Monday, Monday....

...*ba da, ba da da da*...

Yeah, like the old Mamas and Papas song, it's Monday, Monday again, but honestly, it's not all I hoped it would be, as a line in the old classic song goes. It's raining cats and dogs here in beautiful Central New Jersey *snicker,* I'm wondering about the status of the game today at Shea between the Mets and the Pirates, and I really don't feel like being here today, not one bit. The dog days of August are officially here, and that feeling of being in limbo and at the end of something at the same time is upon me.

I'm finding that I'm actually enjoying watching some Olympic coverage. The Opening Ceremony on Friday night was absolutely....breathtaking, there's just no other way to describe it. The most amazing thing about it all was the amount of people involved, how imaginatively and creatively they were used, and how all of 'em managed such, well, synchronicity. It frankly astounded me and most of the world, as well, I suspect.

And the final touch, the lighting of the torch, with one of China's great former Olympians circling the stadium's membrane as if suspended in mid-air, culminating in the final whoooosh as the flame circled up the beautiful red torch...well, it's enough to give one goosebumps.

And how about that huge, as in humongous, LED screen on the floor of the stadium?

And how about the drummers?

AND HOW ABOUT THAT AMERICAN MEN'S RELAY SWIM TEAM, HUH? Beating the Eurotrash-talking Frenchmen. That moment was almost as good as.... well, as good as anything I've seen in sports for some time.

Now, back to the Mets, who are now two games out of the division lead, having won the series from the very tough Marlins this weekend. I still think the Marlins are going to prove to be the tougher competition for the division crown, and it remains to be seen how Mets pitching will hold up down the stretch, with Big Pelf appearing to be suffering the affects of throwing more innings than he has in any year thus far in his career, John Maine coming off the DL, and the bullpen still a semi-train wreck with Billy Wagner still on the DL. But hell, it's a semi-train wreck even with Billy Wagner NOT on the DL, so there is that...

The Mets' young talent is starting to blossom, or as in the case of young Daniel Murphy, continuing to blossom, and the bench guys are still doing more than anyone could have expected. Wright has broken out of his mid-season malaise, but I'm still worried about the big three combo of Beltran, Delgado and Wright; if they don't put a nice offensive run together, we're not winning anything.

But perhaps, the best news of all is that the Yankees look for all the world as if it will be a real stretch for them to make the playoffs this year. As Jackie Gleason used to say... how sweeeeeeeeeeeet it is. Look, knowing the Yankees, you can't ever count them out, but for now, it surely doesn't look good; it surely doesn't.