Sports Views

Very rarely will you read about me cheering on the Yankees, but last night was an exception. As I mentioned in , Matt Clement really hurt my fantasy team last night with his poor outing. Well, all is well because Alex Rodriguez went off. The man went 4-5 with 3 dingers and 10 rbi's. You read that right, 10 runs batted in. So now not only am I still easily in first place in my head-to-head league, I also jumped into first in my other league, a 6x6 rotisserie league. It is the first time I can recall that I am winning more than one league at...

So I’m watching John Daly warm up for his playoff with Vijay Singh at the Houston Open by chain-smoking and joshing with buddies and officials, whoever happens to pass by. He finally warms up when he gets to the first tee, cigarette dangling from his mouth, ashes dropping on his shirt.

Recently getting into golf myself, I have been watching golf on TV lately, most recently, the Masters. The most memorable moment is when Tiger Woods sunk the 16th hole. Many of you may have seen it, some may not, but here is the video of him sinking one of the shots that helped him win his 4th Masters.

I spent this winter looking for a sign that Cub management had the will to win. What I got was a long, dreary winter's wait. The Cubs sat idle while division rivals St. Louis and Houston opened their wallets to bring in key free agents. Worse than that, the Cubs let three of their best players get away: Outfielders Sammy Sosa and Moises Alou, and pitcher Matt Clement.

The Randy Moss era is over in Minnesota, and I'm in the camp that thinks it was about time. But it did leave the Vikings weak in the area of the team traditionally a strength - receiver. That was on everyone's mind going into the NFL draft yesterday.

That might not be the case for Washington’s second first round pick, Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell. In what has been called “the worst kept secret in draft history,” Campbell was taken with the first round pick obtained this past week from Denver. The decision to draft Campbell while Patrick Ramsey sits as the supposed incumbent starter was controversial from the moment news of the Redskins intention slipped out to the press. Washington Post columnist Tony Kornheiser is already worked into a lather over the choice, and makes a good point in wondering how good Campbell had to be with Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams in Campbell’s backfield.

Alex Rodriguez has been the best ballplayer on the planet for years. He was with Seattle. He was with Texas. And he is with the New York Yankees.

Here's today's (yesterday's, but who's looking at the clock?) Boston Globe article on the latest Boston/Tampa Bay brawl. I was just reading along thinking my usual "who cares" kind of thoughts until I read about David Ortiz lecturing about respect and ethics on the field. David Ortiz??? Excuse me, but didn't he throw a bat at an ump last year? Yes, her did and he got suspended, but not much.

Earl Wilson, who died 23 April of an apparent heart attack, hit 28 more lifetime home runs than Jerry Remy. What was wrong with that picture? Wilson was a pitcher. In the American League. Yes, children, once upon a time pitchers swung the bat in the American League, and once upon a time was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers who took as much quarter at the plate as he did on the mound.

According to Bennett, the bartender asked for his order, then Morehead’s, but refused Wilson rather brutally: “We ain’t serving you. We don’t serve niggers in here.” For Bennett, it was his first brush with racial prejudice on that sort of level of commerce. For the trio of Red Sox pitchers in full, it was an invitation to leave. “To (the bartenders),” Bennett eventually told Red Sox historiographer Peter Golenbock (for Fenway: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox), “we were just two white...

BostonGlobe: The new owners of the Boston Red Sox have greatly expanded alcohol sales at Fenway Park, adding at least 16 new stands where beer is sold since taking over in 2001, according to the city licensing board. The team has also increased by a third the size of beer cups, from 12 ounces to 16 ounces.

The game was great fun, but what struck me most was that I wanted to share this experience with my displaced Raptor fan friends. I started out by taking photos of the creative ways fans expressed their anti-Vince Carter sentiment, but that didn't provide a real sense of the intensity in the building. So I started taking short videos of the action with my digital camera. I've been advised not to post the videos, but I've posted three MP3s of the fans at the arena: "Car-ter......

Philadelphia 76ers take into tonight’s Game against the Pistons is how quickly a lead can disappear. At one point during the Game one, the Sixers led by 16 points, and they were up by 12 after the first quarter. But in a span of 12 minutes the Pistons crashed the boards with such ferocity that the Sixers were stunned into submission. Led by Tayshaun Prince and reserve big man Antonio McDyess, the Pistons collected 19 rebounds in the second quarter Saturday, seven of them offensive. Those rebounds produced nine second-chance points, part of...

Barkley, on Toronto guard Vince Carter: "When you have that much talent, you don't get to say 'I just want to blend in.' That's not the way it works. It's up to the great players to make the other scrubs better. It's up to Vince to put his teammates on his back and carry them. That's the responsibility of being a great player. Kevin Garnett can't just say he wants to blend in with the other guys. Shaquille O'Neal can't say that; Allen Iverson can't say that; and Tracy McGrady can't say that. Great players have to play great and they have...

If Eagles’ management is smart, they will listen to Terrell and Drew and make this a business decision. The Eagles performed just as well without Terrell as they did with him, so they should invite him to sit out next season if he wants. The Eagles made a good deal when they signed Terrell Owens and they should not let him hold the team hostage for more money. He has done NOTHING to prove that he is worth more money to them than they are planning to pay him. The Eagles would send the right message to their team if they cut Owens or let...

I mean there are some good stories in the playoffs and I still don't care. The Bulls are back in the playoffs since MJ left. The Wizards are back in the playoffs, I suppose they are my home team. The Lakers are not in the playoffs for the first time since...I don't even know. Shaq is in Miami and they look poised to win, the ultimate slap in the face to Kobe Braynt.

And the winner is .. Shaquille O’Neal. He’s simply the Most Valuable Player in the game. He transcends the game. He’s such a difficult player to defend and he keeps you trying to figure things out about him as a player. This isn’t a guy who’s been in the league for three years. He has been a dominant player for more than a decade and he cannot be stopped. Period. He’s come in to Miami and made the Heat one of the top five most popular teams in the game. I can’t take any skin off guys like Dwyane Wade and...

Red Sox negativity aside, the important thing that I think we are learning is that the O’s may be a bit longer for contention than many realize. With an offensive core of Javy Lopez, Brian Roberts, Melvin Mora, Miguel Tejada and Sammy Sosa, a strong bullpen and a starting staff that’s come better than advertised, I don’t see any reason why the O’s can’t make noise in the 2005 playoff race. I have been on the O’s bandwagon since the Sosa trade and I don’t see any reason to hop off now.

The crowd was absolutely electric, and gave the warmest welcome of the afternoon to new Oriole Sammy Sosa. Sosa gave his traditional sprint out to right field, running with his head down but pausing to acknowledge the fans as he ran. He overran his position to center field, stopping to gesture to the fans out in the bleachers before trotting back to right.

For all you duffers out there who enjoy a round or two during your Disney World Vacation here's news you'll need to know. Disney is making significant changes to the Magnolia golf course, one of the courses used during the PGA's October Funai Classic. The course, which was previously ranked the 6th easiest on the PGA tour, will be lengthened to 7500 yards and will have its greens and tees reworked as well.

At 6′4 Chris Henry is a tantalizing mix of size and speed (4.4 40), who would have possibly been a first round pick if he had stayed in school. The two knocks on Henry are his lack of experience (only played two years,starting for one) and immaturity. However, while ESPN analyzed the pick, Torry Holt, said not to worry about those concerns because Marvin Lewis does not tolerate such behavior. To hear a player from another team say that speaks volumes. W ith 22 TDs in 25 games, Henry has the skills to be a playmaker and will likely be utilized...

San Francisco took Alex Smith from Utah as the #1 pick. You can track all the rest of the 1st round of the draft here and here.

DEREK JETER DRINKS WINE COOLERS

I spent the best weather night of 2005 in the front row of the green monster seats at Fenway Park for an excellent game, the type you can easily recall years later because of the principals involved. In the summer of 2003, I was fortunate enough to take in a classic pitcher’s duel at Dodger Stadium between Mark Prior and Kevin Brown with the difference in the game, a Cubs win, being two Sammy Sosa home runs. Prior, Sosa, Brown. Well last night, Roy Halladay peppered the strike...

With the eleventh pick overall the Dallas Cowboys select DE DeMarcus Ware from the Troy State University. I am suprised by this pick. Not a knock on Ware who is a fantastic player. But at 251 pounds, he is somewhat light for a 3-4 defensive end. I love the player though and feel that he will motor through it with desire until he gains the weight to match. I would have loved to see Derrick Johnson - that ‘catalytic playmaker’ that Parcells said he was seeking. Or what about big Shawn Marriman from Maryland? Well, the Cowboys had...

It wouldn’t be the NBA without some drama. The difference is that the drama this year won’t be coming from LA, as it did the past several seasons. It may come from Philly, where Allen Iverson and C-Webb get another chance to show that they can play together. Similar questions surround the remade Sacto Kings and Houston Rockets.

Or dancer. Or whatever. But hey, it’s not impossible. Shaq and Wade are an amazing duo, and the Heat could certainly get hot and win this thing. And if that happens, who knows? Going into next season, Pat Riley will have a much better idea of what he has, and maybe they can retool and be even stronger. Then, comparisons with those other teams will not be as outlandish.

I love Iverson - he's my favorite NBA player (with the possible exception of Carmelo Anthony - go Cuse!) and he led the league in scoring at 30.7 PPG, free throws made, and was 2nd in steals and 5th in assists. He certainly helped his team more than Kobe, and the Sixers had a better record to show for it, but he also led the league in turnovers and shot worse than Kobe (42.4%). In the meantime, Shaq absolutely dominated offensively and defensively, shooting 60.1% for season on his way to 22.9 PPG, 10.4 Reb, and 2.3 Blocks. ...

HA! OK, OK, Jeff. Calm down. Raffy Palmeiro is just a couple decades past his prime, Sosa and Lopez are also past the sell-by date stamped on their foreheads, Roberts does not exactly have a Tony Gwynn history, and that trio mentioned may be a touch underrated, but that’s just because most people have never even heard of them. Now, Tejada is great (but in a slump), and Mora’s legit, I think. Those others range from OK to pretty darn good. They have a very good offense, don’t get me wrong, but let’s lay off the hyperbole. What Wells and Clement did is impressive enough without it.

Along with finally providing an answer to the question of which player will be picked first in the 2005 NFL Draft, the first hour of ESPN’s Draft coverage on Saturday, April 23, will also give the world its first look at the next generation of videogames — Madden NFL football will make its next generation debut in a TV ad airing within the first hour of the broadcast, which begins at 12:00pm ET / 9am PT.

The ad, which will run only one time during the broadcast, is a 60-second preview of the photo-realistic graphics and heart-pounding football intensity that is the essence of Madden NFL football — an experience that will come to life like never before on the next generation of video game consoles. This is the future of Madden NFL football, and if you’re a football fan, this is a televised preview that is not to be missed. Set your VCRs or digital video recorders so you can play back the commercial again and again, because you may not...

The next generation of Madden NFL football is coming, and you can get your first glimpse on ESPN during the first hour of the 2005 NFL Draft. Don’t miss it!

The third week of baseball is almost finished, and All-Star voting has already begun for the Mid-Summer Classic July 12th at Comerica Park. Yet I, and many other baseball fans, are going to hold our 25 precious votes for the last week of June, the last week of voting. Why? Because how am I supposed to evaluate all of the players in Major League Baseball after only three weeks? Baseball is a game of streaks. Milton Bradley is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak. If I had to vote today, I would vote for him. But, what if he bats .200 in May? It could happen. Last April, Derek Jeter was hitless in more than 25 at bats. The fans at Yankee Stadium were booing him–booing their captain.

It’s too bad nobody wants to surround Allen Iverson with some decent players. No, Chris Webber doesn’t count. At least not now that he’s hobbling around and being incredibly anti-clutch. Detroit is still the defending champion, and it’d be stupid to pick against them early.

Vijay Singh has become the youngest player to be elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame at the age of 42. Singh has had a remarkable career playing both on the PGA Tour and internationally. Vijay Singh has carved his path to success with 25 PGA Tour victories to date, including three major championships. Vijay also has 22 international victories on his résumé, including wins in Malaysia, France, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Spain, Germany, England, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and Canada.

In the 2004 season, Vijay Singh clearly showed that he deserved to be the number one golfer in the world after winning nine times and earning a record setting $10,905,166. Singh became the first player to win over $10 million in a single season and also was honored as the PGA Tour Player of the Year.

Unfortunately for the Nets, their reward for finishing the season on a four-game winning streak is a first round date with Shaq, Dwayne Wade, and the rest of the Miami Heat, who earned the top seed in the East by finishing with a conference and franchise best 59-23 record.

The Nets squad that finished the season, led by Kidd and Carter — the NBA’s best backcourt — bears as much resemblance to the New Jersey team that started the season with 2-11 record as Shaq does to Shawn Bradley. Had the Nets began the season with the Kidd-Carter tandem happily ensconced as their starting backcourt, the Nets would’ve run-n-dunked their way to the Atlantic Division title. Throw superlative wing Richard Jefferson, who’s likely to be in the Nets’ starting line-up when they tip-off at 3:30 this Sunday, into the...

LeBron James didn’t score 56 points, but his 29 were more than enough as the Cavs put on an impressive performance tonight in routing the defending champion Detroit Pistons, 91-76, in front of a sold-out Gund Arena. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 13 points while “Sideshow Bob” Anderson Varejao pleased the crowd by chipping in with 11 points, including two rim-rocking dunks in the fourth quarter. Cleveland won despite being out-rebounded by Detroit, 46-39, but went over sixteen minutes in the second half without turning the ball over....

But anything’s possible when LeBron James is on your roster.

Nobody saw that coming. Probably because nobody saw the firing of head coach Paul Silas coming, either. Rarely does a team that is in the midst of a playoff race axe its head coach, especially if it plans on making those postseason reservations. That’s why firing Silas at the end of March with only 18 games remaining in a little less than a month made absolutely no sense. Rumors have circulated that Gilbert was going to fire Silas anyways, as he didn’t see the 61-year old coach as his team’s sideline director of the...

Gilbert effectively took what had been a speed bump in an otherwise breakthrough season and turned it into a massive road block. Don’t try telling the Cavs that making the playoffs this year wasn’t important, as playoff experience is clearly needed for superstar LeBron James to return next year better than ever before. All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was in the postseason with the Cavs in his rookie season, losing in four games to the Indiana Pacers, and he hasn’t smelled the playoffs since. With the 7′3” center...

"Corona and the government of Michoacan are two top-level sponsors, the venue is magnificent and we expect the support of the local community to be overwhelming, so we are very pleased," said Ty Votaw, LPGA commissioner. "Lorena Ochoa has developed into one of the LPGA's brightest stars, and I am sure it will be a delight for her home country to watch their national hero compete with the best players in women's golf. We are thrilled to be able to showcase the best female golfers in the world to a new audience, not once, but twice in Mexico in 2005."

In an update of State Farm Bonus Pool Points, Wendy Ward is now tied with Annika Sorenstam at 100 points. Lorena Ochoa is tied for third place with Rosie Jones (70 points). Shi Hyun Ahn and Paula Creamer are in a tie for fifth with 64 points. Although the event occurs April 21-24, 2005, there will be no local television coverage, so stay tuned to The Sand Trap for updates!

This win, the Nets third in a row and ninth in their last ten, was all about the competitive fire of the best point guard in the NBA — Jason Kidd — and his consuming will to win. Not only did Kidd go off for 35 points, drop 8 dimes, and grab 8 boards, but he also held the Wiz’s high-scoring all-star point guard Gilbert Arenas, who came into the game averaging 25.7 points, to 8 points. It was a signature game from one of the NBA’s true superstars.

Waiting for them in the first round? The most evil putrid thing on the planet - the Yankees. Now my Yankee hatred at the time was not as fully developed as it is now. I mostly hated the Yankees then because I hated all things New York. I grew up in south Jersey, involved in Philadelphia sports, but moved to north Jersey for college and work, and grew to hate everything about the city - especially the sports teams. I rooted against the Giants in 1991, against the Rangers in 1994 (I might even still own a Vancouver Canucks...

On the other hand, the two classic media “big market” empire teams make the case for Selig’s doctrine. With Boston and New York bringing up the rear at nine and 10. While Boston has done most of its damage with cheap free agents, the Yankees have done an excellent job of keeping the players the team has drafted. The Yankees didn’t have to worry about losing Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter to free agency; the money just keeps flowing.

As a shameless, unyielding, and downright rabid Dallas Cowboys fan I can say without reservation that Julius Jones will be my number one overall pick at running back in the 2005 fantasy football year. Jones was injured last year with bruised ribs and a broken shoulder blade for half the season. In the game where he broke his shoulder blade, he didn’t tell anyone he was hurt and tried to play through it for a couple plays. While toughness was a question early, Jones proved he was not one who would tap his helmet and ask for a breather ever...

Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest videogame publishers, has signed an exclusive license with Vijay Singh to produce a video golf game titled after him.

Vijay Singh, Fiji-born of Indian descent and considered one of the most consistent and focused golfers on the tour, will now lend his name to one of the titles inspired by his powerful and aggressive style, the company said.

And if anyone was watching SportsNite on Comcast SportsNet last night, you caught a glimpse of my back. They did a segment on fan reaction to Sammy Sosa and filmed it right where I was watching batting practice. The camera scans by a couple kids wearing Sosa shirts, then you see a taller person in a Roberts shirt. Yep, that's me. Yay! I was on tv!

The NFL offseason is a rough time for SC's Kevin Holtsberry. To ease the pain, he offers some thoughts on Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress, and last year's fine crop of wide receivers (with some Michigan Wolverine nostalgia thrown in for free).

Now there's the steroid scandal on top of everything. I'm most upset that Barry Bonds may have used steroids, or, if not steroids, some other kind of "performance-enhancing drugs." When I lived in San Francisco, I went to some Giants games and got to see a lot of Bonds. I have never seen a more exciting player to watch. You couldn't keep your eyes off him when he was on the field. Those moments when he connected on a home run and just stood there for a moment, watching the ball go... I feel so disappointed that everything Bonds has done may be overshadowed by his drug use.

And yet, despite everything, I still open my newspaper to the sports section first.

I often ask myself, "why"?

And then, the other day, I found a quote from Earl Warren that summarized it perfectly:

I always turn to the sports pages first, which record peoples' accomplishments. The front page is nothing but man's failures.

But I can assure you of this: with the return of the NFL to NBC starting in the 2006 season, the coolest NFL theme song ever may indeed return to television.

I don’t know what’s more disappointing: That the Timberwolves, who last year ran into the playoffs with the leagues’s best record, was completely shut out of the post season last night, or that Kevin Garnett played his ass off on a bum knee all year to help support the rest of these losers.

Now that the Timberwolves have been eliminated from playoff contention, we can turn our attention to the really exciting stuff. Like, how is Latrell Sprewell going to feed his family next year? Who will coach Minnesota in 2005-2006? How did they make Kevin Garnett so tiny in those Best Buy commericals? And most thrillingly of all, what lucky team will give Wally Szcerbiak a chance to start?

The Denver Broncos, the NFL's favorite whipping-boy, have been kicked in the hind quarters by the No Fun League ONCE AGAIN. Here are my complaints, chapter & verse:

Wouldn't it make more sense for Denver to play at home in September and in Florida in December ?? Of course it makes sense, that's why the NFL does the opposite !! The NFL hates the Denver Broncos, always has, always will !!

A good friend of mine refers to the type of conversation we are having about character blogs as "inside baseball." It's the kind of conversation where those inside it are very engaged and those outside of it can't follow it, don't want to follow it, and if they do manage to figure it out, think it is pretty silly. That said, I just can't seem to let it go, so "batter up."

Last summer I went to a Giants game in San Francisco with [my uncle] and met Barry Bonds. He was much nicer in person than I read. My dad taped the baseball steroid scandal on cable and one night we watched it while we talked about my essay and my uncle said that if bloggers were different than their blogs then they were like Barry Bonds was. So I decided to write about how bloggers are different on blogs than they are in emails about the war, just like Barry Bonds is different in person than you read about being nasty. Although it was my uncle's...

Of course, Baron Davis put up 24 points, added 13 assists, stole the ball thrice, and also reportedly saved the world twice all in the span of 32 minutes on the floor. Just make sure he’s healthy going into training camp next fall, and there’s no reason why the Warriors can’t play playoff caliber basketball.

But the win over the Lakers represents something special. Over the past two years, the Warriors have played the perennial west powerhouse in the final game or second to last game of the year, and always managed to fall a couple baskets short. But despite it being a bad loss for the Lakers and a terrific win for the Warriors, it almost seems like a changing of the guard. The Lakers have been the benchmark for every NBA team, doing what isn’t easy in the era of the salary cap. But the Warriors have always been the underdog, even at home when...

The Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez and the Yankees broke out for 13 runs in a record-setting second inning Monday night on the way to a 19-8 rout of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. One day after owner George Steinbrenner lashed out at his $200 million team for its 4-8 start, the Yankees quickly showed just how powerful they can be when the offense is clicking.

Chris Webber could be seen after Wednesday’s practice showing teammate Samuel Dalembert some ways to guard Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal, tricks that Webber picked up during his long career with the Sacramento Kings, playing against O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers.

Just imagine how lucky Dalembert would be to receive tutoring from someone who’d actually beaten Shaq in a playoff series?

Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez and the Yankees broke out for 13 runs in the second inning Monday night on the way to a 19-8 rout of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, ending a four-game skid. One day after Steinbrenner lashed out at his $200 million US team for its 4-8 start, the Yankees quickly showed just how powerful their offence can be. "George challenged us, and the team responded really well," Rodriguez said. "We needed to stop the bleeding."

After a season-long struggle, Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets took control of their playoff destiny heading into the final week of the season.

Baron Davis had 24 points and 13 assists and Golden State sent Los Angeles to its fifth straight defeat with one of the Warriors' biggest victories over the Lakers, 126-99 on Monday night.

Terrell Owens finally found a topic he was tired of talking about - his desire for a new contract. Owens released a statement through a public relations firm Friday night saying he was done talking to the media about a possible contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Karrie Webb, a dominant player on the LPGA Tour a few years ago, showed flashes of her former brilliance on and around the greens in a 7-under 65 that gave her a share of the lead at the Takefuji Classic with Wendy Ward on Thursday.

A season high attendance of 20,043 also caught Baron Davis nearly put up his fifth career triple-double. Despite another below average shooting night, Davis was only one rebound – or ten steals short. Baron ended the night with 15 points on 6/19 shooting (0/8 from downtown), 15 assists, and 9 rebounds. He almost pulled off the feat nearly three months after doing it for the Hornets against Sacramento, when he totaled 26 points, 17 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Now don’t get me wrong – winning is good. It’s tough to say “just lose so we can hopefully end up with a fantastic pick in the draft.” And come on already, Baron Davis is already acquainted with Jason Richardson’s play. Example A: Baron Davis is leading a three on two break with less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter from the left. The Knicks defense gets passive, Richardson goes to the hoop from the right side, but Davis already mailed a perfectly thrown ball just waiting for Jason to slam down. So...

The word around the NFL, and particularly the draft experts, is that the Denver Broncos desperately need help on the defensive side of the ball. Mock drafts abound that have the Broncos selecting defensive tackles or corner backs in the first round. The football world has seen the Broncos get shellacked in the playoffs by the Indianapolis Colts the last two years, and believe those two contests are the tell tale that the Denver defense is in sorry shape. A year ago they may have been right, but not this year.

While it would be easy to give the next great baseball player to a favorite team, it wouldn’t make it necessarily right, though Albert Pujols and David Ortiz would fit the bill very nicely. However, there has also been Ichiro since he went for the hit record last year.

#2... Timed perfectly with the release of the movie Fever Pitch, Johnny Damon of the Boston Red Sox has been appearing on talk shows promoting his new book. I think I actually want to read it!

3. Tonight’s game offers the first confrontation between Balki Arroyo and Alex Rodriguez since the infamous Game 6 slapping incident. In the event that a brawl breaks out tonight, look for Rodriguez to abandon slapping and focus on scratching and hair pulling instead.

These days, it seems easier to be successful with a no-name offense than a no-name defense, a fact that seems to escape the Chiefs in the Vermeil era. Trent Green, Dante Hall, Priest Holmes, et al, are all wondrously gifted and productive talents, but is there any reason to expect that the end result this season will be different than the last three?

I don’t know. I have a hard time putting him in the same category as the elite hall of fame caliber backs. He had a nice long consistent career. I just don’t think he was the same kind of natural graceful runner that Eric Dickerson was for example. Or Marcus Allen, or Priest Holmes, or Earl Campbell. Well, okay, Earl had the grace of a water buffalo, but something that big moving that fast has its own aesthetic, so who’s to say it ain’t grace?

Australian golfer Peter Lonard is seeking his first win on the PGA Tour. And he is quite close to achieving that. Peter just regained the lead on Saturday at the MCI Heritage after shooting a 5-under-par 66 for a one-stroke lead over Darren Clarke. They are being closely followed by Davis Love III in the tournament. His score at the end of the play was 11-under 202.

Damn, over 63,000 on hand to watch a practice game! Most college teams don't even get that for a regular season game. Some don't even get that much for a bowl game.

Which reminds me. I can't talk about college football without reminding my good buddy Preston, who seems to be in a football mood too, about this:

That would be Peyton Manning getting squished there.

We’ll know soon enough who the first round surprises are, but it will be a few years before we know who really blew this draft. Considering how tricky it is to predict the success of quarterbacks in the NFL you almost hate to see a team break the bank with one. I suppose it’s true of most positions, but it seems truer of Quarterback; you draft potential, not actual performance. That’s why quarterbacks like David Greene of Georgia–the winningest quarterback in NCAA history–is definitely not going in the first round and...

I bring this up in part because I think the same is true of Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith and I don’t understand how they have leapt to the top of the draft board when nobody believes them to be among the best players in the draft. Maybe they are the top two quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Last year they might not have even gone in the first round. I think it is not just likely, but almost a certainty. On the other hand the top two running backs or the top two receivers of this year’s draft are certainly good enough to have gone in the top...

Now, last night was the real start of the 2005 season when the (still scary to say this but) World Series Champion, Boston Red Sox took on the 26-time World Series Champion, New York Yankees. And, of course, as you know, the Yankees won the game 9-2!!

The Boston Red Sox promised more signs and more security on Friday to remind fans not to interfere with play, hoping to avoid another scuffle like the one between New York Yankees star Gary Sheffield and a fan in the right-field corner at Fenway Park.

Wendy Ward secured her fourth LPGA victory with a bogey-free round and a final score of 16-under par, finishing just two strokes ahead of Mexican Lorena Ochoa. Confidently aiming for the fairways and pin-hunting, Ward exclaimed, "I'm just tickled about the way I played today." On the second hole, a 385-yard par 4, Ward took her 58-degree wedge to within three feet. On holes 6, 9, 12, and 16, Wendy played short shots to within ten feet, birdying each time. Wendy's sport psychologist, Debbie Crews, played a role in helping Wendy's mental game. She told Crews she was trying as hard as she could, and Crews said, "I want you to quit trying and start believing."

So why am I always turning on the television set and watching Derek Jeter getting dumped in the dirt? Why? There's absolutely no explanation for it, no logic to it, and certainly no excuse. Joe Torre has one of the hardest throwing (not to mention most intimidating) pitchers in the history of the game in Randy Johnson on his staff now. Any ball whizzing within feet of Derek Jeter's helmet -- let alone hitting him in the head -- should be grounds for sending David Ortiz or Manny Ramirez to the dirt as well.

“When you are reaching down and the next thing you know you are hit or shoved across the face, most people would react violently,” Derek Jeter said about Thursday night’s incident with a fan at Fenway Park. “Like Joe [Torre] said, it could have been worse.

Eagles’ receiver Terrell Owens says he wants to re-negotiate his seven-year, $46 million contract. During a charity bowling event in Miami hosted by ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, T.O. met uber-agent Drew Rosenhaus. This meeting led to the firing of Owens’ agent David Joseph. The Super Bowl hero’s deal is structured in high’s and low’s, last year he caught those 14 td’s for less than $800K, but next year he would earn a few times more. Then down again. T.O.’s rationale is that he’s one...

Tiger Woods' birdie chip on the 16th green in the final round at Augusta will be one of the most played highlights in the history of golf. If you missed it, Woods' chip made a 90-degree turn down a ridge and headed for the hole. The ball reached the hole, teetered on the edge for a good two seconds, then dropped into the cup.

For Nike, the moment was a gift. Whatever ad campaign they were working on is scrapped. Tiger Woods. The Masters. Incredible chip. Nike ball.

I was pleasantly surprised that Chris DiMarco hung tough in the final round at the Masters. He went 4 under and tied Tiger Woods in regulation, only to lose in the first hole in the sudden death playoff. I thought DiMarco lost his rhythm in the final nine holes of the 3rd round and probably wouldn't regain his form, but he must've figured something out in the time between rounds, as he was absolutely fantastic for the final 18. DiMarco will win a major, it's just a matter of when and where. He's a straight enough ball striker that it could be...

Tiger Woods is clearly one of those athletes who can literally move themselves 'into the zone' with their concentration and effort alone. For those of you who do not participate or follow sports, 'the zone' is that rarified air that, when reached by an athlete at any level, but particularly by elite athletes, great things happen, and seem to do so effortlessly.

Things are now falling into place the way they should. Miguel Tejada and Sammy Sosa with back-to-back homeruns and 3 RBI’s apiece. Brian Roberts and Melvin Mora getting on base ahead of them and it all adds up to an 8-1 thrashing of the New York Yankees. Orioles within 1/2 game of first place and the Yankees are tied for dead last in the division; things are off to a good start….

Priest Holmes, once the perennial darling of fantasy football owners may just be done. I know that I have no interest in using my first round pick on him. Holmes is still super-human in terms of field vision, and instinct but I just feel that his age and injuries are finally going to catch up with him this season. Marshall Faulk, for so many years considered the most complete offensive football player in the league has lost his starting position to young rising star Steven Jackson. Faulk’s and Holmes’ decline in fantasy football marks the rise of a new generation of fantasy superstars. For likely the first time in years Faulk will probably not be taken in the first two rounds of most fantasy drafts. Holmes probably will be a top round choice but I would be wary of injury.

That’s unfortunate. Billy Casper was one of the best players of his generation, winning two US Opens, the Masters, and the Senior Open. He also won five Vardon trophies. From 1968 to 1970 he won more tournaments than Nicklaus, Palmer and Player combined. His total of 51 PGA victories places him 6th on the All-Time List (behind Snead, Nicklaus, Hogan, Palmer and Nelson).

IQuick! Which golfer holds the 72 hole aggregate scoring record in any major championship? The answer will surprise many of you (because he's not sexy enough for the media), but it shouldn't because its recent history.

It's David Toms with a 16 under score of 264 at the 2001 PGA at Atlanta Athletic Club. He beat Phil by one stroke. Had Phil won, he would hold that honor.

Success is not cheap for the New York Yankees. As the 2005 season dawns, the Yankees’ already-astronomical payroll has become the first in the Bigs to break the $200-million mark.

Last night, Gary Sheffield of the New York Yankees was attempting to field a ball in right field when he was hit in the mouth by an unruly Boston fan. This is just another typical example of the rude and obnoxious behavior of Boston people. You do not reach out over the fence and a take a swipe at a player. That fan was ejected, but why wasn’t he arrested and charged with assault and battery. Fans like this need to be permanantly banned from any sports facility.

So when the Yankees come to town, boo and spit and curse as usual. Flip a few birds and chant "BAL-CO" when Giambi steps to the plate. But when you do it, know that it's because the New York Yankees are less our archenemies than our evil twin brothers. Because we hold one another up with all our venom even as we weigh each other down. Because together we form yin and yang and that's something beautiful, win or lose.

“It was like we were just playing to play,” LeBron James said. “It wasn’t like we were playing for a playoff spot. We had no sense of urgency and I don’t know why. Hopefully, this game won’t come back to haunt us.”

LeBron James is one of TIME’s 100 most influential people? Man, what did he do apart from scoring in a basketball game?

The Lakers played without Kobe Bryant, who missed the game because his wife, Vanessa, is experiencing an ectopic pregnancy, a potentially dangerous condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterine wall.

Karrie Webb wasn't too excited about her round today, either. "I just didn't feel as comfortable as I did yesterday. I didn't have as many chances at birdies. I've made three bogeys in the tournament and they have all been three-putts. I've got to be a little sharper tomorrow and give myself more opportunities."

When it mattered most, Curt Schilling was accountable in the way few people ever are, let alone athletes--the way heroes are. That's what it's about. Accountability. Responsibility. Get on my back, I'll do it, I'll do whatever it takes. David Ortiz is a hero in the same way.

www.businessofbaseball.com/

I'm not the biggest baseball fan in the world, by any means, but I do get caught up in things (I still have Red Sox-inspired pinch marks from last fall). Business of Baseball is a must for die-hard fans, who juggle statistics, history and other lore in their minds.

The 2005 Major League Baseball season is underway! It's only been a few days and we have the first suspension from the new, tougher steroid policy. This policy gives a 10 day suspension without pay for the 1st offense, and this is exactly what Alex Sanchez recieved.

If you want similar pages for other minor league teams ranging from A to AAA, visit the Baseball America link on the right side of this page and then click “Stats” on Baseball America's links menu.

Baseball, for example, is rife with inequality. Greedy players like Barry Bonds are hitting more than their fair share of home runs. Clearly it's bad for the game when a small number of players selfishly grab up so many of the available home runs, because it leaves less for all of the other players to hit. The best thing for the game is to have everyone hitting at least a couple of the homers, and nobody hitting too many of them: a large "middle class" of mediocre power hitters is what should dominate baseball. But how to best achieve a more equitable...

At the end of the day, I don’t care about steroids, or labor agreements, or how much money Alex Rodriguez is making. All I care about is watching my team playing some sound baseball under the summer sun.

Alex Rodriguez became a hero yesterday when he deftly scooped an eight year old boy from the path of a speeding truck and set him safely on the curb. Remarkably, Rodriguez did not drop, bobble or otherwise boot the child.

Basketball documentary The Year of the Yao starring Shaq and Yao Ming ...

You would think that Spike Lee’s recent yapping about LeBron James going to the Knicks would fire up James’ current teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers. But if you watched Thursday night’s game at Gund Arena, you would think that the Knicks, not the Cavs, were fighting for their playoff lives.

In a showing that displayed a complete lack of heart, the Cavs played absolutely no defense, could not make their free throws, and saw the Knicks constantly beat them on the offensive boards in losing, 95-89. The loss was a crushing blow to Cleveland’s playoff hopes as the Cavs fell to 40-38. Combined with Philadelphia’s win against Miami, the Cavs are back to being the 8th and final seed in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James, despite an atrocious 7-for-25 shooting night, finished with 27 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. But,...

To be perfectly honest, it was nice to see Jason Giambi hit such an important home run. Some of the Sox fans seated near me were insufferable, heckling well-behaved Yankee fans and pouring chants of “BAL-COE” down on Giambi. People were more confused than anything as Giambi lumbered around the base-paths. “How could Giambi hit a home run off of Schilling?” He stuck his chest out defiantly and gave an emphatic fist-rock to Jorge Posada, who scored on his home run and was waiting for him at home plate. As it should have, that one felt...

You know how you are sometimes in the right place at the right time. Well that was me last summer when my family and I were strolling throught the vendors tent the day before the practice rounds began for the 2004 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits near Kohler, Wisconsin. A vendor who was unable to attend the Wednesday practice round gave me 2 free tickets and I was there with camera in hand. The picture above is of the 18th green and the Club House on a cloudy rainy day that gave up a few moments of sunshine for the many spectators. I was...

I generally enjoy reading Golfweek, but I just don’t get the magazine’s new obsession with outgoing LPGA commish Ty Votaw. Forget that the selection firm hasn’t been chosen yet and Votaw isn’t going anywhere until the end of the year. Already we’re getting weekly updates from our friends at Golfweek.

Even worse, the magazine is convinced the LPGA’s next leader should be a woman. In fact, they’re seemingly obsessed with helping to find that woman. If the LPGA is smart - and they usually are - they’ll ignore Golfweek’s input and find the best candidate available - man or woman.

The biggest news story of the past seven days…20-yr old phenom Lebron James scored 56 points and the Cavs still lost!

Not only has Jackson established himself as one of the most successful coaches in professional sports, but he has done so with stars. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant are undoubtedly headed to the Hall of Fame one day. And some are prematurely preparing a bust in Springfield for LeBron James. Nevertheless, the young superstar offers Jackson a gold mine of opportunities. New Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert must know this, and its one reason why the Cavaliers have been regarded as the perfect opportunity for Jackson almost immediately following Silas’ termination. Jackson’s name has been linked to openings in Minnesota, Portland, Los Angeles, New York, and even Dallas. Jackson spent his playing days in New York, winning a ring with the 1973 Knicks. The desire to return there as a coach and break Auerbach’s record as a Knickerbocker would, indeed, be a storybook ending for one of sports’ most successful coaches. With the Lakers, he obviously has a compelling history, leading the franchise back to glory and its status as the NBA’s flagship franchise. However, a return to Hollywood would defy all logic if what has been documented in the past is true. In Jackson’s latest book, entitled The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul in which he archives the 2003-04 Laker season, the coach is anything but enthusiastic of Laker superstar Kobe Bryant. Jackson, who had been known to become fed up with Bryant’s antics, writes in his book, “I do know that there were many occasions this year when I felt like there was a psychological war going on between us. Amazingly, we came to a truce, even to a higher level of trust. Ultimately, though, I don’t believe we developed enough trust between us to win a championship.” In addition to his ambiguous views on Bryant, Jackson was, according to an October edition of the Los Angeles Times, seeking help from a hired therapist to help cope with the struggles caused by Bryant.

I work with this guy named Mike. Tall skinny dude who is a reformed alcoholic but sells liquor during the day to liquor stores. Well, he was at the opening day game when they opened the new stadium however many years ago and still drank at the time. Early in the game he went into the bathroom and slammed a pint of vodka, which, when combined with all the other drinking he had been doing that day meant he was fairly lit. So him and his buddies are walking around the stadium and he sees this kid in his teens wearing an all kobe bryant jersey, like head to toe. So he starts yelling out “KOBE BRYANT SUCKS”. Nothing. Kid doesn’t turn around or anything. Parents with kids are grabbing their kids and covering their ears. (forgive my sports ignorance on the following…) “(KOBE BRYANT’S TEAM) SUUUUUCKS” “(THAT TEAM)’S COACH SUUUUUUCKS” “(THAT TEAM)’S ANNOUNCER SUUUUUCKS” and he’s going on and on and everytime people are looking at him with more and more frightened looks wondering why some drunk guy is going on seemingly random rants.

The answer is Sam Cassell, Michael Olowokandi, and Eddie Griffin. Cassell returned from injury to score 15 points including a huge three pointer in the final minutes. Olowokandi had eight points and nine rebounds in 18 minutes, while Griffin added three points and eight rebounds in 15 foul-plagued minutes. Kevin Garnett contributed heavily, leading his team in all five of the major statistical categories.

Last month, she finished 1 shot behind Karrie Webb in the ANZ Ladies Masters. She has received a sponsor exemption for next week's Kraft Nabisco.

• The Game and Lame of New York Sports — Part 1 of the New York Post's ninth-annual Best and Worst of New York Sports includes lists of the most overrated (Jeremy Shockey), underappreciated (Hideki Matsui), tough (Derek Jeter), paranoid (Chad Pennington), friendly (David Wright), aloof (Jason Giambi), exciting (Vince Carter), dull (Steve Trachsel) and different (Frank Walker) athletes and execs in the local sports scene.

And so now we come to Jason Kidd. Look for Kidd to start demanding his way out of New Jersey. He has done everything but that for most of the season with his tepid support for the Nets. This from a guy who had the chance to go to the Spurs but rejected it when the Nets came up with more than $100 million through 2008-09. Of course, the Nets had to take on Alonzo Mourning for $22 million without a physical at Kidd’s urging. Mourning complained his way out of New Jersey and is with Miami and a chance for a championship this season.

“Fans are the same yo-yos who named Jason Giambi to the American League All-Star team last year,” a Vatican spokesman said on the condition of anonymity. Thanks, but no thanks.”

South Korea's Grace Park declared herself fit to defend the Kraft Nabisco Championship, although she said her back was very sore after completing Wednesday's 18-hole Pro-am.

Phil Mickelson, who had found winning a major to be more elusive than trying to catch a moonbeam in his golf bag, out-dueled Ernie Els down the stretch to claim the green jacket. And Mickelson won the Masters with an array of great, clutch golf shots, not by simply treading water while others crumbled in the pressure cooker.

SEATTLE (AP) -- Star University of Washington junior guard Nate Robinson is expected to announce at a news conference that he intends to make himself available for the 2005 NBA draft.

CALOUNDRA, Australia (AP) - U.S. Champions Tour regular Tom Purtzer made the most of a trip to Australia to visit his daughter, winning the Titanium Australian PGA Seniors championship Sunday by five shots.

Babe Ruth: The icon, the biggest name in baseball history, has a figure that is very historic. His slimmer body type is interesting, and the fact that he has no jersey number proves that this is a young �Bambino.� All MLB teams started to wear numbers in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The old Louisville Slugger that Ruth is holding has his full name on the bat. His eyes are trained on the upper deck as you can see that he just blasted one based on his body language. He did all of this without a batting helmet!

To hear some people in the NFL, the 2005 NFL Draft is as much about Kyle Boller and Trent Dilfer and Akili Smith as it is about Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith and the other players who actually will be drafted in two weeks.