Jets tripping

Now that he's retired, Brett Favre and his true love - no, not Jenn Sterger - finally got around to getting married like they've long planned yesterday.  Good luck, you crazy kids.

Seems the New York Jets defence isn't taking well to coach Rex Ryan saying they weren't good enough on Sunday in their 10-6 loss to Miami.  Says defensive end Shaun Ellis: "I guess we needed a shutout."  Think there's a divide in that team between the offence and defence?  I'd bet that.  Hard.  Former Miami Dolphin (among others) Zach Thomas looks at the tripping incident Sunday in the Jets/Dolphins game and provides pretty compelling evidence that the Jets lined up people to get in the way intentionally with Sal Alosi tripping a Dolphin, as we all now know.  Dirty.

Very classy of UEFA boss Michel Platini and FIFA boss Sepp Blatter to pile on the losing bids for the World Cups in 2018 and 2022.  Platini calls the Qatar win for 2022 "something beautiful" while BlatterEngland "bad losers" called for their complaints in the aftermath of the 2018 vote in which Blatter declared England the best technical bid that ended up receiving all of two votes, most likely given Blatter's huge influence over the lesser lights that comprise most of the voting committee.  Franz Beckenbauer, as respected a man as there is in the game, hammered FIFA for the leaking of vote totals, which were to be secret, and said he's lost confidence in the organization of which he is a part.  Oh, it gets better:  there's now word that Qatar paid $10 million for each FIFA vote.

Wallace Matthews at ESPN.com says Derek Jeter's anger at the press conference announcing his new contract is misplaced, and he should be ecstatic to get the contract he received.  Matthews also says if Jeter was sour over the negotiations, wait until he hears from GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi that he isn't fit to lead off or play short stop every day.

Manchester City's Carlos Tevez sure changed his mind about being on the right side of Manchester after leaving United in the summer of 2009.  Nevermind that he was scoring with great regularity, that the team is improving greatly and a threat to win titles, or that he is the highest paid player on the team, or that he's the team's captain, he wants out in the January transfer window because, in the end, it really is all about Carlos Tevez.  Shame really, he's a fantastic player who works hard, but clearly is a bit of a headcase.

Remember the giant controversy over the Dallas Cowboys scoreboard being too low and punts hitting it?  Well, it hasn't happened in a regular season game yet.

Las Vegas over/under on New York Knicks wins this season was set at 35.5. They'd reach 36 by going only 20-37 rest of way

Jose Canseco is going off the deep end any moment now, if he hasn't already. Check out his tweet at the right.

NBC Sports looks at the Cliff Lee signing by the Philadelphia Phillies and says it is too early to pencil them into the World Series.
Cliff Lee is the first major free agent the New York Yankees targeted in 20 years (Greg Maddux being the last) that the Yankees missed out on.  Pretty decent track record, and pretty decent record over the last twenty years.  So far, the Yankees Plan B includes Canadian catcher Russell Martin - nice - and Mark Prior, a big reach albeit with no risk on a minor league deal.

The first time Toronto Raptor Jose Caleron missed a game due to soreness, I was impressed because nobody had ever to my knowledge missed a game before for that reason.  History is always impressive, no?  After that, I started to question his toughness.  The times after that - I've lost count - I started to think maybe I was being too harsh.  Who could expect a guy with a contract pushing eight figures a year to show up for work and play through a boo-boo?  And now that he's missed another road trip, well, I'll say it: he's a pussy.

Let It Be...

I'm not piling on the New York Jets, it just seems that way.  New England Patriot Danny Woodhead, released by the New York Jets earlier this year, had this to say to his former team after Monday's massacre in New England: "do you like apples?"  Funny stuff.  But not as funny as the work of some airport employees in Boston who decorated the Jets team plane to remind them how Monday night went, at right.

UFC President Dana White made a trip to Toronto yesterday to announce - finally - that UFC will indeed be coming to Toronto on April 30th, 2011 in what is anticipated to be the organization's largest attended event (a lock) and largest gate (a lock).  No word on the card yet.

LeBron James weighed in on his old team and town and compared it to how Green Bay reacted when Brett Favre left town a few years back.  As poorly as that was handled in Green Bay, nobody went on TV with a "The Decision" moment.  That's about as close as you'll get to me defending everybody's favorite Sunday Afternoon Tackling Dummy Interception Machine.

The Dallas Cowboys are loving the fire and attention to detail that Jason Garrett has brought to the fold and are talking of how they're playing with a sense of urgency.  That's all well and good, but shame they didn't have a sense of urgency when there was something to be urgent about.  At any rate, pretty safe to say Garrett is the man for 2011 (or 2012, whenever the next season comes) and hard to argue against that so far.

At this point, 28 major league teams and 6 independents are said to have made offers to Cliff Lee, including a pair of matching 22-year offers.  Methinks that there's an agent at work building a competition that isn't as deep as it is being made out to be.  I love Lee at 5 or 6 years, I walk at 7.

The Toronto Blue Jays are said to be chasing Carlos Pena big time to fill their hole at first base.  They do know he had all of 95 hits last year right in 582 at-bats?  Granted, 28 left the park, but he's not exactly going to help the Jays fix their lack of runners on the bags anytime soon. EDIT: Pena signed with the Chicago Cubs for one year and $10 million.

Former Michigan running back Kevin Grady is building himself quite the resume when it comes to DUI.  Two years after getting clipped and blowing a .281, he blew a .30 late last month.  Call me crazy, but I'm going to suggest he's got a bit of a problem.  Bad Jocks ranks the best - meaning "worst" - blood alcohol content readings among athletes.  Grady now has two top ten slots.

The Texas Longhorns 2010 season summarized, using MS Paint.

100 vintage foreign objects - or as they're now called in this politically correct world: international objects - in the wrestling world.

Lance Bass is going to be one of New York Yankee Nick Swisher's groomsmen at his wedding this weekend.  I have no idea how this works.

Memo to Seattle Seahawk Leon Washington: if you're going to celebrate a punt return for a touchdown, make sure the punter doesn't take you down.




It was 30 years ago today that John Lennon left this earth, and in honour of that, we've got a version of Let It Be from a Norwegian TV show, featuring Ray Pruitt, Bud Bundy, John Bender, Ivan Drago and loads more.  Has to be seen to be believed.

Big 2 and Ru

Baseball's free agency period is just about to launch (midnight tonight).  Here's a peak at the Top 50 talents available, and where they might land.  If this proves accurate, looks like more than a few new players are heading to Boston.  This piece says the Washington Nationals are lurking as a potential landing spot for Cliff Lee.  I won't pretend to know, but he'd have been lying on his "contender" requirement in that case.

The Miami Heat may have their "Big 3" (quotes very much needed), but I'm trademarking a new name for them: "Big 2 and Ru".  Not exactly a stellar start for CBdOne.

Part of the waffling over whether Randy Moss was being released earlier this week - he was, then wasn't, then was - is supposedly because Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf was considering keeping Moss and booting coach Brad Childress for, among other things, not consulting him or the GM on the move.  Here's a thought: he should have considered punting both.  Why, other than to save the money on Childress and the cost of hiring a new coach, does he keep the job for what has to be a fireable offence?

Guess which former Philadelphia Phillies wideout has weighed in on whether Donovan McNabb deserved to be benched and is a top QB?  Terrell Owens?  Yep.  But he's not alone, nor the worst offender.  Freddie Mitchell - remember him? - piled on too.

Check out the 100 hottest NBA cheerleaders.  The Toronto Raptors placed one in the top 100, at a lowly #88.

Rogers Communications says it has no plans to expand the Bills in Toronto series.  Yeah, there's a shocker.  A batch of games they wildly overpriced and have yet to see a physical sellout isn't something they want to perpetuate?  Don't exactly have to have a degree from the Wharton School of Business to figure that one out.

The Vancouver Whitecaps have launched ticket packages for their first MLS season next year, and they're intent on outdoing Toronto FC for the highest priced soccer ticket in the land.  File under "what are you thinking?"

We may be well into fall and steamrolling towards winter, but never a bad time for a little Summer.  Glau, that is.

LSU...today is gonna hurt.  Yours, Alabama. 

Back to some EPL action, have a great day.

Check out this Boston Celtics fan getting loose the other night.  Incredible.  Thanks to BH for that one.

Simply a heroinic performance

Well that was fun. AJ Burnett was half decent through five before being inexplicably left in for the sixth, despite numerous long breaks while the Yankees were at bat throwing away chance after chance to blow open a 3-2 win.  His second last pitch, on an intentional walk, nearly sailed over catcher Francisco Cervelli's head.  You'd think maybe that was a sign to Yanks manager Joe Girardi, but nope, he let him go another batter.  Next pitch, outta the part for a three run shot and a 5-3 Texas lead.  Boat race on, 10-3 final and a 3-1 series lead.  Can the Yanks come back?  Possibly.  But seems pretty unlikely with a 3-1 deficit, two games left in Texas, and now they're minus Mark Teixera for the rest of the playoffs after a pulled hamstring.  Oh, and they're showing no signs of life.  Hello, offseason.   Credit where due though, Texas has simply been better in every way.  Josh Hamilton's home run exploits have been heroinic.

Have a strong feeling we could be in for a Texas-San Francisco World Series, and who would've figured that a week ago?  The Philadelphia Phillies are inexplicably sending Joe Blanton to the hill for Game 4 today with the Giants up 2-1.  Madison Baumgartner goes for the Giants, a far better starting option.


Champions League play resumes today with another 8 games after yesterday's eight.  If you were following (wagering) along with the three plays yesterday, they were all winners.  Today, playing Inter Milan -1, Valencia and Barcelona -2. 

Buster Olney at ESPN with a few Cliff Lee bits.  The lowest playoff ERA's with five starts or more: Sandy Koufax: 0.95, Christy Mathewson: 1.06, Cliff Lee: 1.26, Eddie Plank: 1.32.  Most 10-strikeout games in postseason history, again with a five start minimum: Cliff Lee: 5, Randy Johnson: 5, Bob Gibson: 5, John Smoltz: 4, Mike Mussina: 4.  Pretty healthy company for Mr. Lee.  Quoting here: "Nolan Ryan was in the Rangers' clubhouse after the game and was asked what it would take to keep Cliff Lee and he said, in so many words, to go ask the Yankees. In other words, the Yankees will bid heavily on the left-hander, and with every dominant performance Lee's bargaining position just gets better and better. There is no question he will get offers for something in the range of CC Sabathia's $23 million a year; the question will be whether he gets a five-year or six-year or seven-year offer. Typically, the Yankees would rather pay more annually for a shorter-term deal."


Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed yesterday what we had been speculating about a couple days ago: Wayne Rooney does indeed want out of Manchester United.  So much for his proclamations of how he'd never wear another jersey in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, though word is that Man U's non-spending ways on big names is a part of Rooney's displeasure.Oh, and Jose Mourinho, Real MadridRooney will stay, manager, says continuing his streak of speaking definitively on topics that are more opinion than fact.

Word is Toronto FC has only seen about 35% of their season ticket base renew for next year with tomorrow's deadline fast approaching.  Way to blow the best sporting experience in Toronto, MLSE.  But hey, MLS Commish Don Garber says that TFC is still a "model franchise".  Presumably he means "among Canadian teams not currently in MLS".  John Molinaro thinks the honeymoon is over.  Yep, and divorce papers are being drafted for many.

Said Jon Gruden on The Jim Rome Show: "I try not to talk too much" on Monday Night Football.  Fail.  For the record, my money is on Gruden as the next Cowboys head coach.


Good of the Dallas Cowboys to implement a team rule that will forbid endzone celebrations after two huge penalties for that the last couple games, including one that essentially cost them a win against Tennessee two weeks back.

Jessica Alba, just because it has been a while.  And for the UFC fans out there, check out Arianny Celeste (NSFW, by the way).

Bob Elliott at the Toronto Sun says that Sandy Alomar Jr.'s interview with the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday lasted all day.

If you're at all a fan of Jersey Shore or South Park, be sure to check out the latter's skewering of Snooki in a recent episode, passed on by Bukakke.  Must be seen to be believed.

Check out Canucks meathead Rick Rypien suckerpunch a guy, and then even better, take a run at a fan who did...nothing.  Way to go, hockey.

Unbe-LEE-vable

Cliff Lee, you filthy, filthy lefty.  If anyone thinks he's not the best playoff pitcher of at least the last half decade or more, you're dreaming.  After a dominant run last year, he's been almost untouched through three starts against the Tampa Bay Rays and now the New York Yankees, dominating the Yanks in what ended up an 8-0 beatdown after a six-run eighth.  And with Lee favored to end up a Yankee, he's picked a hell of a time to throw a gem like last night's.  The Rangers now have a 2-1 series lead and Yankee fans will be gripping with AJ Burnett on the bump tonight, unless the Yankees change course at the last minute and throw CC Sabathia.   Tommy Hunter goes for the Rangers.  That one goes at 8:07.  At 4:19pm, Cole Hamels starts for Philadelphia with Matt Cain up for San Francisco, who are at home.  That series is tied at 1-1.

Ran into a guy I went to grade school and high school with a couple weeks back rocking a Green Bay Packers hat, which I ignored commenting on it being leather to ask how long he's been a fan of them, as I didn't recall that growing up with him.  He ignored the question and responded "Aaron Rodgers, best QB in the league".  I simply laughed at him, knowing that's just not true. He proceeded to ask how long I'd been a Yankee fan to which I reminded him that he organized the purchase of a Yankees jersey for my birthday in Grade 7.  Boom, outta here.  And now I stumble across this from ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd: Aaron Rodgers, in games decided by 7 points or less is 7-13.  Just for comparison purposes, Vince Young is 18-5 in games decided by 7 or less.  As you can see at right, the Packers are ready for Brett Favre's visit this Sunday, as you can see at right.  Did you notice that Jenn Sterger's last name backwards spells 'regrets'?''

Former NFLer Junior Seau was arrested for domestic assault early yesterday morning, and once released, decided to take his Cadillac Escalade over a cliff.  That's one way to react, I suppose.  Maybe he's just extra upset about the plight of his long-time team, the San Diego Chargers, unlike a former teammate.  More on that below.  Seau is now saying it wasn't a suicide attempt and he went Bruce Smith at the wheel.

Could the the New Jersey Devils, six unimpressive games into the season, be ready to tie a can to coach John MacLean?  At least they're not overreacting.

I'm sure NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is thrilled to hear Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison talk of how he doesn't care if he hurts people.  Stick to the tried and true "I don't try to, and it is unfortunate, but these things happen in a physical game," James.Word is the NFL is ready to announce it will start suspending players for nasty blows to the skull.

No, I am not avoiding mentioning the Toronto Maple Leafs strong start to somehow avoid jinxing it. Fact is in an 82 game NHL season, most teams will roll off a four or five game win streak and it barely deserves a mention.  So are the Leafs still considered undefeated after last nights 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders in overtime?

ProFootballTalk says the Dallas Cowboys are "fascinatingly bad" because they're ranked fourth in the league in yards gained, while the defense is ranked third.  That's hard to do, unless you are awesome at mind-numbing penalties that take points off the board.  Despite all that, says PFT, they're not out of it yet in a weak NFC East and NFC overall.  I'm a little more suspect than that.
What do you figure New York Jet LaDanian Tomlinson is enjoying more, his own resurgence in the face of a lot of naysayers, or the demise of the San Diego Chargers, his old team?

If not for $4.75 million to Alexei Yashin and $1.33 they're paying Brendan Witt, the New York Islanders would be below the NHL's minimum salary floor.

A full day of Champions League group play goes today at 2:45pm.  I'm really liking Real Madrid over AC Milan and Chelsea over Spartak Moscow.  Also worth a watch are Arsenal hosting Shaktar Donetsk, which might be worth an over play.

If you believe the Twitterverse, Sandy Alomar Jr. is heavily in the mix as a Toronto Blue Jays managerial possibility.

The Dallas Cowboys season doesn't seem nearly as bad when it has "Yakkety Sax" as the soundtrack...

Nice weekend for the NHL

Did somebody tell Brett Favre last night was a playoff game?  Sure seemed that way when he tossed a terrible INT in the dying seconds. The New York Jets went house call on it to help cover the -4.5, and win the game 29-20. OHB also set a record last night for most fumbles in NFL history to go with lobbing his 500th TD. The Vikes host the Dallas Cowboys Sunday in a loser-is-all-but-done matchup of surprise 1-3 teams.

The San Francisco Giants beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 to take their series 3-1. Very classy of the Giants to stop their celebrations on-field to line up and salute retiring Braves manager Bobby Cox, another guy for whom leaving Toronto only meant good things.  They'll start the NLCS on Saturday in Philadelphia. How does Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay starting strike you?

Cliff Lee and David Price will take to the hill in Tampa Bay tonight in their deciding Game 5 of the ALDS. Hard not to bet on the Rangers with a +109 price. Like their offence's chances to do damage more than the Rays to get to Lee.  First pitch is 8:05pm. 

The New Jersey Devils, in a hell of a cap bind, dressed 15 players for their loss Saturday afternoon to Pittsburgh. Three games into the year - with no wins - and Lou Lamoriello is playing cap games to save dimes. Tell me again how great caps are? Oh yeah, and Sidney Crosby is playing on a line with Mike Comrie and Chris Kunitz. Thanks, Cap.

San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York says his 0-5 49ers will still win their division. In any other division, I'd say impossible, but in the NFC West, perhaps there's a slight chance, though being three back of Arizona makes it a chore and then some. Check out their remaining schedule. Laughable.

At the other end of the spectrum - in terms of ownership perspective, but still on the subject of horrible teams - Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson acknowledges that the state of his squad is "bad" and that they're about three years from turning it around.  He also says that at 92, he probably won't be around to see it happen which will bring about a whole other kind of mess for the franchise.   If Pinnacle offers a line, I'm going to bet it takes more than three years, and he's around for more than three.

Is Jon Gruden paid by the word?

The Sportspickle tweets a beauty: "Gamecocks beat Alabama, Bobby Cox's career ends, Brett Favre. It's been a big sports week for Cocks/Cox/cocks."  Guess he didn't notice that Courtney Cox is on the market again.

Euro 2012 qualifying resumes today and no game is bigger than Italy taking on Serbia, with both teams struggling in the early stages.  All the fixtures here.

Damien Cox via Twitter: "Nice Thanksgiving weekend for NHL. One arrest, one obscene gesture, one dirty hit, one player taken off on stretcher." If you're wondering, it was Mike Ribeiro of the Dallas Stars on a DUI, James Wisniewski (video below), Niklas Hjalmarrson with the dirty hit (video below), and both Jason Pominville and Andrej Pavelec taken out on stretchers.

James Wisniewski gives it to Sean Avery...


Niklas Hjalmarrson crushes Jason Pominville, blind side...


The "Carlton" made its long awaited NFL debut in Detroit on Sunday...

Start sweepin' the brooms...

The New York Yankees completed the sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 6-1 beatdown.  Phil Hughes was fantastic, and Curtis Granderson continues to be a difference maker for the Bronx Bombers.  Incredibly, the Yankees saw 78 pitches before they swung and missed for a strike.  More incredible?  A Twins team that has been real strong over the years is 18-57 under manager Ron Gardenhire, playoffs included, against the Yankees.  The Yanks will now sit until Friday when the ALCS starts.

The Tampa Bay Rays did what we predicted here yesterday, getting off the carpet with a 6-3 win at Texas, although it was 1-1 in the 8th so they took their time doing it.  The Rangers now lead 2-1, and am guessing the Yankees will be hoping they go to a 5th game to push Cliff Lee and David Price, who would pitch a game 5 Tuesday, out of the opening game of the ALCS Friday and minimize the number of starts both could make.

Dallas Cowboy Dez Bryant finds it funny that his dinner bill of $55,000 for the Cowboys a few weeks back has sparked such consternation.  For all those saying it is in poor taste in this economic time, I suppose none of the food or beverage purchased or the services delivered helped anybody out.  Relax people.  Word is some players were going home with unopened $900 bottles of wine.  A stat: with 53 guys on the team, they spent over $1000 a head.

Most appropriate thing I've heard about Randy Moss last days in New England: he reminded Bostonians of Manny Ramirez days with the Red Sox.  Performing when he wanted, sulking and slacking when he didn't.

Yet another take at the worst 15 uniforms in sports history.  How the Toronto Raptors original unis didn't make the grade is beyond me.

Niko Kranjcar scored a pair for Croatia in a big 2-1 Euro 2012 qualifying win at always-tough-at-home Israel.  France also downed Romania 2-0 in the other qualifier of the day.

Sitting at 6-3 on the Prime Time Picks, a superb-if-you-know-anything-about-sports-gambling 66.7% rate, I have to say that maybe that success is going to my head for how much I love the Philadelphia Eagles (+3 +112) tonight at San Francisco.  Honestly, I was convinced I read the line wrong.  What have the 49ers done to be favored against anybody?  I may be wrong in the end, but think the Eagles are very likely to win the game outright, so will gladly take the three points.

The Kansas City Chiefs are at Indianapolis today and the Miami Dolphins of 1972 had best get the champagne ready as the last undefeated team - yes, it is actually the Chiefs - is likely to see that improbable run come to an end, especially against a desperate Colts squad, who are far more a force at home than they are on the road.

Finally today, not sure what to make of Anaheim Duck Joffrey Lupul taking up for Brett Favre via Twitter with this: "Wait, Favre is in trouble w/ the league for sending 'racy' txt msgs... You can get in trouble for that? I certainly hope not..."  Something tells me Lupul's sent some objectionable content in the past himself.

Have a great Sunday, back tomorrow for more.

So-bad-hia

If 10 Major League Baseball teams dropped payrolls by $10 million or more this off-season, what do you figure that means for NHL teams going into this off-season?...the Seattle Sounders have sold more season tickets than the Mariners. Who would've guessed that?...Cleveland Indians pitcher and last year's Cy Young winner Cliff Lee never gave up more than 6 runs in a start last year. Yesterday? A converted touchdown and Cinderella's chariot turned into a pumpkin...the Champion's League quarter finals start this week with two games each of the next two days. Today, Villareal host Arsenal and Manchester United host Porto, where they'll annihilate a team in over their heads...wonder if the Toronto Blue Jays fans at the Rogers Centre throwing things on the field will be front page news the way Toronto FC was last week in Columbus? Somehow I doubt it. Always easier to pick on soccer, after all. Barely got a mention in this morning's Toronto Star despite the Tigers walking off the field for 9 minutes...Jose Canseco has a theory that the reason Manny Ramirez received a one year offer is because he must be one of the 104 failed drug tests from 2003 and owners are trying to insulate themselves from a bad deal made worse if the list is made public. That, or he killed his image by tanking on the Boston Red Sox, is 36, has Scott Boras for an agent, and with the BoSox and Yankees out of the mix the market was greatly limited...there's a movie out called "Fanboys"? I had no idea there was a film even in the works covering Jose Calderon's fans...not much to say about last nights NCAA final, other than it was a total stomping from the opening whistle. Not sure if UNC was that much better than everyone else, or if they just really raised their game last night and have Michigan State's number. Somehow I found the tourney less compelling than prior years...the new and as-yet unnamed Dallas Cowboys stadium has the world's biggest screen, and it cost more than the original stadium cost to build...not a great start for CC Sabathia in Yankee colours, shelled and nary a strikeout. That said, if he starts as cold this year as last but finishes how he did last year, nothing to fear...your PTP for today is already up. A rare occasion where I think playing the home team on the run line - remember, they get one less at bat if they're up after 8 and a half - but liking the Cards to stomp the Pirates. Enjoy another + dollar value winnner!