Revenge of the Runway Challenge

Greetings from New Haven, home of La Liga Juvenil de Baseball, the most famous pickup youth baseball league in the world. I was here at the Register offices when Bill Cloutier, our assistant sports editor, was breaking the story of Jericho Scott -- the 9-year old told he couldn't pitch because he was "too good", according to league officials. Apparently, after the incident occurred last week, a gaggle of parents drove from the field straight to our building and set up shop outside to make their story public. Bill listened, made a few calls and followed up with a story the next day. No way I ever imagined it would churn a national debate. Everyone from ESPN to Mitch Albom to radio stations in California have been calling our sports department looking for interviews with reporters covering the saga. The whole thing is pretty sad, to be honest.

Of course, there are two sides to every story, and Register columnist Dave Solomon summarizes that nicely today in today's paper.

On to more pressing matters -- the Runway Challenge, year three. I make the picks, you're welcome to try and beat them. Again, I'll let the winner have free reign over the Runway blog for a day. You can post about UConn football, preview that Hollywood screenplay you're working on or use the forum to publicize your plan to overhaul the health care system. Fire away. I don't care. (As long as it won't get me fired). Oh yeah, any relatives of current UConn players are welcome to plaster the site with embarrassing childhood photos of said relative if they win (as I understand someone was hoping to do last fall).

The picks:

Game 1: CONNECTICUT (-28.5) over Hofstra: It's my understanding that Gio Carmazzi, Wayne Chrebet and Marques Colston will not be in uniform for Hofstra. Two quick points about Hofstra: First, I became a fan of Hofstra for a couple of seasons in the late 1990s, when their games were televised on MSG every week, mainly because of Carmazzi. True, I blindly root for Italians whenever flipping through channels and watching random sporting events. But Carmazzi was pretty unreal. Second, how could Hofstra have changed their name from the Flying Dutchmen to the Pride? They went from one of the great college nicknames to something even duller than the WNBA.

Game 2: Syracuse (+11.5) over NORTHWESTERN: The Big East doormat goes head-to-head with the Big 10's No. 10 team. On a positive note, both schools have killer communications programs. So maybe the players can aspire to one day report on good college football teams after graduation.

Game 3: PITTSBURGH (-13) over Bowling Green: Pitt has gotten plenty of mileage, including a national ranking in the AP poll, from beating a WVU team last December that was so tight they were turning lumps of coal into diamonds the hard way.

Game 4: VIRGINIA (+20) over Southern California: A battle of two coaches who were utter and complete failures in the NFL. Twenty points is too much for any team at Scott Stadium.

Game 5: Utah (+3.5) over MICHIGAN: I don't really think the Utes can pull it off, but the potential jubilation in West Virginia over seeing Rich Rodriguez fall on his face in his Maize and Blue debut has me giddy with anticipation.

Game 6: CLEMSON (-4.5) over Alabama: Nick Saban, the most powerful coach in all of sports (or so says Forbes magazine) led the Crimson Tide to a 7-6 record last season, including a loss to Louisiana-Monroe. He also went 15-17 in two years with the Miami Dolphins before deciding the NFL was too hard. Maybe he can take his next job with La Liga Juvenil de Baseball.

Game 7: MISSOURI (-9) over Illinois: Know this...Mizzou will bring the pain this season.

Game 8: Kentucky (+3.5) over LOUISVILLE: The Louisville administration, in anticipation of another humiliating season, is considering demoting Papa John's Stadium to It's Not Delivery, It's DiGiorno Frozen Pizza Stadium.

Game 9: Fresno State (+6) over RUTGERS: I won't lie, I don't know much about Fresno State. But they love offense in the WAC. If you can bet the over, bet the over.

Game 10: Tennessee (-7.5) over UCLA: UCLA took out a full page ad in the Los Angeles Times to proclaim, in large, bold letters, that "The Football Monopoly in Los Angeles is Over". Rick Neuheisel is betting on it.

Get your picks in by clicking the comments link below, then do a cut-and-paste with the template provided in there.