I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate our area's Section 9 champions.

From teams like Kingston, Red Hook and Pine Plains in field hockey; Ellenville in football and Red Hook and Rhinebeck in volleyball, Onteora and Rhinebeck girls and New Paltz boys in cross country to runners Gabby Mancuso and Brian Busby of New Paltz and Annabel Clarke of Rhinebeck, it's always great to see area competitors do well.

There's much work ahead as each team and individual work toward the ultimate goal of a state title, but for now we can appreciate the efforts to get this far.

Good luck the rest of the way.

When it comes to the World Series, it would be so easy for me to make a prediction, so I won't do it.

I was born in the Bronx and my family on my mother's side lives in Philadelphia, so I have some family allegiances to worry about.

What I will predict is one heck of a World Series. I think the Yankees and Phillies are very evenly matched in just about every aspect of the game.

The two best teams in baseball are playing for the championship. Can't wait for first pitch.

OK Yankee fans:

The good news: your team is in the American League championship series.

The bad news; you're playing the Los Angeles Angels, a team the Yanks simply have been unable to defeat in recent memory.

Maybe things will change this year, but to paraphrase an old saying, sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Yankee fans had better hope for a better showing from their team or misery at the hands of the Angels will once again happen.

Here's a quick question to Yankee fans:

Who would you rather face in the ALDS -- the Detroit Tiger or Minnesota Twins?

The "smart money" is on the Twins because they don't have the prototypical ace like the Tigers have in Justin Verlander. But there is something to be said for momentum and mojo, two things Minnesota seems to be carrying big time into Tuesday's "play-in" game against Detroit.

I think either team will gave the Yankees a much tougher series than the so-called experts are predicting.

Maybe it's the head cold I've had since my return from vacation. Or maybe it's that I find myself grabbing for a second blanket at night.

But this cold weather really has me thinking of football.

And make no mistake, Kingston has a make or break game on Saturday. A loss to Pine Bush in Saturday's Homecoming Game at Dietz and the Tigers can pretty much forget about the postseason. A win and they're in the mix.

The Tigers are banged up and coming off back-to-back losses, but they have enough talent to make this showdown quite a game.

If nothing else, I think the fans are in for some fun on Saturday.

That loud thud you're hearing today is probably the sound of many fans jumping off the Kingston football bandwagon.

After a couple of nice victories to start the season, Warwick sent the Tigers back to Earth with Thursday's 43-28 victory. Kingston is 2-1 and likely to fall to 2-2 next week when they face perennial AA powerhouse Monroe-Woodbury.

But coming off a three-win season, the Tigers need to get good before they are great. It looks as though they're taking the first steps.

Remember the adage, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Did anyone out there see the Serena Williams' meltdown at the U.S. Open last night?

I have been an avid tennis fan for close to 30 years. I've seen the famous John McEnroe's blowup with linesmen and chair umpires. Same, too, for Jimmy Connors.

But something about seeing a female tennis player erupting like that -- that's a first for me.

I have a feeling when cooler heads prevail and Serena sees the video of her conduct, she will be quite embarrassed. I know I would be. What about you all?