Arshavin goes off for four

Another Tuesday gone by, another electric game for Liverpool as they played to a 4-4 barnburner with Arsenal. Arsenals' Andrei Arshavin scored four for the Gunners, who had a winner denied in the dying moments from Cesc Fabregas. Amazing, and more goals scored than any of the five NHL games last night. The result opens the door for Manchester United to widen the gap as they face Portsmouth today, one of two games in hand for United...last nights save by Mariano Rivera for an Andy Pettitte win tied the MLB record at 57, held by then Oakland A's Bob Welch and Dennis Eckersley...with all the empty seats, clearly the Yankees overestimated the draw of a new stadium and their team, and underestimated the economic climate...a recent SI article (March 23rd) says that within two years of being retired, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce. Within five years, 60% of NBA players are broke. Those are staggering numbers...while you've been reading today's entry, Roberto Luongo made six more saves. The Vancouver Canucks punched their ticket to the second round with an overtime win over the St. Louis Blues...it is only today, two days after Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo's year end presser, that I'm able to see straight after my eyes got locked into a rolling position after he declared this year's edition of the Raptors the best he's assembled. He was far more credible when he was killing them for being soft and lacking in pride...more on the homer debate at new Yankee Stadium where 20 home runs were hit in four games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there were eight four-games spans of 20 or more homers at the old Stadium, some of them overlapping, including 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2007. So maybe what we saw on the opening weekend at the new park was just an anomaly? Further, given the homers launched for years out of Camden Yards in Baltimore, Minute Maid Park in Houston, Citizens Bank Park in Philly, and others, seems like a bit much right now. By the way, there was only one last night, off the stick of Johnny Damon...NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says Michael Vick will have to show signs of "serious remorse" if he is to be reinstanted to the NFL. Question: how is Goodell qualified to judge him that way?...Goodell might want to keep tabs on a potential far more explosive situation. Seems Mrs. Tom Brady - Gisele Bundchen - has won over $1 million betting on Inter Milan this season. If she starts hammering wagers in the NFL, there's going to be no media outlet not interested and that's something the NFL, which benefits from gambling despite pretending it has nothing to do with it, cannot afford...going into last night's action, the Toronto Blue Jays were 61-41 since Cito Gaston took over, the third best record over that time behind the LA Angels and Chicago Cubs...the way that PTP has gone of late after a smoking hot start - isn't that the way? - I'm looking for a can't lose proposition. And I've got it in Chivas USA, who visit a Dwayne DeRosario-less Toronto FC tonight. At +114, tough not to like them in any event, and hey, if I'm wrong, my boys win...have a great Wednesday.

Women shouldn't drive, says Arshavin

It is funny hearing boxing guys like Bob Arum or Larry Merchant trash MMA as "two guys humping" when it goes to ground, but two boxers hugging and dancing about is somehow different...talk about your odd stat. Serena Williams has won the Aussie Open in every odd numbered year since 2003...Toronto Raptors play by play voice Matt Devlin and Rod Black sound so alike it is scary, til you listen to what they say. Devlin is light years preferable...that your boy here despises all things All-Star game almost universally is well established, but it just got worse in hearing that not only is the NBA including a game of HORSE, but that it won't actually be called HORSE. It'll be called GEICO. That's right, they sold the rights to a sponsor...the talk that Derek Jeter should be moved to centre is gaining steam in the media with plenty of statistical analysis as to why it would improve the Yankees. ESPN's Rob Neyer takes it a step further and says that Jeter should stay at short until this deal is done, and then be cut loose because he's not worth re-signing. Neyer best be careful venturing into the new Yankee Stadium, sacred cow steaks are not on the menu even though more than likely, he's right. If there's one thing I really respect in the Boston Red Sox, it is that GM Theo Epstein doesn't let the past outweigh the present or future. If Jeter was a Sock, you could bet he'd get moved to a spot where his defence didn't hurt the team, and he'd re-sign only at a lower price...hot on the heels of UFC 94, UFC gives a free card on SpikeTV tonight as Joe Lauzon faces Jeremy Stephens in the main event with a juicy side of Mac Danzig taking on Josh Neer. Is there any organization that does more right to give fans what they want than UFC? That starts at 9pm on Spike...Shaquille O'Neal is talking about going back to the LA Lakers, saying the previous feuding with Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson was all about marketing. Really?...here's an incredible number when it comes to pitchers in baseball called the "3400 Club", which ranks the pitchers who have thrown more than 3400 pitches the season prior. Why? It predicts durability the following season. Don't believe it? Check out the 2007 list and you'll notice a heap of guys that had off years in 2008. So looking at the 2008 list, this Yankee fan is sweating bullets!...three straight Prime Time Pick winners for you now, and feeling like I'm in a groove. Hope you've been on board, that is 11-6 since the poll question on whether to continue or not went up. Playing Aston Villa on the road this morning (10am start so get in!). The Villans have won six straight on the road and seven straight overall in EPL play and are more than staking their claim for a Champions League spot next year. The Rovers are very much a middling team at home who concede plenty of goals, and at a pick, hard not to love Aston Villa. Also played AC Milan today at -1.5 -125 in what will be easy stuff against Reggina at home, and will likely add an NBA play or two later...GBVH passed on a fantastic piece on new Arsenal signing Andrei Arshavin where he describes his ideal woman, despite being married for all intents and purposes, and better still, says women shouldn't be allowed to drive. Awesome...looks like Sean Avery's time in exile is about done, and the New York Rangers seem the likely landing spot. In case Avery was watching his two former teams last night, the Dallas Stars dropped a 10-2 fisting on the Rangers...that's it for today, have I given you enough to talk about?

Bonus pick: Won't be counting this one given the whole "one game per day" nature of the PTP, but here's a winner for you: hammer Atlanta -7.5 over the visiting LA Clippers.