Former world number one Maria Sharapova won her second Pan Pacific Open title after Jelena Jankovic retired with a wrist injury in Saturday's final.

It was Sharapova's first title since shoulder surgery last October and the 20th of her career. Her last tournament win came at Amelia Island in April 2008.

"It's funny to win trophies again after thinking I might never be able to hit a tennis ball again. But I'm back and I'm hungry. I can be better than before and win more grand slams" said Sharapova, who will now be ranked back in the top 20.

It has been a bad year for sports in the Washington area. It's still September and it looks like the football season is already over for the Washington Redskins, which are 1-2 and have looked bad while losing. Don't see them making the playoffs this season.

The Maryland Terapins football team is 1-3, and they have also looked bad while losing. Neither fotball team looks promising at all, and it looks like I'm in for a long season of losing by both football teams.

The Washington Nationals baseball team has lost over 100 games for the second straight season and will again finish with the worst record in baseball. Getting the top draft choice this year, Steven Strasburg, and again next year(Bryce Harper?) doesn't seem to help much now. But, unlike the football teams, the Nats seem closer to putting a very good team on the field next year. They need to add a couple more good players in the off season. We will have to wait and see.

The good news is that Hockey and Basketball are about to start and things look much better with these Washington teams. The Capitals should be good playoff team again this year and could go all the way to the Stanley Cup finals.

The Washington Wizzards should definitely be much better than last year when they were just plain bad. They have a new good coach(Al Saunders) and they should be healthy this sesason, especially Gilbert Arenas. They made a couple of good trades and I am expecting the Wizzards to make the playoffs this season. That would take a huge jump in wins, but it does seem very possible.

The Maryland Terps basketball team could be a real surprise this season and land in the Top 20 nationally. They have the veteran players, but college basketball is hard to predict and it is hard to win those ACC games on the road.

The soccer team, DC United just has not looked very good and even if they make the playoffs I don't expect them to do much. The team just has not been as good as they were winning championships earlier in the decade. �@

From: The New York Times

One of the theories espoused by Dan Brown's new book is that when many people share the same thought, that thought can have physical effects. Let�fs test it on Tuesday. Watch what happens to bloggers, booksellers, nitpickers, code crackers, conspiracy theorists, fans and overheated search engines when "The Lost Symbol," Mr. Brown�fs overdue follow-up to "Angels & Demons" (2000) and "The Da Vinci Code" (2003), finally sees the light of day.

Dr. Solomon accompanies Robert Langdon, the rare symbologist who warrants the word dashing as both adjective and verb, through much of this novel, his third rip-snorting adventure. As Browniacs have long predicted, the chase involves the secrets of Freemasonry and is set in Washington, where some of those secrets are built into the architecture and are thus hidden in plain sight. Browniacs also guessed right in supposing that "The Lost Symbol" at one point was called "The Solomon Key." That�fs a much better title than the generic one it got.

Maria Sharapova at the 2009 U.S. Tennis Open

From: MLB.com

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals agreed to terms with right-hander Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, less than two minutes before Monday's midnight ET deadline. The deal was for $15.7 million.

Strasburg, 20, went 13-1 with a 1.32 ERA in 15 starts this season at San Diego State University en route to being named the Golden Spikes Award winner. He struck out 195 batters and issued just 19 walks in 109 innings.

Acting general manager Mike Rizzo called it an emotional -- and, in the end, an exciting -- day for the organization, which feels strongly that signing Strasburg is an important step toward making the Nationals a contender in the NL East.

"The reason he signed is because he wants to pitch in the big leagues, and he wants to be a Washington National," Rizzo said. "He wants to win a Cy Young Award and championships in D.C.

"We are proud to have him in the organization. We are happy to add him to a growing list of young starting pitchers. It's a big day for the Washington Nationals. It's a big day for the fans of Washington, D.C."

Two Virginia schools make Forbes Magazine's 2009 list of top 50 Best Colleges in America. Washington and Lee University in Lexington ranks 34th and William and Mary at number 48.

The list is also broken into groups. Six Virginia schools make the top 50 list of Best Public Colleges: 4. William and Mary 6. University of Virginia(UVA) 10. VMI 13. University of Mary Washington 37. James Madison University(JMU) 47. Virginia Tech.

To read the complete report, go to www.forbes.com.

From: The Washington Post

The classic crab cake is a simple dish: fresh meat, a little seasoning and just enough eggs, mayo and/or bread to hold it together. Yet just one in three restaurants made the cut for our list of Washington's best crab cakes, equal to the number that left us feeling, well, crabby.

BlackSalt Restaurant and Fish Market
Two 4.5-ounce jumbo-lump crab cakes, $28 to $32; available as a dinner entree if the crab cakes are in stock at the market

Sauteed just long enough to create a crisp top and bottom, then finished briefly in the oven, these crab cakes were about the handsomest of our taste test. Bits of jalapeño pepper should have been a deal-breaker ingredient, but they work, as do the aioli and onion. The fish market at the front of the house earns points for being one of the few establishments currently using Maryland crab. The crab cake sold at lunch comes on a rich brioche bun with lemon-caper aioli and a smart house slaw ($16).

4883 MacArthur Blvd. NW, 202-342-9101; http://www.blacksaltrestaurant.com.

DC Coast
Two 2.5-ounce jumbo-lump crab cakes, $28

Minimalism is the watchword of this crab cake. The recipe calls for Gulf of Mexico crab with just a pinch of bread crumbs, a little mayonnaise, mustard, egg, lemon and chives, and a dash of Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper for a tickle of heat. The crab is all jumbo lump, but the cakes hold together thanks to a nice, crisp exterior. These are pricey for the size, but other touches on the plate -- a tangy piquillo pepper sauce, saffron vinaigrette and arugula -- elevate the cakes to the level you'd expect at this genteel power-lunch spot.

1401 K St. NW, 202-216-5988, http://www.dccoast.com.

Jerry's Seafood
Jumbo-lump baby "bomb," $26 for six ounces, $34 for 10 ounces

"Home of the Crab Bomb" is the motto of this no-frills family restaurant with three Maryland locations, and for good reason. The snow-white meat from Venezuela is picked on premises. The marble-size chunks are then tossed with a touch of mayonnaise and Old Bay, not a bread crumb in sight. The result is a seemingly impossible but awe-inspiring combination of delicacy and all-American satisfaction.

Multiple locations, http://www.jerrysseafood.com.

Johnny's Half Shell
Two 3-ounce jumbo-lump crab cakes, $32.50

Of all the offerings on the menu, a great crab cake is one of the hardest to get right, says chef Ann Cashion. She has pulled it off in the beautifully formed cakes served at her sprawling Capitol Hill grill. Each patty pulls apart to reveal hefty lumps of sweet American crab, seasoned with just enough Old Bay, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Our only complaint: They're just not big enough.

400 North Capitol St. NW, No. 175, 202-737-0400, http://www.johnnyshalfshell.net.

Kinkead's and Hell Point Seafood
One 4-ounce jumbo-lump crab cake, $16, appetizer; two for $32

Bob Kinkead knows how to make a crab cake: Never deep-fried, the meat is mixed with mayonnaise and seasoned with celery, tarragon, lemon and just a pinch of bread crumbs to hold it together. Both the formal Washington restaurant and the dockside Annapolis space -- ask for a seat on the patio -- follow the blue crab season from the Gulf up the East Coast for the sweetest meat, shown off by a rich mustard creme fraiche sauce and fresh corn relish.

Kinkead's, 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 202-296-7700, http://www.kinkead.com; Hell Point Seafood, 12 Dock St., Annapolis, 410-990-9888.

PassionFish
Two 4-ounce jumbo-lump crab cakes, market price (our visit: $26)

Chef Chris Clime keeps his crab cakes simple: jumbo-lump meat plus a touch of Old Bay, Tabasco and chives for seasoning. Then he lets his customers dress them up. Add two sides such as french fries, mashed potatoes or asparagus, and dip the flaky, snow-white meat in one of four sauces including Thai curry or beurre blanc, though we're partial to the butter pickle tartar that comes standard on the lunchtime sandwich.

11960 Democracy Dr., Reston, 703-230-3474, http://www.passionfishreston.com.

Read more here.... <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072801044.html?sub=AR>

Ritz Camera Centers last week won bankruptcy court approval to sell almost all of its assets to a group led by the chief executive, David Ritz, for $24 million, Bloomberg News reported.

The approval was granted over creditors’ objections. The buyer, RCI Acquisitions, has agreed to keep at least 163 of the 375 stores open.

Ritz was the largest United States camera-store chain when it entered bankruptcy.

The Red Sox - Never made it to Fenway Park, but still enjoyed the two World Series wins

Back Bay - Brownstone houses, great gift shops, book stores(Trident) and rstaurants

Newberry Street - All the beautiful people live and meet here

Boston University - The Fine Art shows 

North End - Everything Italian and of course great food

Charles River - Walk along it, float on it, or just watch it roll by

O'Kellys Seafood - Quick, good and inexpensive

Newberry Comics - Best collection of new and used CDs

463 Beacon Street Guest House - Quaint and nice

Faneuil Hall Market - Great place to shop for all things fresh

Charestown- Narrow streets and no parking but quaint

Pizzerina Regina - Best pizza in Boston

Mike's Pastry - Worth the wait in the long lines on Sunday

Revere Beach - Not the best beach but minutes from Boston

The Coop - Best book store at Harvard Square

Squantum - Coolest place south of Boston and I could live there

Rockport - Resort town on the Atlantic an hour north of Boston