A real "Real World" reunion?

If MTV’s The Real World actually goes back to the Palms in Las Vegas, consider me officially excited.

How could they ever go back? Haven’t they covered everything?

Not sure I could be more excited about an MTV related show right now.

A little less Joe Buck makes a lot of sense.

From the proof that prayers do get answered department, it was announced today that Joe Buck won't be hosting the FOX NFL Sunday Pre-Game show anymore.

Buck turned the best pre-game show into the worst pre-game show simply by showing up.

Now he’s gone.

Curt Menefee will take over full-time and that is a good thing. Now we need to find a way to get rid of those Holiday Inn commercials and the world will be a much better place.

Legs? Armpits? Oh um...what?

Promoting women’s softball is apparently a fine art. And…well…the folks at the College of Southern Idaho have gone out of their way to get answers to some tough questions from their athletes, so all of us can learn a little more about them.

Really good questions were asked – what’s your favorite color? Favorite sit down restaurant? Favorite food? Basically all the questions were pretty tame and actually quite informative.

But then a few of the players got asked the question shaven or unshaven?

Click on the link and scroll down to players like #2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 21, 24 if you don’t believe me. I didn’t believe it at first. Kind of odd that all of the players weren't asked the same questions. The file is huge, its in adobe – but its kind of worth it.

Major League Preview

Baseball!

Yep, hot Major League Baseball action kicks off on Sunday night and it marks the official end of winter and the official start of fantasy baseball trades, five team parlays on west coast games, and headaches from watching Carlos Silva give up 6 earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work.

We couldn’t be happier that summer is here and baseball season is underway, but it seems like spring training took a really long time to hurry up and finish already. Not sure if it’s because the weather here in Minnesota has been so nice recently, or if it’s just the fact that spring training is about ten days too long. But, whatever the case – baseball is back. So let’s dig in.

Just a warning: this has been a work in progress for the last couple of days and it’s extremely long. So, if you don’t like baseball or baseball related comments, it’s probably best to go find out what other people are doing on the internet. We are pushing 6,000 words with this preview and it might be tough to read it in one sitting.

If baseball isn’t your thing you can follow the link to find out what 160 different people would vote for if given the choice between wedge heels and flats.

With that, let’s get on with the show.

Who will win the World Series? Great question, let’s break it down from the worst team in the league to the team I think I will win it all.

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For these teams, its over before it even started:

30. Washington Nationals
Why they will suck:
The Nats are bad. Really bad. On paper, they look horrible but when you actually see them play, it gets worse. There are three guys in the starting lineup who could play a role on a contending team – Dimitri Young (who should be a DH and not an everyday first baseman,) Austin Kearns (who is a great young player with lots of upside, but strikes out way too often) and Felipe Lopez, who can d-up and hit a little bit, but really isn’t a quality starter on a contending team.

The good news is:
Closer Chad Cordero can throw, but this team won’t give him many opportunities to close out games -- so he is a wasted commodity.

Thought to ponder:
I still don’t understand how or why the Expos ended up in Washington D.C. Why doesn’t Las Vegas deserve a Major League Baseball team? The Dominican Republic would have even been a better choice that D.C.

29. Kansas City Royals
Why they will suck:
Take a look at the pitching rotation and get back to me. Gil Meche, who I am sure is a decent guy, is their number one starter. That won’t get it done.

The good news is:
The Royals are an interesting team. They aren’t very good, but they should be fun to watch because they have some great young players and are probably not more than a year or two away from being .500 if they can get their young pitchers to figure out major league life. Everybody is raving about 3B Alex Gordon and if he’s half as good as people say, he’ll be a fixture in the lineup and hit 25 homeruns this year and win rookie of the year honors. The Royals also have decent offensive potential from guys like Emil Brown, Mark Teahen (who moved to right field to make room for Gordon, and 1st baseman Ryan Shealy.) Shealy hasn’t been talked about by many people nationally but he’s huge (6’5” 250 lbs) and looks like he could be the real deal as well. He hit just 7 homeruns in 202 at-bats last year and struck out a whopping 54 times, so he might be a little out of his comfort zone early in the year, but the Royals don’t have many options so he will stick around. Mike Sweeney is still the DH and if you are Twins fan, he needs no introduction. He can hit and he kills us at least three times a year. He’s one of the few guys in the league that makes me nervous every time he’s up to bat.

Thought to ponder:
The Royals just traded for Tony Pena Jr, who immediately moves into the starting shortstop position. If the Royals had any marketing people worth their salaries, they would announce a “Pena Family Bobble Head Night” with Jr.’s bobble head molded into the position of kicking a groundball and Sr.’s bobble head digging in his ear with a set of keys and looking confused while holding a lineup card.

28. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Why they will suck:
Its Tampa Bay – they always suck. They play in the best division in baseball – or second best after the AL Central – depending on who you talk to. I will take the East and if you want to argue with me about it, fine.

The good news is:
Just like the Royals, the Rays have a ton of young talent with a lot of potential. Delmon Young, Carl Crawford, and Rocco Baldelli make the outfield quick and mobile and all three can rake. Scott Kazmir is ridiculously good and the Rays could find themselves in the playoff chase as soon as next year if all four of those guys stay healthy and continue to improve.

Thought to ponder:
Along with all that young talent could come trouble. Delmon Young was suspended last year for throwing a bat at an umpire. Young slugger Elijah Dukes has a large attitude problem to go along with his enormous talent.

27. Baltimore Orioles
Why they will suck:
I want to like the Orioles. I really do. Problem is, the American League East is way too top heavy (see the Devil Rays above) and the American League in general is just too good.

The good news is:
The Orioles also have some players, guys like Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts could start for anyone. And Nick Markakis has lots of upside in right field. I even like Corey Patterson in center, but he makes less contact than Torii Hunter with runners in scoring position. The pitching is decent with Eric Bedard and Daniel Cabrera at the top of the rotation, but the competition is too stiff for them to have a chance.

Thought to ponder:
The fantasy baseball season hasn’t officially started until I start trying to figure out a way to get Aubrey Huff on my team. The fact that he’s buried behind Kevin Millar, Melvin Mora, and Jay Gibbons on the depth chart is a complete mystery to me.

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Not at the bottom of the league, but won’t win 80 games either:

26. Colorado Rockies
Why they will suck:
Same old story – Coors Field is a hitter’s park and when you have pitchers at the top of your rotation like Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis, and Rodrigo Lopez, Coors Field can be a problem. Plus, the talent on offense just isn’t there, which… well…can be a problem too.

The good news is:
Offensively, they have Garret Atkins and the aging Todd Helton, who both hit homeruns. Brad Hawpe, Willy Taveres, and Matt Holliday give the Rockies a decent outfield. Brian Fuentes has somehow figured out a way to close games for the Rockies, which has never been an easy thing to do.

Thought to ponder:
Remember Clint Barmes? The rookie of the year candidate broke his collarbone in 2005 when he allegedly fell down a flight of stairs. Allegedly is the key word because many in the organization believe he was riding a four-wheeler when he suffered the injury. Barmes claims he fell down a flight of stairs while carrying a package of deer meat. If it’s a lie, it’s a pretty good one. The fact remains he hasn’t come back from that injury and is now relegated to utility status with the Rockies.

25. Florida Marlins
Why they will be average:
They won’t be very good in the strong NL East – the Mets, Braves, and Phillies are by far the class of the division but the Marlins are pesky and could surprise a few teams here and there. Still, there’s zero chance of this team getting into the playoffs, much less making the World Series.

The good news is:
Again, its about youth and talent. The Marlins have some of both and that’s why they will make a few teams nervous. I believe Miguel Cabrera could be an MVP candidate this year and Hanley Ramirez/Dan Uggla up the middle is good defensively but excellent on the offensive side. Dontrelle Willies is great – the face of the franchise for the next few weeks until everyone finally takes notice of Cabrera.

Thought to ponder:
If the Marlins are out of it by July (and they will be) teams will be lining up for a chance at trading for Willis. The Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox will all be looking for that big pitching prize and unless Carlos Zambrano doesn’t get a deal done soon with the Cubs, Willis will be the chosen one for all the contending teams with money to spend and talent to trade.

24. Seattle Mariners
Why they will be average:
The Mariners still haven’t figured out the whole “pitching and defense” thing and until they do, they won’t win on a consistent basis. The pitching is suspect at best, but Felix Hernandez could finally live up to all the King Felix talk this season. But even if he does, the rest of the rotation will give them fits.

The good news is:
The bullpen is underrated. They have the arms to do some damage and if the starters can do anything at all on a consistent basis, the Mariners will win a few more series than anybody is predicting. JJ Putz, George Sherrill, Chris Reitsma, and Arthur Rhodes all have upside. The offense is good but not great. Ichiro will challenge for the batting title again this year. The corner infielders (Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson) are either brilliant or brutal depending on how much HGH is available for consumption in the Pacific Northwest.

Thought to ponder:
King Felix, Felix Hernandez, was born on April 8, 1986. I don’t really have anything to add to that. I mean other than that makes me feel really old.

23. Pittsburgh Pirates
Why they will be average:
The roster seems to be made up of guys who are on the cusp of being average – there just isn’t one standout in the group. Guys like Adam LaRoche and Jason Bay have lots of potential in terms of power but they also have issues. They either have trouble hitting lefties (LaRoche) or have trouble staying healthy (Bay and SS Jack Wilson fits that mold as well.)

The good news is:
You have to dig kind of deep to find a lot of good news, but for some reason this club seems to win games in spite of the fact that they don’t have much talent. Zach Duke shouldn’t be at the top of the rotation, but he can pitch a little bit. Other than that – I don’t know what other good news there is to report.

Thought to ponder:
We have officially reached a point of no return with this whole “let’s sell as much merchandise as we can even if it makes no sense” way of doing business. The Pirates have a new red vest that they will be wearing this year. Red?! For the Pirates? I don’t get it.

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Teams with definite potential and some decent players, but it would take a lot to get there

22. Houston Astros
Why they will be decent:
This offense is good but not great – Lance Berkman is fantastic and Craig Biggio continues to prove that older can sometimes mean better. Big M – Little Organ – Ensberg is one of my favorites and he should be good for another 20 homeruns and some great defense again this year.

The even better news is:
Starting pitching should not be an issue for this team. Roy Oswalt, Jason Jennings, and Woody Williams can eat up innings and the bullpen is stellar. Brad Lidge is not the same as he was two years ago, but he can still close games. Chad Qualls and Dan Wheeler are money in the bullpen as well. Let’s not forget this team also has Carlos Lee on its roster – that alone should help them win 8-10 more games than last year.

Thought to ponder:
Centerfielder Chris Burke was born in 1980, but he looks like he could have been one of Greg Oden’s Vietnam buddies.

21. Texas Rangers
Why they will be decent:
For the first time in a long time, the Rangers have two pitchers at the top of their rotation (Kevin Millwood and Vicinte Padilla) who can eat up innings and win games. Ron Washington is the new manager and I think he will do a great job taking care of in-game situations and probably even bring a little bit of a swagger to a team that has a tendency to fade down the stretch. Washington can’t do anything about the heat in Texas (more below) but he should be able to find a way to mix and match guys so they stay fresh. He just seems like he knows what he is doing, I can’t explain it.

The even better news is:
The offense is stacked; they don’t have a weakness in their lineup. Every infielder could be an all-star this year and the DH combination of Frank Catalanotto and Sammy Sosa could realistically put up 40+ homers and 100+ RBI’s.

Thought to ponder:
About that heat -- I was at a game in Texas during the summer of 1995 and the Rangers were playing the Mariners. It was a standard 7:05 starting time, middle of August and it was about 90-degrees with more humidity than the worst summer day in Minnesota. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the direct sunlight was hot enough to make me feel like I was going to pass out. This was a night game! My point is, I could barely sit there and drink a soda, how do the Rangers play baseball in that weather? I hate domes, but after that game it made me think the Rangers could use some air conditioning.

20. Arizona Diamondbacks
Why they will be decent:
Brandon Webb. Randy Johnson, and Livan Hernandez make up the top three in the rotation. Granted, this would have been a lot better three years ago -- but they can still pitch

The even better news is:
This team is LOADED with young talent. Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin, and Stephen Drew are all future All-Stars. It could be next year, two years or it could be this year. Another plus for this team is the fact that Randy Johnson wants to prove he still has some gas in the tank. He left New York on bad terms and really didn’t perform well during his time there. He’s back in Arizona and presumably comfortable again. If he can keep himself off the DL, he could be a factor in the NL Cy Young race.

Thought to ponder:
The D-backs changed their colors this year, going away from the purple and teal and toward…wait for it….red. So, not only have the Pirates changed things up and gone to a Red vest, the Diamondbacks went full steam ahead with a red and black look.

19. Cincinnati Reds
Why they will be decent:
Because they decided to change to yellow uniforms since everyone is going to red? No, they aren’t really doing that and that wouldn’t be a reason to have hope anyway. The real reason to like this team starts and ends with offense. They have lots of it if they can keep Ken Griffey Jr. healthy (big if) and if Ryan Freel, Adam Dunn, and David Ross can swing the bats all year long instead of in fits and starts, they should score some runs. Freel has to stay healthy and has to run or the offense will be stagnant.

The even better news is:
Well…is it better news to have two former Twins on your roster and one of them is named Kyle Lohse? I don’t think so. Still, starting pitching is not easy to come by and Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo and Eric Milton can all get people out consistently. Lohse should be able to keep his ERA below 5.00 during a full season in the National League. He has always had good stuff but his head isn’t the best. Not sure when an ERA below 5.00 was a benchmark, but for Lohse I think it is.

Thought to ponder:
The Reds play in one of the best stadiums in the country. I have been to Great American Ballpark a couple of times and I cannot explain to you how great the site lines are and how close you feel to the action no matter where you are in the park. I have the Reds up pretty high in these rankings and yes -- part of that might be wishful thinking because I like the team – but they could surprise if the offense comes together.

18. San Diego Padres
Why they will be decent:
Because San Diego is due to catch a sports-related break sometime soon. The Chargers had the best record in the AFC last year, home-field throughout the playoffs and then MartyBalled themselves right out of the tournament. San Diego deserves something good for having that kind of season turn to shit in the matter of a couple hours.

The even better news is:
This team actually has enough talent to compete, particularly on offense where young sluggers like Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff can dink and dunk there way to .300 averages in spacious PETCO Park, while hopefully hitting 15-20 homeruns. Jake Peavy, Greg Maddux, and Chris Young give the Padres a pretty decent front three in the rotation and if David Wells can beat diabetes, he can beat the Giants, D-Backs, Rockies, and Dodgers.

Thought to ponder:
Another weather related note: Two years ago the gal and I met my parents in San Diego for dinner. In a strange coincidence, we were all in California during the same time and we had a wonderful afternoon and evening. It was perfect weather-wise – 75-degrees, no humidity, no clouds – just the ocean and perfect sunshine. We sat at a marina type restaurant sipping cocktails and talking about how much we hated the weather in Minnesota. Here’s the point – why don’t more free agents sign to play ball in San Diego? Is there a better city in the country? The weather is perfect everyday; you can’t ask for better nightlife or restaurants, the city seems safe. I mean -- you are major leaguer, you can afford the outrageous amount of money you have to spend on a house, which is the only reason more people aren’t living there in the first place, why not sign to play there and make it your home? How are the Padres not the best team in baseball every year?


17. San Francisco Giants
Why they will be decent:
Because Barry Bonds is always two-steps ahead of the rules and he’s figured out a new way to not get caught while tripling his hat size and his home run potential.

The even better news is:
You have a murderer’s row of pitchers in Barry Zito, Matt Cain, Matt Morris, and Noah Lowry for starters. The offense makes me nervous since most everyday starter is old enough to be playing in a 35+ softball league, but experience can’t be a bad thing if they can stay healthy.

Thought to ponder:
Barry Bonds re-signing with the Giants over the winter was a major disappointment. I would have loved for him to come over to the American League as a full-time DH. I don’t know if the speculation is true and that he had no offers from other teams, but why wouldn’t the Yankees take a chance on a guy like Bonds, who could hit 30 homeruns in the right situation? Sure, he would have demanded at least $15 million per year and it would have been a huge PR hit, but it’s the Yankees! It sure would have been nice to hate them both at the same time. Oh well, we still have Jason Giambi.

Talented teams, but they must have everything go right:

16. Toronto Blue Jays
Why they will be pesky:
They have some holes on offense (Reed Johnson in left field, Greg Zaun catching, Royce Clayton at shortstop) but they also have some legitimate hitters in Vernon Wells, Alexis Rios, Lyle Overbay, Troy Glaus, and Frank Thomas.

The even better news is:
Roy Halladay and AJ Burnett anchor a strong pitching staff and B.J. Ryan is a stud in the closer role. This is absolutely a playoff team in the National League, but they will struggle to compete for the Wild Card in the A.L. Still, they have a real shot at being in contention come August, particularly if Thomas can prove last year was no fluke and the Halladay/Burnett combo can be as good as we think it can.

Thought to ponder:
Have you ever had that player on another team that you’ve always liked? My guy is Vernon Wells. He plays hard, gets clutch hits, and always makes me stop what I am doing when he comes to the plate. In other words, he’s the anti Jacque Jones.

15. Oakland Athletics
Why they will be pesky:
Because they beat the Twins in the playoffs last year and they haven’t lost enough (only Barry Zito and Frank Thomas) to make me think they won’t be pretty good again this year.

The even better news is:
With apologies to the hometown team, this might be the best bullpen in baseball when everybody is healthy. Huston Street, Justin Dushscherer and Kiko Calero are incredibly good and Jason Witasik might challenge for more innings as the season wears on. The offense isn’t loaded, but Nick Swisher can hit and just keeps getting better. Rich Harden and Danny Haren would make anybody happy as the one and two starters.

Thought to ponder:
If I could change places with anybody in the big leagues not named Morneua, Jeter or Pujols, I might just pick Nick Swisher. That guy oozes coolness and he might be one of the best clutch hitters who doesn’t get credit for being clutch.

14. Chicago Cubs
Why they will be pesky:
Because other than his stops in Tampa, Seattle, and New York, Lou Piniella just wins, baby.

The even better news is:
Look, the Cubs added some decent players and Lou Piniella really is a good manager, just not as good as folks in Chicago want to think. Alfonso Soriano is phenomenal and Aramis Ramirez/Derek Lee on the corners is about as good as it gets. I want to be optimistic about this team, but something doesn’t feel right about it. It’s always fun when the Cubs are winning, but it seems like people are overly excited about this team and that usually spells trouble.

Thought to ponder:
Remember when people (me included) criticized the Twins for taking Joe Mauer over Mark Prior? Wow, were we wrong. Prior is fighting through injuries again and hasn’t consistently hit 90 MPH with his fastball since 2005. In other words, he’s baseball’s version of Britney Spears. The Twins were right and we were wrong. They’re smart and we’re dumb. They’re good looking and we’re…not.

13. Milwaukee Brewers
Why they will be pesky:
Two words: Prince Fielder. That didn’t do it for you? How about this – Corey Koskie!

The even better news is:
Good starting pitching, solid defense and a young group of hitters including Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Corey Hart all give the Brewers a chance in the N.L. Central. The pitching is really key here because Chris Capuano, Ben Sheets, and even Jeff Suppan could all win 15 games. The bullpen needs to improve over last year to put them over the edge. Francisco Cordero is the closer and he should be solid at the end of games. The real question marks are in the middle of the bullpen where Greg Aquino (yikes!) and Derrick Turnbow (what happened?) will be counted on to not give up a lot of runs. Not sure if that is possible.

Thought to ponder:
This might be the year the gal and I finally make it to a game at Miller Park. Up until the cat food scare of 2007 and the purchase of a Nintendo Wii, we probably had the financial backing to take on such a venture. Now? Not so much. Still, Milwaukee isn’t more than a few hours down the road and there really isn’t an excuse to not get there for a game this summer. Even if it means driving there and back in the same day and buying tickets from…those people who sell tickets on the street… we are doing it. So it is written, so it shall be done.

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Strong teams who will be battling in the end, but have some questions to answer:

12. Atlanta Braves
Why they will be good:
Because the Braves are always good and the deal Bobby Cox has with the devil doesn’t expire until 2010.

The even better news is:
The Braves are a pitching factory and this year is no different. John Smoltz, Tim Hudson and the kid Chuck James are a great top three. The hitters here are pretty good too. The Jones brothers (Andruw and Chipper) are super when healthy and Edgar Renteria is more than decent at shortstop.

Thought to ponder:
Is it just me or should it be mandated that all closers look a little more like Bob Wickman? The guy is huge, he’s got a beard, and he always looks like he just finished off a 12-pack and is looking for a good time. I think he’s great.

11. Cleveland Indians
Why they will be good:
Because every national sports writer and radio personality says they will be. Which is making me more and more doubtful everyday and I am not fully on board with the Indians winning it all (or even the A.L. Central) this year. They are the American League version of the Cubs.

The even better news is:
They do have players, there is no denying that. While the hitters are talented – Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and Victor Martinez -- I worry about that starting rotation and the bullpen. Any time Joe Borowski is involved I get worried. But when he is entrenched at the closer spot? That might be considered a weakness.

Thought to ponder:
The nickname “Pronk” belongs to Travis Hafner and it might be top five among current major leaguers right now.

10. Minnesota Twins
Why they will be good:
Reigning A.L MVP. Reigning A.L Cy Young winner. Reigning A.L. Batting Champion. The best closer in majors. Torii Hunter is in a contract year.

The even better news is:
I wanted to put the Twins higher on this list and I really do think they can be in the top 3-4 teams when it’s all said and done if their star players can have the same kind of year they had last year and if the starting pitching can hold up after Johan Santana. I worry a lot about the pitching. A decision still needs to be made about Carlos Silva and Matt Garza should stick with the big club instead of being sent down. I can’t talk about this team rationally because I think they have enough upside and potential to win the World Series and I also don’t want to jinx them by having them any higher on this list so they have to stay here. Let’s just move on.

Thought to ponder:
Yes, my man-crush on Jason Kubel is alive and well, thanks for asking. I am telling you, if he gets the chance to stay in the everyday lineup and if he can finally stay healthy, he will hit 20 homers, drive in 80 runs and hit .310 – at a minimum this year. I believe this with every fiber of my being.

9. St Louis Cardinals
Why they will be good:
Because if they aren’t, Tony LaRussa might start eating meat again to go along with his 9th Bud Light.

The even better news is:
The best news is Albert Pujols, the best player in the league. Scott Rolen isn’t what he was five years ago, but none of us are. The same could be said for Jim Edmonds and Juan Encarnacion. The pitching staff is horrific. Braden Looper is actually going to make this staff as the fifth starter. Chris Carpenter is great but much like the Twins, the Cardinals are going to need a lot of so-so guys to come through big in the rotation if they are going to have a shot at winning 90 games.

Thought to ponder:
Ever since 1987 I have hated the Cardinals and that hatred won’t subside now. Albert Pujols is another one of those guys that will make you stop whatever you are doing so you can see his at-bat. He’s just incredibly good at what he does. As Joe Theisman would say if he were still on TV – “Albert Pujols is a great baseball player who makes great baseball plays.” We will miss Joe on Monday nights won’t we?

8. Philadelphia Phillies
Why they will be good:
Because Ryan Howard plays for them and um…he’s pretty good.

The even better news is:
Starting pitching, defense, offense – this team has it all. The one thing they don’t have is a strong bullpen – it’s terrible. If they have a weak spot, that’s it a couple times over. Between Howard, Chase Utley, Aaron Rowand, and Shane Victorino, they should be able to score some runs. The good news is, from top to bottom, the starting five won’t need many. These guys (Freddy Garcia, Brett Myers, Cole Hamels, Adam Eaton, and Jamie Moyer) are all very good. It might be the best rotation one through five in the big leagues.

Thought to ponder:
Last year was the sixth straight year that Pat Burrell hit at least 20 homeruns. Are you as surprised by that stat as I am? I know he’s been around for awhile and he’s been decent, but six straight years with 20 dingers is pretty good in any league. And still Philly fans won’t be happy until he’s run out of town.

7. Los Angeles Angels
Why they will be good:
Great hitting and a good bullpen should be enough for them to contend for the A.L. West.

The even better news is:
Did I mention the hitting and the bullpen? Vlad Guerrero, Howie Kendrick, and Gary Matthews should give the Angels a chance of scoring 4-5 runs per game. That can happen if Orlando Cabrera and Macir Izturis can get on base. Once Chone Figgins and (eventually) Juan Rivera come back to the lineup, the Angels get even tougher to stop.

Thought to ponder:
This whole Los Angeles, Orange County, Anaheim Angels thing is still really confusing. I think they should go back to being the California Angels, which seems like a fair compromise.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers
Why they will be great:
You don’t really realize how much talent they have until you sit down and look at their everyday lineup – they’re stacked. Juan Pierre, Luis Gonzalez, Nomar Garciaparra, and Jeff Kent are all legit major league talent. Andre Ethier has breakout season written all over him.

The even better news is:
They hit and they pitch. The front of the rotation is great with Derek Lowe, Jason Schmidt, Brad Penny, and Randy Wolf. Jonathan Broxton, Yency Brazoban, and Takishi Saito can get the last 12 outs on a consistent basis.

Thought to ponder:
Broadcaster Vin Scully is entering his 57th season as the “Voice of the Dodgers.” Fifty seven years doing one job, even if it is something as cool as broadcasting games for a major league team, is pretty impressive.

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The contenders, the teams who should be there in the end, no questions asked:

5. Chicago White Sox
Why they will be great:
Because they have been a pain in the ass for the last three years and there’s no reason for them to stop now.

The even better news is:
Ozzie Guillen is a great manager and if you don’t believe me -- just ask him. The offense this team has is ridiculous. Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede are three of the best hitters in the league when it comes to power. As good as the hitting is, it’s the Sox pitching that should make every Twins fan nervous. Mark Buehrle is in a contract year, which could mean a huge season for the big man. Jose Contreras and John Garland are still quite good as well.

Thought to ponder:
It’s funny that nobody is paying attention to the White Sox and everyone is talking about the Indians. I don’t make bold predictions very often, but I do predict the White Sox, Twins and Tigers will all finish ahead of the Indians again this year.

4. Detroit Tigers
Why they will be great:
The addition of Gary Sheffield is about as good of a reason as I can think of right now.

The even better news is:
This team didn’t lose much of anything from the World Series team last year. Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman, and Nate Robertson can all win games and keep the Tigers in contention on their own. Add in the fact that the offense can score runs and well…you have the best team in the A.L. Central.

Thought to ponder:
Has a nickname fit anyone less than Pudge fits Ivan Rodriguez? Can we change his name to “Shrinking Ivan” or even “Off the Juice” instead of Pudge?

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The cream of the crop, the teams who will need to fall apart big time to not be in the mix at the end:

3. Boston Red Sox
Why they will be excellent:
Because they have Daisuke Matsuzaka and is gyro-balls.

The even better news is:
It starts and ends with pitching. The starters on this team are sick. To go with Dice K, you have Curt Shilling and Josh Beckett – not a bad way to go in a seven game series. The offense is good, but it took me five minutes to come up with the Red Sox starting shortstop and second baseman before I had to look up the names Julio Lugo and Dustin Pedroia. That might not be a good sign.

Thought to ponder:
Is this the year that Willy Mo Pena finally proves to everyone that he is a legit power hitter at the major league level? The guy has tons of talent but hasn’t been able to show it because of trades, a lack of playing time, and a body that is as brittle as Depression glass. If J.D. Drew gets hurt again or if Manny flakes out again, Pena could get a shot.

2. New York Mets
Why they will be excellent:
This really is a team without a weakness, particularly on the offensive side. Jose Reyes is not only the key to the Mets success; he’s the key to my roto success this year as well.

The even better news is:
The Mets employ Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, David Wright and Paul LoDuca. Throw in Reyes, Shawn Green, Moises Alou, and Jose Valentin and then tell me where the easy outs are. It’s like an American League lineup in the National League, there is zero chance this team doesn’t make it to the World Series.

Thought to ponder:
Former Twins catcher Tom Nieto is the Catching Instructor for the Mets. He was a member of the 1987 World Championship team.

1. New York Yankees
Why they will win the World Series:
Because they have a $200 million payroll, can afford to add a player or two at the deadline, and it’s been seven years since they won a Series.

The even better news is:
All that money buys you some pretty good players. Giambi, A-Rod, Jeter, Damon, Abreu, Matsui, and Posada are recognizable by one name and all have multiple All-Star appearances under their belts. Robinson Cano is going to be good for years to come. Melky Cabrera is the fourth outfielder and he would start on ever other team in the A.L. East. The pitching is okay, with Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, and Mike Mussina in the one through three spots. Wang is hurt but should be back by the end of April. The bullpen is good, but it will be upgraded considerably before the playoffs start. Same goes for the rotation.

Thought to ponder:
Doug Mientkiewicz is projected as the starting first baseman for the Yankees this year. With Giambi in the DH spot and all that other offensive talent, the Yanks can easily give up “Dougie Baseball’s” four easy outs per game in a trade-off for his great defensive efforts. This team is stacked and its going to take a lot to beat them in a three game series, much less in a seven game set. I hate to say it, but the Yankees are the clear-cut favorites. Again.

Now they have to play the games.

Winona State teaches us a new way to lose

Up by six with 45 seconds to play, this should have been in the bag for WSU.

But wow -- it wasn't.

A special thanks goes to Fargis for sending me a text message about the dramatic ending to Winona State’s season. I am sure there are worse ways to lose a basketball game, but I can’t think of any. Yikes.

I think I played with this guy at Hiawatha once.

Ever wonder what a douchebag in golf pants actually looks like? Well, look no further than this video clip of Sergio Garcia spitting into the cup after missing a putt at Doral over the weekend.

But he does such a good job telling us who he talked to at the team's training complex.

Our long national nightmare is over, Joe Theismann has finally been booted out of the Monday Night Football booth.

Sure, he is a former Pro Bowl and Super Bowl winning quarterback, but he made Dan Dierdorf look like a good broadcaster by comparison. Theismann and Tony Kornheiser (the only reason to watch MNF when bad teams are playing) never really connected on camera and now I hope ESPN does whatever it needs to do to convince Michael Wilbon to go into the booth with Tony and Mike Tirico.

We don't need a former player or coach on MNF -- we just don't. Give us people who will tell us what's happening and why we should be interested, I don't need a former athlete to stumble around and try to explain what zone blocking is or why I should care.

Read more about Theismann leaving MNF here: http://tinyurl.com/2zr9ue

Tubby!

Wow….I didn’t see this coming.

Tubby Smith is the new Gopher basketball coach!

Wow – Tubby Smith! Coaching the Gophers.

Unreal.

Uh oh.

From the bad news department comes word that Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer has a leg injury that could be a precursor to a stress fracture.

This is not good news for Twins fans. It’s not good news for me on another front as well since I spent a third round pick on Mr. Quick Swing in my roto draft last weekend.

Matthew LeCroy can’t catch and Mike Redmond is only good for 2 games a week. The Korey Feiner era might be starting sooner than we all thought.

Get some rest Joe; we all need you healthy to start the season.

If you had Braden Looper as your fifth starter, you would get drunk too.

Tony LaRussa seems like a smart guy, but last night he was arrested for drunk driving.

He was driving his SUV and he passed out behind the wheel. He was sitting in his truck at a stoplight and he was sleeping– that is pretty tough to do, no matter how much you’ve had to drink.

The weather in Florida is nice. LaRussa was about a mile away from the Cardinals spring training complex when he was arrested, so it might have made sense to just get a cab or perhaps even walk back to the complex.

Do you think Tony is a Bud or a Bud Light guy? He has to be drinking something from Anheuser Busch, right?

Proof that Cyndy Brucato didn't always look like that.

Okay...one more trip down memory lane. This is from KSTP News in 1983. Yes, that's Tom Barnard from the KQ morning show doing the voice-over.

Ah...the good old days. Want more great information on Minnesota sports, pop culture, and other useless information? Visit us everyday!

www.coldomaha.blogspot.com

I don’t know, Kurt Angle looks natural to me.

Britney Spears shaved her head? Have you heard about the Lindberg baby? How about lemonade coming from lemons? Coffee from coffee beans?

Those are all breaking news stories compared to the “new” story about pro wrestlers being linked to HGH.

The NCAA is awesome baby!!!

Did you watch any of the games on Thursday and Friday?

I bet you saw the Dick Vitale commercial for Hooters. You liked it and thought it was pretty funny didn't you?

Yeah, me too. The NCAA didn't like it. And well...they showed how much power they have over CBS and they banned the commercial.

Such a shame for all of us -- Dickie V, the Hooters girls, the NCAA tournament -- we are all losers here.

The tournament is a pain in the ass.

The best photo of the tournament is the one above that features Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan getting a rectal exam from one of his bench players. I think we all felt like this after the weekend.

Coach Ryan is lucky – his pain is probably not there anymore. Mine is just beginning. The gal is beating me in picks, she has picked five more games than I have and at this point I have turned my attention to fantasy baseball.

So…the Pac Ten is good. I had no idea. Wisconsin got beat. I think we saw that coming. North Carolina hung on against Michigan State and Texas lost to bleepin’ USC. Seriously, the brackets look like a raging tire fire right now.

The good news is, most of the top seeds advanced. Its “Chalk” as the broadcasters are saying, which doesn’t make any sense to me and I have no idea what it means, but I like saying it.

We actually used to watch local news and we liked it.

For those of you who are "one of us" and you have lived here for more than 10 years, you remember the glory days of local newscasts.

This brought back lots of good memories and I had to share.

Another reason to not take JD Drew in your roto draft.

JD Drew is trying to change his image.

The former St Paul Saint doesn’t want you to think he’s injury prone. In fact, he wants to improve his image so much that he now uses a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to help him stay injury free.

Yeah – that sounds about right.

Was the Dave Matthews Band playing?

Uh oh. There seems to be some problems at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

First Illinois and now Wisconsin -- can’t these guys just poop in a toilet on the bus and not cause problems?

Um...don't drink the water.

The story that won't die.

Randy Moss is going to get traded. Please let the Green Bay Packers get him.

I am a simple man, I don't ask for much. But, I want Moss to be back in the NFC North. I want him here in the Midwest where he can suffer in loudness rather than silence. We didn't hear much from him, but if he comes back up here and the Packers are bad -- we will never hear the end of it.

He hates the cold. He hates playing in the elements. At one time, he hated the Packers.

I want him back, not just for me, but for all of us. We need some closure. What better way to close it out than to have him back here twice a year, dropping passes and cutting routes short because he wasn't the main receiver and he didn't feel like running all the way down the field?

Please let Randy come "home" to the NFC, we want him back.

Packers fans deserve it.

------

Read more about Moss going to the Packers here:

http://patriots.bostonherald.com/patriots/view.bg?articleid=188664

And a star is born!

Most of you know my gal. She’s great – and she’s also shy sometimes and she’s modest. So, you would probably never see this if I didn’t send it to you. And, she will probably not like the fact that I am linking this here.

But...it had to be done.

Yep – the gal has made it to the big time by being on a recruiting video for Mayo Clinic. Go to the page and click on her photo in the lower right corner to view it.

She’s also been asked to do another video, which shoots later today – so I, of course, will be sending that one along as well.

Nice work!

Peter Rose is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Four thousand, two hundred, and fifty six hits.

Think about that for a second. Do you know how many hits that is?

Kirby Puckett had 2,304 hits during his career. Paul Molitor had 3,319 hits and Rod Carew had 3,053.

All of those guys are in the Hall of Fame.

Pete Rose isn’t in the Hall. And he probably never will be. As somebody who loves baseball, that makes me more than a little bit frustrated.

We know Pete Rose bet on sports. He bet on his own team while he was managing and he bet on other teams as well – both in baseball and in other sports.

Who cares?

Bud Selig cares. Major League Baseball cares. Some of you care.

Go ahead and care – but at the end of all of this, my question is – why shouldn’t he be in? What he did wasn’t right, but what he did has no impact at all on what he did on the field.

He’s not a Hall of Fame manager. But he is a Hall of Fame player.

What did he do on the field? That should be the only question we ask. His numbers are Hall of Fame numbers in any league and yet major League Baseball keeps him out because…why do they keep him out again?

He bet on baseball. Yep, that’s the crime of the century.

Most people who argue against him will use the word integrity and talk about Rose’s apparent lack of it. They say he has no integrity because he not only bet on baseball, but he lied about it for almost 15 years.

Doesn’t it take integrity to step up and admit your mistakes?

And, the folks who argue against him say Rose isn’t remorseful and he isn’t embarrassed by his actions.

Really? You know that for sure? You’ve spent an hour living his life, knowing that even though he was the greatest hitter of all time, he won’t be officially recognized for it? You don’t think that’s embarrassing?

I wish I had that kind of power, to be able to know what other people are feeling. It would make life a whole lot easier. You don’t know what Rose is feeling and you can’t begin to imagine what kind of pain he goes through knowing he should be there. Defiance doesn’t mean lack of remorse. He’s protecting himself – he’s human.

Major League Baseball is full of cheaters and drug users today, but we need to keep Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame because he bet on baseball. Let him in now because it’s not only the right thing to do, it’s the only thing to do.

And yes, if you are wondering, I think Barry Bonds should be in when he is eligible because he did it on the field. I don’t think he did it the right way, but he didn’t break any rules and he didn’t get caught cheating. He’s got the numbers -- just like Rose does.

You can’t keep Bonds out just because you think he did it the wrong way – he did it and that should be the only thing that matters. Same goes for Rose. In fact, the comparison isn’t even fair, because Bonds was apparently helped on the field by drugs. Rose wasn’t helped by anything other than talent and hard work, he just bet on baseball. Yet, people will make the comparison.

The point is, if you want to change it from the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame into the Hall of Fame for Choir Boys and Perfect Men with No Flaws – you need to change the criteria for induction and then stick to your guns.

Go back through and dig out the skeletons of the guys who are already in. Just a warning, you are going to find some bad things in there, things that won’t be fun to talk about. You’ll find cheaters (Gaylord Perry), alleged spouse abusers (Kirby Puckett), and racists (Ty Cobb.)

Talk about integrity.

Pete Rose might not be your idea of a perfect person. Guess what -- that person doesn’t exist. But, he is a Hall of Fame baseball player.

Let him in.

This guy will ruin your brackets.

Trust me. You shouldn’t trust me when it comes to picking college basketball games. I think we’ve established at least that much since this website went "live" a few weeks ago.

But, the man you see pictured above is named Drew Neitzel and he will ruin your bracket.

Michigan State got a tough draw against Marquette in the opening round of the tournament. But last night it was announced that Marquette’s best player, both on offense and defense, won't be playing in the opening round.

That means a first round win for the Spartans in what could have been a pretty tough game.

Now it won’t be.

Michigan State then draws East Number 1 Seed North Carolina in the second round and you will remember who Drew Neitzel is when you watch that game.

You will really remember him afterward too -- because he will beat the Tar Heels and move the Spartans to the Sweet 16.

Kevin Duran and Texas will eventually take Neitzel and the Michigan State squad down – but Neitzel is going to have a great weekend.

Remember where you heard it first.

Bowling for dollars

If you can find trouble at a bowling alley, you can find trouble anywhere. Pac Man Jones is at it again and this time he got threatened with a knife while bowling.

Can’t the Vikings find a way to pick him up? We lost Freddy Smoot, we need a guy who can cause problems off the field and not live up to his reputation on it. At this rate we only have bad players and some what decent character guys – how much fun is that?

Tom Brady likes to play without a helmet.

Somebody needs to tell Tom Brady he works for the Patriots and not the Celtics. First, he knocked up former galpal Bridget Moynahan, which was apparently not planned, but not all that big of a deal since they had been dating for awhile and well…this happens sometimes.

Now, apparently, Brady slipped another one by the goalie and his current girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen, is also with child.

Two pregnancies with two relatively attractive super models/actresses in the span of five months, that’s pretty good work if you can get it.

No word yet if Tom has taken responsibility for Anna Nicole’s baby.

Ten dollars goes to the person who can accurately predict who Tom knocks up next.

Being John Rocker

Full disclosure time – I loved this picture and needed to find a way to get it up on the site. I think it sums up John Rocker without really saying much at all.

But, it’s an interesting story nonetheless, so let’s dig a little deeper.

John Rocker is famous in an “oh, isn’t he that guy who doesn’t like minorities” kind of way.

He’s the sports world’s answer to Mark Fuhrman. You know him for things like him not caring for gay people or not really caring for people that don’t look as white or male as he does.

I am not making any statements of fact about him and I can’t speak for him, but you probably know him for these things. But, he is actually quite the Renaissance man.

According to his official web page – he’s been a major league pitcher, real estate developer, and small business owner. He’s also an outdoorsman – you can add him to the list of people who make the rest of us who like to hunt and fish look like idiots.

And, finally, you can also add another category to Mr. Rocker’s resume. According to SI.com, steroid user should be moved toward the top of the list. Is anyone surprised? Me either.
(The picture is from his website, which makes it even more precious.)

I'm playing for a ring.

Fantasy baseball season is here. For the record, it might be for dorks and geeks. But now I don’t feel any shame because I can finally say I am playing for something meaningful.

I’m studying; I’m breaking down film like Brad Childress on a cold Tuesday night in November.

I am going to win my roto league this year.

And when I do, I am going to get the ultimate fantasy baseball prize.

T-Hud isn’t dead, will get start tonight against Lakers

Editor’s Note: You aren’t going to get much Wolves information here this year. Enjoy it while you can.

---

When you are around sports, you learn a few things. Here’s what I know for sure:

First, don’t talk trash on the basketball court when you can’t run the floor and you don’t like to play defense. I learned that in seventh grade.

Second, as soon as you say the word “slump” anywhere near a baseball field, you are going to be looking at 3 hits over your next 35 at-bats.

Third, when your coach makes this comment about you, you probably aren’t doing the things he wants you to do:

“Both publicly and to our team, I've used him as an example all year long of a guy that wants to play, probably should be playing, and is not handling it the right way."

Wolves head coach Randy Wittman made that comment about Troy Hudson on Sunday night, after T-Hud poured in 26 points against the Celtics. Hudson says he’s been healthy for months; Wittman’s retort has been to bury him in the dark part of the doghouse right next to the hole where former coach Dwane Casey buried him back in the early part of November.

Could chemistry be any worse on this team right now? When the coach calls out a guy who hasn’t played any significant minutes in months -- AFTER they just lost to the worst team in the league in double overtime, well…its not good times at Target center right now.

So what if the Wolves have 7 point guards on their roster, if Hudson has the hot hand, why not start him? It’s not like that glass ankle is going to hold up for more than a few games, they might as well run him into the ground now. They’re paying him, aren’t they?

The Wolves have become a punch line for a lot of reasons. First they couldn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs, then they couldn’t make the playoffs at all…again, then they fired Flip and kept McHale, then they hired/fired Dwane Casey, and then they hired Wittman, to do what Flip was doing before, but he will be better at it because he’s more of a yes-man than Saunder’s ever was.

Problem is, during all this transition one thing has remained the same – the Wolves don’t try very hard on defense and their guards don’t make their teammates better.

Isn’t this way Mike James was brought here in the first place, because T-Hud wasn’t doing the things that the Wolves wanted him to do? And now he’s starting ahead of Randy Foye and Mike James? And Marko Jaric and Ricky Davis?

Granted, I am sure he can rap better than all of those guys combined, but he isn’t a better distributor than Jaric and he’s not a better shooter or scorer than James or Foye.

The Wolves are three games behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed in the conference, but they are also just as close to being the 14th best team in the west.

Let’s get this season over with so we can move KG and start over.

I am done talking about the Wolves unless Kevin McHale somehow wins GM of the year or even more incredibly, if they actually make the playoffs.

This, apparently, is not a typo.

Kevin McHale is a lot of things.

He's a Hibbing native, he's one of us, and he might have been the best sixth man in the history of the NBA. He was funny on Cheer's, he was great with the Gophers and he was one hell of an NBA analyst back in the days of Midwest Sports Channel.

But he is NOT one of the best GM's of our generation.

Forbe's, however, would beg to differ.

http://www.forbes.com/2007/03/02/sports-greatest-gms-biz-cz_jg_0302gms_2.html

That's right, the same Forbes that gives you investing advice and stock tips would like you to believe that Kevin McHale is the best GM in sports.

I think the rest of us would beg to differ.

Say it with me...Let it Rain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you read this blog, you know about Pac Man Jones, the conerback who made it rain in a Las Vegas strip club. Well...now you can buy his brain.

http://tinyurl.com/3xkmtu

I love ebay and I love everything about the NFL.

Pac Man -- you are a hero to millions of kids like me.

Let it rain my friend, let it rain. I hope this guy makes millions off Pac Man's brain.

Who are these bleepin' guys?

The Vikings sure know how to make a splash in free agency don't they?

The rumors are true, the team signed two guys you have never heard of before.

Yes, that's right -- the team now has a tight end named Visanthe Shiancoe (vi-sahn-tee SHANK-oh) and a linebacker named Vinny Ciurciu (church-choo.) If Sid Hartman has to pronounce those names during the same conversation, he might not make it out alive.

I can't wait to hear how Greg Coleman will pronounce those names during Vikings radio broadcasts next year.

Meanwhile, the Vikes cut three players who were actually pretty useful to them -- or at least in theory COULD have been useful if Coach Quiet knew what he was doing.

Freddy Smoot is gone. He's back in D.C., reattached to his "billacal cord" as Stephon Marbury would say. Jermaine Wiggins and Mike Rosenthal were also dismissed and while they haven't landed in good systems yet, they will.

The Wiggins cut is disturbing if only because he lead the team in receptions in both 2004 and 2005.

But under Coach Quiet, he slipped to just 46 grabs in 2006.

Let's look at this in a simple way: When Brad Johnson specializes in the 5-yard-out and/or the 5-yard-under, why isn't the tight end more heavily involved with the offense? How simple can this be?

If I ran the Vikings-- or any other NFL franchise -- I would do some basic research before hiring a coach. I would make sure to play against them in Madden Football for a full day. Just invite them over, order some pizza, drink some beer, and play video games with them -- because you can learn a lot about a person and his football acumen by playing Madden.

Play the game for an hour and you can see how they run plays against certain defense, how they utilize the strengths of their team, how they overcome changes in defensive and offensive schemes.

How can you not utilize a pass-catching tight end when your quarterback has the arm strength of a high school option quarterback?

If my buddy Wide ran the Vikings, they would have been turning Wiggins into a Pro Bowler and play-actioning everyone to death with Chester Taylor and Tony Richardson in the flat.

Seriously, this game isn't that complicated.

Let hope Coach Quiet and his kick-ass offense will invest in a PS3 during the off-season.

Better yet, go sign Kevin Curtis to a long-term deal so you can cut him in 2008. I really miss Mike Tice.

And let's not even talk about The Sheriff, I might get emotional.

Daly hurts back, pulls out of tournament before missing cut.

John Daly pulled out of the Honda Classic after hurting his back while trying to stop his rather large swing. He tried to stop swinging because a woman took a photo of him.

Ever the athlete, Daly tried to stop his swing, but couldn’t do so without pulling some back fat and he left the tournament early. He did however, have an opportunity to glare at the woman before he left the tee box, which must have made him feel a little bit better.

As he left the course, Daly’s only comment was “I’m done.”

When you think about it -- that could have been said after just about every tournament Daly has entered since 1997.

Californy is the place you ought to be.

Would you rather be a pitcher for a major league baseball team or would you rather be sitting on a fortune worth more than $2 billion dollars?

I know – tough choice isn’t it? Matt White gets to make that choice. I just love feel-good stories like this, where luck and good fortune shines down on people who need it.

Hey, there are lots and lots of rock quarries in Minnesota. Maybe Juan Rincon will buy one.

Brad Johnson is but a memory and some thoughts on things…

He had a good run, but Brad Johnson has been released by the Vikings. That leaves Tavaris Jackson and Brooks Bollinger as the only two QB’s on the roster. It sounds like the Vikings will also cut ties with Jermaine Toosday Night Wiggins and Freddy Loudmouth Smoot by the weekend.

The Vikings have a plan for free agency and the draft, but won’t release any details until the time is right. I miss Denny Green. At least he was a prick with some personality.

---
Texas beat Texas A&M last night. Duke lost to Maryland again. So happy I am done pretending I know what I am doing when it comes to college hoops.

The Gophers also lost to Purdue – that’s a game I picked correctly. They might not win another game this year. That includes games in November and December next year.

Take Virginia and North Carolina tonight by the way.

---
This whole Pac Man Jones thing is riveting. When a drug dealer is worried about how you are living your life....you might have a problem.

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I wish I could buy stock in things like “Joel Pineiro will save 30 games this year and the Red Sox will win the AL East by at least 5 games.”

---
Why don’t I care when NFL players use steroids and HGH but when baseball players do it, it makes me sick?

---
Remember when the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue used to be a hot topic? Well…it might be again -- especially if Hepatitis A is newsworthy.

---
Is there a way for us to get Erin Andrews “permanent sideline reporter for every major sporting event” status sometime soon? Should we start a petition or something?

They have HGH on the internet now!!

You can find anything on the internet. Looking for a great deal on golf equipment? Try Ebay. Want to find a gift for that friend who has everything? Try Amazon.com.

Want some steroids or HGH to bulk up your muscles and become an all-star outfielder?

You can find those on the internet too!

Look, it’s not like we don’t know that athletes are using human growth hormone. Its pretty obvious. When a guy like Barry Bonds goes from a size 10 ½ shoe to a 13 -- in the span of 5 years (and he’s in his late 30’s during the growth spurt) well, something isn’t quite right.

Who would have guessed that Gary Matthews Jr., would be linked to something like HGH? Its not like he came out of nowhere last year, climbed walls, and hit homeruns all while having a career year during a contract year. Oh wait. He did do that.

They only thing that can’t happen, that really hopefully won’t happen, is that one of our Twins heroes is nailed for using HGH.

But, we wouldn’t do that here in Minnesota. Um. Right?