So goes Dirk, so goes the Mavericks it seems. Then again, you would expect no less when Nowitzki is one of the best in the NBA. He had an off-night in Game 4, but I don't expect a repeat performance when he squares off with Phoenix tonight in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

Then again, Dirk has four other teammates on the floor with him at any given time during the game. If he has another off-night, it's up to someone else to pick up their game, something that did not happen in Tuesday night's loss.

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Meanwhile, Detroit stays alive a little while longer in the Eastern Conference finals beating Miami last night, 91-78. The Heat still lead the series, 3-2.

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Open-wheel racing legends Mario Andretti & Al Unser Jr. have told Texas Motorspeedway 'no thanks' in regards to racing their IRL event June 10. Both drivers came out of retirement to compete in the Indy 500, but say they would not have the proper time to prepare for the Lone Star state event.

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What's really going on behind the scenes with the Big East conference? It's reported how great things are after an impressive West Virginia football team win in the Sugar Bowl, followed by a spectacular basketball season. All should be well, right?

Instead officials seemed shocked earlier this week when the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., said if Navy becomes bowl eligible, they will meet an ACC opponent on Dec. 30 at Bank of America Stadium, bumping whoever finishes third in the Big East.

The West Virginia Gazzette reported yesterday that BE commish Mike Tranghese said, "Originally we made a deal with the Houston Bowl to take our No. 3 team. Well, when we didn’t give our No. 3 to [the Meineke Car Care Bowl], they came back and said if we didn’t, they may go to the open market."

In the meantime, the Houston Bowl is circling the drain, with the Big 12 trying its best to keep the game alive all while Navy is in negotiation in Charlotte, leaving the Big East on the outside looking in.

"We were blindsided by that," Tranghese is reported as saying.

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It's official: Roger Clemens is back in Major League Baseball in a Houston Astros uniform. It's his 23rd season playing professionally.

Wow.

"He we go again," Clemens told reporters yesterday before embarking on a minor league tour which begins today in Lexington, Ky. It's the first stop in a three-week, three-city swing through the minors he hopes will culminate in his first start with the Astros on June 22 at Minute Maid Park against the Minnesota Twins.

Clemens will receive $12.6 million for a little over three months of work. Nice work, if you can get it * he can... after all, the Astros, Yankees, Rangers & Red Sox all competed for his services.

In the end Clemens said it was his Houston teammates that made him put on the Astros uniform one more time. I guess they were all able to bind despite Clemens not travelling with the team unless he was scheduled to pitch.

That's what bother the baseball purists the most. It's not the high salary, dictating terms of his contract or missing half of the season... but bring up the travel deal & they pretty opinionated.

John Brasier in today's Anderson Independent-Mail writes:

Clemens’ special treatment teeters over the edge of a slippery slope. If Clemens can stay home when his team is playing, why shouldn’t other star pitchers be able to do the same thing?

Shouldn’t Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez get the same consideration if they wanted it? Greg Maddux and John Smoltz should too, but they wouldn’t want to give up the free airfare and luxury accommodations while touring the nation’s top golf courses.

What if young guns such as Dontrelle Willis and Johan Santana decided to make limited travel a negotiating point? Some team would be willing to agree, whether it’s good business or not.

What’s next, star catchers demanding contracts that guarantee them regular days off?

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An arbitrator ruled in favor of Titans quarterback Steve McNair Wednesday, saying Tennessee cannot continue to ban him from team property for training. I would expect something to happen quick with McNair. He's a $24 million liability on the NFL salary cap, so a release or trade could happen.

A statement from Titans general counsel Steve Underwood said it appeared arbitrator John Feerick leaned more heavily on circumstances "unique and special" to Tennessee state law than on the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL & the players' association.

Feerick also ruled that McNair was not eligible to be compensated for missed workouts.

The Titans denied McNair access to their training facility earlier this spring after contract renegotiation talks came to a halt. The team was concerned that if something happened to McNair on their property they would be liable to pay his entire contract.

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Tennessee Volunteers football coach Phillip Fulmer blames distractions for his team's 5-6 season last year, the Vols first losing season in 17 years. He also blames himself, including a quarterback shuffle which divided the team.

Surprisingly, Fulmer also said at this week's SEC Spring Meeting in Destin that he waited too long to make changes to his offensive staff. Coordinator Randy Sanders resigned, then recievers coach Pat Washington & line coach Jimmy Ray Stephens were both fired.

Sanders' exit opened the door for the return of former Mississippi coach David Cutcliffe.

Fulmer has won 77% of his games in 14 years at the helm of the Vols. Not bad. But consider this: since 2000 he's 2-8 against Georgia's Mark Richt, Tommy Tuberville of Auburn, & Steve Spurrier, first at Florida, now with South Carolina; oh, he's 0-1 against newcomer Urban Meyer now with the Gators.

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As I read several stories on Ed Orgeron awaiting word if quarterback Brent Schaeffer has graduated from a California junior college so he can come to Oxford, I started humming the tune to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers "The Waiting." Think Coach O knows the words?

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For the past few seasons, I thought the biggest goofball in NASCAR was Kurt Busch - until his brother came along. Kyle, much like brother Kurt, could do himself a lot of favors by taking a few anger management classes. Or sit & talk with whoever finally got to Tony Stewart when his temper put his job in jeopardy with Joe Gibbs.

The latest fiasco involving a Busch boy happened when lil' Kyle through a safety device at Kasey Mears' passing car. The two were involved in a wreck that tossed Busch from the field. Today, Busch is short $50,000 & 25 cup points for his temper tantrum; car owner Rick Hendrick also lost 25 championship points.

NASCAR placed Kyle on probation until the end of the season. I hope they have zero tolerance with him. Then again I hope they have zero tolerance for cheating crew chief Chad Knauss, too. Time will tell in both cases.

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Memphis Tigers quaterback signee Matt Malouf is participating this week in the Mississippi-Alabama HS All Star Game in Mobile, Ala. After being quizzed by the Mobile paper as to why he chose Memphis over Mississippi, he said: "Memphis has been (recruiting) me since day one. They offered me a scholarship early and they stayed with me the whole way. They were the school that seemed like they wanted me the most. ... I really like the coaching staff and their (offensive) system. I love the spread offense and its the offense that fits me the best, I believe. I like the coaches and the players there. I'm looking forward to getting there."

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Mike Bianchi writes in today's Orlando Sentinel regarding George O'Leary's heft salary increase at UCF: It's hard to believe there's actually a clause in UCF Coach George O'Leary's new contract that will pay him an extra $50,000 if he wins six games. Excuse me? If you're a college football coach who makes more than a million bucks a year, you should give back $50,000 for going 6-6. Who was UCF's chief negotiator on this contract -- former AD Steve Orsini or Santa Claus?

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Former Memphis standout Rodney Carney is drawing attention from the Orlando Magic.

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Memphis is fourth in the nation when it comes to folks eating at fast food restaurants. Birmingham, Louisville & Austin were the only cities that ranked higher. Wait a minute... I cannot stand losing to Louisville in anything! I off to have a Big Mac!

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