Paul Pierce is having an interesting offseason. Celebrating his title, almost getting arrested in Las Vegas and then proclaiming himself the world’s greatest basketball player. Pierce said that in Madrid when asked if Kobe Bryant is the best player in the world. “I don't think Kobe is the best player. I'm the best player,” Pierce said, according to yahoo.com. “There's a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don't cross that line but I have a lot of confidence in myself." On the one hand, a person like Pierce probably should feel that he’s one of the better players in the league. He was simply outstanding in the Finals. On the other, until this season I don’t know that many people would have put him in the top three, four, five players. Finally, he misses the point. Actually, the questioner does as well. Because, well, you see the best player in the world is neither Kobe or Paul Pierce, it’s LeBron James.

Of all the many unforgettable moments provided by Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight, the best has to be when Ledger, made up as the Joker, hair askew, makeup all over, wears a nurse’s dress as he sits down to face the man he tried to murder. He looks at a man he put in a hospital bed, says hi with an impish grin and (remember, wearing a nurse’s dress) asks: “Do I really look like a guy with a plan.” Classic. Not quite, “I am shocked, shocked to learn there is gambling going on in here,” but classic nonetheless. It’s also not quite the same as Slim Pickens telling a whole bunch of cowboys “Somebody has to go back and get a (boatload) of dimes” in Blazing Saddles, but it was good. And don’t forget from Airplane — “A hospital, what is it? … It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now.” Ledger ranks in there somewhere.

Devoe Torrence wound up joining Akron’s football team – after he was acquitted of charges he had sex with a 12-year-old-girl. Had Torrence had any other previous issues in high school he would not be with the Zips now. And the fact that Torrence was judged innocent enabled the team to add him. Torrence is a talented back who went to Canton South for three years, then to Massillon. But right now he’s running fourth team for the Zips. I wrote a lot about him in Wednesday’s Beacon Journal, but the thought of him sitting in court going testimony against testimony with a 12-year-old is pretty unsettling. Here’s what I wonder: Yes he may have been judged innocent, but how in the world does someone put themselves in the situation where they are charged with such a crime?

Memo to Alan T, one of my loyal readers. Appreciate the complimentary photo; it actually shows my better side. And Alan … as for Adriana … can’t we live with one unreal image in our lives? At least, can’t I in my pathetic little life? I mean, we’re just trying to have a little bit of fun here. Without a plan, of course.

“I’m like a dog chasing a car. Wouldn’t know what to with one if I caught it. I just do things.” Classic.

Next starting question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? “Place the following in order of duration, shortest to longest.”
A) The 100 Years War
B) The time it took the British to navigate to the Falklands
C) The time I will wait for Adriana Lima’s call
D) The death of Francisco Franco
E) The Brett Favre Retirement-Unretirement Saga

Let’s see … Devin Hester signed a new contract for $40 million. It took Joshua Cribbs how long to ask for a new deal? Guess that six-year deal Cribbs signed in November of 2006 doesn’t count. In truth, Cribbs is underpaid. But the problem is it was him putting his signature on his contract, a document that is legally valid in 48 of the 50 states. The proverbial ball is the proverbial court of the proverbial team on this one.

Here’s a couple more pictures from my friend Bob, a fellow St. Ignatius alum, from his travels in Alaska, the great state of bears, glaciers, mountains and snow.

Why did James Posey go to New Orleans instead of back to Boston or to Cleveland? New Orleans gave a 31-year-old role player a four-year contract. The Celtics and Cavs were not willing to go that far. Was it right? Well, Danny Ferry constantly stresses the need to be flexible in his contracts, and adding that much money for a guy who would be 35 in the final year would reduce flexibility. Many folks believe that NBA guys are on borrowed time when they get to 33. Posey is a very good player for what he does, which is be a part-time backup who can shoot and defend. He's also an excellent pregame hugger, he wrote, rolling his eyes. He would be valuable on the Cavs, no doubt. But it does not seem like losing him now means the Cavs championship hopes are dashed. It would have been a nice get, but it’s not a gigantic loss.

I heard some folks on the radio chattering that the Indians could get back in the race after the All-Star break. Well, never say never, but let’s do the math. Cleveland was 41-53 at the break. That’s 94 games, meaning there were 68 left (impressive math, eh?). If the Indians won 40 of 68, they’d finish at 81-81. That would not get them back in the race. Ninety-one wins would, which only means the Indians would have to go 50-18 after the All-Star break. And since they lost the first game in Seattle, they now have to go 50-17. It can happen, yes, but the math indicates just how slim the chances really are.

Paul Pierce seems to be enjoying his celebrity.

Fox’s Charlie Rosen assesses the Lebron James-will-sign-with-New-Jersey saga here.

And … let’s go back to Yellowstone … hope this does not offend anyone, but here are some animals and their … umm … young. First elk, then antelope. Can anyone explain why it’s so interesting to see animals in their natural environment?

Finally, here is a sunset view (hope it comes out) in Lamar Valley, which has to be one of the most beautiful spots in the United States of America. The first one looks into the sun. The folks in the foreground are looking up the hill at a pack of wolves.

This one points in the direction the sun is shining. The colors continue to amaze me, but then again I've got a pretty simple mind. When I die, though, I want to come back as a buffalo in the Lamar Valley. There simply are very few places where it would be better to wander aimlessly and eat grass for the rest of eternity.

It’s kind of confusing what’s happening in Green Bay with Brett Favre. Not his teenage I won’t-I will stances toward football, mind you. But the Packers attitude toward Favre. A few months ago Favre had led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game and he was the greatest thing to happen to upper Wisconsin since the invention of the heater. Now he decides to unretire and the Packers tell him he’ll be a backup if he plays. Huh? How does that work? A guy is a Hall of Famer and has his best year in a long, long time and because he didn’t take part in offseason workouts he’s a backup? Apparently Favre made the Packers mad by changing his mind, so they’re going to show him and make him take second-string snaps in training camp behind Aaron Rodgers. Because he missed offseason workouts. You just can’t make this stuff up. I swear, the more you hear about the NFL way of thinking, the more it seems that sometimes their minds are affected by the fact they are so insulated from thinking about nothing but their sport 74 hours a day. Think about this: Brett Favre decides to unretire and he’s a backup to a guy who’s never played. Rocky and Bullwinkle made more sense.

The other day a story broke about the dwindling population in cities of Northern Ohio. Cleveland has taken a real hit; more people have left the city than any other city in the country except New Orleans – and that exodus was caused by a rather large natural disaster called Katrina. What did our governor, Ted Strickland, have to say? This: “Perhaps in the not too distant future, people are going to be leaving arid areas of this country, the New Mexicos and the Arizonas. They'll come running back to Ohio, because we have water, and they're going to be thirsty." Thirsty. There’s a slogan: “Want a drink? Come to Ohio.” And we wonder why our economy is in trouble?

Complaining about the Indians financial situation is kind of like complaining about gas prices. What good is it going to do? The Indians will never be a team that spends $150 million on salaries. It’s just not going to happen. Best to accept that reality and enjoy our lovely water. It’s not going to change. I took a look at the team’s finances in our Sunday paper; you can read that here if you like. But one thing that struck me was that during the halcyon glory days of the 1990s, the Indians were in fact among the highest in payroll. But they were at or about $60 million while the highest spending teams were at or about $70-$75 million. Now the highest spending team, the Yankees, is at $209 million, while they Indians are projected to be at $85 million. If that disparity does not illustrate what a big-market team can do and a mid-to-small market team cannot, then nothing will. Everybody wishes the Indians could just write blank checks to players. They can’t. Someday the folks in the dry, arid southwest will realize this.

Sheldon Ocker, our outstanding baseball writer, got in touch with his feminine side in this story about the CC Sabathia trade. And don’t tell him I said feminine side and Ocker in the same sentence, either.

I’m not so sure I’d trade Casey Blake. Yes, he’s in his 30s, but he’s hitting .282 with nine home runs and 52 RBI and has played third and first base. The guy has a lot of value for a non-superstar player with oodles of drinking water flowing from his spigot.

ESPN.com says the Cavs are out of the James Posey hunt. No word on the accuracy of that statement, or when or where Posey will sign. Or where he will find water if he’s not with the Cavs.

This is what new Browns receiver Donte Stallworth said in the Boston Globe: “I've been kind of joking with Randy [Moss] and some of the guys that the road to the Super Bowl goes through Cleveland."

Finally … back to Yellowstone …

Anyone out there know what kind of birds these are. They nested in the crook of a .. well … a bathroom in the Lamar Valley, one of the vast valleys where animals love to roam in this great national park. These birds flitted in and out like crazy, and seemed to enjoy peeking out to pose for the camera. Any wise birders out there know what kind they are?

Travis Hafner talked to the media for the first time since he went on the disabled list in May, and he said his right shoulder is at 50 percent strength. That doesn’t sound too promising, but Hafner actually said his shoulder has improved a good amount the past couple weeks.

“It’s been getting stronger every week,” he said. “Ten or 20 percent every week in the strength tests. Right now we’re pretty hopeful that we can start swinging the bat in a couple weeks.”

It would have been nice to hear Hafner say the shoulder injury went back to last year’s playoffs because it might have explained his struggles, but he said it started first in spring training. Things became intolerable in May. At that point, he could not use his right arm for anything. He called it “helpless.”

The injury itself sounds pretty weird, a word even Hafner used. He said there is no structural problem, but that weakness and instability in the shoulder caused his rotator cuff and scapula muscle to just shut down. It would seem like a nerve problem led to this difficulty, but Hafner said determining the cause would be speculation. He said he hopes to return this year – for some part of the season.

Manager Eric Wedge, meanwhile, addressed the media pretty directly about the pregame meeting he held with his team. My translation of Wedge’s words: Grow up, forget what’s happened, play like a professional. He might have been kinder, of course, but the 10-game winning streak the Indians brought home obviously indicated the team had a bit of a hangdog approach.

Here are some of Wedge’s comments:

On the team: “They’re the ones that have to go out and play. They’re the ones that have to go out and execute. They’re the ones that have to come here with the attitude and the approach that we’re accustomed to, and that’s a winning attitude. That’s a winning edge.”

On being down about the trade of C.C. Sabathia: “I understand it. I do. But that’s done. Now we move on and play baseball.”

On the losing streak: “It weighs on you. You wear it. You’re supposed to. You wear it individually and you wear it as a ballclub. But you can’t let it get you down. You can’t.”

On the team, again: “I don’t assume anything, but I don’t worry about the effort of this ballclub because I know they’re going to show up and get after it. I know they give a damn. I know they care about each other. I know they respect the game. Because those are things we just wouldn’t put up with. And they know that. So I don’t worry about that. But, I don’t want their heads down, I don’t want them thinking about things they shouldn’t think about.”

It almost seems like the Indians should wipe the slate clean, tell the team to mentally approach the games like the record is 0-0. It’s lame, but it’s what the Indians have at the moment. A team has to hang its hat on something, right?

And … if Wedge wanted to see a different approach and attitude, Thursday’s big win over Tampa was a good start.

As for Yellowstone, here are some random shots .. including an elk staring at the silly humans, a couple scenes taken by my 12-year-old daughter and a pronghorn adult and child.

I've seen a few comments here and online and I got a few e-mails related to my opinion that C.C. Sabathia didn't really love it in Cleveland and that all he wanted was the money. One said I was a hypocrite, that I would never turn down more money if offered somewhere else. This is a relative statement. If we're talking a difference of, say, $40,000 and $4 million, yes I would take the money. Candidly, I admit that fact. But if the difference were totals that would still allow me to live a decent life and take care of my daughters, there would be other factors. Lifestyle, location, climate, the schools … all enter into it. Fact is I did just that once in my career. I took a pay cut to return to journalism, to work for a newspaper, because that was better suited for me. I loved the job I left, and was treated extremely well by good people. But this was a better fit — even with less money. Now, this does not make me a hero. In fact, in some eyes it might make me dumber or dumpier than I think I am. It's just a fact; we all make decisions at one time or another and they're not always based completely on money.

But … when comparing our personal situations let's be honest and state that there's a big difference between comparing jobs that pay, to throw out numbers, $80,000 and one that pays $65,000, and jobs that pay in the millions. Sabathia's contract extension offer from Cleveland was worth $91 million. That's $91 million dollars. Count the zeroes — 91,000,000. OK, he gets taxed. Let's say after tax he takes home $55,000,000 — and I have no idea, I'm just guessing. If we went out to spend $20,000 per day, it would take us 2,750 days to spend that $55 million. That's 7 1/2 years of spending $20,000 per day every day. Can't be done. At least not in my world. I suppose you could buy a Prius every day, but even then you'd get tired of all the cars. (Figure it with $91 million and it's 4,550 days.)

Sabathia has an opportunity the rest of us can only dream of. He can handpick where he wants to live and play baseball — and it was because of the amount of money he will make. No matter where he signs, his contract will be huge. And I would submit that in that instance things like quality of life and a place where you are happy gain importance — because the more the money increases the less relevance it has on your lifestyle. Sabathia will have more money than he will ever need. No matter where he plays, he will be able to do whatever he wants. Unless he's the kind of guy who likes to buy a Porsche every day. So the money mattered, but where he made the money might matter more.

Which is why I say that though he may have meant it when he said he loves Cleveland, he really didn't love it as much as he loves the idea of the big contract. He loved it as long as the Indians offered him the most money. The money and the total deal was more important than anything. I don't know where that pressure comes from — maybe he wants to be baseball's highest paid player. Maybe he's waited for this his whole career. Maybe the Players Association put amazing pressure on him (A Players Union official once told me that doesn't happen, and a baseball exec said: "That's what they want you to think. The sky is purple and things like that.") I don't know. But the money clearly meant more to him than the fact he could stay in Cleveland, a city he said he loves.

This certainly is Sabathia's right. He can do whatever he wants as far as his contract. My only quibble is that he shouldn't try to tell us that his feelings for the Indians and Cleveland matter. Because they don't. Or more correctly they don't seem to matter (we'll find that out in free agency). If it's the money you want, that's fine. Just don't tell us it's about other things.

Back to Yellowstone …

There's something about buffalo, one of the true American animals. Hard to fathom that they almost went extinct after there were 100 million roaming our plains. They wander free at Yellowstone, and as one friend said: "They think they own the place." They pretty much do. To the point that they'll stop traffic for hours if they feel like crossing the road and standing there. I'm not going to mess with a buffalo. And my daughters and I think they may be in cahoots. At one point, two or three were standing in the road, blocking our car. Another buffalo was faced away from us on the side of the road. At one point he turned his head and stared right at our car, then turned back away from us and … well … let loose with a No. 2. Almost seemed schemed. Course my daughters laughed hysterically.

Here are some more pleasant views of buffalo roaming the Yellowstone ranges. And there were a lot. My daughters counted in excess of 1,100 in a week. Too, one advantage to visiting when we did is the buffalo babies are roaming as well. And they're actually kind of cute — unlike the rude one we encountered on the side of the road:

Well, C.C. Sabathia is Milwaukee-bound. Everyone and their uncle was reporting Sunday night that the Indians and Brewers had agreed on the trade, and it would see big-hitting outfielder Matt LaPorta come to Cleveland. The other two names are not known, but if one is Taylor Green it's a good thing. These two guys are highly regarded prospects in the Brewers organization. And we all know how Milwaukee spews out the stars. I opined on this for Monday's Beacon Journal, and I'll be at today's news conference (assuming there is one) but here's some quick thoughts:

—The Indians had no choice but to trade Sabathia. Cleveland has seen enough free agents leave for the highest dollar, with the Indians left with nothing but future draft picks in return. Those are nice, but in this case they would have been in the June 2009 draft, and who knows how long it would take the drafed players to produce. LaPorta could/should be ready next year.
—Sabathia may profess to love Cleveland and say he wanted to stay, but he was determined to test the free agent market. Letting him go that way was too high a risk.
—The guys acquired had best be able to play. A team does not trade a reigning Cy Young winner without getting legitimate talent in return. None of this "we think he can play" stuff. The Indians need the players acquired to be able to play, period. The last thing we need is another deal for Charlie Spikes.
—If Sabathia gives it the "I really loved Cleveland" line I may barf. Just be honest and say, "Hey, it was a nice place to play but this is my chance to make big-time money and I'm going to see what I can get."
—I'm sure Sabathia has already made arrangements to have his Jhonny Peralta Bobblehead shipped to Milwaukee after the Indians give them away in August. If not, it's got to be high on his list.
—Sabathia's case is unprecedented. He weighs 290 pounds, and will be 28 later this month. Pitchers enter their prime at 27. It stands to figure he should command a huge deal, but in five or six years he'll be 33 or 34 … and he won't get smaller. The team that signs him will take a risk.
—This is why the Indians offered a four-year extension. It's just too large a risk to give a pitcher those long-term deals. See Barry Zito. Sabathia is a fine pitcher, but he is also a risk.
—Good thing the Indians did not have to throw David Dellucci in the deal. There is a limit to what a team gives up after all.
—What in the world will the Indians rotation look like next season? Sabathia is gone (presumably). Jake Westbrook is out. Jeremy Sowers is struggling. Fausto Carmona is hurt. Wow.
—If Green is included in the deal, the Indians may have their third baseman of the future. That's a need that needs to be filled.
—A 2009 outfield of LaPorta, Grady Sizemore and Ben Francisco does not sound too bad. The Indians have to hope, though, that Francisco does not do a Franklin Gutierrez next season and drop off the planet.
–Has any other team lost a Cy Young winner like this? Once, when Frank Viola was traded from Minnesota to New York in 1989.
—Folks must be camping out to get ducats for that first start by Jeff Weaver.
—What a turn south this season has taken. Amazing.

Looking for information on LaPorta? Here's some of what I wrote for tomorrow's Beacon Journal:

"LaPorta clearly is the key – a bat for a lineup that needs one. He’s 23, plays at Class AA Huntsville and is hitting .288 and has 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 82 games.

"On July 3, he was named to the Baseball America midseason Minor League All-Star team. In February the publication called him the 23rd-best prospect in baseball and called his arrival date 2009. Which would be next year.

“'LaPorta may not be smooth in the outfield, but he more than makes up for it with his bat,' Baseball America wrote in its midseason assessment. 'He leads all Double-A batters in home runs, and ranks fifth in slugging, fourth in RBIs and second in extra-base hits (44).'

"SI.com ranked him 31st and wrote: 'The best college hitter in last year's draft, the Brewers are taking a risk by trying to teach him how to play left field, but all he needs to do is become adequate there, because at the plate, he's a monster.'”

And here are some links to information about him. I take no credit for finding them, though. Indians fans who participate on the forums at the scout.com Indians site found them. They get all the credit. Here are some stats, including his outstanding college stats at Florida. This is an online scouting report. And another online report.

The pros and cons will be discussed the next few days. Me, I'm going to ponder how a team can be within one game of the World Series one year, then the next cut their closer, trade their Cy Young winner and drop to last place.

Does this stuff happen in any other sports town in America? How about in the world? Does it happen to … say .. Real Madrid or Manchester United?

Before we get too depressed, let's remember nature can be beautiful. The Yellowstone sky produced some of the more amazing colors and rainbows I've seen.

Wonder if C.C. will find his personal pot of gold at the end of that rainbow?

Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com reports that the Milwaukee Brewers have made a serious offer for C.C. Sabathia that includes two top prospects in the team's minor leagues. The offer could include a standout left-field prospect named Matt LaPorta and shortstop prospect Alcides Escobar. Rosenthal, a longtime and well-respected baseball writer, quoted anonymous baseball types marveling that the Indians could land those two players for Sabathia — and speculates that the Indians might have to give more than Sabathia to acquire them. The story is here. My scouting reports on the pair are incomplete. Well … I've never seen them even swing on the on-deck circle. But the tenor of this story indicates two things: The Indians are listening to offers for Sabathia, so we should probably expect him to be traded, and there are teams out there willing to give up some top talent to acquire him. If these two players are involved and they are the real deal, it might be impossible for Mark Shapiro to pass up the trade.

Several folks have asked me about Brian Windhorst, our outstanding and congenial Cavs beat writer (not many folks are called congenial these days are they?). Brian is an outstanding person, and he is presently in a local hospital recuperating. He has made progress these past 10 days of treatment, but the recovery and return to health will take time. I hope you all join me in wishing him well.

I have some thoughts on the Cavs and Indians and Browns in this Sunday's Beacon Journal, as well as the final animal count conducted by my daughters at Yellowstone. Yes, they counted each one they saw, from coyotes to buffalo to elk to moose to swans. One animal hit four figures — and it was not the wild humans stepping aimlessly in elk poop. RedHawk Rick commented on the previous Yellowstone post that this trip sounded like a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my daughters, and it was. I would not trade it for anything in the world. But I kind of think going to Borders with my daughters is a pretty good time too, and there are no buffalo or bears hanging out there. Rick also asked if Yellowstone was better than Jungle Larry's Safari Island. Really now, Rick, are we not stretching things a bit there? This would be like comparing a Pixar movie to Deputy Dawg or something. Dare we insult Jungle Larry by bringing him up in the same breath as Yellowstone's majestic mountains, roaring rivers and wonderful wildlife? Please.

Learned at Yellowstone that bison babies can actually be kind of cute. Not cute like Mikey from the Life cereal commercial or Adriana Lima (he wrote, cleverly finding a way to put her picture in again), but cute in their own fuzzy way. Apparently June is the best time to see bison babies, which makes it a good time to visit the park. Too, you're not there in September, when the male elk decide they want to … well … you know … find a female. So they get kind of aggressive and go after any human wearing a backpack (Hey … the backpack line is a JOKE — but the elk do get worked up in the fall). This time of year, the elk just walk around and eat and show off their furry butts. Elk have furry butts, you know. But you probably do know because Jungle Larry taught us all that. Alas, we digress. Here are a couple baby buffalo and part of the herd we saw the first afternoon we drove into the park.

Also learned that there really is nothing like seeing a bald eagle in the wild. Well … maybe there's a couple or few things like it … but we don't need to get into that at the moment. The day we saw the eagles, this male was hunting while the young eagle hung out at the nest. At first I thought it was the female, but a wise reader posted a comment and informed me it's the baby. (Thanks for that post … kind of saved me from further embarrassment.) I had thought the female eagle sent the male to hunt while she hung around watching The View or something, proving once again that the female of the species is wiser — no doubt she buttered up this poor schmuck male by praising his strength and hunting skills and off he went, like most dopey men. While waiting for Old Faithful to erupt one day — it's interesting, but not the highlight of the trip — a woman of American Indian descent explained that in the old days the women chose the chief, and the women of the tribe decided when the Indian nation would go to war, the thinking being that they had the most to lose. Which proves once again and through generations and cultures that no matter how much influence or power we males think we have, we only have it because the females allow us to have it. Like the guy who wanted to rearrange the living room because he was tired of how it looked. His wife said: "I let him." But since this is the baby, the joke might not be all that relevant. So … never mind.

At any rate, this is the male eagle, perched proudly on the end of this tree, from far away and then close up. And then after he flew into another tree after an unsuccessful venture into the Madison River in search of a fish.

And here is the baby. Amazing how large it gets, eh?

So you come back after eight days away and see that the Indians are in last place. Guess now we know how that Big Brown horse felt in the Belmont. Last place. What in the world is THAT about? Did this team overachieve a year ago, three years ago? Did the Indians brass misjudge the talent that poorly? And what will this team look like a year from now? That’s the hard part of Mark Shapiro’s job. The emotional side might lead to some drastic reactions that would totally change this team. He’s got to decide if guys are just having off years, or if he needs to do more than tinker. No matter, there are many questions to be answered for the future — starting with the starting pitching. Who’d have thought that when the year started? In fact, very few of the experts and media (note the differential) thought this team would suffer like it has. Think I’ll muse on this some more in Sunday’s Beacon-Journal.

As for the week away … it’s rare that the buildup to a place can be so positive, but that’s all we heard before going to Yellowstone. Rare place. Unbelievable. Amazing. You’ll love it. It changed my life. And on and on and on. Know what? Every word is true. Yellowstone is a place that not only lives up to but exceeds expectations. Between the wildlife and the geysers and the sculpture pits and the mud volcanoes (hoooo-weeee, do not inhale if you’re too close to THAT one) it’s a different, unique and special place.

First night we arrived, we drove by two bears, two bald eagles in a nest and several buffalo babies (and they’re kind of cute). Add elk and buffalo grownups and it was quite a first 90 minutes. It got better from there. Wolves, elk, pikas, bears, coyotes and many wild humans (they’re the oddest to watch, really) run free in Yellowstone. The air is clean, the sunsets breathtaking and the rains bring rainbows more colorful than Disney can produce.

It’s hard to put into words what it’s like, but after seeing the Grand Canyon it seemed like nothing could be as uplifting. Yellowstone is every bit the same feeling. I could not recommend it more – for adults and kids. My daughters loved it – every minute of it. To the point that they asked – asked, mind you — to be awakened at 5:30 one morning to see the animals at dawn (one of the two best viewing times). Try to get that accomplished on a rainy Thursday at Dollyworld.

Yes … I’m aware this is a sports blog. But by definition a blog literally stands for "Bellowing Loquaciously Over Gomorrah" — loosely translated, though, it means "whatever the stinking writer wants it to be." Here’s a couple photos of the wildlife from the park. If it seems like folks are interested, we’ll post a couple a day for, oh, the next 38 years. Hard to say what is interesting about seeing animals in their true environment – though one woman was heard to say the animals couldn’t be wild because they weren’t in pens … whatever that means – but it is fascinating. These are the first two bears we viewed.

More on sports … and the park … as the week progresses … and please, these photos are for momentary enjoyment only, not for commercial or gambling purposes. Besides, my daughters may have taken them — you want to rip them off? …

Spent the past couple days packing up to take my daughters on vacation. The destination: Yellowstone. Now, I'm not a camper, or an outdoors type. Civilization has come too far, in my estimation, to go back to share space with bugs. That being said, we visited the Grand Canyon last year — stayed in a cabin — and had a great time. This year, it's me and two 12-year-olds heading to Yellowstone.

Didn't know much about the park except that it existed, but once I started talking to folks, the trip became more intriguing. For one, it's the home of Yogi Bear, the bear who loves pic-a-nic baskets. Also, friends who went last year said it's unlike anything they've ever seen. One said so much steam is coming out of the ground in the morning from a thermal underground that it looks the entire park is on fire. Another said we'll think we're on a different planet. An older gentleman I met at Washington said he worked in many different countries — Africa, Asia, Europe, Central America — and lived all over this country. The one trip he said he remembered most? When his grandmother took him to Yellowstone when he was 16.

So we're off to share space with geysers, buffalo, eagles, wolves, elk (did you know they have furry butts) and other different wildlife. They say the buffalo act like they own the place; this picture indicates that might be a true fact. We'll find out. We'll take pictures, and if there's a way to post any we might put a couple online here. Alas, though, no "Bean" in Yellowstone. Barring a buffalo attack or unhappy encounter with a bear — it does happen — we'll be gone until early July

Check back for wildlife photos or other interesting/goofy stuff — but the in-depth sports stuff will be put on hold for a bit. Until then, take care and … there you have it.

Kind of quiet in the sports world these days – but for the fact the Indians lost two of three in Kansas City, which makes this season look more and more dismal. Let’s face it, a team that’s going to contend probably does not lose two-of-three to a team that started the series losing 11 in a row. The Indians? They’re in trouble. These days, they pretty much stink and if things don't change drastcially in a hurry, then the season will be lost. Then it will be time to start thinking about the future of C.C. Sabathia, and whether it’s best to trade him before the deadline.

Shared some thoughts in Sunday’s Beacon Journal about Kellen Winslow, a possible move that could help the Cavs and other random things. That story is here.

A fellow traveler named Jim posted his own photo of “The Bean” in Chicago. And it’s a good one, Jim. Thanks. Which gives me an idea of asking you all this summer to share your most interesting photos of your vacation. Now, this does not mean we pose with Grandma and Uncle Hugo in front of the Grand Canyon (ever see the Far Side with “The Holsteins visit the Grand Canyon”? Classic). That’s been done. These photos would be unique things, different things, interesting discoveries from your vacation. Perhaps the bottom of the Blue Hole, something like that. I’m not sure how to get this accomplished though, so let me do some checking. Until then, Bean photos are in the post after this one. And … here is some information on “The Bean.” (It’s actually called Cloud Gate, but folks in the know call it The Bean.) Click a few times on the page – the stinking Bean weighs 110 tons!!!

Found the new Scott McLellan book interesting. He’s the former press secretary for George Bush, and he came out and said he did not feel he did the right thing justifying the Iraq invasion with lies (that’s my paraphrase). I admire him, but this book also showed how the media went along with the stories it was told about WMD and the rest, and how it was complicit because it did not investigate things deeply enough. So I got to thinking about my profession, and about the accusations by some that media who question the decisions of the administration are unpatriotic or something like that. In fact, the exact opposite is true. It is the job and requirement of the media to question, to ask things, to investigate. The end result that is printed or broadcast has to be balanced and fair (like … umm … Fox News). But the questions have to be asked. It’s the media’s duty. Especially when the issues being discussed affect the lives and well-being of another nation and of our young women and men. They can try to sanitize a war by not allowing photos of flag-draped coffins, but that senseless cover-up doesn’t play in the long run. When lives are at stake, it’s the media’s job to probe. To my knowledge, there is one specific profession protected in the U.S. Constitution, and that’s freedom of the press. The most patriotic thing the press can do, quite frankly, is ask questions.

Now …for some sex.

Gotcha.

A friend of mine once posited (like that word?) that men do not hold women back, women hold women back. Why, I asked oh so intelligently. Because there are more women than men in the nation, he responded, if they don’t like something they can vote the men out. I thought of this during all the hubbub over the release of the Sex and the City movie, a real event if ever there was one. Now, let me say that I found this a pretty good show. It was clever and interesting, if only to give this Neanderthal a tiny peek into the female psyche. Not that I’d ever understand it. Not that any of us on this side of the ledger would ever understand it. But it tried. And I’ll probably see the movie. Well … I will see the movie.

All the stories about the movie detail how the theater is filled with women and the four or five men who are a) dragged their unwillingly or b) willing to go along because … well … arguing is really pretty futile isn’t it? But the thing that gets me about this show is that it’s about women, who for years have complained about the infidelities and quirkiness of men. And what do these women do? They sleep around. They do not commit to anyone. They hang out in bars (only they have Cosmos, not beer). They flit (especially in one case) from man to man. They cheat. They do all the things that men have done for decades. And they’re proud of it. Nothing wrong with sex, mind you, or with searching for fun in New York City. If you lived there and lived as wealthy a lifestyle as these four, it’d be interesting. But isn’t this the stuff men have thoughtlessly done for years?

Women in this and the next generation have a grand chance because many of the barriers that existed in the past have properly come down. They have the chance to erase some of the dumb things that men have done (we really have made a pretty big mess of the world, if you think about it). Just like men have a great opportunity to be more nurturing with their kids if they choose to stay at home with them more. Yet when women have a chance, they often/sometimes just go out and do it exactly like men have done for years.

Now, I have daughters, and I certainly try to teach them that they can do anything they want in life. I hope they understand that. One of my daughters was incensed that girls could not play football, so she thought long and hard about playing next year to prove girls could do it. I was concerned for her, but I’d be concerned if I had a son who wanted to play football. It’s a violent game. It’d be scary if she plays, but I think she’d be a pretty good running back. She’s blessed with determination and speed; she’s beat almost every boy in her class in races. So even with the considerable risks she might just have been able to pull football off – if she wanted to. She decided against it, but the point is there’s none of this “you can’t because you’re a girl” attitude in our home. No reason for it, really.

So women entering the workforce and the movie world and the sports world have a grand opportunity to set new standards, to erase the garbage men put forward for the years they were in charge. But I watch women coach basketball, and they act just like men do on the sidelines. I see Hillary Clinton campaign, and she’s just like her husband and every other man who’s ever campaigned. Same mannerisms, same expressions, same fake smile, same idiotic clapping. All that stuff. (Actually the last true campaign, where someone actually stood up for what he felt was right and not what he thought people wanted to hear, belonged to Robert Kennedy, but that’s a separate topic).

I see this movie, and it glorifies these women for doing all the ridiculous stuff men did. I, in my Neanderthal, not-so-smart male way, find this confusing. Because these career women could set a new standard for being single in New York. Yet it boils down to sleeping around, and either obsessing or making fun of the men they sleep around with – few of which are actually, like, good people.

How about this idea? This movie is about and largely for women. The main characters are women who are raking in gobs of money to make this movie. How about if all four of them said we’re donating two percent or three percent or something like that of our money from this movie and giving it to breast cancer research. They’d still go home with gobs of money, yet they’d be helping women. Maybe they’re doing it, but I haven’t heard if they are.

Women in sports could set a new standard for sportsmanship and behavior that men have lacked – a standard that Mia Hamm and the U.S. Soccer team displayed until Brandi Chastain decided to take off her shirt after she scored a goal to win the World Cup. Would we have celebrated seeing a man in a jockstrap after a winning goal?

Perhaps I should stick to the barbecue, but I just think that women could blaze new trails, set different and perhaps better standards. I just don’t’ get doing the same stupid things we men have been doing for so long.