Want Free Tickets To Missouri-Illinois? Then Show Up To Our Free Raffle Tomorrow At The Tin Can Downtown

There's always a catch.

Even when I recognize the catch, I look for another catch. I live with the mindset that someone is always trying to fuck me over. Always trying to take advantage of me. Always trying to work the catch over on me.

It's a pleasant way to go through life.

But, tomorrow at The Tin Can at 1909 Locust Street downtown, there is no catch. All you got to do is show up, and you've got a chance at walking out with two tickets to Missouri-Illinois. Here's the catch-free plan:

1. Show up at The Tin Can

2. Walk in the door

3. Receive a raffle ticket...FOR FREE...as you walk in the door

4. Enjoy the happy hour specials of $1.50 beers, $2 wells, and 1/2 off select appetizers.

5. And, every half hour starting at 5:30 all the way until 7:30, listen to hear if I call your raffle ticket number.

6. If I do, walk on up and collect two tickets to the Tigers and Illini.

7. That's all.

The fun and games---and drink specials---start at 5 p.m. and go until 8 p.m. tomorrow night at The Tin Can.

The insideSTL.com Pool Party And Fashion Show at The Four Seasons' Girl Next Door Poll

One of the strange things about starting a business, not knowing your ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to running a business, and then just trying to make it work somehow day in and day out is that you rarely stop and take a look back to see what's been accomplished.

Yesterday's column provided some perspective.

In the column---which you can check out if you missed it by clicking here---we listed the 13 GND's who will be participating in the Fashion Show Sunday. At this point, we have had something like 140 Girls Next Door since the contest began in January 2007. And, obviously, some stand out more than others. May not be polite to say that, but I'm not running for office, so there you have a dose of obvious, blunt truth.

But, the 13 ladies who were pictured yesterday and who will be walking the runway at the insideSTL.com Pool Party And Fashion Show at The Four Seasons Sunday were legitimately stunningly beautiful.

Nonetheless, because nothing can ever just be "nice," we had a poll on the right side of the page asking the fine readers which model they were most looking forward to seeing Sunday. And, just for shits and giggles, here are the top three:

1. Keri-July 2009 Girl Next Door Winner

2. Amee Lynn-August 2008 Girl Next Door Co-Winner

3. Devra-May 2008 Girl Next Door

You'll  get to see Keri, AmeeLynn, and Devra---along with News 4 This Morning's Virgina Kerr as our emcee and the other 9 lasses walking the runway---all Sunday afternoon at The Four Seasons.

Fantasy...Or October Reality?

Ask any Cardinal fan 32 years of age or older what the best playoff team has been since 1982, and you'll get a variety of answers. Most likely you'll hear 1985 or 2004 more than the other years...which is interesting since both 1982 and 2006 won the World Championship...but I would take the '85 and '04 squads over those teams, too.

But, I digress...

If you were to ask any Cardinal fan 32 years of age or older what the weakest playoff team has been since 1982, I bet the overwhelming majority would say the 1996 team.

The fact that that team---a team that had to send a rookie in Alan Benes to the mound in Game 6 and fucking Donovan Osborne to the mound in Game 7---was just one win away from going to the World Series is flat-out mind-boggling.

But, if that team could've held on to its 3-1 lead over the Braves, they would've set up the ultimate baseball nerd orgasm: Cardinals vs. Yankees in the World Series.

Since the implosion of October 1996, the Cardinals and Yankees have been on a collision course only two other times...when the Cardinals lost to the Mets in 2000...and then the Mets were murdered by the Yankees. And, of course, it looked inevitable in 2004...until the Yankees blew their 3-0 lead over the Red Sox.

This year, the Yankees have the best record in the game...and it looks as if they may just run away with baseball's most difficult division. Meanwhile, the Cardinals look like they could damn well be the best team in the National League when it's all said and done.

Now, courtesy of red hot wild cards in October, rarely have we seen the top seeds from each league meet in the World Series, but...just for the hell of it...I'd like to allow myself to fantasize about Chris Carpenter going up against C.C. Sabathia in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Albert Pujols vs. Alex Rodriguez. Tradition vs. Tradition. Midwest vs. East Coast. Good vs. Evil (honestly, I kind of like the Yankees...but I needed something to finish off my prose).

If you had to pick the two favorites to meet in the World Series right now, I think you'd have to pick these two.

Everybody stay healthy...and we'll have a 1964 rematch on our hands. And, to be honest, I don't know who would be the favorite. Finally, we might have a World Series go past Game 5 for the first time since 2003.

Cardinals vs. Yankees.

Euphoria.

Log-in to post your comments, or you can email me at tmckernan@insidestl.com.