No AC

This will be a bitchin' blog. I don't mean bitchin' in the traditional cool-as-hell-and-so-transcendent-that-you-all-should-pay-attention sense. I mean I'm going to bitch in this blog. Here in Memphis at 10:27 a.m. Central Standard Time (and by the way, don't get me started on the crappiness of central time), it is 78 degrees outside. This afternoon, we will reach a high of 90 degrees. Inside the journalism building, the AC is broken. My office, which is usually frigid, is friggin' hot at the moment. I closed my blinds to keep the sun from shining directly on me, but that only provided marginal relief. Now, I sit here perspiring, my only salvation an ice-cold Diet Coke to my right, which is not only refreshing, but also serving as a thirst quencher. And soda is never good when used in such a capacity. So I'm sweating it out here, hoping my deodorant earns its money today. The good news is that class is optional tonight -- I opt not to go -- and I can leave the office at noon at the latest. So the day can only improve from here.

In more important news, the Orioles beat the Angels 4-2 last night to take three of four from Anaheim. Daniel Cabrera walked only one batter in seven innings after having issued 16 walks in his previous two starts, in which he totaled just 6.1 innings. This was an important series win. It moved them to 8-6 overall and proved they can beat a team other than Tampa Bay. So, they're 5-2 against Tampa Bay, 3-1 against Anaheim and 0-3 against Boston.

(By the way, Boston looks like the real deal, folks. I had concerns about them coming into this year, but they've looked good. I'm still not sure Clement and Wakefield will continue to pitch as well as they have, and the lack of fifth starter is a problem, but Schilling and Beckett have been fantastic. If Papelbon moves into the rotation, then they'll be short in the bullpen because Foulke my explode as the closer. I'd also like to see that offense play better before I annoint them AL East champs. But they're looking good. A solid team.)

(Sticking with the AL East tangent, the Yankees have looked vulnerable. Their pitching has been decent, but that won't last. Their vaunted offense hasn't produced as many suspected it would. But it's early. They started slowly last year, too, and still won the division. Wang, Chacon, Mussina and Pavano are all mediocre pitchers, and it's not good when the fortunes of this team are riding on those four sets of shoulders. The bullpen is adequate. The offense will have to carry this team. The Blue Jays have played decent ball so far, as well. BJ Ryan has paid off. The offense is scoring runs. But Halladay, Burnettt and the rest of the average rotation haven't been stellar. They made some nice offseason acquisitions, but not enough to challenge Boston and New York. The D-Rays have good, young, offensive talent, but they have no pitching, aside from Kazmir, to speak of. They'll finish last in the division again.)

The Orioles haven't played great baseball, but they've won. Their starting pitching has been up and down. The back end of their bullpen has been fantastic. Their middle relief has been awful. Their offense has been inconsistent. Unfortunately, David Newhan broke his leg last night. He had played his way into the starting lineup, and his speed at the top of the lineup was adding a much needed dimension to the offense. He'll be out for six to eight weeks, most likely. They start another important series against Cleveland tonight. Then, they travel to New York Friday for three games with the Yankees.

In still other sports news, the Washington Wizards secured a playoff spot with their win against the Cavaliers Sunday evening. The Wizards are a confusing team. They're wildly inconsistent and haven't proven all year that they're a great basketball team. They're merely a good basketball team. If they beat the Bucks tonight and the Pistons Wednesday night, then they'll secure the coveted fifth seed and face in the Cavs in the first round. That's the best possible matchup for the Wizards because it's a winnable series. I've been unhappy with Washington all season. They're a difficult team to define. They can beat Detroit (twice), San Antonio and Phoenix, but they struggle against Atlanta, Charlotte and Boston. They rely too much on jump shots, so they shoot themselves in and out of games. Gilbert Arenas' game would be augmented if he could add a floater to his repetoire of offensive moves. He can hit a 3-pointer, a mid-range jumper and finish around the basket. What he lacks, though, is the ability to toss up a floater, a la Tony Parker and Dwayne Wade.

The NFL Draft is next weekend, and Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Vince Young are receiving most of the media's attention. I'm sure they'll all have solid careers, and certainly someone like Bush can help reverse a team's (Houston?) fortunes. Outside of only Bush, though, I think Vernon Davis is the player to watch in this draft. The Maryland tight end is going to be a huge addition to whatever team drafts him. He has superstar potential.