The man makes a strong point.

It's amazing that so many fans seem to think that stealing bases when you're down by double digit runs is somehow breaking one of the game's unwritten rules. When you're up by a bunch you don't steal; when you're trying to come back - with 5 innings left to play - it's a calculated risk and nothing more.

The whole thing's worth a read. He disapproves of a lot of what Nyjer did, but not the stolen bases.

The Cubs are 28-35 and look like sellers. They just promised everyday playing time to young OF Tyler Colvin, which will come at the expense of Kosuke Fukudome and Xavier Nady.  Kosuke is hitting.276/.370/.453, but those averages look better than they are because for the 3rd year in a row he started out hot and is now in a tailspin.  Nady is batting .250/.330/.424 and is coming off Tommy John surgery, so his numbers could actually improve.

Fukudome is due $14 million this year and $14.5 million next year.  The Nats could probably get the Cubs to eat a good portion of that.  Nady is due between $3.3 and $5.3 million total this year, depending on bonuses. 

Because of Fukudome's (large) and Nady's (expiring) contracts, it seems either could be gotten by giving up very little.  Could either solve the RF problem this,  and in Fukudome's case next, year?

How will the coming conference realignment -- assuming it is seismic -- impact Marquette and the Big East non-football schools?  Could it lead to a basketball-school only conference, or even a national Catholic Conference?

If we end up with 16-team leagues the SEC might feel it needs to expand and pillage the ACC.  To make up for the losses the ACC could in turn pillage some football schools from the BE, say Louisville, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.  Even if Rutgers and Syracuse were not gobbled by the Big 10 they'd leave the BE in search of football competition.

Is a scenario possible in which the Catholic schools from the BE join with other Catholic schools from the Midwest and Northeast to form the "Eastern Catholic Conference"?  Marquette, DePaul, Villanova, Georgetown, Seton Hall, St. John's, Providence from the BE, Xavier, Dayton, St. Louis and Duquense, St. Joe's & St. Bonaventure from the A-10, maybe a Creighton, Canisius or Siena if they need to fill things out.

It's no BE but at least we'd cover a lot of big metro areas.  In the event the BE falls apart, is this the best we can hope for?

I am looking to ditch Comcast and receive only over-the-air channels. Do I have any options that will let me continue to watch the Nats?  MLB.tv won't work because I am in market. So what is a non-cable/satellite subscribing Nats fan to do?  Are any games carried over the air, or is there any (legal) way to watch online?  If anyone has any ideas, I'd greatly appreciate it - thanks!