MONDAY JULY 16TH

Things have been a little hectic here at Coast2Coast's headquarters, so we're doing everything we can to keep bringing you news, notes, and other information from around the world of sports.

Be patient, please.


WHERE HAVE ALL THE RIVALRIES GONE? PART 2
In part two of this two-part series, Courtland Olson delves further into that question.

TUESDAY JULY 10TH

<=> MLB All-Star Game, 8:07 pm Eastern, FOX - This time, it counts. Or something like that. Baseball's best go head-to-head in San Fransisco with the winning league earning home-field advantage in the World Series. Of course, there are other reason's to watch this game. Like Barry Bonds. Not only is he playing in the only stadium that won't boo him every time he breathes, but he's batting second. The last time Bonds batted second was either when he came in to pinch-hit on a double switch, or when he was half his current size and playing in Pittsburgh. The National League hasn't won since 1996, although they came close in 2002, which was also the year the American League didn't win either.





WHERE HAVE ALL THE RIVALRIES GONE? PART 1
In the first of a two-part series, Courtland Olson takes a look at the slowly-disappearing rivalry

TUESDAY JULY 3RD

- Gilbert Arenas loves video games, and if you want to pretend to almost maybe but not quite be like Agent 0 himself, you should play these titles.

- Apparently, Tank Johnson wasn't drunk when he was pulled over in Arizona a couple of weeks ago. It's good news for him, because he didn't do anything illegal - other than put himself in another situation that could only result in a negative outcome for himself. Which isn't really illegal - just dumb.



ONE CITY, TWO STORIES
Grant Tunkel looks at how the beginning of the NHL's free agency period hit New York, whose two teams went in opposite directions

MONDAY JULY 2ND

We here at Coast2Coast Sports would like to apologize for our absence from the Internet over the last couple of days. Some technical difficulties beyond our control (namely: thunderstorm-induced loss of Internet access) have prevented us from putting our blog up. But don't worry - we said we'd last longer than Roger Clemens, and so we'll keep on going.


- The Israel Baseball League survived its first week, and it looks like Bet Shemesh is already running away with it. The squad leads the 6-team league with a perfect 5-0 record, and the Blue Sox - yep, the Blue Sox - are led by 26-year old first baseman Johnny Lopez, who leads the team with four home runs in five games. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear to have a MySpace page, but some of his fellow league members do, and their pages can be found at this link on the league website.



I'LL MISS YOU, METRODOME
Courtland Olson gets all choked up a couple of years early and he reminisces about the Metrodome, which will close up at the decade's end.

FRIDAY JUNE 29TH

- Apparently, Woody Paige couldn't keep his hands to himself. The ESPN regular and former Cold Pizza panelist is being sued for sexual harassment by a former makeup artist for the show. We won't comment any further on this, but we will say that we wanted to sue Paige for his not-so-clever comments on the blackboard he hangs in the background when he appears on Around the Horn.



NBA DRAFT REVIEW
Grant Tunkel looks back at last night's NBA Draft

THURSDAY JUNE 28TH

<=>7:30 pm eastern, ESPN - The NBA draft kicks off with the Portland Trail Blazers making the first selection, likely Greg Oden. Then comes Kevin Durant. Actually, we're getting ahead of ourselves. The draft will most likely begin with the New York crowd chanting something about firing New York Knicks general manager Isiah Thomas. After the chanting and first two picks are out of the way, everything else up in the air. It should be an interesting draft to watch, and will definitely be more fun than the NBA Finals. Although, I can't think of anything that isn't more fun than watching the NBA Finals. Maybe watching paint dry.
[Scroll down for more of Coast2Coast's NBA Draft Coverage]




COAST2COAST SPORTS' NBA DRAFT COVERAGE
Lottery Mock Drafts: Courtland Olson's lllll Grant Tunkel's

John Krizel tells you that Greg Oden will be great, but Kevin Durant will be better, and the SuperSonics should make the sexy pick over the safe pick

WEDNESDAY JUNE 27TH

<=>4:00 pm Eastern, ESPN Classic – It doesn’t get any more clutch than this. Game six of the 1998 NBA Finals, Bulls at Jazz. Michael Jordan says goodbye by crossing over Bryon Russell and dropping a jump shot to win the game for the Bulls, their sixth championship with Jordan. He also had 45 that night. Did we ruin the ending for you? If you answered yes, we have two responses. One, what the heck have you been doing that you’ve never seen at least that final shot? And two, too bad – it’s worth watching anyway.




Coast2Coast Sports' NBA Draft Coverage
Grant Tunkel gives his view of how the lottery will go down, while Courtland Olson has his version of what will happen at the Garden tomorrow night

TUESDAY JUNE 26TH

- There have been a lot of famous arguments between players and umpires in baseball history, but the one between Paul Lo Duca and plate umpire Marvin Hudson may be this year's best. After the New York Mets catcher disagreed with the umpire's call that made it 0-2, the latter tossed the former, and the former (that's Lo Duca, if you haven't followed) went ballistic. Eyes bugled, bats flew, shin guards soared - and now Lo Duca may be sitting. The rant that the catcher hopes his daughter didn't see has earned him two games. Lo Duca is appealing, but you'd have to think his chances are slim.

- Another absence could felt in New York in the next week, but this one is of gastric proportions. Champion hot dog eater Takeru Kobayashi has won the last six July 4th contests at the Nathan's on Coney Island in New York, but now may not attend this year's competition. Rumors swirled after the death of his mother earlier this year, but now there's a good chance that a recent development will keep him out of contention. Kobayashi has been diagnosed a jaw injury. Right now he's listed as day-to-day, and he's also the betting underdog. Coast2Coast will follow all the developments (and maybe even be there live for the eating extravaganza).




GARNETT'S GOTTA GO
Courtland Olson says it's time for the T'Wolves and their franchise player to part ways

SAY HALO TO BASEBALL'S NEXT DYNASTY
The Angels are really good - so good that Nick Kostopoulos thinks they'll be dominating baseball for a long time

HOT OFF THE STOVE
Grant Tunkel talks hot stove baseball with the July 31st trading deadline only a month off, and the two New York teams look to be wheeling and dealing

MONDAY JUNE 25TH

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OREGON STATE BEAVERS, THE 2007 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS


- Yesterday was an eventful day in the world of Major League Baseball, so here’s the short of it:
o Former closer Rod Beck, 38, passed away. Details are still forthcoming, so all we’ll say is that the popular and outgoing Beck finished his career with 286 saves and was, for a time, the San Francisco Giants’ all-time franchise record-holder. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.
o Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dustin McGowan came within three outs of a no-hitter, holding the Colorado Rockies to just one walk before Jeff Baker singled to lead off the 9th. McGowan finished out the game for his first career complete game and shutout. Teammate Frank Thomas homered in the fourth, and now sits at 499 on his career.
o The New York Mets beat the Oakland Athletics 10-2, completing the three-game sweep. It was the Mets’ first sweep at home all season and it capped off their first series win since May. It brings their record in the month of June to 7-14.
o The New York Yankees have now lost 5 of 6 after falling to the Giants 7-2. The Bombers seemingly had righted the ship with a 9-game winning streak earlier in the month, but since then the Yankees have floundered and are back to 11.5 games out of first.
o Ken Griffey, Jr. homered twice although the Cincinnati Reds fell to the Seattle Mariners 3-2. Junior’s two blasts put him at 584, one ahead of Mark McGwire to put him in seventh place all time



GRIFFEY WOULD BE KING
Barry Bonds will eventually become the questionable home run king, but Grant Tunkel examines a scenario that would make Bonds' reign brief - until Ken Griffey, Jr. took over

SUNDAY JUNE 24TH

<=>7:00 pm Eastern, ESPN - All of a sudden, Oregon State finds itself one win away from repeating as college baseball’s champion. The Beavers defeated the Tar Heels 11-4 yesterday, putting them one win away from becoming college baseball’s first repeat champion in a decade. North Carolina must win tonight, or else they will have lost in the championship series for the second consecutive year. It’s win or go home for them, and it’s win and go home for the Beavers. Obviously, OSU’s trip back to the Pacific northwest would be a little more enjoyable.




NBA LOTTERY MOCK DRAFT
Courtland Olson throws down his version of how the lottery picks will play out