Carl Crawford = Freak

Tampa Bay Devil Ray Carl Crawford is a freak. How else do you explain that he was recruited out of high school to go to UCLA as a point guard, or Oklahoma or Nebraska as a quarterback? Major programs one and all. Of course, when the Rays ponied up some cash, what high school kid wouldn't take it?...isn't it funny that Boston Red Sock David Ortiz was talking loudest about punishing players who used performance enhancers yet he's the guy who went from never hitting 20 homers before 2002 and then suddenly went 31, 41, 47, and 54 in 2006 before seeing his production tail off and now looking like a shell of his former self?. I know there's the impact of losing Manny Ramirez and age, but this is ridiculous. He's hitting .172 this year with no bombs and a scant three RBI going into action yesterday...Kevin Garnett gets shut down, potentially for the entire playoffs, and Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge goes and has a jammer. Coincidence? Methinks not...now that John Madden and Brett Favre have retired, how long do you figure until they leave their wives and shack up together?...after a 2-0 home loss, a rarity for the San Jose Sharks to lose at home, wonder how much perennial playoff flameout Joe Thornton slept last night?...one reason that Bryan Colangelo might want to think twice about retaining Jay Triano as the Torontor Raptors coach: his players think it is a good idea. Chris Bosh characterized the players as being "comfortable" with Triano. Of course, that cream-puff of a team is also comfortable with collecting paycheques and losing...nice of the New York Yankee bullpen to bring a blowtorch to a perfectly good 1-1 game late and turn it into a 10-2 laugher. That's 0-2 for New York teams opening stadia this week. SI.com's Tom Verducci weighs in with his take on the new Yankee Stadium...speaking of new buildings, met a guy from Dallas last week at BMO Field in Toronto who was up to see FC Dallas visit Toronto FC - alone no less - and asked him about the new Dallas Cowboys stadium. He repeatedly used the term "it is just obnoxious". Coming from a Texan, where everything is bigger, that is saying something...nice of SportsNet's Roger Millions to drop a "cocksucker" blast on live TV last night. Nicer of GBVH to pass it my way. Be sure to check that out below...your PTP winner today is to ride Jobamania and the Yankees to get off the schneid at home -1.5 +100. May the winners be ours!

Happy belated birthday to RM

Somehow even I missed it. RandoMango celebrated it's first anniversary last Monday..the baseball season is barely a week old and Manny Ramirez is already talking about his next and last team. Turns out he was kicking about the idea of a reunion in Cleveland with one-time teammate Jim Thome recently...the NHL draft lottery goes tonight, and another dose of hope gets dished around Leafland...the NFL is a league like no other. They raised a giant middle finger to sports radio and newspapers across the continent by releasing their schedule - on the NFL Network no less - tonight at 7pm, after the majority of talk shows are on ice for the day and papers are mostly locked down...nice 72.0 ERA on Chien-Ming Wang last night in a 15-5 Tampa Bay Ray beatdown of the New York Yankees. It was such a disaster that Nick Swisher even pitched an inning, which you can see here...Liverpool midfield stud Steven Gerrard may be hurting, but word is he'll give it a go today as Liverpool needs a 3-0 win on the road at Stamford Bridge to win their Champions League quarter-final match-up with Chelsea after getting drilled 3-1 last week. Of course, a 3-1 Liverpool win sends it to extra time. Less contentious or likely seems Bayern Munich coming back from a 4-0 loss to Barcelona last week...the first look at the new home of the New York Mets - Citi Field - can be seen here. Freaking impressive looking place, particularly if you've ever been to the dump that was Shea Stadium. That place made Exhibition Stadium look modern...it'll cost on average 17% less this year to see the Buffalo Bills play in Toronto. Wonder if those that got raped for tickets to all games will see a refund? My money says "no"...Phil Jackson joins Pat Riley as the only NBA coaches to have 60+ wins in a year with seven each...didn't figure Jon Lester would have a second bad start in a row, but the Oakland A's lit him up something fierce last night. The PTP could be streakier than a truck-stop toilet bowl. Back with your pick later.

So-bad-hia

If 10 Major League Baseball teams dropped payrolls by $10 million or more this off-season, what do you figure that means for NHL teams going into this off-season?...the Seattle Sounders have sold more season tickets than the Mariners. Who would've guessed that?...Cleveland Indians pitcher and last year's Cy Young winner Cliff Lee never gave up more than 6 runs in a start last year. Yesterday? A converted touchdown and Cinderella's chariot turned into a pumpkin...the Champion's League quarter finals start this week with two games each of the next two days. Today, Villareal host Arsenal and Manchester United host Porto, where they'll annihilate a team in over their heads...wonder if the Toronto Blue Jays fans at the Rogers Centre throwing things on the field will be front page news the way Toronto FC was last week in Columbus? Somehow I doubt it. Always easier to pick on soccer, after all. Barely got a mention in this morning's Toronto Star despite the Tigers walking off the field for 9 minutes...Jose Canseco has a theory that the reason Manny Ramirez received a one year offer is because he must be one of the 104 failed drug tests from 2003 and owners are trying to insulate themselves from a bad deal made worse if the list is made public. That, or he killed his image by tanking on the Boston Red Sox, is 36, has Scott Boras for an agent, and with the BoSox and Yankees out of the mix the market was greatly limited...there's a movie out called "Fanboys"? I had no idea there was a film even in the works covering Jose Calderon's fans...not much to say about last nights NCAA final, other than it was a total stomping from the opening whistle. Not sure if UNC was that much better than everyone else, or if they just really raised their game last night and have Michigan State's number. Somehow I found the tourney less compelling than prior years...the new and as-yet unnamed Dallas Cowboys stadium has the world's biggest screen, and it cost more than the original stadium cost to build...not a great start for CC Sabathia in Yankee colours, shelled and nary a strikeout. That said, if he starts as cold this year as last but finishes how he did last year, nothing to fear...your PTP for today is already up. A rare occasion where I think playing the home team on the run line - remember, they get one less at bat if they're up after 8 and a half - but liking the Cards to stomp the Pirates. Enjoy another + dollar value winnner!

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.

Sour Grapes

Washington Nationals GM Jim Bowden resigned over the signing bonus skimming arrangement that saw some in the club take huge chunks of bonuses paid to signees from the Dominican Republic. With the U.S. government investigating, that might be the least of his problems. For his part, Bowden made the Cincinnati Reds worse in his days there, and took over a .500 team their first year after moving from Montreal and turned them into a joke...speaking of the Expos, did not know that among the banners hung from the rafters at the Bell Centre is one saluting the Expos time in Montreal and a few of their players...it may be just over the Ontario border but Quebec is a far better place for a sporting event. As I walked up to grab a beer, I noted no sign for a limit. So I asked how many I could get and the answer was "you're the boss, as many as you want." You could also still get beer in the third period. Amazing...I'm contemplating taking up a collection to close the mere $1.5 million gap between the LA Dodgers and Manny Ramirez so it can be over and done with. Four months of this talk is too much when neither have better options...SI.com's Don Banks says Ray Lewis is the big loser of the first weekend of NFL free agency, having talked of interest in the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets. Problem is neither have made any moves his way and now the Ravens have him at their mercy. Sounds a lot like Manny Ramirez plight, no?...Manchester United took their second title of the season, adding the Carling Cup to their World Club Championship in January. Still to come: the EPL title, looking a virtual certainty with a soon-to-be 10 point lead assuming they beat Newcastle United Wednesday, plus the FA Cup and Champions League...Don Cherry is anti-Alexander Ovechkin, and Ovechkin gave Cherry the best reply you give an old curmudgeon like that: he treated him as irrelevant. Good for Ovi...the Denver Broncos may move QB Jay Cutler, and Cutler is livid about it and refusing to meet with the team to discuss the matter. So if you're scoring at home, he's sour about the idea of leaving, and making it impossible to stay...the Detroit Red Wings have one fighting major in three months. Yeah, fighting is "part of the game" so they must really be suffering in the standings. Or not. They have eight fights all year, 13 lower than the second lowest team in Washington. Since 2005, they have 50 fights. The Anaheim Ducks have 66 this year...you bet two women you can have sex with both for 12 hours. They bet you can't. You pop a few Viagara to enhance your performance. You make it past 12 hours. Then, you die...back later with your PTP.

Excorcising the demons in Boston

Free agent pitcher Ben Sheets is debating having surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his pitching elbow. The recovery time for that is 9-10 months. Now, if you're a free agent, and know you've got an issue - there's a reason a guy with his numbers remains unsigned, and that is it - why not do the surgery last October or November and be that much closer to a return? Only Scott Boras has been giving worse advice this offseason...Memo to news anchor: when you're discussing one topic, make sure your production staff has the right video lined up, unless you're looking to produce something hilarious like this. Thanks to RM regular TS for this one...Lawrence Taylor and Stevie Wonder are being mentioned as possible contestants on Dancing With The Stars. I can think of dozens of great possibilities for this already...the San Antonio Spurs play one game at home in the next month, so expect them to be more likely to slip in the standings than to overtake the LA Lakers...the latest issue of Sports Illustrated has LeBron James as the runaway winner of the player poll for best all-round athlete in the NBA with 66% of the vote. If you witness LeBron play at all, you're bound to wonder where the other 34% went...you'll be seeing a lot more stories like this one in the coming months that suggest that Derek Jeter should not be the Yankees shortstop because of his sliding-into-the-abyss defence at that spot, and that he'd do his team a favor by moving to centre field...staying with the Yankees, Andruw Jones has declined an invite to the Yanks spring training as a non-roster invitee, claiming he's got other offers that would see him on rosters. Sure, and there's a huge field vying for ManRam...Baltimore Ravens free agent linebacker Ray Lewis will not be taking a hometown discount because "if you don't play less, you don't take less." How awesome is that explanation? He's also not opposed to looking elsewhere, and seems interested in the New York Jets...U.S. Swimming has suspended Michael Phelps three months from competition for his marijuana use, not that anybody will notice as it is in odd numbered, non-Olympic year...how awesome was that LA Lakers overtime win over the Boston Celtics last night? Even better if you were on board with the Prime Time Pick last night!...have a great Friday, back with your PTP by 5pm Eastern.

UPDATE: Your PTP for the night is up, continuing to ride NBA plays as per the last week and more aside from the Super Bowl. That may change tomorrow with a morning EPL play, so be sure to check in early Saturday.

Groin pains

New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul left the Hornets game last night with a groin injury. The Hornets were outscored 42-17 by the Portland Trail Blazers the rest of the way to lose 97-89...heard one NHL rumor floated that had the Montreal Canadiens trading Alexei Kovalev, Andrei Markov and Jaroslav Halak to the Florida Panthers for Jay Bouwmeester and Nathan Horton. No chance the Habs make that deal even if they had a deal to extend Bouwmeester, who is a free agent after this season...separated at birth: The Score's Adnan Virk and the New York Yankees Andy Pettitte...it is almost becoming a weekly installment: wrestling talk. Here's a look at the 20 Worst Mask Gimmicks...two weeks until baseball camps open and there are piles of big name free agents still available. Word is Adam Dunn, regular 40 home run man, could be had for a year and a mere $5.5 million. Guessing Toronto isn't a possibility after JP Ricciardi cracked Dunn last year...speaking of free agents, the latest on Manny Ramirez is he turned down a one year deal for $25 million from the LA Dodgers. No chance he gets an offer for that much elsewhere...when you think top five paid men in baseball for 2008, you likely don't figure Bud Selig checks in third at $18 million. That's a serious ticket...there's a giant fuss made in New York everytime LeBron James rolls into town so of course Kobe Bryant made sure the basketball public remembers who the man is in dropping a Madison Square Garden record 61 points on the Knicks last night...BJ Penn has filed a protest over vaseline that was on Georges St. Pierre's shoulders during Saturday's fight - a no-no. I think he should be more upset about the glue GSP must've had on him too as Penn couldn't seem to get GSP off him for the last three rounds...AC Milan management say that David Beckham wants to stay in Italy beyond the scheduled March return to the LA Galaxy. Gee, play for a top team in a top league or play for one of the worst teams in a lesser league? Hardly a tough decision...managed to catch Sunday's The Office on the PVR last night. As great as it was, not sure there have been a funnier five minutes in the history of television than that opening sequence...back with a PTP winner later today. Have a great Tuesday.

PTP: As you can see to the right, the Prime Time Pick for the day is up. Loving these "totals" of late, and tonight is no different.

Thursday, January 1st, 2008

Today is one of the rare occasions I get excited for an NHL game - the Winter Classic goes in Chicago today as the Black Hawks host the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings shut out the Hawks on Tuesday night 4-0 and have All World defenceman Nik Lidstrom coming back for this one, but have to like the youth of the Hawks to deal with the cold better than those old bones from Detroit. That, and the Hawks are a damn good team these days..the first of 365 Prime Time Picks for 2009 goes today, and they'll be tracked at the right of the page as well for verification purposes. All bets will be to win $100 just to keep it simple. Today, we're playing USC to cover the -8 points (-108) in the Rose Bowl against Joe Paterno and Penn State. Paterno will be coaching from the press box in this one after hip surgery, something you tend to need when you're older than God. If you want to play along, get your account set up with the fine folks at Pinnacle - it's easy, secure, and most importantly, yours truly gets a little kickback from them...a new DVD ought to be in the works - How To Trash Talk A Referree For Two Minutes And Not Get A Technical: by Rasheed Wallace of the Detroit Pistons...Dallas Cowboys Terence Newman ripped into the "coward" who not-so-anonymously went to the media to leak the meetings between wide receivers and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. Said coward goes by the name "Jason Witten". It is going to get worse before it gets better in Dallas. My prediction for next move: a key player, or players, issue a "fire Phillips or trade me" edict to Jerry Jones...Bill Cowher didn't want to coach the New York Jets because he wants no part of Brett Favre as his quarterback. Smart man, that Cowher. After all, if there's one thing he wants, it is a QB who protects the ball and plays a system. Favre is said to have had serious issues over now-fired coach Eric Mangini calling out his decision making in film sessions...Scott Boras has gone crawling back to the LA Dodgers trying to revive interest in Manny Ramirez. You'd think after how he was embarrassed by A-Rod and the New York Yankees last season that maybe he learned to reign it in a little with the "smartest man in the room" act, but clearly that isn't the case. I hope the Dodgers offer $39 million over two years, giving ManRam a paycut from the money he'd have made staying in Boston, just to hear Mount ManRam errupt...have a great 2009!

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

This marks the 250th RandoMango. My how time flies!...the Detroit Lions have lost 22 of 23 overall going back to last year, when Jon Kitna famously said they'd win 10 games. Wonder if the 1976 Tampa Bay Bucs are popping champagne corks like those miserable curmudgeons from the 1972 Miami Dolphins used to?...add Romeo Crennel (Cleveland), Eric Mangini (NY Jets) and Rod Marinelli (Detroit) to the list of axed NFL coaches. Still to be determined: Dick Jauron (Buffalo), Wade Phillips (Dallas), John Gruden (Tampa Bay) and no doubt a few others. Incredibly, I think Norv Turner may have just saved his job in San Diego with their furious charge in December...one theory on the Dallas December Debacle's of recent years: they're not fit. Former Cowboy Marcellus Wiley says they're simply out of shape come December and have nothing left in the tank, and the blame has to rest on strength and conditioning coach Joe Juraszek who joined the team in 1997, when this string of December failures started. He replaced Mike Woicik who ended up with a team that has done okay down the stretch in the last decade: New England. Another: Tony Romo thinks he has to make a play on every play, much like Brett Favre does and John Elway did early in his career. If he learns less is more, he'll be fine. If he doesn't, he's out of the league in three years...the Washington Capitals are a searing 15-1-1 at home this year...Tom Brady is said to be behind on rehab, so badly that he may in fact miss next season as well. Matt Cassel can stop shopping for luggage immediately, he's going nowhere...Scott Boras has to be starting to sweat the lack of contract offers for Manny Ramirez. The LA Dodgers have now moved on to Adam Dunn for their "great bat, no glove" guy. Considering Boras engineered ManRam's move out of Boston so he could get his cut as his new agent, Manny may yet end up taking a pay cut...sadly, the NHL Winter Classic might not be a go at Wrigley Field, as warm weather is forecast...another narrow 1-0 win for Manchester United has them well in line for second place with a favorable schedule for the second half of the English Premier League season. Bet them to take the title again...have a great Wednesday.

Friday, December 26th, 2008

Tickets for the six LA Kings home games in January - even for good seats in the lower bowl - can be had for $11.50. They're not rolling Nashville or Atlanta in either: Philly, Anaheim, Detroit, Chicago, New Jersey and Tampa Bay. Wonder if anybody believes the salary cap - revenue determined - will continue to rise? A great article on tickets at bargain basement prices runs here....the elephant in the Yankee room is where will Derek Jeter play when his defense goes from sub-par to brutal? First base is no option with Mark Teixera installed. Right field?...the Phoenix Coyotes are set to receive funds from the NHL to maintain operations. How long until Wayne Gretzky extricates himself from that mess? He doesn't seem the kind of guy that would go down with a sinking ship and sully his name...there is a high school football team in Arkansas that is removing punts from its playbook. Seriously, they're going to go for it on every fourth down. That is awesome...one thing about the the NFL/CFL I'll never understand: why you need a two/three minute warning in a sport that already gives plenty of timeouts, of the official and TV variety...for a guy who put up some insane numbers and single handedly carried the LA Dodgers to the playoffs - despite what Jeff Kent would have you believe - things sure are looking dicey for Manny Ramirez to land that big last contract. Scott Boras is starting a nice streak of failing to come through for some high profile clients. Last year, A-Rod, this year, Manny. The Anaheim Angels say they're out of the bidding on Man-Ram..a whole heap of English Premier League action goes today with the traditional Boxing Day slate. Arsenal travels to Aston Villa in the most attractive match of the day. Shame Arsenal is minus Cesc Fabregas for the next four months. All the teams will turn around and play again Sunday...speaking of Boxing Day traditions, the World Junior Hockey Championships, important nowhere in the world but in Canada, start today. Canada faces the Czech Republic tonight at 7pm (Eastern) from the nation's capital. Drinking game idea: have a sip each time Pat Quinn is mentioned as a possible head coach in Edmonton. Do not plan to drive anywhere...the LA Lakers ended the Boston Celtics 19 game win streak with an emphatic home win yesterday. Is there any way those two don't meet in the finals again this year?...have a great Friday.

Wednesday, December 24th, 2008

What the hell is up with Brian Baldinger's finger?...incredibly, 67% of NBA players polled by Sports Illustrated picked the LA Lakers to win the championship. That's an overwhelming number. If the media had a vote, Chuck Swirsky would've voted for the Chicago Bulls...New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman is mastering the free agency game, dropping a big opening bid on CC Sabathia to flatten the market, and going under the radar on Mark Teixera and shocking everyone at the 11th hour. Heading into a new stadium and having $90 million come off the books could not have been better timed...oh, Stephen A. Smith still thinks the Yankees should sign Manny Ramirez...the Arizona Cardinals are the first team since the 1961 Oakland Raiders to trail by 28 or more at the half in consecutive weeks. They're one team that has something to show in Week 17, even when they really don't...two guys the NFL should mic on Sunday; San Diego Chargers QB Phillip Rivers and the Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler. These two can't stand each other, and no doubt there will be some big talk on Sunday night...the Toronto Maple Leafs were drilled 8-2 by the Dallas Stars last night. The Stars have won three of four since dumping Sean Avery...come to find out there is an offence in the Toronto Blue Jays: a sex offence. A choreographer of one of the Jays dance troupes got busy with a 15-year old and - wait for it - taped the affair...I hate Notre Dame, their coach and their fans, but am super thankful they're one half of a Bowl game on an otherwise empty sports calendar tonight. They face Hawaii in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. And where is Bukkake Bowl Picks?..Dallas Maverick Dirk Nowitzki is talking of taking a paycut to help land one of the big free agents in 2010, the same time he is a free agent. Hey, isn't Chris Bosh from Dallas?...all the best to you and yours this Christmas Eve, and yes, back tomorrow!

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.

Friday, December 12th, 2008

The picture to the left is not doctored in any way - that's UFCer Corey Hill's leg snapping like a twig when Dale Hartt blocked his kick at "UFC: Fight For The Troops" on Wednesday...I cannot recall the last time the Dallas Cowboys lost a game where there wasn't some sort of drama in the week that followed. The latest - just in time to face the New York Giants - is that Terrell Owens is sour (allegedly) over how tight Tony Romo and Jason Witten are, and that he thinks they secretly meet to sort out plays that would see the ball go to Witten more often. There are a whole heap of "behind the scenes" quotes from the dreaded Unnamed Source. Mark my words: the Cowboys will beat the Giants on Sunday night...the last two Phil Jackson-led teams to open 14-1 went on to win the NBA title. The LA Lakers are going to look to be the third...46-0 boxing champ Joe Calzaghe says boxing is a dying sport with too many champions and as a result, not enough stars. He also talked of how UFC's popularity has hurt the game stateside. Right about now, Jim Lampley is crafting an overly verbose retort to inform us that Calzaghe is being intellectually dishonest. Fact is, Calzaghe is dead on...the Mats Sundin sweepstakes are said to be down to the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers...Manny Ramirez is said to be so frustrated at the lack of movement in his contract discussions he's contemplating retirement. Yeah, that'll show the world, Man Ram! The upside? That'll be two straight years that super agent Scott Boras looks the fool with a big name client...Philadelphia Philly Cole Hamels has glossed the New York Mets "choke artists". How can you not love this guy?...if this isn't every photo of Marissa Miller ever published, it is damn close...Adam "Pacman" Jones neck injury could be career threatening? Somebody might want to check if Roger Goodell has a voodoo doll...have a great Friday.

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

The painful "will he or won't he?" saga of Mats Sundin appears as though it is a "he will", with December 1st as the likely return date for the legenary Swede. The Leafs don't seem a likely landing spot, and as mentioned here before, that is for the best for both. Where he does end up remains a mystery, but there could be some interesting trades coming as some teams look to clear cap room to try to land Sundin...the Oakland Raiders are an NFL worst 7-29 on the road since 2003...the LA Dodgers offer to Manny Ramirez is said to be two years and $45 million. No chance that is accepted. SI.com's Jon Heyman still has the Toronto Blue Jays listed prominently as a possible suitor. Makes a lot of sense, no?...that thud you just heard was the Toronto Raptors coming back to reality after a beatdown at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks last night...are the Montreal Canadiens for sale? Depends who you believe, but hard to figure that George Gillett would be airing such a possibility in their 100th season...Bud Selig and MLB want no part of Mark Cuban owning the Chicago Cubs. How does that make any sense? He took over the sad sack Dallas Mavericks and made them an absolute first class operation where players want to go now, so why not? Because he criticizes the establishment on occasion, and usually with good reason? Pathetic...that's it for today, Manchester United vs. Arsenal beckon...have a great Saturday.

Friday, October 31st, 2008

The World Series is now over, and the next baseball season is upon us: Free Agency Season. Mark Teixera, Ben Sheets and Manny Ramirez wasted no time in filing and no doubt, will soon be joined by CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and loads, loads more. Even for this Yankee fan, it was a great season where it was hard not to be impressed by the Tampa Bay Rays and their boat load of talent, the plotlines that followed Manny Ramirez, the annual collapse of the New York Mets, the Chicago Cubs remaining losers, the Philadelphia Phillies are champions. It's a long way til February 14th though, when pitchers and catchers report to camp...got a few million to burn? Looking for a place in New York? Alex Rodriguez has a place for sale that might fit the bill...check out this Philadelphia Philly fan celebrating on top of a lamp post. Well, at least til another fan lobbed an empty bottle at him...I'm hardly a fan of NASCAR or Formula 1 racing, but those guys pull some seriously hot ladies. Here are one man's Top 10...it's been years since the NHL added the OTL column to their standings, and it is just as lame now as it was when first conceived...it is official, as of January 7th, David Beckham will be in AC Milan colours. Somebody alert Adidas to get their jersey production into overdrive...cannot believe how quickly the Ottawa Senators have become a bad, bad hockey team...Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark was fined by the NFL for paying tribute to his late friend Sean Taylor by "radically" altering his uniform, or at least that is how the league viewed him etching the number 21 in his eye black. Some days, the NFL makes accountants and the Tax Man look easy going...Bud Selig got booed worse in Philly than Apollo Creed back in the day...with that beard he's rocking, San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich looks a lot like Donald Sutherland, no?...Derek Jeter talks. Derek Jeter says nothing. Again...the New York Rangers opened in Europe and a month in, have played at least two games more than anyone else in the NHL at 13, and six more than the Phoenix Coyotes who have only played seven. What was the schedule maker doing when he came up with that? Despite that, they've picked up 21 points. Giving up fewer than two goals a game will help that...have a great Friday.

Saturday, October 25th, 2008 - Joe Pa Going Down In C-Bus Tonight

As lame as the "This One Counts!" aspect of the baseball All Star Game is, here's an interesting fact. The winning pitcher of this year's game was Tampa Bay Ray Scott Kazmir, the loser was Philadelphia Philly Brad Lidge. In game 1 of the World Series, Kazmir was the loser, and Lidge chalked up the save. One difference: Ryan Howard was in the All Star Game. He's missing and presumed dead this playoff year...want a free wager winner tonight? Bet Ohio State at +2 at home against Penn State. Yes, I know Penn State is scoring 45 a game, but they're not going into the Shoe and winning. Tune in to ABC at 8, enjoy Terrelle Pryor going wild. Bet with Pinnacle...Curt Schilling took to his blog again to hammer Manny Ramirez. Shortly after, he pulled down the more offensive comments but like Two Girls & One Cup, once it is out on the internet, it lives forever. Check out the hard hitting stuff here from He Who Is An Authority On Everything...big day in Toronto today. The annual Rock, Paper, Scissors World Championship is on. As always, I'm pulling for rock...last year, the Cleveland Browns averaged 25.1 points per game. Going into tomorrow's game, they're at 15.3...Australia, China, England, Russia and the United States are among the bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup's...Isaiah Thomas overdosed on sleeping pills? Somewhere, Kim Etheridge is trying to calculate how many reasons Zeke has to live...Toronto FC closes off the regular season with a trip to San Jose tonight. A win or loss only hurts their draft position - they have their own pick plus San Jose's first rounders - so here's hoping for a draw...UFC 90 goes tonight and Canadian Patrick "The Predator" Cote gets served to the incredible Anderson "The Spider" Silva. Cote is a 5-1 underdog in this one, and will do well to last two rounds...have a great Saturday.

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.

Saturday, October 18th, 2008

Game 6 of the ALCS goes tonight in Tampa Bay with the Rays hoping to steal back momentum after the Boston Red Sox furious rally on Thursday. The Sox are saying Josh Beckett isn't hurt. They best hope not, because they're going to need a more typical Beckett performance tonight than what he's given them this playoff year against the awesome James Shields...talk about double dipping, Manny Ramirez has been voted to a two thirds playoff share by the Red Sox...speaking of Manny, his name makes a nice anagram: NY MAN. Manny has declared he will be going to the highest bidder, hardly a shocker for a Scott Boras client. Here's guessing the same will apply to Mark Teixera, and hopefully, the Yankees are that bidder..the new Yankee Stadium has the grass in, check out some pics of this stunning palace here and here...Michael Bisping takes on Chris Leben in the main event at UFC 89 from the U.K. Expect Bisping to win this one, but Leben is always entertaining and can pack a thundering punch. This one is available for free on Spike at 9pm and Rogers SportsNet at midnight in HD...after the international break, the English Premier League is back at it today. Arsenal and Everton lock horns in the most intriguing match of the day, though I would be shocked at anything but an Arsenal win...talk about a few of my favorite things colliding. Former NFLer Kevin Gogan told "Drive This" on Hardcore Sports Radio that Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys over the phone while drunk at the Sammy Hagar's legendary bar Cabo Wabo in Cabo San Lucas. Ahh, the life of a billionaiire...Toronto FC host Chicago Fire in what could well be their last home game this season. Kickoff is 3:30pm, coverage is on CBC...ten Wall Street hard hitters are in an NFL fantasy league where they each have ponied up $100k to enter. Winner takes home $600k with second worth $300k and third getting their money back. Wow...the Def Leppard Stanley Cup SNAFU is still going, and Chris Chelios is none too impressed with Joe Elliot of Leppard...the Yankees have made their off season plans, and they include guys named Mark Teixera, and two of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Derek Lowe, and maybe some Jake Peavy. Me likes!...have a great Saturday.

Friday, October 17th, 2008

It was shaping up as a beatdown in Beantown as Tampa Bay raced out to a 7-0 lead, a lead they held as late as the seventh, but incredibly, the BoSox got off the mat and rallied to win 8-7 to stay alive in the ALCS to cut the series to 3-2. Game six goes in Tampa tomorrow...super agent Scott Boras says his client Manny Ramirez should get a six (!) year contract that would take him to 42 years old. If he gets that, I'll be stunned. SI.com's Jon Heyman has the Yankees, Blue Jays and Mets as suitors...speaking of suitors, the San Diego Padres are lining them up in a Jake Peavy auction. Very interesting...A-Rod is so into Madonna he's sending 10% of his salary to Kaballah, as required by the religion? Strange, very strange...good of Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu to rail against the bevy of fines being dropped by the NFL for hits and saying it is making it a "pansy" league. Unfortunately for him, he can expect a fine for saying so...grabbing three of a possible eight points was all it took for the Chicago Black Hawks to axe Denis Savard. Is that the quickest firing in NHL history? Hard to believe someone was gassed quicker than four games...baseball's player's union says it has evidence that teams colluded against Barroid Bonds. If that's the case, shame they waited until after he broke the home run record...Toronto FC striker and instant legend Danny Dichio might be calling it a career after this year. Shame...Russia's KHL will probe the death of 19-year old Alexei Cherepanov. Right, because when you think of transparency you think of Russia...have a great Friday.