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Dontrelle Willis and Jon Garland:
7 starts, 7 wins: Who will blink first? In must-see
MLB today, D-Train (7-0) pitches vs. L.A. and Garland
(7-0) throws vs. Texas. (He needs a nickname.)
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The Lead Item
Two Words For You:
THEY'RE. BACK!
Make it stop. Please.
Someone stop the Yankees, before they win again.
Nine straight?!
Two weeks feels like forever: Was it so long
ago that we gleefully sat shotgun on the Yankees'
plummet into last place in the AL East?
Apparently, that's as bad (or as good) as it's going
to get this season; hope you remembered how it felt.
The future looks bleak for Yankee-haters.
The thing is, the team has all the same things wrong
with it that it did two weeks ago – old players,
ineffective pitching, Jason Giambi. What changed?
Well, one of those old players (Tino Martinez) put the
team on his back. Even Bernie Williams got into it,
hitting a grand slam on Monday to beat Seattle.
It also helped that they got away from Yankee-killing
Tampa and moved on to Oakland and Seattle, two of the
AL's more pitcher-friendly lineups.
Maybe the crosstown rival Mets can stop them this
weekend.
Looking ahead even further: Don't even think about
the prospects of a sizzling Bronx team hosting the Red
Sox a week from Friday.
Yes, they're baaaack. Help us all.
NBA: "Pivotal" G5s
80 percent of teams that win Game 5 of
a 2-2 NBA playoff series go on to advance. With that
in mind ...
Let's think back to the Spurs' last experience with a
Game 5 in the conference semifinals.
There was the Tim Duncan game-winner (or so we
thought), followed by a capital-S "Shot" from L.A.'s
Derek Fisher that effectively broke the Spurs.
Up 2-0 in the series, the Spurs lost four straight to
the Lakers, with the Game 5 finish becoming the defining moment of the 2004 playoffs.
Even given how clinically the Spurs go about their
business, you'd have to imagine that the Spurs won't
forget.
Don't expect a let-up, even with 0.4 seconds left to
play.
Chapman Reaction
It was mid-1980s Kentucky: Does
anything surprise you, even a "ban" on interracial dating?
"Bad Judgment" was an official wing of the Athletics
Department.
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CHECK OUT THE QUICKIE EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING! |
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| WHO'S GOT THE MOMENTUM ... |
Chris Webber: Calls newspaper report of rift with AI "lie"
U.S. Open: Changing court color from green to blue. Cool!
Kiki Vandeweghe: Eyeing the Cavs' top job? (via NY Post) |
| ... AND WHO'S GOT NO MO' |
Onterrio Smith: Returns to Vikings practice with new rep
Cubs pitching (yet again): Zambrano has MRI on sore elbow
A's losing streak: Snapped at 8 games (beat Red Sox, 6-4) |
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Glazer vs. Man U Fans
Who else is loving the Man U fans'
allergic reaction to Malcolm Glazer's purchase of
their team?
Not that I fault him for doing it: The team is one of
the most valuable sports properties on the planet.
It's a great business move.
But imagine if, say, French billionaire
Francois Pinault bought the Green Bay Packers. Now
imagine the fan backlash in Wisconsin.
You can't find that kind of fansanity every day.
That's why this story is worth following, even if you
don't care about soccer.
Coming Wednesday: What can Glazer do to win
over the fans? (Send your ideas via the "Email Us"
link at the bottom of the page.)
Congress/Roids
Selig uses Congress: Flips the script
and tells the union that if they don't support his
50/100/Life plan, he'll support Congress' idea for a
federally mandated two-year ban on first
offenses.
NBA up next: No players have yet agreed to show
up on Thursday for the NBA's PT in D.C. (Call it
"Puff, Puff, Passing.")
Maybe the players are worried that Congress will ask
about more than steroid testing?
Huggins Done?
Cincinnati declines to renew his deal after 2006-07
season. Maybe he'll look elsewhere; maybe he'll go to
the NBA.
The one thing we know for sure? Graduation rates will
go up. (Hey, they can't get any worse.)
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Ford's Draft Math
The next six weeks, Chad Ford's Insider
reports are must-read for anyone who loves the run-up
to the NBA draft.
I won't spoil his rankings of all the underclassmen
who declared, but he finally put some numbers on what
we all knew was crazy math:
49 players are vying for 30 first-round draft slots.
The bright side for the NBA? The NBDL will get a
talent boost.
Ohio State Busted?
Nine NCAA violations in men's and women's basketball and football? Sure, we all knew
it was coming, but it's a good moment to re-spark a
good idea:
It's time to shut down Ohio State's athletics.
Just for one year. (Players keep their scholarships,
but competition is cancelled.)
Because the program's out-of-control boosters have
metastasized into a problem so big it has overrun the
institution.
Does it punish everyone, not just the offenders? No
more than the constant barrage of violations and
accusations.
The school needs to get its house back in order, then it
can get back to competing.
The alternative? Some OSU program is headed for a "death
penalty" violation down the road.
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L.A. Angels of ...
California Assembly accuses the Angels of false
advertising. (What, the "of Anaheim" doesn't shout
"We're not REALLY from L.A.!")
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Today on ESPN.com
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| Quickie live! |
| NBA Daily Dime |
| Chad Ford on NBA draft |
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| Don't Try to Take 'Em Over: |  Packers
| Don't mess with Cheeseheads
|  Raiders
| Pry from Davis' cold hand?
|  Knicks
| What a roster/payroll mess!
|  Royals
| Unless you want to spend ...
|  NHL
| | They don't want to hear it |
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More NBA Game 5s tonight: Pacers at Pistons, the
series tied at 2. Indiana has no fear, of course, but
how will they rebound from Game 4?
NCAA tells athletes "buyer beware" when it comes to
dietary supplements. Right, "supplements." (via USA
Today)
Jack Nicklaus watch: British Open will be the last
tournament of his career. Sure to make the first two
rounds must-see, before he misses the cut.
NBA offseason watch: Kenyon Martin had his knee
scoped. Considering that being a high-riser IS his
game, that's a big deal.
MLB's deadline for wannabe owners to submit bids for
the Nats is 5/31. Still time for Malcolm Glazer to get
in on the action! (via Wash Post)
Stop the presses: The NHLPA won't hold its membership
meeting later this month, because there's nothing new
to report. Go figure ...
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