HIT FOR THE CYCLE
ROMER BAUTISTA
The sun is shining, the mosquitoes are biting, and construction is tying up traffic left and right. We truly have reached the dog days of summer. Even though the NHL, NBA, and NFL are in the offseason, that doesn’t mean we don’t have enough sports headlines to fill your platter. So, let’s hit for the cycle as we look at the past month in sports.
SINGLE: MLB hits the midway mark
We’re halfway through the baseball season, so let’s reflect on some of the biggest headlines so far.
- Bonds hits 716 and passes the Babe: Moving past one of the alltime greats, Babe Ruth, into second on the all-time home runs list should have been a magical moment. Instead it was eclipsed by accusations of steroid use.
- The National League is terrible: The senior circuit went a deplorable 98-154 against the American League in interleague play this year.
- The best team in baseball . . . The Tigers?!: The surprise team of the year is for real and they’re doing it with dependable pitching. The AL Central-leading Tigers are on pace for 108 wins, and lead the majors with a team ERA of 3.46.
- Blue Jays chasing the pennant: It’s been 13 years since the Blue Jays laid claim to being the kings of the AL East. But the strong arms of Roy Halladay and BJ Ryan and the big bats of Vernon Wells and Troy Glaus have given Jays fans hope that they may be seeing this team in the postseason.
DOUBLE: Show me the money
It took all of one year for NHL owners to forget what caused the league’s year-long work stoppage in ’04 — careless spending. Only a few weeks into the free-agency period, and the following borderline all stars have already been given huge pay raises: Roberto Luongo ($27m), Zdeno Chara ($37.5m), Marc Savard ($20m), Ed Jovanovski ($32.5m), Bryan Mc- Cabe ($28.5m), and Pavel Kubina ($20m). Just think of what actual stars like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin will be able to fetch in free agency.
TRIPLE: The Blue Bombers making some noise
The Big Blue’s defense, which had been the laughing-stock of the CFL the past couple of years, has been rock solid this year, and is turning heads all across the nation. The Bombers have quieted their critics with an impressive victory over last year’s Grey Cup-champion Edmonton Eskimos, and, twice, holding former NFL running back Ricky Williams to less then 20 yards in two key victories over East division rivals the Toronto Argonauts. A stinker against the Montreal Alouettes has brought the Blue and Gold back down to earth, however.
Only time will tell if this team has the ability to win it all, but for fans who are holding out hope that they will see the Bombers play in front of the home crowd in the Grey Cup, it’s looking more like a possibility, and less like a long shot.
HOMERUN: The Azzuri win the World Cup
In a thrilling final, Italy took home its fourth World Cup, defeating France in penalties (5-3) to take the match 2-1. The final score, however, has been overshadowed by the head butt seen and heard around the world. For those living underneath a rock, the aforementioned head butt came in the 110th minute when France’s superstar, captain, and eventual World Cup MVP Zinedine Zidane was red-carded (which calls for an automatic ejection) for viciously head-butting an Italian defender in the chest. Zidane, who had announced that the World Cup would be his curtain call, has since apologized to the public for his actions, claiming that they were the result of insults to his family. Still, it was a shameful way for Zidane to end an otherwise illustrious career.
STRUCK OUT: Jose Canseco
This former major leaguer, former poster boy for steroids, and former reality TV star can’t seem to get enough of the spotlight. In the past month Jose has returned to action (playing minor league ball), struck out three times in his debut, and demanded to be traded after only one game, only to strike out four times in one game with his new team. Canseco caused another stir when he compared MLB’s handling of the steroid situation to that of the Mafia. Canseco needs to take a cue from two other ’roid dopes, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro, and disappear from the public eye.
