What would you do with Barry Bonds record breaking 756th homerun ball? Mark Ecko, a fashion designer who paid $750,000 for the ball in a recent auction, is leaving it up to the fans to decide what to do with it. “I bought this baseball to democratize the debate over what to do with it,” Ecko wrote on the Web site. “The idea that some of the best athletes in the country are forced to decide between being competitive and staying natural is troubling.”

Ecko wants to brand a giant asterisks into the side of it. Not a bad idea, that way this ball will be permanently marked and we’ll always be reminded of the steroid allegations. Others think the ball should be given as is to the Hall of Fame, where it rightfully belongs.

I don’t really care with this guy does with that ball. Sure this ball is the one that broke the record, but it won’t be the record setting ball. We won’t know that ball # until Barry retires. And even then who really cares. I say we are better off by ignoring the situation and not giving more press to Barroids.

On second though, just blow the danm thing up.

OJ Simpson is in criminal news again, and this time the evidence is overwhelming. If you thought a blood glove would convict OJ, wait till you hear the audio tapes circulated the news media outlets.

By now you’ve probably heard that OJ Simpson was taken in by Las Vegas police. He was arrested on armed robbery charges among others. Apparently OJ Simpson was trying to steal back some of his own sports memorabilia. “Think you can steal my shit and sell it?,” the voice identified as Simpson’s said. How desperate is this guy?

“The door burst open, and in came, running in, almost commando-style, O.J. Simpson and some of his people, with guns drawn,” Fromong said. “And O.J. at that time was saying, ‘I want my stuff. I want my stuff.’

“The thing in my mind as soon as I saw him, I’m thinking, ‘O.J., how can you be this dumb? You’re in enough trouble.”‘

How funny would that be seeing OJ come busting down a door like a SWAT team member. I would immediately assume I was on soe hidden camera show. No way would I believe it was really happening.

With this move, I’m making OJ the lastest save the world victim.

The Giant Ogre has been slain. Oddly enough, this translates into “Greg Oden’s rookie season is over.”

Greg Oden required knee surgery after doctors found damaged cartilage. Maybe the cartilage got damaged becuase it can’t support a 7 ft body frame? I don’t know, but this can’t be good for Oden. “On my vacation earlier this summer i got up off the couch and remember my knee having a sharp pain in it. That was about a month ago. I didn’t tell anyone because i didn’t want to seem like i was complaining or making excuses for anything. Plus i wasn’t doing anything at the time i realized it hurt, so i figured it couldn’t be anything big.”

Trail Blazers staff thinks otherwise. “There are things about this that are positive for Greg,” Roberts said in a statement posted on the Trail Blazers’ Web site. “First of all, he is young. The area where the damage was is small and the rest of his knee looked normal. All those are good signs for a complete recovery from microfracture surgery.”

Microfracture surgery is one of the scariest surgeries an athlete can have. Either it works and you’re 100% back to normal. Or it fails and your days as a dominant player are over. There is no middle ground. It’s one or the other. In my opinion, Oden will never play a full season in the NBA. Sure I’m quick to judge, but I just have a gut feeling about this one.

#1 overall draft pick, JaMarcus Russell finally signed a contract with the Oakland Raiders. This was this longest holdout by a rookie I can remember. By the looks of the deal details, it all seems worth it. Negotiated by agents Eric Metz, Ethan Lock and Vance Malinovic, the contract carries a maximum value of $68 million, a league rookie record. There are $31.5 million in guarantees and an additional $3 million in 2010, provided Russell simply reaches minimum playing time benchmarks. In the first four years of the contract, Russell can make $44 million.

Is the NFL screwed up or what? Why in hell do rookie players get to make $10 million a year, while 10 year NFL vets are only making $1 million a year. These rookies haven’t proven shit. Half of them bust anyways and aren’t worth a ham sandwich.

I’d love to take a look at current NFL starting rosters and see how many of them are 1st round picks vs rounds 2-7. I bet there are more 2-7s. A team could save a ton of money by just dumping their first round picks every year and loading up on 2nd and 3rd round talent. Why spend $44 million on a guy that could be a bust. Grab yourself the hot free agent QB instead and save $10 million.

It’s like winning the lottery for these college players. I think the NCAA should pay some of the rookie contracts. This will help solve the “should college athletes be paid” debate and save NFL teams money. Think about it.

“If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’”

I forget who said that, but it couldn’t be more true when it comes to Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. The New York Jets have accused The Hoodie of video taping and stealing the Jets signs during the game. So that’s how he got all those Superbowl rings?

Stealing signs in baseball is not the same as stealing signs in the NFL with a video camera. A runner on second base tealing signs in baseball is perfectly legal. It may be against ‘baseball code’, but it’s not breaking anything in the rule books. Video taping a teams signs in the NFL is against the rules, and if found guilty, the commish will likely punish the Pats with the loss of a draft pick. And we all know how the Pats love their draft picks.

Time to wash that Hoodie. It’s looking dirtier and dirtier every day.

No team in college football history has fallen faster then the Michigan Wolverines. They started the season ranked #5 on the AP Poll, and nothing short of winning out the rest of the season will let them even sniff the top 25. Michigan fans were on suicide watch last week after their stunning loss to App. State. Two days ago, they were handed another beating by Oregon State and the Statue of Liberty.

Two years ago, NFL experts criticized Matt Lineart for staying in college when he could have left earlier and been the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. He stayed, and ended up going #10 to Arizona, costing him some $10-20 million dollars. This year, Chad Henne did the same thing. He could have left college after his junior season and been one of the top QBs taken, assuring himself millions of dollars. Henne wanted to come back to bring a championship to Michigan. How’s that turning out for him?

Not a smart move by Henne. He won’t even play in the Wolverine’s first ‘meaningful’ game against Notre Dame this coming Saturday. Apparently Henne was knocked out of the game, but I’m not so sure Carr didn’t bench his ass. Freshman QB Ryan Mallett will get the start against the Fighting Irish.

Put that beach-side mansion and new Porsche on hold. If Henne doesn’t turn things around, he’ll slip faster in the NFL Draft then Brady Quinn.

While many of you were watching football, Roger Federer was busy winning his 12th Grand Slam and 4th consecutive U.S. Open. Federer was pimped out in all black Nike gear that surely drove the women wild.

Early on Djokovic looked like he might make this match interesting, afterall, he is one of the very few men on this planet that has beaten Federer. However, Roger put a stop to that in the tiebreaker of the first set. He ended up winning the match 7-6, 7-6, 6-4. Not only did he win a badass U.S. Open trophy, but he also walked away with about $2.4 million in his pocket, which he jokingly said was “getting a bit too heavy.”

Federer simply confirmed that he is the best tennis player in the world. He is a living diety on the courts and will be the best of all-time when he finally hangs it up. If you’re not watching Roger play tennis, then you’re truly missing something special. Your missing the most dominating player in the history of any sport. More then Tiger, Jordan, Ruth, or Nicklaus.

If you look up the word “dominance” in the dictionary you’ll see two words: Roger Federer.

Rick Ankiel had a MONSTER game last night, including 2 homeruns and 7 RBIs. The boy once plagued by a wild arm and no control, finally found his place in baseball. A slugging outfielder. Can you imagine all the hard work and dedication it must have taken for a former pitcher to gain the strength and speed needed to mash homeruns on a consistent basis. Hours and hours in the weight room and in the batting cage. At least that’s what it would take for a normal player.

ESPN is reporting that Rick Ankiel is linked to the HGH case in Florida. Uh oh…

It’s rumored that dozens of prominent athletes are linked to the Signature Pharmacy in Orlando. The same place that was raided by federal agents several months ago. Ankiel ‘allegedly’ placed orders for HGH and had them shipped to his house in 2004. I guess when you hit rock bottom, covering your tracks is really the last thing on your mind.

Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty said: “This is the first I’ve heard of this. If it’s true, obviously it would be very tragic, along with everything else we’ve had happen to us this year.” If found guilty, Ankiel would face a 50 game suspension that will extend into next season.

Just when you think we have the best feel good story of the year, the truth comes out. Join me in saying “Make the world a better place. Punch Rick Ankiel in the face.”