Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

It's coming to be that time of year everybody. I'm not talking about the NFL season getting ready to kick off, I'm talking about proper football kicking off. We are 10 days away from the FA Community Shield, and less than three weeks away from the kickoff of the Premiership season. I've gotten some flack for the few football articles I've posted, mainly from G, but I'm going to write them anyways. If you don't like it, don't read it, I'll continue to post everything else just like normal, but if I can bring a few more fans of the greatest sport in the world, into the fold, than I've done a helluva job. I'm going to post Power Rankings, as well as keeping up to date with the latest in the Premiership, Champions League, and Internationals. I'll also try to touch on La Liga and Serie A, but not as frequently. Along with that, I'm going to attempt to help show readers some of the past of football. Personally, like baseball, the most appealing aspect of the sport is its rich and deep history. I'll try and write as many pieces as possible highlighting some of the more famous clubs and events in football along with the current stuff. Again, this won't interfere with anything that is currently being written on the site, it will just be in addition.

So, after this introduction, what will I be kicking off with? I'm sure most of you expect me to start talking about Chelsea, but I won't. I'll leave that for a little later. Instead, I'm going to start by talking about a club rich in history, but one that most people probably don't even know about. Everton FC. Why Everton FC? Well, there are a few reasons. First, they are the chief rival of my most hated club, Liverpool FC. G has recently decided to adopt Liverpool as his club of choice, and my goal is to make him regret that as soon as possible, by tormenting him on this very website. Second, Everton are the best club in the history of English football. (That stat is semi-accurate. If you calculate all wins, all-time, on a two-point scale, than Everton are just barely ahead of Liverpool.)

Everton FC play at historic Goodison Park in Liverpool, England. Like most cities in England, Liverpool plays home to two major footballing clubs, Liverpool FC and Everton FC. I could go down the line and recite exactly what Wikipedia has, but I'll only touch on the major points. They are one of the oldest clubs in the history of football, founded in 1878. They have played at Goodison Park since 1892, the year they were pushed out of Anfield, home of Liverpool FC, over a rent dispute. In that year, 1892, when Anfield lost Everton, rival club Liverpool FC started up and moved into Anfield. Thus, the rivalry began.



The Merseyside Derby, Liverpool is situated on the River Mersey, is different from other famous derbies like Glasgow or Madrid, in that there is no real social, political, or religious divide between the clubs. For all intents and purposes, it's the same as Jets/Giants or Mets/Yankees, except that they compete in the same league. They just dislike each other because of their extreme proximity to one another, and even more of it comes out of the Liverpool hooligan problem from the 1980's. I don't want to go to into all of that, but Liverpool made a lot of enemies in the 80's, and Everton are chief among them.

Recent history hasn't been too kind to Everton FC. They've been left behind the big Four, and their rivals Liverpool, and struggle to finish higher than fifth place. A few years ago they cracked the barrier, only to be embarrassed in the qualifying stages of the Champions League. Still, they have and spend more money than most clubs in the Premiership, and that keeps them consistently in the top ten. They definitely have one of the better managers in football, in David Moyes, and the club has shown a keen eye for young talent. Their most recent young prodigy goes by the name of Wayne Rooney, maybe you've heard of him? Without a doubt the Premiership is stratified right now, with the Big Four on top. But right below Chelsea, Arsenal, United, and Liverpool is another group of clubs. Everton, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Portsmouth, and Newcastle all make decent enough money, and spend quite well, too. They make up that second class, and out of that group I think most people would agree Everton and Tottenham are ready to make the jump.

If that isn't enough in the case to root for Everton, there is also the American goalkeeper. Tim Howard has turned into a superstar keeper for David Moyes, and he's a good of a reason as any to root for the OTHER team from Liverpool. Everton are definitely in the group of clubs that I would encourage new fans to the sport to follow. They are fun, scrappy, play nice football, and best of all they hate Liverpool FC. Finally, when someone is choosing a new team, you should choose them based on the idea that you may want to go to a game live. That rules out a lot of the clubs in England, but Liverpool is a visitable destination. Not the nicest city in the world, but a city worth visiting nonetheless. While the odds are against them to win the League title, they get their chance twice a year to beat up on Liverpool, and I promise those wins are as good as any to win a championship.

The title of the article is the motto on the crest of Everton and it means, "Nothing but the best, is good enough." Now that sir, is a damn good motto to go by.

July 30th MLB Power Rankings

There are about 13 teams in contention right now and only one division is separated by more than 3 games. This will be a very interesting August and September.

I can't believe it - he's got an angel! ...

No.	Team	Last Week
1.	Angels 67-40- They were running away with it and now they acquire Mark Teixeira. Getting Maicer Izturis out of the 3 hole is really going top help their lineup and they now are by far the most complete team in Baseball. They won’t play another meaningful game until October.	2
2.	Red Sox 61-48- They have had a tough week getting beat up by the Yankees and Angles but don’t worry about them. Did anyone notice that Papi is back? You all will soon enough.	1
3.	Cubs 63-44- They made a statement this week beating Sabathia and Sheets.	3
4.	Rays 63-44- Even though they still have a better record than the Sox I still can’t find it in me to say they are better. I would like to see them make a move for another hitter before the deadline.	4
5.	Yankees 59-48- Just when they were getting hot they lose 2 out of 3 to the O’s. Great trades getting Nady, Pudge and Marte. The rotation has no depth and Moose is going to be the key down the stretch…which is scary.	10
6.	Brewers 60-47- BOOM! They hit a big brick wall made of Ivy. I think the division might be out of the question but they will compete for the wild card down to the bitter end.	7
7.	Mets 58-50- You are never as bad as you play during a losing streak and never as good as you play during a winning streak.	8
8.	White Sox 59-46- I don’t get why everyone is obsessed with them. Last time I said Paul Konerko coming back would help the offense…boy was I wrong.	5
9.	Twins 59-47- Ron Gardenhire is really a great manager to be winning with this team. They rarely make a move mid season, but they could really use a pitcher.	6
10.	Cardinals 61-49- Their bullpen is GARBAGE!	9
11.	Phillies 58-49- Joe Blanton is not the answer to their pitching hole, but the best move they have made in their rotation might have been canning Adam Eaton.	12
12.	Tigers 54-52- I have a weird obsession with this team. Maybe what I said about them running away with the division on the PineCast Vol 1b. (If you have not heard it yet shame on you) was a little goofy, but I still believe they will win the central.	13
13.	Marlins 57-51- I am starting to really hate this team. There are talks of them acquiring Manny and while I don’t believe it will happen, it just scares the hell out of me.	15
14.	Rangers 55-52- They continue to hit the tar out of the ball and it will be nice to see them finish over .500 this year.	14
15.	Blue Jays 54-54- They are back to their mediocre ways again. J.P. Ricciardi said he will not trade A.J. Burnett which is a huge mistake.	16
16.	Diamondbacks 54-52- CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP. That is a standing ovation for an NL JV team finally playing greater than .500 ball.	17
17.	Dodgers 53-53- Matt Kemp leads the team with TWELVE home runs….need I say more?	18
18.	A’s 53-54- They are running away scared of the Angles. If only they could add 9 hitters, they would contend in the West.	11
19.	Orioles 51-56- Someone has to lose games in the AL East. They will make a big play for Mark Teixeira in the off-season.	19
20.	Royals 50-59 – They just split with the Rays and swept the A’s. This is like a trip to the Series for Royals fans. I guess its time to get ready for Herm and his antics.	24
21.	Pirates 50-58- Woah, that was close. Just when they started to put together a decent season, the front office realized they forgot the Pirate motto… “We must trade all our good players.” Boy, was that close!	22
22.	Rockies 49-60- They are 10-3 since the break and have put themselves right back in the mix for the NL JV crown. Talk about Matt Holliday being on the block was just dumb.	25
23.	Astros 50-56 – RANDY WOLF?!?!?! If this was a real franchise I would know their GM’s name and make fun of him, but instead I will just laugh out loud at this inept organization.	23
24.	Reds 50-58- Why have they not traded Junior yet?	21
25.	Braves 49-58- God it feels good to see this team stink! I wonder who will play a meaningful game next, the Braves, Falcons or Hawks.	20
26.	Indians 46-59- I still can’t believe how bad they have been this year. They do have talent and will rebound in 2009.	26
27.	Giants 44-62 – I love how they thought they were still in the race at the break.	27
28.	Padres 42-66- Greg Maddux has gone mad!! He would not waive his no trade clause for a possible deal to the Phillies. I guess he is worried about tarnishing his legend…O wait too late.	29
29.	Mariners 40-66- If they keep playing .377 ball they might catch the A’s. They need to trade Raul Ibanez to the Mets for my own personal good.	28
30.	Nationals 38-69-…	28

The Yankees Are Coming! The Yankees Are Coming!

Look out Boston and Tampa Bay, the Yankees are coming on hard. (That's what she said) Seriously though, the Yanks are on the prowl big time. In the 12 games they've played since the All-Star Break, they've gone 9-3, and scored 91 runs. They've scored over 10 runs on four separate occasions in a span of merely 12 games. That is a dominant offensive run, and they've done it without Jorge, Matsui, and for the most part Damon. On top of those statistics, they've added Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte, Richie Sexson, and now Pudge Rodriguez to the ballclub. While Pudge and Sexson aren't the greatest bats in the world these days (I'm not saying they were on HGH or anything, but something is up) but they add great balance to a lefty-heavy lineup. Marte gives them a dependable lefty out of the bullpen to compliment Mariano and Eduar Ramirez.

I have to say, Brian Cashman has proved himself to be incredibly crafty over the last week or so. Getting Pudge Rodriguez AND dumping Kyle Farnsworth in one move? Now that's good management. Even though Farnsworth has been a little better lately, everybody knows it won't last, and Cashman pulled the trigger and got the maximum he could get out of Farnsworth. I also really like the fact that they aren't going to go and chase after a mediocre pitcher. Ian Kennedy is tearing it up in Triple-A, and it would be a good idea to trot him out for another go. As much as I have been doubting the youngster, in 6 starts he's pitched 33 innings and tallied a 2.4 era with a .88 whip. Between Phil Hughes, who is scheduled to make a rehab start next week, and Kennedy, the Yankees should be able to fill out the rotation in September. A-Rod is really starting to pick it up, and he will be the engine that gets this ball club going. Just like the first half of last season, when A-Rod single-handedly kept the Yankees in the race, he will be the piece that could send the club into the post-season.

I say could, because as good as the Yankees are, they will need help from the Rays and Sox. Funny thing is, for most of the season I thought the Red Sox were the best team in baseball, and now I'm not so sure. That potent Red Sox lineup is starting to show some signs of weakness, especially when they miss Manny or Papi in there. Ellsbury is coming down to earth rapidly, and that ace pitching staff is starting to look extremely questionable. Now I know Red Sox fans will point to the last 3 years and say they are over the Yankee jinx, but I don't really believe that. The Yankees will forever linger in the minds of the Red Sox, and dropping 2/3 at home last week will definitely keep the Sox on their toes. Add that to the fact that the Yankees have shown the ability twice over the last two seasons to go into Fenway and steal a sweep when they need to, and I think that the jitters will start to creep up on the Sawx. While I agree with G, that the Sox probably won't trade Manny, I think that if they did, they'd better make sure to get someone who can fill that hole. Problem is, we're talking about Manny Ramirez here, and there just aren't that many guys who can fill those shoes. Like I said though, I agree with G, Theo is smart enough to realize this, and I don't think he'll just let Manny out the back door.

At the end of the day, this is going to be the most interesting pennant chase to watch down the stretch. Three of the four best teams in the American League are in the AL East, and they're going to be fighting over those two playoff spots, so we'll have plenty of interesting baseball to watch. Just consider this to be like Paul Revere's warning cry to those in New England...the Yankees are coming.

Pinecast Vol. 1-B

For any of our followers wondering where the long-promised, long-awaited second edition of The Pinecast is, fear not. It's actually been up for the last few days, on the right hand side. You can find the new Pinecast, the old one, and any other one that comes afterwards, in that spot. In Vol. 1B, G and I discuss all-star selections and disappointments, and our predictions for the second half of the season. Enjoy the Cast, keep listening and reading, we'll keep talking and writing.

BOO of the Week 7/28

After missing a week of the BOO I am back and this one will probably not be the favorite of the head of PineRiders fan club (Dom).

As most of you probably already know, Sunday night before one of the bigger games of the season for his team, Manny Ramirez pulled his annual stunt and brought up a trade involving himself. Manny told the press Sunday night that if the Sox found a trade that benefited them he would be open to it (Manny is a 10-5 guy meaning he has been in the league for 10 years and with the same team for 5 thus allowing him to reject any trade).

Now I don't know about you, but I cannot take anything Manny says seriously. In 2005 around this time Ramirez wanted to be traded, but much to my disappointment (the Mets were at the top of the list for trade partners) he remained a Boston Red Sox. Later on that year after a loss to the White Sox in the playoffs, Manny told Theo Epstein and the Sox that he would not show up to Spring Training and demanded a trade.

Now in July of 2008 still with the Red Sox and with his team in the middle of a heated three team division race finding themselves one game away from getting swept by the Yankees, Manny goes and runs his mouth again. Of course all this will do is provide distractions for the team until Thursday's deadline comes and goes leaving Manny still a Red Sox. After all everyone knows that this is utter nonsense and the Sox have no intention of trading the future Hall of Famer.

I actually like Manny Ramirez and I usually find his "Manny being Manny" antics to be amusing. However his comments on Sunday were selfish and do nothing but cause problems for his team. Luckily the Sox have a good skipper in Terry Francona and he should not allow this to get out of hand.

However for Manny there is really only one last thing that can be said....

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The Brew Crew vs The Lou Crew

Every year that passes by another year of pressure is added. I'm talking about the Chicago Cubs. Tonight, Monday, July 28, will mark the start of a four game series at Miller Park. Even though it is only July, the series carries a lot of weight with it. The two have met 6 times so far this year, and the Brewers have taken 4 out of the 6. All 6 games were played at Wrigley, so there is some room for concern in Wrigleyville. The two series were also played in April, so for the most part this is the first time the two teams meet during the heart of the season. I'm looking forward to it, but to be honest I'm not exactly pinning my hopes and dreams on the outcome of this series.

Whether they win or lose the series, (I personally believe it will be a split. It's just too tough to come out with an advantage over a four game set)this will just be another brick to the pressure that is mounting in Wrigley. You can see it now creeping into everybody's faces, and it is starting to scare me. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on this team to win. The players know it, the fans know it, and I think Sweet Lou recognizes it too. At some point the continuous pressure to break the streak, is going to break the team. The 'curse', is self-fulfilling, in that when we get close, we start looking for what is going to go wrong. The team that was playing fun and footloose in April and May is starting to tense up and realize what it is in front of them. Everybody in Chicago is believing in some sense of destiny, or divine right this season, and forgetting that to win you have to play good baseball. The Cubs are just not playing good baseball over the last two weeks, and really since the middle of June.

I don't believe in some cosmic fortune that is going to come down and bless the Cubs, 100 years after they last won it. No, the Red Sox, Angels, Mets, and Brewers are not going to abide by our cosmic fortune, and I'd really like the writers and fans to wisen up to this. Here's the ace in the hole, though. There's one other guy who doesn't believe in any of the curse non-sense either. Lou Pinella. While he definitely recognizes the pressure that is mounting on his ballclub, (and you can literally see it in his face, if the Cubbies didn't come back against the Marlins yesterday he looked like he was about to go on a tirade) he knows how to address it, and get the players to relax.

From all the things I was happy about when Jim Hendry brought in Lou Pinella, that was the one thing I was most excited about. Lou is the kind of manager who will shift the pressure and focus off of the players, and onto him. Instead of looking for a collapse, Lou may offer one of his famous tirades or shouting matches. Those are the kinds of things players need to shift their own focus to what they know, baseball.

I know that nobody knows about soccer, or cares to know about it, but I'm going to use an analogy. When Chelsea brought in Jose Mourinho, he inherited a club that hadn't won the Championship since 1954. They were cursed, hated, and nobody believed they could ever top United or Arsenal. Mourinho came in, annointed himself the Special One, and proclaimed himself the genius of football. His antics, quotes, and style shifted the pressure and focus off of Chelsea and onto him. Chelsea dominated his first season in control, and went on to win their first Championship in exactly 50 years. I think Lou Pinella can do that with the Cubs.

A look at the Cubs' schedule for the next month following this Brewers series looks relatively harmless. Expect something in this Brewers series to get Pinella fired up, and get the Cubbies fired up to close out the season. They are the best team in the National League, and once they get back to playing as such, I think they can run away with this thing. If we can only keep that pressure off.

G vs Sami Vol. 5

When it comes to whether or not there should be instant replay in sports, the answer is simple: Get it Right. I'm so tired hearing people say, "Human error is a part of the game." Really? In any other situation in life, if you can rule out the chance of human error, don't you take that opportunity? There is WAY too much money on the line in these games, for the argument against Instant Replay. Go and ask the Baltimore Orioles if they would've liked instant replay in 1996. How different are the next 10 years of baseball history if we have instant replay in the Jefferey Maher game? Maybe the Yankees retain their dominant status, but maybe the Orioles start their own little dynasty. Maybe the Orioles rule the AL East for the next 5 years. We'll never know because a fan reached over and grabbed a ball, and the umpires couldn't review the call.

Is that a little too far-fetched for you? Scoffing at my Orioles theory? Ok, put yourself in the shoes of a Cubs fan in October. It's been 100 years since the Cubs won a World Series. Any game can come down to one run, or one play, as a Cubs fan, if we got ripped off a playoff game because of a bad call, when the right call could have been made with instant replay, I'd be livid. Beyond livid, I'd probably go down and take a few people with me. That doesn't even just qualify for a Cubs fan, a fan of any team would, and should be livid. Human error is only a part of the game because we couldn't figure out a way around it. The concept of shunning instant replay in favor of the 'human element' is narrow-minded, and shows a fear of technology and modernity. You think Sweet Lou fears technology? Absolutely not, but from the looks of that picture he should fear heart attacks.

Another argument against instant replay is that it will, "slow down the game." Hmm, have you seen Chien-Ming Wang or Daisuke Matsuzaka pitch? How about Steve "The Human Rain Delay" Trachsel. Even better, how about the inevitable argument that ensues after every poor call. Don't those things slow down the pace of the game? If people are worried about the speed of the game, than go watch football or basketball with a play clock or a shot clock. This is baseball, it's supposed to take all day. And you know what? If you watched Wimbledon this year, you'd know that that argument isn't even valid. The 'Hawkeye' technology that they used to decipher in and out calls, took seconds to cue up on the big screen. No arguments, no disputes, we knew what was going on right away. Get the call right, that is the bottom line. If you can get it in under 15 seconds, even better.



"But where does it end? Foul balls and home runs today, balls and strikes tomorrow!" Yeah? Bring it on. If we could have accurate technology to put up a legitimate strike zone, instead of an arbitrary imaginary box, I welcome that opportunity. Of course, we are nowhere near that, and until we are there is no point in arguing it. Again, if you have a chance to get the call that you KNOW is undoubtedly right, why wouldn't you take it? Where is the logic in playing a game where the final decision is up to human judgement? Take the chance out of the equation, and give me a definitive answer. Give me Instant Replay, and maybe one day we can get rid of officials altogether, wouldn't everybody be happy then?

G vs Sami Vol. 5

As I have stated before, I like to think of myself a baseball purist. Of course me being for inter-league play contradicts that, but I still have many beliefs that push me more toward the purist side. One of those issues is a hot topic now a days, and that is instant replay being used to help umpires on close calls.

The proposal that was overwhelming approved in November, is to have the umpires have the ability to use instant replay on home run calls. The idea is to aid the umpires with fair/foul, over the fence or not, and fan interference on disputed home runs. Major League Baseball is aiming to have a system similar to the NHL where officials are at a centralized location watching each game, ready to fire up the replay when called upon by the umps on the field.

The most obvious negative to this system is what it will do to the pace of the game. For years Baseball has been trying to find ways to speed up the pace of play. After all, I don't know about you, but I am a little tired of seeing a new Baseball put into play after every pitch, the batter stepping out after every pitch and managers making 12 pitching changes a game. Adding any kind of replay system is undoubtedly going to slow down the game even more, making those 4 hour marathons that much longer.

The second problem I have with replay in Baseball trying to figure out exactly how is it going to work. The beauty of the NFL's replay system is the idea that the coaches actually have to make a decision to challenge a call and if they are incorrect they are penalized a timeout. This obviously prevents teams from challenging every and makes replay a part of the strategy of the game. I think the fear of penalty is essential to a replay system and I do not see how that can be down in Baseball. Penalizing a losing challenge two balls really is not enough, while penalizing an extra base is too much. Without that fear that the team is going to be hurt in a way, replay would just slow the game down and require no thought.

Finally think about when these calls are in questions. The network shows the play over and over again stop and start and showing the play in slow motion. After 10 minutes and 120 different camera angles, I am sitting there even more confused than I was before the replay was even shown. What I am trying to say is sometimes these plays are close and it is hard to tell which way the call should go even with the replay.

I will admit there is a problem with the home run calls however. The best solution moving forward can be what MLB does in playoff games and that is adding an umpire down the RF and LF lines for regular season games as well. This keeps the human element in the game and allows for more accurate calls.

Adding replay will slow down the game and will not guarantee that the call is accurate 100 percent of the time anyway. I know Bud Selig is on my side and I hope he is not persuaded by these people who would go as far as to have robots umpiring the game. There is something about the human element in sports and I think Baseball should do whatever it takes to keep it.

Goodbye, Shockey

I guess I'm supposed to be upset? It's not that I didn't like Shockey. I loved the guy. He was filled with passion, he was wild, he was an excellent blocker, and I loved watching him go at it with some of the cheating safeties in the NFC East. Still, he was a complainer, and he was legitimately detrimental to Eli Manning. I'm not saying the Giants won the Super Bowl because Shockey wasn't there, but they definitely wouldn't have won if he had been there.

Something happened last season, and I'm not attributing it to Shockey's absence, but something changed late last year. This team became a team, and Eli Manning became the leader of this team. Shockey going down did a few things to the team. First, you brought a guy in, Kevin Boss, who was desperate to make a name for himself, and was playing with superstars around him when he was a rookie. Big difference in attitude from Shockey. Second, as well as Boss played last season he wasn't as good a run blocker as Shockey. He definitely couldn't push-pull, and run out for the pass. He isn't anywhere near as athletic as Shockey, but he does make up for that by falling into coach Coughlin's line, and playing hard. But, Boss's inability to go out for the pass, forced the Giants to use him as a blocker more often. This did two things. One, it opened the door for the two-headed demon that is Jacobs and Bradshaw. Second, when Eli was throwing the ball, he started to really air it out deep. The Giants started spreading the field a lot more often, and going into three-receiver sets with Steve Smith. By the time the Super Bowl came, the Giants were a well oiled scoring machine.

Now, the Super Bowl season is over, and the team has been handed over to Eli. New season, bring Shockey back, right? Well, I don't know. He's been making more noise this summer than I'd like, especially considering his new role in the team. On top of that I don't know how much the Giants need him anymore. At this point they are so deep at wide receiver, they really don't need a guy like Shockey who likes to turn himself into a deep threat. They need a hard-nosed, blocker/short range guy, ala Kevin Boss. Between Plaxico, Amani, Manningham, Moss, Steve Smith, and Tyree, why on Earth do the Giants need Jeremy Shockey?

My only problem with the trade was that it was done AFTER the draft. This trade was on the table before the draft, and the Giants said no, I really don't know what changed to make them say yes now. Ostensibly, this trade is going to make the Saints significantly better, so shouldn't they have done the trade to get the last draft picks. Either way, I put my faith in Jerry Reese, the man is brilliant.
So now that we have all that out of the way, I do want to say thank you and good bye to Jeremy Shockey. My man was dominant for his 6 years here at the Meadowlands, and his wild lifestyle, and crazy celebrations will be missed by me. His 4.5 td's and 700 yards per season though...that can be replaced.

Greg Norman Diary

Look, I know this is a rip-off. I understand that, I'm doing this in full knowledge that I did not come up with this concept. It isn't original at all, but it is enjoyable. Odds are if you are reading this sports blog, you probably read a lot of sports writing. And if you read a lot of sports writing, you probably read Bill Simmons. So without wasting any more time, here is a running diary of Greg Norman's final day at the Open Championship.

9:20 am- The only reason I am even up this early is because I was so bored yesterday that I went to bed at around 12. That's an early night here at Casa del Sami. Either way, I woke up early enough for the Open, so why not watch it. The Shark is paired up with Paddy Harrington so here we go folks.

9:22 am- The Shark tees off on 1...and it is an absolutely lovely shot right down the middle of the fairway. No jitters on the opening tee shot, we're lookin' good.

9:23 am- They haven't stopped talking about the nervousness and jittery feeling Greg Norman MUST be feeling. Imagine if everything you did you knew people were talking about how jittery you must be feeling?

9:25 am- I love this commercial for ESPN radio with Michael Kay. "I AM A BRO-BOT"

9:27 am- Here goes Greg's number 2...an immediate "Oh No" and we're in the bunker folks! They immediately follow that shot with a graphic showing Greg's 8 times leading a major after 54 holes. That's kind of like ending up in bed with 8 super-models, and getting thrown out of that bed 5 times. Would you be happy with that ratio?

9:30 am- Paddy Harrington lays it down on 1 with a beautiful shot to set up par. Dead on and perfect, your shot Mr. Norman.

9:31- Norman crawls out from the bunker onto the green, tough putt for par coming up. Looks like that 2 stroke lead is about to be a 1 stroke lead.

9:33- Norman's par putt juuuuuust runs past the hole. 1 Stroke difference between Norman and Harrington.

9:38- Norman's tee shot off 2, and we're in the gallery! Lands in what looks to be some pretty ridiculous shrubbery/weeds. Not lookin' good shark, not good at all.

9:41- Still not on the green from the second shot, but not in the rough either. Looks recoverable.

9:42- Harrington's shot lands perfectly on the green, he'll have a nice putt for birdie.

9:44- Shark looks in good shape to save par. Meanwhile, KJ Choi and Ben Curtis are making sure that this is only a two horse race by doing everything in their power to give this tournament away. Good stuff guys!

9:45- Harrington just missed his birdie putt by about an inch, so we're not tied yet...yet being the operative word.

9:47- Shark misses about a 4 foot par putt, and opens the round with back to back bogey. You think this is in his head at all? We're all tied up at Royal Birkdale ladies and gentlemen.

9:50- I'm going to take this quick minute here to talk about Dark Knight. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it immediately. Heath Ledger legitimately scared me. More on this later on, but seriously go check it out.

9:52- Norman's shot off 3 lands somewhere in the medium rough, Mike Tirico's only words, "We'll try to find where that landed, certainly a shaky start for Mr. Norman." Yeah, good observation Mike, on a similar note, it is also windy in England.

9:54- They just called Colin Montgomerie one of the greatest players of all time, I'm sorry what? I didn't know you could never win a major and be one of the greatest of all time.

9:55- Norman lands short on his 3rd shot, still has an opportunity to save par. At this point even I want him to make it, it wouldn't be fun to write this if the guy is out before we get to the back 9. Paddy Harrington immediately follows up by landing straight into the bunker.

9:57- Mike Tirico opens up a panel discussion about what it feels like to choke. It would have been great if they could have brought together a team of choke artists for this one. I'd love to hear Dan Marino and Jim Kelly's opinions on Greg Norman right now, can someone arrange this?

9:59- Harrington is in a miserable bunker on 3 right now, I don't even know how he has his feet set in that way...AND IT JUST SKIPS PAST THE HOLE! This guy is good, and he's coming hard after the Shark right now.

10:01- Wow! Harrington hits a tough par putt and is playing perfect championship golf right now. Norman's par putt is a little shorter, and immensely important.

10:02- He missed his par putt. Norman is one stroke behind after three straight bogeys. I kind of feel bad for the guy at this point. He just can't sink a decent putt, you get the feeling if he can just par one of these he'll be alright.

10:05- Nice par 3 hole coming up on 4 here. Harrington gets a nice lie on the green to start it off. Norman's shot is not as nice, but he's on the green. Tough putts coming up for both guys here.

10:10- Norman's birdie putt sails past the hole, but it was a good putt nonetheless. Harrington has an opportunity to open up a 2 stroke lead, and he shanks it to the right of the hole.

10:12- Norman pars for the first time today, and everyone lets off a huge sigh of relief.

10:13- I'm pretty confused as to why ABC continues to play Irish music going in and out of breaks. Do they know that Scotland and Ireland are different? Do they care? Do they not know about the whole thing with Ireland and Britain, or did they just choose to ignore it? I'm just saying, if it was the World Series and they were playing Mexican music in and out of the break, people would be pretty upset.

10:15- Norman just smiled for the first time. He followed that by whipping out his driver and whaling on the ball. Alright, everybody the Shark is alive and well. You're watching ESPN on ABC and here is some more Irish folk music because we don't know what else to play!

10:20- Harrington just hit the back of the green, he has to cross over a ridge that could be defined as a legitimate hill in the middle of the green. Norman follows up to come just short of the green, on the fringe. Honestly, I'd rather be there then where Harrington is.

10:22- Perfect putt by Harrington lands inches away from the hole. Quick side note, there are a couple of amateur's playing today for the first time in a while, this kid Chris Wood has serious chops though. It's a good time watching them play for fun, and he's puting up a good run right now.

10:24- Norman doesn't really judge the break right and misses his birdie putt, par keeps pace with Harrington, though. Plenty more golf to play here.

10: 27- Norman's tee shot on 6 went into the heavy stuff. He's going to need a machete to get through that stuff.

10:29- They can't even find the ball. They're discussing him even being able to get it out at this point. He was able to lash it out onto the fairway, but his next shot isn't going to be so easy. Potential for double bogey here is really high, triple isn't out of the realm of possibility either.

10:35- Norman gets it on the green with his 4th shot, and leaves himself a makeable putt. Harrington is going to have an opportunity to absolutely bury Norman with his 60-foot birdie putt here.

10:37- Harrington leaves it about 3 feet short, and sinks it for par. Norman makes an absolutely MASSIVE putt on 6 to save bogey. For those of you keeping track, Harrington is at +4, Norman at +6, and a few jokers behind that. One guy who is actually playing extremely well is that Amateur Chris Wood. He's now at +7, and is becoming a legitimate threat to catch the top two.

10:42- I think Harrington just killed someone with his tee shot on 7. Get the stretcher out! Chris Wood immediately follows my comments about his play by landing a shot somewhere in Northern Ireland. Well, that was fun while it lasted.

10:43- Norman knocks one just short of the green, better shape than Harrington, but the Shark needs to hit that green to start making up strokes on the defending champ.

10:45 Cool montage of Sergio choking last season. Completely forgot that Harrington landed in the drink twice, and Sergio still couldn't sink that last putt. I like this Harrington guy though, he seems like someone I'd like to have a few beers with, even though his teeth frighten me.

10:48- Norman is going to wedge it up from the outer fringe onto the green. If he can do it just right he has a shot...left it just short.

10:50- The wind just robbed Harrington of par, and Norman is going to have a chance to pick up a stroke with about a 3 foot putt. Norman sinks it, and pulls a stroke up on Harrington.

10:51- Ian Poulter is wearing pink pants and a big stupid visor with his hair spiked through it. He couldn't look more gay if he was wrapped in a rainbow flag. With that said here's some Dropkick Murphy's as we go into the break. IRELAND AND ENGLAND ARE TWO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES!

Short Intermission (Breakfast..I'm hungry)

11:02- We're back on the 8th here and both Harrington and Norman are on the green already.

11:06- Norman's birdie putt for a share of the lead comes up a few inches to the right of the hole. Harrington is going to be putting for par with a little more in front of him than he probably wanted.

11:07- Another huge missed opportunity for Harrington. He bogeys 8 and that pulls him and the Shark even as we go into the 9th hole. This is starting to get really exciting.

11:10- Norman swings the big boy on 9. Some comments on how he doesn't have to go for birdie and should be settling for par. For the most part I agree, but I think that when someone is comfortable with the driver you have to go for it. Champions are aggressive when the opportunity is there.

11:13- ABC just started playing bagpipes. Not Irish fiddler music, so it's a little closer to home. Still, they couldn't find an Oasis or Beatles album to play? Bagpipes in England

11:16- Norman has a huge advantage on the second shot here on the 9th. Wow Harrington just whipped it into the middle of nowhere, he's in a bit of trouble. Norman should play it nice and easy here and just get on the green. The Shark's getting a little lucky.

11:17- I think I hate Ian Poulter. He's 2 strokes behind the lead through 12 holes. Aside from his ridiculous clothing, he's got this air of cockiness about him that I just don't appreciate.

11:19- Harrington knocks it short onto the green. He's set himself up for a tough par putt. If he misses this it's going to be three straight bogeys to finish the front 9. That is not championship golf.

11:20- Poulter just missed a birdie putt to bring it realllllllly close. I am standing and cheering. I hate this guy. Norman's putt comes up a little short on a longgggg birdie putt. He'll make par easily though.

11:22- Harrington missed his par putt, that puts Norman back in the lead by 1 stroke heading into the back 9. By the way, they just showed us a picture of some people in the stand and in the gallery. People are wearing full parkas, they're dressed like its a playoff game in Lambeau. Is it really that cold out there right now? I understand there's 35 mph winds, but still we're talking about mid-July in England, not January in Ottawa.

11:26- "I AM A BRO-BOT"...still not getting old.

11:28- I don't know why these guys are giving Norman so much grief for using his driver. He whipped it out again on 10, and it's been working well for him the last few holes. I say let the big dog eat, and leave the Shark alone.

11:31- The ball landed somewhere near the fans, I really have no clue where it went. Either way Ian Poulter just missed another birdie putt and I couldn't be happier. He's hitting steady par at this point.

11:32- Harrington just punched out a nice shot to get a good lie on the green for a birdie opportunity. He hasn't hit the green in regulation in the last few holes.

11:33- The last four groups are +30 so far today. Mmmmm, British Open golf. Norman just hit a shot that rolled a few feet past the hole. Looks like Harrington will have an opportunity to pull even again.

11:36- Harrington juuuust misses a 13 foot birdie opportunity. Harrington dodges a bullet that could have been a stroke penalty if the Brits decided it to be so. Luckily for him, they're just going to make him play it. (The ball rolled about an inch after he picked up his marker.)

11:38- Norman missed his par putt. Again, Harrington gets a chance to become co-leader. Norman makes a little tricky putt to make bogey. The wind is really becoming annoying at this point. It's starting to carry balls on the green, I can't even imagine how difficult that is.

11:44- Harrington tees off on 11 and winds up just left of the first bunker. He set himself up for a decent 2nd shot, definitely still thinking par. Norman just pulled out the Driver again, and I love it. I started the day rooting against Norman, but at this point I'm loving the guy. Knocked it right down the middle of the fairway, beautiful shot.

11:48- Harrington gets it on the green, but leaves himself with an extremely long putt. Meanwhile, Poulter is putting for birdie and a share of the lead, and he came up short. If he somehow comes out on top today, I'm going to be extremely disappointed.

11:49- Norman left himself with roughly the same putt as Harrington. I love when this happens.

11:52- Harrington's putt leaves about 3 or 4 feet shy of the hole. These short putts are what have been eating people alive all day. P.S. Sergio Garcia just closed his tournament out at +17. Yeah, he's a great golfer.

11:56- Norman came oh-so-close to sinking a gorgeous Tiger-like birdie putt. He's definitely playing the better golf right now. The commentators still won't stop harping on Norman's insistence to use the driver. I just don't get why they think they'd be so much better off? It's not like Norman isn't hitting the green in regulation, he hasn't even gotten into trouble with the driver. I hate commentators. They both sink par putts and move on to 12.

12:01- Par 3 on 12. I'm guessing he won't use the driver this hole. Harrington hits it just past the green, and Norman lands well in front of the green. Looked like the wind just sucked the life out of it.

12:04- Poulter just made a gorgeous birdie putt to take a share of the lead. I'm furious about this, and he's going into 17. They just showed a Poulter quote from January 31. His quote was that when he plays to his full potential, which of course he never has yet, he's just as good as anyone else. When he does get there he says, "It will be just me and Tiger." Yeah, I really can't stand this guy. I don't condone cursing on the Pine, but @#%$ this piece of %@!#.

12:05- Norman is up on the green, and putting for par, and it just barely rings out. His last two putts have been dead on and just barely carried out of the cup. Harrington sinks his par putt and now the new co-leaders are Harrington and Poulter.

12:07- If Greg Norman is Greg Norman, he'll fold up like a cheap suit right here. Either he bogeys 3 of these last 5 holes and does what we expected him to do, or he stays alive to the end and shocks the world. Either way, I'm still not thinking of Tiger Woods.

12:08- Great commerical for Top Flight with Kenny Mayne, "Hey Longzilla, what the hell are they feeing you anyways?" Good stuff from Kenya Manski.

12:09- Another Mayne commercial for top flight. This time we get, "Hey Franken-Golfer, when are you due back at the lab." Can't make that stuff up...

12:11- Norman misses the first two bunkers, but lands in the worst one. Miserable lie in a miserable bunker, not feeling so good about hitting the green from here.

12:12- Poulter is playing the best golf on the course today. It hurts me to write that, but it's true.

12:14- Harrington hits a 5 iron absolutely perfect to land it about 10 feet from the pin. The pressure is on the Shark right now, and I don't like his chances.

12:15- Poulter is putting for eagle right now, and the opportunity to start running away with it. He left it way short, thank God. If I see this bum holding up a trophy I'm going to riot.

12:16- Commentators are openly ripping into Norman at this point. "Poor decisions, his execution hasn't been great, and now he's walking with his head down." This poor old man can't do anything right.

12:19- Poulter is putting for birdie on 17 and the outright lead. He missed, excellent. Norman comes back with a beautiful shot to get on the green.

12:20- Harrington is going for birdie and the outright lead, he sinks it. Harrington +6 through 13, Poulter +7 through 17, Norman +9 through 13. More Irish music from the people at ABC, I think it's just about over for our elderly friend.

12:24- Harrington lands on the green, little longer than he probably would have liked, but at this point he just has to par out.

12:25- Poulter gets lucky in stopping short of a bunker on 18. Norman tees off on the same par 3 as Harrington and lands in the bunker. It's not official, but I think you can call it a day for Greg Norman.

12:28- Poulter comes short of the green on 18, and it doesn't look like he'll be able to do anything better than par. Norman comes out of the bunker and hits it way right of the hole.

12:30- I think I just saw Jared from the Subway commercials wearing a Yankee hat in the gallery, and applauding Poulter. I think I've had nightmares about that same situation.

12:31- Norman just sank a miracle putt for par on 14 that sent roars out to 18 where Chris Wood and Poulter were. Harrington sank his par shot as well. Harrington maintains a 3 stroke lead with 4 holes of golf to play. I'm no mathematician, but the odds don't seem to be in favor of the Shark.

12:34- Norman hits an absolute beauty with his driver down the line on 15. As much as I like Harrington, and I really like the idea of consecutive Open Champions, it would be awesome to see a 53-year old guy win this thing.

12:36- Poulter is putting for par on 18, tough shot coming up. If he wants even a decent shot at winning this thing, he has absolutely got to make this putt. Needless to say, I am rooting against him. It's taken him roughly 2 minutes just to line it up. He makes the putt, though. He finishes the day at +7, 1 stroke behind the lead. He's also earned a new hater today.

12:39- They just showed the lottery drawing. When did it happen that we started playing lottery on the weekends? The number came up 007...that's kind of awesome. Still, can someone let me know when it started happening that lottery was played on the weekends? What is going on in this God-less society of ours?

12:42- Norman's second shot on the par 5, this is his last chance desperation effort. He hits the bunker left of the green. Tirico has confirmed my opinion, probably his last chance of the day. This tournament is in the hands of Padraig Harrington at this point.

12:47- Harrington is all smiles, hits a beautiful putt to line up birdie for himself. He's just playing solid, safe golf.

12:48- Norman just took an absolute face full of sand. He hit a perfect shot, but the sand jumped right into his mouth. Poor guy, loses the Open and then gets a pile of sand in the mouth. Why don't they just hump his grandmother and pour sugar in his gas tank while they're at it. (By they, I mean the golf Gods, who seem to own this guy's life. Seriously, go back and watch this round of golf, he didn't do anything to warrant losing this tournament. He played such solid golf through 3 days, and even today he had a couple bad breaks putting...I'm just genuinely upset for the guy.)

12:49- Norman sinks his putt for birdie. So does Harrington. Harrington +5, Norman +8, three holes to play. We're going to need a miracle here...either that, or Tiger Woods is going to have to finish the tournament for the Shark.

12:51- Conversation with Chris Wood. Seems like a good enough kid. 6'5" English amateur, and he's only 20 years old. Former footballer who used to get injured too often so he stopped playing. The guy interviewing him also pointed out that he's a scoreboard watcher, I like that. Too bad he's an amateur, that's a lottttttta prize money. Incredibly enough, he remembered the Justin Rose shot from ten years ago, and he even recognized that he almost had the same shot in the same position. Cool stuff, I like the historical knowledge from the kid.

12:54- Norman and Harrington hit nearly identical shots off the tee on 16. Norman better start praying.

12:58- Harrington lands in a position to give himself a good birdie opportunity. Norman needs to hole this shot or hope Harrington's wrist just falls off. I'm rooting for both.

1:00- Really depressing graphic about Norman just came up, highlighting all of his collapses. Only one win after leading for 54 holes. He's had some absolutely awful fourth rounds, and this is one of them. Seriously depressing stuff. At least he makes nice shirts.

1:02- Harrington putting for birdie, really taking his time. He knows what's at stake if he makes this, and he falls a few inches short of the cup. Norman has a birdie opportunity here to pull within 2 shots with 2 holes to play here. This will pull him tied with Poulter for 2nd.

1:03- Norman comes up less than about 6 inches short of the cup, on what must have been close to a 15 feet putt. That pretty much sums up his day. Harrington and Norman both come away with par on 16, and they're on to the par 5 over on 17.

1:05- In case you were wondering, there is the potential for a playoff today. They just showed Poulter keeping warm by taking a few practice swings. Harrington Bogeyed, Eagle, Birdied 17 the last 3 days. So we could see a bit of a score swing here, but I think he'll probably play it safe and land with a par.

1:07- Greg Norman's last chance. Odds are we will never see this guy play this well, this deep into a major again. Passing of a legend. It's weird to stop and think that one day we'll be going through this same routine for Tiger Woods...sans the choking part.

1:11- Cool little montage about the Claret Jug. I gotta say, it's a great trophy. I'd much rather have the Jug than the green jacket. I'm not saying the Open is better than the Masters, I'm just saying it's a really cool trophy. It's a classier version of the Stanley Cup, and who doesn't like that.

1:12- Tricky shot into some crosswinds for Harrington. He has a chance to screw it up here, let's hope he does. The ball just barely carried over the bunkers, and he lands it a few feet away from the pin to give himself a great opportunity for Eagle, and most likely to win the tournament. Honestly, a guy hits a shot like that, he deserves to be champion. Maybe the best shot of the day. I know there were some nicer shots, but with the amount of importance, and the risk of the shot, and the aggressive attitude he took over by taking it; it just made it the kind of shot that perfectly describes a golf champion. I love what this guy did here.

1:13- Greg Norman's second shot is not as nice...kind of like Padraig Harrington's teeth.

1:15- Sheer disappointment on Norman's face, the dude is going to finish wayy below what I even thought today. I knew there was a good shot at him choking, but goodness me, this was bad.

1:17- Norman just missed ANOTHER good, long putt. This guy can't catch a break.

1:18- One of the commentators just brought up a great point. Should there be an asterisk next to Padraig Harrington's name? I know we can't do that in reality, but does anybody respect this victory when Tiger isn't even in the field? I know that it's a little tainted for me.

1:22- Harrington sank his eagle putt on 17, Norman made par. That puts Harrington at +4 through 17, Poulter +7, and Norman +8.

1:23- I couldn't care less about this hole, I'm just waiting for them to finish out and hand off the Jug. So, I'll take a little bit of time to talk about The Dark Knight. I thought it was the best depiction of Batman so far. It was everything Batman is supposed to be about. The acting from everybody involved was dead on. Even Eric Roberts played the mob boss well. I really liked Aaron Eckhart, and especially thought that his depiction of Two-Face was dead-on. Without revealing too much about the movie, the only problem I had with the Two-Face storyline was that it really should have been drawn out into the next film. I think Nolan could have shortened this film down a good 30 minutes, and focused on two-face in the next installation. However, I'm not sure if Two-Face as a villain can carry a film, especially the way Heath Ledger's Joker character did this time around. The film production was beautiful, excellent special effects, and the Joker's character was written exactly the way he's supposed to be. Not too far over the top, not too straight-faced. Some dark humor, mixed with some psychotic attitude, and some hideous facepaint. Easily the best super-hero film, and I think it warrants mention with some of the best films of the year, period. Back to the golf.

1:29- Both players are on the green now, Harrington's shot literally dribbled just past the cup. Mike Tirico has been ready to hand this trophy off for the last 3 holes.

1:30- Program Alert: If you are looking for the Honda Indy 200, the flag goes up at 2:05. Also, please stop following motorsports and taking up quality air time.

1:35- So close Greg, so close. Honestly, I know he choked again, and a lot of people are going to be talking about it. (He just rimmed out of another cup, and is getting a massive round of applause. He closes the day out at +9) Still, this guy deserves a helluva lot of credit. He's 53 years old! That is ridiculous for him to be competing this deep into such a big tournament. I'm not going to rip into him too much, even though he shot a 77 today. Today I commend Greg Norman. He whipped out the big dog, he tried to go for the win, and he came up short. Good story, and the game will miss him.

1:37- Padraig Harrington wins by shooting a gorgeous 69 on the last day. He closes out with a +3...second place was +7. Wonderful performance Paddy, I'm rooting for you. Thanks for reading guys, hope you enjoyed the first article in a few weeks from me. I apologize I haven't been around as much lately, was really busy. We'll be back to regular programming starting today though, with a new G vs. Sami.

July 16th Power Rankings

The All Star break is done and we can finally get back to playing Baseball (its amazing that three days feels like a month). Looking at the first half the top 3 and bottom 3 teams are clear, but the rest is a mess.

In the Words of the Joker. And....Here....We......GO....

No.	Team	Last Week
1.	Red Sox 57-40- After getting swept by the Rays, they have battled their way back to first place in the AL East. This is the best team in Baseball from top to bottom and deserve the number 1 spot.	2
2.	Angles 57-38-They cant stop pitching the ball. The AL West will be over by September 1.	4
3.	Cubs 57-38- Rich Harden? Didn’t they learn anything from Mark Prior and Kerry Wood? If he stays healthy they will be playing late in October.	1
4.	Rays 55-39- Are they spiraling out of control? I think with the pitching they have they aren’t, but I am less confident than I was two weeks ago.	3
5.	White Sox 54-40- Danks is a stud and Konerko coming back will help the offense. They are a good team and well managed, but do they have enough pitching to hold of the Tigers?	10
6.	Twins 53-42- Justin Morneau is the MVP of the AL in the first half, but they lack pitching to keep up this pace. However this team always does and may just prove me wrong.	6
7.	Brewers 53-43- Wow! The Milwaukee Brewers making trade to acquire players! Great move getting Sabathia…now just comes signing the hefty lefty.	9
8.	Mets 51-44- They are on fire winning 9 in a row. Jose Reyes was the biggest All-Star snub and the MVP of this team in the first half. They need to acquire a corner outfielder to make any noise in October.	14
9.	Cardinals 52-43- With the acquisitions of Harden and Sabathia by their rivals they seemed to have missed the bus.	8
10.	Yankees 50-45- Matsui and Damon are out for a while and there are two teams ahead of them. Mark my words today…The Yankees will miss the playoffs!!	7
11.	A’s 51-44- I give tons of credit to Billy Beane for realizing they are not a World Series team and trading Harden.	5
12.	Phillies 52-44- Playing .500 is not going to get it done in the NL East. They have another run in them with those hitters, but I can’t stress the lack of pitching enough.	12
13.	Tigers 47-47 – I may have gotten a little too excited last time making them 11th with a sub .500 record, but I still love this team. Verlander will carry them in the second half.	11
14.	Rangers 50-46- What a performance by Josh Hamilton at the Derby. He, along with Young, Kinsler and Bradley make up a scary lineup. If not for the Rays, this would be the team to talk about in the AL.	15
15.	Marlins 50-45- Surprisingly they have hung around with the Mets and Phillies, but that won’t last.	16
16.	Blue Jays 47-48- Roy Halladay is as close to old school as MLB has these days. They are 12-9 since Cito Gaston took over, but losing Veron Wells again is going to hurt them.	20
17.	Diamondbacks 47-48- Webb and Haren will carry them to 81 wins and an NL West title.	17
18.	Dodgers 46-49 - They have played better of late, but lack the big hitter in their lineup to catch the snakes.	22
19.	Orioles 45-48- Even though they are in the cellar, it has been a nice first half overall for Dave Trembley’s team.	13
20.	Braves 45-50 – OOOOOOOOH OOOOOH OOOH OH (Tomahawk Chop) NOOOOOO NOOO NO NO PLAYYY OFFFFFFS (Tomahawk Chop).	18
21.	Reds 46-50- Junior’s run at Sosa and the top 5 of the HR list is the only excitement in Cincinnati this summer. Too bad he won’t be playing there for too much longer.	26
22.	Pirates 44-50- Jason Bay sees the light at the end of the tunnel to get out of Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers can’t come soon enough.	19
23.	Astros 44-51- Lance Berkman is chasing a Triple Crown, but they are in dead last. It will be a long road back to the World Series for this franchise.	24
24.	Royals 43-53- As expected, playing AL games again has brought them back to Earth. Their only goal in 08 is staying out of the basement.	21
25.	Rockies 39-57- Trading Matt Holliday would be a huge mistake. They will play better in the second half, but no magical run this year.	27
26.	Indians 41-53- Great trade dealing C.C who they were not going to sign anyway. Matt LaPorta is going to be a star for years to come.	23
27.	Giants 40-55 – They are only 6 back, but they are going no where. Tim Lincecum is having a Cy Young year and will be among the best pitchers in the game for many years.	25
28.	Mariners 37-58- Great move cutting Riche Sexson. I bet the Super Sonic-less fans in Seattle are excited to see who is next.	30
29.	Padres 37-58- For some reason I hate this team and their ugly uniforms and hope they lose 100 games	29
30.	Nationals 36-60-…	28