Mike North: It's looking to be an exciting finish for Chicago baseball
Time for some random thoughts …
• Both Chicago baseball teams are over .500 entering the second half of the season.
The Cubs are 53-35, and the White Sox at 45-43 have righted the ship.
I'm looking forward to a big second half and a strong finish.
• The outstanding ESPN documentary series "30 for 30" will feature Darryl Strawberry and Dwight "Doc" Gooden and how their lives spiraled out of control.
The two very talented but troubled baseball players share a tragic story about God-given talent gone bad.
The rise and fall of athletes seems to always be an attractive thing to showcase, so I guess there will be no documentary on Tim Duncan, who just retired after 19 years in the league and five championship rings.
• I'm watching The Open at Royal Troon, and I turned it on just as John Daly was putting. He was minus-1 at the time, and all I could think of was how great he would have been if he hadn't slipped off the rails.
• The Tom Brady "deflategate" saga is about as ridiculous as it can get. It's all about power, but I must ask this: Would you give up your cellphone to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell?
Remember, the NFL couldn't even keep track of the in-elevator video involving an assault by Ray Rice on his wife.
• If all things had been equal and the Olympics had been in Chicago, it would have been outstanding for the city on many levels, but the fix was in and it's stuck in Brazil with potential problems looming.
• NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is alive; he surfaced with a comment that the Kevin Durant signing was troubling. Not as troubling as Kent Bazemore signing a four-year, $70 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
At least Durant is a superstar, but my wife, Be-Be, brought up a valid point: There are only about 400 NBA players in the whole world. Being even the 400th man in such an elite group makes you special and eligible to be paid accordingly.
• I'm still watching The Open - the weather there is too nice … where's the wind and rain?
• I hear people say you can't compare eras in sports, but that doesn't stop people from saying Serena Williams is the greatest female tennis star ever.
Sorry, but the equipment, nutrition and conditioning give today's players an edge.
Here are my top five: 1. Martina Navratilova; 2. Serena Williams; 3. Billie Jean King; 4. Chris Evert; 5. Steffi Graf.
By the way, Margaret Court won 24 singles titles, but she's not in my top five.
Sorry, Maggie, but Martina had Evert in her way, and yet they both managed to win 18 majors. Serena is still playing her sister - no competition!
Program notes:
Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.
• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.