NEWS AND NOTES

--Here's a greater discussion of the 2008-09 Penguins schedule, which opens in Stockholm, Sweden against the Stockholm Ottawa Senators.

--The Pirates returned from the All-Star break and promptly dropped a 5-3 decision to the Colorado Rockies, who entered the game with the third-worst record in the majors. Paul Maholm gave up five runs in six innings and Adam LaRoche added two hits and two RBI. It was your typical, uneventful, leading-up-to-the-trade-deadline Pirate game.

--Greensburg's Rocco Mediate [legal name] is tied for the lead at the British Open with Graeme McDowell and Robert Allenby after one round of play. One shot back is Greg Norman (Greg Norman!), whose eventful summer included marrying Chris Evert and a $103 million divorce settlement from his ex-wife Laura Andrassy.

--The leaders of an investment team that soon could have a 75 percent stake in the upcoming downtown casino donated more than $200,000 to Governor Ed Rendell from 2000 to 2006.

--Juan Marichal is in town as the keynote speaker at a Negro League All-Star Gala.

--Don't forget, today is the semi-finals of ESPN 1250's Top Fan Contest at Mario's in the South Side from 3-7 PM. Show your support for Mondesi's House reader and contestant Marky Billson.

--A gay dating website has been using pictures of a bare-chested Brady Quinn in their ads without his knowledge. The hits just keep on coming for this guy, no?

NEWS AND NOTES

A few things while I finish up the second half of the Pittsburgh Sports Media Popularity Contest (to be unveiled at some point later today)...

--Reader Steve B. contends that guitarist Paul Gilbert (and not Rocco Mediate) is/was the best thing to ever come out of Greensburg, PA:

Considered one of the world's greatest rock guitarists for years, in the same class as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Plus, who else in fairly recent years from Western, PA has been on the Tonight Show and has had a platinum album with a Billbord Hot 100 No. 1 hit. (Mr. Big - To Be With You, 1992)?

Good points...but Gilbert can't take credit for knocking Tiger Woods out for the year.

--Cecil from Cecil thought we would like the worst album covers of all time.

--SOB (his real initials) sends over a Vanity Fair article on Bill Clinton that features a mention of Penguins owner Ron Burkle and his attractive, blonde, "not much older than 19 if she was that" guest.

--Our friends at Pierogis N'at came up with a new top 1o list: Top 10 Best/Worst Sports Celebrations.

--It appears that Roger Clemens sold his Bentley to Poison singer/Steeler fan Bret Michaels recently. Early word is that he sold the car to get some cash to put against his legal bills. Sorry, but I'm not buying that. According to Baseball Reference, Clemens took home at least $121 million in salary alone during his career, and their numbers only go through 2005 (not counting the ransom he took from Houston in '06 and the Yanks in '07). And that's just his on-field money. I find it hard to believe that Clemens' cash well has dried up to the point that he has to sell a used ride to a friend of Brady Quinn.

Send your interesting links to mondesishouse@gmail.com for these fun little buffers between "real" posts.

LOCAL HACKER BATTLING TIGER WOODS

OK, he's not a hacker. He's actually pretty good. But Rocco Mediate (given name: Greensburg's Rocco Mediate) has the tall task of a one-on-one for all the marbles against none other than Tiger Woods at the 2008 U.S. Open.

After eight holes so far today, Roc found himself down one stroke; not too bad for a 45-year-old who has never won a major (his highest finish was 6th at the PGA Championship in 2002).

For those of you who spent Father's Day on Mars or some other distant planet, Mediate had the unfortunate luck of watching along with the rest of America as Woods sank this putt to close out the day's action:

As one would imagine, this has become quite the big story around Pittsburgh. Mediate's whirlwind experience has been arguably the best thing to come out of the city of Greensburg since Westmoreland Mall opened its doors in 1977.

Can David slay Goliath this afternoon? That remains to be seen, but whatever the outcome, it will be the defining event of Mediate's career since he turned pro in 1985.

Follow the action:

USOpen.com

ESPN Live Blog

Rocco Mediate [Wikipedia]