Great, great story out of Pittsburgh today – I love this one. Buffalo was in town to play the Penguins. Before the game began the returning Olympians were introduced to the crowd. Ryan Miller, the tournament MVP and star goalie of the American team was given a very loud standing ovation – even though he plays for the visiting team. Sidney Crosby, the biggest hockey hero in the league, and the biggest Pittsburgh has had since Mario, got an ovation that was clearly less rousing. It gets even better – when the replay of Sid’s goal was shown, the one that won the gold medal and made certain that Crosby will be a hero in Canada for eternity, he was booed. In his own house. Awesome. Just awesome.

I’m sure you couldn’t have missed the news that Tiger Woods is out of his latest stint in what every depravity rehabilitation program he has been in, and he is reportedly practicing hard to get back on the golf course. That’s obviously where he needs to be as soon as possible, but I shudder to think about the circus that that return will create. It’s too early to consider it now, but it’s also going to be a very interesting handicapping puzzle to determine what kind of form he’s going to be in when he returns, and how to deal with him as bettors. The thing I am most looking forward to if for this whole story to be firmly in the rearview mirror.

Bold, bold move by the Diamondbacks today. They have tied up 22 year old likely star, and potential megastar, Justin Upton for the next six years. The contract is reportedly worth $1 million, or $8.5 million per year on average. Upton hit .300 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs last year, so they arguably overpaid for him this coming year. The guy is so young, though, that he’ll almost certainly continue to improve for a couple of years at least, and he has the tools to be very, very good – a player worth far more than $8.5 million. This also locks him up for the last three years of his arbitration eligibility, and the first three years of free agency. It’s a gamble, but a reasonably safe one for the D-Backs, and it sets a good tone for the fans and the team – they are serious about getting good and staying there. Kudos.