Thursday, June 16, 2005

Thursday Night Moanin'

What do you suspect we would have to pay ESPN to stop talking about Terrell Owens? It's not football season. He's not without a contract. He's not even holding out from camp. Well, he's not holding out, yet, anyway. However, it's seems like you don't go more than about twenty-four hours without someone affiliated with the network talking about him.

Monday night with the NBA Finals underway, baseball in full swing, Annika winning another major and a number of other more noteworthy sports topics to choose from, ESPN.com has T.O.'s contract situation as it's lead story?

Is Owens' agent paying ESPN to get coverage? Are we all that desperate to hear everything out of T.O.'s mouth? I'm just amazed at the T.O. watch the media seems to be on. Call me in late July when he doesn't show for training camp. (Yes, I do see the irony and stupidity of discussing Owens' here. I'm only adding to the problem, but I had to complain.)

Another athlete who should be relegated to obscurity is Mike Tyson. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.

Locals have probably heard about this already, but the Detroit Zoo got into trouble with some Michigan fans this week. The zoo has two baby wolverines. The zoo also has a Michigan State grad, with a sense of humor, as a vet. The caregiver named the newborns, Sparty and Bucky. This sent some Michigan fans, and Zoo patrons, into a lather.

Naming a wolverine after the mascots of Michigan State and Wisconsin? Not on their watch. These supposedly educated individuals threatened to pull their financial support from the zoo unless a name change occurred.

Let me see if I understand this. Some well heeled folks are incensed over the naming of two wolverines, neither on scholarship as far as I know, after other Big Ten mascots and they are going to stop supporting an institution already hurting for money? They are going to cut off their funding of one of the city primary attractions because two critters are named Bucky and Sparty? They are going to abandon their support of all of the inhabitants of the zoo because their school has been indirectly insulted?

They sure sound like well educated, deeply thoughtful, animal lovers to me.

I read where dolphins were found using sponges as tools. Some scientists have suggested that this is proof of evolution. In other news, these same scientists were forced to dismiss evolution as nothing more than theory after seeing the results of The Discovery Channel/AOL survey of The Greatest American.

After breezing through the list of the 100 Greatest Americans ever you have to wonder if we shouldn't have let the dolphins vote instead.

Less than an hour before tip-off, but I still don't buy the fact the Pistons are "back in the series". Win tonight, then, yes, they are temporarily back in. Why only temporarily? Because the Pistons absolutely have to win all three games here in order to have any real chance of repeating as champions.

Being "back" means having a chance to win the championship in my mind. If the Pistons fold tonight, and I don't think they will, the Game Three win will look very, very small. Thinking the Pistons can win three straight, with the last two in San Antonio, is almost unimaginable. Sure, it would be mathematically possible, but only those with the most red, white and blue colored glasses would believe repeating is still possible.

Right now, however, the dream lives on. My guess: Pistons 89-Spurs 86.

Don't look now, but the Tigers are nearing .500, again. Come on, fellas. Get over the break even mark and stay above water for a while.

By the way, who will be the Tigers' all-star representative? Carlos Guillen, Jeremy Bonderman and Brandon Inge seem like the most likely candidates. Pudge Rodriguez may get the nod, but as he won't start (he can't catch Jason Varitek), his numbers might not be worthy of a back-up slot. Why do I get the feeling Inge will be the only Tigers' rep?

You probably didn't notice, and I hope for your sake you didn't because that would make you as lame as me, but Davis Love III was wearing a trucker style Titleist cap at the U.S. Open today. (Sorry, the link is not to a picture.) It was your traditional baseball cap with a mesh back and the Titleist logo on front. I know it's a very popular retro style. For some reason, a trucker cap looked horribly out of place at the U.S. Open. Go figure.

Other fashion statements at Pinehurst #2 (Yes, these are photo links): Sergio Garcia, Charles Howell III, Tiger Woods and finally the always stylish Ian Poulter. Those are some pants.

I've got to go watch some basketball now. Go Pistons!

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