The way he won will certainly be addressed on Raw tonight, but before I get to that match let’s take a look at everything else that took place last night.

The pre-show featured Zack Ryder against Kane in a match that was actually competitive. As expected, Kane won Ryder suffered another loss as his future looks less and less bright in the company.

The night began with a Battle Royal in which the winner would get to choose to challenge for either Cody Rhodes’ Intercontinental Championship, or Santino’s United States Championship.

The ring began to fill up with wrestlers who are usually confined to NXT and Superstars. This changed when Christian entered the matchup and became the clear favorite. He was among the final four which included himself, David Otunga, The Miz, and surprisingly Tyson Kidd.

Christian ended up winning by eliminating The Miz, and seemed to challenge Santino. This all changed later in the night when Christian approached Cody Rhodes backstage and told him that he would actually go after Rhodes’ Intercontinental Championship.

The next match saw Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger take on Kofi Kingston and R-Truth for their Tag Team Championship belts. Kingston and Truth proved victorious, which I see as a smart move by the WWE. This now allows for a possible feud between Epico and Primo under the management of A.W.

Divas champion Layla successfully defended her title against Beth Phoenix, as these two seem to be locked in a feud that should last until the (hopefully) inevitable return of Kharma.

Champions became a perfect three for three on the night when Sheamus defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Alberto Del Rio. The match ended with Sheamus pinning Jericho, after Del Rio was knocked out by an RKO, and Orton was taken out by a Brogue kick.

The Miz came to the ring next and said he was a better dancer than Brodus Clay. After some comical dancing leading up to his obvious defeat, Clay made his way to the ring. The Miz gave him a decent match, but Brodus Clay quickly finished him off to secure the victory.

The first title change of the night came in the next match between Christian and Cody Rhodes. Rhodes was fuming about how he was too good to fight Christian, which led to a Killswitch from Christian that gave him the Intercontinental title belt in his return.

The best match of the night, and even of the entire year, came in the form of CM Punk versus Daniel Bryan. This match could warrant an entire article, but in short the match was a back and forth contest that features numerous submission holds.

At the end, Bryan had a “Yes lock” locked in when Punk rolled through and had Bryan’s shoulders on the mat. The ref reached the three count a second before Punk tapped, which gave him the victory. This feud will certainly continue on throughout the summer, and it seems likely that AJ will somehow get involved.

Next up was Ryback against Camacho. It was a squash match. Enough said.

It was finally time for the main event, but the excitement was not there. It seemed all but certain that Laurinaitis would find a way to win, but how he would do this was the only question.

The match began with Big Johnny trying to escape through the crowd and Cena grabbing him and bringing him back to the ring. Cena then went on to completely dominate the GM for the near remainder of the match.

This consisted of spinning Laurinaitis around, pouring water on him, dumping trash on his head, ringing the bell in his ear, and dousing him with a fire extinguisher.

Everything changed when Laurinaitis slammed Cena’s arm on the barricade. He then hit Cena with a chair and went for a pin. Cena kicked out and Big Johnny ran through the crowd and out of sight. He returned with Big Show dragging him back into the ring.

It looked as if Big Show was going to watch Cena finish off Laurinaitis, until he delivered a knockout punch to Cena. Laurinaitis secured the victory and Big Show cemented  his status as a major heel.

This was a very predictable result, but it will surely have meaning as the storyline plays out leading up to No Way Out. It will be interesting to see the fallout from this match tonight on Raw. The Board of Directors will likely have something to say about how Laurinaitis won, and a Triple H sighting is certainly possible.

As you know if you follow my blog Primility or my Twitter account, I have significantly changed my eating habits recently to focus on whole, natural foods. More than just food, I try to choose natural products whenever possible. It seems to me, for the most part, to almost always be the safer, healthier, better option. (Whether this is always true, I can’t say for certain, but it makes logical sense to me so I go with it.)

So when Enzyte contacted me about trying/discussing their new product Enzyte 24/7, my initial reaction was a quick “No thanks.” Not only have I never been interested in any product dealing with male enhancement, I tend to be against “taking” anything unless absolutely necessary.

But then I dug into the product a little more and learned the following:

• Enzyte 24/7 contains no drugs or substances that are not naturally occurring; nothing that hasn’t been regularly consumed by humans for thousands of years. So unlike a drug, you don’t have to wonder about the possible unknown consequences of a new artificial substance.
• They are offering a $10 coupon to folks who want to give it a try.

So, with Enzyte containing naturally occurring ingredients and with a little bit of savings on the table for any of you who want to give it a try, I figured it was worth bringing to your attention.

A couple quick disclaimers:

• I have not tried the product, so I cannot personally vouch for its effectiveness.
• The FDA requires that I inform you that these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Enzyte products should be taken as part of a healthy lifestyle and individual results may vary.

With that said, Enzyte 24/7 – the latest product from the company that has been around since 2001 – was developed by industry experts and is a premium blend of natural herbs and extracts. It includes clinically tested ingredients that have been shown to:

• Support erectile function
• Promote critical blood flow
• Guard against nutrient deficiencies that may impact volume and potency

Additionally, taking Enzyte daily may help:

• Support blood flow all day and all night /Maintain Critical Blood Flow
• Achieve firmer, stronger, fuller-feeling erections
• Reach peak sexual enhancement
• Increase Erection Quality and Stamina
• Heighten Arousal and Response
• Regain Male Sexual Power and Confidence
• Boost Sexual Spontaneity

Here a couple of commercials that will provide additional background and entertainment:

If you are looking for a product that can help you achieve any of the effects listed above, learn more it at their facebook page (Enzyte on Facebook) and website. Feel free to come back here and comment to let us know how your experience went.

“Dwyane Wade did not really play well,” Granger said respectfully of Wade’s 5-point effort Saturday in Game 3. “Guarantee he won’t play like that again. I actually watched film of other times we played him, where he had 30 points, 36 points, you know, whatever. He is very capable, he just had an off night. We know he won’t play that bad.”

Sure enough, Wade didn’t.

Miami's Dwyane Wade was aggressive all game in scoring 30 points in Game 4, including this slam dunk against Tyler Hansbrough of the Pacers. (Mike Fender/The Star)

The much-maligned superstar had 30 points — 22 in the decisive second half — nine rebounds and six assists to support a monster game by LeBron James as the Miami Heat regained home court advantage with a 101-93 victory over Indiana on Sunday.

Wade rebounded from the worst playoff performance of his career, shaking off a 1-for-8 shooting start to finish 13-for-23, including a huge second half that followed an altercation with Granger right before the break.

James hit for 40 points on 14-for-27 shooting, grabbed 18 rebounds and dished out nine assists.

“I’ve been doubted before. I’ll be doubted again,” Wade said.

“We had a terrible performance in Game 3,” James said. “We wanted to redeem ourselves.”

Playing without Chris Bosh since halftime of Game 1, the Heat have struggled to find a third scoring option to supplement James and Wade. Udonis Haslem, who was Wade’s teammate on the 2006 championship team, finally came through, scoring 14 points.

The Heat shot well from the floor all game (48 percent), including a 5-for-12 effort from three-point range after shooting an abysmal 5-for-42 in the first three games combined.

Miami held the Pacers to 42 percent shooting and won the battle on the glass, 47-38.

“Just survival,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “This is what the playoffs are about.”

Granger led the Pacers with 20 points, while Darren Collison came off the bench to score 16, including 10 in the second quarter. Paul George chipped in 13 and Roy Hibbert finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Danny Granger (33) reacts to his technical foul while his teammates look on. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (left) seemed to be fueled by the altercation and dominated the Pacers in the third period. (Matt Kryger/The Star)

Indiana, as it has done every game this series, jumped out to an early nine-point advantage, this time racing out of the gates with a 9-0 spurt. They would eventually hold a 54-46 lead at halftime.

But James and Wade took over in the pivotal third quarter, where Indiana had made their move in the previous two games and led by 10 in this one. Miami dominated Indiana, outscoring the Pacers 30-16, with James and Wade accounting for all but two of the points.

“Beautiful basketball,” Wade said.

The closest the Pacers would come after Miami’s run would be five at 96-91 on a three-pointer by Granger with 1:33 left in the fourth.

“You get the ball out of one of those guy’s hands and it gets to the other guy’s,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said of trying to defend the All-Star tandem. “It’s not like one superhero and a bunch of role guys.”

Wade’s part in the explosion seemed to be fueled by yet more controversy, this after days of scrutiny into his comments about the Pacers’ Game 2 “celebration” and his verbal altercation with his head coach during a timeout in Game 3.

At the end of the second quarter with 12.6 seconds remaining, Wade was fouled hard by Hibbert. After the whistle, a frustrated Wade slapped off Hibbert’s arm after the two got tangled. Granger didn’t like that and he confronted Wade.

Wade showed restraint, turning to the official and asking him to “get him out of my face.”

Granger was slapped with a technical foul for the second straight game, and as Wade lined up to shoot his free throw, the Indiana forward kept jawing at him, unlike his respectful pregame comments about the struggling star.

Wade showed no restraint with his game in the second half, and the Heat ran away with it.

“In the third quarter, it was just too much,” Granger said after the game.

It was the smartest thing Granger said all day, definitely smarter than the talking he did before halftime, but now a three-game series with two in Miami might be too much for the Pacers as well.

*****

Jeff LeJeune writes on a broad spectrum of topics, from spirituality to sports to synchronicity and synergy, while finally learning to smile a little more at it all. Visit JeffLeJeune.com and follow on Twitter @JeffLeJeune.

Today’s Game 4 against Indiana is still a must-win for the Heat, but for far more than the simple reason of having a shot to win the series.

Dwyane Wade walks off the court as the Pacers celebrate their 78-75 Game 2 victory. (Andrew Innerarity / Reuters)

The most basic reason the Heat need a victory is to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series. This would not be the end for the Heat, but it would be a tough task to take three in a row against a Pacers team with all of the momentum in the series.

Besides that clear reason, the Heat need a win to get things back on the right track. Dwyane Wade cannot score five points, get in an argument with his coach, and be let off the hook. He also finished with the worst plus/minus of any player in the game at -25.

With Bosh out, Wade and LeBron need to combine for around 60 points for the Heat to have any shot of winning against the Pacers. If they can reach that scoring clip, then 25 points from Chalmers, as he had on Thursday, would surely make up for the void of Chris Bosh.

The biggest problem that the Heat face, and one of the main reasons why they struggled on Thursday, is their lack of depth beyond Bosh, James, and Wade. Mario Chalmers has stepped up this year as the best player outside of the Big Three, but he can not be expected to put up twenty points a game.

Especially with Bosh out, other players will need to step up. When Wade has a bad game, LeBron is not capable of doing it all by himself, as the lack of offensive threats leads to the Pacers keying in on him specifically.

Shane Battier is one of these players, and he had a forgettable performance on Thursday. In 23 minutes he had zero points and zero assists, which did nothing to help the Heat’s cause. He only has five points in the entire series in a total of 80 minutes. As a starter he will need to at least get into double digits in scoring to help his team.

Finding a combination of guys to play down low has become a special project for Erik Spoelstra in Bosh’s absence. He tried to put Dexter Pittman in the starting center spot, but he was clearly outmatched and only played three minutes in the game. Joel Anthony is usually in this spot, but he is not a scoring threat compared to Bosh.

The Heat have the ability to come out and quiet their critics with a win over Indiana, but LeBron and D-Wade will have to play near perfect basketball. Both will have to put up scoring in the 20s, along with at least one other player. This may be Mario Chalmers, or even a surprise player like Udonis Haslem or even Shane Battier.

It will need to be a near perfect effort by James and Wade for the Heat to win, which is in stark contrast to the total team game being played by the Pacers. Relying on two guys, (usually three when Bosh is healthy), is not a great way to combat a team that plays a total team game, so the outlook for the Heat is very gloomy if they can not find a way to win Game 4.

Over the Limit comes just three weeks after Extreme Rules, which has resulted in some short builds to the current feuds.

Even with this short build-up, there are still some very intriguing matches with title and employment implications.

Pre-Show: Zack Ryder vs Kane

Zack Ryder has not been seen or heard from much since his feud with Kane at the beginning of the year. He was on Team Teddy at Wrestlemania 28 and has teamed with Santino, but it is much more common to see Ryder lose quickly than to ever score a win. The best way to see Ryder is to watch an episode of “Z! True Long Island Story”.

Kane has been in two major feuds since the beginning of 2012, with the first being against John Cena. Kane constantly abused Zack Ryder, who Cena was friends with, which led to a match at Elimination Chamber. Cena defeated Kane in an ambulance match that ended their feud in order for Cena to focus on The Rock.

Kane then had a feud with Randy Orton that saw matches at both Wrestlemania 28 and Extreme Rules. Kane took the first match, but Orton defeated Kane in a falls count anywhere match, which ended their feud.

The booking of this match is a little puzzling, but it could lead to a competitive feud between the two. The only problem is that it is a few months overdue.

A win by Ryder could spark a run of competitive matches between the two, but this match may end up being nothing but filler for a forced pre-show.

• Prediction: Kane defeats Zack Ryder

Divas Championship Match: Layla vs Beth Phoenix

Layla made her return at Extreme Rules in April, which was the same pay-per-view in which she tore both her ACL and MCL a year prior. She defeated the recently fired Nikki Bella to win the title.

She filled the vacant spot left by Beth Phoenix, who was not cleared to compete after suffering an injury on Raw, which let Nikki Bella win the title in the first place.

Beth Phoenix held the title for over 200 days and is one of the few Divas in the WWE with the true wrestling ability to be capable of being champion. The fact that she held the title for so long makes it seem like Layla will be able to defend it at Over the Limit, especially since their feud can actually gain some steam if Phoenix does in fact lose.

Whatever the result may be, one of these women will certainly face Kharma upon her return.

• Prediction: Layla defeats Beth Phoenix

Tag Team Championship Match: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger

The Tag Team division in the WWE has finally begun to matter once again.

The titles were not even defended at Extreme Rules, and they were on the pre-show at Wrestlemania 28. Epico and Primo were the champions during this time, but they dropped the belts to the current champions, Kingston and Truth, the day after Extreme Rules.

This matchup is a little confusing, considering the fact that Ziggler and Swagger do not have a legitimate feud with the champs. The match itself could lead to something, but I think that it is very possible to see Epico and Primo interfere. They are now under the management of A.W. (the stable is run by Abraham Washington and stands for “All World”), who has told them in backstage segments that they will become prominent under his management.

A.W. recently signed strongman Mason Ryan, which has not been a major storyline up until this point. It would be a major jump start for the stable if they interfered in the match, and possibly pulled out a rematch clause for Epico and Primo.

Back to the match itself, it seems like a clear outcome that Kingston and Truth will successfully defend their titles. Them retaining the titles could set up the previously mentioned feud against Epico and Primo, or even one against Smackdown newcomers Darren Young and Titus O’Neil.

• Prediction: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeat Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Sheamus vs Randy Orton vs Chris Jericho vs Alberto Del Rio

This match came together after the four were involved in a tag team match. Sheamus and Randy Orton took on Jericho and Del Rio. At the end of the match Sheamus looked to put away Jericho with a brogue kick, but he ducked it and it connected to the face of Randy Orton. Once Orton got up he seemed to tell Sheamus that he was fine, before surprising him with an RKO.

The three men, besides Sheamus, all had a claim to a match at Over the Limit, which is what led to the fatal four-way match.

The odds are extremely stacked against Sheamus, and him losing the title seems very likely. The only question is who will be the one to win the title.

Del Rio was not even on Raw or Smackdown this week, and his lack of exposure may lead to a very negative fan reaction if he were to win. Jericho is reportedly leaving the WWE soon to go on tour with his band, so him winning looks less and less likely.

The right choice, if Sheamus is to lose, would be to have Orton win. He is beginning to turn heel, and a win could set up a long-lasting feud with Sheamus that lasts throughout the summer.

• Prediction: Randy Orton defeats Sheamus, Jericho, and Del Rio

WWE Championship Match: CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan

This match was thrown together very quickly, after a beat-the-clock challenge was put in place to determine the challenger to Punk’s title.

Daniel Bryan won the challenge after he defeated Jerry “The King” Lawler, (Really, Jerry Lawler? There must have been someone better for Bryan to beat), well under the time limit.

There has been little build-up to this match, which is disappointing considering the history between these two wrestlers. There is more on-air respect between the two than there is feuding, but the lack of filler will certainly be made up for with a great display of wrestling.

Having Punk retain the title could set up a situation where the two actually have time to get a feud started. Having AJ come into the picture on Punk’s side could add some intrigue to the situation, even after Punk told AJ that he wanted nothing to do with her.

It would be a surprise to me if Punk were to lose after such a rushed matchup, which is why I see him retaining his title.

• Prediction: CM Punk defeats Daniel Bryan

John Cena vs John Laurinaitis

Laurinaitis put himself into this match when he, with the help of Lord Tensai, assaulted Cena one night after Lesnar drove Cena to the point of near defeat at Extreme Rules. They attacked the “injured” arm of Cena, which looked like it would have a major effect on this match. However, Cena’s arm seems to completely healed after the beating, which bodes well for him in this match.

An announcement was handed down on Raw on Monday that if any superstar were to interfere in this match they would be fired. Also, if Laurinaitis were to lose he would be fired. This sets up two possible scenarios.

The first scenario would be for Cena to win. This could set up a situation where Teddy Long is reinstated, and he embarrasses Big Johnny and Eve. David Otunga could even make a turn to Teddy’s side, which could get him back in action, as opposed to being a lawyer figure.

The other, seemingly more likely, scenario would be for Laurinaitis to defeat Cena with some outside interference. No active superstar could interfere in the match, but this would not prevent the recently fired Big Show, or even Brock Lesnar who just quit, from interfering in the match.

Big Show would make perfect sense, as he would do anything to get back in the WWE. However if this were to happen, Laurinaitis’ happiness would be short-lived. As he was gloating on Raw this Monday night, it would be anything but surprising if Triple H came out and told him that he cheated and is in fact fired.

This is all purely speculation, but these two scenarios seem the most likely to happen tonight in the Cena-Laurinaitis match.

• Prediction: Laurinaitis defeats Cena

Other Notes

With only five matches on the card, it is likely that there will be three more matches added on. One will surely include Brodus Clay, who could take on the Miz. Ryback could even get on the card, but will be booed if he takes on another local jobber.

An interesting possibility could be another title match being added to the card, with that being Santino’s US title, or Cody Rhodes’ Intercontinental title. An even more interesting possibility: a title unification match.

The two squared off on Smackdown, with Santino winning the match, which makes this matchup more and more likely. It would also give Santino a legitimate feud after not having one for a significant period of time, and would help Rhodes move past his feud with Big Show.

Golf is a great example of one of the sports that certainly does get its fair share “SportsCenter time,” but is not anywhere near as renowned as the likes of football, basketball, and baseball.

And to be honest, it probably never will be.

But just because golf and the PGA Tour will probably never break the threshold separating the first and second-tier sports leagues, it doesn’t mean it can’t continue to grow, evolve, and expand its place in the wide world of sports.

Rickie Fowler is just one example of exciting American golfers bursting onto the scene, as he's looked great in the last few tournaments. Photo courtesy Dom Furore via Golf Digest

Now before I discuss what can help golf grow, it should be noted that I am indeed a golfer and have been so for most of my life. I played competitively all throughout high school, so I know first hand what it is like to play and love a sport that often gets overlooked.

In my opinion, there’s only two series of events that could signal said growth, so let’s get right down to them.

The first one is obvious: Tiger Woods’ domination.

If at any time Tiger somehow can tap back in to the dominance that we saw him exhibit last decade, all sports fans would tune into PGA events weekly so they could watch the best of all-time dominate the field and/or duel it out on Sunday.

Woods proved to us that heads can be turned toward golf, but there has to be a very intriguing story there to do so.

But as we all know, Tiger has not been able to look like the all-time great of old, and he has actually struggled in more recent instances than not. He was able to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in March, which reminded us that he does still have the raw ability to go out there and scrape out a win in any given tournament. But overall, he has not been able to put together any prolonged success.

As long as Tiger continues to look like the most talented player in the field only from time to time, not regularly, casual golf fans will continue to tune in just in case they are able to watch Tiger put together something special. but won’t become consistent viewers.

Yeah, Tiger is that big of a deal. Photo courtesy Pete Souza via Wikimedia

Besides a resurgence from Tiger Woods, the only other series of events that could take place to help substantially grow golf’s place in American sport is actually already taking place in this 2012 PGA Tour season.

That is widespread success by the younger, more likable, popular, and renowned golfers that “have promise,” or a few of the old guard that are still out there competing at a high level.

And in most cases, it helps when they’re American, too.

Rory McIlroy dominated the 2011 US Open, winning by 8 strokes. Photo courtesy Getty Images

Casual golf fans probably have heard a good deal about Rory McIlroy in the last few years, and Sergio Garcia throughout the past decade; and while Garcia didn’t live up to the hype, McIlroy looks like he will be at the top of the world’s golf rankings for years to come. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But Rory alone won’t attract enough of an audience to golf.

It’s those lovable Americans applying pressure throughout the field that will do so.

Specifically, I’m talking about the likes of Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley, Matt Kuchar, Jason Dufner, Phil Mickelson, and so forth. This year, we’ve seen a lot of success from these guys, and it’s helped golf overcome the struggles of Tiger Woods.

If we continue to see success from the likes of those players, the PGA Tour’s popularity will only continue to grow. I mean, what’s not to like about these guys? Whether it’s the flashy Puma outfits from Fowler, the “grip it and rip it” mentality of Watson, or the traditional American golfer nature of Mahan and Kuchar, there really isn’t anything to root against.

And with them all having success so far in 2012, it’s time to get excited.

I don’t know anybody that wasn’t absolutely thrilled to watch Bubba receive the green jacket surrounded by the beautiful pink azaleas (I’m not a flower expert). These guys such as Watson will be role models for America’s current youth, much like Tiger was for my generation.

So even though no one will dominate any time soon or possibly ever again like Woods did, that is not what’s most important.

Tiger was likable, fun to watch, and made what many people label as a “slow sport” become infinitely more exciting. While we aren’t going to see that stretch of invincibility from one player, we may be able to see it spread throughout several guys for a while to come, which would suffice just fine.

Bubba Watson hugging his caddy after winning The Master's. Photo courtesy Associated Press

Sure, it would be a blast to watch Rory win a dozen majors throughout the next 8 or 10 years, but to pull in the same crowd throughout America as Arnold, Jack, and Tiger did, it would probably be preferred if it were home-bred heroes climbing the ranks.

And if you’re a casual golf fan but have not been paying much attention this year, it’s time to tune in…these guys can play.

And to tailgate, they need a grill.

So last night, they decided to assemble a grill. Drew decided to be that guy and keep a running diary of the entire process. And spill beer. Yes, he was that guy too.

But don’t take my word for it. Read Drew’s own words below.

******

9:58 We are five minutes into the process, and nothing has been accomplished. Amanda cannot read the directions and I need a beer, but it isn’t cold yet.  Chris has already threatened to take his pants off (I don’t know why either).

“Which side do I screw?” “Both.”

10:02 The beer is still not cold. Chris has not peed the bed. The grill isn’t any closer to getting completed. The directions say it should take 30 minutes. Might have to work on this at tailgating.

10:03 “THE LID IS DONE!”

10:05 I broke beer and left Amanda’s coozie at the bar.

The state of North Dakota must be so proud.

Apparently this is more important than parts K and I double teaming N.

10:06 “Did you use N yet? Because I think we messed up.”
“Just screw it in!”
“Do these go outside the nuts?”
“What’s a black nut?”

10:07 “Now we’re going to attach some hinges!”

10:09 “HINGES!”

10:11 Amanda quit breathing for 45 seconds, only to revive enough to yell about the hinges again.

10:14 “No wonder this isn’t working! You’re playing with the bottom!”

10:18 The conversation turned to the movie Teeth. Trust me when I say that you don’t want to know anything besides the fact nothing about the grill got accomplished.

10:18-10:22 Anchorman quotes

10:22 Chris broke a nail. On his pointer finger. It is the most important one. Duh.

10:23 “Wait, is there a toolbox? You’re a toolbox.”

10:24 It is finally time for the bottom part to be used properly.

10:27 I think we just listened to a Mumford and Sons cover of a Nelly song. Again, I don’t know why.

10:29 “HOW ARE ALL OF THE PIECES GONE?! Are these just pieces you decided don’t go on?”
We are 40 minutes into a 30 minutes process.

10:31 “How does this work?” You can’t just not use pieces, that is what the directions are for!”

10:36 It can’t be done if it’s not done. Amanda has now resorted to yelling. We are also reportedly grilling in the house. More details to come after this ten second pause for station identification.

10:37 Rap song reference

10:43 But really, this is taking forever. There is just stuttering going on at this point.

10:48 Chris dropped “cumbersome”. Shit just got real.

10:55 This is still a thing. I’m bored too.

12:29 The grill eventually got made. I just started drinking and playing darts. Hopefully it doesn’t blow up tomorrow at tailgating.

Tyler, Drew, and Exuberent Tailgate Guy (picture by Amanda)

I was six years old, so I don’t remember much of anything from that game, but I do remember being told over and over again that I was witnessing MLB history.

That day Chicago Cubs fans and I fell in love with Kerry Wood.

Fast forward to May 18th, 2012, and 14 years after that historic day, Wood announced he would be retiring from baseball.

Wood would be brought in to pitch part of the 8th inning against the rival White Sox. In his last appearance as a Cubs and as a MLB player, he struck out Dayan Viciedo.

It was a perfect ending to a career that could be labeled as unfulfilled.

It’s true that Kerry Wood never lived up to his true potential. Instead, he fell into the very prevalent scenario in the sports world of a talented athlete whose talent was chipped away by seemingly endless injuries.

It’s true that Wood never won over 14 games as a starting pitcher. It’s true that Wood’s career win/loss record will stand as an unimpressive 86-75.

But what is also true is that Wood became the fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 1,000 strikeouts in terms of games played (134) and innings pitched (853).

And what is even more important than both of those records is that he also very much loved Chicago and its fans. Cub fans saw that, and we loved him because of it.

He never gave up on the team, and we never gave up on him.

Despite all the dashed potential, Cubs fans love and will always have a special place in our hearts for Kerry Wood.

It may not have been the career Wood or Cubs fans would’ve liked to see, but Cubs fans found a friend, and to me that’s far more important.

If this is indeed the case, it will close the final chapter in one of the more intriguing yet ultimately unfulfilled pitching careers in MLB history.

When Kerry Wood came up with the Cubs, he was one of the best pitchers I’d ever seen. Sure, he always walked too many guys, but my goodness could he be dominant. He was all set to be the Nolan Ryan of my generation.

Yet even with all that talent, promise, and early health (he made at least 23 starts in five of his first six seasons)…he won just 86 games over a 14-year career.

As his career apparently comes to a close today after numerous injuries, rehab stints, and relief gigs across the majors, let’s remember him at his absolute best.

Here is, simply put, the most dominant pitching performance I’ve ever watched live with my own two eyes.

—–

Happy trails Kerry Wood. Despite the unfulfilled expectations thanks to all them son-of-a-bitch injuries, you will certainly live in Chicago sports lore forever.

I figure I’ve been to an average of five games a year for the 20 years I’ve lived in Wisconsin, and over that time I feel like I’ve seen the best and worst of what sets Milwaukee apart from any other baseball city: the tailgate.

I don't always tailgate at baseball games....oh wait, yes I do.

This weekend, I (pictured above) will have the honor and the privilege of attending a Brewers-Twins baseball game with some of MSF’s finest, including Amanda Lawson, Drew Lange, Tyler Juranovich, and Kurt Crowley. As the de facto “host” of the trip, I feel the responsibility to show my fellow writers how to kick off a real afternoon of baseball.

The concept of the tailgate is simple: show up, cook food, drink beer, then head into game. That’s not exactly how it works in Wisconsin though.

From my experience, there are five key areas crucial to a baseball tailgate, and if one of these areas is lacking not only your afternoon but the season of the team you are cheering for can fall apart as well.

1) The Set-Up

As you head into the parking lot of the ballpark, you need to position your vehicle strategically so that when you pull into your assigned spot, you will be lined up next to the other vehicles in your party. This allows you to commandeer as much pavement as you are entitled to. If you’re lucky, the car next to you will head in early, giving you an extra car width to tailgate in.

Immediately after parking your car, (or before, if you’re not opposed to the tuck-and-roll) you need to start setting up the tables, chairs, and grill to mark your territory. It’s an unwritten rule that you get the asphalt in front of your vehicle, but it’s always nice to stake that claim as soon as possible. If you are planning on playing tailgate games such as bean bag toss or ladder golf, you will need more space, or risk injury/damage to cars.

Pro tip: If you’re in an especially large group, consider bathroom amenities as well. Not everyone wants to wait in a long line at the porta-potty, and I’ve been to tailgates where a 5-gallon bucket did the trick. Drape tarps over two open car doors, stick the bucket in between the two, and you have yourself a nice little outhouse.

2) Drinks

Setting up your tailgate should be done one-handed, as you enjoy a cold refreshing beverage with your other hand.

What you pack to drink can vary greatly. I like to bring a case of beer just to have as “community beer” for those guests over 21, and then some craft beers to enjoy while eating.

For Saturday’s game, I’ll be bringing two Wisconsin specialties: Pearl Street Brewery’s El Hefe, brewed right in the city of La Crosse where I live; as well as Horny Goat Honey Blonde, based right out of Milwaukee. I felt like hitting both “coasts” of Wisconsin would be an appropriate representation of Wisconsin beer.

If you’re planning on doing a real tailgate, liquor is often included too. Whether it’s a 7&7 (my favorite), Jack and Coke, or if you’re pulling out all the stops with bloody marys and all the fixings, you can’t go wrong with a little variety.

Pro tip: In addition to beer and spirits, non-alcoholic drinks are a must. Water is critical on a hot July day, and there is no better feeling than pounding a cold water when you get back to the car after a long game. I normally pick up an extra jug to keep in the cooler during the game and then have enough to cool me down (and help sober me up).

3) Food

Now to the best part, at least in my opinion.

In Milwaukee, it’s a must that you have some sort of sausage on the grill, whether it be bratwurst, Polish, or Italian sausages.

I’m a burger fan myself too, and one thing I’ve had at tailgates that knocked my socks off is Chorizo and egg burritos. It sounds like a lot of work, but all you need extra is a frying pan and some tortillas. I have grease stains on my Brewers jersey proving how delicious they are.

As for the grill itself, you really can’t go wrong with charcoal or gas. Gas is quicker and takes less clean-up, but if you’re going to do it right, go with charcoal. The extra time it takes to heat up the grill can easily be spent drinking.

Don’t forget tongs for the sausages and a flipper for the burgers. Otherwise you will get burnt. Trust me on that one.

Pro tip: Side dishes are important, but in my mind, can be lived without. I’m never going to turn down a good potato salad or macaroni salad, and it’s nice to have a bag of chips too. But my main focus is the meat. And of course, if you’re tailgating in Milwaukee, you need the Secret Stadium Sauce.

4) Entertainment

As I mentioned earlier, a tailgate needs some entertainment to pass the time.

There’s certainly something to be said for just relaxing in a chair with a cold beer, but playing one-handed games such as bags/cornhole and ladder golf/testicle toss. I’ve also seen washers, beer pong, flip cup, and just good old fashioned catch.

Pro tip: If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s nothing like busting out the Louisville chugger, sometimes known as the Dizzy bat, and seeing how far you can send that beer can flying.

Possible side effects of winning too often at "Louisville Chugger"

5) Clean-up

Clean-up is important before you head into the game because face it, if you don’t clean up, your stuff will get stolen.

Put away all the food, and if for some weird reason you have leftover beer, lock that up too.

The only thing that can be left out is the grill, as there is an unwritten honor code, at least at Miller Park, that if you leave your grill tucked under the trunk of your car to cool, it should be left alone. I’ve been to dozens and dozens of Brewers games and never had a problem with this.

Pro tip: After you’re all packed up, grab a road beer (or three) and enjoy your stroll into the park.

A few more tailgating observations:

• If you forget something, your neighbor will happily trade you the needed item for beer.
• If an errant baseball/bean bag/frisbee/Vortex football lands in your tailgate area, don’t be a dick. You’ve been there before, so just toss it back. And then offer them a beer.
• My mom insists that you wear sunscreen.
• On that note, keep your shirt on. There’s a certain physique associated with Milwaukee. It’s best kept hidden. Feel free to bribe these people with beer to put their shirts back on.

And that’s pretty much it!

The proper tailgate takes some planning but the effort is definitely worthwhile. I know plenty of people who will come to Miller Park just to tailgate and don’t even bother getting tickets. I’m not sure what that says about the play on the field, but the experience definitely comes close to rivaling what goes on underneath that retractable roof.

They generally offer a few hours of mindless entertainment, but the problem is that they rarely seem to mean much to the players.

Oh sure, us fans get excited to watch the best player from our favorite team compete against the best…but usually, it’s a big let down.

But imagine if there was something on the line. (And no, I’m not talking about home field advantage in an as-yet-to-be-determined championship series.)

Let’s pretend that next year, right before the NBA All-Star game tipped off, Michael Jordan walked into both locker rooms and threw a million dollars on the table. “Best player wins this,” he mutters as he walks out of the room.

Ah, you are right. He’s way too stingy to do that. Nevermind.

Pretend it’s Shaq.

So Shaq throws down the bounty, and the players all perk up.

He calmly announces the rules:

• Guards will play a game of 21 in the 1st quarter.
• Forwards and centers will do the same in the 2nd and 3rd quarters respectively.
• Only the top three from each game will advance and be able to play in the 4th quarter.
• The winners of each quarter will get to start out the final game with a 6 point head-start.
• The winner of the 4th quarter will receive $1 million.
• Teammates don’t matter.
• Coaches don’t matter.
• This is about YOU. Who is the best player on earth?

Now, just tell me this: If you were a fan of basketball, would this be a better alternative than the current format of 45 casual minutes of basketball and then a three minute frenzy at the end if it’s close?

Of course it would be.

Well, that’s what’s going on in Charlotte this weekend for the NASCAR All-Star Race.

It’s every man for himself. Winner take all. $1 million bucks on the line. Points don’t matter.

Quite simply, it’s going to be awesome.

Even if you don’t like NASCAR, this one should be a dandy.

The race will only be 90 laps long this season and consist of five segments.

The first four segments will be 20 lap sprints to determine track position for the “4th Quarter” if you will.  The winner of each sprint will be able to go to the front of the line and drive into the pits first before the final 10 lap shootout.

With each “reset” of the race, the cars will bunch back up and race each other like crazy. It should make for some unbelievable racing.

I’m here in Charlotte, courtesy of 3M and its driver, Greg Biffle.  Follow me on twitter throughout the next two days as I will be trying to give you a little different look into the world of NASCAR.

Ladies and Gentlemen…start your engines…because this weekend will definitely be one to remember.

This certainly makes a potential Spurs-Celtics NBA Finals more intriguing. But for that to happen, the Spurs will have to get past high-flying Oklahoma City and the Celtics will need to hold off the pesky 76ers and then beat the Indiana Pacers. (Yep, I went there.)

But why should we wait and hope for an on-court meeting between Garnett and Duncan when we can fantasize about how one might go in a photo story?

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, so my apologies if I’m a bit rusty, but I hope you enjoy:

If the large image below does not load, click here to view in a new window.

*****

Note: Ben Roethlisberger’s cameo references on of the most popular photo stories in our archive: The Ballad of Bathroom Ben and Friends.

To view our extensive library of past photo stories, click here.

Now we shall wait and see what happens in the NBA Playoffs to see if Duncan and Garnett can square off in real life. I’m sure Duncan’s expression won’t change – it never does – but Garnett is sure to have a little extra fire with the knowledge that Duncan does not think highly of him.

Of course, no matter what happens, Duncan will still go down as a better power forward than Garnett, so the quiet Spur will always get the last laugh.

It’s beautiful to behold:

Isn't it gorgeous? (From twitter.com/Grace__White)

But the administrators at Woodlake Middle School in San Antonio aren’t impressed. The school gave Gonzalez one day to bench Hair Matt Bonner, otherwise he will receive in-school suspension.

Gonzalez’s mother says that, before her son paid tribute to Bonner (who is averaging 3.4 points in 14.4 minutes per game this postseason), she asked the school for permission. Woodlake administrators say that Gonzalez told them about her son’s new do but that they never approved it:

“There was no permission that was given if the parent thought that then it was a miscommunication,” said Aubrey Chancellor, Judson I.S.D. District officials say the haircut is a distraction. “Whether it’s the spurs or whether it’s the cowboys anything people obviously support, it doesn’t matter.”

Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo’s Ball Don’t Lie wins the Internet with this response:

You hear that, Texas schoolchildren? Whether you support spurs or cowboys or even Spurs or Cowboys (two teams that obviously play against each other several times a year for the World Finals of Stanley Bowls), shaving a rather benign image of a fan friendly forward that wears New Balance sneakers during pro basketball games seems like the least offensive infraction we can possibly imagine.

This story raises a few important questions:

• Would Gonzalez still face punishment if he had chosen a more conventional subject, such as Tim Duncan or Tony Parker?
• Who is Gonzalez’s barber, and can he or she shave a picture of Serge Ibaka denying Kobe Bryant?
• Does this school system actually have a hair code? If so, what does it say about the faux-hawk?
• How will all this hullabaloo affect Bonner’s performance in tonight’s Game 2 against the Clippers?

The Oklahoma City Thunder may get the chance to eliminate each of these three powerhouses in their 2012 playoff run towards the NBA Finals.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are leading the Thunder and would could be a historic playoff run.

The Dallas Mavericks have played twice, both times against the Miami Heat, winning one time and losing one time.

The Los Angeles Lakers have played seven NBA Finals, all under Kobe’s watch, going 3-1 with Shaq and 2-1 with Gasol and Bynum. All together, it added up to playing against six different teams. Twice they played the Boston Celtics, winning once, losing once.

The San Antonio Spurs have been four times and won each time. Their wins were against four different teams in four different ways: once in four games against Lebron with the Cleveland Cavs, once in five against the Knicks, once in six against New Jersey, and once in seven against Detroit.

The Thunder have already extinguished the Mavs and they are presently working on putting an end to the season for the Lakers.

If San Antonio takes care of its business with the LA Clippers, they could play the Thunder in the West Finals. The match-up might mean the end of the line for the Spurs.

For the NBA, it would be an ‘Amazing’ feat.

In fact, for any of the major team pro sports, this caliber of pressure-filled playoff winning over teams with so much recent success would be impressive.

Other outstanding modern sports conquests have made a dramatic impact on the American sports fan’s consciousness.

If OKC can meet Miami in the NBA Finals after beating the Mavs, Lakers, and Spurs, their championship would deserve to rank as high in quality as any team from any sport ever accomplished.

An OKC win would signal a new regime, a new chapter, and a new ‘guard’ for the NBA, something that hasn’t been seen in quite some time. Their rise to the top could really be characterized as rare for all team sports because the entire team offers a completely new brand.

It’s not just about a new city being marketed that makes this story compelling. It’s the potential for the combination of style of play, the freshness of the players, and the level of opposing teams being taken out on the journey to a championship that would be most riveting.

*****

Howard Alperin is Managing Editor of AmericanizeSoccer.com

Manchester City came into Sunday with the same amount of points (86) as Man U, along with an identical record. City had an edge in goal differential by eight goals over Man U, so all they needed was a win, or a United loss, to clinch their first title in 44 years.

City took on Queens Park Rangers at home, while United was at Sunderland. United took the lead in the chase for the title as Wayne Rooney scored in the twentieth minute to put United up 1-0.

That would be United’s only goal, and the only goal for either team in the game. It was all they needed until City’s Pablo Zabaleta put them up 1-0 before the half.

The second half had much less favorable results for City and their fans, as they found themselves down 2-1 after two goals by QPR in the first twenty minutes of the half. This score would hold until stoppage time* at the end of the game.

*The extra stoppage time was thanks in large part to Joey Barton of QPR who lost his cool and was red carded in the beginning of the second half. He kicked Sergio Agüero and appeared to headbutt Kompany as he was being sent off the field.

As City went into stoppage time, United was wrapping up their victory over Sunderland. They knew that City trailed 1-0 going into stoppage time, and were essentially waiting for their celebration to begin.

Fans of City watched and prayed as they prepared for a final charge to try and score two goals in a matter of minutes. The first goal came off the head of Edin Dzeko, who quelled his celebration in order to get right back to the game.

Just minutes later, Agüero found an opening in front of the goal and sent the ball to the back of the net to take the lead and clinch the title for City.

The TV cameras switched to Man U as they were called off the field after finding out that they did not in fact win the Premier League title.

The constant changing of fortunes for teams in different games was what made me think about comparisons to September 28th. That was of course the night where the Cardinals and Rays clinched playoff spots, and the Red Sox and Braves finished off their historic collapses.

The circumstances were different, but the feel was the same.

Man U was on the field ready to celebrate their title, just as the Red Sox were only one strike away from at least reaching a one game playoff. Jonathan Papelbon then gave up back to back two out hits that were his last pitches as a member of the Red Sox.

Evan Longoria of the Rays quickly answered the Red Sox collapse with a walk-off home run in the twelfth inning against the Yankees. This came after the Rays were down to their last out in the bottom of the ninth, before Dan Johnson hit a pinch-hit home run to keep their hopes alive.

Coming back from the brink of defeat to save a season, and win a title, was exactly the feeling that was felt by Man City and their fans with the two stoppage time goals.

Nights like September 28th and May 13th are very rare, and may be once-in-a-lifetime nights for baseball and soccer, or football, fans alike. It is important to appreciate special days like these, unless of course you are a fan of Man U, the Red Sox, or the Braves.