Swinging for the Fences

The title of this post covers a multitude of sports news from the past couple of days:

• The Tampa Bay Lightning appear to be looking to hit a home run with all of the money they've thrown around this off season. Their latest move has been signing Vinny "I'm so beautiful it hurts" Lecavalier to an 11-year, $85 million contract. Now, I love Vinny as much as the next female hockey fan, but sometimes, swinging for the fences means you might strike out every once in a while. Let's think about this...11 years? Vinny may look baby-faced, but he's already 28. By the time his contract is up, he'll be 40 years old. Tampa's new owners are starting to look more and more ridiculous to me. If we head towards another lockout, we'll have contracts like this to thank.

Maybe I'm just jealous that this gorgeous piece of hockey player will never be a Sabre.

• My sister's softball team had a pretty productive weekend in Rochester. They went 2-1 in their triple-header in 90-plus degree heat. Of course, the scorching heat was followed by torrential downpours during the elimination round on Sunday. We waited at the diamonds for 3 HOURS in the monsoon before they called the games. Let me tell you, there has never been a longer two hours of my life than the ride back to Buffalo in a car with a disappointed, wet, and tired teenage softball player.

• Tonight, at 8 p.m. on ESPN is the 2008 MLB Home Run Derby. I don't consider myself a baseball fanatic, but I am a casual fan. I've taken a side in the great Yankees-Red Sox debate (I'm a sucker for pinstripes), and I really like the Cleveland Indians - mainly because I go to Bisons games, so I know who many of them are. As a casual fan, I always get excited for the Home Run Derby. I know it can get long and boring, but it just seems like a lot of fun. Plus, this year, some of my favorites are participating:

1. Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays)

He's a rookie, he's adorable, and his name is so close to a Desperate Housewife that I smile every time I hear it.

2. Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers)

After battling drug addiction following being pegged as a future superstar, I can only imagine how rewarding this season and this recognition must be for him. I'm a sucker for a great human-interest story, and his comeback is one of the best.

3. Grady Sizemore (Cleveland Indians)

My favorite player in the Majors, Grady is a former Buffalo Bison doing us proud in the Big Leagues. Not only is he a good player, he is downright beautiful. I'll be rooting for him tonight, if only to see his face on my TV for a few more hours.

Finally, I got lots of requests for where I bought my "Buffalo Likes it Ruff" shirt. The answer is Bay 6 Buffalo Clothing in the Southgate Plaza in West Seneca. This store directory lists their phone number; I wish they had a website. They have lots of other cool Sabres, Bills, and Buffalo t-shirts there, too. If you're in the neighborhood, you should definitely check it out!