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RANDOM EVIDENCE OF A CLUTTERED MIND

What's next for Torres, Tour?

THE HOT BUTTON

What South Florida sports fans are talking about:

1.Baseball's All-Star break: It will be history -- the last All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, with the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla part of it. Unfortunately, Alex Rodriguez will skip the Home Run Derby for medical reasons. His wealth is suffering from a pending severe divorce settlement.

2.Heat in Orlando Pro Summer League: Miami finished 3-2, and rookies Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers earned rave reviews. After last season, I propose this calls for a parade!

3.Marlins bolster pitching: Trade? We don't need no stinkin' trade! With phenom Chris Volstad brought up and pitching a gem Friday night, Josh Johnson back from injury and Anibal Sanchez soon to follow, Florida's starting rotation is burgeoning from within.

4.Dolphins training camp: It starts in 13 days and the big question is, who will be the starting quarterback: Josh McCown, John Beck, Chad Henne or Brett Favre? Hey, I can dream, can't I?

5.Braman vs. Marlins trial: The judge ordered the sides back to mediation. Too bad I'm not the mediator. I would tell Norman Braman to stick to selling cars. I would tell him, ``You want to steer government decisions, Norm? Run for office.''

-- GREG COTE

gcote@MiamiHerald.com

The sports story of the summer might be that swimmer Dara Torres has qualified for her fifth Olympics at age 41, coming back from six years' retirement and after childbirth and two surgeries to set personal-best times, break records and beat women half her age.

The question is whether the story is literally incredible, as in not credible or hard to believe.

Not that I am implying Torres' performance might be artificially enhanced. No way!

Probably just a coincidence that she also is among current leaders in the Tour de France and the NL home run race.

• Did you read that Torres was awakened by several prank hang-up calls the night before she set a U.S. record in the 50-meter freestyle? Thus far, police have been unable to trace the calls to me.

• Torres is among those swimmers benefiting from the new Speedo LZR racer suits, which are lowering times but called ''technological doping'' by some critics. Me, I don't mind competitive swimmers wearing the ultrathin, form-hugging suits. As long as we keep them out of the hands of fat tourists.

• The ultraconservative American Family Association news website has a filter that automatically changes all references to the word ''gay'' (as in gay marriage) to ''homosexual.'' The group's thinking is that ''gay'' lends too positive a connotation. So the website recently carried an Associated Press story that reported, ''Tyson Homosexual easily won his semifinal for the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.'' Seriously. We can presume the AFA believes Tyson Gay should change his name.

• Brett Favre is coming out of retirement and has asked the Packers to release him unconditionally. Packers officials responded with great snorts of braying laughter over the idea they would grant his wish and get nothing in return rather than trade him.

• The Red Sox are gaining on slumping Rays in the AL East. ``Warning: Objects in the Rear-View Mirror Are Closer than They Appear.''

• Zo's Summer Groove culminates Sunday with a charity basketball game and downtown block party. Hey Alonzo, while you're at it, how about ending Zo's Summer Indecision by finally and firmly announcing whether you will be back with the Heat or retiring.

• The Heat signed small forward James Jones, a former Cane, in free agency. Miami now seems like a complete team. Well, other than a center and a point guard.

• Tennis fans are still talking about Rafael Nadal's thrilling five-set Wimbledon victory over Roger Federer. Now that Nadal is king over here, I understand Great Britain will be renamed in his honor and now be called the Isle of Capri (Pants).

• By the way, I will be off on vacation next week, still blogging but not in the paper. That means no Random Evidence next Sunday. Sort of like a vacation for you, too!

• There are plans in Chicago to have a cemetery limited to Cubs fans only. Cannot confirm the grounds' motto will be, ``Where World Series Hopes Go to Die.''

• Controversial trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. had two horses in Saturday's Summit of Speed at Calder. Benny the Bull was 7-5 in the 10th, Looky Yonder was 3-1 in the ninth and Dutrow Jr. was even odds to somehow get himself suspended again.

• The Chinese government has ordered 112 Olympics-affiliated restaurants to remove ''fragrant meat'' -- aka dog -- from menus during the Beijing Games. Be careful over there. You order food, and they bring you chow chow. I know better now, but last time I was in China, I ordered a couple of dogs with mustard and wondered why they tasted so gamey.

• Traces of the performance-enhancer EPO were found in Spanish cyclist Manuel Beltran. Observers are shocked, as it is believed to be the first such scandal ever associated with the Tour de France.

• That reminds me. Floyd Landis lost yet another appeal to retain his 2006 Tour de France title despite a positive doping test. Did you ever notice that the more people appeal, the less appealing they seem?

• Alex Rodriguez's wife filed for divorce. He has been rumored with Madonna, she has been linked with Lenny Kravitz, and A-Rod's attorney is Ira Elegant. Apparently Johnny Fabulous wasn't available.

• Showtime has dumped Dan Marino from its Inside the NFL show. This concerns me. Should we take up a collection to make sure Dan can make ends meet?

• Michael Vick has filed for bankruptcy while in prison. He is now one divorce short of being a great country lyric.

• Joey Chestnut upset champ Takeru Kobayashi in the annual Coney Island hot dog-eating contest. I actually ate more hot dogs than either of them that day, but it was at a Fourth of July picnic, so it was considered practice.

• ESPN is planning a documentary on UM football, one of 30 in a series celebrating the network's upcoming 30th anniversary. Which is weird. Because usually ESPN disdains any sort of self-promotion.

• Bumper stickers I would like to see: ``Honk If You've Jeered Kyle Busch.''

• UM and Dolphin Stadium officials changed their mind and will have the ''U'' logo at midfield, after all, during Canes games. I would say the decision marked a U-turn, but you know how I hate wordplay.

• LPGA golfer Paula Creamer shot a 60 the other day. Coincidentally, I shot the exact same number last week at Bonaventure. But then I played the last six holes and my score went all to hell.

• Parting thought: There was a bodybuilding contest at Fort Lauderdale's War Memorial Auditorium on Friday night. According to a recent survey, 98 percent of Americans believe bodybuilders look ridiculous, and 2 percent of Americans are bodybuilders.

Catch Greg Cote's Random Evidence of a Cluttered Blog daily at MiamiHerald.com.

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