I enjoyed the Tribune’s calm, rational headline on the Cubs gamer. “Barrett panics, throws game away.” Sweet.

Nomar will start on Friday and Sunday and go back on the DL on Monday.

Hey, I had a hip surgery kind of like Jerry Azumah. I enjoyed the colostomy. Maybe a little too much.

Cedric Benson still hasn’t signed a contract. Benson? I thought Robert Guilleaume had a stroke? This is inspirational.

John Mullin and KC Johnson on the five standouts and the five surprises in Bears camp.

John Paxson is doing nothing and liking it.

Bernard Berrian might return kicks for the Bears this year in the absence of Azumah. Absence of Azumah? Wasn’t that a Sally Field-Paul Newman movie?

Mike Mulligan says that because the Bears are charging admission for tonight’s “workout” at Soldier Field, scouts from other teams can come. Big deal, they play like 14 preseason games anyway. I just wonder who’s dumb enough to pay to watch them practice?

Mariotti puts down the doughnut to slap Rafael Palmeiro around some more.

Say what you want about Kerry Wood, but he is pretty funny. He was asked if he was going to go the bullpen during Wednesday’s game to “get the hang of it.”

“To get the hang of sitting? I got that down pretty good.”

Marty Burns looks at the winners and losers after about two days of free agency in the NBA and proves he has no clue what the Bulls’ situation is.

The Anti-Christ says the reason fewer blacks play baseball is because with steroids, baseball teams don’t need fast guys. Talk about a stereotype. Wow. Something tells me Joe will not catch any heat for that, though. Hmm.

America’s finest news source says the White House is denying the existence of Karl Rove.