Thoughts on La Russa, the White Sox and Blackhawks

I don't know how Fox Sports is going to do it, but you know somehow, some way they're going to paint a warm and fuzzy picture of National League guest manager Tony La Russa during Tuesday's All-Star Game.

Ahh:The magic of television.Getting out the vote:I kinda like when the White Sox have a Final Vote candidate, like they did this year in pitcher Jake Peavy.Why?Because then they break out the creative.And man, are they creative.Just look ...:at the Gordon Beckham video.That's really good stuff.Meanwhile, across town:Enough already, Matt Garza. We notice you. We notice you.The choices are:Continuous loop of the Home Run Derby or continuous loop of that commercial with the guy who licks his co-workers' keyboard?Tough call.Sheldon Brookbank:Ripple. Lake Michigan.I know he'll probably be solid, but the Blackhawks have to do more. A lot more.Zach Parise:Would've been a derecho compared to Brookbank.That's right, a derecho.Learn from the masters:Maybe the Hawks would've had better luck with Parise had they sent Tommy Hawk and a dixieland band to the airport to greet him.What the?Did anyone else find it borderline strange that Stan Bowman held a conference call with reporters to talk about not landing Parise and/or Ryan Suter? Why? Just to show they were trying? Now for something different:The history of rock-n-roll in 100 quick guitar riffs ... and done in just one take.It's 12 minutes of pure joy. YouTube it.Good and bad:Over 37,000 attended Arlington Park on the Fourth of July.Too bad only about half of them actually wagered on the races.Good and bad, Part II:Only about a tenth that many people showed up for Thursday's rare 5 p.m. first post.But, they saw things run at a crisper-than-normal pace, not the dreaded 25 minutes between races.Kudos:To former Blackhawks media relations whiz Paul Kennedy, who is moving on to Northwestern University to head its sports information department.The Wildcats got a good one. He said it:#8220;Hey, a cloud!#8221;#8212; Parking lot attendant at Arlington Park, celebrating a brief respite from the extreme heat on the Fourth of July.