PSoTD

The NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This is about the closest thing to a handy guide for information on ordering tickets for the Final Four.

I watched a little bit of them in exhibition against the 49ers last night, and I have to say, if this is as lifeless as the Bears defense is going to be, then Lovey Smith should get fired by the end of the season, because that was listless.

Is Rashied Davis the only BEAR that is PUMPED Up? I don’t see many players motivated to win. You cannot turn the switch on/off in a blink of an eye. No enthusiasm and intensity, especially on defense. Where is the sense of urgency? Are the Chicago Bears in game mode? Indianapolis awaits - when will the Bears come out of hibernation?

Hey Bears fans - let's not get too excited.

I'll run a freebie on Yahoo for anyone that wants to play along, just email me or post a comment and I'll put you in.

I'm not watching the Olympics except for when it's on at the YMCA while I'm working out, and the one thing that has stood out to me during whatever competitions are on (this morning was women's volleyball) - there's a hell of a lot of empty seats.

Apparently events are sold out but people just aren't going? I saw this happen at the NCAA Men's Basketball first round in Anaheim this year as well, and I think it's truly screwed up. The idea that people can afford expensive tickets - and particularly the good seats that you can see on a televised angle for a sport are good tickets - and don't bother to show up should be unacceptable to amateur sports. I suspect that if you lowered the price of the tickets to something that the average person could easily afford, you wouldn't have this problem.

I knew I couldn't get through a whole season without wanting this.

And now, Brett Favre finds himself in treacherous waters if he decides to play this season after being traded to the Jets. His handling of the situation in Green Bay doesn't allow much expectation of his ability to deal with the media in New York/New Jersey. If Favre chooses to play for the Jets, and things go bad for the Jets this season - and there's really no reason to expect they won't - Favre is going to get eaten alive.

I'm sure I'm in the minority. But I have two contrasting mindsets:

I am a sports fan. I like watching sports.

I dislike what the Olympics has become, and have no interest in watching any of it, and in fact, am sorry that they are preempting reruns for it. And I've attended an Olympics, in 1984 in Los Angeles, and loved it.

But I can't watch the Olympics on TV anymore. In no particular order, here's why I won't watch the Olympics:

Fervent broadcast American nationalism and medal-counting. Rooting for somebody or a team because of what country they are from no longer makes enough sense to me. If there's a compelling story behind an athlete or team, that doesn't depend on the country. Counting medals doesn't make some country "the best" at anything other than the arbitrary standards of this athletic event.

Rampant commercialism.

Rampant elitism. For many of these sports, in America at least, there's no way to compete unless there's access to great amounts of money spent on this pursuit.

Ridiculous focus on few events.

Up Close and Personal. Every 5 minute bio is 5 minutes they could spend actually showing a sport they never show.

No sense of humor.

Bob Costas. I don't know, there's a smugness factor with him at this point that just makes him impossible to watch.

It's boring. There's no build up of a challenge that I can invest in, no push of a sport that I really want to watch that I can't get any other time as a viewer if I really want.

Ken Griffey's trade to the White Sox is old news now, but I just wanted to weigh in. Griffey probably helped sell tickets for a bad team, and kept Cincinnati's faithful interested. But it is impossible to say that the deal to bring him to Cincy was a good deal for the Reds. It just wasn't. It's not that he didn't produce for the Reds when he wasn't injured, and it wasn't that the guys traded for him turned into superstars, although Mike Cameron has always been a pretty good player - and has received more MVP votes since the trade than Griffey has.

No, the problem has been the salary, and everyone has known it. Griffey had to be a monster for at least some of those years in order to justify it, and that never happened. Because it didn't happen, and because of the injuries, the Reds couldn't move him at a reasonable price, either, so he was there, eating salary the whole time. Now, I like Ken Griffey as a ballplayer, and as a person, and if there's going to be a player that the Reds do that for, Ken Griffey is a good choice. But... those decisions kill revenue franchises the size of Cincinnati's, and this one surely looks like it didn't help a team with a horrible record this century.

The main area it hurt, I think, was actually the pitching. The Reds have had one of the worst pitching staffs throughout the zeros. They keep trying to catch lightning in a bottle, bringing in some guy who had some good year or years in the past but most other teams thought was pretty much done, a guy they hoped would be a stud - on the cheap. It almost never worked out, it almost always was a horrible pitching experience:

Eric Milton
Paul Wilson
Cory Lidle
Todd Van Poppel
Joey Hamilton
Shawn Estes

Everyone takes flyers on these kinds of guys, because every once in a while it works out. But the Reds weren't in a position to take a flyer - it HAD to work out, there wasn't much of a backup plan, which you'll recognize if you look at their pitching rosters.

So, I look at the trade as a bittersweet end of a very bad Reds management decision, at least as far as baseball on the field was considered. The Reds got their new ballpark, and they got Griffey's 600th homer, which they didn't even give the Reds' fans the benefit of watching at home. Ken Griffey did what he could, but it was an impossible deal to succeed at, and the injuries took away a lot as well. Good luck Ken, and I hope you get to a World Series some day as a player.

If this Sacramento Kings - Houston Rockets deal goes through, it could be a win-win for both teams. Most of the analysis I see talks about the advantages of it for the Rockets, and I guess it makes sense to do so, since Ron Artest theoretically could put them over the top in the Western Conference... although I really don't believe it. But maybe.

But I think it's a great deal for the Kings, especially if they really like Donte Green. Bobby Jackson would be a decent backup, but the key is, of course, that first round draft pick for 2009. Geoff Petrie knows how to use those.

Even if it's sometimes laced with an expletive.

Fans of old-time baseball know, but you have to read about the early sport IN THE LINGO of those who wrote about the early sport to see the term used. For example.

CBS, who I think was the network that first brought the nation the sports monstrosity that is Brent Musburger, apparently has decided to replace Billy Packer with Clark Kellogg on NCAA basketball games. I just have to say, there is no earthly way as a fan I could see that as being an improvement. I like Packer, and I can't stand Kellogg's announcing. I guess I should be glad it wasn't Musburger instead of Kellogg.

Yawn. I cannot seem to get very interested in them anymore. It's so corporate feeling, with such a garish theme of expense, that it's become a big turnoff to me.

Wonder how the ratings will be...

But I tend to agree with this. If there is one sports location in the United States that is deserving of some sort of historical preservation status, it is Yankee Stadium.

Racial inequalities at pool

772 children in six U.S. cities by USA Swimming and the University of Memphis revealed that six out of every 10 black or Hispanic children couldn't swim.

The survey also found parental influence was the largest contributing factor in his or her child's interest in swimming. Minority children, the survey states, are six times more likely to come from a family where one or both parent haven't learned to swim.

Swimming is a learned, and reinforced, activity. Comfort zone comes from repetition. If your family can't afford to have a pool, doesn't live in a neighborhood that has a pool, doesn't live anywhere near a swimmable body of water, or has finances tight enough to reduce or prevent visits to a community pool, then that activity is not going to get reinforced.

I suspect that there was a time where MOST city dwellers were not good swimmers, mostly because of lack of access to a body of water conducive for swimming. Again, this is class, not race.

Frisbee golf, that is.

I will repeat what I said last month - the Lopez Brothers will be amongst the biggest draft flubs this year. Consider me completely unimpressed with both.

Quincy Douby gets one more year to figure out some real value for the Sacramento Kings. I hope the Kings make an offer to Jason Richards of Davidson fame, though. I also think that Patrick Ewing, Jr., will be interesting for the Kings.

Somebody's going to get a good pickup with Chris Lofton. Not drafted.

The Phoenix Suns are done as a major contender for a while. Old, and it doesn't appear like much help in this draft. Robin Lopez as the 15th pick? Bleh.

Exciting news in the sporting world!

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Candace Parker became the second woman to dunk in a WNBA game and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Indiana Fever 77-63 on Sunday night.

Parker took a pass from Raffaella Masciadri, dribbled the length of the court and dunked with her right hand with 29 seconds to play.

“When I caught the ball and there was an open lane, it was a good opportunity,” Parker said. “I’m happy that I was able to do it in Los Angeles in front of the home fans.”

Lisa Leslie, her Sparks teammate, is the only other WNBA player to do it— throwing a shot down during a game in 2002.

I'm all for women playing basketball but have no idea why they put it on TV. They might as well televise our weekly old guy pickup games. You'll see about the same amount of highlight reel plays. Doesn't two dunks in five years say all that needs to be said?

Sorry, that's an old piece of strato baseball geek lore from my life a long long time ago. If you understand it, you're one of 4 or 5 people in the world, and how the hell are you anyway.

Back to the point - I always liked this guy as a ballplayer.

On June 18, Newark Bears manager Wayne Krenchicki led his team to his 1000th career managerial win with a 7-6 victory over the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, MD. Krenchicki, the second winningest manager in Atlantic League history with 661, has also won games in the Arizona, Midwest, Texas-Louisiana, and Northern Leagues in a managerial career that began with the Milwaukee Brewers organization back in 1991.

what a disaster this guy has been for the franchise. Please, no more very early first round running back or quarterback picks this decade, okay?

Please, let it be true.

I don't think the San Francisco Giants are particularly cool, but this guy is...

But the Stanley Cup game last night sucked me in. Damn if Marc-Andre Fleury didn't put on a show, especially in triple-overtime, in goal. Wow.

He is the NBA's most undermentioned superstar, but the NBA playoffs series with the Lakers may have finally exposed Tim Duncan's age. Whereas in the past he could carry the Spurs for segments of the game, in the series against the Lakers, he was never really that guy. It doesn't help that much of Duncan's inside help are guys even older than him.

Still, as a big guy, Duncan's longevity is admirable. Even greater: how many 6'11 players have had the consistently great seasons, compiled into an 11 year career? Take a look at his career. That is a model of consistency in the NBA that most big guys don't have.

Not sure this is the right economic time for it, but it would a cool business for Central Pennsylvania.

I think I'm going to go 2 for 2 on the baseball front with our kids. I, having been raised in a household of sports fanship, of playing organized baseball until late teens, had been a bit concerned. Was baseball going to be too boring to our kids?

Our daughter proved it not to be for herself, at least at this point. She loves the big league ballpark experience. She loves playing softball. She'll play catch if you ask. She seems to be... invested, at least as much as a 5th grader can be.

But after one year of tee-ball, the youngest wasn't so sold. After last season, he told me he didn't want to play baseball, that he had "already learned it". I explained that he was going to play SOME spring sport, and it was probably a choice between baseball and soccer.

Okay, soccer.

So I explained a bit further - you run a lot in soccer. A LOT.

Okay, baseball.

So, he's now in his second season, and this year, he's into it. The coach gives baseball cards out to the kids who make outs in the field. He's not a bad fielder for his age, so he's been loving that, and I'm enjoying his reading of the cards on the way home. Are 89 BBs good? This guy had 89 in the BBs column. Is that good?

Is he a pitcher or a hitter?

He plays outfield.

That's pretty good, I explain.

He now likes playing catch, just about anytime. Game days he wants to put his uniform on. He keeps asking to do it, usually ends up with it on at least a half hour before we need to go. Then he asks if he should put his cleats on. Over and over and over. He's ready to go.

It's all cool. He wants to play the game, and that feels good to me.

I hope so. Not that he's not useful for the Reds, but they need to clear some salary to build for the future.

After watching this guy in the NCAA tournament in person, I think parts of this assessment is WAY OFF.

C Brook Lopez, Stanford
Stats: 19.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.1 bpg
This may seem like a no-brainer since Lopez is a lock for the lottery, but he probably would have been taken among the first 14 picks last year. Seven-footers with his size and coordination always are in high demand. The difference this time around is that the 7-foot, 260-pounder is good enough to help an NBA team immediately. He developed a couple of go-to moves in the post this past season, allowing him to score consistently when given the ball with his back to the basket. He also became a better rebounder and post defender. Look for him to contribute from Day One with the NBA team that picks him.

His height will put him in demand, but his skills just do not seem that good, and he seems very soft around the basket. In a league which had 81 players on rosters last year of 6'11", he's going to have to play guys his height now.

On the other hand, how many of those 81 in the NBA are stars? Hint: many sit on the bench. Brook will have buddies with him watching the game.

Oh, and btw, how many players in the Pac-10 were 6'11' or taller last year?

12 plus the 2 that were on Stanford. 2 on USC, and Lopez played mediocre against them. He seems to know how to take advantage of his height when that advantage is there for him, but that's about all.

I used to think Steve Kerr was a smart basketball guy, but now I'm REALLY wondering.

We're not going to be represented by an active player in MLB:

Julio Franco is finally calling it a career.

The 49-year-old has retired from baseball, according to a report on The Seattle Times’ web site Saturday.

Franco, who played 23 major league seasons, reportedly made the announcement Wednesday to his Mexican League team - the Quintana Roo Tigers.

“It was the hardest decision in my life,” Franco said in an interview published Saturday by Mexican sports daily Record. “I always said I would be the first one to know the exact moment.

“I think the numbers speak for themselves, the production speaks and this is the right moment. I understand that my time has passed and the great men and athletes know when to say enough.”

Franco last played in the majors in 2007, when he participated in a combined 55 games between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves.

He batted .222 with 16 RBI, creating headlines with his lone home run - a blast that made him the oldest player to hit a homer in the majors.

The Dominican, who played with eight teams during his career in the majors, retires with a .298 average, 2,586 hits and 173 home runs.

Cedric Benson is probably down to a lifeline with playing for the Bears.

Benson was held at Travis County Jail from about 11:30 p.m. Saturday to 3:30 a.m. Sunday. He was released on $14,500 bond.

His future with the team has been uncertain since he fractured his left leg in November, requiring a plate and screws to be inserted to stabilize the leg and ankle. The Bears addressed the position by drafting Tulane's Matt Forte in the second round last month.

"Very disappointed,'' coach Lovie Smith said about Benson on Sunday at Halas Hall. "You try to wait and get as much information before you make a lot of comments about it, and that's what I am going to do. We're always disappointed when we have someone that we're talking about being in trouble with the law.''

I watch horse races constantly and I think this is the first breakdown I've seen since Barbaro. I don't know if that's chance or the better horses are more at risk. Big Brown is a great horse but that was a very sad ending.

Just got back from placing my bets at the York OTB. Mechanicsburg is halfway between there and the track up in Grantville. I figured York would be less of a zoo. But if a meteorite hits that joint today, it will take out most of the gambling degenerates in York County.

Tough to handicap a twenty horse field since the Kentucky Derby is about the only twenty horse field you'll ever see. Big Brown is the class of the race but sharpie wisdom says that he can't overcome his horrible 20th post. The most logical play is to look for inside speed to get ahead of the stampede and go wire-to-wire. Tale of Ekati (#2) and Eight Belles (#5) are the horses that fit that profile best. But a mile and a quarter is long way to go wire to wire in a field of this quality.

Here's what I'm holding in case you need something to root for...

5 6 10 exacta box
10 12 20 exacta box
2 5 17 exacta box
13 20 exacta box

All positive vibes appreciated! If I win, I'll buy you a drink next time I see you.

Hadn't heard of it before, but apparently wallyball is infecting everything now...

There's a new sport known as Arena Softball that is catching on quickly, and as a recent feature story in the Sacramento Business Journal shows, it is becoming a national phenomenon. Founded by Greg Joseph with the help of local business developer Chris Vrame in 2003, the indoor sport has grown immensely in only five years.

The game is played on a regulation softball diamond, and players use all of the softball skills they're used to. The twist is a tight spring loaded net that encloses the entire softball field, so every hit is in play. Although Joseph found it was difficult at first to turn a profit with a new game, Arena Softball is now profitable and has gained interest internationally. The softball-inspired game is in its second season in the Minneapolis suburb of Eagan, Minnesota, and there are advanced plans to take Arena Softball to Hartford, Connecticut and Spokane, Washington. The game even has someone from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates interested.

Arena Softball is still the biggest hit back in Roseville, CA, a city near Sacramento, where it began. According to the Sacramento Business Journal article, there are approximately 800 people coming to the indoor softball complex every day, with 106 different teams playing. Joseph aims to open a second complex in the Pacific Northwest, and a third in Elk Grove or Natomas, California.

We thought our daughter might need a new bat for softball - she's had the same one for a year, she's been growing, and we thought a little more weight on the bat might help her. Glad I read this, it changed my mind.