The Sports Monitor

Phil Mickelson rules the British Open. I never thought I'd type those six words. But after a sizzling final-round 66 Sunday, Mickelson won the major he never thought possible. For a Phil fan like me, it was amazing. The birdie on the 18th hole left a smile on my face. And I couldn't stop talking about the charge he made. And the national media couldn't either. I did get a little annoyed when I heard a host on the radio last say night that Mickelson looked like Tiger winning the British Open. Ah ... no. Absolutely not. Phil did something Tiger never did: win a major coming from behind on Sunday. It was a memorable day. Lefty had one of greatest closing rounds in major history. Couldn't ask for a better finish, especially after the U.S. Open last month.

Every Pirates fan wants to see an end to the streak. But, after posting the second-best record in baseball in the first half, is simply finishing with a winning record enough? For me, the answer is no. For all the smoke-and-mirrors on offense, I won't be satisfied with a winning record. The Pirates have done too much in the first half where anything short of the playoffs will be a letdown. In fact, a wild-card berth isn't so hot either. In the revised playoff format, the wild card is simply a play-in game to the playoffs. Win, and you move on, lose or have a bad break or bad call, and the season's over. I want a division title.

Jose Contreras has the distinction of being cut by the Pirates twice this season. The relief pitcher was released by the Pirates last month. Pittsburgh picked him up again on a minor league deal. But the Bucs figured out what most teams already knew: He's toast. It was a win-win situation for the Pirates, signing him at little cost. I wish MLB teams would realize what serious fans already knew, Contreras was washed up. Maybe some other team will buy that lottery ticket. I'm glad the Pirates won't have him at PNC.

With the NBA season over, the wall-to-wall coverage of LeBron James has subsided. Now, Derek Jeter is the talk of the sports world, pushing Yasiel Puig off the highlight reels for the time being. I'm sorry, if Jeter played in a market other than New York, there would be little mention of him. Instead, since he's a Yankee, his triumphant return will be bellowed all day today. And tomorrow. And probably after that. It's too bad that the rest of the media doesn't recognize him as an aging veteran.

I have no interest in seeing "The Lone Ranger." None. Previews looked like a mess. I never watched the "Ranger" TV series. Johnny Depp in it? Don't care. It looks like Jack Sparrow was placed into a Western. Reviews haven't been too kind, either. Looks like a mistake of blockbuster proportions.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft says he was "duped" by Aaron Hernandez. Does anyone really believe him? Plenty of NFL teams passed on Hernandez because of his history at Florida. The Patriots took a chance on Hernandez based on his exceptional talent. Hernandez took that opportunity and ran with it on the field. He was one of the top tight ends in the league. The Patriots rewarded him with a mega-contract. The Patriots acted like any college team or pro team, they rewarded a player that can help them win. If Kraft was angry, mad or extremely disappointed, then I'd buy it. You can't blame the Patriots for Hernandez's actions, and they have to be commended for cutting Hernandez. But duped? C'mon.

Every now and then, there's an obituary that will stop and make you laugh. There was one today that made me want to pass it along. Scott E. Entsminger's obit described him as a lifelong Browns fan and a season-ticket holder. He also had an unusual request: He wanted six Cleveland Browns pall bearers so the Browns can let him down one last time. You can check out the full obit here .