Back!

We're back, after a busy work trip to my fav city in Canada - Montreal.  Sorry Toronto, regrets Vancouver, swing and a miss Halifax, sucks to be you Ottawa, nice try Edmonton, not-even-the-best-in-Alberta Calgary...Montreal wins hands down.  Wasn't all work by any means, not when your hotel is a couple blocks from Crescent Street.  Also, worked my way into some last minute Montreal Canadiens tickets Wednesday, a very entertaining 5-3 win over the New York Islanders.  I've always said that hockey is far better live than on TV (other than those painful TV-timeouts) but PK Subban is even more entertaining than that.  That is gonna be one hell of a player, and soon.  Had a laugh hearing the fans cheer Carey Price hard after he was booed equally hard last time I was there in February, and he wasn't even playing that night.  How soon they forget!  Great times.

Anytime the Texas Rangers want to show up would be fine.  A 9-0 beat down last night is no way to generate interest outside of San Francisco. Matt Cain has now thrown 21 2/3 shutout innings for the Giants, who are up 2-0 and had Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" going last night post game.  You know, because they're "half way there".

Bud Selig should pounce on this one: the MLB players union says it would consider adding extra playoff teams.

Here's one way to handle your ejection from a sporting event: 1. Leave the field of play.  2. Return with car.  3. Try to run down the referee.

The NBA enlisted comic - they ones who draw, not make people funny - Stan Lee to draw covers for each NBA team.

Here are the 10 Greatest World Series photos of all time.  The way this series is going, don't imagine there will be any pictures taken of the final games.  Fox must be lamenting the abscence of the New York Yankees, given that ratings dropped 25% from Game 1 last year to this year.

I love frivolous lawsuits.  A man is suing McDonald's for making him fat.  Oh, he won.

Word is Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been told he's got a transfer fund of £100 million.  Nice work, Wayne Rooney.  Wayne got himself a raise, and a way to improve the talent around him.  A start: get

A little late getting to this one, but a great history of rap with the always hilarious Justin Timberlake and the occasionally funny Jimmy Fallon.

Signs of life in The Bronx

San Francisco Giant Buster Posey may look like a kid, but he's playing like a seasoned vet in his rookie year.  A mere 4-for-4 night led the way for the Giants in a 6-5 win where they scored the winner in the last inning for the guy who has to be the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year (apologies to Jayson Heyward).  The Giants now hold a 3-1 lead over the Phillies with Game 5 slated for tonight.  Pretty decent pitching match-up in Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum, no?  That one goes at 7:57pm (Eastern).  I might be in the minority, but baseball's playoffs rule, save for the commercials that stretch games way beyond what need happen.

The New York Yankees finally showed some signs of life last night and rode the back of a gritty CC Sabathia start in a must-win game to a 7-2 win.  The ghosts of Yankee Stadium showing up and pushing the Texas Rangers into a mistake filled second inning didn't hurt the cause, nor did homers from Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano.  Game 6 goes in Texas tomorrow night.

Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker James Harrison is said to be contemplating retirement because he's so livid over the NFL's $75,000 fine on him for his nasty hit on Mohammod Massaquoi of the Cleveland Browns Sunday.  Of course, Harrison didn't help his cause by admitting Monday he was out to hurt guys.  Retirement?  Really?  Me thinks Harrison is a bit of a drama queen.  Who would retire with your team just about the favorite to win the Super Bowl right now?

Champions League group play saw eight games take place yesterday. Inter Milan raced out to a 4-0 lead after an early red card on Tottenham's 'keeper Gomes, but Spurs made it real interesting and it ended 4-3.  The group stage is now half complete and only Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Lyon, Real Madrid and Arsenal are a perfect 3-0.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says the Wayne Rooney issue will be "put to bed" this morning.  I'm sure a guy who has had several allegations of marital infidelities recently is thrilled with Ferguson's choice of words.  Former EPL cokehead striker Robbie Fowler, now playing in Australia, says that Rooney is interested in playing in the Aussie A-League.  Right, just as soon as he spends a couple years with Toronto FC.

I can't say I've ever much paid attention to or respected the dozen's of NFL Power Rankings that appear every week, but this one caught my eye simply for the dominance of the AFC.  You're into the sixth slot before a single NFC team appears.

Dallas Cowboys Tight End Jason Witten tweeted that his kids were going to go out as Buzz Lightyear and Woody of Toy Story fame for Hallowe'en.  So of course, yours truly thought it would be a good idea to respond with this: "dressing as Wade and Jason far scarier."  In typical Cowboy fashion, he did not respond.

I generally take up for Terrell Owens because he has always kept his nose clean of a lot of the off-the-field that a lot of other guys get a pass for to a greater degree than you should relative to a guy who trashed the odd QB (see Favre, Brett).  And while I'd never take up for Ben Roethlesberger and his act of recent years that saw multiple allegations of sexual assault, T.O. trying to compare his suspension to Michael Vick's and imply he got off lighter is just rhetoric.  One, Roethlesberger wasn't charged with anything and got four games.  Two, Vick was charged with something got three games.  It was the John Q. Laws that took care of the rest of his time from the game with a stay in the crowbar motel.

Do not mess with the St. Leonard Cougar's of the Ontario Football League.  Check out their act at Ivor Lose Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday in their league semis, as a dozen or so players ventured into the stands with bad intentions and got into it with fans.  My personal fav comes around the 21 second mark.  Watch left of the screen as #40 crowns a guy with a milk crate shot that Mick Foley would think was stiff.  Good of the refs to let it go for a couple minutes before slowly wading in to try to separate people.

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.

We're back!

Expect a ridiculous amount of coverage on the hits delivered yesterday and the concussions that resulted, including a "severe" one for DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles.  Also expect plenty of arms in the air about the safety of an 18-game schedule.  Was listening to ESPN Radio's coverage of the games yesterday and three concussions happened in a span of 8-10 minutes.  Pretty crazy.  Says former headhunter Rodney Harrison, now a commentator: "You didn't get my attention when you fined me five grand, 10 grand, 15 grand.  You got my attention when I got suspended...you have to suspend these guys. These guys are making millions of dollars. The NFL [has to say], 'We're going to really protect our players. We're going to suspend these guys, not one game, but possibly two or more games."

It was a tight Game 2 in the NLCS last night until the 8th, when the Philadelphia Phillies bought themselves some breathing room and jumped back into level territory with a 6-1 win over San Francisco.  That series now goes to San Francisco for three games starting tomorrow.

Admittedly, I'm become pretty used to the New York Yankees season going into October, but I don't recall too many seasons where they're still playing and the Dallas Cowboys are dead and buried for all intents and purposes.  Nice job, Wade Phillips.  Dust off that resume.  Take Jason Garrett with you, while you're at it.  That said, Jerry Jones says he won't even consider it.  One thing for certain: Dez Bryant is part man, part beast.  Not sure there are many stronger wideouts than that guy in the entire league.

Think there's much pressure on Andy Pettitte tonight?  Game 3, at home, with Cliff Lee on the bump for Texas.  Oh, and if you lose and are done early, the prospect of AJ Burnett in Game 4 and a blown out pen has to be real tantalizing.  Go get 'em, 46.

Congratulations, Toronto FC and MLSE.  Your handling of the franchise and poor treatment of your fans has even made the New York Times with this bang on piece sent to me by GBVH.

So it seems that a bad ankle isn't why Wayne Rooney has been lacking playing time with Manchester United.  Rooney says that he's fine and hasn't missed one practice which of course, now has brought the news out that he's fallen out with Sir Alex Ferguson, who is the Rocky Marciano of fights with his players - undefeated, untied - and Rooney is said to be on his way out of town in January, with leading candidates said to be Barcelona and Real Madrid.  Memo to Jerry Jones: get Sir Alex Ferguson as your coach.  If nothing else, your squad will know how to play disciplined.

The Philadelphia Phillies fans are still representing hard.  Check out this one yacking on Saturday night in the front row.

Canada wins!

Tom Verducci at SI.com comes up with a solid idea for how to expand baseball's playoffs without lengthening it one bit. I've long advocated that an extra wild card is the best and easiest way to help the AL East problem - and that's mostly what it is - and the idea of a one game, winner is in, between two wild cards would sure generate interest, and make winning a division that much more important.

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't had a day of training camp and have already named J.S. Giguere the starting goalie. If anybody has a clue what good that accomplishes, I'd love to hear it. Maybe the clock has gone back to 2006 and he's still a clear cut #1 and I missed it.

Long-time San Diego Padre and current Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman picked up save number 600 last night.  Not bad for a guy who barely hits 84 on the gun these days.

Don Banks at SI.com's latest article has his picks to win each division, as well as who he's got to finish last. Bad news, Buffalo Bills fans: he's got you not only penciled to finish last, but to do so with 2 wins, lowest among all the teams he picks to finish last by a couple games.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jason Marquis has lowered his ERA in 6 straight starts.  Impressive, right?  Not as impressive as seeing it is still a ghastly 7.14, but that's what happens when you once had it as brutal as 20.52.

So much for the notion that Wayne Rooney would lose it in Switzerland after the talk of him tapping a pro surfaced over the weekend.  Rooney scored 10 minutes into England's Euro 2012 qualifier with Switzerland and his squad emerged 3-1 winners.  On the upset front, Slovakia stunned favored Russia in Russia with a 1-0 scoreline and Portugal dropped all the points in a 1-0 shocker at Norway.  Full Euro 2012 qualifying wrap here.  On the "friendly" side of things, Canada beat Honduras - who were a World Cup qualifier - with an impressive performance in a 2-1 win in Montreal. Strangely, they looked better minus Dwayne DeRosario and Julian De Guzman.  World Cup winners Spain travelled to Argentina for a game, and were thumped 4-1.  Shocking.  That's only Spain's third loss since 2006.

Good news, Toronto Raptors fans, your squad made an "all-time" list.  Yep, checking in on the 50 Worst Uniforms list.  Hey, it is something at least.

Two of the worst NFL teams last year were the Tampa Bay Bucs and Cleveland Browns, and they won't be a whole bunch better this year.  So why would the NFL put the two head to head to open the season on Sunday?  Only reason I can think is to narrow the field for nationally covered games.  Can't be many reasons beyond that.

So Reggie Bush can't keep his Heisman Trophy because he had his parents put up in a condo paid for by boosters, but O.J. Simpson still has his.  Sounds perfectly logical to somebody.

If I were to say "it is a must-win road game for Toronto FC if they're to make the playoffs this year", hopefully that wouldn't confuse everyone too badly into thinking this was 2009 and not 2010, but that's the situation that TFC are in as they are in Chicago to face the Fire.  I really have little expectation that they'll grab three points in this one, and barely more hope. SportsNet Ontario and Pacific have coverage with an 8:30 kickoff.

For those that enjoyed Friday's "bubbling" pictures, there are more.  You're welcome.

An interesting infographic to teach you most of what you need to know about MMA/UFC.

Check out this video from a Chinese media outlet of some sort, covering the Wayne Rooney-and-a-hooker story.  Freaking incredible, even for non-soccer fans.