Sunday, June 22nd, 2008 - Dutch To The Ditch

There must be a lot of people losing money on Euro wagering. For the third straight day, the fav went out to the dog and this time, it was Holland losing 3-1 in extra time to Russia. For a team that rested most of their players last game, Holland looked entirely spent while the Russians looked entirely fresh. A stunner, to say the least. Today, Italy aims to be the fourth dog to win, but I'm saying Spain (+155) takes it (Record: 12-15, -$246). I haven't seen them all, but this has to have been the best tournament ever of the big two...JP Ricciardi apologized for his comments about Adam Dunn. Here's hoping Dunn doesn't take his comments back where he called Ricciardi a clown...Toronto FC Manager John Carver would be wise to ditch his policy of keeping the same starting lineup as long as the team wins the game prior. With five players returning from international duty, starting the game yesterday minus Amado Guevara, Jim Brennan and Maurice Edu, among others, could well have cost them a win. Sure, a tie isn't the end of the world, but a win and they're in second place and very much a playoff team. On the plus side, Carver pointedly told CBC post game that "everyone can see" the squad needs a striker...Nick Kypreos, who I generally think is entirely lacking in credibility, says Mats Sundin won't enjoy being boxed in like this with Montreal, and is more likely to go to the New York Rangers. That would give the Big Apple my two fav #13's...things go from bad to worse for the Blue Jays. Shaun Marcum is now on the DL. In other Jays news, former first bag coach Ernie Whitt is not impressed over his dismissal. And seriously, what do you do to get fired as a first base coach? Not take a guys shin pad fast enough? Whitt did a great job laying out JP Ricciardi or as one of the Rando readers glossed him: JP Rittardi. I get that Whitt is sour, but I still haven't forgiven him for Mother's Pizza going under...last nights Ultimate Finale was better than most of the recent UFC pay-per-views, and was free on spike. Diego Sanchez continues to be one of the most exciting fighters anywhere and scored a wild knockout of Luigi Fioravanti, and Amir Sadollah was the Ultimate Fighter 7 champion making quick work of CB Dollaway. Sadollah could be a huge star with his great personality...23 Turks were hurt in celebrations Friday night after their win over Croatia. The cause? "Stray bullets"...have a great Sunday.

Saturday, June 21st, 2008 - Heartbreak

I've watched a lot of sports in my time and not sure I've ever gone from euphoria to despair so fast as the last two minutes of Croatia's loss to Turkey last night. And what is it with Croatia giving up goals in key games immediately after taking a lead? Shades of the World Cup semi-finals in 1998 against France. I still cannot believe it...the Yankees are just smarter than the rest. They drafted a switch-pitcher who made his debut last night for a minor league squad. That's right, the guy can throw with both arms. And word is, he can switch which he throws with - legally - between batters...UEFA is talking about expanding Euro to 20 or 24 teams? Opinion: don't do it...silently, I had vowed to crack on John Gibbons and his bosses daily until somebody was axed and in short order, it was done. Cito Gaston has long deserved a job in the bigs, but this just seems a little odd. Gibbons record as manager was 305-305...the Toronto Maple Leafs have given hated rival Montreal until July 1st to negotiate a deal with Mats Sundin. The New York Rangers are also interested. Good for Sundin if he can get out of that disaster area...oddest draft quote I've ever seen from new Leafs coach Ron Wilson, on first round pick Luke Schenn: "by trading up for him, it sent a message that we are going for youth." Umm, what were they going to do, draft someone who is 35?...Holland is the winner today (-144) in a series of selections gone south (12-14, -$146) after opening 7-3...a survey of 495 MLB players by Sports Illustrated had Derek Jeter win top spot as most overrated player in the bigs...Toronto FC host Kansas City today. Catch it at 3:30 on CBC...have a great Saturday.

Friday, June 20th, 2008 - Time To Cook Some Turkey

Portugal might have played the worst game in a big spot you could imagine. Shoddy defending on at least two German goals (first and last, both "defended" by Paulo Ferreira), and a sophomoric attack in the second half where they tried to attack the Germans down the middle and shoot from a distance. Did they not notice Croatia beat Germany on the flanks at will, and they scored themselves in the first half coming from wide? With Luiz Philipe Scolari off to coach Chelsea now, Manchester United need not fear much if that is the best he can get out of a team...a 12-13 record is shameful at this stage of the Euros. Worse is being in the red for the tourney now too at -$46. Today, a reversal. Croatia wins (-108) and the weekend gets off to a rip roaring start. I'm going to suggest 2-0, because 1-0 would have my heart pounding a little too much...my bad for reporting Evgeni Malkin had re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Should've had a second source other than SportsNet. Malkin is said to be heading to the LA Kings in a trade for the #2 pick in Saturday's draft. If you're the Kings, that is a no-brainer...I'm not sure they're the best mullets in sports history, but there are some definite beauties here...every team in the NL Central has lost a minimum of three in a row except for the Milwaukee Brewers who have won four straight. Who'd they play last series again?...and very classy of JP Ricciardi to go off on Adam Dunn and question his desire as a player. This from the same guy who brought in AJ Burnett, who makes the Tin Man of the Wizard of Oz look like Rocky Balboa. For his part, Dunn called Ricciardi a clown. Well, he's got some kinda nose anyway...remember Charles Barkley saying he wasn't going to gamble for a few years after his last fiasco, where he owed a casino $400k? Fast forward a couple weeks and he's in a poker tourney in Vegas, albeit a charity event...Joba Chamberlain fanned 9 and is looking better by the start. The Yanks have now won seven straight. With A-Rod having one of those months (7 HR, 20 RBI), maybe there's some life in them bones, even minus Chien-Ming Wang...have a great Friday. G0 Cro!

Best MMA Knockouts of 2008

Thursday, June 19th, 2008 - Cuban Ain't Feelin' The Olympic Spirit

More than a little surprised Sweden was a total no-show in their must-win game against Russia who totally dominated the game. That puts the Russians, coached by Guus Hiddink, up against his homeland Holland on Saturday which completes the final eight...the first quarter-final goes today with Germany facing Portugal. Maybe the most interesting matchup of the quarters. You've got a well rested Portuguese side with loads of skill in the midfield against the traditionally powerful, physical German side who have looked vulnerable, and have that mental midget Jens Lehmann in goal. Who wins? It's always tough to write off Germany as they've practically mastered the art of navigating a tournament but I've got Portugal going through (+145. Yours truly is 12-12 at Pinnacle, +$46). Why not? Nuno Gomes promised a goal after all...so I guess Tiger Woods wasn't just being dramatic when it came to his knee bothering him. He's got an ACL issue and stress fractures in his left leg and is having surgery and done for the year which begs the question, does golf even have a "year"? It never really ends, does it? Of course, that he's won 10 tournies with a torn ACL will do wonders for those that argue golf isn't a sport...Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban got off this gem on the Olympics: "It's not that I don't like the idea of them representing their countries. If the Olympics were truly a nationalistic endeavor built on sport and part of the public domain, I would be willing to take risk and support their playing. What I don't like is that we lie to ourselves and pretend that the Olympians represent our country. They don't. They have taken relatively low paying jobs working for the Olympics, who in turn sell the broadcast and marketing rights for billions of dollars in profits, all the while creating enormous risk for those of us who pay them for their day jobs that support their families. It's amazing how players who are free agents won't participate, but those with guaranteed contracts will. I hate the fact that we lie to ourselves and pretend this is about representing country. It's not. It's about money." Not one part of that do I disagree with...more and more, the similarities between the Leafs and Jays are blowing my mind. In the lead role, you've got Richard Peddie and Paul Godfrey, who think they know sports because they appear on Off The Record every other day. For GM's, you've got well, nothing yet and JP Ricciardi who incidentally has delivered nothing yet. Both have a guy that they vastly overpaid for considering what they've delivered: AJ Burnett? Meet Jason Blake. But at least both have a couple vets and great leaders in Mats Sundin and Roy Halladay. Oh, and the Jays don't have Don Cherry. Advantage Jays...the Yankees signed Sir Sidney Ponson to a minor league deal, his second go-round with the Yankees. Who is next? Boomer Wells?...it just doesn't sound right: Motley Crue, on Larry King Live tonight...have a great Thursday.

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 - Celtics in six

Has there ever been a better but less inspired collection of talent than France's entry at Euro 2008? Betting that Spain didn't figure their reward for winning Group D would be Italy in the second round, albeit minus Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. Holland dominated play against Romania for the most part with almost all their regular starters on the bench. Only they and Croatia go to the quarters with perfect 3-0 records, with Spain in line to do the same...the final day of roundrobin play goes today as the final qualifier in Group D gets settled in the Sweden/Russia matchup. I've got Sweden (+168) and Spain (-129). Goodbye Greece, here's hoping we don't have to endure you for a long, long time at a major competition. The Pinnacle account is at 11-11 and +$60...is it just me or the deeper the NBA playoffs went, the less you watched and were interested? Not sure I saw more than a couple quarters of the final...over the year plus of writing for this space, there have been repeated nukes dropped on AJ Burnett and JP Ricciardi. Steve Simmons summed up many of those arguments that cannot be argued against in this excellent piece. Of course, Jays President Paul Godfrey, who also needs to meet the sharp end of an axe, disagrees...Manchester City's Paul Dickov to Toronto FC? Now there's a jersey I'd be forced to get...my tea leaves tell me Cristiano Ronaldo is done with Manchester United. Guessing the day Portugal's run at Euro is up is the day we'll hear of his intentions. Not sure how you leave the team that is tops in Europe for the mess that is Real Madrid, particularly when United stayed loyal to you after his debacle with Wayne Rooney, rape charges and the like...it will forever make me smile when I think of Mats Sundin getting in the Hall of Fame the first try and Doug Gilmour needing at least a couple attempts. Fitting, that, for the moronic Leafs fans that buy Don Cherry's "Kingston boys!" garbage and ignore the far better player has been in their roster for far longer. Oh, and Sundin didn't tap his 13-year old babysitter. About time Glenn Anderson got in...Lukas Podolski doubtful with a calf issue. That's a huge loss for Germany if he's out...Willie Randolph is slated to be one of the NL coaches at the All-Star Game next month at his old home of Yankee Stadium. Guessing that won't happen, at least not in a Mets uniform...the Boston Celtics completed one of the most impressive turnarounds in sports as far as I'm concerned, in a single year. They blew the Lakers out of the building in game 6 with a 131-92 win...Dustin McGowan doesn't like road cooking. He's 1-3 with a 6.02 ERA...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 - Something's Wang

After Croatia went to England in a meaningless game for them and punched them in the mouth, should've known to take Croatia yesterday. The Croatian B team dominated Poland in a game that was nowhere near as close as the 1-0 suggested...Germany scraped by Austria on a beauty from Michael Ballack...a 1-1 day with Pinnacle, and the account sits at a paltry $22 on a 10-10 record. Today, going to play the Holland draw with Romania (+286) and will be utterly stunned if Italy can't beat France (+148)...guess JP Losman's push for a trade from the Buffalo Bills hasn't exactly progressed…further evidence Leafs fans will go to any length in search of hope: there is talk the Leafs haven't won the Stanley Cup since CBC brought on the famed and overly-discussed-of-late "hockey theme song" and that now that it's off CBC, the curse is gone. Yeah, either it was that or decades of mismanagement encouraged and tolerated by the stupidest group of fans in sport...Johnathan Papelbon says the Red Sox are not done paying the Rays back for the brawl a couple weeks back. Somewhere, Todd Bertuzzi's ears just perked up...Aaron Rodgers told The Jim Rome Show that if Brett Favre is playing this year, it won't be for the Packers. Good for him...after weeks of silence, and after the Yankees lost Chien-Ming Wang, Mt. Steinbrenner Jr. erupted on the subject of pitchers hitting with this gem: "My only message is simple. The National League needs to join the 21st century...that was a rule from the 1800s." On that subject, I tend to agree. There's nothing more painful than watching a pitcher roll up to the batter's box, hitting .180, and go down on three pitches while trying to drop a bunt...Wang, out until September, leads the majors in wins by a pitcher since 2006, with 46. With no Wang, there is no October for the Yankees, not the way things stand at least...Tiger Woods does it again, going into sudden death after he and Rocco Mediate were deadlocked after 18 playoff wholes yesterday. 14 majors and counting...Philadelphia Philly Ryan Howard has four homers in his last four as he starts to heat up. Guessing he's now got more total bases than whiffs?...Chad Johnson is no longer fun. In fact, he might be crazy...the Mets axed Willie Randolph at 3:15am today. Willie deserved better than to be left twisting like that for that long...have a great Tuesday.

Worth a view from the weekend. The Texas Rangers go slip-n-slide at Shea, and win over the fans.

Monday, June 16th, 2008 - Czeching Out

I've seen some impressive choke jobs in my time but with a 2-0 lead and 15 minutes to go in a soccer game, you generally have to figure a team with the reputed best goalie in the game is pretty safe. Nope. The Czechs snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in their game against Turkey as the Turks rallied for a 3-2 thriller. The win earns the Turks a spot in the quarter-finals against Croatia on Friday while the Czech's go home...it's all or nothing of late in the Euro account for yours truly following yesterday's 0-2 day. 9-9 overall but still up at +89. Today on the Pinnacle lines, I'm taking Germany (duh) at -299, and that one could get ugly. Also, am feeling the draw (+258) in the Croatia/Poland tilt, though Croatia will be sitting anyone who has a yellow going into this one...fading fast: the Toronto Blue Jays who have dropped two games further back of Boston in the last week...Tiger Woods needed to sink a birdie putt to force a playoff to be played today against Rocco Mediate...Teemu Selanne might be looking to (no pun intended) finish his career in Montreal...Italian and French players whining about Holland resting players in a game where a Romanian win puts them both out need to look in the mirror for who to blame for their predicament. Holland owes them nothing and has earned the right to rest guys...are the Jays working the official scoring to keep Roy Halladay's ERA down? Lou Piniella thought there was some curious decisions for the home side...when Danny Ainge took the Boston Celtics job, his owner told him if he built a winner, he'd retire his #44. Maybe the lamest thing I've heard in sports in some time...despite the LA Lakers going 7 minutes without scoring in the third quarter to let the Celtics back in it - and haven't they done that enough for one series? - the Lakers won 103-98 to force game 6. Not sure I like their chances of taking both games in Boston, but if anybody is comfortable going into someone else's house and imposing their will, it is Kobe Bryant...good of AJ Burnett to publicly talk of how it'd be nice to go to a place like Chicago where baseball is breakfast, lunch and dinner. Something tells me that Mr. .500 would wilt under the pressure and easily make it 101 years for the Cubbies...have a great Monday.

Sunday, June 15th, 2008 - Ricketts Rocks It

Here come those C.C. Sabathia-to-the-Yankees rumors that this spot mentioned a year back. The Yanks need a guy like C.C. bad, preferably the 2007 edition, however. The injuries to Phil "The Franchise" Hughes and Ian Kennedy will limit their innings into next year now...how big is the scoreboard in the Dallas Cowboys new stadium? The Dallas News says to "imagine four city buses parked in a line. Now imagine another layer of buses stacked on top of them. Add five more layers and hang the 28-bus cluster over a mental football field." So, it's big?...Johnny Damon is hitting an MLB best .443 since May 20th in a nice bounce back year for him. Even more impressive is that Mike Mussina, who couldn't break a pane of glass with his fastball, is sitting at 10 wins in mid-June...perfect day for the Euro account - based on a $100 wager per game on the money line at Pinnacle - which now sits at +$289 on a 9-7 record. Things get a little dicey now with teams that have advanced sure to rest some players, but thems the breaks. Today, I've got Portugal (+151) despite them being sure to rest some notables, and playing the draw in the Turkey/Czech game (+209) which sets up a real mess for tie-breaking purposes...Dennis Green says Greece is who we thought they were. Namely, garbage. The 2004 champions that nobody thought were good have been sent packing...Paul Pierce was asked to compare himself to Carmelo Anthony: "I've never got a DUI." True story...Toronto FC dropped an emphatic 3-1 win on the Colorado Rapids last night at a rocking BMO Field. Rohan Ricketts scored his first and second goals eight minutes apart, with the second perhaps the best goal in TFC history. You can catch it below. TFC is now 5-0-2 at home this year. TFC is also 6-1-3 all time when Danny Dichio scores...had to love the 1978 throwbacks the Cleveland Indians wore last night. The San Diego Padres, not so much...have a great Sunday.

Saturday, June 14th, 2008 - "If you are not from Lesbos..."

Had to go a little off the typical sports path for the pic today, because, well, it is too good not to immortalize...Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella has contemplated using Carlos Zambrano (.900 OPS) as his DH in interleague trips to Toronto and Tampa Bay...somehow, FHM managed to get a picture of Ana Ivanovic in which she wasn't pumping her fist...there are more than a few Euro 2008 participants whose WAGs - wives and girflriends - are way, way out of their leagues. Here are your starting 11...Toronto FC host Colorado in what should be an over the top crowd, what with nice weather and a rare Saturday night kickoff. Coverage is on SportsNet at 7pm. Tune in, help push the viewership past 100,000. Brian Edwards is starting in goal for the Reds...Lex Ovech got a key to the city in Washington for his MVP win. In his speech, he declared there was no longer a speed limit in Washington. You've gotta love Ovechkin...Evegeni Malkin, whom Pau Gasol is emulating for disappearing in the final, is about to sign an extension with the Pens that will pay him $9 million per, or more than Sidney Crosby...Peter DeBoer is the new Florida Panthers head coach, making him the third coaching hire this week alongside Ron Wilson (Toronto) and Craig Hartsburg (Ottawa)...Tiger Woods is lurking at the U.S. Open, shooting 30 on the back 9 to get within a shot of the lead...no joke: TSN's Darren Dutyschen referred to Portugal as "Pork Chop" before correcting himself...if you're a fan at all of sport, but not of soccer, you cannot possibly watch Holland and not be blown away by what they're doing in attack at the Euros, smoking the World Cup Champion Italy and finalist France back to back. 4-1 over France yesterday. Gonna be an interesting last day in the Group of Death, as Holland could well rest most of their key guys which could see Romania go through if they beat the Dutch after Romania tied Italy yesterday and sitting ahead of the Italians on goal differential. Most would have had Italy and France going through when the tourney started...tough day in the the Euro account - based on a $100 wager per game on the money line at Pinnacle - which now sits at +$111 on a 7-7 record after a 0-2 day yesterday. Back to winning form today with Spain (-153) to down Sweden in what should be a thriller, and Russia (+113) to down the uninspiring Greeks...two games over .500 for the Yankees, Kyle Farnsworthless got the save, and Derek Jeter homered? Strange days, indeed...have a great Saturday.

Friday, June 13th, 2008 - Croatia Lives

Clearly, it was meant to be for Croatia. Not only did they put in a fantastic performance against Germany, and had far, far more chances, they also had the soccer gods weigh in with a late penalty call - scored by a Croatian from Austria, of course - to help Austria secure a 1-1 draw with Poland, giving Croatia the group. As importantly, Croatia avoids a quarter final date next Friday with Portugal, who have looked the best side over two games in the tourney. If you haven't seen Croatia's first goal or didn't pay attention, it was a thing of beauty that started in their own end, went 15 plays up field and had every player touch the ball at least once in 47 seconds. There were no timeouts, no coaches signaling plays, and no in ear communication devices...going into play list night, the Yankees were .500 for the 23rd time this season...could that NBA championship trophy on the floor be any larger? The NCAA logo during March Madness thinks that thing is garish...I hope Travis Henry, Evander Holyfield and former NBAer Jason Caffey and Shawn Kemp aren't pals that want to get their families together for Fathers Day. Between them, they've got 34 kids with at least 26 women. Caffey leads the parade with 10 kids with 8 ladies...the Celtics are a game away from wrapping up the NBA title after a pretty impressive choke job by the Lakers, who led by 24 at one point. One more win will add another trophy to the city of Boston's impressive haul the last few years. Well, Bruins and Revolution aside. No NBA team has ever led 3-1 in the final and not won the title...tough week for those who like betting chalk, as Tiger Woods is following in the steps of Big Brown and coming up small after the first round of the U.S. Open, where he's 1-over and four off the pace. Who are we kidding, he'll likely close that off and lap the field come Sunday...the Euro account - based on a $100 wager per game on the money line at Pinnacle - sits at +$311 on a 7-5 record after a 0-2 day yesterday. A couple very interesting match-ups today. First up, we're gonna take Italy (-139), who should bounce back strong against Romania, and then we're gonna take France (+200) to turn the Group of Death upside down. They can't well go scoreless again, can they?...no sooner did the Peter DeBoer to Ottawa talk start than it has turned to Craig Hartsburg, says TSN...Lex Ovech was a no-surprise MVP winner. Couldn't he have at least showered for the occasion? He looked greasier than a Jiffy Lube...Separated at Birth: Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Jericho...Separated at Birth II: Bastian Schweinsteiger and Melissa Etheridge...Jose Calderon is being sought after by the LA Clippers...when I think "For Those About To Rock..." and "Hells Bells" and the band that spawned them, I don't think "available only at Wal-Mart" which the new AC/DC record - which will sound just like the last 10 AC/DC records - will be...have a great Friday.

Sour-Kraut

What a freaking win for Croatia, the giant killers of Europe. Glorious, glorious day. Germany, don't mess with Croatia in any year ending in 8...we own you!

Oh, and have never seen a player mark a ref before but Michael Ballack was right tight with the ref all day. Good thing you've got a taste for second place, Ballack!

Thursday, June 12th, 2008 - Go Cro!

Has Portugal's Simao been living under a rock? Stand aside little man, let Cristiano Ronaldo take the free kicks in and around the box. Portugal looked good for the second straight game in punching their ticket to the quarter finals, Ronaldo was particularly impressive in setting up two and scoring one...Turkey downed the Swiss in the other game, played in a serious downpour…so if the Jays make the playoffs, what three pitchers are you sending out first round? My money says Roy Halladay, Shawn Marcum and Dustin McGowan...Barry Bonds can't even get a sniff despite offering to play for a minimum salary. Take that, Barroid!...I'm not a huge Mike Mussina guy, but have to love these quotes from him on Carl Pavano coming from John Feinstein's latest book...the Euro account - based on a $100 wager per game on the money line at Pinnacle - sits at +$511 on a 7-3 record after a 2-0 day yesterday. While my heart says Croatia to win (+551!) or tie (+238), afraid that Germany is the pick at -137. Praying I lose that one! I'm also tabbing Poland (+130) to knock off Austria in the late game...the toughest part of winning a championship is keeping guys in the mindset that they should and want to sacrifice personal goals for the team. The New York Giants are finding that out first hand with Plaxico Burress now holding out, and repeated rumblings of Jeremy Shockey being sour...Portuguese coach Phil Scolari is the new main man at Chelsea...8 NHL owners have contacted Jim Balsillie about purchasing some or all of their teams. Gary Bettman, do you have a clue? Drive This! Gabe Morency said "Bettman's as a bad a President of the NHL as Bush is of the U.S." Hey, at least he's historic then...looking like Peter DeBoer is in line for the Ottawa Senators job. Now, if he coached in my hometown that last few years and I had lunch with him earlier this year, is that enough to get me out of the hell that is Leafs fandom? DeBoer had an astounding .721 win percentage in the OHL over 13 years...that loose cannon Milton Bradley went after a KC Royals TV guy for comments made about him. Relax, Milty, if it is a Royals broadcast, odds are it was as widely seen as the NHL in the U.S....that "glue guy" Jorge Garbajosa looks like he's off to the glue factory (kudos to B.K. for that line!). The Raps are looking to buy him out. And what says "team first" more than firing your North American agent because you realize you're almost certainly going back to the Raps, so why pay the 6%? The more I hear of Jose Calderon, the more I laugh how much he has snowed people...I love that Terrell Owens is talking about how he knows what he puts into his body. Explains the overdose on painkillers a couple years back...have a great Wednesday.

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 - Greece deliver an "eff you" to soccer, soccer delivers same in return

I have regained faith that there is karma in soccer. After seeing Greece show zero interest in playing in the first half - they spent minutes passing the ball around the back with no attempt to go forward - Sweden punked them with a pair of goals, one a screamer from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Here's hoping that Russia and Spain pound them into oblivion...speaking of pounded, Spain got off to a roaring start with a 4-1 win over Russia. Spain is looking like a legitimate threat, but we've all thought that before early in a tourney. Is there anyone better going shoulder to shoulder with a defender than Fernando Torres? Not bad when you can pull off Torres in the 53rd minute and put on Cesc Fabregas as a sub. Oh, and #11 had far more impact than #8...the LA Lakers finally played themselves a solid game, building on the strong close in Game 2, and took Game 3 to make the NBA final a series. 2-1 Celtics, seemingly a long way to go. The Celts big three shot 16 of 48. That's not good...the Spurs Robert Horry has never missed the playoffs in all 16 years he's been in the NBA...I've played soccer for close to 30 years and had no idea that the offside rule says that Ruud Van Nistelrooy of Holland was 100% onside for the first Dutch goal against Italy. I'm shocked the refs knew how to correctly apply this obscure, almost-never-happens element..stop me if you've heard this before: Donovan McNabb is hurting...Tim Donaghy is turning into the Jose Canseco of the NBA, piping up about playoff game fixing in the middle of the NBA final. If I'm Mark Cuban, I'm looking for a refund..the Euro account - based on a $100 wager per game on the money line at Pinnacle - sits at +$175 on a 5-3 record after a 1-1 day. Clearly, the 0-2 picking draws is not panning out, but value is value. Today's picks come from the second Group A games. I've got Portugal (-120) to down the Czech's, and Turkey (+253) to down Switzerland, that's great value there...Mike Milbury called Tiger Woods "Tiger Wuss" for his sideswipe of the NHL when he said nobody watches hockey anymore. Solid quote, really, though he might have mentioned that golf is what hockey players do for a more leisurely pursuit. Milbury might also have done some homework and realized that when it comes to the U.S., despite their ratings spike that still put them about a mile behind darts and bowling, Tiger is right. Of course, Tiger changed his stance now that he's taken some stick...Toronto FC coach John Carver says "no mas" to international duty for his players unless it is for required FIFA release dates. Amen to that!...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 - Oranje Crush!

Italy got the old Dutch Oven treatment yesterday in a 3-0 stunner, and Italy's worst ever defeat at the Euros. For my money, the three most impressive sides thus far are Holland, Germany and Portugal, in that order for now...The Boston Red Sox have 16 of their next 22 on the road, where they're playing .411 ball. Mix in David Ortiz and Dice-K being out, Josh Beckett not right, and not exactly a unified squad with Manny Ramirez smacking around Kevin Youkilis and that knock at the door is opportunity knocking for the rest of the AL East...Dominik Hasek and Michael Strahan retired yesterday. For some reason, which I have yet to fully determine, this seems fitting...a whole lot of dull so far at Euro 2008 as too many squads seem to be playing to not lose rather than playing to win...the Euro account - based on a $100 wager per game on the money line at Pinnacle - sits at +$202 on a 4-2 record after an 0-2 day. Today's picks come from Group D action, and going with Spain (-137) over Russia, and going to take the Swedes and Greece to draw (+210)...Cedric Benson is a drunk piloting of a plane from his own DUI trifecta. See his mugshot? Yeah, he definitely had some booze before this pic was taken. Benson was waived by the Bears...what's with those ugly numbers on the Puma unis that Switzerland, Austria and Italy are rocking? Horrible looking...McMahon's Million Dollar Mania looks about as well run as WCW in its last days but loved the one winner of $200,000 who commented "holy shiiiit" on live air, and is it me, or does Shawn Michaels always look high?...Ken Griffey Jr. took nearly four years to go from 500 homers to 600, but he made it last night. Methinks he'd own the all-time record had he been healthy...Bob McCown is off this week so Mike Toth is hosting for Prime Time Sports on Fan590. That's one hour a day of my life I just got back. Cannot stand Toth...speaking of horrible broadcasters, Maxim has a Top 10 of the worst out there. Some curious names on there (Joe Morgan? Love him!) and some very appropriate ones (John Madden, Dick Vitale, Bryant Gumbel) and clearly they've ignored some who spent a lot of time in Canada up until recently (Suck Chwirsky) or an entire category called "Any Blue Jay Play By Play Guy Since Dan Shulman Left"...have a great Tuesday.

Monday, June 9th, 2008 - Germany Rolls Through Poland

Can't imagine that Croatia could've played much worse than yesterday's second half against Austria, and they were fortunate to escape with the points in a 1-0 win. Looking like the pre-tourney pick to take it all I figured they were, Germany looked fantastic in downing Poland 2-0 on the strength of a pair from Lukas Poldolski...the Euro account - based on a $100 wager per game on the money line at Pinnacle - sits at +$402 after a 4-0 open. For Monday action, I've got France at -117 and a Dutch/Italian draw at +210. As Red Heat says, "may the winners be mine"...tough to imagine a more thorough dismantling of a legend than the one Rafael Nadal put on Roger Federer. The way those Gillette pitchmen have gone of late, Tiger Woods might want to disassociate himself and fast...well, at least Toronto FC hadn't played a stinker in two months until they got chewed up by Houston. That's 14 goals against in 5 road games. Here's hoping they're far better come Saturday night when they host Colorado...Tony Romo shot an 84 at Torrey Pines. Guessing that whole U.S. Open thing isn't going to pan out after all. At least he's good at football, and tapping blondes...if the story of Floyd Mayweather jumping to UFC is true, you can expect Mayweather to suffer his first defeat almost immediately. Boxers can stand and trade, but he'd be utterly lost the second a fight went to ground. That, and for a guy who loves money, there isn't quite so much in UFC unless you're at the top, and even then, nothing like he's received in boxing or even WWE...not looking good for the LA Lakers after a total beatdown at the hands of the Boston Celtics in Game 2. The Celts are taking this one with ease so far. I'd hate to be a female working in a hotel with Kobe a guest right now...have a great Monday.

Sunday, June 8th, 2008 - AJ Burnett = Loser

The Czech's were likely the most exciting team in Euro 2004, and should've won it all. Yesterday they put in a totally dull effort, albeit a winning one and a controversial one thanks to a couple non-calls that might've put the Swiss on the penalty spot...Portugal looked fantastic in the second half particularly yesterday, and I'm not just referring to their propensity to find the grass over every stiff breeze...the Euro account - based on a $100 wager per game on the money line - sits at +$261 after a 2-0 open. For today, Pinnacle's odds are up and I'm favoring Croatia at -108 (a lock, folks) and Germany at -210. Loving both those picks, though Germany having that mental midget Jens Lehmann in goal is cause for concern...so the Jays are in the thick of the AL East race, pitching their tails off, you've got a hot night, the lid open, no other pro team playing in town and only 23,649 show up? Is baseball dead in Toronto, or just waiting for the bandwagon set? Either way, a shame. Speaking of few fans, did you catch A.J. Bust-ett's act Saturday? After getting booed coming off the mound, Burnett mockingly tipped his hat and when asked about the fans reaction, he said "we have fans?"...Toronto FC travel to Houston to face the defending MLS Champions, who are struggling mightily this year. Will be a tough test regardless. Coverage is on The Score at 8:30...a visit to Chris Chelios' Detroit restaurant was enough to leave a dent in it. At least no staff were killed...Big Brown went dropped a big brown in the bed and finished 9th of 9 at Belmont. Good night...Johnny Damon had a 6 for 6 day yesterday, including a walk off hit to lead the Yanks to a win. 6 for 6 is damn impressive. Is there a Yankee position player earning his money more than J.D.?...Roger Federer takes on Rafael Nadal in the French Open final this morning. Considering his resume, Federer is a shockingly large underdog. Then again, Nadal has been invincible in Paris thus far...memo to Matt Hughes: find another line of work...have a great Sunday.

Saturday, June 7th, 2008 - Yer Up!

BJ Ryan has blown 6 of 10 save opportunities against the Yankees...nevermind the horrible line, word is that even with a Big Brown win today, Vegas will still make money because people are going to keep their smaller plays as souveniers of a Triple Crown winner...as much as I can see why the 2-3-2 format makes sense, I don't understand why the NBA waits 'til the finals to go that route. A Lakers win tomorrow and this series could be done in 5...going to use the lines from Pinnacle and start with a hypothetical $500 and wager each game on the Money Line. Today, I've got the Czech's to win (+190) though something tells me the draw could well come in, and Portugal (-140), though I worry about their lack of punch up front...Floyd "Money" Mayweather is taking his perfect 39-0 record and going home. Personally, I find this real hard to believe, especially when Oscar de la Hoya is still out there for one last go-round. Negotiating ploy? Could be...would you believe the JP Ricciardi made a trade with the Oakland A's? Settle, Jays Fan, it isn't significant...after some financial and legal issues, Nashville Preds owner Boots Del Biaggio's stake may be up for sale. Jim Balsillie, pick up the BlackBerry Bold and start calling and save this end of the country by dropping a team in to replace the Leafs as the local side. Please. K-Dub preferred. Balsillie's lawyer told Prime Time Sports there "isn't a scintilla of chance" that the NHL board would approve a move to Canada. Wonder how the NHLPA feels about that, given how much Canadian clubs are driving revenues?...Matt Hughes vs. Thiago Alves headline a pretty bland looking UFC card tonight...have a great day.

Friday, June 6th, 2008 - Gonna be a hot one!

A banner day for RM yesterday as we went well north of 200 hits for the day. Been a steady climb since the first days where I passed word to a few close friends and long time readers...Hockey Night in Canada might be losing its trademark theme song? To replace it, I nominate Danko Jones "Soul On Ice"...Bill Parcells now says he wants Jason Taylor back and that the whole thing was a Three's Company plot - a misunderstanding...maybe all isn't lost for the Yankees? A year ago Wednesday, they were 24-31 and 12.5 out games out on June 4 last season. They’re only 6.5 out at the moment. In other news, the mustache brigade has grown, with Johnny Damon on board (see picture). I haven't seen that many 'stache's crop up since a trip to a Bills game last November...well this is going to get real interesting. The convicted steroids dealer who gave the NFL names of steroid users was found dead in his home. Shot dead. Conspiracy theorists, make of this what you will...it may be old, but it was the first time I saw the best wrestling video of all time, featuring Mike Awesome...Cristiano Ronaldo allegedly told a Brazilian paper that he wants to go to Real Madrid. He may want to, but I don't buy he'd give the exclusive to a Brazilian mag...in more legit news of the moment, Emmanuel Adeybayor is ready to move to AC Milan if they and Arsenal can agree to transfer terms...Evander Holyfield is broke? Tough week for guys with 9 kids with multiple mothers...Jelena Jankovic clearly had enough of Ana Ivanovic pumping her fist after every point in their French Open semi, as she openly mocked Ivanovic for it. I like it. Ivanovic is now the new world #1...sounds like Toronto FC is going to deal their rights to Brian McBride. Shame, would've loved to see that beast tearing it up up front. McBride would've made TFC a championship contender this year. That said, he should bring quite a windfall...have a great Friday.

Thursday, June 5th - Red Knocks 'Em Dead...Again

The Detroit Red Wings sealed the deal and picked up their fourth Stanley Cup in 11 seasons, and first led by a European Captain, alongside a Euro Conn Smythe winner. Take THAT, Don Cherry. Pittsburgh may have been beat, but you can be sure they'll be back. And hey, who was that Malkin guy with a couple points? Ain't seen him all series - he looks like he might be good!...I've never liked Inter Milan, preferring AC Milan as far as Serie Z is concerned, and them hiring the kill-the-game Jose Morinho only makes me hate them more...okay, so I've cracked on the Pens and Inter Milan, I'm one Pittsburgh Steelers or Liverpool crack from a certain Pittsburgh reader here getting real sour with me...somebody alert Andrew Dice Clay. Ford has a vehicle named the "Fairlane"...Flip Saunders had a mere 176-70 record, and two conference final losses, on his resume with the Detroit Pistons. That is what having championship aspirations brings: a firing if you're not good enough to go over the top...New England Patriot Nick Kaczur was involved in a drug sting where he was purchasing 100 OxyContin pills for $3,900? Man, I've really gotta hit the streets with the 80 I've got...the Boston Celtics are 8-2 head to head with the LA Lakers in NBA Championships. I've got the Lakers to make it 8-3 in the final, which starts tonight...I may have to write it twice to believe it: Mike Mussina, 9-4 on June 5th...have a great Thursday.

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 - T.O.'s Got His Popcorn Ready

Former Leafs coach Paul Maurice is in the running for the head coaching job in Florida...ESPN The Magazine on Spain's Euro 2008 chances: they have a "tradition of choking". No word on if they watched their performances in previous big tournies to draw this conclusion, or if they just watched Jose Calderon in a big game..the Atlanta Braves have lost 21 straight one run games on the road...David Ortiz could be out for the year, or 2-3 weeks depending who you believe. The AL East has rarely been more open in recent memory...unless Dwayne Wade is dying, the Miami Heat would be insane to trade him and the #2 pick to the Chicago Bulls for the #1 pick. No matter who they'd get at #1, they're not going to be better than D-Wade and the #2...seems like a whole lot of good teams that went a distance in the NBA playoffs are axing coaches. The latest is the Pistons bouncing Flip Saunders. Meanwhile, Sam Mitchell continues to hold employment despite back to back first round flame outs...Joba Chamberlain will be a lot better than what he showed last night, in the first inning particularly. That said, he did leave with a lead until the mostly unhittable to that point Edwar Ramirez couldn't get anyone out...since 1996, the Detroit Red Wings are 12-0 in Game 6's where they hold a 3-2 lead. Here's hoping tonight they make it 13-0...one French Open semi will see Rafael Nadal face Novak Djokovic. I hope Novak drops his Nadal impression on Nadal and pounds him to a pulp. Oh, that sound you just heard was a pile of Croatian readers jaws hitting the floor, wondering who has taken over my keyboard...the Leafs have offered Ron Wilson their head coaching job. Why do I pray that he turns it down? It really is time that I sell my hockey allegiance on eBay. The Leafs are such a joke...TSN has a Euro 2008 Power Ranking up. Italy ranks top, followed by Germany and France...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 - How's Henry Gonna Feed His Kids Now?

Sure, the Pens may have got a stay of execution with a triple overtime win, but the way they were dominated, they're still heading one place and one place only. Hint: it won't include names being engraved anywhere...I've read a lot of great quotes from Sir Charles Barkley but hands down stumbled across my fav last night: "I once read that heavy drinking is bad for your health. I decided I better stop reading"...Roy Halladay is on pace for 16 complete games. Nobody has had more than 15 since 1987 when Roger Clemens did it...big loss for Italy just days ahead of Euro 2008 as all-world defender Fabio Cannavaro is out with an ankle injury...I don't care how well David Beckham plays, England considering giving him back the captaincy full time is a terrible idea. He's the biggest symbol of their past, and counting on him at age 33 is a sure sign England hasn't moved from the star system that has cost them dearly in recent years...good of all the Canadian sports networks to give Toronto FC plenty of exposure, but maybe giving scores and hilites of other games would be a good idea, and only increase ratings for games as people learn about some of the other teams and players out there. It is hardly rocket surgery...no need to worry about T.O.'s contract with the Cowboys being an issue. He's just signed a huge extension...speaking of the Cowboys, Pacman Jones has been given partial clearance to resume playing - meaning he's good to go for practices and pre-season games. Keep your nose clean, Pacman...how dare the Denver Broncos question the commitment of Travis Henry and release him. Any man that has that many kids (9) in that many states (7) with that many women (9) is clearly committed, and potent....the Spelling Bee sure was funny for one moment...somebody stole Kurt Cobain's ashes? A seat in a private box in hell right next to Adolf Hitler for you...

Monday, June 2nd, 2008 - Lady Looks Like A Dude

Looking at Serena Williams, I can only think of one song: "Dude Looks Like A Lady". Or, vice-versa...hard to believe that even though Vernon Wells has been out since May 9th, he continues to lead the Jays in RBIs...the Mets have given up more runs than scored the last 162 games...sounds like Manchester United owners, the Glazers, have other ideas for Real Madrid if they intend to chase Cristiano Ronaldo, and if he intends to want to leave. They'll let him sit in the stands and collect his contract before caving. God bless those trailer park developers!...one unnamed AL GM told Sport Illustrated a few weeks back, "besides A-Rod, (Jorge) Posada is the most valuable Yankee." Said second most valuable Yankee returns this week...fight of the weekend: Urijah Faber downing Jens Pulver in a WEC event. Five rounds of great action...looking forward to Niklas Lidstrom putting this "a European captain will never win the Stanley Cup" thing to rest, another weak Cherryism gone by the wayside. The Wings will also be the first team with half their roster to be European to win the Cup...watch out for Cincinnati Red Jay Bruce. He's gonna be a star...Chipper Jones is hitting .405...Rafael Nadal is 25-0 at Roland Garros...June 1st, 2008 is the first time the Cubs have had the top record in MLB on June 1st since 1908, also the last year they won the World Series...a vehicle belonging to Bills running back Marshawn Lynch was involved in a hit and run in downtown Buffalo. Not good...could the Leafs actually be close to making a move in hiring Ron Wilson to coach? Other stories have Cliff Fletcher holding the GM role through the 2008/9 season...have a great Monday.

Sunday, June 1st, 2008 - TFC!

"Heard ya missed us, we're back!"...good to see the fantastic E:60, an ESPN production, finally getting a regular slot on TSN. The Miguel Tejada and Mike Tyson stories were fantastic...if you caught Soccer Day in Canada, you'd have caught yours truly mugging behind Scott Russell. That lead into a thorough clinic on the LA Galaxy, as predicted here yesterday morning, and another TFC win. 2-0 for the good guys...guess this Stanley Cup final answers the "Crosby vs. Malkin" debate. The Pens must be wondering where Ev-goni went. Hey, TFC has as many goals in two games as the Pens do in four. Hope the Detoilet police are on alert, there's gonna be a whole lot of riotting going on tomorrow around 11pm...Jason Taylor has set a presser for 11:30 on Sunday AM. It's assumed he's announcing his days in Dolphins colours are done...Usian Bolt is the new 100 metre World Record holder after ripping off a 9.72. You can expect a Ben Johnson announcement any moment now that he can beat that time, along with declaring that Bolt is a "Cheetah" drinker...how did Angels manager Mike Scioscia manage to argue with the ump for at least four minutes last night, and not calmly at that, and not get tossed?...former WWE stud Bobby Lashley is following Brock Lesnar's footsteps into mixed marshal arts...Canada managed to put two past the Brazilian national side in a 3-2 loss. Not a bad result, and before the would-be soccer experts pretend Brazil sent nobody to play, be sure to note they fielded seven players who played for them in the last World Cup...Canada's men's national team also managed to score twice as many as the Pens did last night...Manny Ramirez finally hit homer #500 last night. Knowing Manny, he'll likely hit about seven this week with the pressure off. Next up on the milestone map is Ken Griffey Jr., ready to launch #600...Kimbo Slice laid the beats down on James Thompson - look at his ear in that picture! - on CBS last night. Anybody else think that UFC's hasty Chuck Lidell special that airing opposite the card on SpikeTV was a sign that Dana White isn't exactly unconcerned?...have a great Sunday.