The Royal Unit

Randy Johnson won his 300th career game against the Washington Nationals Thursday night in what was a great moment in baseball history. The Unit, in all likelihood, will be the last person ever to record 300 victories.

While his stuff wasn't as filthy as it used to be, Johnson looked like the old Unit. Six innings and only two hits. We tend to forget how dominate this man was during his prime. Last year, NL Cy Young winner (and current teammate) Tim Lincecum struck out 265, a number that separated him largely from the field. Johnson has six seasons with over 300 strikeouts and three seasons in the 290s. When he took the hill for Seattle and Arizona (the first time) the game was over before he even threw a pitch. With 100 complete games in his career, Johnson finished what he started in an era largely dominated by bullpen strength and managers that played the percentages on late inning match-ups.

In the ninth inning, with the Unit on the bench, his son, who served as bat boy was standing with one leg up on the top step of the dugout. With the cameras fixated on the always stoic Johnson, his son was loving life. A smile that stretched from ear to ear was quickly erased as he shot quick glances in his fathers direction after every batter Brian Wilson faced reached a full count. Finally, with two outs, the elder Johnson called over to his son who took his place beside his father on the bench and posed for pictures. That was the first time I've ever seen Randy Johnson smile before the 27th out was recorded. Folks, it's a game and even the mighty Unit enjoys himself.



Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing something three times and expecting a different outcome the fourth. Clearly I'm insane because I didn't think Tiger Woods had a snowball's chance in hell at winning the Memorial this afternoon. Is there anyone more clutch in all of professional sports than TW? It's difficult to make comparisons across sports, especially with the four major sports all being team sports and golf, clearly is not, but I'm willing to make the argument that Woods is the most clutch athlete in professional sports (Sorry Big Papi).

Anyone who has ever golfed knows that making up four strokes, even against the goofballs you and I play with on the weekends, is a daunting task. Now try and do it against the best in the world, a group that included Davis Love III and Jim Furyk. Tiger is on another planet and will not only break every record ever recorded in PGA history, but do so with relative ease.









Not much can pull me out of bed before noon on Sunday, but when Roger Federer is in the final of a major, I'm up before the roosters.

This morning, Federer won the French Open, completing the career Grand Slam and tying Pete Sampras for the most majors won at 14.

Tennis, much like golf, looks extremely easy on television. When you lace 'em up yourself and grab a racket, it's a whole new ballgame. The ease at which he blasts backhands down the line with pinpoint precision amazes me.

Federer has taken the backseat to Rafael Nadal over the past few years and although his victory at the French did not come against Rafa, Federer looked spectacular. Even in the post-match interview, he addressed the crowd at Roland Garros, first in French and then in English for the American television cameras in front of him. Tennis majors aren't exactly the Super Bowl, but anytime two superb athletes with insane competitive drives are pitted against each other, I'll be tuning in.