88 in for $55,000

After complaints of small crowds from Evan Longoria and David Price, the Tampa Bay Rays are giving away 20,000 tickets to tonights game. Get the feeling it won't matter, and they'll still have under 20,000 in attendance?  I suppose the fact they clinched a playoff spot last night won't help the cause, although the AL East remains up for grabs.

Had some suggest the crack about "Thank you Cito" night seeing the giveaways extended into next season was a bit out of line, and you're right. There's a good shot they get 35,000 tonight. After all, the Yankees are in town, although they'll be likely playing a heavily loaded with back-ups squad after clinching a playoff spot last night and no doubt tearing it up.  In news relating to the playoff spot, Losers are mobilizing to simultaneously cheer on seven teams.

If ML$E thinks those empty seats at Toronto FC's Champions League game are about a cool, rainy day, they're begging.  John Molinaro at the CBC says they've reached the crisis stage.

Finally Delonte West asked about sex with LeBron James' mom and he said he absolutely didn't sleep with her because they were up all night.  Something like that..And for all the times LeBron has talked, how is it that not once has he referenced his former teammates in any way?  Doesn't that strike you as odd?


In retrospect, guessing Dallas Cowboys rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant is going to wish he carried Roy Williams pads when asked at camp a couple months back.  Why?  Seems RW goes his revenge, as instead of just having DB pay for a dinner for the team's offensive players, RW invited the defense as well to a swank steakhouse.   The bill?  $55,000.  Ouch.

What a turnaround for Michael Vick. After an off-season shooting at his birthday party that almost saw him off the Philadelphia Eagles and out of the game, he's not only starting for the Eagles and playing as good as ever, but he's also selling a pile of jerseys.  Vick will face Donovan McNabb and the Washington Redskins this weekend. No storylines there.

The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to have picked up Buffalo Bills castoff Trent Edwards. Yeah, that'll fix it.


Check out this shizophrenic split for AJ Burnett that happened in early May:  "through May 6 — six starts — Burnett was 4-0 with a 1.99 ERA. His strike out totals — just 28 in 40.2 innings — were down, but he was keeping both runners off base and the ball in the park. Just one of the first 164 batters to face him homered. Since then, Burnett has, with the exception of a few good starts in July, been utterly abysmal. He’s 6-15 over his last 26 starts, and he’s averaging just over 5.1 innings per start. After [Monday's] 2.1-inning, seven-run fiasco, his ERA over those 140 innings is 6.30, and he’s allowed 23 home runs and 64 walks while striking out just 111 guys. Opponents have an OPS against him of approximately .860. In other words, A.J. Burnett’s opponents are putting up better offensive numbers than Mark Teixeira."  Ouch.

Have a great Wednesday.

The New York Yankees, as they are going, will not win the World Series this year.  Too many pitching question marks and they're now the Wild Card team after a 10-8 loss to Boston last night that was 10-1 in a heartbeat as Andy Pettitte had his worst start of the year.  While they've had a great year considering the ups and downs of Javier Vazquez and AJ Burnett, they can't go into the playoffs with only CC Sabathia a no-brainer.  Phil Hughes is running on fumes after never working this much, and too many question marks around the rest of the starters.  Now, when you've got a hot Curtis Granderson and a guy with Lance Berkman's abilities hitting at the bottom and Derek Jeter seemingly finding himself, you can make up for a lot, but this fan doesn't have the same feeling he typically does when the Yanks end up winning.  Right now, I'm thinking a Tampa and New York ALCS, with the winner getting beat by Philadelphia who should cruise through the NL.

Jose Bautista hit two more home runs last night to tally 52 on the season, now the biggest one season jump in MLB history.  Now, before this "MVP" train gets moving too quickly, consider this: nobody has ever won the award with a batting average in the .260's, much less a guy on a 4th place team.  Only four AL MVP's have even batted below .300. 

Manchester City were going to be in tough against rolling Chelsea regardless of the situation today, but with all their first choice defenders hurt or hurting, they could be in for a long day.  That one goes off early, 7:45am on Setanta Sports.

Toronto FC host the San Jose Earthquakes at 4pm today at BMO Field.  Coverage on CBC.  TFC need...you know the familiar drill.

Not only is Toronto Maple Leafs first round pick from 2009 Nazem Kadri not impressing at camp, he's not exactly impressing with his mouth either.  When asked why he wears #43, here was his dim response: "It was the number I was assigned.  As a kid, it was number 9. I liked that number because of Paul Kariya. Then he kind of went down the drain a little bit..."  Better a has been than a never was, Nazem. Respect Kariya.

Not exactly an awe inspiring main event in 2010 at UFC 119 from Indianapolis, where Frank Mir will fight Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.  Pretty obvious to most who I hope will win, but not sure who does.  What I do like is the fight to finish in the first round.  Also on the card, the undefeated Ryan Bader takes on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in what should be a real interesting bout.  Full card here.

If you believe the rumors, Carmelo Anthony could be a New Jersey Net as soon as today as a four-team deal is being worked on.  Crazy how much talent is swinging to or looking to move to the East.

If you're an MLB team looking to host a "guaranteed win" night, your odds are stacked if you're doing it with the Pittsburgh Pirates in town.  The Pirates are 6-45 their last 51 road games.

I'm sure the LA Lakers will be thrilled to hear that Andrew Bynum postponed his knee surgery a month over the off-season so he could attend World Cup soccer games in South Africa.  It comes as no surprise then given Bynum's Pavano-esque recuperative powers that he's not going to be ready for the pre-season.

A Michigan man is giving the Travis Henry's and Evander Illegitimate-field's of the world a serious run for his money: he's got 23 kids with 14 different women.  Not shockingly, he's struggling to keep up with support payments.  The cure?  Not going to prison, which he is.

Back tomorrow with more, have a great Saturday.

Get comfortable, we're in for a long entry...

Why are all the cameras behind me?

The New York Jets couldn't have been much worse last night.  All of six first downs and a mere 14 penalties in a 10-9 home field loss to the Baltimore Ravens.  Looks good on them, after all the talk the last eight months, not to mention Hard Knocks, from a team that wouldn't have even made the playoffs last year if not for Indianapolis deciding they didn't want to go for a perfect season and tanking a game against the Jets late in the season.  It isn't going to get any easier for the Jets in Week 2, what with the New England Patriots visiting.  At a Jets practice last week, with former Miss Universe contestant Ines Sainz in attendance, now working for TV Azteca, a Mexican TV station - rear view at right - the Jets got juvenile with it and made several lewd comments directed her way, and were intentionally sending balls in her direction - footballs, that is - so they'd collide with her.  Needless to say, she's not ugly.  And of course, the NFL is investigating.

With first place in the AL East on the line, you'd think it was a buzzing crowd in Tampa Bay with the New York Yankees visiting.  Mix in leading Cy Young candidates David Price and CC Sabathia and you'd think a full house was guaranteed.  Nope.  The building was 3/4 full with 26,000 and change in attendance.  Terrible.  As for the game, it was a beauty.  Sabathia gave up no runs and two hits over eight frames and struck out nine while Price gave up no runs and three hits while fanning four over eight.  The Rays won it 1-0 in the 11th inning when Sergio Mitre - and why is he pitching in any important situation? - served up a meatball to Reid Brignac that he deposited into the right field seats, and they move a half game up on the Yankees.  If that's a playoff preview, October is gonna be awesome.

If the current standings hold into October, the eight playoff managers will bring a combined three World Series titles (as managers) into the postseason. Atlanta's Bobby Cox, the Yankees' Joe Girardi and Philadelphia's Charlie Manuel have one each.  That would mark the lowest such total since 1999, when Joe Torre's two (at the time) and Cox's one made for three. Last year, there were 10 October managerial winners with Torre (four), Boston's Terry Francona , (two), St. Louis' Tony La Russa (two), Manuel (one) and the Angels' Mike Scioscia (one).  What does it all mean?  Not much, but an interesting fact.

After a performance reminiscent of his pre-jail days on Sunday, Michael Vick isn't holding back, suggesting had he played the entire game on Sunday, his Philadelphia Eagles might have beat the Green Bay Packers.

The always funny DJ Gallo reviews Week 1 of the NFL.  Definitely worth seeing his captions alone, the last of which is my fav.

For those interested, 11 of 16 home teams covered the spread in Week 1 NFL action, including 6 of 8 home favorites.  Hope you enjoyed the 2-0 Prime Timers last night to move to a perfect 3-0 on the year (+$300).  No clue why I do so well in that area the last few years for what are typically the toughest games to nail.

I'm actually a bit surprised in Roger Goodell's NFL that he hasn't ordered the increasing number of long haired players to cut their lettuce so it isn't hanging half way down their backs.

The New England Patriots open with a nice beating of the Cincinnati Bengals, and what is Randy Moss worried about?  Why, Randy Moss, of course.  Moss says if the Pats wait until the end of the season, that will be a slap in the face to him.  I'm sure that will move the notoriously tough negotiating Pats to do exactly nothing they weren't planning already.

Champions League group play gets under way today with 8 games kicking off at 2:45pm today.  Glasgow Rangers visiting Manchester United will get the most hype, but really, it'll be a stunner if it is anything other than an easy Man U win.  The real interesting one I think is Tottenham Hotspur visiting Werder Bremen.

Really didn't give the U.S. Open tennis enough love this year.  Not sure why.  At any rate, Rafa Nadal took the men's title in a rain delayed final yesterday over Novak Djokovic.

And the latest on Floyd Mayweather is you can add uttering death threats to his ever growing rap sheet of late, to NBAer CJ Watson of the Chicago Bulls.

Nice move by boxer David Haye not only saying his November fight with Audley Harrison will be a "one sided gang-rape" but saying he won't apologize for it.  I guess the reality is if not for that quote, we wouldn't be talking about either of those two.  Moving on.

Thank you, Winnipeg, for the best story of the year

See, if you're going to have a child, you're best off to actually say their given name out loud before you give it, with all possible permutations.  Just saying, Mr. and Mrs. Bonner.

Toronto FC host FC Dallas today at BMO Field with a 4pm kickoff (CBC for TV coverage) in a key MLS game for the Reds, who need to start grabbing three points for wins at home instead of the singles for ties, especially against a team like Dallas that they're fighting for a playoff birth against.  This is the middle of a three game week for TFC, with an August 27th Champions League date against Honduran side Club Deportivo Motagua on Tuesday night at BMO Field.  Speaking of TFC, Jason DeVos at the CBC looks at the squad at the roughly mid-point of the season.

A Muslim cleric in Malaysia has banned his 81 million followers from wearing Manchester United gear because their Red Devil logo promotes, well, satan.  Quoting from Deadspin here, so you're not thinking it was me editorializing: "Also banned: Barcelona, and the national jerseys of Brazil, Portugal, and Serbia (that one's probably not an issue) because they feature crosses on their crest. I'm going to assume Israel's jersey, because it doesn't feature any religious symbols, is totally kosher in Malaysia."

Love this story out of Winnipeg, where a local is in hot water after repeated calls to 911 demanding that they summon the RCMP and find a way to return some stolen property.  The property?  The Winnipeg Jets. Amazing.  But wait...it gets better.  When told that enough was enough and the police were coming, he asked "if you’re coming to get me, can you bring me some smokes?"  Best story of the year?  Just may be.

Not sure which of these Mike Vick stories I find harder to believe: that the Eagles viewed him as the least likely QB they'd deal entering this off-season, or that offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg says he's back and he expect some very big things out of him this year.

This report has the New York Yankees as the most likely to acquire Dan Haren.  Memo to Brian Cashman: do it, especially if the centrepiece is Joba Chamberlain.

Whatever happened to that creepy Nike ad with Tiger Woods and his dad doing the voiceover?

Disposable razors lasting months?  Thanks to this trick, maybe.  Haven't tested it but will with the new Shick Hydro 5 which I've found lasts a solid three weeks, and this is coming from a guy who shaves his head and face daily.

Pete Rose had a lot of hits in his career, but this might be the best one yet.  How is he pulling this?

The new coach of the French national soccer team - Laurent Blanc - has suspended the entire team for their opening game of Euro 2012 qualifying for their act in South Africa.  Yeah, boot a bunch of quitters for a game - that'll teach them!  But at least Frenchman Thierry Henry scored a beauty of a goal, and had a great start in New York Red Bull colours, according to this report.

The Cups runeth over

Where's the arena to the left, you wonder? That's what Jim Balsillie is hoping to shape Copps Coliseum into. More here. And nice touch here having the hot ladies ogled by the creepy looking dude in the shades...the Toronto Blue Jays stopped their losing streak from reaching double digits with a 6-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. Mix in a New York Yankees win over Cleveland and the Bronx Bombers are alone in first place for the first time since the last day of the 2006 season...the LA Lakers are back in the NBA Finals after dispatching the Denver Nuggets. Have to say, I'm a bit surprised they turned it around as they did. They'll await the winner of Orlando and Cleveland's series, which sees game 6 tonight at the O-rena, or whatever they're calling it these days...Setanta Sports is carrying the FA Cup this morning, with Chelsea facing Everton at London's Wembley Stadium. Can't imagine Chelsea doesn't win this one comfortably. I'm in on the split line of -0.5 -1 -110 on Chelsea...Toronto FC star Dwayne De Rosario visits his former team - the Houston Dynamo - tonight. I'm guessing a very motivated DeRo puts on a show and TFC take three very key points on the road. Kickoff is 8:30 on SportsNet. I'm in on TFC at a great-value +383..not only is the Real Madrid at Toronto FC game happening, it will not be offered to season ticket holders as part of their one international friendly, for which they're already holding tickets. Ticket prices have not been announced, but my guess is MLSE is consulting with the New York Yankees about appropriate pricing models, starting with arm/leg and moving up to first born child and so on. Nice of MLSE to put a grass field in to accommodate Real, that has to make Toronto FC's players who've been begging to have grass installed for years feel great that it is good enough for an exhibition game, but not for the guys it pays every week. MLSE sucks, and we the fans swallow it all...the Stanley Cup starts tonight, and hard not to like the Pittsburgh Penguins at +134 for the series, I'm in on that too. Get down at Pinnacle. Pitt in 6 is my call, against the odds..today, I have gambling issues...have a great Saturday. May the winners be ours, and if not, at least mine.

Arsenal outgunned

The LA Dodgers are now a perfect - and MLB record - 12-0 at home to open the year. They're going to destroy that division and have it wrapped up by mid-August, if not sooner...Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony gives the fourth most to charity in the U.S. Not just among athletes, anyone. That's damn impressive for a guy with a less than stellar reputation among most observers. Good for Melo...Bill Simmons ("The Sports Guy") asks if people really think that General Motors would have been worse off if it were run by Gary Bettman and Isaiah Thomas. Ouch...somebody get Jason Bay off of the New York Yankees. He pwns them, with three homers and 10RBI in five games this season, all Sox wins...see the video of Britney Spears where a fan jumped on stage and scared the life out of her? Watch her reaction at 2:15 and note the lack of change in audio...RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie is at it again, with an offer of $212.5 million in to buy the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes. Would be nice to have the former Winnipeg Jets back in Canada, but given Bill Simmons question above as it pertains to Gary Bettman, you're as likely to see them land in Mexico. Now would be a great time for the Player's Union to recognize that their pay is based on revenues, and pushing for another team in Toronto/Ontario can only help them, not hurt them. A fight with Bettman should be a given...I've solved the New York Yankees problems by dropping a 140 kilotonne nuke on Boston. Very therapeutic website here...it didn't take long for Manchester United to essentially finish their semi-final with Arsenal. Two goals in the first 11 minutes will do that kind of thing, and they cruised to a 3-1 win. United defender Patrice Evra said it was 11 men playing against 11 boys, which is notable in that it is the first time a Frenchman is smack talking anyone as being weak. Three weeks from today, they'll meet the winner of the Chelsea/Barcelona semi-final, which goes today at 2:45 on TSN...New York Yankee outfielder, and former Red Sock, Johnny Damon on the difference between the two clubs and how the Sox treated captain Jason Varitek this off season: "I couldn’t believe that they were letting him walk and try to find a team. That’s the difference between New York and Boston...If you’re a part of New York, they’re going to keep you there: Posada, Jeter, Mariano, it’s the first time in history guys have been on the same team for 15 years. It goes to show you something about how the Yankees think, and how many Yankees players have been exclusive with one team. They keep them forever. (The Red Sox) were ready to let (Varitek) go." Not sure if Damon has paid much attention, but moving in younger, cheaper talent has served the Sox well, and Varitek didn't deserve a dime more than he got after a horrific 2008. The Yankees keeping Derek Jeter at short when he's as much a statue as those in monument park, or keeping a catcher past his mid-30's (Posada) has done what, exactly, other than weaken the defence and waste payroll? But good of Damon to back a guy who shares Scott Boras as an agent...Selena Roberts, the author of "A-Rod", was also the author who burried the Duke lacrosse players well in advance of them being 100% cleared of any wrongdoing - something she never retracted or apologized following, notes Jason Whitlock, who takes her to task for flimsy deductions and rushing to judgment...Toronto FC host the Vancouver Whitecaps tonight in the first game of the Canadian Championship. Kickoff is 8 bells on SportsNet...for tonight, play the Yankees/Rays over 10. Enjoy.

The answer my friend is blowing in the wind

At right is one theory as to why home runs are up - albeit in a very small sample - at the new Yankee Stadium. And when can we stop calling it "new"?...check out Chelsea's hideous new unis for 2009. What are the odds Toronto FC goes to that template for 2010? Ghastly. Fortunately, their change kits are better...how bad has Chien-Ming Wang's start to 2009 been? He'll need to pitch 47 2/3 scoreless - the record is Orel Hershisers 59 - to get down to his career ERA of 3.93...Virginia tackle Eugene Monroe, a likely NFL draft pick this weekend, has a 60-year-old brother. Seriously...ESPN's Eric Karabell on the Toronto Blue Jays on ESPN's Baseball Today podcast: "Toronto is clearly going to fall flat on its face as they don't have the starting pitching."...check out these hardcore Montreal Canadiens fans and their replica Bell Centre basement. Is that a broom I see in the corner?...the San Jose Sharks are 0-12 on the power play going into tonight's third game. That, as much as anything, is why they're down 0-2 to the Anaheim Ducks...you know the NFL Draft is out of control big when you've got a "Mock of Ages" being conducted at ESPN.com. Yes, they're drafting with this year's order as if every player were available from history...GBVH has pointed us in the direction of the OHL Western Conference Finals, led 3-1 by the Windsor Spitfires over the London Knights, where the scores are 4-3, 6-5, 5-4, 5-4, each game having gone to OT, each having seen a two-goal lead blown in the third. Somehow you get the feeling NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman would tell you it is no more exciting than some of the snoozers being played in the NHL...after shutting out the Florida Marlins last night, the Pittsburgh Pirates have thrown four shutouts this year, doubling last year's total before April is out...the Detroit Lions have a new logo. Yeah, that'll change everything...why rainouts are a great thing for the New York Yankees: every game they get pushed into later this year is another with A-Rod in the lineup...back later with your PTP.

Cleveland Cavalier Delonte West takes a camera behind the scenes with his team on Jim Rome is Burning...classic. Oh, and Anderson Verajao drops a bomb.

What'cha gonna do?!?!?!

In one of the most amazing stories you'll ever read, Hulk Hogan sounds ready to channel O.J. Simpson in spirit and in fact over his ex-wife Linda shacking up in his 20,000 square foot house with one of their daughter's 19-year old friends. Don't take my word for it, check out this quote: "I could have turned everything into a crime scene like O.J., cutting everybody's throat. You live half a mile from the 20,000-square-foot home you can't go to anymore, you're driving through downtown Clearwater [Florida] and see a 19-year-old boy driving your Escalade, and you know that a 19-year-old boy is sleeping in your bed, with your wife...I totally understand O.J. I get it." Amazing...Less than half of NFL teams are starting quarterbacks they themselves drafted so if your team is drafting a QB later this month, don't get too excited...what a week for New York Yankee Nick Swisher who started the season 10 days ago as a bench player. Since, he's hammered a bunch of home runs, hit north of .400, pitched a shut out inning, and the guy he was behind on the depth chart - Xavier Nady - is now out for the year. As statistically the fourth unluckiest hitter in 2008, he's got the mojo working in 2009...speaking of the Yankees, they finally open their $1.3 billion stadium today. USA Today has a tidy graphic that details nine things you didn't know. Worth a look here. Coverage is on SportsNet at 1:05...Cristiano Ronaldo scored an absolute screamer in the 6th minute to dagger his compatriots FC Porto and send Manchester United into a Champions League semi-final date with Arsenal, who rolled Villareal. It is also the second straight year where three English Premier League teams made the semis at the most prestigious club competition. Does anyone think it'll be something other than Man U vs. Barcelona in the finals?...if Marc-Andre Fleury is shutting you down, don't make long term plans for the playoffs, Philadelphia Flyers...is it just me, or do none of the NBA Eastern conference playoff matchups look at all attractive? The West, however, is loaded with intrigue. Check them out here. That said, if Kevin Garnett is out for the playoffs, you have to think the defending champion Boston Celtics aren't going deep...nice to see Isaiah Thomas introduced as the new coach at his Florida International University presser as Isaiah "Thompson". If that don't tell you what kind of job that is, nothing will...St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter is the latest arm to go down after getting hurt batting. I know purists love NL style ball, but doesn't protecting guys who are already more injury prone outweigh that?...finally, testing out something at RM today - how much these ads are counted. Be sure to click here. If I see a spike, I'll know they do actually work...have a great day, back with your PTP later.

Ovechkin nearly decapitated

It should almost be expected that the day The Masters "tuna mint" starts that there is good weather worldwide. The media is all about Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington right now, which usually means somebody other than those three rises. Except when Tiger is lurking. You'd be crazy to bet against that guy in any major, especially when it comes to The Masters...ESPN's Ric Bucher says most NBA teams have red flagged Ricky Rubio heading to the draft. Word is he's going to have a very tough time getting out of his deal with DKV Joventut Badalona...Liverpool's Rafa Benitez spent the days leading up to yesterday's Champions League tilt against Chelsea spouting off about Manchester United being afraid of Liverpool. Not sure if that is true, but if so, they'd be more afraid of Chelsea after they curb stomped Liverpool 3-1 in Liverpool to all but seal that quarterfinal. Speaking of seal, Barcelona hammered Bayern Munich 4-0 to all but assure a very interesting semi-final between those two. Liverpool will be lucky if they get a sniff of the English Premier Championship. Looks good on you, Rafa..the New York Yankees are 0-2 with a stagnant offence. And somewhere, there's people that think they don't need A-Rod. Speaking of, Bill Simmons ("The Sports Guy") has a great piece here on the galvanizing force that is A-Rod. Not bad, for a Boston Red Sox honk...NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is suspending Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch three games for off-field transgressions. In response, Terrell Owens said "don't worry about it, you don't need a running back anyways." Only the former is true...playing AJ Burnett and the New York Yankees again today at -1.5 -114, doubling up even. 0-3 to the Orioles? Could well happen, but it shouldn't. Good luck...

Washington Capital Alexander Ovechkin clearly has a death wish. Watch this. Amazing.

Play ball!

Not sure what blew more yesterday: the wind at BMO Field or the performance of the home Toronto FC, who looked like the expansion side in a thoroughly deserved 2-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders. Very disappointing...and then there are the Toronto Raptors, winners of six straight essentially meaningless games. Can't say I've watched a minute of Raptors ball in the last month, likely the first such stretch since their inception...the Major League Baseball season starts tonight with the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Freaking love baseball..the Toronto Sun's trio of baseball writers all have the hometown Blue Jays pegged to finish under .500 in year eight of GM JP Ricciardi's vaunted five year plan...I believe it was GBV who yesterday predicted Mickey Rooney as "Randy The Ram" comes in to beat Chris Jericho at WresleMania tonight. That'd be something to mark out for. Me, I'm looking forward to the Diva Battle Royal which will bring back some of the stars of yesteryear like Sunny...Michigan State and North Carolina will play for the NCAA championship tomorrow. UNC crushed the Spartans by 35 in December, for what it is worth...why the New York Yankees will make the playoffs this year: they won't have 40% of their starts being made by Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson...and on this day, the 15th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death, here's one look at the top ten Nirvana songs...for today's PTP, playing the Atlanta Braves at +121. Enjoy!

Cutting bait

So if Matt Cassel costs a second round draft picks, how is Jay Cutler and a fifth round draft pick worth Kyle Orton and a pair of first rounders, plus a third from the Chicago Bears? And here I thought Denver was in a tough spot with the trade demands and need to trade so obvious...Michael Kay of the Yankee Network on Derek Jeter batting leading off: "That's 162 at bats that Jeter won't hit into a double play." Ouch. The bloom is falling off the rose more everyday when guys like Kay are cracking like that...Peter Gammons lists the three best teams in baseball as the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. The AL East is going to be scary if that holds true...that eerie silence you hear in the Toronto area is the calm before the storm that is going to hit BMO Field tomorrow when Toronto FC make their 2009 home debut. Cannot. Freaking. Wait. Coverage is on CBC at 4pm for those not able to get in or further away...North Carolina guard Ty Lawson is already a winner at the Final Four, winning $250 at a Detroit casino last night. The rest of his teammates were down about the same in Windsor area peeler joints. I'm only guessing on the latter. Also in that article is the lame revelation that Caesar's in Windsor is suspending wagering on the Final Four this weekend at the request of the NCAA...the normally mild mannered Cito Gaston went off over revelations that Roger Clemens had a hand in having him fired, calling him an asshole among other things. Sure he may have had a hand in Gaston's dismissal, but Clemens performance in Toronto is the only thing that made keeping him a possibility...in Germany's World Cup qualifier Wednesday, striker Lukas Podolski got into it with captain and all-round douche-bag and perennial second place man Michael Ballack. There's video below of how that went. Of course, the German camp says all is fine...the New York Yankees will open their new palace tonight against the Chicago Cubs. You can watch here at 7:05 tonight, and check out pics of this incredible new building here, and video here, and finally, panorama shots here...what do the LA Lakers, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards have in common? They're the only teams to beat the Cleveland Cavs twice this season...some curious jersey's here. Including the obligatory clowns with #69, you get a Carolina Hurricanes jersey with a Hartford Whalers logo. Hid. E. Ous...the English Premier League is back in action tomorrow after the international break. Will Manchester United take the defibrilators to their title chances and down Aston Villa Sunday? Should be a great one...back with your PTP later.

Germany's Lukas Podolski does what everyone in the world wants to do to Michael Ballack...

Austin 3-16

LaDanian Tomlinson is now talking of breaking Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing record. He needs 6,600 yards or so to do so. Any takers that he gets it done? Didn't think so...does anybody think that getting a tattoo of yourself is a good idea? Apparentely New York Yankee pitcher AJ Burnett thoughts so, as he's got ink of himself...that physical specimen that is Phil Mickelson - he's not dubbed "Hefty" for nothing - needed to be treated for heat exhaustion after Saturday's round at Doral in Miami. Didn't matter much, as he went on to win the tourney regardless...unless you've been living under a rock or are moving under one, expect much discussion of the NCAA March Madness that starts Thursday. Frankly, even as a guy who doesn't pay much mind to NCAA hoops, it is a fantastic thing to take in, especially the first two rounds where it is wall-to-wall action with drama left and right. Need your brackets? Here they be...here's a look at the Top 10 Dirtiest Athletes. Hines Ward? Don't think so..after seeing the result of the Manchester United/Liverpool game - a 4-1 win for 'pool - I was pretty glad to not have TV for the weekend. Took some grief from a couple guys out on Saturday night while wearing a Man U jacket but it is almost worth it just to see that much soccer talk out on the town, even from guys who wouldn't know Liverpool from Blackpool...NHL General Manager's have talked about using wins in regulation as a tiebreaker. Here's an idea: three points for regulation wins, if you're really looking to encourage teams to go on the offensive in the first 60 minutes...another wrestler - Andrew Martin aka "Test" - has died at far too young an age, 33. No word on the cause of death but hard not to think it was anything but natural causes. 33 year olds that are outwardly fit don't just die suddenly...talked to a guy yesterday who is becoming a bigger fan of the EPL and said he's particularly fond of Arsenal and Tottenham, thanks to his love of Croatian soccer players. Arsenal and Tottenham? He must also be a fan of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens by that measure...it is 3/16 and Stephen F. Austin is in the NCAA tourney. How fitting...so after whining that the Denver Broncos were thinking of trading him, quarterback Jay Cutler has now asked for a trade. How fitting. This guy has some serious delusions of grandeur, a lot more accomplished players than him have been moved and complained far less, but he's going to whine? Good luck to whatever team gets him. Hope Pampers size 6 are available...back with your PTP later today.

Tragically hip

Terrell Owens had a gem of a quote at his Buffalo Bills presser, noting that he's gone from America's Team to North America's Team, with the Bills of course playing in Toronto annually now. Guessing that the locals in Buffalo will not appreciate that so much. Hot on the heels of that, somebody came up with 10 reasons T.O. should have gone to the CFL. Owens scored 58 touchdowns in 65 games over three seasons with the Cowboys, more than any other wideout in the NFL in that period...watching midgets fight is like watching regular sized people fight from far away...the FA Cup semi-final draw has taken place and Manchester United will take on Everton, and Hull City or Arsenal will face Chelsea...like the NFL with Ron Mexico and others, you can no longer buy a customized A-Fraud jersey. A-Rod will be out 6-9 weeks after wisely opting for surgery to repair the torn labrum in his hip. Coming back towards the end of April or in May is a far better option than being a bad step away from being out for that time come later in the year. His doctor figures the six week time frame is likely..I nearly broke a rib laughing at this site that illustrates how to pee with morning wood...seems that there is indeed a limit to what the New York Yankees can charge for premium tickets, as some remain unsold at their new palace. For a mere $325 per ticket per game, you can get some great seats. For $2,500, you can get real close..here's a peak at the 10 most gruesome sports injuries. Not sure how Eduardo's broken leg playing for Arsenal last year didn't make the cut, but there's sure some bad ones in this list...continuing with the quick hits today, here's a page with the best male photo bombers. Awesome stuff...I'm amazed it has taken so long, but a lawyer by the name of David Cornwell, in the running to become the new head of the players union, has spoken out and questioned the legality of Roger Goodell dispensing discipline on players for offenses off the field. I'll be shocked if he doesn't win some concessions in that regard if he gets to the bargaining table for the next labor deal...Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke on whether fighting will get banned in the NHL: "I will personally challenge anyone who wants to get rid of fighting to a fight." Funny, but Burke is getting far too serious over something that does little to nothing to enhance the game...Arsenal striker Eduardo ended the debate as to who scored the goal of 2009 yesterday. There won't be one better than this...back later with your PTP.

4:53pm EDIT: Niagara is your PTP for the night - that's NCAA hoops for the uninitiated. 9pm tip.

Drunk Athletes Unite

Sean Avery came back to the NHL last night, this time with the New York Rangers, and as usual with him in the lineup, they won. But, it was the New York Islanders, so the Canyon of Heroes shouldn't be planning a parade quite yet...not a great day yesterday for yours truly. Terrell Owens gets bounced by the Dallas Cowboys, as did Roy Williams - the safety -and tests reveal A-Rod could miss up to four months of the Yankees season if he goes the route of surgery. I've never understood how these athletes can know they've got a problem - as it has been said the Yankees and A-Rod knew last May - and not take care of it immediately after the previous season so they're good to go. That said, I'm waiting for the conspiracy theorists to call it a 10-week suspension..living dangerously on the PTP with a third consecutive narrow win, but we'll take it and build one it with your pick later today...Chris Bosh responded to Shaq calling him RuPaul declaring that it wasn't funny or professional. Not sure about the latter, but hell to the yes it was funny...here's a massive collection of drunk athlete photos. Way too fun seeing some of these pics. Brady Quinn and Dirk Nowitzki are multiple entrants, Chris Bosh a surprising one, Michael Jordan a cross-eyed one. Enjoy...hungry? How about a bacon, cheese and burger stuffed pizza, courtesy of Bukkake, complete with instructions on how to make your very own. This must be seen to be believed...Soccer By Ives files this look at Toronto FC for the 2009 season. Optimism abounds, folks...there is rumbling south of the border that the U.S. government may look to repeal the ban on online gambling of all varieties and heavily tax winners. Welcome to 2009, it took you that long to figure out that possibility?...River Avenue Blues floats the idea of Derek Jeter as a possible fill-in at third if A-Rod is out. Yeah, great idea. Take a guy who is horrible going to the left and make him have to go predominantely to the left...anyone interested in a used Roy Williams #31 (the safety) Cowboys jersey? If you want it authentic, I'll even work in some burn marks on it. Available cheap...have a great Friday.

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.

Serious Guacamole

How great is that caricature on the right? If you don't agree, you clearly haven't seen who is lounging on Jessica's couch...Shannon Sharpe says that on Super Bowl Sunday, there are enough avocado's consumed to stack them 18 feet high from endzone to endzone. Who figures this stuff out?...in 2008, there was only one left-handed starting pitcher who gave up fewer home runs, pitched more innings and had a lower rate of walks per 9 innings than the New York Yankees Andy Pettitte. That would be CC Sabathia. Two lefties at Yankee Stadium is going to be a real good thing..the Pittsburgh Steelers faced nine of the top 10 defenses this past season. Translation: they'll get theirs against the Arizona Cardinals who are not a top 10 team defensively...maybe it is just me, but I think I'm looking forward to Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn at UFC 94 tomorrow as much as I am the Super Bowl this weekend. If you get a chance to see UFC Primetime - a three part preview of the fight that goes to each man's camp - check it out on Spike pre-fight today or tomorrow. This is gonna be a war. My money is on GSP, but no result would surprise me...it wasn't looking good for the "under" on 195 play last night at 111 points at the half but thanks to a 29 point half for the Cleveland Cavs and 76 on the half including the Orlando Magic, it was a comfortable under in the end and a 99-88 Magic win...it'll be Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal in the finals of the Australian Open. Great weekend for sports, to state the obvious...I get that TSN paid some big bucks to cover the Olympics, but that watermark they're using on screen is a touch oversized, no? Then again, it is more subtle than the four billion ads they ran over the last year plus telling everyone they had the Grey Cup...how has Joe Torre's upcoming book been received by his former employers? Not good. Best line on the subject: "David Wells will be named the team nutritionist before Torre is invited back to the Bronx." Hope it was worth it, Torre. No more number retirement, no Old Timers Day, nada. Asked what he'd do if he saw Torre now, Wells said he'd "knock him out"...Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin told Jim Rome that not only will Anquoin Boldin have a greater impact on the Super Bowl than Larry Fitzgerald, he's also a better receiver overall...as you may have seen from GBVH yesterday, Mickey Rourke will not be taking on Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania after all. I'd expect Vince McMahon to kill Rourke for backing out over the coming weeks, but the publicity will be well worth it for the WWE...the United States is putting in bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup's. Bet on them getting one of the two. The beauty of the World Cup is that you don't even need to say what sport it is. Really, it is the only true World Cup...back with the Friday night PTP later. Have a great day.

"Losers"?

A recent category called "Losers" on Jeopardy! had this for a $1000 answer: "one second from defeat in the 2008 Super Bowl, this losing head coach threw a hissy fit and stalked off the field." Question: "who is Bill Belichick?". Wow, that's incredible...Tony Romo has the NFL's biggest endorsement deal for Starter. Well, it is a good thing there isn't a product called Finisher, because he wouldn't be endorsing that. I'll stop hammering him and the Cowboys once we're a month out from that debacle in Philadelphia. Wade Phillips excepted, of course..anybody figured out yet how the NFL, NBA and MLB have all talked to varying degrees about economic concerns in the past few months, but Gary Bettman insists all is well in the NHL? Seriously, does anybody believe him? Emperor Nero thinks he's deluded...a full slate of English Premier League action today. Manchester United 'keeper Edwin van der Sar will set an EPL record for consecutive shutout minutes if he keeps a clean sheet against West Brom into the 84th minute today which would give him 1,026...just week's after panning "The Wrestler" as not representative of the business that is WWE, Vince McMahon sees opportunity knock and he tears the door off the hinges: star of "The Wrestler" and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke will face Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania. Genius move by Vinnie Mac given how much pub that movie and Rourke are pulling right now. A genius move by you would be going to see this movie, it meets the hype and then some...under the Department of Bargain: Andy Pettitte at $5.5 million. Granted, he's got the chance to double that with incentives so it is a great deal for both the Yankees and Pettitte if he has a solid year. Pettitte is expected to pitch fourth as the Yanks try to manage Joba Chamberlain's innings. Still would have preferred Ben Sheets, but he's a huge injury concern...is Andrei Arshavin Arsenal bound? Sure looks that way...5 out of 6 now for PTP, life is good! Back later today with another winner...have a great Tuesday.

Stay classy, Joe

Joe Torre's reputation as a classy guy is about flushed now with a new book coming out next week. How else do explain him cracking on former boss Brian Cashman for not standing up for him after the 2007 season, when Torre had previously and repeatedly said he had? If not for Cash, he'd have been unemployed after he led the Yanks into the toilet with a 3-0 lead over the Boston Red Sox in 2004. Good of him to hammer A-Rod too, the guy who almost single-handedly took the Yanks to the playoffs in 2007 and made him even a possibility for 2008. Let's see what kind of manager he is if the LA Dodgers are minus Manny Ramirez. ManRam's the only reason Torre saw the playoffs last year, even in a garbage division. Stay classy, Joe...the LA Galaxy have set their sites on Newcastle United striker Michael Owen. I'd give that about no chance of happening in the next couple years, and why would they want Owen in any event? He's about as fragile as an athlete can be...current Galaxy star David Beckham, on loan with AC Milan, scored his first with the Serie A side and that will only escalate the talk he's going to stay beyond March...incredibly, 65% of respondants at an ESPN.com poll would rather have Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner lead their team in the Super Bowl than the Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlesberger, leading in every state but Pennsylvania. Count me among the 35% and come next Monday, that number will flip. Warner cannot handle a rush, and it forces him to make bad throws and fumble the ball. Big Ben doesn't rattle that easy, and hell, he can carry a couple would be tacklers if need be and complete a throw...any regular reader here will know I crack on the NHL regularly for being pretty dull to watch overall, but yesterday's 12-11 goalfest in the All-Star game may have been even worse than watching two skill-killing trap teams go at it. Perhaps I shouldn't be so harsh, what with my legendary hate of the All-Star game concept in all sports aside from baseball...how'd you like that for easy Prime Time Pickin's yesterday? The Boston Celtics dumped 74 points on the Dallas Mavs by the break and cruised to a 24 point beatdown. Have .500 well within my sites and the horror of that second week in January is starting to fade...have a great Monday, back later with your Prime Time winner.

Back in the saddle!

Football has to be the only sport to roll credits during a game, putting into question the brilliant quote that GBVH once said, "football is just what they show between commercials"...Max Kellerman calls Isaiah Thomas the New York Knicks George W. Bush, with the role of Barack Obama occupied by Donnie Walsh. I think Zeke got off light there...could Ben Sheets end up a Yankee on an incentive laden deal? Could be, says Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal. As risky as Sheets is, he's also got huge upside for any team that signs him if he stay's healthy because he's got nasty stuff...how bad are the Toronto Raptors? Bad enough that I flipped to the Maple Leaf game instead of watching them on the wrong end of a senseless slaughter again...with a Super Bowl win next Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the winningest franchise in the NFL. Expect to hear that repeated about 26,212 times ahead of the game....Troy Aikman has never been one to go out of his way to say anything that stirs any pots, though not to the embarrassing Derek Jeter level where he'd go mute when asked if the sky was blue. So when he lays out Tony Romo for not recognizing that perception of effort plays a very big part in a career, Romo best take notes...if you don't find Kurt Warner creepy, perhaps this will help you: Warner draws out what God looks like in his mind...New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro is out for the year with a knee injury. Good thing he's got another 12 years left on his contract to make up for it...thank you, Houston Rockets, for righting the listing good ship PTP. Back later with tonight's pick...if tonight's Office is half as good as last week's, not sure my ribs will be able to handle it...have a great Thursday.

Prime Time Pick: with a small selection of games tonight, going with a total play for the first time. Taking the "Under" on 192.5 (-109) in the Boston/Orlando game.

Thursday, December 25th, 2008 - Merry Christmas!

It has been a fantastic year in sports, and AskMen presents a look at the Top 10 moments of the year and you could easily argue for others...thankfully, the NBA will break the sporting darkness that started with the conclusion of the Notre Dame-Hawaii game last night, including three games getting TV coverage. The big one goes at 5pm as the LA Lakers host the Boston Celtics in a rematch of last year's championship series...I know leagues value divisional setups for the rivalries they create, and how teams stay in playoff races longer. But something seems wrong with the idea that the San Diego Chargers could be in at 8-8 while the 11-5 New England Patriots could be out in the cold come playoff time...ESPN's Rob Neyer says that after the three big moves, the New York Yankees are indeed the team to beat in 2009. Me, I cannot wait to see if it pans out that way...so there are no college bowl games today, only a handful of hoops games, and the NHL has no games scheduled? Makes no sense to me, either. But at least the Toronto Maple Leafs Brian Burke's moratorium on not trading players withing the 10 days leading up to Christmas is up. Ought to be some interesting moves in the offing now for Tomas Kaberle and others...have a great Christmas. Back tomorrow.