Editor's Note - Much more on this bullshit after I get out of class. Consider me a fervent anti-Bear fan from here on out.

So according to some late breaking new on ESPN, the NFL has determined that the 49ers are guilty of tampering with Lance Briggs by offering him a contract before they were allowed during the 2007 season. They have lost their fifth round pick and must swap third round picks with the Bears in the upcoming draft.

ESPN writer Jeffri Chadiha did a rundown of the most valuable players of all 32 teams, and of course there was no choice but to name Willis for the 49ers' spot:

"This rookie seemed to be a perfect fit on a team that employs one of the greatest middle linebackers ever (49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary). It turns out that Willis was even better than advertised as he leads the NFL in tackles."

So now much new here, obviously. But I thought I'd point it out anyways.

So I was looking at the homepage at ESPN.com and read the headline "Sutton to try for 800th victory with San Francisco." Now, I just skipped over the "800" part and thought to myself, "is Sabean really trying to sign Don Sutton?"

Yes, Sabean has reached the point where I wouldn't be shocked if he signed a 62-year-old veteran savvy pitcher.

NOTE: The headline is really about the University of San Francisco signing Eddie Sutton as coach.

I know Sabean has made some bad trades and signings over the years, and for that he's deserving of all the blame he gets. However, is the blame for not selling at the trade deadline in year's past worthy of all the scrutiny? Can you criticize a guy for trying to win a World Series while he still has the best player in the game?

So can everybody feel the excitement as Sammy Sosa is on history's doorstep, just one homer away from becoming the fifth player to reach the 600 home run milestone?...

...anyone?

OK, never mind.

All right, this is the best post The Dugout has ever made, and that's saying something. Read the whole thing, it's worth it.

http://dugout.progressiveboink.com/archive/jon120.html

Never has Matt Morris had more value. He's red hot, amplified by the poor offenses he's been facing. He can start declining any time now. I think if Sabean doesn't make the move now, it's a huge mistake.

Yeah, yeah, I know there's been far too many Bonds articles and everybody's tired of them, but this one was too good to let pass. It brings up a great point that can really put things into perspective, and if you're a fan of baseball itself, chances are it will put a smile on your face. That being said, just ignore the poor writing:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=granderson/070531&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab6pos 1

"It's easy to forget with all of the money and media coverage surrounding Major League Baseball that the game cannot be defined by records, or individuals or even the league itself. Baseball is bigger than Bonds, Hank Aaron, Bud Selig and Cooperstown. We can marvel at the talent of great players but just because they play the sport better than the rest of us does not mean the fate of the game lies in their hands. We all have some claim to the spirit of baseball -- from the 6-year-old in her first T-ball game, to the pitcher on your company softball team, to the 250 or so minor league teams sprinkled around the country. Let the Greek tragedy that has become Barry Bonds keep his memorabilia. Those items belong to him. But baseball belongs to us. Steroids can cloud the record books but they can never cloud the joy that comes from grabbing a stick, a ball and a handful of your closest friends (or a group of absolute strangers) for a few innings."

So, rather surprisingly, ESPN the Magazine allowed Barry Zito to write an entire article defending Bonds, and it's rather quite heartwarming...if not a little gay, but whatever. Enjoy:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2880193&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos2

http://deadspin.com/sports/baseball/hank-aaron-is-doing-barry-bonds-no-favors-251044.php

Of course, I'm not quite sure why he would care. I've never quite understood why former record holders are forced to appear happy that they just got passed up. Especially for Aaron, whose chase wasn't all that pleasant, with all those death threats and everything.

If the historic home run comes on the road, as amusingly hypothesized by Deadspin, it's going to be a very lonely celebration.

So ESPN put together a list of the fan bases in sports that have suffered the most over the years. They've put the Giants at 16th overall, which is good (or bad?) for second in baseball behind the Houston Astros.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=schoenfield/070328&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab6po s2

16. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Last title: Never Seasons: 49 Playoffs: 8 Winning seasons: 32 Finals losses: 3 (2)

Selling your soul to the devil moment: Barry Bonds, 2000-2001 offseason.

Soul-sucking moments: Game 7, 1962 (McCovey lines out in bottom of ninth); Game 6, 2002 (seven outs away).

P & S rating: 3.67 (seven Barry Bondses)

So feel proud that your depression has been recognized, McCoven.

http://deadspin.com/sports/nfl/the-49ers-welcome-you-to-pleasantville-247320.php

Yup, that's the new plan that San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom would like to see come to life concerning the stadium (minus the amusing liberties Deadspin took). That's right, he wants a Disneyland outside the stadium.

http://deadspin.com/sports/baseball/baseball-season-preview-san-francisco-giants-242156.php

An excerpt:

The current facts are these: A fourth near-miss is not likely to happen in 2007. Barry Zito's new delivery notwithstanding (that's a crock, by the way; he's planning no such thing), the Giants are too old, have too many holes and are dedicating too many resources to a certain part-time left fielder whose load-bearing beams could collapse at any moment, leaving hundreds dead and injured. I'm not your garden variety Brian Sabean basher; I think he's done more with fewer resources than just about any GM one could name. But like the aging team he's constructed, time is not on his side. As another notable San Francisco character, Robin Williams, once said (and probably stole), "You had an hourglass figure, but your time is up."

I quite like it. An entertaining read.