Thursday 08/16 A.M. Quickie:Donaghy, Offerman, Beckham, Pac-Man, Vick, More!

Tim Donaghy pleads guilty: He's looking at up to 25 years in prison. Gulp. Good luck reffing the games in Cell Block D, where "spreads" and the "over/under" have an entirely new meaning.

Is this scandal behind the NBA now? Hardly. The Donaghy part might be, but the aftershocks will linger, every time a fan screams at an official "What: Are you on the take or something?!?" Which will happen, oh, only 40-50 times PER GAME. (I wonder if NBA fans in the arena will create an unspoken, nationwide social compact NOT to do that, because everyone knows it would be so debilitating to the sport.)

Beckham Scores: Hmm...maybe there's something to his arrival. He scored his first MLS goal (and assisted on another) in a 2-0 Galaxy win over D.C. United. No one was paying attention, but still: Isn't this what MLS paid him all that money to do -- get MLS attention they otherwise wouldn't get?

Vick Watch: His lawyers want him to spend less than a year in jail in exchange for a guilty plea. Prosecutors have him so nailed that they can afford to hold out, but do they want to just get their guy now and be done with it? (The NFL's punishment, on the other hand, is another matter.)

NFL Camping: Holdout CB Darrelle Revis finally signed with the Jets. That guy better be worth it.

MLB Pennant Races: Indians back in first in AL Central, thanks to Studly Fausto Carmona. I haven't been talking much about the day-to-day drama of the various division (and Wild Card) races, but this is the best year anyone I have talked to can remember, in terms of having all of the divisions be up for grabs this late in the season. Let's hope it continues this time next month.

MLB Stud: David Price, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 MLB Draft, who signed a 6Y/$11M deal with the Devil Rays to be the cornerstone of their franchise, which he instantly becomes. Can they/will they get him up to the big-league level before September 1?

(Meanwhile, the Nats gave LHP Jack McGeary, a 6th-round pick with first-round talent who everyone assumed would go to college, a $1.8 million bonus to sign with them, obliterating the slotting system that had him valued around $150K. Bold move for a team that had a tremendous draft haul, that has a terrific batch of young pitching arms in the minor-league pipeline and that has overachieved in the second half of 2007, given the pre-season expectations they would contend for Worst Record Ever. Fun time to be on the Nats bandwagon.)

MLB Dud: Prince Fielder, who was suspended 3 games by MLB (he's appealing).

Jose Offerman: Suspended indefinitely! (Hardly a surprise. Note how you don't hear much from the wing(nuts) of baseball purists who talk about "unwritten rules" that shrugs off the usual violence on the field as "part of the game." (Because that's one of the stupidest notions in sports, ultimately leading to moments like we saw Tuesday night.)

Meanwhile, we live in the Era of YouTube and no one has produced a video clip of the attack yet? What the hell? Get on that, people!

Pac-Man Fever: Well NOW he wants to be a rap star. Truly, he is a talent who knows no boundaries. Get ready for it: Pac-Man's debut "Let It Shine" will be released on August 27. (Obviously, we're all waiting for "Make It Rain 2."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have to give up his iconic No. 8: Numbers matter in NASCAR more than any other sport, if only because of the merchandising and because announcers tend to refer to drivers by their car number. Much like Kobe switching to No. 24 though, this is an opportunity for Junior and his new team to make new dollars off all his fans buying new merchandise with his new number.

Fantasy Football: KSK Keeper Draft Results, if you were curious. (Picking 3rd) L. Johnson (RB); B. Jacobs (RB); A. Johnson (WR); S. Moss (WR); J. Cutler (QB); B. Jackson (RB); B. Watson (TE); J. Horn (WR); Broncos D; S. McNair (QB); A. Vinatieri (K); A. Gonzalez (WR); P. Holmes (RB). (At that point, I had to leave the draft with two picks to go, and the group hazed me by drafting Kenny Irons and the "Houston Oilers" Defense on my behalf.) All in all: Meh.

Big Daddy Drew filed a report over at KSK. What he failed to explain is that I had an episode of "Fantasy Draft Rage." In alternative come-back rounds, Brian from Awful Announcing -- who was picking directly in front of me -- selected (no: STOLE!) not one (Calvin Johnson), not two (Alge Crumpler) but THREE players! (Byron Leftwich was the third).

For Johnson, I was disappointed, but - hey - them's the breaks. When he swiped Crumpler, I lost it, shouting a string of obsenities and threats into the 14-person conference call, all directed AA's way. The rest of the group found this highly amusing. I feel like my draft was ruined. (It didn't help that I didn't have much of a backup plan on any of the picks, with the resulting effect being me blinded by my rage/disappiontment and making a terrible pick.)

Notably, I had never experienced that before. I blame the KSK-fueled environment.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 08/15 A.M. Quickie:Vick, Rizzuto, Cox, Offerman, Keepers, More!

Michael Vick: It's just a matter of time. He's going to cop a plea and go to jail -- or the Feds are going to slap new charges on him and he'll go to jail (for even longer).

The smart money says he takes a plea, does a year or two and hopes everyone forgets about him so he can return to the NFL after a couple years in the pokey. Hell, a few years in jail might even humanize the guy with fans and the league.

Now, if there are ties to gambling (which everyone assumes there are... you don't get into dog-fighting for the humanity alone), Vick will be done. A lifetime ban isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Speaking of copping a plea, Tim Donaghy reportedly will, too. (Perhaps with the pleas behind them, the Vick and Donaghy stories will finally, mercifully, fade from the foreground of fandom.)

RIP, Phil Rizzuto: Condolences to family, friends and fans. Scooter even enjoyed a moment as a pop-culture icon, via Seinfeld, when George lost his Phil Rizzuto keychain in the asphalt, then had to jackhammer it out.

(That episode is close to a classic, with Elaine moving into the janitor's closet in a neighboring building, just to get the exceptional flounder delivered from a local Chinese restaurant. One of the greatest subtle moments in Seinfeld history is when George, carrying a jackhammer and dressed as a construction worker, and Elaine, dressed as a janitor and carrying supplies, pass each other on the street, nod and continue along their way. Holy cow!)

MLB Stud: Bobby Cox sets the MLB record for ejections by a manager. Not quite sure why we would celebrate a milestone of such appallingly poor sportsmanship, but apparently, this is the Summer of MLB Milestones. Not sure if "Ejection 132" has the cachet of "Home Run 756" or "Home Run 500" or "Home Run 600" or "Hit 3000" or "Pitching Win 300."

Baseball Dud: Jose Offerman, who was arrested after charging the mound and smacking the pitcher and catcher with his bat. This was, of course, in an independent league game, which is why it's a "Baseball Dud" and not an official "MLB Dud." But pretty messed up all the same. (OK, where is the YouTube video?!)

NFL Concussion Watch: Who, exactly, is going to call the "Head-Shot Hotline?" (That's not the real name, but the NFL's concussion phone hotline needs a nickname.) Somehow, I imagine someone will call reporting an injury to the player "Amanda Huginkiss."

CFB: I'm not much of a fan of USA Today sports columnist Jon Saraceno, but how can I begrudge him today after he filed such a slurpishly good dual-portrait of the best college football coach and best college basketball coach in America? (Come on: You know exactly who I'm talking about.)

Tiger is going to create and design his own course in the U.S.

Lawsuits: I hope that Rutgers player wins her lawsuit against Don Imus.

Must-Read: Larry Brown Sports has a great interview with Brian from Awful Announcing. Here's the link.

Blog Anniversaries: Happy 6-month anniversary to the Ladies... (God, six months already? The Ladies... are best-known for two things: Being the most popular women sports bloggers online and creating the legendary Hot Bloggers Tournament. And I'm not just saying that because I was a No. 1 regional seed.)

Wow: The DS.com One-Year Anniversary is coming up in two weeks. Yikes!

Fantasy Football: I'm in over my head in the Kissing Suzy Kolber-sponsored Keeper League. I have the third overall pick in tonight's draft. Any specific suggestions as it relates to keeper-league draft strategy? For example, would I take Reggie Bush at No. 3 because I think he'll get even better as years go by? Or do I grab a guy like Stephen Jackson and just play to win now? All thoughts and advice appreciated, via the Comments.

Meanwhile, DS.com reader John is running a study about Fantasy Sports. Click here to fill out a survey he's conducting and help him out.

Meanwhile, have you joined up in any/all of the four football-prediction leagues I have set up? Use the links at the top-right, group name: Daily Quickie Readers. Come on: Join in!

-- D.S.

Tuesday 08/14 A.M. Quickie:Madden 08, Vick, Jaworski, Bonds, Sonics, More!

First things first: Go right over to those links to the right and join up in my four football prediction competitions – two NFL and two CFB. The group name for all of them is the usual: Daily Quickie Readers. Hope you join in. Winner of each gets to write a guest-post on DS.com. (Or, alternatively, maybe a prize that is perhaps a little more enjoyable.)

Next: Click this link to read my Jaguars season preview on Deadspin. As many of you know, I picked up the Jags as my favorite NFL team before last season began. I'm back for Year 2. Consider yourself appropriately appalled.

Madden 08 released today: As I pointed out in the Daily Quickie (I believe in last year's edition on the day Madden 07 was released), the release of Madden has become one of the biggest days of the sports year. It's arguably bigger than any single NFL weekend except the Super Bowl. And it arguably tops any single day's event in any other sport, with the exception of the first two days of March Madness (which, coincidentally, are two days of all-consuming attention, not unlike the first two days you have Madden out of the box).

Vick Watch: Now the other two guys are cutting deals, too. Vick is SO screwed. Doesn't even matter HOW he's screwed. He just is.

Should Vick himself take a plea deal? He probably should, simply to get this behind him (and understanding that he's in a ton of trouble, whether he feels like he did anything wrong or not). Here's the priority: Avoid any association with gambling (which could get him banned from the NFL for life), avoid jail time, take the NFL's punishment (even if it's a year) and, for cripes sake, rehab his image.

How could Vick rehab his image? Once the legalistics are behind him, he can admit how wrong he was, display contrition and become the poster guy for animal care – in particular, being a spokesperson against dog-fighting and other cruelty issues. Give money. Give time. Give celebrity. Create and star in a documentary about it. Write a book about it. Despite the current loathing towards him, I suspect that fans WANT to forgive him – he simply needs to (sincerely) give fans something to hang their forgiveness on.

Related: In an interesting NYT/CBS poll, 36 percent of fans who know about the case think that Vick is receiving preferential treatment. Wow: If what he's getting is preferential treatment, I don't want to see what "throwing the book at him" looks like. Did the local prosecutor bumble the case? Yes. Have the Feds been deliberate? Yes, but that's called "building a case." Has the NFL been lenient? Considering they suspended him indefinitely on nothing more than the indictment alone, not particularly.

MNF Preseason Debut: Last August, on the day of Tony Kornheiser's debut, I suggested he was the best thing to happen to Monday Night Football since Howard Cosell. Unfortunately for all of us, I was a wee bit off. (Cripes: When you make as many boldly superlative pronouncements as I do, you can't be right ALL the time.)

I acknowledge that glaring error in the hopes that you'll forgive me a second straight year of hyperbole, because I was off by one year: Ron Jaworski is the best thing to happen to Monday Night Football since Howard Cosell. "Is it Monday yet?" was brilliant, but here's my 2007 MNF slogan suggestion: "We've put the 'football' back in Monday Night Football."

Broncos 17, 49ers 13: Who's with me that Jay Cutler feels like a late-round steal in your fantasy draft? (Alex Smith will be a late-round bargain, too.)

Bonds Watch: Is 2008 his last year? Needless to say, I don't expect there to be a "Retirement Tour" around the league... although there should be. And any team that wants to juice attendance (home AND road) should sign him. Much like his Home Run Chase, most fans can say they want no part of Bonds, but if you've never seen him in person, you'd be crazy not to attend at least one of his games next season, if only just to tell your kids you did.

Meanwhile, Bonds was greeted with cheers last night in Pittsburgh. Despite the fact that Bonds and Pirates fans have a history together, it illustrates exactly what I've been talking about recently about fans forgiving (if not forgetting) long enough to briefly show appreciation for watching one of the handful of greatest players in MLB history.

MLB Stud: Welcome back, Richie Sexson.

Cal Ripken's new job: He's "special sports envoy" for the State Department. I hope administration spin czar Karen Hughes doesn't simply use Ripken for attempted political gain. But, overall, I really like the idea.

NFL Coaching: Here's to Lane Kiffin's quick and complete recovery from whatever viral infection has got him down right now. Gotta show solidarity for an NFL coach who is younger than me.

Pat Riley to coach another three years: I'll take the under.

Sonics relocation to Oklahoma City: It's all but done, based on some of the talk from the ownership group. Not that anyone shouldn't have seen this coming from the first day that Bennett bought the team.

I feel badly for fans in Seattle. There's a competing feeling: I feel good for the fans in Oklahoma City, who proved they absolutely are fantastic NBA fans when they hosted the displaced Hornets.

So the logical question: How soon can the NBA get a replacement team in Seattle, and which team do they relocate to do it? Could they possibly move the Hornets. It's not like they could make the announcement at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game... in New Orleans. Any other options?

I'm late on this, but... Mark Cuban approves of tanking: It's nice to see him affirm a position I've held for years. Tanking isn't just OK, but in many cases is optimal.

-- D.S.

Shanoff's Jaguars Preview on Deadspin

I'm back for Year 2 of Jags fandom!
Here's the season-preview post on Deadspin.

Monday 08/13 A.M. Quickie:Tiger, Ankiel, Jenks, Vick, Pac-Man, More!

UPDATE: It's that time again! See the "Picks" links to the right to sign up for my annual NFL and CFB predictions games. Same group name as always: DAILY QUICKIE READERS. Tell your friends and join in now!

Just as I was the first to declare that one week in July the "Worst Week in Sports History," let me be the first to declare that happy days are here again. The brutal sports news of last month is long-forgotten:

Old (bad) news: Tim Donaghy, Michael Vick and Barry Bonds. New (good) news: Rick Ankiel, Bobby Jenks and Tiger Woods. (And did I mention that your fantasy football draft is just around the corner?) Yes, there's still Vick and Pac-Man news to talk about today, but there's finally a lot of provocatively good to counter-balance the provocatively bad.

Tiger wins PGA Championship (13th Major title for Woods): So much for this being the year of the No-Name Major Winners. Tiger affirms that it's not a year in golf without a Tiger Major.

(Nicklaus leads Woods in career Majors by 5. What's the over-under on when Tiger breaks that? I'll start the bidding at 2009 for those of you ultra-bullish on Tiger, but won't go any later than 2010.

MLB Stud: Bobby Jenks, who set down his 41st consecutive batter, tying the MLB record. This is a damn impressive streak (and history in the making), friends. I'd qualify this as well worth a live cut-in.

Ankiel Watch: MLB's most endearing story of the season continued this weekend, with Ankiel clubbing his 2nd and 3rd HR of the season on Saturday (that's since Thursday, mind you).

One more MLB Stud: Magglio Ordonez, who became the second Tiger to ever hit two HR in the same inning.

MLB Dud: Eric Gagne. Has done more harm than good since coming over to the Red Sox. It's only August 13 and the Yankees are only 4 games behind in the AL East. Forget the Wild Card: With so many games to play, New York could actually overtake Boston for the division title.

Vick Watch: (Can't be avoided) Yahoo is reporting that it's looking like Vick will be suspended for the entire season. Presumably, Roger Goodell will simply use the league's "Personal Conduct Policy" plus Vick's claim to the league that he wasn't involved in dog-fighting to boot him out for the year. (The NFL denies the report.)

Pac-Man Jones Watch: (Again, can't be avoided). He showed up on his TNA show, but used a little rasslin-style theater to sidestep actually joining the acting troupe. After an off-screen "incident," he was "injured," thus allowing himself to "participate" in TNA without actually "participating."

NFL Weekend Stud: Kellen Clemens. After his 16/22 for 174 yards and 3 TDs, how soon before Jets fans are calling for Clemens to replace Chad Pennington sooner rather than later?

NFL Weekend Dud: OK, so about Matt Schaub... The new Texans QB went 3/5 for 5 yards in his Houston debut. Eek. (Meanwhile, the Titans benched Vince Young in one of those "well, it's only preseason" moments.)

Rebuttal from reader Evan:

You're killing me man. Don't go for the easy dud. Schaub's numbers don't
tell 1/4 of the story. He only missed on 1 throw to a wide-open Kevin
Walters down the sidelines. The other incompletion was actually his best
throw. With a blitz coming from either side he stepped up in the pocket
(something Carr NEVER did) and delivered a perfect pass to walters - who
dropped it. He is the polar opposite of a dud.

Alexander-Tomlinson didn't really happen last night, nor would any reasonable fan have expected it to. LT didn't even play, and Alexander barely did. And we fantasy football owners wouldn't want it any other way.

NFL Monday: Ravens-Eagles and Broncos-49ers. Mostly, I just want to see how Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser mesh. Of course they'll be better than TK and Theismann. But can Jaws help Tony raise (or even FIND) his game?

CFB Preseason: Bad news for Pitt and Dave Wannstedt. Derek Kinder, Pitt's fantastic WR, is out for the season after a knee injury.

Is Darren McFadden entering the NFL Draft after the 2007 season? Well, considering that he's the best player in college football this season and the most gifted running back to enter the NFL since LaDainian Tomlinson, I'd say that he probably should. (Put it this way: Had he been allowed to enter the NFL Draft after his sophomore year, he would have been the first RB taken and arguably the No. 1 overall pick.)

Fantasy Football: With Thomas Jones' injury, picking up Leon Washington late suddenly doesn't seem like such a stretch anymore, does it?

Video: Have you seen this Mike Nugent video? Awesome. (h/t Fanhouse)

Madden 08 release! Coming tomorrow.

-- D.S.

Saturday A.M. 08/11 A.M. (Very) Quickie

Tiger shoots a 63, tying the lowest score ever in a round of a major. It's not the same as WINNING a major, but it's another bullet-point moment of his career.

Bonds: 758.

Titans try to block Pac-Man from wrestling. As they should. (TNA says he'll be at the event.)

No Vick, no problem: Bobby Petrino's Falcons' offense just might be OK with Joey Harrington...

More NFL Preseason: The Vikings offense might not be OK... Randy Moss didn't play... The Saints offense was OK, but hardly prolific... Lots more games today.

Seriously: Is Romeo Crennel REALLY going to decide the starter for the preseason opener by a coin flip? If you're a Browns fan, that has to be totally depressing. Unless he truly wants to undermine the confidence of his QBs, what kind of self-respecting coach would say/do that? I guess the Brady Quinn Era can't start fast enough for Crennel.

NFL Injury Watch: Turns out Kenny Irons, Bengals rookie RB, will be out for the season. Here's to a full recovery and a return in 2008.

Ankiel Watch: No home runs. Ah well. Can't be a Cinderella every time.

MLB Stud: Joba Chamberlain. Forget Eric Gagne: The home-grown Chamberlain is the single-best pitching pickup that any playoff contender added to their roster this summer.

MLB Stud: Bobby Jenks recorded his 38th straight retired batter, tying the AL record and making it the 4th-longest streak of all time.

Lance's Discovery Team folds: One more sign that cycling is all but finished.

Friday 08/10 A.M. Quickie:Ankiel, Daly, Beckham, C. Johnson, More!

Today's Names to Know: Ankiel! Daly! Beckham! Calvin Johnson! Matt Murphy! Penny! Pac-Man! Cozad! Mamet! Galactus! And More!

MLB Stud: Rick Ankiel, who would have earned this spot for nothing else than his call-up. The 3-run HR he hit yesterday was just icing – today, he could be the most unconditionally liked player in baseball (the anti-Bonds, if you will).

The Hall of Fame should collect his bat from last night, if only to have an exhibition on "Perseverence." If that homer was the climax of his comeback, what can he possibly do for an encore? (Wear that Ankiel jersey proudly today, Mr. Leitch.)

PGA Championship: John Daly Mania! This might not last longer than this morning, but isn't Daly's performance the most interesting thing to happen to golf all year?

Beckham Watch: He finally played, and I actually kept the game on the screen to see it. What I should have done was turn down the volume on the insipid Beckham licking coming from the TV commentators. He had my attention, but didn't do much once he had it.

Lions 27, Bengals 26: Calvin Johnson is going to be VERY good. How soon before we can refer to him simply as "Calvin" and everyone will know who we're talking about?

(Here's hoping Bengals rookie RB Kenny Irons' knee injury isn't serious.)

Cowboys 23, Colts 10: Tony Romo went 10/11 for 93 yards, in a preview of new offensive coordinator (and presumptive head-coach-in-waiting) Jason Garrett's playbook.

Bonds Watch: His batting helmets for 755 and 756 are going to Cooperstown. I like that the Hall of Fame doesn't trouble itself with Selig-style waffling or pandering.

Meanwhile, I truly hope that Matt Murphy doesn't sell the Bonds ball. What a display of sincerity around a subject otherwise marked by deception and bad feelings.

Penny Hardaway signs with the Heat: I guess we should all be thankful he didn't do the obvious thing and join the bandwagon of former stars lining up to play in Boston.

(Is Allan Houston going to have a comeback, too? Hey: Just because he has the exact same game as Reggie Miller and Ray Allen shouldn't stop him from joining the Celtics, too.)

Pac-Man Fever: Anyone catch Pac-Man Jones on the TNA show last night? Somehow, I don't think he can claim "misunderstood."

MLB Dud: The Tigers, who lost a second straight home game to the Devil Rays. Detroit has lost 6 of 8 and seems to be fumbling its way out of the playoff chase.

Backup punter guilty of assault: Mitch Cozad convicted in what was without question the weirdest sports crime of the last year.

NFL This Weekend:
Falcons-Jets: Life without Vick
Pats-Bucs: Watch those NE WRs
Bills-Saints: Eyes on Bush
Rams-Vikings: Minnesota RBs
Jags-Dolphins: How many Leftwich snaps?
Packers-Steelers: Has Favre retired yet?
Chiefs-Browns: Will we see Brady Quinn?
Bears-Texans: Eye on Matt Schaub
Redskins-Titans: Vince Young Mania
Panthers-Giants: Meh.
Cards-Raiders: Russell the new Leinart?
Seahawks-Chargers: Alexander vs. LT (in theory)

CFB: NCAA upholds ban on coaches text-messaging recruits. Way to keep it Web 1.0, NCAA.

Oregon vs. Boise St in China: If Oregon wants Boise St to play them in China, why are the Ducks asking the Broncos to give up the home game? Why doesn't Oregon volunteer to give up THEIR home game?

Mamet to do UFC movie: I can... What, goddammit?... I can think of... Fucking cripes: Think of what?... Hey, wait... Oh, fuck off. Just spit it out... I'm not sure I want to anymore... Oh, what the fuck: Are you some kind of pansy?... Now see here... Christamighty: I'll say it. I can't think of a better fucking person to do a movie about UFC than David Mamet.

Must-Read: If you haven't read EDSBS' parody of "Who's Now: Tom Brady vs. Galactus," you are missing out on the funniest blog post of the month.

Question of the Day: Did Derek Jeter really give Jessica Alba herpes? If Derek Jeter has herpes, that would be even more epic than Michael Vick having herpes.

-- D.S.

Thursday 08/09 A.M. Quickie:Bonds 757, Reggie Miller, NFL Camping, More!

Bonds 757: Well, that was fast. As quickly as "756" mania could hit sports fans, it's gone. Just another milestone en route to whatever Bonds' final total is. But every time Bonds jacks another -- and, at this pace, there will be many "anothers" -- the target moves. "756" had its 15 minutes of fame; much like the country's overall Bonds loathing, everything is moving on...

Meanwhile, 756-catcher Matt Murphy seems to have launched his media tour.

Reggie Miller on the Celtics? This is a genius idea by the team – and one that Miller, if he feels up to it, should accept (even though his specialty – jump-shooting – is exactly the same as Ray Allen's). "Let's get the old gang back together" is a wonderful motto: Every player ever thwarted for a ring should clamor out of retirement and join the Celtics. It's the "Dream Deferred Team."

PGA Championship: Umm, OK, I'll take Tiger.

NFL Camping: Did Saints LB Scott Fujita injure himself at a water park after a team excursion? What the hell is the team doing at a place as injury-magnetized as a water park?

Meanwhile, Big Ben had his foot stepped on and limped off the field. Mike Tomlin doesn't seem worried. Bet Ben slides in fantasy drafts held today, though.

MLB Stud: Commenters' choice!

MLB Dud: Dontrelle Willis, who hasn't won a game since May 29, going 0-9 with 4 NDs since then.

Who's Now: I'm late on this, but just to get some closure, please remember that when Who's Now launched, I predicted that Tiger Woods would win in a runaway -- why bother asking the question? Page 2's old obsession with brackets (for which I was a happy obsessive) foreshadowed how Who's Now would play out.

Mascots: The Steelers' new "Steely McBeam" could be the worst mascot name in history. It's as if the Steelers PR team didn't know that the default way to make fun of people is to call them "Something-y McSomething-Unflattering" (like Steely McEmbarrassment).

Prediction: "Steely McBeam" is either phased out (quickly) or abandoned (entirely) by the start of the regular season (if not by the end of next week).

Fantasy Markets: ProTrade is launching their NFL team stock-market valuations today. This might become my default way to evaluate where teams stand.

Varsity Dad: Have you seen the YouTube video of the baby crying whenever she hears the Michigan fight song? Classic. (h/t Fanhouse)

-- D.S.

Wednesday 08/08 A.M. Quickie: BONDS 756!

Bonds 756: There. Historic, yes, but sort of anti-climactic now, isn't it? The drama (or, alternatively, annoyance) was in the build-up.

There will be the teeth-gnashing this morning, but now that the record is broken, I anticipate the anti-Bonds sentiment to thaw. It is the resignation that comes with inevitability.

This morning on the "Today" show, I watched Bob Costas piss on the moment. Less than 12 hours after the moment, Costas came across as shrill -- hardly the conscience of baseball, but instead its dour cousin, Mr. Scold.

I respect your position if you find yourself today crippled by self-righteous indignation, but I'm enjoying the history. Last night, Bonds was the antithesis of smug: He seemed entirely aware of (and respectful of) the history he has made.

His tribute to Hank Aaron – and, of course, his tearful tribute to his late father – not to mention his tribute to the fans (even fans in opposing stadiums) seemed gracious and entirely bitterness-free. Bonds could afford to be magnanimous in triumph; the point was that he was.

Back to my original point: 756 is here (and 757 will probably show up sooner rather than later). There is no asterisk. The collective will of Bonds' detractors didn't keep him from reaching the mark.

I'm normally not such a wide-eyed sentimentalist, but if you spend today bitching and moaning about the record being broken, you'll miss the larger (and longer-lasting) feeling of knowing you were witness to sports' arguably most hallowed record being broken.

Mets fan Matt Murphy catches the ball: I love the fact that Murphy was wearing a Mets jersey. He probably loves the fact that he'll make a couple hundred thousand dollars for his effort. (Bonds says he doesn't want the ball, but some collector will pay for it.)

Oh wow: Have you seen the video from the outfield stands? It is insane. (h/t: Deadspin)

Hank Aaron's Message: Aaron obviously realized that his version of the high road -- a video message to Bonds, though not being there in-person -- was the ultimate way to recognize Bonds while still maintaining his own lofty elevation. (Even if he was asleep when the record-breaking home run was hit.) Aaron will get a ton of cred for the move.

(Compare that to Bud Selig, who wasn't at the game in person and could barely register a press release to indicate that he had called Barry Bonds. Selig, admittedly in a tough spot, really bumbled this whole thing. The best news for him is that it's now behind him.)

What Next? Bonds says he'll be back in '08. Again: I think that 756, while historic, will fade into the background as Bonds pushes forward. Personally, I would like to see him hit the 800 mark. Between the rest of this season and a healthy 2008, he could do it.

(The larger question: Now that he has the record and the Giants have harvested as much value as they're going to get from him, do they try to keep him around? They should: Aside from Bonds, that team has little to market itself around.)

Mike Bacsik: I think the whole "HR-surrendering pitcher goes down in history" thing is a little overblown, but for the record, this was the guy. I love the whole backstory about how Bacsik's father pitched to Hank Aaron.

Blogger Reaction (in-progress):

Deadspin Blogdome

Awful Announcing

Armchair GM

AOL Fanhouse 1
AOL Fanhouse 2

Dale Murphy rips Bonds: Seems like the wrong time to say Bonds sets a "terrible example" for our kids. You can question Bonds' methods, but how about the way he honored Hank Aaron or his father or the fans? To be honest, Bonds looked and sounded downright gracious.

Everything else:

Brady Quinn signs with the Browns: The second part of that headline is "Still a douchebag," but at least he can now begin to earn back the fans' loyalty by performing on the field.

Rovell was right: Let's just look back to draft day, when Darren Rovell predicted that Quinn's slide from No. 3 to No. 22 would result in a loss of roughly $17 million. Rovell was right on the money.

MLB Stud: Umm... Barry Bonds.

(Sorry! Sorry! Yes: And Jake Peavy.)

MLB Dud: Anaheim Angels food vendors. Yikes: 100 citations for vermin violations? Bring your own.

Jays-Yankees plunking war: I guess Toronto's season is so over that the only pleasure they can find is in beaning A-Rod and enjoying the subsequent retaliation from Roger Clemens. Then: Back to obscurity.

Pennant Races: I was just in Denver and I managed to get out to the Rockies-Brewers game on Monday night. For a team in playoff contention, Colorado sure doesn't get many fans out to the ballpark. (But I did get to see, in-person, a home run by Ryan Braun.)

CFB: Wanna bet that "indefinitely suspended" Tennessee RB LaMarcus Coker is reinstated by September 15? That's when the Vols play at Florida.

Meanwhile, reportedly Oregon is looking into playing a regular season game in China, against Boise State. Think the Ducks' Nike connection has anything to do with that decision?

World Soccer: DaMarcus Beasley was met with racist chants in Montenegro during a Champions League match. Unfortunately, this is not an unexpected development, given European fans' history.

Sports Media: NBC is being very smart to hyper-expand their online video offerings of Olympics coverage. I'm quite sure it's a move they would have scoffed at as recently as four years ago (let alone 8 or 12 years ago), but it's a new world.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 08/07 A.M. Quickie:Bonds, Schilling, NFL Camping, Weis QBs, More!

Bonds Watch: Oh-fer. I caught last night's 3rd at-bat live. The best thing about it is that little graphic at the top of the screen that explains when Bonds is due up next. Because, obviously, the thing everyone wants to know when they tune into the game is: When is Bonds up next? (Excuse me if that had been on the screen in previous broadcasts. I hadn't been watching.)

Schilling makes his return: Allows 4 runs in 6 IP in a Red Sox loss to the Angels. Schilling is like Michael Jordan at the end of his career, the pitching equivalent of a jump-shooter who needs to rely on guile, rather than former athleticism.

Four words: Michael Vick Chew Toy.

Spurrier vs. USC: Who else's mind was boggled that South Carolina even HAD a standard above the NCAA minimum when it came to accepting recruits? Look: This is a problem that has plagued Northwestern for years, but that's Northwestern.

I just assumed that every other school used that old "1-percent rule" to let in any athletes who qualified with the minimum standard. Now: Is that right? To be honest, it's not an easy question. But it's no argument that schools are in a rough spot when they tout their academic cred, but then behind the scenes have to bend that cred for coaches.

Unfortunately, it says more about the low confidence the school has in the sports programs to take care of the athletes academically (and by "take care of" I don't mean ease through courses, but offer the institutional backing for them to get the most they can out of the college academic experience).

I support bending usual admission requirements for athletes -- IF the school and program have a commitment to the athlete's academic support beyond "coaching them up" (writing papers for them, steering them to "friendly" profs, etc.) to a minimum for eligiblility, then forgetting about them.

Soriano to DL: So exactly how bad is a “torn quad,” because it sounds pretty bad for Chicago.

NFL Camping: At this point, it’s almost entirely about watching out for injuries. Like, say, the one to Colts DT Booger McFarland, whose knee injury might keep him out for a while.

Pac-Man Jones meets TNA Wrestling: Only an athlete as prolifically stupid as Pac-Man could jeopardize his ENTIRE pro football future by getting into wrestling.

Jermaine O’Neal DOESN’T demand a trade to the Lakers, after all: Or, at least, that’s what he and his agent are trying to say. Don’t deny it: Embrace it!

NFL Hold-Outs: So the hot new game is “Who will sign first?” between JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn. I suspect it will be Quinn, but both are being foolish.

NFL Coolness: The 49ers will honor Bill Walsh by wearing throwback red 80s uniforms in their season opener. Why not change back full-time? Not in tribute to Walsh, but because those unis are better than the current version?

MLB Scandal: Why would umpires not want increased background checks on them by MLB... if they have nothing to hide? (See how you can impugn an entire group’s credibility by adding the phrase “if they have nothing to hide?”)

College Football: Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis won’t name the starter at QB until the day of the game. He says he doesn’t want to give anything away to Georgia Tech, but I think it’s because he can’t decide (meaning: no QB has emerged yet as starter-worthy... isn’t that not the best sign?)

More CFB: EDSBS has been rolling out its preseason rankings. Here’s the last batch: 13-25.

NFL Fantasy Watch: Is Packers rookie RB Brandon Jackson going to be the steal of the late rounds? If he gets starters’ touches, he will.

MLB Call-Ups: Is Joba Chamberlain the Yankees’ pitching version of Shelley Duncan?

NCAA Problems: Ball State is being investigated for possible basketball infractions – and, in a twist, it’s possible the women’s volleyball coach was fired for being a whistle-blower.

NASCAR Team-Switching: Kyle Busch is jumping over to Team Gibbs.

Track Scandal: Oh SURE Justin Gatlin thought the shot was “B-12.” That’s like saying, “But I thought the hooker was a woman!”

Vick Watch: So the SCLC decided they will not “honor” Michael Vick. Smart move. Probably took them a week too long to figure it out, but they got there.

Yao gets married: Congrats to Yao, who married Ye Li, who happens to be 6-foot-2. I believe that the Chinese National Basketball Team has already claimed their kids.

Random Media: Just heard that the NY Times is going to end their subscription-only "Select" pay-wall that they hide columnists behind. Wonder if "Insider" will go the same way? (By the way, I actually love the thinner paper version of the NYT. Much easier to handle. Yes, I keep my paper subscription, even though I mostly consume it online. Old habits...)

-- D.S.

Monday 08/06 A.M. Quickie:Bonds, Glavine, Steelers, Shaun White, More!

Bonds 755: He took the day off on Sunday, so we can all "enjoy" the moment (if "enjoy" means "get some hot weekday media-outrage action!")

So what DID you think of Bud Selig's reaction to 755: Hands in pockets. He had a hell of a fine line to walk: Did he do it, or make a much of it? Consider that most of those fans in San Diego probably didn't like Bonds much either, but most seemed to cheer anyway.

756 Watch: Bonds goes for the record at home against the Nats tonight. Quite sure that fans in San Francisco will be cheering. (Though Selig won't be there. Isn't it more important for the Commissioner of MLB to be at the record-SETTING game, even more than the record-TYING game?)

Glavine 300: Tom Glavine joins a club with only 22 other members – and one that will likely become even more exclusive as the years go by and even the best MLB pitchers can't come close to 300.

MLB Dud: Clay Hensley, who the day after giving up No. 755 to Barry Bonds was demoted to the minor leagues. Enjoy the infamy.

NFL Hall of Fame Game: Let the month begin of games where you can count the number of plays the starters get on one hand – and then try to divine the implications for your upcoming fantasy draft.

Steelers beat Saints, 20-7: Big Ben was 2/3 for 73 yards, including a 55-yard play to Cedrick Wilson (think Wilson will see a fantasy "most added" up-tick?) Reggie Bush had 2 carries for 8 yards.

(Meanwhile, Michael Irvin must have a pretty good ghostwriter, to pull that contrite-sounding HOF speech out of his rear end. I'm sorry: No single speech will impact his lasting legacy of personal lampoonery. Part of the reason his speech was so notable was because basically everything else that had previously come out of his mouth for the past 10 years was complete and utter idiocy.)

Chiefs sign rookie WR Dwayne Bowe, less notable for his impact on the Chiefs offense (though it might be big) and more for the fact that he's the pick right after Brady Quinn, yet Bowe managed to sign after a lengthy holdout. Quinn manages to look like even MORE of a d-bag.

X Games: Shaun White wins Skateboard Vert event. Between this and snowboarding, is White the action sports equivalent of Bo Jackson? I'd argue that between his jaw-dropping moves and marketability, he is.

MLB Wild Card: The Yankees were 9.5 games behind the Wild Card lead one month ago. Now, they are a half-game behind. I'm no Yankees fan, but this is very good for baseball.

NBA Crime Beat: Rafer Alston was arrested for assault and public intoxication this weekend.

Tomlinson's new Nike ad: Oh my god, I'm so so SO glad he's on my Yahoo Bloggers' League fantasy team, which has a new Behrens draft recap! (video h/t: MDS at FanHouse)

-- D.S.

Sunday 08/05 A.M. Quickie: Bonds 755!

Barry Bonds hits No. 755, tying Hank Aaron's all-time record for career home runs.

(For those in the anti-Bonds contingent who wanted to see the accomplishment minimized to whatever extent possible, you couldn't have asked for more than the Saturday night timing. There is no moment less prominent on the sports radar than an early-August Saturday night.)

But 755 was always sizing up as merely a rest-stop en route to 756, which could come as early as today. Despite the low-profile timing of 755, rest assured Bonds will be the dominant story of the rest of the weekend -- and most, if not all, of next week... up until he hits 756. Then we can all go back to other things.

Two other notable details:

Clay Hensley gave up the shot: Oh, the irony!

Bud Selig was there, but didn't clap. (Is that like smoking without inhaling?)

(Oh, and A-Rod hit 500, becoming the fastest player to 500 HR. On the same night Bonds hits the top of the list, we are reminded that he could be eclipsed within 6-7 seasons.)

-- D.S.

Saturday 08/04 A.M. (Very) Quickie

Elton Brand ruptures Achilles: And, just like that, the Clippers' season is ALREADY over.

Calvin Johnson signs, goes camping: And, just like that, the Lions' offense is MUCH better.

Juan Carlos Navarro traded by the Wizards to the Grizzlies, reuniting JCN with buddy Pau Gasol. Memphis gave up a conditional first-rounder (Lottery-protected next year -- a lock to happen, and Top 3-protected in 2009, so my question is: What happens when the Grizz are in the Lottery next year and the Top 3 in '09? When do the Wizards get that pick, and if they get it in 2010, how does that possibly help a team that wants to contend in the East NOW?) Navarro joins the studly, if undersized, Memphis backcourt log-jam with Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry. Prediction: JCN gets quality minutes, particularly late in games.

Neifi Perez gets 80-game suspension after third strike on banned stimulants. (Really: He can't switch to decaf?)

What am I missing? Feel free to add in the Comments.

Friday 08/03 A.M. Quickie:Coaches' Top 25, Levi, Yost, Xmas NBA, More!

Yahoo Blogger Fantasy League Draft Results: You knew I was going to take LaDainian Tomlinson with the first overall pick last night. But what happened after that was... iffy. Did I blow my shot at glory, my season over on Draft Day? Click here for the full report (or just scroll down to the next post below).

College Football: Coaches' Top 25 comes out. Yes, this is pretty high up in the usual a.m. post for something so ludicrous, but I can't help myself.

USC is the overwhelming No. 1, but not a unanimous pick. No. 2 LSU got 4 first-place votes. No. 3 Florida got 9 first-place votes (even I wouldn't give them a first-place vote, so I'm not sure what coaches are doing besides using inertia to say "Well, until they lose, they should stay No. 1," which is a stupid way to do any Top 25, let alone a preseason Top 25, which is already one of the most meaningless exercises in sports.) No. 5 Michigan got 2 first-place votes. Texas, No. 4, rounds out the Top 5.

The highest-ranked team that was unranked a year ago is Georgia, at No. 13, followed by UCLA (17), Nebraska (19), Florida State (21) and Texas A&M (25). The SEC led all leagues with 6 teams in the Top 25. You know? I think it's time to ramp up my college football preview posts starting next week. Too early?

(One more time: What would be the harm in revealing each coach's ballot, from here through the end of the season? Transparency is GOOD, not bad, in this case.)

NFL Deals: The Cards are making Levi Brown the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. But here's the thing: If he comes close to earning that money, it's worth it. That team is a strong O-line from breaking through as a playoff contender.

MLB Milestone Watch: No Bonds 755, No A-Rod 500. Maybe this weekend?

MLB Dud: Brewers manager Ned Yost, who seemed to lose control of his dugout in an perceived altercation with C Johnny Estrada, after Yost ripped another player. It wasn't the fight that some claim, but it's a signal that in addition to losing a grip on first place in the NL Central, Yost might be losing a grip on his team.

MLB Stud: Kerry Wood, who will make his return to the Cubs today as part of the bullpen. At this point, you have to be rooting for one of the great hard-luck cases of the last decade. (Not quite Ankiel, but in the Top 5 certainly.)

Minneapolis: The Indians and Twins WILL play this weekend.

NFL Camping Injury Watch (because, at this point, that's all that matters, particularly to fantasy owners): Adrian Peterson suffers a hip pointer.

NFL Hall of Fame induction: Question for everyone. Would Michael Irvin have made the Hall of Fame if he didn't have the high-profile position of being on ESPN all those years? (Can't wait to hear about THAT induction speech.) Is Bruce Matthews the anti-Irvin?

NBA Schedule: OK, give the NBA a TON of credit for making Oden vs. Durant part of the Christmas Day triple-header, which I argued last month is the biggest single day of the season (playoffs included) for the league.

(Yesterday, I mentioned how awesome it was to have Durant vs. Carmelo on Opening Night. But there's a rival for Best Opening Night Game: KG and the Celtics against the Wizards, in a battle of Big Threes.)

Scandals: Is there a brewing tennis gambling scandal involving Nikolay Davydenko? Or is this just a case of bookies being extra-careful in the wake of the NBA's scandal? Will we see more quick triggers on sports books calling off bets if they see even a hint of weirdness?

Media: So you probably heard about the YES Network being worth, like, 3 BILLION dollars or something like that. Here's a follow-up: The 37 percent of the network owned by The Boss won't be for sale. So hold off on those "Signal he's selling the team!" stories... for now.

-- D.S.

Yahoo Fantasy Football Bloggers' League:Draft Results! Tomlinson Headlines Team

For those following along, here is the roster I ended up drafting for the Yahoo "Bloggers' League" in our draft tonight. I had the first overall pick, then the back-to-back picks at the end/start of rounds, with a hellish 22 picks between me and each U-turn.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson: "I win."
WR Torry Holt: "Best available WR."
RB Brandon Jacobs: "Fits RB-WR-RB strategy"
RB Marion Barber: "Best available 3rd RB."
QB Vince Young: "I want to root for him."
TE Vernon Davis: "Felt like TE run was coming."
WR Dante Stallworth: "More than Brady-to-Moss."
RB Leon Washington: "Eh, classic Panic Pick."
WR Chris Chambers: "Seriously: W! T! F!"
QB Matt Schaub: "Money, meet mouth."
K Neil Rackers: "Swiped him from Leitch."
WR Ted Ginn: "Handcuffing...Chambers? Cripes."
RB Michael Bush: "Worth a shot in Round 13."
D Vikings: "Suckered by KSK's Drew on this."
TE Owen Daniels: "Round 15: I give up."

From the looks of things, I will test all that conventional wisdom that says you could have LaDainian Tomlinson and the JV team from the Little Sisters of the Poor and still be a contender in your league. (Ugh: Washington and Chambers was a Round 8/9 back-to-back pick that -- before, during AND after -- nearly ruined the entire draft for me. Wait: Nearly?)

I wish I could say that, knowing I had Tomlinson's production, I intentionally took a flier on high-risk/high-reward guys like Young, Jacobs, Davis, Stallworth, Ginn and Bush. That's just hindsight rationalization.

I still give myself a puncher's chance in the league, if only because I have Tomlinson. Of course, it doesn't take much skill to know how to use that No. 1 overall pick.

More as it develops.

-- D.S.

Fantasy Football Draft: Ya-Help!

Fantasy Football Watch: It's early in the fantasy pre-season, but tonight is the draft in my Yahoo Sports' sponsored "Bloggers' League." The draft order was just released, and I’m drafting… FIRST OVERALL.

This is a no-brainer: LaDainian Tomlinson.

But then you get that interesting phenomenon with that No. 1 draft position: You have a HUGE wait, then you make back-to-back picks (with more huge waits until the next back-to-back pick).

It’s a 12-team league, so I’m eyeing picks 24/25, 48/49, 72/73 and so on….

But here's how you can help: In the Comments section, give me some underrated and overrated (mostly underrated, please) players to keep an eye on. Any/all positions. Who is poised for a break-out season? Who is undervalued?

Meanwhile, I HAVE to go RB-RB-QB, right? (That second RB and the QB will come back-to-back.) Or, as I suspect, is the emerging trend of split-time RBs going to decrease the value of RBs, and given the wait between my 3rd and 4th picks, I should go for a WR?

Should be fun. And intensely, freakishly, thrillingly public. (J. Childs: "The most public yet of my many humiliations.") Thanks for the help!

-- D.S.

Thursday 08/02 A.M. Quickie:Minneapolis, Cubs in 1st, VY KO, StubHub, More!

Twins postpone Thursday's game, with weekend games possibly affected by that horrific bridge crash. Thoughts and prayers with the entire Minneapolis community.

Cubs in first place in NL Central: Mark it down "August 2." Forget the records: The race between the Cubs and Brewers (and accompanying Wild Card race between that runner-up and the runner-up in the NL West) will be the two biggest storylines to watch in the NL over the next two months.

Vince Young involved in training-camp scrum: He's throwing the punches, which isn't the best move for your QB. But I like his fight! (No pun intended.)

Vick Watch: Does Donovan McNabb REALLY want to be going on the record as supporting Michael Vick?

Randy Moss is going to be devastatingly awesome for the Pats... if his hamstring holds up.

Wellington John Mara tells Michael Strahan to cram it with walnuts, ugly. (If Wellington Mara was telling Strahan anything, it would have been much bigger news, obviously, given that it would have been some sort of Strahan Seance.)

Fantasy Watch: Between Frank Gore's hand and Willie Parker's knee and Clinton Portis' rehab, what's a mid-round fantasy GM to think?!

YOU design Chad Johnson's future TD dance: Now THIS is a brilliant idea from Yahoo Sports. Hat-tip to Y! (And Chad, too!)

Another day, another scandal: This one crosses over into that mind-bogglingly corrupt one where colleges and lenders colluded, via kickbacks, to screw over students looking for loans.

It now seems (via the Washington Post) that student-athletes were sold out by their institutions to these student loan lenders. Schools involved in subpoenas range from Georgetown to Virginia Tech to "Auburn, Georgia Tech, Marquette, Oregon St, Rutgers, Texas Christian, UCLA, Kansas, Louisville, Oregon, Pittsburgh and South Florida," according to the WaPo.

Let me say this: Any school that engaged in this sort of tactics should be punished, perhaps even their athletic programs. The NCAA has no purview over this, but if their mission at all is about the welfare of the "student-athlete," this is something they too should look into. I won't hold my breath.

Buddy Bell resigns as Royals manager: But he still had so many good years of Gil Meche left! (Seriously, I'm all for him deciding to spend more time with his family, if that's sincere and not just the usual euphemism for being fired.)

Johnny Damon is griping about playing time: Gee, who didn't see that coming? Yankees fan or not, raise your hand if you'd rather have Shelley Duncan in the lineup over Johnny Damon. Thank you. (Meanwhile, the Yankees are 2 games behind the Indians for the Wild Card. With 55 games left to play? Wow, that didn't take long to go from "season over!" to "won't bet against them.")

CFB: Just in time for the close of Big Ten Media Day(s), the Northwestern football blogger Lake the Posts reveals his No. 1 NU football moment of all time. It's a no-brainer: NU over Notre Dame on Sept. 2, 1995. I couldn't agree more: This was, arguably (or inarguably) the biggest regular-season upset in modern college football history. Re-live the glorious moment here.

NBA schedule out today: Get all your jokes out now about bookies circling special dates... all done? Good. Here's an intriguing one: Kevin Durant vs. Carmelo Anthony in the season opener. I love it: Remember, Carmelo WAS Durant... except Melo actually managed to carry his team to an NCAA title, while Durant couldn't even lift his out of the Tournament's first weekend.

Sports tickets: MLB does a deal with StubHub. Don't discount how huge this is. They used to be at war with each other. Now they'll collaborate. I think business schools call it "coopetition."

Predators staying in Nashville: Or so the new owners say.

US Swimming Championships: How can you NOT root for Dara Torres, trying a comeback at 40 – and winning the 100m freestyle!

Coming later this morning: Looking for your fantasy-football advice! Check back around noonish.

-- D.S.

Wednesday 08/01 A.M. Quihttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifckie:KG, Johan, MLB Trades, NFL Camping, More!

August used to be the dog days of the sports year. (Now, we can't even throw around the phrase "dog days" anymore. Thank you, Mr. Vick.)

Now, between NFL camping (and accompanying fantasy-league ramp-up mania) and CFB two-a-days and MLB fantasy-league pennant races, August has arguably turned into a power month of the sports year. Just thought I'd point that out, given that it's August 1. Let's get going.

NBA: KG to Celtics, Cont'd. Forgive me if I'm not ready to hand Boston the East title just yet. The C's need to overcome: Injury risk, inexperienced PG play and zero depth beyond the "Big Three." Even if you think the East is weak, all the Celtics have done is get into the conversation of "Who is LEAST weak?"

In effect, "playing to win now" means "playing to win the East title," not "playing to win the NBA title." I suppose that beats the Lottery (and having a team seemingly going nowhere), but let's still keep it in perspective. It's a long way from "East contender" to "NBA contender."

If nothing else, it makes the Celtics relevant again. Too bad the only people crowing about needing the Celtics to be relevant again are the team's fans. It is a manifestation of that unique brand of delusional Boston triumphalism to think that the Celtics being good is somehow a prerequisite for the NBA to be compelling.

UPDATE: Here's today's Must-Read: Henry Abbott at TrueHoop put together a cavalcade of alternative opinions about the future of the NBA East. (I'm included... read through them all, but look for a familiar name halfway down.) Really really smart people and a ton of variety of opinion.

UPDATE: Billups has a fairly must-read post over at Free Darko, with 10 reasons why this deal rules. And he may have even pierced my cynicism.

Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett will wear No. 5. And I predict that it will be the best-selling NBA jersey of the year. Who would have guessed that with the ludicrous volume of jersey numbers the Celtics have retired that a single-digit number would still be available? (I guess Gerald Green wore No. 5 a year ago, so I should have known it was available.)

Johan Santana is leaving the Twins: That is not an unreasonable interpretation of some of the things MLB's best pitcher had to say about his team after their trade dud-line:

"I'm not surprised. That's exactly how they are. That's why we're never going to go beyond where we've gone."

"It's not just about hope. In a realistic world, you have to really make it happen and go for it."

"You always talk about future, future. ... But if you only worry about the future, then I guess a lot of us won't be part of it."

"Why waste time when you're talking about something that's always going to be like that? It's never going to be beyond this point. It doesn't make any sense for me to be here, you know?"

MLB Trade Deadline: The Red Sox get Eric Gagne, effectively turning the Red Sox starting rotation into 6-inning pitchers, max. Because then they turn it over to the 7-8-9 bullpen troika, which is Boston's REAL "Big Three." Forget those guys playing hoops.

The Braves made another move, this time to get extra bullpen help, grabbing Octavio Dotel from the Royals. Dotel has the ability to close, but will likely be a set-up guy for Atlanta.

MLB Milestones: "Glavine 300" on hold as Mets bullpen blows his shot. "A-Rod 500" and "Bonds 755" also didn't happen. (How do you know A-Rod is in a slump? If you hear the Yankees hit 8 home runs in one game and A-Rod can't claim one of them.)

NFL: Daunte Culpepper signs with the Raiders. If he's healthy, who needs a rookie QB taken No. 1 overall and apparently with an over-inflated sense of value? (Speaking of which, has Brady Quinn signed yet? No? What a d-b-a-g.)

Vick Watch: It's not that Rawlings cut its endorsement ties with Michael Vick. It's wondering what the heck took them so long?

College Football Media Daze: Big Ten. Commish/TV impresario Jim Delany clarified that the Big Ten isn't going to add a 12th team imminently. (As for whether the league should add a 12th team or controversial championship game, here's my small suggestion: Start by moving the Michigan-Ohio State game to December 2, the date that all the other conferences have their championship games.)

Freddy Adu Watch: Will finally play in Europe after inking a deal to play with Portugal's Benfica. I guess that kind of makes him like David Beckham doing a reverse-commute. Adu has kind of fallen off the sports radar recently, but I still find him fascinating. He remains America's top home-grown hope for international soccer success.

Tour de France: This shouldn't surprise you, but someone says they have proof that champ Contador is linked to doping. How do you say "Same old, same old" in French?

Murdoch buys Wall Street Journal: My only hope is that he lets my immensely talented WSJ friends Jason Fry, Carl Bialik and Sam Walker continue to produce sensational work. (Oh, and if I reprise my role as the WSJ Online's NCAA Tournament analyst next spring, I'd accept a pay bump upward.)

FTC vs. MLB? Here's an interesting one: You know that famous "blah blah blah without written consent of Major League Baseball blah blah blah" that each sports league announces during any/all games? Google, Microsoft and others think it's unnecessarily hard to understand, intimidating those of us who would like to use the content legally from doing so. Here's the story, via News.com. (And a hearty h/t to PaidContent.org.)

If you live in NYC: Varsity Letters Reading Series TONIGHT! An amazing lineup: Sally Jenkins, Joe Posnanski and Seth Mnookin makes his return. It all starts at 8 at Happy Ending (302 Broome) on the Lower East Side. And, as always, it's FREE. Here's a link to more info.

-- D.S.

Tuesday 07/31 A.M. Quickie:Walsh, KG, MLB Trades, Gore Save Sports!

Yesterday could be The Day That Saved Sports.

After two weeks of relentlessly (and unprecedentedly) crappy news – Vick, Donaghy, Bonds, Tour de France – it was never tougher to be a sports fan.

Yesterday's overflow of non-scandalous big news was an amazing reminder: Sports fans are entirely resilient. You could get whiplash with the speed which fans dropped a focus on the bad stuff and turned their attention to the promising.

Some cranks and cynics might gripe about the "Instant History" outlook: What does it say that sports fans are so quick to move on from the soul-sucking news and to embrace the reviving news?

It says this: No matter what the short-term problems, sports are guaranteed to provide SOMETHING that brings us back to a focus on the sports, not the scandals.

On to the rundown...

R.I.P. Bill Walsh: As I said yesterday, he was arguably the greatest – and most influential – offensive mind in football.

(I encourage you to leave Walsh-specific comments in the dedicated Walsh post below this one. Meanwhile, KSK has the definitive -- and simply put -- tribue. Worth your time to read it.)

KG to the Celtics: I gave my analysis in a stand-alone post yesterday afternoon (feel free to leave KG-specific comments there), but let me provide it again:

This is a win-win:

The Celtics become instant contenders in the East – and regain their national relevancy. (The downside? Anything less than an East title is a failure. Welcome to Expectationsville, Celtics Nation. Consider that for a second: No one believes for a second that this team can actually win an NBA title, and even an East title is no lock. This for three players, none of whom have proven to be conference-champion material. Yet the demands are there.)

The T'wolves finally shed The Big Baggage and can begin to reposition themselves as an "up-and-coming" young team, anchored around one of the NBA's best young big-small combos: Al Jefferson and Randy Foye. (Hint to Kevin McHale: Model yourselves after the Warriors and run-run-run.) Their fans get nothing if not renewed hope. And that's not bad.

Interesting takes on KG filtering in. Start with this one from DLIC of Free Darko. I agree: KG has never been a personality that would seem to mesh with Celtics fans' epic sense of entitlement. (By the way, HUGE kudos to Celtics Blog for actually breaking the KG story. Number of mainstream media outlets crediting him? Take the under.)

MLB Trade Deadline: Is the Braves' acquisition of Mark Teixeira enough to shift the balance of power in the NL East?

(That depends on what you think of the Mets' acquisition of Luis Castillo. By the way, speaking of mid-season acquisitions, Pedro is going to make his first minor-league start tonight tomorrow night. If he can return by September 1, that's a bigger pickup than anything anyone else in the NL will do.)

Who's going to get Jermaine Dye? And who's going to get Eric Gagne? (And will the Red Sox get BOTH? They've cooled on Dye in the last half-day, but still, it's possible.)

MLB Milestones Tonight: We're tracking Bonds 755, A-Rod 500 and the one with the best chance of happening tonight: Glavine 300.

MLB Stud: Phillies, who have won 4 straight and are 3 games behind the Mets for first in the NL East. Oh, and they made a deal to trade for Kyle Lohse. Watch that fantasy player wire! Will he help you in a late-season push (or crush your dreams with his inconsistency?)

NFL Training Camp: Frank Gore breaks his hand in the first practice and will likely miss the preseason. This is huge, if only because Gore was poised to become THE hot fantasy football first-round choice. Will it affect his draft status? The team seems to think he'll be ready by the end of preseason. (And MDS says "he'll be fine" over at Fanhouse, and I'll trust his opinion. Bring on the fantasy drafts!)

Speaking of Fantasy Football, I am juggling a ludicrous number of leagues this fall. This one might be the most intriguing: It's Yahoo Sports' Bloggers League, featuring the likes of the guys from Kissing Suzy Kolber, the Mighty MJD, Will Leitch and AJ Daulerio from Deadspin, Orson Swindle from EDSBS, N.O.I.S. -- and me.

I believe you'll be able to follow the league publicly, allowing me to deploy one of my favorite Jackie Childs' lines: "This is the most public yet of my many humiliations." Here's the link to the intro by league Commish, Andy Behrens.

Brady Quinn still holding out: Seriously, ever since the calendar flipped to 2007, this guy has been an all-pro dud – Sugar Bowl, NFL Draft, blogger mockery, and now this hold out. Get over yourself.

Vick Watch: His buddy Taylor copped to a plea and presumably flipped on him; apparently, Vick financed the entire operation. Meanwhile, some p.r. "genius" told Vick it would be a good idea to go on the radio. Fizzle. (But isn't it blissful that this story was jammed down toward the bottom of the sports page by everything else?) Vick is so screwed.

NBA Robberies: Were Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry's robberies linked?

College Football: Contrary to speculation that they would take a break in their series, Michigan and Notre Dame will play through 2031. I can look forward to at least another 25 years of watching a game where I jeer BOTH teams.

Quickie Book Club: "Dixieland Delight," by Clay Travis. You'll recognize the name: He's the lead columnist for SportsLine. Also, of anyone in the mainstream media, he's considered a Great Friend of Sports Bloggers. He's also an exceptionally good guy.

But, most importantly, he's written a hell of an entertaining book, which is based on his tour of SEC football schools from last fall. If you love college football, this is a must-have, but even if you don't love college football, it's like hearing awesome road-trip stories told by a great buddy. Travis' stories just happen to include Tim Tebow. Here's an Amazon link.

(Disclosure: Clay and I share a book agent. But just because the sales of Clay's book will almost assuredly help pave the way for my own future book deal, don't buy it for that... if "don't" means "do!")

UPDATE: Former ESPN anchor star Robin Roberts has revealed she has breast cancer. She remains one of the Top 3 greatest talents every produced by the network -- as her full-time gig hosting Good Morning America affirms. Here's to her full and healthy recovery.

-- D.S.

R.I.P. Bill Walsh

Legendary NFL coach Bill Walsh, arguably the most influential (and also arguably the greatest) offensive mind in the history of football, has died. He was 75.

KG to the Celtics: Win-Win

KG from the T'wolves to the Celtics for a ton of young talent, with Al Jefferson as the centerpiece. This basically done deal is big enough -- and enough of a respite from the recent epidemic of woe afflicting sports and fans everywhere -- that it's worth its own p.m. post today:

I'm arguing it is win-win.

Win for the Celtics: If you were ever going to mortgage the future for a 3-5 year window, this is it. The East is wide open, especially next year. With a "Big Three" like KG, Pierce and Ray Allen, the Celtics suddenly have the best "Big Three" in the conference -- and a legit shot at the conference title (even if they have no shot at an NBA title). Again, the shorthand is this: If LeBron and spare change can win the East, then KG-PP-RA and spare change does that one better.

Win for the T'wolves: This team was desperate to move on and equally desperate to launch a youth movement that actually gives its fans hope through the lean times, looking toward a brighter future. Al Jefferson and Randy Foye form one of the best young big-small combos in the league. Gomes is solid. Green has potential. Telfair brings sizzle. Add in T'wolves draftee Brewer and rehabbing McCants, and if nothing else, the T'wolves can adapt to the entertaining up-tempo trend sweeping the league. (The only downside? They couldn't trade places with the Celtics and get into the East. Oh, and McHale is still GM.)

Here's why Minnesota nets out as the trade winner: Expectations. If the T'wolves are in the Lottery the next 3-5 years, fans can gleefully chalk it up to growth. As long as there is marginal improvement year over year, there is hope. If the Celtics don't win the East -- and, to be sure, it is no guarantee, even with KG -- the trade is a complete failure.

Perhaps even bigger: The NBA also is a winner: How relieved do you think David Stern is to change the story from Donaghy back to on-court topics like a blockbuster deal? Hmm: Do you think the league helped revive this deal in order to change the subject? I wouldn't put it past them. And I'd give them credit if they did.

-- D.S.

MLB Trade Mania: Teixeira to Braves

Teixeira to the Braves. Suddenly, the NL East feels much more competitive. That's what a big trade at the deadline can do. So: What did you think of this one and what others do you think will (or should) happen? -- D.S.

Monday 07/30 A.M. Quickie:Ripken, Bonds, NFL Camping, Iraq, More!

Ripken and Gwynn enshrined in Baseball Hall of Fame: And, for one day at least, sports (and fans) are pulled from the month's sense of ruin.

Bonds Watch: Still at 754, but the record is better tied (and broken) during the week, when there's of a national focus by fans, than on the weekend.

(Will they boo Bonds in L.A.? Probably. The funny thing is that he could totally rest up and wait until the Giants got back to San Francisco before trying again to break the record. Not a bad strategy, if he wants to avoid road-game boos from tainting his record-tying and –breaking accomplishments. Um, MORE.)

UPDATE: KG to Celtics? Man, could the NBA use a blockbuster trade right now or what? (Note: I have been a proponent of the T'wolves trading Garnett for a few seasons now. And getting Al Jefferson -- even if Jefferson will command a near-max contract soon enough -- will make it easier to take. If the Celtics have KG, Pierce and Ray Allen, they might have the best threesome in the NBA... but who gets to shoot?) Tracking...

UPDATE 2: Tony Taylor is going to bury Michael Vick. The biggest claim of Taylor's filed "statement of facts": Vick funded the dog-fighting operation.

Meanwhile, Jose Canseco insinuated that A-Rod might be tainted. As others have noted (and I agree): It's no longer easy to dismiss Canseco as some kind of fame-whore lying to get more attention. Not when he seems to be the only person in baseball talking even remotely straight about the extent and severity of its steroids scandal. (And he isn't afraid to name names to the Mitchell Commission. Cripes, if the guy had even a smidgen of a p.r. compass, he would be able to turn himself into a rare HERO in this MLB/PED story.)

MLB Stud: Carlos Zambrano, who became MLB's first 14-game winner. And as the Cubs close in on the NL Central lead, Zambrano assumes front-runner status in the NL Cy Young race.

MLB Dud: Brewers. In just 5 weeks, Milwaukee's lead in the NL Central has gone from 8.5 games to .5 games. Cubs fans must be going crazy.

MLB Trade Deadline: Tomorrow. Suddenly, Eric Gagne (as set-up guy, not uber-closer) is the hottest commodity on the block. UPDATE: Teixeira to the Braves for a Salty catcher and prospects. Great move for the Braves. Good move for the Rangers, who would have lost Teixeira to free agency inevitably anyway. More on this and all trades tomorrow.

MLB Milestones: Ichiro became the third-fastest player to get to 1,500 career hits. Between his career in Japan and in MLB, I think he's a Hall of Fame lock. Will his MLB totals be discounted because he started his career here late? They shouldn't be.

Arena Bowl: The San Jose Sabercats are officially a dynasty, after winning their third Arena Bowl title in the last 6 years. More important, the game was the first team championship game to be held in New Orleans since Katrina. That's reason enough to root for Arena League (if only for the day). And it was Arena League's first-ever sellout at a neutral site. It caps the biggest year yet for the sports league that I'd argue is the model for how sports have to be in the 21st Century.

NFL Signings: Vikings sign RB Adrian Peterson, who might be my pick for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. (And, on defense, the Redskins signed safety LaRon Landry.)

Meanwhile, will Simeon Rice replace Michael Strahan in New York? Seems like the Giants are already figuring out how to live without him.

Pac-Man Fever: Jones could be joining TNA wrestling. Which will undoubtedly make him THAT much more appealing for Roger Goodell to bring back to the NFL, right? Cripes. Can't Jones just spend the year quietly training for his NFL return? His agent might think that Jones is simply capitalizing on his brand awareness, but what kind of brand are we aware of?

CFB: Pac-10 secession from BCS? I'm late on this, but it's worth pointing out. The Pac-10 Commissioner said he would pull the conference from the BCS if it instituted any kind of "Plus-One" playoff model.

Now, how is that so far off from my ground-breaking idea that the SEC should secede ("SEC-ede" – get it?) from the BCS, but not because it doesn't want a playoff, but because it DEMANDS a playoff.

By the way, I would love to see how the Pac-10 Commissioner would react when, say, USC goes undefeated but loses out on a national championship because they can't play for it.

Look, let's just dump the Pac-10: They can have the Rose Bowl (and take the Big Ten with them). Let them play their little Grandaddy of an exhibition game after the season, while the SEC crowns its next national champ. (OK: I'd settle for the SEC champ versus Texas.)

Tour de France: Alberto Contador wins the least-respected championship in sports.

Gulbis gets first LPGA win: She's still better known for being hot (or squiring around with Big Ben) than for being a great golfer. But now she can point to a tournament W.

High School Football: Hoover (AL) High from MTV's "Two-a-Days" is both arguably the best high school football program in America and, arguably, the most corrupted high school football program in America. And if you don't think those two things are interrelated, you're living in a fantasy world.

Finally, some good news from Iraq. The country's soccer team won the Asian Cup in an upset over Saudi Arabia. Still not sure if that qualifies as "progress" in the larger scheme of things over there.

-- D.S.