Johan, Chuck, Doug and Kwame

From the time it was announced that the Mets had somehow moved ahead of the Yankees and Red Sox into the driver's seat of the Johan Santana derby, I couldn't help but think something was going to go wrong. And now, with the extension agreed upon, I still feel that way. Someone's failing a physical. That's just the Mets fan in me.

I'm glad all interested parties were able to agree on a contract extension, but it really took four days? Who raises their hand and asks the teacher for an extension in this situation? Is it Omar, is it the Twins, is it Johan? Get it done you dopes. I procrastinate as much as the next guy. I'm the one who did homework during 3rd period study hall when it was due in 4th period. I get it. But these guys make millions to run their own little fantasy teams, and 96 hours later you gotta call up Dud Selig and tell him that you need two more hours?

Maybe if the Mets took four days to think about Victor Zambrano, we'd still have Scott Kazmir in the rotation.

I have to say, with (a healthy) Santana, Pedro, John Maine, Oliver Perez and El Duque, not only do the Mets have the required 80% Spanish-speaking rotation under the Minaya regime, but it's automatically a top 5 starting 5 in the majors. Boston is great, as is Arizona with Haren added to Webb, but if, and it's a huge if, the Mets pitchers stay healthy, you would have to assume the playoffs are a guarantee and the National League World Series berth is ours for the taking.

In other news:

Tiger Woods holds just a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Dubai Desert Classic. Apparently he borrowed Curtis Strange's clubs and is playing lefty just for the hell of it.

Chuck Knoblauch carried his kid strategically in front of his face Friday to and from a House committee meeting in Washington like he was an NBA star who just got caught cheating on his wife. Nothing like holding a toddler up for the cameras to distract from the fact that you're (allegedly) a scumbag. Maybe Chuck should have positioned his kid in front of him at second base when he went to the Yankees. Could have saved him the move to left field and Keith Olbermann's mother from getting hit in the face with a baseball in the seats behind the first base dugout.

So the pride of East Hartford, Doug Wiggins, is back with the Huskies. I'm a little confused though. Does the first UConn player to fail four drug tests win or lose?

Staying with UConn, does recruiting a smart kid who went to one high school, has never been arrested and can hit an 18-foot jump shot go against school policy? Or was it just too easy with Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton around, so they added a few obstacles to make winning a national championship so much harder?

Despite being a horrible basketball player, having no professional resume, being accused of rape (cleared), stealing a cake and then assaulting a man with it (not prosecuted) and getting arrested for disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer, Kwame Brown has now been the No. 1 overall pick of the NBA draft, traded for Caron Butler and now traded for Pau Gasol. He must feel like George Costanza in the Seinfeld episode where he does the opposite of every instinct he has.
Brown: My name is Kwame. I'm unemployed and I live with my parents.
Memphis: We're the Grizzlies, hi.