Some quick hits

I thought we lived in a civilized society.....but at times, I don’t think we do....there are still incidents of uncivilized behavior such as Michael Vick being allegedly linked to dogfighting.....then you have knuckleheads like Clinton Portis and Chris Samuel who think it is funny to train dogs to injure and even kill each other....I will say, I am a dog lover because no matter what is going on in your life, a dog is always there for you.....but to these insensitive garbage of human beings they just don’t get it.....the commissioner should run Vick from the league for an entire season if he is found guilty of this abhorrent behavior....

A statue of Mister Rogers is going to be erected in front of Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.....

How could the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Indians rebuild their teams in only a few years while the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates keep spinning their wheels in mud......

Brooke Shields turns 42 on May 31st.....

Barry Zito signed that $17 million a year contract with the Giants and has a record of 4-5 with a 4.70 ERA....

The Colorado Rockies wanted to unload Todd Helton over the winter.....so far this season, Helton is batting .354....there is no doubt he will be the prized gem at the trading deadline.....

In their series with the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons jumped out to a 3-0 series lead only to lose the next two games....the Pistons admitted they lost focus after gaining such a big lead....don’t look for Detroit to lose focus against the Cavs....

Just Call Me Juice sports blog reported that Boston general Manager Theo Epstein watched Roger Clemens pitch the other day for Trenton.....

Just Call Me Juice

Wastingcompanytime blog reported that last year’s American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler (photo) used her money from the show to "enhance her breasts"......

Wasting Company Time

The Cavs need to stop crying and get The King some help

The Cleveland fans are upset that Rip Hamilton did not get called for a foul on Lebron James in the closing seconds.....whether it was a foul or not does not matter....the bigger picture is that the Cavs will not win this series or any future series if James scores a combined 29 points in the first two games....

After Monday’s loss when "The Chosen One" scored 10 points, I gave him a break and thought it was just a bad game.....I mean everyone has those days....I expected James to come out for game 2 and dominate.....it didn’t happen....nothing....nada.....but, I don’t put all the blame on The King.....the national media, and especially the local Cleveland media, are comparing James to Michael Jordan.....he is supposed to be the next Michael.....just this past week, a now retired Cleveland sports writer made a comment that at his (James) current age and years in the league, he has gone farther than Jordan did at that age and time in the NBA.....this has to stop!!!....

Jordan won squat with the Bulls until he got help with Scottie Pippen and a true point guard in John Paxson.....what do the Cavs have???.....the Cleveland fans and media are fooling themselves if they truly believe the Cavs are a dominant team....yes I picked them to win the East, but that was because they were fortunate to have an easier route than Detroit or Chicago.....

Who is the second best player on the Cavs???.....come on, name someone - Gooden???...puhleeze......Hughes.....yeah right......you can’t name a true second best player.....plus, the Cavs have Hughes playing out of position as the point guard....let’s face the hard facts, if the Cavs want to win a title, they MUST get James help.....and I mean a true NBA stud, not someone like Flip Murray or some other bum who is masquerading as a star....there is one player who could help the Cavs get to that next level....and that is Jason Kidd....

I don’t know what the Cavs financial situation is with the salary cap, but they need to get Kidd... according to the talk around the league, Kidd is on the trading block.....I know that Kidd has 2 years left on his current contract for $40 million.....so owner Dan Gilbert has to make a decision.....does he want to be the first professional team to win a title in the city of Cleveland since 1964 or does he want to be a very good team that always falls short.....

Kidd is a perfect fit for the Cavs....first off, he is a true point guard who does not have the ego in which he must score at least 25 points per game ala Allen Iverson.....Kidd is more content dishing out 10 plus assists per game.....and what is also nice about Kidd, the guy could rebound with the best of big men in the league.....also, with Kidd on the team, he would be able to score, if James should be in foul trouble or in a funk like he is in this series.....the dominant NBA teams have at least 2 solid players....the Heat have Shaq and Wade; the Spurs have Duncan, Ginobilli, and Parker, the Bulls have Deng and Hinrich, the Suns have Nash and Stoudemire, and the Pistons have Hamilton, Rasheed, and Billups....

The Cavs have just Lebron - a lonely King who is associated with a bunch of court jesters...anyway you look at it, the Cavs must get Jason Kidd.....if not, they will be like every other professional Cleveland sports team.....always a tad short

Mitch Albom - Detroit Free Press

Drew Sharp - Detroit Free Press

Bill Livingston - The Plain Dealer

Terry Pluto - Akron Beacon Journal

Five Good Questions with . . . Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer about the Cleveland Indians

Today's Five Good Questions is with The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes....Paul is the Cleveland Indians beat writer.....today Paul talks about one of the hottest teams in baseball - the Cleveland Indians.....

Q1. The Indians are one of the best teams in baseball even though slugger Travis Hafner has not been hitting well. What is the difference between this year's Indians team compared to last season's?
The big difference is the bullpen and infield defense. The veteran relievers the Indians signed over the winter, Aaron Fultz, Roberto Hernandez and Joe Borowski, have made it very competitive. Holdovers Tom Mastny, Rafael Betancourt and Fernando Cabrera, at least until lately, have pitched well. Edward Mujica is young and has a great arm. Defensively, the Indians were a disaster last year, but they have improved this season. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta has been much steadier, Ryan Garko has been a revelation at first, Josh Barfield has range at second and Casey Blake has played great at third since replacing injured Andy Marte.

Q2. Does the Tribe have the staying power to keep in the hunt throughout the season? What areas must they improve upon?
Their depth in the rotation has already been tested with the injuries to Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook. Fausto Carmona has done a great job filling in and Adam Miller might soon get a chance as well. They have decent protection at almost every position except shortstop and second base. What they really need, however, is another experienced late-inning reliever. I look for them to try and fill that need in July or August. Offensively, this team is going to hit. They've done it for two years and will score enough runs to keep them competitive.

Q3. At the unofficial quarter mark in the season, briefly assess the other A.L. Central Division teams and how the Tribe stacks up against them.
The Twins, the defending (A.L. Central) champs, are banged up and aren't hitting much. Cy Young winner Johan Santana might be distracted by contract talks and Joe Mauer, last year's batting champ, is hurt. The White Sox's pitching is coming around, but they're still not hitting. Maybe Jim Thome's return will help. The Tigers, to me, are still the team to beat even without Kenny Rogers and Joel Zumaya. As for Kansas City, it seemed the only team they could beat last year was the Indians. The Indians finally get to play the Tigers on this trip (May 25-May 27), so that will be interesting. I think the Indians are as good as any team in the division, and could finish anywhere from first to fourth.

Q4. Fausto Carmona may be the hottest pitcher in the league. Do you think he has the ability to keep this up all year or is this just a short hot streak he is on?
He has a great arm and his confidence is high. The Indians did the right thing by putting him back in the rotation at the end of last season. When a pitcher like Carmona comes out of nowhere - he didn't make the opening day roster and went to Class AAA Buffalo as the No.6 starter - and performs like he has, divisions can be won.

Q5. Last season opponents were running on catcher Victor Martinez (photo) as if it was the Daytona 500. What has Martinez done in order to improve in that area?
Martinez's right shoulder was sore in 2006. He had his spring training interrupted by the World Baseball Classic, so he didn't get as much work in behind the plate as he needed. This offseason, he started throwing well before the start of camp, following a program Joel Skinner, the Tribe's catching coach, gave him at the end of last season. He still doesn't have a rocket for an arm, but he's throwing well enough to make the other teams think. Another thing that has helped is manager Eric Wedge keeping Martinez fresh by playing him at first base. This allows Wedge to use backup catcher Kelly Shoppach. Shoppach has a great arm, so the opposition has to worry about both Tribe catchers now. The Tribe's pitchers have helped as well. They're holding runners much better.

I want to thank Paul for taking the time to respond....it is much appreciated.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Rick Vach of Tennis-X.com about the French Open

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Rick Vach, the senior writer at

Tennis-X

...he has appeared on The Tennis Channel’s 'Tennis Insiders: Super Insiders', and won 'Best Hard News' story for 2005 by the United States Tennis Writers Association....today he writes about the upcoming French Open.....

Q1. The red clay at Roland Garros favors baseline players as it neutralizes a player's power game. What does Roger Federer have to change in his game in order to finally win the French Open?
It certainly hasn't neutralized Rafael Nadal's power game. Roger Federer was in a tailspin this year after back-to-back losses to Guillermo Canas at hardcourt Masters Series events in the U.S., then mentally melting against Nadal in the Monte Carlo final. After an early-round loss at the Masters Series-Rome, Federer canned his long-time part-time coach Tony Roche, and seemed to have mentally shed some baggage in beating a mentally and physically tired Nadal in the Hamburg final, finally. It has been hypothesized that Roche was trying to make technical changes to Federer's game that were causing more problems, and tactical changes that weren't taking root. Roche seemed to be changing Federer's strokes on clay to add more topspin, and while Roche wanted him to be more aggressive, Federer displayed a stubborn need to try and show opponents he could beat them from the baseline rather than ending points at the net. Hopefully both Federer and Nadal can reach the French final so we can really gauge the progress Federer is making on clay without Roche.

Q2. Up until Sunday, Rafael Nadal had a 70 plus winning streak on clay. What will it take for someone to beat him in Paris?
A baseball bat to the knee. Nadal is so strong right now, the only thing that will keep him from winning a third consecutive Roland Garros title is fatigue, like you saw in the Hamburg final when he lost the final set 6-0 to Federer. Consecutive wins at the Masters Series events in Monte Carlo, the final in Hamburg, and the Barcelona win thrown in there was too much.

Q3. Except for a few breakthroughs, such as Chang, Agassi, and Courier, why is it that American men have a such a difficult time winning on clay?
I'm going to say "American men have difficulty on clay" is a misnomer. The current crop of American stars such as Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri do have difficulty winning the big European claycourt events, or making an impact at the French, but Roddick has won a handful of smaller clay titles. Name me another country that has had "a few breakthroughs" such as Andre Agassi and Jim Courier, both who won the French and reached No. 1 in the world, and Chang who won the French and reached No. 2.

Pete Sampras also didn't receive the props he deserved on clay during his career. Sampras never won the French, but reached the semis and won the Masters Series-Rome. Many people only remember the Sampras of his latter years where his backhand pretty much broke down and he really struggled on clay. American men have done fine on clay, only recently experiencing what might be called a "drought." Unfortunately the current generation doesn't look like they are particularly interested in getting better on clay as they annually skip many of the large European events leading to the French. Everything is cyclical though, and an American with claycourt skills to pay the bills will surface soon enough.

Q4.Do you think Serena Williams is really back or was that just a one tournament surprise when she won the Australian Open? How do you rate her game on red clay?
Whether Serena is "back" does not depend on her skill-set as people think, but simply on her fitness. Her knee and ankle problems are no doubt aggravated by the fact she is lugging around an extra 30 pounds out there. Serena will dominate if she stays healthy, but if she stubbornly for whatever reason refuses to get in top shape, the injuries will continue to sideline her until she retires.

Q5. Final question, who do you predict to win the men's and women's titles this year and why?
And who are the darkhorses who we should keep an eye on? Nadal will win the French Open men's title and Justine Henin the women's (really going out on a limb, eh?) Richard Gasquet could give the French something to cheer about if he can get his head together, while Novak Djokovic is an exciting player who is not afraid of anyone. Serena has shown she doesn't need to be fit to win Slams, but injury is her biggest obstacle. Amelie Mauresmo will perform her annual choke and Maria Sharapova is injured. Svetlana Kuznetsova is playing good ball but she doesn't know how to close out finals. Always keep an eye on the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus are hard to bet against....

I want to thank Rick for his time and we will hear back from him mid-way through the French Open to get his thoughts as that tournament winds down....

Five Good Questions with . . . Sooze of Babes Love Baseball Blog

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Sooze from Babes Love Baseball blog.....I have read the blog for quite a while and was impressed by her knowledge of the game...she is from Winona, Minnesota and likes Johan Santana’s 98 mph fastball and 76 mph changeup....you have to check out her blog....it's one of the best out there...

Babes Love Baseball

Q1. Baseball is unofficially at the quarter point in the season. What and who has/have been the biggest surprises so far this year?
The biggest shocker to me are the injuries that have plagued the New York Yankees' rotation. They've used 11 starters so far this season, including 5 rookies - and I'm willing to bet Roger Clemens is a little nervous to join the ranks.

Q2. With a sub .500 mark, do you think the Yankees' brass should fire Joe Torre?
Not necessarily. Even though Torre's job is always in danger, he has taken the club to the playoffs in each of his eleven seasons as skipper, not to mention four World Series titles in six appearances. I think they should figure out what's making their pitching staff drop like flies, however.

Q3. Should Bud Selig and Hank Aaron be in attendance when Barry Bonds breaks Aaron's homerun record?
With all the controversy surrounding Barry Bonds' quest for The Record, I'm not surprised that neither of them feel like attending. I doubt Selig wants to follow the Giants around from game to game until Bonds hits the big one. Hank Aaron himself said it best, "I'm 72 years old, and I'm not hopping on a plane and flying all the way to San Francisco for anybody." Besides, Barry's ego will take up plenty of room in the absence of those two.

Q4. What are your thoughts on the World Champion Cardinals with a sub .400 mark (as of Sunday)?
The Cardinals are in a really rough transition right now. They were obviously struck with tragedy early on in the season with the death of Josh Hancock, and they've lost Chris Carpenter now to injury. They just can't seem to get into a groove - but I believe it will pass. They have an outstanding manager and some true talent on the club.

Q5. Do you think Lou Piniella can turn the Cubs around this season and still take the N.L. Central? If so, what do the Cubs have to do in order to improve?
As fired up as he gets, Lou Piniella alone can't rebuild what many men over many years have managed to break. Spending $300 million this offseason on star players like Alfonso Soriano was a step in the right direction, but money doesn't always buy Championships. I think they have a good chance of finishing 2nd in the division behind Milwaukee - as hot as the Brew Crew are this season, they are the best bet to win the NL Central.

I want to thank Sooze for her time and we will hear from her again as we get closer to the All-Star Game.....she has agreed to provide us her All-Star picks and analysis.....

Five Good Questions with . . . Erwin Ong about the French Open

Today’s Five Good Questions is with Erwin Ong who runs the blog tennisservedfresh.com....

Erwin is based in Los Angeles and has been following tennis since 1995.....he has been gracious enough to serve as one of our tennis experts.....today he writes about the upcoming French Open.....

Q1. Rafael Nadal had a 70 plus winning streak on clay until he lost yesterday to Roger Federer. Do you think he is "ripe to get picked off" in the French Open? If so, who are some of the players who can beat him on clay?
The only thing that will get picked off is Nadal's underwear. Someone needs to get him better chonies for his capri pants. But seroiusly, I think Nadal was "ripe to get picked off" when he passed GuillermoVilas' 53 straight wins on clay last year. And he just broke John McEnroe's record with the longest streak on any one surface. I don't think anyone's doubting that the French is pretty much his. Up until yesterday, the only person who has taken a set from him on clay this year is Nikolay Davydenko (and we all know that Davydenko just lives up to his seeding). Perhaps someone can have a great day and a lucky draw, but they'll likely be playing for the runner-up spot.

Q2. As great as Roger Federer is, Nadal owns him when they play on clay. If these two should meet up, what does Federer have to do in order to beat Nadal on the red clay at Roland Garros?
The clay blunts the speed of Roger's balls, and Rafa can get to everything. Nadal hits plenty of heavy topspin to Roger's one-handed backhand. Rafa is the best retriever on the tour, so what Roger would normally considers a winner comes back to him. And now there's this mental factor that Rafa has a winning record. Roger is usually a pretty dynamic player -- we've seen him change histactics mid-match to accomodate his opponent's style. He can attack, come to net, play defense. He's good at everything -- but on clay, Nadal is just better.

Q3. How do you see Andy Roddick doing this year at the French Open? Do you see any other American men who could break through and possibly win this event?
No one's expecting the Americans to make a dent. They don't know how to slide on the clay. As for Andy, he has never made it past the first week at Roland Garros, so I won't expect him to do any better this year. Whatever improvements he has made to his game working with Jimmy Connors has not translated to clay.

Q4. On the women's side, who's game does the red clay favor the most?
Currently, it's less about whose game favors clay and more about who's healthy. Sharapova, Vaidisova, Ivanovic aren't in Rome this week because of injury. Hingis has confirmed pulling out of the French because of her hip. Mauresmo has rebounded from her back problems, but is still rusty. So I'm putting my money on Serena to take it all. Kuznetsova will probably make it deep into the second week, too.

Q5. Final question, who do you predict to win the men's and women's titles this year and why? And who are the darkhorses who we should keep an eye on?
For the men, Rafa Nadal will win. With Davydenko, Federer, Gonzalez, Djokovic, Canas, and maybe Berdych hanging around in Week 2. Gasquet, the #1 Frenchman, will do well if he doesn't get too distracted from all the offcourt buzz around him (being romantically involved with a gentleman). For the women, Serena. Kuznetsova, Jankovic, and Henin will be around for Week 2. Frenchwoman Tatiana Golovin (photo) will likely get a boost from the home crowd......

I want to thank Erwin for his time and we will hear back from him during the second week of the French Open as he will provide an update....

A few quick hits

Before I begin, I want to let my readers know there is a possibility that Stiles Points may not be out on a regular basis for the next week because I just got a new Dell Computer and I have to iron out all the wrinkles in the system…..basically, I hate dealing with new technology….since getting the computer on Friday, I have wasted at least 5 plus hours trying to get my internet to work, hooking up my printer, and trying to transfer my 700 Itunes files…..so in other words, I have been in a pissed off mood the last few days….also, I hate this new keyboard....

Jockey Calvin Borel seems like a pretty nice guy….he seems humble and appreciative after winning the Kentucky Derby on Street Sense two weeks ago….but will someone please tell me how he got a babe of a fiance?....

I wish people would stop whining about San Antonio’s series victory over Phoenix….some are questioning that victory after the league suspended two of the Suns best players for game 5…..Stoudemire and Diaw knew the rules about leaving the bench during a fight on the court….should the rule be reviewed and tinkering with – YES…..but I support commissioner David Stern’s ruling…..plus, the Suns blew a 16 point lead in game 5, so they should not be complaining about the league ruling…..

What about Cleveland Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona (photo)…..some of you are probably saying Fausto what?.....Carmona is the hottest pitcher in the league and as long as he keeps rolling along, the Indians will be the team to beat in the A.L. Central….

The New York Yankees are having a difficult time keeping starting pitchers healthy…..and when they do have a steady pitcher on the mound, like Andy Pettitte, the offense provides no run support…..personally, Roger Clemens is not going to make a difference for this MASH unit of a staff……