Competitive eaters down their frankfurters during the 2010 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at the original Nathan's Famous on Coney Island. Michael Nagle/Getty Images hide caption
Sweetness And Light Frank Deford's weekly commentary on sports appears Wednesdays on NPR.org.
Spain's Rafael Nadal (right) and Switzerland's Roger Federer pose with their trophies after the men's final match at the 2011 French Open. The two men are currently playing in the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. Lionel Cironneau/ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption
FIFA President Joseph S. "Sepp" Blatter talks to media at a press conference after being re-elected during the 61st FIFA Congress on June 1 in Zurich. Julian Finney/Getty Images hide caption
A fan of the Chicago Bulls holds up a sign mocking LeBron James of the Miami Heat. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images hide caption
Once an example of smooth speed at the plate and in the field, the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter has faced doubters this year. Chris Trotman/Getty Images hide caption
Manny Pacquiao hits Shane Mosley in the seventh round of their WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 7. Pacquiao retained his title with a unanimous-decision victory. Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption
Game attendance may be down, but TV ratings are higher for almost all professional sports. Sean Locke/iStockphoto.com hide caption
One week after blowing a lead in the Masters, golfer Rory McIlory squandered a chance to win the Maybank Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur. McIlroy finished third after holding the 36-hole lead. Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
NFL stars like Peyton Manning (left) and Tom Brady are most likely better positioned to cope with a delayed season than are players with fewer resources. The two quarterbacks are part of a group of players who filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league. Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption
After last season, Nebraska left the Big 12. This year, the school joins the Big 10 ... which will have 12 teams. It's just more proof that there's little rhyme or reason in how sports leagues name themselves. Tony Gutierrez/AP hide caption
Blame The Gloves: Many baseball players, like the Arizona Diamondbacks' Adam LaRoche, fiddle with their batting gloves during each at-bat, stretching out their time at the plate. Ross D. Franklin/AP hide caption
Tiki Barber retired in 2006, after a 10-year career playing for the New York Giants, but he filed papers last week to come out of retirement. Ronen Zilberman/AP hide caption