Sometime last night after Conan came on and before his act got too stale to put you asleep, you may have done some channel surfing and stumbled across a tape-delay of the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup Final match between Canada and Mexico.
Sometime between the time after you stopped channel surfing long enough to watch women's soccer and before Craig Ferguson came on, you may have seen Christine Sinclair's second-half penalty that gave Canada a 1-0 win.
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Sidney Crosby hits a homerun at PNC Park and other wacky news
-In what is the easiest joke to make in the history of lazy sports blogging, Sidney Crosby hit a homerun in batting practice at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and will be slotted into the three hole for the 47-91 Pirates' game tonight against the Atlanta Braves.
-Who has two thumbs and is from a country whose national men's soccer team won an International Friendly? This guy! Canada defeated Honduras 2-1 last night at Saputo Stadium in Montreal last night.
-So a Waterloo football player pisses into a cup... and becomes the first ever North American athlete to test positive for HGH. Friend of the 'Eh' Factor and newest Yahoo! Sports blogger Andrew Bucholtz writes on the implications this has for Waterloo, the CIS, the CFL, and sports in general. I had a joke on this, but I used it up earlier in the day.
-If the rumour of Jamie Langenbrunner being traded for Tomas Kaberle sounds ridiculous to you, it probably is. This was an Eklund rumour (which is capitalized) that has gained steam today because, well, it involves the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it involves draft picks. Forwarded to me by a friend, the rumour is "The trade would involve Tomas Kaberle and a 4th rounder ending up in NJ, With Rolston, Langenbrunner, a first in 2011, and a second in 2012." [sic]
In other related news, the negotiations between myself and the student union building for the last roasted chicken sandwich hit an impasse when I realized it cost $5.
-Oh yeah. Buck Pierce fell hard and dislocated his elbow against the Riders and his season may be in jeopardy. It may work out for him, since "not playing for the Blue Bombers during the 2010 season" looks way better on the resume than "Blue Bombers starting quarterback- 2010". Also on TSN are reports that former Olympic bobsledder Jesse Lumsden may return to football. Which is appropriate, because nothing emphasizes the Bombers' season like... ah, you know.
-Here's a rumour that might have legs, about Eric Tillman possibly locking up the Edmonton Eskimo General Manager position. Tillman likely won't make a decision until he's found a suitable babysitter in Edmonton. Also on Rod Pedersen's blog can be found excerpts from a Stevie Bagg radio interview earlier today, where it seems like he won't be coming up to Canada this year.
-Who has two thumbs and is from a country whose national men's soccer team won an International Friendly? This guy! Canada defeated Honduras 2-1 last night at Saputo Stadium in Montreal last night.
-So a Waterloo football player pisses into a cup... and becomes the first ever North American athlete to test positive for HGH. Friend of the 'Eh' Factor and newest Yahoo! Sports blogger Andrew Bucholtz writes on the implications this has for Waterloo, the CIS, the CFL, and sports in general. I had a joke on this, but I used it up earlier in the day.
-If the rumour of Jamie Langenbrunner being traded for Tomas Kaberle sounds ridiculous to you, it probably is. This was an Eklund rumour (which is capitalized) that has gained steam today because, well, it involves the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it involves draft picks. Forwarded to me by a friend, the rumour is "The trade would involve Tomas Kaberle and a 4th rounder ending up in NJ, With Rolston, Langenbrunner, a first in 2011, and a second in 2012." [sic]
In other related news, the negotiations between myself and the student union building for the last roasted chicken sandwich hit an impasse when I realized it cost $5.
-Oh yeah. Buck Pierce fell hard and dislocated his elbow against the Riders and his season may be in jeopardy. It may work out for him, since "not playing for the Blue Bombers during the 2010 season" looks way better on the resume than "Blue Bombers starting quarterback- 2010". Also on TSN are reports that former Olympic bobsledder Jesse Lumsden may return to football. Which is appropriate, because nothing emphasizes the Bombers' season like... ah, you know.
-Here's a rumour that might have legs, about Eric Tillman possibly locking up the Edmonton Eskimo General Manager position. Tillman likely won't make a decision until he's found a suitable babysitter in Edmonton. Also on Rod Pedersen's blog can be found excerpts from a Stevie Bagg radio interview earlier today, where it seems like he won't be coming up to Canada this year.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Winnipeg mayor kicks kid in face during charity soccer game
It's Tuesday afternoon, and rather than create more tension between local Toronto media and those dirty, filthy weblogzones which offer unsubstantial claims about the habits of athletes, we may as well drag some politics into the mix.
This is from a charity soccer game in Winnipeg, where the mayor Sam Katz got a bit of a high boot on some poor kid from the other team.
[Watch - via ChrisD.ca]
Hopefully, some smart-alek in Winnipeg with knowledge of the photoshops creates an animated .gif of the incident for our compulsive viewing pleasure.
This is from a charity soccer game in Winnipeg, where the mayor Sam Katz got a bit of a high boot on some poor kid from the other team.
[Watch - via ChrisD.ca]
Hopefully, some smart-alek in Winnipeg with knowledge of the photoshops creates an animated .gif of the incident for our compulsive viewing pleasure.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
FC Edmonton come close to beating FA Cup finalist
FC Edmonton, a team made up of almost all Canadians, came close to beating a team that were in the FINALS for English football's biggest trophy, the FA Cup!
They lost on penalties, and, if you've ever watched soccer (unlikely) you'd know that penalties are like a lottery. We came so close to beating the English!
Ah, except...
They were playing Portsmouth, who are on a brutal North American road trip and apparently don't play much on artificial turf like Commonwealth has. They have to explain to readers what artificial turf is.
Also, Portsmouth were recently relegated. While they fluked their way into the FA Cup Final against Chelsea thanks to an easy schedule, they also finished 20th in the Premiership League, meaning that they drop down to the lower division. I don't understand exactly how relegation works, but the Leafs should be very, very afraid. Also, due to injuries and an early red card, "Pompey" were down to nine men.
Here's a game report written in a language we can understand.
Mathematically, a team of fresh Canadian players let a bunch of tired foreigners onto their turf with a surface that foreigners don't understand, they're all hurt, one is sent off and they're down early. Then manage to come back and spit in the face of Canadian soccer.
Until the 24th Minute chimes in on the importance of this game, I think it's fair to sweep it under the rug for now.
They lost on penalties, and, if you've ever watched soccer (unlikely) you'd know that penalties are like a lottery. We came so close to beating the English!
Ah, except...
They were playing Portsmouth, who are on a brutal North American road trip and apparently don't play much on artificial turf like Commonwealth has. They have to explain to readers what artificial turf is.
Also, Portsmouth were recently relegated. While they fluked their way into the FA Cup Final against Chelsea thanks to an easy schedule, they also finished 20th in the Premiership League, meaning that they drop down to the lower division. I don't understand exactly how relegation works, but the Leafs should be very, very afraid. Also, due to injuries and an early red card, "Pompey" were down to nine men.
Here's a game report written in a language we can understand.
Mathematically, a team of fresh Canadian players let a bunch of tired foreigners onto their turf with a surface that foreigners don't understand, they're all hurt, one is sent off and they're down early. Then manage to come back and spit in the face of Canadian soccer.
Until the 24th Minute chimes in on the importance of this game, I think it's fair to sweep it under the rug for now.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Spain/Netherlands final sucked
All the momentum gained by soccer in North America following the American's short-lived run in the World Cup quickly dissipated when, during the final between the Netherlands and Spain, we were reminded why we don't watch this stupid sport.
It's a real shame. The game that is played in MLS and the NASL Divisions is entirely different from the type of game that we saw in the Final. Progress was made. The United States loved Landon Donovan for a short while, while Canada, with Toronto FC's representation in MLS, with Vancouver and Montreal (and Ottawa?) set to join, it was good for soccer in Canada too.
The more our American media outlets celebrate the game, which gives us reason to check out our local teams. CBC saw tremendous ratings with their coverage. This was a make-or-break year for soccer in North America, and if the world wanted to win us over, well...
The performances of a few, not all, but a few, of the players at the World Cup shut off our interest. John Heitinga, Arjen Robben, Andreas Iniesta, Carles Puyol and the eight other players who were carded in this game. Howard Webb, the inexplicably inept official who blew his whistle only when a player went down. All of these guys are at fault. The scoreless tie through 116 minutes didn't help, and neither did the Dutch frantically arguing the call on the first goal of the match.
So what to take from this tournament? Canada wasn't in it, so we can't exactly gauge our performance, save from K'Naan's abysmal opening ceremony performance. Having conquered hockey and ice dancing, most Canadians would love to see a team in Brazil in 2014.
We have our obstacles, and the crappy final is one of them. It doesn't leave us with good memories. Soccer left a little sour. Had this ended with the Germany/Uruguay third place game, a 3-2 nailbiter for the Germans, we're good. The hardcore footie fans put aside their hatred for the inferior MLS or NASL and watch a local game. The casual fan keeps the channel on should they find it on TV (and wonder what happened with the buzzing).
All that is good. All that gets our good athletes to play soccer and make a name for themselves here, for them to stay here, and play for Canada internationally. (I'm looking at you, Owen)
It's a real shame. The game that is played in MLS and the NASL Divisions is entirely different from the type of game that we saw in the Final. Progress was made. The United States loved Landon Donovan for a short while, while Canada, with Toronto FC's representation in MLS, with Vancouver and Montreal (and Ottawa?) set to join, it was good for soccer in Canada too.
The more our American media outlets celebrate the game, which gives us reason to check out our local teams. CBC saw tremendous ratings with their coverage. This was a make-or-break year for soccer in North America, and if the world wanted to win us over, well...
The performances of a few, not all, but a few, of the players at the World Cup shut off our interest. John Heitinga, Arjen Robben, Andreas Iniesta, Carles Puyol and the eight other players who were carded in this game. Howard Webb, the inexplicably inept official who blew his whistle only when a player went down. All of these guys are at fault. The scoreless tie through 116 minutes didn't help, and neither did the Dutch frantically arguing the call on the first goal of the match.
So what to take from this tournament? Canada wasn't in it, so we can't exactly gauge our performance, save from K'Naan's abysmal opening ceremony performance. Having conquered hockey and ice dancing, most Canadians would love to see a team in Brazil in 2014.
We have our obstacles, and the crappy final is one of them. It doesn't leave us with good memories. Soccer left a little sour. Had this ended with the Germany/Uruguay third place game, a 3-2 nailbiter for the Germans, we're good. The hardcore footie fans put aside their hatred for the inferior MLS or NASL and watch a local game. The casual fan keeps the channel on should they find it on TV (and wonder what happened with the buzzing).
All that is good. All that gets our good athletes to play soccer and make a name for themselves here, for them to stay here, and play for Canada internationally. (I'm looking at you, Owen)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The selective memory of James Sharman
James Sharman, The Score's number one soccer analyst, is an English transfer to Canada, if you will, and was twittering his thoughts during today's England/Germany game.
Particularly, when Frank Lampard's shot hit the roof of the crossbar, fell down clearly a yard beyond the line, which would have tied the game at 2.
Completely opposite to what happened to Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final against the Germans:
So, Sharman got a little angry, understandable:
To all the moronics suggesting revenge for '66; Eng won that gm 4-2 for the record.
So the insurance goal added in the end made all the difference to how we should perceive the game. Which is a fair argument. Except when you come out with this one after your team loses 4-1:
Gutted. Eng not good enough, but make no mistake, that non-call changed everything! Should not be dismissed due to scoreline. #worldcup
Oh well. Sucks to be English today. This 2010 World Cup for our cousins across the pond is pretty well exactly how we did in Olympic hockey in 2006. Dissapointing start, bow out early to your rivals in the knockout stage.
Particularly, when Frank Lampard's shot hit the roof of the crossbar, fell down clearly a yard beyond the line, which would have tied the game at 2.
Completely opposite to what happened to Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final against the Germans:
So, Sharman got a little angry, understandable:
To all the moronics suggesting revenge for '66; Eng won that gm 4-2 for the record.
So the insurance goal added in the end made all the difference to how we should perceive the game. Which is a fair argument. Except when you come out with this one after your team loses 4-1:
Gutted. Eng not good enough, but make no mistake, that non-call changed everything! Should not be dismissed due to scoreline. #worldcup
Oh well. Sucks to be English today. This 2010 World Cup for our cousins across the pond is pretty well exactly how we did in Olympic hockey in 2006. Dissapointing start, bow out early to your rivals in the knockout stage.
BMO Field one third full due to riots
For some reason, MLS never thought to reschedule last night's Toronto FC/Los Angeles Galaxy game due to the G20. And while the Blue Jays were able to win their first ever home game at Citizen's Bank Park last night, the Reds didn't have quite as good luck.
Keep in mind the people staying home simply because they were too scared to go outside. A few hours before kickoff, the 24th minute confirmed that the game would still be played, despite the riots.
FC cited the arrival of the Galaxy players and officials in a letter to fans who couldn't attend the game, posted on their website at halftime. Ticket holders, which should be about 10,000 or so, should be able to attend a game on a later date.
And hopefully, that one will have a frigging goal.
On a night when violent political protests rocked their home city, Toronto FC kept their composure and gutted out a 0-0 draw with the league-leading Los Angeles Galaxy before an announced crowd of 18,809 at BMO Field.
Actual attendance at the match was sharply reduced. At kickoff, the stadium was barely one-third full. Protesters and police had been clashing in downtown Toronto, which is hosting the G20 summit of world leaders.
Rising security concerns forced the cancelation of most public transit in the downtown core, as well as all commuter trains in and out of Canada's largest city.
Keep in mind the people staying home simply because they were too scared to go outside. A few hours before kickoff, the 24th minute confirmed that the game would still be played, despite the riots.
FC cited the arrival of the Galaxy players and officials in a letter to fans who couldn't attend the game, posted on their website at halftime. Ticket holders, which should be about 10,000 or so, should be able to attend a game on a later date.
And hopefully, that one will have a frigging goal.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tuesday June 1st - Morning Briefing
Pronger causes trouble, Jays continue to roll
-We've all played pickup sports with that kid who would pick up the ball and go home if a game didn't go his way. It turns out Chris Pronger is one of those guys.
If you don't have the luxury of the Sportscentre morning loop with Onrait and O'Toole, you may have not noticed that Pronger picked up the puck after the game (you can see it in his left glove at the 0:27 mark) and then flicked a towel at Ben Eager.
Of course, Philadelphia had lost their second straight one-goal game 2-1 this time, and Craig Simpson on CBC speculated that Pronger wanted to keep the puck away from the Blackhawks as a part of team history. Pronger will go down in history as a great defenseman, and also somewhat of a prick. The man might be better served getting his team ready for Game 3 in Philly rather than attempting to play jedi mind-tricks with Ben Eager. "You are not a goal scorer."
"I am not a goal scorer."
"This is not the puck you're looking for."
"This is not the puck we're looking for."
Pronger later said he didn't know what language Eager was speaking. Eager apparently came all the way across the ice to tell him "you can keep the puck."
Either way, this is sure to broil down to a bigger controversy than Greedo shooting first. It may be wise to avoid Nick Kypreos' opinion on this one.
-His numbers weren't spectacular and his form wasn't particularly impressive, but Brendan Morrow put together a solid outing and gave the Jays a huge win in their first of three against the Rays to improve to 4-4 on the year. The Jays knocked Tampa started Matt Garza (5-4) pretty well, but only had three runs to show for their 11 hits. Adam Lind hit an opposite-field shot in the first inning, Vernon Wells had two more hits and Aaron Hill went 3-for-4 to increase his batting average to a paltry .179.
-In more Jays news, the team will honour Roy Halladay with a jumbotron tribute sometime this week. In the comments of that story, commenter JoeKnowsIt points out that the Leafs did the same thing with Mats Sundin when he returned to Toronto as a Canuck. I guess the state of Toronto sports is that bad, where you've run out of players on your own teams to honour. I can't wait to see what kind of montage the Raptors have prepared for Hedo Turkgolu.
-Justin Morneau went 3-for-4 as the Twins beat the Mariners 5-4. Jason Bay went 0-fer with two strikeouts and the Mets got gulled by San Diego 16-8.
-CFL camps start this week, with the BC Lions practicing just down the road from The 'Eh' Factor's head offices in Kamloops. This means that chances are high that Casey Printers will overthrow a receiver during a drill and the ball will carry into my yard.
-Toronto FC's Dwayne De Rosario was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week with a two-goal performance against San Jose. This is the kind of momentum that's nice to see from Canadian players as we prepare for the World Cup.
===
I'm really anticipating the start of football season. I think I might spend that time avoiding getting called out in the letters page of community newspapers by anonymous gym teachers. That's a pretty tight burden. Jays are on later, and if you're feeling particularly groovy, you can stay up late and watch the Twins on the Pacific channel, 100 per cent Buck Martinez free.
-We've all played pickup sports with that kid who would pick up the ball and go home if a game didn't go his way. It turns out Chris Pronger is one of those guys.
If you don't have the luxury of the Sportscentre morning loop with Onrait and O'Toole, you may have not noticed that Pronger picked up the puck after the game (you can see it in his left glove at the 0:27 mark) and then flicked a towel at Ben Eager.
Of course, Philadelphia had lost their second straight one-goal game 2-1 this time, and Craig Simpson on CBC speculated that Pronger wanted to keep the puck away from the Blackhawks as a part of team history. Pronger will go down in history as a great defenseman, and also somewhat of a prick. The man might be better served getting his team ready for Game 3 in Philly rather than attempting to play jedi mind-tricks with Ben Eager. "You are not a goal scorer."
"I am not a goal scorer."
"This is not the puck you're looking for."
"This is not the puck we're looking for."
Pronger later said he didn't know what language Eager was speaking. Eager apparently came all the way across the ice to tell him "you can keep the puck."
Either way, this is sure to broil down to a bigger controversy than Greedo shooting first. It may be wise to avoid Nick Kypreos' opinion on this one.
-His numbers weren't spectacular and his form wasn't particularly impressive, but Brendan Morrow put together a solid outing and gave the Jays a huge win in their first of three against the Rays to improve to 4-4 on the year. The Jays knocked Tampa started Matt Garza (5-4) pretty well, but only had three runs to show for their 11 hits. Adam Lind hit an opposite-field shot in the first inning, Vernon Wells had two more hits and Aaron Hill went 3-for-4 to increase his batting average to a paltry .179.
-In more Jays news, the team will honour Roy Halladay with a jumbotron tribute sometime this week. In the comments of that story, commenter JoeKnowsIt points out that the Leafs did the same thing with Mats Sundin when he returned to Toronto as a Canuck. I guess the state of Toronto sports is that bad, where you've run out of players on your own teams to honour. I can't wait to see what kind of montage the Raptors have prepared for Hedo Turkgolu.
-Justin Morneau went 3-for-4 as the Twins beat the Mariners 5-4. Jason Bay went 0-fer with two strikeouts and the Mets got gulled by San Diego 16-8.
-CFL camps start this week, with the BC Lions practicing just down the road from The 'Eh' Factor's head offices in Kamloops. This means that chances are high that Casey Printers will overthrow a receiver during a drill and the ball will carry into my yard.
-Toronto FC's Dwayne De Rosario was voted Major League Soccer's Player of the Week with a two-goal performance against San Jose. This is the kind of momentum that's nice to see from Canadian players as we prepare for the World Cup.
===
I'm really anticipating the start of football season. I think I might spend that time avoiding getting called out in the letters page of community newspapers by anonymous gym teachers. That's a pretty tight burden. Jays are on later, and if you're feeling particularly groovy, you can stay up late and watch the Twins on the Pacific channel, 100 per cent Buck Martinez free.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday May 30: Morning Briefing
Halladay perfect, Nash out
-Roy Halladay... remember when he used to pitch for Toronto? Well, it turns out he's doing well in Philadelphia too. He was 6-3 and third in ERA in the National League coming into last night's game against Florida.
Oh. Hm. I guess that's pretty damn good. What could have been, eh Jays fans?
-What do you think will be on the front page of the Philadelphia Bugle Sports Section this morning? The story of some guy the Phillies got in a trade with a team from far up north? Of course not! Philadelphia lost Game 1 to the Blackhawks 6-5 in a game described to me as one "with terrible goaltending and even worse defense." Not without controversy! CBC showed footage of a puck hitting Tomas Kopecky on the bench, and minutes later, he jumped onto the ice and scored!
Okay, it's not quite up there with the non-call on the Gretzky high-stick, partly because Kopecky being hit by the puck had nothing to do with the fact that Brian Boucher refused to move his right leg, instead flailing at it with his stick à la Goldberg the Goalie from the first scene of The Mighty Ducks (when the team wasn't good).
-NBA playoffs. The Suns found themselves down 14 at the half and didn't have another miracle comeback in them (only to be sabotaged by Ron Artest. DRAAAGOOOOO!) and lost to the Lakers 111-103, meaning that the Lakers and Celtics will meet in the NBA finals for the 437th time. Steve Nash's ceremonious exit (21 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds) means that we can finally go back to concentrating on hockey. The fact that the two most destestable teams in the NBA meet in the finals have nothing to do with the fact that hockey will take precedence over basketball for the rest of the year.
Charles Barkley did say that Steve Nash represents all that is good about basketball. That has to count for something. It's also worth noting Nash is pretty much Barkley's exact opposite on the court.
-Did you know that the upcoming A-Team movie had some scenes filmed in Kamloops, British Columbia? Probably not. But B.A. Baracus, also known as Quentin "Rampage" Jackson, also fights people for a living. Foreshadowing the upcoming film's critical reception, he lost to Rashad Evans in a unanimous decision, the teammate of Montreal's Georges St. Pierre, who 'guest-Tweeted' the fight @ufc.
Considering GSP can't speak in English for 140 characters, I'm amazed he got two words in in all four tweets.
No Canadians were on the card, but the next UFC card, two weeks from now, is in Vancouver!
-The Blue Jays took the second game of the three game set with the Orioles, thanks in part to eight strong innings by Brett Cecil (5-3) and two dingers by Lyle Overbay. The Jays have won the second most games in the American League but are tied for third in the AL East. Justin Morneau went 1-for-3 with an RBI in a Minnesota 8-3 win over the Rangers, and Jason Bay went 2-for-5 in a losing cause against the Brewers. Bay left 4 runners on base.
-And, right at the bottom of the page, is your Major League Soccer update! Dwayne De Rosario scored two goals to lead Toronto FC over the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. The Reds hold onto second place in the Eastern Division, and play next January 5th against Kansas City at BMO Field. I don't think I even need to STRESS how important that early season, inter-conference game is for the Canadian Nutri-Lite Champions.
===
It's Sunday, and unless you like baseball or cars driving around a circle, chances are you won't be watching sports. My afternoon project will consist of trying to kill that damn fly that's been buzzing around my kitchen screen window for the past two days.
-Roy Halladay... remember when he used to pitch for Toronto? Well, it turns out he's doing well in Philadelphia too. He was 6-3 and third in ERA in the National League coming into last night's game against Florida.
Oh. Hm. I guess that's pretty damn good. What could have been, eh Jays fans?
-What do you think will be on the front page of the Philadelphia Bugle Sports Section this morning? The story of some guy the Phillies got in a trade with a team from far up north? Of course not! Philadelphia lost Game 1 to the Blackhawks 6-5 in a game described to me as one "with terrible goaltending and even worse defense." Not without controversy! CBC showed footage of a puck hitting Tomas Kopecky on the bench, and minutes later, he jumped onto the ice and scored!
Okay, it's not quite up there with the non-call on the Gretzky high-stick, partly because Kopecky being hit by the puck had nothing to do with the fact that Brian Boucher refused to move his right leg, instead flailing at it with his stick à la Goldberg the Goalie from the first scene of The Mighty Ducks (when the team wasn't good).
-NBA playoffs. The Suns found themselves down 14 at the half and didn't have another miracle comeback in them (only to be sabotaged by Ron Artest. DRAAAGOOOOO!) and lost to the Lakers 111-103, meaning that the Lakers and Celtics will meet in the NBA finals for the 437th time. Steve Nash's ceremonious exit (21 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds) means that we can finally go back to concentrating on hockey. The fact that the two most destestable teams in the NBA meet in the finals have nothing to do with the fact that hockey will take precedence over basketball for the rest of the year.
Charles Barkley did say that Steve Nash represents all that is good about basketball. That has to count for something. It's also worth noting Nash is pretty much Barkley's exact opposite on the court.
-Did you know that the upcoming A-Team movie had some scenes filmed in Kamloops, British Columbia? Probably not. But B.A. Baracus, also known as Quentin "Rampage" Jackson, also fights people for a living. Foreshadowing the upcoming film's critical reception, he lost to Rashad Evans in a unanimous decision, the teammate of Montreal's Georges St. Pierre, who 'guest-Tweeted' the fight @ufc.
Considering GSP can't speak in English for 140 characters, I'm amazed he got two words in in all four tweets.
No Canadians were on the card, but the next UFC card, two weeks from now, is in Vancouver!
-The Blue Jays took the second game of the three game set with the Orioles, thanks in part to eight strong innings by Brett Cecil (5-3) and two dingers by Lyle Overbay. The Jays have won the second most games in the American League but are tied for third in the AL East. Justin Morneau went 1-for-3 with an RBI in a Minnesota 8-3 win over the Rangers, and Jason Bay went 2-for-5 in a losing cause against the Brewers. Bay left 4 runners on base.
-And, right at the bottom of the page, is your Major League Soccer update! Dwayne De Rosario scored two goals to lead Toronto FC over the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. The Reds hold onto second place in the Eastern Division, and play next January 5th against Kansas City at BMO Field. I don't think I even need to STRESS how important that early season, inter-conference game is for the Canadian Nutri-Lite Champions.
===
It's Sunday, and unless you like baseball or cars driving around a circle, chances are you won't be watching sports. My afternoon project will consist of trying to kill that damn fly that's been buzzing around my kitchen screen window for the past two days.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Saturday May 29th - Morning Briefing
Suns host Lakers in Game 6, Bettman sounds off
-Phoenix fights for for their playoff lives against the Lakers in Game 6 of the series, tonight at 8:30 PM on TSN. The way Nash has played these playoffs, if you miss this game, it's probably because you have to work. In other basketball news, Nate Robinson dominated the 2nd quarter with 13 points in the frame to put the game out of reach as the Celtics won 96-84 over the Magic. Fitting a small black guy would play that well on the day that Gary Coleman died.
-Meanwhile, at 8 PM, Chicago and Philly start their series. Refer to my previous post to decide who you want to cheer for. Both teams riding long Cup droughts, and both teams have horizontal stripes. Hard to cheer against either, unless you have a long standing personal vendetta against a player. And boy, oh boy, does my hatred for Blair Betts go far. (kidding)
-This is Gary Bettman finally being annoying on our side.
-UFC 114 plays tonight in Las Vegas. No Canadians on the card, but that won't stop us from watching. Rashad Evans and Quentin Jackson are the main event, with a feud dating back to last year's filming of 'The Ultimate Fighter' TV series. Jackson quit the UFC for his acting career, so he may have some ring-rust. Evans is coming off a controversial win over Thiago Silva, in which he won a boring fight but may have been knocked out briefly in the third round. The winner of this one gets to take on Shogun Rua, who recently took the light heavyweight belt from Lyoto Machida in Montreal.
-At the French Open, Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville, QC, lost to Elena Dementieva in three sets. One of these days, Wozniak will have an opponent who's name I can pronounce.
-Toronto FC play the San Jose Earthquakes tonight, in what will assuredly be not in the top three most-watched sporting events in Canada. Just a heads-up.
-Taylor Hall didn't work out at the NHL draft combine. Tyler Seguin was above average on all the workouts (no shit). Taylor Hall will still go first, proving that the combine is pretty well meaningless and pretty much just an excuse for TSN to promote the World Juniors a little bit more.
-Finally, in baseball, the Blue Jays shut out the Orioles 5-0 thanks to a strong performance from Ricky Romero who went 6 strong, striking out 7 and not allowing a run. Aaron Hill went 2-4 with a homer to raise his average to .164 (still somehow below the Mendoza Line). Jason Bay was 1-4 as the Mets got shutout 2-0 by Milwaukee, and Justin Morneau was 0-2 but walked twice in a 2-0 win by the Twins over the Rangers. In other major league news, it turns out that a girl we hang out with is the cousin of Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster. Crazy.
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It's Saturday, and there is lots going on. Some of you will be stuck at work all day, like me. For those that aren't, don't hang out at the beach. Do what I'd do. Sit inside and watch people bounce balls, play with sticks and beat each other up.
-Phoenix fights for for their playoff lives against the Lakers in Game 6 of the series, tonight at 8:30 PM on TSN. The way Nash has played these playoffs, if you miss this game, it's probably because you have to work. In other basketball news, Nate Robinson dominated the 2nd quarter with 13 points in the frame to put the game out of reach as the Celtics won 96-84 over the Magic. Fitting a small black guy would play that well on the day that Gary Coleman died.
-Meanwhile, at 8 PM, Chicago and Philly start their series. Refer to my previous post to decide who you want to cheer for. Both teams riding long Cup droughts, and both teams have horizontal stripes. Hard to cheer against either, unless you have a long standing personal vendetta against a player. And boy, oh boy, does my hatred for Blair Betts go far. (kidding)
-This is Gary Bettman finally being annoying on our side.
-UFC 114 plays tonight in Las Vegas. No Canadians on the card, but that won't stop us from watching. Rashad Evans and Quentin Jackson are the main event, with a feud dating back to last year's filming of 'The Ultimate Fighter' TV series. Jackson quit the UFC for his acting career, so he may have some ring-rust. Evans is coming off a controversial win over Thiago Silva, in which he won a boring fight but may have been knocked out briefly in the third round. The winner of this one gets to take on Shogun Rua, who recently took the light heavyweight belt from Lyoto Machida in Montreal.
-At the French Open, Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville, QC, lost to Elena Dementieva in three sets. One of these days, Wozniak will have an opponent who's name I can pronounce.
-Toronto FC play the San Jose Earthquakes tonight, in what will assuredly be not in the top three most-watched sporting events in Canada. Just a heads-up.
-Taylor Hall didn't work out at the NHL draft combine. Tyler Seguin was above average on all the workouts (no shit). Taylor Hall will still go first, proving that the combine is pretty well meaningless and pretty much just an excuse for TSN to promote the World Juniors a little bit more.
-Finally, in baseball, the Blue Jays shut out the Orioles 5-0 thanks to a strong performance from Ricky Romero who went 6 strong, striking out 7 and not allowing a run. Aaron Hill went 2-4 with a homer to raise his average to .164 (still somehow below the Mendoza Line). Jason Bay was 1-4 as the Mets got shutout 2-0 by Milwaukee, and Justin Morneau was 0-2 but walked twice in a 2-0 win by the Twins over the Rangers. In other major league news, it turns out that a girl we hang out with is the cousin of Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster. Crazy.
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It's Saturday, and there is lots going on. Some of you will be stuck at work all day, like me. For those that aren't, don't hang out at the beach. Do what I'd do. Sit inside and watch people bounce balls, play with sticks and beat each other up.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Briefing - Thursday May 27
-The CFL has announced that a deal has been made between the CFL and the CFLPA. The deal has not been ratified so explicit terms were not announced, but the CFL presser confirms that there will be a drug testing policy as part of the new agreement, as well as a clause that sends Jason Armstead to remedial math classes on the league's dime.
-Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that his team is not having a problem adjusting to the Suns' 2-3 zone. He's probably right, and if Phoenix's bench plays for the remainder of the series as it did in Game 4, Los Angeles is proper fucked. Particularly when Derek Fisher and Ron Artest are undressed by Slovenian backup point guards while Kobe watches:
-So, uh... I did some quick calculations, and it seems that 84 per cent of the 38 players who played in the last game for Chicago and Philadelphia are Canadian. Not only that, but there's a certainty that at least two players will win both a gold medal and a Stanley Cup in the same year. Mike Richards and Chris Pronger on Philly, and Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith on Chicago. Only three players have ever done that before, being Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan in 2002, and Ken Morrow in 1980 with the New York Islanders. Also, to bring up old stereotypes, not a single Russian or Swede are in the Stanley Cup Final (UPDATE: Not name Hjalmarsson). Compare that to both team's failure to make the semifinals at the Olympics, it looks like Canada is pretty much the best country for hockey on the planet. Neener, neener, neener.
-Without playing, Toronto F.C. won the Voyageurs Cup as the Canadian Nutri-Lite Soccer Champions. Vancouver Whitecaps F.C. drew 1-1 in Montreal against the Impact, clinching the title for the Reds with still one fixture left between the Whitecaps and TFC. When asked about how it was to win such a prestigious championship, Preki said "huh?"
-The Arcade Fire have two new songs out. This one is called The Suburbs, and it's leak this morning pretty much broke the Internet:
-Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that his team is not having a problem adjusting to the Suns' 2-3 zone. He's probably right, and if Phoenix's bench plays for the remainder of the series as it did in Game 4, Los Angeles is proper fucked. Particularly when Derek Fisher and Ron Artest are undressed by Slovenian backup point guards while Kobe watches:
-So, uh... I did some quick calculations, and it seems that 84 per cent of the 38 players who played in the last game for Chicago and Philadelphia are Canadian. Not only that, but there's a certainty that at least two players will win both a gold medal and a Stanley Cup in the same year. Mike Richards and Chris Pronger on Philly, and Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith on Chicago. Only three players have ever done that before, being Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan in 2002, and Ken Morrow in 1980 with the New York Islanders. Also, to bring up old stereotypes, not a single Russian or Swede are in the Stanley Cup Final (UPDATE: Not name Hjalmarsson). Compare that to both team's failure to make the semifinals at the Olympics, it looks like Canada is pretty much the best country for hockey on the planet. Neener, neener, neener.
-Without playing, Toronto F.C. won the Voyageurs Cup as the Canadian Nutri-Lite Soccer Champions. Vancouver Whitecaps F.C. drew 1-1 in Montreal against the Impact, clinching the title for the Reds with still one fixture left between the Whitecaps and TFC. When asked about how it was to win such a prestigious championship, Preki said "huh?"
-The Arcade Fire have two new songs out. This one is called The Suburbs, and it's leak this morning pretty much broke the Internet:
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