Tiger Returns...as Caddie

Aaaaaaaaand I make my triumphant return to sports blogging. Wow, it's been a while. I'd love to tell you all that I've been busy, but I haven't been. From the time of my last post (in June) to now, I've been doing a lot of golfing. That's what I do in the summer. But now that summer is over, I figured I'd get back into filling your free time with my random ramblings. A wise man once said, "stick to what you're good at." It's not necessarily that I'm good at rambling, but ya gotta start somewhere. I may as well give my fingers some exercise...

Deep down, Tiger is pissed off. The first photo of him back on a golf course after a heroic US Open win at Torrey Pines is at Torrey Pines. But this time, he's loopin' for some 59 year-old chump who won a contest. The dude even 5-putted. That's the thing about big league contracts. Millions of dollars in your bank account in exchange for standing in a bib, grinning like a fool while pretending to be having a good time.

There's nobody who smiles as wide as Eldrick. Hopefully we'll be seeing those pearly whites come April in Augusta.

Show Stopper: Tiger Woods Wins 14th Major, Slows Wall Street, Rules Internet

Realizing that this is probably my 10th posting about Tiger, I decided to write it anyway. How can you not be impressed with this man. Gimping around on one healthy leg, he managed to birdie the 18th hole twice to force Rocco Mediate to beat him on an extra hole. Unfortunately for Rocco, the clock struck midnight and his time to shine was over.

Not to take anything away from Rocco - because he played unbelievable and didn't even think of blinking against the world's number one - but wasn't Tiger's performance simply stunning? I can understand the frustration that some viewers may have with the Johnny Millers and Chris Bermans bringing up Tiger's knee injury every 3 seconds, but for Eldrick to visibly limp around the golf course and still manage to win his 14th major is mind boggling. He really is that good.

Seems as though millions of others across the world thought the same. Here's an interesting little story about how Tiger slows down trading on Wall Street.

Forget about the 25,000 people in San Diego who played hooky from work and followed the action down at Torrey Pines on Monday, how about the schlubs like myself who streamed most of the action, setting a record along the way.

Happy Trails: Mike Piazza Calls It A Career

That's it...Mike Piazza retired today.

I've been a Mike Piazza fan ever since he broke into the Majors winning the NL Rookie of the Year award in '93. I was an even bigger fan when he was the '96 All-Star MVP. And I was kinda hoping he'd kick Roger Clemens' ass in the 2000 World Series when the Rocket tossed the butt-end of Piazza's bat at him. Unfortunately, nothing really happened in that Game 2. Same goes for Mike and the Mets' hopes for a World Series title.

Although he never won the big prize, he certainly racked up his fair share of accolades.

How does this sound: The best slugging catcher in baseball history.

Pretty good ring to it. That's because it's the truth. In fact, he made me want to be a catcher growing up. Unfortunately, I couldn't hit like he could. My game was more defensive - like Charles Johnson - who Piazza was traded for in a blockbuster deal with Florida in '98.

He's leaving the game after 19 seasons in the Bigs. A 12 time All-Star, 10 time Silver Slugger, knocked out 427 career dingers, 1335 RBI's and held a .308 average with the LA Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and Oakland A's.

Any way you look at it, he was damn good.

Gonna miss ya Mike!

Sergio Garcia Wins Players: "I want to thank Tiger for not being here"

"Hi Tiger," Sergio says. "I'd like to thank you for not playing this week at Sawgrass."

"Oh, not a problem, Serrrrg," Tiger replies. "I knew you'd been struggling the last few years and falling down in the rankings. You needed this one. Besides, I was having fun in Orlando watchin' my boy Superman run the show."

"Sounds like a fun time, Tiger. I hope your knee rehab is going well. Maybe you'll be ready to come back for next year...?"

"Umm...I guess you didn't get the memo, eh Sergio? I'll be back in time to beat you guys up at Torrey Pines."

(Sergio quickly calls Tanya Harding)

"Riiight...Well maybe we can get together sometime and get some grub..."

"I never really liked you, Sergio. I hope you realize that I'm going to win the US Open by 10 shots."

"I know you will...but your wife is hot."

(Click)

Summed Up Nicely: "That is a gutless, 6"7, .200 hitting, formerly good player, joke"

You have to hear what the announcers think of the "formerly good player" known as Richie Sexson. Do you think he thought to himself, "hey, wait a second...that ball didn't come as close as I thought it did. Oh well, I'm already half way to the mound, I may as well launch my helmet at him."

By the way, you suck Richie Sexson.

Montreal Players: Yet ANOTHER Reason to Hate the Habs

Here we have one of the NHL's elite players: Tom Kostopoulous. If you've ever hung around this site before, you can undoubtedly pick up the level of sarcasm in that sentence. We all remember the Feta-loving Tom K as part of the ambiguously dumb duo of Habs players who were arrested for stealing a woman's purse in a Tampa nightclub earlier this year. They stole $20 from her! With salaries around $500K, I guess they were really hard up on cash to pay the rookie dinner bill. Funny. But, his latest stunt from Game 2 of the Philly/MTL semi-final series makes you want to slap him...and I'm no Philly fan. Take a look at his gutlessness.

Montreal Riots: One More Reason to Hate Habs Fans

In case anybody outside of Montreal needed another reason to dislike Canadiens fans...here's a video showing the riots on St. Catharine outside of the Bell Centre last night. You would think this franchise had never won a Cup, by the looks of it.

Congrats, Habs fans. Your team managed to (barely) make it out of the 1st round over a team that wasn't supposed to win a single game. Ole!

Here's hoping they're eliminated 4-straight in Round 2. It'll either be Philly or New York.

Chalk One Up for South Africa: Trevor Immelman Wins '08 Masters

Before I continue, I must apologize. Don't really know who I'm apologizing to, because nobody reads this...but I've been away from writing for a couple weeks. Main reason: I escaped the dreadful winter for a few days to sunny Palm Springs, California. Will post pics soon enough...

Anyway, let's talk Masters.

Trevor Immelman became the first South African to win the Masters since his boyhood idol Gary Player did it 30 years ago.

Well done Mr. Immelman. He's certainly coming into his own on Tour. Can't knock his play all week. He hit the ball better than anybody all week, especially his tee-game. Didn't hurt that he made a few putts, but hey, to win the Masters you've gotta make a lot of putts. That's where Tiger struggled...couldn't buy a putt, even with his wallet.
Immelman finished at 8-under, followed by Tiger at 5-under. That's 2 years in a row Tiger has played second fiddle at Augusta. Oh well, so he'll only win 3 majors this year.

Big Diesel All Up In Your Grill

OK, so I realize this game happened almost a month ago, but I'm posting it anyway. Nice jump over the kids in the front row, but check out the elbow he gives to the guy in the black t-shirt. That's a whole lotta human comin' in full tilt.

Late Bloomers: Sens stack a 5-piece on Bufftown in 3rd

Do they really have to leave it 'til the very end of the game to wake up? If the last 2 games are any indication, then yes.

9 third period goals for the Ottawa Senators in the last 2 games.

After giving up 2 quick ones in 25 seconds to Buffalo, the Sens' offence exploded for 5 goals in 8 minutes to take a 6-3 vic and pretty much solidify the playoff fate for the Sabres. It was nice to see Dean McAmmond use his speed for a change when he drove hard to the net and got a nice feed from Vermette. That made it 3-2, but the fact that it was a short-handed goal woke up the Senators' offence. Opened the floodgates, if you will. Alfie tied it up going shelfy like only he knows how...ping!

I can't not write about my boy Volchenkov getting his first goal of the year with a blast from the blueline...ping! Oh yeah, it's worth mentioning that I was talking about how the A-Train hadn't scored a goal all season seconds before he sniped. Game winner to boot!

It's been quite the fall from grace for Buffalo this year, after capturing the 1st seed in the East in '07. Of course, no Briere and no Drury. Just Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, and Jason Pominville to carry the load. Their D is nothing special either. I have no sympathy for them, though. It sure was nice to see Sabres fans sprint out of their seats when Alfie lit the lamp making it 5-3.

Let's see if the Sens can take the 2nd of this home-and-home with Buff on Thursday at the SBP. Maybe this time they'll spread their goals out a little more.

Patrick Roy's Son is a Goon

Can't believe I haven't jumped all over this. Chalk it up to my overall laziness, I suppose.

Much like a lot of the stories I write about, this one is nothing short of ridiculous.

“With the Remparts trailing 7-1 near the end of the second period of their playoff game on Saturday, players on both sides began to brawl. The younger Roy skated towards Chicoutimi netminder Bobby Nadeau, but was held back by two on-ice officials. According to reports, it was at that point that father Patrick told his son to go after Nadeau. Jonathan Roy skated towards the opposing netminder and landed a series of punches without any retaliation, then saluted the opposing fans before starting another fight with defenceman Sebastien Rioux.” (TSN.ca)

Hey, maybe Jonathan Roy is just pissed that he'll never come close to being as good as his father. Here's the video. (YouTube)

Madness: Look forward to Thursday action

It's been a pretty eventful couple of days, to say the least. Who would've thought all the underdogs would win in Tampa?! Add that to West Virginia telling Duke to take a hike and the Davidson win over Georgetown, and we've got a hell of a tourney on our hands. For the record, my brackets are in shambles. At least I'm not the only one feelin' the pain...

Here's how she stands after 2 rounds...

West Virginia/Xavier and UCLA/Western Kentucky are on tap for the West bracket, while the Washington State/UNC and Louisville/Tennessee doubleheader will give us some quality viewing in the East on Thursday.

Davidson will be trying to keep their Cinderella run alive when they meet Wisconsin on Friday in the Midwest, followed up by Villanova/Kansas. The South gives us Stanford/Texas and Memphis/Michigan State.

Needless to say, I know where I'll be Thursday night. Not sure about Friday though, as I'll likely be sipping fruity umbrella drinks by the pool in sunny Southern California. Shucks.

Rainy Roundup: Obama League Baseball?

Hey y'all. I'm back. Didn't go anywhere, just haven't posted. My boy Hambone has been on my case recently so I figured I talk about some of the random shit I've seen over the last couple days.

Figured I'd throw this funny one up there to kick things off. This dude decided to combine his love for Major League Baseball and U.S. politics. Cool shirts. Obama business strikes out

So apparently the story about Tiger Woods buying a ridiculous mansion in the Hamptons for $65 million yesterday is not true. Thank god. Because even though he could've bought that crib with a (big) duffle bag full of cash, he didn't, and kept a few less people from hating him. He's already got 2 'homes' in Florida and 1 in Dubai on his golf course. I'm anxiously awaiting the day he becomes the world's first athlete billionaire.

Yes, I missed a Monday morning post about how awesome Tiger is after winning at Bay Hill, but is he even human? Can't they test for something like that?

I'd stay outta his way. How many 66-year olds do you know who do mixed martial arts?

I'm in the wrong business: Visa IPO prices at record $17.9 billion

Like they don't make enough money already: Red Sox boycott Japan trip, then reconcile

Fred Couples posts a 65, John Daly cracks a beer

At the time of this posting, Fred Couples has the outright lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando. I understand it's still early in the afternoon, but to me, that's pretty impressive for ol' Freddy C. At least we know he still has the raw talent to go low, as long as his ailing body holds up. For a guy who has had chronic pain in his back for years, he can still pipe a golf ball. He averaged 301.5 yards on his drives in Thursday's round. There's a reason he's called 'Boom Boom'.

On a less than enthusiastic note, PGA Tour bad boy John Daly has hit yet another speed bump in his 'eventful' career. He was disqualified from Bay Hill when he missed his Tuesday Pro-Am tee-time. Daly claims there was a misunderstanding with his tee-time, but he was likely out late the night before, lighting it up at one of Orlando's hotspots...or, any questionable dive that serves the sauce. It also didn't help that his swing coach, legendary Butch Harmon, quit on him on Monday saying, "the most important thing in his life is getting drunk." Pretty heavy stuff. Did I mention that he was only playing at Bay Hill because Arnie invited him? Talk about disrespecting someone you shouldn't be.

Last week, he shot 77-80 to miss the cut by a mile at the PODS Championship in Tampa, and even had Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coach John Gruden on the bag for him (pictured above). But missing the cut wasn't a big deal to Big JD. He spent his Saturday drinking in the Hooters tent behind 17 at Innisbrook drinking beer and signing bodyparts.

There are many people who think he should be kicked off the Tour. I'm not one of them. If tournament sponsors are going to continue to provide exemptions for him to play, then he'll be on the Tour. When he shows up for his tee-times, he's a pleasure to watch. The question is, how far can John Daly go before he's cut off for good?

Goalie Wars: Darth Gerber rules with iron fist

So it's looking more and more likely that Martin "Darth" Gerber will be the #1 'tender for the Senators heading into the post-season. He's not only been the Sens' best player for the past 6 games, but it also helps that his name's not Ray Emery.

Management doesn't seem to be a fan of ol' Razor these days. For good reason. He pretty much got John Paddock fired a couple weeks ago. Then he finally broke his silence this week with a half-assed apology to the coach who moulded him in the AHL. Add in the fact that he can't stop a beach ball on the short side when he does play, and you've got a pretty 'easy' decision.

Enter Darth Gerber. Dah da da da, Dah da da da da da daaaahh.

Although they managed to lose 3-1, 3-2, and 2-0 before winning 4-2 on their recent Left Coast trip, the Sens have at least had the goaltending they've been so desperately looking for. The blame for those 3 losses lands squarely on the shoulders of every skater on the team, not Gerber. Technically, he only let in 1 in L.A. They potted an empty-netter late in the 3rd. Things turned around when they hit the desert last Saturday, though. Gerber played well, and the rest of them actually played defence. There's a concept. Backchecking, defensive coverage, physical play. Ya know, things that you should do every time you step on the ice if you intend to win the hockey game.

Last night's game against Beantown was no different. Gerber made some stellar saves which translated into offensive rushes and goals by Heatley. It was like watching Sens hockey of old. Quick transitions, bodychecks, great saves, and good ol' fashioned lamplighting. It's worth noting Heater's quality game. A nice 'trick to break out of his recent slump.

It's always nice to see a certain player step his game up when the rest of the team is struggling. Gerber has been to the Cup Finals 3 times. All 3 times he's had his rear-end planted firmly on the pine. If the last week is any indication, he'll be relegating that role to a player who needs to give his head a firm shake. Get used to sporting that beauty new cap, Razor. You could be sitting there for a while.

Yankees sign Billy Crystal: What?

Yes. It's true. Billy Crystal will be throwin' on the pinstripes of the Bronx Bombers for a spring training game this Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Look out for #60...which is also his age.

The question remains: what position will he play? Sit A-Rod and play'em besides Jeets on the left side? Perhaps scratch Jeets and let him and Cano turn a couple double plays...Or, maybe let him run around in the outfield chasing fly balls? Wait a second, they're playing Pittsburgh. We all know they can't get hit it out of the infield. Which begs another question: when will Jason Bay jump ship and ditch the Pirates?

Anyway, where will Billy bat? He may not be lead-off material, but if his high school stats (.348 as a senior in high school) are any indication, he should be tucked somewhere between 3rd and 5th in the order. Imagine he hit a long bomb? If that happened, I think Pitt should be kicked out of the league.

Next up: Jack Nicholson dishin' to Kobe with the Lakers? Jerry Seinfeld throwing a no-hitter with the Mets? Gotta love the MLB. Millionaires, steroids, and comedians. Insert joke here. I'm too lazy.

Obscure Jersey Thursdays: Kelly Hrudey

People in Canada get to see this schlub Saturday nights on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. Luckily, he's on the late crew. Nobody seems to care much about the late game. East Coast biased much? Of course. I could care less about the western Canadian teams.

As for Kelly Hrudey, he was a decent 'tender. Was 3rd stringer on the 1987 Canada Cup team, played in the infamous 'Eastern Epic': a game that went in to 4th OT as he set a playoff record with 73 saves. Most importantly, he was part of the '93 L.A. Kings that took on Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens in the Cup finals. Of course, '99' per cent of the credit deserves to go to Gretzky for getting them there. Although they didn't win, it was somewhat of a turning point in the NHL. It was the first southern U.S. team to make it that far into the post-season. And although they didn't win the Cup, Hrudey's ugly eastern-European-esque goalie mask will forever remain etched in the heads of hockey fans everywhere. Thanks Kelly.
(Photo courtesy: Straight Cash Homey.net)

Poolsider Report: Sens/Ducks from the Honda

Poolsider reporting from Honda Center...

When was the last time you saw a coached tossed? Or two unsportsmanlike penalties from refs who lost complete control of it by the second period? Alfredsson's out indefinitely with an upper-body injury thanks to a blatant crosscheck from Beauchemin directly in front of one of the zebras...with no call.

Add up one superb goaltending performance by Jiggy, and it resulted in a bitter, but spirited, 3-1 loss to Ducks. Never mind. I thought the Sens played a couple of good periods, showing some of the spunk they last displayed against Detroit in January....7 weeks ago!

Perhaps it was because 'Friends" star and Ottawa superfan Matthew Perry was in the barn? Nah, this game was lost in the early moments of the third when Giguere played like Gump Worsley stopping Spezza point-blank several times. The Gerber baby played well. So did the new acquisitions, Lapointe and Stillman. Sorry, but can't say the same about Redden, who might have to play in Germany next year...because no other team will want him.

Like they did last June, the big Duck D shut us down as well...prompting one SoCal hack from the cheap seats to remark, "look familiar...from last spring?" This from a guy who pronounced Jason's name as "SpEEza" and called Emery a "flake." (Well, he was half right...).

Whatever, Murray's tossing might be what this placid squad needs right now...as they attempt to discover whether they're the team of 2007 or the one that suffered four consecutive playoff losses to the Leafs.

Poolsider signing out...and heading back to the 80F weather in Palm Springs...

Live Blog: Sens not the team they once were

Well here it is. The game we've been waiting for.

Really?

It's common knowledge that the Anaheim Ducks were the dominant team in last year's Cup final. There's no question about it.

It seems as though they're still the dominant team. 2-1 Ducks lead after the 1st frame. Bertuzzi and Perry for Anaheim and Schubert for O-town.

A couple questionable hits on Volchenkov and Redden early, and Meszaros just got hurt on an awkward fall in his own zone.

Rollin' on Pinkies

Say hello to Manchester City's midfielder Stephen Ireland.

From FanIQ: "Ireland's already known as a bit of a space cadet, he once pretended his grandmother had died to get out of an international game, but this is taking it to a whole other level. Who's he trying to impress with this thing? 10-year-old girls? Richard Simmons? I'll just say this: I live in San Francisco and I've never seen a car this, uh, festive. And that's saying something."

Are you ready for this? Apparently it's worth $178,000.

Duke beats GA Tech, loses mascot 4-6 weeks

Good Riddance: Sens fire Paddock

This news comes as some sort of a relief for Ottawa Senators fans. I guess Bryan Murray simply had enough of the lengthy losing streaks and back-to-back shutouts against the lowly Leafs and again last night in Boston.

The GM didn't exactly give Paddock the biggest vote of confidence, saying the other day that his job is safe "if the team keeps winning."

It kinda seemed like the players stopped playing for him. They are all competitive people, and I guarantee that they would enjoy an equally competitive coach behind the bench who shows some emotion. That's exactly what ol' Paddy didn't do. He was like an English Jacques Martin. Cross those arms and scowl the entire game and then give meaningless gargled quotes while choking up your Christmas turkey followed by the occasional burp. Gross? You bet. (If you listen to TGOR Nation on Team 1200 in Ottawa in the morning, you know what I'm talking about.)

But hey, at least Bryan Murray has some character. Paddock is a perfect fit for a team in the East Coast Iron League or something. I couldn't quite understand why he became the Sens' head coach. He wasn't exactly what you call a 'finesse' player in his day. More like, 4th-line plug/scrapper. It would be like Tie Domi coaching an NHL team in 10 years. How could you expect to win with a knucklehead like that at the helm?

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but if we couldn't lock up a sniper or stalwart defenceman at the deadline, then this is the next best thing. Paddock is a solid hockey guy with a great eye for talent. Today marks the beginning of another chapter and let's hope Murray can get the Sens to start playing like the team he took to the Cup last year. Peace out Paddy.

Roundup: Trade Deadline Edition

So the 2008 NHL trade deadline has come and gone. Anybody else think us Canadians are ridiculously obsessed with hockey trade coverage? The 3 major stations committed every minute of the day to endless banter that included a bunch of big kids texting on their Blackberries in between analyzing every trade to death. But I digress...

Who were the real winners today? You gotta think San Jose improved by acquiring a steady, puck-moving defenceman like Brian Campbell. Poor Buffalo...everybody keeps leaving them. How about Brad Richards heading to the Big D? And he's gotta be happy to get out of Tampa, especially after he said the franchise is "spiralling".

But what about Ottawa? They were one of the front-runners in the Marian Hossa sweepstakes, but obviously weren't willing to give up a 1st rounder, like Pittsburgh had to do. I recall owner Eugene Melnyk saying that he would "do anything to win the Cup," so it's very disappointing that they weren't able to land a marquee player. Just because the draft is being held in Ottawa this year, it doesn't mean the host team HAS to have a showing in the 1st round. Instead, GM Murray settled for Martin Lapointe in exchange for a 6th rounder. Another brutal deadline day for the struggling Senators. Will try to keep the expectations low for the upcoming postseason.

As for the rest of the trade details, check out TSN for a full list of who went where.

Gross: Arsenal player gets leg snapped

If you didn't know: Tiger Woods runs the show

Tiger Tiger Woods y'all!

It would've been nice to see Stewart Cink at least put up a fight today. But, because Tiger is the man, Cink gracefully accepted a good ol' fashioned beat down today at the WGC Accenture Match Play in Arizona. Here's a ridiculous stat: Stewart Cink hasn't won a tournament in 86 starts, while in the same stretch, Tiger has won 23 times.

Setting a tournament record with an 8-and-7 vic, Tiger has now won 15 of the 26 WGC tournies that he has entered.

Let's be honest. Tiger Woods has the professional golf world beaten, picked back up, and beaten some more. Safe to say that if Tiger is in the field at any given event, he will be accepting the hardware come Sunday afternoon.

Just another tidbit: he's now in 4th for all-time career wins with 63, stepping over Arnold Palmer. Should be an interesting exchange between the two, as Tiger's next stop is at Arnie's Invitational at Bay Hill.

Great Opportunities: Sign up for PPP

I recently became involved with a great internet company called PayPerPost (PPP). In the short period that the team at Bulging the Twine has been associated with them, I've received nothing but support and encouragement.

When you first hear about companies like PPP, your first thoughts tend to be focused on the fact that they're an internet-based company, so how legitimate can they be? Truth is, they're at the top of the blogging game, and have the stats and members to back it up.

I had initially heard about them through my daily blog crawling and figured that since there were enough people representing them, they had to be doing somethin' special.

So why did I feel compelled to sign up? Well, like every good capitalist, I want to make some extra cash by speaking my mind on Bulging the Twine. PPP offers some great opportunities to make money and can be quite lucrative if you know what you're doing. I think of myself as someone who knows what they're doing. Plus, their site looked interesting. A great design and interactive features. Put it this way, within 2 hours of being part of their team, I had already bought a nice white visor with their logo. That's how much I think of them, and their position in this online marketplace we call blogging.

As for the money I'm going to make, well, I'm going to Disneyland! If you're looking for a great way to drive traffic to your site, check out PayPerPost!

Ray Emery = Weaksauce

Dare to disagree? And even if you do, you obviously didn't catch the fine display he put on against Columbus last night. He didn't even look interested in stopping the game winner in the shootout.

It's hard to even comprehend the situation the Senators have put themselves in. I mean, 2 goalies...sorry, 2 underachieving goalies who both belong at the end of a bench somewhere in the AHL. Yet, here we are. Sens fans get the pleasure of watching weak goal after weak goal bulge the twine (yes, I had to throw in that term) in the back of the net, night after night, while both rack up ample interest in their bank accounts.

The Poolsider brought up a valid point in our last transcontinental meeting of the minds. The way Emery is playin', he won't be in the NHL by the time he's 30. Keep in mind that's he 25. He's got another 2 years left on his $9.5 million contract. That's a lot of money to spend on Hummers, Lambos, and baby blue leisure suits!

If he doesn't get his act together in a hurry, Poolsider's forecast for the Razor may just come to fruition. Hey, at least he can fade away into oblivion like his idol, Mike Tyson.

Limited Profitability: Nike sells Bauer Hockey

That has to be the only explanation for why Nike would sell off a company. Especially a company like Bauer.

The sale is reportedly worth $200 million to a U.S. private equity firm, Kohlberg & Co. The Montreal-based Bauer has been around since 1927 and has been at or near the top of the hockey world for as long as I can remember. That's why it's kinda shocking to see them discarded like this. I do recall some rumblings about a possible sale a few months ago, but never really thought Nike would drop the axe.

"It was a tough decision but one that was in the best interests of Nike and Bauer as we each look to maximize our respective growth opportunities," Nike CEO Mark Parker said in a statement.

So basically, they weren't making enough money for the head-honchos behind the Swoosh. Like they need more...but hey, business is business and if there's one thing Nike does well, it's maximizing their profits by making intelligent business decisions.

But, this announcement is not necessarily bad news for Bauer. Even though RBK squeezed themselves into the hockey space by dumping a boat-load of money into the NHL with the tight-fitting jerseys and all of the equipment, Bauer and its brand have remained near the top of the market. There's a reason they've been around for 90years. The underlying reason why Nike bought them in 1995 was because of their massive presence in the hockey marketplace. Nike wanted a piece, but didn't want to have to launch their own line of equipment. Quick fix: buy a powerful brand and market it as their own.

They've had their fun, built up a presence in the sport, and now they're out...

NHL: Will Do Anything For Money

Here comes an idea that further emphasizes the fact that nobody cares about the NHL south of the border.

Hmmm...now that we're finally realizing that fans in the southern states could care less about hockey, how do we make more money? Let's put ads all over our goalies! Genius!

Seriously though, we could be seeing all of the netminders in the NHL covered with Red Bull and Viagra ads. Is this a good idea? Well, financially, it's seems very lucrative. An estimated $30 million in revenue is the magical number the NHL would make. But what about the jerseys that have remained untouched and unaltered for the past century? Like Montreal, Detroit, Toronto. Minor changes have been made, but they're still the original design. No other major sport has allowed the greedy fingers of corporations to take a piece of any franchise's attire. Why does the NHL continuously look to change the game. Every few weeks, there's a different issue. Rules changes, dirty hits, and now sponsored jerseys. I say leave the game alone and keep ads off goalies. What do you think?

Ridiculous: Dwight Howard is Superman

You gotta watch this.

The Peter Forsberg Sideshow Continues

Wait a second. Before he decides to sign with an NHL team, he needs to file a lawsuit against a horse racing track.

Tsar d'Inverne, his prized racing horse was put down after an injury left it with chronic pain. The injury - which took place at a local track - could've been avoided if the track company had taken the proper precautions with their equipment. A tarp had apparently fallen on the track and scared Forsberg's thoroughbred. It then collided with another horse. Peter the Great is suing the track company for $1.87 million, which was the value of the horse.

The 34-year old is still looking to return to the NHL, with Philadelphia and Ottawa being the front-runners.

Done Deal: Corvo and Eaves dealt to Carolina

Say it ain't so, Joe! As for you Patrick, we'll be seein' ya.

The Senators shipped defenceman Joe Corvo and forward Patrick Eaves to the Carolina Hurricanes today in exchange for forward Cory Stillman and defenceman Mike Commodore.
Pretty good deal.

Both Stillman and Commodore are unrestricted free agents as of July 1, and they have a combined 3 Cups between them. Commodore brings some much needed defensive skills to the Capital, while Stillman is no stranger to putting the biscuit in the basket. He's racked up 55 points so far this season and should be a welcome addition on the 2nd line with Mike Fisher.

It's too bad for Eaves, though. Hampered by nagging shoulder injuries, his season never really got started. I think he's too small and won't last long in this league especially if he gets hit hard again. As for Joe Corvo, he's been a decent addition to the power play with a canon of a clapper, but still struggles defensively and has confidence issues. He's expected to be a fixture on the 'Canes power play, which ranks 17th in the league. Getting rid of Joe also opens up some cap room for next year, as he is set to make $2.75 mill.

I believe this trade is a sign of things to come in the Nation's Capital. With Stillman filling up that coveted 'top 6 forward' position that everyone in the city was begging for, who's next to suit up for the Sens Army? Patrick Marleau? Mats Sundin? Jaromir Jagr? Peter Forsberg? It's a long list of possibilities. From the looks of it, it's shaping up to be an active deadline in O-Town. Open up that cheque-book Melnyk!

Hurricanes trade Commodore, Stillman (Raleigh News & Observer)
Sens, Hurricanes swap players (Ottawa Sun)
Senators deal Corvo, Eaves to 'Canes for Commodore, Stillman (Ottawa Citizen)

Mugshot Central: Purse-snatching Habs arrested in Tampa

Most likely reeling from a 6-1 romping at the hands of the Ottawa Senators saturday night, 2 members of the Montreal Canadiens were arrested outside a south Tampa night club late Sunday night.

Defenceman Ryan O'Byrne was charged with grand theft when he took a woman's purse claiming that it belonged to his girlfriend. Forward Tom Kostopoulos was booked for resisting arrest without violence when he wouldn't back away from the police officers.

Later on at the same bar, a former 'never-was' NBA player named Alvin Jones was arrested for being an idiot. Apparently he punched someone inside the bar, then kicked out a window in a cruiser, and then got the taser in the leg. His all-star credentials: played 23 games with the Philadelphia 76ers in '01-'02, averaging 1.1 points per game. You know you're good when...

Yikes: Florida's Richard Zednik held his life in his hands

After watching the incident several times last night and seeing the 40-foot stream of blood on the ice at HSBC Arena, it's reassuring to know that Florida's Richard Zednik is in stable condition after surgery.

Talk about scary.

For those of you who aren't aware of what happened last night in Buffalo, I'll recap.

Puck goes into the corner. Florida captain Olli Jokinen is hit and falls awkwardly. Florida winger Richard Zednik is behind Jokinen. Jokinen's skate swings backward and slashes Zednik in the neck.

It's pretty unbelievable that Zednik was able to skate off the ice with his glove covering his throat. According to his teammates, Zednik was conscious but was "pale and starring blankly at nothing" when he arrived at the bench with the help of team trainers.

It seems as though nasty injuries have a way of happening in Bufftown. For instance, Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills broke his neck earlier this year and wasn't supposed to walk again. He's already been walking for 2 months. Remember when Buffalo goalie Clint Malarchuk had his neck viciously cut while playing playing St. Louis in Buffalo? If it weren't for a fast-acting trainer and a whole bunch of luck, he would have bled out. It's something I like to call the Buffalo miracle.

Sure, Buffalo has put up with a lot of playoff disappointments with their Bills and Sabres, but there is more to life than sports success. Malarchuk and Everett have both beaten the odds. Let's hope Zednik can follow-suit.

Sens in SoCal!

Wanna see a Sens game.....in California?

Compare this to what you get at the SBP in Kanata...and the weather's a hell of a lot nicer.

For the Monday, March 3rd re-match between the 2007 Stanley Cup Finalists, a local hockey entrepreneur here in the desert (probably a snowbird Canadian) is offering hockey fans: good, sideline tickets, comfortable luxury coach-bus transportation from Palm Springs (two hours away), a pre-game meal, 'beverages' to and from Anaheim, and Don Cherry via video.

How much? $155 US! What a great country, this America!

Poolsider will be at the game...'til next time!

Wade Redden's staying put...for now

Well that's disappointing. The weak, overpaid, and non-tradeable defenceman known as Wade Redden told Sens GM Bryan Murray that he wants to remain in Ottawa and is still committed to winning a Cup in the capital.

Then play like it Wade!

According to TSN, the San Jose Sharks have been inquiring as to whether or not he'd wave his no trade clause and be part of a deal that would likely see Patrick Marleau come to Ottawa.

I'd like to see him go. Especially if we could bring in a top-6 forward.

Forget the fact that his position is "defence", because he sure doesn't know how to play it very well. He's weak in the corners, in front of the net, and continuously gets burned by quick forwards that know he can't pivot fast enough. All that being said, and other teams still want him! Of course they do. They would be on the hook for a fraction of his $6.5 mill he makes this year, and he's unrestricted at the end of the year. Even if the Sens win the Stanley Cup, I would think Murray would be reluctant to sign him to another expensive multi-year deal. But who knows, maybe Sens owner Eugene Melnyk could entice ol' Wade to sign for less. Or, he may tell him to take a hike. We shall see...

Immediate impact: Heatley scores twice as Sens end skid

Dany Heatley made his return to the Senators lineup last night, and lit the lamp twice helping Ottawa end a 3-game skid by beating the Florida Panthers 5-4. The Heater, who potted his 26th and 27th goals, couldn't have come back at a better time.

With the Montreal Canadiens inching ever so close to the Sens' coveted 1st place spot in the East, Ottawa needed a boost from a player who has missed their last 11 games with a shoulder injury. During those 11 games, the Sens have gone an abismal 3-8, and have showcased how thin their lineup is without the back-to-back 50 goal scorer.

Let's not forget about the absence of captain Daniel Alfredsson. Without their feisty leader, the boys from O-Town have lost their double-digit lead in the conference making it clear that if this team is going to go deep in the postseason like last year, they will need Alfie and the other top guns to be healthy and firing on all cylinders.

There was some good news out of Montreal last night, as the Maple Leafs downed the surging Habs 4-2. The Senators' lead is now back to 3 points with what should be a fiery tilt against Montreal at Scotiabank Place on Saturday's Hockey Day in Canada.

There's a feeling around the nation's capital that another top-6 forward needs to be brought in to plug some holes up front. If Peter Forsberg becomes unavailable, Patrick Marleau might be another option. The San Jose Sharks are looking for an offensive defenceman, and Joe Corvo could be the right fit. If Wade Redden didn't have a no-trade clause in his ridiculous $6.5 million contract, he'd be out the door for the nearest bag of pucks. The same thing could be said about his defence partner Andrej Meszaros, unfortunately, nobody wants him.

NHL loosens the leash: Tocchet to rejoin Gretzky on the bench in PHX

It's hard to believe that it's been two years since Operation Slapshot went down, but it’s even harder to believe that certain individuals within the NHL had a hand in the illegal gambling ring.

Among those implicated in the fiasco that shocked the hockey world was Phoenix Coyotes associate coach and former NHLer, Rick Tocchet.

Tocchet was at first said to be the main financial backer of high-level, underground operation that involved a New Jersey State Trooper, among many others in the northeast.

But as details surfaced, Tocchet became less and less a target of the investigation and was named simply as a participant. He pled guilty to promotion of gambling and conspiracy to promote gambling. These were minor offenses, and when all was said and done Tocchet received just two years of probation and a three-month suspension from the NHL.

Speaking of participants, whatever happened to all the talk about Janet Gretzky betting up to $500,000 on games? I suppose those details were swept under a very large rug.

In any case, Tocchet's three-month suspension has been lifted and he will be reappearing in the NHL tonight as the Desert Dogs host the Columbus Blue Jackets. All this talk about gambling makes me want to go do a ProLine. Till next time...

Obscure Jersey Thursdays: Stephon Marbury

Who cares about Stephon Marbury, right? After all, he hangs out with Ja Rule and Fat Joe while playing for the ridiculously awful New York Knicks. I'm not sure what's worse.

'Starbury' was originally drafted 4th overall by Milwaukee in the '96 entry draft but traded immediately to Minnesota where he excelled with Kevin Garnett. He ended up leaving for New Jersey after a fall-out with management. Following 2 uneventful years in Joyzee, he was traded to Phoenix for Jason Kidd. Unfortunately for Stephon, the Suns weren't the run-and-gun powerhouse they are today and he was dealt to New York in early '04. Things didn't get any better under the heavy lights of NYC. After several public spats with coach Larry Brown, Marbury was labeled "the most reviled athlete in New York" by 2 Newsday reporters.

All-in-all, it's been a rocky but lucrative journey across the Association for Mr. Marbury. These days, the Knicks would like to trade his ass, but nobody wants him or the 2 years and $42 mill left on his scam...er...contract. (Straight Cash Homey.net)

Around the Horn: Mets welcome Johan Santana to Shea Stadium

Move over Doug Heffernan, Johan Santana is the new King of Queens. It's official. 2-time AL Cy Young Award winning hurler Johan Santana threw on the pinstripes of the New York Metropolitans today at Shea. Santana was all smiles as he was introduced. Of course he was. He just signed a $136.5 million 6-year deal to play with the Mets! No more small town, small wallet BS. He's hit the big stage. But hold your horses, though. Big questions still remain. What about Pedro Martinez? Will his arm fall off come opening day? Will he refuse to wait for another table? (Yes) What else do the Mets need to do to make sure they don't fall apart at the seams like last September? Will Santana continue to give up long bombs like it's his job? Will Twins fans miss him?

Finally some good news: Heatley to return Thursday

Senators forward Dany Heatley is expected to play Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Jason Spezza, his offensive partner in crime, must be breathing a little easier. The Sens have been nothing short of awful since the Heater went down with a shoulder injury in the 3-2 win over Detroit a month ago. Compounded with the absence of captain Daniel Alfredsson, the Sens have lost a lot of ground in the Eastern Conference. With their 4-3 win last night, the Montreal Canadiens are within 1 point of top spot. It's safe to say that those 3 individuals dictate the success of the team. Here's hoping GM Bryan Murray gets on the horn and fills a couple holes up front and on the blueline...Peter Forsberg could be coming to Ottawa. Peter the Gimp has reportedly turned down Dallas, Nashville, Detroit, Calgary, Pittsburgh, and San Jose...with all of his recent shenanigans, who would want Ray Emery?

Reality sets in: The New York Football Giants are Super Bowl Champs

First and foremost, I do not want to discredit any part of the New York Giants, including Eli Manning. They played the best game of their collective lives on Sunday, and they deserved to win the Super Bowl. Eli's drive in the final minutes of SB42 was nothing short of miraculous. Nobody expected him to march 80 yards down the field, eating up the Patriots secondary and defensive line along the way. Who would've expected Eli to elude 4 defenders and hurl the ball downfield to David Tyree, who made an absolutely unbelievable catch which put them in position to score. He caught it with one hand and held the ball against his helmet while falling backwards over Rodney Harrison. Unreal.

I think it's finally setting in that the New York Giants are the Super Bowl champions. It was an upset for the ages. Quite possibly the biggest in the history of the NFL. New England Patriot haters out there can say all they want about spygate or how Bill Belichick and his players have no class. Whatever. They were an unbelievable team this year even without the New York Jets practice tapes. I mean, com'on. A CFL team coulda beaten the Jets. Ok, well maybe not. But they'd probably cover the spread! The fact of the matter is that a better team won the game on Sunday. The Patriots will be back, and hungrier than ever next year. Enjoy this for now G-Men, well done.

Tiger loves Dubai

I would be lying if I told you that I'm getting tired of writing about Tiger Woods and his (worldwide) domination of whatever golf tournament he's playing in. Truth is, it's absolutely unreal how good of a golfer he is. He's already done so much, with so many more outstanding years ahead of him. He seems to have kicked this season off on the right foot. 2 for 2 in 2K-ocho. After winning the Buick Invitational, he disappeared like a batman smoke grenade went off and ended up in Dubai. After a couple half-decent rounds to start the week off (probably because he just flew 6,000 miles), he capped a ridiculous final round off with a beauty roll on 18 for a 7-under 65. Proving once again that he remains the standard for perfect performance. But what was Ernie thinkin' trying to reach the lake-guarded green with a 5-wood?! Not only did he plunk his approach in the water from 240ish, he didn't even come close. Ho-hum, another W for Tiger. Did you know that he's got 34 European Tour wins, and he barely plays over there. On top of the Dubai tourney he just won, the only other logical choice for him on the Euro circuit would be the British Open (technically, it's a Euro sanctioned event but also counts towards the USPGA money list). And, he'll probably win that too. According to his website, Tiger's next even has yet to be confirmed, but he will likely be kickin' ass and takin' names at the Accenture Match Play in Tuscon at the end of February.

Bud Light: Suck one

One of the best ads from Super Bowl 42. By the way, I want a Flint Tropics jersey.

18 and 1 Giant upset

There were very few people who believed the New York Giants could win the Super Bowl. After all, they started the season 0-2. They weren't supposed to beat Tampa Bay at Raymond James on wild card weekend. They weren't supposed to beat Dallas one week later at Texas Stadium. Well done Giants, but now it's time for you to go away. Oh wait, they then beat Green Bay at Lambeau in a blizzard to go to the Super Bowl. I'm still in shock over what happened last night. Not only did they win 3 tough playoff games on the road, they end up beating the unbeatable New England Patriots.

This what not supposed to happen.

I don't know about you, but I would have preferred to have seen a truly historical 19-0 season than see another friggin' Manning win a Super Bowl. I'm gonna steer clear of going over the details and what I think about how poorly the Pats' offensive line played, but what's the point. Plaxico still made the catch and shed a tear, Eli's still the MVP, and New England's magical season has come to an abrupt end. Just like this post.

Let's take it outdoors

Does anybody else want to see the Super Bowl played in anywhere other than a dome or the southern states? They're calling for moderate temps in PHX this Sunday. Last time I checked, 60 degrees and sunshine is a helluva lot better than 4 feet of snow. But after the Pack/Giants game a couple weeks ago, I figured a good ol' fashioned snow bowl would make for some great TV, and it would also make for some good surfing.

A side of Chris Berman we've never seen

Pure Hilarity: Bird poops on reporter

Way to go Ray!

I think this is my 3rd posting about Ray Emery and his overall lack of intelligence throughout this season. The latest fiasco has ended up costing him a day's pay. Granted, it's a measly $14K out of his $2.75 million that he'll earn this year, but it's about all the Sens can do without sending him packing either on waivers or trading him for a bag of hockey pucks. There have been plenty of fans, media-types, and bloggers who have voiced their displeasure with his foolishness and even tried to come up with solutions to this on-going problem. I always enjoy what my fellow Sens Army soldier has to say over at Scarlett Ice. We're talkin' bout practice?! Yes, Allen Iverson. We are. But we're also talking about an underlying issue that has surrounded Ray over the last few years that he's been in O-Town. After all, he was returning from a binge weekend in Las Vegas when he decided to pop by to see if his team needed him around. Nah, that's OK Ray, we'll just throw up a Mr. Siv so you can shake off your hangover. I do recall a few Facebook groups from last year's Cup-run that went something like, "Please Ray, don't do drugs during the playoffs" or, "No drugs 'til after the playoffs". I don't think his tardiness has anything to do with a faulty alarm clock. Maybe he's been hanging out with Redden for too long, but there seems to be a deeper problem at the heart of this issue. He's got his contract, guaranteed cheddar, groupies, and all the accessories that goes along with living the dream. Good for you, Ray. You're what becoming a professional athlete is all about.

Go figure: Tiger loves the Buick

Surprise, surprise. Just another win at the Buick Invitational for Tiger Woods...by 8 shots! And he's now won this event 6 times! Hey maybe he gets a big bonus for winning his sponsors tourney..? He also tied Arnold Palmer for 4th on the career PGA Tour wins with 62. Funny thing is, he didn't even play all that well in the final round. Well, for his standards anyway. He was kind of all over the place. Making remarkable flop shots and rolling it decently with the flatstick, he still managed to make 3 bogies in a row on the back 9. Didn't really seem to matter much, as only 7 players broke par on Sunday (Tiger was one of them with a 71). If this is what happens when Tiger comes back after taking months off at a time, then the Tour is in for a long season. Especially when Tiger says he's playing better than he was in 2000 when he had the Tiger Slam. Good thing 2nd place pays pretty well...

East team takes All-Star Game, Snoop Dogg on skates

Thankfully, tonight's All-Star game in Atlanta was a better showing than last night's skills competition. For some reason, the skills comp just doesn't have the allure that a slam dunk contest has (obviously). But I think the NHL needs to figure out a way to develop a more entertaining show. Moving targets? Relay race? Maybe take a lesson from the WWE and have a Royal Rumble scrap? That being said, I enjoyed the actual game tonight. Some nice dangles and goals. Columbus' Rick Nash got a hatty with a few beauties, but Carolina's Eric Staal snagged the MVP honours with 3 points. There were some nice saves, like the one San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov made on Atlanta's own Ilya Kovalchuk. In the end, it was former Thrasher and current Bruin Marc Savard who potted one in the last minute to win it for the East. Alright, let's get back to the season...

The Snoop D-O-Double G will hit the ice with the Anaheim Ducks tonight on his E! reality show, "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood." The show features Snoop's son and friends saucin' it around (aka: doing their best to not fall flat on their faces while ankle-skating around the Honda Center) with Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Pronger, and George Parros. He likes the game so much, he's even considering starting a minor hockey league in SoCal! Oh, before I forget...Why does Snoop Dogg carry an umbrella? Fo Drizzle. Boooooooooooooo.......

The ability to carry his team like no other

If you're a frequent reader of this blog, then you'll know who I'm talking about. Since I launched this site, I think I've made it pretty evident that I'm avid supporter of Daniel Alfredsson. He put his heart on the line during Ottawa's magical run to the Cup last year. But this season has brought a variety of challenges to the Ottawa Senators. Well okay, maybe not the first 15 games of the season when they were unbeatable. But, to go unbeatable, you need your goaltender to be above average (something that's been lacking). You also need players to pick up the slack when others are faltering. There have been stretches where the Senators have been nothing short of awful. Case in point: a 7-game skid in November and the first few weeks of the new years have definitely shown their vulnerabilities. Throughout this time, there's been one player who has single handedly carried this team. He goes by the name of Alfie, and he's a living legend in the city of Ottawa.

Remember when he put the team on his back during last year's post-season? I do. And if you're a hater or you simply just forget (shame on you), the Sens' 8-4 beat down in Tampa tonight is a prime example of how good he really is. A 7-point night to propel himself up from 7th to 1st in league scoring with 67 points over Vinny Lecavalier's 66. Keep in mind that Alfie's been out of the lineup with injuries a few times this year. But even with the firepower of Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, the Sens are nothing without their captain. I said it, dare to disagree? I didn't think so. I'll even go as far as saying he's the best player in the NHL. Drop me a line if you would like to dispute that claim. Oh, and stay tuned for a formal mid-season recap on the state of the league and other random thoughts I have.

JFJ gets cut loose

I'm not a John Ferguson Jr. fan by any stretch. In fact, I've found the epic failures of the Toronto Maple Leafs quite amusing. To get an idea of where I'm comin' from: a Leafs loss is just as good as a Sens win (of course, these days, the Leafs are expected to lose). But the latest debacle in The Big Smoke has to be one of the biggest management blunders in the history of the NHL. Not only did Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (aka, the doorknob Richard Peddie) publicly admit they had made a mistake by hiring JFJ, but they openly searched for his replacement...while he was still the GM! You gotta feel for him. Of course, he's brought it on himself. He can recognize talent, but he has built a brutal history of signing average hockey players to ridiculous contracts. $6 mill for Bryan McCabe?! How 'bout Pavel Kubina who makes $5 million...Darcy Tucker somehow scammed his way into a $3.5 mill per year deal. I could go on...

What many people fail to recognize is the fact that he was brought in with NO experience. Not only did have a lousy resume, but he was thrown into the fire we call the Toronto media. MLSE's management strategy has been exposed and everyone now knows that JFJ had no choice in signing those players. He was essentially a puppet to the boys at the top. For the Leafs to ever regain any kind respect in the NHL, they need to clear out all of the idiots who have driven their team into a bottom-feeding disaster and not hire Cliff Fletcher, a GM they fired a decade ago for being useless. But hey, as long as they're making millions of dollars from ignorant Leaf fans who keep showin' up, all is well.

No wonder he looked awful

I've never thought of San Diego Chargers' QB Philip Rivers as a 'franchise player'. He didn't look very good in the Bolts' loss to New England Sunday either. My buddy Pindawg thought his throws looked like he was throwing (pushing?) a shot-put. I said, "really?" Then Rivers made a 'pass' and I was convinced. We laughed. You shoulda been there cuz it really was a good time... But I digress.

Apparently Rivers went under the knife last week in order to even play in yesterday's AFC Championship. Though his knee was still a mess, he decided to play anyway. His ACL was, and I quote, "totally gone." That's what being a gamer is all about. But this begs the question: what's the better scenario? A starting quarterback at less than 50%, or a back-up quarterback at 100%?

He was visibly limping throughout the game and will be going back under the knife and will be back for training camp. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

That was disappointing...wasn't it?

Does anybody else out there agree with me about the outcome of last night's NFC Championship? The New York Giants weren't supposed to win that game. Hell, they weren't supposed to win in Tampa 2 weeks ago, nor were they supposed to win in Dallas last week. But to beat Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau and head to the Super Bowl just sounds down-right silly. Let's be honest people, Eli Manning isn't that good.

Favre was supposed to cap his career off with at least a trip to Phoenix and a shot at de-throning the all-mighty New England Patriots. At least that game would be half-worthy of watching. I know, too many hyphens. Deal with it. On another note, how many chances were the Pack gonna give Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes? (who, by the way, set a playoff record for being the first kicker to make a 40+ yard field goal at Lambeau Field) Obviously, too many. (Washington Post) Apparently, nobody loves Lawrence Tynes anyway. (Sports Illustrated) There's no photos of this, but after the winning kick, Eli looked like a disgruntled 5-year old looking for his tricycle. In reality, he was looking for his fiancee who he made sit outside with the Cheesehead-faithful in 30-below temps. She likely bolted to the nearest airport after realizing that it was colder than a witch's titty...and that he's kind of a douche.

On the links: The Palm Springs Poolsider reports back from The Bob Hope

67 degrees and sunny!

Picked up the action with John Daly, Luke Wilson, George Lopez and Samuel L. Jackson on the 10th tee. Funny group, especially Lopez who said when someone yelled, 'nice day', he replied yes, 'mail order...just like my wife'. Daly dropped a 20-footer for bird, and then dropped to his knees to thank the Lord. Jackson picked up, saying "I didn't want to embarrass myself." Watched Chad Campbell birdie the hole. He was with Cheech Marin and Don Cheedle.

Then we backtracked to #1 to pick up Weir (his 10th). I think made the turn at -3 for the day. We joined him on #2 as he was eagling the hole (his 2nd of the day). Then he went par-par-birdie before starting to implode. On #6 he sliced one to behind a tree, and made the shot of the century (Shell and I were 10 feet away), hooks it around the tree to put it on the green 220 yds away, and 10 feet from the pin! But...then in true Weir fashion, he 3-jacks it for bogey! That's how the rest of his round went...couldn't putt today. If he made some of those birdie putts, he might be at -12 today because his tee-to-green stroke play was pretty good. Weirsy played with Kevin Nealon (not particularly funny) and Kevin James (silent too). Both were hacks. Weir had about 300-350 Canadians wishing him well, groaning on every missed putt, and screaming on his eagles. He really is one helluva player, but won't win this one.

Finished the day off watching Justin Leonard, the 3rd round leader, and Jesper Parnevik, who is close to being washed up. Parnevik was playing with Meat Loaf and Alice Cooper, both pretty good golfers.

Sidenote: Roger Clemens backed out this week...likely preparing for his lies to Congress next month.

My gimp leg held up till the end and so Shell's driving home. Enjoy your snow :-(

Palm Springs Poolsider

Golfweek editor gets hung out to dry

I was getting tired of hearing about this story...until...Golfweek decided it would be a good idea to put a big picture of a noose on their cover. I mean, com'on, it's a big photo of a noose on the cover of a golf magazine. Put 2 and 2 together and you've got an absolute bonehead of a move.

Since when did Golfweek turn into a tabloid, anyway?

In the end, editor Dave Seanor was sent to the gallows and was replaced by Jeff Babineau. Kinda feel bad for the guy, since the entire golf industry has pretty much kicked his feet from underneath him. Ok, I'm sorry. Seriously though, this slip up could have some costly repercussions for the golf rag. The PGA Tour has considered pulling expensive ads and don't expect to see any Nike or Buick ads in there any time soon. (Palm Beach Post)