Quick hits - Is A-Rod hot off the field too? And what is up with Kobe?

Today's New York Post is reporting that Alex Rodriguez has been spotted with a certain blonde woman in five cities....the Post reports that A-Rod and the mystery blond have been spotted going into strip clubs in Dallas and Toronto....here is the link for that story:

N.Y. Post A-Rod Story

The Pistons will win game 5 tonight....take it to the bank.....

Sticking with the NBA, what is up with Kobe Bryant?.....yesterday Kobe was upset and wanted traded because the Laker organization was not getting him any help.....he was also upset about them trading Shaq a few years back......am I missing something here, but wasn't Kobe the reason why Shaq was traded.....wasn't Kobe the one who wanted to show the world that he can lead the Lakers to an NBA title without Shaq......now it has suddenly become the organizations fault??.....Kobe is a dynamic player, but once thing has become clear over the past two seasons - Lebron James is a better player than Kobe.....both players are surrounded with mediocre to average players on each team.....but James has been able to take the Cavs farther into the NBA playoffs each year than Kobe.....Kobe has become the Dominique Wilkins of this era - a great scorer with a lot of flash, but the inability to lead his team to a conference title....check out N.Y. Post's Pete Vecsey's column which appeared on May 29th.....

Pete Vecsey

What the hell is wrong with Andy Roddick?.....I know Americans have a difficult time winning on the red clay at Roland Garros.....but this is ridiculous.....he was ranked third in the French Open and was bounced in the first round last year.....so what does Roddick do this year - he gets bounced once again in round 1......

Tampa Devil Rays’ Elijah Dukes is a great talent but he will always be a screw up off the field....he is too gangsta for baseball.....

Good move by Joe Torre not starting Roger Clemens in Boston.....Clemens would have guaranteed lost in Boston because he would have pumped himself up so much that he would have overthrown and given up at least 3 gopher balls....

Mark Cuban and some other knuckleheads are talking about starting a professional football league to rival the NFL.....when will people learn that these rogue leagues will not succeed.....Cuban was correct when he stated that people love football.....but people love quality professional football, not some half-baked quack league......

Say what you will, but Boston's Dice-K is just an average pitcher as the Indians proved last night by lighting him up for 12 hits and six earned runs in less than six innings pitched.....the great Dice-K with his much talked about "gyroball" is now sitting with an ERA of 4.83.....

Finally, here is some advice to people who wear dark pants - never eat a powdered sugar donut before a meeting.....I was a little early for a meeting yesterday so I stopped at a Dunkin Donuts to kill 20 minutes or so.....I decided to eat my first donut of 2007, so I bought a powdered sugar donut filled with chocolate....as I was eating I did not realize that the powdered sugar was dropping on my blue Dockers....all I know, that sugar is impossible to get off your pants.....trust me on this.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Stan McNeal of The Sporting News about baseball

Today's Five Good Questions is with Stan McNeal of The Sporting News.....Stan has been a managing editor at The Sporting News since 2000, coordinating coverage of major league baseball and the NBA...before coming to The Sporting News, Stan worked at newspapers in San Diego and Florida for more than 20 years......

Q1. Starting in the American League, what is wrong with the New York Yankees? If you were in charge, what would you do to try and revive the team this season?
What's wrong with the Yankees is what everyone thought would be wrong, their pitching. And during a recent stretch when they actually got strong pitching, their offense took a break. They're going to score but the rotation --- yes, there's been a lot of injuries --- isn't strong enough to win the division or a wild card. They did what they wanted in signing Clemens. He won't make them as good as the Red Sox or the second-place team in the Central.

Q2. So far, how would you rate Lou Piniella's job as skipper of the Cubs?
I think Lou's been fine. I thought he handled the Soriano situation right -- gave him a shot in center, let him gracefully move to left when it was clear it wasn't going to work out in center. I think the job has been tougher than Lou expected. But hey, it's the Cubs. Something always happens with the Cubs.

Q3. Do the Cleveland Indians have the staying power to win the A.L. Central? If so, how far can this team go in the playoffs?
Absolutely they can win the Central. So if they're the best team in the best division, they should do OK in October as well. The Red Sox have a big edge in playoff experience, though. Fausto Carmona is becoming a star. Torii Hunter told me recently (after Carmona dominated the Twins) that Carmona is every bit as talented as Francisco Liriano. Put Carmona with C.C., Lee and Westbrook and the Indians have as deep a rotation as the Tigers. Grady Sizemore (photo) is quickly becoming known as one of the game's best young players and the one-two combo of Pronk and Victor Martinez is right there with Sheffield and Ordonez of the Tigers.

Q4. Who are some of the big name players who may get traded during the season and where could they end up?
I think the Rangers would be wise to trade Mark Teixeira for starting pitching. I think the Tigers and Angels have a solid starter to spare. The Rangers have a few others --- Kenny Lofton, Eric Gagne, maybe even Sammy Sosa --- who could be moved when the team decides to start focusing on 2008.

Q5. I have to ask, what is your opinion about Barry Bonds and "The Record"?
I believe the storylines as we near the record are what I expected and frankly, what they should be. The media is not out to get Bonds. Bonds has brought this on himself with his actions over past years. It's not realistic to think his past would be forgotten and there would be nothing but happy stories as he nears the most celebrated record in American sports....

I want to thank Stan for his time....I know he is a busy person working for a national publication like The Sporting News...

Five Good Questions with . . . Al Yellon of BleedCubbieBlue Blog about the Chicago Cubs

Today’s Five Good Questions deals with the Chicago Cubs.....Al Yellon, editor-in-chief of the blog BleedCubbieBlue took some time to respond to our five questions....check out his site

BleedCubbieBlue

Q1. We are at the unofficial quarter point in the season and Alfonso Soriano and Derek Lee have a combined 7 homeruns. Why a power shortage with those two?
That's a very good question. They've blamed the cold weather, but that's an excuse. Honestly, it hasn't been all that cold in Chicago so far this year, and the Cubs have played several games on the West Coast and in domes (Milwaukee). Lee's home runs are way down -- but his power isn't; his SLG is .534, above his career average of .501. He's second in the league with 19 doubles. The homers will come.

Soriano -- well, I'm not quite sure. Part of it may be from being shuttled around to two positions, and also from the hamstring injury that kept him out for a week and has slowed him down. But he is also near the league lead in doubles with 15. If these two do come up to their career norms, watch out.

Q2. Carlos Zambrano (photo) has a 5-4 mark so far. How much have all the off-field activities with his contract distracted him? Do you see him with the Cubs next season?
If you'd asked me the latter question a month ago, I'd have said "absolutely". Now I'm not so sure, although after Saturday's game in LA he seems back on track. If he doesn't have a great "walk year", I imagine he'll probably be wishing he'd signed the extension offered in spring training.

Is all of this a distraction? No, I think not. I think he's got some mechanical problems with his arm angle that are being worked on. He needs to keep throwing strikes the way he did in Los Angeles.

Q3. So far, how would you rate Lou Piniella's job as skipper of the Cubs?
If you want a letter grade, I'll give him a "B". His lineup shuffling reflects an intense desire to win. Unlike the previous occupant of that job, who would have kept sending the same people out there day after day to continue to fail, Lou won't sit still for failure. I like this. One of the Chicago papers today quoted one of his former players as saying "Lou wants to go 162-0 every year", which, of course, is impossible. Lou's got some 'out there' sort of ideas, which might even work, but I think he's playing mind games with both the media and his players when he, for example, says he wants Ryan Dempster to start, then retracts that a day later.

Q4. What areas must the Cubs improve upon during the season? Who are some hot names they may try to acquire during the season?
Bullpen, bullpen, and bullpen. Did I mention the bullpen? This Cub lineup will hit. And the bench is far superior to the one of the last couple of years. And the starting pitching has, in general, been outstanding. The bullpen is terrible, and that's being nice. They are 3-11, have nine blown saves (including two spectacular meltdowns in the last two weeks alone), and are this team's biggest weakness. I haven't heard that many "hot names" as being available -- but I do know I have repeatedly heard the Cubs are interested in Scott Linebrink. It'll cost a lot to get him, but I think they need him, and soon.

Q5. How would you compare this year's Cubs with last season's? What improvements have you seen so far?
There is absolutely no comparison. Last year's Cubs were the worst I have seen in 40+ years of being a fan, and that includes the 103-loss team of 1966 (that team, at least, had three Hall of Famers -- and should have four), and the awful teams of 1980 and 1981. The 2006 Cubs looked disinterested and played like it nearly every day. This year's team has made some baserunning and other mental errors, but they seem to be reducing them, and they do play hard, and when there are mistakes they get addressed immediately. That's the biggest improvement -- that Lou Piniella holds them accountable.

Q5a. One extra question I have to ask, what is your opinion about Barry Bonds and "The Record"?
You *really* don't want to get me started on this one, but I'll try to summarize. If Barry Bonds hits 756 home runs, he will statistically hold the lifetime home run record. In my opinion, that number is tainted. And it's too bad. I read "Game of Shadows", and it appears from what's written there that Bonds, supposedly, started doing steroids after the 1998 season because he was jealous of the attention Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were getting, when he felt *HE* was the best all-around player in baseball. He was right, but he didn't have to do a single steroid, if indeed he did so (it is my personal opinion that he did, but that is strictly my opinion).

He was a first-ballot Hall of Famer by the time the 1998 season had ended. I suppose it would be easier to forgive him, and maybe even root for him, if:
1. he'd come clean, and
2. he wasn't such a jerk, which is further made clear in "Game of Shadows".
There is a possibility, now that he's been in a HR drought, that he might have a shot at breaking the record at Wrigley Field when the Giants are in Chicago from July 16-19. That could be an ugly scene -- Bonds is generally despised everywhere but San Francisco, and Chicago is no exception. No wonder Bud Selig doesn't want to show up. The only consolation I have in knowing that Bonds is likely to break Hank Aaron's record is the fact that Alex Rodriguez will break it himself about six or seven years from now.

I want to thank Al for his time in responding.....it is very much appreciated....

Five Good Questions with . . . Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune about the Padres

Today's Five Good Questions is with San Diego Union-Tribune sports columnist Nick Canepa....Nick has been with the paper since 1974....on Sept. 25, 1978, a PSA airliner crashed in San Diego, at the time the worst airplane disaster in United States history, and Nick helped put together the story which won the Tribune staff a Pulitzer Prize....Nick was kind enough to respond to five questions about the San Diego Padres.....

Q1. It seems as if the Padres have not missed a beat with Bud Black as the manager. What differences are there in managerial styles between Black and former skipper Bruce Bochy?
Bud Black bunts. Bochy didn't like the bunt. Black also will hit and run, but he has little speed. Other than that, I don't see much difference.

Q2. When it happened, was it a surprise that Bochy left San Diego for the job in San Francisco? Are there still any hard feelings about him leaving to a divisional rival?
I don't think Bochy's move at all surprised. He isn't (Padres general manager) Sandy Alderson's kind of manager. He got more money. He's better off.

Q3. Jake Peavy (photo) may be the best pitcher in baseball that no one on the east coast knows about. Tell us a little about Peavy.
Jake may be the best pitcher in baseball right now. He's a funny guy. He'll talk the day he pitches, which is rare. He's tremendously competitive. Firey. Jake doesn't like to give anything up. I'm expecting a no-hitter from him one of these days. Just great stuff.

Q4. Petco Park is known as a pitcher's park. However, there has been some discussion about moving in the fences. Why would the organization want to do that when the team is built around pitching?
Because they don't have anything else to think about. They should leave the fences be. Alderson says he's tired of watching drives into the alleys die off. But he now says chances are less than 10 percent. Owner John Moores is against it, but says he'll go along with Alderson if that's what he wants. This is a team built around pitching.

Q5. How have the "old men" David Wells and Greg Maddux been so far this year? How effective will they be late in the season during the playoff hunt?
They've been about as expected thus far. I suspect these two guys can pitch until they drop. I know Wells can throw forever. Good clubhouse guys, too.

I want to thank Nick for his time....it is much appreciated....

The Sunday Baker's Dozen

Here is the first edition of the Sunday Baker's Dozen.....13 links to stories from newspapers and bloggers around the country.....we start off in the city of Angels about Kobe Bryant....

The L.A. Times Mike Bresnahan writes about Kobe Bryant's increasing frustration with the Lakers

Mike Bresnahan

As a follow-up to the Kobe saga, L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke writes that the Lakers should consider trading Kobe....

Bill Plaschke

The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan writes about the NBA Draft Lottery.....

Bob Ryan

The Miami Herald's Dan Le Batard writes that the Florida Marlins are not that bad of a baseball team.....

Dan Le Batard

Jim Trotter of the San Diego Union Tribune writes about the Chargers new uniforms and L.T.'s new Nike commercial....

Jim Trotter

The St. Louis News-Dispatch Bill Coats writes about the solid relationship between rams head coach Scott Linehan and qb Marc Bulger......

Bill Coats

Remember former Bronx Little League stud Danny Almonte.....Ian Begley of the N.Y. Daily News writes how Almonte is now pitching in an independent league....

Ian Begley

For our NASCAR fans, the Charlotte Observer's Tom Sorensen writes about the Rick Hendrick racing team.....

Tom Sorensen

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Jodi Valade writes about the work ethic of Piston forward Tayshaun Prince.....

Jodi Valade

The Detroit Free-Press' Michael Rosenberg writes how the Pistons are winning ugly.....

Michael Rosenberg

The San Antonio Express News' Buck Harvey writes about Gregg Popovich's tough love....

Buck Harvey

The Atlanta Constitution Journal's Mark Bradley writes about Braves potential free agent outfielder Andruw Jones and his not-so-hot season so far....

Mark Bradley

The Las Vega Review-Journal's Ed Graney writes how Ultimate Fighting is getting the best of the boxing world....

Ed Graney

Some quick hits

I thought we lived in a civilized society.....but at times, I don’t think we do....there are still incidents of uncivilized behavior such as Michael Vick being allegedly linked to dogfighting.....then you have knuckleheads like Clinton Portis and Chris Samuel who think it is funny to train dogs to injure and even kill each other....I will say, I am a dog lover because no matter what is going on in your life, a dog is always there for you.....but to these insensitive garbage of human beings they just don’t get it.....the commissioner should run Vick from the league for an entire season if he is found guilty of this abhorrent behavior....

A statue of Mister Rogers is going to be erected in front of Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.....

How could the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians rebuild their teams in only a few years while the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates keep spinning their wheels in mud......

Brooke Shields turns 42 on May 31st.....

Barry Zito signed that $17 million a year contract with the Giants and has a record of 4-5 with a 4.70 ERA....

The Colorado Rockies wanted to unload Todd Helton over the winter.....so far this season, Helton is batting .354....there is no doubt he will be the prized gem at the trading deadline.....

In their series with the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons jumped out to a 3-0 series lead only to lose the next two games....the Pistons admitted they lost focus after gaining such a big lead....don’t look for Detroit to lose focus against the Cavs....

Just Call Me Juice sports blog reported that Boston general Manager Theo Epstein watched Roger Clemens pitch the other day for Trenton.....

Just Call Me Juice

Wastingcompanytime blog reported that last year’s American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler (photo) used her money from the show to "enhance her breasts"......

Wasting Company Time

The Cavs need to stop crying and get The King some help

The Cleveland fans are upset that Rip Hamilton did not get called for a foul on Lebron James in the closing seconds.....whether it was a foul or not does not matter....the bigger picture is that the Cavs will not win this series or any future series if James scores a combined 29 points in the first two games....

After Monday’s loss when "The Chosen One" scored 10 points, I gave him a break and thought it was just a bad game.....I mean everyone has those days....I expected James to come out for game 2 and dominate.....it didn’t happen....nothing....nada.....but, I don’t put all the blame on The King.....the national media, and especially the local Cleveland media, are comparing James to Michael Jordan.....he is supposed to be the next Michael.....just this past week, a now retired Cleveland sports writer made a comment that at his (James) current age and years in the league, he has gone farther than Jordan did at that age and time in the NBA.....this has to stop!!!....

Jordan won squat with the Bulls until he got help with Scottie Pippen and a true point guard in John Paxson.....what do the Cavs have???.....the Cleveland fans and media are fooling themselves if they truly believe the Cavs are a dominant team....yes I picked them to win the East, but that was because they were fortunate to have an easier route than Detroit or Chicago.....

Who is the second best player on the Cavs???.....come on, name someone - Gooden???...puhleeze......Hughes.....yeah right......you can’t name a true second best player.....plus, the Cavs have Hughes playing out of position as the point guard....let’s face the hard facts, if the Cavs want to win a title, they MUST get James help.....and I mean a true NBA stud, not someone like Flip Murray or some other bum who is masquerading as a star....there is one player who could help the Cavs get to that next level....and that is Jason Kidd....

I don’t know what the Cavs financial situation is with the salary cap, but they need to get Kidd... according to the talk around the league, Kidd is on the trading block.....I know that Kidd has 2 years left on his current contract for $40 million.....so owner Dan Gilbert has to make a decision.....does he want to be the first professional team to win a title in the city of Cleveland since 1964 or does he want to be a very good team that always falls short.....

Kidd is a perfect fit for the Cavs....first off, he is a true point guard who does not have the ego in which he must score at least 25 points per game ala Allen Iverson.....Kidd is more content dishing out 10 plus assists per game.....and what is also nice about Kidd, the guy could rebound with the best of big men in the league.....also, with Kidd on the team, he would be able to score, if James should be in foul trouble or in a funk like he is in this series.....the dominant NBA teams have at least 2 solid players....the Heat have Shaq and Wade; the Spurs have Duncan, Ginobilli, and Parker, the Bulls have Deng and Hinrich, the Suns have Nash and Stoudemire, and the Pistons have Hamilton, Rasheed, and Billups....

The Cavs have just Lebron - a lonely King who is associated with a bunch of court jesters...anyway you look at it, the Cavs must get Jason Kidd.....if not, they will be like every other professional Cleveland sports team.....always a tad short

Mitch Albom - Detroit Free Press

Drew Sharp - Detroit Free Press

Bill Livingston - The Plain Dealer

Terry Pluto - Akron Beacon Journal

Five Good Questions with . . . Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer about the Cleveland Indians

Today's Five Good Questions is with The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes....Paul is the Cleveland Indians beat writer.....today Paul talks about one of the hottest teams in baseball - the Cleveland Indians.....

Q1. The Indians are one of the best teams in baseball even though slugger Travis Hafner has not been hitting well. What is the difference between this year's Indians team compared to last season's?
The big difference is the bullpen and infield defense. The veteran relievers the Indians signed over the winter, Aaron Fultz, Roberto Hernandez and Joe Borowski, have made it very competitive. Holdovers Tom Mastny, Rafael Betancourt and Fernando Cabrera, at least until lately, have pitched well. Edward Mujica is young and has a great arm. Defensively, the Indians were a disaster last year, but they have improved this season. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta has been much steadier, Ryan Garko has been a revelation at first, Josh Barfield has range at second and Casey Blake has played great at third since replacing injured Andy Marte.

Q2. Does the Tribe have the staying power to keep in the hunt throughout the season? What areas must they improve upon?
Their depth in the rotation has already been tested with the injuries to Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook. Fausto Carmona has done a great job filling in and Adam Miller might soon get a chance as well. They have decent protection at almost every position except shortstop and second base. What they really need, however, is another experienced late-inning reliever. I look for them to try and fill that need in July or August. Offensively, this team is going to hit. They've done it for two years and will score enough runs to keep them competitive.

Q3. At the unofficial quarter mark in the season, briefly assess the other A.L. Central Division teams and how the Tribe stacks up against them.
The Twins, the defending (A.L. Central) champs, are banged up and aren't hitting much. Cy Young winner Johan Santana might be distracted by contract talks and Joe Mauer, last year's batting champ, is hurt. The White Sox's pitching is coming around, but they're still not hitting. Maybe Jim Thome's return will help. The Tigers, to me, are still the team to beat even without Kenny Rogers and Joel Zumaya. As for Kansas City, it seemed the only team they could beat last year was the Indians. The Indians finally get to play the Tigers on this trip (May 25-May 27), so that will be interesting. I think the Indians are as good as any team in the division, and could finish anywhere from first to fourth.

Q4. Fausto Carmona may be the hottest pitcher in the league. Do you think he has the ability to keep this up all year or is this just a short hot streak he is on?
He has a great arm and his confidence is high. The Indians did the right thing by putting him back in the rotation at the end of last season. When a pitcher like Carmona comes out of nowhere - he didn't make the opening day roster and went to Class AAA Buffalo as the No.6 starter - and performs like he has, divisions can be won.

Q5. Last season opponents were running on catcher Victor Martinez (photo) as if it was the Daytona 500. What has Martinez done in order to improve in that area?
Martinez's right shoulder was sore in 2006. He had his spring training interrupted by the World Baseball Classic, so he didn't get as much work in behind the plate as he needed. This offseason, he started throwing well before the start of camp, following a program Joel Skinner, the Tribe's catching coach, gave him at the end of last season. He still doesn't have a rocket for an arm, but he's throwing well enough to make the other teams think. Another thing that has helped is manager Eric Wedge keeping Martinez fresh by playing him at first base. This allows Wedge to use backup catcher Kelly Shoppach. Shoppach has a great arm, so the opposition has to worry about both Tribe catchers now. The Tribe's pitchers have helped as well. They're holding runners much better.

I want to thank Paul for taking the time to respond....it is much appreciated.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Rick Vach of Tennis-X.com about the French Open

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Rick Vach, the senior writer at

Tennis-X

...he has appeared on The Tennis Channel’s 'Tennis Insiders: Super Insiders', and won 'Best Hard News' story for 2005 by the United States Tennis Writers Association....today he writes about the upcoming French Open.....

Q1. The red clay at Roland Garros favors baseline players as it neutralizes a player's power game. What does Roger Federer have to change in his game in order to finally win the French Open?
It certainly hasn't neutralized Rafael Nadal's power game. Roger Federer was in a tailspin this year after back-to-back losses to Guillermo Canas at hardcourt Masters Series events in the U.S., then mentally melting against Nadal in the Monte Carlo final. After an early-round loss at the Masters Series-Rome, Federer canned his long-time part-time coach Tony Roche, and seemed to have mentally shed some baggage in beating a mentally and physically tired Nadal in the Hamburg final, finally. It has been hypothesized that Roche was trying to make technical changes to Federer's game that were causing more problems, and tactical changes that weren't taking root. Roche seemed to be changing Federer's strokes on clay to add more topspin, and while Roche wanted him to be more aggressive, Federer displayed a stubborn need to try and show opponents he could beat them from the baseline rather than ending points at the net. Hopefully both Federer and Nadal can reach the French final so we can really gauge the progress Federer is making on clay without Roche.

Q2. Up until Sunday, Rafael Nadal had a 70 plus winning streak on clay. What will it take for someone to beat him in Paris?
A baseball bat to the knee. Nadal is so strong right now, the only thing that will keep him from winning a third consecutive Roland Garros title is fatigue, like you saw in the Hamburg final when he lost the final set 6-0 to Federer. Consecutive wins at the Masters Series events in Monte Carlo, the final in Hamburg, and the Barcelona win thrown in there was too much.

Q3. Except for a few breakthroughs, such as Chang, Agassi, and Courier, why is it that American men have a such a difficult time winning on clay?
I'm going to say "American men have difficulty on clay" is a misnomer. The current crop of American stars such as Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri do have difficulty winning the big European claycourt events, or making an impact at the French, but Roddick has won a handful of smaller clay titles. Name me another country that has had "a few breakthroughs" such as Andre Agassi and Jim Courier, both who won the French and reached No. 1 in the world, and Chang who won the French and reached No. 2.

Pete Sampras also didn't receive the props he deserved on clay during his career. Sampras never won the French, but reached the semis and won the Masters Series-Rome. Many people only remember the Sampras of his latter years where his backhand pretty much broke down and he really struggled on clay. American men have done fine on clay, only recently experiencing what might be called a "drought." Unfortunately the current generation doesn't look like they are particularly interested in getting better on clay as they annually skip many of the large European events leading to the French. Everything is cyclical though, and an American with claycourt skills to pay the bills will surface soon enough.

Q4.Do you think Serena Williams is really back or was that just a one tournament surprise when she won the Australian Open? How do you rate her game on red clay?
Whether Serena is "back" does not depend on her skill-set as people think, but simply on her fitness. Her knee and ankle problems are no doubt aggravated by the fact she is lugging around an extra 30 pounds out there. Serena will dominate if she stays healthy, but if she stubbornly for whatever reason refuses to get in top shape, the injuries will continue to sideline her until she retires.

Q5. Final question, who do you predict to win the men's and women's titles this year and why?
And who are the darkhorses who we should keep an eye on? Nadal will win the French Open men's title and Justine Henin the women's (really going out on a limb, eh?) Richard Gasquet could give the French something to cheer about if he can get his head together, while Novak Djokovic is an exciting player who is not afraid of anyone. Serena has shown she doesn't need to be fit to win Slams, but injury is her biggest obstacle. Amelie Mauresmo will perform her annual choke and Maria Sharapova is injured. Svetlana Kuznetsova is playing good ball but she doesn't know how to close out finals. Always keep an eye on the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus are hard to bet against....

I want to thank Rick for his time and we will hear back from him mid-way through the French Open to get his thoughts as that tournament winds down....

Five Good Questions with . . . Sooze of Babes Love Baseball Blog

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Sooze from Babes Love Baseball blog.....I have read the blog for quite a while and was impressed by her knowledge of the game...she is from Winona, Minnesota and likes Johan Santana’s 98 mph fastball and 76 mph changeup....you have to check out her blog....it's one of the best out there...

Babes Love Baseball

Q1. Baseball is unofficially at the quarter point in the season. What and who has/have been the biggest surprises so far this year?
The biggest shocker to me are the injuries that have plagued the New York Yankees' rotation. They've used 11 starters so far this season, including 5 rookies - and I'm willing to bet Roger Clemens is a little nervous to join the ranks.

Q2. With a sub .500 mark, do you think the Yankees' brass should fire Joe Torre?
Not necessarily. Even though Torre's job is always in danger, he has taken the club to the playoffs in each of his eleven seasons as skipper, not to mention four World Series titles in six appearances. I think they should figure out what's making their pitching staff drop like flies, however.

Q3. Should Bud Selig and Hank Aaron be in attendance when Barry Bonds breaks Aaron's homerun record?
With all the controversy surrounding Barry Bonds' quest for The Record, I'm not surprised that neither of them feel like attending. I doubt Selig wants to follow the Giants around from game to game until Bonds hits the big one. Hank Aaron himself said it best, "I'm 72 years old, and I'm not hopping on a plane and flying all the way to San Francisco for anybody." Besides, Barry's ego will take up plenty of room in the absence of those two.

Q4. What are your thoughts on the World Champion Cardinals with a sub .400 mark (as of Sunday)?
The Cardinals are in a really rough transition right now. They were obviously struck with tragedy early on in the season with the death of Josh Hancock, and they've lost Chris Carpenter now to injury. They just can't seem to get into a groove - but I believe it will pass. They have an outstanding manager and some true talent on the club.

Q5. Do you think Lou Piniella can turn the Cubs around this season and still take the N.L. Central? If so, what do the Cubs have to do in order to improve?
As fired up as he gets, Lou Piniella alone can't rebuild what many men over many years have managed to break. Spending $300 million this offseason on star players like Alfonso Soriano was a step in the right direction, but money doesn't always buy Championships. I think they have a good chance of finishing 2nd in the division behind Milwaukee - as hot as the Brew Crew are this season, they are the best bet to win the NL Central.

I want to thank Sooze for her time and we will hear from her again as we get closer to the All-Star Game.....she has agreed to provide us her All-Star picks and analysis.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Erwin Ong about the French Open

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Erwin Ong who runs the blog tennisservedfresh.com....

Erwin is based in Los Angeles and has been following tennis since 1995.....he has been gracious enough to serve as one of our tennis experts.....today he writes about the upcoming French Open.....

Q1. Rafael Nadal had a 70 plus winning streak on clay until he lost yesterday to Roger Federer. Do you think he is "ripe to get picked off" in the French Open? If so, who are some of the players who can beat him on clay?
The only thing that will get picked off is Nadal's underwear. Someone needs to get him better chonies for his capri pants. But seroiusly, I think Nadal was "ripe to get picked off" when he passed GuillermoVilas' 53 straight wins on clay last year. And he just broke John McEnroe's record with the longest streak on any one surface. I don't think anyone's doubting that the French is pretty much his. Up until yesterday, the only person who has taken a set from him on clay this year is Nikolay Davydenko (and we all know that Davydenko just lives up to his seeding). Perhaps someone can have a great day and a lucky draw, but they'll likely be playing for the runner-up spot.

Q2. As great as Roger Federer is, Nadal owns him when they play on clay. If these two should meet up, what does Federer have to do in order to beat Nadal on the red clay at Roland Garros?
The clay blunts the speed of Roger's balls, and Rafa can get to everything. Nadal hits plenty of heavy topspin to Roger's one-handed backhand. Rafa is the best retriever on the tour, so what Roger would normally considers a winner comes back to him. And now there's this mental factor that Rafa has a winning record. Roger is usually a pretty dynamic player -- we've seen him change histactics mid-match to accomodate his opponent's style. He can attack, come to net, play defense. He's good at everything -- but on clay, Nadal is just better.

Q3. How do you see Andy Roddick doing this year at the French Open? Do you see any other American men who could break through and possibly win this event?
No one's expecting the Americans to make a dent. They don't know how to slide on the clay. As for Andy, he has never made it past the first week at Roland Garros, so I won't expect him to do any better this year. Whatever improvements he has made to his game working with Jimmy Connors has not translated to clay.

Q4. On the women's side, who's game does the red clay favor the most?
Currently, it's less about whose game favors clay and more about who's healthy. Sharapova, Vaidisova, Ivanovic aren't in Rome this week because of injury. Hingis has confirmed pulling out of the French because of her hip. Mauresmo has rebounded from her back problems, but is still rusty. So I'm putting my money on Serena to take it all. Kuznetsova will probably make it deep into the second week, too.

Q5. Final question, who do you predict to win the men's and women's titles this year and why? And who are the darkhorses who we should keep an eye on?
For the men, Rafa Nadal will win. With Davydenko, Federer, Gonzalez, Djokovic, Canas, and maybe Berdych hanging around in Week 2. Gasquet, the #1 Frenchman, will do well if he doesn't get too distracted from all the offcourt buzz around him (being romantically involved with a gentleman). For the women, Serena. Kuznetsova, Jankovic, and Henin will be around for Week 2. Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin (photo) will likely get a boost from the home crowd......

I want to thank Erwin for his time and we will hear back from him during the second week of the French Open as he will provide an update....

A few quick hits

Before I begin, I want to let my readers know there is a possibility that Stiles Points may not be out on a regular basis for the next week because I just got a new Dell Computer and I have to iron out all the wrinkles in the system…..basically, I hate dealing with new technology….since getting the computer on Friday, I have wasted at least 5 plus hours trying to get my internet to work, hooking up my printer, and trying to transfer my 700 Itunes files…..so in other words, I have been in a pissed off mood the last few days….also, I hate this new keyboard....

Jockey Calvin Borel seems like a pretty nice guy….he seems humble and appreciative after winning the Kentucky Derby on Street Sense two weeks ago….but will someone please tell me how he got a babe of a fiance?....

I wish people would stop whining about San Antonio’s series victory over Phoenix….some are questioning that victory after the league suspended two of the Suns best players for game 5…..Stoudemire and Diaw knew the rules about leaving the bench during a fight on the court….should the rule be reviewed and tinkering with – YES…..but I support commissioner David Stern’s ruling…..plus, the Suns blew a 16 point lead in game 5, so they should not be complaining about the league ruling…..

What about Cleveland Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona (photo)…..some of you are probably saying Fausto what?.....Carmona is the hottest pitcher in the league and as long as he keeps rolling along, the Indians will be the team to beat in the A.L. Central….

The New York Yankees are having a difficult time keeping starting pitchers healthy…..and when they do have a steady pitcher on the mound, like Andy Pettitte, the offense provides no run support…..personally, Roger Clemens is not going to make a difference for this MASH unit of a staff……

The Preakness - The Second Leg of the Triple Crown

The following is a little history about The Preakness Stakes....

How the Preakness got its name
It was Preakness who turned up as a 3-year-old for his debut in the Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico's inaugural in 1870. He was derided as a "cart horse" for his ungainly appearance, but won that first stakes at Old Hilltop, which became a history-producing victory. In his triumph, Preakness was ridden by English jockey Billy Hayward, who supplied the name for one of Pimlico's present adjoining streets. It was the colt's only start in 1870 but he left a lasting impression at Pimlico. Three years later, the Maryland Jockey Club honored him by calling its newest stakes race "Preakness". The Dinner Party Stakes eventually became the present-day Dixie Handicap.

The Painting of the Weather Vane
As soon as the Preakness winner has been declared official, a painter climbs a ladder to the top of a replica of the Old Ccupola. He applies the colors of the victorious owner’s silks on the jockey and horse which are part of the weather vane atop the infield structure. The paint job remains until next year's Preakness. The practice started in 1909 at Pimlico when a horse and rider weather vane sat at the top of the old Members’ Clubhouse, which was constructed when Pimlico opened in 1870. The Victorian building was destroyed by fire in June of 1966. A replica of the old building’s cupola was built to stand in the Preakness winner’s circle in the infield

Black-Eyes Susan Blanket
It is a long- tanding tradition to present the winner of the Preakness a blanket of Black-Eyed Susans, which is draped across the shoulders of the winning horse. Colonel Edward R. Bradley’s Bimelech in 1940 was the first winner to wear the floral blanket of Black-Eyed Susans. Construction of the blanket has varied in method from a loosely intertwined garland of flowers tied with hemp rope, to the current blanket type of presentation. The current Black-Eyed Susan blanket is created shortly before Preakness Day. Three ladies work full-time for two days to complete the project. The blanket is composed of more than 80 bunches of Viking daisies. A perforated spongy rubber matte is used as the base.

The Woodlawn Vase
The Woodlawn Vase, originally created by Tiffany and Company in 1860 as a trophy for the now defunct Woodlawn Racing Association in Louisville, is presented annually to the Preakness winner. The beautiful silver design assessed in 1983 for $1 million, is easily the most valuable trophy in American sports. Standing 34 inches tall and weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces, the Woodlawn vase has a colorful history as rich as the classic race at which it is presented. It has been raced for in Louisville, Elizabeth, N.J., the Coney Island Jockey Club, Jerome Park, Morris Park, and since 1917, at Pimlico Race Course. Created as a challenge cup, the Woodlawn Vase was first won by Capt. T. G. Moore's mare, Mollie Jackson, in 1861. The same owner retained possession the following year through the victory of the famous mare Idlewind. The outbreak of the Civil War prevented further competition until 1866. The vase in the meantime was buried at Woodlawn with others of the Moore family plate, lest it be discovered and melted into shot. Following the war, the vase remained in Kentucky until 1878, when the Dwyer brothers captured it by the aid of Bramble and Jimmy McLaughlin in the American Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs, Louisville. The Dwyer Brothers presented the vase to the Coney Island Jockey Club, where notable stables of the day competed vigorously for the vase for several years.....

My Picks
Win - Circular Quay
Place - Street Sense
Show - King of the Roxy

Five Good Questions with . . Sean Clancy of ST Publishing about the Preakness

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Sean Clancy.....Sean is the editor and publisher of ST Publishing, producers of The Saratoga Special, Steeplechase Times, Keeneland Special and other equine projects....he also freelances for The Blood-Horse and Mid Atlantic Thoroughbred....he is also the author of Barbaro: The Horse Who Captured America’s Heart.....today, Sean talks about Saturday’s 132nd Preakness Stakes....

Q1. Were you surprised that jockey Calvin Borel (photo) was able to stay along the rail and work his way to a Kentucky Derby victory?
I wasn’t completely surprised that Borel could make up so much ground on the rail, when you’re riding a horse who's traveling well, its amazing how easy it is to make decisions, like driving a Ferrari as opposed to a Pinto. Holes open and you get to them quickly. He had so much horse the whole way, that he if the rail wasn’t open, I'm sure he could have gone around horses and still won.

Q2. Borel is known to keep his horses along the rail. Do you think he must change that strategy in order to win this Saturday?
Staying on the rail isn't the only strategy for Borel, he's been around long enough to know that he's got to adjust and call audibles during a race. Like any jockey, the first choice is to stay on the rail, but if it's not there, you go to plan B. In a short field like the Preakness, its even less important to stay on the rail, like they say, never go up in the inside of one horse and never go around two. In the Preakness, because of the short field, jockeys will be able to watch their inside better than in the Derby so Borel won't be thinking the rail is the only the way to win the Preakness.

Q3. Do you think Street Sense (photo) has what it takes to win the Triple Crown?
Sure, Street Sense has what it takes to win the Triple Crown - he's got the Derby, that's the most important thing. He’s sound, steady, not over-raced, classy and shown he's the best of the group. Only having two preps leading to the Derby can only help him during the rigors of the Triple Crown. As we know, though, the water gets deeper from here.

Q4. Are there any Kentucky Derby horses that you think just had a bad day who can come back and win the Preakness and Belmont like Afleet Alex did a few years ago?
Curlin ran well in the Derby, I'm not crazy about him coming back in two weeks for the Preakness, but he’s a big, sound horse who should benefit from a smaller field and having more experience under his belt. Tiago ran a decent race in the Derby, Circular Quay didn't run badly and might run better in the Belmont, if they choose that route. (Note - Circular Quay is running in the Preakness)

Q5. Finally, which horses do you have to place in this week's Preakness and who is your darkhorse?
Street Sense stands out, obviously, Hard Spun has proven his mettle all spring and it might be daft to ignore him again, speed is always dangerous but not sure Xchanger or King Of The Roxy could pull it off with so much heat amongst them. I'll wait until I see them and make a decision on their appearance....

I want to thank Sean for taking the time to respond.....it is much appreciated....there will be no column on Friday because I will be at a work related conference....I will have Preakness predictions on Saturday

Five Good Questions with . . . Railbird Roberts about The Preakness

Today’s Five Good Questions is with our resident horse racing expert, Railbird Roberts.....the Railbird gives us his thoughts about Saturday’s Preakness Stakes - the second leg of the Triple Crown....

Q1. What do you think of Street Sense's victory in the Kentucky Derby? Is he a good horse, or was he just fortunate that everything broke the right way in order for him to come back from 19th?
Street Sense's victory was very impressive. Only one other horse in the history of the race has closed from 19th place, that being Gato del Sol. Yes, he was fortunate to get through traffic on the rail, but luck is a part of racing.

Q2. Do you think Street Sense is capable of pulling off the Triple Crown?
Yes, he is very capable of winning the Triple Crown. It was a long way back to most of the horses behind him in Louisville.

Q3. The Preakness is a shorter race than The Derby. So what is a jockey's strategy going into this race in order to beat Street Sense?
The strategy in the Preakness isn't much different than in Louisville. By the way, the turns are not tighter at Pimlico than they are at Churchill Downs. If anything, the turns are tighter in Louisville.

Q4. Are there any Kentucky Derby horses that you think just had a bad day who can come back and win the Preakness and Belmont like Afleet Alex did a few years ago?
The Derby was clean. Nobody had a bad trip.

Q5. Do you think trainer Todd Pletcher will ever win a Kentucky Derby race?
Pletcher will eventually win a Derby. He has too many owners with good horses not to get a Derby victory.

I want to thank Railbird for his time.....we will have his Preakness predictions on Saturday....

Part 2 - An Interview with USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan

Today is the second of a two part interview with USA Today sports columnist and author Christine Brennan.....

Q6: After reading your book, it is clear that you love sports. However, being a professional journalist, has there ever been a sporting event that you were covering that you got caught up in the moment and found yourself pulling for a certain team or player?
CB: Sure, at times you may be pulling for someone. We are human beings. A lot of Olympic events where you are sitting watching someone compete and you’re thinking of all the hard work and years and years that has gone into this, you find your heart beating a little faster. It’s not that you are cheering for them but you are aware of the moment. You know how important it is to them. I’m not cheering or hollering or standing up giving an ovation. Of course there is no cheering in the pressbox. But inside, sure you are aware of what it means to someone who is competing.

For instance at the Albertville Olympics in 1992, Kristi Yamaguchi, who I barely knew, I was watching her skate the long program and I remember thinking this is a big deal for her. And, you want to see the athlete capture the moment. You don’t want to see these athletes fall or miss a jump. Even her competitor Midori Ito from Japan, I was thinking the same thing. They are athletes out there and you want to see them have a great battle. You don’t cheer, but you know the importance of it.

Q7: Sports fans always hear the negatives about sports, from Barry Bonds to Pacman Jones to Chris Henry. What are some good things about professional sports?
CB: Most people in pro sports are doing the right thing. Peyton Manning seems to do most things the right way. At this year’s Super Bowl, I watched him out on the field two hours before the game practicing with some of his receivers just in grey sweats. He’s the hardest working man is show business. That was neat to see that. He seems to have his head together. There are so many of these athletes like Andre Agassi and Mia Hamm with all of their foundations and good work in helping others. I think we often don’t hear about the good partially because bad things are newsworthy. Off the top of my head, those are a few athletes who are doing good, but there are many many more who are doing positive things.

I just heard from a friend of mine about Bruce Bowen of the San Antonio Spurs about his literacy program in San Antonio. He’s going to all sorts of schools and providing books to read. That is just an example of someone who I never met, but heard about his efforts through a publicist who works with him. I wish there was more opportunity to hear about things like that but the reality is that we only have so much space and news is news.

Q8: You have interviewed so many people. But who would be your dream interview?
CB: To really get inside Tiger Woods head would be great. I’ve been at many many press conferences with him but it would be great to really know what he thinks. Tiger is just such an interesting person and he is a big part of our world and culture today. If I could go back in time, it would be so fascinating to get a chance to talk to Jesse Owens and Adolph Hitler about the 1936 Berlin Olympics. I mean Hitler was an awful awful man. But to know what they were thinking after Owens won would be fascinating.

I think the era of steroids is such a prevalent thing in our society and I do believe strongly it would be valuable to get a chance to talk to Barry Bonds in which he would be totally honest. I’m guessing he would never speak to me because I have been so critical of him – and that’s fine, I don’t care at all about that. If he would be honest, I would love to know the whole story about performance enhancing drugs. I think this is awful, this march to the homerun record is embarrassing. This is the most important number in sports.

Q9: Talking about Bonds, I always tell my friend who is a Pirate fan that Pittsburgh should honor him by retiring his number because when he played for the Pirates he allegedly was never under suspicion of performance enhancing drugs. What do you think?
CB: It’s too bad because the Pittsburgh era was clearly the era when he was not allegedly cheating. But no, I would say based on what we saw with Mark McGwire that he (Bonds) should not be honored even though he may not have cheated in Pittsburgh - he is an alleged cheater now. He is such a terrible influence on our children. That is the part I always look at with athletes. Three to four percent of high school seniors take steroids and that is extraordinary because the Olympics is less than one percent. So we are talking about an incredible number of high school students. I don’t think we should honor him (Bonds). I don’t think Pittsburgh should honor him. I think he is awful.

Personally I hope he never makes it to the Hall of Fame or any type of honor. That’s just my feeling. That also comes from covering the Olympics with Ben Johnson. They kicked him out of the sport.

Q10: Finally, before I let you go, I have to ask you about the 1969 Michigan-Ohio State game. I read in your book how your dad took you and your brother and sister to that game. As a Michigan fan, what was it like that day?
CB: It was fantastic. I was just 11-years-old and it was just incredible to me. At the time, I don’t think I realized the magnitude of the game until after the fact. It was my first Michigan-Ohio State game and my first Big Ten game. To think it was one of the greatest games ever played; how lucky was I to be there for it. Now looking back on it, I have much more of a sense of what it was. To see that great upset. To see Michigan beat the great Ohio State Buckeyes – a team that was defending national champions, a team that had not lost in 1968 or 69. And a little upstart Michigan team beat them was just fantastic. I have to say that was one of those moments that encouraged me to continue to love sports. When I look back, I had so many positive influences that I was lucky to have. Mostly my father, and my mom too, and their encouragement of sports at a time when girls were not encouraged to play sports. I was fortunate to go to those Michigan and Toledo games and have that positive experience.

Once again I want to thank Christine...she was a great interview and I appreciate the time she provided to conduct the interview....

Part 1 - An Interview with USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan

On Thursday, May 10th I had the opportunity to conduct a phone interview with USA Today sports columnist and author Christine Brennan....her column appears every Thursday in the sports section of USA Today and her most recent book is called Best Seat in the House: A Father, A Daughter, A Journey Through Sports....

Brennan was more than gracious with her time as we talked about various aspects of her job and sports in general.....I found her to be a down-to-earth person who was very humble.....today is the first of a two part series from the interview....because of spacing, I used snippets of our interview....also, today is Christine's birthday and I would like to wish her a Happy Birthday.....

Q1: have to ask, why do you do interviews like this? You cover national sports figures but you are taking time to answer questions from someone from the general public.
CB: Well, because you asked and it's fun to talk to different people. My career is based on talking with people. I hear from hundreds of college and high school students every year ranging from questions about term papers to just wanting career advice. I try to talk to every single one of them. I don't think there's anything more important that I could do than to encourage and help others. I'm a big believer in this kind of thing.

Q2: I noticed on the USA Today website, they have a comments section so readers can write in about your columns. Do you read the comments that people write?
CB: I read one or two comments on my Rutgers/(Don) Imus column, but other than that, no. In fact, I didn't know for quite a while that there were comments there (on the webpage). And not to be disrespectful at all, but I just don't have the time to look through all of that.

Q3. What is your views about blogging?
CB: I don't do a blog. But for me, I'm very busy and I don't see a need to do a blog. I feel people know my opinions from my column and I think that is enough. I don't have any over-riding sense that people want to hear what I have to say. I figure once a week is probably enough of me.

Q4: Do you realize that you are a powerful figure in sports because you are a national columnist?
CB: (Laughs) Thanks for the inference there, but I'm just a kid from Toledo who has followed her dreams and just feels very fortunate to be doing what I am doing. I am aware that USA Today goes all over the nation everyday. I am aware of that and I am in awe of that. I worked at the Washington Post for 12 years and I loved that. It was like walking into the pages of a journalism textbook with Ben Bradlee, Katherine Graham, Bob Woodward – it was just the greatest.

But the reach and the scope of USA Today is much greater than The Post and that's the thing that really hit me. I know when I write a column in USA Today that whoever it is I am writing about, whether it be Tiger Woods or Mia Hamm or whomever, I know they will more than likely read that column. I don't know if there is any other publication in the country that you can say that about. So yes, I am aware of the reach and power of my position, and I take that extremely seriously. (Talking about Thursday's column) After I wrote it, I must have checked it at least six, seven, eight times double checking quotes and names. That's how serious I am about this. It's a great gift I have been given and I never want to lose that privilege.

Q5: I was doing my homework for this interview and came across a speech you gave to a class at Northwestern. You mentioned that you did not like covering actual games as much as writing about issues. Why is that?
CB: I still do cover a lot of games. I covered the Super Bowl, the World Series. I'll be at Wimbledon. I'll be at the British Open. The point though is that I have evolved to do other things that I can sink my teeth into like issues of the day, such as steroids in baseball or Title IX or misbehavior of athletes. Those are important things and I don't shy away from those, in fact I gravitate to those things. To me, and I could be wrong, that is just a natural progression of a journalist. I think that I am getting a little older, and hopefully a little wiser. I've covered hundreds and hundreds of games.

I feel very lucky and fortunate to do what I do. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy going to events. And I think that columnists need to go to events – you need to be out there, you need to see people, you need people to see you. If I am critical of someone, I better show up. I'm a big believer if I write something about someone that might be critical, they have my phone number, they have my email, and they have every right to contact me.

Check back tomorrow for the second part of the interview.

Rick Reilly needs to get a life!!!

Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly needs to get a life....I guess we are all not as talented and sophisticated as R2....in the May 7th edition, Reilly wrote that his editor asked him to watch the entire first day of the NFL Draft....he acted as if his boss told him to shove bamboo shoots under his toe nails....

Reilly smugly wrote that there are "some things I don’t get.".....one of those things are "People who sit for 10 hours watching the NFL draft when they can read about the whole shebang in five minutes on the Internet as soon as it’s over."....he also called the fans who attend the draft in New York as ". . . yahoos in jerseys and face pain. But for the love of humanity, why?".....

Personally, I love watching the draft because I love football just as any other sports fan is passionate about their sport.....so what is the difference between a football fan watching 10 hours of the draft and someone who, every weekend, spends hours on end watching cars make endless left turns in NASCAR or heaven forbid, some "yahoo" hitting a little white ball on a hot humid day....Reilly loves golfing, but I don’t rip on people who waste 2-5 hours of their day on a golf course......

Reilly often takes shots at sports stars, such as Tiger Woods about his attitude.....next time he wants to write about a pompous arrogant asshole, he needs to just look in the mirror....

It looks like Dirk Nowitzki is going to win the NBA MVP this year....surprisingly, these players never won a league MVP: Jerry West, Isiah Thomas, Kobe Bryant, Elvin Hayes, Elgin Baylor, and Patrick Ewing.....

At the end of last season it looked like pitcher Jeff Weaver finally started to utilize his talent as he helped St. Louis win the World Series.....that was just an aberration as Weaver has slumped into his old ways again....pitching for Seattle this year, Weaver is 0-6 with a 14.32 ERA.....

Through Friday, Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano has only 4 homeruns and stolen bases so far.....Soriano’s slugger teammate Derek Lee has only 2 homers....

If Rudy Giuliani is pro-choice, he needs to have the grapefruits and just say it instead of waffling....that is what killed John Kerry 3 years ago....

Hopefully NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will boot Ricky Williams from the league for life....it was reported that Williams once again tested positive for marijuana....these knuckleheads are wrong when they preach that marijuana is not harmful.....here is a man who has so much football talent, but instead he wasted it because he would rather smoke a doobie.....

Finally, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there....

Clemens - For the Love of the Game ---- NOT!!!

Roger Clemens took the Yankees to the cleaners....as a Yankees fan, I have some serious reservations about the signing....

It has always been about the money for Clemens....the guy is 44-years old and he is trying to fool the public that he is playing for the love of the game - that is crap...he's playing for the $$$$.....

The Yankees are fools for paying $4.5 million a MONTH to a 44-year-old pitcher who can only give you 6 good innings.....and to top it off, the bum doesn’t have to travel with the team if he is not scheduled to start on the road.....

The Yankees do need starting pitching, but general manager Brian Cashman should not have bowed down and kissed Clemens’ ass.....at his age, Clemens should have signed a $4.5 million contract for the season, not per month.....Clemens and his family are financially set for life....he should be grateful that he is still able to pitch and contribute to a possible World Series caliber team.....instead, it was about the money.....don’t let Clemens fool you.....

Coming Monday
"I'm just a kid from Toledo who followed her dreams"
Exclusive interview with national sports columnist Christine Brennan of USA Today....Christine talks about some of the good things in sports.....what it's like covering sporting events....and how she got started in journalism.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Rob Bradford & Ed Price about the Red Sox & Yankees

Today we have a classic doubleheader - Red Sox - Yankees.....today’s "Five Good Questions" is with Rob Bradford of The Boston Herald and Ed Price of The Newark Star-Ledger.....Rob covers the Boston Red Sox while Ed covers the New York Yankees.....first up is Rob about the Sox....

Q1. Just over a month into the season, how would rate the Red Sox performance so far?
There are few things which you can pinpoint as disappointments for this team thus far (other than the loss of Roger Clemens). The biggest concern through spring training, the bullpen, has been both protected by the starters' workload, but has come through when counted upon. The bottom the order is starting to hit thanks to the recent hot stretch by Coco Crisp, and most recently, Dustin Pedroia. Perhaps Daisuke Matsuzaka's struggles have come somewhat of a surprise, but he has also shown enough to believe that production isn't far away. It is one month, but you can only go by what you see so far.

Q2. With a lot of the leaders, such as Trot Nixon, Kevin Millar, Johnny Damon, etc, from the 2004 team gone, who is now the clubhouse leader?
Obviously you have Jason Varitek serving the role as the captain, but I think a couple of steady influences have been Mike Lowell and Alex Cora. Both are very professional and seem to set somewhat of a tone. David Ortiz also supplies a pretty big presence in the clubhouse.

Q3. Dice-K has not looked that spectacular so far. Is he just another over-priced pitcher?
Again, I don't think after what he has shown in spring training and early in the season that you can classify Matsuzaka as a bust. Put it this way, if the season ended today and he became a free agent how much money do you think he would command? The answer is a lot ... top of the rotation kind of coin. He just needs to figure out a few things in terms of pitching from the stretch, which is where his problems have popped up. But it certainly seems like a fixable problem.

Q4. What areas do the Sox have to improve upon?
Julio Lugo has to show a bit more offensively at the top of the order, and Hideki Okajima has to prove he can be an 8th inning guy over an extended period of time. I think that the emergence of Alex Cora has really allowed the Red Sox some flexibility with Pedroia's progression and Lugo's effectiveness.

Q5. Last question, the Sox have taken 5 of 6 from the Yankees. Are the Sox that much better than New York or did Boston just catch the Yanks in a slump?
The true test against the Yankees won't come until both rotations are at full strength and matched up against one another. That moment may come in early June at Fenway Park. When healthy, you have two pretty evenly matched teams. The problem for New York is that while it was riding out this rash of injuries to its starters the bullpen has been drastically over-used. The return of Clemens makes it a lot more fun, doesn't it?

Now Ed Price about the Yankees....

Q1. First off, with the sweep of Texas and wins on Saturday and Sunday, has the pressure cooled a bit on Joe Torre about losing his job?
I think the Clemens announcement and the team's recent play has everyone on the Yankees optimistic, so Torre seems to be safe.

Q2. What do you expect from Roger Clemens this season?
He is in his mid-40s? He is 45. But he shows few signs of slowing. I expect him to be able to give 6 innings of 3-run ball most of the time -- good enough to win with the Yankees lineup.

Q3. Have the New York fans finally relented and accepted A-Rod?
A-Rod will be accepted wholeheartedly if he helps the Yankees win a World Series, like Scott Brosius or Tino Martinez.

Q4. What is the status of Mariano Rivera?
I think Rivera will be OK, but one of these years he has to drop off -- I think.

Q5. After a terrible April, have the Yankees begun to steady the ship and get back on course for the rest of the season?
I think there are still pitching questions, so it will be an uphill battle.....

I want to thank Rob and Ed for their time....

Five Good Questions with . . . Rick Braun of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about the Brewers

Today's "Five Good Questions" is with Rick Braun of The Milwakee Journal-Sentinel....Rick covers the Milwaukee Brewers and was gracious enough to take a few minutes to respond about the Brewers stellar season so far....

Q1. Are you surprised the Brewers have one of the best records in baseball so far?
I would say I'm not surprised they're good, but the best record in baseball has to be a surprise. Still, it's no fluke. They have top-notch starting pitching and a top-notch bullpen.

Q2. Before last season, the Brewers were many publications "surprise" team. However, that did not happen last year. Why are the Brewers a better team than they were last season?
Well, the easy answer is they aren't having the injuries they had last year. Hardy is playing like he's Robin Yount in his prime, and he missed all but the first six weeks last year. Fielder is the real deal. At this point last year, almost to the date, they lost Sheets and Tomo Ohka for extended periods. This year they may very well have the best five-man rotation in baseball. And they have the depth to withstand injuries this year.

Q3. Many people across the country do not know much about manager Ned Yost. Briefly tell us about him and his baseball philosophy.
Simply put, he's just a baseball guy. Lives it, breathes it. And he's not afraid to go against the grain every now and then.

Q4. What are the strengths of the Milwaukee team?
Probably the best pitching in baseball from a 1-12 standpoint. They have five starters and a good starter in the bullpen and another good, young starter at Triple-A in Yovani Gallardo, who is a future No. 1 starter.

Q5. What areas must the Brewers improve upon in order to stay in the race?
Just stay healthy and maybe add a left-hander for the bullpen. Other than that, just keep doing what they're doing.

I want to thank Rick for taking the time to respond.....

Coming next week!!! -- an interview with USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan....

Five Good Questions with . . . Bruce Jenkins of The S.F. Chronicle about the Golden State Warriors

Today's "Five Good Questions" is with Bruce Jenkins of The San Francisco Chronicle....Bruce covers the Golden State Warriors and was gracious enough to take a few minutes to respond after the Warriors' stunning upset of Dallas last week.....

Q1. How significant was this series win for the Golden State franchise?
It was its most significant in 32 years, since the night they beat Washington for the 1975 NBA title. Their last playoff appearance was 1994, their last first-round victory 1991. But this ranks so high because it is, literally, the biggest playoff upset in NBA history.

Q2. Why did the Warriors have Dallas' "number" this year? Why were they able to beat this team?
Because they found a way to defense Dirk Nowitzki and because Don Nelson, who basically groomed Dallas coach Avery Johnson for his job, is a superior basketball mind.

Q3. How far do you think the Warriors can go in the playoffs?
I think they will win the next round, against either Utah or Houston, but lose to either San Antonio or Phoenix.

Q4. In your opinion, was it good for the NBA as a whole to see its best team, Dallas, lose in the first round?
If it were a truly compelling team like Phoenix, it would have been a disaster. After watching this hopeless-looking Dallas team at work, I don't think anybody's going to miss them.

Q5. Could you talk about the play and leadership of Baron Davis?
Only injuries have slowed his play, which has been on a world-class level since his days at UCLA. His toughness is remarkable, especially as he plays through knee and hamstring injuries. He leads the team by playing through pain, telling the guys there is no such thing as pressure, and by taking the important shots.

I want to thank Bruce for taking the time to respond......

Note - There will be no blog entry tomorrow because I will be at an all-day work-related conference....."Five Good Questions" will be back on Wednesday with a report from Rick Braun of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about the red-hot Brewers.....

Kentucky Derby Predictions

It’s the first Saturday in May and that means one thing – It’s DERBY DAY!!!.....

Let’s talk horses....there are 20 horses and we need to eliminate some in order to make our selections....The Wall Street Journal’s Allen St. John helped us out with that....in yesterday’s edition, he wrote that the last 15 Derby winners finished at least fourth or better in its final prep race...

He went on to write that a strong performance does not mean a victory though....the Wood Memorial is considered the premier prep race....however, since 1982, only one Wood winner – Fusaichi Pegasus (2000) went on to win the Derby....he continued that the last winner of the Santa Anita Derby to win in Kentucky was Sunday Silence in 1989....the last horse to win the Blue Grass Stakes and follow-up with a Derby win was Strike the Gold in 1991....

Therefore, that means Nobiz Like Sobiz (winner of the Wood Memorial), Tiago (Santa Anita), and Dominican (Blue Grass) will not win the Derby....

Curlin may be the favorite, but I think come post time, the "hot" horse will be Street Sense.....according to Andy Beyer, in yesterday’s Washington Post, he wrote, ". . . no 3-year-old has been pointed toward tomorrow’s race more thoughtfully than Street Sense."....

Railbird Roberts also picked Street Sense as did my dad....even my track friend Lenny is going with Street Sense......the Street Sense delegation looks solid, but Rick Snider and myself like Scat Daddy....Snider wrote, in his column yesterday, that he wanted a horse who is a ". . . stalker who can jump up at the top of the stretch . . . "....to him, Scat Daddy is that horse....I went with Scat Daddy because trainer Todd Pletcher has never had a Derby winner....he has two good shots today with Scat Daddy and Circular Quay....one of them will hit it big for Pletcher....

So here are some picks:
Railbird Roberts - Thistledown Race Track
Win - Street Sense
Place - Great Hunter
Show - Circular Quay
Darkhorse - Sam P.

Rick Snider - Examiner Newspapers
Win - Scat Daddy
Place - Zanjero
Show - Curlin

Ignatius - my dad
Win - Street Sense
Place - Curlin
Show - Nobiz Like Shobiz

My picks
Win - Scat Daddy
Place - Circular Quay
Show - Stormello
Darkhorse - Storm in May

Who knows what will happen once I get down the track today....I remember in 2002 I went down there all hot for Harlan's Holiday....but as the horses came out of the paddock something hit me when I saw War Emblem...I don't know if it was love at first sight, but I said to my dad, that horse is going to win...he just had this confident walk - it's hard to explain...I went up and place $10 on War Emblem...the rest is history....Good luck to all.....

Kentucky Derby Facts

Today ‘s blog is dedicated to facts about The Kentucky Derby.....I had the privilege to visit and take a tour of Churchill Downs in February 2006.....it was one of the most exciting times because I was walking on “the holy ground” of horse racing....it was magical walking in the paddock area then out in the grandstand....even before the tour, I always enjoyed this race....

One of the greatest moments in sports occurs when the horses come onto the track and the Louisville Marching Band serenades them with “My Old Kentucky Home”....every year, I get chills and tears form in my eyes....there is something about that song and that moment that just strikes a cord within....it is the most moving moment in sports...”My Old Kentucky Home” is without a doubt, one of the five greatest songs ever....it elicits raw emotion....here is a link to The University of Louisville band playing it....when you get on the page, click on "Hear the Song" at the top of the page....

My Old Kentucky Home

Q. When was “My Old Kentucky Home” first played at the Derby?
A. Although there is no definitive history on the playing of the Stephen Foster ballad as a Derby Day tradition it is believed to have had its origin in 1921 for the 47th running of the classic. The Courier-Journal in their May 8, 1921 edition reported, "To the strains of "My Old Kentucky Home" Kentuckians gave vent their delight. For Kentucky triumphed in the Derby." The story refers to the popular victory of the Kentucky-owned and bred Behave Yourself. The actual year the song was played as the horses were led onto the track is also unclear. A 1929 news account written by the legendary Damon Runyon reported that the song was played periodically throughout Derby Day.

A report by the former Philadelphia Public Ledger provides evidence that 1930 may have been the first year the song was played as the horses were led to the post parade - "When the horses began to leave the paddock and the song 'My Old Kentucky Home' was coming from the radio, the cheering started."

Q. Who was the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby?
A. Aristides won the first Kentucky Derby in 1875. A statue of Aristides is located in the paddock area.

Q. Who has trained the most Derby winners?
A. Ben A. Jones trained six winners: Lawrin (1938), Whirlaway (1941), Pensive (1944), Citation (1948), Ponder (1949), Hill Gail (1952)

Q. How many fillies ever won the Derby?
A. There have been 36 fillies to start the Derby, but only 3 have ever won: Regret (1915), Genuine Risk (1980), and Winning Colors (1988). A filly has not run in the Derby since 1999 when Excellent Meeting finished 5th and Three Ring 19th.

Q. How long is the Kentucky Derby?
A. The Derby is one mile and a quarter. None of theses horses have ever run that far in a race.

Q. How many horses have been disqualified in the Kentucky Derby?
A. This has occurred twice. In the 1968 Kentucky Derby, Dancer's Image finished first and Forward Pass finished second, followed by Francie's Hat, T.V. Commercial and Kentucky Sherry. The Kentucky State Racing Commission ordered redistribution of the purse with first money to Forward Pass, second money to Francie's Hat, third money to T.V. Commercial and fourth money to Kentucky Sherry, because of its finding of prohibited medication in Dancer's Image.
After extensive litigation, the Commission's order was upheld in April, 1972, by Kentucky's highest court in Kentucky State Racing Commission et al v Peter Fuller, 481 S. W. 298. In a subsequent proceeding, the Commission also ordered that Forward Pass be considered the winner of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, except for pari-mutuel pay-offs, and that the 1968 gold cup Kentucky Derby trophy be awarded to its owner, Calumet Farm. An appeal from this order was dismissed and it is final.
In the only other disqualification, Gate Dancer, the fourth-place finisher in 1984, was disqualified for interference in the stretch and placed fifth.

Q. Who ran the fastest Derby?
A. Only two horses ever completed the Derby in less than 2 minutes. In 1973 Secretariat set the record that still stands when he completed the course in 1:59 2/5. In 2001 Monarchos completed the race in 1:59.97.

Q. What color of horse has won the most Derbies?
A. 47 bay-colored horses have won the Derby followed by 43 chestnut-colored horses.

Q. What is the worst type of track condition?
A. A sloppy track is considered the worst type of track condition. That has happened only four times in the Derby with the last time occurring in 2004 when Smarty Jones won the race.

Q. What post position has produced the most winning horses?
A. Of the 20 post positions, 12 times each the winning horse came from either the 1st or 5th position. The 4th and 10th positions produced the next most winning horses with 10 each. A winning horse has never come out of the 17th or 19th post position.

Q. How many women trainers or jockeys have ever participated in the Derby?
A. There have been 12 women trainers who trained a horse for the Derby. The last coming in 2004 with Kristin Mulhall and Jennifer Pederson. There have only been five women jockeys to ever ride a horse in the Derby: Diane Crump, Patti Cooksey, Andrea Seefeldt, Julie Krone, and Rosemary Homeister....

Below is a link to when former Kentucky governor and baseball commissioner the late - A.B. "Happy" Chandler sang "My Old Kentucky Home" on Senior Day at a Kentucky basketball game....he does not have the voice of a pure singer, however, his creaky and crackily version fits this song perfectly....watch the emotions pour from each person.....

Happy Chandler

My Old Kentucky Home
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
'Tis summer, the people are gay;
The corn-top's ripe and the meadow's in the bloom,
While the birds make music all the day.

The young folks roll on the little cabin floor,
All merry, all happy and bright;
By 'n' by Hard Times comes a-knocking at the door,
Then my old Kentucky home, goodnight.

CHORUS
Weep no more my lady
Oh! weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the Old Kentucky Home far away.