Tennis beauty Anna Kournikova was scratched on her neck after getting into a scuffle last weekend in Las Vegas.

Hello loyal readers! It’s that time of the week again…time to check in on the Amazin’ Mess and their “Key Stretch” of games before the All-Star break.

To recap, the Mets are in the midst of a difficult stretch of 29 games between June 9th and July 9th; 28 of which are against teams with winning records.

At the beginning of “the stretch,” many said that this could be the month that makes or breaks the Mess’ season. Now that we’re through 22 of the 29 games, it’s becoming clear that could be the case.

When last we checked in on the Mess (can you tell I’m the Yankee fan in the office?), they were 3-4 through the first week of the “stretch.”

I wish I could take credit for this statement but it was Gary Cohen on tonight's SNY broadcast of the Mets/Brewers game. Boy it's true! I was oh so hopeful with the David Wright two-run homerun, then things came crashing down. Okay, let's see Johan Santana has 4 earned runs by the 5th inning...Fernando Martinez in center field and got burned again, Dan Warthen gets thrown out of the game (arguing balls and strikes)...where was the Manager? You're pitching coach doing the fighting?! Then there were the faces resting on the dugout rail tonight as if the season is over.

Does it have to be? Why do I feel like the only one who thinks the Mets can turn things around? It won't be easy! Even with the expected return of Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes, the Mets need something. I want a trade and am willing to give up some young guys for it. There is a different perspective though: start from scratch. Get rid of everyone even a David Wright (NOT happening) or a Johan Santana and rebuild the team? Are we there...Really?! Thoughts...

So Carlos Beltran is seeing a specialist in Colorado as we speak...a "microfracture expert" to check that right knee. Mets doctors have diagnosed the injury as a bone bruise that has doubled in size in a month. The Mets front office is like...don't worry, it's fine; it's just a second opinion. REALLY?! I don't think so and here's why.

Beltran has always been a work horse and hates being off the field. He is far from lazy and far from motivated to get back. Jose Cruz Sr., who managed him in Houston (my pseudo uncle), has told me that Beltran will always give 100% and even play when he shouldn't. For him to not even touch dirt, and search for answers (and I think he already knows what they are), worries me and should worry you. This is the time! If we find out Beltran won't be making it back in two weeks, trade, trade, trade!! I would rather lose some young talent and at least TRY to do something this season, then do nothing. It is not lost on anyone, that the Mets were dealt a terrible hand, but even good poker players, put all their chips in and risk big! No more bluffing, let's do this already, if not for the sake of my relationships with multiple Mets fans/friends. My husband gets depressed after every loss; he won't even eat! SHOCK! Producer Bobby STOPS talking and that's unheard of! My father in law will pick up the hammer again and threaten to destroy all TVs in his home. For the sake of all of us...Mets please do something NOW! I still think they can be in it but need a pick me up and fast!!!

P.S. My prediction for those 29 games is looking terrible...Matt E., you have me on this one.

I was thrilled a few hours ago to see Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff sentenced to 150 years for his heinous crimes. To many, the sentence seems too short. There was no solace today for those bilked of their life savings and/or company assets. Today's sentencing did not bring joy, but rather a torrent of anger and resentment at such an evil and depraved man.

It also got me considering something that readers of "The Huddle" know I've written about before. Just how much did Madoff affect the 2009 New York Mets?

This is embarrassing. The Yankees come into Citi Field and sweep the Mets. The embarrassing part is not losing to the Yankees although I don't like losing to those guys and the previously erratic Chien Ming Wang. The embarrassing part is that the Mets keep fielding this team of back-ups and the General Manager does nothing. The Mets couldn't have used Mark DeRosa, could they? They wouldn't need 13 homers and 50 RBI from a guy who can play a few positions. Nah... Its me, I'm crazy... Time is ticking.. You can't keep hoping the Phillies will continue to stink it up so you can stay close. They've won 2 in a row while the Mets have lost 3 in a row. Omar... Let's Go!!

Enigmatic Mets starter Oliver Perez made a start Sunday at KeySpan Park for the Brooklyn Cyclones as part of his rehab from a knee injury. It was his third rehab appearance since going on the DL May 8th.

Perez pitched well against the Class A competition; allowing only two hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out six. The Cyclones won the game, 13-3, and Perez earned the win.

Prior to the game the Mets said they wanted Ollie to approach 100 pitches before considering bringing him back to the Bigs. Perez tossed 72 Sunday afternoon.

It’s one of the big questions hovering over the Yankees these days…who should get the 5th starter’s spot -- Chien Ming Wang or Phil Hughes?

After watching most of CMW’s recent starts…and thereby most of Phil Hughes’ extended relief appearances…I believe I have the answer, and it’s an unconventional one.

Until Wang proves himself capable of throwing a reliable (and competitive) six innings, the Yankees should make the #5 spot a two-headed monster.

The Knicks and Nets were both very busy on draft night. And they should have been. Both teams need a lot of work. The Knicks won 32 games last year and the Nets were just 2 games better. Both have shrewd GM's looking to get back into the playoffs. First let's run down what both teams did. Then I'll get into why.

Ok, that title is a little misleading. Here’s what REALLY happened.

So I was at the US Open Friday afternoon, and in my scramble to catch a shuttle to the LIRR station, I leapt on a bus about to leave the course and grabbed the last remaining open seat.

Desperately trying to catch my breath, as I am hopelessly out of shape, I didn’t immediately realize the 6’10” individual sitting in the seat directly to my right. We’re talking like three inches apart, shoulder to shoulder.

Anyway, as the guy in the seat on the OTHER side of me was offering to buy the unopened Gatorade popping out of my bag, other riders in our immediate vicinity correctly identified the enormous guy as….Knicks Assistant Coach Herb Williams!

(By the way, I gave away that Gatorade for free. I took it from the media lunch room just before leaving...I can’t resist free stuff).

I spoke with Mets GM Omar Minaya immediately following his meeting with Jerry Manuel. While the bullpen sessions for John Maine and Oliver Perez were productive, both guys need at least one more minor league start before joining the team. Hear from Omar himself...

We're just about 2 days away from another round of Yankees-Mets, this one at Citi Bailout Field beginning on Friday night. ESPN has moved Sunday's finale from 1 pm to 8 pm for the sake of a larger audience. My question: Will ANYBODY actually be watching?

Omar Minaya.. Are you out there?? Help!! I'm sure Jerry Manuel is saying that right now.. The Mets sit just 2 1/2 games out of First Place in the NL East.. But that's fool's gold as Pat Riley used to say.. The Phillies' June swoon is a major part of why the Mets are so close.

Look I am an optimist but not naive. However, Mets fans should not give up on their team just because 3/4 of their core, clutch players are now on the DL, including Carlos Beltran put on the 15 day disabled list today. Look at where they are with their thrift store team and guys like Tim Redding and Livan Hernandez pitching to win and Omir Santos and Alex Cora showing they can play (A LOT) and score runs.

With the Phillies off, the Mets are now 1 1/2 game out of first in the NL East. Yes...the Phils have helped them out by losing at home, but the Mets have proven they can challenge teams in their division (and maybe even win if they don't beat themselves up). They did tonight against St. Louis and say what you will about the National League, the Mets are still in the hunt. Thank goodness, the Mets are finally using Brian Stokes. I am not saying he is money all the time, but he has been in the bullpen and ready to go. Why exhaust others?

Most Mets fans tell me that it's hard to get excited because they have been disappointed so many times. I guess it is easier to NOT expect them to do anything, but secretly, I know you think they can...because their your team...and they must! I am here to tell you it's okay to think that way, but your secret is safe with me.

If it had been any other time, I might have blasted Phil Mickelson for yet another disappointment at a U.S. Open. Not today. I was tempted to for a while, but thought better of it.

Lefty had his chances. He'd made up 6 strokes Sunday and Monday before grabbing a share of the lead with that awesome eagle at 13. Right then, I thought, "Lord, he's got it!!" But sadly, his putter failed him at 15 and 17-bogeys both.

Your first reaction is to think about a lack of mental toughness, choking or just plain bad luck. But then the realization hits that considering all he's been through, it was an amazing day anyway. We wrote here the other day about Mickelson's wife Amy, who will start breast cancer treatment July 1st. Phil's been flying back ad forth setting up medical appointments for his wife, taking care of his kids, and oh yeah, playing St. Jude's and getting ONE practice round at Bethpage last week.

Now that the tourney is over, the Mickelsons will get away before Amy begins treatment. Much was made today about Phil's record 5th U.S. Open runner up. I'm sure he's not thinking about that now. Instead, Amy has to win her fight with cancer-and if more ladies are saved because of the Mickelsons' public battle, that's worth more than a U.S. Open win any day.

Reyes, Delgado, Maine, Perez...now add Carlos Beltran to the list of frontline Mets on the DL. His bruised knee is getting worse due to wear and tear. Amazingly, the team is still only 2 games out of first place. The struggling Phillies have lost 6 in a row, but the Mets have only gained two games in that stretch with their undermanned.lineup and overworked bullpen.

Memo to Omar Minaya: PLEASE DO SOMETHING!! This team has no middle infield help after sending Valdez to the minors. The bullpen is in tatters. Pat Misch (ERA Under 3 Overall in the minors) and Elmer Dessens (11 Saves For last place Buffalo) hardly scare you. Cora's already playing hurt. Sheffield can't play every day.

This idea that they can hold on till all the guys are back is ridiculous. Delgado is aging. You NEVER know how the pitchers will respond after an injury. Reyes has a history of leg troubles. Do we have to hope Billy Wagner will be back before September if Putz can't go? By the way, the Mets are 4-8 in that big stretch of 29 games we told you about last week. Entering tonight, Albert Pujols has more homers than the Mets starting lineup.

Lolita JUST told me that the Mets will recover, and that they WILL be the ones catching the Phillies this year. She also said that the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Santa Claus visit her place more than once a year. I'd like to say I hope she's right. Let me check for the pot of gold next to the rainbow behind my desk first.

That's what 300 or so grown men and women do every Monday night at Riverside Park, on the West Side.

Not sure how many of you made it out to the US Open during the past week, either for a practice round or during the real thing. But if you did, maybe you could help me out….what’s the appeal of attending a tournament in person??

I was out at Bethpage this week on Friday and Saturday, and boy are my legs tired! Seriously…it was exhausting. Attending a golf tournament is a lot of work for VERY little reward.

You have to keep moving if you want to see something other than the same shot over and over again (i.e., staking out a single hole and just sitting there all day), and if you choose to move around the course, you end up walking a mile in order to see just a few shots!

And forget about following your favorite player. Unless you love Jean Francois-Lucquin or Johan Edfors (both of whom are real players, I didn’t make them up….and they made the cut, too), you’re NOT going to enjoy following Tiger and Phil.

The rains have been a huge story this weekend at the U.S. Open at Bethpage. The thousands of fans who came out to the course had to wade through the water most of the tournament. Surely they had questions as to where to go or when play would resume. That’s where the volunteers come in. I talked to some of the folks who helped keep Bethpage up and running.

**An amendment to the blog: if there is no golf on Monday or the ticket holder cannot come to the course, he or she will get half of the cost of the ticket. That's at least something...
One more addition: if less than 90 minutes of golf is played Saturday or Sunday, those folks can also attend on Monday.

**One last final comment:
So the Executive Director of the USGA says while he was pumping gas Thursday night and getting coffee this morning at a Dunkin Donuts, all he heard was angry chatter about how yesterday's ticket holders weren't getting compensated. so we owe the organization's change of heart to all of you who finally convinced David Fay that fans do count. And who said water cooler or in this case, "coffee coolata", talk isn't productive.

I don't normally blog this from home (I like my personal, off the clock, non-compensated time, if you know what I mean), but I was so enthused by the news that I had to pass it along. The USGA has decided to honor Thursday US Open ticket holders by allowing those folks to catch any action that might be played on Monday. With a high chance of rain tomorrow, there is a STRONG possibility the Open will extend into a 5th day and you Thursday fans might get to see a final round no less. Way to go fans! Your vocal protest created such a publicity nightmare that the USGA was forced to oblige! Here is more:

"David Fay, executive director of the USGA, acknowledged that the USGA was affected by the angry response from fans after the round was washed out Thursday after 3 hours, 16 minutes. "I'm a New Yorker, so I would have been surprised if they didn't express their opinion," he said, adding that he overheard very negative comments when he was pumping gas Thursday night and when he went to Dunkin' Donuts Friday morning. "There is no solution that's perfect," Fay said. " Courtesy: Newsday (thanks to my friend Mark Herrmann who is there reporting)