How it went Down

Good Morning Rioters! In a new segment attempt, I'm going to try and sum up the news in sports in a sentence or two because, well let's face, Jay and I can go on about things; can't we? So since you've all already been to your other favorite Sports news site (especially those on the right coast) for scores and analysis, I'm not going to try and be the scoreboard here; you already know the scores. I'm going to share with you the "score" through the eyes of advanced fandom; it's The Riot!'s form of a scoreboard.

*STOP THE PRESSES! The Pittsburgh Pirates are in first place. That's right folks, the Bucs are back. The last time they were in first place this late in the season was in 1997. WOW, that's a long time. Relevance feels good, doesn't it Pittsburgh?  Let's check the almanac and see what was happening in the last time this happened.

-I was a 21 year old youngin' with snot in my nose, just getting ready to take on the world (I was a late bloomer).

-I did not own a cell phone
-AROD was still three years away from signing the deal that ended all small market teams hopes of ever being competitive.
-Justin Beiber was only 3 years old
-Madonna had won the "best actress" award at the Golden Globes for "Evita." WTF?
-The Spice Girls were still relevant <yikes>
*How did everybody miss the Jeff Keppinger to the Giants move. C'mon guys, it's Jeff Keppinger. I heard no rumors, no winds swirling around this deal before it happened. What a shocker. (side note: it's actually a decent move for the Gigantes)
*Bernie Williams is out there hawking music and a book about music. It's not that he's not talented, but does he look like a musician to you? Think about it.
*Shaq smashes the NBA "gentleman," which is what he is...gentile. Do to Chris Bosh's disappearing act during the Finals, Shaq, during his first official statements as an NBA analyst, proclaimed "the Big 3" in Miami to actually be "The Big 2." Fair? Maybe, only time will tell.
*Jose Reyes came off the DL last night and went 2 for 5 with a run scored. Game on.
*The NFL lockout is still on; Ho Hum.  I sure hope ESPN "First Take" covers it though.... Oh they already are? For how many hours? WTF?
*Finally, in another sign of the apocalypse, it appears that the Texas Rangers are for real....AGAIN! They won there 12th straight last night essentially putting away the Angels and setting themselves up for a "cruise control" type August.