Greetings from the sports desk located somewhere below decks of the Good Pirate Ship RedState. Sammy the Shark and Karl the Kraken are ready and waiting to get you pumped up for this weekend’s action …

Can you feel the motivation?

Anyway, the weekend of October 19-20, 2024, is loaded with delicious treats for sports fans. Starting with baseball, it would appear to be all over but the crying into their milkshakes for the New York Mets, as the Los Angeles Dodgers have a commanding 3-1 lead in the 2024 National League Championship Series. The Dodgers’ bats have come alive in massive fashion, while the Mets’ hitters find themselves stymied by Los Angeles’ starters and bullpen. I’m not saying it’s over for New York, but it will take a Grimace-sized miracle for them to get back into this series. Meanwhile, in the heartland, although the Cleveland Indians Guardians staged a mammoth comeback to take Game Three of the American League Championship Series over the New York Yankees, thus cutting their series deficit to two games to one, one gets the impression it only postpones the inevitable. The Yankees have too much firepower. So, while New York's dreams of a Subway Series seem all but scuttled, the Yankees and Dodgers are on track for renewal of their once neighborhood and now bicoastal rivalry.

College football brings the goodness with a headline event of the #5 Georgia “Okay, Texas, you wanted the SEC; you’ve got the SEC” Bulldogs visiting Austin to take on the #1 Longhorns. Georgia is leaving Uga at home in case Bevo gets frisky, but they are bringing quarterback Carson Beck and running back Trevor Etienne to test Texas’ top-rated defense. On the other side of the ball, while Quinn Ewers will start at quarterback for the Longhorns, Arch Manning is rested and ready should Ewers falter. This one will be good. The other SEC matchup of naote is #7 Alabama at #11 Tennessee, each team needing a win to avoid dropping a second game on the season with corresponding detrimental effect to their national championship hopes.

The big boys, otherwise known as the NFL, feature a doozy on October 20 with a rematch of this past season’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Since TayTay will not appear as she has a singing gig in Miami this weekend, the television broadcast will, doubtless much to their annoyance, have to pay attention to the game. Although Patrick Mahomes and company versus Fred Warner and the 49ers defense will get most of the hype, it is Brock Purdy and the 49ers' offense versus the Chiefs' defense that brings the most interest. Kansas City is stout against the run and the pass. San Francisco is still without stud running back Christian McCaffrey’s services, yet is third in rushing yards gained this year to go with being second in passing yards. It’s strength on strength and grudge match versus the desire to prove superiority time, so unless you are allergic to the color red, this will be a treat.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone.