Instead of doing a best weekend/worst weekend at the end of the column, I decided to just turn this into a weekend in review column.  Here's how everybody's weekend went on a scale from 1 to 10:

9.5:  Antonio Margarito - Well, I was wrong, as shocking as that sounds.  I did predict that Margarito would not get KO'd for all the right reasons, but I didn't think he'd actually win the fight.  I said that Margarito wouldn't get knocked out because you could run him over with a freight train and he woudn't go down.  Cotto landed some serious shots, shots that would have knocked other guys out, but they didn't even faze Margarito.  He just kept coming forward until Cotto was finally worn out and Margarito finished him off.  Margarito genuinely likes to fight and hitting him only seems to make him stronger.  When's the last time you saw someone get hit with Cotto's best and say that he wasn't even hurt?  Well, now we know why everyone has been ducking Margarito for all of these years.  Floyd Mayweather Jr. sure does look a heck of a lost smarter now for turning down $8 million to fight Margarito than he did about 48 hours ago.  I think Pretty Boy Floyd did the wise thing waiting for the $50 million year where he fought Ricky Hatton and the Golden Boy instead.  Speaking of the Golden Boy . . .

2:  Oscar De La Hoya - This is why Margarito's weekend wasn't a solid 10.  There is a zero percent chance that Oscar wants to sign on to fight Margarito.  While Cotto would have been no picnic, Cotto at least boxes for the first six rounds or so.  Margarito is a nonstop whirlwind throwing 100 punches per round.  De La Hoya just lost another potential opponent with Cotto going down and now the Golden Boy will look even worse because he'll be added to the list of people who are clearly ducking a fight with the Tijuana Tornado, Antonio Margarito.  Instead, De La Hoya will likely fight another guy 20 lbs. lighter than him in Manny Pacquiao.  I'm trying to think of how much I'd pay for a Pacquiao KO victory to take place.  That would be my best possible outcome for De La Hoya's farewell tour.

9:  Goose Gossage - Finally in the Hall of Fame.

9:  Marko Jaric - Every week that passes where he's still with Adriana Lima is going to be at minimum a 9 out of 10.  I still don't understand this one.  Does he hypnotize her?  Is loving Marko Jaric part of some weird religious belief she has?  She's one of the hottest women in the world and she's with a guy who not only can't figure out how to put his uniform on straight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utw6Fe7id9o), but Jaric looks like every fifth guy that Jack Bauer kills on a random episode of 24.  I feel like I'm taking crazy pills every time I see Jaric and Lima together. 

4:  Boston Fans - Looking at my watch, it seems to be about that time of year.  Yup, a few days away from the trade deadline and Manny wants to be dealt.  This is almost as surprising as Brett Favre wanting to come back and all of the drama that ensued.  My reaction to "Manny being Manny" is the same as my reaction to Favre-watch.  Wake me up when it's over.

8.5:  Marshawn Lynch - The NFL, which punishes you if you blink in a way that may be construed as menacing to its corporate sponsors, has declined to punish Lynch for his hit and run accident.  Not only was it a hit and run, but be was likely intoxicated and didn't admit to it for a little while.  So, if you're scoring at home:  Paul Pierce maybe flips a gang sign in an NBA game = massive investigation.  Top-10 RB gets a little tipsy and almost kills someone with his car, leaves the scene, does nothing for a few days and doesn't cooperate with prosecutors = "I think the facts are clear on the case at this point in time, and I don't plan any discipline."  Makes sense to me.

1:  Prisoners In Palestinian Regions - It's not a good time to be in jail when the rival factions are having torture contests.  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080728/ap_on_re_mi_ea/palestinians_torture

9:  University of Florida Students - Congratulations are due in Gainesville, Fla.  The University of Florida was named by Princeton Review as the top party school in the country.  I guess winning national championships in football and basketball in recent years does have its rewards.

3:  Penn State - ESPN reports that about 95% of the football team has about as good a chance of reporting to their respective state penitentiaries as they do an NFL mini-camp in the next 5 years.  Joe Paterno's ghost is still coaching the team though.

2.5:  Betting Public - What was the line on who would have the first hip problem between McCain and Obama?  McCain -100,000?  Well, for those who bet that Obama would go down first, you won.  At least he didn't strain his oblique.

4:  NL West - The proud division finally has its first place leader over .500.  No, it's not the Dodgers.

1.5:  Puerto Rican Sports Fans - This passionate crew will have to wait for Juan Manuel Lopez' next big fight to erase the taste in their mouths from Cotto's having run into a brick wall this past weekend.  Cotto didn't look bad as much as Margarito just looked as some thought he might, like the most underrated boxer in the world.

9:  Spanish Sports Fans - First the Euro cup championship and now the Tour de France winner.  Not bad.  And, I'm not even going to make an EPO joke here.  That could push this to a 9.5.

8.5:  Royal Ivey - He (or his agent) convinced some NBA team to offer him a multi-year deal.  I mean, where else are you going to find a guy who averages 4 points, 1.5 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 14 minutes in his 263 career games?  On the plus side, he did average a career high 5.6 points last season.  Is Billy King still running the 76ers and I just missed something?

2:  Green Bay Packers Management - You guys come off as being about as well run as FEMA.  Did Bush appoint Ted Thompson?

10:  My Family - This weekend my sister, Genna, married my new brother, Scott.  The wedding was beyond perfect.  The weather was great and everybody had a blast.  I couldn't have pictured a better moment for my family.  We live for these occasions.  Congratulations to the newly married, Mr. and Mrs. Roegner.