HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Baseball Hits the Halfway Point: Although next week's All Star Game is considered the hafway point in the baseball season, most teams will play their 81st game, if they haven't already, before the weekend. It's probably time to start paying attention to the pennant races, which mean a little more this year since the two wild card teams in each league will have to meet in a one-game playoff to determine who advances to the post-season. I think the format is ridiculous and will probably be short-lived.  I think it could be especially unfair if one team is battling for a division crown while the other team is comfortably in the playoff game and can set up their pitching staff to their advantage.  I haven't heard that scenario discussed, but it's a real possibility.  That could give the team with the worse record an advantage, and that just isn't fair.  There are a lot of things wrong with this format and I certainly hope it goes away quickly.

Congrats to Chipper: I have been a long-time Braves fan and it is hard to believe that Chipper Jones is retiring after this season.  He was named to the All Star Game yesterday as a replacement for the injured Matt Kemp.  Chipper is sure to receive a rousing ovation during his introduction Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.  He has already celebrated the event with a 5 for 5, 4 RBI game last night in a 10-3 win against the Cubs. The veteran is batting .313 and certainly doesn't look like a player that should be retiring.  I would love to see him retire as a Brave, but it seems as if his bat could help an AL team as a DH.

Whatever happened to Serve and Volley Tennis? As I watch Murray play Ferrer in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, it appears that they either put player repellent on the net or they painted the clay green.  Someone needs to tell these guys that you're allowed to play inside the service line. I mean really, one rally had 26 shots...on grass!! I remember McEnroe and Borg in that historic 1980 tie break.  Oh wait, that really was long time ago. That's when American men were making it past the round of 16.  Here it is July 4 and there is only one American, Serena Williams, alive in singles play.

Tiger Watch at The Greenbrier Classic:  The newly named PGA Tour Player of the Month will make his debut appearance at the Greenbrier this week.  Let's see, he's won three times this year, held the 36 hole lead at the US Open and he's still facing questions about whether he is "back". Why? Becasue his three victories came at courses he has won on before and in a couple of cases has dominated over the years. So if he is just doing what he used to do, then why is that not back? We'll see this week, and no matter what he does, the Tiger doubters will find a reason for criticism.  It appears the criticism and doubt are only providing him with more internal fuel to excel.  Like he really needs that. Go Tiger!