Erin Andrews - A Victim Of Beauty

In a sad commentary about today’s society there has apparently been a great injustice done against a very popular sports "celebrity". ESPN reporter Erin Andrews was secretly videotaped in the nude while she was alone in a hotel room and the video was posted on the Internet, Andrews was reportedly filmed by a peephole spy camera . The blurry, five-minute video shows a nude blond woman standing in front of a hotel room mirror. It was confirmed by the network and her attorneys that it was in fact Andrews. The violation of her privacy that was unknowingly recorded and the video uploaded has since removed from most video sharing sites but which continues to live in a cached version on the Web, and has topped Google searches for the last few days.

Andrews plans to seek criminal charges and file civil lawsuits against the unknown cameraman and anyone who publishes the material. Her attorney has stated "While alone in the privacy of her hotel room, Erin Andrews was surreptitiously videotaped without her knowledge or consent," "She was the victim of a crime and is taking action to protect herself and help ensure that others are not similarly violated in the future."

Erin is one of the most popular and recognizable people at ESPN and has been referred to as "Erin Pageviews" for the amount of attention she gets from photo’s and video clips. She was a A former dance team member at the University of Florida and has been named by Playboy as the "sexiest sportscaster" in both 2008 and 2009.

To be honest I am both a fan of her and her work, and why not? She is a beautiful woman but also she is very good at what she does for ESPN as a sideline reporter. I feel bad that she was put into this situation. Sure she may use her sex appeal to help et ratings in her work covering sports but that is no reason for her to be subjected to all this. Just because she is popular and sexy that she doesn’t have some right to privacy.

The Fairytale That Almost Was

There was no fairy tale ending. But what a buildup. It was a close to a made for TV movie as anything in recent memory.. It was on par to be one of the best stories that sports has seen in quite some time, and probably in the top 3 of greatest in golf. A 59 year old making a run at one of golfs biggest tournaments and not just a run but 2 shots from being crowned the champion. Tom Watson, an 8 time Major Champion carried a 1 shot lead into the final hole at The Open Championship. All Watson needed was a par on the last hole and he could have done what no one could have ever imagined that he or anyone else of that age could do. He hit a perfect shot into the center of the fairway and was in a perfect position to make his par and get his name engraved onto the Claret Jug . His second shot went threw the green and into the first cut of ruff. He needed to get up and down in 2 and the tournament was his. What happened next was just gut wrenching for not only Watson but everyone on the course and millions watching on TV. The tone of all the announcers was that it was a forgone conclusion that Watson was going to win. A marketable put was wide and short and never had a chance to drop. That bogey dropped Watson to a tie with eventual winner Stewart Cink at -2. The tournament wrapped up without much drama as Cink took control of the 4 shot playoff early and Watson could never really recover.

In a tournament that was in need of a great story for the weekend got just that. Tiger Woods missed the cut for only the 2nd time in 49 Majors (the only other one was after the passing of his father). Without the #1 player in the world there was some worry that ratings would be low without his star power and also no Mickleson in the field, Watson more then made up for it.
I find it kind of funny that the 2 biggest stories of the tourney were 2 let downs - Watson and Tiger, not the winner who played some good golf, I mean he must have he won.

It is a weird situation right now, and I feel almost as bad for Cink as I do for Watson. Cink, who has never one a major before yesterday is now a Champion (which no one can take away from him, but how he and it will be remembered will be interesting. Will he be the guy that took the Open from Watson. It will be the tournament that Watson almost won not the tournament that Cink did win. They always say that you never remember who comes second...this might be the one very rare exception that that is not true.

Let The Rebuild Begin

The Toronto Maple Leafs are very close to the New York Yankees in the list of professional teams that I just have little or no use for. The coverage that they get in the media and the fans that they have don’t help their cause. I think that it is actually the fans that I have more of a problem with then the team itself. If they weren’t so ignorant and self-righteous I may not have the same destine for them. In an effort to be unbiased I am going to give credit where credit is due. Brian Burke has come in and put his stamp on the team in a very short period of time.

Pierre McGuire has said many times that this would be close to a 5 year re-build but in this cap system I am thinking that it may take far less time then that and they look to be off to a running start, especially when you have a little extra money to play with. Despite the fact that they currently have little or no one that can put the puck in the net they also won’t be allowing too many in their own. It may come down to a lot of 2-1 losses and/or shootout games. So far in just 1 off season they have done a great job at building from the goal out. They have 2 solid options in goal with Vessa Toskala and Jonas Gustavsson that can split time and add a good level of competition between the two tenders for the number 1 job.

They currently have 9 + guys on defence and will have to whiddle that down to probably 7 so some of those guys may be available in deals that can acquire something up front that can step in and help out the offence. The pickups of: Francois Beauchemin, Michael Komisarek and Garnet Exelby add size and solid play. When you add in Jeff Finger, Tomas Kaberle, Luke Schenn, Ian White, Mike Van Ryn, Jay Harrison and Anton Stralman you have formidable back end.

Right now there is little or nothing in the cupboard up front in either the minors or on the roster. the Colton Orr pick up clearly does not fill that need but there are pieces in play that could be added through trade or a mid level free agent move. Don’t look for Jason Blake Alexei Ponikarovsky or Matt Stajan to become dynamic scorers anytime soon. They have already signed their first round pick from this year in Nazem Kadri.

I still hate those dirty Leafs, but again, coming from a neutral position you have to give ol’ Burkey at least a head nod for a good step forward. It makes you wonder how just about every other regime since ‘67 could have been so inept.

Technical Foul? At Second Glance, Maybe Not

Is he the Runaway Groom? Depends on who and what you want to believe.

As it was first reported, former New Jersey Nets and San Antonio Spurs forward Richard Jefferson decided that ~maybe I don’t want to get married~ so then he let his fiancé Kesha Ni’Cole Nichols know about his decision just hours before they were to exchange wedding vows. She immediately called her family and friends Jefferson choose a different approach and kept quiet for a while. Some of his friends had already shown up last Saturday for the $2 million spread. As a make up he reportedly gave his best friend his Black Amex (credit card) for the night and his guests made good use of the credit card to party at his expense.
According to reports the would-be bride was stunned, but "not entirely caught off-guard," said a friend of the family.

"She just wants to keep this as quiet as possible and move on. She’s doing just fine," a Nichols family insider said....at this point I don’t think that that is going to happen. You gotta feel for this lady, at least a little bit.

Jefferson now has come out to clarify that he had called things off the Monday prior and emails were sent out to his people on the Monday and her people Tuesday. He made it clear that the wedding was not actually going to cost the reported amount but he did give her money to start over. He said that it was not a settlement but a gift because he felt like it was something that he wanted to do not something he had to do. I am sure there is some truth to one side and some truth to the other. It is easier to indict a player before he has time to get the truth out because it is easy to believe that a rich person is more capable of thinking that he is bigger then he is or can just do as he pleases.

I guess in the grand scheme of things even if it wasn't $2 million up front it was probably an expensive affair that was planned...whatever the figure was, for a wedding that didn’t happen is still cheaper and less painful then a divorce later down the line. All the press now is bad but would be even more intense with people saying that it is just another athlete who can't have a successful marriage or was spoiled and even more rumors would probably be spread. One can argue that he could have handled the situation a little better but he had no way of thinking that there would be such a firestorm.

A belated congratulation is extended to Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox. Bobby recently won his 2000th game as a manager of the Braves over 2 stints in Atlanta. He also has over 350 wins from with his time leading the Blue Jays in the mid 80’s. Cox managed the Braves through their historic run of 14 consecutive division titles and guided then to a World Series Title. Bobby is clearly a players coach, hence him being able to have such longevity with one team. If nothing else he will stand up for his team and its players as he holds the all-time record for ejections in Major League Baseball with 145.

Cox currently ranks 4th on the Baseball All-time Managerial Wins list behind only Connie Mack 3,731, John McGraw 2,763 and Tony La Russa 2,500 and just above Joe Torre. Bobby has been named Manager of the Year four times (1985, 1991, 2004, and 2005) and is one of only four managers to have won the award in both the American and National League.

All Star Games - Good, Bad or Ugly?

Last night Major League baseball held the Home Run Derby as part of their All Star Festivities. An event that is really not as exciting as one would hope, even with Chris Berman’s "Back, Back, Back, Back, Back, Back...Gone". Sure there have been a few memorable moments in the past. The Josh Hamilton show that he put on last year was a treat when he just went off for 28 in one round, Bobby Abreau who lit it up for 41 and last night when Prince Fielder, the winner, who slugged one 503ft. Other then that there isn’t a lot to it. It is just glorified batting practice. It would be cool to be in the bleachers in person for the event but it doesn’t really play that great on TV. It is way more pageantry then anything else. They even went old school Fox and had the electronic trailer on some of the balls hit to track the flight.

Truly the highlight of the show wasn’t even the Home Runs, it was Erin Andrews, sideline reporter for ESPN doing interviews with competitors and other Major Leaguers. I must say she is very talented in what she does. I would classify myself as a fan. Yet another reason why we should be able to have the opportunity to get ESPN and other American stations like Fox Sports and the like.

All the major North American sports have bits and pieces that are great about their All Star Breaks but none have the whole package.
Baseball has the best game and the most true to an actual game. The game just lends itself well to being able to play at a high level where there is much less chance of someone getting injured. There "skills event", the HR Derby is where they fall short.
Basketball would rank at the second closest to actual game play but it is more a show time atmosphere where there is little or no defence and a lot of over passing and show time- ally-oop style play. Occasionally you might get a moderate 4th quarter if it is still close but it is still a far cry from 100%. There Skills competition is by far the best because basketball lends itself well to their fundamentals being shown in a showcase form and the Slam Dunk Competition is still enjoyable to watch. There guys are so athletic that it makes for an entertaining show.
Hockey may look like hockey light there is a lot of free skating but there is no edge because of the risk of injury. With the fact that there is a goalie and guys with sticks it is still difficult to do anything spectacular. There same criticism goes for their skills night. Even the breakaway challenge is boring and that is the most exciting part of actual games during the regular season...if there is nothing on the line the interest just isn’t there.
Football is just brutal. Always has been always will be. It is strictly a vacation to the players and nothing more. It is a violent game that played at less then 100% is more dangerous then at full speed.


Tonight is the game and hopefully it will be some what entertaining. The president will be there to throw out the first pitch which is always interesting to see if he will throw a strike or not. Fortunately it is on Fox and we get to hear Joe Buck call the play-by-play and interview the President Barack Obama. Unfortunately it is on Fox and we have to hear Tim McCarver provide colour and there will be no Erin Andrews, just Ken Rosenthal.

Just Call Him The Machine

In honour of The MLB All Star Game I think it should be brought to the fore front the greatest player in the game Albert Pujols. Pujols was voted to be the starter at 1st base for the National League in his hometown in St Louis. In addition he has also been chosen to be the player to catch the first pitch by President Barack Obama ...not too shabby. Doesn’t hurt that he is ripping it up in the first half. (73 runs, 102 hits, 32 HR, 87 RBI, 10 SB, and a .322 AVG and .723 SLG). Those are just this years half season numbers, at least 85% of players would take those numbers for a full season. He is a former World Champion, gets along with the media and is a fan favorite (which is more then what can be said by some of the other "stars") and also holds a Gold Glove award. Just goes to show you that he is not just a one trick pony, he is an all around great player.

When all is said and done there is a good chance that we will be able to look back and say that Albert Pujols was the greatest slugger of his era. It is too bad that it will probably be grouped into the steroid era but maybe that makes it even more impressive as long as he stays out of the steroid cloud. You don’t want to come out and say that this is the one guy who is doing it clean because we have been saying that for years then are shocked when "anonymous" tests are leaked to the media but of all the people in the game we want to believe that Pujols is doing it the right way. If in fact he is clean, as most believe that he is, he has a chance of going down as one of the true greats. Over the course of his first 9 seasons he has continued to throw up gaudy numbers and not just in one category. He is an all around hitter, he hits for Average, Power and RBI Production. Nothing proves this more then his numbers from this year. At the All Star break his has a legitimate chance of taking a run at the triple crown (leading his league in average, RBI and home runs). The last time that has happened was 1967 when Carl Yastrzemski managed the feat.

He is so good that almost every time you hear his name on the radio or on TV during the highlights the announcers always say "Why do they keep pitching to this guy??" The guy is a machine (as seen in this SportsCentre commercial ). That is a good question, I hate seeing players intentionally walked all the time like Barry Bonds did when he was hitting everything in sight but the comes a point when you just can’t justify having this guy beat you every night. It should be that if you can’t get the guy out, get someone who can, but it isn’t that simple apparently. I suppose that the main problem with that plan is that there doesn’t seem to anyone out there who is up to that daunting task. You can’t really stop him you can merely hope to contain him. As Dan Patrick says that only way he can be stopped is with a shot gun and league rules frown upon that.

Fans are in for a treat every time he comes to the plate. If he makes a run for the triple crown then you will start seeing cut ins on other sports every time Albert Pujols steps to the plate.

The Thunder Rolls - RIP Arturo Gatti

It came a some very shocking news that yet another celebrity has died and in terms of the sports scene the deaths have a lot of intrigue. It was bad and shocking when Farrah, Billy Mays and MJ but all seemed to die because of health. Arturo "Thunder" Gatti and Steve McNair are sports stars who have been involved in some foul play. Both were know for being warriors in their respective sports and both were involved with young women who may have been involved in their deaths. McNair looked to be murdered by his 20yr old girlfriend (who apparently then turned that gun on herself in a murder suicide). Gatti's wife 23 is being held after there were inconsistencies in her story including how she and he young child were in the hotel room with Gatti for 10 hours and didn't notice that he was already dead. Thankfully the couples young son was not harmed and has been put in the custody of Gatti's wife's sister. It is sad that these two young men have been taken out at such young ages.

It has been reported that Gatti may have been strangled by a purse strap and had a noticeable trauma to the head. A family friend has stated that he knew there were issues between the two and the couple may have been close to separating. Details are still coming but it is looking like there is a lot foul play in sports deaths lately.

Gatti was known not for his technical boxing style but for being a warrior in the ring. He was a boxer who would stand in and take a beating and take hit after hit. He would have been glad to have taken 10 shots to the head or more just for the chance to maybe get one in. The Boxer who was raised in Montreal was known and revered in both his hometown as well as his adopted home in New Jersey. There was always a home court advantage anytime there was a fight in Atlantic City, he was their boy.

Never one to shy away from a fight he was most known for putting his Granite like chin out there in an epic trilogy versus Micky Ward. That branded him as one of the most exciting fighters of his generation. He retired in 2007 with a record of 40-9 with 31 KO.

There are still many questions that need to be answered but it is clear that there is more to this storey and it will be interesting to see what comes out over the next little while.

Around The Horn

Michael Jackson apparently would stay at Shaq’s House when he was in the ares. The house is 67,000sq ft. It was so big that it could hold MJ’s entire entourage and you wouldn’t even know they were there.


Cubs pitcher and Canadian Ryan Dempster broke is toe on the field a few days ago. No it wasn’t kicking out the leg to stop the ball from going into centre field like he was Roberto Luongo...nope he broke it jumping over the railing of the dugout in celebration of a Cubs win. Sometimes it is the stupidest things that can take you out of the lineup.

Washington Nationals broadcaster Rob Dibble unloaded on the team saying This isn’t a Major League baseball team I’m watching out here....It’s pathetic. I’ve never seen a team that is ok with losing....Some guys are mailing it in, and it’s hard to watch.". Not taking the "Homer" approach to telecasts. If anyone in DC cared about the team he could have be in trouble....good thing he isn’t a Cubs broadcaster.

Blue Jays cut ties with BJ Ryan, on the hook for some $15mil. It would appear that no one had any interest in his services especially Cito Gaston. After having to swallow that much money maybe it opens the Jays minds to rid themselves of Roy Halladay and Vernon Wells’ contracts in a deal like what the Marlins and Red Sox did in the Josh Beckett-Mike Lowell deal...Want one? gotta take both.

Xavier guard Jordan Crawford apparently dunked over "The King" LeBron James at his camp. Nike reportedly confiscated videos of the dunk. Is this worse PR then him not shaking hands? Could have been a good commercial, they choose to take it another direction.

OAKVILLE, ON. - John Daly is coming to the Canadian Open. The Beer Store has been put on alert and Casino Rama has been notified.

The Underrated All Star

I know what you are thinking, but no this is not about Roy Halladay, this is about the National League's representative to have this title. Tim Lincecum. This is one special pitcher and one to watch for many years to come. I don't know if this helps or hurts him but he is a dead ringer for 2 other young up-and-coming-stars - Mitch Kramer (from Dazed and Confused) and Kelly Leak (from The Bad News Bears)



One of the best pitchers in baseball is also one of the most unknown. The fact that he plays in San Francisco does not help his overall exposure on TV or in the media. Not unlike Halladay who is hurt by being in Toronto and not getting the coverage he deserves, Lincecum, playing on the West Coast doesn't get the same viewers or publicity that he probably deserves from those in the East. That actually is only 1 thing that connects him with Halladay...they were almost teammates at one time. There was a very good chance a season or 2 ago that the Jays may be willing to move a then very good young prospect in Alex Rios to San Fran in exchange for Lincecum. If I am not mistaken it was the Jays who were the ones who balked at the proposed deal (my how hindsight is 20/20). For San Francisco the best deal was the one never made.

Tim Lincecum has emerged as a great young throwback fireballer who is looking like the real deal. He has that old throwback style with his delivery with the full leg kick and arm motion. This is the type of delivery that allowed the old school guys like those from the 30's, 40's and 50's to be capable to throw complete games, in short rotations and win more games without breaking down and have long careers. In this age of specialization and limited pitch counts it is nice to see a pitcher that is taking an old school approach. His dad is the one who worked with him to throw in that style and is probably the best pitching coach he will have during his career. There is a reason why pitchers threw that way. Good mechanics are effective in a game and on a career (just look at the Jays who have started 12 different guys in the rotation this year and have probably more injuries to starting pitchers then any other team in baseball history).

Lincecum just picked up his 10th win Thursday, allowing three runs over 6.2 innings against the Padres. In addition he actually took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, when his 29-inning scoreless streak ended....29 innings, that is like over 3 full games without allowing a run. The 149 K's is nothing to sneeze at either! He has fast become the most dominant starter in baseball all at the tender age of 25. After this years All Star game there is a good chance that his time flying under the national radar will be over and fans will see just how good he really is.

Now if we can just get him to trim up the mop top he will have the total package.

Raptors Update

Basketball Overload- And Its Only July

With the Blue Jays slipping, the Toronto Raptors are taking this time to get back into the headlines and remind people that there is a major team I may have been a little pre-mature with yesterdays blog about the Raptors.

Props to G-to-the-E for pointing out to me that there would need to be more dominos to fall for the Raps to get into a position to pull everything off and get all that they need to do done. I bow to his capology in regards to the NBA and the Raps

Apparently Bryan Colangelo had some other cards up his sleeve and the deal proposed with the Mavs was only part of the story. It now looks like there is a complicated 4 team deal that will free up even more money for the Raps and the Magic and move around even more players.
As it stands now Shawn Marion and Kris Humphries will be sent to Dallas in return for Devean George and shooting guard Antoine Wright from the Mavericks as well as small forward Hedo Turkoglu from the Magic. Dallas would then move Jerry Stackhouse to the Memphis Grizzlies with at least $2mil to allow for a buyout of his contract, who will also receive Raptors combo guard Quincy Douby, and the Grizzlies would send shooting guard Greg Buckner to the Mavericks.

Once this happens it will allow the Raps to go out and get a mid-level free agent or resign either Carlos Delfino or Anthony Parker. This makes for an even better deal then just getting Hedo Turkoglu and possibly Stackhouse. It is one of the first times that people not only in the NBA but the media that covers it that Toronto is being acknowledged as having a successful off season... now all they need to do is actually have a successful season and long playoff run.

MLSE must be pretty pleased on how their sports interests are actually making an effort to making the teams on the court and the ice worth watching again. Maybe some late spring games will be in their future soon. Imagine what can happen when you have a competent front office and don’t meddle in the Basketball and Hockey operations. You had to figure that they would see the light eventually.

Revamping The Franchise

Apparently Free Agent Frenzy isn’t limited to the NHL. The NBA has gone above and beyond and possibly surpassed that of the hockey world. There were some huge moves that has made a few teams much better and have reshaped other teams into contenders. They even managed to mix in a few trades just to fill in some of the gaps. Shaq to the Cav’s may or may not be a good move, it will be interesting to see how he can go with LeBron. Richard Jefferson to the Spurs makes them much more dangerous.Rasheed Wallace to Boston, especially with the unknown health of Kevin Garnett is a big pick up. Trevor Ariza to Houston is interesting and connected to that Ron Artest basically trading spots with him and going to play with Kobe and the Lakers.

A little more close to home the Toronto Raptors seem to be doing their best to make their team a little better right now to show pending free agent Chris Bosh that they are serious about building a playoff team that is looking to contend. They apparently just locked up former 1st overall pic Andrea Bargnani for their big man, they have apparently have a deal ready to go for former Orlando Magic star Hedo Turkoglu to complement Chrs Bosh. They currently have Shawn Marion but are in talks with the Mavericks on a potential sign-and-trade deal that would see a Jerry Stackhouse to TO. Now if Jose Calderon can play at his near All Star level that he was 2 years ago and Anthony Parker and Joey Graham can contribute they may actually be able to field a very competitive team in an increasingly more difficult Eastern Conference.

The Raps may be a little weak on the bench, especially in the back-up point guard position so we will see if that gets addressed or if they see who on the current roster wants to step up and perform in that roll. For the first time in a few years it looks like they are actually ready to take a run and go a little deeper into the playoffs.

Like I said earlier, this could go a long way to convincing Bosh that he should stay past next year and not get mesmerized by big lights, by a big stage and a truckload of money.

Quick Hits

The Tour De France is now in full force which means we should hear about a bunch of positive drug tests, Lance Armstrong allegations and criticisms, poor North American ratings and if all goes well 1 or 2 huge crashes. Other then that there is little to hold ones interest until the last day...when it is over.

The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly shopping the service of ace Roy Halladay, guess that is the white towel we have been waiting for. Halladay is almost the only pitcher on the team without a broken wing and can actually throw strikes so I guess it is time for him to move on. It is too bad that they can’t rid themselves of the albatross that is Vernon Wells and his massive contract.

The Reds managed to loose last night 22-1 to the Phillies. That is the worst loss in team history. This is not an expansion team either that means it was the worst loss in some 119 years, not good. The Phillies plated 10 in the first inning, not a great way to set the table for the rest of the game.

Remarks by Maple Leafs’ head coach Ron Wilson on a Toronto radio station could prove to be very costly. The Leafs are being investigated for tampering as it relates to the Vancouver Canucks Sedin twins. Wilson stated "You’re hearing right now, and this sounds very contradictory but, there’s a real possibility, I would think, that we would be going after the Sedins. Let’s just speculate there."
This they investigate but they look the other way when Brian Burke was rumored to go to the Leafs as GM. Seems like the NHL only investigates things that they feel like sometimes. Guess that is how 1 owner can lend money to the prospective buyers of a team or another can buy a team with no money. Guess It is very selective and subjective.

Alex Kovalev Ottawa Bound

The Ottawa Senators have now signed Alex Kovalev to a 2 year contract for a reported $5mil per year. This is an interesting signing to say the least. Kovalev is one of the most talented players in the NHL and fits the bill for Ottawa who has been looking for a to 6 forward to add to the lineup so that solves one issue. Where we may have a bit of an issue is the knock on Alex that he doesn’t always show every night. That being said it has the potential to bring to town another ready made whipping boy for post game crybaby callers. Heavens forbid that he ends up on Spezza’s line - talk about a lightning rod for controversy is everything doesn’t go perfect every game.

Outside of the actual hockey issue is the fact that this signing puts Ottawa well over the salary cap for next season and they are going to have to drop a significant amount of money to make this work. Does this meant that a Heatley deal is close? Are there more deals in the works involving say a Jason Smith, Chris Kelly maybe even a Mike Fisher? Makes it look like there are going to be a lot of young players playing next season just for the fact that they have a low cap hit. This is going to make the team look a lot different entering camp and depending on what deals can be made a very young 3rd and 4th line and back end to the defence.

More on this when more details become available for sure

One For The Ages...Again!

Breakfast at Wimbledon almost became Supper at Wimbledon

Last year at this time I wrote about probably the greatest Wimbledon Final ever and possibly the greatest tennis match ever played. Today may be the 1A to that match. Different game, different opponents but an epic battle none the less. The only thing that remains the same is the Tournament and Roger Federer, maybe there is a pattern here? Roger Federer and Andy Roddick played in a match that one can only relate to a heavyweight boxing match that should end in12 rounds but is now in its 20th and still going strong with little or no sign of fatigue from either competitor. This was truly a battle of the titans. What makes it even that much more compelling is the fact that Roger Federer is looking to surpass Pete Sampras with 15 Grand Slams. Pete and his wife were also there on hand arriving just after the first ball was struck.

And Roger Federer just did it - he just broke Andy Roddick’s serve for the first time in the Championship Federer is the Wimbledon Champion for the 6th time and is now at he top of the All Time Tennis Mountain and arguably the greatest of all time. 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.The 30 games in the fifth set established a record for the most games played in any set in a Wimbledon singles final. The previous overall record for games in a set was 24, and 16 games for a decisive fifth set...unbelievable! The longest finals in Wimbledon history.

This match was just a fight with two great competitors both whom relied on huge serves t bail themselves out of trouble. The conditioning of both the finalists was truly amazing there was no let up no giving in. Roddick was still serving at speeds of 136 and 133mph. At times it looked like the net was going to fall with the power behind some of the first serves. I am not a big fan of Andy Roddick. I found his attitude in the past to be that of a jerk, spoiled, a bad winner and an even worse loser. His emotions would get the better of him and when he pouted he did nothing to help his image. Also, perhaps I am little jealous of him as his wife is SI Swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker. But today I feel for the guy, he played the match of his life and really only made 1 mistake...literally 1 mistake and that was all Federer needed to seal the deal. He played composed, kept his cool and unfortunately someone had to loose - deserving or not.

This was like the song from the Lamb Chop song except instead of the Song the never ends it was game that never ends...it just goes on an on my friends.

Any way you look at it the last 2 Wimbledon finals have been instant classics! Bank on this though not everything comes in three’s. There will have to be something ridiculous to happen next year to even come close to what we have seen.

We were just lucky to have gotten the chance to see these matches and this player.
Congratulations Roger Federer.

Drugs In NASCAR - A Dangerous Situation

NASCAR has been put into an interesting position in regards to the Jeremy Mayfield suspension. Mayfield failed a drug test and tested positive for methamphetamine. A judge recently retracted his suspension and open the door for him to race and enter a car into NASCAR sanctioned races. The sport is dangerous enough going 200mph with 43 other drivers and not having to worry about the guy 3 inches from your bumper being impaired in any way.

Two team owners won’t put Jeremy Mayfield in their cars this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, one because of sponsor concerns and the other because Mayfield is "marked" following his legal battle with NASCAR.

By many accounts Mayfield isn’t the most liked guy in the garage and also has a rep for being a little bit of a party guy. That alone is not a bad thing but having a few drinks and getting drunk is a far cry from doing Meth.

Big name drives such as Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have filed affidavit expressing their feelings about having their lives endangered by having someone racing on a track agents them who may be driving at a less then sober state. He will be tested as soon as he shows up at the next race whether he drives or enters a car. The problem is it takes close to 4 days to properly run A and B samples to avoid any false results. A test on Saturday doesn’t get results until Wednesday and that doesn’t do any good.

What is even more important is what this means in terms of other sports. The Federal Judge basically is allowing an athlete to test positive for drugs and be allowed back onto the field because he needs to be able to make a living. If this was Many Ramirez does the same rule apply? Manny's 50 game suspension cost him some $7 million is wadges does that mean that he should be able to play to make a living? The potential for this grey area could be a potential issue.

Even though the sport has alcohol companies sponsoring cars like Bud, Coors and Miller. They are more socially responsible and accepted. You do not nor do you want cars sponsored by Ricky’s Meth Lab Owners and Dealers, although the colour scheme on them would probably be cool and make for a nice die cast.

Still Very Quiet On The Western Front - What Is The Endgame?

The first day of free agency has come and gone and Ottawa looks about the exact same as they did the day before. I was hoping that Dany Heatley would help out Bryan Murray in handcuffing him enough that he wouldn’t be in a position to make any bad moves or be trigger happy and overpay on anyone. Sadly that was not possible, he tried and he tried but in the end Murray did manage to find the time to make 1 bad decision and over pay on money as well as term on Chris Neil. 4 years and $8 million. I would much rather have a sub $1mil on a Cody Bass or someone of that nature. I fear that this was a knee jerk reaction to Bryan Burke and his moves to get bigger and a little tougher on defence with his moves as well as trying to keep him away from Burke getting him in a Leafs jersey as well. After seeing how the Kadri situation on draft day went between the two teams, I just hope the deal wasn’t made out of spite even if it was just a little.

As far as the Heatley situation goes I am not in the majority of calling him out as much as everyone else. Sure I am a little disappointed that nothing came from all the talk and speculation about going to Edmonton but only a little. After looking further into the deal it began to look less and less great from an Ottawa perspective. I was never a Penner fan, and questioned the offer sheet that he was signed to by Kevin Lowe, Smid is a decent young player and a nice piece coming back and Andrew Cogliano is a decent player but I have been looking at him with Maze and Gold coloured glasses from his Michigan days and thinking that he is a better player then what he is.

The $4 million bonus that has had to be paid to Heatley sucks from an Ottawa perspective but maybe it allows the Sens to get a bit better of a deal and be able to either get a better player or pick or maybe move out a little more money by throwing in a Jason Smith, Chris Kelly or Christoph Schubert contract into the mix and freeing up and recouping some of the $4 mil. If that doesn’t happen then either another team needs to step up or there will have to be some major Reconstruction to the bridge that was burned to have him back in Ottawa at the start of camp.

In an update on the 2 team showdown of my Western Conference favorite between the St. Louis Blues and the LA Kings there is little to report just yet. Both teams were very quiet yesterday with the Blues only adding Ty Conklin in net. LA still has a lot of space left which is important going forward but showed good restraint in not spending money recklessly and overpaying on either risky guys or over hyped players. Having a plan and sticking to it is impressive. Sometimes the move not made is the best move. I will give it a little longer as there are still lots of mid level free agents left out there that may sign but also may come at more of a reasonable price.

Dany To Edmonton?

It looks like Dany Heatley is soon to be an Oiler. It seems like we are just waiting on him to officially waive his no-trade. Proposed to come to Ottawa is Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid.

We will see how this plays out and the effect that it has on tomorrow's Free Agent Frenzy

Free Agent Frenzy

Tomorrow is a celebration! July 1st, Canada Day. The birthday of our country. I hope that everyone celebrates or at least acknowledge it for what it is and appreciate how great it is to live in this great country. Many people for a long time have not only worked to make this country great but also those who have fought to keep this country safe and free. Happy Canada Day to all.

With that being said there is also another event that will be happening at the same time and that is in the form of Free Agency in the NHL. Usually there are a few big names that will go early...so early in fact that it would be impossible for it to be done legally. There is no way that deals can be struck within seconds at 12:00am but it is what it is, tampering doesn’t apply in this case I guess. (Suppose that the draft day deal between Calgary and New Jersey had nothing to do with Brent Sutter becoming free to coach the Calgary Flames). Once the big names start to fall it allows for some of the mid and lower level players to fit into place and teams can see where they stand leading into the summer and through training camp.

It is sure to happen that a couple players will get very overpaid by GMs who are feeling the heat from above and some teams who will make some shroud moves and go under the radar by just tweaking and those may become the most impactive deals that will be made.

I hope for the sake of my TV viewing and the 5 hours of programming that TSN has lined up from 12-5 tomorrow that it is some what eventful. Also linked to this will be my announcement of my Western Conference Favorite Team that I have still yet to divulge as I am really trying to do my due diligence between the final 2 teams on my list and the last chip to fall for that decision to be made.

Sens Get Big On Defence

The Ottawa Senators seemed to do pretty well at this years NHL Entry Draft in Montreal. Where they did not do well was on the trade front in any attempt to move Dany Heatley. As far as the draft itself goes it looks like the Sens looked ok and managed to get some good players as well as fill some organizational needs. I was fairly pleased with the selection of big defenceman Jared Cowen with the 9th pick. Cowen was ranked 9th By Central Scouting. It was well publicized that they were looking at Nazem Kadri but he was plucked by the Leafs, that was the one benefit of having Leafs GM mic’d up.

I must say I was glad that Brian Burke decided to go that way and take Kadri from London who was listed 15th by Central Scouting. Kadri is a good offensive player but I just don’t have much interest in him and not sure if he is a true sure thing at the 9 spot let alone the 7th, only time will tell though . I think having a big strong D-man is harder to find. After seeing how the Zedeno Chara/Wade Redden decision went having the big guy seems a little more valuable... especially if you factor in Erik Karlsson who is penciled in to be the more offensive puck mover within the next few years. Cowen suffered a knee injury this year but hopefully he makes a full recovery. If he is able to do so he should be a force for Team Canada at this years World Junior Tournament in Saskatoon.

In the second round they filled an organizational need picking a goaltender Robin Lehner. There isn't too much left on the farm and this guys is thought to be the best goaltender in the draft and comes from a good pedigree (his father was the goaltending coach for Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist). The other player picked up was another Swede, a forward, Jakob Silfverberg. Hopefully with the 2 picks in the second round being so high that they can develop into some quality players in the near future.

Beyond the 2nd round it is a much longer shot to make the team but maybe one of Chris Wideman, Mike Hoffman, Jeff Costello, Corey Cowick, Brad Peltz, Michael Sdao can be one of those diamonds in the rough

Draft Day 2009

The Ottawa Senators are poised and ready to go with the number 9 pick overall in tonight's draft in Montreal. I don't know if a Dany Heatley trade is going to happen or not. There is a lot of speculation from - There is a team to beat and there is nothing out there. If there is a trade it will probably involve the 9th pick in some way, and I hope that it does. I don't care if they only move to 8 or move back to 10...just not 9.

My prediction is if they end up with the 9th pick they will probably end up with Nazem Kadri. One of the players that I don't realy was to see in Ottawa. The last time the Sens had the 9th pick was in 2005 in the Sidney Crosby draft and they selected Brian Lee. Who should they have picked? Anze Kopitar or Marc Staal, but probably Staal and I even said that when it happened. I think Kadri to the Sens would be a mistake even with an impending loss of Dany Heatley. In that area of the draft there is the possibility of Magnus Svensson Paajarvi , Oliver Ekman-Larsson or perhaps a Dmitri Kulikov or Jared Cowen (D). Any of whom I would rather see in the red, white and black.

The time is ticking down, what will happen, what big deals will be made? Have to tune in and watch, should be some good theatre at least. I hope that GM Brian Murray knows what he is doing and is able to get this team in the the right direction going forward.

Around The Horn

I don’t know if I should be more impressed with the news that LA Kings Centre Jarret Stoll as reportedly broken off his wedding to Rachel Hunter or the fact that he did it by email. Not knowing the inter workings of the relationship you have to figure that Stoll either has something even better on the horizon but to drop a bomb like that by email is a ballsy move. The only saving grace is that he didn’t do it by Twitter.

The United States made soccer history when they stunned the No. 1 ranked team in the world making the finals of the Confederations Cup with a victory over the Spain. Maybe it is the "Miracle on Grass" maybe not, If this is what it takes for the US to care about soccer then this victory greatly upsets me. I have little or no respect for anything that may, in any way promote this game. I know that America is very patriotic about anything that makes them feel big and mighty but they need to just forget about this one for the greater good....soccer sucks.
Shaquille O’Neal is headed to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Big ‘Shaq-tus’ is headed from Phoenix to Cleveland to be a big man that LeBron can work with in his quest to win a championship. Does he have anything left? Good question, but it is interesting to see how many more big deals will be made before or during tonight's draft.

Wimbledon is in full force and Roger Federer is looking to surpass Pete Samprass at the All England Club. In sad news Russian Maria Sharapova was ousted early. Watching her match, the talk of curbing the level and volume of grunting clearly hasn’t filtered down to the players (Maria managed to turn up the volume to a staggering 101db during her first-round). I figure that a little yelling and grunting on shots isn’t too bad. However it should be outlawed on the men’s side.
Lance Armstrong’s bike was stolen some time ago and just recently the verdict came down for the punishment for this crime. 40-year-old Lee Crider is to be sentenced to three years in prison for burglary and theft.---Dante Stallworth hit and killed a pedestrian while being intoxicated...he got sentenced to 30 DAYS in jail, Mike Vick is already out of the pen for his involvement in the dog fighting ring. That is some even justice system.

Draft Season

In the next two days some of the most entertaining and potentially important events will take place in the NBA and the NHL. The direction of teams and the balance of power could be affected for years to come. Thursday evening the NBA will be holding its draft and Friday the NHL will be doing the same for it’s brand. This is a fun time for fans who like to speculate on who is better, who should go where, where players will go and what deals are out there to be made.

There are some subtle differences between the way we will view each of these entities. In the NBA there are only 2 rounds and 2nd round players are a long shot at best for not only getting any playing time but just making the team. The players who are drafted will enter the league next year and be on the roster and playing. Another thing is that with the popularity of the NCAA Tournament plenty of people are well aware of the majority of at least the mane of the players that are going to be coming out, which allows for fans to identify and be more familiar with who their team is selecting.
In the NHL it is different. There are multiple rounds and sometimes there hidden gems late in the selection process. The players are younger and come from junior teams in smaller locations with minimal coverage. Outside of the very top players there are many 1st round picks that there are a lot of players that people just don’t know unless you either research or follow junior hockey. Players selected past the number 4 or 5 pick have little or no chance of playing in the league. Most will be sent back to junior or stay with their club teams overseas for more seasoning and for the players to mature. It will usually take 2-3 years before many players even make the team, let alone make an impact.

The beauty of the NHL Entry Draft is that there is usually the most wheeling and dealing on the floor as compared to the other major sports. There has already been one significant deal in the NBA so far but there usually not a lot of movement. In the NHL GMs seem to get a little more trigger happy and the potential for players and picks being moved is much greater and makes for some fun and exciting viewing.

Both drafts have to potential to help shoot a team towards the top or make other teams tumble to the bottom in the years to come. Every draft has some sleepers and others have their busts and only time will tell who will emerge as the victor.

NHL Awards Little Pop, Even Less Substance

Thursday night the NHL decided to take their Awards Show on the road and away from the usual location at the center of the universe, Toronto. Destination - Vegas Baby! Vegas! It had some big stars on hand, unfortunately all the stars were the hockey players and not the entertainment or the presenters. The NHL at least got it right in their choice of host, well it wasn’t so much the NHL but Jeremy Roenick, he’s good. And did a decent job.. As many know, Roenick is not shy behind the mic or in front of the camera but still I was a little disappointed that Gretzky wasn’t there for JR to make his head bleed for superfan-99 overhere.

Where there was a huge drop off was in the show itself. You would think that in Vegas that they would be able to find a celebrity or two, maybe someone good as the entertainment, is that too much to ask? Shaka Khan, seriously? Shaka Khan as your main singer? Weak at best! CSI Producer Jerry Bruckheimer was there as a presenter, could he not have helped or at least been consulted to bring up the production value? Then there is the NHL players themselves, not the most compelling speakers at the best of times. Jean Beliveau was good but the rest all were stiff and looked forced. In the players defence the majority of the winners were Russian’s and their English was not flawless. They did a good job but it was a little rough. That brings us to the more awkward moment. With all the international flavour and majority of Russians who were recipients of awards, presenter Glenn Anderson made a quip that he thought he’d ended up in the wrong place - "down the road at the Russian awards.". It was funny but maybe not the most appropriate thing to say.

This presentation makes a good case to do the awards like the NBA, NFL and MLB and just release the name and give them an award in person and not try to make it a sceptical. For example, until the MLB EA Sports Game commercial with Dustin Pedroia, last years AL MVP, I had no Idea what that award even looked like.

Who Was That Guy?

If the Atlanta Braves weren't playing the Boston Red Sox tonight in Boston I would be quite sure that I had a celebrity sighting in town today.

I could swear I saw Mike Lowell 3rd baseman of the Red Sox at the Chip Stand in Merrickville. Since I know that this was defiantly not the case I will chalk it up to the next most reasonable conclusion... It must have been Mike Lowell's Doppelgänger. It truly is the only explanation.

~ I have a critique of the NHL Awards show that is currently unavailable to me at this time due to circumstances beyond my control. I will post it on Monday morning. For those that appreciate the movie Swingers they should appreciate it.~

Jays Fall Out Of Nest - Boston's Embarrassment Of Riches

The Blue Jays have been hit again my the injury bug and have sent 3 pitchers to the disabled list. Closer Scott Downs, Casey Jansen and ace of the staff Roy Halladay. They join 3 more pitchers on the DL in Dustin McGowan, Shaun Marcum and Jesse Litsch. This team’s pitching staff has had been decimated by injuries not only last year or this year. It is almost a wonder that there is even anyone left in the rotation. It is a wonder that they are still only 2 game out of first which is almost amazing. How long they can keep this up is questionable but if they can manage to hold on and keep things close until they can get a few pitchers back it could go a long way in showing the rest of the league that they can become a potential player in the pennant race.


This brings us to the Boston Red Sox, who seem to be trying to change the way teams set up their starting rotation. The Jays can hardly get enough arms to play the games, the Sox are getting ready to run out an unprecedented 6 man rotation - and a good solid one at that. Former Braves ace and future Hall of Fame member John Smoltz is set to make his season debut for his new team next week. I guess this is just a case to the rich getting richer. Smoltz will join a staff that will include; Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brad Penny and Smoltz. Not a bad luxury to have, that is a pretty deep pool to draw from. Will this work? Maybe, but it is a great problem to have.

The Heat Is On Everyone Involved

So with the impending move of All Star, Superstar and Team Canada Rep. Dany Heatley from the Ottawa Senators there have been many things that have been put on hold. He has somewhat handcuffed the Sens and have forced them to shop his services and his contract to teams in the league. There are obviously teams that would be interested but it is a matter of either having enough room to make a deal, be creative enough to manage his salary into your own system and/or having enough to offer Bryan Murray in terms of an interesting package of players-prospects and picks.

Not only have they done this to Murray he has done this to me as well. Being a big Heatley fan I am probably am in the minority in the Ottawa area who still like the guy but he gave us 4 years, plenty of goals and plenty to cheer about. I have written him for an autograph and he came through and that was awesome! I met him at his book signing and got a copy of his book signed, also awesome and got a pic with him which was nice. I have also had the fortune of getting a autographed jersey of his as well so I consider that the tri-fecta. I am not going to bail on the guy for doing something that happen in all sports all the time. Where he is holding me back is until he is dealt I am concerned to name my official 1A favorite Western Team until his move goes through. I am not saying I am going to automatically start rooting for that team but I had narrowed it down to the final 2 and have previously made it clear that it was down to the LA Kings and the St Louis Blues. If in some way he goes to one of these 2 teams it may make a difference in my final decision. Until that goes down I may need to hold off before making a final call.

Pro scouting is hard! I just hope that by the draft that I can gain some direction but that is only a couple weeks away so we are on the clock. Work some magic Mr. Murray.

Best And Worst Of The Weekend

Best
Marc-André Fleury save at the end of Game 7 diving in front of the puck shot from Nick Lidstrom like he was a Secret Service agent protecting Obama. Then that being followed by his interview with Scott Oake when asked what he was thinking in the dying seconds of the game with the Red Wings applying pressure and Fleury responded ‘Oh Shit’ and the 7 second delay was not in effect. Then Oake’s response was basically ‘fair enough’.

Worst
Jimmie Johnson leading the race in Michigan for 146 laps of the 200 lap race, leading at the end then with less then 2 laps left running out of gas and being forced to pit for gas after the race and cross the finish line on pit row. To his credit he did finish but to fall from 1st to 22nd is a tough pill to swallow when you clearly had the most dominant car on the track.

Best
Alex Rodriguez pops up to Louis Castillo of the Mets, a routine pop up to end the game.....then dropping it. To Mark Teixeira credit he actually ran the play out as was rewarded with a win. Then they actually interviewed A-Rod. What do you say? ‘I popped up, should have cost the team a win, but he dropped it and we won’.

Worst
Rumor has it that the Five-time Wing Bowl champion Bill "El Wingador" Simmons will take on Jose Canseco in a boxing match. Just when you think that Jose can’t fall any lower this come to light. Guess his knee has recovered from getting pummeled by that large Korean dude.

Best
Black Mamba Kobe Bryant and The Zen Master Phil Jackson along with the LA Lakers win the NBA Championship. Kobe gets #4 and first without Shaq, Phil gets his 10th and becomes the winningest coach in NBA history. ‘Zen-Sational’, ‘10-4 Ko-Jack’, ‘Shaq, tell me how my Brass Tastes’, ‘Kobe: I Did It My Way’, ‘4 for 24’ or maybe ‘Purple Reign’...and so on

Worst
It was reported that eight officers have suffered minor injuries during downtown disturbances that erupted amid street celebrations of the Lakers’ NBA championship victory over the Orlando Magic. Even if you lose there is not reason to act like a jackass. It makes less sense that if your team wins you hit the streets and instead of celebrating you decide to set fires, vandalize store fronts and throw rocks and bottles at police. Of the 18 people arrested 3 were juveniles.

Best
Milton Bradley Losing the ball in the sun and it dropping in for a hit, then even better he forgot any math that he learned and thought there was 3 outs when there was only 2 and runners on base who came in to score. It was almost shocking that he didn’t have a huge Bradley style melt down.

Pen-Sational

I will give credit where credit is due and congratulate the youngest captain to win the cup in Sidney Crosby and the rest of Pittsburgh Penguins on winning the Stanley Cup. Also the fact that he grabbed the Conference Trophy and was not concerned with avoiding it or some sort of voodoo thing was good to see. In one of the best post seasons for the NHL in many, many years and for the game to go to a 7th game that was decided by 1 goal, even a Red Wings fan must admit it was a good series. Perhaps they aren't happy with the outcome (and who could blame them) but as a hockey fan and a fan of the league nobody could have asked for more.

With that said there are a few things that have come up that have, i don’t want to say tainted but as shed a bit of a bad light on the whole thing. The fact that the Red Wings feel that Crosby snubbed Nick Lidstrom in shaking his hand is a bit of a concern. I will give Sid the benefit of the doubt it was his first time raising the cup he is still young one can forgive him for being a little excited and maybe not being as prompt with protocol as perhaps he should have been but this is pretty minor. No real harm, no real foul. What is more of a concern is the poor officiating that took place. The whistles went away and the standard that was supposed to be set was thrown out the window. This is one good reason why the Pens may have had a bit of an advantage because their less mobile players had an advantage when it came to interference, plus the fact that the Jonathan Ericsson penalty that was called for interference was only called once and turned out to be a turning point in the series. It also goes the other way where Johan Franzen’s hit on Crosby in the 2nd period of game 7 was interference and it tweaked Crosby’s knee and essentially knocked him out of the game and could have become a big deal had Pittsburgh lost. The NHL has got to decide on rules and stick with them...pass interference in the first quarter of a pre-season game in the NFL is also a pass interference in the 4th quarter of the Super bowl. Nobody wants it to go back to the way it was in the mid 90’s (except maybe the New Jersey Devils)

Fishing For A Championship

Derek Fisher once again did what he does and that is make clutch shots at clutch times. After slumping during the season and early in the playoffs and I guess even in game 4 last night it was great that Phil Jackson as well as his team still had faith in him. One could compare his shot in game 4 of the NBA Championships to any number of shots made in the past by other playoff magicians like Robert Horry...or Derek Fisher. For those who can remember it was Fisher who hit that amazing shot versus the Spurs with 0.3 seconds left in the game. This time Fisher had a little more time to work with and got a great assist from Jameer Nelson who’s terrible decision making and questionable defence allowed Fisher to make a shot he never should have even had a look at taking. That being said he hit it and forced the game to overtime. In overtime he also made a shot in the home stretch to seal the deal and put the Lakers in the drivers seat with 99-91 to capture a 15th NBA Championship. Kobe is still the straw that stirs the drink, Pau, Lamar and Trevor Ariza, are a great supporting cast members but it is Fishers calm and experience that helps bring the team together.
One can’t overlook either another major reason on why that shot was able to be made and that was the dreadful free throw shooting from the Magic. Between Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard at the line, it opened up the door so wide for the Lakers to steal that game and effectively end the Magic’s season. Game 5 goes Sunday night and that could very well be the end of the line for the NBA season and the Gold and Purple can get ready for the parade.

Quick Hits

Buffalo Sabers owner Tom Golisano (67) is on my list as one cool guy. No it isn’t for his political dealings or his billions of dollars, or the fact that he owns a hockey team (though the money doesn’t hurt). No, it is the fact that he is reportedly with former tennis star Monica Seles (35). Asked if they were a pair, he wondered why reporters wanted to know but finally responded, "Monica and I see each other." ... She is looking great lately and seems to have a grip on the eating disorder she has struggled with in the past and that, that is just great.

Mike Tyson has been married for the third time. Tyson’s wedding comes less than two weeks after Tyson’s four-year-old daughter Exodus died tragically after accidentally hanging herself on a treadmill at her mother’s home.
I find this as an interesting time for these nuptials so soon after the tragedy with his young daughter. This may be a way to get some comfort and support from the situation or help in the healing and the grief but the timing seems quick. In any event best of luck to both him and his new bride.

The Blue Jays drafted a Canadian pitcher in the second round of the baseball draft. This could be a very good thing in terms of not only the ability of the player but the fact that they choose to grab a Canadian with a legitimate chance of becoming an above average player. This is both good for the team on the field as well as the team from a front office point of view. The Jays have had some Canadians in the lineup before but never a true star. Rob Ducey, Corey Koskie and Rob Butler are not headliners and truth be told Matt Stairs, though good is more of a journeyman. This pick could go a long way towards the Jays in fact becoming Canada’s Team by the fans and not just themselves.

Manchester United has accepted a transfer offer for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. on Thursday, This allows him to negotiate personal terms with the Spanish club. The Premier League champions received an unconditional offer of 80 million pounds (C$145.2 million) for Ronaldo. Kind of puts the Dany Heatley potential move seem a little less off putting from a numbers perspective. Then again it is Footy and who really cares.

Oh Dany Boy

So for a day that was supposed to be full of excitement and the potential to crown a champion it could not have fallen any shorter then what it did. There was bad news sprinkled in with worse news with a dash of terrible news. Just like they say, it came in 3’s.

First off the Pittsburgh Penguins decided not to roll over as they should have and won game 6 at home. Sure in a small way it is good to see a game 7 but now it looks like Pittsburgh is going to complete the comeback and take game 7 on the road in Detroit and become the Stanley Cup Champions. Not that I am cheering for one side over the other but more I didn’t want Pittsburgh to win. No real reason one way or another...just because.

2nd in the line of disappointments was the Magic-Lakers game. Again I was looking for LA to take a strangle hold on the series and basically put it out of reach with a win and go up 3-0. That didn’t happen and the Magic got right back into the mix as they held serve at home with a 4 point victory 108-104. The magic shot the ball with an unbelievable percentage throughout the game but it was also tight the whole way. If the Lakers can continue to play the team game they have been and Kobe manages to get out of the shooting slump he hit from the 2nd quarter through the end of the game.

Last and maybe the most difficult to swallow was the News that Dany Heatley has requested to be moved by the Ottawa Senators. It was like getting hit by a sledge hammer, running into a brick wall. Professional athletes often ask to be moved or request trades but this one is a little too close to home. If it was just about any other player I would not have an issue with it but we’re talking about Dany here. He is my favorite player on my favorite team and so I am doubly affected. My team takes a hit and now I am without a favorite player on the team. I will remain a Heatley fan, I was not just a fan because of the team but it sure made things a l lot easier. On the bright side I should be able to get a Heatley jersey on sale now. It is now up to Bryan Murray to work out a deal to bring in someone I can throw my weight behind and support, maybe I should be consulted on possible deal proposals.

To try and put a positive spin on this is that there is the potential for the team to get a new look and build in another direction and open up some space to be able to make some moves, whether it be through draft picks, prospects and/or an established player/players. If Murray can get a decent return then this could be a good thing for the TEAM going forward....but on a personal level, this sucks and I am now torn.

Best and Worst of the Weekend

Best
Roger Federer wins 14th Grand Slam and completes the career grand Slam.
Can retire the voodoo doll of Rafael Nadal he recently had made.

Worst
The performance that the Penguins showed in game 5 in Detroit.
After getting shellacked 5-0 and looking completely outmatched they will need to do what they did in games 3 & 4 at home or summer will be coming earlier then expected.

Best
Tiger Woods wins for the 4th time at Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial Tournament.
Not only did he come from well back but made yet another career shot in the process. The man must have ice water in his veins. Guess the cooling strip on those Gillette Fusion razor blades really are working for both him and Federer.

Worst
Bad luck on a yellow flag pit stop for Jimmie Johnson and a gamble on fuel by Tony Stewart shoved Jimmie to a 7th place finish at the 500 mile race at Pocono.
Jimmie had a dominant car and deserved the win. I would feel bad for him but I have seen the money he makes the 3 consecutive Cup Championships, being one of the best NASCAR drivers and of course I have seen his wife...now that I think of it, maybe I don’t like Jimmie anymore.

Best and Worst
Kobe and the Lakers defeated the Magic in Game 2 in overtime to take a 2-0 Lead in the series. Kobe is taking not only his leadership but also his play to another level. Not only is he a player he is a coach on the floor.
It was good to see a close fought basketball game but at times it was just dreadfully painful to watch how inept the teams were when shooting. Good defence is one thing but to not be able to hit open jump shots or layups as a professional basketball player should be more then a little embarrassing. Maybe it is just the culture where flash and street ball moves at the development level is more focused upon then fundamentals.

Worst
Brett Favre apparently has recently had arthroscopic surgery on his throwing shoulder, This could be a sign that the former Falcon, Packer and Jet is considering coming out of retirement.
Is this yet another case of Brett crying wolf? Usually it is a guys play at the end that tarnishes the legend or the legacy, not his soap opera style "will he or won’t he" saga that Brett seems to forever be in. I won’t be able to look at another pair of Wrangler Jeans the same again. At least when one of the top running backs left, Barry Sanders it was other people speculating that he would come back and not him but even that got old fast.

Historic Win - Federer The Best Ever?

Roger Federer’s win today at The French Open has probably solidified himself as the best tennis player of all time. He has tied the record for most Grand Slams in a career tying Peter Sampras with 14, in addition to that he became the 6th player in history to win a title at each of the 4 Grand Slams. He has been in the discussion for a long time, but right now, with this win over Robin Soderling you would be hard pressed to come up with an argument against him being designated as the best ever. His buddy Tiger Woods has 14 Majors he has 14 Majors coincidence? Probably but still cool.

In a match that he looked like he was always in control and the outcome not in doubt there was 1 brief moment when you thought that if anything was going to stop Roger it was going to be this incident. A knucklehead fan came out of the crowd and made a turn towards Federer. Roger backed away not knowing what to do or what was going on and more importantly what was going through the knucklehead fans mind. The guy took out a flag and began waving it. He was quickly grabbed but it at the very least shook up Federer or affected his concentration for a brief few moments. It was at that point the entire feel in the stadium changed. It could have gone off the tracks at that point but the mentally tough Federer managed to re focus and take control once again. It wasn’t until the last game that there was any real sign of emotion from the workmanlike performance from Roger. You could see him getting a little emotional knowing just how close he was to getting to his desired final goal.

Then it happened the ball from Soderling went into the net, Roger dropped to his knees and there were tears in his eyes that almost matched the rain that was now flowing from the sky. He had done it - 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 a straight sets victory.Very rarely in a sports event does so many people root for and want 1 single person to succeed but that was clearly the case at Roland Garos, it was a pro Federer crowd that know that they had the chance to be part of history.
In a classy move during the speech Soderling congratulated Federer by saying "Roger, really, congrats to you," .... "You really gave me a lesson in how to play tennis today. And to me you're the greatest player in history. So you really deserved to win this title." and showing more humor and credit stated that "Yesterday, me and my coach were joking," Soderling told Federer during the trophy ceremony. "You've beaten me nine times in a row, and we were joking nobody can beat me 10 times in a row. But we were wrong."

With Rafael Nadal hurting and pulling out of the Wimbledon warm up tournament it could be the opening for Federer to look to surpass Sampras with win #15 and just how fitting would it be for it to happen in England at Wimbledon.