Performance Enhancing Drugs and You

It happened again.

More names off the 2003 "secret" MLB PED testing list have been revealed.

The names that were leaked earlier in the year were big names that caused minor stirs around the sporting community (A-Roid and Sammy Sosa). They only caused minor stirs because many people who follow sports and in particular baseball, were not shocked that Sammy Sosa had taken PED's and to his credit Alex Rodriguez had an interview where he admitted to use in 2003 and gave his "reason" (rehab from injury). These were the names that everyone expected, finally got confirmation of and fans could move on.

Now, 5 months into the baseball season, more names are being leaked from this "secret" list. Who has this list? How do they decide which names they are going to leak? Do they really think people care about the PED issue anymore?

If you were still interested - the names that leaked today off the 2003 list were Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. Both members of the Red Sox who would lose in 2003 to the Yankees in the Playoffs, but then went on to change the destiny of the franchise in 2004 (do we really think they stopped using?)

PED's are now a past issue. Fans have for the most part come the understanding that players in all sports - superstars to bench warmers have used performance enhancing drugs. We are now more interested in who they are sleeping with, what they are twittering about or where they went to party.

Chime in - are you fed up of hearing about the PED issue or do you need to know the other 98 names on the list?

Morning Time Waster

This is BY FAR one of the funniest things I have seen in a while...h/t nextround.net




Other nonsense to kill some time;
www.douchebagnamegenerator.com

In the comments let everyone know what your Douchebag name is...

It's Amazing, So Amazing!

One of my loyal readers has started his own blog - y'all should go visit him some - Brock Talk Canada.

His first blog entry covers one of the more amazing feats in baseball. Two grand slams in the same game! This is only the 13th time in the history of baseball. Compare that to the perfect game that White Sox Mark Buehrle which was the 18th. Does that make the two grand slams in one game more amazing than the perfecto, not sure, but it was still pretty cool.

That begs a great question - what would be the most amazing feats in some of the other major sports;

Basketball:
-Sinking two full court shots, one at the end of the first half and one at the end of the game.
-Scoring 100 points in an NBA game (even 81 is pretty wicked)
-Winning 30+ games in a row (NBA record is 33 by the LA Lakers in 1972

Football:
- Kick a 60 yd plus field goal. Only happened 6 times in the history of the NFL
- 99 yard TD run or passes. Only happened 3 times in the history of the NFL

Hockey:
- Score three goals in under 30 seconds (fastest was 3 in 21 seconds)
- 10 points in a game (Darryl Sittler did it once in 1976)

Any other thoughts on what you think are amazing feats?

The Arland Bruce Saga

Football south of the border officially started this past weekend with the Buffalo Bills opening training camp. At home, the CFL has been playing for several weeks and one of the biggest stories making headlines so far this season, besides the suckitude of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3 QBs in 4 weeks, congrats!) is the outrageous behaviour of Toronto Argos wide receiver Arland Bruce.

In the week 1 game he caught a touchdown pass and to honour the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, he celebrated by removing his pads and pretending to lie in a coffin. This earned him a fine, the ire of broadcasters and his coach and a place on youtube for fans from the US to see his Chad Johnson like antics.

Ever since that incident Bruce has been in the doghouse, but he fought back by going on the air talking about his team, why he should get the ball more, his quarterback - and none of it was positive. His spouting off earned him a suspension from this past weekend's game versus Winnipeg. Many people believe that Bruce has seen his last action in an Argos uniform, especially since the Argos won without him.

Is this a smart move by the Argos brass? Let their most talented, but egotistical wide receiver go while in the middle of a tough stretch of games and with 4 other wide receivers injured including their second best in Andre Talbot. Probably not the smartest move if you ask me. Arland Bruce hasn't been the best teammate in the past couple of weeks, but the Argos offense needs him.

Bruce is unlike many other attention starved players. He got attention with his MJ tribute (why not moon walk?), his comments and by being suspended. His actions will remind football fans of Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens or Plaxico Burress. All of those players have been fined and suspended on different occasions, but as of yet, none have ever been given their release for being a jerk.

If the Argos are going to make an impact this season, they need Arland Bruce or they will see him on the opposite side of the bar burning their secondary in a game later this season.

Snack of the Day

It has been a while since I have given you something to snack on...

Today, we had a couple of choices. With the Hungarian GP, I could have given you something hearty like stew or schnitzel. I decided to go the other way.

The RBC Canadian Open is happening this weekend at Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville. It is having some serious issues getting all the play in because of the rain. In fact as I type this they have already been playing for two hours. 36 holes on a Sunday will make the final round more a battle of attrition than skill. Players are still posting some great scores (9 birdies in a row!) and we have seen some great shots (a hole in one that bounced in off another ball and won the guy a car!).

With all the downtime, players have spent many hours in the clubhouse chowing down. Not sure if the chefs at the Abbey prepared my Snack of the Day, but I am sure it would have gone over well. The whitest of white foods is the choice this weekend - KD with Hot Dogs. Make sure add ketchup and you have a tasty lunch.

Eat up!

EPL Soccer Kits

In the four major sports in North America, teams plan uniform changes 2 and 3 years ahead of time to prepare the manufacturers to stop producing the old jersey and to ensure that there is not alot of stock of the old jerseys around.

There is usually little warning to fans, who might have shelled out $100+ for a jersey that can be outdated a month later. That is why you still see these jerseys in the street.

In the UK and most of Europe it is vastly different. Supporters expect their favorite soccer teams to have a new "kit" each season. In fact, some international team jerseys come with a tag that says "the (insert country) will be releasing a new jersey in October 2009" so that fans know they will need to spend more cash if they want to wear the same strip that the club is wearing when the big international tournament starts.

Where is all this leading you ask? To the unveiling of all the new EPL kits for this season.

H/T to UniWatch for the link. Pictured is Burnley who look smashing and below is my favorite club Spurs looking a little off this year compared to the past couple of seasons.

The Michael Vick Project

Former NFL quarterback and State of Georgia inmate Michael Vick was released from custody on Monday morning. He returns to his $40 million home, but what he doesn't return to is a job. His former employer, the Atlanta Falcons released him and made a great choice in the NFL draft to fill his shoes in Matt Ryan. So now what happens for the former poster boy of the new, young, hip and exciting NFL.

It seems Vick will have four to six teams looking to sign him, but it mostly depends on how NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell decides to treat the 29 year old star. Goodell has assessed severe punishments on players who have not adhered to the NFL conduct code, most notably Pacman Jones. We should expect Vick to be suspended for minimum 4 and maximum 16 games. How valuable does that make him to a potential team?

In my mind, it still makes him an important piece for a team on the verge of a playoff birth. Vick isn't going to come in and take the starting job away from Tom Brady, but if you are Tampa Bay or the Buffalo Bills and you need that push in the second half of the season to gain a wildcard spot, Michael Vick might be the guy.

I won't take any wild guesses about where he might land. For his sake and the sheer amount of coverage he will get, I hope it isn't in NY, New England or Oakland. That would blow out the servers in Bristol.

The one place I can tell you he won't end up is the UFL. The upstart league has already assigned his rights to the Orlando franchise, but I don't ever see him suiting up for them. It is not enough money and most people still believe that he has the skills to play in the NFL, so why would he play in an inferior league.

Accepting Vick back into the NFL won't be easy for some fans, but once he signs - won't you be tempted to watch him play?

99 Problems

This should tide you over until later tonight when we get to some sports talk...

99 Problems Traffic Stop

A rap battle between a cop and stopped SUV. Pretty classic and there is only one officer I know who could do this...

Enjoy.

Music Monday

Via Hot Clicks (si.com) and SportsRubbish.com comes this amusing mash-up of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit and Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up.

NBA Summer League Craps Out

Over the weekend the NBA Summer League, Las Vegas edition wrapped up. This is the time for the recently drafted stars of tomorrow to show their teams why they are worth the big money. It is also when second and third year players will go to improve their game and try to keep their spot on the bench.

Some young guns dominated the games. Number one overall pick Blake Griffin posted a couple of double-doubles including 27 points in his debut against the Lakers. Toronto Raptor rookie DeMar Derozan had several hilite reel dunks, which gives Raps fans a light at the end of the tunnel for some excitement at the ACC this winter. Second year Golden State Warrior Anthony Morrow, set a summer league record with 42 points in a game and then two nights later, bested that with 47.

The summer league is a great training ground and I would have liked to see games in Vegas as it would be entertaining basketball, but the one issue that bothers me more than anything else with the games is the uniforms. Why in the world do they wear practice jerseys for these games (see above photo)? It's not like the NBA or the teams can't afford a set of uniforms for these games. I know these two weeks could be compared to spring training in baseball where the teams sport a lighter jersey and a different ball cap, but the NBA plays inside no matter the time of year, so why can't these guys wear the real jersey?

If you have an answer leave it below.

Turn Back the Clock

So it is Sunday morning. I am on the couch recovering from a night of adult beverages realizing that I am not so young anymore and the sluggishness will last longer than the walk to the bathroom.

The only orginal programming on is the final round of the British Open from Turnberry. It has been full of stories all week long. Tiger Woods missing the cut for only the second time in a major tournament, the weather and Ross Fisher potentially leaving the course at any time to be with his wife as she gives birth to their child. But, the biggest story line is 59 year old Tom Watson leading the Open after the first and third round. It is a huge story because someone of his age isn't supposed to be able to compete with the "young guns" of golf, who have dominated the game for the past decade.

It got me thinking - is golf pretty much the only professional league/sport that could have someone at age 59 play and succeed.

In basketball, few players make it past 40 years of age. The best player in the world took a three seasons off, tried to make a comeback and disappointed his fans. In football they say a running back is done at 30 years old. Tom Watson would have had two careers! In hockey, you have the wonder known as Chris Chelios who is playing at age 46, but there aren't any other players close to him. Baseball has had a few players in their golden age play, but it is normally for a minor league promotion so they can say they played in five decades or something similar.

Other individual sports like Nascar have had older winners, Mark Martin at age 55 is still succeeding. I am sure their is a pro bowler or dart player that are in their fifties, but it isn't happening every weekend.

Golf is an individual sport - you battle the elements, the course and yourself to make it around in as few shots as possible. It is a physically demanding sport, especially at a course like Turnberry. The walking up and down the hills, swinging through the rough and the weather all take a toll on the players. Speaking as someone who has walked around Augusta National, I could have used a massage after that weekend. So for someone who almost qualifies for social security to be winning the tournament is something amazing, but is it good for golf?

The nostalgia and drama are great, but for golf to succeed on TV, with young fans and with corporate partners they need the Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or Sergio Garcia's of the world to be involved on Sunday's.

On your feet for the Singing of the National Anthem...

With Canada Day yesterday and the 4th of July celebrations just around the corner in the US, everyone is feeling a little patriotic.

Did you know why we sing the national anthem at sporting events - find out!

Something useful from these interwebs.

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

Make sure you enjoy the day off. Don't sweat the small stuff, drive fast and live recklessly!

A demain!