Saturday, August 30th, 2008 - RIP, Chad "Johnson"

Word is when Pacman Jones was reinstated, he was at a Hooter's. Go figure...Si.com's Jon Heyman takes a look at what ails the Yanks, and it almost reads like War and Peace. Robinson Cano takes a beating, including from one teammate (unnamed, of course). He raises one great point about A-Rod and that is that he's got better numbers than both David Ortiz and Man Ram this year, but takes all the heat in New York. Who is the captain, again?...Toronto FC travel to face Chivas USA tonight at 10:30 in the first end of a home and home series. Catch this one on Rogers SportsNet...Blue Jays colour man Rance Mulliniks on the Jays dropping a bunt last night: "good move on the Jays part bunting the runner over as they've struggled to score runs the last few games." If by "games", he means "years", then I agree...Carl Pavano gets warm applause coming to the mound but ARod gets booed. Figure that...the Chicago Cubs won their seventh straight to hold the best record in baseball. They are dynamite at home, and right now, my pick to win the World Series on the 100th anniversary of their last win...so, you think the Yankees would trade Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera for Johan Santana now?...Mike Weir shot a 61 to take the lead in a PGA event. Anybody want to wager this ends badly?...9 game EPL slate this weekend with Manchester United facing Zenit St. Petersburg in the Super Cup giving the Red Devils the week off. Tottenham is staring down an 0-3 start on the road at Chelsea...Chad Johnson legally changed his last name to Ocho Cinco. You can't make this stuff up...Calgary and Edmonton will co-host the World Junior hockey championships in the coming years, and Toronto is wondering why. Answer: you don't support junior hockey. Hell, you don't support anything that isn't Leafs hockey. Good of the Canadian Hockey Association for not pandering to the alleged centre of the hockey universe...have a great Saturday.

Friday, August 29th, 2008 - Pac is back!

Kenny Rogers isn't a fan of instant replay in baseball. Of course not. He is, after all, the guy who replay's busted for that "accidental" smudge on his hand in the playoffs a couple years back...BoSox pitcher Josh Beckett heard the four words you never want to hear if you're a pitcher: "visit Dr. James Andrews". If Beckett is out long term, and he's been scratched from his start tonight, the Sox will likely still make the playoffs, but I'd give them no chance of winning the World Series. Wonder if he thought the tingling in his fingers that serious when he woke up in Toronto a couple weeks ago or if he thought "hey, here's 'The Stranger'!"...NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has reinstated Adam "Pacman" Jones for the Dallas Cowboys. Now it is to Pacman to make that deal look like a steal for the 'boys...Isaac Bruce, now with the San Francisco 49ers, predicts that the 49ers will score 8 TD's in a game this year. Even with Joe Montana or Steve Young and Jerry Rice in their primes I'd wager that didn't happen. Bruce has suffered too many head injuries...the Champions League draw went yesterday and no group is more interesting than the one featuring UEFA Cup champion Zenit St. Petersburg of Russia, Italian powerhouse Juventus and Spanish champions Real Madrid, plus some Belarussian team that will get anihilated...is there anything worse in sports than Week 4 of the NFL pre-season? Bet the under...good of Carlos Ruiz to finally show up at Toronto FC's digs. The noted bad boy could be the anti-Christ for all I care, as long as he can hit the back of the net. TFC travel to face Chivas USA in L.A. tomorrow...Ana Ivanovic choked against the world's 188th ranked player. Suspect her reign as the world #1 will be really short if this is how she handles the pressure...here we go. Hank Steinbrenner is eyeing C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett for next year, the latter which I said was entirely likely to friends last night. Maybe he likes guys with initials?...Matt Stairs is now a Philadelphia Philly...have a great Friday.

Thursday, August 28th, 2008 - Merriman is a fool

That picture to the left is the best I've seen women's tennis #1 Anna Ivanovic look, and the best part? No lame, overdone fist pumps...the San Diego Chargers Shawne Merriman is saying "no" to knee surgery and going to play with a badly damaged knee. First, somebody has told him that shooting 'roids to rehab isn't an option, right? Second, he's a fool. He's one errant blocker away from his career being over, and he's a fool if he thinks this will help him negotiate a contract down the road...time for another Top 10 list. This time, Top 10 Referee Attacks...Joe Sakic has announced that he's back for one more year for the Colorado Avs...England's World Cup qualifying campaign is off to a bad start. Midfield ace Steven Gerrard is out for at least the first two games with a groin injury...to all the fools thinking a Kobe Bryant or Lebron James would end up playing in Europe, allow this piece to debunk that idea...Tony Romo bought himself a new home that is entirely black and white, inside and out. Check it out...11-3 BoSox. At least the Yankees aren't just playing out the string. Maybe they can sign that 9-year old declared too good to pitch in his league?...have a great Thursday.

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 - Good night, Yankees

A whole heap of goodies to the right of the page to keep you occupied and clicking on RandoMango day in and out. Hope you like the new stuff...ESPN.com's Peter Gammons was asked which pitcher in all of baseball he'd sign for 4 years and $60 million and without blinking, Gammons responded with Roy Halladay who he lauded for his toughness, pace with which he works, and how much players love playing behind him. The Tampa Bay Rays were working on a 4th win over Halladay this season last night, but Halladay got the best of them. Maybe the 13,478 in the stands at Tropicana didn't fire up the Rays?...the LPGA is requiring all its players to speak English. What's next, they've got to be hetero too?...Elite XC is trying to peddle Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice on its October 4th CBS card. Shammy was done a couple years ago when the also-done Tito Ortiz pounded him like a drum...with Andriy Shevchenko's mostly disastrous run with Chelsea of the EPL now done with him heading back to AC Milan, the Kaka to Chelsea talk is really heating up with the September 1st transfer window about to close...Peyton Manning is back practicing for the Indianapolis Colts. Watch how quick he's ready for Week 1...horrible night for A-Rod as the Yanks went down 7-3 to the BoSox in a key game. Easy to pin a season on one guy's failings in one night, but the Yanks failings this season have been many...Cadillac Williams of the Tampa Bay Bucs is on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his patellar tendon in Week 4 last year. That guy simply cannot stay healthy, or get healthy as it were...a whole heap of NCAA college football is just about upon us running tomorrow through Saturday. Summer must truly be ending...think the media is having enough fun piling on Roger Federer, wondering if he's done? If I'm a betting man - and I am - I've got him to win at least another major before his all-timer career is done...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 - Do or Die

The Yankees and Red Sox will stage their final series - barring a playoff miracle - at Yankee Stadium starting tonight. Anything less than a sweep for the Yankees and it is curtains...the fine folks at Pinnacle are offering football lines for Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). No, seriously. Check it out here and get in. Early advice: don't bet U of T on the money line...Alex Smith went to the 49ers as a can't-miss top pick, nothing but a winner. Yet here he is, making $10 million plus, slated to back up J.T. O'Sullivan, who will make $645,000...not sure if this has happened before, but the Oakland A's entire starting rotation is lefties right now...Roy Halladay has 34 complete games since 2003, which is more than 21 teams over that same period...word is five U.S. national teamers, Chris Bosh included, have talked to Jerry Colangelo about coming back in 2012 in London...Jason Kidd has retired from the U.S. hoops team. Here's a stat: he's 56-0 in all play with the men's team. That is impressive...one thing I didn't know about The Beatles "Hey Jude": at 2:58, you can hear John Lennon say "fuckin' hell"...Warren Sapp is the next athlete up for Dancing With The Stars. This ought to be worth watching...Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp thinks that not only will Manchester United and Chelsea be the two slugging it out to win the English Premier League, but the same two will also be deep in the running for the Champions League. Hello, Pinnacle...the talk of Usain Bolt going to the NFL is a joke. There are plenty of speed merchants in their time who have played football for years who couldn't make it on the biggest stage, what makes him more likely than a top draft pick to succeed? No chance...HiDef The Good: Kelly Kelly. HiDef The Bad: John Brassiere Layfield...Week 3 of the NFL pre-season is done - that's the game teams try to win and play their starters most - and you've got Shawne Merriman hurt and maybe out for the year, Chad Johnson with a torn labrum, and as mentioned yesterday, Osi Umenyiora. Stars, all. Not to mention the previously hurt Tom Brady and Peyton Manning...have a great Tuesday.

Monday, August 25th, 2008 - Guess who's back?

The New York Giants bid to defend their Super Bowl win just got a lot tougher, with Usi Umenyiora out for the year with a bumb knee. This is particularly of interest for yours truly, as I'm now in a wager with a good friend for who will go deeper this year, my Dallas Cowboys or his New York Jets. The stakes? 10 cases of beer...not sure which quote I found more hilarious in the wake of Carl Pavano's return to the Yankees on Saturday in which he picked up the win, Carl Pavano saying: “This is what I get paid to do, obviously. This is what I live for. This is all I really know, to go out there every fifth day and do my job”or Pudge Rodriguez delivering this dagger: “Remember, it’s only one start. We need to see how he feels tomorrow”...Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal says AJ Burnett would have Baltimore, Philadelphia and - wait for it - Washington on his list of teams to go to next year. Plus, of course, the usual suspects in New York...in the end, the Olympics I said I had little interest in at the outset turned out to be real interesting and almost entirely controversy free. For me, the story of the games was Usain Bolt, just awesome to watch. Loved seeing the U.S. hoops team take care of Spain. Maybe if Spain weren't whining to the refs for every single call made they might've had a little more for the game itself? But good to see that it wasn't just Jose Calderon doing the whining like he does each and every game for the Toronto Raptors. If you've been listening to Hardcore Sports Radio's "Drive This" the last few days, Calderon's reputation has taken a serious pounding over "the picture". One guy said he burnt his Calderon jersey. Will be an interesting year in Toronto...Manchester United face Portsmouth today in English Premier League action. 3pm on Setanta if you're investing $15 a month for that channel...have a great Monday.

RandoMango returns tomorrow...

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008

How about that Cuban Olympian in Tae Kwon Do? Kicked the ref in the head. Fidel must be proud...it is the U.S. vs. Spain in the hoops final, I've got the Americans by 38...I can do without another Bell ad, guys in foreign lands singing the anthem and Galen Weston, thanks muchly. And what kind of name is Galen, anyways?...have a good friend who is a Jets fan. He tried to tell me that Brett Favre isn't an interception machine. Seriously...Toronto FC host the New England Revolution at BMO Field. Somehow, when they lost to San Jose 4-0 last week, I have to believe TFC wins it...Mats Sundin - nevermind...think the Blue Jays want out of Vernon Wells deal? He was on waivers, which most are at this time, but he's a guy you'd think the Jays want to move at $18 million per...have a great Saturday...have a great Saturday.

Friday, August 22nd, 2008 - Olympic Shocker

I'm not a huge Greco-Roman wrestling afficianado, but I suspect the move depicted at right is not only not allowed, but also very much against the Olympic spirit. Unless, of course, that's one of the Olympic rings...Entourage is back September 7th. Life is beautiful...a Yankee future without Derek Jeter? It might happen after 2010. A great read, and interesting responses following it, here...speaking of Jeter, his next hit will give him 2,500 on his career...ever wonder what former major leaguer Hideki "Fat Toad" Irabu is up to of late? How about crushing 20 beers and beating on barkeeps?...ProFootballWeekly says the Brett Favre/New York Jets marriage might not be as good a fit as it seems on the surface. Mix in some unhappy players - Laverneus Coles most notably - over the dealing of Chad Pennington and you've got a situation that could go sour real fast...Cliff Lee won his 18th of the year against 2 losses. Sorry Jays Fan, he's a shoe-in for the Cy Young...Josh Beckett has tingling in his fingers and numbness in his arm? Last I remember hearing those symptoms was right before David Cone went out with an aneurysm in his shoulder. The Red Sox do not win in the playoffs without a healthy Beckett...20 ridiculous quotes by athletes, counted down here...a couple quick and dirty RandoMango's coming up this weekend but all the same, look for them in their usual space. Have a great Friday.

Thursday, August 21st, 2008 - Embarrassment

Canada is in Toronto for their first World Cup qualifying match in years, in a tough group, and they produce a terrible performance like that, drawing Jamaica 1-1? It may have sounded harsh when this space called for coach Dale Mitchell to be axed a year ago before he officially took the coaching reigns on the strength of his disaster at the U20's, but it isn't harsh now. Axe him. Today...and what is it with coaches named "Mitchell" in over their heads in Toronto?...the Toronto Sun's Mike Zeisberger says "Canada carried the play for much of the evening". What game was he watching?...NFL union head Gene Upshaw is said to have died, according to WGR550. There are a lot of old, broken down and broke former NFLers celebrating if that's the case...a reason Usain Bolt left room to lower the record in the 100m? How about word that he'll get a very high profile run at it and make millions if he breaks it in a made-for-TV event? GBVH passed that story on. Interesting. Bolt didn't leave himself much room to lower the mark in the 200m, with yesterday's awesome 19.30 record breaker where he floored it start to finish...the Kaka to Chelsea rumors are flying again. Chelsea is apparentely intent on playing 10 midfielders and a goalie each game...not sure if this is real, it sure sounds it, but here's what Britney Spears mic sounds like when she's singing...nevermind this Top 10 business, how about a Top 20 Gymnast Crashes?...that's two homers in three games at Rogers Centre for Derek Jeter in a 5-1 Yankees win over the Blue Jays...have a great Thursday.

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 - Oooh, ahhh...Canada!

13 medals now for Canada? Bust 'em up!...off to BMO Field tonight to see Canada host Jamaica in World Cup 2010 qualifying. Memo to Jamaica: your high hopes are going up in smoke...the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are in the middle of a 17-day "bye week". Nice scheduling, CFL...a poll of MLBers had Russell Martin as the best all-round catcher. Guessing Gregg Zaun is shocked he didn't make the top five...Maxim has a New England vs. Dallas Super Bowl, with the Patriots winning...Usain Bolt runs in the 200m final this morning at 10:20am. I want to see him floor it the whole way to see him mangle Michael Johnson's record...40 times this season the Yankees have scored three or fewer runs. How's that even possible with those guys in the lineup?...AJ Burnett was as good as I've ever seen him with 13 K's last night in a 2-1 win. The Yankees may look his way just so they don't have to face him anymore. He's been killing them the last couple years and surprise, surprise, has found health and performance this year with an opt out looming...oh, and Johnny Damon? My slo-pitch squad's centre fielder catches those balls last night...Toronto FC is said to be looking at using the money from selling Maurice Edu to put grass in at BMO Field. Great idea, but how about putting the money into players? After all, not like MLSE can't afford grass on the profits they're pulling. I don't see them improving the ice plant at the ACC because they've got more cap space for the Leafs. That said, installing grass will open the market for them in a big way, as much as I've found the turf fantastic to play on..guess Marc Crawford won't be getting a Christmas card from Todd Bertuzzi after burying him in the Steve Moore case as someone who acted on his own and against coaches orders...Johnny Damon might not be able to catch a fly ball, but he makes one hell of a case for why Mike Mussina is a Hall of Famer, which I would've scoffed at previous: Mussina has spent his entire career pitching in the American League East during a time when the Blue Jays won two World Series, the Yankees won four and the Red Sox won two. He's had to face very tough competition and still has a lifetime record of 266-151, so far. A .638 winning percentage is nothing to turn your nose up to...Brett Favre wants a simpler offence for the New York Jets. Yeah, that'll make it easier to top the Patriots...you may have read some great pieces on Shaq vs. Kobe, and maybe thought some great thoughts on the subject, but Chuck Klosterman delivers a great piece in ESPN The Magazine here...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 - American Idle Returns?

Good to see Toronto FC understands that if you have two guys with the same surname, there's no need for an initial for their first name as they're already wearing different numbers...if somebody can explain how the pool at the Olympics was "fast", I'd love to hear it...Victor Conte of BALCO fame says that while 80% of athletes were doing performance enhancing drugs a couple years back, it is still 65% because testing doesn't touch users out of season, and says that tips from the labs doing testing help users stay clean. Some heavy, heavy accusations...answering the question "does a fool ever learn?" in the negative, the Cincinnati Bengals are close to a deal with Chris Henry. I'm sure Carson Palmer is elated...the Washington Nationals are well on their way to a 100+ loss season. Karma for how they got their team from Montreal? I'd think so, if not for that D-Bag Jeffrey Loria winning a World Series in Florida...not sure there are many guys in the wrestling biz today that can excel as a heel or face as well as Chris Jericho can and does, but gimme more Santino Marella...in his three starts since the Seattle Mariners didn't move Jarrod Washburn, he's been lit like a Christmas tree. Well played, Mariners...not sure when it happened, but ESPN The Magazine is a better read than Sports Illustrated...that's 9 medals for Canada. Poor YF has a wager on them winning fewer than 10. You're done, bro...Carl Pavano might return to start for the Yankees? If I'm Brian Cashman, I get him in there and start him every day for the rest of this going-nowhere season...the U.S. dropped a huge beatdown on Germany in men's hoops, winning by 49. They've got Australia up next. Hard to imagine anyone touching them at this point...have a great Tuesday.

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Rafael Nadal won gold for Spain in men's tennis. No word on whether he'll pose for the customary Spanish pose to honour their Chinese hosts...when you scored 968 runs in one year, and are on pace to score 778, that'll explain why you're very much on the fringes of the playoff race. That would be you, New York Yankees...Canada is now up to 7 medals, no doubt calming more than a few at our Olympic committee. Fact remains there are a lot of countries smaller and relatively the same size that vastly outperform Canada and while the apologists say "yeah, but our summers aren't that long!", how many events are really outdoors anyways?...of all the sides I saw in the English Premier League this weekend - and that was at least half - Chelsea looked the best. Pains me to say that, but it is true...if Mats Sundin is my favorite player and moves to the New York Rangers, does that mean I can become and out and out Rangers fan, a team I've always had an appreciation for? Somebody, please say yes...from the Department of Lame, the New England Patriots received "18-1" rings. Shame that "1" is the part they're going to focus on everytime they look at them...this is why I continue to subscribe to Playboy: former UFC ring girl and current "UFC All Access" host Rachelle Leah is going to be gracing the pages in a future issue. This is good news...back tomorrow, likely afternoon. Have a great Monday.

Sunday, August 17th, 2008 - On the board!

The U.S. laid an absolute beating on Spain yesterday in a 37 point whuppin' that ought to exorcise a few ghosts, or at least the clowns that didn't think they'd learn from 2006's debacle at the Worlds. Paut Gasol has a brother named Marc? What were the odds Mama and Papa Gasol had two transgendered kids?...Canada is on the medal board with a trio in an hour, and apparently, more to come in the early hours of Sunday in four rowing events...Brett Favre threw a TD last night in a pre-season affair for the Jets. Easiest thing in the world? Finding a picture of Favre to fill the corner of this space daily. Sad...will this Top 10 streak ever end? Maybe, but not before we take a peak at the Top 10 Fights, the in ring/octagon edition...from the Department of The Predictable: somebody says that taking steroids changed them from woman to man. And would you believe he/she was an athlete for East Germany back in the 1980's? I've got two words for drug authorities if they're looking for someone else who has had the same results: Bastian. Schweinsteiger...Dimitar Berbatov came off the bench for Tottenham in their opening loss at Boro. Something tells me he's off to Manchester United before the week is up where he and my boy Wayne Rooney will link up to terrorize defences across Europe. Luka Modric looked worth every penny in the midfield for Spurs. The guy has a motor that doesn't quit...Man United faces Newcastle United this morning on The Score at 11am...Toronto FC travel to face the New York Red Bull. That one also goes on The Score, with a 5pm kickoff...with Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford out, Barry Bonds agent thinks Barroid should be a play for the Rays. But, he contends, MLB has blackballed Barroid which explains why nobody will touch him. If anything, Barroid blackballed himself with his act the last decade, and I'm not referring to drugs at all. There's also a reason Gary Sheffield is on waivers and nobody will touch him, and it is very much the same reason...Michael Phelps picked up his 8th gold medal of this Olympics, and 7th world record time. That is flat out insane...have a great Sunday.

Saturday, August 16th, 2008 - As Close As It Gets

In case you were dead, Michael Phelps won a close race last night for his seventh gold of the Olympics...I have heard of the legend that is "To Catch A Predator", and now I get it. Check out these Top 10 moments in that show's epic history...and finally, Canada will check in with a medal - gold or silver - in women's wrestling. Are you like me, and thought women's wrestling meant WWE Diva's only?...Mariano Rivera blew another tie game last night. Money when in a save situation, and freakishly, not at all when tied this year...the English Premier League kicks off this morning, and with it, a glorious 10 months of action on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Former Man United skipper and now Sunderland manager Roy Keane says Chelsea will take the EPL title this year. He correctly had Man United last year. Sorry Roy, you're wrong this time. Repeat Man U, Chelsea again second, Liverpool third, and I'll take Tottenham for a surprise fourth with Arsenal fifth. Expect Arsenal to have a strong start with an easy slate of games the first two months...the fine folks at Pinnacle (click on the link at the top of the page for more information including how to open an account) have Asian Lines now too for EPL, among others. I feel an itch I must scratch...around 10:30am Eastern today, expect to see Jamaican Usain Bolt destroy the world record in the 100m. Bolt ran a 9.92 in the second round of qualifying and let up before the race was even half done, looking around like a guy out for a stroll in the park. Was a time that 9.92 was a podium performance, not an effortless time...looks like Maurice Edu of Toronto FC is off to join one of the most storied clubs in the soccer business in Glasgow Rangers. Edu has been less than impressive this year as TFC's midfield depth grew, but good for him and the MLS if they're developing guys to play for clubs of that stature. Rangers were UEFA Cup finalists last year, after all...have a great Saturday.

Friday, August 15th, 2008 - You Cannot Be Serious

Even though he's long retired from competitive tennis, John McEnroe still has that passionate heart pounding: he got tossed from a tourney for arguing with the chair umpire, swearing and making an obscene gesture to fans. I love McEnroe...the Arizona Cardinals have picked up a championship belt - think boxing, MMA or WWE - for the man with the most sacks to carry. It cost between $10k and $20k! This is great stuff...for those that haven't had the pleasure of following Santino Marella on WWE Monday Night Raw, here's a great introduction...Serena Williams may be out of the Olympic tennis competition, but word is if they can find a rider, she'll be on the bottom for a run in the equestrian competition...hey, here's a Top 10 for you today: Top 10 Greatest Female Streakers in Sports History...ESPN's Jayson Stark is not at all a fan of Manny Ramirez and his act this year, and rails against the love he's getting. I think Manny has vastly overplayed his hand in thinking he's going to squeeze $100 million over 4 years at his age. He'd have been better off keeping his two options at $20 million methinks, and adding a year or two at the end. Peter Gammons says he'll be lucky to get 3 years and $40 million or so, in which case, the only one that wins is his new agent, Scott Boras, who has surely orchestrated his Operation Shutdown in Boston and move out...Mongolia has their first medal - ever - while Canada is still sitting at a donut. Are you like me, and almost hoping it stays that way?...Michael Phelps has six gold medals to his pile now for the U.S. in the pool. Jim Rome mentioned that Phelps downs 10,000 calories a day...expect lots of overdone analysis on what the less-than-capacity Rogers Centre NFL game last night means for the future of the NFL in Toronto. It boils down to this: if Larry Tanenbaum and Ted Rogers want a team and can afford a team, Toronto will get a team, likely when Ralph Wilson goes for the Great Dirt Nap. But, hopefully they've learned that people will not pay double the prices the New England Patriots charge for tickets, and they're the NFL high, to watch an exhibition game...have a great Friday.

Thursday, August 14th, 2008 - Made in China

China is using 7 year olds, allegedly, to compete in gymnastics, well under the 16 year minumum age. Well, at least they'll know who made their Nike gear, if they didn't do so themselves...Jason Kidd said that had the U.S. players posed like Spain did, they'd have been thrown out of the Olympics. That might not be exactly right, but they'd be getting killed a lot more than Spain has. Mike Wilbon at Pardon the Interruption raised an interesting idea: The NBA should suspend Jose Calderon, Paut Gasol et al. I haven't been a big fan of the push by leagues to wade into off their playing field stuff and add suspensions, but this would at least be consistent. This piece is a must read on the subject top to bottom. You can view Wilbon's take below...Brett Favre's arm is "tired" after less than a week in camp. I'm guessing this has less to do with football and more to do with all the text messages he was hammering out to every media member in the western world the past months...Bryan McCabe: Florida Panther? It could happen..so about Greece repeating their big win over the U.S. hoops team? Nevermind. 92-69 U.S....what happens first, Canada wins a medal in the Olympics or we get a day minus rain in Ontario this summer? Not sure where my vote is...the L.A. Dodgers are in first place. Wonder if Derek Jeter and Joe Torre had a bet as to who would have the longer playoff streak? For the record, they'd be tied now if results hold - Jeter's first year was managed by Buck Showalter and he's never missed the playoffs since. The Yankees have never won since he was named captain, by the by...the New York Mets have blown leads in which Johan Santana led six times, five in the 9th inning. In four of his losses, he's given up two runs or fewer and he's averaging 6 2/3 innings per start. Don't let the record fool you, he's have a fantastic year...a head's up that you'll be seeing a somewhat scaled back version of RandoMango next week as yours truly is on holidays. Fortunately, the BlackBerry lets me post remotely. You just won't see the boldface and links necessarily...have a great Thursday.

Thursday's RM is coming at 10am

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 - Jose Calderon Explains...

The Boston Red Sox have lost 16 straight one-run games on the road, but at home last night, downed Texas 19-17. That's not a typo. The NFL's pre-season would love to see that kind of scoring.....the San Diego Padres might slash their payroll from $76 million to $40 million for next year, rumored to be because of their owners current divorce battle. Must be nice being a fan of a team that is entirely somebody's play-toy. Here's hoping they trade Jake Peavy to somebody good, have him as a keeper in my fantasy pool...I'm not one to typically notice a commercial on TV as I generally zone out, but I have to say, that new Nike spot with The Killers track playing is great...gotta love that Olympic organizers thought the 7 year old who sang "Ode to the Motherland" at the opening ceremonies wasn't good looking enough so they had someone lip synch it. What sounds more like the Olympic spirit than "you're ugly, seven year old"...Gabe Morency at "Drive This!" says that Rampage Jackson and others back stage at UFC 87 on Saturday were not at all impressed with Brock Lesnar's dance/taunt of Heath Herring at the conclusion of their fight. Sounds like there is some resentment of Lesnar's bank, and now act...as he's wont to do, the Miami Dolphins Bill Parcells turfed an expensive kicker - Jay Feeley - to make room for a younger, cheaper option. Feeley said he never felt wanted. Suspect the couple million he pocketed last year for a 1-15 team would beg to differ. All four of the Dolphins captains from last year - Feeley, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, and Trent Green - are now gone. This is what you do when you're terrible: get younger and cheaper. Smart moves in Miami...so much for yesterday's soccer game being meaningless for Canada's soccer women: they now get the U.S. in the quarterfinals...Jose Calderon gets off the classic "I'm not racist" response to the picture yesterday. He used "Oriental", which I haven't seen used since Bill Parcells used it a few years back, and of course, talked of how he has Chinese friends, and says that it is everyone else that is confused. Memo to Jose Calderon: sometimes it is best to say nothing...best athlete name I've heard in some time: Dean Windass of Fulham FC in the English Premier League. That is great...have a great Wednesday.

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 - Keep it classy, Spain

Spain's men's hoops team put the "ass" in class with their slant eyed take in China (at right). Between that and how they handled Jorge Garbajosa's injury and subsequent insurance settlement, here's hoping karma deals them a swift blow and at minimum, a severe beating from the U.S. Britney Spears getting out of a car sans underwear had to even consider that a bad idea at the time, and the photogs only had one shot to get her picture. Here? I'm guessing this was not just a solitary shot, not the way they're lined up and posed...one of my fav words of all time, and the ten best usages of it on TV. These are hilarious...driving through Kitchener yesterday, I happened upon a recently renamed road: Lennox Lewis Blvd. Solid...there's a housecleaning going on at David Beckham's LA Galaxy as GM Alexei Lalas was bounced, and coach Ruud Gullit quit. The latter is the real shame as Gullit is a name in the soccer world, and a guy who always looks to go forward and attack...the Arizona D-Backs addressed a serious need in picking up Adam Dunn from the Reds for a trio of prospects. Wonder how many "Dunn Deal" headlines there are out there today?...Here's a quote: "I don't feel like a baseball player when I DH. I don't know how to be the leader that I am from the bench. I can't be a vocal leader. I can't talk to guys from the bench because I don't feel right about it." There are a few guys in DH roles I could see talking leadership and the like, but Gary Sheffield is not one of them...the Cleveland Browns Braylon Edwards is not a smart guy. The wideout went for a run sans shoes and of course, somebody stepped on his foot and he's now out for a week. Get on some shoes Braylon, I'm sure you've got some kind of endorsement deal...now that Brett Favre is firmly in a Jets uniform, Tampa Bay Bucs QB Jeff Garcia is none too happy that his squad was in the running...speaking of Favre, he's not going to win another Super Bowl but he is very much in the race for most overdone story of the past decade, right up there with 9/11 and Y2K...thankfully, Aaron Rodgers had a solid game last night for Green Bay, or the airwaves could be more polluted...it isn't official yet, but all signs are suggesting Joe Sakic will be back for another season in Colorado. Who wouldn't want a chance to play with Darcy Tucker?...have a great Tuesday.