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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Another One Bites The Dust

Baseball has a new whipping boy this morning and it really shouldn't be a surprise to learn its Sammy Sosa. Many knew the former Cubs outfielder was just like McGwire, Canseco, Palmeiro and A-Rod and that is nothing more than a steroid gobbler. The New York Times says Sosa tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003. This really isn't a surprise and one has to ask why it took so long.
All the big hitters of today are seemingly on performance-enhancers which has damaged the sport of baseball---perhaps beyond repair, but it is MLB commissioner Bud Selig who endorsed this by doing nothing but watch the sport gain popularity when McGwire and Sosa staged their classic home run battle.
It just makes you wonder these days who is clean. Anyone that has a surge in power is instantly fingered and you can't help but ask if his performance is genuine or artificial. It would seem right now as if the only hero in this mess is Ken Griffey Junior. Had he stayed healthy, I wonder what type of numbers he would have put up. If Griffey is said to have someday been juiced, it will just further tarnish the sport.
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The CFL was quick to do damage control after the David Braley financing the Argonauts story came out. I was listening to my old sports-talk partner Drew Remenda last night and he came up with a conspiracy theory....one that I think is a little bit out there considering who won the game, but that was interesting. Drew noted that the Argos played BC in the 2004 Grey Cup with the Argos winning in what was a controversial game because Lions coach Wally Buono benched CFL MVP Casey Printers in that game to go with Dave Dickenson. He didn't come right out and say it, but he did put that seed out there as to whether or not Braley would have told Buono to start Dickenson and not Printers in order to give Toronto a better chance at winning and garnering some much-needed fan support. I'm not really buying that as I would think if Braley had a choice between what team won he would take the Lions, but it is an interesting theory.
I don't think what Braley did hurt the competitive integrity of the league, but it does spark an interesting debate.
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Its not the regular season, but for the first time since the Steelers beat the Cardinals, there is football tonight as the CFL pre-season opens. As you know, the Riders are in Edmonton. It would be nice if this one was on TV, but its not so you're going to have do what I'll be doing and that is listen to Rod and Carm. Hey Rod, is Ryan Johnston suiting up tonight???? That's an inside joke and I know RP is reading this.
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It is sure strange turning off of Saskatchewan Drive onto Elphinstone Street and not seeing the old building at Evraz Place that was destroyed by fire. It will even be weirder when the rubble is cleared away and there is a vacant space there.
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A confession from 83 year old Hugh Hefner. He says he can't tell his two new lovers apart. Did I mention those ladies were 19!!!!!!!Really guys, do we not all wish we could be "The Hef" for a week or even just an afternoon. How much Viagra does the old boy swallow back in a week???? All we can do gents is just salute the man. 19??!!!
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You gotta be hating life right now if you are a Denver Broncos fan. First, it was Jay Cutler demanding a trade and now receiver Brandon Marshall. There's no doubting Marshall is one of the league leaders in douchebaggery, but he's also one of the best at his position. I'm thinking the Broncos won't be very good this year. I'm thinking I'll have to remind Vanstone of this periodically once the NFL season hits.
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Former Detroit Lions GM Matt Millen has startled one and all by making this statement. Millen admitting "his tenure wasn't so good". NOOOOOO!!!!! Next, I'll be told the NFL didn't screw the Seahawks out of a Super Bowl by giving call after call after call to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl 40. (that still touches a raw nerve you know!!)The Lions finished 0-16 during Millen's final season as team president. He was fired in September. The Lions went 31-97 overall since hiring Millen in 2001. He made the statement when it was announced he would be working NFL network games with Bob Papa. Apparently, Joe Mama wasn't available again this year.
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Heard this on XM Radio's Home Ice last night. What free agent defenceman would you rather have--Mike Komisarek or Matthias Ohlund. Personally, I would rather have Jay Bouwmeester, but I think I would go with Komisarek strictly because of his age and the fact he is more rugged(although he did play like a big MEOW against Boston in the first round). A good question though!
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And from the National Post....

Tennis's grunting era may be over.
The Daily Mail in England reports the International Tennis Federation is considering a ban on grunting that would be part of the ITF's code of conduct. The violation for breaking the code? A player could forfeit a game, or even a whole match because of his/her noise.
Currently, a player's noise level is left up to the umpire to determine what is acceptable. An opposing player can complain that the noise is distracting them and the offending player may lose a point because of it.
Maria Sharapova is reportedly the loudest grunter, at 101 decibels. In order to prevent hearing loss, it is suggested that you should only be around something emitting that type of noise for fifteen minutes per day (tennis matches can run hours long). Former world No. 1 Monica Seles' grunts reached 93.2 decibels at times. (You can insert your own joke on this story here)
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Later!!!!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I knew that conspriracy theory would be sprouted. It's a complete farce to think anything was amiss. Lesser Coaches such as Jim Daley in Ottawa quit on the spot when Ownershipe (Gliebermans) forced him to play Dexter Manley. What do you think men like Wally Buono or Pinball Clemons would do in that situation?

Anonymous said...

We should all be allowed just 30 minutes to walk in the shadow of the man that is Hugh Hefner. Oh the tales he could tell!!!!!!!


JN

Anonymous said...

David Braley has some balls, but he wouldn't tell Wally what quarterback to play in the Grey Cup and he certainly wouldn't go into the game wanting to lose it just to help another team out. I'm not buying it. Tell Remenduh to stick to hockey.

Dan

Anonymous said...

It doesn't add up at all. There were many years when a franchise struggles the league offers bailouts. Heck when we had a telethon, and Edmonton loaned us money did that mean we had to throw games? Before the Toronto and Hamilton ownership groups came onboard they were league supported with Rider revenues going to those teams. That didn't mean they threw games to us.

Anonymous said...

Braley has the commissioner under his thumb. I'm guessing Tom Wright knew about this and this is one of the reasons he is no longer there. If Cohon objects, the same thing happens to him. I don't think he would ask Wally to throw a game by not dressing the MVP, but then again you just never know. I don't agree with what Drew said (and I was listening last night), but I don't disagree either.

Hey Rider fans. Would you have rather had Matt Millen or Roy Shivers!!!

Darren