Roddick, Penny, Marshall, and random observations on the wonderful world of sports

In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:

---The 2009 U.S. Open is underway at Flushing Meadow, and the typical names have emerged as the early favorites, as Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, Serena Williams, and Rafael Nadal have all looked strong in their opening matches. The only big name who has showed signs of struggle early on is Venus Williams. Her knee seems to be a significant annoyance, and with every painful wince it becomes less and less likely that she will capture another Grand Slam title.

---But Venus should not fret, because her sister will walk away with the U.S. Open title.

---On the men's side, it seems foolish to pick against Federer, but my money is on Andy Roddick. Roddick showed incredible resiliance, even in defeat, against Federer at Wimbledon. Judging by his impressive first-round dismantling of Bjorn Phau, Andy Roddick is on a mission, and anything short of another Grand Slam title would be a disappointment.

---God Bless Brad Penny. The newest San Francisco Giant pitched eight shutout innings against the powerful Phillies lineup, leading the Giants to victory. If Penny continues to pitch beautifully, the Giants rotation goes five strong, with Lincecum, Zito, Cain, Sanchez, and now Penny. Go Giants!

---The Florida Marlins are a young and exciting team with two of the most talented youngsters in recent baseball memory (Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez). So it is sad to see the embarrassing lack of fan support in Miami. Even in a pennant race, the orange seats at Land Shark Stadium remain empty. Wake up Miami and support your team!

---I believe that the Red Sox will hang on and win the AL Wild Card, but they shouldn't overlook the Texas Rangers. The Rangers currently sit 2.5 games back of Boston, and with the likes of Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, and Josh Hamilton, they will be in this race for the remainder of the season. The only factor that could hurt the Rangers is the injury to All-Star shortstop Michael Young. In order to catch the Red Sox, it is imperative that the Rangers be at full strength.

---Football is back and better than ever, and I will give all my picks and predictions on the upcoming pigskin season in the coming days. My college football preview runs tomorrow, while my NFL preview runs on Sunday.

---The Denver Broncos are making the right call in not trading wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall may be a shady character, but he is a tremendous force on the football field, and Josh McDaniels' team needs Marshall if they want to be playing in January.

---Ricky Rubio is staying in Spain, much to the chagrin of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rubio's departure is indeed a blow to Kurt Rambis' team, but the T'Wolves are still pretty strong at the point guard position. Former Syracuse star Jonny Flynn will have a terrific year for the otherwise lowly Timberwolves, and who knows, maybe Flynn's play will make the organization momentarily forget about the absence of Rubio.

---I'll leave you with my thoughts on the FedEx Cup: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh sorry, I fell asleep for a moment there. Look, I love golf, and you can't top the drama of the four PGA Majors. But the FedEx Cup is anticlimactic, a convoluted and wholly unnecessary end to the PGA season.