There are other events to watch on the ol'boob tube while we continue to be drug through the dirt like little puppies by spoiled brats. A great analogy too because puppies guarantee their masters unconditional love and obedience. First and for most, the Tour de France participants are winding their way through the Alps again today. Today's stage is over but will be re-aired for your viewing pleasure this evening so record it and join the Caravan! Oh and don't worry about hearing the results before you hit play b/c Americans don't care about this amazing sporting event. American MSM would rather keep us up to date on how many times JaDee LaSmith passed gas yesterday. A little TMI if you axe me. So if you are interested in being a part of the most dangerous, most exciting, most strenuous, most admirable, most compelling, most traitorous, most coveted team and or individual sporting event in the wide world then tune right in tonight. There are several American operated teams that are doing very well this year including Boulder based Garmin-Cervelo, a record 10 Americans started the Tour this year to include Boulderite Tommy Danielson who is in the top 10 general classification (GC). Not to mention several other Americans doing us proud. So open the two links for the particulars on the TDF. I know, I know it sounds so wimpy compared to the NPL but I'm sure that you'd rather be hit head on by B.Dawk in full pads then hitting the pavement at 100km/h wearing nothing but spandex. I know spandex sounds wimpy too but hey that's the one thing that these bike riders and the NPL players have in common. The willingness to actually give one's life to just finish the completion is not one that the pampered NPL players are quite on board with as of yet. Maybe giving one's all and giving a damn will be written into the long awaited CBA. A good example of how important this race is to its courageous competitors would be Johnny Boy. Johnny Hoogerland hit by a passing car was thrown into a barbed wire fence but he got patched up continued to ride and painfully took the podium to dawn the Wimpy pink polka dot jersey for king of the mountains points. Then was quickly taken to hospital where he would be up all night and would receive 33 stitches to repair the wounds. He would proudly and painfully start and complete the very next stage. Of course this is an extreme case but there are always crashes and broken bones in the TDF. Already this year there have been collar bones (nearly a requirement for professional bike riders), nose, hip, pelvic, wrist, punctured lung etc, etc and no doubt plenty of road rash to go around. I think the NY Times tried to put the race in perspective by writing that "it was like running a marathon every day for 21 days" Although they did fail to mention running up the Alps and the Pyrenees. NPL Player: "um coach, I can't go today cuz my hammie is feeling a little tight" "cool?". "um coach, I ain't a go today cuz I pulled my pec on the pec deck" "but you know coach, like at the end of the day, it is what it is, it's a bidness that's the bottom line". Laughable and very, very disappointing.... wouldn't you say? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France http://www.letour.fr/us/index.html Or if you're looking for some good'ol American competition (and I know you are) you could always tune into the always entertaining Assassination City Roller Derby Championship Bout Saturday July 23rd. These ladies are not only tougher than most NPL players but also look much better sporting the spandex....except for Brady Quinn of course. Speaking of her I once read that he was brought in to Denver to compete with Kyle Orton for the starting QB job. Gosh, Someone must know something that we don’t. Enjoy your options, enjoy your weekend and please hold your breath until the new CBA is actually signed or agreed upon by the greedy. http://acderby.com/cms/ Again this has little to do with the Broncos or the NFL but might poke fun at both and what else am I pose to do until the two sides come together as one?