Monday wrap

Not sure how BC Lion Emmanuel Arceneaux feels after this meeting at the right with the turf at Olympic Stadium in Montreal yesterday, but it sure looks painful to these eyes. The Lions were hammered by the Als, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders booked their tickets to Calgary for the Grey Cup by beating the Stampeders.

It wasn't always pretty, but Real Salt Lake lifted the MLS Cup after a shootout victory when 120 minutes left the teams level at a goal a piece. Former Toronto FC striker Danny Dichio picked the #8 seeded RSL to win the Cup and proved right.
Galaxy striker Landon Donovan was asked over the weekend by ESPN columnist Bill Simmons, a huge soccer junkie the last couple years, why there isn't a fancier name for the MLS Cup and Donovan replied that "unlike other sports we don't call our championship a world anything when it is only played in America." Awesome. Except for forgetting there are teams in Canada, too.

I didn't figure that the Denver Broncos were as good as their 6-0 start suggested, but hard to believe that they're as bad as their 0-4 run now, including yesterday's 32-3 balance of power swinging loss to rival San Diego. Shocking losses yesterday by the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing 27-24 at Kansas City, and Cincinnati losing at Oakland. New Orleans and Indianapolis both moved to 10-0, though the Colts barely scraped by in Baltimore. Both have some tricky games on the schedule next week with Indy visiting Houston, and the Saints hosting New England on Monday Night.

A Playboy article (December 2009) notes that an average NFL game has only about 12 minutes of actual playing time.

Further cementing his reputation as the master of the obvious, Terry Bradshaw on Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams: "he's certainly not worth two first-round picks and all that money Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is paying him. He's not proving anything.'' Not sure about you, but I've entirely tuned out NFL pre-game shows and find I enjoy the game a lot more without the overkill.

Steve Mariucci, former NFL coach turned analyst, objected to the Buffalo Bills firing Dick Jauron in the middle of the year. Methinks that his close friend Dick Jauron probably doesn't mind nearly so much.

Is there any second year pro in any sport that has seen more column inches than Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn?

Well you had to know this wouldn't take long. The interweb brings us all the Thierry Henry hand ball game. Check it out here.

Ilya Kovalchuk is said to be close to signing a 10 year deal worth $90 million to stay with the Atlanta Thrashers, not because he's seeing a team headed in the right direction, but because he prefers to play somewhere with less pressure. That, friends, is a loser.

Hands up, who had Los Angeles King Anze Kopitar as the leading scorer at the end of November?

Sports Illustrated gives you a list of the ten best pound for pound fighters in boxing history.

Have a great Monday!