Case for Cuban: He'll eat lightning, won't tolerate crap like 'Thunder'
Mark Cuban doesn't back down as an NBA owner, from opposing the Sonics' move to railing against the state of officiating. He'd do the same in baseball. So please let Cuban buy the Cubs, Ray Ratto says. 

Girls-gone-wild moment doesn't mean WNBA has gone to hell
The Sparks and Shock expressed remorse over their brawl. Heck, even Rick Mahorn is dismayed. That's nice, but get real, folks: This melee ain't exactly the downfall of civilization, Ray Ratto says. 

Dolphins, Taylor give us gift with divorce
The saga was old. The drama worn out. Thankfully the Taylor-Tuna standoff came to a close with Taylor's trade to Washington, giving hope there is an end to the Brett Favre ordeal, Ray Ratto says. 

If we're going to overreact, we're going whole hog
Baseball's All-Star Game needs fixing. But we're not going to stop with Bud's exhibition. NBA, NFL, NHL -- all are fair game. Or, as Ray Ratto suggests, we could all get over it and just shut up. 

Train-wreck watchers unite, Favre story just too juicy
What kind of sports fan are you? One of the team, the game or the chaos? Ray Ratto is the latter, that's why he couldn't possibly enjoy the Brett Favre-Packers saga any more. 

Taking time out to take stock of where managers sit
Hot seats, warm seats, seats of power -- baseball's always-under-fire managers occupy all of the above. But who is in what chair? That's all a matter of perception ... and timing, Ray Ratto says.  

What we've got here is failure to communicate
Bickering through the media. Text messaging, for Pete's sake. Anybody heard of a discussion, preferably face to face? Ray Ratto says that could have made Clippers vs. Brand and Favre vs. Packers less adversarial. 

Baseball trade block not what we bargain for
It's mid-July and right on schedule, the bodies are changing rosters at a frenzied pace -- in the NBA. With the biggest names already moved in baseball, Ray Ratto sees a quiet summer on the trading front. 

So the Brewers are buyers? Well we'll be ...
The craziest story of the week isn't A-Rod's personal life or a thrown Wimbledon final, but instead the Brewers acquiring C.C. Sabathia. Ray Ratto is shocked at the sight of a small-market team beating out the big boys. 

Logo? Colors? History? Don't mean a thing if you ain't got that team
'We lost our team? Well that ... Oooh, look at the pretty logo we get to keep.' If you bought into the optimism after Seattle took the money and let the Sonics run, Ray Ratto has an island to sell you. 

Baron's flight should wake Warriors fans from dream teams
Oh fans, so admirable yet naive. Take Golden State for example: Warriors fans came to believe that their recent mild success was here to stay. Exit stage south Baron Davis and Ray Ratto says it's a rude awakening by the Bay. 

Fear one, fear all ... NL West might boast a .500 champion
The Diamondbacks are leading the NL West despite their mediocre record. Get used to it. The National League Dreadful is on pace to deliver an unsightly division winner to the playoffs -- and it might not even be Arizona, Ray Ratto says. 

Add year of just interleague, then address AL/NL divide
Surprise, the American League is dominating interleague play again. Ray Ratto thinks it may be time for a full-year interleague slate to prove the AL's supremacy and, more important, emphasize that the NL has a section of franchises in serious distress. 

Diddley, Carlin are dead -- and rest of us aren't feeling so hot
We've lost George Carlin and Bo Diddley in recent weeks. Searching for an explanation as to the sports world going off its rocker, Ray Ratto sees no better explanation than the loss of the entertainment giants. 

Counting K's to Schilling sports, can Curt cut it on air?
George Carlin's passing reminds us of his longevity in comedy and his gift for gab. Which ties right in to Curt Schilling's inevitable future job as a commentator. But Ray Ratto wonder, how long would Schilling last? 

Who cares who's right? Let's see Bettman, Dolans drop gloves
Gary Bettman to Rangers management: Play by the NHL's Internet rules or you'll get the ultimate match penalty. Like some hockey 'fans,' Ray Ratto is watching this matchup only to see if there will be any violence between these powerful but unlikable goons. 

When (chalk) dust clears, Lakers are most fraudulent of failed favorites
The Lakers join a long line of title favorites who stumble at the finish line in '08, with one distinction: The NBA runners-up were exposed as the least chalk-worthy of this year's failed best bets, Ray Ratto says. 

Hobbling Tiger leaving crowd begging for more
This Tiger Woods is like none other we have seen before. He's limping and fighting hard with Rocco Mediate. Ray Ratto says God bless the injury, because this cat is fun to watch. 

At face value, Game 4 looked clean -- so the fix must be on!
Game 4 of the Finals was exciting. And it appeared to be well-officiated. Which means ... the NBA engineered this result to try and prove that it isn't engineering results? This is the type of hysteria that ensues when face value is no longer good enough, Ray Ratto says. 

This game is fixed! Wait, it really was? C'est la vie
Take Tim Donaghy's latest zing at the NBA with a grain of salt. Until he provides evidence. Then go back to watching the games you already believed were fixed -- but now you'll have proof, Ray Ratto says. 

Upstart Rays equal parts contending, cantankerous
As the Tampa Bay Rays' play has heated up, so too have their tempers. Ray Ratto says it's a pretty entertaining manifestation of their growing pains. 

Feel the need to tout a league's drug battle? Just say no
While baseball's drug battle dragged on, the NFL gladly accepted the praise for its program. Now, along comes the Nick Kaczur story. And David Jacobs' death. The lesson to pro football? Pride goeth before a fall, Ray Ratto says. 

Heart-stopping Game 5 takes hockey off life support
Sidney Crosby was 'The Story' before the Stanley Cup Finals. But instead of pushing one player, maybe the NHL should accentuate the full package, which was on display in Game 5. The triple-OT thriller can't erase all of hockey's ills, but it is more than a great start, Ray Ratto says. 

Ozzie goes off, Kenny goes off ... and they just play on
Ozzie Guillen called out his boss Sunday, and his boss didn't appreciate it. So the hammer's going to fall, right? Ray Ratto says it's unlikely with the White Sox, where that line's never crossed -- until the day it is. 

Lack of full disclosure results in more bad exposure for NBA
A day after missing a late-game call in San Antonio, the NBA (vaguely) admits its mistake. And leaves Joey Crawford twisting in the wind. And provides more fodder for conspiracy theorists. Ray Ratto says we should've heard from the refs -- right after the game -- to set the record straight. 

Enjoy the moment, Mets -- dysfunction doesn't last forever
The Raiders, Bengals, Leafs have all been there. The Knicks nearly perfected it. The art of the abysmal is an acquired taste. For now, the Mets -- in the throes of throwing the year away -- occupy the throne, Ray Ratto says.  

Remembering those played-out sports stories
Leave the crankiness in the bed -- Ray Ratto isn't in a complaining mood, this being Memorial Day and all. Instead, he reflects on the tired sports stories we want nothing to do with anymore. 

Cure for the NFL's offseason woes: Let them play!
The NFL is considering extending the regular season by one week. Hey, who doesn't want more football? Ray Ratto says the NFL it all wrong: Double the schedule -- concerns be damned -- to save us from the offseason. 

Wait for some facts before dismissing pariah Donaghy
Disgraced NBA official Tim Donaghy is a bit short of credibility at the moment. But rejecting every damning claim made through his lawyer is an irresponsible rush to judgment, Ray Ratto says. 

Seemingly harmless Spygate taints all in its wake
Now that Spygate appears to be over -- but let's hope not yet -- one thing is perfectly clear: Everybody involved in this story has been damaged, Ray Ratto says. 

Please break the monotony, win on somebody else's property
With such an exciting and balanced regular season, many thought the NBA playoffs would be equally exciting. Boy were they wrong. Ray Ratto says the lack of distinguishable teams equals one predictable -- and bad -- postseason. 

Our minds are no match for persuasive powers of NBA's Old Coot
The children! Won't somebody think of the children? David Stern does, so he rails against pregame pyrotechnics. In doing so, The Old Coot -- like smoke after the fireworks -- clouds our minds, Ray Ratto says. 

D'Antoni gives up precious leverage for ... Knicks?
Mike D'Antoni had one of the most valued possessions in free agency -- leverage. But after he uses it to land in New York, Ray Ratto only hopes that D'Antoni knows what he's doing. 

Owners can't afford residual cost of Bonds
So, you think some team out there could use Barry Bonds? You're right -- and you miss the point, Ray Ratto says. The real issue is whether an owner can use the home run king. 

Lessons to be learned in doll 'scandal' surely lost
Much is being made about the dolls the Chicago White Sox tried to use to exorcise their slumping bats. While the story does little for Ray Ratto, he says that any redeeming lesson will miss. 

Want intrigue? Look to the postseason -- NHL, not NBA
Through one round of the postseason it's pretty clear; hockey has provided more interesting storylines. Ray Ratto says while you may love your Charles Barkley and NBA, don't tune out the exciting NHL. 

Money talks, so BCS bosses tell playoff backers to walk
College football fans got a plus-two system this week -- no BCS playoff, but two more bowl games. Ray Ratto says the college presidents and conference commissioners know what they want -- as long as the current system is lucrative, we won't see a playoff.