Dogs and cat's living together...

That's about where we're at with the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series. The Apocalypse is here. Stick a fork in us, we're done.

So, I watched almost the whole ALCS. Didn't watch a single moment of the alleged World Series. As most people accurately noted, the Boston-New York show was the real World series. The intense rivalry, the come-from-behind fashion of Boston's triumph, it was all compelling, all the time.

And I saw one of the greatest catches I've ever seen. I forget who, but some Boston player hit a looping fly ball between shortstop and center field. I remember watching Bernie Williams charging on the ball, thinking "he can't get that," when all of a sudden I realized my mind had failed to register Derek Freakin' Jeter in the picture.

Why should they have? That ball was an outfield ball. I think I just mentally thought Jeter was coming out as a cut-off. But, all of a sudden, I realized he was charging out after the fly ball. So, I thought, he'll shag the grounder and fire it in.

But, no. This is Derek Freakin' Jeter. Derek Freakin' Jeter. He doesn't settle for second-best, and he didn't settle for a grounder here. At a full run, he ran into that outfield. He slowed down just in time as he got under the ball and caught it over his head. Are you kidding me? People just don't catch that way.

Stand up. Whereever you are, stand up right now. Bend backwards and try to look at the wall behind you. That's about the same way Jeter was standing when he made that catch.

In the words of Tommy Boy, "That...Was...AWESOME."

Too bad they lost. Now the curse is over, and I'm sure the whole of our existential framework will collapse any minute now.

Word from the Blazer's camp is that trade talks are heating up again, even as the Blazer's are pushing to re-sign Zach Randolph.

Now, just 24 hours ago, the Blazers were going to let the re-signing deadline pass without throwing any money at Zach. They'd offered him a 6 year, $69 million dollar deal, and he'd told them to pound sand, instead demanding a max deal. And the Blazers, rightly, said no.

Why do I approve of that? Have you watched the news? Let's look at what Z-Bo's done to show what kind of guy he is.

• Got popped for DUII last season, with an odor of the whacky tobaccy wafting from his ride.
• Nearly got popped for lying to police last summer.
• Served 30 days in juvenile detention for shoplifting.
• Served 30 days of house arrest for battery.
• Served 30 days in juvenile detention for possession of stolen firearms.

Add to that his sucker-punch on teammate Ruben Patterson and recent allegations that he and Qyntel Woods worked together to intimidate a witness in the on-going "Pitbull-Gate" investigation against Woods, and Zach's not really shaping up as the character guy I want to build my franchise around.

However, Zach's fortunes are changing. Is he cleaning up his act? No. What is changing is the environment surrounding his negotiations. Seems that a couple of arguably inferior ballers (Utah's Andre Kirilenko and Memphis' Pau Gasol) are getting max deals, and that's causing the Blazers to re-consider Zach's position, especially since he's strongly indicated he'll walk if he doesn't get his $.

What to do if you're the Blazers? Well, it looks like they'll probably end up capitulating by Sunday's deadline. And it looks like Portland will house at least one jail-blazer for at least a few more years.

I hope this guy shapes up. The whole boycotting thing is bringing me down. And, be assured, if he's still around and continues his a**-holery, the boycott will go on.

Oh...the trades! Looks like Portland is, once again, courting the idea of trading big for small (which you aren't supposed to do), healthy for rehabbing (which seems just dumb), and cap-space for cash-strapped in reviving talks with New Jersey for a Jason Kidd trade.

Why does this make sense? Kidd may never be a player again, at least not like he was. He's aging. We have Sebastian Telfair as our future and Damon as our present. Six years of Kidd's outlandish contract is not what the doctor ordered.

Ugh.

So, I'm looking for a good pimp costume. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Catch ya later.

(p.s. The pug picture from 10/27/04 is not a picture of JLowe's pug. If it was, I'd be kicking in my computer screen out of sheer angst even now...)