Cashing in the paycheck for nothing but ones

Happy Friday to all....I just want you all to know that I have really enjoyed blogging for you guys this week. I know that I am no sports expert like the Sturminator, but I have read some of your comments and I appreciate some of the kind words. Doing this has even made me kick around the idea of doing my own blog on a regular basis....Anyway, we are all gearing up for the weekend and there are a number of things to touch on the sportspage....


With the 34th pick in the NBA Draft the Dallas Mavericks select Nick Fazekas out of Nevada

I like this pick....a lot....I know that some might wonder why the Mavs went and got another big scoring white guy that is a little iffy on the defensive end. However, I had a chance to catch this guy a few times this past February and March when the Tournaments got cranked up and I was instantly impressed with his shooting touch and his mobility for his size. This guy was the best player in his conference, which is never a bad decision on draft night. Fazekas averaging 20 points and 11 boards with Nevada last season....and yes you can question the WAC's talent level....but good fundamental skills show up in any conference and this guy has them.....

Besides Austin Croshere and Keith Van Horn are likely gone, so this was a smart pick as he can probably fill their roles eventually.


It was great when we noticed that the Mavs were staying out of the 1st round and Dallas was stayingput at 34....I was worried that the freaking Spurs or Suns would take him, but he fell right in our laps, and I think we are lucky for it....We took some Euro with Seibutis, who might be here one day after a few more years overseas, but I love that we were able to steal Rayshawn Terry as late as we did.

I love me some UNC players. Especially those who stayed 4 years and were coached in one of the most high profileprograms in the nation....A buddy of mine was very happy about this pick, and I have to credit him for saying that Rayshawn Terry has been on the national stage for so long that he is not going to have the typical rookie nerves and has been prepping to thrive at this level....The majority of Tar Heels transition to the NBA very well, especially ones that are 6'8" and are tremendous athletes....I can always use that on my bench.

All in all good draft Mavericks....considering you stayed the course you picked up a few usable parts.


As expected Oden goes #1

This was probably the smart thing to do but I still think that Kevin Durant is going to real bad-ass in the Association.....Portland was very active this draft and they pretty much overhauled their roster picking up a number of talented picks besides Oden, and the shipped Zach Randolph to the Knicks for Cahnning Frye and Steve Francis, whic surprised me a bit....and I thought the Morning News had a good article about all of it from David Moore


This year, unlike last, was very light on the amound of trades on draft night...There is only one that bugged me as a Mavericks fan. I am a huge Brandan Wright fan and I was thrilled that Charlotte took him as they seemed to continue their Tar Heel drafting philiosophy, but then midway through the night Wright is sent to the flippin' Warriors for Jason Richardson....and I couldn't beleive it. This helps the Mavs in the short-term because JR kills Dallas, but I hate that a guy that I really like watch playing go to a team that I now despise after this past postseason. Sucks, but keep and eye out for Brandon Wright folks....

Also I think that it doesn't boed well for the Mavies that The Utah Jazz who are just going to get better in the future picked up one of the best shooters available in Morris Almond out of Rice....he might be the biggest sleeper in the entire 2007 draft-class....remember you heard that from me.

And if there is anything I missed I am sure that this article covers it....



Maybe it's time for you to be gone....

Scott Feldman is having a terrible season bouncing up and down from the big club to AAA....and yesterday his struggles were on display in Detroit as his control was terrible, then Gary sheffield took out a 3 wood and lines one out of Comerica park to left center....Beat writer Evan Grant focused on this in the Morning News....


Even though Texas had no chance against kenny Rogers yesterday, they still took 2 of 3 from the Tigers, which is nothing to sneeze at....Now it's off to Fenway for a 4 game series....Lets just hope the smoke and mirrors keep working like they have before Texas comes back to the Temple....

In other Ranger news B-Mac could return to the rotation and Ian Kinsler on crutches....

As much I would love to keep looking at the Red-shoe Rangers, there was a twin-bill of baseball history that occured Thursday....




3000 and 500 Biggio and Thomas


I have liked both of these guys ever since I was a little kid and it was good to see the two of them pick up a milestone and cap off great careers....Careers that I feel will end with trips to Cooperstown. I really liked the fact Biggio got #3,000 in front of his home crowd in Houston. Biggio played his ass off everyday of his career and getting to enjoy his moment with his fans, family, and JeffBagwell was really cool to see.....Now that Ranger fans is a record hometown fans can be proud of....unlike Sosa's 600 in a Ranger uniform.....

As far as "The Big Hurt goes" he is a great hitter and has been for a long time....he is not the best team guy ever and he is hanging on now as a DH, but back in the 90's he was one of baseball's best and that is how I like to remember big Frank.



Now this is cool....



Congrats to Messier and the rest of the 2007 HOF class....


Admittedly I am not a huge hockey fan, but I do appreicate what this guy along with the rest of this year's quality calls did in their careers....I know you hockey-nerds would appreciate this story....


Well that is all I have for the day....again I want to let you all know how much I have enjoyed filling in for Bob....he will return next week and get things back to normal for you all....If any of you would be interested in checking out my new daily blog that I am thinking about starting up, please let me know what you think....you can email me at sbass1310@yahoo.com

Now I leave you all with some funny and some rock and roll from U2 and The Doors....everybody have a kick-ass weekend and be safe....be very, very safe....

NBA Draft Thursday

Well boys and girls....The NBA draft is now just hours away and as a sports-nerd I have to admit that I get sucked in every year because for about 3 and a half hours we all get to be the GM's of our favorite teams and scrutinize the good or what we see as bad moves by franchises in acquiring young talent. This draft along with the NFL's is like a mini-Christmas for some. If you are like me I do hope you have a happy holiday this Thursday.


The #1 pick of Portland - Greg Oden


Many see this as a no-brainer. I am one of them, however I can't help but feel that The Blazers should be taking Kevin Durant with the you pick. I know you can build a franchise around big men, and I feel that Oden could become a great man in the middle and anchor Portland's defense for years.....but c'mon....Durant was the best player in the country last year. Period. His talent is better than anyone's in this super rich draft and he probably has the most upside to his game as well. Just imagine what Durant is going to be after a few years in the league working with an NBA strength coach. By then he might be able to bench 185lbs. - but even if he can't that has nothing to do with the game of basketball. I am just glad that I am not the Blazers GM. No matter what he does he is going to be second guessed....ah the draft....



Back to Wisconsin??


This could very well be just pre-draft buzz, but I must admit that I am a little intrigued by the idea of sending Harris back home to the Milwaukee Bucks for the 6th pick tonight....And I love me some Devin Harris, the only problem is that I love the idea of getting Ohio State PG Mike Conley instead.....However, I don't think that Milwaukee would do this, and the Mavs seem to have committed to developing Harris. Even though he is not Tony Parker yet, he is still pretty darn tough to defend and if Avery would ever put his full trust in him I think he could be one of the NBA's best....this story is just a rumor, but an interesting one nonetheless.....

Dallas armed with 3 2nd rounders can still get a quality player with their 1st pick at #34.....

And apparently that is what Donnie Nelson and company plan on doing tonight


And I really can't blame them for doing this....sure you want your team to be aggressive and be a player in any deal for the best players available in the traft or in trades (KG) but despite the 1st round fart and fall down moment this past postseason this is still a 67 win team. If the San Antonio Spurs taught us anything last season is that if you stay the course things can work out in a big way. Granted, Dirk needs someone else to engage the offense....and if he gets it he might be a 2 time MVP, but fact of the matter is that there is nothing out there so overwhelming that Dallas should blow this thing up.

Which leads me to the next subject.....



Why is Phoenix so hell bent on getting KG??

I love me some Kevin Garnett as much as anyone, but if I am the Suns I am not willing to part with Amare who is younger and every bit as athletic and younger. As the Suns, T'Wolves, and Hawks might swing a 3 team deal today

The only thing I can see if I am the Suns is that I am tired of getting bounced in the playoffs every year by more "Playoff-like" teams that can slow it down and play a half court game. Maybe Phoenix feels they can still themselves for the majority of the time, but when it comes down to cruch time lett KG take over by posting up. I seem to remember the T'Wolves snapping a long winning streak by the Suns last season with Garnett just taking over in the 4th quarter doing exactly that. This is too scary to think about as a Mavs fan....lets move on....

But before we do you should all tune into the ticket tonight for a little Norm and Skin draft coverage....the best you will get on the radio with a couple guys who know more about it than all of us.



Scary how much power this kid has.....

Last night against the Reds Ryan Howard of the Phillies clobbered a homerun that went 505 feet for #100 of his career....he is also the fastest player to century mark a cool 60 games ahead of anyone else in baseball history....

The Texas Rangers getting rained out yesterday wrap up now a 3 game series today at 12:05 with the Tigers on the road looking for the sweep.....

Both Kevin Millwood and Kenny Rogers have been pushed back to today


The Rangers looking for their 7th win in their last 8 games, but are still 13 games under .500.....This is blast to watch right now. One - because I love baseball. Two - My team is winning. And Three - they are doing it with a group of parts that fit and it is great to see....i just hope that Jon Daniels sees this and realizes that you can win without Mark Teixeria and Hank Blalock, and that down the road young guys can win, and probably have more fun doing it. Fans like youth and if the front office would commit completely to a youth movement the people that come to the Temple would accept it......Heck, 30 thousand a game are shoing up this season. The fans are there just work to get us a better product. That is all I ask for, and I don't think that is too much and neither should you.

In other baseball news....

Curt Schilling will be out for a bit


And why does Mark Buehrle want to stay put??





Not too interested in what is going on at the All England club just yet, but this is kind funny....I feel that panties are always a good opic of converstation.....

Alright that is all I have this morning. It's now time to head to the station....but before I leave you I bring you some Office humor and some more Music that I dig (Wilco). Happy Draft Day to all and to all a good night!!!

Mid-lake Wednesday

Happy Hump-day to all. Hopefully you aren't currently being effected by the heavy rains here in N. Texas. I know that things are not good right now in Hood county so do your best to stay out of harms way. But I am not here to depress you with weather talk.....on to something we would rather think about.....

A Baseball Team that is suddenly fun to watch

Rangers 9 Tigers 6

Texas has now won 2 stright against the defending AL champs sending Kam Loe and reliever Willie Eyre to the hill....I know that Kam went 7 strong and had great stuff a few nights ago, but I find nothing wrong at all with the 4 and 2/'s that Eyre tossed in his 1st big league start. He would have gone even longer had he not been drilled in the wrist by a line drive off the bat of Polanco in the 5th. When a guy has shined in middle relief like he has....at one point this year with 14 plus innings of consecutive scoreless work....and just giving up 3 runs off 3 hits in nearly 5IP....I think that might deserve another spot start if his wrist is up to it.

The pitching has been better of late. That is why Texas has won 9 of their last 12 and 6 of their last 7....and my goodeness this thing is fun to watch. The last few nights I have found myself not wondering what is on HBO or the History Channel....instead I have been watching inspired ball.

One of the leaders of that inspiration is Marlon Byrd who once again had a great night capping things off with a huge 2 run triple in the 9th.....I love what we are seeing from Gerald Laird behind the plate and how he has handled the pitching in recent weeks....this Travis Metcalf has a little something....Ramon Vasquez can be productive in spots, and it seems that Jerry Hairston Jr. can spell Lofton on most nights and it's no big drop off....

Even though I realize this is still not a good team there are a few parts I wouldn't mind keeping around for a while.....this thing is fun right now....

The bullpen was solid again last night aside from an off night by Aki Otsuka allowing 3 in the 8th to tie things up....But it was great to see Eric Gagne get a big save against a great hitting club....and showing him off to contenders....

Today Texas tries for their 4th straight series win and they will do it against former Ranger great Kenny Rogers who is making his 2nd start since coming off the DL....he will be facing Millwood who has been better so it should be another must tune in night at the SeaBass house via TiVo...

Keep the Trade Rumors coming....

This story has been a nice distraction the past few days, especially when the Mavs do not have a 1st round pick and 3 - 2's.....We have all kicked around the idea of what it would take to get KG in Dallas...It would be nice but this is not going to happen, although one not so credible source proves that it's easy to float a rumor out there....

Apparently KG to LA has cooled off a bit and the Suns are back in the mix....which would absolutely suck for Dallas, but at the same time I wouldn't mind seeing Amare sent to up to Minn....

The draft is one day away and as promised I will give you a handfull of guys that I have seen linked to the Mavies in some mock drafts....

Gabe Pruitt out of USC

Marc Gasol Spanish brother of Paul Gasol

Alando Tucker out of Wisc. (Bob would love this)

Glen "Big Baby" Davis out of LSU

Demitrius Nichols from the Cuse

There is just a few I found....If the Mavs had an actual 1st round pick it would be a lot easier to find more mocks....not everyone produces a 2nd round in their predictions...Hopefully Dallas can package picks and maybe a player to trade up into round 1....Be sure to Listen toNorm and Skin on the Ticket....they do a helluva job with it....

This Guy cheated along with Jimmie Johnson.....

And Nascar is not too happy with them.....I really don't care too much, but i know alot of people love them some Nascar and I might as well mention it.....

Lebron is doing the right thing for his country....

I don't know why this is even an issue these days....Every American bad-ass we have in the NBA should want to stop the international embarrassment our country has suffered the past few years on the court. Thank you for doing what you are expected to do....and lay off the Sprite.

Now it's time for me to get ready to roll out and head to work, but I leave you with more good music today....I am a N. Texas grad attending school up in Denton, Tx and I had a chance to discover this band while living there and they havce gone on to bigger and better.....And I think they are awesome.....I give you Midlake.....

SeaBass and his 2nd attempt at Bob's Blog

Please don't be teasing us

The Rangers starting an absolute beast of an 8 game roadtrip with an 8-3 win over the Tigers as Kam Loe hands Jeremy Bonderman his 1st loss since last September, as the rejuvinated righthander won his 3rd straight since a quick trip to triple-A to work on his mechanics.

We have seen kam have dominating stretches in his career, if we can all remember his strong close to the 2005 season where his stuff was just nasty and he carried a tremendous mound presense. Since the trip to OKC he has somehow re-captured a sort of "bad-ass" body language. He looks like our ace right now....I just hope that he doesn't regress into the pitcher we all saw earlier in the year that would get defeated on the hill after his team made an error (or two) in the field. Good stuff indeed, lets just hope that he can harness this mind-set and take off asa quality starter in the bigs....As a Ranger fan, that's really all we can do at this point.
Evan Grant's Game Story

"Loe wasn't the only one with extra motivation.
Otsuka, who was held back
from Sunday's game with Houston so he could potentially close Monday (or
perhaps
be showcased for Detroit) came in to face Gary Sheffield,
Magglio
Ordonez and
Carlos Guillen with a 4-2 lead in the eighth. He
retired the
terrifying trio on
nine pitches. Ordonez and Guillen both
made outs on
curves. Otsuka has primarily
used a slider for his breaking
ball, but has
become more aggressive with the
curve."

Why would we want to showcase Otsuka?? This guy has been nothing but money since
coming over in the painful trade with San Diego. If anything we need to hang on
to this guy and maybe lock him down for a few years because it's obvious that he
is our closer after we trade Gagne later this summer....Speaking of Gagne I was
sort of hoping to see him throw again last night because he hasn't been as sharp
on back to back nights since being a Ranger. I would have loved to see how he
responded after a tough outing against Houston on Sunday. And if you are going
to showcase any reliever it's him.

Texas has now won 8 of their last 11 games....which is nice....as they try to manage at least a split of the 4 game set tonight in Mo-Town, and one Willie Eyre is getting a crack at the roation with Padilla on the shelf.

Personally I am really pulling for Willie, he is a great guy in the lockeroom and if you take a gander at his numbers he has been pretty darn solid this season. Also, Eric Hurley making his triple-A debut yesterday with mixed reviews going 5 innings allowing 5 runs (4 earned)....



On to the Mavs....
Trade talks are heating up around the Association as draft day is coming up Thursday....The little Mavs are probably not huge sellers, but in a rich draft you never know what will happen. Tomorrow I will post profiles of a number of players that might fall to Dallas at 34, that is if they don't package their 3 - 2nd rounders to get into the 1st round....sort of a preview to get you ready fro Thursday night.

What I do know is that Chauncey Billups is likely staying put even after opting out of the final year of his deal with the Pistons where he was slated to make almost 7 million next season....

I, like you, would kill to have The Chauncey running the Mavs offense, but Joe Dumars and company rarely make mistakes....Billups is simply forcing Detroit to shell out big bucks and extend him to a contract that he probably deserves as he has becomeone of the NBA's best in recent years at the point.


Could Kobe get a new side-kick?

I think getting KG would probably shut Kobe up and suddenly he could be at peace with Mitch, Jerry, and the rest of the Lakers front office.....

There have been a number of reports about a massive 4 team trade that would send KG to L.A. but the bitter Boston Celtics felt like they were getting the short end of the stick.....I will go default and post a link to hoopshype and so you can get a number of national angles about the big trade that broke down.

It just seems that there are/were too many GM's that wanted a little too much....that is why your 3 and 4 teamers are not as common especially when dealing with front-line NBA stars....


Don't let the door hit you on your....

I don't think that Tank Johnson is as bad as Pac-Man, but I applaud the Chicago Bears for saying enough is enough....If any of us were millionaires by doing what we loved to do, I think we would all respect our great fortune a little more than a number of the morons that stay in trouble in the NFL....Granted, I don't know what it is like to have that kind of money or celebrity, but an awesome job is something we all should want to hang on to....Chilling out at your house without semi-automatic weapons is easy. I do it all the time while still enjoying my free time. And if I ever served 2 months in jail I would not stay out past midnight maybe ever again, and if I did I wouldn't get high or drink. Kudos Chicago.




I am not a big WWE fan but this is a terrible story.....

It is fascinating to see how much death and self abuse surrounds professional wrestling. I used to love it when I was a youngster, and like many gradually distanced from it. However, in my limited knowledge I do know that Chris Benoit was a good for a long time in both the WWF and WCW....sorry to even mention this awful news, but it is worthy of mention....sorry to bring the room down....



On a lighter note we can all sleep easy knowing that America's sweetheart is safe and out of jail....c'mon everyone....join hands with me and thank our creator for this glorious news!!


I know she is an idiot, but I would still get her pregnant if I could.



And I leave you this Sports-Tuesday with some knock you on your ass Rock and Roll from Muse, this is a cool video.....enjoy!

SeaBass taking over this week....

As you might know Bob is out this week on vacation, so he as asked me, Sean Bass, to fill in this week while he gets a well deserved break....I will go ahead and tell you that I am not a very experienced blogger and i do apologize in advance if the quality this week isn't what you are used to....However, I hope to cover most of the bases and help you get your daily fix....

Rangers Link

A frustrating night at the Ballpark for sure, losing 12-9 in 10 innings....But after being in a 5 run hole late in the game to tie things up has to make you feel a little better about things.....We see that Eric Gagne is human after all allowing 2 runs in his worst outing so far as a Ranger.

Gagne gets a pass....He has been lights out in nearly every appearance outside of last night's outing. However, we were spared to death again by Robby Tejeda. It's one thing to have stuff, but its another thing all together to have command of your pitches, and we have not seen any consistency in this area from him all season....This no doubt has been a dissapointing season, and you can put a lot of the blame on the shoulders of the rotation....Tejeda has been our best starter at times early in the year, but it does frustate me as a Ranger fan that our expectations have been so diminished with the team's pitching that we really expected a lot out of Tejeda before the season began and thought he would be a quality #3.....I like many bought into this and feel stupid because of it.....

And it might be sad that I, as a fan, was slightly satisfied that Texas didn't sweep Houston to win 5 straight. I want this club to improve as much as anyone, but it would be really awful to see them get back to respectability and see their young GM and now penny pinching owner not blow this thing up a bit, becasue this thing will never be where it needs to be down the road until that happens....

Rangers Link

All I can say is about time on Padilla heading to the DL, he hasn't been right for over a month and the team has suffered for it.....Now the Rangers will roll in John Koronka or maybe reliever Wille Eyre to pitch in Padilla's spot as he gets 20 or so days to get things right with that sore triceps muscle by his elbow....

Although it is promising to see Brandon McCarthy throw 4 and a third scoreless allowing 3 hits in a re-hab start for Frisco....so maybe some help is on the way to a slightly improving rotation....

As a 25 year old who had a chance to see this guys entire career it makes me feel good to see a class guy pass McGwire's home run record of 583 as Junior went deep twice against his old club to put him at 584 on the all-time list Sunday afternoon at Safeco.....

The former M's great getting standing ovations from his old crowd....and maybe we should take a minute to go back and appreciate arguably the best player of a generation.....here is what he has done in his HOF career so far....and I am assuming none of this was on performance enhancing drugs....http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/individual_stats_player.jsp?c_id=cin&playerID=115135&statType=1

The NHL did have a draft and the Stars were without a 1st rounder. I will not go into detail about what I think, because I honestly have no real opinion on the matter....http://www.dallasstars.com/homeNewsDetail.jsp?id=9733

However there is a draft of consequence that is coming up this week in the NBA draft....The Mavs, like the Stars are without a 1st rounder, but they do have 3 - 2's and an aggressive GM and owner who could easily trade up into the 1st round of one of the richest drafts in a few years....later in the week I will take a closer look at a few of the sleepers and weigh out the Mavs options if they decide to stay in the 2nd round, but until then I want to share with you one of my favorite sites to visit every week or so....

http://www.hoopshype.com/

I know that a lot of the stuff in the Rumors page is just speculation, but every now and then you get something that might have some legs....and if you every want ammunition to flex your NBA muscles it is a good place to get a more national perspective on the Association...so enjoy....

The only reason this is not gay is because they won the College World Series.....http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/baseball/recap?gameId=2717501531

I must admit College Baseball is off my radar for about 50 weeks of the year, but as a baseball nerd the past two have been pretty good as they always are when teams are getting to or playing in Omaha....I might be the only one that wants college baseball to be televised more....I know that when I get home and Poker is on ESPN I would rather be watching a few major league prospects play with aluminum bats.....

Alright you loyal Bob Sturm followers....that is the 1st of the week, hopefully it doesn't suck too bad compared to what you are used to....I have to say goodbye until tomorrow and get ready for a full day of breaking sports news first guarenteed....Have a good Monday!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iifHEjUw3tc


SeaBass

Mooooooo

OK, it is finally time for another Wisconsin vacation. I shall return to the blog and to the radio on July 2, so for now I leave you in the hopefully capable hands of SeaBass. He is normally capable, but I believe him to be a bit of a blogging virgin.

Good Sports.

Catalanotto does something …

One night earlier, Frank Catalanotto came to the plate trying to follow the impossible: He was the guy who batted immediately following Sammy Sosa's 600th home run.

Thursday, he found a way to be a showstopper himself. He did it by, well, stopping the show.

After sitting on the bench for three hours, Catalanotto lined a one-out fastball into the right-field corner to score Kenny Lofton from second and give the Rangers a 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs.

It's the first walk-off pinch hit for the Rangers since Hank Blalock beat out an infield single to beat Minnesota on Aug. 28, 2005.

Catalanotto's liner sent what remained of a crowd worn down by a big blown lead and a nearly-wasted ninth-inning rally into histrionics. His teammates piled out of the dugout to mob Catalanotto with even more fervor than Sosa received Wednesday.

"There was nothing I could do to upstage Sammy or even to get the crowd clapping for me [on Wednesday]," said Catalanotto, who did homer in the at-bat after 600. "But today, I had a chance to get something down and help the team. That was important.

"Then [Young] gave me that fake double hand slap and picked me up," said Catalanotto, starting to smile. "My legs were just flailing around in midair. Yeah, it made me a little uncomfortable."

Rangers found someone they can beat! The NL Central …

The Rangers are last in the American League West, and that doesn't seem likely to change.

But they're doing OK in the National League Central.

With a 6-5, walk-off victory over the Cubs on Thursday, the Rangers have won four of five series against NL Central teams this season.

Texas has won five of the past seven games, a bona fide hot streak for a team that shed its "worst record in baseball" tag for at least a day after passing Cincinnati in the major league standings.

"This is the most confident I've seen this clubhouse," Frank Catalanotto, whose pinch-hit single in the bottom of the ninth drove in Kenny Lofton to win the game, said. "We haven't really played up to our potential. Hopefully we can continue to get there. There are a lot of good things that we've been seeing."

Checking Padilla’s numbers …

Vicente Padilla 15 starts with just 4 Quality Starts (26%) – 4/8, 4/19, 5/5, 5/11. His ERA splits look like this: April = 5.66, May = 7.31, and June = 7.90. In December, he signed for 3 years and $34 million. Look for a trip to the DL soon.

Cowlishaw says Sammy for All-Star Team …

I think the most logical choice is Sammy Sosa. He wouldn't be the first slugger named to the team for something close to a lifetime achievement award.

Sosa's comeback, capped by his 600th home run Wednesday night, has him on pace to drive in well over 100 runs. That's far better than what the Rangers thought they were getting when they rolled the dice on a low-risk gamble.

Forget the low walk total and the high strikeout numbers. Letting Sosa swing the bat one final time in the All-Star Game wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to the summer showcase, regardless of the circumstantial evidence of cheating that follows him around.

That stuff is always going to be there with Sosa. But given the absence of a failed drug test or sworn testimony against him, he is regarded only with suspicion.
Baseball fans being a fairly forgiving bunch, they are quickly taken in by Sosa's smile.

So send him to San Francisco, where he can play opposite Barry Bonds in the All-Star Game.

But it might be a good idea to leave both out of the Home Run Derby.

Giambi cooperates …

Jason Giambi of the Yankees agreed yesterday to cooperate with George J. Mitchell’s investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball, apparently becoming the first active player who has consented to speak with Mitchell, the former United States Senator. Mitchell’s investigation is almost 15 months old.

After a telephone conversation with Commissioner Bud Selig yesterday, Giambi said in a statement that he was convinced that “baseball would be best served by such a meeting.” Giambi, the Yankees’ designated hitter, said that he would not discuss what other players might have done, but that he would be “candid about my past history regarding steroids.”

After Giambi tacitly admitted to using steroids in an article in USA Today last month, Selig requested on June 6 that he cooperate with Mitchell within two weeks. Lawyers for the players union and for Major League Baseball have been negotiating the details of the meeting for several days.

Statements released by Giambi and Selig suggest what Giambi will discuss.

“As I have always done, I will address my own personal history regarding steroids,” Giambi said. “I will not discuss in any fashion any other individual.”

Selig’s statement noted that Giambi had told Selig that he was prepared to discuss his “personal involvement with performance-enhancing substances.” The commissioner called Giambi’s willingness to cooperate “an important step” in Mitchell’s efforts to put together a comprehensive report. No date was set for the meeting, but it is unlikely to occur next week.

Although the guidelines for the meeting have been established, there is no script for how it will unfold, and there are bound to be questions that Giambi will not want to answer.

Selig could still fine and suspend Giambi. Selig said that he would make that determination after gauging Giambi’s level of cooperation with Mitchell.

In addition to asking Giambi when and where he used steroids, investigators will probably ask him to describe the steroid landscape in baseball. Mitchell wants a picture of what was going on in and around clubhouses. For instance, were unauthorized individuals gaining access to clubhouses to fuel the steroid business?
But Arn Tellem, Giambi’s lawyer, and union lawyers will likely balk at allowing him to give those kinds of specifics. Mitchell may also ask Giambi about Greg Anderson, Barry Bonds’s personal trainer.

Giambi said he did not want his family to endure a lengthy legal challenge to support his position, but that type of battle could still occur. If Giambi does not answer questions as openly as Selig believes he should, Giambi could be disciplined. If that happens, Giambi would surely file a grievance through the union. Giambi has never tested positive for steroids.

Tellem called this “an enormously stressful process” for Giambi, who was quoted by USA Today on May 18 as saying, “I was wrong for doing that stuff,” in an article about steroids. Giambi met with baseball lawyers on May 23 to discuss his comments. Tellem was optimistic that Giambi’s next meeting would resolve an issue that has followed him during this injury-scarred season.

“Rather than subject himself, his family and the Yankees to a protracted legal battle, Jason has made a very difficult decision that we believe will lead to a positive resolution of this matter,” Tellem said in a statement.

Giambi, who is on the disabled list with a torn left plantar fascia, said he did not want to be “embroiled in a legal battle” that could undermine his rehabilitation and his attempt to return this season.

Since Selig is personally deciding Giambi’s punishment, he has reminded the Yankees that they cannot also attempt to punish him. George Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ principal owner, issued a statement saying that he fully supported Selig. Giambi is in the sixth year of a seven-year, $120 million contract.

To Hockey, where July 1 will be the first day of Free Agency, and the Draft is tonight.
Giguere signs for big dollars …

Jean-Sebastien Giguere figured last winter that his days with the Anaheim Ducks might be numbered.

''I wondered if I'd be back,'' he said of the angst of playing through the last year of his contract with unrestricted free agency in the offing. ''But I decided I wasn't going to worry about it.

''By the time the trading deadline came, I was playing most of the games and I felt pretty comfortable that I was going to be here for the rest of the season.''

The star 30-year-old goaltender from Montreal will be around a lot longer than that after agreeing to a US$24-million, four-year contract Thursday.

Giguere will be pulling down $5.5 million in each of the first two years, $6 million in the third year and $7 million in the fourth year. He might have got a bit more somewhere else but he loves life in southern California too much to part company with a team he just helped win the Stanley Cup.

5 Free Agents to Follow …

Here are five guys who will get, and deserve, a lot of attention:

Daniel Briere, C, Sabres

A nifty center with explosive acceleration, Briere finished 10th in the league's scoring race with a career-best 95-point season and with a league-high 65 even-strength points. Last season, Briere, 29, earned $5 million. He'd like to stay in Buffalo, but the club might not be able to pony up the cash for both him and co-captain Chris Drury. There are several teams, most notably the rebuilding Flyers, who'd be willing to pay him $6 million or more.

Chris Drury, C, Sabres

The numbers say a lot -- a personal-best 37 goals this past season -- but not everything. Drury, 30, is an old-school competitor who can play in any situation and is a team leader both on and off the ice. He earned $3.154 million in 2006-07; the bidding likely will begin at $5 million. The Kings and Rangers are among those interested, but Los Angeles may have an edge: Drury owns a beachfront home in Southern California. Either way, it could be more bad news for Buffalonians.

Scott Gomez, C, Devils

With two Cups on his résumé, the Anchorage, Alaska, native has averaged more than 50 assists the past three seasons. A gimpy groin hurt his regular-season production (13 goals), but he wowed potential suitors in the playoffs with 14 points in 11 games. Gomez, 27, earned $5 million last season, and if the price is right, he said he'll consider staying in Jersey. If it isn't, look for the Flames, Rangers and Flyers, among others, to come calling.

Ryan Smyth, LW, Islanders

After 10-plus seasons as a local hero in Edmonton, the popular winger was sent to the Islanders at the trade deadline. The Isles were thrilled to get the crease-crashing vet, who scored 36 goals in each of the past two seasons. But Smyth, 31, wanted $5.5 million in his failed talks with Edmonton, and there will be as many as 10 teams, Detroit chief among them, willing to pay a lot more to land this no-nonsense, fiery leader.

Sheldon Souray, D, Canadiens

Looking to add punch to your power play? Speed-dial this rugged 30-year-old, among the league's real blue-line threats. Armed with a 100-plus mph slap shot, he set a single-season record for defensemen with 19 power-play goals, which should help him significantly upgrade his $2.432 million salary. The pride of Elk Point, Alberta, has been rumored to be interested in relocating to the left coast. The Sharks and Kings will be happy to help.

Remember the call against Ghana that didn’t go our way? Well, soccer karma blessed Sam’s Army…. The US gets fortunate against Canada …

Canada thought it was a goal. The Americans said it was offside.
Fortunately for the Americans, the linesman and referee agreed with them.

Canada had a goal in the final minute of stoppage time waved off Thursday night, preserving the Americans' 2-1 victory and their spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

Frankie Hejduk scored his first goal in almost seven years, and Landon Donovan converted yet another penalty kick for the winner.

"I thought he was offsides. But it doesn't matter," American goalkeeper Kasey Keller said. "The linesman made the call, so it's offsides."

But the wacky ending tainted what should have been a big victory for the Americans, who are trying to win their fourth Gold Cup title and second in a row. Keller played in his 100th international game, matching Tony Meola's American mark for goalkeepers. With 33 career goals, Donovan moved within one of Eric Wynalda's U.S. career record.

The United States will play Mexico, a 1-0 winner over tiny Guadeloupe, in Sunday's final for a berth in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. The defending champion Americans will be without Hejduk and Michael Bradley, though. Hejduk picked up his second yellow card in as many games while Bradley, the son of U.S. coach Bob Bradley, was given a red card in the 89th minute for a reckless tackle.

"I think these young guys are realizing that we need to be up for every game," Hejduk said. "We've made it a little hard on ourselves by giving up late goals, but I think those guys are realizing how hard we need to play."

After second half sub Iain Hume scored in the 76th minute, the Canadians put even more pressure on Keller. In the final minute of stoppage time, Atiba Hutchinson got a shot past him, but Mexican referee Benito Archundia waved the goal off, saying the Canadian was offside.

Replays showed the ball went off U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu, and that Canadian attackers appeared to be even with the last American defender, meaning the goal should have counted.

"Their player headed the ball down into the box and our player kicked it in," Canada coach Stephen Hart said. "If one of their players played the ball back, it's a back pass and it cannot be offsides. That's how I saw it." Canada forward Dwayne DeRosario agreed.

"It was definitely a goal. No question," he said. "It's very frustrating."

Dale Jr turns his back on Bud …

Junior is setting down the Bud and picking up the remote.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended the uncertainty Thursday about what corporate logo would be on the hood of his new ride with Hendrick Motorsports by announcing his partnership with Sony Electronics.

"I'm a big electronics fan. I'm a big computer guy. It's products I can dig," Earnhardt told reporters at a winery in the heart of California's Napa Valley. He will be competing on Sunday in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in nearby Sonoma.

Earnhardt would not comment on whether his longtime sponsor Budweiser would play any part next season when he leaves the team founded by his late father to join racetrack rivals Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson at Hendrick.

Happy Birthday Dirk



Holland Sweet Goal

England 1 - 1 Holland - Rigters
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Thursday, June 21

Sosa 600 …

For a moment Wednesday night, just before the fireworks exploded against an ebony sky and the music from The Natural wafted through Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, all of the turmoil that has nearly choked the life out of Sammy Sosa's baseball career faded.

Fans weren't polarized over his return to the game or his place in history. Instead, they were engrossed by his awesome power and charismatic on-field personality. They were once again entranced by Sammy being Sammy.

In the fifth inning of the Rangers' 7-3 win over the Chicago Cubs, the 37,564 fans on hand gasped as Sosa connected with a hanging 1-and-2 breaking pitch from Jason Marquis. They turned as one as the ball sailed toward the right-field bullpen. And then, as home run No. 600 hit the back of the Rangers' bullpen, they let out the kind of roar that marked Sosa home runs for most of his career.

With the homer, Sosa became the fifth player in baseball history to reach 600 homers. He joins Hank Aaron (755), Barry Bonds (748), Babe Ruth (714) and Willie Mays (660) in that most elite club.

And the most unlikely player to do so.

Just two years ago, it seemed Sosa's career was done. Once the toast of Chicago, he was dumped by the Cubs after the 2004 season. He spent 2005 limping through the year with Baltimore, though his most memorable performance of the season came in Washington – when he made a less-than-convincing appearance in front of the Congressional committee investigating steroid use in baseball.

Sosa was out of baseball last year and had few nibbles of interest when he decided last fall that he could return. The Rangers, however, took a chance after watching him breeze through a mid-winter workout. They spent all spring preaching that Sosa still had some pop in his bat.

I like Michael Young. But, he makes me laugh when he complains about the rebuild. I understand his frustration, but he has been here for years. He knows what this franchise has been about. Then he took their money. Now, he is acting like he is shocked how the season is going. Sorry, Mike. Shut up, and count your $85 million.

Young tells us what he thinks …

"Absolutely not. I'm not in favor of that at all," Young said Wednesday, and you'd have thought I'd just asked him to drop by the house to do a little yard work at his earliest convenience. "I've been through about three rebuilding phases since I've been here. I have no interest in that."

He's heard the rumors and reports that owner Tom Hicks and general manager Jon Daniels are talking about a three-year rebuilding plan, but officially, neither of them has yet to broach the subject with The Face of the Franchise.

Not that I blame them, but until that happens, Young would prefer to believe that it's nothing more than a figment of the media's imagination, pure speculation, soon to be shot down and ridiculed by the men who swore to him this spring that the Rangers' one and only mission is to win and win now.

That, as much as the $80 million, is why he signed on in Texas for another seven years, and maybe you have to really know Michael to believe that, but it's true. He could have gotten money, and a lot of it, elsewhere, but he wants desperately to be part of a winner in Texas.

Now he's hearing that the men he trusted with his future this spring are saying that their target for winning is now 2010, give or take a year, and it's almost more than he can stomach.

"I'm going to assume that this isn't going to be the case," he said. "Hopefully we can all come to the realization that this is unacceptable and we find a way to get better now.

"We play in [Dallas-Fort Worth]. It's an unbelievable sports town. We need a winner; it's as simple as that."

The need is simple, true, but if satisfying it were that easy, the Rangers wouldn't be on their way to another last-place finish and their seventh losing season in eight years. The Rangers' philosophy of patchworking with mediocre free agents has failed miserably. Hicks either must either spend more money for premier talent, providing a quicker fix, or the Rangers must rebuild through the draft and by trading veterans for younger players.

At some level, Young understands this, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

"There are a lot of teams out there that it makes sense for them to rebuild," he said. "But I would never look at a player on that team and look at him in a bad light [because] all he wants to do is win. Especially if that player commits to that team for a long time, because he didn't commit there under the assumption they were going to start over again.

"At the same time, I wouldn't frown at the organization either, if they're doing what they have to do to get their team as competitive as possible as quickly as possible."

For Young, there's a sense of betrayal at work here, and while he's not ready to talk about options like demanding a trade, he's also not ruling anything out.
"As a player my job is to win," he said. "I'm not going to wait to win. I'm not going to put those feelings on hold. I'm going to go out there and do my job.
"As far as options, I don't know. I'm not going to even consider that right now. I'll cross that bridge when it happens."

Checking Kam Loe’s 2007 …

Kameron Loe – 12 starts – 4 Quality Starts 5/6, 5/27, 6/14, 6/20

Buying Cubs would enter Cuban into elite, odd mix ….

In NBA News, Kobe and KG rumors are heating up. Here is Mark Stein’s take …

Why haven't the Lakers made a move yet to address Bryant's well-chronicled frustration?

For a couple of reasons:

They have yet to come up with a deal that actually makes the team better. The Lakers say they don't want to part with Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and a first-round pick in the same trade for Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal because they see it as a lateral move that doesn't automatically shoot them up the ladder in the West.

They likewise have tried to acquire Shawn Marion from the Suns without giving up Odom -- Marion can become a free agent in the summer of 2008, which gives him some say about a new home if the Suns do decide to part with him -- but Phoenix doesn't want to help its L.A. rivals any more than the Lakers want to help the Suns. The Lakers know they might have avoided all this drama if they had simply agreed to trade Bynum and Kwame Brown for Jason Kidd at the February trade deadline. But they can't go back in time and they've since lost a lot of trade leverage because every other team in the league knows they're desperate to appease Kobe. So they're legitimately asking themselves, with Kobe increasingly intent on leaving town: Can any trade made now make Kobe happy? Imagine agreeing to the O'Neal deal, then finding out Kobe still wants out.

The sidebar to all this, of course, is how the Bryant saga has an impact on coach Phil Jackson's future. Jackson, remember, came back to the Lakers essentially to coach Kobe. The Zenmeister has one season left on a three-year contract, but you'd have to assume Jackson's comeback would be curtailed if Kobe were dealt.

The urgency of extending Jackson's contract beyond next season, furthermore, can't
be what it was a month or two ago, either, even though Jackson is said to be feeling significantly better already after undergoing a second hip-replacement surgery last week. Jackson himself openly has questioned whether Buss wants a $10 million-a-year coach if the team isn't a contender. The same applies if the Lakers were suddenly Kobe-less.

So how can you say a Garnett trade is more likely?

Garnett lacks a no-trade clause like Bryant's, but he's only a year from having the right to leave Minnesota without compensation. KG can become a free agent in the summer of 2008 if he's willing to forfeit his $23 million salary in 2008-09. Bryant can't put the Lakers under the same pressure until a year from now, with his right to become a free agent on hold until the summer of '09.

"That's why Garnett, to me, has the bigger hammer," said one Eastern Conference executive.

That's also one reason why in Garnett's case, unlike Kobe's, there already have been actual trade conversations this month.

Boston's Danny Ainge has acknowledged discussing Garnett possibilities with the Wolves, and the Suns, according to NBA front-office sources, are talking to them, as well. After three straight seasons out of the playoffs with Garnett, it appears Minnesota finally has realized it must consider dealing Garnett and starting over because it lacks the trade assets or salary-cap flexibility to significantly improve the cast around him.

The big change with the Wolves, sources say, is that, for the first time in his tenure, owner Glen Taylor is unexpectedly ready to "take the lead" on moving Garnett. Shopping KG? Not exactly. Gauging KG's trade value and listening to salivating suitors make their pitches, with Taylor knowing he'll have to stand up and say this was his call if a deal goes through? It's happening.

Which team would be more likely to get KG: Boston or Phoenix?

Because free agency is potentially just one year away for Garnett, he can discourage interested teams by sending word that he won't re-sign. I'm also told that the Wolves, in a nod to KG's 12 seasons of loyal service, intend to give him input, regardless.

Knowing that -- and knowing as we do that Steve Nash and Garnett have become good pals over the years after playing in several All-Star Games together -- it's safe to say he'd much prefer the desert.

The signals coming from the desert, though, don't make the Suns' chances sound very encouraging, with Minnesota seeking to build the return package around Stoudemire.

In spite of Amare's inexperience at 24 and some clashes of ego with Marion, he still ranks as the first high-flying victim of microfracture knee surgery to beat the most dreaded affliction in the NBA. Which means he's probably worth keeping around, right? You certainly can argue that the Suns would be better in the short term with Garnett -- especially when it comes to dealing with Tim Duncan -- but Stoudemire's presence would give them a chance to stay in the league's elite after Nash, 33, retires.

You safely can assume that Garnett also saw how the Finals played out and that he knows Greg Oden and Kevin Durant will be in the Northwest Division by next week. Boston would have to part with Al Jefferson, the No. 5 pick and more in next week's draft if it wants KG, but the Celts surely will point out to KG and his people that a Garnett-Paul Pierce tag team will have real hope of getting to the Finals no matter who's around those two.

"If Kobe wants to go East," one hopeful West executive suggests, "it'll be the new thing."

The Minnesota paper examines KG to Boston …

Garnett turned 31 in May. He has gone from an MVP three seasons ago to a player no longer among the NBA's top 10. With Garnett as the face of the franchise, the Wolves have plummeted in the standings, in ticket sales and in television ratings.

A Garnett trade would not improve the crowds or the television audience, but such a trade would result in a young roster that could be offered to the public as hope for the next decade.

The trade bandied about by espn.com's Chad Ford has Garnett going to Boston for four players -- Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair -- and the No. 5 overall selection.

Obviously, this is way too optimistic on the ransom the Wolves could obtain for Garnett.

Plus: The idea of playing with Paul Pierce in the easier Eastern Conference might appeal to KG, but there's no way he's going to embrace being reunited with Wally Szczerbiak in Boston.

The Wolves would prefer Ratliff because he will earn $11.7 million next season and then his contract expires. The Celtics would want to move Szczerbiak, who has bad feet, ankles and $25 million due over the next two years.

Yet, if you could get the talented Green, the capable Jefferson and the No. 5, McHale would have to be worse at his job than Wolves' followers already think is the case not to also take the troubled Telfair and the oft-hobbled Szczerbiak.

The Boston trade, unfortunately, figures to be more ESPN speculation than fact. If Garnett does get traded, the logical location remains the Los Angeles Lakers. For the Lakers, that would shut up Kobe Bryant and make tickets inside the Staples Center almost as tough to get as they were when Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were together.

This would require McHale pushing Indiana out of the way in the Pacers attempt to trade Jermaine O'Neal to the Lakers for a package including Andrew Bynum, Luke Walton (sign and trade), Kwame Brown and the 19th pick in the draft. Throw in Brian Cook with that package and the money would work for Garnett to go to the Lakers.

Either trade -- the pipe dream with Boston or a reasonable deal with the Lakers -- would make the long-term outlook better and not have all that much effect on the futile present for the Timberwolves.

Tonight, The USA Plays Canada in the Gold Cup Semi-Finals on Fox Soccer ….

After the U.S. was able to dispose of Panama last Saturday with a 2-1 victory and seal their place in the semi-final, they now play their toughest opponent yet in Canada. So, with their biggest test on the horizon what should we expect to see from the Americans?

One thing is for sure, if the Americans are going get to the final with ease they're going to have to capitalize on opportunities better. Missed chances, like what we saw against Panama, in particular Clint Dempsey's late scoring chance to make it 3-0, are going to have to turn into goals for the U.S. to beat an offensive minded Canadian team. Coming into the game the Canadians have outscored their opponents 9-2 in this Gold Cup and boast a roster with a slew of successful professionals that includes MLS all-star Dwayne De Rosario.

"It's going to be tough," U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra said. "We know we have to watch De Rosario, he can create a lot of opportunities for them. We're going to watch game film and prepare in practice and I know we'll be ready for them."
Canada coming off a 3-0 victory over a Guatemalan team that the U.S. could only manage one goal against in it's last two meetings poses a big threat for the American defense and will undoubtedly give keeper Tim Howard his most challenging test of this Gold Cup.

Howard and the U.S. defense have only allowed one goal in this Gold Cup. That goal in Saturday's win ended the American's 254 minute streak without giving up a goal. Howard's play has been exceptional but with Ali Gerba, De Rosario and Julien de Guzman composing a trio of Canada's most powerful weapons, Howard will need all the help that Bocanegra, Onyewu and the rest of that back line can muster up.

With the U.S. playing as well as they have Canada is no doubt looking at their most difficult attempt at a Gold Cup upset since beating Mexico in the final back in 2000. As the Canucks attempt to do their part to recreate a rematch of that 2000 final, the Americans will have to be better up front to thwart their efforts.

For Guaranteed Laugh – Click Here …

Another Embarrassing Wisconsin Moment …

Two Readers Start Blogs:

I realize you likely get a plethora of these on daily basis, but I wanted to see if I could persuade you to check out a blog I just created. My intent is to cover all sorts of trades, signings, and speculation-as well as occasionally covering general sports topics.

The link is Sportsdeals.Blogspot.Com . I hope you enjoy it.
babyarm

P1 since age 10 Or

---

I read your blog every day.

I have a question. I have a blog, DallasBeerGuy.com . I originally wanted to talk about my life, but apparently the only things I care about are sports so that's what gets written about. I'm trying to improve on my readership of one.

Is there any way you could find in your heart to possibly give my ramblings a once over and if deemed worthy, a spot in the approved blogs link area or at least tell me if you think it's at least a bit funny?

Can you help a good P1 out? I can guarantee that I can funnel 100% of my current readership (consisting solely of me at this point, numbers subject to change over time) over to yours.

Sincerely,

Jarrod Wade

Save Ferris



Bear Grylls squeezes water out of Elephant Doo-Doo (Gag Warning)

Memories....

In this slow sports time, Let us remember the Most Glorious June 20th that ever was ….

The Stars had waited for this moment since losing last season in the Western Conference finals.

They opened training camp with the Stanley Cup as their goal. And that was their guiding force through 82 regular-season games and 23 playoff contests.

It took 105 games, including a triple-overtime 2-1 victory in the finale against Buffalo on Saturday night, for the Stars to capture the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

The Stars, who began and ended the season against the Sabres, made sure they won the Cup in dramatic fashion, becoming only the fourth team ever to clinch the Finals in multiple overtimes.

Brett Hull's shot at 14:51 of the sixth period hushed the crowd of 18,595 at Marine Midland Arena and sent the Stars into a wild celebration on their opponent's ice. Some Stars jumped into teammates' arms, others pointed at the crowd, waving one finger.

The Sabres contended that Hull's skate was in the crease, and television replays indicated that it was.

"That's the worst nightmare," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said afterward. "His skate was in the crease. You can't explain that to me. Everybody saw it. Once you've got 200 people on the ice, they [the officials] aren't going to review it."

Ruff said the officials explained to him that Hull was in possession of the puck before he entered the crease, which would make the goal legal.

The celebration began immediately. Stars captain Derian Hatcher was presented the gleaming silver Cup, and he skated with it high over his head, bouncing it up and down as his teammates cheered. Each of the Stars carried it aloft. Some kissed the trophy of their childhood dreams. Others lifted it up to the crowd, which stood in respect but mostly booed.

Finally, the Stars knelt on the ice for a team picture, huddled around the Cup. That picture will forever live in their memories.

Stars center Joe Nieuwendyk, who had 11 goals in the playoffs, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the player most valuable to his team in the post-season.

It was amazing the Stars even had energy left to celebrate after the second-longest overtime game in Finals history. After three hard-fought periods, they played 54 minutes, 51 seconds of overtime.

Only three other Finals games have gone three overtimes, the last being Colorado-Florida in 1996.

On the game winner, Hull fought in front of Buffalo's net for a loose puck. In a mad
scramble, he sent a shot past Dominik Hasek.

Before the Stars realized their crowning achievement, they won the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular-season record, then beat Edmonton, St. Louis and Colorado in the playoffs.

It seemed fitting that they closed the deal in the 12th game in Finals history to go at least two overtimes. The Stars had lived on the edge all season, wearing down opponents in close games with strong defense and forechecking, and the goaltending of Ed Belfour.

This was their eighth overtime game of the playoffs, including a triple-overtime game that clinched the first-round series against Edmonton.

Belfour stopped 53 shots and erased years of criticism for not winning the big one.

Thanks to the Stars Belo Blog for the above …

Next, there is no bigger buzzkill than going to another Rangers game where the other team fills the stadium, puts their feet on your furniture, and beats you …

Cameras flashed with each hack Sammy Sosa took Tuesday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Unfortunately for those in the crowd of 38,290 who came armed to capture history – most of them Cubs fans – they will have to wait another night for home run No. 600.

Sosa came up empty in four at-bats, and so did the Rangers in a 5-4 loss to Chicago.

All eyes were on Sosa, who struck out three times in his first game against the team for which he hit 545 home runs in 13 memorable seasons.

Sosa did have the crowd roaring on a big swing in the bottom of the eighth, but it produced nothing more than a medium fly ball to left-center field that Alfonso Soriano and Felix Pie almost collided on as Pie made the catch.

The fans streamed out of the ballpark as Sosa finished his night breathing heavily in the dugout on a humid evening.

"I didn't hit it very good," Sosa said of his final swing. "When I hit it, you'll know."

The Sosa drama at least gave the outnumbered Rangers fans something to get excited about. Sosa did come to the plate to a smattering of boos, more than likely from the Cubs fans who once fawned over him.

Take away Sosa, and the Rangers were left to watch starter Robinson Tejeda continue to allow too many runners. Tejeda again failed to last deep into a game, throwing 95 pitches in five innings and allowing 13 baserunners.

Tejeda’s Performance is going badly …

Tejeda 14 Starts, just 4 Quality Starts. 4/6, 4/17, 4/22, and 5/3.

Rangers sign two top picks …

The Rangers have agreed to terms with RHP Michael Main, the 24th overall pick in the amateur draft earlier this month. Main is in town to undergo his physical and could be introduced as early as tonight. Main is expected to receive a signing bonus of slightly more than $1.2 million.

The club is still talking with RHP Blake Beavan of Irving, who was the 17th overall pick in the draft. It's not likely that Beavan will be in Arizona for the start of the Arizona Rookie League. Beavan is expected to receive about $1.5 million in bonus money, but that "slotted" figure is down from last year because MLB received a little more negotiating leverage in the recent collective bargaining agreement. As such, it's taking a little longer to reach agreement with some of the higher first-round picks.

Remember the Nashville Predators? …It’s a tough thing.

the Predators: adrift in a sea of uncertainty, needing desperately to appeal to fans in Nashville, but instead driving them away because of an ownership vacuum, a vacuum that saw the team trade away the signing rights to top free agents Kimmo Timonen, the team's best player and captain, and emerging two-way forward Scott Hartnell to the Flyers.

That'll have them busting down the doors at the Nashville Arena.

Somewhere, BlackBerry god Jim Balsillie is laughing at the city's expense and, indeed, at the expense of the NHL, which waits while one of its pivotal southern markets twists in the wind.

Not that we're prone to conspiracy theories, but it's hard to imagine this isn't exactly how Balsillie imagined it playing out.

The Canadian megamillionaire made an outrageous offer to buy the Predators (in the neighborhood of $238 million when all the fine print is figured in), knowing the sum would be attractive to Nashville owner Craig Leipold and to the rest of the NHL owners.

But he also had to know the process would drag on, which has allowed him to insist through his spokespeople he would have spent to the cap if he were the Preds' owner right now. But he's not. And the NHL, not wanting to be rushed into granting ownership to a man who clearly wants to uproot the team and move it to Hamilton, Ontario, where ticket packages are being sold by the thousands, is taking its time not wanting to make a mistake.

Given the league's history of inept owners, who can blame it for performing its due diligence? But in taking time to determine whether Balsillie is the right man to join the club, the NHL is helping create the perfect scenario in which the Predators will continue to fail in Nashville and hence speed a move to southern Ontario.

The Predators need to see the average paid attendance reach the 14,000 mark this season or the team's owners, whoever they might be by the end of next season, can pay a penalty and exit the current lease with the city of Nashville (at least that's the theory, although some city officials insist it's not that simple).

As one of the most exciting teams in the NHL last season, the Predators averaged 13,815 paid attendance. This season? What are the chances more fans will come out to see a team that, at least in terms of its profile, will continue to be battered in the coming weeks? Slim? None?

This weekend’s NHL Draft features two Americans at the top …

The focal point of this year's draft class is three deep - London Knight Pat Kane, James Van Riemsdyk of the U.S. Under-18 team and Burnaby Jr. A product Kyle Turris.
Barring a surprise, those forwards will be the top three players chosen in Columbus.
Certainly, our annual survey of NHL scouts to obtain TSN's draft rankings reinforces that, with Kane at No. 1, Van Riemsdyk at No. 2 and Turris at No. 3.

The diminutive Kane is the consensus No. 1, after dominating at the world junior championship for Team USA and lighting up the OHL with his offensive wizardry.
Van Riemsdyk, a big power forward with scoring ability, was a solid No. 2 in the eyes of the scouts, but of the more than a dozen scouts surveyed only one gave him the nod at No. 1.

Turris, on the other hand, a consensus No. 3 behind the two Americans, did receive more consideration at No. 1 than Van Riemsdyk, but not nearly enough to unseat Kane. Turris is a dynamic offensive talent with a great shot.

US Open Ratings …

Ángel Cabrera’s victory in the United States Open on Sunday attracted an average of 9.5 million viewers, 37 percent more than last year, and the most since Tiger Woods’s victory in 2002. While the final round produced a 6.4 rating, the final half-hour, in which Cabrera watched from the clubhouse as Woods missed a birdie putt to tie the tournament, spiked to a 10.1.

These Guys are Cooler than Me



That’s Improbable

Did You See This Coming?

Let’s have a contest on most unlikely sports headlines for today. I’ll start.

Rangers GM gets a contract extension …

There. You can’t beat that. Why even try?

Rangers owner Tom Hicks says he is interested in extending Jon Daniels' Rangers owner Tom Hicks said Monday that he has initiated talks of a contract extension with his 29-year-old general manager, Jon Daniels. The extension, which could be announced as early as today, comes even though the Rangers are struggling and Daniels' performance has been criticized.

Daniels is signed through the 2008 season and the extension, according to a person close to the team, is for one year.

"It's a conversation that has come up," Hicks said when asked about details. "I can't say anything more. We're having conversations."

Hicks admitted that Daniels' track record is spotty. After Daniels' first season as GM, Hicks said he gave him an "A" for his performance. When asked Monday how he would grade Daniels now, Hicks laughed and referred to the trade that included Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez for Akinori Otsuka and Adam Eaton and said:

"I'd give him an 'F' on the San Diego trade. But that happens in baseball."
Hicks said he wanted to extend Daniels' contract because, "Jon has the high intellect needed to manage this process. I think he's going to be one of the outstanding general managers in baseball, and hopefully it will be for the Rangers. He's highly organized and he's put together a [management] team of great people."

Revo explains why he is in support of it all …

So why, you're wondering, am I endorsing Hicks' imminent decision to give Daniels a contract extension? Hey, I keep asking myself that very question, and I suspect what I've come up with is pretty much the same rationale that Hicks is using.

No. 1, for me, is that this organization needs stability. The constant change at the top, which in turn means constant turmoil and shifting of philosophies, has to stop. The Rangers need to get on the same page and stay there.

Yes, that could happen if Hicks went out and, say, hired Gerry Hunsicker or another veteran GM candidate out there, but then the new guy would need to bring in his own people, his own manager and coaches, and it would simply start the process all over again, setting the Rangers back another two or three years.

Sure, it might be worth it if the right guy came in, but there's no guarantee of that either. You may have noticed that Hicks' track record on hires isn't particularly sparkling.

Hicks believes that Daniels is in the process of building a solid management team, but there have been bumps in the road. We've talked a lot about how there has to be a learning curve for manager Ron Washington, but how about for Daniels? He's been going through his own learning curve.

This is one smart cookie, despite the trades and other decisions that have come back to bite him. He's learning on the job. It's the school of hard knocks and J.D. has enough lumps on his head. He looks like he bumped into a hornet's nest, but he's definitely learning.

Now here's what he needs to do: Go hire a veteran, savvy assistant GM like Hunsicker or someone else like him, somebody who's been in the game, worked in the front office and on the field, and is respected throughout baseball. Someone like Sandy Johnson, if he can be pried away from the Mets, which is unlikely.

This is no knock on Thad Levine, another young up-and-comer, or Don Welke or Jay Robertson. Daniels should add to the brain trust, not subtract. But add one more veteran voice and then listen to him carefully. Maybe he should consider asking Tom Grieve to step out of the broadcast booth and back into the front office.

At least as important for Daniels is this next mandate, which I'm sure he already knows. It's time for all of us to stop kidding ourselves. This team is not one or two players away from winning the division, and the stop-gap, add-a-mediocre-free agent-or-two philosophy that Hicks has adopted to keep fans coming through the turnstiles with their fingers crossed just isn't working.

Sure, if Hicks would give Daniels the resources to make a big splash on the free-agent market, the Rangers could get well in a hurry, but that's clearly not going to happen. So forget the patchwork approach and build with young players. That means no more giving away No. 1 draft picks for free agents that aren't going to solve the problem.

That means we all will have to be patient, and that's not easy because we're exasperated with Hicks' make-money-at-all-costs philosophy. But if he's not going to spend for top quality players, then there's no other choice.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Daniels must be able to admit, at least to himself if not publicly, when he's wrong and then correct his mistakes as quickly as possible.

That means not getting stubborn about Ron Washington. An extension should mean that Daniels doesn't have to tie his future to his current manager if Washington proves, by the end of the season, that he was the wrong choice for the job.

Hicks said Monday that the "jury is still out" on Washington's ability to do the job. I'd say the evidence the jury is looking at right now can't be good for the manager. Clearly, he needs a better second half of the season.

Maybe he'll have it. Maybe Washington's boundless enthusiasm and "positivity" will turn the tide in the second half.

If a struggling young GM is finally going to get his first "hit," having the right manager in place is a good place to start... even if it takes more than one at-bat.

Greg Cote reminds us that Jordan and Nicklaus still reign …

I'll tell you who's having a heck of a year in professional golf right now, especially for a guy who's 67 and has been running a slow fade pattern for 20 years. Jack Nicklaus is having a heck of a year.

That's because every time Tiger Woods struggles -- and by ''struggling'' we mean finishing second by one stroke in the U.S. Open and winning only $611,000 -- the Golden Bear is gilded that much more, his career's precious mettle taking on value.
Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships once seemed inevitable for the stalking Tiger. Perhaps even an easy target. You would still not bet smart money against Eldrick, who has 12 majors in the fat of his prime at age 31.

Yet, every time Woods stalls in his pursuit -- and with every near-miss like Sunday's at Oakmont, or the Masters before that -- you begin to wonder a little bit more if Woods eventually surpassing Nicklaus is such a given, after all.

The evolving perspective isn't anything to diminish regard for Woods, the greatest golfer of his time without debate. Rather, it should cast deserved new appreciation for the record of Nicklaus.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves, in our hurry to anoint what is, to occasionally hit the refresh button on respect for what was. It's too easy to gradually underappreciate what went on in sports (as most of Nicklaus' major winning did) before ESPN SportsCenter was there to incessantly jackhammer it home, and before Nike and the like were there to canonize The Next Big Thing.

Nicklaus was this round, soft fellow, likely a sex symbol only to his wife as he moved past the beloved Arnold Palmer, moved up and on to a place nobody in his sport had been. Jack did it in the unfortunate garb of the day, those polyester pastels and wide-checked slacks.

He did it back when fitness meant limiting yourself to a few beers, and before technology in equipment began pulling the sport at fast-forward.

What a contrast: Nicklaus in his pudgy prime compared with the Woods we see today, lithe but chiseled, sculpted underneath that tight-fitting blood-red shirt.

Statuesque, exuding aura -- the biggest thing in all of sports, or at least arguably so.

But the bottom line that cuts across the eras hasn't changed. It's still Nicklaus, 18 to 12. In the truest scoreboard anybody has invented for Greatest Golfer Ever, it's still Bear over Tiger in the manicured, emerald jungle.

The title still is Nicklaus', 18 fittingly the ultimate number for golf, and Woods needs to earn that title that cannot be given, no matter how much a hurry we are in to flatter ourselves by thinking the golden age is whatever age that includes us.
It isn't just in golf. We hurry all across the sports landscape.

LeBron James is the latest Next Michael Jordan, right? He named his newborn baby son Bryce Maximus James. Initials: BMJ. Said phonetically: ''Be M.J.'' Anybody think that's a coincidence? (Me neither).

James might be the next Jordan, too, someday. As good, maybe even better. But he
doesn't get to be that now. There are championships and scoring titles between now and then. There are a dozen can-you-believe-it moments that must be fashioned. There is a mystique to be grown above and beyond the statistics.

The kingdoms are earned. The crowns of Jordan, and of Nicklaus.

Always, though, we want what's next more than we want to remember.

Tiger is a Daddy …

Tiger Woods is a daddy.

Less than 24 hours after finishing second at the U.S. Open on Father's Day, Woods' wife gave birth to a daughter. Woods announced on his Web site — www.tigerwoods.com — that Sam Alexis Woods was born early Monday morning.

"Both Elin and Sam are doing well and resting peacefully," Woods wrote. "We want to thank our doctors and the hospital staff for all their dedicated and hard work. This is truly a special time in our lives and we look forward to introducing Sam to our family and friends over the next few weeks. We thank everyone for their well wishes and continued respect of our privacy."

Woods finished a shot behind Angel Cabrera on Sunday to finish second in a major for the second time this year.

Phil Mickelson's first child was also born the day after he finished second in the U.S. Open in 1999.

Peter King rates the QB’s in the NFL From 1 to 32 …

• Manning's No. 1 (Surprise!): A year ago, I would have picked Tom Brady over Manning. But fair is fair. Manning beat Brady twice in 2006, won the Super Bowl and put all the can't-win-the-big-one stuff behind him. Now Peyton has the ultimate reward: being picked over Brady in the inaugural MMQB Ratings.

• I'd take Drew Brees over Carson Palmer if I were starting a team right now. Sacrilege! With fewer weapons and a similar comeback from serious injury, Brees has narrowly outplayed Palmer over the past two years, and I think it's a good bet he will again in '07.

• Want my upset specials in the top 10? Try Vince Young and Jon Kitna. Young's the most feared young player in football right now. More feared than Reggie Bush. He ran for nearly as many touchdowns last season (seven) as Mike Vick has rushed for in the last two (eight). And I put Kitna at No. 9 because, quite simply, he is the right trigger man for the Lions' offense. I believe he'll throw for 4,300 yards again.

• It's not that I don't like Donovan McNabb. I do. I just don't trust him to stay healthy. I rank the Eagles' QB 12th because I have no confidence that McNabb, at 30 and having missed a combined 13 games over the last two years, will be upright in December.

• Ben Roethlisberger 17th? What gives? From Year 1 to Year 2 of his career, his completion percentage dropped 3.7 points; from year two to three it fell 3.0 points. His TD-to-interception ratio, plus-eight in 2005, dropped to minus-five last season. He is profoundly inconsistent. I say he's a C-plus player until I see six or eight straight weeks of the same guy.

• Mike Vick's understudy will be better this year than Mike Vick. I've got Matt Schaub 19th and Vick 21st. Schaub's gobbling up Gary Kubiak's system this spring and I think he'll be an efficient, low-error player. I have no idea what Vick will be, or if the feds will let him finish what he starts with the dog-fighting probe progressing to a possible indictment this summer in his home state of Virginia. Vick is still far too inconsistent when throwing the ball ... stunningly so for a man with his talent.

• Eli Manning, who could playing for two jobs this year (his own and Tom Coughlin's), enters the pop charts at number 23. He'll need to be feistier and significantly more accurate, neither of which I am confident will happen, to save his career in the Meadowlands.

• Rex Grossman's got some improving to do. I hadn't seen such a low-performance passer in the Super Bowl since Trent Dilfer with the Ravens seven years ago. Quite frankly, I'm surprised the Bears didn't get some insurance at the position by drafting a youngster. I have Grossman 27th, fairly ridiculous for a first-round pick who started in the Super Bowl.

The Kobe Tapes? …

An amateur video, said to have been taken in late May, shows Bryant viciously criticizing the team’s management and the franchise’s best young prospect, the 19-year-old center Andrew Bynum.

The men who shot the video have been peddling it to news media outlets for the last two weeks. A spokesman for the group said they intended to release the video by the end of the week, provided that it raises enough money through Web donations.

The men have remained anonymous — for fear of retribution from Lakers fans, they said — and identify themselves only as “The Kobe Video Guys.”

The footage appears to be legitimate, based on a shorter video posted on YouTube.com. The video’s owners played the entire 24-second clip for hoopsworld.com, which posted an article about it yesterday. The author, Eric Pincus, is a Los Angeles-based writer who has spent considerable time around the Lakers and Bryant. The video, Pincus writes, “leaves no doubt that it is in fact Bryant.”

The video’s owners played the clip over the telephone for a Times reporter. The voice is clearly Bryant’s, speaking in a high, agitated tone.

“It’s not the camera Kobe,” said a spokesman for the amateur videographers, who, like his friends, wanted to remain anonymous. He said the footage was shot in a shopping center parking lot in Newport Coast, Calif., where Bryant lives. The spokesman said his friends, all in their early 20s, were chatting with Bryant when one of them decided to take a photograph and some video for posterity, but that they did not believe that Bryant was aware that they were filming. The Lakers passed on a chance to obtain the Nets’ Jason Kidd in February because they would not part with Bynum.

“Are you kidding me?” Bryant says in the video. He goes on to say, with a number of profanities mixed in, that the Lakers should “ship out” Bynum.

“We’re talking about Jason Kidd,” Bryant says. He also speaks in a derisive tone about General Manager Mitch Kupchak before the video abruptly ends.

The video’s owners claim that a Lakers fan offered to buy the video to keep it private but that they declined. Instead, they intend to charge $1.99 through their Web site.

Trust me. This following story is rocking the NHL. Hartnell and Timonen are two of the more coveted free agents. I assume that the Stars aren’t pleased about not getting to bid on Hartnell, who is the youngest UFA on the market, and would fit nicely on this team.

Regardless, one wonders about the move. Think about it, The Flyers basically get exclusive rights in this trade to talk to free agents a week early. But, do you think they would make the trade without finding out what contracts the players would need? And isn’t that illegal to negotiate with free agents who aren’t your property? But, none of this can be proved, so I congratulate the Flyers for out-smarting the market.

The Flyers make big moves and get two key free agents …

Instead of letting two unrestricted free agents from Nashville sign with other clubs on July 1, the Flyers took matters into their own hands yesterday afternoon by trading for defenseman Kimmo Timonen and left winger Scott Hartnell.

Both players and the Flyers agreed to six-year contracts that had not been filed with the league because they had not been completed. Timonen's $37.8 million deal will average $6.3 million against the salary cap, while Hartnell's $25.2 million deal will average $4.2 million.

In exchange, the Predators retrieved the first-round pick in the 2007 draft (the 23d overall) that went to the Flyers last season in the Peter Forsberg deal.

The trade represented a coup for Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Timonen was considered the best free agent among the mobile defensemen who would have been available this summer. At 32, he becomes the club's No. 1 blue liner. His younger brother, Jussi, plays for the Flyers as well.

"He gets the puck out of his own end; he helps out offensively," Holmgren said. "He is one of the better two-way defensemen in the game. He is not a very big man, but he is smart."

Although the contract would take Timonen to age 38, it is front-loaded so he will earn $8 million in each of the first two years, when he will still be in his prime.
"It has been an awesome day for me and my family," said Timonen, a native of Finland. "It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I'm really excited about this opportunity and to have this chance to be part of the Flyers."

Hartnell, 25, will get $5.2 million and $4.7 million in his first two years.
"It was a surprise to me with all the stuff going on right now, especially a couple of weeks before free agency," Hartnell said. ". . . To be in an organization like Philadelphia is going to be an awesome time."

The 6-2, 208-pound Hartnell is a 20-goal scorer who can play either wing. He gives the Flyers more options in their lineup, which already includes the fleet Scotty Upshall, who also came here in the Forsberg deal.

Remember Bob and the Beatles? Looks like this bit is the same with Star Wars …

Cuban and the Globetrotters



Robot Chicken – Star Wars Trailer



Darth Vader being a Jerk

Good Week for Argentina

They may have had a crappy World Cup, but with Manu and Angel, it is all looking up...

Angel Cabrera can make Birdies. Tiger Cannot …

He took deep drags from a stubby cigarette and footlong divots from Oakmont Country Club until, at last, Ángel Cabrera walked off the 18th green with the hopes of a nation and the burden of a lead in a major championship.

A former caddie from Cordoba, Argentina, who needed financial assistance to learn the game, Cabrera scaled a walkway above Oakmont and looked out over the expanse of the golf course. Somewhere, in the distance and out of his control, Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk were lurking.

Cabrera took a seat in the scorer’s area of the clubhouse, watching the end of the United States Open on television like so many others, and speaking in staccato Spanish with his caddie.

When Furyk missed a 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and, minutes later, Woods followed with a 30-footer that was off line, Cabrera rose from his chair and into a new echelon in golf. He was the winner of the 107th United States Open.

“This will be huge in Argentina,” said Eddie Gardino, Cabrera’s caddie. “I don’t know how many people in Argentina know about golf, but I think it will have a huge impact over there.”

Cabrera, who trailed the overnight lead by four shots, shot a final-round 69 to defeat Woods (72) and Furyk (70) by a stroke. His five-over-par 285 on the difficult Oakmont course matched the winning score from last year’s championship at Winged Foot.

Cabrera, the only player to break par in two rounds, became the first player from Argentina to win the United States Open and the first to win a major since Roberto De Vicenzo won the British Open in 1967.

For Woods, who was bidding for his 13th major title, Oakmont was the site of his second consecutive runner-up finish in a major, after he closed 2006 by winning the British Open and the P.G.A. Championship. For Furyk, who grew up in the Pittsburgh area, it was his second straight runner-up finish in the Open.

“Ángel played a beautiful round of golf today,” Woods said.

In holding off Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, and Furyk, the No. 3 player, Cabrera, 37, also overcame the tough setup at Oakmont and his own nerves. He had never won a PGA Tour event, let alone a major, and yet he held on.

“I was definitely feeling nervous, but I assumed that this is the same sensation everybody was having,” he said through an interpreter. Later, he added: “There are some players that have psychologists. I smoke.”

Rangers win another series! …

After his last start in Pittsburgh, Rangers ace Kevin Millwood admitted he was "kind of lost."

That was putting it politely. Millwood had wandered completely off the map and vanished into the worst slump of his career, losing five of seven starts while compiling an ERA that looked more like someone's time in the 100-meter dash.

Then, like an amnesiac with his memory restored, Millwood was himself again on Sunday. He had 10 strikeouts, the most by a Texas pitcher this season, in six solid innings in the Rangers' 11-4 victory over the Reds.

"I felt like the longer the game went on," Millwood said, "the more I got comfortable with it and the better things went."

When he struck out the side on 11 pitches in the sixth, Millwood showed that he is still capable of dominating. But to get there, he had to withstand a 29-pitch first inning in which the Reds scored only one run despite loading the bases with two outs, and an equally dangerous third inning.

To start the third, Millwood gave up a single to Ken Griffey Jr. before Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer. Edwin Encarnacion followed with another single, but Millwood retired the next three hitters and allowed only one more hit: Dunn's solo homer in the fifth.

"I definitely wanted to hold on to that lead," Millwood said of the cushion the Rangers provided with three first-inning runs.

Millwood had lost five straight decisions and hadn't won in seven starts overall since a win on April 13. In his four starts before Sunday's, Millwood had a 12.27 ERA. Everyone he faced seemed as tough as Ted Williams, as opponents hit .405 during that stretch. In 14 2/3 innings over those four starts, Millwood had only eight strikeouts.

"Just to be able to go out and give us a chance was a good thing for me today," Millwood said.

Millwood wasn't perfect. His control eluded him early, and he gave up the two home runs to Dunn and four runs total. Still, he grew tougher as the game went on, retiring 12 of the final 13 hitters he faced.

"That's the old Millwood," manager Ron Washington said. "He bent, but he didn't break."

Kobe hasn’t heard his own name talked about very much, so time to post another message on his website …

Kobe Bryant reposted a message on his Web page Sunday strongly suggesting the superstar wanted to be traded from the Lakers.

"When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its [sic] hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere," he wrote on his Web site, kb24.com. "But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING."

The two-time scoring champion also wrote: "The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future."

The 28-year-old nine-time All Star has four years left on his contract, but can terminate it following the 2008-09 season.

FC Dallas pounded in Toronto …ouch.

A one-sided game was exactly what was expected in a meeting of Major League Soccer's standings points leader and an expansion team.

But the result was unexpected: Toronto FC 4, FC Dallas 0.

In the first meeting of the two franchises, FC Toronto (4-6-1) took complete charge after the first half-hour of play and surprised the Western Conference leader before a franchise-record crowd of 20,156 fans at BMO Field.

Not even the return of leading scorer and team captain Carlos Ruiz -- who played the second half -- provided a spark for FC Dallas (7-6-1), which had won two in a row on the road.

Ruiz, who played for the Guatemala national team Saturday in a 3-0 loss to Canada in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, made the trip from suburban Boston to rejoin FC Dallas.
"We played today against a very good team," Ruiz said. "It was our first time here. I think Toronto has very good players. I don't know why the team is [sixth] in [the Eastern] conference."

FC Dallas' offense pushed forward in the opening minutes and again just after halftime -- when Toronto FC led 2-0 -- but got nothing from its 10 shots. And FCD allowed season highs in goals, shots (13) and shots on goal (10).

Prepare for Signing season in the NHL …click the link to read all about it…

The Stanley Cup is in Orange County, the Hart Trophy is on Sidney Crosby's mantle and former Sun Media columnist Mike Keenan is in Calgary. Now comes the quiet season for the NHL, right? Guess again. As the temperatures heat up, so, too, will player movement around the league. The festivities begin with the annual entry draft starting Friday in Columbus, an event many NHL executives feel might turn into an episode of Let's Make A Deal because of the large number of expected trades. In two weeks, the arrival of July 1 marks the opening of the free agency signing period. For big names like Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, Sheldon Souray, Brian Rafalski and Scott Gomez, the prospect of having their bank accounts swell significantly is a juicy one, to be sure. Without further ado, here is a rundown of what each of the 30 teams face entering the summer.

Chris Young vs Derek Lee



Bear Grylls vs. Conan



Nikoli Zherdev - who Columbus wants to get rid of...

Here's to Fin

Can you ever remember a time where you almost welcomed an off-season? There is no way America wanted a Game 5. Congrats, Spurs. Now please don’t make us watch anymore for a few month.

By the way, has any team ever under celebrated more? The celebration was similar to a team winning a division title. Come on, boys. I know you win all the time, but these are still rare.

Spurs Win, hardly break a sweat.

Here's to the Big Three, as well as to the big three that's still to come.

Given the MVP ascent of Tony Parker — and the health and continued power of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili — what are the odds they don't win at least one more championship over the next three years?

They will prefer to savor this one for now. They looked finished in January, especially when a trade for Corey Maggette never worked out.

Here's to Maggette for staying in Los Angeles.

But struggling early and finishing strong is part of the Spurs' title pattern. They've also lost in the first round in either the first or second game, and they've often faced their strongest opponent in the second round.

Another part of the pattern is what has awaited them in three of their four Finals: an inferior team. The Cavaliers were the worst the Spurs met in the playoffs this season, and that was especially true at point guard.

Daniel Gibson is too young, Eric Snow too old and Larry Hughes too injured. Into this void came Parker, playing as well as he ever has.

Parker deserves his MVP trophy, but he wasn't always the best point guard in either of the previous Spurs series. Both Steve Nash and Deron Williams could counter. Cleveland couldn't, and Parker sped for another 24 points in the finale.

Still, this will help Parker. He said last month he thinks he will enter his prime when he's about 28 years old, and the 2007 experience will only speed that along. Championship confidence always comes in handy.

Lebron likes Gladiator…A lot …

LeBron James, a father for the second time early on the morning of the fourth game of the NBA Finals, said there was no "Rocky moment" after the birth of his son, Bryce Maximus James.

In "Rocky II," the fighter's wife comes out of a coma after having a baby and tells him: "Win." Yo, Adrian. Life does not imitate art. Not when the other team is the San Antonio Spurs.

The Cavaliers lost again to the Spurs, 83-82, in a game that was not really that close. It completed a sweep in the NBA Finals by the heavily favored Spurs. Inspiration anywhere, even from the sickbed, was welcome in light of the Cavs' plight.

The second son of the Cavs' sun was born to James and longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson Thursday at 12:51 a.m. The baby's middle name is that of the Russell Crowe character (Maximus Decimus Meridius) in "Gladiator." It is James' favorite movie.

At least James did not name him Spartacus (too old a gladiator movie) or Cincinnatus (tough sell in Cleveland), or Antony (too close to ESPN's Greg Anthony) or Cleopatra (Roman equivalent of a boy named Sue).
"King James" was more gritty than regal throughout the Finals.

Lack of rest on the day of the conclusion of the Finals did not help, either, although he denied he was fatigued.

James missed 11 of 13 shots in the middle quarters. This was when the Spurs were waiting to be beaten. But the Cavs could not oblige them.

The jumpers the Spurs dared James to take, he took reluctantly. Once, James threw a third-quarter entry pass to Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who was double-teamed by Bruce Bowen, James' principal defender. Z kicked it
back out to James, standing by his lonesome inside the 3-point arc. James then re-posted the ball to Z as Bowen again doubled him. Teams double off a shooter who has no confidence, someone who cannot hurt them.

Here is to Fin …

Nobody reveled in the moment more than Finley. After the Spurs had persevered with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker leading the way, it was Finley who stood at center court with both arms outstretched, letting loose with a long, loud "Yeeeaaaaa."
"This one is for Michael Finley," said Parker, the Finals MVP. "He made the right decision coming to San Antonio."

It was a decision that the Mavericks pretty much made for him, waiving him under the amnesty provision two summers ago to save more than $50 million of luxury-tax money. Finley spent most of his career as a star with the Mavericks. Those days were gone forever when he moved south.

"I had my time in the spotlight with all the glory, and I didn't win a championship," Finley said. "We were never the best team.

"But now, my role has changed, and no matter what anybody says about me now, whether they bad-mouth me or anything, they're going to finish that sentence with: He's a champion."

Finley's role was more cameo than critical. He had just four points and two rebounds in 16 minutes Thursday. He's no star on the Spurs' latest championship rendition. But he rode the coattails of Tim Duncan, Parker and Ginobili every bit as well as Robert Horry, who has made a seven-ring career out of partnering well.

In fact, the Spurs are notorious for bringing in crafty veterans who have never won a title and giving them their first ring. Kevin Willis, Steve Smith, Jerome Kersey, Brent Barry and others have come to San Antonio to win a ring.

Finley falls in line now. And when he was celebrating, he didn't take any swipes at the Mavericks. He said Nowitzki and Nash have already congratulated him on a great playoff run and, as he said, "I'm sure they'll be in touch soon about the championship."

In an effort to ease the pain for most of my readers, Please enjoy the blog entry from Game 7’s Mavs win over the Spurs from Last May …And don’t forget, only 1 team has beaten San Antonio in the last 3 seasons in the playoffs. That should be remembered before we blow this thing up…

Kam Loe gives us a quality start! …

The plan was for Kameron Loe to go down to the minors, make a few adjustments and return to the Rangers when he was ready to pitch again in the big leagues.

Judging by his performance in a 6-0 victory over the Pirates, Loe came back a changed man -- after only five days.

Pressed into a spot start for the injured Brandon McCarthy, Loe turned in the finest
outing by any Rangers starter this season, throwing eight shutout innings and allowing only five hits while striking out a career-high seven batters.

Could all that have come from just two days with Triple A Oklahoma in Albuquerque, and only one bullpen session with RedHawks pitching coach Andy Hawkins?

"Maybe something subconsciously clicked," Loe said, "and honestly, I think it was just raising my arm angle a little bit, throwing a bullpen in front of Hawk and noticing that.

"I did a lot of thinking... I had some time on plane rides -- a lot of those lately."
McCarthy is certain to miss at least one more start while he's on the disabled list, but Loe probably could have guaranteed a return to the minors with a dismal start Wednesday.

Instead, Loe likely earned himself another big-league start, and if it's anything like his start Wednesday, those minor-league lessons might not be necessary.
"I don't want to go back down there, that's for sure," Loe said.

Loe relied heavily on his sinker Thursday and commanded his breaking pitches well. He looked more like the pitcher who led the majors in spring training with a 0.92 ERA and not the one who had an 8.57 ERA in his previous nine starts.

"He showed us what we knew he always had," manager Ron Washington said. "Previous to this point, he just never had it for the whole time he was out there."

Sidney Crosby wins everything …

The NHL awards ceremonies turned into The Sidney Crosby Show as the 19-year-old superstar scored an impressive off-ice hat trick Thursday night.

The youngest player in league history to win the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion won the Hart Trophy from writers as most valuable player and the Pearson Award from his peers as most outstanding player. Crosby was recently named captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins and after winning the most coveted individual awards in hockey he was asked if he'd just had the best two weeks of his life.

"I haven't won the Stanley Cup yet so ask me after that," he replied during the post-awards news conference. "But this has been a couple of memorable weeks."

The Cole Harbour, N.S., teen became the seventh player in league history to pull off the Ross-Hart-Pearson hat trick.

Crosby amassed 120 points last season and he did it while playing the last six weeks with a broken bone in a foot. He'd gone away with empty hands after losing the top rookie award to Alex Ovechkin one year ago. This time he went away with his hands full.

"That wasn't what drove me to play this year," he said. "I just wanted to be better than I was before."

He thanked his parents.

"The sacrifices of my parents, the early mornings, the practices . . . I owe a lot of thanks to them," he said.

There were four repeat winners.

Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings won the Norris Trophy for the second year in a row and fifth time overall, teammate Pavel Datsyuk won the Lady Byng Trophy as most gentlemanly player the second year in a row.

Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils won the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender for the third time, and Carolina Hurricanes captain Rod Brind'Amour won his second straight Selke Trophy as top defensive forward.

The Vancouver Canucks' Alain Vigneault received the Adams Award as top coach, and Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin got the Calder Trophy as top rookie.

Vinny Lecavalier, a finalist for the Pearson, got the Maurice Richard Trophy for scoring a league-high 52 goals.

Phil Kessel of the Boston Bruins, who completed his rookie season after being diagnosed in December with testicular cancer, received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for humanitarianism for his work with charities. Koivu battled and beat non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

The Hart was last in the order of presentation and Hockey Hall of Famer Gordie Howe, a six-time winner, handed it to Crosby.

Oduro with late winner for FC Dallas …

Despite missing a number of key players, FC Dallas continues to get results, this time a 1-0 victory on the road at struggling Real Salt Lake, who have yet to get a win this season.

The Hoops pressed from the opening whistle with little to show until three minutes into second-half stoppage time when Dominic Oduro pelted a low rocket past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando and inside the far post.

It's a scenario that Dallas is familiar with in Salt Lake City. FCD opened the 2007 season grabbing a tie at Salt Lake when Carlos Ruiz evened things up late in stoppage time. And in July 2006, Abe Thompson slipped in a game-winner at Rice-Eccles, also in the 93rd minute.

FCD head coach Steve Morrow wasn't surprised his team could grind out the result.
"I think that's the third time we've done it to them here -- scored late in the game," said Morrow. "To be honest with you, I think it was just exactly what we deserved."

The game's goal scorer also thought Dallas was the better team on the night.
"It's always hard to play away from home," said Oduro. "It was a tough game -- nice competition -- but at the end of the day we were the best team and we deserved to win."

It was the second consecutive win for a depleted Dallas side who are missing a number of players to injury -- most recently Kenny Cooper, whose leg was broken last Sunday against the Galaxy -- and national team duty, as Carlos Ruiz is with the Guatemalan national team for the Gold Cup.

Click Here to see the Goal and the game highlights …

Kobe goes to Barcelona …

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant made a surprise visit to watch FC Barcelona in training Thursday before the team's final game this weekend.

Bryant, who lived in Europe for eight years and is an avid soccer fan, watched quietly from the sidelines and hugged Barcelona midfielder Ronaldinho after the training session.

"I came to enjoy my favorite football team," Bryant said after security guards let him into the Nou Camp stadium. "It is a privilege to be able to watch Barca train."

Plan your trips now: 2007-08 Premiership Schedule is released …

Eastern Motors (From Monday’s Blog) behind the scenes



I wish I could do this

Bogey, Bogey, Bogey

Today is the first day of a Golf Major. So, for 4 days, I am hardcore Golf fan. I will try to watch the whole thing. Bring it on. Let’s enjoy watching this course bring the golfers to their knees.

Examine the Course time …

This is not just another garden-variety U.S. Open, with ankle-deep rough and lightning-fast greens. Those elements will help decide who hoists the trophy -- and they probably will keep the winning score above par, if the course dries out after Wednesday's brief but ferocious thunderstorm -- but they are not the most distinctive wrinkles on this course.

Follow the tour:

-- There actually are two bunkers with "church pews" of grass -- one between the Nos. 3 and 4 fairways and another, smaller one along the left side of No. 15. Heaven forbid an actual church has pews this unkempt.

The bunker between Nos. 3 and 4 is massive, 30 yards wide by 100 yards long, and the USGA has let the rough on the 12 elevated aisles of grass grow four inches high. That grass is a tangle of tall, gnarly weeds eager to swallow wayward shots.
One spectator glanced at the bunker and announced, in a tone of nonchalant resignation, "I would never get out."

Arnold Palmer holed out from this bunker in the 1962 Open, with a 5-iron, but do not count on the players in this week's tournament duplicating the King. Sergio Garcia hit his tee shot on No. 4 into the bunker Tuesday, then dropped a ball on the fairway for his next shot.

"It's interesting," Garcia said of the church-pews bunker. "I mean, you can get some really bad lies there."

Said Phil Mickelson: "I think it's really cool."

Mickelson suggested he might even try to copy the church pews as he begins designing courses, an ambition apparently not shared by Tiger Woods. Asked if he practiced any shots out of the bunker, Woods scoffed.

"I don't really think you should be practicing negativity," he said. "If you end up there, you're basically just going to wedge out, anyway. Accept your mistake and move on."

-- The view from the back tee on No. 8 -- at 288 yards, the longest par-3 in major-championship history -- requires superhero eyesight. It was difficult to spot the red flagstick Wednesday, even if it was planted in the middle of the green.

Dean Wilson stepped to the tee and chortled when his caddie, Michael Bestor,
informed him of the distances: 277 yards to the front edge and 18 more to the hole. Yes, that's 295 yards from tee to pin -- on a par-3.

"This hole needs wind in your face, to make it challenging," Bestor said dryly.
Most players will use a 3-wood or hybrid club, hoping they can leave the ball near the front edge of the green and salvage par from there. Then they will trudge away, knowing the longest par-5 in major history, No. 12 at 667 yards, still awaits.

-- Lest you think Oakmont is merely another elongated beast, given those two monstrous holes, think again. There are three par-4s measuring 360 yards or shorter, sure to tempt today's power hitters into pulling out their driver and going for the green.

Most tantalizing is No. 17, a 313-yard gem winding uphill around a series of steep, daunting bunkers. Ben Hogan drove the green and two-putted for birdie to cement his Open victory in 1953. Palmer drove the green and made eagle in '62. Any player within reach of the final-round lead probably will give it a whirl.

Fair warning: During our visit, one course official raked the bunker to the right of the No. 17 green. The man stood at least 6 feet tall -- and the face of the bunker, probably 10 feet tall, dwarfed him. Not a good place to hit your ball.

Now, you likely know that I am another Tiger-homer. I really am no golf expert, but this golf expert lists his favorites, and has decided Tiger is behind Rod Pampling! …

1. Jim Furyk The world's third-ranked player is still searching for his first victory of the year, but Oakmont should be right up his alley. A Pennsylvania native, Furyk has become more accurate off the tee than ever, second to only Jose Coceres in hitting fairways this season. And despite a final-hole putting foible at Winged Foot last year, he's a proven winner (claimed the Open title in '03 at Olympia Fields) who should remain mentally tough down the stretch on Sunday.

2. Padraig Harrington See Paddy plod. Watch Paddy grind. It may not look pretty, but Harrington can make pars with the best of 'em. More importantly than anything else, though, Harrington finally believes that his game is good enough to win one, saying recently, "I'm only starting to come into a situation where I'm probably a little bit more capable of winning a major."

3. Rod Pampling No major leaderboard is devoid of players whose inclusion will raise an eyebrow and such will be the case for Pampling. Though his previous claim to fame came at the 1999 British Open, during which he parlayed the first-round lead into a missed cut, the Aussie is a patient player who's been hot this year, with seven top-25s and only one MC this season. Don't be surprised to see him contend this week.

4. Tiger Woods Still the prohibitive favorite anytime he tees it up, Woods has played in four straight U.S. Opens without winning one, his second-longest winless streak at any of the majors since turning pro. Though he's made three separate trips to Oakmont in the past month, Tiger has never played the course in competition. Then again, how much stake can we place on that? After all, the same could be said for last year's British Open at Hoylake and he won.

Does NBA Season end tonight? …

Finals history is not on the Cavs' side but the team can draw on its past to help. A big game from LeBron James, like in Game 6 of the conference finals against the Pistons, could make the difference and give them momentum for the rest of the series.

"We have no choice but to win or the season is over and there's a new champion," James said. "We have to come out with the mind-set to take one game at a time and just continue to try to win four in a row. We still feel confident. It's all about the first team getting No. 4. They're definitely closer than we are, but at the same time, the series is not over until somebody hits four."

The Spurs will likely become that team, but before Spurs fans begin the parade, the Cavs' Damon Jones said his team will have something to say about it.

"Everyone is saying now that no one has ever come back from 0-3, but I believe just because it hasn't been done doesn't mean it can't be done," Jones said. "That's our focus going into Game 4, is to get to the next game and go from there."

Hitting open shots and limiting mistakes, especially near the end, could be enough to extend this series - or even better.

"Nobody has come back from an 0-3 deficit like this, but like I was saying, there's always a first time for everything," said Cavs coach Mike Brown.

Could Ranger season end soon? …

The Rangers are running out of ways to describe one sloppy loss after another. But they continue to say volumes with their play on the field. Wednesday's 8-1 loss was another chapter in that sad tale.

It included another poor start by a starting pitcher. Two more errors and a couple of more statistically nondocumented misplays. And a handful of wasted opportunities. In other words, more of the same.

The Rangers are 19 games under .500. A loss today, which would give Pittsburgh a sweep of the three-game series, would make it the second earliest date since the Rangers moved to Texas that they have fallen 20 games below .500. The only time it's happened earlier: 2003. The Rangers were 22-42 on June 13, 2001. That season was memorable only because the manager and the pitching coach lost their jobs before the All-Star break.

The general manager was fired on the final day of the season.

"I hate this; I absolutely hate it," said shortstop Michael Young, who sat staring into his locker, arms folded tightly across his chest some 15 minutes after the game. "I can't stand losing. It's driving me nuts. You have two choices: You can go in the tank or you can battle through this and make yourself a better player and help the team get better."

Asked if he was concerned the team had started to do to the former, Young replied emphatically: "No. No. No."

Whatever the case, the Rangers aren't getting better.

There was plenty of evidence of that in the first few innings Wednesday as the Rangers fashioned themselves an 8-0 hole. For those scoring at home, they have fallen behind by at least five runs on 27 occasions this year in the first 65 games.

Mike Nolan, who loves to wear a suit and tie, gets permission to wear it all season at home …

Mike Nolan will be allowed to wear a suit on the sideline for each of the 49ers' eight home games, an NFL spokesman said today.

"We've agreed to coach Nolan's request," said Brian McCarthy, the NFL's director of corporate communications. "He told us he was looking (to wear the suit) for the eight home games."

The issue generated a lot of conversation among 49ers fans in the past week, as Nolan said he had been told that he could wear a suit on the sideline for only two games this season. He and Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio wore suits during two games last season, too.

McCarthy emphasized it is the NFL that determines the policy for what coaches wear on the sideline. Nolan said last week that he was under the impression it was Reebok making the decision. Reebok pays the NFL a reported $250 million to be the clothing supplier for the league.

Dale Jr. will now have the resources to win …

Now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has signed a five-year contract with the most powerful team in NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt will be driving the best cars and will be supported by the best personnel in NASCAR starting in 2008. No longer will he have to complain about a lack of horsepower or a lack of research and development, which were two lingering problems he confronted at Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI). In short, with a stroke of a pen, Earnhardt has been transformed from a longshot into a serious title contender.

As I wrote last week when I first learned that Rick Hendrick was going to sign Earnhardt, Hendrick will now boast a dream team of drivers in '08: Little E, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Earnhardt, by any measure, is the most popular driver in the sport, followed by Gordon, Tony Stewart and Johnson. Though to Earnhardt fans it may seem like their driver is crossing over to the dark side to drive for Hendrick, who was one of Earnhardt Sr.'s greatest rivals, this move makes perfect sense for Junior -- both on a professional level and, more important to him, on a personal one.

Dumbest Story of the Day: NHL is considering Expansion?????….Please!

In the wake of a Stanley Cup playoffs that broke records for irrelevance and low ratings, with empty seats in both new and established markets, coming off the infamous “Preakness Game” that highlighted the worst TV package in sports, the worst commissioner in sports and the lingering hangover from two suicidal lockouts, what does the NHL think is the answer?

Expansion.

If this wasn’t the NHL, we’d think it was a joke. But as the Sports Business Journal reported, the league is moving toward adding a 31st and 32nd franchise in those noted hockey hotbeds of Las Vegas and Kansas City.

Yes, that ought to do it.

Hey, instead of trying to fix the apathy in your current markets, why not add new ones. Las Vegas may be good news for Janet Gretzky and Rick Tocchet, but since the NHL can’t beat Law & Order reruns, what chance does it have against The Strip?
Look, if the league wants to further strangle itself with expansion, why not Chicago? It hasn’t had a team since Bill Wirtz disbanded the Blackhawks in the mid-1990s.

Only the NHL could even dream this stuff up. The league needs to contract, not expand. It needs to improve the product, not disperse the talent, dilute rivalries and provide another slap at the game’s tradition.

No offense to Vegas and KC, but we've seen this act before. The few million in expansion fees isn't worth adding a couple more cities that aren’t all that interested in hockey, save the core of 10-15,000 fans who will still be paying attention once the novelty wears off.

As for Commissioner Gary Bettman, well, he hasn’t overseen many good ideas in his first 15 years on the job. At this point our only hope is that his various disasters in leadership were part of a secret 16-year plan and good things are about to happen.

A past expansion under his watch – slogan: “If you’ve got two Winn Dixies, welcome to the NHL” – gave us the Nashville Predators. This year Nashville, despite having an exciting, hard-hitting and winning team, violated its lease by failing to draw an average of 14,000 fans. The local government may have to buy the remaining tickets next year, a tremendously prudent use of tax money.

Who among us isn’t shocked, just shocked, to find out that a small market, football mad Southern city wasn’t all that interested in an NHL team after all? Yep, no one could have seen that one coming.

Nashville may get moved to the Kitchener-Waterloo region of Ontario. The punch line isn’t that Ontario has a Kitchener-Waterloo region. It’s that at this point, it’s a pretty good option.

That’s how low this league is.

For all your off-season Hockey needs, check out Spector’s Blog …

Will Kobayashi even show up on the 4th of July? …

Japan's wiener-chomping maestro has found his career at a crossroads just at the moment when it was time for him to prove that he's the top dog with a hot dog, according to Shukan Gendai (6/26).

Takeru Kobayashi was the long-time holder of the world record for hot dog consumption, with 53 and 3/4 tucked away in just 12 minutes.

But 23-year-old American Joey "Jaws" Chestnut recently scoffed down 59 and 1/2 hot dogs in the same time frame, snatching Kobayashi's world record and setting himself up to take on Kobayashi in the battle for the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York on July 4.
Kobayashi has claimed the past six Nathan's crowns and the only time he has ever been beaten in an eating contest in the U.S. was by a 500-kilogram Kodiak bear, so he should be confident of his chances when he takes on "Jaws."

Shukan Gendai points out that Kobayashi first emerged into the spotlight in 2000, when he won TV Tokyo's "TV Champion Zenkoku Oogui Senshuken (National Gluttony
Championships)." Apart from his hot dog exploits, he has since racked up a series of eating records, including stuffing down 97 hamburgers in 8 minutes, scoffing 100 pork dumplings in 12 minutes and chomping away on 41 lobster rolls in 10 minutes.

The weekly says he doesn't really "eat" food during competition, but rather "pours them down his throat." When it comes to hot dogs, he first soaks the buns in a liquid, usually water, to soften them, then shoves the frankfurter down his throat without chewing it.

Kobayashi regards competitive eating as a sport and has worked hard to build up his entire body, placing special emphasis on abdominal and heart muscles. He also consumes copious quantities of supplements to keep his internal organs in check, the roughly 50 types he takes costing him around 150,000 yen a month.

Kobayashi normally eats regular meals, spending only around 20,000 yen to 30,000 yen a month on food, virtually meaning he builds his body up on supplements.

He's due to go for his seventh Nathan's crown next month, but his manager Kumi Ozeki suggests that Kobayashi's title defense might be in danger.

"Kobayashi's mother died in March and he's currently taking a sabbatical. He's not even in training," the hot dog eating champion's manager tells Shukan Gendai. "I haven't heard a word from him about whether he's going to take part in the July contest and there's no way that I know to get in touch with him." (By Ryann Connell)

This Email From a good P1

The Euless Giants need your help!!!
www.leaguelineup.com/eulesstballgiants

We are the Euless Giants, a 6U T-Ball team from the Mid-Cites ( Euless, Texas ).

The Euless Giants are currently ranked # 2 in the nation out of 604 teams.
Rankings

The Euless Giants are currently 19 - 1 and have won the opportunity to compete in the USSSA World Series in Granbury, Texas June 17 - 22nd. Link

This is a once in a life time opportunity for these young boys and something they will remember for a life time. But, we need to raise funds to help get these boys to Granbury and to be able to play. Travel, food, entry fees, etc. all add up and we are looking for sponsors / donations to help. ANY amount will help.

We have provided a link on our team web site on how to become a sponsor:
Here

Anything you can do to help would be appreciated. We are not only representing our team but the City of Euless and the State of Texas as there will be teams competing from all over the country.

Please help support these boys and this opportunity they have in front of them.

Please visit the Euless Giants Team Web site: www.leaguelineup.com/eulesstballgiants

Coach Richard
817-657-2260
www.leaguelineup.com/eulesstballgiants

Swear Jar



Evan O’Dorney on Kimmel



Kimmel Spelling Bee with Evan

All I Want to Do is Race with Gordon, Daddy!

This is a great story for people who enjoy seeing over-the-top fans put in a position of discomfort.

You see, if you enjoy racing, you cannot help but notice that 88% of all fans cheer for Little E. They then cuss, spew, gesture, and yell at anyone who dares defy their beloved #8. And of course, #8’s daddy, #3.

Therefore, you have heard for years how Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson are the devils that keep the beloved #8 out of victory circle by cheating, whining, using communism, and being overtly gay.

The simple truth is this: To Junior’s legion of jort-wearing fans, they would rather join Russia, than join Hendrick Motor Sports.

But that is exactly what Dale decided to do …Hey, if you can’t beat em, join em, right, Dale?

NASCAR royalty is safe and sound in the Hendrick kingdom. Dale Earnhardt Jr. did the right thing.

Going to Hendrick Motorsports always was the best scenario for Earnhardt. It also was what he really wanted, but Rick Hendrick kept everyone off the scent by declaring no room at the inn.

Hendrick also is expected to make the right decision to jettison bad boy Kyle Busch from the organization. Busch is a better driver than Hendrick newbie Casey Mears but is also a huge headache with behavior issues.

Maybe Busch can replace Earnhardt in the No. 8. A Busch in the Bud car. Perfect.
However, Budweiser might join Earnhardt at Hendrick. That's still unknown. So is the fate of Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt's crew chief. Hendrick has four strong crew chiefs now.

A few Earnhardt fans will have issues with his going to Hendrick instead of to Richard Childress Racing. They wanted him to follow his father and go to RCR, hoping he might drive the No. 3. That never was an option. Earnhardt had no desire to drive the 3 his father made famous.

His becoming Jeff Gordon's teammate will be tough to swallow for the Earnhardt fans who also are Gordon haters, especially the ones dating back to Dale Sr.'s rivalry with Gordon.

But the smart Junior fans know he made the move that gives him the best chance to win a championship. That's what his father would want.

Like the Yankees getting A-Rod, Hendrick Motor Sports went from being #1 to undisputed #1 …

Signing Earnhardt Jr. to join Gordon and Johnson gives Hendrick Motorsports a formidable lineup of driving talent and popularity.

Gordon and Johnson have combined for 106 victories -- 79 for Gordon, fifth best all-time, and 27 for Johnson. Mears got his first career Cup victory last month in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Earnhardt Jr. has won 17 races.

Earnhardt Jr. also has won the circuit's most popular driver award for the past four years, each time by landslide margins in voting by fans.

Rick Hendrick has had 2,299 entries in Nextel Cup races. His first race as a car owner came in 1984 with Geoffrey Bodine driving a No. 5 Chevrolet. Bodine got the team its first win in that car that year on April 29 at Martinsville.

Meanwhile, in another example of basketball being set back a few years, The Spurs and Cavs put on a 147 point slugfest …

Bowen buried four 3-pointers over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He grabbed a career playoff-best nine rebounds. And after he hounded — or fouled, depending on one's perspective — LeBron James into one last miss, the Spurs skipped off the floor at Quicken Loans Arena with a 75-72 victory that gave them a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

The Spurs will try to complete the sweep Thursday. No NBA team has successfully come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-7 series.

"What a yeoman effort on his part," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Bowen, who played a game-high 44 minutes. "I just thought he was fantastic from beginning to end. He really set the tone for our team."

It was perhaps appropriate then that the Spurs were led by the league's runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in a game that featured little offense. The 147 combined points were the second-fewest ever in a Finals game. The 27 total points in the third quarter matched the fewest in any Finals quarter.

Suffice to say, neither team did much to drive up ABC's ratings.

"That's OK," Bowen said. "We've won ugly many a game. Ugly can be good."

The Spurs won despite shooting 41.2 percent. Despite Tim Duncan scoring 14 points and going more than two quarters between baskets. Despite Manu Ginobili missing all seven of his shots and scoring just three points, all of which came on free throws in the final 10.4 seconds.

Which is to say the Spurs won the same way they usually win — with defense.

You don’t go into Pittsburgh and get a win …

Another day, another disaster for the Rangers starting rotation.

Kevin Millwood may be healthy, but he's clearly not right. And Brandon McCarthy once again may not be healthy.

Oh, and the Rangers lost again, 7-5 to Pittsburgh. The storyline? You guessed it: The Rangers fell behind again by five runs. That's 26 times in 64 games they've trailed by that big a margin. They helped the Pirates with a bit of sloppy defense, watched the rotation ERA rise once again and then rallied back only to fall short.

Millwood, who was out a month with a bothersome hamstring, allowed leadoff home runs in three innings and didn't make it through the fifth. He couldn't pull his fastball to the bottom of the strike zone no matter what he tried. As a result, he's now 2-6 with a 7.82 ERA. His ERA has risen in each of the last seven starts.

"I threw a couple of fastballs where I wanted, but other than that. ...," Millwood said. "I don't know what's going on. I'm kind of lost. I'm trying everything I can to figure it out. I'm healthy. My legs feel fine. My arm feels fine. I'm just not pitching very well. I haven't seen anything even close to this before."

And the news on the rotation – ERA now 6.92! – gets even worse.

McCarthy barely made it through a between-starts bullpen session. The cracked callous on his right middle finger tore again, and he's questionable for his Thursday start. He said he will try to throw today, but if it needs more rest the Rangers may be forced to put him on the disabled list until the issue can be solved. McCarthy already had one start skipped because of the issue.

Odd as it sounds: McCarthy, Robinson Tejeda, who starts tonight, and Jamey Wright, who returns from the DL on Saturday, have been the reliable members of the opening day rotation. The Rangers are 12-13 when they pitch.

The thing is, Millwood and Vicente Padilla were supposed to be the rotation's foundation. Both won at least 15 games last year and pitched 200 innings. This season: They are a combined 4-14 with a 7.57 ERA. The Rangers are 6-17 when they start.

"It makes it awfully difficult, but they are only human," manager Ron Washington said. "It's nice to like them when they are going good, but you have to trust their track records. They've just got to keep taking the ball and going out there to try and fix it. We're not going to take it from them."

Like me, Gil likes McCarthy’s run …

In the interest of fairness, I would like to propose that we introduce the McCarthy Exception.

The McCarthy Exception is to be invoked whenever one feels the urge to disparage Rangers pitchers with adjectives more commonly used by sailors at sea.

For example, "Boy, those &^#!! Rangers pitchers are lousy, except for Brandon McCarthy."

Or, "The Rangers rotation makes us want to move to Oklahoma, except for Brandon McCarthy."

As staff ace Kevin Millwood continues to be pelted like a piñata and Vicente Padilla leaves the Earth's orbit on his way toward Mars, please remember to utilize the McCarthy Exception.

He has earned it with five -- gasp, five! -- quality outings since an April in which his best burnt offerings couldn't even find the plate.

McCarthy in April: six starts, four losses, a 9.90 ERA.

McCarthy since April: six starts, three victories and, not counting the brief night when he had to leave the game because of a torn blister, a 2.23 ERA.

McCarthy's latest start came last Saturday and was a no-decision, though the Rangers
somehow woke late and rallied to make it the most memorable night of the home season.
Traded to the Rangers in the off-season, McCarthy pitched the first five innings
that night, allowing only one run, and then retired to the clubhouse to later watch the rare magic unfold.

"That was the most excited I've been for a baseball game in a long time," McCarthy said of the Rangers' come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Milwaukee.

Jamey Newberg speaks on the Porcello debate in his Report:

While on the subject of things that irritate me, here's one that I have no problem addressing: Rick Porcello. Would I have been pumped to see Texas take a shot on the high-profile high school righthander, especially at pick number 24? Sure. But the media is completely missing the point on the reason Texas and a whole lot of other teams did not use a pick on the 18-year-old, considered by many to be the top high school arm in last week's draft.

It's not the money.

Well, for some teams it probably was. Scott Boras is reportedly seeking $7-10 million to keep Porcello from attending the University of North Carolina.

But why are reporters everywhere ignoring the bigger piece to this puzzle?

Porcello wants a major league contract.

I spent 30 minutes the other day researching to come up with an exhaustive list of the high school pitchers who have gotten big league deals to start their careers. A complete rundown of the pitchers in that category, so we can once and for all look at the wisdom of going down that road from a franchise standpoint, and decide whether Porcello is worth adding to that illustrious registry of young pitching prodigies.

Here goes.

Todd Van Poppel and Josh Beckett.

Not Jeremy Bonderman or Zack Greinke or Cole Hamels or Scott Kazmir or Clayton Kershaw or Matt Cain or Adam Loewen or Homer Bailey or Chris Gruler or Gavin Floyd or Mark Rogers or any other high first you can think of in recent years (or in any year).

Van Poppel and Beckett. That's it.

How many innings do you think those two Texas-bred righthanders pitched in high school, compared to the New Jersey-born Porcello? Is Porcello ready to pitch a full, unregimented minor league season? Can his team afford, on the other hand, to bring him along methodically when the options clock begins ticking as soon as he reports to duty?

He would get a fourth option by way of the loophole that addresses players who have exhausted three options before five full seasons as a pro, but so did Van Poppel, and we know how that worked out. How do you think the Tigers will feel if they put $8 million in Porcello's pocket and he goes on to pitch for six big league clubs, mostly in middle relief?

Beckett made it pay off. And Porcello might, too. But are the odds good enough that they warrant that sort of bonus commitment?

Van Poppel made less in his career (a little more than $7.5 million) than Porcello will probably get from Detroit before he throws a minor league pitch.

And one additional reason that Texas might have had not to go down the Porcello path, an issue that Detroit didn't face: Let's say the Rangers took Blake Beavan at number 17 and Porcello at 24. At 35, not wanting one Boras pick to hold up the other, Texas passes on leadoff-hitting center fielder Julio Borbon and takes another high school pitcher -- maybe Neil Ramirez (whom the club took at 44 and was in fact the first high school arm taken after 35).

The Beavan slot calls for about $1.5 million, the 35 slot around $1 million. If Texas took Porcello between them, and agreed to pay him upwards of $8 million in a $1.3 million slot, how would that affect negotiations with the other two high school righties, Beavan and Ramirez? Probably not positively.

Every reporter in town is making this out to be a black and white issue --Texas passed on Porcello because of his asking price! -- but I think thatignores two bigger issues: the demand for a big league deal, and the impact that taking him would have had on talks with the other high school pitchers the club drafted high.

JJT’s Cowboys Chat …

David Chase Speaks as the Soprano’s debate rolls on…

Since Chase is declining to offer his interpretation of the final scene, let me present two more of my own, which came to me with a good night's sleep and a lot of helpful reader e-mails:

Theory No. 1 (and the one I prefer): Chase is using the final scene to place the viewer into Tony's mindset. This is how he sees the world: every open door, every person walking past him could be coming to kill him, or arrest him, or otherwise harm him or his family. This is his life, even though the paranoia's rarely justified. We end without knowing what Tony's looking at because he never knows what's coming next.

Theory No. 2: In the scene on the boat in "Soprano Home Movies," repeated again last week, Bobby Bacala suggests that when you get killed, you don't see it coming. Certainly, our man in the Members Only jacket could have gone to the men's room to prepare for killing Tony (shades of the first "Godfather"), and the picture and sound cut out because Tony's life just did. (Or because we, as viewers, got whacked from our life with the show.)

Meanwhile, remember that 21-month hiatus between Seasons Five and Six? That was Chase thinking up the ending. HBO chairman Chris Albrecht came to him after Season Five and suggested thinking up a conclusion to the series; Chase agreed, on the condition that he get "a long break" to decide on an ending.

Originally, that ending was supposed to occur last year, but midway through production, the number of episodes was increased, and Chase stretched out certain plot elements while saving the major climaxes for this final batch of 9.

"If this had been one season, the Vito storyline would not have been so important," he says.

Much of this final season has featured Tony bullying, killing or otherwise alienating the members of his inner circle. After all those years viewing him as "the sympathetic mob boss," were we supposed to, like his therapist Dr. Melfi, finally wake up and smell the sociopath?

"From my perspective, there's nothing different about Tony in this season than there ever was," insists Chase. "To me, that's Tony."

Chase has had an ambivalent relationship with his fans, particularly the bloodthirsty whacking crowd who seemed to tune in only for the chance to see someone's head get blown off (or run over by an SUV). So was he reluctant to fill last week's penultimate episode, "The Blue Comet," with so many vivid death scenes?
"I'm the Number One fan of gangster movies," he says. "Martin Scorsese has no greater devotee than me. Like everyone else, I get off partly on the betrayals, the retributions, the swift justice. But what you come to realize when you do a series is you could be killing straw men all day long. Those murders only have any meaning when you've invested story in them. Otherwise, you might as well watch 'Cleaver.'"
One detail about the final scene that he'll discuss, however tentatively: the selection of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" as the song on the jukebox.

"It didn't take much time at all to pick it, but there was a lot of conversation after the fact. I did something I'd never done before: in the location van, with the crew, I was saying, 'What do you think?' When I said, 'Don't Stop Believin',' people went, 'What? Oh my god!' I said, 'I know, I know, just give a listen,' and little by little, people started coming around."

Whether viewers will have a similar time-delayed reaction to the finale as a whole, Chase doesn't know. ("I hear some people were very angry, and others were not, which is what I expected.") He's relaxing in France, then he'll try to make movies.

"It's been the greatest career experience of my life," he says. "There's nothing more in TV that I could say or would want to say."

Sports Bullies look at the Rangers Draft …

Cats that look like Hitler …


Bear Grylls eats a fish – Man vs. Wild - Discovery Channel on Friday Nights



Weenie and the Butt

Time To Pay Romo?

Our opener today is the story of Tony Romo and his contract. If you read this blog during football season, you know that I am convinced that Romo has a chance to be real special. Is he over-rated right now? Sure. But, as a self-proclaimed expert on all things Brett Favre (yes, the only 3-time MVP in the history of the sport), I will tell you that I have never seen anyone make plays from nothing like Romo did last year since the early years of Favre. And, when Romo has his meltdowns he reminds you of Favre, too. But what made Favre what he was is the ability to have way more good than bad over the course of most seasons, as his +140 TD/INT ratio would indicate . Romo was +6 in just 10 starts, and having just turned 27, it appears his development could turn him into a star for the next 6-8 years if everything goes right.

As the story below indicates, there is just 1 year left on his deal, so you would like to keep him from having to be franchised. But, given your choices, I might lean that direction. If you lock him up now, you are rolling the dice that he is what you think he is. You will have to start negotiations with him at Matt Schaub’s deal (below, 6 years - $48 million), and if he fades in 2007, you will be stuck. However, if you let him play this year, and he is awesome, you will still owe him a ton of money, but you will then have almost 30 games of evidence to work with. It may cost you another $10-$15 million, but you would be happy to pay it.

Romo, of course, would like to do his deal now …

The Cowboys' regular season does not start until Sept. 9, but quarterback Tony Romo hopes to have a new contract completed by the time he attempts his first pass against the New York Giants.

"I'd definitely like it before the season began, but you never know how these things go," he said. "I know the Jones family. They know me. We'll come to a conclusion."
Speaking at the Dallas All Sports Assocation's Hall of Fame Luncheon at Maggiano's in Northpark Center on Monday, Romo said the Cowboys and his agent have discussed a new deal. Romo is entering the last year of his contract and will make $1.5 million this season.

Because Romo has started only 11 games, including one in the playoffs, finding a compromise might take some time. If they do not reach a deal, the Cowboys could place the franchise tag on Romo, which would pay him the average salary of the five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. However, owner and general manager Jerry Jones has said he is optimistic a deal can be reached.

"I don't think about that stuff," Romo said. "Whenever they start talking [more], it'll play itself out the way it should. Whatever's fair is fair."

Schaub’s deal …

Matt Schaub's contract with the Texans is worth $48 million over six years. The deal contains roughly $7 million in guaranteed money.


Starter's money. He'll net $20 million in the first three seasons, before a $10 million option bonus comes due in March 2010.

The brilliant US Open is upon us… and here comes a 288 yard Par 3???? …

They had better bring plenty of mettle, because while Oakmont Country Club represents the type of blast furnace traditionally associated with a U.S. Open, one controversial hole has players mentally melting already.

At 7,230 yards, the course isn't punitively long by modern standards, but the crazy eighth should generate a cacophony of complaints. From the back tee, the 288-yard par 3 is the longest in U.S. Open history -- funny how that general theme is repeated each June in some respect -- and stands an attention-getting round-wrecker.

Moreover, if the USGA set-up sadists put the flagstick on the back of the green, the hole can measure an intimidating 300 yards. Mind you, technology gains or not, the average driving distance on the PGA Tour is 285.1 yards.

In other words, this hole, as they used to say in the mills hereabouts, will separate the steel from the slag. Pittsburgh has morphed into Titanium Town.

Tiger Woods, one of the biggest hitters around, played the course three times before this week and refused to pull his driver out of the bag on general principle. Regarding his innermost thoughts on the hole, well, feel free to read between the lines.

"Everyone has got to play it, put it that way," he said. "If you play it in 12 (strokes) for the week, you're doing all right. You're definitely picking up some shots."

Us mortals would be picking up our golf balls. Traditionalists argue that par is just an abstraction, a number assigned to a particular hole that really means little. At the end, everybody tallies up their score with a pencil and a winner is declared. Thus, the notion of par is mostly a mental barrier, or something used most effectively to settle bets between handicap club players.

That said, the USGA had an overdue Roger Bannister moment last year at Winged Foot, when it accurately listed a par 4 at longer than 500 yards after years of fudging on numbers, presumably because of the psychological and critical reaction it would generate. This year, thanks to more course lengthening, Oakmont's eighth has approached a threshold that amateurs cannot comprehend. Some legends, too.

"That, I don't understand, because that was already a 1-iron or a 3-wood," said Jack Nicklaus, who won the 1962 Open at Oakmont and has designed more than 300 courses worldwide. "It was already one of the toughest par 3s you'd ever want to play, and I think they added 50 yards to it?"

Close -- it's more like 35 yards, but his point is well-taken.

Does Avery have advice for the Spares? …

But AJ still has a message as the Finals move out of Texas for Game 3 for the third consecutive June. And it's about what happened a year ago, when another product of the 2003 draft surged, and AJ saw his world come apart.

"Trust me," AJ said. "It can happen."

These last two springs have turned on Dallas with momentous cruelty, and most in America don't mind. Mark Cuban can have that effect.

But tied to the same fate has been AJ, and he says he'll never get over this year's first-round collapse. "Because I don't think you ever do," he said. "I don't think I've ever gotten over the Spurs' 1995 loss to the Rockets."

At least he's had time to calm down, and now he says he's rooting for the Spurs. "I'm Western Conference," he said. "I'm Popovich. I'm for him, for Texas and for the Spurs."

He said from the start of these Finals he thought the Spurs would beat Cleveland, and there's no reason for him to change his opinion now. But, as it is when any coach has too much time, he always saw potential doom.

"Cleveland is a dangerous ballclub right now," he said. "You only need really seven, eight days of good basketball for any team to come through. And we saw that with us last year."

AJ's Mavericks led the Finals 2-0, just as the Spurs do now, and just as the Spurs did two years ago when they headed to Detroit. Dallas city leaders were already planning a parade, and most in Dallas were convinced the Finals were over, just as most in San Antonio are now.

The Mavericks were up 13 points with just over six minutes left in Game 3, with Cuban poised to go into full gloat. Then the Mavericks took a turn the way John Daly's marriages do.

"I'm not telling the Spurs anything they don't know," AJ said. "But beware. It can change."

There are differences, of course. AJ had never been on that stage as a coach, and Popovich has been through this Finals pressure three times before.

The franchises reflect the same contrast. The Mavericks, for example, wrestled last year with the best way to celebrate their first Western Conference championship. They delayed a ceremony until the next season, and then they delayed that. Instead of raising the banner when the Spurs were in town for the opener, they waited for their second home game.

That was Golden State. Appropriate karma followed six months later.

The Spurs? They hung their 2007 conference banner before these Finals began, as if they were hanging a curtain.

Other differences are more clear on the court. Miami was the experienced team last year, for example, whereas the Spurs are now. And while the flu weakened Dwyane Wade in the first two games in Dallas last year, Bruce Bowen weakened LeBron James.

Yet another: Wade had Shaquille O'Neal on his side, and even an older, slower Shaq is better than anyone James has.

Ron Washington offers crazy quotes …

"When you lose, the heat falls on the manager," Washington said Sunday afternoon when I stopped by his office at The Ballpark in Arlington for a one-on-one visit. "I can take that. What I don't like is my players being put in the middle of it. You'll never find where I threw a player under the bus.

"I've always been positive, and I've always said if there's someone to blame, blame me, 'cause I'm in charge. I can handle that. But anybody watching baseball, and watching our games, there ain't no way that they can say that Ron Washington is the reason."

I didn't say Washington doesn't sometimes send mixed messages. You don't have to be a mathematical genius to figure out that, if the manager isn't to blame, that pretty much only leaves the players.

Washington, you see, may not be confused, but I am. I still don't know quite what to think about the Rangers' first-year skipper.

Decent guy, sure. Good baseball man, absolutely. But a good manager, as his boss Jon Daniels believes he'll someday be? I just don't know yet. Maybe. I hope so.
But it's difficult to find the evidence to show that right now, and perhaps the better question is whether the Rangers can afford the painful learning process in the meantime. That's a decision Daniels has to wrestle with for now.

My Sunday afternoon visit was prompted by last week's reports from multiple clubhouse sources that sometime last month Washington called Mark Teixeira into his office after a game and that the discussion quickly escalated into a full-bore screaming match. At issue, I've since learned, was Tex supposedly ignoring a "take" sign late in a game in which the Rangers trailed by several runs.

There was also a report about veteran starting pitcher Kevin Millwood intervening when Washington was berating second-year catcher Gerald Laird in the dugout during a game.

I'm on record as saying getting into a fight with your star player really isn't smart, and humiliating a second-year catcher in front of his peers is simply wrong. Johnny Bench couldn't make better pitchers out of these guys. But the Rangers' official take is that these were minor dustups that came and went in a day.

Maybe so, but they run counter to Washington's advertised strengths of being able to communicate and handle players. What we hadn't heard is Washington's version of the events.

"I'm not the only manager that ever screamed at a player," he said defensively when I asked him about the meeting with Tex. "I'm not the only manager who ever called a player in his office.

"It never was a thing where we were up in here screaming. I read where somebody said they passed the door and I'm screaming. I've never screamed at a player since I've been here, other than in the dugout."

The dugout incident involved Laird.

"Yeah, I've been hard on Gerald," Washington admitted. "Gerald is the catcher. He handles our pitching staff. Yes, I've been hard on Gerald, and I don't deny that. But it's not like it's been written, that's for sure."

Washington later apologized to Laird, Millwood and pitcher Joaquin Benoit in front of the whole team, saying he stands by his message but should have handled it differently.

Washington actually rolls well with the media punches, but that doesn't mean they don't occasionally sting.

"The stories that get out there, they get out there skewed. They're all wrong," he said. "You never got my side of it. The side I'm reading is the side that people are asking questions of other people and never came in here and found out exactly what went on.

"The conversation Tex and I had was about what's going on, what I wanted to happen in certain situations, and there was a disagreement. Next thing I know, I'm trying to tell Tex how to hit. That ain't the way that went."

Washington may be managing for the first time, but it's not as if he hasn't paid his dues in the game. He knows the score.

"I'm no fool," he said. "I know you're judged on wins and losses. We're not winning. So when you're not winning, you take heat, and I can live with that.

"I'm only as good as players perform. If players don't perform, I get stuck with it, but I can live with that. That comes with the job. But that certainly don't take away from my knowledge, or my approach and what I know to be right. I'm about one thing: right and wrong. Not about the other [bull]."

Washington is old school and proud of it.

"You use whatever resource you have to get [things] done and, if that means being a little hard, then you be a little hard," he said. "If you find out being hard is wrong, then you back off. You make adjustments.

"Sometimes you have to give hard love. All I've ever done is love. Sometimes, if you have to raise your voice, you've got to do it.

Another day, another national columnist looks at what the Rangers have done wrong …

The Rangers have been a disaster under owner Tom Hicks, from the $252 million Alex Rodriguez contract to the persistent failure in finding pitchers who can win. Hicks and general manager Jon Daniels handpicked Washington after the players nearly staged a mutiny against Buck Showalter last year, and now the buzz in the clubhouse is that Washington is in over his head.

Add three consecutive horrible trades that have done the nearly impossible -- taken an already putrid pitching staff and made it worse -- and the Rangers are cruising awfully close to Blow-It-Up-and-Start-Over-Ville:

• Jan. 4, 2006: Daniels trades pitcher Chris Young and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to San Diego for starting pitcher Adam Eaton and reliever Akinori Otsuka. Young is one of the better pitchers in the NL, and Gonzalez has developed into a possible Gold Glover and All-Star. Eaton won seven games in one season in Texas.

• July 28, 2006: Daniels trades reliever Francisco Cordero, lefty pitcher Julian Cordero and outfielders Laynce Nix and Kevin Mench to Milwaukee for outfielders Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz. Cordero has been spectacular for the Brewers this season, converting 22 of 24 save opportunities. Lee was a three-month rental last summer before he signed with Houston. "They got impatient with Cordero," one veteran scout says. "They got impatient with him and they didn't want to pay him. And they got impatient with Chris Young. That's been their problem."

• Dec. 23, 2006: Daniels trades pitchers John Danks, Nick Massett and Jacob Rasner to the White Sox for starter Brandon McCarthy and outfielder David Paisano. Danks is in Chicago's rotation and Massett has earned a place in the Sox bullpen.
"Danks himself is better than McCarthy is," the scout says.

Adam Morris on Jason Botts …

I think Jason Botts should have started the season on the 25 man roster, getting the bulk of the DH playing time. Obviously, I still think that is the case.

That being said, I do think I understand why the Rangers didn't call up Botts this past weekend when Mark Teixeira went on the disabled list.

Two things here...number one, Botts has altered his swing, so that his swing is shorter. I have to think that, given that he's been using this new swing for about two months, the Rangers would prefer that he continue to play every day, even in the minors, rather than get part-time playing time in the majors.

The other issue is that, with the Rangers playing in National League parks this week, there isn't going to be a designated hitter, which makes playing time for Botts even more scarce. I don't think you want to call him up so that he can pinch hit once every game.

Now, you can argue that Botts should be starting every game next week at first base, and that Brad Wilkerson should be on the bench pinch hitting instead. And again, I think he should have been up here DHing on Opening Day.

But I don't think the fact that Travis Metcalf got the call instead of Botts is necessarily a sign that the Rangers aren't going to look at Botts this year. I think that, by July 4, Botts will be up and DHing on a regular basis.

In my opinion, Shaun Rogers could be the BEST defensive player in football. But he is not. and he continues to mess up his situation with poor decisions…

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers is being investigated for allegedly groping a woman in her dressing room at a Detroit strip club, officials said today.

Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, said her office received a request for an arrest warrant from Detroit police today. No charges have been issued.

“We will proceed as usual, interviewing the alleged victim and any other potential witnesses,” Miller said. “We don’t anticipate that we will have a decision today.”

Miller said the warrant request accuses Rogers, 28, of criminal sexual conduct, but she declined to elaborate. Depending on the degree, that charge can cover a wide range of sex crimes, from groping to rape.

The woman told police that Rogers walked into her dressing room and forcibly groped her, authorities said.

The incident reportedly occurred at 1:15 a.m. Friday at a club on Joy Road on the city’s west side.

"We are gathering information," Lions Vice President Bill Keenist said in an e-mail. "We'll have no further comment at this time."

Meet Niklas Grossman, Stars Defenseman in 2007-08…

No blogging in the press box …

A reporter was ejected from an NCAA baseball tournament game for submitting live Internet updates during play.

Brian Bennett, a writer for The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal, was approached Sunday by an NCAA representative in the bottom of the fifth inning and told that blogging from an NCAA championship event is against NCAA policies.
Bennett had done live blogging during Louisville's super regional games against Oklahoma State in the previous two games of the three-game series. The representative revoked Bennett's credential Sunday and asked him to leave the game.

"It's clearly a First Amendment issue," said Bennie Ivory, the newspaper's executive editor.

"This is part of the evolution of how we present the news to our readers. It's what we did during the Orange Bowl. It's what we did during the NCAA basketball tournament. It's what we do."

The newspaper's lawyer, Jon L. Fleischaker, added: "I think there's the potential for some action. We're still talking about it."

Blake Beavan’s myspace …

Christian Okoye Tecmo



Hooligans Ruin TV


Soccer Hooligans Ruin Live Broadcast - Watch more free videos

So Long, Sopranos

My thoughts on how my favorite show went away? Loved it. Loved the ending. Love the fact that even right now, the next morning, I am thinking through that ending and wondering what they were trying to tell me. I know it will get ripped, but I bought it.

Entertainment Weekly weighs in …

I admit I had gotten myself so anxious between last Sunday and this that I almost — almost — expected to witness Tony's actual end-of-the-road death, in bloody color. And yet I also knew that The Sopranos wouldn't end that way — it just couldn't, not if David Chase remained true to his vision of psychic mess handed down from generation to generation. Really, did you expect otherwise? Toying with many of the big-bang endings predicted (and wished for) by plenty of opinionated viewers in a final episode he wrote and directed himself, Chase (1) didn't turn Tony over to the witness-protection program; (2) didn't expose Paulie as a turncoat who would sell out his boss; (3) didn't let AJ kill himself, or Meadow distinguish herself, or Dr. Melfi take T back as a patient, or the Russian mobster come back out of the Jersey Pine Barrens. Hell, Chase didn't even let Silvio live or die — just left him there in a dreamless coma so very different from Tony's, hooked to a breathing tube while his wife clipped his toenails and Little Miss Sunshine (family, redefined!) played on the hospital TV screen.

I have a bit of a short morning for more blogging, so I will miss a few things, but here are the big ones…

Spurs destroy Cavs…again …so this clown has to poke the Mavs…

The Spurs say it's still too early to celebrate, but it's not too soon for them to get angry.

Angry at Dirk Nowitzki for not showing enough heart to give them a chance for revenge. Upset at David Stern for handing them a break and an asterisk they didn't ask for. And hacked off at

LeBron James for not putting up a fight until garbage time.

Knowing these Spurs, they don't care about any such triviality. They'll gladly take their fourth NBA championship trophy, which they should claim in Cleveland within the week, and they'll ignore the chorus calling their achievement either tainted or historically unimpressive.

But years from now, when the topic of the 2007 NBA playoffs comes up, people won't remember Tim Duncan's steadiness or Tony Parker's penetration or Manu Ginobili's wiliness in the clutch. Instead, they'll think about the Mavericks' meltdown, and Amare Stoudemire's suspension, and an overmatched Cavaliers squad that did the unthinkable and made people think less of the Eastern Conference than they already did.

And for these Spurs, whose toughness and talent make them worthy champions, won't that legacy be worth getting upset about?

Right now there undoubtedly are some readers thinking that asking such a question is jumping the gun, that talking about legacies is premature when the Finals haven't even shifted to Ohio yet. After all, the Spurs blew out Detroit in Games 1 and 2 in 2005 before the Pistons stretched the series to seven, and Miami spotted Dallas two games last year before coming back to win the title.

But rest assured, the 2007 Cavaliers are not the 2005 Pistons (who had won a championship the year before and had a starting lineup that didn't depend on Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Larry Hughes for offense). And they most certainly are not playing a team like the 2006 Mavericks (whose star player went into a shell at the first sign of adversity, and whose coach's most infamous strategic move was a change of team hotels).

The Lebron vs. Jordan crackback …

Just what is it we were supposed to be witnessing, again?

As anyone who has seen those Nike-themed banners (RISE UP, WE ARE ALL WITNESSES) or the most recent of his seven Sports Illustrated covers knows, this is the Age of LeBron, in which he finally succeeds Michael Jordan.

There's just one problem: We knew Michael Jordan and this isn't him.

Little as it's understood, it's possible for LeBron James to be a dazzling young player without ever becoming as good as Jordan.

It's also possible for James to go belly-up in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs and still be a dazzling young player, burdened by a mediocre Cleveland Cavaliers team that's overmatched at this level.

James' 48-point breakout in the Eastern Conference finals was deemed "Jordan-esque," the way to compare players to Jordan, without saying they're actually as good as Jordan.

(Everyone figured out long ago that direct comparison was impossible. Jordan won six titles and five MVPs; who on the horizon has a chance of matching that?)

Wrote Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News: "James is the one player on the planet who can make the NBA as big as [David] Stern says it is and wants it to be again."

In that case, the NBA will just have to stay the size it is.

James was merely LeBron-esque in the Game 6 clincher against Detroit, scoring 20 points but making three of 11 shots.

He was clown-esque in his Finals debut, when he wasn't even in double figures midway through the fourth quarter with the Spurs leading by 18.

Actually, the most Jordan-esque thing about James isn't James but his supporting cast.

Jordan joined a ragtag team (Orlando Woolridge, Quintin Dailey, Wes Matthews, Ennis Whatley, Dave Corzine), although by his fourth year the Bulls had Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, the nucleus that would win their first three titles.

James joined a ragtag Cavaliers team that has been only modestly upgraded four years later.

Of course, they are here, but that's easy to explain. They're in the East. It was dismayingly clear all season that one of those schleps had to be here.

Even before Game 1, writers were asking if the Cavaliers were the worst team ever to make the Finals. (Other nominees included the 2002 New Jersey Nets, who were swept by the Lakers, and the 1999 New York Knicks, who finished 25-25 in the lockout-shortened season but actually won a game against the Spurs.)

Putting an exclamation point on this calamity, TV ratings, which were expected to hold up for one game, anyway, in the Finals to see what James could do, cratered ahead of schedule, drawing the lowest number ever for an opener in prime time.

Lebron loves Definitely …

TrueHoop reader John points out how much LeBron James likes to say the word "definitely." These are James quotes (with John's emphasis) from recent press conference transcripts:

You DEFINITELY give a lot of credit to the Spurs. They DEFINITELY played well tonight defensively, offensively. Some of it was me missing a lot of the shots that I usually make and some of it was the defense that they put on me and on our team in general. It's like a half and half thing. ... It was DEFINITELY crowded. They did a great job of shrinking the floor. If I went by one guy, another guy stepped up, something I'm going to have to make an adjustment for for Game 2. I'll DEFINITELY be ready to counter some of the things they did defensively. ... I didn't play extremely well, DEFINITELY. Not just shooting the ball, but the six turnovers was uncharacteristic of me in the postseason, tried to force a lot of passes in there that looked open at times but really wasn't. ... We did a better job last year in Game 5 and Game 6 of playing great basketball in the third quarter, but once again it caught up with us again. We don't know what it is but we did a great job of figuring it out. We're going to do it pretty soon. We DEFINITELY want to get a win on this floor before we go back home. ... It's not like I've never seen a double-team or triple-team before, I just have to play better, and I DEFINITELY have a better effort on Sunday. ... That's DEFINITELY a fair assessment and I have to do a better job of trying to recognize that, trying to attack north and south instead of east and west. ... We were DEFINITELY a much better team going into Detroit last year. We won the game just because we have more playoff experience. Last year was based on us making the playoffs; this year is based on us getting to the championships, and we have to approach it with the same mentality that we had. ... He DEFINITELY gave us a lift throughout the whole game of attacking and getting to the rim. You know, a lot of guys don't understand that Daniel is much better than shooting an outside shot, which I told you guys after Game 3. ... I've DEFINITELY stepped up with my free-throw percentage and it was something I had to get over with. ... This is DEFINITELY not an individual performance on my part, but without those other 14 guys, we would be down 3-2 instead of up 3-2. ... They're DEFINITELY a great defensive team, but at times I wanted to attack as much as possible and that's it. ... This is DEFINITELY a big win, one of the biggest wins in Cavaliers' franchise history, for me and my teammates, it's DEFINITELY the biggest win. But we have a goal, we can't dwell on this tonight when we have another game on Saturday. We have got to do our best to try to win that ballgame and get where we wanted to be all year. ... I just wanted to try to be aggressive and not allow them to make too much of a run, and give ourselves an opportunity to win down at the end of regulation. And it took two overtimes to do it, but as a team we DEFINITELY -- this is a gutted-out victory. ... We want to give Detroit a lot of credit because they DEFINITELY brought out the best in us, but we just believed and guides stepped up, no matter if it was the one guy all the way down to the 15th man on the roster, we believed. ... DEFINITELY, I ran to Z because when I was first drafted, Z was the first guy I seen. Z has been through a lot, been through losing seasons, year after year after year, and I promised him when I got drafted I was going to try to change it. If you guys remember when I was in New York, I said I was going to light it up like Vegas in Cleveland. Awesome, I told you, I'm going to be a GM someday. I told Daniel before the game, I said, "I believe Detroit is going to double-team me, triple me before I cross halfcourt, so get that gun and get it locked and loaded and just shoot it, don't second guess yourself, just shoot it." And that's exactly what happened, and guys stepped up. Especially Boobie stepped in, knocked big shots down. When they closed out on him hard, he drove the ball to the rim, got fouled and made free-throws. This is DEFINITELY a big step in Cleveland Cavaliers history.

The Rangers played on this weekend, and now we have confirmation: CoCo Cordero cannot pitch in Arlington …

For all these two-out, ninth-inning rallies, the Rangers remain what they are – the team with the fewest wins in baseball.

A night after a two-out rally in the ninth inning gave them their most dramatic victory of the season, the Rangers pulled off more magic again Sunday, only to fall, 9-6, to Milwaukee in 12 innings at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

The way the Rangers avoided their second three-game winning streak of the season was as hard to believe as Marlon Byrd's 0-2 single off Brewers closer Francisco Cordero in the bottom of the ninth that tied the score, 6-6.

Cordero had saved 22 consecutive games to the start the season before a nightmare weekend in his return to Arlington.

The only problem – the Rangers didn't win it in the ninth, which gave another opportunity for them to play down to their 23-40 record.

The 12th inning started with error No. 13 for second baseman Ian Kinsler on a routine grounder. The game, for all intents and purposes, ended when Geoff Jenkins smoked a one-out, three-run home run to right-center off reliever Willie Eyre.

"I thought things were going to go our way the whole game but that’s just baseball," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "It was a good game, and they just ended up pulling it out."

The Rangers led, 4-2, after five innings, even though the Brewers, who finished with 22 hits, had already stranded 10 runners.

But the Rangers' pitching staff couldn't hold down the Brewers all night. The main culprit was reliever C.J. Wilson, who has been one of the few positives of a painful season.

Wilson, who won his lefty-lefty matchup with Prince Fielder on Friday, getting a key strikeout in the Rangers' 10-6 victory, lost the rematch with the Brewers' budding superstar in the sixth, and the inning unraveled.

After Fielder's single to put runners at first and second, Wilson hit two straight Brewers. The second, Jenkins, forced in a run to trim the Rangers' lead to 4-3. Catcher Johnny Estrada then singled back up the middle for two RBI and a 5-4 lead.

3 months ago, ask the world soccer media and Beckham had nothing. Now, He is being begged to stay with Real Madrid and England …

Ramon Calderon, the president of Real Madrid, said Sunday that he would do everything he could to get David Beckham to remain with the team instead of joining Major League Soccer's Galaxy next month as planned.

"That ship has sailed," responded Alexi Lalas, the Galaxy's president and general manager, who insisted that Beckham would arrive in Los Angeles in mid-July.

Calderon, a tennis fan, was at the French Open in Paris to see Spain's Rafael Nadal defeat Roger Federer in the men's singles final and suggested to reporters that there might be an escape clause in Beckham's contract with MLS.

"He is playing at a very high level," Calderon said. "We will have to sit down with his representatives … to look at this clause and decide what to do. But I would love him to stay at the club…. We are going to do all we can to make him stay."

Does Beckham's contract have an escape clause of any sort?

"No," Lalas said.

"I don't doubt the fact that Real Madrid would love to have David Beckham back," he added, pointing out that the England midfielder would be sought after by "numerous clubs around the world, especially considering what's happened over the past couple of months.

"To be fair to Real Madrid, the comments on the face of it are pretty benign. Yes, there's a desire" to have him remain at Real Madrid, "but just saying it doesn't make it true."

Beckham's London-based agent, Simon Oliveria, told the Associated Press that "there is no intention of … reneging on the Galaxy deal."

Beckham will play for Real Madrid on Sunday in Madrid, where a victory over Real Mallorca would give his team the Spanish league title. His contract with the club ends June 30.

Lalas said winning the championship should be Real Madrid's focus now, not second-guessing its inability to sign Beckham, 32, to a new contract.

FC Dallas with a nice win (against a LA Galaxy squad that has nothing); but lose Cooper for a long time …

On any other night after a 3-1 win, the FC Dallas locker room would be a happy place to be. But after FCD's win against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park, the Hoops weren't exactly ready to celebrate.

Instead, they were more concerned about leading scorer and forward Kenny Cooper, who was injured in the 89th minute after a hard tackle by L.A. defender Tyrone Marshall.

An X-ray of Cooper's right leg after the game confirmed that the Dallas native has a broken right tibia. He is expected to miss between six and eight weeks because of the injury. Marshall was sent off by referee Jair Marrufo for the tackle.

"It takes the shine off a good win and a good night for us," FCD head coach Steve Morrow said. "Our thoughts are with Kenny. We are obviously devastated for him. It's a big loss for us."

Morrow admitted that he didn't have a good feeling when Cooper went down late in the match.

"I feared the worst when I heard a huge crack (on that play)," he said. "Kenny is a guy who fights through those things and I knew it was serious when he couldn't continue."

Toja Goal from FC Dallas


060907_lagfcd_toja_goal_350


Jason Garrett will call the plays …

From the moment Jason Garrett was hired as offensive coordinator there was some secrecy as to who would call plays.

Would Tony Sparano do it again?

But Cowboys officials, from owner Jerry Jones to coach Wade Phillips, wouldn't say who the playcaller would be in 2007.

After the early practice at Friday's minicamp, Garrett confirmed he would call the plays in 2007.

It's not really a surprise since Garrett has asked players and his fellow coaches just what they like to see on the field.

"I do like that about him," receiver Terry Glenn said. "He seems like more of a down-to-earth, young-generation type coordinator. He seems like he's fresh, young and opened-minded."

Garrett has spoken to numerous coaches, including Norv Turner, the Cowboys' former offensive coordinator when Garrett backed up Troy Aikman, now the head coach in San Diego, about what to do.

Before Garrett went on his interview with the Cowboys, he spoke to Turner.

Garrett also has Sparano and receivers coach, Ray Sherman, a former offensive coordinator on two previous teams, to bounce ideas off.

Last season, the Cowboys finished fifth in the NFL in total offense at 360.8 yards per game with Sparano making the calls.

"I talk to Norv all the time," Garrett said. "He's a great play-caller, and he's somebody I learned a lot from just watching how he did it. We have a great staff here, and Tony Sparano has been helpful. And coach Phillips has been a great resource."

Several players have noted that Garrett likes to throw the ball downfield more than in the previous offensive scheme. During minicamps and organized team activities (OTA) passes were also going to the running back. There have also been some reverses and end-arounds with receiver Terrell Owens.

"I think he can do the job," Phillips said of Garrett. "It's kind of like when I was a first-time coordinator in New Orleans. I felt like I could do that job or I wouldn't have been named the coordinator. We ended up leading the league in several categories there and hopefully the same thing will happen with Jason."

The Guest Booking League Webpage …

Eastern Motors



West Ham Fan – watch with volume low

Spurs are Good

Game 1 went as feared …

The Spurs listened for the better part of a week about how LeBron James had lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers onto his shoulders and carried them into the NBA Finals.

They heard how James had finally given the nation a championship series worth watching. How James was ready to join Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the pantheon of great playoff performers.

The Spurs also smiled at this. For if there is one thing they have learned over the past five years, it's that no matter whom they're facing — no matter how LeGreat that person may be — their defense can usually find strength in numbers.

So with the Finals opening Thursday night, the Spurs threw Bruce Bowen on James. Then they ran Tim Duncan at him. And when James tried to penetrate, they crowded the lane with another defender or two.

And when the Spurs were through? They had an 85-76 victory, James had 14 points and the rest of the country had reason to go back to sleep.

"This was one of the few times," Robert Horry said, "we carried out our defensive scheme almost to a 'T.'"

Buck Harvey examines Lebron, Global Icon …

The Global Icon didn't dunk. Not even once.

Oh, there's a moment worth a large, glossy photo. It even involves the Global Icon. Then, halfway through the opening quarter, he drove, and Tim Duncan stretched out for the kind of block he's made once or twice in his postseason career.

The Global Icon retreated backward for the basketball, and Duncan followed him as if he had his scent. Duncan flexed his legs, pulling up the shorts at the knees for a looser feel. He then challenged the Global Icon into a 3-point miss.

At that point, with eyes intent under his freshly shaved scalp, Duncan looked as if he remembered talk of another poster that came out of a November game. The execs will move on. No need to dwell on the negative.

Someone in the meeting will then emphasize the positive. Didn't the Global Icon start this series the same way he started against Detroit? He did, with only 10 points against the Pistons. He also took severe criticism for passing up a final shot. And that worked out, didn't it?

The Global Icon sure wasn't concerned Thursday night, just as Duncan wouldn't have been had he struggled. "I feel good," he said. "A lot of the shots I took are shots that I make. They felt pretty good. Things like that happen."

But most in the meeting will understand there are several differences between Detroit and San Antonio. For one, the Spurs sent two and three defenders at the Global Icon, and one of them was Bruce Bowen.

For another, the Spurs still managed to run out on the Cleveland shooters. As Denver, Phoenix and Utah know, things like that happen.

Worse, though, is what else the Global Icon did. Whereas he went for nine assists in the opening game against Detroit, Thursday he had more turnovers than assists.

He also didn't do much with Tony Parker when he defended him. Midway through the fourth quarter, with the Global Icon on him, Parker reared back and threw in a 20-footer over him.

That gave the Spurs an 18-point lead, meaning the rest of the game was mostly insignificant. At that point, before the padding of stats would commence, the Global Icon was 2 of 14 with two assists and five turnovers.

The execs will come to another depressing conclusion. Days after the American media tried to figure out if the Global Icon had played the best game in playoff history, now they will try to figure out if this was the worst by a great player since Dirk Nowitzki was last seen in public.

Rangers get the local kid …

For the Rangers, the first two picks in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft were equal parts bright and baffling, not so much because of who they picked, but because of who they did not.

Selecting Irving High School right-handed pitcher Blake Beavan made perfect sense. Almost all pre-draft projections had him gone by the time the Rangers made their first pick at No. 17. From the perspective of talent and good local public relations, he was an easy choice.

At No. 24, they drafted Michael Main from DeLand (Fla.) High School. Main was projected to be a late first-round pick, and that's exactly where he went.

But the Rangers had a chance to select Rick Porcello of Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J., with their second pick. Porcello was projected as the second-best player in the draft, but dropped no doubt in part because he is represented by agent Scott Boras, who has made it clear that Porcello will need a large signing bonus.

So the Rangers, who have had numerous dealings with Boras, joined many other teams in passing on Porcello. With a history of questionable decisions involving pitchers and a starting pitching staff with the highest ERA in the last 50 years in baseball, it would seem the Rangers would not have the luxury of passing on top talent.

"I'd rather not get into it," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said when asked
about passing on Porcello. "I'd prefer to talk about the guys we did pick. I don't think it's appropriate to comment on other teams' players."

Porcello went three picks after the Rangers chose Main as pitching-rich Detroit pounced on him. The Tigers have an excellent record in recent years of selecting pitchers in the draft, and also trading for good, young talent. They didn't pass on Porcello.

"Every pick you make is a risk-reward evaluation," Daniels said. "Some players are riskier because of the profiles, some are riskier for makeup, some are riskier for medical reasons, some are riskier as far as signability. All the players we selected carry risk as well, but we were comfortable with the risk-reward equation."

For the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Beavan, it was a nervous time and a dream come true. He has been a Rangers fan all his life and grew up idolizing Nolan Ryan and John Wetteland.

"I always wanted to play for them as a little kid," Beavan said. "Thick or thin, I always went with the Rangers. I never changed my mind on the team. I like the organization. They need pitching and that's what we're going to give them."

Beavan had a sensational high school career. As a senior, he went 8-2 with an 0.21 ERA. He had 124 strikeouts in 66 innings and struck out 18 in a perfect game against Irving MacArthur. The official stats indicated he had only four walks, but Beavan corrected it, saying, "three in 66 innings."

Main and Neil Ramirez, whom the Rangers selected with the 44th pick in the draft, also have excellent pedigree. They were on the same staff as Beavan when the U.S. Junior National Team played in Cuba. Beavan struck out 11 and pitched a complete-game shutout.

The first five rounds of the draft were Thursday. That included the supplemental round -- which provides teams picks for free agents lost the previous off-season -- between the first and second round. The 50-round draft will conclude today.

With their nine picks Thursday, the Rangers selected five right-handed pitchers, one lefty, two outfielders and a third baseman. They chose six high school and three college players.

They also got lucky when Julio Borbon, a center fielder from the University of Tennessee, slipped to them at No. 35. Some publications had the Rangers taking Borbon, who has outstanding speed, with their first pick. The Rangers had Beavan, Main and Borbon rated in the top 17 on their draft board.

Obviously, I am excited to get Beaven. He seems abrasive, hard-nosed, and over-confident. Perhaps these are all things you need from a stud pitcher. Now, let’s see if he has the goods at the big league level.

But, if you wanted an “Aw-shucks” kid who is just happy to be here, you got the wrong guy.

Channel 8 video of his draft day reaction …

And on the field, the Rangers get their butts beat again …

On a day when Texas loaded up on prospects – many of them pitchers – in the amateur draft, the 2007 version of the Rangers showed why they could use some of those guys right now.

The team with baseball's worst record struggled in all aspects of the game in an 11-4 loss to Detroit.

The problems started, as they have all season, on the mound. Starter Kameron Loe, the only homegrown pitcher in the starting rotation, gave up nine earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings. The ERA of the Rangers' starters continues to soar to levels never seen since the stat was first kept 50 years ago. It's now at 6.97, well in front of the 1996 Tigers, who own the worst starting rotation ERA for a season at 6.64. It's the eighth straight game the ERA has gone up.

But the rising ERA isn't the only alarming trend for the starters. Some other startling stats:

•Texas leads the league in starts of three or fewer innings with 11.

•Thursday was the 10th consecutive game without a starter pitching six innings.

•A starter hasn't pitched past the fourth inning in 18 games this season (that's 30 percent of the games).

•When Loe left, the Rangers were down, 8-1. It was the 25th time in 60 games the Rangers have trailed by five or more runs.

Loe said he's feeling the pressure and said the more he struggles "the closer I am to going out of here." Manager Ron Washington, though, said there are no plans to move Loe to the bullpen.

But starting pitching wasn't the only problem area Thursday. Texas compounded its difficulties with mental errors. They had one official error – Jerry Hairston Jr. threw wide to first in the first inning.

But there were other mistakes, two of them coming in the third to help the Tigers put together a big inning. Victor Diaz misjudged a fly ball to right field that should have been the second out, but instead was a double. Moments later, Ian Kinsler threw to the wrong base on a ground ball, allowing a runner to come home in the process.

Detroit scored four more runs after that to take a commanding lead. When the Rangers finally ended the inning – after pitching to 11 batters and giving up six runs – the 22,990 in attendance mockingly cheered.

Jayson Stark notices that the Rangers have the deadline names …

So here it comes, the first Stark Market report of the year on the biggest names who just might be available in July for your shopping enjoyment:

MARK TEIXEIRA

Rangers GM Jon Daniels may have sworn this week that he has no plans to "shop" Teixeira. But an official of one team that has spoken with Texas says, flatly, that the Teixeira talk is "real."

In fact, the Rangers almost have to dangle this guy, if only because he's a Scott Boras client, a prospective 2008 free agent and a fellow who has given them no indication he's inclined to sign any early extensions and stick around. So the big question is whether he'll be exported in a deadline deal or an offseason deal. In a market with possibly no other whompers, the line would be long for Teixeira's services, starting with the Angels and Dodgers.

"The only way they can get value for Teixeira is to move him now," said one prominent baseball man. "You can't get down to the final year and expect teams to give up what they're going to be asking."

ERIC GAGNE

Yep, the second name on this list is another Ranger. You'd better be prepared to memorize their whole roster, because this team is already 17 games under .500, has lots of parts it could sell off, and needs to accumulate starting pitching. So you'll be hearing the names of Brad Wilkerson, Kenny Lofton and even Sammy Sosa, among others. But the most interesting name of all could be Gagne, given the desperation for impact bullpen arms by about a dozen potential contenders. The question teams keep asking about Gagne, however, is this: Is he still one of those impact arms? And even if he is, is he a breakdown waiting to happen?

Here is a refreshing story….NOT Greg Ellis says “blah, blah, blah” …sorry, Greg. Not interested.

Cowboys outside linebacker Greg Ellis, unhappy with his current status and unable to get a meeting with Jerry Jones to discuss it, wants to be traded, released or have his contract restructured.

Ellis said that Jones, the Cowboys' owner and general manager, had planned to meet with him, but changed his mind. Ellis said he was disappointed to learn of this through the media.

"I would like for him to make a move," Ellis said following the last of the organized team activities (OTA) Thursday. "Let me know and let [the media] know, 'Greg we do want you here.' With him saying, 'No we're not planning to sit down with Greg or his agent or anybody,' I think that pretty much sums it up."

Jones said he doesn't meet with players under contract.

Ellis, a nine-year veteran whose contract ends in 2009, wants a restructured deal because he fears first-round pick Anthony Spencer, who plays the same position, will take his spot.

However, coach Wade Phillips has said Ellis is the starting outside linebacker, as have several of the defensive coaches.

Ellis isn't buying it.

"For the way the NFL is structured today with these [higher] signing bonuses, the young guy has to get [playing time] because he's a first-rounder," Ellis said. "Jerry can't afford it and I don't blame him. I wouldn't sit [Spencer] on the bench either despite what the coaches are telling me."

Devin Harris speaks bravely …

Despite speculation nationally and locally that Harris' connection with the Mavericks is tenuous, he says he is ready to be the player the Mavericks need him to be.

"I really want it," Harris said. "I want to take this by the horns, and I want to be a 40-minute player for this team.

"I think I need to be that kind of player to allow Jet to freelance more and for us to get back where we were," he said, referring to teammate Jason Terry. "Last year, this same backcourt got us to the NBA Finals. We know what we're capable of."

The Mavericks had the best record in the NBA this season with 67 wins. They were slammed out of the first round of the playoffs by Golden State.

Earlier this week, coach Avery Johnson gave a glimpse into the Mavericks' off-season prioritieswhen he said, "Devin Harris' improvement is our best chance to improve at point guard."

Harris said last year that he was hoping to become the full-time starting point guard. It didn't quite work out that way, although he did start 61 games alongside Terry in an undersized backcourt. His minutes per game went up from 22.8 in 2005-06 to 26.0 this season.

One season after reaching the Finals, the Mavs didn't make significant changes in playing time. That's got to change for Harris, the No. 5 overall pick of the 2003 draft, to continue his growth.

Harris' contract status is also likely to change. The Mavericks can negotiate a long-term extension with Harris beginning July 1. Last year, Josh Howard was in the same situation and signed a four-year deal worth about $40 million.

USA gets off to a good start with a win in Gold Cup …

In the larger scheme of things, the goal that Clint Dempsey scored Thursday night to earn the United States a 1-0 victory over Guatemala does not rank particularly high on his list of recent soccer accomplishments.

There was, for instance, the goal he scored against Ghana at the World Cup in Germany last summer. That certainly ranks higher.

And there was the goal he scored against Liverpool this spring that gave Fulham, his London club, a vital victory and kept it from being relegated from the English Premier League. That ranks considerably higher still.

But Thursday's effort, in front of a boisterous crowd of 21,334 at the Home Depot Center, was satisfying all the same for the former New England Revolution standout. It started the U.S. out on the right foot in defense of the Gold Cup title it won in 2005 and it gave Coach Bob Bradley a winning start in his first competitive match in charge of the American team.

"When you play with confidence you play your best, and I think I'm starting to get sharp again," said Dempsey, who also scored during a 4-1 rout of China in a warm-up friendly in San Jose on Saturday.

It took the U.S. less than half an hour to solve Guatemala's overly defensive approach, which involved playing the game in its own half and relying on occasional counterattacks.

The goal came in the 26th minute off a move started by Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein, who redirected a Guatemalan clearance out to DaMarcus Beasley on the left wing.

Beasley, the third-most experienced U.S. player on the field behind Frankie Hejduk and Landon Donovan, passed the ball down the wing to Taylor Twellman, who sent a square pass through the penalty area for the onrushing Dempsey to side-foot into the net.

The goal took all of 20 seconds to create and execute and was Dempsey's eighth in 27 appearances for the national team.

UFC 75



Sicko – The Trailer (I realize my “Conservative Card” may be revoked, but I dig a good documentary)

Help us, Obi-Bron

Buck Harvey looks at the series, and sees no chance for the Cavs …By the way, nobody seems to be giving the Cavs a chance. In many cases the predictions, suggest the Cavs will likely get one win. I have a hard time disagreeing, but PLEASE LeBron. Please, Please. Beat the Spurs! Save us from the evil Empire. Please, Bron. You are our only hope.

Still, what's been clear from the moment the Spurs lined up their famous defense against LeBron is this — nothing is clear. Gregg Popovich doesn't spend the regular season scheming against the next opponent, especially one from the Eastern Conference. So the Spurs employ their this-is- what-we-do foundation with varying shades, and LeBron has done-what-he's-wanted- to-do.

Or, as Brown said after LeBron's 44 points against the Spurs in 2006: "He willed himself to the rim, and he willed this win for us."

The Spurs admit — with apologies to Kobe — that LeBron is Bruce Bowen's toughest draw. They also wonder if their team length that bothers most every other team bothers LeBron.

They also say Detroit gave them no clues. The Pistons' defense had so crumbled that the Spurs aren't sure if the Pistons were confused or disinterested.

Given this, the Spurs will try various looks. They will start with Bowen, then blitz a second defender, then try to rotate faster to the open shooters. And then they will try something else.

If the Spurs find an answer, they will squeeze all drama out of the most hyped series they've ever been in. A sweep — with LeBron turning into LeBroom — is possible.

And if the Spurs don't?

Then LeBron will have the kind of nights he had against Detroit. He will turn this Finals into what everyone wants, with the entertainment that is greatness. He will be king for a day, and maybe for two.

And that's the last prediction.

No matter what LeBron does, he won't be king for four.

Wilbon on Cleveland not really rocking in sports …

Don't look here for any Cleveland jokes. If any American city is deserving of the lift in civic spirit that only a sporting championship can deliver, it's Cleveland.

The dearth of team championships mirrors, as longtime residents know, Cleveland's demise as a city, which began just after the Browns won the 1964 NFL championship.
"Every kind of sports disappointment you can have in sports, Cleveland has had it," my friend Brian Dunmore, born and raised in Cleveland, told me the other day. "Buzzer-beating losses in the NBA playoffs, one-out-to-go loss in the World Series, the Browns leaving town, Ernie Davis dying of leukemia without ever getting to play a snap, John Elway leading 'The Drive.' . . . Maybe LeBron delivering the Cavaliers is the sports gods finally saying, 'Enough is enough.' "

Even worse, the city's teams and the city's incredible misfortunes are inseparable.
Cleveland didn't just shrink during the last 50-plus years, it shriveled. It was the nation's fifth-largest city in 1920 and remained in the top 10 through the 1970 census, but after a decades-long exodus it was the 39th-largest city in America in 2005, down from almost 915,000 residents in 1950 to 452,208. Nearly 180,000 people left in the 1970s alone, and the city reportedly lost 150,000 manufacturing jobs. Now, the median household income is 97th among the top 100 cities. The exodus, the 1968 riots and the city defaulting in 1978 led to a heap of ridicule, to the moniker "Mistake by the Lake." In 1972, as local legend has it, Mayor Ralph Perk's wife declined a dinner with President Richard M. Nixon because it interfered with her bowling night.

When the city was going strong, so were its teams. The Browns, filling a vacancy created by the Rams moving from Cleveland to Los Angeles, joined the NFL in 1950 and easily were the team of the decade. They won the title in their inaugural NFL season, and reached seven of the next eight championship games. They had the league's best and most famous player, Jim Brown. Their coach, Paul Brown, essentially invented the modern pro game and begat Bill Walsh, who reinvented it.

The Indians won the World Series in 1948, and six years later won 111 games and made it back to the Fall Classic. Of course, Willie Mays robbed Vic Wertz with his famous over-the-shoulder catch in that '54 Series, in which the New York Giants swept Cleveland. Maybe that was a bit of foreshadowing. The week before the NFL's "Greatest Game Ever Played" in 1958 between the Giants and Colts, the Giants beat the Browns to advance to the championship game. About a year and a half after the Browns won in 1964, Jim Brown retired, and the Indians fell into serious hard times that would last 30 years, until they came back strong in a new stadium in the 1990s. However, they lost to the Atlanta Braves in the '95 World Series and then in 1997 to the expansion Florida Marlins in the 11th inning of Game 7.

The Cavaliers, who arrived through NBA expansion in 1970, nearly had a shining moment in 1976 when they upset the defending conference champion Washington Bullets, but then lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. The next time the Cavaliers appeared on the cusp of something big was 1989. Magic Johnson took a long look at the roster of young players (Mark Price, Ron Harper, Brad Daugherty, Hot Rod Williams, Craig Ehlo, Larry Nance) and pronounced them the "team of the '90s." That was fine, except Michael Jordan hit that series-winning shot over Ehlo in Game 5 of the 1989 East quarterfinals, which propelled Jordan and the Bulls and seemed to destroy the young Cavaliers. They succumbed to the Bulls in the 1992 conference finals, were felled by a massive wave of injuries after that and never get close . . . until now.

The Ducks win the Cup …and finally, another of our Pacific Division foes wins something. And make no mistake, they deserved this Cup. A very worthy champion, who should be really good for several years.

Tears streamed down Teemu Selanne's face, dreams meeting reality in a confluence of powerful emotions he was helpless to contain.

After 14 NHL seasons, after a knee injury robbed him of his speed and confidence and nearly ended his career, he had won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Ducks. His name will be engraved on the imposing silver trophy and the letters will be traced by the fingers of champions for generations to come, boys still playing pickup games on the streets of Helsinki, Toronto, and Orange County.

It was too much to grasp. He wept out of joy, out of relief, out of sheer awe that the Ducks had pulled off a 6-2 rout of the Ottawa Senators that made them the Cup champions in a convincing five games.

"It's the biggest dream of my life," the 36-year-old Finn said, his voice wavering. "It's unbelievable. It's everything I hoped it would be.

"I'm so proud of my teammates. We made this happen as a team."

The Ducks were by far the better team Wednesday, as they were for most of this series. They're not from a "traditional" hockey city, but they won this series the old-fashioned way: They outworked the Senators, played stouter defense and got goaltending that was far superior to anything the Eastern Conference champions could muster.

They played for each other, covered for each other and, when it was over, exulted for each other, surrounding goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere in a squirming pile of humanity. The standing-room-only crowd of 17,372 at the Honda Center, as lively as any that ever filled the arena of an Original Six team, roared while streamers dropped from the rafters and championship hats appeared on players' heads as if by magic.

"I feel like I just got off a roller coaster," defenseman Sean O'Donnell said.

"I'm happy, excited, just dizzy. It's been an unbelievable season."

The roars reached a peak when team captain Scott Niedermayer, who was voted the most valuable player in the playoffs, accepted the Cup from Commissioner Gary Bettman. He lifted the 35-pound trophy as if it were a feather, its newly polished surface reflecting the lights of flash cameras and the gleams of smiles.

He soon passed the Cup to his brother, Rob, a heartwarming gesture with profound meaning. They had been on the opposite sides in 2003, when Scott and the New Jersey Devils defeated Rob and the Ducks in a seven-game series, and Scott's desire to play with his brother had brought him to Anaheim.

Their names will soon be listed together, for posterity.

"I didn't know what I was going to do," Scott said of the etiquette of handing off the Cup. "I guess he's one of the assistant captains. Maybe not quite the seniority, but I figured I could use my rank as captain to make that decision."

Like so many decisions he makes on the ice, that one was precisely right.

From Rob Niedermayer it went to Chris Pronger and then to Selanne, who seemed unwilling to let it go. In fact, he took a second jaunt with it before joining his wife and sons for hugs and a family celebration.

No one begrudged him that extra turn.

"Nobody deserves it more than Teemu. I told him that tonight," said defenseman Joe DiPenta, who filled in admirably on the two occasions Pronger was suspended by the NHL for overzealous hits to an opponent's head.

MLB Draft Day: Evan Breaks it down and is talking High School pitchers …That is all well and good, but if Wieters or LaPorta fall, The Rangers need them. They could both be ready for the big leagues with their awesome bats by next season. Get em.

The Rangers have picks 17 and 24 in the first round of today's draft, which begins at 1 p.m. They also have the 35th, 44th and 54th overall picks in the "sandwich" round as compensation for lost free agents, and No. 80 overall in the second round. The Rangers will pick every 30th turn after that through the 50-round, two-day affair.

"There are a lot of arms that we are interested in," scouting director Ron Hopkins said this week. "I don't want to say we are targeting pitching, but there are a lot of high school arms available, and there are probably more left-handed pitchers at the top of this draft than in a while."

Among the arms aplenty in the first round: Irving right-hander Blake Beavan, who could go as high as No. 13 to Cleveland; Canadian right-hander Phillippe Aumont, Georgia lefty Josh Smoker, Connecticut right-hander Matt Harvey and New Jersey right-hander Rick Porcello.

Among position players, the Rangers are looking at Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters, California high school corner infielder Mike Moustakas and Tennessee center fielder Julio Borbon.

Among those last five names are three of the top 10 prospects in the most recent ranking by Baseball America. All of them could be available to the Rangers in the first round.

Why? Each of them is represented by Boras, as are several other potential first-rounders, including Florida first baseman Matt LaPorta and North Carolina State right-hander Andrew Brackman.

If Boras' negotiation process for big league free agents is tough, he is even harder to crack with amateurs. His slow negotiations and demands for "out-of-slot" bonuses pushed Major League Baseball to ask for more club-friendly policies in the most recent collective bargaining agreement.

The negotiating window has been significantly reduced, and the structure for bonuses has been emphasized to teams by MLB.

Still, Boras is a creative negotiator whose mere presence scares some teams off. The Rangers have been in and out on Boras clients, but most recently have been willing to deal with him.

The Newberg Report offers its wise thoughts:

THE NEWBERG REPORT

There's very little consensus among the mock drafts this morning as to who the Rangers' picks will be at number 17 and number 24 in the first round, but this is fascinating: Baseball America's Jim Callis has Texas taking Florida high school righthander Michael Main at 17, and New Jersey high school righthander Rick Porcello at 24.

Porcello, a Scott Boras client, touches 98, mixes it with a good change, and in many mocks is projected to be the second pick in the entire draft. I've read at least one assessment that says some scouts call him the best high school righthander in the draft since Josh Beckett, who was the number two overall pick in 1999 and got $7 million and a big league contract from Florida.

Boras was Beckett's advisor, too.

I focus on the Callis mock because he's the man. In 2005, he pegged picks 1 through 18 perfectly, even though the baseball draft is easily the most difficult draft to project.

The pick that broke Callis's mock in 2005 was the Texas choice at number 19. The Rangers chose John Mayberry Jr., while Callis had them taking Travis Buck, who is now starting in the outfield for Oakland.

Teixeira asked again …and answers with his political polish…

As much as Teixeira tries to block out the speculation, he hears the rumors and reads the Internet like everybody else. Some of the more outlandish stuff merits a laugh. Other stuff is a no-brainer, which doesn't necessarily make it true.

Case in point: Baltimore bringing Teixeira back to his hometown.

"That wouldn't be going out on a limb to say I'd like to play in Baltimore," he said. "I don't think anyone needs a Ph.D. to figure that out."
And the struggling Yankees are always a possibility.

For his part, Teixeira says his checklist is short and has nothing to do with
geography.

"My biggest thing is that I want to win, plain and simple," he said. "I've been trying to win in Arlington for 4 ½ years and I'm still trying to win in Arlington. That's my goal right now. If I'm traded, whatever team I'm with I'll try to help that team win."

John Clayton rates the top 6 moves this off-season …

Game-winning touchdown

1. 49ers sign cornerback Nate Clements: Clements' agent, Todd France, created some nice headlines by revealing the 49ers gave Clements an eight-year, $80 million contract, making him one of the richest defensive players in football. While the actual payout might not allow Clements to top the deal of Champ Bailey of the Broncos, the acquisition should have just as much impact. With Clements and Walt Harris and Shawntae Spencer, coach Mike Nolan can match up against the other teams in the three-receiver crazy NFC West. Clements can take the opponent's top receiver and let Harris and Spencer take the other two. After finishing 26th and 32nd against the pass under Nolan the last two years, it's not out of the question for the 49ers to be in the top 10 against the pass.

2. Patriots sign linebacker Adalius Thomas: Giving Bill Belichick one of the NFL's most versatile defenders is dangerous. Belichick is the best coach in the NFL at finding a player's strength and using it. Thomas, who grabbed a $35 million contract, gives Belichick an unlimited bag of tricks. For the Ravens, Thomas had 28 sacks over the past three years. He can rush the quarterback with his hand on the ground or he can blitz from the linebacker spot. He's also decent in pass coverage. At one of the Patriots' offseason camps, Belichick had Thomas playing the inside linebacker position, giving him a shorter route to rush the quarterbacks on the run.

3. Seahawks sign defensive end Patrick Kerney: Pass-rushers rarely hit the free agent market. Kerney voided the final two years of his deal with the Falcons and hit the open market. Because Kerney's contract wasn't expiring, the Falcons couldn't use their franchise tag on him. Kerney comes to a Seahawks team in desperate need of an additional pass rusher. Over the past three years, the Seahawks have undergone major changes in the secondary. During their Super Bowl year in 2005, the Seahawks patched the second and third cornerback spots with free agents Kelly Herndon and Andre Dyson. They now have given way to youngsters Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson along with veteran Marcus Trufant. Young corners need a consistent pass rush to survive. If they're left in coverage for too long they'll get burned. With Kerney on board, Seahawks defensive coordinator John Marshall can play all kinds of games with his pass-rushers. He has Kerney, with his 10-sack potential on one side, and Bryce Fisher on the other. He can blitz Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson. The Seahawks have the makings of a top-15 defense.

Touchdown

4. Patriots acquire wide receiver Randy Moss: Moss isn't the 100-catch receiver of his Vikings days. It takes him longer routes to get to full speed and when he isn't the main target, he meanders on routes. And if for some reason a pass is thrown low, he might not try as hard to reach it. Still, Moss should be destined for at least a 10-touchdown season working with Tom Brady. Moss was the headliner on the 2005 offseason with his trade to the Raiders, which appeared to be a steal for the Raiders at the time. Two years of losing discouraged him. Moss took a pay cut from $10 million to $3 million for a chance at a Super Bowl ring. All Brady has to do is send Moss on go routes, throw the ball high and wait for Moss to snatch it from the air.

5. Ravens acquire running back Willis McGahee: McGahee might not have all the accomplishments of his predecessor, Jamal Lewis, but he allows Brian Billick to take the Ravens' offense into a new direction. Lewis has limitations. He was a powerful, unstoppable runner, but he wasn't much of a receiving threat. Plus, he did his best work with a fullback. McGahee allows the Ravens to move more into a spread offense and he's excellent out of one-back sets. The Ravens will let him try to catch the ball more than he did in Buffalo. Over the past couple of years, the Ravens used a lot of two- and three-tight end formations. McGahee gives the team younger legs and a chance to expand the offense.

6. Jets acquire running back Thomas Jones: Anytime you can acquire a 1,200- or 1,300-yard back in his prime, you help your offense. Despite going to the playoffs, the Jets ranked 25th on offense and averaged only 19.8 points a game, below playoff standards. Eric Mangini, before his days of making cameos on "The Sopranos," went week-to-week looking for a hot running back and couldn't find one. Jones' specialty is making one cut and going behind a zone blocking scheme. He's an excellent receiver on third downs. Plus, quarterbacks love him because he's a good blocker on passing situations.

This is a very interesting read from Mickey Spagnola: 5 plays that changed everything in 2006 …

Tonight: USA begins its Gold Cup run …tune to Fox Soccer Channel for all the games…

Countries in Europe, South America, Africa and Asia generally go all out to win their continental championships, but in the past, the United States and Mexico -- the main two soccer powers in the CONCACAF region -- often treated the Gold Cup as more of an opportunity to evaluate young players in a semi-significant competition, as opposed to a life-or-death struggle to win a championship that carries real prestige.

"My goal was to be competitive and try to win, and at same time try to give players a look," said Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena, the former U.S. national team coach who was suspended (too many red cards) for the 2005 Gold Cup final at Giants Stadium. "It's important to give the younger players an opportunity."

New U.S. coach Bob Bradley has the added goal of winning the Gold Cup in order to earn a spot in the Confederations Cup, which will take place in South Africa in 2009, one year before South Africa hosts the next World Cup. The six regional champions, plus the World Cup host and defending champion, will take part in that tournament.

The U.S. and Mexico have been invited to participate as guests in Copa America -- the South American championship -- this summer as well. Copa America begins June 26 -- two days after the Gold Cup final is played at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Bradley was asked in a conference call two weeks ago: Which tournament is the higher priority: the Gold Cup or the Copa America?

"It's a difficult question," said Bradley, an Essex Fells native and former MetroStars and Princeton coach. "I think our answer in the past has always tilted toward the idea that the Gold Cup, given that it's the championship of our region ... perhaps holds a little bit more weight. When we say that, however, we certainly all know and understand the history and significance of Copa America.

"We are absolutely set on trying to compete at the highest levels in both events. We've had to take into account so many different factors in putting these two rosters together, and our goal all along was to have the two best groups ready to go."

In announcing the 23-man roster for the Gold Cup, Bradley did say that "winning the Gold Cup is our most important priority this year." From the looks of it, he seems to have selected a team that is pretty close to the best the U.S. has to offer. Twelve of the 23 players are European-based, and 10 of the 23 were on the 2006 World Cup team. Four other 2006 World Cup vets -- defenders Steve Cherundolo, Bobby Convey, Chris Albright and Jimmy Conrad -- were unavailable because of injury.

---
CONCACAF GOLD CUP

WHAT: The biennial tournament to determine the champion of the Confederation of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

WHEN: Last night through June 24.

FORMAT: Twelve teams from the region, headlined by the defending champion United States and Mexico, are participating, with the teams divided into three groups of four teams. The first stage is a round robin, in which teams receive three points for a win, one for a tie. The top eight teams advance to the quarterfinals, to be held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, and Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough, Mass. The semifinals and final will be held in Soldier Field in Chicago.

U.S. FIRST-ROUND GAMES: Today, 9 p.m., against Guatemala at Carson, Calif.; Saturday, 5 p.m., against Trinidad at Carson; Tuesday, 7 p.m., against El Salvador at Foxborough, Mass.

HOW SIGNIFICANT A TOURNAMENT IS THIS? It is a regional championship, which is nice. But of equal importance to the U.S. team is that the winner qualifies for the Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009, which the U.S. sees as a dry run for the World Cup, to be held there in 2010. For coach Bob Bradley, it is a chance to look at the players who might make up the core of the roster he uses for World Cup qualifying over the next two years.

Peter Stormare - on the show today at 12:30



LeBron Game 5



Dwight Schrute Tribute

Wednesday, June 6

Consider me sucked in to the MLB Draft. I know, I should seek counseling.

Why the Rangers are in a good spot to have a big day. …

The Rangers are happy with the progress of their prospects in A-ball, with Eric Hurley, Taylor Teagarden, and John Whittleman leading the way. However, their upper levels are thin, and the pitching trio that was coming to save the day in Arlington -- John Danks, Edison Volquez, and Thomas Diamond -- isn't coming after all.

General Manager Jon Daniels said their process in preparing for having extra picks has been to have the area scouts simply identify and evaluate the players and to have the national guys take care of winnowing the pool. "When you give a scout a narrow focus, they almost make it even more narrow in the field, thinking 'this is not the kind of player they want,' " said Daniels. "So we tried to keep it open and encourage our scouts not to eliminate anybody. Bring everyone in and we'll let the medical folks take care of the medicals, let the national guys worry about signability, et cetera."

Like the three teams above, the Rangers can't go wrong by just taking the best players available, but given their home park and their awful rotation performance this year, they can't be blamed for leaning more towards arms than bats. "All things being equal, we'll lean pitcher over position player," said Daniels, "but we haven't given our area guys that direction, and we haven't gone high school versus college. We'll evaluate all the risks, but I didn't want the draft pool narrowed before we had to."

Texas' willingness to sign Scott Boras clients could give them a big leg up in this draft, where Boras has seven or eight first-round talents, but many teams drafting ahead of Texas won't exceed MLB's "recommended" slot bonuses. That could mean a Matt Wieters or a Matt Harvey falls to Texas, and I don't see them passing.

10 names to know for the MLB Draft …

Sportsbullies looks at the Draft …

Victor Diaz slams the Rangers to a win …

Keyed by Victor Diaz's second grand slam of the season, the Rangers scored six runs in the first against Detroit's Nate Robertson. Then Rheinecker gave back half the lead in the blink of an eye.

"They gave me a six-run lead, and I didn't pound the strike zone," Rheinecker said. "I have a bitter taste in my mouth from this start compared to my first outing last year. It seemed like I was always a pitch behind in the count."

Having escaped a bases-loaded situation in the first, Rheinecker wasn't as fortunate in the second. He allowed the first four hitters to reach base and walked Gary Sheffield with the bases loaded. When he allowed a leadoff homer to Brandon Inge to start the fourth, then walked the next hitter and hit the next, he was removed.
Fortunately for the Rangers, Willie Eyre, perhaps the most effective pitcher on the staff, got out of the jam without allowing a run. If he hadn't, the Rangers would now be the not-so-proud owners of the highest official starting rotation ERA in major league history.

As it stands, the Rangers' ERA increased for a fifth consecutive game and the 12th time in the last 14 games. It stands at 6.635, less than a hundredth of a point off the record for the worst starting rotation ERA in history. Detroit, in 1996, set the record at 6.643.

Sporting a healthy back, a trimmed up 'do and a supposedly improved changeup, Rheinecker became the ninth pitcher to start for the Rangers this season. He gave little indication that anything has changed from last year when he was dumped midway through the season.

Rheinecker allowed seven hits and four walks in 14 at-bats during his three-plus innings of work. It raised his career batting average allowed as a starter to .368, impressive considering Ty Cobb holds the all-time record for highest batting average as a hitter at .367. For his last 10 starts, Rheinecker has allowed opponents a .418 average.

"In his defense, that is one of the best hitting teams in baseball," manager Ron Washington said. "He battled. But when it got to 6-4, I just felt like I didn't want the game to get away from us."

The Rangers aren't planning to send Rheinecker back to Triple-A until this weekend as insurance in case Saturday's scheduled starter, Brandon McCarthy, or Sunday's starter, Padilla, encounters another physical problem.

What Do Quality Start mean? …

Handed a 6-0 lead, stand-in starting pitcher John Rheinecker couldn't get out of the fourth inning. By the time the lefty departed, the Detroit Tigers already had the potential tying run on base.

Is that the Rangers' new definition of a "quality start?" Three shaky innings, 74 uneasy pitches, followed by a Ron Washington 911 call to the bullpen?

The relief crew saved the night Tuesday. Willie Eyre, Joaquin Benoit, Akinori Otsuka and Eric Gagné held the Tigers at bay for six innings, as the Rangers held on to win, 7-4.

But Rheinecker's limp outing underlined the night's abiding point, that it's the starting pitching that continues to define this team's horrible start.

It's the starting pitchers whose 6.64 ERA is the worst in the major leagues -- and close to being the worst in major league history. It's the starting pitchers who are burrowing the Rangers into what seems like a nightly hole.

True, the Rangers' hitting isn't exactly leaving the paying customers hyperventilating, either. But the Rangers' lineup started play Tuesday ranked sixth in the American League in runs scored and first in home runs. That should not translate to a 21-37 record.

It's the starting pitching, therefore, beyond all else, that has dragged this team to the bottom of the American League.

And unlike the everyday lineup, where outfielders Victor Diaz and Marlon Byrd have come up from the minors to contribute, the Rangers' starting rotation continues to fly along on a wing and a prayer.

Lots of prayers, probably, because jobs are at stake.

When the pitching goes sour, baseball protocol dictates that the first to go is the pitching coach. That fate befell, among many others, Dick Bosman in 2000, Larry Hardy in '01 and Oscar Acosta in '02.

Mark Connor is in his second season as the Rangers' pitching coach. His résumé and reputation, spanning more than 20 seasons, are solid. Last year's pitching staff allowed the fewest runs for the franchise since 1995.

With Game 5 tonight, Alfredsson is answering questions about his gutless stunt in Game 4 …

Well, forget about ordering that slab of Italian marble for the Daniel Alfredsson sculpture in front of Scotiabank Place.

After weeks, maybe months of adulation by fans and the media for leading the Ottawa Senators to what has turned into their greatest season ever, the team's captain is suddenly being painted as a villain again. But this time it doesn't have to do with his play (although if he doesn't pick it up tonight in Anaheim to help keep the Senators alive in the Stanley Cup final, that will likely become an issue, too, and so will the fact that he is not a Canadian-born NHL captain).

Mayor Alfie is back on the barbecue spit because many feel he did something that was out of character for a Swedish player. He's being accused of purposely beaning Anaheim Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer with a slapshot in Monday's game, during the dying seconds of the second period. Niedermayer wasn't injured by the shot, which was fired from about 25 feet away and bounced off the defenceman's pants. But like some of his teammates and coach, as well as media types and even Senators fans, Niedermayer was stoking the fire following the game, which the Ducks won 3-2, to take a 3-1 stranglehold in the series.

"You can probably figure out what I thought after it happened," Niedermayer said. "It doesn't do any good to talk about it. I wasn't happy."

Niedermayer also said he told his teammates before the start of the third period not to seek revenge for Alfredsson's lack of respect toward their dear old captain, but to stay focused on winning the game.

It's clear from video footage that Alfredsson could have tried for a shot on the Ducks net from the neutral zone as the clock was ticking down and the score tied 2-2. But instead, Alfredsson shifted his body toward Niedermayer and fired the puck in his direction, even though there was a lot of open ice at which to shoot. When the buzzer sounded, Alfredsson was accosted by a few angry Ducks, which drew in some Ottawa players and resulted in some fisticuffs - as well as a decent sucker punch by the take-no-guff Alfredsson on winger Travis Moen. Who got sent to the penalty box? Not Alfredsson, but teammate Mike Fisher and Anaheim's Samuel Pahlsson, both for roughing after the fact.

So, if he hadn't intended to use Niedermayer as a bull's-eye and possibly injure him, then what was that all about Alfredsson?

"I looked up at the clock and it had like six seconds left, and I wanted to get a last shot on goal," Alfredsson told reporters at Scotiabank Place following the game. "But the puck didn't go right and I tried to get it between my feet. Then I just shot it to get rid of it and it kind of hit him."

Said Alfredsson with a shrug: "I didn't want to hit him."

But no one seemed to believe him - even TSN/NBC hockey commentator Pierre McGuire, who reminded us on Tuesday that his love for all things Ottawa holds no bounds, especially for the city's hockey fans. From his vantage point at the game, McGuire knew Alfredsson was guilty as sin.

Tired Bit: Cowlishaw tackles the annual past-time – fixing the NHL …

1: Put microphones on all coaches and captains for all games. One of the things that the millions of fans that flock to NASCAR races each year really enjoy is the ability to hear every word exchanged between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his crew chief, Tony Eury Jr.

The scanner technology is there to let every fan in the seats eavesdrop on what's being said. We don't want lame interviews conducted by bench reporters. We want to hear the real thing, and if we're paying $100 a ticket, we deserve it.

2: Start the season a month later. The Stanley Cup Finals should be starting when the NBA Finals are ending. For two weeks, you get the closest thing you're ever going to get to undivided attention.

The technology is good enough to make ice playable in late June. Starting the season a month before the NBA in the heart of college and pro football season does nothing for the NHL.

3: Convince the selfish Eastern Conference general managers to act in the best interests of the game and change the schedule. This was voted on and rejected a few months ago. But Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, moving into the prime of what's going to be a fantastic career, needs to play a game in Dallas and Los Angeles and Chicago every year. Not once every three years.

4: Kiss up to ESPN. Make amends. There's still enough room for programming at the world-wide leader to get your games back there. Versus gives the NHL no presence at all. The studio show has Bill Clement, a great analyst, in the misguided role of host.

Get back to ESPN – even if it's ESPN2 – and get your highlights back on SportsCenter.

5: Let the skaters in shootouts go without their helmets. In the Sixties and Seventies, we could easily identify Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, the flowing locks of Guy LaFleur.

Then safety reared its ugly head, and now we have no idea what these players look like. Most of the regular-season highlights we see of the NHL are from shootouts. Let's see the players. Women will like this one.

Is Paulie the rat? …

The outcome of the Sopranos finale has to this point been kept tightly under wraps.

Most fans are asking the question: Whose the rat?

While many are speculating the "rat" (assuming there is one) would be Paulie
Walnuts, we say not so fast.

Tony Sirico, the Brooklyn born actor who plays Paulie Walnuts, lived a real life of crime back in the 1960's.

Before becoming an actor, Sirico was a feared shakedown artist who preyed on Manhattan nightclubs and who once gave this description of his own extortion technique: "You hit them over the head with a baseball bat, and they come around." After a dispute with a disco owner, Sirico once warned, "I'm going to come back here and carve my initials in your forehead. You better learn a lesson, you better show me the respect I deserve." A Bellevue Hospital psychiatric report from that period concluded that Sirico suffered from a "character disorder."

He spent a total of 20 months in jails like the famed Sing Sing for holding up a number of night clubs in the late 1960s and early 1970s. While in prison, he became interested in acting from watching a theater group that came to perform.

The so-called politically "far-to-the-right" Sirico, whose brother by the way is a priest, informed producers early on that he would only take the role if promised his character never turned "rat". Apparently there is a clause in his contract that stipulates this.

Sirico is someone we can see requiring such a stipulation. He's every much the fun-loving character portrayed on The Sopranos. We recount a time when he was playing in the Intercontinental Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico and a patron was on the phone with her mom (a huge Paulie Walnuts fan) saying how he was there playing. Sirico then grabbed the phone and started talking to the woman's mom. He is also beloved by friends and family in his Bensonhurst, Brooklyn neighborhood. We can't see Paulie betraying them.

Sheffield meant nothing derogatory?…Don Imus told me the same thing…

Detroit Tigers star Gary Sheffield insists he meant "nothing derogatory" toward Latin players when he said Major League Baseball found it easier to "control them" than blacks.

However, teammate Carlos Guillen said he was happy Sheffield said what he said.
"I'm happy he said it," Guillen told The Detroit Free Press on Tuesday. "I'm glad somebody spoke up."

Sheffield said he was surprised his comments in the current issue of GQ magazine created such a stir. The slugger said he merely answered a question about why there were so many Latin players, as opposed to blacks.

"I said this a long time ago, this is a baseball issue. If they want to change it, they can change it," Sheffield said before Tuesday night's game at Texas.

"When you see a black face on TV and they start talking, English comes out. That's what I said. I ain't taking a shot at them or nothing. I'm just telling it like it is," he said.

Guillen told The Free Press that Sheffield's words to GQ rung true with his own experience as a young Latin player trying to break into the big leagues.

"In my first year, in rookie league, I hurt my elbow and I played DH," he told the newspaper. "In my first at-bat, I hit a double, and I missed first base. I was out, and they screamed at me."

"I didn't know what to say. If I had said anything, they would have sent me home. I was afraid to talk.

"That happens to every Latin player. They are afraid to talk."

Fans gone Wild in Sweden-Denmark



Don Cherry from Game 4



Fiona Across the Universe

Tuesday, June 5

It is a pretty slow sports day…So let’s talk Rangers!

Revo sets his sights back on Hicks …

The numbers that Hicks has to take responsibility for are staggeringly bad. Since that division title in 1999, the Rangers haven't finished higher than third place in a four-team division, finishing last four times in seven years. In those seven years plus this season, their combined overall record is 555-638, 83 games under .500. In the last seven years, they've finished an average 21-plus games out of first place.
Behind those gawd-awful numbers are a series of terrible decisions by the owner that have helped sink his franchise into oblivion.

Want a list? Let me give you the short version, in no particular order:

Trying to mesh his hockey and baseball front offices (a disaster).

Lack of continuity in philosophy and front office personnel, which began with the firing of general manager Doug Melvin.

Giving The Ballpark a NASCAR-like look with advertising plastered on anything that doesn't move and some things that do.

Building the infamous Gold Club without first checking to see what it might do to the wind currents.

Hiring John Hart to replace Doug Melvin.

Failing to re-sign Pudge Rodriguez.

Signing Alex Rodriguez and Chan Ho Park.

Letting Nolan Ryan, the most credible baseball name in Texas, slip away to the Astros.

Allowing Hart and Buck Showalter to run off John Blake, the most savvy PR director in baseball, who told them the truth instead of what they wanted to hear. He now does that job for the Boston Red Sox.

Hicks is also responsible for hiring the youngest (and lowest-paid) GM in the game in Jon Daniels and allowing him, in turn, to hire a completely inexperienced (and lowest-paid) manager in Ron Washington.

Not unexpectedly but despite the incompetence of his team, ticket prices have shot up at The Ballpark in the last decade. Ten years ago you could have the best seat in the house for $25. That same seat is now $100 and other tickets have risen from 50-100 percent or more across the board. Let's not even talk about what you pay now for parking and concessions.

In the meantime, the Rangers have drafted poorly, leading to a lack of player development. There's not a single position player currently in the system that fans can expect to make this team next spring.

Yes, Hicks should sell, because he's lost the confidence of the people. But he won't because he now sees the new Cowboys' stadium as another financial windfall, with development coming around both stadiums that Hicks could never get off the ground on his own.

That's a pity, because there's a buyer still interested down in Round Rock, if the Rangers ever go on the market. But Nolan Ryan has to be wondering if his dream of owning a major league team in Texas will ever come to fruition.

Evan looks at the last few fateful years …

•2002: This was perhaps the worst year in Rangers history in terms of long-term effects. In addition to spending more than $100 million on failed free agents (Chan Ho Park, Juan Gonzalez, Jay Powell and Todd Van Poppel), the Rangers gave up picks in rounds 2-5. In addition, new scouting guru Grady Fuson focused primarily on college players; the Rangers didn't take a high school player until the 17th round.

It turned out to be a particularly good draft for high school pitchers. These were some of the high school pitchers selected between the time the Rangers took Meyer in the first and their next pick: Kazmir, Cole Hamels, Micah Owings, Matt Cain, Jon Lester and Jonathan Broxton. Position players James Loney and Jeff Francoeur were also taken. Each of the last five names has been mentioned as a potential target if the Rangers opt to trade Teixeira.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs, using the fourth-round pick they received as compensation for the Van Poppel signing, selected Rich Hill from the University of Michigan. Bush and Granderson were also plucked from the college ranks while the Rangers were dormant.

To complicate matters, the Rangers hastily dealt hitter Travis Hafner to Cleveland for starter Ryan Drese (to fill a hole at the back of the rotation) and catcher Einar Diaz (to fill a hole behind the plate)

•2003: Hart and new manager Buck Showalter were not fans of Davis' nibbling style and placed him on waivers after one start. Davis proceeded to pitch 200 innings in each of the next three seasons.

On draft day, the Rangers selected John Danks in the first round. But thinking they needed somebody more ready to contribute and eat innings for the 2007 season, they traded him last winter to the Chicago White Sox for Brandon McCarthy.

•2004: Hart did not want to deal with agent Scott Boras after several bad experiences with free-agent signings. So the Rangers selected signable Thomas Diamond with the 12th pick. The Los Angeles Angels, two picks later, took Boras' Weaver.

•2005: With Fuson out of the picture after a power struggle, Hart got more involved in the draft. His first-round choice was Mayberry, a Stanford outfielder who fit Hart's affinity for big, strong-bodied hitters. But Mayberry's swing needed an overhaul. Boston selected center fielder Ellsbury. Oakland selected Buck, who is filling in quite nicely in the A's injury-riddled outfield.

Meanwhile, with the Tigers in, we are reminded that Dave Dombrowski was a candidate here to replace Doug Melvin. it seems he has done pretty well in Detroit with things …

Some key moves by Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski since assuming control in 2002:

February 2002: Claimed OF Craig Monroe off waivers from the Rangers

June 2002: Drafted CF Curtis Granderson in the third round and P Joel Zumaya in the 11th round

July 2002: Acquired RHP Jeremy Bonderman, 1B Carlos Pena and RHP Franklyn German from Oakland for RHP Jeff Weaver

January 2003: Acquired LHP Nate Robertson, RHP Gary Knotts and LHP Rob Henkel from Florida for LHP Mark Redman and RHP Jerrod Fuell

December 2003: Signed OF Marcus Thames to a minor league contract after he was released by the Rangers

January 2004: Acquired SS Carlos Guillen from Seattle for SS Ramon Santiago and SS Juan Gonzalez

February 2004: Signed Florida free agent C Ivan Rodriguez to a four-year deal with a
club option for 2008

June 2004: Drafted RHP Justin Verlander in the first round

February 2005: Signed Chicago White Sox free agent OF Magglio Ordonez to a five-year
deal with options for 2010 and 2011

June 2005: Acquired 2B Placido Polanco from Philadelphia for RHP Ugueth Urbina and IF Ramon Martinez

December 2005: Signed Rangers free agent LHP Kenny Rogers and Florida free agent RHP Todd Jones to two-year deals

June 2006: Drafted LHP Andrew Miller in the first round

Anaheim wins Game 4 in an exciting hockey night in Ottawa …

They have been thuggish and undisciplined and borderline self-destructive. And those are some of their better qualities.

But beneath the Anaheim Ducks' wart-festooned exterior beats the heart of a champion.

Playing without their best player, Chris Pronger (suspended) and top forward Chris Kunitz, (injured), the Ducks displayed admirable mettle by riding out a miserable first period and beating the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday night.

The victory gives the Ducks a 3-1 series lead and the opportunity to win their first-ever Stanley Cup at home on Wednesday. Of the 28 teams that have taken a 3-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup final since 1939, only one has failed to win a championship and that was 65 years ago.

If the mark of a champion is being able to defy the logical, to win when it appears losing makes more sense, to turn chaos into order, then the Ducks are that kind of team.

"Again, it just proves the point that our players have found a way to reach back and give more when it's asked of them," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said.

Meanwhile, Mike Modano emerges from his cave to explain his fiancée has a large mouth …

Veteran Stars center Mike Modano said Monday that he has talked with organization officials recently about criticisms that his fiancée, entertainer Willa Ford, directed at the team's management and coaching staff in an Internet interview last month.

"I just wanted to clear some things up with them, and I think they had some concerns, too," Modano said. "They understand how I believe, and I believe we're moving in the right direction."

Among what Ford told ESPN.com: There was friction among the coaches; the team needed to acquire better wingers to play with Modano; and stripping him of the captaincy before last season was classless.

The interview took place a few weeks after the Stars were eliminated by Vancouver in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

During the Stars' run, Ford was one of multiple celebrities asked to blog on NHL.com.

Modano said Ford based opinions expressed in the interview on some of his unfiltered frustration.

"It's tough, because my personality is that I'll hold a lot inside and then just go vent," said Modano, who will turn 37 on Thursday. "I think it's like anyone. You get it out of your system and then just go back to work."

Modano said he discussed the interview with general manager Doug Armstrong, coach Dave Tippett, associate coach Rick Wilson, a few teammates and ex-teammate Brett Hull, now a special assistant to team president Jim Lites.

Armstrong wouldn't comment on his conversation with Modano. Tippett said his door is open to any player at any time.

As the NBA Finals approaches on Thursday night, True Hoop examines the Cavaliers – Spurs games of the regular season …

• Bruce Bowen guards LeBron James almost all the time, except for a couple of Manu Ginobili cameos. Against a lot of players, Bowen is omnipresent and annoying. Against James, Bowen is a barely noticeable gnat. James can use his mighty frame to put Bowen into any and every pick, and then he's often wide open. When isolated against James, Bowen can't do much to bother James' fallaway jump shot, which is sometimes a high percentage shot.

• With the help of a pick, and sometimes without, James can get to the rim against the Spurs with shocking ease. Now, those of you who watched San Antonio play against Phoenix can tell you that "at the rim" is a nearly impossible place to score against the Spurs. The story is you're better off pulling up in the mid-range (which is the Achilles heel of LeBron James). I am here to tell you, sports fans, that those rules do not apply to LeBron James, who finishes at the rim against San Antonio with regularity -- at least in these two games. One reason is because often Tim Duncan is coming over to help far from the rim, and is not entrenched in the lane. But that only accounts for some possessions. On others? James is that rarest of players who just can score over and around Duncan. The genius of Duncan's defense is that he does not jump. He stays on the ground and saves his jumps for after the shot has been released. But James comes to the hoop so hard, he is so long, he is so strong, he is so fast, and he has a point of release so high, that he can score over or around a stationary Duncan -- forcing the big man into some non-routine habits.

• You can see James posterizing Duncan. That play was not entirely typical of the James/Duncan relationship. But note how easily James left Bowen behind when he had a pick and a mind to get to the rim. That happened a lot.

• The kryptonite of the Spurs is getting Tim Duncan in foul trouble. LeBron James could get Tim Duncan in foul trouble. I'm sure this series will be hyped in some fashion as LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan. Of course, they play totally different positions, and that would seem to be all hype. But, in fact, LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan may prove to be the key matchup for the various reasons outlined here. I should also mention that James does not look remotely scared of Duncan. You know how a lot players go away from Merlin? Not LeBron James.

• James posts Bowen a fair amount. This is not the easiest way for James to
score, but it's a very effective way to get Tim Duncan coming over to help -- and when he gets there, James likes to spin to the baseline and lead everyone on a race to the hoop. It's clear, as that race unfolds, who is younger. More than once, in the half-court, James had layups with Duncan entirely behind him.

• The Spurs were not "going easy" on James in the footage that I saw. They tried a zone in which three players cheated way over to James. They briefly experimented with a high-energy trapping defense (James one-dribbled away from his man, and pulled up for a made jumper). They sent help early and often. And whenever James beat his man baseline -- where the passing angles are tougher -- as many as four Spurs met the young star.

DEI finds a Junior who can win races …

With Little E about to become Little Ex, who better than True X to give the DEI team a lift? Martin Truex Jr., the two-time Busch Series champ who is in his second full year of Nextel Cup racing, posted his first points victory Monday, winning in Dover, Del. His much more popular teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was 22nd. Truex is 13th in the standings, only eight points out of the Chase -- and two spots ahead of Earnhardt, who hasn't won a race since last May.

Sheffield can say anything …

Foolish is foolish. Hurtful is hurtful. Racist is racist.

Should the offender's batting average make a difference? Or his race? Or the fact it's on page 227 of GQ? No.

So where is the outrage over Gary Sheffield?

Detroit Tigers designated hitter Sheffield had some news to release in the current edition of GQ. He has decided on the reason for the flood of Latin baseball players into the major leagues. It's because they're more ... manageable.

Not like African-Americans. They're too independent, apparently. If it's a close call on the roster, black players are sent home and the jobs given to men from Venezuela or the Dominican Republic because of "being able to tell (Latin players) what to do — being able to control them."

So sayeth Sheffield, noted sociologist.

"I know a lot of players that are home now can outplay a lot of these guys."
Take that, Albert Pujols.

Now batting third for the Tigers ... Don Imus.

Wait. That's not quite right. Sheffield spewed out no demeaning names. And maybe young women from Rutgers make much more sympathetic victims than pitchers from Cuba.
But if there is a line for all, Sheffield, an African-American, just crossed it. An entire race of athletes was reduced to a stereotype. The enormous growth of Latin players in the majors was given an asterisk. Note: These guys are in the lineup because they can be more easily handled by the manager.

Which begs the question to Sheffield of where in his theory of controllable Latinos is there room for Manny Ramirez?

Don Cherry and the very gay Scott Thompson



Oh Face Remix

My Leader is Here!

Nothing says hockey to me than the controversial Don Cherry. He is hockey. And he has never been seen in the US on TV. Tonight, although in a very small role, he is here. I will have my Don Cherry sweater on tonight.

Grapes comes to the States! …

Don Cherry says he's ready for America. But is America ready for him?

That question will be answered Monday night when the star of Coach's Corner makes his U.S. network television debut on NBC.

The network announced yesterday that Cherry will appear during the second intermission of Monday's Stanley Cup final. A commentator exchange between CBC and NBC, involving Cherry and Brett Hull, was announced earlier this spring.

Hull will appear on the CBC broadcast during Saturday night's first intermission.

During an earlier conference call, Cherry indicated it will be business as usual
when he thrusts himself on the American public.

"A lot of people have written that what I say up here I would never get away with it down in the States," he said.

"I'll just go on and do what I have to do."

Cherry recalled making an appearance on a Pittsburgh broadcast a few years ago and referring to Mario Lemieux and a mullet-sporting Jaromir Jagr as "Mario and his daughter."

"That was my last time in the States," he said.

The big question is what will Cherry wear and will it pass FCC standards?

Though Cherry has yet to announce his wardrobe for Monday, he did give some advice to Hull for his appearance: "Get some plaids."

Rangers lose 3 of 4 to the Mariners …Nice gloves, boys.

Remember how, a day or so ago, it seemed like the cause of the Rangers' rotten record was starting pitching?

Well, not anymore.

The fielders, particularly scrappy Matt Kata, reminded everybody why the Rangers have the worst record in baseball. It's not because of a failure in any particular area. It's because of a failure across the board.

And so, after an 11-6 loss to Seattle dropped the Rangers to 20-37, rookie manager Ron Washington was left to explain another ugly loss. A few minutes after the game, Washington was sitting in his office with the heel of his hands digging into his forehead as if he was trying to alleviate a migraine.

Nope. It was just the pain of watching the Rangers lose again.

"We lost that one today with defensive miscues," Washington said. "Two innings cost us the game today. We had a miscue and they ended up making us pay for it."

OK, first the disclaimer: Tejeda wasn't particularly good, either. He was charged with seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings and nudged the starting rotation's ERA to 6.58, the fifth consecutive day it went up. The worst ERA by a full-season rotation is 6.64 by the 1996 Detroit Tigers.

Tejeda even made a throwing error in the first inning, which led to Seattle's first run. But the Rangers rallied to tie the score and then took a three-run lead in the bottom of the fourth.

Despite loading the bases by allowing a single, a walk, and a hit batsman, Tejeda had a chance to get out of the fourth and induced a chopper from Jamie Burke. Kata, who made three errors in his other start at third base at Seattle this year, got to the ball late and bobbled it, allowing Burke to reach on what was ruled an RBI infield single.

Tejeda, who said he was a "little" bothered by the misplay, walked Ichiro Suzuki to force in a second run and then allowed a three-run double to Jose Lopez.

"He came back and made a pitch, and we didn't make the play," Washington said. "If we made that play, we would have gotten out of the inning."

Washington has urged his fielders to use their backhand on balls to their sides, suggesting it will allow more momentum to carry them to first base and make for easier throws. Washington said Kata tried to get in front of the ball and simply didn't have enough time to do that.

"It bothered me a little," Tejeda said. "It was kind of a routine play. In the situation we are in right now, we have to make those plays."

Draft day is the only game the Rangers have left …

Members of the Rangers' draft team have spent the past few days in silent mode, and that's likely to continue until Thursday, when the 2007 First-Year Player Draft is held.

There were rumors that the group actually would take time out for things such as lunch and perhaps a visit to restroom facilities, but in terms of communicating with the outside world or the media, it'll likely remain Team Quiet.

Which could be good news for Rangers fans. With the team playing poorly and little help available because the organization has not infused the farm system with quality players in recent years, tunnel-vision focus is probably a good thing.

This is an important draft for Texas. Because of key free-agent losses during the off-season, the Rangers have five of the first 54 picks. Their first choice will be at No. 17 and then they have picks at 24, 35, 44 and 54.

"It's a great opportunity for us," said general manager Jon Daniels, who surfaced from the "war room" briefly and actually returned a phone call.

The 2007 draft is being touted as one of the deepest in recent years. Baseball America, considered the "bible" of scouting reports and the draft, evaluates it in this manner:

"The talent comes in all shapes and sizes: power-hitting outfielders, pure middle infielders, high school pitchers with eye-popping strength, and an intriguing crop of college left-handers."

------

Some swings and misses?

The Rangers have not fared well in the draft in recent years. A look at some of players the Rangers have selected recently with high draft picks:

Kasey Kiker (2006, first round, LHP) Got first pro victory last week after seven losses. Struck out 17 in two games for Class A Clinton. Only 19, so best-case scenario is he would be in Arlington for the 2010 season.

John Mayberry Jr. (2005, first round, OF) Hitting .232 for Class A Bakersfield but has 15 home runs. Does not look like major league player at this point.

John Whittleman (2005, second round, 3B) May be team's top position prospect besides the injured Joaquin Arias. Hitting .339 for Clinton. Still two or three years away.

Taylor Teagarden (2005, third round, C) Former UT catcher leading Bakersfield in hitting at .339. Still, has never been higher than Class A.

Thomas Diamond (2004, first round, RHP) Currently sidelined after Tommy John surgery. Has never pitched above Double A.

Eric Hurley (2004, first round, RHP) Top hope for the future after the departure of John Danks. Will the Rangers test his major league readiness?

K.C. Herren (2004, second round, OF) Playing well for Clinton, but has never been higher than Class A, while Hunter Pence, taken 13 picks later in the same draft, is blossoming for the Astros.

As we wait for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday-
Cavaliers – Spurs get it on with plenty of connections …

More so than even the Dallas Mavericks, coached by former Spurs point guard Avery Johnson, the Cavaliers followed Popovich's blueprint for building a championship organization.

In 2005, the Cavaliers hired former Spurs player and director of basketball operations Danny Ferry as general manager. He brought Spurs scouting director Lance Blanks along and named him assistant GM. Then Ferry made Brown, a Popovich assistant for three years, his head coach. At the time of his hire, Brown had spent two seasons as Indiana Pacers associate head coach under Rick Carlisle.

One of Brown's first moves was to hire Hank Egan, his coach at the University of San Diego, as his top assistant. Egan, who also coached Popovich at the Air Force Academy, had spent eight seasons as one of Popovich's most trusted Spurs assistants.
Soon after, the Cavs came to be known as "Spurs East."

In fact, the ties between the two finalists are both tight and enduring. The final horn in the Cavaliers' 98-82 victory over the Detroit Pistons hadn't sounded Saturday when Ferry, Blanks and Brown received text messages from Spurs front office members offering congratulations.

"It's a great opportunity to play against guys for whom you have the ultimate respect," said Spurs general manager R.C. Buford. "You've been through the battles and won together and reached the pinnacle together. That bond doesn't happen very often. So when you have that with guys like Mike and Lance and Danny, their success is almost as important as your own.

"You take great pride in sharing their successes with them, knowing how hard they approach their jobs and the integrity with which they approach their jobs."
In this instance, familiarity breeds not only respect, but imitation. The Cavaliers aren't built around a dominating big man, as the Spurs are, but their basic approach under Brown begins with a Spurs-like commitment to defense and offensive execution — even if the offense is more perimeter-oriented.

Pronger suspended for Game 4, tonight on NBC …

Throughout his nearly two years as the Ducks' general manager, Brian Burke has made it clear that his team will be big and tough and will back down from no one.

He added muscle and character to a formidable reserve of talent. He weeded out soft players and old players and those who played smaller than their size.

And in what was considered a potential Stanley Cup-winning coup last summer, he acquired defenseman Chris Pronger from Edmonton for two promising young players, two first-round draft picks and a second-round pick.

The price was high but worth it for the Ducks, who had run out of determination and scoring spark in losing the Western Conference finals to the Oilers last spring.

Pronger, 6 feet 6 and seemingly able to span the width of the rink, is the rare intimidating presence who can make opponents change their thoughts or direction. He has averaged 30 minutes 44 seconds per game during the playoffs and is the top-scoring defenseman in postseason play, with three goals and 14 points.

But the team that has lived and thrived on toughness might die by it now because Pronger allowed his temper to prevail over his prodigious talent again.

By giving in to impulse Saturday and wielding a vile forearm that briefly knocked out Ottawa forward Dean McAmmond, Pronger earned the wrath of the NHL and jeopardized the Ducks' chances of winning the Cup. He won't be allowed to play today in Game 4 of the finals, an absence the Senators will be eager to exploit as they try to win a second successive home game and assume control of the series.

That blow also cemented Pronger's reputation as a cheap-shot artist, a shameful choice for someone who has the talent to be so much better.

Any discussion of Pronger's career requires mention that he was the NHL's most valuable player and its best defenseman in the 2000-01 season. That he was a three-time Canadian Olympian and five-time All-Star.

It also demands mention that the suspension levied on Sunday by Colin Campbell, the NHL's chief disciplinarian, was the seventh of Pronger's career and second in two playoff rounds. He previously sat out one game for striking Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom in the head with his forearm in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals; that hit, like the blow to McAmmond, wasn't punished during the game but was judged illegal after video review.

As a repeat offender, Pronger might have been punished more severely had he done this during the season or early in the playoffs. He got off lightly only because Campbell, a former NHL player and coach, considers the Cup finals sacred and a one-game suspension to be harsher now than at any other time.

"You do put some thought and lots of weight into that aspect," Campbell said. "This one took a lot of thought…. It didn't jump out right away at us. But there were some simple aspects to it.

We’re coming for you Kobayashi …

A San Jose man smashed the world record for hot dog eating at a contest Saturday,
gobbling up more than 59 franks in 12 minutes.

Joey Chestnut, 22, shattered the record held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan by downing 59 1/2 "HDBs" - hot dogs and buns - during the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship at the Arizona Mills Mall in suburban Tempe.

Kobayashi's old record of 53 3/4 was set last year at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, held at Coney Island in New York, said George Costos, who helps runs the regional contests for Nathan's.

Chestnut placed second in last year's world championships, consuming 52 hot dogs.
"He's unbelievable - he just keeps on going," said Ryan Nerz, who works for Major League Eating, which he describes as "a world governing board for all stomach-centric sports."

"These guys' numbers have just been going up at a tremendous clip," Nerz said. "I always thought there was a limit - a limit to the human stomach and a limit to human willpower - but I guess not."

Chestnut won a free trip to New York, a year's supply of hot dogs and a $250 gift card to the mall.

Beckham plays so good that they don’t want him in MLS now …

Former England captain Alan Shearer has said David Beckham is too good to be joining Major League Soccer in the United States.

Beckham returned to international football on Friday, crossing for John Terry's goal in the 1-1 draw with Brazil at Wembley, and is expected to retain his place for the Euro 2008 qualifier with Estonia on Wednesday.

However, his England renaissance may be short-lived lived because of his move to Los Angeles Galaxy after his contract with Real Madrid expires at the end of the month.
Shearer said: "I don't know if David is regretting going to Los Angeles Galaxy. But he's better than that standard, without a shadow of a doubt.

"He showed that with his performance against Brazil. I wouldn't worry about him taking part in the rest of the qualifiers, though.

"Yes, there are some long flights involved. But he can handle that and he won't have forgotten how to compete in the space of three months."

However, Shearer feels a trip to Austria and Switzerland for next summer's championships could be beyond the 32-year-old.

"The problem might come when Steve McClaren gets round to assessing his squad for the finals, provided we qualify. Then there will have to be a judgment made," he said.

"Yet I don't think Steve will be concerned about that right now. It's not time to think about what happens over Christmas and January, when David will not be playing any football.

"All Steve wants at the moment is to make sure England qualify - and Beckham can help him do that."

Is it ever too early to have Goose’s power poll for the NFL? …

15. Dallas Cowboys

A new coach brings a new attitude on defense. Wade Phillips is going to turn his young speed loose, so you'll see a more aggressive scheme in 2007 than under Bill Parcells in 2006. But any success by the Cowboys will depend on which quarterback shows up – the Tony Romo who flourished in November or the Romo who floundered in December.

Final 2006 rank: 13

Comedy from the Office: Creed’s blog …

The worst part about Raisin Bran is the bran. Hands down.

I saw a man fishing bottles out of a garbage can yesterday and it reminded me of a funny story.

I don’t like hockey. They should get rid of the pucks and put those shoe blades on their sticks – then you’d have a game on your hands.

To be a good pick pocket, you’ve got to look like a regular Joe. Don’t dress up in fancy colors or jewelry. That’s where the Gypsies have it wrong. Pair of slacks, t-shirt, hat – that’s all you need. And it helps to have tiny hands, too.

I’ve had enough of this LBJ character.

If I had to pick between a chimp and a spider, I’d take the chimp. Harder to forget where you left it.

Mississippi Braves Manager loses his melon




Jonnie Morton knocked out in MMA debut

One For The DVD Archives

With 7:48 left in the 4th Quarter, Ilgauskas hit a lay-up to put the Cavaliers up 79-76. At the time LeBron James had 19 points. What followed was so unbelievable that words will not do it justice.

James Jump Shot – 6:05 4th
James Lay-up – 3:02 4th
Gooden made free throw 2:49 4th
James 3pt – 2:17 4th
James Dunk – 0:31 4th
James Dunk – 0:09 4th
James 2 free throws - 4:47 OT
James Dunk – 3:31 OT
James free throw – 2:54 OT
James 2 free throws – 1:17 OT
James Jump Shot – 0:33 OT
James Jump Shot – 4:31 2OT
James Jump Shot – 1:51 2OT
James 3 pt Jump Shot – 1:14 2OT
James Driving Lay Up - :02 2OT

He finished with 48 points. He scored 29 of the last 30 Cleveland points.

He personally willed that team to victory. It was a pleasure to just see it.

Michael Jordan would be proud of that …

When the smoke cleared at The Palace Thursday, the Pistons were witnesses to one of the greatest individual performances anybody has seen perhaps since Michael Jordan retired.
And that performance has them on the brink of elimination for the second straight season.

LeBron James scored 48 points, including his team's last 25 and an unprecedented 29 of their last 30.

His last basket was a layup -- after he had shredded the Pistons' defense like it was paper -- that lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers to a dramatic, 109-107 double-overtime victory and a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Cavs can earn their first trip to the NBA Finals with a win on Saturday.

"Just for the simple fact that we won the ballgame means more than anything," James said. "If I did everything I did tonight and we lost, it means nothing. So the win is the most important thing for us, and we are one more win from getting to our goal."

James scored nine points in the final three minutes of regulation to erase an eight-point Pistons lead. The last four points came on virtually uncontested dunks.

In the first overtime, he scored nine points and had the Cavs up, 100-96, with 33.7 seconds left.

The Pistons, on free throws by Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups, sent the game into a second overtime.

And after a clutch three-point play by Chris Webber, they were up 107-104 with 1:28 left in the second overtime.

James, undaunted, drained a three-pointer. Then, after a miss by Richard Hamilton and another by Wallace, James patiently wove his way down the lane for the game-winner.

"The fact that I was able to will my team to victory is definitely pleasing to me," James said. "This is definitely a big win, one of the biggest wins in Cavaliers' franchise history, for me and my teammates, it's definitely the biggest win."

The 48 points were the most ever scored by a Pistons' opponent at home.

"LeBron did it all," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "He always does it all for us. And, you know, everybody keeps asking for more and he is willing. He just keeps giving us more."

Pistons are in trouble …

LeBron James unleashed a mighty shot and a mighty dunk, and then another, and another, and another. It was crazy and stunning and probably historic. And with that finishing flurry, surely one of the most amazing the NBA has ever seen, he pushed the Pistons to a truly bitter brink.

The Pistons have teetered so long against the Cavaliers, you really can't be surprised. James has risen so quickly, conjuring all the great superstar performances in playoff history, there might be no stopping him now.

This was a remarkable thriller, and in the end, it was all James, with no defense from the Pistons. His layup right through the Pistons with 2.2 seconds left gave the Cavs a 109-107 double-overtime shocker at The Palace Thursday night.

James and the Cavs attacked and attacked and wore the Pistons down. And the brutal fact is -- he might have worn them out -- with a knockout looming. James finished with 48 points, including Cleveland's last 25, and it took that type of effort to subdue the Pistons, who battled gamely.

The Cavs have won three straight tight games and lead the series, 3-2, with Game 6 Saturday night in Cleveland. It's the same pattern as a year ago, when the Pistons rallied to take the series. But this is different because James looks so much different. It's hard to imagine even a Michael Jordan classic topping what James did, charging into the lane for dunks or stepping outside for jumpers.

"We threw everything we had at him, we just couldn't stop him," Chauncey Billups said. "That was a great, great game. It was unbelievable. He was hitting everything."

The Pistons couldn't hang on to a late lead but this one was in danger all night. If the Pistons have a last gasp left, they'd better summon it quickly, and you know the theme by now -- it will not be easy.

How do the Pistons rebound from this?

How does James top this? He scored 29 of his points in the fourth quarter and the overtimes.

"He saw lanes and he attacked," Flip Saunders said. "He was in a zone. He hit some phenomenal shots. We tried to stop him, get it out of his hands, and he re-attacked. We'll have to take a look and definitely try to do something different next time."

The Pistons were in mood to figure it out after this one. Rasheed Wallace was angry and Billups was stunned and the Pistons looked dazed.

They are in trouble, huge trouble, and you sense they know it. Sure, they partly put themselves here, but make no mistake, James shoved them here with an astonishing, pressure-packed performance.

True Hoop blogs Game 5 …

• Chauncey Billups nailed a three-pointer early in the shot clock, off the dribble. If you're going to call him on the shot selection in the last game, you have to call him on this too. Shot selection can not be judged after you see whether or not the shot goes in.

• Billups then shot a leaning three-pointer at the buzzer in a tie game. A high school coach somewhere is irate.


• Jason Maxiell hesitated closing on LeBron James when he drove the lane and made the game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left in the second overtime.

• LeBron James misses some bad shots. But he makes a lot of them too.

• People have known what LeBron James is like on a regular night. Now, however, he has been facing extraordinary pressure. All the criticism after Games 1 and 2. The Conference Finals. Down 0-2. Is he the kind of guy who gets better or worse under that kind of pressure. This has been our first real chance to find out. I bet most of us thought he would wilt a little. But that would be wrong.

• If I were the Pistons, I wouldn't obsess about stopping LeBron James next time. I'd be worried about how hard it has been for the Pistons to get buckets when they need them. Cleveland's defense is looking very good.

TNT’s loss - Steve Kerr takes a GM job with the Suns…

Steve Kerr will be hired as president and general manager of the Phoenix Suns, a person with knowledge of the hiring said Thursday.

Kerr can't officially take the job until he completes his obligations as an analyst for TNT during the NBA playoffs. He is expected to be introduced at a news conference next week, said a person close to the situation who asked not to be identified because the official announcement had not been made.

Kerr is a close friend of Suns owner Robert Sarver and owns a small piece of the team. He would replace Mike D'Antoni, who holds the titles of general manager and head coach. The move will allow D'Antoni to concentrate on coaching.

D'Antoni will keep the title of executive vice president of basketball operations but will report to Kerr, The Arizona Republic reported on its Web site Thursday.
Kerr was part of the TNT crew at the Eastern Conference finals game in Detroit. He left the court at halftime with a cell phone in his ear.

"I've had conversations with the Phoenix Suns regarding opportunities within their organization," Kerr said through TNT. "I do not plan to make a decision on my future until after the conclusion of the Eastern Conference finals."

Rangers disastrous May ends …with another loss.

On Thursday, the Rangers left behind May with some impressive numbers.
Impressive, only if you are into disasters.
After being unable to overcome another huge deficit, Texas fell 9-5 to Seattle. The score was insignificant. It’s all the flotsam and jetsam from piling on another loss that gets into historical context.

For example:

• A 20-loss month: It was the first month with 20 losses since June, 2003, the third month of Buck Showalter’s first season. The Rangers had lost 20 games in a single month nine previous times, never in May.

• A 105-loss pace: At the one-third point of the season (54 games), the Rangers are 19-35. Multiply that by three and you get a 57-105 record. That would tie the worst mark in franchise history in 1973. The Rangers’ 54-game record matches the worst in club history, also in 1973.

"When you are going bad, even when you get something going right, it seems like something else goes bad," manager Ron Washington said. "When you aren’t playing well, something else breaks down. I believe in these guys, and I believe we’ll finish better than where we are."

• A 6-plus rotation ERA: Thanks to the seven runs Vicente Padilla allowed in three innings, the Rangers’ rotation rose from 6.28 to 6.44. Among the 10 highest full-season rotation ERAs since the stat was first kept in 1957, only four had higher marks at the same point. Detroit, which set the record at 6.64 in 1996, was at 7.06 at the end of May.

By the way, Padilla is a perfectly average Rangers starter. His ERA through May: 6.45.

"Sometimes to me it just looks like he loses focus," Washington said.

• A five-run deficit: Seattle scored three times during a 43-pitch first inning. The Mariners scored four more times in the third. It’s the 21st time this season the Rangers have trailed a game by at least five runs. In each of the three losses in the first four games of this AL West road trip, the Rangers have trailed by at least five runs.

Teixeira talks about rumors …

Teixeira said he's had family, friends, teammates and opponents ask him where he might be by the deadline.

"When people talk to you about it a lot, you can't help but think about it," said Teixeira, who played in his 500th consecutive game Thursday. "But it doesn't affect me at all. I'm not going to let it become a distraction. My goal now is the same as they were going into spring training: to help this team win."

"Mark's an important part of this team and community. Beyond that, there's really not much for me to say," general manager Jon Daniels said. "We're being asked to respond to media speculation which I don't like to do. We're certainly not going to do that all summer – it's an unnecessary distraction to the club.

There have been no substantive talks with Teixeira's representative, Scott Boras.
Teixeira said he has not given much consideration to the possibility of a trade or where he'll be playing in the second half of 2007 or 2008.

"I don't really worry because it's out of my control," Teixeira said. "I will play the same way I always do no matter who I play for."

Sturm translates Teixeira’s thoughts: “Get me out of here!”

Ottawa looks to Edmonton for inspiration …

Well, once upon a time there was this hockey team from another Canadian city, and like the Senators, it was their first visit to a Stanley Cup final in a long, long time. They lost the first two games, too, only worse. They were shellacked 5-0 in Game 2 -- not 1-0 like the Senators were on Wednesday night in Anaheim.

That team limped on to its plane for the long flight home for Game 3, just the way the Senators did yesterday. But at least Ottawa's limp was only figurative. This other team, their goalie was really limping, having blown out his knee in Game 1. He was done for the series.

If ever a series was completely cooked after two games, that was the feeling a year ago when the bottom fell right out of the Edmonton Oilers' Stanley Cup run down in Raleigh, N.C. Three days into their dream final, the No. 8 seed was down to two lives and its No. 3 goalie, with starter Dwayne Roloson on crutches.

You could scarcely find anyone in Alberta who thought a comeback was likely, let alone the rest of Canada. But Edmonton did it, riding backup Jussi Markkanen to a Game 7 finale in Raleigh.

Carolina's empty-net goal eventually sealed the Oilers' fate last spring, but the left-for-dead Oilers had at least accomplished this: They skated out for the third period of Game 7 trailing 2-1, a scenario the Ottawa Senators would dearly love to find themselves in 10 days from now.

How did Edmonton do it?

"We thought, going into the series, that we were capable of winning one or both of the first two on the road," Oilers captain Jason Smith said over the phone from The Big E.

"So you've also got to be confident enough to regroup going into Game 3. It's part of being a good, confident team. Talk to the guys from Ottawa -- if you're a member of that team, I guarantee you, you believe you can compete and get back into that series.

"It's all about keeping composed, keeping confident as a team. If you do that, you'll get your opportunities."

Keeping a team composed, however, requires rock-solid leadership. Let's assume Ottawa has that.

But it's also handy to have conquered past adversities. With three five-game series so far this spring, this 0-2 deficit is clearly new territory for the Senators.

Captain Crosby …

Sidney Crosby already was the Penguins' undisputed leader and best player.

It has been a foregone conclusion that he would ascend to the captain's role, likely well before he was capable of growing a respectable playoff beard.

As an alternate captain, he has had the authority to talk to the referees on behalf of the team, just like a captain.

And he said yesterday he is someone who leads by example and does not expect big changes now that the "C" has been sewn onto his jersey. That hardly means the 19-year-old center undervalues his new title. Consider that Crosby mulled the decision to become team captain for months.

Michel Therrien, who stripped veteran John LeClair of an alternate captaincy and gave it to Crosby shortly after he took over as coach in December 2005, tossed out the idea to Crosby a year ago, after Crosby's stellar rookie season. Crosby knew he wasn't ready.

This past January, Penguins general manager Ray Shero made a more impassioned offer. Crosby still knew he wasn't ready.

Only after he finished his second pro season, became the youngest player to win an NHL scoring championship and got to experience the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time did Crosby accept the role he has been destined to fill since he was selected first overall in the 2005 draft.

LeBron last night



Kevin Garnett in Asia – curious to say the least