TOP TEN- 7-4-06

Everybody has a Top 10. NS is no different. But rather than focus just on college football or Major League Baseball, we’ve decided to throw every sport –the WNBA, jai lai, wing-eating- into the same pool and simply fish out the best athletes/teams each Monday. Let the debating commence…

1. Annika Sorenstam- The Swede’s 10^th major took longer (there was an 18-hole playoff with runner-up Pat Hurst), but it’s much sweeter a day later.

2. France soccer- Qu’est-ce que Brazil?

3. Germany soccer- Riding the wave of amazing fan energy, the home team stopped high-scoring Argentina.

4. Portugal soccer- Send’em home like Beckham.

5. Italy soccer- Technically, the Italians haven’t given up a goal in five matches this World Cup.

6. Boston Red Sox- You gotta like any team with all-stars named Big Papi and Papelbon that can keep its distance from the Yanks.

7. Chicago Bulls- The signing of Ben Wallace turns this playoff contender into an Eastern Conference title contender almost instantly.

8. Detroit Tigers- The best record in all of baseball and only two all-stars? Tisk, tisk. Some folks still don’t believe.

9. New Orleans Hornets- The draft was good (Hilton Armstrong, Cedric Simmons) and the free-agent waters (Peja Stojakovic, Bobby Jackson) were even better.

10. Minnesota Twins- Winning 11 straight will certainly cancel out the disappointment of all-star snubs Justin Morneau and Francisco Liriano.

Almost Made The Cut: New York Mets (10 ½ game lead at the Fourth of July), Portland Trailblazers (LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy in NBA Draft), College of Charleston (hiring Bobby Cremins) <>

Three WORST Teams: Detroit Pistons (No more Ben???), Detroit Red Wings (No more Steve Yzerman???), foreign cyclists (doping scandal at the Tour de France)