First Sens Game Of The Year

After attending the Ottawa-Montreal pre-season game on Saturday night there are a few things that I have learned:

~Most Montreal fans are obnoxious, not all, that would be wrong to say as I know some good guys that like the team. Knowledgable fans are ok but seem to be in the minority. Heck before he Sens came along I have to say the were my favotite team. Maybe it is more the natives from that province that are the problem.

~ There are few things more annoying then stupid fans that don't know when and more importantly when not to sing the Ole Ole chant.

~ Full parking price for pre-season games should not be enforced

~ It is pre-season for everyone...especially the lady at the concession stand who had a lot of trouble working her cash register, pouring beer, giving back not only the correct change but any change at all ,and most importantly, there is in fact a difference between Canadian and Coors Light and when one orders a Coors they in fact would prefer a Coors. Granted a beer is a beer and not something to be wasted but when it comes to personal preference getting what you ordered would be a nice touch.

~ The free Pizza at Pizza Pizza only apparently applies for a 24hour period...therefore a Saturday night 6-1 is good for pizza on Sunday not Monday as well. Even if their pizza isn't that good to begin with, when you expect a free slice it is disappointing when there is no pizza to be found.
Now I am just hungry and bitter

~ The line of Mike Fisher Peter Regan and Nick Foligno proved to look pretty good. If Regan can stick with the club we may have a nice little line combo, If not maybe Nick and Mike can work well as a combo.

~ Erik Karlsson was a + 3 and looked not at all out of place. He seemed to handle the puck as well or better then any of the other Sens blue liners - him making the team may not be a bad thing at all

~ Erik Karlsson may make the team....Brian Lee is in tough to make the team out of camp as he was a) not drafted by the Murrays b)He is on a 2 way contract C) there are a lot of bodies already on the back end and d) his mane isn't Marc Staal...the player they should have drafted with the 9th pick that year

~Sitting in good seats kind of spoils you, especially when you know the next time you go to a game it will be up in the 300's again, wedged in like you are in a can of sardines...without the oil

~ Most importantly when you take a broad to the game and she wants to go meet up with a friend for a minute in another section for the love of god go to the washroom first before she leaves. If you don't you will be stuck standing in the hallway holding a very effeminate Teal purse doing a little dance in one place in extreme agony waiting for said person to return. Not to mention missing the beginning of the final period...lesson learned I suppose... but let me assure you I am no further ahead for gaining this knowledge after I needed to know it.

All in all a good experience for the first game of the season. Hopefully I will be able to get to more and they will be good games. Taking in games in person is always a good time.

Week 2 NFL Picks

Here are my Week 2 NFL picks versus the spread. I went over .500 with a 9-7 record last week so hopefully I can match that or better it this week. Tough games to pick this week. (just laying the ground work should I fall on my face this week)

Chipper Ponders Future

I have just recently seen some very unsettling news in regards to my favorite player in baseball. Atlanta Braves 3rd baseman and probable Hall of Fame inductee Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones. Chipper has hinted that if he does not have a good year and play up to his standards he may choose to retire following the 2010 season.

Chipper, 37, signed a three-year, $42-million contract extension in March that runs through 2012. He hit a career-best .364 last year, his third straight season over .320. But he has fallen to .269 this year. Injuries have been an issue over the last several years, he has reached 500 at-bats only once in his last six seasons, due to a long list of injuries. It began with constant foot problems then this year there have been issues with oblique muscle and lower back pain. "If I back up this year with the same kind of year next year, I don't want to play the game," Chipper told The Associated Press. "The game is not fun to me when I'm not playing up to my standards.
Jones ranks among the baseball's top switch-hitters. His 424 career homers rank third all-time for switch-hitters, trailing Mickey Mantle (536) and Eddie Murray (504). His career batting average is second to Frankie Frisch's .316 mark. He was also the NL MVP in 1999.

Jones has only 16 homers, 64 RBIs and a career-low .435 slugging percentage this season. But he says he believes he is physically capable of delivering the power he showed in 2007, when he hit 29 homers with 102 RBIs.

I have been a Braves fan since 1990 and enjoyed the great and historic run of 14 straight division championships and the World Series victory in 1995. I have followed Chipper’s career since he was drafted, come into the Braves system, and then become the back bone that Bobby Cox counted on for so many years with this great team. He is one of a very small number of players who look like they may just end their career playing for one team. Not something that you see too often in any sport anymore in the era of free agency. That will surely be the case if he does decide to hang it up after next year. Although he has never seemed to be the warmest of players but you never hear that he has trouble or issues with any of his teammates or coaches. Plus he and I have something in common...we both like going to the local Hooters.

A true team player he has done just about anything to help the team. He has restructured contracts to free up money so the team can either retain or sign other players that will help keep the team a winner. He came up as a short stop but moved to 3rd to sure up that spot. When they had the opportunity to get some big bats he made to shift to Left Field even though he was an All Star at Third. He then made the shift back into the infield when that proved to help out the team. Not a lot of All Stars would be willing to make that personal sacrifice for the good of the team. He is confident but not cocky, he is truly a winner and a leader and I only hope that he has a great year next year and decides to play out his contract. It is a special thing when your favorite player plays on your favorite team and stays there for the long haul. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. Chipper will go down as one of the most celebrated Braves of all time. The always say that Derek Jeeter is a true Yankee...Chipper Jones is a true Brave

Good Luck Chipper lets keep it going for just a little bit longer.

Quick Hits

After a big win in the Big House my Michigan Wolverines have made it back to the cover of SI (look real close, top right corner). After a year of dread they are bag in the top 25...Sure it will likely only last a week or two but after the last couple years a 2 week rise to the top is worth celebrating. Wow, what a sad state of affairs when a 1" pic on the cover of SI is monumental.

John Tavares made his debut with the Islanders last night and was left off the scoreboard. I have heard more then one of the so called sports people say he disappointed by not scoring. Good lord people settle down. He's 18 in his first game action and it is only pre-season. I know that he comes in with high hopes but lets be realistic about what he is going to do and how quick he is going to come along. It took Steve Stamkos half a season to get his stride and Bobby Ryan (second pick after Sidney Crosby) played his final year in the OHL and then time in the AHL before he started lighting it up with the Ducks.

In soccer news, guys ran around, balls were passed back and forth and a bunch of players fell down in what appeared to be in immense pain - only to be back playing minutes later. In one game there was even a few shots taken and a couple actually went in....crazy all the action.

Kerri Walsh recently made a call to her Olympic partner Misty May-Treanor and the two have decided to pair up in the Ryder Cup style beach volleyball match. Though Misty may not be at 100% it will still great to see the two of them playing side by side again.

The sooner baseball can get to the playoffs the better. When we can get to a time where all the games count and every pitch is more important then the last the more exciting things will be. When you are at the end of September the majority of the games are basically garbage time...Time to bring on the playoffs!!

Be A Fan - Not A Fanatic

It is bad when fans riot after losing a game Sure it is not a good feeling but there is no excuse for acting like a jackass. Probably the only thing worse is doing the same thing after your team actually wins. It is one thing to celebrate a victory but deciding that the best way to show your team pride is to go out an set a fire or flip a Taurus...That is Taurus not tourist. Although both would be pretty bad and get you in a lot of trouble!

After Monday nights New England- Buffalo football game there was plenty of blame to go around after a horrible decision to run back a late punt by Bills return man Leodis McKelvin. McKelvin ended up coughing up the ball and the Pats recovered and from there went on to go down and score the game winning Touchdown. The Bills all but had the game won and that unbelievable decision cost them the victory.

Sure that was bad and fans should be outraged. It was a brutal play, a bad decision and should not be tolerated by the coaches but that is where it needs to end...unfortunately it did not. McKelvin returned home at around 1 a.m. Tuesday and discovered a message that included the game's score next to an obscenity painted in white in front of his home in suburban Buffalo. McKelvin said he doesn't want anyone arrested and still considers Bills fans to be the greatest and that may be the case but it is sad that it is always the rotten apple that spoils the bunch.

"I'm hoping it was just a bunch of kids, who probably didn't realize how big of an issue this would be," said his teammate Kawika Mitchell. "If it was some adults, that just makes it even more scary." ...He couldn’t be more right, especially coming off of the Sean Taylor tragedy where he was shot and killed in his home by intruders following a botched burglary attempt in November 2007. It is incidents like this that provoke players to carry and/or own guns.

This type of incident has happened before up here in Canada as well, so don’t think it was strictly an American thing. In the 2004 CFL playoffs Paul McCallum missed a crucial 18 yard field goal in an overtime game against the BC Lions. The Roughriders went on to lose the game, and outraged fans vandalized McCallum's northwest Regina home with eggs, dumped manure on his neighbour's property, and uttered death threats to his family. The incident made national news, and the football club and Regina's mayor Pat Fiacco both denounced the vandalism as an "isolated incident" of "hooliganism".

On the comedy show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Shaun Majumder (playing a Roughriders GM) apologized for calling McCallum "a bum who could be outkicked by a goat missing a leg".

Lots of us get very involved in sports and our favorite teams but there is a line that should never be crossed. At the end of the day one must remember that these are people with families and deserve a little respect.

"Juan" Huge Upset At The US Open

Argentine youngster Juan Martin del Potro shocked five-time defending champion Roger Federer in five sets (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), on Monday night to capture the title at the U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam event of the year. Due to weather the Men's Finals were pushed from the usual Sunday finish and took place late afternoon.

It was because of that it was one of those sporting events that you flip back and forth to while watching something else, kind of of a oh by the way there is a Major Title on the line right now. At first you look at the score and think good for the young kid, he is holding his own with the big dawg and at least keeping it competitive. Then you look back later and see a lot of 6's and 7's on the scorecard and think - this match must be over Federer must take this, until you take a closer look and do some quick math and think "Oh Man this could be one HUGE upset, can this kid actually take down the greatest player of all time...a man who hasn't lost in 41 straight matches at the US Open"

Federer seemed to have some issues with the officiating during the match as there were some questionable calls and rules interpretations that caused him to uncharacteristically vocal and did drop a few "Bombs" and some "Swears". It was nothing like the verbal assault that that Williams sister exploded into thank goodness. His public image is a lot more important then her's.

del Potro managed not only to win but also became the first player to knock off both Federer and Nadal in the same tournament. This can only help his confidence going forward. The 20-year-old del Potro earned $1.6 million for winning the U.S. Open and an additional $250,000 for finishing third in the U.S. Open Series. He also received a Lexus IS convertible automobile. Not a small accomplishment for a 20 year old (although he looks like he is 30 - he is no Greg Oden but he looks well beyond his years)

In any event this was one major upset and one great US Open final.

Week One Picks Wrap Up

So on the first week of NFL Football picks versus the spread I came out above .500 and that is a pretty good start for me. For the weekend games I went 9-6 but I also got the Thursday night game wrong so that brings the grand total to 9-7. With that record in the NFL I would be right on the cusp of making the playoffs. It is a good start and hopefully I can build on that success next week and get a little better each week.

Where I got into the most trouble was expecting too much from New England, San Diego and Indianapolis and underestimating Mark Sanchez of the Jets.


The way I figure it I wouldn't want to do any better on week one. I now have some room to get better, you don't want to set the bar too high too fast and have the Tiger Woods syndrome(where you may do good by other peoples standards but bad compared to yourself). Plus If I had done any better I may have been able to convince myself that I am better then I really am at picking games and I should play more Proline. Like they say on the commercials "Know your limit, play within it"

Weekend Wrap Up...Sunday Edition

As you are all aware based on my post regarding Saturday’s day in sports, Sunday was not to be outdone. It was the “true” kickoff of the 2009 NfL season with a full slate of games...a jam packed lineup. There was a lot of games that ended in blowouts or at least double digit wins. It may not make for the most entertaining of games but for week one any NFL football is good football. You can take notice that I didn't include any CFL updates as there would need to be something REAL BIG to happen to justify the space.

~ There was one of the craziest finishes in the Denver-Cincinnati that you will see in football when a tiped ball on a Hail Mary at the end of the game resulted in a crushing loss by the Bungles errr- Bengals.
~ In Green Bay Aaron Rogers went old school Brett Favre and orchestrated a late comeback to take down the Bears (Jay Cuttler threw 3 INT in his debut after being the toast of the off season and Brian Urlacher dislocated his wrist and may be lost for the year...not a good start).
~The Lions were the Lions and went to 0-18 as predicted.
~ Mike Vick was in a box watching his Eagles teammates and had a good view of Donovan McNabb going down with a injured and maybe broken rib...he has 1 more week for his suspension then maybe week 3 you may see Vick under center. That could be very interesting for both the Eagles and the NFL.
~ Rookie Matt Sanchez was solid in debut as Jets stymie the Texans...just another USC QB Standout. They may now be the second best QB factory next to Michigan - high praise indeed.

There was also some tennis being played and it was in the first mens Quarter Finals that there was a pretty big upset. #2 Rafael Nadal was taken down by #6 Juan Martin del Potro 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Nadal was looking to complete the career Grand Slam but fell short and will have to wait at least another year for a chance at the US Open. del Potro was just to much for Nadal and will go on to play in the finals on Monday, weather permitting.

#1Roger Federer took on #4 Novak Djokovic in the other Quarter Final. Federer prevailed with a 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5 victory sending him to the finals. Federer is going for his 5th straight US Open. I guess that it wouldn't be a US Open without Roger in the finals.

Tiger Woods coasted to a runaway victory at BMW Championship Not surprising when pretty much lapping the field...It turned into a tournament for second place

What was overlooked on my Saturday summary was the Hall of Fame induction speech by Michael Jordan. Many have criticized him for being petty, arrogant and for lack of a better term putting himself on a pedestal looking down on everyone. There was no evidence of him being humble and talked about as much trash in his acceptance speech as he did on the court. Not a classy move but I guess we can’t expect any more from a guy who was never a team player and was known for berating players and teammates alike, trying to get guys traded and demanding that people be fired. In the book the Jordan Rules it give a true look at the kind of person that Jordan really is... detached from reality, not willing to let go and being stubborn and defiant until the end. I liked it better when I didn’t know what he was really like. The image of greatness I remember was much more pleasing.

What A Weekend - Saturday Edition

You know that it is getting close to fall. The sports scene is amped up and Saturdays and Sundays are jammed packed with games, big time games and tournaments, big time tournaments. Saturday was the first of these days and there was no lack of drama and stories, some were great and some were bad.

Lets start with the bad: Serena Williams - I never liked her. She never seemed to be that committed to tennis, playing only when she wanted too .The way that she carries herself leaves something to be desired. She always struck me as spoiled and a whinnier. That seemed to shine through at the US Open on Saturday when she was called on a foot fault. She then verbally abused the judge, pointing her racket and finger and yelling at her."I'm (expletive) going to take this ball and shove it down your (expletive) throat." When the judge went to the chair umpire to talk and complain about the situation Williams then disputed with the chair umpire and supervisor. A code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct was called by the umpire -- the call awarded the next point to Kim Clijsters, which ended the match with a 6-4, 7-5 final. With that the game was over and Clijsters was awarded the match. Williams said after the Match - "I haven't really thought if I have any regrets," about the tirade. "I try not to live my life saying, 'I wish, I wish,' but I was out there and I tried and I did my best." I hope that this sticks with her and tarnishes any legacy that she may have - It was just a classless move.

Now the good, and there was plenty of that to go around so I will just hit them all with some quick points because there are just too many to cover in depth.

~ My Michigan Wolverines completed a comeback upset over the 18th ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. For a team that was just awful last year and have undergone a lot of turmoil over the first 2 weeks off the field this was a great win. The fact that it was lead by a freshman QB was icing on the cake...the cherry I suppose was that it was versus The Irish, the only 2 things better is a National Championship or beating Ohio State.


~ Speaking of Ohio St, they were beaten on a last minute drive by USC also lead by a true freshman QB. It was a drive that may be one of the best you will see all season. When you take into account the plays that were made, the players involved and being on the road in a hostile environment at “The” Ohio State. The win was huge for a potential run at the National Championship. In college football you can’t win a championship in the first few weeks...but you sure can loose one in that time.

~ The chosen one Tim Tebow led the University of Florida to destroy Troy 56-6. Tebow ended the day with 237 yards throwing and tied a career high with four touchdown passes on 15-of-24 efficiency and added 71 yards and a score on 13 carries. I think he is still in the Heisman race


~ Tiger was Tiger and even for him did something amazing. Woods broke the course record at Cog Hill and blew away the field Saturday in the BMW Championship with a 9-under 62 that gave him a seven-shot lead at -16. He is sure to be in the lead of the FedEx Cup standings and is poised to take that title again. Even with no majors this year he is still the Player of the Year. The guy is a machine and it proves that the only one who can beat Tiger is Tiger himself.

~ The New season for NASCAR starts this week and the Chase for the Championship is here. The top 12 drivers are “In the playoffs” and all have a chance to take home the title. Jimmie Johnson is in the hunt for a 4th title in a row but that will be very difficult as there are 11 others that want it bad and that leaves the odds highly against him.

And that was just Saturday, I will hit on Sundays action in my next post...What a weekend in sports!!

Idiot Plays Proline...Wins and Loses

Despite my better judgement I played 2 tickets, just to dip my toe into the water as week 1 is always an unknown. First ticket was a success, just a conservative cover my ass ticket that I usually get screwed over on by a last second Field Goal. Payout was small but the satisfaction was huge.

Now onto the lesson learned portion:
Measure twice cut once - - Always check your work and so on and so fourth.

On another modest ticket that was to be played I got all the games right! This is like...I can't put it to words!! HOWEVER...selecting on the submitted ticket game 6 instead of game 8 makes a huge difference. In the game I thought I was betting on I had Minnesota over Cleveland which was correct the game I actually selected I had KC Chiefs winning by 4 over Baltimore that was not going to happen the ticket was done before kickoff. In KC's defence the were tied 24-24 late in the 4th giving a little false hope into a big payday but I knew it was nothing but a pipe dream.

Lesson learned- until the next time. At least I recouped my loss and came out a very little ahead...$2.60 is still $2.60!!!

NFL Picks - Week 1

Here are my week 1 NFL Picks.

Through out the season I will be posting my weekly picks vs the spread. Hopefully I will have a good season of prognosticating and look forward to bettering my record from that of last year. That is what we all aspire to do right, get a little better all the time?

This is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used for gambling. If it is used for gambling do so at your own risk as my past record is less then stellar.

Here is to a great season of football...Time for Kickoff!

Done Deal Heatley To San Jose!

So there you have it, the game is over, the dance is done and the fat lady has sung. After months of uncertainty, speculation, and wonder the Ottawa Senators have completed a trade that has sent Dany Heatley and a 5th round pick to the San Jose Sharks. In return the Senators get Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick.


I can say that I have no idea at this point if I like this deal or not as far as the Senators go.Looks like in the end Bryan Murray was forced to cave and just give in. This may be the best deal that was available to avoid a distraction at camp but it looks like they didn’t win in this deal. They didn’t save any real money as Michalek earns $4,333,333 an Cheechoo $3,000,000. Just a 2 for 1 with a better pick next year.


Is this a better deal then Edmonton offered? (Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, and Ladislav Smid.) Probably not, even though i didn’t much care for that one either but beggers can’t be choosers in a case like this I suppose. Maybe this frees Murray up to make some more deals as the season goes on, who knows, guess we will wait and see.

I still value Heatley very highly and he will remain my favorite player, regardless of the shennaniganz of the last 4 months. His presence in the San Jose lineup with the likes of Marleau, and Thornton amongst others will only help out the Sharks. They needed a shake up as they try to get over the hump and that is just what they get with Heater. For Ottawa, Cheechoo, who will likely play with Spezza does have a season where he managed to light up the net but that was 2005-2006 and is coming of of a jut dreadful season where he managed just 12 goals. Hopefully having a skilled center like Spezza setting him up he can get his trigger finger ready to fire. Milan Michalek is an interesting player and one with an upside. He had 23 goals 34 assists for 57 points. I have no idea where he will play, maybe along side Kovalev.

In a quote on his way out of town he said: ''I'm excited obviously, I'm excited to be a Shark,'' Heatley said. ''I want to thank everyone in Ottawa, the organization the fans, and the city. I had a great four years here (and) I'm happy to move on.'' Also Dany said ''I don't think I did anything wrong asking for a trade,'' - ''I have my reasons for it. If people think differently of me that's fine but I believe I did nothing wrong and I'm happy to move on.'' I know I am in the minority in Ottawa but I am going to wish him well, up until May he was a model citizen. He was great with fans, great in the community. He did take time to sign autographs and talk to people when approached. Like I said I never had a problem with him and he gave the team and the fans a hell of a 4 years and a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sports may be a game of what have you done for me lately but lets not forget too fast what good he did while he was here.

I will undoubtedly have more to say on the Heatley and Senators in the near future so feel free to drop by and have a read later.

Alone At The Top - Jeter Passes A Legand

The Captian came through on Friday night, cementing his place in Yankee lore. With a third inning single Derek Jeter surpassed Yankee legend, the Iron Horse- Lou Gehrig Leave it to Jeeets to do it on the anniversary of 9/11, a day that is so important to America and even more so in New York.

Going into the game Jeter was tied with Gehrig with NO. 2,721 hits, most of any Yankee all time. It is kind of surprising that of all the great players that have played for the Yanks that there has never been a member of the 3,000 hit club. Gehrig probably would have reached that mark had his career ended so suddenly in 1939 and then two years later, he passed away at the age of 37 from the disease that would later bear his name.

Jeter is younger then Lou was and should have enough baseball left in him to reach the 3,000 mark. Now I am a firm believer that the Yankees are the baseball version of the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are loved by many and fans are arrogant, obnoxious and loud. The kind of people that you just can’t stand to be around. They are the people that think that the team is the greatest thing since sliced bread and that they can do no wrong and any bit of reasoning or logic just falls on deaf ears. Sure it is annoying but there is little that one can do. I also understand that the sport is better for them, We have to face it baseball is good when the Yankees are good, It may make you sick, and it should but it is the truth - it really is true there is a fine line between love and hate.

It is with all that information that we have to acknowledge just how good Derek Jeter is and what a great player, leader and person he is. He is the James Bond of baseball....Guys want to be him, girls want to be with him. He is one of the smartest players in the game and has the looks and the skills that most people only dream of. Doing it all on the biggest of stages, as captain of the New York Yankees just ads to the appeal. When all is said and done he will likely be one of the most decorated Yankees of all time, he is already in the same breath as Mantle, Maris, Ruth, Gehrig and Domaggio. I am sure that Mr. Steinbrenner was of the most pleased to see Derek reach this Yankee milestone.

Thursday Night Pick

Football is here and tonight is the kickoff on NBC - Enjoy the action!

Tennessee vs Pittsburgh -6.5
Pittsburgh is still a strong team. Tennessee's defence is not as good since Albert Hainsworth left.
Take the defending champs and Big Ben - give the 6.5 pts

Cinderella Story Comes To An End for 17yr Old

Last night the clock struck 12:00 on the Cinderella story that was Melanie Oudin. After her recent run at US Open she has become America’s tennis princess. Oudin, 17, has become a household name at the U.S. Open, upsetting Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova. ‘’I can compete with these top girls," Oudin said after defeating Sharapova. "And if I believe in myself, and my game, then I can beat them.’’ Very poised for a young player.

The story was both on the court and off as her "unscheduled" winning streak made her stay in New York last a little longer then anyone would have thought...especially whom ever represents her and books her accommodations. For a short time on Sunday, she had no place to stay. The 17-year-old and her family were forced to leave the Marriott Times Square hotel this weekend after their reservation had ended. Since nobody expected Oudin to still be playing in the second week of the tournament no extension was ever requested. She was quickly found new accommodations but not a distraction that a 17 year old needs in the middle of an unexpected Major Championship run.

On the tennis side of things she didn’t have any of the same difficulties. Oudin is the youngest American woman in the U.S. Open quarterfinals since Serena Williams a decade ago. It is not like she has had a free pass by any means either knocking off some pretty big names in the process. Maybe being so young was a good thing as maybe she was able to just go out and play and not have to think about what was happening. You can play much looser and much more free when there isn’t any pressure on you...a luxury that she will likely no longer have. She has opened the eyes of many people and the expectations have increased substantially in a very short period of time.

Oudin run was halted by ninth seeded 19yr old Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the quarterfinals 6–2, 6–2 Wednesday night. It was cool after the match during the interviews that they said basically - we don’t usually talk to the looser, but this is no looser- an interesting way to start an interview for sure. After talking with her the spoke with Wozniacki, who did just a great job playing to the interviewer and the crowd. She basically said I know that everyone here wasn’t rooting against me but rooting for Melanie, and she hoped that in the process that she won some people over and that they would root for her in her next match, which they probably will. It was a great interview and showed that she was not only a good player but a good person and a great winner.

It is great to have those stories along with some good tennis, especially on the woman's side. With Sharapova now gone and my little interest in either of the Williams sisters (Serena more so, she just bugs the crap out of me). Federer and Nadal may be on course to collide with each other on the men's so that is always great. It really makes for a more compelling tournament when you can have great action on the court and the coming out party of a young player, especially a young American at the US Open.

Time To Lace Them Up And Hit The Ice

Thankfully the rookies are on the ice and the real camps will start up on the weekends for most of the other NHL teams in the league. I think everyone can agree that it was a long off season for not only the Ottawa Senators and their fans but fans of hockey in general. Around the league there has been a lot off off ice issues that have done nothing but make the league look bad, alienate fans and annoy just about anyone with any sort of vested interest in the NHL and professional hockey.

Locally, the Senators ended strong but still had a very disappointing season, making for an even longer off season. Of course there is little doubt where most of the interest lies, that of course is what is going to happen with Dany Heatley. Is he staying, is he going, where does he want to go, where will he not, why does he want to leave, how is this going to affect roster moves by the team? All valid questions and deserving of answers even if none seem close to being answered. The only people that are benefitting are the rumor bloggers that throw out names and "time lines" in hopes that maybe they can will something to happen or to merely keep coming back and getting plenty of hits to see what and if there was any developments....Is it going to happen to day? Nothing happening ...they can’t have him back, and so on and so forth. Ahhhhh Ahhhh Ahhhhh this is an ordeal!

Next there is the situation involving the Phoenix Coyotes. Who is going to own the team? Where are they going to play? Can the NHL get the team and if so how long will they stay in Phoenix? Will Jim Balsillie get the team? Can he move it? If so, for how much? If he get the team will the leagues board allow him to join the league? Can you own a team but not be allowed into the league? Painful questions every one of them. Yes looking at this list the are a lot of questions and there is a noticeable omission right here and that is ANY ANSWERS. I don’t think anyone at least on the fan side of things care. It is too bad because for the first time in maybe ever the team is starting to make progress on the ice and has the potential to be good on the ice...where that ice is may be interesting and who is signing the pay checks is any ones guess.

Then there is the ownership problems in Tampa where Len Barrie and Oren Koules can’t seem to get along and It looks like the NHL has stepped in to try to get one to buy the other one out. Infighting and a lack of direction was a big issue, hopefully Brian Lawton can keep the train rails.
Speaking of ownership, William (Boots) Del Biaggio III , former owner of the Nashville Predators, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for bilking investors and banks...that is some good due diligence by the NHL, yet Jim Balsillie is bad....whatever.

What we need now is a distraction, and that distraction is players on the ice, competing for jobs, preparing for the season, and even for a lucky few looking to start hot and work their way onto their respective countries Olympic and World Junior rosters.

The Day The Music..Err.. Local Sports Radio Died

It may be time to look for a new TEAM... No I am not talking about Baseball, Hockey, Football or Basketball...I am talking about Sports Radio.

They say that video killed the radio star, but for that to be true there would have to be a star to kill. That is clearly not the case on Ottawa’s Sports Radio, The Team 1200. This little rant/post comes on the heals of the news that there is another change-up in regards to the on-air “talent” that the station will be throwing out on the airwaves.

It is like the management is making a deliberate effort to kill the station putting at least 1 person on each show that make a 3 hour show nearly un-listenable. TGOR (Three Guys On The Radio) has a new look as thy seem to have effectively traded “Stuntman” Stu to BOB FM for former TEAM morning host JR. JR is a fine addition as he is polished and competent but the loss of Stu is not a good thing. If they wanted a good and strong morning show dropping the dead weight would be a good start. “Jungle Jim’s” return following the untimely death of Buzz was one of the worst decisions that could have been made and retaining him is not in the best interest of the station. At the time maybe a familiar voice may have been a good bridge while a new replacement could have been ok, but only in the short term. His inability to be entertaining and his delivery is less then desirable at least in the sports radio format. Steve is a solid radio guy and when he stays on the rails is effective and some what interesting. If they focused on sports and not demeaning the 3rd co-host all the time it would make for a decent show. The only saving grace is Pierre McGuire from 8:08-8:30ish.

Then there is Glen Kulka and Lee Versage the afternoon fill in’s an usual hosts of Over The Edge 9-Noon. Kulka may have done a lot in his athletic career and continues to do so in MMA but that does not qualify him to be a radio host. Radio is supposed to be theatre of the mind, not a headache waiting to happen. When it is a constant battle to use the right words, and not make up words, constant repetition of the term “ Most Defiantly” just drives one up the wall. There is nothing worse on the radio is a host that feels the need to get louder and louder to try to make a point when half the time he doesn't understand the counter position that either other host are making or the callers themselves. If they need that slot filled maybe throwing on the Dan Patrick Show would be a smart decision, he actually has real guests and actually talks about sports. If there is concern that there won’t be enough hockey talk with Patrick 9-12 and Jim Rome 12-3, that could be made up with the morning show and the drive show.

As far as the 3-6 show, The Healthy Scratches with Steve Lloyd and Jason York is actually entertaining. York may not be always be at the best but it is entertaining for the most part. Lloyd does a good job and actually sounds like he should be on the radio.

The 6-7 slot with the Petros and Money guy with Chris Meyers is un-listenable. All it is is one person yelling over the other none really having anything good to say...not a good collection of radio gold throughout the day. During business hours one can get real sports radio on the Internet but in the car during the commute there are very few options. It is getting to the point where satelite radio may soon be the only option.
At least with XM there is all NHL Hockey Games, NBA Basketball, PGA Golf, Indy Car, ACC, SEC, PAC 10 and Big 10 NCAA Coverage. Serius has some interesting perks, most notably NFL Football and NASCAR but that is about it and I don’t think that is enough to get the job done. With Channels that feature the likes of Hockey Night in Canada Radio, CBC sports, CFL coverage, Soccer, Lacrosse, Hardcore Sports leaves something to be desired.

LA Temptation DL - Niki Ghazian

The nights are getting colder and the days are getting shorter and that is the signal that football time is upon us. Now I know that some people will focus on the CFL but that doesn't count. There is the NFL but it is still a bit away. Some others will mention the debut of the Friday night games from the Lingerie Football League but probably for a different reason. Football is football and all three have that in common but each game bringsits own element of entertainment. All three can involve some fun extra elements to a viewer...gambling of course, mind out of the gutters people. So above is a gratuitous photo, just because.

Ok now to the real business, which was, ah....oh yeah football. Kickoff has taken place in the ranks of the NCAA as of this weekend and already there has been some do-in’s a transpiring. On Thursday in the Boise St. game a player from Oregon, LeGarrette Blount lost his mind and did his best to go all Ron Artest and sucker punched another player not during the game but after the game, He then took a shot at one of his own players and then looked to get into the stands before being held back and taken away. So what was the start to his teams season may and should mark the end of his own season.

Some early Highlights
~ Notre Dame needed to start strong just to save face, they did with a 35-0 win
~ Michigan, which had the worst season maybe ever in Ann Arbour last year, allegations of NCAA practice violations and a coach involved in a legal Real Estate situation also needed a big win did so with a 31-7 win
~ In a huge upset not only to the team but for Heiseman candidate Sam Bradford as Oklahoma lost 14-13 to BYU
~ The #1 Florida Gators led by the chosen one Tim Tebow held on in a tight one 62-3
~ Unfortunately Ohio St. held on to win in a tight one over Navy winning by 4. Stupid Buckeyes

If this is how the season is going to go it should prove to be very entertaining and full of story lines...and we havn’t even mentions the giant elephant in the room, yep thats it the dreaded BCS debate which will sure to show it’s dirty little head, probably sooner then we all may want and/or think.

Enjoy the Saturday pigskin action, maybe the only sport where each regular season game can make or break any hope of a title opportunity!

Morphin' Into An MMA Fighter

Jason David Frank, the Green and White Power Ranger is set to become an MMA fighter....seems like a natural transition There is no word if he will be bringing the Dragon Power Coin or either the Sword of Darkness or the Dragon Dagger to the ring with him as a good luck charm or possible weapons if things start to go bad. As of yet Zordon has yet to sign on as his trainer or mentor in his endeavour into the Octagon.

JDF has signed on with Suckerpunch Entertainment to begin his fighting career. JDF has been training with UFC lightweight Melvin Guillard and has been working on his ground fighting skills, a discipline he was lacking when he first thought about entering MMA in 2007 (before it fell through and forced him to put off his debut).
"My style was missing the ground fighting. I have my blue belt in BJJ from Gracie Baja now, but we needed to have that ground game integrated into Tose Kune Do. There was a blank there. So we added wrestling, BJJ, etc., to it," Frank said

He already has a strong background in martial arts as he started when he was 4 and holds a sixth degree black belt in karate. In 1994 he created his own martial art, Tose Kune Do, The Way of the Fighting Fist. He is also a member of the World Karate Union Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Chuck Norris and Dan "The Beast" Severn.

This may be funny and on the surface look like a joke but who knows, he may surprise some people and make a name for himself as JDF and not just a guy from a kids show that rode around in a giant mechanical dinosaur. At the very least his career may be interesting to follow. I will tell you one thing, I will make a special point to watch if he can Kimberly aka. The Pink Ranger (Actress: Amy Jo Johnson) to stand in his corner!!

Leclaire's New Headgear

Pascal Leclaire's new mask

I like it, it has original O with the red and black stripes and the Warrior on the side which is nicely detailed. My only criticism would be that it has the look of a World of Warcraft character. I just hope that this isn't a sign that he is going to spend too much time online playing make believe and not focusing on being a #1 goaltender. There doesn't seem to be much on the front in the forehead are which looks a little odd but I will still give it a thumbs up. The rest of his gear is to have a red, black and white barber pole look to it. He is with Sherwood and they have come up with his gear to have a similar look and colour scheme from the Original Senators look from the 1920's.
Now if he can manage to stop a few pucks and not just look good in the nets then that will go a long way towards him being embraced by fans and management.

Best and Worst For A Wednesday

Best: If you are Roberto Luongo, signing a 12-year contract extension worth $64M is definitely a best. If you are the Vancouver Canucks you hope that he continues to be the goalie he is now for a looooog time and remains healthier then another long term contract goalie that plays for the Islanders. If that is the case it may be a win win.

Worst: World No. 1 Dinara Safina had to come from behind in the third set in order to win her first-round match. She narrowly avoided being the first #1 seed to fall in the first round of a US Open. There is no reason it should have been as close as it was.

Best: Adam "Pacman" Jones is going the Canadian route to get back into the NFL. It appears that he will suit up for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I know that the CFL isn’t the most compelling thing to watch but this has the potential to be a train wreck which is always fun to see. Plus revenue at local strip clubs are likely to go up and patrons can make money going to the rippers if Pacman decides to make it rain.

Worst: Adam "Pacman" Jones is on his way to the CFL. It is like this league is the equivalent to house arrest for troubled NFL players?

Best: Ottawa Senators defenceman Jason Smith has announced his retirement. After 16 NHL seasons, 1,008 games and being captian of 2 clubs he is able to walk away on a high note. Also this frees up the Sens for $2.6M off their cap in the event that they can’t move Heatley before teh beginning of the season or if they do make a move may allow them to make another move for scoring help upfront...where they may be lacking.

Worst: Anything that comes out of the Phoenix courtroom today as Judge Redfield T. Baum determines whether Jim Balsillie can remain in the hunt for the Coyotes. This saga over the club and who owns it or where they may play is played out and it is probably safe to say that most people just want to end the madness

The Coverage Of Sports

As many may be aware TSN, as part of their 25th anniversary has been on the road with their Sportscenter broadcasts hitting different city’s and towns across the country.
Kraft signed on as the title sponsor and is giving $25,000 to each stop on the trip to help in funding for various sports facilities. Great for TSN and great for the cities that were involved.

Today marked the day that TSN hit the "airwaves" for the first time in 1984 at 12 noon. This changed the way that people in this country could follow and watch sports. September 1 is a very significant day for all sports programming across the board. It is 30 years to the day for ESPN to hit the air as the first all sports programing network on September 1, 1979 as well as the 20th Anniversary for TSN’s french sister station RDS which came on September 1, 1989.

We may take it for granted now, having all this coverage of events and information at our fingertips but imagine a time when that wasn’t so. We can get a Jays game almost every night of the week and if there isn’t a game you can probably find a Red Sox or Yankees game picked up. Long are the days where you were lucky to get 1 game a week on a Saturday. Wide world of sports was where you would get to see a game and not always in its entirety. During the winter there is close to a game a week thanks to these channels. I don’t much care for the blackouts that they have for regional games. I think that If I am paying for 4 Sportsnet channels I should be privy to everything that they show just because I am in the Sens region doesn't mean that I don't appreciate watching a Calgary Flames game.. Just another of my major issues with some of the sports leagues and the CRTC. Having the option to see these events is still great to have even with the restrictions.

For the sports lovers out there, this is an anniversary that you should not miss and continue to honor each year!

Damp Day For NASCAR In The MTL

NACSAR came roaring back to Canada in the only true NASCAR event of the season. Sure there is a NASCAR Canada series but when you have former Montreal Canadians defence man Patrice Brisbois driving in those races chances are it isn’t an All Star event. At the 2.7-mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Carl Edwards passed Marcus Ambrose on basically the last turn on the last lap in a race that saw Ambrose lead for the majority of the race. It was 1 mistake that was mad but it was a big one at just the wrong time when he jumped the curb and became airborne opening the door for a quick move to the lead. Ambrose was none too pleased as this was the 3rd time he has been screwed over in some way at this race. Twice it was his own doing but it really seems like he is snake bitten on this track. He always seems to have a great car and a great race right until the end when the "wheels come off" and he has to settle for a finish that he clearly did not deserve.

Again at the Montreal NASCAR Nationwide race it was, I don’t want to say was marred but was affected by rain and tough driving. The marathon race lasted nearly four hours, with 11 cautions and 31 laps run behind the pace car It seems that this race is scheduled every year during the rainy season in Montreal. The only saving grace is that it is a road course and they are able to break out the Goodyear rain tires. I believe this was the first place that NASCAR has gone to these tires and got to do so again. There was a delay as teams were allotted 5 minutes to install rain tires, wipers, tail lights, apply Rainex, and some guys even changed visors from the regular tinted ones to a clear style.

Canadians were well represented in this race yet again with varied success. Veteran Ron Fellows had a bad day that ended early. Patrick Carpentier who finished second in each of the first two Nationwide events in Montreal was forced to retire after engine trouble only 15 laps in. On the positive side Andrew Ranger managed a 3rd place finish. In shocking news Jacques Villeneuve actually finished the race for the first time in what seems like EVER and managed a great fourth place finish. Relative unknown Jean-Francois Dumoulin scored a seventh place finish.

What is great is despite the weather the fans stayed throughout. The city seems to love auto racing either NASCAR or F1 or Cart and that support should keep the race coming back as they move forward.

As a weird little side note, it is the only NASCAR event held outside the United States and it produced a rare statistic -- three of the top five finishers were non-American (maybe a sign that it is getting more international and continuing to separate itself from the southern red neck stereotype that still lingers).

Storming The Banks Of Lake Minnetonka

Not unlike Sports Illustrated who ran a cover that said 100% Favre Free Issue, I hope that this is one of the few postings that I will have to make regarding Brett Favre. I hope that everyone enjoyed my little song that I wrote a week ago.

Who said that the Circus isn’t alive and well? To prove that look no further then Brett Favre back in the NFL with Minnesota ...Shocking! Does anyone remember the story of the boy who cried wolf? Clearly no one in the media does. To any of those who thought that he was actually going to walk away and not play this year were either in denial or delusional. This guy for the last, probably 4 years has played the same game with the media and played out his decision for as long as he could. Do I blame Brett for not knowing if he wanted to play or not, NO. Do I blame Brett for waiting so long every year, NO. Do I blame the media for continually bringing up rumors and speculation about a potential return, ABSOLUTELY. Everyone should have learned long ago that with this guy believe it when you see it. Just don’t bother to speculate, don’t guess, just don’t give it any lip service. It does no one any good.

Now I am not going to let Brett off the hook. The way that he has handled things throughout his "later years" has been for lack of a better term unsavory. Just say your body takes longer to recover and your not sure if you can do it or that training camps are too much then we are ok. Just don’t insult the media, the fans and the league by standing at a podium twice and announcing in a tearful speech how you are retiring and you know the time is right, if there is doubt let it be known, enough with the dog and pony show. He could have saved face and not come out looking like a douche had he just been a little more up front and honest.

Nothing is much worse then his latest press conference when he was talking about his daughter and how she told him to go out a win one more Super Bowl. I find this all a little over the top, you can use the family to spin things but even this is a little over the top. It isn’t a Disney movie and he is not Denis Quaid (I’m sure that it will be soon after he actually retires in 3-5 years). That whole thing was a series of, I don’t want to say lies but lets say untruths. The time lines about calls and contracts was very transparent. The only people I feel worse for then the fans and the public were the 2 would be Vikings QB’s John David Booty, Tarvaris Jackson, and Sage Rosenfels. They were the true victims and it would have been nice if the Management and the coaches treated them like professionals.

All that is left now is to see how his arm holds up and place bets on how long until he shows up on an upcoming season of Dancing With The Stars.

Crosby Staals and Nash!

Here is the new addition of CSNY (For the purposes of this to work I will throw Yzermans name into the mix). Coming on the heals of the Olympic Camp that was held in Calgary over the last couple of days I figured it was time to start looking at a possible roster. The camp culminated with a Red/White Scrimmage that packed some 19,000 people for an exhibition game into the Saddledome (and they can’t get 9,000 in some NHL cities for regular season games)....but no hockey works in Phoenix, Florida and Atlanta.

It is true that Canada could probably field 2 or maybe even 3 teams and would have a good chance at getting at least 2 medals. With that being said, it certainly makes it difficult to widdle down the long list of potential players to just 1 roster. Players need to be able to adapt to new roles, different positions and be willing to buy into what the management and coaches are looking for. There is an embarrassment of riches at the center position so there will be probably a couple of players moved to the wing. Having the ability to be one of those versatile players who have the ability to shift around could greatly help their chances on making the team.

The interesting thing about this process it the word team. It is not going to be, nor can it be just the top players or the biggest names. As we see during the playoffs it seems to come down to the 3rd and 4th line grinders and which ones show up and play bigger roles. The same thing will have to happen on this team and that may allow for some lesser known players to slide into the mix and in turn leave some very big names off the lineup.

Here is my early selection of what Team Canada 22 man roster will look like. Then just before the rosters are announced I will give a revised list and see if there has been any movement based on guys play at the beginning of the season, also taking into consideration any possible injuries that may crop up between then and now.

Just as they did during the 2006 Olympics I will also include a 3 man Taxi Squad or Black Aces as it were. Lets see how much different this team looks and time goes on. (Also I will admit that I have Jordan Staal on the team both for is penalty killing and energy but also to help with this blogs title).

Forwards:
Jarome Iginla - Sidney Crosby- Simon Gagné
Rick Nash - Ryan Getzlaf - Dany Heatley
Eric Staal - Mike Richards - Jonathan Toews
Shane Doan - Jordan Staal - Milan Lucic
Jeff Carter

Defence:
Scott Niedermayer - Shea Weber
Chris Pronger - Dan Boyle
Jay Bouwmeester - Dion Phaneuf

Goal: Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur, Marc-André Fleury

Taxi Squad: Vincent Lecavalier Mike Green Corey Perry

Why Dany Heatley to the LA Kings is a good idea.

Even with all the bad feelings in Ottawa in regards to Dany as well as the situation in general one thing is for sure, he is still a good player with a proven track record and can help just about any team. All parties involved are sure to be just about ready for the circus to fold up a go so hopefully a quality resolution is going to come soon.

Personally I am still on the fence about which team to throw my support behind and am pretty much just waiting the Heatley shoe to drop. If he goes to LA then that will probably seal the deal and slide them ahead of St. Louis. As it stands now it is 1 and 1A and both may get a bit of love from me going forward, I think that may be the only fair alternative.

- As far as Ottawa is concerned it may be in their best interest to pull off a deal before camp if nothing more then to just put the whole ordeal behind them. After a long summer of speculation getting a fresh start would not be a bad thing
- Getting a decent current player and maybe a defensive prospect or and a draft pick or another young body could be just what the doctor ordered for Ottawa
- If Heatley goes to LA they would get a true scorer which they really need. There is some good talent coming down the pipeline but they a still a bit away.
- The Kings are in a position financially to fit Heatley into the mix and still leave them with some flexibility as well.
- LA has some very attractive pieces that I think could be potentially be moved that Ottawa could be or even should be interested in.
- Heatley would fit well in that market if in fact he wants a bigger role, this is a young team that struggles to score so he could go in and be a leader on the ice in regards to scoring, ice time and power-play time.
- The market may be good too, LA is LA, nice weather and not a lot of media attention. There is so many other famous people around that he would be able to blend into it all. A move there would be big but by no means is he going to overshadow Kobe.

A lineup that would have a look like this could make them into a team that could fight for a playoff position in the coming year, Just think, wouldn’t this lineup look good for the Purple and Silver? This is just a hypothetically if the trade were to take place and say a Frolov-Moller-Hickey deal. Sure the back end is a little thin but that can leave room for a young kid to step up and earn a spot and maybe surprise some people.

C-Anze Kopitar F-Dustin Brown F-Dany Heatley
C-Michal Handzus F-Justin Williams F-Ryan Smyth
C-Jarret Stoll F-Wayne Simmonds F-Ted Purcell
C-Brian Boyle F-Trevor Lewis F-Brad Richardson

D- Drew Doughty Rob Scuderi
D- Jack Johnson Matt Greene
D- Sean O’Donnell Colten Teubert

G-Jonathan Quick G-Erik Ersberg G-Jonathan Bernier

Shaq VS

For those who haven’t see the show yet the premise of it is for The Big Aristotle, Shaquille O’Neal challenging star athletes to a competition in their respective sports. There are rumors that he may have stole the idea from former teammate Steve Nash - This may or may not be true but Steve Nash does have an Executive Producer credit, so draw your own conclusions.

He did manage to get some good names to sign on to the project:
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in football, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, retired boxer Oscar De La Hoya, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, tennis pro Serena Williams, and beach volleyball Olympians Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Cyclist Lance Armstrong may also get involved .

The show was actually not as bad as I initially thought it would be. That being said, I think for the most part after last nights episode that pitted Big Shaqtus against AVP players and Olympians Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh I may be done with it... the novelty has now worn off. I watched part of the first one with Ben Roethlisberger and it was ok at best.

I made it a point to watch all of the Beach Volleyball for a variety of reasons. I am a big volleyball fan and actually watch the AVP during the year even if it is not just an Olympic year when it is en vogue. I am big fans of Misty May (whom was cool enough to send me an autograph) and Kerri Walsh (who is not as cool just yet). Plus as an added bonus they are clearly not hard on the eyes, especially in HD. I think that these ladies doing this show in combination with everything else they do have made a big impression towards the mainstream sports scene and help keep it in the minds of the casual observer. Lets face it as much as the AVP may try and do the national coverage of the sport is weak at best. You just don't see highlights on Sportscenter in either Canada or the USA nor do you get much actual match coverage on TV, except a crappy half hour show on Sportsnet when they need to fill some time and they are out of episodes of Poker After Dark and you don't even get the entire match.

The show itself was pretty decent as the sport lends itself well to adapt to that style.
Shaq and his partner, which alternated between "The Professor" Todd Rogers and Casey Jennings (who is married to Kerri Walsh), engaged in a 2-on-2 match on Hermosa Beach. The competition consisted of a best of three, match with rally scoring, 1st to 11 points. The net was set at a height for women’s beach volleyball. The favorites - May/Walsh ended up taking the event 11-6, 11-8. For loosing Shaq had to walk down the beach in a giant pink Speedo...that was, well unpleasant for all.

Making the Cut - Olympic Edition

Even back at the 2006 Olympics they were already looking towards Vancouver in 2010. They said that there was going to be a youth movement for the Men’s Olympic Hockey team in 2010. While there will be a much younger flavour to the team regardless of who is chosen and who is left off there will also be a decent number of return players as well. It will be interesting to see what mix that Steve Yzerman decides to go with. It is believed that he and his management team are going to fill roles and not just take a team of offensive skill or household names. That may open up the door for players that have some versatility and can be used in a variety of positions. Drew Doughty, Milan Lucic and Patrick Sharp are a couple of that type of player that people may not think of right off the bat but offer several options for Mike Babcock. Lets just say that they are an upgrade from others that have filled that role in the past (Rob Zamuner and Scott Hannan, I’m looking in your direction)

There is sure to be much debate as for players and lines but also the leadership. Mario is gone, Yzerman is gone and Sakic is gone. Do you give the "C" to Sidney Crosby, fresh of a Stanley Cup win but not being on the last Olympic Team and having limited international experience. Is Scott Scott Niedermayer a real leader or just a guy that is successful and has won everything? Maybe Jarome Iginla might be the direction to go. He is a guy that has played a lot for Canada, been the leader of the Flames and plays a 2 way game- skill and physical play both come naturally to him. It shows that he can also lead by example as well as with words. I have to say that he would be my first choice but there will probably be a lot of pressure from outside people in hockey as well as the sponsors and marketing people to get Crosby the "C". I am sure that Pierre McGuire will put his vote in for Sidney sooner rather then later. (Is Sid allowed to wear a Nike Team Canada Jersey in his role as Mr. Reebok? Just askin’.)

Memphis Tigers Wish They Were The Bayside Tigers

Mr. Belding would not have let this kind of test cheating scandal happen on his watch. Give credit to Derrick Rose for being a better con man then Zack Morris.

There are bad losses in sports, none may have been as bad, strictly by the numbers as what the Memphis Tigers basketball team. The season doesn’t start for months and yet they lost 38 games and a tournament appearance in one day...not good.

The NCAA announced its decision to strip Memphis of its National Championship-game appearance and Final Four appearance along with the team’s 38 wins in 2008. It was found that after an investigation earlier this year, former Memphis star point guard Derrick Rose cheated on a standardized test to gain admission into the school. It is unclear at this time what it really means as far as school records or the record of former coach John Calipari . Essentially it is more about giving back the money that was awarded for that season then anything else. It does not appear that the University will have any other sanctions against them, just the bad press. It does not appear that the school or coach did anything wrong so there should be no other fall out.

Well, nothing wrong may be an slight over statement especially as it refers to the coach. John Calipari , who is now in Kentucky has had issues with kids at both his last 2 stops. Nice to leave two programs and be the Teflon man where nothing sticks to him. Few people even remember his issue at Umass and now he has skated right to the top to one of the biggest jobs in all college basketball. Marcus Camby took money from an agent and not this news with Rose. What he did "wrong" is recruiting kids that are easily manipulated into making bad decisions. Character clearly takes a back seat to skill. Coaches and athletic departments are more likely to look the other way if a kid can put wins on the board, money in the pockets and sales of apparel.

Lets call it as it is - saying that a team is stripped of wins means very little. The kids that won those games know they won - you can’t tell them it didn’t happen. All I can say is it was a good thing that they choked away that game and lost to Kansas, stripping a team of a National Championship could have been an ugly and messy process and one that would have been met with a lot more hostility then what this case will have.

These kids are going to these schools to be athletes not for an education anyway. They know that they can’t go straight to the pros so it is just a place to kill time between games and when they can go pro and start cashing the cheques.

Brett Favre Vikings Song

Here is my Brett Favre Vikings tribute song.

It is set to the tune of Elvis' In The Ghetto

Let me know what you think - patent pending

As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Minnesota mornin’
Another interception ball is thrown
In the Metrodome
And his head coach cries
‘cause if there’s one thing that he don’t need
it’s a pick 6 on another missed read
In the Metrodome

People, don’t you understand
the gun slinger needs a helping hand
Adrian Peterson, he's looking your way
Take a look at you and me,
are we too blind to see,
do we simply turn our heads
and look the other way

Well the world turns
and a grizzley ol’ boy with a runny nose
plays in the dome as the cold a/c blows
In the Metrodome

And his hunger for a Superbowl burns
so he starts to roam the sidelines Sunday night
and he learns how to play action
and he learns to fake right
In the Metrodome

Then one night on a desperation throw
an old man’s shoulder breaks away
He grabs his arm, bootlegs the ball
tries to run, but he don’t get far
And his head coach cries

As a crowd gathers ‘round an angry old man
face down on the turf with a football in his hand
In the Metrodome.

As his QB lies,
on the purple and white Minnesota turf,
a second string starting QB is born
In the Metrodome

Aftershock - Bolt destroys 200-metre record

For the second time in less then a week Usain Bolt crushed his own world record by a blistering .11 seconds after running a 19.19s 200m race at the World Championships in Berlin. Bolt set the record in China at last years Olympics with a time of 19.30s.

Bolt got a killer start and blew away a fast but over matched field with his nearest competitor finishing 0.62s behind.This is just even more proof that the guy is a freak and a once in a generation athlete.

It is almost unbelievable what he is able to do.
Ben Johnson raced that horse and a car that one time, I bet Bolt could maybe even be able to win a race like that without any head start...sick!

New Team Canada Jerseys

Now that the Canadian Olympic Jersey has been unveiled for the 2010 Hockey Teams I am proud to say that I ALREADY HAVE A TEAM CANADA JERSEY and don’t need to get another one, especially not this one. Needless to say I am not a big fan. With a $135 price tag, I find the design uninspired and not esthetically appealing.

I hope to not step on any toes but I find that the design, especially the leaf is too native. The embossing of the artwork on the new Maple Leaf is filled with images of gold medals won by Canada’s men’s, women’s and sledge hockey teams, a thunderbird, an eagle, First Nations symbols, a fleur-de-lis and other animals and items.

If it is a one off for just these games in Vancouver I guess it can be accepted but it is far from an inspiring design. If the games were in Edmonton would the leaf be embossed with an Oil Rig and a picture of the West Edmonton Mall?? I just hope this is not a keeper going forward. The old jerseys with the Hockey Canada Logo were cool and recognizable and hopefully will continue with all other International events like the World Juniors. Speaking of that the Hockey Canada Logo is still there on the shoulder, I thought that the problem was that they couldn’t use that logo at the Olympics and although not prominent it is still there... Riddle me that Batman.

My hope is that any of the other apparel for the Vancouver Olympics that HBC will have will be better then the Hockey Jerseys are.

The Lightning Bolt Strikes Berlin

(Standard disclaimer for anything related to Track and Field - At the time of this, there are no indications of any performance enhancing substances)

Sure it is sad to have to say but in this era where just about every league or sport has either a problem or at best a few instances of usage one just never knows for sure. With all that being said Usain Bolt is possibly the biggest freak in all of sports. It is one thing with him setting the Olympic and then World Record at 9.69 despite kicking it into cruise control at like the 80M mark.

What he managed to do at the World Championships on Sunday left little doubt that he is the premier athlete not only in track but maybe the world. In a much anticipated match up between himself and American Tyson Gay it was like Gay and the rest of the field were jogging. Bolt shattered the World Record by an astounding .11 seconds leaving everyone in his wake. That is the biggest margin of change since electronic timing in 1968. Most of these records are beaten by 100th of a second not a 10th of a second. The magnitude of that is just ridiculous. There probably won't be another sprinter that will run a sub-9.60 in at least the next 20 years that isn't named Bolt (I will leave the window open for a Bolt offspring). I still think there is room for him to break his own record. He has said in the past that he does not run for records but he thinks that maybe he can get in the 9.4 range.

This just in from The Canadian Press: The IAAF has announced that there were no positive doping cases in the men's 100 metres, the marquee event of the world track and field championships. Steeplechaser Jamal Chatbi of Morocco is the only positive athlete of the championships so far after more than 600 tests were analyzed. -- I am sure that there were a lot of very happy people in the track world that this is the case...just remember you can only test for what you know about. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

Y.E. (S) - Yang Hold Off Tiger In An Upset

When the weekend started it looked like it was just going to shape up like any other August weekend a bit of baseball, some NASCAR, a smattering of tennis with a sprinkle of golf. What it turned out to be was all that and the traditional bag-of-chips.

I don’t think that anyone would have thought that Tiger Woods who was the leader in the 4th and final Major on the PGA tour from nearly wire to wire would succumb to an unknown South Korean named Y.E. Yang on the final day...while entering with a 2 shot lead. 2 Shots on a Sunday to Tiger is like money in the bank. Up until yesterday that has never happened when he was either leading or had a share of the lead. That is just part of what makes this such a huge deal. In the US it is a Tiger gave it away which is somewhat true but then there is also the other side where in South Korea Yang is now a hero in the country and instantly became a household name. In probably one of the most unlikely situations Tiger couldn’t rise to the occasion and get his putter working to fight off Yang. He shot well enough to win but just couldn’t close out the way that he needed. The amount of puts that he missed by 1/4s of an inch...he should have breezed to another major. But hey that is golf and it is a game of fractions of an inch.

To Yangs' credit he hung in like a champ and didn’t get rattled by Tigers imposing shadow. Maybe not knowing the language, not knowing what he was doing was so monumental was the key. Yang was playful down the stretch throwing a ball into the crowd, waving to the CBS cameraman, it was almost like he was too relaxed, maybe that was his strategy to keep his mind off the impending pressure. At the end he grabbed his golf bag and lifted it over his head like it was a championship belt or the Stanley Cup. Either way he got it done. It was one of the largest upsets ever in golf and will probably go down as one of the bigger ones in sports. Being the stage it was on and the fact it was the first time that someone was able to stand up to Tiger and live to tell about it...through an interpreter.

What I hate was hearing form some people that Tiger choked and has not had a good year because he has no Majors and lost yesterday. The only way the you can come to this conclusion is if you put Tiger vs Vintage Tiger. 5 wins in a year coming off a "MAJOR" (pun intended) injury to his knee and going out with 2 wins and a 2nd place finish. All in all that isn’t bad. Is being the Player of the Year the sign of having a bad year, since he is probably going to win that again? I am going to say only maybe to Tiger.