Thome Hits #600

Last night, at Comerica Park in Detroit, Twins DH Jim Thome became the eighth player in major league baseball history to hit 600 career homeruns. Thome, one inning after hitting #599 took Tigers' lefty Daniel Schlereth deep in the seventh inning to the opposite field, giving Minneosta a 9-5 lead in their game with Detroit. The Tigers fans gave him a nice standing ovation regardless, recognizing a truly great accomplishment.

"It's an unbelievable night, obviously," Thome said. "I think it's something you never dream of doing. You dream about it, but when it finally happens, it's kind of surreal. It's a neat thing, it really is. Hitting home runs can be very difficult.

Keegan Bradley Wins PGA in Playoff

It was all over for Keegan Bradley after the 15th hole at the 93rd PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club on Sunday. Only two shots back of 54-hole leader Jason Dufner going into the brutal final four holes, Bradley's second shot on the par-three from the rough was a chip downhill onto the green that was hit way too hard, and ended up falling into the waterhazard, leading to a triple bogey.

But whether you can call it a complete collapse by Dufner, or a miraculous comeback by Bradley, Dufner's ensuing tee-shot on the 15th also found the water, starting a set of three consecutive bogeys on 15, 16, and 17. Bradley, meanwhile, holed long, difficult birdie putts on 16 and 17, and suddenly, four shots were made up in just two holes.

Both Americans would make par at 18, forcing a three-hole aggregate playoff.

In the playoff, at #16, Bradley would answer Dufner's amazing tee-shot with one of his own. When Dufner's birdie putt slid past and Bradley made birdie, Dufner's seemingly insurmountable lead was gone. After a birdie/par finish on the final two playoff holes, 25-year old Keegan Bradley had won the Wannamaker Trophy and become only the third player in 100 years to win a major championship in his first try.

"It feels unbelievable," Bradley said. "It seems like a dream and I'm afraid I'm going to wake up here in the next five minutes and it's not going to be real."

Texas A&M to SEC

UPDATE 8/14 4:40 PM CT
SEC has decided not to extend invite to Texas A&M for now, but stated that it could reconsider in the future.
Bye, bye, Aggies.

Texas A&M is the latest school to leave the Big 12 Conference after sources say that the school intends to join the Southeastern Conference as its 13th team, and leave behind the Big 12 (which will now be left with only 9 teams).

The Aggies, which decided to stay in the Big 12 earlier this summer, even as Colorado and Nebraska bolted the conference, reconsidered its decision to stay as details of the new controversial Longhorn Television Network came out. A&M, long the little brother to Texas, has voiced its frustrations over the 20 year TV contract with ESPN which will allow the network to not only broadcast UT Athletic events, but also a number of high school games, which would give them a huge edge in recruiting.

By bolting for the SEC, Texas A&M can tell its football recruits that the Aggies will be the only Texas school in the best football conference in the country.

And although A&M may lack the talent to compete in the powerful SEC in the short run, over time, with its outstanding alumni and fan base, as well as its fairly good academic reputation (compared to the rest of the SEC minus Vanderbilt), I think the Aggies could find success in their new conference.

USA Scores Draw Against Mexico

In the debut for new head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, the United States national team showed some life in getting a result against Mexico last night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. After falling behind 1-0 in the first half, second half substitutes Brek Shea and Robbie Rogers combined to equalize for the U.S. in a 1-1 game that was a step in the right direction for the men's national team.
Full highlights of the match are below.