The Evil Amongst Us

Well Baseball is done for another year and the Champions have been crowned, and it is in fact the Evil Empire. The New York Yankees have dismissed the Philadelphia Phillies in 6 games. This was a big win for the already history heavy Yanks. To manage to win the title in the first year in moving into the brand new New Yankee Stadium will be brought up until it is closed and a third version is built. Will it ever live up to the original stadium with all the ghosts? Probably not in the beginning but perhaps over time, knowing how crazy and the blind loyalty fans have for this team that they will make it the shrine that they already believe that it is and should be.
It is now the question who built this stadium ARod, Rivera, Jeter? I just hope that it is not Matsui...granted he had a great game but that is what it was 1 game. I was pretty shocked when they named Matsui as the MVP that was I guess was a convenient cop out in a series that didn’t have a defining player or moments that you could say there was no other choice. Rivera would have been a better choice in my mind but what can you do?

I pose the question is there anyone who is less deserving of any praise in this championship then the duo of Joba "The" Chamberlin and manager Joe Girardi? Maybe it isn’t his fault but if there is one thing that I havn’t been able to understand or tolerate is the "Joba Rules". It is things like that that is ruining pitchers and not allowing them to progress to the level that they could get too. Young pitchers with strong arms are not china dolls. If they are treated like babies that is what they will develop to be. That ties in with Girardi who help enforce that strategy in addition to over managing in game situations with that novel of a stat book that he has on his bench. You ever see a manager pull out a bible like that and make decision after decision based on that? The absence of a "gut" feeling takes away some of his credibility.

I guess that you have to give credit where credit is due. When you pay for starting pitchers like AJ Burnett and CC Sabathia and mix it in with Mark Texteria then add that to the rest of a star studded high priced lineup it is hard not to win it all.

Who Are You Rooting For vs Who Will Win?

It is an interesting question whether you have a vested interest in either team or not. Obviously If you are a Yankees or Phillies fan you will clearly be rooting for your team to pull out the win and for one - close out the series and become 2009 champions or for the other- Prolong the series and brig it to a 1 game do or die showdown.

This is where the managers make their money in deciding what to do with their pitchers. Each manager will have some decisions to make and one and maybe even both will get it wrong but for sure in the long run one will come out on top. It will be interesting to see looking back, which of these 2 managers come out triumphant and will their team have won the World Series because of or in spite of the decisions that they make.

As a casual fan who enjoys the game for what it is or enjoys watching history unfold most will want this to reach a game 7 and hope that the Phillies can pull it out. The interesting thing about baseball is that of all the major team sports, baseball’s game 7 is the greatest in sports. When you look at it, game 7’s in other sports are just a continuation of what you have seen up to that point. The game plans are basically set and the rosters see little or no change. Basketball is what you see is what you get. Hockey is the same. When it comes to baseball the biggest variable is that of the 2 starting pitchers. Who gets the nod, do they go out on full or short rest, do you go all hands on board and every pitcher, starter or otherwise is at the ready? How much does age and experience factor in. It is questions like this that makes the baseball game 7 the most compelling in sports.

In a selfish way I just want to see more baseball and don’t want to wait until next March to see a game. It is an added bonus to have the Yankees lose to force said game 7 but that is not the sole reason to want it to turn out like that.

Who Is Your MVP?

The Phillies sent out ace Cliff Lee to toe the rubber last night in game 5 of the World Series on full rest, the Yankees countered with AJ Burnett on short rest. Cliff was old school good and AJ got lit up like the 4th of July. What is interesting on how just the smallest thing can change the outcome or flow of a game of baseball. In game 2 the ump was giving AJ the wide outside strike allowing him to dictate each at bat. Game 5 the ump calls strikes-strikes and balls off the corner as balls. That made Burnett throw his fastball over the plate where he got tagged and was ineffective for the most part.


Chase Utley just keeps mashing and is getting to the point where regardless of who wins the World Series, he may be in a real good position to be named MVP. If the Phillies mange the improbable and do somehow pull the upset then it isn’t an issue but if the Yankees do manage to close things out at home then who is most deserving of the honour? Utley is tearing it up so far and has tied Reggie Jackson’s home run record, his hits are coming in important times and not just meaningless tag on runs. Does Mariano Rivera finally get credit for not only a post season but career of being the best of the best at that position. Does Jeter or Damon get the nod for having some multiple hit games and scoring a few runs? ARod has had a decent series on the whole. He hasn’t lit it up but the 3 or 4 hits that he has got have been big or game changing. As well his overall numbers over the course of the playoffs are very good. An MVP and a World Series win just might finally make him a true Yankee.

Despite the fact that the series has been fairly interesting, which is a change from the last few years of being anti-climactic, there has not been a clear cut dynamic performance by any one person. It is that team effort thing and not the one guy saying ‘jump on my back and i’ll take you there.’ That is what makes it such a tight race for the award. Since this is baseball I guess it is anyone's guess until the ballots are counted.

Best And Worst

Best: Jimmie Johnson finished 6th extending his lead in the NASSCAR Chase. He was in 30th position with as little as 15 laps remaining at Talladega when all it took was Ryan Newman to flip his car repeatedly and have it come to rest on its roof requiring them to flip the car over and cut the top off to get Newman out. another crash that he narrowly avoided that saw Mark Martin end up on his roof for a moment and then car after car run out of gas. not too bad to be able to get out of that place in one piece and have your two closest rivals have trouble on the last few laps.


Worst: Ryan Newman...His car flipped repeatedly and he had to be cut out of it. People are always praising NASCAR for how safe the cars are that someone can actually survive a crash like that and actually walk away. Maybe the focus should not be so much that the car can withstand that impact and be more on avoid having these cars put in a situation where it is not only possibility of happening but almost guaranteed. Restrictor plates merely restrict the drivers to drive safely and prevent passing making for un-exciting racing. Lets be clear, flipping cars and crashes are not racing that is a demolition derby...2 very different sports.

Best: Brett Favre went back to Green Bay, he played the Packers, he beat the Packers. he was boo’d by Packers fans. There it’s done, please let it be done. The story has run its course, the intrigue is no longer there if it was ever there to begin with. The fans got their say so now it is up to the media to JUST LET IT GO, let the Vikings become a regular football team and let Favre become just another 1 of 30 starting QB’s in the NFL.

Worst: The fact that the Lions couldn't beat the Rams, the Titans won a game with Vince Young at QB, and JaMarcus Russell makes soooo much money in Oakland and is basically useless. There is nothing worse then watching an overpaid under-achieving un-motivated player. Why is it that the most undeserving people always seem to fall ass backward into good situations or get all the benefits??

Best: The bankruptcy judge has approved the Phoenix Coyotes’ sale to NHL. That is one major hurdle towards getting this team out of the news for all the wrong reasons and perhaps some acknowledgement to the fact that they are actually playing half decent on the ice.

Worst: The NHLPA for, well I don’t know. Not being able to keep its own house in order I Suppose. Yet another high ranking employee has either resigned and/or been dismissed and it is once again a rudderless ship. As annoying as it is to hear about it is just as bad for the NHL and any potential talks in the future regarding the next CBA. the sooner this gets fixed and out of the public the better. Fans are tired of it, I am sure the players and the NHL are tired of it and it had better not be a reason that there is another work stoppage. The sport probably isn’t strong enough to bounce back from another potential PR nightmare.

Best: Cliff Lee pitches tonight in the World Series. Hopefully sending the series back to New York for a game 6. If he pitches like he did in game 1 it will be things that World Series lore is built on. His last time out he looked like a throwback to the way a pitcher looked in the 1960’s. If he loses then the title will go to the Yankees, which is not good and the baseball season is done for another year, also not good.

\Worst: David Beckham will return to Milan on loan from Galaxy...how can you be on loan to another team? This is yet another reason why soccer sucks. You don’t see Derek Jeter loaned to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (This is actually a real team, they are associated with the Arizona Diamondbacks...awesome) of the Japan Baseball League.

Week 8 NFL Picks

Last week I managed to claw my way back up to a plus .500 record for the week. With a record of 7-5-1, I am right on the cusp of having a respectable week. I managed 1 tie or push as one of the games had a 3 point spread and that was the margin of victory.

I actually won on a Proline ticket too, sure it was a very modest victory but a victory none the less...wow what a week.

Now there are some tight games this week so I may be on my way back toward a bad week but maybe I can get lucky and catch lightning in a bottle. So withlut furthur delay here we go!

Injury Concerns

There seems to be a rash of injuries of late in the NHL. Some have been pre-existing issues that have carried over from before the season began. It does seem like there are a lot of big name players that are on the IR, some for longer then the others but the numbers continue to rise. What is the most alarming is the number that are big name or franchise players.

Now every year there will be players hurt but not as many superstars in these numbers and this early. Being an Olympic year the schedule will be a little off balance and crammed up to accommodate but thus far it has been pretty laxed for most teams and most have had a decent amount of rest so that shouldn't be to blame for this problem. When you are seeing players like: Phil Kessel , Milan Lucic Simon Gagne, Johan Franzen, Patrik Elias, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Ilya Kovalchuk, John-Michael Liles, T.J. Oshie, Daniel Sedin, Sheldon Souray, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Gonchar, David Booth, Marian Gaborik, Roberto Luongo, Andrei Markov, Jonathan Toews, Kari Lehtonen, Marian Hossa (and that is just the big name guys) hurt makes you wonder why that is and can’t help but worry teams about what they are going to look like after a tight schedule and then the strain of the Olympics. These are actually injury situations and unrelated to the flu situation, either swine or other.

All these injuries I guess may be better that they happen now, early, and not later during a stretch run towards the playoffs but you don’t want to get to a point where you take yourself out of contention early. In addition to what the teams are losing with these players out the same can be said of some of the players who need this time to play their way onto an Olympic team. There are a handful of players who have pretty much sealed their fate by being injured. Gagne, Savard and Lucic are three right off the bat that needed to have a strong start to be in the mix.

In a less important angle, well less important unless you are the owner of some of these players is that of the fantasy owner or hockey pool participant who needed these guys healthy all year. You know, so the secretary at work that joined the league for fun doesn’t win because they thought that certain guys had a cute names and that is why they picked them.

It is never good for any league, especially the NHL to lose too many stars at one time. In a gate driven league the more stars you can have active and playing at a high level the better for everybody. For some of the teams in the southern US only associate a team with 1 maybe 2 guys, if they are hurt and not in the lineup that is just one more reason not to go or to watch.

Raising Arizona?

I find it interesting that there is possibly another group that is interested in the Phoenix Coyotes. Toronto Argonauts’ co-owner’s Howard Sokolowski and David Cynamon plan to meet with Glendale city officials next week with an eye toward putting a bid together for the financially-troubled NHL franchise. These two guys were part of the Ice Edge Holdings that was involved in the bankruptcy hearing with the NHL and the Jim Balsillie bids. It looks like they have as many as 12 other investors lined up looking into acquiring the team. With that said, just remember Tampa Bay. They only have 2 partners and they couldn't agree on much especially on the players on the roster, 12 could prove to be cumbersome unless they are just money men.

Ice Edge Holdings were looking at playing 5 home games in Saskatoon and possibly 5 in Winnipeg while keeping the team based in Phoenix. They also seemed to be the only group that was either interested or willing to have Wayne Gretzky involved at any level. There have been questions on if they have the money and/or where they are getting this money but they have made it appear that they want to make it work in Phoenix. That may be a bit of ostrich thinking and burying their head in that plentiful Arizona sand. In an attendance driven league it may just have too many obstacles to overcome. Filling a building in the desert is not an easy thing to begin with and even if you fill the arena the people in there need to actually pay to get in for that to mean anything. Papered attendance and free ticket giveaways may indeed make it look pretty but smoke an mirrors only work for so long.

Having the two Argonauts dipping their toes into this desert mirage certainly leads one to believe that they may like to bring it closer to the team they presently own in Toronto. Sure that would make 2 teams in Toronto and we know what the lay of the land is there with everyone having an opinion - from the Prime Minister to the NHL - from MLSE and the Buffalo Sabers. The difference is they may be more liked by the board and the league. If the league ends up owning the team then they are in the position to call the shots and maybe something could happen. Sure it may be all very pre-mature at this point but it is an interesting development.

Maybe they will Make It 7 at some point - be it in Winnipeg, Quebec City or Southern Ontario.

Aces Wild? Time To Play Ball!!

Former teammates and the last two American League Cy Young Award winners square off this evening in the Brox in the first World Series game to be played at New Yankee Stadium. This will be just the 6th time former Cy Young winners will face off in the World Series and the first time since the1999 World Series when Roger Clemens and John Smoltz faced off. This will be the 105th edition of the World Series and it gets underway tonight in the Bronx. The Yanks are throwing out CC Sabathia and the Phillies are countering with Cliff Lee. The Phillies will be looking to spoil the party in hopes of going Back to Back as the Champions of the World.

It wasn’t that long ago that these 2 pitchers were on the same team in Cleveland and dreaming of being in this game...only together. But as we see in all sports, economics and a bad team in Cleveland has reared its head and forced moves that have landed these 2 aces elsewhere. Cleveland’s misfortune are great gains to the Yanks and Phils. Without these 2 guys these teams probably wouldn’t be in the position they are in. These 2 guys are workhorses - especially CC and it will be interesting to see how the strategy plays out. Depending on each teams position, it will dictate how many times you see these guys in the series. The potential, because of the TV induced off days may allow them to throw games 1-4 and 7. That may not be an ideal setup but I guess at this point you have a lot of time to rest before the start of next season.

Weather will have to be a factor, face it these are 2 Eastern teams and it is the end of October and heading towards November and it is supposed to be cold and wet. CC is well insulated so it shouldn't be an issue for him but the rest of the pitchers will have to stay warm. Maybe it will go the other way, maybe it will become an issue for the bats, will it be them that freeze up. Just like early April days hitting is at a premium when it is cold. What will the threat of rain do? What if there is a delay or postponement and you lose the service of a pitcher, that could sway a series one way or another. Time to brush off the baseball almanac and see if anyone’s parents are mudders. Maybe his mother is a mudder...his father is a mudder.

My question is how good does Alex Rodriguez have to be for Yankee Stadium to be deemed the house that ARod Built or does that designation still fall to George and/or Jeter??

New Chief For Kyle

Kyle Busch will have a new crew chief after this weekend’s race at Talladega Super speedway, with Joe Gibbs Racing replacing Steve Addington on Tuesday after a season that fell far short of expectations.

“We evaluate all of our teams on an ongoing basis and believe this is a change that will make the 18 team stronger as we prepare for next season,” said JGR president J.D. Gibbs.

After last nights appearance on WWE RAW it looks like John Cena will have the inside track for that position.

Tee Up To Tip Off

T- minus 8 hours and counting. NBA you are on the clock.

The 2009/2010 season is almost here and is set to get started. There has been a lot of off season changes throughout the league by many of the teams. It looks on the surface that the rich have gotten richer and more then likely the powerhouses that you saw last year will remain the same or may be even better. The defending champion Lakers effectively swapped forwards in bringing in defensive shut down man Ron Artest from Houston and Houston has taken Trevor Ariza, That leaves the Lakers with Kobe, Lamar, Ron-Ron and then throw in a Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynam (health permitting) plus whom ever you choose to run the point. The Spurs picked up Richard Jefferson in a solid move and the West will once again be tight and loaded with talent. The Rockets without Artest, Yao Ming and depending on how Tracy McGrady comes back could be in the worst shape.

In the East there is probably more of a gap between the top tier teams and the lower but the ones at the top should prove to be right there with some of the best from the West. Shaq has joined with Lebron in Cleveland so it will be interesting to see how that marriage works out and if Shaq can keep up with the speed of the game that the Cavs are used to playing. In a sneaky move the Celtics picked up Rasheed Wallace and that can only make the team deeper. A lot of people think that ‘Sheed is too emotional but there is no dispute that he is a winner and a talent. If Boston gets a healthy Kevin Garnett back they will be one of the favorites to come out of the conference. The Magic pick up an older Vince Carter so it will be interesting to watch what they do in Orlando. Last year they had a great run but time will tell if the chemistry has changed for the better. What will also be interesting to see, as we look close to home is how a completely revamped lineup will come together and if they can gel enough to put up some good numbers and secure a solid playoff spot. Into the mix with All Star Chris Bosh is returnee Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon and in his first full year Head Coach Jay Triano are newcomers Hedo Turkoglu, Demar DeRozan, Reggie Evans, Antoine Wright, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson and Jarrett Jack.

It is going to be nice to have another pro sport up and going to complement the Baseball and World Series and NASCAR and the Chase who are in the home stretch. The NHL is a month into it’s season, and the NFL and NCAA football is in full force. Right now is not a bad time to be a sports fan. Enjoy!!

The October Classic

Last night the New York Yankees finally sealed the fate of the LA Angles of Anaheim. The Yanks put their foot down and killed any chance of a game 7 - 1 game do or die scenario. On paper it probably was closer then it should have been. When you are outspending the team you are playing by about $90M you are expected to win. That being said they have been outspending every other team for years it is just a matter of spending money wisely. of that $90M you are basically talking about 3 players extra, Mark Texteria, AJ Burnett and C.C. Sabathia. Granted those are a pretty good players.

Now we can look forward to what should be a very entertaining World Series and The Yankees from New York take on the Phillies from Philadelphia. As is usually the case it will likely come down to the best run of pitchers and this series has some solid rotations. The Yankees have a bit of an edge as their starters appear to be a bit more consistent but at any given time these guys can shut sown a team. If the Phillies hope to hang they will continue to need good solid performances from Pedro Martinez, AJ Happ Joe Blanton and have Cole Hammels rebound a bit.

Both these teams have lineups that they can throw at you that doesn’t give you a chance to relax 1 thru 8 and 1 thru 9 are jam packed with offence and no one can be taken lightly. That will keep the pitchers defenders and managers on their toes. It will be interesting to see who will see more pitches to hit ARod or Ryan Howard. Both are pretty close to that place where it is a safer bet to just walk the guys an not let them hurt you. Sometimes it is just easier to stomach having Nick Swisher or Shane Victorino beat you.

As much as I don’t want to see the Yankees win since they are still the Evil Empire I also don’t want to see the Phillies do well just out of principle. The Phillies are coming out of the National League East and that is where MY Braves should be. All that being said one of these two teams are going to come out the victors and with the staff that the Yanks have and Mariano Rivera at the back I have to give the edge to NY and they will likely take the series in 6 games. If and when they do win the World Series it will also probably be in spite of and not because of Manager Joe Girardi. I don’t trust his judgement and he has had a bit of a rocky run not only in this years playoffs but over his tenure as team manager. An interesting side note to this series, if the Yankees do win, does that finally make ARod a true Yankee?

Week 7 NFL Picks

So last week was another sub .500 week with a record of 5-9. The games this week don't make it any easier to make up any ground either. I think there are a lot of trap games in here and I am thinking that playing the Proline this week is even more futile then usual so this may just be a week of watching as a fan and not someone who wants to part with his money.

With that being said here are this weeks picks and we will hope that we can straighten out this arrow.

The Keeper Pool

So I have entered into a Keeper Hockey Pool for the first time. I usually play a variety of Fantasy sports over the course of the year. I had a couple baseball Leagues, a NASCAR team, a Football team and a few different hockey teams and now a Keeper Pool. For those who are not aware this is where you select a team and that is now your team, you are the GM and keep the same team year in and year out.

Since this is the first year there was a 22 round live draft with the other 8 participants for a total of 9 teams to make up the rosters. Each team has 15 players from the original 22 man roster that will count toward the pool totals. The top 8 forwards, 5 defence and 2 goalies points are eligible. Each team also gets 5 draft picks per year that can be used as part of trades or selections at the beginning of the next year. At the end of the year you can only protect 15 players + 2 rookies. It makes it so that GM’s need to be decent at not only pro but amateur scouting.

This will prove interesting to see how it goes as there are a few people in the league that have been involved in leagues like this before or currently and have already worked on strategies that they believe will work to build a team. Will that be an advantage or will the fresh ideas play better or worse, time will tell.

I would like to introduce you now to YOUR Los Louis Blue Kings!! At Forward - Pavel Datsyuk, Jarome Iginla, Martin St. Louis, Simon Gagne, Brad Boyes, Martin Havlat, Johan Franzen, Phil Kessel, Brenden Morrow, Cody Hodgson, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ray Whitney, Shane Doan, and Kyle Turris.
On Defence - Shea Weber, Dan Boyle, Brent Burns, Marek Zidlicky, Jaroslav Spacek, Alex Pietrangelo
In Goal - Marc-Andre Fleury, Ilya Bryzgalov
I am not displeased with my team at this time, some of my players have stumbled out of the gates a bit but it is still early and hopefully they can turn it around soon. The loss of Franzen will hurt with him being out for at least 4-6 months. Where I think I will have problems is once I have a player I become very loyal and perhaps overvalue them and it may make it hard for me to agree to making deals. I also like the idea of pulling the trigger on a blockbuster so that will be the internal fight.

Is That Stevie Wonder At Third?

I understand that there is a lot of pressure being an official both at the amateur and professional level. There are always calls that are a matter of interpretation or differ from the angle and position that the individual is in at the time of the play. I know that in pretty much all professional sports the percentage of the call that are made correctly far outweigh those of the ones that are missed. As is the case in most any situation, people don’t comment on plays that go well only those that are missed or messed up. There was a call where the "phantom" double play called the runner safe because the defender was not on the bag...that call is never made, but it was here. Then Mark Teixeira’s foot may or may not have come slightly off the bag and that is now a huge issue "He’s off the bag" Guess each base has its own standards and I suppose double standard. Guess that a game of inches only applies in certain circumstances.

That being said the umpiring in this years baseball playoffs seem to have too many of these oversights. Sure an umpire, not unlike a player can have a bad night and that is what seems to have happened a few times already this post season. First there was just a pitiful call made by Phil Cuzzi on a Joe Mauer flare down the line in the ALDS where a ball that was so fair that you could have landed a plane in the area between the balls landing area and the foul line. What makes that a little worse is that the umpire that made that call would not usually be there during the regular season. In the Playoffs they add the 2 extra umps down the lines for just that reason, it is likely that ball would have been called right had it just been the normal 4 man crew.

Then there was Tuesday nights gong show of calls. There were 3 calls that were made that were either incorrect or highly questionable. In a span of 11 batters, umpires Dale Scott and Tim McClelland blew three calls so badly that you have to wonder what is going on. Scott called Nick Swisher safe on a pick off play at second base in which he was tagged on the hand. Next was McClelland who took a run off the board when he called Swisher out on appeal for leaving third base early on a sac fly to center field. He was behind Swisher looking to the outfield and in no position to make the appeal call. Lastly McClelland somehow called Robinson Cano safe after he was tagged when he was standing still, two feet off third base. Looking at the picture (which says 1000 words or perhaps beyond). These were not cases where you had to run replays several times from several angles to figure out the proper call.

They use replays to determine home runs but that is all. I don’t want replay to take over baseball, and it is, of all the sports the one need the human touch to be true to itself. Ball and strikes should not be subject to change but maybe some calls that are more black and white should be subject a second look. With high-definition cameras, super-slow motion replays and other technological advances of broadcasts maybe some calls should be reviewable. I’m not a fan of more instant replay because the more you allow, the more cumbersome it gets but these were blatantly awful calls and not an issue where replay should have even been needed. It is just good that it did not impact the outcome of the game, but the thought that it could be is the big issue.

Here is a short list of other blown calls this post season:
1. Brandon Ing being hit by a pitch on his jersey
2.Kevin Youkilis tagging out Howie Kendrick at first base
3. At least 3 check swings that aren't even close
4. Ronnie Belliard being called safe on a stolen base

Fisher Dons Manning Jersey

The Tennessee Titans got it handed to them on Sunday versus the New England Patriots 59-0. The team sunk to a woeful 0-6 and it looked like the players just gave up on the game. Some people may blame the Patriots for running up the score but I don't believe that is even close to the case. The Pats and especially Tom Brady have been questioned on just how good they are and in Brady's case if he is not the player he used to be coming of the major knee injury he sustained in the first game last season so this was a perfect opportunity in the snow to show and tell everybody that they can still put up numbers if they want and offers a warning to opponents in the upcoming weeks. There is also the old adage - If you don't want me to run up the score, do something to stop me. You I am not going to take my foot off the pedal until you make me hit the brakes.

As for the Titans they have been a huge shock at just how bad they have been. On the lighter side of this is Coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher was to introduce Tony Dungy but before he did, he removed his jacket and dress shirt to reveal a blue Peyton Manning jersey underneath. Fisher stepped back up to the microphone and said, “I just wanted to feel like a winner,” drawing laughter and applause from the crowd of about 2,500. If I was a Titans fan I too may have found that a little bit of a slap in the face but come on, funny is funny and after a game like that you can't help but poke a little fun. It was all in good nature and was done as a clear joke and not as shot to the team or the organization. Some people are just a little too sensitive.

Fisher later apologised on his radio show saying "This is a very worthwhile and needy benefit and I was honored to be there. & I'm sorry if I offended anybody but if I had to do it again, I would do it again." He also said "I was introducing Tony, just having fun with it and I really apologize if I offended anybody, but if you're offended over the nature of that type of thing, then I think you need to rethink things."

I couldn't agree more sometimes political correctness goes to far. If it isn't offensive, mean spirited or racist/bias in any way the best thing to do is what the 2,500 people in attendance did - Laugh and Applaud I mean come on Funny is Funny

Around The Horn

~ Sad news from the tennis world. One of my favorite players when I was younger was the Swiss Miss, Former No. 1 Martina Hingis won’t be making a comeback to competitive tennis. Hingis, Now 29 who retired 2 years ago after a small run in with a positive cocaine test (which she denied direct use, for whatever that is worth). Hingis said: "I’ve got a nice house, my four horses. ... On the tour, I had no life." She will be fondly remembered on the court and maybe she will get a change of heart, but at age 29 that is close to the end for a woman tennis player.

~Hendrick Motorsports must feel pretty good right now. They have the first 3 spots in the NASCAR Chase for the Championship. Jimmie Johnson currently leads 2nd place belongs to Mark Martin and 3rd goes to Jeff Gordon. Now I will be the first to say don’t count any eggs before they hatch. There are a lot of races and time left for things to happen but at present time it must be nice. As for the 4th driver on that team, the once thought of decent driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. wallows in 22nd place. It is like he is one of those holdings that you expect to lose money on so you don’t have to pay as much tax. His name seems to be a blessing and a curse, he is famous and rich just for his name but had little or no chance to live up to daddy’s legacy and may not be as good a driver as people think he is or thought he could be.

~ Chase Utley has made two costly throwing errors, and bounced a ball to first from 2nd base and his name is now being mentioned with Steve Sax and Chuck Knoblauch. Even Rick Ankiel and Todd Hundley feel bad for this guys arm. He is lucky that right now his team is good enough to insulate his mistakes. I hope for his sake that it doesn’t continue to the World Series when they get there.

~ The Phillies mounted quite the comeback in the ninth inning of Game 4. Those who stayed to watched were rewarded in getting the chance to see it live. Many Ramirez was not one of these people. Taken out for defensive purposes he was back in the clubhouse taking a shower. Sure he could have stayed in the dugout with his team and been cheering for them but instead he chose that he needed a shower right away. Manager Joe Torre didn't seem too concerned saying:
"Manny has so much confidence," Torre said. "When we get a lead late in the game, and I've taken him out, whether it be for defense or we have a big lead, when we go up to shake hands after the game, he's in his street clothes. "So, it's really nothing different than he's done before. I don't think it's disrespect or anything. He wasn't going anywhere until the game was over, and we can't put him back in the game."
That may be true but the is something to be said about sticking with your team...Just Manny being Manny I guess.

A Good Case Of The Mondays

Big day for a Monday upcoming the plate is full and the cup runneth over. There is a big game coming up in the NFL Monday night’er between the Bronco’s and the Chargers. This actually sets up to be a big game that was probably on nobody’s radar at the beginning of the season but that should be a good one. It will be interesting to see if San Diego can pull this out as it is almost a must win so they don’t fall back too far in the division.

Even better there are 2 baseball games today and the beauty is that one of those games are actually going to be played in the afternoon or early evening depending on your location. The fact that it is a Yankee’s game that is not the one in prime time is probably the biggest shock of all. There is something to be said for having a game played while just about the whole country is awake to see it. Sure an afternoon game in LA is going to be pretty hot but that is part of the fun. In the second game it looks like the Phillies will be able to finish off the Dodgers after laying the boots to them last night. After a game like that it will be tough to come right back in an elimination game.

The NHL may only have 3 games on the sched but of those 3 games Dany Heatley and the Sharks are playing the 7-1 Rangers and then at 8:30 the Kings take to ice in Dallas so this is a case of quality over quantity. Not too often that you can get so many Western Conference games shown before 10pm eastern. Now that I like the Blues and Kings there is much less of a west coast/east coast bias over here and the more games that I get to see from them the better.

And of course one can’t forget that the special guest host for WWE Monday Night Raw is none other then the D-O double G! That’s right Snoop Dogg will be in the house and lending his hand at running the Sports Entertainment show. The potential for Ron "The Truth" Killings and Chryme Tyme getting in some rhymes with the Dogg is enough to make you...switch to the baseball game.

Week 6 NFL Picks

After another rough week I am looking to bounce back. The week 5 results almost managed to meet the .500 mark but alas it fell ever so short with a final of 6-8 versus the spread. Most of the outrageously large spreads were covered, guess that is because the teams that they were playing are just plain bad. I am looking to break out of this sub .500 funk soon, maybe this week will be the week. Lets see how week 6 plays out.

What Grinds My Gears!!

Now I know that I may be "sampling" the title from a few sources including another blogger but in a case like this I think that it is not only warranted but may even be embraced.

You know what Grinds My Gears? You CBC and CRTC ... F#^% You - When the Toronto based CBC shows a crappy Leafs Game in HD and not the Ottawa-Montreal game I get a bad taste in my mouth.

The Montreal Canadians are playing the Ottawa Senators on a Saturday Night. This is good, after all it is Hockey Night in Canada. What is better then the most successful team in NHL history versus another great Canadian team from our Nations Capital? I can tell you what it should be and that is the availability of the game being shown in HD. This is the most ridiculous thing I have seen in some time. What game does the CBC decide to show...the NY Rangers and the WINLESS Toronto Maple Leafs.

So when you have 2 Canadian teams facing off that are not only divisional rivals but separated by a mere 200 or so kilometers on a Saturday night, on a Canadian network and you show a winless team who is in such a bad place right now that their practices now consist of playing dodge ball on the ice with tennis balls.

What just made things worse, just this second... they were just interviewing Tomáš Plekanec and it was Cassie Campbell conducting the interview. Yeah, I was just robbed of seeing Cassie in High Def.

Ok, sorry, back to the issue at hand. I was recently notified by Bell that I am now going to be charged monthly for a local television fee. First off there is no "local tv" they don't even have the Ottawa CTV on my satellite, I get the news and like Regional Contact or something on some alternate channel. All the other "local programming" is simulcast programs from American networks. That is a far cry from local. If I am going to be charged for local programming, which I am already paying for I would think that a Senators-Canadians game should apply. I don't think that is too much to ask. I have had a big issue with the CRTC and how limited the options are when watching sports and getting sports channels and it is just getting worse. It is just like having games blacked out. I know that that is partly the sports leagues bylaws but I still think that if I am paying for Sportsnet West and there is a Flames-Oilers game I should have the right to watch it.

AND THAT IS WHAT REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS

NASCAR Hall Of Fame

For some reason it has taken until now for NASCAR to decide to have their own Hall of Fame. With the loyalty of the fans in that sport having a Hall of Fame say in North Carolina where most of the teams call home and host of 2 events a year the ever image conscious racing series would have been well served to have a shrine set up. You know what they say...If You Build It, They Will Come. With the way that the sport has escalated from the deep south and running moonshine and racing on beaches to the sophisticated machines you see today, drivers and fans alike have always had a soft spot for the history of the sport. The nostalgic days of NASCAR are always brought up, the old drivers are held in such high regard by all connected to the sport.

I guess it is better late then never but perhaps setting such a restricted number of inductees may have been a poor decision. When you have an entire lifespan of a sport to take from setting a limit of 5 may be a tad short sighted. The inaugural class will include: NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Junior Johnson. All deserving and that is not an issue but it is hard to overlook David Pearson, his exclusion surprised many...including Petty. "Anybody that won 105 races and didn’t make the cut -- somebody ain’t adding right," Petty said of Pearson.

NASCAR did not release the voting totals and said the order in which they were announced did not reflect the results. A NASCAR spokesman said Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison were the next three highest vote getter's but did not reveal in what order. As in any Hall of Fame vote it is easy to question the ones who were excluded and where do you draw the line so you can only do what you can do but for the first year maybe cap it after more then only 5 people.