>>>USAToday lists five sports conspiracies (click here). Next, they identify the gunman on the grassy knoll.

>>>Art Thiel of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer writes about college sports getting an academic wake-up call (click here). "In trading John Deere caps for dunce caps, the Washington State football program suffered more than a fashion gaffe."

>>>New baseball bats break in half too easily, presenting a danger to players, coaches, umpires, and fans (click here). "Someone's going to die at a baseball stadium soon." Thanks to Fark.com for the link.

>>>USAToday asks the presidential candidates where they stand on sports issues (click here). You know, in case you're still undecided.

>>>As Fark.com says: Here is the greatest idea anyone has ever had about anything(click here).

All of which is why TNT's Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith is just about the best sports programming out there. And it's usually much more entertaining than the games. Check out the practical joke Johnson played on Barkley the other night (click here).

Sexson apparently took offense to this. He ran out to the mound to discuss it with Gabbard, throwing his batting helmet at the pitcher and then scoring two points for a takedown. The benches emptied, and aggressive milling about ensued. I'm sure the video will be on YouTube before long.

"Paging Mr. Sexson, Commissioner's office on Line 1."

UPDATE: That didn't take long (click here).

>>>The Baseball Hall of Fame is going to unveil a new plaque of Jackie Robinson in The Plaque Gallery (not a very regal name; I mean, what about "Gallery of Fame" or "Walk of the Immortals" or something?). It seems that Robinson's original plaque, which has been in place since his induction in 1962, failed to mention that he broke baseball's color barrier. Which, you know, was kind of important.

>>>The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has a hilarious slide show of the worst album covers ever (click here). If you own any of these, don't admit it. Thanks to Fark.com.

>>>"China is hard, son. You are not ready for the realness." (click here).

Thanks to TheSportingBlog.

The most interesting part of the piece comes somewhere around the middle, where they talk about Torres' need to fend off rumors of performance-enhancing drug use. Guilty before being proved innocent and all that.

It's the most unfortunate by-product of the recent drug scandals in sports: Everybody is tainted, regardless of evidence. And it will be interesting to see the long-term fallout in terms of the public's faith in sports. When the integrity of the competition is in doubt, sports are reduced to the realm of professional wrestling.

Malone has barely been involved in the lives of two of these children, and he won't acknowledge the third. "I treat it as if my mother went to the sperm bank," said Demetrius Bell, who was selected in the recent NFL draft. "I don't hate him for (not being in my life). It made me a better person."

>>>Major League Baseball teams plan to "draft" surviving Negro Leagues players (click here). From Fark.com: "Yankees plan on obtaining a starting pitcher out of the deal"

>>>Washington State has been docked eight football scholarships because of its poor academic record (click here).

>>>Fark.com brings you the worst tattoo ever (click here).

From an e-mailer in Marana, Ariz.: I agree with your questioning of why people who love the sport continue loving it after witnessing a horrible event such as Saturday's? I cannot understand.

From e-mail: We couldn't agree more with your article, and we HAVE quit watching the "big 3" of horse racing. It hasn't done any good, nor will it. There is too much money riding on these animals to allow for compassion or concern for the well-being of the creatures!

From e-mail: While tragedy has struck recently in horse racing, many races don't end with the demise of a horse. These horses love to run and would hate it if they couldn't. Belle died doing what she loved and went out in a blaze of glory. Horse racing isn't the only sport where animals and/or humans die. Remember the 2001 Daytona 500 where the modern day hero Dale Earnhardt died? People die or get injured all the time in cars, even if it isn't televised. Does that mean we should stop watching NASCAR or any other car races?

From e-mail: I completely disagree with your article. Should we stop driving cars because people die in accidents? Stop flying in aircraft because they crash sometimes? I have to assume that you do not follow horse racing on a regular basis to write such a knee jerk article. There are hundres, thousands of horses that run 40 to 80 times and have no problem. You probably watch racing a few times a year and from this you say because of a few injuries you want it stopped. Any time a horse dies its horrible, and gives me a sick feeling. It just so happens its happened a few times lately on the big stage.

(Greg writes: Hmmm, and here I thought I wrote that horse racing shouldn't be stopped. But thanks for reading.)

From e-mail: The strongest word I can respond to your column with is "AMEN!" ... it's time to have more respect for God's creatures and find our "entertainment" somewhere else.

From e-mail: ... praise for having the courage to write an article about the tragic toll of horse racing that needed to be told ... I appreciate your paper standing up for what is right and just.

From e-mail: Thank you for writing this article. As a horsewoman for sixteen years, and having worked in the equine pharmaceutical industry, there is much cruelty to horses in many equine pursuits, all in the name of sport. In order to compete in those prestigious horse races, juvenile horses -- the equivalent of children -- must start racing. ... A number of horses AND riders have died recently, though nothing much has changed since the very public string of deaths during the Olympics in Spain. You are right -- the only way to stop this cruelty, as with every other cruel thing we do for sport, or luxury, or prurient satisfaction, is not create a market for it. The responsibility lies with the consumer.

From the online comments: As a former "groom" of the harness race horse "industry", I do remember similar, unfortunate events that the horses sustain in the name of human prestige and "accomplishment".

From the online comments: I am a horse loving person. Raised with horses, wanted to be a jockey when I was a kid. Now, I after this event, I solidify my growing belief that horse racing as an industry, as a sport should stop. ... It needs to end. I feel the same for bull fighting and even rodeo. It is inhumane, it is cruel -- sports only for human entertainment. I cant stand it.

From online: Imagine if it were a little girl who just ran. How cruel we would think it was. Oh no! We forced her to run and then she broke her ankles, let's put her down. Makes me sick sick sick.

From online: This has been called "the sport of kings", but it has become the sport of the mindless ... like the romans who gathered to watch the gladiators.

From online: What a ridiculous piece of nonsense you have just written. The Kentucky Derby has been run for 134 years and according to reports I've read, this is the first catastrophic breakdown. Where's your outrage over the thousand of cats and dogs that are hit by cars every year? Perhaps we should ban pet ownership. Or better yet, outlaw cars. ... Stop being a weenie.

(Greg writes: Hmmm, and here I thought I wrote that horse racing shouldn't be banned. But thanks for reading.)

From voice mail: I just want to thank you for writing such a wonderful article. I am very, very concerned at what's happening at the race track.

From voice mail: Sad, sad thing that happened. However, by watching we make it better. Auto racing, football, any sport; by watching we make it better. ... Do we stop NASCAR, the drag races? What about putting together a paper? There's danger in that.

And finally, my favorite voice mail of the week, brought to you in it's entirety: It's just kind of irresponsible sports writing for somebody that evidently has no clue as to what horse racing and breeding and raising these horses and all the triple effect, domino effect of these industries and all the thousands and thousands of people involved. You could care less about the effect that your article does to somebody like that. Maybe we ought to start putting articles in there about the kind of writer that you are. You're a f*&$ing idiot.