You Know What Really Grinds My Gears...

...apart from forgotten extra seasoning, failure to box out, and Jerome Ropati?  The following things:

• The MLB for refusing to overturn the blown call costing Armando Galarraga a perfect game (the 21st in history).  There is literally no reason it can't be done beyond pigheadedness.
• My favourite non-All White, non-legitimate contender for the World Cup losing their star striker and captain - Ivory Coast and Didier Drogba.  If nothing else, this grinds my gears because I would've loved to tune in to a home radio broadcast of a Côte d'Ivoire game that featured a call as exciting and emotional as the one in this ad (Drogba! Drogba!).  Now it looks like the boys from the underside of the 'boob' of Africa have about as much chance in the Group of Death as Miley Cyrus has of growing up to be a well-balanced person.
• As for the All Whites themselves - there was a little grinding of gears when I heard that Slovenian striker Milivoje Novakovic took a dive to get a free kick, when they were already up 2-1 in the warm up match.  What is the point of diving in a warm up?  Are you practicing for diving in the World Cup?  A penalty for diving (simulation) can carry quite a large fine from FIFA - hopefully Novakovic gets slapped with one.
• The stupid eye paint High School baseball phenom Bryce Harper wears.  Hopefully MLB bans him from doing it.  It's as bad as Shivnarine Chanderpaul writing some corporate sponsor on his eye paint, or Tim Tebow painting a bible verse on his.  Wonder what would happen if Tebow got a start in a big game (laughable, I know), and referenced a more controversial verse about childbirth or womens' rights or something.  But I don't think he would do that, because he seems like a GC.  On the other hand, NASCAR should absolutely let someone sell advertising on their windshield, Ricky Bobby style, because that would create a lot more crashes, which is the only reason most people watch that crap.
• More Tebow news: Everyone knows he is a virgin, and waiting for marriage, having publically announced it last July.  But he has been linked to model Lucy Pinder in the past, apparently dated Erin Drewes, and his current girlfriend is American Idol semi-finalist Janell Wheeler.  The guy is the Derek Jeter of virgin college football megastars.  He obviously has a lot more resolve than me.

• Back to grinding of gears: Lakers offensive rebounds/lack of Celtics grabbing the key defensive boards.  Many times during yesterday's game they forced Kobe or Odom into a semi-difficult shot, only for Pau Gasol to go in there with a face like the above ones and grab the ball with perfect timing to roll it back in.  Nothing is more frustrating when behind on the road in the NBA finals (having never been behind on the road in the NBA finals, this is all speculation).  He finished with EIGHT offensive boards.

• Jarryd Hayne, Billy Slater, and any other fullback that acts like a brat on the field (looking at you, Darius Boyd).  Since Hayne decided to let his temper get the best of him, and Slater decided to retaliate later on, both could now be in peril for Origin 2.  Why didn't they just save this anger for the Origin game?  It wouldn't even be a penalty in that game.  But now we could see Gidley stay at fullback, which will surely mean a sixth straight series loss for NSW.
• The fact that Rick Reilly is just mailing in his writing obligation to ESPN every few days, and is sitting back on the strength of his eleven 'Sportswriter of the Year' awards.  From a guy that apparently  produced great pieces like this or this regularly, we are entitled to expect a little more.
• Did I mention Jerome Ropati?
• Something that doesn't grind my gears - Danny Ferry stepping down as Cavs GM.  That guy obviously has the franchise at heart.  With Mike Brown gone, phase 2 is now complete.  Welcome back, Lebron, check out all your new toys, is the message they are giving.  Here's hoping it works.