U-S-A, Bonds*, Brrf

Bill Fennelly will coach Team USA this summer. That's quite an honor, and one Fennelly accepts, even if does mean missing a few Cardinals games...

The NL Central gets little respect, but maybe it should. This could be the most top-to-bottom mediocre division in baseball history. There's something to be said for near perfect parity. Not much, but something...

Commissioner Bud Selig says he will not remove Barry Bonds' home run records from the books, even though Bonds is a convicted felon and admitted he (unknowingly---wink, wink, nudge, nudge) used performance enhancers. This ensures 762 and 73 will never mean to the kids of today, what 714, 755, and 61 meant to baseball fans for generations. I had to look up how many career homers Bonds had because I couldn't remember. Enough said*...

The Miller & Brinson Show debuted on 1460 KXnO Thursday. Brinson has worked in many big markets, and provided play-by-play for several networks. He moved to Des Moines a couple weeks ago, and seems genuinely excited about the new show. Ken Miller has been part of a few highly rated sports talk shows, so odds are this one will be too. The one unknown: chemistry. Can't be manufactured. Either have it or you don't. Show one sounded like the boys were having fun, and that's half the battle...

Iowa Energy calling for a record crowd and a "White Out" Wednesday night. It will be game 2 of the NBA D-League finals. Nate Bjorkgren is now promoted to, basically, "head coach in waiting". The Energy expects Nick Nurse on an NBA bench soon...

If you're still holding out on the NBA---like Andy---come back. The NBA is good again, and the playoffs are the perfect time to re-enter...

Doesn't all this lousy weather mean it's going to be perfect for the Drake Relays? I sure hope. The I-Cubs gave out stocking caps to the first 2,000 fans Thursday night. I'm sure they have leftovers...