The Morning Wood 07/07/06

Every once in a while, you don't get morning wood. Sorry for the absence yesterday, I hope it makes this one seem better than it actually is.

Stud: Nomar Garciaparra

After injury tainted 2004 and 2005 seasons, many assumed that he was just going to ride off into the sunset with this horse, but the much maligned one bounced back this year and the fans rewarded him with an all star berth. He's also riding a tidy 18 game winning streak currently. Congrats to Nomar, sorry about the whole trading you to win a championship thing.

Dud: Douche Bag Internet Voters

I agree with the Nomar, as you know from a second ago, but AJ Pierzynski? Okay, so he's hitting .326 but it's with 5 and 28. This fella doesn't make it? Or him? Unless this is a "most punchable" competition, there is no reason to have AJ the A-Hole there. This is exactly what our founding fathers were worried about when they were forming our country: bad internet voting.

Talk Around the Cooler:

The three Knick rookies from last year's Larry Brown Experiment let off some steam at a summer league practice. You know, say what you want about Stephon Marbury, but he is definitely man enough to state his issues when LB was still at the helm unlike these young whipper snappers. And yeah, Nate Robinson, when Larry Brown was taking your joy away, was it kind of like how I felt when you had to attempt a dunk 112 times at the Dunk Contest before getting one down? Or was it different than that? Just checking.

We are rapidly approaching another Federer vs. Nadal final at a Grand Slam and I'm pumped. If Fed can take Captain Bulge (pronounced Bol-jay) and Pipes can knock off Captain Jack Sparrow, we are headed for another showdown. My money is on Federer showing Nadal what playing tennis on a real surface feels like. These are the only people who should really be playing on clay.

Quick Hits...
Eric Gagne has lower back pain that is apparently unrelated to baseball "activity". Let's hope, just for the mental picture, that he aggravated it during his gravy stroke. David Ortiz and Jim Thome are having a shwhord fight this year, and each hit two home runs last night to bring their totals up to 29 a piece. Anyone else imagine them sprinting down the beach together during the offseason? Ashley Lelie skipped a Broncos minicamp, apparently sick of being overpaid for what he produces every year instead of being INSANELY overpaid for what fantasy football magazines predict he will produce annually. I'm pretty sure Amelie Mauresmo could squeeze juice out of a bowling ball. Speaking of tennis and something with three holes open to the public, you are walking down the path to her. What have you done for me lately?

Enjoy the weekend, especially the Red Sox-White Sox series, the Wimbledon Finals, and of course the World Cup Finals. I'll be the only person in Rhode Island not rooting for the Italian team.