Playoff time!

Texas and Tampa Bay will get the MLB playoffs under way at 1:37pm (Eastern), with Cincinnati at Philadelphia at 5:07 followed by the New York Yankees in Minnesota at 8:37.  Gonna be a good day for sports. The Big Lead has a great little feature: The 2010 Hater's Guide to The MLB Playoffs.  What is most impressive in this is the sheer consistency of the bile spewed.  Worth printing off and enjoying over a few coldies tonight.
It started innocently enough last night with Bill Simmons - aka The Sports Guy - thinking he was direct messaging someone on Twitter.  Instead, he posted a blurb for all to see that he had information that the New England Patriots were going to move Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings.  Shortly after, Twitter threatened to take down the internet for all the word flowing after that. Looks like the deal could be completed as soon as this morning.  Makes next week's visit by the Dallas Cowboys to Minny even more interesting: revenge plot for last year's playoffs, and Moss has historically shown up big against the team he most resents for not drafting him.  Somehow, you have to figure the Pats know what they're doing here.  Moss does have only nine catches on the season.  Edit: ESPN is reporting the deal is now done.

Liverpool looks like they'll have new ownership any minute, and replacing American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett could be John Henry.  Yes, the very same John Henry that owns the Boston Red Sox.  Personal Hate Level: climbing.  There's an Asian bid in the mix too, and the current owners are fighting for their lives against a board that is pushing them out the door.  Meantime, Liverpool sits third last in the English Premier League.  "Disaster" might not be the most accurate word, but it is the first that springs to mind.  Edit: And now comes word that the purchase by John Henry and the Sox ownership is now complete.

It is getting better for Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, and by better, I mean "worse".  The latest is his blood has shown traces of plastic in it consistent with having had a transfusion performed, something that he previously denied, and of course, is performance enhancing.  But hey, his people say he didn't do it.  Good enough then.

The danger of deferred money for sports teams is gobs of "dead" money down the road.  The Detroit Tigers are looking at around $13 million in dead money next year payable to Gary Sheffield, Pudge Rodriguez, Maglio Ordonez, Edgar Renteria, and Jose Valverde, who at least remains with the team.  The Tigers will be paying Gary Sheffield between $1million - $2.5 million between 2010 and 2019.  Ouch.

In a year of great baseball injuries, it is never too late to add another to the pile.  Baltimore Oriole Brian Roberts admitted a couple days ago that the concussion-like symptoms he's been feeling the last couple days might be from getting hit in the head by a bat.   Swung by one Brian Roberts.

Thanks to our friends to the south, the 25 Funniest Defaced Dollar Bills.

The New York Rangers may have sent Wade Redden to the minors but it isn't all bad for the $6.45 million man. While in the AHL, he won't be paying an 18% escrow payment so he effectively got a raise. Further, there is no state tax in Connecticut so Redden is going to make more money than ever.
Since 2001, the Detroit Lions are 8-66 on the road.

So Dwayne Wade lasted all of three minutes and change last night in the Miami Heat's pre-season opener before leaving with a bad hamstring.  Looks like my voodoo doll is in mid-season form.  Wait til I start poking at Chris Bosh and Lebron James knees.

For the Jays fans out there, here's a look at all 54 of  Jose Bautista's home runs this year.  Nice editing work from the Jays though, cutting out the ball actually leaving the park so you can't count how many landed in an empty seat at Rogers Centre.

I love a game show trainwreck, and there are all kinds here in the Top 10 Dumbest Answers in Family Feud History.  And nothing better than a ridiculous answer followed up by "good answer!"

Think San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is ready for the playoffs?  Check this out.  Warning: objectionable language for some that may be around you.

Clean-up in the toy aisle...

Two straight games now the New York Yankees have scored eight runs against the allegedly superior Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff.  An 8-3 win last night stretched the Pinstripers lead at the top of the AL East to 2.5 games.  Getting the feeling more and more than homefield is going to be key for whoever comes out of the American League, with the Yanks, Tampa and Minnesota all being so strong at home this season. Also last night, Yanks catcher Jorge Posada took a page from The Captain and seemed to mile a questionable hit by pitch.  Listening to the Tampa Bay announcers get all indignant with it was pretty laughable, considering their own manager Joe Maddon - as clear and honest a voice in the game as there is - said he wished his own players would do the same.

Looks like Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid has seen the light after all, as he announced yesterday what anyone with a brain thought made sense: Michael Vick will remain the starter until further notice. Easiest move ever.

Not very classy of the allegedly classy Joe Torre to go on radio in New York while in town for the George Steinbrenner monument unveiling at Yankee Stadium and mention the New York Mets managerial job while Jerry Manuel is still the manager. Manuel, of course, is not impressed. 

The always great Jason Whitlock says that the OHB won't be long for the NFL with the way things are going.  Come on now, OHB, just when I was starting to come around to you.

Roy Halladay is the first 20 game winner in the National League after last night.  Pretty impressive, given it feels like Colorado Rockie Ubaldo Jiminez has been at 17 since like, April.  The Phillies now lead the sinking Atlanta Braves by five.

Toronto FC's visit to Mexico City to face Cruz Azul in CONCACAF Champions League play last night could've been a disaster.  Playing against a strong, revenge-minded team at altitude with short rest after Saturday's dramatic comeback, you'd think "beatdown", no?  Well, it wasn't.  In fact, Toronto FC showed the kind of heart we've rarely seen in their existence and fought their way to a scoreless draw.  Shocking.  Almost as shocking as a referee in this competition actually being competent.

In games that have been started by Josh Beckett and John Lackey, the Boston Red Sox are only 25-25.  That, as much as a brutal rash of injuries this year, is why they're all but mathematically out of it already.

Speculation is there could be as many as 16 managerial changes this baseball off-season, and that would be a record.  I'm going to throw an early suggestion at the Toronto Blue Jays: Willie Randolph.

There's no simpler way to describe this: man enters Wal-Mart.  Man picks up Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.  Man rubs one out in the toy aisle.

Check out some NHL third jerseys for this year and years past.  Winners: Buffalo, and anything work by the Montreal Canadiens save for the candystriped jersey (none pictured, however). Losers: Tampa Bay, Phoenix, LA, Anaheim.

New York Giant Brandon Jacobs is a piece of work, isn't he?  After tossing his helmet into the crowd in Indy in anger, he was benched, and of course, is now demanding a trade.  Check out the video from Sunday here:

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Manny in or Manny out?

Finally the LA Dodgers and Manny Ramirez have gotten together and completed a two year, $45 million deal it appears, though ESPN.com reported it a done deal briefly last night before pulling back. Safe to assume that when Scott Boras pushed him to jump agencies over to him and opt out that he promised him a lot more than that when he was slated to pick up $40 million if he stayed with the Boston Red Sox...the World Baseball Classic is about to take another hit if the talk of there being a cyst in A-Rod's hip is accurate, as shown in a weekend exam. Maybe A-Rod is going the Jason Giambi route? First apologize, albeit with far greater detail than Giambi ever gave. Second, get some kind of mystery medical problem. Third step is to come back and kill the ball. Fourth, grow a moustache. Somehow, I think the latter would be impossible for A-Rod. Word is a cyst isn't a serious problem - just a bruise on bone - but will give the Yankees a good reason to pull A-Rod out of the WBC..tickets for the Tampa Bay Lightening can be had for $239. For the season. That's right, for $5.67 per game, you can get a seat in the upper bowl. Incredible value. And it isn't like only a handful of tickets are going at that rate - 20% of the arena is available at that price...the Seattle Sounders - the latest addition to MLS - are capping season tickets at 22,000 and will average north of 30,000 in their 32,000 configured Q-West Field...Chris Jericho could be the best heel in the history of wrestling...Andruw Jones is not exactly coming back hard after last year's terrible season: 1 for 9, 8 strikeouts...Manchester United's Darren Fletcher played last week's Champions League game hours after finding out his house in Manchester had been broken into while he was gone, and his fiancee threatened by a knife. He's the 14th player from Manchester or Liverpool - the cities and their four teams to be robbed this year while away...Nickelback's Chad Kroeger has a hockey rink in his basement big enough for three on three. Not a fan of them, but that's pretty freaking cool...the NHL Trade Deadline will be the talk of the day no doubt. Here's a look at some of the rumours overnight...tight PTP winner last night. Also had a narrow cover in the Houston Rockets as well. A sign of good things to come? Let's hope! Back with your pick later.

Sid The Kid bows to the pressure

Classy move of former-Tampa Bay Ray and now Boston Red Sock Rocco Baldelli to take out an ad in the Tampa papers thanking them for the support over the years. I'm sure both their fans appreciate it...if the Jacksonville Jaguars are the "Jags", the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the "Bucs", what does that make the Tennessee Titans? Blame the latest Playboy for that one - it was a party joke in the February 2009 issue...for a team that isn't exactly lighting the world on fire, the belief that the Toronto Maple Leafs can pull high draft picks and young talent for some of their talent seems awfully ambitions. Shame they didn't do that Tomas Kaberle for Jeff Carter deal last year, no?...sounds like the threat of being forced to sit a game because of skipping the all-star game has convinced Sidney Crosby to make the trip to Montreal, though he won't play. Not so much for Niklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk, who will miss Detroit's game Tuesday. How lame of the league to mess with the competitive integrity of its season for a nothing game...Toronto FC finally signed an extension with local boy Dwayne DeRosario that most importantly, will not see him tagged as a designated player, so TFC still has that option available to them...Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones continues to fumble the ball. One of the obvious moves would be to fire Wade Phillips and hire a proven winner like Mike Shanahan. Instead, Jones is dawdling and will more than likely see Shanahan continue his tour of the AFC West by taking the now-vacant Kansas City Chiefs job after Herm Edwards was axed...and as if my beloved Cowboys weren't a circus enough, they're working on a reality show that will see one of 12 make the 80-man training camp in the summer. Lovely...Gabe Morency of Drive This on Troy Aikman's criticism of Tony Romo: "if a classy guy like Aikman is calling him out like that, what do you think the rest of the guys on that team think of Romo?" Morency has to be the sharpest sporting mind in this country, and the sharpest tongue to boot...that's three on the spin for Prime Time Picks, and look for the fourth later today, most likely NBA. After all, streaks only end once!...no EPL action today, but there are some F.A. Cup matches being played, with the featured one being Tottenham facing Manchester United...have a great Saturday.

PRIME TIME PICK: Just posted the play of the day - the "under" on the New York Knicks/Philadelphia 76ers game. Liked it at 206, and when I saw it moved to 207, I liked it that much more. Good luck, four straight, comin' up!

Friday, December 19th, 2008

The Buffalo Bills made some dubious history with last Sunday's Meltdown at the Meadowlands, becoming the first team to blow a lead in the final two minutes on a defensive touchdown since 1981. Still can't figure how the notoriously hyper conservative coach Dick Jauron goes for a passing play in that situation...have to say, didn't figure Mats Sundin would end up playing for the Vancouver Canucks, signing for the balance of the year only. Maybe he's looking to acclimatize himself for the 2010 Olympics and defending the Swedish gold?...Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending reject Scott Cleminson is having an incredible run filling in for Martin Brodeur in New Jersey. Meanwhile, notes GBVH, Curtis Joseph doesn't look like he cold stop a beachball when he's gets put in the pipes to boost NHL scoring totals...last nights 8-5 win for the Boston Bruins was the first time this year the Bruins gave up five goals...Brett Favre made the Pro Bowl? I'd have rated him third best QB in the division and if not for Trent Edwards concussion that seemed to derail his season, he might've been the fourth best...incredibly, only 8% of Tiger Woods income as a pro golfer has come from actually golfing. The rest is from endorsements...the Champions League round of 16 draw went this morning and there are a few real tantalizing matchups - no pun intended on the "real". How about Chelsea vs. Juventus, Manchester United vs. Inter Milan and Real Madrid vs. Liverpool? I'm going to suggest Juventus, Manchester United and Liverpool escape those fixtures. Can't wait to see Man U's Sir Alex Ferguson and Inter's Jose Morinho resume their war of words...the Indianapolis Colts have come back when trailing by 7 or more six times this year, and the dreaded defensive touchdown - which always seems to do in a solid cover or under play - dropped Prime Time Picks to 18-13...good of the Colts Reggie Wayne to show us his plummer impression last night...Boston Red Sox owner John Henry says they've been outbid on Mark Teixera? Who has the cash to do such a thing? Come on, Brian Cashman!...former UFC champion Randy Couture is looking at retirement - wise - and doing movies, including one he'll star in alongside Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren. What is it, Rocky 4.5? Insert your joke about working with Stallone and the very washed up Lundgren "here"...Manchester United will face Liga de Quito from South America in the Club World Cup final in Japan on Sunday...a part of me would love to see the Toronto Raptors lose to the lowely Oklahoma City Thunder tonight, just to see the hand wringing increase in Raptorland...it was a record day for RandoMango yesterday: 581 hits, blowing past the previous high of 289...tickets to the new Yankee Stadium home opener are already going for a mere $45,000+ at StubHub... have a great Friday.

Another reason why Charles Barkley rules: check out his George W. Bush impression:

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

I know Mike Tyson is on Zoloft to keep him from killing us all, but I'm guessing it has some pretty obvious side effects, one being he's starting to look like King Hippo from Punchout...Minnesota T-Wolves coach and GM Kevin McHale says bloggers are to blame for the rash of early firings in the first two months of the season. While I'd love to claim credit for Sam Mitchell's ouster in Toronto, the fact is that losing costs jobs, not bloggers. If the latter had that kind of stroke, George W. Bush wouldn't have made a second term, nevermind through it...Tony Romo is 5-6 in the month of December for his career, and an incredible 22-4 in all other months. He's going to need to go over .500 on that first stat and fast...why Canada is better than the U.S.: Canadian Idol has been cancelled for 2009...word from Real Madrid is they've got a deal in place to purchase Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United next summer. The way his form's been up and down this year - he's got no goals away from home - United will do well to get the big bucks discussed this past off-season...the Toronto Raptors are now 7-14 since their 3-0 start to the year. They're more likely heading towards the draft lottery than the playoffs at this point. Memo to Rogers Digital: if you promise not to add TSN2, I'll be glad to move over from ExpressVu so I don't have to watch this garbage squad..Cris Collinsworth tells Bill Simmons - The Sports Guy - he thinks that the Dallas Cowboys are the New York Giants of last season, right down to predicting Dallas knocks the Giants out in the playoffs. I like the sounds of that. Another prediction: if that prediction is right, me and TS are gonna have one fantasic Super Bowl Sunday...San Diego Padre Brian Giles is being sued for $10 million by an ex-girlfriend who he allegedly beat while pregnant and there's video of what appears to be the girlfiend hitting the ground after Giles smacked her. Most inappropriate but hilarious response: so Giles can hit...proof it is December: Peter Forsberg is talking about coming back...tonight, Prime Time Picks shoots for 19-12 and the play is on Jacksonville at +6.5. While the Colts are seemingly the easy play, they historically struggle against the Jags and have played a pile of close games this year. 6.5 points on the road is a lot of lumber. Do the Colts win? Likely. Cover? I'm saying no, and maybe there's even an upset in store...if you had bet the New York Yankees to win the World Series 10 days ago, you'd have got 6-1 odds, putting them behind the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, each at 5-1. Today, the Yankees are 3-1...have a great Thursday.

Sunday, December 14th, 2008

Don't get me wrong, I hate the Boston Red Sox, but for the life of me, I can't figure why a team with as long a tradition as theirs - and recently, a winning one - would change their logo to "hanging socks" as well as their road uniforms...I was convinced for much of last night that there was no way it could be Saturday. After all, the Toronto Maple Leafs weren't featured on Hockey Night in Canada...as predicted, Hull did indeed give EPL leaders Liverpool a tough game in a 2-2 draw. As a result, Chelsea will most likely go tops again today as the busy Christmas schedule approaches...16-12-2 on the year of Prime Time Picks after Thursday's push, but going to ignore those and just call it 16-12. Already mentioned tonight's pick on Friday and it is the Dallas Cowboys at -3 as they host the New York Giants, minus Brandon Jacobs. It is a must win essentially for the Cowboys, not even remotely the case for the Giants. When one team is desperate, they're the play. That said, imagine the hand-wringing in Dallas if they lose tonight? Also like Miami (-6) and against all I normally believe in, Indy -17. I usually don't like giving that many points, but this one has beatdown written all over it. As always, drop your wagers at Pinnacle...oh, if you're thinking Jacobs is just saving himself for the playoffs, you must've forgot he's a free agent after this year...General Motors may end sponsorship of the Daytona 500. [Sarcasm] Why? [/sarcasm]...Francisco Rodriguez says the New York Mets are now the team to beat in the NL East. Seems a certain World Champion might have something to say about that. But, love the talk coming from the Mets and Phillies...Memo to Brian Cashman: if your plan is to get one of Mark Teixera or Manny Ramirez, go for the former...have a great Sunday.

Thursday, December 4th, 2008 - You could see it in Bosh's eyes...

How smalltime is hockey in the U.S.? It takes something like Sean "Uns"Avery - my creation, don't steal it - spouting off to make the top story at ESPN...when your team does everything but wave a white flag in a 39-point loss, and your team is a bit of a disappointment and 3-9 in the last dozen, somebody has to pay the price, and that somebody was Sam Mitchell, axed as Toronto Raptors head coach and keeping with the tradition of a Coach of the Year getting axed shortly thereafter. Don't feel bad for SMitch though, he's got $10 million coming his way as a parting gift, and has accumulated a fine collection of suits..it seems incredibly odd that for all the talk, there have still been no free agent signings. Not sure what CC Sabathia is waiting on, but if somebody - anybody - offered me $140 million, I'd be signing immediately rather than living in fear of some freak injury in the meantime while playing Guitar Hero, or more likely in Sabathia's case, cutting off a finger while eating...in telling Charles Barkley to shut up, Lebron James is the first Nike athlete of any significance to ever say anything remotely colourful. Think about it: Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, (snore) - vanilla thinks these guys are boring...former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice didn't set the world on fire in Toronto, and other than a finals appearance with the Carolina Hurricanes, didn't distinguish himself there, but somehow, he's back in Carolina after Peter Laviolette was turfed...under the "Department of Bargain", you'll find Boston Red Sox and 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, signed for 6 years and $40.5 million...in a move that can only be about saving money, Notre Dame is keeping Charlie Weis on as its head coach. Didn't Ty Willingham get axed after fewer years and even better performance?...if you've ever been to a sporting event, you've likely navigated the short steps while holding a beer or two, wondering if you might slip and fall. One Ottawa man did just that, and not only did he fall, he fell 25 feet to the deck below...another Prime Time Pick for you tonight, and the ledger stands at 15-11. Oakland visits San Diego in a matchup that means little, unless you're talking about the piss-poor AFC West, where .500 might get you in. To do that, both teams would have to go on quite the roll. The Bolts are 10 point favs and based on their current level of play - and commitment - tough to see them covering that number. Hell, it wouldn't shock me if the Raiders won outright. Take the Raiders and the points, happy Thursday night...have a great day.

The WORST dive of all time, and the ref got hooked...

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

The New York Yankees are about to offer AJ Burnett a five year deal worth $80 million. Seems a lot of money to offer a guy whose best year would be in 2014 but then again, when he's sliding into Andy Pettitte's salary slot, tough to argue against it too much. Mix in that possible deal, talk of $140 million to CC Sabathia for six years and $30 million to Derek Lowe for two years and you've got $250 million for three arms. Mix in Chien Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain and that there is a playoff lock, and leaves plenty of time to develop Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, or move them as necessary... Didier Drogba picked up a three game suspension for firing a coin into the stands. Seems more than a little light, no?...it was a fairly weak field overall in the American League's MVP voting, but I think Boston Red Sock Dustin Pedroia was the right choice for 2008. That said, I'd also bet - a lot - he never wins again...a mere 40 point night for Toronto Raptors all-world star Chris Bosh, albeit in a losing effort. More and more, I think the odds of him staying beyond his current contract are decreasing, and how does that franchise survive losing that guy if it ends up that way?...the Toronto Maple Leafs are now going where everyone assumed they would be in chasing Brian Burke. One question, how do the Leafs spin it if they don't get Burke? It'll take one hell of a name to not sour people on whomever ends up getting the gig...tie-breakers 7 through 11 in the NFL all are impacted negatively for the Pittsburgh Steelers by Sunday's non-touchdown call. One Vegas sportsbook operator even says the NFL should get it right and call the score 17-10...now that Mark Cuban has had charges pressed against him, he ought to be front of the line for NHL franchise ownership...Lebron James was booed at home a couple nights ago because rather than jacking up a shot to break 100 points - which would give everyone a free Taco Bell Chalupa - he ran the clock out in a Cleveland Cavalier win. For his part, James was none too impressed and said he'd have no problem signing with the New York Knicks when his contract runs out. Okay, I'm making up the part about the Knicks, but he did say ""I can't believe people who buy season tickets get worked up over a goddamn $1 (expletive) taco"....Ryan Dempster nailed down the first big contract of the baseball free agent season, $52 million over four years to stay with the Chicago Cubs...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

So if Matt Holliday's numbers weren't padded by hitting at Coor's Field - and his splits away suggest they were - we're sure going to find now that he'll be playing most of his games at the cavernous Oakland Coliseum. But what are the A's doing grabbing a guy like that who is a year from a big free agent deal? Doesn't add up, and seems like Billy Beane has another move up his sleeve...RM reader Gammy notes that somehow, the Denver Broncos are atop the AFC West at 5-4 despite scoring 27 points fewer than they've scored...is there anyone that can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory like Sam Mitchell and the Toronto Raptors? Up in the mid teens in the second half and they lost by seven to the Boston Celtics. It'd be nice if SMitch kept a tie on for his post-game interviews, at least then we'd know that the broadcasters aren't showing a taped interview of previous games. The man is incapable of saying anything that diverges from "they hit their 'shats' and we didn't"...can't believe how much the Arizona Cardinals have improved since Rod Tidwell roamed the field. Last night's thrilling 29-24 win was their first Monday Night win in 20 years..it gives me some perverse pleasure to know that outside of Dustin Pedroia's and Kevin Youkilis wives, pretty much all the Red Sox wives are well, pretty freaking unattractive. Hell, I'll go one further - David Ortiz wife looks like a dude! I'd have given a thumbs up to Curt Schilling's wife but being married to that guy automatically means she has to have the brain of a squashed grape to listen to that clown...the New York Jets signed Ty Law. How old is that guy now anyways?...not sure if these are the 13 worst pro-wrestling gimmicks of all time - no Duke "The Dumpster" Droese? Beaver Cleavage? The Goon? Red Rooster? That Australian Guy Whose Name Escapes Me? - but there are some great ones on the list to be sure...Toronto FC have ownership approval to pick up a designated player - now to find one...have a great Tuesday.

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

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Game 1 of the World Series goes tonight, finally. I'm thinking Tampa Bay Rays in six though recent history says - think Detroit and Colorado - that the team that is off as long as the Philadelphia Phillies has been tends to go out, and go out fast...how is this for a nice contract kicker: Boston Red Sock Dice-K Matsuzaka will see his annual salary for 2009 and 2010 go up by $2 million if he finishes top three in Cy Young voting this year, which he could well given his win total - assuming his ugly ERA is ignored...Manny Ramirez to the Philadelphia Phillies? My keeper fantasy team is begging for that development. He might hit a billion homers playing in that launching pad...Jose Canseco says he regrets writing "Juiced" and naming names. What he should regret is calling it much of a book at all. Pretty sure I've seen better writing from Grade 4's. On a more serious note, his book did a lot to clean up baseball, far more than The Mitchell Report did or will...without looking at the standings, who do you figure has scored more points than anyone else in the NFL this year, and it isn't even close? Believe it or not, the Chicago Bears...word is that EliteXC is done. The MMA company that UFC President Dana White said wouldn't last until Christmas didn't. So, does that mean that Kimbo Slice could participate in a future run of The Ultimate Fighter?..."The Special One" Jose Morinho is at it again, deriding players in the English Premier League for diving. This, while holding up Italy's "Serie A" as a league where that doesn't happen. That in itself is funny, and by funny, I mean incredibly wrong. What's funnier is that Morinho is Portuguese, the land where the art was developed, refined and perfected. At least of the players he named, none were English. If there's one thing you have to respect among English players, it is that that kind of garbage is frowned upon. Reason #1 why Wayne Rooney is my fav player...another NHL team in Toronto would be my hockey dream come true - any team in the area to supplant the Leafs as my team - who I simultaneously love and hate - would be great. Shame the odds of it happening are nil...if the Leafs keep not stealing the extra point in the shootout, people are going to think they're under orders...Buffalo Bills QB and rising star Trent Edwards was on Pardon The Interruption yesterday and was asked to play a little "Toss up" for what city he preferred - Toronto or Buffalo. He chose Buffalo. In response, Edwards degree from the esteemed Stanford has been revoked...going to be another week minus Tony Romo at the helm for the Dallas Cowboys. Wonderful...have a great Wednesday.

Monday, October 20th, 2008 - Cowbell up!

Cowbell up! The Tampa Bay Rays won a 3-1 nail biter over the Boston Red Sox last night to advance to the World Series and continue their cinderella run. They'll tangle with the Philadelphia Phillies starting Wednesday night. Hard not to like the Rays in this one, they've just got it all right now. And how good was David Price in relief? Wow...and why are players - in the singular - not referred to as being "a Red Sock" and instead are said to be a "a Red Sox"?...the New York Giants remaining schedule has them facing one team currently under .500...no lame jokes here on how there was a power failure in Buffalo while the "Chargers" were in town, but have to laugh that the outage came after three small helium balloons got caught up in power lines. The Bills are a playoff lock and a real threat to do damage...NFL linemen today weigh an average of 50 pounds more than they did 10 years ago. That is a lot of meat colliding out there each week...good of the NFL schedule makers to send San Diego across the country to Buffalo before they hit the road again for a game in London, England next week against New Orleans. Let's hope this time no NFLers are asking if they speak English in England like Miami Dolphin Channing Crowder did last year, a comment that is only rivalled by a major league baseball player saying he didn't want to go for a tour of Japan because he "didn't like Chinese food"...wonder if Jerry Jones likes 4-3 as much as he professed to like 4-2 after the Dallas Cowboys were hammered by the St. Louis Rams? If they don't get that defense ironed out, it could well be 4-5. Wade Phillips is a defensive guy, non? He's gonzo when the season ends, if not sooner, and with good reason...the 6-0 Tennessee Titans haven't given up more than 17 points in a game this year...anybody else waiting for Scott Boras to issue a Manny Ramirez free agency update in the middle of a World Series game?...not sure about you, but I can't take any guy seriously who is rocking a sun visor. Just wear a hat, it looks way better...make the world a better place, punch Johnathan Papelbon in the face...the Toronto Maple Leafs are struggling to score goals. Didn't everybody see that coming?...have a great Monday.

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

This is all starting to feel pretty familiar, no? The Boston Red Sox looking all but dead and buried, down 3-1, start the comeback and are now level in the ALCS after a 4-2 win last night. Jon Lester and Matt Garza take to the bump tonight...three first half goals were all Toronto FC needed en route to a 3-2 win over the visiting Chicago Fire. If you believe in symbols, Danny Dichio's walk around the field with his kids sure looked like a goodbye from the legend...you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. New York Yankees phenom Joba Chamberlain hit the trifecta of being nailed for speeding while under the influence with an open container in his vehicle...Kelly Pavlik lost to old warhorse Bernard Hopkins? Wow, not sure anybody thought that was even possible with the seemingly washed up B-Hop...Chelsea and Manchester United poured on the offense in their wins yesterday. Hard not to see both of them as the top two in the end...good of Lou Holtz to compare Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez to Hitler...been a tough haul of late in the Prime Time Picks, now sitting a 6-6 and a mere $6 ahead. The Seattle Seahawks are +11 tonight at Tampa Bay, and taking the Bucs seems the most obvious play because the Seahawks are, well, brutal. But in gambling, the easy play is usually the dumb play so we're going contrarian here and taking the Seahawks to get a cover on that spread...now you'll have to excuse me, I've gotta go talk to satan about selling my soul for a Red Sox loss...have a great Sunday.

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Sure, visible minorities may be shrinking in number in baseball, but Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal posits that they may not be looking to sign with the Boston Red Sox because of the perception they are a very "white" team. The BoSox look to survive tonight in Game 5 at Fenway...the Philadelphia Phillies punched their ticket to the World Series, riding a dominant Cole Hamels start. They did this despite Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley hitting a combined .250 in the playoffs so far...Charles Barkley says in terms of point guards, Chris Paul is driving, with Deron Williams in the back seat. Steve Nash? He's in the trunk, says Sir Charles. That would put Jose Calderon somewhere around the tailpipe...my boy Wayne Rooney is in some kind of form for England, scoring his sixth goal in five games yesterday with a pair against Belarus. Would prefer he saves those up - all of them - for Manchester United...What year is this? Shaq's been vowing to make the free throws when they count for over a decade, but whining that Hack-A-Shaq doesn't work because a certain team didn't go all the way despite them knocking you out isn't the height of logic...Tony Romo will be giving it a go after all so to those that were salivating at beating the Cowboys and Brad Johnson - which only the Giants would've in the next three - dial it down. Sounds like Romo isn't the only QB in the NFC East that is hurting: Eli Manning is banged up, too..Madonna and Guy Ritchie are officially done. Expect a bevy of uninspired A-Rod comments today...Andy Pettitte wants to pitch for the Yankees in 2009. I love Pettitte, but it is time to shut it down Andy. Of course, I said the same about Mike Mussina last year and we know how that turned out...if you can pre-order, it must be true: Chinese Democracy is coming out next month. Is there any need to even say who the artist is?...New York Knick Eddy Curry maight want to mix in a salad: he sat on a resistance ball, and it blew up...a Vancouver group including Steve Nash, and a Montreal group including Habs and Liverpool owner George Gillett are among the seven bidders for two MLS franchises...and hey, what ever happened to YF?...have a great Thursday.