Cowboys roll

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-16. Winning on the road in a short week, against a team that many consider a contender, in a place that they had never won......well, it was a solid performance. The Cowboys are fortunate in that after playing a Monday night game, they had a Sunday night game, then a 3pm game next week. Having those precious extra hours are certainly a benefit. How would they like a Monday nighter followed by a Sunday noon game or even 3pm? For a short week, they received the best schedule possible.

Defense - Best game in quite a while. They were able to get consistent pressure on Aaron Rogers. Plus, the secondary covered pretty well and that forced Rogers into making poor throws or taking sacks. They did allow some yardage but really gutted up in the red zone.

The Pack was only 28% on third down and held to 84 yards rushing.

DeMarcus Ware might be the best Cowboys defensive players in a very long time.

Nice to see Adam Jones making plays in the running game - forcing a fumble and making 6 tackles and assisting on 2 others.

Romo - we will see this 1 or 2 more times this season. Mostly, just a stinker. 2 intentional groundings (he had 0 prior to last night). He was able to make a couple of big plays to Miles Austin but Romo was never comfortable.

The running game was fantastic. MBIII absolutely pounded the Packers defense and Felix Jones came in and torched them for a 60 yard TD run. Barber had 142 on 28 carries. I imagine that the Packers defense was demoralized at seeing Barber coming at them over and over. He punishes defenders. Then, you throw out the explosive Jones. Scary.

Smart move by Jason Garrett to quickly assess that Romo was off and switch to the running game. How many times did we see the delayed handoff to Barber. It felt like Groundhog Day.

TO - only 2 catches but make several key blocks and attracted 2 of the better Packer defenders. He ran down Nick Collins, from behind, after his INT. He also ran down Felix Jones on his 60 yard run to screen a defender. Kind of like in basketball when your shot is not falling, you can still have a great "floor" game.

You knew that all those FG's by the Packers would come back to haunt them. You cannot beat the Cowboys by kicking field goals.

Every other division leader must be ecstatic that they are not in the NFC East, easily the best division in football.

Worries - another 7 penalties, Barber and his difficulty in holding on the the ball, red zone efficiency (1/5).

For some reason, I never felt truly comfortable until the last minute or so. I guess the Philly game was still on my mind.

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NFL re-cap

Green Bay's take

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MNF

Cowboys win
Wow, what a game. I was saying that after the first quarter. We don't get too many shootouts in the NFC East. Although, the second half turned into a pseudo grind-it-out game. The QB's put were awesome. Big time players made big time plays.

Tony Romo - the comparisons to Brett Favre are nice, but I hope he can be better than that. And by that, I mean leading his team to multiple Super Bowls. He has to eliminate the mistakes and make smart plays. As much as I like his style, he has to manage his wildness (which is part of what makes him so good).

TO - absolutely abused the secondary. Why did he not get any looks in the second half?

Jason Whitten - what a stud. This guy plays his heart out even after sustaining a painful shoulder injury.

Felix Jones - This guy is scary. I bet we will continue to see great things from this guy.

MB III - Typical grinding performance that eventually wore down the Eagles defense. GREAT job by the offensive line throughout the game.

Defense - unfortunately, the injury to Roy might actually help this team. The offenses were so good in the first half, that it is hard to blame them. In the second half, the Eagles only scored 1 TD. McNabb held the ball too long on a few plays and was indecisive on the Westbrook fumble. But, the last sacks were a result of good coverage by the Cowboy secondary.

The refs missed a few calls in the one - Jason Hatcher facemask, Greg Lewis interference, late hit on Patrick Watkins tackling Westbrook out of bounds.

Brian Westbrook is simply amazing. This guy scares me every time he is on the field.

DeSean Jackson - wow, incredible talent with a peanut brain.


This is a game that will be discussed for a long time. Next week should be another dandy. Sunday night at Green Bay.

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9/11

9/11

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Tony Romo also saved a cat stuck in a tree and helped an old lady across the street
But a couple of miles from the house, while driving on MacArthur Boulevard, the Whites had their own mini-disaster. A tire blew on the Mercury. Bill, luckily, managed to nurse his wounded ride off the street and into the lighted parking lot of a strip mall.

For troubling news on a Sunday, it didn't rank up there with taking a direct hit to the chin from the helmet of linebacker Willie McGinest, but Bill became a bit woozy himself when he discovered his jack was malfunctioning. Never a good thing at midnight.

Plan B kicked in, however. One of those cigarette-lighter-plug-in air compressors was available. Except it was leaking more air than it was pumping.

"I don't know, a hundred cars, probably more, had to go by. Nobody was stopping," said Bill. "That's just kind of the way it is in today's world."

And then ...

"Bill was fooling with that tire, and I was standing beside the car watching him," Sharon said. "The next thing I know, a nice-looking young man, very well-dressed, but with something strange on his chin, he walked up, smiled, and said, 'Hey, you need some help?' "

Sharon hadn't even noticed a car pull up.

So now it's Bill and the well-dressed young man both bent over a flat tire at midnight on a Sunday, trying to figure out why a faulty air compressor plugged into the cigarette lighter was leaking more than pumping.

"I didn't get a good look at him at that point," Bill said. "We were both trying to get the tire pumped up."

Sharon, however, took a second look. "You are Tony Romo," she said. No reply, just a smile, and then it was back to work on the compressor.

Finally, they got the tire aired up. Enough, anyway, to make a slow drive home.

"I didn't want to bother him," Sharon said, "but I asked again, 'You're Tony Romo, right?' " I knew it was him by then. But he smiled and said, 'Yes, ma'am.' "

Sharon: "I did something no 50-year-old woman should be doing, but I screamed real loud, and then jumped up and hugged him."

Bill's immediate response was "Don't tell me how you guys did. I'm going home to watch it."

By the next day, after seeing what the "something strange on his chin" was about, that made the Whites appreciate Romo's gesture even more.

"He gets almost knocked cold in that game, and I read it took 13 stitches to close the cut, and then there's a long flight home [the Cowboys charter arrived at around 11 p.m.] and Tony's got to be dog tired, but he still was a good enough person to stop and help us," Bill said.

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Does Philly miss TO?
While everyone's having a conniption about how competent, how confident, how cocky that little rookie wide receiver is, think about this:
It didn't have to be this way. It didn't have to come down to falling in love with a 21-year-old out of California who has blistering speed and a monster ego, two valued commodities among football fans in this town. There's a lot to love about DeSean Jackson - the 40-yard dash time, the hands, the bravado, the instincts - but the Eagles shouldn't have to rely on a rookie to be their playmaker at wide receiver.

They had one. For a brief moment, they had it all. It could have worked. It should have worked. Had there been better communication from all involved, the Eagles might have a Lombardi Trophy by now. But as we all know, the Eagles' relationship with Terrell Owens ended in the nastiest of divorces, all because the parties involved - including Andy Reid, Owens, Donovan McNabb, and, yes, even the loquacious Hugh Douglas - failed to talk, air their grievances like men, and, ultimately, put in the work to save the marriage.

Shame on them all.

Well, if you're McNabb, you can hope and pray that Jackson is the next great receiver. They don't come around often, and certainly not at 5-foot-10. McNabb is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and Jackson might be his last chance.

If you're Reid, you hope that in the next 15 years, another Owens will come around and you'll have a chance to get him. It's unlikely, though. Look at the NFL now. There's the old guard of Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison, Owens, Torry Holt and Chad Ocho Cinco (or whatever his name is now), and the new guard, players who are still developing such as Braylon Edwards, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

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Cowboy$ #1

The New York Giants and New York Jets had the biggest increase in value in Forbes Magazine's annual ranking of NFL franchises, each jumping 21 percent because of their new stadium.

And the stadium where they'll both play isn't scheduled to open until the 2010 season.

The Giants moved from eighth to fourth in the rankings released Wednesday, valued at $1.178 billion, behind Dallas ($1.612 billion), Washington ($1.538 billion) and New England ($1.324 billion), the perennial leaders. The Jets are right behind them in fifth with a value of $1.178 billion.

Indianapolis made the biggest jump in the rankings, going from 21st to eighth because their new stadium is opening this year. The Colts are valued at $1.076 billion.

The magazine also found that for the first time in any sport, team values averaged $1 billion. Ten years ago, when it first started keeping track, the average value of an NFL team was $288 million.

Forbes attributes the increase primarily to new stadiums as well as increased sponsorship deals.

In all, 19 teams were valued at more than $1 billion.

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Dr Z must not think very much of Tom Brady

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Sweet, Sweet Olympics

What a run. The coverage, competition, and stories were as good as ever. Perhaps part of the allure is that the games were held in China, a place that has become a dominant force in the world but one that we really do not fully understand.

Did China ever gear up for these games. Somehow, I doubt that the UK will expend this type of effort in 2012.

The closing ceremony was kind of boring, at least after the flame was extinguished. I kept waiting for the long range camera shots of the human "flame" as it defeats the purpose to continually show closeups. Also, was the London skyline in the double decker bus made of grass? That looked terrible.

Speaking of terrible, how about the 2012 logo

Poor Bryan Clay - does anyone even know that he won the decathlon? Along with the title of World's Greatest Athlete?

The US mens volleyball team pulled off an incredible victory over Brazil. Those guys were as proud and appreciative as anyone, especially Hugh McCutcheon.

By the way, had the women's indoor team won, the US would have swept volleyball - 2 outdoor and 2 indoor. As it turned out, they won 3 gold and 1 silver.

I turned on the Olympics the other day and had no idea what sport I was watching. Team handball.....kind of interesting.

USA basketball did us proud. Those guys desperately wanted to win. Total class act.

My back hurts from watching field hockey. What a beating.

I can do without synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics

Olympic commercials

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Very interesting article on the Olympics, tv, and Michael Phelps

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Olympic ratings
Who knew 3,600 hours of broadcast television and video streaming could fly by so quickly? Seems like it was only 17 days ago that the Summer Olympics began. But now Beijing is in the books.

NBC broke the U.S. event record Saturday when it surpassed 211 million viewers served. That topped the mark of 209 million set at Atlanta's Olympics. Of course, the Super Bowl does spot the Olympics 16 days.

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Kosier out for 6 weeks

The Cowboys have not needed to re-shuffle their starting offensive line because of injury in three seasons, but that will change.

Left guard Kyle Kosier could miss up to six weeks because of sprained right foot and hairline fracture. He left Texas Stadium on Friday night in a walking boot and had an MRI on Saturday.

Kosier, who hasn't missed a game since his rookie season in 2002, suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' 23-22 win against Houston.

With Kosier out, Joe Berger will probably start for the first time in his career. Berger, who joined the Cowboys late in 2006 off waivers from Miami, was active for three games last season and saw his only extended playing time in the season finale at Washington.

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Funney!

HBM

So glad that China set-up all of those protest areas

Chinese authorities have not approved any of the 77 applications they received from people who wanted to hold protests during the Beijing Olympics, state media reported Monday.

The official Xinhua News Agency said all the applications were withdrawn, suspended or rejected. Rights groups and relatives have said some applicants were immediately taken away by security agents after applying to hold a rally, prompting critics to accuse officials of using the plan as a trap to draw potential protesters to their attention.

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Meet Emily

Extraordinarily lifelike characters are to begin appearing in films and computer games thanks to a new type of animation technology.

Emily - the woman in the above animation - was produced using a new modelling technology that enables the most minute details of a facial expression to be captured and recreated.

She is considered to be one of the first animations to have overleapt a long-standing barrier known as 'uncanny valley' - which refers to the perception that animation looks less realistic as it approaches human likeness.

Researchers at a Californian company which makes computer-generated imagery for Hollywood films started with a video of an employee talking. They then broke down down the facial movements down into dozens of smaller movements, each of which was given a 'control system'.

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James Bond meets google maps

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Another Step

Redeem Team takes another step

BEIJING (AP) The U.S. Olympic team stopped the pick-and-rolls - and just about everything else Greece tried.

These Americans that looked so lost two years at the world championship when this team was being formed appear to have found their Olympic defensive way.

Batting away balls or swatting shots on seemingly every possession late in the second quarter, the Americans broke open a close game and went on to a 92-69 victory Thursday night to clinch a spot in the medal round.

Their offense wasn't too shabby either as the Americans were able to find the range on jump shots when the Greeks went to a zone defense to slow them down.

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Rangers are toast

BOSTON – The playoff race is now just a faint memory, like a sleep-away camp from a summer long ago. It allows the Rangers to refocus on the original and more tangible goal for this season: developing young players, particularly young pitchers.

And after another night when the ERA shot up and another young pitcher (Luis Mendoza) had to hand the ball to manager Ron Washington before the game was even halfway over, and an 8-4 loss in Boston dropped them to just one game above .500, the Rangers are forced to consider the season's most important questions:

Are the young pitchers gaining the kind of experience from which they will grow or are they simply getting hammered?

"The question isn't whether they are making progress," assistant general manager Thad Levine said, choosing his words delicately, "it's whether they are making enough progress."

For the seventh time in 11 starts this year, Mendoza failed to make it through five innings. Washington came to get him after he allowed the first four batters of the fifth to reach base. The last batter he faced, rookie Jed Lowrie, lined a two-run double to give Boston an 8-0 lead.

It also pushed the starting rotation ERA to 5.69. The ERA has pushed higher on each day of the current road trip, during which the Rangers have won just once in five games and have seen their deficit in the wild-card standings bulge to nine games back of Boston

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Federer shocker

BEIJING -- Roger Federer's bid for his first Olympic singles medal ended Thursday night when he lost to American James Blake.

With the sort of lackluster performance once unthinkable for Federer, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals 6-4, 7-6 (2).

The upset was a stunner in that Blake had won only a single set in their previous eight matches. But the top-seeded Federer is battling a year-long slump that has left him stalled at 12 major titles, two shy of Pete Sampras' record.

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Julia Child the female James Bond?

Famed chef Julia Child shared a secret with Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Chicago White Sox catcher Moe Berg at a time when the Nazis threatened the world.

While Julia Child was cooking pheasants, she was also part of an international spy ring during World War II.

They served in an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA created in World War II by President Franklin Roosevelt.

The full secret comes out Thursday, all of the names and previously classified files identifying nearly 24,000 spies who formed the first centralized intelligence effort by the United States. The National Archives, which this week released a list of the names found in the records, will make available for the first time all 750,000 pages identifying the vast spy network of military and civilian operatives.

Among the more than 35,000 OSS personnel files are applications, commendations and handwritten notes identifying young recruits who, like Child, Goldberg and Berg, earned greater acclaim in other fields -- Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a historian and special assistant to President Kennedy; Sterling Hayden, a film and television actor whose work included a role in "The Godfather"; and Thomas Braden, an author whose "Eight Is Enough" book inspired the 1970s television series.

Other notables identified in the files include John Hemingway, son of author Ernest Hemingway; Quentin and Kermit Roosevelt, sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, and Miles Copeland, father of Stewart Copeland, drummer for the band The Police.

The Big O

This was the amazing race

How ridiculous is it that 5 teams broke the world record in this race, which means 2 countries broke the WR and did not even medal. I know virtually nothing about competitive swimming but that has to be the greatest relay race....ever.

What transpired during the final 50 meters was the stuff of Disney movies. It was the kind of thing that should land Lezak a co-starring role with Phelps on cereal boxes and network morning shows. And if Phelps does complete the great eight and pocket a $1 million Speedo bonus, he should cut a check for one-eighth of that total to the guy who kept the quest alive, Jason Lezak.

Cullen Jones, Jason Lezak, Michael Phelps and Garrett Weber-Gale set a world record (3:08.24) on their way to winning the 4x100 free relay.

"His last 50 meters were absolutely unbelievable," Phelps said.

The 32-year-old Lezak, a three-time Olympian who has been an American anchorman nearly as long as Ted Koppel, steadily closed in on Bernard. Lezak hugged the lane line, drafting off Bernard like a NASCAR driver. It was a welcome change of tactics for a guy who is accustomed to being drafted upon by trailing swimmers.

"It was an amazing thing to watch. I was saying to myself, 'If anybody in the world can pull this off, it's Jason.'"

In the final stroke, Lezak pulled it off. He thrust his right arm for the wall, desperation and determination meeting perfect timing. The lunge beat Bernard by an eye blink. Lezak somehow touched first, as the fans and his relay teammates both exploded.

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Cowboys struggle

"Overall, we obviously didn't play well enough as a team," coach Wade Philips said. "But any time you have turnovers and penalties, those things are really going to hurt you.

"We're not happy with losing, but I think we can learn a lot."

The lowlights included:

■ Three pass interference penalties that contributed to three San Diego touchdowns.

■ A series of special teams miscues on returns and coverage that created field position troubles.

■ A miscommunication between Brad Johnson and Patrick Crayton that led to an interception San Diego turned into another score.

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Oh yeah, there was a Major in golf this past weekend

Three weeks after playing what many believed to be the back nine of his life to win at Royal Birkdale, an exhausted Padraig Harrington was hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy and becoming the first European-born golfer since 1930 to win the PGA Championship.

That the Irishman did so while basically on fumes is the amazing thing.

Harrington was despondent on Friday after shooting 74, saying, "I'd just run out of steam. I did my best to be ready for the week, but clearly I'm not." On Sunday, he recalled, "I just couldn't get off the golf course fast enough. I was probably the only guy who finished bogey-bogey and thought he was doing pretty well.

"I was probably thinking of putting my clubs away for a week, which is something I almost never do."

Padraig Harrington shot a pair of 66s over the weekend to clinch his third major championship victory.And yet if we have learned anything about Harrington, 36, it is that he is one of the most resilient players in the game today. He is not as gifted, nor does he possess the same skills as a Tiger Woods or a Phil Mickelson or even a Sergio Garcia, who was the tough-luck loser again on Sunday.

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Greatness is gone

For all the great things that he did over his career, I will always remember Isaac Hayes as "The Duke" in Escape from New York and as the voice of South Parks "Chef".

Isaac Hayes, the musician, composer and producer whose innovative sound changed the shape of pop music and whose shaved head, bejeweled outfits and regal demeanor embodied African American masculinity in the 1970s, has died. He was 65.

Family members found Hayes unresponsive Sunday afternoon next to a treadmill in a downstairs bedroom in his home just east of Memphis, Tenn., said Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.

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Olympics start this week

Olympic Opening Ceremonies moved

The opening ceremonies will start at 6:30 p.m. Friday on NBC, in what the network is calling a "special early start time." Olympic competition actually begins earlier with some soccer matches on MSNBC, including the U.S. women's team playing Wednesday. But the big China-is-great production number, otherwise known as the opening ceremonies, will be the focus of the 4 1/2 hours on Friday.

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Favre back in the mix

Almost six weeks to the day after Favre told Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy that he was seriously considering ending his retirement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that he was reinstating the legendary quarterback at noon today and ordered the Packers to make room for him on their 80-man roster.

And it appears not only will the Packers take Favre back, they will allow him to compete with Aaron Rodgers for the starting quarterback job. A source close to the Packers told the Journal Sentinel on Sunday afternoon that it was understood between both parties that Favre would have a chance to compete for a starting job.

Before that can happen, however, Favre must meet with McCarthy

Some teammates thoughts
"He wants to play," cornerback Al Harris insisted.

"That's really all you can do is open it up," cornerback Charles Woodson said. "He's reinstated so at that point, once they did that, you've got to give him a chance to win his job. So I think that's only fair. We'll see what happens."

“I love him,” said Driver, who has made three Pro Bowls with Favre throwing him the ball. “That’s one thing I’ve always said. We have a very, very close relationship, so it’s good to have a close friend around, and that’s the biggest thing to me.

“Everyone back home’s saying, ‘Have you met Brett?’” rookie tight end Jermichael Finley said. “I’m like, ‘Nah, man. He hasn’t showed up.’ It’s going to be great to meet him.”

“The only person I really worry about is Aaron, and I think he’s handling it real well,” receiver James Jones said. “However they play it out, they play it out. Aaron’s a man. He’ll handle whatever situation. If he’s the starter, he’s going to handle that as the starter. Something comes up where Brett is the starter, then (Rodgers) will handle it that way. He’ll be fine.”

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25 things you never knew about Metallica (unless you have never read or seen anything about them

Also, Metallica finally revealed the last piece of the Death Magnetic puzzle, announcing their new Rick Rubin-produced album will be available worldwide on September 12th. While most albums are released in Europe on Monday and the States on Tuesday, Metallica are keeping with the unorthodox nature of this album’s release, giving the world Death Magnetic on a Friday. We assume that Friday will also see the release of the playable Death Magnetic for Guitar Hero III.

The Favre watch

Brett Favre has signed his letter seeking reinstatement to the Green Bay Packers but may not send it to the NFL until Monday or Tuesday.

Favre said in a telephone interview that he did not report to the Packers' camp Sunday with the rest of the team in part because general manager Ted Thompson pleaded with him to delay his arrival.

Such is the drama that continues to build around Favre.

He offered to compete for his old job but was told that wasn't possible.

He admits he has spoken to Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress but says it wasn't tampering.

He's open to a trade, but not just to the New York Jets or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He's hoping commissioner Roger Goodell can mediate the impasse that he has reached with the Packers.

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More Packer trouble

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Cowboys get it on

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Pink Floyd covers explained

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Brett Favre wants to play, at least for now. He has flip-flopped more times than a pancake at IHOP. What is the team suppose to do? If he returns, there will be a divided locker room, second guessing all over the place, and Green Bay might end up losing their successor to Favre.

The Packers should not give him his outright release. Favre retires, the Pack moves on with Rodgers, all is well. Favre wants a meeting in March to say he wants to unretire, then cancels. The organization seemed willing at that point to let him return. Now, almost 4 months later, he wants to play?

What is he gets into training camp and decides it is just too much and he really doesn't want to play. This is selfishness at the utmost degree. If the team tries to trade him, what will they get? Probably not much. Forget the other divisional teams and maybe most in the NFC (maybe Tampa is a possibility). You think Favre wants to go to Baltimore or Oakland? Surely, he wants to go south. Carolina would fit but are the Packers willing and able to make a respectable deal with other teams knowing that he has to be traded? He has put this organization is a terrible spot.

What a mess

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This is not a good thing. Packer is synonymous with the NCAA tournament.

Packer out (no, not Brett Favre)
Billy Packer's streak of Final Fours is over after 34 years.

Billy Packer will reportedly be replaced by CBS studio analyst Clark Kellogg.
Packer, a color commentator, will be replaced in CBS' coverage by studio analyst Clark Kellogg, according to media reports Monday.

Jim Nantz will continue in his Final Four play-by-play role.

Packer, 68, will leave CBS after 28 years to pursue "other projects in basketball," according to The Miami Herald.

Speculation of Packer's exit was fueled amid widespread criticism during this year's tournament.

Early in the 2008 semifinal between Kansas and North Carolina, with the Jayhawks up 38-12, Packer declared, "The game is over."

North Carolina cut the lead to 54-50 with 11 minutes left in the second half before Kansas pulled away, winning 84-66.

The Jayhawks beat Memphis 75-68 to claim the national title.

Packer, who began his Final Four run at NBC, later defended the comment to USA Today.

"My job is to say what I see, not have some kind of subconscious feelings about offending anybody. ... It probably annoyed some people, but I don't concern myself with having some agenda that's contrary to what I'm seeing," he said.

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Ian Kinsler is doing things few people predicted. He still has glove issues but this guy can play the game. I was fortunate to be able to meet him about 1 1/2 years ago and speak with him. He was confident, bordering on cocky, but still a pretty nice guy.
Kinsler hits 25

Kinsler extended his majors-best hitting streak to 25 games with three hits and drove in three runs, and Young and Bradley also had key hits, leading the Texas Rangers to a wild 12-11 victory over the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox that clinched another series win.

"We're showing a lot of character, clawing our way through games," said Young, who has a 15-game hitting streak. "We're playing as a team. ... The momentum we've built up over the last couple of months, hopefully we can carry that over into the second half.

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The Beatles are still a little bit popular
The hand-painted drum skin that appeared on the sleeve of the Beatles' ground-breaking 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" sold for $1.1 million at auction on Thursday in London, four times its estimate.

Billed as the "world's most famous drum skin," it was the star lot of Christie's rock and pop memorabilia sale in London, and eclipsed the other highlight, John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for hit song "Give Peace a Chance."

The manuscript still fetched $834,000, well above pre-sale expectations of around $500,000.

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Dit ontluikt voor u (that's Dutch for "This Bud's for you")

Belgian brewer InBev has announced it will buy its U.S. rival Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion to create the world's largest brewer.

The deal would create the world's largest brewer and put the U.S. beer-maker in the hands of Belgian-based InBev.

The acquisition means control over America's largest brewer, the No. 2 worldwide, moves overseas. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Anheuser-Busch has more than 48 percent of American market share with brands that include Bud Light.

InBev is the world's second largest beer maker, with brands that include Stella Artois and Becks.

The deal must be approved by shareholders and European and U.S. antitrust regulators. The merger will produce the fourth-largest consumer product company worldwide

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Rush does exist!

Ok, for most people out there, this is not the biggest story....or even a big story. BUT, for me, this is a neat thing. As much as I cant stand Rolling Stone, they finally acknowledged Rush for the first time since May of 1981. in retrospect, that is really hard to believe. This magazine does not like this group and for whatever reason, has basically refused to even mention Rush in their publication.

Rush never sleeps
Under bright houselights, the 17,000-capacity venue is quickly filling with fans of the Canadian rock trio Rush — many resembling the two young men I find sitting 10 rows from the stage: brow-fringing hair, utilitarian glasses, sprouts of chin whisker. They look straight out of an '82 yearbook photo of the after-school D&D club — a suggestion neither finds insulting.

I've never thought of us as particularly cool," says Lifeson, now 54 but still in possession of much of his thick blond hair. Within Rush, Lifeson is known as "Lerxst" — a band in-joke from years ago, when the three members entertained themselves by inserting extra syllables and accents into proper nouns. But, "We were filling these places, and I noticed everybody knew all the lyrics, knew the drum fills and had that mentality like, 'This is my band. I found these guys,' " says Lifeson.

What follows is difficult to describe. It involves hysteria. It involves tears. It involves air-drumming of a brio rarely witnessed — not just the standard cymbal-snare pantomime, mind you, but a dizzying recital of tom, bell, cymbal, wind chime, all in perfect sync with the onstage movements of Peart, Rush's drum god and lyricist. It's a kinetic genuflection, variations of it occurring all around me. To my right an unaccompanied woman in camp shorts raises a thumbs-up sign every eight bars. A few rows up, a man is air-drumming, guitaring and bass-playing simultaneously (a spectacle resembling full-contact hacky sack). From behind, a fortysomething man yanks my shoulder during a solo to yell, "That's an ES-355 guitar he's got there!" And for the next three hours, during songs about religion, suburbia, tidal pools and trees, most of this crowd will sing along with every word.

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Complete album guide

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Have a Ham Slamwich
On-deck hitter David Murphy tossed his bat and helmet into the air. Ron Washington leaped onto the back of coach Art Howe, almost knocking him to the ground. Ian Kinsler tried to hurdle the dugout railing and instead ended up eating dirt.

And they could not have looked more graceful doing it.

Such are scenes from a pennant race. Whether they remain in the hunt all summer or not even until the end of July, the Rangers, with a most improbable 5-4 win over AL-West leading Los Angeles on Wednesday night, served notice they aren't going anywhere for now.

Josh Hamilton clinched the win with the first walk-off homer of his career. It came off primo closer Francisco Rodriguez with two outs in the ninth of a game in which the Rangers started reliever Warner Madrigal and a game they never led until the final pitch.

The Rangers have won two of the first three games of the series to inch within 6½ games of Los Angeles. A series-clinching win tonight would put them 5½ games out heading into the final weekend before the All-Star break

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The Mavs make a huge splash by signing Diop and JJ. Wow, thank goodness those two are locked up for the next few years. The Mavs paid Diop 2x what he is worth...and for 5 years. Positively insane.

Why?

Diop's contract will start at $5,585,000. With the maximum eight percent raises, The five-year deal will be worth $32.393 million.

"It's great signing a five-year deal," Diop said. "Knowing you're back where you want to be is important to me. There were three or four teams that offered me the mid-level. But it wasn't a hard decision. The only way I would have ended up somewhere else is if it was for a lot more money, not a little."

Barea, meanwhile, signed for $1.5 million next season. Two years of the three-year contract are guaranteed, with the third at the team's option.

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The Onion takes on Mark Cuban

Billionaire Mark Cuban, tired of the opposition he has encountered from NBA management in his role as owner of the Dallas Mavericks and frustrated with opposition from the MLB owners' association in his attempt to buy the Chicago Cubs, liquidated almost all his personal wealth and holdings and purchased the entirety of sports for an undisclosed but undoubtedly large sum on Monday.

"I'm pleased and excited to announce to fans of—well, of everything, really—that a new era has begun in the game, activity, contest, race, national pastime, world championship tournament, sport, or sports that you love so much," a cheerful Cuban said Tuesday morning in a press conference held to announce his acquisition. "So many of the things that have frustrated me about sports—the officiating, the ivory-tower attitude of the powers-that-be, the fact that I am not in control of every single aspect of them—all of that is about to change."

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Another reason why Dallas is failing

July 4

July 4 has many different meanings. Some think of it as a day off from work. Others (see retail workers) see it as another day that they have to work when they should be at home with their families. Others see the 4th as a day to have friends and family over to enjoy some hamburgers and hot dogs. Still other see today as an opportunity to hit the lake and party.

There is a very small minority that actually appreciate and reflect on what this day means to our country. Talk about David vs Goliath. If you have never taken the time to read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution, you should. They are fascinating documents written by talented and creative minds.

Some people criticize this day because the military gets too much "play" in the press. What is wrong with that? These people volunteer to protect us every second of every day. They are a big reason our country has remained free and a power.

Also, I get tired of the argument that if our Founding Fathers did today what they did in 1776, it would be considered treason. They created this country from an oppressive regime that offered no form of representation. They did what they had to do so that you would have the opportunity to live free.

Today, instead of having to start an armed revolution against the government, all you have to do is get involved and vote. If you don't like the policies and practices of the government, then you have to do something to make changes. Back a candidate, vote, volunteer, picket, or maybe ever run for an office.

Do nothing and you get exactly what you deserve.

good read on the 4th

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Now, something funny from our founding fathers......

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On to SPORTS
Most seem to be in favor of the Avery signing, though I still have my doubts. But, this is obviously a Brett Hull signing and he knows a little bit about hockey. This team will be good next year, but the hockey might be even uglier that normal. Avery does have some skill and is only 28. If healthy, maybe he will add a little scoring punch to partially replace Hagman's goal totals.

JJT's view

TSN calls Avery "spirited"

From ESPN's Scott Burnside
Stars sign forward Sean Avery to four-year, $15.5 million deal
Not sure exactly what New York Rangers GM Glen Sather was thinking. He made little effort to keep Sean Avery in the fold as the forward waltzed off Broadway and into Dallas. Now, the Stars have another talented, gritty forward to help take some of the pressure off captain Brenden Morrow.

"I just thought it was a no-brainer to have him in our lineup," Avery's former teammate in Detroit and current Stars assistant GM Brett Hull said Wednesday after the deal was done. "He goes against the stream, which I kind of like. Kind of reminds me of me."

There are always two trains of thought when it comes to Avery. There's Avery the player, who can antagonize with the best of them, but also knows how to play the game. The Rangers were a much different team -- read better -- with Avery in the lineup than without him. Then, there's Avery the diva, whose penchant for the dramatic has been off-putting to both teammates and opponents in the past.

The Stars believe Avery the player is the most important part of this equation. Dallas upset the defending Cup champs from Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs and then preseason Cup favorite San Jose before dropping a six-game series to the Red Wings in the West finals. Does Avery make the Stars better than Detroit? No. Not with the Wings adding Hossa. But Avery ensures the Stars will have more grit and no complacency in the dressing room after a season of unexpected playoff success.

Free-agency grade: B+

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Gilbert, when healthy, can play and make no mistake, he is still getting a brinks truck load of money

Gilbert Arenas gives up $16mil
Gilbert Arenas is accepting less money from the Washington Wizards, invoking an attitude far, far removed from the world of his working-class fans.

"What can I do for my family with $127 million that I can't do with $111 million?" he told The Washington Post.

The unpredictable three-time All-Star point guard, in vintage Agent Zero fashion, told the Post and the Washington Times on Thursday that he has agreed to re-sign for $111 million over six years, considerably less than the maximum deal he said the Wizards offered him when the free agency period began on Tuesday.

Arenas negotiated the deal from China, where is traveling as part of promotional tour for a shoe company, and did so without an agent.

"I'm basically giving back $16 million," Arenas told the Washington Times. "This is in line with what I've been saying the whole time. You see players take max deals and they financially bind their teams. I don't wanna be one of those players and three years down the road your team is strapped and can't do anything about it."

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July action

Young, athletic, has an upside...yet, the Mavs still sign him.
Mavs go Green
Gerald Green, a former high school prodigy out of Gulf Shores Academy in Houston, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks, Green’s agent Colin Bryant said.

A first round pick of the Boston Celtics in 2005, the slender, 6-foot-8 Green was part of the trade that sent Kevin Garnett from Minnesota to Boston. The Timberwolves traded Green to Houston last season. He played in one game for his hometown team before being released.

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I dont like Sean Avery for this Dallas Stars team. Yes, he has a troubled past on the ice, but that is not my reason. The Stars need a scorer on the wing. As much as people for years have complained about the Texas Rangers lack of pitching, the same can be said about this hockey team in terms of them needing a scoring winger, at least since Brett Hull left.
Stars looking at Sean Avery

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Mr. Leadoff


Rangers look encouraging
For a change, it was pondering the worst that helped the Texas Rangers to a 3-2 win at Yankee Stadium. Kinsler's leadoff double against Rivera and subsequent steal of third opened the door for Michael Young to bounce a ball through the infield for the go-ahead run.

The win, clinched by C.J. Wilson's second consecutive save, pushed the Rangers three games above .500 (44-41). Though Kevin Millwood exited the game with a bruised right shin after five innings, the Rangers were still able to clinch a series win in their final regular-season visit to New York. They can finish off their first sweep in New York since 2003 tonight.

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Chiefs can't stand their fans
Mike Florio of profootballtalk.com, in a stunning exhibit of investigative journalism, has uncovered the dastardly plot going on behind the scenes at One Arrowhead Drive. Apparently the Chiefs are conspiring, skulking in dark corners and trying to prevent their fans from standing up at football games.

Yes, it’s true. Just read the chilling words for yourself, straight from KcChiefs.com:

The Kansas City Chiefs are committed to creating a safe, comfortable and enjoyable experience for our fans. When attending a game, the stadium staff will proactively intervene to support an environment where event patrons, their guests and other fans can enjoy the event, free from the following behaviors:

Standing and/or obstructing the view of other fans

Oh, the horror!

Silly introductions aside, let’s examine what’s really going on here.

First of all, the “no standing” rule has been a part of the Arrowhead Stadium Code of Conduct for years now. This is nothing new.

It’s not enforced nearly as strictly as Florio’s rant might suggest, however. If you’ve watched a Chiefs game on television or attended one in person, you see fans standing all the time. It’s no big deal. To paraphrase a line from Pirates of the Caribbean, the “no-standing” rule isn’t exactly a rule – more like, a guideline.

It’s in place because people sitting down at a football game – as the vast majority of the Arrowhead crowd does for extended sections of the action – don’t enjoy people blocking their view. If you’re out of your seat, moving around during an offensive drive, and generally making a nuisance of yourself

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Beatles lost interview
A Beatles interview from 1964 that was recently unearthed from a film canister in a south London garage aired yesterday on the BBC. In the interview, John Lennon and Paul McCartney discuss how they first met as teenagers. “I was playing at a garden fete in the village where I lived just outside Liverpool, playing with a group, and he came along and we met,” said Lennon, while McCartney credits a friend named Ivan with arranging the chance meeting that helped fuse the most successful songwriting duo in rock history.

F***

Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008)
Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. Some People Are Stupid. Stuff. People I Can Do Without. George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday at 71, leaves behind not only a series of memorable routines, but a legal legacy: His most celebrated monologue, a frantic, informed riff on those infamous seven words, led to a Supreme Court decision on broadcasting offensive language.

The counterculture hero's jokes also targeted things such as misplaced shame, religious hypocrisy and linguistic quirks — why, he once asked, do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

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All-Star game starter?


Rangers climb above .500 once again
On the way to a 5-3 win Sunday, Vicente Padilla fed the aggressive – almost undisciplined – Washington Nationals a steady dose of hard stuff for seven innings to earn his 10th win of the season and legitimately make himself a contender for a spot on the American League All-Star team. He is tied for second in the AL in wins and has won eight of his last nine decisions.

Closer C.J. Wilson followed suit in the ninth for his most efficient save in more than two months. It came at a time when Wilson's job was in peril after consecutive poor outings earlier in the week.

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I am getting a little jazzed for the Olympics

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A song worth half-a-billion dollars
In the big, bad game of rock and roll, “Stairway to Heaven” is undeniably a winner. Released by Led Zeppelin in 1971, the eight-minute song is considered a musical masterpiece and is one of the most-played rock tunes of all time. Proving its longevity, “Stairway” hit the U.K. charts again last fall and was a top download in the U.S., after Zeppelin’s first downloadable album launched on iTunes. But because the band is notoriously protective of its work, “Stairway” hasn’t met its full moneymaking potential.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Nearly 37 years after the release of “Stairway,” there seems to be no end to its ­revenue stream. But Zeppelin could up the total if it wants to go commercial.

VALUE OF "STAIRWAY" EARNINGS: $562 million
VALUE OF POTENTIAL LICENSING DEALS: $10 million and up


TOTAL VALUE OF "STAIRWAY": $572 million or more

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My prediction: halftime at the Super Bowl
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has dropped another hint that the legendary rockers are to tour following their acclaimed O2 gig last December.

Speaking at a recent award show, Page told the Daily Star: "I hope fans can vote for Led Zeppelin live awards in the future."

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High School sorriness
You've heard of Kill the Ump, Lynch the Ump, and Strangle the Ump, right? Well, get ready for the latest thing—Bean the Ump.

It happened on May 31 in the Georgia high school Class AAA championship game. Stephens County was losing to Cartersville 9-1 early, partly because nine straight SCHS batters had struck out. The last ring-up so hacked off superstar shortstop Ethan Martin—who had just been drafted 15th overall by the Dodgers—that he threw his helmet in protest. But that figured. Martin and his brother, Cody, who was pitching, reportedly had been complaining about balls and strikes the entire game.

So now it's the bottom of the fourth, with Ethan playing short and Cody on the mound. The catcher is Matt Hill. There are no outs. The count is 0-1. Cody winds up and flings a very high, very hard fastball. Hill comes out of his squat, puts his glove up to catch it, then does a very funny thing.

He doesn't.

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SI.com's Tom Bowles exclusive interview with NASCAR's accuser
Mauricia "Mo" Grant spent nearly three years as a race official in the Nationwide Series, working for NASCAR as the only African-American female in such a role. Now she's at the center of a $225 million lawsuit filed against the organization, in which she alleges sexual and racial discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. She claims she was called demeaning names, subjected to sexual advances -- including two male co-workers allegedly exposing themselves to her -- and made the brunt of graphic and lewd jokes.

In her first face-to-face and most extensive interview since the lawsuit became public, Grant, 32, spoke to SI.com this week about some of the background of the suit. During the two-hour, sometimes emotional interview (including an animated discussion about last week's NASCAR race at Michigan), her passion for the sport was evident.

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Yankees sign Ponson

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Cuban vs Nellie, part 33
The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team, which will include Dallas Mavericks' guard Jason Kidd, is one of the top honors an athlete or coach can have, and former Mavs coach Don Nelson said Wednesday that it's a travesty that Mark Cuban views the Olympics as strictly a financial proposition.

"I couldn't disagree more," Nelson said. "It's not about the money. There is pride in these athletes. He ought to have more respect for his country. Everybody in the NBA makes plenty of money. It's not too much to ask that every four years you give something back to your country."

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You want some of this?

It was ten seconds that shook the Open. That's how long it took for an eagle putt by Tiger Woods to traverse the 75 feet or so from the back of the 13th green to the bottom of the cup. The eagle propelled Tiger back into red numbers — players roosting there were an endangered species Saturday at Torrey Pines — and announced what we already knew: Woods isn't giving up his dance with destiny without a fight to the last.

That roar was one that may live forever in Torrey Pines history, at least if Woods goes on to win the U.S. Open. Then again, it was nearly matched within the hour when Woods lofted a high pitch from left of the 17th green and watched it one-bounce into the cup for birdie. As another thunderous roar erupted from an electrified gallery, Woods grinned with his head down. It may yet prove to be a significant shot in historical terms but it was a fortunate accident and Woods acknowledged that. "You've gotta be kidding me," he said later. "I was thinking, don't make a 6, and I made a 3."

If that wasn't enough, there was the little matter of a 40-foot eagle putt on the last green, a stroke of genius that gave Woods the lead by himself heading into the final round. Another stunning turn, another raucous ovation, another Tiger miracle. If you don't believe in destiny after those three shots Saturday, you'd better reconsider.

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New Cowboy stadium jinxed?

Just days after three workers were injured in a crane accident at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, an electrician was electrocuted there Saturday while performing tests on some of its wiring.

Timothy Mackinnon, 45, of Arlington was standing on a ladder when he touched a high-voltage line in the ceiling of the stadium's concourse level, said Neal Strasser, a battalion chief with the Arlington Fire Department.

The stadium site has already been under scrutiny, following a crane accident on Thursday afternoon. That day, a crane connector "failed," prompting cables and other parts to fall.

Three workers leapt off a nearby crane to avoid being hit and were injured in the 10- to 12-foot fall. All three were taken to area hospitals, though two have been released. The third, Wesley Harlow, remains in Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. Hospital spokeswoman Susan Hall said Saturday evening that he is in serious condition.

More than 170 injuries – mostly minor – have occurred at the stadium site, where about 1,400 workers are engaged each day.

Two other high-profile accidents have happened during construction of the $1.1 billion stadium, which is scheduled to open for the Cowboys' 2009 season. A construction worker was injured in August when crane cables struck him in the back while on an upper deck of the new stadium. In January 2007, another worker fell 20 feet from scaffolding onto the field.

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Rangers play slip-n-slide
During a rain delay of nearly 90 minutes that preceded the postponement of Saturday's game between the Mets and Rangers, Bradley led a charge of six Rangers into an impromptu session of Slip 'N' Slide on the rain-slicked field cover at Shea Stadium.
Gerald Laird and Josh Hamilton broke out of the Rangers' dugout. They were soon joined by Josh Rupe and Michael Young. Only a little more than $100 million in guaranteed contracts. They slid about five times, eliciting a chant of "Let's go Rangers," from the fans still left at Shea.

General manager Jon Daniels held his breath, and when everybody got up unhurt, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as nobody got hurt and no damage got done, they were just blowing off some steam and having some fun," said Daniels, a native of Queens. "And you don't hear that chant – 'Let's go Rangers' – very often in this borough."

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Sex Pistols kill....or at least threaten the crowd

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600

Jr gets his
But Griffey is far from done as a power hitter. There are still homers to hit, and milestones to reach. He could become the third player ever, joining Ty Cobb and Rusty Staub, to hit a home run as a teenager and as a 40-year-old. He could join Ted Williams, Rickey Henderson and Willie McCovey as the only players to hit home runs in four different decades and he could become the first player to hit 300 home runs for two different teams.

It is easy to look at 600 and wonder what might have been with improved health. But it is easier and more fun to remember Griffey at his best, a wondrous athlete who streaked through the outfield, climbed an outfield wall and made a catch that only Mays could make, then the next inning, hit a ball to places that very few players could reach. Six hundred home runs is a tremendous milestone, but Griffey at 100, 200, 300 and 400 was simply breathtaking.

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Panic time in LA?
Two games into the Finals, the Celtics are much closer to winning a 17th championship than the Lakers are to winning a 15th title.

Only three teams in NBA history have come back from 2-0 deficits to win the NBA Finals -- the Celtics in 1969 (against the Lakers), Portland in 1977 and Miami in 2006.

"I'm not worried about which Celtics team shows up," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said resolutely. "I'm worried about what Lakers team shows up. That's the one that moves the ball, and we do things well on the offensive end."

Oh, that one.
The Celtics shouldn't need to change much to hang on to their momentum. Paul Pierce's knee wasn't an issue after a 28-point effort, and the Celtics' defense has been strong throughout the series, a 41-point lapse in the fourth quarter of Game 2 the lone serious dent.

There is, however, their one main problem in the playoffs.

After a 31-10 regular-season record on the road, the Celtics are 2-7 away from home in the playoffs, though they did win two of three in Detroit in the Eastern finals.

"We've played well of late on the road, so that gives us confidence," Boston Coach Doc Rivers said.

Just what the Celtics need. More confidence.

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TO's weird saga continues
Terrell Owens is now subject to increased screenings for performance-enhancing drugs after the veteran receiver did not make himself available for a recent NFL-administered random test.

As a result, Owens has been placed in the NFL's "reasonable cause" testing program, sources said, though Owens said he has never failed a test in his 12-year career and passed his most recent test.

Owens said the league did not have an up-to-date cellphone number for him, leading to the miscommunication. While it is not uncommon for players to switch cellphone numbers or have multiple cellphones, changes in off-season phone numbers and addresses must be reported to the steroid program advisor.

"It was openly discussed and cleared up in a meeting that I had at the NFL office last week," Owens said in a statement released by his publicist. "I have been in the NFL for over 12 years and have never had a positive test for substance of any kind. That includes tests that took place as recently as last month. The matter was resolved to everyone's satisfaction last Tuesday, and everyone has moved on."

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Fallout from the David Jacobs steroid investigation
Convicted Plano steroids trafficker David Jacobs told The Dallas Morning News that he supplied performance-enhancing drugs to a Cowboys player before and after the 2006season.

In several conversations since January with reporters at The News , Mr. Jacobs described how he prepared spreadsheets detailing a regimen for special teams player Ryan Fowler. It has previously been reported that Mr. Jacobs told federal investigators he sold to offensive lineman Matt Lehr after he left the Cowboys.

Mr. Jacobs, 35, was found dead Thursday at his Plano home. An autopsy revealed he committed suicide in the same room where his ex-girlfriend, 30-year-old Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell, was shot several times. Her death was ruled a homicide Monday. Friends said Mr. Jacobs was extremely jealous and was upset that she had been seeing other men.

A day after the bodies were found, the NFL wrote Mr. Fowler a letter telling him he faces suspension for violation of the league's anabolic steroid policy. According to his attorney, the letter said there was credible evidence that Mr. Fowler "purchased, used or supplied" banned substances.

The existence of the letter was first reported Monday by ESPN.

"I suspect Jacobs said something which the NFL decided to use to threaten my client," Peter Ginsberg, Mr. Fowler's lawyer, said Monday. The league has given "absolutely no justification" for its action, he said.

"Without any corroboration the NFL is threatening to jeopardize my client's career," Mr. Ginsberg said.

He said he has asked the league for substantiation and it has not responded.

The NFL, Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans, where Mr. Fowler now plays, declined to comment.

Mr. Jacobs spoke to The News about his dealings with Mr. Fowler with the understanding that some details not be immediately published. After his death and after Mr. Fowler's attorney linked the league's action to Mr. Jacobs, The News decided to make some of the information public.

Contract boost

Mr. Jacobs said that with his help, Mr. Fowler, who played in Dallas from 2004 to 2006, went from making $400,000 as a Cowboy to signing a four-year, $11.5 million contract with the Titans, where he was a starting linebacker last season.

"After he got his big contract, he came back, knocked on my door and hugged me," Mr. Jacobs said. "He said, thanks, I just got $12 million."

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Cedric goes bye-bye

"Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate," general manager Jerry Angelo said. "As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions. When individual priorities overshadow team goals, we suffer the consequences as a team. Those who fail to understand the importance of 'team' will not play for the Chicago Bears."

Coach Lovie Smith, who brushed off reporters earlier in the day after Monday's practice, had no comment.

The move came less than an hour after Benson issued a statement he had hoped to make at Monday's organized team activity before he was sent home. The statement, crafted with the help of longtime ally and noted sports attorney David Cornwell, attempted to show remorse for putting the Bears through the latest ordeal.

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Big Brown's trainer is not happy

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Peterson gets extention from Stars
Toby Petersen worked a long time for his big break, and it came Monday afternoon. The 29-year-old center signed his first "one-way" contract in the NHL, hooking up with the Stars for two seasons at $550,000 a year.

Petersen played eight games during the regular season with the Stars after a call-up from the minors, but he played 16 of 18 playoff games, including some strong performances against Detroit in the Western Conference finals. He is a checking-line center who has some offensive upside and some strong leadership skills with several of the team's younger players

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The passing of a legend

Like many others, my Saturday afternooons as a kid were filled with the anticipation of Wide World of Sports. As I heard over the weekend, there is no book how to be a sportscaster, but Jim McKay wrote volumes as he helped to develop the art of sportscaster.
The passing of a legend
Over much of the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s, I followed that voice all over the world, spanning the globe, spinning stories for ABC Sports, bringing all manner of odd athletic endeavors (Luge! Barrel jumping! Demolition derby!) to "Wide World of Sports," while remaining cool, calm and collected as TV host of ten Olympic Games.
Nobody who lived through the Black September attack in Munich during the 1972 Summer Olympics will forget what McKay meant to a nation. How hour after endless hour - under the enormous pressure of live television - he never once strayed into hype or hysteria, holding our collective hands as we pondered the fate of 11 Israeli athletes.

And when he finally found out, and told us they were gone, all gone, well, you never forget words like that, or the man who carried them into your home.

Today, there are far more screamers than commentators, a trend I trust he’d find regrettable. Perhaps the stories surrounding the death of this legend, at age 86, will serve to do what all those Saturday and Sunday afternoons did for me - inspire the next generation of broadcast journalists to model at least some of their ways after Jim McKay.

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The Leon Powe show?

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Rangers end a 10 game homestand 5-5
Rangers get one from the fighting Rays

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I watched a little Formula 1 racing Sunday for the first time in a long time. I must say, it was pretty entertaining. Part of it was the fact that they only raced 70 laps. That seems much easier to digest than 200 or 300 laps of Nascar or the IRL. There was side-by-side racing, wrecks, stuff happening in the turns, high speeds on the straightways. All good stuff.

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And so, it beings

Ah yes, the rematch beigns. However, these two teams (and tha NBA) are not yout Lakers and Celtics from the 80's. Just look at the shorts.

Dan Shaughnessy from the Boston Globe

LA's story

The Boston Celtics were physical and resolute.

The Lakers were not.

The result became predictable, a 98-88 Celtics victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Lakers were outrebounded, outhustled and outdone on the plot lines, Paul Pierce's return from what looked like a serious knee injury carrying the night Thursday at TD Banknorth Garden.

The Lakers didn't lose a Game 1 while cruising through the Western Conference, but this was different, in case the hauntingly familiar "Beat L.A." chants and loud green-clad crowd didn't drive home the distinction.

Kobe Bryant had a dreadful shooting night, making only nine of 26 shots on the way to a quiet 24 points, with little help from teammates.

The Celtics hammered the Lakers on the boards, 46-33, and held the top-shooting team in the playoffs to only 41.6% shooting. They were held to 15 points in the fourth quarter as the game got away.

The good news for the Lakers could be found only in the near future. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday.

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The Brawl in Boston



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The strange story of David Jacobs. Wonder what the NFL will do about any investigations.

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Wings Roll

Detroit Wins
Pitt's take
The Penquins could not build on their epic game 5 win. They looked totally gassed in the third. However, they did put up a gret effort and in football terms, came up a yard short from scoring the winning (or tying) touchdown.

As good as Osgood was, Zetterberg deserved the Conn Smythe.

After a very disappointing first 2 games, the NHL has to be happy with the past 4 games.

Evgeni Malkin finally made an appearance and mus tleave Pitt fans thinking, "what if..."

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A story on what happpeed to the music
When MTV was launched in 27 years ago, its purpose was to play music videos. This noble concept gave way to a pop culture phenomenon, forever changing the dynamic of celebrity culture. MTV became the place to spot the next big thing, and played a huge role in the break-out careers of artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson as well as ushering hip hop into the mainstream with Y! MTV Raps.


Over the years, MTV has become less music television, opting instead for programming dominated by reality television shows. For those of us who remember the MTV of the 80s and 90s, and remember MTV being the go-to source for music news, videos, events and breaking new artists, we see what it has become and wonder what happened.


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You probably never heard of this guy, but you have certainly seen his work



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Led Zeppelin - the ride

The Natural

The fairy tale continues

Some AL Stats:

Runs - first
Hits - first
Home Runs - first
RBI - first (he has 67; 2nd has 50)
TTL Bases - first
Slug % - First
Batting Avg - 2nd
Sac Fly - 2nd

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Game 6 tonight
Det just says don't panic
Pitt's outlook

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Dumars Filpped out
Joe Dumars is in charge. And Joe Dumars is not happy. You can hear it in his voice. If I've observed one change in the man I have known for more than 20 years, it is this: What once was kept inside, quietly stewing, is now increasingly coming out of his mouth.

"I was disgusted," he said of the performance by his Pistons in Games 3 and 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. "By the time I left that arena Friday night, I had seen enough."

That was clear Tuesday, when Dumars broomed Flip Saunders out as coach. And the exit door awaits at least one of his starters.

"I'll make a significant trade," Dumars, the Pistons' president of basketball operations, declared. "... We have a core group of guys here that for the first time in six years I'm letting teams in the league know I'll do a deal. ... I'm open for business."

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Failed
this guy has been so overhyped. If he had been on almost any other team, this would have been a non-story. But, because he is in NY, we get overwhelmed with media coverage

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You can buy one of Dr.Huxtable's sweaters

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A Very Sporty Day

STANLEY CUP FINALS



Wow, a dominant 3rd period by the Wings was not quite enough. Detroit scores 2 goals in just under 3 minutes and seemes to be in total control. The Joe is rocking and all is well in Motown. Pittsburgh doesn't seem to press very hard to get the tying goal...ok, maybe the Detroit defense is that good.

Then, Maxime Talbot (1 point in the series) scores with 35 seconds remaining. Put the cup back in its case and hold on just a little while longer.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Does Evgeni Malkin realize that he is playing in the Stanley Cup Finals. He is -3 in the series with zero points. During OT, he stays down on the ice because he seems to be tired? That is not exactly the level of commitment expected in June.

You think Ryan Malone might have some words for Malkin, or at least some uncomfortable sideways glares?

Marc-Andre Fleury played a fantastic game. Yes, he was a first 1st round pick in 2003 and that is one reason why him performance is so impressive. He is only 23.

Detroit dominated long stretches of the game - both regulation and overtime but just coundn't get one past Fleury. As usual, they badly outshot the Penquins.

5th longest game in Fnals history

I keep hearing how the officials should not decide the game by calling a penalty. Do they not help decide the outcome by not calling penalties?

Petr Sykora skated over to Peirre Mcguire's cubicle and told him that he was going to score. That is calling his shot and making it happen.

You have to wonder how the Red Wings will respond. They are an older team. Also, before last night, they had played only one OT game in the playoffs - way back on April 18 vs Nashvile.

On the other side, will Pittsburgh respond like Dallas did in game 6 or can they muster up another herculean effort?

This is exactly why the Stanley Cup is the most difficult, grueling, rewarding trophy in team sports.


Mitch Albom on the loss
Pittsburgh columnist gushes over the win

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What does Terrell Owens have that George Bush doesn't? Four more years.
Why Orville Redenbacher is smiling

This is definitely not the same T.O.

Without the controversy that led to his departure from Philadelphia, Terrell Owens quietly received a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, team sources told ESPN's Michael Smith.

Terrell Owens has always been there for the Cowboys when it mattered most. In two seasons in Dallas, Owens has nabbed 166 receptions. Twenty-eight of those have been for scores, which ranks tops in the NFL.

The wide receiver was slated to earn $7 million this season in the last year of his contract, but he now receives a four-year, $34 million deal. Owens is slated to earn $27 million over the next three seasons, making him -- along with Randy Moss, Javon Walker and Larry Fitzgerald -- one of the highest paid wide receivers in the league.

Owens will receive $12.9 million to sign and $100,000 of his $830,000 2008 base salary guaranteed, for a total of $13 million guaranteed. He is now under contract through 2011.

The key to the deal may not be the length or even the money.

The best part: Owens will not be playing out the final year of his contract, eliminating a potentially explosive topic from a team that needs its attention on ending an 11-season drought without a playoff win.

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Pacman can do anything, except play in a real game
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday notified Jones that he may participate in the OTAs, minicamp, training camp and preseason games. Goodell will make a final determination on a full reinstatement by Sept. 1, six days before the season opener at Cleveland.

The Sept 1 deadline might seem punative towards the Cowboys, but that is the price you pay when you sign troubled players.

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Josh Hamilton continues to make news on a daily basis, yet he moves further and further down the ladder of websites and blogs.

Josh 2nd in voting among outfielders


Oh yeah, he is player of the month....again
Hamilton became the first American League player to win the monthly award in April and May the same season.

"I come to the park, I know what I need to do to get ready for the game and I do it. Nothing is going to change," Hamilton said. "I want to work harder and I want to do better."

Hamilton went into a Monday night game against Cleveland hitting .328 with a major league-best 63 RBIs, 13 more than the next-closest player. He led the AL with 15 homers, 77 hits and 25 multihit games. Hamilton had eight homers and 29 RBIs in May, when the Rangers won 19 games for their winningest month since June 1983.

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Madame Tussauds might want to re-think this idea

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