Coming soon on Simply Sports...

There are a lot of good stories in sports to comment on. Each item deserves its' own article, which gives me a lot to write about! I've been a little absent from writing for a while, but I'm geared back up and read to crank out some good stuff.

If you have anything you would like to hear about, send your article ideas to Jsdoxey@hotmail.com and I'll do my best to write something that matches.

In the meantime, expect the following shortly...

Enjoying the Tour de France

With the absence of Lance Armstrong, as well as a major doping problem, I wasn't expecting much from this year's Tour. However, it has been can't miss TV through the first 10 stages.

Granted, I'm a cyclist, nonetheless, I've enjoyed the Tour for so many reasons, many of which go unnoticed by the casual observer.

I watched a stage with my roommate, who asked a variety of questions about cycling procedure and protocol. After answering his questions as best I could, I could see he began to appreciate the sport more.

That conversation got me thinking about the aspects of cycling the average observer is missing. So, here are a few things to look for to help you enjoy the Tour de France…

Jeter, Tragedy in Texas and The Tour de France

I was a little lazy in blogging this week, which is too bad, because there were some very interesting things that happened in the world of sports. Some weeks are filled with typical story lines and nothing too out of the ordinary. This was not one of those weeks.

While I hate the Yankees, watching Derek Jeter chase his 3,000 hit was surprisingly captivating. On a more somber note, a man falling to his death at a ballpark in Texas was a sad reminder of the frailty of life. And finally, if only people understood what they were watching in the Tour de France, it would be must see TV across America.

While more than just these three things happened, I found each of the following stories to be most worthy of a write up...

My five favorite patriotic sports moments

As the fourth of July approached, I began my yearly assault on YouTube to find my favorite versions of the National Anthem, God Bless America, and many other patriotic songs and tributes.

Some of my favorites are patriotic songs set to edited tribute videos of flags, soldiers, etc. However, the majority of my favorite versions have been sung at stadiums across the country during major sporting events such as the Superbowl and NBA All-Star game.

The following is a list of my top five favorite patriotic videos...

6 reasons the Mariners will contend soon

Before the season began, I had the usual conversation with my friend about how we thought the Mariner's would do this season.

The M's were coming off a poor season, had made zero significant acquisitions in the off season, and the other teams in the AL West had gotten stronger. With that in mind, I declared it would be a successful season if the Mariner's won 70 games.

Given these expectations, I have been reasonably surprised with Seattle's near five hundred record this late into the season. However, amidst a 3-game losing streak, the M's are starting to look more like the team I expected them to be.

This does not mean there is not hope for the future. Here are six reasons to be optimistic about the future if you are a Mariner's fan...