Before I say anything sports related -- thoughts and prayers go out to anyone out there dealing with the flood waters in the midwest.  Humans have a habit of thinking we're in control, and it's very sobering when you see what Mother Nature can do when she decides to put us in our place. 

Some random thoughts for the last week or two in sports:

The NBA Finals:

• As much as I love having my Celtics back in the Finals, especially against the Lakers, the game itself just doesn't compare to the game in the Bird/Magic era.  I watched a few games on ESPN Classic right as the finals were starting and there is no comparison -- once you get past the short shorts, that is.

• Here's a drinking game you can play during tonight's game 6:  Every time Jeff Van Gundy or Mark Jackson refers to a guy as a "Knock Down Shooter", take a drink.  You ought to be pretty good by halftime.

• Speaking of announcers, I miss Marv Albert.  Marv Albert and Greg Anthony would be light years better than Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson.

• I was prepared to say that I hated the 2-3-2 format for the finals, and fully ready to admit that it was because I thought it was very likely that the Celts would head back to Boston down 3-2 instead of up 3-2.  I still would like to see them close it out tonight.  Kobe in Game 7 scares me, and the media is only adding fuel to the fire.  DO NOT GIVE THIS GUY ANY MORE DAYLIGHT.

On to baseball --

• It pains me to say it, and truthfully I've known this for a several weeks now....The Yankees are not going to be a playoff team.  I know they've done this whole "rough start" thing for the last few seasons, and because of that, I am not abandoning all hope.  But with the injuries to the pitching staff mounting, I just don't see it happening, and if they are going to go young, there is no sense overpaying with prospects for Sabathia now when you can just overpay in salary during the offseason.

• The Yankees fan in me is salivating at the prospect of Mark Teixeira wearing Yankees pinstripes next year.  The fantasy team owner in me (who lucked into MT for my NL Only team last year when he was traded for Salty) hopes he stays in the NL.

• The Cardinals lose Pujols, Adam Wainwright (who is becoming an ace, by the way), and almost any player that pitches an inning for them, and yet they take 2 of 3 from Phillies over the weekend.  A 20-2 game is tough to swallow for any fan, but I'll take that game along with a series win any day of the week.  What the Cardinals are doing is incredible.  I don't think they have the horses to get to October, but they are as fun to watch as they've been since '82 (in my opinion).

• Tony LaRussa vs. Fredi Gonzalez for NL Manager of the Year....tough call, and I'm too biased to pick one.

• The Mets should be ashamed of themselves for the way they've ultimately handled the Willie Randolph situation.  I love seeing the Mets struggle, but no one deserves the BS Willie has had to put up with.

• It's not time to start planning a parade route just yet, but you can't ignore the fact that the Cubs are an awfully good team.  The Phillies are going to tough to beat, and I begrudgingly admit that the Red Sox are looking like a championship squad.  But the gap between AL and NL is not as wide as many seem to think, and the Cubs and the Phillies are good enough to play with anyone.

• Give Lou Piniella the credit for the Cubs. He's not the only reason they are winning, but he has his players expecting to win, which is something I've never seen in a Cubs team before.  Jim Hendry ought to thanking whatever higher power you would guess he subscribes to for making some of his really boneheaded moves look like they were the right ones.

• The flip side of that last comment, though, is this:  Piniella is not a long term fixture on the bench in Chicago.  Enjoy the winning while you can, because it might not be an easy thing for the next owner to clean up this mess.

Closing things out with a little football.....

• Hate to read Rashard Mendenhall's comments on Ron Zook, but love the classy response from the Coach.  And this guy got run out of Florida?

• Rashan Salaam, Curtis Enis, Cedric Benson.  I've given up waiting for the next Walter Payton or Neal Anderson.  Right now, I think I'd settle for the next Raymont Harris or Brad Muster.