Yesterday certainly showed that professional sports owners can be quirky people. For those who haven't paid attention to the bizzarro world of Oakland, Raiders owner/coach/GM/disaster-creator Al Davis canned coach Lane Kiffin in such a public display of acrimony that you half expected mafia hitmen to shoot Kiffin on the spot after Davis held a fiery news conference where he called Kiffin a "liar" and showed a four-page letter 'proving' that he warned Kiffin to stop the lies.

I don't know who is right here, but my opinion is that Davis, not Kiffin, is the biggest reason the Raiders stink. And after thinking about it for awhile last night, I decided to do a list of other owners who share Davis' (and Eric Bischoff's) belief that 'controversy creates cash'. Only, in this case, controversy creates... losing. Here are the top ten masters of that craft (and a return to a traditional "My List". Yay!):

10. Michael Heisley, Memphis Grizzlies: Not many people outside of Memphis know who Heisley is. But the Grizzlies have stunk for the last two years (44-120). The kicker? He felt that Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown was a good deal. Enough said.

9. Disney, Anaheim Ducks and ESPN: The company of Mickey Mouse is here for two reasons. First off, their ownership of the then-Mighty Ducks was spotty at best, and eveytime I thought about the team, I though Emilio Estevez was their coach! Is it a coincidence that the Ducks won the Stanley Cup after they sold the team? Then, of course, the way that ESPN has de-evolved in recent years since Disney assumed command needs no intro. If you hire Stephen A. Smith, you're not smart, period!

8. Wayne Huizenga, Dolphins and Marlins: Before you throw your Blockbuster rental at me, consider how haphazardly Huizenga ran two teams. The Dolphins have never made a Super Bowl since he became owner, and he treated the Marlins like a rental by destroying the team after their World Series win in 1997, simply so he could sell to the highest bidder. Simply put, I've seen used Kleenex treated better than those two teams have been under his watch.

7. Pittsburgh Pirates ownership: The reason I don't put the name of the current leader of the board of directors here (btw, his name is Bob Nutting) is because he's been on the job for only two years. The previous management was inept, to say the least. Hell, the last time the team made the playoffs, a pre-steroids Barry Bonds couldn't throw out Sid Bream and keep Atlanta out of the Series (that was 1992)! They haven't developed any cohesive strategy, and that's why their streak of losing seasons will be the longest in MLB history.

6. Al Davis, Raiders: The only reason Davis isn't higher is that, at one time, he was among the brightest minds in the NFL. Now, he's a dinosaur who still thinks that the old Raiders principals (throw it deep) work today. His handling of the Kiffin fiasco was a joke, and he hamstrings any potential coach by hiring the asistants! Even Jerry Jones isn't that meddling with the Cowboys! davis needs to step aside and enjoy retirement, for the sake of the Raiders going forward.

5. Bill Bidwell, Cardinals: The Cardinals are among the symbols for extended failure in the NFL; since Bill became the head of the team in the mid-60s, the team has moved out once, won only two division titles, and boast but one playoff win since their last title in 1947! Even the Lions have won titles during that span! Call it the curse of the Pottsville Maroons, if you will (btw, there's an excellent book on how that team was shafted out of the title); I call it bad ownership. Bid-fareWell, Billy!

4. Mike Brown, Bengals: Now we get to the heart of the inept; Brown, whose father Paul built the Browns into a power, then made Cincy a solid team, has been far less successful since taking over in 1991. The Bengals have just one winning season since then, and Brown has been his own worst enemy. The coaching hires (David Shula, anyone?) haven't been good, and the draft picks have been spotty at best (Ki-Jana Carter, Dan Wilkinson, etc.). Worse yet, the team has become an episode of Cops; there have been so many arrests in Cincy, I haven't even bothered to count. That's because the Bengals have the league's smallest scouting department, and boy does it shows the leaks! No oversight creates a mess, and Brown seems too cheap to correct it, so let the embarassment continue!

3. James Dolan, Knicks: Dolan is the head of the Cablevision group that owns the Knicks, and as the de-facto owner, the Knicks have been terrible. One hire says all you need to know about why he's here; Isiah Thomas. Worse still, he stuck by Thomas and allowed him to give out those ridiculous contratcs (Stephon "The Walking Advertsiment for Bad Deals" Marbury, Jerome James, etc.) that will continue to plague New York for at least the next three to five years. When you enable as much as Dolan has, you derserve to fail.

2. William Clay Ford, Lions: Speaking of enabling, Ford is the Dolan of the NFL; he too made a major mistake by hiring (and then sticking by until it was too late) Matt Millen. Since he became majority owner in 1964, the Lions boast just three division titles, one playoff win, and zero Super Bowl/NFL Championship appearences. In that same span, the Buccaneers, Seahawks, and Panthers have made the Super Bowl, and they weren't in the league in 1964! He's too nice and won't fire anybody until the uproar is too loud (Millen and Darryl Rogers stand out). To borrow and modify a catchphrase, think Ford last! Except...

1. Donald Sterling, Clippers: ... there is one man who is the cubic zirconia of the sports world. A man who, when faced with the chance of victory, instead prefers defeat. A man who has gleefully moved his team to become an afterthought to the Lakers in L.A. A man who has kept Elgin Baylor on for more than two decades! That's right; the Donald is #1! And Sterling figured out the dirty rule of sports long before the other nine did; he realized "Hey! I can put zero effort to build a winner, make the profits, and go home happy!". He actually is smarter than all of us, because he knows people will pay to see his product, no matter how few it actually is. And the results (one playoff series win; only two winning seasons since 1980-81) speak for themselves. Sterling is the standard by which all inept owners should be measured!

There's my top ten. Are there any owners you think that do a worse job than these guys have! There's probably at least one or two I may have missed! Let me know if I have made an error. Until next time, may Tom Cable (the new Raiders coach) rent rather than buy!

I love writing this sports blog. It gives me a chance to speak to others (however small a number they may be) who share my passion for sports. When I write about topics I like, it allows me to release my pent-up thoughts about it to people who actually know that the NBA is not a degree you earn! But, try as I might, I really couldn't find anything good to write about recently. Aside from my well-responded piece about the end of the NBA Finals, I haven't written for most of the week. Why is that?

Because the current period of time (post-basketball and pre-football) may be the most wretched period of the sports year. A period where nothing but pure bull#### reigns supreme! A period where pseudo-sports like soccer, golf and tennis try to (and fail, mostly) appeal to people. And, of course, a time to catch up on your sleep and wait for the NFL to start again.

So, to pass by the time, I will rant, er, speak of these niche sports and why they don't appeal to me. Just so I can write and rant, er, give an opinion. Let's start with

Soccer: Ah, yes, can you catch the fever that is Euro Cup 2008! I sure as hell can't! What puzzles me is that BSPN, er, ESPN, has devoted weeks (as a matter of fact, the entire month of June) to this 'stuff'. And when I see this 'stuff' on all of its networks, I can only think "Isn't there an ESPN 2098 to show this on!?!?". And now, the greatest indignity: It will be shown on ABC as well. Boy, isn't that just great 'stuff'! I know some soccer goof will come onto this page and say "Soccer is watched all over the world, including America". And I did read a report that said over 50% of European soccer fans would rather watch the soccer than make love. I say "How bankrupt are these guys lives that soccer matters more than whoopee!". Soccer is a game for those who don't want to have fun in their lives. And can someone explain the rules (wait, don't bother)? Did you see how Turkey won yesterday? They scored in that extra time 'stuff' they apparently agree on, and then won on penalty kicks! Look, I agree with Jim Rome here; I don't get it, soccer fan, and I don't want to get it!

Golf: Golf is boring. That's my feelings in a quickie. And now that Tiger has ended his season with more knee surgery, what is there to watch and get excited about. "Choke" Mickelson? Some Orientals who I've never heard of? I won't insult anymore people, but there's no personality in golf, and with no Tiger, there's no reason to watch. Period.

Gymnastics: Yep, even today, we'll get the start of many Olympic qualifiers. I really am not a fan of the Olympics, not because they're in Beijing, but because the spectacle isn't what it used to be, when the late, great Jim McKay waxed poetic on the athletes. It seems like half the track athletes are users, and the other half are suspected of cheating. I only watch for the basketball, and even that seems strained. The excitement doesn't add up to me, and no matter how hard they try to sell it, I can't buy it.

Tennis: Yes, Wimbledon starts Monday on ESPN2. I can remember the days it was on HBO, and greats like Sampras and Agassi were in them. Sadly, that's not the case today. Tennis, liek golf, suffers from "Lackofpersonality-itis". The best players rarely make hay as celebs, and few of us actually know about them. Not to sound prejudiced, but the fact that few Americans are contenders drains its value here, too. No offense to Federer and Nadal; they worked hard to attain greatness. But nobody here cares, and until they acquire some personality, tennis will be doomed to ESPN2 at best.

You may notice I left out baseball. Baseball loves this time of year; no comp from any real sports allows it to be king. But the king has a few cracks in the royal veneer. The pace of baseball hurts, and I find it funny that there was a recent incident that dealt with time of the game issues; they actually enforce that? And make up your minds about replay. You should have had it years ago, and don't give me that "it will further slow the game down" argument; that's bull!

Finally, before I end the venom, let me get to Arlen Specter. The annoying senator recently said he will continue to look into Spygate. Thank goodness he has the time to do that. It's not like there are more pressing issues (war, unemployment, the elections, home foreclosures, etc.) that need to be dealt with. Look, Arlen, you're not going to get your precious Eagles that Super Bowl title that the Patriots won a few years ago. SO get off the case, Clouseau! All you're doing is annoying more than half the country by keeping this 'stuff' in the news!

And, before I forget, the NBA draft is also coming up. I never understood the appeal of the NBA draft. This class doesn't overwhelm me, and the coverage seems like overkill. I guess because after about the 1,000 Beasley-Rose discussion, I just don't care. And NBA TV is now replaying past drafts. As though we don't remember who was picked! Give me classic games, not classic drafts!

There, I've vented. I just hope that I can survive this boring period, and football can start; I need to boo the Lions bad! See you later, with hopefully an actual topic!

After yesterday's venom over my Sonics column (and before I start, I'm sorry about getting the stadium capacities wrong. I didn't have the stats with me at the time), let's focus on something of a lifetime achievement award. For those who are idiots! The list today ranks the top ten franchises who, through sheer bad luck, or sheer imcompetence, have made their teams the joke of their respective leagues. Here's how it goes:

10. San Francisco 49ers: This once-proud team has fallen on lean years in part because they no longer have an unlimited budget. The feudal atmosphere between coach Mike Nolan and QB Alex Smith (Nolan hasn't even assured Smith of the starting job) adds to the uncertainty.

9. Miami Heat: I would have picked on Clay Bennett some more, but I want to cool the venom off a bit. The Heat, in any case, have plummetted since winning the 2006 NBA title. Pat Riley's will-he/won't-he soap opera wore out long ago (he currently deciding his future), and his bad moves (adding Ricky Davis, anyone) have poured gas onto the fire.

8. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies have had more valleys than peaks, beginning in Vancouver and (with a brief reprieve) continuing in Memphis. Maybe you can call it "The curse of Big Country". After all, any team that thinks Bryant Reeves was a top ten pick deserves what they get!

7. Kansas City Royals: Look beyond the good start, and realize that the last time Kansas City made the playoffs (I think 1989) George Brett was their top hitter, and Bret Saberhagen was their ace. Granted, with such a limited budget, they can't afford to compete regularly, but you'd think at least once they would have dumblucked their way into the playoffs by now.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves: Do you realize Kevin McHale has made the Celtics legit again? How? By giving away KG (although Al Jefferson has emerged)! McHale has been the GM there since 1995, and has two playoff series wins to his name (both in 2004). Until the T-Wolves wise up, they may be haunted by the Garnett trade for years to come.

5. Tampa Bay Rays: How many years have we heard that the Rays are going to emerge as a good team when their young talent comes together? It seems like that's been the case for years now. You need to know a major reason they rarely win? Because money is practically all they care about! Look at the major reason Evan Longoria wasn't on the roster at the start; because if he had been, he would become a FA in 2013 (by waiting, the Rays put that off by another year). You act cheap, you get cheap results.

4. Oakland Raiders: "Commitment to excellence". That is the Raiders' mantra. Unfortunately, they haven't had much excellence since losing the Super Bowl to Tampa five years ago. Al Davis' moves get more questionable every year (look at how he's overpaying for every FA they've signed this year), and his desire to fire Lane Kiffin is puzzling. And if he makes good on his promise (threat) to live until the Raiders win two more Super Bowls (!?!), it could be a long time yet before it's better.

3. Los Angeles Clippers: A rose is a rose is a rose. Or in this case, Clippers are Clippers are Clippers. This team wrote the book on losing (Five winning seasons I believe, two playoff series wins). They're the only team in NBA history to play since 1970, and have fewer than 10 years above .500!. One major reason: Donald Sterling, who is the anti-Steinbrenner; he refuses to meddle with his team to make it better (only to make it worse). Just quote Ron Harper (I have frequently); he said playing for them was like being in prison!

1A. New York Knicks: I'm sorry, there has to be 1 and 1A here, because the Knicks are comically inept. The Isiah Thomas error, er, era ended (we believe) almost as it began; with a loss, making them 23-59 (tied for worst 82 game record ever). Donnie Walsh needs to fire Isiah and start anew. Buy out as many contracts and trades what you can't buyout now, and begin the painful process of reconstruction.

1. Detroit Lions: What do all these teams (for the most part) have in common? Ownership has let the city down. And no one does it better than William Clay Ford. He sticks by Matt Milen even though evidence has shown he isn't an effective GM/Pres. Looking at the records tells you all you need to know (2-14, 3-13, 5-11, 6-10, 4-12 I believe, 2-14 and 7-9). I've said it before, and I'll say it again: what does it take to be fired from the Lions? A sex harassment suit!?

There the list. Any teams I should have mentioned? Think another team should have been higher? Let me know (I have a feeling Arizona Cardinals people will respond). Ola!

Before I start, I'd like to thank all of those who sent their well-wishes to my grandmother in my last post. She is doing well, and I thank you for your support. Yesterday, I observed the NFL's rules changes they accepted at their annual owner's meeting, which included the elimination of the force-out rule and the 5-yard facemask (I agree with both) and the limits of hair over the name on the jersey (the Troy Polamanu rule, and it's stupid). In light of that, I made a list of rules changes I'd like to see in other sports. This is a little different from my other lists, in that I'm not ranking them, but listing them according to sport. Here are my modest proposals, ranging from the serious to the silly:

NFL

Chris Henry gets 'Pac-Man' ed: As most of you are aware, Henry got arrested and charged with assault (among other things) on a teenager. The Bengals finally wised up and cut him loose (lest they have another weirdo to go with Ocho Cinco), and the NFL should (and likely will) give him at least a one-year, if not lifetime, ban. Henry simply will not make the right decisions, and playing pro sports is not mandatory, it's earned. He hasn't earned the right to play.

Re-seed in the Wild Card round: This issue will not be voted on until the next meeting, but it makes sense. Why should the Giants last year, at 10-6, go on the road to face the 9-7 Buccaneers? They do it for every other round; do it for the Wild Card, as well.

Dan Synder should be forced to keep his head coach for at least 5 years: Since he bought the Skins in 1999, he has had Norv Turner, Terry Robiskie, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs and now Jim Zorn. Only Gibbs lasted more than two full seasons. This rule would make watching the Skins more interesting; can you imagine how Snyder would react when he can't fire a coach?

NBA

No time-outs after calling a time-out: This goes for college basketball, as well. There's not much that's more annoying than, after watching a Viagra commercial during a time-out, coming back, then seeing another TO called, then sitting through a truck commercial. To eliminate that, you'd call a technical foul on the team who calls the TO, then after granting it, the ball goes back to the team that would have inbounded. The game would go much faster with this rule.

If a player doesn't make a legitimate effort to score a field goal when fouled, he gets only one free throw: This is one I've been harping on for two years; players like Manu Ginobili and Chauncey Billups going for fouls, just flinging it in the air, and shooting FTs because they shoot them well. Unless it's a flagrent foul, they shouldn't be rewarded for bending the rules. Give them 1 FT, and force them (mainly Billups, who seems to prefer FTs) to score FGs.

If a player, after shooting, lands on another player's foot (because said defender stepped right under him) and gets injured, defender gets one-game suspension: How often have you seen a player get a sprained ankle, and the reporter says "Look at how it happened; he landed on the defender's foot"? These people shouldn't move directly under someone after they shoot; they're asking for an injury. Suspend them, and maybe then they'll back off after the shot is away.

Oklahoma City gets... absolutely no team!: The way that NBA commissioner David Stern and Sonics 'owner' Clay Bennett have handled this situation is disgraceful. There's no way Oklahoma City should get rewarded for the collusion efforts of Stern and Bennett. Force Bennett to sell to another group of owners, and if O.K. City wants a team, earn it!

NHL

Contract four teams: It may sound like a bad business deal, but the NHL wasn't (and isn't) equipped to handle 30 teams. Reduce it to 26 (meaning four per conference) and you'd eliminate some dead weight that wasn't necessary anyway. The teams? Perhaps Columbus (never really competitive) and Phoenix (too hot for hockey) in the West and Atlanta (see Phoenix) and Florida out East.

MLB

Give the National League a DH rule, or eliminate it in the American League: Enough of this bull about "The leagues need something to be seperate" or something to that effect. There's a reason the AL has dominated the NL; it has way more offense! Most pitchers aren't good hitters, anyway. So give the NL a DH. More hitters could get a job if they did so (I know Barry Bonds must be thrilled by that prospect), and the games between the leagues would be much more competitve.

Intentional walks get you two bases, not one: It sounds silly, but the consequences would be much more intriguing; if a runner was on second with none out, it would be second and third with no outs. And that would make pitchers and managers think twice about those walks!

NASCAR

On random laps, put oil slicks on the turns!: This one is just because I want some laughs, but would you imagine how much more exciting it would be to see the drivers angle to avoid these hazards? It would certainly make the TV product worth watching!

Boxing

Give each weight class one championship belt: One of the major reasons boxing has struggled somewhat is that there are too many 'champions' in each division (at least three!). Remember back when Ali was in his prime? There was just one heavyweight title. If you unify the belts and have one undisputed champ per division, maybe the fans would recognize more of the champs.

Put it on regular TV more often: The fact that most boxing is on PPV makes it hard to know who the best fighters are. Give it a home on ESPN or some network that gives it a regular slot, and people can be exposed to it and maybe like it.

Olympics

If the site has air quality issues, it cannot host the Olympics: Hard to do, but if some of the top athletes are skipping the Olympics (like they are in Beijing), why not? Have a standby site ready in case the primary one isn't. Gives the host city more incentive to actually be ready to host.

Golf

Show us only the rounds by players who matter: I don't care if Tom Thanax hits a bogey! Show me Tiger and Phil! Only those players who people know a lot about, or those at the top of the leaderboard, should be shown.

Speaking of Tiger, give him a +2 score at the start of each major: Just so the field can think they actually have a shot to beat him.

Tennis

For Roger Federer, give him a one set deficit to overcome: See the Tiger rule.

College Football

Eliminate the BCS: You know why; it doesn't produce a legit champ. Get a playoff in order. I'm sure the know-it-alls at the NCAA offices can figure out how to make it where we have a legit champ and they keep the millions they so think they deserve.

Soccer

For five minutes per period, the teams must pull their goalies: The offenses are so abysmal, this would probably be the only thing that could increase offense. Just have your defenders try to stop them.

No more overrun (or whatever it's called) time: This one just just plain stupid, folks. Think about it; they agree to play more (even though it doesn't count in game time) and goals scored are counted as legal goals! That's absurd! Get rid of it!!!

No penalty kicks to decide a championship: Would you decide the Super Bowl on a field goal kickoff? Or the World Series on a home run derby? Hell no! So why should soccer have a title decided on penalty kicks? Play OT, you BLEEP!

All Sports

Mandatory limit on tenure for coaches/executives who consistently fail: Call it the Millen-Thomas-Baylor rule. If you consistently fail (say, 5-7 years with losing records), you must be fired. Force these lasy owners like James Dolan, William Clay Ford, and Donald Sterling to actually care about the fans than about money/their friendship with these guys.

Let's not limit it to sports. Let's do networks.

 ESPN

Mute Stepehn A. Smith and Skip Bayless (you can insert your most annoying, as well): They'd be just as effective without sound as they are with!

Allow Smith and Bill Walton to battle in a steel cage on NBA FastBreak: After it ends, at least one will have been knocked out!

CBS

Give Jim Nantz and Billy Packer a third commentator for color: Packer is as exciting as watching a car rust, and he was more effective when NBC had Al McGuire as a third wheel to balance him. So find someone to do that at CBS, as well.

NBC

Force John Madden to actually make a valid point: I don't want to hear, after a hit for example, "That was a big hit."! Give me analysis! That's what you're paid to do, isn't it?

Fox

We don't need the graphics to be kept on the screen the entire game!: Remember during the playoffs, they kept the graphics up telling us that Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were the commentators? As if we didn't know that! Remove them!

There's the list. Have any rules changes you'd like to see, no matter how trivial? Send them here. Until next time, may your party not have Chris Henry!

Here's the second installment of the Kilpatrick Award, given each week to the sports personalitiy who said something that he might regret or want back (just like Detroit's mayor). Here are this week's candidates:

Tiger Woods: For his BLEEP-off with photographers at the Doral, then saying, in essence, he was justified because they took away his momentum.

Shaquille O'Neal: For being classic Shaq when he bashed his former Miami teammates (namely Chris Quinn and Ricky Davis) and coach Pat Riley. Riley, in turn, said in essence "Why is he complaning? We traded him to a true contender!".

Kobe Bryant: For getting two technicals in the Lakers' lopsided loss to Charlotte, leaving him not only in the league lead in that category, but one away (he has 15) from an automatic one game suspension.

Jose Canseco: For his obvious money grab with Vindicated, where he goes on the attack on A-Rod by saying not only that he provided him with a source for steroids, but that Rodriguez made passes at his wife.

Stephen A. Smith: This isn't a lifetime achievement award. On Mike & Mike on ESPN2 Wednesday, Mike Golic mentioned that Smith said, in reference to the NCAA tournament, that he (Smith) doesn't think the small schools (like Davidson) should be anywhere near the championship, that it should strictly be big schools only.

And the winner is...

It's a tie! Canseco and Smith share the award! Woods gets a pass because, well, he's Tiger Woods, and are pictures really that important? Shaq did this same act when both the Magic and Lakers dealt him (remember how he kissed up to Riles and blasted Phil Jackson, who he kissed up to previously?). It reveals a poorly-hidden fact; Shaq is just as selfish and arrogant, if not more so, than Kobe, and that Jerry Buss made the right decision. Speaking of Kobe, expect him to control his temper enough to avoid the one game suspension. That leaves Canseco and Smith.

Canseco sure is milking the spotlight better than Omarosa ever did! He gets (partially) vindicated (heck yes, pun intended) with the congressional hearings and the swirling cloud around guys like McGwire and Clemens, so why wait to 'expose' A-Rod three years later? And to admit he made passes at your then-wife shows a possible vindictive streak in you, as well. You futher undermine your arguments when it's speculated you tried to bribe Magglio Ordonez out of some of his money to finance this book by saying you'd take him out of it (Canseco denies this allegation). So until there's definative proof, I don't believe this stuff!

As for Smith, I love to give him grief because he makes me feel so much smarter. Maybe if he had rephrased his argument ("Small schools aren't equipped to win the title" or something a little more safe) he might escape without damage. But to insinuate that the small schools should pack their bags and go home is ridiculous. If, every year, you could say "It's in the bag; UNC, UCLA, Duke, and Kansas are in the Final Four!", the tournament would not be much fun. While the small schools might not win the championship, they sure do make life hard for the big powers. Tell me it was bad in 2006 when George Mason made the Final Four. March Madness would be without madness if it was always the big schools winning, so Smith's flawed argument (an oxymoron) can be flushed straight into the toilet.

What do you think? Did someone else say something unintelligent? Or did one of the other nominees get your vote? So long, and avoid Stephen's drivel!

Today, in lieu of having any good topics to talk about (I've already had a Rockets post, and college basketball tournaments don't appeal to me) I've decided to debut a new feature on my blog. I call it the Kilpatrick award, in honor of Detroit's mayor, and it's premise is simple. I'm going to nominate sports figures who have said or done something they wish they hadn't, and then it's up to you who wishes they could have a mulligan. Without delay, here are this week's nominees:

Butch Harmon and John Daly: For having a nasty public divorce after Daly's recent behavior which included having Jon Gruden caddy for him. Harmon said the most important thing in Daly's life was getting drunk, and then Daly was DQed for missing his tee time at the recent tournament.

Joe Girardi: For compalining about how hard the Tampa Bay Rays players came at his Yankee catchers (which, in fairness, cause an injury) despite making a career out of such hustle, then allowing Shelley Duncan to morph into Ty Cobb and slide spikes first into the second baseman, starting a fight.

David Stern: For saying many NBA owners had lost money even though league profits exceeded $3 billion; and for allowing the theft of the SuperSonics by 'conspiring' with Clay Bennett to move them to Oklahoma City. (just my opinion)

Stephen A. Smith: Sorry, the list just felt devoid without him. Although he could win a lifetime achievement award (lol)!

My choice would be Stern, if you can believe it. Daly's life has been a mess for years, and no one should be surprised to see this happen. Girardi is new to the Yank's post, and as tempting as it would be to choose him, after 12 years of the stoic Joe Torre, maybe the Yanks need a swift kick in the pants to spark them. That leaves Stern, who keeps talking about image, then backstabs Seattle fans by holding their team for ransom while Bennett puts a noncompetitive product on the court to force a move (did you see ESPN's NBA FastBreak last night? They commented that the Sonics looked like a sorry product on the floor). Stern has spent 24 years as commish of the NBA, and in the last decade has seen a strike, the brawl at the Palace, the lowest rated Finals in history, etc. He's looking alot like Pete Rozelle did at the end of his tenure, and Pete was smart enough to get out of there. Stern might wan't to think about doing the same.

What do you think? Is there a candidate you think should win the Kilpatrick award for this week (keep that in mind; this isn't about the enitre career, just this week)? Look for this post again next week, either Thursday or Friday.

I meant to get this up earlier today, but the d*** computer at school didn't let me. Anyway, I came across this clipping in the Detroit Free Press Sunday. It was an except from the Chicago Sun-Times, where Jay Mariotti (who also does ESPN's Around the Horn) discussed the Bulls trading Ben Wallace, among others. To make a long story short, Mariotti throws Wallace under the bus and praises the Bulls for dealing him. That I can understand. What he says to defend it, however, must be questioned.

In his column, Mariotti states that "Dollar for dollar, inch for inch, Ben Wallace leaves as the biggest and most uninspiring bust in the long, gnarly history of Chicago sports". He also brings up that he fought management over his headband, "brought down (the) master plan", basically got Scott Skiles fired, didn't play the defense he did in Detroit, and "was exposed as a vastly overpriced roleplayer without the comfort zone of his talented Detroit teammates". Let's review Mariotti's claims:

Brought down the master plan: Well, he may not have won you a title, but you won your first playoff series since Jordan retired. That's better than nothing.

The headband: Who cares? Seriously, Skiles should have lightened up sooner. Speaking of which...

Getting Skiles fired: The entire Bulls team was on the verge of mutiny. Joakim Noah yelled at an assistent coach right before the ax was used, and Skiles is the kind of coach who wears out his welcome after so much time. His firing was inevitable, so I can't blame Wallace.

Didn't play like a four time DPOY: Maybe, but his style of play was predicated on hustle and determination; both are in short supply. Maybe John Paxson should have noticed that when he signed Wallace before last season (we'll get to Pax in a moment).

Exposed as a vastly overpriced roleplayer outside Detroit: See above.

All these things could have been prevented if Paxson had noticed what Joe Dumars did and not signed Wallace to that megadeal. Team GMs are payed to know when a player may break down, and Pax simply didn't do his homework. But the one thing that Mariotti said that really made me laugh was calling Wallace "the biggest... bust in the long, gnarly history of Chicago sports". Really?

Let me get this straight; in a city where the Cubs, despite some good players, haven't won a title in 100 years; where the White Sox traded Sammy Sosa for George Bell; where the Blackhawks stink; and where the Bears have drafted Cade McNown, Curtis Enis and Rashaan Salaam; Wallace is the city's biggest sports bust? Give me a break!

Mariotti doesn't even mention his favorite QB, Rex Grossman, as a bust, and Grossman did nothing but make mistakes. Heck, Mariotti screamed in horror on ATH when Grossman reupped! What about McNown, taken so high, and falling so fast. What about Enis entering and exiting quickly? Or Salaam being the lastest Heisman bust? Wallace wasn't as bad as those guys were (and are). So Mariotti just blowing smoke here.

In summation, Ben Wallace's signing was a mistake because the team around him (i.e. lots of perimeter O, no post-up O) wasn't built for him. That's the fault of his GM, not of Wallace himself. That's makes him a financial mistake, but not the biggest bust in Chicago history. Maybe next time Mariotti does a column, he should check his facts a little more carefully, because if he doesn't, he could be the next Cade McNown!

Welcome to another installment of (pipe organ music) "As the Roger Squirms"! In this episode, Mr. Clemens claims that the claim of Mr. McNamee that he cheated was, in fact, a lie. He shows a ten year old golf receipt to prove he didn't attend the party of Mr. Canseco in 1998, in a attempt to disprove the bloody gauze and syringes Mr. McNamee kept for eight long years. How will the drama play out? Tune in next time for another thrilling installment of (cue organ) "As the Roger Squirms"! (fade to black)

Actually, I'm tired of this entire spectacle. What began as a noble (albeit pointless) attempt to find out who the cheats were in the steroids era has devolved into a soap opera the likes of "The Young and The Restless" and "All My Children" can't rival, at least in the bizarre twists the story has. The Roger Clemens saga has had everything that you wouldn't expect; Brian McNamee rolling on him faster than France rolled to Germany in WWII, Congress getting more involved with the steroids issue than with the wars and the economy, to name a few, Clemens issuing a public denial that Floyd Landis and Marion Jones (not to mention Mr. Bonds) would love, and the incidents mentioned above. I'm half expecting ESPN to break into its shows with the following: "Breaking News into SportsCenter; Brian McNamee claims Roger Clemens pushed someone off the roof of his hotel in 1997 to avoid them coming out with the accusation of steroid use!". It's getting that bizarre.

What's the point of this mindless gossip? Does anybody believe either one of these clowns? It's stories like this that dominate our sports news in February, when the NFL season is over, the NBA and (for those who watch) NHL seasons seem to drag on, and baseball isn't ready to play. All I see on sports shows is the endless babble about Clemens, McNamee, Rusty Hardin, etc. O.J. Simpson and Britany Spears think this is getting too much coverage for nothing. What can be done to cure the winter blues?

Well, I, for one, think it's time for networks like ESPN and FSN to simply dump the Clemens saga onto TruTV (formerly Court TV). When your top sports 'guests' are attorneys, your priorities are not in order. We turn on these channels for sports, not legal drama. If we want drama, we'll turn on Law & Order! Stick to your bread and butter.

Secondly, let's not treat every press conference like it's must cover TV. I feel the same way every time President Bush gives a Tv speech; it's unnecessary and boring. If you need to show some of the conference on your show, show only the clips that matter; we don't need to watch 15-20 minutes of boring interviews to hear the juicy soundbite. Just play the d*** thing, already!

But most of all, we need another sport to take the spotlight off of Clemens and steroids. Who knows what could be better than monotonous interviews. Make February a "Classic Games" month; air shows or games that were classics during the time that's been reserved for Clemens, and do that until March Madness begins. The networks would remain sports themed and be a lot more entertaining.

In closing, I could care less about the Roger Clemens saga and am not intrigued by the endless talk about what he did or didn't do. I leave that stuff to Jose Canseco. In a nutshell, Congress shouldn't be investigating, and the intrigue left the building five years ago. I've had it up to hear with the "he said, he said" going on, and would respectfully request ESPN and FSN to refocus on sports and leave this #### alone!

(pipe organ plays as screen fades to black)

In a stunning development (yeah, that's sarcasm), Barry Bonds, everybody's favorite player (yeah, more sarcasm) was indicted on perjury and obstruction of justice charges. Doesn't feel like the way the feds got Al Capone; not for his real dirty deeds, but for tax evasion? Anyhow, Bonds goes from hunting for work to fighting for his freedom. Why did they decide that now is the time to strike? Because the timing was perfect!

Any prosecutor knows that timing can be a big key towards getting a conviction. Strike too soon, and people could be clamoring for the end of the 'persecution' of said individual. The feds knew that going after Bonds during the 'chase' (as tepid and uninspiring as it was) would have been bad PR, like they would just do anything to prevent Bonds from breaking Hank Aaron's record. So they waited until the offseason, when Bonds was out of the spotlight, to pounce. That way (thankfully, for the baseball gods) it wouldn't look like they wanted the spotlight on themselves as well.

Many people have varying opinions about Bonds. Some hate him and everything he stands for. Others, like ESPN's Stephen A. "If it's loud and obnoxious, it's great for me!" Smith, feel he's being unfairly targeted because he's black. Let's get to that for a second. Why is it that every time I listen to a sports story like that, I hear a variation of "(fill in the blank) is being targeted because he's black, and the world doesn't appreciate that!". That's beginning to sound more and more like an excuse, a crutch used by athletes to obscure the big picture. Look, there are still many people who have prejudices, and some of those concerns may be legit, but when you look at Bonds, he's not the first black person charged with perjury or obstructing justice. You don't have to be a certain color to (allegedly) lie and stop justice. So Stephen, get off the soapbox and stop using that tired refrain, OK?

And as for Smith's crusading argument that Mark McGwire should also be charged, I ask you, where's the testimony to back that up? With Barry, there is testimony to refute about his knowledge of what he may have taken. You can conjecture all you want about McGwire using stuff like the since-banned Andro, or Jose Canseco's allegations that he gave McGwire steroids shots, but they are just that; allegations. McGwire never said anything (which has actually been a detriment, but still) to put him on the spot. If anything, Stephen A. should be getting on Jason Giambi's case, because it's been PROVEN that Giambi lied about his use; he weaseled his way out by ratting on his fellow players and talking with Bud Selig's friend, George Mitchell. So where's the crusade against him, Stevie?

Speaking of Mitchell, there's another reason why people question the timing; wasn't Mitchell's report supposed to out many baseball players as steroids abusers? Does Mitchell know something that we don't? Probably not. You'd have a better chance of explaining Alex Rodriguez's mega bucks deal and why he needs it to a starving child in Africa than getting players to rat on other players and their 'habits' (except for Giambi). The players (and their union leaders) are the principal actors in why baseball is in the mess they're in right now. Don't get me wrong; The commish and the team owners ignored this problem until Congress forced them to get active, but didn't the union (and thus the players) rebuff testing until that point, as well? I have no sympathy for people who maintain the problem, then try to 'fix it' after pressure from a higher authority.

Back to Bonds now; Barry has in many ways been his own worst enemy; the media wouldn't be on this story like flies on s*** if Barry were more likeable. Heck, Babe Ruth once chased women on a train naked, and the writers who saw it pretended not to notice! Bonds has always kept the media at arms length (at best) and now it's coming to bite him. And his treatment of other people, not to mention his aloof manner in the clubhouse, didn't earn him any points.

In summation, will Bonds be convicted? It's hard to say. Greg Anderson has kept quiet (up to this point), so how do we know if the feds know? If I had to put money on it, Bonds will likely take his chances, and go to trial. What happens from there is anybody's guess. But if you lose Barry, look out below! The loss of your record will be minimal pain compared to life in a cell!

In a stunner (yeah, that's sarcasm), Marion Jones became the lastest disgraced athlete to admit steroid (for lack of a better term) use when she pleaded guilty to lying about it and to check fraud. In retrospect, this isn't a surprise, considering two of her track cohorts admitted to such use. But it is funny how she looks like Pete Rose in that she denies, denies, and denies some more until, when it's advantageous, she admits it. Granted, what she did and what Rose did are much different things. But today's athletes follow the Herm Edwards mantra "You play to win the game". Or more appropiately, "You use drugs to become better at the game".

What struck me was, after Jones made her tearful apology to the public, the prosecutor in the BALCO case said, in essence, "Bonds is next". How comical. The same group of bums think they're going to get Barry? They haven't yet! And the odds of them doing so are right about up there with the queen of England getting a nipple ring. Here's why.

The main reason is simple enough: Victor Conte and Greg Anderson won't cave in. Anderson has been serving time in jail for contempt of court to protect Barry. And while Conte was more than willing to cave on Jones, he won't do the same for Barry. So any hope of getting the real truth is slim to none at best. To add insult to insult, the jury has been hearing evidence for over a year. How can they get Bonds if nothing has happened so far? Makes no sense.

And even if they somehow do get a conviction, what will it amount to? A hollow victory. Sure, Bond's 'record' will be asterisked and Hank Aaron can return to his throne, but this past season's memories can't be erased; many baseball fans had to endure the Chase that would never end. And those painful memories will endure for some time. It made me cringe that someone who 'allegedly' cheated can get the record, then claim "the record's not tainted". That's as much of a lie as when Nixon said "I am not a crook"!

As for how this affects Bonds, assuming this doesn't hold up, it probably will have little effect. The thing that will have more impact will be his aloof manner and limited (at best) defensive ability. His aging legs and poor defense will restrict him to DH duty and cut by 16 the number of teams that want him. And nobody's going to pay him $15 million to be a nearly full-time DH; he's just not worth it anymore. So in the end, he'll have a tough time signing elswhere unless he asks for significantly reduced money.

So in the end, where does this leave us? Right where we've been for four years; spinning in circles. The notion that athletes are pure went out the window years ago; we are willing to admit they are flawed. Barry has brought much of this on himself, but he wasn't the only one. But he also holds the most hallowed (or hollowed, depending on your point of view) record in sports, and he is held to a higher standard. That he fails to live up to them is sad, but in today's sports reality, that is more common. And as long as they "play to win the game", that will be the case. So that's that. Hopefully the postseason can rid us of the disgust that is Barry Bonds.

First off, hopefully this post actually posts; I've had trouble getting them to do so recently. Now then, here's my rant. It's October, a time when the baseball playoffs are in full swing (by the way, great performance from Beckett, and stupid decision by Sweet Lou), the NFL season is moving swimmingly, and the NBA is right around the corner. As this takes place, I can't help but notice that the major sports networks, namely ESPN, still are trying to cram soccer and poker down everyone's throat. Why?

I've stated this before in several blogs, but soccer is and never will be a major sport here. The reasons are simple; there's no action and thus no excitement. You want a major reason why "football" is so big elsewhere? Because there are no viable alternatives in these usually poor countries! Here in America, we have good, no, better alternatives, so soccer gets (rightfully) pushed aside.

The rules for it are ridiculous enough. For starters, there's this overrun (or whatever it's called) that doesn't count in terms of gametime, but goals scored there do count. It led to perhaps the most ridiculous tie in the history of mankind during the recent Women's World Cup, where I think Japan and Mexico were playing. Japan led 2-1 after regulation ended, only to see Mexico score in the overrun to force a tie. That's bull if you ask me! And speaking of ties, doesn't that make you sick? Even the poorly run NHL found a good way to end ties; the shootout! If soccer wants more viewers, don't trot out an injured, aged David Beckham; do away with overrun and allow ties to be settled (in all regular season games) by a shootout. But for title games (World Cup) play to the bitter end. Then soccer could have some traction.

But at least soccer does exibit some athleticism. Poker's inclusion on sports TV (and many other networks) baffles me. Where's the athleticism in poker? From the players throwing down their cards on the flop?!? There is a mental aspect of the game, but in general there's nothing here that makes it a sport. Tap dancing isn't a sport; I rest my case (yeah, I know it's a George Carlin bit, but it makes sense). The game should be reserved for networks like GSN (which shows this #### and blackjack on Mondays), not FSN or ESPN.

And yet the networks are enthralled by it. So much so that ESPN allowed the baseball playoffs to go to TBS so they could show this and The Contender. Wow, what a boatload of #### that is! A non-sport and a lame reality show over the baseball playoffs? Sounds like Must-Miss TV to me! And there are no people I want to see on these shows; I don't respect anybody who looks like a blind tourist, and Sugar Ray Leonard could knock out any of these scrubs on his show... today! Where's the appeal in this?

In fact, any palor games should be left in the palor. That goes for pool, bowling, chess, checkers, Scrabble, etc. These games aren't sports! So get them off the TV! There is nothing inherently athletic about these GAMES! So enough is enough!

Am I the only one who thinks these games should be banished to Versus or not? Or do you think there's something that I left out? Let me know. I've got to go watch some real sports.

There hasn't been much news other than Michael Vick recently, and although I haven't done well in baseball blogs recently, I feel like I should get this off my chest. The AL races or significance (Central, East and Wild Card) have heated up, with the Yankees finally playing like themselves and giving Red Sox fans a reason to fill up with dread. New York won again today 9-3 over the Tigers, who are the focus of this entry for something they didn't do.

I found it amazing how a team that just about a month ago was a favorite in the AL, has fallen onto hard times. The stats are not pretty (the starting pitching has one victory of their own in the last month) and the hitting has cooled considerably. I predicted as much at the trade deadline, when they clung to their prospects like it was gold from Fort Knox or the original copy of the Declaration of Independence, most notably Cameron Maybin (who was called up yesterday to replace the essentially waived Craig Monroe). They passed on helping their beleagured bullpen because, as GM Dave Dumbrowski, er, Dombrowski, felt there wasn't anybody available they wanted. I know Eric Gagne has stunk in Boston, but when I heard Dumbrowski say essentially "We didn't want him because he only wanted to close" I said "Todd Jones stinks! Why protect him?!?!".

What Dumbrowski doesn't realize is that you only have a very short window to win a championship in any sport. The long-term ability o####uy like Maybin isn't going to win you anything this year, and what is there to not believe he could be a bust? The Boston Celtics realized that they couldn't afford to wait for the future in their young core, so they traded five players and three picks to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett. Will it be a good move for the future? Probably not, but the future is now, as George Allen said, and Boston wanted to contend. Now they're considered a prime contender for the East. The short term effects outweighed the long term ills.

Let's not forget that the Tigers forged a losers identity from 1994-2005, suffering losing years each time including a record 119 losses in 2003. A key reason? They were unwilling to trade for help (more likely, they traded the help to other teams). They probably won't do that this time, but inactivity can be just as, if not more, deadly if you aspire to become champion. That will cost the team, as I think Cleveland will win the Central, the Yankees and Red Sox will make the playoffs, and the Tigers will sit at home, wondering "What happened?".

Although you may see other blogs with a similar refrain, I'll give you my top ten reasons why I'm sick of ESPN (more appropriately, ESPN2) showing every Barry Bonds game until he breaks the record. Here goes...

10. If I see Barry's daughter again, I'm gonna hurl!: What is the point of showing her every time he walks or gets out? Seriously, someone should slap the taste out of her when she does that chicken dance! It's akin to ABC (which affiliates with ESPN) showing Eva Longoria when the Spurs spanked Cleveland, except at least Longoria looks great. Bonds' daughter has no relevence and should be ignored. Sort of like the record. A perfect segway to...

9. Only ESPN and San Francisco really cares about it.: You wonder why fans in opposing ballparks hold up asterisks when Barry bats? Because they care about his holding the record like I care about having a contagious disease; Most people don't want it to occur, but have to learn to go on with it. How SF fans can get so hyped up about it just baffles me.

8. Even Baseball doesn't care.: Bud Selig probably would rather have his teeth pulled and get shot a couple dozen times than sit and watch Barry break his good friend Hank Aaron's record. Why else would he send good soldier Frank Robinson to observe infamy, er, history? Bud privately would be thrilled to suspend Barry, but the union wouldn't allow him to. Yes, you can say he fostered an environment that made cheating acceptable, but Bud and company are doing everything they can to distance themselves from these procedings.

7. If most people did care, Bonds sure doesn't.: That shouldn't come as a surprise, considering Bonds' rep has been one of just plain being aloof and standoffish. He often refuses to comment on his chase and on anything now that I think about it, and his silence is deadly, as most assume he's a jerk. It's almost comical how he forces himself to be an actual teammate sometimes. Anyhow, he doesn't care, so why sould we?

6. Wouldn't a simple cut-away do the trick?: Why does the whold game, one that ESPN probably wouldn't care about if Barry wasn't there, have to be shown? Cut into you're poker coverage (if there's one good thing this does, it's that poker's thrown off the schedule), show the potential 'historic' at-bat, then report on it on SportsCenter later that night. This reason also segways perfectly into...

5. The games have no meaning.: Granted, the Dodgers and Padres are fighting for their playoff lives, but the Giants are in a distant last in a highly competitve NL West and have no chance to make a comeback. So they're a sideshow, a higly annoying sideshow. And their opponent right now? The equally bad Nationals! Who gives a d*** about a Giants-Nationals game? Absolutely nobody! At least not me!

4. Because football season is upon us!: Doesn't need much explanation, does it? Once the NFL season starts, baseball will be pushed into the backburner.

3. The chase is turning into a slow crawl.: I like how ESPN's own Jim Rome says it; it's a "deathmarch" to the record. At the rate he's hitting HRs, the record won't be broken til late September! The pace is tediously slow and boring, or dull, as Jim Leyland might put it if he was managing the team (Leyland said his Tigers were boring last night)! The last thing baseball needed was a crawl to the record. But that's exactly what they got! I'm literally begging before each AB "Please (pitcher), just groove one to him!  Let this pain and agony end!! Just let him blast one!!!!!" That's when you know you can't stand something!

2. Hank Aaron deserves better.: It's as simple as that; Why should his record, one he worked so hard to achieve, one where he recieved countless death threats, be broken by an aroogant, self-centered, egomanaical jerk who didn't really earn the record (see #1)? Aaron didn't inject his way to the top; he made himself the best of all time (until the cheat will overtake him). And that should count for something.

1. The record isn't legit because he (probably) cheated!: It isn't natural for an aging man to GROW as he gets older. According to 'Book of Shadows' Barry has gained an inch of height and attained so much more muscle mass since 1998 (the '98 Bonds looks like a dwarf compared to today's Bonds). There's just no way he gained that muscle without some major help. Is it a coincidence that Greg Anderson refuses to testify about Bonds in his perjury and tax evasion grand jury? I think not! Bonds (probably) is a liar about his not knowing what he ingested during those years, and we'll never know for sure, but for my money, I say he (probably) cheated!

And before I let this go, a memo to BSPN, er, ESPN; saying that Selig not being there when the record is shattered would make the record tarnished, I've got news for you. The record is already tarnished simply because Barry's going to break it! I'm getting sick of these bast***s like Steve Phillips and John "full of it" Kruk saying that stuff (that's not what I want to say, but it would be bleeped anyway) continuing that lame refrain. Bud wouldn't tarnish this record; Barry will! So put your BS away, and stop harping on Bud. This record being broken this way should not be celebrated; it should be reviled and ignored!

O.K., now that I'm off the soapbox, what do you think? Should Barry be celebrated, or ignored, or maybe in between? Hopefully, it will be over soon!

From any perspective, yesterday's trade deadline produced some strong trades, such as Eric Gagne going to Boston (making them the prohibitive favorite), Octavio Dotel joining Mark Teixiera in Atlanta, and several other deals. This blog entry will not focus on that. Instead, let's look at one of the biggest losers of the deadline, my homewtown boys, the Detroit Tigers.

For starters, I've been harping at the team all year to try and strengthen a shaky bullpen. In this very blog in April, I said the folowing:

"(So) Tiger fans, this early struggle (with the bullpen) could be a sign of worse things to come... It (meaning a true contending team) needs good pitching to make a trip to the World Series."

So even then, the bullpen didn't inspire confidence. And yet, when I watched a trade deadline review earlier today, one of the guys said "The Tigers didn't make a trade for Gagne because they were under the impression that he only wanted to close." And I thought "Let me get this straight: The Tigers think Todd Jones is a better closer than Gagne?" That's insane!

Granted, Gagne has had injury problems in the past, but Jones wasn't very good when he was young, and at 39, he certainly isn't a very good closer, despite the fact he has 28 saves (4th in the AL). Those saves are deceptive, a product of an explosive offense that (usually) can score on anybody. Jones' ERA has went down recently (to 4.67 I believe), but I've watched him close, and you can't do that without some Mylanta and Tums handy. He strains to get outs, and although he can get them, you sit on the edge of your seat, praying that happens.

It may seem comparable to the 1996 Yankees, who had John Wetteland, a similar ulcer-inducer like Jones, coming in to barely save the day for the first Torre title winner. The difference here is that those Yankees traded Wetteland to Texas because they had a closer in waiting, and Mariano Rivera is one of the best in baseball history. The Tigers don't have that. Joel Zumaya has a flame thrower mentality, but his injury has set him back, and one pitch wonders don't have a long life expectency. Fernando Rodney, who I dubbed 'Out of Control' Rodney because he strains for outs, isn't closers material, either. So the Tigers don't have a Rivera to take over, meaning they're in severe trouble.

How does this affect the chase for the playoffs? Well, Boston has to be the favorites for not just the East, but the AL as well, L.A of Anaheim or Seattle should win the West, and the Tigers have Cleveland breathing down their backs and the resurgent Yankees charging hard. It would not surprise me if they missed the playoffs entirely. If that happens, GM Dave Dumbrowski, er, Dombrowski will rue the day he passed on a potentially solid relief pitcher because he's friends with Todd Jones. Just remember Dumbowski, you get what you (don't) pay for!

It would be easy to simply attack Michael Vick and his trial for dogfighting. But it pales in comparison to the circus-esque atmosphere surrounding baseball the last two days. It's bad enough that an alleged cheat will (someday, we can only hope) become the home run king. It's worse when I hear people suggest black pitchers (in this case, perhaps Dontrelle Willis) might serve up softballs for him to hit, and that race could play a role in the chase.

Don't misinterpret my words as saying "There's no racism in sports or the world". Believe me, there are still plenty of idiots out there who believe segregation should still be legal. Those people are the ones I try to avoid on the bus. But when the sports shows say Willis, who starts tomorrow against the Giants (who he cheered for as a kid) could aid Barry, whoa, you think the record will be tarnished when it happens. It's akin to Brett Favre allowing Michael Strahan to break the sack record a few years ago; it lessens the accomplishment. And even Barry doesn't want that to happen.

At least Barry doensn't open his mouth to the press every chance he gets. That is not the case for Gary Sheffield of my hometown Tigers, who never met a microphone he didn't like. Yesterday, he basically called Bud Selig a hippocrite and said he was in on the head-in-the-sand approach baseball took on steroids in the late '90s. He also said baseball should embrace Barry, instead of shunning him. Perhaps he has a point on Bud's role in the steroid era. But Barry Bonds has been his own worst enemy by taking a standoffish stance towards the media. He may not yet have committed a crime, but he simply isn't a guy many fans outside of San Fran want to cheer for. May I point out that Sheffield has an autobiography coming out soon. This may yet be a selling ploy (think Pete Rose).

Speaking of selling ploys, how about ESPN, or as I now think of them, BBSPN (the B's for Barry Bonds)? It's wonderful how they can junk their lineup for the next two nights to show the Marlins/Giants games for the chance (key word there) that Barry could tie and, if a miracle occurs break, the record. It's bad enough that they break in on the scrollbar with the pitchcount (balls and strikes) of his every at-bat. Now we must watch two losing teams do 'battle'? Barry is in a major slump (something like 3 hits the last five games), So who knows if it can happen? Just stick to the basic cut-ins, not the entire actual game!

In closing, Barry Bonds should break the record in our lifetime. But no one has to embrace it like it was done legitimately (for the record, I think he did cheat). ESPN should allow the chase to take it's course, Sheffield should stop talking for all of our sakes, Bud should be there when the record falls, and baseball better thank it's lucky stars the NBA and Michael Vick have taken the spotlight off it. Gotta go! Gary Sheffield just called me a hippocrite!