Dolphins, Saints know stormy times lie ahead for Texans

The 2004 version of the Miami Dolphins and 2005 version of the New Orleans Saints can probably relate to what this year’s Houston Texans team is going through already. With Hurricane Ike ravaging the gulf of Texas, and Reliant Stadium banged up as a result, those two clubs cringingly think back to recent seasons in which they were focused on Mother Nature than their next opponent.
The ’04 Dolphins had their first two home games moved around because of Hurricane Jeanne. Their opener was moved up a day to Saturday, and their second home game was played in a monsoon on a Sunday night. Amidst all of their football troubles that year, the natural disasters helped contribute to a miserable 4-12 campaign.
The Saints ’05 season was much more well-documented, as Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans before the regular season began. The SuperDome was wrecked, and the Saints played their home schedule in three different locations: Baton Rouge, San Antonio, and one “home” game at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. The end result was a 3-13 record and controversy that owner Tom Benson wanted to move the team to San Antonio on a permanent basis.
While those two teams did follow up those nightmarish seasons with winning records the next year, the Texans may be in for a rough go of it this year. Even if their home opener against Baltimore is the only one affected by Ike, their season had already begun on a sour note with a 38-17 drubbing at the hands of the Steelers. Combine that with playing in the AFC’s toughest division, and the off-field distractions could prove to be too much for a team that has still never had a winning season in its six-year history.

Classless Red Sox buying their way back atop East

What is it with all of these also-ran teams willingly handing over solid veteran players to the Boston Red Sox for virtually nothing? Are most baseball general managers just green with envy over Theo Epstein? The same can be said about teams' quick willingness to help out the New York Yankees as well.

When most teams in most sports suffer injuries or ineffectiveness, it's up to the bench players or minor league players to step up and fill the voids. But with deep deep pockets, the Red Sox and Yankees have an easier solution -- just go out and buy a player because something isn't going their way.

J.D. Drew whines about back spasms, and so naturally Mark Kotsay is in Boston within days. Tim Wakefield needs a cortisone shot, so the Red Sox pick up rabid HGH user Paul Byrd. Hideki Matsui goes down for the Yankees, and Xavier Nady comes by and hits another 15 home runs down the stretch.

It is a crying shame the Tampa Bay Rays didn't go out and stock up at the trade deadline, and in some ways kudos to them for showing class and not abusing the system like the financial demons above them did. But it is coming back to bite them now, as they will be buried back in second place in the American League East within a matter of days.

O no: Osi's injury hampers Giants repeat hopes

Can you imagine the New York Giants defense without Michael Strahan AND Osi Umenyiora? Unfortunately, that nightmare scenario is now a reality for the defending world champions. For a team that showed off its depth during its incredible championship run last year, their two Pro Bowl ends missing could spell doom for Big Blue.

Can the Giants get pressure on opposing quarterbacks like they did last season with Justin Tuck as their premier pass rusher? I for one would have to say no. It is truly a shame, as Umenyiora is not only one of the top ends in the game but also one of the most likable players as well. He was expected to become the defensive leader after Strahan's retirement, but now newly-compensated coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will have his hands full trying to gameplan without his two top guns from a year ago.

Rays' Friedman whiffed at deadline, paying price

Tampa Bay Rays GM Andrew Friedman has assembled quite a collection of young talent. A team that never won more than 70 games before this year and is now 73-47 is a remarkable story. The Rays are baseball's darlings. But they are suddenly looking more human, day by day.

When Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria landed on the disabled list within a week, it began to expose the roster a little bit. Even more so it highlighted the team's failure to land a big-time bat at the trade deadline. They made a solid pickup in Chad Bradford off waivers to bolster their bullpen depth, but their lineup looks far inferior to that of the league's elite. The blame falls completely on Friedman.

Xavier Nady looked like the ideal fit in Tampa Bay's weak outfield, yet he ended up with the Yankees, who hardly needed another fat contract on their $200M payroll. Ken Griffey and Jason Bay were possibilities, but those pipe dreams quickly faded. Raul Ibanez's name was rumored in the past few days, but no deal was struck. The Rays are now leaning on the likes of journeymen like Eric Hinske and Gabe Gross to help fill the lineup void left by Crawford and Longoria. Carlos Pena and B.J. Upton are hardly reliable as the lineup's mainstays.

The sad part in all this is not just that they missed out on possible key additions, but rather that they have as deep and talented a farm system as anyone to dip into to try and win this year. They decided to play coy with several of their top farmhands and stick with the bats that they had. Considering they have one .300 hitter in their lineup, that wasn't a wise choice.

The Pirates are an utter disgrace, may they continue to suffer

It's official: I hate the Pittsburgh Pirates. At about 8:30 EST I stopped feeling sorry for their pathetic trek of 15 straight losing seasons when they effectively handed the New York Yankees a playoff berth with the trade of Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte for a box of pizza (okay, technically four garbage prospects, but what's the difference?)

The Yankees once again get what they want, and didn't have to bat an eyelash to do it. The Tampa Bay Rays desperately needed Nady's bat. A plethora of other teams could've used Marte's left arm. Did the Pirates actually take the time to see if they could get quality players for these two? No. Instead, they shipped them off for nothing to the Evil Empire. Surely, it's another "rebuilding" phase for the despicable franchise. The Yankees, meanwhile, will rally around their near-$200 million payroll but claim they truly had to dig deep for this one. With a few players on the disabled list, that only left about $150 million worth of talent on the field. However did they make the postseason in that case?

The (expletive)-burgh Pirates are to thank for that.

From one Yankee-hater-turned-Pirate-hater to you, I propose this question. Now that their top man is off the table, do the Tampa Bay Rays turn their attention to Ken Griffey? Regardless, the Yankees got their way. In the end, that seems to be all that really matters.

In Rod They Trusted

Not a day seems to go by in today’s NFL when there isn’t a me-first wide receiver grabbing headlines, whether it’s demanding to be more involved in the offense or demanding a new contract or else. From the Terrell Owenses (at least pre-Cowboys) to the Anquan Boldins of today’s game, it’s quite easy to lose sight of their great production on the field because of their whining and selfish antics off it.

But then there’s Rod Smith.

Smith was always one of my favorite receivers. When he formally announced his retirement today in an emotional press conference, it was a good reminder that there are some players at his position that have it all yet can keep it all in perspective. A lifetime Denver Bronco after joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 1995, Smith tallied some impressive numbers in his 13-year career. His franchise records include 849 receptions, 11,389 receiving yards, 68 touchdown catches, and 31 100-yard games. He is a proud owner of two Super Bowl rings as well.

I hardly have a voice when it comes to Hall of Fame votes, but Rod Smith merits one. While his numbers may not look dazzling, his consistency and loyalty to the Broncos organization was. A 13-year career spent with one team, a pair of championships, and countless clutch plays should be rewarded with a trip to Canton. Best yet, no one will ever accuse him of being an attention-grabber, a pain in the rear, or a distraction to his football team. He quietly caught passes first from John Elway, then Brian Griese and Jake Plummer before missing all of last year with a hip injury. He handled himself with class, and yet his name rarely surfaced in discussions about the game’s top pass catchers.

No matter.

As Smith pointed out in his retirement news conference, all he ever wanted to do was win. And win he did. In the process, he made quite a name for himself, even if it was in fact a quiet one.

Come on Brett, now it's starting to get ridiculous

Don't get me wrong, I admire Brett Favre. He is one of my favorite players. It's really hard not to root for him, I suppose unless you are a fan of one his NFC North rival teams. But with the season he had last year, leading the Packers to the NFC championship game, it was as close to going out on top as he was going to get. The Packers probably would've been steamrolled by the Patriots in the Super Bowl anyway.

When Favre announced his retirement at an emotional press conference back on March 6, the media, fans, and everyone alike was taken by storm. NFL Network ran endless hours of Favre-related programming to honor the future Hall of Famer. As shocking as the decision was given the Packers' success last year, it was time to move on to the Aaron Rodgers era while fondly reflecting on the magical career of one No. 4.

But here we are in July, with training camp right around the bend, and it appears as if Favre may not be done after all. In fact, he has apparently asked to be granted his release by the Packers in the case that he does come back and the team plans to move on without him.

So forget Favre's usually thumb-twiddling of "should I stay or should I go?" This situation is much more fragile considering the Packers had already named Rodgers their new top gun. The franchise is now in a tenuous position. Ted Thompson probably does not want to be known as the general manager to part ways with Brett Favre, but it turns out he just might. And Favre's selfishness and indecision is a major migraine for Green Bay's front office.

I for one want to remember Favre for the tremendous year he had last year as the icing on a magical career. With all of the adversity he has overcome on and off the field in his 17 years in the league, it is hard not to marvel at him. Even as he has become more outspoken in recent years, he is still as beloved a player as anyone in the game. But if he were to backtrack on this decision and end up playing somewhere else, it would not only be painful to watch, but disturbing in many ways. The sight of Favre in another uniform would mark an ugly ending to a wonderful relationship between him and the Packers. Aaron Rodgers has already borne enough burden this offseason before even getting the opportunity to prove himself as an NFL quarterback. Mike McCarthy went out and drafted Brian Brohm to help the youth infusion at QB in the post-Favre era. But now the third-year head coach has this distraction hanging over him and his young team. Why? Becuase Brett Favre apparently decided he not only feels like playing again, but that he is also more important than the well-being of the Packers organization.

Remember him? Former Super Bowl winner again taking a back seat

He may be the most unceremonious Super Bowl winning quarterback this side of Trent Dilfer (and perhaps Mark Rypien). But Brad Johnson, who guided the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 48-21 rout of the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, has had an above-average career that currently has him holding a clipboard for Tony Romo in Dallas. He will be entering his 17th NFL season in 2008 after being drafted in the 9th round of the 1992 Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He is among the most accurate passers in NFL history, becoming the first player to complete over 60% of his passes in 12 straight seasons. Yet he has always taken a backseat role to flavors of the month despite his steady production. First it was Randall Cunningham in his 1998 renaissance year. Then it was Jeff George in a 2000 season in Washington gone awry. Tavarais Jackson helped give him the boot in his second stint in Minnesota before Johnson became Romo's backup this past year.

So perhaps it was only fitting that Johnson's performance in 2002 was overshadowed by the Buccaneers' dominant defense. He almost assuredly will never be a starter again in the league, but if Romo succumbs to injury, the Cowboys would be in steady hands with Johnson.

Johnson had a potentially promising career with the Redskins before injury and ineffectiveness in 2000 led to George taking over at the helm. Johnson left as a free agent in 2001 to join the Bucs, but a one-and-done in the playoffs had many questioning if he was capable of taking Tampa Bay deep into the playoffs. But Johnson flourished in Jon Gruden's first season as head coach, and was as instrumental to their Super Bowl run as their vaunted defense.

Alas, he will not end up in Canton. He may not even be remembered by the casual football fan when his career officially ends. But he'll always have his Super Bowl ring and a place in the history books.

Minus fanfare, D-Backs could still slither to top of NL

They certainly aren't baseball's sexiest team. Considering they have Randy Johnson, how could they be? But despite their pedestrian 40-37 record, the Arizona Diamondbacks still may be better equipped to make a run at the NL pennant than the recent fan-favorite, the Chicago Cubs. They have last year's NL Cy Young winner and last year's AL All-Star starter heading their starting rotation, perhaps the most lethal 1-2 punch in baseball. They have two of the top up-and-coming outfielders in Chris Young and former first-overall pick Justin Upton. While the Cubs possess a much deeper lineup, their pitching, namely their starting pitching, is a cut below Arizona's. Johnson, Doug Davis, and Micah Owings round out the D-Backs' starting staff.

I am sticking to my guns of my preseason pick of Arizona as NL champions. Yes, it's early. Yes, the Cubs are the darlings of the Midwest, a team starving for a championship for 100 years now. The Cardinals and Phillies will have a say. But last year's league-runner up, Arizona, could be best-assembled to compete in a playoff series. While I have whiffed thus far on my AL pick, the Detroit Tigers, I will stand by the Diamondbacks. Very quietly, they could snake their way to National League supremacy.

Interleague Play has lost its luster

I am saying enough with interleague play. It was a novelty for the first few years, and then again when they rotated it so teams could play teams from other divisions in the opposing league. But really, all it does it highlight the major discrepancy between the quality of American League teams and National League teams. When I see Kansas City beating up on Arizona and the Tigers regaining life against the Dodgers, I realize that while those NL teams are considered solid in their respective league, they are a cut below the majority of American League teams.

Interleague play, in addition to feeding the top AL teams easy wins against NL bottom feeders, also can spoil some of the potential World Series matchups. In the old days you knew the only AL-NL showdown you'd see was the World Series, a pair of teams with no past history on a collision course for destiny. Now, it's not the case. The last three years have featured World Series matchups that played out in the regular season.

I'd rather see the AL teams beat up on the AL teams and the NL teams beat up on the NL teams all the way up until late October. But I also want a salary cap, and world-class commissioner Bud Selig doesn't figure to take that path either.

Real fans don't need to wear paraphernalia

Maybe it's just frustration stemming from the countless baseball hats with the dreaded "B" logo on it (technically stands for Boston, but actually stands for Bandwagoner). A few years prior, the "NY" Yankees hats were seemingly the only sports gear people wore, with an occasional Lakers jersey or Cowboys t-shirt mixed in.

Which brings up an interesting question. Ever talked to a Kansas City Chiefs fan? How about a Cleveland Indians supporter? As crazy as it sounds in this Boston/New York universe that we are victims of, there are, in fact, fans of some of those other sports organizations. While the Tony Gonzalez jerseys and Grady Sizemore tees are scarce, it doesn't mean that those teams, like many others, aren't well followed and supported. Most sports fans are not spoiled by their teams' success and have to stick with their teams through the rough patches (I should know, I support Baltimore sports teams and follow the Blue Jays rather closely up here in Toronto).

The fact of the matter is, as many knowledgeable sports fans as there are, many do not have to flash their teams' logos to prove to others that they are fans. As many fashionable logos and jerseys as there are out there, sometimes sports paraphernalia is as much a fashion statement as anything else. And that's where one can separate the paraphernalia from the true fans.

While it seems like most all sports teams outside of Boston aren't allowed to ever win championships, there is an occasional ray of hope. Every now and then I'll spot a Steelers' Super Bowl XL hat or a Florida Gators National Championship shirt. Of course, Steelers and Gators fans are certainly more hardcore than the average team. It's just that not every one of them needs to show it off.

Fantasy race: LT vs. AP

LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson have flat out separated themselves from the rest of the running backs in the NFL. Peterson took the league by storm last year in his first year, just like Tomlinson did six years prior as a rookie.

If these two phenomenal running backs were to in fact race, it would be a dream matchup. It isn't that they are the two fastest backs in the league. That may in fact be far from the truth. But if one were to apply a guantlet of defensive players to them, it would simply be dazzling to watch them maneuver their ways to the end zone.

Tomlinson does it with his vision as much as he does with his speed and power. Peterson's cut backs top that of even Fred Taylor. Both can catch the ball out of the backfield, but LT is more adept at it than Peterson.

For them to start at midfield and dash to the end zone would be exciting, to say the least. Tomlinson would get there primarily on the strength of his initial burst, while Peterson would be more likely to utilize his patience, then draw defenders one way just to juke them back another way. The end result would have the two mild-mannered backs high-stepping into the end zone just a few split seconds apart. In a dead sprint, Tomlinson might win. But any time these two backs go head to head, it would be worth the price of admission.

Just think back several months to their only encounter. Peterson stole Tomlinson's thunder and Jamal Lewis' old rushing record by ripping LT's Bolts for an NFL-best 296 yards. What will they have in store when their teams meet again in 2011? It's a shame we will have to wait that long.

Now the Patriots are snitches, too

The team that Eric Mangini ratted out, much to the delight of many NFL fans, now has its own personal snitch. Nick Kaczur, and offensive lineman, helped the feds bust his supplier after Kaczur was arrested for illegal possession of a painkiller.
Kaczur is the third Patriots player to be arrested on drug charges since the Super Bowl, a time that the NFL’s dirtiest team on the field is starting to have their noses covered in off-the-field business. After Willie Andrews and Kevin Faulk were caught with marijuana, Kaczur was caught with painkillers. As a true Patriot, he turned into the golden boy all of a sudden, cooperating with the feds to save face. Maybe the feds simply didn’t want to smear the Patriots’ “good” name.
Or maybe it’s yet another heartwarming story, a Boston athlete doing a good deed. Of course, being a spy is nothing new to the Patriots. Kaczur surely was well-prepared seeing as how he learned from the best in Bill Belichick.

Can Detroit or L.A. reign supreme as top sports city?

Boston has had their little run. The Patriots videotaped their way to the top. John Henry increased the Red Sox budget by more than $100 million so they could slay the Yankee dragon, which is all that Red Sox fans really care about anyway. And the Celtics traded for Kevin Garnett because the rest of their roster was atrocious.

People (at least those from Boston, anyway) will claim Boston is the top sports city right now. Maybe. But where there is a king, there are always princes waiting in the wings.

Who could the next king of the sports nation be? Will it be Detroit, the Motor City, with the Pistons and Red Wings leading the charge? How about Los Angeles, the City of Angels, with the Lakers, Angels, and Ducks all among the elite teams in their respective sports.

I am leaning more towards the latter. Unfortunately, even with the Yankees slipping (no complaints here), New York can never be overlooked. But Los Angeles boasts one of baseball's best teams in the Angels, who appear the have the best chance to overtake Boston in the American League, and another solid team in the Dodgers as well. In basketball, the Lakers have always been thought of as an elite team, especially with their early-decade dynasty. They are back on top again, frontrunners to win their fourth championship in nine years. And then you have the Ducks, winners of the Stanley Cup a year ago and playoff entrants once again in 2008. Even the Clippers have dug themselves out of their usual doldrums the past few years, and it's getting easier and easier to overlook the fact that L.A. hasn't had an NFL team since the Rams and Raiders left following the 1994 season.

The tossup between Detroit and Los Angeles may ultimately come down to the NBA Finals. The Red Wings are comfortably ahead of the Penguins and figure to coast to the title. The Pistons are locked in a tie with the Celtics and their luck of the Irish, and would almost certainly be facing the Lakers should they win the Eastern Conference. The two teams met in the finals in 2004, which was won by the Pistons. The Pistons, by the way, are in the Eastern Conference finals for the sixth consecutive year. Pretty impressive.

Ted Kennedy will recover, hit winning homer for Sox

It's not like the Red Sox need a 76-year-old U.S. Senator to help their baseball team, either on or off the field. They have purchased a pretty handy team to stick it to the Yankees. They have two cancer survivors (which bests the Patriots, who only have one stroke survivor), and they are trying to tug at more heartstrings by claiming they took a chance on overweight and over-the-hill pitcher Bartolo Colon when no one else wanted him. But when discussing the Red Sox and all their karma and good fortune, you can't help but wonder what Boston native Ted Kennedy, recently diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, could do for their spirits.

My first thought was that he will throw out the first pitch (a perfect strike right down the middle, I might add) at a World Series game, which will be pitched by fellow cancer survivor Jon Lester, and of course won by the Sox. But then I realized that would just be too easy and, frankly, boring.

Kennedy will, in fact, not only miraculously recover from the tumor, but then sign a one-day contract and smack a game-winning home run for Boston. That will turn the last of the unturned stomachs of those who have to endure the Red Sox winning on an almost-daily basis and provide yet another great, inspiring story for ESPN to air to honor one of their beloved Boston teams.

Just wait until the so-called "pennant" race in the AL heats up. You thought being reminded 75 times that Jon Lester is a cancer survivor was annoying. How about when lifelong Bostonian Ted Kennedy finds his way into the mix?

Trading Tejada bringing good karma for Orioles

As an Orioles fan, I was absolutely thrilled the day the Orioles finally dumped the excess baggage that was Miguel Tejada, shipping him off to Houston in a six-player deal. I was so sick and tired of his negative attitude. Not once did I ever feel sympathy for a guy who supposedly was a great player stuck on a bad team. His involvement in the Mitchell report, lying about his age (which came out after he had left Baltimore), and his constant pouting never prompted me to feel bad for him.

The day he left, the Orioles clubhouse became more unified, thanks in large part to a youth infusion that was boosted by the arrival of Adam Jones in the Erik Bedard deal with Seattle. Bedard is a fantastic pitcher, but even he was a bit of a sourpuss, mostly keeping to himself.

The Orioles are 22-19, and I am not drinking the Cool-Aid and feeling false hope. The O's are notoriously fast starters and slow finishers, but it's more the fact that they are a young team with very few expectations that leads me to believe they are playing a little over their heads right now. Nevertheless, first-year manager Dave Trembley has the O's playing hard every game, and there is no doubt the team chemistry is much improved. The thing that has impressed me about this year's Orioles, believe it or not, is how they've handled themselves in defeat. They have kept most of their games close and have battled back on a number of occasions. They have also managed to stay upbeat and have, to this point at least, avoided any major losing streaks.

As the season progresses the Orioles will be tested more and more. They may crumble as they seem to do almost every year, but at least they will stick together. Even if they fall apart.

NFL needs to keep applying pressure to solve Patriot games

While it's annoying to see U.S. Senators sticking their nose into NFL business, I can live with Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter keeping the heat on the Patriots to keep digging into their shady past (and present). The NFL Network recently aired some footage of some of the game tapes former video assistant Matt Walsh turned over to the league, and it only enhanced the scumminess of an already pitiful situation. And so where to begin?

The one excuse that bothers me the most is that these tapes are useless and have no bearing on the game. Bill Belichick has been doing this ever since he got to New England in 2000, so this is just another dirty habit of his. My question keeps being, if the tapes aren't used for any advantage, then why need them in the first place? And even if halftime adjustments aren't able to be made using the tapes, what about the games against division rivals, when the Patriots would play them a second time that same season?

It always puzzled me how nobody receivers like David Patten, David Givens, and Troy Brown consistently got so open over the years. If they weren't pushing off, they simply knew where to be in advance. And 15 second-half screen passes in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Eagles? I don't care if Jim Johnson walked over to Bill Belichick and told him he was going to blitz every play, that's simply not right.

Unfortunately we will never know how and when those tapes were used, but more answers are sure to come. The Rams feel cheated and feel that their Super Bowl XXXVI loss to New England ruined their once-formidable enterprise. That's why it's good to see Specter and NFL officials prying as much as possible to get to the bottom of this. The Patriots keep trying to brush it off and say the issue is dead, but when I see Willie McGinest giving lame half-denials in interviews (this, by the way, the same McGinest who once faked an injury to grant New England an extra timeout in a critical game against the Colts), I can't help but wonder if the players knew about and ultimately benefitted from these spy tactics.

So Mr. Specter and the NFL, keep applying the pressure. Unlike the Super Bowl, the Pats won't have an easy out against this all-out blitz.

Who tops list of NFL's biggest dirtbags?

Whenever I think the word "dirty" in the NFL I immediately think of Rodney Harrison. It's hard to imagine how most football fans don't readily agree that Harrison is the most hated player in the game. It started for me in 1999 when Harrison took the cheapest of cheap shots at Trent Green, taking out his knees, ending his season and ultimately, changing the course of history for that Rams team. Of course, Harrison plays for the Patriots, who have a plethora of bottom-feeders.

Meanwhile, I don't want to even include Pacman Jones and Chris Henry in this discussion. They are troubled individuals, to say the least, and their problems off the field are far too well-documented to even get into detail here.

Joey Porter has always been a player I've loathed, from his foul mouth to his even fouler antics. Somewhere between him ruffling up every pregame warmup by the opposing team, spitting in William Green's face, and shoving Todd Heap so hard he missed half the season with an ankle injury I guess I conjured up some negative feelings toward Porter.

Leonard Little can't not draw your ire considering what he did in 1998, when he drove drunk and was in an accident that resulted in a woman's death. Little served four months in jail, but apparently that didn't seem to teach him a lesson, as he later incurred another DWI arrest.

And of course, without rambling on too much here, I can't omit Kyle Turley from this list. Turley recently blew up on Dan Lebatard's radio show, dropping an F-bomb directed at fellow former NFLer Robert Smith. Turley was a hothead during his playing days. He will be most remembered for ripping off and throwing Damien Robinson's helmet during a 2001 game, then later erupting at Mike Martz and threatening to kill him after Martz cut him from St. Louis.

Now that I've aired out some of my dirty laundry players, I'd like to hear your thoughts of who some of the most hated players in the game are.

Are the Rays for real?

It’s hard for me not to call them the Devil Rays. The team name they carried from 1998 to 2007, a 10-year stretch when they incurred nine last-place finishes and never won more than 70 games in a season. A team that fed the Yankees and Red Sox double-digit wins each year yet always seemed to beat up on my team, the Orioles.
But now they are simply the “Rays”. A new name, and apparently a new feeling surrounding the team. Their bullpen is much improved, complementing a strong young starting rotation. Their lineup isn’t exactly Murderers Row, but is filled with up-and-coming players like Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton.
Of course, they don’t throw money at players like the Red Sox and Yankees do, and never once has a baseball god even batted an eyelash towards the Rays. So it’s almost impossible to think they have a real shot in the AL East.
But maybe one day, when the Red Sox actually have something go wrong for them, or when the Yankees finally miss the playoffs after their annual mediocre start, the Rays will stand up and be counted for as an American League playoff contender.
The talent is there, but there is a ways to go. The Rays are making more and more believers every day.

OUCH! Take a look at some Japanese baseball collisions

Maybe they play the game harder over in Japan. Or maybe just differently. Or maybe they're just plain clumsy. But if you watch this video of some of the best (or worst) baseball collisions in this video from Japan, you see a contrast in style to the American game.

At any rate, this video, which I happened to just find while perusing YouTube, is enhanced by this great Japanese song. The video is about eight minutes long, which is asking a lot to watch the whole thing, but if you're in a hurry, my favorite collision happens at about the 4:19 mark.

So without further ado, here you go: