I swear that I don't have a gun...

The Seattle Sounders of MLS played the Portland Timbers of the USL in the U.S. Open Cup and a Portland fan held up the sign at right for Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Kurt Cobain, of course, was from Seattle...a rare weekend of no games for Toronto FC. Dullsville. The Reds are off until July 11th when they'll visit San Jose...New York Yankee AJ Burnett exacted some revenge on his previously poor start against the Toronto Blue Jays. He struck out 7 over 7 with two walks and two earned runs and the Yankees won 4-2. Burnett is on a serious roll now and has allowed three earned runs in 27 1/3 innings (0.99 ERA) and 33 k's since his horror show in Boston five games back where he vowed to improve. Safe to say he's done that. Today likely won't be so kind to the Yankees, as Chien-Ming Wang is on the bump - bad for the Yankees - while Roy Halladay goes for the Jays - worse for the Yankees...it is one week until the mega UFC 100 card. As a bit of a primer and a look back, here's a look back at a top 10 of the previous best cards...the LA Dodgers went a strong 29-21 without Manny Ramirez, and ManRam returned last night. The Dodgers won 6-3 at San Diego and ManRam was 0 for 3 with a walk amid mixed boos and cheers. The Dodgers are going to absolutely flatten that division...Andy Roddick ruined the hopes of Great Britain by taking down Andy Murray in four sets and now Roddick will attempt to beat a guy who has owned him in Grand Slam finals, and a guy who is looking to win a record setting 15th Slam in Roger Federer who took out Tommy Haas in straight sets. That's one great reason to get up tomorrow morning. The ladies final is set for 9am this morning...Rosario Dawson. Just because...a poll of 380 MLB players had 26% selecting Lou Piniella as the manager they'd least like to play for. Bobby Cox topped the list of managers they'd most like to play for. Meantime, Joe Torre finished top five in both categories. Guessing the group that wouldn't want him as a skipper could be labelled "relievers"...Roddy Piper was busted on a DUI. Shame, Roddy...what are the odds that it would be Ali G - as in Gerba - that would stab Jamaica in the heart and give Canada a 1-0 win in their opening game at the Gold Cup? The recent Toronto FC signing scored a beauty midway through the second half at the game played in Carson, California...scratch Rick Nash off the rumoured Toronto Maple Leafs wish list. He signed an eight year extension for $62.5 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets yesterday...and a happy Fourth of July to our friends south of the border. In your honor (your spelling, not ours), here are ten hatchet jobs of anthems, mostly American...have a great Saturday.

Bees!

It'll be an all Williams sister final at Wimbledon this year. My money is on Venus. Hilarious hearing Jason Whitlock - no lightweight himself - mention on the Jim Rome Show how Serena Williams driver's license lists her at 135 but he said there's no way she's under 200. Not sure about 200, but she's closer to that than she is 135. Meanwhile, the men's semis are going today with Roger Federer taking on Tommy Haas and local fav Andy Murray facing Andy Roddick...Landon Donovan isn't shy about his opinions on David Beckham's act in Grant Wahl's new book The Beckham Experiment, an excerpt of which you can read here. Thanks to GBVH for that one...finally somebody decided to lay the old dimensions of Yankee Stadium over those of the new, and there are a few noticeable differences, particularly right centre. Also of note is that the wall is shorter. Short of losing seating capacity by a higher wall blocking out a row or two, not sure how you fix that side of the equation...there was a 52 minute delay in the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros game last night. Rain? No. Bees. This makes the midge attack in Cleveland on Joba Chamberlain in the 2007 playoffs look tame...word is Bayern Munich and French star Franck Ribery wants to join Real Madrid. Freaking insanity...on the move is Michael Owen, who will be joining Manchester United on a free transfer. Could be a great move for both if he can stay healthy, but that's a giant "if" with Owen...remember "Guido Beach"? Well, before that, there was "Wildwood, New Jersey"...the Toronto Blue Jays are in New York for a weekend series that gets under way at 1pm today for those not working...former MLBer Jim Leyritz, two months shy of a trial for a DUI manslaughter charge, doesn't believe in keeping a low profile. He's now added a battery charge after smacking his wife around...have a great Friday.

Free agent frenzy!

Fixin' to be a big year for the CFL in Hamilton if you figure swaths of empty seats for the home opener with their closest and most hated rival in for a game are a good sign. The Ti-CatsToronto Argos lost 30-17 to the ...since his two day break for fatigue, A-Rod is hitting .435 (10 for 23) with four homers, 13 RBIs and 10 walks as the New York Yankees have now rolled off seven straight wins. Speaking of the Yankees, they've graciously included free tickets to a fireworks show on the Fourth of July this Saturday under the name of "Chien-Ming Wang". There is a risk however that the show doesn't come off as those holding the matches are the pop-gun offence of the Toronto Blue Jays...class act that Dany Heatley. Heatley was looking for a trade from the Ottawa Senators because he doesn't like that his coach expects him to occasionally work on something other than scoring, so the Sens accomodate him to save a $4 million pay day that is due if July 2nd hits, and then the Sens make a deal - and a good one for them too - with the Edmonton Oilers for centre Andrew Cogliano, winger Dustin Penner and defenceman Ladislav Smid. Shame that Heatley appears to have declined a move to Edmonton, because he wanted to be moved to the New York Rangers when they freed up some cap room after trading Scott Gomez to the Montreal Canadiens, who also made a nice move in inking Mike Cammelleri. Problem is the Rangers inked Marian Gaborik to a five year, $37.5 million deal. Here's hoping the Sens force him to stay and if he doesn't like it, he can stay home...the Chicago Black Hawks inked Marian Hossa to a 12 year deal. Yes, 12. I'll never understand those deals...and hey, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a huge move that ought to get the city of Toronto planning the parade route: they signed Colton Orr. Okay, they also signed Mike Komisarek which is nice, and shipped Pavel Kubina to Atlanta...Tony Romo was talking some junk to Tiger Woods in their pro-am event yesterday. Woods showed up wearing a Washington Redskins jersey...

Happy Canada Day!

RandoMango returns tomorrow.

Best email ever?

The Tampa Bay Rays are the fifth team all time to have 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases by the all-star break, with plenty of time to spare...the Washington Nationals are 11-7 in games they're trying to avoid a sweep, and 11-44 in all others. Guess they do have some pride...best email yesterday to the Jim Rome Show on Jelena Jankovic: "she's the best tennis player. Period."...with three at home to Tampa Bay, and they lost last night with Roy Halladay on the bump, followed by four in New York and another three in Tampa, the Toronto Blue Jays best get things turned around or they'll be double digits off the pace in the American League East and their torrid start a distant memory. They're now 7 back...if I'm an NBA GM, I'm not sure that I ever draft guys over 7' tall. Greg Oden has been in and out of the Portland lineup since being drafted, and now comes word Yao Ming's foot injury could be career threatening. Goes to show how special Shaq has been...the Buffalo Bills have already sold out four of their seven home dates this year before individual game tickets become available. Looks like Toronto's game has driven demand in Buffalo through dwindled supply. Classic Economics...San Francisco Giant Tim Lincecum tossed his third complete game of the year, a two-hitter in which he fanned eight. Tiny Tim is a stud, and now has 132 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched...A-Rod's got more walks than strikeouts for the first time in his career, and if his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) starts to resemble something normal, he could be in for an incredible second half. Interesting read here...Centre Court at Wimbledon finally used its fancy roof, and Andy Murray of Scotland took to it well in a five set victory. Curious to see what happens to the grass after prolonged used under the lid...if you've never read the insane ramblings of The Ultimate Warrior, now is a good time to start as he riffs on the departure of Michael Jackson. By the way, the guy had his name legally changed to "Warrior"...more on Jacko: U.S. soccer has released a Michael Jackson tribute jersey. Seriously...the CFL season starts tomorrow. Some predictions: a team under .500 will make the playoffs. The playoff format will continue to confuse. The Argos will continue to suck. And Bukkake will continue to remind us why we should all be Eskimos fans, and that I am...have a great Tuesday.

500 and counting

The United States stunned the soccer, nay, the sporting world by racing out to a 2-0 first half lead over star studded Brazil, who looked incapable of defending themselves to any U.S. attack. The second half proved a different tale as Brazil raised their game and completely dominated, scoring three to make the final 3-2 and win the Confederations Cup, the warm-up before next year's World Cup in South Africa. It was hard not to pull for the U.S., as the States play the game right - Charlie Davies had a clear foul on him and rather than going to ground to make sure it is called, he kept pushing forward and kept his feat. If you don't like the U.S. team for acts like that alone, you're letting political views get in the way of sporting ones...Roy Halladay returns tonight for the Toronto Blue Jays and not a moment too soon - his Jays are now fourth place after losing yesterday while the Tampa Bay Rays were winning their fifth straight. Count the Rays out this year at your peril. They score loads of runs, and if they get their pitching right, they're going to be a load in the second half...those Blue Jays "you belong at the game" ads are pretty solid, but shouldn't the part where they show a full Rogers Centre be in black and white just so they're not falling into the realm of false advertising?...Yankees closer Mariano Rivera nailed down his 500th career save last night, and had an RBI, in the Yankees 4-2 win over the Mets to sweep that series, also their fifth straight win...Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson is going with the tried and true "show me how much you care" when it comes to the subject of more Bills home games being played in Toronto. Let's be serious, he couldn't care less if there's a single body in the seats if the cheque doesn't bounce from Rogers to bring the game north...Tony Romo will be partnered in a Pro-Am this week with Tiger Woods. Tough times for Romo. Word is Eldrick is going to give a dissertation on the importance of finishing strong and keeping the ball out of trouble...it didn't take long for a website to round up all the Michael Jackson jokes that have been floating about in the last few days, as well as years prior. Here it be...have a great Monday.

A+ A.J.

AJ Burnett whiffed 10 and took a no-hitter into the sixth en route to a one hitter, with the bullpen finishing it, for the New York Yankees and a 5-0 win over the New York Mets. That's four hits total for the Mets on the weekend off Burnett, just returning from suspension, and CC Sabathia. 14 of the 18 innings on the weekend the Mets have gone down 1-2-3. You have to figure the Mets won't have as tough a time tonight with Chien-Ming Wang on the bump for the Bronx Bombers...seven Swedes were taken in the first round of the NHL draft. There were seven Russians drafted - total. Odd...a Calgary Flame defence headed by Dion Phaneuf and newly acquired Jay Bouwmeester looks pretty freaking good for the next decade, no? Bouwmeester is a free agent come July 1st, but you have to figure the Albertan signs...the top seed in the women's draw at Wimbledon, Jelena Jankovic, after her loss to the unheard of Melanie Oudin blamed "woman problems." Feminists must be so proud. At least Serbian Viktor Troiki had a good reason for getting blown out by Andy Murray in straight sets: he's allergic to grass...Brazil and the U.S. will contest the Confederations Cup final today at 2pm. Coverage on CBC. Be sure to check the video below for the strange trip to the finals for the Yanks...Toronto FC stunk it up badly in Salt Lake last night, 3-0 losers to the hosts...those wacky Phillipino prisoners are at it again, this time staging a tribute to the departed Michael Jackson. Question: is the "P" on their prison garb for "pedophile"?...a Tampa Bay Rays fan - yes, they exist - was grabbed by the throat by the Philadelphia Phillies JC Romero after the fan made a steroid crack to the just-returned-from-suspension Romero. Wonder if he made a comment about Roid Rage after Romero released the choke hold?...not sure why the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants went with Hispanic names on their jersey's yesterday, but I like it. More pics here...finally today, what do Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett and Michael Jackson expect for Christmas? Patrick Swayze...have a great Sunday.


The U.S. road to the Confederation Cup final...