We're entering a dark period of the NFL life right now. Nothing is going on. Players and coaches are on vacation. With that we look at 10 quarterback situations worth looking at before training camps start in late July, because, well, it's always about the quarterback.

1. Detroit. Matthew Stafford vs. Daunte Culpepper.

The situation: It's the same old argument. Do you start the rookie or the veteran? The No. 1 pick of the draft is Stafford, but the vet with a chance to win a few games is Culpepper. Stafford is the future but you don't want to damage it. For every Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco there's a Ryan Leaf and Vince Young.

Solution: Start Culpepper and wait until 2010 for Stafford.

NEW YORK – During the top of the fifth inning Friday, a gate in the outfield fence at $1.3 billion Yankee Stadium popped open.

When no member of the grounds crew appeared, Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells went over and latched the wall himself.

"I should have closed it," he joked, "and just stayed behind the gate."

Yes, it's been the kind of year that makes Wells want to hide.

And while the Blue Jays are just five games out of an AL playoff berth after Friday's 4-2 loss, they are also left to wonder: Where would we be with Wells playing up to his contract?

Tiger Woods struggled with his putting at Bethpage Black two weeks ago, and he cited that as the primary reason he only managed a T6 at the U.S. Open. After two rounds at the AT&T National, the tournament Tiger is hosting at Congressional Country Club, he's 10-under par, one shot clear of Rod Pampling.

Following a Thursday 64 that included a four-birdie, no-bogey front nine, Woods fired 66 on Friday. No idea what 36 nearly flawless holes from the World No. 1 means for media-driven theory that Tiger isn't the player he once was, but he's in great position to win for the third time in nine starts this season. (And the six other events were all top-10 finishes. Yes, clearly Woods is done.)

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop is reporting that the Blazers have landed top free agent Hedo Turkoglu for the princely sum of $50 million (or more) over five years. Hedo had been the expected target of Portland's largess before the Magic acquired Vince Carter. That move made this move rather logical from every perspective.

... well, except the perspective that it's unclear exactly why Portland needs a ball-dominant small forward. After all, the Blazers do have one Brandon Roy, eternal All-Star, under contract. And with Roy dominating the ball this season, the Blazers finished with the league's finest offense. In terms of offense, this is a bit like the Lakers adding Ron Artest: sounds good on the surface, but when you look at the details, you get a bit worried.

Tonight is the night that many a Dodgers fan has been waiting for. After serving his fifty-game suspension, the home run-hitting, fertility drug-taking wonder that is Manny Ramirez will be back in the lineup as the Dodgers take on the Padres in San Diego. Now if your wondering what to make of all this I invite you to give our latest Basecast a listen as Prez and Fletch have already broken it down for you.

One question I have for tonight's game is how Manny will be treated by Padres fans. These are the same people who greeted Barry Bonds with giant syringes after all. Of course, while we know that Manny is bound to hear some boos while on the road, what kind of reaction will he get in Mannywood? Well, if Kevin Patra at the Los Angeles Times gets his way, Dodger fans will boo Ramirez.

Lou Gehrig did not Twitter.

Never mind that such social networking wasn't around 70 years ago. Typing minutiae and thinking it's important simply wasn't Gehrig's style.

He was unassuming, lived with his parents until he was 30 and didn't crave his own reality TV show. Let's hope players are paying attention Saturday when baseball does something unusual.

America finally has a new men's tennis star.

Andy Roddick.

I know, he's been around forever. But now he's for real. Finally, he has a strategy and a coach and a brain and some actual footwork and speed. And even a backhand. Finally, he's not just a serve, not just a one-stroke gimmick with an empty head.

And finally, he is back in the Wimbledon finals. Roddick won the Battle of Andys Friday, beating Scotland's Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-5) in the Wimbledon semifinals, and crushing Great Britain's hopes for the first Brit champ since 1936.

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Kellen Moore exceeded expectations last year when he became the first freshman quarterback to ever start a season opener at quarterback for Boise State.

Moore's poise and production also were off the charts, helping the Broncos come within two points of an undefeated season. He was named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and second-team all conference in addition to being named Boise State's Most Valuable Offensive Player by a vote of teammates.

That's plenty of praise and hardware, but don't think for a second Moore is blinded by his success.

"We have high expectations here," Moore told FanHouse. "We go into each week with a game plan and I am expected to do what I do, whether it's throwing a certain route or whatever. We prepare in practice and nothing really happens brand new out on the field during the game."

The Anaheim Ducks still have plenty of veteran presence on their team, despite the trade of defenseman Chris Pronger to Philadelphia.

Captain Scott Niedermayer and forward Teemu Selanne have both said they will return. For Niedermayer, the future is uncertain beyond next season. Selanne, meanwhile, says 2009-2010 will be his last year in the NHL.

Futilitywatch '09 is a our semi-regular update on the Pittsburgh Pirates and their march toward their record 17th consecutive losing season.

How many teams in baseball history have traded 2/3rds of their starting outfields in consecutive years? The Pirates started 2008 with an offense-oriented outfield of Jason Bay, Nate McLouth, and Xavier Nady, from left to right. With Bay and Nady slated to become free agents in the two coming offseasons and having good years at the plate, the Pirates dealt them and shifted towards a defensive outfield of Nyjer Morgan, McLouth, and Brandon Moss. Now, Morgan and McLouth are gone and GM Neal Huntington may not be done dealing. Where does that leave the Pirates?