Missing Peter

I'm sure I'm not the only one, but the trading deadline seems incomplete without Peter Gammons' analysis. Here's hoping he's back soon.

Tiger's jug

Bob Ryan looks at Tiger's plan.

Leonard Shapiro has Tiger missing his dad.

Rich Hoffman has Tiger chasing history.

Floyd finale

The Boston Globe, the New York Times and ESPN look at Floyd's Landis' Tour win.

NIce storytelling

A sportswriter said he'd read a grocery list if Joe Posnanski wrote it. I don't know about that, but I liked his Sunday column on Dee Brown, a former can't miss kid trying to hold on.

Floyd's epic day

ESPN, The Boston Globe and the New York Times look at Landis surge back into Tour de France contention.

More love for Jason

Remember Jason McElwain, the autistic high school student from Rochester who scored 20 points in the last four minutes of a game a few months ago?

Well, he is receiving the sporting world's highest honor.

His own bobblehead

Buck, Barry, Floyd and the Snow brothers

Buck O’Neil played in an independent league All Star game last night.

Floyd Landis is back in yellow.

Jon Saraceno expects that we're seeing the last of Bonds as the season draws to a close.

Recent kidnappings of Iraqi athletes hit home for Alan Abrahamson

Apparently having the last name Snow trumps experience when it comes to getting a front office job in the NHL. If you missed it because it's hockey, Garth Snow began Tuesday as the Islanders backup goalie. He ended it as their general manager.

This comes a few weeks after Boston Globe Red Sox beat writer Chris Snow took a job in the Wild's front office. The Newsday story included this great factoid:

"Ironically, despite his retirement, Snow's $750,000 annual salary will count against the club's cap in each of the next two seasons."

Another great Plaschke story

I keep thinking I'm done blogging for the day and I keep finding stuff that I can't not include.

Plaschke looks at the great story of junior golfer MacKinzie Kline.

More Landis

The Landis profiles are starting to come out as another American in contention has kept Tour de France interest from falling off all together.

The Baltimore Sun looks at Landis' Mennonite roots. His hometown Lancaster Intelligencier has a profile from last Monday then and another story talking to his former high school classmates.

UberFreelancer Bonnie de Simone looks at Landis.

Great Posnanski story

Joe Posnanski writes about a deaf race car driver that's going to be on a NASCAR reality show. Even if you don't click here and vote for Greg Gunderson

Tour de Floyd?

The Tour de France has another American in the lead with an interesting story of his own.

Two profiles

The Globe used All-Star Monday for two strong stories on David Ortiz and Jonathan Papelbon.

Campioni!

If I were more ambitious I'd figure out how to say "Thrill of victory" in Italian and "Agony of defeat" in French. But not today.

LA Times on Italy's win. NY Times.

Celebration in Boston.

Zidane's head butt is unexplainable.
Filip Bondy said Zidane's legacy has been destroyed.

Italy wins

Here Italy playing a 1-5-1 celebration formation. Links and more photos Monday.

Zidane and SI's temporary commissioners.

NY Times on Zidane's final game.

The Pioneer Press looks at the declining number of African-American players im Major League Baseball.

Sports Illustrated asked its experts to play Commissioner for a day in their respective sports. Some good ideas emerged.
Baseball
NBA
NHL
NFL (this one has the fewest good ideas)
College football
College hoops (pretty good except No. 8 and No. 10)

Mayo, ZIdane and more Chicago media foolishness

Chicago sportswriters can't stop writing about sportswriters. I'm not familiar with the Chicago Sun Times' Joe Cowley, but he sure comes off like an Ozzie Guillen apologist ripping Kansas City's Joe Posnanski, who said Guillen was foolish for taking Mark Redman as his token Royal.

In it Cowley writes:
"But making it open season on White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to try to make a name for yourself is getting a little tired -- kind of like all the girls walking around with Chihuahuas in their arms and saying, "That's hot.'' "

Posnanski doesn't need to make a name for himself. He's far more respected and well known than Cowley. That crack from a guy making a weak Paris Hilton reference?

Of course the only target the Chicago media prefers to Guillen is each other. So Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune fires a shot back at Cowley.

The LA Daily News' Kevin Modesti is worried about the OJ Mayo era at USC.

David Steele protects your rite to make ill-informed decisions.

John Lopez on Zidane

There is much more historical significance in a South African prison soccer story than you’d think.

Is Major League Lacrosse rising?

Captain says farewell

"I've had a wonderful career," Steve Yzerman said, pausing -- and then apologizing -- as his voice trembled with emotion. "And I really will miss it."

I must be getting old as my favorite athletes are almost all retired now. Agassi is going and now Steve Yzerman is officially gone. I'm not sure I've ever rooted for an athlete that didn't play for Boston more than Yzerman. Few poeple have ever played the game the right way while being a class act off the ice more than Stevie Y. Few players ever wear the 'C' as well as he did.

Mitch Albom, Michael Rosenberg, Joanne Gerstner and John Niyo look back at the captain.

Agassi adieu

One of the sports most beloved and most successful players says goodbye to Wimbledon.

Ol' Satch

Anyone that knows me knows any good Satchel Paige story is making it in here. Joe Posnanski looks at the fascinating Negro League star on what would have been Ol' Satch's 100th birthday.

Tour de George?

I know the accomplishment is diminished because of the state of cycling right now, but it's nice to see classy George Hincapie in yellow.