Random thoughts on a slow night

Instant replay is finally in Major League Baseball. How long overdue was this move? I can understand not wanting to incur even more delays in games that are drawn out as it is but implementing it for boundary calls like home runs and fair-foul decisions is a great step forward. I still remember that one week earlier this season when three home run calls were blown in five days.
 
Who would have ever thought that Paul Byrd would be starting against Sidney Ponson in the second last match up ever between the Red Sox and Yankees at soon-to-be “Old Yankee Stadium.” Also, neither team is certain to make the postseason with the Yankees almost assuredly on the outside looking in. What a weird state of affairs this late in the AL East.
 
I don’t care how many times they show Chad Bradford pitching in slow motion, it will always amaze me. Watching him pitch — nearly scraping his knuckles off the ground is simply amazing.
 
How different could the NFL possibly be right now if Matt Leinart hadn’t opted to return to USC for another year (to take ballroom dancing). Leinart would have been the surefire No. 1 pick by the 49ers and the Cardinals would’ve taken Alex Smith at 10. So right now, Leinart would presumably beat out J.T. O’ Sullivan in San Fran and Kurt Warner is most likely still starting in the desert. I bet Matt is regretting that stay-in-school decision now while, either way, Smith is a disappointment.
 
The best quote I’ve heard regarding the U.S. Olympic basketball team’s gold medal win came from the great Dave Dameshek (go look up his daily podcast, it’s great stuff). “I’ve never been so proud of a U.S. national team since the Ducks defeated Iceland in Mighty Ducks 2.” That actually sounds surprisingly close to how proud I’d be. They were supposed to win people, come on now.
 
Michael Strahan is making the right call by not coming back. It’s a lot easier for a quarterback like Favre to “come out of retirement” than it is for a 37-year old defensive end. His decision really hurts the Giants though, but as a Cowboy fan, I couldn’t be happier. Now if only something bad could happen to Brian Westbrook…