The major league baseball strike has been averted, but I think it's a band-aid to a problem that's going to keep continuing. I think the players and owners didn't strike because of the negative fan reaction. In 2006, I think we will be in the same position we are in today.

Skip Bayless is on the Jim Rome show, and he's calling it the luxury tax and revenue sharing a "quasi-salary cap". I don't know why they don't have a salary cap in baseball; it seems to work for football and basketball. Baseball is exempt from anti-trust laws, but not basketball and football. Why is this?

The Oakland A's are the only reason I'm happy about the baseball strike being averted. I think the A's can go all the way this year. The Yankees aren't as strong. The pitching is better. The A's on are on winning streak, and the Angels and the Mariners seem to be running out of steam. I think the A's could blow any team in the National League away, including the Diamondbacks.

I know I should be rooting for the SF Giants, but I don't think they have a chance of making the playoffs. The Dodgers are way too hot.

It would be great to have the SF Giants and the Oakland A's in a world series, but then my loyalties would be torn. I love the A's because the median age of the team is 25 years old; I love Barry Zito; I think Billy Beane is a genius; and besides the Oakland A's are the boy band team, the NSync of major league baseball. How could I not love them? But I'm a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, and the SF Giants are my team; they deserve my loyalty. My heart belongs to the A's, but when push comes to shove, I would root for the Giants against the A's.