We’re nearing the end of the second Bush administration, which means it’s time for convicted felons to line up and get their pardons while they can. That list includes Marion Jones, who has asked the president to commute her six-month term for lying to federal agents in the BALCO investigation.

Jones was also sentenced to two months for perjury in a check fraud case involving fellow sprinter Tim Montgomery, her former boyfriend and the father of her first child. She was allowed to serve those two sentences concurrently.

The former darling of the American sports scene has already fallen into debt and was forced to return her five medals from the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Unmoved by Jones’ plight, USA Track and Field CEO Doug Logan has asked President Bush not to commute her sentence, saying it would send the wrong message to children. Finally, someone is thinking of the children.

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The next big MMA card is chock full of talent. UFC 87: Seek and Destroy is headlined by Georges St. Pierre versus Jon Fitch for the Welterweight title; we’ll also get to see Minnesota native Brock Lesnar fighting in front of what should be a packed partisan crowd at the Target Center. Here’s the full card:

Main
Welterweight: Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch
Lightweight: Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta
Heavyweight: Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring
Lightweight: Manny Gamburyan vs. Rob Emerson
Middleweight: Jason MacDonald vs. Demian Maia

Preliminary
Heavyweight: Cheick Kongo vs. Dan Evensen
Welterweight: Chris Wilson vs. Steve Bruno
Welterweight: Ben Saunders vs. Jared Rollins
Welterweight: Luke Cummo vs. Tamdan McCrory
Light Heavyweight: Andre Gusmao vs. Razak Al-Hussan

You know you’ve got something special when a fighter like Kongo (11-4 in MMA) can only get a spot on the prelim card. Apparently beating Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic doesn’t carry the same cachet it used to.

This used to be one of the greatest summer sporting events in the world. But the Tour de France has been kicked to the betting curb – for now. The combination of doping scandals and a lack of starpower has kept the venerable cycling race off the board for 2008.

That could change as we get closer to the end stages. We’re about halfway through the three-week event; Tuesday was a day of rest following the grueling 10th stage up the Pyrenees from Pau to Hautacam. Cadel Evans of Australia held the yellow jersey after nearly crashing out of the race on Sunday.

Evans finished a close second to Alberto Contador last year, but Contador is not competing in the 2008 event because the Astana Team for which he now rides was barred from competition after their involvement in the 2007 doping scandals. Evans should have a smooth ride from here on in.

This could turn out to be one of the biggest debacles in sports history. The Olympic Summer Games in Beijing are a month away, and we’re still wondering whether we’ll get full television coverage, let alone a proper environment for the athletes to participate in.

China is throwing serious money at all these problems. If you’re betting on the Olympics this year, you’ll find that the host nation has also poured considerable resources into its athletes. China is a 4-5 favorite to win the most medals at the Games, and 2-5 to take home the most gold. Of course, being the host nation allows China to field entries into every single competition, which helps add to the medal count.

Track and field used to be the marquee attraction, but the men’s basketball tournament is now the centerpiece for sports betting. Team USA is a heavy 2-7 favorite to reclaim the gold after Argentina (15-2) took it away in 2004.

The easiest poker tells to pick up in a live game are the reactions that players make when the community cards hit the board. Many players will look at their chip stack when a good hand hits them. They intend to bet, and can’t help but look at their chips to prepare the best-sized bet for the situation.

Others will look around like they’re trying to appear disinterested. They will scope out the room, suddenly unconcerned with what the other players are doing. This player also has a good hand, and should be given respect.

Actual disinterested players will look at their cards quickly and usually start to pay attention to something else that’s going on at the time. If you know when a player has decided to stay out of a hand, you can play like they’re not there if you decide to bet or call some action.