Around The Horn

Capitals' Donald Brashear was suspended for a total of six games by the NHL for two separate incidents Brashear got one game for contact during the pre-game warm up with Colton Orr and five games for his late predatory hit to the head on Blair Betts in the first period.
Where is Marty McSorley when you need him? I thought this when it happened and this just emphasizes it, Marty could have done the game of hockey a favor had he managed to take Brashear out of the league. He can’t keep up and doesn’t have a place in the league anymore.

In another sad story, former NBA star Jayson Williams was taken down with a stun gun by police at his residence Monday after the reportedly suicidal athlete resisted attempts by officers to take him to a hospital. He was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter, after a 2002 shooting of his driver and allegedly trying to cover it up but the jury deadlocked on a reckless-manslaughter count. A retrial is pending, and he has been free on bail since the shooting.
This athlete had a $68M contract with the NBA’s Nets. It is crazy to think that someone with that wealth would still conduct themselves is such a matter. Clearly he must be more then a little unbalanced and that is just something that fame and money just can’t buy your way out of.

Former Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ladislav Scurko faces 15 to 20 years in prison after admitting to police that he murdered a referee and buried him in the woods near Kosice, Slovakia in January 2008.What is with all these messed up stories, full moon or something???
How bad is a tripping call that you would kill a man over it? Apparently there are rumours of gambling that may have played a role in this. It will be interesting to see what more comes our about this.

Tigers placed backup catcher Matt Treanor on the 15-day disabled list for an injured hip.
Why would this end up on this list? It came to my inbox via an SI alert about AVP star and Olympic Gold Medalist Misty May, his wife. He must know how Mr. Mia Hamm - Ramon (Nomar) Garciapara feels on a daily basis. I just find it funny.

2 months of speculation is over and thankfully so is the NFL Draft. Matt Stafford was selected by the 0-16 Detroit Lions. He got a lot of money and even more pressure and expectations not only for himself to be great but to turn around a team that is barely treading water after years of poor upper management.
Maybe now sports talk radio can focus on something other then the useless information about 4.4 40 yard dashes and bench press reps and Wonderlic Test scores... ok maybe the Wonderlic is important, it did expose Vince Young as a big risk with questionable mental makeup to be an NFL QB.

USC Got another QB drafted in the first round in Mark Sanchez.
Funny that the are a pretty boys (Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Sanchez..and lets throw in Matt Cassel even if he never really played at USC). What is Pete Carroll doing down there during recruiting? Building football teams or having castings for High School Musical?

Around the Horn

Firstly, Congratulations to Phil Dalhauser and Todd Rogers on their 3 Set Gold Medal win last night 23-21, 17-21, 15-4. in the men’s beach final. It was a great match and I was glad I was able to stay up for the duration. The 3rd set was taken over by the best player in the world, Dalhauser who made the Great Wall of China pale in comparison to his giant wing span . He was blocking everything in sight as the US team dominated the Brazilians to claim gold. It was hot, humid and sunny for the match, a far cry from what Kerri Walsh and Misty May had to play through the day before.
Now the Beach is closed in Beijing.

Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian threw his bronze medal to the mat, and walked off the podium.
What a child, everyone knows that a bronze is the second best medal. If it was a silver I would understand.
Gold= Win
Bronze= At least you get something
Silver= FIRST LOSER.
Maybe he just had to put his medal down because his soup was ready (Huh Mr. Sundin??)

So they are canceling Woman's Softball from the Olympics because the US is too good?
Interesting, if that were true would Japan not just upset them, Explain to me that logic.

U.S. 400m relay teams drop their batons and will miss the finals
Someone must have said " is that a syringe coming behind you?" and they panicked and it dropped (allegedly)

Water Polo is impressive in the fact that they never touch the bottom of the pool during a match.
What is even more impressive is that it is the closest thing to a death sport in the Olympics... it would probably be the closest thing to MMA at the games. Water Cube or cage...Think I’ll take the cage...what happens under the water stays under the water

I just saw BMX as a sport being demonstrated in the Olympics
The is the Olympics not the X games, get out of Beijing and go back to Cleveland.

Jose Calderon has a ‘strained adductor’ not good news for the Raptors and their point guard
We here in Ottawa know all too well that a strained adductor can prove to be more troublesome then the actual injury itself...Dominic Hasek, I am looking in your direction.

IOC president Jacques Rogge made some comments regarding Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt for showing a lack of respect to other competitors
This guy is head of the IOC - not the most credible organization in the world, clean up your judging (actual event judging and not your judgemental high and mighty judging first) Just remember about people living in glass houses.

Around The Horn

Having the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) being televised over the past few weeks with teh AVP on NBC in anticipation of the Olympics has been a real treat for me. I may be one of the few that truely enjoy beach volleyball for the volleyball. I will watch both the men’s and woman’s matches both with near equal interest.
That being said here is some truths: 1) HD was made for woman’s beach volleyball 2) I think I am in love with Misty May and Kerri Walsh 3) With the fans in the stands being as hot or hotter then those on the court, how does it not get more time on tv and pull in huge ratings?

Roger Federer was ousted in the first round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto in his first match after his epic match with Rafael Nadal.
Well that eliminates the potential for me going to Torono to watch Tennis and makes for a disappointing end to those who have tickets. Just like the Leafs, Toronto has disappointed their fans...again.

Iraq has been barred from the Beijing games.
Apparently politics does play a role in the Olympics, I am shocked. It begs the question how did Beijing get the games in the first place.

Michelle Wie is to play yet another men’s event at the PGA Tour’s Legends Reno-Tahoe Open.
Not only has she never made a men's cut but she doesn’t even know the rules on the LPGA. "Wie" are tired of this song.

Mats Sundin is to make his decision on August 1 on if and where he will play next season.
I guess Campbell Chunky Soup is perishable and it expires within the next week ( Mats, your soup is ready!!)

Steve Bartman, That Cubs "fan" who rightly or wrongly has been blamed for ruining the Cubs chances win the World Series has turned down $25,000 to come out of hiding and sign 1 autograph.
Wisely he has declined and has averted what was sure to have been either a set up or a trap, either way there would be no good to come from that. 25 Ger is a lot of coin but you gotta stay down in teh basement if you are that dude.