Sweetness

Walter Payton was Barry Sanders and Jim Brown all wrapped up in one package. He could make you miss, then on his next carry, run you over or give you his famous stiffarm. He wasn't lightning fast, but when he showed a defender his hesitation showkick, he was toast. He was the Chicago Bears in the 1970s, when they were terrible. In addition, there was probably no better man than Payton. That is why there is the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, given to the player who represents his community with the most class by giving back and being a positive influence. Tonight on ESPN Classic, there was a one-hour special on Walter, and I loved every minute of it.

Alright, there's a great deal to talk about, so buckle up:

• After 3 rounds of the PGA, Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III, the best players to have only won 1 major, are tied for the lead at -6. The inconsistent side of Phil came out today, bogeying 3 of his first 5 holes, losing his 3 shot lead. Baltusrol firmed up in the 100-degree temperatures, while testing the players' physical conditioning (or lack thereof). Love has shot 3 straight 68s, playing his best golf since he won the 1997 PGA. Mickelson's errant play allowed anyone Even par or better to get back into the tournament, which includes Tiger Woods, who shot 66 to get to Even. Tiger might still be kicking himself for his par-par finish, throwing away at least 2 shots. Other notables: Thomas Bjorn after tying the course and major record with a 63 is 1 behind, Vijay Singh (17 pars, 1 birdie) and 95 PGA Champ Steve Elkington are 2 behind, and 2003 British Champ Ben Curtis (remember him) is 3 behind. Tomorrow may very well come down to physical conditioning if the conditions remain the same. That favors Tiger, even 6 behind, if he can put the ball in the fairway. We'll also see any carryover effect from last Sunday's 36 hole marathon at the International, which Mickelson and Retief Goosen among others had to go through.
• During commercial breaks, flip over to ESPN to watch the final of the Rogers Cup where it will be Rafael Nadal vs. Andre Agassi. Nadal, the young, swashbuckling Spainard, who has won 8 tournaments will go against the ageless Agassi, 10-0 in the summer and looking for his 4th title in Canada. In his semifinal win over Greg Rusedski, Agassi only lost 4 points on his serve in the entire match, which is simply amazing. I'm jealous of the people who will get to see this match in living color in Montreal tomorrow, it should be a dandy.
• While we talked earlier about Da Bear, Walter Payton, Da Current Bears lost to the Rams 17-13 last night in preseason game #2. In the process Da Bears lost starting QB Rex Grossman for 3-4 months with a broken ankle. This means Chad Hutchinson becomes the starter and Kyle Orton will be the backup. Over the last 10 years, Da Bears have had 20 different starting quarterbacks. 20!?!?!?! Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers have had just one (Brett Favre). Last year, Da Bears were the first team since World War II (I believe), to not have a quarterback throw for 1,000 yards, complete 100 passes, and throw 5 TD passes. Ouch. I hate to say it, but maybe Da Bears should tank the season so they can draft Matt Leinart #1 next year. Hopefully that isn't the case and Da Bears can play well.
• Here are some other NFL preseason notables:
• Despite losing 10-3 to the Jets, Detroit's young offensive guns showed what might be this season. Joey Harrington was 9/9 for 100 yards, Roy Williams had 3 catches, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams each had 2.
• The Bengals were unimpressive in losing to the Patriots 23-13. Carson Palmer was just 4/11 for 37 yards and 1 INT. In fact, Bengals QBs were just 15/33 for 133 yards and 2 INTs. This against a Patriots team that is not supposed to be as strong this year.
  
• Many feel this could be the Ravens year with new additions on offense to complement the defense. Baltimore didn't show much tonight. Just 3 points and a mediocre performance by Kyle Boller (5/9, 57 yards, 1 INT).
• It could be a long year for the Dolphins. The 1st-team struggled again tonight, scoring just 3 points. Of course, I wouldn't be confident either if Gus Frerotte and AJ Feeley were my starting QBs. Ricky Williams: 6 carries, 39 yards, long of 13.
  
• You're not going to believe this, but yup, baseball gets some blog space tonight. What has happened to the Cincinnati Reds?!?!?! Now just 8 games under .500, the Reds have been one of the best teams in baseball since the All-Star break. They are actually just 9 games out of the Wild Card and if they beat Milwaukee tomorrow, that will be 6 straight wins, all on the road. You better pinch yourself while you still can.
• Mid-August also means it's time for the Little League World Series. The LLWS shows that there is crying in baseball, and that the coaches and followers of the team take themselves way too seriously. There is the rare coach that promotes fun and good times for his players, but that's a rarity. Then there are the fans, who paint their chests, yes paint their chests for a Little League game. This year, there is a commercial featuring Tony the Tiger and Little League baseball. It is a take from Remember The Titans when they warmup and do their little dance. I can already tell this commercial will annoy me for the next 2 weeks, so I'm going to keep track of how many times I've seen it.
• A commercial that is not annoying is the Genworth Financial spot with Taylor Dent and the little kid who takes him on in tennis. This commercial has been out for about a year and it never gets old, especially when they show the kid curl his tongue, almost as if he's toying with Dent.
  

In the Englewood 5K, yours truly was 40 seconds quicker than last year, running in 24:05, and finished 2nd in his age group, earning a medal haha. It's a pretty nice medal, especially since I only won a mini-flashlight last year for accomplishing the same feat. The rest of the morning turned into a reunion of sorts. It was good to catch up with people I hadn't seen in awhile.

Little League Commercial Views: 5

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