Phew. Yep, the "load'em and leave'em" Rays never miss an opportunity to give the Bay area a collective "D'oh" watching potential runs get flushed down the scoreless toilet, but if you were in it for 9 innings (or more), our boys wound up giving you a reason not to tune in to the World Cup. A 5-5 tie is slightly more interesting than a 0-0 tie no matter how you slice it, plus you'll never see our guys trip over an invisible opponent's leg, fall flat on their face and pretend to cry like Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice.

Bring on the Yankees. Yes, I know there's a game tomorrow night, and don't get me wrong, I'm busting buttons full of pride (and pasta) for our four representin' Rays in the 2010 ALL-Star game, but just like the NFL Pro Bowl, the honor is to be chosen. The game itself? Meh. For those not going to the mid-summer classic, enjoy the break, fellas. And for God's sake, stay out of trouble. No possies, drunk-and-disorderly's, or DUI's please. And if it rains, it damn well better be outside and not at the Mons, kapish?

The Tampa Bay Storm will not be ignored.

This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2010.