Saturday, July 26th, 2008 - Joba Rules

Joba Chamberlain showed why he's been off any trade talks the last year plus as he went into Fenway and dominated the Sawks in a 1-0 Yankee win, giving up three hits in seven innings...the LoHud Yankee blog is reporting that the Yankees traded for Xavier Nady and Domaso Marte of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clearly, the Yankees future includes the present...the U.S. hoops team beat Canada a mere 120-65. Wonder what it would've been had Lebron James played?...there are the New York Giants, whining again about being disrespected as everybody is picking the Dallas Cowboys as the cream of the crop in the NFC East. Jason Tuck is whining about the Cowboys trying to buy the Super Bowl. Explain exactly how that works, in a hard salary cap enviroment, Mr. Tuck? Going to guess that Tuck wasn't a scholastic heavyweight at Notre Dame...Carmelo Anthony says he's going to be more of a leader this year for the Denver Nuggets. Not sure why I find it funny when somebody talks about being a leader, but I do. Melo has led for years: at the buffet table...Marvin Harrison was on the field for the Indianapolis Colts the first day of camp. What ever happened to that story of his with guys getting shot, guns stashed at car washes he owned, and nary a word from Harrison?...Elite XC stages another card on CBS tonight. No clue who is fighting, but surely it is handled better than the last time out where trigger happy refs repeatedly stopped fights early because it happened to be on network TV in prime time....Greg Maddux hasn't won fewer than 13 games since 1987. He sits at 3 this year...talk about a global league: the English Premier League has 35% of the players listing England as their country of birth. I find that number low, but that's what national team coach Fabio Capello is advertising...have a great Saturday.

Friday, July 25th, 2008 - No "O Canada"?

Sir Charles Barkley paid the tuition of a busboy from one of his favorite restaurants when the guy said he couldn't afford it. Now, that happened earlier in the week. Notice how much coverage it got? None mainstream. Zero. But if he enters a casino, look out...a couple interesting items on the air in Beijing. The air quality is five times worse than what the World Health Organization deems acceptable. Second, working outside is like smoking 70 cigarettes a day. Makes me want to run a marathon, row a boat, or ride a bike...Chicago Cubs pariah-fan Steve Bartman turned down an offer of $25,000 to sign a picture of the infamous playoff mix-up. If I'm him, I'm signing. Fast...Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis says the race for Mats Sundin is down to them and Toronto. My thinking is he's half right. Toronto. Or Montreal...Ottawa Sens owner Eugene Melnyk is making noise about an MLS side for Ottawa. There's talk of Steve Nash among others in on a Vancouver squad. And Montreal is all but a certainty with Montreal Canadiens and Liverpool owner George Gillett in the mix. Small names these are not...Tom Coughlin lit up Jeremy Shockey as selfish, and acknowledged Shockey's "me" outlook was a consideration. In other news, water is wet...Joba Chamberlain and Josh Beckett take to the bump tonight at Fenway as the Yanks and Sawx renew hostilities. Odds are Kevin Youkilis is getting another in the ribs from Joba...with these volatile markets, the Yankees might be buying Bonds. As in, Barry Bonds. Words cannot describe how against this I am...be sure to catch SportsCenter below to see the wildest brawl in a long time in baseball. You will not believe what one pitcher did...David Beckham went the distance in the MLS All-Stars 3-2 win over West Ham United. Local boy Dwayne DeRosario scored the winner. Hilites here. Of particular note: they played God Save The Queen. They played the Star Spangled Banner. They did NOT play O Canada. Fuck you, MLSE...have a great Friday.

Thursday, July 24th, 2008 - Hit it, CC

Brett Favre was using a cell phone issued by the Green Bay Packers to talk to coaches and management of the rival Minnesota Vikings. That this was revealed is hardly surprising. After all, everybody knows that in crunch time, Favre always gets intercepted...believe it or not, more than a few MLB teams are not allowing fans to bring sunscreen into their stadiums for security reasons, falling in line with airplane rules around liquids and gels. Incredible. The New York Yankees just lifted their ban this past weekend...Lebron James says the Redeem Team will be bringing the Olympic gold back to the U.S. He guarantees it...Roger Federer is not having a great month. He's out at the Rogers Cup, no doubt bringing more than a few tennis fans to tears hoping for a Federer/Nadal rematch on Sunday...CC Sabathia is on one hell of a roll since going to the Milwaukee Brewers, tossing his third straight complete game and sixth of the year. Remember how badly he started? The guy is going to win the NL Cy Young. Just watch...the Globe & Mail's Stephen Brunt on Toronto FC: "they're scoring goals like the Blue Jays score runs"...I'd have easily bet Mike Mussina would lose 13 this year before I bet he'd win 13. Mussina is 12-3 since May 1st...the MLS All-Star game goes at BMO Field tonight. David Beckham et al are in town to represent the MLSers as they face English Premier League side West Ham. The Hammers had some traveling fans get in a brawl with the hosts in Columbus last weekend. I imagine they won't fare too well if they venture into the south end of BMO. Yours truly sold his ticket for nearly four times face value, such is my disdain for All-Star Games in general, though baseball does work. Kickoff is 7pm, coverage coast to coast on CBC...Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb is talking a big game, all but promising the Eagles will win the NFC East. Not sure if McNabb has looked in the mirror of late, but his days as an elite QB ended the day Terrell Owens jumped ship. Or when he threw up in the final moments of Super Bowl 39...have a great Thursday.

Rome burns on Favre...

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 - Ronaldinhorse

Lovely pic of Ronaldinho, no?...and now for something completely different. Chicago Cubs closer Kerry Wood has avoided going to the DL. Strange, but true...what says "I'm guilty" more than knowing you're going to get pulled for a doping test after winning a stage of the Tour de France, and trying to flee like two stage winner and the brilliantly named Riccardo Ricco did? Here's an idea for the Tour: either ditch the whole thing, or just let everybody do whatever they want and see what a bunch of freaked out cyclists can do...the mob tried to buy Lazio of Italy's Serie Zzzzz? Awesome. There's gotta be a movie in there somewhere...if the Boston Red Sox let Man Ram go and chase the Colorado Rockies Matt Holliday, they'll be sorry. Holliday is another in a long line of guys with great numbers at home, and nothing on the road...it is official: Cristiano Ronaldo is incapable of stating a firm opinion. How else to explain him musing he might be bound for the LA Galaxy one day...Mats Sundin will make a decision in two weeks time as to his hockey future. See Brett Favre, this is how it is done. no guns-to-heads, no flip-flopping, no "hold on until I let you know" and no demands like you're the de facto GM...the U.S. men's Olympic hoops team is going by "Redeem Team" and has emphasized team so much they put their names on their jerseys in a muted light blue while the team name is in flaming red. If they're focused, it's going to be fun watching them steamroll the competition. Of concern, Lebron James left practice with a wonky ankle. The U.S. faces Canada Friday in what will surely get ugly...an A-Rod and Madonna sex tape? I'll say one thing of A-Rod, whether this is true or not, the man is locked in on the diamond...Toronto FC drew at home to Montreal Impact to bow out of the CONCACAF Champions League. Frankly, that is embarrassing. More embarrassing is if you're TFC striker Jeff Cunningham, and your coach gets off this blast on you after you miss a sure goal in the dying seconds: "Seeing that — it makes me wonder how he's scored 99 goals in this league." Kudos to GBVH for that find...a brawl in the WNBA? Video included in SportsCentre below, plus extended video below that which includes the quote that Rick Mahorn was "in some way touching Lisa Leslie". Gold. No horses had to be put down following this one, fortunately...is it me, or does it seem like every other time the Phillies are playing the Mets, they're coming back late? 6 runs in the 9th last night was the latest...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 - Troubled Times in Toronto

Three more saves for Mariano Rivera on a game Andy Pettitte started will break the record of 57 set by Oakland’s Bob Welch and Dennis Eckersley. This Yankee fan would love to see the next one this weekend when Boston is in the Bronx...Sports Illustrated's Peter King vows that if that cancer Brett Favre is going anywhere, it is Tampa Bay...so there's NY Giant Brandon Jacobs whining about how his squad not getting enough respect. Respect is like finishing second, Jacobs. In ten years, nobody will remember who got respect or not - they will remember who got the rings and trophy. That aside, what is a guy with 1,500 career yards over three seasons talking for?...but while Jacobs feels the VaGiants are being disrespected, along comes the first power rankings of the year from ESPN.com, and four of the top 5 squads are AFC teams. And the other is not the Giants, but is the Cowboys who checked in at #4. The Giants are #6. New England is tops, and the article tells us something I'm sure we're all thrilled to hear: New England has the easiest schedule this season based on 2007 results. Wonderful...the new moniker for the Oklahoma City NBA franchise will be "Thunder"...the usually solid Bleacherreport.com runs a countdown of the Top 10 Wimpiest Team Names. And hey, the CFL got some recognition! Not sure how they just didn't have a category for any bird not an Eagle or Hawk. And where are the Maple Leafs? That is truly a name that doesn't make one think "tough". After all, leaves fall to the ground and are just in bloom in the spring. Well, in theory...Cito Gaston called Scott Rolen the best third baseman he has ever seen. Seriously. Seems Cito's eyes are deceiving him. Kinda the way Rolen's are deceiving him en route to a .270 average with 8 homers and 30 RBI...Randy Johnson has never lost to the Chicago Cubs. A career 13-0 after last night's victory...the Toronto Maple Leafs will "honour" the jerseys of Doug Gilmour and Wendel Clark. Not bad for a guy who scored all of 452 points as a Leaf in Gilmour, and merely 260 goals for Clark. But, when your history is that feeble, may as well have a party. Clearly, the Yankees and Habs they're not...Toronto FC is in a must-win situation tonight when they host the Montreal Impact in the final game of their section of the CONCACAF Champions League. Given their scoring struggles of late, I'm not overly optimistic...Jeremy Shockey finally got his wish in being dealt by the Giants to the New Orleans Saints. Poor Shockey, all pouty when the Giants got better after he got hurt and had the nerve to win a Super Bowl without him. Shame for him now he's got a quarterback who won't take his garbage, and a running back whose star far exceeds his - at least for now...have a great Tuesday.

Monday, July 21st, 2008 - Cash Flow Low

The Cristiano Ronaldo story is picking up steam again, as Ronny plays the "who knows what will happen?" card to the media while on holiday in the U.S...explain this one, if you can. You can go to a grocery store and perpetually pick up plastic bags for your purchases. But, if you want a reusable bag, you pay for it. Shouldn't that be the other way around?...ever wonder how much actual playing time is there in the average sport? An NFL game 12 minutes, or 1 minute of action per 14 minutes of time it takes to complete the game (the CFL is a better 1 minute of action to 10 minutes inaction). Baseball checks in at 12 minutes, 22 seconds (1 action to 16 inaction). Hockey is far more action filled at 1-1.4, and in first is soccer, the only sport where the action exceeds the inaction at 1-0.3...Croatia downed Germany in Olympic basketball qualifying. I'm only mentioning this because I was asked why I didn't mention it yesterday. My response? Croatia beating Germany in anything is hardly news anymore. Germany did end up nabbing the final Olympic qualifying spot, joining Croatia and Greece...big day for OJ Simpson yesterday. Spike ran a Naked Gun marathon. That's gotta net him a couple bucks in residuals, no?...former Toronto Argo - and isn't it best to refer to any former CFLer as "former CFLer"? - John Avery has written the pilot to a sitcom. Working title? "CFL: Cash Flow Low". Make of this what you will...the NFC East just got a little tougher, with the Washington Redskins trading for Jason Taylor. Expecting some harsh words from Bill Parcells any moment now...getting swept by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim has dropped the Boston Red Sox 1.5 games out of first place Tampa Bay. And lookie here: the Yankees are lurking a mere 4.5 games out...from the Department of Odd Stats: Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster is now 11-4 after winning yesterday, his first road win in two years...no Pardon The Interruption all week? Booo!...have a great Monday.

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Anderson Silva took a minute flat to win his UFC debut at 205. At Affliction "Banned", Fedor Emelianenko smoked Tim Sylvia in 36 seconds...LPGA golfer Michelle Wie was disqualified after a scorecard error. That's what happens when you're a home school dropout...Toronto FC dominated play, didn't really give up a chance, but their inability to finish cost them two points in a draw against San Jose yesterday. A striker signing would be great, Mo Johnston...the Blue Jays don't have a single player on pace to hit 20+ home runs...remember Manny Ramirez shoving the team's traveling secretary a few weeks back? Well, seems Man Ram was fined six figures for that, and there is speculation that at Yankee Stadium, in a pinch hitting appearance, his leaving the bat on his shoulder for three straight strikes was his form of protest. That Man Ram, no slight real or perceived goes unpunished...Tony Romo not only lost his first two playoff games as the Dallas Cowboys QB, he also did the same in three consecutive years in college. Worried? Not this guy...and now for something completely different: the Buffalo Sabres actually signed a key player in goalie Ryan Miller...are you like me, and hoping Greg Norman goes old school and chokes the lead away in the final round at the British Open?...have a great Sunday.