LAST GAME AT SHEA

GREATEST CATCH EVER?

I'm to old to cry but it hurts to much to laugh

WSOP BROOKTOWN EVENT OCT 3RD -

We are 1 week away from our penultimate event. NL Texas Hold ‘Em.

Due to a last minute change of plans, the event will be held at my house in Middletown, and as usual we’d like to start by 8pm. Please let me know who will be attending, I’m a little tight on space so FOUNDERS only this month. Below is the blind structure and starting chip counts.

Be sure to visit our websites for additional information.

www.BrooktownLeague.com



Event Overview – NO LIMIT TEXAS HOLD ‘EM

THE GAME

The game is No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Maximum number of players - 14.
• Minimum number of players - 3.
• Chip Value:
o White 25
o Red 50
o Green 100
o Blue 250
o Black 500

BUYIN/REBUY/ADD-ON

• The initial buy-in is $40. This will purchase 3,500 in tournament chips. These chips have no monetary value.
• A player may add-on at any point in the tournament prior to the first hand of round 5. Each player is allowed up to 1 (one) add-on in this tournament.
• Add-on are $20 and will purchase 1,750 in tournament chips.



SEATING

• Table assignment and seating will be determined prior to the start of the tournament by random drawing. (However, the tournament director reserves the right to redraw the tables).
• Button position will be determined by the random assignment of seat #1. Seat #1 will be the first to deal.
• If we have in excess of 10 players at the start of this event we will use two tables.
• If the tournament began with two tables, as soon as the remaining players equal 8, we will combine the two tables and have one table of 8 players.
• When the difference in the number of players at the two tables is greater than 1 then a player must move from the bigger table to the smaller table. When a player is eliminated and a move must be made, the player ‘playing a hand’ in the same position (seat), relative to the left of the button (on the subsequent hand at each table) at the highest populated table must move to the eliminated player’s seat. The move must occur before the next hand is dealt at any table. For the purposes of this rule, a player is ‘playing a hand’ once all the blinds/antes have been posted and the dealer has begun shuffling (riffles the deck).A moved player will be dealt a hand at the start of the next deal and assume any obligation of the new seat including the posting of a blind or dealing.


BLINDS

• The two players to the left of the dealer are required to post “blind” bets before seeing their cards. The 1st is the SB and the 2nd is the BB.
• If the SB is knocked out, the button essentially goes into his empty seat.
• If the BB is knocked out, then the BB moves on to the player who would have had it next and there isn’t a SB on this hand (SB moves into the empty seat). On the following hand, the button would wind up in the empty seat. The player who just had the BB would have SB, and the BB moves on normally to the next player.
• When play is down to two players, figure out who would get the BB next if nothing had happened. He will be the BB on the next hand. The SB is always on the button and the other player is the BB.

SCHEDULE FOR BLINDS
Level Time Limit Little Blind Big Blind
1 40 25 50
2 40 50 75
3 40 50 100
4 30 75 150
5 30 100 200
6 30 150 300
7 20 200 400
8 20 300 600
9 20 500 1000
10 20 800 1600
11 15 1000 2000
12 15 1500 3000
13 10 2000 4000
14 10 3000 6000
15 10 5000 10000

The above schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the tournament director, in an effort to complete the tournament by 2am.






TIMER USE AND BREAKS

A timer will be used to time the blind progression. When the timer expires, it should be immediately restarted. The next hand will be dealt at the new blind level. For the purposes of this rule, a hand is considered currently in play once the all blinds are posted AND the dealer has begun shuffling (riffles the deck).
The timer is stopped during breaks. No additional hands at any table should be started during such a break although hands already in progress should be completed.


THE DEAL

The player to the right of the dealer may be given the right to cut the deck before the cards are dealt.
The dealer is responsible for making sure that all bets have been called before dealing each round of card(s).
Order of the deal:

1. Dealer deals two cards (one at a time) face down to each player.
2. Betting round 1 occurs.
3. Dealer burns one card and deals 3 cards (flop) in the middle of the table face up.
4. Betting round 2 occurs.
5. Dealer burns one card and deals one card (turn/4th Street) in the middle.
6. Betting round 3 occurs.
7. Dealer burns one card and deals the final card (river/5th Street).
8. Betting round 4 occurs.


BETTING

• Check and raise is allowed.
• The minimum bet is equal to the size of the BB.
• The raise must always be at least the size of the previous bet or raise.
• Any player can bet all of their chips at anytime (ALL-IN).
• Betting round 1 begins with the player to the left of the BB.
• Betting rounds 2-4 begin with the player to the left of the button.
• When only two players are left sitting at the table, the BB is dealt to first, the button acts first before the flop, and the BB acts first after the flop.
• Do not splash the pot. Stack your bets in front of you the dealer will rake the bets into the pot after the betting round is complete.
• Do not bet, check, call, fold, or raise out of turn.


WINNING THE TOURNAMENT

The final player remaining, in the championship round, with all the chips will be the first prize winner. The last player eliminated will be the second prize winner; the second last player eliminated will be the third prize winner, etc... If two players get eliminated in the same hand, the person who started the hand with the most chips gets the higher finish and awarded the corresponding prize pool for that placement.

TIME TO SAY GOOD BYE?

Pedro is done, the Marlins own Big Pelf and we have no one to start on Saturday.

This can’t be good.

While I can think of 10 games that we “BLEW” I can’t think of any that we “stole” like so many have been stolen from us. After last September and this week, it’s making me much colder, much less excited about my team. These next 4 games could very well be the turning point in my Mets life.

Now I’m not naïve enough to say that if they fail to make the play-offs I’m done with them and I won’t watch them next year. That’s unrealistic, but I truly feel if they fail over the next 4 days, I can’t imagine going into 2009 investing the same commitment to them game in and game out, day in and day out that I have in the past. I wouldn’t expect to leave work early on opening day to see game 1, or exchange pitch by pitch texts with Neil while on vacation in Disney for 7 games straight to stay in the loop. I don’t think I’ll be yelling at my kids for making noise, when in reality I’m angry because Luis Castillo can’t get the run in the from 3rd base with one out in the 2nd inning.

Will I be fooled in December when the Mets bring in a new closer and 2 very highly priced set up men…no I won’t care, they went out and got the best pitcher on the planet this year and he did all he could, but he couldn’t save them, because as good as he was, this team blew 5 of his wins. So after a second straight year of failing when the money was on the line I won’t be invested and infatuated with them 24/7. I can’t be, there are more important things than sitting on your hands hoping Ryan Church will hit a 320 foot fly ball with 1 out and the based loaded.

I’m actually happy to say Jay was right, there won’t be TV in the wine loft, this way I know of at least 2 nights a week I won’t be able to sit and watch the my team tease me into thinking they are a contender, then just show me in September that they are a pretender.

I won’t miss having to listen to sport talk know nothings who give the “Big game by Santana, the Mets should easily go 4-2 now which means if the Brewers go 5-1,which they probably won’t do, they are in.” Oh yea, the problem with that speech is THE METS DON’T GO 4-2 WHEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO OR WHEN THEY NEED TO. Thank God Howard Stern is on all day long on Sirius 100.

There will be some summer nights when it hurts, and I am sure winter nights when I cry myself to sleep, breakups always do that, but over time wounds heal, we find other things to occupy our time, and we move on.
35 years of watching 90% of this team’s every at bat, every pitch, they’ve given me some great memories, and a lot of happiness, but with that always comes a ton of pain, and disappointment. After watching the same old same old last night, I think it’s best for both of us that on Sunday I’ll take one last trip out to the place I first saw a baseball game, first saw Tom Seaver, and first fell in love with this team and sport. On Sunday we’ll share one last night together, and as I say goodbye to Shea Stadium, maybe it’s best if I say good bye to the New York Mets.

Jose jose jose jose jooose jooose

Coin Flips

by Ben Roberts

Whether or not you decide to get into a coin flip situation in poker really depends upon what type of game you're playing. I'm far more likely to take on one of these challenges when I'm playing in a cash game than when I'm playing in a tournament, and I'm also more likely to do so when I'm playing in a live game as opposed to online.

If you're playing in a cash game, getting into a 50-50 race can occasionally produce greater results beyond simply winning the hand. If you win a race, you can often expect your opponent to become a worse player almost immediately after the hand is over. This will give you the opportunity to take even more money from him over the course of the next several hours. Therefore, I'm more willing to get into a coin flip situation with players who have less control over their emotions after losing a big hand this way.

Conversely, if my opponent wins the hand, he's not going to get rewarded as much since I'm not going to play any differently after losing a big hand in this manner. Although winning is extremely important to me, I believe people put too high a premium on winning in the short-term, for example, over the course of a session or two. When they fail to win, they become possessed with a sense of shame and depression, but I believe poker is supposed to be a journey of joy and fun.

Beyond my opponent's demeanor, one of the biggest factors in deciding whether or not I'm willing to get into a race is the amount of money I've invested in the hand. If I've already put some money into the pot and I'm sure it's a 50-50 situation, then no matter how much my opponent raises he won't be able to get rid of me. If I folded, I would be literally throwing away the money I already put in there, and I'm not in the habit of doing that.

Here's an example of a coin flip situation after the flop. Let's say you have A-K of clubs, and the flop comes 9-8-2 with two clubs. Because you have two overcards and a flush draw, this is a nice spot to go on the offensive if somebody makes a bet. If your opponent has made top pair with a hand like 10-9, it's about a 50-50 situation, but you have plenty of outs to justify your aggression.

However, if you raise and your opponent comes over the top of you, you have to suspect that he has a set and you can no longer depend on a king or an ace being an out. At this point, all you have is flush draw and it's no longer a coin flip situation. Unless you're both deep-stacked and think your opponent will pay you off if you do hit your flush, you should back off and wait for a better situation. But don't lose your initiative and remember to keep playing aggressively.

Now let's turn it around. The flop is the same, but now you have pocket jacks and your opponent is the one who has two overcards and a flush draw. You bet, and your opponent raises. How you proceed really depends upon what sort of player you're up against.

Because of situations like this one, I prefer live games to online games. I tend to make more accurate decisions in live games. Most of the time I can get a read on my opponent, and I can capitalize on that. If I feel like he only has two overcards because he just called my raise before the flop, I'll call and see what the turn brings. But if I raised before the flop and he reraised me, then I'll throw my jacks away because he could very well have a bigger pair than mine.

My rationale completely changes in a tournament. In the latter stages of a tournament your chips are worth more than they were at the beginning so your first concern should be protecting them, which often means avoiding coin flip situations. After the money bubble bursts, you get financially rewarded whenever a player gets knocked out so quite often the smartest move is to avoid getting into coin flip situations and waiting for a better spot.

Like many aspects of poker, the decision of whether or not to get into a coin flip situation depends on a variety of factors, the most important of which are the type of game you're playing and the demeanor of the opponent you're playing against.

Have I mentioned Pedro is done?

Drunk, Sleeping Fan Victimized by Beer Cups at Shea Stadium

ASLEEP AT MET GAME

In the second game of a beer-filled doubleheader, a young man falls asleep in his box seat. Bad decision. By the time this action peaked, literally hundreds of people were watching, not only from the orange seats but also from the mezzanine and upper deck.

It is worth noting, to the masters of assmption out there, that the folks playing the prank on him were his friends, who knew he was okay. He was visibly breathing. And he cracked up for three innings straight after learning what had happened, laughed with the fans who had photographed him and even autographed people's beer bottles. He was a terrific sport who left the stadium on his own power.

Playing Aces in PLO

by Andy Black

Players who are new to Pot-Limit Omaha tend to make more mistakes with Aces than with any other hand. They get themselves into really tough situations - ones where they can lose a lot of money. Avoiding these spots is one of the keys to playing PLO profitably.

Here's the kind of situation that newer PLO players sometimes find themselves in. Say it's a $2/$5 game where all the players have about $500 in front of them. There's an early position raise to $15 and a player in middle position with A-A-x-x re-raises to $50. Four players call the $50. Now the flop comes down J-7-2, rainbow.

The Aces might be good here, or they might not. It's very hard to know. This is the kind of spot where it's very easy to make a big mistake - either by putting in a lot of money while a huge underdog, or by folding the best hand.

Novice PLO players get in this sort of trouble because they don't really understand how Omaha differs from Hold 'em. In Hold 'em, if you start with a big pair like Kings or Aces, you know you're a big favorite before the flop. But this isn't the case with Omaha. For example, pre-flop, Ac-Ad-4s-7h will win only 51 percent of the time when heads up against Js-Ts-9h-8h. Throw a couple of other hands in the mix, and Aces become extremely vulnerable.

Because so many hands are so evenly matched, Omaha is a game where what you catch with the community cards is usually more important than what you start with. You're looking to make big hands - nut straights, nut flushes, and big sets.

Still, hands that contain Aces are usually a decent favorite when played heads up. And, with Aces, you always have the opportunity to make top set or, if you're suited, a nut flush. So you're going to want to play these hands, but you often want to be more cautious pre-flop.

If there's a raise in early position, you don't have to re-raise with A-A-x-x, especially if that re-raise would commit you for only a small portion of your stack. When all the players have deep stacks, a few will be happy to call your bet and see a flop. Then you're likely to find yourself in the sort of situation described at the beginning of this tip. You won't know if your hand has held up on most flops. And when you do hit your set of Aces, you're not likely to get a lot of action, as your opponents won't have much difficulty putting you on a hand.

However, there are some occasions when you want to play Aces aggressively pre-flop. When there's been a lot of action and a raise will allow you to get about three-quarters of your stack in before the flop, go ahead and make that big bet. At that point, you're looking to force some folds and, hopefully, play heads up. With that much money committed, you know the rest of your stack will be going in on the flop no matter what comes.

Of course, once you're in the hand, your Aces can lead to some very profitable post-flop situations. You might catch top set while an opponent makes a lower one or your nut flush might take a big pot from someone who made a lower flush.

So slow down with your Aces pre-flop in PLO. Your deceptive play will win you some big pots when you make a big hand. Plus, you'll avoid losing a lot when the board doesn't fall your way.

Saving Chips by Chip Jett

The $50,000 HORSE tournament at the World Series of Poker is one of the most prestigious events in all of poker, but the structure does not allow room for mistakes. Typically, over 80 percent of the field is still alive halfway through the second day, but none of those players have enough chips to play more than two big hands. Everyone is in danger of going broke. In fact, it’s the same in nearly every HORSE tournament I’ve ever played in, which means it’s crucial that you never waste a single bet.

In no-limit tournaments a few players usually break out from the pack and acquire huge chip leads early on. The blinds and antes only become an issue for them towards the very end of the tournament, but that almost never happens in HORSE tournaments because you’re playing limit poker. The blinds and antes are an issue the entire time so saving chips whenever you can is vital.

In a HORSE tournament it’s particularly important to hold on to your chips in the Stud games because there’s an extra round of betting compared to the flop games, Hold ’em and Omaha. That’s why I think it’s best to play conservatively on Third Street in the Stud games.

For example, let’s say you have A-2 in the hole and a 5 up in Razz. This is one of the best starting hands you can have in Razz so you should definitely open for a raise. But a player showing a 6 re-raises you. For him to reraise you, it’s almost 99 percent certain he has two wheel cards in the hole. He has a very good starting hand, but, of course, your hand is still better.

If this were a cash game, you would want to re-raise him. However, in a HORSE tournament you should just call because you’re only a small favorite at this point in the hand. Not re-raising here is kind of like staying away from coin flip situations in No-Limit Hold ‘em tournaments. You’re avoiding a situation where you’re not a huge favorite. In a HORSE tournament you don’t want to push too hard when you only have a slight advantage.

If you put in three bets on Third Street and get two or more callers, pots odds are going to force you to stay in the hand no matter what you catch on Fourth Street. Playing this way, you might win a big pot, but you might also lose one. You simply can’t afford to play this way in a HORSE tournament because losing one or two such hands can cost you your entire stack.

I’d recommend seeing what falls on Fourth Street before committing any more of your chips because you will have a much better idea where you are at in the hand. If you and your opponent both catch good cards on Fourth Street, you become a much bigger favorite to win the hand than you were on Third Street. Now instead of being just a 52 percent favorite you might be as much as a 65 percent favorite, and you can start raising and re-raising to protect that advantage.

If you catch a bad card on Fourth Street, it will be much easier to muck your cards if you didn’t put in three or four bets on Third Street. For example, if you catch a jack and your opponent catches a 4, you’re going to be happy you didn’t cap the betting on Third Street because now you’re behind in the hand.

Another advantage to just calling a reraise on Third Street with the best hand is deception. If you and your opponent both catch good cards on Fourth Street your opponent is going to think he still has the better hand. You are in effect slowplaying your hand, and it could pay off handsomely because the size of the bets has now doubled.

Because every player in a HORSE tournament is just one or two hands away from going broke, it’s extremely important to save your chips whenever you can. Playing more conservatively on Third Street during the Stud games is a great way to accomplish this.

The pain of being a Met fan

WE ARE ALL FEELING THE PAIN

A Note from Nelson DeMille

Well, the summer is over and the presidential campaign season has begun. Book sales (especially fiction) traditionally take a dip every four years during the presidential race, which is why I decided to publish my new novel, THE GATE HOUSE, on Tuesday, October 28, a week before Election Day. There is a method to this madness, and if I remember what I was thinking, I'll share it with you. Meanwhile, let's all buck this silly slump in book sales for this election and pre-order THE GATE HOUSE (click here) or run out and buy it on October 28. The book is 688 pages long, and I guarantee that if you throw it at your TV set during the election returns, you'll knock out the picture. The book will survive.
THE GATE HOUSE, as you may know is the sequel to THE GOLD COAST, and as I mentioned in the last Newsletter, Grand Central Publishing has reissued THE GOLD COAST in the large trade paperback size, and will reissue the standard paperback on October 1. Both editions have a new cover, a new Author's Introduction, and a new Twenty-first Century price. You don't need to read THE GOLD COAST before you read THE GATE HOUSE -- you can read them concurrently or in reverse order -- it's only important that you buy both books. I've got a two-year old who'll be in college in 16 years.

Costco has done a wonderful promotion of the reissued GOLD COAST and if you get their newsletter you've seen this and seen the great review, by J. Rentilly, and also seen some very nice things written about me by Pennie Clark Ianniciello, Costco's book buyer.

I spent the summer outlining and researching my next novel, which will be the sequel to THE LION'S GAME, featuring John Corey, NYPD (ret.), currently with the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force. I've already begun the book and in the first chapter of the sequel Corey kills his nemesis from THE LION'S GAME, Asad Khalil. I think that was supposed to come at the end of the book, so now I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I need to rewrite Chapter One.

Anyway, I'm very excited about this book (as yet untitled - any suggestions?), and I'm happy once more to be spending my days with John Corey and Kate Mayfield -- especially Kate.

My Newsletter generates hundreds and hundreds of responses from you, and as I've said, I read each and every one of them, and I wish I could reply, and it's frustrating that I don't have the time to do so, but I appreciate all the emails and I thank you for taking the time to write. I get a much needed ego boost from the letters, but I also get taken to task by some readers for my use of profanity. As one lady wrote, "I read WILD FIRE three times and counted the F-word thirty-six times."

I need to say here that my original manuscripts contain no profanity whatsoever. But Grand Central Publishing has an editor known as the "F-Guy," who peppers my manuscripts with four-letter words. I would end this practice immediately, but it's been brought to my attention that the publisher has this right, as per the small print in my contract.

Having said that, I will speak to the "F-Guy" about this and try to clean up the next John Corey book. In fact, at the beginning of Chapter One in THE LION'S GAME sequel, John Corey says to his boss, "I am going to find that dastardly blighter, Asad Khalil, and kick him in the shins."

A side note here: I did a booksigning this summer with other authors to raise money for the East Hampton Public Library. I love libraries -- you know, those places where they give away my books for free. I mean, East Hampton is one of the wealthiest communities on the planet, so I think the residents who live in twenty-million dollar summer homes can buy their books. But I digress. At the signing, I met Alec Baldwin, of all people, and we chatted about his past involvement in the movie version of THE GOLD COAST. That's a long story, but I need to say here that despite what people may think of his politics or his personal life, he is a charming man, and as down-to-earth as any actor I've ever met. And I don't say that just because he loves my books -- he liked NIGHT FALL the best -- but I say this because he's an astute reader and he's bigger than me -- see the photo in my Photo Gallery.

Okay, so that's about it for this time. I'll get out another Newsletter before the October 28 publication date of THE GATE HOUSE.

Meanwhile, click here for my publicity schedule. I'm not doing much of a cross-country booksigning tour this time -- I need to work on the sequel to THE LION'S GAME -- but if I'm in your area, drop by and bring a copy of this Newsletter. You'll go to the front of the signing line and I'll tell you a funny story about Alec Baldwin.

Thanks for all your cards and letters and for your support over the years. And remember, no matter who wins the presidency on November 4, the other guy will lose.

Best regards,

Nelson DeMille

METS LOST - NO CHANGE TO MAGIC NUMBER

PAINFUL

DEMO AT THE WINE LOFT BEGINS

Wine loft construction begins

2 WEEKS LEFT

Here we go again, and yes we're still one game up, and yes the starting pitching has been solid, and the middle of the lineup has been hitting the ball, but the losing is just unbelievable. There are 14 to play, this week it's 4 against the Nats and 3 more next week against the Braves. Watching sports for so many years I've never dealt with what the Mets put us through last year, and now what we are going through again. The amount of winnable games they have lost is unreal.

But...they are still ahead, and we'll track the magic number this year, and hopefully this time we'll get it down to 0.

UGH

I can't take many more of these losses

Jessica Simpson Riles Up Philly Fans On GMA - My Fox Philly Overreacts

My Fox Philly is claiming that Jessica Simpson "insulted Eagles fans" on Good Morning America this morning, and while I wouldn't quite go that far, she did talk some friendly trash to Philly Fans during an GMA concert in NYC. Jessica was promoting her new Country album released on 9-9 when Host Robin Roberts brought up the topic of Football.

She issued a warning to the Eagles Tuesday morning on Good Morning America.

Simpson yelled out "Go Cowboys!" during her performance Tuesday and then adding her warning to Philadelphia Eagles fans, "That's next week! We're gonna kick your butts, too!"

It was Dec. 16, 2007 when the "curse of Jessica Simpson" was coined after the Cowboys lost to the Eagles 10-6. Her boyfriend, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, played poorly with Simpson at the game.

I wont get to overboard on my opinion of Philly fans, but I'm not sure how that is insulting. Insulting would be to say they are a bunch of rude, stupid white trash. Or that they aren't loyal fans, or that they are ugly...but all it looks like to me is she said We're gonna kick your butts (or is it (you're butts"?). Irregardless (sic) Philly needs to get a Little thicker skin and not be such babies.

Waaaaaaaaaa..Jessica Simpson insulted us......Waaaaaaaaaa...Jimmy Rollins was mean to us...Waaaaaaaaaaa...To doesn't like McNabb.

Let's go Brewers!

Multimedia message

The wine loft

Pedro is still done

THE GREATEST QB IN JET'S HISTORY

The Packers are not the only team starting their first season without the greatest QB in team history. The Jets are in the same boat. Yea yea yea..Namath, I know, but actually compare the two:


Won-Lost Record: Namath: 61-61-4 Chad: 32-29
Playoff Berths: Joe: 2 Chad: 3
Playoff W/L: Joe: 2-1 Chad: 2-3
Completion %: Joe: 50.2 Chad: 65.6
Yards: Joe: 27,057 Chad: 13,738
TD’s/TD%: Joe: 170/4.7 Chad:82/4.3
INTs/INT %: Joe: 215/5.9 Chad: 55/2.9
Yds per Attempt: Joe: 7.4 Chad: 7.2
QB Rating: J: 65.8 C: 88.9

All statistics per Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Now I get that numbers don't tell the whole story, and I never saw Joe play, but I saw every game Chad played, and before he was hurt he was as good as anyone, yea Joe has that Super Bowl, and he was a leader in it, but he wasn't the reason the won that game, and if Chad was the QB of that team he'd have won it as well. Pennington was responsible for two of the more impressive playoff wins in team history - the 41-0 beating of the Colts (and Peyton) in 2002, and the overtime victory in San Diego in 2004, and he was robbed of another in Pittsburgh by Herm Edwards’ poor coaching and our kicker's failure to make 1 of 2 game winning field gaols.

Not to disparage Joe, Namath’s impact went beyond statistics. He won the most important game in the history of the New York Jets, and they say the most important game in the history of the NFL. He was the first to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. He was a TV and media giant, and is obviously the most important player in the history of the franchise. But he was not the best quarterback the team has ever had, that was Chad Pennington.

It will be strange to see him in the ugly fish uniform, and I’ll always love him and thank him for all the good things he did for my team.

With all that said, I'd really like to see him throw 5 picks and get sacked 11 times Sunday..

PALIN DELIVERS A STAR-TURNING PERFORMANCE

(copied from the associated press)


ST. PAUL, Minn. - Sarah Palin delivered. An embattled vice presidential candidate, a novice on the national stage, the head of a family suffering its "ups and downs," the first-term Alaska governor rocked the GOP convention with a star-turning performance.

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Wielding a stiletto and a smile, Palin belittled Democrat Barack Obama and praised her new boss, John McCain, jolting the crowd of GOP partisans.

"Don't you think we made the right choice for the next vice president of the United States!" McCain said, hinting the controversy surrounding his pick. "And what a beautiful family."

Indeed, the family was on display for the TV cameras — five children, including a 17-year-old unmarried daughter who is pregnant. Their mother lacked the soaring oratory skills of Obama — a man she attacked as a tax-raising, terrorist-coddling, self-indulgent liberal. But the former TV sportscaster spoke in calm, TV-friendly tones reminiscent of Ronald Reagan. Like the former GOP president, Palin warmed the crowd with quips and jokes.

"What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull," she said, pausing for a beat and a smirk. "Lipstick."

She left the crowd smiling.

"For too many times, we've brought knives to gun fights," said Chuck Gast, a delegate from Maryland,

When asked if Palin brought a gun to the fight, Gast said: "Yes, I think she brings a big gun, like a moose gun."

It was the crowning moment of a roller-coaster week in which the first woman ever on a Republican presidential ticket has faced questions about how closely the McCain campaign scrutinized her. She also has heard a wide range of inquiries about family issues, her policy positions and her record of public service.

"Our family," she said, "has the same ups and downs as any other."

One speech does not a campaign make. Kept at arm's length from the media in the days leading up to the address, Palin now heads out on the campaign trail, where events are less rehearsed, crowds less friendly and the environment less controlled. Even as she spoke, airplanes in Alaska were unloading reporters and political operatives sent to pore through her personal and public life.

A big test comes at the Oct. 2 vice presidential debate with her Democratic counterpart, Joe Biden.

But tonight was hers.

Facing down her critics with smiling resolve, Palin took crowd-delighting swipes at Obama and what she called the Washington elite. "Here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country," she said.

A new celebrity herself, Palin cast Obama as a little more than a fancy speaker with a compelling biography.

"The American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of 'personal discovery.' This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer," Palin said, a clear reference to Obama's time as a community organizer in Chicago.

The Obama campaign had less than a warm greeting, saying Palin's speech was "written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years." The speech was written by Matthew Scully, who met Palin for the first time last week.

Selected by McCain only last Friday, Palin addressed the convention amid questions about her qualifications and relative lack of experience.

The first-term governor had top billing at the convention on a night delegates also lined up for a noisy roll call of the states to deliver their presidential nomination to McCain.

Watching her speech were her husband Todd and their children, including daughter Bristol Palin, whom the Palins disclosed earlier in the week was five months pregnant. Bristol's 18-year-old boyfriend and apparent fiance, Levi Johnston, was seated with them.

McCain shook up the presidential race by picking Palin, a little-known governor less than two years in office. Since then, a bright spotlight has been trained on the life and record of the Republican governor who has bucked the state's political establishment.

Days after Palin made her debut on the national stage with McCain, the campaign announced her unmarried daughter's pregnancy. Other disclosures followed, including that a private attorney is authorized to spend $95,000 of state money to defend her against accusations of abuse of power and that Palin sought pork-barrel projects for her city and state, contrary to her reformist image.

"Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys," she said.

Noting that the couple's oldest son, Track, 19, was shipping out to Iraq in eight days with the Army infantry, Palin praised McCain as "a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by."

"He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight. And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief," she said.

Largely unknown outside her home state, Palin told the convention: "I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better," she said, speaking of her home town of Wasilla, Alaska, with a population of about 6,500.

"When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too," she said.

Before becoming governor, Palin served as mayor of Wasilla, she recounted, adding: "And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

Palin delivered her speech in a firm, cheerful voice. It was her first chance to introduce and define herself to the American public and, after it was done, her family joined her on stage. She cuddled her 4-month-old son, Trig, and waved at the adoring crowd like the beauty pageant contestant she once was.

TOM TERRIFFIC

In 607 career starts Tom Seaver had 403 that were at least 7 innings and 3 runs or less.