Gretzky would pocket $22.5 million if Coyotes sold

The bad blood is starting to flow in the Houston/LA Lakers series, one evened up by the Lakers yesterday. The Tru Warrior got into it with Kobe Bryant after The Rapist flicked an elbow at Artest's mellon, leading to the rather unfortunate haircut at right, and Artest's ejection...it took until the dying minutes of injury time for Barcelona to generate their first real chance of the game, one which they trailed 1-0, but Andres Iniesta dropped a dagger into Chelsea's hearts with a killer shot from the top of the box to even the score, and put Barcelona into the Champions League final against Manchester United. And really, could there be a more appealing final? Those two have been the best all year, with United also doubling as the defending champion. Develop a cold on May 27th, this is gonna be a great one...on the heels of Arsenal bowing out of the Champions League on Tuesday, one fan figured that was enough, and decided to hang himself, wearing his jersey no less. Good thing he's not taking things too seriously...Derek Jeter isn't even looking to pull an employee discount in renting a private box for the season at Yankee Stadium. The cost? A mere $850,000. Word is the box is even equipped to not show replays of balls going past him to his left side...shame for Manchester United that Chelsea flamed out. After all, with the Blues having Michael Ballack in their side, it would have guaranteed a win for United with the perennial bridesmaid on the other side...Charles Barkley has the Denver Nuggets to win the NBA's ugly trophy. If that happens, can you think of a more important trade in any sports history than the Nuggets acquisition of Chauncey Billups?...Memo to New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman: go get Huston Street or somebody that can work out of the bullpen other than Mariano Rivera or Brian Bruney. Then purchase a gun and shoot Phil Coke...the nicer the weather gets, the less I care about the NHL playoffs, but for what it is worth, Pittsburgh won to get to within a game of their series with Washington, and Carolina surprisingly leads Boston after a 3-2 win...think Wayne Gretzky wants the Phoenix Coyotes sale to Jim Balsillie to happen? He stands to pocket $22.5 million if it does...Toronto FC won the opening game of the Canadian Championship, 1-0 over the Vancouver Whitecaps...back with the PTP later.

Alone, the terms "Pittsburgh Steelers fan", "gynecologist" and "The Price is Right" aren't that funny, but when you put them all together and the guy doesn't go with the traditional $1 bid when he thinks the rest have overbid, well, that is worth a look.

Papelbon-ehead

Had a friendly debate over Joba Chamberlain recently, with the other side thinking he's best suited to the pen. My side? Here is all I ask of them: prove to me that 200 innings is fewer than 70 and we can talk. Your best pitchers should be aiming for 600+ outs, not 210. It is not really complicated. You know who would make a good pinch hitter? Albert Pujols, he’s a really good hitter. But you want him up four times, not once, no? How is that different?...the one thing you knew for certain about Terrell Owens move to Buffalo: James Hardy was going to give up his #81, and he did...Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez might want to be careful what he wishes for in saying they're getting Manchester United at a good time tomorrow. Recall, of course, that Inter Milan skipper Jose Mourinho said he wanted United when the Champions League draw went a few weeks back, and we know how that turned out. Kickoff is 8:40 tomorrow on Setanta...the United Football League is starting operations this fall with a contract on Versus. How's that for an association, Gary Bettman?...Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon went off about how Manny Ramirez had to go because he was a distraction. Because talking about last August isn't a distraction, of course. Papelbon also likened Manny to cancer. I'm sure teammate Jon Lester, a cancer survivor, appreciates that...as enthused as I am for the coming Toronto FC season, I'm the polar opposite when it comes to their new unis. Fugly...Charles Barkley says he's driven drunk at least 100 times a year. Is there anything this guy doesn't do to excess?...sad news for RandoMango. After 334 consecutive days posting, your faithful blogger is putting down his proverbial pen, until Monday that is. Moving over the next couple days and will be largely unplugged from the sports world and the interweb. Have a great few days.

The Price is wrong, bitch

See Alexander Ovechkin's 42nd goal last night? Wow. All I can say. Watch it here...Jay Mohr filled in for Jim Rome earlier this week and offered this beauty on former NBAer Jayson Williams wife filing for divorce saying she doesn't feel safe around him - he's the guy who manslaughtered his limo driver years ago - because he urinates in the sink and takes Cialis: "how can you take Cialis and pee in the sink? Things are not going the same way! Maybe you do 'the ski jumper'?" Amazing...sounds more and more like Terrell Owens will be staying with the Dallas Cowboys if Jerry Jones hints are to be believed at face value. Get it? "Jerry Jones" and "face" used in the same sentence. Only at RM do you get this kind of stuff for free...Manchester United put on an absolute clinic yesterday in downing Fulham 3-0, adding to 'keeper Edwin van der Sar's clean sheet total which now has the all-time European mark in site, and adding to the PTP totals with the cover. United now sit five points clear of second place Liverpool in the EPL table with 13 games to go...Toronto Raptors coach Jay Triano get booted with five minutes to go. Surely I'm not the only one who saw that and figured he did it to go write a resignation letter. All kidding aside, the February 9th issue of ESPN The Magazine says "word out of the executive suite says Triano has a great shot at keeping the job" and that he and Bryan Colangelo "have a great connection" and "see the game the same way"...the NBA trade deadline is 3pm today. What, no 12 hour shows on our sports networks?...Al Strachan tells Hardcore Hockey Talk that Alexei Kovalev's issue is a simple one: a single guy enjoying the night life on Crescent Street far too much. Guessing leaving him behind on a road trip then might only increase his partying if he's not wise. But seriously, Strachan says he'll be back on the weekend and a decision will be made in the two weeks leading up to the deadline on whether to move him, knowing right now they're not likely to get value for him...Sir Charles Barkley has - finally - apologized publicly for his DUI earlier this year and returns to the TNT crew tonight. He also publicly thanked Alex Rodriguez and the NBA trade deadline for giving him great cover and keeping this off the front pages of all papers. The latter part isn't true...how to spend $1.3 billion, in under three minutes...folks, ignore the baseball will get a salary cap mental midgets talking. It will not happen and here's a slight clue as to why: league revenues last year were $6.5 billion. Say the players demand 55% of that - a slightly low number relative to what other leagues are doing - teams would need to spend $3.6 billion total to achieve that (rounding up slightly here). That may not seem daunting to you, until you realize the league's teams spent $2.669 billion on salaries last year. There are 30 teams. That averages to $120 million per team. You think that is going to happen? Even assuming that the floor is $80 million, that would give you a ceiling of somewhere around double that. Fine, have it, but expect about a dozen teams to close up shop in short order. That arrangement hurts those at the bottom end FAR more than it hurts the top revenue teams. Look no further than the NHL - you think the Toronto Maple Leafs care about the cap being in place? Hell no. They're more profitable than ever, save for missing playoff dates. But teams like Atlanta, Nashville, Tampa, Florida are DYING because of the salary floor. Great idea, if you want to see a third of the teams disappear. Moreover, a cap in baseball will never happen because not only does the union not want it to - though they should if they could get that 55%, the owners that matter don't want it either...have a great Thursday, back later with your PTP.

It has been a couple days now since Adam "Pacman" Jones was released by the Dallas Cowboys. More than a little shocked he's not an Oakland Raider or Toronto Argo yet...as throwback unis go, the Cleveland Cavs versions - both - are top shelf...Charles Barkley blew a .149 a couple weeks back when he was pulled over for driving under the influence. Not good, Chuck. He's on a leave of absence from TNT as a result and one of sports best crews just got a lot weaker...interesting that Andrea Bargnani is looking far better since Jose Caleron went out, isn't it? The Raptors are surging minus Caleron and Jermaine O'Neal, and pounded the Memphis Grizzlies, as predicted in yesterdays Prime Time Picks, now 6-3 (+284) on the year. Today, you've got to move fast - we're playing Arsenal (-1.5 +115) in the English Premier League as they host Bolton...what do the Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Black Hawks and Pittsburgh Penguins have in common? Every starter in the NHL All-Star Game plays for those teams...Jason Spezza is -13 in the last month, and Dany Heatley hasn't scored in seven games. Strange days in the nation's capital...hockey coach Wayne Fleming, who has worked with the Canadian Olympic team in 2002 and 2006, was fired by his KHL team - that's the circling-the-drain Russian super league - between periods!...more on Cristiano Ronaldo wrecking his Ferrari: he had the car for all of two days. Wonder if speed was a factor? Word is teammate and Manchester United's goalie Edwin Van Der Sar was trailing him in his Bentley so there could well have been some racing going on...why look at the 50 hottest Victoria's Secret models? Because 49 just wouldn't be enough...best nickname for an athlete this week goes to San Diego punter Mike "Lou" Scifres...two of the divisional playoff games go in the NFL today with Baltimore at Tennessee and Arizona at Carolina. Have a feeling the Baltimore Ravens get it done though Jeff Fisher and the Titans tend to break out some surprises come playoff time, which they'll need when the Ravens defence is practically impenetrable. Cannot see Arizona even giving Carolina a game in the late affair as the Cards are terrible on the road and the Panthers are rolling...the Columbus Blue Jackets rookie goalie Steve Mason is having one hell of a year, he picked up his sixth shutout of the year last night with 45 saves against the Washington Capitals, who can score a couple goals here and there...have a great Saturday.

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...

Saturday, November 29th, 2008

Stephon Marbury was fined by the New York Knicks for refusing to enter a game in which the Knicks only had eight players dressed. Is anybody surprised it went like that?... the ratings are in, and the Grey Cup was a ratings disaster, if you figure dropping 25% of your audience from the year prior is a bad thing. Of course, the move to TSN - not as readily available as the CBC - is a big factor. I'd wager that the number dwindled as the game went on considering how very boring it was...a couple real interesting English Premier League matchups this weekend, though both go tomorrow. The Manchester derby is always of interest, and if City play the way they did in Thursdays UEFA Cup game, United is in for a serious battle. London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal renew acquaintances. Which Gunners side shows? The one that can beat a top side, or the one that drops points to a lesser team? My money is on United and Chelsea...Forbes magazine has the average MLS team valued at $37 million. Toronto FC is already valued at $44 million...are you looking forward to USC pounding Notre Dame? I am...Lebron James best response to Charles Barkley's criticism of his flirtation with New York was to call Sir Chuck "stupid". One, he's not. Two, he's right...Toronto FC coach John Carver looks like he'll be staying, rather than taking a job with Newcastle United. Amen to that...have a great Saturday.



Not that I'm one for parades, but this clip from the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is well worth a watch...

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.