Saturday, November 8th, 2008

The painful "will he or won't he?" saga of Mats Sundin appears as though it is a "he will", with December 1st as the likely return date for the legenary Swede. The Leafs don't seem a likely landing spot, and as mentioned here before, that is for the best for both. Where he does end up remains a mystery, but there could be some interesting trades coming as some teams look to clear cap room to try to land Sundin...the Oakland Raiders are an NFL worst 7-29 on the road since 2003...the LA Dodgers offer to Manny Ramirez is said to be two years and $45 million. No chance that is accepted. SI.com's Jon Heyman still has the Toronto Blue Jays listed prominently as a possible suitor. Makes a lot of sense, no?...that thud you just heard was the Toronto Raptors coming back to reality after a beatdown at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks last night...are the Montreal Canadiens for sale? Depends who you believe, but hard to figure that George Gillett would be airing such a possibility in their 100th season...Bud Selig and MLB want no part of Mark Cuban owning the Chicago Cubs. How does that make any sense? He took over the sad sack Dallas Mavericks and made them an absolute first class operation where players want to go now, so why not? Because he criticizes the establishment on occasion, and usually with good reason? Pathetic...that's it for today, Manchester United vs. Arsenal beckon...have a great Saturday.

Friday, November 7th, 2008 - No sweat

The pressure of a steeplechase can be too much to bear, but it helps when you've got someone to cheer you on. Check this out...we're but one week away from when MLB free agents can start signing with teams other than their own. New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman says his team "will show a lot of love"...the Washington Nationals are said to be interested in Matt Holliday, Mark Teixeira, A.J. Burnett and Adam Dunn, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman. I'm guessing they get shut out in that pursuit. Don't imagine too many guys think going to a team that routinely loses 90+ is appealing if you have a choice...them wacky Manchester United Red Devils set up a nice prank on Cristiano Ronaldo after pics of him sweating through a blazer during a night out were published in UK papers. Seems Ronny didn't appreciate a deluge of deodorant falling out of his locker when he opened it. My money is on Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic. It can't be Patrice Evra - everybody knows the French don't shower...hard to believe that Ben Roethlesberger is hurt. He's taken worse hits this year than when he became a hood ornament minus a helmet a couple years back...the Jacksonville Jaguars couldn't possibly lose to previously winless Cincinnati one week and then Detroit the next, could they?...Brady Quinn looked like a seasoned vet for the most part, but Jay Cutler's 447 yards aided a big Denver Broncos comeback - as predicted in the now 11-6 Prime Time Picks - for a wild 34-30 win...Jacksonville Jaguar Matt Jones fired back at Joey Porter, asking who made him commissioner, and mixing in an inference about Porter's sexuality...after a less than impressive start to life as a Toronto Raptor, Jermaine O'Neal has been dubbed in some circles as "Sl-O'Neal" and "Bl-O'Neal"...it took a while, but seems the Dallas Cowboys have finally found a leader and a conscience willing to state the obvious: that they're a flawed team and were before Tony Romo went down. The source? Would you believe it is one Terrell Owens?...have a great Friday, and be sure to tune in to Setanta Sports at 7:45 tomorrow morning for Manchester United and Arsenal.

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

The Tampa Bay Bucs running attack is about to improve, if talk of Cadillac Williams returning is true...have to say, I'm more than a little disappointed that there hasn't been a firing in Dallas yet. But, am more hopeful that Jerry Jones will come to his senses and offer someone like Bill Cowher the keys to the car in the offseason...you're an NFL team that spent significant dollars to sign player in the off-season. Entering Week 10, you look to release those players and as many as ten others. Who else could you be but the Oakland Raiders?...the New York Yankees have not won the World Series with a Republican in the White House since Dwight Eisenhower was president. This bodes well, I guess...with talk that Greg Maddux might be done pitching, and Tom Glavine and John Smoltz possibly done, Cooperstown is going to have one bumper crop of pitchers coming in together in five years, presumably all as Atlanta Braves...the San Antonio Spurs finally got off the schneid last night, led by Tony Parker's 55 points to go to 1-3...usually when you get an English team - Chelsea in this case - going to Rome for a Champions League game to face AS Roma and somebody dies, you figure it had to be a riot, brawl or the like. This time, it was a 13-year old getting killed by a falling tree after it was hit by lightning...one of the NFL's all-time draft busts Ryan Leaf was busted for drugs. Who would've thought he'd stay off the rails, other than everybody?...the Detroit Pistons didn't even need Allen Iverson or home court to knock off the Toronto Raptors last night. Was it me, or did the Air Canada Centre seem deathly quiet? Like, Maple-Leafs-quiet?...Brady Quinn gets the start tonight in Cleveland, which ought to make for an interesting fork in the road if he plays well. Derek Anderson's stock is falling in line with the markets of late. They face the Denver Broncos, and what the hell happened to them? If not for a couple wins aided by some interesting calls, they might be sitting at a single win...10-6 (+435) on Prime Time Picks going into tonight, and am thinking that despite their play of late, Denver at +3 is the right play. Cleveland still can't stop anybody and Denver gets the edge in the secondary, and Quinn's only had a day of practice with the first unit to get acclimated good enough for me. Get yours in with the fine folks at Pinnacle...Joey Porter is turning into the Curt Schilling of the NFL - an authority on everything that you ask him about. This week, he's spouting on Jacksonville Jag Matt Jones, saying he shouldn't be playing after his drug bust this past summer...NHL Players Association boss Paul Kelly, who doesn't believe in doing anything other than boosting revenues which will get his players bigger salaries, is a big fan of a second NHL team in Toronto. Gary Bettman is really not going to like Mr. Kelly...in keeping with the tradition that American NHLers are the only guys worth listening to, Dallas Star Mike Modano went off about the acts of teammates Sean Avery and Steve Ott in Boston on Saturday, calling it "embarrassing" and "idiotic and stupid"...have a great Thursday.

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Check out T-Mac going throwback to his college days with the t-shirt underneath his uniform. Oh, wait, lazy-eye didn't go to college. My bad...the Ottawa Senators are real hot on getting Mats Sundin inked, which would give them two lethal lines presumably with a top four of Sundin, Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfreddson. Also said to be interested are the New York Rangers, Philadelpia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs. My money - and hope - remains on my second fav team, the Rangers...apparently the declining price of oil has been felt by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich: he's fired 15 of Chelsea's scouts...another day of Champion's League action goes today. I'm starting to feel a fever coming on at about 2:45 that will take me out of the office...guess who studies show as the worst defensive player in all of baseball? Yours truly checks in at comment 179 (on page 9)...how's this for election news: AJ Burnett has elected to opt out of his contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and has declared free agency. No word on if the New York Yankees have a rule about nipple rings being added to his contract language...there has always been that argument that Martin Brodeur, while great, has been aided significantly by a team that is defence first and defence second. With Brodeur now out three months or more with an injury, it'll be interesting to see what kind of numbers Kevin Weekes puts up as he takes over between the pipes...co-NBA player of the week Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors travel to Detoilet to face the Pistons tonight in an early season measuring stick. Bet Jose Calderon is thrilled that Chauncey Billups is gone from the Pistons. He typically whips him...Former NCAA, Olympic, WWE and TNA wrestling champion Kurt Angle is taking his MMA physical today and plans to venture into that world. Will be real interesting to see how he progresses, especially as he has talked of wanting to fight the winner of Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar. My money says he'll do just fine. Angle made a passionate argument on The Max Kellerman show for why pro wrestling is a lot harder on you than MMA...I find it strange how many people in Canada religiously bash the U.S. and claim to be anti-media, but have slurped the kool-aid on Barrack Obama and the "change" he will bring. Fact is, he's as establishment as any other politico but a heavily liberal leaning media has built him up as the Second Coming. Will he do a good job? Sure. Considering who he is following, the bar is pretty low. But don't expect miracles and a sudden arrival of world peace and roaring financial markets. You'll be sorely disappointed, no matter what Oprah tells you. Besides, I'd wager the vast majority polluting Facebook and the like with their declarations of how proud they are of the U.S. for electing Obama don't know their ass from an electoral college..have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, November 4th, 2008

About the only thing that doesn't make sense about the big NBA trade that has Allen Iverson off to Detroit with Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess heading to Denver is the timing of it, less than a week into the season. The Toronto Raptors will get the first look at The Answer in a Pistons uniform Wednesday night. For my money, A.I. ranks as a top ten guy I'd pay to see watch in any sport in the last decade...John Daly says "nothing is going right in my life is right now." Umm, right now? But while we're at it, how about eight great J.D. moments...it has been seven consecutive drafts since the Dallas Cowboys drafted a quarterback. They might want to think about taking one next time around. Or two. The lack of a capable backup could well cost them a playoff spot this year...not sure if you were aware, but there is an election in the U.S. today...spotted next to legendary retired Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer at their 2-0 win over Aston Villa yesterday: Toronto FC coach John Carver, a former Magpie staffer himself...Mats Sundin is said to be less than a month away from his NHL return, destination unknown. For his sake and the Leafs, I hope it is not together again. He deserves better than the morons of "Leafs Nation" and the Leafs need to win fewer games this year, not more...the Brady Quinn era starts for the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. Wonder if the Browns regret signing Derek Anderson to that big contract in the off-season? He looks a shell of the guy we saw most of last season. Given that the Cowboys traded that pick to Cleveland that netted Quinn, I expect him to be nothing short of a Hall of Famer, even for a former Domer...cannot wait for the baseball wheeling and dealing to get started. It is gonna get wild, with Milwaukee already offering 4 years and $100 million to CC Sabathia...16 of the last 17 times the Washington Redskins won the game immediately preceding the U.S. election, the incumbent party - the Republicans in this case - won the subsequent election. With the Skins losing last night, well, we know that streak isn't in play...that's now 10-6 and +435 on the year on Prime Time Picks. Hope you're playing along at Pinnacle...another day of Champions League group play goes today, with the final 16 spots in site for more than a few sides. I've got a small wager on Barcelona at -2.5 to pound Basel so will be watching that intently...have a great Tuesday.

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.

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

As finishes go, they don't get more exciting than last night's last gasp TD by Texas Tech to knock off #1 Texas...what is this world coming to when Zamboni drivers are getting nailed for DUI?...the Green Bay Packers extended Aaron Rodgers contract through the 2014 season. Wonder if Brett Favre has reached the "acceptance" stage of grieving yet?...Cristiano Ronaldo is looking like he's got his legs under him now, as he scored a pair in yesterday's thrilling 4-3 Man United win over Hull City. It was a day of some big upsets in the EPL, as Stoke City punched out Arsenal and last place Tottenham beat then fourth place Arsenal..after getting booed at the All-Star game and getting caught on TV saying "Boo? Fuck you!" to the fans at Yankee Stadium, the Philadelphia Phillies Chase Utley was a little more obvious at the World Series parade. Watch here...sounds like the Yankees won't be in on the Mark Teixera sweepstakes. They must be planning ahead for a place for Derek Jeter to play in the next couple years. Personally, I'd rather have Teixera there in his print long term than a declining Jeter. Dugout Central wrote a great piece on the Jeter conundrum the Yankees face. If he were with the Boston Red Sox, I'm thinking Theo Epstein wouldn't move him to first, he'd let him walk altogether...the Detroit Lions signed Daunte Culpepper, and one of the things that attracted them to him was his knowledge of their division. Then again, we know how divisional knowledge panned out with old man Favre...the Prime Time Picks are back at 9-6 ($306) and tonight, I L-O-V-E New England at +6. Also a big fan today of Miami (+3) and St. Louis (+3). Get your wagers in at Pinnacle...have you ever seen a collapse like the one staged by the New York Rangers last night visiting the Toronto Maple Leafs? Up 2-0 in the third, they lose 5-2. Oh you have? Then you must have been watching the Montreal Canadiens furious comeback from 4-1 down to win 5-4. Pretty wild night in the NHL...have to say, I did not figure the Toronto Raptors would open the year at 3-0. A team that historically struggles badly on the back end of back-to-back games, they went into Milwaukee last night in that situation and dropped an "L" on the Bucks...have a great Sunday.


If you haven't seen Wednesday's goal from Cristiano Ronaldo at the 30 minute mark, watch here for the most amazing set-up you're ever likely to see. It's at the 3:40 mark here...
Manchester United v West Ham