The Critic

Florida and Houston are winning tonight while the Cubs are getting OWNED by Livan Hernandez and the Expos. 4 teams could be within 3 and 1/2 or 4 games of each other by the end of tonight - it's shaping up to be a very interesting race in September. The Cubs have the easiest schedule, it would appear, but they haven't really played all that well, so they can't be too overconfident about that.

I agree that the Flames jersey is sweet, but the black Bruins jerseys are my favorite in the league right now. The Bruins have always had very cool uniforms, except for that horrid yellow/gold bearhead one. Blecch.... EDIT TO ADD that Canada hung on to beat Team USA 2 to 1 in a VERY exciting and well-played game that had hitting, speed and some chippy play. Very entertaining.

6-0. :puke :puke

So far, no good. Indians destroying Spankees. Twinks leading Rangers. A's leading Sox by 5, so far. The idea of any favorable sweep is fading from view quickly.

Yeah, apparently Chimp and Stone had the audacity to actually describe the action on the field honestly instead of hosting the daily infomercial for "Beautiful Wrigley Field", and the Uber-Sensitive Cub players didn't like their assessment of Roy Oswalt as a pretty good pitcher. HOW DARE THEY!!!!

Gee, they sure got a lot of guys named "Canada" on that team! Martin St. Louis scores, 1-0 Canuckleheads.

and JR in the booth, I really like him there if he can't be on the ice!

Valentin. He'd fit right in with his pile of K's and low batting average. And his errors could finally be funny to me.

Yes, my sympathies and thoughts are with you and yours as well, Steff.

Just saw on the ESPN2 scroll that the Luvvable Losers acquired Ben Grieve for a PTBNL. Hollandsworth must be further away from returning than they hoped. A not-very-exciting pickup, unless Grieve is also married to a world-class soccer player.

ESPN2, US v Canada from Montreal. Canada wearing some s***TY yellowish gold jerseys. Look like those Bruins piss-yellow jerseys, absolutely wretched. Just started - 6pm CDT. Might be the only chance to see NHLers play this year....

Maybe, maybe not. If he's around 700-705 at season's end, he'll need 50-55 to break it next year. It could definitely happen, but MAN OH MAN, you think he's being pitched around NOW? He could walk 250 times next year if he closes in on Aaron. You think any Dodger pitcher will throw him ONE hittable pitch with the record in view? HELL NO.

Yeah, everyone in Birmingham will want one.

Yeah, I think it was an attempt at humor too, but the problem was he dropped an N bomb and used a derogatory term for gays. I personally wasn't offended, it takes a LOT to offend me, but the mods saw the need to make an example that this type of hateful speech will not be tolerated. I was a bit surprised/disappointed at the outburst, though - I had enjoyed going back-and-forth with Brando up to that point, and that remark kinda blind-sided me. For a while, I didn't even realize he'd been banned - just didn't see any posts from him all of the sudden. Back on topic, I see a lot of Dave Kingman in Borchard, but even Kingman made more consistent contact. Those 3 whiffs following the 504-foot HR told me a lot about Borchard, and I don't like what I saw.

I'd love to see this happen, but I think that Diaz + Grilli = no sweep. I also see no real chance of the Sox sweeping 6 games from Minnesota. Just don't believe that this team has it in them.

Sorry if it came across as flippant, I didn't intend for that at all. I'm not minimizing in any way the magnitude of the mistake or the level of anger/frustration that must be felt as a result. All I'm saying is that I don't know what can be done or said other than a REAL, legitimate apology and whatever cash settlement the patient can receive. If he's expecting something other than that, I honestly don't know what he could be expecting. That's all I'm saying. Outside of an apology and payout, what else can or should be done?

Aaron Rowand is the f***ing KING. Thank God for #33, or there'd be almost nothing to watch this year on the South Side.

Yep, that pretty much sums up what I think can be said about it, minus the LOL-hitting smiley. Let me ask, seriously: If I punched the Doctor instead, what changes about the rest of that scenario? If I killed the Doctor instead, what changes? It REALLY sucks about that guy thinking he had AIDS for 8 years, but once the mistake is realized and acknowledged, what should happen? What CAN happen to satisfy the guy and his "lost" 8 years? Please tell me, so I can understand.

I smell a loophole... Example: "You are a blankety-blank blanking blank blanker....AND I'D CALL YOU THAT TO YOUR FACE!" It's like the "no offense" thing, a Magic Eraser if you will....

Yeah, right-center concourse, it was a massive blast. It'll be on SportsCenter, but the ensuing whiff-whiff-whiff won't.

And now he's digging a BIG hole to bury it in.

Landmines are not name-calling, you know.... best of luck in your lawn-crossing endeavors...

696 homers and counting. He really is going to pass Hank Aaron. I guess I knew that for a while, but the closer he gets to 700, the more it sinks in that like him or not, we're watching history in the making. I, for one, am going to really try to separate my feelings about him and try to appreciate what he is about to accomplish. He's hitting homers at a ridiculous rate right now for a man of his age. Add to that his other-wordly batting average and on-base percentage and I can't remember seeing anyone so locked in at the plate, EVER. It is impressive, no matter what you think of him.

By the way, since the 504-foot Happy Accident, Out Man has whiffed 3 times. Just saying....

So now I have to ask them if they post at Soxtalk before I can swear at them??? Life is getiing too complicated... "GET OFF MY LAWN, YOU LITTLE.....excuse me, kids, do you post at Soxtalk? You DO?.....well, then....I DISAGREE WITH YOUR DECISION TO WALK ON MY LAWN AND RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU DIVERT YOUR PATH BACK ONTO THE SIDEWALK, PLEASE!!!!!!"