A post-World Series note: When the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 to clinch their 27th championship, a headline in the Los Angeles Times read, "The Rich Get Richer." The Yankees do have the highest payroll in baseball and did sign C C Sabathia and Mark Teixiera to multi-million dollar deals before the season. But until a week ago, New York hadn't won a World Series in nearly 10 years.
The Phillies and the Boston Red Sox are right behind the Yankees on the payroll ladder. When the Phillies won the title last year, there were no 'Rich Get Richer' headlines. When the Red Sox won in 2006, they had a payroll nearly equal to the Yankees, but there were no 'Rich Get Richer' headlines.
When the Lakers, the premiere franchise in the NBA, signed Shaquille O'Neal, and then proceeded to win three world titles in row, there were no headlines that screamed the 'Rich Get Richer' or when the USC football team won nearly three national championships in a row with some of the country's top recruits, 'Rich Get Richer' never made into the paper.
The point is the Yankees won because they have a lineup that plays the game better than any other team. It's never been a given that spending wads of cash makes a baseball team successful.
The Dodgers, one of the wealthiest teams in either league, have signed numerous stars to multi-million dollar contracts who, either because of injury or poor play, never won a National League pennant in L.A., let alone a world title. Kevin Brown, Jason Schmidt, Gary Sheffield and Darren Dreifort all come to mind.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers sure know how to spoil a good story. And a party. Here are the Denver Broncos and their fans, dancing on air at 6-1 in the AFC West, getting greased on "Monday Night Football" by the Steel Curtain.
ESPN's color commentator John Gruden predicted that the Broncos and Steelers would meet again later in the season, presumably he meant in the playoffs. But way the Denver offense sputtered and fell apart in the fourth quarter, that possibility appears uncertain, at least for now.
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Mike Sauthier tore up the back nine at Encino golf course yesterday, shooting a 40 which could have been two or three strokes lower if his stick-rattling approach shots had dropped into the cup.
It appears that Sauthier's new diet is not only having a positive effect on his waistline, but also his game.
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