Even in the midst of the NBA and NHL playoffs, baseball grabbed everyone's attention with some exciting match-ups this week. Still, let's not get too carried away, okay? Remember for every yin, there must be a yang. With every series between Boston and Seattle for the best record in baseball, the laws of physics dictate that somewhere, the Cubs and Brewers must be playing. Early-season excitement is a localized effect. Your level of enjoyment depends on whether you're at Yankee Stadium, or watching the Expos at Olympic Stadium where every game is played on "Put Your Feet Up" night.

Former "Future Hall-Of-Famer" Jose Canseco came out this week and announced his retirement, saying he's been "blacklisted" from baseball. I can only assume he's talking about some vast conspiracy against guys who haven't been productive in three years and can't play in the National League. Canseco promises his upcoming biography will deal with baseball, women, and steroids, which are three things Canseco was certainly famous for hitting.

Baseball has other off-field troubles as well. As the possibility of another strike comes into focus, Bud Selig now claims 6-8 teams in baseball could go out of business unless the status quo is changed. If you will, take in the sheer testicular fortitude of baseball's Commissioner just throwing out losing a quarter of the teams as if he doesn't have anything to do with it. That's like Kevin Costner laughing about how much money "Waterworld" lost.

The NBA playoffs continue, or as we're calling them around the Fistful office, the "Lakers Victory Tour 2002." Only the dates on the T-Shirts will change, kids. After slacking off during the regular season, the Lakers go twelve in a row away from home and suddenly they're more fun on the road than Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. While the Kings and Mavericks got the hype this year, the Lakers have discovered the secret of perennial playoff teams. The NBA regular season is only important if you're playing fantasy basketball. And whether you're playing for real or just fantasy, you should still avoid guys who play for the Bulls.

Also in NBA news this week, Damon Stoudamire proclaimed his innocence on a felony charge of marijuana possession. His attorney also blamed the charge on an illegal search. Is that vague to anybody else? Did Stoudamire not have any pot, or did he just have some that was found illegally? Doesn't the NBA Player's Union have some kind of service that provides excuses for players caught with weed? Couldn't you just tell the cops that it was Marcus Camby's birthday or something?

In NFL party-related news, Denver Broncos quarterback Brian Griese was injured this past week by a driveway. Griese says he hurt himself running down the driveway at a party at Terrell Davis' house. I know Griese's not as mobile as Donovan McNabb, but is it too much to ask for him to be able to get his car without a trip to the injured list? I guess it's not just Terrell who's unlucky, perhaps his house may be on some Indian burial ground or something. Apparently the "Curse of Chunky Soup" lives on.

An NFL trainer is now claiming that in 2001, nearly half of the New York Giants used ephedra, a stimulant banned by the league. Boy, that's a great endorsement, isn't it? "Ephedra...the official supplement of seven and nine football teams."

And finally in the NHL, the Philadelphia Flyers have hired former Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock to be their new head coach. In the best-case scenario, Hitchcock is able to make the Flyers buy into his defense-first philosophy. In the worst-case scenario, Bobby Clarke won't have to fire yet another ex-teammate next offseason.