The Post Mortem

Let�s all take a moment to pour one out for Barbaro. Our boy, Zach LS still is having trouble with the news. The NHL might not be the most popular sport in the world, but how can you knock an overtime playoff game for horse racing? That was actually the worst decision the network could have made. The Preakness gets higher ratings for hockey, that is for sure. But 60 Minutes gets higher ratings than NFL games, so would you be in favor of CBS dropping an overtime NFL game for the news program?

Thankfully viewers in Southern California were able to watch Anaheim's stunning comeback over Detroit. The Ducks and the Wings seem to have a little bit of a spirited rivalry brewing, in the eyes of a novice. Which is funny when you consider that the Wings are the premiere team in NHL history and the Ducks, even though they dropped the Mighty, are named after a Disney movie. But once again, it stands repeating that playoff NHL hockey is much more entertaining than the Western Conference Finals. And there is probably less mugging in the Ducks series. Seriously, there will come a day when the NBA fades into oblivion and has its playoffs interrupted by a dog show.

ANGELS SWEEP

Angels Stadium was relatively incident free this weekend, much to the chagrin of some out-of-town guests who were looking for a little action. But the subdued Dodgers faithful were thanks in no small part to the Angels absolute beat-down of the Angelinos. (The one�s that actually play in Los Angeles.) Although beat-down might be an overstatement, considering the amount of seeing-eye singles and the Dodgers lack of fundamentals led to a lot of Angels runs. Derek Lowe must now know how let down his wife felt when he was shacking up with Carolyn Hughes after the Dodgers defense wasted a complete game from Lowe.

The sweep should not put the Angels offensive deficiencies under the rug, either, as a quality third baseman would still go a long way for this year. (Now rumors are swirling about the Dodgers acquiring Troy Glaus, adding further insult to injury.) Of course, the Angels will wait to see what Howie Kendrick can add to the mix for this team.

• When did NHL home teams start wearing dark uniforms at home?

• Maybe you don�t want to pitch to David Wright anymore, Yankees. And hey Tigers, yeah, it�s a little too late to beat the Cardinals now, but congratulations on the sweep.

• The Yankees have considered voiding Jason Giambi's mega contract because of his recent omission. The league office is considering a suspension. Can you really blame Barry Bonds for not telling the truth?

• Plaxico Burress walked out on a $2,000 bar tab because the women weren�t paying attention to him. If that's the case, Eli Messiah has never paid a bar tab.

• Which movie was superior, Armageddon or Deep Impact? Not that anybody would mind if Mary McCormick or Jessica Steen traveled 900 miles in soiled Depends to see you. Of course, the correct answer is Independence Day. (Sounds like something for Blog Cabins to decide.

AND FINALLY

Count Jeff Kent among those who hate interleague play. "It's not the way I grew up playing the game. I just wish it would be a little more old-school and it's not. It's too bad that we're chasing the dollar around instead of chasing the integrity of the game."

Where was the integrity of the game when Kent lied to his team when he told him that he injured himself washing his truck instead of the truth, which was Kent was riding a dirt bike? O.K., cheap shot.

Kent has played for six Major League teams, often leaving to play for the highest bidder. An old school Giants player would rarely play for the Dodgers, but Kent is doing it, in his pursuit for the almighty dollar. Old school baseball showed that players rarely switched teams and hardly switched leagues, something that doesn�t happen today. Not that the players shouldn�t get their slice of the pie. But don't cry about the integrity of the game when you are a part of the problem.