With the minor league baseball season winding down, many of the first round picks from Major League Baseball's 2007 draft are completing their initial season of pro baseball. Soon, many of these players will head off to play in fall and winter instructional leagues to gain further experience. But before they do, let's take a look at how these players have fared in the earliest stage of their professional career.

(All statistics through Thursday, 8/30)

1. David Price, LHP - Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Price (pictured) has yet to suit up for a game since he signed his six-year, $11.25 million contract a few weeks ago. Reportedly, the Devil Rays want him to rest after throwing over 130 innings at Vanderbilt, where it wasn't uncommon for him to throw well over 100 pitches in a single outing.

2. Mike Moustakas, 3B/SS - Kansas City Royals

After signing a deal with a signing bonus of $4 million minutes before the deadline expired, Moustakas has played just 3 games. In 12 at-bats, he has 4 hits, including 1 double and 3 RBI.

3. Josh Vitters, 3B - Chicago Cubs

To say that Vitters is struggling is an understatement. The third baseman, who signed a deal that included a $3.2 million signing bonus, raised his minor league average 21 points after being moved from the Arizona Fall League to the Class A short season league. That would be great, except his average went from .067 to .088. He has just 3 hits in 34 at-bats, and has struck out 11 times compared to 2 walks.

4. Daniel Moskos, LHP - Pittsburgh Pirates

Being used in relief, the lefty has had mixed results to start his career. With only 11 2/3 innings under his belt, he has given up an earned run in all but one of his outings that lasted at least an inning. His overall ERA is 4.63, and he has struck out more than a batter an inning, with 12 on the season.

5. Matt Wieters, C - Baltimore Orioles

The former Georgia Tech catcher signed a deal with a $6 million signing bonus in the middle of August, but he has yet to suit up for an Orioles farm club. He will soon play in the Hawaii Winter League.

6. Ross Detwiler, LHP - Washington Nationals

The lanky, 6"5' Detwiler has started well for the Nats. His record is 2-2, as he has started 7 games and thrown 30 innings and given up 12 earned runs. His ERA would be much lower were it not for one game in which he allowed 7 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. He also has 26 strikeouts and opponents are hitting .267 off of him.

7. Matt LaPorta, 1B/OF - Milwaukee Brewers

Since the Brewers already have some guy named Prince as their first baseman, LaPorta (pictured), a first baseman at Florida, has been playing the outfield - and mashing. In exactly 100 minor league at-bats, LaPorta has hit .310/.377/.670. He has 9 homeruns and 26 RBI as well. The only problem is the 28 strikeouts he has accumulated, which is far too many.

8. Casey Weathers, RHP - Colorado Rockies

Weathters has been outstanding so far in his young career. The righty has been used exclusively in relief, and in 12 2/3 innings, has 2.84 ERA, 2 saves, 19 strikeouts against 6 walks, and has held opponents to a .095 average.

9. Jarrod Parker, RHP - Arizona Diamondbacks

Parker signed a deal that gave him a signing bonus of $2.1 million, has yet to pitch in the minors, and will start throwing in the fall.

10. Madison Bumgarner, LHP - San Francisco Giants

Bumgarner also has yet to suit up in the minor leagues, though he did sign with the Giants.

11. Phillippe Aumont, RHP - Seattle Mariners

Aumont signed a deal with a $1.9 million signing bonus, but has not suited up yet in the minor leagues. He is currently playing for Canada at the America's World Junior Qualifying tournament.

12. Matt Dominguez, 3B - Florida Marlins

Dominguez has played just 7 games, and in those games he is hitting .107 with 3 hits in 28 at-bats, and only 1 walk.

13. Beau Mills, 3B - Cleveland Indians

Mills is already on his third different stop in his trek through the Indians' minor league system. He has 228 at-bats already, and is hitting .259/.331/.425, with 24 of his 59 hits going for extra bases.

14. Jason Heyward, CF - Atlanta Braves

The centerfielder has started will, going .302/.354/.488, with 5 doubles and 1 homerun among his 13 hits.

15. Devin Mesoraco, C - Cincinnati Reds

Mesoraco has struggled at the plate, hitting just .219/.310/.270. He only has 5 extra base hits among his 30 total, and he has struck out 26 times in 137 at-bats.

16. Kevin Ahrens, 3B - Toronto Blue Jays

The 18 year old is having trouble finding his groove at the moment, hitting .230/.339/.321. He has struck out 47 times in 165 at-bats.

17. Blake Beavan, RHP - Texas Rangers

Beavan has signed a deal with the Rangers for a $1.5 million signing bonus, but has yet to appear in any minor league games.

18. Peter Kozma, SS - St. Louis Cardinals

Kozma (pictured) played his first game in the New York-Penn League last night, going 0 for 3. He is currently hitting .246/.333/.361, with 8 doubles and 2 homeruns among his 30 hits.

19. Joe Savery, LHP - Philadelphia Phillies

Having started 5 games, Savery has pitched well. He has a 2.75 ERA, and despite his 1-2 record, he has allowed just 18 hits in 19 2/3 innings, and has struck out 15 batters against just 6 walks.

20. Chris Withrow, RHP - L.A. Dodgers

Withrow has no record to account for 6 appearances, including 4 starts. His ERA is 5.00, but he has allowed only 5 hits, as opponents are hitting just .167 against him. He also has 13 strikeouts and only 4 walks in 9 innings.

21. J.P. Arencibia, C - Toronto Blue Jays

Having already played 58 games, Arencibia is hitting .257/.309/.374, but has struck out 53 times compared to 55 hits.

22. Tim Alderson, RHP - San Francisco Giants

After reaching a deal the same day as Madison Bumgarner, one of the Giants other first-round picks, Alderson has performed. In 3 games, including 2 starts covering 5 innings, Alderson's ERA is 0.00, and he has 12 strikeouts and zero walks, as opponents are hitting .211 off him.

23. Nick Schmidt, LHP - San Diego Padres

In 7 innings, Schmidt has struggled, allowing 8 hits while walking 6. He also has 6 strikeouts and an opponents batting average of .286.

24. Michael Main, RHP - Texas Rangers

In 28 innings, Main has performed well. His ERA is 3.21, and though he has walked 13 hitters, he has struck out 34, and opponents are only hitting .212 off of him.

25. Aaron Poreda, LHP - Chicago White Sox

Poreda has been great early in his career. In 41 1/3 innings, including 7 starts, the lefty has an ERA of 1.09. He has allowed only 26 hits and 10 walks, while striking out 41. His opponents are hitting just .182 against him, and he has allowed only 1 homerun.

26. James Simmons, RHP - Oakland Athletics

In 13 games and 27 2/3 innings, mostly in relief, opponents are hitting .330 off of Simmons. He has struck out 24 against 8 walks, but he's allowed 38 hits and has an ERA of 4.88.

27. Rick Porcello, RHP - Detroit Tigers

The high school pitcher who many passed on because of his high price tag ($7 million), has yet to suit up in the minors. Porcello (pictured) is expected to start pitching in the fall.

28. Ben Revere, CF - Minnesota Twins

Revere has clearly had the best start among all first round picks. In 50 games, the centerfielder is hitting .325/.388/.461. He has shown his tremendous speed, as 10 triples are among his 62 hits. He has also stolen 21 bases and has struck out only 20 times in 191 at-bats.

29. Wendell Fairley, RF - San Francisco Giants

Fairley has signed a deal with a $1 million signing bonus, but will not start play until the fall.

30. Andrew Brackman, RHP - New York Yankees
After signing a deal with a $3.3 million signing bonus, Brackman will undergo ligament replacement surgery and is expected to miss 12-18 months.

A note to remember: The sample sizes (in terms of games played) of these players are quite small, as many did not sign until late. So whether the player is hitting .800 or .080, don't get too high or too down on them. Most still have a long way to go before you will see them in a Major League park.

Unless you live in a place like Pawtucket, Rhode Island, or Hoover, Alabama, you probably don't get the box scores for the previous day's minor league games in your morning newspaper.

Not only that, but there are so many leagues and teams, it can be a lenghty process to obtain the information you were seeking. With that in mind, we've decided to take a look at the farm clubs and put up the statistical leaders of every league in the minors thru High A.

And remember, with September call ups due in just a few days, you may be seeing these guys on your big league team soon - in fact, some of these players have already been called up.

(First team is minor league team, second is major league affiliate, unless minor league team has same name as major league team, i.e. Richmond Braves = Atlanta Braves)

International League - AAA

Batting Avg.
1. Ben Francisco - .320 (Buffalo Bisons - Cleveland)
2. Martin Prado - .319 (Richmond Braves)
3. Jose Morales - .315 (Rochester Red Wings - Minnesota)

Homeruns
1. Mike Hessman - 31 (Toledo Mud Hens - Detroit)
2. John-Ford Griffin - 26 (Syracuse Chiefs - Toronto)
3. Shelley Duncan - 25 (Scranton Yankees)

Wins
6 tied with 12

ERA
1. Kevin Slowey - 1.74 (Rochester Red Wings - Minnesota)
2. Garrett Olson - 3.16 (Norfolk Tides - Baltimore)
3. Ron Chiavacci - 3.39 (Toledo Mud Hens - Detroit

Saves
1. Bobby Korecky - 35 (Rochester Red Wings - Minnesota)
2. Chris Booker - 30 (Columbus Clippers - Washington)
3. Cory Doyne - 29 (Norfolk Tides - Baltimore)

Pacific Coast League - AAA

BA
1. Brian Myrow - .355 (Portland Beavers - San Diego)
2. Geovany Soto - .353 (Iowa Cubs)
3. Delwyn Young - .335 (Las Vegas 51's - Dodgers)

HR
1. Valentino Pascucci - 34 (Albuquerque Isotopes - Florida)
2. Craig Brazell - 32 (Omaha Royals)
3. Rick Ankiel - 32 (Memphis Redbirds - St. Louis)

W
1. R.A. Dickey - 12 (Nashville Sounds - Milwaukee)
1. Matt Kinney - 12 (Fresno Grizzlies - San Fran.)
3. 5 tied with 11

ERA
1. Jorge Campillo - 2.99 (Tacoma Rainiers - Seattle)
2. Dan Meyer - 3.28 (Sacramento River Cats - Oakland)
3. R.A. Dickey - 3.80 (Nashville Sounds - Milwaukee)

Saves
1. Ryan Speier - 32 (Colorado Springs Sky Sox - Colorado)
2. Chad Harville - 25 (Tucson Sidewinders - Arizona)
3. Brian Falkenborg - 23 (Memphis Redbirds - St. Louis)

Eastern League - AA

BA
1. Jordan Brown - .326 (Akron Aeros - Cleve.)
2. Brian Barton - .314 (Akron Aeros
3. Mark Kiger - .312 (Binghamton Mets)

HR
1. Jeffrey Larish - 26 (Erie SeaWolves - Detroit)
2. Michael Costanzo - 25 (Reading Phillies)
3. Brett Harper - 23 (Binghamton Mets)

W
1. Eddie Bonine - 14 (Erie SeaWolves)
2. Jeffrey Marquez - 14 (Trenton Thunder - N.Y. Yankees)
3. 2 tied with 12

ERA
1. Alan Horne - 2.91 (Trenton Thunder)
2. Jair Jurrjens - 3.20 (Erie SeaWolves)
3. Radhames Liz - 3.22 (Bowie Baysox - Balt.)

Saves
1. Brian Anderson - 28 (Connecticut Defenders - San Fran.)
2. Matt Peterson - 27 (Altoona Curve - Pittsburgh)
3. 2 tied with 23

Southern League - AA

BA
1. Javier Brito - .334 (Mobile BayBears - Ariz.)
2. John Jaso - .320 (Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay)
3. Diory Hernandez - .312 (Mississippi Braves)

HR
1. Charlton Jimerson - 23 (West Tenn Diamond Jaxx - Seattle)
1. Brendan Katin - 23 (Huntsville Stars - Milwaukee)
3. Evan Longoria - 21 (Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay)

W
1. Christopher Mason - 15 (Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay)
2. Jack Egbert - 12 (Birmingham Barons - Chi. White Sox)
2. Matthew Green - 12 (Mobile BayBears - Seattle)

ERA
1. Christopher Mason - 2.53 (Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay)
2. Jack Egbert - 2.89 (Birmingham Barons - Chi. White Sox)
3. Esmerling Vasquez - 3.02 (Mobile BayBears - Seattle)

Saves
1. Dale Thayer - 21 (Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay)
2. Jonathan Meloan - 19 (Jacksonville Suns - L.A.)
3. Marino Salas - 17 (Huntsville Stars - Milwaukee)



BA
1. Chase Headley - .322 (San Antonio Missions - San Diego)
2. Christian Colonel - .312 (Tulsa Drillers - Colorado)
3. Freddy Sandoval - .305 (Arkansas Travelers - Anaheim)

HR
1. Colby Rasmus - 28 (Springfield Cardinals)
2. Ray Sadler - 24 (Corpus Christi Hooks - Houston)
3. German Duran - 22 (Frisco RoughRiders - Texas)

W
1. Joshua Geer - 15 (San Antonio Missions - San Diego)
1. Luis Mendoza - 15 (Frisco RoughRiders - Texas)
3. Eric Haberer - 13 (Springfield Cardinals)

ERA
1. Joshua Geer - 3.23 (San Antonio Missions - San Diego)
2. Miguel Gonzalez - 3.33 (Arkansas Travelers - Anaheim)
3. Cesar Ramos - 3.46 (San Antonio Missions)

Saves
1. Steven Register - 35 (Tulsa Drillers - Colorado)
2. Christopher Perez - 27 (Springfield Cardinals)
3. Jesse Ingram - 25 (Frisco RoughRiders - Texas)

California League - High A

BA
1. Bubba Bell - .370 (Lancaster JetHawks - Boston)
2. Aaron Bates - .332 (Lancaster JetHawks)
2. Zachary Daeges - .332 (Lancaster JetHawks)

HR
1. Tommy Everidge - 26 (Stockton Ports - Oakland)
2. Lucas May - 25 (Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino - L.A.)
3. 2 tied with 24

W
1. Brandon Hynick - 16 (Modesto Nuts - Colorado)
2. Alan Johnson - 13 (Modesto Nuts)
3. Matthew Buschmann - 12 (Lake Elsinore Storm - San Diego)

ERA
1. Brandon Hynick - 2.32 (Modesto Nuts - Colorado)
2. Brok Butcher - 2.69 (Rancho Cucamonga Quakes - Anaheim)
3. Matthew Buschmann - 2.85 (Lake Elsinore Storm - San Diego)

Saves
1. Daniel Stange - 16 (Visalia Oaks - Ariz.)
2. Chad Rhoades - 15 (Lancaster JetHawks - Boston)
3. Kyle Wilson - 14 (Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino - L.A.)

Carolina League - High A

BA
1. Mitch Einertson - .314 (Salem Avalanche - Houston)
2. Kala Kaaihue - .298 (Myrtle Beach Pelicans - Atlanta)
2. Matt Rogelstad - .298 (Potomac Nationals)

HR
1. Micah Schnurstein - 24 (Winston-Salem Warthogs - Chicago White Sox)
2. Kala Kaaihue - 22 (Myrtle Beach Pelicans - Atlanta)
3. 2 tied with 19

W
1. Rowdy Hardy - 15 (Wilmington Blue Rocks - K.C.)
2. Derek Rodriguez - 13 (Winston-Salem Warthogs - Chicago White Sox)
2. Shairon Martis - 13 (Potomac Nationals)

ERA
1. Rowdy Hardy - 2.43 (Wilmington Blue Rocks - K.C.)
2. Julio Cesar Pimentel - 2.78 (Wilmington Blue Rocks)
3. Daniel Cortes - 3.20 (Wilmington Blue Rocks)

Saves
1. Sung Ki Jung - 22 (Myrtle Beach Pelicans - Atlanta)
1. Scott Roehl - 22 (Kinston Indians - Cleveland)
3. Samuel Gervacio - 18 (Salem Avalanche - Houston)

Florida State League - High A

BA
1. Rhyne Hughes - .329 (Vero Beach Devil Rays)
2. Eric Nielsen - .323 (Dunedin Blue Jays)
3. Allen Craig - .312 (Palm Beach Cardinals)

HR
1. Jacob Butler - 23 (Dunedin Blue Jays)
2. Sergio Pedroza - 22 (Vero Beach Devil Rays)
3. Allen Craig - 21 (Palm Beach Cardinals)

W
1. Andrew Carpenter - 16 (Clearwater Threshers - Philadelphia)
2. Adam Ottavino - 12 (Palm Beach Cardinals)
3. 4 tied with 11

ERA
1. Joshua Outman - 2.45 (Clearwater Threshers - Philadelphia)
2. Jacob McGee - 2.93 (Vero Beach Devil Rays)
3. Adam Ottavino - 3.07 (Palm Beach Cardinals)

Saves
1. Eric Wordekemper - 31 (Tampa Yankees)
2. Connor Falkenbach - 30 (Dunedin Blue Jays)
3. 2 tied with 27

When you think of classic names in team sports, monikers such as Yankees, Packers and Canadiens come to mind. But what about teams outside the realm of major professional sports?

There are many small, independent sports leagues in every sport that most people are unaware of. And part of getting people to notice them is coming up with a unique name. Here is a look at some of the more interesting ones out there.

- Omaha Beef

The Beef play in the United Indoor Football League, which is a league made up of teams mostly in the Midwest. Basically, it is Arena Football, but a notch below. How can you tell that? Because the team finished the season about a month ago, but the schedule page on their website has them at 3 wins, 4 losses and 8 ties, with all the ties being 0-0. They do have a cool name for their mascot, who is a cow and goes by Sir Loin. Another thing to admire about them - their dance team, as you can tell by the picture. The name of that dance team? The Omaha Prime.

- Miami Vice Squad

The Vice Squad play in the National Indoor Football League, which is another lower level type of Arena League. They must be doing well, though, as they are expanding - and you can be a part of it. Just make a call to an 800 number, and you can have your own team!

- Lehigh Valley Outlawz

You really have to love these indoor football teams. The Outlawz play in the Continental Indoor Football League, and had a nice season, going 7-5. The name is definitely a good one, and though there are plenty of teams with the name Outlaws, this franchise gets the nod, as they spell it with the very hip "z" at the end, instead of the more traditional and feminine "s". Not only that, but Outlawz was the name of 2Pac's rap group.

- Traverse City Beach Bums

The Beach Bums are a part of the Frontier League, an independent baseball league. Seeing as how the team plays in Michigan, the name Beach Bums is unique, as Beach Bums is more often associated with people in California or maybe Hawaii. It is appropriate, though, as Traverse City is on the shore of Lake Huron. Incidentally, there is an island not too far north off shore from Traverse City called Beaver Island. Just a little FYI. Maybe Jessica Alba go to that beach, too.

- Edmonton Cracker-Cats

The Cracker-Cats are a baseball team that is part of the Northern League. They are currently having a tough year though, with a winning percentage of .349, worst in the league. The Cracker-Cats can take solace in the fact that they have a cool name, if that's any consolation to them.

- Bradenton Juice

While the name is a reference to Bradenton being the corporate headquarters of Tropicana, it still seems an odd choice for a baseball team. The Juice are a part of the South Coast League, made up of six teams in the southern U.S.

- New Jersey HitMen


What's better than referencing a state's affiliation with organized crime? The Eastern Junior Hockey League team seems very proud of it's name. Just check out the team's logo, featuring a man who is smoking a cigar, wearing a tidy suit and hat with sunglasses. This team is not to be confused with the XFL team in New Jersey of the same name.

Other notable team names:
-Georgia Gwizzlies (yes, with a "w") of the American Basketball Association
-Minnesota Ripknees of the Premier Basketball League
-Louisiana Swashbucklers of the Intense Football League
-Quad City Steamwheelers of the AF2 (Arena League minor league teams)
-Sarasota Millionaires of the Southern States Football League

The best of the Tuesday sports blogs, including Carmen Electra.

- Jerry Colangelo made a major mistake when he turned USA basketball over to "satan," a.k.a. Mike Krzyzewski. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- Vivid, accurate description of a bloggers sudden writing block. (My Brain Says Rage)

- Remebering Drazen Petrovic. (The Blowtorch)

- Seattle manager John McLaren had a short night of work last night. (Babes Love Baseball)

- Top 10 WTF NBA moments in recent times. (Armchair GM)

- Australian Rules Football players don't want you to know about their illicit drug use. (Epic Carnival)

- The Yankees have quite a few overpaid players. (Big Show Baseball)

- The Sporting Orange updates us on their Florida blog, but much, much, much, much more importantly, they voluntarily include a picture of one of their smoking hot, ball-sweat inducing female compadres. (The Sporting Orange)

- While I won't go quite as far as Hank does, there are some possibly valuable members of the Oakland Raiders that could help your fantasy football team (hello, LaMont Jordan). If only they had a decent offensive line, though.... (Winning The Turnover Battle)

- A Seattle bar came up with a brilliant promotion - beers cost the same as Richie Sexon's batting average. (Home Run Derby)

Once again, it's time for our weekly look at internet message board douchebaggery.

ESPN.com - Nascar Board: "Dale Jr should retire. He totally sucks. Nascar is trying to make him a star and he is to stupid to make it. He is way overrated just like his Dad. Nascar fixed races so Sr. could win, they made more money that way." - LilChancie69

ESPN.com - NFL Board: "Pets should be illegal. I think that if the human race truly thinks about this Michael Vick situation, they will see that the true root of this problem is that people are allowed to keep animals as pets ... It is in most of man's instinct to eat meat, just like it is in most man's instinct to take on a wife. There are those strange people out there that decide to not eat meat or to date the same sex." - odogg2110

ESPN.com - Alabama Board: "Difference between Bama and auburn - BAMA GAT TRADISHUN AND THE BARN DON,T GAT NONE TRADISHUN.

ROLLLLLLL TIDE ROLLLLLLL" - SKSsDadcantpost

ESPN.com - NCAA Football Board: "Canadian over American girls. Our women are so much better looking and dont have that materialistic golddigger attitude that american women have."
- RogerCraigNU

BigHuskerFan.com - Nebraska Board: "Misery won't put up 24 on us. And we will put up 42 on them. Bank on it." - SCVHusker

SoonerFans.com - Oklahoma Board: "texass is WAYYYYY overhyped, sportswriters are more biased than ever ... Sportswriters, you all shouldn't be doing jack**** until you actually do some more in depth research on teams!!!!!!!"
- BASSooner

ESPN.com - SEC Board: "Bama will avg. 35 points per game. Thats right I said it. 35 points per game. Believe it! JPW is the best QB in the conference. We have the best group of WR's in the country and the best WR in the conference. The best o-lineman in the country and a kid at RB that nobody knows about who is going to be 2nd only the McF." - xersizeguy2006

WeAreSC.com - USC Board: "Exposed! Urban Meyer recruitment video. Recruits are submitted to endless loops of video with volume on high until verbal commitments are induced. Enjoy Moody." - S seaside

Miami-Hurricanes.com: "WTF ESPN! More proof they hate us these are all the Miami games they are showing on ESPN Classic in their 2 day long pregame for Thursday:

1984 Maryland at Miami
1995 Nebraska v Miami Orange Bowl
2003 OSU v Miami Fiesta Bowl
1998 VT v Miami

That's it, four games all of which we lost, Thanks ESPN!" - Canes122

If you're going to play a sports game nowadays, chances are it's going to be on a Playstation of X-Box. But it wasn't always like that. At one time, people used to play games that you had to take out of a box. You may or may not have partook in some of these games, but chances are you are at least familiar with them.

With that in mind, we will hop in the time machine and take a look at the best of the bunch.

Strat-O-Matic Baseball


You can still play Strat-O-Matic today, and in virtually any sport, but the best is Strat-O-Matic Baseball. The gist of the game is simple. Every MLB player (you can buy every player or just a single season) has a unique card based on their skill set. Basically, dice are rolled, there is a corresponding result on the card, and so on. This game has been, and still is, wildly popular. Of course, there are also versions that can be played on the computer now.

Bas-ket


Bas-ket is an old game that has 6 holes on either side of the court, and two baskets. The floor is angled so the ball will drop into one of the holes. Spring loaded levers are pulled, and it must be done with the right amount of touch to get the ball through the hoop.

Electric Football


Electric Football is a game where you put all the men on the magnetic field, turn it on, and the field vibrates. When the game was initially released, there was virtually no control of the players. They just went wherever - backwards, forwards, sideways. Now, there are controls allowing game players to control their men. This game is still a very popular, as there is an Electric Football Convention every year the weekend before the Super Bowl. This year's will be January 25-27 in Detroit. (Thanks to Ira Silverman of Silverman Media & Marketing for the info.)

Table Top Hockey


There are many different versions of this, including Pro Action Hockey and, of course, bubble hockey. This is not air hockey, but a version where a big plastic puck is dropped, and rods move each player. There is no area on the ice that a player can't get to, and wicked slapshots are common, as is the puck sailing 20 feet away from the board.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots


Is there anyone who didn't love Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots? Simple enough concept. Grab the joystick, stick and move until one of the boxer's heads popped up, signaling the loser. Still great today.

This headline seems like it could have been worded differently.

Two of the most successful pitchers of the last decade are due to make starts as their teams engage in a weekend series. Mark Mulder will start on Sunday, and Pedro Martinez gets the call on Monday ... in Palm Beach, Florida. The two will be making rehab starts for the Class A affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, respectively.

The reports on both Mulder and Martinez have been good. The question is: which team needs their pitcher more?

Both teams are in the midst of pennant races, though the Mets have a 6 game cushion on the Phillies. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are chasing both the Brewers and Cubs, and remain 3 games out of first place.

The Mets starting rotation has an aggregate 4.23 ERA, but it has risen every month since the start of the season. In April, the Mets starters compiled a 2.96 ERA, best in the National League. In May, they had a 3.69 ERA for the month, in June it was 4.20, in July it rose to 4.50, and in August it has been 5.04.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals starting rotation has a 5.04 ERA for the season, but it has gotten lower in recent months. For the month of June, the starters compiled a hideous 5.31 ERA, it went down to 4.54 in July, and has been very good in August, as the starters have a 3.84 ERA for the month.

The return of both will mean a big boost to each club, as long as they stay healthy. So which team will benefit the most? That depends on which pitcher they replace. In New York, that would be Brian Lawrence, who has not been very good since his recall on August 3. He has a 5.57 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and opponents have hit .318 off of him.

Meanwhile, unless the Cards go to a six-man rotation, the odd man out will most likely be Anthony Reyes. Despite his 2-12 record, Reyes has pitched decently. He has received little to no run support, and his 5.61 ERA is in contrast to his .256 opponents batting average and 1.31 WHIP. He is certainly capable of delivering good performances, more so than Lawrence.

Still, it is pretty clear that the Cards need Mulder more than the Mets need Martinez. Despite their rising ERA, the Mets have a far more proven and stable rotation than the Cardinals. This month may just be a fluke for St. Louis' starters. It is probably unrealistic to believe the likes of Joel Pineiro and Kip Wells can maintain their recent success.

That said, the return of these two formerly outstanding pitchers are clearly going to help both squads. The Mets will count on Pedro to help them hold off Atlanta and Philadelphia, while the Cards need Mulder to assist in an unlikely late season surge to topple the Cubs and Brewers.

A look at the best of the Thursday sports blogs, including Elisha Cuthbert.

- The all-time All Diamond In The Rough NFL team. (The Angry T)

- Part 2 on why we all share responsibility for the Michael Vick situation. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- Some poor guy proposed to his girl at an Astros game. And she said no. (Houston Chronicle)

- Things that are happening in the world of international sports. What a great writer the author of that piece is. (Epic Carnival)

- A wonderful interview with "Kobe Bryant." (Introducing Liston)

- The most annoying fanbase shouldn't come as any surprise. Though it is debatable. (100% Injury Rate)

- Peyton has his say on Tiki. And he's pissed. (Awful Announcing)

- SOSM previews the NFC. They were quite wise to give the Rams their due. (Sons of Sam Malone)

- The Cubs have acquired yet another mediocre outfielder. (Bugs & Cranks)

- Another very smart blogger previews the NFC West, with a bit of a different take on it. (Shot To Nothing)

When the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1995, the city was ecstatic. Finally, after Bill Bidwell, weasel owner of the Cardinals, up and moved the team to Arizona, football would be back in the city.

But it hasn't all been smooth sailing. Of course, there were great highlights, including a Super Bowl victory, a record-setting offense labeled "The Greatest Show on Turf," and witnessing Marshall Faulk and Kurt Warner win MVP's.

Still, the franchise has had it's fair share of trouble. From poor decisions to downright bizarre behavior, the Rams tenure in St. Louis has been nothing short of interesting.

A look at some of the key figures:

- Georgia Frontiere: It all starts with the owner, Ms. Frontiere. She has led a fascinating life. A native of St. Louis, she left the city to enter show business. She did things from dancing to forecasting the weather until she met and married Carroll Rosenbloom, owner of the Rams.

She inherited the team only after Rosenbloom died ... oddly. He went for a swim in the Pacific Ocean, and never returned. Though foul play was never uncovered by police, the PBS series Frontline did a story on his death, and interviewed mafioso members who claimed his legs were held to drown him over unpaid gambling debts.

- Samir Suleiman: Suleiman, a Rams executive, caused a stir when he left a threatening message with St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz. Upset that a source within the Rams organization told Miklasz that head coach Mike Martz should be "backed, not back stabbed" by the front office, Suleiman went off, saying in the message: "Tell your source that I'm not a back-stabber, I'm a f***ing throat slasher, and he'll know the difference before it's all said and done."

- Eric Crouch: The Rams drafted the Heisman winning QB out of Nebraska in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft, thinking his athleticism would make him a perfect fit at wide receiver. That is, of course, until he abruptly quit the team in the middle of his first training camp. Crouch fancied himself a QB, even though he ran the option at that position during his tenure with the Cornhuskers.

A year later, he signed with the Green Bay Packers, only to quit again on the eve of training camp, when he was told he wasn't going to make it as a QB. Green Bay also wanted him to try his hand at returning kicks, but, according to Sherman, "We put him back there a couple times and he wasn't natural, put it that way." Currently, Crouch is playing QB, for the Toront Argonauts. Last season, he was fourth on the depth chart at that position.

- Mike Martz vs. Jay Zygmunt and John Shaw: The Rams were led by head coach Mike Martz for 6 seasons until he was fired in January of 2006, and not because of his record. Sitting out most of the season with endocarditis, tensions that were in the background between Martz and club V.P. Zygmunt came to a head.

Sitting at home watching the Rams play the Saints, Martz made a phone call trying to reach offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild. The call was intercepted by Zygmunt, who refused to let them speak. This angered Martz, and their feud was brought public. Martz and Zygmunt had been battling in the Rams front office for some time, but though they ignored each other, they somehow co-existed. After the cell phone incident, all bets were off, and team president John Shaw, long a Zygmunt supporter, made the decision to let Martz go.

- Leonard Little: In 1998, after a night of celebrating his 24th birthday, defensive end Leonard Little got behind the wheel, intoxicated. He ended up running a red light and killing a St. Louis woman. Little was sentenced to 90 nights in prison, probation and community service. He was also suspended for the first eight games of the 1999 season.

So, the Rams history in St. Louis has been a colorful one. From the owner to the front office to the coaches to the players, there has been no shortage of intrigue during the Rams tenure in the Midwest.

Many great philosophical questions have been pondered throughout time. What is knowledge? Does God exist? What is the nature of reality? In a similar vein, many great thinkers have ruminated this question: If the current pennant races were porn, what type of porn would they be?

N.L. Central - Amateur

This is the easiest race to define. Milwaukee, Chicago and St. Louis are in a race in baseball's worst division. In any other division, they would not be anywhere close to the lead. Clearly, the Brewers are baseball's version of the "casting couch" girl. They are apprehensive, unsure of themselves, and wondering what the hell they are doing.

N.L. West - Orgy

The N.L. West is a jumbled orgy. While Arizona's kids are on top for now, the whole division has switched positions throughout the season. San Diego and L.A. have had turns at the top, and are now fighting to be included in postseason.

N.L. East - Watersports

The New York Mets are the rich old men of the group. They simply enjoy toying with the other teams, only to denigrate them in the end. Atlanta and Philly are sandwiched in the middle, but are clearly looking up at the Mets.

A.L. Central - Role Play

Cleveland and Detroit have switched roles throughout the season. They can't seem to make up their mind about who wants to be in what role. Early in the year, Detroit was in the lead role, but now the Indians have made a charge in an attempt to takeover the Tigers as front runners.

A.L. East - S&M

In Boston, the Red Sox jumped out and dominated their opposition. Now, the Yankees have made a charge, and are attempting to get up from under the foot of their rivals. Having been the media's whipping boys for the first part of the season, New York is trying to release itself from the chains of second place.

A.L. West - MILF

In honor of L.A., the Angels are clearly MILF's of the West. The Mariners are doing their best to come from behind, but the wise Angels have veterans who have been there before and know what they are doing.

The best of the Tuesday sports blogs, including Lacey Chabert and her boob job.

- Eli Manning has had enough with Tiki Barber running his mouth. (Awful Announcing)

- Part 1 of your guide to understanding Mike Vick. We are to blame! (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- Baseball players who use Metallica for their entrance music, pleasing Stegosaurus greatly. (My Brain Says Rage)

- West Virginia is the top party school in the country. (The Wizard of Odds)

- Lozo preacing on self-given oral sex, feces, sleep and other wonderful things. (Why Don't We Get Drunk and Blog)

- Pedro Martinez is on the comeback trail. (Babes Love Baseball)

- Looking at the NFL's Week 1 spreads, and picking winners. (Ghosts of Wayne Fontes)

- The best indoor soccer goal you'll ever see. (More Credible)

- David Wright and Ryan Braun tale of the tape. (Rumors and Rants)

- The life of Mike Vick, through music. (Sons of Sam Malone)

- Now when someone remarks that some pitcher has a "rocket for an arm", it may be true. (Epic Carnival)

- If you get called up to the big leagues from AAA, it's probably best if you don't oversleep and miss your flight there. (Bugs and Cranks)

Time for our weekly look at douchebags on fan message boards. With college football season starting, we focus on that this week. No other sport brings out the worst best in people like college pigskin.

ESPN.com - NCAA Football General: "Which players do u think r secretly gay in college football? just wondering what u all think." - danl1985

ESPN.com - NCAA Football General: "BEST TRADISHUN!

BAMA GAT IT ALL

12 NCS

ROLLLLLL TIDE ROLLLLL" - SKSsDad

ESPN.com - NCAA Football General: "Gator defense WAY BETTER THAN NFL defense. Last year the gator defense must of been better than NFL defense's because they did what the NFL hasn't done. They stopped Troy Smith completely." - JimTrenzel

ESPN.com - Notre Dame Board: "ND at best will be 6-6 this season and that is because of willingham and the 7 player senior class. The recruiting for Ty was abysmal at the end and because of that the Irish will be lucky to win 6 games in 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!"
- irishglory88

ESPN.com - Oklahoma Sooners Board: "Who r these losers doggin on O.U.? They are just jealous as usual because they live in Oregon or Texico or some other awful place with their team that has no chance. they wish they were in Oklahoma with the winningest team in history." - ProudRedneckSooner

ESPN.com - NCAA Football General: "Why is everyone bashing the big east??? WVU should be the undisputed #1 team in the country and will be at the end of the season. Louisville will be either #2 or 3 depending on how badly WVU beats them." - miss_tomato

'BamaMag: "Auburn fans can claim to be on a level with Alabama all they want, but they're not, and they know they're not in the secret places where you tell yourself the truth." - PARTSMAN103

Scout.com - Ohio State Board: "Chad Henne has been the starting quarterback at Michigan for over three years. Can anyone name the last 3rd or 4th year qb at Michigan that wasn't made a captain. This sure say's a lot of about how much leadership skills his peers and coaching staff thinks he has." - greggleeb

ESPN.com - Alabama Board: "HOW IRRELEVINT IS AUBARN? I SAY VERY. THAY AIN'T GO NO TRADISHUN AND IF YOU AIN'T GAT TRADISHUN THEN YOU AIN'T NOTHIN. AIN'T I RIGHT?

ROLLLLLL TIDE ROLLLLL" - SKSsDadcantpost

The best of the Monday sports blogs, including Paris Hilton, in her usual position.

- Chris Leak is pretty young. In fact, he's - 43 years old. Seriously. (Awful Announcing)

- Banging Maria Sharapova drove some singer of a shitty band to use Paxil. (Deuce of Davenport)

- 2007 Miami Dolphins preview - KSK style. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)

- College Football position battles to watch. (Pre Pro Sports)

- Sooze gets interviewed. She's definitely hit the big time. (Six Pack Sports Report)

- Kobe and Coach K, getting along swell. (Signal to Noise)

- Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings can flat out rake. (The Big Picture)

Football executives often grumble about how rookie salaries are continually rising, and that having the first overall pick will hurt the organization financially should the pick not pan out.

That in mind, we are going to compare 2006's first round contracts to 2007's first rounders, and see how much the value increased in one year, if at all.

The first number will be the maximum amount the contract is worth, including all possible incentives, and the second amount will be the guaranteed money involved.

(Though Russell has yet to sign, he is believed to be seeking a $60 million contract with $30 million guaranteed, so those are the numbers we will use for him.)

2006 First Rounders

1. Houston: Mario Williams - DE: $62.1 Million, $26.9 Guaranteed (6 years)

2. New Orleans: Reggie Bush - RB: $62.1, $27.2 (6 yr)

3. Tennessee: Vince Young - QB: $57.8, $29.8 (5 yr)

4. New York: D'Brickashaw Ferguson - OT: $39.0, $19.3 (6 yr)

5. Green Bay: A.J. Hawk - OLB: $37.4, $17.8 (6 yr)

6. San Francisco: Vernon Davis - TE: $25.0, $15.4 (5 yr)

7. Oakland: Michael Huff - CB: $43.2, $15.0 (6 yr)

8. Buffalo: Donte Whitner - S: $28.7, $13.6 (5 yr)

9. Detroit: Ernie Sims - OLB: $16.7, $12.4 (5 yr)

10. Arizona: Matt Leinart - QB: $50.9, $14.0 (6 yr)

11. Denver: Jay Cutler - QB: $47.9, $12.4 (6 yr)

12. Baltimore: Haloti Ngata - DT: $14.0, $9.3 (5 yr)

13. Cleveland: Kamerion Wimbley - DE: $23.6, $9.3 (6 yr)

14. Philadelphia: Brodrick Bunkley - DT: $25.1, $9.8 (6 yr)

15. St. Louis: Tye Hill - CB: $12.6, $8.7 (5 yr)

16. Miami: Jason Allen - S: $19.9, $8.7 (6 yr)

17. Minnesota: Chad Greenway - OLB: $13.6, $7.4 (5 yr)

18. Dallas: Bobby Carpenter - OLB: $10.8, $7.8 (5 yr)

19. San Diego: Antonio Cromartie - CB: $12.5, $7.3 (5 yr)

20. Kansas City: Tamba Hali - DE: $12.2, $7.3 (5 yr)

21. New England: Laurence Maroney - RB: $11.5, $6.5 (5 yr)

22. San Francisco: Manny Lawson - DE: $10.8, $5.9 (5 yr)

23. Tampa Bay: Davin Joseph - OG: $11.3, $6.1 (5 yr)

24. Cincinnati: Johnathan Joseph - CB: $10.8, $5.9 (5 yr)

25. Pittsburgh: Santonio Holmes - WR: $11.7, $5.7 (5 yr)

26. Buffalo: John McCargo - DT: $11.6, $5.5 (5 yr)

27. Carolina: Deangelo Williams - RB: $10.4, $5.3 (5 yr)

28. Jacksonville: Marcedes Lewis - TE: $10.5, $5.1 (5 yr)

29. New York: Nick Mangold - OC: $10.5, $5.0 (5 yr)

30. Indianapolis: Joseph Addai - RB: $11.2, $5.0 (5 yr)

31. Seattle: Kelly Jennings - CB: $9.7, $5.0 (5 yr)

32. New York: Mathias Kiwanuka - DE: $9.5, $5.0 (5 yr)

2006 First Rounders Combined Maximum Contract Values: $744,600,000
2006 First Rounders Combined Guaranteed Money: $345,400,000


2007 First Rounders

1. Oakland: JaMarcus Russell* - QB: $60.0 Million, $30.0 Guaranteed (6 yr)

2. Detroit: Calvin Johnson - WR: $64.0, $27.2 (6 yr)

3. Cleveland: Joe Thomas - OT: $42.5, $23.0 (5 yr)

4. Tampa Bay: Gaines Adams - DE: $45.0, $19.3 (5 yr)

5. Arizona: Levi Brown - OT: $62.0, $22.9 (6 yr)

6. Washington: LaRon Landry - S: $41.5, $17.5 (5 yr)

7. Minnesota: Adrian Peterson - RB: $40.5, $17.0 (5 yr)

8. Atlanta: Jamaal Anderson - DE: $30.9, $15.4 (5 yr)

9. Miami: Ted Ginn Jr. - WR: $21.8, $14.1 (5 yr)

10. Houston: Amobi Okoye - DT: $17.6, $12.8 (6 yr)

11. San Francisco: Patrick Willis - ILB: $16.7, $12.0 (5 yr)

12. Buffalo: Marshawn Lynch - RB: $18.9, $10.3 (5 yr)

13. St. Louis: Adam Carriker - DE: $14.3, $9.3 (5 yr)

14. NY Jets: Darrelle Revis - CB: $30.0, $11.0 (6 yr)

15. Pittsburgh: Lawrence Timmons - OLB: $15.0, $8.3 (5 yr)

16. Green Bay: Justin Harrell - DT: $14.5, $8.1 (5 yr)

17. Denver: Jarvis Moss - DE: $15.0, $8.1 (5 yr)

18. Cincinnati: Leon Hall - CB: $13.6, $8.2 (5 yr)

19. Tennessee: Michael Griffin - S: $13.3, $8.2 (5 yr)

20. NY Giants: Aaron Ross - CB: $13.5, $8.0 (5 yr)

21. Jacksonville: Reggie Nelson - S: $13.4, $7.2 (5 yr)

22. Cleveland: Brady Quinn - QB: $30.0, $7.8 (5 yr)

23. Kansas City: Dwayne Bowe - WR: $11.8, $6.5 (5 yr)

24. New England: Brandon Meriweather - S: $11.6, $6.3 (5 yr)

25. Carolina: Jon Beason - OLB: $11.4, $6.3 (5 yr)

26. Dallas: Anthony Spencer - DE: $9.0, $6.4 (5 yr)

27. New Orleans: Robert Meachem - WR: $11.3, $5.7 (5 yr)

28. San Francisco: Joe Staley - OT: $10.7, $5.5 (5 yr)

29. Baltimore: Ben Grubbs - OG: $10.6, $5.5 (5 yr)

30. San Diego: Craig Davis - WR: $11.1, $5.4 (5 yr)

31. Chicago: Greg Olsen - TE: $10.7, $5.4 (5 yr)

32. Indianapolis: Anthony Gonzalez - WR: $10.3, $5.4 (5 yr)

2007 First Rounders Combined Maximum Contract Values: $742,500,000
2007 First Rounders Combined Guaranteed Money: $364,100,000


Looking at the numbers you can see that although the 2006 first rounders had slightly higher maximum contract values ($744,600,000) than the 2007 first rounders ($742,500,000), that can be attributed to the quarterback position. QB's will have higher max contracts than other positions.

2006 saw 3 QB's (Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler) go in the first 11 picks for a total of $156.6 million in max contract value. Meanwhile, 2007 saw only 2 QB's (JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn) go in the first 22 picks, for an estimated $90 million in max contract value.

However, the guaranteed money did go up. 2006 first rounders saw a total of $345.5 million in guarantees go out, compared to $364.1 million for '07 first round selections - a 5.1% increase.

So, it seems like the owners are correct. 5% doesn't seem like much, but at some point in the future, these contracts are going to have to level off. Otherwise, blowing an early first round pick will set franchises back for years.

(2006 contract info: Pro Football Weekly)
(2007 contract info: Pro Football Weekly)

American sports have been hit by some troubling accusations recently. From athletes like Michael Vick to officials like Tim Donaghy, sports has seen it's share of disturbing behavior.

But they have nothing on soccer player Joey Barton, a midfielder for Newcastle of the Premier League.

Barton and his family members have had a litany of offenses, some of them hard to believe. His most notorious being when he put out his cigar - in the eyes of a teammate.

In Bangkok, he slapped a 15 year old fan, and bit one of his teammates.

On the field, he was responsible for a 10-man brawl during a game.

He was also ejected and fined for mooning the crowd (NSFW?) during a contest.

Apparently, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Last year, Joey Barton's brother, Michael, was convicted of murder in a racially motivated attack. Michael Barton and his cousin killed a young black man with an ice pick to the head.

Just last week, more of Barton's family got in trouble - once again for murder. Two of his cousins turned themselves in for stabbing another man, which seems to be the Barton family method of choice for homicide.

This was the same week that Joey Barton was arrested for assaulting a teammate during practice.

Of course, he thinks none of this is really his fault. It's the media's for blowing things out of proportion:

"When you put things into context, the misdemeanours I've been in ... are stupid and childish. It's stupidity on my behalf but they are not war crimes. Serious issues are going on and that's what gets me – when you're on the front page and page seven is about a soldier dying, or people in floods, the real tragedies and the real bad things in this world. It just baffles me."

Ah, yes. The "leave me alone because I'm not important" defense. Always a crowd-pleaser. So tell us, Joey - what kind of person are you, really?

"I'm not a bad boy. People who know me, whose opinions I respect, know what kind of person I am."

Right. An asshole.

Distance running is not a sport that most people would describe as watchable. At least it wasn't.

At the Summer Olympics in 2008, people men around the world will be paying attention to the U.K.'s Jo Ankier.

Ms. Ankier runs the 3,000 meter Steeplechase event and hopes to qualify for the Games (Why she is holding a tennis racket is explained below).

She is also Jewish, which meant she scored an interview with The Jewish Chronicle. And in it, she crushes the hopes of non-Jewish men around the globe, saying that after her athletic career is over, she "will have found a nice Jewish boy to settle down with."

Alas, Ankier is having a difficult time of it right now. Apparently, she just can't find the right guy:

"It is hard in athletics to have a boyfriend, firstly because it’s hard to find someone Jewish, and secondly because it’s hard to find someone who would cope with the lifestyle.”

While she wallows in loneliness, she continues to train. And if this whole running thing doesn't work out for her, she can go back to the full-time job she quit in order to concentrate on the Olympics: a sports journalist for Sky, a U.K. based television network.

But, that's not all she does. Ankier is also, not surprisingly, a model. She appeared in the 2005 U.K. calendar called, "Ladies of the Track." She was miss June, and she appeared in the above photo. She is holding the tennis racket because Wimbledon starts that month in England.

Other hot female British athletes posed with her, such as Jo Fenn, who runs the 800 meters (along with being in another great photo); Catherine Murphy, a 4x400 runner; Goldie Sayers, a javelin thrower; and Lee McConnell, who runs the 400 meters.

In light of her hotness, she vows not to go down the path of other attractive female athletes:

"In particular, Ankier is anxious to avoid what she calls the 'Anna Kournikova syndrome' — 'I realise that a lot of the media [attention] I’ve got is because I don’t look horrible, but that can bring attention you don’t want...'”

But being good-looking can be a burden too ... apparently. She doesn't want to be known for her looks, only her career:

"Which makes her annoyance at DJ Johnny Vaughan even more understandable. When Ankier lined up alongside David Beckham, Amir Khan and other sporting heroes in the London Olympic bid video, Vaughan made it clear that he was more interested in Ankier’s looks than in her sporting prowess. 'He told me that the video would be better if I took my top off. He was really rude.'"

Personally, I think DJ Johnny Vaughan should get a free pass. Her being topless in the video would definitely have helped London get an Olympic bid. He was just being patriotic, obviously.

So, when the 2008 Summer Olympics roll around, try to forget about the Chinese human-rights violations, the people forced out of their homes to build an Olympic stadium and the smog that will make breathing more dangerous than smoking - just remember to watch for Jo Ankier.

University of Texas outfielder Kyle Russell led NCAA baseball with 28 homeruns this spring. Seeing that he was a draft eligible sophomore, clubs knew he had all the leverage in the world. It was going to take premium money to get him to sign. The St. Louis Cardinals knew that. They picked him in the 4th round anyway.

As it turns out, the Cards failed to sign Russell, and are left with nothing. In baseball, losing a 4th round pick is a pretty big deal. Those are premium picks, and you have to get something out of it, especially with a farm system as depleted as the Cardinals' is.

Many people are questioning what the Cardinals were thinking by employing this strategy.

John Hadley, a sports journalist in St. Louis, brings up a number of solid points:

"If the Cardinals wanted to roll the dice bringing Russell into the fold, why not buy insurance by picking him in the third round so that if the team failed to ink Russell they could receive a compensatory pick in the 2008 draft? Making the selection in the fourth round risked the loss of a prime pick without dividend."

He also questions why the Cards passed on prep pitcher Rick Porcello, though he was widely considered the best high school pitching prospect available:

"Why pass on such a highly-rated prospect in the first round yet take a chance on a suspect prospect knowing in advance his monetary demands would well exceed his slotting? In relative terms, I wonder if the Red Birds would've been better paying a premium for a premium pitcher in the first round rather than a middle infielder and projection selection in the fourth round?"

At the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, writer Jeff Gordon wonders if the Cards had a gameplan concerning Russell:

"Alan Hendricks, Russell’s adviser, wanted first-round money ... The young man, on the advice of Hendricks, wasn’t bluffing. He was willing to bet on himself. Another big season with the Longhorns ought to make big league general managers more eager to pay up ... So the Cards missed out .... If they weren’t willing to pay first-round money for a potential first-round talent when his asking price was known to be high, didn’t the Cards just throw away that pick?"

In St. Louis, nobody was surprised. It's difficult to call management cheap, as the Cards' Major League payroll is close to $100 million, but it is not unlike the team to try and do things as inexpensively as possible. Such as signing reclamation projects like Kip Wells and hoping Dave Duncan can cure them all, or passing on a talent like Porcello because of ca$h concerns.

This is a difficult pill to swallow, and one Cards fans can only hope the team learns from.

The best of the Wednesday sports blogs, including Shannon Elizabeth.

- Speaking of beautiful ladies, ESPN has hired what promises to be Erin Andrews' toughest competition for most attractive female reporter. (Awful Announcing)

- My Brain Says Rage makes their return, taking on fat people and rednecks. Welcome back. (My Brain Says Rage)

- John From Cincinnati was cancelled by HBO. So now I'll try to figure out what it was about for the rest of my damned life. (Blog of Hilarity)

- Epic Carnival's many contributors (such as yours truly) voted on the MLB Awards if the season ended today. (Epic Carnival)

- One of the members of the Rutgers women's basketball team is suing Don Imus because he called her a name and hurt her feelings. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- The best manager ejections of all-time. (Sons of Sam Malone)

- 17 days until college football begins. (The Sporting Orange)

- Railing on Chicago Cubs mythology and fake Cubs fans. (Sports Hustle)

- Mike Vick is being sued for $63 billion. Seriously. Apparently, Vick is a member of Al Qaeda who bought missiles from Iran. (NYJer Please)

- We have reached the semi-finals of the Hottest Girlfriend/Wife in Sports poll. The lovelies competing today are Willa Ford and Elisha Cuthbert. Tough call. (Our Book of Scrap)

With the recent news that St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa and outfielder Juan Encarnacion are not happy with one another, it calls to mind some of the great feuds between players and the men in charge of leading them.

- Bobby Knight vs. Neil Reed: During a 1997 basketball practice at Indiana, Knight choked Reed, an incident that was caught on videotape. Knight denied the incident, and in an interview with HBO's Real Sports said, "I don't remember that. I am sure that I have with kids. I will tell you this: There isn't anything that I have done with one kid that I haven't done with a lot of other kids. I have no apologies to make whatsoever for anything that I have done in an attempt to motivate kids."

- Brett Hull vs. Mike Keenan: When Keenan was hired as coach of the St. Louis Blues in 1994, Hull didn't like the idea then, saying, "I find it hard to believe that my personality and his are going to get along too well." Boy, was he right. The two never got along during their time together in St. Louis, and publicly feuded with each other throughout Keenan's tenure. The feud has never simmered. In fact, last winter, Hull had this to say about Keenan: "He's a bad human. He's the NHL's version of Adolf Hitler. He did more bad things to good people than anyone."

- Oregon Women's Basketball coach Jody Runge vs. entire team: In 2001, Runge "resigned" after eight players on the team complained about her coaching manner, and how her communication methods. The eight members met with Oregon Athletic Director Bill Moos, who hired an outside firm to investigate. Soon after, Runge was gone.

- Danny Ainge vs. Robert Horry: Ainge was head coach of the Phoenix Suns, and Horry a star player. After being taken out of a game in 1997, Horry threw a towel in Ainge's face. He was suspended two games and later traded to the Lakers.

- Keyshawn Johnson vs. Jon Gruden: Unhappy with not getting the damn ball enough, Johnson famously screamed at Gruden in 2003 during a Monday Night Football game. Eventually, Tampa Bay deactivated Johnson in the middle of the season, citing his behavior as a distraction to the team. Afterwards, Johnson told ESPN, "I was never Gruden's guy. He never liked me. I told him I'd rather retire than play for him in 2004."

- Billy Martin vs. Reggie Jackson: Probably the most famous of player/coach conflicts, the two Yankees really went at it in Fenway Park in 1977. When Martin took Jackson out of the game for failing to hustle, the two famously went at it in the dugout. When Martin left the Yankees after the 1978 season, he called Jackson, "a born liar."

- Rob Dibble vs. Lou Piniella: In 1992, Piniella and Dibble literally started to fight in the clubhouse after a game. At issue was Dibble indicating Piniella was less than truthful with the flame throwing reliever.

- Latrell Sprewell vs. P.J. Carlesimo: When the two were in Golden State together, Sprewell became infamous for choking his coach at a practice in 1997. After leaving that practice, Spree returned, this time throwing punches at Carlesimo. The two had been bickering for most of the season, and Sprewell never played for the Warriors again. His contract was voided, and he was suspended for the remainder of the season.

Also considered: Larry Brown vs. Allen Iverson, Mike Ditka vs. Jim McMahon, June Jones vs. Jeff George, Kobe Bryant vs. Phil Jackson

The best of the Tuesday sports blogs, including Mila Kunis, who is celebrating her 24th birthday today. Unfortunately not with me.

- The Top 7 fake cheerleaders of all-time. (Six Pack Sports Report)

- Will the New York Mets save the Apple when they move out of Shea? (Epic Carnival)

- Making a case for drafting Priest Holmes in fantasy football. (Ghosts of Wayne Fontes)

- Ingrid Vandebosch takes on Cheryl Tweedy in the Hottest Wife/Girlfriend in Sports poll. (Hint: Tweedy is the correct answer) (Our Book of Scrap)

- O.J. is finally going to tell the world how he would have done it. You know, if he were the one that killed Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. Because obviously, he was not. It was somebody else. Who he's searching for. Right now. (Deuce of Davenport)

- Placido Polanco and his misshaped head (Sooze's words, not mine) broke the record for consecutive games without an error at second base. (Babes Love Baseball)

- OMDQ changes their look and boldly states that in 20 years, we will view Barry Bonds in a positive light. (One More Dying Quail)

- Should Johnny Bench be the choice as the all-time best catcher? (The Extrapolter)

- We all know Julio Franco is old. But now he has to feel really old, as he was assigned to play with 18 and 19 year old kids on the Braves Low A minor league team after clearing waivers. (Shakedown Sports)

- What has happened to the Milwaukee Brewers? (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

It's that time of week ... time to take a look at internet message board douchebaggery. Today, since they are always a trove of entertainment, we will stick with the ESPN.com boards.

- ESPN.com - NFL General: "Michael Vick needs Jesus. I think we should all be willing to forgive Vick, just as Jesus forgave the Jews, who killed him. I don't think anyone would say we should kill all Jews because they crucified Jesus. I think a small Jail Sentence, maybe 3-5 years would suffice for Vick. Above all Vick needs to find Jesus in his life, and get some morals and spirituality. Vick is still young, and there is hope for his life. I hope he gets out of football, finds God, and serves him the rest of his days." - NorthWestPA

- ESPN.com - NFL General: "any black person actually think vick is guilty? or is he being set up by the evil racist white people."
- lertanze14

- ESPN.com - MLB General: "If Barry took steroids why is he still hitting home runs? How many players have as many home runs as Barry and he does not even play everyday. How do you explain that no one else hit as many home runs and there were convictions for steroid use. How do you explain why he is still big and being tested regurally? Steroids are very short term."
- brandblue2

- ESPN.com - MLB General: "Derek jeter has hiv. I feel sorry for all the women who have hiv cuz of him." - barrybondsthegreatestever

- ESPN.com - MLB General: "ROTFLMFAO at Boston. 4 games i've been calling it all year, yankees will win the division despite being 14+ games back. Lol what a joke of a team. long live the yankees."
- GMenSeamen

- ESPN.com - College Football General: "The Oklahoma Sooners, the greatest CFB team in history, (check the record books losers), is again being singled out by the NCAA this year. We got cheated, and I mean CHEATED by the Pac10 and the NCAA last year in Oregon, and now this injustice. Jason White and Adrian Peterson both got robbed of the Heisman a few years ago. OU is the whipping goat of the National Communist Athletic Association."
- ProudRedneckSooner

- ESPN.com - College Football General: "Illinois: CONTENDERS. The ZOOK era has begun! meow!!!" - toonces_the_metrosexual

- ESPN.com - College Football General: "Favorite prison you have attended? One in Istanbul is my favorite." - RogerCraigNU

- ESPN.com - College Football General: "Reggie Bush sucks. 2 carries 8 yards, what a bust. No sarcasm, just an observation. Reggie will be lucky to get 700 yards on the ground this year, and that is in 16 games. What an overhyped ESPN failure."
- moparmanjames

- ESPN.com - College Football General: "Notre Dame will win the National Champsionship. They will go 12-1, 11-1 regular season. Only loss will be to Michigan in a close game. Michigan will go on to lose 2 games as usual, thus allowing ND to make the BCS Championship game. That's right, ND will beat USC in South Bend, and I can't wait to see the look on Pete Carrol's face. It will be a great season for the Irish." - GiantsKnicksYanksIrish

The best of the Monday sports blogs, including the delicious Kelly Carlson, from the brilliantly sleazy Nip/Tuck.

- A Scottish hockey player or a threat to our national security? Hmmm. (100% Injury Rate)

- A number of widely-used baseball terms are clearly perverted. (Epic Carnival)

- The Buddy-Cop quotient of the NFC West. (I Dislike Your Favorite Team)

- Mr. Deadspin made a trip to our stomping grounds to take in all things Rick Ankiel. (Deadspin)

- Grading out NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcasting crew. (Awful Announcing)

- The boys at MBSR may be gone for good. We will keep you updated. (My Brain Says Rage)

- A must read interview between NOIS and the one and only Scoop Jackson. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- The Sporting Orange is keeping their countdown to college football up to date. 19 days remain. (The Sporting Orange)

- The sports related jokes at Flava Flav's roast. (You Been Blinded)

- Breaking down some "logic" used by Peter King. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)

I guess having misshaped teeth that look like they were dyed in urine makes people a bit haughty.

Writing a blog for the British newspaper The Guardian, author Steven Wells lets it be known that ... well, America sucks, we're snobs, we're hypocrites and our sports and arts will soon be dominated by knickers wearing, tea-sipping Englishmen:

"With all the homegrown talent in jail, awaiting trial or so besmirched in the minds of the American public ... can anything stop this diabolical brace of limey usurpers' juggernaughty blitzkrieg romping to the top of both sports and arts in what - let us not forget - is the sole remaining superduperpower in the world?"

And by limey usurpers, he means British people. It seems Mr. Wells has quite a distaste for us, and thinks we believe the Tour de France is our own sporting event, citing the dominance of Lance Armstrong and, "the fact that the U.S. contains more garishly-coloured-skintight-spandex-wearing twunts in stupid helmets than the rest of the world combined."

I don't know what a "twunt" is, but I don't think it is a term of endearment.

Alas, Mr. Wells is far from finished. According to him, we are also soccer-loving hypocrites who drooled over David Beckham's arrival and follow his every move, all while denying our true feelings:

"Meanwhile You Know Who is still the butt of thousands of late-night chat-show jokes about how nobody in America gets soccer or cares about the Beckham's, despite the fact half the country is literally pissing itself stupid in a tizzy of excitement about You Know Who stepping foot on their internationally-famous-team-sports-superstar-bereft landmass. The other half sneers and tries to look disinterested."

I hate to break this to you, you ol' jolly good bloke, but we aren't feigning disinterest in Beckham. No, I assure you, that is as real as the outcome of the Revolutionary War.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Wells goes on to parallel our sports crises with that of another American dilemma - celebrities:

"At the exact same time sports are on the ropes, America's top four artists - Lindsey Lohan, Nicole Ritchie, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears - have delivered savage dead legs to the arts with a series of torrid drunk and/or drugged and/or crazy driving scandals ... Can it really be a coincidence that U.S. sports and arts are both out for the count at the same time?"

So, there it is America. You have seen the enemy, and it is British. We were attacked by a people who are so full of themselves, they drive on the left side of the road just to be different.

These are people who worship a Queen that many in the international community believe to be a top Al-Qaeda aide.

These are people who proudly display their prejudice of dentists every day on their smiling, evil faces - a clever propaganda tool if there ever was one.

As Paul Revere famously shouted, the British are indeed coming, America. One injured soccer player at a time.

If you have never heard of Netball, you probably aren't alone. Played only by women in places such as Australia, the U.K., Jamaica and South Africa, the rules are similar to basketball, with a few exceptions. There is no backboard, the court is divided into three sections, and only two designated people are allowed to shoot.

Except the rules are a little bit different in South Africa. If you play there, you better have a racially diverse team if you want to win:

"Netball South Africa’s ruling works like this: If a team has five whites, then it must also include two blacks while a team of five blacks must have two whites. Teams that stick to these quotas will have six goals added to their score. Now, if a team have at least a 6:1 ratio they will get three extra goals but if they slip to 7:0 they get no goals added to their tally."

Since goals only count for one point, adding six onto a team's score is a fairly big deal.

For those of you who don't know, the reason this rule was conjured is because South Africa has had a few massacres problems with race relations over the country's history. This is an attempt to help remedy that.

Frankly, this seems like a good opportunity for Bud Selig to step up to the plate. If Netball can change the rules to help integrate the team, why can't Major League Baseball?

It' pretty simple. One run added to the game for each African-American player used. Problem solved. Except maybe for the Houston Astros. (Okay, in fairness, they have recalled 33 year old journeyman reliever Stephen Randolph three different times this season. Then again, they've also designated him for assignment twice.)

There may be some sticking points, though. What if a player has one black parent and one white parent? It would be odd for the Yankees to beat the Red Sox 4 1/2 to 4. And can you imagine how many different ways Tony LaRussa could come up with to utilize this rule?

Maybe Americans can learn something from the good people of South Africa. Just imagine Ebony and Ivory playing baseball alongside each other ... and the Latinos ... and Japanese ... and Canadians ... and Koreans.

The best of the Friday sports blogs, including Stacey Keibler.

- Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is picking his starting QB by flipping a coin. Here are some other ways for him to pick his starters. (Epic Carnival)

- Barry Bonds isn't the all-time homerun leader just yet. (Deuce of Davenport)

- Okay, so maybe Derek Jeter didn't
give Jessica Alba herpes. (One More Dying Quail)

- The Padres offense? Yeah, it sucks. (Rumors and Rants)

- Who's Now? Wait, make that Who's Then. (Sons of Sam Malone)

- A letter to bad baseball fans - your heckling sucks, you don't know it all, and please dress appropriately. Thank you. (The Angry T)

- Good luck affording that ticket to the Notre Dame game. (The Wizard of Odds)

- An awful way for Bud Selig to save baseball - at least in this Cards fan's opinion. (The Grand National Championships)

- The MLB Mascot Brackets continue. (Home Run Derby)

When it comes to mental health, Japan is the world's equivalent to Tom Cruise, apparently. Japan's sumo wrestling Grand Champion, Asashoryu Akinori (seen miraculously doing the splits in the photo), wants to take his XXXXXL thong and go home due to depression. And Japan ain't having it.

Seems Mr. Asashoryu is in a bit of hot water over his recent behavior. He claimed he was hurt and missed an exhibition match, only to be filmed playing soccer at home. The Japanese do not appreciate being misled (insert inappropriate WWII joke here).

But why all the commotion about this? Well, apparently, sumo is pretty important in Japan:

"Nevermind political scandal or stock market jitters, the badboy Mongolian's meltdown is the biggest story in Japan this summer. For sports fans, it's bigger than Bonds, bigger than Beijing ... There are very few titles as lofty, or taken more seriously by the Japanese, as Grand Champion."

So, yeah, it's a pretty big deal.

After being caught in his deception, the Japanese Sumo Association suspended the Grand Champion (called a yokozuna) and cut his pay by 30%. Let's just say Asashoryu didn't respond well:

"What happened next, however, was even more of a shock to sumo fans. Asashoryu — known for his bravado in the ring — went belly up.

Psychiatrist Masaki Honda examined him and said the wrestler was depressed and could be on the brink of a nervous breakdown due to a shock from the punishment. He said the wrestler was barely able to talk, and his trainer said Asashoryu was 'holding back tears.'"

He has plenty of loyal fans, so surely they must be sympathetic to his plight, no?

"Office worker Keiko Fujimoto said, 'It's part of Japanese culture, and yokozuna have to set an example for everyone. If Asashoryu can't understand that or doesn't want to do it, he should just retire.'"

Oh. Okay then. But if he wants to go home to Mongolia and recover, certainly the Sumo Association will let him, right?

"On Thursday, the association denied Asashoryu's request to return to Mongolia, saying he could check himself into a hospital in Tokyo if he felt ill."

Seems like Mr. Asashoryu is screwed.

Maybe this is a cumulative penalty for his past behaviors, which include being the first yokozuna to be disqualified for pulling on another sumo wrestler's hair during a tournament - which made the whole of Japan pissed; having a picture taken in a suit instead of the traditional sumo garb; refusing to become a citizen of Japan and damaging opponent's automobiles.

So, for all of that, Asashoryu has to stay in Japan. And do nothing apparently. But they certainly don't want to hear all this depression talk. Maybe he should just become a cult member Scientologist.

If you are not a Cardinals fan, you just don't know. If you are under 18, you probably don't understand. It's been too long ... 7 years, to be exact.

I'm sure many of you are wondering what the big deal is. Why folks in St. Louis, and so many within the Cardinals organization, care so deeply about Rick Ankiel. Well, unless you saw what we saw, and followed him as closely as we did, you don't understand because you can't understand.

When Rick Ankiel took the mound as a 20 year old phenom in 2000, it was a sight to behold. The mechanics were perfect. The fastball sizzled in the mid-90's. And the curveball? Forget it. 10 year veterans were made to look like buffoons at the plate. They could only stand and watch, helpless, as the baseball dropped 5 feet. If baseball were art, Ankiel's curve was a Van Gogh.

He cruised through his rookie season, blowing people away and winning games. Cardinal Nation was euphoric. Here was the player to lead the team into the new millennium. And then it happened. A sudden case of ... who knows what. And that was that. Seven years ago, Rick Ankiel lost everything. Last night, he returned.

Cards fans, much like Tony LaRussa and G.M. Walt Jocketty, have adopted Rick as our own. We knew of his troubled past, as he tried to deal with things we didn't fully understand, like a father who was imprisoned for dealing drugs.

We saw the meltdown on the mound.

We knew he underwent one arm surgery. Then another.

Finally, in 2004, he returned to the mound, and we were excited again. Rick was back. Only to have him struggle with wildness the next spring, suddenly quit pitching, and vow to become a great hitter. Sadly, we all thought it was over for him. Maybe he could maintain as a .220 hitter in AA, but we thought Rick was gone for good.

But, that same summer, he hit 21 homers in the lower levels of the minor leagues. We were intrigued. Hopeful, even. The following spring, of 2006, he tore up his knee and would miss the season. Another heartbreak. Surely, that was it for Ankiel. The end of the road. He would play in AAA in 2007, but little was expected of him. Then, the homers started piling up. He hit 3 in a single game. His total was at 15 ... 20 ... We were breathless. Could this be real? Was this happening? ... 25 homers ... 30.

Finally, Rick Ankiel came back. He came home, where he belongs. Busch Stadium. And even though his first 3 at-bats were 2 strikeouts and a pop-up, it was okay, because he was here.

And then ... magic. Ankiel took Doug Brocail's 2-1 curveball and deposited it into the right field seats. "Euphoria" was how Ankiel described it. But not just for him. For all of us. As he took his curtain call, I got goose bumps.

But, if you weren't there, if you didn't see, I don't expect you to understand.

The best of the Thursday sports blogs, including uber-MILF Catherine Bell.

- A fantastic college football preview of the Big XII conference. (Epic Carnival)

- Four of the sweetest words you will ever hear: Rick Ankiel is back. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

- Chipper Jones thinks Jose Canseco has credibility - and that A-Rod needs to answer Canseco's charges that he has "dirt" on him. (Bugs & Cranks)

- Ron Washington and Samuel Adams: separated at birth? (Girls Gone Sports)

- KSK's Oakland Raiders season preview. (Kissing Suzy Kolber)

- Did Derek Jeter give Jessica Alba herpes? (Larry Brown Sports)

- Is the single season triples record more impressive than the all-time homerun record? (More Credible)

- White Sox closer Bobby Jenks has quite an impressive streak going. (One More Dying Quail)

- Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh needs no resumes to hire his coaches. He needs only the internet. (Shakedown Sports)

- Pac-Man Jones may be in for some real pain from wrestlers seeking revenge. (Winning the Turnover Battle)

- Nike is releasing Transformers themed shoes. (100% Injury Rate)

If you are an athlete and your last name is Wells, don't choose the number 13 for your jersey. You already have enough bad luck as it is. For whatever reason, athletes whose surname is Wells are really having a tough go of it lately, in more than one sport.

- David Wells, unemployed pitcher: After getting pounded by the offensively challenged St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night, the San Diego Padres are getting rid of him. It has been a tough season for Wells, as he is just 5-8 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 22 starts for San Diego.

If he does retire, the fans are going to miss out on more than his pitching. His tales of slovenly behavior will be tough to replace. The best of his stories? Probably that he eats dik. Seriously, he even admitted it, saying, "Had dik twice. Very tasty."

- Kip Wells, SP, St. Louis Cardinals: Counted on to be a #2 starter behind Chris Carpenter, the Kipper has been a disaster. Though he pitched nicely yesterday, he's been bad far more often. Wells is an embarrassing 5-13 this year, with a 5.27 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.

- Vernon Wells, CF, Toronto Blue Jays: Handed a fat new contract before the 2007 season, Vernon has not lived up to his end of the bargain. A career .285 hitter, Wells is hitting .261 with an awful .317 OBP. And that is considering he raised his average 5 points and his OBP 3 points yesterday night against the Yankees with a 3 for 4 performance. Wells also has just 14 homeruns and 64 RBI through 110 games. Last season, Wells was hitting .320/.379/.588 with 27 HR and 83 RBI through 110 games.

- Bonzi Wells, SG, Houston Rockets: Bonzi had an odd season for Houston last year, and one which was not fully complete. After scuffling with coach Jeff Van Gundy most of the season, he decided he wasn't going to show up for a game against Seattle, citing team chemistry. After that, Houston put him on the inactive list, and he didn't play for the team again. Not that he was having such a good year on the court anyway. He was averaging just 7.8 points and 4.3 boards in 21 minutes a game.

- Jonathan Wells, RB, Indianapolis Colts: After being the first pick in the 4th round of the 2002 draft for the Houston Texans, Wells' never broke out in the NFL. His career average of 3.1 yards per carry may have something to do with that. Last season, Wells did not appear in an NFL game, but he hopes to resume his career with the Colts.

- Reggie Wells, G, Arizona Cardinals: Wells was actually a decent player for the deplorable offensive line the Cardinals paraded out last year. But he didn't steer clear of the Wells Curse. He had to be hospitalized for two nights due to a severe case of the flu. Which couldn't have been fun.

The best of the Wednesday sports blogs, including Rachel Bilson, who I was not aware of until I saw The Last Kiss about a month ago.

- After douchebag Padres broadcaster Matt Vasgersian trashes St. Louis (DOTD's base of operations), he (sort of) apologized. Twice. Though I tend to believe the only thing he's sorry about was that he got called on it. Matt, do us all a favor and don't take a cab back to the hotel after your broadcast. Go ahead and take a stroll. You'll be safe. I promise. (Awful Announcing)

- Extreme chess ... the sport of choice for virgins everywhere. (Deuce of Davenport)

- Ranking the SEC quarterbacks. It's not a very pretty picture. (Loser With Socks)

- College football begins in 24 days. (The Sporting Orange)

- That kid who caught the ball won't make as much as Kragen Auto Parts will from the ball. Their sign was being displayed behind home plate when Barry Bonds hit the home run, resulting in $5 to $6 million in equivalent advertising. (Sports Biz - Darren Rovell)

- Is there a reason Darrelle Revis is still holding out, while everybody else but JaMarcus Russell is signed? (Shakedown Sports)

- A very hilarious story about an unusual method of poor technique - and it has nothing to do with sports. (Why Don't We Get Drunk And Blog)

- A very outstanding preview of the St. Louis Rams. (Epic Carnival)

- For all the rugby fans out there, go ahead and peruse this Rugby World Cup preview. (With Malice)

- Photos of ridiculously hot babes trying out to become Phoenix Suns cheerleaders. (Our Book of Scrap)

As Americans, we often laugh uproariously at the sight of the Euro football soccer players who go down in a heap and roll around on the ground like they have just been punctured with a javelin. After getting carried off on a stretcher, they miraculously return to action minutes later.

Many of us assumed they were just acting. Well, it's possible they are not. Maybe soccer just doesn't breed toughness. Consider this story out of England, concerning one of their football soccer players:

"Reading striker Leroy Lita will miss the Premiership opener on Sunday at Manchester United ... The 22-year-old, who could be out up to a month, injured a muscle while stretching in bed."

"Stretching" in bed? Listen, I don't know what they call it across the pond, but in America, we don't call it "stretching."

So, football soccer fans, next time you have an inkling your favorite star is playing up an injury, just think: at least he didn't do it while "stretching."

Not long ago, DOTD came up with an all baseball movie team. With the start of training camp officially upon us, now is the perfect time to decide who would be in the starting line-up of an all football movie team. However, in the interest of time, we will narrow some positions down, like offensive line.

Head Coach: Tony D'Amato - Any Given Sunday
Quote: "You find out life's this game of inches, so is football ... On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that's gonna make the fucking difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying!"

Quarterback: Paul Crewe - The Longest Yard (original)
Quote: "You know what my problem has been all my life? I've always had my shit together. Always. My problem's been I couldn't lift it."

Quarterback: Joe Kane - The Program
Quote: " Let's put the women and children to bed and go lookin' for dinner!"

Running Back: Gale Sayers - Brian's Song
Quote: "I love Brian Piccolo. And tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him."

Running Back: Julian Washington - Any Given Sunday
Quote: "What the fuck you mean, I'm dying inside? Motherfucker. Kiss my Armani ass! You know what I did for this team? I'll take ya fuckin' life!"

Wide Receiver: Phil Elliott - North Dallas Forty
Quote: "Hell coach, I love needles."

Wide Receiver: Charlie Tweeder - Varsity Blues
Quote: "Listen. You give 'em Percocet, two Vicoden and a couple of beers, and the panties drop. It's very nice."

Offensive Line: Billy Bob - Varsity Blues
Quote: "Though as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no faggots from Bingville."

Offensive Line: Louie Lastik - Remember the Titans
Quote: "Man I just gave your momma a piggy-back ride and she weighs twice as much as I do!"

Defensive Line: Switkowski - The Longest Yard (remake)
Quote: "I think I made-ed him shit himself."

Defensive Line: Rudy - Rudy Ruettiger
Quote: "Ever since I was a kid I wanted to go to school here, and ever since I was a kid everyone said it couldn't be done. My whole life people have been telling me what I could do and couldn't do. I've always listened to them, believed in what they said. I don't want to do that any more."

Linebacker: Alvin Mack - The Program
Quote: "Hey 23, don't think I don't recognize you, you poo-butt motherfucker! Hey pay attention when I'm talking to you! You're the guy who shot my mother aren't you? You were trying to steal her car, you cocksucker. You didn't think I was going to find you, but I got you now. I'm gonna bust your gut open and watch you die!"

Linebacker: Bobby Boucher - The Waterboy
Quote: "So that's what opening up a can of whoop-ass feels like."

Linebacker: Luther 'Shark' Lavay - Any Given Sunday
Quote: "In football, you have the offense and the defense. You can't have one without the other. Respect will be paid."

Defensive Back: Brian Chavez - Friday Night Lights
Quote: "We got to lighten up. We're 17."

Defensive Back: Lucas - Lucas
Quote: "You heard me, pencil-brain! I mean, who are we kidding here? Who is the piss-ant? The second-rate coach of a third rate team or me?"

Kicker: Lucy Draper - Necessary Roughness
Quote: "I'm an Armadillo just like the others."

Special Teams: Vince Papale - Invincible
Quote: "Excuse me, my name's spelled wrong."

Special Teams: Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump
Quote: "Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!"

The best of the Tuesday sports blogs, including the very leggy and very hot Amy Smart.

- The SCLC cancelled their planned honor of Mike Vick. Clearly, politicians and the media are to blame for this outrage. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- This comely young lady has written the book on how to hook-up with a Deadspin commenter. She is obviously quite experienced in this regard. (Epic Carnival)

- Soccer blows. The end. (Sons of Sam Malone)

- Confirmation of what everybody already knew - Cubs fans are communists. (Bugs and Cranks)

- The MLB Mascot poll continues, pitting Raymond against Southpaw. (Home Run Derby)

- What is the bigger fraud - Milli Vanilli or Barry Bonds? (Rumors and Rants)

- Join in the fun of fantasy track and field today! (Shot to Nothing)

- A look at sports caricature t-shirts from the past. (The Sports Hernia)

- Yao Ming's wedding invitation. It's, um, nice. (Winning the Turnover Battle)

- Danica Patrick's teammates say they willcut off her hair when she wins her first race. Whenever that is. (You Been Blinded)

Tuesday means examining the week in message boards and all they encompass. Namely, jackasses being jackasses.

ESPN.com - MLB General: "It seems abundantly clear that it isn't going to come out that Barry Bonds used steroids, but if it did I still wouldn't care.

- I don't think steroids give you the edge most posters on this forum seem to believe
- I assume the vast majority of ballplayers, including pitchers, are on steroids anyway
- I assume Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and other players of that era used steroids." - seib3184

ESPN.com - MLB General: "If Jesus played baseball what number would he wear?" - g_force01

ESPN.com - Kansas City Royals: "It could be worse...The Cardinals and their $100 million payroll are getting waxed for the second day in a row by the Nationals. At least the Royals were playing the Yankees..." - philevans66

Sox Talk - Chicago White Sox: "I want no part of Tejada..The last thing this club needs is another power bat in the lineup."
- SoxFan77

Indians Ink: "I have been saying it all along.... Fire Wedge he is not a good manager." - jason251213

ESPN.com - NFL General: "Hey Seahawk fans ... Did you see Nate Clements' (future tormenter of Matt Hasselbeck) interview? You might have noticed the massive collection of Super Bowl trophies in the background. Shame on you if you didn't look away. You're not allowed to gaze upon the Vince Lombardi Trophy. You're only allowed to dream about them. Maybe if the Seahawks win a couple Super Bowls, I'll remove them from my list of worst teams in sports history. But we all know Seattle will never win the big one. They can bite it though." - F16sAnd49ers

ESPN.com - NFL General: "I'm Posting from Atop my Crapper. Any requests?" - SmoothNicka

Warpath - Washington Redskins: "Training camp gets worse and it has nothing to do with autographs. The whole camp is just run patheticly. Getting a bag with valauble stuff stolen in it last week was bad enough. I got hit in the head with 2 footballs yesterday ... Then getting autographs, some jerk leaves his pen open and I get black marks all over my shorts." - MWCREDSKIN

Roar Report - Detroit Lions: "Hey fellow Lions fans I was just wondering when do you guys think was the last time the Lions had a team this good? Was it a Scott Mitchell team or even further back to Eric Kramer? I cant remember being this excited for a season since Kramer almost went to the super bowl. GO LIONS!!!!" - paraguy1

The best of the Monday sports blogs, including the insanely hot LeeAnn Tweeden.

- A very good post on why the St. Louis Rams will be better than the Pittsburgh Steelers. Morons, take note: Satire involved. (Mondesi's House)

- Scrap's continuation of the "Hottest Wife/Girlfriend in Sports" poll. This time: Willa Ford v. Laura Cover. (Our Book of Scrap)

- Which NBA player would you fear most in prison? Hint: It ain't Kobe. (Epic Carnival)

- The potential 2008 class of baseball Hall of Famers is a bit underwhelming. (Gheorghe: The Blog)

- A Michigan State alum previews the Michigan Wolverines football season. Hilarity ensues. (Ghosts of Wayne Fontes)

- Buy a soccer player on E-Bay. Fair Warning: They're expensive and fall down a lot. (100% Injury Rate)

- Peter Forsberg - soft great hockey player, racehorse owner. (Shakedown Sports)

- Wyoming football coach Joe Glenn is not a real big fan of Syracuse University. (The Smittblog)

- There are two new members of blogfrica. Thanks, Fox Sports! (Awful Announcing)

- Mets second baseman Luis Castillo can't stand the heat. Which seems odd considering he's from the San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, where the average high temperature in January is 85 degrees. (Babes Love Baseball)

The St. Louis Cardinals lost 6-3 Sunday to the Washington Nationals, completing a 1-5 road trip that included being swept by the Nats. Their record stands at 50-58, for a winning percentage of .463.

Should they maintain that pace, they would end up with a 75-87 record, which would be one of the worst records in baseball history for a defending World Series champion.

In fact, just three teams have had a winning percentage below .463 the year after they won the World Series. They are the the 1918 Chicago White Sox (57-67, .460), the 1991 Cincinnati Reds (74-88, .457), and the 1998 Florida Marlins (54-108, .333).

The problems are overwhelming, and run the gamut from a lack of offense to poor fielding to having no speed on the bases. But, as this article from St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz points out, the main culprit has been the starting pitching:

"The current rotation ERA of 5.46 is the worst in franchise history in a non-strike year. But it goes beyond that. In the history of baseball, this would be the 42nd-highest ERA by a rotation in a single season, and we're talking about thousands of rotations."

"Thousands" of rotations. How many? 2,524 to be exact. Here's how it breaks down:

- National League: 1,253
- American League: 1,090
- American Association: 85
- National Association: 60
- Federal League: 16
- Union Association: 12
- Players League: 8

The Cardinals starting rotation is so bad, there have been 2,482 better ones. That puts them in roughly the bottom 1.7% of staffs in baseball history, numbers which are both impressive and depressing all at once.

The best of the Friday sports blogs, including the extraordinarily underrated Natalie Portman. Don't believe me? Just watch the movie Closer and you'll have a change of heart.

- Tiki Barber doesn't quite remind people of Walter Cronkite just yet. (Awful Announcing)

- Pedro Martinez may be back on the bump for the Mets soon, making the average age of their rotation something like 54. (Babes Love Baseball)

- Yet more evidence that Little League parents suck. (The Sporting Orange)

- Hot chicks who are athletesyou may not know just yet. But you will. Because they're hot. Not because they're any good. (Winning the Turnover Battle)

- Are Vick T-Shirts going too far? No, as a matter of fact, they are not. (Pacman Jonesin')

- Steve Nash, not hitting on 17 year olds this time around. NOIS congratulates you. (Nation of Islam Sports Blog)

- Just how hot is Misty May? (Six Pack Sports Report)

- The week in baseball ejections. (One More Dying Quail)

- Douchebags of the week: the Houston Astros pitching staff. (Rumors and Rants)

- Odds on who will marry Erin Andrews. (The Angry T)

It's easy to look up and down the list of the NFL's 2007 first round draft picks and give an educated guess at the guys who will make the most impact their rookie years: Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis and Marshawn Lynch are guys everyone expects big things from.

But what about players selected outside the first round? These are often players that make and break teams, and can be found throughout the NFL. Guys like Tom Brady, Marc Bulger, Frank Gore, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Zach Thomas were all chosen after round one. Let's take a look and see what players may outperform their draft selection.

Round 2

- Paul Posluszny, OLB, Buffalo Bills: Posluszny was being touted as a first round pick and one of the best linebackers ever to play at Penn State before injuring his knee. Still, he remained extremely productive and has the physical skills and attitude to be a great player. Media types love the guy and will probably be paying close attention to him, which never hurts.

- Drew Stanton, QB, Detroit Lions: Should Mike Martz stick around, there is no better QB coach in the NFL. Period. He helped make Trent Green what he is, and certainly made both Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger outstanding players in the league. Stanton has every physical ability that a franchise could want, and should he listen and absorb what Martz tells him, he could be special. If hard-headed and stubborn, and unwilling to deal with what can be brutal criticism by Martz, well, he goes the way of guys like Joe Germaine, who couldn't deal with Martz and is out of the NFL.

- Ryan Kalil, C, Carolina Panthers: Kalil was highly regarded as the best center in the draft, but teams are not keen on taking centers high, for some reason. Though it is an extremely important position, Kalil dropped to the second round and will probably make teams pay for that. He has all the tools necessary and now a chip on his shoulder.

- Brandon Jackson, RB, Green Bay Packers: The biggest thing Jackson has going for him is the name Verand Morency. Who's that? Exactly. Morency is probably Jackson's main competition for the starting RB spot on the Pack. Should Jackson have enough sense to learn the playbook, his superior physical skills should be evident, and the job will be his.

Round 3

- Usama Young, CB, New Orleans Saints: On a team that desperately needs help at corner, Young was the first one the Saints chose, and he could get the opportunity to play early. Though rookie corners often struggle to adapt to the speed of the NFL, Young will get every chance to contribute as a rookie.

- Jason Hill, WR, San Francisco 49ers: Hill is described as a playmaker, and that is what the Niners desperately need at the wide receiver position. Their starters are Darrell Jackson and the consistently underachieving Ashley Lelie, so should Hill show promise in camp, he may have a chance to win a starting spot somewhere during the season.

- Jonathan Wade, CB, St. Louis Rams: With fellow CB Fahkir Brown suspended for the first four games of the season due to a failed or missed drug test, Wade will get an opportunity to play early. While he is raw, having started only one year at corner in college, he is extremely fast, having run on the Tennessee track team, and has great recovery speed should he get beat. Look for Wade to man the nickel or dime spot in the secondary at the beginning of the season.

Round 4

- Michael Bush, RB, Oakland Raiders: While he was injured most of last year, Bush still showed enough to be picked with the top selection of round four. The Raiders were beyond awful last year running the ball, so they will certainly emphasize improving this year. With Dominic Rhodes out for four games, Bush should immediately contribute and with his size, may be the guy to get the ball at the goal line.

- Marcus Thomas, DT, Denver Broncos: Thomas' production will depend entirely on if he can get his head on straight. He was picked by some scouting services as the best DT in the '07 class, but he got kicked off of Florida's team because of behavior problems. Should Thomas make it, Denver could benefit from an explosive presence on the interior of the defensive line.

- Brian Smith, LB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Smith is a player that is known for one thing - rushing the QB. He was on pace to set the Big 12 record for career sacks before injuring his knee during the middle of the season. While he will probably never be a tackling machine, he's been a gifted pass rusher throughout his college career and can be a valuable contributor that way.

Rounds 5, 6 and 7

- Dallas Sartz, OLB, Washington Redskins (5): Sartz was actually the Skins' second player drafted, as they did not have picks in rounds two, three or four. For a team yearning for defensive playmakers, Sartz is the type to go all out on every play, trying to make things happen.

- Tim Shaw, OLB, Carolina Panthers (5): Shaw was Posluszny's teammate in the linebacker corps at Penn State, and the less-heralded of the two. Still, Shaw has good athleticism, and is a smart player with good vision. Getting on the field in Carolina may be difficult, but if he does, expect him to be solid.

- Kasey Studdard, G, Houston Texans (6): The Texans are constantly trying to improve their offensive line, and Studdard is a guy who may do that. His physical abilities are limited, but he is the type of mean and aggressive interior line player that coaches love.

- Ben Patrick, TE, Arizona Cardinals (7): Patrick plummeted in the draft, as most thought he would go in rounds three or four. The Cards finally selected him in round seven, and got a tight end who is not a great athlete, but who can do all the little things. Maybe most important for the Cards is that he is a good blocker, something that Arizona really needs.

Fashion trends come and go in America and around the world. The same can be said in the world of sports. Looks are continually evolving and what some players and athletes used to wear now looks out of place. That said, let's take a look at some of the more prominent sports fashions of the past.

Goggles

The goggle. These were most prominent in basketball, and were popularized by players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Horace Grant. Now, with contact lenses and laser eye surgery more accessible than ever, the goggle is almost non-existent. There is one staunch supporter of this look still around, though, in the person of reliever Eric Gagne, now of the Red Sox.

Gold Chains

Big, fat gold chains were all the rage for athletes in the 1980's and early 1990's. Before platinum or diamond necklaces were the thing to wear, nothing said "I made it" like a fat piece of gold around your neck, like the one Deion Sanders is sporting.




Fake Casino Tattoo Ads

A few years ago, you couldn't watch a boxing match without some guy coming in and sporting a big GoldenPalace.com fake tattoo on their back. Though some boxers, and other people, still wear one, it is not nearly as prominent as it once was. It also left a lot of people pondering the question, "How much would it take for me to get an advertisement tattooed on my body?" For their sake, I hope the answer was a lot.

Golfers in Suits and Ties

To the relief of anybody who plays golf, this trend dissipated. I can only imagine how hot it was in the middle of July, wearing knickers, a sweater, a shirt and tie and a hat while trying to hit the green from 175 yards.

Throwback Jerseys

While not totally obsolete yet, this fad was booming earlier in the decade, culminating in popularity when LeBron James was found to have been given a few of them for free from a local retailer. Now, you'd be hard pressed to find many people, athlete or otherwise, wearing these. They still show up occasionally, but mostly at games and other events, like the baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies that were held last weekend, when fans showed their support by wearing Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. throwbacks.

When you think of bowlers, beauty is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. That's probably because most bowlers look like this guy.

Fortunately, that is not entirely true. In fact, there are some rather fetching female bowlers. Here is a look at some of these ladies.

Kim Adler

This beauty is Kim Adler. She was a professional bowler, and according to her website, a pretty good one. She was nominated for "Bowler of the Decade" for the 1990's, and and bowled 23 perfect games. She has since stopped bowling and moved on to nursing school. Not only that, but she also keeps a blog. So, when she's at the bowling alley and a fat guy has a heart attack from stuffing himself with nachos and beer, she can save his life.

Emily Maier

This young lady is Emily Maier, and she is a bowler for the collegiate powerhouse Wichita State. She was a 2006 2nd team All-American, a member of Junior Team USA, and a member of the 2005 Wichita State National Championship team.





Lai Kin Ngoh

This is Malaysian bowler Lai Kin Ngoh. She also has her own website, though it seems it has not been updated in four years. Still, it seems she had a few achievements at that time. She was first runner-up at one Hong Kong International Open and won another one, she won a gold medal at the 16th Malaysian Interstate Championship and also won the Genting International Open.


This Girl

I'm not entirely sure who she is, but she's pretty cute. The red shirt and accompanying "N" led me to the Nebraska women's bowling roster, but they do not have pictures for every team member. Thus, she will live in anonymity.




Cathy Dorin-Lizzi

Dorin-Lizzi is just one of several babes who are a part of something called the "USBC Women's Challenge." Apparently that's a bunch of ladies who bowl against each other, to be aired on ESPN. According to her bio, Dorin-Lizzi has one career PWBA championship and was on a national championship team at West Texas State.

Robin Orlikowski

Orlikowski is also a part of the "USBC Women's Challenge" that I referred to above, so I hope she has a match against Dorin-Lizzi. Her bio says she attended Morehead State and was a first team All-American two times there.