Scarborough Stomp

Frederico Macheda is making quite the name for himself at Manchester United. Coming on in a 1-1 game, he scored 46 seconds later for what would prove to be the winner over Sunderland. If United hangs on to take the EPL championship, the 17-year old Italian will be as responsible as anyone thanks to two game winners in a row...the Colorado Rockies starting lineup on opening day was entirely home grown. That has to be a first...the Atlanta Braves have the pleasure of being in four opening days this year...when a firing works: Pittsburgh Penguins new coach Dan Bylsma is 17-3-4. When it doesn't: Toronto Raptors new coach Jay Triano is 22-40...BJ Ryan seemed like a good idea at the time for the Toronto Blue Jays, but it is JP Ricciardi making moves so you know how that goes. A year after signing, it looked like a bad deal when his elbow unraveled. And now after coming back from Tommy John surgery and not dealing him, it looks even worse. Ryan is, for lack of a better term, finished. Anybody think he wasn't on The 2003 List?...Toronto FC dominated the first half against FC Dallas yesterday but could only manage a goal. And of course, it bit them in the end as Dallas tied it with a couple minutes to play. Greg Sutton will be lucky if he ever plays in goal again the way rookie Stefan Frei plays. The kid was stellar yesterday...it turns out that Scott Boras is indeed human...the Chicago Bulls have won 14 of 15 on the road. That there is a potential first round upset in the making...how badly do you think CBS wants Tiger Woods to make an early charge in the final round of The Masters, as unlikely as coming back from seven seems?...playing the New York Yankees today at -1.5 +117...finally the NHL playoff picture will come clear today. Amen...have a great Easter Sunday.

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.

Saturday, December 6th, 2008

Starting to look more and more like AJ Burnett will be an Atlanta Brave, as they're willing to go five years with him...the NFC South is an incredible 22-2 at home this year...somehow, the Indianapolis Colts have only one win by six points or more all year. That is a team that is battle tested and getting it done in the clutch. Best beware of them come playoff time...in NCAA football, #1 ranked Alabama is facing #2 ranked Oklahoma as both look to book their trip to the national championship game...Emmitt Smith, who famously once said "don't even quit, don't EVEN quit!" says this edition of the Dallas Cowboys is mediocre. Someone might want to ask 22 if he knows what that means...it'll be at least nine years in the clink and maybe as many as 33 for O.J. Simpson as justice finally caught up to the man...add a 27 point loss to the previous 39 point loss and it is clear that Jay Triano has some serious work to do with a very flawed Toronto Raptors squad...should be some easy matchups for the top squads in the English Premier League this weekend, but we've seen all stumble at various points this season. Look for Manchester United to pound Sunderland, particularly with former United captain Roy Keane no longer coaching them....in what is being hyped as boxing's biggest fight of the year, Oscar De La Hoya faces Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas...bad news for Dallas Cowboys fans: Marion Barber missed his fourth straight practice yesterday with a bad toe and seems doubtful to go in Pittsburgh tomorrow...have a great Saturday.

Friday, December 5th, 2008 - Triano Loves Rock

The best name I've heard so far for Plaxico Burress: 2-Plax...why the World Baseball Classic seems amateur: Alex Rodriguez played for the U.S. in the inaugural edition. Next time around, he's playing for the Dominican Republic. Part of me hopes it is as a shortstop just to remind some New York Yankee fans that the best shortstop on the team plays third...Don Cherry told Jim Rome that Sean UNS-Avery's™ comments were worse than a hit from behind. Not sure about that, Grapes. As classless and out of line as it was, nobody's spine was under threat. Why I think Avery is done in Dallas, and perhaps the NHL: when you're willing to leak personal information, how is your own team to trust you? I'm quite sure Avery has seen some things with teams past and present - guys straying from their wives while on the road, drugs and such - and nobody wants a guy like that around that will say anything to anyone. He's Jose Canseco without waiting until he's done in the game. Word is the Stars are looking to get out of the contract signed this past summer. Check out his exchange with an elderly fan in Nashville earlier this season, which the NHL allegedly knows about. How was he not booted from the league for that? Avery got six games, and has been ordered to go to counselling...the Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins game in Toronto this weekend is sold out, we're told. Anybody else smell a work?...Jay Triano - 1-0 lifetime as Toronto Raptors head coach after winning a game last year - makes his debut with a toughie at Utah. Memo to Triano: Welcome to 1-1...Toronto Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson benched Tomas Kaberle for the first period of a 6-3 loss last night in Phoenix, and he promptly went out and played horribly. His days in Toronto are winding down fast...have a great Friday.