I am writing the blog just minutes after Tiger Woods has sunk a long birdie putt to force a playoff against Rocco Mediate in the US Open at Torrey Pines. Unlike other tournaments, it is not a sudden death playoff, but rather an 18-hole match on Monday for the right to win this prestigious major.

Tiger of course will be the prohibitive favorite but Circa 2008, that doesn't seem to mean a lot. First the New England Patriots found out the hard way after falling to the NY Giants in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXII. Nobody, and I mean nobody thought New England would lose a game this season when they started their roll, but they did.

Meanwhile last week Big Brown was prohibitive favorite to win the first Triple-Crown since 1978. And, after Casino Drive was a scratch due to injury it was believed that no other horse in the Belmont Field could run with Big Brown. But, alas, the favorite didn't win, but rather a 38-1 longshot did.

By the time I update this blog on Tuesday June 17th, we'll know the results so I'm sticking my neck out and predicting the favorite will not prevail. Rocco Mediate has played steady golf, while Tiger has run the gamut from throwing clubs, kicking his bag and stomping his foot...to the open-ended joy of dropping some miracle shots.

Past is prologue, I am expecting the unexpected and if I'm wrong, we'll revisit it Wednesday.

I don't however, think I'm wrong...

When Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th home run the other night, it seemed like it played to little or no fanfare. Maybe it's because the story didn't involve steroids, HGH, the cream and the clear, a DUI, a gambling charge, another DUI, failure to pay child support, or any other nefarious headline.

The 'Kid' as he was once known is a lock to be a first ballot Hall-of-Famer. First, 600 is the new 500. But more importantly most astute observers feel that had this young man been able to stay healthy, he'd probably be chasing Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds as we speak.

Think I'm joking? ...Think again.

In the last several years alone due to injury he's missed over 450 games, and that means at least 2,000 plate appearances. Given the fact he's averaged a Home Run every 16 at-bats or so, it's safe to say he'd have another 140 roundtrippers at least.

So, were left to wonder what might have been. But the good news is that no injury can keep him from Cooperstown. That's more than you can say for other luminaries like Rose, Conseco,Clemens, Palmeiro, et al. Frankly were left to wonder what might have been for them too, had they not partaken allegedly (ha!) in extracurricular enhancements.

The Kid is clean and home free, and ironically it only appeared on the back pages.

Go figure...

In the afterglow of the Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup celebration, a nice little story emerged but you first you have to travel back to 1997 with me to get the origin.

Longtime legendary Wings announcer Bruce Martyn had retired the year before and in all his years had never gotten to call a Stanley Cup Final. First-year man Ken Kal knew the Wings were on the verge of sweeping the Flyers as they took a 3-0 lead in the series, so in Game 4 he called Martyn and invited him to broadcast the 2nd period of the deciding Game 4. It was a gesture that was terrific.

Fast forward to last Wednesday's Game 6 decider against Pittsburgh. Kal had laryngitis so badly that his backup, Ken Daniels was pressed into service and did a fine job as Kal's backup until 17 seconds to go in the game.

He beckoned for Ken Kal to make the final call announcing the Wings Stanley Cup victory and Kal did just that, proving that on the ice and even in the booth, the Detroit Red Wings have featured the best teamwork in Hockey since 1997.

In July 2005 Flip Saunders was hired to coach the Detroit Pistons. He succeeded Larry Brown and was given a 4-year deal. After going 176-70 in three seasons and making it to the Conference finals every year, he was fired.

That's the way of the sportsworld now. Win or you're out, there are no moral victories, there are no atta-boys, unless of course you're Jerry Sloan or Red Klotz.

The truth is, I don't think GM Joe Dumars really wanted to fire Flip Saunders. He's a very good coach that never really got his props. He's smart, and he's not a bad guy to work for, he just ran up against three straight teams that wanted it more than his team did. If Boston wins it all, then Flip will have the consolation of knowing that it took the eventual World Champion to eliminate his troops in two of the three years.

Shed no tears for Mr. Saunders. In this day and age of $4.00/gallon gas, foreclosures, unemployment and general malaise, Saunders will have enough money for the next several Saunders generations.

But for now, he has no job...

It's the series nobody predicted at the beginning of the year, it's the series the Network executives want, but for the fans, if the Celtics end up playing the Lakers in the Finals, I believe it will everything I think it wasn't... and less.

I know in an earlier blog prior to the start of the playoffs, I said Boston would meet LA in the finals and win. I take a mulligan. After watching KG and company cause their 17 point lead to evaporate like an ice cube on a 140 degree day in the Mohave desert, I'm sorry, but this group is not ready for Prime Time.

Their collective basketball IQ at times, is brutal. They pass up open shots, they commit ridiculous fouls, they attempt passes that are high on style points and low on efficiency and when they get a lead, they play 'not to lose! Listen to Jeff Van Gundy, he's been spot-on with his analysis.

Do you really want to see that? There will be no drama, Boston really can't win on the road in this year's tournament, and the Lakers will simply scare them off the court. I respect that Danny Ainge's experiment has worked until now, but the finals are a whole different animal.

Of course the green and white still has to beat the Pistons one more time, and that won't be easy. And I don't think Parish, McHale, Bird, DJ or Ainge are walking through that door anytime soon.

Now Detroit and LA? A replay of 1988, 1989, and 2004? Lower ratings for sure, but better games that would be more hotly contested for the fans...That's for sure, too.

I've had about enough of Charlie Weis. First, he strolls into town as the sanctimonious voice of reason and in his first three years, he goes 22-15, yet manages to get himself about a 40 year extension. In case you've forgotten, his predecessor Tyrone Willingham went 21-15 and was given a one-way ticket out of town.

Ironically, he has managed to avoid any scrutiny regarding spygate, lest we forget as the Offensive Coordinator of the New England Patriots, ostensibly he benefitted the most from any unauthorized film.

When asked last week he shrugged off reporters in typical Weis arrogant fashion. Notre Dame had better start to take note. Gerry Faust was a good man that was in over his head. Lou Holtz is the consummate winner, but tarnished the Golden Dome with some questionable activity.

Weis is not a good guy in my book and he can't win, not a good parlay.

This will be an interesting season. There are only two types of fans in life: Those who love Notre Dame, and those who hate Notre Dame. Right now Charlie Weis is on the clock, and in the meantime, I don't like him...

It's turning out to not be such a good year for Chelsea... Clinton, or the Chelsea Soccer Club. In a dramatic finish against Manchester United Wednesday, Captain John Terry needed only to make a PK and it would've been game, set, match.

Not so fast. A Moscow crowd of 70,000 that featured 40,000 transients from England guffawed, cheered, cried, screamed and probably lost their minds as either their favorite team won, or lost and it showed that soccer can be relevant.

In 90 degree heat in Southern California people congregated in bars and eating establishments in the early AM and they wouldn't have done it if they didn't care.

Given today's immense media coverage, and worldwide instant access to information, John Terry's missed PK has made soccer relevant again... At least for now.