REPORTING FROM THE JOCK-OSPHERE:
McNABB: WE STOLE ELTON. SO?
by Ryan Corazza and Evan Bartsch
Getty Images
"Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness, but it's better than drinking alone."
Jocks blog. We report. (You decide.)
Mark DeRosa: Whoa Oh, We're Halfway There
DeRosa reflects on his first half favorites:
"The 'Song' of the first half is 'Love me Sexy' by Jackie Moon," he writes. "If people have seen 'Semi-Pro,' they'll understand.
"'Best Celebrity I've Met' in the first half is Tony Romo, for obvious reasons. I'm a huge Cowboys fan. He's the worst singer I've heard in the first half, but it was awesome to be able to sit at my locker and talk football for five minutes."
So would Jessica singing "Love me Sexy" win his second half award for "best collaboration on two of my first half awards?"
Curtis Granderson: Time for the iPhone
What's the Tigers outfielder up to during the All-Star break? How about trying to score a 3G iPhone.
"Once the break starts, if I don't already get it by Sunday, I'm going to try to get the new iPhone," he writes. "But I heard they're already sold out here in the Detroit area. I think the first iPhone came out around this time last year, so maybe the owner of Apple is a baseball fan at heart, releasing the iPhone around the All-Star break for the past two years."
Curtis, if you do snatch one up, make sure you can actually activate it. We hear that's been a bit of a problem.
Donovan McNabb: A View of Philly Sports
The Campbell's Soup spokesman and Eagles' Quarterback riffs on Philly sports all the way from the land of McCain:
"What a great time it is to be a sports fan in Philadelphia," he writes. "I am 3,000 miles away in Arizona and spent some time channel surfing over the weekend and this is what I saw:
"The national media and many NBA experts believe that the Sixers stole Elton Brand and now have a difference maker in the NBA Eastern Conference. I agree. I love the way he plays the post and he will make the other young Sixers players much better. He makes them instant contenders.
"Although they had a tough day yesterday against the Diamondbacks, the Phillies are in first place approaching the All Star break. They have one of the most talented lineups in the game and Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell haven't even played their best baseball yet. Brad Lidge has been lights out as a closer. If they get some more quality starts from the pitching staff they can put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division.
"Philadelphia's Vai Sikahema, a former Eagle, knocked out former baseball player, Jose Canseco, in a celebrity boxing match. Vai gave away about 6 inches and 40-50 pounds to Jose but knocked out the bigger man in the 1st round. He proved that no matter how big and strong you look, you can't measure the heart on someone from Philly.
"In a contest that placed the winner in the ArenaBowl Championship Game, the Soul annihilated the Cleveland Gladiators, 70-35. If they play that well next week they will be able to set the route for the "Championship Parade in Philadelphia" in case there have been some changes in the past 25 years! With the promise shown by the Phillies, Sixers, Flyers, and yes, the Eagles, hopefully that route will start getting used more often.
"Speaking of the Eagles, fans might be happy to know that I'm in Arizona working out with Brian Dawkins. Next week some other players will come out and we'll work together for a few days before training camp opens. I'm feeling great, the shoulder is fine, and I can't wait to get started this season."
John Lackey: Renewing the Rivalry
Lackey lines up his thoughts on the growing division rivalry with the A's:
"It seems like ever since I've been in the big leagues that the Angels and A's have been in 1st or 2nd in the division so there's definitely a little rivalry going on here," he writes. "It's not like some of those football rivalries, like Texas-Oklahoma or USC-UCLA, but they are definitely a team we look at and always want to play well against because they're always in the race. For a few years there when they had guys like Tejada and Chavez and drums in the outfield it felt like a Friday night football game to me. But it's died down a little since then. There's definitely more red in the stands these days. The Halo fans are everywhere.
"As an opponent you do have to give the A's front office some credit. They have made deals that have been unpopular with fans but a lot of those deals have really worked out for them. They have brought in some young players that have been really productive. Someone asked me how the Rich Harden trade was going to impact the division. I don't know how big an impact it will have on them because he hasn't pitched much anyway. Everyone in the league thinks he's one of the best when he's healthy, but he hasn't been healthy. But if the trade works the way these other trades have worked for them then the A's will be in the race until the end. That's why we always want to play well against them. They got the first one. Hopefully we'll get the next two."
And by getting the next two you will have earned two series more than the A's original series victory, so says our office of redundancy.
Kyle Harrison: Hey Look Ma, I'm an All Star!
Kyle makes the all-star squad, and talks up the new Batman release, as well as his healthy Entourage jones:
"I was fortunate enough to make the All Star team, so make sure if you've got some free time on Thursday night, check out ESPN 2 and watch the game!" he writes. "It's not often we get to be live on ESPN 2, so it's definitely an exciting event for our sport.
"Anybody else ridiculously excited for Batman to come out this weekend? I'm fired up for sure. Not exactly sure how I'm going to make time to see it if with the All Star game in Denver Thursday, then flying to Chicago Friday morning for our game for the weekend, but I'll make sure cause it's going to be hot!
"Anybody picked up the new iPhone? Thoughts? Thinking about checking that puppy out today.
"Just heard Entourage is starting back up on September, so I'm all kinds of fired up. I feel like I've been waiting for that show to start back up forever!"
It's not the waiting but the anticipation that is killer- hang in there, K.H.!
Donna Orender: The "Get It" Category
The WNBA prez praising some sports writers:
"I didn't realize I was creating an aspirational category of people of whom I could say: 'He gets it,'" she writes. I wrote that in praise of Bob Ryan, the well known Boston Globe sports writer, who saw a WNBA game and wrote about how much he loved it. (Have I mentioned that I love him?) Shortly thereafter, I received a query as to whether a David Knepler could also be put in that category. He enclosed the following link to his guest article in his local Bay Area (California) newspaper … and I want to officially note right here and now that Dave is a guy who also 'gets it.' He is part of our esteemed and ever-growing club. And now we are looking for others who are thus enlightened."
