Jessica Alba or Jessica Biel?

Here’s a scouting report on future Cy Young winner Michel Inoa.

The folks over at Fantasy Phenoms had me on as a guest on blog talk radio, and here’s a link to the podcast.

This guy is the man.

I’m confused. Where do I apply this product?

If anything, this high school football coach is innovative.

This story about Ichiro Suzuki getting teammates fired up for the All-Star game killed me.

At least his parents didn’t name him “short.”

This week’s hotness: Jessica Biel.

I love the fact Paul DePodesta has a blog and is surprisingly candid about the inner-workings of management in baseball.

This is old, but new to me. I’m guessing this Will Ferrell clip is funnier than “Step Brothers.”

Crack down on crack.

Again, let me shamelessly plug the RotoWire Fantasy Football mag. If you haven’t already purchased yours, what are you waiting for?

Let’s send you off to an eventful Fourth of July weekend with a batch of links – some abut sports, some not:

Great article on “The Freak,” AKA Tim Lincecum. I especially liked the part where Lincecum’s dad throws Mark Prior under the bus. And apparently Dice-K and Jake Peavy are next. And how is Rick Peterson unemployed right now? But someone needs to tell Tom Verducci (and the general media) win/loss records mean nothing in regards to pitching performance. My favorite part was Lincecum’s reasoning for not icing his arm after games: “Never. Like my dad says, ‘Ice is made for two things: injuries and my drinks.’ ”

Help a bald brother out. And stop cancer.

Nice read about Joe Morgan – player versus broadcaster.

Here’s this week’s RotoWire podcast, featuring yours truly.

Bill Simmons gets plenty of backlash and criticism, including from myself once. But after this brilliant Deadspin piece, it’s become more obvious than ever that ESPN’s editors hold him back quite a bit.

Optical illusion helps create fake speed bumps.

Felix Jones No. 17? Thomas Jones ahead of Michael Turner? Calvin Johnson the 35th WR? It’s safe to say Roger Rotter and I differ in opinion when it comes to fantasy football rankings.

That is one ugly dog.

Kristen Bell, on the other hand, is. not. ugly. Neither. is. Bilson.

When I was seven years old, I too only wanted to do some hood rat stuff with my friends.

This movie trailer has left me speechless.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Natalie Portman or Rachel Bilson?

Tiger Woods or Roger Federer?

Satellite dish or Digital cable?

At least one of you enter a work Oscar pool, right? Either way, here are my predictions for Sunday night:

Best Picture - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Actor in a Leading Role - Daniel Day-Lewis

Actor in a Supporting Role - Javier Bardem

Actress in a Leading Role - Julie Christie

Actress in a Supporting Role- Cate Blanchett

Animated Feature Film - RATATOUILLE

Art Direction - THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Cinematography - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Costume Design - ATONEMENT

Directing - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Documentary Feature - NO END IN SIGHT

Documentary Short Subject - FREEHELD

Film Editing - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Foreign Language Film - THE COUNTERFEITERS

Makeup - LA VIE EN ROSE

Music (Original Score) - ATONEMENT

Music (Original Song) - FALLING SLOWLY

Short Film (Animated) - I MET THE WALRUS

Short Film (Live Action) - TANGHI ARGENTINI

Sound Editing - TRANSFORMERS

Sound Mixing - TRANSFORMERS

Visual Effects - TRANSFORMERS

Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Writing (Original Screenplay) - JUNO

By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer

With fantasy football season finished and baseball still a couple of months away, it’s as good a time as any to put sports on the backburner for a day or two. After last year’s debut of RotoScoop’s best and worst column ended up being a smashing success, it’s time for the 2007 version.

One caveat before we get started. While it’s an objective fact I’m better than you at fantasy sports, I understand the following “art” is more subjective, and the hierarchy of it all is less important than it’s inclusion in the first place. There’s something ridiculous about comparing a comedy with a drama. And now, without further ado, my 2007 Year-End Lists:

MOVIES

Weird how almost all of the year’s good movies typically come out during December/January. It’s almost as if the picture doesn’t want to end up a RotoScoop favorite. I digress. Anyway, I haven’t seen “There Will Be Blood,” and since I’m a huge Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis fan, I’d be surprised if it’s not worthy of inclusion at a later date.

10. Death Proof – More than anything, “Grindhouse” can best be described as a truly unique movie going experience. If you didn’t see this in the theatre, then forget about it; it’s simply not the same. “Death Proof” was the superior, second half to the double feature, and admittedly, I always have a soft spot for Quentin Tarantino. It’s a film that consists of mostly dialogue and good old-fashioned stunts as opposed to CGI. And last but not least, the fake trailers, which appeared before and in between the movies in the theatre, are pretty ridiculous.

9. Eastern Promises – Far from great, “Eastern Promises” doesn’t even come close to matching David Cronenberg’s last film, the amazing “A History of Violence.” Still, it keeps your interest, with a paradox at its core. I liked its lack of resolution.

8. 3:10 To Yuma – First, a confession: I’ll watch anything with Christian Bale in it. “American Psycho” is definitely one of my five favorite movies of all-time. I’m no fan of westerns, but they simply don’t make movies like this anymore, and I was thoroughly entertained. Ben Foster might be one of the most underrated actors out there right now.

7. Once – This script pretty much reads, “boy meets girl. They sing. The end.” Still, it’s shot very well, is unique and the songs will stay with you for days. For what it’s worth, this is my fiancée’s favorite movie of the year.

6. American Gangster – While there may not be anything special about this movie, it’s acted and executed quite well. Pretty crazy for a true story.

5. Superbad – It’s very funny, if not also blatantly immature. The first half of the movie rates right up there with just about any other on the laugh scale, but it drops off significantly from there on. Still, there’s some terrific dialogue here. “The funny thing about my back is…”

4. Knocked Up – The year’s biggest debate has to be “Superbad or Knocked Up?” While I acknowledge it’s somewhat close, I side pretty heavily toward the more adult “Knocked Up,” which certainly possesses more substance.

3. Zodiac - I did say I reserved the right to change my mind when I previously ranked Zodiac as my favorite David Fincher film, and after a repeat viewing, I’m flip-flopping. It’s still a great film – and certainly the most realistic Fincher flick – but after further review, it’s not as MEMORABLE as the others. My new rank: 1. Se7en 2. Fight Club 3. Zodiac

2. Juno – Written by an ex-stripper and phone sex operator, “Juno” tries to be a little too hip for its own good at times (Dwight from “The Office” saying “home skillet” comes to mind), but this movie is much more rewarding than the vastly inferior “Little Miss Sunshine.” It’s the rare movie that makes you both laugh and cry. I wasn’t a fan of director Jason Reitman’s first film (“Thank You For Smoking”), but here he gets it right. I liked Ellen Page in “Hard Candy.” I loved her in “Juno.” Her dynamic with the adoptive parents is something special, as is this movie.

1. No Country For Old Men – Odd movie. Little character development yet Chigurh haunted me for weeks. And how would you describe its genre? An action/comedy? The Coen brothers finally decided to start respecting their characters, without a snarky wink, and the results are fantastic. I refuse to accept the notion there was a movie released this year that kept you more on the edge of your seat for 2 hours. We all have choices to make in our lives, and never has silence been so loud.

TELEVISION

10. The Shield – Season 6 wasn’t as good as the amazing Seasons 4 and 5, but that’s hardly an indictment. Far from your average procedural cop drama, “The Shield” is griping and unapologetic. Walton Goggins is the best actor no one knows about.

9. 30 Rock – “30 Rock” has become so underrated, it’s now overrated. While most would point to Tracy Jordan or (sigh) Kenneth as the show’s funniest characters, I say it’s Jenna. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s almost universal proclamation as TV’s best show in 2007 is as misguided as Malibu.

8. Flight Of The Conchords – FOTC is subtle, clever and even better after repeat viewings. While I’m normally against musical interludes, these are too good not to like (especially the brilliant “It’s Business Time”). Maybe Bret and Jemaine are a little too dense sometimes, but role players Murray, Mel and Dave are flat-out hilarious. Watching FOTC doesn’t make me quite as happy as this guy, but it’s close.

7. Dexter – More of a guilty pleasure than anything else, but I somehow found myself looking forward to this show every week almost more than any other. The narration is god-awful, but the show as a whole really improved during season 2. If loving Dexter is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

6. The Sopranos – A terrific show that came to a fitting end. But after writing about the finale here in which I believed Tony didn’t die, I’ve completely changed my tune. I was wrong. In fact, I’m 100 percent convinced that was David Chase’s intention. If you don’t believe me, maybe this guy will convince you. Or Chase himself.

5. The Sarah Silverman Program – This show is not for anyone with taste, morals or is faint of heart. The protagonist isn’t a hero but rather a spoiled, childish, bigoted pervert. She’s also hilarious. The funniest comedian alive today, Sarah Silverman is simply brilliant.

4. Tell Me You Love Me – I gave up on this show midway through the second episode. After being apprised of my mistake, I luckily gave it another shot. Yes, it’s slow, but it’s also realistic to a fault, to the point of being gut-wrenching. If you can’t take the intimacy, I can understand, but to call this show the best drama about couples would be the understatement of the century.

3. Lost – “Lost” can sometimes be gimmicky, but it works. I’m normally not into science fiction, but the existential aspect of this show is beyond intriguing. What’s going to happen next? I refuse to believe there’s ever been a show that leaves viewers wanting more than “Lost” does – and I mean that in a good way. “The Sopranos” last episode was brilliant, but I’d argue “Lost’s” season finale was even better.

2. The Office – Just because the British version is better doesn’t make the American one any less brilliant. With so many likable characters, “The Office” is set for a long run, and it’s the best comedy not on cable since “Seinfeld.” Creed is my favorite character, by the way.

1. Curb Your Enthusiasm – Without a doubt, there’s no one I’d rather meet in person than Larry David. Watching art imitate life (his wife left him both on the show and in reality this year) was fascinating, and Season 6 was easily one of the best the remarkable series has yet to offer. The co-creator of “Seinfeld,” it’s pretty crazy that David has become one of the finest actors on television. The last five minutes of Season 6 was the funniest span of TV in recent memory, if not ever.

Honorable Mention (just missed the list): Mad Men, Extras, John From Cincinnati, Friday Night Lights, Weeds, Californication, Damages

MUSIC

5. The Good, The Bad & The Queen - My friend Sean turned me on to The Good, The Bad & The Queen, (incidentally, you should all check out his new movie), one of the more under the radar groups from 2007. Lead singer Damon Albarn came from Blur and The Gorillaz, but this is his best effort yet. The group is an odd mix - Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guitarist Simon Tong and Africa 70 drummer Tony Allen, plus the production of Danger Mouse. In the end, the eclectic mix works magnificently. And yes, war is bad.

Highlights: “Herculean,” “History Song”

4. The Shins: “Wincing The Night Away” - Admittedly, they sometimes do sound a little too “The O.C.” And the lyrics are incomprehensible for the most part. Still, it’s hard to deny that The Shins are catchy. I don’t think they get enough credit among the snobby music community, and I blame Zach Braff for it.

Highlights: “Split Needles,” “Sea Legs,” “Sleeping Lessons,” “Phantom Limb,” “Turn On Me”

3. Arcade Fire: “Neon Bible” – Listening to “Neon Bible,” which was aptly recorded inside a church, is a divine experience indeed. Frontman Win Butler unapologetically spews righteous accusations on the group’s smart and subtle second album. And it just sounds so damn good. Plus, there’s a song about Jessica and Ashley Simpson’s dad.

Highlights: “Keep The Car Running,” “Intervention,” “Windowsill,” “Neon Bible”

2. Band Of Horses: “Cease To Begin” - If you don’t like the song “Detlef Schrempf,” then you almost certainly are also opposed to puppies, mothers and sunsets. I was late to the party with this group, but my life has become decidedly better after discovering them. BoH are seemingly incapable of making a bad song. Sure, the lyrics are straightforward and sometimes optimistic to the point of cheesy, but I say the world needs more positive messages like this. If you don’t like Band Of Horses, then you probably think up is down, left is right, short is tall, right is wrong and Sophia Bush is ugly.

Highlights: “Detlef Schrempf,” “Marry Song,” “Is There a Ghost,” “No One’s Gonna Love You”

1. Radiohead: “In Rainbows” – Here are my top-five albums of all-time: 1. OK Computer (Radiohead) 2. The Bends (Radiohead) 3. Sea Change (Beck) 4. Nirvana Unplugged in New York (Nirvana) 5. Not exactly sure which one, but it would be Radiohead. It’s safe to say I’m a pretty big fan of the group, so its inclusion at No. 1 comes as no surprise. For what it’s worth, the first three songs listed below would all fall in my top-10 favorite songs from the group from any of their records. Oh, and they changed the modern day market place as well.

Highlights: “Jigsaw Falling Into Place,” “All I Need,” “15 Step,” “Bodysnatchers”

That wasn’t the only music I liked this year, so here are some select tracks that I also particularly enjoyed from 2007: “Boy With A Coin” by Iron and Wine, “Dvno” and “D.A.N.C.E” by Justice, “Paper Planes” by M.I.A., “Great Destroyer Modwheelmood” by Nine Inch Nails, “Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe” by Okkervil River, “Peacebone” by Animal Collective, “Mistaken For Strangers” by The National, “Wake Up Call” by Maroon 5, “Bleed It Out” by Linkin Park, “Dig” by Incubus, “Lazy Eye” by Silversun Pickups and “Unite” by Burial.

WORST

I’m not going to make an exhaustive “worst of” list, as this post is already getting (more than) a little on the long side. Additionally, I made a point of avoiding bad movies this year. I don’t need to waste two hours of my life so I can tell you “Good Luck Chuck” was awful. So I’m making the following more of an overrated/bad combination:

Monday Night Football – If you watched ESPN’s second year of running MNF, you know where I’m going with this. If you didn’t catch a telecast, I’m jealous. Here’s what you missed: Tony Kornheiser found that week’s theme and beat it to death. There’s got to be a larger picture here! We can’t just watch a football game, folks. Oh, and they featured excellent guests in the booth this season - Drew Carrey, Vince Vaughn, John C. Reilly to name a few - all of whom offered extremely informative commentary. And by that I mean the opposite.

Heroes and 24 – It’s not that either of these are particularly bad shows (that’s designated for the words-can’t-describe-how-bad-it-is “Dirt”), but they got to be so boring, I’ve given up. I’d rather watch 2 Girls 1 Cup.

Plain White T’s and Soulja Boy – Both get played on the radio about as often as any group. Both are whack. Here are some choice lyrics from “Crank That:”
“I’m 2 clean off in this hoe
Watch me crank it
Watch me roll
Watch me crank that roosavelt
And super soak that Hoe”

Even this guy finds that unintelligent. Hope all of you have a happy 2008.

By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer

Tonight, I have Mayweather over Hatton in a unanimous decision. Something like 116-112. I’d like to see Hatton win, and his style (body puncher) is actually a perfect fit against Pretty Boy. However, Mayweather is just so much faster and possibly the best defensive boxer ever. Hatton is going to have to knock him out – he doesn’t stand a chance if it gets to the cards, which it almost certainly will. Mayweather in yet another, mostly boring, decision. Thoughts?

Dave Duncan has done this before: Kip Wells deserves consideration in deep leagues after surrendering just one hit over seven innings Sunday. Healthy after two lost seasons to injuries and playing behind the NL’s best infield defense, Wells could post an ERA under 4.0 and approach 15 wins.

The Indians find themselves in quite a unique situation, as weather will require them to make up four games later in the year during scheduled off days. That can’t be good. To make matters worse, they won’t even get to play at home during the upcoming Angels’ series; instead, Miller Park in Milwaukee will be their homefield.

Mark Prior STILL hasn’t made a start at extended spring training. How much time does it take for this guy to build up arm strength? By this rate, maybe he can get a call up sometime in August. Of course, he’ll probably only be able to work five innings.

Daniel Cabrera is officially the easiest pitcher to steal a base on. There isn’t a slower delivery in baseball.

Is it just me, or does A-Rod appear to be a little motivated this season? You hate to get too excited so early on, but fantasy owners should probably not be looking to sell-high.

Brian McCann is my long-shot, sleeper MVP candidate for the NL this year. I picked the Braves to win the wild card, and the Mets’ three candidates could cancel each other out. McCann, meanwhile, is quickly turning into one of the game’s most underrated players. He has more power than Joe Mauer, shows good plate discipline and could easily drive in 100 runs. While having to sit every fifth day hurts his counting stats, he also produces those numbers from the thinnest position on the diamond. Position scarcity doesn’t just exist in fantasy baseball.

For those of you playing with an innings cap, it doesn’t get much more efficient than Scott Olsen’s 2-0 start, as he’s thrown 10 1/3 innings.

The Nationals aren’t very good, so start any and all hurlers facing them. Unfortunately the same could also be said for my beloved Giants. Speaking of which, don’t get too worked up over Barry Zito’s poor start; his Aprils are notoriously bad. During his career, he has a 5.20 ERA during the first month of the season, and in no other month is it more than 3.80.

With the Braves victory Sunday, the Mets fell out of first place in the NL East for the first time in more than a calendar year.

Elijah Dukes became the 99th player to homer in his first official MLB at-bat.

Ervin Santana is 20-5 with a 3.07 ERA in his career at Angel Stadium and 9-11 with a 6.46 ERA on the road. He starts at Cleveland and Boston this week.

Mike Lowell committed three errors Wednesday in Kansas City. His career fielding percentage ranks first all-time at his position.

643 — Days of rest between big-league starts for Carl Pavano, who started on Opening Day for the Yankees.

Saw “Grindhouse” over the weekend, and I must say, that’s some good, clean family fun. Rarely does a movie peak before it even starts, but “Machete” made this the case in this instance. Although the fact 25-30 people left the theatre during the second act might suggest I’m in the minority, but I liked “Death Proof” much more than “Planet Terror.”

“World cruiserweight champion O’Neil Bell was arrested over the weekend after a sparring partner claimed he heaved a hatchet at him during a training run through the woods.”

LEEDS, Maine - A high school coach who told his players at halftime to reach into their pants to “check their manhood” before returning to the basketball court was fired.

R.I.P. Barbaro

Juan (not) Gone!

A Dutch gym plans to introduce “Naked Sunday” for people who want to work out nude.

R.I.P. Iron Mike

Andy Reid had a bad week.

Charles Barkley vs Dick Bavetta!

Peyton Manning loses a bet.

Agent Zero is still the man.

I’m there opening night.

By Robby Wellington – Staff Writer

More or less eliminated from the Fantasy Football Playoffs and not participating in basketball this season, I really have nothing to offer the fantasy world for a couple of months until baseball season arrives, and that’s only assuming that I overcome my battle with what has been an acute case of Seasonal Affective Disorder these past couple of weeks. Not surprisingly, along with my SAD (a cute acronym, I know) comes an inordinate amount of couchtime, watching college hoops and tons of other crap on television. Now I’m going to type about it (while contemporaneously watching crap on TV, of course).

College Basketball

This is the best season college hoops has had in a long time, certainly in the last seven or eight years. While the NBA age restriction policy seems preposterous, unfair and almost unconstitutional, I love what it’s done to the college game. After watching Oklahoma State’s amazing triple overtime win over Texas, Kevin Durant may go down as one of the most dominant freshmen in the history of college basketball. Look for him to average in the high 20s for the remainder of the season as Texas lands a four or five seed. While Greg Oden hasn’t lived up to expectations thus far, I look for Ohio St. to be the most dangerous team outside of Gainesville come March and the de facto one seed in their bracket. Focusing on freshmen, the Pac-10 may have the nation’s best freshman class, and is, as far as my west-coast-biased self can tell, the best conference in the country. UCLA and Arizona are Final Four threats and six other teams (all but Oregon St. and Arizona St.) are legit tournament teams. Even my beloved Stanford Cardinal has impressed so far, although they still have their toughest conference tests, and a date with Gonzaga.

Speaking of the Zags, these guys went from being the perennially underrated mid-major Cinderella story to having the sweetest deal in college basketball and underperforming in the postseason (although they actually managed a Sweet 16 appearance last year before a historic meltdown to UCLA). How did this happen, you ask? Well, after making a name for themselves in those early years, the Zags usually start the season with a lofty ranking in the top 25. Name recognition allows them to secure a tough non-conference schedule, even with some big games at home, a near impossibility for most mid-majors, and Gonzaga wins and loses against some quality opponents, their ranking sometimes taking a bit of a hit. Then it’s on to conference play, where, faced with weaker competition, the wins keep rolling in and, slowly but surely, Gonzaga continues to climb the rankings, ending the season looking better than they really are. Now I’ll eat my words when they crush Stanford by 20…

Crappy Reality Television

The Real World - After some painfully boring Outward Bound episodes (Look! they’re on a ropes course! Oh yay, another hike!), we’re back to what the Real World is all about: getting wasted, hooking up and verbal altercations. Good stuff.

The Hills - I’ve always had a thing for Heidi but was still pretty stoked to see this new guy Spencer treat her like trash as it should make for some good TV. We’ll see if he can live up to the lofty standards set by LC’s ex Jason, who had a delightful cameo to start off the season.

Beauty and the Geek - I never really dug the first two seasons, but this year is pretty good, primarily because the Beauties are actually beautiful (not to mention complete morons), and the Geeks are all likable guys. While the three biggest geeks have sadly been jettisoned, some serious talent remains on the beauty side (with the notable exception of that dog Cici, yuck!) Given the elimination format, the lack of alliances, politicking and backstabbing that goes on, especially among the geeks, is surprising and a bit annoying.

I Love New York - Like eating a whole tub of popcorn at the movies or throwing a beat, I feel a strange mix of pleasure and guilt watching this show, and absolutely hate myself when its all done. Lacking Flavor Flav’s comedic genius, this show impossibly comes across as more staged than Flavor of Love; at least half of the suitors are gay.

The White Rapper Show - As a former critically-acclaimed white rapper myself, I feel obligated to watch this show. The rest of you should feel no such urge, especially since the hot rapper chick just got the boot.

The Apprentice - My first year watching it, because it’s in LA and the friend of a friend of a friend is on it. Exciting, I know. Well, not so much, although I do admit, when Donald Trump proudly informed the winning team (comprised of all women, one gay guy and a straight guy) that they would get the pleasure of meeting Hugh Hefner and partying at the Playboy Mansion where they would be surrounded by tons of beautiful women, I lost it. Ogling silicone breasts must be very self-empowering and the perfect treat for an aspiring businesswoman.

HBO Stuff

Rome - I spent a day last week sick on the couch (as opposed to all the days I’ve spent healthy on the couch) and managed to watch the first season of Rome in its entirety (twelve hours, a prodigious feat if I do say so myself). While not quite Wire/Deadwood/Sopranos level, I found Rome to be very good and was fired up for an action-packed premiere to the second season that did not disappoint.

Extras - Speaking of disappointing, the first episode of Extras was catastrophically bad. Orlando Bloom and Ricky Gervais’ acting on the sitcom aside, I don’t think I laughed once. Depressing.

By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer

Yes, this is primarily a sports site, but everyone else is doing a best/worst list, and I’m starting to feel left out.

MOVIES – Overall, I think this was a pretty weak year in film. That said, let it be noted that I have been pretty slow and have yet to see Pan’s Labyrinth, Babel, Volver, Half Nelson, The Science of Sleep, An Inconvenient Truth and Letters From Iwo Jima. My list may very well look completely different a month from now.

The Best

1. Borat – Yes, there’s some decent social commentary here, but bottom line, I’ve probably never laughed harder during a movie in my life.

2. Casino Royale – I am not a Bond fan and generally not big on this genre. Still, it was the most fun I’ve had watching a movie in a while. Daniel Craig is the man.

3. The Departed – I admit, this movie is definitely over-the-top but in a good way. Martin Scorsese makes the in your face, bigger than life characters work. Again, good old fashioned, popcorn fun here.

4. Little Miss Sunshine – A little more emotional than your average comedy, making it one to remember.

5. The Devil and Daniel Johnston – OK, so I’m cheating here (2005), but it was new for me this year. Johnston is a truly intriguing character study.

6. United 93 – Do not rent “World Trade Center,” starring Nic Cage’s terrible mustache. United 93 pulls no punches and is a poignant look at what many of us don’t want to examine.

7. Superman Returns – I hate comic book movies, but this is easily the best one ever.

8. Hard Candy – This one works better for those entering with no idea of where the film is going. It’s good but not great.

9. Inside Man – After years of never liking a Spike Lee joint, he’s now put out two that I’ve enjoyed. Inside Man was decent enough, and I contend that “25th Hour” is one of the best and most underrated of the decade.

10. TBA – At least one of the above mentioned movies I’ve yet to see has to make the cut, as I refuse to name “The Last Kiss” here.

The Worst

1. Rocky Balboa – An unmitigated disaster. While I admit the end fight sequence was good, the dialogue was so bad I was laughing out loud constantly. Treating biracialism as a complex issue, Sly inquires: “Yo, you go on a Jamaican Cruise or something?” Unbelievable.

2. Apocalypto – Um, to call this over-the-top would be an understatement. Was I supposed to be laughing? Jaguar Paw is the man, don’t get me wrong, but Mel Gibson lost me with all of those animal sequences.

3. Little Man – This coming from a guy who actually liked “White Chicks.”

4. Thank You For Smoking – This is more for being disappointing than it is for being truly awful. Still, it certainly wasn’t any good.

5. Lady in the Water – As an M. Night Shyamalan apologist, I’ll only go so far. I like how he cast himself as the soulful writer and then later has a know-it-all critic get eaten by a monster. Subtle, he is not.

6. Firewall – I swear, all Harrison Ford movies have molded into one.

7. Poseidon – Blah.

8. Date Movie – Blah.

9. Scary Movie 4 – Please stop.

10. Night at the Museum – I didn’t see this movie, but the commercial looks pretty awesome.

TELEVISION

The Best

1. The Wire – The best and most important show ever made. Period.

2. Curb Your Enthusiasm – This might have technically been last year, but its reruns still qualify it in my book. My favorite comedy of all-time, and it’s not even close.

3. Deadwood – I don’t even like Westerns, but HBO gets it right yet again. Ian McShane is brilliant.

4. The Office – Not as good as the British version but definitely the best sitcom on network television these days.

5. The Sopranos – While some grumblings have started regarding long dream sequences, Johnny Cakes and overstaying its welcome in general, there are still few shows I look forward to more than The Sopranos.

6. Lost – Although currently in the midst of its worst season, still intriguing enough.

7. Friday Night Lights – I was skeptical, but this show is pretty solid.

8. To Catch a Predator – Is there anyone more condescending than Chris Hansen? I could watch this show all day long.

9. Boston Legal – Underrated. — I would put “The Shield” on here, but I’m still waiting to watch season 5 on DVD. The Strike Team!

10. Prison Break – This show is awful, and I can’t get enough of it.

The Worst

1. Monday Night Football – It’s safe to say the announcing trio doesn’t work. And the guest cameos? Mike Tirico: “So, Christian, are you a football fan?” Christian Slater: (long pause) “I have lots of friends who are football fans.” Painful.

2. Lucky Louie – Dreadful.

3. Nip/Tuck – I used to love this show, but it was almost unwatchable this season. Listen, I’m still a fan, but my leash extends only so far.

4. Deal or No Deal – This show’s got nothing on 1 vs. 100.

5. Day Break – Admittedly, I’ve never seen this show, but the commercials were enough to warrant it making this list.

Music

The Best

1. Thom Yorke – The Eraser

2. TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain

Were there any other albums released this year?

• In the ninth inning last week, Julio Franco played third base for the first time since Oct. 2, 1982.

• Give it up for the Nationals: 27 runs scored and still swept in a four-game series by the Rockies earlier this week.

• By throwing out Orlando Hudson at second base Monday night, Alfonso Soriano became the first player in major league history to have 40 home runs, 30 stolen bases and 20 outfield assists in a season.

• This is pretty crazy.

• Matt Cain has allowed one or no runs in each of his last six starts. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the only other rookie in the last 50 years to do that was the Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela in 1981.

• Rich Hill struck out 10 in a two-hit shutout Saturday against the Reds, giving the Cubs their first complete game of the year to avoid being the first team ever not to record a complete game in an entire season.

• If you haven’t checked out television’s “The Wire,” I suggest you do so.

I dusted myself off after last week’s Sit/Start didn’t go so well. Remember, I’m attempting not to pick overly obvious names here:

START

Lee Evans - New England did a great job smothering Evans Week 1, but don’t forget about this third year breakout candidate. He’ll find the going much easier this week against a suspect secondary that none other than Chaz Batch picked apart last week.

Brett Favre – He throws most of his picks when he’s trailing, something Green Bay might not actually be faced with Sunday. While don’t look for the same 52-3 score as last year’s meeting, Favre should get his Sunday.

Darrell Jackson – While I am down on all Seattle receivers in general, word is Deion Branch will not be active this week, which means D-Jax has one fewer option taking away his looks. The matchup against Arizona is a great one.

SIT

Philip Rivers – I know, I know; Tennessee made Chad Pennington relevant again, and their secondary is no doubt putrid. Still, don’t underestimate Marty Ball. It’s easy to see why Rivers was restrained to just 11 throws last week with a big lead, but that same exact scenario looks likely in Week 2.

Ben Roethlisberger – While he’s fully expected to play Monday night, his matchup isn’t a good one, so give him a week to get back into the swing of things before you activate him.

Fred Taylor – While owners should only sit Fragile Fred in the form of a viable alternative, Taylor faces a tough task against Pittsburgh’s front-seven. Most owners will probably want to use Taylor while he’s healthy, however, and he is getting a full workload with no Greg Jones around.

Ladell Betts/Clinton Portis – I don’t expect Clinton Portis to suit up, but who knows? Either way, it’s a tough matchup, and a timeshare figures to ensue (if no Portis, then TJ Duckett will take some carries away from Betts this week).

• The Minnesota Twins are 69-0 this season when ahead after eight innings.

• For the first time in more than three decades, there were seven shutouts in Tuesday’s schedule. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the most shutouts on one day since there were a record eight on June 4, 1972, when 16 games were played.

• If only Dave Thomas were around to witness this.

• Since the All-Star break, Brad Penny has a 6.46 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP over 62 2/3 innings.

• Over his last five starts, Matt Cain is 4-0 and has yielded one run over 34 innings for a 0.26 ERA.

• 0: The number of NFC West teams that have repeated as champions since the division was realigned in 2002.

• 5: The current number of consecutive Super Bowl losers (Seahawks, Eagles, Panthers, Raiders, Rams) that have failed to reach .500 the following season.

• A couple start/sit suggestions before kick off…

Start – Chris Henry – If TJ Houshmandzadeh doesn’t suit up, Henry makes for a fine WR3 and even WR2 option against a weak Kansas City secondary.

DeShaun Foster – While most Foster owners probably plan on using him every week while healthy, his matchup against Atlanta week 1 is especially enticing. In two games against them last year, Foster gained 345 total yards and three TDs, with a 7.05 yards per carry clip.

Nate Burleson – With Darrell Jackson reportedly only set to play 25 snaps, Burleson looks like Seattle’s No. 1 WR option this week. He’ll exploit Detroit’s secondary and be worth inserting into your lineup.

Sit – Muhsin Muhammad – While the matchup against Green Bay looks good on the surface, realize the one thing the Packers do have going for them is Al Harris, one of the best cover corners in the game. Not only that, Harris typically stays with the opposing team’s No. 1 wideout throughout the game, so expect Muhammad to be blanketed Sunday.

Ahman Green – Green says he’s ready for the full load, but remember he’s barely played a snap since last October. Factor in Chicago’s stingy D, and Green is someone to avoid this week.

Steve Smith – It’s looking more and more like he’s going to be a no-go Sunday. Even if he does dress, he’ll be playing on not one but two bad hamstrings. The Panthers would be better off resting Smith and looking toward the rest of the season.

Balt/TB – Save for Caddy Williams, I wouldn’t feel comfortable starting any offensive player in this game.

• The Elias Sports Bureau reports that Dan Uggla is just the fourth player in the last 50 years to record 20 home runs and 75 RBI in his debut season in the majors.

• The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are 2-20 on the road since the All-Star break.

• Chris Young still hasn’t lost a road game since June 25, 2005. He’s 6-0 in 12 road starts this season and 9-0 over his last 21 starts away from home.

• Noah Lowry has a 10-0 record and 2.33 ERA for the month of August in his four-year career.

• The Twins are 23-2 in Johan Santana’s last 25 starts.

• Miami RB Sammy Morris was reportedly suspended for taking Sudafed.

• The Cardinals’ pitching staff could post the highest ERA in history for a team that finishes first. It’s 4.56. The record belongs to the 1997 Giants, who won their division despite a 4.39 ERA. The Giants were champs despite allowing more runs than they scored.

• Opponents have stolen 36 of 37 bases with Freddy Garcia on the mound this season.

• Cleveland’s Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw as a major leaguer Saturday night.

• The Florida Marlins’ record is 68-68. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that means they’re the first team since the 1899 Louisville Colonels to return to .500 after falling 20 games below that mark earlier in the season.

• Despite ranking third in the majors in runs and fifth in league run differential (plus-67), the Indians are just 65-70. According to Baseball Prospectus’ adjusted standings, the Tribe should have about 11 more wins given their secondary indicators.

• Make sure Anthony Reyes isn’t available in your league, and if he is, give him a look if you could use the innings. While he didn’t overly impress his first time in the rotation, after Sunday’s performance he’s now thrown over 19 straight scoreless innings counting his Triple-A stats. He’s in the Cardinals’ rotation for good now with Mark Mulder on the shelf and possesses a real solid repertoire. He could be a difference maker for your team.

• Check in later this week for our preview of the NFL season, as we’ll predict how each division will play out this year. We’ll also give you a few over/under team wins bets that look enticing for this season.

• According to the Elias Sports Bureau, last week Dan Haren became the first pitcher in American League history and just the second overall to win a game after allowing eight runs in the opening two frames.

• Manny Ramirez reached on 22 of 23 plate appearances in the New York Yankee series last week: eight hits, nine walks (five intentional) and twice on errors. He reached in his last 19 in a row.

• The Seattle Mariners are mired in a 20-game losing streak to division opponents.

• Scott Kazmir is already the Devil Rays’ all-time strikeout leader. Coincidentally, his 378 Ks moves him past the man he was dealt for, Victor Zambrano, who had 372 as a Ray.

• During Willy Taveras’ 28-game hit streak, he has an 0-for-11 stretch.

• Dusty Baker should probably not be managing a major league baseball team at this point: “On-base percentage is great if you can score runs and do something with that on-base percentage,” Baker said. “Clogging up the bases isn’t that great to me.”

• So that’s what Albert don’t call me “Joey” Bell has been up to.

• This guy is the man.

• Is there such a thing as being in too many fantasy football leagues? I’ll find out soon enough, as last week I competed in an industry “experts” draft, and tonight I am participating in a league I have been in for 10 years, which brings my total to six leagues this year. It’s getting to the point of even if I win a league, I’ll just break even with all my other leagues’ dues. Oh well, I say fantasy football is like money, the term too much simply doesn’t apply. Anyway, here’s a link to the aforementioned experts league, and feel free to comment on how you think I did (I’m RotoWire). It was a 1-point per reception league (the only reason I drafted Westbrook in the second round, which I am already regretting) and you start 2RB and 3WR. Most of the bigger names in the industry competed in this draft, so I’d really like to win it.

• The Pirates are 7-32 when a left-hander starts against them this year.

• When David Bush singled to center on Monday night, it snapped an 0-for-43 streak by Milwaukee pitchers.

• Greg Maddux threw 64 warm-up pitches against the Giants last week. He threw 68 real ones during his eight shutout innings. The Los Angeles Times noted that Maddux “Does no doctoring but knows how to work a ball that comes to him scuffed or nicked.” Curiously, a Rockies coach noted that against Colorado a couple weeks ago, after Maddux’s last warm-up toss, catcher Russell Martin’s throw to second base bounced in the dirt. Every time.

• Carlos Zambrano leads the NL in both strikeouts (167) and walks (96).

• Matt Diaz tied an NL record with hits in 10 straight at-bats before grounding out Monday.

• Despite playing in the same division and 19 times a year, Adam Loewen Thursday became the first Baltimore pitcher since Sidney Ponson in 1998 to beat the Yankees twice in a season.

• Edgerrin James’ take on the end of Matt Leinart’s 15-day holdout: “He’s cool. I only deal with cool people.”

• Ron Artest’s take on the Malice at the Palace: “Someone started trouble and I ended it,” Artest told about 50 children Wednesday at a panel on black empowerment in Detroit.

• David DeJesus and Pablo Ozuna both hit leadoff homers in the contest between the Royals and White Sox Thursday. Emil Brown and Jermaine Dye also hit homers as the first batters of both halves of the second inning. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time the first four half-innings of a game have ever started with homers.

• Bobby Abreu drew two walks Wednesday to reach 100 for the eighth straight year. The streak matches the longest in major league history

• In 21 August starts for Johan Santana dating back to 2002, all he’s done is go 18-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 174 Ks. And at home, Santana is now 12-0 over his last 19 Metrodome starts since August 6 of last year.

• It appeared I sufficiently jinxed the Angels after I recommended betting on them, as they were six full games back of the A’s entering Friday. Now down to 4.5 games, I still have faith, but Oakland certainly gets it done post All-Star breaks year in and year out. Anaheim also faces a pretty daunting schedule ahead of them. It’s a shame two teams out of the White Sox, Yankees, Red Sox and Twins won’t make the playoffs. Not to mention a solid Angels or Athletics club. At least the Reds have a shot!

• Best. Deal. Ever.

• Since 1998, no team with the best regular season record in baseball has won the World Series.

• Fantasy Nation rejoices.

• This Maurice Clarett situation just keeps getting more and more bizarre. We have all heard the gist of his latest problems, which include a hatchet, but did you also know that he supposedly took a swig of Grey Goose right in front of the police just for the fun of it? What about the fact prosecutors are now saying Clarett was arrested near the home of a witness in his robbery trial? Unreal, this story will get beaten to death yet still be underrated in my book.

• Justin Morneau is the first Twin to slug 30 homers in a season since 1987. He also has entered himself into the MVP race. Since April ended, he’s hit .349 and since June 1, his slugging percentage is a ridiculous .702. The 101 RBI don’t hurt either.

• Jonny Gomes, on the other hand, is on the opposite spectrum. After an April that saw him hit .305, he’s hit a paltry .182 ever since. His post All-Star break numbers are especially brutal, which has seen him go 5-for-77, an .065 clip.

• When Randy Johnson struck out the first hitter he faced Wednesday, he ended a streak of 52 consecutive hitters without a strikeout, the longest such streak of his career.

• Aubrey Huff went 14 straight games without an RBI. He has nine in his last three.

• I’m not one to make steroid accusations; in fact, I care less about them than most, but if you saw Andruw Jones’ recent broken bat home run to dead center field, you know what I’m talking about.

• The proverbial rookie wall is seemingly arriving for this year’s crop all at once. Jonathan Papelbon has blown two straight saves, more than doubling his ERA in the process. Francisco Liriano gave up a career-high 10 hits in his most recent outing, which saw him leave with a sore elbow and forearm. If he returns this year at all, consider it an upset. Speaking of injuries derailing strong seasons, fellow rookie Justin Verlander had to skip his last start because of fatigue in his pitching arm. If that’s not enough, phenom Jered Weaver has a 4.97 ERA over his last three starts. Meanwhile, Cole Hamels, who has largely disappointed in his rookie campaign, has a 2.24 ERA over his last three starts and a brilliant 43/8 K/BB ratio over his previous 31 1/3 innings.

• It’s the first time in major league history that rookies lead both leagues in ERA when entering August.

• Coors Field had its third 1-0 game last week. There had been just one such game in 11 seasons of play entering this year. The stadium also has a major league leading 11 shutouts this season.

• Byung-Hyun Kim is 5-3 with a 2.75 ERA at Coors Field this season. He’s allowed just three homers in 59 innings at his home park. On the road, he’s 2-3 with a 7.19 ERA and has allowed six homers in 41 1/3 innings.

• Meet the anti-Big Papi - David Dellucci is hitting .363 with the bases empty and .231 with RISP. He’s 0-for-18 with 10 strikeouts with RISP and two outs.

• According to BoDog.com, the Royals are 1-0 when they are favorites this year.

• Jake Peavy has 10 losses or no-decisions when he has allowed three runs or fewer.

• Jake Westbrook became the first pitcher in 18 years to win despite allowing 15 hits Thursday.

• In three games against the Yankees this week, Toronto’s starting pitchers accumulated 12 innings and 243 pitches.

• Mike Gonzalez has yet to blow a save this year, as he’s 19-for-19 during opportunities.

• Jeff Francoeur has 21 home runs compared to 10 walks this year.

• Meanwhile, Barry Bonds has 88 walks compared to just 59 hits on the year.

• The last time the Cardinals had a losing streak of longer than eight games, Albert Pujols was four months old.

• Roy Halladay suffered his first loss Friday while pitching at night since June 18, 2005.

• Jose Reyes has 44 stolen bases this season after swiping 60 in 2005. He’s attempting to become the first player in more than a decade to have 60 SBs in consecutive seasons.

• Ryan Freel has been picked off a remarkable seven times this year.