Wild World of Wednesday - July 1, 2009

She's Back: Candace Parker returned to practice with the Los Angeles Sparks yesterday:

Parker practiced fully for the first time since her maternity leave but told the Los Angeles Times she would have a better idea about how she is adjusting after contact drills Wednesday.

"I think that it's going at the right speed," Parker told the Times.

The reigning WNBA MVP and rookie of the year had a girl, Lailaa, in mid-May.

Lisa Leslie also returned to practice after missing a few games. Leslie plans to retire after this season.

Putt This: I just discovered that SeeMore Putters has a blog. Cool. They have some pretty awesome putter and headcover designs.

Holdout? Okay, call me crazy but I just cringe when I hear a story about an NFL rookie "holding out". Seriously! Read this:

Cincinnati Bengals rookie Andre Smith, the sixth overall pick in the draft, said Tuesday that he hopes to be signed and in training camp on time because a holdout could hamper his transition from left tackle to right tackle.

Okay, let me get this straight. You worked all of your life to be the best at what you do. You got picked in the first round - something 99.99% of people who ever picked up a football can only dream of. Next - you hold out. I'm wondering what the difference between like 30 and 35 million is. Not sure if that what this boils down to but the amount of money these untried, unproven guys get is just insane. Am I the only one that sees the absurdity here?

Today In Sports History

1997 - Nevada Athletic Commission suspends Mike Tyson for biting Evander Holyfield

Happy Birthday Rod Gilbert and Carl Lewis