Sports Agenda For Wednesday (7/6/11)

Big Story:
Obviously the big story is that the Agenda's back, even if for just a few days as we battle through the summer vacation season. But believe it or not, there is some sports news going on, though it's few and far between.
There's NFL news, the NBA is locked out, the Marlins still suck, and sports writers are desperate for something to write about, including this one.
So let's hit this agenda like a Marlins fastball.

Firsties:
Before I get going here, a brief comment.
If you want to see a microcosm of the battle that is going on in the overall society of the United States, look at the NBA and NFL lockout.
On one side, you have the elite, well-to-do owners who want to keep everything for themselves and are driven purely by greed.
They're the richest 1 percent who use teams as a tax writeoff and only view it as a profit margin business.
On the other side, you have the workers/players, who are trying to fight the system to get more for themselves and their fellow workers.
They have to work every day for their money and want to finally breakdown the system that is driven only by profits.
Sound familiar?
It's the same argument going on in Congress right now with the Republicans protecting the elite in order to keep their profits (donations) high. Meanwhile, the workers are left to pay increasingly high costs on everything to give the elite (owners) everything they want without question.
Go figure, who says sports doesn't reflect society.

Florida Marlins: (vs. Philadelphia Phillies, 7:10 p.m., Fox Sports Florida)
I was so excited yesterday after the Marlins started the month at .500 through 4 games. I should've remembered this is the Marlins I was watching.
Tuesday night, the Marlins got hammered worse than the Casey Anthony prosecutors.
The Fish lost to the Phillies, 14-2.
14 runs, that's enough to beat the Dolphins too, but I digress.
The Marlins will have another loss after tonight and then will have a three game series at home against the Astros to close out the first half of the season.
It will be one of the most epic collapses baseball has ever seen.
From tied for first near the end of May, to dead last and not even competitive by the All-Star break. Seriously, that's as epically bad as Congressional approval numbers.
I don't want to say the Marlins are bad, but even Nick Saban has higher favorability ratings in South Florida than the Marlins do.
It's sad, because a good baseball team and game is a lot of fun to watch. Unfortunately, with cheapskate owners and incompetent front office management, the Marlins are going to be the perennial over-achiever sneaking into the playoffs, or the also-ran who everyone loves to play for an easy win.
But hey Marlins fans, there's always next year and the new stadium. It'll all be better in the new building!
Here's the funny part, the L.A. Dodgers are in bankruptcy and are still just a game or so worse than the Marlins.
And don't expect to see ace Josh Johnson back on the mound soon. Despite being given the all-clear, he's still not throwing off a mound yet. He appears to be tentative and nervous about doing more damage to his arm, that's not a good formula for a supposed ace pitcher.
He'll be back probably by September to play in some worthless game, but if he's nervous, the Marlins should shut him down now and save him for next season.
Plus, the Marlins signed Mike Cameron yesterday. He was headed for the minor leagues while hitting .194 for the Red Sox this season. He's 38 and has nothing left in the tank, so naturally let's sign him up and put him on the active roster.
Seriously, the Marlins front office is to baseball what George W. Bush is to fiscal responsibility.
I'm grading the Marlins first half of the season as an EF.
No, not as in enhanced fujita; no this is much worse.
EPIC FAIL!

Speaking of Epic Fail….

NBA Update:
Well, the NBA is doing it's best to keep the Miami Heat from winning a championship…this time by locking out the players because the owners are too freaking greedy.
As stat guru Nate Silver of the New York Times pointed out, it's not player salaries that are the problems, it's the non-player expenses that have risen at a rate that far outpaces player salaries.
Even now, Silver found that NBA owners are working with an operating margin (operating income divided by revenues) was roughly 5 percent last season and has been around 7 percent during the term of the last CBA. For comparison, Forbes 500 companies turned about a 4 percent profit in 2009 and 6.6 in 2010.
So the NBA is making money, and they are making plenty of it.
Some owners are hurting, so the players can back up from having 57 percent of each dollar made. But, trying to get it down to 40 percent like the owners want is just stupid.
The owners will win unless the players form their own league, which theoretically they could. And the owners that are hurting are listening to their NHL brethren who said losing a season was definitely worth imposing their will on their players.
So, at least college basketball season will start on time.
The NBA looks to be in deep freeze until about Christmas.
And with the Heat having only a 4-year window to initially win a title with the big three, that window may close faster than Heat fans want to think about.

NFL Update:
The only thing holding up the NFL CBA is the lawyers.
NFLPA lawyer Jeffrey Kessler wants to win a multi-billon dollar judgment against the NFL and is steering the players in the wrong direction.
He has nothing but his interest at heart and is willing to bankrupt the game to get it.
The NFL lawyers are no better either.
It's past time for DeMaurice Smith and Roger Goodell to stand up, take charge, consummate a deal, and get the NFL back in business.
Please guys, we're running out of things to write about.
Sportswriters like myself are trying to think of new lists we can make up to fill the space until you guys get back to work.
They better hurry too, because it's around 65 days until college football season kicks off!!!!!