Feature: Daniel Alfredsson

Age: 35
Height: 5-11
Weight: 205
Birthdate: December 11, 1972
Birthplace: Gothenburg, Sweden
Position: Right wing
Shoots: Right
Drafted: 6th round, 133rd overall
Draft year: 1994

Arguably the best all-around player in the NHL, Daniel Alfredsson is like a fine wine: he keeps getting better with age. Scraped from the bottom of the barrel in the '94 draft, Alfie has been the image of Ottawa Senators hockey since winning the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year over a decade ago.

He recently racked up his 800th career point this season and is showing the same passion and determination he put on display during the Sens' Cup-run last spring. He's hungry for the Stanley Cup.

If you look around the NHL, you won't find a better captain than Daniel Alfredsson. For a bargain price of $4.7 million, watching Alfie wheel 'n deal is like watching poetry in motion. There have been so many highlight-reel plays that he's created. Mix in Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza, and you've got the best top line in the league. It's exciting being able to watch such great players do what they do best. And, he's only 35. Although he probably won't score 500 goals, he'll at least be a point-a-game player. Maybe throw in a Hart Trophy or Art Ross this year, combined with a Conn Smythe and a Stanley Cup, and Sens fans will be seeing a nice banner with his name rise to the rafters at SBP, undoubtably chanting the trademark, "Alfie! Alfie! Alfie!"

Being the first European-born player to captain a Stanley Cup champion would make him a shoe-in for the HOF. Until then, enjoy watching a great player, exceptional leader, and unbelievable dangler work his magic.

With the home crowd chanting his name, Alfie goes top shelfie. A legend indeed.

Roundup: 16-0, Ovechkin lights up Sens, Leafs get pumped, Jim Leyritz arrested, Spezza 1-on-1

Well, they did it. 16-0. Steamrolling through the regular season and are most likely on their way to another Super Bowl, the New England Patriots proved last night why they're the class of the NFL. (Sports Illustrated)

A wild night in Ottawa as the Caps score early, often. (Washington Times)

Another high-scoring affair in Toronto last night, where the New York Rangers lit up the slumping Leafs with 5 power play goals. (New York Post)

Former New York Yankees catcher Jim Leyritz, who hit one of the most memorable home runs in World Series history, was arrested for killing someone while driving drunk in Fort Lauderdale. (My Pinstripes)

Senators' Spezza weighs in on cockroach-eating and Michael Vick. (ESPN.com)

No big surprise that Tiger's #1. But Chris DiMarco included in the top 20? The Sports Xchange makes their list of top 20 PGA Tour players. (FOXSports)

Times Square confetti to contain New Year's wishes. (CNN.com)

Sens win despite Razor's antics

The class of the Eastern Conference continues to roll along. It seems like it's getting almost automatic for the Ottawa Senators these days, especially last night, as they beat up the New York Islanders 5-2. It was pretty much men playing against boys. It's too bad the night was kinda overshadowed by the always-distracting Ray Emery. Apparently the Razor threw a little bit of a temper tantrum and left the morning skate early after learning that he wouldn't be getting the start against NYI. Correct me if I'm wrong, but launching your stick and knocking water bottles all over the place isn't the best way to regain the #1 goalie spot, especially with Martin Gerber playing so damn well.

This is just the latest in the 'Ray Emery Show' that has engulfed the Nation's Capital for the last few years. Don't forget, there's also been a few car accidents on the way to games, lackluster practice efforts, sleeping in and missing flights, road-rage incidents, and his frequent late-night appearances at some of Ottawa's hotspots and everything that entails. His performance in last year's Cup finals is yesterday's news. If he's not playing well now and being a problem in the locker room, nobody's gonna care about what he did 6 months ago.

Rink rage ends Sugar Ray's day (Sportsnet.ca)

Emery on the outs with Sens? (Ottawa Sun)

How about obscure jersey Thursdays?

This photo is particularly enjoyable because of a recent conversation with colleagues in the office about Zarley Zalapski. I won't get into specifics, but to find someone rockin' an old school ZZ jersey is absolutely classic. After being drafted 4th overall by Pittsburgh in the 1986 entry draft, Zarley finished his career with 99 goals and 285 helpers. He was traded at the deadline to Hartford before the Penguins won their first Cup in '90-'91. It was pretty much downhill from there...poor Zarley. (Straight Cash Homey)

San Jose Sharks like the sauce

San Jose Sharks forward Ryan Clowe was arrested Monday morning for the suspicion of driving drunk. Some of you may remember former Shark and current Maple Leafs forward Mark Bell being charged with impaired driving after he hit a truck in his rental car last year. Bell was sentenced to a 6-month term for his offence and is set to begin serving time at the end of the '07-'08 campaign.

2 questions: is this recent drunk driving charge simply a coincidence? Or, do the re-occuring post-season under-achievements of the Sharks have anything to do with their players 'ridin' dirty' around the Bay Area? Okay, so maybe I'm over-analysing this, but hey it's Christmas and it's been a slow news day. I have another bone to pick...why do professional athletes have the option of serving their jail terms after playing a full season and collecting millions of dollars, when the rest of us 'normies' are forced to serve the time right away. For the record, I slide into the category between 'normie' and 'pro athlete that never-was'.

Sharks' Clowe arrested (San Jose Mercury)
Mark Bell, Just Another NHL Drunk Driver (Fanhouse)

College bowl season is upon us

Now that we've gotten some of meaningless bowl games outta the way, ie: the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, it's time to get ready for the REAL games. Ok, so maybe you're not a fan of Bowl Season, or maybe just not a fan of college football in general. I agree, there are too many freakin' bowl games, and too many teams that nobody cares about playing in them. For example, the Toilet Bowl...er...R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl featured the Florida Atlantic Owls against the Memphis Tigers. Besides students at both schools, who really cares? I suppose advertisers do. And so do school officials who count on the millions of dollars a bowl game gives their institution. If the 'bowl season' is such a great college tradition, then why do 2 mediocre barely .500 teams deserve to be playing in a bowl game? It's even hard for me to remember the days when the number of bowl games reflected the few number of elite college teams. When the NCAA championship actually meant something. Don't get me started on the BCS championship and ranking system. That's a different story for a different day.

This year, there are 32 bowl games. Most involving teams that scraped by to a 7-6 record and in a lousy conference to boot! Anyway, stay tuned for the games that mean something. I'll be watching the AT&T Cotton Bowl (Mizzou/Arkansas) if I'm awake Jan. 1st. The Rose Bowl will be a good one: USC and Illinois, Jan 1st. Another interesting bowl is the FSU/Kentucky Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl, especially after 30+ players at Florida State have been suspended for cheating. And of course, I'll be tuning in to the BCS Championship with LSU and Ohio State Jan. 7th.

Cheating scandal could leave Florida State without top players (USA Today)

For college coaches there's an incentive to win (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

College Football Roundup New Mexico gets its first bowl win since '61 season (The Seattle Times)

The case for college bowl games (The worst sports blog ever)

Roundup: Sens take down Rangers, Pats want more, Bills get motivation but still lose

So...why wasn't Martin Gerber playing against Chicago yesterday? Not that I'm blaming the 4-3 OT loss on Ray Emery, but let's call a spade a spade: Gerber is playing a helluva lot better than Razor, and it just doesn't look like Emery's putting up much of a fight for the #1 spot. Anyway, the Sens beat the Rangers 3-1 tonight at MSG, ending their brief 2-game 'skid'. A great game to watch; quick, physical, and some great scoring chances from both squads... Jason Spezza is tearing it up right now, but apparently needs eye of the tiger...With a depleted blueline, the Senators called up Lawrence Nycholat from Binghamton for Sunday's game.
On thin ice: Rangers keeping faith despite slide (New York Post)

The New England Patriots are running the show in the NFL these days. With a 28-7 win over the hopeless Miami Dolphins, the Pats became the first team in NFL history to start a season at 15-0 and are in fine form to finish it off with a win against the New York Giants next week.
The Patriots Want 16-0, and Apparently a Few Other Records (New York Times)

Buffalo Bills tight-end Kevin Everett made his first appearance at Ralph Wilson Stadium since suffering a massive neck injury earlier this year. Some thought he'd never walk again. His 15 minute pre-game meeting with teammates didn't seem to do the Bills any good, though, as the New York Giants locked up a wildcard playoff spot with a 38-21 win.
Everett talks to teammates before Buffalo's home finale (ESPN.com)

Hey Big Spender!

This story is straight outta the ridiculous-file.

The ATP suspended 31st ranked Potito Starace and 258th ranked Daniele Bracciali on Saturday for making bets on matches. The max wagers they made totalled a couple hundred dollars. Peanuts. While the Italian Tennis Federation is calling this an 'injustice', the questions remains: why would these low-level tennis players make bets on their own sport when they know there's been a whole bunch o' speculation about match-fixing.

Here's the best part: their combined fines totalled $50,000. That'll teach ya for makin' a $3 bet! Wow... (TSN.ca)

Havlat returns to Ottawa, Brady is best, Mayweather looks for 'the next big thing'

Should be an interesting night at Scotiabank Place with the return of former Senator Martin Havlat making his first appearance since being dealt in summer '06. I'm looking forward to this one, though. Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks are a team worth paying attention to. Rookies Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and veteran Robert Lang should give the Sens a run for their money. Don't forget about former Sens netminder Patrick Lalime, who will be backing up Nikolai Khabibulin. Chicago hasn't played in O-Town for 4 years and are 9-6-2-2 against the Sens since '92-'93. But, after a poor effort in a 3-2 loss against Atlanta Thursday night, head coach John Paddock will likely have his Sens comin' out firing. Gonna be a good one! TV: CBCHD (National)

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady won the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award today. Brady received 51 votes from members of The AP, 18 more than runner-up Roger Federer, who won his 5th straight Wimbledon and 4th straight U.S. Open tennis tournament in 2007. They were followed by Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Barry Bonds and Josh Beckett.
Brady an Easy Winner of AP Male Athlete (Associated Press)

World Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. may be jumping rings from boxing to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Apparently, Mayweather's interest in participating in an MMA event was sparked after he struck up a friendship with the Dallas Mavericks' always-entertaining owner Mark Cuban during their participation this season as contestants on the ABC reality series "Dancing with the Stars". Conveniently, if Mayweather were to lace up the gloves in MMA, Cuban would be the sole promoter and would have the fights air on his fledgling network, HDNet. After making $50 million for wins against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton this year, the question is: would Mayweather hold his own in the MMA world? I'm kinda hoping he gets his face filled in.
Mayweather mulling move to MMA in deal with Cuban (ESPN.com)

Sid the Kid drops the mitts, Gaborik bulges twine, Most disturbing sports story not ending in 'Vick'?

He's just your ordinary heavyweight, willing to drop the gloves with anybody in the league. What? You heard me. Last night, Sidney Crosby had his first NHL dust-up with Bruins D Andrew Ference. We've seen Crosby get aggrevated in the past, but not to the point of fighting. He usually settles for the whining like a 10-year-old tactic when he feels he's been 'mistreated'. In the end, it's nice to see The Kid stand up for himself once in a while. It was also his first career Gordie Howe Hat-trick; scoring once and collecting 2 helpers on goals by Evgeni Malkin. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Marian Gaborik of the Minnesota Wild scored 5 times last night against the New York Rangers, becoming the first player in 11 years to score 5 times since Sergei Fedorov did it in 1996. He also set a franchise record for goals scored at the same time. "Shades of Pavel Bure," said Wild forward Mark Parrish, a former teammate of Bure's with Florida. "It was just like watching Bure in the day. I mean, Gabby was banking them in out of the air, scoring on breakaways, skating through everybody, making highlight-film goals." Ironically, Gaborik's friends had sent him a video on YouTube of Bure's 5-goal night for Team Russia vs. Finland in the '98 Olympics Thursday morning. I guess it was meant to be. (Minneapolis-St.Paul Star Tribune)

There's a very strange story coming out of Chapel Hill this week. Apparently, 3 UNC Tarheel football players were sexually assaulted by some real nasty broads and a naked dude holding a knife to their throat. Excuse me? I can't do this story justice. Check out The Big Lead and have a good laugh. I love this quote from the story: "The woman looks LARGE. Like maybe a deuce, deuce and a half." Or, one of the comments reads: "Who leaves a bar with those girls? If the one’s best friend is Crack, the other is Cheeseburger. Damn guys, you play football. Now at UNC being a football player might not get you J.J. Reddick type ass, but you can do better."

I don't care who ya are, that's funny.

Okalee-dokalee Peter Budaj!

What else can ya say about Colorado Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj's mask? I guess Ned Flanders is Slovakian?!

Hollywood meets pro sports, Immelman has surgery, 3rd time's a charm for G-Men

This is what happens when Hollywood gets tangled up with professional sports. It seems like Jessica Simpson is somehow interconnected with a variety of people around the sports/music/movie scene. It all started with her Newlyweds show with hubby Nick Lache. Then she was apparently 'involved' with Jackass' Johnny Knoxville while married. Divorce was obviously the next step. Her body was John Mayer's wonderland for a little while. Finally, she's ended up with Tony Romo. Good for her. I find it pretty shameless that she's kinda wiggled her way into the spotlight again, when in reality, she should be cast off into oblivion forever. I was hoping Terrell Owens wasn't joking when he told Simpson to go fill her hat.
Dallas Cowboys' Owens sorry for Jessica Simpson comments (Dallas Morning News)

South African Trevor Immelman had surgery today to remove a growth on his diaphragm. The '06 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year withdrew from the South African Airways Open last week after noticing some discomfort in his ribcage. He'll be out of action for about 2 months. (PGA Tour.com)

When New York Giants tight-end Jeremy Shockey broke his fibula last Sunday, he became the 3rd Giant this season to break that exact bone. He needs surgery, so he's gone for the rest of the season. Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka and running back Derrick Ward are also sideline-bound 'til the '08 campaign.
Not looking good for Shockey (ESPN.com)

Feature: Fred Couples

Age: 48
Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
Birthdate: October 3, 1959
Birthplace: Seattle, WA
College: University of Houston
Turned pro: 1980
PGA Tour wins: 15
Majors: 1 (1992 Masters)

With a swing like his, it's hard not to like Fred Couples. He's had a great career on the PGA Tour, including a win at the '92 Masters and sits 20th on the career earnings leaderboard with $20 million. If you're a golf fan, you've probably enjoyed his calm demeanor, striding down the fairways at Augusta, cool as a cucumber.

This past year, he tied Gary Player's Augusta record for 23 straight cuts made at the Masters. In '06, he nearly won the thing, finishing 3rd. But that's been about it for F.C. in the last little while. Back problems have hampered his game in recent years, and unfortunately, limited his play on Tour. He plans to play in the Masters in April, but if his back doesn't hold up, he's taking the year off. He'll probably spend some time in Laguna Beach, where my Dad met him less than 2 years ago. He wanted my Dad to take a picture of him and his wife at a great nacho bar, Los Brisas. In return, my dad asked for an autograph, obviously. They chatted, but not about golf. About the Ottawa Senators. Apparently Freddy's a big Sens fan and even gave a 'Go Sens Go'. I now have the coaster he signed along with a signed photo from the '92 Masters framed on the wall.

He finished off '07 in pretty good fashion for a 48-year-old. ie: completing a stretch of tournaments including a 2nd place finish at the LG Skins Game netting him $325,000; a 9th place finish in Naples with partner John Daly; and $175,000 from Tiger's tournament.

I think it's time to accept the fact that Couples' best rounds are behind him. But, maybe his back will hold up and he'll have some success on the Champions Tour. After all, they only play 3-round tournaments. Until then, though, he'll always have the option to play the Masters every year. He's been a great player to watch and has had a HOF-worthy career. Thanks Freddy!

Before Tiger Woods...there was Fred Couples (YouTube)

Schilling calls out Clemens, Parcells goes from bad to worse, Celts lose at home

Boston Red Sox ace Curt Schilling called out Rocket Roger Clemens today and said that if he can't clear his name from the latest Mitchell Report allegations, he should be forced to give up the 4 Cy Young Awards he won after 1997. Schilling believes Clemens used steroids to prolong his career in the bigs and said, "If he doesn't do that then there aren't many options as a fan for me other than to believe his career 192 wins and three Cy Youngs he won prior to 1997 were the end." This statement is coming from an interesting prospective. Check out his thoughts at 38pitches.com.

The Detroit Pistons handed the Boston Celtics their first loss at home tonight, with an 87-85 squeaker. It's the second night in a row that the TD Banknorth Garden has hosted the top 2 teams in different league's Eastern Conferences, with Ottawa winning 3-2 on Tuesday over the Bruins. Regardless of the loss, the Celtics are off to their best start since the '63-'64 team who ended up winning a 'ship that year. Of course, back then, basketball players didn't refer to league titles as "ships".

So just when Bill Parcells was about to sign with the drama-ridden Atlanta Falcons, one of the worst franchises in the NFL, he decides to sign with THE worst. He apparently signed a 4-year deal with Miami Dolphins' owner and Blockbuster Video billionaire, Wayne Huizenga to become the VP of Football Operations. Some players say he brings a lot of credibility and success to a club that's 1-13 on the season. I say it's gonna take a lot more than that to lure free agents and prospects to an awful football team that should've went winless this year. (Miami Herald)

T.O. hates Jessica Simpson, Britney's sister is preggo, NHL lays down the law

This year was going a little 'too' smooth for the Dallas Cowboys, especially with Terrell Owens in the their lineup. Well, it's been reported today in the Dallas Morning News that T.O. hates his QB's girlfriend, Jessica Simpson. Seriously, his message for her was to stay away from Tony and to stay away from Texas Stadium. Oddly enough, Tony Romo had his worst game since his former girlfriend Carrie Underwood was in attendance last season. Apparently, he just doesn't play well in front of his bedmates.

Here's a shocker...and I'm not being sarcastic. Ok, maybe a little bit. Britney Spears' sister Jamie-Lynn Spears, 16, is pregnant. Jesus. I guess they're just baby-making machines. Or, they're just stupid. I think it's a little bit of both, but any way you look at it, it's pretty ridiculous. Check out: Little Spears’ Baby Daddy Was a Football Prospect (Albeit a Very Low Level One) (The Big Lead)

Today the NHL suspended the New York Islanders' resident psychopath, Chris Simon, giving him a 30-gamer for stomping on Pittsburgh's Jarkko Ruutu last Saturday. Simon's going to forfeit close to $300,000 during his suspension. What I don't like about this is Simon said in a published statement that he was going to 'seek help' and try to sort his life out. Sincere? Probably not. He's a 7-time repeat offender when it comes to suspensions. Giving him 30 games and then letting him back in the league to do something as stupid as what he did 4 days ago just doesn't make sense to me. The only time he spoke in front of the camera about his vicious slash to the Rangers' Ryan Hollweg was the day before he was reinstated in the NHL earlier this year. Chris Simon might say he's embarassed and apologetic for what he's done, but I doubt it. Kick'em out!

Romo's gaga for Jessica...proves it with awful play

This razzing was brought to my attention by my buddy Dave the Intern.

Critics are blaming the Dallas Cowboys' poor effort against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday on quarterback Tony Romo's blonde bimbo, Jessica Simpson. The Dallas pivot was a brutal 13 for 36 in the air for a season-worst 36% and tossed 3 picks in front of his talentless girlfriend, who was rockin' a pink Cowboys jersey with her man's number on the front. At times, you could see her ever-present dad leaning over to tell her what she was seeing. Mostly, a whole lotta junk from a nervous Romo. Jim Rome read a good e-mail yesterday: "That pink Romo jersey Jessica Simpson was wearing was so fresh. Sincerely, Highschool." Gotta love it.

F1 drivers drive fast, Jim Rome had a bad day

A pretty slow Tuesday morning has lead me to post some rather uninteresting stories. Oh well...

It's been reported by Reuters that F1 star Lewis Hamilton, 22, was caught driving 196 km/h in a 130 km/h zone in northern France. Along with an $865 fine and an automatic license suspension, Hamilton will also have to appear in court in a few weeks. He gets paid to speed, can you really fault him?

Monday seemed to be a pretty bad day for radio host Jim Rome. I caught a few minutes of his show yesterday where he went off on Baltimore Ravens' head coach Brian Billick for essentially playing for the tie against the winless Miami Dolphins. Ravens kicker Matt Stover missed a fieldgoal in OT and the Fish took 3 plays down the field for the TD and their first win of the season. Check out his rant on JimRome.com.

Tiger leaves field behind, Sabbatini draws critics

After taking 10 weeks off following The Presidents Cup, Tiger Woods was back, and in fine form at the Target World Challenge winning it for the 4th time. Finishing at 22-under and 7 clear of 2nd place finisher Zach Johnson, Tiger didn't display any real signs of rust. I think Colin Montgomerie summed it up best: "If he took a bloody year off, it wouldn't help. Never mind 10 weeks." Since it's his charity tournament, Tiger will donate his $1.35 million winnings to the Tiger Woods Foundation. He'll be back in action to defend his title at the Buick Invitational at the end of January.

South African Rory Sabbatini, who was in last place heading into Sunday's final round, withdrew from the 16-man field due to 'personal reasons'. His agent told everybody he was suffering from shin splints. In reality, he was takin' off early to head to Maui. Although collecting his last place cheque of $170,000, Mark Calcavecchia said, "I don't think the fans missed him." And my boy Fred Couples wasn't buyin' Rory's agents shin splint excuse and made an interesting comparison: "Of course, he did," Couples said. "And Roger Clemens' agent said he didn't do steroids." Atta boy Freddy. (PGATour.com)

Up close and (sort of) personal with Tiger Woods. (Fore Right)

NBA players are prime targets, every Atlanta team sucks

There seems to a be a lot of ugly news coming out of the ATL these days. Here's some more!

It's being reported that Atlanta Hawks forward Shelden Williams was carjacked in southwest Atlanta Saturday night before the Charlotte/Atlanta game. The 2 suspects were caught a few hours later in his 2008 Chrysler after demanding the keys from the former Duke BlueDevil at gun point. One suspect even had to be brought to hospital from canine unit dog bites.

One question to these boneheads: do you honestly believe you have a chance at getting away with a stolen car that belongs to a professional athlete?

This city is in need of some good news...ain't gonna be today though. Williams' Hawks are 9.5 games out of 1st in the East, the Thrashers were routed 7-3 by Ottawa last night, and the Falcons were embarassed 37-3 by Tampa Bay today. FYI, the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South with the win and Michael Spurlock set a franchise record by being the first to return a kickoff for a TD in the clubs 32-year history.

Weekly Roundup: Ducks add some Weight, "The Stomp", Sens beat ATL, McCabe breaks hand, Pettitte is lame, etc.

The Ducks have traded C Andy McDonald to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Doug Weight. Weight, who's 45 points shy of 1000 will likely move into the 2nd line center role, as McDonald and his next year salary of $3.3 million is too rich for Anaheim, especially with restricted free agent Corey Perry up for a hefty raise. The four big reasons why. (TSN.ca)

For some reason, Chris Simon is still allowed to play in the NHL. He's been suspended 6 times in his career, including a 25-gamer last year for a vicious slash on the Rangers' Ryan Hollweg. I'm hoping he's kicked outta the league after intentionally 'stomping' on Jarkko Ruutu's leg in a losing effort to the Penguins Saturday. (NHL.com)

It looks like Bryan McCabe is going to miss a few months with a broken hand. Breaking 3 bones in his left hand after being thrown into the boards by Habs forward Andrei Kostitsyn, McCabe is expected to miss upwards to 6 to 8 weeks. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing for the Leafs. (Sportsnet.ca)

It was a beatdown in Ottawa last night at the SBP, as the Sens pounded Atlanta 7-3 outshooting them 44-25. Dany Heatley had his 3rd consecutive 2 goal game, giving him 20 on the year and already 200 in his career. Guys like him are the reason for terms like 'bulging the twine'. (Ottawa Citizen)

Andy Pettitte can spare us the crocodile tears and contrived 'regret' . A weak apology through his agent isn't going to be enough to get Andy Pettitte out of this mess. (New York Daily News)

The Odd Couple: Venus Williams and Hank Kuehne dating? Weird. As one commenter put it: "Jesus. A horse and an ugly chick. Hank and Venus have one more thing in common. The fact that they both have a penis." (The Big Lead)

Around the Hardwood: Knicks suck, Tony Parker double-dribbles?, Kobe's 'happy', and MJ's baby-momma-drama

Are the New York Knicks in that bad of shape? According to this article in Newsday, they could be the worst professional sports franchise in history.

Personally, I've only been a fringe observer of the mess that's taking place in Manhattan and don't care all that much about their situation. But, it's gotta be rough to be in their position. Especially after they just got dragged through a legal mess and settled an $11.5 million lawsuit brought on by female team exec Anucha Browne Sanders who claims head coach Isaiah Thomas sexually assaulting her. Other reasons why the Knicks are brutal: ownership sucks, team management is laughable, highly paid athletes continuously underachieving...oh, and they keep losing.

Tony Parker denies fling with model Alexandra Paressant; her photos say otherwise. (The Big Lead)

Sittin in 2nd place in the Pacific division, things are looking up for the Lakeshow and Kobe is glad he wasn't traded; "happy" with Lakers. (ESPN.com)

Not only is Michael Jordan not the father of some random woman’s kid, but she owes MJ $5 million. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Russ Martin takes home hardware

Here's a good story coming out of the MLB today. According to TSN.ca, Canadian catcher Russell Martin won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's Tip O'Neill award - an award given to a Canadian player "judged to have excelled in individual achievement and team contribution while adhering to baseball's highest ideals."

Martin had a great year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, batting .293, with 19 jacks, and 83 RBI - good enough for his first All-Star Game appearance and a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award.

He seems to be on his way to a great career in the majors. Let's just hope he's not a doper too...

Senators on a roll, Calgary lights the lamp in Tampa, Walker suspended, Philly inks Richards

20 wins! Well it looks like the Ottawa Senators are back to their regular form. Winning 4-1 in Pittsburgh tonight to finish their 5-game road trip with a 4-0-1 record. Talk about a turnaround from losing 7 in a row. Daniel Alfredsson got his 800th career point in his 812th game proving once again that he's a stud and is hungry for that Cup. Like I've always said: win a Cup, and he's a shoe-in for the HOF.

Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley both racked up 4 points and Martin Gerber shut down Sydney Crosby multiple times.

A crazy game in T-Bay tonight. Calgary got some retribution for their loss in the 2004 Cup final, stacking 9 goals on the Bolts winning 9-6 in their first meeting in 3 years. Wait a second, Calgary scored 9 goals?! Hell has frozen over. (TSN.ca)

Scott Walker was handed a 1 game suspension for his gutless headbutt on Mike Fisher in Carolina Wednesday night. (YouTube)

And you thought Rick DiPietro's 15-year deal was outrageous. These days, it's becoming the norm as the Philadelphia Flyers signed Mike Richards to a 12-year $69 million contract. If there was any question whether the Flyers saw a future captaincy in center Mike Richards, it was addressed today in flattering terms. (Philadelphia Enquirer)

MLB takes it on the chin

The Mitchell Report was released today by Major League Baseball, offering up a list of players who have used steroids at some point in their career. The report by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who was hired by commissioner Bud Selig to examine the Steroids Era, faulted both players and management for the problem, saying the problems didn't develop overnight and there was plenty of blame to go around, according to ESPN.com.

There are some no-doubters on this list, but also some shockers (ie: the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx beloved F.P. Santangelo? Say it ain't so!). From a fans perspective, the MLB is in deep trouble. But, it's hard to say that MLB is unravelling from a financial standpoint (the only standpoint that matters, apparently), especially after racking up nearly $6 billion in revenue and setting overall attendance records in '07. However, when more reports surface and more players get indicted, who knows what will happen to the game of baseball in America.

According to TSN.ca, the Report details how the players, as well as clubhouse personnel, allowed steroids and other banned substances in clubhouses, or knew about it and stayed silent. While most of the investigation is based around former New York Mets clubhouse attendant and bat boy Kirk Radomski, as well as Brian McNamee, a former trainer for the Yankees and Clemens, I'm sure more clubhouse attendants around the league will be interviewed.

There has been a lot of action around the league lately, with a bunch of players (Tejada, Gagne, Lo Duca, etc.) signing big money contracts. How do their new teams feel about their new 'franchise' player who may or may not have been juicing at some point in their MLB careers?

Check back for more as this is just the tip of the iceberg for this story. Below is a list of names mentioned in the Report for your perusal...

Barry Bonds (obviously) and current or former All-Stars like Jason Giambi, Benito Santiago, Gary Sheffield, Lenny Dykstra, Brian Roberts, Chuck Knoblauch, David Justice, Mo Vaughn, Paul Lo Duca, Denny Neagle, Miguel Tejada, Mike Stanton, Fernando Vina, Kevin Brown, Eric Gagne, Brendan Donnelly and Rondell White. Lesser names mentioned were Marvin Benard, Bobby Estalella, Jeremy Giambi, Randy Velarde, David Segui, Larry Bigbie, Jack Cust, Tim Laker, Josias Manzanillo, Todd Hundley, Mark Carreon, Hal Morris, Matt Franco, Jason Grimsley, Gregg Zaun, F.P. Santangelo, Glenallen Hill, Ron Villone, Ryan Franklin, Chris Donnels, Todd Williams, Phil Hiatt, Todd Pratt, Kevin Young, Mike Lansing, Cody McKay, Kent Mercker, Adam Piatt, Jason Christiansen, Stephen Randolph, Jerry Hairston Jr., Adam Riggs, Bart Miadich, Mike Bell, Matt Herges, Gary Bennett, Jim Parque, Chad Allen, Jeff Williams, Howie Clark and Nook Logan. Others include Rick Ankiel, David Bell, Paul Byrd, Jose Canseco, Jay Gibbons, Troy Glaus, Jose Guillen, Darren Holmes, Gary Matthews Jr., John Rocker, Scott Schoeneweis, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams and Steve Woodard.

Now that we've got the names, questions abound (The Big Lead)

New York is the city that doesn't play fair (New York Magazine)

Indians pitcher Paul Byrd has enough steroids to be The Hulk (San Francisco Chronicle)

Toronto 3rd baseman Troy Glaus likes his juice too! (Sports Illustrated.com)

Boston Red Sox knew about Eric Gagne's steroid past (Fanhouse)

Emery dons new mask in Raleigh

The Ottawa Senators roll into Raleigh, N.C. tonight to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. No doubt, this could be a prelude to the Eastern Conference Finals in May as both teams, along with New Jersey, are slowly separating themselves from the rest.

Ray Emery will be making his 4th consecutive start for the Sens, and will also be putting his new mask on display. A hardcore boxing fan, Emery's new mask features a painting of 3-time heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali. In the past, his masks have included other favourites of his: Marvin Hagler, Jack Johnson, and Mike Tyson. But, because Tyson's a lunatic/rapist/ear-chewer, that mask didn't stick around too long.

Marion Jones stripped of medals, integrity

Another sad day in sports, as Marion Jones, the disgraced American track star who won 3 gold medals and 2 bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics had them taken away today by the IOC. According to the New York Times, the IOC has banned Jones from attending the 2008 Beijing Olympics in any capacity, and the U.S. Olympic Committee has suspended the retired doper from competition for 2 years. She could face a lifetime ban from all Olympic games pending the outcome of the BALCO investigation.

Just another cheating athlete caught in the act. I remember watching her singing the American anthem after winning her medals and seeing how proud she was to be representing her country in competition. What a joke. She only admitted cheating in the Sydney games as part of her guilty plea to lying to the feds in the BALCO case about using steroids. The truth was going to come out, and they were gonna get her - no matter what.

For me personally, the Olympic games symbolize sportsmanship, integrity, and national pride. Jones managed to bamboozle everybody in all three of these categories, proving again that no sport is innocent.

Tiger's trophy room gets a little smaller

Big surprise. Today, Tiger Woods won his 9th PGA Tour Player of the Year award in the last 11 years. Nobody really compared to him this year, though. 7 wins including the PGA Championship, his 13th career major, and the inaugural winner of the FedEx Cup. Just a typical season on Tour for Tiger. But with 2nd place finishes at both The Masters and U.S. Open, Tiger was ever-s0-close to having one of his best years on Tour and inching closer to Jack Nicklaus' major record of 18.

With over $10 million, he took home the Arnold Palmer Award for leading money winner for the 8th time in his career. And to cap it off, he also won the Byron Nelson Trophy for lowest scoring average at 67.79, the lowest scoring average in Tour history.
For those Tiger-haters out there, get used to it. There's plenty more where that came from.

He finished the '07 season with 71 worldwide career wins and 13 major titles. By the time he's in his mid-30's (which is only a few years away), he'll have passed Jack's major record. My prediction is by the time he's finished playing on the PGA Tour, he'll have close to 30 majors. How can you disagree with greatness?

Just your everyday drive-by

In any other sport, I'd call this an interesting story. But, since it's the NBA, something like this happens almost as often as Britney Spears pumps out kids. According to the Indy Star, the Indiana Pacers have decided not to punish point guard Jamaal Tinsley for his involvement in a shooting in downtown Indianapolis late Saturday night. Tinsley and his posse were cruisin' the streets of Indy in Tinsley's Benzo, Rolls Royce and Dodge Charger after leaving the club 'Cloud 9' when they were shot at repeatedly by unknown assailants.

The troublesome Pacer claims he was just out "to have fun and made a mistake, again." I guess flaunting your half-mil worth of whips is not a good idea in the slums of Indy. But you're right Jamaal, you've made some mistakes in your career, that's for sure. He's already facing charges from a bar fight in Indy last year, and was one of the participants in the Malace at the Palace against Detroit back in '04. With the recent shooting death of Washington Redskins defensive back Sean Taylor, it just makes you wonder what the hell is goin' on in these guys' heads. The way I see it: too much money, too fast, to the wrong people.

Here's a good article from the New York Post claiming Tinsley was a marked man.

Boo-birds are out in full force in MTL

The Montreal Canadiens aren't that good. There, I said it. I've seen a lot of posts lately on TSN.ca from Habs fans voicing their displeasures with their club. They have every reason to. Following a 5-1 romping at the hands of the Hurricanes at the Bell Centre this weekend, Habs fans proceeded to boo their team out of the building...after the 2nd period, and 3rd. And probably on countless post-game radio shows around Montreal. The storied franchise seems to have a little trouble in the month of December. Over the past couple years, the Habs have typically overachieved for 20+ games then come back to reality around Christimas-time. In the past week, they've dropped from 4th in the East to 8th.

Are Habs fans finally realizing that they don't have a top line? Are they finally realizing that the players they want to sign don't want anything to do with the Habs or the city of Montreal? Hey, maybe they have something to do with the situation........

A prime example is the snub Daniel Briere gave them last summer. Here we have a French hockey player from Gatineau not wanting to deal with the circus that revolves around the Canadiens organization. There's been a lot of talk about trying to lure Montreal-born Vincent Lecavalier away from the Bolts...best of luck. He's got too much of a head on his shoulders to jump into that zoo. Expect to see him sign for less and stay in Tampa, or fly off to another city where the media scrutiny isn't so ridiculous and the money is just as good. And there's plenty more, I just don't have the energy. Let's leave it at this: the Habs and their fans have only themselves to blame for the C-list team they've built.

Awkward Monday night'er, don't ya think?

Does anybody else find it kind of awkward that the day Mike Vick goes away for 2 years is also the same day that the Falcons host New Orleans on Monday Night Football? On any other Monday, this game is pretty much meaningless. But, with the Vick sentencing and my undying loyalty to Tampa Bay, this game suddenly has some sort of importance...to me at least. With a Saints loss tonight, the Bucs will clinch the NFC South - their first division crown since '05. This time around, I'm hoping for a longer playoff run than their early exit to the Redskins 2 years ago.

Vick heads to jail

Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in a federal pen today for his involvement in 'Bad Newz Kennels', including killing 6 to 8 dogs who didn't 'perform well' and for being the primary bankroller of an inter-state dogfighting operation.

During the sentencing, Vick apologized for being such a douchebag. When he is released from prison in October 2009, I truly hope he disappears. I don't think anybody with half a conscience would want to see him playing professional football again. On the other hand, he made piles of cash for the NFL when he wasn't public enemy #1, and the Falcons are a horrendous franchise without him, so who am I kidding? He'll be back in fine form well before the '09 season opener.

The Shark plays 2nd fiddle...again

As a pretty big golf fan, it was nice to see host Greg Norman play well at the annual Merrill Lynch Shark Shootout this weekend. Haven't seen him in a while. He still has that familiar quick and upright move through the ball, although a little less recoil on the follow through these days. The Shark and partner Bubba Watson finished a very respectable 2nd today, after watching the always animated Woody Austin jar a 30-footer on 18 to seal the deal.

Chalk up another 2nd place finish for Sharky. Add it to a long list that includes runner-ups in all four majors, including a few playoff heartbreakers at The Masters and the Open.

Ironically, the announcers foreshadowed the vic for Austin and partner Mark Calcavecchia as Woody lined up his putt by mentioning Norman's playoff loss to Calcs in the '89 Open, Sandy Lyle's hole-out from the bunker at the '88 Masters, among a variety of his 31 career silver medal finishes. Can't really feel too bad for the guy, though. After all, he is Greg Norman: winner of two Opens, 20 Tour events, and is one of the most recognizable athlete-turned-businessmen in the world.

He still has the same intensity he always had: "Of course I'm disappointed," Norman said. "We all play to win the championship, no matter what the championship is." A sign of things to come on the Champions Tour in '08?

Gagne chased outta Beantown, ends up in Milwaukee

I was under the impression that Canadian-born pitcher and 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne was pretty close to hanging up his cleats and his French-Canadian pitching eyewear for good. Apparently he's deciding to continue his tour of Major League Baseball.

According to the Milwauke Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers have signed him to a one-year deal worth $10 million. I guess desperate times calls for stupid decisions. His best days are far behind him especially after multiple surgeries, the Brew-crew will soon discover that he's no longer the dominant closer he was with L.A. I suppose the Brewers needed a half-decent closer after Francisco Cordero signed with Cincinnati as a free agent three weeks ago. Keyword: half-decent.

Tebow wins Heisman, talks fast

I know this blog is about the world of professional sports, but, as a Gator fan, I couldn't NOT write a spot on Tim Tebow. The 20-year-old became the first sophomore in the history of the NCAA to win the Heisman Trophy yesterday. He was also the first QB to rush for 20 TD's and throw for more than 20 TD's in the same season. This could be partially due to the fact that Florida doesn't really have a reliable running back. Sophomore Brandon James has yet to reach his potential leaving the door open for Tebow to run the ball. Whatever way you look at it, Tebow's a stud and will likely continue a stellar college career before fading away into oblivion as a 3rd stringer in the NFL.

By the way, his acceptance speech last night in New York was quite possibly the fastest in the history of all speeches. Click here to watch.