Roger Clemens trial

Jury selection begins today for the Roger Clemens trial.

I really want to believe he is innocent because I loved watching him pitch, but I don't.

I would be a very bad juror for the defense.

Soccer's Latest Bribery Scandal

I've been following international soccer since the 1974 World Cup, and if there's one thing that has been a constant, it's been the controversy.

Yesterday one of the most powerful soccer officials in the world stepped down amid a bribery scandal in exchange for FIFA sweeping the entire thing under the rug.

The accusations include handing out envelopes with $40,000 in them to officials while they listened to the World Cup pitch from Qatar, a country that inexplicably received an upcoming World Cup.

I still love watching the sport, but let's just say that the officials working in it would be very comfortable working in Chicago and/or Louisiana politics.

The Mavericks

I have to admit I didn't even watch it, but I'm happy that my Landsman Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks won the NBA Title.

It has nothing to do with hating the Heat.

OK, it has a little to do with hating the Heat.

Tip of the Iceberg

The recent story about Jim Tressel at Ohio State has shocked (Shocked!) the American public, but anyone that ever went to a big-time college and knew athletes at that college, knows that Tressel's story is just the tip of the iceberg.

Colt McCoy's wife may have thrown the University of Texas under the bus yesterday during a radio interview with Colin Cowherd. (Read her comments here.)

I went to the University of Illinois in the 80s and I personally knew basketball players and football players that drove cars they couldn't possibly afford. Granted, Illinois has been busted many times, but your school does it too. They all do.

Soccer on the radio?

Yes, it's true. From this morning's Radio Online...

"Fox Sports Radio, in conjunction with Fox Sports TV, will air the UEFA Champions League Final live on Saturday, May 28. The game, which is considered by many to be the single biggest game in the sport, is between two of the most famous soccer clubs in the world: Manchester United and Barcelona. The broadcasting team will include Curt Menefee, Eric Wynalda and Kyle Martino."

That is a huge game. Sean has a soccer tournament that day, so I'm hoping the game falls somewhere in between his games.

We're gettin' this game in, dammit!

Did you watch the entire White Sox game last night? No, you didn't. I bet many of the players on the White Sox and Rangers didn't watch the entire game.

After a three hour rain delay in Texas, it didn't end until 1:27AM.

That's ridiculous.

AJ nearly falls in W's lap

At the White Sox-Rangers game last night, Sox catcher A.J. Pierzinski was going after a foul ball, and almost ended in the lap of former President George W. Bush. And then, A.J being A.J, he made a joke to the President.

Read about it, and watch the video here.

Lance Armstrong

I wouldn't want to be Lance Armstrong today. I don't know if you saw the piece on 60 Minutes last night, but it was devastating. (Scott Pelley called it "a painful interview")

I watched the entire interview of Tyler Hamilton, and I consider myself a pretty good judge of people. He was clearly pained to be saying what he was saying, because he didn't want to throw anybody under the bus. He was given immunity, but it was conditional immunity, meaning that if he tells any lies about this case at all--the deal is off the table. If he was lying, it was an Academy Award performance.

He answered every single defense that Lance Armstrong has been using (including "no positive drug tests") and left Armstrong with no out but to call Hamilton a liar. That may work on people that didn't see the interview. It won't work with me.

German soccer coach receives death threats

See Dusty Baker? While it's true it was uncivilized of a Cubs fan to leave you a steaming pile of something to encourage you to leave Chicago, it could have been worse.

The coach of the German soccer team from Cologne had to resign after receiving death threats.

The Germans always know how to take it up one notch, don't they?

Da Hawks

I don't know about you, fellow Blackhawk fans, but I couldn't watch that overtime period last night. Too stressful. Every time Vancouver brought the puck into the Blackhawk zone, I thought--that's it, season's over.

What a comeback!

Even if they lose Game 7 in Vancouver this Hawks team has proven something in this series.

Kass on Bonds

I often disagree with John Kass. He's a Republican, and I'm not. He's a White Sox fan, and I'm not. But I love the way he pokes local politicians (an admittedly easy target).

And I do agree with his column about Barry Bonds, who was convicted yesterday of obstruction of justice.

The New York Times played the race card describing this prosecution, and that's just absurd. Ask Roger Clemens.

A high heel injury

I'm surprised this doesn't happen to female athletes more often. It's got to be difficult to even walk while wearing high heels.

The #2 female tennis player in the world will miss 4-6 weeks (including, possibly, The French Open) because she suffered an injury wearing high heels to her cousin's wedding. She stepped on someone's foot, lost her balance, and voila--ligaments were stretched on top of a torn ankle joint capsule and tendon sheath.

Details are here.