There’s a certain excitement for any baseball fan when the phrase “magic number” is said in their team’s circle. That means the division is just about to be wrapped up (or might be if they don’t screw up). I love counting down that magic number when my team is about to either wrap up the division or possibly steal it from another team.

It also means that October baseball is around the corner and it’s about as exciting as baseball gets. October 2010 was exciting for me as my beloved Giants won it all, I can only hope this October can be just as, if not, more exciting.

Upsets are bound to happen to just about any team in the NFL at any given time, and New England’s 20-18 loss at home against Arizona is the prime example. The Patriots only led once in this game and injuries and other mistakes cost New England the game. This is the first time the Patriots have lost their home opener at Gillette Stadium since it opened 10 years ago.

They are definitely learning early on this season that not everything is automatic in the beginning of the season. But give Arizona credit, they came in as 13 1/2 point underdogs and not only won but remain undefeated. I’m not saying the Cardinals are a threat to the 49ers to win the NFC West just yet, but they have beaten the reigning AFC Champions in their home turf and that can only fuel them from here on out.

It is very disappointing to see another NHL lockout present itself. While I don’t write about it often, I very much enjoy hockey. It is a very fun sport to watch,especially in person. I can’t believe that after being eight years removed from a lockout that cost an entire season that we’re here again. It looks bad when your sport has continuous work stoppages and labor issues can’t get resolved in a timely manner. I would say to the NHL to look to baseball and basketball about labor issues being unresolved, but hockey seems to be making things worse before they can get any better. They have written the book on what not to do about labor issues.

However, I do have faith that the current lockout won’t last an entire season. It will make matters worse and the fans that already have come back from the last lockout might be gone for good. I think the NHL’s aware that this lockout can’t last long.

One thing I think is uncalled for in the world of sports is asking fans of another team to abandon their fandom and join yours because their team is doing better than the other one.

Here’s what I am getting at: One friend of mine on Facebook said that Raiders fans should come aboard to be 49ers fans simple because the Raiders haven’t been doing well the last decade and the 49ers have had a recent surge of success despite having a career back-up quarterback as their starter.

Here’s where my friend and I differ, while I root for different teams than some of my friends, I would never under any circumstance ask them to join my side simply because it self-served me. I think doing so makes you a bad fan, but it also makes you a coward for giving up on the team you were rooting for. It also makes you a hardcore bandwagon fan,something I’ve rallied against.

If someone were to ask me to be a fan of another team,not only would I refuse to do so,I might punch them out. How dare you?

One thing that has become an epidemic that needs to stop yesterday is people who place hashtags on Facebook posts. I’m here to let everyone know that these don’t work on Facebook, they only work on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for playing!

I know that some people share their tweets on Facebook and their Instagram photos there as well and that’s fine. We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about hashtags on original Facebook postings. Putting a hashtag on a Facebook posting is like putting jet fuel in a Dodge Caravan, it just isn’t practical.

If we’re ever going to get this country’s head back in the game,this is one the things we need to stop doing. So please, before you post,make sure you know what social media site you’re on before placing said hashtag at the end.

By the way, you can catch me and my friend DJ Mappquest on Sports Madness, this Tuesday from 6-7pm Pacific Time on kssu.com, Sacramento State Student Radio.