I'm sure most of you are well aware of what happened last night in Philadelphia. The Phillies, up 2-1, sent their ace Cole Hamels out to the mound for the top of the 6th inning.

The weather, of course, was horrendous, and puddles of water were well-formed in the infield, with the deluge coming from all directions. The fans sat in agony as the game dragged on well past its normal conclusion. Cole Hamels toed a mound that could not have possibly maintained its integrity, and had to pitch a baseball in essentially a monsoon.

At the same time, Tampa Bay's BJ Upton got on base and had to deal with the critically compromised basepaths, and on Carlos Peña's game-tying single, it was evident that Upton nearly stopped when rounding third in order to avoid slipping. Pat Burrell was almost able to gun him down at the plate beecause of this.

These conditions were UNPLAYABLE and a mess to watch. No one could have enjoyed this. The rules indicated that if the Phillies were leading (after 5 innings) and a rain delay was called and eventually the game was "called off", then the Phillies are World Series champions.

Obviously, the MLB Executives wanted no part of this, as it would have been the worst way to end a season in any sport's history. If you thought the All Star Game fiasco was bad, this would have been armageddon.

But that's not the point; after the game Selig was very defensive, saying if the Phillies were still winning 2-1 after the top of the 6th, they would have put the game on "indefinite rain delay," thus ignoring the very rules in the rule book.

I would have preferred, then, if this "indefinite rain delay" was always planned, to have called the game in the top of the 6th. The Phillies winning, 2-1, the game continued today, with the Rays up. This would have been the fairest thing to do,  and no one would complain. But go check out The Good Phight, SB Nation's excellent Phillies blog, to see what exactly the big deal is.

On the other side of the coin, DRaysBay is focusing on the seemingly unfair strike zones last night, especially the two phantom strikes to Pat Burrell that went oddly as balls. It seems like bitching is the norm for us bloggers when a World Series game is suspended... What are the odds of that?

There's a lot of talk throughout the Denver-area media that Torain will be back for this Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins, but that coverage has shifted to questioning the former ASU back's readiness to play in the NFL.

Ad nauseum, the sports reporters refrain has been "he hasn't even played in a preseason game; how can Ryan Torain automatically be crowned a running back hero?"

This is a legitimate question, but in all honesty, all one needs to do is look at how Jonathan Stewart is doing in Carolina, or Steve Slaton in Houston. These rookie backs stepped in and immediately produced in their new environments.

What makes Torain special? Lets look at some Youtube videos, shall we?

Highlight reel

Here is footage from an April workout tape:

The guy has explosiveness and power. He is everything ASU is missing from their running game this season, and that is why the Sun Devils are 2-4 instead of 5-1, or even 6-0.

Denver will NOT be disappointed with this guy; in reality, their expectations should be tempered by the fact that they have a solid running game to begin with, and any improvement will be a huge feather in the cap of Mike Shanahan.

Either way, he's way better than Selvin Young.

There is a bevy of Pac-10 and ASU related news barreling down the cardboard tubes that make up the internet, as the opening game comes up this weekend.

I will run through all things remotely ASU related that I can find, and sprinkle in some things that people are saying about our conference rivals.

Kirk Herbstreit, college gamedays quarterback, has chalked up his eighth annual "Herbie Awards."  Naturally banal, Herbstreit manages to completely ignore the Sun Devils, while peppering his rankings with WILDCAT references. Pac-10 sleeper? Coach that will exceed expectations? #3 team that is "movin' on up"? 5th best dropback quarterback? 2nd best tight end? 6th best wide receiver? GOODNESS KIRK! It will be a tad silly when Arizona goes 4-8 and loses to us by 2 touchdowns or more in Arizona.

ESPN's Pac-10 blogger, Ted Miller, checks in with the Pac-10's toughest schedules and puts the Sun Devils squarely in the middle at #5. A lot of his rationale on his rankings seems a tad off. He seems to be giving a lot of credit to the teams who play BYU... hmm.

Miller also throws up his 10 Pac-10 games to watch list, with the Sun Devils taking home 30% of the honors. #3, #4, and #7 respectively, I find it a little odd that Oregon at USC gets number 2, but Georgia at ASU gets number 4? Hmm. And somehow, Oregon at ASU gets #3... I mean, we all love the Sun Devils, but who really thinks the Oregon game is as big of a matchup as the Georgia game? If we beat Georgia suddenly we have national title aspirations...if we don't... eh.

3. Oregon at Arizona State, Oct. 25: This one could be for the Holiday Bowl berth. Or perhaps, if USC plays for the national title, a Rose Bowl. Basically, the Ducks visit to Tempe likely decides who plays second fiddle to USC. The Sun Devils will be looking for revenge after last year's 12-point loss in Eugene, their first defeat in 2007 after an 8-0 start.

4. Georgia at Arizona State, Sept. 20: This is more a test for Georgia, which is the preseason No. 1 in both polls. The Bulldogs haven't traveled outside the Southeast in decades for a non-conference game, but it's worth noting they have been an outstanding road team in the SEC under coach Mark Richt. If the Sun Devils win, it would be a landmark victory announcing the program as a team headed for the elite.

7. Arizona State at California, Oct. 4: Arizona State's biggest win of 2007 in terms of perception was over California, and that shows the lack of big wins among the Sun Devils 10 victories because the Bears were at the time riding a two-game losing streak (it turned out the biggest win was a stunning comeback victory over Oregon State in the Pac-10 opener, but that's not the point here). It's possible that the loser here will fall out of the race for second place.

Oregon seems to be a bit of an enigma heading into the season - some polls value them highly and have them as a trendy sleeper pick, other analysts seem to be discounting them entirely. Obviously Miller feels they will challenge ASU for second place in the Pac-10, and it will be interesting to see if it does come down to that game in October for all the marbles and a Rose Bowl berth.

The Arizona Republic checks in from Sun Devil camp, and everyone will be pleased to see that Chris McGaha has returned to practice after missing the past 10 practices.

There are also some very interesting tidbits. A list of true freshman who will be playing against NAU is listed:

Although personnel discussions continue, Erickson said at least eight true freshmen probably will play this season: defensive end Lawrence Guy, linebacker Brandon Magee, linebacker Shelly Lyons, cornerback Josh Jordan, tailback Ryan Bass, receiver Gerell Robinson offensive lineman Zach Schlink and safety Clint Floyd.

Another option is Andrew Sampson, recently promoted to second-team center because of an ankle injury to redshirt freshman Garth Gerhart.

Asked if he was surprised by any of the freshmen's progress, Erickson mentioned Schlink and Floyd but said, "I think anybody that plays as a freshman is kind of a surprise."

 

Also, this:

ASU expects to pass 50,000 season-ticket packages sold, which would be the most in two decades. As of late last week, about 1,900 ticket packages remained.

Sun Devil nation is coming out this year. Good news, we will need everyone we can get for some tough road games against USC, Oregon, and Georgia.

Tempe is a unique college town. While ASU is the main focal point of the town, the college atmosphere extends miles away from campus.

This vibe is evident on Mill Avenue, in the annals of Tempe Marketplace, and in the never-ending array of strip malls that cater to every taste, be it food or style.

It didn't take me long to fall in love with Tempe. Sure, it's hot as Satan's oven, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make for tasty authentic Mexican food, respectable sushi, delectable hot dogs, and every fast food joint under the sun. Outside of food, the "scenery" is tops in the nation, and the shopping ain't so bad either.

When it comes to a weekend in Tempe, there's so many great options on activities and eats that it is hard to get a hold on all of it. That is where I step in. Without further ado...

C.W.'s top 10 list of things to do on Sun Devil game day (and the day after, too)

This list will give you the opportunity to see Tempe from the perspective of a living, breathing Sun Devil. Well, if he keeps eating the food at number ten, he might not be, but I digress.

Number 10: Eat at Dave's Dog House

Last fall, I strolled into Dave's Dog House early in the afternoon on September 1. Our boys in maroon were set to open the season that evening against San Jose State, and I planned on having a big meal at the Dog House beforehand. It is located right on University, and makes for an easy walk.

While waiting for my food, I was mesmerized by a shocking event: Appalachian State was beating Michigan! This was big news. I watched the third quarter and Michigan was edging slowly closer. What was I eating? Combo #4: Two chili dogs (with everything), fries, and a big soda.

What makes this food so special, you ask? Well, the chili is unique. I've never had it taste like this anywhere else; it's meaty and works great on hot dogs and fries. The fries are salty and hot (they make each fry order individually), and the soda machine works. In short, the meal is God's gift to Tempe.

I like how you pump your own ketchup and cover your fries with it. They also have these great mini-burgers called sliders, but if you want the essential Dave's experience, I highly recommend the chili dogs.

There are only ten days left until Sun Devil football returns. Tomorrow, we unveil number nine on the list.

The East Valley Tribune has some valuable insight into the developments of the offensive line, the most obvious concern of the team heading into the season.

Our pal, Dan Zeiger, brings some interesting tidbits about who will be protecting Rudy Carpenter this season.  Jon Hargis, a defensive line convert, looks most likely to be the starter at left tackle. They mention he has been a "pleasant surprise" and has handled his duties against Dexter Davis adroitly.

Hargis' backup will be junior college transfer Tom Njunge.  Erickson dubbed Njunge the "third tackle" and he got work the past week at both tackle spots since starting right tackle Matt Hustad went down with a knee injury.

Zeiger also checks in with injuries:
McGaha (toe) should be back in time for the NAU game. He has missed the past 8 practices.

Center Garth Gerhart (high ankle sprain) is day-to-day, so are DE James Brooks, RB Shaun DeWitty, WR Brandon Smith, and S Rodney Cox.

The AZ Republic takes a look at how All Pac-10 DE Dexter Davis overcomes somewhat of a size disadvantage to dominate the conference.  A RS JR this season, the 6'2, 252 pounder has started all 26 games in his career, and is coming off a spectacular 10.5 Sack sophomore campaign.

The article notes that Davis has become a quiet team leader on defense, leading by example with his extreme effort in practice, and his ability to translate coaching into immediate change on his technique.

Davis has been able to overcome his size with his solid technique and his great quickness off the edge, something he will refine this year.  Likely to face some more double teams after his big season, and inclusion on the 2008 Bronko Nagurski trophy watch list, he will put his skills to the test and prove whether he should be playing on Sundays or not.

With the first game approaching we will finish up the charting the depths segments, then move on to some season analysis.

Sorry for the sparse posting - we have been gearing up for the semester as well!