It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Okay, there's a good chance that C.J. Spiller and James Davis run all over Alabama on Saturday night at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. There's also a possibility that Tommy Bowden messes something up. Um, I tend to lean towards the latter.

While he may have been playing against a tired defense, Chris Smelley looked crisp and desicively better than Tommy Beecher and deserves the starting nod over Beecher next week against Vanderbilt. And I don't doubt for a second that Spurrier won't name Smelley the starter early next week.

It was really good to see Sammie Stroughter back on the football field last night for Oregon State. After missing last season with a kidney injury, the dynamic wideout had 12 catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns, including a first-half 55-yard score, in the Beavers' 36-28 loss to Stanford. It was also great to see Jim Harbaugh get his team off to a nice start as the Cardinal look to make huge strides this year in the Pac-10.

Ryan Madson and Chad Durbin have been solid out of the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen all season, but they could not protect a lead for Cole Hamels on the road last night at Wrigley Field. Aramis Ramirez hit a dramatic grand slam as the Cubs moved to 34 games above .500 and 6 1/2 games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central. The Phils were able to get to Ryan Dempster and had a commanding 4-1 lead entering the bottom of the eighth

The Dodgers continue to self-destruct. getting swept by the Nationals to lose their seventh consecutive game and fall 3 1/2 games behind first-place Arizona in the NL West.

The Marlins are now 10-15 in August after their 4-2 defeat to the Braves. The club has not won two in a row this month.

Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett was scratched from his start against the White Sox and placed on the DL with elbow trouble and tingling in his pinkie finger. He was scheduled to fly to Birmingham, Alabama to meet with Dr. Trouble James Andrews. The Red Sox won't have to worry about defending their World Championship without Beckett because they likely won't get to the playoffs without him.

Tampa Bay is now 11-0-1 in series play after the All-Star break, as Edwin Jackson won for the sixth time in seven starts. Despite their AL-best 49-19 record at home, the Rays only drew 14,039, making it the sixth straight game with an attendance under 20,000. Unreal and sad.

Olympic Wrap-Up and...a Carl Pavano Sighting?

The United States reclaimed its spot atop the basketball world on Sunday, as the Redeem Team found redemption in the form of an 11-point victory over Spain to capture the gold medal. The big lead had dwindled to two late in the game, but the Americans had enough firepower and a stopper in Kobe Bryant to hold onto the victory. While the U.S. regained the long-sought gold, the Spaniards hinted that the Americans may not ever be able to reclaim long-standing dominance, as the talent gap has clealry closed between these national teams.

Nice of Carl Pavano to drop by the Yankees clubhouse and actually make a start on Sunday in Baltimore. $39.95 million dolars for 20 starts in pinstripes. Nice.

According to Red Sox manager Terry Francona, pitcher Josh Beckett has inflammation in his right elbow. This could be a devastating blow for the Red Sox' playoff hopes and success, as the club is struggling to get quality starts as it is.

Right-hander Anthony Reyes may have found a rotation that he could stick in, as the former Cardinal has had a nice stretch of starts to begin his Cleveland career. And break up the Indians, who have now won seven in a row.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry absolutely committed robbery in acquiring Rich Harden from the A's. What dividends the injury-prone righty has paid.

The U.S. Open tennis tournament began this morning, and four-time defending champ Roger Federer looks to salvage his disappointing season by taking another hard court major title. Meanwhile, last year's women's champ, Justine Henin is probably relaxing by a beach somewhere.


37-year-old Kurt Warner won the starting quarterback job in Arizona after Matt Leinart endured a three-interception, 4-for-12 first half on Saturday night. The Cardinals are internally worried about Leinart's arm strength and consistency, and his relationship with Ken Whisenhurt almost looks irreparable. The NFC West is a very winnable division for the Cards this season--as it was last year--and Warner gives them the best chance to win. But this is a team with a future glaring hole at QB if Leinart can't get his act together after supposedly buckling down this offseason and becoming a better student of the game.

Phelps, Re-Deemers, and the Insane Usain

Before Saturday night, Jamaica had never won Olympic gold in the 100 meter sprint. They finally won. Twice. Shelly-Ann Fraser stormed past countrywomen Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart to pull off a rare gold-medal double in the men's and women's 100-meter dashes, the first time the feat has occured since 1988. Simpson and Stewart finished in a dead heat to claim silver. Americans Lauryn Williams, Muna Lee and Torri Edwards failed to medal, and a protest filed by the American team was rejected after Williams thought she had false started.

Jay Mariotti's column in the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday centered on the amazing performance displayed by Michael Phelps in the first week of the Games. He wrote that it is "perfectly fair and resonable" to put him in a class with Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth and anyone else in sports history. It made me wonder whether or not he can be placed in such a category when his sport is sadly only recognized every four years. As much as I pay attention to the world championships, let's be honest: most Olympic sports are only celebrated for two weeks every four years. When you think about the training necessary to accomplish such a feat as eight golds in one Games in multiple disciplines, there is something Tiger-like about Phelps. And we are so eager to dismiss the incredible Athens Games he had four years ago. That was just below his performance in Beijing. But Jordan-esque? Bab-licious? Now that's another story.

Team USA's dominant 119-82 performance over defending world champion Spain was quite impressive. The athleticism of the Americans was so evident that Pau Gasol looked like a scrub on the court. The intense dedication to defense has led to countless easy buckets in transition, making this tournament look more and more like a cakewalk for Team USA.

I've heard members of the media complain about the supposed cockiness and showboating by Usain Bolt in running a world record time of 9.69 seconds in thrashing the field on Saturday in the men's 100-meter dash. I say enjoy his bravado and his energy. Athletes like Bolt only come around so often. By the way, you better be clean Bolt.

I know it's been discussed and raved about ad nauseam, but Dara Torres picking up a silver in the 50 free is pretty amazing...if she's clean, of course. The 41-year-old has medals in five Olympic games, which is just staggering...if she's clean.

Rafael Nadal beat Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 to win the gold medal in men's tennis, while the Williams sisters won doubles gold to help ease the pain of a medal-less performance in women's singles.

Shawn Johnson was given the unenviable first starting position in the women's floor exercise final, yet her high score held up...until Romanian Sandra Izbasa claimed gold as the very last performer. Nastia Liukin won the bronze.

It was really nice to see Roger Federer actually win a major tennis event this year. And I really mean it. Too many people have already written off the Swiss star as done. I guess being only the second-best player this year is not good enough.

Is China really 5-for-5 in diving competition at these Games thus far?

Two quick baseball notes: Mets closer Billy Wagner felt discomfort in his left elbow before the game on Sunday and appears to have no chance of returning this year. Meanwhile, Tom Glavine has a torn tendon in his pitching elbow and his career is likely over. And what a career it was. It's possible that we can see Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz all retire in the same offseason. It's only fitting actually.

U.S. Women Slip, Fall Towards Silver

One night after we witnessed overwhelming elation from the U.S. men's gymnastics team while celebrating its bronze-medal-winning performance, Alicia Sacramone represented the other side of the Games: heartbreak. After falling off the beam and falling to the mat on the floor, Sacramone handed the Chinese a runaway victory for the country's first gold medal in the women's team gymnastics competition. They join the men's squad in sweeping team gymnastics gold. Now it's pretty evident that the Chinese are using little girls for this event--and every other gymnastics competition. There is apparently evidence that a few of the young "women" are actually 14 and 15, and not the requisite 16. But this practice occurs most every Olympics by many other countries other than China. We hear the whispers every four years. It's a similar, but less prevalent, problem to doping. But rather than talk about either issue, I choose to focus strictly on the competition because I don't see either problem really going away anytime soon.

On the baseball beat, even in a winnable AL Central, the Tigers bullpen just wouldn't allow the club to get back in the race. All season it has been an issue, and it continues to be even with the additions of Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney off of the disabled list recently. I wonder if Zumaya will ever be able to close out games consistently...I know the game was the exception to the norm, so no pitcher was very effective, but Manny Delcarmen's struggles this year have really hurt the Red Sox. With the trade of Craig Hansen, the Sawx better hope Justin Masterson and Michael Bowden pan out. I think Masterson definitely will, especially because he is a ground ball pitcher...Chris Volstad has been very steady in his short time in the Marlins rotation...Is that Randy Johnson really giving the D-Backs quality starts?...The once-stingy Phillies bullpen is showing signs of fragility...Finally, Damaso Marte gave up two more earned runs in a third of an inning last night. His Yankees ERA stands at 11.05.