Galaxy versus Dodgers

As some of you know, I'm a big Dodgers fan. As such, I've been suffering for about 20 years now. Until Saturday, in fact, I've had little to celebrate from the time Orel Hersheiser finished off Oakland on some a fall evening in 1988 right on through to the present.

But Saturday, the Dodgers finished off the Cubs and swept the NLDS to move on to the National League Championship series for the first time in 20 years.

Of course, as fate would have it, the stars are aligned against me. It's somewhat ironic then that the real stars aren't the ones causing it.

The Dodgers will host their second game of the postseason on Sunday evening with the first pitch slated to be tossed at around 5:22 p.m. our time. At about the same time, the hapless Galaxy will be kicking the ball aimlessly against the Colorado Rapids. Perhaps if the game starts on time it will be somewhere around the 22-minute mark.

Of course, as a freelancer I can't exactly take the game off to watch a game on TV. Gotta cover games to get paid so I'll be out at HDC. Now, I'm not exactly asking you, the loyal reader, to cry me a river. I don't expect any sympathy. I'm merely pointing out the difficulties of following a team as a fan while covering another team in a different sport in the same market for a living.

Anyway, I assume several people will be faced with similar dilemmas. It's a pretty safe bet that some Galaxy season ticket holders are also Dodgers fans and will also be torn between HDC and Dodger Stadium. If the Galaxy were top of the table, or even semi-competitive, the decision might be tougher. As it stands, though, the Galaxy will be without David Beckham and Landon Donovan against Colorado, who are hardly a name opponent. And if that's the case, it's easier to walk away from tickets and the game to watch a potentially historic event. Who's to say after all that it won't be, God forbid, another 20 years for the Dodgers to reach the NLCS?

A mediocre matchup, though, will capture our attention even if our minds will be on the goings-on in Chavez Ravine.

Now, I've followed games from other sports in the press box below. InterLiga always seemingly ruins some great NFL playoff matchup while college football games are typically interrupted by MLS games at HDC. Also, Lakers playoff games have gone on at or around the same time as Galaxy games before, which of course would make it more difficult for me if I cared about the Lakers.

Anyway, hopefully the Dodgers will win both of their first two games on the road against Philadelphia as they did against the Cubs. And hopefully they'll pile it on early against the Phillies on Sunday which will make it easier for me to go down the locker rooms and miss an inning or three of the game.

Whatever the case, I'm assuming a large portion of those in attendance at HDC will be following the Dodgers game in some fashion.