Eric Kay

After the on-track death of Eight Belles, horse racing could use a Horse of Tomorrow.

The Nationals are the hottest team in baseball (just wrapped up an 8-3 homestand).

If Alexander Ovechkin is Heather Locklear, Evgeni Malkin's goal (2:40 mark) is Courtney Thorne-Smith.

Michael Wilbon makes a good point, the '04 Pistons are the exception to the NBA champions-must-have-superstars rule. Sorry '08 Jazz, '08 Pistons.

If you like tequila, or simply enjoy celebrating countries that at one point defeated the French, enjoy your Cinco de Mayo.

Mind of The Big B shares a conversation with Viktor Crapper about hoops and less important stuff like the fall of the U.S. As for hoops, halt the in-game music when teams bring the ball up court immediately, please.

The Packers just wrapped up their rookie camp and GoPack's Yak has a report on how Brian Brohm and company fared.

We haven't even crowned an NBA champion, but The Eye of the HurricaneDij is off making predictions for next season because, well, people like predictions.

The second-place Cubs are 1.5 games behind the Cardinals and have a tough road ahead, with the Reds' Aaron Harang and the hot Diamonbacks up this week. It's Gonna Happen in 2008 breaks it all down.

Took in Forgetting Sarah Marshall this past weekend. While the movie's writer/actor, Jason Segal, was in Slackers, it's Cool Ethan who steals the forgotten '04 flick.

Another mind-warping episode of Lost last night.

We're flash forwarded into a future of Jack + Kate playing mom and pop to Aaron.

We get the privilige of seeing Jack try to guide his own appendectomy. And conversly, as Rose points out, we are asked: why would the island harm a castaway?

We lose Claire in the middle of the night.

We learn that Charlotte speaks and understands Korean.

We learn Hurley thinks the Oceanic 6 are dead.

And we learn Sawyer chose to stay on the island.

Let's start with Sawyer. He's playing out of character, altruistically helping Clarie-an and Miles get back to the camp. On their way to camp Miles uncovers the bodies of Carl and Rousseau, reminding us all of his Sixth Sensian aptitude.

Question that comes from this: Could Claire be dead, but still "existing" on the island in that Christian Shepherd sort of existence? Why else would Miles be so into her? Blonde baby-mammas don't seem to be his type.

Charlotte speaks Korean, which can be written off as a byproduct of all her Dharma-hunting globetrotting, or something a bit more. Maybe, like the Widmore freighter crew, she works for Sun's pop. Dad's can be so protective of their daughters -- and so tough on son-in-laws. Could papa Sun and Widmore be in some sort of tycoon club, and in cahoots?

Jack and Kate are living together raising Aaron. Jack is back working too hard and Kate hangs out at parks with other moms and is helping Sawyer with something (in all likelihood an innocent something). But Jack quickly reverts back to paranoid, insecure Jack. He's unable to trust, self conscious about his ability to play dad and still stressing over the Red Sox (damn you, A-Rod!).

Now, flash-forwarded back-to-his-old-self Jack is helping people with back tumors and as mentioned, working too hard. Juxtapose this with his appendectomy and we're reminded once again that struggle of a surgeon: you can remove an unnecessary, yet faltering organ and all can be well, but you can't remove unnecessary, yet faltering personality flaws. Jack just can't reform. He can't stop playing the role of hero, guardian, over-protective doc. Plus, he's still got his daddy's vices -- booze, painkillers and rage. So, while Jack plays the role of leader pretty well on the island, he still can't lead himself out of his papa's shadow and the crippling characteristics that come with it. Lost's characters are complex!

But the most fun part of last night was Hurley, who thinks the Oceanic 6 are all dead, which is hard to write off considering all the twists and turns the series has been through. I think there's a connection here to Ben and Widmore's convo in the last episode. Ben can't kill Widmore, people who die aren't really dead (Charlie talks to me, tells me about upcoming visitors, duh) and people who we thought were dead show up not just on the island, but in the future, too.

As usual, the episode offers some answers (we know Losties are still alive on the island in the future) and lots of questions (what the heck is Hurley talking about; why is Kate helping Sawyer?). Forum is open.

On to the best blogs ... around!

The four-games-out-of-first-in-the-NL-East Nats win again last night and guess who was behind the plate? Will Nieves. Maybe that's what has McNotables trying to figure out just how to flush Carlos Delgado out of the Mets lineup.

Has America lost its sporting edge on the world scene? Between hoops, hockey and baseball, we're no longer top dog in international competition. Blog 2.0: North Harbour examines why.

So the Minnesota Wild aren't playing anymore. It's OK for Tangletown, USA because the blogger is satisfied knowing this: the Wild have the best fans in hockey.

The Red Sox welcome the first-place Rays into town. As you let that statement soak in, check in on Red Sox Rewind's take on yesterday's game.

For an in-depth examination of last night's Lost, check in on Doc Jensen. He takes you to Wonderland. (EW)

What's more important: Having a catcher who's better at managing a game or having a better offensive catcher?

That's the question Nationals GM Jim Bowden has to answer very shortly. Here's his quagmire.

Paul Lo Duca, the Nats' offensive catcher (so to speak) is about to come off the disabled list. Paul Lo Duca is a career .287 hitter with a little pop (80 homers) and a fiery reputation.

He's also a mess behind the plate. He throws out just a shade more than 30 percent of runners (.308) but he's hovered below 25 percent for the past three-plus seasons. More importantly, in the 10 games he caught so far for the Nationals, he doesn't seem to have a grip on the young pitching staff. He only caught three wins, and the Nats gave up an average of 6.2 runs per when he was half the battery.

Enter in Will Nieves. Who, you ask? Will Nieves is a 30-year-old journeyman catcher who's spent time on the roster of the Padres, Angels and Yankees. He was recalled from Columbus to take the roster spot of Lo Duca and all he's done is help turn this rotation around. In games he's caught the Nats are 4-3 (he did catch part of last night's 3-2 win, but we won't count that) and when he's part of the battery the team gives up an average 3.43 runs.

Most importantly, he's helped the young staff solidify. John Lannan (who?) is pitching lights out when Nieves is calling the game. He has two shutouts in his last two starts and guess what those two performances have in common? If you said Will Nieves, you're the big winner. Heck, even his 3-2 loss to the Mets on May 17 is worth bragging about and guess who was behind the plate for that? That's right. Billiam Nieves. Now who was catching on April 12 when the pitcher was tagged in a 10-2 loss to the Marlins? Paul Lo Duca is your answer.

It's not just young hurlers like Lannan, check out what he's done with vet Odalis Perez in the pitcher's last two starts.

He called Perez's win vs. the potent Cubs on April 25 and he managed Perez's blanking of the Fish on April 20 for six innings. The Nats ultimately lost that game in a battle of bullpens. Nieves was pulled for a pinch hitter and didn't handle the collapse in what became a 6-1 loss. 

So Nieves is a liability at the plate but if you watch him, he hustles (he's been used as a pitch runner for jolly Johnny Estrada) and he's a better clubhouse presence than Lo Duca. He has thrown out 20 percent of base runners, which is still better than Lo Duca on the year (17 percent). But because Lo Duca was a free-agent signing and still holds some cache for the casual fan, expect to see a line in the agate of your local newspaper: Nieves sent to Triple-A Columbus, Lo Duca activated off disabled list.

This situation begs the question: when do you rate a good defensive, game-calling catcher ahead of an offensive catcher? Hopefully Jim Bowden likes seeing his staff come together more than he does Lo Duca slapping singles down the first-base line because I say good day to Lo Duca, howdy Nieves.

I'm picking up a trend here: Mavericks fans aren't mad at canned Avery Johnson. McNotables is mad at Mark Cuban for screwing things up in Dallas.

According to Me is thrilled with Mariners' recent roster moves. And if Jeff Clement stays in the lineup and shows some pop, I'll be right there with the blogger.

McNotables is back and taking shots at Roger Clemens. And by taking shots I mean taking Grey Goose shots. And by Grey Goose shots, I mean McNotables is probably vomiting, which is inspired by a mixture of Grey Goose and Roger Clemens.

Step into the Doctor's Office to get a diagnosis as to why the West Virginia football program has been so good over the past couple years.

If you thought the Sugarhill Gang recorded the ultimate Apache, check in on this crazy Dane, Tommy Seebach (YouTube)