07/05 (5th of July) Quickie

Casey Anthony not guilty: Really? Seriously?

So I think that the NFL labor impasse is resolved in the next three weeks. If you can hold out until then, I think you'll be rewarded.

As for the NBA, I think you've got a six-month slog ahead of you, so settle in.

But that's not to say there aren't interesting storylines to keep you going.

For example, Derek Jeter returned to the Yankees last night -- same story: Limp offensive contributions. At what point will Yankees fans care more about their team than their Captain and get behind the idea of dropping him to the end of the lineup -- or out of it altogether -- at least against right-handed pitchers, against which he has been brutal.

I know they love him and he's the most popular Yankee ever, but there is serious cognitive dissonance going on with this.

Albert Pujols is back tonight for the Cardinals, three weeks ahead of schedule. Huge playoff implications hanging on whether his wrist looks good or not -- maybe not immediately, but over time.

Bryce Harper elevated to AA, where he'll stay the rest of the 2011 season: He's off to a fast start. He'll crush it there, then play the first two months of 2012 in AAA before getting called up and teaming with Stephen Strasburg to make the Nationals one of the most must-see teams of the spring (perhaps the season, if fans turn out to check out Harper).

Tiger Woods pulls out of British Open: Did you really think he would play? Rory McIlroy is a hell of a story, but when the dominant plotline of your sport is "Will Tiger play or not?" (not even "Will Tiger win or not?"), you have a soft underbelly.

By the way, tennis hasn't been better in a quarter-century, so enjoy it.

MLB Final Vote endorsements: AL -- Paul Konerko. NL -- I am abstaining out of protest for Andrew McCutchen being left off both the original roster THEN the Final Vote options. Vote here.

Great new book out today: Flip Flop Fly Ball by Craig Robinson of the same-named blog, which focuses on cool infographical treatments of baseball.

Now, appreciating odd tennis and golf storylines might not be as satisfying as getting ready for NFL training camp or watching summer league, but either you're making the best of things or you're sitting there focused on the Casey Anthony verdict. I'll take the former, along with a very compelling second half of the baseball season coming up.

Be sure to check out Quickish, which has been rolling along all day today (and yesterday plus the entire weekend, too).

-- D.S.