I've got a real sports dilemma right now. I was prepared to rip Dwight Howard (yet again) this week but now that he's headed to my beloved Lakers I don't know what to do. I can't wait to see him run the pick and roll with Steve Nash. I'm salivating over Russell Westbrook slashing through the lane and then getting the ball spiked back in his face from 'Superman'. I'm looking forward to watching Kobe and Metta World Peace gamble even more on defense knowing they have the best defender in the World behind them. But am I ready to forgive Howard for about a year of horrible decisions?

His latest mistake came when he decided to skip his own youth basketball camp in Orlando to stay in Los Angeles and continue his rehab. In hindsight, maybe Howard knew a deal was about to go down with the Lakers and that's why he made the decision. The reason though doesn't really matter. What does matter was it was another big PR hit that could've easily been avoided.

There were so many ways Howard could've turned this into an image-building event. Showing up despite his problems with the Magic could have showed he is above that drama and that he truly cares about the kids that shelled out big bucks to attend his camp. A full refund was offered when it was announced he would not be in attendance but that's of little consolation to the kids that have looked forward to meeting him for months and the parents that planned their lives around their kids being in camp for those days.

Howard could've also refunded everyone's money and maybe recruited some of his Magic teammates to attend. He could have given signed jerseys to each camper and done a Skype call. He could've offered tickets to any game for the following season. There were so many options that would have made him look better than deciding just to not show up and just offer a meaningless refund.

He likes to be the center of attention and clamors to be loved. How else do you explain him playing it up with the media with his impression of Kobe in his introduction as a Laker? Los Angeles is ready to embrace their newest big man. Many of them complained about Andrew Bynum's immaturity but is Howard really that much better in that regard? I will quickly fall in line and fall in love with the Dwight if he buys in to working hard and putting up the monster stats he is used to, but I'm not quite ready to give him the benefit of the doubt yet. On to the awards!

He created this whole mess and then acted like the victim in talking about how relieved he was to have it all be over. But as relieved as he is, he hasn't said he will necessarily re-sign with the Lakers so we could be going through all of this again in less than a year.

Bitter Orlando
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel has gone back and forth with Dwight Howard but once it was clear he had one foot out the door, all praise went out the window and he's hammered him ever since. His most recent column on Howard discusses how hurt the fans in Orlando are over his departure: The reason it hurts so badly is because everybody did everything possible to make Dwight want to stay. The Magic gambled and drafted him No. 1 eight years ago when all the experts said they should have taken Emeka Okafor. In the ensuing years, the Magic burst through the salary cap and spent tons of money -- often foolishly -- trying futilely to put the talent around him to win a championship.

So the Magic gambling and taking him No. 1 means he should have extreme loyalty to the franchise? They made a business decision and it paid off. The reason it paid off is because Howard worked to become one of the best players in the league. That is not an example of the Magic doing everything possible to make him stay.

Ignoring the Obvious
Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal basically writes that men drool and women rule: It's the humiliating truth about these Games. American men are taking their sweet time, while American women are taking names. Pick a sport. Any sport. My gender is getting killed in the race for golds. ... It's embarrassing, I tell you, a crisis for the American male.

It seems the article is a little tongue-in-cheek but it still fails to address WHY women are dominating while men are not. The problem is American men aren't competing against American women. Women getting more medals doesn't mean that men are falling behind or something. He fails to address the fact that the reason the United States' women are excelling is because America cares more about women's sports than other countries and much of that has to do with Title IX. Other countries are begrudgingly sending women to the games because the IOC is forcing their hand while Americans mop the floor in many of the major events.

Ways to Make It Seem U.S. Even More Dominant
The United States ran away with the medal count in the final few days of the Olympics. They tallied 104 total medals to China's 88 and won 8 more gold medals than the People's Republic. But for some writers that wasn't enough. Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News has his own way of measuring medals: ... I'm proposing that by the time the Games reconvene in Sochi, Russia, in the dead of winter two years hence, all the mathletes in the audience will have latched onto the concept of the DPC as the official metric of national Olympic success. DPC? It stands for DeCourcy Podium Count. The "podium count" concept is simple: How many athletes actually visit the medal stand and officially accept awards for their success?

Under the new system the United States would've destroyed China in gold medals, 130 to 56. USA! USA!
But DeCourcy's not the only one that thinks the medal count is flawed. Chris Chase of the Yahoo! blog, Fourth-Place Medal has his 'real' medal count in which he eliminates any medal awarded based on judge's scores. It does make some sense since there has been so much corruption among Olympic judges. Although I never saw a final tally, through 11 days the official medal count was 73 to 70 in China's favor but the 'real' medal count had the U.S. leading 59 to 53. And let me repeat... USA! USA!

Completely Whiffing on Chad Johnson Fiasco
David Steele of Sporting News is thoroughly confused by why the Dolphins brought in Chad Johnson and why they cut him now: Their decision is questionable, for sure. The real question, though, is this: With a lengthy track record of buffoonery, a recent track record of being a lousy player and proof already of distracting behavior during that small window of training camp, what made this the straw that broke their backs?

Don't you get how this works? A HUGE negative media story will often trigger a response like this. He mentions transgressions featured in "Hard Knocks" that should've been enough to cut Johnson but those are far different than the issue of domestic abuse. First off, who knows how Chad Johnson has really acted with the Dolphins. I'm not about to put a ton of stock into what HBO broadcasts since they obviously are trying to put forth the most entertaining show. Secondly, those are in-house issues that can easily be dealt with but charges of domestic abuse become a much bigger PR nightmare and not something any franchise wants to be linked to.

Uh-oh, more questions, guys. What on- and off-field criteria supported signing Johnson in the first place?
Was it those 15 catches last season in New England, as part of one of the most prolific offenses in league history? The utter lack of interest by any other NFL team after the Patriots dumped him? His age (34), 11 years of wear-and-tear and, lately, decreasing effectiveness? ... Johnson's last job destroyed his career and his reputation. The Dolphins might have suffered even more damage in taking on the risk with him.

How could the Dolphins possibly suffer more damage? This is a team with about 20 different celebrity owners that hasn't been competitive for years. They are the laughingstock of the NFL and nothing Chad Johnson did was going to change that.

Earlier this week some badminton teams were kicked out for trying to throw a game. It was a pretty stupid controversy, largely because this type of stuff happens all the time. It's already happened a few times this year in basketball in which heavily favored teams have lost to try and avoid facing the United States. It's also happened in women's soccer where Japan played a defensive game that resulted in a tie vs. South Africa so they wouldn't have to travel as far for their next game. This type of strategic losing (or tying) happens all the time and that's the fault of the format, not of the teams. 

But that's not what got my really upset over this story. What angered me was how American journalists treated badminton. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports: If badminton took itself any more seriously, it might invade table tennis. Thomas Lund is that secretary general. He hails from Denmark and seems like a thoughtful guy. He was there to announce the final verdict on one of the scandals of these Olympics.
No, not that badminton is an Olympic sport in the first place - although Lund was later asked to defend that, too. And, no, the scandal isn't that the United States never won a medal in this sport even though most Americans have smacked a birdie ("shuttlecock" in official parlance) over a backyard net a few times in their life - at least against their niece, sometimes even when they were sober.

And here's Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: This raised many important questions about the sanctity of athletic competition and the future of all picnic-based Olympic sports, among them:
•They play badminton in the Olympics?
•Tanking a badminton game -- does that mean you played with a beer in both hands? ... The Badminton World Federation, which must office out of the same fake-wood-paneled basement rec room as the Dungeons & Dragons Hall of Justice, accused the players of "not using one's best efforts to win a match.''

I'm using these two writers as examples even though there were plenty more I could've chosen from. Just because badminton isn't big in the U.S. doesn't mean we should denigrate the sport. These athletes have worked their entire lives to get to the Olympics and just like that they were kicked out. Their dreams shattered. And yet we make fun of the sport they play. Have a little respect. On to the awards!

Doesn't exactly make you proud to be an American.

Yeah! That's crazy! She's representing America, wins gold and has to PAY? That seems insane...until you realize she was given $75K for winning those medals from the USOC. Why are people up in arms? When you win something on the Price Is Right you have to pay taxes on it. When you get paid for doing your job you get taxed on it. Aren't these athletes just doing their job? Of course they should be taxed on their income. Everyone else is.

Article That Made Sense in 2008
Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports writes that WR Steve Smith's reputation as a jerk is unfounded: Steve Smith, wide receiver of the Panthers? He's a typical trash-talker with an atypical mean streak, having clocked two Carolina teammates at practice -- one in 2002, another in 2008 -- breaking both their noses and sending one to the hospital for two days. Steve Smith is bad.

He then mentions how Steve Smith donated money to the victims of the Aurora shootings. A real act of kindness. But was anyone saying Steve Smith is a bad guy? I haven't heard that since he clocked that teammate in 2008. Ever since then he's been a consummate professional and I really haven't heard a bad word about him. Seems like Doyel is stirring up controversy where there isn't any.

Paper With a Sense of Humor
The Australian paper "The Mx" has fun with their medal count graphic:

I like a country that doesn't take their news that seriously.

The Real Reason Phelps Is Best Swimmer Ever
David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune has cracked the code. He knows exactly why Phelps is the best swimmer ever: This was Phelps, on the brink of retirement, using sheer will to increase his medal total to 20 and enhance his legacy by becoming the first male swimmer to win an individual event in three straight Olympics.

This was Phelps wanting it more.

He WANTED it more. Ohhh. That makes sense now. It's not that he's genetically gifted or the fastest swimmer. Nope. He just wanted it more than Lochte. The first time they raced in these Olympics? He didn't really want that one. Totally get it.

More Phelps Nonsense
Mike Lupica of New York Daily News takes on Phelps' fake critics: Oh, you know Phelps was supposed to be too old, you heard it as recently as last Saturday night, written off because he finished fourth to Ryan Lochte in his first big race in London. And then Phelps got back in the water and showed everybody differently, reminded everybody in London and everybody watching around the world just exactly who it was they were watching.

Phelps was supposed to be too old to win? And that's why Lochte beat him? Hmm. Let me do a quick search on wikipedia...Ryan Lochte...born August 3, 1984. That would make him 28 years old now. Ok...Now Phelps...born June 30, 1985. That would make him 27. And yet Phelps was too old for the young and spry Lochte. Makes sense.

Overthinking America's Love for Gymnastics
Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times can't quite figure out why America loves women's gymnastics: Why does the United States stop what it's doing to watch these kids? What is it about seeing little girls with big-girl makeup and freakish musculature?

Is it about national pride? Is it about watching dolls come to life? Or is it about seeing how these young pixies deal with pressure? Maybe you like international ruthlessness in your female gymnastic competition. Maybe you simply see it as a soap opera. Or are you just in it for the spills and thrills?

I'm not a huge fan of women's gymnastics but I don't find it too difficult to answer why people love it. Isn't it because of the insane athleticism? The fact that they can do like 10 flips in a row and land on a 4 inch beam? Maybe that has something to do with it? Why are you trying to make America sound so creepy? How about using a little Occam's Razor on this one, huh?

Stupidest Outrage of the Week
Arguing over whether Olympic athletes should pay taxes is pretty dumb but Reid Forgrave of Fox Sports takes the cake with his criticism of Serena Williams' celebration. After winning gold, Williams did a dance called the Crip Walk. It was made up by the gang, the Crips, who began in Serena's hometown of Compton: She didn't do it on purpose. It was a moment of unbridled joy. She pumped her fist, jumped up and down, looked into the crowd, then did her ill-timed dance.
You couldn't help but shake your head. It was as if Serena just couldn't seem to avoid dipping into waters of controversy even as she'd ascended to the top of her sport. ... On the podium, the gold medal dangling from her neck as America's national anthem played, the winds of Wimbledon struck down the American flag from its awning. The crowd gasped. Serena's eyes got big, and she giggled. The flag fluttered to the ground and was balled up by an Olympic official. Later, Serena joked that the flag was just trying to fly toward her: "It was probably flying to come hug me because the flag was so happy."
Maybe.
Or maybe it was the Royal Gods of Wimbledon, giving Queen Serena a proper British slap on the wrist for her moment of innocent, though unfortunate, American celebration.

If she didn't do it on purpose, what's the big deal? If her intention wasn't to support gangs, then why write this column? Did anyone write this column when just about every sports figure was doing the "Superman" dance? The origin behind that isn't exactly an activity for the whole family. I guess we knew someone would write this article though, and Forgrave took the bait.

Don't argue with NBC. They know what you want. They've clearly proven that since dropping from the number one network when they had "Must See TV" over a decade ago to now fourth in total viewers.

"I think what we've proven is that the American viewing public likes the way we tell the story and wants to gather in front of the television with their friends and family -- even if they have the ability to watch it live either on television or digitally. I inherently trust that decision is the right one and that people want to see these events."

That's coming from NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus. You've got to love this guy. He ignores the massive amount of angry tweets and vitriol across the web over the NBC's antiquated ways of covering the Games and says that he and NBC know best. They know what we want even if that's not what we say.

Unfortunately, the numbers seem to back him up. As of the opening weekend viewership was at an all-time high. It seems like NBC does know what it's doing. They know most people will still watch the races even if they know the results. They hear your complaints and they just don't care. You'll watch the Games in prime time and you'll like it!

Since I'm not a big fan of the Olympics in general I don't have a dog in this fight. But as a sports fan I can sympathize with those that are angry over the lack of showing events live. It's much more difficult than it used to be to not have the results spoiled for you and the drama ruined. But to be fair to NBC, these events are available live online.

Who I have no sympathy for are the people that were upset that the Opening Ceremonies weren't live nor were they available live online. To those people that were so upset over this decision I say, who cares? To paraphrase Iverson, 'We talkin 'bout the Opening Ceremonies? Opening Ceremonies? Not a game. The Opening Ceremonies.' Do you really need to see that live? Was it really ruined when you heard about Marry Poppins fighting Voldemort on Twitter? Were they spoiled when you heard about the fake Queen jumping from the airplane? If anything, not having them live could've saved you a few hours of your life. If you had followed the tweets maybe you would've avoided watching the whole program. On to the awards!

Maybe I'm wrong in assuming that Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James got these lessons for free but there was never any mention of money exchanging hands when those stories came out. Now though, Stoudemire has to pay six figures? Maybe this was Olajuwon's plan all along. He gets the truly elite players and teaches them for free and then charges an exorbitant amount to the next tier of stars. Good for him. If you're Stoudemire though, isn't this a slap in the face? You're not good enough to get the free lesson? But good for him for willing to pony up that dough in an attempt to improve. Let's hope Olajuwon has some magic elixir to fix ailing knees.

Victims Come in Shades of Grey Too
David Steele of the Sporting News thinks it's disrespectful to call the Penn State football players victims: That's not the real problem here. In this context--that of children abused by the monster roaming the football facility for so long and by the grown-ups who gave him safe harbor--labeling those players and the ones who won't land at Penn State in the next few years as "victims" is downright obscene.
They're unfortunate collateral damage, yes. Disproportionately harmed, true. Calling them "innocent" isn't even out of line. But a football scholarship to a major revenue-producing program is still, until further notice, a privilege, not a right.
In the big picture, those players now fall into the same campus-wide group of students with great talent, high motivation, tremendous work ethic, promises from their school and, still, big obstacles to getting where they need to go.

You can call someone a victim without having them on the same pain as other victims. By calling them victims you aren't implying that they suffered as much as those children that were abused. The players have been unjustly punished and thus they are victims. Sure, they're going to be fine and it's not exactly a traumatizing experience, but these players had dreams of playing for bowl games and national titles when they committed to Penn State and those dreams are now destroyed.

They are definitely not comparable to the general student population. It would only be comparable if a student's program's funding was cut severely and that student could no longer compete in some sort of end of the year competition.

Takedown of the Week
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports absolutely shredded Marlins management after their recent fire sale. Here's just a sample of what he wrote: Here is how the con worked. ... To allay fears, they changed their name to the Miami Marlins, their colors to a rainbow vomiting, their image to reflect the city, hot enough that the New Yorker would profile them and Showtime would broadcast a documentary on them and free agents Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell would take the money. People actually bought into the thing, recognized them as a real team and not just some affiliate run by a couple of swindlers who had already screwed Montreal and were primed to do the same to another city.

And it continues like that through the entire article. It's a fun read if you're into that type of bashing.

More Outrage Over NFL Drunk Driving
It's an easy column to write. Every offseason a few NFL players get popped for a DUI and columnists express their outrage over how stupid the players are and how they should be suspended forever. The latest is Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports: This year, 14 NFL players have been arrested on DUI-related charges.
Fourteen. Since January.
Not one of those 14 players killed someone, which is a damn miracle. ... And this isn't a laughing matter. Drunk drivers kill people, and by "people" I mean people like you and me. Every day, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 28 people are killed by a drunk driver in this country. Two years ago, 17 million people admitted to driving drunk. If those people formed their own state, it would be the fifth-biggest state in America.
Where's Goodell? I'm asking him to turn a DUI conviction into an automatic suspension -- make it two games, not one -- whether the CBA allows it or not.

It's not a miracle that someone hasn't been killed. I don't mean to make light of drunk-driving but Doyel is going to the other extreme and assuming 10 people die every time someone drives drunk. In 2011, a fatality occurred in .7% of DUIs. So it's not exactly a miracle that an NFL player didn't kill someone while driving under the influence this offseason. He also goes at length to mention that Goodell doesn't have the power to suspend players but wants him to do it anyways? Like Goodell needs the players to hate him even more than they already do.

A Little Premature
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times was quick to jump off the Phelps' bandwagon and hop right in with Lochte: The torch wasn't exactly passed. The torch was fumbled and dropped and floating alongside the thrashing Michael Phelps before Ryan Lochte cradled it in his giant grip and sprinted to the wall.
Lochte became the best swimmer in the United States on Saturday night, but it didn't happen the way it was supposed to happen. He didn't steal the title in a dramatic duel with one of the greatest of Olympians. He casually picked it off the weary flotsam of a shrugging hero who seems less interested and more confused with every lap.

This all made sense at the time. Phelps swam a poor race and Lochte was unbelievable. But then the very next night, Lochte blew a huge lead in the 4x100 and cost the United States the gold medal while Phelps did his part and extended the lead.

The Olympics are just days away and for some that is fantastic news. Although, for the life of me I don't know who these people are. What type of people follow the Olympics? It's something that happens for 2 weeks every four years and the majority of the events are completely ignored the rest of the time. Does anyone follow swimming, track or gymnastics outside of the Olympics? OK. So some people pay attention to the World Championships for those events but that's a very slim minority of the people that tune in for the Olympics.

People often assume I should love the Olympics because I ran track in high school. But that's precisely why I don't love them. I know just how boring these events are. There's not much strategy involved to running 100 meters or jumping as high or far as you can. Sure, it's impressive but that doesn't make it entertaining. I'll stick with true sports. Team sports. On that note, just about the only Olympic event I'll be paying attention to is basketball, but that's just because I love the NBA and there's only so much Summer League I can watch.

The whole event is manufactured drama. People complain about how slow the NFL is and how little actual playing there is compared to commercials and commentary but it's got nothing on the Olympics. We're talking about races that last seconds and yet, the build-up will last for days. The only reason the Olympics gets such good ratings is because it only has baseball to compete with and there's only so much Bachelor Pad people can watch before they feel horrible about themselves. On to the awards!

Athletes Are Horrible People
Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch decided to address a real controversial topic: drunk driving: I just don't understand why it keeps happening. ... And so it was for Quinn (Rams DE) last week, when he was arrested in Florissant after the 22-year-old former first-round draft pick crashed his vehicle while trying to exit Interstate 270 at the Washington/Elizabeth exit.

Quinn got off lucky. No one died. And maybe this will be the last time he makes such a horrible lapse in judgment. But what if it isn't?

There has been a rash of DUIs issued to NFL players recently but drunk driving is certainly not just perpetrated by athletes. In fact, the stats show that NFL players are less likely to get DUIs than the general population. And of those that get arrested for DUIs how many end with someone dying?? I don't think it's actually luck that Quinn didn't kill someone. That would be like saying someone was lucky they didn't die in a plane crash every time they fly.

Can't Training Camp Begin Already?
I'm guessing (or at least hoping) Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is asking that question. He recently wrote about Romo commenting that he supported Dez Bryant after Bryant was charged beating his mother: Instead, unlike Witten, Romo came across as if he was condoning mother-beating.
I think I understand what he was trying to do. But if he was just trying to be the good general, Romo stumbled on that, too.

First off, I find the phrase "mother-beating" unintentionally funny. Secondly, if LeBreton knew Romo did not condone "mother-beating" and what he said just came across wrong then why even write the article? I hate drumming up fake news.

Woods Isn't Back to Way He Never Was Before
After every round of every tournament someone writes whether Tiger Woods "is back." Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press is the latest to breach the topic: He once seemed able to figure out ways to win majors like no other player could. Now Woods figures out ways to lose them, including two within the space of the last month or so that the Tiger of old might have run away with.

The thing is, Woods has never won a major trailing after 3 rounds and he once again trailed after 3 rounds in the British Open. He also didn't lead after 3 rounds at the U.S. Open. So is it really surprising he hasn't won these majors?

Homophobic Article of the Week
Lenny Palumbo of the Niagara Falls Reporter is what you'd call "set in his ways": In spite of this, the league is determined to reduce fighting as much as possible. Meanwhile, the NHL's abominable, "You Can Play" promotion, which all but endorses homosexuality in hockey, is among its top priorities.
Thanks to Gary Bettman and his ilk, enforcers are out, but gays are in. So why don't they just hire Elton John as commissioner and be done with it?

Fortunately for Sabres fans, the team has not come out of the closet and the signing of tough guy, John Scott is an indication there might be some shred of manliness left in an otherwise emasculated organization that has much to prove in 2012-13.

Does anything really need to be said about this?

H/T: Deadspin

Best Critique of the Penn State Punishment
I read all kinds of articles about the Penn State punishment. Most thought it was the right amount of punishment. Some wanted more and some wanted less. But Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News had the best critique of the ruling and subsequent change he would have made to it. He was unhappy that the NCAA reduced the number of scholarships Penn State could offer: If a football player can't get a free education at Penn State, he'll get one elsewhere. Let's say he'll get it from Cincinnati. But the Bearcats don't get an extra grant to take that inside linebacker who no longer can become a Nittany Lion. They still can only have 85 players. Eventually, this trickles all the way down until somebody--more to the point, 20 somebodies--who would have been on scholarship at the worst Division I program, let's say Akron, finds he is out of luck. ... At the very least, given its leverage in this case, the NCAA might have thought to order PSU to take the money it would have spent on football grants and fund 20 full scholarships annually for deserving non-athletes, something that might have served as a guide in future infractions penalties.

It does seem like the NCAA should promote education and having Penn State fund those scholarships for non-athletes would be a nice message to send.

The big news of the week was obviously the Freeh Report. It gave columnists one more chance to bash Penn State, rewrite JoePa's legacy and blame big-time college football for everything. Can we stay focused and not extrapolate and blame the entire culture of college athletics? You want to know who is to blame this travesty? Jerry Sandusky and the people in charge at Penn State. Sure, the culture of football had something to do with those people covering up these horrific acts but let's not blame the entire institution for what went down.

Shortly after the Penn State scandal went down another one popped up in Syracuse. Syracuse basketball coach Bernie Fine was accused of molesting children. It looked like an epidemic. College sports are too powerful! These coaches are given too much power and feel they can do anything! And then the evidence didn't start adding up in the Fine case but columnists and public opinion had already spoken. Now that voice is back and calling for a serious examination of the power structure on campuses throughout the country.

I'm not going to argue there is not corruption in college sports. I understand recruiting violations are happening all the time and I'm sure money is exchanging hands but let's not lump this situation in with those. What Penn State did is the worst college athletic scandal of all time. Had they acted appropriately who knows how many kids they could have protected. I hope those that are involved are punished to the full extent of the law. But I refuse to believe that this is a mark against college football and instead I believe it's a mark solely on Penn State. Maybe now I'm being naïve but while I can see many coaches turning the other direction in the face of players getting paid and illegal drugs, I don't believe they would ignore claims of child molestation and I will believe that until proven otherwise. On to the awards!

I would love it if this were true. I'd also love Dan Gilbert more than I already do. I mean I'd hate him if I were a Cavs fan but as an NBA fan you can't get much better than an owner trying to help out another team just to spite one player. That's like beyond Al Davis crazy.

Hakeem Olajuwan Loneliness Update
I've talked about this before - what is Hakeem Olajuwon's deal? Is he just the nicest guy ever or just supremely lonely. He's held private lessons for Kobe, LeBron, Dwight Howard and now the news is he wants to teach Serge Ibaka a few things. It's not as if Ibaka reached out to him. Olajuwon reached out to the Thunder to see if he could teach Ibaka. Hey Olajuwan - you're one of the greatest players ever. Stop being so desperate!

Poor Reasoning for Why Penn State Shouldn't Be Punished
Gregg Doyel argues that Penn State's football program shouldn't get the death penalty because of economics: State College is Penn State, and Penn State is that football program, which means State College is Penn State football. The city and the football program are linked geographically and even emotionally, yes, but I'm talking about a connection more basic than that.
I'm talking financially.

So if Google stole all of our identities (pretty sure this has already happened) and sold them to China (may or may not have happened already) should they not be punished because the harm it would cause the community of Mountain View? Not all of the employees were involved but I'm sure plenty would have to be fired and that would also harm other businesses like restaurants and movie theaters etc. I know it would be devastating to the community but how can they get away with it? The only solution I could see is if the budget is slashed in half and all profits go to organizations that deal with child abuse for at least a couple years.

Lopresti Still Has a Case of Linsanity
Mike Lopresti of USA Today still believes the Knicks should re-sign Jeremy Lin: Lin was a global sensation at 23. How often does a team get such marketing manna from the basketball gods and someone who can actually play? You just don't wave goodbye to that, with nothing to show in return but eight weeks of sizzle.

What people that believe Lin is worth 3 years and $25 million because of his huge international appeal don't realize is that quickly fades if he doesn't produce. He was very good for 2 weeks but had some major flaws and no one really knows if he's actually good or not. If he winds up riding the pine then he will quickly be forgotten. Losing is the easiest way to kill a fad in any sport.

I never thought I'd start any column with this but this hackneyed device makes sense in this case.

Webster's Dictionary defines 'quitter' as "one that quits; especially : one that gives up too easily." Pretty straight forward to me. But U.S. sprinter Jeneba Tarmoh must have some sort of more complicated definition for the word.

Tarmoh and Allyson Felix tied for 3rd in the Olympic Trials in the 100 meters. Tied. How does that even happen in this day and age? But after officials looked at the video frame by frame they determined the two finished at the exact same time. We're talking hundredths of a second-same time. Tarmoh had been declared the winner on the spot and even took a victory lap before learning they were reviewing the results and ultimately learned of the tie.

With no protocol in place, the two were offered the option of flipping a coin, racing again or one of the two would cede the 3rd spot to the other. After initially agreeing to a race-off, Tarmoh backed out.

"If standing up for what I believe in and not running because I believe I earned that spot, because I believe the emotional roller coaster they put me through was too much to go through at the moment -- if that's what makes you a quitter then I guess the definition of a quitter is misconstrued nowadays. ... How can I be a quitter? To define me as a quitter, it doesn't make any sense."

The definition seems pretty clear to me and it's pretty clear that Tarmoh is a quitter. Similar things happen in other sports all the time. NBA players make shots at the buzzer and instantly celebrate only to have the shot overturned and the game is sent to overtime. Do those players just walk off the court feeling cheated? On a 3-1 count in baseball, the batter looks at what he believes his the fourth ball and he makes a move to first only to be called back by the umpire. Does he drop the bat and go sulk in the dugout?

USA Track and Field did screw up by not having a protocol for a tie and for prematurely calling Tarmoh the 3rd place finisher. But at least they didn't screw up and reward Felix 3rd place. Tarmoh was still in control of her destiny and she decided to throw in the towel.

"I worked really, really hard to earn that spot in the 100," Tarmoh said. "It was more than me winning, it was me practicing since November and training every day. It was me cramping up in the middle of practice, me throwing up at practices. It was me getting mentally prepared, physically prepared, then going to the trials, and making it through each round and staying focused." So why give up after all that work? She says she was mentally prepared but it certainly doesn't seem like she's mentally strong.

If she made the decision and that was that I'd disagree with her call but, hey it's her life. What really gets to me is that she basically said this wouldn't have happened had Felix been declared the winner initially. She thinks she got screwed because Felix is a higher profile athlete. Did Tarmoh look at the pictures? How were they supposed to determine the winner with that evidence? If you're going to complain, you should've done something about it and earned that spot. Aren't athletes supposed to be able to persevere no matter the obstacles? Instead, Tarmoh chose the easy way out and earned the label of quitter. On to the awards!

"Here's guessing he finally realizes he will have to defer to a new Superman"?? Seriously? This is Kobe Bryant. There's never been a shot he didn't like. His usage rate was the highest it has ever been this past year and I don't think I once heard him blame himself for the Lakers early exit from the playoffs this past season. Bryant isn't ready to defer to anyone.

Purposeful Typo?
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel thinks the Nets getting Howard would be a steal (?): According to ESPN, the Nets are offering the Magic Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and their' first-round draft picks in 2013, 2015 and 2017 for Howard -- the most dominant big man in the league. For the Nets, this would be like trading in an '87 Yugo and getting a brand new Lexis in return.

Is a Lexis a car that LOOKS like a luxury car and can go 0-80mph better than most but eventually will be exposed as a cheap knock-off that can't actually perform when it matters because it's too temperamental? I assume Bianchi meant to put "Lexus" but it would be funny if he were putting Dwight Howard down one last time before he's out the door. Oh, who am I kidding. Bianchi will insult Howard plenty more times before he's gone and after he's gone.

Bargain Bin or Collector's Item?
David Whitley of Sporting News mentions one particularly ironic piece of NBA apparel: "I'm loyal," Howard proclaimed when he decided to waive his early termination option in March. NBA marketers immediately produced thousands of black-and-blue Dwight Howard "Loyalty" T-shirts. You can now find them next to the Dennis Rodman "I'm Sober" T-shirts in the Wal-Mart discount bin.

First off, hipsters would eat this shirt up. The irony would almost be too much for them. Secondly, I can't wait to see Magic fans wearing this shirt when Howard comes back to Orlando. Who wouldn't want to own this shirt now more than ever?

Stirring Up Controversy During the Dead of Summer
David Steele of the Sporting News makes an argument that's about a year too late: Bryce Harper is an All-Star. People are going to tune in. Because people really hate Bryce Harper.
They really should be rejoicing today, after the Nationals' teenage lightning rod was added to the National League roster Saturday as an injury replacement. Actually, they might be gritting their teeth in rage after the 48-hour gloat-fest that followed Harper's loss in the Final Vote, justifying their deeply held beliefs that Harper got what his over-hyped, gung-ho, eye-black-smeared little behind deserved. Or something like that.

I literally haven't heard a discouraging word about Harper in like 6 months. He's been the ultimate professional and seems to just love the game. The only non-baseball news he has made recently has been that he supported Chipper Jones ahead of himself for the All-Star Game and his quotable "Clown question, bro." And even that everyone seemed to love. He's a bit overexposed but there really isn't that much hate for Harper. But maybe I'll be proven wrong and he'll hear a cascade of boos tonight.

Ramses Barden. Jim Cordle. Bear Pascoe. Tyler Sash. Don't know who those players are? They are all members of the 2011 New York Giants and they can all call themselves Super Bowl champions. A player that cannot call himself a Super Bowl champion that you have heard of is LaDainian Tomlinson.

Tomlinson was recently asked, when given the choice between the Hall of Fame and a Super Bowl ring, what would he choose and he responded, "Hall of Fame player without a ring, because you've got to sacrifice so much individually just to be good. They draft you individually and you've got to back them up and make them right. I think at the end of the day, even though I didn't win a Super Bowl ring, I felt like I backed them up for drafting me. I backed up the San Diego Chargers for picking me with the fifth pick."

Tomlinson caught some flak for his answer but anyone who disagrees is an idiot. Winning a Super Bowl is a tremendous accomplishment but it's not something an individual can control. As the names at the start of this rant show, there are a lot of players that win rings that hardly contribute.

It is all about circumstances and relying on teammates. Tomlinson did what he could do to try and get a title in San Diego but it didn't work out. Is he to blame for that? I guess you could put some blame on him but what GM wouldn't have wanted LT on their team any time between 2001 and 2010? He had over 1,500 yards from scrimmage for 8 straight seasons while scoring double-digit touchdowns each year. Would you rather be known as one of the best running backs ever or have been a bench player that never even played in the Super Bowl but still got a ring?

I'm sure Tomlinson wishes he had been in a better situation and I'm sure he'd give up plenty to have accomplished a lifelong goal of winning a Super Bowl but would he want to be a lesser player in order to achieve that? No. He worked his hardest and gave the Chargers his all but it wasn't enough. He can rest easy knowing he tried as hard as he could and will be rewarded with a bust in Canton in 2017.

Is he really saying that college football could become even more corrupt? So much more corrupt that we could have something worse than the Sandusky coverup? Not to mention that that particular coverup happened about a decade ago when there was no playoff system. How much more corruption will there really be going from a multi-billion dollar industry to a multi-billion dollar industry making a few billion more?

Underestimating Phelps
David Whitley of Sporting News believed Michael Phelps should've tanked the 200-meter individual medley to allow Ryan Lochte to win: Phelps competitive instincts won't allow him to ease up on the gas. But if he'd listen to his public relations instincts, Phelps would realize the advantage of second place.
He'd still qualify, and it would help recast him as the Comeback Kid. Not only is that a better storyline heading into London, the underdog role is more realistic.

You know what's also a good storyline? Becoming by far the greatest Olympian of all-time. Phelps already holds 14 golds. Second place for most all-time is 9. He has a chance to win 7 more golds this year. Does he really need the underdog angle? And how risky is it for Phelps to slow up and coast to second place in these races where an Olympic appearance and missing out can be the difference of a second or two? Luckily, Phelps didn't listen to Whitley and he defeated Lochte by .09 seconds.

Andy Rooney Award of the Week
Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press believes baseball is just fine without instant replay: Foul balls, sure, but how about bang-bang plays on the bases where umpires can study five different replays for 15 minutes and still not figure out the call?
Imagine instant replay for balks. Can a manager throw a red flag on the field on a pickoff move when figuring out what is a balk really is remains subjective to even umpires?
And, of course, balls and strikes. No one knows what the strike zone really is, but we do know it's a moving target between umpires and leagues that has resisted definition even after more than 60 years of televised games.

Ah, good old slippery slope argument. We're not talking about instant replay for balks. Why extrapolate out that far? And, we don't know what the strike zone is? Does he know umpires get assessed based on how they called those balls and strikes? The league definitely has a definition of the strike zone. And would that really be so wrong if the strike zone was completely left up to science? Can you imagine every ball or strike called correctly? What would be wrong with that?

It's part of the beauty of the game, just as the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium and the Green Monster at Fenway flout the idea of perfect symmetry across baseball. Things aren't always fair, but it's baseball and they tend to even out over time. ...
Sure, instant replay may right some wrongs. But it takes away some of the magic of the game; some of the things that are as traditional about baseball as hot dogs and cold beer.

Varying ballpark dimensions has nothing to do with umpires making bad calls. And it takes away the magic? The magic of teams getting screwed? How about we go back to the steroid era. Without steroids some of the magic has gone out of baseball as well.

NBA's New Villain
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald believes Dwight Howard is taking the mantle from LeBron: Howard has had "The Indecision," months and months of waffling and conflicting intentions that have torn apart Orlando and turned fans against him. In terms of public image the Magical powers have left the player who calls himself Superman. Dwight still has one of sports' great smiles, but now you see deceit and disingenuousness behind it.

I love "The Indecision." Just in the word alone it implies it's worse than what LeBron did. LeBron made a choice. It might not be one a lot of people liked but at least he decided. All of this waffling back and forth is so much worse. When is Dwight Howard going to realize he can't be loved by all? By attempting to do that he no longer has any fans. It's going to take at least a ring for him to turn his reputation around.

I'm not going to write the typical American column about how soccer is boring and needs more scoring. I'm not a huge soccer fan but my appreciation for the sport has grown over the years. As coverage of the sport in the United States has increased along with availability of in-depth analysis on the web the sport has become easier to follow. It's close to surpassing baseball on my hierarchy of favorite sports to watch. But there is one thing that has always bothered me about the sport. How, in a game of 11-on-11 for 90 minutes (and potentially 120) do you only get 3 substitutions?

The best part about sports are those explosive movements that leave us in awe. When an outfielder robs someone of a home run. When Blake Griffin creates yet another poster picture. When Lionel Messi races down field and jukes out multiple defenders. These are the moments that make us watch sports. Why wouldn't we want more of these? Why is soccer alone among the major sports in staging a battle of attrition?

I don't know exactly how more substitutions would affect the game but I'd sure like to find out. Would Cristiano Ronaldo be even more dangerous if he were given a few chances to rest? Would scoring actually decrease because there wouldn't be as many defensive lapses to create scoring opportunities? They have somewhat relaxed the subbing rules in friendlies in recent years but no coach is going to fully embrace those opportunities knowing that it won't be the case in any game that actually matters. Until the rules are changed when something is actually on the line we'll never know how it might change the game and that seems like a shame to me.

Oh, and the fact that the players don't really know when stoppage time is going to end is also just insane. On to the awards!

He holds the key to eternal happiness, the end to starvation and world peace! LeBron has come to save us all! But seriously, no holes in his game? He shot 26-percent from 3-point range and his jump shot is still shaky. He certainly figured out how to limit his weaknesses but he's far from flawless.

Because now doubt has been knocked aside by proof. Because now Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh know their roles.

We have no idea what Dwyane Wade has left in him now. Maybe he will come back healthy but maybe he won't. As for Bosh, hasn't he always known his role? He's been a pretty steady force since joining the Heat.

Because now veterans have seen what Shane Battier did at the end, and are going to want to go out like that, too.

Are these veterans also going to catch absolute fire the way Battier did? The Heat will get interest from veterans looking for a ring but they got that in Mike Bibby, Erick Dampier, Eddie House, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamaal Magloire and Jerry Stackhouse last year and how did that turn out?

Questioning Kobe
T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times believes Kobe's chances at another NBA title are done: Like the fading MVP chants in Staples, try as he will, there's just not enough left to muster another championship run. ... Kobe hit 43% of his shots this season on bolstered confidence, his worst shooting performance since starting one game his second season in the league.

Sure, Kobe should take some blame for taking a few too many shots but the reason he shot 43% this season is because the Lakers had no outside shooting. LA was tied for 25th in 3-point shooting percentage this season. Without anyone able to hit those shots, Kobe was left taking awful looks at the end of the shot clock. I don't know if Kobe will get another crack at a title because his salary makes it tough for the Lakers to make many moves but it's not because his skills are fading. He's not nearly as athletic as he used to be but his shot is just about as pure as it ever has been.

Worst Line Following Sandusky Verdict
Mike Lopresti of USA Today wasn't intentionally trying to be funny but I couldn't help but chuckle at this line: The trial is over, but where did their childhoods go? The tickle monster took them.

Can we never use tickle monster ever again? Can that moniker be retired forever now? It went from being a playful nickname an Uncle would give himself to just about the creepiest insult you could ever bestow upon someone.

Flawed Logic
Rob Dauster of Sports Illustrated argues that the NCAA's increased academic standards could be a bad thing: Rare is the occasion that valuing education is bad. The problem is that, while well-intentioned, these rule changes are not perfect. We'll start with the obvious: the incentive for academic fraud, as far down as the high school level, increases exponentially. Asking a kid to get a 2.5 GPA and a 1,000 on the SATs is not the same as asking that kid to get accepted into MIT, but it's also not exactly a cakewalk. Finding ways to get a player eligible have become a cottage industry at the high school level, and that is unlikely to change as more players are going to need the last minute help to get pushed through the NCAA's clearinghouse.

By Dauster's logic we shouldn't be so stringent on building codes because it just increases the likelihood that an owner of a building will pay off the inspector. Yes, upping the academic standards will probably increase academic fraud but is the solution to just not do it then? How about we up the standards AND try to stop the fraud when it happens?

Over the past weekend, tennis player David Nalbandian lost his temper and when kicking an advertising sign accidentally kicked line judge Andrew McDougall. It was a stupid act. It was childish. And in a sport like tennis that seems to frown at players with personalities it was a much bigger deal than it would have been in any other sport.

The incident happened during the finals of the Aegon Championships with Nalbandian leading 7-6, 3-4 against Marin Cilic. Not only was Nalbandian disqualified but he also could not collect his prize money of over $50,000 and lost the 150 ranking points he would have received. It's a stiff punishment for a stupid but non-vicious act. I'm sure Nalbandian will never do something like that again...oh, that's not all? He also was fined a maximum $12,500 (approximate translation from pounds) by the ATP for "unsportsmanlike conduct." Wow. Now that seems a little excessive. Losing the prize money and rankings wasn't enough? And, as if this was a Price Is Right showcase showdown or TV info-mercial...But wait, there's more!

The incident is now being investigated by the police after a complaint was filed. The police wouldn't reveal who made the complaint. Was this really necessary? McDougall suffered a cut on his shin. The bleeding made it seem much worse than it was and he didn't have to go to the hospital for treatment. Nalbandian apologized to McDougall and the ATP for his actions. Can't this be laid to rest? Now Nalbandian could be fined even more money, could receive a ban from the ATP and might face criminal charges. This is getting to be just absurd. Don't the police have something better to do? Who made the complaint and can they be charged the amount this fruitless investigation is going to cost taxpayers? Can't some accidents just be accidents and not result in criminal charges and/or lawsuits? On to the awards!

By painting this picture of Durant she is implying the opposite of LeBron. LeBron did leave for a larger market. He does go clubbing and he joined a Heat team that didn't build from the ground up. But Durant also isn't in Cleveland. And that's not even comparing the cities but the organizations. The Thunder have unbelievable talent around him in a way LeBron never did in Cleveland. Would Durant have stayed in OKC if they hadn't landed the likes of Harden and Westbrook in the draft? They both want to win and both have chosen their best opportunity to do so and to paint it any other way is distorting the truth.

Lack of Restraint
Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer didn't want to venture into the world of hyperbole in his column about the NBA Finals: The 2011-12 NBA finals begin Tuesday night in Oklahoma City, and I won't compare Miami star LeBron James and Thunder star Kevin Durant with Magic and Bird.
LeBron and Durant are more athletic and larger. Magic and Bird have larger resumes.
Magic's Lakers won five championships, Bird's Celtics three. LeBron's Miami Heat and Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder have yet to win one.
But there are unmistakable similarities between the great players from the 1980s and the two greatest players in the NBA today. One is that they compel you to watch them.

Does this confuse anyone else? I swear I thought he said he wasn't going to compare them...

LeBron is a more complete player than Kobe ever was. But Kobe once would win close games by himself. LeBron has yet to.

Maybe LeBron hasn't had a game-winning shot in the playoffs but to say he hasn't won close games by himself just isn't right. Look at what he has done in these playoffs. In a critical Game 4 against the Pacers he had 40 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists in a 101-93 victory. And do huge games in which he's the reason his team blows out others not count for anything? Should we dismiss his 45-point game in a must-win Game 6 against the Celtics just because the final margin of victory was 21 points? LeBron is quickly dispelling the myth that he is not clutch and columnists better begin to recognize that.

Columnist Who Could Be a Lawyer for Sandusky
Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant has an interesting defense for Geno Auriemma who has been accused of basically sexual assault: Isn't women's basketball too small a community and Connecticut too small a state for someone not to have said something in the past 25 years if Auriemma had engaged in such brutish behaviors?

Wasn't Penn State too tight of a community and Happy Valley to small of an area for Jerry Sandusky to get away with child molestation for so long? The cases are very different and I don't mean to compare the acts nor the people but I just find the argument senseless but perhaps Sandusky's attorneys can attempt to use it to their advantage.

Worst Type of People in the World?
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel is rooting for Florida State coach Mike Martin to win the College World Series this year: I once wrote that if you're rooting against Martin winning a championship, "You are probably the same person who slams the door in the face of the pig-tailed, freckle-faced kid selling Girl Scout cookies. ... The same person who yells, 'Get a Job!' to the homeless man begging for quarters. ... The same person who flips off the little old lady who is driving her Dodge Dart 20 mph in a 45 mph zone."

Is it wrong that he is describing me? Alright, not on the Girl Scout cookies girl. I wouldn't complain if they knocked on my door weekly. Although, I'd weigh an extra 50 pounds if that were the case. I might not yell at the homeless person but I'm probably thinking it. And as far as the old lady? Driving 20 in a 45 mph zone is EXTREMELY unsafe. I'd argue it's less safe than driving 60 in a 45. Old ladies that drive that slow need to have their licenses revoked. I guess I'm just about the worst person in the world.

Intro to a Column I Never Thought I'd Read
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times opened his column about the Kings winning the Stanley Cup with a quote: When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city, to see a marching band. He said, "Son, when you grow up, would you be the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned?"

For those that aren't 16-year-old teenage girls those are lyrics from My Chemical Romance. Yes, that's Bill Plaschke quoting My Chemical Romance and weaving it SEAMLESSLY into his story on the Kings.

Worst Article Criticizing LeBron
Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman thinks LeBron James needs to lighten up: LeBron James says he's having fun. Says he's enjoying himself. Sure doesn't look like it. ... Where's the joy?
Where's the on-court bowling ball fun and the posing for fake pictures and the chalk shower he gave anyone sitting at the scorer's table? Where's the guy with a bounce in his step even when the clock wasn't moving?

Can you imagine if LeBron were doing those things? The media would rip him to shreds. Did Jordan ever do those types of things during his run to the title? Did Kobe? Has anyone? Athletes are supposed to take things like the playoffs seriously and that's what LeBron is doing. Is he having fun? I'm sure he is enjoying winning.

How to Hate the Dream Team
Peter Vecsey of the New York Post doesn't believe the original Dream Team should be glorified: Now that I've read some of what was said by a deputized inmate Michael Jordan and authorities responsible for the selection of USA Basketball's representative, I wish I had smacked around The Farcelona 12 an eternity ago. The hypocrisy of so many people involved in its assembly and, more to the cutthroat point, the ostracizing of Isiah Thomas, is both wretched and retching. This may be the dirtiest a sports figure has ever been treated.

Was leaving Isiah Thomas off the team that big of a snub? Who do you kick off in place of him? Every single NBA player on the team made the Hall of Fame. If anyone of those players were left off they would've been pretty big snubs as well. And I'd say the NBA made the right call having Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the team instead of Isiah Thomas. There's so much more wrong with this article but I'm too annoyed to get into it. But if getting riled up is your thing you can read TheBigLead's breakdown of the article.

Worst Idea of the Week
Speaking of the Dream Team - Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press has a completely nonsensical idea to right the wrong of the Isiah snub: The U.S. Olympic Committee, as well as USA Basketball, should arrange that Thomas receive an honorary 1992 gold medal.
If increasing numbers think 20 years later that it was a mistake, then correct the mistake.

Here's the thing about the Olympics - no one gets a gold medal for NOT competing. Giving him an honorary medal would be a smack in the face to the rest of the team. If Isiah had been on the team it would not be the same Dream Team that is so revered today. Who knows how many of those players would've played if Isiah was on it.

Reaching for a Column Idea
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle is obviously much more in-tune with what fans are saying about the Giants but I have yet to hear this one: Tim Lincecum is struggling, and some fans and armchair drug experts are blaming his slump on marijuana use.
Lincecum was cited for misdemeanor pot possession following the 2009 season. He has long hair. The pot posse believes that where there was smoke, there is smoke.

How many fans are really blaming Lincecum's struggles on the idea that he might be smoking pot? I have to assume it's in like single digits. Star pitchers struggle all the time but people don't automatically assume it's because they are on drugs. There are so many factors and I don't believe anybody that is credible blames Lincecum's struggles on marijuana. Personally, I think it has to do with gay marriage. It just makes more sense.

This past weekend was chock full of sporting events. There was the women's and men's French Open Finals, the beginning of Euro 2012, Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and even the Belmont Stakes was exciting despite no possibility of a Triple Crown winner. But all of those things took a back seat in the sports headlines to the Pacquiao-Bradley fight.

It wasn't just that Timothy Bradley Jr. upset Pacquiao but that the judges are at best incompetent and at worst corrupt. No experts who watched the fight had Bradley winning it. Promoter Bob Arum even said that after the fight Bradley said, "I tried hard, but couldn't beat the guy." Of course, take Arum's words with a grain of salt because those that believe the match was fixed believe Arum was the one behind it.

Arum could stand to benefit from the controversial decision because it will set up a rematch between these two and another huge pay day. There are those that argue that the loss hurts Pacquiao's appeal and ultimately kills the potential fight with Mayweather Jr. but who knows if that fight was/is ever going to happen. I'm not as much interested in whether the fight was fixed or not as I'm interested in whether it even matters. In fact, I think the controversy is probably the best thing for boxing.

Boxing isn't the same as most other sports. Most sports are ruled by statistics but boxing is all about the drama and the spectacle. It's more like the WWE than it is a sport like baseball. This isn't to diminish the sport of boxing but to point out that the majority of those that tune in to boxing matches know about as much as HBO's 24/7 series tells them. There's a reason Mayweather Jr. was only a 3-1 favorite to defeat Ricky Hatton back in 2007. HBO and the media made it seem like Hatton had a chance. The result? Mayweather controlled the whole fight and it was called in the 10th round after Hatton was knocked down twice.

Not all fans are in it for the drama. A minority actually understand the nuances and strategy of the sport. But boxing already has those fans. They aren't about to give up on their beloved sport no matter how crooked it is.

I have no idea if the match was fixed but it seems like boxing has more to gain with controversy than it stands to lose in diminished credibility. On to the awards!

Oh...he's not saying that? He's saying the NL East is "undoubtedly stronger"? Hmm. Let's examine that. The two divisions just played interleague series' against each other and the final tally after the weekend? 9-6 in favor of the AL. And those NL East best Marlins? They were swept by the Rays. The weekend aside you could make an argument that the NL East is a stronger division but to claim it's "undoubtedly stronger" is just idiotic.

Candidate for NBA GM of the Year
Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post knows exactly how to fix the Nuggets: The Nuggets should pick up the telephone during the next month and make a trade proposal: Lawson, Gallinari and Afflalo for James.

Done and done. Now Kiszla can turn his attentions to the Rockies where he'll try and trade Jason Giambi for Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. I mean, Kemp IS injured so maybe the Dodgers pull the trigger...

Argument Part of the Problem
Jeff MacGregor of ESPNW doesn't believe women athletes should be subjected to all the awful comments men make regarding the women's physical appearances: Two recent examples here at the dot-com would be stories about Brittney Griner and Holley Mangold. Both strong women, beautiful and accomplished.

Why even mention that these women are beautiful? Isn't that exactly the type of objectification you're arguing against?

Horrible Gaffe of the Week
Either Rick Reilly is hilarious or he's an unfunny lazy columnist. Unfortunately for Reilly, there is far too much evidence that supports the latter. He recently wrote about how people should let go of their hate for LeBron James:
OK, LeBron is not perfect. Threw a Gatorade cup. Punched a walking stick. Carries that stupid little man purse. But if you were to fill a plane with the most spoiled superstars in the country, he'd be boarding in the D group.

Why is this particularly hilarious? Because that walking stick story is from a joke post TheBasketballJones wrote about a month ago. So either Reilly put it in there knowing it was a joke or he was stupid enough to not realize it was a joke.

Grown men are actually strapping microphones to their ties and saying that if James doesn't win the title, the Heat ought to be broken up. For what? For making the Finals last year? For making (at least) the Eastern finals this year? James has been with these guys only two seasons. It took Michelangelo four years to paint the Sistine Chapel. You people would've fired him in two.

Did Michelangelo ever mess up and have to repaint an entire section? It's a matter of progress and if the Heat had lost to the Celtics it would've represented a gigantic step back. It would be like it Michaelangelo started to paint stick figures in place of God and Adam.

Horrible Advice for Michigan Teams
Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press has some advice for Michigan teams: Hype is hell and rarely fulfilled. Avoid it at all cost. Walk around masked, if necessary.
No NFL team has been hyped more in the past few months nationally than the Lions. No college football team has been hyped more right now nationally than the Wolverines. If history is any judge, neither will come remotely close to meeting the outrageous expectations following them nearly three months before their respective seasons start.

Do whatever you can to avoid hype! Don't sign good free agents. Tank the previous season. Don't recruit 5-star players. That way when you fail it's expected. That's so much better than having high expectations...

Insult of the Week
Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram draws an unfavorable comparison to Tony Romo: Romo is 32, and he's won what? Only one more postseason game than Quincy Carter?

Now that's a little harsh isn't it? Romo is probably one of the top 10 QBs in the league and Quincy Carter represents one of the darkest times in Cowboys history. Even with his botched hold, Romo deserves a little more respect than that.

Why Newspapers Are Dying
Here's part of the article Greg Cote of the Miami Herald filed Saturday night: The drama of Saturday night's Heat-Celtics Game 7 here played out after the deadline for this column, so all we could do is imagine the polar-opposite feeling that would be sweeping across South Florida right now depending on the result.

He then goes on to talk about what a loss or a win would mean to the franchise and Miami. What's even the point of posting this? Or at least why post it online when it's instantly out-dated? It's like a work site hanging a sign saying '2 days since the last accident' - it just draws attention to major flaws.

At Justin Blackmon's pro day in March his 40 time was clocked at 4.46 seconds. On Sunday morning at 3am in Oklahoma he was clocked at 60 mph in a 35 mph zone. But that wasn't the worst of it. He allegedly had a blood alcohol level of .24. That's 3 times the legal limit. He was arrested and charged with an aggravated DUI. No doubt it's the Jaguars that are aggravated now after trading up to pick Blackmon 5th overall in this year's draft. On the flip side, the Rams must feel like they dodged a bullet since it looked like they were going to take Blackmon with the 6th pick.

This isn't to say that Blackmon won't be a good pro but the red flags have been raised. Blackmon's actually lucky that he was only charged with a misdemeanor. If this had been his second DUI it would've been a felony and the consequences would be much more severe. Back in 2010 he was charged with a DUI but it was later downgraded to possession of alcohol.

Aside from the hit to his reputation, Blackmon will likely get hit in the wallet as well because he has yet to sign a contract with the Jags. Shouldn't he have waited to sign that contract to celebrate? With so much on the line how do you let something like this happen?

All of this defies logic but it's still not the craziest part of this whole story. On Monday he pled not guilty to the charge. Does the breathalyzer have a margin of error of like 300%? Was his protein drink spiked with 12 shots of jaeger? Were the police officers Longhorns fans? I know the plea actually has to do with some legal strategy that's too convoluted for me to understand and eventually he will plead guilty to the DUI (probably a lesser charge) but it's certainly not going to help his image right now.

He apparently had a great work ethic while at Oklahoma State and wasn't viewed as a character risk heading into the draft. So hopefully this is just a one-time gigantic error in judgment and he won't waste his second shot to get him back on the track. Poor choice of words...On to the awards!

Well, going home didn't exactly solve their problems as they did lose Game 5 but I have a problem with the basis of this argument. What exactly were the Thunder thinking after the first two games? Were they thinking everything would be okay when they went home after going down 2-0 with the Spurs in control in the first two games? Sometimes it's more than just adjustments. Sometimes it's one team just playing better than the other. Columnists have wildly swung back and forth in both of these Conference Finals as both the Heat and Spurs went up 2-0 only to lose the next two to even the series. What's that old adage? A playoff series only begins when the home team loses? It looks like the Spurs series has only now begun and maybe it's not all about adjustments but about execution as well.

Quote (Insult?) of the Week
After Game 4 of the Heat-Celtics series in which LeBron and Pierce fouled out, Ray Allen said: It was like chess. They took our queen, then we took their queen."

This probably isn't a diss since he'd kind of be insulting Paul Pierce as well but you never know with someone smart enough to draw a poignant analogy between basketball and chess. Was Allen taking the subtlest of digs at "King" James by calling him a queen? Probably not but it's pretty funny nonetheless.

Running Out of Patience
The baseball season is a marathon and early on in the season columnists usually temper negative views with the caveat that "it's still early and a lot can change." Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press is done with those caveats in regards to the Tigers: Jim Leyland wants reporters to write what we see and "have the nerve to say something."
OK.
This team stinks, falling from funk to dysfunctional.

He and the rest of the columnists had criticized the Tigers a lot in the early going. They were assumed to be a shoe-in to win the AL Central but as of today they trail the Indians by 6 games and are 4 games under .500. Now is when the claws come out.

The 5th Major in Golf?
Mike Lopresti of USA Today isn't sure if Tiger is back but he is sure that The Memorial is something special: The Memorial is not a major, but let's not nitpick. Nicklaus is the tournament host, and that says a lot.

What exactly does it say? Does Nicklaus have some magical powers that make this tournament particularly amazing? Should any tournament Nicklaus host become the 5th major whether it be a mini-golf event or a beer pong tournament? I just don't quite understand how Nicklaus' presence changes how golf is played.

Worst/Best Sports Item of the Week
The NBA store is apparently selling this t-shirt. God I love that. Aside from the fact that it's ugly as sin and looks like a David Robinson shirt I wore in the early '90s that was about 7 sizes too big for me, the irony is fantastic. If I'm a Magic fan I'm buying like a hundred of these and then distributing them the first game Howard comes to Orlando as the opposition.
H/T: Point Forward

No Faith
Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe did not think highly of the Celtics chances in the Eastern Conference Finals: Close your eyes, people. This might be bad. This might hurt.
The party is over for the Morgan Freeman Five, the Duct Tape Five, or whatever you want to call the ancient warriors who patrol the court for the Boston Celtics. The Tomato Cans from Atlanta and Philadelphia have been beaten. It's now time for serious basketball and there will be green blood when this next round is over. ... But this series doesn't bode well for Boston's proud warriors. The ancient, broken-down Green Teamers are a good bet to get swept, or maybe steal one game and lose in five.

At least he was right about the Red Sox last season.

Convoluted Logic
Scoop Jackson of ESPN has some convoluted story about how Michael Jordan must convince the Hornets that it's in their best interest to trade away their top pick to the Bobcats: The Bobcats, on the other hand, and with almost desperate severity, need Davis. Not because they finished with the worst winning percentage in NBA history, but simply because no other player in the draft balances their roster like he would. No other player in the draft comes close to completing them.
Charlotte already has three players who can legitimately score at three different positions: D.J. Augustin at the point, Gerald Henderson at small forward and Kemba Walker off the bench. They don't need a Kidd-Gilchrist or a Bradley Beal or a Harrison Barnes (or even a Thomas Robinson or a Jared Sullinger, who could help them at the power forward spot).

You ARE talking about the Bobcats right? Jackson is acting like the Bobcats, who finished with the worst winning percentage in NBA history, are only a piece away. They don't need those players? They could use ALL of those players.

... With three centers and a 7-foot starting power forward (Jason Smith), the Hornets don't lack at Davis' position. If they draft Davis, they'll have to make some deals or begin cutting players to make room. ... Because contrary to what everyone else is saying, Davis is not the Hornets' answer, not in the way a player like MKG would be. If the Hornets are serious about building a team that will make the playoffs in the near future, they need offense now at a position where they don't have anyone to score. They need explosiveness, not a defensive presence who is going to need time to find himself offensively.

I'm not as sold on Anthony Davis as everyone else is but I have to defer to the experts and assume they are right when he is a once in a generation talent and by far the best prospect in this draft. So to say the Hornets don't need him because they have Jason Smith, Chris Kaman and Emeka Okafor is ridiculous. With the top pick you take the top talent. You don't build around the horrible team you already have. if the Hornets are serious about building a team they will draft the best player available and can then use those other players as trade assets.

Last week there was a rumor floating around that Shaquille O'Neal was going to interview for the job of General Manager of the Orlando Magic. Of course, the rumor was first reported by Chris Broussard of ESPN who seems to run with anything anyone tells him. I was skeptical at first but then more reports came out that he was going to meet with the team and I got my hopes up.

There were so many reasons I wanted this to happen. The idea of him going back to the franchise he abandoned years ago was fascinating. How would the fanbase embrace him? Could he possibly right his wrong by convincing Dwight Howard to stay ("Do as I say, not as I do.")? I know he's now a Doctor but how potentially hilarious could his press conferences be?

But the biggest reason I was hoping this would become a reality is so I would no longer have to see him on TNT's "Inside the NBA." Is there a worst NBA analyst than Shaq? The only one in the running is Jalen Rose. In fact, I'd put Shaq in the running for worst analyst across all sports with only Emmitt Smith having the chance to win that title from him.

For someone that was so entertaining while in the NBA, he brings absolutely nothing as an analyst. There is no insight. He basically just repeats what the others on set have already said. He mumbles the entire time. The only time he brings a modicum of entertainment value is when the other analysts make fun of him. So can some NBA franchise please hire this guy so he can stop ruining the best NBA studio show? On to the awards!

Aren't flagrant 2 fouls pretty much red cards? On a flagrant 2 a player is ejected from the game and suspended for a subsequent game. The only difference with a red card is the team can't field another player to replace them. Is that what she's getting at? In a game with only 5 players per side she wants a team to play down an entire man? While I'd find that comical I don't think that's gonna happen.

NBA commissioner David Stern had no choice but to punish Haslem and Pittman. They were lucky it wasn't worse. Pittman's foul, which sent Stephenson to the X-ray room, was arguably as malicious as Metta World Peace's elbow to the head of James Harden, who sustained a concussion. World Peace was suspended seven games.

I'll agree Pittman was very lucky it wasn't worse but I'll argue it was at least as bad as World Peace's elbow. Pittman launched himself elbow first at a defenseless player without the ball. The NBA seems to be all over the map with their suspensions. Andrew Bynum got 4 games for his flagrant foul on J.J. Barea last playoffs and at least Barea had the ball in that situation. Pittman should definitely have been suspended for the rest of the playoffs and beyond that the Heat should probably be fined as well. Losing Pittman just isn't a big enough loss and when scrubs like that exact revenge suspending them isn't nearly damaging enough. These teams should feel it in their pocket books too. Maybe that will stop teams from employing thugs like that.

Shaving Cream Pies Are ALWAYS Entertaining
Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune probably doesn't have much positive things to write about since the Twins stink so instead he wrote a piece on 10 ways to improve baseball: 6. Shaving cream pies
A guy wins a game for you. He's standing in front of the dugout, doing a TV interview, and your resident clubhouse clown sneaks up behind him and smashes a towel filled with shaving cream into his eyes.
Does that sound like a good idea? And has anybody located the person who still finds this funny?

Who doesn't enjoy that moment? It's not only pretty funny but it's a simple tradition that the players themselves seem to love and those are the moments that fans love. I will say that for years I thought it was whipped cream and I still kind it confusing that you hit someone with shaving cream. Why not make the switch to whipped cream? This player just won the game for you, the least you can do is give him a little dessert in the face.

Strong Accusation
Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports hammers Russell Westbrook and James Harden for their play in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals: Westbrook and his partner in uselessness, James Harden, combined for 14 pointless points in the final 100 seconds of garbage time, turning a 94-84 game into something deceptively closer. Westbrook finished with 17 points, which were as utilitarian as his brown glasses. They were for show, those 17 points. That's all they were. And the same goes for Harden, who scored 19 cotton-candy points, empty calories for a nauseating scoreboard. In all, Harden and Westbrook combined to take 38 shots to score their 36 points. They couldn't score efficiently, but by God they were going to score. What's the point of playing a big game on a big stage if you can't get yours, right? I have no idea if that's what Westbrook and Harden were thinking, but I'm positive that's how they were playing. They're capable of getting shots whenever they want, and as the game rolled along and their point totals stayed static, they started jacking up shots.

Can't a couple players have a bad game? They did end up scoring late in the game but is Doyel implying they were scoring late in the game not to win but to accumulate stats? Couldn't it just as easily be seen as two players trying their damnedest to get their team back in the game? Sort of a "It's not over until it's over" mentality? Why do they have to be villains in this scenario? Oh, cause that makes for a more interesting read.

For Russell Westbrook to play 35.5 minutes per game alongside 28-ppg scorer Kevin Durant and average just 5.5 assists per game, well, that's staggering. Allen Iverson's career assist average was 6.2, and he never played with a scorer of Durant's magnitude or efficiency. Plus he scored more than Westbrook.

If Doyel should have a beef with anyone it's Scott Brooks. This is how the Thunder play. They don't score off of ball movement like the Spurs. They score in isolation from Westbrook, Durant and Harden. Everyone knows Westbrook isn't a true point guard and they've molded the team to adjust to that. Why blame him now for something the Thunder have fostered for a few years?

Interesting Scenario of the Week
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel tries to bring some hope to the Magic fanbase: ... the Magic desperately need the Nets to win the draft lottery Wednesday. If that happens, the Nets get the rights to Kentucky freshman phenom Anthony Davis, whom they could then trade to the Magic for Dwight Howard.

Is this what it has come to for the Magic? Grasping at any possibility that they might remain relevant post-Dwight Howard? The Nets have a less than 10-percent chance of getting that top pick and unless the fix is in it's probably not gonna happen.

Battle of the Worst Article to Use Siri
Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press and Rick Reilly of ESPN both use Siri in their most recent articles. Albom does his best Andy Rooney impression: It may be all the rage for celebrities in iPhone commercials to have pithy exchanges with Siri, the female-sounding voice assistant, but if you ask me, they just sound stupid.
Like actress Zooey Deschanel, in her pajamas, telling her iPhone, "Remind me to clean up ... tomorrow." Really? If you can't remember to do your chores, how can you remember to check the phone? What if you can't find it because the place is so messy? How about reminding you to get out of your pajamas?

Reilly uses Siri to "help him write" a column on the Thunder: I have found your current location. You are in Crazytown. Population: Rick.

This is one close call. Let's ask Siri: "Who's better Mitch Albom or..." I don't see 'Who better Mitch' in your music. Maybe Albom's right. Siri is useless.

Is It Racist?
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the answer to the question of whether Boston fans are racist is a definitive 'yes': You think we're the fair weather type, do you? (regarding KGs comments about Philly fans) Ok, to that I say that it's better to be fair weather than to be anything remotely akin the cretins that unleashed their racist vitriol via Twitter upon Washington Capitals defenseman Joel Ward, a Black hockey player, last month after he eliminated Boston's Bruins from the NHL playoffs with an overtime goal. ... No, this wasn't the whole Boston fan base, not at all. But it's not a coincidence that Bill Russell, the biggest sports winner in the history of Boston sports, absolutely loathed the city and a fan base that he saw as racist.

So a few racist tweets makes Boston fans racist? If that's the case I bet every single fanbase could be labeled racist. And bringing up Bill Russell? Russell last played in Boston in 1969. That's 43 years ago. That's your only other example of Boston fans being racist? That they didn't embrace someone 53 years ago that is now one of the most beloved players in all of Boston sports? That's some strong evidence.