The Cubs get a reprieve.

For dumbest signing of the offseason, that is. Just got back from vacation and saw a lot of dumb, stupid, and sad things (the lionizing of another dead president, James Brown passing on [saw him in state at the Apollo Theatre], time-bandit family members, UCLA losing to a horrific Florida State team in something called the Emerald Bowl, and the NY media hemorrhaging over the fall of the NY football Giants), but the San Francisco baseball Giants took the cake by signing Barry Zito to a completely dumbass contract.

Zito will get the usual bump from moving to the NL, guaranteed -- his curve is still above average. But giving him seven years is a crap shoot at best and will wreck the franchise at worst, especially since they let Jason Schmidt get down to L.A. Outside of Zito and Matt Cain, I don't like the Giants' staff, and although it pains me to say it, the Dodgers and the Padres will be topping the NL West again.

(Zito apparently used to date Alyssa Milano, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon of putting a pic of her up instead of #75).