Philly grabs one back

It didn't start pretty with the San Francisco Giants out to an early 2-0 lead, and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay tweaked his groin batting, but the Phillies clawed back and were 4-2 winners to cut the series lead to 3-2 for the Giants.  They'll tangle again at 3:57 (Eastern) tomorrow back in Philly.  Up tonight, it is game six in the ALCS.  Maybe it is loyalty, but I've got a funny feeling the New York Yankees even it up and send it to - gulp! - a game seven against Cliff Lee tomorrow night.

New England Patriot QB Tom Brady isn't a guy that talks a whole lot, but his "they talk a lot for a team that has beat us once in nine years" crack on the Baltimore Ravens is absolutely nuclear.  Awesome.

Things are going to get real interesting on the labour front in the NBA if Commissioner David Stern is serious about rolling back player salaries by a third, or $750-$800 million across the board.  If he's serious, there is no way there is a season to start 2011/12, no?

9,802 in Columbus to see the Blue Jackets on Wednesday with the Anaheim Ducks in town, 8,820 in Atlanta on the same night to see the visiting Buffalo Sabres.  I know Gary Bettman's argument against more Canadian teams is they won't draw well in the U.S., but here's a thought: neither do some U.S. teams.  GB will look real smart if Atlanta fails a second time.  Oh, and not to be outdone, the Phoenix Coyotes drew 6,706 last night.  Picture of league health at right.

The NFL has released its "hits" video that went to all teams this week.  Check it out here.  After yesterday, I'm tempted to suggest this problem is all the result of shoddy officiating, just for fun.  If you're wondering what I'm referring to, check out the discussion that yesterday's crack on officials brought here.

After all that ink wasted, Wayne Rooney has signed with Manchester United for another five years.  It'll be interesting to see if his anger over them saving money on players sold rather than acquiring new ones makes a difference come January's transfer window.

In ESPN The Magazine's "Lists" issue, New Orleans Hornet Chris Paul was asked to name the five best passers in the game. Who did he have tops? Chris Paul.

Also listed, Brett Favre's final pass in a playoff game went to a member of his team six times. Intercepted?  Five. Nice.

Talk about punching above your class: LA Laker Sasha Vujacic is engaged to Maria Sharapova.

I managed to catch a minute of the Toronto Maple Leafs/New York Rangers game last night. Didn't better my life a bit.

Philadelphia Phillies Ryan Howard, batting cleanup, has yet to cash an RBI this playoffs. That's hard to believe, but speaks to the very streaky Phillies offence.

The Dallas Cowboys are using officials in practice this week in an effort to cut down on the penalties they're drawing.  Up next week: using a head coach.

The very evolved NFL analyst Mark Schlereth says that if the NFL continues to look at ways to remove hitting from the game, they'll end up being soccer.  I'd love to get Schlereth on the field some day with a Nigel De Jong say, and show him how little contact there is.  Know what you're talking about, MS, otherwise you look like a pure jerkoff.  Oh, guess the league isn't removing contact entirely if Pittsburgh Steeler James Harrison backing off retirement talk is any measure.  What a shock.

If the stories are to be believed, looks like Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell - experience: zero - is in line to be the new manager of the Toronto Blue Jays.  The largest downside of this hiring for AL East rivals: the Sox pitching is bound to improve after the not-so-great work Farrell did with Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Jonathan Papelbon.

Not sure what is more impressive in this clip from a youth hockey game.  The celebration after the goal, or that it looks like they drew a bigger crowd than the NHL cities named above.

Hockey snow angels @ Yahoo! Video

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Tiger Woods didn't advance in his first tourney in nearly a year. The world will move on...NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell clearly understands the public relations game better than most. With the economic struggles, and a potential labour battle in the offing, he's taken a 20% pay cut. Tough for a union to declare all is well when the man at the top is taking a voluntary chop...hard as it may be to believe, but three CFL teams - Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and Hamilton - are looking to build new stadia along with a potential fourth in Ottawa...Baseball Prospectus has A-Rod playing through the 2019 season and falling short of Barry Bonds home run record of 763 with 730. That said, he's currently on pace to break the record some time in 2013, fitting given his jersey number. ESPN's Peter Keating says he's going to make it...the internet never ceases to amaze me. Take this, for example: a fine place to go when you need another word for "vagina"...AskMen is back with the Top 10 MMA submission moves...former NBA super agent David Falk - Michael Jordan's agent for a time - told Drive This, and was quoted in the New York Times, saying that unless the NBA players union is prepared to give up some serious concessions when the new labour deal goes into place when the current deal expires in 2011, the NBA could be looking at a two or three year period of no games. He says NBA Commissioner David Stern will push for a hard salary cap, shorter contracts, a higher age limit on incoming players, elimination of the mid-level cap exception and an overall reduction in the players' percentage of revenue. Not only that, Falk predicts he'll achieve it. And, Falk said, Stern will probably get what he wants. Of course, if the economy turns around by then - which it should and then some - that could have a way of calming the hardline that Stern will be pushing. Or, this period could just serve to remind them how many holes there are in their current deal...the internet never ceases to amaze me. Somebody took the time to put every swear word in the history of The Sopranos in chronological order in one video. This is mesmerizing...malapropism's are awesome. After A-Rod dropped the "I made my bed, I'm going to have to sit in it," here's a list of others that have come from the sports world...and after getting into a vehicle with the very same cousin he used performance enhancing drugs with, A-Rod has been told by the New York Yankees that said cousin is not welcome around the team. Look, he can hang around anyone he wants, but when he brings a guy whose association with him has brought a cloud over the player and therefore team, that's just not smart...It is amazing he needed to be told that...the Georges St. Pierre/BJ Penn spat over the vaseline allegedly on GSP's back at their fight last month has yet to subside. GSP's camp finally responded publicly and it is a gem, as they said the complaints are "nothing more than Mr. Penn's desperate attempt to protect his reputation and commercial value after being totally dominated by a superior athlete"...12:01am today was the start of NFL free agency. Sounds like run stuff Albert Haynesworth may be going to the place where talent goes to die. Namely, the Washington Redskins. After dumping Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn - no country music jokes, please - the Tampa Bay Bucs are over $50 million under the cap...as for the PTP, bet the New York Knicks tonight -2.5 -110 as they host the Philadelphia 76ers...have a great day, back later with your PTP.

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.