Random Sports Thoughts

Again? Wow!

The Sox traded for Scott Williamson. I think this is a GREAT trade. He's got a great arm, he's another great set-up guy who also gives them flexibility if they need to move Kim to the rotation, or if Kim struggles. Another good move by the Sox and Theo Epstein.

Since the bullpen started out the year as one of the worst in recent memory (of any team), they have added Kim, Sauerbeck, and Williamson. Those three guys alone with four others crubs would be world class. Throw in a non-overworked Mike Timlin, an on fire Alan Embree, and this team has the kind of bullpen you need to win in October.

These are the best in season moves the Sox have made for as long as I can remember. YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!

Round Up

Lots of little nuggets to cover, so let's get started.

----They found and idenitified the body of Patrick Dennehy. This comes right around the tenth year (I refuse to say anniversary) of Reggie Lewis' death. I was too young to remember Len Bias, but I can't imagine it being worse than when Reggie passed away. It's hard not to think of Reggie when you have to drive through Northeastern as much as I did this past year. His wife sucks. And if you don't know the story don't get mad at me for that comment. I hope someday, if the Celts win another championship, they remember their fallen captain someway. I don't want to discuss Reggie anymore, it still bothers me way too much.

----Steinbrenner said the Sox " haven't won anything yet." Well, aside from the last two games they played, no not really. But, I find it amusing that Georgey Porgey is worried enough this year that he felt the need to point it out. Didn't the Yankees used to just laugh at such notions that they could actually lose the division? Of course, the Yankees also didn't give up three run leads in the seventh before, so I guess the times they are a changin.

----The Reds fired Jim Bowden and Bob Boone. Apparently, all it takes to get fired these days is poor management and underachievment. Geez, what happened to the days when guy scould do a crap job and STILL keep their jobs? No word as to whether or not Reds management plans to shoot Ken Griffey Jr. in the back of the head.

----The Bruins, on the heels of Jonathan Girard's car crash and subsequent pelvic bone explosion, have signed Ian Moran to a one year deal. Good signing by the first round bound Bruins. Moran was a very good defenseman for them last year after they got him from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. Good, solid, stay at home defenseman who makes smart choices, and more importantly plays with an edge and meanness to him. He was one of the better players in the playoff loss to New Jersey. No comfirmation as to whether or not he too, along with Ted Donato, will compete for the starting goaltender job.

----The Patriots are without a doubt one of the top two or three most imporved teams in the National Football League this offseason. However, I am seriously worried about Tom Brady's shoulder which he injured in last year's final game versus Miami. I happen to know a little something about dislocated shoulders, and I know that they can be season killers. Let's just hope Brady's shoulder is okay because this is a legit Superbowl contender. Of course, on the plus, if Brady is hurt and the Patriots get sunk because of it, Michael Felger might kill himself. (That was awful, and if Michael Felger reads this, I don't really wish for your death, just for your never writing or speaking about sports again. But at least your wife is good looking.)

----Did I mention the Bruins signed Ted Donato? Because that wasn't a joke, or at least, not an intentional one by Mike O'Connell.

YES!

Friggin awesome win by the Sox. And although I was wrong and Weaver pitched well, the Yankees bullpen alone should give Sox fans hope for this year.

VARITEK!

And the Next Is Just A Little Bit Further

----Lance did it baby! Of course, he won by just about a minute, whereas his other four wins were by at least 6. But, a win is a win is a win, and here's looking forward to next year's attempt at history.

----Tonight's Red Sox/Evil Empire game really is a big game. Forget that it'll get the Sox to within 1 and 1/2 back, it is more psychological for the Sox and more importantly, Sox fans, whos collective ill thinking always helps in the August downfall. Well, that and past Dan Duquette trades. Dante Bichette might be available this year, I'm not certain. Good news for Sox fans? Jeff Weaver is starting for the Yankees. I couldn't get anyone to confirm that if he gives up more than 4 runs tonight that Steinbrenner is going to bring him out to Green Monster and throw him off. But here's hoping!

You Win Some...

HUGE series between the Sox and Yanks starts tonight with Pedro beating the 83-year-old David Wells. This will be win one in a three game sweep by the Sox. And that isn't even my boldest prediction for the series. John Burkett will pitch very well tomorrow and Mussina will FINALLY be figured out by the Sox hitters. They won't roast him, but they will get to him for four or five runs. YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!

Now, I may not have been entirely right on the three game sweep, and I may have had a violent, angry reaction to yesterday's loss. But did I call today's game or what?

YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!

(Yes, I am a typical Red Sox fan. But yesterday KILLED me. And If I could have found B Kim, Ida killed him too.

Best trade the Sox made this season? Letting the Yanks trade for Armando Benitez. Thanks a lot Brian Cashman!

Same Old Song and Freaking Dance

Sometimes I HATE being a Red Sox fan.

Fact: Pedro Martinez didn't even pitch seven innings. Why? He threw 49 pitches through two innings.

Fact: Pedro gave up runs in the 6th and 7th in what had been a one run game. Aces don't do that in huge games.

Fact: Kim gave up the go ahead run in the 9th. Good closers don't do that.

Fact: The Yankees gave up a ton of walks and a ton of hits and the sox only managed 3 measly runs. Good teams capitalize in big games.

Fact: Same old song.

Fact: Same old dance.

This sucks.

Let's Rock And Roll

----HUGE series between the Sox and Yanks starts tonight with Pedro beating the 83-year-old David Wells. This will be win one in a three game sweep by the Sox. And that isn't even my boldest prediction for the series. John Burkett will pitch very well tomorrow and Mussina will FINALLY be figured out by the Sox hitters. They won't roast him, but they will get to him for four or five runs. YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!

----Kobe Bryant bought his wife a four millions dollar ring, making the young 19-year-old in Colorado the most expensive one night stand ever.

Oh, plus she charged him with rape.

----Rob Neyer is in Cambridge Saturday night. Anyone else interested? No word as to whether or not Bill James will be there to massage Rob during the process.

----The Bruins signed Ted Donato by the way. Excuse me while I throw up.

Veto

Fantasy baseball plagues my life. I think about it when I am online. I think about it when I am watching baseball games. I think about it when I see the other players in my league. Sometimes, if I spend the time right before sleep speaking about it, I dream about it.

Being in two daily transactions fantasy baseball leagues is like signing over 190 days of your life a year to a job you will never fully get repaid for if you do it right. And that is what it comes down too, doing it right. Because if you want to win, you have to make sure you are always following the new fantasy news, knowing when to pick up a Justin Speier or Mike Lincoln (if you know those two names you are either a fantasy baseball player or from Colorado and Pittsburgh, repectively.)

Why do it? Well, it's a combination of two things. Loving sports and loving gambling. Too love both, you must love competition, and fantasy baseball combines them into one massive endeavour that can easily consume you. Much like I enjoy poker because I have have more control over whether I win or lose than say blackjack, with fantasy baseball I make the decisions.

And that's why I hate Ken Griffey Jr so much, because I made a choice to believe in him, and he screwed me. Much like fantasy baseball is screwing up a large part of my life.

Of course, I'll do it again next year, and the year after that, and so on and so on. You know why?

I'm an idiot.

Only The Bruins Don't Make Trades

----The Sox traded Brandon Lyon and a minor leaguer for Scott Sauerbeck and a minor leaguer. Good deal for the Sox. Lyon is a good ball player who might have a good future, but the Sox needed a lefty specialist a lot more than they needed another struggling right-handed relief pitcher (we've had enough of those this year). This is the kind of move you have to make if you want to win the division.

----Lance is still in first, except this year the win isn't yet guaranteed. Check back on the last day of the race. I will not be betting against him though, not after four wins in Le Tour De France and one win over cancer.

----Attention all non-Boston sports writers and even some Boston sports writers. Fenway Park is cool once. Cool twice. Maybe cool three times. Then it becomes cramped, smelly, and hard to get a ticket too. Tear it down! Tear it down! Stop advocating NOT tearing it down. You aren't helping us and this isn't your park anyway, it's ours, and most of us hate it. All Boston fans should be forced to see a game in Camden Yards, that way the returning riot will just tear Fenway Park down itself.

----Anyone else get the feeling that Derek Lowe is read to just go on a run? Shh, the Sox suddenly have decent pitching. Shh.

----Montreal is out of the race, right? And Javier Vazquez is arbitration eligible, right? Forget what I just said, paging Javier.

Go To Hell Byron Scott

Remember when Byron Scott called Boston a racist town and said that Boston fans were crazy?

If you don't remember, here is a reminder.

Well, guess what everyone. Apparently he didn't mean it. Here are some things he recently said to the Boston Herald.

``I've learned from the best - from Pat Riley - and his thing was to take pressure away from his players, and it worked pretty well. But I think Boston is one of the greatest cities in the United States - one of the best cities to play in, with some of the greatest fans. They're very knowledgeable. It wasn't meant to offend anyone. It was just meant to put the focus on me.''

It wasn't meant to offend anyone? You mean it wasn't meant to offend Boston as a city and specifically Boston fans? Give me a friggin break. He knew exactly what he was doing, he knew exactly what it meant, he knew exactly why it was a big deal, and he knew exactly why it would be effective, because it would hurt people.

"Hopefully it didn't open up old wounds. I could just as easily have said the same things about New Jersey, or Los Angeles. I was just trying to take the focus off my players.''

As a Boston fan, I do discriminate against players of different color. If they are playing the Celts, and they aren't green, I don't like them. If they are playing the B's and don't wear black and gold, I probably hate them. And so on and so on.

Byron Scott went too far, and the sad thing is that even if he didn't mean those things, you don't use the race card for something as frivilous. It takes away from the importance of true race issues. It's the old boy crying wolf thing. And when Byron "Laker in the 80's" Scott cries wolf, it only hurts those really bit by racial prejudice.

And what would have happened if a white coach said that a city made white players feel uncomfortable? He would have been LAMBASTED. Double standards.

I can't wait till Scott gets fired.

"It's a long flyball, deep to left......"

Many sportswriters seem to be cynical and angry. As though spending thirty years being paid to follow games that they would watch anyway is just too much. But the older I get, and I'm still young, the more I understand.

Sports, by nature, is negative. Each year for each sport there is only one champion. That means all things considered, you have a 29 in 30 chance of being a loser. And yes, I mean you, and not just the team. Sure, you might not miss any tackles, and you might not misjudge any flyballs, but you also didn't get paid for those errors. You actually paid to see them. So, at season's end you've given time, effort, money, thought, and anything else you can to support your team. What are you left with?

Nothing.

No banners, no parades, no drunken celebrations of pure bliss. You get to watch other cities that you just know aren't as deserving bask in the glow that is winning, while you curse SportsCenter for showing it over and over again. Yet, there you are again, the very next year saying the same foolishly optimistic things you said a year before.

"I think our defense is really gonna surprise people."

"If so-and-so can make it back by the All-Star game we can make a run."

Blah, blah, blah. 29 other cities are saying the same things, and only one of you can be right.

So, when you think about it, it's easy to see why years and years of being a loser and paying to be a loser and caring about losers can get to you. Thirty years of following losers is a long time, and it breeds contempt, and it breeds cynicism, and it breeds pessimism.

But yet, we all keep doing it. We all keep rooting. And why? Because it's the losing the makes the winning worth it.

You keep getting kicked down, by bad luck, bad calls, bad trades, bad owners, bad managers, bad coaches, bad arenas, bad everything. Except for that one time when it all goes right! Everything falls into place as though Destiny herself were serving the drinks as you watched the games.

Overtime coin flips go your way. 9th inning comebacks become commonplace. And during it, all the bad from the past losing washes away like dirt from a child's hands. The money, time, effort, headaches, heartache, they all become speedbumps on the path to the parade in downtown. And when the clock hits zero, and you're the winner, and everyone else is the loser, it all makes sense. This is why I care. This is why I follow.

I hope as I get older I don't get overwhelmed by all the bad in sports. Like life, it is much easier to dwell on what is wrong, and to forget that there is far more good than bad. You just need to hold onto it, and remember that one time, you won't be the fool who's optimistic, you'll be the fan who finally was rewarded.

If I am still writing about sports in thirty years, I hope I don't forget that. And I hope that it means as much to me. Because God knows it is all worth it. It is really that good. This is why I care.

Royal Pain In Jeremy Wahlman's........

How in the hell is the Kansas City Royals lead in the American League Central NOT the biggest story in baseball right now? Is it because people keep thinking that they will eventually fall back to Earth? Well, guess what, that kind of stuff happens in May, it's almost August and this team is up by 6 and a half games.

6 and a half!

And while it is not impossible for them to lose first place and not make the playoffs, or even play 500 baseball, chances are that this will be the American League Central representative.

Why is this?

1) Luck. The Royals are about even in runs scored and runs allowed, which would indicate a 500 record (and I think even that is playing over their heads). See Rob Neyer's webpage for more on this.

2) The poor play of the Twins and White Sox. Paging Bartolo Colon to Boston.

So, the Royals have been a lucky team that hasn't had to deal with any serious threat (yet.) But let's give credit where credit is due. The players still had to go out and win games, and win them they did. I just hope they can keep it up, it would be an amazing story, and they would be the easiest opponent the Sox could face in the playoffs.

I mean, Jose Lima? I thought he died.

Follow Up to Previous Entry

This link should at least make clear that Yoshitake Maeda's obesity PROBLEM did nothing to help his heart situation. And while it is very possible that he could have been a perfectly healthy 15-year-old and died from this (I had a friend die at 19 of heart disease), all we know for CERTAIN is that he did die of it and he wasn't close to healthy.

6'2 or not, 308 pounds is too much at 15; and I am sure that he was still trying to gain weight, I mean, he did want to be a Sumo wrestler.

Also, how can anyone justify allowing a young kid to do that to himself? Ancient sport or not, we know better now, or at least we should. Long term (or in this case, short term), someone has to realize this isn't healthy and he isn't at the right age to make that decision himself.

This may have been a heart defect he was born with, it may have been one he developed. Regardless, this is really a shame and I don't think anyone could argue that his weight could be anything but harmful.

More Sad News

A 15-year-old Sumo Wrestler died of heart disease.

Here's a quote from the ESPN report:

"'There were no signs of any problems with Maeda when he was examined as a new wrestler. In the future we would like to carry out stricter examinations,'" the association's head medical official Hiroyuki Yoshida, was quoted as saying."

No signs? No signs!!!!????!!!!

What bout the fact that he was 15 and weighed 308 pounds!!! You think that might be indicative of future health problems? Although I am sure that there is some joke to be made here, I don't find anything about this funny. It's sad, pathetic and infuriating. You want to be a Sumo wrestler, fine, do whatever the hell you want, eat yourself to death, what do I care. But how in the HELL can you let this happen to a 15-year-old kid.

What a friggin waste.

Bryant Charged

Kobe Bryant has been charged with sexual assault, a felony.

Unbelievable.

This is huge news. On every level. We aren't just discussing a basketball player who is considered clean cut and well-behaved, or just another great player, but one of the biggest and most well known athletes in the country. This is the guy who was supposed to be the next Jordan for Christ sakes.

Hopefully he's innocent, maybe he's not. Either way, I feel awful about it. And not because I know Kobe or feel bad for him, but I feel bad for sports and I feel bad for humanity. This sucks.

Griffey, I Wish I Hardly Knew Ye

----For something like the 19th straight season, Ken Griffey Jr is out for the year. People forget that he was considered the best player in baseball for like most of the 90's, and people also thought that would be true for the next ten. But injuries, injuries, injuries, and some wimpyness have totally derailed him on his way to 756 homeruns.

I've constantly debated that he is already a Hall of Famer if he retired today. And here is why. Aside from already having great numbers, this guy wasn't just very good, but the best (or at least top, 2 Barry Bonds was pretty good in the 90's as well) in baseball, and that counts for a whole lot. If Kirby Puckett is a Hall of Famer, Ken Griffey Jr is a no brainer.

However, today, I hate Ken Griffey Jr because my outfielders are already pretty weak on my fantasy baseball team. I WASTED a 7th round pick on him. So screw you Ken Griffey Jr, screw you.

----Also, although I didn't watch it because it is the worst thing on ESPN besides WNBA games, I did see Carmelo Anthony's acceptance speech at the ESPY's. Will Smith did that years ago at the MTV Movie Awards and it was funnier. But still, Carmelo was cool and there was enough smiling to pull it off. Can we get some commercials with him and Kevin Garnett, now that would be comedy.

----I watched some of the Pete Rose trial. Johnny Cochrane's case was almost non-existant. I'll probably write about Pete Rose next week. Either that or I'll post a column about him that I wrote 9 months ago. Simply put, he cleary bet on baseball, and he pretty clearly bet on his own games. Case closed. Plus he's a schmuck, so why anyone defends him is beyond me. Well, not Cochrane, I mean he defended O.J. and all he did was bet he could kill two people and get away with it.

Maybe the Ratings Would Have Been Better if Ricky Played

----The All Star Game ratings barely went up. Good thing they didn't do something ridiculous to make people watch. I mean, imagine if they had put something important at stake. In all seriousness, I hated this idea from the start, I still hate it (although I am happy that the Sox will have homefield advantage), and I will hate it next year as well.

How in the hell can Bud Selig really try to say that MLB needs to know which league will host the World Series because they need to book hotels? That means, at the start of the playoffs they have four cities all planned for. Well, how hard is it to plan for four more? I'll call if he wants me too. I mean, the NBA and NHL do it, and so does the NFL (the AFC and NFC championship games can each be in up to three cities the week before.) Why is that these leagues don't have "logistical nightmares" but apparently, MLB would? If MLB wants to tell me it's because Bud Selig is an idiot, well then, I guess I'd have to believe them.

----The question of why there aren't more black players in baseball has been coming up the last few days. If baseball figures it out, can they please let the NHL know, because they have been having that problem for YEARS.

(I think it is simply a fact that baseball isn't very appealing to young people, and that it is very hard to get a pickup game of baseball in the inner-cities. To play baseball you need not only a ball, but a bat and a glove for each kid. Football requires just one ball, and basketball requires just one ball and 10 pairs of $150 Allen Iverson sneakers.)

No one mentions, however, that the game's most dominant player is black. (Probably cause no one likes him.)


----The Red Sox apparently want Jeff Suppan. ...........................................................

..............................

Nope, I just can't get that excited about it.


----Ricky Henderson has signed with the Dodgers. This makes Ricky the oldest player in the major leagues since Satchel Paige started a game at the ripe old age of 82. Ricky doesn't like when people make fun of Ricky.

----Since I haven't touched upon it yet....Shea Hillenbrand, shut up.

"I'm Gonna Buy You A Pizza"

Red Sox Nation would like to formally thank both Hank Blalock and Eric Gagne for making this year's home ballpark in the World Series Fenway Park.

It will be that much better to see the Sox win it at home.

Also, good article today in the Globe by Peter May ripping the new Celtics ownership for being as stingy as the last. Hey guys, my mom works for one of your owners, I KNOW you have money to spend. So spend it. Paging Andre Miller. (Oh, sorry, we have Marcus Banks now. Gee golly!)

Also, points to anyone who gets this entry's title.

Ah, Good

It appears my blog is back to working correctly, comment system and all. a new and fancier look with thank yous to Jeremy Walhman and especially Casey Dugan who helped me work on it since I am an html retard.

A couple of things:

----Barry Zito was removed from the All-Star team without being consulted or even informed. Bad enough, but worse is that they replaced him with the Fat Hick, the Texas Conman, Roger Clemens. No word as of yet if Roger has collected on his All-Star bonus of his weight in BBQ sauce and three sides of beef. Die Clemens, die.

----Does anyone else think that San Antonio would be wise to not make any real moves this offseason, forego this year, and wait till next year to sign Kevin Garnett? What would be the over under on championships for them over the next decade? 5? 6?

----Larry Bird is the man in Indiana now. You know, if Isiah Thomas was white, he'd be just another terrible coach. Kudos to you if you get the reference. Paging Rick Carlisle.

----Rush Limbaugh on Sunday Night Countdown. Whatever.

This friggin blog is already acting up.

That Not a sport one should never have been published (and I didn't publish it), because it is rambling, incomplete and unfinished. Disregard it.

Also, for some reason my comment system is down.

Real nice.

Hit Me, C'mon Hit Me

Just watched a pretty entertaining fight between Vernon Forrest and Ricardo Mayorga (Mayorga won in a majority decision, which was correct in my humble opinion.)

Here's the best thing boxing could do to return to prominence: Air the fights on basic cable. Everytime you have a big fight, let the promoter auction it off to the stations, instead of having people pay for it on Pay-Per-View. Let NBC or ABC or Fox pay for the rights, let them sell of commercials pre and post fight, and strategically placed ads during the fight, and let us enjoy it for free. What would the rating be on basic cable for the Lewis-Klitschko rematch? They'd be enormous. Because let's face it, there is nothing that quite matches two guys punching each other in the face.

Can you imagine the promos for these fights? They could intercut scenes from Rocky IV into the Lewis-Klitschko ads.

:Shot of the Russian:

:Shot of Ivan Drago:

"If he dies, he dies."

:Shot of Lewis:

:Shot of Ivan Drago:

"He is not a man, he is like a piece of iron."

Sorry, I am always looking for an excuse to reference Rocky.

Which reminds me, highlight of the match goes to Mayorga who at one point took a page right out of the Rocky book and was actually egging Forrest to punch him, unprotected. He did it three times! It was surreal.

I Hear Ted Williams is Available

First Kariya and Selanna, now Payton and Malone. Since when did it not become about the money? What is going on in professional sports?

Rumor has it that the Lakers are also going to sign Ernie Banks and Dan Marino to come off the bench. When reached for comment Banks said, "I hate to leave the great city of Chicago, and well, the great game of baseball, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to ride Shaq's motivated coattails to my first and only, cheap title. Oh, not that Payton and Malone are doing that."

Hey, L.A., Vin Baker hasn't won a title yet either, why not take him also. Please?

Giving Titles A Shot

A couple of quick thoughts on some Boston sports news:

---Jason Varitek was finally (and rightfully) elected to the All Star team via the internet and it's 32nd man election. Now I don't know if he is more deserving than Giambi and Thomas, two of the guys he beat out, but I do know he is as deserving. A great case can be made that he deserves to start, and I don't think a case can be made that he isn't at least the second best catcher in the American League so far this season. And how in the hell did Ramon Hernandez get elected by the players anyway? Did Oakland vote twice? So good for Jason, and good for the Boston fans who for the second straight time got another Red Sock on the roster.

---Don Sweeney has signed a one year deal with the Dallas Stars, ending his career with the Bruins. The Bruins told them they weren't going to re-sign him and were offering him a job within the organization, but he decided he'd rather play one more year. Now anybody who reads the globe and Kevin Paul Dupnt might thnk that this was a bad move (Dupont apparently bought stock in the Don Sweeeny Corp.), but it is not. Sweeney is done! D-U-N, done! For the past two seasons he has been a huge weak spot on the Boston blueline. Considering how small he is (and that Ray Bourque left town) Sweeney has been exposed as having been old, undersized, and slow. His game was always quickness and toughness. And while the toughness might still have been there, the speed was woefully not. And Dupont liked to say his savvyness made him a good choice back there, but I can't even begin to tell you how many goals were scored because he was out of position, especially in front of the net. I'm actually quite impressed that he even managed to play these last few seasons with the giant fork in his back. So, Donny, thanks for some good years, good luck, and don't forget to cover your man in front.

---I don't care if Kim struck him out, why in the hell do you pitch to Carlos Delgado in the 9th, with one out and a man on second in a one run game? Why even give the hottest hitter in the American League a chance to beat you? I have a feeling that unless the Sox make it to the World Series or come very close to winning the American League Championship Series, that Grady Little will not be the manager next year. I hear Joe Torre may be available if the same thing happens to the Yankees. Personally, I'd rather get Piniella out of Tampa Bay. He would become a GOD in this city.

Once again, race and sports come together and baffle me.

Dusty Baker said that he thought black and latin players were better suited to play in the hot sun than white players because of the darkness of their skin. Yeah, of course. Why do you think humans evolved into different skin colors, because different colors were more conducive to living conditions. Last time I checked Africa was pretty hot.

This doesn't make Dusty Baker a racist. Who do you think is gonna make it longer at the beach, the black guy or the Irish guy? The Brazilian or the Frecnhmen? Exactly. I hate stuff like this.

Here's an idea to make people care about the MLB All-Star game. Instead of having it determine homefield adavantage in the World Series, why not have it determine who lives or dies?

The losing team's manager and losing pitcher both get killed right there on the spot at game's conclusion, with up to 5 other players randomly being chosen to die regardless of whether or not they played (that way they don't try to get out of it by sitting).

And here's the best part, 5 MORE player's get randomly killed during the rest of the season, that way tickets sales for each team will increase. How valuable would your ticket stub be for the game where Jim Edmonds was hung from the foul pole? This means of course that interleague play should happen AFTER the All-Star game, we wouldn't want the fans of either league left out just because their team won.

..........

In case you can't tell, I think this All-Star idea is stupid. But what do you expect from Bud Selig.

Oh, and Jason Varitek got screwed.

Five summers ago Lance Armstrong was about to win his first Tour De France and the best part was that I was watching every minute of it. I am a night person, and during the summers my average bed time is four or five in the morning. Now, I didn't care about cycling, but what I did care about was that an American had a chance to win it. I could never remember hearing anything but foreign names on SportsCenter when it came to the Tour De France and I wanted to see an American win (my apologies to Greg Lemond, the first American Tour de France Champion). So every night I would go to sleep watching Lance Armstrong increase his lead, getting more excited with each passing day, and more nervous. The weird part was that I felt at times like I was the only one watching him. It was 3 in the morning, it was across the Atlantic, and it was cycling. I STILL think I was the only one watching. I should have just thrown on a blue U.S. Postal team shirt and been pouring water on my face topped with my pointy helmet. I was a part of this. And watching it live is unmatchable. (Something the executives of television should think about when they screw up the Olympics over and over again.)

It's funny, watching sports live on television. Those of us who care enough in the first place feel like we can will what we want. Maybe if we all want something hard enough it'll go through the screen, or just affect someone who affects someone who in a second affects the outcome. Now I am not stupid enough (please) to say this is possible. But I am not smart enough to say it is impossible either. Watching Lance Armstrong at three in the morning for three weeks was amazing. And it was only bettered by the fact that I was the only one doing it and possibly helping him.

I, of course, learned about his battle with cancer, it made the story only better. But to be honest, with the flag on his arm, I was hooked anyway.

When Lance Armstrong tries for his record-tying fifth title this month, I will be watching again. But not as much. I have a job and I need more than three hours of sleep. But I do know that lots of other people will be watching and I feel good about it. Hopefully they can throw on their blue jerseys and will their way across the Atlantic to some steep mountaintop in France that would make me tired if I took an escalator up it.

Good luck Lance.

------------

On a related note, I wonder how the French will treat Lance. The same French that have accused Lance of using illegal drugs. (Lance Armstrong was recently called "the most tested athelete alive.") They treated Serena Williams like she was a mortal enemy during the French Open when she was playing a Belgium player, imagine what they will do to a guy who just OWNS their own prestigous race. I'm sure they will bring up Lance is from Texas. I hate people sometimes. He'll stupidly getted booed, Americans will call them "Freedom Fries" again, and we'll all look stupid. Ah nothing like good o'le fashioned nationalism to get the old retard juices flowing.

ESPN.com is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche have signed both Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya to one year deals.

As a Bruins fan this bothers me because they are both good players who won't be playing for Boston (as usual), but what is weird about this is that they signed for less money than the market would dictate. Selanne for about half a mill less than the option he had on his old contract with the San Jose Sharks and Paul Kariya for only 1.2 million!

Why is that a HUGE deal? Well, he made 10 million last year, and his own team was willing to resign him for 7 million.

We always say how we don't want athletes to be about the money, but that is only true when it comes to our favorite teams, not other teams. I wanted Paul Kariya to sign with the Bruins for 1.2 million, not the already loaded Colorado Avalanche who already have the world's best player.

Geez, I may not like greed but at least I can respect that. How they hell am I suppose to respect this? Gah!

Actually, this makes Paul Kariya the Anti-Fat Hick (aka Roger "Moneysign" Clemens) and I can't really be anything but in awe of him for doing this for what seems to be the purest of reasons, wanting to win a Stanley Cup Championship, but it doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.

Hello and welcome to my own personal blog. My goal for this blog is to improve my writing and my dedication to it. You won't find many lengthy articles, but rather quick random thoughts I have about the world of sports. For those of you who care I am a Boston sports fan, which means I am passionate, loyal but very cynical. I am starting this in July, which means in about a month everything should be going to hell with the Red Sox and I will get much angrier. Regardless, I hope you find some interesting comments here that you haven't thought of or at least some that will make you laugh. And while I am usually very topical there are just two issues that I would like to comment on very quickly that have occured this summer.

Annika Sorenstam finished 96th at the Colonial Country Club in March playing against men. Now, this might be an achievement if the field was 300 deep, but it wasn't, and she only beat 11 men. Now I don't mean to undermine what she did and God knows she did it under extreme circumstances that most golfers will never come close to playing under. But let's not forget a few facts. 1) She is the BEST female golfer in the world. Hell, she might be the best female golfer ever, so this wasn't exactly Jane Doe who was thrust out into the spotlight. 2) She played this course because it wasn't terribly long for a men's course. Long for her, yes, long for the PGA, no. So, the best female golfer alive hand picks a course and finishes 96th (a number of the top players in the world didn't play in this tournament either) and she doesn't make the cut and I am supposed to accept that she proved she can "play with the boys." Nah, sorry, don't see it. If anything, she disappointed me. I thought she would crack the top 75. Maybe on another weekend she would, maybe even the top 50, but I can't imagine her being able to crack the top 120 over the course of an entire PGA season. So congratulations to Annika for having the fortitude to go through with this and not embarrass herself, but she did exactly what most people figured she would: proved that the best pro female golfer isn't as good as the worst pro male golfer. Nothing wrong with that, but don't get mad at me for not getting giddy about it either. Call me in 7 years when Michelle Wie tee's it up at Augusta.

Sammy Sosa. Gah. I don't know if Sammy was lying or not and at this point I don't care. But what I do care about is how people said "If this was Mark Mcgwire people would have gone easier on him." Huh, did I miss something? Let me start by saying I don't like Mcgwire, but if he got caught using a corked bat he would have been RIPPED apart, and justly so. The reason it was so bad with Sammy wasn't because of his skin color, but because of how much people LOVE him. He is/was one of the most popular athletes in America. Imagine if Lance Armstrong got caught cheating, people would be devasted/shocked/appaled/sad. For people like Pedro Martinez and the ever respectable Jose Canseco to say that it was a racial thing undermines true racial problems when they happen. I call this "Ralph Wiley" syndrome. Maybe Sammy did it on purpose, maybe he didn't, but either way he got treated exactly how ANYONE in his position would be treated. And his position isn't Black-Dominican player, but Beloved Major League Baseball Player.