By Diane M. Grassi

“If an alternative process is established, we’re going to be guided by the court’s procedures, subject to of course, our ultimate right to approve any owner submitted to us.”
– MLB Commissioner, Bud Selig – July 12, 2010

As this reporter documented here in May 2010, the still impending sale of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Texas Rangers has suffered no shortage of legal and financial machinations and maneuvers, including political manipulation, for many, many months. Yet, it has been nearly a year and a half since Texas Rangers owner, Tom Hicks, defaulted on a $525 million loan in March 2009, eventually ending up in bankruptcy. Continued

RJ Warner and Mike Ciccarone join Vin as guest hosts this week.

You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

• The fallout from The Decision
• Will Wade, LBJ, and Bosh win a title or more in Miami?

• The World Cup Final – did the game help promote soccer to the US?

• Defending Bud Selig and the All-Star Game

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Hope you guys enjoy the podcast. If you did enjoy it, please give us a good rating on itunes so we can rise up in the rankings. If you didn’t, send us an email (editor@sportscolumn.com) and give us some suggestions. Thanks for listening.

Vin and Ryan discuss what an absolute mockery ESPN and LeBron James have made of journalism and the NBA.

You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

• World Cup Finals on Sunday
• Dutch porn star promises free bjs for all followers if Netherlands wins the World Cup
• WAGs are still the best part of soccer
• Paul the Octopus picks every German game correctly
• Jarmarcus Russell living it up on cough syrup
• Why LeBron’s television special will backfire on his image and ESPN becomes even more of a joke

We’re on . So follow us and make us feel special.

Hope you guys enjoy the podcast. If you did enjoy it, please give us a good rating on itunes so we can rise up in the rankings. If you didn’t, send us an email (editor@sportscolumn.com) and give us some suggestions. Thanks for listening.

[NOTE: Of course, everything in this column might be completely moot by 10:00 EDT tonight.  The author reserves the right to say "I told you so" but also to backtrack 100% in case of something completely unforeseen.]

By Ryan McGowan

There’s only one word to describe tonight’s “The Decision”—embarrassing.

Freaking embarrassing.

Continued

A very poor showing by the US National soccer team means we’re left with rooting for Brazil and talking about free agency and creating a super NBA team.  Plus a new free agent has hit the market.

You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

• World Cup discussion
• Will Lebron end up in Miami with Wade and Bosh (and Riley)?
• Would a superteam be good for the NBA?
• Michael Vick bday party shooting
• Chris Simms busted for driving while marijuanaed up
• Elin Woods now official rich and available (and still out of your league)

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Hope you guys enjoy the podcast. If you did enjoy it, please give us a good rating on itunes so we can rise up in the rankings. If you didn’t, send us an email (editor@sportscolumn.com) and give us some suggestions. Thanks for listening.6/24 Episode of Poor Man’s PTI

By Ryan McGowan

The last three years were more than I ever would have hoped for on May 22, 2007, when I sat down at my old Brighton house on Newton Street to watch the NBA draft lottery.

At the time, we Celtics fans were hoping for the mathematical near-certainty of landing at least one of the top two picks, widely expected to be Ohio State center Greg Oden or Texas phenom Kevin Durant.  When the ping-pong balls fell in the other direction, landing the Celtics at #5 and the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle SuperSonics at 1 and 2, the collective chests of Celtic Nation breathed a huge sigh of disappointment.

Another crappy year gone.  Another hopeless offseason coming up.  And certainly another year without a banner, 22 and counting since perhaps the greatest Celtic team ever ramrodded the Association for Banner #16 in 1986.

Continued

By Diane M. Grassi

The 2010 thoroughbred horse racing season has seen its Triple Crown races pass, yet thoroughbred racing fans can still look ahead to some key summer races such as the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Track in upstate NY this August, and of course the Breeder’s Cup World Championships in the first weekend of November, to be held for the first time at Churchill Downs. So, we will now see the end of the 2010 thoroughbred racing season in the same venue in which it began, for a historic first. Continued

After a week off, we’re back to discuss the NBA Finals, the NBA draft and Burton checks in from South Africa to give us his report on the World Cup.

You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 90 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

• Game 7 of the NBA Finals
• Burton live from South Africa
• North Korea’s amazing media machine
• NBA Draft
• Lawrence Taylor indicted
• Is Cheerleading a sport?
• The US needs a Secretary of Sports

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Hope you guys enjoy the podcast. If you did enjoy it, please give us a good rating on itunes so we can rise up in the rankings. If you didn’t, send us an email (editor@sportscolumn.com) and give us some suggestions. Thanks for listening.

Wrapping up the Stanley Cup Finals, focusing on the NBA Finals, and talking about the old thing we know about the World Cup: Wags and betting.

You can download this week’s podcast directly (running time 60 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.

This week’s topics include:

• Flyers fall to the Blackhaws
• Jeremy Roenick – he’s good.
• Steven Strasburg’s unbelievable debut.
• Golden Tate’s late night donut run
• The best World Cup prop bets (Wayne Rooney to stomp on someone’s genitals at 150/1)
• NBA Finals.  Ryan guarantees Boston victory in Game 4

We’re on . So follow us and make us feel special.

Hope you guys enjoy the podcast. If you did enjoy it, please give us a good rating on itunes so we can rise up in the rankings. If you didn’t, send us an email (editor@sportscolumn.com) and give us some suggestions. Thanks for listening.