The Sounds of Baseball - Can You Feel It?

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America is ruled by it like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will come most definitely come."
--James Earl Jones,
from Field of Dreams (1989)

Baseball is America’s pass time. Sure, through the years and the growth of technology it has had a more difficult time staying on top of the cultural landscape but to those who have either been in the bridge period and have experienced both the electronic age and the days where it was not uncommon to only get 1 game a week on TV or only be able to enjoy baseball games on the radio using the skill of the broadcaster and your own imagination to really appreciate how special the game is. It is a game with distinctive sounds that is en grained in us. Whether it is from the voices on the radio like the icons from the past like Ernie Harwell, Jack Buck, Mel Allen, Harry Caray, Red Barber and Vin Scully. Baseball just seems to have its own personality and also be home of great personalities.

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving infant’s life, she will choose to save the infant’s life without even considering if there is a man on base."
– Dave Barry

I recall the sounds of the game while listening to Blue Jays Baseball with Tom Cheek and Jerry Howarth on the radio. At the time it was the main source of play by play that you could get. Jays games were covered well on radio and were available. You were lucky if CTV had a Sunday and maybe a Wednesday game on, but that was VERY RARE. There was usually a game of the week but unless you were a Yankee’s fan that was all you were going to get. It was regional games and that was your region.

I then got cable and that was the beginning of more exposure. More exposure and more games led to more variety. It was then that I began to embrace America’s team as my own and they quickly became my favorite team. These were the Atlanta Braves. It was the TBS Superstation that had a big part to play in this. It was a team that had its own network and was shown all over and had just about every game (granted the 14 consecutive division titles didn’t hurt either). They employed 4 of the classic voices that I now associate with baseball. The late Skip Carey, Pete Van Wieren, Joe Simpson and Don Sutton.

For me it always comes down to the sounds, the sounds of the game and the music that is associated with it. It is strange how a few chimes of music can take you back to a simpler time, a time when the most important thing was turning a double play or getting that timely. The Atlanta Braves Tomahawk Chop, and various ‘pump up the crowd organ music. The theme music when certain players enter (eg. Chipper Jones and Crazy Train or Mariano Rivera and Enter Sandman). Perhaps even to a lesser extent OK, Blue Jays. The intro to Blue Jays Baseball, The MLB Theme from FOX, the Sunday Night Baseball Theme from ESPN and the one that takes me back to when I was just a kid the theme music from TWIB (This Week In Baseball), that still sometimes gives me goose-bumps. Oh, and let us not forget the most famous of them all... ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’.

"Why does everybody stand up and sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ when they’re already there?"
--Larry Andersen

Even music from baseball movies have a special feeling to them and their ties to the game. The music from The Natural-when Roy Hobbs hits that epic home run. Just about every 3rd scene from Field of Dreams. It seemed that even the background music from that move made you "feel baseball". Even hearing ‘Wild Thing’ and seeing Charlie Sheen with those skull black glasses.

"Baseball statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything."
-- Toby Harrah

In a game that is more a game then a sport it has captivated fans and has survived the test of time. Sure there has been many a dark day but they always seem to get through it. The 1919 Black Sox scandal, the exclusion of negro players and how long it took for those ballplayers to not only get to play but actually get a fair shake. Now, more then anytime before the cloud over the game has cast a very ugly shadow. Steroids, Amphetamines , HGH, PEDS have tainted the purity of the game and it is just now looking to be getting clean or cleaner the cheats are always a few steps ahead of the good guys.

Just remember:
"A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz."
-- Humphrey Bogart

A SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF BASEBALL

This is a game played by two teams, one out the other in. The one that’s in, sends players out one at a time, to see if they can get in before they get out. If they get out before they get in, they come in, but it doesn’t count. If they get in before they get out it does count. When the ones outget three outs from the ones in before they get in without being out, the team that’s out comes in and the team in goes out to get those going in out before they get in without being out. When both teams have been in and out nine times the game is over. The team with the most in without being out before coming in wins unless the ones in are equal. In which case, the last ones in go out to get the ones in out before they get in without being out. The game will end when each team has the same number of ins out but one team has more in without being out before coming in.

Ramon Has Retired

Mr. Mia Hamm has hung up his cleats for the final time after signing a one day contract with the Boston Red Sox. After a 14-year career in which he was a six-time All-Star and two-time batting champion he has decided to hit the mic as an analyst for ESPN.

Nomar Garciaparra was the 1997 rookie of the year and had many good seasons with Boston until his departure in 2004 when he was traded mid-season to the Cubs. Nomar rejected a four-year, $60 million offer from the Red Sox that helped Boston GM Theo Epstine make the decision to ship him out of town. Nomar left town and the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time since 1918.

- SI Cover from 2001 -

I was never a big No-Mah fan and never understood why people thought he was as good as they did. He put up some god numbers for a short span but I never would put him in the league with ARod and Derek Jeter. He was a good player, not a great player. When the 3 of them were the big 3 shortstops in the game I saw a big drop off between DJ and ARod to Ramon. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, maybe it was that redonkulous finicky gimmick/superstition that he had at the plate with his gloves and toe-tapping. After he left Boston it seemed that he was never 100% healthy again and never was able to reach the numbers that people rightly or wrongly expected for him to produce. Is seemed like he was always injured and just kept getting rewarded with big contracts that I didn’t think he deserved in the first place let alone after his string of injuries. It seemed like he should be wearing a mask because he was stealing money from the teams that were paying him.

It was good of the Red Sox to sign him to the minor league deal and show that there were no hard feelings between the two parties. If nothing else the divorce between themselves and Nomar seemed amicable and this is a nice send off to a players that was popular with Red Sox Nation (just remember it became "Nomar Who" as soon as that last out was made on that groundout to Keith Foulke)

The Coverage Of Sports

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

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

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

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

The Pitfalls Of The Summer Lull

Now is the time of the year and things are about to become slow and it will be up to baseball to keep the sports interest intact. Boston playing New York in a series that actually counts is a good start but that is just 1 series. Sure there is NASCAR and the regular Canadian pass time- off season idol hockey speculation and for myself AVP Beach Volleyball. But as far as the games themselves there is a huge drop off at this time of year. The occasional tennis or golf tournament may happen to take the edge off but that is about it. NFL Camps are open now but until the games actually start for real and not the useless pre-season games where the real players play 1 series and then shut it down. Summer hockey camps are starting up but they arn't games and realy don't decide anything so that doesn't help things. Without any other distractions every day is now What will happen Dany Heatley? Also no good comes from that.

Canada Day is always a great day to be patriotic and celebrate living in a great country but sadly it also marked the kick off of the new CFL season. No good can come from this. Over coverage on TSN and overpower the airways with lack luster games with players we don’t know or don’t much care for. Even worse is the coverage that it will surely get from the local sports radio station Team 1200. The afternoon show right now that is almost on the verge of being unsustainable now with the move of the annoying and less then interesting hosts Glen Kulka and Lee Versage will become even worse with the increased addition of CFL chatter to go with the MMA talk. The CFL hour is a write-off in the afternoons as well. Almost as bad as having a soccer show in that slot, which they now have on Saturday mornings (The Team 1200 programing time on a Saturday morning is like a mule with a spinning wheel, he doesn't know how he got it and danged if he knows how to use it.

For a city who is still without a CFL team and not much news happening on that front there relay isn’t too much need for too much focus. We can start to care about the CFL late in the fall, playoff time and the Grey Cup...the only time it really matters.

The Art Of The Trade Deadline

The baseball trade deadline is fast approaching, but does it really mean anything? This is more of a suggested deadline but isn’t a drop dead date. Deals done before Friday can go through as any normal trade would. This is just the non-waiver trade deadline. Deals can still be made later on, provided the players clear waivers. The true deadline comes later in August when deals have to be completed in order for the players who are moved are eligible to play in the post season.

It is interesting how much different the emphasis is between the major sports as it relates to trades and trade deadline day.

MLB - In baseball there is a bit of movement usually. Deals are done primarily with 1 prominent player in the last year of a contract being moved to help a team either win a division or solidify a team that is assured a post season appearance. The asking is almost always top prospects (or package of prospects) not too often are Major League ready players exchanged for each other.

NBA- In basketball is either feast or famine at trade deadline day. With the salary cap the way it is only minor deals are made but there is the occasional huge deal that will go down. Of those big deals they are so complicated that you need a calculus degree to figure it out -" I’ll trade you my guy with no Bird rights, for your player without Bird rights a second round pick and my small forward who is retired, but I will also give you $8 million so you can buy him out and that will give us enough cap space for a mid level exception player this year and max out my star next year and you get Keith Van Horn". Not a lot of draft picks are involved in deadline deals in the NBA.

NFL - In football there is nearly no deals that are made, there is almost no reason to have a trade deadline. The only one I recall in the recent past was the deal that sent WR Roy Williams to Dallas from Detroit. The way the cap is set up and the non guaranteed contracts make it far less important and far more difficult to pull off a deal for any player as most funds are allocated by July and there just isn’t room to deal.

NHL- In hockey it is one of the must see events- it should almost be a national holiday in Canada anyway. It is all hands on deck, tv stations dedicate a day to programming and breaking anything that might even be possible or probable. These are almost all for rental players to help a team make a run not just for the Cup but in some cases just to make the playoffs because they need to try and keep their team afloat in the "non traditional" hockey markets. Nothing is off limits- players for players, prospects, draft picks and sometimes for that much needed bag of pucks.

Each league has different ideals and how valuable is a player? How valuable is a top prospect? How valuable is a draft pick? Do I try to win now by mortgaging the future or do I hold onto the unproven guy who may become a superstar or may never crack my lineup.
By this Friday we will know what some baseball GM’s have decided what is more important.

2009 Memorial Cup

The CHL’s Memorial Cup is set to begin on Friday. First things first, I am one that believes it should be the Memorial Cup...not the Mem Cup. That name is meant to honour and I don’t like when people use the short form, seems a little disrespectful.
Many sports shows like to use the short version, I don’t thinks it sounds right and find it in poor taste. Just a personal opinion.

The Windsor Spitfires, Rimouski Oceanic, Kelowna Rockets, and Drummondville Voltigeurs are the 4 representatives. The action kicks off with the host Rimouski vs. Kelowna on Friday night. All game should be on Sportsnet and should all be shown in HD. For those who like (or love) the World Junior’s this is another short tournament where every game is as important as the one that follows it, maybe more important....no as important. A first game loss can put you in a huge hole that can be very difficult to get out of. It is that kind of pressure game that makes this such a fun tournament to watch.

It is very helpful too for the more casual observer that there are actually some names that people will recognise. Not a lot of people follow Jr. Hockey too closely to know the players. If you watched the World Jr’s or have an eye on some of the scouting for the upcoming NHL Entry Draft to see who your team may be in the running to draft come June you will surely see some familiar names. That just makes it a little easier to get into.

Granted it is in tough for ratings and exposure since it is going up against the NHL Playoffs that are actually proving to be close and very competitive due to the "parody" that currently exists due to the Salary Cap. If you do get a chance to watch some of these games I suggest you do so, it is a high paced game at that level and usually will have a good amount of offence.
What more could a fan ask for?

It's Go Time- Let the Games Begin!

It is finally starting to get to that time of year where everything is starting to amp up in the sports world again, and it couldn’t have happened soon enough. With cold weather and the sun and warmth apparently on vacation until April at least, staying inside and enjoying some quality televised events seems like a logical thing to do. Sure the NFL is done, both the Super Bowl and Pro Bowls are over but winter sports are in mid flight and just past the half way mark and the spring and summer sports are thinking about getting going.

The first sign that spring will soon be in the air - pitchers and catchers are to begin reporting to Spring Training today. Baseball will hope to put some of the off field issues to the back burner and we can start talking about player movement, off season signings and then eventually the games themselves. A welcome change from the annoying chatter that is steroids and investigations.

The Australian Open just concluded. With one of the greatest one-on-one rivalries of all time between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal the Men’s side looks to have an interesting year upcoming with the clay in Paris the next stop.

The PGA has started to get going and tournaments have began. You may have missed it with Tiger Woods still rehabbing his knee but soon he will be back and the world can begin to start spinning again.

Over the last 2 weeks NASCAR has been in Speed Weeks in Daytona Florida. Last weekend they held the Bud Shootout and pole qualifying. Yesterday they ran the Dual’s at Daytona, the 2 race-in qualifying for the Grand Daddy of them all the Daytona 500 that is to be run this Sunday. But more importantly it marks my boy Jimmie Johnson going for an unheard of 4th consecutive Cup Championship. Even if I am perhaps a bit bias when it relates to the 48 Lowes Chevy Impala SS. I am not so blind to throw too many eggs into that basket as the competition is very tough and there are a number of great young drivers that are ready to break through and some veterans who want to re-invent themselves as potential contenders.

Then the further you go down the list one must start to begin to look at NCAA basketball. March Madness isn’t as far away as you may think. This is the top sports tournament around ( I feel that it can be called the top tournament even if some may think the World Cup of Soccer is, but it is disqualified from the running as it is not a real sport and it is clear that it is one thing to play but is virtually un-watchable). It is never too early to do some pre-scouting and thinking about getting that bracket ready!

Of course there are the staples of this time of year as well, the NHL and the NBA. The NBA All Star weekend begins today with all the events and "Hoop-La" that conclude with the game on Sunday. As for the NHL, they are in full force on the road towards the playoffs and possibly more importantly the trade deadline. That is really the only off ice business that is fun during the season.

This is a great time to be a fan...as long as we focus on the on field product and not all the other crap that we are bombarded with.

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.

NFL Confrence Finals

Philadelphia at Arizona

Philadelphia -4.5

It is tough to pick the Eagles in a game like this but they have made it to the conference finals numerous times and the Cardinal's have basically never been this far. Arizona has that powerful offense and looks to get Anquan Boldin back this week too. Edgerin James is running for a contract which is always dangerous but I look for Donovan McNabb to steer this team to a victory just because he wants to prove that he is the leader and the reason for their recent success. Westbrook will be the reason the cover the spread

Baltimore at Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh -5.5

This is a battle of defense. Take the under in this game. I take Baltimore in this game...but not to win. This will be a close fought close to the vest hammer it out game and will likely come down to a field goal. Big Ben will do just enough not to lose the game and create an all Pennsylvania Super Bowl. Pittsburgh will manage to edge out the Ravens and go for their second championship. Joe Flacco being a rookie may be in over his head in this one.

Superbowl Matchup February 1

Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh

Wild Card Weekend

Atlanta (11-5)

at
Arizona (9-7)

Spread Atlanta -2.5

In the first game I will be jumping on the Falcons bandwagon, or more accurately the Michael Turner/Roddy White/Matt Ryan bandwagon.
The offensive rookie of the year looks cool under the pressure and Turner/Norwood are a 1-2 punch that will not only run the ball strong but keep the ball for a long time and the longer that Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are on the bench the better. Cards have a weak running game and time of possession could prove to be key.

In this game look for Atlanta to prevail over Arizona in the desert.

Indianapolis (12-4)
at
San Diego (8-8)
Spread Indianapolis -2.5

In the Late game Saturday I will stick with the road team. With or without LaDanian Thomlinson the Colts have the edge. With the newly crowned MVP Peyton Manning and his leadership and a Colts defence that is not great but usually shows up in the playoffs look for them to exploit the banged up Chargers. LT is hurt apparently, Antonio Gates is banged up and have been without Shawne Merriman all year. Philip Rivers doesn't get the credit he deserves but he may just bot have the weapons to compete with the Colts at home this week

In this game look for Indi to roll and take this game with relative ease.

Baltimore (11-5)
at
Miami (11-5)
Spread Baltimore -3.5

In the early game, again, it will be a road team special. There may be a wildcat on the loose but it looks like the Ravens will thwart it with great run and pass defence... quote Ray Lewis and Ed Reed NEVER MORE. Joe Flacco will do what needs to be done and get just enough points to snatch the victory on the road. The Dolphins have had a great comeback season after nearly going win less last year but look for the dream season to come to an end this week.

Baltimore will take this in a close game an move into the next round

Philadelphia (11-5)
at
Minnesota (11-5)
Spread Philadelphia -3.5

In the final game, again, it will be a road team and a clean sweep in the wild card week. The Eagles will swarm with a great defence and the veteran presence of Donovan Mcnabb and Brian Westbrook. If the Eagles can contain Adrian Peterson then they will get to whoever the Vikings have at QB whether it be Jackson or Ferrot.

Eagles will leave the Metrodome with a victory and move on.

Happy New Year

Due to Christmas and the New Year, I have taken a bit of a hiatus in the blogging department but it is 2009 and it is time to get back to it!

Post 1 for 2009 is the only thing that it could be and that is the IIHF World Juniors that are being held here in Ottawa.

For those who are familiar with some past entries, I had purchased a 5 game ticket package at Scotiabank Place that included 3 Senators games and 2 World Juniors. The first 2 Sens games were decent (despite the teams record) but the main focus was on the Jr. Games. The first game that I attended was the Canada vs Germany game. Not a battle of the titans but a surprisingly closer game on the scoreboard then it should have been. Canada dominated in shots and dictated the play but Germany kept it close and fought a good fight agents the more skilled Canadian team. It was a fun game to watch as there was little doubt about the outcome and there were many goals eventually scored. The game was a little frustrating at times as the shots for increased and the shots allowed were minimal at best. The goaltending by the Germans was very respectable but a failure to capitalize on the many opportunities that were presented to the Canadians was trying at times.

The second game was Kazakhstan vs Czech Republic on New Years Eve Day. Not the most entertaining game as it was very 1 sided and with 2 lesser teams involved the atmosphere and attendance was decent but not great. It was nice to see that the crowd got behind the kazaks and were cheering saves and good chances and celebrating when they managed to get 2 goals. It was nice to see that there was legitimate fondness for a team that maybe shouldn’t be involved in the tournament (like Canada at any international soccer event).
At the conclusion of that game begins a whole new storey and that will be touched upon in my next post!

Bringing the Heat- Dany Heatley Book Signing

It is fairly well known that my favorite hockey player is Dany Heatley of the Ottawa Senators. Ever since he was acquired from the Atlanta Thrashers for Marian Hossa and Greg de Vries. I admired his play before that as a 2nd overall pick in the June 2000 Entry Draft and his winning the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the year in 2001-2002 with Atlanta but it wasn’t until he came to Ottawa that I truly became a big fan.I have tried in the past at other events to meet Dany in person but come up short. I managed to get a co-worker to get a jersey signed by him at a closed door event in Kanata the first year he was with the team and that still is the highlight of my collection. I would have loved to have met him but acquiring the jersey was the next best thing.

Last weekend I got the opportunity to finally meet Dany in person at his book signing. I knew that he was involved in producing a book authorized by him and written in the first person. I found out when he was having his official book signing at 2 local Chapter’s in the Ottawa area. So Sunday I got up and made my way to the east end and went to the Chapter’s in Gloucester. I got there about 1:30 for the 2pm event. I was given a copy of the book at the door and was told to get in the line and pay for the book, next I was moved to another line where I filled out a ballot for a jersey and a post-it note for how I wanted the book to be inscribed and got a wristband to ensure that I was “entitled” to get the book signed. I was then directed to a third line where i would wait and eventually move through the store serpentining through what felt like 70% of the store, isles and velvet ropes. Then I reached the pinnacle and the promised land. Since i was again by myself I was forced to convince an employee to take my picture with Dany and he did a half ass job and managed to get a great shot with Heater’s head down, but I digress. I got the picture, I got the book signed and personalized and even managed to shake his hand which made the entire endevour worth while. So after all that it was 3pm and 1 1/2hours later i came away a very happy hockey fan.

As for the book itself it is an 80 page autobiography that is aimed at young readers and is more light then perhaps it could have been. The book only briefly touches on the accident that he was involved in that took the life of friend and teammate Dan Snyder but that is to be expected in a book style like this. Hopefully sometime down the road or after his playing days he will write a more comprehensive autobiography that will encompass his entire life and career that may include how one can cope with such tragedy and be able to move on.

Week 15 NFL Picks

GB with the help of Aaron Rogers and Ryan Grant and hopes that MOJO doesn't single handidly run over the GB defence

Indi at home vs winless Lions with no Caulpepper or Johnson

Washington because Cincy is just a train wreck still

Atlanta at home with Roddy White and Matt Ryan

Miami- SF is without Gore

Seattle because they are playing STL.

Buffalo to keep the points close

Tennessee- they are still a very good tram that runs well

SD- LT is due for a big day sooner or later

Arizona air attack to limit Peterson being used effectively

Pittsburgh defence is just a powerhouse

Denver offence should keep game at least close

New England *** only if Cassle plays otherwise that is a lot of points

Giants are still a good team and if Jacobs can't play Ward should replace him well

Philly- not sure what is going on in Cleveland and Dorsey will be in tough

Maddux Was A Master

He ended his career similar to the way that he played throughout it, quiet, professional and classy. Most players that are not only the best at their position during their time in the game but one of the best of all time would announce their intentions up to a year before so they can get all the fanfare they can and be in the news as a final Harrah! Greg Maddux is not that type of person or player an announcement at 6pm on a Friday night is about as obscure a time as one could ever choose. But that is the most fitting way for this 4 time Cy Young, 18 time Gold Glove winner, 3,000+ strikeout, 355 game winner.

Maddux was one of the least imposing superstars ever to play. A man who looked more like an accountant then a pro ball player was for the majority of his career like a surgeon on the mound. Now a days a pitcher like this probably would never get a chance to get to the majors let alone become one of the best ever. Scouts won’t even give you a look if you can’t hit 90mph on the gun. Maddux learned early that it was more about movement, location and changing speeds then velocity and that was how he became the master.
There is little doubt now that he will be the face of pitching during this era. Maybe it would have been Roger Clemens before his recent troubles but not it almost has to be Maddux. In the steroid era he was never linked or suspected of any improprieties and will possibly be the last pitcher to achieve that many wins in the new age of pitching with 5 man rotations and the way bullpens are used.

In his prime he anchored one of the greatest pitching staffs ever assembled with himself Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz with the 14 time Division Champion Atlanta Braves and was the ace of the staff in 1995 when the Braves were World Champions.

I got the pleasure of watching him pitch in Montreal during an Expos game and saw in person just what a special player he was. Hopefully in 5 years I will get to see him where he belongs…in the Hall of Fame and going in with an Atlanta Braves hat (and not a Cubs one).

Congrats on a great career and for the great memories during your time in Atlanta.

Week 14 Early Picks

My apologies for missing last weeks picks. US Thanksgiving caught up to me and by then figured the rest of the week was a wash. Back this week and hoping for the best! Lets play some Fooooooootbaaaaaaallllllll!!!!

-San Diego is a disappointment and Oakland seems to either be close in games or get blown out it is feast or famin with them

-Indi in hopes that Peyton throws better then last week which was just embarrassing

-Jacksonville is a disappointment and the coach seems to have forgotten how to manage a game

-6.5 is too big a number for Green Bay to cover

-With no QB Cleveland will have a terrible time staying with the Titans

-Petterson to run all over the Lions

-Giants on the arm of MVP candidate Eli Manning? not Peyton, Eli? Ok

-Atlanta with NO being too inconsistent Brees still throws for 325+

-NE needs a win and Seatle is as good a team as any to do so

-The Gun-Singer Farve will let it fly in San Fran

-Miami because the Rogers Centre roof will be closed-watch out for Ginn Jr.

-Denver-Cuttler needs to have a good game

-Warner needs to run the college offence and spread it out and let it fly

-Dallas to get the offence rolling again

-Baltimore because i can't watch a 'Skins game no matter how good a team they are they just don't look entertaining

-Tampa Bay...I still can't trust Carolina and Jake D

The Cost of an Autograph

It is nice to see that there are still good guys in the NHL. Coming off the Sean Avery fiasco a somewhat positive story is a nice change of pace. Alex Burrows, Taylor Pyatt and Ryan Kesler said they will pull out of what could have been a controversial signing session near Metrotown on Dec. 21.The three Canucks players were to be the main attractions for an autograph signing at a supplements store at a cost of $30 for a small Item and $40 for a large item. This was not at a convention or card show either just a promo event that usually brings in people to get foot traffic into a store not try and make a lot of money from the fans.
It isn’t just the fact that they were charging for the autographs but the high cost that they were to be asking $5-$10 max...$30 is ridiculous, especially for less then "premier" players. It is good to see that they had the common sense to get out of that deal or they would have run the risk of looking bad.

I collect autographs myself and have gotten cards signed by Kesler at least and have had no trouble and got them back through the mail (TTM) in a timely fashion at no cost (except postage of course). I would have been disappointed had he followed through and this tarnished him in any way. Burrows said of his autograph: "I don’t think I’m worth $30, not my autograph. You can’t even recognize my autograph, so I don’t think it would make sense. I don’t want to be the kind of guy to do something like that."

Apparently, Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner of the Oilers had a similar problem that garnered national attention when they were at a card show that was charging $25. Gagner is another player that I have gotten an autograph from in his junior days so at least then he was very forthcoming. Perhaps as a pro things have changed.

In my experience hockey players in general are some of the best at signing and returning autographs both from the NHL level to the Junior ranks. It goes to show that for the most part they are a pretty decent bunch and it is good that we can include Burrows, Pyatt and Kesler in that group.

Plaxico’s Giant Mistake

Does the NFL have a gun problem or do sports in general have a gun problem or again can we just chalk it up to an overall social problem?
Why is it that you hear these stories about NFLers and not so many NBA players or MLB players, is it just the number of people that a team carries or is it more then that?

On Friday night Plaxico Burress of the New York Giants was involved in a club shooting. Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg with his own gun. Luckily he didn’t permanently hurt himself or anyone else but that is besides the point. He still had a loaded, concealed weapon without a permit in a club and no good can come from that. After the Pacman Jones issues in Vegas that left a bouncer paralyzed this issue has gotten a lot more media attention. Granted there is a culture that many people may not understand about where some of these guys come from and "carrying" is common and in some cases a necessity but sometimes common sense must play a roll. Sean Taylor was killed in his home and another NFL player was robbed just outside his house at gunpoint, but that is very different, that is at home. Have a gun to protect your family... many people get that, but maybe not at the club. Why? Maybe you shouldn’t be at the club- No good comes from being out after 12:30am in a club, nothing. Not the last drink, the last conversation, the last woman or the last piece of pizza. Just go home.
Athletes are targets, we all know that, both for the good and the bad and it may be hard to tell if a person want an autograph or your watch and money. But after midnight in a club it is more likely to be the latter. Here is a novel idea, hire an off duty cop or detective to be around you when you go out, maybe not to be an imposing figure but to at least act as a deterrent or someone to de-escalate bad situations.

Plaxico has had a rough year with fines and suspensions from the team but this will no doubt be the last straw. His issues affected mainly just him but this recent issue brought teammates into it, namely Antonio Pierce who was apparently there and may or may not have been involved in some way, possibly involving the gun itself.

It is doubtful that Burress will play for the Giants again with the injury as well as the NFL’s personal conduct policy, not to mention that New York has one of the strongest anti-gun laws he could be in more serious trouble and could get anything from probation to 5 years in jail. This doesn’t look like being a star athlete is going to help get him off the hook this time. Playing football will be the least of his worries for the next while.

Almost A Done Deal Now- and not a moment too soon

Finally we can move on from the incessant Brian Burke rumors to Toronto, Burke agreed to terms yesterday and not a moment too soon. Burke will become the President and GM of the Leafs and have "complete autonomy". That, "It is what it is", "secondary scoring", "puck moving defenceman", "compete level" and "soccer mom" and all terms that in my opinion can’t stop soon enough. It is buzz phrases like that that just make you want to bang your head against the wall, but I digress...
But back to the complete autonomy. In the deal it is apparent that he wanted and it would appear that he would get the same type of deal that Bryan Colangelo gets for the same position with thee Raptors. Granted I am more comfortable with Colangelo then Burke, I mean clearly "Bryan" with a "Y" carries more respect then one with an "I". Apparently Burke will get up to $3.1M per year if he reaches incentives listed in the contract and have the final say with only Richard Peddie to report to on the MLSE Board. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for him to put his stamp on the team and purge Europeans and high ticket players.
Now if we can just get Mats Sundin to sign somewhere maybe people can go back to talking about the games and end all the speculation talk for a while.

In a side note Luke Richardson was waived by the Sens and all but ends his long career. If not claimed it is likely he becomes a coach in some capacity with the organization and would be a valuable addition to young defenceman in the system. It also allows for a little more cost flexibility or the team...Is this just the first move? Is something in the works? We will just have to keep an eye on that pipeline.

NFL Week 12 Picks

Last Week was an 8-7 week so over .500 but not by much need a strong 10+ week soon!

Cleveland to cover but Quinn's injury could pose a bit of an issue

KC has been decent the last 2 weeks and at home may keep it close

Tennessee to stay undefeated and score late to cover

New England because coach Bill is bitter over loosing last time to Miami

Frank Gore to keep his team close in Big D

Tampa because they are playing the Lions

Eagles just because i am praying that there isn't a tie for Donovan's sake

Chicago in hopes special teams are good, the offence may not put up 8 points on their own

Adrian Peterson and the Vikings to run over Jacksonville

Oakland to stay close to Denver even if they have no right to

I trust Matt Ryan more then Delhomme and Carolina

Washington needs a win and needs to play big vs Seattle

Giants because the defence is just good but I'd rather see the Cards win in this one

Indi with San Diego struggling and Manning needing to pad some stats

Green Bay as long and Breese throws for less then 367 yards