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Friday, January 28, 2011

What is going on in Neckessee?

Not a clue what is happening with the Tennessee Titans. It appeared they had settled on coach Jeff Fisher winning the power struggle with QB Vince Young when they announced a few weeks back they'd be looking for another QB to lead the team. Turns out they're looking for another coach too, as the Titans announced they've parted ways with Fisher. ProFootballTalk looks at what it all means, beyond Fisher pocketing $8 million to not coach.  Does Young come back, or does he go to the Minnesota Vikings, as has been mentioned?  Looking like Albert Haynesworth will be able to say he's played for two of the most disfunctional franchises in the NFL. Albert is a stint in Oakland from completing the trifecta.

UFC President Dana White says if Anderson Silva and Georges St Pierre win their next two fights, GSP will move up to 185 pounds to set up perhaps the biggest fight in UFC history, though with the way those two fight on occasion, it might not be the best fight.

If you're watching the NHL All-Star draft tonight, you're a loser.

UFC Heavyweight Roy "Big Country" Nelson has a conspiracy theory in play for the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.  He figures that Brock Lesnar is on board to boost ratings - nobody said Nelson couldn't identify the obvious - but adds that Lesnar will walk out half-way through because he's "done"  after first giving his opposing coach and next opponent Junior Dos Santos, the other coach and his next opponent, a lot more profile in the U.S.  He names Shane Carwin and Frank Mir as replacement coaches.  Interesting theory, and with all the "Lesnar wants out" talk, could well play out.  You can start counting down to a "Nelson is an idiot" response from UFC boss Dana White any minute now.

Might Kirk Muller be the next Toronto Maple Leafs coach?  Sure would be an improvement over the arrogant curmudgeon Ron Wilson, no?

Not sure about you, but I'm pretty bumbed I didn't get this t-shirt of New York Ranger Sean Avery under the Christmas tree.  The shirt is actually part of a series to promote awareness of protecting your skin, and also features far better options like Miranda Kerr, Marisa Miller, Miranda Kerr, Heidi Klum, and loads more. Oh,  and Miranda Kerr.

Really dreading this sports weekend, what with the NFL Pro Bowl and the NHL All-Star Game dominating things.  Makes me really anxious to get baseball back on the go.  Fortunately, there is tonnes of soccer to fill the weekend, though the EPL is in on an FA Cup weekend, and maybe some hoops.

With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal out at the Australian Open, this weekends final will be just the fifth - fifth! - Slam since 2004 that someone else has won. Five out of 29.  The Scottish Premier League thinks that competition has been one sided.

I'm sure the NHL will be thrilled to go into its All-Star Weekend with rumors floating that the $100-million sale of the Phoenix Coyotes is about to fall through.  Wind up Gary Bettman and watch him spin.

The Oakland A's have unveiled a third jersey, and it is gold, or at least gold coloured.

Chelsea have put in a bid on Fernando Torres of Liverpool this week with the transfer window closing at the end of the month.  Liverpool said thanks, but no thanks.  If half the rumors are true, Chelsea is chasing every above average striker in the world.  Guess they forgot their central defence is super soft.

First Memphis Grizzly OJ Mayo gets his face caved in on a team charter after not paying a gambling debt, and then weeks later he fails a drug test, testing positive for steroids.  He's on the sidelines for 10 games as a result.

Back Monday folks, have a great weekend.

NBA pre-game, a live mic...and Tracey Morgan giving his thoughts on Sarah Palin.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Suck it, BF

The Sports Pickle has the text messages Brett Favre received from his former GM and understudy in Green Bay.  Awesome. 

TSN is getting into the radio business in April.  I'm going to guess The Jim Rome Show and other ESPN gems like Colin Cowherd are about to get much more prominent in Canada, and that's a good thing.  But please, TSN, no Mike & Mike. 

ProFootballTalk looks at how teams will look to have unofficial workouts, led largely by their QB's, once the lockout is in full swing come March 4th, to get an edge if and when the 2011 season goes off.  For the record, I'm still saying a full 2011 season gets played.  

The Cleveland Cavaliers really aren't opposed to the idea they were a one man show in previous years, or it at least seems that way for a team that has lost 18 straight games.  Good thing the draft is loaded with a franchise player at the top.  Oh, wait...moving on.

Detroit Lions linebacker Zach Follet will not make himself a lot of friends this week by calling Drew Stafford, his team's QB, a "China Doll".

Every NIKE logo, ever.

Steve Simmons tweets: "Does this smack of desperation? The Raptors have their 1st game in years without a hitting a 3-pointer and go out and sign a guy named Trey."  Now, why would the Raptors be desperate now?  They've been trash for years, after all.

It seems New York Yankees main man Hank Steinbrenner looks like The Boss more every day, literally.  Now, he's also starting to act the part and sound it too with this: "We just have to (bleeping) win."  Gonna be a tough go, Hank, especially when you likely insulted Andy Pettitte with a $12 million offer yesterday but dropped $12.5 on a set-up man last week.  Bad play.

Just wondering if all the NFL players that were cracking on Jay Cutler as a "quitter" will be so quick to hammer guys when their union inevitably caves to the owners, just like they always do?

I've seen some scary pics of Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, who seems to always have a bandaid on his head, but none are scarier than the one at right.

After their win Sunday, in the face of President Barrack Obama pulling for his hometown Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packer Charles Woodson led the team in a "'White House' on three!" chant.  A question: is he referring to winning the game to get a trip to meet the President, or the White House frequented by the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990's, the drug and hooker filled palace?

HBO Real Sports says in 1980, there were 3 - THREE - NFL players over 300 pounds. Now there are almost 400!

You're already hurt, or at least, appear to be.  You climb on a stretcher.  Probably the last thing you expect is to get repeatedly tea-bagged by some dude who doesn't know how to work the stretcher.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Giggs lights a fire

Manchester United dug themselves a hole yesterday at Blackpool, who dominated the first half and took a 2-0 lead before United, aided largely by Ryan Giggs coming off the bench, rallied for two in two minutes with less than 20 to go from Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez - both having dynamite years - before Berbatov sealed the awesome comeback with a second, and his fifth in two games, to give United a 3-2 win.  United remain undefeated, and a win like that puts the championship into slightly better view.

SI's Jon Heyman says the Toronto Blue Jays paid $5 million to the Anaheim Angels to take the Vernon Wells deal off their hands.  One of the players the Jays acquired for Wells, Mike Napoli, was dealt to Texas yesterday for reliever Frank Francisco.

Chad Ochocinco is planning to ditch the last name and reclaim Johnson.  Anything to stay in the news, huh Chad?

Word is that Albert Pujols starting spot in contract negotiations with the St. Louis Cardinals is ten years and (gulp) $300 million.

No idea what it will cost, but the three courses being served to the Super Bowl's VIP's in Dallas next Sunday are freaking insane, mostly because I'm not sure what half of it is.

Here are the NFL's highest paid players, if you didn't know.  What is funnier, that Carson Palmer is on the list, or Albert Haynesworth?  And how did the $20 million bust Brett Favre not top the list?


New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman is saying he views Derek Jeter as a centre fielder before his career and contract run out.  Wouldn't it be funny seeing that ridiculously unnecessary jump throw coming from the track?  And how are those legs, which we often say look like he dips them in cement before going to the field, going to cover that much ground?  Here's the position I think Jeter should be in before his contract is up: his palatial digs in Tampa, though I'm not sure he'll ever make it to the left side of the house.  Check out his current penthouse pad, which can be yours for a mere $20 million in the Trump Tower in Manhatten.

Top 5 EPL goals of the week, including one off the foot of a Canadian!
<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=69154bf7-3dc3-4b5a-bb10-735d141995f1" target="_new" title="">PL: Goals of the Week</a>

Not sure how Didier Drogba's bullet on Monday didn't make the list.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A fantastic Super Bowl angle...

Ahh, Kentucky, way to keep pushing those stereotypes at right. 

That's ten straight year's that the NFC has sent a different representative to the Super Bowl.

For UFC 129 in Toronto, in addition to Georges St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields for GSP's Welterweight Championship fight, add Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defending his Featherweight title against Canadian Mark Hominik (who was awesome at Fight For The Troops on Saturday with a superb first round knockout win), as well as Canadian Rory McDonald facing Nate Diaz.  More on the card here.  Tickets go on sale February 12th.  Get your first born ready.

Damien Cox of the Toronto Star wonders if the NHL put Sidney Crosby in a position to get hurt, along with the rest of the players that day,  by allowing the Winter Classic to be played in the conditions it was played in.

Toronto FC's Nana Attakora is excited for the new coaching staff and season of TFC.

Says GS, huge Pittsburgh Steeler fan, looking to the Super Bowl: The Steelers have never lost a Super Bowl the same year their QB was accused of rape AND after beating a coach with a foot fetish. Prediction: Steelers win.

Who at the Canadian Soccer Association thought these abominations were a good idea for the men's national team?  Can't say they're not fitting though, given the quality of the team in recent years.  Question: are the chevron's to indicate which direction the team is heading?

48-year old Herschel Walker, who still knocks out 1,000 sit-ups and push-ups when he wakes up every morning, is talking NFL comeback.  No, seriously. 


Chelsea captain John Terry is positioning himself for a career as a comic once his footballing days are over.  Check this out: he says Chelsea could still win the English Premier League this year.  Uh-huh.  Leaders Manchester United, who play Blackpool today at 2:30pm on Setanta, have trailed this season - SEASON - for all of 41 minutes.  That's an incredible number when you've played over 2,000 minutes.


Here's a quick look at some of the swings other NFLers took at Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler.  Not sure why their are Seattle Seahawks talking.  Didn't Cutler and the Bears just crush them a week prior?  Guess the 57 regular season sacks Cutler took behind that leaky offensive line finally took its toll.  The always thought provoking Jason Whitlock says that the fire Cutler has taken ought to put the nail in the coffin of the LeBron James apologists that viewed his beating as being racially motivated when he quit on the Cleveland Cavs in last year's playoffs.  


Fantastic story on EPLer Jermaine Pennant: Pennant played last season for Real Zaragoza in Spain and then in August went back to England to play for Stoke City when he went to the train station to make his way back to his homeland.  One problem: he forgot that he parked his Porsche 911 at the train station.  For six months.  So finally, the police got around to tracking him down when they got tired of writing tickets, and asked him if he'd come claim his car, which still had the keys on the passenger seat!  Pennant forgot he had a Porsche 911.  Rough life when you can forget that.

Pittsburgh Steeler Rashard Mendenhall gives Ben Roethlesberger a taste of his own medicine late in Sunday's win over the New York Jets.


Think Chicago Bears Fan is bent with Jay Cutler (apparently/possibly) quitting on Sunday?  Whole page here.

Monday, January 24, 2011

It is going to be Packers vs. Steelers

Yesterday's Conference Championship games were virtual clones.  The winner raced out to a first half lead and looked like they'd have the game easily put away, only to take their foot off the gas in the second half and make the game a lot more interesting than it looked to be in the opening half.  21-14 win for the Green Bay Packers, and a 24-19 win for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Now we've got two weeks to listen to Ben Roethlesberger redemption stories, of which I'd start with "Big Ben is as clutch as his defence attorneys" or "Big Ben sneaks those balls in when you least expect it," and stories of Aaron Rodgers finally getting Brett Favre's legend off his back.  The Super Bowl line has opened at -2 and an over/under of 45.

He may not get much right otherwise, but Sports Illustrated's Peter King's pre-season prediction was Pittsburgh over Green Bay in the Super Bowl.

I get the feeling Steve Simmons at the Toronto Sun isn't liking the Toronto Blue Jays chances this year.  And I quote: "Here is the Blue Jays starting lineup, or so we think: Catcher: J.P. Arencibia, A rookie just learning; First base: Adam Lind,  Terrible defensively coming off terrible offensive year; Second base: Aaron Hill, Coming off an awful offensive and defensive season; Third Base: To be determined; Shortstop: Yunel Escobar, a terrific player when interested; Left Field: Travis Snider, Still don't know what he is; Centre Field: Rajai Davis, A slap-hitter and below-average fielder; Right field: Jose Batista, The one sure thing in the Jays lineup, although don't count on 50 homers again; Designated hitter: Mike Napoli, Hits home runs or strike outs. Never at the same time. 

Ray Lewis and Roy Williams (the Cincinnati Bengals version) have been linked to a product that contains HGH, with Williams openly admitting he uses it.  Problem is it is only detectable by blood test.

Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler left the game yesterday with a knee injury, and is already being glossed "Jay Quittler" amid a debate where he ranks on the biggest wuss-outs.  Also, a bunch of former and current players crushed him for not gutting it out.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer, who is about the only guy that doesn't know he's finished, is demanding to be traded or he'll shut it down.  Good thing for him there are the Washington Redskins, always looking for past it talents.

New Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wants to put the full court press on the NFL to bring a team to Toronto, and guarantees that if he's successful bringing a team in, Toronto will host the Super Bowl within four years.  Uh-huh.  Good luck with all that, RF.  Says Ford: "the NFL cannot ignore the fourth largest market in North America."  Well, they've ignored Los Angeles for a decade now, haven't they?  Love that he essentially smacks the Argos and the CFL, saying Toronto can't be world class without the NFL.  Missing from Ford's talk: who is going to own a billion dollar (plus) franchise, and how he figures the federal government will be so willing to drop a billion on a stadium that would get used 8 times a year.

Bukakke uncovered the secret world of the "McGangbang" last week, and has not been heard from since.  This off-the-board sando at McDonald's is a McChicken stuck between a double cheeseburger, and weighs in at a mere 800 calories.  Check out pics hereMore off-the-board items here, though none with as cool a name.

With the signings of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, the Tampa Bay Rays have been installed as the favorites by Vegas to win the 2004 World Series.

As meth lab pictures go, this one is tops.

Red astroturf?  That's what a Texas high school has dropped as a playing surface. Makes Oregon's new basketball court - trees, if you look closely - seem far less distracting.

Crazy vid sent my way by GBVH last week from the Aussie Open, in which there was a dead spot on the court.  This has to be seen to be believed.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

The Conference Championship Winning Picks Are Here

The Super Bowl contestants will be sorted before today is out. The NFC Championship goes at 3pm with Green Bay a 3.5 point fav at Chicago. It has been two tight games between the two this year with each owning a win. That said, the last handful of games the Bears have done well to limit Aaron Rodgers, and today they'll have the aid of some strong wind in Chicago I hear. Am I taking the Bears?  Hell yes I am. The wrong team is favored here, and only three teams have won three straight playoff games on the road, so I'll gladly take the points on the Bears.

Check out the prayer being used in a Chicago church this morning, sent my way by AO: 
Let us pray: Our Papa, who art a Bear, Halas be thy name.
Thy championship come, thy play be run, at home as it is away.
Give us this day our Sunday win, and forgive us our turnovers,
though we pounce on those who turnover against us, and lead
us not into fourth and long, but deliver us from Rodgers.
In the name of Ditka, Butkus and the Holy Payton.
As it was in 1985, so shall it be in 2011, reign without end, Amen.

The AFC game should be a tight one with two strong defences in the New York Jets and the home Pittsburgh Steelers, who are 3 point favs. The Jets seem to be the sexy trending pick, much like the Packers, but they too are trying to win a third straight on the road, and I really can't see it happening.  Sure the Jets have a great defence, but so do the Steelers.  The difference here is the Steelers have a proven big game QB in Ben Roethlesberger, and the Jets have erratic Mark Sanchez. I'm playing the Steelers, no question.  And you should too.

Back tomorrow with the usual mega Monday update.