'Twas but days before Christmas
So it's time to review
Of remarks in this space
And on W G N U

What a year this has been
With its twelve months of thrills
For the Rams and the Blues
For the Cards, Swarm, and Bills

A Super Bowl win
And the President's Cup
Playoff Baseball in autumn
Kept the Fans' Spirits Up

An I B L Title
March Madness Resumes
And the Best Sports Town Title
From our town's Sporting News

Hence, this is my mission
In these few hundred words
To start with this recap
Let's begin with the Birds

The Cardinals broke camp
For the New Year to start
But you must have a scorecard
To tell them apart

Vina, Kile and Hentgen
Matheny, Edmonds and Drew
There was only one Benes
But this year there's two.

So on April the 3rd
With Mac on the Bench
The Cards beat the Cubs
With Shots over the fence

And the long balls continued
Despite who they played
Setting club home run records
In April and May

Starting Pitching responded
They did not miss a turn
Give the ball then to Veres
For a save he could earn

Edmonds signed an extension
As did Renterria
Darryl Kile and Vina
Would also sign deals

As the Central Division
Was starting to die
The Birds were in First
On the Fourth of July

But then two days later
Something no one could see
Mark Mc Gwire went out
With an aching right knee

Thirty homers to date
Would just have to sit
As Big Mac was told
He could only pinch hit

The Cards started losing
Their bullpen would sink
Then a sweep by the Mets
Saw their lead start to shrink

Jason Christensen enters
By a Jocketty trade
But the season was sparked
By the next move he made.

We welcome Will Clark
To our team and our City
A slick fielding All Star
With a swing that's so pretty

The Thrill's gritty style
Provided the reason
For the Red Birds improvement
And to jump start their season.

Kile earned twenty wins
Edmonds' numbers soared higher
Garrett's seventeen wins
All without Mark Mc Gwire

With the Astros in town
Yes, that was the day,
When the Cardinals returned
To post season play

But whom will they meet
In that opening round?
Well, a Todd Helton homer
Sends Atlanta to town.

The team of the Nineties
Were the Cards first round foes
Maddux, Glavine and Rocker
Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones

But 2000 was different
As the Braves learned their fate
The Cards sent them home
In a sweep-in three straight

The Mets would be next
In the N L C S
Start spreading the news
They would be the league's best

After beating the Cards
In two straight at Busch
The Mets won two more
For a World Series push

So the Birds returned home
And then Will Clark retired
Pat Hentgen released
Surgery for Mc Gwire

Hence Cardinal fans everywhere
Are hoping to see
A couple more pitchers
'Neath their holiday tree

Let's now skate up ice
With the St. Louis Blues
A franchise best season
Provided big news

A total point record
The Boys of Coach Q
Earned 51 Wins
Goals against around two

The Captain, Chris Pronger
Kept the team on the mark
With his Plus 52
And his Norris and Hart

And then in mid-April
The Blues closed it up
Earning most total points
And the President's Cup

Home ice for the playoffs
Was the prize in this deal
The Road to the Cup
Must come now through Kiel

Local puck-heads were hopeful
Are the Blues on their way?
It will take sixteen wins
Starting with San Jose

The Sharks were eighth seeded
They lost more than they won.
So the Blues were strong favorites
To capture Round One

But this team by the Bay
Can play defense and score
As they sent the Blues reeling,
Winning Three out of Four

Then the Blues won two straight
To even the deal
Home Ice is a factor
Game Seven's at Kiel

But in that finale
The Sharks got it done
The Blues look for tee times
As they lost three to one

Then the Hockey Fans screamed
"Someone just has to pay,
How can best overall
Now be done before May?"

"Larry Pleau has to go
He just sat on his hands
Quenneville didn't react
He got out-coached again"

But the Front Office calmly
Addressed all those shrills
Signing first year free agents
Dallas Drake and Sean Hill

And then to confirm
Their commitment was real
The Blues and Chris Pronger
Agreed to a deal

Brent Johnson now joins
Roman Turek in goal
And it's now Savvis Center
Kiel's naming rights sold

It has been a good start
For the Blues in this fall
Scott Young's scoring goals
Most wins overall

Hence Blues Fans still wonder
As Christmas draws near
With dreams of the Cup
Will this be the year?

Let's now set our sights
To the St. Louis Rams
Just twelve months ago
They're the talk of the land

This joke of the Nineties
Made up for their sins
Earning Home Field Advantage
With thirteen league wins

First up were the Vikings
With Carter and Moss
You must win the first one
Cause you're out with one loss.

At the end of one half
The Rams trailed by three
Tony Horne took the kickoff
For a run-back T D

Kurt Warner then made
The nation believers.
Throwing five touchdown strikes
To all different receivers.

When the final gun sounded
The town was in heaven
Final: Rams Forty-Nine
And the Vikes Thirty-Seven

Next up Tampa Bay
For the Super Bowl Trip
The crew is quite strong
On this Buccaneer Ship

The Tampa Bay defense
Stopped the Rams in each drive
With just five minutes left
The Bucs led six-five

Then Warner took over
Six points was his goal
A Thirty-Yard Strike:
Touchdown by Ricky Proehl

The Rams defense held
Tampa Bay couldn't score
Next stop is Atlanta
Super Bowl Thirty-Four

The Tennessee Titans
Would be the last team
To stand in the way of
The Impossible Dream

In that first half in Dixie
No touchdowns were scored
Only kicker Jeff Wilkins
Would put points on the board

But the Titans would tie it
As three minutes remain.
Then the Rams took the lead
On only one play.

It was Warner to Bruce
For the go ahead score
It's now up to the defense
To give up no more

But Mc Nair threw to Dyson
To the St. Louis One
Mike Jones made the tackle
At the game's final gun.

Their mission was finished
And the season's now capped
The St. Louis Rams
Are the Super Bowl Champs.

A parade the next day
Through the streets of downtown
But then two days later
Dick Vermeil would step down.

Mike Martz became Coach
The transition's complete
But the football world wondered
Can these guys repeat?

In the fall of Two Thousand
The Rams won six straight
Will they go undefeated?
That's the raging debate
But a trip to K C
Produced Loss Number One
It would only get worse
In the next weeks to come

Dropped passes and fumbles
Missed tackles and blocks
Silly penalties followed
They can't manage the clock.

In the next seven games
Losses mounted to five.
The Rams playoff hopes
Were just barely alive.

Then with three weeks remaining
The Rams returned home
They beat Minnesota
Marshall Faulk owned the Dome

The Rams hit the road
For the Saints, Tampa Bay
They must win them both
To clinch post-season play

But the Rams lost in Tampa
They failed this test
Just win in New Orleans
And then hope for the best

Hence P S L Rams Fans
As Christmas draws near
Dream of touchdowns and playoffs
And thoughts of last year

March Madness Returned
For Mizzou and the Bills
With two first year coaches
You provided us thrills

Good Luck Gary Pinkel
Taking over Mizzou
Seal off all those borders
You've got much work to do

Congrats to the Swarm
In their first year in town
Their basketball talents
Earned an I B L Crown

To the Steamers and Rascals
Otters and Renegades,
Continued Success
As you hone all your trades.

With the new year approaching
Fans ask throughout town
Will the Rams make the playoffs?
Can they turn it around?

Will the Cardinals repeat?
Is their pitching on track?
Or another six months
Of just watching Mac?

Can the Blues keep it going?
With their style and play.
Will hockey fans see
This team play in late May?

But me, I just thank you
for taking the time.
For reading my pieces
and especially this rhyme.

So St. Louis Sports Fans
Join the holiday mode.
Merry Christmas from the Huss Clan
and we'll see you down the road!!!!