Jeter - A big hit at Yankee Stadium

Derek Jeter, the current Mr.Yankee went 2-for-3 the other night to break a tie with Lou Gehrig for most hits all-time at Yankee Stadium. The two hits give Jeter 1,271 to Gehrig's 1,269. The hit came in Jeter's 8,002nd major league at-bat, and he passed Gehrig for second on the Yankees' career list behind Mickey Mantle (8,102). This is just another notch in Jeters belt to prove that he is one of the all time Yankee great. Now I hate the Yankees as much as the next guy and I am very happy that it looks like their streak of 13 straight playoff appearances will come to an end. I am a huge Braves fan and I want the Braves 14 straight division titles/playoff appearances not to be matched by the boys from the Bronx. With that being said I do respect what Jeter has done through out his career. He is one of the greatest clutch performers of all time, the ultimate professional, a class act all the way, The Captain. It won’t take too long after he decides to retire before you see his bust in the New Yankee Stadium with his #2 retired along with the other all time Yankee greats, the likes of Mantle, Ruth, Dimaggio et al. Yankee Stadium will close this Sunday after the last home game of the season and it is fitting that the House That Ruth Built is going to become the House that Jeter closed down with every hit and hustle play he has has over his Hall of Fame career.
Congratulations Derek, this record is one that will not be broken.

Rough first week

Ok so after 1 week of NFL picks against the spread we are sitting at a not surprising sub .500 record with a less then stellar 7-8 after the Houston game was postponed due to having only half a roof on their stadium.
It was a great week to watch games with all the calls, missed calls, blown calls, Riverboat gambler calls, and pure offensive onslaughts. Tough act for week 2 to live up to but we shall see.
Lets hope that this weeks picks are better, all I want is to average a .500 record...that's not too much to ask, is it?

Around the Horn

Wth all the postponed, cancelled and relocated games over the weekend due to Hurricane Ike made the sports scene a scheduling nightmare.
What is worse I heard that Ike was so dangerously powerful and destructive that Tina Turner had to postpone her current tour and retreat even more inland!

The San Diego Chargers lost in the last seconds for the second straight week. This time it was partially the result of an admitted blown call by the usually great and respected Ed Hochuli.
Norv Turner and The Chargers can only be so upset as Hochuli is an established lawyer that has huge guns in his Smedium shirt, not one to mess with. If Hochuli was on the San Diego D the Broncos would not have rolled the dice in that ballsy call and gone for 2

As a Michigan fan it was an epic game to watch as USC beat the living crap out of THE Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday
Again Coach Tressel blew the big one on the national stage, hang your head all the way back to Columbus nice drop of some 10 spots in the polls...no stickers on the helmets this week fellas!

Rough week for the Patriots and extended family.First Tom Brady goes down with a torn ACL and torn MCL and Notre Dame coach Charlie Weiss did the same after being taken out by one of his own players with help from a Michigan player
What’s the matter Tom, Charlie stayed in the game until the end couldn’t you? And you call yourself an athlete

Wayne Gretzky will again be part of Team Canada but not as Executive Director. Possibly that opens the door for Steve Yzerman to take that position.
The FOG (Friends of Gretzky) may be lifting from Hockey Canada’s men’s team

Chris Cooley wanted to show the readers of his popular blog some of the study materials the players were given by coach Jim Zorn.
A good idea and good of him to show the behind the scene happenings of the NFL.Next time consider using a picture that doesn’t let your junk show for all to see, may I suggest a towel, jogging pants, a pair of boxers or even a jock...Chris put that thing away, you’ll scare the children

U of T's Varsity Blues broke a 49 game losing streak versus the University of Waterloo at the beginning of the season, the first win since 2001.
This was a huge win for U of T, breaking the longest Canadian University losing streak but more importantly allowed the bare-chested guys from the phys. ed. department to fervently chant "Waterloo smells like poo"

Carlos Zambrano pitched the quietest No Hitter in recent memory after being played in Milwaukee as a home game for Houston due to Hurricane Ike.
Few people seemed to talk about it or praise it as a great feat. Dan Patrick said it right it was like a game of Clue.. Zambrano- in Milwaukee against the Astros-with a 4 seam fastball

MLS in Ottawa? Noooooooooooooo!

Tuesday looks to be a sad day for Ottawa Sports. Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk will officially announce his bid for a Major League Soccer franchise at a press conference. The first time Mr. Melnyk came onto the Ottawa scene he came in on a white horse and saved the Ottawa Senators from bankruptcy. Sure it was probably a decent investment for him but he also got a great deal...buy low right? In any event he was a hero.The Sens have enjoyed much success in his time as the owner, perhaps not the ultimate success in terms of the Stanley Cup but great consistency. Well that good will that he earned has dried up in my mind with this new news. Melnyk, who has revealed plans to build a "world-class" stadium in Ottawa, had previously stated his intention to go after a franchise, which will cost at least $40 million US. Sure this is a very big long shot right now and won’t be an issue for some time and many years now, as there are many cites that are sure to be well ahead of Ottawa (including Canadian Cities Vancouver and Montreal) but just the prospect of a dirty soccer team coming to town pains me. It isn’t the money, the stadium issue or the Soccer team itself (although I have made it very clear that I have little or no use for soccer at any level, at any time), it would be the “fans”. That is all we need is some wannabe wanker posers thinking they are in Liverpool or something trying to emulate what garbage they see on Saturday mornings on Sportsnet. Heads up on hoodlums in the streets, urine bombs from the top level, projectiles thrown about flair's shot from the stands and just all around unruly behavior in the stands.Then of course part 2 of the negatives that would come with an MLS team...the soccer itself. There would be chaos..there would be the oranges shortage that would come due to the halftime snacks, stretchers would become in high demand as they would be used for all the embellished injuries each game and who knows what else. You want to see soccer become a Toronto FC fan and go to Toronto to see a game.

And here are some examples from where no one can dispute...
The Simpsons:

Announcer: This match will decide which nation is the greatest on Earth: Mexico or Portugal!

TV Announcer: You'll see all your favorite soccer stars. Like Ariaga! Ariaga II! Bariaga! Aruglia! And Pizzoza!
Homer: Oh, I never heard of those people.
TV Announcer: And they'll all be signing autographs!
Homer: Woo-hoo!

Mexican Announcer: Halfback passes to center, back to wing, back to center, center holds it! Holds it! Holds It!

Just Say No to the MLS, we are all better off without it.

NFL Picks Week 2

PROGRAMMING NOTE:
Around the Horn will be moved from its regular Friday Time slot to make room for the NFL Picks.
It will be moved to a yet to be determined day so STAY TUNED!

So here is the plan. Friday’s I will post my NFL Football prognostications for each weeks games. I am starting Week 2 so I could see some of the teams in action and try and get a feel.
I will give the final tally on Tuesday as to the success/FAILURE rate. Games will be selected against the spread that has been provided by Proline at the time of the predictions.
Over the course of the season I will keep track of the record and use that to prove why I should NOT play Proline.
I am by no means saying I am an expert, or that I will even hit 50%, heck I don’t even think I would take my own advice (also note that this is going in early on Fridays before some injury reports.....Ok, Ok enough excuses) but maybe I will get lucky and end up with a good record. Who knows. Let the games begin!

Down And Out - The Tom Brady Story

Not much is left to be said about the New England Patriots and of Tom Brady. Most of the angles have been covered by this point. All I can say is that from the moment that I saw his leg bend the wrong way while watching the game I knew it was bad, the fans knew it was bad, the team knew it was bad, but most of all Brady knew it was bad. You could see both the disappointment and the pain on his face.
What New England will do is anyone’s guess, and guess they must....as Coach Belichick usually plays it close to the vest. A few QB's have been contacted and/or signed eg. Matt Gutierrez. They are still a good team and are one of few teams that a next guy in line mentality that may be able to handle the adversity but it will be an uphill battle.

Gone for the season is tough but what is worse is not knowing what kind of player will come back after surgery and rehab. It is a lot to expect the same player to return and it will be interesting to see whet level he can perform at and for how long. Lets not forget it was Brady who took over the team when then starter and thought to be franchise QB Drew Bledsoe went down with injury and except for 1 playoff game never gave the job back. Could history repeat itself? Will Matt Cassel take the ball and run with it? Remember he was behind many a good QB throughout his career (Carson Palmer and Matt Lienart at USC and Brady in New England) and is probably a pretty good QB just waiting for his chance, and in New England...wouldn’t surprise me one bit. I hope that is not the case as I am a fan of what Brady has done but only time will tell.

To some it is debatable about overall greatness and Hall of Fame worthiness, to me there is no doubt. Top 5 All Time and no brainer Hall of Famer. The Super Bowls, the undefeated regular season and the TD passing record and most importantly the Michigan pedigree all add up to one of the all time greats. Here is to hoping for a fast and successful recovery and that there is still a job for him when he returns.

Retrofitting - Toronto Style

The year: 1996

~The Olympics were being held in Atlanta, Georgia. Turner Field was not yet a baseball diamond as it was was just built as the Olympic Stadium and later converted
~Yasser Arafat is re-elected president of the Palestinian Authority.
~The Dallas Cowboys become the first NFL franchise to win 3 Super Bowls in a span of 4 years.
~The British Government announces that Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) has been likely transmitted to people.
~Steffi Graf defeats Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the longest ever women’s final at the French Open to win her 19th Grand Slam title.
~The Colorado Avalanche win their first Stanley Cup in their first season based out of Denver, Colorado, defeating the Florida Panthers.

Ok. enough of the history lesson but this was also when the following 3 men were in control of all the Pro Sports in Toronto.
Cliff Fletcher- GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Cito Gaston- Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays
Don Mathews- Head Coach of the Toronto Argonauts

Flash forward to 2008 who are in these spots right now??
Cliff Fletcher- GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Cito Gaston- Manager of the Toronto Blue Jays
Don Mathews- Head Coach of the Toronto Argonauts

Today Don Mathews was named as the new Head Coach of the Argo’s taking over for the fired Rich Stubler. Either this is a case of Toronto sports teams going nouveau or they are all just lazy and figured "It kinda worked last time, lets catch that lightning in a bottle"
None of the above even get partial credit for creativity that is for sure but in all three cases they actually make sense and may actually work. Lets just wash our hands with the last 12 years and pretend that 2008 is really 1997.
If the Toronto sports scene wasn’t so dysfunctional it probably wouldn’t even be interesting.

Around the Horn

ESPN has a show called Around the Horn
Not only did they steal the name from me but the show is not good and diminishes this Friday feature. If i had legal ground I would sue, and all I would want is that they send me ESPN programing here in Canada without CRTC regulations screwing me over

Great response from tennis player Andy Roddick regarding the injuries or phantom injuries that Novak Djokovic seems to en cure increasingly more often in matches
"I’ve got to feel good because (Djokovic) has got about 16 injuries," Roddick told the crowd, adding fuel to the fire of their ongoing fued when asked about a Djokovic ankle injury....It is just too bad that he lost to Djokovic later on.
"Isn’t it both of them? And a back? and a hip? And a cramp... bird flu... anthrax. SARS, common cough and a cold.

Olympic hammer throw medallists investigated for doping
Is nothing sacred anymore? How can the purity of the hammer throw be tainted?

Rafael Nadal played Mardy Fish at the US Open in a match that began at 11:30 pm and ended at 2;11 am..the third latest finish at the Open
Even the allure of the #1 player couldn’t keep me up for this one. The late sessions are cool but come on, your crushing your own potential ratings.
At least it wasn’t like the match in Australlia that went to near 5am.

It went Supersonic to Thunder in record time. The former Seattle team relocated to Okalhoma City and have now been named Thunder
In a shocking move at the press conference they played AC/DC’s Thunderstruck.
The potential for a good marketing logo was there but alas they came up short. When I played for a team called Thunder we actually had a cool logo and it was far from a professional team.

Tatum Bell lost his job as running back with the Lions, Rudi Johnson gained a job as running back with the Lions, but lost his underwear
Bell apparently took two Gucci bags that Johnson had received as a Pro Bowl gift, included was about $200 in cash along with his ID and the credit cards. He got the bags back empty, and this is the NFL not the CFL..I just hope that they wern’t his "LUCKY DRAWS"

The Montreal Canadiens are looking at playing an outdoor game at Olympic Stadium as part of their 100th anniversary celebrations.
Great cash grab if you can get 39,000+ in at most likely a somewhat inflated price point.
Opening up the roof at the Big O is like opening Pandoras Box, once it is open you may never get it closed again. Get the hardhats out because you know the concrete is going to fall like rain!

Daunte Culpepper has retired, gone after 9 seasons at only 31
A former MVP and one half of one of the best QB/WR tandems ever can’t even hold a clipboard anymore. A shredded knee has taken him off the map and out of the league.

History Made - PVR That Home Run!

Last Thursday Major League Baseball began a new venture into the realm of technology....the use of "limited" replay.
Last night was the first time that replay was actually used to uphold a decision on the field of a home run by, and fittingly so Alex Rodriguez. The "Lightening Rod" hit his 549th homer putting him into 12 place all time passing Mike Schmidt. The ball was a towering shot that was hit above the fair/foul pole. The umpires gathered, left the field to review the video, a process that took 2 minutes, 15 seconds and upheld the call.
As for most sports they have already adopted such a system and have had it in place for some time now. Even the CFL had it first, which is a little embarrassing. nevertheless MLB has it at their disposal but only for disputed home runs and only at the decression of the umpiring crew chief, unlike the NFL there are no challenges.
In fitting MLB fashion they screwed up but implementing this 3/4 of the way through the season with no testing but here were are and lets go from here.
It is an interesting venture and one that is a good idea in theory, but then again Communism works in theory too.
Home Run calls are one thing, however there are other plays that may be just as important that are unreviewable. The one thing about baseball is that 1 small seemingly unimportant play sets off a chain of events that dictates how the situation will become resolved, more so then any other sport, it really is all about the flow of a play until its completion.
This is why C.C. Sabathia’s potential no hitter could not, and should not have been overturned. Yes it was a bad call to call that play a hit and not an error but you can’t reverse it now if you wanted to. Based on that 1 hit being on the board would have not only changed the mindset of the pitcher, his approach to the rest of the game, the increasing drama and stress and how the team played behind him. Just like the home run debate 1 call changed the outcome of that entire game.
Surely in the future it will be tweaked and more will become reviewable, I just hope they know when to say when and draw the line.
In a sport like baseball you can’t take the element of human error out of the game, it is part of the fabric of the sport and one of the reasons the game is great.

Basketball, Canadian Style...Sort Of

Over the weekend I was able to take in the Can Am Shootout at Scotiabank Place which saw a double header of the Ottawa Gee Gees vs. South Alabama Jaguars in the first game followed by The Carleton Ravens versus the defending NCAA National Champion Kansas Jayhawks. The turnout was decent, not packed but as far as basketball in Ottawa goes I’d say pretty impressive (announced a shade over 7,000, although that may be generous). The 2nd match was really why I was there. To see, effectively the top teams from each country, obviously Kansas lost a few players from last year that led the comeback against Memphis in the Tournament and Carleton was upset and its run of CIS championships have been halted but still probably the best program in the country, it was still a good bill.The first game live up to what it was...a warm up, the game had little flow, poor execution and just a parade to the free throw line.Even the announcer sounded 2nd rate, basketball was not his forte. It was like the guy from the epic Fresh Prince Episode and every time he spoke to announce a basket all I heard was “In your face Will Smith, it doesn’t get any better then this” and “In your face Markus Stokes, Bel Air Prep up by 1”. In the second game of the double header it was clear that I wasn’t the only one more geared for that tilt. It was night and day from the first contest. That game was fast, the shooting was good, plays and passes were crisp and executed and the ball movement... well there actually was some. Even just looking at the team Kansas looked better, the players just looked bigger carried themselves larger and had more of tat, lets say “swagger”. I am sure that the Jayhawks didn’t throw their #1 lineup out and it is still very early in the year for college basketball so it is more about learning and in some cases probably just making the team.I don’t put too much stock in that Carleton managed to only lose by 1 but it was still a good showing and they hug with he team they played.It is rare that a defending National Champion would be in Canada playing let alone in Ottawa so this was a must see event for me to see. The cost was great and the entertainment value was great. For that reason is why I would like to take in the World JR. Hockey Tournament. Local and something that won’t come around too often, if ever again especially so conveniently close.

A Year for the "Ages"

After the story of the young baseball player that was not allowed to pitch because he was too good. It re-hashed my questions about age of athletes. As we are still only slightly removed from the Olympics and we are getting to the point where it and gymnastics will fall off the interest table I figured that I should touch on the young Chinese gymnasts again, and then I guess let it go since it looks like optics and proof are 2 very different things.

The IOC asked the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate possible violations as to the ages of members of the Chinese Gymnastics team.
Throughout the Olympics questions had been raised as to the true age of these VERY YOUNG looking girls. Younger gymnasts are considered to have an advantage because they are more flexible, and are likely to have an easier time doing the tough skills the sport requires. They also aren’t as likely to have a history of injuries or fear of failure. The age restriction was introduced to protect the athletes and their bodies from abuse (I know that sounds like the cop-out from the baseball people but i believe that it is really apples and oranges). It comes as little surprise that the Chinese are at the front of this story as they are not knows for the best human rights record, youth labour and being upfront or truthful.

It does seem awfully convenient that the documents that they use to prove the age of these girls are government issued and the when they control everything the documents, you can’t figure are worth the paper they are written on.

I am just glad that the US Team have other achievements and medals to make up for the ones that they are getting screwed out of. Sure the medal haul would be more impressive and potentially make them a few more dollars in endorsements after the games but at least they aren’t coming back empty handed.

There was a hope late during the games or shortly after that there was the possibility that there was info that may prove some impropriety and could “vault” the US team to a Team Gold and give Nastia Lukin the Gold in the uneven bars which she deserved anyway since she never “lost” but tied.

That is like saying in soccer it is 0-0 but you had 3 more shots on net so you win, craziness. Although if any sport would be foolish enough to do something i bet it would be soccer

Around the Horn

Chad Johnson has just taken the cake and we all must bow to him...He has reportedly legally changed his surname to 'Ocho Cinco'
This may not be "He Hate Me" but it is close. Even Manny being Manny thinks this is over the top.
From Sportsnet.ca (There was a basketball player in the 80’s - World B. Free was an NBA player in the 1970s and 80s who changed his name from Lloyd Bernard Free in 1980. It’s long been considered the benchmark for novelty names.)...until now.

Kicker Jay Feely was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs, the after signing a one-year deal.
Almost as bad as the time that Rob Ducey was essentially traded for himself...not a proud moment for either guy.

When the news came out about Russia and Georgia how many people thought that it was the first out of conference game for the Bulldogs vs the New Red Army?

Michael Phelps had better sign up fast and get in the World Series of Poker if he hopes to keep his streak of SI covers intact. I don’t think that appearances on the VMA’s and SNL are enough to do it.

Michael Strahan decided to stay retired.
$8M to play and get hit and banged up every week or $2M to sit at Fox in a fancy chair, even with his divorce settlement I think he made a smart choice.

Shawne Merriman has decided to play this year with a tear in both his posterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament.
Is this a case of being: A Warrior? A Great Teammate? Loyal? OR Stupid, Selfish, or just plain not bright? Shut it down and get the surgery.

The LPGA is adopting a policy that players must be able to speak conversational English- at first glance this is just wrong and unjust.
On second glance it comes down to $$$......no English = no schmoozing of sponsors = no sponsors = no tournament= NO TOUR

Which event was more choreographed The Opening and Closing Ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympics or Barak Obama’s acceptance speech at Mile High Stadium in Denver last night?

In a report by La Presse Friday, the Montreal Canadiens plan to retire jersey No. 33 of goaltender Patrick Roy in November.
I just hope that his acceptance speech in front of the crowd goes better then the last speech that he had as a Canadien which was one-on-one with then president of the team Ronald Corey during a game which ended with him in Colorado (...stupid Mario Trembley).

Foul or Fair?

The Youth Baseball League of New Haven, Conn., has banned a 9-year-old from pitching, banned him because he throws too hard and too accurately.
Isn’t that the idea, throw hard and accurately? How do kids learn from this? How do the others get better?
The parents claim to be protecting their kids from being hurt. Fact is young Jericho Scott hasn’t hit anybody. Sounds like they are more concerned about protecting the kids from striking out not a ball between the numbers.
I used to play against a kid who had a beard and he was 13, I am not talking scruff I am talking a full out beard and he had a fireball for an arm, only difference was he wasn’t as accurate and I don’t recall anyone whining then.
And it goes both ways too. It is like when they put a kid on a pitch count in Little League games, I used to play ball 1on1 with a tennis ball half a day every day in the summer playing as my favorite team, switch hitting with the current lineups and then organized ball at least twice a week during the week, and occasionally just going out for a game of catch or pop 500...I don’t recall any pitch counts then.
Over protective parents are just hurting these young talented kids who are just looking to have fun and learn to play and get better.
No wonder why MLB pitchers gt hurt so often, they have been babied since the age of 9.

The Flame Has Been Extinguished

The Olympics are over and surprisingly I am a little upset with that. I liked having the option of turning on the TV at any hour, any day and getting to see a sporting event that was not only some what interesting but occasionally compelling. I don’t know why it was compelling, there is no reason for it, I wouldn’t choose to watch fencing or water polo at any other time, but for 2 weeks I did, and enjoyed it as well. I guess I just gave into the Olympic spirit for 2 weeks and just enjoyed.
I am resigned to the fact that yes I am sure either within weeks, months or even years that there will be some sort of drug controversy or form of performance enhancing scandal and that yes the Chinese gymnasts were in fact not 16 nor even 14 and maybe not even double digits at all but that is OK.
There were a record number of world records broken, I believe in the neighborhood of 43. The pool was “juiced” the track was “juiced” the air didn’t seem to be as much of a factor as first thought.
There was a little bit of everything and there was a little bit for everybody, Triumph of a favorite winning the gold as everyone predicted like with USA’s Beach Volleyball and Basketball, the heartbreak of the favorite placing 8th like with Adam Van Koeverden. The tears of joy from a long shot getting on the podium like with former Russian-now German Oksana Chusovitina at age 33 (twice the age of some competitors and possibly 3 times the age of some of the Chinese gymnasts) who moved to Germany so her son could receive the health care he required. There was also the horrible sportsmanship of the athlete who took off his bronze and threw it to the mat claiming he was not there for 3rd place, or the Cuban who pushed a referee and snap-kicked a judge in the head after he was disqualified from a match-now under a lifetime ban.
After the terrible attack and early and murder of US Men’s Volleyball coach’s in-law the games went on without a hitch or reported incidents.
It is too bad that few will care about diving, table tennis speed walking and badminton for another 4 years but when it is London’s turn in 2012 lets hope for more of what we just got. The bar has been set high, but the athletes are probably high too so i guess it is fitting.
All I know is I enjoyed it and hopefully everyone else did as well.

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.

Dream In Gold

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh managed to do a couple of the more difficult things in sports last night. Misty and "6 Feet of Sunshine" didn’t need any sunshine as they played in a driving rainstorm that perhaps helped the Chinese even the playing field a bit. Not only did they go into Beijing as the favourites (not ranked #1 which makes no sense but whatever) to win gold in Beach Volleyball but that is what they actually did! Not always easy to live up to lofty expectations. They not only accomplished that but they did it without loosing a single set and have pushed thier record to 108 matches since their last loss and 14th straight at the Olympics. That is over a year of competition both domestic on the AVP Tour and Internationally and covers this and the Athens Olympics. They also are the first team to ever win back to back gold at the Olympics.

With the 21-18, 21-18 win the duo have cemented them selves as the greatest female team ever on the beach and have made a strong case as the greatest team ever - male or female. For Walsh, the win marks her 100th career victory, becoming the youngest and fastest to ever reach the 100 wins. Misty has 103 wins. They are the only 2 women in an elite group that includes beach volleyball legends Karch Kiraly, Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos and Kent Steffes.

The only troublesome thing now is that both May and Walsh are looking to start families very soon and will most likely take 2009 off to have babies. Hopefully this isn’t the end of this dominating pair and they have at least 1 more Olympics left in them and a few AVP seasons left.
As Misty joked following the match maybe they can both start the next great team...no pressure for any yet to be created babies. But wouldn’t that be something?!

Like Misty says; individually they are good, together they are GOLDEN!

I am a huge volleyball fan and love to watch the game even if TSN and Sportsnet think that fat guys playing poker, dog shows and spelling bees are more compelling and offer higher ratings. If that is true then that is just wrong.
You know that I will be rooting for "The Thin Beast" Phil Dalhauser and "The Professor" Todd Rogers to grab the men’s gold tonight but it is not as sure a thing as May Walsh I am afraid, should prove to be a good match.

Positively Beaming

The US Golden girl is finally golden. Shawn Johnson has won gold on the beam. Not the gold that she may have wanted but a gold none the less. For a while it looked like the projected superstar for the US Gymnastics Team may have had to settle for only silver as she continued to fall just short of gold in every event. I started to really feel for this young girl who was so highly touted to be draped in gold by this point of the games. She fell short in the Team All Around. She was beaten out by teammate Nastia Lukin in the All Around and grabbed yet another silver in the Floor Exercise. I was rooting hard for this athlete who came in with so much pressure on her (legitimately)16 year old shoulders. After each blow that she took she always had those big eyes and that huge smile and a hug for a teammate or fellow competitor. Sure 2nd is a huge accomplishment but gold is gold. She is now one of the most decorated Olympians in US Gymnastics and the gold just helps solidify that. To be able to stay as focused, through all the disappointment and to come through in her last event was what the Olympic games are supposed to be about. Determination, perseverance and excellence. Way to Go Shawn!

LPGA CN Canadian Open

On Thursday I had the opportunity to go to the first round of the CN Canadian Open held at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club an event that was both historic and of great interest to me. It was the 100th anniversary of the course, possibly one of or more likely the last professional tournament that Hall of Fame golfer and probably the greatest women’s golfer of all time Annika Sorenstam, plus just the opportunity to be there in person and see a live golf event firsthand. Though no longer a major many still feel that it is and the is why they managed to get some 48 of the top 50 players on tour into the field.

The event itself was first class all the way, well organized, good course and very accessible, great field and the fact that they managed to raise over $1 million for CHEO was just a great feat.

From a more selfish or perhaps a more personal angle, getting to go that round was awesome. One thing that find very difficult is to get people to go to important events such as this with me which has forced me to miss some things in the past that I would have liked to do and/or taken in but I guess that is out of my control. This time I supposed the stars aligned and I was able to take advantage and I am so glad that I did.
I got to see and follow some great golf from great players and see them all up close and personal.

That is where things hit the pinnacle for me on a personal level. As someone who enjoys acquiring autographs this was the perfect event. From what I hear and what I now know the two best professionals that make themselves the most accessible are NASCAR Drivers and LPGA Players. Big or small those ladies were terrific. I noticed it early with a ton of people walking around with signed hats that had been gotten during the Pro-Am and practice rounds. To make a long story short I managed to get a few ladies autographs some well known and some lower tier but at that point it didn’t matter it was still cool.
The ladies went out of their way to sign as much as they could and when you think of the demand on them it make is all the more impressive with how well they handle it and how good they are.

The two that I would have liked to get but was unable to was World #1 Lorena Ochoa whom I missed just because of bad timing and Michelle Wie who just passed me by but I was unprepared and didn’t get the book and Sharpie out in time…Rookie Mistake.
I was side by side Canadian favourite Lori Kane, Bombshell Natalie Gulbis, and walked with the rising star Paula Creamer. The highlight though for me was the main reason I wanted to go in the first place and that was to see Annika, whom I have loved since I was in high school, before she was the Hall of Fame golfer she is now. I watched her hit puts for maybe 20 minutes after her round. I not only did I manage to get her autograph on the cover of the program but was able to walk with her for a bit.
The beauty of this was there was no velvet rope or fence between us, no imposing police man or bodyguard, just her caddy and maybe 3 other people. She was nice made some small talk and was gracious the full time to all that were there.

So with that, thanks to the Ladies for making my week, month and probably more, and showing how great of people and golfers they truly are!

Around the Horn

Congratulations to Michael Phelps on his 7th gold (with plenty of room to spare, 1/100th of a second) of the 2008 Olympics. It was an unbelieveable race and a thrill to watch. All I can say is WOW!!

Around the Horn will not be seen this week and has put on hiatus for re-tooling.
Actually I just don't have the drive to write it this week and plan for it to be back in all its glory next week!

Stay tuned!

Ontario Summer Games

As the 2008 Ontario Summer Games have descended upon the city taking control of the various fields, arenas, pool, rink or gymnasium. I canʼt help but remember when I was a participant in the games. I attended the games in 1996 and represented Fastball when the games were held in London. That was the closest that this former athlete has come to the actual Olympics. Just like this year it was also an Olympic year with the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. As I recall we were set up at the University of Western in the dorms. The ball teams took over the wing for the duration of the tournament and it was just like a set up at the Olympic Village (I would imagine). Just like the Olympics we were marched into the stadium in our warm up gear and team swag, did a lap around the track and the football field waiving to all the fans and families in the stands. ID badges to wear around our necks with our names and sport. Kind of makes you feel like a a big shot.We had our vouchers for food and coupons for various tourist type things, we were taken care of pretty well.
We went out early mornings, and started our games, the cool dewy mornings gradually dissipated and the hot summer sun came out as we played... just the way the Olympics were meant to be, for the joy of the game and the thrill of great competition and competitiveness. Although we did not return with a medal that year it was still a great experience both for great ball, team building but also personal accomplishment. I am sure Ottawa will do it up great and I hope the kids have as much fun as I did.

Gold Rush

Michael Phelps, perhaps you have heard of him, swam into history as the winningest Olympic athlete ever with his 11th career gold medal - and fourth world record of the Beijing Games. Phelps is now looking to go for a record number of gold in a single Olympics at the Beijing Olympics. The magic number is 8 to break and 7 to tie Mark Spitz. He is sitting on 5 right now and is just over halfway there. How many will he end with? Is he the greatest of all time? What happens if he doesn’t break the record? What if he comes second in an event and only gets a silver is it a failed Olympics, is that a failure? These are some of the many questions that will be answered in due time. The sad thing is that he can’t surpass expectations only equal them. It is not his fault that the bar has been set so high but the is little that can be done about that now. In the worst explanation out there...”it is what it is”. Maybe if the media wanted to assure them selves of having a story like this is to stack the deck in its advantage. You already know that there is a pretty good chance that he will be close to that magic 8 in the pool between his own and his relay team events, why not go that extra step? Make him an extra on the Men’s basketball team as a 12th man, throw him on the volleyball, baseball, field hockey, water polo or any other heavily favoured team event. Then he can sit on the bench and or enter the event for a few seconds and then leave get credit an share in the medal, that would all but guarantee a record and take away all sorts of pressure.

Regardless of what happens from here on out I have seen 4 world records broken, one by close to 5 seconds and Phelps has now eclipsed the record number of gold overall as well. I hope that he does break the record. As I have stated may times before, I am a fan of seeing history being made that is what I would love for this to be one such event.

'Heese' So Close

Mark Heese is one half of the 1996 Bronze Medal winning Beach Volleyball team for Canada in Atlanta. He teamed with John Childs and the two were long time partners. Heese now plays with Ahren Cadieux and the two had hopes of playing in Beijing in this years Olympics, that will not be happening. How about this for a kicker to a former Olympian and medalist the top 24 teams in the world go...they are ranked 25th. They had the potential to get the invite if another team were forced to withdraw but at this late date it looks unlikely and they will be forced to set their sights a little lower to the Canadian National Championships in Toronto. For Heese he will be going for his 11 such title but that surely pales in comparison to going to Beijing and at 39 this will be his last shot. As a huge volleyball fan and a proud Canadian I do feel for them and it would have been great to see them compete on the largest stage (as volleyball seldom gets any press let alone face time on TV outside of Olympic years).

Around The Horn

Brett Favre has finally moved and maybe now we can all move on to talking about football...the actual game!
You can call him Broadway Brett! I guess green really is his favorite colour for more reasons then one.

In a related note, Chad Pennington the Jets starting QB the last few seasons has gone Dan Crowley (Ottawa Renegades former starting QB) and was released by the team. Not even demoted...released

First it was Paul now it is Morgan. The two USA Gymnast brothers have been forced to sit out the Olympics with injury
I will take the Won Ton Soup and the #29 Special....Hold the Hamm

The European’s record at the PGA Championship is not great, none of the US players are playing particularly well.
Should make for an interesting final Major, Tiger must just be itching to be in this field for an almost guaranteed victory, probably still would be the favorite right now even on one pin.

Are any of the athletes this year actually going to be clean?
Vegas will have its work cut out for themselves setting the over/under for athletes getting pinched by drug tests

The Manny Ramirez trade is being investigated by MLB
After the way the ARod (or the Lightning Rod, as i know him) contract was handled by Scott Boras last year during the World Series there would be an outside chance that ther may have been something greasy going on there

J.P. Riccardi the Jays GM stated that Cito Gaston will be back in 2009
Does that open the door for Beaston and Gillick to come in too?Apparently what was old is new again in TO....Was that just an Allan Bester sighting??

After this regime some more "new/old" faces may be a good thing

As stated on The Colbert Report last night Michael Phelps will be one to watch this year in the pool as he goes for a record amount of Gold. It is a wonder that he has the kind of time required to train while playing Jim on the Office and QB’ing the NY Giants to the Super Bowl

Beard Bares It All

American swimmer and multiple gold medalist Amanda Beard staged the first athlete protest of the Beijing Olympics. She unveiled her nude, anti-fur campaign poster for PETA on Wednesday morning at a function just outside the athletes' village.Apparently the launch was planned for a hotel conference room but officials locked it down, citing security concerns. Beard who has already posed for Playboy in the past is speaking out against cruelty of animals or more accurately the message of not wearing fur, but really it is all just semantics. With the games being held in China the possibility of more athletes speaking out on many social issues is very high. The fact that this was a little more risque will only enhance the weight that this message will have, especially with the star power of Ms. Beard. Although I may not share her or PETA’s ideals, that fact that she is putting herself out there for something she believes in, I can respect that.I am guessing that any other protests that will come in the coming weeks may not get quite the same response, honestly how could it?We all knew that China would have some difficulties with political issues from some athletes and many other protesters, I am just glad that this was peaceful and didn’t turn into an international incident.

We can all admit that she has come a long way from that 14 year old who brought her Teddy Bear to the pool with her in Atlanta in ‘96. (I think it is safe to assume that the Teddy Bears fur was synthetic, I would hate for her to be deemed a hypocrite)

Beijing Olympics are almost here

Sure it may technically be the dog days of summer as they are know traditionally in the sports world, but we may be lucky this year. With the Olympics starting in just a few days we get to bypass the mid-month doldrums from baseball, the gap between what can’t be considered football at all as it refers to NFL Camps, NFL Pre Season and the CFL regular season.Tennis’ US Open is a ways away and as an added bonus with no Tiger in golf right now the Olympics will attack that itch that otherwise would have been difficult to scratch.Perhaps it is the lesser of two evils but I say bring on the tram-bamp-oline and the woman's field hockey, the steeple chase and root for the Ethiopian that is sure to take the 38,000 meters.

So settle in front of the TV, order your #39 Special with Fried Rice, Garlic Spare Ribs, Chicken Balls and the Won Tong Soup...careful of the fortune cookie, one wrong bite and they can cut up your mouth pretty bad...and enjoy.

The Olympics, it’s coming....

CAN YOU FEEL IT?

The loss of a legend

Forgive me if I sound like an old man here for a second but here it is.We all have that voice that we associate with our favorite team or sport. In Canada it would likely include Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth, Danny Gallivan or Dick Irvin. In the US there would be many like Howard Cosell or Ernie Harwell among others depending on your sport of choice. I remember as a youngster watching my beloved Braves play ball on TBS throughout their 14 consecutive division titles and the voices of those that came into my home each telecast. Joe Simpson, Don Sutton, Pete Van Wieren and the man that was the backbone of the broadcasts, Skip Carey. Skip passed away Sunday at the age of 68 after a series of health issues, though he didn’t let that stop him from continuing to do Braves home games on the radio.Skip was the son of legendary broadcaster Harry Carey who was famous for doing Cub games and the father of Chip Carey who also worked on Braves games. Skip had done games for the team since 1976. Skip had a style all his own, many people didn’t care for it as much as he rarely got overly excited but did openly root for the Braves on air in what some would consider a “homer” broadcast style, but that was part of his charm. With TBS the Braves were America’s team because they were one of the first teams shown nationwide on the Superstation and people were more exposed to them then any other team and Skip was the voice. I will remember him not only as the voice of the Braves for my entire time as a Braves fan but also for his announcing of what was going to be on TBS after the game or during a rain delay. I think that I will probably think of Skip every time I see a Matlock or an episode of the Andy Griffith Show.

He was a legend and one of my favorites and he will be missed.

History made in Montreal NASCAR Race

As I have written before I like when I get a chance to watch history being made, especially in the world of sports. That is why I root for Tiger and not try to tear him down, why i was even more proud to be a Braves fan during the time that they were on their 14 consecutive Division Title run, the back to back World Series wins by the Blue Jays, the modern day dynasty that is the Patriots, and watching the great years leading up to and including the championships by Jimmie Johnson. Now I have one more that can be added to the list with the Nationwide NASCAR race, the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal. This was the first time that a race has been run in the rain and with rain tires and wipers. Though it was shortened due to just too much precipitation and extremely low visibility it did reach the required length.

The race was won by Canadian Ron Fellows with Patrick Carpentier coming in second, thus adding to the storey with Canadians finishing 1-2 in the only Canadian race on the schedule. I was wanting to attend the race in person but it was probably more enjoyable to take it in on TV in HD, a little dryer and got to see more.The Monteral race for the record has only been run twice and both times have stood out for what it brought to the world of NASCAR. Last year was the first race in Canada and had a great controversial end and then this year with the rain, wipers and rain tires. In a side note Marcos Ambrose was once again snake bitten by circumstances after dominating the race. He was in line to win last year but was a victim of Robbie Gordon and this year took a very costly penalty after dominating the race and leading the most laps. All in all it was great to see history being made and a welcomed alternative to last weeks Sprint Cup Gong Show at Indy.

Around The Horn

LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam has called out Michelle Wie for playing with the men and skipping the British Open. I can’t be any clearer then Annika: "You know, I really don’t know why Michelle continues to do this," Sorenstam said. "I mean, we have a major this week, and if you can’t qualify for a major, I don’t see any reason why you should play with the men."
This princess has to quit the sideshow..we are all tired of it and now the players are vocal about it too!

NASCAR apologised for the tire debacle last Sunday.
Nice that they admitted the mistake but a little too little a little too late. Where do I get my refund for the 4 hours I invested into that gong show?

Maria Sharapova withdrew from the Rogers Open after her 2nd round victory.
I am glad she did, take the time now to rest up so I have a reason to watch tennis at the Olympics.

Olympics 8 8 08
It is almost that time where we get to watch gymnastics and not feel dirty after, well except after the floor routine, though Stewie Griffin would like to remind everyone that it is absolutely not gay.

It is week 6 or so of the CFL Schedule
Does anybody know how anyone in the league is doing and does it even matter until November? Not so much

Blackhawks name Scotty Bowman as a Senior Advisor, Hockey Operations
Seems like that may have been a good title for him to have in Toronto, had they again not screwed things up. Leafs suck.

Brett Farve has reportedly been offered up to $20 Million to stay retired.
1. Why would you work if someone gave you that kind of cash to not work
2. Ricky Williams had to pay almost half that not to play
Brett, go Steve Miller Band on this...Go on, take the money and run!

Jonathan Roy was charged with assault from his fighting/beat down incident in March during a QMJHL game.
How does it take some 4 months before this decision was made to go ahead with criminal charges? I thought this was done with. I guess rogue fists are more frowned upon then stick swinging infractions or skate stomping

MLB Trade Deadline

Baseballs non-waiver trade deadline was 4pm today and some big names have been on the move. In the days leading up some big bats and a few strong arms have been on the move. Granted this is just phase one of "deadlines" there is still a push to get things done sooner rather then later and avoid other teams from blocking trades.

It all started with Millwakee picking up C.C. Sebathia, a move that more or less forced the Cubs to go after and acquire Rich Harden in what amounts to an arms race in the NL Central.
The Angles, who hold the best record in baseball went out and got Mark Teixeira from the Braves and made their club even that much more dangerous with a big slugging bat. No guarantee for a World Series win but a step in the right direction for sure.

Griffey Jr. has been shipped to the White Sox. Though getting up in age still a productive bat and a good glove. With the possibility of getting to a World Series for the first time in his career may just be a good motivator.

Pudge Rodriguez has traded his Tiger stripes for Yankee pinstripes. A questionable move by Detroit but a great pick up for the hated Yankees, especially with Posada being done for the season. Farnsworth was not a lot to give away and sometimes I wonder why people continue to do deals with the Yankees, Brian Cashman must be a great salesman.

Jason Bay and Manny Ramirez were thought to be on the move, and so they were.... for each other. Manny has become such a pain to Red Sox management that It looks like they were viewing it as addition by subtraction. Tough to move a guy that you can in no way replace what he brings you on the field but if it cleans up the locker room maybe in the long run it is worth it.
Jason Bay is a good player and they may be able to keep him with the $20 mil they will save next year on Manny. He should be a decent fit with the Red Sox.
Also the Pirates have managed to aquire another LaRoche lad and now they have a full complement with Andy and Adam.

The fact that Adam Dunn was not moved is interesting, Maybe JP Riccardi was right and the strike out ratio and other issues was not far off the mark.

Speaking of JP, it looks like he decided to stand pat and hold onto AJ Burnett and opted not to acquire Raul Ibanez... and so sit the Jays treading water yet again, not in but not out.

Although these deals were not achieved by the 4pm deadline there is still the possibility of moves to be made before the next waiver deadline comes and goes. That blockbuster could still happen, lets keep our eyes peeled on that.

Say It Ain't So, Joe

Disgraced ex-NBA official Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 Months in jail hopefully bringing an end to this storey.
Is it just me or did the NBA make it through pretty clean in this whole mess? This had the potential to bring down the league and even when it was in the news everyday it didn’t seem to carry a lot of weight. Same thing with the baseball steroid mess. It seems to now be a back burner issue after it looked to rock the sport. Sure some individuals like Clemens and Bonds have taken much of the hits but on the whole the sport has fared pretty well. It is interesting in a sport that still brings up the 1919 "Black Sox" that these new issues don’t carry the same power.
It is just like WWE Wrestling, very few bodies can look like that naturally and it is easier to assume that everybody is juicing and the sooner we realize that the quicker we can move on and just appreciate it for what it is, entertainment and a distraction.
It will be interesting to see with the upcoming Olympics if that is the case there as well. Will the stories of success and unanticipated victories carry more weight then the inevitable positive drug tests that are sure to come in the coming weeks.
Are we as a society at the point that the sports we follow are a mere escape for us from our daily routine and troubles? Maybe we have much less interest in some of the more shady dealings and just take it at face value and just enjoy.
For the record i did not include the Tour De France in this list as i do not deem it of any relevance as it neither compelling nor interesting even if it does have the most enhancing by its performers.

Chopped down by my own tomahawk

Today brings mixed emotions as my favorite team has told me that they have given up on the season and are looking to the future. 7.5 games out and Tim Hudson and slugger Chipper Jones being put on the disabled list. The Atlanta Braves have traded away slugger and excellent fielder Mark Teixeira. They did get a good player in return and a prospect pitcher that will help the bullpen in the future. It was a good deal as there was no way they would be able to re-sign him and got a cheaper option at 1st base for a few years. As a fan I have mixed emotions, on one hand I respect that they are looking to get better for the future and do so in a fiscally responsible way on the other hand you have different fingers, just kidding of course. On the other hand it is always a difficult thing to admit that you had a good run but now is time to re-tool and look toward the future especially when it is only late July. Maybe this is more of a sting for me as I was spoiled throughout the 90's and early 2000's when the Braves were on their run of 14 consecutive Division Championships and World Series win and it was a given that you would see them in October, even if it was only briefly (we are all well aware of some of the playoff struggles in some years, but at least they were there).

Here is to next year and hopefully a revival to the good old days.

Brickyard Baby

Johnson wins “Tiring” Race at Indy

In a race that was marred by bad tires and tire ware that forced competition cautions. A race that was one of the worst races to watch even for the most die hard of fan. One that prevented pole sitter Jimmie Johnson from driving away from everyone, in the end justice prevailed.
Jimmie Johnson won the Allstate Brickyard 400 in the NASCAR series on Sunday. The 2 time defending NASCAR champion won his 2nd race at Indianapolis and looks for that to set him up, like it did in 2006 for the championship. Can he go for 3 in a row? The odds are stacked against him, especially the way Kyle Busch has run this year but this is a good start to get the second half on track.

As for the race itself it was difficult to watch on TV, from the pits and probably from behind the wheel. There will need to be a lot of changes to prevent tires from ruining another race at the most well known track in the USA. F1 had issues during the United States Grand Prix a few years back because of tires as well. 7 teams were forced to pull out and on 3 teams that were running Bridgestone tires started the race, making the event look like a farce.
How bad was it? Teams spent an estimated $34,000 on Goodyear rubber.
It is not good for the sport of racing nor for the allure of Indy and the legacy it carries. Hopefully Goodyear can get this righted and soon or they may loose their right to supply tires to the most popular North American series.

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.

Fight Club- Lady Style

It has been quite a week of aggressive behaviour, but this time it has been from the women of sports. There have been 2 incidents in the last 3 days. Most recently it was the Malice in the Palace 2 WNBA style. During the Sparks-Shock game a brew-ha-ha broke out that was by all accounts a pushing match but by WNBA standards it was an all out brawl. There will be fines suspensions and controversy with Rick Mahorn making contact with Lisa Leslie. It was incidental contact in a peacekeeping role so that shouldn’t become much an issue.
The other was in the IRL between Danica Patrick and Milka Duno after Danica got run on the track and went down to the rivals pits to have a “discussion”. That turned into a bit of a catfight and ended in a towel being thrown. Danica has a history of being a bit of a hothead but this is the first time her target was a woman and offered the opportunity for some physical violence. Unfortunately it didn’t go down like that and cooler heads prevailed and we the fans were robbed of a potential girl-girl fight. Maybe they will cross paths in the future...we can only hope.

2 incidents of Girls Being Boys but 2 different views:
The WNBA incident is a black eye for the “sport” and a bad reflection on the league. Sadly this is the only way that they any exposure at all that the league actually exists. Before this I bet the average person didn’t know the WNBA season was even on.As for Danica it is just good pub and lets face it 2 cute girls yelling at each other is not the most un-watchable thing in the world and i am sure that if you pole any men they would agree.
So Boo WNBA and YEAH Cat Fight!

The Espy's

After watching the ESPY’s on Sunday I have sadly come to the conclusion that Justin Timberlake is actually pretty funny and actually does have some talent. (See the opening to the Show Here, it is actually worth looking at) . It pains me to say but he actually did do a good job overall as the host of this awards show. For those who don’t know the Espy’s are the sports equivalent to the Academy Awards but on by ESPN and brings in the top athletes and some entertainment personalities for their 2 hour show.

For a list of winners click HERE

Sure there were some awkward moments as they did show Brett Farve plenty and cracked some jokes then would pan between him and would be replacement Aaron Rogers. Also it appeared that Beck’s (David Beckham) wife Posh is either very bitter and was utterly displeased to be there or she is just a very snobby lady. I think perhaps it is a little from column A and a little from Column B.
One of the funniest skits was when a video of an angry Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State University football coach, during a news conference that showed Justin Timberlake as the reporter and the classic line "I'M A MAN, I'M 40!" (see it here).

This is an award show that gets it right, they show only a handful of categories on TV, actually has entertaining skits and in this case songs and give a list of the other awards that were won but didn’t need to show the acceptance and the un-drama (thats right-UN-drama!).

It had a bit of everything...the highlights, the lowlights, the memorials of the people lost over the past year and the things that go beyond sports and society and go straight to the heart. Exactly what sports is supposed to do.

Around The Horn

Greg Norman (53, and one of the coolest autographs one will find) is an early leader at the Open Championship.
I didn’t know that there were Sharks in England, good to know

March Madness will have a new voice next year as CBS has parted ways with Billy Packard and replaced him with Clark Kellogg. Packard had that "voice you grew up with" after calling 34 straight Final Fours. Though he was also known to be a little gruff and was forced to make 2 apologies in recent years 1 after being asked to identify himself by two female students checking credentials before a game at Duke."You need to get a life. Since when do we let women control who gets into a men’s basketball game? Why don’t you go find a women’s game to let people into?" and referring to Allen Iverson as a "tough little monkey."
Maybe not as good as Don Imus but not bad. Packard will be missed Calling the Final 4 games and it is unlikely that Corn Flake (Kellogg) will bring the same edge.

Beijing has come out with its list of banned items and restricted items as well as its code of conduct. No spitting, stand in line, and be polite to other nationalities. Banned items include guns, ammunition, crossbows, daggers, fireworks, flammable materials, corrosive chemicals and radioactive materials.
I was going to go and take in the Olympic experience and maybe catch Field hockey or Fencing.
You may not bring in your dagger or crossbow but apparently a walloping mallet/stick or Swords and Foils are ok.

Reggie Jackson was walking down the street in New York with his 17 year old daughter and commented to a photographer to identify the young lady as his daughter. Jackson commented "That’s my daughter, that’s not my girlfriend! I’m not A-Rod here!"
Good line but would have been more fitting if he would have said the he was not Roger Clemens at least A-Rod’s are legal, while we aren’t so sure about Ms. McCready... Allegedly.

The Leafs are going to give away tickets to an added Pre-season game.
Good for them to make an effort to do something for their fans, and ticket giveaway is a fitting thing as they are used to giving things like wins away easier then $5 hooker.

Kirk Radomski found a receipt for HGH he claims is linked to Roger Clemens under his TV.
What happened to the days that we could hide our incriminating evidence under our mattresses? Just another example of how electronics have taken over our lives.

More drug infractions in the Tour de Farce
I guess that it counts for something that they are at least catching people. After like 9 years of multiple expulsions wouldn’t you think to either go in clean or just shut the whole thing down? Steve Howe didn’t even get this many chances

NASCAR Silly Season Indeed

Apparently NASCAR has decided to follow in the path made throughout the years by Hollywood and the WWE...the power couple or in this case alliances. Maybe that is where Survivor and The Apprentice got the idea from. With the most recent addition to Hendrick Motorsports, Mark Martin, giving the team 4 of the premier drivers in the series. Is it any wonder that Ryan Newman is leaving Penske Racing? Funny how that decision was made after Tony Stewart asked and was released from his contract next year to not only join but be part owner of the now Stewart/Hass Racing Team. That will have one car filled by Tony but who could be in line to drive the second car, is there anyone without a ride for next year? (Ryan Newman I am looking in your direction). With the money that is needed to run and actually be able to compete there is little chance for small teams to compete let alone qualify half the time.
Being a Jimmie Johnson fan it doesn’t bother me as much as some others because he is the back to back reigning Champion and that ain’t not bad.

All Star Reflection

They always say that at a baseball game that there is the potential that you’ll see something that you have never seen before, so why should an All Star Game be any different? 15 innings and near chaos...sure why not. As I had mentioned in an earlier posting having too many people go into the game isn’t like to good ol’ days but it can leave you high and dry in a big hurry. Pitchers and managers alike were at near breaking points. NL Manager Clint Hurdle said to 3rd baseman David Wright... "I told David, ‘You were the last pick, I went and got you. Have you ever pitched in an All-Star game?" Francona apparently asked an MLB official if he could pitch...i am guessing the official wasn’t Bud Selig.
Ken Rosenthal’s idea of having 4 extra ranked pitchers on reserve for those pitcher that may have pitched on the previous Sunday is a great alternative. That would give a little more flexibility to the managers while not endangering million dollar arms.
The pre game was great to see with the parade on the red carpet and all the old time hero's and Hall of Famers. It was a sight that any fan would get chills from. It was great to see the current players interacting with the vets. Mr. Cub Earnie Banks and Kosuke Fukudome was cool to see. A personal highlight was to see my favorite player Chipper Jones with his parents and his Smokin' hot wife in the parade and getting some facetime on Fox.
Other then the length of the game it was a fitting way to close out Yankee Stadium...it was like the ghosts didn’t want to let the place go and kept the game hanging in the balance until the bitter end.
Canadian Justin Morneau had a great game and a great break all around. After becoming the Home Run Champion that no one will remember after Josh Hamilton stole the show Morneau went 2-4 with 2 runs including the game winning run.

On a side note all tours of Yankee Stadium are sold out and the usual $20 ticket is available on Stub Hub ranging from $79-$200. That may have just solidified my not going to see it. Guess I will have to put my focus on Wriggly and Fenway.

My Josh - Bombing in the Bronx

What Josh Hamilton has just done is nothing short of amazing! In the usually mundane and uneventful “batting practice” known as the Home Run Derby, Hamilton has done something never done before. Not only did he hit 28 Home Runs in the first round, many of them were absolute bombs. I don’t even care what he does from here on out, whether he winds up the champ or not, just the fact that he displayed that kind of power for that amount of time was simply awesome. It is well documented about his past after being drafted 1st overall in 1999 and his struggles about his drug use and spending his $3.96 million signing bonus on crack and alcohol. For him to not only be a potential triple crown candidate All Star and potentially a Home Run Derby champ but to even be alive is one of the greatest stories in sport. I was in awe with probably everybody else in Yankee Stadium. In a park that already has all sorts of history it is just fitting in the last All Star Game in New York having Hamilton make even more history. Way to go Josh, keep this unbelievable season going.

The Stars Come Out

We have hit the "midway" point of the baseball season and it is All Star time. Of all the major sports except for maybe NASCAR the MLB All Star game is the only game that can be played close to what the game is actually like. Any of the contact games are just too risky for players to go all out for little or no reason and risk injury.
Unfortunately over time, baseball’s game has turned from a passionate game too more of a spectacle in recent years. Long are the days of the old timers who would play a full game not just 2 or 3 innings, the desperation to win that was once there just isn’t there anymore and the pride of the league in free agent era does not exist and with the recent inter-league play that has come in there is less of a mystery between the 2 leagues. Lets just say the is little chance that you will see Manny Ramirez take out Giovanni Soto at home...actually you probably wouldn’t see that anyway, but you get the jist. Despite Bud Selig trying to make the game "count" by awarding home field for the World Series to the winning league, it is very transparent of his attempt to make the game draw a few more people and up the tv ratings. Lets just enjoy the game for what it is and that is a celebration of the game for the fans to enjoy and a chance to say goodbye to one of the most historic parks in baseball history, Yankee Stadium.
I would have loved to gone there one to take it in for myself but I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.
For those who are fans of the game I guess it doesn’t really matter. If you are going to get up for a Pardes-vs-Giants game then this will be light years ahead of that. Actually the All Star Game is actually more meaningful then a Pardes-vs-Giants game....both those teams are Not Good.

Around The Horn

Should injured Canadian Hurdler Perdita Felicien be allowed to make the Canadian team without qualifying?
No, if the alleged worlds fastest man Tyson Gay doesn’t get to run the 200 because he cramped up at the US Trials then she shouldn’t get to run either. I guess it doesn't matter either way with the stigma of 'roids especially in track does it even matter. If a syringe is pushed and no one sees it does it indeed boost performance?

Was there anything funnier then when Felicien hit the hurdle at the 2004 Olympics and went down taking out a rival?
No, No there was not

Michael Vick Filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection while in federal prison
How bad with money can you be to have such a huge signing bonus and salary and blow it all in such little time?
The Falcons bet on the wrong dog in that race...What? Too Soon??

Gary Bettman has tried to put an end to Burke/Lowe feud after Lowe fired back at Burke this week after a year of animosity.
It may have taken a year for Lowe to come up with a comeback but when he did he did so with gusto.
I am just glad that Craig McTavish talked him out of ‘Jerk Store, I am going with Jerk Store... Jerk Store’ though "Your cranium called. It’s got some space to rent.", "The zoo called. You’re due back by six." and "Oh yeah? Well I had sex with your wife!" could also have worked

KC Chiefs Tight End Tony Gonzalez recently saved a choking man in a restaurant after he began choking on a piece of meat
This marks the first time in recent memory that an NFL Player saved a life instead of took one, good work Tony!

Is there anything more insignificant then the Tour De France right now?
No Armstrong, no testosterone laced Landis, no interest...at least from this side of the lake. France can keep their cyclist...err bike riders not steroid cycles.

Mark Martin signs on with Hendrick Motorsports for a full ride next season.
What, does he think he is a boxer? He comes out of retirement more then Leave it to Beaver....re-runs!

Justin Gimelstob fired a rant about his dislike Anna Kournikova with whom he once trained with. I will let his words tell it best.
"I’m going to serve it right at the body, about 128 [mph], right into her midriff," he said. "If she’s not crying by the time she comes off court then I did not do my job."
Asked if that meant he hated the Russian, with whom he trained as a youth player, he replied: "Hate is a very strong word. I just despise her to the maximum level just below hate." He added that he would not like to sleep with Kournikova, "because she’s such a douche". Instead, "I wouldn’t mind my brother, who is kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits."

MATCH FOR THE AGES

Sunday morning I got up and did my regular routine, ESPN The Reporters with Canadian John Saunders who is right in his element as host of that panel discussion. Another solid line-up with author of one of my favorite books of all time; FAB FIVE - from the Detroit Free Press, Mitch Albom, Times writer Mike Lupica and Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan. I then followed it up with the Canadian knock off and hit or miss version The Sports Reporters hosted by Dave Hodge. When that was over i switched to the the ongoing tennis match on NBC.Little did I know then that I was going to, over the next 7 or so hours and a few rain showers be treated to one of, if not the greatest tennis match's of all time.

I am not a huge tennis fan and will usually only watch for a few minutes here or there during a finals but this was different...to a degree. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond my control I was unable to watch the match in its entirety from beginning to end. The fact that the running time was nearly 5 hours and there were two rain delays also played a significant factor. That was the beauty of this particular match between Worlds #1 and #2 Roger Federer and Rafel Nadal, I will get to see it again no doubt as it will surely be played often on ESPN Classics or you can go to http://www.wimbledon.org/ and stream or download the match. Maybe not ESPN Classic Canada as there will no doubt be a CFL game from 1977. The rivalry, the shot making, the drama and the fact that it was at Wimbledon made it the most epic battles of all time.

A five set epic that Nadal wound up winning in near darkness ( 6-4, 6-4,6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10),9-7)at the all England Club ending a run for Federer at Wimbledon. In typical form, both were humble in victory and in defeat.

Even if you are not a tennis fan you can’t help but be drawn in by this match.

The Wimbledon Men’s Final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal took a hefty Nielsen preliminary 4.6 household rating/12 share, some 44% higher than last year’s 3.2/9. It was the best-rated final in eight years, since a 5.0/14 for Pete Sampras-Patrick Rafter match.