Keepin' it real

Murph, making the stab

Bob Sturm is on vacation. Headed to Colorado, "a place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called Estes Park."

In lieu of Sports Sturm, it'll be Brad C. and Mark from Uwe Blog.

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Over the past five series, the Texas Rangers have taken two series against poor teams (Yanks, Orioles), split against one division leader (Angels) and taken two other series against division leaders (White Sox, Phillies).

A stretch that would've sunk lesser teams and the Rangers step up including this weekend against the Pale Hose of Chicago. Needless to say, yesterday's 12-11 win was excrutiating. Rangers pitchers couldn't get anyone out and the Rangers seemed to leave too many runs on the bases.

Notes:
1. When the Rangers played the Angels, it was stated ad nauseum how the Angels pressured opponents into mistakes and won games. Seventh inning on Sunday, Dave Murphy on first with no outs and he goes for second and is picked off. Certainly, if the White Sox execute a fundamental run-down, Murphy's out. Instead, the ball goes into left field and it fuels a 3-run inning. Pressuring the other team into a mistake.

2. Ian Kinsler's hit streak at 25. A mere three games short of the club record set by ... BaD Radio's own Gabe Kapler.

3. Chris Davis and Max Ramirez: 5-8 - 4 runs - 3 RBI - 2 walks.

4. Matt Harrison will have better days.

5. Did anyone think the Rangers would be sitting at 50 wins before the All-Star break?

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Speaking of the Rangers, they're no longer cruising underneath the national radar. In his mid-year MLB awards, the World Wide Leader's Jayson Stark named Ian Kinsler his AL MVP. The numbers are staggering:

You'll undoubtedly be stunned to learn that Kinsler leads the league in batting, hits, total bases, extra-base hits and multi-hit games. He's in the top five in the league in nine major offensive categories. He has stolen 23 bases in 24 tries (with the only caught stealing on a pickoff). He's hitting .297 with men in scoring position. Only three of his 14 homers have been hit in that Texas home run paradise. He has run off separate hitting streaks of 23 and 19 games just since mid-May. And he has reached base in every game but one since May 16.

Also in Stark's column is Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants. He's Stark's and Evan Grant's NL Cy Young. He's basically a freak of nature. He's 11-2, 2.57 ERA, 135 K in 129 IP. He's fastball is insane and his curveball is just sick. SI's Tom Verducci did a fantastic feature on the guy. If you roll by a Giants game on TV, be sure to stop down for him.

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This Guy Can't Win Anything...

Tony Romo continues to show he's got skills in more than just football, coming in tied for 3rd at the American Century Championship golf tourney. Romo, a great golfer, has tried and come close to qualifying at the Byron Nelson and U.S. Open several times. 3rd place, came close, sound like anything familiar? I keed, I keed! Love to see that competitive spirit but not everyone shares my man-crush. Blogger Chris Baldwin from travelgolf.com spits some major haterade at our local Jedi and manages to rip the Cowboy fans in the process. Do NOT make any comments to his blog with some P1 reacton. Really, don't. -Brad C

Tony Romo is making a public spectacle of himself on another golf course. This time, Romo went Woody Austin. Yes, Aquaman has company.

Say hello to the doofus Dallas Cowboys quarterback/attention whore Tony Romo as he falls backwards into the pond on the first hole at Edgewood Tahoe. That's what Romo did in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship (which is a boring name for the best celebrity golf tournament out there) on Saturday.

Romo tried to hit out of a bunker with an awkward lie and found himself tumbling into the pond, where he landed on his butt (otherwise known as the smartest part of Romo's anatomy). Romo told the Associated Press, "I got wet up to my belly button."With Romo, stuff like this is almost predictable.The guy just can't help himself. He's going to find a way to make himself the center of attention while showing the lack of smarts that stops him from ever winning a single playoff game.
Whether it's bragging about shooting that 84 at Torrey Pines - that took him an unfathomable nearly seven hours to complete. Or butchering "Take Me Out to the
Ballgame" at Wrigley Field. Or falling ass first into the water. That's Romo.

Leading with his head. Being stuck with his guy couldn't have happened to a better set of bandwagon fans. And it must be nice for Jessica Simpson to feel like she's the smart one in a relationship. No wonder why she doesn't want to give Romo up.

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Hey Bob, Ahh yeah this is Brett Favre, I just wanted to apologize for throwing your offseason into turmoil."

Packer fans don't seem to share Green Bay management's hardline stance on not bringing number four back for more. Fans held a rally Sunday to show their support for bringing the all-time passing leader back for more wheels-off interception goodness.

The rally was organized by a pair of brothers, Adam and Erick Rolfson, who also started the website BringBackBrettFavre.com, both designed to put pressure on the team to allow Favre to return as their starter. They plan another rally tonight and vow to rally every Sunday at Lambeau Field until the team reinstates Favre.

A poll at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website shows Packers fans are fairly evenly split between those who want Favre to return to the team and those who want him to retire. Given the Cowboys domination over Favre throughout his career do NOT go to that website and vote for him to return. Really, don't. -Brad C

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What should be on your TiVo!
BaDD Radio fans that love them some 'Wire' need to check out the new HBO 7-part mini-series "Generation Kill" created by the very same creators of said 'Wire'. The first episode (awesome) was on just last night so there is plenty of time to catch up and get in on the ground floor. I'm giving this the 'P1 Brad C Golden Crest of Awesomeness & Guaranteed Greatness Two Thumbs-Up Real Hard Prediction' so you can blame me if you don't like it, but just watch it! *Extreme language warning on this series*

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Showbiz Pizza Band covers Usher. Enjoy.