The middle of the summer is usually a slow point in the world of sports. Football is two months out, the NBA and NHL off season is past the point of the blockbuster deals and baseball is plodding along towards the All-Star game. Usually there is little for the mainstream media to talk about during these dog days of summer. It is in this environment that the UFC will hold their centennial event.

For an event that is being billed as the greatest fight card ever, and the biggest MMA story of 2009, Zuffa couldn't of picked a better week to attempt to capture the main stream's attention. However the picture may not be so rosy.

Here are six stories that may derail whatever chance UFC 100 had to get significant main stream play. 

Steve McNair - The tragic, and still unclear, death of former NFL quarterback, Steve McNair, will be the story for the foreseeable future. I am sure many of you are familiar with the basic details surrounding his untimely death but for those that don't like nor follow American football here is a brief summary of the story. Steve McNair was found dead with his twenty year old girlfriend (McNair is married). The former Titans quarterback was shot four times, twice in the chest and twice in the head while the girlfriend was only shot once in the head and a gun was found near her body. The early facts have lead many to assume that this is a murder-suicide --McNair's death has been ruled a homicide while the girl's death remains unclassified-- but even that conclusion doesn't make much sense as the couple was supposedly happy. Ultimately we will have to wait for more details but that doesn't mean the main stream media will be patient. There will be endless speculation and eulogies and each new revelation will be given the highest priority. Steve McNair's death may become the sports humanitarian story of 2009.

Manny Ramirez - If the "Manny being Manny" phrase was beaten to death before he was suspended for steroids prepare yourself for a whole new circus. This week Manny Ramirez returns from suspension. Baseball writers will curse him, others will demand production on the field as penance, while still others will bemoan the steroid era that the writers themselves were complicit in (and that is a very favorable way to look at it). For the main stream media this week will be filled with every possible interpretation on the steroids era and "Manny being Manny." As MMA fans let's hope they won't get too carried away...who am I kidding, that's never going to happen. 

Tennis - With Wimbledon ending on Sunday there are multiple story-lines that will eat up the mainstream media's attention for several days. The first will be the question of whether Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player of all time? Federer secured his 15th Grand Slam to surpass Pete Sampras on Sunday so many will conclude that he is in fact the greatest. Naysayers will look upon Rafael Nadal's recent domination of Federer as proof positive that the Swiss product can't possibly be the greatest of all time. Whatever way you interpret Roger's career his achievement will eat up hours during the sports cycle. The next story line will undoubtedly be the Williams sisters. Serena defeated her sister Venus yesterday and between the two of them they have won eighteen Grand Slams since 1999. That doesn't include doubles victories. Truly there may never be siblings who are as dominant as the Williams sisters. Finally there is poor Andy Roddick. Roddick ran into his old nemesis Roger Federer  and despite Roddick's improved skill set he still couldn't pull out the victory. 

MLB All-Star Game - The game is set for the 14th and the rosters have been announced but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty to talk about. Who will be the mid-season buyers and sellers? Who is out of their respective divisional races? Who got screwed in the All-Star voting? Oh yeah, don't work my pitcher with a 1.51 ERA too much, after all its the All-Star game. 

Free Agency - The NBA and NHL free agency period began several weeks ago and the major moves should be winding down. However there is always the possibility of a monkey wrench being thrown into the machinery. Currnetly there are no big trade rumors out there but an unforseen move could easily grab the main stream's attention for 15 minutes. 

Brett Farve - This is the wild card story of the week. ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio thinks that an announcement is coming one way or the other by July 13th, a deadline that is two days after UFC 100. Whatever way the waffling Farve goes it will be sure to grab a lot of attention so MMA fans pray that Farve waits till after the 11th, I probably just jinxed it.

WKR originally wrote that the MLB All-Star game was set for the 13th it is in fact set for the 14th. This was confused with the home run derby.