Check Tim Blair's blog. The Australian cardinal is looking good. Next best thing to an American.

Pell's great, but not a realistic choice. No constituency.

"In an unexpected move, Ratzinger published a book in Germany on Wednesday..."

Is it really possible to publish a real book in a matter of days? Or was this publication date set well in advance, like most books, and this was just a coincidence, or was the date pushed up to take advantage of current events? And aren't publishers the one to make these decisions, not the authors?

So this statement is either incompetent reporting, or an attempt to insert the reporter's biases.

FWIW, tradesports.com is on the case.

For some reason this cracks me up, but their guess is as good as the pundits.

This whole discussion seems so..so.. sacrilegeous.

Having said that what is the present payoff on Ratzinger? I wouldn't mind taking the long-shot from Nigeria at say 50-1.

OJ:

Tim Blair says Pell's a soccer fan. That pretty much disqualifies him, no? ;-)

Well, if it's not an American he's going to be one, isn't he? Sad thought for the day: there'll never be a pope who doesn't throw like a girl.

The May Poles will not be happy.

Matt - No, I think Blair says he's an Australian footballer (i.e. rugby) - and the Europeans took that to mean soccer player.

I checked out Tradesports and Ratzinger has tripled, from 6% to 18%, in the last few days. Tettamanzi is crashing and Arinze sliding. Hummes and the Field are rising on a report that JPII stated that his preferred successor would be Dias, Hummes, or Scola.

Oh, if it's a reference to rugby then I'm down with it. Supposedly he's an athletic guy and he used to play the game (he was dogged by a sex abuse scandal but it sounds like the charges were bogus). Here's what Tim Blair says:

Pell’s unique papal qualifications include that he was the football tipster on a radio show I co-presented a few years ago. Match that, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi!

Tell me that's not cool.

Australian Rules Football is neither soccer nor rugby--it's really cool. That would be tolerable. Though he'd still throw like a girl.

What's wrong with throwing like a girl?

Nothing, as long as you are one.

Australian Rules Football or 'footy' is one of the great team sports ever invented. The successful player needs speed, strength, athleticism, toughness and a high degree of athletic intelligence.

Given the disclosures of the last couple of decades, I would think much of the American hierarchy do more than just throw like girls.

Do cricket bowlers throw like girls? I wouldn't think that they would.

They seem to like cricket down under.

Somewhat on topic:

When the Pope died one of the local channels here interviewed a woman from a southside polish parish where the Pope had spent several summers in the 1950s I think.

A buddy of his from seminary was a priest there. This woman said she'd see JP (or KW as he was then) out in the street in playing baseball with the local kids:

So maybe we've already had a pope who didn't throw like a girl!

Anybody listing odds on the next pope's name? I would expect the leading contender would be John Paul III, especially if it's Ratzinger or somone else who is in his 70s and wants to be seen as continuing current policies. Although... Sixtus VI has a certain appeal. Say that aloud without lisping.

I've occasionally been able to watch ARF and it seems like a great game. I'd ride the wave if it ever caught on in America.

We used to watch Aust. Rules Football all the time in college...great game.

I'm sticking w/Leo in the name game.

It is the Christian duty of African ministers to bring the Gospel to the heathens of Heathrow and the pagans of Paris.

It's a funny world.