Sometimes you go to bed at night wondering what is going on in this silly world of ours. Last night before I decided to call it a day I stopped by the Fox Sports site to see what was happening out there in the sports world. And wouldn't you know it, I found plenty of material for another ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME post. Who would have thunk it?

Pete Sampras is going to play Roger Federer in a 3 match exhibition tour in Asia this summer. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? Pete retired like, what, 3 or 4 years ago. Hung up the ol' rackets after an illustrious career. He practiced with Roger this past March andsaid he didn't embarrass himself. Federer just suffered a rare loss. Is this a wise move...on either players part? Why can't these guys just stay retired and let the current touring pro's play? Didn't he struggle with Federer when he was at the end of his great career and Federer was coming on? I didn't read on to see if this is some kind of benefit tour although one can only hope it is. If it isn't I prefer to remember Sampras as I watched him for years. If it is then so be it but that begs the question that I always wonder about in these scenarios. What is the attraction in watching a retired professional athlete play a competitive professional athlete especially when the retired one has been away for so long? I don't get it and wouldn't pay tose it.

George Foreman has a new book coming out and, no, it isn't about how difficult it was to name most of his offspring George. In it he claims he was drugged when he fought Muhammed Ali in Zaire in 1974. A lot of George's behaviors have always begged the question as to what he was taking when he did them but this sounds different. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? George, it is 33 years after the fact. Is this a ploy to sell your book? Or is it fodder for all the boxing world to contemplate and expound upon? You know, maybe that is it. The De La Hoya-Mayweatherfight didn't deliver what it ws supposed to deliver so throw up something that could be considered "scandalous" (like boxing needs any more of that) and get people talking...about somethig that happened 33 years ago. He says he drank a glass of water before the fight that tasted "funny" and he still had the taste in his mouth in the ring. OK, I'm not a Health Department Official for Zaire but, maybe, just maybe and stick with me here, I'm just spitballing this, but maybe...he shouldn't have drank a glass of water in Zaire, in 1974, without knowing it's origin. C'mon George! I think the only thing that tasted funny to you on that night...33 years ago was the leather from Ali's gloves. Goodnight George!

Out of the ashes comes word from the one man that all of MLB can trust an dtruly depend upon. Is it Jason Giambi. Bud Selig, George Mitchell, Curt Schilling...? We know it isn't Barry Bonds. No, we have now been blessed with comments from...are you ready for this...Faye Vincent. Yes, he has reared his ugly head just in time to impart his strong words of advice on Bud Selig. Faye's advice to Bud...stay away from Barry Bonds. Don't be anywhere near the ball park when Bonds breaks the all-time HR record. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?

" He has every right to say: "I'm willing to congratulate him but Idon't honor him by my presence," Vincent said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press during spring training.

During spring training? And this needs to be brought up now...why? Oh, yea, Bonds is 10 HR's away. So the Associated Press is throwing fuel on the Bonds issue as he approaches the record. And Faye Vincent is the current sounding board. Perfect, absolutely, perfect!

"I think if nothing changes...I would say to Bonds: Because you haven't told us what you did, because we assume and because we believe you cheated and because you haven't helped clean baseball up, we will recognize your record but we will not honor you", Vincent said. "It's sort of anasterisk in the public eye"

Hey, Faye (I had to get that in) ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? "Becuse we assume" and "because we believe" are not convictable evidence to guilt. But thanks for your input anyway. If I were standing next to Bonds when you had the nads to say that to him, if he didn't hit you with a bat I might. He says if Bonds would hire a good lawyer and admit to wrondoing, "Look, Idid what I did, I'm sorry" then the American public would immediately become supportive. And you have been where lately Faye? That would never happen. Why don't you slither back into a quiet retirement and keep your avice to yourself. Bud has helped screw things up enough without your input to this point.

Faye Vincent makes reference to "helping clean baseball up" in one of the quotes I referenced above. Why would any of these guys want to speak up and say anything with the actions that have surrounded Jason Giambi for his comments last week. Since he made his "we all knew" statements last week did MLB say they concurred or that perhaps they might have someone who could shed a brighter light on this subject...like a guy who admitted it and may be willing to expound on it now. No, they begn investigating Giambi...AGAIN!!! If he had kept his mouth shut I bet we wouldn't even know that he failed a test for amphetamines. The Yankees wouldn't be scrambling around in denial and bickering about his contract. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? Nice move Bud! Use your resouces wisely. Not Bud! Throw your resources to the wolves! Teams on the West Coast are clamoring for Giambi now! The Angels said they would take him. With the leadership that Bud Selig provides I don't think I would even want to play anymore. This is the kind of #### that makes me want to turn away from this game, the game that is not played out on the field but the game they play off of it.

The MLB Player's Association has left cooperation with former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's investigation into steroid use in baseball up to the players. To this point in time no active players have been interviewed and only a few players have submitte their medical records. The union made a decision and left the action in the hands of its members. There was a day when we would have applauded that action. Today many ridicule it. Whatever. Giambi's actions and his words have been met by ridicule as well. Ridicule by the public and by the leadership of MLB. Why? If they let him speak he may shed light on the subject unlike any light before. But no, the accusatory fingers are now wrapping their hands around Giambi's throat...AGAIN! The more things change the more they stay the same.

"I think the union is making a big mistake. I think stonewalling Mitchell as a strategy is an enormous mistake. It pushes Bud and George Mitchell to consider going to Congress. I think that it's important for Mitchell to be able to write the rel story an tell us what happened and what didn't happen, and how many playerswere involved. I don't think the issue is, should there be punishment?"

"The Mitchell report is a very important document. Among other things, he's got to dispell all these people who believe that baseball knew what was going on, that they didn't do anything about it because they wanted to encurage Soas and McGwire. It's a very widely held view. I don't think they knew. I don't think there is a smoking gun"

The two quotes above are from the telephone inteview with Faye Vincent. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? How naive does Vincent, or MLB, think their public is? Apparently very, very naive. I wouldn't trust this document because I believe it WILL be about punishment and not about "how many players were involved. It has already turned into that and that is why it is so important for everyone to know names. Why did the press just mention the 2 Mets minor league pitchers who were busted for steroid use BY NAME if it isn't about punishment. I wouldn't trust this document because it was ordered by an owner and placed in the hands of an owners friend. Don't be fooled for a second... Bud Selig is an owner! I wouldn't trust this document because, as Vincent says, it has to dispel all of those who think MLB and all involved with it knew what was going on and did nothing. So it has to be a document that removes any responsibilty from MLB's leadership. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME. Again, go back into your retirement Faye and refuse comment when a sports reporter cals you o the phone.

And that's the bottom line...

There were a few things on the ol' Fox Sports news page this morning that I found of interest. After reading them I was moved to respond. But first I want to speak to a comment that was made, albeit indirectly, toward myself and another blogger here. I should say that it was not a comment that I found offensive for I have been called much worse by, I'm sure, much better. At any rate my comments regarding the hatred of Barry Bonds on some posts has earned me the honor of having a "man-crush" on Bonds. I'm alright with that if that is what people wish to believe or think for much the same reasons I support Bonds and his endeavor to become MLB's All-Time HR hitter.

For the record I have never met Barry Bonds. I have no desire to meet Barry Bonds. I couldn't care less about Bonds aside from the fact that I don't grasp the reality that this man, this baseball player, could garner so much hate for doing so little. You see, in the grand scheme of things Bonds hitting more HR's than anyone else doesn't mean #### I know there is a world of baseball "purists" out there who cry foul whenever his name is mentioned. There are people out there who wish harm, physical harm, on this guy because they think he cheated something or cheated them. These wishes have ranged from intentionally walking him everytime he comes to the plate, to intentionally throwing at him when he comes to the plate, to hoping he dies before he attains the record. There are all kinds of arguments as to why these things are inappropriate but most of them should be based in the obvious. Wishing physical harm, or any harm, on anyone, ANYONE, is morally and ethically reprehensible and in some cases illegal. I am not the advocate for the Moral Majority, he just passed away. I don't begrudge the "purists" their argument regarding his alleged steroid usage. I do oppose their desire to hang this guy out to dry for what many others have allegedly, with the exception of those who have either been proven guilty or admitted to, done in the past. And with such veracity and venom. Did he break into your homes and steal something from you? Has he physically assaulted any of you in a way that would make you wish such things on him.? Does he not answer the burning questions you so desperately need the answers to when he does speak to a sports reporter? I don't get it and I suppose that will open me up to all kinds of nasty and snide comments from those who think he has done something desperately wrong. So be it. All he is is a freakin' baseball player and a damn good one at that. As a matter of fact ya'll can say I have a "man-crush" on Barry Bonds, I'm alright with that. I will cheer and applaud him when he breaks Aaron's record for the accomplishment and for the skill it took to get there. I know how hard it is to hit a baseball. And in all reality he hasn't really done anything to me to warrant the burning hatred so many languish upon him. Now if he hit my Mother with a baseball bat we'd have some serious issues. I don't see it happening.

And to that end I am tipping my hat to Jason Giambi. Hip, Hip Frickin' Hooooray to Jason Giambi. Thank you for saying what should have been said a long, long time ago. Giambi thinks MLB should apologize to the public for it's perfomance-enhancing drug problem.

"We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward. Steroids and all of that was a part of history. But it was a topic that everybody wanted to avoid. Nobody wanted to talk about it."

"What we should have done a long time ago was stand up players, ownership, everybody and said, "We made a mistake."

This comes from a guy who admitted using steroids who plays this game at a level higher than high school. This comes from a guy who says he is probably the most tested player in MLB, more so than Bonds who the "purists" are trying to crucify. He is glad that MLB now has rules in place to control this stuff. Good for you Jason. And good for you for putting it squarely on the shoulders of those who should have done something about it. Everyone in MLB. Hey, Bud, this ones for you! I was impressed when Giambi admitted his use of these performnce-enhancing drugs but I am more impressed today. He may have taken a bigger step today with his comments. He just laid it all out there. I especially liked the use of the word "we" in his comments. Not Barry, not me, but we!!! Oh and for the "purists" Giambi admitted using them. Bonds has not. In my book, much like the Supreme Court, one is innocent until proven guilty, unless you admit it. And also for all of you "purists" who claim Bonds is only reaching Aaron because of the "steroid" usage. Here is a final quote from Giambi, who plays MLB and admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.

"That stuff didn't help me hit homeruns. I don't care what people say, nothing is going to give you the gift of hitting a baseball." Thank you Jason Giambi. Hip, Hip Frickin' Hooooray!

Also from the world of MLB. Yankee reliever Kyle Farnsworth has issues with the "Family Clause" in Roger Clemens contract. I do to but I think Farnsworth's is legit and so much more important than mine.

"As far as a teamate and player, I think everybody should be here whether they are pitching or not," he said. "You don't see guys who are hurt not sit on the bench. They're always there."

Farnsworth makes a great point. As a coach I require my players to attend everything, hurt or not. Sometimes this rule can be amended based on individual circumstances. For example a death in the family, recovering from surgery or in some cases, college visits, etc., etc. Part of being on a team is being a part of that team. Superstars demanding special attention like this is joke. Is someone ailing in Roger's family? If so I most certainly can understand special attention. Does he want to watch his son play baseball? Does he want to hang out at the farm between starts for the sake of say...hanging out? If those are the reasons for his "Family Clause" then the Yankees are more ridiculous than I could have ever imagined. One of the girls on my soccer team came up to me the other day and said, "Let me tell you how I work." I thought she was Roger's daughter for a second there. Farnsworth also went on to say that he didn't really see it as being a problem for now. He commented that "You asked my opinion and I gave it." You have to be careful Kyle because some sports reporter/writer is going to take that, spin it, and run with it to who knows where. But, to that end, Hip, Hip Frickin' Hooooray to Kyle Farnsworth for speaking up.

From the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings stated today that surgery WILL NOT be required on Adrian Peterson's collar-bone. It is healing sufficiently for the Vikings and Peterson to think he will be ready when Training Camp opens. Just like Peterson told evrybody and showed everybody at the combine. But the "experts" said no way and dropped him from Top 3 to lower Top 10 and on some boards out of the Top 10. This kids collar bone has been examined by more Dr's. and team medical personnel than jointsRicky Williams smokes in a week or days that Paris Hilton was sentenced to (45), not the days she actually has to serve (23). There is too much going on and too many people and things involved to predict what kind of year Peterson will have (again my realistic approach to things) but maybe now all the "experts" will back off on the collar bone thing. And kudos to the Vikings for taking a kid they considered a Top 3 player with their first pick and not falling into the jumbled mix that said noway, too risky. To the Vikings (and it pains me to do this) Hip, Hip Frickin' Hooooray!!!

And that's the bottom line...