Pardon the Imitation

Thursday, January 8th, 2008 - '08, a farewell.

2009-01-08T17:44:00.005-05:00

Well, that was close to a year of sports blogging. As the saying goes, all good (an in this case GOLD) things must come to an end. Call it pulling a Vince Carter or what have you, but I compare it to Michael Jordan, a la quitting while on top. Wait, I meant Wayne Gretzky...hmm, oh you get the picture.

Peace, love, and all the best.

Monday, December 29, 2008 - Winning isn't Everything?

2008-12-29T16:19:00.008-05:00

-My internet has been down, but as the old saying goes, "down but not out".
-Best name for Andrea Bargnani so far, BarKwame. I, for one, have not fully given up on this kid, but I just can't see him reaching his potential in Toronto.
-If you were ever to visit a website on this blog, it should be this one: type in www.0and16.com into your browser. And in a move that shocked no one, the Lions have fired Rod Marinelli.
-You've got to be wondering what the Steelers were thinking playing Ben Roethlisberger after knowing that he's been taking a beating all year. For Pittsburgh's sake, let's hope the concussion isn't too serious.
-For anyone who cares about hockey, the Canadian World Juniors crushed Kazakhstan 15-0 yesterday. Is a lame Borat reference necessary?
-In what is most likely a first for a Scott Boras client, Mark Texeira had been offered more money ($185 million from the Washington Nationals) and took the Yankees offer which was $5 million less.
-Here's a scary stat:The combined win percentage of MLSE teams being the Leafs, Raptors, Marlies and Toronto FC (totalling the most recently completed or season in progress) is .383 nearing the end of '08.
-Tickets for the six Los Angelas Kings home games in Jan. (some in the lower bowl) can be purchased for a mere $11.50, against good/high-profile teams such as the Ducks, Devils etc, at that.
-The Lakers ended the Celtics' 19 game winning streak on Christmas Day at the Staples Center. Is there anyone in the world who thinks these two won't be back in the NBA Finals this year?
-The elephant in the room for the Yankees is where will Derek Jeter play when his defense inevitably goes from mediocre to terrible? With Mark Texeira in the mix, no chance first base is an option.
-Brett Favre is contemplating retirement, but this time around, I'm thinking not a whole lot of people care...
-Tampa Bay Bucs' Greg White has legally changed his name to Stylez G, White.
-Wayne Rooney did a little Christmas shopping this year totalling just half a million Canadian dollars.
-In what was a great year for sports, AskMen.com has compiled a Top 10 Sports moments of 2008, and one could make an argument for a couple of other great sports moments.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - More to Love

2008-12-17T14:07:00.010-05:00

-Mike Tyson has REALLY let himself go, hasn't he?
-On the topic of retired boxers, Floyd Mayweather to come out of retirement for one last match against Ricky Hatton? Talk about trying to milk the recent De La Hoya - Pacquiao "hype".
-Someone start a petition to requesting for NBA TV's Gary Payton and Chris Webber to be taken off the air - NBA analysis at it's worst...half the segments are with the two idiots laughing their asses off about who knows what, while Ahmad continually having to calm them down like a school teacher.
-The Washington Capitals' Web Site producer suited up for a game as their back-up goalie recently, due to their AHL call-up having a delayed flight. Just a great story.
-C.C Sabathia vs. Oprah...check out the salary difference.
-It's win or go home for Leo Rautins and the Canadian National Team, as the coach has recieved a contract extension with a catch being that he must lead them to the 2010 World Championships or be axed. Wonder if he regrets cutting Samuel Dalembert now?
-Weatherproof Garment Co. wants to team up with nine other companies in a Superbowl ad. Put another way, that's each company paying $300,000 for three seconds of air-time.
-General Motors will not be the auto sponsor for the New York Yankees next year. Toyota and Audi will take over as sponsors, which should tell you a lot about how the Big 3 are doing financially...
-Stephon Marbury sat courtside with Spike Lee at the Staples Center when the Knicks visited the Lakers the other night. Only in the NBA would a player to at a game as a spectator after being suspended by their team...
-How about the Top 10 Most Nail-Biting moments of the year in sports. And a few images to go along with that list.
-For those who care about Canadian soccer, FIFA ranked Canada 90th, dropping 35 slots from last year's 55th rank. Spain finished the year on top of the rankings, while Germany finished 2nd and the Netherlands swapped spots with the World Champs, Italy, to claim 3rd. The U.S of A moved up two spots to claim 22nd overall...
-Got a sports-related question for Weezy? E-mail him here, and he might answer it on his blog.
-When Auburn hired Gene Chizik as their football coach, Charles Barkley took a shot at his alma mater, indicating that race was plainly the only factor in the school's hiring. Regardless of whether Chuck was out of line with his recent comments, the lack of black football coaches would agree with him.
-Vince Young: "my name was straight jacked"

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 - Prodigal Sun

2008-12-16T20:44:00.011-05:00

-New "Bookmark" feature appearing at the end of this, and every other entry. Like what you're reading? Add it to your bookmarks by clicking the button below.
-Some images of the new Yankee Stadium, looking good!
-Mats Sundin will finally announce which team that he has chosen to play for in his return to the NHL this Thursday, and the final two teams in the long-awaited sweepstakes being the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Rangers.
-The trend of head coaches getting canned early this season continues in the NBA as 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks and most recently the Kings' Reggie Theus were relieved of their duties after some less than spectacular starts.
-The Manning brothers headline the selections to the NFL Pro Bowl game. Brett Favre joins six other teammates for a league best, as well he will be joined by fellow old-timers John Carney and Jeff Feagles of the Giants.
-Todd Bertuzzi and Steve Moore are going head-to-head, so to speak, in an ongoing attempt to settle before the trial goes to court; however, Bertuzzi is expected to return to the Flames shortly. Tying this to recent news, Sean Avery gets suspended for mouthing off, while Todd Bertuzzi is allowed to play after ending another player's career in what will go down as one of, if not the, cheapest shot in the history of hockey? Unreal.
-The Philadelphia Flyers think celebrating at clubs and strip joints is so not-classy, they prefer crashing frat parties instead.
-The lay-up parade theme seems to have disappeared for the Raptors, although they allowed scrubs like Trenton Hassell and Ryan Anderson to out hustle and out rebound them all night long in a frustrating loss to the Nets. In a game that saw the Raps contain dynamic guard, Devin Harris - as well as an 0-16 drought that resulted in the lead quickly evaporating in the 4th - Vince Carter once again walked away with the last laugh at the ACC.
-ESPN has reported that the Toronto Blue Jays have dropped out of the running to lure Rafael Furcal...
-The idea that a caddy feels so high and mighty as to talk smack to an actual PGA golfer, and one of the best at that, is simply laughable. As I'm sure this has been reiterated a plethora of times by bloggers, news reporters, and anyone for that matter, I'll just say it again, "Steve, you're a freaking caddy - just shut up and caddy."
-Commissioner Gary Bettman on Sean Avery: "To be perfectly honest I wouldn't want to have to explain to my 12-year-old daughter what he said,". I really don't see the connection or relevance to parenthood, and to be perfectly honest, think this is being blown completely out of proportion.
-Plaxico Burress proving that he can go out and not shoot himself in the leg.

And finally, T.O tells Stephen A. his side of the story...

Sunday, Devember 14, 2008 - Working for the Weekend

2008-12-14T17:16:00.008-05:00

-If the LA Angels don't succeed in wooing Mark Texeira, it looks like they'll be looking to bolster their defence instead, and use the money to try to get Padres' ace Jake Peavy.
-How could I forgot to make a note of Carmelo Anthony's 33 points in one quarter? There's no double meaning to that line - other than how terrible the Timberwolves are - it honestly slipped my mind.
-It looks like Daunte Culpepper will have to work for the extra million dolalrs of his contract, as this is going down to the wire for him.
-Recycling news just to get a little bit of hockey on the front page of ESPN? That's got to put the self-esteem of the NHL at an all-time low. And while on the topic, before last night, how long has it been since the Toronto Maple Leafs were not featured on Hockey Night In Canada on a Saturday?
-To the left, you can see Manny Delcarmen sporting the new alternate retro jersey and Hanging Sox, which will be their primary logo.
-No surprises here, Justin Mourneau was named the top Canadian baseball player of the year. He's got a long way to catch Larry Walker's nine, but if anyone can do it, it's him.
-The New York Yankees are looking to sign either Mark Texeira, but if that doesn't pan out, they'll turn their attention and wallet to Manny Ramirez. The same reports indicate that they are also keeping close tabs on top free-agent pitchers Andy Pettitte, Derek Lowe and Ben Sheets as well. Simply ridiculous...
-Hockey gamers rejoice, EA Sports will soon debut 3 on 3 NHL Arcade.
-Thus ends the illustrious career of another sporting great, this one ending in a 7th place finish for Annika Sorrenstam as well as having to urinate in a cup.

Saturday, December 13, 2008 - Heart of Glass

2008-12-13T19:58:00.017-05:00

-Yao Ming leads the all-star voting in the West so far, by a commanding number which is no surprise, while Yi Jianlian is ahead of Chris Bosh for East forwards. Oh, the benefits of representing one billion people back home.
-The Yankees have added another arm, albeit a glass arm, inking AJ Burnett to a five-year deal worth $82.5 million. For those keeping score at home, that's a total of $243.5 invested in the two newly acquired arms. The Yanks front office must've missed the memo about the global recession.
-The LA Angels are making a strong push for Mark Texeira. The deal proposed is a lengthy 8 year contract for $20 million per year, and reports say that the Halos have matched the offer, even against their previous notion of a shorter length of contract.
-Love Terrell Owens, but this love triangle between Romo and Witten is just nonsense and clearly, has to stop for the sake of team chemistry. I'm calling a Giants beat down in tomorrow's game...
-Always nice to see Vince Carter struggle against the Raptors.
-Fransisco Rodriguez is telling New York media that next season his fastball will have a bit more velocity to it (something I'm sure everyone will look for), and he's also calling it that the Mets will win the NL East. He also added that "There might be a little more adrenaline because it's the Mets, in New York," Y'think?
-Plaxico Burress attended a charity event for homeless children, clearly a PR stunt to help his hurtin' - pun intended - image.
-In news that nobody cares about, the Kansas City Royals have signed Kyle Farnsworth to their bullpen for $9.25 mill over 2 years.
-Chris Paul, Mo-Pete and the New Orleans Hornets make a visit to the ACC tomorow, coverage is on CBC with an early lunch time tip-off at 12:30 p.m. Don't forget to say a short prayer for Jose's ankles sometime before tip-off, 'kay?
-Link of the day: your source for all NBA games archived in good quality is right here. Make sure show that your appreciation by clicking the ads of that site, as the site owner has so kindly requested.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - Snow, Snow, Go Away.

2008-12-10T19:56:00.015-05:00

-A shortened PTI (yes, I just said it) today, due to exams and the like.
-Just to catch up, congrats to Jay Triano in becoming the first Canadian born NBA head coach. OJ in the clink for a min. of 9, max of +30? Karma. When will C.C make his decision? From recent information, to me, it's either the Yankees or Dodgers. Take your pick, big boy. Live update, it appears that he's agreed to come on board with the Pin Stripes for $161 mill over 7 years...
-Now onto our regular programming...What is Michael Jordan, and the rest of the Bobcats' front office thinking? If I'm MJ, I'd be looking to alert the authorities on this one, because the Bobcats were absolutely robbed, in my opinion. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Jason Richardson will flourish in PHX, alongside Steve Nash, Stat and co.
-Ryan Getzlaf was asked what the best concert he's been to. He replied, "Tim McGraw and Faith Hill"
-Syracuse Orangeman Eric Devendorf will most likely be suspended by the school for his best impression of Jason Kidd. His lawyer argues that he was defending himself from the hulk of a college girl, who was the "aggressor".
-A glimpse into the Montreal Canadians' practice facility.
-Joe Sakic broke three fingers while he was clearing snow with his snow-blower. I think that's a sign that you should have just retired, Joe.
-Embarrassing and almost infuriating performances by the Raptors as of late, the first two possessions of the game ending up as Cleveland steals and Lebron highlight reel dunks says all that there needs to be said...
-What does a global economy slump mean for sports? Well, the NFL is set to fire 150 employees and freeze salaries through 2009. The Diamondbacks and Jays of the MLB are set to cut a combined 55 front office workers, 9% of the NBA workforce is being cut, and the PGA prize money will take a hit according to the tour's commish, Tim Finchem.

2008-12-03T18:19:00.007-05:00

Sam Mitchell has been FIRED! My (and I'm sure the majority of Raptor fans alike) response? I think Johnny Drama of Entourage sums it up nicely in this clip.

And here's a link that's worth a visit, for at least half a chuckle...

Sunday, November 30, 2008 - Gift of Gab

2008-11-30T19:50:00.007-05:00

-Sorry for the lack of content, it's that time of year again for college students, so expect a decrease in attendance from yours truly.
-Even after being stuck in an elevator for 50 minutes, Chris Bosh had another all-world performance, scoring 30 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out 7 assists, in the Raptors win over the Hawks.
-Lebron James' response to Sir Charles, "He's Stupid." Weak.
-Someone send the Pittsburgh (AP) a memo to follow their team a tad more closely, and particularly, their heralded saviour.
-Idiot of the week: none other than the Giants' Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub, and his teammate hid the weapon afterwards...there goes the Giants' dream season.
-It's been while since I've made a Blue Jays comment, so here it is, a typical Riccardi move - it's AJ Burnett or bust this offseason, apparently, likely meaning it could be Jesse Litsch of Burnett as the #2, neither of which is exactly music to my, and I'm sure any fan's ears.
-Strange that free-agent Ben Sheets has received little mention in the busiest time of the year with regards to baseball and even sports in general, the off-season. How AJ Burnett is garnering so much attention is beyond me - I mean, he's older and just as injury prone, yet demanding more of the green paper.
-Seeing as the Brian Burke situation is semi-official, you can expect a lot of unnecessary anti-Euro gab coming from Don Cherry in due time...
-If this doesn't say something about the Warriors defence, or lack thereof, I don't know what does.
-Don Garber says that the next expansion franchise in the MLS will cost $40 million, which is 4 times the amount Toronto FC (now worth $44M) was, and that now the average value of a team has risen to $37 mill.
-The Raptors visit LA tonight to entertain Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, who are 12 point favs according to Vegas. Good way to pick up some spare change just in time for Christmas.

Moving onto videos unrelated to sports, an oldie but a classic, Aries Spears doing a medley of your favourite hip-hop artists:

Thursday, November 27th, 2008 - Just Another Day at the Office

2008-11-27T20:42:00.010-05:00

-The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed two pitchers from India, Dinesh Patel and Rinky Singh, neither of whom played baseball a year ago. There's a franchise headed in the right direction...
-Just another day at the office for Chris Bosh.
-I just love Lunchtime Laughs, here's a classic line by them recently: "The trade between the Knicks and Clippers is on hold after New York had some concerns with the physical given to Cuttino Mobley. Apparently doctors found that Mobley isn’t really LeBron James, the guy Knicks fans seem to think they traded for."
-The NFL will broadcast the Chargers-Raiders game live in 3-D next week in theaters in LA, Beantown and NY. Who would pay to see this? Only a fool...
-Doug Flutie has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the Argos' quarterba...head coaching job.
-Early this week, Michael Vick pleaded guilty in a move that would put his release date from the pound as July 20th, 2009 or potentially earlier. How Roger Goodell handles this and Vick's status is up in the air.
-The Anaheim Ducks have have just five players signed on for the coming year, meaning a tonne of cap space, also that you can expect at least a couple of Brian's "boys" coming to the Leafs.
-In an attempt to stay remotely relevant, the Pro Bowl is going to be now scheduled before the Superbowl rather than after...
-For those who missed it, the Globe and Mail's Michael Grange on the inevitable Sam Mitchell axing. When the time does come, I just hope that the Raptors reserve the rights to his tailor. See image to the right.

I think Ryan O'Byrne might have been confused when his coach said, "A good defense is a strong offense."

Sunday, November 23, 2008 - Personal

2008-11-23T12:10:00.000-05:00

-Early Sunday start for the Toronto Raptors as they host the Celtics at the ACC. Props to Jin from Raptorschat for the inspiring graphic.
-Quirky fact of the day: Manchester United's Gary Neville's father's first name is Neville.
-The New England Patriots are 6-0 in games where they have won the coin toss, and 0-4 in ones that they did not.
-Not nearly as hyped as the Superbowl, but Canada's own Grey Cup kicks off tonight - Canadians can watch the game online.
-Wendel Clark Night is a huge rip-off of the Yankees' Jason Giambi mustache promo. And retiring the jersey of a blue collar fan favourite, c'mon, who's next Tie Domi? Just for that, I'm glad the Leafs lost. And how fitting it was, that they used the song Dream On to go along with the "highlights" of #17's career.
-P.J Carlesimo was fired by the Oklahoma City Thunder after a dismal 1-12 start for the newly named franchise. I guess you could say he "choked".
-Michael Vick put family pets in rings with pit bulls and "found it funny" when they would get seriously injured according to a witness. This man is just seriously disturbed.
-Idiot(s) of the day goes to the students tossing snowballs at the Notre Dame football players in the game against Syracuse. And it didn't just stop there, the tools started to throw them at the NBC cameramen and even the county police officers. How on earth do these jackasses get into college?
-Stephon Marbury "refused" to suit up when the Knicks were with all but seven players after the big day of trades, according to Mike D'Antoni, but Starbury has a different take on the story.
-Terrell Owens is standing by his criticisms of the Cowboys' offensive schemes and how adjustments haven't been made to adapt to teams. Toss up: who's the bigger problem to their team at this point, T.O or Ocho Cinco?

Saturday, November 22, 2008 - Vinsanity

2008-11-22T00:33:00.005-05:00

-Ridiculous game with Vince Carter back in town. I'll give the man his props, an all-world performance for the slug, the major highlights being the big three to send it into overtime and the game winning reverse dunk. The next time the Raptors host the Nets is on Dec. 15 at the ACC.
-Nothing says "Major League" like a starting goalie of a title game making roughly only $13,000 a year. Who is this player that I speak of? The Red Bulls' Danny Cepero of the MLS.
-Chad Ocho Cinco's agent said that his client's fate rests in Mike Brown's hands, and that they are going to take a low-key approach. You heard it right, low-key for Ocho.
-After the "fake Shaq" twittering incident, the real Shaq is actually twittering...for reals, I think.
-A 14-year old teenager in Hong Kong has broken Sergio Garcia's record of being the youngest golfer to make the cut at the European Tour.
-Big day for trades by the New York Knicks. They shipped Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Clip Show for Tim Thomas (again?) and Cuttino Mobley. And a few hours later, Jamal Crawford was traded to the Warriors for Al Harrington. Both moves cleared a tonne of cap space for a certain free-agent in '10. Everyone's favourite Knicks fan, Spike Lee stated that he was not impressed by the trade...
-Annika Sorrenstam will end her legacy with a random drug-test...what are the chances?
-The Toronto Star is reporting that Brian Burke could be at the Leafs helm as early as this Sunday.
-Pole Dancing - the next Olympic sport you say?
-Sarah Palin was offered $2 million to star in a porno, and her hubby was offered $1,000,000 and a snowmobile to be the co-star. Although the snowmobile was tempting, they graciously declined.

Friday, November 21, 2008 - Breaking the Bank

2008-11-21T00:46:00.007-05:00

-Tony Romo gets my "good guy of the day" award for taking a homeless man to the movies, and even sitting next to him afterwords. When the man mentioned that he hadn't showered in a few, Romo replied, "Don't worry about that, I'm used to locker rooms." You don't have to like the guy as a football player, but as a person, he's a class act.
-To the right is a picture found on SI.com's FanNation: Caption this, Ashley Judd at the UNC game. One of the selected captions on the site: “Ashley got very angry when an ignorant fan called her a Cougar and not a Wildcat.” (Midvalley). Awesome.
-Gilbert Arenas is saying that finishing in last place could have it's benefits as the lottery can be seen as the silver lining, using the San Antonio Spurs and Tim Duncan. True enough, however this is not what you want to hear from your star player, and plus, ever heard of a guy named Joe Smith or Kwame Brown, Gil?
-The Phillies' Chase Utley has opted to have hip-surgery, and may miss the beginning of the regular season in 09 - and recovery could take up to May according to team officials.
-Although it's laughable to think that guys like Kendrick Perkins and Brian Scalabrine are trash-talking about rings and being the bees knees of the NBA, someone needs to tell Quentin Richardson to just shut up and play the game.
-The Mets' all-star David Wright was mobbed by a group of "cougars" (two cougar references in one day? I know, right?) and was heard yelling: "Ladies, calm down! Please, relax." The name of the event is just ironic, "Do the Wright Thing".
-The Boston Red Sox are looking to "break the bank" on Mark Texeira, meanwhile the Yankees are looking to do the same, but to every big name free-agent. What else is new?
-Look at what leaked concerning Mark Cuban, what isn't on the internet these days?
-And finally, a new rule in the MLB: postseason games will not be shortened by weather. Good job, Bud.

The Score's Court Cuts, enjoy:

Thursday, November 20, 2008 - Welcome Back, Pac

2008-11-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

-Word is the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are both bidding over the services of A.J Burnett, who reportedly is looking for a hefty 5-year deal, and the Yanks are playing it big with their offer. May the best team win. Wait, was "best" the word I was looking for?
-So Dustin Pedroia was named the 2008 AL MVP, hey, at least I got the team right!
-It's all speculation at this point, but with the Yankees' recent addition of Nick Swisher, and the Rays need for a left-handed DH - Jason Giambi seems to be a perfect match, no?
-George Karl has really been ripping A.I now that the Nuggets finally have a legit floor general, here are just a few of the verbal jabs directed at the Answer: "There are less bad plays, more solid plays," Karl said. "I think the wasteful, cheap possessions that we used to have 10 to 15 a game, they don't exist very much anymore."
-I don't know what's worse, Donovan McNabb not knowing a tie was possible in the NFL, or Chris Webber's infamous time-out back in his Fab Four days.
-The Boston Red Sox have acquired Ramirez...Ramon Ramirez for Coco Crisp from the K.C Royals. Did I fool you for at least a second?
-Not that it's important, but about a few days ago, Alex Tanguay had a little more than double the votes than Sidney Crosby. Credit that to the fact that there are just too many hockey-obsessed fans in Montreal.
-Pacman Jones is back with the Dallas Cowboys, and will have to police himself as there will be no team bodyguards this time around.
-The Moose has retired from the game of baseball after 18-years in the big leagues. For some reason, I think the C.C Sabathia and Lowe-Burnett headlines might overshadow this...
-Cleveland fans booed Lebron James for not throwing up a shot at a chance to break the century mark, which would have given everyone one free taco.

This "the video you requested is not currently available" mumbo-jumbo is getting annoying. ESPN should keep the videos on the net for at least a week...sheesh.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 - Basic Arithmetic

2008-11-18T00:00:00.002-05:00

-Rogers has been taking a lot of heat from Raptors fans for the TSN2 controversy, and with Sunday's game against the Miami Heat being the first of what will be 25 games aired exclusively on the network, I sure don't envy the folks working at their customer service call centers.
-Albert Pujols wins his second NL MVP award despite the Cardinals' 4th place finish and despite Ryan Howard's monster numbers for the World Series Champs. I think you get the point that I'm trying to make.
-I'm calling it right here, Kevin Youkilis of the BoSox wins AL MVP this year. Well, that's who I would have chosen anyhow.
-It's been four games and Pacman Jones is still awaiting the reply of commissioner Roger Goodell to be re-instated into the NFL.
-Mark Cuban gets caught pulling a "Martha Stewart" in a civil suit, so no jail-time - and somewhere Bud Selig is grinning. A perfect reason not to sell him the Cubs.
-Shaq has always been one of the more confident sports personalities, but his recent remarks on him and Kobe being the best Lakers duo ever, definitely puts him over the top. Sorry Shaq, but basic math tells me that 5 'chips is greater than 3, so I'm giving the nod to Magic and Kareem.
-Former Orangeman, Demetris Nichols was waived by the Chicago Bulls yesterday. I always hate to see any player out of 'cuse cut.
-Don Cherry was up to his usual Canuck slurping antics on Coaches Corner, with this nearly predictable quote regarding Brian Burke possibly coming to the Leafs: "We'll finally get some Canadians on this club and win some games"

Forget what I said about PTI full epi's in the last entry, that's only for insider's apparently...

Sunday, November 16, 2008 - Die Hard

2008-11-16T23:37:00.005-05:00

-The 2008 Michigan college football squad made history, by achieving the most losses ever in it's school's 129-year history.
-Lebron James is hoping that the New York Yankees will win the C.C Sabathia sweepstakes this offseason. As a side bar, at this point in time, does anyone in all honestly still believe that Lebron will be staying in Cleveland come '10 when he will be a free-agent?
-The Yankees have sold the rights to Darrell Rasner for $1 Million to a team in Japan, all of this, his doing apparently.
-Kimbo Slice wants to translate his game from the octagon to the ring.
-So the man replacing Barry Mulletrose is Rick Tocchet. I think it's safe to say that this is move is a "gamble" by the front-office, wouldn't you agree? Puns aside, it sure isn't a smart move financially.
-Post-World Series victory celebration - the Philadelphia Phillies organization have increased ticket prices a couple of coins, and their fans can thank them for keeping the state of the economy into consideration when adjusting the prices.
-Proof that sporting legends will never die in spirit - a 1938 Babe Ruth, Brooklyn Dodgers uniform was recently auctioned off for $310,500 at the Louisville Slugger Museum.
-a herd of sixty-three men and three women hi-jacked a bus in Argentina to attend a soccer match on-time, even threatening the drivers with knives to drive faster - and in turn, redefined the definition of "die-hard fan". The bad news, they were all arrested and charged, but the good news? Their team, Chacarita, were victorious 3-2.
-Jeffrey Tambor of Arrested Development fame confirmed that, "we're doing it… it's a go".

Saturday, November 15, 2008 - Bush League Humour

2008-11-15T02:03:00.007-05:00

-Suspensions were handed out for the PHX-HOU brawl, and somewhat surprisingly, Shaquille O'Neal escaped with just a slap on the wrist fine. Perhaps David Stern is getting soft? Whatever the case, expect a few boo-birds come all-star weekend.
-In college football related news, five Florida State players were suspended for the recent campus brawl, but what really caught my eye when reading the article was "...female bystander who wasn't involved in the fight, which broke out at the university's student union, was struck in the face by a thrown chair."
-One of C.C Sabathia's good friends is newly acquired Yankee, Nick Swisher. Take it for what it's worth.
-George W. Bush showing us Sparky's pitchfork. I find it funny that not a single person suggested that it might be in bad taste to post this image on the official White House website of all places.
-Michael Phelps was the only athlete to make it onto EW.com's list of Top 25 Entertainers of '08.
-The Auburn Tigers' trainers have continuously played the song Crank That to motivate the team, as that is Georgia's anthem. That would be freaking torture.
-Some of the more unique NBA promotions going on this year that might interest you...
-Kwame Brown said with a smile (on the Los Angeles crowd booing him): ''They booed me when I was here.''
-The Tampa Bay Lightning have fired Barry Melrose in what was said to be a "tough decision" just 16 games into the season. I never see the logic in firing a head coach just weeks into the season, especially one who's been out of the coaching limelight for what 14 years? Unless they're completely brain dead like a certain Toronto basketball coach, it's never a good move.

Everybody's boy, Terrell Owens presents Letterman's Top 10 - #3 is priceless:

Friday, November 14, 2008 - The Big Cameo

2008-11-14T21:40:00.001-05:00

-Michael Vick is expecting to rejoin the NFL after doing his time in the clink, this according to his bankruptcy lawyer.
-You have but 6 words to explain why you should join Michael Jordan on the golf course. Better make 'em count.
-Big brawl in the desert of Phoenix the other night with the Rockets coming to town. A chain reaction of shoves with Shaq being in the middle of it all, brushing aside anyone in a red jersey with just a flick of his finger and T-Mac seemingly got the worst of the scuffle as he was shoved by the Big Cactus, then had his teammate Yao fall on top of him.
-Silver Slugger awards were announced, A-Rod picks up his 10th career and a quite few notable first-timers in both leagues.
-The audience of Judge Greg Mathis got a pleasant surprise with Shaq making a cameo, and getting extra points for spending time with a woman who suffered from Down Syndrome.
-Cliff Lee wins the AL Cy Young, the Doc placed second with 71 points to Lee's 24 first-place votes and 132 total. What a season it was for Cliff Lee, though, coming literally out of nowhere to claim the award of excellence.
-Jerry Jones is certain that the Dallas Cowboys will make the playoffs this year, will not make any coaching changes and would gladly welcome back Pacman Jones if reinstated. Now there's a mouthfull.
-With the acquisition of Nick Swisher - it appears as though the Pin Stripes are out of the Texeira sweepstakes and looking to devote all attention to C.C Sabathia. Reports are indicating that the Yankees are planning on "blowing C.C Sabathia away" with a ridiculous contract rumoured to be $25 million more than what any NL (and AL) team could offer.
-Don't look now, but the once dreaded Texas Triangle of the NBA is no not quite as dreaded anymore. The teams' combined record is an ugly 9-13. And to really kick a soldier when he's down, the lowly Memphis Grizzlies are doing better than both the Mavs and Spurs.
-Mike "I'm hetero" Piazza is set to write an autobiography due to release in 2010.
-The Madonna-A-Rod saga continues with old-fashioned love notes being found, which leads one to believe that this "discovery" was planned, in a world where cell phones and text-messaging has made the old pen and paper obsolete.

Jim Rome Burns on their love affair...

Thursday, November 13, 2008 - Roger and Mindy

2008-11-13T01:07:00.008-05:00

-When asked whether he thinks the Red Sox would have won the World Series if Manny Ramirez had stayed, David Ortiz said, "Probably...I'm not going to lie to you, probably." but at the same time, knew it was his time to go.
-Dwight Howard's stat line 30 pts, 19 boards, 10 swats - albeit, against the OC Thunder.
-Lou Piniella of the Cubs, and his successor in Tampa Bay, Joe Maddon of the much improved Rays were named the top managers of '08 in the MLB...no surprises here.
-UNC star and reigning national player of the year, Tyler Hansbourough is said to be out for the team's season opener against the Tar Heels.
-Seeing as there aren't enough reality t.v shows these days, Mindy McCready is meeting with ABC network execs to pitch "Mending Mindy". The show will no doubt milk the Roger Clemens romantic past angle.
-Tony Romo is ready to return to the Cowboys - just in time for the 'Skins game.
-The Raptors' weakness at the wing position really became apparent in last night's game against the Sixers, with Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon both packing enough bricks to build another arena, and although playing 30 minutes, Jason Kapono finished with just 3 shot attempts. Gerald Wallace, anyone?

PTI: Big Finish For November 12, from 'Melo to Obama, talk about a promotion!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - Beat a Dead Horse

2008-11-12T00:42:00.010-05:00

-Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Jermaine O'Neal and Anthony Parker are on the All-Star ballot this year. As per usual, yours truly will also be sending in a write-in for the Shimmy - a telling sign of how meaningful this game is to myself and any true fan of the game.
-Mats Sundin has sold his home for $5.7 million dollars. You can now scratch the Leafs off of the list of potential teams.
-Tim Lincecum picks up the NL CY Young award after his 18-5, 2.62 ERA and league best 265 strike-outs. I would have preferred a winning pitcher from a winning team, but still well-deserved.
-Sam Mitchell's reasoning of not utilizing Bosh more in the game against the Celtics was that they were using their best player as a "decoy" for others to score. Brilliant and flawless X and O's once again Smitch. By the way, time is definitely not your friend, my "friend".
-Quiz time. Which of the following athletes has a Barack Obama inspired tattoo on their left hand? A. Chad Ocho Cinco; B. Gilbert Arenas; C. Terrell Owens; D. Ron Artest. The answer: Agent Zero.
-A soccer fan by the name of Shaun Allen, has been banned from attending games for three years after hitting a police horse. In court he was said to have "struck the horse and ran off", right in front of police after a confrontation with the fuzz. Real smart. Hard to decide who to give the idiot of the day award to, this tool or Sam Mitchell...
-The Atlanta Hawks have continued from where they left off after taking the Celtics to 7 games in the playoffs, they're now 6-0...while the Lake Show improve to 6-0 as well, after beating the Mavs.

Practice?

Monday, November 10, 2008 - Duke it out

2008-11-10T22:19:00.008-05:00

-The Lakers' are undefeated after winning their first five games by an average margin of victory of 22.4 points.
-Why hockey games continue to air pictures of war veterans is beyond me. I know it's the month to remember, but sports, religion and politics should just never cross-over.
-Congratulations to Evan Longoria, the unanimous winner of the AL Rookie of the Year and Geovany Soto, the NL recipient. Well-deserved on both ends.
-The Truth scored scored 22 of his 36 points in the final quarter in the Raptors loss last night.
-"I don't think that (five hits) had anything to do with (the lack of an enforcer)," Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher said. My favourite hockey term has to be "goons".
-The Oakland A's have acquired Matt Holliday from the Rockies. The A's G.M is apparently "tired of losing. What intrigues me about this deal is that Holliday can become a free-agent the following year.
-The Duke Blue Devils were not satisfied with their 30-point route of Presbyterian. It's all PR talk...or BS talk, as I like to call it.
-Speaking of taking advantage of your father becoming the President of the United States, Barack Obama's daughters want to appear on Hannah Montana. Obama clearly has shielded his children from media coverage for safety concerns , so I'm saying "no go" - especially with Disney's increasingly sleazy reputation. See: Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens, Adrienne Bailon et al.

PTI: Big Finish for Nov. 10th - minus LaBaturd!

Add the Celtics to the rival list:

Saturday, November 8th, 2008 - Pulling a Michael Richards

2008-11-08T22:20:00.013-05:00

-Idiot of the day: Buck Brunette for his attempt at humour using his Facebook status-incident, and rightfully getting himself booted off the Texas football team. Whether or not the guy is racist or not, the guy is definitely not the brightest tool in the cabinet.
-Am I the only one who thinks Allen Iverson + the Pistons = mediocrity, worse than the Nuggets type mediocrity?
-After what seemed to be the NHL's best impression of Tim Donaghy, the Toronto Maple Leafs made Carey Price their bitch in a 6-3 win over the Habitants on Saturday.
-The Atlanta Hawks are no longer the bottom feeders of the NBA - it's still early, but the they're 4-0 to start the season and the sounds heard in Philips Arena are no longer resembling that of a library.
-ESPN the Mag has Joey Logano, Matt Ryan, David Price, and Ricky Rubio as the nominees for 2009 NEXT Athlete. My vote goes to Rubio, the kid's a star in the making, even Dwyane Wade had good things to say about him.
-A strange war of words between Joey Porter and Matt Jones, where Porter used Jones as an example in questioning league suspensions and Jones firing back in an odd fashion, questioning his sexual orientation.
-Bud Selig wants absolutely no part of Mark Cuban and his top bid. I've said it once and I'll say it again, Mark Cuban could potentially transform the Chicago Cubs and maybe even make them a contender a la Dallas Mavericks franchise. And really, a little bit of sports controversy once in a while never killed anyone, Bud.
-Kirk Hinrich is out for 2-3 months, which sets the stage for rookie Derrick Rose to take over as floor general for the Bulls. Show us what 'cha got, kid.
-According to TMZ.com, Mike Piazza said (when asked about the A-Rod situation) that he could've had Madonna, but blew it. Does anyone really care?
-C.C Sabathia had a "private conversation" with Yankees' captain Derek Jeter in which it is said that C.C made the call. Jeter said that he did not make a recruiting pitch to the coveted lefty, but who in their right mind would believe this?
-LupE.N.D? Say it ain't so Lupe. Luckily he's going out with a triple album.

In cased you missed it, AI talks to Stephen A. Smith about the trade:

Thursday. November 6th, 2008 - Holy Water

2008-11-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

-For those who didn't see it, Stevie Franchise's slick diamond studded Barack Obama blazer. Classy, Steve.
-Tokyo is concerned with Barack Obama winning the election, stating that this could sway the decision for the host of the '16 Olympics.
-Derek Jeter's reputation takes another hit, as Fielding Bible has ranked him as the worst DSS in the game, today.
-Jermaine O'Neal needs to cool it on the tech's - love the attitude, but there are smarter ways to do it, when it doesn't cost the team points and/or possessions.
-With the Leafs playing competitive hockey, is this enough to lure Mats Sundin? Not likely, I'd say his desire to win it all will be the key factor in which team he chooses. Slam! lists the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Philadelpia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks as the other teams showing strong interest in his services.
-A man and a woman were arrested for getting it on, on the john during a Bills-Jets game. There's a story to share with the grandchildren.
-With A.J Burnett gone presumably, it will be interesting to see what route J.P Ricciardi will take on finding a new #2 pitcher. Derek Lowe and Jon Garland are some notable free agent pitchers whom I wouldn't mind.
-With the U.S election in full swing, SI.com conducted a Sports Ballot and the results had Peyton Manning as the athlete with the best chance of becoming a politician - with 37.3% of the votes.
-Apparently Chad "Ocho Cinco" hid Barack Obama support signs in both goalposts before the Bengals' game against the Texans in what was supposed to be his touchdown celebration. Funny stuff. If only he had scored that game.
-Remember to place your bid on the rainwater that infamously brought Game 5 of this year's World Series to a "screeching halt".
-I'm slightly embarrassed to be a considered a fellow Raptors fan from this...um, what is it.

PTI: Big Finish for Nov. 5th - minus Kornheiser.

Wesnesday, November 5th, 2008 - Congratulations, Mr. Obama.

2008-11-05T15:53:00.007-05:00

-Thus begins Barack Obama's legacy as the first African-American president of the U.S of A. How he'll do in the Oval Office remains to be seen, however the bar is set pretty low.
-Will Barack Obama be good for the NHL?
-Allen Iverson to the Pistons for Chauncey Billups and Dice. The first blockbuster trade of the season, although the timing is strange - just a couple of games into.
-Tony Romo is back practicing with the Cowboys and is optimistic about returning for their next game.
-Warning: completely disturbing topic. This is where I would 100% endorse Capital Punishment. Creeps like this don't deserve to live.
-Chris Bosh and Chris Paul were named NBA Player of the Week for their respective conferences. Both well deserved, putting up monster numbers in the first week, and leading their teams to wins.
-Mats Sundin will make his NHL comeback in one month...
-After losing to the Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs are 0-3 for the first time since 1973.
-Winners of the NL Golden Gloves were announced today: seen here. 42 year old Greg Maddux notched his 18th. Surprisingly, not one Houston Astros player received one.
-Juicy rumour: the Angels planning on signing both Mark Texeira AND C.C Sabathia? Now that would be something, especially teamed up with Vlad and co.

Sunday, November 2, 2008 - World F'n Champions!

2008-11-02T15:51:00.004-05:00

-After being caught on camera dropping the "F-bomb" on heckling fans at the All-Star game, Chase Utley makes it a little more obvious on live television, seen here.
-A zamboni driver hit with a DUI. Sad world we live in.
-The Green Bay Packers have locked up Aaron Rodgers through til 2014. How's that for a vote of confidence?
-Ilya Kovalchuk to the Leafs? How exactly are the Leafs one of the front-runners for his services (if the rumours are true), I mean, what player or package of players could they offer?
-Ben Reiter ranked A.J Burnett as the 5th most valuable free agent this off-season, and 3rd most covetted pitcher after C.C and K-Rod. He performed well in a contract year and has all of the talent in the world to succeed, but the dude's made of glass.
-Nice to see Rod Barajas get extended for the starting job next season after a solid campaign behind the plate. And, this seems to be the end of Greg Zaun in Toronto.
-Texas Tech with the last second touchdown in an incredibly exciting finish, and shocker of a win over top seeded Texas. It honestly doesn't get any better than that, as far as endings go in sports.
-The Angels count for players filing for free agency has reached 5. The last man to file will be Fransisco Rodriguez, who will no doubt get a couple of calls this off-season.
-If the Knicks are really tanking, why use benching Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry as proof? Alright, I'll stop with the Starbury hate.
-The editing of the NHL record book will have to wait - as Martin Brodeur will be out of the pipes with a bruised elbow.

Saturday, November 1, 2008 - Jesus Price - That's Religulous!

2008-11-01T11:29:00.005-04:00

-The Toronto Maple Leafs scored 5 unanswered goals in the 3rd period to stun the Rangers - what a comeback.
-Roy Williams' costume of a bell hop with a "T-Bell" name tag was priceless.
-Bryshon Nellum, a USC sprinter took three bullets to the leg after leaving a Halloween party. That's gotta hurt, and I'm not just talking career-wise.
-The Raptors are 3-0! And Chris Bosh is playing like an MVP. And who says he isn't clutch?
-the man of the hour, C.C Sabathia has filed for free agency. Let the bidding wars begin for the prized pitcher of this offseason...
-Hold the retirement ceremonies, Daunte Culpepper has reportedly signed on with the Lions.
-Chris Bosh on next question with Michael Landsberg, "Who will you miss more T.J or Chuck Swirsky." His response? Chuck. And side note to Landsberg, nice job pronouncing Rafael Araujo - shows how much he follows the Raptors.
-Jonathon Papelbon is putting his '06 rookie glove up for auction on Ebay - starting bid is $4,500.
-Fans on internet forums have dubbed Canadians' goaltender Carey Price as Jesus Price. Wow - and I thought Lebron's The King was a ridiculous handle.
-The idea that any Joe with a celebrity sized-wallet could potentially be on the next cover of Madden is intriguing to me. Something tells me that Terrel Owens might be pleased with this marketing scheme.
-The Madison Square Gardens crowd were chanting, "We want Steph!". And I used to think New Yorkers new a thing or two about basketball...
-In odd news, a group of Benedictine nuns have purchased 50 shares in Hajduk Split the croation soccer squad - becoming one of the club's top 20 shareholders.
-Video of the day: good-bye Shea Stadium...

Friday, October 31, 2008 - Brian Scalabrine is special.

2008-10-31T23:46:00.007-04:00

-Idiot of the week: Jeff Kent (as much as I've come to respect the guy). Just pure ignorance, on his behalf. I'll just let the LGBT that make up the Dodgers fan base speak for themselves on the issue.
-the 76ers delivered the Knicks their first blow-out in the D'Antoni era.
-For sale, A-Rod's apartment.
-Mark Texeira, Manny Ramirez and Ben Sheets wasted little time filing for free agency, in a list that will quickly expand in due time.
-I would rather see Jason Kapono shoot one behind the arc with two players contesting, than anything driving to the cup.
-Someone tell Gregg Poppovich to shave, the Santa look just isn't him.
-Word on the street for the services of my boy, C.C Sabathia is that the Brewers are looking to send a cheque worth $100M his way.
-Andrea Bargnani is going to be making a lot of haters eat a tonne of crow - this is just the beginning.
-Phillies tickets were selling for 3k on Stubhub. Incredible.
-Never thought I'd hear this, but the New York Knicks have cut a guy named Patrick Ewing. Right before the season too - good thing the Knicks front office aren't superstitious...
-Forbes ranked the Toronto Maple Leafs 1st in overall value for the third straight year, income wise. If you think that's a lot, to put in perspective, the average NFL team is worth $1 billion.
-And the survey says...Bill Belicheck is among the most and least desirable coach, according to current players in the NFL.
-This stuff is gold. "Coming off his best year as a pro in 2004 where Scalabrine played 22 minutes a game while averaging 6.3 ppg., and 4.5 rebounds, Ainge saw an opportunity. Ainge was able to sign Scalabrine to a five year, $15 million deal, narrowly outbidding the Los Angelas Sparks."
-A look into Juwan Howard's Ipod - You're Beautiful by James Blunt.
-Cole and Chase are so cute. The Phillies' colours are go well with their eyes.

Thursday, October 30, 2008 - Pardon the Imitation

2008-10-30T17:38:00.011-04:00

-New blog name Pardon the Imitation, and this one's staying. Curt Schilling called out Manny Ramirez to epic proportions recently on his own blog, 38patches.
-The World Champion Phillies finished 88-0 record in games they were leading after the eighth inning - and I think it's safe to say Brad Lidge might have had a hand in that statistic.
-Greg Oden is injured again, in his first NBA game, about 2 min in...he's out for 2-4 weeks.
-David Beckham is heading back to Europe, AC Milan to be specific on a loan contract. I wish the Raptors could "loan" Kobe for a season or two...
-What are the Dallas Cowboys made of, glass?
-Gregg Poppovich called for the Hack-A-Shaq 5 seconds into the Suns-Spurs game, and Shaq was a good sport about it, sharing a laugh with Pops afterwards.
-The Ottawa Senators are looking for a goalie. Where's Ray Emery when you need him? Oh, that's right Russia!
-For a city fan-base who "booed Santa" at one point, it's sad that the last time (before this year's Phillies, of course) a team from the 4 major sports won it all was the '82-'83 76ers.
-The Lakers are "shipping his ass" in. Andrew Bynum's that is, with a $58M extension.
-Alex Rodriquez had lunch with a Kabbalah rabbi - Madonna's doings for sure. Unrelated, Derek Jeter said he's a fan of Friday Night Lights, but didn't answer to "who's your favourite character?".
-More news on Brett Favre (surprise, surprise), with the latest being rumours of the former Packer having a vendetta against his former team and giving tips to other teams. For more Favre-related drama, check out their family blog.
-Manny Legace sustained a hip injury slipping on a carpet. What a joke. Ice is no big deal, but watch out for them nasty carpets!
-Isiah Thomas' post-NBA legacy keeps getting better and better, as he has thrown his own daughter under the bus after the sleeping pill overdose incident.
-Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy is finally coming out (after ages of waiting), and has already leaked all over the web.
-Video of the day: Tony Hawk, Michael Phelps, Alex Rodriguez and Kobe Bryant in a Guitar Hero: World Tour ad - and a throw-back to Risky Business.

2008-09-14T14:11:00.003-04:00

To whom it may concern,

Due to a busy dose of school, work and a spin-off blog, this blog will be going on hiatus for a short period of time. Could be a month, could be two...

Thought it'd be fitting to announce it on the 50th entry of this blog. I'll try to post here once in a while, when there's big news or whatever, but not making any promises.

Cheers.

Saturday, September 13, 2008 - A Dying Breed

2008-09-13T00:20:00.007-04:00

-Some of these stories may be old news, but it's been a while since I've done this so here we go...
-Michael Phelps says that he's more nervous for the SNL performance than swimming in the Olympics.
-Vince Young had suicidal thoughts according to his therapist. Again, we see that it sometimes just isn't easy, even for the rich and famous.
-An MLSE survey is saying that losing seasons, ticket prices and a few other factors have influenced the diminishing of the Blue and White fan base. Don't need a fancy survey to tell ya that much.
-Tom Brady is done for the season. Tough luck Pats fans, and all you bandwagoners from last year.
-The Jays were on a 9 game win streak... but in September. I don't care what anyone says, it's nice to see them finish strong. And because of their recent hot playing, they got some love from SI.com writers - concerning teams that would play the role of spoiler to some playoff teams.
-A physicist has done the calculations, and says that if Usain Bolt didn't showboat at the end of the 100-M Olympic final, he could possibly have finished the race in a mere 9.55 seconds. Incredible.
-Slovakia 82, Bulgaria 0, in an ice hockey match where they were outshot 139-0. That's gotta be the biggest beatdown in the history of hockey. Ever.
-Kobe's skipping pinkie surgery after seeking opinions from health/hand specialists. A small risk that could pay-off big time for the Lake Show, but at the same time could really be costly, if he re-aggravates it. But then again, I'm not a hand expert, nor have control over Kobe's desire to win a championship.
-Kevin Connolly, Leo DiCaprio and Tobey McGuire were at one point roomies. Who knew?
-Lindsay Lohan kissed a girl, and she liked it, apparently.
-Ric Flair's daughter was arrested recently. Here's here mug shot.

Friday, September 5, 2008 - The Juicy Truth

2008-09-05T00:51:00.009-04:00

-A warehouse worker beat LeBron James in a game of Horse in the LeBron's Trick Shot Challenge that he hosted at Venice Beach.
-Not really news however, Mats Sundin was quoted as saying: "I will not make up my mind before the season starts," and added that if he felt like retiring he would say it.
-Jose Conseco was on the Moment of Truth and during the taping Mark McGwire was in attendance. One of the questions was if he had ever corked his bat before, among countless other exposing questions. So basically it will be his book Juiced, condensed into a 30 min television episode.
-NBA rookies Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur have angered the commish after their recent Mary-Jane escapades at a league sponsored Rookie symposium. According to the article, it would seem that their weed was flushed down the toilet, as no marijuana was actually found. Marijuana seems to be making headlines everywhere lately, with Sumo wrestlers, Penn State football and now the NBA rookies...
-On an almost related topic, Ricky Williams says he's taking college courses to earn his pre-med degree. Not kidding.
-With their win against the Detroit Tigers, the Halos' magic number to clinching the AL West is down to 6.
-Judging from articles that I've read, Dwight Howard seems to really like his olympic gold medal, becoming almost inseperable with it. He's already publicly stated that he will return to Team USA in future competitions.
-LeBron James will be in Toronto for More Than A Game, a documentary about his rise to superstardom, at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend.
-Daunte Culpepper has announced his retirement at the age of 31, saying that he didn't want to take a job that he didn't compete for, and would just end his career early.
-What an ugly logo for the Oklahoma City Thunder - it strongly resembles a WNBA team.
-Ben Gordon to CSKA Moscow? All speculation at this point, but entirely believable.
-Although the youngest player in the league currently, Travis Snider isn't the youngest Blue Jay to hit a home-run. Danny Ainge did it at the tender age of 20 years, 79 days compared to Snider's 20 years, 215 days.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008 - Pacman Likes Him Some Hooters

2008-09-03T00:28:00.007-04:00

-U of T defeated U of Waterloo in CIS football to end their drought of 49 games without a win. Now that's a long losing streak.
-An article titled Vincent Lecavalier hopes to be ready (for the regular season), for his ridiculous contract's sake, he better be...
-B.J Ryan sure knows how to make the end of games interesting doesn't he?
-I swear that I didn't see the NBA.com headline about Patrick Ewing Jr. with the same cliche.
-Michael Phelps will be making a cameo in a future episode of one of the better shows on television, Entourage. The show returns September 7th - note to self, get HBO.
-KC Royals GM is promising major changes before next season's spring training. I think we, and all 10 of the Royals' fans, have heard that line one too many times to deem it credible at this point.
-Roy Halladay was one of four pitchers to take 4 games from the boys in pinstripes at Yankee Stadium in their stadium history.
-Canadian Jamaal Magloire has signed with the Miami Heat, hoping to revitalize his hurtin' NBA career - and get back on track with help from Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley and Shawn Marion. Side bar, two Canadians on one roster, is that a first?
-Where was Pacman Jones at the time of when he was reinstated? A Hooters restaurant.
-According to this guy's blog, the name of the Oklahoma City team will be the Thunder. The other choices for the team name were equally brutal, I mean the Marshalls? Even the Raptors are a better team name.
-Video of the day/week - classic PTI moment with Phil Jackson, commenting on the then recent Kwame Brown trade...

Saturday, August 30, 2008 - Name Game

2008-08-30T15:58:00.008-04:00

-We're not letting you play anymore because you're too good, you don't speak English, and now because you're a girl. What's next, you have to be hetero?
-Patrick Ewing Jr. will be playing for the Knicks next season after being traded from the Rockets. Like father, like son.
-The Bengals' Chad Johnson has officially legally changed his name to Ocho Cinco.
-Ray Allen is having trouble selling his old house in Seattle, trimming the price down to $5.2 from $6 mill.
-The Jays-Angels deal involving David Eckstein is at a standstill, as other teams have joined in the discussion. The Red Sox, Rays and Dodgers are reportedly interested in Eckstein's services as well.
-Steve Nash has a differing opinion on the Suns' plan of resting him to keep him fresh for the playoffs, saying that the Suns might not be good enough to afford resting him 10-12 games. But they really have no choice, with Nash, 34, playing a tonne, 81 of 82 games last year with an average of just under 35 min. a game.
-Jose Reyes' 6 steps to successfully hitting triples.
-Barack Obama says that he prefers the White Sox over the Cubs. To which Ozzie Guillen replied, "He has to be our president.", but wouldn't vote for him just for that reason.
-Bryan McCabe is reportedly going to be shipped to Florida (along with his big contract) in the next few days after agreeing to waive his no-trade clause.
-The MLB's replay central room is 18 by 24 feet with so many computers and television screens that it is said to resemble NASA's Mission Control room.
-Sadly, Canadian Matt Stairs is no longer with the Blue Jays, best of luck to him in the future, be it with the Phillies or whomever. A prospect by the name of Travis Snider has been called-up. The guy's been tearing up AAA ball, so here's hoping this he will turn out to be the one and only bright spot (player wise, I didn't forget Cito) for the Jays this season.
-Forbes ranked the top paid television hosts today, no surprise with Oprah claiming the top spot - followed by the usual suspects, Howard Stern, Letterman, Leno, Judge Judy, Dr. Phil etc.

Thursday, August 28, 2008 - No Ordinary Joe

2008-08-28T13:09:00.007-04:00

-SI.com's list of the day ranked Peyton Manning as the slowest athlete (currently), the Big Hurt came in 3rd after the Great Khali of the WWE.
-Interesting headline to note: a possible Halos-Jays deal involving one of Toronto's three short-stops for an Angels player. Torii Hunter for John McDonald sounds about right to me.
-Tiger Woods was on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and said that his 14-month old daughter imitates television golfers' swing motions with one of his wedges.
-Joe Sakic has signed a one-year contract worth $6 million with the Avalanche to play his 20th NHL season.
-A fill in the blanks with Houston Dynamo's Stuart Holden"I'm dying to...", his answer? Knit a sweater before the summer is over...
-10 suggested MLB postseason ad slogans. Personally, I would have put #10 as #1 on the list.
-What did Jason Kidd do with his Olympic gold medal? He gave it away to Elaine Wynn of Wynn Casino for her hospitality.
-Usain Bolt is already back on track, or the track, competing at the Weltklasse meet before a sell-out crowd. Up for grabs are $50,000 (all figures U.S.) and a gold bar worth $27,000 for a new world record, $16,000 if he wins the race, totalling 93K.
-To all the uninformed Canadians out there, don't eat the meat!
-Video of the day: Arthur guest starring Johnny Damon, Mike Timlin, and Edgar Renteria!

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 - Argentine Idol

2008-08-27T00:06:00.002-04:00

-Michael Phelps will be hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, with musical guest Lil Wayne on Sept. 13.
-On Sept. 3 the NBA's Oklahoma City franchise will announce their name. The possible candidates: Thunder, Energy, Wind, Marshalls, Barons and Bison.
-For athlete owned restaurants, urbanspoon.com's voters ranked the Glove's Kingfish Cafe as the number one dining joint, followed by Brett Favre's Steakhouse and Michael Jordan's Steakhouse.
-We all know that residents of China adore Kobe Bryant, but who does Kobe admire? A soccer player by the name of Lionel Messi of Argentina. He met the 21-year old in a lunchroom and said translated "You are the best".
-It doesn't take a genius, or even a Star writer to know that J.P Ricciardi's job as the Jays G.M is on the line...
-A New Jersey inventor says that he has come up with a new unbreakable wooden bat he named the Radial Bat, that is guaranteed to last at least one year.
-The LPGA is forcing it's players to learn English, or their memberships will be suspended. Even Angel Matos thinks that's just stupid.
-According to ESPN Insider, another team might be joining in on the Mats Sundin sweepstakes: the Colorado Avalanche.
-The Texas Rangers have traded Eddie Guardado for a Hamburger.
-After losing Baron Davis to the Clippers, the Warriors will also be without Monta Ellis for at least 3 months due to ankle surgery.
-Graphing the Miguel Tejada trade.
-Video of the Day: Vitamin Water ad: starring Brian Urlacher, Adrian Peterson, David Ortiz, Dwight Howard, 50 Cent and Carrie Underwood dressed as astronauts.

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 - If you can't beat 'em...

2008-08-26T02:06:00.005-04:00

-I would never have pegged Kobe Bryant for a comic book fan, but then again, I would never have pegged him for a Harry Potter fan either...
-Twins SS Adam Everett wore a jersey that said, "MINNESTOA" at the front.
-Fidel Castro has actually defended Cuba's Angel Matos for his kick to the Swedish referee, buying into the conspiracy that the matches were pre-determined due to bribery. Regardless, it was a stupid move by the Cuban, and there's never a good reason to do such a reckless and unwarranted act of violence/stupidity.
-A nice interview with Rays General Manager, Andrew Friedman.
-Jason Giambi and Joba Chamberlain were allegedly involved in a beer pong match after their win against the Royals at a local pub and the fans gave them a beating, as told by eye witnesses at hand.
-9 year old pitching phenom Jericho Scott is too good for is own good apparently. The kid can throw a 40 mph fastball and on-target every time. The Youth Baseball League of New Haven have told his coach that he can't pitch anymore - basically punishing the kid for excelling at something he loves. What is this world coming to?
-Season 7 of Dancing With The Stars will feature Olympic beach volloyball player Misty May-Treanor, sprinter Maurice Greene and former NFL-er Warren Sapp.
-Carmelo Anthony supports Barack Obama, and would like to meet him at the convention which is held at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
-Fransisco Rodriguez gets his 50th save, becoming the fastest pitcher to do so. He's now only 7 saves away from tying Bobby Thigpen's all-time single season record.
-Rumours of Michael Strahan coming back to the NY football Giants are now surfacing in wake of Osi Umenyiora's season ending injury.
-Chicago Bulls' guard Ben Gordon has "played my last game with the Bulls", refusing to sign the Bulls' offer sheet.
-Rogers recently came out with the BlackBerry Bold, with the leather back. Already out of stock at some stores!
-American Idol is adding a fourth judge to the panel, as writer/producer Kara DioGuardi will join the mix next season, meaning more senseless chatter after songs.

Sunday, August 24, 2008 - Redemption

2008-08-24T18:28:00.014-04:00

-Tiger Woods is closing in on the $1 billion mark by 2010. Come the same year, teen actress Miley Cyrus will be worth that much. Funny how things like this work out sometimes.
-Manny Ramirez compared coming to LA from Beantown, to having "20 lbs less on my back". On a completely different note, a story surfaced that Man Ram "forgets" to tip the boys that provide him with necessary services, and his teammates pitch in to pay for him.
-Angel Matos gets the jackass-of-the-week award after his kick to a referee's face after getting disqualified in the taekwondo bronze medal match. Can you say lifetime ban? Give his coach one as well.
-A private research group said that Fantasy Football will cost U.S employers close to a total of $9.2 billion this year, due to time being wasted. While they feel that if they ban all sports-related websites, this could lead to reduced morale and loyalty. A catch-22 for them, it would seem.
-2:30 a.m tip-off time for the gold medal game between Spain and the U.S. Yours truly watched the first half (too tired to finish the game) and the Spaniards were hitting big shot after big shot to keep the game within range of an upset. Close game at the end but USA is back on top of the basketball world.
-Still on the topic of Team USA, there's an article on SI.com comparing the 1992 Dream Team to this year's, and how the '92 team would squash the Redeem Team. Thank you, Captain Obvious. The team's starting line-up had Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, and a couple of other HOF'ers. Oh, and coming off the bench, some guys named Larry Bird and John Stockton etc...
-"There is no deadline for the investigation." for the Chinese gymnast scandal, meaning this will more likely than not continue even after the Olympics are over.
-An article raised the thought of Usain Bolt playing in the NFL. Well he's got the speed, and a heck of a lot of it, but he would have to learn to catch and be willing to get-hit hard on occasion for it to work.
-John Mayer and Jennifer Anniston are splitsville, after 4 months - hollywood equivalent to 4 years.
-Katy Perry was once a Christian singer. So how does one go from singing gospel songs to oh-so-catchy lesbian kiss ones? A total 180.

Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 - Iguo-dollars

2008-08-23T00:24:00.012-04:00

-Eddy Curry aspired to be a gymnast at one point. When you're finished laughing, click this here link, to see the truth. From his Wikipedia page, "Prior to becoming considered one of the best high school basketball players in the nation as a senior at Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, Curry aspired to be a gymnast and did not pick up basketball until the seventh grade when he reluctantly went out for the school team. According to his father, Eddy Curry Sr., 'For a long time, Eddy hated basketball. Being a gymnast was his backyard dream, I guess.'"
-Usain Bolt at the moment: 3 races, three world records shattered (one being a 16-year old record) and of course, 3 golds.
-USA defeated a Manu Ginobili-less Argentina squad 101-81, and will be advancing to the gold medal game to face Spain. The "road to redemption" is almost over.
-Brandon Webb gets his 19th, while Cliff Lee improves to a stunning 18-2. ESPN had a good poll, who would you want pitching for your team? Although the results after a little less than 7k votes wouldn't indicate that, as Webb had 70% of the votes.
-The Cincinnati Bengals' fans are giving Chris Henry a warm welcome back.
-Here's a really interesting article breaking down Joba Chamberlain's pitching mechanics. Worth a visit/read.
-Charles Barkley's $0.02 on the impending 'NBA exodus', "I've been on TNT for years and no one's ever asked me, 'Who won the championship in Greece last year?'"
-I recently read an headline on fannation.com titled. "Is Granger [Danny] worth Iguodala money?". Better question, is Andre Iguodala worth Iguodala money? In all seroiusness, no he's good - but not worth that much dough.
-Michael Phelps will be writing a book titled, "Built to Succeed". The book will cover the story behind his Olympic victories, philosophy on training and competition and his life challenges growing up.
-Pop-culture tidbit: Gwen Stefani has named her baby Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale.
-Video of the day: trampoline flying slam dunk and high fives all-around.

Friday, August 23rd, 2008 - Support

2008-08-22T02:01:00.010-04:00

-You might have noticed that before races, Michael Phelps is seen with headphones listening to his Ipod, and wondered what music he was listening to that pumps him up. Well, before winning the 200m gold medal, he was listening to "I'm Me" by Lil Wayne. Pretty lame, but effective I guess.
-Canada is finally picking up steam with 3 golds, 7 silvers and 5 bronze medals bringing their medal count to a respectable 15.
-Chris Kaman's dad said that when Germany plays USA, he'll actually be rooting against his son who will be playing for the German team.
-Shawn Kemp will be back on the court (fortunately not an NBA one) as the Premiata Montegranaro have signed the controversial and retired big man.
-A letter to Cincinnati Reds fans, from their General Manager.
-Usain Bolt with a 19.30 record for the 200 meters...you're just insane, Usain.
-Blue Jays 15 - Yanks 3, but wait, the Doc was on the mound? And he actually received run support? I don't believe it.
-Mats Sundin to the New York Rangers? His agent says "no".
-USA's Amanda Beard denies having anything to do with fellow Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, almost sounding offended by the suggestion.
-Top 5 television sports theme songs. NBA on NBC gets my vote for top spot as well, but I'd put the Hockey Night In Canada (while no longer the theme anymore) up in the top 3.
-Classic sports related quote of the day: "I've been dunked on by (Vitaly) Potapenko and now (Zan) Tabak. The good part is that they don't make posters of those guys"— Houston Rockets’ Walt Williams, waaay back when.

Sunday, August 17, 2008 - Sweet, sweet karma...

2008-08-17T01:03:00.009-04:00

-I must say, the recent rumour of Barry Bonds to Tampa Bay, in light of Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford going down is almost laughable. Why the Rays would agree to this, and take the risk of possibly destroying what's been a completely magical and franchise-record breaking season, by adding Barroid to the mix is beyond me.
-I can't think of a sports superlative that can describe Usain Bolt's performance, and do it all of the justice it deserves. The guy is an incredible athlete and has the superstar swagger to boot.
-Finally Canada gets three medals, and one gold medal. Ironically that one gold came from a Vietnamese/Canadian.
-Team USA basketball pummeled Spain and showed the world that they're simply stronger, faster and just better than any other team in the world. I'd wager my soul to the devil himself that they bring home gold, that's how confident I am.
-Ara Abrahamian gets his just desserts for his unsportsmanlike behaviour. He's been stripped of his bronze medal for his little temper tantrum. What a loser, he should also receive a life-ban from any Olympic competition.
-Here's a name to remember for the near future - Ricky Rubio. At the age of 17, the kid already seems to have a bright future.
-J.P Riccardi is not gaining anymore fans in Canada, for his recent actions involving "supposed-to-be" olympian Scott Richmond, including Canadian baseball legend Stubby Clapp, who's reaction was a simple glare, and "No comment. No f---ing comment."
-An amusing video that sums up Aaron Rodgers' career with the Packers so far, starring Brett Favre, of course.
-Toss up: more likely to happen, Canada wins more than 10 olympic gold medals this year, or Ontario goes the last two weeks of August without rain?
-Mini rant: CTV needs to seriously get rid of E-Talk Daily, and Global with E.T Canada. One E.T is good enough. Canadian celebrities aren't nearly as interesting as their American counterparts, so let's stop pretending that they are.

Saturday, August 16, 2008 - Stay Classy, Sweden

2008-08-16T01:55:00.005-04:00

-Chad Johnson stated that he knew a few guys (back home) including himself, who could beat Michael Phelps. What a nut.
-Nothing says true Olympic spirit like "Little girl, you're too ugly - so we're just going to take you out of the picture and let someone else bask in the glory (that you should have received)"
-Stephon Marbury says that once his contract is done, he's bolting to Milan to play for the Italian team.
-Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian puts the "ass" in "class" as he tossed his bronze medal in anger that he didn't come home with the gold.
-Sarunas Jasikevicius has called out his former coach, Rick Carlisle, and teammates for his short stay and eventual departure from the NBA, but stated that Stephen Jackson of all people was different, and was "one of my best teammates". Now there's a shocker.
-Brandon Webb's wins just keep stacking up, as he improves to 18-4 after his victory against the Astros.
-Canadian Donavon Bailey recently praised Usain Bolt (and what an appropriate name), basically saying that the kid has some mad chops, and could possibly break some records.
-Tune into the Golf Channel to watch a reality television show that will feature Charles Barkley trying to fix his golf swing, by going under the wing of Tiger Woods' swing coach and Hank Haney.

Friday, August 15, 2008 - Forever Young

2008-08-15T00:37:00.007-04:00

-A few Olympic tennis upsets, as Roger Federer was upset by USA's James Blake. The Williams' Sisters was also upset on Thursday.
-A 104 year old man wants to throw the first pitch during the playoffs if the Cubs make the playoffs. Let's hope he'll still be living at that time...
-From really old, to really young...it looks like everyone's suspicions were correct (if the news report is legit). China's gymnast He Kexin is only 13, making her ineligible to be on the team that won the gold medal this week.
-Chinese police officer's have been ordered to be more friendly and smile more, as their blank, strict facial expressions are scaring off visitors during the Olympics.
-Jason Kidd is all business, as he is through with May Anderson, stating that she was a distraction to his goal of bringing back gold to the states.
-According the Reuters.com, Michael Phelps is the most discussed Olympic athlete online, just ahead of Yao Ming, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
-Manny Ramirez has actually cut his dreads...about an inch shorter. But he says that it'll be a lot shorter come next season.
-A prayer room has been opened at Ewood Park to allow Blackburn Rovers to pray on days of their games. The Lancashire Council of Mosques and The Dean of Blackburn Cathedral have called this move, "commendable".

Thursday, August 14, 2008 - Everything Going Swimmingly for USA

2008-08-14T02:44:00.005-04:00

-An Ashley Simpson/Milli Vanilli moment at the Olympics, which is possibly the biggest stage you could attempt to pull that stunt on. High risk, low reward - and definitely not worth it...
-Spain should fire their marketing team for that recent fiasco. Tells a lot about the intelligence of Team Spain basketball, that not one of them suggested that the gesture was possibly a bad idea.
-Is Michael Phelps good or what? Chinese viewers have dubbed him as the "flying fish" for his agility in the water, I'd replace the first word with Golden. Side
note, the guy consumes about 12,000 calories a day. Crazy stat.
-Canada currently has less Olympic medals than Vietnam - a country with just one silver medal at this moment. I'll let you do the math on that one...
-The Tampa Bay Rays will be without all-star Carl Crawford for about 6-8 weels as he will be undergoing surgery on his right hand.
-A Chinese soccer player on the women's team is named Yu Suk.
-The Russian and Georgian beach volleyball teams showed that the game had not political undertones as they hugged before the match.
-Sports Illustrated's Marty Burns ranked the Toronto Raptors at 7th in the Eastern Conference and surprisingly one rank lower than the Detroit Pistons.
-This week's edition of SI.com's Pop Culture Hot List included an Entourage reference, so I thought I'd post it here. Regarding LeBron bolting to Europe for the cash: "You know the only thing I keep thinking about when I hear King James might bolt the NBA for a Russian or Greek team willing to pay him $50 million a year? The season finale of Entourage where Ari and Vince would rather sell Medillin to an Oscar-winning studio for $35 million than to an unknown like Yair Marx for $75 million. Nicky Rubenstein went for the money and ended up looking like a fool. As cliché as it may sound, sometimes there are more important things in life than money."
-Link of the day: Jennie Finch's blog.

Sunday, August 10, 2008 - Revenge is a dish best served in NYC

2008-08-09T22:15:00.008-04:00

-Phil Mickelson wants golf to be implemented into the Olympic games. What's next, competitive Chess?
-For the die-hard sports gamers out there, EA Sports will release a downloadable cover of Madden '09 with Brett Favre in a New York Jets jersey.
-More video game/sports related news, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe was quoted as saying that he's "probably in the top 100 of people playing the game worldwide, skillwise." - when discussing Guitar Hero. His resume seems to back up his talk, as he has beaten the Guiness World Record and has been picked by Activision to play as a ringer in a contest.
-Here's something both LA Dodgers and Boston Red Sox fans might not enjoy hearing. Sources close to Manny Ramirez have said that Manny wants to sign with the New York Yankees, when he becomes a free-agent, to "get back at the Red Sox".
-Kobe Bryant and Lebron James have publicly expressed a slight interest in playing in Europe for obviou$ reasons. And now Dwyane Wade has joined the mixed, saying that he would definitely consider it, for the same reasons.
-Shea Stadium will be selling off it's bleacher seats (colour options of red, blue and green) at the very affordable price of $869 a pair.
-Tom Brady is apparently a big fan of Coldplay, which means I respect him a bit more now that I'm aware of that. Brady went to the concert at TD Banknorth Garden (where he had a song dedicated to him), with good friend Gisele Bundchen. Also in attendence were: Gwyneth Paltrow, Steven Spielberg and Jerry Seinfeld.
-A new pitching stat, for the box-score fanatics, the top Ziegler pitchers in the MLB. Roy Halladay ranks second only to Brandon Webb.
-Video of the Day: Gary Coleman at the plate - and ejected in a minor league baseball game.

Saturday, August 9, 2008 - B-b-brett and the Jets

2008-08-09T01:37:00.007-04:00

-The Beijing Olympics are underway, and China and Czech Republic gain one gold medal for the women, in the count.
-Here's something you might not have been aware of. Jason Bay has a sister, named Lauren Bay, who will be pitching for Team Canada.
-Cito Gaston has been given the go-ahead as the Blue Jays' manager for next season. The Jays are 23-17 since Cito's arrival.
-The Toronto Raptors season sched. is out, and there looks to be a lot of road games in the first little while - so expect a less than average start.
-Kobe Bryant on possibly leaving the NBA, to play in Italy (where he grew up) - "I'd go. I'd probably go..like Milan or something like that, where I grew up or something like that? Peace out." His reasoning? "Do you know any reasonable person that would turn down 50 (million dollars)?"
-Once again, another awesome performance by the Brewers' C.C Sabathia, throwing his fourth complete game and second shutout since his arrival in Milwaukee. I said it before, and I'll say it again, CY Young no question, if he keeps up this pitching tear.
-And so, the summertime soap opera ends with Brett Favre, as he has been introduced to the New York Jets.
-The LA Lakers have signed the "Chinese Magic Johnson" Sun Yue. No doubt this nickname will be dropped very quickly in the NBA...
-U.S president George Bush says that there's a possibility that he may be attending the opener between the United States and China.
-Rumours that Thierry Henry could be headed to the MLS are surfacing.
-Jenna Jameson will be expecting her first child. There's one kid guaranteed to have a bit of a rough childhood, without question.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - Africa is Hockeyville?

2008-08-06T01:59:00.010-04:00

-Tiger Woods on retiring from golf, "When I get to a point where my best is not good enough anymore, as I prepare and I practice and I get ready, and I know if I go out there and play the way I know I can play and it's just not good enough anymore, my skills have diminished that far, it's time for me to move on, rack the cue and go home."
-An autopsy of steroids dealer David Jacobs showed more than five times the amount of testosterone in his body than allowed in standard testing - which lead to his rage and murdering of his wife. Disgusting.
-A potential hockey fan base in Africa?
-Team Canada baseball will be one pitcher short, as J.P Riccardi has called up Scott Richmond. Talk about hurting your reputation with Canadian fans even more, however; I'm of the opinion that Riccardi is doing what's best for the team.
-The Phillies' Joe Blanton was asked what the last song he downloaded onto his Ipod was. His answer? Find Out Who Your Friends Are by Tim McGraw. You gotta love the useless facts Sports Illustrated provides fans with.
-The Big Hurt expressed no ill-feelings in his return to Toronto. "It's good to be back in the city...I miss the place."
-Brandon Webb contunues to impress, becoming the first 16-game winner in the league.
-I'm guessing writer Brian Costello isn't a fan of Mats Sundin, for his article titled, "Top 10: Reasons why Mats Sundin isn't a hall of famer."
-Prince Fielder has apologized for his scuffle with teammate Manny Parra.
-The torch has been somewhat passed on Team USA. Veteran Jason Kidd is beginning to see his minutes diminish as the youngsters, Chris Paul and Deron Williams are learning the FIBA game, and improving the more they play.
-Best Damn Sports Show Period's semi-regular Amanda Beard is posing nude for PETA to protest fur clothing.
-Two of the Top 10 most overplayed songs at college campus' include: "Anything by Jack Johnson or any other marginally talented acoustic guitar-based singer" and "Anything by or featuring Lil Wayne" among the usual suspects.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008 - A Not-So-Happy Meal

2008-08-05T18:44:00.009-04:00

-Mark Cuban is reported to be interested in buying the Chicago Cubs. Say what you want about the guy, but the bottom line is he knows how to turn weak franchises around. Just ask the Dallas Mavericks organization.
-Don't mean to state the obvious, but there's no way Brett Favre remains a Green Bay Packer, after all of this drama, I can't see the two party's kiss and make up, and be serious about the coming season.
-A source close to Lebron James says that the King would consider a Euro offer, if it was in the range of $50 million dollars. Again, I just can't see Lebron going overseas. Too much American pride, as well as NBA pride. If Lebron wants to live up to the "next great one" and "King James" hype, it won't happen in Europe, that's for sure.
-The Dodgers are considering sending Andruw Jones to the minors. Talk about a guy who's quickly faded out of the circle of potential greats...
-After shutting down Sarunas Jasikevicius in the game against Lithuania, Kobe gave himself a new nickname, "the Doberman". Not sure about you but I like the Black Mamba handle better.
-NHL goalies will have a little less armour next season, as the league has reduced the size of the equipment down a few notches...
-According to PTI, Charles Barkley's doctor told him that he's "one happy meal away from diabetes" - which is why he's found a new hobby that will hopefully help him shed a few pounds, boxing.
-In an interview with Rob Rossi, Sidney Crosby's stated that his beverage of choice is Crown Royal or Jack Daniels.
-Joe Torre has asked Manny Ramirez to get a haircut. If Manny actually follows the order, I'll be impressed.
-Some pictures of Gilbert Arenas' crib leaked on the net recently. The stone for the mountain cost him just half a million...
-Video of the day: Bend it like Becky

Sunday, August 3, 2008 - I've Got 99 Problems...

2008-08-03T00:06:00.007-04:00

-When asked whether Manny Ramirez was aware that #99 was symbolic of another player in the sport of hockey (and coincidentally one who played in LA at one point) - Man-Ram shrugged it off, saying he knew nothing about hockey. General unwritten rule of sports tells you not to choose a couple of specific numbers, regardless of particular sport, but I guess that's "Manny being Manny", whatever that means...
-On the BS Report with Bill Simmons podcast, Danica Patrick revealed that her dog's name was Ricky Bobby. She also said that she received a speeding ticket a short time ago, for clocking over 17 of the limit. She told the officer that she was a race car driver, and knew what she was doing. To which he replied,"I don't know who you are, and I don't care."
-an 84 year old man from Quebec biked more than 800 KM from his home to Montreal so he can catch a plane to Beijing. This is his 12th time doing this.
-EA Sports chose Brett Favre to be on the cover of Madden 2009 - coming out in August. He will be wearing a Green Bay Packers uniform.
-Manny Ramirez stated that he feels like he will play in LA for the remainder of his career (not very likely). Gotta love it when players use that cheezy line, especially before even playing one game with their new team.
-Team that made the best move before the trade deadline? LA Angels picking up Mark Texeira. Great teams don't wait for other teams to make moves and react, they make the risky moves and make others react to them. And Texeira and Guerrero just sounds a heck of a lot better than Izturis and Guerrero, don't 'cha think?
-Adam Jones has decided that he's changed his mind, and that everyone can go back to calling him Pacman, instead of Adam or Mr. Jones. Not that anyone cares, or even considered his first request...
-In the epic (and well publicized) battle of the beards, Deshawn Stevenson outlasted Drew Gooden and finally won the bet.
-Cowbell Hero blows Guitar Hero out of the water.
-Link of the day: add Ron Artest to your Myspace! (and listen to him Crank That - remix).

Saturday, August 2, 2008 - Diamonds Are Forever

2008-08-02T01:19:00.003-04:00

-Brett Favre has been offered 20 million dollars to do what he said he would do...retire.
-Ken Griffey Jr. just doesn't look right in a white and black uni...
-Patrick Roy's son, Jonathon Roy was finally charged for assault for his unnecessary attack on opposing goalie Bobby Nadeau earlier in March. Yes, it took that long, even with video evidence of specifically what happened...
-TheStar reported that longtime Leafs captain, Mats Sundin is seriously contemplating retirement. His agent said this will likely mean that the decision will be made sometime in August.
-According to his BoSox teammates, Dustin Pedroia just "never shuts up" and one former Triple-A teammate said, "He acted way too cocky, way too big league for my taste". Hate it or love it, the kid can back up the smack he dishes out - and apparently he does a lot of it during games.
-a question from Doug Smith's mailbag from the Toronto Star, Q: So if Will Solomon plays great in camp, and at the start of the season beats out Ukic for the backup role, do you think it'd be worthwhile for Ukic to be sent to the D-League to get consistent playing time? (Justin C, Kitchener). Oh, how Roko will surprise so many people - and this does not exclude everybody's favourite team player, Jose Calderon.
-After being called out by Annika Sorenstam, teen golf sensation Michelle Wie failed to make the cut on the men's tour for the eighth time. Persistance can hurt you at times...if that's what you want to call it.
-Mark Cuban once again reaches into his wallet, but this time pays not the NBA League office, but Don Nelson a total of $6.3M. Or better known as his pocket change.
-Olympiakos stated that they are looking to make a big offer to Lebron James when he becomes a free agent in 2010. No chance that happens. Lebron doesn't need the cash (which could quite possibly be an outrageous amount), so I'll believe it when I see it.
-Apple is coming out with an 88 diamond studded iPhone, in honour of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the price tag for that bad boy is almost as ridiculous as the product itself.

Friday, August 1, 2008 - Indiana and Dow Jones related? Simply Ludacris

2008-08-01T14:25:00.006-04:00

-As expected, Manny Ramirez has been moved, as well as Canadian Jason Bay. Ramirez is headed to the LA Dodgers and Jason Bay is headed to Boston to relieve Manny's duties. Ken Griffey Jr. also swapped jerseys as he was traded to the Chi-Sox.
-Paul Pierce has gone on record saying that he is the best player in the world. The comment is just laughable considering he wouldn't be saying this if the Celtics hadn't won the championship recently. Best leader maybe (and even then, KG would get the nod), but you can't be "one of the best" one week, then "the best" another. It just doesn't work that way.
-Another cocky player in Nenad Krstic whined about not getting offers from other teams, "When you look at big guys in the NBA, they signed really big contracts. I know I am on that level." You came off of a big injury, and even when you were healthy, you weren't that good. Take the $5 mill from Cleveland, or go to Russia, that's all there is to it.
-The Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens are said to be 4 of the teams that Mats Sundin is looking at, in this neverending saga of will-he, won't-he...
-A bit surprising that ESPN.com's poll of "Would you want your favourite team to sign Manny Ramirez for 2009?" results were close to 50-50 after a little over 30k votes. But then again, this coming from a Blue Jays fan.
-The Toronto Raptors will be entertaining Edmonton fans as they host the Denver Nuggets on Oct 21st at Rexall Place.
-Indiana Jones related to Dow Jones?
-Barack Obama has responded to Ludacris' ludicrous rap, not approving of it, in which he ripped Hillary Clinton, John McCain and even George W. Bush (shocker, I know).

Thursday, July 31, 2008 - Texas Three Step

2008-07-31T00:28:00.008-04:00

-Manny Ramirez has really been speaking his mind lately...with latest rants such as, “The Red Sox don’t deserve a player like me" and “During my years here I’ve seen how they have mistreated other great players when they didn’t want them to try to turn the fans against them. The Red Sox did the same with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, and now they do the same with me. " Seems like Man-Ram is certain that his future in Beantown is done.
-Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in the slammer. For some odd reason, I feel that something's missing.
-Time Magazine has chosen Lebronze as the cover model, as well as naming him the #1 athlete to watch during the Beijing Olympics. Whatever happened to the old adage of 'respect is to be earned, not given'?
-Blue Jays' catcher Greg Zaun has publicly requested a trade. Don't leave expecting to be missed...especially considering Rod Barajas is a much better player than Zaun.
-Kobe Bryant played a 1-on-1 friendly with Memphis Grizzlies' rookie O.J Mayo and afterwords said that he's got the whole package. Jerry Colangelo stated that "Kobe completely shut him down in the beginning, but the longer they went, the better Mayo got."
-The Yankees have acquired Pudge Rodriguez for Kyle Farnsworth...
-ESPN.com ranked the Pittsburg Penguins as the #1 team in the East, with the Toronto Maple Leafs ranked second last in the conference.
-The Raptors have signed Will Solomon and he will play behind Jose Calderon and Roko Ukic. I could be wrong but this may be the first time in NBA history that a team will play three former Euroleague point guards. This signing will also be the last off-season move of Bryan Colangelo, as he was quoted as saying simply, "That's it,"
-Ron Artest will be teaming up with Yao Ming, Tracy Mcgrady et al, in Houston to form another one of the many "big threes" in the NBA.
-J.P Ricciardi said that A.J Burnett is now off the market
-A nice article called NBA meets MBA. It's nice to know that at least some players are conscious about their post-playing careers...
-Just a little too much time on their hands, maybe?

Sunday, July 27, 2008 - Bruce Wayne, Superman, The Flash...and SpongeBob?

2008-07-27T00:03:00.009-04:00

-British Columbia native Steve Nash has confirmed rumours that he is looking to bring an MLS franchise to Vancouver.
-Future Jays ace Dustin McGowan's season was cut short as he will undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder.
-Steve Bartman was offered $25,000 to sign a picture of the playoff incident that made him (in)famous at a convention, yet declined. If I'm the guy - I take the risk of possible death to get the cash, but there are probably around fifty different gruesome scenarios floating around in his head right now, or at all times.
-A pair of suits in Bill Gates and Warren Buffett were on hand courtside to witness the bloodbath of the USA-Canada exhibition. Mike Krzyzewski referred to the game as "practice". King James sat out the game, but the Redeem Team still dominated in a 120-65 beat down of the Canucks.
-Baptism in the Stanley Cup? I wonder what the Roman Catholic church thinks about this...
-The Detroit Tigers are statistically the best team in baseball in the past 41 games played, after their dismal start to the season.
-Team USA basketball have been using the age-old technique of aliases for hotels - to avoid attention. A few of the names being used are Bruce Wayne and SpongeBob SquarePants.
-Emeka Okafor turned down a 60 million over 5 years contract last year, expecting a bit more presumably. Not very smart for a guy who majored in finance at U-Conn.
-Ron Artest is reportedly garnering interest in a city that tarnished his career for a while, the Motor City. If I'm Joe Dumars, I might consider going for this trade in light of Artest's history with the city. The Pistons are slowly depreciating and with back-to-back exits in the playoffs the past two seasons, it may be time for a risk/chance.
-Nas' interview and performance on the Colbert Report.

Friday, July, 25, 2008 - Highschool Reunion

2008-07-25T01:13:00.004-04:00

-What a pick-up for the Milwaukee Brewers in CC (no dot) Sabathia, who recently capped off his 3rd complete game in a row. CC could soon be seeing CY attatched to his name, if he keeps this streak up.
-LeBronze has gone on record (in a Time magazine story) and guaranteed a gold medal for Team USA. I compare this to when Jameer Nelson guaranteed a victory over the Pistons, in the sense that I'd be much more comfortable hearing a guy like Jason Kidd or Kobe Bryant make that claim. You know, a guy with at least some credibility to his Olympic resume...
-A load of suspensions handed out by the WNBA - 5 from each team involved in the scuffle. That's gotta be another record.
-It was reported that Brett Favre recently made a phone call to the Minnasota Vikings using a Green Bay Packers issued cell phone. What is the man thinking?
-Mats Sundin says that he will make his decision in two weeks time, and the Leafs are still in the mix. Mike Gillis, the GM of the Canucks thinks that it's a two-man race between the Leafs and Vancouver. Maybe Leafs fans will get their fairy tale ending they desire after all.
-Man-U's Christiano Ronaldo was asked whether he would follow in David Beckham's footsteps in later years. He stated that it's a possiblity that he would play for the LA Galaxy, as he has heard good things about the organization.
-If the Red Sox intend to let Manny Ramirez walk, word in Beantown is that they'll make a strong go at Matt Holiday to replace him, depending on Holliday's availability and not necessarily on Manny.
-For those hoping for a Federer-Nadal rematch for the ages...you can scratch that off your wish list, as Roger Federer has bowed out of the Rogers Cup already.
-Two former high school classmates of Tim Donaghy were sentenced to more than a year in prison for involvement in the NBA betting scandal. Just another piece of what seems to be a giant puzzle solved.
-Carlos Boozer "hinted" at staying with the Jazz, and Deron Williams thinks Boozer will just because he's there. Not too long ago, a player even more talented than D-Will thought the same thing in Cleveland. Just saying it's a possiblity.

Thursday, July 24, 2008 - No More Monkey Business

2008-07-24T13:00:00.005-04:00

-A week of fill-in guest hosts, and now no Pardon the Interruption all week. How depressing.
-Josh Childress looks good in Olympiakos red, wouldn't you say? Other notable names that have taken the same path, include: Carlos Delfino, Bostjan Nachbar and Juan Carlos Navarro. What makes J-Chill more intriguing, is that he is pretty much the first American born player of his stature to take this plunge.
-First WNBA brawl ever, in the Sparks-Pist..I mean Shocks game. Assistant coach Rick Mahorn seems to have recieved the worst of it, getting a shot to the back by DeLisha Milton-Jones. Unlike the NBA, this could be viewed in a "any publicity is good publicity" perspective.
-More WNBA news (I swear it's the last one for today) - 50 year old Nancy Lieberman has signed a 7-day contract with the Sparks.
-An Alex Rodriguez and Madonna sex tape? Not good news for A-Rod's already hurtin' image - if indeed this tape exists, which is said to be asked for for 2 mill.
-Kansas City Royals pitcher (if you can even call him that anymore) Jimmy Gobble, gave up 10 runs in one inning against the Detroit Tigers.
-Houston rook Joey Dorsey gets a technical in Summer League play, while in street clothes - then gets ejected for failing to shut up. The Wizards won in overtime, by the way. Not that the game was meaningful or anything.
-Here's a story that that's bound to put you in a bad mood. A little league coach by the name of William Mitchell is charged with stealing money from his own team, which was raised by the kids through selling cookie dough to pay for pictures, trophies etc. Welcome to the corrupt world of baseball kids...
-Gilbert Arenas says that he's done with the funny business, and is ready to live up to his full potential, and basically stop goofing off. I guess this means no more "Hibachi!" after baskets made, video Poker during half-time, sleeping on couches rather than beds, ordering products from infomercials, NBA hit-lists of those responsible for cutting him from Team USA, games of horse with teammate Deshawn Stevenson, etc. But in all seriousness, the guy's pure entertainment, and shouldn't change for the good of the league.
-Scientists from the USA and Italy say that they have discovered a breakthrough urine test for detecting HGH.
-Video of the day: Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins remix of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Funny stuff.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - EuroTrip

2008-07-22T01:30:00.008-04:00

-Marion Jones has asked George Bush for mercy on her jail sentence, hoping for a reduction in time. An athlete like that deserves to do the time, so I'm hoping (for once) that Dubya will do the right thing, and make her do it all.
-Not one Toronto Blue Jay hitter is on pace to hit 20 home runs. Sad, isn't it?
-In a very "politically correct" sit-down with Jim Rome, Packers' WR Greg Jennings hinted that the general consensus of the locker-room (in a hypothetical vote) would lean towards Aaron Rogers taking the spot of starting quarterback, over Brett Favre.
-The Big Unit improved his flawless record to 13-0 against the Cubs all-time last night, as he out-pitched Rich Harden to lead his team to the 2-0 win.
-Toronto FC will be hosting the Montreal Impact in a must win game in the last game of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. TFC Goalkeeper Greg Sutton said that, "It's probably going to be the most important game in club history, and one of the most important games in Canadian history as far as soccer goes".
-Who in their right mind would wear these - after knowing that they were inspired by The Simpsons' Marge Simpson.
-Josh Childress is considering leaving the NBA to play in Europe. This would be the beginning of a free-for-all, concerning free-agent NBA players, as Europe is becoming a lot more attractive financially.
-The Minnasota Twins lost Johan Santana and Torii Hunter this past off-season, yet remain in contention. Now that's solid team management from the boys upstairs. The Francisco Liriano whining is just plain stupid - especially considering the implication is that the Twins don't want to win. Last I checked, the've got some nice depth at the bullpen and can afford to ease Liriano back into the rotation, without destroying chemistry.
-Toss up: which one is the more overrated film, Little Miss Sunshine or Donnie Darko?
-Best line from the ESPY's: "I want to be tucked in by Greg Oden and have him tell us stories about the old days." -Will Ferrell

Sunday, July 20, 2008 - Home Field Disadvantage

2008-07-20T01:00:00.003-04:00

-Toronto FC failed to score against the expansion San Jose Earthquakes, with multiple chances to capitalize. By the way, expect a bit more MLS, and specifically TFC commentary on my part from now on.
-Evan Longoria hit his first ever grand slam against Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay last night, on a 10-pitch at-bat, in the Rays 6-4 victory.
-Croatia and Greece will be heading to Beijing to compete - and either team could give Team USA a run for their money.
-Manu Ginobili will be playing for Argentina after his playoff injury has apparently healed, and after Greg Poppovich stated that Manu should "definitely not" participate in the tournament if he is not 100%. If I'm a Spurs fan I'm hoping this doesn't turn out the same way as Jorge Garbajosa, when he injured himself in the games, re-aggravating his injury.
-Leo Rautins' performance will be reviewed by Canada Basketball executive director Wayne Parrish, most likely meaning he's headed out the door. I say bring back Jay Triano, and maybe Steve Nash will decide to give Team Canada one more shot.
-NHL commish Gary Bettman has threatened to remove the New York Rangers from the league. MSG chairman James Dolan doesn't seem fazed.
-The Toronto Maple Leafs are giving away all of their pre-season tickets for free, for one exhibition game against the Buffalo Sabres.
-Harsh words were spoken about the turf at BMO field, and even the practice field.
-J.P Riccardi stated that not one call has been made on anybody, concerning interest in players, when asked about A.J Burnett inquiries.
-Talk about making a mammoth impact. David Beckham's arrival in the MLS has sent ESPN ratings skyrocketing up to 150% higher than previous years, while raising fan attendance of the Galaxy road games from 16,770 to 28,035. Oh, and did I mention his jersey has sold more than 300,000 - which is more than guys like Derek Jeter, Reggie Bush, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. To put in perspective, Kobe and Lebron's jersey sales were in the 70-80k range.

Friday, July 18th, 2008 - Saudi Prince to be crowned Fantasy King?

2008-07-18T16:45:00.012-04:00

-Tickets for the last game at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles are going as high as $65,000.
-Things are heating up in the Manny Ramirez debacle. Manny has publicly stated his displeasure with the franchise - telling the Boston Herald that he is "tired of the ----, where they tell you one thing and behind your back they do another thing". He also stated that he has no issues with walking away from the team, if the team chooses to let him walk.
-What a comeback for Team Canada against Korea the other day. Huge three-pointers in the dying minutes by Rowen Barrett and Jermaine Anderson.
-On the Fan 590, Leo Rautins said(paraphrased), "if you're not eating lunch with the team, you're not acting like you're a part of the team". So for that reason, you cut Team Canada's best player? A tad ridiculous if you ask me, especially considering Team Canada isn't exactly a cesspool of talent at the moment, and can't really afford to pull this (overly) "tough love" bit.
-Today's game, Croatia crushed the Canucks, 83-62...game-over for Team Canada - and here's hoping Leo gets the axe.
-Former Japanese baseball sensation Hideo Nomo has retired from the game. For those not aware, he was pitching for the Kansas City Royals this season.
-Rampage Jackson has been taken in for mental health evaluation, for his recent behaviour - something Mike Tyson should have recieved many years ago. So much for being a born-again Christian...
-Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is a Saudi Prince obsessed with Fantasy Football, and is looking to challenge YOU. Sign up today for a chance to win a ticket to the Prince's crib.
-No clue why the Dallas Mavericks wouldn't agree to a Josh Howard for Ron Artest deal. Dirk, J-Kidd and Artest would form a real formidable big three, possibly even strong enough to compete in the ever tough Western Conference, because at this point, as talented as the Mavs roster is, they could realistically finish seventh or eighth this year.
-I bet you're wondering if anyone else has come close to Dan Uggla's brutal ASG performance (0-4, 3 K's, 1 GIDP, 3 errors). Well for his position, Pete Reiser was the only guy to come close to such an "Uggla" performance, his statline: 0-4, 2 K's, 1 GIDP, 2 errors.
-A hunting shop owner is basically offering to pay Brett Favre $25,000 dollars to come back to the Packers.
-The Barenaked Ladies have backed out of a children's concert sponsored by Disney - due to Steven Page's latest cocaine arrest, most likely worried that they would tarnish Disney's "squeaky-clean image".
-Video of the day: Spelling Bee 2008: Numb-nut?

Thursday, July, 17, 2008 - All in the Family

2008-07-17T01:00:00.006-04:00

-Alyssa Milano has sworn off dating baseball players, saying that they are too "childish".
-Rafael Nadal has reached for the stars...and has been granted his own asteroid, named after himself, of course. For the astronomers out there who have a liking for tennis, you can find it between Mars and Jupiter.
-A total of zero teammates (yes, you heard right) of A-Rod's came to his party which took place at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club. Ouch. Meanwhile, the more likable Yankee, Derek Jeter, hosted a party where a few of his buddies came, some big names include: Billy Crystal and Michael Jordan.
-A nice article summarizing why the San Antonio Spurs have been such a dominant franchise, continually adding to their solid foundation strong complimentary pieces, to build around their core. And I don't mean to undervalue Tim Duncan at all, but the organization does such a solid job in all of the team management areas. Funny how the majority of the players listed, have at one point in their careers, been rumoured in trades to the (then G.M Isiah Thomas') Knicks.
-Bud Selig called the new all-star game format (of winner gets home field advantage for the World Series) a success, stating that player intensity has been raised. Tell that to A-Rod, who reportedly left early before the game even ended.
-defensive juggernaut Marcus Camby has been traded for a second round pick to the LA Clippers to save cap space. Eduardo Najera has also left the team as he has agreed to terms with the Nets. So much for the Nuggets focusing on defense next year...
-Brent Barry becomes the 3rd member of his family to don a Houston Rockets' uniform - following his father Rick Barry and brother Jon Barry.
-Samuel Dalembert is officially no longer a part of Team Canada's basketball squad. Coach Leo Rautins felt that Dalembert was lacking in commitment to the team, which is odd considering all of the paperwork he went through to obtain his Canadian citizenship to play for the country. Everything is considered speculation at this point, but the road goes two ways - either Sammy D is to blame for this strangely timed divorce, or Leo Rautins. From a talent standpoint, I'm hoping it's the latter option.
-Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton won the ESPY for Best Comeback. How long are the guys at ESPN going to milk this clichéd storyline?
-Amusing quote from ESPN the Magazine, "Bill Laimbeer is coaching hoops in Detroit and doing it well (He had 2 rings in 4 years). And did you know Rick Mahorn is an assistant coach? There's more NBA players on the Shock bench then there are on the Timberwolves'."

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 - Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla

2008-07-15T16:00:00.010-04:00

-Texas' Josh Hamilton exploded for an incredible 28 home-runs in the the first round of the Home Run Derby last night, but came in second to Justin Morneau - they gotta change the format.
-The LA Angels' Fransisco Rodriguez says that he plans to file for free agency at the end of this season. Not something you want to hear if you're an Angels fan (or part of the Angels organization) - especially mid-season of your title run.
-On Off The Record, Ray Emery was asked, "Do you have a drug problem?"...what answer was Michael Landsberg expecting, a modest "Yes"?
-According to Barry Bonds' agent, it looks like there will be little to no chance Barroid will be in the league this year.
-At Oaks Christian High (or appropriately dubbed Celebrity High), Nick Montana, the son of Joe Montana and Trevor Gretzky, the son of Wayne Gretzky, will both be competing for minutes as the school's quarterback. Also on the team, is Trey Smith, the son of actor Will Smith.
-Former referee Tim Donaghy is looking to bring down with him as many other people as he can. NBA referee Scott Foster has been linked to Donaghy's phone call records. It'll be interesting to see whether Donaghy fits the description of a ""rogue, isolated criminal" that the Commish dubbed him as, or whether this scandal is bigger than we think.
-The Yankees' Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui could be out longer than they expected, due to additional discomfort and continued soreness.
-And here I thought I was the only one who noticed Jays' commentator Rance Mulliniks' grammar problems.
-John Papelbon is confident that he can get 'er done, but is willing to give up the role of relief in tonight's game to elder statesman Mariano Rivera. How un-Vince Carter like of him.
-Chase Hilgenbrinck of the MLS is leaving the New England Revolution to enter a seminary, in hopes to become a Roman Catholic Priest.
-Canada's Rush will perform Tom Sawyer on the Colbert Report, this Wednesday...won't want to miss that. Also, Nas will appear on the show to perform on July 23.

Monday, July 14, 2008 - 1 hockey player, 1 cup

2008-07-14T17:01:00.013-04:00

-Apparently the Rogers Centre banned the Madonna pictures during the Yankees-Jays series, yet the "F-bomb" signs remain legal. Give me a freaking break.
-The saga continues. And this fan-made website really speaks for itself...
-If you live near Chicago, don't be surprised to see Derrick Rose sitting beside you in a Driver's Ed class.
-To those planning on attending the Olympics in Beijing, crossbows have been banned. You have been warned.
-In the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, Tony Romo placed an impressive third in his debut at the tournament. Retired NHL legend, Brett Hull finished in a tie for fifth. Not surprisingly, Charles Barkley finished dead last. Annika Sorrenstam served as an analyst - and said about Chuck, "It is a very unorthodox swing".
-Detoit Red Wings' veteran Kris Draper's baby daughter pooped (rumoured to be diaperless at the time) in the Stanley Cup. Still dream about drinking out of Lord Stanley? This happened in June by the way, a month before so many had drank, ate ice-cream, timbits, various foods etc. out of it.
-McDonald's new slogan for the games in Beijing (translated): "loves it when China wins" at the Olympics. So what's the big fuss about? McDonald's has always been a selfish money grabbing corporation, this shouldn't be news to anyone.
-Not enough pre-game juice for Jose Conseco apparently, as former Philadelphia Eagle, Vai Sikahema knocked out the former baseball star in the first round of the celebrity Boxing match.
-Everyone's favourite E.T lookalike, Sam Cassell, is a confirmed "celebrity" judge at the 1st Annual Pole Star Invitational (a pole dancing contest, for those not aware).
-Three Canadian big men – Samuel Dalembert, Levon Kendall and Rans Brempong – fouled out in the game against Germany. While Joel Anthony was limited in minutes due to foul trouble. Leo Rautins was quoted as saying, "It was decided by factors outside the players on the court". Hmm...I wonder what he's hinting at.
-Better take notice, Cleveland Indians...
-Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman have split-up. I blame Matt Damon.

Sunday, July 13, 2008 - You say goodbye and I say hello...

2008-07-13T22:43:00.010-04:00

-Just as the Raptors have settled their point guard dilemma, the Toronto Argos have placed QB Michael Bishop on waivers. Only in the CFL, will a player placed on waivers, yet be still on the sidelines with the squad and in almost a limbo state.
-The ever scandalous Tour De France takes another blow, as Spanish rider Manuel Beltran tested positive for steroids.
-A.J Burnett could be on his way out of Toronto, and quite realistically headed to Philly. His recent showcase performances will almost seal the deal.
-The commish of the MLB, Bud Selig, will once again answer fan questions regarding anything related to the league, via a live internet chat conference.
-after dropping six straight, the entire AL East moves ten games under. And with the division's worst road record, I'm betting on a second-half slide for the Tampa Bay Rays.
-Carlos Delfino could be headed back to the Motor City
-David Beckham will be playing in the MLS All-Star game in Toronto on July 24th.
-Joel Bosh (Chris' younger brother) is a member of the Raptors' summer league squad. The answer is most likely no, but I wonder if the kid's got game? (and by that I mean by NBA standards, of course).
-Gasol will be wearing a Grizzlies' jersey next season. Marc Gasol, that is
-The Packers are not going to let Brett Favre walk, meaning he would most likely be riding the pine next season, considering the Packers have moved forward as a team, strategy and game plan wise...and the awkward tension continues in Green Bay.
-Former WNBA saviour, Diana Taurasi reached the milestone of 3,000 points faster than anyone, this past week with 12 games to spare.
-David Lee Roth denies being saved by the Ontario Provincial Police after a rumoured "severe allergic reaction" near Brantford, Ontario. He was quoted as saying, "...the only thing I'm allergic to is criticism."
-The Toronto Blue Jays head into All-Star weekend on a positive note, winning 5 of their last 6 against division rivals.
-"Yo momma is so fat, when the LA Dodgers have a rain delay, they use her jacket as a rain tarp." -The Last Comic Standing

Thursday, July 10, 2008 - From Russia with love...

2008-07-10T21:10:00.015-04:00

-Controversial goaltender Ray Emery is headed to Russia next season, after sparking almost no interest from NHL teams, this offseason - and to be specific (according to his agent) only 3 calls from other teams.
-I'm beginning to think Dan Labatard doesn't like Canada - but maybe I'm just paranoid. Or, maybe it's the fact that I can't stand the guy.
-Candace Parker's statline against the Houston Comets Wednesday - 40 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks. Scary considering she's only a rookie...
-Check out who Lord Stanley has been partying with this summer. Just a few celebs, including: Cuba Gooding Jr., Ray Liotta, John C. McGinley, Jeremy Piven, David Spade, Kid Rock, Jennifer Capriati, Tom Hanks, Sly, and of course, Wayne Gretzky.
-According to Doug Smith, of the Toronto Star, not only will Jack Armstrong be returning to broadcast games - we'll be seeing even more games with the enthusiastic coach as the colour man.
-Ever wonder what Tony Romo's top 3 most played songs on his Ipod are? The Answer: Journey's "Don't Stop Believing; and Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child of Mine; and finally "Something by Jessica Simpson."
-The Colorado Rockies now have a farm league team in Casper, Wyoming. Their name? The Ghosts obviously.
-The NBA's baddest white-boy Brad Miller continues his streak of thuggery, this time landing himself in drug trouble with the league - receiving a five game suspension for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program
-Meanwhile, the Bulls' JameSon Curry one-ups Miller, by urinating in public - and resisting arrest.
-Angels' pitcher Francisco Rodriguez is on pace to break the single season record for total saves, 57 - his count stands at 35.
-A nice jersey design for the MLB All-Star game.
-Video of the day: Andrew Bogut showing Milwaukee Bucks fans why he's worth that $72.5 mill contract.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 - Brotherly Love

2008-07-09T01:18:00.014-04:00

-I'm just going to start out by saying that the "winner of the MLB All-Star game determines home-field advantage" is a joke and anyone who disagrees with that, is an idiot. Whatever happened to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."? Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.
-It appears that the Winter Classic featuring the Detroit Red Wings playing against the Chicago Blackhawks will be played at Wrigley Field.
-Longtime LA Clipper, Elton Brand is reportedly heading to the City of Brotherly Love. Irony can be such a bitch huh, Baron?
-And the poor just keep on getting poorer. Michael Vick has filed for bankruptcy and is said to be owing creditors between $10 and $50 million. Yikes.
-Catalyst of last nights' Orioles-Jays victory? Alex Rios with a base-clearing 3-RBI triple.
-A day after scoring 28 pts, Michael Beasley went 1 for 13 and finishing with just 9 pts, all while collecting 7 fouls. Might want to re-think that old nickname, "B-Easy", 'cause the NBA is no cakewalk (and Summer League is nothing like the actual league).
-The Chicago Cubs have responded to the Brewers' acquisition of C.C Sabathia, with a move of their own - picking up Canadian pitcher Rich Harden in a 6-player blockbuster.
-In his sit down with fill-in host, Bonnie Bernstein - Terry Francona shot down both the Mark Texeira and Barry Bonds to Boston rumours - blaming online forums and blogs for starting these rumours.
-About a week ago, Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers stated that he is almost positive that the organization is moving forward - almost closing the door on the Brett Favre return rumours. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just yesterday, reports surfaced that Favre sent a text message to Ted Thompson. And the football soap opera lives on for another day.
-Chuck Swirsky's successor has been announced, it will be Matt Devlin replacing the Swirsk. Take a listen for a preview of what to expect next season.
-Toss up. Who's the more overrated mainstream comedian of today, Dane Cook or Russell Peters?
-For the nu-metal fans out there, Dragonforce's new album titled Ultra Beatdown, comes out Aug. 25th worldwide.

Monday, July 7, 2008 - Bust-a-nut?

2008-07-07T13:00:00.011-04:00

-In his interview with Jim Rome, David Ortiz stated that he is part of the group of people who think the Tampa Bay Rays are in fact, the real deal, and will do well in the playoffs.
-After being upset by New Zealand, Team Canada had five players scoring in double-digits in their bounce back victory against Lebanon, the final score being 100-68 in the finale of the Jack Donohue International Classic
-Arizona Diamondback's catcher Chris Snyder suffered a busted nut, or a broken testical...well, you can scratch off that idea for a Mythbusters episode.
-reports are indicating that the Milwaukee Brewers have won the C.C Sabathia sweepstakes. Still doesn't sound right.
-After almost five hours of epic tennis action, Rafael Nadal becomes the first man to win both the French Open and Wimbledon since tennis great Bjorn Borg, defeating Roger Federer and ending the latter's grass court winning streak at 65 matches.
-With the recent signing of Chris Duhon, it looks like the Knicks will be parting ways with "hometown hero", Stephon Marbury. I don't say this often but, a step in the right direction for the New York Knicks.
-the Tampa Bay Lightning's Dan Boyle has agreed to lift his no-move clause. Pay attention Leafs - you might learn something.
-According to Sports Illustrated, the normal stride length for a pitcher is 77% to 87% of his height. Giants' pitcher, Tim Lincecum's stride is 129%, which is about 7 1/2 feet. Talk about your classic freakshow, and I say that in the nicest way possible...
-Congratulations to the Atlanta Dream, of the WNBA, for notching their first franchise victory against the Chicago Sky - never an easy task for an expansion team, in any sport for that matter.
-In a special showing of Pardon the Interruption, Michael Wilbon's response to the "best game of the year"? Suns-Spurs, game one double overtime [117-115] victory by the Spurs. Hard to argue against that particular game - even though it's not even a candidate for the ESPY.
-Line of the week, "I'll piss in his hand, if he wants. I really don't care, because I'm not worried about anything."- Pat Perez, on the PGA Tour's new drug-testing policy.
-Transformers star Megan Fox appears to be "opting out" and remaining a free-agent.
-In cased you missed this bomb of a video, lead singer Josh Homme of QotSA just ripping apart a fan at Norwegian Wood 2008 (warning - some crude language).
-And finally, in local Canadian sports news (Northern Ontario specifically) congratulations to Taylor Milne of Callander/North Bay, ON - as he will be packing his bags to compete in the Olympic Games in Beijing next month.

Friday, July 4, 2008 - Happy 4th of July.

2008-07-04T09:10:00.006-04:00

-Alex Rodriguez makes headlines again with "good friend" Madonna, reportedly making late-night visits to her house for presumably their chess club meetings.
-Whether or not Brett Favre returns next season, the way I see it is, when you've reached the plateau of greatness that players such as Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods et al., and possess that kind of legendary status - you are always welcome to return. But don't tell that to the Green Bay Packers... or their fans.
-Pardon The Interruption has been absolute garbage and a downright snore-fest without Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser.
-former Highschool phenom Gerald Green has signed on with the Mavericks. Yes, it was (and still is) a slow week in the NBA.
-Gilbert Arenas agrees to a $111 million dollar contract, although was offered $127 - heartwarming, but I'm still not gonna call him a "winner" just yet.
-A.J Burnett is being shopped around the league for a shortstop - according to sources in the Toronto media, as the Blue Jays management are not happy with him, as well as current SS's David "no-catch" Eckstein and John ".100" McDonald.
-The German National basketball team has just acquired center Chris Kaman. You heard correctly - Kaman's great-grandparents were of German descent, making him eligible to play after getting his duel-citizenship.
-Roger Federer avenges himself by defeating familiar face Mario Ancic. Try and beat Federer's streak(s): 39 consecutive wins at Wimbledon, 64 consecutive wins on grass and 17 consecutive semifinal appearances at Grand Slam tournaments.
-In Team Canada's quest to make the Olympics, the Canucks' crushed Lebanon 89-67, thanks in part to Joel Anthony and Samuel Dalembert who combined for 20 rebounds. Canada also breezed passed New Zealand, once again winning big, taking the decision 90-63, this time with swingmen Olu Famutini and Rowan Barrett making big contributions and pleasing the McMaster-U crowd with their electrifying displays of athleticism.
-It's official. There will be another Venus-Serena Wimbledon showdown. The Williams' sisters improve their record to a jaw-dropping 100-13 at Wimbledon, can you say dominant?
-Pamela Anderson calls Jessica Simpson a "whore" for wearing an anti-vegetarian top.
-The Toronto Blue Jays begin a road series with the L.A Angels who boast the second best record in the majors (only behind the Tampa Bay Rays, of all teams). But, the Jays have been known to play well against the Halos - so expect a hard fought series.
-Enjoyed Talladega Nights? Well, Sasha Baron Cohen and Will Farrell will team up again in the comedic version of Sherlock Holmes.
-Video of the day: hilarious hockey taunt. Priceless.
-In honour of Cynthia-R (and soon to be minus the R), and of course the 4th of July, here's Lenny Kravitz performing the Guess Who's smash hit "American Woman".

Wednesday, July 2, 2008 - B-Diddy to LA?

2008-07-02T14:50:00.003-04:00

-Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez are in the running for the ESPY: best male athlete. Tough, tough call...
-the Toronto Blue Jays sported some patriotic, yet unattractive Canadian style ball caps in last night's heart-breaker against the Mariners.
-Mats Sundin has been offered a 2-year, 20 million dollar contract by the Vancouver Canucks, but says that he is leaning towards Detroit or the NY Rangers. In related news, the Leafs bring back former goaltender Curtis Joseph.
-After opting out of his contract, Baron Davis is close to signing with the LA Clippers. Who didn't see this coming (especially after the benching incidents with Nelly)?
-Rudy Fernandez becomes the eighth Spaniard to play in the NBA, after signing with the rising Portland Trailblazers.
-the legendary Bon Jovi will be performing at the MLB All-Star weekend in Central Park.
-Houston Astros first baseman Lance Berkman has announced that he will be taking part in the Home Run Derby again, while the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez will not, for health reasons.
-the Tampa Bay Rays are up 2.5 games on the BoSox in the AL East. Yikes.
-a user by the name of spooky93 extended his Beat the Streak record streak to an impressive 46 games after Ichiro Suzuki's hit last night. He's 11 games shy of the $1 million dollar prize. For those just joining and want some tips, 20% of spooky93's picks are Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro's not a bad choice on any given night, really - I mean, he's a proven hit machine if you hadn't noticed.
-the World Series of Poker's final table will be delayed by four whole months to "build hype" for the "sport". Give me a break - card games will never be considered real sports, no matter how many fans or viewers there are.
-in addition to the musical performance at the end of the blogs, this will also become a regular installment - sports related Youtube videos. Here's tennis phenom Andy Roddick appearing on the Weakest Link.
-From their new album, Viva La Vida (and a personal favourite of mine) - give it up for Coldplay with Violet Hill!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008 - Happy Birthday Canada!

2008-07-01T00:35:00.013-04:00

-Carlos Delfino looks to be the odd man out for the Raptors and may have played his last game. While it appears that the long-awaited arrival of Croatian sensation Roko Ukic has ended; as he will most likely take the role of back-up PG or reserve SG.
-Don't look now, but the Detroit Tigers are creeping back into the playoff picture.
-Hats...or sombreros off to Spain for winning Euro 2008 - (a tourney in which many soccer analysts dubbed as one of the greatest soccer tournaments ever) with a well-deserved and dominating victory going a perfect 23-0.
-Bryan McCabe has exercised his no-trade clause, leaving many Leafs fans confused as to why.
-Are the Yankees hated? This stat seems to point to "yes" - batters hit the most over the last 10 years are: A-Rod, Jason Giambi and Derek Jeter.
-the always controversial and retired NFL-er Michael Strahan will be joining the Fox crew, odd considering his track record with the media. But hey, isn't that what some people said when they heard Sir Charles was to become a regular on television?
-More strange NFL news, Warren Sapp is to appear on next season's Dancing With The Stars...
- Big Papi confirms that he will not start for the AL, at the MLB all-star game this year.
-Lou Pinella was ejected in just the 2nd inning of the Cubs-WhiteSox game and had some choice words after the game - ending with the quote, "it's over with. They're[upmires] still my buddies."
-The Detroit Red Wings' goaltender Chris Osgood brought the Stanley Cup to a bar in Plymouth for fans to drink out of, in his hometown.
-quite possibly another all-Williams sisters Wimbledon finals?
-The Lebron-Jay-Z rumours are heating up, big time. And it appears that the Nets are looking to make a huge offer for Bron-Bron in '10 after trading Richard Jefferson. A little tidbit, Lebron James listed New York as his favourite city ahead of his hometown Akron, Ohio...
-Roy Halladay with another dominating performance, last night, going the distance for a league-leading 6th time and shutting out the Seattle Mariners.
-Man who auctioned everything... is a bit disappointed with the selling price.
-And finally, a big Happy Birthday to the great land of Canada. Enjoy Canada Day, everybody, and be safe.
-Ladies and gentleman, our musical guest for today is Canada's own homegrown talent, Sloan!

Friday, June 27, 2008 - NBA Draft Night

2008-06-27T16:19:00.009-04:00

-Get ready for an All-NBA Draft blog.
-Derrick Rose goes #1 to the Chicago Bulls, which creates a log jam at the PG slot for the Bulls, meaning Chris Duhon or Kirk Hinrich will be expendable.
-The Charlotte Bobcats will make the NBA playoffs next year - pending the health of Emeka Okafor, Sean May and Adam Morrison. They selected my boy, DJ Augastin out of Texas to back up Raymond Felton, Kyle Weaver and France's Alexis Ajinca, a 7'0-er with a 7'8 wingspan.
-Can't go wrong with either Brook or Robin Lopez. Although you can make the argument for who is in the better environment. Brook will be getting more PT in New Jersey, but Robin will get the opportunity to play behind Shaquille O'Neal and alongside Amare Stoudamire and Steve Nash.
-Dick Vitale is a little too enthusiastic for my liking...
-So, the Heat select Michael Beasley, even after Pat Riley's negative comments. Once again, we will have to wait and see if he stays a Heat.
-Joe Alexander becomes the first Taiwan born player to be drafted.
-Kosta Koufos will fit in well with the Utah Jazz, playing behind Mehmet Okur. Good selection by the Jazz.
-The Seattle Supersonics once again draft another project big man, selecting Serge Ibaka, who will try to stand out among the other young prospects: Saer Sene, Robert Swift, Johan Petro and Jeff Green.
-The New York Knicks went out of their comfort zone and drafted international player Danilo Gallinari out of Italy at #6, who experts say won't be ready for at least a few years. Not good news for Knicks fans.
-Holy sassy molassy, Stuart Scott actually makes a solid point. Forget Rose, Beasley and Mayo, last years' overall #1 pick Greg Oden is the favourite to win ROY.
-The Portland Trailblazers will be downright scary next year, with Greg Oden making his debut and all-star guard Brandon Roy. They added Jerryd Bayless, Nicolas Batum and Brandon Rush from the draft to their already loaded bench.
-The Pistons know how to draft. Joe Dumars' recent draftees? Rodney Stuckey, Aaron Affalo and Jason Maxiell - all solid rotation players. Some less recent draft picks include: Tayshaun Prince and Mehmet Okur. Other than Stuckey, all of the players were selected from 23rd overall to the second round. This year, Dumars selected DJ White out of the rough with the second last pick in the first round, but traded the pick to Seattle for their pick and a future second rounder.
-Huge surprise, Chris Douglas-Roberts falls all the way down to 40 - where the New Jersey Nets selected him. Side note, one more pick and he could have been in a Raptors uniform. Raptors end up taking Australian, Nathan Jawai, who probably won't end up being a rotation player. Still feeling really bitter that CD-R was one pick away...
-Stopped watching after the 41st pick - as the second round is usually a crap-shoot anyhow. But don't tell that to Gilbert Arenas, Carlos Boozer, Michael Redd, Manu Ginobili etc.

Thursday, June 26, 2008 - Missile Command Jones

2008-06-26T17:18:00.017-04:00

-Joe Dumars is a Top 5 GM in the NBA without question, but firing Flip Saunders and replacing him with inexperienced Michael Curry was a step backwards.
-Hockey may be the sport that I know the least about; however, I do know that giving Vincent LaCavalier a whopping $77 million dollar contract was not a smart move financially.
-Village idiot of the week goes to Don Imus...wait, Shawn Chacon has just stolen that crown. The guy is a complete moron for his latest impression of Latrell Sprewell.
-For the second consecutive game WNBA's Candace Parker threw down a one handed dunk.
-Dontrelle Willis has really fallen off the baseball map.
-Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose will most likely be selected by the Chicago Bulls tonight. Can't go wrong with either of them in my opinion, strangely Pat Riley doesn't feel the same way about Beasley. Could this be Riley's poker face fooling us all in an attempt to snag Mikey-B, or does he really think Beasley's a bust? Tune in to tonight's NBA Draft to find out...
-MLB umpire Brian Runge has been suspended one game after his bump on Mets' manager Jerry Manuel.
-Jim Rome burns on the Cowboys' Adam Jones wanting to drop the nickname Pacman, "I never thought that I would say this, but you're going to have to earn the right to be called by your given name. You gave that up the second you started lighting up strip joints and breaking the law, that went out the window when you insisted we refer to you as an 80's video game, and when you put P. Jones on the back of your jersey. But if you want to change your name to Galaga Jones, or Frogger Jones - I'm cool with that. I'll even call you Missile Command Jones if you want, but let's not get crazy with Adam."
-Kevin Love's favourite Beach Boy's track is California Girls, this useless tidbit comes courtesy of PTI.
-Hey Derrick Rose, Lebron James called - he wants his cockyness back. No way you're getting MVP.
-Odds Tony Romo dumps Jessica Simpson at the beginning of the season, to prevent distractions and pre-conceived notions of off-field distractions? 83%.
-Safety wise, MLB should seriously consider banning maple bats.
-Sources reveal that Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons has been traded to the Nets for Richard Jefferson. If this trade goes down, Yi will team up with Vince Carter and Nenad Krstic to form one of the softest frontcourts in the NBA.
-Fairly recent news - Leonardo DiCaprio will star as video game legend Nolan Bushnell in the biopic "Atari".
-Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova were upset in the second round at Wimbledon by 40th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic and 154th-ranked Alla Kudryavtseva.
-ESPN has reported that both the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers have agreed on the Ford et al. - Jermaine O'Neal deal.
-Stephen Colbert is now raising awareness for "face violence"

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - Don't Do Drugs

2008-06-25T07:35:00.012-04:00

-Don Imus is an idiot. Plain and simple.
-Rest in peace, George Carlin. Although, if there indeed is a heaven, I doubt you're headed there...
-Could Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino both be heading back to Europe next season?
-Shaquille O'Neal will be stripped of his deputy badge after his performance at the New York nightclub for using crude language, in which he ripped Kobe Bryant, but later stated that it was all in jest.
-The Jays had a season high 22 hits in their 14-1 spanking of the Cincinnati Reds last night, in Cito Gaston's return debut at the Rogers Centre.
-The Tampa Bay Lightning have pulled a "J.P Riccardi", as they have brought back former NHL coach Barry Melrose out of coaching retirement after being out of the league for 12 years.
-Here is something guaranteed to make you giggle a little. Apparently rapper DMX does not have the slightest clue who Barack Obama is. "His name is Barack?!, Barack?!, What the ---- is a Barack?! Barack Obama. Where he from, Africa? That ain't no ----ing name, yo. Barack Obama. You can't be serious!" ...I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. On a related note - kids, stay in school and don't do drugs.
-The hot rumour spreading like wildfire in the NBA right now involves the Raptors trading T.J Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the 17th pick for the Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal. This would give the Raptors arguably the best frontcourt in the NBA depending on if J.O's can remain healthy or not.
-Dennis Rodman pleaded no contest to misdemeanor wife beating and is now forced to take counselling and public service. What did Carmen Electra (or anyone for that matter) see in this guy, anyway?
-Someone tell me I'm not the only one who thinks Ben Mulroney isn't a good Idol host.
-It appears that NHL "tough guy" Sean Avery has a soft side, as he spends his spare time as an intern at Vogue magazine.
-The San Fransisco Giants have shaken up their bullpen, putting newly acquired farm leaguer Sergio Romo in to replace Vinnie Chulk. Seems like an odd move, but you honestly can't do much worse than the former Jay Vinnie Choke.
-PETA strikes again, this time at Wimbledon, whini...uh speaking out on behalf of the pidgeons.
-If I had to start a team with a player from the New York Knicks - it would be without contest - David Lee.
-Speaking of people named David, in case you missed it, Motley Crue's performance on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Saturday, June 21, 2008 - Did you miss me?

2008-06-21T21:17:00.004-04:00

-I'm back! ...props to Air Canada, for providing a wide variety of movies and television shows during my 13 hour flight.
-In case you missed it, Chris Bosh as a correspondent at the NBA Finals on Leno.
-I'll give you $100.00 if you can name a colour commentator in the NBA, who is worse at his job than the Knicks' Walt "Clyde" Frazier.
-The Rainbow Butt Monkeys, or better known as Finger Eleven - made history, as their "hit single" Paralyzer became the most downloaded song by a Canadian Band, ever (according to a Toronto radio station). I for one, remain skeptical on the validity of this fact. I mean, the song isn't even that good, and this coming from a very open-minded fan of music.
-The Leafs have given long-time Ontario rival, the Montreal Canadians, one week to snatch aging future hall-of-famer and Leaf captain, Mats Sundin.
-"With the 17th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select, Chris Douglas Roberts from the University of Memphis." Make it happen, Bryan Colangelo.
-with Portugal and the Netherlands out of the Euro '08, it's now Spain's turn to keep the choke streak alive. If they're anything like Spanish NBA players, the Italians should start celebrating right now. Sorry my Spaniard readers - I couldn't resist.
-The Yankees have drafted a "switch-pitcher", and apparently he can switch which arm he throws with between batters, legally and most likely, lethally.
-Tiger Woods does it again - this time through an injury. He's clutch and undeniably, the G.O.A.T in the sport of golf.
-Well, the 07/08 Boston Celtics lived up to the hype. They dominated the Lakers, going up 2-0 and never looking back. They kept up the swagger and killer team defense throughout the season and post-season.
-Paul Pierce played like a man possessed, outplaying Kobe Bryant throughout the Finals. To think, the Raptors could've had a player with that much loyalty, heart and desire to win. Instead, they took home the half-man, half-effort; Vince Carter.
-Is there a reasonable explanation for why Maria Carey's new album is titled E=MC². Side note, the song Touch My Body will go down as one of the most annoying songs of '08.
-Is Derek Jeter overrated? His peers seem to think so.
-Thus, the John Gibbons era ends. Cito Gaston will take over as manager. Tagging along for the sure-to-be, roller-coaster ending are Dwayne Murphy, Nick Leyva and Gene Tenace. All coaches from the Blue Jays 1992 and 1993 World Series Title era. How nostalgic - particularly so, on Flashback Friday's.
--Lamar Odom at guard? Just can't see how that would work, even in Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense. It would just cause too many mismatches on the defensive end.
-Looks like Chris Bosh could be playing a lot in crunch time at the Olympics, due to Dwight Howard's free throw difficulties.
-Here's praying that Roy Halladay is okay, after that nasty looking bullet of a shot he took in last nights game against the Pirates.

Sunday, May 18, 2008 - George Bush likes the Doc.

2008-05-18T19:20:00.007-04:00

-Death Cab for Cutie's new album Narrow Stairs is real solid - as expected.
-President George Bush was asked who his first pitcher would be, if he was an MLB general manager (and everyone was a free-agent), his answer? Roy Halladay.
-The Jamal Crawford to Toronto for T.J Ford rumours? Can't say I'm in love with Crawford's game, but the guy gets a tonne of slack for playing on two the worst teams in his short career.
-I was surprised to see the Dallas Stars go down 0-3 against the Red Wings, thought they were better than that. They will now try to pull off an '04 Red Sox comeback on Detroit. The series is currently 3-2. Marty Turco will need to step up if they're serious about the miracle on ice.
-Hard to imagine that Matt Stairs may have been in the NHL instead of hitting homers for the Jays - had different circumstances occurred.
-The Price is Right's Drew Carey is just a terrible game show host, in my golden opinion. Was a huge fan of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Drew Carey Show, but the guy just makes for a bad host. Ditto Craig Ferguson, who coincidentally was a regular on the latter show.
-All seems to be well in the Mets locker room after Billy Wagner apologized to Carlos Delgado, and their organized team meeting. Airing dirty laundry in public is never a good approach in any sport. And you'd think the Mets would know that by now - especially in the media frenzied Big Apple.
-Raptors forward Jamario Moon made the NBA's All Rookie Second team. Talk about a weak draft class. The only potential all-stars are Kevin Durant, Al Horford and possibly Greg Oden. The rest will become role-players, albeit good ones - but nothing more, in the years to come.
-During his interview, Ben Stein stated that George Stroumboulopoulos of The Hour reminded him a great, great deal of his good friend, Jimmy Kimmel.
-Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas had 2 HR's and 5 RBI's against his former team the Phillies.
-.186, Ryan Howard. Hard to believe, huh?
-According to an MSNBC.com survey, the most commonly used password by people is the word, "password". Remember guys, stupid is, as stupid does.
-I'll be back in a month, take care everyone.

Saturday, May 17, 2008 - Trouble in the Big Apple.

2008-05-17T20:20:00.003-04:00

-So why can't the NBA fire the Atlanta Hawks' scorekeepers when pretty much the same thing happened, but three times in the last two years.
-I must admit, I'm a closet LA Sparks fan. Candace Parker's debut game statline: 34 pts 12 reb 8 ast.
-Charles Barkley estimated that he has gambled away $10 million dollars over the years. To which he stated: "Do I have a gambling problem? Yeah, I do have a gambling problem, but I don't consider it a problem because I can afford to gamble." Good point, Chuck.
-If you think Floyd Mayweather has chops, check out the youngster Pretty Boy Bam-Bam.
-A little tension among NY Mets' players, as Billy Wagner has called out his teammates for playing hooky after games, specifically Carlos Beltran, Luis Castillo and my boy Carlos Delgado. Race is not the key here folks, laziness however, fits the bill to a tee.
-Portia de Rossi is set to wed Ellen DeGeneres (that's right, the dancing talk show host). To which the world responded, "Her?".
-If Kenny "the Jet" Smith leaves the TNT crew for the Knicks, I for one, will miss his charisma and on-air personality. The TNT crew are only rivalled by The Best Damn Sports Show Period guys, in terms of entertainment value.
-Is Evan Longoria of the D-Rays good or what? Big time props to Andrew Friedman, the GM of the Devil Rays for locking him up.
-David Stern recently made comments regarding the "fancy pyrotechnics" at the beginning of games. I share the same sentiments, the player introductions have become too circus-like and over-the-top for my liking. I'm only 18 years young, for your information.
-the MLB is on pace for 1,000 less HR's, Mitchell Report anyone?
-The LA Angels will have their hands full during interleague play - hosting the Braves and Mets at home, and then flying out to face another tough team, the Phillies.
-The Cleveland Indians starters racked up 44 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Good for baseball fans - bad for casual baseball fans.
-Cleveland Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson is out with a shoulder-injury. As the rest of the NBA fans around the world are thinking, is it really that significant to mention? The kid's a one-hit wonder/flavour of the week from last years playoffs. Did Soft Cell ever bust out another hit after Tainted Love? Not quite.
-Does anyone actually watch Off The Record with the obnoxious host Michael Landsberg? I will admit to being a huge Pardon The Interruption fan, making an attempt to follow the show everyday (or downloading the podcast) and my blogging style is clearly, heavily influenced by the show.
-Sign of the Apocolypse: If you're a 49 year old who goes on the internet and pretend to be a teenager, just to break a 13-year old girl's heart (for your own amusement), you're a total loser.
-Speaking of losers (kidding of course), the Orlando Magic players are saying they're the better team than the Detroit Pistons. How hard did you laugh after reading that? I take back my previous comment.
-"I'm sorry, you just fired a mother of four over a [$0.16] Timbit" -Nicole Lilliman, Tim Hortons' former employee.
-Good night Canada! (and wherever else my other readers are from)

Friday, May 16, 2008 - "A LeBron James Team is never desperate"

2008-05-16T02:06:00.006-04:00

-Brandon Webb of the Diamondbacks improves to a stellar 9-0 after his victory against the Colorado Rockies
-Currently unemployed coach Avery Johnson joined the TNT crew the other night. If I were a betting man, I would wager that he will be hired by an NBA team by the end of the off-season. The man's a proven winner.
-There's way too much news highlighting Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey these days. Neither of the two are even A-list celebrities either, or even remotely interesting - so who cares.
-Can Tim Duncan and the Spurs win in New Orleans? Now, they'll have to, with the series knotted at three a piece.
-the NBA's 70 year-old cookie monster, or more commonly referred to as Dikembe Mutombo, has decided to return for an 18th run at the title.
-Home Alone: The Reality. For some reason, I don't think the phrase "oops" can cut it.
-The Toronto Blue Jays are a half game above the Yankees at this point in the season. Just stating a fact.
-Where are the Pau Gasol critics now? Of course, they'll fully credit #24 when the topic is raised.
-The Dallas Cowboys will be featured on ESPN's "Hard Knocks" this year. Headlining the show are: Pacman Jones, Tony Romo and T.O. It will be an interesting saga, to say the least.
-Lebron James brashly said, "A Lebron James Team is never desperate" after game 5's lost to the Celtics, following his "Sit your ass down, Mother" comment the previous game. Just more reasons to hate the guy.
-On the same topic, Sir Charles Barkley hit the nail on the head with his thoughts on the first quote, "How the hell can you call this your team, when the only games you've won in this series were won by your supporting cast, not you?"
-Dany Heatly becomes Team Canada's all-time leading scorer, or better known as, the NHL's biggest post-season loser.
-For some reason, those pink autographed bats being auctioned off on MLB.com don't seem all that appealing to me.
-Stephen A. Smith recently criticized both Chris Bosh's game and physical appearance, to which Bosh sent a verbal jab right back. Stephen A. should just choke on a cheese-doodle already, seriously.
-Who do I want to replace Chuck Swirsky? Anyone but Rod Black (TSN's carbon copy commentator of the Jays' Jamie Campbell)
-Speaking of replacements, is this the end of The Office's awkward, yet likeable character Toby Flenderson? Sure looks like it. Ryan Howard's character seems to be done as well, after the recent events that transpired in the finale.
-Sunday (if, even) will be the last blog, at least for a month as I will be M.I.A. Apologies to my three faithful readers.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - First ever rundown...

2008-05-14T16:25:00.003-04:00

-I can't decide on who I think is more obnoxious: Don "dinosaur" Cherry or John "turducky" Madden.
-No team has ever hoisted the Larry O'Brien without snagging a game on the road, could this year's Celtics be the first? Not likely.
-More likely to happen, both the Pistons and Red Wings win it all, becoming the first teams in 61 years to accomplish the feat. Easier said than done however - just ask the New England Patriots.
-the Miami Heat are interested in either PG the Raptors are willing to let go - cue your Shawn Marion scenarios.
-Annika Sorenstam announces her retirement from the LPGA. Possibly the greatest female golfer of all time.
-Of Maxim's Hot 100, Derek Jeter has tapped a world-leading 6, while John Mayer trailing close behind at 4.
-The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are 7 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history.
-More impressive, the unassisted triple play or the goal deflected off of the defense man's head?
-Monday's episode of House? Amazing, even more so than usual.
-Wayne Gretzky in the running for the Leafs' coaching job. If it's taking this long, who isn't, really?
-New favourite television show: Law and Order: SVU.
-Once again, David Beckham will not be playing in Toronto. Tough luck, Toronto soccer fans.
-Steve Nash has an opt-out on his contract after next season, start dreaming Raptor fans.
-the New Orleans Hornets are the real deal, but you can never count out a team with the greatest power forward of all time.
-Andy/Dwight's Nissan Xterra SE from The Office for sale, literally.
-Must be nice to be a Florida Marlins fan at this point, you'd be lying if you said you expected them to be doing this well, even this early in the season.
-"6 years? That sounds sexy" - R. Kelly, SNL.