Happy St. Patrick's Day

The U.S. entry in the World Baseball Classic is suffering from enough injuries that manager Davey Johnson is talking about possibly forfeiting if they run out of bodies. Hey, if you can't beat 'em, quit...speaking of notable injuries, the Philadelphia Phillies are finding out that while winning the World Series is tough, defending it is even tougher as pitching stud Cole Hamels is suffering from the dreaded mysterious arm issues. 3,400 Club, anyone?...one of the best songs of the 80's - Bon Jovi's "Wanted: Dead or Alive" - done by Jon Bon Jovi with Charlie Weis and Bill Belichick on background vocals? You can't make this stuff up...if you're thinking you will lose your NCAA pool this year - and I haven't a clue why people refer to it as a "bracket" only - here's a list of the likely winners that will take you down...continuing his whining, Jay Cutler skipped the first Denver Broncos meeting..."The Rock" Dwayne Johnson admits using steroids in the past. A wrestler and football player. So, of course, it will barely register in the public. But a baseball player does it and get out the crucifix...it may be barely a handful of games, but the reviews of Sean Avery thus far - 4 goals in 6 games and a decidedly improved New York Rangers squad - have been glowingly positive...a rare bit of trivia from RM: what brother duo has the most goals combined in NHL history? Your answer tomorrow, if not later today if one of you nails it...Dallas Cowboys cornerback Terrance Newman admits in an interview that he believe Tony Romo's relationship with Jessica Simpson has affected his performance. Of course, because it wasn't Terrell Owens commenting, it barely gets noticed...I don't believe everything SI.com's Peter King says, but when he says he believes that the NFL owners will lock out players in 2011, that gets my attention...what do you get when you're Travis Henry, former NFLer, and have 9 kids with 9 women? An obligation to pay $170k a year in support. Shame that "former" bit is going to make that tough sledding...creepy vid of some guy named Kayvon stalking Derek Jeter in Toronto at the WBC...the PTP has me convinced I'm perhaps the streakiest gambler ever...have a great Wednesday.

Get your chicken wings ready!

For all my Buffalo Bills friends - and there are many - it is going to be an immense pleasure watching them cheer on Terrell Owens after hearing them kill him over the years as he signed a one year deal there. For a guy like that, as with others like Manny Ramirez or AJ Burnett, a one year deal is an absolute masterstroke. He'll stay motivated, in line, and if not, the risk is minimized. That said, Sportsbybrooks gives four reasons why signing T.O. is a terrell-ible move for Buffalo..if you hear that Holland beat the Dominican at something, you have to assume soccer or speed skating or any number of sports. But baseball? No. Yet the Dutch proved too much for the Dominican's and downed them 3-2. Good thing A-Rod wasn't playing for the Dominicans, he'd have had to take all the heat I'm sure...Dallas Cowboy Marion Barber made a rare public comment, this to defend Terrell Owens. I don't hear anybody taking up for Tony Romo...how does Canada play at home in the World Baseball Classic, with very reasonably priced tickets, and it doesn't sell out? In Montreal, the building is packed, no question...two weeks from today, you will wake up to read RandoMango to confirm that Toronto FC did indeed win their opening game at Kansas City on the road the night prior...Chelsea and Manchester United advanced in FA Cup play yesterday. Chelsea downed Coventry City 2-0, while United crushed Fulham 4-0...meantime, Jose Mourinho is again talking about potentially being United's next manager. There's a lot to like about Mourinho, especially his personality and resume, but his oftentimes skill killing defensive aproach isn't among those things...if A-Rod is merely out 6-9 weeks after his surgery on his hip, wise move getting that done now...at UFC96, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson proved he's well on the comeback trail, with a decision over Keith Jardine. Cannot wait to see Jackson back on top, where he will end up soon...finally a deal in the ongoing David Beckham drama, and he'll stay with AC Milan until the conclusion of the season and return to LA Galaxy in July. My scalping possibilities aren't liking that with Galaxy set for a trip to Toronto earlier in the year...back with your PTP later today...have a great day.

Champions League Dream Matchups

If the New York Rangers were comfortable under coach Tom Renney, that is about to change dramatically now that Renney is out and been replaced by John Tortorella, who ought to be a hit in New York. How has Pat Quinn been overlooked again? Makes no sense, when the Rangers are scoring a league low 2.33 goals a game and Quinn is an offense-first, offense-second coach...spring must be around the corner if Vernon Wells is battling injury again. Jon Heyman at Sports Illustrated notes V-Dub became a lot less durable after signing for $126 million...now comes word that the Jerry Jones issued gag order doesn't just apply to the coaching staff, but also the players. In response, Tony Romo issued a final press release saying "I don't see what the big deal is, I've been gagging since December, and every December."...if you're ever going to "develop a fever", today at about 2pm is a good time, especially if you can have it carry you through tomorrow. The next two days you'll see some of the best Champions League action of the year with such high profile matchups today as Manchester United at Inter Milan and Arsenal at AS Roma. Man U is minus stud defender Nemanja Vidic - best in the world in my book - through suspension. Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is hilarious - even when he loses, he claims to have been responsible for the other team rising up. His latest claim is his success at Chelsea caused United to step their game up. More and more, he's my fav quote in sports, up there with Charles Barkley. There's nothing he won't say...I haven't a clue what to make of this Randy Johnson tale - whether it is real or fake, but the story and the voice telling it are sure creepy...how do you define "fantasmagoric"? This save by the Dallas Stars Marty Turco, apparently...I've never understood why newspapers print spring training schedules or keep standings, but guess it is baseball, and data is never in short supply. Jacked for games to get started...the Toronto Maple Leafs are a team in the gutter, GM Brian Burke is talking openly about how they'll likely be there for at least another season, and payroll is down. How then do you explain hiking ticket prices 3.5% for next season?...this PTP thing is starting to wear on me again. Seemed so easy earlier in the month. I shall return! And return later today, I shall...have a great Tuesday.

Raising the Bar

It didn't take long for the Congress grandstanding to begin. One Congressman wants A-Rod called on the carpet to see what else they can find out. Right, because the first time was so illuminating. Since these clowns figure they can review what happened in baseball five years ago and criticize, wonder who gets to call Congress on the carpet for letting the Wall Streeters take the global economy down the toilet? Way to keep your eye on the prize, fools...hope Tony Romo's girlfriend isn't a listener of the Jim Rome Show, where one caller dubbed her Jessicow Blimpson...Minnesota Wild defenceman Cal Clutterbuck has been the target of Don Cherry of late, and one Wild fan fired back with probably the best thing you could call Grapes on a variety of levels: Liberace. Amazing. Thanks to ROTR for passing this my way...good of an Ontario Provincial Police officer to get nailed - on duty - for breaking the province's racing laws, driving 165 kph in a 100 zone...the pressure of the Prime Time Picks got to me. I admit it. So I hit some 'roids. Forgive me for last nights dud of a pick...there are several soccer friendlies - and not so friendlies, like Mexico visiting the U.S. tonight - including England travelling to Spain to face the European Champions. English captain John Terry has vowed that if the Spanish fans continue with rascist taunts of England's black players, they'll walk off the field. Good for England. I'm sure, like the ill advised Spanish Olympic hoops picture, that the taunts are in tribute to the black players. Or not...it is no secret that I'm not a huge fan of Derek Jeter's personality - ask him if the sky is blue and he'll waffle on an answer - and even less a fan of the results of his leadership. But his plan to address the A-Rod steroids situation once and only once when camp gets together for the media is a great one. It'll minimize the distraction, at least to him, by not letting it become a daily discussion...Baseball Prospectus ran its projected finishes for the 2009 season for all teams and has the Boston Red Sox and Yankees finishing a game apart at the top of the AL East with the top records in the AL. A .500 season is forecast for the Toronto Blue Jays - I've got the under there. The Hardball Times ran 100 trials of the 2009 season and had the Yankees first in the East with an average of 101 wins...the NHL's best of the west - San Jose - dropped in to face the beasts of the east in Boston last night, and the Sharks exploded for three goals in a little over six minutes to win 5-2...Bar Rafaeli rode a RM plug last month to the cover of SI's Swimsuit Issue. Good stuff. More Bar from SI here. Also shockingly impressive in this issue is Danica Patrick..have a great Wednesday, back with your PTP later.

3:37pm UPDATE: Your PTP is up.

"Losers"?

A recent category called "Losers" on Jeopardy! had this for a $1000 answer: "one second from defeat in the 2008 Super Bowl, this losing head coach threw a hissy fit and stalked off the field." Question: "who is Bill Belichick?". Wow, that's incredible...Tony Romo has the NFL's biggest endorsement deal for Starter. Well, it is a good thing there isn't a product called Finisher, because he wouldn't be endorsing that. I'll stop hammering him and the Cowboys once we're a month out from that debacle in Philadelphia. Wade Phillips excepted, of course..anybody figured out yet how the NFL, NBA and MLB have all talked to varying degrees about economic concerns in the past few months, but Gary Bettman insists all is well in the NHL? Seriously, does anybody believe him? Emperor Nero thinks he's deluded...a full slate of English Premier League action today. Manchester United 'keeper Edwin van der Sar will set an EPL record for consecutive shutout minutes if he keeps a clean sheet against West Brom into the 84th minute today which would give him 1,026...just week's after panning "The Wrestler" as not representative of the business that is WWE, Vince McMahon sees opportunity knock and he tears the door off the hinges: star of "The Wrestler" and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke will face Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania. Genius move by Vinnie Mac given how much pub that movie and Rourke are pulling right now. A genius move by you would be going to see this movie, it meets the hype and then some...under the Department of Bargain: Andy Pettitte at $5.5 million. Granted, he's got the chance to double that with incentives so it is a great deal for both the Yankees and Pettitte if he has a solid year. Pettitte is expected to pitch fourth as the Yanks try to manage Joba Chamberlain's innings. Still would have preferred Ben Sheets, but he's a huge injury concern...is Andrei Arshavin Arsenal bound? Sure looks that way...5 out of 6 now for PTP, life is good! Back later today with another winner...have a great Tuesday.

Sid The Kid bows to the pressure

Classy move of former-Tampa Bay Ray and now Boston Red Sock Rocco Baldelli to take out an ad in the Tampa papers thanking them for the support over the years. I'm sure both their fans appreciate it...if the Jacksonville Jaguars are the "Jags", the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the "Bucs", what does that make the Tennessee Titans? Blame the latest Playboy for that one - it was a party joke in the February 2009 issue...for a team that isn't exactly lighting the world on fire, the belief that the Toronto Maple Leafs can pull high draft picks and young talent for some of their talent seems awfully ambitions. Shame they didn't do that Tomas Kaberle for Jeff Carter deal last year, no?...sounds like the threat of being forced to sit a game because of skipping the all-star game has convinced Sidney Crosby to make the trip to Montreal, though he won't play. Not so much for Niklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, who will miss Detroit's game Tuesday. How lame of the league to mess with the competitive integrity of its season for a nothing game...Toronto FC finally signed an extension with local boy Dwayne DeRosario that most importantly, will not see him tagged as a designated player, so TFC still has that option available to them...Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to fumble the ball. One of the obvious moves would be to fire Wade Phillips and hire a proven winner like Mike Shanahan. Instead, Jones is dawdling and will more than likely see Shanahan continue his tour of the AFC West by taking the now-vacant Kansas City Chiefs job after Herm Edwards was axed...and as if my beloved Cowboys weren't a circus enough, they're working on a reality show that will see one of 12 make the 80-man training camp in the summer. Lovely...Gabe Morency of Drive This on Troy Aikman's criticism of Tony Romo: "if a classy guy like Aikman is calling him out like that, what do you think the rest of the guys on that team think of Romo?" Morency has to be the sharpest sporting mind in this country, and the sharpest tongue to boot...that's three on the spin for Prime Time Picks, and look for the fourth later today, most likely NBA. After all, streaks only end once!...no EPL action today, but there are some F.A. Cup matches being played, with the featured one being Tottenham facing Manchester United...have a great Saturday.

PRIME TIME PICK: Just posted the play of the day - the "under" on the New York Knicks/Philadelphia 76ers game. Liked it at 206, and when I saw it moved to 207, I liked it that much more. Good luck, four straight, comin' up!

Two straight for Prime Time Picks!

Kobe Bryant has said he could play wideout for his hometown Philadelphia Eagles or left field for the LA Dodgers. Not sure about the wideout thing, but after a couple months of ManRam in left last year, who couldn't see themselves playing left?...the status of fighting in the NHL is going to be on the table at the next GM meetings, and if you believe that Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland is among the smarter people in the game, it will get a serious look. Holland, and no doubt others, are starting to wonder if it has a place in the game. Ultimately, I think there will be peace in the Middle East before some of the dinosaurs in the game see the light and push fighting out of the game...the pending trade that sends Toronto Raptor Jermaine O'Neal to Miami for Shawn Marion, among others, is the bold sort of move Raps GM Bryan Colangelo needs to make if they're to retain Chris Bosh beyond next season. Matrix either re-signs or the Raps have $17 million plus to play with this off-season. Good move either way, sure better than the original trade for sl-O'Neal...Sidney Crosby is out of the NHL All-Star game this weekend with his nagging knee issue. Only the NHL would lose its golden boy on one of its marquee events. Well, that and both the representatives from the defending champions in Nik Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk...scratch Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden as pitching possibilities for Canada in the World Baseball Classic...is Kurt Warner better than Peyton Manning? Here's one article that makes a hell of an argument for that. Incredible stat: as measured by passer rating, Manning's worst game of the season in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006 came in a playoff game. Ouch...the Minnesota Vikings are said to be watching developments in LA for a new stadium that may be built in Industry City, California. That leaves the Timberwolves as the lone team in Minny that hasn't threatened to move or be shut down by its league. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com also cites the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers as possible teams to move to LA, and there could even be two teams to do so...the Detroit Pistons haven't lost to the Toronto Raptors since 2003...Mark McGwire's brother seems to have implicated his brother as a steroid and HGH user. Shame that didn't happen last week before the Hall of Fame balloting was completed, would've been interesting to see if he managed the minimum to stay on the ballot...Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo says he's going to be more of a leader next year. Well, it is January - a time to make resolutions. Unfortunately, we know how most of those end...last night's Prime Time Pick has to be the easiest to date with the under coming in 22 points under the spread. Stay tuned for tonight's pick later. Could well be a third straight NBA pick looking for a third straight winner...have a great Friday.

Prime Time Pick - sticking with what is working and playing yet another NBA game (not that there are tonnes of options in the pro ranks tonight). Get down on the New York Knicks at -5.5 -110 at Pinnacle FAST before this one goes up. Three straight, coming up!

Back in the saddle!

Football has to be the only sport to roll credits during a game, putting into question the brilliant quote that GBVH once said, "football is just what they show between commercials"...Max Kellerman calls Isaiah Thomas the New York Knicks George W. Bush, with the role of Barack Obama occupied by Donnie Walsh. I think Zeke got off light there...could Ben Sheets end up a Yankee on an incentive laden deal? Could be, says Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal. As risky as Sheets is, he's also got huge upside for any team that signs him if he stay's healthy because he's got nasty stuff...how bad are the Toronto Raptors? Bad enough that I flipped to the Maple Leaf game instead of watching them on the wrong end of a senseless slaughter again...with a Super Bowl win next Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the winningest franchise in the NFL. Expect to hear that repeated about 26,212 times ahead of the game....Troy Aikman has never been one to go out of his way to say anything that stirs any pots, though not to the embarrassing Derek Jeter level where he'd go mute when asked if the sky was blue. So when he lays out Tony Romo for not recognizing that perception of effort plays a very big part in a career, Romo best take notes...if you don't find Kurt Warner creepy, perhaps this will help you: Warner draws out what God looks like in his mind...New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro is out for the year with a knee injury. Good thing he's got another 12 years left on his contract to make up for it...thank you, Houston Rockets, for righting the listing good ship PTP. Back later with tonight's pick...if tonight's Office is half as good as last week's, not sure my ribs will be able to handle it...have a great Thursday.

Prime Time Pick: with a small selection of games tonight, going with a total play for the first time. Taking the "Under" on 192.5 (-109) in the Boston/Orlando game.

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

New York Jet running back Thomas Jones could be my new favorite player for blowing up Brett Favre as a self-centred, ineffective, team-killing sideshow who should have been benched for his terrible play the way anybody else would've. Good for Jones for giving Favre the treatment he has so richly earned...a nice and easy open to the year for Prime Time Picks as USC smoked Penn State 38-24 in the Rose Bowl. Up today, we're playing Russia at -2 (-103) at the World Junior Hockey Championships as they face the Czech Republic in quarter-final action. Get down with Pinnacle...Barroid Bonds had some work done on a hip to keep the flame of his professional career flickering for 2009. An alleged steroid user with joing issues? Weird...8,000 tickets remain unsold for the Minnesota Vikings home playoff game against Philadelphia this weekend. Clearly, the state of the economy is a big factor. When an NFL team is struggling to move playoff ducats, have to wonder what baseball teams are seeing in terms of season ticket sales for the 2009 year...just testing a little something today, please click here...San Diego Chargers LaDanian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates missed practice ahead of their playoff game this week. Just to confirm, it is 2009 and not 2008, though the stories remains the same. How does it make sense that the Bolts get home field at 8-8 instead of the Indianapolis Colts who were 12-5?...going back to Canada's thrilling 7-4 win over the U.S. in the World Junior Hockey Championships on New Year's Eve for a second, I'm amazed at how many are up in arms over the stick popping out of the American bench as the Canadians skated by celebrating a goal in the first period. Think about it: if the roles were reversed, what would your reaction be? Celebrating in front of the other teams bench like that is bush, and pretending it won't get some kind of reaction is naive...Eli Manning took a not-at-all veiled swipe at Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo. When asked what his plans were with the time off this week before they host their playoff game next week, Eli replied: "my plans to Cabo fell through, so I'm going to stay here. That's a joke, by the way". Have to say, clever, and strong...my fav bars: HiFi in New York City, and Refaeli...Charles Barkley ran the stop sign the night he got a DUI because he was racing to get around the corner to get some action from the girl who had given him the "best [blowjob] he had ever had in his life." Check out the police report here. Nice stuff, Chuck, other than the idiotic move of driving after drinking enough to fail a field sobriety test...a fantastic piece on the great day for the NHL at Wrigley Field, though the idea that Canada isn't an option seems odd. You'd think it'd be a natural. That said, a game in the new Yankee Stadium, or better - in Central Park - would be as good as it gets...have a great Friday.

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

It is the last day of the year and a time to briefly look back. The latest cover of Sports Illustrated calls it the best sporting year ever and frankly, hard to disagree. From the fantastic Super Bowl finish that saw the New York Giants down the 18-0 New England Patriots, the incredible Wimbledon final that saw Rafael Nadal down Roger Federer, great soccer in the English Premier League and Champions League - both won by Manchester United - and a superb Euro 2008 won by Spain, the year had no shortage of individual and team performances to remember. Usain Bolt owned the Olympics with two awesome performances, and you have to mention Michael Phelps too, though Bolt covering the 100m in four fewer strides than has ever been done before screams "special," and, well, "freak". There were great come-from-nowhere teams in baseball's Tampa Bay Rays and Turkey at the Euro's who kept pulling out last gasp miracles and there were teams that lived up to expectations like the Detroit Red Wings, Stanley Cup winners and the Boston Celtics who transformed from the depths of the NBA to league fav and champion in one season. Not sure about you, but I continually was stunned at the rising popularity of UFC this year, and the conversations you'd hear at the office and about town before and after an event were unlike anything else, it is HUGE. At the same time, some stories just refused to go away - Roger Clemens and the performance enhancing drugs stories, Brett Favre's retirement and comeback, Mats Sundin's future and of course, the Brian Burke as Leafs General Manager soap opera - these stories got old and old fast. More locally, Toronto teams were a collective disaster, but at least Toronto FC has its newness to fall back on, for now. The Maple Leafs, Raptors and Argos? Not so much. What are your fav memories? Feel free to add them to the discussion today...in the Year of the Rat, it is only fitting that the last coach axed in the NFL this calendar year could well be a total rat lookalike in Mike Shanahan in Denver. Long time coming, to be sure, but that team's kept him through worse so it is certainly surprising he gets the axe now...the International Ice Hockey Federation is contemplating expanding the World Junior Hockey Championships to 12 teams at a time when the field of 10 looks bloated. Yeah, just what the game needs - Canada and other top nations pounding weak sisters by double digits...this is the first time in NFL history that all four road teams have been favored on Wild Card weekend...the Orlando Magic are 11-1 in their last 12 against the Western Conference...since becoming the starter in San Diego, Phillip Rivers is 14-0 in the month of December...Curtis Joseph picked up his 450th win last night in the Maple Leafs overtime win over Atlanta. Now, go and retire Cujo...word is that when he passed out in the shower on Sunday post-game, Tony Romo fumbled the soap and it was returned for a touchdown...have a great New Year's Eve everyone, catch you on the other side.

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

This marks the 250th RandoMango. My how time flies!...the Detroit Lions have lost 22 of 23 overall going back to last year, when Jon Kitna famously said they'd win 10 games. Wonder if the 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs are popping champagne corks like those miserable curmudgeons from the 1972 Miami Dolphins used to?...add Romeo Crennel (Cleveland), Eric Mangini (NY Jets) and Rod Marinelli (Detroit) to the list of axed NFL coaches. Still to be determined: Dick Jauron (Buffalo), Wade Phillips (Dallas), John Gruden (Tampa Bay) and no doubt a few others. Incredibly, I think Norv Turner may have just saved his job in San Diego with their furious charge in December...one theory on the Dallas December Debacle's of recent years: they're not fit. Former Cowboy Marcellus Wiley says they're simply out of shape come December and have nothing left in the tank, and the blame has to rest on strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek who joined the team in 1997, when this string of December failures started. He replaced Mike Woicik who ended up with a team that has done okay down the stretch in the last decade: New England. Another: Tony Romo thinks he has to make a play on every play, much like Brett Favre does and John Elway did early in his career. If he learns less is more, he'll be fine. If he doesn't, he's out of the league in three years...the Washington Capitals are a searing 15-1-1 at home this year...Tom Brady is said to be behind on rehab, so badly that he may in fact miss next season as well. Matt Cassel can stop shopping for luggage immediately, he's going nowhere...Scott Boras has to be starting to sweat the lack of contract offers for Manny Ramirez. The LA Dodgers have now moved on to Adam Dunn for their "great bat, no glove" guy. Considering Boras engineered ManRam's move out of Boston so he could get his cut as his new agent, Manny may yet end up taking a pay cut...sadly, the NHL Winter Classic might not be a go at Wrigley Field, as warm weather is forecast...another narrow 1-0 win for Manchester United has them well in line for second place with a favorable schedule for the second half of the English Premier League season. Bet them to take the title again...have a great Wednesday.

Saturday, December 13th, 2008

Best nickname I've heard yet for CC Sabathia, replacing "Carbs & Calories", is "Cha Ching"...another day, another pitcher inked for the New York Yankees and that'd be AJ Burnett. The question for the Yankees will be if Burnett has indeed turned the corner or will he revert back to non-contract year form. One certainty: there will be no hiding for him in the Bronx. No doubt, Toronto Blue Jays GM JP Ricciardi is getting ready to make some ill advised comment. I know the Yankees have a facial hair rule - wonder how Burnett's nipple rings will go over?...Liverpool vs. Hull is the big one today in the English Premier League. Hull has played fearless against the top sides all year and won't back down against the league leaders...closer to home, Toronto FC landed one of the best players in MLS, and better still, he's a hometown boy. Dwayne De Rosario, welcome home. Cannot wait for March...the Ultimate Fighter finale goes tonight on Spike TV at 9pm. That UFC does these free live shows is a very big reason why UFC is growing as it is. Boxing used to do so, decades ago, to a much more profle extent than today where at best you see tomato cans and long shots. My money is on Phillipe Nover to beat Efrain Escudero and Vinny Magalhaes to beat Ryan Bader...that's ten straight games the Cleveland Cavs have won at home by at least a dozen. Sure beats a challupa...when the latest Dallas Cowboys drama broke, the ESPN article and headline referenced Terrell Owens exclusively as having a problem with Tony Romo's over reliance on Jason Witten, even when other players are open. Had you read the reports elsewhere, you'd have seen that it goes well beyond T.O. and includes other receivers and most of the defence questioning Romo. But ESPN knows T.O. catches attention so paint him as the malcontent. Terrible journalism. They changed the article to reflect others later yesterday, and dropped it down the list from the previous top billing...never a bad night when the Toronto Raptors beat Wince Carturd and the Jersey Nets, but even better when Wince has a horrific night...under Harry Redknapp, Tottenham are 9-1-2. Ought to be an interesting nooner with Manchester United, minus Wayne Rooney, visiting...the Blue Jays had four ads on Sportsnet last season: one with Frank Thomas, another with AJ Burnett, the third with Vernon Wells and the last with Lyle Overbay. Trendspotting, anyone?...who would've believed that the Ottawa Senators would have 64 goals at this point in the season, while the Boston Bruins have 102?...anybody know that Hasim Rahman is fighting champion Wladimir Klitshko for the heavyweight title tonight? Me neither...have a great Saturday.

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

Word coming out of Los Angeles says CC Sabathia wants to be a Dodger. A single tear just ran down my cheek. But seriously, as much as I'd love to see CC in pinstripes, the history of MLB is riddled with pitchers on giant contracts that come nowhere close to living up to them. See "Kevin Brown, Barry Zito, Mike Hampton, Gil Meche etc.". When it comes to pitchers, shorter terms are always better, with almost no exceptions...the text portion of "Drive This" on The Score is annoying. I cannot believe people are paying $0.50 to tell the world that they "like Cam's hat!" or that "Sarah is hot!"...Memo to Jon Gruden: the visor look was never cool. Never will be...I'm utterly mesmerized by Guns N Roses "There Was A Time". That song continuously is rattling about my brain...who would I trust more with the game on the line, A-Rod or Tony Romo, you ask? A-Rod. And right now, the gap is widening. As much as I love Romo, he's too turnover prone and careless with the ball. The next three games will tell how wide - or narrow - that gap becomes...Spanish star David Villa is set to make a move to Manchester City in January. City is aware that you need to occasionally be able to defend, right?...there are three remaining spots left in the Round of 16 in UEFA Champions League action, and five teams - all playing today - are chasing them. I would love to see Chelsea crash and burn but that's stating the obvious...ProFootballTalk.com is running an "Emmitt Smith Word of the Week". Seriously. This week: amorition. #22 meant to say "aberration". We think...the Phoenix Coyotes may soon be extinct?...have a great Tuesday.

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Since they last made the playoffs in 1999, the Buffalo Bills are 14-59 for a .192 win percentage against teams that were .500 or better the year prior...a year ago at this time, the Miami Dolphins were still winless. What a difference a year makes - the Fish are now 8-5 and very much a playoff contender and tied for the AFC East after beating the Bills 16-3 in Toronto in a game that lacked any kind of entertainment value, particularly if you were suckered into a $575 ticket. Suspect the 0-13 Detoilet Lions won't see such a turnaround...speaking of Detroit, only Indy, New Orleans and Green Bay stand in the way of 0-16, though a part of me just knows the bloody Packers will give me another reason to hate them and drop that last game...first reaction: who has had a better year - Chad Pennington or Brett Favre?..the Dallas Cowboys defence looks light years ahead of where they were before head coach Wade Phillips took over play calling, which begs the question: what the hell took him so long? Shame that Tony Romo and Jason Witten couldn't get their plans in order late in the game, leading to one very back breaking interception and a 21-14 loss at Pittsburgh. Somehow, the Cowboys started the day out of the playoffs and finished in...it'll be Oklahoma and Florida for the BCS Championship. Now prepare yourself for the endless and annual debate over how the NCAA needs to put in a playoff system...a last second loss at home for the reeling Toronto Raptors. Is this team ever going to win in December?...that's 16-11 for Prime Time Picks after a wire-to-wire easy winner in the Baltimore Ravens. Tonight, the Tampa Bay Bucs visit the Carolina Panthers in what is a huge game in the NFC South. Despite the 22-2 home record of NFC South teams this year, I'm leaning toward the Bucs (+3) in this one, largely because they've been far more consistent than the Panthers have. Mix in a better defence and there you have it. Bet wise, bet at Pinnacle..here's the Top 10 NFL hits of "all da times"...have a great Monday.

Friday, November 21st, 2008

Line of the day on Tony Romo taking a homeless guy to the movies comes from Jim Rome: "Romo is a tremendous guy! Of course, if he can’t get them out of the first round of the playoffs this year, he’ll be taking Wade Phillips to the movies next." Too true...a strange, strange silence has suddenly descended around the subject of Mats Sundin's return to the NHL. Odd, no?...it wasn't exactly going out on top, but Mike Mussina is retirning after a 20 year win, his first. With 270 career wins, you'd think he's a borderline Hall of Famer. Mix in that he pitched his entire career in the traditionally tough AL East and he'd get my vote, provided I had one. He's the first pitcher to retire since 1920 winning 20+ in his final year. Interesting Mussina fact: he's buying the giant flag pole from the closing Yankee Stadium and having it shipped to his house in Pennsylvania...RM reader Blake got me thinking: the more I watch Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon play, the more I am reminded of Wince Carter. The guy cannot get breathed on without rolling an ankle. Fittingly, Wince visits Toronto tonight. Who goes down first? Calderon also reminds me of something else: someone who should be entered in Jim Rome's "Rat Family"...another day, another AJ Burnett rumor. Word is the Toronto Blue Jays are ready to go up to five years for Burnett. I still think the best deal you can give Burnett is to overpay him for one year deals. Then watch him pitch like a mad man when motivated...14-7 for Prime Time Picks now. Hope you're along for that ride...have a great Friday.

Monday, November 17th, 2008

Detroit Red Wing Johan Franzen has 36 goals in his last 43 games yet somehow flies under the radar...the Department of Lame is at it again: if you want tickets to the World Baseball Classic, you have to purchase tickets to each game at that venue. Guess baseball hasn't learned from the Buffalo Bills that that kind of selling doesn't fly in Toronto, where Canada will host the U.S. I predict they'll have similar success...the New York Red Bull will face Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup next Sunday. Prediction? Red Bull win, and ratings that the NHL could only dream of...with the economic crisis where it is, you've gotta think that if the NBA is concerned about its impact, it has to be ready to euthanize the WNBA...it is a time honored tradition that Toronto Raptors fans point out that the back-up point guard is undefeated as a starter, which Will Solomon is after a 107-96 win over Miami. And what was with Jose Calderon doing his "six fingers" to indicate a three pointer thing for other guys buckets? Glory hound...usually a big fan of the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons, but when he says he misses Chuck Swirsky on Raptors broadcasts, I'm less a fan of Simmons. Matt Devlin is a night and day improvement...in a prison somewhere yesterday at around 7:00pm, Tim Donaghy watched the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers finish and thought the fix was in...seven Liverpool players have had their houses robbed in the last year while they were playing...the most popular ingredient on pizza in Costa Rica is coconut. Seriously...Marion Barber looked like a rejuvenated man coming off the bye week. His impact in the Dallas Cowboys win over Washington was far greater than Tony Romo's. There is still a pulse in that team...banner day for Vegas and gambling houses everywhere yesterday. When a tie in the NFL happens like it did with Philadelphia and Cincinnati, you've got money line losers across the board. That was the first tie since November 10th, 2002...most impressive win of the day? That has to be the New York Giants shredding the Baltimore Ravens 30-10, who came in real hot and playing airtight defence...Yankee fan Lebron James, good friends with CC Sabathia, says "we're gonna get him, absolutely." Good enough for me...13-6 on Prime Time Picks. Heady times, indeed. Tonight, going to make it 14-6 by riding the Buffalo Bills at home (-4.5) who will take the Cleveland Browns down with a double digit win in what should be a frigid, snowy Buffalo. Do yourself a favor and pick up some free Christmas shopping money at Pinnacle..have a great Monday.

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

In the November 3rd issue of ESPN The Magazine, Bill Simmons says he honestly believes NBA commissioner David Stern sent former employee Gary Bettman to the NHL to sabotage it. Funny, and strangely believable...call me crazy or wildly optimistic, but I wouldn't be opposed to a firing of a certain Dallas Cowboys coach named Wade Phillips. That team is a disaster and it goes beyond Tony Romo, Terrance Newman and others being hurt. They've got top drawer talent, but lack the discipline to play well. They're not leading the league in penalties because they're playing smart, that's for sure...is there anything more played than the Fox robot during NFL broadcasts? Not sure if it was as annoying as all the political ads airing during games...the Memphis Grizzlies have sold all of 3,000 season tickets this year. How'd that move from Vancouver work out?...yesterday on Fan590's gambling show, the host referred to interceptions as "Brett's". I like it...Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine both have the Toronto Raptors pegged to finish 6th this season...Ilya Kovalchuk to the Toronto Maple Leafs? What could the Leafs possibly offer the Atlanta Thrashers to rip him from them?...nevermind they used the #1 overall pick to get JaMarcus Russell, but the Oakland Raiders - and who else could it be? - are interested in Michael Vick when he gets out of the Crowbar Motel...good of Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson for not taking the bait and getting into a war of words with the irrelavent Don Cherry, who has called Wilson "arrogant,"
typical American", and a "bully". The height of irony, thine incarnation is Don Cherry...good to see the MLS get a proper trophy for its champion...a nice and easy New England Patriots cover brings the Prime Time Picks to 9-6 (+310) on the year. Tonight, liking the Pittsburgh Steelers at +1.5 (+125). Get your wagers in at Pinnacle...have a great Monday.

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008

With their 3-2 win to take a 1-0 series lead, the Philadelphia Phillies are now 87-0 on the year when leading after 8 frames...the Tampa Bay Rays are the first team since the 1991 Atlanta Braves in any sport to go from having the worst record the prior year to making the championship the next year...the Phillies have lost four World Series, each time to AL East opponents...if you're like me, you got another email on buying Bills tickets for their Toronto game. Warms the cockles of my heart every time...good of the Browns to suspend Kellen Winslow for stating, well, the truth about his having a staph infection and being the sixth Brownie to suffer from it. The Browns are a disaster and only last year's weak schedule gave them any appearance of a future and hope...for sale: Carey Price jersey. New. Stitched. Drop me a line for details...true story: I have yet to watch a full period of NHL action this year...Tony Romo will in fact be out until after the bye in Week 9 it seems. So much for optimism...the Tennessee Titans opponents thus far are a combined 12-26, if you care about these things...the Toronto Raptors will have 25 of their games broadcast on TSN2. This isn't a big deal, unless you're a Rogers subscriber, where that channel isn't carried to date. If you're on Bell ExpressVu, you're all set...happened to stumble into one minutes of Knight Rider. Other than the smoking hot Deanna Russo, that show is a horror show based on that one minute...and if you haven't been watching Entourage this season, shame on you. That show is on FIRE this season with non-stop hilarity...Tom Brady ignored the New England Patriots wishes to have the surgery done by doctors of his choosing and - surprise, surprise - he's now got infection problems. Beantown is starting to look like the mojo is gone, no?...check out this survey of NBA GM's on the looming season. Minnesota T-Wolves GM Kevin McHale picked the Raptors to win the Atlantic division this year. There's reason enough to believe it won't happen. 16% of GM's picked Andrea Bargnani as the international most likely to have a breakout year which placed him second in that category. 0% gave Jose Calderon a vote as best international, and only four got votes there. Interesting stuff...have a great Thursday.

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Game 1 of the World Series goes tonight, finally. I'm thinking Tampa Bay Rays in six though recent history says - think Detroit and Colorado - that the team that is off as long as the Philadelphia Phillies has been tends to go out, and go out fast...how is this for a nice contract kicker: Boston Red Sock Dice-K Matsuzaka will see his annual salary for 2009 and 2010 go up by $2 million if he finishes top three in Cy Young voting this year, which he could well given his win total - assuming his ugly ERA is ignored...Manny Ramirez to the Philadelphia Phillies? My keeper fantasy team is begging for that development. He might hit a billion homers playing in that launching pad...Jose Canseco says he regrets writing "Juiced" and naming names. What he should regret is calling it much of a book at all. Pretty sure I've seen better writing from Grade 4's. On a more serious note, his book did a lot to clean up baseball, far more than The Mitchell Report did or will...without looking at the standings, who do you figure has scored more points than anyone else in the NFL this year, and it isn't even close? Believe it or not, the Chicago Bears...word is that EliteXC is done. The MMA company that UFC President Dana White said wouldn't last until Christmas didn't. So, does that mean that Kimbo Slice could participate in a future run of The Ultimate Fighter?..."The Special One" Jose Morinho is at it again, deriding players in the English Premier League for diving. This, while holding up Italy's "Serie A" as a league where that doesn't happen. That in itself is funny, and by funny, I mean incredibly wrong. What's funnier is that Morinho is Portuguese, the land where the art was developed, refined and perfected. At least of the players he named, none were English. If there's one thing you have to respect among English players, it is that that kind of garbage is frowned upon. Reason #1 why Wayne Rooney is my fav player...another NHL team in Toronto would be my hockey dream come true - any team in the area to supplant the Leafs as my team - who I simultaneously love and hate - would be great. Shame the odds of it happening are nil...if the Leafs keep not stealing the extra point in the shootout, people are going to think they're under orders...Buffalo Bills QB and rising star Trent Edwards was on Pardon The Interruption yesterday and was asked to play a little "Toss up" for what city he preferred - Toronto or Buffalo. He chose Buffalo. In response, Edwards degree from the esteemed Stanford has been revoked...going to be another week minus Tony Romo at the helm for the Dallas Cowboys. Wonderful...have a great Wednesday.

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 - Stop this senseless slaughter!

Mercifully, and inexplicably, the ALCS will take a day off today. Maybe that will help cool off the smoking hot Tampa Bay Rays, 13-4 winners (and 22-5 in two games at Fenway) to take a 3-1 series lead. I know Red Sox Nation will boast about 2004 and coming back from 3-0, but this year, not happening...Why I always said Manny Ramirez was a far better hitter than David Ortiz: Ortiz has one RBI in 31 postseason at-bats this season...this week's Sunday Night Football match-up may not be great, with Seattle visiting Tampa Bay, but the broadcast is about to get a whole lot better with news that John Madden is sitting this one out and the fantastic Cris Collinsworth is in...I'm not surprised Dana White went off about Elite XC being a threat to the credibility of the MMA game, just that it took this long...want a cheap NFL ticket? How about the Cincinnati Bengals, with 3,000 tickets available for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on stubhub.com, including many at half price...Brett Favre called Tony Romo to offer encouragement after his broken finger shelved him. Of course, in typical self serving, "ain't-I-a-great-guy?" fashion he let it be know he called. He says Romo is a top five player in the NFL regardless of position. Sorry, Favre. Even as a Cowboy fan I can't agree with that right now, not based on his play this calendar year...speaking of the Cowboys, they made the only deal of significance at the NFL's way-too-early trade deadline, picking up Detroit Lions wideout Roy Williams. Question: can Williams play corner at all? They've got a huge need there with Pacman Jones suspended for at least four games. It says here that with Williams demanding a trade and the Lions going nowhere, the Cowboys gave up way too much for him unless he suddenly becomes all-pro...the Detroit Lions are 0-5 for the third time this decade...not sure what is more impressive, that soccer giant FC Barcelona is launching a bid for an MLS team for Miami, or that the MLS expansion fee is now up to $50 million (USD). By comparison, Toronto FC's fee to enter a mere three years back was $10 million...not sure where some of the sports media out there get the idea that a Boston Red Sox vs. L.A. Dodgers World Series would be a "disgrace" because the Sox are still paying Manny Ramirez' salary. Players DO NOT get paid in the playoffs. Period. Not to mention that seems a pretty unlikely matchup now...the New Jersey Nets move to Brooklyn is on hold until at least 2011. Wince Carturd's contract expires before the 2011 season. Seems to me Brooklyn wants to leave the toxic waste in Jersey. Wise move...have a great Wednesday.