Bare Knuckle

With the weekend finally upon us, it's time to take a brief respite and kick back a couple cold ones. Speaking of which, I highly recommend trying Anheuser Busch's Bare Knuckle Stout. I first learned about it at the beer school in Busch Gardens and drank it at the pub next to the school. Haven't seen it on the shelves here in Holly Springs, but am eagerly anticipating it. Great taste and great little logo!

Anyone else as tired as I am about hearing the name Barry Bonds? Even just typing it causes me to cringe. If you kept the channel on ESPN for more than two minutes you've heard his name. From covering every at bat, to random "classic" Bonds' moments, to giving him his own television show where on the one soundbite I heard he actually referred to himself in the third person, I can't help but say Enough Already!!! He hasn't broken Hank Aaron's homerun record yet and here's to hoping he never will. So stop proverially "stroking" him, ESPN. And for all of you out there who think the whole steroid and perjury charge investigation is race related, then why does Sammy Sosa seemingly get a free pass just like McGwire? The answer is easy. Because only Bonds is still playing. Whether the investigation find anything or not, the court of public opinion has already spoken. Guilty as charged. The evidence? If nothing else the size of his skull has grown. That does not happen from lifting weights. That happens from growth hormones. And guess what? Major League Baseball's drug testing policy only covers urine samples. To test for substances like human growth hormone one must use a blood sample. How convenient. And it certainly is not just Bonds. The more and more you look into it, the more Jose Canseco appears to have been telling the truth about baseball and the steriod era.

In one week the NFL Draft will be upon us. Hallelujah! I know it seems boring to most, but watching your favorite team's draft picks develop or bust over time certainly adds to the feeling of connectivity between a fan and his/her team. I still remember watching the Panthers select players like Peppers, Gross, Smith, Biakabatuka, Morgan, Foster, etc. Even late round picks on Sunday like Colin Branch and Drew Carter. It's a lot of fun to read the varying mock drafts and to speculate who will be picked and by whom. What you find out is that no one has that good of an idea. The NFL General Managers must be some stone faced poker players. Misinformation and deception runneth over during the last two weeks leading up to the draft.

Mark your calendars: May 30th. That's when the new season of Rescue Me starts on FX. It is my true belief that if FX shows like The Shield, Rescue Me, and Nip/Tuck were on HBO, they'd have the same cult following and mythic status as The Sopranos.