He said all the right things to the media and fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Mats Sundin’s actions spoke louder than words. Rather than waiving his no-trade clause, giving the opportunity for the Leafs to get something in exchange for his services for the rest of the season and playoffs. The longtime captain snubbed his nose at management, forcing them to keep the aging veteran. Sundin claims to bleed blue and white, and only wants what’s best for the team. If this were the case, Sundin would of waived the clause, played with a contender for a few months, then simply re-signed with the Leafs in the offseason. Cliff Fletcher should introduce Sundin to the ushers up in the press box for the rest of the season. He won’t because the fans and media in Toronto would be up in arms about their beloved captain, no matter how much he hurt the team. Leaf fans, and the the media that follows them, both deserve this team. And their so called captian.
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NFL Machine Always in Motion
Posted on February 22, 2008 – 2:51 pm
If you thought the NFL season ended when the Giants hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Super Sunday, you are mistaken. The NFL season never ends. The league has mastered the art of being in the public eye all 365 days of the year. This weekend is the NFL combines, where prospects meet in Indianapolis to have their size, speed, strength, and agility measured and evaluated by every team in the league. And since the creation of the NFL network, fans can watch every minute in the comfort of their Lazy-Boy. This all leads up to one the biggest days of the NFL calendar, the draft in April. It’s the day that every fan hopes that their team will find the player that will finally get them to the promised land. Not long after that, summer practice sessions will open, followed by the start of the season in the fall. Of all professional sports, football has the longest off-season. But with an around the clock television network, countless websites, and fanatical fans, you would never know it.
Dale Jr and Nascar Ready to Roll
Posted on February 12, 2008 – 6:41 am
The good ol’ boys of NASCAR started their season Saturday night, and it didn’t take the fans long to find their beloved Dale Earnhardt Jr. He was right up front through most of the Bud Shootout, cruising to victory in his brand new #88 Hendrick Motorsport car. After a year of infighting with his stepmother/boss Teresa Earnhardt, who owns Dale Earnhardt Inc, NASCAR couldn’t have written a better script to start the season. Earnhardt Jr is by far the sport’s biggest star, so having him in a competitive car is crucial. Hendrick will no doubt supply him with that, and with teamates like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson watching his back, expect to see Jr with the frontrunners for most of the season. As Sunday’s Daytona 500 grows closer, one has to think that Teresa and the rest of DEI made a huge error in judgement. The revenue lost by Earnhardt Jr’s departure will be impossible to recover.
Perfect No More
Posted on February 4, 2008 – 3:08 pm
The old saying, offense sells tickets and defense wins championships, rang true once again on Super Sunday, as the New York Giants battered Tom Brady and his 18-0 New England Patriots 17-14. In any post-mortem Super Bowl chat, legacies are often argued. This year is no different. How will history treat the Pats? After steamrolling the competition for most of the season, New England won three of their last six games by just a field goal and were not their dominant selves through their two playoff wins. However, 18 straight wins is still an accomplishment that has never been done in the history of the league. Unfortunately for the Pats and their fans, the one loss will weigh much more than the 18 wins. They will be remembered as the team that couldn’t win the big game. The perfect season has been shattered, and once again the childish ‘72 Dolphins can sip their champagne. The greatest team ever? That debate will rage on.
Get Ready For Super Sunday!
Posted on January 21, 2008 – 10:02 am
The sun is beginning to set on yet another NFL season, but there is still one last hurrah, and at The Dizzy World Headquarters it promises to be a memorable Super Bowl. There willl be Texas chilli, plenty of cold beer, and a pile of Super Bowl swag given away by the Bud Girls. Get there early, because it promises to be a packed house. Will the Pats make history? Or will G-men pull off the ultimate upset? One thing is for certain, The Dizzy is the place to watch it.
NFL Refs in Horrible Form
Posted on January 15, 2008 – 7:03 am
The NFL has long been critisized for their poor officiating, and this weekend was no different. While the league pulls down billions in revenue and enjoys immense popularity, their referees continue to drop the ball. The playoffs should be about great games, not phantom holding calls and inconsistent pass interference. The league has to start employing full-time refs, who spend the offseason improving their skills rather than teaching, or judging, or whatever their “real job” entails. Hiring people that are younger than Grandpa Simpson might help out as well. I have childhood memories of some of these guys. Now, I know the game moves incredibly fast and the refs are under a lot of pressure, but the NFL should take more pride in their product. The integrity of the game is at stake. The players risk their health, the fans bleed their beloved teams’ colours, and the gamblers are putting down their hard-earned money; all of them deserve more than what I witnessed this weekend.
The Rocket’s Risky Strategy
Posted on January 9, 2008 – 10:46 am
From 60 Minutes, to a press conference that included a bizarre taped phone conversation, Roger Clemens is starting to swing back at the allegations that he used HGH/steroids. Clemens is vehemently denying being a user; an approach that might just paint him into a corner. Clemens’ personal trainer, Brian McNamee, has come out and said he provided human growth hormone for the legendary right hander, and his good friend and training partner Andy Pettite has admitted using the drug. It doesn’t take a conspiracy nut to question Clemens’ sincerity. Similar to Barry Bonds, Clemens had an miraculous revival after the age of 35. This denial will not be Clemens’ last: he now says he will swear under oath in front of congress, and faces a barrage of more bad press once Jose Conseco’s new tell-all book comes out, which will no doubt include dirt on Clemens. If Clemens is clean, this is the only way to go, however; if he isn’t, he has a long road ahead. Lie to the press and your fans, and you might still wind up in the Hall of Fame. Lie under oath, and you might wind up in jail.
Hawaii Finally Plays a Big Dawg
Posted on January 2, 2008 – 12:47 pm
Cinderella’s glass slipper didn’t just break, it was crushed by a steamroller in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day. Despite their embarrassingly weak schedule, the University of Hawaii was given a ticket to the Big Easy by the BCS selection committee and were blasted off the field 41-10 by a far superior Georgia squad. This game was not all bad for college football. This will serve notice to the BCS and the mid-majors that going 12-0 against the sisters of the poor does not give you the right to play in a BCS game. This is not to imply that the power conferences don’t get their share of breaks. But when you’re playing at that talent level, most weeks those breaks are deserved. Hawaii has already learned this lesson. They will go to Gainesville and take on the Gators in the opening week of the upcoming season. Hopefully others will follow suit. I despise the BCS as much as the next guy, but until the geniuses in Indianapolis decide to come up with a playoff system, it’s all we have.
Mitchell Report Not Shocking
Posted on December 14, 2007 – 3:35 pm
After months of anticipation and millions of dollars, George Mitchell’s report on steroids in baseball has been released. A number of professional baseball players are juicing; probably the same percentage as in every other pro sport. As fans, instead of asking who?, maybe we should be asking why? As in, Why should we care if pro athletes are on steroids? If an athlete decides to risk his long term health for a multi-million dollar contract, how is it any of my concern? Sport has evolved in many ways over the years: better training and diet, improved equipment, and better medical treatment, to name a few; steroids are simply part of that evolution. And to all those hypocrites who want to start erasing records all in the name of “fairness,” you should start with pre-1947 accomplishments: Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Cy Young never once had to compete against a black player. Now that’s something that’s unfair.
Great Season All For Not
Posted on December 6, 2007 – 3:14 pm
I’m sure most of us can go on at great lengths listing the negatives of college football. The BCS, poor graduation rates, unfair schedules, and so on. But there is one thing that is undeniable: this has been one heck of a season! From week one with Appalachian State over Michigan in the Big House, to the season finale, watching Pitt shock West Viginia, it has been a roller coaster of a year. Just when you thought you had everything figured out, another big upset rocked the much maligned BCS. Of course, without a playoff how can you have a true champion? And tragically, that’s what this season will be remembered for most. How the NCAA can continue this chaotic system is a mystery. “The” Ohio State University will again, have to wait 51 days between their last game and the BCS championship. That goes beyond ridiculous. When will the NCAA wake up and realize a playoff will create a system that is not only equitable, but extremely profitable?
