Sport-Blog.com

San Diego has been in trouble for some time. The city has seen three mayors in the month of July alone, but they will not have to wait until November to elect a new one. However, the frontrunner of the 2005 mayoral election in San Diego is anything but your average politician. Councilwoman Donna Frye, 53, is a surf shop owner and advocate of the water sport up and down the west coast. It's not everyday a bonafide surfer runs for mayor, and chances are come November, she'll be mayor of the town she loves.

Frye led a field of eleven candidates in last Tuesday's mayoral election but fell short of being elected by a slim margin. Now, she will have a face-off against former Police Chief Jerry Sanders on the November 8 ballot. Unofficial results showed Frye with 43 percent of the county's vote, Sanders having only 27 percent, but since neither candidate reached a majority, they are forced under Californian law to be put on the ballot in November's run-off election.

Earlier in the month, Mayor Dick Murphy resigned admits controversy surrounding his pension fund that discredited City Hall. Seventy-two hours later, his replacement also resigned for taking bribes from a strip club owner, after being convicted of corruption by the local courts. Frye actually almost won a write-in campaign last year when supporters began to whisper that Murphy was in trouble.

Frye has since asked her supporters to stay behind her during the road to the election. She's also asked that they support the interim mayor, a fellow Councilwoman, who will micromanage the government leading up to the elections in November. She doesn't want to jump the gun, and she's afraid her supporters might just do that, by trying to get her elected sooner than the run-off against Sanders.

Most are confident that Frye will be crowned mayor in the November election. She's seen by supporters as one of the honest-to-God politicians left in the city. Even her competition has praised her efforts to clean up the political waste that has left a sour taste in the mouths of San Diego residents who are fed up with the backroom dealing going on without their knowledge or consent and definitely not for the betterment of their city.

Frye began her political career four years ago when she campaigned for ocean pollution regulation when her husband began suffering from symptoms related to the pollution of local waterways. This led her to gather a fan-base of surfers and young adults who support her causes and feel closer to her because of her surfing background and support.

She has vowed, if elected to office, to continue supporting causes close to environmental awareness as well as to bring repute to the San Diego City Hall which has seen far too much corruption on the national scene. Frye wants San Diegans to feel comfortable and to trust in their local government again, something that most who live in the county have walked away from since the scandals broke.

Jackie Kallen is known in the sporting world as one tough woman. Working her way through the male-dominated world of boxing, Kallen has become one of the most well-known and respected managers in the sport. Co-starring alongside Sylvester Stallone, Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Gallagher, she added her own knowledge and experience to make The Contender one of the most unique and refreshing reality television shows of the year. Kallen brought her unique brand of spunk and heart to the show and inspired all who watched!

How did you first hear about The Contender?
I read about it in a local newspaper while I was out promoting Against the Ropes. I knew I wanted to be a part of it in some way. Every day was a new adventure.

What did you think of the boxing talent of the contenders?
I was pleasantly surprised how good most of them were.

Did anything about them catch your eye right away?
Ahmed's personality and confidence, Jesse's sense of humor, Alfonso's sweetness, Sergio's intelligence.

Did you have a favorite to win the whole thing?
I originally thought that Ishe or Sergio had a good shot to take it all. I knew Sergio and have seen him fight and I had heard great things about Ishe Smith.

In one episode early on, you sat down with Najai Turpin to discuss his attitude about trust. He told you that he felt his mother and daughter were the only two people in the world he could trust. Did you sense, during that conversation, that there were much deeper feelings involved other than just the trust issue?
Of course. I knew there had to be some deep-rooted problems if he didn't trust anyone but those two. His mother was deceased and his daughter is just a child. So it appeared that he no adult that he felt he could turn to or relate to. That concerned me.

What was you reaction when you found out Turpin had taken his own life?
Shock. Sorrow. Disbelief.

Did you think back to the conversations you had with him about trust and wonder if there was anything anyone could've down to reach out to him during his time on the show?
Absolutely. But mostly I wished there was someone there for him after the show.

You had the opportunity to hang out with the contenders many times during their stay in the suite. How was it to watch these guys – who had never gone out to clubs, who had never worn a suit – soak up the limelight?
That has been one of the best parts. It was such a joy to see them evolve and grow as people.

What do you think the future holds for Sergio Mora?
Sergio has the potential to become world champion, a TV sportscaster or a writer.

If you could give him one piece of advice since his million dollar fight, what would it be?
Not to change. To stay as focused and down-to-earth as always. He has a good head on his shoulders and probably doesn't need any advice.

What advice would you give to Peter Manfredo, Jr. who lost the final fight, but came from behind so many times to make it that far?
Peter has to suck it up and move forward with his career. The past is just that – the past. His future can be as successful and bright as he chooses to make it. Peter is a great guy and he'll be back.

What have you learned from your experience on The Contender?
I learned that guys who live together and really like each other can still fight like cats and dogs when there is money at stake. Friendship is one thing but business is another.

What have you learned from your experience on a reality television show in general?
I learned that no matter how many scenes you were in, the editing can change all that and your part can be less than you expected.

Are you disappointed that the show, starting off with a ratings boom, failed to get renewed for a second season?
Yes. But I believe someone will pick it up. It's a great show.

What are you up to now?
I am managing four professional boxers, I do motivational speaking, I have a sitcom in development at a major studio and I have a reality show of my own that I am hoping to pitch soon.

The New England Patriots three Super Bowl Championships in the last four years have come in great part from their steady and hard hitting defense. But as the team prepares for the 2005 season, the squad finds itself missing many of the key defensive ingredients that have played a significant role their Super Bowl success.

As the Pats start their 2005 training camp, the team is missing five top defensive players; linebackers Teddy Bruschi, Roman Phifer and Ted Johnson, defensive lineman Richard Seymour, and cornerback Ty Law.

After the 2005 Super Bowl Championship season, the Patriots had to make some very difficult salary cap decisions. First, they opted not to resign linebacker Roman Phifer, a veteran backer who had played four seasons for the Pats and had been a key performer in all three of the team's Super Bowl wins. Then the Pats released Ty Law, a ten year veteran and all pro caliber cornerback, again due to the financial constraints of the NFL salary cap.

Also during the off season, middle linebacker Teddy Bruschi suffered a mild stroke that required hospital time. Though he has seemingly been recovering steadily from his collapse, the Patriots team leader on defense has elected to sit out the 2005 season to continue his rehabilitation regiment in the hopes of playing again in 2006.

Then just prior to training camp came the surprising announcement of another linebacker. Teddy Johnson, another tough inside backer and outstanding defender against the run indicated that the numerous concussions that he had experienced while playing pro football had taken their toll. Said Johnson, it was time for him to call it quits for his own long term health.

Finally, for the first time in recent memory, the Pats saw a player under contract express dissatisfaction with his salary agreement and elect not show for the team's mandatory training sessions. Richard Seymour, the Pats' all pro defensive lineman, failed to report for the team's mandatory minicamp earlier in the summer and now has yet to make an appearance at the preseason team camp.

The Seymour no show was an extremely unusual situation for a team that has had very few holdouts during the Belichick coaching era. The Patriots have become the league poster child for team harmony, with many professionals opting for less money just for the opportunity to play for the leagues best team in recent years.

Complicating matters for the Patriots is the off season loss of their defensive coordinator as well. Romeo Crennel, the Pats highly though of assistant coach finally was rewarded for his numerous years of success by becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. But the loss of Crennel and co-captains Bruschi and Johnson mean the Pats have lost a lot of the intellectual leadership that formed the basis of defense that succeeded as much from being in the right place at the right time as it did for its punishing hits.

Though it has been known as the era of parity in the NFL, the Patriots in the last four years have managed to become a repeat champion and with three titles during the period the term dynasty has been associated with the franchise. But the highly-respected head coach of the Pats, Bill Belichick, will more than have his work cut out for him as he prepares his team to defend its NFL championship.

The decimation of the defense may just have brought the Patriots back to the pack and returned them to the parity level of the rest of the NFL.

Unless we have lived in a bubble for the last couple of decades, we all know the importance of exercise for a healthy heart. With life expectancies becoming longer, something does indeed seem to be working.

If you enjoy participating in sports, many of them provide an excellent way to get some of that exercise that is so beneficial to keeping your heart healthy. Even some of the less strenuous sports will provide a good workout but the more moving, running, etc. that is done, the more benefits you will be getting.

So why is getting exercise so vital to good health? Before answering that question, I need to say that prior to starting any exercise regimen, even if it is participating in a sport you haven't been regularly playing, it is imperative to discuss it with your doctor. You really need to have his or her thoughts on the kind of exercise routine you should be participating in, so do not skip this step.

Getting enough exercise (in this case the kind you will get while participating in a sport) while you are also eating a heart healthy diet is one of the ways we can help to prevent heart disease. It is a big problem and actually the biggest cause of death in this country.

Getting exercise can also keep your cholesterol levels under control by not only lowering the bad kind of cholesterol, but by helping with the good, too. Exercise helps the heart to stay strong, helps with cholesterol levels, and it also may lower your blood pressure which is always a good thing.

If you don't participate in your chosen sport often, you will need to have a regular exercise routine as well. This can be covered with aerobics, a treadmill, doing a routine with one of the many exercise videos that are available, or any other schedule you wish to follow. The important thing is to do just that . . . follow a routine. Stick with it and it will become something that you might actually look forward to doing every day. Make it a higher priority than other things you do and that way there won't be an excuse to skip your exercise routine on any given day.

So what kind of sport would you like to be part of? Many communities have baseball and softball leagues that anyone can join. If there is a sports complex or YMCA, you will be able to find things such as swimming or volleyball to try out. Track and Field is also an excellent form of exercise. If there is no complex or YMCA in your area, invite some friends and find out about using the local school's track or swimming pool.

If you are not used to exercise or sports, do a little reading on the net or at the library about various stretches you will need to be doing. After your workout, whether it is a sport or other forms of exercise, you will need to cool down as well as warm up. Know these things ahead of time to avoid injuries that didn't need to happen.

For a regular exercise routine and for maximum benefit to your heart, exercise between 30 and 60 minutes four or five times a week. Start with the bottom end, the 30 minutes, if you are not used to exercising. If you can just handle ten minutes to start, that is fine, too. Remember to drink liquids especially if you are doing outdoor sports.

Dickie V calls impact freshmen at the collegiate level Diaper Dandies . The Boston Celtics felt that their extraordinary 2004 draft might have brought the team the NBA equivalent of at least three such diaper dandies a year ago. And with what appears to be another strong draft in 2005, the Celtics appear to be headed into the 2005 season ready to give those dandies full reign.

Headed into the recent off season, the young and athletic Boston Celtics team seemingly had two major player personnel decisions to make. Gary Payton and Antoine Walker, two veterans that had helped the team to the Atlantic Division title in 2005 and into the playoffs, were both free agents. Given the impact of the two veterans had on the team a year ago, it was thought that the C's would ante up some decent money to try and tempt the two back into the fold.

But then came draft night 2005, a night the Celtics were looking at with only minor hopes of garnering a decent player. The Celtics held the number 18 pick, a spot not usually associated with acquiring an impact player. The Celtics however, were hoping that Providence College senior Ryan Gomes, might some how fall to them at number 18 thought hey felt it would be a long shot possibility.

But then the inexplicable happened, as it often happens on draft day. Some how, some way one of the nation's premiere prep school players, Gerald Green, was passed over early and the explosive scorer began slipping down the draft board. Through sheer luck, the high school player that many experts thought was a top three or four pick in the draft was still available at number 18 when the Celtics turn arrived.

Having taken a high school players in each of the last two drafts and with four rookies on last year's roster, the Celtics had to still be thinking of Gomes, a college senior who would give the team some greater experience. Gomes was still available, as the Celts had originally hoped he might be. But the chance to draft a player with the perceived upside of Green was too much to pass on and the C's made him their number one pick.

Then, almost like the vintage Celtics days the draft again took a strange turn. No team seemed immediately interested in the Providence College senior. Gomes began slipping deeper and deeper into the draft until once again the Celtics had an opportunity to draft the player they had hoped to take with their first round selection.

Given the talent that the team had assembled from the 2004 draft, General Manager Danny Ainge was ecstatic with the developments. He had now acquired what he believed were a number of key parts that would one day return the Celtics to being a true competitor for an NBA title.

But with the picks may have come the decision that it was time to forgo attempts to resign either Walker or Payton. After all, young players need game opportunities to develop their skills. With so many young players on the team and only so many minutes available Ainge needed to decide whether it is time to give the kids a chance to develop, to see if the Celtics have truly drafted any diaper dandies.

The inability to make strides with resigning either of the two may simply be a result of the Celtics no longer having serious interest. Instead, it appear the C's are prepared to start either Delonte West or second year pro, Marcus Banks, at the point guard position in place of Payton. Both players have enormous upsides, seemingly needing only more playing time to develop their overall skills.

It also appears the team wants more playing time to be available for another of the 2004 rookies, Al Jefferson, a former high school player who is also thought to have an enormous upside. Add fellow 2004 rookie talent, Tony Allen, and the Celtics do need playing time options for what could become a very inexperienced starting group.

Then throw in Justin Reed, the fourth of the four picks in 2004 along with the aforementioned Green and Gomes and the Celtics will have a youthful contingent coming off the bench as well. The team will still look to Paul Pierce, Ricky Davis and Raef LaFrentz for points and those three will garner serious playing time, but those three will be asked to bide some tough times and mentor the youngsters, theoretically helping the Celtics future at the expense of the present.

Youth is seldom served in the NBA so Celtic fans may become a bit testy this season. The choice to go young could be a real issue for the Celtics for 2005-2006 as the Celtics will field as green a team as any in recent NBA history.

But Danny Ainge appears to be casting his lot with some tough times in the next year or two for what he hopes is the opportunity for the Celtics to become a legitimate NBA contender once again, even if he has to wait until 2008 or 2009 for that to happen.

The logos on professional sports team uniforms may not have anything to do with how the players actually perform on the field, but they are nevertheless very important to a team's success. That is, in terms of marketing. Most people will buy sports-related clothing, merchandise, or hats for their favorite teams. It doesn't take a business degree to figure that out. For example, I live in Chicago, so it stands to reason that I have several Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, and Bulls items. Every sports marketer's dream, however, is to come up with something that fans across the country will want to buy, not just fans in a specific city. That's where team logos (and uniform color schemes) come into play. Sometimes there is a jersey or hat that is so cool that you just have to buy it, even when it is for a team that you don't really have any ties to.

Over the years, I have accumulated a bunch of pro sports clothing items. Here are some of the teams that I think have the coolest logos.

First, the Chicago Blackhawks logo is a classic and is definitely one of my favorites. It shows an Indian head with feathers in his hair and war paint on his face. Some people don't think it's a very politically correct logo in this day and age, but that's another story altogether. I personally think this logo looks great on the Blackhawks' red jersey that they wear when playing away games. I see a lot of people wearing Blackhawks jerseys outside of the Chicagoland area, so I think others definitely feel the same way I do about the logo.

I also like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers logo, which was introduced several years ago and was a welcome change from their old logo. The new logo consists of a sword with a torn flag on it. The flag shows a skull and two more crossed swords. There is also a small football underneath the swords. This logo looks really good along with the silver (actually, they call it "pewter") and red uniforms. Another NFL logo that I think is cool is the Houston Texans logo. It's pretty simple: a steer's head that is half blue and half red, with a single star (Texas being the "Lone Star State") where the eye should be. I bought a Texans t-shirt just because of this logo, even though I know nothing about the team.

In baseball, I think the Seattle Mariners logo is pretty cool. It shows a baseball in the center of eight compass points jutting out in different directions. Even though the Mariners have been in last place for most of the last two seasons, that hasn't stopped me from buying their merchandise. Here again, the logo plays a big part in my purchasing decisions.

So if you want to buy pro sports merchandise, but you are tired of your home team's logo, take a look at some of the items that other teams have to offer. There is some pretty cool gear out there that you might be missing out on!

For my family, summer means going to plenty of baseball games. We take in our fair share of Cubs games, and even the occasional White Sox game. This can start to put a strain on our budget after a while. But we love going to the ballpark to watch professional baseball games. That's why the Schaumburg Flyers have become an important part of our lives in the past few years.

The Schaumburg Flyers are a minor league baseball team. They are part of the Northern League, which consists of 12 teams. Usually, minor league teams are affiliated with a Major League baseball team, which means that the players are "owned" by the big league club. For example, the Durham Bulls, a minor league team that became nationally known after the release of the Kevin Costner movie "Bull Durham", are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Devil Rays have a right to call up any Durham player if and when the Devil Rays have an open roster spot. This gives the minor leaguers a pretty strong incentive for giving it their all in every game.

The Schaumburg Flyers, however, are not affiliated with a Major League team. This can actually work to the players' advantage because instead of being limited to their affiliate ball club, they are available to negotiate with any team. At any rate, I don't think a Flyers player has gone on to play in the Major Leagues so far.

Flyers games are entertaining and cost-effective alternatives to Cubs and Sox games for people living in the Western suburbs. A family of four can enjoy reserved seats and some refreshments (hot dogs and soft drinks) from the concession stands for just over $50. Ticket prices are $9.50 for reserved seats, and just $5.50 if you want to bring a blanket and sit on the lawn near the outfield along the foul lines. Parking is free at the Flyers home ballpark, Alexian Field.

You might also want to consider having your child's next birthday party at a Flyers game. You can get a party package for 10 people for $195. The package includes 10 tickets to the game (reserved seats), plus a hot dog, soft drink, and bag of chips for each person. In addition, you will also get a birthday cake with the Flyers logo on it. That sounds like a great deal to me!

In case you are wondering, yes, the Flyers are a professional team. Granted, the game play is not flawless; but neither are Major League games. According to the team statistical archive, various Flyers players have: turned a triple play; stolen home plate; hit for the cycle; pitched a no-hitter; hit four homers in a game; played all nine positions in a game; set the Northern League record for hits in a season; hit a walk-off home run. Those are all pretty exciting feats that fans rarely get to see in baseball games anywhere.

So the next time you want to catch a pro ballgame, check out your local minor league team!

Michelle Wie continues to garner a great deal of hype. Such is the case when you are able to outplay professional male golfers and are a 15-year old golf phenom who seems to be establishing herself as the game's next potential star.

But a second teenager, Paula Creamer, a scant three years older than Wie, appears to be making as many golf waves as Wie. And given that Wie is still winless despite the hype, perhaps more attention should be focused on the teenager who blitzed the field at the Evian Masters this weekend, winning her second LPGA tour title in her first year as a professional.

Amazingly, the Creamer had played more than a half-dozen events on the LPGA Tour this year prior to even graduating from high school in May. She had earned Tour status in 2004, when as an amateur, Creamer became the youngest golfer ever to win the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. That five shot victory earned her exempt status for the 2005 LPGA season and the youngster immediately turned professional after the final round.

Prior to playing on Tour, Creamer had a stellar amateur career. She had been named 2004 Amateur of the Year by both Golfweek and Golf Digest and as Golfweek's and Golf Digest's 2003 Junior of the Year. The top ranked Junior player in both 2003 and 2004, Creamer was also named the 2003 American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year.

But in this her first season as a professional, Creamer has continued to grow as a player. After missing the cut at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in mid-May, Creamer would win her first LPGA title at the Sybase Classic the following weekend. That first statement of her professional ability focused upon her youthfulness.

At 18 years, 9 months and 17 days, Creamer became the second-youngest first-time LPGA Tour winner with her one stroke victory. Only Marlene Hagge had won at a younger age, claiming the 1952 Sarasota Open and the 1952 Bakersfield Open by the time she was 18 years, 2 months and 15 days. However, both of Hagge's wins had come in 18-hole events, so Creamer actually became the youngest winner of a multi-round LPGA tournament in the 55-year history of the organization.

The first win started the ball rolling. The California resident would follow up with a third at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, a second at the Wegmans Rochester Classic, and a fifth at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. As Wie was making headlines, Creamer was making cuts, finishing in the Top Ten and earning serious cash.

Everything came together this past week at the Evian Masters at Evian-les-Bains, France. Competing against a world class field that included Annika Sorenstam and the 15-year old Wie, Creamer buried the field, winning by an whopping 8 shots. The woman's consensus best golfer, Sorenstam finished a distant 12 shots behind the youngster.

In winning, Creamer became the youngest winner on the Ladies European Tour. Still two weeks shy of her 19 birthday, Creamer erased the record set by Belgium’s Florence Descampe who won the 1988 Danish Ladies Open, an aged 19 years and 74 days.

But more importantly, the win moved Creamer to second on the Tour in earnings, behind the incomparable Sorenstam, and past the $1 million mark in her first year as a professional. It also moved her higher in the public eye and allowed Creamer some much deserved press time during a period that Wie has been collecting most of the attention.

Of course, Wie also continued to make waves. The 15-year old Hawaiian played very well and would have been the story if not for Creamer, the amateur tying for second place against the same world class field.

But this time the headlines and the main story line was on the other teenager, the young lady three years Wie's senior but still two weeks shy of her nineteenth birthday.

Lance Armstrong ended his racing career today in brilliant fashion by capturing his seventh Tour de France title in a row. Armstrong won the race by 4 minutes and 40 seconds over runner-up Ivan Basso. Third place went to Jan Ullrich, who finished 6 minutes and 21 seconds behind Armstrong. The final leg of the Tour consists of a ride into Paris down the famed Champs-Elysees boulevard. This part of the race is traditionally taken at a slower pace, and serves as a triumphant victory ride for the winner. This year, the last leg was actually cut short due to some bad weather. The Tour de France organizers officially ended the race with the pack still about 30 miles outside of Paris in order to ensure the safety of the riders on the wet roads.

It's great that Armstrong will be able to go out on top. Not many athletes can make that claim. A lot of them hang on for a few years too long, which ends up tarnishing their legendary accomplishments just a bit. When I think of people who have truly gone out on top, I think of John Elway, who retired as a two-time Super Bowl champion. His final game was Super Bowl XXXIII, in which he was named MVP. You can't do any better than that in pro football. Pete Sampras also went out on top, but in a slightly different way. Sampras won the 2002 U.S. Open, which was his record-setting 14th major title. He didn't announce his retirement there and then, but he ended up withdrawing from every tournament the next season, and officially retired at the U.S. Open a year later. Now I will always think of Lance Armstrong along with guys like Elway and Sampras.

It's much easier to come up with athletes who played too long. Michael Jordan immediately comes to mind. Jordan retired once, then came back and led the Chicago Bulls to three more NBA championships before retiring again. At that point, if Jordan had stayed retired, he would have had the kind of career that movies are made of. But he decided to try playing one more time, and had a couple of less-than-stellar seasons with the Washington Wizards. Jerry Rice is another athlete whose performances declined dramatically in the last years of his career.

I have a lot of respect for Lance Armstrong. He could very easily stick around on Team Discovery Channel and ride several more Tour de France races just to collect a paycheck. He has one of the top names in cycling, and he could definitely milk his star power for all that it's worth. But he is a true champion. His competitive side wouldn't allow him to do anything but go all out for the win. The only blight on his career is the persistent rumor of doping. But since Lance has taken and passed countless drug tests in the past 7 years, I would have to say that's a problem that lies with the critics, and not with Armstrong himself.

Congratulations, Lance. You've had a career that mere mortals can only dream of.

For a hitter, it is the most cherished hit in baseball. It is not just any homer, it's cranking one with the bases loaded. It is none other than the "grand slam."

And when it comes to that majestic hit, the current edition of the Boston Red Sox is on a phenomenal pace during the 2005 season. The Sox have cranked nine grand slams already, tying the team record, and with another 60 plus games to go on the season, it is possible Boston could challenge the all-time record of 14 set by the Oakland Athletics during the 2000 season.

Leading the way for Boston are their two RBI machines, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Ortiz hit the first grand slam for the Sox back on April 15th, Manny hit the second the following day, both jacks coming against the hapless Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The pair also own the last three by the team on the season, Manny hitting hit his second on the season in late June, then followed up with his third for 2005 on July 5th. Ortiz followed with his second of the season 10 days later.

In between, Jay Payton (since traded), Doug Mirabelli, Trot Nixon and Edgar Renteria all took one deep. For the clutch hitting Nixon, it was his 8th of his career.

But when it comes to individuals, Nixon's eight pale next to Boston's best hitter, the enigmatic Manny Ramirez. Manny is half-way to the single season record held by Yankee great "Donny baseball", Don Mattingly. Perhaps even more importantly, the Sox left fielder is on the verge of the grand slam enchilada, the long-standing Lou Gehrig record for career grand slam homers. Manny still trails Gehrig, the powerful lefthander who hit a whopping 23 over his long Hall of Fame career.

But with his three in 2005, Manny has now pushed his career total to 20. And at just 33 years of age, the slugger will have numerous opportunities to add to his career total over the next several seasons. Most importantly, he may be playing for the team that will give him the greatest number of chances.

By playing on the Red Sox, players are getting more opportunities with the bases loaded than they do for any other team, at least for 2005. Whereas the Red Sox as a team have only the fifth best batting average in baseball with the bases loaded (trailing the Mariners, Blue Jays, Marlins and Nationals), they simply give their hitters more chances to hit with the bases loaded.

The Sox have loaded them up an incredible 129 times on the season. It is a staggering number, at least relative to the rest of major league baseball, as it is more than double the number of at bats of at least seven other big league teams.

In hitting those 129 at bats, Sox players have driven in 124 runs. At nearly a one-to-one ration, it is a solid sign of run production. But three major league teams, the Marlins, the Nationals, and Mariners all have stats whereby the ratio is higher than one-to-one.

But the most production of those three teams, the Nationals' 80 runs, is a whopping 44 behind the Sox. In fact, the Sox lead the number two bases loaded run producing team, the Philadelphia Phillies, by 38 runs. The Sox players are simply given more chances to hit with bases juiced. That means that Sox hitters, especially Ramirez, appear destined to have numerous chances over the rest of the season to bat with the bases loaded.

The grand slam is one of baseball's most cherished hits. The current edition of the Boston Red Sox is giving its hitters more opportunities to produce that special moment than any other team. It is a fact gives them an excellent chance to challenge the single team season record and Manny Ramirez the chance to continue his chase of the immortal Lou Gehrig.

You've probably heard by now that NHL owners and the Players' Association have agreed in principle on a new deal. Once the deal is officially ratified, hockey fans across the country and around the world will be able to see NHL hockey games in October for the first time in over a year. By all accounts, the new deal is not favorable to the players. They will receive lower salaries than they have seen in the past 10 years. The real winners here may be the fans. The new deal includes several rule changes that should make the game more exciting to watch.

If there's one rule that most hockey fans (including myself) hate, it's the single overtime rule that allows regular season games to end in a tie. Fans want to see a winner and a loser for every single game. Remember the uproar caused by baseball commissioner Bud Selig's decision to end the 2002 Major League All-Star Game when the score was tied 7-7 after 11 innings? Nobody wants to see a tie game. Anyway, starting with the new season, there won't be anymore hockey games ending in ties. There will still be three 20-minute periods of play followed by a 5-minute sudden-death overtime period if necessary. If the game is still tied after the overtime period, the teams will participate in a shootout.

The shootout format will be as follows: Three players from each team will participate. Each player will get one shot on goal. At the end of the six shots, the team with the most goals is the winner. If a winner can't be determined after these six shots, either because the teams didn't score any goals or because they scored the same number of goals, the shootout will then switch to sudden-death. The first team to score a goal in the sudden-death shootout round wins. As far as the game score goes, the winning team will only be credited one goal for the shootout round(s) regardless of how many goals they actually score. For example, if the game is tied 3-3 after regulation and the 5-minute overtime period, the teams will go to a shootout. If Team A scores three goals on its three shots, and Team B scores two goals on its three shots, then Team A wins the game. The official final score of the game will be 4-3, not 6-5. I'm not sure how shootout goals will figure in individual scoring statistics.

I think this is a great move on the part of the NHL. It shows that the league is interested in progressive changes to make the game appealing to modern audiences. Hockey's marquee players are the skilled goal-scorers that generate lots of offense. Most fans are paying money to see the likes of Jarome Iginla, Patrick Elias, and Martin St. Louis score goals, not to see a tight-checking, defensive game that ends in a 1-1 tie. Purists might disagree with me, but I think a lot of fans feel the way I do. I can't wait to see how this new rule works out!

When Tiger Woods won his second British Open by a whopping five shots last week, the golf world began to realize that perhaps the game's most popular player had returned to his position as the game's best. In winning his tenth major and second of 2005, Woods moved to the top of the money list for 2005 and to the top of the world rankings by a formidable four plus points.

His performance at the Open, at St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf, was reminiscent of his play from 1999-2001 when he totally dominated the golf world. More importantly, the victory put a finishing touch on his recent run that now has firmly perched him at the top of the Tour worldwide.

The going thought had been that Tiger was slipping and his strangle-hold as the world's top player had been loosened to the point that Vijay Singh had slipped into the number one ranking. Tiger's 2004 season gave folks ammunition to voice that perhaps his bid to top Nicklaus 18 major championships was no longer feasible.

Woods won only one PGA Tour event in 2004, the WGC Match Play Championship. And for the second year in a row, Vijay Singh led the Tour in overall earnings. In fact Woods slid to fourth in earnings, also trailing Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson, with Els earning more money in 16 events than Tiger did in 19.

However, the slip by Woods was clearly relative. Consider his stats from the 2004 season. He would enter 19 Tour events and make 19 cuts. In 18 of those 19 events Woods would finish in the Top 25. Perhaps most impressive though was Woods' 14 Top Ten performances in those 19 tourneys, meaning Woods finished in the top ten 74% of the time, best on tour for 2004. Woods also had three seconds, three thirds, and earnings totaling more than $5.3 million.

But the key factor was his performance in majors. Though he always built his schedule around those tourneys, by the end of 2004 Woods was also in the midst of going more than 2 years without winning a major. Given Woods desire to break the Nicklaus record for major titles, that drought was considered the most tell-tale sign of his struggles.

The game's most popular player began his return to the number one ranking with a strong start to 2005, winning two Tour events early in the season, the Buick Invitational and the Ford Doral. Woods then made a monumental statement by outlasting Chris DiMarco in a playoff to win the Masters, his fourth win at that major and ninth overall. With three wins on the season and the majors drought over, murmurs were beginning that perhaps he was back in command.

But sandwiched around the Masters were two of his worst tournaments in years. At the Players Championship prior to the Masters, Woods was a dismal 53rd. Then came the cut streak breaker, the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

The standard for making golf cuts all time, owned exclusively by Master Woods, ended at the Nelson Championship. The failure to make the cut ended his phenomenal record of 142 consecutive cuts, a streak that began at the Buick Invitational back in 1998.

When the Masters champ took a tournament weekend off for the first time in seven years and headed back to Florida for some practice, he took with him one of sports most memorable streaks. He also took with him the critics who said that perhaps he still was not off the snide.

But Woods returned with some very strong play. Against a strong field at the Memorial, Tiger placed third. At his next stop, the second major of the season, the US Open, he was in contention until the final hole on Sunday. Only outstanding play by Michael Campbell kept Woods in second place.

Tiger followed that up with another second at the Cialis Western Open. Heading into the British Woods therefore had finished 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd in his previous three events. Add to that his three earlier wins including his win at the Masters and Woods was clearly on the verge of reestablishing his prominence headed into the British.

But again, the Woods standards are so high that his failure to win after the Masters was seen by many as proof that he still was struggling. Throw in the missed cut and well, most thought he was having a good season but still was in a battle for Tour supremacy with the likes of Els, Singh and Mickelson.

But by the completion of the British, Woods had leap-frogged everyone. With $6.6 million in earnings in 2005, he moved nearly $700,000 ahead of number two earner, Vijay Singh. He also became the first player on the season to secure four tour victories. But most importantly, especially for the World Golf Ranking, two of the four were major championships.

Continuing his usual pattern of play, Woods will tee it up only once more on Tour, at the Buick Open, prior to the final major, the PGA Championship. It should be quite a tourney as the defending champ is none other than Vijay Singh.

But right now, after nearly a two year hiatus, there is little doubt as to who the game's number one player is. And now that he is back, talk has once turned to the Nicklaus record. At 29, Woods is now more than halfway there.

Over the past few years the strength of the NBA has clearly been in the Western Conference. Over the past seven years, the San Antonio Spurs, and prior to this season, the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, have all been considered superior to any Eastern Conference foe. Add to that mix the revamped Phoenix Suns and the ever talented Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves and the Western Conference has been seen as being deeper and significantly more talented than the East.

But a little more than two years ago, a slow transformation began. First, in the East there were the talented draft picks of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, two rookies who are now budding superstars. Both are held in very high esteem by NBA insiders as each seemingly has the potential of a Michael Jordan.

Later in the 2004 season, the multi-team and multi-player trade that brought Rasheed Wallace from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference Detroit Pistons further ate away at the imbalance. Wallace proved to be the catalyst to make Detroit a true title contender, pushing the Pistons to the top of the Eastern Conference. The Pistons then surprised the Lakers in the NBA finals, snapping a run of five consecutive Western Conference champions.

But still, to be blunt, that win was perceived as an upset by a weaker team and the weakness of the Eastern Conference was still a point of discussion. Then in 2004 off season, the blockbuster deal that sent Shaquille O'Neal to Eastern Conference Miami Heat further evened the balance.

With the trade, Miami became an instant title contender while the Lakers, Shaq's prior team, dropped from title contention. Overnight, the East then had two teams capable of competing for the NBA championship while the West had one fewer.

Then came the 2005 draft and the further potential for the East to make up ground. The Milwaukee Bucks used the first choice to draft Andrew Bogut while the lackluster Atlanta Hawks drafted a consensus future All Star in Marvin Williams. Gaining the top two players in the draft only furthered the East's process of making up ground on their Western counterparts.

Lastly, now comes the free agent signing period for 2005 and already there are overtures of further rebalancing. Perhaps the most significant is the rumored signing of Shareef Abdur- Rahim by the New Jersey Nets. The former Trail Blazer would be yet another All Star, like the aforementioned Wallace, to shift conferences.

With the signing the Nets would appear to be poised for a run at the title also. After all New Jersey already has superstars Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, as well as the budding talent, Richard Jefferson. If pure talent makes a contender, then the Nets are there as the addition of Abdur-Rahim will make New Jersey one of the strongest offensive teams in the league.

Meanwhile the Lakers, the Kings and T-Wolves appear to have done little to upgrade their respective teams and they appear to be out of title contention for the new future. Of course the West still has the best team the Spurs and the league's next powerhouse, the Phoenix Suns, but now the balance of power may actually have shifted to the Eastern Conference when it comes to teams capable of winning an NBA title.

The East, once considered least, appear to be on the verge of becoming the NBA beast.

New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi has finally made his decision and will sit out the upcoming NFL season, according to a team spokesman. Bruschi will not play competitive football this season because of a stroke he suffered less than two weeks after helping the Patriots win their third Super Bowl in four years.

As a father and husband, it clearly is the right decision.

The Patriots leader on defense suffered what has been categorized as a mild stroke on Feb. 16. His collapse occurred just three days after he had played in the Pro Bowl and a mere 10 days after helping New England beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl XXXIX.

The decision has been a long time coming but it is still a difficult one for the Patriots as a team. Bruschi has been the leader of the Pats defense during their recent championship run. He is not only the signal caller on defense, but is seen as being both the intellectual and inspirational leader for his teammates on that side of the ball. The loss of Bruschi defensively is analogous to the Pats losing quarterback Tom Brady.

Bruschi becoming a star player for the Patriots was just another example of the Pats management seeing the football potential in a player. Categorized as an overachiever, Bruschi was a smallish 250-pound defensive lineman in college. The Patriots moved the smart, hard-working Bruschi to linebacker during his rookie season, 9 years ago. He soon became known as a player with a nose for the ball and his ability to make impact plays garnered him the respect of his peers.

But as good as he has been as a player, he is also known for his character and leadership by example. Who could forget the television cameras focused on Bruschi at last year's Super Bowl, the handsome father chasing his children around the field, tackling them and falling to the ground and rolling over on the ground as only a father and his children can do. The moment was signature Bruschi, preparing for the ultimate game by being an example for anyone who has to balance the complex role of professional athlete and that of being a parent, finding a way to share the moment in a way the children would enjoy.

Bruschi has said it was possible that he could sit out the 2005 season and return in 2006. Let's hope he gives that serious thought. If there is any risk of further injury, the 32 year old should never return to a game that has the physical demands that football has.

But if he retires, he would be walking away from the final three years of a contract that is set to pay him nearly $4 million dollars over the three year period. The Patriots do have the option of placing Bruschi on the physically unable to perform list which would allow him to be paid for the upcoming season even though he will not be playing.

Look for the Patriots, the classiest organization in pro football to do the right thing by the linebacker. Though the Pats are known for being cost conscious, they have also been known as having a full grasp of what it means to be a team and a teammate.

Bruschi needs the Pats now and it seems only appropriate that the team extends a hand to a remarkable teammate in his time of need.

NFL training camps will be starting up across the country in just a couple of weeks. This should be a welcome sight for people in places like Seattle, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, and Denver since the baseball teams in all those cities currently occupy the cellars of their respective divisions. There's been plenty of football news over the last couple months, so before camp opens up, here are some quick notes to get you up to date on NFL happenings:

- Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Tice was reprimanded and fined $100,000 by the league for selling his allotment of Super Bowl tickets. Each team gets a certain amount of Super Bowl tickets to divide among its players and coaching staff. The only condition is that the tickets aren't allowed to be sold.

- Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams has been given the go-ahead to report to training camp. As you may recall, Williams decided to retire last year in order to travel and enjoy life. However, the Dolphins threatened legal action to get back millions of dollars in signing bonuses paid to Williams, so he reconsidered and will play again this year. If he is on the Opening Day roster, he will have to miss four games as a penalty for failure to comply with the NFL's substance abuse policy.

- New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi has decided not to play this season. Instead, he will focus his efforts on making a full recovery from a minor stroke he suffered last February. Bruschi hasn't officially called this a retirement; he will continue to evaluate his physical conditioning and make the bigger decisions further down the road.

- Embattled Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens is not sure whether he will report to the Eagles training camp. Owens is unhappy because the Eagles have thus far refused to renegotiate his freshly-signed 7-year, $49 million dollar deal. Just one year into the contract, Owens now feels he is being underpaid, and wants more money. Rumors have been going around that the Eagles have been talking to the Raiders about unloading Owens. Owens' agent said that right now there's a fifty percent chance that the wide receiver will show up at camp.

- Wide receiver Tim Brown retired after 17 years in the NFL. Brown spent 16 of those years with the Oakland Raiders, but when the team said they couldn't offer him anything more than a couple of touches per game, he went on to play with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004. He didn't see much action on that team, either, which probably was a factor in his decision to retire. In a touching gesture, Oakland signed Brown to a one-day contract so that he could officially retire as a member of the Raiders. It was a nice way for the organization to show their appreciation for their #1 receiver.

There are a number of other stories that will play out in the first couple weeks of training camp, so stay tuned for more news!

Coaches in the NBA are known for having a short coaching life, but anyone who dares to step up and coach the Detroit Pistons had best never unpack his bags.

Larry Brown and the Pistons reportedly reached a settlement late Tuesday whereby Detroit bought out the final three years of Brown's contract. The buyout effectively makes Brown a coaching free agent, able to negotiate with any other NBA team for a coaching job.

Apparently the Pistons had decided that they team did not want the 64 year old coach back. Brown has continued to publicly insist that he wanted to coach the Pistons again next year. And until recently, the Pistons management had indicated that it wanted Brown to be their coach as well.

But the viewpoint of Pistons management has evidently changed in the last few days.
It was just two years ago that Detroit signed Brown to a five-year contract reportedly worth a cool $25 million. The deal also had reported built-in incentive bonus clauses for levels of success.

It would seem that Brown had more than met any expectations the Pistons could have set for him, unless the only expectation is that your team win an NBA title every year. In his first season as coach, Brown led the Pistons to the stunning upset of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA championship in 2004. The longtime NBA and college coach had followed that up by taking the team to the 7th game of the Finals this year before losing to a strong San Antonio team.

The buyout of Brown just two years after coming on board in 2003 has remarkable similarity to the replacement of Detroit's prior head coach, Rick Carlisle. Carlisle had also evidently failed to live up to the expectations of management even though he had guided the Pistons to 50 wins in each of his first two seasons as coach, helping him earn the NBA Coach of the Year Honor in 2002 for his performance.

In Carlisle's two years with Detroit, the Pistons 100-64 record during the regular season garnered the club two Central Division championships and one trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite that success, the Pistons released Carlisle to hire Brown.

Given what Brown accomplished, Pistons management might have seemed vindicated by its release of Carlisle. But just two years later, Larry Brown apparently is no longer the coach to lead the team, even after nearly taking the club to consecutive titles.

Brown is considered a bit of a maverick, a coach who has moved around over the years. But his quick buyout startled even many sportswriters very close to the NBA action. Brown of course is still the only coach to have won both an NBA and an NCAA championship, having won a title with the Kansas Jayhawks in 1988.

Whoever gets the nod to coach the Detroit Pistons next had best keep his bags packed and with him at all times. One has to wonder how short the tenure will be if the team actually struggles to win some games early in the season or heaven forbid, fails to compete for the NBA title in 2006.

Bowling is a great way to relax, enjoy time with friends, and experience some competition along the way. Even in today's era of "extreme" sports, bowling remains as popular as it ever was. You can find bowling alleys everywhere, from the smallest towns to the biggest cities. In fact, another indication of bowling's popularity is that these bowling alleys even stay in business from year to year. It doesn't seem to matter how the economy is doing; I have rarely ever seen a bowling alley boarded up or torn down.

If you are a bowling enthusiast and want to participate more often than just a couple games a month, you should consider joining a bowling league. Before you do, however, here are some points to keep in mind.

First, you should decide how competitive you want the league to be. This decision actually affects a lot of things, so you really need to think carefully about it. In my area, bowling is so popular that some bowling alleys have reputations for hosting the most competitive leagues you can find. So for me personally, I wouldn't even set foot into one of those places to inquire about a league because I'm not that serious about bowling. The more competitive leagues will have cash prizes every night they meet. These prizes, called "pots", are based on participation. For example, there might be a pot for total strikes and the buy-in might be $1. The person in the league who gets the most strikes during the 3 official games and who actually entered the pot wins all the entry fees from the night. The best leagues would probably have several different pots for bowlers to choose from.

Second, you should decide what kind of league you want to join. For example, there are men's leagues, women's leagues, and co-ed leagues. Then within these categories, there are beginner's leagues, intermediate leagues, and advanced leagues. There are also leagues that are based on handicaps, and scratch leagues. In bowling, a handicap is a way to add pins to your score to even things up. There are different ways of calculating handicap, but a common one is to use a score of 200 as a baseline. So if your average is 175, your handicap would be +25. If someone else's average is 205, their handicap would be -5. A scratch league is based on raw averages alone and doesn't employ the handicap system.

Finally, you should ask yourself how much of a commitment you want to make to the bowling league. Most leagues meet once a week, although some may meet twice a week. If you can't commit to attending at least 80% of the scheduled games, you probably aren't ready to join a competitive league. You owe it to your teammates to show up every week and put forth your best effort. If you join a league that's based on having fun, where people don't pay much attention to the score and are more interested in drinking a few beers and chatting, then you obviously wouldn't need to have as strong of a commitment.

Bowling leagues are definitely more fun than just bowling by yourself, so go out and join one today!

The AMA Motocross Championship has reached the halfway point, and so far it has been one of the most exciting years in recent 125cc racing history. The fans have been treated to exciting battles, unbelievable finishes, and 6 different moto winners in 6 rounds. This is quite a change from the dominating days of James Stewart, and before him, Ricky Carmichael. Through it all, veteran Mike Brown has emerged at the top of the pack with 223 points. Brown, a former factory rider, is contesting this year's outdoor series as a privateer. In second place, just 16 points behind Brown, is Monster Energy/Kawasaki's Ivan Tedesco. Tedesco, a two-time Supercross champ, is known more for his indoor skills than his motocross abilities, but his performance this year has shown people that he has evolved into a complete rider.

Red Bull/KTM rookie sensation Mike Alessi scored his first-ever career moto victory and overall win at Round 2 in Pennsylvania. Alessi's win was even more satisfying for him since it came on the heels of an incredible take out move by Grant Langston the week before. Alessi seemingly had moto 2 in the bag, but Langston came in hard on the last turn and made contact with Alessi's bike, causing both riders to tumble to the ground. Langston was able to remount and restart his bike in time to cross the finish line for the win. Alessi seemingly took forever to get his bike restarted and eventually finished 15th. He is now third in points with 187.

Meanwhile, Langston, also of the Monster Energy/Kawasaki team, looked strong in the early going but has now faded a bit with a 9-37 effort at Unadilla (due to bike problems). Langston was forced to sit out the second round due to an ankle injury sustained in the last-turn crash with Alessi, and he hasn't been able to make up the points since then. Currently he is still in fourth place, but his 172 points means that leader Mike Brown has a cushion of more than one whole race.

In addition to Alessi, there have been three other first-time winners this season. Makita Suzuki's Broc Hepler scored his fist moto win at the first round of the season, and backed it up with a 1-1 performance at Unadilla last weekend for his first career overall victory. Those two races have been the highlights of an otherwise puzzling season for Hepler, who was expected to do much better than 6th place, his current position. Josh Grant of the Factory Connection/Amsoil Honda team also notched his first career moto win with a victory in Round 4 at Budds Creek, Maryland. Grant has put in some pretty consistent rides and is in 5th place overall. Red Bull/KTM's Ryan Mills had a great race at Red Bud (Round 5). He led the second moto from start to finish and proved that the KTM team has more than one winner on the roster.

It looks like the championship will come down to the wire this year. Let's hope the second half of the season is as exciting as the first!

The AMA Motocross Championship has just hit the halfway point with the completion of the 6th round yesterday in upstate New York. Ricky Carmichael, the defending champion, currently sits atop the series points standings with 294. Carmichael, of team Makita Suzuki, has a comfortable 71 point lead over Amsoil/Chaparral Honda rider Kevin Windham in second place. Yamaha's Chad Reed is in third place, just 5 points behind Windham. Carmichael has won every overall so far this year, but is no longer in the running for his third perfect season. He has lost two motos out of a possible 12: once to Reed in the sand at Southwick, and once to Windham at Unadilla after a horrific crash with James Stewart.

Speaking of Stewart, he has not had the great results that many people expected him to have. The Kawasaki rookie has shown flashes of the speed that he is known for, but hasn't been able to put things together on a consistent basis. Stewart's best finish came at Round 2 in Pennsylvania, where he went 2-2 for second-place overall. However, his season has been marred by health problems that have forced him to miss a significant number of motos. In fact, Stewart has either failed to finish or failed to start 5 of the 12 motos so far. In addition, Stewart, along with Kawasaki teammate Michael Byrne, was penalized for running out of spec fuel, which cost each rider 25 points in the overall standings. Currently, Stewart sits in 9th, with 118 points.

Stewart's troubles have by far been the biggest story of the 250cc class through the first six rounds of action. But that's definitely not the only thing going on in this class. Here are some other tidbits worth mentioning:

- Estonian rookie Juss Laansoo has turned a lot of heads this summer. The MotoSport/White Bros./MSR Honda rider is having a great rookie year thus far. He started things off with a bang by going 5-8 for 5th place overall at the opening round at Hangtown, and has been fairly consistent since then. Laansoo sits just outside the top 10 with a respectable 96 points on the season.

- At 40 years old, veteran John Dowd is having one heck of a farewell tour. The Massachusetts native, who is set to retire at the end of this season, has a firm grasp on 7th place in the premier class. Dowd's 144 points put him ahead of factory stars Stewart, Byrne, and Tim Ferry, as well as privateer Nick Wey, who always seems to be in the top 10. Dowd's best moment came in the form of a podium finish at Southwick, his hometown track.

- Team Honda's Ernesto Fonseca has always flown under the radar in motocross, and that is especially true this year. The quiet Costa Rican is having a solid year aboard his #24 factory machine. With 174 points, Fonseca sits in 5th place and is within striking distance of Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin. Just 10 points separate the two riders.

Back in the early 1980s in Colorado, our small town, Catholic high school basketball team surprised everyone, even themselves, by making it to the state finals. The team was a motley bunch of lanky white kids and one black kid, none of whom were great players, but who worked amazingly together as a team. They had a couple of good shooters, some really good defenders, and a coach who believed in the team and made them all think they were better than they were. He taught them to reach for the stars and actually catch them a time or two.

Ours was a small high school that played other small high schools. We were used to small gyms and hometown courts complete with very supportive crowds and rivalries. Parents were at every game; not just parents of the players, but parents of most of the 300 students in the small school. I always had a good view of the games because I was a cheerleader. I'd always scoffed at cheerleaders, as I was more the tomboy type, but our cheerleading squad wasn't the prissy kind; we had fun and we supported our team. We followed them to every game and felt the loss when they did. Plus, many of us were dating the basketball players.

The season was a surprise to us all. The coach was only in his second year at the school and it was a young team of three seniors and the rest juniors. When we won the first 8 games, the school was in a frenzy, holding pep rallies and daring to speak about going to states. There were a few losses, as the season wore on and we played harder schools, but the enthusiasm stayed and the team only learned from their mistakes.

When the team won regionals and discovered we were on our way to the state finals, we were all nervous wrecks; not just the coach and team, but the whole school, including all the parents. The state championships were to be held in the field house of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. It was a huge, professional-type court, the likes of which none of us had ever seen. The crowds were huge, the noise deafening, and we all felt small and out of our element.

Amazingly, our team won the first few rounds on days one and two. Our crowd, mixed in with the rest of the state, was wild with excitement. We cheerleaders had lost our voices during the second game the day before. Our team was up for the finals - the state championship. If they won the next game, they would be the best basketball team in the state for their league. The game was a nail biter. All the way through, there was only a one or two point discrepancy between the two teams. Finally, in the last few seconds, as we were behind only one point, our team was fouled and our best shooter was set to make a double foul shot. The pressure was so great, the normally great foul shot shooter missed them both. Time ran out and we lost the game.

We were all disappointed, but we had come so far and were proud. It was a moment in our high school history I'm sure no one has forgotten.

As a former teacher and coach, I have always been a proponent of the lessons that sports can teach youngsters. Because of that view, I continue to pay very close attention to youth sports.

In recent years there have been a number of times when I have read very positive articles about amateur sports and the wonderful coaches who are able to help youngsters learn to appreciate the opportunity structured competition can provide. The youth sports scene is fortunate to have many adults who generously volunteer their time to help children experience the wonder of sports. These coaches fully understand the purpose of athletics. They teach the ideals of competition, the notion of giving one's best effort, but are then able to keep winning and losing in perspective.

At other times I find myself recoiling at a tale that I hear. Such was the recent case of a T-ball coach in North Union Township, approximately 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

If you believe in the good of sport and the importance of the aforementioned lessons, this story is one that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It seems a coach by the name of Mark Downs Jr. wanted to prevent a particular player from participating in a T-ball game. T-ball is of course a beginners' form of baseball that is usually open to very young players, generally around eight years of age.

In order to prevent a specific player from participating, the coach allegedly paid one of his players $25 to hurt the targeted individual. People allege that the targeted boy was in fact hit in the head and in the groin with thrown baseballs just before a key game. The injuries the youngster sustained prevented him from being able to play that day.

As sad as that sounds, the story actually grows worse when some additional details are revealed. You see the targeted player was not a key member of the opposing team. The selected player was instead a teammate, an eight-year-old mentally disabled youngster who actually played for Downs' team.

This disappointing case of sports gone awry has now become a police matter. Witnesses have told police that Downs didn't want the boy to play in the game because of his disability. T-ball league rules require every player to participate in at least three innings of every game, so without the injury the coach would have had to play the disabled boy in the game.

In trying to explain this to others, a member of the Pennsylvania state police issued the following statement. "The coach was very competitive," state police Trooper Thomas B. Broadwater reportedly said. "He wanted to win."

Though Downs alleged actions clearly crossed the lines of sportsmanship, police have taken the matter even further. Downs was arrested and arraigned last week, charged with criminal solicitation to commit aggravated assault as well as with the corruption of minors.

In researching items further, Eric Forsythe, the president of the R.W. Clark Youth Baseball League and the T-ball supervisor stated that Downs also had two daughters on the T-ball team. It is common for T-ball teams to consist of both girls and boys but it was not clear whether or not Downs' own childrenbenefitedd from the disabled player's inability to participate.

This ugly story drew national headlines and once again caused many parents to question their child's involvement in youth sports. It also brought great suspicion upon the many adults who give their time willingly to work with youngsters during organized play.

As League president, Forsythe has taken a strong stand. Says the head of the league, if Downs is actually convicted of a crime, he will not be permitted to coach in the league next year.

Unfortunately, that statement was just not strong enough for those people who see the importance of coaches being role models for their players. Those people, like me, believe that if the allegations against Downs are true, then the league should remove him from coaching whether or not he is convicted of a crime.

There simply is no place in youth sports for such coaches. They do nothing but tarnish the fine work of all the other volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of children.

As a sports fan, one of my greatest pleasures besides watching the games is reading analysis about the games by my favorite columnists. Even though I played some sports when I was in high school, I don't watch professional games with an analytical eye. I just sit back and enjoy the games. So reading a columnist's take on certain plays or outcomes gives me a chance to understand not only what happened, but why it was allowed to happen. For example, some friends of my played football in school, so when they watch NFL games with me, they look at all the players on the field whereas I just focus on where the ball is at. They can tell me if an offensive lineman had a great day blocking or if he blew a lot of assignments. I wouldn't know the difference. Columnists are like that for casual fans: they can point out the things that we might overlook. Here are a few of my favorite sports writers, in no particular order.

Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune
Rick Morrissey's columns cover a lot of ground. His writings appear several times a week in the Tribune, so he tends to write more about the sports that are currently in season. So now you can expect to find lots of material about the Cubs and Sox. But he is just as likely to toss in a piece about the Tour de France or a major golf tournament as well. I like his columns because they don't pander to the teams or athletes he covers, and he dishes out praise along with criticism in an age when some columnists' M.O. seems to consist entirely of bashing people.

Bill Simmons, ESPN Page 2
Bill Simmons, also known as The Sports Guy, posts columns a couple times a week on Page 2, which is part of the ESPN website. Simmons is from Boston, so a lot of his columns are devoted to the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots. It's a testament to his popularity that his hometown bias doesn't stop people in other major cities from reading and enjoying his columns. He also writes a bunch of columns about pop culture, such as TV shows and movies, which are always funny and entertaining.

Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated
Deford is one of the most multitalented writers out there. His weekly "Viewpoint" column on the Sports Illustrated website is one of the few that I wait impatiently for. His writing is elegant without being overly showy, and his opinions seem to match mine on a range of sports topics, which makes him even more enjoyable to read. Besides writing for Sports Illustrated, however, he has written several books and a screenplay. Deford's book about his daughter's losing battle with cystic fibrosis is one of the most heartwrenching stories I have ever read.

If you are looking for a new sports columnist to add to your regular reading rotation, give one of these three writers a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Michelle Wie still has yet to win a single tournament on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour, or actually to win any golf tournament of note thus far in her short career. But then again, she has yet to even turn pro.

But over the last two weeks the 15 year old golf phenom has now established herself as the game's next potential star, a hype that may be difficult to live up to but one that is now continuing unabated.

The youngster first made serious waves last week at the John Deere Classic, a men's PGA Tour event. The female golfer had received a sponsor's exemption to play in the tournament and she made the most of her opportunity. Twenty-seven holes into the tournament she was four under par and set to be the first female golfer to make a cut on the men's tour since 1945.

But a hiccup on the back nine Friday cost her the bigger opportunity. A double bogey and then another bogey dropped her back to one under and despite the major fanfare, just below the cut line.

That near miss however brought the 15 year-old Hawaiian right to the eve of the US Amateur Public Links Golf Tourney and her next major statement as a golfer. Wie had already become the first woman to ever qualify for a men's USGA event when she made it into the Public Links field by tying for the top spot at a player qualifier weeks before.

Following up her near miss at the John Deere, this time Wie made the all important cut. She proceeded to make further history by shooting rounds of 76 and 72 over the first two days of the tourney, scores good enough to make the final 64 players and with it the opportunity to compete in match play.

Having managed that feat, one had to wonder how she would do matched up against the men in head to head match play. Well, Wie promptly showed everyone that the hoopla surrounding the high school junior was every bit deserved. She proceeded to dispatch her opponents in the first three matches to make it to the final eight of the tournament.

Clay Ogden, a junior at Brigham Young University in Utah, ended the run for Wie with a thorough thumping, winning 5-and-4 in semifinals. In true form, Wie expressed real disappointment with losing, even if she had made it to the final eight, and she vowed she had learned a great deal from the experience.

Had Wie been able to win the men's Amateur Public Links she just might have become the first woman to get an invitation to ever play at Augusta at the Masters. Every year since 1989 the winner of the prestigious US Amateur had been invited to Augusta National and the opportunity to play the storied course.

The loss ended her quest to play in the Masters, at least for now, but the fine showing only added more fuel to the hype and the belief that this young lady has the potential to become one of the greatest woman golfers ever, even if she still has not won a single tournament of note thus far and has yet to even turn pro.

Alas, the hype about her potential might one day be her undoing. But for right now, her story is one to pay attention to. Certainly the male golfers of the world began paying attention after Wie's incredible performance the past couple of weeks.

There are very special moments in the world of sports though most are unplanned. But the golf fans of the world were poised for a different form of moment, one just as special but one that is known as such right up front.

Without a doubt, a great deal was made of this being Jack Nicklaus' final appearance at the golf championship of all championships, the British Open. Many fans wished that the game's greatest player might somehow resurrect the past and manage to make the cut so the public could enjoy four rounds, but if couldn't, they were poised to watch the finale when it came.

It came to an end on Friday, during the second round. Even though Nicklaus played well enough to finish ahead of many golfers in the field, he could not make it into the top seventy golfers, the cutoff point so as to be able to play on the weekend.

However, in true British fashion, the game's greatest player had the send off and finish that made his last competitive round at the oldest of golf's championships a memorable one. Standing on the 18th tee, four over par and definitively over the cut line, the Golden Bear stepped into the box and began his farewell with a tee shot reminiscent of yesteryear, a drive that traveled more than three hundred yards, winding up just off the fringe of the 18th green.

As he walked up the fairway, the fans along the fairway rose in unison to begin what would be an absolutely incredible send off. Midway up the fairway, his playing partners, Tom Watson and Luke Donald, began to walk more slowly allowing the winner of 18 major championships the opportunity to walk ahead alone as he received the thunderous applause.

When he finally made it onto the famed Swilken Bridge, the rustic stone structure that crosses a small stream in the middle of the fairway, Nicklaus turned and waved to the adoring fans, poised for one of golf's most signature photo opportunities ever. Though camera were snapping from every direction, the gentleman that he is, Nicklaus soon waved his playing partners and their caddies to join him on the bridge, they too becoming a part of the legendary photo shoot.

When they stepped aside, they left the Golden Bear alone with his son, Steve, who had been given the opportunity to caddy for his father at this esteemed event. The only thing more meaningful to Nicklaus than golf is of course his family and the chance to stand on the bridge alone with his son only added to the special moment. Finally, after everyone had garnered their photographs, Nicklaus headed on up to the 18th green for his final hole.

Putting from the off the green with what appeared to be the same exact style of putter he had used to win his last Masters tournament back in 1986, Nicklaus then rolled his ball to the left and slightly above the hole. Though within about ten feet, Nicklaus had a testy, hard-breaking putt for his birdie.

Lining up, aiming almost three feet left of the hole, the game's greatest player finished his career at the World's most significant golf event in the manner than defined his greatness. He plowed the putt soundly into the hole, his birdie once again causing the fans to rise and roar in unison.

The entire moment, from the tee to walking off the green at 18 was one that will go down in golf history. And the gentleman long known as the Golden Bear, so willing to share his moment with others as he approached the green, stood all alone by finishing his final hole with yet another birdie under the scrutiny of the entire world.

It was an extraordinary farewell to an absolutely great golfer and even better man.

When I was a little kid, we didn't have nearly the sporting opportunities that children have today; at least not where I grew up. Kids in my town rode bicycles, climbed trees, roller skated up and down the streets, and ran to their hearts content. Since I've grown up and had children of my own, I've found that sports are offered from pre-school on up. From swimming lessons to mommy and me classes and tumbling, children can be exposed to physical fitness and movement from a very young age. By the time they enter Kindergarten, most towns offer children the option to join a local soccer, basketball or baseball team. These are wonderful opportunities for the children to learn teamwork, for them to get fresh air and fitness, and for both kids and parents to make new friends.

Soccer and basketball are some of the best sports for teaching teamwork, though basketball is a bit harder for kids unless they've been taught to dribble from the time they could walk. Soccer is fairly easy for any child to pick up, as at the young age of five, the children are expected to do little more than kick the ball back and forth across a small field. In fact, watching five-year-olds play soccer is hilarious for on-lookers and spectators; rather than actually working as a team, the game usually consists of four or five children on each team simply herding the ball together down the field. They move in a continuous huddle, almost in mass, as they follow the ball. But in time, if these children continue to play as the years go by and they gain ability and agility, they will learn the rules of the game, the techniques, and how to play as a team; they will learn to depend on their team mates and what it means to be part of a collective.

In this day and age of sedentary living, computer games and TV, team sports are a wonderful way to get children off the sofa, out of the house and into the fresh air and sunshine. Not only do they need to be moving for at least an hour each day, kids need to breathe fresh air and be with other people. Computers and television are not conducive to this.

One of the best things about joining a local recreational sports team is that both children and their parents will meet new people and make new friends. Being a team together can be fun in a small town, where friendly rivalries take hold and the team and its fans begin to stick together. Being a team in a large city can bring camaraderie and closeness that often gets lost in the crowds. Not only will children enjoy being together on the field or court, they will get together for other activities and parents might find them shooting baskets on the driveway or kicking around a soccer ball in the yard or park. Kids with like-minded interests will tend to do those things, and in order to keep our kids healthy and fit, this is just what we want them to do.

Two years ago when I began my exercise routine of walking and jogging, my German shepherd dog played a huge role in getting me out each day. She was a healthy, happy, puppy-like 6-year-old dog with a desire for adventure and endless amounts of energy. She was well-behaved in the house, all 1000-pounds of her, lying around, trying not to get in the way, never getting into anything; but put her outside in sigh