Positively Beaming

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

LPGA CN Canadian Open

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

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

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

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

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

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

Around the Horn

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

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

Stay tuned!

Ontario Summer Games

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

Gold Rush

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

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

'Heese' So Close

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

Around The Horn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beard Bares It All

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

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

Beijing Olympics are almost here

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

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

The Olympics, it’s coming....

CAN YOU FEEL IT?

The loss of a legend

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

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

History made in Montreal NASCAR Race

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

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

Around The Horn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MLB Trade Deadline

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Say It Ain't So, Joe

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

Chopped down by my own tomahawk

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

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

Brickyard Baby

Johnson wins “Tiring” Race at Indy

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

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

Around The Horn

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fight Club- Lady Style

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

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

The Espy's

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

For a list of winners click HERE

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

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

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

Around The Horn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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