A company in Michigan is coming out with Major League Baseball-themed caskets.

What a frickin' sweet idea. Hell, I want one now.

Carroll lands the Sports Illustrated cover.

Simply amazing. Link here.

Carroll College wins its fifth NAIA football title in six years after defeating number one University of Sioux Falls 17-9. I watched the game at an alumni get-together down in Roseville. One heck of a muddy, messy game rife with turnovers, but good enough to get the job done. The win for Carroll snapped USF's 27-game winning streak after their national title last year. Carroll's 2005 title was their fourth in a row and this year's addition extends the dynasty.

What's most remarkable about this win is that there are only five players on the team remaining from their last championship team. This speaks to the program that they've built there and the abilities of Coach Van Diest.

Way to go, Saints.

Some severe blog neglect here. Things have been incredibly busy lately. Some things that require comment:

The Dodgers have resisted the urge to sell off their future for Miguel Cabrera or anyone else on the trading block. Last week, they signed outfielder Andruw Jones from the Braves. As Mr. T-Mac pointed out in my absence, Jones didn't do too hot last year, batting a career worst .220 or so. Other than that, he's been a pretty consistent player though. I feel fairly confident that he'll bounce back. He better after getting a two-year $36 million contract. Either way, that leaves four men in the outfield. Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are left in limbo. Pierre can at the very least be moved over to account for his weak arm. I hope that they either bench him or cut him since he can't hit (Pierre leads the league in bunts). Barring that, either Kemp or Ethier end up on the bench. If it comes to that, then there's the substantial possibility of a trade between LA and Minnesota for Santana. After the departure of Torii Hunter, Minnesota needs a young outfielder to replace him. Matt Kemp could fill that role. Of course, the Twins would demand other players as well--a Broxton, Billingsley, or Kershaw as well as perhaps a James Loney, but that remains to be seen.

Michael Vick in jail. This has all the makings of a real life version of The Longest Yard. I hope that the prison guards have some sort of prison league football team.

Saw some roller derby this weekend. That was pretty cool. Those Minnesota Rollergirls can brawl.

Led Zeppelin is finally on iTunes.

The George Mitchell Report on steroid use finally came out. Some intriguing names are in there that I might not otherwise have expected, like Eric Gagne and others. Intriguingly, the report recommends that Juan Pierre start using steroids. Not sure how they got away with that.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of the funniest shows in a long time. Season 3 is over, but Seasons 1 and 2 are on DVD in a package set. Worthwhile purchase.

This writers' strike is killing me. I can't stand many reality TV shows, except the ones that are making fun of reality TV like The Littlest Bachelor, the one making fun of The Apprentice, and My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance. Those are comedy gold.

Anyway, that's all for now. I'll make sure to keep up from now on.

I haven't posted in awhile. It's because I've been in a post-Torre malaise after hearing the news about 24. If you haven't heard, Season 7 of the show has been cancelled because of the writers' union strike. Unlike other shows where the network can just stretch their new episodes out with reruns, 24 runs in real time. FOX determined that it couldn't spend the money to promote the show for its January start unless it had more than roughly one-third of the episodes written. The show had already been delayed by a season plot-reset (it was originally to take place in Africa) and the California wildfires. Kiefer's prison sentence doesn't help matters much either. Thus, we now have to wait until September 2008 for the next worst day in Jack Bauer's life. What's unclear at this point is whether FOX will simply continue with the episodes it already shot or scrap them and come up with an entirely new plot line. The current one apparently involves Tony Almeida both alive and evil. Tony may want to be employed in some capacity betwee now and next summer, so that may not be possible. Guess we'll have to see.

Thanks, pinkos.

Since every other post currently on the front page of this blog is now about the Los Angeles Dodgers, I see no reason not to mention that Russell Martin received his first Gold Glove, that Don Mattingly will bear the number 8 instead of his usual 23 as a part of his new start with the Dodgers (in homage to Yogi Berra), and that the Dodgers are currently hot on Miguel Cabrera, A-Rod, and Johan Santana. All good signs that the McCourts are serious. Then again, they apparently just signed Chan Ho Park to a minor league deal. Got me.

The Dodgers are also now apparently eyeing Japanese free agent Kosuke Fukudome. Given his name, though, I think it would be much more appropriate if he were to play for the Twins.

That is all for now.

The picture I've been waiting for.

Vin Scully formally introduces Joe Torre as Dodgers skipper along with Frank McCourt and Ned Colletti.

Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa have both also been officially hired as bench coach and hitting coach. From the Los Angeles Times:

Two coaches for Torre's staff have been hired: Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa, both of whom were coaches under Torre in New York. Mattingly has a son, Preston, who is in the Dodgers' minor league organization.

"Don Mattingly, I can't tell you how excited he is," Torre said. "We're just looking to go to work."

Torre, who was raised in Brooklyn and has managed the Yankees and now will manage the Dodgers, admitted when he was growing up, "I was a Giants fan. I want to apologize for that."

Things are finally looking up.

AAA-Rod?

Hank Steinbrenner on Alex Rodriguez: "Does he want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee, or a Toledo Mud Hen?"

The Toledo Mud Hens to Alex Rodriguez: "Go into the Hall of Fame as a Toledo Mud Hen."

SI.com:

A letter sent on Thursday to Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, offered a deal with a bonus if A-Rod leads the team to 10 consecutive International League titles.

But the offer stipulates that Rodriguez will have to compete for a spot with Toledo third basemen Mike Hessman, the league's most valuable player last season.

"Would your client be willing to play a different position?" the letter asked.