NBA Draft 2005

In the words of Bill Raftery, "Bring your lunch!!!!" Here we go:

1. Milwaukee, Andrew Bogut C/Utah. Definitely the #1 player in the Draft, Bogut will give the Bucks an actual inside presence. He can finish inside and has some outside range. He can also rebound, something the Bucks severely lacked this year. The knack on Bogut is he's a mediocre defender at best, specifically 1-on-1 defense.
2. Atlanta, Marvin Williams F/North Carolina. I liked this kid all year. He's 6'9, but really is a big small forward. He can shoot the 3, get to the basket, and hit the mid-range jumper. If he can develop a post game and continue to improve defensively, he could be a superstar, and I'm talking legend.
3. Utah, Deron Williams G/Illinois. Williams will be a good fit for Utah because he's a big guard who can shoot, pass, rebound, and defend. When Illinois needed clutch shots, Williams was the guy. He may be the best defender in the draft. He needs to be more consistent with his shooting.
4. New Orleans, Chris Paul G/Wake Forest. Paul can do it all, he's very exciting to watch. For a point guard, he's a really good shooter. If he can cut down on his turnovers, he'll have a great career. A good pick for the Hornets since Baron Davis has gone to Golden State.
5. Charlotte, Raymond Felton G/North Carolina. Felton is the reason why UNC won the national championship. By improving his shooting and decision-making, UNC went from really good to great. When Felton plays under control, he's unstoppable.
6. Portland, Martell Webster G/Seattle Prep. Webster was the first high school player taken, and deservedly so. He's a great shooter who can create his own shot. He's not an awesome athlete, but he makes up for it with his basketball ability. The only question is, how will he mature in Portland, where they are very low on maturity.
7. Toronto, Charlie Villanueva F/UConn. This one's a puzzler. Villanueva could be world-beater one minute, then preschooler pouter the next. The Raptors have taken three power forwards the last three years, what's up with that? Not a good pick.
8. New York, Channing Frye C/Arizona. Frye was one of the top 5 players in the NCAA Tourney. No one could guard him. He can score with his back to the basket, and hit the 15-footer off the pick and roll. If he can put on some weight, he will be have a good career.
9. Golden State, Ike Diogu F/Arizona St. Diogu is a scorer, pure and simple. He can post you up, slash and score, and hit the mid-range jumper. He will provide the Warriors with much needed rebounding.
10. LA Lakers, Andrew Bynum C/St. Joseph's HS. An interesting pick by Phil Jackson & Co. because it will be a couple of years before this kid could contribute. Plus, he doesn't run the floor very well which could be a problem.
    
11. Orlando, Fran Vazquez F/Spain. Vazquez will complement Dwight Howard nicely inside. He is strong and experienced, which will help Orlando become a better team. But, he doesn't have that star quality about him, he's just a nice player.
12. LA Clippers, Yaroslav Korolev F/Moscow. I don't know what Mike Dunleavy sees in this kid. All of his experience has been from the Russian Junior National team. He's younger than Darko Milcic, and we all know how Darko's doing. He has a lot of potential, but that's about it.
13. Charlotte, Sean May F/North Carolina. Charlotte got a gift here. With Felton, May, and Emeka Okafor, the Bobcats are taking after the Bulls, drafting guys who know how to play and win. May was the rock of the Tar Heels, putting up huge numbers, including some 20/20s in March.
    
14. Minnesota, Rashad McCants G/North Carolina. McCants makes 4 Tar Heels going in the lottery. He's arugably the most skilled offensive player in the draft, able to do it all. There are still questions about his attitude, which is why he didn't go even higher. If he keeps his head, I see superstardom in his future also.
15. New Jersey, Antoine Wright G/Texas A&M. Wright was the most highly acclaimed player to play in College Station. He almost led them to the NCAA Tournament this year. He has good size, can shoot and drive. All he needs is a little more strength. Good pick by the Nets.
16. Toronto, Joey Graham F/Oklahoma St. Graham has the skill and athleticism to take over a game, but sometimes he wasn't aggressive enough. This was the one pick Toronto got right.
17. Indiana, Danny Granger F/New Mexico. Granger can play the 3 or 4, averaging 19 a game over the last 3 years. Overlooked because he played in the southwest, Granger is a steal for Indiana. He'll provide some much needed offensive help on the perimeter.
18. Boston, Gerald Green G/Gulf Shores Academy. Another high school player, Green can jump out of the gym and shoot lights out. Seriously, this guy has more ups than LeBron. His head is above the rim when he goes up. The only question about this kid is his maturity. Otherwise, a great pick by Boston.
19. Memphis, Hakim Warrick F/Syracuse. Warrick added something new to his game every year at Syracuse. He doesn't have a designated playing position, he's just a player who knows how to get it done. I could watch his dunk vs. Notre Dame 24/7.
20. Denver, Julius Hodge G/NC State. Former ACC player of the year, Hodge can defend and loves having the ball in the clutch. If he can become more consistent with his jump shot, he'll do fine.
21. Phoenix, Nate Robinson G/Washington. If you've read the blog, you know how much I love Lil' Nate. He brings great energy to the floor and loves being the man. He can drive, pass, shoot, and defend. His lack of size really isn't an issue with him because he plays big.
22. Denver, Jarrett Jack G/Georgia Tech. Now heading to Portland where he'll provide some much needed toughness, Jack was at his best when Tech was at full strength. If he's called upon to do it all, he doesn't have the ability to do so. He's very good in transition, getting other people involved and playing off of them.
23. Sacramento, Francisco Garcia G/Louisville. Another guy who was clutch in the clutch. Garcia is big, doesn't mind taking the big shot, and can play defense. A good fit for the Kings.
24. Houston, Luther Head G/Illinois. Head was Illinois's most consistent player at both ends of the floor. He also vastly improved each year while in school, adding the outside shot to his drive and dish game. He can also lock you up defensively.
25. Seattle, Johan Petro C/France. This is the guy Seattle wanted. He has a lot of potential and athletic ability. He just needs experience because most of his play has been on the French Junior National team.
26. Detroit, Jason Maxiell F/Cincinnati. Maxiell is a very undersized power forward, but he's tough, and Detroit missed that this year. He looks to fill the role Corliss Williamson had with this team 2 years ago.
27. Portland, Linas Kleiza F/Missouri. Now heading to Seattle, Kleiza is a typical European player, but with some inside toughness. He will fit right in with Seattle and the way they play because he's a good outside shooter.
28. San Antonio, Ian Mahinmi F/France. The Spurs hope this guy turns out to be good because that's all he has, potential.
29. Miami, Wayne Simien F/Kansas. I'm surprised Simien fell this far, this is a great pick by Miami. When healthy, Simien dominated games with his turnaround jumpshot and great rebounding. He's not afraid to get physical either. The only question is his durability.
30. New York, David Lee F/Florida. An interesting pick by the Knicks, considering Brandon Bass was available and would've been a better fit. Lee can finish inside with both hands and can jump, but he's not outstanding in one area. He's a solid player, not a 1st round player.
31. Atlanta, Salim Stoudamire G/Arizona. The Hawks started off Round 2 well by picking the best shooter in the draft. He has in the gym range and is a scoring machine. If he maintains the good attitude he had this year, he'll have a very good career.
    
32. LA Clippers, Daniel Ewing G/Duke. Can play the 1 or 2, Ewing is a good shooter and good defender. He's not very explosive because he lacks a little size and has average ball-handling skills.
33. New Orleans, Brandon Bass F/LSU. Another good pick by the Hornets, Bass has the potential to be very good. This year, he added an outside, mid-range game to his inside game. He can also rebound and defend.
34. Utah, CJ Miles G/Skyline HS. Usually, being a high school player taken in the 2nd round is bad news. But Miles never signed with an agent, and said if he wasn't taken in the 1st round, he would commit to Texas. Smart kid.
35. Portland, Ricky Sanchez F/IMG Academy. This could be a preview of what's to come with the new age limit that goes into effect next year. Some players after high school will spend the year after at these academies offered by agents instead of attending college. We'll see how Sanchez does after not playing for a year.
36. Milwaukee, Ersan Ilyasova F/Turkey. Don't count on much from this guy. He only has the p-word: potential.
37. LA Lakers, Ronny Turiaf F/Gonzaga. Turiaf will contribute in LA. He can score inside and out and rebound. He has a tendency to get into foul trouble often and has had some injuries. He still has the potential to be very good.
38. Orlando, Travis Diener G/Marquette. He can shoot and he's tough. He's not very big and not very quick, but he makes up for it with his heart.
39. LA Lakers, Von Wafer G/Florida St. Now we get into the players who should've stayed in school. Wafer had a good career at Florida St. He can play off the ball and shoot, but he should've gone back to school.
    
40. Golden State, Monta Ellis G/Lainier HS. Whoever told this kid he was a 1st round pick is just plain dumb. He's good, but nothing special.
41. Toronto, Roko Ukic C/Croatia. Your typical European center. He can shoot outside, but not very physical inside. Another weird pick by Toronto.
42. Golden State, Chris Taft F/Pittsburgh. Another one that should've stayed in school, Taft has attitude problems. His Pitt career got off to a really good start, but once his friends and family started telling him he would be a Top 10 pick, he became selfish and didn't play well.
43. New Jersey, Mile Ilic C/Yugoslavia. See #40 haha.
44. Orlando, Martynas Andriuskevickus F/Lithuania. My question is, how are they going to fit his last name on the back of the jersey haha?
45. Philadelphia, Louis Williams G/Atlanta. Another dumb decision by a high school kid. I watched him on national TV and didn't think he was a 1st round pick. He isn't a great ballhandler or a great shooter, and he has average size. GO TO SCHOOL!!!!
46. Indiana, Erazem Lorbek F/Michigan St. Has size and can shoot, but did nothing special in East Lansing. Very soft inside.
47. Minnesota, Bracey Wright G/Indiana. Again, if you've read the blog, you know my feelings about Wright coming out early. He can make shots, if you set double screens for him. He has trouble creating his own shot and is an average ball handler.
48. Seattle, Mickael Gelabale F/France. What's with all of the French basketball players??? Another long-term project, he is a tremendous athlete.
49. Washington, Andray Blatche F/S. Kent Prep. Another high school moron. He thought he was a 1st round pick because he played well in the high school all-star games. How can you not play well in a high school all-star game, NO ONE PLAYS ANY DEFENSE!!!!!! I could score 20 points in those all-star games, does that make me a 1st round pick????
50. Boston, Ryan Gomes F/Providence. Another good pick for the Celtics. Gomes went back to school to learn the small forward position. He now has legitimate outside range while being able to finish inside. He is very tough and physical inside, good pick.
51. Utah, Robert Whaley F/Walsh University. You might remember Whaley from his UC days. A lot of talent but no discipline. Sums up most of Bob Huggins' recruits.
52. Denver, Axel Hervelle F/Belgium. Honestly, I don't know anything about this guy. I can't say Belgians have had much success in the NBA.
53. Boston, Orien Greene G/La-Lafayette. A transfer from Florida, Greene has tremendous athleticism and size. If he can somehow keep his composure and play with a high level of intensity, this is a steal for Boston.
54. New York, Dijon Thompson F/UCLA. He will play the 2 or 3 due to his thin frame. He can fill it up from the outside. He must develop a first step that will allow him to get to the basket.
55. Seattle, Lawrence Roberts F/Mississippi St. Not very big, can score inside and can make the outside shot.
56. Detroit, Amir Johnson F/Westchester HS. Beyond dumb, GO TO SCHOOL!!!!!!
57. Phoenix, Marcin Gortat C/Germany. Potential.
58. Toronto, Uros Slokar F/Slovenia. A terrible draft for the Raptors.
59. Atlanta, Cenk Akyol. Yeah, that's what I said.
60. Detroit, Alex Acker G/Pepperdine. Not sure about this pick since Acker wasn't even the best player on his team.

Among those not drafted: Chuck Hayes, John Lucas, and Keith Langford.

And those who you can find their pictures next to the word "MORON' in the dictionary: Randolph Morris, Kentucky; John Gilchrist, Maryland; Kennedy Winston, Alabama; Anthony Roberson, Florida; Matt Walsh, Florida; Dwayne Jones, St. Joes.

These guys left school early thinking they would be 1st round draft choices and they went undrafted. Idiots. Also, those taken in the 2nd round are not guaranteed contracts, which is why it's so important to go in the 1st round.

There you have it, all 60 picks, g'night.

Short and Sweet

I apologize for no NBA Draft preview. I DO promise to have in-depth analysis of each selection tomorrow afterwards so look for that.

In place of the Draft preview, I thought I'd do a special Top 10 list of Lance Armstrong Tour De France moments:
10. 2004. During the last mountain stage, Lance's teammate Floyd Landis broke away to go for the stage victory, but the breakaway group led by Jan Ullrich and Andreas Kloden caught him. Then, Kloden got away and appeared to have the victory until the Maillot Jaune decided in his words, "No Gimmes". Lance caught Kloden at the line to win his 5th stage of the Tour, solidifying his record-breaking 6th victory.

9. 1999. Before cancer, Lance was an average climber at best. When the 99 Tour first entered the Alps, many expected Lance to give up the yelllow jersey since climbing wasn't his strong suit. But on the epic climb up to Sestrieres, Italy, Armstrong showed that he really was a changed man and rider. Armstrong broke away from the lead pack and won the day, on his way to his 1st Tour De France title.

8. 1993. Lance was a great one-day racer in the early part of his career, which showed in his victory at Verdun in the 93 Tour, his first career Tour stage win. Armstrong outsprinted three others to the line, announcing his arrival on the professional circuit. Later that year in Oslo, Norway, Lance would win the World Championship.

7. 2002. In typical Armstrong fashion, he made his move on the first day in the mountains. This day, it was the ascent up to the ski station La Mongie, halfway up the Col du Tourmalet. Armstrong showed off his team, allowing Chechu Rubiera and Roberto Heras to pull him up the mountain, then allowing Lance to finish off the victory.

6. 1995. Just days after losing teammate and close friend Fabio Casartelli after he crashed in the Pyrennes, Lance went out on the attack, looking to bring some good news back to the Motorola team. On the road to Limoges, Lance found himself in a breakway. With 25K left, Lance shot from the back of the pack like a rocket and took off. As he approached the line, Armstrong paid tribute to his fallen teammate by pointing his hands to the sky and won the day.

5. 1999. It was simply amazing that Lance Armstrong was starting the Tour De France. Just a couple of years earlier, he was battling cancer. No one realistically thought he would ever battle the Tour De France again. It was a nice story, but no one expected anything. I remember sitting there, watching and thinking, "If he can somehow finish the Tour, something he struggled to do when he was healthy, that would be amazing." To mine and the world's amazement, Armstrong went out and won the Prologue time trial, claiming the race leader's yellow jersey. Even Armstrong was stunned afterwards. That moment was inspiring enough. He could've dropped out the next day, and it still would've been an incredible performance. You don't go from having a 30% chance to live to leading the Tour de France, no one does that.

4. 2000. Due to the absence of past Tour winners Marco Pantani and Jan Ullrich, many thought Lance's 99 Tour Win was a fluke. Pantani and Ullrich were there in 2000 to battle Lance and the first rendezvous fo the Tour was the Hautacam. It was cold, windy, and rainy, just how Armstrong likes it. At the base of Hautacam, a little Spanish rider by the name of Javier Ochoa led the pack that contained Armstrong, Ullrich, and Pantani by over 9 minutes. Lance went on the attack, easily disposing of Ullrich and Pantani while closing in on Ochoa. Ochoa held onto win the stage, but it was an equally remarkable performance by Armstrong, who only finished 40 seconds behind Ochoa after starting the climb 9 minutes behind.

3. 2004. Alpe D'Huez is the Super Bowl of Cycling. The mountain's 21 switchback turns make it holy ground. Add a million drunk cycling fans from all over the world and you have one big party that gives the Alpe its aura. Last year, Alpe D'Huez was home to a time-trial, a race against the clock for the first time ever since the Alpe has been included in the race route. Despite death threats and the poor behavior of the German fans there to support their favorites, Armstrong charged up the mountain. In time trials, riders start 2 minutes apart to give them ample room to operate. Armstrong caught and passed then 2nd place rider Ivan Basso, leaving no doubt who was going to win the Tour. Later, Armstrong said, "When I came to the Tour, I wasn't thinking about winning #6. I came to kick the s*it out of everybody." You gotta love that.

2. 2001. Another ride up to Alpe D'Huez. As the day unfolded, it appeared this wasn't going to be Armstrong's day. He rode at the back of the pack all day, suffering with every revolution of the pedals. Then, as the pack made the famous left hand turn from the Bourg D'Oisans village rodad onto the Alpe, Rubiera and Armstrong came to the front and started sprinting up the mountain. When Rubiera fell to the back, Armstrong looked back at Ullrich and asked if he was coming along. When the German didn't reply, Armstrong gave "The Look" and took off, winning the stage, climbing the Alpe in the fastest time ever. Armstrong had purposely sat at the back, knowing the image of him appearing to be suffering would be shown in every team's car, specifically Ullrich's team Telekom. Thinking Lance was having a bad day, Telekom kept the pace high, trying to wear out Lance, but wearing themselves out at the same time. On the final climb, Ullrich didn't have any help around him because they were too tired. Armstrong's tactics were perfect.

1. 2003. The drive for 5 was rough. It began before the Tour even started. Lance and ex-wife Kristin had just separated, Lance spent too much energy winning the Dauphine Libere, Lance crashed during training, and if that weren't enough, Lance caught the flu from his son Luke at the start of the Tour. During the Tour, Armstrong got caught up in multiple crashes, then barely survived one by going across a field to avoid a fallen Joseba Beloki. Then in the time trial, he became dehydrated, losing most of his lead to Ullrich, which after the first 2 days in the Pyrennes, was down to a matter of seconds. It all came down to the climb up Luz Ardiden. At the base of the mountain, Armstrong attacked and was followed by Basque rider Iban Mayo. Then, Armstrong's handlebars got caught on a fan's bag and both riders went down. For a moment, it appeared Armstrong was done. But both got up and started to come back to the pack. Next, Armstrong's right foot slipped out of his pedal, almost causing him to fall off again. But Armstrong got back to the pack and attacked again, this time no one was able to follow him and there were no further incidents. His gutty climb up Luz Ardiden essentially won him his 5th Tour.

Can you tell I'm excited for the Tour to start, just 5 days to go!!!!!

Livestrong

A couple of weeks ago, my grandpa was found to have contracted a form of leukemia. His white blood cell count was over 60,000, which is 100 times more than it should be. He was put on medication to bring his white blood cell count down, and the outlook was good. But last week, his white blood cell count was still too high and his red blood cell count was too low, making his situation more dangerous. He had another test done to see if his leukemia can be treated with medication where the odds of living are really good versus a bone marrow transplant, where the odds of living are not as good.

My grandpa is a wonderful man. He was in the Navy during WWII, was mayor of Lewisburg, OH, and worked at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton. Now, he's an avid watcher of the Stock Market and a very active Republican. He doesn't have the cleanest mouth, but he's funny to listen to. He demands nothing but the best from me, which keeps me going. When I think I've done all I can, he finds a way to squeeze more out of me. He really wanted me to be a lawyer and go into politics haha, but I don't think I've disappointed him too much by becoming an Economist since I can tell him where to put his money in the Market. I really hope this isn't his time to go, so if you could keep him in your prayers, that would be very kind of you.

To possibly inspire him as he battles this, I think I'll get him a Lance Armstrong Livestrong T-shirt. He loves things like that, and who knows, maybe it'll make some difference.

And yes Grandpa, "I'm knocking the ass off of em down at Miami."

Alright, what can we talk about tonight:

• How about the trainwreck that was the final round of the US Women's Open???? First, Annika Sorenstam tried to literally do what Arnold Palmer did in 1960 during his comeback US Open victory, which was drive the 1st green. Annika, sorry, you're no Arnie. Annika made bogey, shot 77, finished at +12. 18 year old Paula Creamer, started tied for 4th, shot 79, finished at +10. The final group of Michelle Wie and Karen Stupples almost duplicated what Retief Goosen and Jason Gore did in last week's US Open when they played in the final group. Wie double bogeyed the 1st hole and never got it going, shooting 82, finishing at +12. Stupples, who won last year's Women's British Open, shot 78 and finished at +8. It essentially came down to 4 players: Lorena Ochoa, Dukie Brittany Lang, Birdie Kim, and Morgan Pressel, currently the #1 amateur in the US, 16 years old.
• Ochoa was the only one taking it to Cherry Hills, making 4 birdies on the back 9 to get to +3, which was good for a share of the lead at that point. Then, Ochoa badly duckhooked her tee shot into the water at 18, leading to a quadruple bogey. Her tee shot was so bad, she created a divot before she hit the ball, which I do from time-to-time. Meanwhile, Lang showed why she plays for the #1 team in women's golf, shooting an even-par 71 to post +5. That left Kim and Pressel, who were both +4 heading to 18, the toughest hole on the course. Kim, in the group ahead of Pressel, was in the bunker about 30 yards short of the green. Kim was 141st in sand saves, getting your ball out of the bunker, then putting it in on the next shot. 141st isn't very good. In addition, Kim had only made the cut in 10 of her previous 34 LPGA starts!!!! Naturally, as Pressel was walking to her ball in the 18th fairway, Kim holed her bunker shot for a birdie, finishing at +3 for the tourney. Pressel was obviously devastated, and made bogey on the last hole to finish tied for 2nd with Lang.
• So, where does that leave Michelle Wie? For the last month, she put all the talk to rest about needing to beat girls her own age before playing in the bigger tournaments. Yesterday, she looked as if it were her tournament to lose, playing with the poise of a seasoned professional. But today, that wasn't the case. It's one thing to play well and be the novelty of an event, but it's another thing to produce the goods in "winning time". While the moment was too much for Wie, who hadn't been in a situation like this since winning the Girls Junior Amateur 2 years ago, it wasn't too much for Pressel and Lang, both experienced and seasoned amateurs who have WON frequently. Granted, everyone, including the pros, had trouble on this golf course. But, this is also the only major tournament where the best US amateurs can play, making this the toughest event in women's golf because as was seen this week, the best women's golfers are the young guns. I wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Pressel and Lang played in all of the majors, they would finish near the top because they know how to win. As much as Michelle Wie has gotten better and as talented as she is, she needs to learn how to win. There has to be a way for her to play more junior events, while cutting back on some of the bigger events she plays in. Those bigger events will always be there for her, but the time of learning how to win won't because there's always someone better coming up behind you.
  
• One more point about women's golf. This isn't the case for all, but there are a large number of women who play SLOOOOOOWWWW. No wonder some of the rounds at Cherry Hills were close to 6 hours?!?!?!?! In addition, some women talk way too much to their golfball. The moment they hit it, immediately you hear, "Go, go, go, go, go, sit, sit, sit, sit." And this isn't just on tee shots and approach shots, this is on chips and putts too. Who talks to their ball that much on a chip and a putt?????
• Wow, four bullet points on women's golf, who would've thought. But women's golf is up and coming, it has a very bright future.
• Tomorrow is one of the best days of the tennis year as the remaining 16 men and women at Wimbledon all play tomorrow. Among those absent is Serena Williams, who lost to 85th ranked Jill Craybas in the 3rd round. Craybas has only won 8 grand slam MATCHES in her career (she's 31 years old), and 3 of them have been this year at Wimbledon. Serena acknowledged, "I guess you have to prepare more than a week for a major and actually practice. I don't practice." WELL, LOOK WHO FINALLY GOT A CLUE!!!!!!!! This is why I have no respect for the Williams sisters. They don't put in the time necessary to be great players, but they think they can just show up and play great. What wastes.
• Texas defeated Florida 4-2 and 6-2 to win the NCAA baseball championship, the Longhorns' sixth. Well, Miami can say they lost to the national champs.

Tuesday is the NBA Draft, so tomorrow I'll try and have a preview and tell you who should've stayed in school.

6 days until the Tour

Song of the Day: "Rub You The Right Way", Johnny Gill, formerly of New Edition. Gotta love old-school.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is a genetic abnormality that enlarges the left ventricle, leading to sometimes fatal disturbances of the heart rhythm. Every year, around 300 high-school and college athletes die from HCM. What makes HCM so dangerous is it's undetectable when receiving a regular physical. To find out if you have HCM, you must get an EKG or an echocardiogram. What made me bring this up was the article in today's Wall St. Journal that talked about another 16-year old, who while running, unexpectedly collapsed and died right next to his twin brother who was running with him.

Whenever I see a death due to a heart condition, it hits home because I was one of those athletes in danger of a heart condition. I'll never forget the day my doctor first told me about this, then that same summer I believe, a University of Dayton basketball player died in his sleep, caused by a heart condition similar to HCM. It's something I still look out for since I continue to work out regularly. It's such a tragedy to hear of someone dying because of this. So if you have a younger sibling still in high school/college playing sports, tell them to get an EKG. Nowadays, they only cost $30, and you can detect HCM now with an EKG. EKGs are not 100% reliable, but they're much more reliable now than they were 10 years ago.

What else is going on:

• It will be Florida vs. Texas for the NCAA Baseball Championship. The Gators took care of Arizona St. tonight while the Longhorns still haven't lost in Omaha. It is a Best of 3 series. This has been more interesting than the NBA finals, with drama in every game. Arizona St./Nebraska from a couple days ago will be on ESPN Classic tomorrow night.
• The Finals are over, thank goodness, and the Spurs prevailed in Game 7, 81-74. Can you honestly tell me that was good basketball displayed tonight??? After next week's NBA Draft, basketball is over until Midnight Madness in October (NBA preseason doesn't count, sorry).
• At Wimbledon, it was a changing of the guard in a sense for the British fans. Tim Henman lost his 2nd round match in 5 sets, the first time he didn't make it into at least the Round of 16 for the first time in 9 years. But young Scotsman Andy Murray is through to the 3rd round, showing some game in the process. Also, French Open champ Rafael Nadal lost in his 2nd round match. Although he wasn't a favorite to win it all, he was expected to make it to the Round of 16. The only other major upset so far was French Open women's champ Justin Henin-Hardenne losing in the 1st round.
• Weather forced suspension of play in the 1st round of the US Women's Open. Currently the lead is shared by Angela Stanford, Dukie Brittany Lang, and Karine Icher at -2. Michelle Wie is -1 with 3 holes left in her 1st round. Ben Roethlisberger's women, Natalie Gulbis, is -1. Annika Sorenstam is 2 behind at E. Paula Creamer is tied for 35th at +3. By the way, admission to the US Men's Amateur Pub Links is FREE at Shaker Run, so I may be going over multiple times.

Tomorrow is my parents' 28th and grandparents' 58th Wedding Anniversaries respectively. Congratulations to them.

The Tour de France is just 9 days away!!!!! Outdoor Life Network has live coverage every morning beginning either at 8:30/9:30. If you don't feel like getting up early, don't worry, it's replayed all day, with in-depth coverage of each day's racing in primetime.

I think 24 is a nice, solid number

Well, Phoenix is no longer in my future, it was one and done with America West Airlines and their pricing division. It bothers me in the sense that this is the first negative thing that's happened in the last 3 months or so, that's the kind of roll I've been on lately. Overall, Ernst & Young was my pick from the start if I were offered at both, so nothing changes there. It's funny the email from America West said, "I'm glad I got to know more about you as a person...." when the guy really didn't. It was very impersonal, which turns me off. The job sounded great, it would've utilized everything I've learned, but the interview didn't impress me. That hasn't been the case in my 2 interviews with Ernst & Young. Both gentlemen have been cordial, and they have been more like conversations than interviews. So my fingers are crossed, but I'm still applying away.

In less than an hour, I officially become a twentysomething as I enter the mid-20s. Turning 24 feels like I've graduated from college-age and am now a full fledged adult. For the first time, I feel in all areas of my life I'm at least 24. This past year, I grew up in a lot of areas and am turning into the person I want to be. It wasn't like I was far away, but now I feel the foundation is there that will carry me through the next stage of my life, beginning my professional career and eventually starting a family. This year was the best thing that could've happened to me, seriously. Focusing 100% on my schoolwork, learning to live by myself and support myself, remaining single, reconnecting with friends, and regaining my top-notch mental and physical conditioning (down to 203 by the way, 22 pounds gone since Winter break!!!!) has left me thrilled with how the last year has gone. It's been pretty difficult at times, and there have been moments I'd like to forget, but it's all been for the better. Thank you to those who have stayed close friends and supported me when I needed it. If I don't say it enough, thank you.

Since the new year and my birthday fall so far apart, it gives me two good chances to reflect on life. I'm sure I'll hear a lot of "you're so old", but I don't look at it that way. Losing 22 pounds, finishing my formal education and possibly on the verge of starting my career, where else would you want to be???? The best is still ahead of me; that gets me really excited. Sure, the road won't be easy, but any road worth traveling isn't supposed to be easy. I enjoy the challenges that come my way, seeing how I stack up against them. I enjoy the process of becoming better at what I do and becoming a better person. It's a very exciting time indeed.

41 minutes until my birthday, 12 days until the Tour.

Song: "Sexual Healing", Marvin Gaye. Sorry to burst all of your bubbles, but this doesn't imply anything.

The Day of the Kiwi

It was a good weekend, a nice reprieve from the exit thesis and the job interviewing. I had another shot at a phone interview, but it was for a sales position and I did not come back for my Master's to get a job in sales. I appreciate the offer, but that's just not what I'm looking for. For my birthday, my parents bought me 4 new tires and a Ben Roethlisberger jersey. Now that I have a Roethlisberger jersey, I can buy a Chicago Bear jersey with my own money. Also, I got in some good tennis with my bro this weekend. Even though I don't play at all, I hit the ball as if I had traveled back to senior year in high school when I played really well. My serve wasn't the greatest, but I could hit the ball with anyone, which allowed me to blow out anyone weaker than me and knock off my fair share of players that were a little bit better than I was.

What are we talking about tonight:

• Golf gets its own section because of the many storylines, most coming from the U.S. Open.
• How about the play of New Zealand and Kiwi native Michael Campbell??? Campbell was in control of his game, shooting a 69 to win the Open by 2. His ballstriking was phenomenal, and his putting was even better. Kudos to him for the putts he made on 10, 12, 15, and 17, which kept the charging Tiger Woods at bay.
• Speaking of Tiger, it looked like he was out of it after bogeying the first 2 holes to fall 8 shots behind. But credit to Tiger, who may be the most tenacious athlete in all of sports, coming back to make 6 birdies, getting as close as 1 shot to the lead. In the end, the part of his game that has carried him, his short game, let him down while his weakness, his ballstriking, was his strength. Tiger and Vijay Singh were painful to watch on the greens, not making any putts whatsoever, especially on Saturday. Watch out for Tiger at St. Andrews. He dominated there in 2000, and there's no reason why he shouldn't dominate again. I liken his Masters win from this year to his win at the 99 PGA Championship, this is just the beginning of another major run for Tiger. He's not going to win by 15 shots anymore, but he will win more majors.
• What happened to Retief Goosen?!?!?!?! No one saw an 81 coming, especially after he birdied 3 of the last 5 holes on Saturday. It almost bordered on a Greg Norman-type choke.
• Unfortunately for Jason Gore, his week ended with an 84, dropping him from a share of 2nd to a share of 43rd. But Gore won many fans this week, including me, with his spirited play and personality. How can you not feel for a guy whose dad died the same day he turned pro, and just this week, had his car broken into, having his wife's clothes and the car's stereo stolen among other things. Another great thing about Gore was his caddy, who sported a Pabst Blue Ribbon hat. You gotta love it.
• After letting Shinnecock Hills get out of control last year, the USGA got it right with Pinehurst. They let the Pinehurst crew remain in control of the course, taking advantage of their local knowledge. The course played hard without having to be tripped up. Good shots were still rewarded, bad shots were penalized. I wouldn't mind if the Open were played at Pinehurst every year. In a year where it looked like there would be no final day drama, Pinehurst stepped up and made sure we had some, just like we did in 1999. Nothing can match the finish to that 1999 Open, maybe the best Open finish of all-time.
• At the LPGA tour stop in Rochester, NY, Lorena Ochoa caught fire on the back 9, defeating teenage sensation Paula Creamer by 1. Creamer led by 5 with 7 holes to play, but Ochoa got hot, birdieing 5 straight holes. This was more about Ochoa winning it than Creamer losing it. Creamer shot 69 and lost.
  
• This sets the stage for the U.S. Women's Open, being held this week at Cherry Hills in Denver. Cherry Hills was home to Arnold Palmer's 1960 U.S. Open win when he opened the final round by driving the first green, catapulting him to victory. Annika Sorenstam will continue her quest for the Grand Slam against the young guns Creamer and Michelle Wie. Annika is the story in golf and I'll be pulling for her.
• Wimbledon begins bright and early tomorrow, if the rain holds off of course. Despite losing to Rafael Nadal in the French semis, Roger Federer has to be the overwhelming favorite with Andy Roddick the likely choice to meet him again in the finals. This starts a grueling 2 week stretch for the Brits as their own Tim Henman tries yet again to become the first male Brit to win since Fred Perry in 1936. The most famous words in England these next 2 weeks will be, "Come on Tim!!!!". The women's side is wide open, especially in the bottom half of the draw where defending champ Maria Sharapova, French champ Justine Henin-Hardenne, and the Williams sisters lie.
• In what looked more like a basketball game, the Spurs defeated the Pistons 96-95 in overtime to take a 3-2 series lead back to San Antonio. The basketball was better, this being the first competitive game of the series, but not great. Both teams' play was gritty at best. How could the Pistons let Robert Horry, known for his clutch shooting in the playoffs, take the 3 that won the game for the Spurs???
  
• The most interesting story of the day might have taken place at the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It started on Friday when cars using Michelin tires had trouble in Turn 1 of the speedway, one which caused a crash. Michelin then ruled their tires were unsafe for the Indy road course. The other teams appealed to Formula One leadership to be allowed to use different tires and/or have a chicane added to the course to lessen the stress on the Michelin tires, which was causing the problems. Formula One refused, so after running the warmup lap, the 14 cars using Michelin tires filed off the track, refusing to run the race. Needless to say, the 75,000 or so fans in attendance were less than pleased at seeing this. Most of the fans left, demanding refunds, while others threw debris on the track in protest. Not a good move by a sport that's, of all things, trying to increase its popularity in the U.S.
  

2 days until my birthday, 13 days until the Tour.

Song: "We Belong Together", Mariah Carey. This song is more like the old Mariah, not the one that lost her mind in "Glitter".

Happy Flag Day

Dial M for Moron: Have you seen this story??? This is why schools who recruit morons(who usually don't end up graduating) deserve to be made fun of. Florida St. quarterback Wyatt Sexton, already suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules, was taken to the hospital after causing a disturbance in the street. After returning from a music festival in Tennessee, Sexton decided to make strange gestures, jump on a car, then refer to himself as "God" or the "son of God". When asked to explain the actions of Sexton, a friend said that Sexton was "stressed about being the FSU starting quarterback". I get pretty stressed sometimes about things, but I can't say I've ever done something like that.

If I were a student at a school that played Free Shoes University this year in football, here's how I would heckle him:

• when he takes the field, the student section should hold up Bibles
• everytime he comes off the field or makes a bad play, either a "Alleluia" or "Amen" chant should start
• "You're not God!" "You're not God"
• dress up like the guy who always brought the "John 3:16" signs to games
• hold up a sign that says, "What's heaven like????"
  
• and if you wanted to be really over the top, you could make your own cross and bring it

Now, obviously one could do much worse, but when you heckle, it's better to be witty. That's what everyone remembers.

Well, what else is going on:

• The Pistons won Game 3 of the Finals 96-79. They actually played a little basketball to pull away from the Spurs. The game turned at the end of the 3rd quarter when the Pistons employed a full and half-court trap against the Spurs backcourt, forcing turnovers, creating easy lay-ups. I know, actual basketball, oh my goodness.
• Andre Agassi pulled out of Wimbledon, his hip still not cooperating. This is the 2nd straight Wimbledon Agassi will miss due to his hip. Let's hope he can get healthy for the U.S. Open, make a Sampras like run to victory, so he can retire.
• Michelle Wie has qualified for the Men's U.S. Amateur Public Links, a scaled-down version of the U.S. Amateur. If Wie were to win the Pub Links, she would qualify for the Masters. The championship is July 11-16 at Shaker Run in Lebanon, OH, not too far from here. I may have to wander over there if Wie makes a run at the title.
• Phil Jackson is back with the Lakers as their head coach. He is back with Kobe Bryant, who he openly criticized in his book that was released earlier this year. This move makes no sense to me. The only reason I can think of that brought Phil back is his girlfriend is the daughter of the owner, and he'll make 3 million a year. Let's face it, right now the Lakers aren't a playoff team. This team doesn't even compare to the Bulls team Jackson inherited in 1990 and the Laker team he inherited a few years ago. Can Jackson actually build a championship team????

7 days until my birthday, 18 until the Tour.

The Rest of My Life is Approaching Quickly

The excitement continues to build here as I landed my 2nd phone interview in less than a week. The company will remain unnamed on this site until I speak with them, which will take place later this week.

I'm just grateful to get my foot in the door somewhere else and have a company like what they see on paper. For me, that's the hard part. I don't worry about the interview as much because I feel that's when I'm at my best. Yeah, I get a little nervous; if you don't get nervous, something's wrong with you. But the moment doesn't overwhelm me and I'm able to be myself and turn the interview into a normal conversation.

I'm trying not to get too excited though, still taking things one day at a time here.

What can we talk about today:

• The College World Series is set with Tulane, Baylor, Oregon St., and Texas all winning deciding games today. Last night if you recall, I thought Oregon St. had things wrapped up, but USC scored 3 in the bottom of the 9th to tie and 1 in the bottom of the 10th to force today's game. But the Beavers bounced back and are going to Omaha for the first time since 1952.
• Michael Jackson was found not guilty on all 10 counts today. I didn't follow the trial too closely, but from what I know, this was the right decision. It isn't good when the mom of the accuser has been accused of welfare fraud and a couple of other things. Once again, a California district attorney finds a way to lose a high-profile case.

That's about it, 8 days until my birthday, 19 days until the Tour.

Song of the Night: "Layla", Eric Clapton

Excited, thrilled, happy, and appreciative.

The Dark Side of Golf

Today, Sergio Garcia shot a final round 65 to win the Booz Allen Classic held at Congressional just outside of Washington D.C. But it's what happened between Rory Sabatini and Ben Crane that has everybody talking. Sabatini plays very quickly, not taking much time in between shots while Crane is the exact opposite. Well, they were paired together in today's final round and things did not go well.

In golf tournaments, if anyone in your group begins to play too slow, slowing the pace of play, the group is then "put on the clock". Once you're put on the clock, the pace of play must quicken or else it results in a 2-shot penalty for everyone in the group (I believe it's 2 shots). Crane and Sabatini were put on the clock during their final round, due to Crane's slow play. This frustrated Sabatini, who fell out of contention on the last nine holes. It all climaxed on the last two holes when Sabatini put his 2nd shot into the water behind the green. Instead of waiting for Crane to hit his 2nd shot, Sabatini went ahead to the green, dropped his ball, and had putted out by the time Crane reached the green after hitting his 2nd shot. After putting out on 17, Sabatini stormed off the green and up to the 18th tee, again not waiting for Crane.

Oh, but it gets better. Crane made par on 17, giving him the honor (1st shot) on the next hole because Sabatini made bogey. As Crane made his way up to the 18th tee, Sabatini went ahead and hit his tee shot anyway. As both players made their way to the 18th green, Sabatini was booed by the crowd, the first time I, and even the ABC television announcers, could remember anyone ever being booed at a golf tournament. Crane got a big cheer, and responded by sinking a 50-footer for birdie to finish in a tie for 2nd. After Sabatini finished, he gave Crane a very quick handshake and stomped off, yelling back at him while he did so. Again, Sabatini was greeted with boos.

This was the worst golf etiquette I've ever seen. I'm a fast player when I play golf, and yes I do not play as well when I happen to be playing with slower people. But, that doesn't mean I'm going to sacrifice my personal integrity just so I can make a point to the other player that he's slowing me down. Rory Sabatini needs to symma down.

Alright, here's what else happened today:

• In today's NCAA Baseball action, Arizona St. defeated Cal St. Fullerton 9-8 to send the defending champs packing. What a comeback by the Sun Devils, especially after what happened to them Friday night with the balk and to do it on Fullerton's home field. As I'm writing this, Oregon St. is 3 outs away from joining them, leading USC by 3. Meanwhile, Rice/Tulane, Clemson/Baylor, and Texas/Mississippi will play winner take-all games tomorrow. A little June Madness dare I say.
• Annika Sorenstam, despite shooting a final round 73, won the LPGA Championship for her 6th win of the year in 8 starts. She is halfway to the grand slam, with the 3rd leg just two weeks away at Denver's Cherry Hills, where the U.S. Women's Open will take place. Although Sorenstam has dominated, I will say right now she won't win the Grand Slam. I think she'll win the U.S. Open, but she won't win the British Open, which is the 4th and final major. This year, the Women's British Open is being held at Muirfield, which has ended two notable runs at the Grand Slam before. In 1972, Jack Nicklaus won the Masters and U.S. Open before falling short at Muirfield. Then, in 2002, Tiger Woods had won the first 2 majors, and was in contention until the 3rd round when he got blown away in the horrendous weather that descended upon Muirfield that day and shot 81. So, the odds are against Annika from winning, but I'll still be rooting for her. By the way, Michelle Wie shot a final round 69 to finish in 2nd place all by herself, her best finish in a professional event.
• I was mistaken yesterday when I said the Dauphine Libere ended yesterday, because it ended today with more drama. Inigo Landaluze almost saw his 59 second overall lead evaporate in the last 6 miles, holding onto win by just 11 seconds over Santiago Botero. Lance Armstong's teammates George Hincapie and Yarolsav Popovych finished 1st and 2nd in the Stage, with Lance completing the sweep by winning the sprint for 3rd. It's scary to hear Lance say his form isn't there yet, but yet he managed to finish 4th, just 59 seconds off the overall lead, beating many of his top rivals. Just wait until July 2nd after he's had a chance to train for 3 more weeks and scout out the mountain stages. I'd be very afraid. His team is also rounding into top form, with Paolo Salvodelli winning the Tour of Italy, Hincapie winning 2 stages in the Dauphine, and young Popovych finishing 2nd in the difficult stage today. Lance and Team Discovery are going to be tough to beat.
• The remnants of Tropical Storm Arlene came through the area today, dumping an inch of rain in just 25 minutes this evening. There were also multiple tornado warnings in the Indianapolis area, and one about 30 miles west of here in Connersville, IN. Hopefully, those tornadoes didn't touch the crowd and everyone is ok.
  
• It was good to see that Shavlik Randolph and Kevin Pitsnoggle have withdrawn their names from the NBA Draft. Randolph flat-out wasn't ready and can have a strong and healthy senior season. Pitsnoggle puts West Virginia firmly back in the Preseason Top 10 and one of the favorites in the new Big East. Duke will be in the Preseason Top 10 as well, possibly in the Top 5.
• Oh yeah, the Spurs beat the Pistons 97-76 to take a 2-0 lead in the Finals. The Spurs are clearly the better team with more offensive firepower. Still, this series doesn't compare to the classic NBA Finals games ESPN Classic showed this weekend.

9 days until my birthday, 20 days until the Tour.

Say Goodbye to Iron Mike

Mike Tyson failed to answer the bell for the 7th round in his fight tonight against Kevin McBride. It's another addition to the sad story that has become the life of Mike Tyson. The fight followed an identical pattern to how Tyson's fights have gone as his career has gone on. Tyson went for the KO early, looking to end it with one punch. When Tyson couldn't drop his opponent early, he began to resort to dirty tactics, which didn't work. Tyson is 38 years old, basically fighting to work his way out of the debt he is in to Don King. Now that he can't beat a Top 20 fighter, even if he is still in debt, Tyson needs to hang his gloves up.

I'm sure when I grow older and I become a parent, God willing, my kids will ask me about the great athletes I got to watch when I grew up: Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods, Roger Clemens, Lance Armstrong, and others. In addition, I'm sure they'll ask me about Mike Tyson. What I'll say about Tyson is he was the most intriguing athlete I had ever seen. Before the advent of HBO, Showtime, and pay-per view, the big title fights could be seen on ABC or ESPN, and I remember watching Tyson work his way up through the ranks, knocking fighter after fighter out, in the 1st round nevertheless. He captured the imagination of the sporting world. Muhammad Ali, the Greatest of All Time, never caused a man to stagger and fall three times with just one punch!!!!!

You have to wonder if he would've stayed on top if Gus D'Amato and Jim Jacobs, his first group of advisers, were able to stay alive a little longer. It's hard to believe, but Mike Tyson was not involved with Don King from the beginning. D'Amato and Jacobs, two boxing veterans, along with his trainer Kevin Rooney, provided Tyson with a solid upbringing and background. But once they were gone, Don King swept in like the Big Bad Wolf. Since King has moved in and taken over, Tyson has never had a real boxing trainer. The biggest example of this was his fight against Buster Douglas when the Tyson we know now first appeared. His trainer used a CONDOM, yes a condom, to try and reduce the swelling on Tyson's face. It wasn't filled with ice, just cold water. That's really all you need to know about the last 15 years of Tyson's career.

Now, Tyson is only good for a memorable quote or interview. Tyson is never afraid to speak his mind, made even more compelling since this comes from a guy who was forced to earn his GED while in prison. But, as I think most people do, when Tyson enters the ring, we all hope we get to see just a glimpse of what he was 20 years ago, arguably the most dominant athlete of his time. There was a time when Tyson was more popular even than Jordan, Bo Jackson, John Elway, and every other great athlete of that time. But tonight, I, and the rest of the sporting world know, that day has long since past.

And here's what else is going on:

• The NCAA Baseball Super Regionals are underway and three teams have punched their ticket to the College World Series: Nebraska, Tennessee, and Florida. The most intriguing series is Arizona St. vs. Cal St. Fullerton, the defending national champs. Fullerton won the first game on a controversial 9th inning balk when the ASU pitcher didn't come to a complete stop when intentionally walking a Fullerton hitter. After watching the replay, I still can't believe the umpire made the call, I think it was the wrong call. To their credit, the Sun Devils bounced back tonight with a 6-2 victory to force a deciding 3rd game tomorrow.
• I must admit, I had the Bombardier Jet 500 on my channel flipback button to see what Danica Patrick would do tonight. After starting 3rd, she decided to run conservatively on the fast Texas Motor Speedway, finishing 13th. Thomas Scheckter won the race. The best moment of the night was Dan Wheldon (remember him, the actual winner of the Indy 500) wore a shirt that actually said, "I won the Indy 500".
• Annika Sorenstam leads the McDonalds LPGA Championship by 5 heading into tomorrow's final round. If she can hang on tomorrow, she's halfway to the Grand Slam. Michelle Wie is tied for 3rd, 7 behind, along with Big Ben's woman, Natalie Gulbis.
• In the Dauphine Libere, it was a wild day of cycling as Santiago Botero bounced back from his bonking on Mont Ventoux to win today's stage into Morzine, vaulting him back into 2nd place overall. Inigo Landaluze, who took the overall lead away from American Levi Leipheimer yesterday with a solo breakaway effort, did enough to keep a 59 second lead over Botero. And while Lance Armstrong fell to 4th overall, 1:47 behind, he began to look his usual dominant self, riding the "hors-categorie" Col du Jeux-Plane with ease, leading the charge up the mountain, then chasing down Alexandre Vinokourov when he tried to get away. The race concludes tomorrow with 7 climbs of the short Cote de Dormancy before finishing in Sallanches. Two words Lance: "DON'T CRASH!!!!!!!"
• Afleet Alex won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse in 29 years to win the Preakness and the Belmont in the same year. To sum up what everyone outside of Belmont Park thought about the Belmont, "WHO CARES???????"

10 days until my birthday, 21 days until the Tour.

Basketball Purists????

I'd like to meet the people out there that call themselves basketball purists and hear why they think the NBA Finals will be awesome, especially after having to suffer through watching the 1st game tonight, which the Spurs won 84-69. I consider myself a basketball purist, someone who has a true love for the game, and I couldn't watch more than 5 minutes at a time it was so bad and booorrrrrring.

Now I know what some of you will tell me, "Well, it was good defense, and they play much better defense now than they used to." I do think the defense has gotten better, but I think the offense has become just that, offensive. Good offense can beat good defense, I'm a firm believer in that. The superstar players can still do this, but the role players have gotten much worse, more "defensive specialists", but in reality, "really bad offensive players". For example, Antonio McDyess almost missed the basket from 8 feet on a couple of shots. 8 feet?!?!?!?!?! And he was wide open. Greg Kite could make 8 foot shots and he was one of the WORST pro basketball players ever. (Greg Kite was a 7-foot white guy who couldn't jump more than 6 inches off the ground and was terrible, trust me.)

Ok, enough about the NBA for tonight, what else is going on:

• In his last climb up the Giant of Provence, Lance Armstrong finished 4th behind Alexandre Vinokourov, which allowed him to climb into 2nd place overall in the Dauphine Libere. Mont Ventoux lives up to the hype, rising 20 kilometeres, with the last 10 being the worst as there are no trees or anything else to shield the riders from the sun. Lance had never won on the Ventoux, placing 2nd in 2 Tour De France stages for his best finishes there. Today, Lance yo-yoed a bit from the lead group of riders, but he hung on and actually accelerated away from the group to gain some seconds on his rivals. Levi Leipheimer has regained the overall lead after previous leader Santiago Botero lost close to 3 minutes on the climb. Again, Lance isn't all the way there, but he's coming, which is encouraging. Saturday will be his next test when the race goes up the Col du Joux-Plane, a mountain Lance struggled on during the 2001 Tour de France, before descending into Morzine for the finish. The Joux-Plane is what's called an "hors-categoire" or off the charts climb. These are the hardest climbs in the world due to their length and steepness.
• Katie Holmes is hot.
• Another UC basketball player is in trouble, go figure. Tyree Evans from Richmond, VA has been charged with statutory rape. Evans was scheduled to go to UC in the fall. Huggy Bear sure knows how to pick em.
  
• Former Columbus Brookhaven and Oklahoma point guard Drew Lavender has announced he will transfer to Xavier. He will redshirt this year while he sits out, leaving him with 2 years of eligibility.

12 days until my birthday, 23 days until the Tour.

What is today?

I'm losing my mind, all day I've kept thinking today was Thursday, then constantly reminding myself it's actually Wednesday.

It may be part into the exciting things that are happening around here. First, I've got an interview upcoming with Ernst & Young, my first real opportunity (and not a bad one), so I'm looking forward to that. Second, I'm now officially in rough draft mode of my exit paper, so I'm still on track to finish in July, so that's going really well also. Last, but not certainly least, one of my old friends sent me a wonderful little note yesterday morning. She went to Miami, graduated 2 years ahead of me, but while here, we were, and still are best friends, when we keep in touch. Now, she lives in Colorado, which has made it hard (especially when I lost her email, oops), but everytime we talk, it's as if we've never parted ways, and that I consider special. That's the definition of true friendship, no matter where you are, you're still willing to show that other person how much you mean to them, even if you haven't spoken in awhile.

Just a couple of things to mention tonight:

• My birthday has been further scarred. Not only will the TV show "I Want to be a Hilton" start that night, so will the new Real World which is set in Austin. I must say Austin is a very interesting choice, but they could hold it anywhere and you'll still get the same storylines. The show is becoming a broken record. How many hookups, shouting matches, drunken brawls, and slackers can you watch?
  
• Today was a huge day for Lance Armstrong, as we got to see how he has progressed in his training since the Tour of Georgia. In Georgia, specifically the individual time trial, which is when riders ride by themselves as fast as they can over a certain distance, Lance struggled, finishing 2 minutes behind eventual winner Floyd Landis. Today was the time trial in the Dauphine Libere, over similar terrain as to the one in Georgia, maybe even a little tougher. Lance placed 3rd, but only 26 seconds behind winner Santiago Botero and beat Landis by 13 seconds. So while Lance isn't on peak form yet, that's ok because you want to be on peak form during the Tour de France, and Lance showed he is on his way. In the overall race standings, American Levi Leipheimer is the new leader, leading Botero by 11 seconds and Lance by 30 seconds. Tomorrow is the climb up to Mont Ventoux, possibly Lance's last climb up the Giant of Provence.
• I am convinced that baseball players are the biggest wusses. First you had Carlos Zambrano of the Cubs complaining of a hurt elbow due to computer overuse. Then, this week you had Clint Barmes of the Rockies trip coming up the stairs as he was carrying groceries, cracking his collarbone. Now, come on, I've tripped over the stairs while carrying in groceries, and I've never injured myself, let alone cracking my collarbone. Just another reason why baseball isn't one of my favorite sports. If the players actually worked out and got in shape, maybe some of these freak injuries wouldn't occur.

13 days until my birthday, 23 days until the Tour.

Woooooo!!! Pig Suey!!!!

If you're an Arkansas Razorback fan, those are probably your three favorite words. I bring them up because after listening to Arkansas baseball all weekend, the Hog call is stuck in my head. The call of the Hogs is played during most of the commercial breaks during the game, so I got to hear it many times. Unfortunately for the Hogs and their fans, they won't hear it again until football season because their baseball team was eliminated today in a Regional final by their hated arch-rival Texas.

Not much to talk about, but enough to warrant a post:

• It will be the Pistons, much to my disliking, and the Spurs battling it out for the NBA Championship after Detroit defeated Miami in Game 7. I don't think you can consider the NBA Championship the World Championship because there is better basketball being played around the world. A true World Championship would pit the NBA Champs in a Final 4 like tourney against the best from Europe, South America, and Australia. Unfortunately, the NBA Champs wouldn't win. I'd give North Carolina a better chance than the NBA Champs because they still play basketball in college, far different from whatever the NBA is (definitely not basketball).
• I forgot to mention this last week, but Danica Patrick was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In the article about her, it says her fiancee is 39?!?!?!?! Remember, she's only 23. Something tells me this won't last since the attention surrounding her has only just begun. If she wins some races, including the Indy 500, she'll be bigger than Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie, Anna Kournikova, and Maria Sharapova combined.
• I just found this out today, but have you read about what Colin Montgomerie did during the Indonesian Open in March??? Monty is trying to get back into the Top 50 of the World rankings so he can qualify for the bigger golf tourneys again. During the 2nd round of the Indonesian Open, he hit an approach shot that buried in the rough next to a greenside bunker. The lie was so bad, you couldn't see the ball and Monty could barely stand up straight, having to stand in the bunker. Then, as he's about to hit, play is suspended due to a thunderstorm. When they come back on the course the next day, Monty suddenly is able to stand up straight (not in the sand), the ball is visible in the rough, and Monty can actually take a normal swing. The video makes it clear that overnight, Monty paid a visit to the course and improved his lie. Monty has always complained about the unfair and rude treatment he's gotten from American fans. Well, after this, he deserves it and then some. I don't feel sorry for him anymore. If I'm ever at a golf tourney he's playing in, I'm going to make sure he hears it from me. I don't think you'll be seeing anymore of those "Be Nice to Monty" buttons.
• Norwegian Thor Hushovd won the first Stage of the Dauphine Libere in a mass sprint finish. George Hincapie is still the leader and Lance Armstrong is still 5th, both safely finishing. In cycling, if you're a top world rider, all you want to do is survive the days where the race ends in a sprint. And by surviving, I mean not crashing and becoming injured. That's why if you watch the Tour de France, all you hear the first week is, "You can't win the Tour in the first week, but you can certainly lose it."
  

25 days until the Tour, 15 days until my birthday.

The Days of Summer

Today, the high temp was 89 in Oxford with the Heat Index reaching 95. I don't mind, especially working out in it because I drop extra calories due to the humidity. It's supposed to be like this all week, so SW Ohio has seen the "oven" return.

The summer has been splendid so far, even if it has been a little dull. It's reminiscent of high school a little bit because my days revolve around work (in this case my paper and searching for jobs), working out, and basketball. I've been able to get into some pickup games recently and I've held my own. When I walk back from the Rec Center as I let the sun burn me up, all I can think of are the hot summer days I used to spend playing either at Centerville, Fairmont, Alter, or Chaminade-Juliene, playing against the cream of the crop of the Dayton area. You might've heard of some of these guys: Adam and Keith Waleskowski, Brooks Hall, Andre Hutson, Carl Edwards, Robert Siwo, John Meeker, Yuanta Holland, Romain Sato, and Ryan Hawk just to name a few. I'll never forget my first coach, at Alter in the summer. His name was Jeff "Spud" Collins. I hadn't played organized basketball, just playground, so Spud taught me how to score inside and rebound since I was tall. Then, he gave a number of things to work on over the summer to get better. I still have that packet and a letter he later wrote me at home home. Spud was a great guy. He wasn't a special player, though he started at point guard for Alter on a team that went to State, which says a lot. But he was tough and he knew how to play, and I was grateful he bestowed some of that knowledge on me.

Alright, time for the Weekend Update:

• The Miami University baseball team went 1-2 in NCAA Regional play down in Austin. The Hawks opened Friday losing to Arkansas 9-5. But, they bounced back in a big way Saturday beating poor Quinnipiac 35-8, yes 35-8. The Hawks set multiple NCAA Regional records, including largest margin of victory ever and most runs scored. Miami though was eliminated by the host Longhorns of Texas today 12-5, hanging tough for 8 innings before Texas pulled away with 4 runs in the 9th. Congrats to the team, they tied a school record with their 45 wins.
• Bart Bryant held off Fred Couples to win the Memorial by 1. Tiger Woods finished tied for 3rd, 4 off the pace. Tiger's my favorite to win at Pinehurst in 2 weeks, with Phil right behind, but I'll still be rooting for Phil. He has a really good chance since he played well at Pinehurst 6 years ago.
• Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin-Hardenne are the Kings of Dirtball, aka French Open Champs. Henin-Hardenne easily took care of Mary Pierce in the women's final. Meanwhile, Nadal took down Roger Federer in a 4-set thriller, then held off a very game Mariano Puerta in another 4-set match to win the championship. Nadal is very fun to watch. He gets the crowd into it and is very animated. And he wants every point, something Andy Roddick needs to learn to do.
• Lance Armstrong's last tuneup, the Dauphine Libere is underway as teammate George Hincapie won today's prologue, which was an 8km timetrial. Lance took 5th, just 6 seconds back, looking very strong. The Dauphine is a good measure of where a rider is in his Tour De France conditioning because the week-long race is basically all mountain climbs with a time trial and some flat sections. Lance isn't looking to win the race overall, but he is looking to win a stage, possibly the finish up Mont Ventoux, the giant of Provence known for it's lunar-like landscape and the death of British rider Tom Simpson, who died during the 1967 Tour while climbing it due partly to steroids being in his system.

Be forewarned, before and during the Tour de France, I will be dropping a lot of Tour and cycling knowledge on you, so you will know everything there is to know about cycling by the end of July.

27 days until the Tour. 16 days until my birthday!!!!!

"Mommy, what happened?"

That was the question I asked my mom when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986. CNN is celebrating their 25th anniversary, and tonight they looked at some of the bigger stories they've covered during their existence, allowing me to relive what I was doing at the time these stories were transpiring. The Challenger was the first real tragedy I was old enough to remember and understand what was going on. I knew of the Challenger because there was a teacher on board, and both my parents being teachers, I'm sure they told me that was why this was getting so much attention, thus encouraging me to watch since they would be watching.

So, after my mom picked me up from preschool, I rushed in front of the TV to watch. I don't think I had taken my coat or bookbag off because I didn't want to miss it. The shuttle takes off and all appears to be going well until suddenly, there's a big fiery explosion. Now, I'm 4 years old and I've never seen anything like this happen, so I ran to my mom and asked the question above. She couldn't believe it either, and when I saw that, I knew something was wrong. My mom told me I was really shaken, which triggered my drawing of the explosion and explanation of what went wrong. Now when I see these drawings, I laugh because really, who does this when they're 4 years old? For some reason I did and I'm still like that, always looking for answers. That might be why I can't get into reading any sort of fiction books because I think what's going on in real life and the storylines behind it are far more interesting than anything that could be made up.

There are just a couple of things to mention tonight:

• Tomorrow is the National Spelling Bee or the Battle of the Home Schoolers, since they dominate the competition. I think one of the better commercials of the year is the one for the Bee, showing the different kids spelling "pressure", with the kid saying the 2nd E being one of my all-time favorites. The way they videoed him, with his glasses down, looking as if he had fallen asleep standing up is pretty funny. Then, the commercial includes the crazy girl from 1997 who yelled every letter in "euonym" to win the trophy. I will definitely be taking time out of my day to watch, it can be very entertaining.
• In Columbus, the Memorial Tournament starts this weekend, which means it'll rain all weekend. The tournament may be cursed because the host course, Muirfield Village, is built on an Indian burial ground. This is the last tuneup before the U.S. Open, which starts in 2 weeks.
• On Sunday, Paolo Salvodelli won the Tour of Italy, the second biggest bicycle stage race to the Tour de France, giving Lance Armstrong's Team Discovery Channel the win. Speaking of Lance, he should be riding at least one prep race before the Tour begins July 3rd, most likely the Dauphine Libere, which passes over the high Alps.
• Finally, ESPN Classic needs to stop showing classic boxing. I love the old classics, namely Clay-Liston, Ali-Foreman, Ali-Frazier, Leonard-Duran, Leonard-Hagler, and Tyson-Douglas to name a few, but I've seen these fights so many times over the last month, I have the punching sequence of each fight memorized. How about some football, basketball, anything????
  

Happy June, 20 days until I'm 24.