By Andrew Reilly

Paul Konerko, about whom you may have read in this space before, is currently getting trounced in the fan vote for the last spot on the American League roster at next week’s All-Star Game.
Plenty of folks will get up in arms about this, railing against the perceived injustices of the whole contest and the countless flaws of a system that allows Chase Utley, who is on the disabled list, to be voted in as the National League’s starting second baseman.
Paulie, they will say, is having as great a season as anyone else (note: even as Justin Morneau and Miguel Cabrera make him not even the best first baseman in the division) and deserves recognition for what he means to a proud franchise (note: the Sox are so great that they had to win every day for three weeks to get back to .500). But let me go on record as saying: ignore those people, for they know not of what they speak.

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Posted on July 6, 2010

By Thomas Chambers

Now I’m really confused.
Are synthetic racing surfaces safer than dirt? Or not?
Since about 2006, anybody associated with the Thoroughbred game has wondered the same. The various formulas of carpet fibers, sand, wax, silicon and cut-up telephone wire were touted as salvation for horses. They’d vastly reduce the number of fatal racing injuries.
After years of protestations that there just wasn’t enough data, we now have two studies – one of which admits there’s not enough data available – that provide no real illumination on the topic.

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Posted on July 2, 2010

LeBron to the Bulls.
Bosh to the Bulls.
This could be a bunch of Bull.
So what is Plan B or Plan C?
What if there is no LeBron or Bosh? Then what?
Carlos Boozer? Rudy Gay? David Lee? Amare Stoudemire? Mark Miller?
I know this: If LeBron and Bosh do not surface in Miami with Dwyane Wade, Stephen A. Smith should resign as a sports whatever-he-is and become a spokesman for Roto-Rooter.

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Posted on July 2, 2010

By George Ofman

Whoever originated the proverb “The more things change, the more they stay the same” deserves three vowels and two extra spins on Wheel of Fortune.
And two weeks with Carlos Zambrano. Check that; he’s a bit busy for the next 14 days. It has something about a visit to the doctors.
Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall or a tape recorder on a desk? Or better yet, a Gatorade dispenser?
Doctor: How do you feel about what you did in the dugout?
Zambrano: Nothing really. I was trying to motivate my teammates and get an appetite working for my dinner with Ozzie.

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Posted on July 1, 2010