Saturday, August 23rd, 2008

How about that Cuban Olympian in Tae Kwon Do? Kicked the ref in the head. Fidel must be proud...it is the U.S. vs. Spain in the hoops final, I've got the Americans by 38...I can do without another Bell ad, guys in foreign lands singing the anthem and Galen Weston, thanks muchly. And what kind of name is Galen, anyways?...have a good friend who is a Jets fan. He tried to tell me that Brett Favre isn't an interception machine. Seriously...Toronto FC host the New England Revolution at BMO Field. Somehow, when they lost to San Jose 4-0 last week, I have to believe TFC wins it...Mats Sundin - nevermind...think the Blue Jays want out of Vernon Wells deal? He was on waivers, which most are at this time, but he's a guy you'd think the Jays want to move at $18 million per...have a great Saturday...have a great Saturday.

Friday, August 22nd, 2008 - Olympic Shocker

I'm not a huge Greco-Roman wrestling afficianado, but I suspect the move depicted at right is not only not allowed, but also very much against the Olympic spirit. Unless, of course, that's one of the Olympic rings...Entourage is back September 7th. Life is beautiful...a Yankee future without Derek Jeter? It might happen after 2010. A great read, and interesting responses following it, here...speaking of Jeter, his next hit will give him 2,500 on his career...ever wonder what former major leaguer Hideki "Fat Toad" Irabu is up to of late? How about crushing 20 beers and beating on barkeeps?...ProFootballWeekly says the Brett Favre/New York Jets marriage might not be as good a fit as it seems on the surface. Mix in some unhappy players - Laverneus Coles most notably - over the dealing of Chad Pennington and you've got a situation that could go sour real fast...Cliff Lee won his 18th of the year against 2 losses. Sorry Jays Fan, he's a shoe-in for the Cy Young...Josh Beckett has tingling in his fingers and numbness in his arm? Last I remember hearing those symptoms was right before David Cone went out with an aneurysm in his shoulder. The Red Sox do not win in the playoffs without a healthy Beckett...20 ridiculous quotes by athletes, counted down here...a couple quick and dirty RandoMango's coming up this weekend but all the same, look for them in their usual space. Have a great Friday.

Thursday, August 21st, 2008 - Embarrassment

Canada is in Toronto for their first World Cup qualifying match in years, in a tough group, and they produce a terrible performance like that, drawing Jamaica 1-1? It may have sounded harsh when this space called for coach Dale Mitchell to be axed a year ago before he officially took the coaching reigns on the strength of his disaster at the U20's, but it isn't harsh now. Axe him. Today...and what is it with coaches named "Mitchell" in over their heads in Toronto?...the Toronto Sun's Mike Zeisberger says "Canada carried the play for much of the evening". What game was he watching?...NFL union head Gene Upshaw is said to have died, according to WGR550. There are a lot of old, broken down and broke former NFLers celebrating if that's the case...a reason Usain Bolt left room to lower the record in the 100m? How about word that he'll get a very high profile run at it and make millions if he breaks it in a made-for-TV event? GBVH passed that story on. Interesting. Bolt didn't leave himself much room to lower the mark in the 200m, with yesterday's awesome 19.30 record breaker where he floored it start to finish...the Kaka to Chelsea rumors are flying again. Chelsea is apparentely intent on playing 10 midfielders and a goalie each game...not sure if this is real, it sure sounds it, but here's what Britney Spears mic sounds like when she's singing...nevermind this Top 10 business, how about a Top 20 Gymnast Crashes?...that's two homers in three games at Rogers Centre for Derek Jeter in a 5-1 Yankees win over the Blue Jays...have a great Thursday.

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 - Oooh, ahhh...Canada!

13 medals now for Canada? Bust 'em up!...off to BMO Field tonight to see Canada host Jamaica in World Cup 2010 qualifying. Memo to Jamaica: your high hopes are going up in smoke...the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are in the middle of a 17-day "bye week". Nice scheduling, CFL...a poll of MLBers had Russell Martin as the best all-round catcher. Guessing Gregg Zaun is shocked he didn't make the top five...Maxim has a New England vs. Dallas Super Bowl, with the Patriots winning...Usain Bolt runs in the 200m final this morning at 10:20am. I want to see him floor it the whole way to see him mangle Michael Johnson's record...40 times this season the Yankees have scored three or fewer runs. How's that even possible with those guys in the lineup?...AJ Burnett was as good as I've ever seen him with 13 K's last night in a 2-1 win. The Yankees may look his way just so they don't have to face him anymore. He's been killing them the last couple years and surprise, surprise, has found health and performance this year with an opt out looming...oh, and Johnny Damon? My slo-pitch squad's centre fielder catches those balls last night...Toronto FC is said to be looking at using the money from selling Maurice Edu to put grass in at BMO Field. Great idea, but how about putting the money into players? After all, not like MLSE can't afford grass on the profits they're pulling. I don't see them improving the ice plant at the ACC because they've got more cap space for the Leafs. That said, installing grass will open the market for them in a big way, as much as I've found the turf fantastic to play on..guess Marc Crawford won't be getting a Christmas card from Todd Bertuzzi after burying him in the Steve Moore case as someone who acted on his own and against coaches orders...Johnny Damon might not be able to catch a fly ball, but he makes one hell of a case for why Mike Mussina is a Hall of Famer, which I would've scoffed at previous: Mussina has spent his entire career pitching in the American League East during a time when the Blue Jays won two World Series, the Yankees won four and the Red Sox won two. He's had to face very tough competition and still has a lifetime record of 266-151, so far. A .638 winning percentage is nothing to turn your nose up to...Brett Favre wants a simpler offence for the New York Jets. Yeah, that'll make it easier to top the Patriots...you may have read some great pieces on Shaq vs. Kobe, and maybe thought some great thoughts on the subject, but Chuck Klosterman delivers a great piece in ESPN The Magazine here...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 - American Idle Returns?

Good to see Toronto FC understands that if you have two guys with the same surname, there's no need for an initial for their first name as they're already wearing different numbers...if somebody can explain how the pool at the Olympics was "fast", I'd love to hear it...Victor Conte of BALCO fame says that while 80% of athletes were doing performance enhancing drugs a couple years back, it is still 65% because testing doesn't touch users out of season, and says that tips from the labs doing testing help users stay clean. Some heavy, heavy accusations...answering the question "does a fool ever learn?" in the negative, the Cincinnati Bengals are close to a deal with Chris Henry. I'm sure Carson Palmer is elated...the Washington Nationals are well on their way to a 100+ loss season. Karma for how they got their team from Montreal? I'd think so, if not for that D-Bag Jeffrey Loria winning a World Series in Florida...not sure there are many guys in the wrestling biz today that can excel as a heel or face as well as Chris Jericho can and does, but gimme more Santino Marella...in his three starts since the Seattle Mariners didn't move Jarrod Washburn, he's been lit like a Christmas tree. Well played, Mariners...not sure when it happened, but ESPN The Magazine is a better read than Sports Illustrated...that's 9 medals for Canada. Poor YF has a wager on them winning fewer than 10. You're done, bro...Carl Pavano might return to start for the Yankees? If I'm Brian Cashman, I get him in there and start him every day for the rest of this going-nowhere season...the U.S. dropped a huge beatdown on Germany in men's hoops, winning by 49. They've got Australia up next. Hard to imagine anyone touching them at this point...have a great Tuesday.

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Rafael Nadal won gold for Spain in men's tennis. No word on whether he'll pose for the customary Spanish pose to honour their Chinese hosts...when you scored 968 runs in one year, and are on pace to score 778, that'll explain why you're very much on the fringes of the playoff race. That would be you, New York Yankees...Canada is now up to 7 medals, no doubt calming more than a few at our Olympic committee. Fact remains there are a lot of countries smaller and relatively the same size that vastly outperform Canada and while the apologists say "yeah, but our summers aren't that long!", how many events are really outdoors anyways?...of all the sides I saw in the English Premier League this weekend - and that was at least half - Chelsea looked the best. Pains me to say that, but it is true...if Mats Sundin is my favorite player and moves to the New York Rangers, does that mean I can become and out and out Rangers fan, a team I've always had an appreciation for? Somebody, please say yes...from the Department of Lame, the New England Patriots received "18-1" rings. Shame that "1" is the part they're going to focus on everytime they look at them...this is why I continue to subscribe to Playboy: former UFC ring girl and current "UFC All Access" host Rachelle Leah is going to be gracing the pages in a future issue. This is good news...back tomorrow, likely afternoon. Have a great Monday.

Sunday, August 17th, 2008 - On the board!

The U.S. laid an absolute beating on Spain yesterday in a 37 point whuppin' that ought to exorcise a few ghosts, or at least the clowns that didn't think they'd learn from 2006's debacle at the Worlds. Paut Gasol has a brother named Marc? What were the odds Mama and Papa Gasol had two transgendered kids?...Canada is on the medal board with a trio in an hour, and apparently, more to come in the early hours of Sunday in four rowing events...Brett Favre threw a TD last night in a pre-season affair for the Jets. Easiest thing in the world? Finding a picture of Favre to fill the corner of this space daily. Sad...will this Top 10 streak ever end? Maybe, but not before we take a peak at the Top 10 Fights, the in ring/octagon edition...from the Department of The Predictable: somebody says that taking steroids changed them from woman to man. And would you believe he/she was an athlete for East Germany back in the 1980's? I've got two words for drug authorities if they're looking for someone else who has had the same results: Bastian. Schweinsteiger...Dimitar Berbatov came off the bench for Tottenham in their opening loss at Boro. Something tells me he's off to Manchester United before the week is up where he and my boy Wayne Rooney will link up to terrorize defences across Europe. Luka Modric looked worth every penny in the midfield for Spurs. The guy has a motor that doesn't quit...Man United faces Newcastle United this morning on The Score at 11am...Toronto FC travel to face the New York Red Bull. That one also goes on The Score, with a 5pm kickoff...with Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford out, Barry Bonds agent thinks Barroid should be a play for the Rays. But, he contends, MLB has blackballed Barroid which explains why nobody will touch him. If anything, Barroid blackballed himself with his act the last decade, and I'm not referring to drugs at all. There's also a reason Gary Sheffield is on waivers and nobody will touch him, and it is very much the same reason...Michael Phelps picked up his 8th gold medal of this Olympics, and 7th world record time. That is flat out insane...have a great Sunday.