Short takes from the 3-Dot Lounge, where Lance Armstrong can order a drink, but only if it's Tang:

College football's opening weekend is so befouled by embarrassing mismatches that Stanford-San Jose State (Friday night) and Cal-Nevada (Saturday) almost seem respectable. Almost. When it comes to scheduling nonconference opponents, "pride" is a forgotten word among the nation's most renowned schools. If you get a chance to view a full schedule, try to find a powerhouse without at least two ridiculous games within the first four weeks. There aren't many. Give me obscure Louisiana-Monroe, which opens against Arkansas, Auburn and Baylor. Better yet, a huge round of applause for Notre Dame. After the Irish open against Navy (cool from the standpoint of tradition), they play Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan, Miami, Stanford, BYU and Oklahoma. A thing of beauty ... While Commissioner Roger Goodell pushes hard for safety in the NFL, we get a four-game exhibition schedule that puts key players out for the season and adds names to the concussion list. Sure, there's value in roster analysis and game-speed conditions, but that obscures the real reason for preseason games: revenue. The beauty of college football is getting your first look when the team races out of the tunnel, playing for real. You'd think professional coaches would be smart enough to figure out a roster without destroying players' seasons in games that don't count ... Interesting comment from the Warriors' Stephen Curry, to, on the notion of getting a contract extension: "Hopefully they'll see how hard I'm working in the summer to get back. I'm ready to go. If they take the approach to wait and I've had a great season, hopefully it would spark some interest across the league for the future and the price would drive up. If I were the Warriors, I'd offer a reasonable amount and sign me up now."

In the wake of the Melky Cabrera/Bartolo Colon suspensions, there's been a widespread cry for escalated punishment, including for the team involved. A CBS Sports column suggested wiping out five of the Giants' wins; others have called for 10, or even 20. Big problem there: Can't be done. Unlike an NCAA football sanction or a cycling ban, baseball has a set of statistics that must add up. What happens to the Giants' 10 wins? They have to go somewhere. And which 10 games are you talking about? "It's ridiculous, impossible," said ESPN's Tim Kurkjian, one of the game's most passionate historians. "If we do that, then give the A's 1989 championship (so often associated with steroids) to the Giants. Same thinking." ... Seasoned fans recall a life-changing moment in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics when Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medalists in the 200-meter dash, bowed and raised their fists in a Black Power salute. Peter Norman won the silver medal that night, and he always stood behind his competitors' stance. As he said years later, "I couldn't see why a black man wasn't allowed to drink out of the same water fountain, or sit in the same bus or go to the same schools as a white guy." Norman's conviction earned him a ban from running in his native Australia, then bound to racial exclusion laws, and he was harassed and tormented for years. Just this week, the Australian House of Parliament issued an official state apology - ridiculously late, and particularly in Norman's case. He passed away in 2006.

Here's how a cynic would react to Roger Clemens' appearance Saturday night for the Sugar Land Skeeters: It's not about raising a few bucks for charity. It's about actually pitching in the big leagues again (the Houston Astros are on record saying they'd consider it). If that happens, Clemens' Hall of Fame clock reverts to zero and a five-year wait that would keep him out of the firestorm certain to include the exclusion of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and others. I'd say the cynic would be correct ... Can you believe Lew Wolff (part 18)? While the A's play an important home game against the Twins on Monday night, this guy isn't just watching the Giants play at Dodger Stadium. He's in the front row, clearly visible on every pitch. If we're lucky, he was investigating ways to sell the A's, who need new ownership in the worst way. According to baseball sources interviewed by ESPN's Jayson Stark, Wolff's dream - moving to San Jose - has "no chance" of happening because his fellow owners won't agree to overturn the Giants' territorial rights ... If you see an athlete shaving these days, report it to headquarters immediately. Dreadful facial hair is the thing. I call it 21st Century Hobo, with just enough growth to look wretched. On a brighter note, none of these guys will be mistaken for the queen of England.
