Ready For Action
( Michael Bradley)

   Monday's news that the Sixers would finish their off-season frenzy by adding Theo Ratliff finally puts the team into clear focus. There have been many moves, but are they enough to put the team into contention? Not yet. And that's not a bad thing.

Sounds of Silence
( Michael Bradley)

   You want to boo. Of course you do. But that would just be giving Jimmy Rollins what he wants. Cheering plays into his hand, too. The solution? A whole lot of nothing. Disregard J-Roll completely, even if he hits the game-winning home run tonight.

Vote For Change
( Michael Bradley)

   After watching his team score a meager six runs in three games against the lowly Padres, Phils manager Charlie Manuel is mystified about the offensive shutdown. His players had better make some changes soon or face an unpleasant off-season.

Ready For Some Football
( Michael Bradley)

   The news that Brian Westbrook's new contract will be announced today eliminates a big distraction from the Eagles' pre-season. Now, it's time to see who on the team can really play some ball.

Give It Up, Lito
( Michael Bradley)

   Disgruntled Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard can complain all he wants about the team's unwillingness to give him a new contract, but the fact is he won't get one. Should he continue antagonizing the Birds, this won't end well -- for him.

Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Sandy Koufax...
( Michael Bradley)

   If you listen to Charlie Manuel, the Phillies' recent hitting problems are directly related to the caliber of pitching the team has been facing. That would make sense if they were up against big-time aces. The real culprit is a lineup of players who can't deliver.

How About a Little Compassion?
( Michael Bradley)

   It doesn't matter whether Shawn Andrews hid his depression from the Eagles throughout the entire off-season, his condition is out in the open now, and the team needs to reverse field and treat him with compassion or risk seeming uncaring and caustic.

Hey, Brett, You Had Better Not Stink
( Michael Bradley)

   So, Brett Favre is going to play a little football, is he? He might engage in an "open" QB competition in Green Bay. Or, he could be traded to the Vikings. One thing is certain: After all of his drama, he had better play well -- and that's not guaranteed.

Fool's Gold
( Michael Bradley)

   The Phillies begin August in first place, and that's great news, but let's not get carried away, because the team's inability to upgrade its pitching leaves it vulnerable in a pennant race -- and beyond.

Joe Must Go
( Michael Bradley)

   For years, the standard argument in favor of allowing Joe Pateno to coach until he was 100 was all the good he did for the school. That's not the case anymore, so this should be his last year at Penn State.