Before getting into the 'meat' of this week's entry, I feel like an apology is in order.  And I'm not referring to last week's 'banana hammock' reference (maybe "meat" wasn't the best choice of words for that first sentence).  No, I feel the need to apologize for my complete and utter failure to respond to or post any of the comments from the last few weeks.  In my effort to balance the demands of SportDork.com with my paying gig, I'm afraid that reader comments have fallen through the cracks.  While this would normally be the segment of the entry where I swear that it will never happen again and renew my commitment to answering every comment that comes pouring into SportDork.com Headquarters on a weekly basis, I have come up with a better idea.  It's time for a format change!!  From now on, I will post comments as they are received.  I might respond, I might not.  This means you don’t have to wait a week or more for your comment to be posted, and I don't have to feel compelled to respond.  I think that's what they call a win-win.  So comment away, and rest assured that you will see your brilliant (and I use the term loosely) remarks up in lights in shortly after you submit them.  Go ahead - check right now.  They're all there.  I think this is going to be good.  I'm already feeling more relaxed.  Also, I'm considering implementing a monthly "Mailbag" feature, in which I respond to readers' comments and questions.  I figure if it's good enough for Peter King, Stuart Mandel and Paul Zimmerman, it's good enough for The SportDork.

So, how 'bout that Euro 2008??  I can't believe it's coming to a close.  The semi-finals are Wednesday and Thursday, and the final is this Sunday, June 29th, signaling the culmination of three weeks of great European football action.  Germany faces Turkey tomorrow, and Russia squares off against Spain in the other semi-final on Thursday.  The SportDork is, in fact, half-German, so I will be glued to the tube tomorrow afternoon to watch my almost-fellow-countrymen put a beat down on Turkey.  I know that the SportDork Nation could listen to me wax eloquently about the nuances of the 4-4-2 formation or the flaws of the penalty-kick format, but instead, allow me to conclude this week's entry with two YouTube clips that are sure to get you fired up about The Beautiful Game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdAOZg12tOE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqOBR_Xbw2I  (ok, so this one has nothing to do with soccer.  Whatever.   It's funny.)