Sports Redux: Who Do You Love?

Forget the 2008 Presidential Race for now. The biggest decision any voter can make right now is the one forced on us by Major League Baseball. Since the All-Star game is in San Francisco, a National League park, the designated hitter is not an option. Which means the Red Sox had to designate David Ortiz to be in the First Baseman section of the All-Star ballot. Which means Kevin Youkilis is on the outside looking in.

This brings up the fundamental philosophy of All-Star voting. Do you vote for the biggest star, in this case Papi? Or is your vote a nod for the player who's played the best in the first half of the season, which in this case would clearly be Youk? The problem is that Youkilis would have to be a write-in vote, which is a longshot. Worst-case scenario is that the vote is split down the middle, allowing some unworthy (read:non-Red Sox) player like Justin Morneau, Mark Teixeira, or (gag) Jason Giambi to slip into the top spot. In the spirit of solidarity, and taking nothing away from Papi, Bostonist endorses a write-in vote for Kevin Youkilis in the 1B voting.

Not that Giambi would be making the trip, anyway. The Yankees' first baseman is on the shelf indefinitely after rupturing something in his left foot. It's expected that Johnny Damon will probably take the bulk of the DHing duties, which means the leatherlungs in the bleachers will have to direct their vitriol somewhere else. We have full confidence in them.

The Patriots have begun to assemble in Foxborough for early summer camps; yesterday's passing camp was the first meet-and-greet for Tom Brady and n00bs Randy Moss and Wes Welker. It also gave some of the Pats a chance to publicly remember and mourn the late Marquise Hill. Richard Seymour said there's a "numbness" in the locker room. The Pats plan to travel as a team to New Orleans this weekend to be there for Hill's funeral.

The NBA merry-go-round is in full swing. Celtics assistant coach Tony Brown has left, and Chris Wallace has interviewed for the GM job in Memphis. Former C's coach Jim O'Brien is the new head coach of the Pacers, and Florida Gator coach Billy Donovan is moving to the NBA along with most of his players, as the new head man in Orlando. Doc Rivers: still here.

But the NBA story of the night: LeBron James. WOW. Criticized for not stepping up in the first two games of the Eastern Finals, LeBron has completely taken over the series. Game Five was a 2-OT nailbiter in Detroit, and James made it his showcase, scoring 48 points, including the last 25 for Cleveland. He was blowing past Pistons, drilling impossible 3-pointers, and burying the idea that he's not living up to his potential. We're very glad we stayed up late for this one.