Quick Hits

National Football League star Albert Haynesworth is being sued for $10 million by an exotic dancer who claims he impregnated her and then abandoned her, the New York Post reported.
The NFL is not catching a break during the off season again. Each year it is almost worth the effort to get into, as the comish calls it, "personal conduct" pool. Between this story the Rothlesburger situation and the regular drug issues the NFL continues to be shown in a bad light. Luckily it is the one sport that fan’s don’t care what happens as long as the product on the field is still good...the cheaters and bad guys are usually the ones that get rewarded.

Reigning champion Roger Federer was a second-round winner Wednesday at the French Open. One can only presume that this is setting up for yet another showdown between himself and the clay specialist Rafael Nadal. Nadal’s dominance on clay is only matched by his record vs Federer something in the neighbourhood of 14-7.

The Ottawa Seantors have signed Brodeur!!! Correction, Senators have re-signed goaltender Mike Brodeur to a 2 way contract. Hey it is something at least. Gotta find the silver lining as it looks like the team will be losing Anton Volchenkov as a free agent July 1 unless rights get traded but that is unlikely to happen. Lets just hope that the youngsters Patrick Wiercioch and Jared Cowen are able to make the team and be an unlikely surprise.

Thanks to NBC for not allowing the Stanley Cup to start until Saturday night. Seems like a network that has no "real money" invested in the NHL holds so much power on when it starts. This experiment to get it in view of more Americans may be better off to try and mend the fences with ESPN and ABC family and get some coverage that way and away from Versus and NBC. A Thursday start would have made sense, which is why it is starting on Saturday...Logic and common sense is not the network or Leagues strong suit.

"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.

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.

Historic Win - Federer The Best Ever?

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

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

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

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

A March To History?

The French Open may not have the storybook final that we all might want pitting Roger Federer against his nemesis Rafael Nadal who was eliminated in the fourth round but there is reason to watch. The player that ousted Nadal - Robin Soderling has made it to the finals in a run of epic proportions. If he is able to pull one more rabbit out of his hat and take out Federer it will be one of the greatest runs at the French Open, if not of all the majors ever.

That being said if Federer can manage to pull it all together and take this elusive title he will take that one big leap to becoming the greatest of all time and not only finally gather his own personal Grand Slam and bring him that 1 step closer to overtaking Peter Sampras’s record. A win will tie Sampras with 14 Grand Slams and make Federer only the 6th playerever to complete a career Grand Slam.

Soderling has done Federer a big favor in his defeat of Nadal but he can’t take anything for granted and not take the match lightly as Soderling has made it to the finals for a reason...he is playing some good tennis. Roger did make a major statement in his last tournament, a clay court tournament in which he won and proved that he can in fact win on this surface.

Nay sayers will tell you that a victory at Roland Garros for Federer should come with an astrix denoting that it was not earned versus Nadal and there for doesn’t carry the full weight or should not carry the same accolades but a Grand Slam title is still just that, a Grand Slam. Sunday will prove to be very interesting and history will be made one way or another but a Federer win could be the storey of the tennis year...except for Maria Sharapova coming back to competition.

Nadal Shocked - Sent Packing

So, something happened that has never happened before, it was the unthinkable - Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal finally lost on the famed red clay at Roland Garros. The #1 seeded player and the closest thing to a lock for a victory in the 2nd Grand Slam of the season and by far the best Clay court player in the game today was ousted. Nadal fell to the huge underdog #23 ranked Robin Soderling from Sweden. The French Open title was probably already half engraved with Nadal’s name and with good reason, he had never lost, why would we think he would start now?

One almost has to think that Nadal had something wrong as he just didn’t look like the dominant clay player we have seen throughout his career. What this loss does mean in the greater scheme of things as history is concerned is that it opens the door for Roger Federer to finally grab this title and continue his quest for the often just out of reach Grand Slam and get him one step closer to being the greatest or at least the most successful of all time. Novak Djokovic was also upended taking away another foe of Federers that could have been a huge hiccup for Federer.

It is now American Andy Roddick who could be the only one left to make things interesting for Roger Federer, especially if Roddick brings in his wife (the lovely Brooklyn Decker) to watch if they do end up against each other. You would have t be made of stone not to be distracted by this SI Beauty.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

At least it was for the Blackhawks Adam Burish who took a teammates skate in the neck. He was very lucky that it was just a glancing blow and was just a flesh wound and he was able to stay in the game. It could have been a very bad situation as we have seen with Richard Zednik not that long ago.

Beyond that it was a very busy Sunday with a little something for just about any sports fan.
~There was the Game 1 in the NHL Playoffs between the Red Wings and the Blackhawks.The Wings managed to outwork the Hawks and take Game 1 at home.

~Then there was The game seven in the NBA between the LA Lakers and the Houston Rockets. This was a series that became a lot closer then most thought it would be. With a depleted Houston team missing 2 of its stars they managed to give the Lakers a scare. This was essentially a series of home court advantages. It seemed that the visiting team could never get going and the home team just played with a swagger. It is crazy that the home court in the NBA seems to carry so much more weight then in any other sport. LA had home court advantage and rolled to an easy win. Now they have to turn their focus to the Denver Nuggets. Hmmm, Kobe in Colorado again this could go bad but the potential for jokes may prove to be epic!

~Want more hockey? Then there was the Memorial Cup with Rimouski playing Windsor. In what figured to be a game that Windsor should have the advantage in turned out to not be that way. The home crowd may have been an extra player for Rimouski and they played with a lot of emotion and managed to knock off the OHL champs 5-4. The loss could prove to be an exit ticket for the Spitfires and sets Rimouski up to go further then you would have thought after game 1 versus Kelowna. In a crazy finish with the Windsor goaltender out the Oceanic managed to hold off the furious attack until the clock struck 0:00.

~ Again a game 7 in the NBA. This was the defending champion Boston Celtics in tough versus the Orlando Magic. The Garnett-less Celtics couldn’t keep up with the 3 point shooting of the Magic and wound up falling to the younger team from Orlando. The game was never that close and the end result was never really in doubt as the “Truth” Paul Pierce just didn’t have it on this day and Dwight Howard and crew rolled for the right to face LeBron James in the Conference Finals.

~Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal to end his 33-match winning streak on clay 6-4, 6-4. This is either a great sign going into the French Open that Federer may actually be able to upset Nadal in Paris. Either that or he has just opened Nadal’s eyes and have re-focused him and only make him stronger and more dangerous.

~ Usain Bolt, the worlds fastest man, ran the world's fastest 150 metres to win a soggy street sprint in England. He won the race 14.35 seconds, breaking Canadian Donovan Bailey's 12-year-old world best of 14.99 in the rarelyy run150 m. This was also his first race since being sidelined after a car crash that required him to have foot surgery.

And this doesn’t include any of the baseball games or touch on any of the events of Saturday which saw the less then impressive return to the pool by Olympic hero Michael Phelps after his suspension and questionable behaviour of late and Rachel Alexandra becoming the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924,doing so with the Kentucky Derby winner and feisty Mine That Bird nipping at her heels in the final stretch. If she does run in the Belmont she may be considered one of the greatest of all time.

Around The Horn

Carl Crawford became only the 4th player in the modern era to steal 6 bases in one game tying him with Eddie Collins, Otis Nixon, and Eric Young. He stated after the game had he known that he had tied a record that he probably would have stolen 1 more. "I probably would have broken it if I knew. I’d have definitely tried," he added. "I didn’t even try. I don’t know if that will ever happen again." Crawford said.
Kind of surprised that Ricky Henderson’s name isn’t’ on this list. You would have to be in the zone to nab 6 in one game and Crawford dis also go 4-4 as well. I do have a theory on how Otis Nixon got his 6...the pitcher was probably reluctant to check over on him as he is far form the most attractive ballplayer. A great talent for sure but a mug that could stop a train.

The Atlanta Hawks beat the Miami Heat in Game 7 to win their first round NBA playoff series.
For the first time I can actually wear my Hawks sweatshirt and not feel ashamed. Sure I only got it because it was on sale but even still it just never felt right.
The fight of the year between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton ended in the destruction of Hatton. The entire took less than six minutes of actual action.
This is why I find it hard to be a boxing or MMA fan the fight could be an hour or a mere 30 seconds. If you are going to have to pay $50+ for these Pay Per View Events and only have a 6 minute main event you can’t help but feel cheated. Fights on the playground last longer then some of these matches.

The Carolina Hurricanes handed Boston its first playoff loss pretty much because of goalie Cam Ward.
This kid stood on his head and it was as if he were channeling Patrick Roy from the 1993 playoffs. Sure Eric Staal played an exceptional game but it was Ward who looked like an all world player...I think somebody is looking for a chance to play at the Olympics next year

Top-ranked Rafael Nadal captured his record fourth Rome Masters title - on clay.
With the French Open only 3 weeks away It is hard to imagine that anyone will be able to beat him in 3 times in any 1 match, heck he might not lose 3 sets in the entire tournament. Looks like Roger Federer may have to wait a little longer to try and catch up to Pete Samparas’ record This guy is just on another level and it seems like only injury will slow him down right now

Around The Horn

New Yankee Stadium looks like a launching pad where good baseballs go to die...over the fence. After the Yankees gave up 14 runs in the second inning Saturday and lost the game 22-4 they were probably looking for answers. The dimensions are the same as the original Yankee Stadium, so either the pitching was really bad, the aerodynamics of the new stadium are way different or after some $1.5 Billion put into construction they used some of that money to pipe in the thin air from Denver. Even a clean ARod may hit 80 home runs after he returns. Also who would have thought that entering the season that Right Fielder Nick Swisher would be the most effective relief pitcher on the Yanks?

Kevin Garnett of the Celtics is said to be out of the NBA Playoffs with a knee injury. Maybe this is true and if so the Celtics may be in big trouble. Just let us not forget that last year Paul Pierce went down and needed to be wheeled off the court in an apparent series threatening injury versus the Lakers and withing 5 minutes he was back running and jumping down the hallway to get back into the game. Guess you can’t always believe what you see. Lets see how this plays out.

Rafael Nadal won again at the Monte Carlo Masters, his 5th straight. He is now officially the face of men’s tennis. Roger Federer got married and is expecting his first child...could that be the beginning of the end for Roger? Is it time to start worrying that he may not get to Pete Samparas’ record? Hard to cover the court with a ball and chain on your ankle.

Isiah Thomas was hired as coach of Florida International University. Where is that? don’t worry you an’t the only one wondering. He was a great player but not a great executive a bad coach and questionable conduct when it comes to sexual harrasment. This small name school clearly picked Isiah only to get on ESPN with his name...and the best thing about that is when he was formally announced he was called ISIAH THOMPSON! Even Bobby Clark who forgot the name of his #1 draft pick Claude Giroux thinks this is really bad.

Round 2 to Nadal In Another Epic Match

It is rare in sports that you can legitimately root for two competitors in the same game at the same time. Usually there is a favorite team or competitor involved, a hated team or competitor or little interest in either. I have gotten to do this twice so far and both were in epic and classic tennis matches (yes tennis) between Rafael Nedal and Roger Federer.Early Sunday morning thousands of miles away on another continent was yet another epic match between these two rivals. It seems this is going to be only the second chapter to probably the greatest rivalry in sports today. Red Sox vs Yankees at its peak may not have even hit these heights. Sure there is less hatred between these two participants and seems to be nothing but respect between one another as shown when Nedal, while addressing the crowd said "Roger, sorry for today. I really know how you feel right now," Nadal said. "Remember, you're a great champion, you're one of the best in history. You're going to improve on the 14 of Sampras." Nedal is clearly a gracious winner but don’t think for one second that there is not a real fire when these two meet up.

A Grand Slam final without these two is like a golf tournament without Tiger Woods in contention on a final Sunday.

It was last year at Wimbledon that I watched at the time the most compelling match I have ever seen, and figured that I would ever see.

If you need a reminder click here

Maybe it was maybe it wasn’t, but this years Australian Open certainly was at the very least a close runner up. The circumstances were similar both Major Tournaments, both ones that Federer has excelled at in the past and now both won by Nadal.

There was just one small difference this time, Federer, at Wimbledon seemed to be congratulatory to Nadal and genuinely happy for him...as much as losing in a major can be tollerated by a highly competitive champion and world class competitor. No, this time was different. Federer seemed to, I don’t want to say fold but seemed to secumb to the pressure in the 5th and final set. Perhaps it was physical, as the match was a gruelling 4hour 23 minute affair but after what happened at the trophy ceremony it looked like it was more mental as the usually very strong and unemotional (some would say boring) Federer broke down during his address to the fans after receiving the second place platter. Is Nadal inside Federer’s head? I guess we will find out in Paris at the French Open or Wimbledon where Federer will yet again try to tie Pete Samperas with 14 career Grand Slams.

On the other side of the net is Rafael Nedal, the World #1 and currently the best player in the world and only time will tell if he will become one of the best ever. Health and determination will decide how far he will go, but at his young age it is well within reach.Nedal's win at this tournament are what legends are made of. Even if he hadn’t done what he did last year, this years tourney solidifies him as a true champion. Nadal managed to come back after a semi-final match only a day before that lasted over 5 hours, then he turned around and played a 4 hour 23 minute championship match agents a 13 time Grand Slam champion. If that wasn’t enough in the 5th and final set he came out and seemed to be the fresher player and more focused. A true credit to both his physical stamina and his incredibly focused mental makeup.

I look forward to the next installment of this battle and Federer’s quest to tie and surpass Pete Sampras for career Grand Slams.

Around the Horn

ESPN has a show called Around the Horn
Not only did they steal the name from me but the show is not good and diminishes this Friday feature. If i had legal ground I would sue, and all I would want is that they send me ESPN programing here in Canada without CRTC regulations screwing me over

Great response from tennis player Andy Roddick regarding the injuries or phantom injuries that Novak Djokovic seems to en cure increasingly more often in matches
"I’ve got to feel good because (Djokovic) has got about 16 injuries," Roddick told the crowd, adding fuel to the fire of their ongoing fued when asked about a Djokovic ankle injury....It is just too bad that he lost to Djokovic later on.
"Isn’t it both of them? And a back? and a hip? And a cramp... bird flu... anthrax. SARS, common cough and a cold.

Olympic hammer throw medallists investigated for doping
Is nothing sacred anymore? How can the purity of the hammer throw be tainted?

Rafael Nadal played Mardy Fish at the US Open in a match that began at 11:30 pm and ended at 2;11 am..the third latest finish at the Open
Even the allure of the #1 player couldn’t keep me up for this one. The late sessions are cool but come on, your crushing your own potential ratings.
At least it wasn’t like the match in Australlia that went to near 5am.

It went Supersonic to Thunder in record time. The former Seattle team relocated to Okalhoma City and have now been named Thunder
In a shocking move at the press conference they played AC/DC’s Thunderstruck.
The potential for a good marketing logo was there but alas they came up short. When I played for a team called Thunder we actually had a cool logo and it was far from a professional team.

Tatum Bell lost his job as running back with the Lions, Rudi Johnson gained a job as running back with the Lions, but lost his underwear
Bell apparently took two Gucci bags that Johnson had received as a Pro Bowl gift, included was about $200 in cash along with his ID and the credit cards. He got the bags back empty, and this is the NFL not the CFL..I just hope that they wern’t his "LUCKY DRAWS"

The Montreal Canadiens are looking at playing an outdoor game at Olympic Stadium as part of their 100th anniversary celebrations.
Great cash grab if you can get 39,000+ in at most likely a somewhat inflated price point.
Opening up the roof at the Big O is like opening Pandoras Box, once it is open you may never get it closed again. Get the hardhats out because you know the concrete is going to fall like rain!

Daunte Culpepper has retired, gone after 9 seasons at only 31
A former MVP and one half of one of the best QB/WR tandems ever can’t even hold a clipboard anymore. A shredded knee has taken him off the map and out of the league.

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.