Probably the first positive footage of a Phillies fan in the past decade. Great catch – and not even close to dropping his food and drink – but that’s gonna leave a serious bruise.

How was this video so overlooked? Oh yeah – Durham Bulls baseball. Got it. Even Kevin Costner understands. Hey, it was better than Waterworld.

Well, Fernando Perez certainly remembers a lot from his Cotillion classes as a child – that or he’s obsessed with Johhny Depp. Either way, excellent manners shown with the hat tip before putting this poor Charlotte Knights catcher to shame.

Just ’cause he’s a Yankee, please don’t hate him – I’m not asking you to like Derek Jeter, but at least respect him.

Probably the only valid knock on Jeter is his lack of range, but his four Gold Gloves still have some say in that debate. However, there’s no arguing his offensive aptitude – his nickname is Captain Clutch, for goodness sake. Take a look at a few of his record streaks…

Longest Active Season Streak Scoring 85+ Runs
Derek Jeter: 14
Alex Rodriguez: 13
Johnny Damon: 11
Bobby Abreu: 10

Not only that, but with one more homer in 2010, Jeter will extend his lead in baseball’s own triple-double…

Longest Season Streak of 20+ Doubles, 10+ HR, & 10+ Stolen Bases – All-Time (courtesy of STATS LLC)
Derek Jeter: 14 (1996-2009)
Bobby Abreu: 13 (1998-2010)
Andre Dawson: 12 (1977-88)
Hank Aaron: 9 (1960-68)

At the least, admire Jeter and his average 195-pound frame for the respect he shows to the game of baseball – unlike some of his current and former teammates.

According to The New York Times, Roger Clemens will be indicted for lying under oath to Congress when he denied taking performance-enhancing drugs…

The indictment comes nearly two and half years after Clemens and his former trainer Brian McNamee testified under oath at a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, directly contradicting each other about whether Clemens had used the banned substances….

Sounds pretty similar to what another former baseball superstar is going through…

In 2007, federal authorities in San Francisco indicted Barry Bonds, the career home run leader, on charges he perjured himself before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative. Bonds, who has retired, is scheduled to go on trial next March.

Like Bonds, Clemens had an illustrious baseball career and his entanglement with baseball’s drug issue had jeopardized his chances of going to the Hall of Fame. They are scheduled to appear together on the 2013 ballot.

Can you imagine both Clemens and Bonds behind bars when their chances at the Hall open up? Throw Madea in the mix and you’ve got a pretty roudy big house.

Brace yourselves. Brett Favre is back in the Twin Cities for one more go at it – or so he says. We’ve heard the same story for the past four to five seasons. Who knows when Favre will actually hang it up and wear a pair of Wrangler jeans all 365 days of the year.

But I was asked a very interesting question today: “Is Brett Favre the Nolan Ryan of football? Or is his legacy more than his stats?”

For starters, I say there’s no better other-sport athlete to compare Favre to statistically…

Brett Favre: Career
Entering 17th Season
497 Touchdowns (1st All-Time)
317 Interceptions (1st All-Time)
503 Times Sacked (2nd All-Time)

Nolan Ryan: Career
27 Seasons Played
5,714 Strikeouts (1st All-Time)
2,795 Walks (1st All-Time)
292 Losses (3rd All-Time)

While incredibly talented, both Favre and Ryan have some definite downsides. Favre is a gunslinger; Ryan was a wild hurler.

But what about the bigger question: Do each of their legacies overshadow their stats? I’d say so. Just think how we label them – legends, game-changers, definite Hall-of-Famers. And one’s who never wanted to retire. And honestly, can we blame ‘em?