Expecting the Unexpected

I've learned something today: I'm addicted to wedding shows.  This is a combination of something good and something bad.  It's good because I have great fashion sense and I know that a lot of the dresses these brides are trying on look really bad on them.  It's bad because I sit there and think to myself "OMG I wanna go wedding dress shopping!"  But I'm almost 23 and very single.  That won't be happening for a while.  Now, on to baseball things.

Soxy Goodness
Today's game was not filled with Soxy goodness.  It was more Soxy Kinda-Decent-Performances.  Unfortunately that wonderful win streak did not extend to eight today, with the Sox losing 6-4.  The Sox had a 3-0 lead in the fifth, but the Royals rallied in the fifth and sixth innings.  While Gavin Floyd was tagged with the loss, he pitched relatively well.  He got in trouble in the fifth inning.  He was no-hitting the Royals until the fifth but gave up a single to Mike Jacobs to start the fifth inning.  The Royals scored three runs in the fifth and another two in the sixth.  While a loss is disappointing, Sox fans shouldn't be infuriated, really.  The guys are hitting, defense is getting better, and pitching is great.  Read the Soxy Goodness section from yesterday for my praise of the Sox.

The Sox have shaken up the starting rotation a little bit.  Mark Buehrle was scheduled to start on Wednesday, but instead, he'll start on Tuesday and he'll finish off the first half next Sunday in Minnesota.  This could potentially lead to him being left off the AL All-Star roster.  While I know Buehrle would LOVE to pitch in St. Louis since it's a short trip from his hometown of St. Charles, Missouri, I'd much rather have him get us wins on Tuesday and Sunday.  Regular season wins are much much much more important than Buehrle playing in the All-Star Game.  Because of the rotation change, the Twins will face John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Buehrle.  I like those odds.

Non-Sox Stuff
Don't forget that the All-Star Selection Show is tomorrow afternoon...or morning if you're on the West Coast.  TBS at 1pm ET.

The stuff that makes ESPN.com headlines sometimes amazes me.  I went on at 7:15pm PT today, and these were the headlines in the little box on the right of the page:

• Ex-Titans QB McNair shot to death | Reaction
• Serena thwarts Venus for third Wimby title
• Manny hits 1st HR since return | Dodgers fall
• Smoke tooks to pad points lead in Daytona
• Tiger, Kim share lead at AT&T | Leaderboard
• Posada lifts Yanks by Jays in 12 | Wang hurt
• MLB pays Gehrig tribute | OTL: Lou's letters
• Lincecum runs scoreless streak to 23 in win
• Lance, team solid in Tour opening trial | Ford
• Chestnut defends hot dog title with record 68

Some of those I completely expected to be there.  The Steve McNair headline should most definitely be on top since that is a breaking headline, and he was shot to death.  I expected the Venus and Serena headline since the women's Wimbledon title was today.  The Tiger Woods headline, expected.  The MLB and Lou Gehrig headline, also expected.  And the Tour de France headline, expected.  I didn't know a Nascar race was happening today, but had I known, that would have been expected too.

I didn't expect to see a headline about Tim Lincecum since he plays for the Giants and when are they ever really covered on ESPN?  I'm not bashing the Giants since they're my NL team of choice.  I'm just not used to seeing a headline with them or one of their players on the ESPN homepage.  I shouldn't be surprised by the Yankees headline since they're always always always covered on ESPN.

I have to ask: am I the only person who doesn't care about a hot dog eating contest and that Joey Chestnut ate 68 of them?  And people wonder why Americans are complete fat *sses.  We actually care about a hot dog eating contest?  Really?  And it's covered on ESPN?  I wonder how some things (namely this stupid contest and poker) are considered sports.  I really wonder about America sometimes.

And I saved the worst headline for last.  "Manny hits 1st HR since return."  First off, I don't care about Manny, in case that hasn't been abundantly clear in past entries.  Secondly, he came back yesterday.  The way that headline is worded makes it sound like today is September 16 and he hasn't hit a home run since he returned on July 3.  HE CAME BACK YESTERDAY!  This isn't news.  And as I live in San Diego, this game was on Fox for me to watch if I so chose.  But I heard that this game was shown in Chicago.  The Tigers-Twins game was on Fox, and that game was a lot more important to Sox fans than the Dodgers-Padres game.  But because Manny was back, Fox broadcast that game in Chicago.  WHY?!?!  Manny was suspended for using a banned substance.  It's not like he got hurt, was put on the DL, and is back now.  He.  Broke.  The.  Rules.  Why is he being treated like a hero in his return?  Can I request the same amount of coverage and hero-worshipping when Carlos Quentin comes off the DL?  He got hurt, was put on the DL, and will be coming back.  He didn't break the rules.  So Quentin should get some hero-worshipping.  Fox should cut to some of his at-bats on his first Saturday back in the game like I heard they did in markets that weren't subjected to Manny's return.  But that won't happen, and the Manny circus will continue.

Final Shoutout
I was going to put another picture up for you guys to caption, but in light of what happened earlier today, my shoutout is going to Steve McNair.

Football was my first love.  I've watched football a lot longer than I've watched baseball.  So I knew who McNair was.  While I was a Bears fan, I remember the "Music City Miracle."  I remember Super Bowl XXXIV which was the Titans and the Rams.  I remember McNair's pass being caught by Kevin Dyson and falling a yard short of winning the game.  I remember a lot of McNair's career.