The Parlor in Santa Monica...again.

Good thing I'm not married.  She'd have divorced me by now.

This living in Cali thing is changing me as a person.

I mean, I just got bloated on a Cobb salad...must have been that lite ranch dressing that put me over the edge.

Federer the Man...But Murray Got Raw Deal

I love Roger Federer.  He's the man at the US Open.  And he just moved 1 slammy shy of Pistol Pete Sampras.

And he likely would have beaten first time Slam finalist Andy Murray under any conditions.

That said, for Murray to have had to complete his semifinal match on Sunday after it was suspended from Saturday certainly didn't help his cause as he had to gear it up for yet another match - no less the US Open Finals - on Monday afternoon.

The USTA should have played the men's semifinals at the same time early on Saturday to avoid the unfair advantage that Federer enjoyed on Monday. 

 I know they were caught in a bad situation because fans paid to see both semis, but they could have figured out a way to offer those fans some reasonable compensation.

The End of the Innocence

I respect and admire Tom Brady...for Giselle.  And his football is pretty good too.

But I was disappointed when fans were enthusiastically cheering after Brady lay hobbled on the Gilette Stadium turf.

I realize that drunk football fans aren't always gonna be on their best behavior.

And sometimes there is a 'mob mentality' when you're chillin' in a sports bar.

But dude is out for the year, and likely impaired for the rest of his career.

Ain't no reason to be cheerin'.

Lance is in a Trance

Is it just me, or is Lance already getting more buzz about his 2009 Tour de France come back than Michael Phelphs will get the rest of this year and next?

Those damn Frenchies will not have the last word on the star of Dodgeball...no sir.

But expect the steroid scrutiny to intensify (a la Dara Torres) as many will be skeptical that an older Lance can't win yet again.

The only thing that kept me from sitting in front of my TV all weekend long was guilt.

With 80 degree weather and sunny skies all weekend long in southern California, how could I be such a slug.

Of course, the answer is that I could have been home enjoying a great weekend in sports.  College football beginning, as did pro soccer in Europe.  Not to mention the US Open as well as the beginning of the Fed Ex Cup.

You know, the Fed Ex Cup...that golf playoff thing they're doing.  Yes, I know, I have issues.

And in honor of Labor Day weekend I thought I would try something novel and do a little work.  Of course, 'work' for me is writing or talking about sports...so I guess I don't have  much perspective on what actually constitutes a 'hard day's work .

- Mark Recht, coach of the Georgia Bulldogs...forget about the unsportsmanlike stunt last year when all his players come onto the field to celebrate a touchdown.  But now this year he's got multiple players getting in trouble with the law.

Look everyone, it's Harry Houdini...because Recht has transformed the Georgia Bulldogs into the Cincinnati Bengals.

I couldn't be rooting any harder for a team to fall hard this year...Recht has not shown himself or his program to have much class, and I can't cheer for guys like this.

- Cincinnati Bengals...how bad and how desperate do you look right now for re-signing Chris Henry in light of your WR injuries.  You probably could have randomly picked a guy out of Ohio's state pen with a cleaner record than Henry's. 

And after such a public denouncement of Henry when you released him in April, re-signing this player is a PR abombination.  The organization looks as if it's being run by children.

- Shawn Merriman...I think it is a horrible decision for this guy to play with a damaged knee this season.  Repeat...horrible decision.

If he takes a year off and gets the knee right, his chances of a long career are greatly improved. 

But can we solely fault Merriman here?  Don't the Chargers deserve some blame if they allow him to play when the risk of injury and damage to a promising career is so great?Again, this seems like a case of mis-management on behalf of an organization. 

No one told me that the Bengals and Chargers were competing for the worst offseason decision-making award...I'd say they are running neck and neck right now...wouldn't you?

- Women's Draw at the US Open...I love tennis, and I love the US Open.  Always compelling stuff, always memorable matches.

But with the Williams sisters slated to meet in the quarterfinals, did the US Open organizers make a  slight mistake?

With numerous upsets so far and with Sharapova out with injury, failing to 'rig' the draw such that the Williams could have faced each other in the finals was a real shortcoming. 

Many of the top players have already bowed out of the tournament, and though the #2 and #5 seeds are still in, I dare you to name who they are.

Unfortunately, televised sports are about ratings...so why would the US Open hamstring itself by having the Williams sisters play in the quarters?  Not wise.

So enjoy the last day of your holiday weekend everyone...I'm gonna watch a slaughter at the Rose Bowl this afternoon I fear.

Let's not be too sad for our coffee drinking, grunge listening friends from the Northwest.

It's not a matter of 'if' the NBA will return to Seattle...it's a matter of 'when' and 'who', as long as the next ownership group is local and willing to finance a majority of any facility investments.

Clay Bennett took his horse-and-sonic show back to his hood in the O-K-C.

Bennett was bolstered with confidence that his hood could sustain an NBA franchise after seeing the New Orleans Hornets average 18,150 and 17,850 during the 05-06 and 06-07 seasons, respectively, while the city of New Orleans was waiting to get back on its feet after Hurricane Katrina.

And of course, David Stern allowed this move to happen because the city of Seattle didn't want to publicly finance either renovations to Key Arena or a brand new arena.

Geez...I wonder why the citizens of Seattle didn't want to rescue their hoops team.

Oh, that's right...I seem to recall that the citizens of Seattle have already heavily invested in pro sports in their city.

Qwest Stadium, home of the Seahawks, cost  $360 million, and the public financed 83% of the costs...$127 M from new sports related lottery games, $101 M in sales taxes from events held at the stadium, $56 M in admissions and parking taxes, and $15 M from existing hotel-motel taxes.

And Safeco Field, home of the Mariners, cost $518 million, $340 million of which came from a one-half-cent prepared food tax in King County and rental-car tax.

So if David Stern draws a line in the coffee beans and mandates that public money be forthcoming for the NBA to even consider a return to Seattle, that could squelch any hoops migration to the Northwest.

And Mr. Bennett may be paying that additional $30 million he'll owe the city by 2013 under those circumstances.

But if a new owner with local roots, deep pockets, and the finesse to at least receive a 25-40% contribution from the public surfaces anytime soon, then we might just see one of several teams replace the Sonics in Seattle.

Who you ask?

The most likely candidates as of now are Memphis, Sacramento, with New Orleans and Charlotte not too far behind. 

Refresh my memory again why the NBA allowed a franchise to locate in Memphis...47th media market, relatively poor community in the grander scheme of things.

Oh that's right...new arena (FedEx Forum opened in 2004) and the only game in town.

Well, new arena does not equal successful franchise site selection...and the Grizzlies are a case study on this matter.

Sacramento certainly has seen successful times, but the Maloofs are going Maloofy with the city of Sacramento for the same reason Clay Bennett uprooted the Sonics...lack of public funding for a new facility.

But with the Maloofs ties to Vegas, they might prefer $5 lobsters and Happy Endings on the Vegas strip compared to $5 lattes in the Emerald City.

And then of course there's New Orleans.  Even with the amazing season they just had, the Hornets still could only manage attendance levels at 82% capacity.

Though David Stern would love to keep the Hornets in New Orleans for altruistic and PR reasons, the economic sense to keep them there just doesn't make sense in their depressed local economy.

And the Big Johnson, as in Robert Johnson, better start winning in Charlotte.  Though their downtown arena is great and fans love their b-ball in the B-belt (as in Bible Belt), that love is for more established brands like the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils and the Deamon Decons...not Bob's Bobcats.

Long story short, Seattle has a history of solid basketball success despite recent years.  It's the 14th largest television market, and as such it makes sense for the NBA to return.

What just transpired is going to serve as a future scare tactic for any of the afore-mentioned 'at risk' franchises to get their ships in order.

Otherwise, and if a local Seattle business person or group can ride in on their horse and privately finance at least 2/3rd of any facility investment, then they'll be spilling their lattes and sushi in the aisles at basketball games in the great Northwest once again.

Long live Jack Sikma.