"What should I do?"

Troy Polamalu got all up in Roger Goodell's hair over the crackdown on hits in the NFL, saying that part of the problem may be that Goodell wields too much power and influence with no checks and balances like a proper government.  Silly Troy, thinking this is a democratic business he's in.

A quick peak at the NHL Albatross players.  Not surprisingly, other than he's just a dozen or so games into his contract, Ilya Kovalchuk leads the way.

Here's a peak at the ten issues facing the New York Yankees this off-season.  #2 is already taken care of.  Speaking of #2, Derek Jeter's people say his value to the team can't be overestimated.  Oh, but it can...and has.  One ring as the vaunted Captain, last I checked.  The always hilarious SportsPickle has a great article saying Jeter is demanding to be paid $1 million per intangible.

Fox Sports Soccer looks at the ultra convoluted playoff system employed by the MLS.  Memo to Don Garber: simple is good.  People get simple, especially if they're just new to your league.

Dallas Cowboy Roy Williams has had himself a nice year.  He's been one of the better Cowboys, for what that is worth.  But saying he thinks the Cowboys can win nine straight is comical.

Rogers announced yesterday that the Buffalo Bills hosting Chicago Bears game this Sunday in Toronto is sold out, even though you can easily get four tickets in the lower and upper bowls.  Word is the fine print of the announcement read "well, compared to a Toronto Blue Jays game the place sure will be packed."

For a few of you I know all too well, top 10 things you didn't know about Jägermeister.

A whole lot of Arianny Celeste pics, not including her Playboy pics from this month, which Hugh Hefner's legal team seems to be working overtime to keep off the 'net and pull off when they do hit.

Didn't take South Park long to lampoon LeBron James "What should I do?" Nike ads, mixing BP into the mix.

Here are the 25 least manly things in sports.  Pretty freaking comprehensive, it must be said.

Weird video from a soccer league in Brazil.  A player - and I can't imagine he's in the top flight given his physique - is getting ready to take a corner kick when a fan jumps out of the stands and, well, see for yourself.

Arshavin goes off for four

Another Tuesday gone by, another electric game for Liverpool as they played to a 4-4 barnburner with Arsenal. Arsenals' Andrei Arshavin scored four for the Gunners, who had a winner denied in the dying moments from Cesc Fabregas. Amazing, and more goals scored than any of the five NHL games last night. The result opens the door for Manchester United to widen the gap as they face Portsmouth today, one of two games in hand for United...last nights save by Mariano Rivera for an Andy Pettitte win tied the MLB record at 57, held by then Oakland A's Bob Welch and Dennis Eckersley...with all the empty seats, clearly the Yankees overestimated the draw of a new stadium and their team, and underestimated the economic climate...a recent SI article (March 23rd) says that within two years of being retired, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce. Within five years, 60% of NBA players are broke. Those are staggering numbers...while you've been reading today's entry, Roberto Luongo made six more saves. The Vancouver Canucks punched their ticket to the second round with an overtime win over the St. Louis Blues...it is only today, two days after Toronto Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo's year end presser, that I'm able to see straight after my eyes got locked into a rolling position after he declared this year's edition of the Raptors the best he's assembled. He was far more credible when he was killing them for being soft and lacking in pride...more on the homer debate at new Yankee Stadium where 20 home runs were hit in four games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, there were eight four-games spans of 20 or more homers at the old Stadium, some of them overlapping, including 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2007. So maybe what we saw on the opening weekend at the new park was just an anomaly? Further, given the homers launched for years out of Camden Yards in Baltimore, Minute Maid Park in Houston, Citizens Bank Park in Philly, and others, seems like a bit much right now. By the way, there was only one last night, off the stick of Johnny Damon...NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says Michael Vick will have to show signs of "serious remorse" if he is to be reinstanted to the NFL. Question: how is Goodell qualified to judge him that way?...Goodell might want to keep tabs on a potential far more explosive situation. Seems Mrs. Tom Brady - Gisele Bundchen - has won over $1 million betting on Inter Milan this season. If she starts hammering wagers in the NFL, there's going to be no media outlet not interested and that's something the NFL, which benefits from gambling despite pretending it has nothing to do with it, cannot afford...going into last night's action, the Toronto Blue Jays were 61-41 since Cito Gaston took over, the third best record over that time behind the LA Angels and Chicago Cubs...the way that PTP has gone of late after a smoking hot start - isn't that the way? - I'm looking for a can't lose proposition. And I've got it in Chivas USA, who visit a Dwayne DeRosario-less Toronto FC tonight. At +114, tough not to like them in any event, and hey, if I'm wrong, my boys win...have a great Wednesday.

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.

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.

Follow the Leader

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

Sunday, November 30th, 2008 - "Yes, that actually is a gun in my pocket"

Brian Burke was the Vancouver Canucks GM when Todd Bertuzzi suckered Steve Moore. Wonder how current Maple Leaf and Steve Moore's brother Dominic feels about his new GM?...I'm sure NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be thrilled that New York Giant Plaxico Burress was packing heat in a New York bar. The gun went off and Burress shot himself in the leg. Giant teammate Antonio Pearce tried to hide the gun, and Burress is expected to be arrested on felony weapons charges any day now. That said, if you've read the latest issue of ESPN The Magazine, you'll see that NFL players have significant security concerns and live in constant fear...New York Knicks GM Donnie Walsh says that Stephon Marbury's status will be "resolved" come Monday. To me, if the guy refused to play and honour his contract, that should be a firing offence where there's no buyout...14-10 now on Prime Time Picks after three straight losses but up comfortably on the year. 15-10 is a tidy 60% so it'll have to be a winner tonight to do just that. Minnesota (-1.5) hosts Chicago and tough to not like the Vikes in this one: they're 4-1 at home, and have the revenge factor in play after losing 48-41 to the Bears on October 19th. The winner on this one could well be playoff bound while the loser is left reeling at .500. Also loving Buffalo today (-6.5) and New Orleans (+4.5), the latter simply because the team that beats Detroit the week prior still has yet to cover the following week, and that'd be Tampa Bay in this case. Get your gamble on at Pinnacle...thanks to the Detroit Lions historic run. 3-13 may only get you the 5th pick in the 2009 draft when since 2002, it has guaranteed you the #2...Gabe Morency, who needs no introduction, has a fantastic new website up. Check it out...in college hoops, the University of Dayton missed all 24 three point attempts they took, and still won. That 0-24 showing is a record...Andy Pettitte is feeling unloved by the New York Yankees, and may join old manager Joe Torre in L.A. as a result. Sorry, Pettitte, but you're not worth $16 million anymore, not after that season, and if the Yanks are playing footsie with younger, more talented guys, such is life...have a great Sunday.

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

It took a few days, but finally found a solid picture of Ricky Hatton post-fight on Saturday with a couple fellow Mancunians who he had carry his belts in. Awesome...while General Motors and the others in the Big Three automakers are busy fighting for a U.S. government bailout - and they showed up in Washington in private jets to underscore how desperate they are - they announced they will not be renewing their endorsement deal with Tiger Woods. I'm sure Tiger is thrilled he'll no longer have to maintain the charade he's a Buick fan and he can now move on to the BMW's of the world...the Arizona Cardinals are complaining because the New York Giants listed Brandon Jacobs as probable and he didn't play? They do know that Jacobs is good, right?...the Pro Bowl looks like it'll move to the week before the Super Bowl which will only make it slightly more relevant...After Tom Brady's first 11 starts in the NFL, his completion percentage was 66.3%. Matt Cassel's over the same time frame? 66.3%...a bad idea: the Philadelphia Eagles, circling the toilet bowl, and a Thursday night Thanksgiving Day game. Expect ugliness...Michael Vick is eyeing an early release once his last charge is resolved, and will be out July 20th, 2009 or sooner it appears. It'll be interesting to see how Roger Goodell handles his status following that...Doug Flutie is being mentioned as a possible Toronto Argos coach. Maybe they can look to see if he still feels at all like playing. With their inability to get a solid QB of late, it couldn't hurt...while completing today's entry, Drew Brees passed for another 300 yards. Wonder if San Diego would like a do-over on that deal that saw them favor Phillip Rivers?...have a great Tuesday.