Oy, blymie!

Spent some time after work going through some ringtones for the cell because I've grown entirely sick of the lame ones that the people of Sony Ericsson provided on the phone. I stumbled across the fight song for the University of Nebraska, "Dear Old Nebraska U".

The fight song is a beautiful thing. Whether it's college football or European football. All this lead me to search a bit on the Liverpool FC's famous anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" (crowd version link located below lyrics) popularized by Liverpudlians Gerry and The Pacemakers and now a fixture not only in Liverpool but around many soccer grounds around Europe. Ironic really, that a song that's lyrics can invoke such emotion and has a saccharine tinge to it is sung with such endearing earnestness by a group of people notoriously known as some of society's biggest maniacs and hooligans. Maybe that adds to it, but chalk it up as one of the things I would love to do before I die: Sit in Anfield and sing You'll Never Walk Alone.

Not that I'm thinking of my own mortality, but that song would also be well played at my funeral.

Quickly changing subjects ...

The MLB all-star game goes Tuesday in Detroit and the home run derby later tonight will have a different format than past years. The contestants will be selected by country meaning that Canada has a horse in the race by the name of Jason Bay, last year's National League rookie of the year. The new format, however, ensures that because only one player can represent, say, the U.S., there are some quality guys that won't be swinging for the fences (Derrek Lee for instance). With that said, Mark Teixeira of the Texas Rangers, the current AL leader for round trips, isn't a bad horse to pin some hopes on. Bay, too, has some pop and with this year's competition lacking star power, no reason why the Trail, B.C. boy couldn't have a shot at it.

And before anyone objects to the suggestion that this year's comp will lack some shine, the likes of Bobby Abreu, Hee Sop-Choi, Carlos Lee and, to be fair, Bay as well, don't get the average fan salivating.

Continuing on my oft-successful prediction train: Papi Ortiz is my pick.