Question of the Week

Ron, Spring Branch, TX
Subj: Best athletes in history
Are drugs the reason we have seen “the best ever” in so many sports the past 20 years or so?

Drugs are certainly part of the equation, but today’s athletes have also benefited greatly from better training methods and technological advances. Babe Ruth is a perfect example. Imagine how much better the Bambino could have been if he ever exercised in the off-season, or for that matter, if he simply abstained from eating hot dogs in between his at-bats. One also has to wonder how much better Ruth’s batting average could have been if he had opted for one of today’s more streamlined Louisville Sluggers rather than the 54-ounce railroad tie he used for most of his career. I have no doubt that HGH can transform a skinny shortstop into an unstoppable slugger but I also think that the evolution of off-season training, better equipment, improved coaching and scouting methods and even the use of video are all big reasons why today’s athletes are among the best we’ve ever witnessed.

You've Got To Be Joking

Sit back and relax as you enjoy this week’s Sports Shorts.

The Miami Heat have been tabbed to play several preseason games in Europe next October as part of NBA Europe Live 2008. The showcase is intended to show foreign fans that absolutely anyone can play basketball.

NFL owners are considering a proposal to ban players from having hair obscure the names on their jerseys. Luckily for offensive linemen, the potential policy does not include back hair.

Denver center Nene had to shake off the cobwebs in his first game back after undergoing surgery to remove a malignant testicular tumor. The 6’11 Brazilian attributed his rustiness to not handling enough balls during his layoff.

The Dallas Cowboys are continuing to pursue Titans cornerback Pacman Jones. Their latest offer is believed to include a seventh round draft pick, a player to be named later, a medley of fruit and thousands of tiny power pellets.

Rain, lightning and thunder forced the suspension of third-round play at the Zurich Classic. The foul weather proved for the first time this year that Tiger Woods isn’t the only force of nature that can take over a golf tournament.

Former NBA player Isaiah Rider must appear in court next month after being arrested for driving a stolen car. If he isn’t more careful he could start giving guys named Isaiah a bad name.

This just in: UNC center Tyler Hansbrough may have finally blinked. We’ll keep you posted as more details become available.

The Miami Heat scored only 17 baskets in an 88-62 loss to the Celtics. On the positive side, the WNBA has expressed interest in adding them as an expansion franchise.

Australian Olympic swimmer Nick D'Arcy was charged Monday with assault following a nightclub altercation in Sydney. Apparently swimming isn’t the only thing he does like a fish.

Chinese President Hu Jintao presided over the re-lighting of the Olympic torch Monday in Beijing. And here’s the really good news: not a single Tibetan was set on fire during the incident.

Commissioner Bud Selig has confirmed that Major League Baseball is hard at work on a more reliable HGH test. The new test will completely do away with science and simply flag any player who resembles his own bobblehead.