Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Matt Kenseth gains ground with Fennig on his ride

By Dave Kallmann

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

We seek the most simple of answers: Yes, or no? Red, or green? Left, or right?

But life isn't a series of right-or-wrong solutions to straight-forward questions about eating ice cream for breakfast, interpreting stoplights or driving to the in-laws'. It's a continuous multiple-choice maze in which every turn has the potential to affect the next one.

The same goes for sports.

Only a few are willing to predict there won't be an NFL season in 2011, not with $9 billion at stake for the owners and players.

As the current lockout threatens to go from weeks to months and the off-season from delayed to non-existent, the bigger question facing the country's most popular sport is this: Will the games that are played be NFL quality?

CINCINNATI -- Each morning before the Milwaukee Brewers took the field during spring training for their morning workout, they held a meeting in the clubhouse. On any given day, different people spoke on varying topics.

On one of the last days of camp, Hall of Famer Robin Yount told manager Ron Roenicke he had something he wanted to say to the players. Invited to the entire camp as a special instructor, Yount didn't tell Roenicke what his message would be.

The Boston Celtics have plenty on their plate as they prepare for what they hope will be another championship run.

Coach Doc Rivers' Green has been busily trying to blend a number of new players into the rotation, has worked on getting healthy and has been trying to maintain the best overall record in the Eastern Conference in the process.

Do the Celtics have the necessary ingredients to make a run at another championship?

PHOENIX -- With Major League Baseball's decision a few years ago to finally do something about steroids and amphetamines, another side effect, if you will, is gradually being visited upon the game.

For all the reasons you'd suspect, the players are getting younger.

Know what I really like about Trevor Bayne?

It's the choices he makes.

He chose to push when it was time to push, to lead when it was time to lead and to block when it was time to block in the Daytona 500.

He chose to celebrate his out-of-nowhere victory Sunday by being true to himself, shooting baskets and riding skateboards with his buddies. This is the same kid who, before any of this happened, had already sat down with his family and advisers to define his goals as a racer and as a person.