I was reading a blog and someone listed his five favorite sports moments in the Comments section on that blog. That inspired me to write this blog. Sports is the ultimate reality show; everything happens live. Many times the moment is typical, such as a completed pass in football, a routine single in baseball, a three-point shot in basketball, etc. I ask this question: what are your all-time favorite sports moments that you have witnessed, either in television or in person? Here are mine in some sports:

NASCAR: mine happened this past February--Kevin Harvick winning the Daytona 500 by .020 seconds over Mark Martin. Previous to that, it was Harvick winning his first Cup race in March, 2001 in Atlanta, beating Jeff Gordon in a photo finish. At the time it was the third closest margin of victory in NASCAR history. It was very historic and significant as he had replaced the late (and great) Dale Earnhardt in the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet.

MLB: the Los Angeles Dodgers winning World Series in 1981 and 1988. The 1988 championship was special, as NO ONE expected the Dodgers to even make the playoffs. They rode Orel Hershiser's season for the ages and Kirk Gibson's MVP season to the title. I also include Hank Aaron's 715th HR against the Dodgers in Atlanta in 1974.

NFL: it was the 2003 Carolina Panthers' run to the Super Bowl. Just two short years earlier, they won the opening game of the season then lost 15 in a row. It also heralded the emergence of Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith, Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, et. al. Stephen Davis rushed for 1,444 yards that season despite missing two games with an arm injury. The defense was a beast that season, finishing in the top 5 in the NFL. Ricky Manning, Jr. was a beast in the postseason, picking off four passes, including three in the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia. Other favorites: Walter Payton breaking the all-time rushing record, and Brett Favre and the Packers winning the Super Bowl in 1997 against New England.

NBA: any championship won by the Los Angeles Lakers from 1972 on. (They won in 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-88, 2000-2002) Each championship is sweet in its own way.  

The unofficial Second Half of the season will start on Thursday. A highly anticipated conclusion to the regular season and the crowning of a World Series Champion awaits in late October. At this point in the season, fans can generally separate the contenders from the pretenders. What are we going to see? Here are a few things that I think we'll see:

• The Boston Red Sox will run and hide from the AL East.
• It's going to be a dogfight in the AL Central between Detroit, Cleveland, and Minnesota. Minnesota wins the division, with Detroit getting the wild card.
• Seattle is not going away. Having said that, they will make a run at the Angels, but come up short.
• Atlanta will find a way to win the NL East (again!) Earlier I did say that the Mets would win, but as the grind of the season wears on, their pitching will come up short while the Braves' pitching will prevail. Philadelphia will make a run but come up short. The future is bright in Philly, though.
• The NL Central is the most putrid division in baseball. When all is said and done, the winner will barely be above .500.
• If either the Padres or the Dodgers get a big bat by the trade deadline, the team that does will run and hide. If the Dodgers get another starter without having to give up too much, they will hold off the Padres. Either way, runner up in the NL West wins the wild card.
• Ken Griffey, Jr. will not be traded by the Reds and hit his 600th HR in a Reds' uniform. He's a lock for Cooperstown. If not for injuries, he'd be chasing 700 HR's.
• There will be more managerial changes, including Tony La Russa leaving St. Louis. The Cardinals are (or should be) in a major rebuilding mode. My prediction: he'll end up where he started his managerial career: with the Chicago White Sox.
• The NL West will end up tied and a one-game playoff will determine the division winner.

Like many fans, I'm looking forward to the second half of the season. I'm especially looking forward to the NL West race. GO DODGERS!!!!

We are at the unofficial halfway point of the MLB season. For fans of some teams, it's another season of "let's play our young players and see how they do in the second half" which is code for OUR TEAM SUCKS. Fans of other teams are taking a "wait and see" approach to the second half of the season. That's code for "Our team had a nice run the first half, but they'll fade like they always do in the second half." And for fans of a select few teams, they are amped up for their team to make the postseason and perhaps a World Series appearance.

Let's get the bad out of the way first:

• The Pittsburgh Pirates are on their way to a 15th consecutive losing season. That won't change anytime soon, unless the current ownership has a sudden dose of clarity or has an epiphany and sells the team to someone like Mark Cuban. No wonder Barry Bonds wanted to leave Pittsburgh. He probably saw that far ahead and decided to bail early. That or the fact he'll forever be remembered for throwing a 15-hopper to the plate that Sid "Wheels" Bream beat out in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS to win the pennant for the Atlanta Braves.
• As I write this , the Pirates are actually in FOURTH place. The Cincinnati Reds are dwelling in the NL Central cellar with the worst record in the bigs at 30-50. It's a mess in the Natti. Trade Ken Griffey Jr. back to Seattle and get some prospects.
• Speaking of Bonds, the San Francisco Giants need to cut ties with him after this season, regardless of whether or not he breaks Hank Aaron's record. (As an aside, Hank Aaron used to be the very first name listed in the Baseball Encyclopedia. Do you know who is the first player listed now?)
• The Texas Rangers are in a mess. While I like Ron Washington, and he's a good baseball man, he's not a good fit there. He's bringing an Oakland A's style of baseball to the Rangers. The Rangers have free swingers. Not a good fit for a manager that demands his hitters be patient.

Now for the good:

• I'll start with the most competitive division in baseball: the NL West. The lead changes hands amongst the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Arizona Diamondbacks about every three days or so. The Rockies are fading fast. It's going to be a three team race until the very end of the season. Runner up in the division will get the wild card. I'm calling my shot: Dodgers win the division, with the Padres getting the wild card. Dodgers beat the Padres in a one game playoff at the end of the regular season.
• While the NL East is fairly close (the Mets hold a four game lead currently) I think the Mets will have enough to hold off both the Phillies and Braves.
• The Chicago Cubs could make a run in the second half. Maybe they overtake the Brewers. IF the Cubs are within three games of the Brew Crew by Labor Day, they will overtake the Brewers.
• Boston is running away with the AL East. The NY Yankees are finished. Done. Kaput. Over. All the Red Sox have to do is play .500 ball the rest of the way and they still win 91 games. I can see them win around 102 games.
• Before it's all said and done, the AL Central will be almost as competitive as the NL West. The Tigers and Indians, along with the Twins, will slug it out. I'm calling my shot: Minnesota wins the division, with the Tigers getting the wild card.
• In the AL West, it's all about the Angels. Seattle will hang in there until the last week of the season, when the Angels clinch the division. I'd put Mariners fan under the "wait and see" label.

Here are my predictions for postseason:

ALDS: Detroit over Boston, Anaheim (they're NOT the Los Angeles Angels, and I REFUSE to acknowledge them as such) over Minnesota.

NLDS: Los Angeles over Milwaukee, San Diego over New York.

ALCS: Detroit over Anaheim, 4 games to 2. (a little sweet revenge from the Ducks' series win over the Red Wings)

NLCS: Los Angeles over San Diego, 4 games to 3.

World Series: Detroit over Los Angeles, 4 games to 2.

500 and counting...

He did it. Trevor Hoffman nailed down his 500th career save, his 499th as a Padre. (His first save came as a Florida Marlin early in the 1993 season, then he was traded to the Padres shortly thereafter) And he did it against my Dodgers no less. Amazing. Trevor, see you in Cooperstown.

N.L. West update

What hurts worse is that the Dodgers lost their second straight to a division rival. And both Arizona and San Diego are going very well right now. Randy Johnson is pitching like the Big Unit of 10 years ago. If he keeps pitching that way the rest of the year, Arizona will run and hide from the rest of the division. However, the NL West has its ebbs and flows, so Arizona could fall back to the pack before it's over. The Padres caught a HUGE break in not having to face both Derek Lowe and Brad Penny. The Dodgers caught a break in not having to face Jake Peavy, a notorious Dodger killer from Day One in the bigs.

I've said before and I'll say it again: the NL West will come down to the last day of the season, if not a one-game playoff. It won't be unlike 1982 when it was a three team race down to the last day of the season between Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Dodgers squeak it out with the runner-up getting the wild card.

After the first quarter of the MLB season, here are a few things that I've seen so far and will comment on:

• Trevor Hoffman is closing in on 500 saves. I would love for him to achieve this amazing mark in San Diego, but the way the Pads are going, he'll achieve it on this road trip. After a slow start, Hoffman is back to his usual dominating self. And his buds in the pen are much better than they were last year (not that they were bad; they were stellar to begin with). Hoffman has plenty left in the tank, at least 2-3 years left at this level. Five HUNDRED saves. This means he has been a GREAT closer for the better part of a decade and a half. IF he goes another three years, at this pace he'll finish with over 600 saves! Trevor, welcome to Cooperstown. Here's your bust.
• Is the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry overrated AND overhyped, or what? The Yankees are finished as a premier AL power; they suddenly got old and there is not enough talent at the AAA level to step in right away. The Yanks do have minor league talent, but at the lower levels, which means it's 2-3 years away before they become a legit contender again (that is, if they don't trade it away by then). The Red Sox are too deep in their starting staff and have big enough (and clutch enough) bats to keep everyone else in the AL East at bay.
• Will the Milwaukee Brewers win the NL Central? I think so. They're the best team in the WORST division in MLB.
• Are the Cleveland Indians for real? Yes. Fausto Carmona is pitching like Cy Young incarnate. The Indians are a gritty team with a very potent offense and just enough pitching to possibly win the AL Central (a wild card awaits them if they don't win the division). Could Carmona steal the AL Cy Young Award? If he keeps up this pace, he'll have earned it. And to think he was garbage as a closer last year!! If Eric Wedge keeps his job beyond this year, he owes Carmona a steak dinner.
• The Mets and Braves are in a slugfest for the NL East. The loser will get the wild card. Philadelphia has to be considered among the most disappointing teams in MLB. So much was expected of them but they have underachieved. Having injuries to your key players doesn't help matters any.
• The NL West is going to come down to the final day of the season, if not a one-game playoff. Three teams will vie for the division: Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the San Diego Padres. By a nose, the Dodgers win, but any one of those three teams could win the division.
• Back to the Yankees for a minute. Joe Torre will not manage this team next year, and Brian Cashman will not return either. I foresee wholesale changes (code for blowing up the roster and starting over). They will struggle to finish at .500.
• I foresee the same fate for the St. Louis Cardinals. IMHO, Tony La Russa will resign before he blows up the team's roster. He clearly favors veteran players, but most of the Cardinals' veterans have seen their better days. Jim Edmonds is a gamer, but he's clearly on his last legs. Scott Rolen has clearly slowed down. Preston Wilson has an arthritic knee. Juan Encarnacion isn't the player he once was. And on and on. They could learn from the Dodgers: go with young talent, stockpile a veteran that can still contribute (and is willing to be a mentor), and mesh them together.