Schilling throwing rocks; Backs in the news

Curt Schilling ain't never been shy. That's refreshing to see a player not afraid of speaking the truth. His latest rip job is on baseball cheaters and it is a masterpiece. Far better than just Schilling's Greatest Hits. In it, the Red Sox pitcher accurately says that if a cheater isn't denying then he's lying (about the truth) and that is an admittance of guilt. Barry Bonds is the prime, but not the only, target of Schilling's rampage and it is revealing yet again to hear Bonds rip broadcaster Bob Costas as "a midget" who is clueless about baseball. Classy as usual and inaccurate to boot but then again no one ever complimented the Giants slugger on being intelligent outside of identifying a pitch in his wheelhouse. Maybe we should have a test and see who knows more about baseball (Bonds or Schilling and Costas) and then also see if the future home run king can walk the walk over his mouth and apologize sincerely. Let's see the file, please -- Bonds -- cheater, liar, punk ass.

Priest Holmes is coming to Chiefs camp. Nice. A lot of fans will be there too. Neither Holmes or the people in shorts will end up on the roster come late August. Once the former Pro Bowl running back starts getting hit again, his body will scream "no mas" and he'll turn in his cleats and go home.

Nice to see the good people of Idaho representing themselves so well by racially threatening Boise State star running back Ian Johnson over his desire and plans to marry cheerleader Chrissy Popadics. Johnson is black, Popadics is white and I guess there is a law against such unions in some people's minds. Of course, that state is also known for racial and anti-governmental radicals, aka loose screws, so such a story is not much of a surprise. Maybe Idaho is the new ignorant, backwoods South.

I want to give Terry Frei of the Denver Post a big ol' hug after he called Michael Vick "a scumbag." Why? Because the more heat the NFL receives from the media and public the more it will not be able to avoid crushing Vick under its' power for his stupidity and inhumane involvement in dog fighting. People who hurt animals, as in torture, have issues, as that's where, we hear, serial killers get started often. Not calling Vick a future killer but his actions are not defensible if you live in or wish to live in a civilized world.

This season is one of the most memorable in baseball history. Not so much for what the teams are doing but for all the career milestones being approached or achieved by pitchers and hitters. The two latest -- Tom Glavine, win no. 299 and red-hot Alex Rodriguez, home run numero 499. The key point to all this goodness is the number of media chunks that theorized that with the money in sports these days players would not be motivated to stick around long enough, be hungry long enough to achieve hallowed numbers. Yet, there are old or old and hurt players still grinding and making history. Yeah, they love the money and attention but they also are passionate about the game and their place in it.

A UCLA assistant football coach -- Eric Scott -- has been arrested on burglary charges. Maybe he was just checking up on a recruit. Or forgot where he lived.

Steve Spurrier is back talkin' smack. The South Carolina football coach believes the Gamecocks now have "the groceries" to be top cock in the SEC. He is still facing the odds against the perennial powerhouses of the conference but with Spurrier nothing is impossible. Him fielding a top-10 team again could well happen. A national title contender might be too much to expect.

So, tell me if you will -- who cares one bit about the Tour de France? Most of us hardly noticed even when Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong owned the race. Now that they tired of winning so much it becomes the same as the annual hot dog eating contest back East -- a novelty worth a blurb in the news.

Colorado Warrior

CSU AD Paul Kowalczyk is going to make CSU special. Count on it. The man just gets it. He thinks outside the box. He has a track record of success and he is bold.

Rams coach Sonny Lubick is speaking confidently these days about his team. Not loud and proud but self assured. You get the feeling he sees signs he's seen in the past when he had quality seasons.

"Realistic is what you tell your mind is realistic," CU coach Dan Hawkins said in a B.G. Brooks story in the Rocky Mountain News. If we were talking about anything but Hawkins' bowl game expectations for 2007 I'd think that was a great line. The reality is this though -- being significantly deficient in talent to most Big 12 schools is not something you can hide with philosophy.

Hawkins wants to find and name a starting quarterback as soon as possible. Look across the dinner table, coach.

Take a bow, P.T. Gates -- you're the only Buffs recruit who didn't cut it in the classroom. Learn the lesson. But to be fair -- I, um, had some "issues" at one time with acceptable academic standards too so we're brothers on that front. Hey, want to go play Madden?

The Broncos just signed rookie offensive lineman Ryan Harris, the dude who will be the best draftee from the 2007 class.

Aaron Cook was masterful in beating the Padres. It was a fluke. As was just written here, Cook has trade value and the Rockies should use it. Dealing him for the sake of dealing him would be foolish but to get help at the all-to-many holes the team has would be Warrior smart.

Word on the streets is Boston might again be kicking the tires on Todd Helton, considering a trade for the Rockies has-been. O.K., let's try to believe this ridiculous rumor for a moment while we sit on the throne and are a captive audience. Maybe the Red Sox are thinking Helton might be a fall-back guy for them if they can't make the big score on the trade market but come on, realistically, because of Helton's increasing appetite for money and decreased desire to actually earn it, neither Boston or anyone else is going to seriously want to date him and in the end, this is just worthless drivel to ponder.

BaseballAmerica.com is all over two Rockies prospects -- outfielder Seth Smith and pitcher Franklin Morales -- as hotties. Smith started slowly in 2007 but is scorching right now, showing his ability as a potential high-average stick. Morales is, as written here before, nothin' but a tease. Big arm but no star. At least as the starter he is now. As a reliever he could become a hammer if he can learn those two little things called control and command.