A tough couple of weeks for The Boss
This week's top 10:
10. Upset. Once again, the favorite in the Kentucky Derby was a non-factor, this time in spite of being owned by George Steinbrenner, and at least one NBC analyst suggesting in the hour leading up to the race that Bellamy Road was a potential super horse.
In any case, it was an exciting race which produced the second biggest upset in Derby history. Giacomo will likely be installed as the favorite to win the Preakness, and steel yourselves for the onslaught of stories about the triumph of the underdog.
9. Not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Kellen Winslow II, he of the ridiculous comparison between football players and soldiers, once again drained a little more water out of the intelligence pool when he crashed his motorcycle and reportedly severely injured his knee.
Winslow's Evel Knievel impersonation could cost the Browns' tight end his entire second season after missing almost all of his rookie year with a broken leg.
If I were running a professional sports team, I would write into every contract that any player seen within 50 yards of a motorcycle automatically voids the deal.
8. As if losing the Derby wasn't bad enough for The Boss. The $200 million New York Yankees toil away in the A.L. East cellar, and have joined several other teams - the Knicks, New York Rangers, Portland Trail Blazers - in the big spenders, small results club.
All at once it seems as if several Yankees got old overnight (Posada, Williams, Johnson, Brown, Rivera) or got off the juice (Giambi) and the Bombers look weak and depleted.
There is of course plenty of time for them to rebound, but right now you have to question the wisdom of pursuing a trade for an aging left-hander in Randy Johnson yet passing on a free agent outfielder that could have made the team younger in Carlos Beltran.
7. Here we go again. Indiana's trouncing of Boston in Game 7 (thanks for showing up, Celtics) sets up the much-anticipated Pacers-Pistons series. Ever since the big brawl back in November (and even since last year's Eastern Conference final), people have been alternately looking forward to/dreading this matchup.
NBA commissioner David Stern (the Godfather) should personally attend every game of the series, assign extra referees to monitor the stands, hand out in-game suspensions if any of the players act up and award technical free throws to the visiting team if the crowds misbehave.
This series could showcase sports at its best or worst, and it will take a lot of work from a lot of people to make sure it's the former, not the latter.
6. Run your mouth, get run out of town. The Eagles cut vociferous wide receiver Freddie Mitchell last week, a move curious in its timing since Terrell Owens is still holding out, and he probably now feels like he has even more leverage to renegotiate.
Still its a triumph for substance over style. Mitchell liked to yap a lot about how good he was, yet he rarely delivered. At least Owens has got some game to back up his boasts.
5. Wizards win. It only took 23 years, but Washington's basketball team finally won a playoff series. If you can't muster the competence to produce a team capable of winning at least one lousy series in 20 years, you should be forced to sell the team.
4. And it only took three Super Bowl rings. Tom Brady signed a contract extension Saturday worth $60 million over six years. The Patriots QB will now be paid in the same bracket as Peyton Manning (who has yet to win any big game) and Donovan McNabb (who has won a big game, but lost to Brady in an even bigger game).
Brady is a three-time champion, yet guys who haven't accomplished even a third of what he has inexplicably get paid more. How about we institute a new pay scale - you can't be the highest paid player at your position unless you've led your team to a title. THAT will light a fire under players.
3. Ah, the drama of Game 7 … or not. After the Pacers routed Boston, Dallas turned around and did the same to the Rockets on Saturday. Two showcase games, two stinkers.
If you are Houston, you have to wonder how you did not win the series when Dirk Nowitzki shoots under 40 percent. Maybe there was something to Jeff Van Gundy's comments.
Which brings us to …
2. Don't ever take sides against the family again. Don Vito Stern laid down the law last week, fining Van Gundy, the Rockets coach, $100,000 and threatening to boot him out of the league permanently if he keeps questioning the officiating.
Van Gundy initially stood behind his comments, but then shrank like a frightened turtle a couple of days later. It's good to see the Godfather still has some clout.
1. Midseason form. Everybody's favorite bigot, John Rocker, got into a confrontation with a fan last week during his comeback attempt with a minor league team on Long Island. This after he and his publicist made assurances Rocker had matured since he last insulted everybody not straight and white.
If his fastball can return to form as fast as his public relations skills, we'll be seeing Mr. Rocker on a major league mound inside of a couple of months.
Andrew Hinkelman is a sports writer for The Daily Inter Lake. He can be reached at hink@dailyinterlake.com