The WGOM

You should read this article about the deceased 25 year old former NBA player. It is a sad story. The guy really had a problem and it killed him.

McHale said Griffin begged for help during his three seasons in Minnesota and even started taking Anabuse, a drug that makes alcoholics violently ill when they drink. But he admitted to McHale at one point that he was losing his battle.

Reggie Miller comes to his senses and decides to stay retired. I've always liked Reggie -- and his Knick-killing was fun to watch. He's also struck me as a guy who really has a solid head on his shoulders. I enjoy his work on TNT and am glad he'll be calling the games instead of trying to play in them.

Bill Murray may be charged with a DUI in Sweden after being pulled over in a golf cart that he "borrowed" to drive himself to a restaurant.

No doubt motivated to move books, Jerome Bettis reveals that he faked the occurrence of an injury in training camp in 2000 to avoid being cut. In reality, he was already injured -- or rather recovering from an injury -- when he went down on a play in training camp. His new book is out Sept. 4. Andrew, I'm advising you not to put this one on your list.

Eddie ran into a moving train with his SUV down in Houston. I won't speculate about this except to say that this is a sad end for a troubled young man.

When I called him a criminal earlier, I was chastised for rushing to judgment. Now that he's agreed to plead guilty, I say again: this guy is a sadistic, heartless criminal.

Arizona has exceeded their Pythagorean Win Total by a whopping ten games. How is that happening? Chris Jaffe at Hardball Times has the answer. Think about the Twins when you read this article.

RIP, Bernadine.

Bud Selig announced that Jason Giambi would not be punished for admitting his steroid use, calling the decision "appropriate" and citing "the Yankee slugger's charitable work and cooperation with baseball's steroids investigator." Not cited as a reason was the fact that at the time, baseball did not have a punishment for using steroids and any such punishment would not survive a protest from baseball's union.

Chipper Jones opened up his big mouth and chirped about A-Rod and steroids on Wednesday, setting off a frenzy in the NY Tabloid media. Now Mr. Jones is upset and not talking to NY reporters. You know, Larry, if you had to walk a mile in A-Rod's or Barry's shoes, you wouldn't have been so willing to lend credence to the latest Jose Canseco innuendo about A-Rod.

Chipper Jones says that steroid questions will dog Alex Rodriguez. Bud, this is what you have wrought, you stupid idiot. You could have done something 15 years ago, you could have stemmed the tide with a focus on your new testing policy, but you were lily-livered and equivocating. Now, we're going to hear about A-Rod and steroids for years? Good grief.

I expect that, with just 43 to go to 800, he'll keep playing.

I posted this in the Game Log on Wednesday night, but I thought it was worth a little front page exposure. This is video from center field of Barry Bonds's 756th home run.

Subtitle on Strib article about the players received from the C's in the KG trade: "Chemistry was on their side as members of the latest five-man band out of Boston stepped forward as the newest Timberwolves." If I was a snarky fellow, I'd ask if that chemistry is the same type that Mr. Bonds is alleged to have ingested.

Bud "I Turned a Blind Eye to the Whole Steroid Situation for at Least a Decade and Now I Want to Pin All the Blame On the Best Player of His Era As If No One Else Ever Used (Assuming He Did)" Selig is "likely" to miss the Giants' next three games.