Yeah. I had to start there. Mainly because I just want to see this guy guy hit number 500 so I can watch baseball on ESPN or Fox again this year without a pull out to see him try to hit it. I hope I'm not watching when it happens. I don't want to see it. I'm willing to bet you don't want to see. Bud Selig might. ESPN does or must since they are the only people talking about it in any sort of good faith. Purists don't want to see it.

Now, I know we need to break out of the steroid era somehow, but I just don't get how people have decided to give this guy a free pass while they will drag others through the mud.

Case 1: Mark McGwire. He's come out. He's admitted it. Big Mac juiced. But, he wasn't alone in it. If a guy like Jose Canseco knew, others must have. Besides, he did it and, in effect, brought the game back from the brink. Maybe it was just the scale of the lie. It was huge. A whole nation watched and rooted for him that summer. We all wanted to see Big Mac win it. When the allegations came, many supported him, though none were surprised when he admitted to it.

Was he ever more than just power? I think so. Bonds was power. A Rod has power to spare. But, neither of them were likeable, marketable guys. Big Mac was. For a few years, he was baseball. I'll always remember it, even if voters decide to cast him out as a cheater.

Case 2: Bonds. I see some parallels between the two. Bonds wasn't a well liked guy, especially to fans. He came off as a dick. I remember the feeling I'd get when they cut away to show his at bats. I rooted for each one to hook foul. How could a guy like that top Big Mac and eventually a guy Like Henry Aaron? As I said above, McGwire is far from innocent, but he has one advantage: he's not a dick. Hank Aaron achieved what few thought was possible while battling prejudice no man should have to face. Bonds did what no man wanted while battling a self-inflicted prejudice.

I feel the same way when I flip by ESPN and see them bring up Rodriguez. He's just done so much to turn the fans away. He came out and owned up, but then he walked away with the same man he said injected him. He took the most ill-advised, vain photo shoot possible just before his big declaration. He didn't outright shun people like Bonds. Bonds shunned people because he was not a man who wanted to be public. Rodriguez has done all he can to be public, but has only succeeded in drawing the public away.
 

Case 3: Roger Clemens. People make the same excuses for Rodriguez that they do for Clemens when the HOF is brought up: he was a great player before the steroids. So? Shoeless Joe was a great player before the betting scandal. Pete Rose was a great player before he was busted for betting on the team he managed. Neither of them is in the hall. Neither of them will probably ever be in.

I'm fine with that.

I don't like the idea of saying steroids aren't as big a deal as betting. If anything, they're worse. You know why, I don't have to tell anyone here. Stick by your guns though. If cheating is unacceptable, than it is in all cases. You either lock all players who have provided reasonable enough evidence of usage or have admitted to using out, or you forefit any reason for barring anyone.

I'll swallow any positive coverage of Rodriguez hitting 600. If he beats Bonds, I can live with that too. I will draw a firm line, however, at admitting him to Cooperstown.

Well, not me as in the guy writing this. The guy New Orleans hired to make this poster did...for a fee. Anyone who bought it did...at that time.....for $10.

Should fans believe in him? No. It's hard to believe any athlete anymore, but especially in the new less competition, less true teams NBA. Paul has publicly come out and denied rumors that he wanted dealt. He has said he believes in the team and the direction they are headed.

Still believe? Lebron made similar comments after the Cavs acquired Shaq last off season. He was happy with the late season move to grab Antwone Jamison from the Wizards. Didn't keep him around. even now, reports continue to come in that Paul still wants a trade.

All I can think of is the mess a few years down the road when Paul does leave. It will probably make the Cleveland fans look well mannered by comparison. New Orleans and its fans will stand behind any of its teams, as long as they stand behind the city.

Well, that's it for tonight. Lot of things I didn't get to mention. Sad news as Jack Tatum passed away today at 61. Looks like Yao might not be playing much longer if his foot doesn't hold up. Apparently Europe has another lame race up it's puffy, ruffled sleeves: a power walk race. I think a 19 year old Italian won.

Thank you for reading and any comments you may leave. Have a good rest of the week, we're halfway through.

So, the funny thing about history is that if you don't know it then you're doomed to repeat it. Given how some people view history, it's easy to see how so many people keep doing the same stupid things. I would say its safe to say that most pro athletes know little of history. The NBA and NFL just might prove me right here.

As we watched the NFL draft and heard speculation about how much these kids were set to make, we were also reminded of the looming contract negotiations. If the slow down of rookie contract negotiations are any indications, both sides seem to be bracing for a possible lock out. Few draftees have signed and none of the top 10 have reached an agreement. First overall pick Sam Bradford is staring at another record setting pay day. The slowness of teams to come to grips with current stars on new contracts further shows the way the owners and players seem to see things. The head of the NFL players union has suggested that fans prepare for the worst.

Last week NBA fans heard from the Commish David Stern that the league is looking at financial losses of up to $370 million. NBA player's union pres. Billy Hunter says the owners are off by $370 million. As owners shell out ridiculous contracts to Darko Milicic and Drew Gooden, it looks like fans will be the biggest losers here.

Maybe all these people need to look back. Heck, they don't even have to look far. Just look back to the 04-05 NHL lockout. The NHL players thought the fans would miss them enough to back them. The league was able to pick up again in 05-06, but attendance and tv ratings suffered. We weren't quite in the financial mess we are now, and the league still drew the ire of fans. Imagine the catastrophe of trying to appeal to cash strapped fans that you don't feel you are earning enough or being treated fairly. These people that just got dumped from jobs they've held for so many years without so much as a thank you are not going to take it well.

The NHL was bailed out to some extent by the arrival of ESPN's golden child Sidney Crosby and the return to prominence of many of the traditional powers. Many fans were also reconnected by watching hockey in the Olympics this past winter.

Look a little further back and you'd see the 1994 MLB strike. This was a devastating blow to the national past time. Reports conducted by the MLB have concluded that the strike has created a "large and growing revenue" disparity. The cost of smaller clubs trying to stay competitive led to escalated ticket prices and concessions that have hurt the MLB's image as the affordable family sport.

You can read more here: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/blue_ribbon.pdf.

Perhaps more disturbing are the lengths that many believe the owners and players went to bring the game back. Big Mac and Sammy Sosa's home run chase four years later may have saved the sport in the short term, but is proving to be damning for a whole generation of players. People juiced up to try and help and many believe the owners had no problem with these men risking their bodies, careers, and credibility.

What might happen if the NFL or NBA go on strike? I believe few fans would be supportive in the least and both leagues would lose many fans from the fall out. They might both be able to recover, but how long might it take? It's already grossly expensive to go and see either league. The NFL might be worse, especially given the limited opportunities fans have.

If the gab is any indication, I think the NBA would be hurt worse. People already see the NBA as a big entitlement league and the recent actions of ESPN/Lebron do little to hurt this idea. Moreover, the legends of the NBA have come out swinging on the Heat/Lebron fiasco. On Monday, Jordan came out and gave his take saying he never wanted to team up with Magic or Bird, he wanted to beat them. Barkley has been on James for some time, but came out on the radio in Miami to lambaste Lebron. Barkley says James is no MJ. He has blown any chance of earning a fair comparison by joining Wade and Bosh. Larry Bird has even come out against the move.

It's clear that a big problem of the league was addressed in MJ's comments. The competitive fire is gone. It has now become a "if you can't beat them, join them league". Fans miss any chance of seeing a Magic-Bird type game. Fans loss rivalries.

It does, however, mean increased kudos to Kobe Bryant. The mess in Miami makes him look almost honorable. He's also proven he can win without Shaq. Let's face it, Pau Gasol is a good big man, but no Shaq. It also brings more marketability to Kevin Durant. Durant just signed an extension to stay in Oklahoma City, of all places. There is no glitz or fame to be had, but there is a great young team which Durant finds himself entrenched at the helm of.

Guys like that are a bit of a hold out. As a big fan of the NBA of yesteryear, I can only hope that more players follow the lead of Durnat and Bryant.

Well, that's it for this week gang. As always, thanks for the read and any comments left on the way out. Let's hope that as we raise our voice on possible strikes in our sports that the management and players might reconsider. But, I think we all know that is a pretty naive idea. Keep on gabbing, and maybe we can prove that wrong.

Oh hey guys, glad to be back with everyone here at the Gab. I'd like to start by thanking the Beeze for filling in last week. It was a nice week off, but an expensive one. I was glad to get back to work today. I have to drive through a rural area and I took out a lot of butterflies. I can't feel bad for them, or birds either. They can fly! They have miles of air column to fly through. Why are they dumb enough to fly down where I can hit them with my car? If they can't get high than the 5-6 feet of my car, then they probably would've died soon anyways.

That's why Randy Johnson will always be cool in my book. Listen up birds! Fly higher if you don't want to get Michael Bay'd by a fastball or my car!

On to sports, I may have been pre-occupied this weekend, but of course I heard of the stupidity of Lebron. More accurately, the stupidity of Bron, Dan Gilbert (though we can all see where he was coming from), and Jesse Jackson. I'm a bit bummed, even David Stern has commented on this before I got a chance to. I'm losing a step.

Despite all of the villians in the story, I've noticed no one is talking about the one hero to be found: Dwyane Wade. If you were a Heat fan or even a person doubting that loyalty could exist in the NBA, you have to see how amazing this deal is for Wade. Many weeks ago everyone was abuzz about Wade's free agent summit. It was quickly disproven. Chris Bosh himself came out and said it was ridiculous. Low and behold it would all be proven true.

Wade has already proven himself to just about everyone in the NBA. He won his championship well before his fellow draft classmates Bron or Melo. He was instrumental in US basketball's return to prominence. How could it get better? How about luring two of the most saught after free agents in this year's class to your team? No one wanted to come to Cleveland for Bron, but many highly touted free agents were happy to come play with Wade.

Wade not only showed loyalty here, he showed a commitment to improving his team. He's the only person to come through this not looking over inflated or selfish. Wade benefits, but so does his team.

And it is still Wade's team. Lebron appears to have admitted that he can't win on his own. Bosh looks like he was always a second or third tier player at best, certainly not someone who could carry a team by himself. Wade already has the fans. He's brought victory and has held the team in playoff contention single handedly ever since Shaq left and Beasly nor Jermaine O'Neil became a legitimate second option. So long as he stays healthy, Wade only serves to further endear himself to Miami. By staying put, he's the one big time free agent with any remaining credability with fans.

Speaking of fans, I was one of many to tune into the MLB All-Star game tonight. The NL finally over came their losing streak, beating the favored AL squad 3-1. Phil Hughes was the one to drop the ball, which was fine with me. Honestly, I was worried that Verlander was going to blow it. He looked a bit shakey during his inning of work, but he fought back after putting some runners on. I am also more than a little worried about Miguel Cabrerra following his participation in the home run derby. Many a slugger has taken part in the contest only to falter down the home stretch of the season. Cabrerra was sporting MVP numbers during the first half. It is certainly my hope that the derby curse misses here.

I will say that I was very impressed by the innings turned in by Florida's Josh Johnson. We don't get to see much of the Marlins, nor do many in the fan base by the look of the stadium. Johnson looked like a beast and was clocked regualrly in the high 90s, topping out at 99 mph. After that kind of outing and his miniscule 1.70 ERA, I'm hoping to see a lot more of Johnson this season.

On a sadder note, this week was a sorry week for the Yankees. As Sunday brought news that longtime stadium announcer Bob Sheppard had passed, we learned this afternoon that owner George Steinbrenner has passed. Like many here, I'm no fan of the Bronx Bombers. They seem cocky to me, almost to the point of arrogance. No baseball fan, however, can deny the importance of these two men. Even if they were the face and voice of the most celebrated and hated franchise in baseball, these men were professionals. These men were an intigral part of the game we all love. I was happy to hear Derek Jeter use Sheppard's voice to announce him during the All-Star game. I was heartened to hear the tributes to the Boss. Though my thoughts generally turn to the Seinfeld depiction, I admit a grudging respect for what Steinbrenner was able to do.

It has truly been a sad summer for baseball. Losing legends is tough on any sport, but possibly toughest on a sport so driven by its characters and its stories.

Well, that's it for me this week. It's great to be back and I'd like to thank the Beeze again for filling in. That guy was all over the Gab last week. I think he wrote half the site last week. Hope everyone had a great 4th. As always, thanks for reading and any comments. Until next week..

Oh hey guys. It's that time again. Almost time for America to get one year older. Time for the fireworks, hot dogs, and baseball.

Let's start with the dogs. On sunday, NYC will once again play host to the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest. All American hopes will once again be pinned on Joey Chestnut. It could be easier this year, however, as Chestnut's arch rival Kobayashi might miss this year's contest over a contract dispute.

Really?? These guys get paid to do this? I wonder what they buy with that hot dog cash? Maybe a shiny golden bucket to purge in right after the contest is over. (Note: no one at the Gab condones eating disorders. Even if the popular kids are doing it.) The winners are always such small dudes. You always see a couple fat dudes in the mix, but they can't do it. Us fat guys just aren't sprinters. If it was more of an endurance thing, then we'd own.

Back to Kobayashi and I guess the plus side is at least they're starting to treat this like other athletes do. They're getting the prima dona act down. If you want to be taken seriously as a sport, you need to have contract disputes and pouting. It worked for Danica...It failed for the French soccer team, but then we all thought of their behavior as more typically French than spoiled athlete. You sit out, Kobayashi and try to earn some Kobe Bryant money before you come back and get stomped by Joey Chestnut.

Well, it's never to early, so everybody join in.

USA! USA! USA! USA!

Well, onto our spot: baseball. Looks like my Tigers are going to have to go it without flame thrower Joel Zumaya again. He went down in Monday's win against the division leading Twins with a fractured elbow.

Normally, I'd be bummed, but I gotta look on the bright side here. This is one of the first times that dude has hurt himself playing baseball. Last time, he hurt his shoulder trying to move some furniture out of his mothers house as the wild fires were ravaging Southern Cal. Not sure why a guy who makes his living off his arm couldn't have hired a few guys to do it for him to protect himself, but who am I to judge? Before that, he hurt his wrist playing too much "Guitar Hero". yeah. Sure. "Guitar Hero."

Anyways, if the guy's gonna get hurt (and he will if he's Joel Zumaya), at least he's finally getting hurt doing the right thing. Good luck on the rehab.

Now, before I get to the big reason I'm here tonight, let's dive into a big subject as of late. Stephan Strasburg has officially taken major league baseball by storm. I've finally had a chance to see him and I agree, the kid looks good. But, is he All-Star good?

Some will say yes, because despite what Bud has tried to do the all-star game is still an exhibition. It's a game by the fan, for the fan. Clearly, the fans want to see this kid pitch. Also, others will say he is just plain good enough and would give the NL an edge as most AL hitters haven't faced the guy before.

I, on the other hand, say let the kid wait. Look, going by the numbers it seems a bit much to put the kid in. He's 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA and 48 Ks in 5 games. Nice stuff, but the NL has a lot of great pitchers right now. Jimenez and Josh Johnson have better ERAs and Jamie Garcia (the cards rookie pitcher) is quietly putting together a better season with a 2.27 ERA and a 7-4 record through 15 games. Three NL pitchers currently have 10+ wins, 4 have 9 wins, and 9 have 8 wins.

Also, the Nats have some other guys having good years. It would be hard to justify giving Strasburg the Nat spot. While I wouldn't be horribly opposed to this, I just don't thin it should happen this season. Besides, if this kid is as good as we've been told, he'll make plenty of All-Star games.

Now, without further ado, let's start the Gab All-Star pick em challenge. the rules will be simple. Everyone submits one all-star line-up. Feel free to discuss and debate the picks. We will have a scoring system: 3 points for each starter you name, 2 points for a reserve. be sure to include your picks for NL DH, starting pitchers, and relievers. Winners get nothing, aside from momentary bragging rights. All stats I use are probably a day or so out of date.

AL LINE-UP

1B-Miguel Cabrera DET.......................Current Fan Leader(CFL): Justin Morneau MIN

Ok, looks like a homer pick. But he's batting .332 with 20 HR and 64 RBI.

2B-Robinson Cano NYY......................CFL: Cano

This is one Yank who deserves the vote at a weak position: .359, 15 HR, 53 RBI.

SS-Alex Gonzalez TOR.........................CFL: Derek Jeter NYY

This guy was a big reason for Toronto's hot start: .263, 14 HR, 40 RBI.

3B- Evan Longoria TB..........................CFL: Longoria

What can I say, the kid is good: .297, 12 HR, 52 Rbi, 12 SB.

C-Joe Mauer MIN..................................CFL: Mauer

Might not be putting up the numbers we're used to, but still impressive: .304, 3 HR, 33 RBI.

OF1-Josh Hamilton TEX.....................CFL: Hamilton

Good player and a great story coming in hot out of June: .346, 18 HR, 57 RBI.

OF2-Alex Rios CHW.............................CFL: Carl Crawford TB

Amazing production for the lowly north siders: .313, 13 HR, 40 RBI, 21 SB.

OF3-Ichiro Suzuki SEA........................CFL: Suzuki

I just plain like this guy: .333, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 21 SB.

DH-Vladamir Guerrero TEX..............CFL: Guerrero

Think the Angels regret letting him go yet? .327, 15 HR, 60 RBI.

SP-David Price TB

He's developed into just what people thought he would: 11-3, 2.44 ERA, 84 Ks.

RP-Neftali Feliz TEX

Not a huge surprise, came on strong at the end of last season: 20 SV in 22 Op, 2.70 ERA, 1-1.

NL LINE-UP

1B-Albert Pujols STL..........................CFL: Pujols

Another guy i just plain like: .306, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 7 SB.

2B-Martin Prado ATL..........................CFL: Chase Utley PHI (just put on DL/ thumb)

A bright spot for a rebuilding team: .334, 7 HR, 31 RBI.

SS-Hanley Ramirez............................CFL: Ramirez

Douche-baggery aside, he's doing fine: .296, 11 HR, 44 RBI, 14 SB.

3B- David Wright................................CFL: Placido Polanco PHI (DL/elbow)

Wright's been big for the Mets: .300, 14 HR, 61 RBI. 13 SB.

C- Miguel Olivo COL...........................CFL: Yadier Molina STL

Kid's been big and probably helped Jimenez: .296, 10 HR, 34 RBI.

OF1- Andre Ethier LAD......................CFL: Ethier

Really took advantage of Manny being injured: .317, 12 HR, 46 RBI.

OF2- Ryan Braun MIL........................CFL: Braun

One of the few reasons to be a Brewer fan: .301, 10 HR, 47 RBI.

OF3- Colby Rasmus STL..................CFL: Jason Heyword ATL (DL/thumb)

Tough choice between Rasmus and Holiday, but Holiday should make reserve: .283, 16 HR, 40 RBI.

DH- Adrian Gonzalez SD

Going strong for the Padres and deserves a start: .302, 16 HR, 51 RBI.

SP- Ubaldo Jimenez COL

Superb year capped off by first no-no in COL history: 13-1, 1.60 ERA, 95 Ks.

RP: Heath Bell SD

Proving to be a fitting replacement for Hoffman: 21 SV in 24 opp, 1.93 ERA.

I also voted for the HR Derby since it was right there on MLB.com.

AL: Ichiro, Mark Teixeira, Nelson Cruz.

NL: Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Troy Tulowitzki

Post your line-ups gabber. Feel free to lamb-baste mine if you'd like. While you're at it, get on MLB.com and vote. Voting ends Thursday night. Results will be out sunday. I will post how everyone did Monday.

One piece of serious business, I need a replacement for next week. My girlfriend is coming in from Missourah and it's her birthday. I promised to take her out. Anyone interested let me know. Also, if the admin could let me know how to do that....coool. Have a great 4th and be safe out there.

I'm not going to talk Yanks, just thought most of us would enjoy this.

What I have to speak of is an issue at the heart of all fans: collectibles. I spent a good part of father's day at a card show with my dad. My dad had a lot of fun and picked up some much needed stuff for his set, but I couldn't help but notice how different things were. Usually, there would be a former Tigers player there to sign autographs. I remember more tables. I remember people asking more reasonable prices.

Frankly, I seem to remember card shows so much more fondly than what I saw last sunday.

When I was young, there would be card shows at the local mall about every 3 months or so. You walk in and the mall would be lined with booths sporting cards and sports figures. Former big leaguers would be seated at the center of the mall and most them didn't charge anything for an autograph. They'd even get a few words in with you. I still remember my brother IHM calling former Tiger's ace Mickey Lolich sir. Lolich laughed and said: "Sir? Well, hell, that's a lot nicer than what they used to call me in Baltimore!"

All I saw this week were old men sitting behind a few booths selling card at $1 a pop. Packs of cards sell at $2-3 anymore. It was easier for kids to get into and there was more of a tradition for father's to bring their sons. I didn't see any of that. Have collectors priced families out? I really don't know.

Personally, I haven't bought a pack of cards in some time. I miss it sometimes. It was nice to be able to get your favorite player in a pack that you only paid $1 for and got maybe 10 cards. It was more of a value. I still have all my old cards, but I wonder when the collectors will get the idea. I wonder if they'll ever make it more affordable as it once was. It might be a lot to ask for considering that game tickets get more and more expensive every year.

On to sports...ESPN sports business reporters have noted that despite Nike (and ESPN) lording Lebron over us as the best basketball player out there, China has weighed in on Kobe's side. Apparently in China the regular season doesn't mean much, especially if you can't produce in the post season. I still think titles matter here, but if it takes a country with the population of China to drive the point home to Bron, then so be it. I don't know where the guy will sign. Wherever it may be, I just hope he will at least put the idea that his struggles are hurting his image value worldwide in the fore front and comes to play if he makes the playoffs next season.

Brief mention of soccer.......France lost. I'm going to give everyone a second or two to digest that. Shocking right? Well, at least we don't have to see more of this:

I'd like to end with an idea. The MLB All-Star game is coming upon us. While we have debated how feeble fan voting is here, I propose every gabber get out and vote (once). Post your choices and we will discuss. Let's see how well we really know the sport. Anyone who's in, let me know.

Well, we have a bit of a brake between holidays. I'm gonna try to play some Benny and June style poker this weekend. For those who have never seen the movie, we will bet with random things rather than money or chips. Someone might be lucky enough to win an Ichiro jack in the box or a Jar Jar Binks cup topper. Hope everyone has a great weekend and rests up for the 4th. Thanks for the read and any comments.