Serena Williams captured her third U.S. Open title with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Jelena Jankovic, and celebrated by throwing her racket into the air and literally jumping for joy. The victory means Serena Williams will be ranked number one for the first time since 2003.

I’m glad Serena won but I couldn’t tell if she was at the U.S. Open or The Price is Right. Now excuse me while I watch from :27 to :36 on an endless loop.

Add former NBA player Vin Baker to the long list of ex-jocks suffering financial problems. It seems impossible, a guy makes millions of dollars playing a sport, and then is broke a few years into retirement, but it happens all of the time. A New York bank recently foreclosed on a boat owned by Latrell Sprewell, and now a Connecticut bank is foreclosing on a restaurant owned by Vin Baker.

Baker’s restaurant closed recently and the bank that financed it claims it is owed close to $900,000 in unpaid loans. Also named in the suit are Baker’s parents, who apparently put $400,000 into the failed venture last spring.

Damn, even moms and pops took a loss.. I’m no doctor or anything, but Vin Baker owning a restaurant can’t be a good thing. I’m not saying an alcoholic couldn’t successfully run a business, but for a guy with the Vin’s problems, having the keys to a building full of liquor doesn’t sound like a good idea from the start.

Dribbling Away Fame In The NBA. Courtesy of The Day

Tags: Vin Baker, Latrell Sprewell, NBA, Foreclosure

I’m not down with how the ’72 Miami Dolphins sit around hatin’ on anybody getting close to their record, but it is kinda funny. I wanted the Patriots to win, you know, so I could say I was watching when.. Well I was watching when.. When the Giants defense punked Tom Brady and the Patriots offense for 60 minutes. This is a great victory for New York, and Eli Manning played like a Super Bowl vet when it mattered most, but I would’ve given the MVP to the defensive line. Those dudes played their asses off and set the tone for the rest of the team.. Either way, congrats to the New York Giants, The Super Bowl XLII champions.

Tags: Super Bowl, ’72 Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Perfectville, video, youtube, utube

I’ve got some good news and some bad news for you. The good news, I’m 7-1 straight up picking games in the playoffs. The bad news, I’m 4-4 against the spread. I had the Packers, Patriots, and Chargers, all winning and covering. I had a feeling the Giants could pull off an upset in Dallas, but I didn’t have the heart to pick two upsets on Sunday. I should have gone with the obvious distraction angle.. I guess I ended up thinking about the game too much.

There’s not much thinking to do this week. Four teams playing for a chance at the Super Bowl, and the ultimate prize, the Lombardi Trophy. The two biggest factors going into the NFL playoff games this weekend are the weather in Green Bay, and the play of Billy Volek. The temperature at Lambeau Field is expected to be in single digits. The New York Giants have seen plenty of bad weather, but on the road at Buffalo isn’t the same as traveling to Lambeau when Brett Favre has a chance to get to the Super Bowl. Billy Volek is gonna have to do his best regular season Todd Collins impersonation, and the rest of the team is gonna have to play lights out for the Chargers to stand a chance… A slight chance.

As always, the home team is in bold type.

San Diego +14 over New England
Sunday 12 pm PST on CBS
Prediction: Patriots 30 Chargers 17

New York +7.5 over Green Bay
Sunday 3:30 pm PST on Fox
Prediction: Packers 24 Giants 17

Tags: NFL Odds, NFL Playoffs, NFL Betting Line, Patriots, Chargers, Giants, Packers

Sorry everybody but I’m back with more NFL picks. I ended up 112-113-9 on the season. That’s right.. A loser. If I was married my wife would be writing a column about how her picks are better than mine.

But it’s the playoffs now which means I’m 0-0.. I get a fresh start and a shot at redemption. Too bad I probably won’t do any better.

The home team is in bold type.

Washington +3.5 over Seattle
Saturday 1:30 pm PST on NBC
Prediction: Seahawks 19 Redskins 17

Jacksonville -2.5 over Pittsburgh
Saturday 5:00 pm PST on NBC
Prediction: Jaguars 20 Steelers 13

New York +3 over Tampa Bay
Sunday 10:00 am PST on Fox
Prediction: Giants 24 Buccaneers 20

San Diego -10 over Tennessee
Sunday 1:30 pm PST on CBS
Prediction: Chargers 27 Titans 12

Tags: NFL Playoffs, NFL Playoff Games, tv schedule

After failing to sell his condo, which was listed at $16.5mil, Tom Brady has decided to lease it out. According to reports, Tom has rented the 2,910 square foot unit in New York’s Time Warner building to a financier for 60 grand a month. Brady put the house on the market 3 mos. after buying it for $14mil, and it is expected to go back on the market next year.

Not to be outdone, Doug Flutie got into the real estate game. He picked up a new house for $2.1mil in Melbourne Beach, Florida. It’s his childhood hometown, and the house is rumored to look something like this.

Tom Brady pulls his Time Warner unit off the market, reportedly rents it out for half-year at $60k/month. Courtesy of Berg Properties.com

Doug Flutie Buys a House in His Childhood Town. Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

DIGG IT  *  DEL.ICIO.US  *  REDDIT  *  BALL HYPE