Jeremy: Slow Week

It's a slow week at work, a slow week in sports, and I even heard on the news last night that this is traditionally a slow news time.
Time to do some digging...

*Mateen Cleaves starting point guard for the Michigan State team that won the 2000 college basketball National Title will be suiting up for the Timberwolves summer league team alongside the rest of the youngins from the Wolves. I didn't like Mateen in college, mostly because he annoyed me, but he was a heck of a point guard. Since coming into the league Cleaves has played for 4 different teams, has averaged 3.6 pts/game and just a shade over 11 minutes/game (which is actually misleading considering he averaged 16.3 mins/game and 23 mins/game in two of his 6 seasons). Let's be honest, this guy is going nowhere in the NBA.

*The good news about the summer league is that young Wolves vets like Rashad McCants, Randy Foye and Craig Smith will get an opportunity to run the floor with new Wolves Corey Brewer and Chris Richard. Let's hope they can build some chemistry, since they will definitely be needed, regardless of what happens with KG.

*In case you missed it NFL Europe closed up shop last week, just a week after its championship game, the World Bowl. Apparently the official name of the league was NFL Europa. Where exactly is Europa?
Quoting the Star Tribune: "(Commissioner) Goodell said it was time to develop a new international strategy, terming the move to fold NFL Europa the "best business decision." The league reportedly was losing about $30 million a season."
Perhaps the NBA should take a cue from it's counterpart and fold up the WNBA?

*Big Surprise! Okay, not really. Pat Neshek did not make the MLB American League All-Star Roster. That vote was won by Hideki Okajima of the Red Sox. Word is that the entire country of Japan voted at least once for Okajima.

*If you haven't yet, you should check out SI's article about best athletes by jersey number.
Some highlights:
No. 21: Jeff will be happy to know that Roger Clemens was not voted as the best player to ever wear the no. 21, Roberto Clemente was.
No. 31: We can all breathe a sigh of relief as Greg Maddox beat out Reggie Miller. Rumor has it that Reggie flopped on the ground when he heard the news.
No. 33: The Sports Guy would be pissed... Kareem beat Larry Legend.
No. 42: Clearly nobody IS the #42 like Jackie Robinson, but let's also take a minute to remember the punishing hits of Ronnie Lott.
No. 50: David Robinson beat out Mike Singletary... close call for me, but if it was my vote, it's Singletary, if only for those freaky eyes.
No. 56: Lawrence Taylor... duh!
No. 71: Alex Karras. Best known, of course, as the dad on T.V's "Webster".
No. 75: Deacon Jones was the winner, but (probably because Jones was slightly before my time) Howie Long is the only #75 in my mind.
No. 99: Gretzky of course. Also made famous in the movie "Swingers": "...for super-fan, number 99, over there."