So it goes at the end of the Mannywood Era in Chavez Ravine, where love blossomed after the trade deadline marriage in 2008. Unfortunately, a pregnancy (or at least an attempt to get knocked up based on the drugs he took) sent Manny and the marriage spiraling downward last year and neither side recovered. This year’s divorce was as unexpected as Tiger and Elin’s.

Now it’s the White Sox turn to open their arms to this hitter savant who knows how to swing a bat but not how to act like an adult. I have no doubt he’ll produce down the stretch and in the playoffs if he gets a chance. And Chicago fans will clamor for his return. But Southsiders should be careful what they wish for with Manny.

My wish is for the Red Sox to rally and make the playoffs along with the White Sox. Then we can see Manny return to Fenway as a true enemy. Who knows, he might go back to the wrong dugout after batting. It’s all just part of Manny Being Manny.

1. Sweet and Sour - Lou Piniella, nicknamed “Sweet Lou” for his sweet swing and facetiously for his demeanor, retired as manager of the Cubs Sunday.  Piniella won two World Series as a player for the NY Yankees and a third as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds.  Sadly, the biggest reason he’s leaving the game is to spend more time with his ailing mother. 
2. Sweet – Vin Scully made his best announcement yesterday and it had nothing to do with a play on the field:  He’s returning to the Dodgers’ broadcast booth for the 62nd consecutive season.  Of course, if Mayor McCheap continues to own the team, Scully might need to go 62 more before he sees LA in another World Series and gets to call another moment like Kirk Gibson in 1988.
3. Sour – Roger Clemens returned to the spotlight for the wrong reason last week when he was indicted on perjury charges last week.  Not surprisingly, “The Rocket” seems to believe his red glare will somehow change the facts and keep him out of jail.  Somebody needs to tell Clemens he can’t throw a fastball at the judge’s head or a bat at the jury to try and intimidate them.
4. Sour and Sweet – Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren are officially divorced, which is clearly sour.  But there could be two sweet parts to this equation.  One, hopefully this ends a lot of the off-course commentary and speculation.  Two, perhaps Tiger can now put it all behind him and start to play golf like he used to play golf.
5. Sour – Juli Inkster was disqualified from the Safeway Classic for using a practice “donut” during her round.  I don’t have a problem that it happened, because she broke the rule, no matter how stupid the rule might be.  But I do have a problem with the way it happened, namely a viewer emailing tournament officials who then reviewed the tape and made the ruling.  If we want the fans to make the calls then let’s get rid of the officials altogether.  Then again, maybe that’s a sweet idea!
6. Sweet and Sour – I had to save the best for last.  The F-Word finally did what we all suspected and came back to the Vikings.  It’s sweet for Minnesota, because without him they have no chance to go to the Super Bowl.  It’s sour for the rest of us who have to deal with his narcissism for another season.  But it’s also sweet for the rest of us because now we get to call him The F-Word again!

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens         

Brett Favre

Juli Inkster

And if you missed any shows and wanted to catch our conversations with recent guests, check out the new Archived Interviews section! 

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens

1. If you need a truck to haul big loads, why trade in the sedan for a sports car?  The Angels traded for Dan Haren on Sunday, getting a quality starting pitcher.  But the one thing the Angels have already is quality starting pitching.  I know Haren is hitting .364 this season, but pitchers don’t even bat in the American League.  Unless they plan to play him at first base on days he’s not pitching, I don’t see how this helps them score runs.
2. If you haven’t driven somewhere before, you should just follow the directions instead of trying to make up your own route - Dez Bryant is rookie for the Cowboys.  Dez Bryant doesn’t want to be treated like a rookie.  Dez Bryant is refusing to carry the shoulder pads of veteran Roy Williams after practice.  Dez Bryant is going to get hazed much worse if he continues his defiance of a time-honored tradition.  Dez Bryant needs to get a clue.
3. From 600 to zero in no time at all – Nobody seems to care that A-Rod is about to reach 600 home runs.  Perhaps it’s the steroids scandal.  Perhaps it’s because he’s the most insecure athlete ever.  Or perhaps it’s because he doesn’t seem to have any fans, even among the Yankee faithful.
4. The engine still runs, but the car isn’t going anywhere if all the wheels fall off – As if Detroit didn’t have enough problems, now the baseball team is falling apart.  After Brandon Inge broke his hand Monday, Magglio Ordonez fractured his ankle and Carlos Guillen hurt his calf on Saturday and now all three are on the DL.  The team is still in the AL Central race, but one more injury and they might as well send it back to the shop until next year.
5. Objects in the rear-view mirror may be closer than they appear - The San Diego Padres may hold a three game lead in the NL West, but the San Francisco Giants are roaring up behind them.  Having gone 15-3 in their last 18 games, the Giants look like the team to beat in the NL West.  And watch out Stephen Strasburg, Buster Posey is right behind you for Rookie of the Year.
6. I’ll take gas mileage over looks every time - Andre Dawson always seemed to be breaking down and in pain, but he kept delivering.  Despite 12 knee surgeries, “The Hawk” played for 21 years and was inducted into the Hall of Fame Sunday.  I’ve heard people spout off about how his stats weren’t good enough.  I know greatness when I see it.  Dawson was great and deserved the honor.

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens

Tiger looks uncomfortable and unsure of himself. He seems to be thinking, instead of doing, and when you get lost in your own head, it can be hard to find your way out.

I don’t feel sorry for Tiger nor do any of his competitors. They’re smelling blood and getting ready to pounce. In fact, it’s just like when Tiger used to stalk them, just in reverse.

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens

Brian McCann’s three-run double in the 7th inning was the big blow, but it was the pitching that made it possible.  Nine hurlers combined to give up just six hits and one unearned run, setting the stage for McCann’s heroics.  Jonathan Broxton closed out the first win for the senior circuit since 1996, giving the NL home-field advantage in the World Series. 

Marc Lecair was at the game and will be part of the full All-Star recap on Wednesday’s edition of “There It Is!” starting at 5pm.

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens

1. Act like an owner, not a deranged fan – I get it, Dan Gilbert.  I really do.  But that letter.  Oh that letter.  Thankfully, you put the best part in ALL CAPS, when you declared the Cavs would win a title before the Heat.  At least you remembered to have a sense of humor.  Wait, you weren’t joking?  Um, never mind.
2. Yes, that’s exactly what his comments sounded like – Proving that where there’s one idiot, others will soon follow, Jesse Jackson declared Gilbert’s comments “personify a slave master mentality.”  This is so astoundingly stupid, I can only assume the press printed it because they wanted to make fun of Jackson.  I know that’s why I’m putting it on my list.
3. My 22-month-old son doesn’t roll around and cry as much after getting hurt -  Once again, the World Cup was marred by a parade of players acting as though they had been mortally wounded anytime there was contact during the game Sunday.  My buddy James put it best when he said, “I like the World Cup much more at the start of the tournament than I do at the end.”  Thankfully, we all now have four years to forget what we witnessed.
4. Eight is Enough - No Dick Van Patten fatherly guidance necessary here.  Paul the Octopus, who correctly predicted all seven of Germany’s games in the World Cup and then Spain’s title, is retiring from the prediction business.  As it turns out, he was the least embarrassing part of the tournament.
5. Have feet, can’t travel- Because of his latest legal issues, Michael Vick can’t go out of state and had to miss his own event as well as a football camp.  This doesn’t bode well if he becomes the starter for the Eagles.  Then again, there are probably a bunch of NFL teams who would be better off if their QB couldn’t attend road games. 
6. He was never an embarrassment – I wanted to end on a positive note and ironically enough needed to discuss the hated Yankees to do so.  But it was in his life as their public address announcer that Bob Sheppard made his mark on the sports world.  With a strong, distinuguished voice, Sheppard brought class and elegance to every word he spoke for all in the stadium to hear.  Nicknamed “The Voice of God,” he passed away Sunday, but I have no doubt he’s now speaking in his brilliant voice to the other class act who left us recently at 99, John Wooden.  May they rest in well-earned peace. 

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens

1. The Jester
2. The Duchess of Deferral
3. The Duke of Deferral
4. Benedict James (offered up by a man named Arnold, seriously!)
5. The Great Defector (with the added bonus LeBron ended up in Miami)

Vote for your favorite or suggest one of your own via comment.

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens

I just can’t believe he decided go play for Dwyane Wade’s team.

When Chris Bosh decided to sign with Miami instead of accepting a Toronto sign-and-trade to Cleveland, LeBron’s fate was sealed.  He could’ve gone back to Akron and been a martyr in Ohio.  Or he could’ve taken his chances on becoming a star on the game’s biggest stage.  Instead, he chose to ride Dwyane Wade’s coattails on South Beach.  The answer was obvious to me.  We found out it wasn’t obvious to him.

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens

I just can’t believe he will go play for Dwyane Wade’s team.
I just can’t believe he wants to play in Michael Jordan’s shadow.
I just can’t believe he can go back to the same flawed team in Cleveland.

When Chris Bosh decided to sign with Miami instead of accepting a Toronto sign-and-trade to Cleveland, LeBron’s fate was sealed.  He can go back to Akron and be a martyr in Ohio.  Or he can take his chances on becoming a star on the game’s biggest stage.  The answer is obvious to me.  All we need to find out now is if it’s obvious to him.

THERE IT IS!

-Jake Stevens