A Bit Of Everything Sports

-Around the Horn-

A quick view of the week in sports

• ~With Petty Enterprises selling to Massachusetts-based private equity firm Boston Ventures it marks not only a change in ownership but shows further change in NASCAR. The one time Ol’ Boys Southern Race’n sport has now moved North and into a more Eastern high finance business. Times they are a changing, people are now more conscious about money and health then anything - we can’t have people on TV reporting on how the Miller Genuine Draft or Skoal Car did in the Winston Cup. Now we need to know that the 24 Nicorette car is in the top 10 and that it is best that we ask or doctors if Viagra is right for us. Lets just hope the day doesn’t come that the 48 Lowes car has to be taken off the track because some wall street yuppie fell off a ladder trying to put up his diploma with a hammer he bought from Lowes.
  
  
• ~ Tough game to call recently for Darren Fletcher on Rogers Sportsnet when the Jays met the Brewers. On back to back hitters he made and was so far off he could have been back on. He was commenting on how great a contact hitter was and he promptly struck out. Then the next batter he said was light hitting and had NO POWER and he in turn hit a home run. To Jamie Campbells credit he didn’t call him on it.
  
  
• ~Paul Pierce got in a good shot during a Finals press conference when asked about similarities between himself and Carmello Anthony: "Well, I never have gotten a DUI," said with a smile but still a pretty funny shot
  
  
• Willie Randolph- Gone
  John McLaren - Gone
  John Gibbons - As good as gone.
  It is too bad because this actually probably isn’t his fault. A case could be made for him being fired anytime in the last few years, but this year he has tried everything , made the right calls, they just haven’t worked. He just wasn’t given the horses to do the job and he will wind up paying for his GM’s mistakes with his job.
  
  
• ~ Tiger is on the Shelf for the year, bye-bye PGA Tour TV ratings. No Tiger, even less interest in the Fed/Ex Cup "playoff" by both the players and fans.
  
  
• ~ Like him or not J.P. Riccardi will speak his mind but true or not some things just shouldn’t be said. J.P. learned that the hard way this week. In a post game call in show on Fan 590 Riccardi publicly ripped Red’s outfielder Adam Dunn saying "Maybe we have more information and know the player a little more than the average fan." "He’s a lifetime .230-.240 hitter that strikes out a ton and hits home runs. Did you know the guy doesn’t really like baseball that much? Did you know the guy doesn’t have a passion to play the game that much? I don’t think you’d be very happy if we brought Adam Dunn here...We’ve done our homework on guys like Adam Dunn and there’s a reason why we don’t want Adam Dunn."
  Dunn in response said "I know nothing about this clown. I have no idea who he is,"
  Riccardi has since called the Reds to apologies
  
  
• ~ The NHL is threatening to kick the NY Rangers owners out of the League after the Rangers sued the NHL in September, saying it violated antitrust laws by monopolizing control of team promotions. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but you can bet that NBA Commissioner David Stern wishes he could do the same after what they have done to disgrace the once storied NY Knicks -See the Dolans and Isah Thomas.