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Maybe there was a little something after all to the concerns that Danica Patrick would have an advantage because of her relatively small size. The 23-year-old sensation had a real shot at winning the Indy 500 as she led with ten laps to go. However, fuel -- not size -- was the deciding factor in this race. Patrick was low on fuel, which helped Dan Wheldon score a victory.


To me, Indy racing is somewhat analogous to harness horce racing. Some drivers weigh about 200 pounds, while some weigh considerably less. But, size isn't the only factor here. The skills and smarts of the driver are factors. So are the strength and speed of the horse. The lighter riders have an advantage, to be sure, but they don't win every race.


Neither will Patrick.

Philadelphia sports fans have a reputation for being the most surly in the country. They certainly have reason to be unhappy this season, as the Phillies are underperforming. They've done well in their last ten games (6-4), but still find themselves in last place. I know the expectations for this season were much higher.


However, back in 2003, Phillies fans were harsh, and their team was actually in the playoff hunt. I attended one of the last games to be played at Veterans Stadium. Philly fan was telling Met fan to go back to New York. Being one of those Mets fans, I wasn't at all amused. I was amused, however, when the Phils missed the playoffs.


Perhaps the hostility comes from watching teams just up the road succeeding, while the Philadelphia teams miss out on the glory. Since the Sixers won the NBA title in 1983, the Mets, Yankees, Giants, Rangers, and Devils have all won world titles. On top of that, the Knicks and Nets have both been to the NBA Finals. The Eagles, on the other hand, have disappointed several times. Jealousy is ugly.

Tomorrow afternoon, millions of people across the country will watch the Indianapolis 500. This brings up the questions: Is auto racing a sport? And, if so, why?


I've always had a hard time with the idea of auto racing being a sport. I tend to agree with legendary comedian George Carlin. He said if a game is not played with a ball, it's not a sport.

Five things I'd like to see during this baseball season (in no particular order):

-A New York Met pitcher throw a no-hitter - It's never happened, and this team is long overdue.

-Barry Bonds vanish from newspapers, magazines, and SportsCenter.

-Ichiro Suzuki bat .400 - Someone has to do this at least once in my lifetime.

-A New York Yankee meltdown - All the infighting would make for good reading in the NYC newspapers.

-A last-place finish for the Washington Nationals - Baseball should have never left Montreal.

Playing professional baseball is great work - if you can get it. And, Henderson's still got it. The 46-year-old former major leaguer is still going strong, playing in the minors for the San Diego Surf Dawgs.


Part of me wants to say that he doesn't know when to let go and should retire. But, wouldn't it be great if he hung around until age 50? It would be comical to see the old man still trotting around the bases and snatch-catching balls in the outfield. I'd hate to be the catcher who couldn't throw out a 50-year-old man trying to steal second base.

The New York Mets might want to re-think their marketing approaches and hires. Check out the team's Web site. Right at the top, you'll see the slogan "NEXT YEAR IS NOW".


For a long time, Mets fans like me have been accustomed to saying "Wait until next year". Given the Mets' recent poor performance, should we start looking forward to next year now? Maybe next year's slogan can be "New additions, same results".

If TV shows gave us everything we wanted when we wanted it, there'd be no drama. We want guy and girl to get together, but if they take a long time to get together, we, as viewers, stay tuned in to see the plot unfold.


However, some closure is a good thing. Last night's Everwood was not at all satisfying. This season finale raised more questions than it answered. We know Rose survived her surgery. But, are Bright and Hannah an item now? What about Andy and Nina? Will they wind up together? The whole hour was just a big tease for next season.

On Sunday, New York City baseball fans got to see a familiar scene: the Yankees finding a way to win a game, and the Mets finding a way to lose it. Thanks to poor fielding and relief pitching, the Mets blew a late lead against the Yankees. The win gave the Yankees the Subway Series.


It's way too soon to say the Series gave the Yanks the lift they needed to move up in the standings. It's also too soon to say the Mets are going down the hill. But, a Series win could've given the Amazins a real confidence boost going into a tough set of games against divisional rivals.

More college sports on ESPN is, in theory, a good idea. But, college baseball is a tough sell when the games are aired opposite major league games. On top of that, in New York, today, ESPN's college baseball cast was on at the same time as women's beach volleyball.


Hmmm, what do you think most red-blooded American guys would rather watch: college baseball or Misty May and Kerri Walsh in bikinis?

So, Ricky is interested in coming back to the NFL? We hear that, not from him, but from Miami Dolphins head coach Nick Saban.


What a joke! Williams didn't have a problem walking away from the NFL, so why should we think he'd stick with it a second time around? This is a guy who left the game, trying to avoid a suspension for drug use. He also owes the Dolphins more than $8 million for breaching his contract by suddenly retiring.


Yeah! This is someone I'd want playing for me!

Even while sitting out, Bonds is making headlines. ESPN.com is reporting that the slugger has been hooked up to an IV full of antibiotics. Bonds is fighting off a post-operative infection. According to an Associated Press report, Bonds will keep taking oral antibiotics.


I don't take any pleasure in Barry's health problems. But, while he's been on the mend, I don't miss seeing him playing, or watching his highlights every night. Bonds is an arrogant, self-serving pain in the arse. I wouldn't be at all sad if he never played another game. I don't care at all for players whose attitudes are: I just care about my personal stats, just cut the check, then leave me the hell alone.

What's the deal with all the Top 10 shows now? You've probably seen sports Top 10 shows and entertainment Top 10 shows. I'm almost afraid to see what comes out next.


We have Top 10 Chokers In Sports and Top 10 Geeky Next Door Neighbors In Sitcoms. How about Top 10 Reasons Not To Watch A Top 10 Show?


I'm totally down with the idea of having a Top 10 something-or-other. It's the extraneous commentary I can do without. I don't want to hear some actor or comedian give me his take on a memorable sports happening. I'd rather hear from someone involved in the memorable moment, like an athlete or coach.


There was an '86 Mets highlight video that included clips from interviews with famous Mets fans. Who the hell cares what they have to say? I'd rather hear from someone who's on the field affecting the game's outcome.

Here we are, more than a month into the baseball season, and the Mets and Yankees have identical records. As of now, they both stand at 20-19.


Does this mean the Yanks are underachieving and the Mets are overachieving? The first point is certainly true. The Mets really should be where they are. We all know they've shelled out enough in payroll.


What I've always hated about New York baseball is the rotisserie-league, magic-bullet mentality. Teams pick up one player or manager, think that's the last piece of the championship puzzle, then have a crappy year.


We've seen the Mets do that lots of times. Oh, we've got Jeff Torborg to manage us. We should be great. The results were far from great. We've got Mo Vaughn, and we're paying top dollar. What a waste!


The Yankees are guilty of this too. The Giambi deal has been a real bust so far, and the Yanks are still paying for it. A-Rod didn't deliver a world championship. He just turned into a joke at the end of last season. Our most memorable moment of him from 2004: his karate chop in the Red Sox playoff series.

I graduated from Ohio State, and I'm probably one of the biggest Buckeye cheerleaders you'll find in the Northeast.


That being said, it wouldn't be fair for me to ignore the bad news coming out of Columbus. The NCAA is accusing the University's athletic department of nine rules violations, most of them allegedly attributable to the basketball team.


The football team has attracted the lion's share of attention since Maurice Clarett's tell-all in ESPN's magazine. So, we'll focus on football. The NCAA says an unnamed football player improperly received $500.


This is likely to revive calls to strip OSU of its 2002 National Championship. Keep in mind that OSU won Bowl Championship Series and Associated Press titles, not an NCAA championship. Does this controversy really do anything to take away the fact that the 2003 Fiesta Bowl was one of the greatest college games ever played?

Five bowling awards you'll never see, even though these feats should be recognized in some form:

1. "Ping-Pong" award - for a series like this one: 95, 207, 93. Hey, it really happened!

2. "Dirty" game - no marks in one game

3. "SuperTriplicate" - bowling three identical games that match your average

4. Free trip to Brooklyn - if you bowl a 300 game with 12 Brooklyn strikes

5. "What the F---?" award - for bowling a game 100 points UNDER your average

Once in a while, I'll go off-topic. Today is one of those days. Every so often, I need a break from the wild, exciting, and sometimes nonsensical world of sports.

If you missed the season finale of Veronica Mars, or haven't yet caught up with the show, you have no idea what you're missing. This is, quite frankly, the best show that hardly anyone is watching.

You can still join the fun. UPN has picked up the show for another season, and it will be around for summer reruns. Hopefully, the cast members haven't partied too hard, and they'll be able to get down to work on some more great television. The characters' interaction is great. Mysteries unfold in a way that keeps you glued to your seat. The show has a very understated humor. Like the NBA, it's FANtastic.

Disclaimer: This message was not paid for by Kristen Bell (Veronica), Enrico Colantoni (Veronica's dad), or the dorks who play Veronica's high school boyfriends.

During prime time tonight, ESPN2 showed star athletes bowling. Terrell Owens and Willis McGahee were just two of the guys who put on their bowling shoes and took to the lanes.

TO and McGahee put some pretty nice spin on the ball. But, that spin didn't help a whole lot when they missed the pocket or sent the ball through the nose.

It was funny to hear the competitors trash-talking. I think if you're going to talk some smack, you should have the game to back it up. These guys didn't have much game to back up the chatter.

I do give them credit for trying something different. I'm not a famous athlete but I wish I was in this match. Bowling is the one sport in which I could take TO and others to school.

The Jason Giambi deal has worked out just dandy for the New York Yankees. Hasn't it?

It shouldn't take too long to answer that question. The Yanks still owe Giambi about $80 million, according to the terms of his contract. And, just what are the Yankees paying for? They have an admitted juicer, according to published reports. He looks feeble at the plate and out in the field. Now, he's facing the possibility of a demotion to the minors.

Oh, and if you're keeping score at home, the Yanks have zero world championship rings since the former American League MVP arrived in The Bronx.

Call me "crazy", but I thought the NBA's Most Valuable Player award was supposed to be given to the player most valuable to his team.

The addition of Steve Nash turned the Phoenix Suns from a pathetic 29-win team in 2004 to the league's best regular season squad this season. The 2005 edition of the Miami Heat, with Shaquille O'Neal, finished 17 games ahead of last year's campaign. The Heat made the playoffs without Shaq in '04, and probably would've done so this year even if Shaq had not arrived in Miami.

That alone suggests Nash is a worthy MVP. Maybe next year, Shaq. You might want to forget about the MVP award now and go for the ring.

I'm glad I don't work for George Steinbrenner. He was surly enough because of the Yankees' lousy performance this season. I can only imagine how unpleasant he is now that his horse had such a poor showing in the Kentucky Derby.

Bellamy Road's loss in the Derby is actually just more of same for Steinbrenner. He should almost be used to it by now. His horse was a heavy favorite that went down in flames. Doesn't that remind you of the Yankees last year in the American League Championship Series?

Being the big star is great. But, if you're a star with a weak supporting cast, your show will stink.

That was true for the Los Angeles Lakers this year. Kobe ruled the roost, having chased Shaquille O'Neal and Phil Jackson away. What was there to rule, however? Kobe didn't have anything spectacular to work with. As a result, the Lakers finished tied for last place in their division.

Kobe did have an impressive year in the stat department. He averaged 27.6 points per game, and finished second in the league in scoring average and triple doubles.

Maybe that will be of some comfort to him as he watches the playoffs on television.

The views expressed on this site are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the views of any of the organizations for which the author works.