Roger Clemens returns to the Astros.
Man, am I surprised.
Almost as surprised as I was when Barry Bonds turned soft and cuddly during his ESPN interview with Jim Grey.
And as surprised as I was when people sent more cards and letters to Barbaro than they would ever consider sending to the troops in Iraq.
And just as surprised as I was when the Portland Trail Blazers couldn’t win with their latest collection of goons.
Or as shocked as I was when Reggie Bush decided that maybe he wasn’t going to give as much money from his t-shirt to Katrina victims.
And as surprised as I was when the Knicks waited exactly one season to decide they were pretty close to giving Larry Brown $9 billion not to coach while Isiah Thomas somehow continues to skate.
Or as surprised as I was when Terrell Owens forced his way out of Philly and landed a new contract elsewhere.
Or as shocked as when I heard that Brett Ratner screwed up the X-Men franchise.
And almost as shocked as I was when Angelina Jolie chose Brad Pitt over me.
The Miami Heat have really conquered the playoffs. If/when they get past the Pistons, does that make them a prohibitive favorite against anyone coming from the West?
Jeff Dye, BoDog.com: Wow, they sure have. Not only have they made quick work of their other playoff foes this spring, but they’re also putting the boot on Detroit. With Shaq, D-Wade and a host of other superstars on this team, Miami could easily be the favorite against any of the West teams, especially if that series goes to six or seven and Miami can close theirs at five. However, if Dallas can maintain the momentum it gained in Game 3 against the Suns and end that series early, we’ll have a big battle on our hands.
Do you expect Albert Pujols to break the single-season home run record?
JD, BoDog.com: Since I don’t know Albert Pujols personally, this is a tough question to answer, but it sure is nice to hear a home run story in the media that doesn’t surround Barry Bonds and steroids. Pujols appears to be one of the hardest working guys in baseball and appears to be on his way to becoming one of the best hitters ever in this game.
It’s turning into an interesting time for men’s tennis, with Rafael Nadal rising to challenge Roger Federer. Books like Nadal at the French Open?
JD, BoDog.com: Nadal definitely opened up as the favorite for the French Open. Neither player actually “crossed” their first-round match this week, but these two are likely to meet in the final. It will be interesting to see if Federer can finally use the fact that he has to be the underdog in this rivalry, losing five of six in his career against Nadal, to motivate himself to win his first French Open.
With the unexpected departure of Barbaro, is there much action at the Belmont? Who likes books? See someone else interesting that our readers might consider?
JD, BoDog.com: Right now we’re not seeing the same kind of action in the Belmont as we are in the Derby or the Preakness, but it’s still early days. He is slowly starting to focus more on the next race as the competition heats up. Bluegrass Cat, who finished second in the Derby, and Steppenwolfer, who finished third, will race after five weeks off. Sweetnorthernsaint, a second-place finisher in the Preakness, is likely to race, and is always a horse to watch. There may be no chance of a Triple Crown winner, but the final stretch may be the closest finish we’ve seen this season, as the field is packed with talent and no clear favorites have come forward yet.