Bob Hille's starting 5

Sporting News, The, July 12, 2004 by Bob Hille

(1)

The All-Star Game. It's a respite from baseball at its highest level, the kind of break commonly known in Pittsburgh as "1993 to the present."

(2)

Finishing under yellow. NASCAR knows caution flags wring the excitement from races. So how 'bout this: That start-finish line? An in-race crosswalk for fans.

(3)

The Tour de France. Honestly, watching it makes me feel young again. All these jocks talking about dopers takes me back to my high school days.

(4)

NBA trade rumors. Shaq in the Lone Star State? If everything's bigger in Texas, I'm thinking they're going to need a forklift to get his ass off the bench after a timeout.

(5)

Olympic qualifying. Good news: You've trained all your life, and now you're going to Athens. Bad news: The USOC is considering a corporate-logo deal with Target.