 minutes and then extra time and Dudek’s Grobbelar-wobbly knees in the shootout. Amazing! And then Dudek lost his job–go figure.

(4) 1976 My home run off of Jeff Jost (who’s now a cop in town) in the Tiny Tim League All Star Game. Jost scared the other kids. He was fast. I could hit fast. I hit a liner up the left center gap and ran it out. I think it was the only homer he ever gave up. He was surprised.

(5) 1990 Superbowl Giants. Norwood wide right. And the title game with SF is forgotten, but was better than the soop. The Niners were literally one or two snaps away from taking a knee and Taylor came up with the ball.

(6) 1977 Beating Hackensack for the North Jersey 10 year old travel team champeenship. I pitched and homered in the finals. We had to return to play another day due to darkness and the Hackensack kids threw rocks at Mike Minogue’s car becausethey thought I was in it! How’s that for 10 year old notoriety?

(7) 2001 FA Cup Final Liverpool defeats Arsenal. Down 1-0 and getting late, Owen scores twice in 8 minutes to seal it 2-1.

(8) 2004 Red Sox come back from 3-0 to beat the Yankees 4-3 and go on to win the World Series. The Yankees: The most expensive by far and arrogant team and fan-base in baseball, choke up the biggest upset/collapse in baseball history partially because vaunted closer Mariano Rivera can’t get a save.

(9) 1978 Cosmos - Giants Stadium, The Cosmos need to win in regulation and then in the mini-game. Both games go to extra time and PK’s. The Cosmos win the first and lose in the second shoot out. It wasn’t Beckenbauer’s fault. I was at the game and had the flu, and to even talk hurt but I was out of my mind when they won the first game. Years later, I have come to realize that rooting for the Cosmos was more of a Hungarian lead-pipe, mortal cinch than even rooting for the 200+ million dollar Yankees. Hey, I was 12, what did I know?

(10) 1994, Devils Rangers: Even thought the Devils lost on the wrap around Matteau goal, that series and game was outstanding all around. The Devils had the last laugh on the Rangers.

(11) 1993: Franklin Lakes Softball League Champeenship.  As ridiculous underdogs, we beat the two most obnoxious, thug-teams in town to win it all.  Teams that, after a quick rain delay, magically have the heart of their order up again.  Teams that sign up to fight first and play softball second.  In the finals, which was a one-run game, I was catching and took a throw from one of our outfielders, who had an arm like Carl Furillo, on one hop, chest high.  A big galoot was bearing down on me and I knew he’d hit me hard, even though it was a no-sliding league (”no sliding” mean “play football” to these meatheads), so I held the ball and got knocked head over heels, literally.  I held the ball.  The guy was out.  I even got up and made a couple of dazed, fake-throws down to third.  I could see the terror in the 3rd baseman’s eyes, like, “…don’t throw it..”.  I held it.  We held on to win.  We are still champs because a guy sued the town and the town pulled the program.  He was going from second to third and I was batting.  I was thinking, “don’t hit it on the ground, don’t hit it on the ground…” and so I hit a roller to short and they went to third with it and this dope tore up his knee sliding and sued the town and folded up the league–but not before we won it all!