It's been a wild week in the blog world this week.  Starting with Canada's birthday to America's birthday all the way to today with some interesting blogs between and around the two birthdays.  Perhaps this is a generalization but I would think that nearly 100% of the blog writers have an incredible amount of passion for sports.  That is why we joined this site in the first place.  Blog on...

Baseball

- I love Roy Oswalt as a pitcher and I think he has the potential to turn in a great looking career as long as he stays healthy.  However, can you justify him as John Smoltz's replacement on the All-Star team roster?  Not over John Maine.  Not over Brandon Webb.  Not even over Tom Gorzelanny, which would have solved the Pittsburgh issue if Tony LaRussa had kept Brian Fuentes at home originally and chose Gorzelanny to be the Pirate rep.  Then LaRussa could have taken either Hanley Ramirez or Edgar Rentaria to be the backup shortstop.

The American League Roster for the most part looks good.  Jim Leyland did the best job, in my opinion, of any manager of recent years.  LaRussa on the other hand simply continues to make a mess.

Ever since his DUI he has not had a very good few months.  His team, the defending World Series champions, are looking like duds in the worst division in baseball.  And there has been talk about LaRussa potentially being replaced.  Today I began thinking about his coaching career and how he has been blessed with some very good teams during his career.  He may go to the Hall of Fame with his 2 rings, but his teams have been so loaded that he could have a good 5, 6 or even 7 rings as a manager.  Even Bobby Cox thinks LaRussa has urinated too many chances away.

- Seems strange to see John Maclaren managing the Seattle Mariners.  I will always remember him as the 3rd base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays and getting run over during a game by current Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams, which brings me to my next point...

- With the White Sox being 1000 games out of a playoff spot why would they want Ichiro Suzuki right now?  Do they plan on signing him during the off-season?  And if they give him the $20 million he'll be asking for, will they have enough to bolster the lineup that has been impotent offensively?  And will they continue to go on with Ozzie Guillen as the coach?  Someone once told me this quote that seems to describe Guillen very well: Short fuse, short success.  Albeit he tasted gold early in his tenure.

- Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi could not reach the microphone fast enough to blast A.J. Burnett on radio yesterday.  This made news this morning and here are a few issues...

1) J.P. was the one who gave the bogus contract to the guy in the first place. 
2) Blasting players through the media is chicken-bleep
3) Burnett was up in the top 6 at one point this season in pitches per game and out of the 6 pitchers, he threw the least amount of innings.  With a guy who has a history of arm problems that means the blame should also go to the manager, John Gibbons, for not handling him properly.
4) How can J.P. claim Burnett is scared to let his arm loose when he has topped out at 100 MPH a few times the last 2 seasons?  Absurd claim.

Again, Burnett was not a good signing when it happened and J.P. is just trying to cover his butt for one of several questionable decisions during his tenure as GM.  He should have been fired 2 years ago as he is about to enter year 7 of a 5 year plan that has blown up in his face.
 

Basketball

- Grant Hill appears to be heading to Phoenix this upcoming season to play for the Suns for under $2 million.  A lot of people are looking at him wondering how he could "turn his back" on the Orlando Magic.  I find that hard to believe since they have been looking to upgrade at the 2 or 3 guard position and they did so with Rashard Lewis.  Granted, Hill signed for a huge contract after he was dealt by Detroit.  However, this is the same guy who busted his tail just to get back onto an NBA court.

We seem to forget the kind of pain and damage he suffered with his ankle and how his career was suppose to be over.  He bled, sweated and cried every single day during rehab to get himself back onto the court.  He did it for the love of the game and he did it to prove something to himself and those around him.  People questioned his heart, and today there is no doubt that he has the heart to compete on that court every single night if his body tells him "it's go time".  He didn't have to bust himself to come back but he did anyway.

The Orlando Magic franchise understood what they were doing with this investment and like certain investments they can sometimes turn up sour.  The only good thing about this investment was that Grant Hill's comeback to the NBA was a feel-good story for those who have been told they could not come back to play basketball at a high level ever again.  Hill owes the Magic nothing and he is not turning his back on the franchise.  His comeback should have a long-lasting impression on every Orlando player and no value can be placed on that.

- With all that said, can Hill play in the Phoenix system?  Well if you can make baskets and run you should be good, so as long as Hill is healthy he'll fit in nicely with the Suns.  Now they have an 9-man team rather than 8.

Hockey

- Huge scare in Buffalo as Thomas Vanek was offered 50 million for 7 years.  Why was that a scare?  I bet Buffalo wanted to sign him at 5 million per year and now they will be stuck paying 7.  This contract may look like a lot but with this kid's upside and his age this may be a steal.  They'd rather be paying a 23-year old that kind of money rather than a Chris Drury who's production will go down over the next few years.  Granted, Drury is dubbed as a great leader but if Vanek scores 40-50 goals per season nobody will care about Drury.  Someone on the Sabres will step up to be a leader.  You can teach more players to become leaders than teach them to score 40 per season.  We could be looking at the second-best left winger in the NHL behind Alexander Ovechkin.

Tennis

- Federer v. Nadal.  Its like a Main Event at a Pay Per View boxing match.  I crave for that matchup in every single tournament they enter and as long as Nadal gets through and Andy Roddick does what he does best for Federer (lay face down), we should get to see another incredible finals matchup at Wimbledon.

Have a great weekend folks.