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.

Papelbon-ehead

Had a friendly debate over Joba Chamberlain recently, with the other side thinking he's best suited to the pen. My side? Here is all I ask of them: prove to me that 200 innings is fewer than 70 and we can talk. Your best pitchers should be aiming for 600+ outs, not 210. It is not really complicated. You know who would make a good pinch hitter? Albert Pujols, he’s a really good hitter. But you want him up four times, not once, no? How is that different?...the one thing you knew for certain about Terrell Owens move to Buffalo: James Hardy was going to give up his #81, and he did...Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez might want to be careful what he wishes for in saying they're getting Manchester United at a good time tomorrow. Recall, of course, that Inter Milan skipper Jose Mourinho said he wanted United when the Champions League draw went a few weeks back, and we know how that turned out. Kickoff is 8:40 tomorrow on Setanta...the United Football League is starting operations this fall with a contract on Versus. How's that for an association, Gary Bettman?...Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon went off about how Manny Ramirez had to go because he was a distraction. Because talking about last August isn't a distraction, of course. Papelbon also likened Manny to cancer. I'm sure teammate Jon Lester, a cancer survivor, appreciates that...as enthused as I am for the coming Toronto FC season, I'm the polar opposite when it comes to their new unis. Fugly...Charles Barkley says he's driven drunk at least 100 times a year. Is there anything this guy doesn't do to excess?...sad news for RandoMango. After 334 consecutive days posting, your faithful blogger is putting down his proverbial pen, until Monday that is. Moving over the next couple days and will be largely unplugged from the sports world and the interweb. Have a great few days.

PTP

Tonight, we're playing Pitt in college hoops at -4. Easy.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Maybe "committment" means something else in Beckham's world?

David Beckham says he's very much committed to MLS. Right, because what says "committed" more than trying to engineer a move to AC Milan permanently. Then again, he probably thought that sleeping with his assistant while he was in his early days in Spain was showing his commitment to his wife. What is old is new again. Milan will play a friendly in LA as part of the deal to keep Beckham until June. That game is set for July 19th..if you can figure out why the New York Rangers were awarded a 17th round compensitory pick because Alexei Cherapanov died this year, I'd love to hear it. If that is the case, the Maple Leafs should be looking for a bunch of compensatory picks for some of the deadwood they've drafted over the years...ahead of what could be the final nail in the coffin for Liverpool's EPL hopes this year, manager Rafa Benitez is talking some big junk and saying his team will go in and win at Manchester United's home Old Trafford. Don't take his advice, people. Man U wins this one tomorrow...if you haven't heard how Terrell Owens release from the Dallas Cowboys was delivered by Jerry Jones, you might want to read this. Almost plays like a break-up of sorts...there is growing talk that the big name NBA free agents of 2010 - LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh - are more likely to re-sign and extend their deals with their current teams this summer than before thanks to the economic crisis causing a drop in the salary cap and limiting how much another team could offer moreso than even in the past...Peyton Manning and the Manning family were honoured in their home state of Mississippi on Tuesday with Manning Day. Shame Peyton wasn't around. He was busy golfing with Tiger Woods that day. Stay classy, Peyton...the notion that Brian McNamee injected Roger Clemens at Yankee Stadium in 2001 is hardly a revelation. Considering the time those guys spend at the ballpark, odds are...Terrell Owens has more receiving touchdowns the last two years than do the Buffalo Bills combined...it wasn't always pretty, but the goals sure were as Manchester United downed Inter Milan 2-0 to take their round of 16 game. Also advancing: Barcelona, Arsenal via the dreaded shootout, and Porto...have a great day.

Dominican't

So, about the idea that Real Madrid is a soccer power in Europe? Nevermind. Liverpool were never threatened by the Spanish side in yesterdays second leg of their Champions League round of 16 game, taking Real apart with stunning ease 4-0, and it wasn't even that close. Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard were beasts all game. Why Cristiano Ronaldo would contemplate leaving Manchester United for that outfit is beyond me. Real is likely heading toward another coaching change and more roster turmoil. Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Villareal also advanced to the final eight..SI.com's Peter King, between sips of Starbucks, figures Arizona Cardinal Anquan Boldin will be a Philadelphia Eagle or New York Giant before July hits. As a Cowboy fan, at least the Redskins will always suck...Koko B. Ware is going into the WWE Hall of Fame? Who is next, The Berzerker?...Carlos Marmol came on to close out Holland and the Dutch proved too much and downed the Dominican 2-1 in 12 innings. Anybody else think that he's going to get the Andreas Escobar treatment when he goes home to the D.R.?...it didn't take long for the conspiracy theorists to figure A-Rod's sudden hip injury and surgery is merely cover for an MLB suspension...since November 28th, the New York Isles are 1-19-2 on the road. The 1980's must seem decades ago. Forgive me while I channel Yogi Berra...among the many interesting points in Declan Hill's book "The Fix" - a look at the extent to which soccer is fixed in the gambling world - is a revelation that some bookmakers in Russia stopped taking bets on the NHL in the 1990's, such was the level of fixing going on there with Russian players in particular. At the time, there were rumblings of "protection money" being extorted from Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny, but I don't recall gambling ever being brought up...Bret Hart once gave Vince McMahon a clothesline in a strip joint. True story. By the way, if you've never read Hart's bio "Hitman", do yourself a favor and start now...in Champions League action today, it doesn't get any bigger than Inter Milan at Manchester United. Also a big one in Rome, as Arsenal travel to face AS Roma. Again, I feel a strange fever coming over me today at the office around 3pm...Adam "Pacman" Jones has a new job, but it isn't in the NFL. He's on the terrible show "Pros vs. Joes", which led to this awesome email to Jim Rome: "Dear Jim, is Pacman a 'Pro' or a 'Joe'?"...line of the day from Gary Loewen at the Toronto Sun: "the NBA Development League is being innovative by allowing its three division winners to choose their first-round playoff opponents. No Raptors jokes here, please"...finally on my 10th listen, I figured out what Quinton "Rampage" Jackson screamed into the mic as he and champion Rashad Evans faced off in the ring after Jackson's win over Keith Jardine to hype their fight down the road: "there's gonna be some black on black crime." Amazing. Love me some Rampage...have a great Wednesday, back later with your PTP.

Carbo-no

Not sure what kind of mental midget you'd have to be to update your Facebook status to say that your employer is "retarted", but that is exactly what one Philadelphia Eagles employee did after the team let Brian Dawkins go and sign with the Denver Broncos. Oh, did I say "employee"? I meant "former" employee. He was let go...Vladimir Guerrero is merely the latest Dominican to let his real age slip after years of advertising that he was younger, admitting he's 34, not 33 as he declared when he signed in the majors. Seeing Vladi move, I can confidently say his knees are at least double that...a couple co-workers tipped me off to a website that, well, it is called thisiswhyyourefat.com. Enough said...in something of a shocker, the Montreal Canadiens pulled the plug on coach Guy Carbonneau and General Manager Bob Gainey is taking over. Guess when the heat is on in your 100th year and your own future in the organization is in question, you may as well take the reigns behind the bench and sink or swim with your own team...a good friend of mine - and TFC season ticket holder - is looking for votes in the "Weekend Wonders" competition by 4-4-2 magazine. Click this link and click on the stars of Anthony Middleton to give him a vote. The winner gets a full set of uniforms, and Middleton donates them to local schools, a pretty noble cause in my book. Vote as often as you wish...as a result of the time change in North America - but not Europe - all the Champions League action in the Round of 16 over the next two days will start at 3:45pm. The focal points today will be Turin where Juventus host Chelsea. Hard to imagine Juve plays as poorly as they did in London, and they'll need a 2-0 win to advance in 90 minutes. Michael Essien returns from a knee injury for Chelsea, and could start. Also, Real Madrid travel to Liverpool needing at least a victory to balance out the 1-0 home loss two weeks back. Should be fantastic stuff...so, what is worse: Holland beating Dominican in the World Baseball Classic, or Canada getting punked at home to Italy?...so the geniuses that run the NHL have proposed new rules to prevent hits to the head, which are often judgment calls. Not judgment calls, or banned under the new proposal: hits to the head by fists. Smart. Nobody will clown you for that oversite, NHL...if you thought yesterday's photobombers were great, check out this fan of Atletico Bilbao - a Spanish soccer team - go off behind a reporter...why is it in the major leagues that players coming out of the dugout to celebrate runs is a no-no except for a walk off run, but in the World Baseball Classic it is acceptable? The reason, I'm sure: the usually lame "code" again. There's something endearing to seeing players, especially on the multi-millionaiire loaded U.S. team, celebrating in an event where they're paid next to nothing, or less...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.

Get your chicken wings ready!

For all my Buffalo Bills friends - and there are many - it is going to be an immense pleasure watching them cheer on Terrell Owens after hearing them kill him over the years as he signed a one year deal there. For a guy like that, as with others like Manny Ramirez or AJ Burnett, a one year deal is an absolute masterstroke. He'll stay motivated, in line, and if not, the risk is minimized. That said, Sportsbybrooks gives four reasons why signing T.O. is a terrell-ible move for Buffalo..if you hear that Holland beat the Dominican at something, you have to assume soccer or speed skating or any number of sports. But baseball? No. Yet the Dutch proved too much for the Dominican's and downed them 3-2. Good thing A-Rod wasn't playing for the Dominicans, he'd have had to take all the heat I'm sure...Dallas Cowboy Marion Barber made a rare public comment, this to defend Terrell Owens. I don't hear anybody taking up for Tony Romo...how does Canada play at home in the World Baseball Classic, with very reasonably priced tickets, and it doesn't sell out? In Montreal, the building is packed, no question...two weeks from today, you will wake up to read RandoMango to confirm that Toronto FC did indeed win their opening game at Kansas City on the road the night prior...Chelsea and Manchester United advanced in FA Cup play yesterday. Chelsea downed Coventry City 2-0, while United crushed Fulham 4-0...meantime, Jose Mourinho is again talking about potentially being United's next manager. There's a lot to like about Mourinho, especially his personality and resume, but his oftentimes skill killing defensive aproach isn't among those things...if A-Rod is merely out 6-9 weeks after his surgery on his hip, wise move getting that done now...at UFC96, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson proved he's well on the comeback trail, with a decision over Keith Jardine. Cannot wait to see Jackson back on top, where he will end up soon...finally a deal in the ongoing David Beckham drama, and he'll stay with AC Milan until the conclusion of the season and return to LA Galaxy in July. My scalping possibilities aren't liking that with Galaxy set for a trip to Toronto earlier in the year...back with your PTP later today...have a great day.

More drunks

With the growth of international events, almost feels like UFC is becoming a weekly thing. Tonight, "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine faces Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC96. As a fine service from RM to you, check out mmahacks.com if you're looking to watch from the comfort of your PC, free...hot on the heels of yesterday's photos of drunken athletes comes word that Chelsea's John Terry and Ashley Cole are in hot water with manager Guus Hiddink after Cole was arrested after a drunken night out with Terry in London...and speaking of athletes drinking - still - good to hear former NFLer Brian Bosworth was busted for driving under the influence. On his Harley...limited EPL schedule this weekend with the FA Cup fifth round on the go...Canada hosts the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic today at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Meaningful baseball has returned, spring is here again...Dwayne Wade is making a hell of a case to be in the MVP conversation this year after dumping in another 42 in a Miami Heat win over the Toronto Raptors...an SI.com poll of NBA players had 45% of players call San Antonio Spur Bruce Bowen the most annoying defensive player - a compliment, obviously. Here's guessing a poll of favorite defensive player would see Josee Caleron rated tops among competitors...Carey Price finally had a strong game in goal for the Montreal Canadiens, but remains winless in eight. The Habs have scored 1 goal in the last 8 periods of play...sometimes NHLer Steve Downie must be insane. How else do you explain a guy who slashes a linesman? Video here...Frank Mir is out of UFC98 due to injury, so no rematch with Brock Lesnar unfortunately...check out this great history of Shaq's emasculations of other players and coaches over the years. So good...have a great Saturday, don't forget to vote in the poll at the top right.

PTP

Sorry for the delay. Your 4th straight winner is Denver +9 -103. Enjoy.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

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.

Streeters Revenge

If you're a pro athlete who has cheated on your spouse, fathered multiple children out of wedlock, not paid taxes, used drugs or any kind, committed armed robbery or any other crime, were once female but now male, killed anybody human or animal, today is your day to come clean because nobody will care. If you're a pro franchise, today is the day to increase ticket and beer prices, move the team if you so desire, and trade your star player because nobody will notice. Why? Because Terrell Owens has been cut by the Dallas Cowboys, and that is all you're going to hear about. Fire up the circus music, you've got your cover now for at least a couple days. It'll be interesting to hear what comes out of T.O.'s mouth now...the New England Patriots have four picks in the first 58 of the upcoming draft, cap space and just signed a very motivated Fred Taylor on the cheap. Seriously, when was the last time they were in bad shape in any way?...Warning: the following constitutes The Best Thing Ever. If you're not interested in seeing the height of human achievement, skip this section. Remember that prank that got pulled on Streeter at College Humor.com at Yankee Stadium in 2007? All-time hilarious, that one was, and be sure to click that link for a view if you need a refresher of have never seen it before you move on. Anyways, Streeter arranged his revenge, and hooked his boy Amir into thinking the half-time shot he was taking - and hit - paid $500k. Beautiful. Must see stuff that should be on every news channel...so much for Ray Lewis and Kurt Warner shopping around in free agency, both are staying with their current teams...the NHL trade deadline came and went and there wasn't many deals of consequence. The Calgary Flames look like they came out the winners of the day in landing Olli Jokinen and Jordan Leopold, most notably. The Edmonton Oilers took the most interesting shot of the day in landing Patrick O'Sullivan. The Toronto Maple Leafs had to view the day as a letdown after only landing a couple second rounders for Dominic Moore (to Buffalo) and Nik Antropov (New York Rangers). And as is seeming deadline tradition, Bill Guerin was dealt again, this time to Boston. Mostly yawn inducing, though I'm sure Pierre Macguire is still waxing on about the significance of the most minute details...another PTP winner last night. The NCAA has been exceedingly kind to date. May need to ride that for a bit like I did the NBA last month during a hot streak. Back with your pick later. Have a great Thursday.

Manny in or Manny out?

Finally the LA Dodgers and Manny Ramirez have gotten together and completed a two year, $45 million deal it appears, though ESPN.com reported it a done deal briefly last night before pulling back. Safe to assume that when Scott Boras pushed him to jump agencies over to him and opt out that he promised him a lot more than that when he was slated to pick up $40 million if he stayed with the Boston Red Sox...the World Baseball Classic is about to take another hit if the talk of there being a cyst in A-Rod's hip is accurate, as shown in a weekend exam. Maybe A-Rod is going the Jason Giambi route? First apologize, albeit with far greater detail than Giambi ever gave. Second, get some kind of mystery medical problem. Third step is to come back and kill the ball. Fourth, grow a moustache. Somehow, I think the latter would be impossible for A-Rod. Word is a cyst isn't a serious problem - just a bruise on bone - but will give the Yankees a good reason to pull A-Rod out of the WBC..tickets for the Tampa Bay Lightening can be had for $239. For the season. That's right, for $5.67 per game, you can get a seat in the upper bowl. Incredible value. And it isn't like only a handful of tickets are going at that rate - 20% of the arena is available at that price...the Seattle Sounders - the latest addition to MLS - are capping season tickets at 22,000 and will average north of 30,000 in their 32,000 configured Q-West Field...Chris Jericho could be the best heel in the history of wrestling...Andruw Jones is not exactly coming back hard after last year's terrible season: 1 for 9, 8 strikeouts...Manchester United's Darren Fletcher played last week's Champions League game hours after finding out his house in Manchester had been broken into while he was gone, and his fiancee threatened by a knife. He's the 14th player from Manchester or Liverpool - the cities and their four teams to be robbed this year while away...Nickelback's Chad Kroeger has a hockey rink in his basement big enough for three on three. Not a fan of them, but that's pretty freaking cool...the NHL Trade Deadline will be the talk of the day no doubt. Here's a look at some of the rumours overnight...tight PTP winner last night. Also had a narrow cover in the Houston Rockets as well. A sign of good things to come? Let's hope! Back with your pick later.

CB4 = RuPaul?

Shaquille O'Neal dubbing Chris Bosh the RuPaul of the NBA might be the funniest thing in a string of funny from Shaq. Not sure if it was the hair, the cheekbones or his occasionally soft game that set off Shaq, but that's good stuff. Bosh best not fire back, nobody wins a war of words with Shaq...with the next round of the FA Cup on the go in England this weekend, the English Premier League will resume its hectic schedule with a full slate of games the next two days...Manchester United is said to be eying Bayern Munich's French star Franck Ribery as a replacement should Cristiano Ronaldo leave to Real Madrid this summer. Not sure you could fully replace CR7, but Ribery is an awesome player...any team that is willing to pay Kurt Warner $14 million per season - like the San Francisco 49ers are said to be - will live to regret that move...GBVH looked into tickets for Saturday's World Baseball Classic game in Toronto where Canada will host the United States. Plenty of good seats in the 100 level can be had. Guess when the media is covering who isn't playing more than who is, you've got a problem...the New England Patriots could have had the 12th overall pick for Matt Cassel but instead went for the 33rd overall pick. Make of this what you will, but sure seems more than a bit odd...Bill Simmons (aka "The Sports Guy") at ESPN Page 2 mentioned this came out at the NBA all-star game in Phoenix: "of all the wildest predictions I heard in Phoenix, the craziest came from a connected executive who predicted that fifteen NHL teams would go under within the next two years (and was dead serious)." I'm sure Gary Bettman will say that it isn't nearly that bad, and is only 12. Thanks to TS for that link...the latest, and likely final, word on David Beckham is he'll stay with AC Milan through the end of the season in May and then immediately return to play for the LA Galaxy in MLS. That's a lot of miles to put on his legs...have a great day, we'll look to get off the schneid on the PTP later today.

Prime Time Picks - February

• Feb. 28 - Liverpool -110 (14-14, +$117) (28-30-1, -$154) - L
• Feb. 27 - NY Knicks -2.5 -110 (14-13, +$217) (28-29-1, -$54) - L
• Feb. 26 - Louisiana Tech -2.5 -105 (14-12, +$337) (28-28-1, +$56) - W
• Feb. 25 - Boston Celtics/LA Clippers U 199.5 -107 (13-12, +$237) (27-28-1, -$44) - W
• Feb. 24 - Phoenix Suns -7 -105 (12-12, +$137) (26-28-1, -$144) - W
• Feb. 23 - NJ Nets U 192.5 -105 (11-12, +$37) (25-18-1, -$244) - L
• Feb. 22 - Liverpool -1 +109 (11-11, +$142) (25-27-1, -$139) - L
• Feb. 21 - Vancouver Canucks -1.5 +178 (11-10, +$242) (25-26-1, -$39) - L
• Feb. 20 - Phoenix Suns/Oklahoma City U 231 -108 (11-9, +$351) (25-25-1, +$69) - L
• Feb. 19 - Columbus Blue Jackets -0.5 +139 (11-8, +$459) (25-24-1, +$177) - L
• Feb. 18 - Manchester United -1.5 -121 (11-7, +$559) (25-23-1, +$277) - W
• Feb. 17 - Orlando Magic -8.5 -105 (10-7, +$459) (24-23-1, +$177) - L
• Feb. 16 - Ottawa Sens/Colorado Avs O 5.5 -120 (10-6, +$579) (24-22-1, +$297) - L
• Feb. 15 - Anaheim Ducks -1.5 +139 (10-5, +$679) (24-21-1 +$397) - L
• Feb. 14 - Pittsburgh Penguins -0.5 +118 (10-4, +$779) (24-20-1, +$497) - L
• Feb. 13 - Montreal Canadiens -1.5 +275 (10-3, +$879) (24-19-1, +$597) - W
• Feb. 12 - Vancouver Canucks -0.5 +117 (9-3, +604) (23-19-1, +$322) - W
• Feb. 11 - Denver/Orlando U 209.5 +102 (8-3, +$487) (22-19-1, +$215) - W
• Feb. 10 - Cleveland Cavs -6.5 -105 (7-3, +$385) (21-19-1, +$113) - L
• Feb. 9 - Houston/Milwaukee O 195 -105 (7-2, +$490) (21-18-1, +$218) - W
• Feb. 8 - Man United -0.5 -155 (6-2, +$390) (20-18-1, +$118) - W
• Feb. 7 - Aston Villa Pk -119 (5-2, +$290) (19-18-1, +$18) - W
• Feb. 6 - Portland/OKC U 199 -107 (4-2, +$190) (18-18-1, -$82) - W
• Feb. 5 - LA Lakers +7 -109 (3-2, +$90) (17-18-1, -$182) - W
• Feb. 4 - Orlando Magic -13 -105 (2-2, -$10) (16-18-1, -$282) - W
• Feb. 3 - Boston Celtics/Philly 76ers U 191.5 +100 (1-2, -$105) (15-18-1, -$382) - L
• Feb. 2 - Dallas Mavs/Orlando Magic U 208 (1-1, -$5) (15-17-1, -$282) - W
• Feb. 1 - Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 -105 (0-1, $-105) (14-17-1, -$382) - L

Sour Grapes

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

RM returns this afternoon...

Carling Cup Final

Another four games go in the English Premier League today in a light schedule overall. No real tricky fixtures for the top teams today. The big match of the day comes with the Carling Cup Final (10am, Setanta Sports) as Manchester United looks to grab the first of up to four trophies this year when they face the schedule challenged Tottenham Hotspur, who are in the midst of a brutal 7 games in 17 days stretch. I think United wins this one comfortably, and they're the PTP of the day on a split line of -0.5 -1 +100...if you're at all like me, you'll never, ever tire of Mike Tyson moments...here's a piece of the Joe Torre/Tom Verducci book on then-Texas Rangers pitcher Rick Helling, who warned the union about the use of steroids back in 1998 and ultimately was ignored. Pretty interesting stuff that says a lot about the mindset at the time, and it isn't a stretch to read between the lines and figure out that the majority were using something at the time, such was the environment...Tony Romo's comfort in Dallas - or as this author puts it, "lack of accountability" - is being aided and abetted by Jerry Jones. Starting to feel more like a Brett Favre thing, and you can imagine how I'm feeling about that given my disdain for Favre...after Friday's "I need another word for 'vagina'" thing, here's a bit on 50 words women really hate...have a great Sunday.

Montreal!

Your faithful blogger is in Montreal today to take in the Canadiens hosting the San Jose Sharks. No rooting interest in this one really, and even pulling for guys I have in my franchise pool like Carey Price, Joe Thornton or Ryan Clowe is against the point with my team out of the running and being in full "operation shutdown" mode to try to finish in the basement to nab John Tavares. Prediction? Heavy intoxication...following up on last week's tennis story, in which an Israeli player was not permitted into the United Arab Emirates because they were Israeli, Andy Roddick pulled out of the men's tourney in protest. Well done, Roddick. No word if Novak Djokovic is pulling out, but that is his thing, after all, so it could be for a variety of reasons...with WrestleMania a little over a month away, how about a look at the 1980's where it all started? Here's the golden age of wrestling...here's a look at the Top 10 Most Embarrassing Sports Records. This list starts strong, and stays that way...MMA-er Gina Carano is in the latest issue of Maxim. How can you be in the fight game, as well as American Gladiators as "Crush", and still look this damn good?...your PTP for today goes this morning in the EPL. Playing Liverpool at -131 today. Yes, a little more juice than we're used to giving but Liverpool must win, but Boro isn't much of a tall task for a team that has to win to retain hope of taking the EPL crown. Good luck, have a great Saturday.

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.

Real Stunned

With Steven Gerrard out and Fernando Torres on the bench for the second half due to injury, you'd think that Liverpool wouldn't win at Real Madrid? Win they did, hard as it may be to believe. Also winners were Chelsea against a surprisingly flat Juventus squad, and Bayern Munich who flattened Sporting Lisbon 5-0 on the road. Villareal and Panathanaikos drew...one week until NHL Trade Deadline day. Expect far more discussion than actual activity of consequence. The Ottawa Senators are going to look to move any unrestricted free agents, including Filip Kuba and Chris Neil, and it ought to be an interesting week as Brian Burke looks to move virtually everyone from the Toronto Maple Leafs...it only took two at-bats, the first a walk, for A-Rod to go yard in the New York Yankees first Grapefruit League game. There will be no referencing wins and losses in Spring Training as that is entirely irrelevant...John Tortorella has a rule about not stepping on the team logo for his New York Rangers. Scott Gomez hasn't stepped across the logo on the ice at Madison Square Garden or elsewhere all season...Jerry Jones is musing on a Super Bowl at his new stadium with 125,000 fans in attendance, and talking of how he can get to that number by removing the arm rests in parts of the stadium to get more people in. After all, when you think of paying ridiculous ticket prices for the Super Bowl, why would you assume you've got the luxury of arm rests?...The LA Lakers are 29-2 when Kobe Bryant scores 29 or less, 18-8 when he goes north of that number...Scott Clemenssen carried the New Jersey Devils in goal with Martin Brodeur out, but is now back to the AHL with Brodeur coming back. Life is not always fair, clearly. How is he not dangled at the deadline?...a nice and easy under last night in the Boston Celtics/LA Clippers game. Here's hoping the ship has been righted...have a great Thursday, back with your PTP later today.

3:22pm UPDATE: Going off the beaten path with a limited NBA board, and not happy with how the NHL has gone of late and playing an NCAA hoops pick. Play Louisiana Tech -2.5 tonight. Good luck!

The Cobra Kai open Grapefruit League play today

There's nothing like baseball injuries, as I've often said. Check out the latest in the picture at the right. Nice work, Tatis. Insert your joke in the commentary section as you will...
Manchester United is now unbeaten in a record 20 Champion's League games after their draw at Inter Milan yesterday, a game they thoroughly dominated. Inter manager Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in home games since February 2002, a streak extending across stints with FC Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan. Mourinho didn't stick around to shake hands after the game, but picked up a $600 bottle of wine to share with Man U manager Sir Alex Ferguson after the second leg in a couple weeks..ESPN's Bill Simmons called the New York Yankees the "Cobra Kai" of baseball. That is far more clever than Evil Empire. If you aren't picking up the reference, check this out...the Detroit Pistons were 4-0 when they made the deal for Allen Iverson. Since, they are 23-28, the first time they've gone sub-.500 over a 50 game stretch since 2000-'01. Now, it is hardly all Iverson's doing, but no doubt losing Chauncey Billups has hurt that teams mojo. Bet heavily on Iverson not being re-signed this summer. Wonder if A.I.'s new haircut is to soften his image for free agency?...Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware isn't worried about gag orders: he says Ray Lewis told him his dream is to play for the Cowboys. Jerry Jones best be listening with those pinned back ears of his...Chelsea host Juventus and Liverpool travel to face Real Madrid in today's headline matchups. Really like Real Madrid to knock off Liverpool. Speaking of the 'pool, you can no longer place wagers on whether manager Rafa Benitez will leave through quitting or firing after this season when huge wagers came in on the "he's gone" side that took the odds from 20-1 to even money. Translation: he's gone...was very interesting to see Toronto Raptors coach berating point guard Josee Calderon to pick up the pace and get the ball across centre quicker. Caleron is to flow and speed what snow shoes are to surfing...shame on me for missing that those coach killers the Toronto Maple Leafs cost another opposing coach his job. First it was the Pittsburgh Penguins Michel Terrien a few weeks back, and on Monday, it was the New York Rangers Tom Renney. That's the price of losing to a team almost entirely lacking talent...Toronto FC added a stud defender, and a Canadian no less. Adrian Serioux is going to be a fan fav at BMO Field for sure. He's the guy who famously drilled David Beckham early in his stint at MLS and when Beckham protested, coldly replied "welcome to the MLS". TFC is going to the playoffs this year, I guarantee it...back with your PTP later.

PTP

Your pick tonight is the Phoenix Suns -7 -105. Good luck.

Champions League Dream Matchups

If the New York Rangers were comfortable under coach Tom Renney, that is about to change dramatically now that Renney is out and been replaced by John Tortorella, who ought to be a hit in New York. How has Pat Quinn been overlooked again? Makes no sense, when the Rangers are scoring a league low 2.33 goals a game and Quinn is an offense-first, offense-second coach...spring must be around the corner if Vernon Wells is battling injury again. Jon Heyman at Sports Illustrated notes V-Dub became a lot less durable after signing for $126 million...now comes word that the Jerry Jones issued gag order doesn't just apply to the coaching staff, but also the players. In response, Tony Romo issued a final press release saying "I don't see what the big deal is, I've been gagging since December, and every December."...if you're ever going to "develop a fever", today at about 2pm is a good time, especially if you can have it carry you through tomorrow. The next two days you'll see some of the best Champions League action of the year with such high profile matchups today as Manchester United at Inter Milan and Arsenal at AS Roma. Man U is minus stud defender Nemanja Vidic - best in the world in my book - through suspension. Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is hilarious - even when he loses, he claims to have been responsible for the other team rising up. His latest claim is his success at Chelsea caused United to step their game up. More and more, he's my fav quote in sports, up there with Charles Barkley. There's nothing he won't say...I haven't a clue what to make of this Randy Johnson tale - whether it is real or fake, but the story and the voice telling it are sure creepy...how do you define "fantasmagoric"? This save by the Dallas Stars Marty Turco, apparently...I've never understood why newspapers print spring training schedules or keep standings, but guess it is baseball, and data is never in short supply. Jacked for games to get started...the Toronto Maple Leafs are a team in the gutter, GM Brian Burke is talking openly about how they'll likely be there for at least another season, and payroll is down. How then do you explain hiking ticket prices 3.5% for next season?...this PTP thing is starting to wear on me again. Seemed so easy earlier in the month. I shall return! And return later today, I shall...have a great Tuesday.

PTP

Sorry for the lateness but still plenty of time to get your play in. Tonight's play is New Jersey Under 192.5 -105. Good luck!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Shut it, Sid

Jerry Jones once again is saying the information about Terrell Owens being released is "misinformed". Nice touch dropping a gag order on your coaching staff too, Double J. That'll do wonders for the perception Wade Phillips is merely your puppet...the Toronto Raptors must be wondering how it is possible Shawn Marion grabs 15 boards in a game. For most of them lightweights, that's a good week's worth of games...are the Oscar's done yet? After Saturday's Spirit Awards, even if Mickey Rourke won the Oscar for best actor, my bet is they changed it after seeing this incredible speech. Honestly, if award shows were like this, they'd be worth seeing. Not for young ears!...PGA ticket sales and TV ratings have been down significantly since Tiger Woods went out. Guessing the PGA and the sponsors will be glad to have Eldrick back this week...Marvin Harrison is said to be ready to ask the Indianapolis Colts for his release. This is what is commonly referred to as a "face saving measure" when you're about to be cut...the Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby feud took a great step up yesterday as a chirping Crosby received a nice wave goodbye from Ovechkin in a 5-2 Caps win. The talk continued post-game where Ovechkin, like most of the NHL it seems, cracked Crosby for his constant whining, and Crosby said he didn't like Ovechkin's style. What Alexander The Great failed to mention was that the Pittsburgh Penguins might be the first team to have the top two in scoring players on the defending conference champions to not make the playoffs the year following. That would've been real good. Shut your mouth, Sid...the off-the-record talk in Montreal says there is rampant drug use and prostitute use in the Montreal Canadiens camp, says Gabe Morency at Drive This, a guy with deep ties in Montreal...it is pretty funny that all this talk of how certain Habs - Chris Higgins and Carey Price most notably - are partying a bit much comes around when the team is struggling. One thing for certain: they are partying no more or less than they were than earlier in the year when they were tearing the league up but it becomes an issue when the team is losing and some stop turning a blind eye and look to stir the pot...still minus internet service thanks to those D-Bags at Rogers who are showing their ineptness extends beyond baseball. Fortunately, have access at the office...back later with a crucial PTP...wanna hear what senility sounds like? Check out Don Cherry on Saturday night. Interesting comment at 6:39, too...have a great Monday.

Damn you, Rogers!

Thanks to the fine folks at Rogers who took "I'm moving on March 13th" to mean "disconnect my stuff now", I'm internetless for the time being so a bare bones RandoMango it is today...the NCAA is looking at a rule change in football that would see taunting after a touchdown cost the team that scored that very touchdown. That might be the mose ridiculous rule idea I've ever heard in sport. I want to crack that Florida, Miami and USC would never score again but am more stunned that they're even contemplating it...the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to get good in a hurry. They've got a young stud in Kevin Durant to build around, and in the next two years, have five first round draft picks...as hot as the PTP was, it is cold this week. Almost following the weather patterns. 0-5 going against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Weird...couldn't have scripted it better for the meathead Leafs fans who have gone with the lame "Mats Sundin isn't a leader" garbage or questioning his talent over the years to see the Leafs lose in a shootout with the former captain delivering the death blow on the final shot. Beautiful. More impressive was the ovation Sundin received in the first frame...UFC95 had some fantastic finishes, Nate Marquardt's in particular in which he hit Wilson Gouviea from a half dozen angles in a few seconds. Diego Sanchez was a worthy winner over Joe Stevenson in the main event...the Toronto Raptors? You're dead to me...GBVH made an eye-popping comment last night: Toronto FC is but a month from opening the season at Kansas City. That has to mean it is going to get warmer fast, right?...when an Israeli born player is barred from competing in the United Arab Emirates like was the case this week with Shahar Peer, what is Serena Williams, frequent speaker on racism, doing at the tourney?...finally the Toronto media is asking the question. Says Steve Simmons at the Toronto Sun: "Shawn Marion must appreciate what he doesn't have in Steve Nash every time he looks for a pass and Jose Calderon isn't moving the ball to the open forward. And we wonder: is Calderon the guard to play the up-tempo style Colangelo desires?" No, plainly and truthfully...wonder how smart JP Ricciardi feels now inking Vernon Wells to his contract when producers of equal value like Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu are pulling in fractions of his salary? Looked good at the time though, no?...with an inspired return yesterday, Alexei Kovalev got back in the good graces of Habs faithful, if not his coach and GM. He also became unofficially the first player to say he had a "hankering" to play...quick, get down on Liverpool -1 +109 for your PTP...have a great Sunday.