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-One of the problems with the MLB All Star Game is that too many stars don't want to be bothered participating. They can say it's all about the fans with this silly notion that such a meaningless game actually decides who will get homefield advantage in the World Series. But if some of the best players who fans voted for don't participate and use the time for vacation, is it really fan friendly?

-It's unbelievable that baseball commissioner Bud Selig could continue to let such a game decide that. It makes having the major's best record meaningless.

-What Roger Federer accomplished by winning his fourth straight Wimbledon this past Sunday was extraordinary. That he did it against Rafael Nadal- a player he had struggled against going 0-4 this year all in finals- made it even more special. The best part was that the Swiss world No.1 had to raise his level to finish off the second seeded Spaniard. It made for some classic stuff between the world's best two players.

-Staying with the tennis theme, it was fitting that Amelie Mauresmo fought back to beat her nemesis Justine Henin-Hardenne to capture her first ever Wimbledon. It justified her Australian Open win in which Henin-Hardenne regrettably retired. This time, the top seeded Frenchwoman got to legitimize her victory and celebrate fully by playing the kind of championship tennis in an ultracompetitive match, further silencing critics.

-While Andre Agassi went out gracefully in his final appearance at the All England Club, the same couldn't be said about the disappointing results of other Americans. Andy Roddick's third round exit at the hands of Andy Murray was damaging because it knocked the former 2003 U.S. Open champ from the top 10. Three-time Wimbledon winner Venus Williams' third round upset loss to Jelena Jankovic was shocking. Though she hadn't played much tennis entering, she still was the favorite on grass. Imagine what a Mauresmo-Williams quarter would've been like. The most disappointing aspect of The Championships was that no American even got past the fourth round- making it the first time since 1922 that's happened. That can't repeat at the final slam of the year the U.S. Open in New York.

-A couple of weeks after being severely criticized for taking Renaldo Balkman, Isiah Thomas doesn't look so off thus far.