Day 473

• Scottie Pippen has just stepped in it.  He told Dan Patrick today that a 1994 playoff game last-shot play was actually drawn up for Toni Kukoc rather than him because...  Phil Jackson is racist??!?!?!??  Yeowch, Scotty.   
• Pippen had one word to describe Michael Jordan:  "Selfish."  Here's a few more:  Foolish and Wretched One-Dimensional Ballhog.
• Suspicious dealings at Euro 2021:  In just 29 matches (30 now), there have been nine own goals.  Spain's howler against Croatia in the 20th minute may have been the worst.  To give perspective, there have now been as many own-goals in this tournament alone than in the ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE TOURNAMENT BEFORE THIS ONE.  Definite evidence of at least what is referred to as "spot fixing" -- the practice of partially fixing a match for a certain proposition bet -- first goal, a certain player getting a disciplinary card, etc. and so forth.  
• Spain needed extra time to get Croatia out, 5-3.
• Add France to the list of R16 exits.  Switzerland saw them off in penalties after a 3-3 draw.  That's France and Portugal out and Spain needing extra time.  Germany or England go out tomorrow, they play each other in Wembley!  Eriksen "miracle" forthcoming???   
• Bruce Smith just shot another hole in the homophobes' theories on the NFL:  Smith told TMZ that he was certain that at least one, and possibly two, Buffalo Bills in the mid- to late-1990's were gay.  Worse for the fucking pigs:  No one on the Bills cared!  Smith had the same theories Vince Lombardi did on the subject -- if they help us win, then let's bring 'em on!  (Yahoo!)  (With thanks to my anonymous friend for this and the Pippen story...)
• According to statistics posted by ESPN2's wagering show, the Giants are the most-profitable team in baseball for bettors this season.  And they are profiting at such levels that are equivalent to the two cheating MLB World Series "champions" of the last five years.  This isn't an implication yet -- the only two teams profiting by the All-Star Break at the levels these Giants have HAVE BEEN the Red Sox and Astros "championship years".  But it does make you wonder.   
• 125-1 to win the World Series to start the year -- the best team in baseball is now 22-1 entering a key series, 3 1/2 up on their opponents in this series, the Dodgers.