Five columns I won't be writing in July

Channing Frye, Blazer savior
"In an offseason that has featured big-name free agent rumors, trade proposals for superstars, and the overwhelming desire to desperately make the Blazers better, Kevin Pritchard once again showed that he has the guts to make all the right moves. Pritchard made a bold statement to Blazer fans: that he was committed to bringing in the best talent and making the Blazers a championship contender.

That's why today, Portland celebrates the re-signing of Channing Frye.

The missing piece was sitting on the Blazers' bench all along, and now fans are giddy with excitement over the future with a core of Roy, Aldridge, Oden, and Frye."

The Chicago Way: How a team of malcontents can re-take the division
"Another broken Gatorade cooler was all the Cubs needed.

It seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Cubs would implode this season. Milton Bradley was connecting more with clubhouse equipment than with pitches, Carlos Zambrano was having his yearly meltdown, and Lou Piniella seemed to be wishing he was back relaxing in Tampa Bay.

So how did a team with so many internal problems suddenly leapfrog the Cardinals, Brewers and Reds in the National League Central standings? By playing to their strengths: anger, fear, and intimidation.

The brass knuckles in the dugout didn't hurt either."

72 hours with David Kahn
"I knew it was a risky idea when I came up with it, after all, the Timberwolves GM was notorious for taking big risks and putting his own livelihood in peril. Rumors that, while he was working at NBC Sports he personally hired Isaiah Thomas as an analyst didn't help to quell my concerns.

Nevertheless, I felt that I could handle my own with him over the course of the next few days. I packed my tape recorder and notebook and met up with him in Las Vegas.

And that's when things got weird."

Budden vs Jay-Z, the battle is on
Lost in the commotion of the Brandon Jennings/Joe Budden chat transcript was the little tidbit by Budden that he wasn't particularly fond of Jay-Z.

Well, Lebron caught wind of these statements, passed it along to his good friend Mr. Carter, and hip-hop's next great feud had begun."

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